cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Innate CD8αα+ lymphocytes enhance anti-CD40 antibody-mediated colitis in mice.

Introduction Immune responses in the intestines require tight regulation to avoid uncontrolled inflammation. We previously described an innate lymphocyte population in the intestinal epithelium (referred to as innate CD8αα+, or iCD8α cells) that can protect against gastrointestinal infections such as those mediated by Citrobacter rodentium. Methods Here, we have evaluated the potential contribution of these cells to intestinal inflammation by analyzing inflammation development in mice with decreased numbers of iCD8α cells. We also determined the potential of iCD8α cells to secrete granzymes and their potential role during inflammatory processes. Results We found that iCD8α cells play a pro-inflammatory role in the development of disease in a colitis model induced by anti-CD40 antibodies. We further found that the effects of iCD8α cells correlated with their capacity to secrete granzymes. We also observed that the pro-inflammatory properties of iCD8α cells were controlled by interactions of CD8αα homodimers on these cells with the thymus leukemia antigen expressed by intestinal epithelial cells. Conclusions Our findings suggest that iCD8α cells modulate inflammatory responses in the intestinal epithelium, and that dysregulation of iCD8α cells effector functions may enhance disease. We propose that one of the mechanism by which iCD8α cells enhance inflammation is by the secretion of granzymes, which may promote recruitment of infiltrating cells into the epithelium.
Phase I study of ursodeoxycholic acid in combination with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer.

e14182 Background: Significant treatment advances have doubled the median survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). An emerging body of literature links cancer with aberrant me...
Abstract 182: Heart Transplantation Patients in the Medicare Population: Outcomes, Costs and Readmission Rates

Objective: The average age of heart transplant recipients in the United States has been increasing over the past decade. The effect of age on outcomes following heart transplantation, including cost and readmission has yet to be thoroughly evaluated. Methods: All Medicare fee-for-service patients undergoing heart transplantation between 2008 and 2013 were included in the study. Denominator files were used to collect patient demographics and mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and Cox Proportional Hazards models were used for overall survival analysis. Results: A total of 4431 heart transplant patients were included in this study. Patients were broken down into categories of age 70. Patients >70 were more likely to be male, white and have CAD and ischemic cardiomyopathy than patients 70, 4% of patients 60-69, and 3% of patients 70 (5%) and patients Conclusions: Among Medicare patients undergoing heart transplantation, those over the age of 70 had no difference in terms of survival and cost utilization compared to younger patients. Heart transplantation programs are doing a good job of selecting older patients in order to maintain these outcomes. Age was associated with increased use of ECMO, and ECMO adversely affected long-term survival.
Transport of Deuterium in Nb—1 wt% Zr

The diffusion coefficients of D2 in Nb--1 wt% Zr were determined in the range from 923 to 1148 K. A hollow-cylinder model, used as the frame of reference, adequately described the transport of D/sub 2/ through the alloy containing oxygen impurities. The diffusion coefficient is temperature dependent and is best described by D(m/sup 2//s) = 8.5 +- 7 x 10/sup -8/ exp (-48.2 +- 6.7 x 10/sup 3//RT).
On SLOVĚNE and the History of Slavic Patrials

Uncovering the origin of SLOVĚNE, the Late Common Slavic self-designation of the Slavs, has for a long time seemed a pretty hopeless business. But so far no attempt has been made to reconstruct the...
The Clinical Quality Fellowship Program: Developing Clinical Quality Leadership in the Greater New York Region:

The Institute of Medicine has noted that a key factor underlying patient safety problems in the United States is a paucity of quality and safety training programs for clinicians. The Greater New York Hospital Association and United Hospital Fund created the Clinical Quality Fellowship Program (CQFP) to develop quality improvement leaders in the New York region. The goals of this article are to describe the CQFP's structure and curriculum, program participants' perceived value, improvement projects, and career paths. Eighty-seven participants completed the CQFP from 2010 to 2014. Among program participants completing self-assessment evaluations, significant improvements were observed across all quality improvement skill areas. Capstone project categories included inpatient efficiency, transitional care, and hospital infection. Fifty-six percent of participants obtained promotions following program completion. A training program emphasizing diverse curricular elements, varied learning approaches, and applied improvement projects increased participants' self-perceived skills, generated diverse improvement initiatives, and was associated with career advancement.
Micropapillary and/or Solid Histologic Subtype Based on Pre-Treatment Biopsy Predicts Local Recurrence After Thermal Ablation of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

