cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Better Transportation Services for Older Persons

Improvements to public transportation services are being made, or can be made, to offer better public transportation services for older travelers. Communities in which some of the most forward-looking ideas have been applied were examined. A number of short-term, low-cost improvements have been shown to be beneficial, but new perspectives are also needed. In the long run, multiple types of services, offered at varying prices, are needed to replace the one size fits all approach to public transportation with options that riders could choose on their own to fit the specific demands of individual days and trips. Shared-ride, demand-responsive services, dispatched and controlled through advanced technologies, could provide higher levels of service than now available and at higher levels of productivity and cost-effectiveness. Frequent, comfortable, affordable, spontaneous service to a wide variety of origins and destinations over a wide range of service hours is what seniors desire. A serious challenge for the public transportation industry will be finding ways of providing such services while collecting revenues that cover their costs. A key finding of this research is that the transportation service attributes most highly valued by older riders are not markedly different from those valued by other transit riders, so that improvements that would best serve older riders will also attract significant numbers of other riders.
Heterodyne Detection Of Coherent Signals

Optical heterodyne methods significantly modify the signal-to-noise (S/N) considerations for Coherent Raman Effects (CRE). Various CRE phenomena are examined and S/N considera-tions are introduced. Specific methods considered include Stimulated Raman Gain (SRG), Inverse Raman Scattering (IRS), Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS), Coherent Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CSRS), background suppression techniques with four wave mixing (SUBMARINE and ASTERISK), and Raman Induced Kerr Effect Spectroscopy (RIKES). The use of heterodyne mixing is illustrated with RIKES, experimental results are presented, and a com-parison of the S/N expected for the various techniques is introduced.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Model oriented software architecture

Software architectures are heterogeneous, multiple-dimensional entities that aim to reduce the cost and ease the complexity associated with the development of large, complex software systems. To fully realize the advantages of software architectures, they need to be specified by a blend of modeling notations at the same (or at different) levels of abstractions. We discuss the benefits of a multiformalism modeling approach that integrates existing modeling languages, such as UML (Unified Modeling Language), HPrTNs (Hierarchical Predicate Transitions Nets), with an ADL known as DST (Diagrammatic Syntactic Theory).
Diagnosis Related Groups: Product Line Management within Hospitals

The hospital is viewed as a human service enterprise whose primary function is the provision of diagnostic and therapeutic medical services. Its products are the specific sets of services provided to individual patients. A system for defining hospital products based on the characteristics of patients receiving similar sets of services has been developed and is referred to as Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs). The system is described, and its implications for improved hospital management are discussed.
Satellite climatology of ‘polar lows’ and broadscale climatic associations for the Southern Hemisphere

A climatology of polar air cloud vortices (so-called ‘polar lows’) is derived for the Southern Hemisphere using sets of medium resolution (5–4 km) DMSP (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program) imagery. The climatology is for the winter season (June through to September) and covers the 7–year period 1977–1983. Both comma cloud and spiraliform polar air signature types are considered, as identified in recent satellite studies for the Northern Hemisphere. The comma clouds dominate over a wide range of ocean latitudes, whereas the spiraliform systems occur less frequently (about 1:10 for the hemisphere), and show maximum frequencies in sea ice latitudes around mid-winter (about 1:3). Within-season variations in the locations of maximum occurrence of polar air systems are consistent with the large-scale changes in the longwaves associated with the semi-annual oscillation of surface pressures. Interannual variations in polar low occurrence for the seven winters appear connected, at least in part, with changes in the amplitude of sea-level pressure (SLP) wavenumber one. When the seasonal cycle is amplified, as in the year of a ‘warm’ ENSO (El Nino/Southern Oscillation) event (e.g. 1982), large numbers of polar lows are observed south-east of Australia and around New Zealand. This contrasts with the situation for year (−1) of a warm event (e.g. 1981), when the annual cycle of the trough is suppressed. At that time, reduced frequencies of cold air outbreaks in the New Zealand area are accompanied by fewer polar lows. On a seasonally averaged basis, and in most winters, there is a positive relationship between the regional extent of the Antarctic sea ice, the longitudes of preferred occurrence of cold air outbreaks and the incidence of polar lows. This effect may be enhanced just downstream of areas of strongest oceanic heat loss to the atmosphere.
Failure of Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts: Part II: Overdrainage, Loculation, and Abdominal Complications

Complications from cerebrospinal fluid shunts are common and can present with a variety of signs and symptoms. In this second part of a two-part review, shunt overdrainage, loculation of the ventricular system in patients with shunts, and abdominal complications related to ventriculoperitoneal shunts are discussed. Familiarity with these types of shunt failure is essential for neurologists and pediatricians because they are often the first to evaluate and triage these children.
Performance analysis of group-blind multiuser detector with blind channel estimation

