cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The TIR1 protein of Arabidopsis functions in auxin response and is related to human SKP2 and yeast Grr1p

Genetic analysis in Arabidopsis has led to the identification of several genes that are required for auxin response. One of these genes, AXR1, encodes a protein related to yeast Aos1p, a protein that functions to activate the ubiquitin-related protein Smt3p. Here we report the identification of a new gene called TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1 (TIR1). The tir1 mutants are deficient in a variety of auxin-regulated growth processes including hypocotyl elongation and lateral root formation. These results indicate that TIR1 is also required for normal response to auxin. Further, mutations in TIR1 display a synergistic interaction with mutations in AXR1, suggesting that the two genes function in overlapping pathways. The TIR1 protein contains a series of leucine-rich repeats and a recently identified motif called an F box. Sequence comparisons indicate that TIR1 is related to the yeast protein Grr1p and the human protein SKP2. Because Grr1p and other F-box proteins have been implicated in ubiquitin-mediated processes, we speculate that auxin response depends on the modification of a key regulatory protein(s) by ubiquitin or a ubiquitin-related protein.
Improved interstage mortality with the modified Norwood procedure: a meta-analysis.

Background Modification of the Norwood procedure has been reported to improve immediate postoperative mortality compared with the classic Norwood. Interstage mortality has not been shown to be improved with the modified Norwood probably because of the small number of patients from each institution. The goal of this study was to determine if meta-analysis would provide sufficient data to prove statistical difference in interstage mortality for the modified Norwood procedure. Methods PubMed was searched using six different terms individually for articles from January 2003 to October 2004. Manuscripts that compared the classic to modified Norwood were reviewed. Mantel-Haenszel analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between treatment method and mortality stratified across hospitals. The Breslow-Day procedure tested homogeneity of odds ratio across hospitals. Separate analyses were performed for inpatient and interstage periods. Results A total of 4,545 citations was screened. Five manuscripts met the criteria. Seventy-two patients undergoing classic Norwood and 84 patients undergoing modified Norwood survived to initial hospital discharge. The Breslow-Day statistic supported homogeneity of odds ratios for survival across hospitals (χ 2 = 2.09, df=4, p = 0.72). Odds of interstage death was 11.6 times greater (2.2 to 62.1, 95% CI) for the classic Norwood compared with the modified Norwood procedure. This difference was statistically significant by the Mantel-Haenszel χ 2 (11.0, p = 0.001). The Breslow-Day statistic supported homogeneity of the odds ratios across hospitals (χ 2 = 3.1, df=4, p = 0.53). Conclusions The modified Norwood procedure has a significantly lower interstage mortality compared with the classic Norwood procedure. A large randomized study is needed to determine whether these results remain consistent.
Methanosarcina acetivorans sp. nov. , an acetotrophic methane-producing bacterium isolated from marine sediments

A new acetotrophic marine methane-producing bacterium that was isolated from the methane-evolving sediments of a marine canyon is described. Exponential phase cultures grown with sodium acetate contained irregularly shaped cocci that aggregated in the early stationary phase and finally differentiated into communal cysts that released individual cocci when ruptured or transferred to fresh medium. The irregularly shaped cocci (1.9 +/- 0.2 mm in diameter) were gram negative and occurred singly or in pairs. Cells were nonmotile, but possessed a single fimbria-like structure. Micrographs of thin sections showed a monolayered cell wall approximately 10 nm thick that consisted of protein subunits. The cells in aggregates were separated by visible septation. The communal cysts contained several single cocci encased in a common envelope. An amorphous form of the communal cyst that had incomplete septation and internal membrane-like vesicles was also present in late exponential phase cultures. Sodium acetate, methanol, methylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine were substrates for growth and methanogenesis; H(2)-CO(2) (80:20) and sodium formate were not. The optimal growth temperature was 35 to 40 degrees C. The optimal pH range was 6.5 to 7.0. Both NaCl and Mg were required for growth, with maximum growth rates at 0.2 M NaCl and 0.05 M MgSO(4). The DNA base composition was 41 +/- 1% guanine plus cytosine. Methanosarcina acetivorans is the proposed species. C2A is the type strain (DSM 2834, ATCC 35395).
Development of a Semi-Automatic Data Annotation Tool for Driving Data

Data-driven approaches to constructing context aware driver assistance systems require large annotated databases of automobile sensor data. Manually annotating such large databases is costly and time-consuming. We present a semi-automatic annotation tool for this purpose that uses random forests as bootstrapped classifiers. The tool significantly reduces the manual annotation effort by enabling the user to verify automatically generated annotations, rather than annotating from scratch
GCK-3, a newly identified Ste20 kinase, binds to and regulates the activity of a cell cycle-dependent ClC anion channel.

