cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sebaceous Lipid Profiling of Bat Integumentary Tissues: Quantitative Analysis of Free Fatty Acids, Monoacylglycerides, Squalene, and Sterols

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans and is devastating North American bat populations. Sebaceous lipids secreted from host integumentary tissues are implicated in the initial attachment and recognition of host tissues by pathogenic fungi. We are interested in determining if ratios of lipid classes in sebum can be used as biomarkers to diagnose severity of fungal infection in bats. To first establish lipid compositions in bats, we isolated secreted and integral lipid fractions from the hair and wing tissues of three species: big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), and evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis). Sterols, FFAs, MAGs, and squalene were derivatized as trimethylsilyl esters, separated by gas chromatography, and identified by mass spectrometry. Ratios of sterol to squalene in different tissues were determined, and cholesterol as a disease biomarker was assessed. Free sterol was the dominant lipid class of bat integument. Squalene/sterol ratio is highest in wing sebum. Secreted wing lipid contained higher proportions of saturated FFAs and MAGs than integral wing or secreted hair lipid. These compounds are targets for investigating responses of P. destructans to specific host lipid compounds and as biomarkers to diagnose WNS.
Prorenin receptor in distal nephron segments of 2-kidney, 1-clip goldblatt hypertensive rats.

Background: The prorenin receptor (PRR) is expressed in the kidneys and has been localized to mesangial cells, renal arterioles, and distal nephron segments. By binding renin or prorenin, this receptor increases renin catalytic activity and activates prorenin. The renin gene is expressed by the principal cells of collecting ducts and is enhanced in angiotensin II (AngII)-dependent hypertension and in both kidneys of 2kidney, 1-clip (2K1C) Goldblatt hypertensive rats. Colocalization of PRR with prorenin and renin in distal nephron segments may contribute to increased local AngII formation. Methods: We examined the specific cell-type localization of PRR in distal nephron segments and the changes in PRR gene expression in both kidneys of 2K1C hypertensive rats (n¼6) and sham-operated rats (n¼5). Results: After 25 days, systolic blood pressure and plasma renin activity increased to 186 6 8 mmHg and 12.8 6 3 ng/AngI/mL/hr, respectively, in 2K1C rats compared to controls (133 6 9 mmHg and 7.1 6 1 ng/AngI/mL/hr, respectively). Immunohistochemistry of the PRR on fixed kidney sections showed intense positive staining in the apical aspects of intercalated cells in collecting ducts. PRR immunoreactivity (clipped kidney: 2.3 6 1 IDU; nonclipped kidney: 1.3 6 0 IDU; sham: 1.0 6 0.0 IDU; P<0.05) and messenger RNA levels measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (clipped kidney: 1.3 6 0.1 au; nonclipped kidney: 0.9 6 0.3 au; sham: 1 6 0.0 au; P<0.05] were increased in collecting duct cells of clipped kidneys of 2K1C rats compared to nonclipped and sham kidneys. Conclusion: The enhanced renin gene expression in the collecting ducts of hypertensive rats suggests that the renin secreted by principal cells is then anchored by the PRR on the intercalated cells, thus contributing to increased angiotensin peptide generation in distal nephron segments.
CHANGES IN PIPING PLOVER NESTING HABITAT AVAILABILITY AT GREAT PLAINS ALKALINE WETLANDS, 1938–1997

Alkaline wetland beaches provide crucial habitat for breeding piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) in the northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada. Vegetation encroachment has been identified as a potential threat that decreases alkaline beach habitat availability, but the long-term status of these breeding habitats has not been evaluated. We measured vegetation changes at two North Dakota alkaline wetland complexes from 1938 to 1997. Total beach habitat, including lower beaches that were impacted by flooding, varied substantially among years based on changes in surface-water levels. Quantities of upper-beach habitats, which were not affected by inundation, were negatively correlated with precipitation amounts during the previous five-year periods. We measured declines in upper-beach habitat averaging 0.89 ha/yr and 0.20ha/yr at our two wetland complexes from 1938 to 1997, suggesting that long-term changes in factors other than precipitation (e.g., ground-water hydrology, livestock grazing intensity, or fire frequency) may be negatively affecting beach availability. Vegetation reduction may be critical to long-term recovery of threatened piping plovers in the Great Plains.
The Structure, Localization, and Function of the Lipophosphoglycan of Leishmania Donovani

The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani is able to successfully live in two harsh hydrolytic environments in its digenetic life cycle: as an extracellular promastigote in the alimentary tract of its sandfly vector and as an intracellular amastigote in lysosomes of macrophages of its mammalian host. That L. donovani has adapted to survive in such hostile environments is most likely due to protection conferred by specialized molecules on the parasite’s cell surface.
Efficacy evaluation of three different kinds of repellent.