We describe an approach to the performance analysis of the recently developed group-blind multiuser detector with known channels and blindly estimated channels. Specifically, we get the asymptotic distribution of the estimated group-blind detectors with known channels, and numerical ground to obtain an analytical Hermitian matrix with the blindly estimated channels. These make it possible to express the signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) analytically. Analytical results obtained in this paper match very well with the simulation results.
How Do Natural Selection and Random Drift Interact

One controversy about the existence of so called evolutionary forces such as natural selection and random genetic drift concerns the sense in which such "forces" can be said to interact. In this paper I explain how natural selection and random drift can interact. In particular, I show how population-level probabilities can be derived from individual-level probabilities, and explain the sense in which natural selection and drift are embodied in these population-level probabilities. I argue that whatever causal character the individual-level probabilities have is then shared by the population-level probabilities, and that natural selection and random drift then have that same causal character. Moreover, natural selection and drift can then be viewed as two aspects of probability distributions over frequencies in populations of organisms. My characterization of population-level probabilities is largely neutral about what interpretation of probability is required, allowing my approach to support various positions on biological probabilities, including those which give biological probabilities one or another sort of causal character.
Parties or Portfolio? The Economic Consequences of Africa's Big Cabinets

Does cabinet size impact economic performance in Africa? The number of ministerial portfolios has increased steadily for nearly four decades, yet we know little about the consequences of Africa’s cabinets. Comparative studies generate conflicting expectations, either blaming broad-based governments for patronage or crediting them for economic development. Using cross-national time-series data on 45 African countries between 1971 and 2006, statistical tests first show that cabinets with more ministries impose higher taxes and have higher rates of inflation. Next, we find that multiparty governments are strongly associated with less extractive government, lower rates of inflation, and less patronage spending. We conclude that coalition governments improve economic performance through horizontal monitoring of executives; this differs significantly from prevailing findings about the performance of cabinets in the developed world.
Deletion of the Desulfovibrio vulgaris Carbon Monoxide Sensor Invokes Global Changes in Transcription

The carbon monoxide-sensing transcriptional factor CooA has been studied only in hydrogenogenic organisms that can grow using CO as the sole source of energy. Homologs for the canonical CO oxidation system, including CooA, CO dehydrogenase (CODH), and a CO-dependent Coo hydrogenase, are present in the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris, although it grows only poorly on CO. We show that D. vulgaris Hildenborough has an active CO dehydrogenase capable of consuming exogenous CO and that the expression of the CO dehydrogenase, but not that of a gene annotated as encoding a Coo hydrogenase, is dependent on both CO and CooA. Carbon monoxide did not act as a general metabolic inhibitor, since growth of a strain deleted for cooA was inhibited by CO on lactate-sulfate but not pyruvate-sulfate. While the deletion strain did not accumulate CO in excess, as would have been expected if CooA were important in the cycling of CO as a metabolic intermediate, global transcriptional analyses suggested that CooA and CODH are used during normal metabolism.
Outlier finding: focusing user attention on possible errors

When users handle large amounts of data, errors are hard to notice. Outlier finding is a new way to reduce errors by directing the user's attention to inconsistent data which may indicate errors. We have implemented an outlier finder for text, which can detect both unusual matches and unusual mismatches to a text pattern. When integrated into the user interface of a PBD text editor and tested in a user study, outlier finding substantially reduced errors.
Comparison of the National Standards for Music Education and Elementary Music Specialists' Use of Class Time:

The purpose of this study was to examine use of class time in elementary general music classes in relation to the nine voluntary National Standards for Music Education. Elementary music specialists...
Evolution of basal deuterostome nervous systems

Understanding the evolution of deuterostome nervous systems has been complicated by the ambiguous phylogenetic position of the Xenocoelomorpha (Xenoturbellids, acoel flat worms, nemertodermatids), which has been placed either as basal bilaterians, basal deuterostomes or as a sister group to the hemichordate/echinoderm clade (Ambulacraria), which is a sister group of the Chordata. None of these groups has a single longitudinal nerve cord and a brain. A further complication is that echinoderm nerve cords are not likely to be evolutionarily related to the chordate central nervous system. For hemichordates, opinion is divided as to whether either one or none of the two nerve cords is homologous to the chordate nerve cord. In chordates, opposition by two secreted signaling proteins, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Nodal, regulates partitioning of the ectoderm into central and peripheral nervous systems. Similarly, in echinoderm larvae, opposition between BMP and Nodal positions the ciliary band and regulates its extent. The apparent loss of this opposition in hemichordates is, therefore, compatible with the scenario, suggested by Dawydoff over 65 years ago, that a true centralized nervous system was lost in hemichordates.
Optimal stop spacing and headway of congested transit system considering realistic wait times