To investigate whether histologic subtyping from biopsies can predict local recurrence after thermal ablation for lung adenocarcinoma. Patients treated with CT-guided thermal ablation for lung adenocarcinoma that had pre-ablation needle biopsy with analysis of histologic components were identified. Age, gender, smoking status, treatment indication (primary stage 1 tumor versus salvage), histologic subtype, ground-glass radiographic appearance, tumor size, ablation modality, and ablation margin were evaluated in relation to time to local recurrence (TTLR). Cumulative incidence of recurrence (CIR) was calculated using competing risks analysis and compared across groups using Fine and Grey method with clustering. Multivariate analysis was conducted with stepwise regression. There were 53 patients with 57 tumors diagnosed as adenocarcinoma on pre-ablation biopsy and with histologic subtype analysis. Of these, 19% (11) had micropapillary components, 14% (8) had solid components, and 26% (15) had micropapillary and/or solid components. In the univariate analysis, solid (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] = 4.04, p = 0.0051, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52–10.7), micropapillary (SHR = 3.36, p = 0.01, CI = 1.33–8.47), and micropapillary and/or solid components (SHR = 5.85, p = 0.00038, CI = 2.21–15.5) were significantly correlated with shorter TTLR. On multivariate analysis, the presence of micropapillary and/or solid component (SHR = 11.4, p = 0.00021, CI: 3.14–41.3) was the only independent predictor of TTLR. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year CIR in patients with micropapillary and/or solid components was 33, 49, and 66% compared to 5, 14, and 18% in patients with no micropapillary or solid components on biopsy specimens. Micropapillary and/or solid histologic components identified in pre-ablation biopsy are associated with shorter TTLR after thermal ablation of lung adenocarcinoma.
Humanistic antidotes for a narcissistic social media addicted society

ABSTRACTThis article describes ‘humanistic antidotes’ to offset the widespread narcissism and social media addiction prevalent in current US society. The dominant focus of this article is in humanistic education, in which the author’s efforts at getting psychology college students to put away their cell phones, ‘talk with each other’, and gain awareness of the detrimental effects of social media addiction and narcissism are illustrated. In addition, the author’s facilitation of a creative artists’ support group is briefly described as another illustration of humanistic antidotes to the widespread narcissism and social media addiction in US society. The methodology utilized is based upon autoethnographic research, where relevant experiences of the researcher are considered to be an informative and fundamental part of the research. The author describes in narrative form his relevant experiences in formulating humanistic antidotes to the excessive and inappropriate use of social media he encountered in his c...
Endoscopic Endonasal Transclival Approach for Resection of a Pontine Glioma: Surgical Planning, Surgical Anatomy, and Technique

Background The endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) has been proposed as a potential alternative for ventral brainstem lesions. The surgical anatomy, feasibility, and limitations of the EEA for intrinsic brainstem lesions are still poorly understood. Objective To describe the surgical planning, anatomy, and technique of an intrinsic pontine glioma operated via EEA. Methods Six-human brainstems were prepared for white matter microdissection. Ten healthy subjects were studied with high-definition fiber tractography (HDFT). A 56-yr-old female with right-hemiparesis underwent EEA for an exophytic pontine glioma. Pre- and postoperative HDFTs were implemented. Results The corticospinal tracts (CSTs) are the most eloquent fibers in the ventral brainstem. At the pons, CSTs run between the pontine nuclei and the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP). At the lower medulla, the pyramidal decussation leaves no room for safe ventral access. In our illustrative case, preoperative HDFT showed left-CST displaced posteromedially and partially disrupted, right-CST posteriorly displaced, and MCP severely disrupted. A transclival exposure was performed achieving a complete resection of the exophytic component with residual intra-axial tumor. Immediately postop, patient developed new left-side abducens nerve palsy and worse right-hemiparesis. Ten days postop, her strength returned to baseline. HDFT showed preservation and trajectory restoration of the CSTs. Conclusion The EEA provides direct access to the ventral brainstem, overcoming the limitations of lateral approaches. For intrinsic pathology, HDFT helps choosing the most appropriate surgical route/boundaries for safer resection. Further experience is needed to determine the indications and limitations of this approach that should be performed by neurosurgeons with high-level expertise in EEA.
Deep-neural-network-based wavelength selection and switching in ROADM systems

Recent advances in software and hardware greatly improve the multi-layer control and management of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) systems facilitating wavelength switching. However, ensuring stable performance and reliable quality of transmission (QoT) remain difficult problems for dynamic operation. Optical power dynamics that arise from a variety of physical effects in the amplifiers and transmission fiber complicate the control and performance predictions in these systems.We present a deep-neural-network-based machine learning method to predict the power dynamics of a 90-channel ROADM system from data collection and training. We further show that the trained deep neural network can recommend wavelength assignments for wavelength switching with minimal power excursions.
Cardiac ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels and Associated Channelopathies

ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels integrate cellular energy signals with membrane electrical activity. Heteromultimers of KCNJ11-encoded inwardly rectifying potassium Kir6.2 channels and ABCC9-encoded ATP-binding cassette SUR2A proteins, sarcolemmal KATP channels are vital in heart energy homeostasis. Knockout of the Kir6.2 pore compromises cardioprotection afforded by ischemic preconditioning, impairs tolerance to sympathetic surge, and aggravates the impact of endurance challenge or hemodynamic load precipitating heart failure under stress. In human cardiovascular medicine, mutations in the regulatory SUR2A subunit have been linked to KATP channelopathy-associated electrical and cardiomyopathic disorders, including syndromes of adrenergic atrial fibrillation and dilated cardiomyopathy with tachycardia. In clinical heart failure, a common polymorphism in the Kir6.2 subunit has been identified as a biomarker for impaired performance in stress-test. The Kir6.2 K23 allele, present in over half the population, has been further pinpointed as a risk factor for susceptibility to maladaptive cardiac remodeling in hypertension. Cardiovascular disorders associated with genetic variation in KATP channel genes also include myocardial infarction and ventricular fibrillation. Thus, advances in molecular medicine have enabled a growing understanding of KATP channel function in health and disease, underscoring the impact on individual and public cardiovascular wellness.
Zusammenfassung, Abgrenzung und Ausblick

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde ein neuartiges Synchronisationsverfahren fur Datenbanksysteme vorgeschlagen, das den besonderen Anforderungen von Nicht-Standard-Anwendungen Rechnung tragt. Dieses Synchronisationsverfahren stellt eine Weiterentwicklung des traditionellen DAG-Sperrverfahrens dar. Das vorgeschlagene Verfahren basiert auf der Verwendung von angepasten Sperrgranulaten innerhalb komplexer Objekte. Aus Anfragen wird jeweils durch eine semantische Analyse mit Hilfe bestimmter Regeln (Heuristiken) und Strukturinformationen automatisch abgeleitet, welche Granulate in welchem Modus gesperrt werden sollten, um den grostmoglichen Durchsatz bei akzeptablem Aufwand zu erreichen. Dabei werden viele Sperreskalationen vorweggenommen. Die “optimalen” Sperranforderungen werden in sogenannten anfragespezifischen Sperrgraphen abgelegt. Wahrend der eigentlichen Ausfuhrung von Anfragen wird die Information, in welchem Modus die Auspragungen von einzelnen Granulaten zu sperren sind, aus den anfragespezifischen Sperrgraphen extrahiert. Das Anfordern von Sperren geschieht dann auf die gleiche Weise wie in traditionellen Datenbanksystemen: ein Sperrverwalter fuhrt die Konflikttests sowie die Tests auf Verklemmungen durch und verwaltet die Sperrtabelle.
NIH funding longevity by gender

Women have achieved parity with men among biomedical science degree holders but remain underrepresented in academic positions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research—receives less than one-third of its new grant applications from women. Correspondingly, women compose less than one-third of NIH research grantees, even though they are as successful as men in obtaining first-time grants. Our study examined women’s and men’s NIH funding trajectories over time ( n = 34,770), exploring whether women remain funded at the same rate as men after receiving their first major research grants. A survival analysis demonstrated a slightly lower funding longevity for women. We next examined gender differences in application, review, and funding outcomes. Women individually held fewer grants, submitted fewer applications, and were less successful in renewing grants—factors that could lead to gender differences in funding longevity. Finally, two adjusted survival models that account for initial investigator characteristics or subsequent application behavior showed no gender differences, suggesting that the small observed longevity differences are affected by both sets of factors. Overall, given men’s and women’s generally comparable funding longevities, the data contradict the common assumption that women experience accelerated attrition compared with men across all career stages. Women’s likelihood of sustaining NIH funding may be better than commonly perceived. This suggests a need to explore women’s underrepresentation among initial NIH grantees, as well as their lower rates of new and renewal application submissions.
Kinetic Trapping of Folded Proteins Relative to Aggregates under Physiologically Relevant Conditions

Anfinsen’s thermodynamic hypothesis does not explicitly take into account the possibility of protein aggregation. Here, we introduce a cyclic-perturbation approach to prove that not only the native state but also soluble aggregates of most proteins can be highly populated under mild, physiologically relevant conditions, even at very low concentration. Surprisingly, these aggregates are not necessarily amyloid in nature and are usually not observed in bioactive proteins due to the extremely low kinetic flux from the native state toward a region of the chemical-potential landscape encoding aggregates. We first illustrate this concept for the representative model protein apomyoglobin—at room temperature and no denaturant—and demonstrate kinetic trapping of the native state relative to at least two different types of soluble, predominantly nonamyloid aggregates. The concentration and temperature dependence of aggregation confirm the above scenario. Extension of our analysis to the Escherichia coli proteome sh...
Haredi education in Israel: fiscal solutions and practical challenges

ABSTRACTWith a fertility rate that nearly triples the national average and increased political power that accompanies demographic growth, Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews in Israel are becoming an increasingly important piece of the country’s diverse national mosaic. This raises economic concerns: Haredi women earn low wages, while most Haredi men do not work. Meanwhile, like all Israeli citizens, Haredim receive expensive government services, including funding for ultra-Orthodox schools.Haredi schools focus on religious instruction at the expense of core subjects, and comprise a barrier to economic and social integration. Whether other Israelis should be responsible for financing an education that provides limited positive externalities is debatable. More importantly, Haredi population growth and attitudes towards work and education might jeopardise Israel’s long-term economic outlook. Potential policy solutions include decentralisation of governmentservices, including education or financial incentives for c...
Common and Specific Functions of Nonmuscle Myosin II Paralogs in Cells

