cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Coronavirus Hemagglutinin Esterase Glycoprotein

Early reviews on Coronavirus structure (Siddell et al., 1983a,b; Sturman and Holmes, 1985) described coronaviruses as having three major structural proteins: a large-surface (or peplomer) glycoprotein of around 200 kDa, a phos-phorylated nucleocapsid protein of around 50 kDa, and a glycosylated, multi-spanning membrane protein of around 30 kDa. This description was based primarily on studies of the prototypic avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and the highly studied mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), strain A59. Although IBV was shown early on to have a weak hemagglutinating property, detection of the hemagglutinating activity required that the virus first be treated with phospho-lipase C or concentrated by centrifugation in sucrose gradients (Bingham et al., 1975). Not all strains of IBV demonstrated hemagglutination, however, and hemagglutinating activity by IBV, as well as by the porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) (Noda et al., 1987, 1988) was probably a cryptic property of the spike protein (Cavanagh and Davis, 1986). The nature of this hemagglutinating activity is not well understood.
A REGULARIZED TOTAL LEAST SQUARES ALGORITHM

Error-contaminated systems A x ≈ b, for which A is ill-conditioned, are considered. Such systems may be solved using Tikhonov-like regularized total least squares (R-TLS) methods. Golub et al, 1999, presented a direct algorithm for the solution of the Lagrange multiplier formulation for the R-TLS problem. Here we present a parameter independent algorithm for the approximate R-TLS solution. The algorithm, which utilizes the shifted inverse power method, relies only on a prescribed estimate for the regularization constraint condition and does not require the specification of other regularization parameters. An extension of the algorithm for nonsmooth solutions is also presented.
Introduction to Semiconductor Devices: Short-channel effects and challenges to CMOS

Though long channel MOSFET devices are an excellent means of describing how MOSFETs work, they are rarely used nowadays. In order to increase the number of active devices on a chip and thus improve its functionality, MOSFET device structures have undergone continued miniaturization. The long channel theory developed in Chapter 6 is valid only for devices that have channel lengths greater than about 1-2 μm. Present state-of-the-art MOSFETs used in digital integrated circuits are very much smaller than this. At the time of this writing, major integrated circuit manufacturers are producing commercial products with 0.13 μm gate lengths. Devices with only 0.1 μm gate lengths are already in the design stage. Therefore, state-of-the-art devices are very different from the long channel MOSFETs discussed in Chapter 6. In this chapter we examine the processes in state-of-the-art Si based MOSFETs and discuss how reduction in the gate length influences device behavior. Short-channel effects There are many complications that arise as MOSFET devices are miniaturized. These can be summarized as arising from material and processing problems or from intrinsic device performance issues. As the device dimensions shrink it is ever more difficult to perform the basic device fabrication steps. For example, as the device dimensions become smaller and the circuit denser and more complex, problems are encountered in lithography, interconnects, and processing. Different intrinsic device properties are affected by device miniaturization. The class of effects that alter device behavior that arise from device miniaturization are generally referred to as short-channel effects.
Functional Changes in Peristalsis: Hydronephrosis of Pregnancy

The etiology of hydronephrosis of pregnancy has not been completely elucidated. The rhesus monkey has been used as the test animal since hydronephrosis of pregnancy occurs naturally in the primate as opposed to other mammals (Roberts and Wolf, 1971). The fact that the pelvic ureter is usually normal suggests that hydronephrosis is due to obstruction at the pelvic brim by the gravid uterus.
Behavioral Treatment and Control of Breathing in Physiotherapeutic, Yogic, and Relaxation Methods

Assessment and treatment methods in this chapter are those common in rehabilitation medicine and relaxation techniques, and are frequently used in the control of chronic, irreversible breathing problems. They are, in many instances, similar to yogic breathing practices, from which many have been derived. Chapter 9 details recently developed self-regulatory (biofeedback) methods.
Language-Model Assisted and Icon-Based Communication Through a Brain–Computer Interface With Different Presentation Paradigms

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is typically used by people with severe speech and physical disabilities and is one of the main application areas for the brain–computer interface (BCI) technology. The target population includes people with cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and locked-in syndrome. Word-based AAC systems are mainly faster than letter-based counterparts and are usually supplemented by icons to aid the users. Those icon-based AAC systems that use binary signaling methods such as single click can convert into a single-input BCI system such as event-related potential (ERP) detection. Matrix speller paradigm is typically used to help users identify their target icon on the screen; however, it ties screen space to vocabulary size and navigation complexity, which may require users to make repetitive head, neck, or eye movements to visually locate their intended targets on the screen. Rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) is an alternative interface that minimizes required movement by displaying all icons at a fixed location, one at a time. IconMessenger is an icon-based BCI–AAC system that combines ERP signal detection with a unified framework for different presentation paradigms including RSVP, matrix speller row&column presentation, and matrix speller single character presentation. IconMessenger also takes advantage of a unique sem-gram language model, incorporated tightly in the inference engine. In this paper, we assess the ERP shape, classification accuracy, and typing performance of different presentation paradigms on 10 healthy participants.
Two Step Power Attack on SHA-3 Based MAC

