cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dicopper Alkyl Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Unexpected Persistence

Cationic μ-alkyl dicopper complexes [Cu2(μ-η1:η1-R)DPFN]NTf2 (R = CH3, CH2CH3, CH2C(CH3)3; DPFN = 2,7-bis(fluoro-di(2-pyridyl)methyl)-1,8-naphthyridine NTf2– = N(SO2CF3)2–) were synthesized by treatment of the acetonitrile-bridged dicopper complex [Cu2(μ-η1:η1-NCCH3)DPFN](NTf2)2 with LiR or MgR2. Structural characterization by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy revealed that the alkyl ligands symmetrically bridge the two copper centers, and the complexes persist in room-temperature solution. Notably, the μ-methyl complex showed less than 20% decomposition after 34 days in room-temperature THF solution. Treatment of the μ-methyl complex with acids allows installation of a range of monoanionic bridging ligands. However, surprisingly insertion into the dicopper–carbon bond was not observed upon addition of a variety of reagents, suggesting that these complexes exhibit a fundamentally new reactivity profile for alkylcopper species. Electrochemical characterization revealed oxidation–reduction events t...
Readiness for Responding to a Severe Pandemic 100 Years After 1918

The 1918 H1N1 pandemic caused an unprecedented number of deaths worldwide. The tools to deal with the global emergency were limited; there were insufficient surveillance systems and a dearth of diagnostic, treatment, and prevention options. With continuing focus on pandemic planning, technologic advances in surveillance, vaccine capabilities, and 21st century medical care and countermeasures, we are more prepared for a severe pandemic than people were 100 years ago; however, notable gaps remain.
P153 Could pbls provide with enough b cells for a successful flow crossmatch

Aim Although lymph nodes are preferred resources for isolation of lymphocytes for crossmatches, the nodes may not be available at the time of crossmatching. An unusual case led us to revisit 39 deceased donor’s crossmatch results to see if enough B cell events were acquired in flow crossmatching. Methods Cells were isolated using Density Gradient of Ficoll-Hypaque from pronase-treated PBL, and/or from lymph nodes. Flow crossmatches (FCXM) were performed on a BD FACSCalibur. In FCXM, anti-CD3 was used to mark T-cells, anti-CD19 was used to mark B-cells and goat anti-human IgG was used as a secondary antibody for detection of donor specific antibody. Results A 38 years old Caucasian female suffered a severe injury from a car accident was evaluated as the potential deceased donor for three kidney recipients. Three tubes of PBL were received for initial FCXM. The crossmatch failed due to lower B cell events ( Conclusions Our findings suggest the PBLs, as the resources of cells for crossmatch, most of the times (94%) could result in successful crossmatches.
The role of decreased cardiolipin and impaired electron transport chain in brain damage due to cardiac arrest.

Abstract Ischemic brain damage is the major cause of mortality in cardiac arrest (CA). However, the molecular mechanism responsible for brain damage is not well understood. We previously found that mitochondrial state-3 respiration, which had been decreased following CA, was recovered in the kidney and liver, but not in the brain following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) resuscitation. Examination of mitochondria from these tissues may shed light on why the brain is the most vulnerable. In this study, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to asphyxia-induced CA for 30 min or 30 min followed by 60 min CPB resuscitation. Mitochondria were then isolated from brain, heart, kidney, and liver tissues for examination using spectrophotometry and mass spectrometry to measure the activities of mitochondrial electron transport complexes and the cardiolipin content. We found significantly decreased complex I activity in mitochondria isolated from all four organs following CA, while complex III and IV activities remained intact. Following CPB resuscitation, complex I activity was normalized in kidney and liver, but unrecovered in brain and heart mitochondria. In addition, complex III activity in brain mitochondria was decreased by 22% with a concomitant decrease in cardiolipin following CPB resuscitation. These results suggest that of the tissues tested only brain mitochondria suffer reperfusion injury in addition to ischemic alterations, resulting in diminished overall mitochondrial respiration following resuscitation.
Specialized Aviation Flight Accreditation under Public Law 111-216: Aviation Program Administrators’ Perceptions

Under Public Law 111-216, program integrity and quality assurance of collegiate aviation programs were questioned (Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, 2012). The goal of this study was to update the field of specialized aviation accreditation in the new environment of the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 and outcomes-based accreditation (Aviation Accreditation Board International, 2013). This is in response to the Sherman (2006) and Prather (2007) studies on why so few of the schools offering aviation-related curricula leading to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree seek specialized accreditation. The purpose of this study was to determine if aviation administrators perceive AABI outcomes as important and how effectively their programs prepared aviation graduates with competences in the accreditation outcomes. Additionally, this study addresses the level of academic studies that program administrators feel can substitute for flight time as outlined in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Public Law 111-216. Administrators perceived AABI Core Outcomes—aircraft characteristics as well as meteorology and environmental issues—to be important and that their program was effectively teaching these competences. Administrators generally agreed that five hundred hours was an appropriate amount of time to credit a graduate of a four-year aviation program seeking a Reduced Airline Transport Pilot certificate, regardless of AABI accreditation status, which is the maximum time reduction for collegiate aviation students under the Reduced Airline Transport Pilot criteria published in 2013.
Assessing food insecurity prevalence and associated factors among college students enrolled in a university in the Southeast USA