Objective To evaluate the repellency of deet,IR3535 and bayrepel against mosquitoes.Methods Efficacy test of deet,IR3535,bayrepel was conducted according to GB/T 17322.10-1998,then evaluating the test data.Results Laboratory tests showed that at the concentration of 5%-10%,the efficacy of 3 repellents had no distinct difference;at the concentration of 15%-20%,the efficacy of 3 repellents had distinct difference,bayrepel was the best,the protection time of 20% bayrepel was 11 h against Aedes albopictus;field evaluations showed that the protection time of 20% bayrepel was 9 h against mosquitoes.Conclusion Bayrepel is an ideal repellent with high stability,long lasting effect,low toxicity.It also has a good prospect.
Ptpn22 Modifies Regulatory T Cell Homeostasis via GITR Upregulation

PTPN22 gene variation associates with multiple autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Loss of function studies have demonstrated that PTPN22 impinges on the homeostatic behavior of regulatory T (Treg) cells, a lineage critical for immune tolerance. The frequency and absolute number of Treg cells is increased in Ptpn22-deficient mice, but the mechanism driving this increase is unknown. In this study, we show that Ptpn22 knockdown (KD) promoted the expansion of the Treg cell compartment by upregulating the glucocorticoid-induced TNFR family-related protein (GITR) and increasing GITR signaling. Ptpn22 KD did not accelerate cell division but instead prolonged Treg cell survival, as measured by a decrease in the frequency of apoptotic Treg cells. Loss of Ptpn22 caused a concomitant increase in the proportion of CD44(hi)CD62L(lo) effector Treg cells, at the expense of CD44(lo)CD62L(hi) central Treg cells. The increase in Treg cell numbers, but not their differentiation toward an effector phenotype, was dependent on GITR signaling, because blockade of GITR ligand prevented Treg cell expansion caused by Ptpn22 KD. These findings indicate that GITR plays a key role in regulating the overall size of the Treg cell pool. Our results suggest that the size and composition of the Treg cell compartment are independently controlled and have implications for the design of immunotherapies that seek to improve Treg cell function.
Enhancement and Depression of Neuromuscular Transmission by Intra-arterial Injection of Potassium Chloride in the Dog

Summary1. Continuous slow injection of KCl (2 to 3 mg per second of 1.12% solution) produced initial enhancement and subsequent depression of neuromuscular transmission in muscle stimulated indirectly at 275 to 300 shocks per second.2. Fast injection of KCl (15 mg per second of 4.2% solution) produced a prompt depression of neuromuscular transmission. Continued injection produced marked contracture and complete neuromuscular block.3. Enhancement of neuromuscular transmission may occur in the absence of contracture or in the presence of mild contracture. Amounts of K sufficient to induce marked contracture usually produced complete neuromuscular block.4. During complete neuromuscular block by KCl injection the response of the muscle to direct stimulation was unimpaired.
A historical view of scare tactics

Like their present-day counterparts, early antinuclear activists used fear to try to inspire political action. But such appeals might have unwittingly contributed to anticommunist hysteria and the nuclear buildup.
Results Analysis on Monitoring Antibody Levels of Rubella among Health Population in Fuzhou City in 2007

[Objective]To understand the immune status of Rubella in health population of Fuzhou City.[Methods]ELISA was adopted to detect IgG antibody.[Results]The positive rate of rubella antibody IgG was 79.71% among health population of 0~44 years.The positive rate in the population 15 years(69.93%)was lower than that of the population 15 years of age(88.07%)(χ2 = 36.936,P0.01),the positive rate in the rural population 15 years(85.37%)was higher than that in urban(69.43%)(χ2= 21.924,P0.01).[Conclusion]To establish the perfact rubella monitoring system,it is necessary to perform rubella immunization on floating population15 years and women conducting premarriage health checkings on the basis of implementation of rubella vaccine immunization program.
Survey on relationship between fatty liver disease and gallbladder disease in physical examination population from No.456 hospital of Chinese PLA(2013)

Objective To investigate the prevalence of fatty liver and gallbladder disease,and analyse the relationship between both diseases in physical examination population from a hospital of Jinan. Methods This study enrolled 19394 people who receiving physical examination in author's physical examination center from January 2013 to July 2013 for statistic analysis of the data. Results The prevalence of fatty liver disease was 30.27%(5870 / 19394),male was higher than female. The prevalence of gallbladder disease was 6.03%(1170 / 19394),no obvious difference prevalence was found between male and female. The prevalence of gallbladder disease in patients with fatty liver disease was higher than the patients without fatty liver disease(χ2=172.166,P 0.001),female was higher than male(χ2=9.481,P=0.002). The prevalence of gallbladder disease in patients with fatty liver disease increased with age,reached a peak value after age of 70 years old. Conclusion There is a high prevalence of fatty liver disease in Jinan City,the onset relationship between fatty liver disease and gallbladder disease is closely related.
Secretory renal proximal tubules in seawater- and freshwater-adapted killifish.

