cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cytoplasmic Terminus of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Glycoprotein B Is Not Essential for Virion Egress and Infectivity

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)-encoded glycoprotein B (gB) is an important determinant of viral infectivity and virion egress. A small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based strategy was devised to inhibit KSHV gB gene expression. Transient cotransfection of plasmids constitutively expressing gB and anti-gB siRNAs in 293 cells substantially inhibited gB mRNA levels and protein production. Similarly, transient expression of siRNAs into the primary effusion lymphoma cell line BCBL-1 caused a substantial reduction of gB transcripts and protein synthesis. TaqMan real-time PCR assays against the lytic KSHV gene ORF59 and infectivity assays on 293 cells were employed to assess the effect of inhibiting gB synthesis on virion egress from BCBL-1 cells and infectivity on 293 cells, respectively. These experiments showed that gB was essential for virion egress and infectivity. Transfection of a codon-optimized gB gene with the first 540 nucleotides altered, and therefore not recognized by anti-gB siRNAs that target the native but not the codon-optimized sequence, efficiently rescued virion egress and infectivity in BCBL-1 cells in the presence of siRNAs inhibiting wild-type gB expression. To assess the role of the cytoplasmic domain of gB in virion egress, mutant gB genes were generated specifying carboxyl terminal truncations of 25 and 58 amino acids disrupting two prominent predicted α-helical domains associated with virus-induced cell fusion. A third truncation removed the entire predicted cytoplasmic terminus of 84 amino acids, while a fourth truncation removed 110 amino acids, including the terminal most hydrophobic, intramembrane anchoring sequence. Virion egress experiments revealed that all truncated gBs facilitated virion egress from BCBL-1 cells, with the exception of the largest 110-amino-acid truncation, which removed the gB anchoring sequence. Importantly, the gB truncation that removed the entire predicted cytoplasmic domain increased virion egress, suggesting the presence of a egress regulation domain located proximal to the intramembrane sequence within the cytoplasmic domain of gB. All supernatant virions were infectious on 293 cells, indicating that the carboxyl terminus of gB is not essential for either virion egress or virus infectivity.
Development of Candida albicans and C. albicans/Escherichia coli/Bacteroides fragilis intraperitoneal abscess models with demonstration of fungus-induced bacterial translocation

The development of models of both Candida albicans and mixed C. albicans/Escherichia coli/Bacillus fragilis peritonitis in immunologically normal mice are described, each with significant mortality and intra-abdominal abscess formation. C. albicans inoculated alone induced bacterial translocation into abscesses, and the addition of bacteria reduced the number of, but did not eliminate, C. albicans in abscesses. There was no synergy seen between fungi and bacteria in terms of either morbidity or mortality.
Synapses, Signals, CDs, and Cytokines: Interactions of the Autonomic Nervous System and Immunity in Hypertension

In the past several years, there has been increasing interest in the roles of inflammation and immunity in hypertension. Inflammatory cells, including macrophages and T cells, are commonly observed in the kidneys of hypertensive animals, and select immunosuppressive agents lower blood pressure and prevent end-organ damage in experimental hypertension.1,2 Depending on their phenotype, macrophages can release reactive oxygen species, matrix metalloproteinases, and cytokines that promote tissue damage, change gene expression, induce vascular remodeling, and lead to vasoconstriction and renal damage. Indeed, mice with reduced monocytes and macrophages develop less vascular remodeling, endothelial dysfunction, and vascular oxidative stress compared with wild-type mice in response to either angiotensin II or deoxycorticosterone acetate salt challenge.3 Recently, genetic deletion of macrophages has been shown to blunt virtually all consequences of angiotensin II infusion, including blood pressure elevation, induction of vascular adhesion molecules, vascular dysfunction, and superoxide production.4 Article, see p 1190 It is fairly easy to imagine that innate immune cells like macrophages are involved in hypertension, but, rather surprisingly, it seems that T cells of the adaptive immune system also contribute. Almost 50 years ago, Okuda and Grollman5 showed that injection of lymph node cells from hypertensive rats could raise blood pressure in normotensive recipient rats. Svendsen et al6 showed that the thymus played a role in the hypertension caused by partial renal infarction and in the sustained phase of DOCA-salt hypertension. When lymphocytes from Lyon rats with genetic hypertension are transferred into Lyon low-pressure rats, sustained hypertension develops in the recipients.7 Our group found that mice lacking lymphocytes are protected against several forms of hypertension, including angiotensin II, norepinephrine, and DOCA-salt and that adoptive transfer of T cells can restore hypertension in these models. We have proposed that neoantigens formed in target tissues such …
A design-for-testability technique for register-transfer level circuits using control/data flow extraction