Various forms of cell motility critically depend on pushing, pulling, and resistance forces generated by the actin cytoskeleton. Whereas pushing forces largely depend on actin polymerization, pulling forces responsible for cell contractility and resistance forces maintaining the cell shape require interaction of actin filaments with the multivalent molecular motor myosin II. In contrast to muscle-specific myosin II paralogs, nonmuscle myosin II (NMII) functions in virtually all mammalian cells, where it executes numerous mechanical tasks. NMII is expressed in mammalian cells as a tissue-specific combination of three paralogs, NMIIA, NMIIB, and NMIIC. Despite overall similarity, these paralogs differ in their molecular properties, which allow them to play both unique and common roles. Importantly, the three paralogs can also cooperate with each other by mixing and matching their unique capabilities. Through specialization and cooperation, NMII paralogs together execute a great variety of tasks in many different cell types. Here, we focus on mammalian NMII paralogs and review novel aspects of their kinetics, regulation, and functions in cells from the perspective of how distinct features of the three myosin II paralogs adapt them to perform specialized and joint tasks in the cells.
Endoscopic management of esophagorespiratory fistulas

Abstract Esophagorespiratory fistulas (ERFs) are pathologic communications between the esophagus and respiratory tract. They are devastating conditions of malignant or benign (often iatrogenic) etiologies. Patients with ERF have significantly increased mortality and decreased quality of life. Multiple management options exist for the treatment of ERFs including surgical, endoscopic, and oncologic approaches. Surgical management, with fistula closure and removal of diseased esophageal or pulmonary tissue, is the time-honored treatment of ERF. However, these surgeries are major undertakings and many patients with ERF are poor surgical candidates. As such oncologic and endoscopic therapies are often employed. Many endoscopic therapies exist for the management of ERF and include: esophageal stenting, airway stenting, combined esophageal, and airway stenting, over-the-scope clip placement, cardiac septal occlusion devices, and other novel therapies (argon plasma coagulation, fibrin glue, endoscopic suturing, and polyglycolic acid sheets). These treatments can be employed alone or in combination. Each endoscopic management strategy has its own clinical success rate and adverse events. Although advances in endoscopic techniques have broadened the tools available to treat ERFs; little if any data are available comparing the various endoscopic management strategies. Despite this an experienced clinician may select the appropriate intervention to maximize the risks/benefits of the procedure based on the size, location, and etiology of the fistula.
Regulation of tissue iron homeostasis: the macrophage “ferrostat”

Iron is an essential element for multiple fundamental biological processes required for life; yet iron overload can be cytotoxic. Consequently, iron concentrations at the cellular and tissue level must be exquisitely governed by mechanisms that complement and fine-tune systemic control. It is well appreciated that macrophages are vital for systemic iron homeostasis, supplying or sequestering iron as needed for erythropoiesis or bacteriostasis, respectively. Indeed, recycling of iron through erythrophagocytosis by splenic macrophages is a major contributor to systemic iron homeostasis. However, accumulating evidence suggests that tissue-resident macrophages regulate local iron availability and modulate the tissue microenvironment, contributing to cellular and tissue function. Here, we summarize the significance of tissue-specific regulation of iron availability and highlight how resident macrophages are critical for this process. This tissue-dependent regulation has broad implications for understanding both resident macrophage function and tissue iron homeostasis in health and disease.
An Infection-Based Murine Model for Papillomavirus-Associated Head and Neck Cancer

ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted pathogen, and high-risk HPVs contribute to 5% of human cancers, including 25% of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Despite the significant role played by HPVs in HNSCC, there is currently no available in vivo system to model the process from papillomavirus infection to virus-induced HNSCC. In this paper, we describe an infection-based HNSCC model, utilizing a mouse papillomavirus (MmuPV1), which naturally infects laboratory mice. Infections of the tongue epithelium of two immunodeficient strains with MmuPV1 caused high-grade squamous dysplasia with early signs of invasive carcinoma over the course of 4 months. When combined with the oral carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), MmuPV1 caused invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on the tongue of both immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice. These tumors expressed markers of papillomavirus infection and HPV-associated carcinogenesis. This novel preclinical model provides a valuable new means to study how natural papillomavirus infections contribute to HNSCC. IMPORTANCE The species specificity of papillomavirus has limited the development of an infection-based animal model to study HPV-associated head and neck carcinogenesis. Our study presents a novel in vivo model using the mouse papillomavirus MmuPV1 to study papillomavirus-associated head and neck cancer. In our model, MmuPV1 infects and causes lesions in both immunodeficient and genetically immunocompetent strains of mice. These virally induced lesions carry features associated with both HPV infections and HPV-associated carcinogenesis. Combined with previously identified cancer cofactors, MmuPV1 causes invasive squamous cell carcinomas in mice. This model provides opportunities for basic and translational studies of papillomavirus infection-based head and neck disease.
Social media use and community-based cardiovascular health-care professionals: Perception versus reality

