cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immune response to influenza vaccination in the elderly is altered by chronic medication use.

The elderly patient population is the most susceptible to influenza virus infection and its associated complications. Polypharmacy is common in the aged, who often have multiple co-morbidities. Previous studies have demonstrated that commonly used prescription drugs can have extensive impact on immune defenses and responses to vaccination. In this study, we examined how the dynamics of immune responses to the two influenza A virus strains of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) can be affected by patient’s history of using the prescription drugs Metformin, NSAIDs or Statins. We provide evidence for differential antibody (Ab) production, B-cell phenotypic changes, alteration in immune cell proportions and transcriptome-wide perturbation in individuals with a history of long-term medication use, compared with non-users. We noted a diminished response to TIV in the elderly on Metformin, whereas those on NSAIDs or Statins had higher baseline responses but reduced relative increases in virus-neutralizing Abs (VNAs) or Abs detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) following vaccination. Collectively, our findings suggest novel pathways that might underlie how long-term medication use impacts immune response to influenza vaccination in the elderly. They provide a strong rationale for targeting the medication-immunity interaction in the aged population to improve vaccination responses.
Application of vested interest theory to prevention of non-medical prescription stimulant and marijuana use: Unforeseen benefits of attitude-behavior inconsistency.

Abstract Background Vested interest (VI) has been found to enhance attitude-behavior consistency in several contexts. With an eye toward a potentially novel method of prevention (i.e., reducing perceived VI to minimize attitude-behavior consistency among those positively inclined toward psychotropic substance use), the current investigation explores whether VI moderates attitude-intention consistency regarding nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NUPS) and marijuana. Methods Emphasizing prevention, the study focused exclusively on non-users. Study 1a assessed college students (N = 310) attitudes, VI, and intentions regarding NUPS among those with no prior NUPS experience. Respondents were sampled using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Study 1b investigated marijuana-abstinent college students (N = 93), recruited from college classrooms. Results The pattern of results was similar in both studies. In addition to an association between attitudes and VI, analysis revealed main effects for attitudes and VI on substance use intentions. Moreover, VI moderated the attitude-intention relationship (p Conclusion Results of these studies replicate and expand prior findings relating VI to drug use, and suggest a potential path for future prevention efforts. The current study was cross-sectional, however if the causal pathways are as theorized, an intervention that reduces subjective VI has the potential to reduce positive attitudes while simultaneously reducing the influence of favorable attitudes on intentions.
Reduction of Co2 by hydrated electrons in high temperature water

Abstract The reaction rate of hydrated electrons, (e-)aq, with CO2 was measured in water using transient absorption spectroscopy and electron pulse radiolysis over the temperature range from 5 to 350°C. Arrhenius activation energy is found to be 15.9 kJ/mol between 5 °C and 200 °C. The reaction of (e-)aq with CO2 in high-temperature water showed non-Arrhenius behavior similar to that of its reaction with isoelectronic N2O, reaching a maximum at 300 °C.
Meta-analysis of Blood Genome-Wide Expression Profiling Studies in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Inflammatory cell infiltrates are a prominent feature of aberrant vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), suggesting that immune effector cells contribute to disease progressi...
Impact damage investigation on glass fiber laminates at different temperatures by means of electronic speckle pattern interferometry

In this work, the evaluation of damaged areas due to low velocity impact tests at different impact energy values and different temperatures on Glass Fiber (GF) laminates, made by infusion technology and reinforced with vinyl ester resin, was investigated by interferometric NDE (Non-destructive Evaluation) technique, Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI). Composites are characterized by several interacting failure modes such as matrix breakage, fiber failure and delaminations, which can be simultaneously induced by low velocity impacts and can be different depending on temperature. It can be very difficult to detect by visual inspections of the structures such phenomena. The aim of this study is to evaluate the damaged area, due to the impact, in different conditions. GF composite laminates were impact damaged with three energy levels (5, 10, 20J) and at different temperatures (room temperature, -25°C, -50°C) by drop weight impact machine. The results showed that ESPI technique was able to identify barely visible low-velocity impact damages and that the damaged area increases at lower temperature
On the Mathematical Structure of Cascade Effects and Emergent Phenomena

We argue that the mathematical structure, enabling certain cascading and emergent phenomena to intuitively emerge, coincides with Galois connections. We introduce the notion of generative effects to formally capture such phenomena. We establish that these effects arise, via a notion of a veil, from either concealing mechanisms in a system or forgetting characteristics from it. The goal of the work is to initiate a mathematical base that enables us to further study such phenomena. In particular, generative effects can be further linked to a certain loss of exactness. Homological algebra, and related algebraic methods, may then be used to characterize the effects.
Nosema maddoxi (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) in brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), populations in the United States