In this paper, we present a technique for extracting functional (control/data flow) information from register-transfer level controller/data path circuits, and illustrate its use in design for hierarchical testability of these circuits. This scheme does not require any additional behavioral information. It identifies a suitable control and data flow from the register-transfer level circuit, and uses it to test each embedded element in the circuit by symbolically justifying its precomputed test set from the system primary inputs to the element inputs and symbolically propagating the output response to the system primary outputs. When symbolic justification and propagation become difficult, it inserts test multiplexers at suitable points to increase the symbolic controllability and observability of the circuit. These test multiplexers are mostly restricted to off-critical paths. Testability analysis and insertion are completely based on the register-transfer level circuit and the functional information automatically extracted from it, and are independent of the data path bit width owing to their symbolic nature. Furthermore, the data path test set is obtained as a byproduct of this analysis without any further search. Unlike many other design-for-testability techniques, this scheme makes the combined controller-data path very highly testable. It is general enough to handle control-flow-intensive register-transfer level circuits like protocol handlers as well as data-flow intensive circuits like digital filters. It results in low area/delay/power overheads, high fault coverage, and very low test generation times (because it is symbolic and independent of bit width). Also, a large part of our system-level test sets can be applied at speed. Experimental results on many benchmarks show the average area, delay, and power overheads for testability to be 3.1, 1.0, and 4.2%, respectively. Over 99% fault coverage is obtained in most cases with two-four orders of magnitude test generation time advantage over an efficient gate-level sequential test pattern generator and one-three orders of magnitude advantage over an efficient gate-level combinational test pattern generator (that assumes full scan). In addition, the test application times obtained for our method are comparable with those of gate-level sequential test pattern generators, and up to two orders of magnitude smaller than designs using full scan.
Early and Middle Adolescents' Autonomy Development : Impact of Maternal HIV/AIDS

Progression toward autonomy is considered of central importance during the adolescent period. For young adolescents with an HIV-infected parent, there may be additional challenges. This study investigated current autonomy among early and middle adolescents affected by maternal HIV (N = 108), as well as examined longitudinally the children's responsibility taking when they were younger (age 6-11; N = 81) in response to their mother's illness and their current autonomy as early/middle adolescents. In analyses of self-care and family autonomy, children with greater attachment to their mothers had higher autonomy, and there was a trend for children who drink or use drugs alone to have lower autonomy. In analyses of management autonomy, attachment to peers was associated with higher autonomy. Trajectory group findings indicate that those children who had taken on more responsibility for instrumental caretaking roles directly because of their mother's illness showed better autonomy development as early and middle age adolescents. Therefore, 'parentification' of young children with a mother with HIV may not negatively affect later autonomy development.
Separate intracellular pathways for insulin receptor recycling and insulin degradation in isolated rat adipocytes

To gain insight into the sequence of events that follow endocytotic uptake of insulin receptor complexes, we have examined the interrelationship between the degradative pathway of the insulin ligand and the recycling pathway of the insulin receptor. Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and other nonamphoteric amines were found to selectively impair insulin receptor recycling while leaving the insulin-degradative pathway intact. In contrast, low concentrations of the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine markedly inhibited intracellular insulin degradation but had little or no affect on the recycling of internalized receptors. Thus, we conclude: (1) that insulin dissociates from its receptor after endocytotic uptake and both receptor and ligand follow a separate intracellular pathway; and (2) that receptor recycling and insulin degradation can be selectively inhibited by Tris and chloroquine, respectively, highlighting the potential usefulness of these agents as intracellular probes in the study of receptor-ligand metabolism.
Management of anal cancer in the HIV-positive population

Squamous cell anal cancer remains an uncommon entity; however, the incidence appears to be increasing in at-risk populations, especially those infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Given the ability to cure this cancer using synchronous chemoradiotherapy, management practices of this disease are critical. This article considers treatment strategies for HIV-positive patients with anal cancer, including the impact on chemoradiation-induced toxicities and the role of highly active antiretroviral therapy in the treatment of this patient population. The standard treatment has been fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin (or cisplatin) as chemotherapy agents plus radiation. Consideration to modifying the standard treatment regime is based on the fact that patients with HIV tend to experience greater toxicity, especially when CD4 counts are below 200; these patients also require longer treatment breaks. Additional changes to the chemotherapy dosing, such as giving 5-FU continuously and decreasing mitomycin dose, are evaluated and considered in relation to radiation field sizes in an effort to reduce toxicity, maintain local tumor control, and limit need for colostomy. The opportunity for decreasing the radiation field size and using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is also considered, particularly in light of the fact that IMRT provides dose-sparing while maximizing target volume dose to involved areas. The impact of the immune system in patients with HIV and squamous cell carcinoma of the anus and the associated response to therapy remains unknown. Continued studies and phase III trials will be needed to test new treatment strategies in HIV-infected patients with squamous cell cancer of the anus to determine which treatment protocols provide the greatest benefits.
Two-Year Chronic Bioassay Study of Rats Exposed to a 1.6 GHz Radiofrequency Signal