Social media use has dramatically increased in the past two decades. This growth has been seen in the health-care field as well. Social media is being used for a variety of activities including networking, education, public health, and marketing. Health-care professionals in cardiology participate in social media to varying degrees and in different ways. Current studies have focused primarily on physicians who have an established presence on social media. To learn more about the social media habits of community-based cardiology providers, we queried attendants at a cardiovascular conference held by our health-care system. The purpose of this article is to: Highlight the social media habits of a range of community-based cardiology providers and distinguish between producing and consuming social media. There is a predominance of social media content consumers compared to producersOutline important considerations when assessing the risks and benefits of social media use and the perceived concerns of cardiology health-care professionalsEmphasize the need to incorporate guidelines for social media use into institutional policies and provide training on social media use to the health-care community.
Translational control of lipogenesis links protein synthesis and phosphoinositide signaling with nuclear division

ABSTRACT Continuously dividing cells coordinate their growth and division. How fast cells grow in mass determines how fast they will multiply. Yet, there are few, if any, examples of a metabolic pathway that actively drives a cell cycle event instead of just being required for it. Here, we show that translational upregulation of lipogenic enzymes in yeast increased the abundance of lipids and accelerated nuclear elongation and division. De-repressing translation of acetyl CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase also suppressed cell cycle-related phenotypes, including delayed nuclear division, associated with Sec14p phosphatidylinositol transfer protein deficiencies, and the irregular nuclear morphologies of mutants defective in phosphatidylinositol 4-OH kinase activities. Our results show that increased lipogenesis drives a critical cell cycle landmark and report a phosphoinositide signaling axis in control of nuclear division. The broad conservation of these lipid metabolic and signaling pathways raises the possibility these activities similarly govern nuclear division in mammals.
Multi-Robot Task Allocation with Time Window and Ordering Constraints

The multi-robot task allocation problem comprises task assignment, coalition formation, task scheduling, and routing. We extend the distributed constraint optimization problem (DCOP) formalism to allocate tasks to a team of robots. The tasks have time window and ordering constraints. Each robot creates a simple temporal network to maintain the tasks in its schedule. The proposed layered framework, called L-DCOP, forms efficient coalitions among robots to accomplish the tasks more efficiently as a result of their collective abilities. We conduct extensive experiments to assess the performance of the proposed algorithm and compare it against a benchmark auction-based approach. The results show that L-DCOP increases the task completion rate and task completion frequency by 1.7% and 10.1%, respectively, and reduces the task execution time by 52.5% on average.
High-Deductible Health Plans for US Children: Trends, Health Service Use, and Financial Barriers to Care.

Abstract Objective Few studies have examined children's enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and associations with health service use. We examine trends, health service use, and financial barriers to care for US children with high-deductible private insurance. Methods Trend data on HDHP enrollment were available for 58,910 children ages 0 to 17 with private insurance from the 2007 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey. Health service indicators were examined in a cross-sectional sample of 23,959 children in the 2014-2018 datasets. High deductible was defined as a minimum of $2,700 for a family in 2018. Chi-square tests examined associations of HDHPs with health service indicators. Logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographics and child health. Results The percent of privately insured children with HDHPs increased from 18.4% to 48.6% from 2007 to 2018. In adjusted regression, those with HDHPs fared worse than those with traditional plans on 7 of 10 measures and those with HDHPs and no health savings account (HSA) fared worse on eight. While small differences were found for various child-focused measures, the most consistent differences were found for family-focused measures. Parents with HDHPs were more likely than parents with traditional private insurance to report they had delayed or forgone their medical care (10.2% vs 5.7%), had problems paying medical bills (15.7% vs 10.3%), and had family medical debt (34.1% vs 25.8%). Conclusions Privately insured families have seen substantial growth in high-deductible plans in the last decade. Families with HDHPs, especially those without HSAs, have more financial barriers to care.
Acute retroperitoneal hemorrhage after oocyte retrieval: a case report.

