cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Childhood trauma and compulsive buying.

AbstractObjective. Childhood trauma has been empirically associated with various types of self-regulatory difficulties in adulthood. However, according to the extant literature, no study has examined relationships between various types of childhood trauma and compulsive buying behavior in adulthood. Methods. Using a self-report survey methodology in a cross-sectional consecutive sample of 370 obstetrics/gynecology patients, we examined five types of childhood trauma before the age of 12 years (i.e. witnessing violence, physical neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse) in relationship to compulsive buying as assessed by the Compulsive Buying Scale (CBS). Results. All forms of trauma demonstrated statistically significant correlations with the CBS. Using a linear regression analysis, both witnessing violence and emotional abuse significantly contributed to CBS scores. Further analyses indicated that race did not moderate the relationship between childhood trauma and compulsive buying. Conclus...
A High Efficiency Power Amplifier System for CDMA

In this paper, the study of a new power combining scheme which has either one or four amplifiers on depending upon the levels of input signal, is extended to a system with its RF carrier modulated by a IS-95 forward link CDMA signal. The performance is compared with the case where either one amplifier or a Wilkinson combined 4-amplfier array is used. The simulated data indicates that this new approach can reach high efficiency while still keeping the good linearity. In the case when the bias current is about 32% of Idss, the power added efficiency (PAE) of the new combining scheme is about 36.9%.
Early ischaemic preconditioning requires Akt- and PKA-mediated activation of eNOS via serine1176 phosphorylation

Aims The role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/NO signalling is well documented in late ischaemic preconditioning (IPC); however, the role of eNOS and its activation in early IPC remains controversial. This study investigates the role of eNOS in early IPC and the signalling pathways and molecular interactions that regulate eNOS activation during early IPC. Methods and results Rat hearts were subjected to 30-min global ischaemia and reperfusion (I/R) with or without IPC (three cycles 5-min I and 5-min R) in the presence or absence of the NOS inhibitor l-NAME, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 (LY), and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 during IPC induction or prior endothelial permeablization. IPC improved post-ischaemic contractile function and reduced infarction compared with I/R with this being abrogated by l-NAME or endothelial permeablization. eNOSSer1176, AktSer473, and PKAThr197 phosphorylation was increased following IPC. I/R decreased eNOSSer1176 phosphorylation, whereas IPC increased it. Mass spectroscopy confirmed eNOSSer1176 phosphorylation and quantitative Western blots showed ∼24% modification of eNOSSer1176 following IPC. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated eNOS, Akt, and PKA complexation. Immunohistology showed IPC-induced Akt and PKA phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes and endothelium. With eNOS activation, IPC increased NO production as measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping and fluorescence microscopy. LY or H89 not only decreased AktSer473 or PKAThr197 phosphorylation, respectively, but also abolished IPC-induced preservation of eNOS and eNOSSer1176 phosphorylation as well as cardioprotection. Conclusion Thus, Akt- and PKA-mediated eNOS activation, with phosphorylation near the C-terminus, is critical for early IPC-induced cardioprotection, with eNOS-derived NO from the endothelium serving a critical role.
Fitness consequences of within-brood dominance in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker

Social dominance confers potential advantages in terms of access to superior resources, habitats, and breeding opportunities. In the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), within-brood dominance among juveniles is correlated with relative body size as nestlings. Capitalizing on this relationship, we investigated the fitness consequences of dominance by means of paired comparisons of broodmates. We found that (1) larger fledglings retained at least some of their size advantage as adults; (2) overwinter survival of larger, dominant fledglings was significantly greater than subordinates, but was not relatively greater when resources were poor than when they were good; (3) among birds surviving their first winter, there were no differences vis-a-vis dominance in terms of the proportion of birds acting as helpers or inheriting their natal territory. However, larger, dominant males were present in the study area longer than subordinates, suggesting that they either survived better or were more successful at gaining reproductive opportunities; (4) if only one male broodmate became a helper instead of dispersing, he was significantly more likely to be the smaller subordinate, consistent with the view that helping is a best-of-a-bad-job strategy; and (5) there were no significant differences in reproductive success among pairs of male broodmates that cobred together as adults, consistent with prior work failing to detect a phenotypic correlation of reproductive skew. Our results indicate that within-brood dominance relationships established as juveniles have significant effects on first-year survivorship and at least some aspects of adult fitness.
Glass-transition temperatures of nanostructured amorphous bulk polymers and their blends

