cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Reconstruction at the (001) CaMnO 3 Surface

The Mn-terminated (001) surface of the stable antiferromagnetic insulating phase of the cubic perovskite $\mathrm{CaMnO}{}_{3}$ is found to undergo a magnetic reconstruction consisting of a spin-flip process at the surface: Each Mn spin at the surface flips to pair with one in the subsurface layer. In spite of very little Mn-O charge transfer at the surface, the behavior is driven by the ${e}_{g}$ states due to the ${d}_{\mathrm{xy}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{d}_{{z}^{2}}$ charge redistribution. These results, based on local spin density theory, give a double-exchange-like coupling that is driven by the ${e}_{g}$ character, not the additional charge, and may have relevance to colossal magnetoresistive materials.
Sexual dysfunction in women with breast cancer: Prevalence and severity

9558 Background: Sexual dysfunction (SD) is reported after chemotherapy and endocrine therapies, and causes a substantial burden on women with breast cancer. However, the prevalence and severity of...
Pressure-Induced Phase Transformations in Li-based Complex Hydrides

An overview of the pressure-induced transformations and order-disorder phenomena in LiAlH4 (up to 7 GPa) and LiNH2 (up to 25 GPa) are presented. The analysis of pressure-induced changes in Raman spectra suggest a phase transition at ∼3 GPa for LiAlH4 and ∼14 GPa for LiNH2. New results on the metastable recovery of the high pressure β-LiAlH4 phase are also presented. An examination of the lattice translational and librational modes reveals that the high pressure β-LiAlH4 phase is disordered while there is evidence of orientational ordering in the high pressure beta-LiNH2 phase.
Visual Steering for Design Generation in Multi-objective Optimization Problems

This research proposes a design process based on th e Hyper-Radial Visualization (HRV) to assist designers in selecting a final design using visual steering. In this paper, a new design point generation approach is presented, which uses the HRV-based Hyperspace Pareto Frontier (HPF) representation to explore the desire d design space for generating new design candidates. Real-time generation of new designs enables designers greater flexibility than a typical a posteri approach, in which selection is l imited to the designs previously generated. This design steering approach provides more choices since decision makers do not need to choose their solutions among those limited number Pareto set. The interactive design space exploration process in this paper generates new des igns in real time only in the designer’s identified region of interest. A new decision fron tier is then presented to provide the envelope of the new design candidates. The region of new design generation is controlled by the designer, thereby enabling the investigation of any local region in the design space on the fly. Hence, this HRV-based design process enables decision makers to generate new design candidates as well as to perform trade offs amongst the final design(s) in an interactive way. Nomenclature
Structural Analysis of High-End Server Computer Frames Under Earthquake Loading

This paper reports the mechanical design, structural analysis, and experimental correlation of bracing concepts for high-end computer servers subjected to loads simulating earthquake conditions. The development and evaluation of these stiffening alternatives follows a step-by-step process of finite element analysis coupled with parallel experimental testing. The numerical model is derived from the simplified CAD geometry of an existing server frame. An analysis of this frame model is subjected to a load environment similar to those endured under actual horizontal table vibration tests. The result of this series of analyses is a design study examining how a range of bracing designs affects the global frame rigidity. This design study builds toward the objective of constructing a verified model of the server frame and components that will lead to a guideline for implementing stiffener designs on high-end server systems.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Phenology and Dispersion Patterns of Larval Lesser Cornstalk Borers (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Grain Sorghum in North Florida

Two 1982 and three 1983 double-cropped grain sorghum fields were each sampled on seven to nine dates to determine larval phenology and distribution of the lesser cornstalk borer (LCB), Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller). Sampling consisted of in-field searches of the plant and upper soil habitat. Precision of the sampling procedure was moderate to good. Temporal changes in magnitude and age structure of the larval populations provided evidence that one to three generations occurred in the fields. Each field was infested during vegetative crop-growth stages by LCB larvae. Injuries resulted either in stand losses or damaged plants. Larval populations of an additional one to two generations occurred during reproductive crop-growth stages in most of the fields. Many plants were damaged, but few died from damages inflicted by larvae from the later generations. Dispersion statistics of mean/variance ratio, standardized Morisita's index, and Taylor's power law were calculated for larval sample estimates, and populations were aggregated in all fields on most dates.
Abstract 2933: Pre-clinical model of eradication of B cell leukemia with lentiviral transduced anti-CD19 chimeric immunoreceptor-modified T cells