CLH-3b is a Caenorhabditis elegans ClC anion channel that is expressed in the worm oocyte. The channel is activated during oocyte meiotic maturation and in response to cell swelling by serine/threonine dephosphorylation events mediated by the type 1 phosphatases GLC-7α and GLC-7β. We have now identified a new member of the Ste20 kinase superfamily, GCK-3, that interacts with the CLH-3b COOH terminus via a specific binding motif. GCK-3 inhibits CLH-3b in a phosphorylation-dependent manner when the two proteins are coexpressed in HEK293 cells. clh-3 and gck-3 are expressed predominantly in the C. elegans oocyte and the fluid-secreting excretory cell. Knockdown of gck-3 expression constitutively activates CLH-3b in nonmaturing worm oocytes. We conclude that GCK-3 functions in cell cycle– and cell volume–regulated signaling pathways that control CLH-3b activity. GCK-3 inactivates CLH-3b by phosphorylating the channel and/or associated regulatory proteins. Our studies provide new insight into physiologically relevant signaling pathways that control ClC channel activity and suggest novel mechanisms for coupling cell volume changes to cell cycle events and for coordinately regulating ion channels and transporters that control cellular Cl− content, cell volume, and epithelial fluid secretion.
On-site evaluation of commercial-scale hybrid catfish production using cryopreserved blue catfish sperm

Abstract Cryopreservation is an effective tool for conservation of genetic resources and is becoming increasingly used worldwide with aquatic species. Broadening the application of this technology to a commercial scale through high-throughput approaches has become essential for use with aquatic species. This study addressed high-throughput sperm cryopreservation of blue catfish at an industrial level. Our objectives were to: 1) optimize the sperm volume used for thawed sperm; 2) evaluate commercial application of high-throughput cryopreserved sperm with standard hatchery techniques, and 3) initiate evaluation of the fertility relationship between individuals and pooled samples. The results showed that a doubling of the previously established volume did not produce significant improvement in fertilization. The working volume of thawed sperm (2 ml at a concentration of 1 × 10 9 /ml for batches of 100–150 ml channel catfish eggs) was practical. There was no significant difference in fry production after artificial fertilization of 2 million eggs with cryopreserved or fresh sperm. Pooled sperm samples and the individual samples used to form the pools produced similar fertilization rates. Blue catfish sperm is valued as a genetic material for hybrid catfish production, and cryopreservation makes genetic material management possible. This study initiates industrialization of this technology for use with aquatic organisms, and because the technology can be generalized, expands the opportunities for application to other species. High-throughput cryopreservation of blue catfish sperm provides new capabilities and can maintain sperm quality sufficiently to support commercial hybrid production.
Fundamental Physical Constants

The periodic review of the physical constants is important for two very different reasons. One is the need to have a set of numerical values that can be used reliably in all branches of science and technology. The other is the verification of physical models inherent in the consistency of those values. This paper discusses the definition of ‘fundamental constants’ and the reasons for choosing the specific set of constants for the 1986 adjustment. It summarizes the input data included in this adjustment, the results of the analysis, and the conclusions to be drawn from them. Of particular importance is the question of the consistency of QED and the status of the experimental verification of the validity of the perturbation expansion for the electron anomalous moment and the numerical evaluation of the multidimensional integrals associated with the sixth and eighth order terms.
Constant-light Injury of Potato: Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Carbon Dioxide Assimilation, Starch Content, Chloroplast Integrity, and Necrotic Lesions

Expanding leaflets of young 'Kennebec' potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) develop visible necrotic spotting after 8 to 9 days of constant light and constant temperature, but little is known about this disorder before the appearance of injury. Whole-leaf autoradiography and iodine staining of terminal leaflets (5 to 10 mm long at the beginning of the constant-light period) showed a normal pattern of CO 2 assimilation and starch content over the entire leaflet surface after 5 days of constant light. However, small areas of tissue devoid of CO 2 assimilation and starch content became apparent on day 6, and these areas expanded to encompass much of the leaflet's medial and basal regions by day 7. At this stage of leaf development, on day 7, leaflets had attained 50% of their final leaflet length and ceased importing photosynthates from other leaves. Electron micrographs of chloroplasts from the medial and basal regions of leaflets on day 7 revealed a loss of membrane integrity and a senescence-lik e appearance. At this time, and within these affected regions, scattered groups of necrotic palisade cells began to appear. These scattered groups soon expanded in size and distribution and became apparent as visible necrotic spots on the upper leaflet surface by day 8 or 9. Leaflets on plants grown under constant light hut alternating temperatures, an environment known to be noninjurious, did not exhibit visible spotting or tissue devoid of starch content. In addition, none of these injury symptoms developed in 'Denali', a potato cultivar tolerant of constant light. Despite its occurrence in expanding leaf tissue, constant-light injury appears to be a senescence-lik e event that leads to the catastrophic loss of photosyntheti c competence, starch content, and chloroplast membrane integrity, producing chlorosis and necrosis of leaves and eventually stunting the plant.
Creating fit for sponsorship on corporate websites