Abstract In 2017, Nosema maddoxi Becnel, Solter, Hajek, Huang, Sanscrainte, & Estep (Microsporidia: Nosematidae) was described as a pathogen of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). This study focused on the phenology, distribution, and prevalence of N. maddoxi infections in H. halys populations in the United States. Collections of H. halys from three sites in 2018 were evaluated for the seasonality of N. maddoxi infections. Prevalence of infection in spring, after H. halys adults overwintered, averaged 37.5 ± 18.9% (peaking at 60.0% in one site) followed by lower infection prevalence during two summer collections (9.7 ± 4.1% and 7.3 ± 2.4%). Collections of H. halys from 31 sites in 11 states in 2017 and 2018 were evaluated and N. maddoxi was found in every state sampled, averaging 18.9 ± 4.3% infection (range: 0.0–52.0%). Prevalence of low-intensity infections was higher than high-intensity infections in both the phenology study (low-intensity infections = 69.3%, high-intensity infection = 30.7%) and the distribution study (low-intensity infections = 62.4%, high-intensity infections = 37.6%). Internal melanized tissues within infected H. halys adults are visible as brown spots through the abdominal cuticle and this physical sign can help indicate N. maddoxi infection: 74.2% of H. halys with these spots were infected; however, 30.0% of H. halys adults that did not have spots were infected. Based on this study, this pathogen is widely distributed throughout H. halys populations in the US, and infection prevalence is variable among sites and is seasonal, with the highest infection levels occurring when H. halys adults are aggregated.
High-Pressure Injection Injury of the Face: A Case Report on Presentation and Management.

Author(s): Zitelny, Edan; Briggs, Blake; Little, Rachel; Masneri, David | Abstract: Introduction: High-pressure injection injuries have been chronicled for decades.1 These injuries often affect distal extremities as they are most commonly involved in workplace accidents.1 However, we discuss a young male with a paint-gun injection injury to his face.Case Report: We discuss the case of a young man presenting to the emergency department after high-pressure injection injury to the face. He eventually underwent extensive debridement of the face. We discuss differences in caring for an injection wound to an extremity versus the face, including time sensitivity of treatment, initial stabilizing measures, and critical steps.Discussion: This case demonstrates a rare presentation of a high-pressure paint injection injury. This injury presented a unique surgical challenge where, despite compartment syndrome being less common, cosmetic outcome and infectious complication prevention remained critical priorities.Conclusion: While similarities exist in management of an injection injury to a limb, due to the rarity and deceptive appearance of this particular injury to the face, high suspicion along with urgent imaging and surgical consultation is warranted.
On using electronic health records to improve optimal treatment rules in randomized trials.

Individualized treatment rules (ITRs) tailor medical treatments according to patient-specific characteristics in order to optimize patient outcomes. Data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are used to infer valid ITRs using statistical and machine learning methods. However, RCTs are usually conducted under specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, thus limiting their generalizability to a broader patient population in real-world practice settings. Because electronic health records (EHRs) document treatment prescriptions in the real world, transferring information in EHRs to RCTs, if done appropriately, could potentially improve the performance of ITRs, in terms of precision and generalizability. In this work, we propose a new domain adaptation method to learn ITRs by incorporating information from EHRs. Unless we assume that there is no unmeasured confounding in EHRs, we cannot directly learn the optimal ITR from the combined EHR and RCT data. Instead, we first pretrain "super" features from EHRs that summarize physician treatment decisions and patient observed benefits in the real world, as these are likely to be informative of the optimal ITRs. We then augment the feature space of the RCT and learn the optimal ITRs by stratifying by super features using subjects enrolled in RCT. We adopt Q-learning and a modified matched-learning algorithm for estimation. We present heuristic justification of our method and conduct simulation studies to demonstrate the performance of super features. Finally, we apply our method to transfer information learned from EHRs of patients with type 2 diabetes to learn individualized insulin therapies from RCT data.
A Narrow Posterior Joint Space on a False Profile Radiograph Does Not Correlate With Posterior Joint Cartilage Degeneration in Hip Preservation Patients.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate whether a narrow posterior joint space ( Methods A retrospective chart review of 155 consecutive hip arthroscopy cases by a single surgeon (SKA) from March 2012 to February 2013 was performed. Patients were included in the study if they had an adequate perioperative false profile radiograph and clear intraoperative arthroscopic images of the posterior hip joint. The narrowest posterior joint space (NPJS) width and the directly posterior, posterosuperior, superior, and anterosuperior joint space widths were measured on the false profile radiograph. Femoral and acetabular cartilage of the posterior hip joint were graded according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification system using arthroscopic images obtained at the time of surgery. The cartilage grades of patients with Results There was no difference in cartilage grading between patients with Conclusion In this predominantly cam-type femoroacetabular impingement patient cohort, our findings indicate there is no correlation between a Level of Evidence Level IV, case series.
Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymers containing 4-hydroxybutyrate in engineered Bacillus megaterium

