cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Crystal Ball for Congress

When writing about legal issues that impact the information industry, I frequently comment that the law has a difficult time keeping up with changing technology. Much of our copyright, contract, jurisdiction, and first amendment law developed in an analog era for an analog society. Even contemporary laws like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Child Online Protection Act have been challenged to address technologies like peer-to-peer file sharing and cyber-porn.Law is not fixed. It evolves as society and the technology of society evolves. This evolution can take a number of forms. One form is the role that courts play in interpreting the law. Another form of evolution is the actions of Congress (and state legislatures) in enacting new laws to address new societal concerns. This column addresses how the courts and congress work to keep pace with ever-evolving copyright issues.
Reducing Asymmetry between language-pairs to Improve Alignment and Translation Quality

This paper presents a novel method to remove asymmetry between the source and the target languages thereby improving alignment and machine translation (MT) quality. Some words in the source language are redundant for MT tasks but necessary for the source sentence to be grammatical. This paper proposes a method to automatically detect such words. In addition, constraints under which these words should or should not be removed are extracted automatically from the target language. A lattice scheme is used for test sentences to provide alternate paths with and without removal of these words. Such a constraint-based removal technique gives a significant improvement (p < 0.001) of 5.29 BLEU points over the baseline Phrase-based MT system for the English-Hindi language-pair.
Biofuel-related price transmission using Renewable Identification Number prices to signal mandate regime

This paper improves on existing methods of testing price links between biofuels, petroleum, petroleum products, and agricultural commodity feedstocks by incorporating information contained in the prices of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) that are used for biofuel mandate compliance. Theoretical equations are developed to show the role RIN prices can play in the relationships among energy, biofuel, and agricultural commodity prices. RIN price data are used (a) to infer values of fuels where market data are unavailable and (b) to define binding and non-binding mandate regimes. A specific empirical exercise exploits the RIN price data to conduct cointegration tests on high frequency data representing spot and futures prices relating to ethanol and biodiesel from February 2009 through March 2015, finding little evidence of short-term biofuel and petroleum product substitution during this period.
Towards a simulation based methodology for scheduling patient and providers at outpatient clinics

In this paper we develop a simulation based methodology for planning the schedules of providers and the appointment for patients. The methodology combines discrete-event simulation and optimization. Two types of patients are considered in this study: new and existing. In addition patient no-shows and walk-ins are also considered. The simulation model is used to find the best balance between new and existing patients arriving to each appointment time period during the day. New patients require more time to complete their admission processes and for visiting with a doctor. We report on computational results based on a real clinic, historical data, and both patient and management performance measures.
A Long-Acting FGF21 Molecule, PF-05231023, Decreases Body Weight and Improves Lipid Profile in Non-human Primates and Type 2 Diabetic Subjects

FGF21 plays a central role in energy, lipid, and glucose homeostasis. To characterize the pharmacologic effects of FGF21, we administered a long-acting FGF21 analog, PF-05231023, to obese cynomolgus monkeys. PF-05231023 caused a marked decrease in food intake that led to reduced body weight. To assess the effects of PF-05231023 in humans, we conducted a placebo-controlled, multiple ascending-dose study in overweight/obese subjects with type 2 diabetes. PF-05231023 treatment resulted in a significant decrease in body weight, improved plasma lipoprotein profile, and increased adiponectin levels. Importantly, there were no significant effects of PF-05231023 on glycemic control. PF-05231023 treatment led to dose-dependent changes in multiple markers of bone formation and resorption and elevated insulin-like growth factor 1. The favorable effects of PF-05231023 on body weight support further evaluation of this molecule for the treatment of obesity. Longer studies are needed to assess potential direct effects of FGF21 on bone in humans.
The Extended Center of Coproducts

The sole purpose of this paper is to prove that if R 1 and R 2 are algebras with 1 over a common field F, with each (R i:F) > 1 and at least one (R i :F) > 2, then the extended center of the coproduct R 1∐R 2 is equal to F.
Thermo Cardiosystems Left Ventricular Assist Device as a Bridge to Cardiac Transplant

In 1986, clinical trials were initiated with a left ventricular assist device capable of supporting individuals in end-stage heart disease for extended periods of time (longer than 14 days). While supported by this device, patients were hemodynamically stabilized for future transplant and were afforded an opportunity to improve their overall health status. At initiation of support these patients were in New York Heart Association class IV, and within approximately 2 weeks, improved to class I. Their nutritional status improved, they were able to exercise regularly, and they became the "healthiest" candidates for cardiac transplant. Nursing care of a patient requiring the HeartMate provides the critical care nurse with new challenges.
Analysis of data mining technology in the enterprise financial

in recent years, the society of our country economy has obtained the rapid development, the traditional financial analysis mode has far cannot satisfy the present situation, cause serious problems in the financial management of enterprises,and even affect the enterprise's economic decision. However, through the application of data mining technology, not only work to bring great convenience for the financial analysis of enterprises, but also can quickly acquire the knowledge and information from large amounts of data, provide an important basis for decision-makers. Therefore, this article mainly aims at the application of mining technology in the enterprise financial analysis in detail, plays a very important role for the enterprise's competitive power in the market to improve the.
Study of Animal Experiment on the Security of Qufushengji Ointment

