cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of the G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase GRK5 by Protein Kinase C

G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) specifically recognize and phosphorylate the hormone-occupied form of numerous G protein-coupled receptors, ultimately resulting in termination of receptor signaling. While little is presently known about the regulation of GRK function, recent studies suggest a role for protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation of the β-adrenergic receptor kinase in membrane association and activation of the kinase. To assess a potential general role for PKC in regulating GRK function, we characterized the ability of PKC to phosphorylate GRK5, a recently identified member of the GRK family. We demonstrate that GRK5 can be rapidly and stoichiometrically phosphorylated by PKC in vitro Intact cell studies reveal that GRK5 is also phosphorylated when transiently expressed in COS-1 cells following treatment with the PKC activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. In vitro analysis reveals two major sites of PKC phosphorylation within the C-terminal 26 amino acids of GRK5. GRK5 phosphorylation by PKC dramatically reduces its ability to phosphorylate both receptor (light-activated rhodopsin) and non-receptor (casein and phosvitin) substrates. Kinetic analysis reveals an ∼5-fold increased Km and ∼3-fold decreased Vmax for rhodopsin, with no change in the Km for ATP. The reduced affinity of PKC-phosphorylated GRK5 for rhodopsin was also evident in a decreased ability to bind to rhodopsin-containing membranes, while direct binding of GRK5 to phospholipids appeared unaltered. These results suggest that PKC might play an important role in modulating the ability of GRK5 to regulate receptor signaling and that GRK phosphorylation by PKC may serve as a disparate mechanism for regulating GRK activity.
Analysis of koi herpesvirus latency in wild common carp and ornamental koi in Oregon, USA.

a b s t r a c t Koi herpesvirus (KHV) infection is associated with high mortalities in both common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio koi) worldwide. Although acute infection has been reported in both domestic and wild common carp, the status of KHV latent infection is largely unknown in wild common carp. To investigate whether KHV latency is present in wild common carp, the distribution of KHV latent infection was investigated in two geographically distinct populations of wild common carp in Oregon, as well as in koi from an Oregon-based commercial supplier. Latent KHV infection was demonstrated in white blood cells from each of these populations. Although KHV isolated from acute infections has two distinct genetic groups, Asian and European, KHV detected in wild carp has not been genetically characterized. DNA sequences from ORF 25 to 26 that are unique between Asian and European were investigated in this study. KHV from captive koi and some wild common carp were found to have ORF- 25-26 sequences similar to KHV-J (Asian), while the majority of KHV DNA detected in wild common carp has similarity to KHV-U/-I (European). In addition, DNA sequences from IL-10, and TNFR were sequenced and compared with no differences found, which suggests immune suppressor genes of KHV are conserved between KHV in wild common carp and koi, and is consistent with KHV-U, -I, -J. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A patient with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing bariatric surgery.

A 27-year-old man presented for sleep evaluation prior to his bariatric surgery. He was obese (weight 310 lb, BMI 44.5 kg/m2), and he reported snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness; his wife witnessed apneas. A split-night polysomnogram was performed, which documented severe obstructive sleep apnea with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 44/h and a required positive airway pressure of 15 cm H2O for effective treatment. He was prescribed positive airway pressure (PAP) and underwent bariatric surgery 3 weeks after starting therapy. Question: How and when will you adjust his PAP pressure to accommodate his anticipated weight loss? Answer: Autotitrating PAP can be used to treat effectively while accommodating changing pressure requirements.
Chemical Abundances of the Damped Lyα Systems at z > 1.5

We present chemical abundance measurements for 19 damped Lyα systems observed with the high-resolution echelle spectrograph (HIRES) on the 10 m W.M. Keck Telescope. We perform a detailed analysis of every system, deriving ionic column densities for all unblended metal-line transitions. Our principal goal is to investigate the abundance patterns of the damped systems and thereby determine the underlying physical processes that dominate their chemical evolution. We place particular emphasis on gauging the relative importance of two complementary effects often invoked to explain the damped Lyα abundances (1) nucleosynthetic enrichment from Type II supernovae and (2) an interstellar medium-like (ISM-like) dust-depletion pattern. Similar to the principal results of Lu et al., our observations lend support both for dust depletion and Type II supernova (SN) enrichment. Specifically, the observed overabundance of Zn/Fe and underabundance of Ni/Fe relative to solar abundances suggest significant dust depletion within the damped Lyα systems. Meanwhile, the relative abundances of Al, Si, and Cr versus Fe are consistent with both dust depletion and Type II supernova enrichment. Our measurements of Ti/Fe and the Mn/Fe measurements from Lu et al., however, cannot be explained by dust depletion and indicate an underlying Type II SN pattern. Finally, the observed values of [S/Fe] are inconsistent with the combined effects of dust depletion and the nucleosynthetic yields expected for Type II supernovae. This last result emphasizes the need for another physical process to explain the damped Lyα abundance patterns. We also examine the metallicity of the damped Lyα systems both with respect to Zn/H and Fe/H. Our results confirm previous surveys by Pettini and collaborators, i.e., [ Zn/H ] = -1.15±0.15 dex. In contrast with other damped Lyα surveys at z > 1.5, we do not formally observe an evolution of metallicity with redshift, although we stress that this result is based on the statistics from a small sample of high-z damped systems.
OSCAR meta-package system