Nanostructured amorphous bulk polymer samples were produced by processing them with small molecule hosts. Urea (U) and gamma-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) were utilized to form crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) with low and high molecular weight as-received (asr-) poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and their blends as included guests. Upon careful removal of the host crystalline U and γ-CD lattices, nanostructured coalesced (c-) bulk PVAc, PMMA, and PVAc/PMMA blend samples were obtained, and their glass-transition temperatures, Tgs, measured. In addition, non-stoichiometric (n-s)-IC samples of each were formed with γ-CD as the host. The Tgs of the un-threaded, un-included portions of their chains were observed as a function of their degree of inclusion. In all the cases, these nanostructured PVAc and PMMA samples exhibited Tgs elevated above those of their as-received and solution-cast samples. Based on their comparison, several conclusions were reached concerning how their molecular weights, the organization of chains in their coalesced samples, and the degree of constraint experienced by un-included portions of their chains in (n-s)-γ-CD-IC samples with different stoichiometries affect their chain mobilities and resultant Tgs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1041–1050
Patterns of Bone Mineral Density Testing in Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation for Prostate Cancer

BACKGROUND Practice guidelines recommend bone mineral density (BMD) monitoring for men on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer, but single center studies suggest this is underutilized.
MESOZOIC-PALAEOGENE BASIN DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN BORDERLAND

Pre-Alpine structures in the SE Mediterranean (Levant) are characterized by regional extensional features which are associated with opening of the Mediterranean Sea. Marginal marine basins apparently began forming during the Triassic and Jurassic, and reached their apex during the Cretaceous. Stress patterns attributed to early development of the Mediterranean are similar to those seen in the relatively stable adjacent continental margin. The two major structural-basin trend, in the continental margin are orthogonal, e.g. the NW-SE trend of the Sirhan Basin, and the NE-SW trend of the Palmyra Basin. The western convergence of these two basins is marked by basaltic flows and volcanoclastic deposits probably related to basaltic volcanism in the nearby Mediterranean Sea. These two basins maintained a largely unimpeded circulation of seawater with the opening Mediterranean, and therefore they contain few highly carbonaceous beds. Post-rift shortening apparently produced minor petroleum resources.
Spectrum of Radiologic Appearances of Surgical Thoracostomy and Thoracoplasty in the Treatment of Pleuroparenchymal Infections

W123 tibiotics, imaging-guided chest tube drainage, and involvement of chest physicians or thoracic surgeons early in the care of these patients [2]. Surgical options may be considered strongly in patients with persistent sepsis beyond 5–7 days and residual purulent collections. A fibrinous peel may also prevent reexpansion of the lung regardless of the efficacy of fluid drainage and necessitate surgical decortication. Empyemas may be classified as primary in the absence of prior surgery or intervention or secondary in the setting of surgical or nonsurgical trauma [3–5] (Table 2). In some instances, empyemas are a serious complication of pulmonary resection, occurring in 2–16% of patients [6, 7]. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of surgical drainage procedures and to illustrate the radiologic appearances of surgical thoracostomy and thoracoplasty procedures in the management of chronic pleuroparenchymal infections.
Dimensions of women’s power in the illicit drug economy

The purpose of this article is to elaborate on the gendered social and economic organization of the illicit drug world by articulating several dimensions of women’s power. The main thesis is that w...
Head Lice Resistance: Itching That Just Won't Stop

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the reports of resistance and cross-resistance to pediculicides in the head louse (Pediculus capitis), as well as the mechanisms involved.DATA SOURCES:Literature identified through a MEDLINE search (1966–April 2000) and through other secondary literature databases and/or bibliographies of pertinent articles.DATA SYNTHESIS:Head lice infestation is a common, worldwide problem. The widespread use of insecticide treatments together with inadequate treatment methods has led to a concern regarding the potential development of resistant head lice. This literature review examines the reports of resistance of the head louse as well as the purported mechanisms involved.CONCLUSIONS:Current research suggests that head lice resistance exists, but little is known regarding the actual incidence of this resistance or whether this incidence is increasing. More research is needed to assess the status of this problem. Proposed mechanisms for head lice resistance include knock-down resistance, glutathio...
An intelligent dissolved oxygen microsensor system with electrochemically actuated fluidics

A new dissolved oxygen monitoring microsystem is proposed to achieve in situ intelligent self-calibration by using an electrochemically actuated fluidic system. The electrochemical actuation, based on water electrolysis, plays two critical roles in the proposed microsystem. First, the electrochemically generated gases serve as the calibrants for the in situ 2-point calibration/diagnosis procedure of the microsensor in a chip. Secondly, the electrochemical generation and collapse of gas bubbles provide the driving force of the bidirectional fluidic manipulation for sampling and dispensing of the sample solution. A microsystem including a dissolved oxygen microprobe, electrochemical actuators, and a fluidic structure are prepared by microfabrication technology and its performance is characterized.
Microstructure and Dangling Bond Defects in Amorphous Hydrogenated Silicon Deposited Near Room Temperature