Objective: To investigate the security of Qufushengji ointment with animal experiments.Methods: Acute toxic test and skin stimulus test were done in the skins of rabbits;allergic response test was done in the skins of rats.Results: Qufushengji ointment has no obvious acute toxic response to the skin of rabbit,no obvious stimulus to rabbit healthy and damaged skin,no allergic response to rat's skin.Conclusion: Qufushengji ointment should be safe as clinical external drug.
Unsteady Wakes of Three Dimensional Bodies

The effect of a splitter plate on the near wake of a three dimensional bluff body in proximity to a ground plane was studied. Static pressure taps on the base of the body were used to measure both the mean and fluctuating pressures acting on the model base. It was determined that the splitter plate raised the spatially averaged mean pressure on the base by 15% when placed one fourth model height below the top of the base. The splitter plate also decreased the spatially averaged fluctuating pressure level between 13% and 31%, but the decrease in fluctuating pressure level was not necessarily accompanied by a decrease in drag. These measurements indicate that the aerodynamic drag of bluff bodies is related to unsteady effects in the wake. The near wake structure behind the bluff body was investigated using flow visualization and two hot wire anemometry probes and cross-correlating the velocity signals. The development of a periodic flow structure that was one half the model height in size was examined.
Process Aspects and Social Dynamics of Contemporary Code Review: Insights from Open Source Development and Industrial Practice at Microsoft

Many open source and commercial developers practice contemporary code review, a lightweight, informal, tool-based code review process. To better understand this process and its benefits, we gathered information about code review practices via surveys of open source software developers and developers from Microsoft. The results of our analysis suggest that developers spend approximately 10-15 percent of their time in code reviews, with the amount of effort increasing with experience. Developers consider code review important, stating that in addition to finding defects, code reviews offer other benefits, including knowledge sharing, community building, and maintaining code quality. The quality of the code submitted for review helps reviewers form impressions about their teammates, which can influence future collaborations. We found a large amount of similarity between the Microsoft and OSS respondents. One interesting difference is that while OSS respondents view code review as an important method of impression formation, Microsoft respondents found knowledge dissemination to be more important. Finally, we found little difference between distributed and co-located Microsoft teams. Our findings identify the following key areas that warrant focused research: 1) exploring the non-technical benefits of code reviews, 2) helping developers in articulating review comments, and 3) assisting reviewers’ program comprehension during code reviews.
US-ROK Action Sheet 34: Safeguards Application of a Hand-held Mechanically Cooled Germanium Spectrometer

This report summarizes results of Action Sheet 34 - for the cooperative efforts on the field testing and evaluation of a high-resolution, hand-held, gamma-ray spectrometer, known as SPG (Spectroscopic Planar Germanium), for safeguards application such as short notice inspections, UF6 analysis, enrichment determination, and other potential applications. The Spectroscopic Planar Germanium (SPG) has been demonstrated IAEA Physical Inventory Verification (PIV) in South Korea. This field test was a success and the feedback provided by KINAC, IAEA, and national laboratory staff was used to direct efforts to improve the instrument this year. Key points in this report include measurement results from PIV, analysis of spectra with commercially available Ortec U235 and PC-FRAM, and completion of tripod and tungsten collimator and integration of user feedback.
Reinforcing endothelial junctions prevents microvessel permeability increase and tumor cell adhesion in microvessels in vivo

Tumor cell adhesion to the microvessel wall is a critical step during tumor metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a secretion of tumor cells, can increase microvessel permeability and tumor cell adhesion in the microvessel. To test the hypothesis that inhibiting permeability increase can reduce tumor cell adhesion, we used in vivo fluorescence microscopy to measure both microvessel permeability and adhesion rates of human mammary carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells in post-capillary venules of rat mesentery under the treatment of VEGF and a cAMP analog, 8-bromo-cAMP, which can decrease microvessel permeability. By immunostaining adherens junction proteins between endothelial cells forming the microvessel wall, we further investigated the structural mechanism by which cAMP abolishes VEGF-induced increase in microvessel permeability and tumor cell adhesion. Our results demonstrate that 1) Pretreatment of microvessels with cAMP can abolish VEGF-enhanced microvessel permeability and tumor cell adhesion; 2) Tumor cells prefer to adhere to the endothelial cell junctions instead of cell bodies; 3) VEGF increases microvessel permeability and tumor cell adhesion by compromising endothelial junctions while cAMP abolishes these effects of VEGF by reinforcing the junctions. These results suggest that strengthening the microvessel wall integrity can be a potential approach to inhibiting hematogenous tumor metastasis.
Men of Blood: Establishing Intention: Probing the Mind of a Wife Killer