The deployment and management of software is an ongoing challenge for cluster systems administrators. The Open Source Cluster Application Resources (OSCAR) toolkit is designed to assist both novice and experienced administrators with cluster administration. The toolkit includes a meta-packaging system to help with cluster software distribution and installation. These meta-packages are called OSCAR packages. An OSCAR package may include binary software packages (e.g., RPMS) as well as a stock configuration, tests and documentation. This encapsulation enables OSCAR to better manage cluster software and allows users to select which pieces they would like to use. The modularity of the OSCAR packages has enabled the project to start new "spin off" projects that leverage the base toolkit and extend the functionality by adding new packages. As OSCAR has matured, new Linux distributions and cluster applications have been introduced. The extensibility of OSCAR via this modular meta-packaging system has been a major asset. However, certain limitations do exist. Since, a large part of the project's success is dependent upon contributions by others, the quality of this packaging system is of paramount importance to OSCAR. This paper provides a brief survey of the current v4.0 OSCAR meta-packaging system and then outlines some of the proposed enhancements that are currently on the project's road-map.
Neuromuscular control of the ACL deficient knee: Implications for the development of osteoarthritis

Many of the estimated 100,000-200,000 individuals who annually sustain anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in the USA experience substantial knee joint instability that could lead to joint deterioration over time [1, 2, 3]. Those who do not cornpensate well for ACL rupture (non-copers) comprise the majority of those who sustain this injury and the majority of those who undergo reconstructive surgery in the early post-injury period [4,5].ACL deficiency is associated with episodes of “giving way” of the knee that likely lead to excessive shear forces in the joint and uneven joint loading [6].Shear forces are particularly detrimental to articular cartilage [7].We have shown that joint instability and quadriceps femoris weakness, ubiquitous in non-copers, precipitate movement compensations that include reduced knee motion, reduced knee moment and excessive muscle co-contraction. Recently, Ramsey and colleagues, using markers attached to bone via intercortical pins, extended this finding to measurements of anterior translation during jumping in four ACL deficient non-copers ([8]and DK Ramsey, personal communication 1/24/01). The non-copers in their study over-constrained the knee, keeping the tibial translation below even that of their uninjured knees. This stiffening strategy, which persists over a wide range of activities, reflects an unsophisticated adaptation to the ACL rupture for which appropriate muscle activation strategies have not yet developed [9, 10].This compensation strategy, which may reduce the anterior tibial translation at the knee, may also lead to less shock absorption and excessive joint compression that exacerbate joint destruction [4,9,10].Compression and shear forces contribute significantly to the biochemical and metabolic changes that characterize degeneration of articular cartilage [2].Most individuals with chronic ACL deficiency develop knee OA years after injury [11].
Dollars, Sense, and Sunk Costs: A Life Cycle Model of Resource Allocation Decisions

Decisions as to whether to cut off a losing enterprise (clouded by what already has been invested in the venture) may be facilitated by a new model proposed here—the life cycle model. The model, borrowing an accounting measure (the time adjusted rate of return) to describe the effect of “sunk costs” on the expected rate of return for future costs in a project, is used to examine the relevance of negative feedback to the decision to commit further resources to completion of a project.
An investigation of the quasi-static fracture behavior of a rapidly solidified magnesium alloy

In this paper, is presented and discussed the quasi-static fracture behavior of a rapid solidification processed magnesium alloy. Test specimens of the magnesium alloy were deformed under quasi-static loading. The resultant tensile properties and fracture behavior are presented and discussed in light of the competing and synergistic influences of nature of loading, intrinsic microstructural effects, matrix deformation characteristics, and macroscopic fracture.
Linear collider systems and costs

The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the systems and sub-systems involved in so-called "conventional" e/sup +/e/sup -/ linear colliders and to study how their design affects the overall cost of these machines. There are presently a total of at least six 500 GeV c. of m. linear collider projects under study in the world. Aside from TESLA (superconducting linac at 1.3 GHz) and CLIC (two-beam accelerator with main linac at 30 GHz), the other four proposed e/sup +/e/sup -/ linear colliders can be considered "conventional" in that their main linacs use the proven technique of driving room temperature accelerator sections with pulsed klystrons and modulators. The centrally distinguishing feature between these projects is their main linac RF frequency: 3 GHz for the DESY machine, 11.424 GHz for the SLAC and JLC machines, and 14 GHz for the VLEPP machine. The other systems, namely the electron and positron sources, pre-accelerators, compressors, damping rings and final foci, are fairly similar from project to project. Probably more than 80% of the cost of these linear colliders will be incurred in the two main linacs facing each other and it is therefore in their design and construction that major savings or extra costs may be found. >
On the use of thioamides as fluorescence quenching probes for tracking protein folding and stability