Objective To assess rates of food insecurity (FI) among college students enrolled at a large public university system across one US state and identify factors associated with experiencing FI. Design Cross-sectional online survey administered to eligible, enrolled students (n 38 614) across three campuses within the university system, with 5593 students responding (4824 final sample after applying exclusion criteria, 12·5 % response rate). FI was assessed using the US Department of Agriculture's Adult Food Security Survey Module. Descriptive statistics were conducted to calculate FI status and identify sample characteristics. Associations between FI status and independent variables were assessed using bivariate analyses (χ2 and ANOVA tests) and multivariate logistic regression. Setting Large public university system, Southeast USA.ParticipantsEnrolled college students (excluding freshman, l18 years of age). Results Thirty-six per cent of students were classified as FI. After controlling for confounders, factors that were significantly associated with increased likelihood of FI included previous FI (Pl0·001; OR=4·78), financial factors and self-reported grade point average ≤3·85. Seniors were significantly more likely experience FI than graduate students (P=0·004, OR=1·41). A significant relationship was not identified between FI and meal plan participation, and no differences in FI were found between graduate students and individuals with sophomore or junior standing. Conclusions This research identifies high rates of FI among college students enrolled in a large public university system in the Southeast USA, as well as selected factors related to FI. Programmes to assist college students experiencing FI need to be developed and tested.
Delayed Retroperitoneal Hemorrhage as a Complication of Large-volume Paracentesis.

Large-volume paracentesis (LVP) consists of the removal of more than four liters of ascitic fluid. This procedure can cause complications such as hemorrhage, infection, bowel perforation, circulatory failure, or ascitic fluid leakage. The main presentation of paracentesis-induced hemorrhage is abdominal wall hematoma. An 81-year-old male with a past medical history of obesity and diabetes mellitus presented to our hospital with confusion, new onset black tarry stools, and foul-smelling urine. He was found to be oriented only to person and had abdominal distention with positive fluid wave sign and melanotic stools on rectal exam. Laboratory results elucidated pancytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of 43 U/L, and elevated D-dimer levels. Urinalysis was abnormal, showing >180 white blood cells (WBC) with positive leukocyte esterase and nitrites. Liver ultrasound evidenced cirrhosis. Octreotide drip, ceftriaxone, lactulose, and pantoprazole were initiated for upper gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage and cirrhosis. A computed tomography angiogram (CTA) of the chest was positive for bilateral segmental pulmonary embolism, therefore, he also started receiving heparin drip. On the fifth day of admission, an ultrasound-guided paracentesis was done, with six liters of ascitic fluid removed. On the seventh day of admission, the patient presented acute left flank pain with an associated episode of hypotension and drop in hemoglobin. A CTA of the abdomen showed left retroperitoneal hemorrhage but no signs of active bleeding. Heparin drip was discontinued, and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). The patient’s hemoglobin was stable throughout the days after ICU admission, and he did not require any more transfusions of packed red blood cells. His respiratory status was steady although heparin was discontinued due to a bleeding episode. He was discharged without anticoagulation therapy due to his high risk for rebleeding. One of the proposed mechanisms leading to variceal bleeding is the rapid decompression of splanchnic circulation due to decreased abdominal pressure. Since the source of bleeding is venous, initially, the patients can be asymptomatic. Treatment can be conservative, surgical or by means of transcatheter interventions. We would like to emphasize the need for the close monitoring of patients undergoing large-volume paracentesis, especially in the setting of anticoagulation therapy, as survival depends upon early diagnosis and treatment. It is important to mention that international normalized ratio (INR) is neither a reliable anticoagulation test nor a predictive factor of bleeding in cirrhotic patients.
Amplification of spin-transfer torque in magnetic tunnel junctions with an antiferromagnetic barrier

We theoretically study spin-transfer torques in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with an antiferromagnetic insulator (AFI) as the tunnel barrier. When a finite voltage bias is applied to the MTJ, the energy relaxation of the tunnel electrons leads to asymmetric heating of two metallic layers. Consequently, there would be a magnon current flowing across the AFI layer, resulting a magnon transfer torque in addition to the electron spin-transfer torque. Comparing to MTJs with a nonmagnetic insulator which prohibits the magnon transmission, we find the magnon transfer torque with an AFI barrier could be several times larger than the conventional spin-transfer torque of the tunnel electrons. This study presents a potential method to realize more efficient switching in MTJs and provides a motivation of experimental search for AFI-based MTJs.
New Perspectives on the Distribution and Roles of Thermophilic Fungi