A population of proximal tubules when isolated from the glomerular kidneys of seawater-adapted (SW) and freshwater-adapted (FW) killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) spontaneously secrete fluid. Regardless of SW or FW adaptation, Na and Cl are the dominant electrolytes in secreted fluid. Mg concentrations in fluid secreted by both tubules are significantly greater than those in the peritubular bath, and Mg concentrations are inversely related to Na concentrations. Proximal tubules from either SW or FW fish exhibit low transepithelial voltage (-1 to -2 mV) and low transepithelial resistances (20-30 omega.cm2) typical of other vertebrate proximal tubules. Transepithelial diffusion potentials for Na, Cl, Mg, and SO4 suggest that the paracellular pathway is Na selective and impermeable to divalent ions. Consideration of transepithelial electrochemical potential differences for Na, Cl, Mg, and SO4 suggests active transport of Mg, SO4, and Cl in proximal tubules isolated from SW- and FW-adapted fish. The similarities in the functional properties of secretory proximal tubules isolated from SW- and FW-adapted killifish are striking and raise questions about the in vivo role of these tubules in the renal adaptations to seawater and freshwater.
Alteration of Platelet Function in Dogs Mediated by Interleukin-6

To determine if interleukin-6 (IL-6) administration influences platelet function, platelet activation was analyzed sequentially in IL-6-treated (80 micrograms/kg/d) and control dogs. Platelet activation was determined in whole blood by flow cytometry by quantitating the binding of a monoclonal antibody to platelet surface P-selectin after stimulation with graded doses of thrombin. Administration of IL-6 resulted in a twofold decrease in the thrombin concentration required for induction of half-maximal P-selectin expression (ED50) compared with control animals. The ED50 returned to normal after cessation of IL-6 administration. As measured by P-selectin expression, enhanced responsiveness to the strong agonist platelet activating factor (PAF) was also observed in the IL-6-treated dogs. IL-6 had no effect on the susceptibility of platelets to thrombin activation when incubated with anticoagulated dog blood. The data show that, in addition to augmenting the platelet count in normal dogs, IL-6 enhances the sensitivity of platelets to activation in response to thrombin and PAF.
Perspectives: Two Key Concepts for Wealth Management and Beyond

Asset allocation is profoundly influenced by at least two underappreciated concepts. First, tax-deferred accounts — for example, 401(k)s — are like partnerships in which the investor owns (1–tn) of the partnership principal and the government owns the remainder, where tn is the marginal tax rate when the funds are withdrawn. Second, the government shares in both the return and the risk of assets held in taxable accounts. The authors discuss these concepts’ implications for wealth management.
Acute Hepatic Failure with Pemoline (Cylert)

A 7-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and ADHD who developed acute hepatic failure with autoimmune hepatitis during treatment with pemoline (56 mg/day) is reported from the Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH.
Sudden Unexplained Death and Epilepsy

The incidence of sudden unexplained death (SUD) among patients less than 50 years old with refractory epilepsy was determined at Boston University Medical Center, Lexington, MA, and Department of Epidemiology, Glaxo Wellcome, Research Triangle Park, NC.
The Role of Genetics in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a P2Y 12 receptor antagonist is standard of care in acute coronary syndrome and is recommended for a period of 12 months regardless of invasive revascularization. The antiplatelet action of these agents is governed by levels of active plasma metabolites, which may be influenced by genetic variations. Recently genotyping has gained considerable attention to identify patients who may demonstrate poor platelet responsiveness, as a potential method to improve long-term outcomes. However whether or not systematic genotyping will prove to be advantageous and cost-effective is the subject of on-going studies. This chapter discusses the current data on the impact of genetic variations with antiplatelet therapy, as well as the potential role of genotyping in prescription of antiplatelet therapies in acute coronary syndrome.
Pharmaceutical Care Certificate Program: Assessment of Pharmacists' Implementation into Practice

Abstract Objective: To measure the effects of a Pharmaceutical Care Certificate Program (PCCP) in community pharmacists. Design: This study compared the effects of the PCCP over time using a repeated measures design. Setting: Retail, independent, and managed care pharmacy. Participants: 36 pharmacists who participated in the PCCP. Interventions: PCCP, which was developed to train pharmacists in (1) practice reengineering, (2) components of pharmaceutical care, and (3) drug therapy management of disease states. Main Outcome Measures: (1) pharmacist job functions, (2) pharmaceutical care job functions, (3) pharmaceutical care components, (4) pharmacist-perceived barriers to providing pharmaceutical care, and (5) proposed solutions for overcoming barriers. Results: When comparing pharmacists at baseline and after 1 year, pharmacists after 1 year felt significantly better prepared to perform all pharmaceutical care components. Conclusion: Although the PCCP was successful in preparing pharmacists to perform the pharmaceutical care components covered in the program, time seems to be one of the major barriers for their actual implementation into practice. One proposed solution is the development of partnerships between pharmacists and schools of pharmacy.
The COWVR Mission: Demonstrating the capability of a new generation of small satellite weather sensors

The Compact Ocean Wind Vector Radiometer (COWVR) is new type of conical microwave sensor ideal for small satellite implementation. This paper provides an overview of the COWVR sensor, mission and provides perspectives for the future of this technology to enable low-cost sustainable passive microwave observations into the next decade.
Mechanistic analysis of a copper-catalyzed C–H oxidative cyclization of carboxylic acids