Despite being used as a common platform for the commercial production of many biochemicals, Bacilli are often overlooked as a source of industrial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), biodegradable plastic replacements. In addition to having a robust expression system, the lack of lipopolysaccharides and ease of lysis make Bacilli an attractive host for the production of PHAs. In this work, a Bacillus megaterium strain was engineered to generate poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutryate) (P[3HB-co-4HB]) copolymers, which are among the most useful and industrially-relevant copolymers. These copolymers had lower modulus and increased toughness, thus making the copolymer suitable for a broader range of applications. Due to high metabolic flux through succinate, the engineered B. megaterium strain produced P(3HB-co-4HB) with >10% mol fraction 4HB from glucose, without the use of highly regulated and expensive precursors or potentially damaging truncation of central biochemical pathways.
Spectral decomposition for graded multi-scale topology optimization

Abstract Multi-scale topology optimization (MTO) is exploited today in applications that require designs with large surface-to-volume ratio. Further, with the advent of additive manufacturing, MTO has gained significant prominence. However, a major drawback of MTO is that it is computationally expensive. As an alternate, graded MTO has been proposed where the design features at the smaller scale are graded variations of a single microstructure. This leads to significant reduction in computational cost, while retaining many of the benefits of MTO. Graded MTO fundamentally rests on interpolation of elasticity matrices. The direct method of interpolation used today unfortunately does not guarantee positive-definiteness of the resulting matrices. Consequently, during the graded MTO algorithm the strain energy may become negative and non-physical. In this paper, we propose a simple but effective spectral decomposition-based approach which guarantees positive-definite elasticity matrices. The proposed method relies on a spectral (eigen) decomposition of instances of the elasticity matrices, followed by regression of eigenvalues and interpolation of eigenvector orientations. The resulting elasticity matrix can then be used for stable optimization. The direct and spectral decomposition methods are compared here for robustness, accuracy and speed, through several numerical experiments.
Reflections on Four Case Studies in Ethics

Ethics, or moral philosophy, investigates concepts of right and wrong conduct; it is not limited to the acts of a single person but seeks also reasoned, principled, positions vis-a-vis the practices of corporations, governments, and many other groups. Using the case method, a teaching approach that uses decision-forcing role-play, this precis explores four dramatically different ethical dilemmas at individual, group, corporate, and global levels.
High-Productivity Parallelism With Python Plus Packages (But Without a Cluster)

We present two computing projects, peridynamics simulation and numerical integration on implicit domains, for which we realized high performance implementations using Python with appropriate packages. The problems are sufficiently compute intensive that a straightforward serial implementation is prohibitively slow. While conventional wisdom suggests moving such problems onto a computing cluster, we very directly produced high-performance parallel implementations that effectively perform the computing tasks on a single GPU. For the peridynamics application, the only package needed in addition to Numpy is Numba whose just-in-time compiler allows us to write kernel functions in Python and compile them to run in parallel on a CUDA-enabled GPU. Our approach to numerical integration on implicit domains invokes two additional packages to support interval arithmetic and dynamic parallelism to enable tree-structured recursive refinement. Use of Python (with only kernels requiring dynamic parallelism written in C) enabled rapid development of concise code that successfully achieves significant performance enhancement.
Origin of the High Molecular Weight Activator of Prekallikrein

Abstract Two lines of evidence suggest that the high molecular weight activator of prekallikrein (large activator) (Bagdasarian, A., Talamo, R. C., and Colman, R. W. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 3456–3463) is derived from coagulation factor XII (Hageman factor). Large activator could not be isolated from plasma congenitally deficient in factor XII, and partial immunologic identity was demonstrated between factor XII and the large activator. When the factor XII molecule was denatured, reduced, and run in disc gels containing sodium dodecyl sulfate, no molecule the size of large activator was obtained. This observation suggested that the large activator might be formed by the digestion of factor XII by a plasma proteolytic enzyme. Incubation of plasmin with factor XII resulted in the formation of the large activator which accounted for 22% of the total activators formed. Whether isolated from plasma or generated by plasmin digestion of factor XII, the large activator was not further attacked by plasmin, indicating that it is an end product. In contrast, kallikrein digestion of factor XII failed to produce large activator but did yield low molecular weight activators. Thrombin, even at very high concentrations, failed to generate any activator. Pancreatic trypsin also formed the large activator, which comprised only 10% of the total activators of prekallikrein produced. The results suggest that factor XII exhibits differential susceptibility to plasma proteolytic enzymes with both quantitative and qualitative changes in the prekallikrein activators formed. Moreover, the kallikrein formed might exert positive feedback control by converting factor XII to low molecular weight prekallikrein activators.
The effect of catalyst preparation on catalytic activity. II: The design of Ni/Al2O3 catalysts prepared by wet impregnation

