cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GRAPES, GALLS, AND GEOGRAPHY: THE DISTRIBUTION OF NUCLEAR AND MITOCHONDRIAL DNA VARIATION ACROSS HOST-PLANT SPECIES AND REGIONS IN A SPECIALIST HERBIVORE

Studies of patterns of molecular variation in natural populations can provide important insights into a number of evolutionary problems. Among these, the question of whether geographic factors are more important than ecological factors in promoting population differentiation and ultimately speciation has been an important and con- tentious area in evolutionary biology. Systems involving herbivorous insects have played a leading role in this discussion. This study examined the distribution of molecular variation in a highly specialized gall-forming insect, grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch), that is found on both sympatric and allopatric host-plant species of the genus Vitis. In addition, the relationship of insects in the introduced range in the United States to ancestral populations in the native range was examined. Evidence for differentiation along host-plant lines from both nuclear (RAPD) and mitochondrial (COI) DNA was confounded with the effect of geography. Differentiation was found where hosts were allopatric or parapatric, but no evidence was found for such differentiation on two hosts, V. vulpina and V. aestivalis, that are broadly sympatric. The question of population differentiation onto these sympatric hosts can be considered to be resolved—it has not occurred in spite of a long history of association. Evidence was equivocal, but suggestive of a period of divergence in allopatry prior to reestablishment of contact, for insects associated with another host plant species, V. cinerea, found in both sympatric and parapatric populations. A low level of diversity and placement of samples collected from the grape species V. riparia at the tip of a phylogenetic tree supports the hypothesis that this host has been recently colonized from populations from the Mississippi Valley. A polyphyletic origin for biotype B grape phylloxera was supported: Although most samples collected from vineyards in the introduced range in California had similar haplotypes, they were closely related to natives on V. vulpina from the Atlantic Coast- Piedmont region. All samples collected from vineyards in Oregon and Washington were closely related to natives on V. riparia in the northern United States.
Coordination chemistry of copper proteins: how nature handles a toxic cargo for essential function

Biological copper is coordinated predominantly by just three ligand types: the side chains of histidine, cysteine, and methionine, with of course some exceptions. The arrangement of these components, however, is fascinating. The diversity provided by just these three ligands provides choices of nitrogen vs. sulfur, neutral vs. charged, hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic, susceptibility to oxidation, and degree of pH-sensitivity. In this review we examine how the total number of ligands, their spatial arrangement and solvent accessibility, the various combinations of imidazole, thiolate, and thioether donors, all work together to provide binding sites that either enable copper to carry out a function, or safely transport it in a way that prevents toxic reactivity. We separate copper proteins into two broad classes, those that utilize the metal as a cofactor, or those that traffic the metal. Enzymes and proteins that utilize copper as a cofactor use high affinity sites of high coordination numbers of 4-5 that prevent loss of the metal during redox cycling. Copper trafficking proteins, on the other hand, promote metal transfer either by having low affinity binding sites with moderate coordination number ~4, or by having lower coordinate binding sites of 2-3 ligands that bind with high affinity. Both strategies retain the metal but allow transfer under appropriate conditions. Analysis of studies from our own lab on model peptides, combined with those from other labs, raises an interesting hypothesis that various methionine/histidine/cysteine combinations provide organisms with dynamic, multifunctional domains on copper trafficking proteins that facilitate copper transfer under different extracellular, subcellular, and tissue-specific scenarios of pH, redox environment, and presence of other copper carriers or target proteins.
Analyzing the fusion process of influenza hemagglutinin by mutagenesis and molecular modeling.

Hemagglutinin (HA) is a protein on the surface of influenza virus that binds to sialic acid on cell membranes and leads to fusion of viral and cell membranes. Its crystal structure (Wilson et aI., 1981) shows that HA consists of two disulfide linked glycopolypeptide chains, HAl and HAl, which extend as a trimeric spike 13.7 nm from the virus membrane (Booy et aI., 1985). The spike is surmounted by globular domains of three HAl's that contain the sialic acid binding sites. The fusion peptide, the apolar HAl amino terminus, is buried near the base of the spike between three HA monomers. In an acidic environment, as found in endosomes, the protein undergoes an irreversible conformational change which exposes the fusion peptide. The fusion peptide is thought to interact with the target membrane and trigger membrane fusion. The pH-dependent conformational change of HA appears to be only part of a complicated fusion process (White, 1990). To examine the fusion mechanism in more detail, we have studied effects of mutations on the fusion peptide and have used computer graphics and computational chemistry methods to develop plausible models for how HA may change conformations and associate with adjacent HA trimers during the fusion process.
Health Status of Children with Special Health Care Needs: Measurement Issues and Instruments:

The methods for measuring health care outcomes and monitoring the health status of the child with a chronic health condition must be available, accessible, and meaningful. This review was evoked by this need to identify reliable and valid instruments for measuring the health status of children with special health care needs. The objectives are as follows: (1) to review the methodologic and substantive issues related to the selection of instruments and (2) to identify those instruments available currently for collecting data regarding health status of children with special health care needs. A Medline search of the literature published since 1966 through 1998 and restricted to human subjects and the English language was conducted. Indexing terms included health status, quality of life, outcome assessment, functional status, and patient satisfaction. Multiple reviewers selected instruments based on their usefulness in clinical settings as generic, disease nonspecific, child health status instruments. Few in...
Influence of Synoptic Sea-Breeze Fronts on the Urban Heat Island Intensity in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas

AbstractWhen assessed using the difference between urban and rural air temperatures, the urban heat island (UHI) is most prominent during the nighttime. Typically, nocturnal UHI intensity is maintained throughout the night. The UHI intensity over Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW), Texas, however, experienced frequent “collapses” (sudden decreases) around midnight during August 2011, while the region was experiencing an intense heat wave. Observational and modeling studies were conducted to understand this unique phenomenon. Sea-breeze passage was found to be ultimately responsible for the collapses of the nocturnal UHI. Sea-breeze circulation developed along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico during the daytime. During the nighttime, the sea-breeze circulation was advected inland (as far as ~400 km) by the low-level jet-enhanced southerly flow, maintaining the characteristics of sea-breeze fronts, including the enhanced wind shear and vertical mixing. Ahead of the front, surface radiative cooling enhanced the near-sur...
Aspects of drift and ductility capacity of rectangular cantilever structural walls

Moment-curvature analyses of cantilever shear walls are used to show that yield curvature, serviceability curvature, and ultimate (damage-control) curvature are insensitive to variations of axial load ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, and distribution of longitudinal reinforcement. The results are used to determine available displacement ductility factors for walls of different aspect ratios and drift limits. It is shown that drift capacity will generally exceed code levels of permissible drift, and that code drift limits will normally restrict, sometimes severely, the design displacement ductility factor.
Development of a fast DNA extraction method for sea food and marine species identification

The authentication of food components is one of the key issues in food safety. Similarly taxonomy, population and conservation genetics as well as food web structure analysis, also rely on genetic analyses including the DNA barcoding technology. In this scenario we developed a fast DNA extraction method without any purification step from fresh and processed seafood, suitable for any PCR analysis. The protocol allows the fast DNA amplification from any sample, including fresh, stored and processed seafood and from any waste of industrial fish processing, independently of the sample storage method. Therefore, this procedure is particularly suitable for the fast processing of samples and to carry out investigations for the authentication of seafood by means of DNA analysis.
Ending the invisibility of sex workers in the US HIV/AIDS surveillance and prevention strategy.

Globally, sex workers, i.e., individuals who trade sex for money or other goods,1 suffer a disproportionate HIV burden.2 Most nations provide sex worker-specific HIV infection and risk behavior estimates routinely in the UNAIDS global epidemic reports. By contrast, sex workers remain conspicuously absent in US domestic HIV/AIDS policy. Our national surveillance system fails to disaggregate HIV risk, disease burden, and treatment outcomes for sex workers, rather, sex exchange is grouped within “high risk heterosexual sex”. The HIV/AIDS report form for case surveillance also omits sex exchange as a potential transmission mode. Our CDC website on sex work and HIV lacks both data and intervention recommendations specific to this population. This dearth of data stymies our ability to develop a national HIV response for those in sex work, and perpetuates their invisibility and marginalization in US policy and interventions. Recent evidence confirms a robust sex industry in the US,3 and sex exchange is documented in patient populations of STI clinics,4 family planning clinics,5 and substance use treatment programs.6 The 2010 high-risk heterosexual wave of the National HIV Behavior Surveillance System (NHBS) reported a past-year sex exchange prevalence of 16.6% among men and women combined.7 Further, the HIV prevalence was significantly higher among exchangers (3.7% vs. 2.1%)7 suggesting profound HIV implications.
The new kid on the block for advanced imaging in Barrett’s esophagus: a review of volumetric laser endomicroscopy

Advanced imaging techniques used in the management of Barrett's esophagus include electronic imaging enhancement (e.g. narrow band imaging, flexible spectral imaging color enhancement, and i-Scan), chromoendoscopy, and confocal laser endomicroscopy. Electronic imaging enhancement is used frequently in daily practice, but use of the other advanced technologies is not routine. High-definition white light endoscopy and random four quadrant biopsy remain the standard of care for evaluation of Barrett's esophagus; this is largely due to the value of advanced imaging technologies not having been validated in large studies or in everyday practice. A new advanced imaging technology called volumetric laser endomicroscopy is commercially available in the United States. Its ease of use and rapid acquisition of high-resolution images make this technology very promising for widespread application. In this article we review the technology and its potential for advanced imaging in Barrett's esophagus.
SITS-sensitive basolateral anion current in rabbit proximal convoluted tubules.