Our laboratory has developed thioamide analogs of the natural amino acids as minimally-perturbing fluorescence quenching probes that can be placed at many locations in a protein sequence. We have shown that the mechanism of quenching can be either Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) or photoinduced electron transfer (PET), depending on the identity of the donor fluorophore. Furthermore, we have shown that one can use a combination of semi-synthetic methods to label full-sized proteins with fluorophore-thioamide pairs. These probes can be used to study protein-protein interactions, protein folding or misfolding, and proteolysis.
Molecular and genetic analysis of the gene encoding the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strand exchange protein sep1

Vegetatively grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells contain an activity that promotes a number of homologous pairing reactions. A major portion of this activity is due to strand exchange protein 1 (Sep1), which was originally purified as a 132,000-Mr species (R. Kolodner, D. H. Evans, and P. T. Morrison, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84:5560-5564, 1987). The gene encoding Sep1 was cloned, and analysis of the cloned gene revealed a 4,587-bp open reading frame capable of encoding a 175,000-Mr protein. The protein encoded by this open reading frame was overproduced and purified and had a relative molecular weight of approximately 160,000. The 160,000-Mr protein was at least as active in promoting homologous pairing as the original 132,000-Mr species, which has been shown to be a fragment of the intact 160,000-Mr Sep1 protein. The SEP1 gene mapped to chromosome VII within 20 kbp of RAD54. Three Tn10LUK insertion mutations in the SEP1 gene were characterized. sep1 mutants grew more slowly than wild-type cells, showed a two- to fivefold decrease in the rate of spontaneous mitotic recombination between his4 heteroalleles, and were delayed in their ability to return to growth after UV or gamma irradiation. Sporulation of sep1/sep1 diploids was defective, as indicated by both a 10- to 40-fold reduction in spore formation and reduced spore viability of approximately 50%. The majority of sep1/sep1 diploid cells arrested in meiosis after commitment to recombination but prior to the meiosis I cell division. Return-to-growth experiments showed that sep1/sep1 his4X/his4B diploids exhibited a five- to sixfold greater meiotic induction of His+ recombinants than did isogenic SEP1/SEP1 strains. sep1/sep1 mutants also showed an increased frequency of exchange between HIS4, LEU2, and MAT and a lack of positive interference between these markers compared with wild-type controls. The interaction between sep1, rad50, and spo13 mutations suggested that SEP1 acts in meiosis in a pathway that is parallel to the RAD50 pathway.
Improving Reliability of Response Prediction to Platinum-Based Therapy by AdaBoost and Multiple Classifiers

It is a challenge to construct a reliable classifier based on microarray gene expression data for prediction of chemotherapy response, because usually only a small number of samples are available and each sample has thousands of gene expressions. This paper uses boosting and bootstrap approaches to improve the reliability of prediction. Specifically, AdaBoost and multiple classifiers based methods are used, in which support vector machines (SVMs) are utilized as the classifiers due to their good generalization ability. We compare the performance of proposed methods with a single SVM classifier system using MAS gene expression dataset in prediction of the response to platinum-based therapy for advanced-stage ovarian cancers. Statistical tests show both of the proposed methods achieve better prediction performance and have good reliability in terms of mean and standard deviation of the prediction performance for different number of selected features
Alternate Multihop Routing in Limited Reconfigurable Optical Networks

In this paper, we investigate the performance of limited reconfigurable optical networks when multihopping is used. Multihopping is achieved by dropping a wavelength at an intermediate node and transmitting on another wavelength at that node (O-E-O). A route can consist of several such hops each obeying the wavelength continuity constraint individually. Considering that a receiver and a transmitter are used for add/drop at a node, multihopping is restricted by the number of transponders and their tunabilities. We develop a dynamic routing strategy based on the availability and tunability of transponders as well as the wavelength availability. We adopt a Share-Per-Link model for the usage of transponders within a reconfigurable node, and each node is assumed to be equipped with a ROADM which can add/drop any wavelength to any of the ports. We show that the proposed routing strategy improves the blocking performance significantly compared to fixed routing with or without multihopping or alternate routing methods without multihopping.
Vitamin D3 and cardiovascular function in rats.