Abstract The performance of catalysts has been shown to be strongly dependent on their methods of preparation. We have previously reported the effect of preparation procedures including metal concentration, pH, and ionic strength of the impregnation solution on the catalytic performance of the finished catalyst. Here design equations are presented for Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalysts prepared by wet impregnation from nickel nitrate solution in contact with a γ-Al 2 O 3 support. The metal dispersion, activity for C 1 , C 2 and C 3 formation under synthesis conditions, and the carbon deposited during reaction are shown to be predictable based solely on the properties of the electrolytes from which these catalysts were formed.
Automated Testing of Planning Models

Automated planning systems (APS) are maturing to the point that they have been used in experimental mode on both the NASA Deep Space 1 spacecraft and the NASA Earth Orbiter 1 satellite. One challenge is to improve the test coverage of APS to ensure that no unsafe plans can be generated. Unsafe plans can cause wasted resources or damage to hardware. Model checkers can be used to increase test coverage for large complex distributed systems and to prove the absence of certain types of errors. In this work we have built a generalized tool to convert the input models of an APS to Promela , the modeling language of the Spin model checker. We demonstrate on a mission sized APS input model, that we with Spin can explore a large part of the space of possible plans and verify with high probability the absence of unsafe plans.
Antifungal Activity of Selected Benzimidazole Compounds

The comparative antifungal activity of four benzimidazole compounds was determined against 11 fungi.
Activity of beta -galactosidase in the midgut of the honeybee.

SummaryThe presence of β-galactosidase in the honeybee is reported here for the first time: activity was found in midgut homogenates of the adult worker. When lactose was used as the substrate, honeybee β-galactosidase at 37°C was most active at pH 4·0–5·0, when hydrolysis of lactose was completed in 60 min. The gut β-galactosidase showed a temperature optimum of 37°C, and was not stable at room temperature. The β-galactosidase had a Km constant at 24 mM. The significance of the low activity of bee β-galactosidase in relation to the natural diets of honeybees is discussed.
INVESTIGATION OF LIQUID PROPELLANTS IN HIGH PRESSURE AND HIGH TEMPERATURE GASEOUS ENVIRONMENTS

Liquid propellant droplet vaporization temperature and radius histories in subcritical, critical and supercritical high pressure and high temperature gaseous environments
Economic analysis of the supplier-reseller symbiotic competition in an online distribution business

The Internet brings suppliers unprecedented opportunity of selling directly to consumers, a trend predicted as disintermediation (Malone et al. 1987). However, the coexistence of online reseller channels and direct channels leads to a subtle relationship between suppliers and online resellers, that is, the two parties cooperate as well as compete with each other. In this paper, we build a game-theoretical model to examine the relationship of symbiotic competition between a supplier and a reseller, in which while the supplier relies upon the reseller in distribution, she also competes with the reseller. We further compare possible mechanisms for the supplier to control the symbiotic competition (i.e., the low-price guarantee and the capacity control mechanism). Both mechanisms are shown to reduce the channel conflicts and benefit the supplier. The capacity control mechanism provides the supplier a competitive advantage over the reseller and consequently the maximum profit. The related IT/IS techniques and information systems adoption issue are also discussed.
MARKET DECISIONS AND THE MARKET PROCESS

This chapter presents a case study of moonshiners in the context of the Wall Street Journal in July, 1975. The price squeeze on moonshine forced new occupations on a lot of people who were engaged, one way or another, in what may have been, even as late as the1950s, the largest industry in such counties as Habersham, Dawson, and Gilmer. However, not all of those people whose employment depended on illegal booze were moonshiners, themselves. For the government, one beneficial by-product of the sugar inflation and moonshine depression is an increase in arrests for firearms violations and illegal wagering. Keeping tabs on sugar sales also has helped agents to corral a few moonshiners. Nowadays, agents say they make most of their arrests through tips from informants. On the whole, authorities say their problem is less in catching moonshiners than in obtaining justice afterwards. The chapter presents the principles of supply and demand to analyze the market for federally regulated whiskey.
Cryptic seed heteromorphism in Packera tomentosa (Asteraceae): differences in mass and germination

