cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian Kernel Methods for Critical Infrastructure Resilience Modeling

Integrating Bayesian methods with kernel methods has recently garnered attention, as Bayesian methods make use of previous data in order to estimate posterior probability distributions of the parameter of interest given that it follows a specific prior distribution. As the quantification of resilience has become a vital component of infrastructure risk analysis, the authors use the Beta Bayesian kernel model to estimate resilience metrics used to analyze the recovery process of disrupted critical infrastructure systems. More specifically, stochastic resilience-based component importance measures are assessed using the component's characteristics and disruption data. Such estimates would help risk managers determine the overall best recovery strategy of an infrastructure system in case of a disruption impacting multiple components. The model is deployed in an application to an inland waterway transportation network, the Mississippi River Navigation system, for which the recovery of disrupted locks and dams on sections of the river is analyzed by estimating the resilience using the Bayesian kernel model.
Adaptive Evolution of a Novel Drosophila Lectin Induced by Parasitic Wasp Attack

Drosophila melanogaster has long been used as a model for the molecular genetics of innate immunity. Such work has uncovered several immune receptors that recognize bacterial and fungal pathogens by binding unique components of their cell walls and membranes. Drosophila also act as hosts to metazoan pathogens such as parasitic wasps, which can infect a majority of individuals in natural populations, but many aspects of their immune responses against these more closely related pathogens are poorly understood. Here, we present data describing the transcriptional induction and molecular evolution of a candidate Drosophila anti-wasp immunity gene, lectin-24A. Lectin-24A has a secretion signal sequence and its lectin domain suggests a function in sugar group binding. Transcript levels of lectin-24A were induced significantly stronger and faster following wasp attack than following wounding or bacterial infection, demonstrating lectin-24A is not a general stress response or defense response gene but is instead part of a specific response against wasps. The major site of lectin-24A transcript production is the fat body, the main humoral immune tissue of flies. Interestingly, lectin-24A is a new gene of the D. melanogaster/Drosophila simulans clade, displaying very little homology to any other Drosophila lectins. Population genetic analyses of lectin-24A DNA sequence data from African and North American populations of D. melanogaster and D. simulans revealed gene length polymorphisms segregating at high frequencies as well as strong evidence of repeated and recent selective sweeps. Thus, lectin-24A is a rapidly evolving new gene that has seemingly developed functional importance for fly resistance against infection by parasitic wasps.
Molecular, Physical, and Clinical Evidence that Golden Shiner Virus and Grass Carp Reovirus are Variants of the Same Virus

Abstract Moribund golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas sampled during winter and spring and moribund grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella sampled during summer were necropsied and cultured on cyprinid cell lines. In all cases, a syncytial cytopathic effect occurred and viruses were successfully passaged. Characterization by electron microscopy, diethyl ether resistance, iododeoxyuridine resistance, and acid resistance confirmed that the isolates were aquareoviruses. We used polymerase chain reaction to test all isolates; primer sets were based on a published sequence for segments 1, 2, 3, and 10 of the grass carp reovirus (GCRV). Products of the expected sizes were amplified, then cloned and sequenced. The isolates were about 97–100% identical to each other and to a published sequence for golden shiner virus (GSV) and were 90–93% identical to GCRV. At the amino acid level, our isolates were 96–100% identical to each other and to GCRV. The similarity among our isolates and the published GCRV sequence was e...
Impairment in serial learning of visually presented spatial patterns.

Sirmmary.-Groups of schizophrenic, psychoneurotic, and brain-damaged patients and normal controls practiced reproducing a set of patterns briefly presented in a fixed order. The normal Ss learned these faster than the other groups, and the brain-damaged group had the greatest difficulty. There was no significant difference between the schizophrenic and the psychoneurotic groups. The results are interpreted as evidence of one type of learning impairment associated with these disorders. In this study a nonverbal task devised for studying the learning of spatial patterns presented visually was administered to groups of psychoneurotic, schizophrenic, and brain-damaged patients as well as to a group of normals. The purpose was to determine whether or not the cognitive deficit reported by Lubin, Gieseking, and Williams (1962) in schizophrenia and the brain-injured would be manifested in this type of learning situation. A group of psychoneurotic patients were included since intellecmal deterioration is not us~lally associated with this disorder. Lubin, et al., in the above study, used test scores from the Army Classification Battery for their measures of intellecti~al deterioration, and they found that the pattern of deterioration was the same for both schizophrenia and brain-injury although the amount of deterioration was greater with the latter. With both disorders the greatest deterioration occurred on the more verbal and nonspatial tests. A nonverbal learning task using spatial patterns represents a type of learning situation in which persons with either of these disabilities should perform best. A second part of the study reports the results of one method of special training provided for those who in the first study showed the greatest impairment.
Speckle signatures of articulating humans