We have previously identified a receptor for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in myocardial cells (Simpson, R.U. 1983. Circulation. 68:239.). To establish the relevance of this observation, we evaluated the role of the prohormone vitamin D3 in regulating cardiovascular function. In rats maintained on a vitamin D3-deficient diet for nine weeks, increases in systolic blood pressure (BP) and serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) were observed. These increases coincided with a reduction of serum calcium from 10.3 to 5.6 mg/dl. However, while serum calcium remained depressed throughout the study, increases in BP and serum CPK were transient. After nine weeks of vitamin D3-depletion, but not after six weeks, ventricular and vascular muscle contractile function were also markedly enhanced. The increase in ventricular contractile function could not be prevented by maintaining serum calcium at 9.0 mg/dl during the period of D3-depletion. These observations suggest a primary role for the vitamin D3-endocrine system in regulating cardiovascular function.
GENIE: a hybrid genetic algorithm for feature classification in multispectral images

We consider the problem of pixel-by-pixel classification of a multi- spectral image using supervised learning. Conventional spuervised classification techniques such as maximum likelihood classification and less conventional ones s uch as neural networks, typically base such classifications solely on the spectral components of each pixel. It is easy to see why: the color of a pixel provides a nice, bounded, fixed dimensional space in which these classifiers work well. It is often the case however, that spectral information alone is not sufficient to correctly classify a pixel. Maybe spatial neighborhood information is required as well. Or maybe the raw spectral components do not themselves make for easy classification, but some arithmetic combination of them would. In either of these cases we have the problem of selecting suitable spatial, spectral or spatio-spectral features that allow the classifier to do its job well. The number of all possible such features is extremely large. How can we select a suitable subset? We have developed GENIE, a hybrid learning system that combines a genetic algorithm that searches a space of image processing operations for a set that can produce suitable feature planes, and a more conventional classifier which uses those feature planes to output a final classification. In this paper we show that the use of a hybrid GA provides significant advantages over using either a GA alone or more conventional classification methods alone. We present results using high-resolution IKONOS data, looking for regions of burned forest and for roads.
DIFFERENCES IN LOST LETTER AND POSTAL CARD RETURNS FROM CITIES AND SMALLER URBAN COMMUNITIES

Two field studies comprised of two experiments each used “570 lost letters and 720 lost postal cards” to test the hypothesis that returns would be greater from smaller urban communities (population M = 63,997) than from cities (population M = 93,242) unless the addressee was affiliated with a socially or politically deviant group. The effect of deviance altered return rates but only in Study B's letter experiment. In Study A, the effects of location and political deviance on letter returns from cities were greater than those from smaller urban communities even when the person in need of help was affiliated with the highly deviant “Socialists. Militia, or Aryan-Front” conditions. Returned postal cards from dues were fewer than from smaller urban communities. Cost did not influence returns. In Study B, returned letters and postal cards from cities were fewer than from smaller urban communities even when the person was affiliated with the “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Cross-dressing” addressee affiliations.
Hunting Viral Receptors Using Haploid Cells

Viruses have evolved intricate mechanisms to gain entry into the host cell. Identification of host proteins that serve as viral receptors has enabled insights into virus particle internalization, host and tissue tropism, and viral pathogenesis. In this review we discuss the most commonly employed methods for virus receptor discovery, specifically highlighting the use of forward genetic screens in human haploid cells. The ability to generate true knockout alleles at high saturation provides a sensitive means to study virus-host interactions. To illustrate the power of such haploid genetic screens, we highlight the discovery of the lysosomal proteins NPC1 and LAMP1 as intracellular receptors for Ebola virus and Lassa virus, respectively. From these studies emerges the notion that receptor usage by these viruses is highly dynamic, involving a programmed switch from cell surface receptor to intracellular receptor. Broad application of genetic knockout approaches will chart functional landscapes of receptors and endocytic pathways hijacked by viruses.
Towards Integration at Last?: The Sustainable Development Goals as a Network of Targets

In 2014, UN Member States proposed a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as reference goals for the international development community for the period 2015-2030. The proposed goals and targets can be seen as a network, in which links among goals exist through targets that refer to multiple goals. Using network analysis techniques, we show that some thematic areas covered by the SDGs are well connected among one another. Other parts of the network have weaker connections with the rest of the system. The SDGs as a whole are a more integrated system than the MDGs were, which may facilitate policy integration across sectors. However, many of the links among goals that have been documented in biophysical, economic and social dimensions are not explicitly reflected in the SDGs. Beyond the added visibility that the SDGs provide to links among thematic areas, attempts at policy integration across various areas will have to be based on studies of the biophysical, social and economic systems.
A System-Theoretic Approach to Modeling and Analysis of Mammography Testing Process

Mammography is the standardized testing process for early detection of breast cancer. In this paper, a system-theoretic method based on a Markov chain model is presented to analyze such processes. Specifically, the general testing process in a single exam room is formulated using a Markov chain model. To resolve the dimensionality issue, an iteration method, referred to as shared resource iteration, is introduced to analyze the scenarios of two or more exam rooms. Formulas to evaluate the patient length of stay and staff efficiency are developed. The extension to non-Markovian scenarios is also investigated and an empirical formula is proposed. The experimental results indicate that such a method results in a high accuracy of performance estimation. A case study at a breast imaging center of the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation is presented to illustrate the applicability of the model. In addition, the impact of patient volume increase is also studied, which shows that a capacity increase is necessary to accommodate the high demand.
Velocity Measurements of Doorway Flow Induced by an Air Curtain

The airflow induced by an air curtain mounted over a doorway is examined for its potential use in explosive detection portals. A challenge to gaining understanding of such flows is mapping it using particle image velocimetry (PIV), a technique which is usually used in smaller-scale applications and with higher velocity flows. This paper discusses some of the challenges, requirements, techniques, and results of mapping large-scale flows with PIV, in particular, the mapping of a doorway flow induced by an air curtain.
Abstract ADV18: American indian screening initiatives: Gaining trust- reducing disparities.