To assess the presence and nature of steady-state anion current across the basolateral membrane in in vitro rabbit proximal convoluted tubules bathed and perfused with a high-chloride, low-bicarbonate solution simulating late proximal tubular fluid, steady-state basolateral cell membrane potential difference (Vb1) was measured by conventional microelectrodes. The mean value of Vb1 was -52 mV. Addition of 1 mM 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS) to the bath solution hyperpolarized Vb1 by 30 mV, suggesting the presence of basolateral anion current. Total chloride removal did not change Vb1 significantly, and formate, a presumptive stimulant of electroneutral sodium chloride transport, depolarized Vb1 both in the presence and absence of chloride, suggesting that the formate-stimulated change in Vb1 was chloride independent. In the total absence of chloride and bicarbonate, 1 mM bath SITS and 0.1 mM lumen and bath acetazolamide hyperpolarized Vb1 by 27–35 and 23 mV, respectively. T...
Oceans at the Outer Limits: Enceladus, Outer Moons, Pluto

The Southwest Research Institute’s John Spencer delves into the oceans of ice and water blanketing the outer moons, with a focus on Saturn’s dramatic erupting satellite Enceladus. Beyond Saturn, we survey moons of the other outer worlds, where water or other liquids might be hidden, or might once have been hidden, beneath their hard-frozen surfaces.
Trigeminal neuralgia due to compression of the trigeminal root by a basilar artery trunk. Report of 45 cases

The authors report their personal experience of the surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with special reference to the results of microvascular decompression (MVD) in cases with basilar artery (BA) trunk compression. In the past 7 years, 730 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were surgically treated in their institute. These included 595 patients with genuine tic douloureux (Group 1), 42 with atypical trigeminal neuralgia (Group II), and 8 with atypical facial pain (Group III). In the Group I tic patients, typical neurovascular compression was observed in 582 cases (97.8%). In this series of 582 cases, 45 patients had vascular compressions by the elongated BA. Among these, simple BA compression was rare (4 cases, 8.9%) and the majority had multiple vessel compression along with anterior inferior cerebellar artery, superior cerebellar artery, petrosal vein, vertebral artery, or a combination of these vessels. Clinical features of these 45 cases, operative technique to mobilize tortuous and enlarged BA, and the surgical results are presented. The importance of enhanced computed tomography scan in predicting BA compression preoperatively is stressed. The vertebrobasilar artery was visualized as a linear enhancement crossing the prepontine cistern in all cases of BA compression. The postoperative follow-up period ranged from 6 to 50 months (mean: 19 months). Complete pain relief was obtained in 43 cases (95.6%). In 2 cases (4.4%), tic pain recurred at 2 and 3 months postoperatively. Because of the tremendous tortuousity, hypertrophy, and sclerosis of the BA, it was extremely difficult in all cases to transpose the BA sufficiently off the nerve root. As many as 23 cases (51%) had a total of 41 neurological symptoms and signs after surgery, although most of them were only temporary and disappeared within 1 to 3 months. The most frequent neurological complications were facial hypesthesia and diplopia due to the fourth or sixth cranial nerve paresis. There were six permanent neurological deficits in 5 patients (11%). The authors are convinced that MVD, though it involves some technical difficulties, should be attempted, and that the procedure will lead to a satisfactory result.
Justice: A Preliminary Survey

’Social justice’ is a sub-category of the broader concept, ‘justice’, and can hardly be understood apart from the latter. In this chapter, therefore, I talk largely about justice in general, while, at the same time, trying to outline the broad contours of social justice.
Nestin suppression attenuates invasive potential of endometrial cancer cells by downregulating TGF-β signaling pathway

