cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discriminating Males and Unpredictable Females: Males Bias Sperm Allocation in Favor of Virgin Females

When both sexes mate with multiple partners, theory predicts that males should adjust their investment in ejaculates in response to the risk and/or intensity of sperm competition. Here, we demonstrate that, in the harlequin beetle riding pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides, males use cues deposited on females by previous males to distinguish between virgin, once-mated, and multiply-mated females and adjust sperm allocation accordingly. Sperm number declined in direct proportion to the number of previous males, with virgin females receiving nearly three times more sperm than females exposed to three previous males. Given the lack of first-male sperm precedence in C. scorpioides, this pattern is not consistent with current sperm competition models and appears best explained by a significant risk of wasting ejaculates on deceitful, mated females. In C. scorpioides, males transfer sperm indirectly to females via a stalked spermatophore deposited on the substrate. Mated females often feign sexual receptivity and cooperate throughout mating, only to reject the sperm packet produced by the male. While indirect sperm transfer facilitates a high level of female deceit and control, females of many species are able to influence the number and fate of sperm transferred during copulation and are likely to conceal their sexual unreceptivity to minimize male retaliation. If males cannot accurately assess female receptivity, increased risk of sperm rejection by mated females could outweigh the risk of sperm competition and favor greater sperm allocation to virgin females.
Open-loop optimal control of a class of continuous-time stochastic systems—A simulation study†

This paper describes an algorithm for computing open-loop optimal stochastic controls. Several techniques for numerically implementing this algorithm are developed and evaluated.
Tobacco Smoke Promotes Lung Tumorigenesis by Triggering IKKβ- and JNK1-Dependent Inflammation

Chronic exposure to tobacco smoke, which contains over 60 tumor-initiating carcinogens, is the major risk factor for development of lung cancer, accounting for a large portion of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is well established that tobacco smoke is a tumor initiator, but we asked whether it also acts as a tumor promoter once malignant initiation, such as caused by K-ras activation, has taken place. Here we demonstrate that repetitive exposure to tobacco smoke promotes tumor development both in carcinogen-treated mice and in transgenic mice undergoing sporadic K-ras activation in lung epithelial cells. Tumor promotion is due to induction of inflammation that results in enhanced pneumocyte proliferation and is abrogated by IKKβ ablation in myeloid cells or inactivation of JNK1.
Must We Choose between Democracy and Music? On a Curious Silence in Tocqueville's Democracy in America

Summary‘Among the fine arts, I clearly see something to say only about architecture, sculpture, painting. As for music, dance […], I see nothing’. Tocqueville's observation in the Rubish for the second volume of Democracy in America is not only startling, but theoretically important: it ratifies the liberal (and nowadays oft-assumed) separation between musical life and political constitution. This, however, should give us cause to wonder. While in America, Tocqueville and Beaumont had multiple occasions to hear music in public festivals and private spaces. Though other European and highbrow observers also declared American music to be ‘in its infancy’, music nonetheless played a significant part in antebellum social and political life. Nor was Tocqueville insensitive to sound in his relation to others. Indeed, Tocqueville perhaps saw in the demise of music as the art of ‘making harmony’ a symptom of the democratic era. However, like Montesquieu, Tocqueville refused to consider music a constitutive princip...
Effect of Cover Quantization on Steganographic Fisher Information

This article presents an extension of the square root law of imperfect steganography to consider the effects of quantization on the steganographic Fisher information. We make the assumption that the cover elements are quantized i.i.d. samples drawn from an underlying continuous-valued ‘precover’ distribution. In the fine quantization limit, the Fisher information exhibits power scaling with an exponent determined jointly by the smoothness of the precover distribution and the properties of the embedding function. This extension is relevant for understanding the effects of pixel color depth and JPEG quality factor on secure payload of imperfect steganography realized using a mutually independent embedding operation.
FastFlow: A Framework for Accurate Characterization of Network Traffic

This paper proposes a new measurement architecture and associated traffic estimation algorithm called FastFlow that uses the heavy-tailed nature of Internet traffic in order to distinguish packets belonging to short lived flows (SLFs) and long lived flows (LLFs). While complete information is stored for SLFs, only partial information related to LLFs is collected using systematic sampling. The absence of data points in LLFs is approximated using a likelihood function defined over the coupon collector problem and the distribution of underlying traffic estimated using the non-parametric Parzen window technique. We validate the performance of our approach using traffic traces collected from our lab and observe that the estimated statistics match the observed traces with high accuracy.
On-chip jitter measurement for phase locked loops

In this paper, we propose an efficient on-chip method for the direct measurement of jitter in phase locked loops (PLLs). The jitter is first detected as the phase difference in the form of pulses with duration in the range of pico-seconds. A combination of a modified charge pump and a binary counter can then record the number that represents the jitter measurement. This is the first attempt to directly measure the jitter of PLLs on-chip via analog testing circuit, but with digital output. The proposed testing circuit is only about 20% of the PLL under test. The proposed on-chip jitter measurement circuit is a central part of built-in self-test for many embedded applications in SOCs.
PSPASES: Building a High Performance Scalable Parallel Direct Solver for Sparse Linear Systems