Speckle is a well-investigated interference phenomenon that is produced by coherent light scattering off a rough surface. While speckle is often considered a noise source, it can be used to obtain information about the object. We investigate a non-imaging technique using speckle statistics to estimate object articulation. It is known that the speckle intensity in the far field depends on two factors: the illumination distribution at the object and the field correlation properties of the materials composing the object. It is anticipated that as an object articulates, perhaps periodically as in a person walking, the object illumination distribution, and therefore average speckle size in the far field, will vary in time. An estimate of the time variation of the average speckle size can then be used to estimate the motion of the object. In this paper we investigate, through simulation and lab experiments, the effect of object articulation on speckle statistics. We find that the motion of a person walking will produce a measurable variation in speckle statistics (intensity correlation function) and that the correlation function can be estimated from a single speckle realization.
“Like-Me” Simulation as an Effective and Cognitively Plausible Basis for Social Robotics

We present a successful design approach for social robotics based on a computational cognitive architecture and mental simulation. We discuss an approach to a Theory of Mind known as a “like-me” simulation in which the agent uses its own knowledge and capabilities as a model of another agent to predict that agent’s actions. We present three examples of a “like-me” mental simulation in a social context implemented in the embodied version of the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) cognitive architecture, ACT-R/E (for ACT-R Embodied). Our examples show the efficacy of a simulation approach in modeling perspective taking (identifying another’s left or right hand), teamwork (simulating a teammate for better team performance), and dominant-submissive social behavior (primate social experiments). We conclude with a discussion of the cognitive plausibility of this approach and our conclusions.
A Functional Genomics Strategy Reveals Rora as a Component of the Mammalian Circadian Clock

The mammalian circadian clock plays an integral role in timing rhythmic physiology and behavior, such as locomotor activity, with anticipated daily environmental changes. The master oscillator resides within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which can maintain circadian rhythms in the absence of synchronizing light input. Here, we describe a genomics-based approach to identify circadian activators of Bmal1, itself a key transcriptional activator that is necessary for core oscillator function. Using cell-based functional assays, as well as behavioral and molecular analyses, we identified Rora as an activator of Bmal1 transcription within the SCN. Rora is required for normal Bmal1 expression and consolidation of daily locomotor activity and is regulated by the core clock in the SCN. These results suggest that opposing activities of the orphan nuclear receptors Rora and Rev-erb α, which represses Bmal1 expression, are important in the maintenance of circadian clock function.
Tolerance of tomato cultivars to velvetleaf interference

Abstract Field experiments were conducted in 1998 and 1999 at Five Points, CA, in the San Joaquin Valley under irrigated conditions to study competition between four commonly grown tomato cultivars and velvetleaf and to identify cultivar characteristics associated with greater tolerance to velvetleaf. The effect of velvetleaf competition varied with both year and tomato cultivar. When grown with 5 velvetleaf plants m−1 of row, marketable yield of tomato was reduced 8% in 1998 and 60% in 1999 for cultivar H8892 and 58% in 1998 and 80% in 1999 for cultivar H9661, compared to cultivars grown in monoculture. Across velvetleaf densities, height of tomato cultivars was not reduced compared to that of cultivars grown in monoculture. However in 1999, canopy width of tomato cultivars grown with velvetleaf was less than that of cultivars grown in monoculture. At early stages of growth, the leaf area index of tomato cultivars grown with velvetleaf was less than that of cultivars grown in monoculture. Crop growth rat...
Abstract 8894: Comparison of More Than 3 Years Clinical Outcomes Between Drug-eluting Stent and Bypass Surgery for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta Analysis of Randomised and Risk Adjusted Studies

Backgrounds: Previous data from meta analysis have reported controversial the short and midterm clinical outcomes between drug-eluting stent (DES) and coronary bypass surgery graft (CABG) for paitents with unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCD). However, the long-term outcomes remain unknown. Methods: A systemic research was carried out in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library and scientific sessions of AHA, ACC and ESC (up to April 2012). All randomised and nonrandomised studies after >=3 years of follow-up comparing DES and CABG in ULMCD were included. In order to control the potential confoundings in observational studies, risk adjusted hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) by propensity score matching or Cox regresson method was abstracted. Results: 10 eligible studies (2 randomised, 8 nonrandomised) wth 6782 subjects were identified and selected. Mortality, death/MI/stroke and target vessel revascularizaton(TVR) were focused. Pooled analysis revealed that there was no statistical significant difference between DES and CABG in mortality (OR=0.92, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 0.65 to 1.31, P=0.646, heterogeniety test: 0.0%; Fig 1) and death/MI/stroke (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.75 to 1.42, P=0.841, heterogeniety test: 0.0%).However, compared with CABG, DES had a significant increased incidence of TVR(OR=3.45, 95% CI: 2.38 to 4.99, P 0.1). Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, after long-term follow up, the mortality and composite outcome are similar between DES and CABG in patients with ULMCD, however, incidence of TVR is still high in DES comparing with CABG.
Reading William Bittle and Charles Brant: On ethnographic representations of contemporary Plains Apache

This article analyzes the writings of William Bittle and Charles Brant concerning “contemporary” Plains Apaches in the 1960s. Specifically, it examines how Bittle (1962) argues for agency among the Plains Apache through his discussion of the Manatidie dance and how Brant (1969) denies agency to the Plains Apache through his introduction to Jim Whitewolf’s life-story. For Brant (1964), the Plains Apache were “disintegrating.” For Bittle, the Plains Apache were creatively responding to outside forces. Ultimately, the lens by which Brant and Bittle approached Plains Apaches was due to their length of research and to their continued or lack of continued contact with Plains Apaches. Their intellectual heritages may have predisposed them to adopt different perspectives concerning Plains Apache agency and creativity.
Synthesis of Janus nanoparticles via a combination of the reversible click reaction and "grafting to" strategies.