Seed mass variation and heteromorphism may afford plant species differential germination behavior and ultimately seedling success, particularly in disturbed habitats. We asked whether such variation occurs in Packera tomentosa (Michx.) C. Jeffrey (Asteraceae), a clonal species of the southeastern USA. Seed mass was compared within and among genetic individuals differentiated using amplified fragment length polymorphisms. We compared central and peripheral seeds produced by disc and ray florets, respectively, for their morphology, mass, and germination behavior, including response to water availability, aging, and cold stratification. Seed mass was highly variable both within and among individuals and influenced germination behavior. We found cryptic seed heteromorphism in P. tomentosa. Central and peripheral seeds had similar morphologies but dissimilar mass and biomass allocation. We used failure time analysis to detect different germination behavior. Central seeds were heavier, contained larger embryos, and germinated faster and at a higher proportion in most germination studies. Highly variable mass and heteromorphism of seeds may allow persistence of P. tomentosa in its disturbed habitats. Based on our results, some future studies of Asteraceae species with disc and ray florets may need to account for possible differences between seed types, even when morphological differences are not apparent. Evaluation of individual seed mass and maternal differences in germination studies may assist in the detection of cryptic seed heteromorphism, a phenomenon thought to be common, yet rarely documented.
In vitro approaches for the study of molecular motors in aster formation.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the techniques used to examine microtubule motor function during microtubule aster formation in extracts prepared from synchronized cultured cells. The preparation of mitotic extracts from cultured cells is very easy and should be feasible in any laboratory capable of cell culture and equipped for basic cell and molecular biology. Two important determinants for the production of a high-quality mitotic extract from cultured cells are the quantity and mitotic index of the harvested cells. The chapter outlines a protocol that yields 10 8 cells with a mitotic index of 95%. The protocols contained in this chapter describe the usage of synchronized cultured cells as a source of material for the production of mitotic extracts to examine microtubule motor requirements for microtubule aster assembly. The role that has been defined for each motor using this system is analogous to the role defined for each motor during spindle assembly in vivo , indicating that this system is an accurate recapitulation of microtubule motor function during spindle assembly. Furthermore, the ease with which these extracts are prepared and can be manipulated makes investigating the complex relationship that exists among these three motor proteins a tractable problem.
Predicting geomagnetic storms as a space weather project

Abstract The study of solar-terrestrial relationship has developed into four major disciplines: solar physics, interplanetary physics, magnetospheric physics, and ionospheric physics (aeronomy). Researchers have made considerable progress within each field of study during the twentieth century. It is pointed out, however, that many major problems in advancing solar weather prediction projects have been left behind. To be successful in this particular effort, space weather researchers need to establish a new discipline that synthesizes and integrates the four major disciplines and their subdisciplines. It is pointed out that we can learn all the missing components in space weather prediction only when we attempt to synthesize the four disciplines. Several missing components are pointed out.
Experiments in Using Virtual and Textual Clues for Image Hunting on the Web

In this paper we describe our experiences with Diogenes, a web-based search agent for finding person images. Diogenes implements different ways of combining visual and textual information for identifying person images. The sources of visual information are a face detection and a face recognition module. The textual information is obtained by analyzing the HTML structure and full text of web pages. Four different ways of combining these pieces of information are evaluated experimentally: (1) Face detection followed by text/HTML analysis, (2) face detection followed by face recognition, a linear combination of (1) and (2) and finally, a Dempster-Shafer combination of (1) and (2). We also compare the performance of Diogenes to those of research prototype and commercial image search engines. We report the results of a set of experimental retrievals for 20 persons examining over 30,000 URLs. In these retrievals Diogenes had the best average precision among the search engines evaluated including WebSEEk, Alta Vista, Lycos and Ditto.
Project highlight: quality graphics for statistical summaries

The specific objective of our dgQG research has been to develop and assess quality graphics for federal statistical summaries. The goal has been to develop methods for generating quality graphics that facilitate exploration by agency users evaluating data quality and looking for emergent trends, decision making by public policy makers, and communication of statistical summaries to the public. This year the focus has been on completing joint projects with agency collaborators and on follow-up research funded through supplement or contract by agency sponsors. Here, we highlight three developments.
A rapid and precise assay for tetrodotoxin binding to detergent extracts of excitable tissues.

Abstract Tetrodotoxin binding sites in detergent extracts of electric organ membranes from Electrophorus electricus may be conveniently and precisely quantified by a rapid gel filtration assay. This procedure also allows estimation of the equilibrium and kinetic binding parameters describing the interaction of tetrodotoxin with a soluble site. However, the binding of saxitoxin could not be well quantified by this assay, and serves as an example of the limitations of the method as applied to other ligand/receptors systems.
Spintronic devices: From memory to memristor

This paper provides a broad overview of spintronic devises with emphasis on memory and spintronic memristive systems. The operational fundamentals of spintronic devices are presented, followed by brief descriptions of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs), spin torque transfer RAM (STT-RAM), and spintronic memristors. Examples of spintronic applications in computing systems are given comprising multi-level cells (MLCs) and the design of a novel memristor based temperature sensor.
IDENTIFICATION AND ESTIMATION IN PATH ANALYSIS WITH UNMEASURED VARIABLES

A variety of path models involving unmeasured variables are formulated in terms of Jőreskog's (1970a) general model for the analysis of covariance structures.
Information flow between the stock and option markets: Where do informed traders trade?