This paper revisits the classical transit scheduling problem and investigates the relationship between stop spacing and headway, considering realistic wait time and operable transit capacity. Headway and stop spacing are important determinants for planning a transit system, which influence the service level as well as the cost of operation. A mathematical model is developed, and the objective function is user travel time which is minimized by the optimized stop spacing and headway, subject to the constraints of operable fleet size and route capacity. Optimal stop spacing and headway solutions are obtained in a numerical example. Sensitivity analysis is conducted, and the effect of model parameters on user travel time is explored.
The effect of connected and isolated voluntary associations on economic activity in the United States, 1984–2000

This paper makes two empirical contributions to the literature on the putative effect of voluntary associations on economic activity. First, using a longitudinal database covering the entire United States, we differentiate between the effect of voluntary associations that are connected to other voluntary associations through the multiple membership of their members and voluntary associations that lack these ties. Second, we test for the existence of a conditional effect of the areal size of the spatial units under consideration, comparing results at the local community and the state level of analyses. We find that connected voluntary associations have a positive effect on the number of manufacturing establishments whereas isolated voluntary associations either have a negative effect or do not have any effect. Both local community and state level analyses reveal this pattern but the effects are stronger when the spatial unit of analysis is the local community.
Actin-based motility drives baculovirus transit to the nucleus and cell surface

Most viruses move intracellularly to and from their sites of replication using microtubule-based mechanisms. In this study, we show that nucleocapsids of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus undergo intracellular motility driven by actin polymerization. Motility requires the viral P78/83 capsid protein and the host Arp2/3 complex. Surprisingly, the virus directs two sequential and coordinated phases of actin-based motility. Immediately after cell entry, motility enables exploration of the cytoplasm and collision with the nuclear periphery, speeding nuclear entry and the initiation of viral gene expression. Nuclear entry itself requires transit through nuclear pore complexes. Later, after the onset of early gene expression, motility is required for accumulation of a subpopulation of nucleocapsids in the tips of actin-rich surface spikes. Temporal coordination of actin-based nuclear and surface translocation likely enables rapid transmission to neighboring cells during infection in insects and represents a distinctive evolutionary strategy for overcoming host defenses.
Epithelial structure revealed by chemical dissection and unembedded electron microscopy

Cytoskeletal structures obtained after extraction of Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cell monolayers with Triton X-100 were examined in transmission electron micrographs of cell whole mounts and unembedded thick sections. The cytoskeleton, an ordered structure consisting of a peripheral plasma lamina, a complex network of filaments, and chromatin-containing nuclei, was revealed after extraction of intact cells with a nearly physiological buffer containing Triton X-100. The cytoskeleton was further fractionated by extraction with (NH4)2SO4, which left a structure enriched in intermediate filaments and desmosomes around the nuclei. A further digestion with nuclease and elution with (NH4)2SO4 removed the chromatin. The stable structure that remained after this procedure retained much of the epithelial morphology and contained essentially all of the cytokeratin filaments and desmosomes and the chromatin-depleted nuclear matrices. This structural network may serve as a scaffold for epithelial organization. The cytoskeleton and the underlying nuclear matrix intermediate filament scaffold, when examined in both conventional embedded thin sections and in unembedded whole mounts and thick sections, showed the retention of many of the detailed morphological aspects of the intact cells, which suggests a structural continuum linking the nuclear matrix, the intermediate filament network, and the intercellular desmosomal junctions. Most importantly, the protein composition of each of the four fractions obtained by this sequential procedure was essentially unique. Thus, the proteins constituting the soluble fraction, the cytoskeleton, the chromatin fraction, and the underlying nuclear matrix-intermediate filament scaffold are biochemically distinct.
Selection Theory and the Sociology of Scientific Validity

So often have I reviewed the 150 year old heresy now called “evolutionary epistemology” that the harried and hurried reader needs to be told whether this essay is just another redundant update, or whether I, at least, feel that it says something new.
Lymphocytic colitis treated with proctocolectomy and ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis: report of a case.

PURPOSE: We present a case of severe diarrhea caused by lymphocytic colitis and concurrent celiac sprue in a patient who did not respond to maximal medical therapy and required surgery. METHODS: The patient was initially treated with fecal diversion via an end ileostomy. Six months later, she underwent colectomy and one-stage ileal J-pouch-anal anastomosis. RESULTS: Notably, the characteristic microscopic changes of lymphocytic colitis were still present at the time of colectomy despite diversion. CONCLUSION: Colectomy with continent reconstruction is an option for treatment of patients with lymphocytic colitis refractory to medical therapy.
Epidemiological analysis of hand,foot and mouth disease in Si county from 2008-2011

