cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The serine phosphorylation hypothesis of polycystic ovary syndrome: a unifying mechanism for hyperandrogenemia and insulin resistance

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy affecting 4%–8% of reproductive-aged women. The syndrome is characterized by hyperandrogenemia and disordered gonadotropin secretion and is often associated with insulin resistance. However, rather than being one disease entity caused by a single molecular defect, PCOS under its current diagnostic criteria most likely includes a number of distinct disease processes with similar clinical phenotypes but different pathophysiologic mechanisms. The serine phosphorylation hypothesis can potentially explain two major features of PCOS—hyperandrogenemia and insulin resistance. Further defining the molecular mechanisms regulating androgen biosynthesis and insulin action in PCOS patients will permit a better understanding of the syndrome and may lead to the generation of novel specific pharmacologic therapies.
Long-term outcomes for remedial students.

Abstract A recent survey of dental schools concluded that current efforts toward remediation are inadequate. A remedial waxing course providing recognition training before production attempts, emphasis on formative self- and peer-evaluation of projects, and application of a highly structured format for ensuring relevant practice had been developed and favorably evaluated previously. The current report follows the progress of two differently trained remedial groups and the remainder of the class in two courses following remediation. On the five subsequent practical examinations analyzed, the experimental group continued to perform at the class mean. On one practical examination, the experimental group significantly outperformed the traditional group ( p
Studies on the Transmission of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus by Arthropods

the virus of lymphocytic choriomeningitis either in man or animals is unknown. The present studies were undertaken to study the behavior of this virus in certain arthropods to discover, if possible, its natural vectors. The arthropods tested were Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus, bedbugs (Cimex lectularius), rhesus monkey lice (Eupedicinus longiceps) and a bloodsucking mite (Atricholaelaps glasgowi). Although the virus is excreted in the urine1 and nasal secretions 1'2 of susceptible laboratory animals and man, various workers 3'4'5'6 have reported that the infection is not readily transmitted by contact or feeding. Traub7 and Haas,8 however, have shown that white mice convey infection to their offspring in utero and in infancy and that naturally infected mice transmit infection by contact more readily than do artificially infected animals. Evidence that gray mice (Mus musculus) are an effective reservoir of the choriomeningitis virus from which man may become infected is shown by the recent work of Armstrong, Wallace, and Ross.9 These
A model in vitro system for assessing the effects of oxidant stressor agents on red cells with chemically‐induced superoxide dismutase deficiency

Abstract An in vitro test system was established to determine the oxidant Stressor effects of various agents on erythrocytes having low Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The compound, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) was used to inhibit SOD activity in normal human erythrocytes. SOD activity was reduced to 67%, 50% and 41% of normal via the action of 1 mM, 2 mM and 4mM DDC, respectively. Five environmental agents, carbaryl, copper, nitrite, paraquat and p‐chloroaniline, were evaluated. P‐chloroaniline (5 mM) and carbaryl (2 mM) caused significantly raised methemoglobin levels (p = .001) in erythrocytes with 41% of normal SOD activity. Linear regression analyses indicated that a significant linear increase in methemoglobin levels (p = .001) occurred for erythrocytes, having reduced SOD activity, incubated with p‐chloroaniline and carbaryl.
A comparative study of the fluorescent antibody test for rabies diagnosis in fresh and formalin-fixed brain tissue specimens

Many diagnostic methods have been used to detect rabies virus antigen. The preferred method for routine diagnosis of rabies in fresh or frozen brain tissues is the fluorescent antibody test (FAT). In this study, the FAT was used to evaluate the rabies status of fresh/frozen brain specimens from more than 800 rabies-suspected cases, in more than 14 different species of animals. A comparable brain specimen from each case was fixed in 10% buffered formalin and examined by the FAT. The evaluation of rabies status between fresh and formalin-fixed tissues was in agreement in more than 99.8% of the cases. When fresh tissue is not available for testing, these results validate the use of this procedure for routine diagnosis of rabies in formalin-fixed brain tissues.
A Logic Design Front-End for Improved Engineering Productivity

We have developed Design and Verification (DAV) as a new design front-end for the IBM Engineering Design System. DAV is a menu-driven system with powerful graphics capabilities for the entry and verification of a logic design. The design is hierarchically structured, using high-level technology-independent operators that can be simulated and verified at a purely logical level, then transformed into specific technologies and checked for LSSD rules and physical design constraints. The stated goals of DAV are for the product to get to the market in 30% less time, with 40% lower design cost, and with 98% percent of the errors removed prior to hardware prototyping. We expect to achieve these goals fully.
Carcinoma of the anus: a review.