Abstract This paper investigates the flow of information between the equity and options markets. We argue that informed traders, in deciding where to place their trades, are not entirely indifferent to option moneyness, degree of information asymmetry, and option liquidity. Unlike some previous studies that find information to flow unilaterally from equity to options markets, we control for the above factors and discover feedback relations between trades in out-of-the-money (OTM) options and the underlying equities. The finding is consistent with the pooling equilibrium hypothesis, which asserts that informed traders trade in both the equity and options markets. Some informed traders are probably attracted to the out-of-the money options because of their higher liquidity, lower premiums, and higher delta-to-premium ratios, hence, lending support to the liquidity and leverage hypothesis.
Structure and Dynamics of Ire1 Assembly in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Studied by Molecular Simulation

We report molecular simulations of the assembly dynamics of yeast Ire1, a key component of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum. Starting from an all-atom molecular model of Ire1 we derive a coarse-grained model amenable for use in comparatively large-scale Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations aimed at modeling the assembly process as it might occur within the ER membrane. The BD simulations show that assembly of Ire1's lumenal domains leads in turn to the assembly of its cytoplasmic domains necessary for activation of the UPR; in simulations in which lumenal domain association is prevented no assembly of cytoplasmic domains occurs. Although not without considerable simplifications, the simulations provide a first direct molecular-level view of both the structure and dynamics of Ire1 foci.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Automorphism Groups of Plane Curves

Abstract We study the automorphism and collineation groups of plane curves, i.e., in ℙ2, that are not necessarily smooth, and obtain bounds for these curves in terms of, their degree and the number of singularities. We also introduce the notion of bad curves and good curves, and show that all bad curves are rational.
GPU acceleration of regular expression matching for large datasets: exploring the implementation space

Regular expression matching is a central task in several networking (and search) applications and has been accelerated on a variety of parallel architectures, including general purpose multi-core processors, network processors, field programmable gate arrays, and ASIC- and TCAM-based systems. All of these solutions are based on finite automata (either in deterministic or non-deterministic form) and mostly focus on effective memory representations for such automata. More recently, a handful of proposals have exploited the parallelism intrinsic in regular expression matching (i.e., coarse-grained packet-level parallelism and fine-grained data structure parallelism) to propose efficient regex-matching designs for GPUs. However, most GPU solutions aim at achieving good performance on small datasets, which are far less complex and problematic than those used in real-world applications.In this work, we provide a more comprehensive study of regular expression matching on GPUs. To this end, we consider datasets of practical size and complexity and explore advantages and limitations of different automata representations and of various GPU implementation techniques. Our goal is not to show optimal speedup on specific datasets, but to highlight advantages and disadvantages of the GPU hardware in supporting state-of-the-art automata representations and encoding schemes, approaches that have been broadly adopted on other parallel memory-based platforms.
Topological and shape optimization of thrust bearings for enhanced load-carrying capacity

Abstract The optimum shape of hydrodynamic film that provides the greatest load-carrying capacity (LCC) in sectorial-shape thrust bearings is obtained using sequential quadratic programming (SQP). Also presented are three suboptimum solutions for special cases of 2D step profile, constant film thickness in the radial direction and constant film depth with quadrilateral shape. These configurations are particularly attractive because they can be easily manufactured. Results reveal that optimally designed bearings can achieve more than 100% increase in LCC compared to the conventional inclined pad or step bearings.
Child temperament, ADHD, and caregiver strain: exploring relationships in an epidemiological sample.

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the relationship between child-reported dimensions of temperament and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as other indicators of child psychopathology, including disruptive disorders, depression, and anxiety. It also examined whether difficult child temperament scores independently predicted caregiver strain. Method A school-district-wide, two-phase screening design (response rate 70% for phase 2) identified elementary school children at high risk for ADHD. Two hundred high-risk children and their parents completed standardized instruments to assess child temperament, DSM-IV diagnoses of disruptive disorders, children's symptoms of anxiety and depression, and caregiver strain. Relationships were examined using analysis of variance, correlations, and multivariate prediction models, adjusting for child sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathology. All estimates were weighted for sampling design and differential participation. Results Combined subtype ADHD was associated with lower scores on task orientation and higher scores on general activity level. Depressive symptoms correlated significantly with all but one difficult temperament dimension, in a pattern consistent with clinical symptoms of depression. Child temperament did not vary by ADHD treatment status. Among these high-risk children, maternal caregiver strain experiences were increased by male gender, inattention symptoms, and oppositional defiant disorder, but not by difficult temperament scores. Conclusion This study provides support for Graham and Stevenson's hypothesis of continuity between specific temperament traits and certain child psychiatric disorders, namely ADHD and depressive disorders.
Infrared surface modes in small NiO particles