This study examines created fit and control of navigation on corporate websites. Created fit refers to messages that communicate relational/explanatory links between a sponsor and a sponsored event/organisation, in order to enhance sponsorship congruity. This study conceptualises created fit and control of navigation as external control factors that constitute perceived control. By manipulating fit types (low-fit sponsorship, high-fit sponsorship, created fit for high-fit sponsorship, and created fit for low-fit sponsorship) and control of navigation, an online field experiment was conducted. The major findings revealed created fit for low-fit sponsorship increased perception of fit, attitude toward the sponsorship, and attitude toward the sponsor's brand to a greater extent when control of navigation was high than low. The findings suggest that created fit for low-fit sponsorship can increase perception of fit despite control of navigation, but only under the condition of high control of navigation will the explanatory links create enough perception of fit for low-fit sponsorship to enhance attitude toward the sponsor's band and the sponsorship.
Small Scale Dairy Production System Challenges and Prospects in Fafen Zone, Ethiopian Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia -

The study was conducted between July 2013 and January 2014. The objective of this study was to examine the existing challenges and opportunities of small scale dairy production challenges and opportunity. The importance of dairy livestock as a source of livelihood for pastoralists in eastern Ethiopia cannot be overstated. A study was carried out in the districts of Jigjiga, Babile, and Gursum in Fafen zone of Ethiopian Somali regional state, eastern Ethiopia to collect baseline data on small scale dairy animal challenges and opportunity of feeding and management in Jigjiga, Gurusum and Babile districts that inhabit the area and rearing of major dairy livestock production. The primary and secondary data were collected to assess the impact of dairy management and information whose dissemination was underway on the husbandry of dairy livestock. During this study, between 30 and 55 households were purposively selected from three locations drawn from the three districts. A total of 130 respondents purposively selected from 55 households in Jigjiga district, 45 from Babile district and 30 households in Gursum per location were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and the personal discussion were made. The questions targeted different aspects of dairy livestock management husbandry and feeding. Analysis of the data revealed malpractices in the areas of husbandry management, feeding, health and watering, among others, across the studied districts. The major constrained faced dairy animals across studied district feeding shortage (23.1%), water scarcity (15.4%), drought 11.54% and disease 10%. In the other hand, the overall mean of case of death post weaning was (39.64 for camel), 26.65 for cattle and goat (37.7) were across the studied area. In the study areas, the results further indicated that the pastoralists were aware of the challenges facing their dairy animals but did not have the knowledge to adequately deal with the constraints and prospective. This study concluded that the small scale dairy livestock prospects and information on dairy management have great potential to improve dairy performance if widely disseminated among the studied districts. Awareness creation among pastoralists and agro pastoral on the dangers of the current malpractices, vigorous dissemination of the technologies/information and follow-up to ensure utilization and/or application are strongly recommended.
Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Lung Cancer Risk in Non-Hispanic Whites

Background: Postprandial glucose (PPG) and insulin responses play a role in carcinogenesis. We evaluated the association between dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL), markers of carbohydrate intake and PPG, and lung cancer risk in non-Hispanic whites. Methods: GL and GI were assessed among 1,905 newly diagnosed lung cancer cases recruited from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) and 2,413 healthy controls recruited at Kelsey-Seybold Clinics (Houston, TX). We assessed associations between quintiles of GI/GL and lung cancer risk and effect modification by various risk factors. ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. Results: We observed a significant association between GI [5th vs. 1st quintile (Q) OR = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.21–1.83; P trend <0.001] and lung cancer risk and GIac (5th vs. 1st Q OR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.20–1.81; P trend = 0.001) and lung cancer risk. We observed a more pronounced association between GI and lung cancer risk among never smokers (5th vs. 1st Q OR = 2.25; 95% CI, 1.42–3.57), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC; 5th vs. 1st Q OR = 1.92; 95% CI, 1.30–2.83), and those with less than 12 years of education (5th vs. 1st Q OR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.19–2.58, P interaction = 0.02). Conclusion: This study suggests that dietary GI and other lung cancer risk factors may jointly and independently influence lung cancer etiology. Impact: Understanding the role of GI in lung cancer could inform prevention strategies and elucidate biologic pathways related to lung cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(3); 532–9. ©2016 AACR .
Sampling host-seeking anthropophilic mosquito vectors in west Africa: comparisons of an active human-baited tent-trap against gold standard methods.

Abstract. In this study, we characterize the ability of the previously described Infoscitex tent (IST) to capture mosquitoes in comparison to either the Centers for Disease Control Light Trap hung next to individuals under a bed net (LTC) or to human landing catches (HLC). In Senegal, the IST caught 6.14 times the number of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.), and 8.78 times the Culex group V mosquitoes as LTC. In one of two locations in Burkina Faso, the IST caught An. gambiae at a rate not significantly different than HLC. Of importance, 9.1–36.1% of HLC caught An. gambiae were blood fed, mostly with fresh blood, suggesting they fed upon the collector, whereas only 0.5–5.0% from the IST had partial or old blood. The IST also caught outdoor biting species in proportions comparable to HLC. The results show this tent provides a safer and effective alternative to the skill-dependent, risky, and laborious HLC method.
Coagulase in reversing antibacterial activity of normal human serum on Micrococcus pyogenes.