CD19 is a membrane glycoprotein found on human B lymphocytes at all stages of maturation, and is not lost during malignant transformation to precursor-B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). T cells engineered with chimeric immunoreceptors (CIR) consisting of an extracellular scFv domain against CD19 fused to the T cell receptor ζ signal transduction domain represent a promising adoptive immunotherapy against leukemias refractory to traditional chemotherapy. Previous studies from our group and others have demonstrated that inclusion of signaling domains from costimulatory molecules such as CD28 or CD137 (41BB) can improve the antileukemic efficacy and in vivo persistence of CIR-modified T cells. To critically evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of anti-CD19-targeting CIR that contained various signaling domains alone or in combination we utilized the highly immunodeficient NOG mouse model and an aggressive CD19+ leukemia cell line (Nalm-6) and treated with primary human CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocytes gene modified to express anti-CD19 CIR with TcR zeta alone, CD28-TcRzeta, CD137-TcRzeta, and CD28- CD137-TcR signalling domains. NOG mice were injected with 1×106 Nalm-6 on Day 1, a dose that produces 100% engraftment in the bone marrow by Day 7 (95% CI 0.15-1.2% of total bone marrow cells CD19+) with 100% mortality by Day 25 if untreated. T cells were expanded ex vivo using anti-CD3/CD28 beads and subjected to lentiviral gene transfer of various CIRs, and 1×107 T cells were injected on Day 7 (7×106 CAR +). Mice were followed weekly by quantitative flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood for CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD19 positive human cells. A separate cohort of animals were treated with either Nalm-6 or T cells transduced with firefly luciferase to track biodistribution and treatment response. Mice treated with T cells engineered to express each of the anti-CD19 CAR demonstarted statistically significant improved survival over control animals, with animals succumbing either to leukemia, or in a construct dependent manner, GVHD. Additionally, a hierarchy of survival advantage was observed among the anti-CD19 constructs, with the CD19-CD28-CD137-ζ CAR mediating most enhanced survival, with 37% of those mice surviving until the end of the study at Day 125. In vivo bioluminescent imaging demonstrated that T cell migration and expansion depends on antigen recognition and presence of the ζ chain in the CIR, and that leukemia clearance is unexpectedly rapid ( These data indicate it is possible to eradicate established bone marrow disease with a single injection of lentiviral transduced CIR T cells. Future efforts will focus on leukemia rechallenge to evaluate in vivo persistence and surveillance capabilities of these CIR T cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2933.
Taxonomic Relationships of Bats of The Species Myotis Fortidens, M. Lucifugus, and M. Occultus

Myotis lucifugus and M. occultus are considered to be conspecific, the older name, M. lucifugus , applying to both. Myotis fortidens is a tropical Mexican species differing from M. lucifugus in a number of ways. In both species skull size seems to be related to number of species of Myotis living in the area from which a given sample originated. Body size seems related to climatic severity.
Self-parody in Pasolini’s La ricotta and Appunti per un’Orestiade africana

This article explores the practice of self-parody in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s films La ricotta (1963) and Appunti per un’Orestiade africana (1970). A rarely addressed aspect of Pasolini’s work, self-p...
Section 4. Deducing the Conditions Where Ores Form

Innovative studies in the 1950s and 1960s that were defining the environments where ores had been deposited, especially those investigating the phase relations and thermodynamic stabilities of ore minerals, were concentrated in two world centres. Both were in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Geological
Psychiatric Boarding in New Hampshire: Violation of a Statutory Right to Treatment

INTRODUCTION 198 I. INVOLUNTARY EMERGENCY ADMISSIONS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 200 A. The Legal Basis for Involuntary Commitment 200 B. Procedure for Involuntary Commitment 203 II. THE RIGHT TO TREATMENT 205 A. Legal Basis for the Right to Treatment 205 B. The Related Right to Community-Based Services 206 III. PSYCHIATRIC BOARDING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 207 A. Definition of “Psychiatric Boarding” 207 B. Prevalence of Psychiatric Boarding 208 C. Detrimental Effects of Psychiatric Boarding 209 D. Psychiatric Boarding and Substantive Due Process 210 IV. PSYCHIATRIC BOARDING AS A STATUTORY VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO TREATMENT 212 A. Washington State’s Mental Health Statute Is Similar to New Hampshire’s 212 B. Violation of the Statutory Right to Treatment in Washington State ...214 C. Could a Similar Case Arise in New Hampshire? 216 V. EFFECTIVE RESPONSE: IMPLEMENT THE STATUTE AS WRITTEN AND EXPAND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES 222 A. Community-Based Services Are the Best Starting Point 223 B. Long-Term Institutionalization Would Not Remedy the Problem......224 C. Treatment Must Precede the Probable Cause Hearing 225 VI. CONCLUSION 226
Abstract B27: Kras alters expression of asparagine synthetase (Asns) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and protects tumors during nutrient stress