A critical challenge in nanoparticle functionalization has been the preparation of polymer-grafted asymmetric (Janus) nanoparticles (diameter < 100 nm). We describe a robust and cyclic method involving a reversible click reaction and “grafting to” strategies to synthesize such nanoparticles. Mechanochemistry was used in a protection–deprotection process to separate nanoparticles cleanly that were anchored to larger particles, and the recovered azide-functionalized larger particles could be recycled as face-blocking moieties. With this combination of strategies, we prepared 15 nm silica nanoparticles that were partially functionalized with poly(methyl methacrylate). Additionally, the unique self-assembly behaviors of the resultant Janus nanoparticles were investigated in different solvents at different concentrations.
Molecular Stress Relief through a Force-Induced Irreversible Extension in Polymer Contour Length

Single-molecule force spectroscopy is used to observe the irreversible extension of a gem-dibromocyclopropane (gDBC)-functionalized polybutadiene under tension, a process akin to polymer necking at a single-molecule level. The extension of close to 28% in the contour length of the polymer backbone occurs at roughly 1.2 nN (tip velocity of 3 μm/s) and is attributed to the force-induced isomerization of the gDBCs into 2,3-dibromoalkenes. The rearrangement represents a possible new mechanism for localized stress relief in polymers and polymer networks under load, and the quantification of the force dependency provides a benchmark value for further studies of mechanically triggered chemistry in bulk polymers.
Intraoperative management of free flaps: current practice.

ObjectivesIntraoperative management of hemodynamic instability during microvascular flap reconstruction is often based on anecdotal experience. Randomized controlled trials are difficult to perform when overall success rates are high. This study seeks to determine current practices for management of
How Effective Is Clinical Control of Anticoagulant Therapy

In order to judge the effectiveness of anticoagulant therapy, one must establish what constitutes adequate anticoagulation. The “effective therapeutic range” of prothrombin activity (expressed in seconds, not as a percentage) should be defined. In a comparative study of treated and control groups, values outside this range should be excluded from the analysis. According to our criteria of effective clinical control, 80 of 100 patients who received anticoagulant therapy in our hospital were adequately treated.
Pharmacologic and Endovascular Reversal of Left Ventricular Remodeling.

Pathologic left ventricular (LV) remodeling as described by adverse changes in LV mass, volume, geometry, and composition in response to mechanical and systemic neurohormonal activation portends a poor prognosis in patients with underlying LV systolic dysfunction. Conversely, reversal of LV remodeling is associated with improved morbidity and mortality. Improvement in LV function and size may result from either change in loading conditions or reversal of remodeling (RR). When complete normalization of LV function and geometry occurs (ejection fraction >50% and indexed LV end-diastolic dimension <33 mm/m(2)), true reversal of LV alteration is likely to have occurred. Sustained improvement in function and dimensions after therapy withdrawal further supports RR. In the absence of complete RR one cannot readily differentiate incomplete RR from changes in loading conditions. In this review, we evaluate the role of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition, beta-adrenergic receptor blockade, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and endovascular mitral repair on LVRR and improvement in LV geometry and function.
ANALYSIS MODEL FOR FLOW CHARACTERISTICS IN MULTI-STRAND CONTINUOUS CASTING TUNDISH

A combined model to characterize the melt flow by analyzing the residence time distribution in a tundish had been applied for several decades. However, no well-known model to characterize the melt flow was presented for multi-strand tundish at present. In this paper, a model to characterize the melt flow for multi-strand tundish was presented to calculate the fractions of plug flow, mixed flow and dead volumes, and the model was compared with those of the presented approaches.
Tumor lysis syndrome: A clinical review

Tumor lysis syndrome is an oncometabolic emergency resulting from rapid cell death. Tumor lysis syndrome can occur as a consequence of tumor targeted therapy or spontaneously. Clinicians should stratify every hospitalized cancer patient and especially those receiving chemotherapy for the risk of tumor lysis syndrome. Several aspects of prevention include adequate hydration, use of uric acid lowering therapies, use of phosphate binders and minimization of potassium intake. Patients at high risk for the development of tumor lysis syndrome should be monitored in the intensive care unit. Established tumor lysis syndrome should be treated in the intensive care unit by aggressive hydration, possible use of loop diuretics, possible use of phosphate binders, use of uric acid lowering agents and dialysis in refractory cases.
A Hybrid Simulation Study on Wide Area Measurement Feedback for Enhanced Tolerance to Protection Misoperations

Abstract A hybrid simulation is implemented to study the wide area measurement feedback line switching for enhanced tolerance to protection misoperations. Line switching strategy for enhancing the power system is proposed based on the concept of security index, which involves the calculations of faulted mode probability and stability coverage. Local measurements are used to track the generator states and wide area measurements are used for determining the fault mode probability. Stability coverage is calculated based on a transient stability assessment. It is shown in the case study on a 9-bus system that the proposed scheme can enhanced the traditional protection system and tolerate protection misoperation.
Cytochemical studies of the neural circuitry underlying pain and pain control.