Defined as fungi that grow better at 25 °C than at 45 °C, thermophilic fungi were discovered more than a century ago. Nevertheless, little is known about the natural roles and distribution of these organisms. Although common in “sun-heated soils” and other natural substrates they have most often been recovered from manmade composts, and one hypothesis suggests that they evolved as decomposers in natural compost. This hypothesis suggests that propagules found outside compost have been dispersed by wind, an idea that seems nearly impossible to reconcile with their high frequency and broad distribution. In this chapter we briefly review the biology, history, and evolution of thermophilic fungi. We also present new results from ongoing efforts to map the range of habitats from which thermophilic fungi can be obtained. We have isolated thermophilic fungi over small and large spatial scales. Our surveys have focused on soil, litter, and herbivore droppings sampled from diverse ecosystems (deserts, grasslands, and forests) across eight western states, Mexico and Canada—from southern deserts to alpine ecosystems in Colorado and Montana. Our results show that thermophiles can be isolated readily from all of these substrates at nearly every latitude and elevation. We observed that the success of recovering thermophilic fungi from soil decreases with increasing latitude. During this survey, we also discovered that several species of thermophilic fungi can survive storage in soil samples for several years at −80 °C.
Eliciting Students’ Voices Through STEM Career Explorations

This multiple case study elicited the voices of four 8th grade students, from a rural, low-income school district, who participated in STEM career explorations during their science class. Based on students’ written reflections during career explorations, interviews, and from field notes, we analyzed the ways students talked about their lives and experiences as they explored STEM-related careers, reflected upon the influences in their lives, and considered their futures. Students drew upon their interests and dispositions, primarily through home-based experiences, and often in spite of negative messages at school. Students aspired to live and work in their rural community, make their families proud, and sought financial stability in a career they would enjoy. Findings highlight the importance of out of school learning for these students, the important role of their families, and the prevalence of negative and racialized school experiences that often undermined students’ potential. In many ways, students held perceptions reflective of racial and gender stereotypes about who is successful in STEM, which influenced their aspirations. This study provides examples of how constructs from the expectancy-value theory are operationalized—particularly with regard to cultural and social experiences—through the voices of these rural students. The findings from this study lead to a number of recommendations related to university outreach efforts into rural communities, culturally relevant teacher professional development and pre-service teacher preparation, and dissemination to support others and draw insight from underserved students’ lives when undertaking steps to promote their futures.
Combined Posterior-Anterior Interbody Fusion in the Management of Traumatic Lumbosacral Dissociation: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Traumatic lumbosacral dissociation is a unique, but well-documented, phenomenon that generally stems from high-energy impact injuries to the lower lumbar spine. Patients typically present with complicated and multisystem injuries with wide-ranging neurological deficits below the level of trauma. This presents stark challenges regarding the diagnosis, management, and surgical correction technique utilized. In this study, we present the case of a 21-year-old, morbidly obese, male patient that presented after a traumatic motor vehicle accident with L5-S1 lumbosacroiliac dissociation, cauda equina syndrome, and left lower extremity monoplegia. The degree of disruption warranted a 360° approach, we opted for an anterior lumbar interbody fusion followed by a posterior, lumbar interbody, short segment fusion. We review the case and relevant literature of similar lumbosacral dissociation studies with their management options and outcomes. Due to the rare nature of these devastating injuries, there remains wide variability in their management, with a combination of open anterior and posterior approaches resulting in variable long-term outcomes. The management of these rare injuries will require appropriate consideration of the patient's unique etiology, coexisting injuries, and radiological imaging in deciding surgical stabilization techniques.
Proportion and Associated Factors of Meeting the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans in Adults with or at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis

Summary Objectives Evaluate the prevalence of meeting the updated 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (150 unbouted minutes in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity [MVPA]) and determine cross-sectional factors associated with Guideline attainment in a community-based cohort of adults with or at elevated risk for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Physical activity was monitored for 1 week in a subset of Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) participants with or at increased risk for knee OA. Accelerometer-measured weekly MVPA minutes were calculated; sociodemographic (age, sex, race, education, and working status) and health-related (body mass index [BMI], comorbidity, depressive symptoms, radiographic knee OA, and frequent knee symptoms) factors were assessed. We evaluated the prevalence of meeting 2018 Guidelines and used multivariate partial proportional odds model to identify factors associated with Guideline attainment, controlling for other factors in the model. Results Among 1922 participants (age 65.1 [standard deviation 9.1] years, BMI 28.4 [4.8] kg/m2, 55.2% women), 44.1% men and 22.2% women met the 2018 PA Guidelines. Adjusted cross-sectional factors associated with not-meeting 2018 Guidelines were: women, older age, higher BMI, non-Whites, depressive symptoms, not working, and frequent knee symptoms. Conclusion In community-recruited adults with or at high risk for knee OA, more than 50% of men and nearly 80% of women failed to achieve the 2018 recommended level of at least 150 weekly unbouted minutes of MVPA. Study findings support gender and racial disparity in Guideline attainment and suggest addressing potentially modifiable factors (e.g., BMI, depressive symptoms, and frequent knee symptoms) to optimize benefits in PA-promoting interventions.
Surgeon Perspectives on Benefits and Downsides of Overlapping Surgery: In-depth, Qualitative Interviews

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to characterize surgeon perspectives regarding the benefits and downsides of conducting overlapping surgery. BACKGROUND Although surgeons are key stakeholders in current discussions surrounding overlapping surgery, little has been published regarding their opinions on the practice. Further characterization of surgeon perspectives is needed to guide future studies and policy development regarding overlapping surgery. METHODS Study information was sent to all members of 3 professional surgical societies. Interested individuals were eligible to participate if they identified as attending surgeons in an academic setting who work with trainees. Purposive selection was used to diversify surgeons interviewed across multiple dimensions, including subspecialty and opinion regarding appropriateness of overlapping surgery. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with participants regarding their opinions on overlapping surgery. RESULTS The 51 surgeons interviewed identified a wide array of potential benefits and disadvantages of overlapping surgery, some of which have not previously been measured, including downsides to surgeon wellness and patient experience, less surgeon control over procedures, and difficulty in scheduling cases. Interviewees often disagreed as to whether overlapping surgery negatively or positively affects each dimension discussed, particularly regarding the impact on resident training. CONCLUSIONS The utilization of the novel perspectives presented here will allow for targeted assessment of physician perspectives in future quantitative studies and increase the likelihood that variables measured encompass the range of factors that surgeons find meaningful and relevant. Priority areas of future research should include examining effects of overlapping surgery on surgical training and surgeon wellness.
Low-Clock-Power Digital Standard Cell IPs for High-Performance Graphics/AI Processors in 10nm CMOS

Low-clock-power digital standard cell IPs in 10nm CMOS, featuring low-power shared-clock (LPSC) flip-flops (FFs), LPSC back-to-back (B2B) FFs, and pass-gate (PG) integrated clock gates (ICGs), achieve up to 14%, 45%, and 14% measured clock energy improvements, respectively, by reducing the number of clocked devices over state-of-the-art conventional transmission-gate (TG) FF and AND ICG circuits. The LPSC FF achieves a mean worst-case black-hole-time (BHT) improvement of 17ps, while the PG ICG achieves a mean enable/disable setup time improvement of 16ps/15ps, compared to conventional circuits measured at 650mV, 25°C. Power analysis of a graphics processor block with these optimized IPs results in an overall 6% clock power reduction without frequency impact.
Meeting the Challenge of COVID-19: The Response of Two Ethics Consultation Services in New York City

From mid-March through May 2020, New York City was the world's epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its hospitals faced an unparalleled surge of patients who were critically ill with the virus. In addition to putting an enormous strain on medical resources, the pandemic presented many ethical issues to emotionally and physically stressed clinicians and hospital administrators. Analyses of the challenges faced by the ethics consultation services of the two campuses of New York Presbyterian Hospital, and how they assisted their clinician and administrative colleagues, is the subject of the following four articles.
Regulating Bitcoin and Block Chain Derivatives

Bitcoins are scarce digital commodities that enable parties to transmit messages over a network that serves as a universal public ledger. Bitcoins fall within the definition of “commodity” under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) such that derivatives contracts that reference bitcoins are subject to regulation by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Like other derivatives, Bitcoin derivatives would likely not be subject to the full scope of regulation under the CEA to the extent such derivatives involve physical delivery (as opposed to cash settlement) or are nonfungible and not independently traded. In addition, Bitcoin swaps are currently too illiquid to be subject to mandatory clearing. A growing number of firms are offering Bitcoin derivatives, most of which are for retail traders. In addition to traditional derivatives that reference bitcoins, the Bitcoin (block chain) protocol can potentially enable automated derivatives contracts that securely trade, clear, and settle without the use of trusted intermediaries. The CFTC should consider an exemption for block chain derivatives that meet its policy objectives as a result of the rules that the underlying code applies to the transactions.
The Emerging Role of LHb CaMKII in the Comorbidity of Depressive and Alcohol Use Disorders