Abstract Anderson, L. E., Sheen, D. M., Wilson, B. W., Grumbein, S. L., Creim, J. A. and Sasser, L. B. Two-Year Chronic Bioassay Study of Rats Exposed to a 1.6 GHz Radiofrequency Signal. Radiat. Res. 162, 201–210 (2004). The purpose of this study was to determine whether long-term exposure to a 1.6 GHz radiofrequency (RF) field would affect the incidence of cancer in Fischer 344 rats. Thirty-six timed-pregnant rats were randomly assigned to each of three treatment groups: two groups exposed to a far-field RF Iridium signal and a third group that was sham exposed. Exposures were chosen such that the brain SAR in the fetuses was 0.16 W/kg. Whole-body far-field exposures were initiated at 19 days of gestation and continued at 2 h/day, 7 days/week for dams and pups after parturition until weaning (∼23 days old). The offspring (700) of these dams were selected, 90 males and 90 females for each near-field treatment group, with SAR levels in the brain calculated to be as follows: (1) 1.6 W/kg, (2) 0.16 W/kg and ...
Design of the zero-voltage-switching quasi-square-wave resonant switch

Zero-voltage-switching, quasi-square-wave (ZVS-QSW) power converters with controllable rectifiers feature constant-frequency, PWM-like operation with low voltage and relatively low current stresses on active devices. New closed-form analytic results are derived and applied to construct a detailed design procedure for the ZVS-QSW switch. Starting with usual design constraints, resonant elements are selected so that zero-voltage switching is achieved under all operating conditions, with favorable tradeoff between switching and conduction losses. Results are derived in a form applicable to a wide variety of ZVS-QSW power converter topologies. The design procedure is illustrated on a flyback power converter example and is supported by simulation results. >
PRR-PRR Dynamic Relocation

Partial bitstream relocation (PBR) on FPGAs has been gaining attention in recent years as a potentially promising technique to scale parallelism of accelerator architectures at run time, enhance fault tolerance, etc. PBR techniques to date have focused on reading inactive bitstreams stored in memory, on-chip or off-chip, whose contents are generated for a specific partial reconfiguration region (PRR) and modified on demand for configuration into a PRR at a different location. As an alternative, we propose a PRR-PRR relocation technique to generate source and destination addresses, read the bitstream from an active PRR (source) in a non-intrusive manner, and write it to destination PRR. We describe two options of realizing this on Xilinx Virtex 4 FPGAs: (a) hardware-based accelerated relocation circuit (ARC) and (b) a software solution executed on Microblaze. A comparative performance analysis to highlight the speed-up obtained using ARC is presented. For real test cases, performance of our implementations are compared to estimated performances of two state of the art methods.
Temperature influences on chromatic dispersion in dispersion-compensated ultrahigh-speed long-haul transmission systems

With increasing line rates system tolerances due to both, chromatic dispersion and dispersion slope, become more restrictive. By means of numerical simulations we investigate the influence of temperature fluctuations in cascaded multi-section dispersion-compensated standard single-mode fiber SMF based transmission systems. Eye opening penalty (EOP) for different modulation formats - non-return-to-zero NRZ as well as return-to-zero RZ with duty cycles varying from 0.2 to 0.6 and for different signal power levels varying from -9 to 3 dBm at a line rate of 160 Gbit/s are calculated. Performance degradation due to temperature-induced dispersion variations is investigated for three different scenarios: a) the temperature of the installed terrestrial fiber-optic cable changes, b) the temperature of the temperature-controlled indoor dispersion compensating module DCM changes, c) combined effects.
PREPARATION OF SOME ALKYL CHLORIDES BY DECOMPOSITION OF ALKOXYPHOSPHONIUM CHLORIDES AND BICHLORIDES

Abstract A number of alkoxyphosphonium chlorides and bichlorides have been prepared as stable intermediates or transient species. The thermal decompositions of these salts have been studied under a variety of conditions. The salts decompose by SN2 and SN1 processes in a fairly predictable manner. There are two decided advantages to using these salts as precursors to alkyl halides. The first is that in systems that are normally prone to rearrangements under substitution conditions, the products of the decompositions of the salts are often formed with less rearrangement than is often found in other systems. The second is that the phosphates and phosphine oxides are excellent leaving groups and thus substitutions can be effected at centers that normally react very slowly.
Oxytocin and vasopressin receptor polymorphisms interact with circulating neuropeptides to predict human emotional reactions to stress

Oxytocin (OT) and a polymorphism (rs53576) in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been independently associated with stress reactivity, whereas oxytocin's sister peptide, arginine vasopressin (AVP) and polymorphisms in the vasopressin receptor gene (AVPR1A) have been independently associated with aggressive behavior. In this study, 68 men and 98 women were genotyped for the OXTR rs53576 polymorphism and the AVPR1A RS1 polymorphism. Baseline and poststressor levels of plasma OT, plasma AVP, positive affect, and anger were assessed. Women, but not men, with high levels of poststressor OT and the GG genotype of rs53576 felt the most positive affect after the stressor. Men, but not women, with high levels of poststressor AVP and the 320 allele of the RS1 polymorphism reported more poststressor anger than noncarriers. These data constitute the first evidence that oxytocin and vasopressin receptor genes interact with levels of OT and AVP to predict sex-specific emotional stress responses.
Human Factors and Voting Technology