We recently reported that carboxylic acids can be oxidized to lactone products by potassium persulfate and catalytic copper acetate. Here, we unravel the mechanism for this C-H functionalization reaction using desorption electrospray ionization, online electrospray ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry. Our findings suggest that electron transfer from a transient benzylic radical intermediate reduces Cu(ii) to Cu(i), which is then re-oxidized to Cu(ii) in the catalytic cycle. The resulting benzylic carbocation is trapped by the pendant carboxylate group to give the lactone product. Formation of the putative benzylic carbocation is supported by Hammett analysis. The proposed mechanism for this copper-catalyzed oxidative cyclization process differs from earlier reports of analogous reactions, which posit a substrate carboxylate radical as the reactive oxidant.
Design Space Exploration of the Dragonfly Topology

We investigate possible options of creating a Dragonfly topology capable of accommodating a specified number of end-points. We first observe that any Dragonfly topology can be described with two main parameters, imbalance and density, dictating the distribution of routers in groups, and the inter-group connectivity, respectively. We then introduce an algorithm that generates a dragonfly topology by taking the desired number of end-points and these two parameters as input. We calculate a variety of metrics on the generated topologies resulting from a large set of parameter combinations. Based on these metrics, we isolate the subset of topologies that present the best economical and performance trade-off. We conclude by summarizing guidelines for Dragonfly topology design and dimensioning.
Fréchet-stable signatures using persistence homology

For a metric space Y, the Frechet distance is a metric on trajectories f, g : [0, 1] → Y that minimizes maxt∈[0,1] dY(f(t),g(h(t))) over continuous reparameterizations h of time. One can define the generalized Frechet distance between more complex objects, functions f : X → Y where X is some topological space that minimizes over homeomorphisms from X → X. This more general definition has been studied for surfaces and often leads to computationally hard problems. We show how to compute in polynomial-time signatures for these functions for which the resulting metric on the signatures can also be computed in polynomial-time and provides a meaningful lower bound on the generalized Frechet distance. Our approach uses persistent homology and exploits the natural invariance of persistence diagrams of functions to homeomorphisms of the domain. Our algorithm for computing the signatures in Euclidean spaces uses a new method for computing persistent homology of convex functions on simplicial complexes which may be of independent interest.
Proteomic studies of nucleolin complexes in prostate cancer cells treated with novel anticancer agent, AS1411

3275 AS1411 (formerly AGRO100) is a guanosine-rich phosphodiester oligodeoxynucleotide that is currently being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of advanced cancer. This agent has a novel mechanism of action that involves binding as an aptamer to nucleolin, a multifunctional protein that is expressed at high levels by cancer cells. It is our hypothesis that binding of AS1411 alters the molecular interactions of nucleolin leading to pleiotropic biological effects. The goals of this study were to identify nucleolin-associated proteins in DU145 human prostate cancer cells and to investigate the effect of AS1411 on them. Nucleolin-associated proteins were isolated by immunoprecipitation (IP) from human prostate cancer DU145 cells using either anti-nucleolin antibodies to precipitate endogenous protein or anti-FLAG antibodies to capture FLAG-tagged nucleolin. Forty nonribosomal proteins and four ribosomal proteins were identified as candidate nucleolin-associated proteins by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Several of these, including protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), phospholipase C gamma1 (PLCγ1), topoisomerase I, non-muscle myosin IIA/MYH9, heat shock protein 90, kinesin Eg5/KIF 11, NEMO/IKKγ and structure specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1), were subsequently shown to co-precipitate with endogenous nucleolin from DU145 cells To determine the effect of AS1411 on the molecular interactions of nucleolin, we examined nucleolin complexes in nuclear or cytoplasmic extracts from untreated, AS1411-treated and control-treated DU145 cells using anti-nucleolin IP. Consistently, we found an altered nuclear/cytoplasmic distribution of many nucleolin-precipitated proteins in AS1411-treated cells, although total nucleolin levels were apparently unaffected. Some nucleolin complexes (e.g. with PRMT5, MYH9) exhibited increased cytoplasmic localization in AS1411-treated cells, whereas others (e.g. with PLCγ1, topoisomerase I) displayed increased nuclear localization. In summary, our research has identified nucleolin-associated proteins from human prostate cancer DU145 cells, including several that have not been reported previously. Some of these are also molecular targets for anticancer agents, suggesting possibly novel roles for nucleolin in cancer cell biology. Moreover, the localizations of certain nucleolin complexes were altered in DU145 cells treated with AS1411, which is a new anticancer agent. These results confirm that nucleolin is the primary molecular target of AS1411 and suggest that the trafficking function of nucleolin may be affected by AS1411.
Medical hazards of aerosols. 1

An objective assessment of respiratory side effects of aerosol products is considerably more complex than an investigation of possible dermal sensitization. Irritant and immunologic effects must be clearly distinguished. The aspects to consider include the particle size of the dispensed materials, hereditary and constitutional factors in the patient, and the toxic, irritative and allergenic potential of the ingredients.
Political Representation and Accountability Under Don't Ask, Don't Tell