The microstructure of high-density amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-S.i:H) films deposited at 50r.C substrate temperature was revealed by infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies to be similar to that of "device-quality" a-Si:H films deposited at standard "optimum" conditions. However, optical absorption measurements of these low microstructure 50r.C films with photothermal deflection spectroscopy indicate that they have higher densities of gap state defects and localized band tail states than "device-quality" films deposited at standard substrate temperatures. The correlation between the amount of microstructure and electronic properties is not unique. A low amount of microstructure is a necessary, but not sufficient, requirement for high electronic quality a-Si:H films.
Noninvasive Imaging of the High Frequency Brain Activity in Focal Epilepsy Patients

High-frequency (HF) activity represents a potential biomarker of the epileptogenic zone in epilepsy patients, the removal of which is considered to be crucial for seizure-free surgical outcome. We proposed a high frequency source imaging (HFSI) approach to noninvasively image the brain sources of the scalp-recorded HF EEG activity. Both computer simulation and clinical patient data analysis were performed to investigate the feasibility of using the HFSI approach to image the sources of HF activity from noninvasive scalp EEG recordings. The HF activity was identified from high-density scalp recordings after high-pass filtering the EEG data and the EEG segments with HF activity were concatenated together to form repetitive HF activity. Independent component analysis was utilized to extract the components corresponding to the HF activity. Noninvasive EEG source imaging using realistic geometric boundary element head modeling was then applied to image the sources of the pathological HF brain activity. Five medically intractable focal epilepsy patients were studied and the estimated sources were found to be concordant with the surgical resection or intracranial recordings of the patients. The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that source imaging from the scalp HF activity could help to localize the seizure onset zone and provide a novel noninvasive way of studying the epileptic brain in humans. This study also indicates the potential application of studying HF activity in the presurgical planning of medically intractable epilepsy patients.
Dynamic sparing and error correction techniques for fault tolerance in nanoscale memory structures

This paper describes a memory organization that supports hierarchical, dynamic fault tolerance mechanisms applicable to heterogeneous CMOS/molecular systems. It has been projected that, in such systems, programmable mapping circuitry becomes necessary when the interface between microscale and nanoscale address lines is formed in a non-deterministic manner. This mapping circuitry may double as a means of implementing more advanced forms of reconfiguration and error correction codes useful in detecting and recovering from runtime faults. Computer simulation is used to estimate the effectiveness of various configurations. Results show that dynamic remapping of spare memory rows allows for improvements in reliability over standard error correction codes.
DO BALSAM TWIG APHIDS (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE) LOWER TREE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SPRUCE BUDWORM?

The balsam twig aphid, Mindarus abietinus Koch, infested nearly all trees in a range-wide provenance plantation of balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., in Michigan. Infestation levels were highest on eastern and lowest on western seed sources of fir. Large populations of the aphid were correlated with low survival and reduced developmental rates of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens). We propose that chronic, high susceptibility of trees to aphids could reduce concomitant susceptibility to budworm through direct (competition) and indirect (host and community-level) effects.
The Demographic Basis of Population Regulation in Columbian Ground Squirrels

Environmental factors influence the dynamics and reg- ulation of biological populations through their influences on dem- ographic variables, but demographic mechanisms of population regulation have received little attention. We investigated the demo- graphic basis of regulation of Columbian ground squirrel (Spermo- philus columbianus) populations under natural and experimentally food-supplemented conditions. Food supplementation caused sub- stantial increases in population density, and population densities re- turned to pretreatment levels when the supplementation ended. Con- trol (untreated) populations remained relatively stable throughout the study period (1981-1986). Because food resources regulated the size of the ground squirrel populations, we used life-table response experiment (LTRE) analyses to examine the demographic basis of changes in population growth rate and thus also demographic in- fluences on population regulation. LTRE analyses of two food- manipulated populations revealed that changes in age at maturity and fertility rate of females generally made the largest contributions to observed changes in population growth rate. Thus, our results suggested that abundance of food resources regulated the size of our study populations through the effects of food resources on age at maturity and fertility rates. Our results also indicated that different demographic mechanisms can underlie population regulation under different environmental conditions, because lower juvenile survival substantially contributed to population decline, but in only one of the populations. Demographic analyses of experimental data, such as those presented here, offer a rigorous and unambiguous means to elucidate the demographic basis of population regulation and to help identify environmental factors that underlie dynamics and reg- ulation of biological populations.
Influenza Virus Morphogenesis and Budding