// Amber A. Bokhari 1 , Tabari M. Baker 1 , Batsukh Dorjbal 1 , Sana Waheed 1 , Christopher M. Zahn 2 , Chad A. Hamilton 1, 3, 4 , G. Larry Maxwell 3, 4, 5 , Viqar Syed 1, 4, 6 1 Uniformed Services University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA 2 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC 20024, USA 3 Women’s Health Integrated Research Center at Inova Health System, Department of Defense Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence, Annandale, VA 22003, USA 4 John P. Murtha Cancer Center at Water Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA 5 Inova Fairfax Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA 6 Uniformed Services University, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA Correspondence to: Viqar Syed, email: viqar.syed@usuhs.edu Keywords: cell proliferation, progesterone, angiogenesis, matrix metalloproteinases, epithelial-mesenchymal-transition Received: April 25, 2016 Accepted: September 02, 2016 Published: September 10, 2016 ABSTRACT Nestin, an intermediate filament protein and a stem cell marker is expressed in several tumors. Until recently, little was known about the expression levels and the role of Nestin in endometrial cancer. Compared to the immortalized endometrial epithelial cell line EM-E6/E7-TERT, endometrial cancer cell lines express high to moderate levels of Nestin. Furthermore, endometrial tumors and tumor cell lines have a cancer stem-like cell subpopulation expressing CD133. Among the cancer lines, AN3CA and KLE cells exhibited both a significantly higher number of CD133+ cells and expressed Nestin at higher levels than Ishikawa cells. Knockdown of Nestin in AN3CA and KLE increased cells in G 0 /G 1 phase of the cell cycle, whereas overexpression in Ishikawa decreased cells in G 0 /G 1 phase and increased cells in S-phase. Nestin knockdown cells showed increased p21, p27, and PNCA levels and decreased expression of cyclin-D1 and D3. In contrast, Nestin overexpression revealed an inverse expression pattern of cell cycle regulatory proteins. Nestin knockdown inhibited cancer cell growth and invasive potential by downregulating TGF-β signaling components, MMP-2, MMP-9, vimentin, SNAIL, SLUG, Twist, N-cadherin, and upregulating the epithelial cell marker E-cadherin whereas the opposite was observed with Nestin overexpressing Ishikawa cells. Nestin knockdown also inhibited, while overexpression promoted invadopodia formation and pFAK expression. Knockdown of Nestin significantly reduced tumor volume in vivo . Finally, progesterone inhibited Nestin expression in endometrial cancer cells. These results suggest that Nestin can be a therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
AFHVS 2016 presidential address: Decoding diversity in the food system: wheat and bread in North America

Diversity is important for the resilience of food systems, as well as for its own sake. Just how diverse are the systems that produce our food? I explore this question with a focus on wheat and bread and North America, and even more specifically in baking, milling and farming. Although the opacity of food and agricultural systems makes definitive answers difficult, these segments appear to be increasingly uniform with respect to ownership, geography, varieties and genes. There are also important countertrends, and while efforts to resist uniformity are currently small, they are making some progress in maintaining or even increasing diversity in some areas.
Telestroke Imaging: A Review

The use of telecommunications technology to provide the healthcare services, telemedicine, has been in use since the 1860s. The use of technology has ranged from providing medical care to far-off places during wartimes to monitoring physiological measurements of astronauts in space. Since the 1990s, reports have been published on diagnoses of neurological diseases with the use of video links. Studies confirm that the neurological examinations, including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, performed during teleneurology are dependable. The transfer of stroke patients in rural hospitals to bigger medical centers delays treatment while there exists current and projected shortage of neurologists. Telestroke provides the solution. Patients suspected of acute stroke need a noncontrast computerized tomography (CT) scan for tissue plasminogen activator administration. Vascular imaging such as CT angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and digital subtraction angiography can help show large-vessel occlusion or critical stenosis responsive to endovascular therapy. A standard protocol can be followed to decide a vascular modality of choice, considering advantages and disadvantages of each imaging modality. Telestroke solves the problems of distance and of shortage of neurologists. Neuroimaging plays a vital role in the delivery of telestroke, and the telestroke doctor should be comfortable with making a decision on selecting an appropriate vascular imaging modality.
Fast Motions of Key Methyl Groups in Amyloid-β Fibrils

Abstract Amyloid- β (A β ) peptide is the major component of plaques found in Alzheimer's disease patients. Using solid-state 2 H NMR relaxation performed on selectively deuterated methyl groups, we probed the dynamics in the threefold symmetric and twofold symmetric polymorphs of native A β as well as the protofibrils of the D23N mutant. Specifically, we investigated the methyl groups of two leucine residues that belong to the hydrophobic core (L17 and L34) as well as M35 residues belonging to the hydrophobic interface between the cross- β subunits, which has been previously found to be water-accessible. Relaxation measurements performed over 310–140 K and two magnetic field strengths provide insights into conformational variability within and between polymorphs. Core packing variations within a single polymorph are similar to what is observed for globular proteins for the core residues, whereas M35 exhibits a larger degree of variability. M35 site is also shown to undergo a solvent-dependent dynamical transition in which slower amplitude motions of methyl axes are activated at high temperature. The motions, modeled as a diffusion of methyl axis, have activation energy by a factor of 2.7 larger in the twofold compared with the threefold polymorph, whereas D23N protofibrils display a value similar to the threefold polymorph. This suggests enhanced flexibility of the hydrophobic interface in the threefold polymorph. This difference is only observed in the hydrated state and is absent in the dry fibrils, highlighting the role of solvent at the cavity. In contrast, the dynamic behavior of the core is hydration-independent.
Search Result Prefetching on Desktop and Mobile

