cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cash Incentives or Peer Support to Increase HCV Treatment for Persons With HIV Who Use Drugs: The CHAMPS Study.

Background Despite access to direct-acting antivirals, barriers to a hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure persist, especially among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) who use drugs. Interventions such as peer mentors or cash incentives may improve the care continuum. Methods The CHAMPS (Chronic HepAtitis C Management to ImProve OutcomeS) study randomized 144 PLWH, recruited from an outpatient clinic, with substance use disorders into three treatment groups: usual care (UC) (n = 36), UC plus cash incentives (n = 54), and UC plus peer mentors (n = 54) to evaluate HCV treatment uptake and cure. All participants received 12-weeks of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF). Trained peer mentors had well-controlled HIV and HCV. Cash incentives were contingent on visit attendance (maximum $220). The primary endpoint was HCV treatment initiation; secondary endpoints included sustained virologic response (SVR) and HCV reinfection. Results The majority of participants were male (61%), Black (93%), and unemployed (85%). Depression and active drug and alcohol use were common. Overall, 110 of 144 (76%) participants initiated LDV/SOF. Although treatment initiation rates were higher in PLWH randomized to peers (83%, 45 of 54) or cash (76%, 41 of 54) compared to UC (67%, 24 of 36), these differences were not statistically significant (P = .11). Most PLWH who initiated treatment achieved SVR (100 of 110, 91%). LDV/SOF was well tolerated; peers and cash had no effect on drug and alcohol use during therapy. One individual from the cash cohort experienced HCV reinfection. Conclusion After removal of system barriers, one-third of PLWH in UC did not initiate HCV treatment. Among those who initiated, SVR rates were high. Research involving PLWH who use drugs should focus on overcoming barriers to treatment initiation. Clinical trial information The registration data for the trial are in the ClinicalTrials.gov database, number NCT02402218.
Predictors of early immunotherapy response in head and neck cancer: Per lesion analysis of a prospective randomized trial with nivolumab.

6041Background: The capacity for radiation and checkpoint inhibitors to elicit clinical responses is impacted by tumor immunogenicity and the immune microenvironment. We sought to determine whether...
Microstructure and size effects on the mechanics of two dimensional, high aspect ratio nanoparticle assemblies

Uniaxially arranged nanocomposite structures are common across biological materials. Through efficient structural ordering and hierarchies, these materials exhibit stiffnesses and strengths comparable to the better of their constituents. While much is known regarding the mechanical properties of materials with explicit stiff and compliant phases, substantially less is understood about neat (matrix-free) materials composed from high aspect ratio particles. A promising example of nanoparticle assemblies are cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) thin films, which display desirable elastic and failure properties. Despite the exceptional properties of CNC films, accurately linking their nanoscopic properties to macroscale performance remains a challenge. Therefore, this work assesses the effects of fiber geometry and in-plane topology on the elastic and failure behaviors of neat CNC thin films using an atomistically informed coarse-grained molecular dynamics model. Short fiber films show a greater dependence on their specific in-plane ordering compared to longer fiber films. Furthermore, aligned, brick and mortar type CNC films exhibit a remarkable resiliency to random structural perturbations, particularly for films built from long fibers. Finally, simulation size is shown to affect the apparent failure properties of CNC films, with no meaningful impact on elastic property predictions. The relationships between structure and fiber length, as well as the sensitivities to structural randomness and simulation size, elucidated herein provide a comprehensive overview of the expected mechanics of high aspect ratio nanoparticle assemblies.
Exploitative competition between desert kit foxes and coyotes in the Mojave Desert

Exploitative competition between two sympatric guild members can influence the composition and dynamics of an ecological community. We assessed potential exploitative competition between desert kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis arsipus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) by comparing food habits of the two species from 2009 to 2014 on a study site in the Mojave Desert in California. Desert kit foxes specialised on heteromyid rodents and invertebrates, while the most frequently occurring items consumed by coyotes were lagomorphs and rodents. Both species consumed a variety of food items throughout the study, but relative use of these items varied with year and season. Also, precipitation affected prey abundance, and this influenced prey consumption by the two species. The diets of desert kit foxes and coyotes overlapped extensively, which indicated possible exploitative competition. Desert kit foxes consistently had lower dietary diversity than coyotes, indicating that desert kit foxes are more specialist consumers while coyotes are more generalists. Dietary specialisation by kit foxes on smaller items may help reduce competition with coyotes and facilitate coexistence. Coyotes consumed anthropogenic material at much higher frequencies than desert kit foxes, and this subsidisation could increase competitive pressures on kit foxes if it results in greater coyote abundance. Desert kit foxes in California are not a protected species although formal protection has been proposed due to increasing human encroachment. Conservation strategies should include measures to maintain an abundance and diversity of natural food items and limit anthropogenic subsidisation of coyotes.
Efficacy and adverse effects of methotrexate compared with azathioprine in the antisynthetase syndrome.