Depressive disorders and alcohol use disorders are widespread among the general population and are significant public health and economic burdens. Alcohol use disorders often co-occur with other psychiatric conditions and this dual diagnosis is called comorbidity. Depressive disorders invariably contribute to the development and worsening of alcohol use disorders, and vice versa. The mechanisms underlying these disorders and their comorbidities remain unclear. Recently, interest in the lateral habenula, a small epithalamic brain structure, has increased because it becomes hyperactive in depression and alcohol use disorders, and can inhibit dopamine and serotonin neurons in the midbrain reward center, the hypofunction of which is believed to be a critical contributor to the etiology of depressive disorders and alcohol use disorders as well as their comorbidities. Additionally, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in the lateral habenula has emerged as a critical player in the etiology of these comorbidities. This review analyzes the interplay of CaMKII signaling in the lateral habenula associated with depressive disorders and alcohol use disorders, in addition to the often-comorbid nature of these disorders. Although most of the CaMKII signaling pathway's core components have been discovered, much remains to be learned about the biochemical events that propagate and link between depression and alcohol abuse. As the field rapidly advances, it is expected that further understanding of the pathology involved will allow for targeted treatments.
Self-optimizing, highly surface-active layered metal dichalcogenide catalysts for hydrogen evolution

Low-cost, layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (MX_2) based on molybdenum and tungsten have attracted substantial interest as alternative catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). These materials have high intrinsic per-site HER activity; however, a significant challenge is the limited density of active sites, which are concentrated at the layer edges. Here we unravel electronic factors underlying catalytic activity on MX_2 surfaces, and leverage the understanding to report group-5 MX_2 (H-TaS_2 and H-NbS_2) electrocatalysts whose performance instead mainly derives from highly active basal-plane sites, as suggested by our first-principles calculations and performance comparisons with edge-active counterparts. Beyond high catalytic activity, they are found to exhibit an unusual ability to optimize their morphology for enhanced charge transfer and accessibility of active sites as the HER proceeds, offering a practical advantage for scalable processing. The catalysts reach 10 mA cm^(−2) current density at an overpotential of ∼50–60 mV with a loading of 10–55 μg cm^(−2), surpassing other reported MX2 candidates without any performance-enhancing additives.
Automated assessment of speech production and prediction of MCI in older adults.

The population of older adults is growing dramatically and, with it comes increased prevalence of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Though existing cognitive screening tes...
Brief of Amicus Curiae Adam J. MacLeod in Support of Petitioner, No. CV-18-0176-PR, Arizona Supreme Court

Every person has the ancient and fundamental right to equal treatment under the law. And every person has the ancient and fundamental right not to communicate a message they think is false. These rights are central to our legal and constitutional heritage. Far from competing with each other, they are mutually-reinforcing structural elements of American ordered liberty. The lesson of Masterpiece Cakeshop and Ashers Baking is that the common-law doctrine of public accommodations which the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed in Bell and Hurley remains the preferred means to avoid constitutional conflict between religion and expression liberties on one hand and rights of equal protection on the other. When a proprietor declines to provide a service, which would communicate a message that she wishes not to communicate, the reason for her declining—the reason because of which she declines in the language of public accommodation laws—is the message, not necessarily the person requesting the service. The qualified duty of proprietors not to discriminate in places of public accommodation is a duty not to discriminate intentionally, for an unlawful reason. It is a duty not to decline service because of a person’s status in a protected class. It is not a duty to prevent all undesirable consequence of one’s business decisions.
Optical and electrochemical sol-gel sensors for inorganic species

The use of sol-gels as a sensing matrix for the development of unique sensing strategies is discussed.Sol-gels offer almost limitless possibilities for sensing substrates due to the variety of physical properties that can be obtained by altering a number of discussed fabrication conditions and techniques.By careful consideration of the sensing requirements,novel detection methods have been developed for a variety of analytes and applications.Here,sol-gels have been used to monitor pH at the extreme ends of the scale([H+] = 1―11 M and [OH-] = 1―10 M) and in mixed solvent/solute systems using dual sensing approaches.The use of ligand-grafted sol-gel monoliths for optical determination of metal ion species is also discussed.The electrochemical determination of Cr(Ⅵ) by electrodeposited sol-gel modified electrodes is also presented.
Developmental Manipulations of Female Social Feedback Reveal Nonimitative Mechanisms of Vocal Learning in Songbirds