Objective To study the epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD) in Si county from 2008-2011,and provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of HFMD.Methods Data from national disease surveillance information reporting system was analyzed by descriptive epidemiology method.Results A total of 2 370 HFMD patients in Si county from 2008~2011 were reported with no dead cases,and the annual incidence was 64.71 per 100 000.Of the 2 370 cases,1 555(65.61%) were males and 815 were females(34.39%).There were 2 273 patients under the age of 5 years and 1 814 cases under the age of 3 years,which accounted for 95.91% and 76.54% of the total cases,respectively.The peak incidence was found during the period of March to June.There were 19 laboratory confirmed cases,of which 16 were enterovirus71(EV71) positive and they accounted for 84.21%.Conclusion Cases were concentrated in children aged below 5 years,who were mainly infected by EV71.
NEUROTOXICITY OF NMDA RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS : AN OVERVIEW

The glutamate transmitter system provides several benevolent/malevolent paradoxes. Glutamate itself serves vitally important functions in the CNS but has enormous neurodestructive potential. NMDA glutamate receptor antagonists protect many neurons against glutamate neurotoxicity, while injuring or destroying certain other neurons and inducing psychotic symptoms and memory impairment. Therefore, the challenge in developing protective therapies against glutamate's neurodestructive potential is to find benevolent agents that are not malevolent as well. There are two possible approaches. One is to develop neuroprotective agents that are free from neuropsychopathological side effects; the other is to use NMDA antagonists even though they have neuropsychopathological side effects, but to use them in combination with other agents that block the side effects without producing side effects of their own.
Bilateral Simultaneous Tubal Pregnancies After Ovulation Induction with Clomiphene-Menotropin Combination

A case is presented of bilateral simultaneous tubal pregnancy after ovulation induction with a clomiphene-menotropin combination. Although extremely rare in the general population, the entity of simultaneous pregnancies is far more common with ovulation induction. Care must be taken not to mistake an extrauterine pregnancy for a hyperstimulated ovary.
The eastern Mediterranean

This chapter, covering the period from roughly 200 BC to AD 300, sketches out some of the structural determinants of the eastern Mediterranean's economic performance, and then traces that performance through the processes: production, distribution, and consumption. Isolating these very closely interwoven elements is helpful for the purposes of this particular type of overview; ultimately, however, the interaction of the three requires reconciliation and synthesis in other, more targeted studies. The chapter also visits the issue of relative growth across the empire. Agriculture was central to the Roman economy but agricultural production was uncertain in the eastern Mediterranean. Land-ownership in the Roman east offered avenues to security and status, and the preeminent means to garner wealth in the ancient world. Regional distribution of goods was very active in the eastern Mediterranean. An inland city such as Sagalassos appears to enjoy fewer imported wares than coastal cities such as Anemurion or Perge, but has the usual signs of conspicuous consumption.
Individual Differences, Trust, and Vehicle Autonomy: A pilot study

Automotive technology has evolved over the last century to accommodate various levels of vehicle autonomy in order to advance safety, enhance comfort, and to mitigate human error. The result has cu...
Nurses' experiences with errors in nursing

Abstract Background Health care organizations seek to maximize the reporting of medical errors to improve patient safety. Purpose This study explored licensed nurses' decision-making with regard to reporting medical errors. Methods Grounded theory methods guided the study. Thirty nurses from adult intensive care units were interviewed, and qualitative analysis was used to develop a theoretical framework based on their narratives. Discussion The theoretical model was titled "Learning Lessons from the Error." The concept of learning lessons was central to the theoretical model. The model included five stages: Being Off-Kilter, Living the Error, Reporting or Telling About the Error, Living the Aftermath, and Lurking in Your Mind. Conclusion This study illuminates the unique experiences of licensed nurses who have made medical errors. The findings can inform initiatives to improve error reporting and to support nurses who have made errors.
“Liking” and being “liked”: How are personality traits and demographics associated with giving and receiving “likes” on Facebook?

Abstract On social media, users can express their favorable attitudes toward messages that others post by clicking the “like” button. In return, they may also receive “likes” from others for their own posts. This study aims to examine the “liking” behavior on social media by using the theoretical framework of gift giving and impression management. Specifically, the study investigates if and how different personality traits (i.e., self-esteem, empathy, interpersonal generosity, and public self-consciousness) and demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, and education) are associated with one's frequencies of giving and receiving “likes” on Facebook. A survey was conducted with 421 Facebook users in the United States. The study results revealed that frequency of giving “likes” was positively associated with both interpersonal generosity and public self-consciousness, but frequency of receiving “likes” was not significantly related to the examined personality traits. Age and gender were significantly associated with frequencies of both giving and receiving “likes.” Educational background was negatively associated with giving “likes.”
Role of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER/GPR30) in maintenance of meiotic arrest in fish oocytes