Objectives To study the efficacy in terms of muscle strength, and corticosteroid tapering as well as the prevalence of adverse effects in patients with the antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) treated with azathioprine (AZA) compared to those treated with methotrexate (MTX). Methods We compared the clinical outcomes in ASyS patients treated with AZA versus MTX including change in corticosteroid dose, strength, and creatine kinase (CK) as well as the prevalence of adverse effects. Results Among 169 patients with ASyS, 102 were treated at some point exclusively with either AZA or MTX (± corticosteroids). There were no significant differences in the rate of muscle strength recovery, CK decrease or corticosteroid tapering between those ASyS patients treated with MTX versus AZA. The prevalence of adverse events in patients treated with AZA and MTX was similar (29% vs. 25%, p>0.05); elevated liver enzymes (17% AZA vs. 12% MTX) and gastrointestinal involvement (10% AZA vs. 8% MTX) were the most common adverse events. While no patients treated with AZA developed lung complications, two of the patients treated with MTX experienced reversible pneumonitis with MTX cessation. Conclusions AZA and MTX showed similar efficacy and adverse events in patients with ASyS. Pneumonitis is a rare but important event in patients receiving MTX.
Electronic and mechanical properties of MXenes derived from single-flake measurements

MXenes are a large class of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides that show a great promise for a broad spectrum of applications. More than 25 different MXenes have been already experimentally demonstrated, and many others have been studied theoretically; however, their intrinsic physical properties remain largely unexplored. Here we review the electrical measurements of bulk assemblies of MXene sheets and demonstrate that the results strongly depend not only on the MXene’s chemical composition and structure but also on the form of assembly (a filtered, spin-casted, or sprayed film, a pressed disc, a particle, etc.), as well as on the preparation and postprocessing methods and measurement conditions, which dictate the stacking of individual MXene sheets and the interflake resistances. These results show the importance of single-flake measurements for revealing the intrinsic properties of various MXene materials and their comparison with each other. Single-flake measurements have been shown imperative for a variety of other 2D materials but remain scarce for MXene monolayers and so far have been limited only to Ti3C2Tx. Electrical measurements of individual Ti3C2Tx monolayers showed their high conductivity of 4600 ± 1100 S/cm and field-effect electron mobility of 2.6 ± 0.7 cm2/ V · s. These measurements were further proved to be useful for comparing the efficiencies of different synthetic methods for preparing high-quality MXene materials and investigating the environmental stability and kinetics of oxidation of Ti3C2Tx flakes in humid air. Mechanical measurements of Ti3C2Tx monolayers revealed their high Young’s modulus of 0.33 ± 0.03 TPa, establishing their enormous potential for mechanically reinforced composites, protective coatings, and nanoresonators. These examples demonstrate the importance of single-flake physical measurements, which expand our understanding of MXenes and broaden the already impressive range of their potential applications.
Transmembrane stem cell factor protein therapeutics enhance revascularization in ischemia without mast cell activation

Stem cell factor (SCF) is a cytokine that regulates hematopoiesis and other biological processes. While clinical treatments using SCF would be highly beneficial, these have been limited by toxicity related to mast cell activation. Transmembrane SCF (tmSCF) has differential activity from soluble SCF and has not been explored as a therapeutic agent. We created novel therapeutics using tmSCF embedded in proteoliposomes or lipid nanodiscs. Mouse models of anaphylaxis and ischemia revealed the tmSCF-based therapies did not activate mast cells and improved the revascularization in the ischemic hind limb. Proteoliposomal tmSCF preferentially acted on endothelial cells to induce angiogenesis while tmSCF nanodiscs had greater activity in inducing stem cell mobilization and recruitment to the site of injury. The type of lipid nanocarrier used altered the relative cellular uptake pathways and signaling in a cell type dependent manner. Overall, we found that tmSCF-based therapies can provide therapeutic benefits without off target effects.
Some futures for cognitive modeling and architectures: design patterns for including better interaction with the world, moderators, and improved model to data fits (and so can you)

We note some future areas for work with cognitive models and agents that as Colbert (I am America (and so can you!), 2007) notes, “so can you”. We present three approaches as something like design patterns, so they can be applied to other architectures and tasks. These areas are: (a) Interacting directly with the screen-as-world. It is now possible for models to interact with uninstrumented interfaces both on the machine that the model is running on as well as remote machines. Improved interaction can not only support a broader range of behavior but also make the interaction more accurately model human behavior on tasks that include interaction. Just one implication is that this will force models to have more knowledge about interaction, an area that has been little modeled but essential for all tasks. (b) Providing the cognitive architecture with more representation of the body. In our example, we provide a physiological substrate to implement behavioral moderators’ effects on cognition. Cognitive architectures can now be broader in the measurements they predict and correspond to. This approach provides a more complete and theoretically appropriate way to include new aspects of behavior including stressor effects and emotions in models. And (c) using machine learning techniques, particularly genetic algorithms (GAs), to fit models to data. Because of the model complexity, this is equivalent to performing a multi-variable non-linear stochastic multiple-output regression. Doing this by hand is completely inadequate. While there is a danger of overfitting using a GA, these fits can help provide a better understanding of the model and architecture, including how the architecture changes under moderators such stress. This paper also includes some notes on model maintenance and reporting.
Effect of Choline Forms and Gut Microbiota Composition on Trimethylamine-N-Oxide Response in Healthy Men.