With the introduction of immunocytochemistry in anatomical studies of the nervous system, significant progress has been made in our understanding of CNS circuitry. By simultaneously performing retrograde tracing studies with immunocytochemistry, it is now possible to identify the cytochemistry of projection systems. When this is combined with a functional analysis of a given pathway, e.g., the spinothalamic tract, it is possible, for the first time, to characterize the likely transmitter content of specific neuronal systems. The importance of such information cannot be overemphasized. For example, if one knows the neurotransmitter that is involved in the central transmission of nociceptive messages, it should be possible to develop receptor antagonists that block the action of that neurotransmitter. That approach could lead to the development of very specific analgesic drugs.
Beyond EMT: Epithelial STAT3 as a Central Regulator of Fibrogenesis

Studies from early human diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in Pima Indians have suggested that gene targets downstream of signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) are hyperactivated in early disease (initially in the glomerulus and subsequently, in the tubular and interstitial
Warren shunt - significance in present time, an experience at tertiary care hospital in India -

Background: Portal hypertension is the presence of portal venous pressure more than 10 mm Hg. Surgery was the only treatment available for portal hypertension in the earlier times and the mortality rates were very high. In present times, about 10-15% of patients require surgery. Here we study the significance of the distal splenorenal shunt (Dean Warren shunt). Methods: We studied a total of 45 patients of portal hypertension admitted at SSKM Hospital, IPGMER, Kolkata, over a period of 5 years. This study includes the patients, ranging in age from 5 to 20 years and comprising of 5 women and 40 men. All patients were having non cirrhotic extra-hepatic portal. Results: All of the patients survived postoperatively and are in follow-up without any complication and doing well. Conclusions: Warren’s shunt is a good alternative of liver transplantation, especially for the developing countries where the facilities for liver transplantation and post-operative care are not available or good enough. It has very good results and low complication rates.
Does concussion history and post-injury sleep quantity influence neurocognitive scores following concussion in collegiate athletes?

Objective To determine if concussion history and post-concussion sleep quantity changes influence neurocognitive performance following concussion in collegiate athletes. It was hypothesised that athletes with a concussion history or shorter sleep duration following concussion would have poorer neurocognitive performance compared to athletes without a concussion history or greater sleep duration Design Prospective cohort. Setting Clinical Research Laboratory. Participants Twenty-eight collegiate athletes (21 males and 7 females: age=20.2 ± 1.7 years, height=182.2 ± 11.9 cm, mass=90.3 ± 24.2 kg) without history of: headaches or migraines, substances/alcohol abuse, and/or psychiatric conditions. Intervention Participants completed a preseason baseline and post-injury (PI) evaluation (1 day PI) using Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing Outcome measures Sleep change was calculated by subtracting post-injury sleep duration from baseline sleep duration. Athletes were categorised into either shorter sleep ( Main results Athletes with a concussion history had a faster reaction time (RT) (history:0.57±0.06 sec, no history:0.63±0.10 sec; p=0.048), but were more impulsive (history:8.55±5.87 errors, no history:4.18±3.89 errors; p=0.045) compared to those without a history of concussions. Neurocognitive performance did not differ between sleep quantity change groups. Conclusions Athletes with a concussion history may be quicker to respond to neurocognitive tasks, but commit greater number of errors. Post-concussion sleep quantity changes do not influence neurocognitive performance one day post-injury. Future research should consider effects of concussion history on RT and impulse assessments. Competing interests None.
EpiCompare: an online tool to define and explore genomic regions with tissue or cell type-specific epigenomic features.