Many problems in engineering and scientific domains require solving large sparse systems of linear equations, as a computationally intensive step towards the final solution. It has long been a challenge to develop efficient parallel formulations of sparse direct solvers due to several different complex steps involved in the process. In this paper, we describe PSPASES, one of the first efficient, portable, and robust scalable parallel solvers for sparse symmetric positive definite linear systems that we have developed. We discuss the algorithmic and implementation issues involved in its development; and present performance and scalability results on Cray T3E and SGI Origin 2000. PSPASES could solve the largest sparse system (1 million equations) ever solved by a direct method, with the highest performance (51 GFLOPS for Cholesky factorization) ever reported.
Improved Drought Management of Falls Lake Reservoir: Role of Multimodel Streamflow Forecasts in Setting up Restrictions

Droughts, resulting from natural variability in supply and from increased demand due to urbanization, have severe economic implications on local and regional water supply systems. In the context of short-term monthly to seasonal water management, predicting these supply variations well in advance are essential in advocating appropriate conservation measures before the onset of drought. In this study, we utilized 3-month ahead probabilistic multimodel streamflow forecasts developed using climatic information—sea surface temperature conditions in the tropical Pacific, tropical Atlantic, and over the North Carolina coast—to invoke restrictions for Falls Lake Reservoir in the Neuse River Basin, N.C. Multimodel streamflow forecasts developed from two single models, a parametric regression approach and semiparametric resampling approach, are forced with a reservoir management model that takes ensembles to estimate the reliability of meeting the water quality and water supply releases and the end of the season target storage. The analyses show that the entire seasonal releases for water supply and water quality uses could be met purely based on the initial storages 100% reliability of supply, thereby limiting the use of forecasts. The study suggests that, by constraining the end of the season target storage conditions being met with high probability, the climate information based streamflow forecasts could be utilized for invoking restrictions during below- normal inflow years. Further, multimodel forecasts perform better in detecting the below-normal inflow conditions in comparison to single model forecasts by reducing false alarms and missed targets which could improve public confidence in utilizing climate forecasts for developing proactive water management strategies.
Response to paclitaxel and carboplatin in metastatic salivary gland cancer: a case report.

Background Malignant tumors of the salivary gland are rare entities that are treated primarily by surgical resection. For patients with recurrent or unresectable disease, options include radiation therapy or chemotherapy; however, responses are few and of short duration. Patients with metastatic disease have been treated with chemotherapy, but, again, response rates have been low and of short duration. Methods A 52-year-old man was seen with a mass on his tongue. A biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma of a minor salivary gland. Ten months after surgical resection, neck dissection, and radiation therapy, the patient was found to have metastatic disease to the lung. Chemotherapy was initiated with carboplatin and paclitaxel. Results The patient obtained a complete response after six cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Conclusions The use of carboplatin and paclitaxel in the setting of metastatic salivary gland cancer is a viable option. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 24: 406–410, 2002
Biochemical Characterization of the Cloned Human 5-HT1A Receptor Expressed in Mammalian Cells

A clone, G-21, was isolated from a human genomic library by cross-hybridization with the β2-adrenergic receptor cDNA [Kobilka et al. (1987) Nature 329, 75–79]. The encoded protein, transiently expressed in monkey kidney cells (COS-7 cells) displays the binding characteristics of the 5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1AR). Using a combination of photoaffinity labeling with the ligand [125I]-N3-NAPS and immunoprecipitation with an antipeptide antiserum (JWR21), we have determined by SDS-PAGE that the molecular weights of the 5-HT1AR from both transfected COS-7 cells and human hippocampus, are respectively 75 and 64 kDa. The 5-HT1AR was also transfected into HeLa cells and a stably expressing clonal cell line, HA7 (0.5 pmol receptor/mg protein), was utilized to characterize the second messenger coupling of the 5-HT1AR. 5-HT did not stimulate adenylyl cyclase (AC) but rather inhibited forskolin-induced cAMP formation (EC50≈20 nM). Surprisingly, in these cells 5-HT also activated phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis, but with less potency (EC50≈3.2 µM).
Cycling of Mercury between the Atmosphere and Oceans

It is well known that mercury and many of its compounds are volatile, and readily cycled at the earth’s surface. Moreover, the major transfer of Hg from terrestrial sources to the oceans occurs by exchange at the sea surface. Thus, the atmospheric cycle of Hg over the oceans and the processes affecting Hg exchange between the air and the sea are a predominant feature of the global Hg cycle. Our understanding of the behavior and fate of Hg in the marine environment is improving. Elucidation of the current state of knowledge regarding the cycling of Hg between the atmosphere and oceans makes a very fine case study. There are sufficient reliable data and geochemically consistent results to provide a working framework. There also appears to be much room to question current dogma and for speculation.
Nucleophosmin integrates within the nucleolus via multi-modal interactions with proteins displaying R-rich linear motifs and rRNA