The U.S. military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy constitutes a singular type of speech regulation: an explicit prohibition on identity speech by a defined population of individuals that mandates a state of complete social invisibility in both military and civilian life. The impact of such a regulation upon the public speech values protected by the First Amendment should not be difficult to apprehend. And yet, as the tenth anniversary of the policy approaches, First Amendment scholars have largely ignored this seemingly irresistible subject of study, and the federal courts have refused to engage with the policy's implications for public speech values in any serious way. The Supreme Court's landmark decision in Lawrence v. Texas now makes the time ripe to fill this analytical breach. In this Article, I explore three important conceptual issues that converge under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. First, I provide an overview of the true nature and scope of the speech regulations that the policy imposes upon gay and lesbian soldiers and map out the public speech values that those regulations offend, with a particular focus on political representation and accountability. Second, I explore an important issue in free speech theory - the relationship between a speaker's public identity and the meaning and political impact of the speaker's contributions to public discourse - that has gone largely unexamined in the continuing debate between collectivist and individualist First Amendment scholars. And third, I illustrate and analyze the deep relationship between the form of subordination that Don't Ask, Don't Tell imposes upon gay soldiers and the reiteration of that form of subordination in the impoverished analysis of the policy that the federal judiciary has offered thus far. With the greater insight that ten years of enforcement provides into the policy's true impact upon public speech values, Don't Ask, Don't Tell provides an important occasion to explore the broader change that Lawrence v. Texas promises to bring about in the review of claims by gay and lesbian litigants.
Use of reversed nephroureteral stent as suprapubic cystoureteral catheter.

AbstractBy the reversal of the existing nephroureteral stent system a vesicoureteral stent exiting through the suprapubic site is created. The major advantages of this system Include avoidance of side holes along the stent, avoidance of a urethral catheter, ease of access for contrast medium studies to monitor healing, comfort and ease of removal The major application of the system would be for lower ureteral surgery. Development of a 5F catheter with a shorter kidney-to-bladder length would permit use of this system in children.
Particular Stochastic Processes

We now turn to special types of stochastic processes met in applications. Consider the following problem involving a growth model.
System for Monitoring Air Quality and Smog

Air pollution and smog events are issues that are experienced in many large cities worldwide. Vehicle emissions are the largest contributor to these problems. The system presented in this paper aims to provide air quality and smog information for possible regulation of hybrid vehicle emissions. The system will evaluate the ambient air to determine if a hybrid vehicle should rely primarily on gasoline or electric power to reduce the emissions that contribute to smog during times when smog events are either possible or occurring. The system takes in ambient environmental data through an array of sensors that are sensitive to various pollutants and that are associated with the formation and chemistry of smog. It then makes a decision as to whether a smog event is possible or if the air quality is poor according the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) set standards. This calculation allows a user to observe the ambient air quality in real time and warns them if there is a possible smog event. The system can accurately recreate the EPA's Air Quality Index in real time. This project has the great potential to reduce the frequency of smog events by cutting down the amount of pollutants that are expelled from the combustion of gasoline.
Membrane Proteomes and Ion Transporters in Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis Dormant and Germinating Spores.

ABSTRACT Bacterial endospores produced by Bacillus and Clostridium species can remain dormant and highly resistant to environmental insults for long periods, but they can also rapidly germinate in response to a nutrient-rich environment. Multiple proteins involved in sensing and responding to nutrient germinants, initiating solute and water transport, and accomplishing spore wall degradation are associated with the membrane surrounding the spore core. In order to more fully catalog proteins that may be involved in spore germination, as well as to identify protein changes taking place during germination, unbiased proteomic analyses of membrane preparations isolated from dormant and germinated spores of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis were undertaken. Membrane-associated proteins were fractionated by SDS-PAGE, gel slices were trypsin digested, and extracted peptides were fractionated by liquid chromatography and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–tandem time of flight mass spectrometry. More than 500 proteins were identified from each preparation. Bioinformatic methods were used to characterize proteins with regard to membrane association, cellular function, and conservation across species. Numerous proteins not previously known to be spore associated, 6 in B. subtilis and 68 in B. anthracis, were identified. Relative quantitation based on spectral counting indicated that the majority of spore membrane proteins decrease in abundance during the first 20 min of germination. The spore membranes contained several proteins thought to be involved in the transport of metal ions, a process that plays a major role in spore formation and germination. Analyses of mutant strains lacking these transport proteins implicated YloB in the accumulation of calcium within the developing forespore. IMPORTANCE Bacterial endospores can remain dormant and highly resistant to environmental insults for long periods but can also rapidly germinate in response to a nutrient-rich environment. The persistence and subsequent germination of spores contribute to their colonization of new environments and to the spread of certain diseases. Proteins of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus anthracis were identified that are associated with the spore membrane, a position that can allow them to contribute to germination. A set of identified proteins that are predicted to carry out ion transport were examined for their contributions to spore formation, stability, and germination. Greater knowledge of spore formation and germination can contribute to the development of better decontamination strategies.
The Great AI/Robot Jobs Scare: Reality or ... Not Reality of Automation Fear Redux

This talk will consider the impact of AI/robots on employment, wages and the future of work more broadly. We argue that we should focus on policies that make AI robotics technology broadly inclusive both in terms of consumption and ownership so that billions of people can benefit from higher productivity and get on the path to the coming age of intolerable abundance.
Natasha: Vygotskian Dialogues