Background: Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a choline-derived gut microbiota-dependent metabolite, is a newly recognized risk marker for cardiovascular disease. We sought to determine: (1) TMAO response to meals containing free versus lipid-soluble choline and (2) effects of gut microbiome on TMAO response. Methods: In a randomized, controlled, double-blinded, crossover study, healthy men (n = 37) were provided meals containing 600 mg choline either as choline bitartrate or phosphatidylcholine, or no choline control. Results: Choline bitartrate yielded three-times greater plasma TMAO AUC (p = 0.01) and 2.5-times greater urinary TMAO change from baseline (p = 0.01) compared to no choline and phosphatidylcholine. Gut microbiota composition differed (permutational multivariate analysis of variance, PERMANOVA; p = 0.01) between high-TMAO producers (with ≥40% increase in urinary TMAO response to choline bitartrate) and low-TMAO producers (with <40% increase in TMAO response). High-TMAO producers had more abundant lineages of Clostridium from Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae compared to low-TMAO producers (analysis of composition of microbiomes, ANCOM; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Given that phosphatidylcholine is the major form of choline in food, the absence of TMAO elevation with phosphatidylcholine counters arguments that phosphatidylcholine should be avoided due to TMAO-producing characteristics. Further, development of individualized dietary recommendations based on the gut microbiome may be effective in reducing disease risk
SP0017 Lessons learned from lyme disease: only persistent bacteria or autoimmunity

Antibiotic treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease, associated with a limited number of MHC alleles, including HLA DRb1*0401. A marked antibody and T cell response to outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is often seen during prolonged episodes of arthritis. An autoimmune mechanism has been implicated due to the lack of the Borrelia burgdorferi antigen in the target organ and apparent cross-reaction at the T cell level between the bacterial OspA and a self-protein, LFA-1aL. To directly test this hypothesis, we isolated and cloned T cells specific for the immunodominant epitope of OspA, OspA165–174, from five DRb1*0401+ patients, using OspA-class II tetramers. These clones were tested for their ability to respond to peptide containing the human homologue of OspA165–174, LFA-1aL332–340, as determined by proliferation and cytokine production. All of the T cell lines responded to minute concentrations of OspA165–174 by proliferation and secretion o IFN-g and IL-13. In contrast, larger concentrations of LFA-1aL326–345 were required for stimulation, and only 10% of the clones proliferated vigorously. With this stimulation, approximately half of the cell lines secreted IL-13 but produced no IFN-g. LFA-1aL-tetramers required a 2.5- to 25-fold higher concentration to stain dual reactive clones than OspA tetramer. Our analysis at the clonal level demonstrate that LFA-1aL326–345 behaves as an analogue for the OspA peptide, but a greater concentration of the LFA-1 peptide is required and an altered cytokine response is elicited. Thus, a single bacterial-specific T cell may respond to a cross-reactive human protein, LFA-1aL, indicating a role for molecular mimicry, and thus, autoimmunity, in treatment resistant Lyme arthritis.
H3K9 methylation maintains female identity in Drosophila germ cells through repression of the spermatogenesis program

Maintaining germ cell sexual identity is critical for gametogenesis. We find that Drosophila female germ cells employ H3K9me3 marked euchromatin, operationally defined as facultative heterochromatin, in the silencing of sex-inappropriate protein-encoding genes. In female germ cells the H3K9 trimethylase SETDB1, its binding protein WDE, and the H3K9 binding protein HP1a, are required for spermatogenesis gene silencing. SETDB1 controls the accumulation of H3K9me3 marks over a subset of these silenced genes, without spreading into neighboring loci. Regional deposition is especially striking at phf7, a male germline gene whose repression is known to be necessary for maintaining female identity. Furthermore, H3K9me3 recruitment to phf7 and other spermatogenesis genes is dependent on the female sex determination gene Sxl. Together our work reveals an H3K9me3 epigenetic mechanism necessary to ensure the stability of female germ cell identity, highlighting the emerging importance of H3K9me3 marked euchromatin in maintaining cell fate.
Exploration and Institutional History of Caves of the Upper Midwest, USA

Cave history among the states comprising the Upper Midwest, USA, involves three periods: (1) European exploration of the region, usually before 1850; (2) Euroamerican settlement in the century from 1850 to 1950; and (3) modern exploration by cave clubs or NSS grottoes, usually following World War II. The earliest mentions of caves in this region are often tied to French explorers along rivers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some of the most famous show caves had their beginnings in the subsequent, settlement period. Finally, the project caving of dedicated clubs and the “pulsed paradigm” of exploration of the longer cave systems have continued to the present time. Ironically—contrasting with caves like Mammoth in Kentucky—the smaller the caves the larger their history: Cave in Rock (Illinois), Carver’s Cave and Fountain Cave (Minnesota), Decorah Ice Cave (Iowa), and the caves of the Dells (Wisconsin) are good examples.
A functional group analysis of change in the abundance and distribution of 207 plant species across 115 years in north-central North America