An essential role for GPER (formerly known as GPR30) in regulating mammalian reproduction has not been identified to date, although it has shown to be involved in the regulation a broad range of other estrogen-dependent functions. In contrast, an important reproductive role for GPER in the maintenance of oocyte meiotic arrest has been identified in teleost fishes, which is briefly reviewed here. Recent studies have clearly shown that ovarian follicle production of estradiol-17β (E2) maintains meiotic arrest in several teleost species through activation of GPER coupled to a stimulatory G protein (Gs) on oocyte plasma membranes resulting in stimulation of cAMP production and maintenance of elevated cAMP levels. Studies with denuded zebrafish oocytes and with microinjection of GPER antisense oligonucleotides into oocytes have demonstrated the requirement for both ovarian follicle production of estrogens and expression of GPER on the oocyte surface for maintenance of meiotic arrest. This inhibitory action of E2 on the resumption of meiosis is mimicked by the GPER-selective agonist G-1, by the GPER agonists and nuclear ER antagonists, ICI 182,780 and tamoxifen, and also by the xenoestrogen bisphenol-A (BPA) and related alkylphenols. GPER also maintains meiotic arrest of zebrafish oocytes through estrogen- and BPA-dependent GPER activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Interestingly, progesterone receptor component 1 (PGRMC1) is also involved in estrogen maintenance of meiotic arrest through regulation of EGFR expression on the oocyte plasma membrane. The preovulatory surge in LH secretion induces the ovarian synthesis of progestin hormones that activate a membrane progestin receptor alpha (mPRα)/inhibitory G protein (Gi) pathway. It also increases ovarian synthesis of the catecholestrogen, 2-hydroxy-estradiol-17β (2-OHE2) which inhibits the GPER/Gs/adenylyl cyclase pathway. Both of these LH actions cause declines in oocyte cAMP levels resulting in the resumption of meiosis. GPER is also present on murine oocytes but there are no reports of studies investigating its possible involvement in maintaining meiotic arrest in mammals.
Shotgun proteomics of the barley seed proteome

Barley seed proteins are of prime importance to the brewing industry, human and animal nutrition and in plant breeding for cultivar identification. To obtain comprehensive proteomic data from seeds, total protein from a two-rowed (Conrad) and a six-rowed (Lacey) barley cultivar were precipitated in acetone, digested in-solution, and the resulting peptides were analyzed by nano-liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The raw mass spectra data searched against Uniprot’s Barley database using in-house Mascot search engine identified 1168 unique proteins. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that the majority of the seed proteins were cytosolic, with catalytic activity and associated with carbohydrate metabolism. Spectral counting analysis showed that there are 20 differentially abundant seed proteins between the two-rowed Conrad and six-rowed Lacey cultivars. This study paves the way for the use of a top-down gel-free proteomics strategy in barley for investigating more complex traits such as malting quality. Differential abundance of hordoindoline proteins impact the seed hardness trait of barley cultivars.
Two Siblings with the Same Severe Form of 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency But Different Growth and Menstrual Cycle Patterns.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is one of the most frequent autosomal recessive diseases in Europe. Treatment is a challenge for pediatric endocrinologists. Important parameters to judge the outcome are adult height and menstrual cycle. We report the follow-up from birth to adulthood of two Caucasian sisters with salt-wasting (SW) CAH due to the same mutation, homozygosity c.290-13A>G (I2 splice), in the 21-hydroxylase gene. Their adherence to treatment was excellent. Our objective was to distinguish the effects of treatment with hydrocortisone (HC) and fludrocortisone (FC) on final height (FH) from constitutional factors. The older girl (Patient 1), who showed virilised genitalia Prader scale III-IV at birth, reached FH within familial target height at 18 years (yr) of age. Menarche occurred at the age of 15. Her menstrual cycles were always irregular. Total pubertal growth was normal (29 cm). She showed a growth pattern consistent with constitutional delay. The younger sister (Patient 2) was born without masculinization of the genitalia after her mother was treated with dexamethasone starting in the fourth week of pregnancy. She reached FH at 16 yr of age. Her adult height is slightly below familial target height. Menarche occurred at the age of 12.5, followed by regular menses. Total pubertal growth was normal (21 cm). The average dose of HC from birth to FH was 16.7 mg/m2 in patient 1 and 16.8 mg/m2 in patient 2. They received FC once a day in doses from 0.05 to 0.1 mg. Under such therapy, growth velocity was normal starting from the age of 2.5 yr with an overall average of +0.2 SD in patient 1 and - 0.1 SD in patient 2, androstenedione levels were always within normal age range. Similarly, BMI and blood pressure were always normal; no acne and no hirsutism ever appeared. Conclusion: Two siblings with the same genetic form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency and excellent adherence to medication showed different growth and menstrual cycle patterns, rather related to constitutional factors than to underlying congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In addition, the second patient represents an example of successful in utero glucocorticoid treatment to prevent virilisation of the external genitalia.
Herpes simplex virus tegument protein VP11/12-derived epitopes preferentially recall polyfunctional effector memory CD8 + T cells from seropositive asymptomatic individuals and protect “humanized” HLA-A*02:01 transgenic mice against ocular herpes (VIR6P.1172)