Inside cells, machines called ribosomes assemble proteins from building blocks known as amino acids. Cells can alter the numbers of ribosomes they produce to match the cell’s demand for new proteins. For instance, when cells grow they require a lot of new proteins and therefore more ribosomes are produced. However, when cells face harsh conditions that cause stress (e.g. exposure to UV radiation or a harmful chemical) they generally stop growing and therefore need fewer ribosomes. In human and other eukaryotic cells, ribosomes are assembled in a structure called the nucleolus. However, because the nucleolus is not separated from the rest of the cell by a membrane, it was not clear how it is able to accumulate large quantities of the proteins and other molecules needed to make ribosomes. Recent work suggests that the nucleolus is formed through a process referred to as “phase separation” in which the liquid in a particular region of the cell has different physical properties to the liquid surrounding it. This is like how oil and water form separate layers when mixed. A protein called nucleophosmin is found at high levels in the nucleolus where it interacts with many other proteins, including those involved in making ribosomes. Nucleophosmin binds to motifs within these proteins that contain multiple copies of an amino acid called arginine (referred to as R-motifs). Now, Mitrea et al. investigate how nucleophosmin binds to R-motif proteins and whether this is important for assembling the nucleolus. A search for R-motifs in a list of over a hundred proteins known to bind to nucleophosmin showed that the majority of these proteins contained multiple R-motifs. Furthermore, when high levels of nucleophosmin and the R-motif proteins were present, they underwent phase separation. Next, Mitrea et al. examine the changes in how nucleophosmin and a ribosomal protein interact before and after phase separation. The experiments show that many molecules of nucleophosmin bind to each other and that multiple regions in nucleophosmin are able to interact with the R-motifs. Together, these interactions produce large assemblies of proteins that result in the creation of separate liquid layers. Furthermore, the experiments show that R-motif proteins and other molecules needed to make ribosomes can be brought together within the same liquid phase by nucleophosmin. Mitrea et al.’s findings provide the first insights into the role of nucleophosmin in the molecular organisation of the nucleolus. The next challenge is to understand how this organisation promotes the production of ribosomes and helps the cell to respond to stressful situations.
TxRace: Efficient Data Race Detection Using Commodity Hardware Transactional Memory

Detecting data races is important for debugging shared-memory multithreaded programs, but the high runtime overhead prevents the wide use of dynamic data race detectors. This paper presents TxRace, a new software data race detector that leverages commodity hardware transactional memory (HTM) to speed up data race detection. TxRace instruments a multithreaded program to transform synchronization-free regions into transactions, and exploits the conflict detection mechanism of HTM for lightweight data race detection at runtime. However, the limitations of the current best-effort commodity HTMs expose several challenges in using them for data race detection: (1) lack of ability to pinpoint racy instructions, (2) false positives caused by cache line granularity of conflict detection, and (3) transactional aborts for non-conflict reasons (e.g., capacity or unknown). To overcome these challenges, TxRace performs lightweight HTM-based data race detection at first, and occasionally switches to slow yet precise data race detection only for the small fraction of execution intervals in which potential races are reported by HTM. According to the experimental results, TxRace reduces the average runtime overhead of dynamic data race detection from 11.68x to 4.65x with only a small number of false negatives.
PICASSO: A Meshing Infrastructure for Strand-Cartesian CFD Solvers

A new meshing and solver infrastructure is described to support mesh generation, adaptation, and parallel communication for geometrically complex aerodynamic configurations. A dual-mesh paradigm applies a thin near-body strand mesh with high aspect ratio cells to resolve the viscous boundary layer together with an adaptive Cartesian solver for the remainder of the flowfield. The two grid systems are coupled through overset connectivity, making the approach readily applicable to moving body problems. The goal of this new infrastructure is to provide automated viscous meshing capability together with adaptive mesh refinement support for RANS and DES flow solvers. The paper discusses the formulation and provides a few example test cases, comparing results obtained using the automated meshing capabilities in the infrastructure to to solutions obtained with more traditional manually generated viscous meshes.
Sex Pheromones of Lepidoptera. XXX. Disruption of Sex Pheromone Communication in Trichoplusia ni as a Possible Means of Mating Control

Looplure ( cis -7-dodecenyl acetate), the sex pheromone of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), was released at various rates from evaporators spaced at various separations from one another in the field. Traps baited with virgin females were used to determine whether males could orient to the natural, female-produced pheromone when they were simultaneously exposed to the synthetic pheromone. An assessment of the percent mating of female moths that were tethered in treated and untreated areas indicated that this trapping technique may indicate the actual degree of communication disruption among wild moths in the field. A greater than 80% reduction in trapped males was obtained when looplure was released at rates as low as 0.1 mg/hectare per night. This disruption of male:female communication appeared to be independent of moth population density. Disruption was obtained at lower looplure release rates in a cool, low-wind, coastal environment than in a hot, erratically windy, desert environment.
Streptolysin O: suppression of its antigenicity by lipids extracted from skin.