The success of any election ultimately depends on the voters' ability to accurately cast a vote using the given technology. If the user interface is confusing, the system may fail to record the intent of the voter, and essentially disenfranchise citizens in the process. In the extreme case of the fiasco surrounding the presidential election of 2000, it became exceedingly clear that the study of human factors for voting design was a necessary, yet neglected, area of research. This study presents an analysis of current electronic voting systems with regard to machine type (touchscreen versus touchscreen + keypad), ballot design (full ballot interface versus one office per page interface), and effects of age. Fifty participants ages 18–26 (M = 20.52) and fifty participants ages 64–77 (M = 68.27) were recruited from the community and asked to complete a hypothetical ballot given a list of candidates to choose, in each of four experimental conditions. Results revealed lowest error rates for both groups using t...
Identification and characterization of microsatellite markers in Penstemon scariosus (Plantaginaceae).

Premise of the study: Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis (Plantaginaceae) has been proposed to be federally listed as threatened due to its unique, geologically oil-rich habitat. Developing simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to study its genetic diversity would be most useful. Methods and Results: Using genomic reduction in combination with next-generation sequencing, we identified SSR motifs with five to 15 perfect repeats in 1067 P. scariosus contigs. After multiple qualifying tests, 16 SSRs were selected for their robust polymorphic reliability across 12 taxa with as high as 21 alleles in a given taxon. With the exception of two monomorphic loci, the observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.083 to 1.000 and 0.398 to 0.920, respectively. Conclusions: These microsatellite markers will directly aid in studies of the genetic diversity and relatedness of P. scariosus, P. comarrhenus, P. compactus, P. cyananthus var. cyananthus, P. fremontii var. fremontii, P. fremontii var. glabrescens, ...
Smart Humanitarianism: Re-imagining Human Rights in the Age of Enterprise

A paradigmatic shift around the central role of ‘social entrepreneurs’ is captivating a broad, diverse range of social actors refashioning the institutional landscape of human rights and humanitarian practices. For this special issue dedicated to ‘Re-imagining Human Rights’, we explore some of the implications of these revolutionary changes in human rights practices, and their consequences for sociological study and political critique in the 21st century. Following a discussion of the state of the sociology of human rights practices, we describe the remaking of the human rights arena into a site of technocratic organizations with an emphasis on the ‘triple bottom line’ (financial, social and environmental sustainability). This market-led rights paradigm also promotes a new kind of empathy required for social problem-solving and humanitarian action – one less sentimental, much more technocratic and managerial. We offer some critical observations on this ‘smart humanitarianism’, which emphasizes the human-m...
Determining Geographic Vulnerabilities Using a Novel Impact Based Resilience Metric

Various natural and man-made disasters as well as major political events (like riots) have increased the importance of understanding geographic failures and how correlated failures impact networks. Since mission critical networks are overlaid as virtual networks over a physical network infrastructure forming multilayer networks, there is an increasing need for methods to analyze multilayer networks for geographic vulnerabilities. In this paper, we present a novel impact-based resilience metric. Our new metric uses ideas borrowed from performability to combine network impact with state probability to calculate a new metric called Network Impact Resilience. The idea is that the highest impact to the mission of a network should drive its resilience metric. Furthermore, we present a state space analysis method that analyzes multilayer networks for geographic vulnerabilities. To demonstrate the methods, the inability to provision a given number of upper layer services is used as the criteria for network failure. Mapping techniques for multilayer network states are presented. Simplifying geographic state mapping techniques to reduce enumeration costs are also presented and tested. Finally, these techniques are tested on networks of varying sizes.
Effect of aprotinin on coagulation and platelet function in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass

Objective To evaluate the effect of aprotinin on coagulation and platelet function in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (CAB).Methods After institutional review board approval and written informed consent,32 ASAⅢorⅣ,NYHAⅡorⅢpatients (27 male,5 female) aged 46-75 yrs weighing 62- 92 kg undergoing off-pump CAB were assigned to one of two groups (n=16 each):control group (C) and aprotinin group (A).In group A aprotinin 2×10~7 KIU in 100 ml of normal saline was infused iv over 30 min starting from skin incision.Another 10~7 KIU of aprotinin was infused at a rate of 2-3×10~5 KIU·h~(-1) until the chest was closed.Venous blood samples were taken at the following time points:1 min betore operation (baseline T_0), 1 miu before heparinization (T_1),at the end of operation (T_2),6 h after operation (T_3) and 24 h after operation (T_4).Platelet membrane glucoproteinⅡb/Ⅲa (GPⅡb/Ⅲa) and plateletαgranule membrane protein-140 (CD62p) were measured by flow cytometry.APTT,PT,ACT.fibrinogen and platelet count were also measured. Postoperative blood loss and allogeneic blood transfusion were recorded.Results There were no significant differences in demographic data including sex,age,body weight and duration of operation.CD62p a platelet activation marker was significantly lower at T_1,T_2 and T_3,in group A than in group C (P＜0.01).There were no significant differences in GPⅡb/Ⅲa,PT and ACT between the two groups.APTT was significantly prolonged at T_1 and T_2 in group A as compared to group C (P＜0.01).The total amount of blood loss in 24 h after operation was (364±132) ml in group A and (957±344) ml in group C (P＜0.01).The total amount of allogeneic blood infused was (98±75) ml in group A and (436±315) ml in group C (P＜0.01).Conclusion Aprotinin inhibits platelet activation and preserves platelet function.It has anticoagulation property by inhibiting the intrinsic system of coagulation.Aprotinin administration can reduce postoperative blood loss and allogeneic blood transfusion in patients undergoing off-pump CAB.
The deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene: A candidate tumour suppressor gene encoding a cell surface protein with similarity to neural cell adhesion molecules

Chromosome 18q is among the regions thought to harbour a tumour suppressor gene(s) that is frequently inactivated by LOH during the development of several cancer types, including those of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, colorectal cancers with 18q LOH have been shown to have a more aggressive clinical behaviour than those without 18q LOH. A candidate tumour suppressor gene from 18q, called DCC, has been identified. The DCC gene is contained within the common region of LOH on 18q, its expression is markedly decreased or absent in the majority of colorectal cancers and cell lines and somatic mutations within the DCC gene have been identified in a subset of cases. Thus, DCC represents the strongest candidate tumour suppressor gene on 18q. At present, however, many questions remain regarding the mechanisms underlying the inactivation of DCC and its decreased expression in cancers. The predicted structural similarity of DCC to the NCAMs suggests that it may function through cell-cell and/or cell-extracellular matrix interactions; however, little is known regarding the specific cellular function(s) of DCC. Many reports have detailed the alterations in phenotype observed in cancer cells, including changes in cell morphology and tissue architecture, loss of differentiated phenotype, decreased cell adhesion and aggregation, increased motility and invasive behaviour. These altered properties are likely to account in part for the invasive and metastatic properties of cancer cells in the patient. It is hoped that further studies will identify the means by which DCC inactivation may contribute to the altered growth properties of advanced cancer cells.
Identification and characterization of enterovirus 71 isolated in Yunnan province

Objective Identification and characterization of eight enterovirus 71 samples isolated from Yunnan province.Methods Collecting specimens from cases of Hand,Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD),samples were identificated by RT-PCR,isolated the virus with cells.The isolating virus passaged in vero cells,and the vp1 genes sequencing.Immunization the mice with the virus,neutralization test and cross-protection test were conducted with those antisera.Result All samples were identified as EV71,and eight strains had cytopathic effect(CPE) in vero cells,some antisera titers were more than 1:10 000.Conclusion Eight strains of the virus grow well in vero cell,antiserum showed protection against EV71 A and C4 genotype. Key words: Enterovirus; Genotype ; Cross-infedtion
Recent developments in the small-sample reactivity discrepancy

Results of recent fissile small sample worth experiments in three fast reactor diagnostic critical assemblies are presented. These experiments produced significant insight into heterogeneityrelated errors in standard calculational models of worth experiments in plate-type critical assemblies. Results of improved techniques for calculation of worth experiments are presented, and the mean ratios of calculated to experimental worths in the three new benchmark critical assemblies are shown to be in the range from 0.97 to 1.04. The implications of the improved understanding of small sample worth experiments with respect to previously reported critical experiments are discussed.
"Show Us Your God": Marilla Baker Ingalls and the Power of Religious Objects in Nineteenth-Century Burma

This essay examines the unusual evangelical work of Marilla Baker Ingalls, an American Baptist missionary to Burma from 1851–1902. By the time of her death in Burma at the age of 75, Ingalls was known as one of the most successful Baptist evangelists among Burmese Buddhists. To understand the extraordinary dynamic of Ingalls’ expanding Christian community, this essay focuses on two prominent objects at the Baptist mission: A life-sized dog statue that Ingalls kept chained at the edge of her property and a massive banyan tree covered with biblical illustrations and revered by locals as an abode of divine beings. This essay argues that these objects transformed Ingalls’ American Baptist Christianity into a kind of Burmese religion that revolved around revered objects. Through an examination of the particular shrine practices that pulled people into the Baptist mission, this essay reflects on the larger context of religious encounter, conflict, and representation in modernizing Burma.
Epilogue: The Ethics and Spirituality of Sustainability