Identifying declining species is essential for conservation planning. This research assessed abundance and distribution changes of 207 plant species in north-central North America and evaluated the importance of a suite of functional characteristics in predicting their persistence over 115 years (1895–2009). Functional characteristics included native versus introduced origin, pollination syndrome, symbiosis and habitat requirements, and phenological responsiveness to temperature change. Plant specimens from Ohio State University’s Herbarium were used to assess abundance and distribution changes. The partial Solow equation and the sighting rate model were used to calculate the average probability that a species had declined over the study interval. Rarefaction analysis was used to calculate the percent change in distribution as measured by county occurrences from historic (1895–1970) to modern (1971–2009) time periods. Twenty-seven percent of the 207 species decreased in abundance from 1895 to 2009 and 68 % showed distribution contraction. Native species were seven times more likely to decline in abundance and showed a two-fold greater distribution contraction compared to introduced species. Introduced species that strongly advanced flowering with warming showed greater distribution expansion than those with weak phenological responsiveness. Species that require a symbiont for growth or development were twice as likely to decrease in abundance as those without symbiont requirements. This analysis indicates non-random patterns of threat to species diversity among plant functional groups. With climate warming, highly responsive introduced species may become more widespread. Thus, climate warming may exacerbate the already substantial impacts of land-use change, symbiont loss, and non-native species invasion on species persistence.
Predicting mortality in cardiogenic shock secondary to ACS requiring short‐term mechanical circulatory support: The ACS‐MCS score

Objective To identify predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality for patients with cardiogenic shock secondary to acute coronary syndrome (ACS-CS) who require short-term mechanical circulatory support (ST-MCS). Background ACS-CS mortality is high. ST-MCS is an attractive treatment option for hemodynamic support and stabilization of deteriorating patients. Mortality prediction modeling for ACS-CS patients requiring ST-MCS has not been well-defined. Methods The Utah Cardiac Recovery (UCAR) Shock database was used to identify patients admitted with ACS-CS requiring ST-MCS devices between May 2008 and August 2018. Pre-ST-MCS clinical, laboratory, echocardiographic, and angiographic data were collected. The primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality. A weighted score comprising of pre-ST-MCS variables independently associated with 30-day all-cause mortality was derived and internally validated. Results A total of 159 patients (mean age, 61 years; 78% male) were included. Thirty-day all-cause mortality was 49%. Multivariable analysis resulted in four independent predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality: age, lactate, SCAI CS classification, and acute kidney injury. The model had good calibration and discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.80). A predictive score (ranging 0-4) comprised of age ≥ 60 years, pre-ST-MCS lactate ≥2.5 mmol/L, AKI at time of ST-MCS implementation, and SCAI CS stage E effectively risk stratified our patient population. Conclusion The ACS-MCS score is a simple and practical predictive score to risk-stratify CS secondary to ACS patients based on their mortality risk. Effective mortality risk assessment for ACS-CS patients could have implications on patient selection for available therapeutic strategy options.
A multibody approach for computing long-range forces between rigid-bodies using multipole expansions

This work presents a computational strategy for efficiently computing the long-range pairwise forces acting between rigid-bodies. This force maybe be gravitational, electrostatic, or any force of the form 1/rs where s is any power. Although there is no mathematical limitation on s, the error bound is a function of the separation distance between the rigid-body and the evaluation point. Therefore, close range forces may incur a much larger amount of error.
Genetically Engineered Erwinia carotovora in Aquatic Microcosms: Survival and Effects on Functional Groups of Indigenous Bacteria.

Abstract The survival of genetically engineered Erwinia carotovora L-864, with a kanamycin resistance gene inserted in its chromosome, was monitored in the water and sediment of aquatic microcosms. The density of genetically engineered and wild-type E. carotovora strains declined at the same rate, falling in 32 days below the level of detection by viable counts. We examined the impact of the addition of genetically engineered and wild-type strains on indigenous bacteria belonging to specific functional groups important in nutrient cycling. For up to 16 days, the densities of total and proteolytic bacteria were significantly higher (P 0.05).
New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) — The potential role for immunotherapy