Learning of song in birds provides a powerful model for human speech development. However, the degree to which songbirds and humans share social mechanisms of vocal learning is unknown. Although it has been demonstrated as a vocal learning mechanism in human infants, learning via active social feedback is considered rare and atypical among non-human animals. We report here the first evidence that song learning in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), the most common model species of vocal learning and development, utilizes socially guided vocal learning. We demonstrate experimentally that the songs of juvenile zebra finches are guided towards mature vocal forms by real-time visual feedback from adult females that is contingent on their early, immature vocalizations. Using a video playback paradigm, we found that juvenile birds that received non-vocal female feedback contingently on their immature song learned significantly better and more accurate song than did yoked controls that received identical but non-contingent feedback. Both contingent and non-contingent groups sang at similar rates. Thus we have provided the first evidence suggesting that non-imitative social learning is a crucial, potentially widespread mechanism of vocal development, and have established a foundational parallel between humans and our most ubiquitous animal model of vocal learning – the crucial role of social feedback to immature vocalizations in the development of communication.
Transcriptome and chromatin landscape changes associated with trastuzumab resistance in HER2+ breast cancer cells.

Abstract We set out to uncover transcriptome and chromatin landscape changes that occur in HER2 + breast cancer (BC) cells upon acquiring resistance to trastuzumab. RNA-seq analysis was applied to two independently-derived BC cell lines with acquired resistance to trastuzumab (SKBr3.HerR and BT-474HerR) and their parental drug-sensitive cell lines (SKBr3 and BT-474). Chromatin landscape analysis indicated that the most significant increase in accessibility in resistant cells occurs in PPP1R1B within a segment spanning introns 1b through intron 3. Footprint analysis of this segment revealed that FoxJ3 (within intron 2) and Pou5A1/Sox2 (within inton 3) transcription factor motifs are protected in resistant cells. Overall, 344 shared genes were upregulated in both resistant cell lines relative to their parental counterparts and 453 shared genes were downregulated in both resistant cell lines relative to their parental counterparts. In resistant cells, genes associated with autophagy and mitochondria organization are upregulated and genes associated with ribosome assembly and cell cycle are downregulated relative to parental cells. The five top upregulated genes in drug-resistant breast cancer cells are APOD, AZGP1, ETV5, ALPP, and PPP1R1B. This is the first report of increased chromatin accessibility within PPP1R1B associated with its t-Darpp transcript increase, and points to a possible mechanism for its activation in trastuzumab-resistant cells.
QTL x environment modeling of malting barley preharvest sprouting.

KEY MESSAGE HvMKK3 alleles are temperature sensitive and are major contributors to environmental stability of preharvest sprouting in barley. Preharvest sprouting (PHS) can severely damage barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) malting quality, but PHS resistance is often negatively correlated with malting quality. Seed dormancy is closely related to PHS. Increased temperature during grain fill can decrease seed dormancy in barley, but genetic components of seed dormancy temperature sensitivity are poorly understood. Six years of PHS data were used to fit quantitative trait locus (QTL) x environment mixed models incorporating marker data from seed dormancy genes HvAlaAT1, HvGA20ox1, and HvMKK3 and weather covariates in spring and winter two-row malting barley. Variation in winter barley PHS was best modeled by average temperature range during grain fill and spring barley PHS by total precipitation during grain fill. Average high temperature during grain fill also accurately modeled PHS for both datasets. A highly non-dormant HvMKK3 allele determined baseline PHS susceptibility and HvAlaAT1 interactions with multiple HvMKK3 alleles conferred environmental sensitivity. Polygenic variation for PHS within haplotype was detected. Residual genotype and QTL by environment interaction variance indicated additional environmental and genetic factors involved in PHS. These models provide insight into genotype and environmental regulation of barley seed dormancy, a method for PHS forecasting, and a tool for breeders to improve PHS resistance.
SU-E-T-704: Skin Dose in Proton Pencil Beam Scanning for Pediatric Patients

Purpose: Optimize intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) treatment planning guidelines with regard to skin dose reduction in pediatric patients. Methods: Phantom and patient CTs were used to evaluate skin dose using a pre-clinical proton beam modeled using Monte Carlo (TOPAS) in a commercial radiotherapy planning system (RTP). Single-spot and single-beam doses were analyzed in phantom environment. Fractional surface dose was evaluated vs. spot spacing and maximum range for beams optimized for increasingly deep targets. Both RTP automatic variable spacing (0.5xσprojected) and constant spacing (0.2–1.2cm) were evaluated. 3 spine IMPT plans were obtained with/without objectives for skin dose, with automatic and constant spot spacing. Dosimetric parameters and spot weight/energy statistics were evaluated. Results: Single-spot primary fluence depletion raises the spot axial relative skin dose above Bragg peak dose for E0>139MeV. Dose heterogeneity and maximum skin dose increases with maximum beam energy and spot spacing non-linearly. Exponential fitting of maximum skin-to-target dose ratio against spot spacing suggested an optimum constant spacing <3mm for minimizing skin dose. Automatic spacing did not produce optimal results for deep tumors. For patient plans, heterogeneous and high skin dose were observed where >50% MU weight was carried by spots with energy >135MeV, and had spots >155MeV. Introducing skin optimization objectives/constraints, decreased high energy spots weights, while that for >135MeV spots increased. Hence, skin D50 increased with skin-optimized plans, while coverage remained constant. Average dose, D1 and D0.1cc decreased compared to plans without skin objectives. Constant spacing did not produce superior skin dose distributions without skin optimization objectives. Conclusion: IMPT inverse planning can produce high skin doses with heterogeneous distributions, effects that can be mitigated via optimization. Careful coordination between RTP techniques and accurate skin dosimetric parameters will allow minimization of clinical skin effects and establishment of threshold doses for acute/late effects in pediatric population treated with IMPT.
Palsgraf, Principles of Tort Law, and the Persistent Need for Common-Law Judgment, Perhaps Even on IP Infringement