In this study, we used multiple prediction computer-assisted algorithms to identify 10 potential HLA-A*02:01-restricted CD8 + T cell epitopes from the 716 amino acids sequence of Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 virion tegument phosphoprotein 11/12 (HSV-1 VP11/12). Three out of ten epitopes exhibited high to moderate binding affinity to HLA-A*02:01 molecules. In ten sequentially studied HLA-A*02:01 positive, HSV seropositive healthy asymptomatic (ASYMP) individuals (who have never had clinical herpes disease), the most frequent, robust and polyfunctional effector CD8 + T-cell responses, as assessed by a combination of tetramer frequency, granzyme B, granzyme K, perforin, CD107 a/b cytotoxic degranulation, IFN-g and multiplex cytokines assays, were predominantly directed against three epitopes: VP11/12 66-74 , VP11/12 220-228 and VP11/12 702-710 . Interestingly, ASYMP individuals had significantly higher proportion of CD45RA low CCR7 low CD44 high CD62L low CD27 low CD28 low CD8 + effector memory T cells (T EM ) specific to the three epitopes, compared to symptomatic (SYMP) individuals (with a history of numerous episodes of recurrent ocular herpetic disease). Moreover, immunization of HLA-A*02:01 transgenic mice with the three ASYMP CD8 + T EM cell epitopes induced a strong protective immunity against ocular herpes infection and disease. Our findings outline the features of protective HSV-specific CD8 + T cells that should guide the development of an effective T-cell-based herpes vaccine.
Multiple effects of ethanol on the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis in the male.

There are few physiological or biochemical processes which are not influenced in some way by acute or chronic ethanol administration. Among the more prominent affects of the drug are its effects on the endocrine system. In this paper, we would like to review several experiments we have conducted to examine the effects of ethanol on one endocrine system upon which it has particulary profound effects, the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (H-P-G) axis.
The Effects of Cocoa- and Chocolate-Related Products on Neurocognitive Functioning

To date, there appear to be only nine published studies in the scientific literature that have examined the effects of cocoa- and chocolate-related products on neurocognitive functioning. The majority (i.e., seven of nine) of the published studies that have examined the effects of cocoa- and chocolate-related products on neurocognitive processes have found that the compounds are associated with significantly improved and/or preserved aspects of cognitive functioning. Increasing evidence suggests that dietary flavonoids and methylxanthines, such as those commonly found in cocoa and chocolate products, may possess neuroprotective, neuroenhancing, and neurostimulating effects.
Substitution of Aromatic Residues with Polar Residues in the Active Site Pocket of epi-Isozizaene Synthase Leads to the Generation of New Cyclic Sesquiterpenes

The sesquiterpene cyclase epi-isozizaene synthase (EIZS) catalyzes the cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate to form the tricyclic hydrocarbon precursor of the antibiotic albaflavenone. The hydrophobic active site pocket of EIZS serves as a template as it binds and chaperones the flexible substrate and carbocation intermediates through the conformations required for a multistep reaction sequence. We previously demonstrated that the substitution of hydrophobic residues with other hydrophobic residues remolds the template and expands product chemodiversity [Li, R., Chou, W. K. W., Himmelberger, J. A., Litwin, K. M., Harris, G. G., Cane, D. E., and Christianson, D. W. (2014) Biochemistry 53, 1155–1168]. Here, we show that the substitution of hydrophobic residues—specifically, Y69, F95, F96, and W203—with polar side chains also yields functional enzyme catalysts that expand product chemodiversity. Fourteen new EIZS mutants are reported that generate product arrays in which eight new sesquiterpene products have ...
Heterocarpy in Salvia roemeriana (Lamiaceae)

Although Salvia roemeriana has long been known to produce both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, the mericarps resulting from those flowers have received little attention. We germinated seeds from chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers, recorded germination times, and fit time‐to‐germination, three‐parameter log‐logistic regressions to analyze differences in germination progress. Additionally, we compared the mass and size of mericarps from both kinds of flowers. Our results show that the mericarps produced from chasmogamous flowers are larger and heavier than those from cleistogamous flowers. In addition, seeds from chasmogamous flowers had a longer dormancy than those from cleistogamous flowers. This is the first report of heterocarpy in Salvia and in the family Lamiaceae. Together, cleistogamy and heterocarpy are a multiple strategy that may be advantageous in heterogeneous environments.
Host-Acceptance Behavior of Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) Reared on the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) and Nontarget Species

Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) is an egg parasitoid wasp from East Asia. It is considered to be an important natural enemy of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Ongoing efforts to evaluate the physiological host range of this potential classical biological control agent have demonstrated that the wasp can parasitize at least 11 genera of nontarget Pentatomoidea in North America in no-choice tests. However, factors such as host-acceptance behavior that might affect nontarget parasitism in the field are poorly understood. We evaluated the preference of T. japonicus females provided with egg clusters of H. halys, Thyanta custator accerra McAtee (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), and Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) when wasps were reared on the target pest, H. halys, and the nontarget species, T.c. accerra and P. maculiventris. When reared on H. halys, T. japonicus showed a strong preference for H. halys, and frequently rejected nontarget hosts after inspection. When T. japonicus was reared on nontarget hosts, females showed reduced host-specificity, but were significantly smaller and produced a lower number of offspring. These results suggest that innate host-acceptance behavior is likely to reduce parasitism on some nontarget Pentatomoidea which T. japonicus will encounter in the field. Future efforts should be made to examine the ability of the wasp to reproduce long term on nontarget species when H. halys eggs are limited.
Reaction Behaviors of Al-Killed Medium-Manganese Steel with Different Refractories

In order to understand the reaction mechanism between medium-manganese steel and different refractories, some laboratory experiments were carried out at 1873 K (1600 °C). Three types of refractory plates (Al2O3, MgO, and MgO·Al2O3) were used. The results show that Mn in liquid medium-manganese steel does not react easily with the Al2O3 refractory, but can react with the MgO refractory to generate a (Mn, Mg)O layer at the boundary between the refractory plate and liquid steel. After the formation of (Mn, Mg)O, a layer of (Mn, Mg)O·Al2O3 spinel is also formed at the edge of the MgO refractory. Similar to the MgO refractory, the dissolved Mn can react with the MgO·Al2O3 refractory as well, and a layer of (Mn, Mg)O·Al2O3 was also detected after reaction. It was found that the formation of (Mn, Mg)O·Al2O3 at the edge of the refractory is a source of (Mn, Mg)O·Al2O3 inclusions in liquid steel. The flush-off of the (Mn, Mg)O·Al2O3 layer would result in the formation of (Mn, Mg)O·Al2O3 inclusions.
A Letter of Antoninus Pius and an Antonine Rescript concerning Christians

A new letter to Ephesus of ca. 161 describing earthquakes in the region adds credibility to the original source of a rescript with similar elements redacted in Eusebius HE 4.13.
Judicial Review of Partial Arbitral Awards Under Section 10(a)(4) of the Federal Arbitration Act

Arbitration allows parties to partially contract out of the public judicial system and resolve their disputes in a contractually created forum. Recently, however, several federal courts have attempted to take back more power for themselves in the arbitration arena. In 1925, Congress enacted the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA")' to protect the integrity of arbitration clauses and ensure that a party could not evade the purpose of a contractual arbitration clause by trying to supplant the agreed-upon private judge with a federal judge. The FAA achieves this goal by greatly limiting the federal courts' ability to exercise jurisdiction over arbitral decisions.2 This ensures that courts do not frustrate one of the main purposes of arbitration by substituting their judgment for that of the decisionmaker selected by the parties. The FAA also limits when parties can seek judicial review by not allowing a court to review the case until the arbitrator has issued a judgment on the entire dispute.3 This prevents parties from shuttling back and forth between arbitrator and court and impeding a swift and streamlined dispute resolution.4 Imagine that Company A enters into a contract to transport and deliver Company B's widgets to Merchant C and that this contract includes a clause in which the parties agree to submit all disputes arising from the contract to arbitration. After delivering the widgets, Company A sends Company B an invoice, requesting payment. Company B refuses to pay anything, arguing that a portion of the goods was
Static fluorescence quenching in the study of micellar systems

The effect of a number of polar and non-polar organic molecules on the micelli- zation of sodium dodecyl sulfate at low suffactant and additive concentration, has been studied by fluorescence probing methods. The solubilization and its effect on micellar parameters and structure is examined and some general trends are discussed. Special emphasis is focused on the application of static fluorescence quenching method, since it can provide important and unique information in spite of its simplicity.
Modifying Vegetable Oils for Food and Non-food Purposes

Oils and fats are an important source of energy for the human diet and alsocontributesignificantlytothesensorycharacteristicsoffood.Manyoilsarealsoused for non-food applications, although industrial use currently accounts foronly a small proportion of the world vegetable oil production, less than 5% oftotal production, mostly for biodiesel. About 80% of edible oils are derivedfrom plant sources and temperate annual oil seeds (soy, rapeseed, sunflowerand peanut) account for about 60% of this total. Soybean oil is by far thedominantoilinthiscategory,accountingforoverhalfoftheworldvegetableoilproduction.Improving the functional and nutritional qualities of vegetable oils hasgarnered much attention over the last 15 years or so. This chapter will describesome of the attempts to genetically improve plant seed oils, with specialemphasis on soybean oil, for food and non-food uses.
Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of the Bithionol-paclitaxel combination in a panel of human ovarian cancer cell lines