A 29-year-old woman with a 5-year history of primary infertility underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment. Hemorrhagic shock caused by retroperitoneal hematoma after oocyte retrieval was treated promptly by the evaluation of diagnostic laparoscopy and angiography. The patient was recovered and discharged from the hospital 7 days later without any complications. She was later diagnosed with Von Willebrand disease by a hematologist.
BYTEWEIGHT: learning to recognize functions in binary code

Function identification is a fundamental challenge in reverse engineering and binary program analysis. For instance, binary rewriting and control flow integrity rely on accurate function detection and identification in binaries. Although many binary program analyses assume functions can be identified a priori, identifying functions in stripped binaries remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose BYTEWEIGHT, a new automatic function identification algorithm. Our approach automatically learns key features for recognizing functions and can therefore easily be adapted to different platforms, new compilers, and new optimizations. We evaluated our tool against three well-known tools that feature function identification: IDA, BAP, and Dyninst. Our data set consists of 2,200 binaries created with three different compilers, with four different optimization levels, and across two different operating systems. In our experiments with 2,200 binaries, we found that BYTE-WEIGHT missed 44,621 functions in comparison with the 266,672 functions missed by the industry-leading tool IDA. Furthermore, while IDA misidentified 459,247 functions, BYTEWEIGHT misidentified only 43,992 functions.
Assembly and Function of Corynebacterium diphtheriae Pili

Pili or fimbriae are known virulence factors that facilitate bacterial colonization of specific host tissues and pathogenesis. Corynebacterium diphtheriae, the causative agent of pharyngeal diphtheria, harbors three pilus gene clusters encoding the heterotrimeric SpaA-, SpaD-, and SpaH-type pili. The current model for Gram-positive pilus assembly is based on the studies of the SpaA-type pili, which may serve as a major virulence determinant for C. diphtheriae because they are specifically required for adherence to pharyngeal epithelial cells. The SpaA-type pilus is comprised of the shaft pilin SpaA and minor proteins SpaB and SpaC, which make up the base and tip of the surface structure, respectively. Pilus biogenesis requires tandem sortase enzymes that covalently link SpaABC monomers and subsequently anchor the resulting heterotrimeric polymer to the bacterial peptidoglycan. Here, a decade of research aimed to reveal the assembly, structure, and role of C. diphtheriae pili in pathogenesis is discussed.
Aspartate transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli. Characterization of the polypeptide chains by molecular weight, amino acid composition, and amino-terminal residues.

Abstract The two different subunits of aspartate transcarbamylase were characterized by their amino acid composition, amino-terminal residues, and molecular weights in 8 m urea solution. The equivalent weights for 1 amino-terminal residue agree with the molecular weights in urea solution. From these results it is concluded that the aspartate transcarbamylase molecule contains four regulatory and four catalytic polypeptide chains.
Using the Zebrafish Photomotor Response for Psychotropic Drug Screening

Because psychotropic drugs affect behavior, we can use changes in behavior to discover psychotropic drugs. The original prototypes of most neuroactive medicines were discovered in humans, rodents and other model organisms. Most of these discoveries were made by chance, but the process of behavior based drug discovery can be made more systematic and efficient. Fully automated platforms for analyzing the behavior of embryonic zebrafish capture digital video recordings of animals in each individual well of a 96-well plate before, during, and after a series of stimuli. To analyze systematically the thousands of behavioral recordings obtained from a large-scale chemical screen, we transform these behavioral recordings into numerical barcodes, providing a concise and interpretable summary of the observed phenotypes in each well. Systems-level analysis of these behavioral phenotypes generate testable hypotheses about the molecular mechanisms of poorly understood drugs and behaviors. By combining the in vivo relevance of behavior-based phenotyping with the scale and automation of modern drug screening technologies, systematic behavioral barcoding represents a means of discovering psychotropic drugs and provides a powerful, systematic approach for unraveling the complexities of vertebrate behavior.
Hyperlipidemia induces lipid accumulation and gene expression in adipocytes (LB317)

Obesity is becoming a more and more serious health issue in the US and worldwide. This situation only started since a few of decades ago. It is certain that the human genomic coding has not been changed so dramatically by evolution during such short period of time. Evidence indicates that environmental factors including diets and behaviors are involved in affecting gene expressing in developing of human diseases. Since adipose tissues are significantly expanded in individuals with obesity, adipocytes were cultured in the conditions to mimic hyperlipidemia conditions that happen during the developmental process of obesity. We have observed that saturated lipid at high concentrations induces lipid accumulation in adipocytes. A few of new candidate genes that are regulated by the mimic hyperlipidemia conditions have been identified. These genes will be validated by qRT-PCR and studied further.Grant Funding Source: Suported by startup funds from Texas A&M University-Kingsville to YL
The quasi 2 day wave and spatial-temporal variability of the OH emission and ionosphere