Search result examination is an important part of searching. High page load latency for landing pages (clicked search results) can reduce the efficiency of the search process. Proactively prefetching landing pages in advance of clickthrough can save searchers valuable time. However, prefetching consumes resources (primarily bandwidth and battery) that are wasted unless the prefetched results are requested by searchers. Balancing the costs in prefetching particular results against the benefits in reduced latency to searchers represents the search result prefetching challenge. In this article, we introduce this challenge and present methods to address it in both desktop and mobile settings. Our methods leverage searchers’ cursor movements (on desktop) and viewport-based viewing behavior (on mobile) on search engine result pages (SERPs) in real time to dynamically estimate the result that searchers will request next. We demonstrate through large-scale log analysis that our approach significantly outperforms three strong baselines that prefetch results based on (i) the search engine result ranking (prefetch top-ranked results), (ii) past SERP clicks from all searchers for the query (prefetch popular results), or (iii) past SERP clicks from the current searcher for the query (prefetch results that the searcher prefers). Our promising findings have implications for the design of search support in desktop and mobile settings that makes the search process more efficient.
Geometry of cubic polynomials

SummaryImagine a sphere with its equator inscribed in an equilateral triangle. This Saturn-like figure will help us understand from where Cardano's formula for finding the roots of a cubic polynomial p(z) comes. It will also help us find a new proof of Marden's theorem, the surprising result that the roots of the derivative p′(z) are the foci of the ellipse inscribed in and tangent to the midpoints of the triangle determined by the roots of the polynomial.
Financial Supervisory Systems and the Way Forward: International Financial Reporting Standards and Basel III Regulations

The introduction of traditional policies to provide “additional monetary stimulus” in the aftermath of the recent Financial Crisis has been instigated by central banks such as Danmarks Nationalbank (DN), the European Central Bank (ECB), Sveriges Riksbank, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and more recently, the Bank of Japan. Whilst the European Central Bank, Swiss National Bank, Danmarks Nationalbank and Sveriges Riksbank introduced negative interest rates in mid-2014 and early 2015, the Bank of Japan’s more recent introduction is compared to its previous experience of 2006. This volume considers the relevance, as well as impacts of Basel III regulations on financial supervision in some of the above-mentioned jurisdictions. As well as contributing to the extant literature from a theoretical, practical, empirical – and a comparative jurisdictional perspective, the volume also investigates how International Financial Reporting Standards can serve to address present regulatory and supervisory challenges.
Chronic Use of Aspirin and Total White Matter Lesion Volume: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Objective To investigate the relationship between aspirin and subclinical cerebrovascular heath, we evaluated the effect of chronic aspirin use on white matter lesions (WML) volume among women. Methods Chronic aspirin use was assessed in 1365 women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Differences in WML volumes between aspirin users and nonusers were assessed with linear mixed models. A number of secondary analyses were performed, including lobe-specific analyses, subgroup analyses based on participants' overall risk of cerebrovascular disease, and a dose–response relationship analysis. Results The mean age of the women at magnetic resonance imaging examination was 77.6 years. Sixty-one percent of participants were chronic aspirin users. After adjusting for demographic variables and comorbidities, chronic aspirin use was nonsignificantly associated with 4.8% (95% CI: −6.8%, 17.9%) larger WML volumes. These null findings were confirmed in secondary and sensitivity analyses, including an active comparator evaluation where aspirin users were compared to users of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen. Conclusions There was a nonsignificant difference in WML volumes between aspirin users and nonusers. Further, our results suggest that chronic aspirin use may not have a clinically significant effect on WML volumes in women.
Current Ex-Vivo Gene Therapy Technologies and Future Developments

Ex-vivo gene therapy can entail either the replacement or the addition of genes. In gene addition therapy, a therapeutic gene is inserted directly into the host genome, with the abnormal gene remaining intact. In gene replacement therapy, the genome is modified directly. Homologous recombination technology can be used to perform many of these kinds of gene correction. In the past, gene correction therapy has been hampered by the low efficiency of the recombination event. However, recently engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) were found to have the ability to successfully stimulate homologous recombination by inducing double-strand breaks at specific DNA sites. Another class of enzyme, the transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), provides an efficient alternative means to induce specific DNA double-strand at breaks. Meanwhile, newly developed gene correction methods using stem cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have made gene therapy more feasible in clinical practice. Cells are taken from patients, harvested, and transformed through induction into stem cells, which have the potential to differentiate into a variety of mature cells types for transplant. Further research is needed to develop gene therapy, which may be used in tandem with embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell therapy, especially to repair preexisting mutations that may be passed on in iPS cells.
3D model of lamprey estrogen receptor with estradiol and 15[alpha]-hydroxy-estradiol