New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) is defined as a state of persistent seizures with no identifiable etiology in patients without preexisting epilepsy that lasts longer than 24h despite optimal therapy. Management of NORSE is challenging, and the role of immunotherapy (IT) is unclear. We identified patients fulfilling the criteria for NORSE at a single institution. These patients were described, analyzed, and compared with NORSE cases available from the literature. Finally, a pooled analysis of available case series was conducted to compare the outcomes in patients who received IT with those not treated with IT during the course of NORSE in order to generate hypotheses for further research. In our case series, NORSE was diagnosed in 11 patients (9 females) with a mean age of 48 years and a mean duration of 54.4 days. Autoantibodies were identified in 7 patients, of which anti-GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase) and anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) were most frequent. Of the 11 patients, 8 were treated with IT (intravenous steroids, immunoglobulins, plasmapheresis, or a combination), and 4 received chemotherapy. Of the 8 patients treated with IT, 6 had favorable outcomes (defined as any outcome other than death, vegetative state, or inability to take care of oneself) compared with 0 out of 3 patients who did not receive IT. Difference in outcomes was significant (p=0.026). Pooled analysis of all identified case series, including ours, showed a statistically significant effect (p=0.022), with favorable outcomes in 42% of the patients who received any IT compared with 20% in those who did not. In all patients with refractory SE and negative comprehensive investigations, a diagnosis of NORSE should be considered. This would aid planning for early immunotherapy. Currently, only Class IV evidence for the use of immunotherapy in NORSE is available. Prospective multicenter studies are necessary to assess the true efficacy of IT in NORSE.
Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Autonomic computing

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 9th ACM International Conference on Autonomic Computing (ICAC'12) in San Jose, California, the heart of Silicon Valley. In the past nine years, ICAC has established itself as a premier venue that attracts strong technical papers addressing the multiple aspects of self-management in computing infrastructures, systems, services, and applications. It has also created a valuable tradition of synergistic interactions between academia and industry, reflected by the composition of its program committee, authorship of technical papers, and affiliation of attendees. This year's ICAC continues that tradition and presents a strong, exciting technical program that covers a spectrum of core and emerging topics such as resource management, control, diagnosis, virtualization, clouds, and big data. The call for papers attracted 67 submissions (including 62 full papers and 5 posters) from academia and industry around the world. Each full paper submission received an average of four reviews and each poster submission was reviewed by two PC members. After a period of online reviewing and discussions, a face-to-face PC meeting was held on May 11, 2012 at HP Labs (Palo Alto, CA). A full day's discussion (from 9am to 6pm) resulted in the acceptance of 15 full papers and 9 short papers from the 62 full submissions. The accepted papers will be presented in five regular sessions and two short paper sessions, with a corresponding poster on each paper to be presented during the poster session. We would like to thank all authors -- regardless of the review results -- for their valuable contribution to the conference. We would also like to thank all PC members for their dedicated, rigorous work throughout the paper review/selection process. This year we are excited to present three distinguished Keynote Speakers, Dr. Amin Vahdat from UCSD/Google, Dr. Subutai Ahmad from Numenta, and Dr. Eitan Frachtenberg from Facebook. In addition to the regular conference, there are four workshops taking place the day before and the day after conference. The workshops cover new and exciting areas of managing big data systems, self-aware Internet of things, federated Clouds, and feedback computing. We thank Fred Douglis, the workshop chair and all workshop organizers for putting this exciting agenda together.
The raising analysis of relative clauses: Evidence from adjectival modification

This paper provides a new argument for the raising analysis of relative clauses. This argument is based on the observation that certain adjectival modifiers on the head of a relative clause can be interpreted in positions internal to the relative clause. It is shown that the raising analysis of relative clauses is able to generate the readings corresponding to the relative clause internal interpretation of adjectival modifiers and that two competing analyses of relative clauses, the matching analysis and the head external analysis, are not able to do so.
The Effect of a Payer-Mandated Decrease in Buprenorphine Dose on Aberrant Drug Tests and Treatment Retention Among Patients with Opioid Dependence.

Abstract Background The optimal dose for office-based buprenorphine therapy is not known. This study reports on the effect of a change in payer policy, in which the insurer of a subset of patients in an office-based practice imposed a maximum sublingual buprenorphine dose of 16 mg/day, thereby forcing those patients on higher daily doses to decrease their dose. This situation created conditions for a natural experiment, in which treatment outcomes for patients experiencing this dose decrease could be compared to patients with other insurance who were not challenged with a dose decrease. Methods Subjects were 297 patients with opioid use disorder in a primary care practice who were prescribed buprenorphine continuously for at least 3 months. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for urine drug test results and treatment retention. Rates of aberrant urine drug tests were calculated in the period before the dose decrease and compared to rate after it with patients serving as their own controls. Comparison groups were formed from patients with the same insurance on buprenorphine doses of 16 mg/day or lower, patients with different insurance on 16 mg/day or lower, and patients with different insurance on greater than 16 mg/day. Rates of aberrant drug tests and treatment retention of patients on 16 mg/day or less of buprenorphine were compared to that of patients on higher daily doses. Results The rate of aberrant urine drug tests among patients who experienced a dose decrease rose from 27.5% to 34.2% (p = 0.043). No comparison group showed any significant change in aberrant drug test rates. Moreover, all groups who were prescribed buprenorphine doses greater than 16 mg/day displayed lower rates of aberrant urine drug tests than groups prescribed lower doses. Retention in treatment was also highest among those prescribed greater than 16 mg/day (100% vs. 86.8%, 90.1%, and 84.4% p = 0.010). Discussion An imposed buprenorphine dose decrease was associated with an increase in aberrant drug tests. Patients in a control group with higher buprenorphine doses had greater retention in treatment. These findings suggest that buprenorphine doses greater than 16 mg/day are more effective for some patients and that dose limits at this level or lower are harmful.
A Plant ABC Transporter Takes the Lotus Seat