Motivation The Human Reference Epigenome Map, generated by the Roadmap Epigenomics Consortium, contains thousands of genome-wide epigenomic datasets that describe epigenomes of a variety of different human tissue and cell types. This map has allowed investigators to obtain a much deeper and more comprehensive view of our regulatory genome, e.g. defining regulatory elements including all promoters and enhancers for a given tissue or cell type. An outstanding task is to combine and compare different epigenomes in order to identify regions with epigenomic features specific to certain types of tissues or cells, e.g. lineage-specific regulatory elements. Currently available tools do not directly address this question. This need motivated us to develop a tool that allows investigators to easily identify regions with epigenetic features unique to specific epigenomes that they choose, making detection of common regulatory elements and/or cell type-specific regulatory elements an interactive and dynamic experience. Results An online tool EpiCompare was developed to assist investigators in exploring the specificity of epigenomic features across selected tissue and cell types. Investigators can design their test by choosing different combinations of epigenomes, and choosing different classification algorithms provided by our tool. EpiCompare will then identify regions with specified epigenomic features, and provide a quality assessment of the predictions. Investigators can interact with EpiCompare by investigating Roadmap Epigenomics data, or uploading their own data for comparison. We demonstrate that by using specific combinations of epigenomes we can detect developmental lineage-specific enhancers. Finally, prediction results can be readily visualized and further explored in the WashU Epigenome Browser. Availability and implementation EpiCompare is freely available on the web at http://epigenome.wustl.edu/EpiCompare/. Contact twang@genetics.wustl.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Correction: Stable DNA-based reaction─diffusion patterns

Correction for ‘Stable DNA-based reaction–diffusion patterns’ by John Zenk et al., RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 18032–18040.
Structural properties of starch-chitosan-gelatin foams and the impact of gelatin on MC3T3 mouse osteoblast cell viability

This study examines the effects of adding gelatin to a starch-chitosan composite foam, focusing on the altered structural and biological properties. The compressive modulus of foams containing different gelatin concentrations was tested in dry, wet, and lyophilized states. MC3T3 mouse osteoblast cells were used to test the composite’s ability to support cell growth. The stability of the foams in α-MEM culture media with and without cells was also examined. It was found that for dry foams, the compressive modulus increased with increasing gelatin content. For foams tested in wet and lyophilized states, the compressive modulus peaked at a gelatin concentration of 2.5% and 5%, respectively. The growth of MC3T3 mouse osteoblast cells was tested on the foams with different gelatin concentrations. The addition of gelatin had a positive effect on the cell growth and proliferation. The composite foam containing gelatin improved cell growth and is only dissolved by the growing cells at a rate influenced by the initial concentration of gelatin added to the foam.
The complete mitochondrial genome of a tertiary relict evergreen woody plant Ammopiptanthus mongolicus

Ammopiptanthus mongolicus is a tertiary relict evergreen broad-leaf shrub in family Fabaceae with remarkable tolerance to desiccation and low temperature. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of A. mongolicus. The total genome length was 475,396 bp and contained a total of 127 genes, including 79 protein-coding genes (28 novel genes, 45 known functional genes, and six known orf genes), three rRNA genes, and 45 tRNA genes. Most of the genes were single-copy genes, only six were duplicated and two were multi-copy. The mitochondrial genome also contained ‘promiscuous’ sequences from the chloroplast, 16 intact tRNAs of mitochondrial origin, and 29 intact and potentially functional chloroplast-derived tRNAs. The overall GC content of the mitochondrial DNA was 42.75%. A neighbour-joining phylogenomic analysis showed that A. mongolicus was closely related to Medicago truncatula, which also belongs to family Leguminosae.
27 – Importance of and Barriers to Including Women in Clinical Trials

The last decade of the 20th century brought with it an explosion of new genetic information, making it increasingly obvious that many physiologic and pathologic functions are influenced either directly or indirectly by sex-based differences in biology. The scientific community has begun to realize the significance of chromosomal sex to the social and biologic sciences. Current statistics show that one in eight women will develop breast cancer, while one in two women will develop heart disease. Yet, even given these statistics, research regarding therapy and prevention of heart disease has largely been performed in the middle-aged men. Once recognized, the enormous implications of women's historical exclusion from clinical trials quickly became apparent. The medical community just did not know if the treatments proven safe and effective for men could be applied to women without modification. There have been several barriers to research on women including lack of recognition of sex as a factor that could affect health and illness, exclusion of women of childbearing potential, difficulties in recruiting and retaining women as research subjects, complexity of underlying hormonal and reproductive issues in women, and greater drug intolerance in women.
Canola versus wheat rotation effects on subsequent wheat yield

Abstract Winter canola (Brassica napus L.) (WC) is considered the most promising oilseed crop for diversifying wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-based cropping systems in the Inland Pacific Northwest, USA (PNW). Canola serves as a break or non-host crop for many important soilborne pathogens of wheat and helps farmers control weeds. Most studies in the literature report that canola has a positive effective on subsequent wheat yield. We conducted a 6-yr field experiment near Davenport, WA to measure the effects of WC versus winter wheat (WW) on the subsequent production of spring wheat (SW). Averaged over the years, there were no differences between WC and WW in soil water use or overwinter water recharge into the soil following these crops. Subsequent SW had excellent plant stands, was weed free, was adequately fertilized, and had no foliar or root diseases. Root lesion nematode populations were miniscule and insignificant. Average SW seed yield following WC was 3292 kg/ha versus 3897 kg/ha following WW; a 17% reduction (p
Human Diversity and L1 Retrotransposon Biology: Creation of New Genes and Individual Variation in Retrotransposition Potential