Lamprey, a basal vertebrate, contains orthologs of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor and corticoid receptor. A perplexing property of lamprey is that 15[alpha]-hydroxy-steroids are active steroids. For example, 15[alpha]-hydroxy-estradiol [15[alpha]-OH-E2] is the estrogen, instead of estradiol (E2). To investigate how 15[alpha]-OH-E2 binds lamprey ER, we constructed a 3D model of the lamprey ER with E2 and 15[alpha]-OH-E2. Our 3D model shows that S[delta] on Met-409 can form a hydrogen bond with the 15[alpha]-hydroxyl on 15[alpha]-OH-E2. In human ER[alpha], the corresponding residue Ile-424 has a van der Waals contact with 15[alpha]-OH-E2. BLAST analysis of GenBank indicates that among vertebrate ERs, only lamprey ER contains a methionine at this position. Thus, the contact between S[delta] on Met-409 and 15[alpha]-OH-E2 is unique. Our 3D model of lamprey ER should prove useful in virtual screening of chemical libraries to identify compounds for controlling reproduction in sea lamprey, an environmental pest in the Great Lakes in the USA.
Modification of population based arterial input function to incorporate individual variation.

Abstract This technical note describes how to modify a population-based arterial input function to incorporate variation among the individuals. In DCE-MRI, an arterial input function (AIF) is often distorted by pulsated inflow effect and noise. A population-based AIF (pAIF) has high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but cannot incorporate the individual variation. AIF variation is mainly induced by variation in cardiac output and blood volume of the individuals, which can be detected by the full width at half maximum (FWHM) during the first passage and the amplitude of AIF, respectively. Thus pAIF scaled in time and amplitude fitting to the individual AIF may serve as a high SNR AIF incorporating the individual variation. The proposed method was validated using DCE-MRI images of 18 prostate cancer patients. Root mean square error (RMSE) of pAIF from individual AIFs was 0.88 ± 0.48 mM (mean ± SD), but it was reduced to 0.25 ± 0.11 mM after pAIF modification using the proposed method ( p
A Tale of Two Systems: Learning to Cooperate and Compete in the International System

I argue that states and leaders in competitive frameworks learn to behave with realist policies from their interactions with other states and leaders and, in the absence of these interactions, rely on other mechanisms. Contrary to what scholars of the realist tradition maintain, I do not argue that the tenants consistent with realism are effectively human nature or due to the self-help, anarchic structure of the international system. Instead, I maintain that leaders in conflictual relationships learn these methods are an effective way in which to respond to the world around them as they learn the constraints that are placed on them by other states’ leaders.
Core Polarization Effects in (p,p′) Reactions

Let me remark first of all that, regardless of the status of its theoretical description at any moment, core polarization is a well established experimental phenomenon, or rather is well established in the interpretation of experimental phenomena in terms of a microscopic model, i.e. the shell model, in an extended version or otherwise. A typical example is the interpretation of electromagnetic transitions, in terms of effective charge. The effective charge is the bare charge of a nucleon, +1 for a proton, 0 for a neutron, plus the polarization charge. Typically for an E2 transition, as the shell model basis becomes larger, and the calculation increases in complexity, the polarization charge needed to fit experiment decreases but usually more and more slowly, until when the limits of present computing are reached, it still remains at ~0.5e. Figure 1 shows such an example taken from calculations in the s-d shell.1
Love for the Land: Remittances and Care in a Nicaraguan Transnational Community

Despite renewed interest in Central American migration, little attention has been devoted to understanding the diversity of migration pathways within the region. This article explores the tensions in the complicated connections between migration, land, consumption, and love in the case of migration between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Based on interviews and ethnographic observations with members of transnational families in Achuapa, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, I examine how migrants and nonmigrants talk about remittances to make arguments about both abandonment and connection—that is, love for the land and people. Houses and land mediate local understandings of both the absence and presence of migrants in Achuapa. However, those who send and receive remittances, women and men, and young people and old all understand the relationships between migration and care or abandonment differently. At the community level, discourses around remittances tie in to nation-building projects through the resurgence of revolutionary discourses of solidarity under the Sandinistas. In this context, migration has become a new way for poor Nicaraguans to participate in the global economy and care for loved ones, even as it threatens nationalist longings for solidarity. Resumen A pesar de una renovacion de interes en la migracion centroamericana, se ha dedicado poca atencion a la diversidad de flujos migratorios dentro de la region. Este articulo examina las tensiones entre la migracion, la tierra, el consumo y el amor en el caso de la migracion entre Nicaragua y Costa Rica. Basado en entrevistas y observaciones etnograficas en Achuapa, Nicaragua y Costa Rica, se examina como los y las migrantes y personas no-migrantes hablan sobre las remesas en discusiones sobre el abandono y la conexion—es decir, el amor por la tierra y las personas. Las casas y la tierra median el entendimiento de la ausencia y presencia de los y las migrantes en Achuapa. Sin embargo, los que envian y los que reciben remesas, las mujeres y los hombres, las personas jovenes y las viejas entienden la relacion entre la migracion, el amor y el abandono de manera diferente. Al nivel de la comunidad, los discursos sobre las remesas se vinculan con proyectos sandinistas y nacionalistas a traves del idioma de la solidaridad. En este contexto, la migracion se ha vuelto al mismo tiempo una nueva manera para que los nicaraguenses pobres participen en la economia global y cuiden a sus seres queridos, y una amenaza a los deseos nacionalistas de solidaridad.
Photodissociation of the Cyclopentadienyl Radical at 248 nm.