Influenza viruses are enveloped, negative stranded, segmented RNA viruses belonging to Orthomyxoviridae family. Each virion consists of three major sub-viral components, namely (i) a viral envelope decorated with three transmembrane proteins hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA) and M2, (ii) an intermediate layer of matrix protein (M1), and (iii) an innermost helical viral ribonucleocapsid [vRNP] core formed by nucleoprotein (NP) and negative strand viral RNA (vRNA). Since complete virus particles are not found inside the cell, the processes of assembly, morphogenesis, budding and release of progeny virus particles at the plasma membrane of the infected cells are critically important for the production of infectious virions and pathogenesis of influenza viruses as well. Morphogenesis and budding require that all virus components must be brought to the budding site which is the apical plasma membrane in polarized epithelial cells whether in vitro cultured cells or in vivo infected animals. HA and NA forming the outer spikes on the viral envelope possess apical sorting signals and use exocytic pathways and lipid rafts for cell surface transport and apical sorting. NP also has apical determinant(s) and is probably transported to the apical budding site similarly via lipid rafts and/or through cortical actin microfilaments. M1 binds the NP and the exposed RNAs of vRNPs, as well as to the cytoplasmic tails (CT) and transmembrane (TM) domains of HA, NA and M2, and is likely brought to the budding site on the piggy-back of vRNP and transmembrane proteins. Budding processes involve bud initiation, bud growth and bud release. The presence of lipid rafts and assembly of viral components at the budding site can cause asymmetry of lipid bilayers and outward membrane bending leading to bud initiation and bud growth. Bud release requires fusion of the apposing viral and cellular membranes and scission of the virus buds from the infected cellular membrane. The processes involved in bud initiation, bud growth and bud scission/release require involvement both viral and host components and can affect bud closing and virus release in both positive and negative ways. Among the viral components, M1, M2 and NA play important roles in bud release and M1, M2 and NA mutations all affect the morphology of buds and released viruses. Disassembly of host cortical actin microfilaments at the pinching-off site appears to facilitate bud fission and release. Bud scission is energy dependent and only a small fraction of virus buds present on the cell surface is released. Discontinuity of M1 layer underneath the lipid bilayer, absence of outer membrane spikes, absence of lipid rafts in the lipid bilayer, as well as possible presence of M2 and disassembly of cortical actin microfilaments at the pinching-off site appear to facilitate bud fission and bud release. We provide our current understanding of these important processes leading to the production of infectious influenza virus particles.
How Economic Integration Affects Party Issue Emphases

The economic dimension has typically been considered the primary dimension of political party competition. However, parties often rally voters on the basis of non-economic issues. In this article, we argue that integration into global markets and into the European Union (EU) constrains parties’ abilities to credibly differentiate themselves on economic issues. Given these constraints, and voters’ awareness of them, parties activate other non-economic issues along which to compete. Using data across 49 countries between 1961 and 2010, this study shows that increased economic integration is associated with increased emphasis on non-economic issues during election campaigns. This effect persists over time and remains robust to a number of alternative explanations and modeling strategies. We also explore the proposed causal mechanisms and show that integration is indeed associated with convergence of party positions on economic issues and that all types of parties—not just new and niche parties—respond to int...
A Review of the Structure and Dynamics of Upper-Level Frontal Zones

The development of structural models of upper-level frontal systems from the application of upper-air data to analyses utilizing radiosonde and aircraft observations is reviewed. The effects of turbulent processes and baroclinic waves on frontal structures and dynamics are examined. The use of the Sawyer-Eliassen (1956) equation for calculating the geostrophic, vertical circulations assosicated with frontal zones is described. The formation of upper-level fronts in two-dimensional flows and in three-dimensional baroclinic waves is studied and examples are provided. Future observational, diagnostic, and theoretical investigations on upper-level frontal zones are discussed.
Shear numbers of protein beta-barrels: definition refinements and statistics.

Abstract The original definition of shear number for a β-barrel is not unique if it contains one or more uneven β-bulges. We define the shear number of a β-barrel as the minimal change of residue numbers in the backbone direction for all closed paths on the β-barrel. We also discuss how to overcome some computational difficulties. It is pointed out that some closed β-sheets should not be considered as β-barrels. The pertinent statistics obtained from a representative list of the Protein Data Bank entries are summarized. All β-barrels have positive shear numbers, i.e. they are right-twisted. The shear numbers of most β-barrels are even, but exceptions do exist. The sizes of β-ladders in a β-barrel vary significantly. Most β-barrels contain uneven β-bulges, which may have important biological functions.
A Synthetic Exploration of Metal–Semiconductor Hybrid Particles of CuInS2

The ternary copper chalcogenide semiconductor nanoparticles have gained much attention as their optical properties make them ideal candidates for many applications ranging from photovoltaics to bioimaging. While their synthesis is well documented, there have been few reports on the synthesis of ternary copper chalcogenide–metal hybrid nanoparticles, which can further expand the list of potential applications through synergistic properties. To this end, Pt–CuInS2 hybrids have been synthesized by a two-step approach in high boiling organic solvents. The hybrid nanostructures were characterized employing transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping. We find that during hybrid nanoparticle synthesis under conditions modified from typical Pt nanoparticle reaction schemes, a near-complete shell of Pt forms on the semiconductor nanoparticles. Careful control of the reactivity of the Pt precursor, through choice of organic reducing agen...
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral acetaminophen in combination with codeine in healthy Greyhound dogs