M ALIGNANCIES of the anus, included with other neoplasms of the rectosigmoid, rectum, or anorectum by many authors, have been recognized recently as cancers requiring unique diagnostic and treatment considerations and subclassification as anal neoplasms. Although a variety of malignancies (including melanomas, carcinomas, sarcomas, lymphomas, Kaposi’s sarcoma, extramammary Paget’s disease, and Bowen’s disease) occur in the anus, this review is limited to epithelial malignancies (carcinomas) of the anus.
Measuring Popularity in Social Network Groups

As the number of users of social network sites increases, the amount of produced information is also increasing at a very fast rate, concerning various types of shared contents like messages, photos, videos and even links, as well as information related to user interactions. Due to this, it becomes necessary to help users to better filter and select the information that will be more useful to them according to their personal interests. Social networking environments typically promote the organization of their users according to groups of individuals who are related through their common characteristics, interests, and interactions. In this paper we present an approach for assisting the user in the evaluation of popularity of the information shared in the context of social networking groups, and we propose a model for measuring the relevance of a user to a group and the group relevance for its members, based on the popularity and freshness of the contents posted by the users. We describe an architecture supporting the model implementation in the Facebook social network, and we describe a Facebook application that collects information concerning the user groups, and the users activities within the groups. The application offers a simple interface where users can have access to some statistic values concerning group-related relevance indicators, for example allowing to observe the users who contribute positively to the group activity, as well as the ones that produce less relevant information or have less activity in a group. We present experimental results of our study, and preliminary conclusions regarding the observation of the behavior of users and groups.
Impedance of Transfer Standards Used in the Calibration of High-Speed Samplers and Pulse Generators

The impedance of the calibration artifact or transfer standard (TS; pulse generator or sampler) is often ignored in high-speed pulse metrology. Using an air line as an integral part of the TS for providing a known impedance for calibration of other instruments is described. The utility of this method is compared to that of using a TS for which its impedance is determined by some other instrument.
Effects of crystallization in the presence of the opposite enantiomer on the crystal properties of (ss)-( + )-pseudoephedrinium salicylate

Abstract Previous work ( Int. J. Pharm. , 94 (1993) 171–179) with (RS)-(-)-ephedrinium 2-naphthalenesulfonate, which forms a racemic compound with its opposite enantiomer, has shown that crystallization of the homochiral crystal (host) from aqueous solution containing traces of the opposite enantiomer (guest) leads to uptake of the guest with significant changes in various thermodynamic properties, including an increase in the intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR), perhaps through lattice disruption. The present work tests this possibility with a different but related chiral drug, (SS)-( + )-pseudoephedrinium salicylate, which forms a racemic conglomerate, instead of a racemic compound, with its opposite enantiomer. Increasing concentrations of the guest in the aqueous crystallization solution led to its increasing incorporation into the host crystals, corresponding to a segregation coefficient of 0.24. With increasing mole fraction, x 2 , of the guest in the crystals, the IDR of the compacts increased to a maximum (12% increase at x 2 = 0.0076) and then decreased. Meanwhile, with increasing x 2 , the enthalpy of fusion, ΔH f , entropy of fusion, ΔS f , and enthalpy of solution, ΔH s , decreased to minima (4–5% decreases at x 2 = 0.0028), suggesting disruption of the crystal lattice of the host and an increase in lattice strain, and then increased, suggesting a release of lattice strain. The water content (0.006 mole fraction) and melting point (405.2 ± 1.2 K) were not significantly affected. The change in the free energy of solution, estimated from the IDR, was approximately linearly related to the calorimetric ΔH s , suggesting enthalpy-entropy compensation. ΔS f and ΔS s decreased linearly with increasing ideal entropy of mixing, corresponding to values of 24.7 and 21.4, respectively, for the ‘disruption index’ ( Int. J. Pharm. , 25 (1985) 57–72, 28 (1986) 103–112). These relatively high values indicate significant disruption of the crystal lattice of the host, suggesting potentiation of crystal defects by the incorporated guest.
Sharing the Riches of the Earth: Democratizing Natural Resource-Led Development

Many developing countries are attempting to use their natural resource endowments – notably oil, natural gas, and minerals such as gold – as the basis for economic growth and development. Recent history, however, indicates that countries that depend heavily on resource extraction do more poorly on a variety of economic indicators, including growth rates, education levels, and income inequality. This is due in significant part to the way in which wealth derived from resource extraction is concentrated in the hands of a small elite, which often misuses these revenues through corruption, poorly planned investments, and other means. This contrasts with other kinds of economic activity, such as agriculture, in which benefits are distributed more widely. Thus, a key to increasing the development and poverty reduction benefit value of resource extraction is breaking elite control of these revenues and increasing public involvement in decision-making related to their use. Doing so would enhance the likelihood that these funds would be employed with greater concern for the needs of the populace. The experiences of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia highlight the importance of increasing distributive justice and public participation in resource revenue distribution and provide insights into how this could be implemented in resource-dependent economies.
Resident Peritoneal NK cells