Because of the recent break of the SHA-l hash function, it is expected that in the nearest future there will be an increasing interest in the new SHA-3 algorithm. SHA-3 implements a subset of the Keccak family and has been released as the NIST standard in 2015. SHA-3 based MAC is a keyed-hash message authentication function, which can be used to verify both the data integrity of the message and its source. Previous work demonstrated successful side channel attacks, in particular power attacks on hardware implementations of the SHA-3 based MAC. This work presents a new two step practical attack against SHA-3 based MAC implemented on an FPGA hardware. This new attack can successfully extract the 320-bit secret key with 200,000 traces at 90% success rate.
Social Work and Integrated Health Care: From Policy to Practice and Back.

Social Work and Integrated Health Care: From Policy to Practice and Back represents an ambitious effort to promote the role of social work within the framework of President Obama’s signature legisl...
Human DNA polymerase η has reverse transcriptase activity in cellular environments.

Classical DNA and RNA polymerase (pol) enzymes have defined roles with their respective substrates, but several pols have been found to have multiple functions. We reported previously that purified human DNA pol η (hpol η) can incorporate both deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) and ribonucleoside triphosphates (rNTPs) and can use both DNA and RNA as substrates. X-ray crystal structures revealed that two pol η residues, Phe-18 and Tyr-92, behave as steric gates to influence sugar selectivity. However, the physiological relevance of these phenomena has not been established. Here, we show that purified hpol η adds rNTPs to DNA primers at physiological rNTP concentrations and in the presence of competing dNTPs. When two rATPs were inserted opposite a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, the substrate was less efficiently cleaved by human RNase H2. Human XP-V fibroblast extracts, devoid of hpol η, could not add rNTPs to a DNA primer, but the expression of transfected hpol η in the cells restored this ability. XP-V cell extracts did not add dNTPs to DNA primers hybridized to RNA, but could when hpol η was expressed in the cells. HEK293T cell extracts could add dNTPs to DNA primers hybridized to RNA, but lost this ability if hpol η was deleted. Interestingly, a similar phenomenon was not observed when other translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases—hpol ι, κ, or ζ—were individually deleted. These results suggest that hpol η is one of the major reverse transcriptases involved in physiological processes in human cells.
Summer Development and Survivorship of the Weed Biocontrol Agent, Mecinus janthiniformis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Within Stems of Its Host, Dalmatian Toadflax (Lamiales: Plantaginaceae), in Utah

The summer phenology and survivorship of the stem-mining weevil, Mecinus janthiniformis Tosevski and Caldara, a biocontrol agent of Dalmatian toadflax, Linaria dalmatica (L.) Miller, was studied in 2015-2016 as it developed within host plant stems at a low elevation, open rangeland site in northern Utah. Hatching from eggs in spring and early summer, weevils occurred as larvae within stems in June. Earliest maturing adults occurred in mid-July, and the majority of individuals had completed pupal development by early August. Survivorship within stems was high, with two-thirds or more of individuals surviving from egg hatch to adulthood as assessed in mid-September. Mortality rates within stems were highest during larval development, with parasitism accounting for the majority of deaths. At least three parasitoid species (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae and Eupelmidae), including both endoparasitoids and ectoparasitoids, were found attacking weevils within stems. Although most surviving weevils remained as adults within stems to overwinter, some adults were found to have chewed exit holes, and in some cases had exited from stems, beginning in July; the fate of these prematurely exiting adults is unknown. Low summer mortality rates within stems should promote weevil establishment under the hot, dry conditions of northern Utah, but parasitism and premature exiting of adults from host stems merit further investigation concerning their potential to reduce biocontrol efficacy. The results presented here for M. janthiniformis phenology within host stems will contribute to the development of standardized, summer monitoring for this biocontrol agent by stem dissection.
Problems with centrality measures in psychopathology symptom networks: Why network psychometrics cannot escape psychometric theory

AbstractUnderstanding patterns of symptom co-occurrence is one of the most difficult challenges in psychopathology research. Do symptoms co-occur because of a latent factor, or might they directly ...
Containing Ideological Rent Seekers Expanding the Reach of Buchanan’s Constitutionalism