This short paper explains how two time-honored principles of tort law - proximate cause and culpability - might clarify and rationalize the law of secondary liability for intellectual-property (IP) infringement. It begins by analyzing how Judge Cardozo’s classic opinion in Palsgraf used these principles to chart an intermediate course between intentional and strict liability. It then seeks to apply the same approach to IP cases, in which direct liability is strict, but secondary liability involves culpability. Using the recent cases of Tiffany v. eBay and Perfect 10 v. VISA as examples, it analyzes how these principles might apply, respectively, to an on-line auctioneer’s secondary liability for third parties’ sales of counterfeits and a credit-card service’s secondary liability for Internet sales of infringing images. In the process, it suggests that reverting to tort-law basics could simplify and shorten both analyses and judicial opinions in IP cases and perhaps produce more sensible results, in part by introducing economic principles like the least-cost avoider. It concludes with some observations about the recent progress in federal-common-law analysis of other IP issues and its potential to revivify an increasingly rigid and formalistic approach to fields of law outside IP.
Baculovirus expression of the nucleoprotein gene of measles virus and utility of the recombinant protein in diagnostic enzyme immunoassays.

A recombinant baculovirus that expresses the nucleoprotein gene of measles virus (Edmonston vaccine strain) under the transcriptional control of the polyhedrin promoter was generated. The expressed protein (B-MVN) comigrated with the authentic viral nucleoprotein as observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and it was phosphorylated. The B-MVN protein proved to be reactive with monoclonal antibodies in radioimmunoprecipitations, and it was immunogenic, eliciting in mice antisera that recognized the native nucleoprotein. In addition, the B-MVN protein was evaluated as a replacement source of antigen for whole virus in enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for detection of measles virus-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies. A capture IgM EIA with the B-MVN protein as antigen detected specific IgM antibodies in 18 (72%) acute- and all convalescent-phase specimens from 25 clinical measles cases and exceeded 99% specificity with 120 control specimens. An indirect IgG EIA with the B-MVN protein detected specific IgG antibodies in 129 of 131 (98%) serum specimens with antibodies to measles virus, and results obtained from testing 268 additional serum specimens were better correlated with measles virus-neutralizing antibodies than those obtained with a commercial EIA. Images
Price stabilization and impacts of trade liberalization in the Southeast Asian rice market

Abstract A global rice model using a partial equilibrium framework is used to investigate the impact of trade liberalization in major rice trading countries of Southeast Asia, focusing on the price stabilization mechanism that has long been adopted by governments in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The simulation results suggest that the removal of state trading enterprises in these three countries would lower their domestic prices by as much as 34% but increase the world prices by about 20%. When free trade liberalization is realized in 2020, domestic prices decline further in Indonesia and the Philippines, leading to an increase in their imports, which are estimated to be as much as 4.5 million tons. The impact on domestic prices, however, is absorbed nearly evenly among Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Emotional States of Love Moderate the Association Between Catecholamines and Female Sexual Responses in the Laboratory

ABSTRACT Introduction Research suggests that there are three interrelated, yet distinct, emotion motivation brain systems for human love (lust, romantic love, and attachment), each associated with a unique catecholaminergic and hormonal profile. Of interest for the current study are norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA), which have a hypothesized connection with romantic love. As NE and DA are also known to facilitate sexual arousal, it is plausible that NE and DA may have a greater positive association with the sexual arousal responses of women in romantic love compared with women in lust. Aim This study investigated if the effects of NE and DA activity on sexual arousal responses would differ depending on emotion motivation state (Lust or Romantic). Main Outcome Measures Physiological sexual arousal was assessed by photoplethysmography and subjective sexual arousal was assessed with a participant controlled lever. Methods Seventeen women were included in the Lust group and 29 in the Romantic group. All participants provided a urine sample (to assess NE and DA) and completed a psychophysiological assessment. Results Elevated NE was positively and significantly associated with greater subjective and physiological sexual arousal for the Lust group, but not for the Romantic group. Similarly, elevated DA was positively and significantly associated with greater subjective sexual arousal for the Lust group, but not for the Romantic group. Conclusions The sexual arousal responses of women in the Lust group, but not in the Romantic group, were positively and significantly associated with elevated NE and DA. It is feasible that, when women are seeking a partner (Lust), NE and DA may facilitate attention toward sexually relevant stimuli. Dundon CM and Rellini AH. Emotional states of love moderate the association between catecholamines and female sexual responses in the laboratory. J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
Constraint allocation in analog system synthesis