In this study, we describe a new population of NK cells that reside in the normal, uninflamed peritoneal cavity. Phenotypically, they share some similarities with the small population of CD49b(-), CD27(+) immature splenic NK cells, as well as liver NK cells, but they differ in their expression of CD62L, TRAIL, and EOMES. Functionally, the peritoneal NK cells resemble the immature splenic NK cells in their production of IFN-γ, GM-CSF, and TNF-α and in the killing of YAC-1 target cells. We also found that the peritoneum induces different behavior in mature and immature splenic NK cells. When transferred i.v. into RAGγc knockout mice, both populations undergo homeostatic proliferation in the spleen, but only the immature splenic NK cells are able to reach the peritoneum. When transferred directly into the peritoneum, the mature NK cells survive but do not divide, whereas the immature NK cells proliferate profusely. These data suggest that the peritoneum is not only home to a new subset of tissue-resident NK cells, but that it differentially regulates the migration and homeostatic proliferation of immature versus mature NK cells.
The past, present, and future of comparative effectiveness research in the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

A particular challenge for the healthcare provider and the patient is to choose among competing therapeutic approaches for a particular condition. Often, the relative benefits and risks of potential therapies are not uniformly available from the existing scientific information. Many have pointed to the need for more comparative effectiveness research (CER) to aide in these decisions. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a long history of conducting CER. The success of the VA CER program has been facilitated by several important aspects of scientific infrastructure related to (1) research question refinement, (2) study design, planning and coordination, (3) evidence synthesis, and (4) implementation research. In publications that had VA coauthors in 2 major medical journals, 25% of the published studies were classified as CER. The most frequent categories of study were pharmaceutical and behavioral interventions. In the future, the CER enterprise will move toward increased input from clinicians in research topic choice and enhanced consideration of other methodologies besides the randomized controlled trial. © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. • The American Journal of Medicine (2010) 123, e3-e7
Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms: current status and future directions.

289 ndovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms with stent-grafts is a new catheter-based, imagingguided procedure that has the potential to redefine the traditional approach to the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm. In addition, this technology crosses traditional practice boundaries and is the focus of intense entrepreneurial activity by the medical–industrial complex. Imaging plays a major role in the preprocedural patient evaluation, implantation of stentgrafts, and patient follow-up. This article will review the current status of stent-grafts for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm in the United States, with emphasis on the clinical aspects important to the radiology community as a whole.
Embeddability properties of countable metric spaces

Abstract For subspaces X and Y of Q the notation X ⩽ h Y means that X is homeomorphic to a subspace of Y and X ∼ Y means X ⩽ h Y ⩽ h X . The resulting set P ( Q ) / ∼ of equivalence classes X ¯ = { Y ⊆ Q : Y ∼ X } is partially-ordered by the relation X ¯ ⩽ h Y ¯ if X ⩽ h Y . It is shown that ( P ( Q ) , ⩽ h ) is partially well-ordered in the sense that it lacks infinite anti-chains and infinite strictly descending chains. A characterization of ( P ( Q ) , ⩽ h ) in terms of scattered subspaces of Q with finite Cantor–Bendixson rank is given and several results relating Cantor–Bendixson rank to this embeddability ordering are established. These results are obtained by studying a local homeomorphism invariant (type) for countable scattered metric spaces.
Synthetic aperture radar in geosynchronous orbit

Radar images of the earth were taken with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) from geosynchronous orbital ranges by utilizing satellite motion relative to a geostationary position. A suitable satellite motion was obtained by having an orbit plane inclined relative to the equatorial plane and by having an eccentric orbit. Potential applications of these SAR images are topography, water resource management and soil moisture determination. Preliminary calculations show that the United States can be mapped with 100 m resolution cells in about 4 hours. With the use of microwave signals the mapping can be performed day or night, through clouds and during adverse weather.
Songs America Used to Sing

Coad describes the Rutgers Library collection of "song sheets" from Victorian America.Â The song sheets generally have the words but not the musical notation of the songs.Â The predominate mood of the songs is sentimentality.Â These bits of ephemera are significant, according to Coad, for the following reason: "Commanding in their day an audience of millions, they offer some documented insight into the average American mind of their time."
Otologics Active Middle Ear Implants

This article describes outcomes for the Otologics active middle ear implant for the semi-implantable and fully implantable (Carina, Otologics LLC, Boulder, CO) devices. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are reported in detail for surgical and audiologic management. Results from the clinical trial demonstrated no change for unaided air and bone conduction thresholds and no significant change in monosyllabic word scores or sentences in noise. Experiments are reported for conductive and mixed types of hearing losses in animal and human cadaveric models. These devices are in their infancy, and further study is needed to better identify candidates and develop appropriate expectations.
Ford SYNC and Microsoft Windows Embedded Automotive Make Digital Lifestyle a Reality on the Road