Summary1. By following the growth of coagulase positive, virulent and coagulase negative, avirulent, strains of M. pyogenes in undiluted normal human serum for periods of 24 hours the coagulase positive strains grew very well while the coagulase negative strains were completely inhibited in their growth. Correlation of this differential growth of the 2 groups with any of the other common metabolic activities of this group of microorganisms could not be made. 2. It was postulated that coagulase might function in some way to protect the coagulase positive organisms against the antibacterial activity of human serum thus allowing them to grow. By treating actively bacteriostatic human serum with partially purified preparations of cell free coagulase, coagulase negative strains which were susceptible to serum bacteriostasis were able to grow. Alpha and beta toxins were ruled out as being responsible for this protective action, and the activity of the preparations in reversing the inhibitory action of serum was...
Suitability of birds and mammals as hosts for immature stages of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae).

Domestic rabbits, chickens, and several non-domestic vertebrate hosts were used in feeding studies made with similarly aged larvae and nymphs of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum . Rabbits allowed to groom produced 60% fewer engorged larvae and 65% fewer engorged nymphs than restrained rabbits. Successive infestations of rabbits and chickens with larvae and nymphs had an increasingly adverse effect on tick engorgement but not on molting. Larvae and nymphs fed and dropped from chickens more quickly than from rabbits. The sex of 95% of the engorged nymphs could be predicted by weight (males averaged 4.7 mg and females averaged 9.3 mg). Engorgement success was dependent on host species, but percentage molt was always better than 92% for all host species tested. No difference in body dimensions of adult ticks could be attributed to host species if engorged nymphs were of similar weight.
Is there a role of MMA T wave alternans test for risk assessment in Brugada syndrome

We read with interest the scientific letter by Drs. Yalin et al. (1) in The Anatolian Journal of Cardiology on the null outcome of their T-wave alternans (TWA) analysis by the Modified Moving Average method in patients with the Brugada syndrome. To date, TWA has been found in only two studies (2, 3) to predict lethal arrhythmias in Brugada syndrome patients, despite the fact that it is a prominent feature in their ambulatory ECG (AECG) recordings (4). Tada and colleagues (2) reported in a case series of 77 Brugada syndrome patients that overt TWA provoked by pilsicainide predicted spontaneous ventricular fibrillation with odds of 22.2 (95% CI: 3.3-149.9, p<0.001) after multivariate analysis. Most recently, Uchimura-Makita and coworkers (3) used MMA-based TWA in a case series of 42 Brugada syndrome patients and reported that the incidence of VF events was significantly higher among those with TWA ≥60μV than in those with lower TWA levels in lead V2 (p=0.0026). Dr. Yalin et al. (1) indicated that TWA testing was performed at the time of diagnosis of Brugada syndrome but did not state whether the patients were undergoing an exercise stress test or were at rest. While no studies have been undertaken to examine the optimum recording conditions for TWA analysis, it is reasonable to expect that TWA testing should be performed in conjunction with a diagnostic stressor such as the sodium channel blocking agents ajmaline, flecainide, procainamide, pilsicainide (2, 5), which unmask the Brugada syndrome (6), or during spontaneous appearance of the diagnostic Brugada ECG during daily activity at more normal heart rates (7), as is captured on AECG recordings. Indeed, the presence of TWA is considered to support the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome in asymptomatic patients with ST-segment elevation in at least one right precordial lead (6). Nighttime may be a particularly suitable period for AECG recording for TWA analysis, as the majority of ventricular fibrillation episodes in Brugada syndrome patients occur during sleep (8). The finding that TWA level is greatly reduced when heart rate is increased to 80-110 beats/min (7), such as is reached during exercise, may be the key to the failure of TWA testing by the spectral method (9, 10). If TWA had been analyzed from AECGs recorded during daily activity or sleep, it is likely that many if not all of the Brugada syndrome patients enrolled in this study may have shown significant levels of TWA. Determining the most appropriate setting for TWA testing in Brugada Syndrome patients will be an important contribution to stratification of their risk for lethal arrhythmias and ICD discharge. We compliment Dr. Yalin and colleagues on the valuable contributions of their study. With best regards,
The dimension of the kernel in an intersection of starshaped sets

We establish the following Helly-type theorem: Let ${\cal K}$ be a family of compact sets in $\mathbb{R}^d$. If every d + 1 (not necessarily distinct) members of ${\cal K}$ intersect in a starshaped set whose kernel contains a translate of set A, then $\cap \{ K : K\; \hbox{in}\; {\cal K} \}$ also is a starshaped set whose kernel contains a translate of A. An analogous result holds when ${\cal K}$ is a finite family of closed sets in $\mathbb{R}^d$. Moreover, we have the following planar result: Define function f on $\{0, 1, 2\}$ by f(0) = f(2) = 3, f(1) = 4. Let ${\cal K}$ be a finite family of closed sets in the plane. For k = 0, 1, 2, if every f(k) (not necessarily distinct) members of ${\cal K}$ intersect in a starshaped set whose kernel has dimension at least k, then $\cap \{K : K\; \hbox{in}\; {\cal K}\}$ also is a starshaped set whose kernel has dimension at least k. The number f(k) is best in each case.
On the Position of Guo Songtao in the Development of "Morality and Custom" Thought in Moderd China