One of the central aims of James Buchanan’s long and fruitful career was to identify constitutional rules that could contain rent seeking. A central task for constitutional theorists is to identify constitutional rules that prohibit or limit rent seeking, in order to ensure that a society’s economic system benefits all and preserves their liberty. However, there is a related, but equally dangerous phenomenon that Buchanan does not explicitly address as a variant of rent seeking: the attempt by sectarian groups to capture governmental apparatus to impose their values on others. The goal of these ideologues is not economic gain, but evaluative gain. Co-opting state power, they force those with different values to share or at least submit to their own sectarian vision of the good society. Like rent seeking, this activity tends to undermine the gains from trade in a market order. These activities give the sectarian an unequal gain in utility and may impose a utility loss on others. In this broad sense, sectarian ideologues collect a rent. If we can specify the sense in which ideologues collect a rent, we can expand the reach of Buchanan’s research program. Towards this end, I develop an account of what I shall call ideological rent seeking and the ideological rent seeker. I then extend Buchanan’s approach to constitutional choice to cover the mitigation of ideological rents. The best constitutional rules are those that constrain a weighted sum of economic and ideological rent seeking.
Tumors of the scapula: A retrospective analysis identifying predictors of malignancy.

Abstract Background Osseous tumors of the shoulder girdle occur most frequently in the proximal humerus, scapula and clavicle. Prior studies have determined that tumors occurring in the scapula have a higher risk of malignancy, but few have looked exclusively at tumors of this site to describe incidence, clinical features and potential predictors of malignancy. As imaging technologies for diagnosis have improved, it is important to re-evaluate if patterns of incidence have changed and if new imaging findings could potentially be predictors of malignancy. Methods This retrospective analysis identified 173 patients from a pediatric and an adult hospital between 1990 and 2015. All patients with tumors of the scapula either of bony origin or with bony invasion were included. Diagnosis, tumor location, and patient demographics were collected. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential predictors of malignancy. Results Chondrosarcoma and osteochondroma were the most common malignant and benign tumors, respectively. Benign tumors were more prevalent in the pediatric population. Tumors occurred most frequently in the body of the scapula. Risk for malignancy increased with age (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05–1.12), tumors invading multiple sites (OR 10.85, 95% CI 2.37–49.72) and tumors that were lucent (OR 7.02, 95% CI 1.14–43.21) or had a mixed radiographic appearance (OR 11.47, 95% CI 1.36–99.65). Conclusions Including neoplasia in the differential diagnosis for shoulder complaints is important because the scapula is a site of increased risk of malignancy. Patterns of incidence and prevalence have not changed in the last years with the use of more advance techniques of imaging studies. Older age, lucent or mixed imaging, and tumors that span multiple sites of the scapula were found to be predictors of malignancy. Additional cross-sectional anatomy studies may be warranted for further evaluation in patients presenting with these characteristics given the higher concern for malignant disease. Level of evidence Level IV, Prognostic Study.
A Biomechanical Comparison of Modified Radioscapholunate Fusion Constructs for Radiocarpal Arthritis.

Purpose This biomechanical study compared fixation constructs used in radioscapholunate (RSL) arthrodesis. We hypothesized that plates and screws, pin plate, and headless screws would all provide similarly stable fixation constructs. Methods We chose 27 fresh-frozen cadaveric extremities, 14 of which were matched pairs and randomized them into 3 groups to match age, body mass index, and sex. An RSL arthrodesis was simulated with plates and screws, pin plates, or headless compression screws via a standard dorsal approach to the wrist. Specimens were mounted into a custom jig and cycled through an arc of 120° for 5,000 cycles to simulate 6 weeks range of motion (ROM). A 9-mm stroke differential variable reluctance transducer recorded continuous displacement, and gross hardware failure in the form of screw or pin cutout was investigated after the simulation. Results Greater distraction across the RSL articulation was observed in the headless screws compared with the plate-and-screws and pin-plate constructs, with no difference between the plates and screws and pin plates. Greater average displacement was observed in the headless screws compared with the plate-and-screws and pin-plate constructs, with no difference between the pin plates and plates and screws. Gross hardware failure was observed least in plates and screws followed by pin plates. Conclusions Plate-and-screw and pin-plate constructs are biomechanically superior in resisting RSL distraction compared with headless compression screws for RSL arthrodesis over 6 weeks of simulated ROM in the absence of healing. Clinical relevance The results of this study demonstrated negligible arthrodesis site distraction in the plate-and-screws and pin-plate constructs when 6 weeks of ROM was simulated. When translated to a clinical scenario, these findings may allow earlier discontinuation of external immobilization after surgery.
The Feasibility and Utility of a Personal Health Record for Persons With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers for Web-Based Care Coordination: Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Managing the complex and long-term care needs of persons living with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) can adversely impact the health of informal caregivers and their care recipients. Web-based personal health records (PHRs) are one way to potentially alleviate a caregiver’s burden by simplifying ADRD health care management Objective: This study aimed to evaluate Personal Health Record for Persons with Dementia and Their Family Caregivers (PHR-ADRD), a free web-based information exchange tool, using a multiphase mixed methods approach. Methods: Dementia caregivers (N=34) were surveyed for their well-being and perceptions of PHR-ADRD feasibility and utility at 6 and 12 months using close- and open-ended questions as well as a semistructured interview (n=8). Exploratory analyses compared participants’ characteristics as well as PHR-ADRD use and experiences based on overall favorability status. Results: Feasibility and utility scores decreased over time, but a subset of participants indicated that the system was helpful. Quantitative comparisons could not explain why some participants indicated favorable, neutral, or unfavorable views of the system overall or had not engaged with PHR-ADRD. Qualitative findings suggested that technology literacy and primary care provider buy-in were barriers. Both qualitative and qualitative findings indicated that time constraints to learn and use the system affected most participants. Conclusions: Development and dissemination of PHRs for family caregivers of persons with ADRD should aim to make systems user-friendly for persons with limited time and technological literacy. Establishing health care provider buy-in may be essential to the future success of any PHR system.
HbA1C is not directly associated with complications of bariatric surgery.