The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic and antinociceptive effects of an acetaminophen/codeine combination administered orally to six healthy greyhounds. Antinociception was assessed using an electronic von Frey (vF) device as a mechanical/pressure model. Acetaminophen was administered at a dose of 600 mg (14.4-23.1 mg/kg) and codeine phosphate at 90 mg (2.1-3.3 mg/kg) equivalent to 67.5 mg codeine base (1.6-2.5 mg/kg). The geometric mean maximum plasma concentrations of acetaminophen, codeine, and codeine-6-glucuronide were 7.95 μg/mL, 11.0 ng/mL, and 3819 ng/mL, respectively. Morphine concentrations were <1 ng/mL. The terminal half-lives of acetaminophen, codeine, and codeine-6-glucuronide were 0.94, 1.71, and 3.12 h. There were no significant changes in vF thresholds, except at 12 h which decreased on average by 17% compared to baseline. The decrease in vF thresholds at 12 h could be due to aversion, hyperalgesia, or random variability. The lack of antinociception in this study could be due to a true lack of antinociception, lack of model sensitivity, or specificity. Further studies using different models (including clinical trials), different dog breeds, multiple dose regimens, and a range of dosages are needed prior to recommended use or concluding lack of efficacy for oral acetaminophen/codeine in dogs.
HSC Fate Is Tethered to Mitochondria

Mitochondria play important roles in homeostasis of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which exhibit clonal heterogeneity in their lymphoid and myeloid production. Recently in Nature, Luchsinger et al. (2016) showed that mitochondria-ER tethering maintains lymphoid-biased HSCs through calcium-dependent NFAT signaling, providing molecular insights into the basis of HSC heterogeneity.
How Should Advertising and Sales Promotion Funds be Allocated

Should plans for a product's promotional push emphasize the potential of poorly developed sales districts? Or, should allocations for advertising and sales promotion stress the receptive environmen...
Human Resources Management Simulation: Player’s Manual (Book Summary)

Human Resources Management Simulation: Player’s Manual (2005). by Jerald R. Smith and Peggy A. Golden; Publisher: Prentice Hall, Loose-Leaf: 128pp. Price: $46.67. ISBN-13: 9780130081179
Symbol and Allegory: A Problem in Literary Theory

(1969). Symbol and Allegory: A Problem in Literary Theory. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 273-288.
Emotional, physical and sexual abuse are associated with a heightened limbic response to cocaine cues.

Drug-reward cues trigger motivational circuitry, a response linked to drug-seeking in animals and in humans. Adverse life events have been reported to increase sensitivity to drug rewards and to bolster drug reward signaling. Therefore, we hypothesized that cocaine-dependent individuals with prior emotional, physical and sexual abuse might have a heightened mesolimbic brain response to cues for drug reward in a new brief-cue probe. Cocaine-dependent human individuals (N = 68) were stabilized in an inpatient setting and then completed an event-related blood-oxygen-level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging task featuring 500-ms evocative (cocaine, sexual, aversive) and comparator (neutral) cues. Responses to three questions about emotional, physical and sexual abuse from the Addiction Severity Index were used to divide the patients into subgroups (history of Abuse [n = 40] versus No Abuse [n = 28]). When subjects were grouped by the historical presence or absence of emotional, physical or sexual abuse, the Abuse group showed a heightened midbrain, thalamic, caudate, and caudal orbitofrontal cortex response to cocaine cues; a similar result was found in other evocative cues, as well. These findings are the first reported for a 500-ms cocaine-cue probe, and they highlight the ability of very brief evocative cues to activate the brain's motivational circuitry. Although all participants had severe cocaine use disorders, individuals reporting prior abuse had a heightened mesolimbic response to evocative cues. To our knowledge, this is the first study in humans linking a history of abuse to a brain vulnerability (heightened mesolimbic response to drug cues) previously shown to contribute to drug-seeking.
Optimal Bicelle Size q for Solution NMR Studies of the Protein Transmembrane Partition

Structural characterization of transmembrane proteins in isotropic bicelles has become an increasingly popular application of solution NMR spectroscopy, as the fast-tumbling bicelles are membrane-like yet can often yield spectral quality comparable to those of detergent micelles. While larger bicelles are closer to the true lipid bilayer, it remains unclear how large the bicelles need to be to allow accurate assessment of protein transmembrane partition in lipid bilayer. Here, we address the above question from the perspective of protein residing in the bicelles, through systematic measurement of protein chemical shift and transmembrane partition at different lipid:detergent ratios (q), ranging from 0.3 to 0.7, using the transmembrane domain of human Fas receptor as model system. We found that the lipid environment of the bicelles, as reflected by the protein chemical shift, begins to be perturbed when the q is reduced to below 0.6. We also implemented a solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) approach for bicelles to show that the protein transmembrane partition in bicelles with q = 0.5 and 0.7 are very similar, but at q = 0.3 the solvent PRE profile is significantly different. Our data indicate that q values between 0.5 and 0.6 are good compromise between high resolution NMR and closeness to the membrane environment, and allow accurate characterization of protein position in lipid bilayer.
Substrate recognition and catalysis by GH47 α-mannosidases involved in Asn-linked glycan maturation in the mammalian secretory pathway