In this final chapter, we further explore the moral and spiritual basis of sustainability. What are the highest moral and spiritual principles that can raise our awareness about sustainability? Why should our actions be guided by the light of ethics and spirituality? Are there any universal values that can deepen our understanding of sustainability and awaken our responsibility toward the environment? Is human life more precious than other forms of life—the trees, birds, fish, and other animals? What is the metaphysical truth underlying the notion that all existence is One and that all life is a single unitary movement? What can we all do to maintain the cosmic order of the universe? How moral vision and practical spirituality can save our planet? To find answers to some of these abiding questions is to understand the ethics and spirituality of sustainability. One of the key topics of this chapter is the ethics of eating, presented in the form of transitioning to a plant-based diet, as the single most important change we can all make to safeguard the sanctity of our planet.
Ketogenic Diets in Epilepsy

The classical ketogenic diet, the medium chain triglyceride (MCT) diet, and a modified MCT diet were used in the treatment of 55 children and 4 adults with intractable epilepsy at the University and Clinical Departments of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England.
Costs and Economic Implications

The era of value-based healthcare necessitates consideration of costs and quality of life outcomes in both medical and surgical interventions. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) of the spine has become increasingly popular with potential advantages including low perioperative morbidity, shortened length of stay, and the possibility of lower cost care. However, most of the literature is of low-quality evidence or minimal relative to cost analyses, especially with regards to lateral MIS approaches. Of those studies examining costs, the MIS lateral approach known as extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF; Nuvasive, San Diego, CA), direct lumbar interbody fusion (DLIF), or lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) has been shown to achieve significant cost savings of around $2,500 in the perioperative period and $10,000–20,000 after 2 years (about 10 % savings for both time periods). The few studies on this topic, however, have been limited by varying methods for cost calculations, small sample sizes, or short follow-up, making it difficult to draw conclusions. Future studies are necessary to further evaluate the cost-effectiveness of MIS lateral approaches to the spine.
Second-Line Chemotherapy and Beyond for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

The landscape for the second- and third-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer has changed dramatically over the last two decades. Immunotherapeutic agents have become a preferred choice following progression on platinum-based first-line chemotherapy. However, there remains a role for cytotoxic chemotherapy and pemetrexed and docetaxel (with or without ramucirumab) are approved for single-agent use in the second-line setting. With the discovery of new genetic alterations and the development of novel targeted drugs, the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer following progression on first-line therapy continues to become more complicated as new treatment algorithms evolve.
No cause for pause: new analyses of ramping and stepping dynamics in LIP (Rebuttal to Response to Reply to Comment on Latimer et al. 2015)

We recently presented a statistical comparison between two models of latent dynamics in macaque lateral intraparietal (LIP) area spike trains — a continuous 9ramping9 (diffusion-to-bound) model, and a discrete 9stepping9 model — and found that a substantial fraction of neurons (recorded in two different studies) were better supported by the stepping model (Latimer et al., 2015). Here, we respond to a recent challenge to the validity of these findings that focuses primarily on the possibility of a lower bound on LIP firing rates (Zylberberg & Shadlen, 2016). The paper in question proposed alternate formulations of the ramping model, and argued (via indirect analyses) that half the neurons in the population were better explained by the new model; if correct, this would lead to an even split in the number of neurons better explained by each model. These analyses, while interesting, do not alter the conclusions of our original paper. Here, we review the criticisms raised by Zylberberg & Shadlen and report several new analyses using models with lower bounds. First, we show that the stepping model continued to provide a better description of LIP spike trains when fit using only an early period of each trial. Second, we performed a direct model comparison between our stepping model and a ramping-with-baseline model proposed by Zylberberg & Shadlen; we found that (in a pleasing moment of agreement) roughly half the neurons were better explained by each model. Interestingly, inspection of the cells that switched classifications revealed that many did not strictly exhibit the classical ramping PSTHs that motivated these analyses in the first place. We also examined two other issues raised in recent discussions of LIP: (1) We show that a non-integrating model is consistent with some core aspects of behavioral data previously offered as evidence for continuous integration; and (2) We examine analyses based on the response covariance (“CorCE”), and show that it does not reliably distinguish ramping and stepping dynamics for our dataset. Taken together, these discussions highlight the value of data-driven characterizations of both neural and behavioral dynamics with appropriate statistical tools.
Parasitic Bat Flies (Diptera: Streblidae and Nycteribiidae): Host Specificity and Potential as Vectors