The L1 retrotransposon is amajor component ofmammalian genomes and hasmolded them throughout evolution in many ways, thereby expanding the possibilities for human diversity. In this paper,we discuss one further mechanism bywhich L1 can alter the genome, namely the retrotransposition of a transcript involving sequences from twoadjacent genes toformanewgene. Inaddition, a small fractionof L1elements inthe human genome is still actively retrotransposing, but there are little data on the extent of variation in retrotransposition potential among different individual human beings. Here we present evidence for considerable individual variation in L1 retrotransposition capability, a finding that has significant implications for the role of retrotransposition in present-day human neurological diversity.
Optimierung ausgewählter Produktionssteuerungssysteme

In Kapitel 3 dieser Arbeit wurden Ansatze zur Bewertung von Produktionssteuerungssystemen vorgestellt. Damit ist es moglich, den Einflus wichtiger Entscheidungsvariablen auf die Leistung des jeweiligen Systems zu ermitteln. Als Leistungskenngrosen wurden die Produktionsrate, der Lagerbestand und der β-Servicegrad herangezogen. Im folgenden ist zu untersuchen, wie die jeweiligen Variablen eingestellt werden mussen, um das System im Hinblick auf ein bestimmtes Zielkriterium optimal zu betreiben.
MOLECULAR MODELING OF BIOMEMBRANES: A HOW-TO APPROACH

Computer Simulations have become an important complementary technique to experiment and analytical theory for scientific discoveries. Molecular Dynamics (MD) is one of the most abundant techniques of computer modeling, and is frequently used simulation methods in biomolecular applications. Its popularity may stem from its simplicity and versatile applicability. The fundamental underlying assumption of MD is that the system consists of particles that interact via the classical equations of motion, i.e., both quantum mechanical and relativistic effects are neglected. The exclusion of these effects, however, does not generally have a significant impact on the biomolecular questions being studied.
Gatekeepers of the Guardian: p53 Regulation by Post-Translational Modification, MDM2 and MDMX

Happy 25 Anniversary p53! Since this is such a special occasion, I (GW) thought of explaining how fate brought p53 and me together. It was a snowy day in Utah when Arnie Levine came to the University of Utah in 1976 to present a lecture on genetic approaches to differentiation of teratocarcinoma cells. My graduate work with Mario Capecchi (starting at Harvard and continuing at the University of Utah) led me to appreciate the potential power of genetics in cancer research. I therefore arranged to visit Arnie’s lab to learn more about his research program. We discussed many topics, but not about how the large transforming protein (T antigen) of SV40 (SV40TAg) interacted with a putative ~54kDα cellular protein (Linzer and Levine, 1979). I next went to Stanford to visit George Stark, whose lab had isolated mutant cancer cell lines resistant to PALA, an inhibitor of de novo uridine synthesis. Unlike most mutants described to that time, PALA resistance developed incrementally, and was associated with progressive increases in the levels of CAD, the enzyme targeted by the drug. Molecular cloning was just starting at Stanford, and I could see a clear route to solving the genetic mechanism(s) of this unusual form of drug resistance in cancer cells. I joined George’s group in January 1977, and soon met a sabbatical visitor named Lionel Crawford. Lionel told me about work his post-doc, David Lane, was doing with SV40, and how SV40TAγ associated with an ~54kDα protein,
Navigating the future of gerontology education: curriculum mapping to the AGHE competencies

The recent adoption of gerontology competencies for undergraduate and graduate education emphasize a need for competency-based education. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the approach one program took to mapping and aligning courses to the newly adopted Association for Gerontology in Higher Education's (AGHE) competencies in an effort to clarify curriculum needs for a diverse student population, increase the measurability of objectives, and apply for Program of Merit status through AGHE. Assessment of current courses led to mapping objectives to competencies, identifying missing content, and revising courses to reduce knowledge gaps. Barriers and facilitators to this process are examined in an effort to share the implications of one program's competency alignment process.
Cardiac Pacemaker—A Smart Device

Maintaining a normal heart rate (between 60 and 100 beats per min) and rhythm (beats regularly) is vital for human health. The significant reduction in heartbeat (less than 60 beats per min) is called bradycardia. It has enhanced mortality rate because of the lack of effective treatment. Treatment patterns are changing, since 1960s a pacemaker was used for the first time in a clinical setting and revolutionized the bradycardia therapy. In this chapter, readers will learn the history of modern pacemaker, mechanism, function, and its pros and cons. Readers will be surprised to discover how smart a modern pacemaker is. Till now, pacemaker is the definitive treatment for a drug refractory bradycardia and has saved tens of thousands of lives worldwide.
Complex Revascularization for Idiopathic Intracranial Occlusive Disease with Unruptured, Fusiform Anterior Cerebral Artery and Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms: 3-Dimensional Operative Video