Maturation of Asn-linked oligosaccharides in the eukaryotic secretory pathway requires the trimming of nascent glycan chains to remove all glucose and several mannose residues before extension into complex-type structures on the cell surface and secreted glycoproteins. Multiple glycoside hydrolase family 47 (GH47) α-mannosidases, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) α-mannosidase I (ERManI) and Golgi α-mannosidase IA (GMIA), are responsible for cleavage of terminal α1,2-linked mannose residues to produce uniquely trimmed oligomannose isomers that are necessary for ER glycoprotein quality control and glycan maturation. ERManI and GMIA have similar catalytic domain structures, but each enzyme cleaves distinct residues from tribranched oligomannose glycan substrates. The structural basis for branch-specific cleavage by ERManI and GMIA was explored by replacing an essential enzyme-bound Ca2+ ion with a lanthanum (La3+) ion. This ion swap led to enzyme inactivation while retaining high-affinity substrate interactions. Cocrystallization of La3+-bound enzymes with Man9GlcNAc2 substrate analogs revealed enzyme–substrate complexes with distinct modes of glycan branch insertion into the respective enzyme active-site clefts. Both enzymes had glycan interactions that extended across the entire glycan structure, but each enzyme engaged a different glycan branch and used different sets of glycan interactions. Additional mutagenesis and time-course studies of glycan cleavage probed the structural basis of enzyme specificity. The results provide insights into the enzyme catalytic mechanisms and reveal structural snapshots of the sequential glycan cleavage events. The data also indicate that full steric access to glycan substrates determines the efficiency of mannose-trimming reactions that control the conversion to complex-type structures in mammalian cells.
Deciphering, Communicating, and Engineering the CRISPR PAM

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) loci and their flanking CRISPR-associated (cas) genes make up RNA-guided, adaptive immune systems in prokaryotes whose effector proteins have become powerful tools for basic research and biotechnology. While the Cas effector proteins are remarkably diverse, they commonly rely on protospacer-adjacent motifs (PAMs) as the first step in target recognition. PAM sequences are known to vary considerably between systems and have proven to be difficult to predict, spurring the need for new tools to rapidly identify and communicate these sequences. Recent advances have also shown that Cas proteins can be engineered to alter PAM recognition, opening new opportunities to develop CRISPR-based tools with enhanced targeting capabilities. In this review, we discuss the properties of the CRISPR PAM and the emerging tools for determining, visualizing, and engineering PAM recognition. We also propose a standard means of orienting the PAM to simplify how its location and sequence are communicated.
Effects of Rice Subsidy in Thailand

Synopsis: The military general is the newly appointed prime minister of Thailand as of May 2014. The country is developing and needs support from its government in making it more efficient. The former prime minister was ousted, after less than three years in office, under the assumption that their government was spending itself into a hole and that the rice subsidy program was inept and hurting the country. The former prime minister was accused of launching the program in large part to win over the farming community and party votes for the August 2011 election. It is now the decision of the new prime minister whether he will continue on with the government purchase of rice, above market price, or should he break the promise made by the former government and stop the subsidy program from continuing. Learning Objectives: Explain why agricultural prices are unstable. Relate the rationale for farm subsidies and the economic, political, and cultural implications of price supports. Describe the criticisms of the price support system in agriculture. Explain the nature of economic rent and how it is determined. Subjects Covered: Agriculture: Economics and policy; Comparative advantage; Special interest effect; Parity concept; Economics of price supports; Politics and culture of farm policy; Short-run: price and farm income instability; Long-run: supply increases and consequences; graphical portrayals; water economics; development economics; and factor proportions theory.
Young Islam: the new politics of religion in Morocco and the Arab world

The tide of the Arab uprisings and the divergent aftermath of the protest movements have been the subject of various scholarly works and theoretical interpretations. While the Arab uprisings were l...
Pediatric Regional Anesthesia: A Review and Update