SummaryChloroform: methanol extractable lipid(s) from rabbit dermis and epidermis has the ability to prevent hemolysis of erythrocytes by streptolysin O, an extracellular antigen of Group A streptococci. The data from this study also indicate that these same lipid preparations are able to suppress the immune response to this streptococcal antigen. These experimental data appear to provide a logical explanation for the epidemiologic finding that the antistreptolysin O response is feeble following streptococcal impetigo. They may also bear on the clinical observation that rheumatic fever fails to develop after Group A streptococcal infections of the skin.The authors acknowledge the valuable technical assistance of Mrs. Lois Helland and Miss Karen Tanaka in these studies.This work was monitored by the Commission on Streptococcal and Staphylococcal Diseases of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board, and was supported in part by the United States Army Medical Research and Development Command (DADA17-70-C-0081)...
Adhesive properties of water-washed cottonseed meal on four types of wood

AbstractThe interest in natural product-based wood adhesives has been steadily increasing due to the environmental and sustainable concerns of petroleum-based adhesives. In this work, we reported our research on the utilization of water-washed cottonseed meal (WCM) as wood adhesives. The adhesive strength and water resistance of WCM adhesive preparations on poplar, Douglas fir, walnut, and white oak wood veneers were tested with press temperatures of 80, 100, and 130 °C. Our data indicated that raising the hot press temperature from 80 to 100–130 °C greatly increased the bonding strength and water resistance of the WCM adhesives. The general trend of the adhesive strength of WCM on the four wood species was Douglas fir > poplar ≈ white oak > walnut. The rough surface of Douglas fir with tipping features could enhance the mechanical interlocking between the wood fibers and adhesive slurry, contributing to the high adhesive strength. The dimensional swelling of the bonded wood pairs due to water soaking was...
Mechanism of the Cytotoxic Interaction between ET-18-OMe and Heat

Ether lipid analogues of platelet-activating factor have been shown to kill cancer cells either alone or in combination with other cancer chemotherapeutic agents (1–3). Recently, we have shown that one of the ether lipid analogues, ET-18-OMe1, and 44°C hyperthermia interact supra-additively to kill BG-1 human ovarian carcinoma cells at concentration ≤0.5 μM of ET-18-OMe and additively at higher concentrations (0.5 to 2.0 μM) of ET-18-OMe (4). The mechanism of this cytotoxic interaction of ET-18-OMe and heat is presently unknown. In this study, we examine flow cytometrically two parameters, cell cycle distribution and nuclear protein content, that are altered after heat treatment to determine if they are involved in the mechanism governing the interaction of heat and ET-18-OMe.
Danto, Dutton, and Our Preunderstanding of Tribal Art And Artifacts

How can we understand the art and artifacts of tribal societies, given that the ethnocentric label ‘tribal’ implies that those societies are radically different from our own culturally and conceptually? To begin with, how do we know whether tribal people make an art/artifact distinction? If they do, is it the same as ours? If not, how can we correctly understand what seem to us to be their art and artifacts?
Stable Expression and Characterization of an Optimized Mannose Receptor.

The mannose receptor (MR) is a macrophage surface receptor that recognizes pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) from a diverse array of bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens. Functional studies of the MR are hampered by the scarcity of human cell lines that express the receptor. Current model systems available for the study of MR biology often demonstrate low levels of expression and do not retain many of the classical MR properties. Although several laboratories have reported transient and stable expression of MR from plasmids, preliminary data from our laboratory suggests that these plasmids produce a protein that lacks critical domains and is often not stable over time. In this current report we describe the generation and characterization of a novel human codon-optimized system for transient and stable MR expression. Rare codons and sequences that contribute to mRNA instability were modified to produce mRNA that is qualitatively and quantitatively improved. Confocal imaging of the transient and stably expressed optimized receptor demonstrates a distribution consistent with previous reports. To demonstrate the functional characteristics of the optimized receptor, we further show that the introduction of codon-optimized MR plasmid can confer MR-associated phagocytosis of S. aureus to non-phagocytic HeLa cells. We show that three molecules participate in the engagement and internalization of S. aureus. MR was found to colocalize with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and Rab5 following exposure to pHrodo-stained S. aureus, suggesting cooperation among the three molecules to engage and internalize the bacterial particle. This study describes a transfection capable, optimized MR receptor with functional characteristics similar to the wild type receptor and further demonstrates a new system for the continued study of MR biology and function
Novel Treatment Using Cimetidine for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria in Children.