Abstract Introduction Bariatric surgery is effective therapy for weight loss and diabetes control. While patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D) experience significant benefit from bariatric surgery, the impact of hyperglycemia on perioperative risks is unclear. Objective This study aims to investigate effect of elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) on perioperative risks for patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Settings 117,644 patients undergoing RYGB or SG between the years of 2017 and 2018 in the United Stated were analyzed. Data was obtained using the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) database. Methods Three commonly used cutoff levels of HbA1C were selected (6.5, 7.0, and 8.5). Complications were compared between groups of patients above and below each HbA1C level. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to account for confounders. Results Without risk adjustment, HbA1C is indirectly associated with increased rates of surgical complications. However, after adjusting for underlying co-morbidities, HbA1C is not associated with overall complications, including 30 day readmissions, reoperations, reinterventions, or death at any HbA1C cutoff: 6.5 (odds ratio [OR] 1.041, P value = .219), 7.0 (OR 1.020, P value = .551), or 8.5 (OR 1.051, P value = .208). Conclusion There is no direct relationship between HbA1C and early postoperative complications of SG and RYGB. Thus, optimizing preoperative HbA1C values alone, may not translate into decreased surgical complications of bariatric surgery. (Surg Obes Relat Dis 2020;17:271–275.) © 2020 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. All rights reserved.
Postoperative Opioid-Prescribing Practices in Nasal Surgery: A Prospective Study.

Importance: There has been a greater awareness of the opioid epidemic. Studies are needed to better characterize opioid usage after outpatient nasal surgery. Objective: Provide data to guide prescr...
Detours in Shared Rides

Detours are considered key for the efficient operation of a shared rides service, but are also the major pain point for consumers of such services. This paper studies the relationship between the value generated by shared rides and the detours they create for riders. We establish a fundamental limit on the sum of value and detour, and prove this leads to a tight bound on the Pareto frontier of values and detours in a general setting with an arbitrary number requests. We explicitly compute the Pareto frontier for one family of city topologies, and construct it via simulation for several more networks, including one based on ridesharing data from commute hours in Manhattan. We find that average detours are surprisingly small even in low demand density settings. We also find that by carefully choosing the match objective, detours can be significantly reduced with little impact on value, and that the density of ride requests is far more important than detours for the effective operations of a shared rides service. In response to these findings, we propose that platforms implement a two-product version of a shared rides service.
Cobalt-induced oxidative stress contributes to alveolar/bronchiolar carcinogenesis in B6C3F1/N mice.

Rodent alveolar/bronchiolar carcinomas (ABC) that arise either spontaneously or due to chemical exposure are similar to a subtype of lung adenocarcinomas in humans. B6C3F1/N mice and F344/NTac rats exposed to cobalt metal dust (CMD) by inhalation developed ABCs in a dose dependent manner. In CMD-exposed mice, the incidence of Kras mutations in ABCs was 67% with 80% of those being G to T transversions on codon 12 suggesting a role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis. In vitro studies, such as DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide) immune-spin trapping assay, and dihydroethidium (DHE) fluorescence assay on A549 and BEAS-2B cells demonstrated increased oxidative stress due to cobalt exposure. In addition, significantly increased 8-oxo-dG adducts were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in lungs from mice exposed to CMD for 90 days. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis on ABCs arising spontaneously or due to chronic CMD-exposure demonstrated significant alterations in canonical pathways related to MAPK signaling (IL-8, ErbB, Integrin, and PAK pathway) and oxidative stress (PI3K/AKT and Melatonin pathway) in ABCs from CMD-exposed mice. Oxidative stress can stimulate PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. Nox4 was significantly upregulated only in CMD-exposed ABCs and NOX4 activation of PI3K/AKT can lead to increased ROS levels in human cancer cells. The gene encoding Ereg was markedly up-regulated in CMD-exposed mice. Oncogenic KRAS mutations have been shown to induce EREG overexpression. Collectively, all these data suggest that oxidative stress plays a significant role in CMD-induced pulmonary carcinogenesis in rodents and these findings may also be relevant in the context of human lung cancers.
Characterization of Low Fusion Alloys / Metals with Embedded Optical Fibers