With Ford SYNC, Microsoft Corporation and Ford Motor Company have democratized in-vehicle infotainment systems delighting consumers and bringing a new kind of agility to the automobile industry. Built on Microsoft Auto (now Windows Embedded Automotive), Ford SYNC is a factory-installed, voicecontrolled communications and entertainment system that allows drivers to converge their digital lifestyle with their life on the road. Windows Embedded Automotive is an industry leading technology platform that provides integrated infotainment features and a rich user interface. Car manufacturers and suppliers worldwide can use this software to create differentiated, infotainment in-vehicle systems that are immediately attractive to consumers. This white paper will examine: • Past approaches to in-car infotainment system development; • The evolution of the Windows Embedded Automotive platform as Microsoft addressed market readiness and other business/technical issues through collaboration with the automotive industry; • How Ford and Microsoft had a common vision, validated it with research, and worked in partnership to bring the vision to market, giving consumers the ability to combine their digital lifestyle with their life on the road; • How the auto manufacturer democratized in-car systems by delivering it first on the most affordable car in Ford's line-up, the Focus sedan and coupe, to the increasing surprise and delight of its customers; • The collaborative marketing campaign that leveraged Ford and Microsoft brand name recognition around the globe; • Positive business results generated by Ford SYNC, including broad consumer satisfaction with the technology; and, • The future of Ford SYNC and Windows Embedded Automotive technology.
Mode-based MIMO antenna channels for diversity, gain and bandwidth

Information channels supported by orthogonal radiation modes in a coupled antenna system are ideal choices to form MIMO signal channels. Due to their orthogonal nature in radiation, it can potentially result in coupling free and correlation free channels regardless of antenna size and spacing. Those channels can be used toward enhancements of diversity, gain and bandwidth for the benefit of the system capacity. This paper provides an overview on the full potential of a coupled antenna system in terms of its mode-based antenna channels.
7B2 Prevents Unfolding and Aggregation of Prohormone Convertase 2

Prohormone convertase 2 (PC2) requires interaction with the neuroendocrine protein 7B2 for the production of an activatable zymogen; the mechanism for this effect is unknown. 7B2 could act proactively to generate an activation-competent form of pro-PC2 during synthesis, or block spontaneous generation of activation-incompetent forms. We here demonstrate that addition of exogenous recombinant 7B2 to CHO cells expressing pro-PC2 prevented the unfolding and aggregation of secreted PC2 forms in a dose-dependent manner, as assessed by aggregation assays, activity assays, cross-linking experiments, and sucrose density gradients. Intracellular pro-PC2 was also found to exist in part as higher-order oligomers that were reduced in the presence of coexpressed 7B2. 7B2 addition did not result in the acquisition of enzymatic competence unless added before or very rapidly after pro-PC2 secretion, indicating that an activation-competent structure cannot be maintained in the absence of 7B2. Velocity sedimentation experiments showed that addition of extracellular 7B2 solubilized three different PC2 species from a precipitable aggregate: two activatable pro-PC2 species, the intact zymogen and a zymogen with a partially cleaved propeptide, and an inactive 66-kDa form. Our results suggest that 7B2 possesses chaperone activity that blocks partially unfolded pro-PC2 forms from losing catalytic competence and then aggregating. The loss of the catalytically competent conformer appears to represent the earliest indicator of pro-PC2 unfolding and is followed on a slower time scale by the appearance of aggregates. Because 7B2 expression is not confined to areas expressing pro-PC2, 7B2 may represent a general intracellular and extracellular secretory chaperone.
Joint Model of Choice of Residential Neighborhood and Bicycle Ownership: Accounting for Self-Selection and Unobserved Heterogeneity

This paper presents a joint model of residential neighborhood type choice and bicycle ownership. The objective is to isolate the true causal effects of neighborhood attributes on household bicycle ownership from a spurious association because of residential self-selection effects. The joint model accounts for residential self-selection because of both observed sociodemographic characteristics and unobserved preferences. In addition, the model allows differential residential self-selection effects across different sociodemographic segments. The model was estimated by using a sample of more than 5,000 households from the San Francisco, California, Bay Area. Furthermore, a policy simulation analysis was carried out to estimate the impacts of neighborhood characteristics and sociodemographics on bicycle ownership. The model results show a substantial presence of residential self-selection effects because of observed sociodemographics, such as the number of children, dwelling type, and house ownership. It is s...
Protecting Protected Speech: Why Schwarzenegger Must Terminate Violent Video Game Legislation