[1] The quasi 2 day wave (QTDW) during January 2006 is investigated using Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) observations of OH airglow and temperature in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) and CHAMP in situ electron density observations at an altitude of ∼360 km. The zonal structure of the QTDW during early 2006 in the Southern Hemisphere MLT and low-latitude ionosphere is dominated by westward propagating zonal wave number 3 (W3) and eastward propagating zonal wave number 2 (E2) components. However, the observed longitude variability is not fully described by the E2 and W3 components of the QTDW. The remaining longitude variability is attributed to the presence of nonmigrating tides and secondary waves generated by the nonlinear interaction of the QTDW with migrating tides. The nonmigrating tides are a combination of those that are generated in situ by QTDW-tide nonlinear interactions and those of tropospheric origin that propagate upward into the MLT. The results presented demonstrate that nonmigrating tides and secondary waves are of considerable importance for determining the total longitude variability during periods of enhanced QTDW activity. The general similarity between the QTDW in OH airglow and temperature indicates that variations in atomic oxygen concentrations due to vertical winds during the QTDW are the primary driver of the QTDW in the OH airglow emission. However, there are some differences in the OH airglow and temperature that we consider to be connected to changes in eddy diffusion due to changes in gravity waves during the QTDW. Last, although similar zonal structure of the QTDW is observed in the ionosphere, the observed longitude variations are not well represented by the QTDW components, indicating that nonmigrating tides play a critical role in determining longitudinal variability in the ionosphere during the QTDW. The importance of nonmigrating tides in the ionosphere may be related to the relative efficiency of the QTDW and different nonmigrating tides in the generation of electric fields.
Hospitalists and liability: surprising findings that point back to patient safety.

Perhaps surprisingly, their main finding was that the rate of claims against hospitalists was significantly lower than for nonhospitalist internists, emergency medicine physicians, general surgeons, and obstetri- cians-gynecologists. We say surprisingly, because health systems utilizing hospitalists generally include features that might increase the risk for malpractice claims. For example, new patients are typically assigned to whichever hospitalist is up for the next admission. Research shows that strained patient-physician rela- tionships increase the risk for malpractice claims. 4,5 Schaffer's data suggest that lack of a preexisting rela- tionship is a challenge, but one to which most hospi- talists have grown accustomed. Hospitalists develop and hone skills that allow them to quickly establish rapport with patients and families. Moreover, though patients seldom choose their hospitalist, they often do select the hospital in which they receive their care. The research group of 1 of the authors was recently surprised to find patients had high levels of trust with their hospital physicians, despite frequently being unable to name them or identify their role. 6 We sus- pect patients in the study had high levels of trust with the hospital and transferred this trust to their assigned physicians as representatives of the organization. Cer- tainly, this hypothesis needs to be tested, and in no way does it minimize the importance of a strong patient-physician relationship. In addition, patient-physician continuity has long been felt to be paramount to safe and effective care; however, it is difficult to achieve in hospitalist sys- tems. Hospitalized patients experience multiple hand- offs, including those at admission, for night coverage, and at the time of service change (ie, end of rotation/ stint). The potential for loss of information is enor- mous. Though increased attention has been dedicated to handoffs among housestaff, little work has been done to describe issues related to handoffs among practicing physicians. However, some discontinuity may be advantageous. A physician newly taking over patient care from another may not be anchored to the initial diagnosis and treatment plan established by the first. This free "second look" may actually prevent missed/delayed diagnoses and optimize plans of care, further reducing harm from care and risk of malpractice. 7
The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist can either reduce or enhance the lethality of Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis in newborn rats.

Abstract Klebsiella pneumoniae, a worldwide cause of nosocomial infections, is one of the most common causes of death in newborns in nurseries. In this study, we investigated the role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in an experimental animal model of neonatal sepsis, using a natural antagonist of IL-1 receptors, the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), to block IL-1's effects in neonatal Klebsiella sepsis in the absence of antibiotic treatment. Newborn Wistar-Kyoto rats were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose (10 mg/kg) of either IL-1Ra (n = 43) or human serum albumin as a control (n = 40). At the same time, a 50% lethal dose of K. pneumoniae was injected subcutaneously. No antibiotics were given at any time. After 10 days, survival was 60% for the albumin group and 80% for the IL-1Ra group (P < 0.01). IL-1Ra treatment also afforded protection when the dose of bacteria was increased sixfold (P < 0.01). There were two episodes of leukopenia in the control group, which were suppressed by IL-1Ra (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001). IL-1 and IL-6 levels were lower in the IL-1Ra-treated group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). No differences between the two groups were observed in the number of bacteria in cultures of the blood, lungs, liver, or spleen. When IL-1Ra (10 mg/kg) was given both at time zero and 24 h after bacterial challenge, lethality was significantly increased (P < 0.01). Single doses of IL-1Ra of from 20 to 40 mg/kg progressively increased lethality compared with controls (P < 0.01) in both Wistar-Kyoto and Sprague-Dawley strain rats. In the same model, low doses of IL-1 itself (0.4 ng per rat), given 24 h prior to bacterial challenge, afforded protection (P < 0.001). These studies suggest that, in the absence of antibiotics, partial blockade of IL-1 receptors improves survival, whereas a longer or greater blockade increases lethality in newborn rats infected with K. pneumoniae.
Better Functional and Similar Pain Outcomes in Osteoarthritis Compared to Rheumatoid Arthritis After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Cohort Study