New materials and structures for advanced aerospace, marine and transportation applications demand the development of sensing and control systems which are capable of optimizing structural properties in response to particular external disturbances. Optical fiber sensors embedded in such structures may be used as life cycle sensors to monitor the way in which the composites and metal structures are fabricated, the in-service lifetime performance conditions of the material, and the onset of material degradation due to a variety of causes including fatigue and impact damage.
Acute Aortic Syndrome: State-of-the-Art Diagnostic Imaging

The accurate detection and evaluation of acute aortic syndrome is one of the radiologist’s most important and immediately impactful opportunities to improve human health. Acute aortic syndrome is often a clinical emergency and a situation that demands accurate radiologic diagnosis and intervention to provide lifesaving care. The diagnosis of acute aortic syndrome has evolved significantly over the last two decades, from an arteriographic diagnosis to a diagnosis based upon multi-detector computed tomography (CT) angiography [1] and, to a limited extent, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). With the advent of these new techniques for diagnosis, investigators have revisited the questions and pathologies surrounding acute aortic syndromes.
Essence of Conflict: Cognitive Illusions, War Guilt, and the Origins of Appeasement

Experimental studies consistently indicate that human information processing and decision making violate basic precepts of rationality. Yet rational choice theory is increasingly used to model organizations, politics, and international relations. Experimental evidence of cognitive bias is often discounted as a methodological artifact because analysis, organization, specialization, and the presence of strong incentives are presumed to eliminate bias outside the laboratory. A controversy in the historiography of the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 provides an opportunity to address that assumption. Did "the vindictiveness of the British and French peace terms; the exclusion of Germany and Russia from the peace conferences . . . the foolish attempts to draw the blood of reparations and war debts . . . usher in a second vast military conflagration" (Kennan, 1996)? Or, was the peace treaty "a flexible instrument crafted by relatively well intentioned and rational leaders" (Ikenberry, 2000)? The extensive record of primary and secondary sources was used to reconstruct beliefs, strategies, and actions of the decision makers over an extended time frame. That pattern was tested against three conceptions of rationality: The pure form of noncooperative game theory, the semi-strong form of Williamson's "contractual man", and the strongly bounded form of behavioral theory. Hypotheses regarding the structure and implementation of the Treaty derived from these three paradigms were tested. Both semistrong and strongly bounded conceptions of rationality accounted for the structure of the Treaty. Only the behavioral conception of rationality could account for the systematic failure in treaty implementation and the evolution of the Allied policy of appeasement. This strategy permitted the Hitler regime to repeatedly and unilaterally deviate from the provisions of the Treaty to improve its political, economic, territorial, and military position at the direct expense of the Allies. The tragic course of the war that followed is directly attributable to policy errors of the 1930's which derived from earlier errors in the initial construction of the Treaty.
Immunomic and Bioinformatics Analysis of Host Immunity in the Vaccinia Virus and Influenza A Systems

In the following study we will present a review of our efforts aimed at the characterization of host immunity directed against the vaccinia and influenza A viruses. In the case of vaccinia virus (VACV), our investigations combined bioinformatics methods with biochemical and immunological experimentation; while in the case of influenza A we have exclusively undertaken a bioinformatics-based analysis of various databases and data present in the scientific literature. Over the last few years our laboratory has been interested in the study of the cellular responses directed against poxviruses in general, and in particular those induced in humans and mice by immunization with live VACV. Vaccination with VACV has been in use as a means to protect against smallpox and other poxviruses for over two centuries. Furthermore, experimental VACV infection has been widely utilized in various animal models, and indeed poxviruses are one of the most commonly used viral vectors. Despite its common use, until recently remarkably little was known regarding the specificity of antigens and epitopes that are recognized following VACV infection or immunization. Mapping cellular immune responses against VACV is of interest because exact knowledge of the epitopes recognized allows one to determine whether they are conserved in variola major virus, the causative agent of smallpox, and in other poxviruses of practical and medical significance, such as monkeypox virus, a poxvirus responsible for human outbreaks, or modified VACV Ankara (MVA), a poxvirus widely utilized as a viral vector for human vaccine studies. The information acquired from studies with VACV can be used to estimate the fraction of the immune response likely to cross-react with these heterologous viruses, and thereby is of significance in the context of protective immunity. Furthermore, the knowledge of which epitopes are recognized allows for the establishment of accurate ELISPOT and intracellular cytokine staining assays, and the production of tetrameric-staining reagents, which can be utilized to evaluate new vaccines that are currently under development. Finally, detailing VACV immune responses offers a unique opportunity to understand and characterize immunodominance in a complex pathogen. In the case of influenza A, we have taken a purely bioinformatic approach to analyze the wealth of information existing in the scientific literature relating to the Band T-cell epitopes recognized by a variety of different hosts. The purpose of this analysis was twofold. First, we wanted to compile and make easily accessible to the scientific community all data relating to influenza A-derived epitopes. This information can be of potential use in basic investigations, as well as for the evaluation of influenza diagnostics and vaccines. Second, we also wanted to examine whether any gaps exist in the collective knowledge available in the published literature, thereby highlighting areas for potential further investigations and inspiring future research directions. Herein, we present the results of these analyses.
Conjugative Transposons and Related Mobile Elements