Importance Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare hereditary disease of heme biosynthesis that manifests as severe photosensitivity and hepatotoxicity. There have been no effective treatments to date. Cimetidine has been shown to inhibit heme biosynthesis and results in symptomatic improvement in patients with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). There is only 1 report in the literature describing the use of cimetidine in the effective treatment of an adult patient with EPP. Objective To describe the successful use of cimetidine in pediatric patients with EPP. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective medical record review carried out in a pediatric dermatology practice at an academic institution of patients diagnosed with EPP who were younger than 18 years and treated with systemic cimetidine in the past 3 years. Interventions Systemic cimetidine. Main Outcomes and Measures Resolution of skin photodamage was evaluated on clinical examination. Subjective measures including tolerability to sun exposure, ability to participate in outdoor activities, and objective evaluation including serum erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels and liver function tests following treatment were assessed. Results All 3 cases reported a rapid reduction in photosensitivity within weeks following initiation of systemic therapy. Their skin photodamage were also improved or resolved completely on subsequent examination. Laboratory study results also revealed reduction in serum erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels and improved liver function. None of the patients have reported any adverse effects of the systemic treatment after more than 2 years of treatment. Conclusions and Relevance Children with EPP currently have limited therapeutic options and experience substantial disease impact on their quality of life. This is the first case series demonstrating that cimetidine, a readily available oral medication, can be a promising treatment for children with EPP.
Abstract LB-227: Truncal activating MAPK and PI3K pathway alterations and exceptional response to dual pathway inhibition in anaplastic thyroid cancer

Background: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is among the most aggressive solid tumors, with a uniformly fatal prognosis. No effective systemic therapies exist. We document a case in which a patient with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) failed to respond to either mTOR or combined RAF/MEK inhibition, but experienced a dramatic response when both drug regimens were combined. Methods and Results: Nine biopsies of the tumor were obtained between diagnosis and autopsy. Multi-region whole-exome sequencing revealed truncal BRAF and PIK3CA mutations, which are known to activate the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways respectively. We performed the largest meta-analysis of ATC to date and found a 7.4% co-occurrence of MAPK and PI3K pathway alterations in ATC. We analyzed 5,255 cancer exomes in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to determine whether similar cancer genomes occurred outside of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. We identified 11 tumors with BRAF V600E and non-silent PIK3CA mutations. These results indicate that this genotype occurs in other cancers and may predict response to combined therapy. Conclusions and future directions: We have identified a patient with ATC who had a dramatic response to combined inhibition of the MAPK and PI3K pathways, whereas neither MAPK inhibition nor PI3K inhibition alone was sufficient to produce tumor regression. These observations suggest that MAPK and PI3K/MTOR pathway blockade represents an effective dual therapy aimed at the founding oncogenic lesions in a subset of ATC. Citation Format: William J. Gibson, Daniel T. Ruan, Vera A. Paulson, Justine A. Barletta, Glenn J. Hanna, Stefan Kraft, Antonio Calles, Matthew Nehs, Francis Moore, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, Jeremiah Wala, Travis Zack, Thomas Lee, Fiona Fennessy, Erik Alexander, Tom Thomas, Pasi Jane, Levi Garraway, Scott Carter, Rameen Beroukhim, Jochen Lorch, Eliezer Van Allen. Truncal activating MAPK and PI3K pathway alterations and exceptional response to dual pathway inhibition in anaplastic thyroid cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-227.
Language rights in Catalonia and the constitutional right to secede from Spain

This paper examines the linguistic rights of Catalonia as stated in the Statutes of Autonomy of Catalonia of 1979 and 2006 and the Spanish Constitution of 1978. In addition, it studies the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Spain of 2010 which annulled or reinterpreted articles of the Statute of 2006, including Article 6.1 which declares Catalan as the “preferential” language of Catalonia. The paper offers some suggestions for improving language rights for speakers of Catalan, both within the Spanish state and the European Union, to help de-escalate language conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish state.
MIGRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF COHO SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS KISUTCH) SMOLTS IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND ITS ESTUARY

Abstract Beach seine catches indicated a majority of migrating coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) smolts reached the upper Columbia River estuary between late April and early June, with peak numbers occurring between 6 and 17 May. Length measurements revealed that large individuals tended to migrate downstream before small individuals. Based on size, most Columbia River smolts were of hatchery origin rather than of natural spawning origin. Recovery of tagged fish showed rates of downstream movement increased from late March to mid-May. Beach seine and purse seine catches suggest greater migratory movement with daylight. The principal prey organisms utilized by smolts were insects in the river and amphipods in the middle estuary and near the mouth. Predation on other fish was minor.
Overcoming the force and power of immunity: a history of immunosuppression in kidney transplantation