Inheriting the thought of "screwing up public trend "by the enlightenment ideologist during the reign of Daoguang and Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty,Guo Songtao put forwarded the thought of "regarding morality and custom as the basis of building a country".It promoted the transformation from the Chinese traditional morality to the modern type,and has an important position in the development of "morality and custom" thought in modern China.
Mechanisms of hemolysate-induced [Ca2+]i elevation in cerebral smooth muscle cells.

The effects of hemolysate on free cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) homeostasis were studied in freshly isolated rat basilar artery smooth muscle cells using fura 2 and dual excitation wavelength microfluorimetry. Hemolysate reversibly produced a transient [Ca2+]i peak followed by a slowly decaying plateau which was absent in Ca(2+)-free solution. This effect of hemolysate was attenuated by 1) the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump inhibitors thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid, 2) the Ca2+ release-blocking agents ryanodine and dantrolene, 3) the cytochrome P-450 inhibitor econazole, and 4) the inorganic Ca2+ channel blocker lanthanum but was not significantly attenuated by 1) the receptor-regulated Ca2+ channel blocker SKF-96365 or 2) the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel blocker nimodipine. Fractionation of hemolysate using membranes with specific pore sizes (0.5, 1, and 12-14 kDa) indicated that a component(s) > 0.5 but 1 and > 12-14 kDa produced a small and slow [Ca2+]i rise without a significant peak. ATP, which was found in hemolysate, produced a [Ca2+]i response similar to that of hemolysate. P2-purinoceptor antagonists significantly attenuated the effect of ATP, hemolysate, and the fractions < 1 and < 12-14 kDa. We conclude that hemolysate elevates [Ca2+]i by both releasing Ca2+ from internal stores and triggering Ca2+ entry, possibly from a voltage-independent Ca2+ influx pathway, an effect apparently identical to that of ATP.
Drivers of coupled model ENSO error dynamics and the spring predictability barrier

Despite recent improvements in ENSO simulations, ENSO predictions ultimately remain limited by error growth and model inadequacies. Determining the accompanying dynamical processes that drive the growth of certain types of errors may help the community better recognize which error sources provide an intrinsic limit to predictability. This study applies a dynamical analysis to previously developed CCSM4 error ensemble experiments that have been used to model noise-driven error growth. Analysis reveals that ENSO-independent error growth is instigated via a coupled instability mechanism. Daily error fields indicate that persistent stochastic zonal wind stress perturbations $$(\tau_{x}^{\prime } )$$ near the equatorial dateline activate the coupled instability, first driving local SST and anomalous zonal current changes that then induce upwelling anomalies and a clear thermocline response. In particular, March presents a window of opportunity for stochastic $$\tau_{x}^{\prime }$$ to impose a lasting influence on the evolution of eastern Pacific SST through December, suggesting that stochastic $$\tau_{x}^{\prime }$$ is an important contributor to the spring predictability barrier. Stochastic winds occurring in other months only temporarily affect eastern Pacific SST for 2–3 months. Comparison of a control simulation with an ENSO cycle and the ENSO-independent error ensemble experiments reveals that once the instability is initiated, the subsequent error growth is modulated via an ENSO-like mechanism, namely the seasonal strength of the Bjerknes feedback. Furthermore, unlike ENSO events that exhibit growth through the fall, the growth of ENSO-independent SST errors terminates once the seasonal strength of the Bjerknes feedback weakens in fall. Results imply that the heat content supplied by the subsurface precursor preceding the onset of an ENSO event is paramount to maintaining the growth of the instability (or event) through fall.
“How You Bully a Girl”: Sexual Drama and the Negotiation of Gendered Sexuality in High School

Over the past decade, sexual rumor spreading, slut-shaming, and homophobic labeling have become central examples of bullying among young women. This article examines the role these practices— what adults increasingly call “bullying” and what girls often call “drama”— play in girls’ gendering processes. Through interviews with 54 class and racially diverse late adolescent girls, I explore the content and functions of “sexual drama.” All participants had experiences with this kind of conflict, and nearly a third had been the subject of other girls’ rumors about their own sexual actions and/or orientations. Their accounts indicate that sexual drama offers girls a socially acceptable site for making claims to, and sense of, gendered sexuality in adolescence. While they reproduce inequality through these practices, sexual drama is also a resource for girls—one that is made useful through the institutional constraints of their high schools, which reinforce traditional gender norms and limit sexuality information.
Phylogenetic Relationships of a New Genus of Calliopsine Bees from Peru, with a Review of Spinoliella Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