When no major provocation was claimed, when in other words the murdered wife had not been egregiously “bad,” the focus in a murder case was squarely on the accused killer himself, his mental processes and capacity of mind. Here the question of intent was explored. The intent to kill was the fundamental distinction between calling a killing manslaughter or murder; when no intent seemed present, a homicide was usually indicted only as manslaughter; when it was a definite possibility, a murder charge would typically be brought. Intent was the mens rea (the “guilty mind”) required to establish the crime of murder. As much as or more than provocation, it was a locus of much revealing contention. Not only contention but change: as the bar for provocation sufficient to reduce a killing to manslaughter was gradually raised, so too was the bar for the lack of intent sufficient to accomplish the same task. However, where the story of provocation and its Victorian restriction is fairly straightforward, the story of intent and its fate is more complex. Even as the legal notion of intent was expanding, the complete denial of intent embodied in insanity pleas, determinations of unfitness to plead, and post-conviction mental evaluations was gaining acceptance. In fact, the very squeezing of traditional defenses like provocation and lack of intent through drunkenness or as shown by the lack of use of a lethal weapon was increasing the pressure for an alternative “escape” from the hangman.
NMR-Informed Molecular Modeling Uncovers the Conformational Landscape of Chaperone Binding with Unfolded Substrate

Molecular chaperones interact with unfolded proteins to prevent aberrant folding and aggregation in the crowded cellular milieu. Despite their critical role in maintaining protein homeostasis, achieving detailed models of the highly dynamic interaction between a chaperone and an unfolded substrate has proven to be a difficult task. We address this challenge by devising a methodology that fuses site-specific NMR information with coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to achieve a residue-level description of chaperone-substrate interaction. As a model system, we decided to consider the interaction of the small, ATP-independent chaperone Spy with its in vivo substrate Im7. Specifically, we develop an automated procedure that optimizes coarse-grained force fields for the individual partners against experimentally measured carbon chemical shifts. Additional NMR data is used to validate the models. We then combine the force fields of the two binding partners with a generic inter-protein potential to perform simulations of the dynamic chaperone-substrate complex. We observe an overall decrease in global dynamics of the Spy chaperone that is counter-balanced by an increase in the local dynamics in its flexible loop region. Increased loop flexibility appears to facilitate chaperone interaction with multiple partially folded states that are sampled by the Im7 substrate. Moreover, interaction with the Spy chaperone slows down conformational exchange in the Im7 substrate, while also shifting the substrate folding landscape toward more structured states. Our hybrid strategy provides an avenue to investigate other heterogeneous biomolecular complexes through the integration of NMR data with efficient computational models.
Do heroin overdose patients require observation after receiving naloxone

AbstractContext: Heroin use in the US has exploded in recent years, and heroin overdoses requiring naloxone are very common. After awakening, some heroin users refuse further treatment or transport to the hospital. These patients may be at risk for recurrent respiratory depression or pulmonary edema. In those transported to the emergency department, the duration of the observation period is controversial. Additionally, non-medical first responders and lay bystanders can administer naloxone for heroin and opioid overdoses. There are concerns about the outcomes and safety of this practice as well.Objectives: To search the medical literature related to the following questions: (1) What are the medical risks to a heroin user who refuses ambulance transport after naloxone? (2) If the heroin user is treated in the emergency department with naloxone, how long must they be observed prior to discharge? (3) How effective in heroin users is naloxone administered by first responders and bystanders? Are there risks as...
Toward understanding bone quality: Transilial bone biopsy and bone histomorphometry

Transilial bone biopsy specimens have been used for more than three decades—in our laboratory and in several others—for microscopic examination of undecalcified bone. Microscopic examination of undecalcified bone biopsies includes qualitative evaluation of cellular and noncellular components as well as quantitative measurements (histomorphometry) of its static (i.e., structural) features. Flurochrome labeling prior to obtaining the biopsy specimen further allows dynamic measurements of ongoing bone cell activity. Scores of measurements and calculated variables have been devised. We identify here two subsets that relate to the current discussion, with brief descriptions of each measure adapted from an earlier publication. As we will show, the same specimens can also be examined by use of newer imaging and materials-testing technologies. Presentations of information about bone histomorphometry frequently conclude with a list of limitations: risks of the procedure and attendant difficulty of enlisting research subjects, the special skill and equipment required for specimen collection, the fact the few laboratories are equipped to process and analyze specimens, and the concern that a local sample may not reflect the skeleton as a whole. Although we remain aware of these limitations, our own experience indicates that they are not prohibitive. The purpose of this article is to consider the contributions of bone histomorphometry to the understanding of bone quality, with bone quality understood broadly as resistance to failure.
Modulation of Salt and Mineralocorticoid Sensitivity of Blood Pressure by the Circadian Clock Protein Per1