Immunosuppression for organ transplantation is a modern concept. The earliest reports of organ replacement have their roots in mythology and human fantasy. The primacy of overcoming the immunologic barrier for successful transplantation of organs has been influenced by geopolitical conflict, unorthodox ideas, application of knowledge across medical disciplines, and serendipity. The earliest form of chemical immunosuppression had its origin in chemical gas in warfare. Further developments in immunology, cancer therapy and biochemistry helped shape the intellectual basis for the introduction of chemical immunosuppression.
The Dragon Flag in the Republican Nation: The Dowager Empress Longyu’s Death Ritual in 1913 and Contested Political Legitimacy in Early Republican China

In 1911, the outbreak of a riot in Wuchang ended in a watershed event in Chinese history. This revolution created a paradoxical situation: while the new republican government was established, the Qing court continued to reside in the Forbidden City. The early years of the republic thus saw the rise of a contested terrain of political legitimacy, with warlords struggling militarily for presidency in Beijing, and the abdicated Qing court sustaining its latent legitimacy through ritualized court life.
Research of Process Multi-Channel Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

Abstract Atomic absorption method has matured and used widely in laboratory. So far, there is not a report that this method is applied on-line. The on-line automatic measurement of content of multi-elements is a difficult problem. It is required in metallurgy, chemistry and biology. this paper presents the design of the process multi-channel atomic absorption spectrophotometer according to the requirement of industrial process. The instrument includes radiation source, automatic sampling and pretreating device, atomizer, spectrometer, detector, electric Circuit and computer system which are described respectively. The multi- branch optical fiber of radiation source is mainly used as light combining device to solve the difficulty of multi-element source. It can be passed through by the light which wavelength range is from 2000 A to 7500 A The multi- branch optical fiber is installed on a fixed frame, which multi- branch ends are scattered to aim precisely at the centers of hollow cathode lamps and which combining end is aimed at flame atomizer. The multi- channel atomic absorption experiments on a few elements prove that this design is right.
Does Knee Hyperextension Affect Dynamic In Vivo Kinematics and Clinical Outcomes after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Objectives:There is no consensus on whether knee hyperextension affects postoperative outcome after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R). A limitation of previous studies is that they ...
Key mechanistic insights into the intramolecular C-H bond amination and double bond aziridination in sulfamate esters catalyzed by dirhodium tetracarboxylate complexes

Abstract Density Functional Theory was used to study the mechanisms of intramolecular C-H amination and olefin aziridination reactions of a variety of sulfamate esters. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanism and factors governing amination of primary, secondary, tertiary and benzylic C-H bonds, the competition between tertiary and benzylic C-H amination, and the competition between allylic C-H amination and olefin aziridination. In these studies we used three different dirhodium paddlewheel catalysts, such as model (H2O)Rh2(O2CH)4 (I), (H2O)Rh2(AcO)4 (II), and (H2O)Rh2(esp)2 (III). In general, we found that all catalysts have a diamagnetic closed shell singlet state with a single Rh-Rh σ-bond. Active catalytic species in the studied amination reactions are triplet state dirhodium-nitrene complexes with the Rh–Rh single bond and Rh-N double bond (with one σ-bond and two “one-electron π-bonds”). From the active nitrenoid species, the C-H bond amination proceeds via triplet-to-singlet surface crossing and singlet state concerted C-H insertion mechanism. The calculated energy barriers correlate with the trend in homolytic bond dissociation energy of the activated C-H bonds. With the allylic substrate, the competing C=C double bond aziridination follows a stepwise pathway involving the formation of radical intermediate and radical coupling to produce singlet aziridination product. However, the allylic C-H bond amination occurs with a lower barrier which is consistent with experimental product distributions.
Approximate relative fatigue life estimation methods for thin-walled monolithic ceramic crowns

Abstract Objectives The objective is to establish an approximate relative fatigue life estimation method under simulated mastication load for thin-walled monolithic restorations. Methods Experimentally measured fatigue parameters of fluormica, leucite, lithium disilicate and yttrium-stabilized zirconia in the existing literature were expressed in terms of the maximum cyclic stress and stress corresponding to initial crack size prior to N number of loading cycles to assess their differences. Assuming that failures mostly originate from high stress region, an approximate restoration life method was explored by ignoring the multi-axial nature of stress state. Experiments utilizing a simple trilayer restoration model with ceramic LD were performed to test the model validity. Results Ceramic fatigue was found to be similar for clinically relevant loading range and mastication frequency, resulting in the development of an approximate fatigue equation that is universally applicable to a wide range of dental ceramic materials. The equation was incorporated into the approximate restoration life estimation, leading to a simple expression in terms of fast fracture parameters, high stress area Δ A , the high stress averaged over Δ A and N . The developed method was preliminarily verified by the experiments. The impact of fast fracture parameters on the restoration life was separated from other factors, and the importance of surface preparation was manifested in the simplified equation. Both the maximum stress and the area of high stress region were also shown to play critical roles. Significance While nothing can replace actual clinical studies, this method could provide a reasonable preliminary estimation of relative restoration life.
Beyond VEGF – Other Factors Important in Retinal Neovascularization: Potential Targets in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Retinal neovascularization (NV), or the formation of new blood vessels in the retina, is a leading cause of blindness in diabetics. Research advances have shed great insights into molecules that play an important role in retinal neovascularization, suggesting potential targets for therapeutic manipulation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is well-recognized as a major stimulus in retinal N V, and therapies directed against VEGF are currently being developed and used. However, a greater understanding of additional molecules regulating retinal NV has emerged. This chapter will review these molecules and discuss their potential importance to retinal neovascularization in diabetes. This discussion will include additional pro-angiogenic growth factors, extracellular proteinases, integrins, and endogenous inhibitors of neovascularization. The development of therapeutic strategies targeting these molecules may result in additional treatments for retinal neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy.
The Law that Applies to Autonomous Weapon Systems