This chapter covers the conjugative transposons from gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria, beginning with a detailed description of the enterococcal and streptococcal transposons Tn916 and Tn1545 and the larger streptococcal element Tn5253 and its components, Tn5251 and Tn5252. It also describes the conjugal transposons from Lactococcus lactis and Bacteroides and Clostridium spp. and mobilizable elements from Bacteroides and Clostridium spp. The author describes the element of Vibrio cholerae that encodes resistance to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim (SXT) that integrates into a unique target site in the genome of its host bacterium. He also detours into the world of integrating plasmids and the peculiar behavior of a class of elements originally described as conjugal plasmids assigned to the IncJ incompatibility group. Conjugative transposition of Tn916 is a relatively rare event, typically occurring at frequencies below 104 per donor bacterium. So far, only two factors have been reported to increase this frequency. One is addition of tetracycline, but increases in conjugative transposition frequency attributable to tetracycline are modest, and do not compare with the levels of induction of conjugative transposition of the Bacteroides conjugative transposons and related elements by tetracycline. The second is the nature of the coupling sequences flanking Tn916. The DNA sequences of the larger elements remain uncharted territory. Whereas some functions apart from antibiotic resistance that are encoded by the larger elements have been identified, the role these elements play in the biology of their bacterial hosts remains largely a mystery.
Online planning for autonomous running jumps over obstacles in high-speed quadrupeds

United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Maximum Mobility and Manipulation (M3) Program
In vivo analysis of hippocampal subfield atrophy in mild cognitive impairment via semi-automatic segmentation of T2-weighted MRI.

The measurement of hippocampal volumes using MRI is a useful in-vivo biomarker for detection and monitoring of early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), including during the amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (a-MCI) stage. The pathology underlying AD has regionally selective effects within the hippocampus. As such, we predict that hippocampal subfields are more sensitive in discriminating prodromal AD (i.e., a-MCI) from cognitively normal controls than whole hippocampal volumes, and attempt to demonstrate this using a semi-automatic method that can accurately segment hippocampal subfields. High-resolution coronal-oblique T2-weighted images of the hippocampal formation were acquired in 45 subjects (28 controls and 17 a-MCI (mean age: 69.5 ± 9.2; 70.2 ± 7.6)). CA1, CA2, CA3, and CA4/DG subfields, along with head and tail regions, were segmented using an automatic algorithm. CA1 and CA4/DG segmentations were manually edited. Whole hippocampal volumes were obtained from the subjects’ T1-weighted anatomical images. Automatic segmentation produced significant group differences in the following subfields: CA1 (left: p=0.001, right: p=0.038), CA4/DG (left: p=0.002, right: p=0.043), head (left: p=0.018, right: p=0.002), and tail (left: p=0.019). After manual correction, differences were increased in CA1 (left: p<0.001, right: p=0.002), and reduced in CA4/DG (left: p=0.029, right: p=0.221). Whole hippocampal volumes significantly differed bilaterally (left: p=0.028, right: p=0.009). This pattern of atrophy in a-MCI is consistent with the topography of AD pathology observed in postmortem studies, and corrected left CA1 provided stronger discrimination than whole hippocampal volume (p=0.03). These results suggest that semi-automatic segmentation of hippocampal subfields is efficient and may provide additional sensitivity beyond whole hippocampal volumes.
Responses of Pilots and Nonpilots to Color-coded Altitude Information in a Cockpit Display of Traffic Information

The effective use of cockpit displays of traffic information is largely dependent upon the degree to which vertical status and trend information can be presented simply and unambiguously to the pilot. The traditional use of plan-view displays has been challenged by other representations, each having its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Although perspective-view displays, for example, may be very useful, they suffer from potential overlaid symbology causing obscuration or clutter along specific viewing vectors. An alternate approach is to use color encoding techniques to represent vertical trend information in a plan-view horizontal situation display. Static and dynamic color coding techniques were used in such a display where stratified vertical sectors were represented by stereotypic colors (green/safe; yellow/caution; red/danger) with an additional color cue for intruder above/below. The static representation depicted the symbol in the appropriate color or a 50/50 combination of colors to repres...
Effects of rate of gain during winter on subsequent grazing and finishing performance.