Abstract Small particle specimens of NiO (powder and arc-produced smoke) were studied using infrared spectroscopy. Size distribution and particle configuration were established using an electron microscope. The importance of surface modes (polaritons) as well as their dependence on particle shape was established in the interpretation of the spectra. Chain formation in the smoke suggested cylinder calculations which showed the presence of both bulk and surface modes, in agreement with measurements. In both samples particle shape effects broaden the spectral features in the vicinity of the surface mode. Because of large errors in calculating surface modes from optical constants derived from a diatomic model, it was also shown that accurately measured optical constants are required in the study of the surface mode problem.
The Case Against Autogynephilia

Autogynephilia is a paraphilic model that states that all male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals who are not exclusively attracted toward men are instead sexually oriented toward the thought or image of themselves as a woman. The assertion that transsexual women are sexually motivated in their transitions challenges the standard model of transsexualism—that is, that transsexuals have a gender identity that is distinct from their sexual orientation and incongruent with their physical sex. This article provides a review of the evidence against autogynephilia and makes the case that the taxonomy and terminology associated with this theory are both misleading and unnecessarily stigmatizing.
Mechanisms of nutrient attenuation in a subsurface flow riparian wetland

Riparian wetlands are transition zones between terrestrial and aquatic environments that have the potential to serve as nutrient filters for surface and ground water due to their topographic location. We investigated a riparian wetland that had been receiving intermittent inputs of NO 3 - and PO 3- 4 during storm runoff events to determine the mechanisms of nutrient attenuation in the wetland soils. Few studies have shown whether infrequent pulses of NO - 3 are sufficient to maintain substantial denitrifying communities. Denitrification rates were highest at the upstream side of the wetland where nutrient-rich runoff first enters the wetland (17-58 μg N 2 O-N kg soil -1 h -1 ) and decreased further into the wetland. Carbon limitation for denitrification was minor in the wetland soils. Samples not amended with dextrose had 75% of the denitrification rate of samples with excess dextrose C. Phosphate sorption isotherms suggested that the wetland soils had a high capacity for P retention. The calculated soil PO 3- 4 concentration that would yield an equilibrium aqueous PO 3- 4 concentration of 0.05 mg P L -1 was found to be 100 times greater than the soil PO 3 4 - concentration at the time of sampling. This indicated that the wetland could retain a large additional mass of PO 3 4 - without increasing the dissolved PO 3 4 - concentrations above USEPA recommended levels for lentic waters. These results demonstrated that denitrification can be substantial in systems receiving pulsed NO - 3 inputs and that sorption could account for extensive PO 3- 4 attenuation observed at this site.
Evaluation of the learning curve associated with robotic radical cystectomy: Initial 100 cases

mains one of the most effective treatment for patients with localized, invasive bladder cancer. However, little study has been undertaken to evaluate less-invasive surgical approaches to this disease. Utilizing our mature experience with robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RRC), we analyzed the changes in peri-operative outcomes that may reflect progress along the learning curve. METHODS: 100 patients underwent radical cystectomy and urinary diversion at our institution from 1-06‐8/08 for clinically-localized bladder cancer. Operative outcomes, pathological results, and complications were stratified by quintiles with 20 cases in each group. Multiple paired regression models were also constructed t evaluate co-variates predictive of changes or breakpoints in the learning curve. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.2 (Cary, NC). RESULTS: Table shows the mean outcomes based on time during the experience. Statistical cutpoint for OR time occurred at case 20. On multivariate analysis, statistical cutpoint for EBL was noted at the 20th case, with no significant changes thereafter. With regard to OR time, a statistical cutpoint was noted at the 40th case. No significant changes were noted for LN count, complication rates, bowel function, or length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Our evolving experience with robotic radical cystectomy appears to be favorable with reduction in blood loss and operative times with increasing experience. These results come in the face of applying this technique to older patients with increased comorbidities.
A possible relationship between continuous and discontinuous events in biological systems: multiple stationary states in chemical systems.