Even though most robotics experts predict fully autonomous weapon systems will not be available for use on the battlefield for a number of years, the debate over the lawfulness of such systems has nonetheless begun. At the forefront of this debate is the underlying question of whether autonomous weapon systems will ever be able to fully comply with the tenets of the law of armed conflict.This article succinctly explores the broader legal concerns over autonomous weapons by articulating the relevant precepts of law.
Phase Determination by Kossel Cone Analysis Utilizing the Mossbauer Effect

Kossel line analysis offers a direct method for determining the phase of the X-ray structure factor of (molecular) crystals. Phase determination is possible because the Kossel lines result from the interference between the direct wave emitted in a given direction with that which is Bragg reflected into the same direction. We give a theoretical discussion of the problem.
Biofeedback Training of 40-Hz EEG and Behavior

The use of operant training techniques to control electrical brain activity is relatively recent, dating back some ten years to the beginning of the present series of publications (Mulholland 1968). As is generally true of new research, there is a focus on questions about the basic process itself—definitive training procedures, transfer and concomitant effects and, not the least of it, skepticism about the reliability of the phenomenon itself. The ever-accelerating literature reflected, in part, in a handbook (Barber et al. 1971a), in a recent bibliography (Butler and Stoyva 1973), and in a series of annual reviews (Barber et al. 1971b, Stoyva et al. 1972, Shapiro et al. 1973), has both clarified some issues and raised additional questions.
Spiritual Care Perspective of College Student-Athletes

Spirituality in healthcare has been researched in multiple healthcare professions; however, very little research has been done in athletic training, and no studies have investigated the athletes' perception. The purpose of our online survey study was to determine the perceptions of college student-athletes on spiritual care. Our participants included 268 collegiate student-athletes from both faith-based and non-faith-based institutions. Respondents agree that spirituality may affect treatment progress, addressing spiritual concerns of the athlete could result in a more positive outcome, and certified athletic trainers should have some basic skills and knowledge to support the spiritual needs of the athlete.
Meeting report: Consensus recommendations for a research agenda to address immunosuppressant nonadherence in organ transplantation

Despite advances in the field of transplantation, immunosuppressant medication nonadherence (NA) remains a primary contributor to suboptimal long-term outcomes. Due to the multidimensional and multifactorial causes of medication NA, studies to date have focused on individual differing facets or single point barriers of NA with relative success. However, these successes have not proven to be sustainable, partly due to the intense resources needed for continued viability. This article provides a summary of a 2-day meeting held in April 2017 (Chicago, IL) prior to the American Transplant Congress in which a multidisciplinary group convened to identify the unmet research needs related to medication NA in transplantation. Thought leaders in the field presented the past, present, and future directions of medication NA with the primary outcome of designing, developing, and ranking targeted interventions into a dynamic research agenda to identify which interventions maintained effects over time. Break-out sessions were created based on the five World Health Organization (WHO) dimensions of adherence. Participants were then organized into the newly formed AST Transplant Pharmacy Adherence Consortium (AST TPAC) research group. This meeting report summarizes the content of the symposium, and the development, background, and future directions of the AST TPAC.
A Theory of Durable Dominance

This paper demonstrates how increased competition entrenches dominants—a causal relationship I term durable dominance. Established theories of sustained dominance predict that a dominant’s grasp on...
Designing a Global Learning Environment

The increase in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other “in-the-moment” learning opportunities suggests the need for an understanding of how to effectively design the global learning environm...
Salmonella Persist in Activated Macrophages in T Cell-Sparse Granulomas but Are Contained by Surrounding CXCR3 Ligand-Positioned Th1 Cells.