The surfaces of plants (principally leaves and stems) exposed to the air are covered in a wax cuticle that prevents them from drying out. In their Perspective, Schulz and Frommer discuss a step toward elucidating the complex lipid export pathway that transports hydrophobic wax precursor molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum, where they are synthesized across the plasma membrane, to the surface of plant cells, where they are assembled into the cuticular layer ( Pighin et al.). It turns out that, like animal cells, plant cells have an ABC transporter protein called CER5 that transports hydrophobic wax precursor molecules across the plant cell plasma membrane.
Simulation of single fiber pullout response with account of fiber morphology

Abstract A finite element model was developed at the single fiber length scale to predict the quasi-static pullout response of individual fibers from cementitious composites. The model accounts for energy dissipation through granular flow of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and matrix, plastic work in the fiber, and frictional dissipation at the fiber–ITZ interface. The considered fiber morphology was a triangular cross section that had been uniformly twisted along the fiber length. The model was calibrated to published experimental data for fiber pitches of 12.7 and 38.1 mm/revolution pulled from cement mortar with a 44-MPa unconfined compressive strength. The model was used to investigate slip-hardening behavior, tunneling of the cement mortar, in situ pullout behavior of helically twisted fibers at a crack plane, and provide an alternate explanation for the pullout response of twisted fibers from a 84-MPa unconfined compressive strength matrix containing silica fume. Calculations show that twisted fibers can provide up to 5 times the peak pullout force and 10 times the total work compared with straight fibers and infer work-hardening behavior during fiber pullout. The findings indicate that the tailoring of fiber morphology and control of constituent properties are important avenues for achieving significant improvements in the performance of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites.
The mouse alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase gene (Agxt1): cloning, expression, and mapping to chromosome 1.

The human alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase gene (AGXT) has been cloned and characterized in detail, and various mutant alleles have been shown to be responsible for primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1). However, advances in understanding the basic mechanisms of this rare human disease have been hampered by the lack of a suitable animal model. Although several AGXT homologous genes have been cloned in a number of mammalian species, none of them allows the level of genetic experimentation that current methods provide for mouse embryo manipulation. Thus, we have carried out the molecular cloning and analysis of the mouse Agxt1 gene, as a necessary first step towards the generation of a mouse model for PH1. The full-length mouse Agxt1 cDNA is 1545 bp long, and encodes a 414 amino acid protein. Mouse Agxt1 is highly similar to its rat counterpart both at the nucleotide (91% identity) and the amino acid (92% identity) levels. Like its rat homologue, the larger mRNA species transcribed encodes a conserved amino terminal end characteristic of AGXT forms known to be targeted to the mitochondria. Mouse Agxt1 expression is restricted to the liver, and in vitro transfection of AGXT(−) cells with the cloned Agxt1 cDNA confers AGXT enzymatic activity. At the genomic level, mouse Agxt1 contains 11 exons, spannig 11 Kb, and it maps to the central portion of chromosome 1, a region of known synteny with human distal 2q, where AGXT has been previously mapped (2q36–37).
Blood levels of critical amino acids in very low birthweight infants on a high human milk protein intake.

Lindblad, B. S., Hagelberg, S. and Lundsjo, A. (Department of Paediatrics, Karolinska Institute, St. Goran's Children's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden). Blood levels of critical amino acids in very low birthweight infants on a high human milk protein intake. Acta Paediatr Scand, Suppl. 296: 24, 1982. — A method for a semi–industrial production of human milk subfractions (human milk protein and human milk fat isolates) is described. Four very low birthweight (VLBW) newborn were given a human milk protein isolate added to the mother's own fresh expressed milk in addition to sodium chloride up to 20 mEkv/liter. Growth followed the intrauterine growth curve. Urea levels did not increase in spite of providing a double-normal protein intake. There was no metabolite acidosis and the blood levels of free amino acids determined with a micro-method did not exceed those seen after a normal meal. The concentrated human milk protein product showed a considerable specific sIgA activity against E. coli 0-antigen. It seems possible to use similar “lacto-engineering”-techniques in order to satisfy the increased protein requirements of the VLBW infant, while providing the caloric requirements, without causing any visible disturbance of blood-homeostasis of urea, amino acids or base excess. The method could provide knowledge about the “human milk protein requirements” and a controlled study has been started.
Finding trendy products from pins