The Montana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is dedicated to combating breast cancer at every front. Up to 75 percent of the Affiliate9s net income goes toward funding grants to local hospitals and community organizations that provide breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment programs for medically underserved women. The remaining income supports the national Komen Grants Programs, which funds groundbreaking breast cancer research, meritorious awards and educational and scientific programs around the world. The Montana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure serves the 4th largest geographic area in the country. American Indians living throughout Montana as members of seven distinct and independent tribal reservations, most in rural or “frontier” regions of the state. American Indian women in MT are more likely to live in poverty, be uninsured and face a higher risk of death from breast cancer due to late diagnosis. To address this, Komen Montana has embarked on a comprehensive approach to address disparities and barriers that American Indian Women face in breast cancer screening. Since 2002, Komen Montana has funded screening mammography programs including funding mobile mammography clinics at PowWow events. Komen MT has partners with state as private agencies to identify traditional beliefs and Native cultural beliefs that serve as a deterrent to quality breast health programs. Most recently, a Komen Montana Community Grant, “Going Pink on the Red Road: has facilitated formation of a seven-tribe advisory council to draw upon the strengths of tribal representatives in the development of culturally specific resources and methods. Komen Montana seeks to provide a significantly positive impact for American Indian women in the area of breast health by decreasing barriers, increasing culture-specific access and intervention, and decreasing the morbidity and mortality among Native women. Citation Format: Kim Powell. American indian screening initiatives: Gaining trust- reducing disparities. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr ADV18. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-ADV18
Enabling renewable resource integration: The balance between robustness and flexibility

The steady rise of electricity demand and renewable energy sources is increasing the need for flexibility to enable power systems to adapt to changes in supply and demand. To this end, demand response programs have the potential to increase the flexibility of the system. In this work, a direct-load-control demand response program is used in the scheduling task of a power system with high levels of variable renewable generation. The model considers different classes of reserves provided by both conventional generation and responsive demand. Unit commitment, generator dispatch and reserve allocations are determined with appropriate risk-averse levels to guarantee a reliable and feasible operation of the system across the planning horizon. Risk preferences are reflected in constraint satisfaction via robust and probabilistically-constrained approaches. Case studies with a 57-bus system show that the probabilistic approach allows higher wind share in the power network and incurs lower costs than the robust approach. In addition, results show that controllable loads are an important contributor to system flexibility, though addition of other classes of responsive demand will also bring desirable flexibility.
Platform Independent Model for Online State Maintenance and Decision Support System of Relay Protection

This paper analyzes current situation of state maintenance and decision support systems used in State Grid.The analysis results show that unified model is the key to architecture of online state maintenance systems.Based on model driven architecture,this paper proposes a Platform Independent Model(PIM) of state maintenance and decision support system.In view of collection,storage,state evaluation and decision,this paper gives a reference architecture of PIM for online state maintenance and decision support system.
Clinical Observation on Foot Bath with Artemisia Leaf for Treating Infantile Diarrhea Due to Spleen Deficiency

Objective:To observe the effect of foot bath with Artemisia leaf for treating infantile diarrhea due to spleen deficiency.Methods:120 cases were all in TCM department,which were randomly divided into two groups with 60 in each group.Based on taking Baizhu Powder and Jianpi Powder orally,patients in treatment group used foot bath with Artemisia leaf and massaged Yongquan,Sanyinjiao and Zusanli for 20min.6 days was a course.Patients in control group only used Baizhu Power and Jianpi Powder.Results:The total effective rate in treatment group was 95% while in control group was 65%(P﹤0.05).The treatment group was superior to the control group.Conclusion:Foot bath with Artemisia leaf has good effect on infantile diarrhea due to spleen deficiency.
Platelet RNA-Seq Identifies Genes Expressed Differentially After Clopidogrel Treatment