This Note argues that current and future efforts to regulate violent video games should and will continue to fail constitutional scrutiny. Legislators should instead focus on mandating that video game developers and retailers participate in the exceedingly successful Entertainment Software Rating Board (“ESRB”) rating system. The upcoming Supreme Court decision Entertainment Merchants Association v. Schwarzenegger provides the Court with the opportunity to clarify the role of government in shielding children from objectionable media and where, if at all, violent video games fit into obscenity jurisprudence.
Age Differences and Inter-relationships between Skill and Learning in Gross Motor Performance of Ten- and Fifteen-Year-Old Boys

Abstract The speed of performance of a sensory-motor skill is slower in 10-year-old than in 15-year-old boys, in both initial performance and in final performance after learning has reached a plateau. The younger boys improve more, have less task-specificity, and their individual differences in learning have a greater influence in determining final skill than is the case for the older boys. Within each age group, the amount of learning tends to be the same in similar tasks that differ in initial speed of performance. Fifty per cent or less of individual differences in motor learning are predictable from the pre-learning performance, and the direction of the relationship is negative, showing the futility of attempting to measure educability from performance level. Learning ability must be tested directly.
Preservation of Ovarian Function after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT): More Possible Than We Thought?

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 21 (2015) S171eS184 S178 and level of supportive care given was significantly higher in patients with icterus than without (P 1⁄4 0.224) and P1⁄4 0.0081) respectively. Total days for disease resolution in patients with icterus was 32 days compared to 16 days for those without (p1⁄40.022). Nine of the patients with icterus received specific treatment compared to only one in the anicteric group. Seven cases were diagnosed with VOD by the Seattle criteria at a median of day +15 post HSCT, but treatment was delayed by 1-11 days for lack of hyperbilirubinemia, 2 of these never developed hyperbilirubinemia; 4 of 7 cases died. Overall 2 with anicteric and 12 cases with icteric VOD died. Discussion: The Baltimore criteria appear to bemore stringent and cases with anicteric VOD do not meet these diagnostic criteria. This retrospective study describes the features of anicteric VOD at a single center. Even if the patients met the Seattle criteria, treatment was delayed for lack of hyperbilirubinemia or flow reversal on hepatic ultrasound, neither of which are required criteria. Patients with anicteric VOD had a better outcome than those with hyperbilirubinemia, but our study shows that there can be significant morbidity and even mortality associated with anicteric VOD. There seems to be a poor understanding and awareness of anicteric VOD as a diagnosis.Earlierdisease recognitioncould lead tomorepromptand aggressive treatment leading to improved outcomes.
Inferring local transition functions of discrete dynamical systems from observations of system behavior

Abstract We consider the problem of inferring the local transition functions of discrete dynamical systems from observed behavior. Our focus is on synchronous systems whose local transition functions are threshold functions. We assume that the topology of the system is known and that the goal is to infer a threshold value for each node so that the system produces the observed behavior. We show that some of these inference problems are efficiently solvable while others are NP -complete, even when the underlying graph of the dynamical system is a simple path. We identify a fixed parameter tractable problem in this context. We also consider constrained versions of threshold inference problems where the input includes a set of equality or inequality constraints (which specify pairs of nodes which must have the same threshold value or different threshold values). We present algorithmic and complexity results for several constrained threshold inference problems.
Animal Models in Biomedical Research

The use of animals in biomedical research has an extensive history which no single chapter could hope to completely cover. This chapter examines both the historical use of animals in research and contemporary uses. The chapter focuses on several fields of animal research to illustrate the progressive nature of research and puts research findings into their perspective by illustrating how multiple disciplines, investigators, and animal models are often necessary to make historic progress. Principles of animal model selection are highlighted as methods to create animal models.
Do You Get What You Paid For? An Examination of Products Advertised as Kratom

Although some novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are newly discovered chemicals, others are traditional or indigenous substances that are introduced to new markets. One of these latter substances is a plant many people refer to as kratom. Indigenous to Southeast Asia and used for a variety of instrumental and recreational purposes, kratom has recently become available to Western drug users. Kratom is somewhat unique in that the plant contains two different psychoactive chemicals, which have both stimulant (mitragynine) and narcotic (7-hydroxymitragynine) properties. Thus, kratom may appeal to different types of drug users for reasons other than curiosity. In the current study, 15 samples of products that were either directly advertised as kratom or were listed in the results of a web search (but were not directly advertised as kratom) were purchased for testing. After laboratory testing, it was determined that all products advertised as kratom contained the active chemical mitragynine, but 7-hydroxymitragynine was not detected in any of the samples. Implications are discussed.
Forecasting climate change impacts on plant populations over large spatial extents