Revascularization is an important strategy when treating cerebrovascular occlusive disease and complex aneurysms. Radial artery fascial flow-through free flaps (RAFFs) are flexible grafts that provide direct and indirect revascularization. RAFFs can be especially useful for large territory revascularization and can be combined with other direct bypasses. Although common in plastic and reconstructive surgery, RAFF neurosurgical applications have rarely been described. The 3-dimensional video presents a 47-year-old man with watershed infarcts on imaging who presented with right-sided weakness ( Video 1 ). Vessel imaging was significant for bilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) terminus stenosis. The left middle cerebral artery (MCA) ended in a fusiform aneurysm of the M1 segment. The left anterior cerebral artery (ACA) also had a smaller fusiform aneurysm at the A1/2 junction. A perfusion study demonstrated an increased mean transit time in the left MCA territory. Given the patient's age, his symptomatic ischemia, and enlarging MCA aneurysm, he was recommended for a combined revascularization and left ICA occlusion. A left facial artery-to-MCA bypass using the right posterior tibial artery was performed for direct MCA revascularization. A left superficial temporal artery-to-ACA bypass with a RAFF was performed for direct ACA and indirect MCA territory revascularization. Postoperative angiography demonstrated patency of both direct grafts. The patient suffered small pericallosal infarcts because of retraction and perforator sacrifice at the revascularization site. At early follow-up, the patient was at his neurologic baseline, and at 1-year follow up, the patient had no additional infarcts on imaging and was living independently.
The Self-Adaptation Ability of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Enables Reliable Cancer Treatments

Optimal procedures for reliable anti-cancer treatments involve the systematic delivery of zinc oxide nanoparticles, which spread through the circulatory system. The success of these procedures may largely depend on the NPs’ ability of self-adapting their physicochemical properties to overcome the different challenges facing at each stage on its way to the interior of a cancerous cell. In this article, we combine a multiscale approach, a unique nanoparticle model, and available experimental data to characterize the behavior of zinc oxide nanoparticles under different vessels rheology, pH levels, and biological environments. We investigate their ability to prevent aggregation, allow prolonged circulation time in the bloodstream, avoid clearance, conduct themselves through the capillarity system to reach damaged tissues, and selectively approach to target cancerous cells. Our results show that non-functionalized spherical zinc oxide nanoparticles with surface density N = 5.89 × 10−6 mol/m2, protonation and deprotonation rates pKa = 10.9 and pKb = −5.5, and NP size in the range of 20–50 nm are the most effective, smart anti-cancer agents for biomedical treatments.
Fracture Toughness of Polycarbonate as Characterized by the J -Integral

Fracture tests have been conducted on polycarbonate in the elasto-plastic and fully plastic regimes. The fracture behavior was well characterized by the J-integral. The value of the J-integral at the initiation of crack growth, corresponding to J 1 c , was 2.1 kN/m (12.2 psi-in.) for the 1981 ASTM Test Method for J 1 c , a Measure of Fracture Toughness (E 813-81), and 3.3 kN/m (19 psi-in.) for the 1987 ASTM (E 813-87). It was found that the value of the J-integral at 2% crack growth, 4.4 kN/m (25 psi-in.), corresponded well with values of K 1 c in the literature. It is suggested that the value of J at 2% crack growth may be a better parameter to characterize fracture than J at initiation. The value of the J-integral at popin or unstable fracture, 7.3 kN/m (41 psi-in.), was consistent for all the experiments. No effect of crack length or thickness was observed for any of these values of J. Two difficulties with the use of the 1987 standard were found. The first was that the data did not coincide with the blunting line. More crack growth was measured than predicted by the blunting line. The second was that a valid data point between the 1 and 1.5-mm offset lines could not be experimentally obtained because of the nature of crack growth in polycarbonate.
CHAPTER 1 – MARGIE

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a theory of natural language processing together with the description of computer programs that use that theory. The computer programs make up the MARGIE system, which makes inferences and paraphrases from natural language sentences. The heart of the MARGIE system is the Conceptual Dependency representation of the meaning underlying natural language. Conceptual dependency theory was always intended to be a theory of how humans process natural language that was explicit enough to allow for programming it on a computer. The evolution that has taken place in the theory has not been one of the goals but one of the methods. Conceptual dependency structures as originally formulated, thus, bore a great deal of similarity to the surface structures of language.
Characterization of Risk Factors for Genitourinary Infections with Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors

Background Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of genitourinary infections in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is unknown which factors may predispose patients to an increased risk of developing a genitourinary infection. Objective To evaluate whether hemoglobin A1c levels and other patient-specific factors at initiation of SGLT2 inhibitor therapy were a predictor for increased risk for genitourinary infections. Methods A retrospective, multicenter cohort analysis was conducted using data from ambulatory care clinics within a large medical group. Patients 18 years of age or older with a diagnosis of T2DM who were prescribed a SGLT2 inhibitor between January 1, 2013 and October 31, 2018 and completed therapy for at least seven days were included in the analysis. Firth logistic regression was used to detect differences in baseline characteristics and paired t-tests were used to compare baseline to post-initiation values for prespecified variables for those patients with a confirmed genitourinary infection. Results Of the 739 patients prescribed a SGLT2 inhibitor, 584 were included. Thirty (5.14%) patients experienced a genitourinary infection on SGLT2 inhibitor therapy. Baseline hemoglobin A1c did not confer a significant difference in risk for genitourinary infection (p=0.4239). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was the only variable that significantly differed between those who did and did not develop an infection (p=0.0228). A post hoc analysis reviewing 30 patients initially excluded for a history of genitourinary infection showed 13 (43%) of those patients experienced a genitourinary infection after initiating SGLT2 inhibitor therapy with no difference in risk stratified by baseline hemoglobin A1c level (p=0.9648). Conclusions The incidence of genitourinary infection with SGLT2 inhibitor use was lower than suggested in clinical trials, with lower eGFR and history of genitourinary infection the only identified predictors for increased risk in this population. Genitourinary infection risk should not deter clinicians from recommending or prescribing SGLT2 inhibitor therapy.
Intranodal Lymphangiography and Lymphatic Embolization for Management of Iatrogenic Chylous Ascites in Children.

Background: To demonstrate the value of intranodal lymphangiography (INL) and lymphatic embolization (LE) in management of iatrogenic chylous ascites in children who fail conservative management. Methods and Results: Retrospective review of medical records revealed six patients (four males and two females; age range 11-39 months) who underwent eight INLs and three LEs between 2017 and 2019. In one patient, the leak was visualized and embolized. In three patients, the leak was not visualized and no embolization was done, but drain output decreased and INL was not repeated. In two patients, the leak was not visualized and no embolization was done, but drain output did not decrease and INL was repeated. Repeat INL identified a leak in one patient and targeted LE was done. Repeat INL did not identify a leak in the other patient, but empirical LE was performed at the sites suspicious for leakage after multidisciplinary discussion. INL was able to identify the site of lymphatic leak in two patients (33%). In the three patients who underwent LE (two targeted at the site of identified leak and one empirical at sites suspicious for leak), one (33%) was clinically successful and the other two required surgery to address the lymphatic leak. In three patients, chylous ascites resolved after INL alone with no additional interventions. Three patients developed complications after the procedure, but only one appears to be related to the procedure itself. Follow-up for 13.8 months (13-26 months) revealed no long-term complications or mortality. Conclusion: INL with or without LE is a safe treatment for iatrogenic pediatric chylous ascites. Early utilization before more invasive surgical intervention should be considered in light of the response to INL.
Regulation and metabolic functions of mTORC1 and mTORC2

Cells metabolize nutrients for biosynthetic and bioenergetic needs to fuel growth and proliferation. The uptake of nutrients from the environment and their intracellular metabolism is a highly controlled process that involves cross talk between growth signaling and metabolic pathways. Despite constant fluctuations in nutrient availability and environmental signals, normal cells restore metabolic homeostasis to maintain cellular functions and prevent disease. A central signaling molecule that integrates growth with metabolism is the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR is a protein kinase that responds to levels of nutrients and growth signals. mTOR forms two protein complexes, mTORC1, which is sensitive to rapamycin, and mTORC2, which is not directly inhibited by this drug. Rapamycin has facilitated the discovery of the various functions of mTORC1 in metabolism. Genetic models that disrupt either mTORC1 or mTORC2 have expanded our knowledge of their cellular, tissue, as well as systemic functions in metabolism. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the regulation and functions of mTORC2, particularly in metabolism, has lagged behind. Since mTOR is an important target for cancer, aging, and other metabolism-related pathologies, understanding the distinct and overlapping regulation and functions of the two mTOR complexes is vital for the development of more effective therapeutic strategies. This review discusses the key discoveries and recent findings on the regulation and metabolic functions of the mTOR complexes. We highlight findings from cancer models but also discuss other examples of the mTOR-mediated metabolic reprogramming occurring in stem and immune cells, type 2 diabetes/obesity, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging.
Recursive feedback between matrix dissipation and chemo-mechanical signaling drives oscillatory growth of cancer cell invadopodia

Most extracellular matrices (ECMs) are known to be dissipative, exhibiting viscoelastic and often plastic behaviors. However, the influence of dissipation, in particular mechanical plasticity in 3D confining microenvironments, on cell motility is not clear. In this study, we develop a chemo-mechanical model for dynamics of invadopodia, the protrusive structures that cancer cells use to facilitate invasion, by considering myosin recruitment, actin polymerization, matrix deformation, and mechano-sensitive signaling pathways. We demonstrate that matrix dissipation facilitates invadopodia growth by softening ECMs over repeated cycles, during which plastic deformation accumulates via cyclic ratcheting. Our model reveals that distinct protrusion patterns, oscillatory or monotonic, emerge from the interplay of timescales for polymerization-associated extension and myosin recruitment dynamics. Our model predicts the changes in invadopodia dynamics upon inhibition of myosin, adhesions, and the Rho-Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway. Altogether, our work highlights the role of matrix plasticity in invadopodia dynamics and can help design dissipative biomaterials to modulate cancer cell motility.