This review summarizes the main regional anesthesia techniques currently in use for pediatric patients and identifies the recent evidence for their safety and efficacy. The Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network (PRAN) database with over 115,000 documented nerve blocks has addressed the question of safety for a variety of techniques. PRAN has demonstrated that caudal epidural blocks, interscalene brachial plexus blocks, transversus abdominus plane (TAP) blocks, and neonatal caudal catheters have been routinely performed under general anesthesia in the pediatric population without significant report of adverse events. Randomized controlled trials have shown that paravertebral catheters perform favorably compared to thoracic epidurals for thoracic procedures without the side effects of hypotension and urinary retention. Pediatric nerve blocks continue to grow as the new standard for pediatric pain control. Concerns about performance of blocks under general anesthesia have largely been eliminated now that ultrasound guided blocks are routine. New horizons include truncal blocks including TAP, quadratus lumborum, paravertebral blocks, and catheters as well as increasing performance of extremity blocks, even in the setting of trauma.
Evaluation of dried fermented biomass as a feed ingredient in plant-based practical diets for juvenile Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Two growth trials were designed to evaluate the utilization of dried fermented biomass (DFB) in commercial type feed formulation for Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. In trial 1, four experimental diets were formulated to utilize increasing levels (0, 25, 50 and 100 g/kg) of spray-dried fermented biomass (SDFB) as a replacement of fish meal (FM). Results indicated that SDFB can be utilized up to 50 g/kg as a substitution for FM without causing growth depression in shrimp. However, dietary SDFB supplementation at 100 g/kg significantly reduced the weight gain (WG) of shrimp and increased feed conversion ratio (FCR). This reduction in performance is likely due to palatability or nutrient imbalances of the feed. In trial 2, nine experimental diets were formulated with increasing levels (0, 20, 40, 60 and 120 g/kg) of spray-dried (S) or granular (G) DFB to replace soy protein concentrate (SPC) or SPC + corn protein concentrate (CPC). This allowed the comparison between spray-dried and ring-dried products. Ring drying produced a granular product, reducing dust and increasing product particle size. Shrimp fed with diet containing 20 g/kg GDFB performed the best in terms of final mean weight, WG and FCR. Significantly reduced growth and increased FCR were observed in shrimp fed diets containing 60 and 120 g/kg SDFB. Lipid content of whole body was significantly reduced when GDFB was incorporated at 120 g/kg. No significant differences were detected in survival, protein retention efficiency as well as protein and ash contents of the whole shrimp. Results from analysis of covariance indicated that the processing method (covariant) had a significant effect on final mean weight, WG and FCR. In general, shrimp fed with diet containing granular product performed better as compared to those fed with diets utilizing spray-dried product. GDFB can be utilized in the diets up to 120 g/kg in practical shrimp feeds as a substitute for SPC and CPC without compromising the growth of shrimp. However, a significant reduction in WG was observed in the diets containing 60 and 120 g/kg SDFB. The results in the current study demonstrate that processing changes to produce a granular product produced an improved feed ingredient for shrimp.
Genomic Disorder and Gene Expression in the Developing CNS

Abstract The human central nervous system (CNS) is composed of billions of neurons with trillions of synaptic connections. The brain is evolutionarily organized to handle large amounts of information processing through both serial and parallel circuitries that produce complex neural networks representing the many modalities encompassed by brain CNS activity. The high level of neural organization that is required for human cognition is regulated by genes. For this reason, genomic alterations have the potential to alter gene expression in a permanent manner, which could contribute to changes in the genscriptome, including effects on both the normal and diseased nervous system. This article focuses primarily on changes in DNA – specifically, how genomic changes might influence gene expression in the normal brain and in human brain disorders.
Medical Management of Hospitalized Patients with Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Hospitalized patients with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs that can be successfully managed with timely identification, evaluation, and medical treatment to prevent and treat exacerbations. If possible, an experienced interdisciplinary team led by hospitalists who are involved early in the hospitalization is more likely to achieve shorter hospital lengths of stay, improve regular outpatient follow-up, and reduce rates of hospital readmission for exacerbations.
Management of Acute Respiratory Failure in the Patient with Sepsis or Septic Shock.

Abstract Sepsis and septic shock are each commonly accompanied by acute respiratory failure and the need for invasive as well as non-invasive ventilation throughout a patient's intensive care unit course. We explore the underpinnings of acute respiratory failure of pulmonary as well as non-pulmonary origin in the context of invasive and non-invasive management approaches. Both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic adjuncts to ventilatory and oxygenation support are highlighted as well. Finally, rescue modalities are positioned within the intensivist's armamentarium for global care of support of the critically ill or injured patient with sepsis or septic shock.
Robust passive reconstruction of dynamic transfer function in dual-output systems.