Kras is a small GTPase that functions in the transmission of extracellular mitogenic stimuli, and is one of the most frequently mutated genes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Previously, Kras has been demonstrated to play a role in tumor metabolism in certain cell types and cancers, but this has yet to be analyzed in the context of NSCLC. We have analyzed how Kras changes metabolic gene expression by expressing a doxycycline-inducible hairpin against Kras in 4 NSCLC cell lines. One of the most regulated metabolism genes is asparagine synthetase (Asns), which transfers the γ-amino group of glutamine to aspartate, yielding glutamate and asparagine. We find elevated levels of Asns in Kras mutant tumors, and that expression of Asns correlates with poor patient outcome. Knockdown of Asns in the absence of exogenous asparagine in the media results in inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis that is rescued by addition of asparagine. Additionally, under conditions of low glutamine levels, knockdown of Asns sensitizes cells to apoptosis, and overexpression of Asns is protective under these conditions. We also find a role for the glutaminase-activity of Asns in glutamine-mediated anapleurosis of the TCA cycle. These observations suggest Asns may be an interesting therapeutic target for NSCLC tumors with mutations in Kras. Citation Format: Dana M. Gwinn, Alejandro Sweet-Cordero. Kras alters expression of asparagine synthetase (Asns) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and protects tumors during nutrient stress. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Metabolism and Cancer; Jun 7-10, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(1_Suppl):Abstract nr B27.
Testing resistance of Musca domestica using the sodium channel gene mutation

Objective To investigate the resistance of Musca domestica in Jinan city and forecast its development trends.Methods Combination of the dipping method and molecular detection.Results Resistance of M.domestica in Jinan city had developed to middle or high levels;the results obtained by molecular detection showed that resistant individual numbers made up 80.43% in total individual numbers,but resistant homozygous was only 28.26%.Conclusion Resistance of M.domestica in Jinan city to pyrethrin chemicals has developed to middle or high levels,however,most heterozygous still exist in population,indicating that reasonable management should be recommended for delaying the development of M.domestica resistance.
Sialylated intravenous immunoglobulin suppress anti-ganglioside antibody mediated nerve injury.

The precise mechanisms underlying the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in autoimmune neurological disorders including Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) are not known. Anti-ganglioside antibodies have been reported to be pathogenic in some variants of GBS, and we have developed passive transfer animal models to study anti-ganglioside antibody mediated-endoneurial inflammation and associated neuropathological effects and to evaluate the efficacy of new therapeutic approaches. Some studies indicate that IVIg's anti-inflammatory activity resides in a minor sialylated IVIg (sIVIg) fractions and is dependent on an innate Th2 response via binding to a specific ICAM3-grabbing nonintegrin related 1 receptor (SIGN-R1). Therefore the efficacy of IVIg, IVIg fractions with various IgG Fc sialylation status, and the involvement of Th2 pathway were examined in one of our animal model of antibody-mediated inhibition of axonal regeneration. We demonstrate that both IVIg and sIVIg ameliorated anti-glycan antibody mediated-pathological effect, whereas, the unsialylated fractions of IVIg were not beneficial in our model. Tenfold lower doses of sIVIg compared to whole IVIg provided equivalent efficacy in our studies. Moreover, we found that whole IVIg and sIVIg significantly upregulates the gene expression of IL-33, which itself can provide protection from antibody-mediated nerve injury in our model. Our results support that the SIGN-R1-Th2 pathway is involved in the anti-inflammatory effects of IVIg on endoneurium in our model and elements of this pathway including IL-33 can provide novel therapeutics in inflammatory neuropathies.
Open Plans of a Low Cost Fluorescence and Imaging Ellipsometry Microscope for Teaching and Research