This is a novel-based approach to the theories of the Russian educational psychologist, Vygotsky, his heir V.V. Davydov, and the American theorist, Matthew Lipman. The book offers a series of dialogues depicting a reciprocal enquiry on Lipman's Philosophy for Children and the Russian view.
When Law Migrates: Refugees in Comparative International Law

The current European migration crisis has been playing out worldwide. As record numbers of migrants have fled their countries in recent years, wealthier states have had an increasing interest in restricting their borders to protect national security. The challenge of balancing domestic security interests with international human rights commitments has fallen to courts. Drawing on cases involving interdiction of migrants and refugees at sea from the U.S., Australia, and the European Court of Human Rights, this chapter will compare how the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees has been interpreted across countries and over time. It will show how courts have permitted countries to circumvent the core prohibition of the Refugee Convention, and discuss when courts choose to intervene to enforce it. The chapter will conclude by analyzing the implications of these cases for extraterritorial application of domestic and international human rights guarantees.
Publish-Subscribe Communication in Building Management Systems over Named Data Networking

Publish-subscribe (pub-sub) has been recognized as a common communication pattern in IoT applications. In this paper we present ndnBMS-PS, a distributed pub-sub communication framework for building management systems (BMS), an important area of IoT, over the Named Data Networking (NDN) architecture. ndnBMS-PS utilizes distributed NDN repositories to store and republish large quantities of BMS data that can be consumed by different applications. It employs a data synchronization mechanism to aggregate multiple data streams published by multiple sensing devices and achieve efficient notification of new data for the consumers. ndnBMS-PS also provides data authentication by utilizing NDN's security building blocks. This design exercise demonstrates that the information-centric architecture enables a simple design for complex IoT systems and provides superior system efficiency and security over TCP/IP-based alternatives.
Outcome of Submyeloablative Allogeneic HSCT for Hematologic Malignancies: Development of a Prognostic Model Based on Pre-Transplant Characteristics.

Our aim was to identify pre-transplant variables affecting the outcome of submyeloablative HSCT in 63 patients (27–66 y, median 52) with NHL/Hodgkin/CLL (n=29), acute leukemia (n=19), and myeloma (n=15). Donors were HLA-matched sibs (n=37), 10/10 allele-matched unrelated (n=19), or 1-locus/allele mismatched (n=7). The conditioning was 100 mg/m2 melphalan with (n=42; no prior auto) or without (n=21; prior auto) 50 mg/kg cyclophosphamide. GVHD prophylaxis comprised cyclosporine-mycophenolate (HLA-matched sibs) or tacrolimus-mycophenolate (others). G/GM-CSF were not used. Supportive care was uniform. 16 patients died of transplant-related causes (TRM), and 35 relapsed (8 alive after salvage therapy). Of the variables analyzed in univariate fashion for effect on OS, the following were found to be significant and were entered into a Cox model for TRM, relapse, EFS and OS: age (83% 45 y), 108/kg CD3+ cells infused (49% 3), and hemoglobin (24% 45 (RR 2.7; P=0.007), and TRM higher with PS ≥2 (RR 22.7 vs PS 0; P=0.001), donor age >45 (RR 5.3; P=0.013) and increased LDH (RR 8.6; P=0.003). The table shows factors influencing OS and EFS. | Variable | OS | DFS | |:------------------:| ---------------------- | ---------------- | ----- | | Adverse | Favorable | RR (95% CI) | P | RR (95% CI) | P | | PS ≥2 | PS 0 | 0.17 (0.06–0.47) | 0.001 | 0.28 (0.11–0.78) | 0.007 | | PS ≥2 | PS 1 | 0.48 (0.24–0.98) | 0.045 | 0.50 (0.24–1.03) | 0.061 | | Increased LDH | Normal LDH | 0.29 (0.14–0.62) | 0.001 | 0.43 (0.22–0.83) | 0.012 | | Refractory disease | Non-refractory disease | 0.38 (0.15–0.92) | 0.033 | 0.36 (0.17–0.77) | 0.008 | | Donor age >45 | Donor age ≤45 | 0.39 (0.19–0.77) | 0.007 | 0.27 (0.14–0.53) | <0.001 | Scoring 1 point for each adverse factor (2 for PS ≥2), patients were divided into 4 groups: none (n=9), 1–2 (n=20), 3–4 (n=29), and 5 (n=5). The figures below show adjusted OS and EFS curves derived from the Cox analysis by the number of adverse variables. The figures below show actual OS and EFS Kaplan-Meier curves by the number of adverse variables. ![Figure][1] Figure The figures below show actual OS and EFS Kaplan–Meier curves by the number of adverse variables. ![Figure][1] Figure Interestingly, diagnosis, patient age and type of donor did not affect outcome. These data will allow better prediction of outcome in patients proposed to be treated with this regimen, and suggest that modification of therapy is needed for patients with ≥3 adverse variables to improve survival. [1]: pending:yes
Cytogenetics in precision medicine