Increasing evidence demonstrates that circadian clock proteins are important regulators of physiological function. Consistent with this concept, we previously showed a role for the clock protein Pe...
Lateral variation of Pn and Lg attenuation at the CDSN station LSA

Abstract The propagation efficiencies of the regional phases Lg and Pn are indicative of how active and recent tectonics influence crust and uppermost mantle properties, respectively. In this study, regional scale lateral heterogeneity of Lg and Pn attenuation for the region in and around the southern Tibetan Plateau is investigated. The data set is comprised of seismograms recorded at the Chinese Digital Seismogram Network (CDSN) station LSA from regional events with epicentral distances within 11°. Attenuation of Lg and Pn is calculated using spectral methods and assuming constant Q Lg and Q Pn models for the frequency bands 0.3 to 3.0 Hz and 0.5 to 4.0 Hz, respectively. Lateral variation in attenuation is estimated by analyzing data on an event-by-event basis. Significant lateral variation is observed with Q Lg decreasing from about 520 for events south of LSA to about 340 for events north of LSA and Q Pn ∼ 670 for southern backazimuths, while Q Pn ∼ 240 for northern events. For Pn , this north-south variation is consistent with other observations, indicating partially melted upper mantle beneath north central Tibet. For Lg , the azimuthal variation in attenuation indicates that Lg propagation as observed at LSA is efficient for paths crossing the southern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau relative to paths within the plateau itself.
THE CARDIAC MYOSIN ACTIVATOR, OMECAMTIV MECARBIL, IMPROVES LEFT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL DEFORMATION IN CHRONIC HEART FAILURE (COSMIC-HF)

Background: Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a selective cardiac myosin activator shown to improve measures of LV structure and function. We assessed the effect of OM on myocardial strain (deformation). Methods: In the COSMIC-HF trial, 448 patients with chronic, symptomatic heart failure (HF) and left
Penoscrotal haematoma after cardiac catheterisation.

Scrotal haematoma is an extremely rare complication after cardiac catheterisation (CC) with only few cases reported in literature. We report a 56-year-old patient who developed large scrotal haematoma after CC via transfemoral approach requiring blood transfusion due to haemodynamic instability. After an uneventful elective procedure, he was discharged with a collagen plug-based vascular closure device (Angio-Seal). He developed sudden onset, excruciating groin pain with scrotal swelling and shock. Bleeding was stopped with manual compression over the femoral artery and 2 units of packed red blood cells were transfused. CT angiogram revealed scrotal haematoma without active bleeding. Testicular blood supply remained intact. Scrotal swelling improved with conservative management and patient got discharged 3 days later in a stable condition. The review of literature suggests that penoscrotal haematoma is unusual after CC but may result from arterial injury or bleeding into the fascial planes. Majority of patients require observation but surgery is indicated in selected cases for vascular complications.
Abstract 72: Potentiation of Reparative Capacity of Cardiac Progenitor Cells (cpcs, Islet-1+) by Angiotensin-(1-7) in Myocardial Infarction (MI)-induced Cardiac Damage

Background: Endogenous myocardial regeneration is insufficient to fully rescue hemodynamic functions following MI. Stem cell therapy has been attempted to provide exogenous reparative support to ameliorate cardiac regeneration with limited success. We evaluated the hypothesis that transduction of CPCs with Ang-(1-7) would improve their reparative capacity, since this vasoprotective axis of the renin angiotensin system is implicated in progenitor cell functions. Methods: CPCs were isolated from adult rats, characterized by the presence of Islet-1 in the nuclei and expression of GATA4 and Nkx2-5. Their transduction with Lenti-Ang-(1-7) resulted in a 20-fold increase in Ang-(1-7) production. 4 × 10 6 of CPCs, or lenti-Ang-(1-7) transduced CPCs, were injected via the jugular vein three days after permanent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Echocardiography, hemodynamic, histological parameters, and capillary vessel density were measured to assess cardiac function and effects of cell transplantation four weeks thereafter. Results: First we determined if Ang-(1-7) improves CPC functions in vitro . Hypoxia inhibited the migration of CPCs, whereas Ang-(1-7) protected CPCs from hypoxia induced inhibition of migration. Results from the in vivo studies demonstrated that MI significantly reduced fractional shortening (FS, 33.0% ± 1.5 vs 59.5% ± 1.9 for control), increased ventricular hypertrophy (VH, 3.6 ± 0.1 vs 2.7 ± 0.1 for control, (g/kg)), and decreased dP/dt max (7235 ± 271.9 vs 10394 ± 326.3 for control, mmHg/sec). In comparison to MI, CPCs alone restored FS by 22%, reversed VH by 11%, and improved dP/dt max by 23%. Remarkably, Ang-(1-7) expressing CPCs further improved FS by 44%, decreased VH by 15%, and attenuated the reduction in dP/dt max by 42%. Finally, capillary density in the peri-infarct myocardium was increased by 59% with CPCs alone and this capillary density was further increased by 139% with Ang-(1-7) expressing CPCs. Conclusions: These observations, for the first time, demonstrate that Ang-(1-7) enhances CPC capacities to improve cardiac hemodynamic and circulation following MI. They suggest that Ang-(1-7) transduced CPC could be an improved stem cell therapy strategy for the treatment of ischemic heart disease.
Using probe vehicle trajectories in stop-and-go waves for inferring unobserved vehicles