Background Clopidogrel is an antiplatelet agent that acts through direct inhibition of ADP-dependent platelet activation. Several studies have also found an inhibitory effect of clopidogrel on inflammation. Although platelets are known to participate in inflammatory processes, the mechanism(s) through which clopidogrel might modify platelet-mediated inflammation is unknown. We examined the platelet transcriptome to gain insight into the mechanism(s) through which clopidogrel modulates inflammation. Methods Three individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis and family history of early onset coronary artery disease were enrolled. Blood was collected for RNA-seq at baseline and one-week after clopidogrel 75mg daily. RNA was extracted from leukocyte-depleted platelet-rich plasma and approximately 70 million 100bp paired-end reads per sample were obtained using the Illumina HiSeq 2500. RNA-seq analysis was performed using Bowtie/TopHat/Cufflinks software pipeline. Genes with expression ≥ 0.3 fragments per kilobase of transcript per million reads (FPKM) were considered to be expressed. We set the threshold for significant differential expression as ≥ 2-fold change in gene expression after clopidogrel therapy with a false discovery rate of 0.05. Results The study sample consisted of 2 women and 1 man. Among the 12,297 expressed genes, the most highly expressed nonubiquitous genes included PPBP, PF4, and TUBB1, confirming platelets as the source of the RNA. Comparing samples before and after clopidogrel, treatment was associated with up-regulation of 733 genes and down-regulation of 387 genes. Pathway analyses found that genes related to platelet activation, degranulation, and aggregation were up-regulated, while genes related to immune system processes, such as B- and T-cell activation and innate immune response, were down-regulated. Examples of down-regulated genes include the toll-like receptor family genes, TLR2, TLR4, TLR7, and TLR8, the chemokine receptor genes CCR2, CCR5,CCR6, and CCR7, and the interleukin receptor genes, IL4R, IL7R, and IL13RA. Conclusion One week of clopidogrel therapy up-regulates transcription of pro-thrombotic platelet genes and down regulates transcription of inflammation-related platelet genes. These data suggest that clopidogrel may exert a direct anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting the ability of platelets to participate in inflammatory processes. The relationship of variability in clopidogrel-induced modulation of these pathways to clinical outcomes is unknown. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A palmtop platform for miniaturized dielectric spectroscopy from MHz to GHz

This paper presents a self-sustained, palmtop, measurement platform for miniaturized dielectric spectroscopy (DS) from MHz to GHz. It incorporates a microfluidic DS sensor, a fully integrated transceiver (TRX) IC, a Raspberry Pi as a low-cost, embedded computing module, and a handheld tablet for wireless display and platform operation control. With dimensions of 10cm × 6.5cm × 5.5cm and weight of 295g, the platform is small enough to fit on the palm of a hand, and accurately measures both the real and imaginary parts of the complex relative dielectric permittivity, e r , of a material-under-test (MUT) from ∼ 9MHz to 2.4GHz. The platform is capable of differentiating among de-ionized (DI) water, lemonade, red wine, and vodka as primarily-water-based MUTs at four different excitation frequencies of 33MHz, 487MHz, 1.087GHz, and 2.177GHz. Moreover, dielectric readings of the platform with mixtures of DI water and different concentrations of ethanol at 32 frequency points in ∼ 10MHz–2.4GHz show excellent agreement with those from bulk-solution reference measurements by a benchtop Agilent 85070E dielectric probe interfaced with a vector network analyzer (VNA) equipment.
Teaching social workers about microaggressions to enhance understanding of subtle racism

ABSTRACTUnderstanding microaggressions can aid learners in exploring the complexity of contemporary racism. The concept of microaggressions refers to subtle acts of discrimination stemming from various individual and societal factors that combine to perpetuate often unintentional and unconscious acts of racism. Although much is known about microaggressions, there are few educational tools on the subject described in the literature, particularly within the field of social work. We have developed a workshop to be used with both social work students and professionals on how to recognize and interrupt microaggressions. The workshop content includes a biopsychosocial framework for understanding subtle racism.
The C. elegans Spalt-like protein SEM-4 functions through the SoxC transcription factor SEM-2 to promote a proliferative blast cell fate in the postembryonic mesoderm

Proper development of a multicellular organism relies on well-coordinated regulation of cell fate specification, cell proliferation and cell differentiation. The C. elegans postembryonic mesoderm provides a useful system for uncovering factors involved in these processes and for further dissecting their regulatory relationships. The single Spalt-like zinc finger containing protein SEM-4/SALL is known to be involved in specifying the proliferative sex myoblast (SM) fate. We have found that SEM-4/SALL is sufficient to promote the SM fate and that it does so in a cell autonomous manner. We further showed that SEM-4/SALL acts through the SoxC transcription factor SEM-2 to promote the SM fate. SEM-2 is known to promote the SM fate by inhibiting the expression of two BWM-specifying transcription factors. In light of recent findings in mammals showing that Sall4, one of the mammalian homologs of SEM-4, contributes to pluripotency regulation by inhibiting differentiation, our work suggests that the function of SEM-4/SALL proteins in regulating pluripotency versus differentiation appears to be evolutionarily conserved.
Divorce à la musulmane à viale Marconi

The biting satire and social critique of the Commedia all’Italiana that lit up Italian culture in the 1960s comes to life anew in a twenty-first century literary exploit by Algerian writer Amara La...
The decisive impact of tax administration practices on firms’ corruption Experience and Perceptions: Evidence from Europe and Central Asia