The photodissociation of jet-cooled cyclopentadienyl radicals, c-C5H5, at 248 nm was studied using photofragment translational spectroscopy. Two dissociation channels were observed: H + C5H4 and C3H3 + C2H2. The C5H4 fragment was identified as ethynylallene by its ionization energy. The translational energy distribution determined for each channel suggests that both dissociation mechanisms occur via internal conversion to the ground electronic state followed by intramolecular vibrational redistribution and dissociation. The experimental branching ratio and RRKM (Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus) calculations favor the formation of C3H3 + C2H2 over the H-atom loss channel. The RRKM calculations also support the observation of ethynylallene as the dominant C5H4 product isomer.
A report on the use of Fully's anatomical method to estimate stature in military skeletal remains.

The present study applies two methods of estimating living stature from long limb bones to a sample of military remains. Preliminary results comparing the relative accuracy of the two methods are presented.
Provably bounded optimal agents

Since its inception, arti cial intelligence has relied upon a theoretical foundation centred around perfect rationality as the desired property of intelligent systems. We argue, as others have done, that this foundation is inadequate because it imposes fundamentally unsatis able requirements. As a result, there has arisen a wide gap between theory and practice in AI, hindering progress in the eld. We propose instead a property called bounded optimality. Roughly speaking, an agent is bounded-optimal if its program is a solution to the constrained optimization problem presented by its architecture and the task environment. We show how to construct agents with this property for a simple class of machine architectures in a broad class of real-time environments. We illustrate these results using a simple model of an automated mail sorting facility. We also de ne a weaker property, asymptotic bounded optimality (ABO), that generalizes the notion of optimality in classical complexity theory. We then construct universal ABO programs, i.e., programs that are ABO no matter what real-time constraints are applied. Universal ABO programs can be used as building blocks for more complex systems. We conclude with a discussion of the prospects for bounded optimality as a theoretical basis for AI, and relate it to similar trends in philosophy, economics, and game theory.
Ascariasis. Surgical complications in children.

Summary o 1. A review of forty-five cases of intestinal obstruction caused by round worms is presented. 2. Eosinophilia was present in only one case. 3. Initial treatment should be conservative, consisting of nasogastric suction and piperazine given via nasogastric tube, as well as intravenous fluids. 4. Surgery should not be delayed if signs and symptoms warrant laparotomy. In this series seven patients underwent surgery, and volvulus of the terminal ileum was the most common finding. 5. One death occurred in this series and was attributable to extensive peritonitis secondary to gangrenous ileum twisted about a bolus of ascaris. 6. At surgery, if involved bowel is viable, the worms should be milked into the colon. If this cannot be done, enterotomy should be performed and the worms removed. 7. Piperazine in recommended dosages should be given early in the postoperative period.
Field Observations of Daytime HONO Chemistry and Its Impact on the OH Radical Budget

Measurements of daytime nitrous acid (HONO) are reviewed and possible daytime sources of HONO are discussed. The importance of the observed daytime HONO mixing ratios for the HOx budget in urban and rural environments is assessed and recommendation for future work are given.
The Role of Ordinary Goods in Premodern Exchange

The use of consumption studies to examine the social as well as the utilitarian role played by ordinary domestic goods helps to explain why exchange is a compelling social phenomenon. Under conditions of emergent social complexity, exchange activities become even more important, because a diversity of goods enables an ever-growing number of individuals to demonstrate membership in cross-cutting social groups based on status, ethnicity, age, gender, and profession. An archaeological case study in central India, in which it was found that nonlocal goods were widespread in a medium-sized town in the early centuries A.D., provides data for the evaluation of consumption activities at the household level, in which “social subsistence” was manifest in the acquisition and use of a shared material culture.
Human immunodeficiency virus infection of bone marrow endothelium reduces induction of stromal hematopoietic growth factors

The majority of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients develop bone marrow abnormalities associated with hematopoietic malfunction during the progression of disease. One important manifestation of HIV-associated hematopoietic dysfunction is that after myelosuppression, bone marrow recovery, a process known to be mediated in part by the production of stromal cell-derived hematopoietic growth factors, is impaired. We sought to test the hypothesis that bone marrow stromal cells are infected by HIV-1 in vivo and that production of certain stromal cell-derived hematopoietic growth factors is deficient as a consequence. In this report, we demonstrate that bone marrow microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC), a key element of the stroma, are the predominant cells infected by HIV (5% to 20%) in bone marrow stromal cultures obtained from 11 consecutive HIV-seropositive patients. Although HIV-infected stromal cultures enriched for MVEC constitutively express normal levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, granulocyte (G)-colony-stimulating factor (CSF), granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, and Steel factor, IL-1 alpha-induced release of IL-6 and G-CSF is significantly reduced in these cultures. These observations suggest that HIV infection of bone marrow MVEC reduces the capacity of hematopoietic stroma to respond to regulatory signals that normally augment blood cell production during periods of increased demand.
Expression and Function of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Non-coding RNAs