Objective To determine the association of the underlying diagnosis with limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) and pain in patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods Prospectively collected data from the Mayo Clinic Total Joint Registry were used to assess the association of diagnosis with moderate–severe limitation in ADL and moderate–severe pain at 2 and 5 years after primary TKA, using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results There were 7,139 primary TKAs at 2 years and 4,234 at 5 years. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, compared with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)/inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) was associated with significantly lower moderate–severe ADL limitation at 2 years (OR 0.5 [95% CI 0.3–0.8]) (P = 0.004) and at 5 years (OR 0.5 [95% CI 0.3–0.9]) (P = 0.02). There was no significant association of diagnosis of OA with moderate–severe pain at 2 years (OR 1.2 [95% CI 0.5–2.7]) (P = 0.68) or at 5 years (OR 1.0 [95% CI 0.3–3.7]) (P = 1.0). Conclusion We found that patients with OA who underwent primary TKA had better ADL outcomes compared to patients with RA/inflammatory arthritis at 2 and 5 years. On the other hand, the pain outcomes after primary TKA did not differ in OA versus RA. This suggests a discordant effect of underlying diagnosis on pain and function outcomes after TKA. These novel findings can be used to better inform both patients and surgeons about expected pain and function outcomes after primary TKA.
Prokinetic Therapy for Feed Intolerance in Critical Illness: One Drug or Two?

Objective: To compare the efficacy of combination therapy, with erythromycin and metoclopramide, to erythromycin alone in the treatment of feed intolerance in critically ill patients. Design: Randomized, controlled, double-blind trial. Setting: Mixed medical and surgical intensive care unit. Patients: Seventy-five mechanically ventilated, medical patients with feed intolerance (gastric residual volume ≥250 mL). Interventions: Patients received either combination therapy (n = 37; 200 mg of intravenous erythromycin twice daily + 10 mg of intravenous metoclopramide four times daily) or erythromycin alone (n = 38; 200 mg of intravenous erythromycin twice daily) in a prospective, randomized fashion. Gastric feeding was re-commenced and 6-hourly gastric aspirates performed. Patients were studied for 7 days. Successful feeding was defined as a gastric residual volume <250 mL with the feeding rate ≥40 mL/hr, over 7 days. Secondary outcomes included daily caloric intake, vomiting, postpyloric feeding, length of st...
Radiology and histopathology of lameness in young cattle with secondary copper deficiency.

Abstract The radiographical and histological lesions found in a natural outbreak of lameness in cattle, suffering form copper deficiency associated with high dietary molybdenum and sulphate, are described. Consistent lesions in the distal metacarpal or metatarsal growth plates were characterized radiographically by a widening of the physis with marked irregularity and fragmentation of the metaphysis. Microscopically, focal widenings of the growth plate consisted of tongues of uncalcified cartilage with delayed or impaired provisional calcification in the presence of active osteoblasts. It was concluded that molybdenum-induced copper deficiency in cattle is possibly not the same syndrome as primary copper deficiency of dogs, pigs and sheep, which is characterized by decreased osteoblast activity and osteoporosis.
Using virtual reality to train and plan response actions to acts of terrorism

This paper presents work in the development of a virtual reality system for situational training of small teams in high stress environments. Components of the system are discussed and two prototype training applications are presented.
Auditing within service-oriented architecture: the Dutch experience

SOA is an unsolved problem for IT infrastructures yet its treatment in mainstream accounting literature is very problematic. Demand for new competitive pressures and service-oriented, knowledge-based economy mean ‘manual auditing’ is becoming a diminishing option for successful auditors. Associated with the view that IT auditing is the dominant training issue amongst most auditors, SOA environment has added an influential conceptual vocabulary to analyse auditing strategies. This research found such approaches being criticised for underestimating the complex relations between ‘interests of ownership’ and ‘quality of audit’. Interviewers for this qualitative research uncovered that contemporary locus of auditors have become personalised rather than generalised, through the spread of corporate cultures, panoptic surveillance, and self-discipline. Evidence here shows auditors are experiencing considerable problems with audit quality within an SOA environment.
Hydrogen sulfide induces cyclic AMP and modulates the NMDA receptor.

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is produced endogenously from l -cysteine in mammalian tissues, and may function as a neuromodulator in the brain as well as a tone regulator in smooth muscle. H 2 S is present at relatively high levels in the brain, and cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), which is highly expressed in the hippocampus, is involved in the production of brain H 2 S. Physiological concentrations of H 2 S selectively enhance NMDA receptor-mediated currents and facilitate the induction of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). The NMDA receptor subunits are directly phosphorylated at specific sites by protein kinase A (PKA), resulting in the activation of NMDA-receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents. PKA activation is also observed in the induction of LTP. Here we show that physiological concentrations of H 2 S increase the production of cAMP in primary cultures of brain cells, neuronal and glial cell lines, and Xenopus oocytes. NMDA receptors expressed on Xenopus oocyte membrane are modulated by H 2 S. This modulation by H 2 S is specifically inhibited by adenylyl cyclase-specific inhibitor MDL-12,330A. The present findings provide a mechanism for the previous observation that H 2 S modulates NMDA receptors and enhances the induction of LTP.