Abstract Cytogenetic analysis is a conventional technique utilized worldwide to diagnose chromosome instability and may indicate the presence of a genetic disorder or malignancy; historically, it was one of the first techniques utilized for precision medicine. The field of clinical human cytogenetics (the study of human chromosomes, their structure, inheritance, and abnormalities) intensified with the discovery of the normal human chromosome number of 46 in 1956 and of trisomy 21 in Down syndrome in 1957. The presence of a 9; 22 translocation found in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 1959 led to the development of therapies targeting the oncogenic fusion protein produced by the “Philadelphia chromosome.” Today, cytogenetic analysis continues to provide essential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic information for cancer precision medicine and research.
Glandular Trichome-Derived Mono- and Sesquiterpenes of Tomato Have Contrasting Roles in the Interaction with the Potato Aphid Macrosiphum euphorbiae

Secondary metabolites produced in glandular trichomes of tomato are involved in interactions with herbivores. In cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) glandular trichomes accumulate a blend of abundant monoterpenes and smaller amounts of a few sesquiterpenes. These mono- and sesquiterpenes are synthesized by three terpene synthases, TPS20 as well as TPS9 and TPS12, respectively. To study effects of these terpenes on performance and choice behavior of potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), we utilized two tomato trichome mutants, hairless and odorless-2, that are differently affected in mono- and sesquiterpene production. Non-choice assays demonstrated that longevity and fecundity of M. euphorbiae were increased when kept on the trichome mutants. A principal component analysis of these aphid performance parameters and terpene production in the trichome mutants indicated that longevity and fecundity of M. euphorbiae were negatively correlated with production of the TPS12-derived sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene and α-humulene. While we had previously shown that addition of pure β-caryophyllene/α-humulene to an artificial feeding diet affected M. euphorbiae apterae survivorship and feeding behavior, no such effects were observed here upon addition of a mixture of pure TPS20-derived monoterpenes. In olfactometer assays M. euphorbiae alates displayed differential choice behaviors towards the hairless and odorless-2 mutants suggesting a role of TPS20-derived monoterpenes in aphid attraction, which was further confirmed using a mixture of pure monoterpenes. Our analyses revealed contrasting roles of glandular trichome-derived terpenes in S. lycopersicum. While TPS12-derived sesquiterpenes contribute to host plant resistance against M. euphorbiae, TPS20-derived monoterpenes appear to be exploited as cue for host plant orientation by aphids.
Orbitofrontal cortex thickness and substance use disorders in emerging adulthood: causal inferences from a co-twin control/discordant twin study

Background/aims Research linking orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) structure and substance use disorders (SUDs) is largely correlational and often implies a causal effect of addiction/substance exposure on the brain, but familial risk factors (e.g. genetic liability) may confound these associations. We tested whether associations between alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use disorders and OFC thickness reflected the potential causal effects of familial risk or SUDs-related consequences (e.g. substance exposure). Design A co-twin control/discordant twin design separated familial risk confounding from SUD-related consequences. Setting/participants A population-based sample of 436 24-year-old twins (62% monozygotic) from the Minnesota Twin Family Study, USA. Measurements Alcohol, cannabis and tobacco use disorders were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Substance Abuse Module. Cortical thickness of the medial and lateral OFC (mOFC and lOFC, respectively) was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Findings Lower mOFC (P-values ≤ 0.006) but not lOFC (P-values ≥ 0.190) thickness was observed in diagnosed individuals (n = 185) relative to non-SUD controls (n = 251). Co-twin control analyses offered evidence that mOFC associations were consistent with familial risk across SUDs (between-pair effect: P-values ≤ 0.047) and the independent consequences of having an alcohol or cannabis use disorder (within-pair effect: P-values ≤ 0.024). That is, within alcohol/cannabis discordant twin pairs, affected twins had significantly lower mOFC thickness compared with their unaffected co-twins. Conclusions A confounder-adjusted analysis of the Minnesota Twin Family Study appeared to indicate that, beyond a substance use disorders general familial risk effect, the experience of an alcohol or cannabis use disorder in emerging adulthood reduces the thickness of the medial orbitofrontal cortex, a region associated with value-guided decision-making.
The Last Shot

The rhythmic creaking of the rocking chair broke the silence of the moment. The chair's weathered features matched those of the old man rocking quietly. The size of the chair seemed mammoth for his emaciated frame, wasted away by age. Rocking in the chair was his favorite pastime, sitting on the shaded front porch of the family farmhouse, surrounded by the prairie grassland stippled with wildflower pastels. He barely noticed the silhouette of the town sitting on the wooded horizon, its church and adjacent cemetery long forgotten. Sometimes he would nap but mostly he liked watching the swallows flit around the porch or the manic chipmunks madly chasing each other.
Evolution of Nuclear Receptors in Platyhelminths