ABSTRACT We establish a new genus for an unusual species of Peruvian calliopsine bees (Panurginae: Calliopsini) that was initially reported in the literature as an undescribed species of Spinoliella Ashmead that purportedly expanded the range of the latter genus beyond Argentina and Chile. Although the new genus superficially resembles Spinoliella, it is easily distinguished by a unique combination of characters in both sexes but particularly in the male hidden metasomal sterna and genitalia. A cladistic analysis of 82 adult external morphological characters including all species of Spinoliella, as well as species of the remaining genera of Calliopsini, suggests that this group is sister to a clade consisting of Spinoliella and Callonychium Brethes. We describe and illustrate Xeranthrena imponticula Gonzalez and Engel, new genus and species, from males and females collected in xeric areas along the Pacific slopes of the Peruvian Andes. In addition, the phylogenetic study suggests two well-defined clades w...
STUDIES OF MONOCYTE Fc RECEPTOR AVIDITY AND MONOCYTE MEDIATED ANTIBODY DEPENDENT CELLULAR CYTOTOXICITY (MMADCC) IN MAN

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an investigation of monocyte Fc receptor avidity and monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (MMADCC) in man. Peripheral blood monocytes from normal subjects and patients with various immunodeficiency diseases, including the Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS) and intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL), were studied in an analysis presented in the chapter. In addition, pleural fluid macrophages were studied in one patient with IL. Mononuclear cells were incubated with 51Cr-labeled human blood group B erythrocytes in the presence of human anti-blood group B antiserum and the number of targets killed determined from the specific release of 5lCr into the medium. In this system, monocytes but not lymphocytes act as effector cells and the amount of killing observed correlates with the number of monocytes in the mononuclear cell effector population. The results showed that MMADCC requires the Fc portion of the antibody. However, as seen in the WAS patients, binding of the antibody-coated target to the monocyte is not in itself sufficient for lysis to occur, indicating that while antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity requires an Fc receptor, the mere presence of a functional Fc receptor is not enough to trigger the cytotoxic event.
Philanthropy and nonprofit organizations in U.S. health care: a personal retrospective.

As has been true historically, the nonprofit acute-care hospital sector continues to play the dominant role in the nation's health care system. At the same time, the role of philanthropy has changed dramatically. A rough calculation suggests that in 1990, philanthropic dollars accounted for only 1% of health care operating costs and 5% of capital expenditures. By contrast, in New York City in 1940, for example, a major voluntary general hospital received 24% of its income from charitable contributions and only 11.6% from government. This article offers an historical analysis of the changing role of philanthropy and nonprofit hospitals in the structure and operation of the U.S. health care system throughout the 20th century and the implications for current policymaking.
Escalation of commitment and information security: theories and implications

Purpose This study aims to explore the challenges that the escalation of commitment poses to information security. Design/methodology/approach Two distinct scenarios of escalation behavior are presented based on literature review. Psychological, organizational and economic theories on escalation of commitment are reviewed and applied to the area of information security. Findings Escalation of commitment involves continuation of a course of action after receiving negative information about it. In the information security compliance context, escalation affects a firm when an employee decides to break the firm’s information security policy to complete a failing task. In the information security investment context, escalation occurs if a manager continues investment in policies and solutions that are ineffective because of psychological, organizational or economic factors. Both of these types of escalation may be prevented with de-escalation techniques including a change in management or rotation of duties, monitoring, auditing and governance mechanisms. Practical implications Implications of escalation of commitment behavior for information security decision-makers and for future research are discussed. Originality/value This study complements the literature by establishing the context of escalation of commitment in decisions related to information security and reviewing managerial and economic theories on escalation of commitment.
Type 4 SLAP Tear in 21-Year-Old Minor League Centerfielder

Superior labrum anterior to posterior tears (SLAP) are a common injury in the overhead athlete. While most of these injuries involve type I or type II tears in this population, infrequently type IV tears will be encountered. These are difficult injuries to treat because the pathology involves both the labrum and the biceps tendon and may be associated with chronic throwing-related changes to the glenohumeral joint. Labral, biceps, and other associated pathology may need to be addressed nonsurgically and/or surgically for a successful outcome and return to play. The following case highlights the diagnosis, nonoperative and operative treatment options, and the postoperative rehabilitation for treatment of a type IV SLAP lesion in an overhead athlete.
Intermittent PTH 1–34 administration improves the marrow microenvironment and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in bone arteries of aged rats