Two competing conceptualizations of corruption in the literature view it either as efficient or burdensome from firms’ perspective. Using data on the prevalence and the nature of firms’ interactions with tax authorities in twenty-eight Eastern European and Central Asian (ECA) countries, this paper contributes to evaluation of competing ideas in the literature about firms’ experience of corruption in tax administration. Special emphasis is given to examination of taxation-related determinants of corruption prevalence (frequency and magnitude of bribery), as well as the effect of the interaction with tax authorities on perception of tax and overall corruption. Regardless of country context, it appears that perceived corruption in tax administration and actual experiences with bribery during interactions with tax officials more than anything else affect the overall perceptions of corruption, thereby supporting the conceptualization of corruption in tax administration as burdensome, rather than efficient.
Cohesion and tensile strength estimation from incomplete shear analysis data

Abstract The Yield Loci Curves (YLC's) of compacted cohesive powder specimens, from which its Flow Function (FF) is derived, are frequently described by the Warren Spring equation whose parameters are the cohesion (C), tensile strength (T) and curvature index (n). Ideally, for each pre-consolidation level, T should be determined independently with a special instrument, and C and n extracted from the experimental yield loci measurements by nonlinear regression using the Warren Spring equation as a model. There are situations, however, where direct determination of T is not a feasible option, and the number of experimental yield stress data, limited by logistic considerations, can be insufficient for meaningful regression. In such cases, T, C and n can be estimated with a freely downloadable interactive Wolfram Demonstration, with which three (the theoretical minimum) or more experimental yield loci are matched with a generated YLC using the Warren Spring equation as a model. To obtain a match, one moves T, C and n sliders on the screen using the calculated Mean Squared Error (MSE) as a guide and for fine-tuning. At least in principle, once T, C and n have been estimated in this way, they can be used to calculate the corresponding principal stresses and effective internal friction angle. The method is demonstrated with published experimental shear data on wetted glass beads and limestone powder.
Combination Therapies: Quantifying the Effects of Transarterial Embolization on Microwave Ablation Zones.

Abstract Purpose To quantify the effect of transarterial embolization on microwave (MW) ablations in an in vivo porcine liver model. Materials and Methods Hepatic arteriography and cone-beam computed tomography (CT) scans were performed in 6 female domestic swine. Two lobes were embolized to an endpoint of substasis with 100–300-μm microspheres. MW ablations (65 W, 5 min) were created in embolized (n = 15) and nonembolized (n = 12) liver by using a 2.45-GHz system and single antenna. Cone-beam CT scans were obtained to monitor the ablations, document gas formation, and characterize arterial flow. Ablation zones were excised and sectioned. A mixed-effects model was used to compare ablation zone diameter, length, area, and circularity. Results Combined transarterial embolization and MW ablation zones had significantly greater area (mean ± standard deviation, 11.8 cm 2 ± 2.5), length (4.8 cm ± 0.5), and diameter (3.1 cm ± 0.6) compared with MW only (7.1 cm 2 ± 1.9, 3.7 cm ± 0.6, and 2.4 cm ± 0.3, respectively; P = .0085, P = .0077, and P = .0267, respectively). Ablation zone circularity was similar between groups ( P = .9291). The larger size of the combined ablation zones was predominantly the result of an increase in size of the peripheral noncharred zone of coagulation (1.3 cm ± 0.4 vs 0.8 cm ± 0.2; P = .0104). Cone-beam CT scans demonstrated greater gas formation during combined ablations (1.8 cm vs 1.1 cm, respectively). Mean maximum temperatures 1 cm from the MW antennas were 86.6°C and 68.7°C for the combined embolization/ablation and MW-only groups, respectively. Conclusions Combining transarterial embolization and MW ablation increased ablation zone diameter and area by approximately 27% and 66%, respectively, in an in vivo non–tumor-bearing porcine liver model. This is largely the result of an increase in the size of the peripheral ablation zone, which is most susceptible to local blood flow.
Neurotic Excoriations Secondary to Cutaneous Dysesthesia

Ms. Ellington is 34 year-old Caucasian woman presenting with a 1-year history of excoriations on easily reachable areas of the face, neck, dorsal hands, lateral arms, and upper chest. She had been referred to the psychodermatology clinic with an initial diagnosis of “psychosis.” There were no primary skin lesions as noted on the previous physical exam in her records. During the interview, she clearly appeared both embarrassed and apologetic about picking at her skin. She showed no elaborate ideation regarding the reason for her behavior. However, after you asked, “can you tell me exactly what makes you pick your skin?” She reports an intense focal pain in her skin as the cause.
Luteal Desensitization: Hormonal Regulation of LH Receptors, Adenylate Cyclase and Steroidogenic Responses in the Luteal Cell

Regulation of peptide hormone receptors and target cell responses by increased concentrations of the homologous hormone has been demonstrated in a number of endocrine-dependent tissues (1–6). This process, described variously as desensitization, tachyphylaxis, refractoriness, tolerance, and down-regulation, is particularly marked in the testis and ovary following exposure to elevated gonadotropin levels (5–12). The finding that insulin (1) and growth hormone (2) are able to regulate their own receptor sites in target cells was followed by the demonstration of an inverse relationship between ligand concentration and receptor number for several other hormones, including catecholamines (3), thyrotropin releasing hormone (4) and gonadotropins (5–12). Although such negative regulation of receptor sites is now recognized to be a wide-spread property of peptide hormones, it should be noted that certain hormones, such as prolactin (13) and angiotensin (14) exert positive regulation upon their receptor sites, with an increase in binding capacity of the target cells in response to elevated hormone concentration.
Excited-State Planarization in Donor–Bridge Dye Sensitizers: Phenylene versus Thiophene Bridges