Data from vehicles instrumented with GPS or other localization technologies are increasingly becoming widely available due to the investments in Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) and the prevalence of personal mobile devices such as smartphones. Tracking or trajectory data from these probe vehicles are already being used in practice for travel time or speed estimation and for monitoring network conditions. However, there has been limited work on extracting other critical traffic flow variables, in particular density and flow, from probe data. This paper presents a microscopic approach (akin to car-following) for inferring the number of unobserved vehicles in between a set of probe vehicles in the traffic stream. In particular, we develop algorithms to extract and exploit the somewhat regular patterns in the trajectories when the probe vehicles travel through stop-and-go waves in congested traffic. Using certain critical points of trajectories as the input, the number of unobserved vehicles between consecutive probes are then estimated through a Naive Bayes model. The parameters needed for the Naive Bayes include means and standard deviations for the probability density functions (pdfs) for the distance headways between vehicles. These parameters are estimated through supervised as well as unsupervised learning methods. The proposed ideas are tested based on the trajectory data collected from US 101 and I-80 in California for the FHWA's NGSIM (next generation simulation) project. Under the dense traffic conditions analyzed, the results show that the number of unobserved vehicles between two probes can be predicted with an accuracy of ±1 vehicle almost always.
The “New Statistics” and Bayesian Inference

Null hypothesis statistical testing (NHST) is a good thing—like money—yet the love of money has been accused of being the root of all evil. Similarly, a flood of ink has been spilled critiquing NHST and pointing out all the ways that its misuse by scientists has contributed to the current crisis in reproducibility. In this chapter, I will review some of the major problems with NHST and will outline good practices that can keep its benefits without leading you astray. Bayesian inference is an alternative approach to statistical testing that has some advantages over NHST. I will describe Bayesian inference briefly and contrast it to NHST. Bayesian methods are currently much less popular than NHST, but are conceptually appealing and may become more prevalent in the future. Finally, metaanalyses and systematic reviews are analyses that combine data across multiple independent studies. Metaanalyses and systematic reviews have great potential for revealing which findings are most reliable and robust. However, they face statistical challenges of their own, particularly when they are constrained to consider only published summary data rather than raw data.
Miscellaneous Resampling Techniques

Previous chapters explored some uses for resampling techniques. In Chapter 3 we saw that the bias and variance of parameter estimators could themselves be estimated. This included model parameters as well as performance measures based on independent test data. Then in Chapter 4 we saw that performance measures for a model could be safely obtained from the very same data that was used to train the model. In this chapter we will explore assorted methods for using resampling to improve the performance of models. In particular, we will witness a marvelous phenomenon: it will be shown how a model whose performance is only slightly better than random guessing can be used to create a super-model whose performance is markedly better than the original. These techniques are extremely expensive in terms of computational requirements. However, in situations in which performance is more important than cost, resampling methods for model building are priceless.
Osmotic and activity coefficients at 25°C for tetraalkylammonium bromides in deuterium oxide

Earlier work by Lindenbaum and Boyd has demonstrated the important role of hydrophobic interactions involving the water solvent in determining the osmotic coefficients and properties of aqueous solutions of the tetraalkylammonium halides. Osmotic coefficients of solutions of tetramethyl-, tetraethyl-, tetrapropyl-, and tetrabutylammonium bromides in the more highly structured solvent D2O have now been determined by the gravimetric isopiestic method, using reference solutions of NaCl in D2O. The data were fitted to the Rush-Johnson and Pitzer equations. Satisfactory agreement with the results for aqueous solutions at comparable concentrations indicates that the solution chemistry of these quaternary ammonium bromides is not highly dependent on the degree of structure of the pure solvents. Supplementary data for mixtures of Me4NBr with Et4NBr, Pr4NBr, or Bu4NBr in both H2O and D2O are consistent with this conclusion.
A Guide to Understanding the U.S. Tax Consequences of Foreign Person Investing in U.S. Real Property

This paper describes some of the possible structuring alternatives a foreign investor may use to limit his or her U.S. tax exposure with respect to ownership and subsequent disposition of U.S. real estate.
Sturm’s 1836 Oscillation Results Evolution of the Theory

We examine how Sturm’s oscillation theorems on comparison, separation, and indexing the number of zeros of eigenfunctions have evolved. It was Bocher who first put the proofs on a rigorous basis, and major tools of analysis where introduced by Picone, Prufer, Morse, Reid, and others. Some basic oscillation and disconjugacy results are given for the second-order case. We show how the definitions of oscillation and disconjugacy have more than one interpretation for higher-order equations and systems, but it is the definitions from the calculus of variations that provide the most fruitful concepts; they also have application to the spectral theory of differential equations. The comparison and separation theorems are given for systems, and it is shown how they apply to scalar equations to give a natural extension of Sturm’s second-order case. Finally we return to the second-order case to show how the indexing of zeros of eigenfunctions changes when there is a parameter in the boundary condition or if the weight function changes sign.
Environmental Calcium Initiates a Feed-Forward Signaling Circuit That Regulates Biofilm Formation and Rugosity in Vibrio vulnificus.