Summary Salmonella enterica (Se) bacteria cause persistent intracellular infections while stimulating a robust interferon-γ-producing CD4+ T (Th1) cell response. We addressed this paradox of concomitant infection and immunity by tracking fluorescent Se organisms in mice. Se bacteria persisted in nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-producing resident and recruited macrophages while inducing genes related to protection from nitric oxide. Se-infected cells occupied iNOS+ splenic granulomas that excluded T cells but were surrounded by mononuclear phagocytes producing the chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10, and Se epitope-specific Th1 cells expressing CXCR3, the receptor for these chemokines. Blockade of CXCR3 inhibited Th1 occupancy of CXCL9/10-dense regions, reduced activation of the Th1 cells, and led to increased Se growth. Thus, intracellular Se bacteria survive in their hosts by counteracting toxic products of the innate immune response and by residing in T cell-sparse granulomas, away from abundant Th1 cells positioned via CXCR3 in a bordering region that act to limit infection.
Factors Shaping Second Language Acquisition Among Adult Mexican Immigrants in Rural Immigrant Destinations

This article investigated the intrinsic, extrinsic, and integrative orientations shaping reading and speaking English skills among adult Mexican immigrants in two gateway communities in Illinois. I...
Internal Financial Expertise on the Board: Implications for Corporate Financial Policy

Firms with poor recent stock performance are more likely to appoint their CFO to the board and the private information associated with this choice is associated with greater leverage, cash holdings and lower payout likelihood. However, adding the CFO to the board is associated with subsequent decreases in leverage, greater financial flexibility and less financial constraints as evident in faster adjustment toward target debt ratios, decreased levels of cash holdings that are also less sensitive to cash flow and a greater likelihood of share repurchases. Better financial management also leads to better operating performance for these firms, once the CFO is on the board. These findings are based on several different methods that control for the endogenous choice by firms to put their CFO on the board. Finally, internal financial expertise can benefit shareholders as evident by the positive market reaction to the news of an internal financial expert’s appointment to their board. Thus, increasing the CFO’s influence by putting them on the board can be a key strategic initiative for many firms to improve operating performance and to deter unwanted takeovers while the stock price is low. These findings are especially important in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley era when firms are mandated to increase board outside financial expertise and, at least implicitly, forced to reduce the role of internal financial expertise on their boards.
Walking impairments after severe tibia plateau fractures. A gait pattern analysis

Abstract Purpose Tibia plateau fractures are severe knee injuries which have a great impact on the patients' lives, but in what extend is not clear yet in the literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term gait alternations after severe tibia plateau fractures treated with circular Ilizarov frame. Materials & methods Gait pattern evaluation was performed to patients who were treated with circular Ilizarov frame after severe tibia plateau fractures (Schatzker IV-VI), three to six months after the frame removal. Gait evaluation performed by using a force plate in a walking platform at self selected speeds. Data collected from two walking tasks for each limb. Demographic, clinical, radiological and quality of life questionnaire (SF-12v2) and COST data were also collected. Results The gait pattern of sixteen patients (aged 48.8 ± 13.3 years), following treatment with circular Ilizarov frame for severe tibia plateau fractures (Schatzker IV-VI) was analysed. The tests were performed at an average of 10.4 months after the initial treatment. SF-12v2 Mental scores have returned to normal (mean 55.8 ± 11.9) but physical scores remained impaired (mean 40.6 ± 11.3). COST scores reached average levels (mean 54.1 ± 19.8). A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the GRFs and gait timing data of the affected limb with the normal one. Single limb support interval was significantly reduced to the affected limb (p Conclusions During the early stages of rehabilitation following severe tibia plateau fractures treated with circular Ilizarov frame, the gait pattern returns to normal curve morphology, but with reduced single limb support and terminal stance phases at the affected knee. Mental status returns to normal but symptoms and function remain impaired.
When Genres Collide: Down Beat, Rolling Stone, and the Struggle Between Jazz and Rock

Toward the end of the introduction to When Genres Collide, Matt Brennan brings his scholarly, journalistic, and historical overview of jazz and rock studies to a fine point: “Genre,” he declares, “...
Nurse suicide in the United States: Analysis of the Center for Disease Control 2014 National Violent Death Reporting System dataset

Abstract Objective This study explored nurse suicide in the United States. Methods Characteristics were compared between occupations using 2014 National Violent Death Reporting System data. Results Female nurse suicides were significantly higher (11.97/100,000) than in the female population (7.58/100,000) (p Conclusion These results suggest a public health imperative for future research and development of effective preventative strategies for nurses; a largely understudied population.
Reversible Sn-Sn Triple Bond Dissociation in a Distannyne: Support for Charge-Shift Bonding Character.

The tin-tin triple bond in the distannyne AriPr4SnSnAriPr4, AriPr4 = C6H3-2,6(C6H3-2,6-iPr2)2, undergoes reversible cleavage in deuterated toluene to afford two :SṅAriPr4 radicals in solution as shown by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Variable temperature data afforded an enthalpy of dissociation of ΔHdiss = 17.2 ± 1.7 kcal mol-1 via van't Hoff analysis.