Fashion is a key defining factor of popular culture, and it changes over time. Each season tons of new products emerge to the market. People who follow fashion wish to discover new and trendy products and quickly catch the most fashionable styles. Traditionally, product trends can be found in fashion magazines and product catalogs, but now the proliferation of the Internet and social networks may have made trend e-discovery possible. This paper explores a novel problem of finding product trends through the posts on Pinterest, a rising social media for sharing interests using uploaded photographs and text comments. A weighted feature subset selection (WFSS) framework is applied to simultaneously group popular products into different types and select the most representative and discriminative terms to describe each product type. We compare WFSS with co-clustering algorithms, non-negative matrix factorization, and unsupervised feature selection methods. Experimental results on a data set collected from Pinterest show the effectiveness of WFSS in both product clustering and keyword selection.
Charging curves and excitation spectrum of long persistent phosphor SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+

Abstract Long persistent phosphor SrAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ is prepared in ceramic form. Photo-charging curves are studied and found to be due to the trapping processes of the long persistent materials. A three-level model is used to explain the nature of the charging curve. The excitation spectra of the long persistent materials are found to depend on the intensity of the excitation source and the scanning speed of the measurement.
Chaos and low-order corrections to classical mechanics or geometrical optics.

Based on simple first-order quantum corrections to classical equations of motion, which we show to be closely related to Gaussian wave-packet dynamics (GWD) and a time-dependent variational principle (TDVP), we deduce that quantum corrections to classical dynamics should typically become most pronounced when the classical system becomes chaotic. The time duration over which classical dynamics, GWD, or TDVP may provide good approximations is much shorter when the classical dynamics are chaotic. However, for certain situations involving very short laser pulses, these approximations can be very accurate. The same concepts are applicable to paraxial wave optics, which may offer simpler experimental studies of ``quantum chaos'': the distinction between classical and ``quantum'' chaos is in large part the distinction between ray versus wave behavior.
Delivery of proteins and organelles to the vacuole from the cytoplasm

Abstract The vacuole/lysosome is a primary catabolic site in the eukaryotic cell. One implication of its cellular role is that delivery systems must exist to target both hydrolytic enzymes and substrates destined for degradation to this organelle. A number of nonclassical vacuolar targeting pathways that deliver degradative substrates and at least one resident enzyme from the cytosol to the vacuole have recently been described. The pathways identified so far include cytoplasm to vacuole targeting, macroautophagy, pexophagy and vacuolar import and degradation. Cytological, genetic and molecular genetic approaches have begun to provide insight into the molecular basis of these proceses.
Effect of Harvest on Leaf Development of the Asian Palm Livistona rotundifolia

Although palms are the most commonly harvested tree family in the world, they are susceptible to overexploitation, and many harvest schemes are not sustainable. We assessed the impact of leaf harvesting of the Asian palm, Livistona rotundifolia, in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, to determine the effect of harvest intensity on subsequent growth and to determine if current harvest practices are ecologically sustainable. We conducted experimental harvests of two intensities and compared results with a control. Leaf emergence, expansion, opening, and maturation were monitored for 1 year. Leaves in heavy and light harvest treatments grew and opened significantly faster than control leaves. Final leaf size was a function of harvest intensity: control leaves were larger (4.06 m) than light-harvest leaves (3.62 m) and heavy-harvest leaves (2.62 m). Census results for palms in harvested and unharvested areas indicated that palm density was twice as high and reproductive-sized palms were 10 times more common in the unharvested area. We judged current harvest practices to be nonsustainable. Recommendations for sustainable harvesting include reduction of harvest intensity and waste and preservation of reproductive-sized palms. Si bien las palmeras constituyen la familia de arboles cosechados mas comunmente en el mundo, estas son susceptibles a una sobre explotacion y a muchos esquemas de cosecha no sostenibles. Evaluamos el impacto de la cosecha de las hojas de la palmera Asiatica Livistona rotundifolia, en Sulawesi del Norte, Indonesia, para determinar el efecto de la intesidad de la cosecha sobre el crecimiento subsecuente y establecer si las practicas actuales de cosecha son ecologicamente sostenibles. Conducimos experimentos de cosecha con dos intesidades distintas y comparamos los resultados con un control. La emergencia, expansion, apertura y maduracion de las hojas fueron monitoreadas por un ano. Las hojas bajo los tratamientos de cosecha intensivos y ligeros crecieron y se abrieron significativamente mas rapido que las hojas en el tratamiento control. El tamano final de las hojas estuvo en funcion de la intensidad de la cosecha. Las hojas del control fueron mas largas (4.06 m) que las de la cosecha ligera (3.62 m) y que las de la cosecha intensiva (2.62m). Los resultados de los censos de palmeras en areas bajo cosecha y areas sin cosechar, indicaron que, en las areas sin cosechar, la densidad de las palmeras fue dos veces mas alta y las palmeras de tamano reproductivo fueron 10 veces mas comunes. A nuestro juicio, las practicas actuales de cosecha no son sostenibles. Las recomendaciones para una cosecha sostenible incluyen la reduccion en la intensidad de la cosecha y dano producido y la preservacion de las palmeras de tamano reproductivo.
Electronic Technology and Its Use with Rural Gifted Students.