Sixty mixed British breed yearling steers (237 kg) were used each year for 2 yr to study the effects of rate of gain during the winter on subsequent pasture and finishing performance. Winter gains of .28, .38 and .50 kg/d (P less than .05) were established for the low, medium and high gain treatments, respectively. Daily gain of steers on pasture was reduced (P less than .01) 81 g for each 100-g increase in winter daily gain. No differences in BW were observed among the treatment groups after grazing summer pasture. Wintering performance did not affect finishing performance. Daily gains during the finishing period increased slightly as pasture gain decreased due to increased feed intake, but efficiency was not altered. These data suggest that within this range of ADG during the winter and under the conditions of this study, it was not beneficial to winter cattle for an ADG more than .28 kg/d.
Twenty-first century snowfall projections within the eastern Great Lakes region: detecting the presence of a lake-induced snowfall signal in GCMs

In this study, an analysis of model-derived snowfall from 2006 to 2100 is conducted, investigating the presence of a lake-induced (LI) snowfall signal to the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Output from seven fully coupled global climate models is used from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. Snowfall trends over the entire study area, and in the defined LI snowbelt, are examined seasonally for two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. The term lake-induced is used to encompass both lake effect processes, along with lake-enhanced snow. In addition to snowfall, physical mechanisms associated with these trends, such as surface temperatures and snow to total precipitation ratios, are examined. The models perform well when compared to snowfall observations despite model difficulties in resolving small-scale orographic and lake effect processes. Modelled snowfall declines by 20–45% over the entire region by 2100, with snowfall increasing in the LI belt during the first quarter century before declining rapidly in RCP 8.5. An additional statistically significant 1.8–1.97 cm signal of LI snow water equivalent is detected within the ensemble mean of the defined snowbelt to the lee of Lakes Erie and Ontario that is not seen in the grid cells outside of the lake belt. This LI signal is also projected to decline more quickly than the non-lake-induced signal. Surface 2-m temperature is found to have a significant impact on snowfall changes in the region, with impacts not only on total precipitation but also on the percentage of precipitation falling as snow.
The Client Is the Most Important Common Factor: Clients' Self-Healing Capacities and Psychotherapy

I first briefly review the “dodo bird verdict” and suggest that we should be responding to it by looking for a new way to conceptualize how therapy works. Then I describe the dominant “medical” or “treatment” model of psychotherapy and how it puts the client in the position of a “dependent variable” who is operated on by supposedly potent therapeutic techniques. Next I argue that the data do not fit with this model. An alternative model is that the client is the most important common factor and that it is clients' self-healing capacities which make therapy work. I then argue that therapy has two phases—the involvement phase and the learning phase—and that the involvement phase is the most important. I next review the five learning opportunities provided by therapy. Finally, I argue that a relational model of therapy focused on consultation, collaboration, and dialogue is better than a treatment model.
Meal size and frequency affect neuronal plasticity and vulnerability to disease: cellular and molecular mechanisms

Although all cells in the body require energy to survive and function properly, excessive calorie intake over long time periods can compromise cell function and promote disorders such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and cancers. Accordingly, dietary restriction (DR; either caloric restriction or intermittent fasting, with maintained vitamin and mineral intake) can extend lifespan and can increase disease resistance. Recent studies have shown that DR can have profound effects on brain function and vulnerability to injury and disease. DR can protect neurons against degeneration in animal models of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke. Moreover, DR can stimulate the production of new neurons from stem cells (neurogenesis) and can enhance synaptic plasticity, which may increase the ability of the brain to resist aging and restore function following injury. Interestingly, increasing the time interval between meals can have beneficial effects on the brain and overall health of mice that are independent of cumulative calorie intake. The beneficial effects of DR, particularly those of intermittent fasting, appear to be the result of a cellular stress response that stimulates the production of proteins that enhance neuronal plasticity and resistance to oxidative and metabolic insults; they include neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), protein chaperones such as heat-shock proteins, and mitochondrial uncoupling proteins. Some beneficial effects of DR can be achieved by administering hormones that suppress appetite (leptin and ciliary neurotrophic factor) or by supplementing the diet with 2-deoxy-d-glucose, which may act as a calorie restriction mimetic. The profound influences of the quantity and timing of food intake on neuronal function and vulnerability to disease have revealed novel molecular and cellular mechanisms whereby diet affects the nervous system, and are leading to novel preventative and therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative disorders.
Diamond synthesis by DC thermal plasma CVD at 1 atm

Diamond crystals and films have been success full y synthesized by DC thermal plasma jet CVD at a pressure of I atrn. A novel triple torch plasma reactor has been used to generate a convergent plasma volume to entrain the participating gases. Three coalescing plasma jets produces! by this reactor direct the dissociated and ionized gaseous species onto ( 100) silicon wafer substrates where the diamond grows. In a typical 10-min run, depending on the method of .substrate preparation, either microcrystals with sizes up to 8 μm or continuous films with thicknesses of 1–2 μm have been obtained. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy have been used for the characterization of the crystals and of the films.
Large Renal Metastasis From Rare Pulmonary Neoplasm