The specialized functionality and high cost of commercial quality optical microscopes can be a significant barrier to teaching/research laboratories with constrained resources. In order to address these broader needs, as well as to meet specific biophysics imaging needs in our lab, we have designed an economical, multifunctional microscope. This microscope, called the SwingScope, combines functions traditionally met by both upright and inverted fluorescence microscopes. It utilizes commercially available or 3D-printed components, consumer LEDs, and requires less than one day for an undergraduate student to assemble. The cost of the microscope components/software is less than $12k, which is an order of magnitude cheaper than an upright and an inverted commercial fluorescence microscope. The detailed plans and component lists will be made available as free documents, and the system is open-source whenever possible (ImageJ, µManager, Arduino). Additionally the Swingscope can rotate 180 degrees around the sample, enabling side-on imaging, imaging ellipsometry, and contact-angle measurements for 3D reconstruction techniques. We have configured the illumination system with a cost-effective consumer LED light source, optimized for NBD and Texas-Red absorbance spectra. We have used the SwingScope to measure dynamics of single supported phospholipid bilayers (1% fluorescence), and preliminary point-spread functions indicate a 2µm resolution at 10x magnification. In addition to its research applications, we are exploring its assembly and use as a teaching laboratory experiment for undergraduates.
Effect of U-73,122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C, on actions of parathyroid hormone in opossum kidney cells

The relative roles of the adenylate cyclase-protein kinase A system (AC-PKA), the phospholipase C-protein kinase C system (PLC-PKC), and increases in cytosolic calcium in mediating the final actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH) remain ill defined. Although an important role for the PLC-PKC system in the regulation of phosphate transport in response to PTH has been suggested, previous studies from our laboratory and others, in OK cells, have emphasized the major role of AC-PKA. The present studies were designed to dissociate the second messengers for PTH by using an inhibitor of PLC (U-73,122). Studies were performed in confluent cultures of OK cells with and without preincubation with U-73,122 (1 microM). This inhibitor did not alter adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production or the activation of PKA in response to PTH. Preincubation with U-73,122, however, totally abolished PTH-stimulated increases in diglyceride mass, consistent with inhibition of PLC. Activation of particulate PKC was then ...
Pearls and Pitfalls in Head and Neck and Neuroimaging: Variants and Other Difficult Diagnoses

Pearls and Pitfalls in Head and Neck and Neuroimaging illustrates and describes the imaging entities that can cause confusion and mismanagement in daily radiological practice. Frequent interpretation errors are covered in 105 cases that provide real-life clinical scenarios for focused and practical learning. The chosen cases represent a modern neuroradiology practice and cover the brain, spine and head and neck regions, including the full panoply of imaging modalities. The underlying reasons for common mistakes are analyzed and radiologic findings that help with the correct diagnosis are emphasized. A differential diagnosis is provided for each case with examples of alternative diagnoses, allowing readers to visually grasp the differentiating features. Pearls and Pitfalls in Head and Neck and Neuroimaging provides a valuable resource for general and sub-specialist radiologists needing to improve their diagnostic proficiency in adult and pediatric patients. This book also serves as a preparation resource for recertification exams in radiology.
TUNDRA VEGETATIONAL PATTERNS AND SUCCESSION IN RELATION TO MICROTOPOGRAPHY NEAR ATKASOOK, ALASKA

Spatial patterns of plant communities near Atkasook (Meade River) on the Gubik Sands of the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain reflect microtopographic relief caused by geomorphic processes. Ice-wedge ac...
PET Myocardial Sarcoidosis: The Anti-Viability Study