This study investigated the influence of the marrow microenvironment on bone vascular function in young and old rats. An inflamed marrow microenvironment may reduce vasodilator capacity of bone blo...
A Contemporary Analysis of Heart Transplantation and Bridge-to-Transplant Mechanical Circulatory Support Outcomes in Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Abstract Background Patients with end-stage cardiomyopathy due to cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) may be referred for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and heart transplantation (HT). We describe outcomes of patients with CS undergoing HT, focusing on the use of MCS as a bridge to transplant (BTT). Methods Using the United Network for Organ Sharing Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we identified all adult waitlisted patients and isolated HT recipients from 2006 to 2015. These were divided into those with and without CS and further divided into those who did or did not receive MCS as BTT. Outcomes included 1- and 5-year post-transplantation freedom from mortality and 5-year freedom from primary graft failure. Results Over the study period, 31,528 patients were listed for HT, 148 (0.4%) of whom had CS. Among the CS patients, 34 (23%) received MCS as BTT. 18,348 patients (58%) eventually underwent HT, including 67 (0.4%) with CS, 20 (30%) of whom had received BTT MCS. Compared with non-CS diagnoses, CS patients had similar 1-year (91% vs 90%; log rank P = .88) and 5-year (83% vs 77%; log rank P = .46) freedom from mortality. Survival was also similar between CS BTT and non-CS BTT groups at 1 year (89% vs 89%; log-rank P = .92) and 5 years (72% vs 75%; log-rank P = .77). Conclusions Survivals after HT were similar between CS and non-CS patients out to 5 years, and were also similar between CS and non-CS BTT cohorts. Both HT and BTT MCS should be considered in patients with CS.
Gifted Education and the Matthew Effect

The Matthew effect refers to the notion that advantaged people receive increasing advantages over time, while the disadvantaged wind up with increasing disadvantages. As worded in The Gospel According to Matthew: “For unto every one that hath shall be given, but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” With regard to education, this translates to students who are performing better will receive more credit and more educational opportunities, and hence will perform even better. Conversely, children who are performing poorly—who receive bad grades and receive few positive reinforcements for their scholarship - study less, and as a result develop academic skills more slowly, which further inhibits their academic growth. The Matthew effect has been observed among children with academic deficiencies (Gaultney, 1998), but has not yet been examined among children singled out for their academic strengths. This paper will show how this inequitable distribution of resources operates in gifted education - how children who are identified as gifted not only perform better in school, they are advantaged by their membership in privileged racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups (Ford, 2014) and are further advantaged by their access to better teachers, curriculum, and material support (Berlin, 2009; Henfield et al., 2008; Shaunessy et al., 2007). Secondly, this paper addresses the question of how these inequities continue, and proposes that the Matthew effect which so favors gifted children is covered and obscured by a counter narrative which portrays gifted children as unusually needy. Gifted child scholars and teachers mask the inequities of gifted education by systematically highlighting gifted children’s unhappiness, sensitivity, and victimization.
Flexion–extension hand torque strengths:: applications in maintenance tasks

Abstract This paper describes the results of an experiment to determine the effects of some task and handle variables on the torquing capabilities of male and female adults in simulated maintenance tasks. Twenty adults generated MVC torques on a 2 1 4 in diameter cylindrical handle with each hand, over 24 different test conditions defined by factorial combinations of four variables – handle surface, wrist action, arm position, and hand laterality. The results showed that extension torques were 1.18 as strong as flexion ones; knurled handle torques, 1.15 as strong as smooth handle ones; right-hand torques, 1.10 as strong as left hand ones; and male torques, 2.04 as strong as female ones. Interaction effects showed that the male–female difference was greater for extension torquing compared to flexion torquing, and from using the knurled handle compared with the smooth one. Also, extension–flexion difference was greater with the knurled than the smooth handle, and with the arm below the horizontal than at other positions. The separate effects of demographic and anthropometric measurements, and handgrip and pinch strengths are also discussed in this paper. Relevance to industry The results of this study enhances our understanding of torquing on large diameter cylindrical handles and provide useful data for designing tasks involving such torquing, especially in the maintenance environment.
A marker-free registration method for standing X-ray panorama reconstruction for hip-knee-ankle axis deformity assessment

Accurate measurement of knee alignment, quantified by the hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle (varus-valgus), serves as an essential biomarker in the diagnosis of various orthopaedic conditions and selection of appropriate therapies. Such angular deformities are assessed from standing X-ray panoramas. However, the limited field-of-view of traditional X-ray imaging systems necessitates the acquisition of several sector images to capture an individual's standing posture, and their subsequent 'stitching' to reconstruct a panoramic image. Such panoramas are typically constructed manually by an X-ray imaging technician, often using various external markers attached to the individual's clothing and visible in two adjacent sector images. To eliminate human error, user-induced variability, improve consistency and reproducibility, and reduce the time associated with the traditional manual 'stitching' protocol, here we propose an automatic panorama construction method that only relies on anatomical features reliably detected in the images, eliminating the need for any external markers or manual input from the technician. The method first performs a rough segmentation of the femur and the tibia, then the sector images are registered by evaluating a distance metric between the corresponding bones along their medial edge. The identified translations are then used to generate the standing panorama image. The method was evaluated on 95 patient image datasets from a database of X-ray images acquired across 10 clinical sites as part of the screening process for a multi-site clinical trial. The panorama reconstruction parameters yielded by the proposed method were compared to those used for the manual panorama construction, which served as gold-standard. The horizontal translation differences were 0:43 ± 1:95 mm 0:26 ± 1:43 mm for the femur and tibia respectively, while the vertical translation differences were 3:76 ± 22:35 mm and 1:85 ± 6:79 mm for the femur and tibia, respectively. Our results showed no statistically significant differences between the HKA angles measured using the automated vs. the manually generated panoramas, and also led to similar decisions with regards to the patient inclusion/exclusion in the clinical trial. Thus, the proposed method was shown to provide comparable performance to manual panorama construction, with increased efficiency, consistency and robustness.
Optical Conduction Resonance in Self-Assembled Metal Nanoparticle Array-Dielectric Thin Films