A 50-year-old man, with a history of right lower lobectomy for pulmonary adenocystic carcinoma, presented with chronic flank pain due to a large mass in the right kidney. He also had bilateral pulmonary nodules and cardiac masses, indicating metastatic disease. Simultaneous metastatic involvement of the kidney and the heart from a rare pulmonary tumor made this case unique in the prevailing medical data.
Predictors of Adherence to Nicotine Gum and Counseling among African-American Light Smokers

BACKGROUND A high proportion of African-American smokers are light smokers, and they experience low smoking cessation rates and disproportionately high tobacco-related morbidity; yet no studies have examined tobacco treatment adherence in this group.
Southern Scandinavian lowland populations of Rhytidium rugosum (Hedw.) Kindb. (Bryophyta, Rhytidiaceae) differ significantly from those in the mountains

Haplotype diversity patterns based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and gpd (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) in Scandinavian Rhytidium rugosum were compared between four populations from the mountain range and two in the southern lowlands. The mountain populations differ from the southern lowland ones in haplotype composition and the lowland ones differ from each other, suggesting different histories. A coalescent-based analysis (LAMARC) indicated immigration into the population now found in the mountains from that represented in the lowlands. Because several factors argue against such a dispersal scenario within the relatively short postglacial period, it is proposed that these migration patterns are older than the postglacial period. It is suggested that the mountain range populations immigrated from a source population either in the north-east or within Scandinavia, whereas the lowland populations are likely to represent remains of the glacial population of lowland Europe. The highest hap...
A totally self-checking checker for Borden's code

It is well known that a large number of errors in VLSI circuits are unidirectional in nature. J.M. Borden (Inf. Control, vol.53, p.66-73, April 1982) has studied a code for detecting only t, not all, unidirectional errors. For a code to be utilized in a self-checking system, a self-checking checker must exist for it. The totally self-checking (TSC) checker is one such checker. Many designs for TSC checkers exist for m-out-of-n codes. However, no work has been reported on the design of a TSC checker for Borden's code. The author presents such a design. They believe that this design may lead to greater applicability of Borden's code to self-checking systems. >
Effect of Steatohepatitis Associated with Irinotecan or Oxaliplatin Pretreatment on Resectability of Hepatic Colorectal Metastases

Background The objective was to evaluate the effect of preoperative administration of newer chemotherapeutic agents (irinotecan and oxaliplatin) on development of steatohepatitis, which could limit surgical options. Study design Thirty-seven patients were referred for resection of hepatic colorectal metastases. Thirteen patients received no neoadjuvant therapy (NO CHEMO group); 10 received neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil only (5-FU group), and 14 received neoadjuvant irinotecan (n = 12), or oxaliplatin, or both (n = 4), in conjunction with 5-FU (IRI-OXALI group). Specimens were graded for the presence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) according to established criteria. Specimens were also evaluated by a nine-criteria liver injury score (LIS). Results Mean biopsy scores were: NO CHEMO: NASH, 1.2, LIS, 5.2; 5-FU only: NASH, 1.1, LIS 5.7; and IRI-OXALI: NASH, 1.9, LIS, 9.4. Biopsy scores were significantly worse for IRI-OXALI compared with NO CHEMO or 5-FU only for NASH score, p=0.003, and close to significantly worse for LIS score, p=0.057. A multivariate analysis showed that both being in the IRI-OXALI group and body mass index were independent risk factors for developing this type of steatohepatitis. Conclusions Severe steatohepatitis can be associated with preoperative administration of irinotecan or oxaliplatin, especially in the obese. It can affect the ability to perform large liver resections. Consideration should be given to performing resections before commencing these agents and to obtaining preoperative biopsy in those who have received these agents.
On Computational Issues in Large Deformation Analysis of Rubber Bushings

ABSTRACT Accurate bushing analysis requires a locking free finite element formulation, an appropriate selection of the strain energy density function, and an adequate use of bulk modulus to assure numerical stability and accuracy. In this paper, the pressure projection finite element method is employed. The method projects displacement-calculated pressure onto a lower order pressure field, based on the Babuska-Brezzi condition, to avoid volumetric locking and pressure oscillation. Mooney-Rivlin and Cubic strain energy density functions are used to study the material effect on the predicted rubber behavior in tension-compression and shear deformation modes, and the need to use a higher order strain energy density function for bushing analysis is identified. The effect of bulk modulus on bonded rubber behavior in bushings with respect to bushing shape factor is studied, and the minimum allowable bulk modulus to impose incompressibility in bushing analysis is characterized. The load-deflection response of an...