Host specificity gauges the degree to which a parasite occurs in association with host species and is among the most fundamental properties of parasite–host associations. The degree of specificity is indicative of myriad properties of the host and parasite and of their ecological and evolutionary relationships. Bat flies are highly specialized bloodfeeding ectoparasites of bats worldwide and were historically viewed as unspecific. In the bat fly—bat system, numerous properties actually or potentially interrupt the linkage of parasite to host and should thus decrease specificity. Such properties of bat flies include a life history strategy requiring females to leave the host, an off-host pupal stage, and high dispersal capability of many species. For hosts, properties include high diversity, mobility, sociality, and multispecies roosting environments. These and other biological and ecological characteristics of bats and flies should together facilitate interspecific host transfers and over time lead to nonspecific host–parasite associations. Despite these properties, large and carefully executed biodiversity surveys of mammals and parasites unequivocally demonstrate the high host specificity of many bat flies, and molecular sequence data promise to demonstrate that many cases of lowered specificity are misunderstood due to unresolved parasite species boundaries. On the other hand, experimental approaches have suggested that host specificity is context dependent and may be lessened in cases of ecological disturbance and in particular when novel host–parasite associations are created. Evolution and maintenance of specificity in bat flies depends in part on the encounter and compatibility properties of bats and on the reproductive potential of the flies on available host species. Moreover, the degree to which parasites have coevolved immunological compatibility with their hosts, thereby diminishing immunological surveillance and response, may also serve to maintain high host specificity. Although worldwide bat species on average harbor higher diversity of parasites and pathogens than any other mammalian group, the likelihood of bat flies vectoring disease agents across host species of bats, and particularly to distantly related mammals such as humans, may be relatively small.
Seeing the unseen: Imaging rotation in cells with designer anisotropic particles

Cellular functions are enabled by cascades of transient biological events. Imaging and tracking the dynamics of these events have proven to be a powerful means of understanding the principles of cellular processes. These studies have typically focused on translational dynamics. By contrast, investigations of rotational dynamics have been scarce, despite emerging evidence that rotational dynamics are an inherent feature of many cellular processes and may also provide valuable clues to understanding those cell functions. Such studies have been impeded by the limited availability of suitable rotational imaging probes. This has recently changed thanks to the advances in the development of anisotropic particles for rotational imaging. In this review, we will summarize current techniques for imaging rotation using particle probes that are anisotropic in shape or optical properties. We will highlight two studies that demonstrate how these techniques can be applied to explore important facets of cellular functions.
Diagrammatic Exciton Basis Theory of the Photophysics of Pentacene Dimers

Covalently linked acene dimers are of interest as candidates for intramolecular singlet fission. We report many-electron calculations of the energies and wave functions of the optical singlets, the lowest triplet exciton, and the triplet–triplet biexciton, as well as the final states of excited state absorptions from these states in a family of phenyl-linked pentacene dimers. While it is difficult to distinguish the triplet and the triplet–triplet from their transient absorptions in the 500–600 nm region, by comparing theoretical transient absorption spectra against earlier and very recent experimental transient absorptions in the near- and mid-infrared, we conclude that the end product of photoexcitation in these particular bipentacenes is the bound triplet–triplet and not free triplets. We predict additional transient absorptions at even longer wavelengths, beyond 1500 nm, to the equivalent of the classic 21Ag– in linear polyenes.
The crucial role of ground-based, Doppler measurements for the future of exoplanet science

We outline the important role that ground-based, Doppler monitoring of exoplanetary systems will play in advancing our theories of planet formation and dynamical evolution. A census of planetary systems requires a well designed survey to be executed over the course of a decade or longer. A coordinated survey to monitor several thousand targets each at ~1000 epochs (~3-5 million new observations) will require roughly 40 dedicated spectrographs. We advocate for improvements in data management, data sharing, analysis techniques, and software testing, as well as possible changes to the funding structures for exoplanet science.
Methodological perspectives: Standardized (summative) or contextualized (formative) evaluation?

A critical issue in educational evaluation is whether evaluations should focus on standardized (summative, often quantitative) or contextualized (formative or often qualitative) evidence. The author of this article advises readers to beware of false dichotomies. The big issue is not whether evaluations should be “standardized” or “contextualized” but rather whether the evidence collected rigorously addresses the policy and/or practice questions driving the evaluation. The questions asked, in turn, lead to evaluation designs which may be standardized (summative), contextualized (formative) or both. Three general questions drive research and evaluation: (1) Descriptive—What’s Happening? (2) Causal—Is there a systematic effect? and (3) Process or mechanism—Why or how is it happening? Depending on the nature of the question, summative and/or formative data might be collected. Equally important are politics, measurement methods and modeling in conducting evaluations. Ignore these matters at your peril. Concrete examples show how assumptions and misperceptions can upend or change the outcomes of evaluation; they are drawn from political, measurement and statistical modeling contexts.
Association Between Serum Infliximab Trough Concentrations During Maintenance Therapy and Biochemical, Endoscopic, and Histologic Remission in Crohn's Disease.