Optical conduction resonance- (OCR-) enhanced third-order optical nonlinearity of two dimensional (2D) periodic gold nanoparticle array-dielectric thin films has been investigated. The third-order optical susceptibility of periodic gold nanoparticle array embedded in silica thin film shows ~104 enhancement comparing to gold nanoparticle colloids. The 2D gold nanoparticle arrays were synthesized by using the electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) technique. During the fabrication process, the positively or negatively functionalized gold nanoparticles are automatically self-aligned to establish a 2D array with a very small interparticle spacing due to the polymer shell on the metal particles. Then, a monolayer of silica can be coated on the top of the 2D metal nanoparticle array. This type of 2D gold nanoparticle array-dielectric thin films has high volume fraction of gold nanoparticles. According to the extended Maxwell-Garnett theory, this kind of films can exhibit OCR. The OCR frequency can be tuned from visible to mid-infrared by controlling the gold nanoparticle volume fraction. During OCR, the real part of the composite dielectric constant is zero to make the induced electromagnetic waves in gold nanoparticles to couple effectively within the film. The open-aperture z-scan technique is used to measure the nonlinear optical properties of the ESA films.
Atolypenes, Tricyclic Bacterial Sesterterpenes Discovered Using a Multiplexed In Vitro Cas9-TAR Gene Cluster Refactoring Approach.

Most natural product biosynthetic gene clusters identified in bacterial genomic and metagenomic sequencing efforts are silent under laboratory growth conditions. Here, we describe a scalable biosynthetic gene cluster activation method wherein the gene clusters are disassembled at interoperonic regions in vitro using CRISPR/Cas9 and then reassembled with PCR-amplified, short DNAs, carrying synthetic promoters, using transformation assisted recombination (TAR) in yeast. This simple, cost-effective, and scalable method allows for the simultaneous generation of combinatorial libraries of refactored gene clusters, eliminating the need to understand the transcriptional hierarchy of the silent genes. In two test cases, this in vitro disassembly-TAR reassembly method was used to create collections of promoter-replaced gene clusters that were tested in parallel to identify versions that enabled secondary metabolite production. Activation of the atolypene (ato) gene cluster led to the characterization of two unprec...
Intuition, intelligence, data compression

The main goal of my paper is to argue that data compression is a necessary condition for intelligence. One key motivation for this proposal stems from a paradox about intuition and intelligence. For the purposes of this paper, it will be useful to consider playing board games—such as chess and Go—as a paradigm of problem solving and cognition, and computer programs as a model of human cognition. I first describe the basic components of computer programs that play board games, namely value functions and search functions. I then argue that value functions both play the same role as intuition in humans and work in essentially the same way. However, as will become apparent, using an ordinary value function is just a simpler and less accurate form of relying on a database or lookup table. This raises our paradox, since reliance on intuition is usually considered to manifest intelligence, whereas usage of a lookup table is not. I therefore introduce another condition for intelligence that is related to data compression. This proposal allows that even reliance on a perfectly accurate lookup table can be nonintelligent, while retaining the claim that reliance on intuition can be highly intelligent. My account is not just theoretically plausible, but it also captures a crucial empirical constraint. This is because all systems with limited resources that solve complex problems—and hence, all cognitive systems—need to compress data.
Quantitative MRI biomarker for treatment response assessment of multiple myeloma: robustness evaluation using independent test set of prospective cases

We are developing quantitative radiomic biomarkers for treatment response assessment of multiple myeloma (MM) in MRI. In our previous study, we have developed a 3D dynamic intensity entropy transformation (DIET) method with MRI for deriving a radiomic biomarker for differentiating responders from non-responders in treatment of MM. DIET transforms MR signal voxel by voxel to a quantitative entropy enhancement value (qEEV), from which predictor variables are extracted and combined into a qEEV-based response index (qERI) for quantitative assessment of treatment response. We developed the qERI in a previous retrospective data set of 64 MRI cases. This study evaluated the performance of the qERI-based MRI biomarker using an independent test set of 15 MRI cases collected from an ongoing prospective study, in which 10 and 5 patients were clinically diagnosed as responders and non-responders. The results showed that the agreement between the qERI prediction and the clinical outcome reached 0.80 with a kappa value of 0.57. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) achieved 0.78.