Plant population models are powerful tools for predicting climate change impacts in one location, but are difficult to apply at landscape scales. We overcome this limitation by taking advantage of two recent advances: remotely sensed, species-specific estimates of plant cover and statistical models developed for spatiotemporal dynamics of animal populations. Using computationally efficient model reparameterizations, we fit a spatiotemporal population model to a 28-year time series of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) percent cover over a 2.5 × 5 km landscape in southwestern Wyoming while formally accounting for spatial autocorrelation. We include interannual variation in precipitation and temperature as covariates in the model to investigate how climate affects the cover of sagebrush. We then use the model to forecast the future abundance of sagebrush at the landscape scale under projected climate change, generating spatially explicit estimates of sagebrush population trajectories that have, until now, been impossible to produce at this scale. Our broadscale and long-term predictions are rooted in small-scale and short-term population dynamics and provide an alternative to predictions offered by species distribution models that do not include population dynamics. Our approach, which combines several existing techniques in a novel way, demonstrates the use of remote sensing data to model population responses to environmental change that play out at spatial scales far greater than the traditional field study plot.
An evolutionarily conserved transcriptional response to viral infection in Caenorhabditis nematodes

Caenorhabditis elegans is a powerful model organism for probing many biological processes including host-pathogen interactions with bacteria and fungi. The recent identification of nematode viruses that naturally infect C. elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae provides a unique opportunity to define host-virus interactions in these model hosts. We analyzed the transcriptional response of pathogen infected C. elegans and C. briggsae by RNA-seq. We identified a total of 320 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in C. elegans following Orsay virus infection. The DEGs of known function were enriched for ubiquitin ligase related genes; however, the majority of the genes were of unknown function. Interestingly, many DEGs that responded to Orsay virus infection were similar to those induced by Nematocida parisii infection, which is a natural microsporidia pathogen of C. elegans that like Orsay virus infects intestinal cells. Furthermore, comparison of the Orsay virus DEGs in C. elegans to Santeuil virus DEGs in C. briggsae identified 58 C. elegans genes whose orthologs were likewise differentially expressed in C. briggsae, thereby defining an evolutionarily conserved response to viral infection. The two different species C. elegans and C. briggsae, which diverged ~18 million years ago, share a common set of transcriptionally responsive genes to viral infection. Furthermore, a subset of these genes were also differentially expressed following infection by a eukaryotic pathogen, N. parisii, suggesting that these genes may constitute a broader pan-microbial response to infection.
Negotiated Decentralized Aircraft Conflict Resolution

This paper describes a sequential bargaining process that provides negotiated, decentralized aircraft conflict resolution. This process is decentralized in that it allows each aircraft to propose its own trajectories and assess their cost using its own private information. At each stage in the process, aircraft broadcast to each other proposed trajectories and then identify the response trajectories they would need to fly to avoid a conflict with the other’s proposed trajectories. If the cost of any response trajectory is less than or equal to its corresponding proposed trajectory, then a resolution has been found; otherwise, the process iterates with the requirement that the next set of proposed trajectories incur greater portions of the cost of resolving the conflict. Convergence of the process and methods for describing constraints on the trajectories is examined in computational experiments. Finally, the process is demonstrated in a large-scale simulation spanning an en route air traffic control center’s operations for five hours.
Adverse Events of Atomoxetine in a Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study in Children with Autism

Abstract Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, including inattention and over activity, occur in approximately one-third of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We describe the rate and duration of adverse events in a randomized controlled trial of atomoxetine (ATX) and parent training (PT) for ADHD symptoms and noncompliance in children with ASD. Methods: We conducted a 10-week, double-blind, 2 × 2 trial of ATX and PT with 128 children (ages 5–14) randomized to ATX alone, ATX+PT, placebo+PT, or placebo alone. For 6 weeks, ATX (or placebo) doses were clinically adjusted to a maximum of 1.8 mg/(kg·day) and maintained for an additional 4 weeks. An average of seven PT sessions were conducted in the two PT arms. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed through parent ratings of common symptoms on a seven-point Likert severity scale and through direct interviews with study medical staff. Results: ATX was associated with decreased appetite and fatigue, but was otherwise well to...
Modeling Soot Oxidation and Gasification with Bayesian Statistics

This paper presents a statistical method for model calibration using data collected from literature. The method is used to calibrate parameters for global models of soot consumption in combustion systems. This consumption is broken into two different submodels: first for oxidation where soot particles are attacked by certain oxidizing agents; second for gasification where soot particles are attacked by H2O or CO2 molecules. Rate data were collected from 19 studies in the literature and evaluated using Bayesian statistics to calibrate the model parameters. Bayesian statistics are valued in their ability to quantify uncertainty in modeling. The calibrated consumption model with quantified uncertainty is presented here along with a discussion of associated implications. The oxidation results are found to be consistent with previous studies. Significant variation is found in the CO2 gasification rates.
Infant feeding patterns and eczema in children in the first 6 years of life.