Donor−π–acceptor complexes for solar energy conversion are commonly composed of a chomophore donor and a semiconductor nanoparticle acceptor separated by a π bridge. The electronic coupling between...
Correlation Between Microstructure and In-Field Performance of Zr-Added REBCO Coated Conductors Made by Advanced MOCVD

In this paper, we present correlation features between critical current density (J c ) and microstructural characteristics of Zr-added (0, 5, and 15 mol.%) REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (REBCO and RE = rare earth) coated conductors fabricated by the novel advanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition technique. The J c along the tape normal (~ B || c-axis) measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer at 30 and 65 K and magnetic flux density range of 0-14 T was used for qualitative comparison of different Zr-added REBCO tapes. It is found that tapes with enhanced in-field J c exhibit a rise of critical current (plateau or fishtail effect) at magnetic flux density 1-8 T and temperatures 65 K. The TEM microstructure analysis indicates that the plateau effect is not the intrinsic property of REBCO matrix but depends on size distribution and density of BaZrO 3 (BZO) self-assembled nanocolumns. Two types of BZO microstructures have been identified: one with uniform BZO diameter 4-7 nm, whereas some films exhibit bottle-shaped BZO nanocolumns with alternating wide and narrow sections, 7-13 and 4-6 nm, respectively. The non-uniform shape and broad size distribution of BZO nanocolumns are correlated to more vortex pinning strength and matching field.
Preparation and electrical studies on pure and oxygen plasma treated polyvinyl alcohol films

Abstract In the present work, pure polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film was prepared by solution-casting method. The smooth and uniform surface of pure PVA films was treated by oxygen plasma with a power of 30 W and by varying time. The structural and electrical properties of plasma treated and untreated PVA films were studied by XRD, FTIR and electrochemical impedance analysis respectively. X-ray studies revealed that all the pure and oxygen plasma treated PVA films are semi crystalline nature. The functional groups of pure and oxygen plasma treated PVA films were recorded using FTIR analysis. The impedance of all the pure and oxygen plasma treated PVA films were measured in the frequency range 1 Hz to 100 kHz at ambient to 110 °C temperature. The conductivity of pure PVA film exhibited the highest conductivity when compared to oxygen plasma treated PVA films. The activation energy of all the samples was determined by plotting the graph between ln(σ) and 1/T and is found to be nearly 0.5 eV. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of pure and oxygen plasma treated PVA films were determined. The results are discussed.
Prevalence of Culture-Negative Fever in Infants With Down Syndrome Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Background:Children with Down syndrome (DS) often have congenital heart disease that requires surgical repair in the first year. Anecdotally, we have noted that patients with DS seem to have a high...
Artificial Neural Network-Based Adaptive Voltage Regulation in Distribution Systems using Data-Driven Stochastic Optimization

Modern distribution networks have a high integration level of distributed energy resources (DERs). Due to the stochastic nature of renewable energy production and user load consumption, it is challenging for distribution system operators (DSOs) to maintain the voltages within safe bounds. Centralized, decentralized, and distributed operational schemes have been used to tackle these challenges, however centralized and distributed methods require extensive communication infrastructure. This paper utilizes an offline, centralized data-driven conservative convex approximation of chance constrained optimal power flow to compute PV inverter reactive power set-points with consideration of PV and load uncertainties. Then, an artificial neural network (ANN) controller is developed for each PV inverter in order to mimic the centralized PV inverter control set-points, in a decentralized fashion. Numerical tests using real-world data on a benchmark feeder demonstrate that ANN controllers can attain near-optimal performance in voltage regulation and loss improvements while satisfying the probabilistic constraints.
Through-Wall Human Mesh Recovery Using Radio Signals

This paper presents RF-Avatar, a neural network model that can estimate 3D meshes of the human body in the presence of occlusions, baggy clothes, and bad lighting conditions. We leverage that radio frequency (RF) signals in the WiFi range traverse clothes and occlusions and bounce off the human body. Our model parses such radio signals and recovers 3D body meshes. Our meshes are dynamic and smoothly track the movements of the corresponding people. Further, our model works both in single and multi-person scenarios. Inferring body meshes from radio signals is a highly under-constrained problem. Our model deals with this challenge using: 1) a combination of strong and weak supervision, 2) a multi-headed self-attention mechanism that attends differently to temporal information in the radio signal, and 3) an adversarially trained temporal discriminator that imposes a prior on the dynamics of human motion. Our results show that RF-Avatar accurately recovers dynamic 3D meshes in the presence of occlusions, baggy clothes, bad lighting conditions, and even through walls.