In this paper we present a technique for constraint allocation in analog system synthesis. Constraint allocation is the process of assigning constraint budgets to the subsystems so that the user asserted system level constraints are satisfied. Our approach is based on the formulation of the constraint allocation problem as a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) and solving it. The solution method employed uses interval techniques to check for the satisfiability of the CSP. The generation of the exact set of solutions is done by an interval reduction and instantiation mechanism. We also discuss the constraint allocation mechanism in the context of a mixed-signal synthesis system. Finally, we present a design example to validate the constraint allocation technique.
Response of the nitrogen-fixing lichen Lobaria pulmonaria to phosphorus, molybdenum, and vanadium

Nitrogen-fixing lichens (cyanolichens) are an important source of nitrogen (N) in Pacific Northwest forests, but limitation of lichen growth by elements essential for N fixation is poorly understood. To investigate how nutrient limitation may affect cyanolichen growth rates, we fertilized a tripartite cyanobacterial lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria) and a green algal non-nitrogen fixing lichen (Usnea longissima) with the micronutrients molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V), both known cofactors for enzymes involved in N fixation, and the macronutrient phosphorus (P). We then grew treated lichens in the field for one year in western Oregon, USA. Lichen growth was very rapid for both species and did not differ across treatments, despite a previous demonstration of P-limitation in L. pulmonaria at a nearby location. To reconcile these disparate findings, we analyzed P, Mo, and V concentrations, natural abundance δ15N isotopes, %N and change in thallus N in Lobaria pulmonaria from both growth experiments. Nitrogen levels in deposition and in lichens could not explain the large difference in growth or P limitation observed between the two studies. Instead, we provide evidence that local differences in P availability may have caused site-specific responses of Lobaria to P fertilization. In the previous experiment, Lobaria had low background levels of P, and treatment with P more than doubled growth. In contrast, Lobaria from the current experiment had much higher background P concentrations, similar to P-treated lichens in the previous experiment, consistent with the idea that ambient variation in P availability influences the degree of P limitation in cyanolichens. We conclude that insufficient P, Mo, and V did not limit the growth of either cyanolichens or chlorolichens at the site of the current experiment. Our findings point to the need to understand landscape-scale variation in P availability to cyanolichens, and its effect on spatial patterns of cyanolichen nutrient limitation and N fixation.
Developmental plasticity in Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): analysis of instar variation in number and development time under different diets

The variation in instar number and the pattern of sequential instar development time of Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) was studied under 4 different diet regimes. Addition of dietary supplements consisting of dry potato or a mix of dry potato and dry egg whites significantly reduced the number of larval instars and total development time. The pattern of sequential stadia length showed regularity and low variability in instars 5 - 9. Stadia length continuously increased between instar 10 and the last instar before pupation (P−1). Instar number significantly impacted total development time and was also significantly correlated with stadia length. The length of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stadia was not significantly affected by diet indicating that they may represent a stable part of the life cycle of T. molitor. The length of the last stadium (P−1) was regular within food treatments regardless of sequential instar number, but P−1 was also significantly affected by nutrition in a similar way...
Sea-level oscillations during the last interglacial highstand recorded by Bahamas corals

Whether sea level was stable during the last interglacial remains a subject of debate. An analysis of the U–Th ages of coral reefs in the Bahamas, corrected for open-system behaviour, confirms the presence of at least one oscillation within the sea-level highstand.
Innovative Techniques in Pediatric Deformity: Use of Temporary Internal Distraction and the Sacral Alar Iliac Technique in the Pediatric Population

Indications for, and clinical results of, temporary internal distraction for large rigid spinal deformity curves are reviewed. Use of this technique in 20 patients resulted in 54% initial correction and 79% final correction. One-third of the patients had temporary neuromonitoring changes. Use of low profile pelvic fixation with sacral alar-iliac screws from the sacral ala is described in 88 neuromuscular and syndromic patients. Pelvic obliquity was corrected to a mean of 5°. Eight of 176 screws showed lucency of >2 mm. Breakage did not occur in screws >8 mm. These techniques can aid in correction of severe deformity in children and adolescents.