SummaryBackground Modes of infant feeding such as direct and indirect breastfeeding, and formula feeding, and their combinations may play a role in child health. Objective The aim was to investigate which feeding patterns in the first 6 months pose risks of eczema/skin allergy in children up to 6 years compared to direct breastfeeding for at least 3 months. Methods The Infant Feeding Practices Study II in the United States and its 6-year follow-up provided data on feeding modes in infancy and doctor's diagnosed eczema/skin allergy in the first 6 years of life (1387 infants), based on parental reports. Different feeding patterns were identified. Log-linear models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) of feeding patterns for doctor's diagnosed eczema/skin allergy in the first 6 years of life, adjusting for confounders. Results Compared to “direct breastfeeding for at least 3 months” (DBF3m), the combination of “direct feeding at the breast (DBF), pumping and feeding breast milk (BM), and formula (FF) in the first months” (DBF/BM/FF) showed a statistically significant higher risk of eczema/skin allergy in the first 6 years of life (PR = 1.46), adjusting for confounders. DBF combined with BM for the first 3 months followed by mixed feeding also had an increased risk (PR = 1.26), although not statistically significant. Formula feeding introduced since birth had no effect on eczema. Among the confounders, paternal eczema and race/ethnicity (Hispanic vs White) were associated with a higher risk of eczema/skin allergy. Conclusions & Clinical Relevance Mixed infant feeding may carry a higher risk of eczema/skin allergy compared to direct feeding at the breast. The recent epidemic of pumping and feeding in the United States and the use of mixed infant feeding modes requires additional studies to provide appropriate and renewed assessments of the risks of feeding modes for the future development of allergies.
Neurologic Manifestations of Primary Sjögren Syndrome

The neurologic manifestations of primary Sjogren syndrome are varied and can be divided anatomically into 2 categories: peripheral neuropathies and central nervous system (CNS) conditions. Distal sensory and sensorimotor neuropathies are the most common manifestations of peripheral nerve disease in primary Sjogren syndrome. CNS manifestations associated with primary Sjogren syndrome include focal central lesions, conditions that mimic multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, aseptic meningitis, cerebellar syndromes, movement disorders, and problems with memory, cognition, and depression. The heterogeneity of neurologic manifestations in primary Sjogren syndrome complicates the approach to treatment, which should be directed toward the underlying neuropathologic mechanism.
La independencia del banco central y el desempeño macroeconómico: algunas evidencias comparativas

No abstract available.Realidad: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades No. 66, 1998: 587-601
The Chaperonin GroEL: A Versatile Tool for Applied Biotechnology Platforms

The nucleotide-free chaperonin GroEL is capable of capturing transient unfolded or partially unfolded states that flicker in and out of existence due to large-scale protein dynamic vibrational modes. In this work, three short vignettes are presented to highlight our continuing advances in the application of GroEL biosensor biolayer interferometry (BLI) technologies and includes expanded uses of GroEL as a molecular scaffold for electron microscopy determination. The first example presents an extension of the ability to detect dynamic pre-aggregate transients in therapeutic protein solutions where the assessment of the kinetic stability of any folded protein or, as shown herein, quantitative detection of mutant-type protein when mixed with wild-type native counterparts. Secondly, using a BLI denaturation pulse assay with GroEL, the comparison of kinetically controlled denaturation isotherms of various von Willebrand factor (vWF) triple A domain mutant-types is shown. These mutant-types are single point mutations that locally disorder the A1 platelet binding domain resulting in one gain of function and one loss of function phenotype. Clear, separate, and reproducible kinetic deviations in the mutant-type isotherms exist when compared with the wild-type curve. Finally, expanding on previous electron microscopy (EM) advances using GroEL as both a protein scaffold surface and a release platform, examples are presented where GroEL-protein complexes can be imaged using electron microscopy tilt series and the low-resolution structures of aggregation-prone proteins that have interacted with GroEL. The ability of GroEL to bind hydrophobic regions and transient partially folded states allows one to employ this unique molecular chaperone both as a versatile structural scaffold and as a sensor of a protein's folded states.
Critical Temperatures of Soot Formation

A review of critical temperatures for soot formation considering new experimental results from Princeton University and other sources is given. From this the conclusion is drawn that incipient particle formation controls the total mass of soot formed in any process. Approaches to preventing soot formation and growth should be to prevent any soot particles from forming.
Obstructive Lung Diseases

Mechanical ventilation is often used in the setting of acute exacerbations of obstructive lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These disorders are characterized by increased airway resistance secondary to bronchospasm and airway inflammation, collapse, and remodeling, often leading to inefficient exhalation and expiratory flow limitation. Patients with obstructive lung disease and inefficient exhalation usually require a longer expiratory time to achieve full exhalation.
Metaphysics: The Basics