Electronic technology can be used to overcome many of the restrictive factors or barriers to delivering services to rural schools, and it can expand the world of rural gifted students. On‐line college and high school sites offering courses are listed. Also listed is a site for tutoring and one offering help for teachers of rural gifted students. Recommendations are made for legislatures and for rural school districts.
On the quantum kinetic equation for molecular gases: II. Noncentral interaction

Abstract A rigorous derivation of a quantum kinetic equation for dilute homogeneous diatomic gases with noncentral interactions is presented. This equation generalizes the Waldmann-Snyder equation, describing the relaxation of both diagonal and nondiagonal terms of the quantum distribution function f δδ′ (t, P ) . The collision integral contains a term which describes the long-lived collisions and collisions with a large exchange of internal energy. The macroscopic conservation laws for mass density, total momentum density, total angular momentum density and energy density are derived. In the limit of monoatomic gases all known results are obtained.
Retention of conformational flexibility in HIV-1 Rev-RNA complexes.

Sequence-specific recognition between HIV-1 Rev and viral RNA mediates the nuclear export of the viral mRNA and thus is important for the viral life cycle. HIV Rev binds to its viral RNA target wit...
A highly selective monoalkylation of tert-butyl 3,4-dihydroxy-4-phenylpiperidine-1-carboxylate under phase transfer conditions

Liquid–liquid phase transfer conditions have been found to provide highly selective monoalkylation of tert-butyl 3,4-dihydroxy-4-phenylpiperidine-1-carboxylate, a transformation for which many other common alkylation protocols proved inadequate. The high preference for 3-O-alkylation in the phase transfer alkylation is emphasised by the absence of diether formation even in the presence of a large excess of reagents.
Effect of salt stress on nitrogen fixation by different cultivars of green beans

Abstract Nitrogen fixation by three cultivars of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. ‘Tender Improved’, ‘Slim Green’, and ‘Kentucky Wonder') was investigated under normal (control = 0.3 bars osmotic pressure) and NaCl salinized (3.0 bars osmotic pressure) conditions. The study was carried out in a greenhouse with a sand culture technique, using a system which automatically recirculated a modified complete Hoagland nutrient solution with only 5 ppm N. Nitrogen was added as K15NO3 to the culture solution. Plants were harvested three times (10, 20, and 30 days after the completion of the salt and N treatments). Plant parts (shoots and roots) were evaluated separately for dry matter production, total‐N concentration (%), total‐N content (mg/plant part), total‐N fixation (mg/plant part), and percentage of total‐N fixation. Salt stress significantly decreased dry matter production, total‐N content (uptake plus fixed), percent of total‐N fixed (based on the total‐N content of plant parts), and amount of tota...
Hydrogen bonds and vibrations of water on (110) rutile

We study the relation between the hydrogen bonding and the vibrational frequency spectra of water on the (110) surface of rutile (α-TiO2) with three structural layers of adsorbed water. Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at 280, 300, and 320 K, we find strong, crystallographically controlled adsorption sites, in general agreement with synchrotron X-ray and classical molecular dynamics simulations. We demonstrate that these sites are produced by strong hydrogen bonds formed between the surface oxygen atoms and the sorbed water molecules. The strength of these bonds is manifested by substantial broadening of the stretching mode vibrational band. The overall vibrational spectrum obtained from our simulations is in good agreement with inelastic neutron scattering experiments. We correlate the vibrational spectrum with different bonds at the surface to transform these vibrational measurements into a spectroscopy of surface interactions.
Electrical Properties of Neutron-Irradiated Silicon at 76°K: Hall Effect and Electrical Conductivtty

Defects produced in p-type silicon by neutron irradiation have been investigated using electrical conductivity and Hall effect measurements at 76°K. Samples from crucible-grown (1, 10, and 50 ohm-cm) and float-zone (10 ohm-cm) boron-doped silicon were irradiated at 76°K with nearly fission spectrum neutrons and annealed isochronally between 76° and 700°K. The electrical properties of neutron-irradiated p-type silicon exhibit an illumination dependence similar to that observed previously in n-type silicon and attributed to the presence of defect clusters. Therefore, neutron-produced changes in the electrical properties of p-type silicon also are attributed to defect clusters. The sensitivity to illumination was observed for all resistivities and for both crucible and float-zone p-type silicon. The illumination-induced conductivity decays slowly with time at 76°K and influences the thermally produced changes in the electrical properties upon annealing for temperatures up to 150°K. Neutron-produced changes in the electrical properties measured after annealing to 150° K are found to be qualitatively consistent with an insulating void model for cluster-space-charge regions. The best modeling of the experimentally observed changes is for the 50 ohm-cm (large void volume) silicon. The annealing loss of the light sensitive defects occurs in diffuse stages between 150° and 550°K with the largest stage between 150° and 240°K. A major fraction of the hole mobility annealing parallels that for the light sensitive defects and suggests that the mobility change is caused primarily by defect clusters.