ABSTRACT Poor clinical outcomes (disfigurement, amputation, and death) and significant economic losses in the aquaculture industry can be attributed to the potent opportunistic human pathogen Vibrio vulnificus. V. vulnificus, as well as the bivalves (oysters) it naturally colonizes, is indigenous to estuaries and human-inhabited coastal regions and must endure constantly changing environmental conditions as freshwater and seawater enter, mix, and exit the water column. Elevated cellular c-di-GMP levels trigger biofilm formation, but relatively little is known regarding the environmental signals that initiate this response. Here, we show that calcium is a primary environmental signal that specifically increases intracellular c-di-GMP concentrations, which in turn triggers expression of the brp extracellular polysaccharide that enhances biofilm formation. A transposon screen for the loss of calcium-induced PbrpA expression revealed CysD, an enzyme in the sulfate assimilation pathway. Targeted disruption of the pathway indicated that the production of a specific metabolic intermediate, 3′-phosphoadenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS), was required for calcium-induced PbrpA expression and that PAPS was separately required for development of the physiologically distinct rugose phenotype. Thus, PAPS behaves as a second messenger in V. vulnificus. Moreover, c-di-GMP and BrpT (the activator of brp expression) acted in concert to bias expression of the sulfate assimilation pathway toward PAPS and c-di-GMP accumulation, establishing a feed-forward regulatory loop to boost brp expression. Thus, this signaling network links extracellular calcium and sulfur availability to the intracellular second messengers PAPS and c-di-GMP in the regulation of V. vulnificus biofilm formation and rugosity, survival phenotypes underpinning its evolution as a resilient environmental organism. IMPORTANCE The second messenger c-di-GMP is a key regulator of bacterial physiology. The V. vulnificus genome encodes nearly 100 proteins predicted to make, break, and bind c-di-GMP. However, relatively little is known regarding the environmental signals that regulate c-di-GMP levels and biofilm formation in V. vulnificus. Here, we identify calcium as a primary environmental signal that specifically increases intracellular c-di-GMP concentrations, which in turn triggers brp-mediated biofilm formation. We show that PAPS, a metabolic intermediate of the sulfate assimilation pathway, acts as a second messenger linking environmental calcium and sulfur source availability to the production of another intracellular second messenger (c-di-GMP) to regulate biofilm and rugose colony formation, developmental pathways that are associated with environmental persistence and efficient bivalve colonization by this potent human pathogen.
Philologesis in Adūnīs, al-Maʿarrī, al-Fārābī

This paper offers a reading of texts—of Adūnīs, al-Maʿarrī, and al-Fārābī—and argues that for each, however differently, language declines the Bildungs -centric terms and reading practices into which it has been conscripted in literary and colonial modernity. The article opens with Adūnīs and considers the reflection on the singular and the plural given in his poem Mufrad bi-ṣīghat al-jamʿ , framing the reflection on language and interpretation on which the remainder of the paper turns. I then offer readings of Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī’s Risālat al-ghufrān ( Epistle of Forgiveness ), and several of the philosophical writings of Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī, to argue that what takes place with language in these texts is recalcitrant to the understandings and practices of language privileged in the modern state form and its fallout. Because of this recalcitrance, these texts interrupt the historical and hermeneutic terms privileged in reading practices in the literary humanities. Language, in the texts I consider, becomes an event that militates against its own interpretive domestication, a form of reading that declines its coercive stabilization as a coherent temporal form—what I call philologesis . In this sense, this is also a paper about philology and its ongoing consequences—for language, for reading, and for poetics—in the modern world.
Green ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (G-UHP-FRC)

Abstract This research first focused on developing a green ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (G-UHP-FRC) to reduce its cement content, and thus its carbon footprint and environmental impact. In this study, 50% of Portland cement by weight was replaced by 25% fly ash (FA) class F and 25% ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). A comprehensive study was undertaken to achieve high workability while ensuring a minimum compressive strength of 125 MPa after 28 days of moist curing. The best performing G-UHP-FRC mixtures were selected for flexural as well as large-scale tensile testing. Ductility enhancement was achieved by optimizing a hybrid mechanism through combining three different types of micro and macro fibers. In order to investigate the synergy between G-UHP-FRC and steel reinforcement, two large-scale dogbone-shaped tension specimens of G-UHP-FRC reinforced with embedded steel rebars were tested in uniaxial tension up to fracture of the reinforcing bar. Results on its performance in regard to tension stiffening and cracking behavior as well as ultimate and post-peak deformation capacity are presented.
DGAT1 DEFICIENCY DISRUPTS LYSOSOME FUNCTION IN ENTEROCYTES DURING DIETARY FAT ABSORPTION