2706a Objectives Hypoxic tumors are considered to be resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Moreover, some PET parameters and clinical factors are reported as prognostic factors in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationships between preoperative FMISO- and FDG-PET or clinical parameters and the prognosis after surgery in patients with OSCC. Methods A total of 40 patients (Age: 29-92; M/F: 25/15) with OSCC who underwent radical surgery were enrolled in this study. The primary tumor sites were the lower gingiva (n=14), tongue (n=12), upper gingiva (n=8), buccal mucosa (n=4), and oral floor (n=2). Three tumors were classified as T1, 17 as T2, five as T3, and 15 (48%) as T4a. The N-classifications were N0 in 28 patients, N1 in seven, and N2 in five. Each patient underwent FMISO- and FDG-PET CT before surgery. Neck dissection was performed in 23 patients. None and 10 patients received pre- and postoperative radiotherapy, respectively. The averaged postoperative period was 40±17 months. The hypoxic volume (HV) of the tumor was measured by FMISO-PET CT, defining as hypoxic area if FMISO tumor to muscle ratio (TMR) was more than 1.25. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) was measured using the cut off values with 2.5 of SUV max of FDG-PET. Locoregional recurrence, Overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates are evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test. Results During follow-up after radical surgery, there were 13 locoregional recurrences, 2 distant metastases, and 7 deaths. The median (range) of HV of cancer and FMISO-PET TMR were 0.5 (0-35 ml) and 1.4 respectively. The median (range) of FDG-PET SUV max, and MTV were 15.5 (1.0-32.2), and 9.6 (0.3-92.3 ml), respectively. There were no significant relations between the locoregional recurrence or disease-specific death and gender of the patients (Ps=0.43 and 0.75), pT-stage (Ps=0.74 and 0.68), pN-stage (Ps=0.42 and 0.42), HV (Ps=0.74 and 0.68), FMISO TMR (Ps=0.39 and 0.68), FDG SUV max (Ps=0.74 and 0.68), and MTV (Ps=0.91 and 0.58). Log-rank tests revealed no significant relations between OS or DFS and HV (Ps=0.74 and 0.78), FMISO TMR (Ps=0.14 and 0.77), FDG SUV max (Ps=0.73 and 0.77), and MTV (Ps=0.56 and 0.97) in our surgically treated OSCC patients. Conclusions This study may indicate limited values of preoperative PET parameters for predicting the prognosis of the surgically treated patients with OSCC.
Comparison of Threading Programming Models

In this paper, we provide comparison of languagefeatures and runtime systems of commonly used threadingparallel programming models for high performance computing, including OpenMP, Intel Cilk Plus, Intel TBB, OpenACC, NvidiaCUDA, OpenCL, C++11 and PThreads. We then report ourperformance comparison of OpenMP, Cilk Plus and C++11 fordata and task parallelism on CPU using benchmarks. The resultsshow that the performance varies with respect to factors such asruntime scheduling strategies, overhead of enabling parallelismand synchronization, load balancing and uniformity of taskworkload among threads in applications. Our study summarizesand categorizes the latest development of threading programmingAPIs for supporting existing and emerging computer architec-tures, and provides tables that compare all features of differentAPIs. It could be used as a guide for users to choose the APIsfor their applications according to their features, interface andperformance reported.
Araʾaytum: The Exegetical Implications of a Qurʾānic Stance Marker

Discourse markers are lexical items that play the role of conveying the speaker’s attitude towards the topic of conversation. Although discourse markers have this function, they have little semantic content, yet their importance for understanding (oral) discourse can hardly be overestimated. As such, they have been widely studied in English. While the Qurʾān has a number of these discourse markers, none of them seem to have been properly noticed, let alone studied, by Arabic linguists and Qurʾān commentators. This article introduces what I believe to be the most frequent of these in the Qurʾān: araʾaytum (literally: “have you seen?”) in its various morphological manifestations. This article uses concepts from historical linguistics, pragmatics, and corpus linguistics – and in particular lexical co-occurrences – to examine the development of this form from a sense verb that simply means “to see” to a pragmatic attitudinal marker that is semantically vacuous and whose main function is to express the speaker’s dissatisfaction with, resentment at, or disapproval of the topic of conversation. While the analysis provided in this article is mainly linguistic, the findings will affect the way we read the Arabic-Islamic heritage, especially as regards the authenticity of what are known as the Satanic Verses, also known as the episode of the High-Flying Cranes (Qiṣṣat al-ġarānīq). This article also provides suggestions for the translation of this discourse marker.
Seeing, Saying, and Knowing

Consider arithmetic. There are at least three possible ways in which one might consider the statement that xn · xn = x2n. We might consider it in terms of the historical context and conditions in which this notation and this particular arithmetic truth became established. This would involve us in talk about culture, civilization, intellectual history, and great mathematicians.
Irradiation, Microwave, and Alternative Energy-Based Treatments for Low-Water Activity Foods