Metaphysics: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to the philosophical study of some of the most important and foundational aspects of the world in which we live. Concerned with questions about existence, time, identity, change, and other basic elements of our common-sense and scientific ways of thinking about the world, metaphysics has long fascinated people. But to the uninitiated, many of the issues and problems can appear bewilderingly complex and intractable. In this lively and lucid book, Michael Rea examines and explains the core questions in the study of metaphysics—questions such as: What is the relationship between an object and its properties, or between an object and its parts? What is time, and is time travel possible? Are human beings free? What is it for an object or person to persist over time? This second edition has been thoroughly revised and includes a new chapter on the metaphysics of gender. With suggestions for further reading and a glossary of key terms, Metaphysics: The Basics is an ideal introduction for those coming to the subject for the first time.
Chlorine-36∕beryllium-10 burial dating of alluvial fan sediments associated with the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas Fault system, California, USA

Abstract. We apply cosmogenic-nuclide burial dating using the 36Cl -in-K-feldspar ∕ 10Be -in-quartz pair in fluvially transported granitoid clasts to determine the age of alluvial sediment displaced by the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas Fault in southern California. Because the half-lives of 36Cl and 10Be are more different than those of the commonly used 26Al∕10Be pair, 36Cl∕10Be burial dating should be applicable to sediments in the range ca. 0.2–0.5 Ma, which is too young to be accurately dated with the 26Al∕10Be pair, and should be more precise for Middle and Late Pleistocene sediments in general. However, using the 36Cl∕10Be pair is more complex because the 36Cl∕10Be production ratio varies with the chemical composition of each sample. We use 36Cl∕10Be measurements in samples of granodiorite exposed at the surface at present to validate calculations of the 36Cl∕10Be production ratio in this lithology, and then we apply this information to determine the burial age of alluvial clasts of the same lithology. This particular field area presents the additional obstacle to burial dating (which is not specific to the 36Cl∕10Be pair, but would apply to any) that most buried alluvial clasts are derived from extremely rapidly eroding parts of the San Bernardino Mountains and have correspondingly extremely low nuclide concentrations, the majority of which most likely derive from nucleogenic (for 36Cl ) and post-burial production. Although this precludes accurate burial dating of many clasts, data from surface and subsurface samples with higher nuclide concentrations, originating from lower-erosion-rate source areas, show that the age of upper Cabezon Formation alluvium is 260 ka. This is consistent with stratigraphic age constraints as well as independent estimates of long-term fault slip rates, and it highlights the potential usefulness of the 36Cl∕10Be pair for dating Upper and Middle Pleistocene clastic sediments.
Parametric Response Map (PRM) Analysis Improves Response Assessment in Gliomas

Current strategies for treatment and management of gliomas incorporate molecular markers to individualize patient care. Physiologic imaging identifies treatment-associated alterations in tissue properties including cellular viability, vascular function, and molecular response. Imaging biomarkers provide a noninvasive approach for early treatment response assessment and are an important tool to individualize patient management. Gliomas are heterogeneous tumors. Parametric response mapping (PRM) is a novel voxel-wise imaging analysis method which directly addresses the issue of tumor heterogeneity. PRM image analysis improves the predictive accuracy of imaging biomarkers in clinical applications including treatment response assessment. A multi-parametric imaging biomarker derived from MR perfusion and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using a PRM analysis method provides early identification of high-grade glioma chemoradiation resistance. Further validation of PRM-derived imaging biomarkers is required prior to routine clinical application as an early treatment response marker.
It Takes a Village to Fight Human Trafficking: College and Community Connections

This chapter is a culmination of the role of a college in the fight against human trafficking by offering system-wide collaboration to fight this crime, guided by Florida statute, within the Public Affairs Triumvirate leadership strategy. Moved by this humanitarian concern, Valencia College engaged many stakeholders to offer an all-inclusive seminar labelled “tips to trail to recovery” that included investigations at the local, state, and federal level; state and federal prosecution; the judiciary and courts; social services and healthcare; prevention and intervention strategies; non-government organizations and university and college connections. After the seminar, a book was published by the author and regional experts to dissolve boundaries across disciplines and offer an extraordinary perspective to fight human trafficking, and strengthen a community to transform lives.
Competition and labor productivity in India's retail stores

The paper analyzes the effect of product market competition on the average productivity of labor in India's retail sector. The author use a new dataset of 1,948 retail stores located in 41 cities of India compiled by the World Bank's enterprise surveys. According to the survey, 62 percent of the stores do not face any significant competition. The empirical analysis establishes a strong causal effect of competition on labor productivity of stores. The estimates suggest an increase of 87 percent in labor productivity from pro-competitive reforms.