Abstract Enterocytes, the absorptive cells of the small intestine, mediate the process of dietary fat absorption by secreting triacylglycerol (TAG) into circulation. When levels of dietary fat are high, TAG is stored in cytoplasmic lipid droplets (CLDs) and sequentially hydrolyzed for ultimate secretion. Mice with deficiency in acyl CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (Dgat1−/− mice) were previously reported to have a reduced rate of intestinal TAG secretion and abnormal TAG accumulation in enterocyte CLDs. This unique intestinal phenotype is critical to their resistance to diet-induced obesity; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Emerging evidence shows that lysosomal TAG hydrolysis contributes to autophagy-mediated CLD mobilization termed lipophagy, and when disrupted results in CLD accumulation. In order to study how lipophagy contributes to the unique intestinal phenotype of Dgat1−/− mice, enterocytes from wild-type (WT) and Dgat1−/− mice were examined at 2 and 6 h after oral oil gavage. Through ultrastructural analysis we observed TAG present within autophagic vesicles (AVs) in mouse enterocytes, suggesting the role of lipophagy in intestinal CLD mobilization during dietary fat absorption. Furthermore, we found that Dgat1−/− mice had abnormal TAG accumulation within AVs and less acidic lysosomes compared to WT mice. Together these findings suggest that the delayed dietary fat absorption seen in Dgat1−/− mice is, in part, due to the dysregulated flux of autophagy-mediated CLD mobilization and impairment of lysosomal acidification in enterocytes. The present study highlights the critical role of lysosome in enterocyte CLD mobilization for proper dietary fat absorption.
Connecting muscle development, birth defects, and evolution: An essential role for muscle connective tissue

Skeletal muscle powers all movement of the vertebrate body and is distributed in multiple regions that have evolved distinct functions. Axial muscles are ancestral muscles essential for support and locomotion of the whole body. The evolution of the head was accompanied by development of cranial muscles essential for eye movement, feeding, vocalization, and facial expression. With the evolution of paired fins and limbs and their associated muscles, vertebrates gained increased locomotor agility, populated the land, and acquired fine motor skills. Finally, unique muscles with specialized functions have evolved in some groups, and the diaphragm which solely evolved in mammals to increase respiratory capacity is one such example. The function of all these muscles requires their integration with the other components of the musculoskeletal system: muscle connective tissue (MCT), tendons, bones as well as nerves and vasculature. MCT is muscle's closest anatomical and functional partner. Not only is MCT critical in the adult for muscle structure and function, but recently MCT in the embryo has been found to be crucial for muscle development. In this review, we examine the important role of the MCT in axial, head, limb, and diaphragm muscles for regulating normal muscle development, discuss how defects in MCT-muscle interactions during development underlie the etiology of a range of birth defects, and explore how changes in MCT development or communication with muscle may have led to the modification and acquisition of new muscles during vertebrate evolution.
Random Walks on Wreath Products of Groups

We bound the rate of convergence to uniformity for a certain random walk on the complete monomial groups G≀S n for any group G. Specifically, we determine that $${\raise0.7ex\hbox{$1$} \!\mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}}\right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace}\!\lower0.7ex\hbox{$2$}}$$ n log n+ $$\frac{1}{4}$$ n log (|G|−1|) steps are both necessary and sufficient for l2 distance to become small. We also determine that $${\raise0.7ex\hbox{$1$} \!\mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}}\right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace}\!\lower0.7ex\hbox{$2$}}$$ n log n steps are both necessary and sufficient for total variation distance to become small. These results provide rates of convergence for random walks on a number of groups of interest: the hyperoctahedral group ℤ2≀S n , the generalized symmetric group ℤ m ≀S n , and S m ≀S n . In the special case of the hyperoctahedral group, our random walk exhibits the “cutoff phenomenon.”
Reconstructing signaling pathways using regular language constrained paths.