Herpesviruses are large DNA viruses whose genomes contain a number of genes producing non-coding RNAs, such as small RNA and long non-coding RNA. In this review, the expression and function of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) non-coding RNAs are discussed. The KSHV genome contains at least 12 genes from which pre-microRNAs (miRNAs) are transcribed, and several genes producing long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Polyadenylated nuclear RNA is a highly expressed viral lncRNA molecule in KSHV-infected cells and is necessary for KSHV replication. KSHV miRNAs are expressed predominantly during the latent phase of KSHV infection not only in cells but also in extracellular vesicles such as exosomes and virions. Identification of viral miRNA targets has revealed that KSHV miRNAs have various functions relating to oncogenesis, anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis, and migration of KSHV-infected cells. Some KSHV miRNAs regulate KSHV replication to maintain viral latency. KSHV non-coding RNAs play significant roles in the pathogenesis of KSHV-associated diseases.
Adolescent Weight and Electronic Vapor Product Use: Comparing BMI-Based With Perceived Weight Status.

Introduction This study examined the associations of BMI-based and perceived body weight status with electronic vapor product use, cigarette smoking, and dual use among U.S. adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 2017 on data from 15,129 adolescents in the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2015. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations of BMI-based and perceived weight status with electronic vapor product use, cigarette smoking, and dual use, after adjusting for all other covariates. The regression models were stratified by gender. Results Overall, 25.5% of males used electronic vapor products, 11.6% smoked cigarettes, and 8.1% used both; percentages among females were 22.6%, 9.8%, and 6.8%, respectively. Females who perceived themselves as overweight were more likely than those who perceived themselves as normal weight to be current electronic vapor product users (AOR=1.09, 95% CI=1.01, 1.19) and dual users (AOR=1.23, 95% CI=1.01, 1.49). When compared with normal BMI-based category, males with obese BMI status were more likely to be current cigarette smokers (AOR=1.61, 95% CI=1.06, 2.44), however, only females with overweight BMI status were more likely to be current smokers (AOR=1.89, 95% CI=1.25, 2.86). Conclusions Findings suggest that the influence of adolescents’ body weight perceptions and BMI-based status should be accounted for when developing nicotine-containing product use prevention programs for adolescents. Specific strategies for influencing female adolescents who perceive themselves as overweight should be included to prevent emerging electronic vapor product and dual use.
Endocarditis Prophylaxis in ACHD

In the United States, there has been a change in the epidemiology of infective endocarditis (IE) due to [1]: Decreased prevalence of rheumatic heart disease An increase in invasive procedures and prosthetic device implantations Increase in high-risk patient groups (intravenous drug users, patients with human immunodeficiency virus infections, and diabetes mellitus) Increase in survival of IE-risk prone populations, such as adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) There has been a steady increase in the incidence of IE over the past decade (15 per 100,000 population) [2]. Patients with underlying CHD are at a higher risk of developing IE with an increased mortality [3]. Among the unoperated patients, those who have small ventricular septal defects are at highest risk of IE but are associated with low risk of mortality [4, 5]. Common pathogens in adult patients with CHD are Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Revised guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of IE were released in 2007 by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and a focused update was released in 2008 [6, 7]. European Society of Cardiology guidelines for endocarditis management were followed in 2009 and recently updated in 2015. Both the societies restricted the use of antibiotic prophylaxis to highest-risk patients [8]. In 2008, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines in the UK published recommendations against any antibiotic prophylaxis for dental or non-dental procedures regardless of the patient’s risk [9]. In a follow-up analysis of UK data collected from 2000 to 2013, there was a significant decrease in antibiotic prophylaxis prescriptions, whereas there was an increase in the incidence of IE in both high-risk and lower-risk patients starting in 2008 [10].
Abstract 553: Scavenging Reactive Aldehydes With 5'-o-pentyl-pyridoxamine (PPM) Improves HDL Function and Reduces Atherosclerosis in Ldlr Deficient Mice

Background: Lipid peroxidation products impair the cholesterol efflux capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. The effect of inhibition of HD...
Random Trees and Tree Codes

A random tree is a probabilistic system much like a random walk. In a random walk, a particle moves up or down as time progresses in accordance with some stochastic law. A random tree, on the other hand, starts with one particle at time zero, this particle branches into a number of particles, each of which move up or down in accordance with a stochastic law, and at each successive time unit, each existing particle again branches into a number of descendant particles, each of which move up or down according to a stochastic law.