Previously, Bithionol (BT) was shown to enhance the chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cell lines to cisplatin treatment. In the present study, we focused on the anti-tumor potential of the BT-paclitaxel combination when added to a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines. This in vitro study aimed to 1) determine the optimum schedule for combination of BT and paclitaxel and 2) assess the nature and mechanism(s) underlying BT-paclitaxel interactions. The cytotoxic effects of both drugs either alone or in combination were assessed by presto-blue cell viability assay using six human ovarian cancer cell lines. Inhibitory concentrations to achieve 50% cell death (IC50) were determined for BT and paclitaxel in each cell line. Changes in levels of cleaved PARP, XIAP, bcl-2, bcl-xL, p21 and p27 were determined via immunoblot. Luminescent and colorimetric assays were used to determine caspases 3/7 and autotaxin (ATX) activity. Cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by flow cytometry. Our results show that the efficacy of the BT-paclitaxel combination depends upon the concentrations and sequence of addition of paclitaxel and BT. Pretreatment with BT followed by paclitaxel resulted in antagonistic interactions whereas synergistic interactions were observed when both drugs were added simultaneously or when cells were pretreated with paclitaxel followed by BT. Synergistic interactions between BT and paclitaxel were attributed to increased ROS generation and enhanced apoptosis. Decreased expression of pro-survival factors (XIAP, bcl-2, bcl-xL) and increased expression of pro-apoptotic factors (caspases 3/7, PARP cleavage) was observed. Additionally, increased expression of key cell cycle regulators p21 and p27 was observed. These results show that BT and paclitaxel interacted synergistically at most drug ratios which, however, was highly dependent on the sequence of the addition of drugs. Our results suggest that BT-paclitaxel combination therapy may be effective in sensitizing ovarian cancer cells to paclitaxel treatment, thus mitigating some of the toxic effects associated with high doses of paclitaxel.
Dendritic Cells in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized bone marrow-derived leukocytes that orchestrate both innate and adaptive immunity. DCs reside in all tissues where they continuously survey the local environment and inform cells of the immune system to modulate their responses. Under inflammatory conditions, DCs undergo terminal maturation and activation to become fully immunogenic. DC heterogeneity and differential activation states ultimately determine the type and quality of immune responses. DCs initiate an immune response by capturing and presenting antigen in the form of peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule complexes to naive T cells in lymphoid tissues. DCs share most features of antigen-processing cells and class I and II MHC-restricted presentation with other antigen-presenting cells (APCs). DCs, however, are endowed with the capacity to cross-present exogenous antigens on their own class I MHC molecules to autologous T cells regardless of the MHC alleles expressed by the antigen source. When compared with other APCs, like macrophages, DCs are much more efficient and can elicit responses from very low numbers of T cells. In this chapter we review such and other mechanisms of DCs in the setting of hematopoietic cell transplantation.
Heritability and individuality of the plasma sodium concentration: A twin study in the United States veteran population

Little is known about the population genetics of water balance. A recent meta-genome-wide association study on plasma sodium concentration identified novel loci of high biological plausibility, yet...
New African Scenopinidae (Diptera) from south of the Equator

This paper descriptionbes 17 new species of African Scenopinidae, all from South and South West Africa, many of them reared from larvae. Included are six new Scenopinus species: S. fulignatus, S. gariesensis, S. namibensis, S. pakhuisensis, S. umkomaasensis and S. vesperugocavus. The genus Propebrevitrichia with only three previously descriptionbed species is increased to 14 with the addition of P. bonnieana, P. botterkloofensis, P. canuta, P. dionaeforma, P. falcata, P. gobabebensis, P. irwini, P. langebaanensis, P. pakhuisensis, P. patersonensis, and P. swakopensis. An error in the spelling of Metatrichia lophyrosoma (Speiser) in previous publications by the author is noted with citations and location of changes.
Competing for Priorities in School Choice

We present a model in which students can influence their priority in a school choice mechanism through a first-stage costly effort game. We show that efficiency improvements to the mechanism can lead to net efficiency losses if they come at the price of increased allocative inequalities, which in turn increase competition in the effort stage. We apply these results to the deferred and immediate acceptance mechanisms (DA and IA) and show that, even when DA is more allocatively efficient than IA, IA may remain more efficient overall because it features less inequalities between students with high and low priorities.
Using Digital Puppetry to Prepare Physicians to Address Non-suicidal Self-injury Among Teens

Research has shown that adolescents that engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are at an increased risk of suicidal behavior. Primary care providers can help identify NSSI behaviors and assess suicide risk; however, many physicians report feeling underprepared to do so in a clinical environment. Thus, this simulated training experience was built to create an authentic practice interview environment. Two adolescent cases have been modeled using avatars and a digital puppetry system that allows for complex and nuanced non-verbal behavior. After several iterations, a combination of gesture based puppetry, real-time head tracking, and triggered automated animation sequences was found to provide suitable control to create subtle and appropriate non-verbal behaviors in the context of the interview. Data is currently being gathered from pilot groups of medical residents and physicians to evaluate the authenticity of the simulated environment and to explore whether this simulated interview training changes physician behavior in a way that may help prevent adolescent suicide.