Motivation High-quality curation of the proteins and interactions in signaling pathways is slow and painstaking. As a result, many experimentally detected interactions are not annotated to any pathways. A natural question that arises is whether or not it is possible to automatically leverage existing pathway annotations to identify new interactions for inclusion in a given pathway. Results We present RegLinker, an algorithm that achieves this purpose by computing multiple short paths from pathway receptors to transcription factors within a background interaction network. The key idea underlying RegLinker is the use of regular language constraints to control the number of non-pathway interactions that are present in the computed paths. We systematically evaluate RegLinker and five alternative approaches against a comprehensive set of 15 signaling pathways and demonstrate that RegLinker recovers withheld pathway proteins and interactions with the best precision and recall. We used RegLinker to propose new extensions to the pathways. We discuss the literature that supports the inclusion of these proteins in the pathways. These results show the broad potential of automated analysis to attenuate difficulties of traditional manual inquiry. Availability and implementation https://github.com/Murali-group/RegLinker. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Brand Personalities and Sexuality in Luxury Fashion Advertisements

The purpose of this research was to determine the perceived personality of brands featuring different levels of sexuality in luxury fashion advertisements. In this study, the stimuli were luxury fashion advertisements categorized at different sexuality levels: 1) demure, 2) suggestive, 3) partially clad, and 4) nude. The survey had 25 brand personality items grouped to represent five personalities: 1) Consciences/Responsibility, 2) Extraversion/Activity,3) Emotional Stability/Emotionality, 4) Agreeableness/Aggressiveness, 5) Openness/Simplicity. Each brand personality was rated on a 5-point Likert scale from not (1) to very (5) characteristic of this brand. Upon approval from the University’s IRB, the survey was available on Amazon Turk for two weeks. Each participant responded to one advertisement with a model of his/her gender. Results from the 1266 participants found different associations made about luxury fashion brands given levels of sexuality, supporting theories related to identity and brand. For example, perceptions of Consciences/Responsibility(“down-to-earth, “responsible,” etc.) decreased as the level of sexuality increased. In another example, both genders perceived brands with more sexuality as less emotional. Further research is warranted, such as examining sexuality levels in advertisements and purchasing behavior.
Development of observational rating scales for evaluating patient-centered communication within a whole health approach to care

Abstract Context Teaching and evaluating patient-centered communication (PCC) skills that incorporate holistic approaches are increasingly relevant. Objective This study describes the development of the Observational Whole Health Measure (OWHM) for evaluating the extent to which primary care providers in the Veterans Health Administration engaged in PCC in the context of a holistic approach to care known as “Whole Health.” Design and Setting Observational rating scales were created based on content from a national whole health clinical education program in the VA and refined from audio recordings of patient-provider interactions in primary care clinical encounters. Unpaired t-tests and Cohen's d were conducted to measure overall quality of what really matters and whole health goal setting and plan development. Participants 65 clinical encounters across 8 providers before and after participating in the training were included for analysis. Intervention The intervention used for creating rating scales is a 2.5 day whole health clinical education program designed to teach providers PCC skills to identify what matters most for the patients and develop a patient-centered health plan that incorporates integrative health approaches to care. Main outcome measure Quality scores (0–4) were used to measure number of instances and extent to which providers explored what matters most to patients, dimensions of whole health, and development of a whole health plan tailored to patient's goals. Results We developed the Observational Whole Health Measure (OWHM) that captures changes in provider communication. Significant differences in overall quality of whole health goal setting and plan development were detected between pre- and post-encounters, demonstrating a sensitivity to change. With the rise of integrative health approaches being adopted across clinical settings, the observational rating scales created in this study are likely to have increasing relevance.
Ultrafast light manipulation by using nonlinear chiral meta-mirror

dWe demonstrate a nonlinear chiral meta-mirror consisting of an array of amorphous silicon split-ring resonators on top of a silver backplane with a silica spacer layer. This hybrid dielectric-plasmonic system can enhance Mie-resonance to result in strong light-matter interaction on the nanometer scale. The chiral meta-mirror exhibits a sharp absorption on one handedness of the circular polarization, and reflects the opposite handedness in a manner that preserves its polarization state in the linear regime. We show that the chiroptical responses can be tuned dynamically by leveraging photoexcited carriers in amorphous silicon. All optical, picosecond scale intensity modulation and polarization switching are studied.
Derivation of generalized Cahn-Hilliard equation for two-phase flow in porous media using hybrid mixture theory

Abstract Using generalizations of the Cahn-Hilliard equation for modeling two-phase flow in porous media at the pore scale has become popular due to its ability to capture interfacial effects by adding minimal complications. Here we use upscaled field equations and exploit the second law of thermodynamics in the spirit of rational thermodynamics to develop a framework that, for two phases at the macroscale, recovers the Korteweg stress tensor for the liquid phase, generalizes Darcy’s law, and recovers the classical Cahn-Hilliard equation. The corresponding results for three-phases at the macroscale are derived and are shown to be a generalization of Richards equation, and with appropriate simplifying assumptions are shown to recover the two-phase results. Simplifying the results appropriately produces a pore scale model for two liquid phases, and are shown to generalize previous works by Cueto-Felgueroso and Juanes and Boyer and Quintard et. al. The results are are also compared with the Cahn-Hilliard Brinkman equations, where it is noted that to be physically consistent the state variable should represent a physical quantity. One key aspect that distinguishes this formulation from others is that it captures the different energies of the three interfaces (gas-liquid, gas-solid, and liquid-solid) without introducing the corresponding quantities at the microscale (interfacial tension, contact angle, etc).