Since the first complete set of Platyhelminth nuclear receptors (NRs) from Schistosoma mansoni were identified a decade ago, more flatworm genome data is available to identify their NR complement and to analyze the evolutionary relationship of Platyhelminth NRs. NRs are important transcriptional modulators that regulate development, differentiation and reproduction of animals. In this study, NRs are identified in genome databases of thirty-three species including in all Platyhelminth classes (Rhabditophora, Monogenea, Cestoda and Trematoda). Phylogenetic analysis shows that NRs in Platyhelminths follow two different evolutionary lineages: 1) NRs in a free-living freshwater flatworm ( Schmidtea mediterranea ) and all parasitic flatworms share the same evolutionary lineage with extensive gene loss. 2) NRs in a free-living intertidal zone flatworm ( Macrostomum lignano ) follow a different evolutionary lineage with a feature of multiple gene duplication and gene divergence. The DNA binding domain (DBD) is the most conserved region in NRs which contains two C4-type zinc finger motifs. A novel zinc finger motif is identified in parasitic flatworm NRs: the second zinc finger of parasitic Platyhelminth HR96b possesses a CHC2 motif which is not found in NRs of all other animals. In this study, novel NRs (members of NR subfamily 3 and 6) are identified in flatworms, this result demonstrates that members of all six classical NR subfamilies are present in the Platyhelminth phylum. NR gene duplication, loss and divergence in Platyhelminths are analyzed along with the evolutionary relationship of Platyhelminth NRs.
Cerebro-Cerebellar Response to Sequence Violation in a Cognitive Task: an fMRI Study

The phonological loop is part of Baddeley's verbal working memory (VWM) model that stores phonological information and refreshes its contents through an articulatory process. Many studies have reported the cerebellum's involvement during VWM tasks. In the motor literature, the cerebellum is thought to support smooth and rapid movement sequences through internal models that simulate the action of motor commands, then use the error signals generating from the discrepancy between the predicted and actual sensory consequences to adjust the motor system. Here, we hypothesize that a similar monitoring and error-driven adjustment process can be extended to VWM; specifically, the cerebellum checks for discrepancies between the predicted and actual articulatory process to ensure the accuracy and fluency of articulatory rehearsal. During neuroimaging, participants rehearsed a sequence of letters in sync with the presentation of a visual pacing stimulus (#) that was terminated by the occurrence of a probe letter. Participants judged whether the probe was the correct letter in the sequence (i.e., match trial), or deviated from the sequence (i.e., mismatch trial). Detection of sequence violation was not only associated with prolonged reaction time but also an increased activation in a left executive control network. Psychophysiological interaction was used to investigate whether the cerebellum interacts with the cerebral cortex for error monitoring and adjustments. We found increased functional connectivity between the right cerebellum and the cerebral cortex during mismatch relative to match probes, indicating sequence violation resulting in greater cerebellar connectivity with areas in the cerebral cortex involved in phonological sequencing.
Simultaneous Multithreading in Mixed-Criticality Real-Time Systems

Simultaneous multithreading (SMT) enables enhanced computing capacity by allowing multiple tasks to execute concurrently on the same computing core. Despite its benefits, its use has been largely eschewed in work on real-time systems due to concerns that tasks running on the same core may adversely interfere with each other. In this paper, the safety of using SMT in a mixed-criticality multicore context is considered in detail. To this end, a prior open-source framework called MC2 (mixedcriticality on multicore), which provides features for mitigating cache and memory interference, was re-implemented to support SMT on an SMT-capable multicore platform. The creation of this new, configurable $\mathrm{M}\mathrm{C}^{2}$ variant entailed producing the first operating-system implementations of several recently proposed real-time SMT schedulers and tying them together within a mixed-criticality context. These schedulers introduce new spatialisolation challenges, which required introducing isolation at both the L2 and L3 cache levels. The efficacy of the resulting $\mathrm{M}\mathrm{C}^{2}$ variant is demonstrated via three experimental efforts. The first involved obtaining execution data using a wide range of benchmark suites, including TACLeBench, DIS, SD-VBS, and synthetic microbenchmarks. The second involved conducting a large-scale overhead-aware schedulability study, parameterized by the collected benchmark data, to elucidate schedulability tradeoffs. The third involved experiments involving case-study task systems. In the schedulability study, the use of SMT proved capable of increasing platform capacity by an average factor of 1.32. In the case-study experiments, deadline misses of highly critical tasks were never observed.
The Cultural Career Script: College Students’ Expectations for a Typical Career

Cultural life scripts are composed of the events people expect to occur in the life of a “typical” person in their society. Building on this psychological construct from the field of autobiographical memory, we investigated the cultural career script, referring to the shared expectations individuals have about the typical career in their culture. This mixed-methods study characterizes the nature of the cultural career script using data from 297 undergraduate students, who collectively generated over 2000 events. The results showed similarities with prior life script research, such as a tendency to generate events that are positive and predicted to occur relatively early in life. However, there was little consensus among participants in the events generated, and potential demographic differences in how individuals conceptualize a typical career emerged. Our findings advance scientific understanding of the cultural life script, episodic future thought, and autobiographical memory while providing practical implications for higher education practitioners.
Improving Handoffs Using a Systems Framework and Simulation

Handoffs are an integral part of patient care and are defined as the transfer of responsibility and accountability of a patient(s). The Donabedian model is useful for examining the structure, process, and outcomes of handoff from a systems perspective. Examples of simulation methods to improve handoff communication within systems are not widespread however there is tremendous opportunity for organizations that have the experience and resources to implement change.