The focus of this paper is the estimation of the dynamic transfer function between two outputs of a linear system subjected to an uncontrolled and generally unknown excitation, and accounting for possible uncorrelated noise present at both outputs. Several applications of this case exist in the passive identification of dynamic systems including the health monitoring and/or non-destructive evaluation of structures subjected to natural “ambient” excitations. It is well known that noise-robust transfer function estimation of a single-input-single-output system can be achieved by a normalized cross-power spectrum operation. This paper shows that, for the subject case of a dual-output system, particular caution must be placed in the choice of the normalization factor to apply to the cross-power spectrum of the two outputs. In particular, an “inter-segment” averaging method is proposed for the normalization factor in combination with the classical “intra-segment” averaging of the cross-power spectrum in order ...
On Ridesharing Competition and Accessibility: Evidence from Uber, Lyft, and Taxi

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft have become an important part of the Vehicle For Hire (VFH) market, which used to be dominated by taxis. Unfortunately, ridesharing services are not required to share data like taxi services, which has made it challenging to compare the competitive dynamics of these services, or assess their impact on cities. In this paper, we comprehensively compare Uber, Lyft, and taxis with respect to key market features (supply, demand, price, and wait time) in San Francisco and New York City. Based on point pattern statistics, we develop novel statistical techniques to validate our measurement methods. Using spatial lag models, we investigate the accessibility of VFH services, and find that transportation infrastructure and socio-economic features have substantial effects on VFH market features.
Ultrastructural Abnormalities in Different Types of Cardiomyopathies

In this communication, the cardiac ultrastructural abnormalities observed in the cardiomyopathies are reviewed under the following categories: 1) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; 2) congestive (ventricular-dilated) cardiomyopathies; 3) restrictive cardiomyopathy and endomyocardial diseases, and 4) secondary heart muscle diseases.
A Highly Sensitive RF Biosensor Based on Splitter/Combiner Configuration for Single-Cell Characterization

A highly sensitive label-free RF biosensor for detection and characterization of single cells is presented. The operation and detection capability of the biosensor are simulated in a full-wave electromagnetic simulation tool (Ansys HFSS). The biosensor is based on two identical split-ring resonators, each with a 35 µm wide split cut and a center frequency of 2 GHz. Placing a single cell in dried condition in one of the cuts allows its detection. Normal (HaCaT) and cancerous (Glial) human cells were modeled as solid spheres with their corresponding measured electrical properties found in the literature. The resonator successfully differentiated between the two types of cells by means of frequency shifts and changes in the insertion loss with a single-cell accuracy.
Using the Soar Cognitive Architecture to Remove Screws From Different Laptop Models

This paper investigates an approach that uses the cognitive architecture Soar to improve the performance of an automated robotic system, which uses a combination of vision and force sensing to remove screws from laptop cases. Soar’s long-term memory module, semantic memory, was used to remember pieces of information regarding laptop models and screw holes. The system was trained with multiple laptop models and the method in which Soar was used to facilitate the removal of screws was varied to determine the best performance of the system. In all the cases, Soar could determine the correct laptop model and in what orientation it was placed in the system. Soar was also used to remember what circle locations that were explored contained screws and what circles did not. Remembering the locations of the holes decreased a trial time by over 60%. The system performed the best when the number of training trials used to explore circle locations was limited, as this decreased the total trial time by over 10% for most of the laptop models and orientations. Note to Practitioners —Although the amount of discarded electronic waste in the world is rapidly increasing, efficient methods that can handle this in an automated non-destructive fashion have not been developed. Screws are a common fastener used on electronic products, such as laptops, and must be removed during nondestructive methods. In this paper, we focus on using the cognitive architecture Soar to facilitate the disassembly sequence of removing these screws from the back of laptops. Soar is able to differentiate between different models of laptops and store the locations of screws for these models leading to an improvement of the disassembly time when the same laptop model is used. Currently, this paper only uses one of Soar’s long-term memory modules (semantic memory) and a screwdriver tool. However, this paper can be extended to use multiple tools by using different features available in Soar such as other long-term memory modules and substates.
Redox proteomics and amyloid β-peptide: insights into Alzheimer disease.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging and characterized pathologically by the presence of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neurite and synapse loss. Amyloid beta-peptide (1-42) [Aβ(1-42)], a major component of senile plaques, is neurotoxic and induces oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. Redox proteomics has been used to identify proteins oxidatively modified by Aβ(1-42) in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we discuss these proteins in the context of those identified to be oxidatively modified in animal models of AD, and human studies including familial AD, pre-clinical AD (PCAD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), early AD, late AD, Down syndrome (DS), and DS with AD (DS/AD). These redox proteomics studies indicate that Aβ(1-42)-mediated oxidative stress occurs early in AD pathogenesis and results in altered antioxidant and cellular detoxification defenses, decreased energy yielding metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction, excitotoxicity, loss of synaptic plasticity and cell structure, neuroinflammation, impaired protein folding and degradation, and altered signal transduction. Improved access to biomarker imaging and the identification of lifestyle interventions or treatments to reduce Aβ production could be beneficial in preventing or delaying the progression of AD. This article is part of the special issue "Proteomics".
Floating All Boats: Promoting Solidarity to Advance Social Justice.

Reduction in life expectancy among poor white women is quite concerning, as Blacksher suggests, even if it implies a reduction in health disparity between blacks and whites (Case and Deaton 2015; B...