Abstract The possibility of multiple stationary states arising in a wide class of biological control systems is investigated. Eleven different cases are considered, and examples illustrating the temporal and phase plane behavior of systems involving multiple stationary states are presented. It is illustrated that the addition of a little positive feedback to an otherwise purely negative biochemical feedback control system imparts stability to stationary states that would otherwise be unstable.
Effects of TNFα on expression of ICAM-1 in human airway epithelial cells in vitro: Oxidant-mediated pathways and transcription factors

Abstract We demonstrate that two different cell-permeable antioxidants, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and dimethylthiourea (DMTU), inhibit TNFα-induced ICAM-1 surface and gene expression in primary cultures of differentiated normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. In addition, TNFα stimulates binding of nuclear proteins to the nuclear factor kappa beta (NFκB) and the CAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) consensus sites in the ICAM-1 promoter in these cells. Because these transcription factors have been suggested to be oxidant-sensitive and important in ICAM-1 expression, the potential involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the response to TNFα was investigated. Interestingly, neither PDTC nor DMTU altered binding of NFκB complexes. In contrast, either the proteasome inhibitor carbobenzoxy-L-leucy-L-leucy-L-leucinal (MG 132) or the IκBα inhibitor BAY 11-7082 ablated TNFα-induced ICAM-1 gene expression and MG132 inhibited TNFα-induced NFκB complexes. Surprisingly, either PDTC or DMTU inhibited the binding of TNFα-enhanced C/EBP complexes to the consensus site directly adjacent to the NFκB site. These results suggest that although TNFα enhances binding of C/EBP and NFκB complexes in NHBE cells, C/EBP binding seems to involve an oxidant-dependent mechanism, whereas activation of NFκB complexes utilizes the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, a mechanism that seems to be unaltered by the presence of antioxidants. Because interference with either signaling pathway abrogates TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression, activation of both complexes seems to be involved in this response to TNFα, but this activation occurs via different intracellular pathways.
Acid cleaning solutions for barnacle-covered surfaces

Abstract In this preliminary study dealing with acid cleaning solutions for barnacle-covered immersed surfaces, chemical treatments for the removal of calcium carbonate residues were investigated. They are based on acid mixtures that dissolve calcium carbonate, leaving the residual bioadhesive. The two most efficient acid treatments are a solution of 50 vol% hydrochloric acid in water, and a mixture of water, hydrochloric and formic acids and hydrogen peroxide. The barnacle dissolution amount (normalized mass) and rate (normalized mass per unit time) in both solutions were compared, and the results showed that both treatments dissolved most of the barnacles in
Reconstructing sibling relationships in wild populations

Reconstruction of sibling relationships from genetic data is an important component of many biological applications. In particular, the growing application of molecular markers (microsatellites) to study wild populations of plant and animals has created the need for new computational methods of establishing pedigree relationships, such as sibgroups, among individuals in these populations. Most current methods for sibship reconstruction from microsatellite data use statistical and heuristic techniques that rely on a priori knowledge about various parameter distributions. Moreover, these methods are designed for data with large number of sampled loci and small family groups, both of which typically do not hold for wild populations. We present a deterministic technique that parsimoniously reconstructs sibling groups using only Mendelian laws of inheritance. We validate our approach using both simulated and real biological data and compare it to other methods. Our method is highly accurate on real data and compares favorably with other methods on simulated data with few loci and large family groups. It is the only method that does not rely on a priori knowledge about the population under study. Thus, our method is particularly appropriate for reconstructing sibling groups in wild populations. Contact: [email protected]
Teaching Professional Boundaries to Psychiatric Residents

Objective:The authors demonstrate that the teaching of professional boundaries in psychiatry is an essential component of training to prevent harm to patients and to the profession. Methods:The authors illustrate overarching principles that apply to didactic teaching in seminars and to psychotherapy supervision. Results:The teaching of boundaries must be based in sound clinical theory and technique so that transference, countertransference, and frame theory are seen as interwoven with the concept of boundaries and must use case-based learning so that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is avoided. Conclusion:The emphasis in teaching should be on both the clinician's temptations and the management of the patient's wish to transgress therapeutic boundaries.(Reprinted with permission from Academic Psychiatry 2010; 34:369–372)
Preservice Teachers' Reactions to Aural Examples of Various Styles and Genres

Despite strong supporting arguments, use of popular music and other diverse musical styles within the curriculum continues to be controversial. The purpose of this study was to obtain preservice teachers' reactions to aural examples of various musical styles and genres. Students (N = 323) enrolled in teacher education courses at a large southeastern university in the United States listened to an audiotape of 32 short musical examples, rating each example for their personal reaction and their interest in using the music in the elementary classroom. Students were also asked to describe how each excerpt could be used in the classroom. Popular music examples tended to be rated highest for personal reaction; instrumental selections from another culture and non-English songs received lowest ratings. In marked contrast with their expressed personal preferences, students were very conservative in their ratings for classroom use, expressing much uncertainty about the appropriateness of popular music and world musi...