Background and aim Objective and more rigorous therapeutic outcomes are emerging as novel targets in Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated the association between maintenance serum infliximab trough concentrations and biochemical, endoscopic, or histologic remission in CD. Methods This retrospective multicenter study involved consecutive CD patients treated with infliximab who had a serum C-reactive protein (CRP) measured within 1 week or endoscopic evaluation within 12 weeks of therapeutic drug monitoring between January 2010 and June 2016. Biochemical remission was defined as a normal CRP (≤5 mg/L). Endoscopic remission was defined as absence of any mucosal break (ulceration or erosion) or for patients with an ileocolonic resection, a Rutgeerts score of ≤i1. Histologic remission was defined as absence of active inflammation. Results Seventy-one CRP levels and 96 colonoscopies from 110 CD patients were evaluated. Based on ROC analyses, infliximab concentration thresholds of 2.2, 9.7, and 9.8 μg/mL were found to be related with biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic remission, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified infliximab concentration ≥2.2 (OR 6.4; 95% CI, 1.5-27.1; P = 0.011), ≥9.7 (OR 3.6; 95% CI, 1.4-9; P = 0.006) and ≥9.8 μg/mL (OR 3.2; 95% CI, 1.3-7.9; P = 0.011) as variables independently associated with biochemical, endoscopic, and histologic remission, respectively. Conclusions This study showed that higher maintenance infliximab trough concentrations are associated with more favorable rates of biochemical, endoscopic, or histologic remission in CD patients and that infliximab concentrations may differ based on the treatment goal.
Sizing Buffers of IoT Edge Routers

In typical IoT systems, sensors and actuators are connected to small embedded computers, called IoT devices, and the IoT devices are connected to one or more appropriate cloud services over the internet through an edge access router. A very important design aspect of an IoT edge router is the size of the output packet buffer of its interface that connects to the access link. Selecting an appropriate size for this buffer is crucial because it directly impacts two key performance metrics: 1) access link utilization and 2) latency. In this paper, we calculate the size of the output buffer that ensures that the access link stays highly utilized and at the same time, significantly lowers the average latency experienced by the packets. To calculate this buffer size, we theoretically model the average TCP congestion window size of all IoT devices while eliminating three key assumptions of prior art that do not hold true for IoT TCP traffic, as we will demonstrate through a measurement study. We show that for IoT traffic, buffer size calculated by our method results in 50% lower queuing delay compared to the state of the art schemes while achieving similar access link utilization and loss-rate.
Control of Maize Zein Gene Expression

Seed storage proteins provide useful model systems for the study of gene regulation. These proteins are found only in the seed and in most angiosperms account for approximately half of the total seed protein. The storage proteins in maize seed are a group of prolamin proteins called zeins. Zeins are synthesized in the developing endosperm by membrane-bound polyribosomes and associate into insoluble aggregates called “protein bodies” within the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum (1). Zein proteins are isolated from either mature seed or protein bodies of developing seeds by extraction with alcoholic solutions (70% ethanol or 55% isopropanol) in the presence of reducing agents such as 2-mercaptoethanol. Extraction with 70% alcohol alone results in recovery of proteins of 22 and 19 kD while extraction with alcohol plus 2-mercaptoethanol yields proteins of 27, 22, 19, 15, 14, and 10 kD (2). When separated by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the 22 and 19 kD components each resolve into a number of charged isomers, but the proteins of 27, 15, 14, and 10 kD migrate as single polypeptides. Based on immunocytochemical analysis, the 22 and 19 kD proteins are distributed throughout the matrix of the protein body, whereas the 27, 15, and 14 kD proteins are localized near its surface (C. Lending, A. L. Kriz, C. Bracker and B. A. Larkins, unpublished data).
Pediatric trauma centers: coming of age.

Why is the topic of pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) important? The simple answer is that injuries are still the leading cause of death in children in the United States. Unintentional injuries kill more than 12,000 children and young adults between the ages of 1 and 19 years in the U.S. every year. Injuries are the principal cause of death for children in all nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the 26 wealthiest nations in the world. Injuries constitute almost 30% of the total burden of childhood disease in the OECD by disability-adjusted life years. For every 100,000 children, the pediatric-injury death rate in the United States is more than twice that of Sweden, Great Britain, or Italy. For every death, there are 160 hospital admissions and 2,000 emergency department visits.
Health and Aging: Early Origins, Persistent Inequalities?

A sociological consideration of health and aging can be viewed primarily from one of two lenses. One focuses on the health of older people, emphasizing the centrality of health to the daily experiences and longevity of older people. For the most part, these studies examine older people only. Given that “older people” (65+) typically refers to a very wide cohort, the enormous health variability within this population spanning three or more decades merits systematic consideration.
Managing Breast Cancer-Associated Lymphedema

Lymphedema is a chronic debilitating disease that is frequently misdiagnosed, treated too late, or not treated at all. When this problem occurs as a consequence of prior breast cancer therapy, it represents the most extensively studied cause of acquired lymphatic vascular insufficiency. It is reasonable to surmise, therefore, that among the cancer-related lymphedemas, the breast cancer-associated form is the one most commonly encountered. The obliteration of previously normal lymphatic channels is the hallmark of the acquired form of lymphedema. In the context of cancer therapeutics, lymphedema is most commonly associated with surgical excision of lymph nodes, or their irradiation. For breast cancer survivors, axillary lymph node dissection and adjuvant radiation therapy are both predisposing factors, particularly when the axilla is included in the radiation field. This chapter reviews the incidence, clinical findings, potential causes, and treatment options for patients with lymphedema.