There is an increasing recognition of low-water activity foods as vectors for human pathogens. Partially or fully dried agricultural commodities, along with modern formulated dried food products, are complex and designed to meet a variety of nutritional, sensory, and market-oriented goals. This complexity means that advanced processing and treatment technologies are needed to achieve food standards. In this chapter, alternative energy-based antimicrobial processing interventions for low-water activity foods will be addressed, including advanced microwave processing, irradiation, and cold plasma. A discussion of existing commercial implementation for established technologies will provide a framework for examination of those recently emerging processes.
Effect of tart cherry juice beverage on insomnia

There is some preliminary indication that tart cherries may improve sleep in healthy adults. This chapter focuses on the use of a tart cherry juice blend to improve sleep in patients with an actual sleep disorders, namely insomnia. The pilot study reviewed was a small randomized trial using a cross-over design where each participant received both a cherry juice blend a and placebo beverage for two weeks with a two week wash-out period between conditions. Fifteen older adults with chronic insomnia were randomized. Sleep was assessed by daily sleep diaries and by the Insomnia Severity Index. The findings were that tart cherry juice was associated with statistically significant improvements in sleep with small to moderate effect sizes. The findings are discussed in terms of their clinical significance, their relation to existing evidence based treatments for insomnia and the nascent literature on possible mechanisms of action.
Measurement of Electrical Breakdown in Liquids

The general features of electrical breakdown between two electrodes in a liquid have been known for decades. When breakdown occurs, a flash of light is emitted, an acoustic signal is emitted, the potential difference between the electrodes decreases rapidly, and the current flowing between the electrodes increases rapidly. The continuing development of light sources, high-speed cameras, and high-speed electronic measuring ’ systems have made it possible to study the breakdown process in increasing detail. This lecture summarizes some of the results obtained using these various measurement techniques to investigate electrical breakdown in liquids under pulsed voltage.
Floral biology of the saguaro (Cereus giganteus) : I. Pollen harvest by Apis mellifera.

A saguaro cactus (Cereus giganteus) produces an average of 295 flowers per season, each of which produces 286 mg fresh weight of pollen and 543 mg of nectar containing 24% sugar. At 7600 pollen grains/mg pollen, the yearly output per saguaro plant is 6.4×108 grains. Based on the measured saguaro density of 6.56 plants/ha, 553 g/ha of pollen is produced yearly. The enormous variation among individual plants in terms of flower numbers and floral bloom patterns is documented.Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), the main collectors of saguaro pollen, collect an average of 12.2 mg pollen per foraging trip and can thus harvest 23.5 pollen loads from one flower. An average honey bee colony collects 290 g of saguaro pollen over the season, which is 24.4% of their total intake. Individual colonies exhibit wide variation in pollen collecting activities with some closely tracking the pollen resource and others almost totally ignoring it. The average for seven colonies indicates that even though variation is great the overall trend is toward closely tracking and exploiting the saguaro pollen resource. Based on the pollen productivity of saguaro and a hypothetical 90% pollen harvesting efficiency of bees, the pollen harvest potential of the saguaro environment is 1.72 colony equivalents of pollen/ha and 0.5/ha for saguaro alone. This is the first quantitative reporting of the total pollen productivity and pollen resource utilization for any plant and an opportunistic pollinator.
Dispositional Optimism and Cardiovascular Reactivity Accompanying Anger and Sadness in Young Adults

Background Dispositional optimism, a generalized expectation for positive outcomes, appears to promote physical health and well-being, including positive effects on cardiovascular disease outcomes. Mechanisms may involve adaptive responses to psychological stressors that dampen their physiological impact. Purpose This study investigated (i) whether individual differences in optimism are associated with attenuated cardiovascular reactivity (CVR); (ii) whether the CVR moderating effect of optimism differs for two stress emotions, anger and sadness; and (iii) whether separate measures of optimism and pessimism, and the more commonly used measure that combines them, differ in their relationships with CVR. Methods The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) was used to provide an overall dispositional optimism score and subscale scores separately assessing optimism and pessimism. These predictors were examined in relation to cardiovascular responses evoked by a stressful autobiographical recall task. Task instructions were manipulated within subjects to produce anger and sadness. CVR measures were systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and heart rate (HR). Results Dispositional optimism was inversely associated with SBP and HR (but not DBP) elevations while participants related both anger- and sadness-inducing events. There was some indication that these associations were stronger for sadness than for anger, and that the LOT-R optimism subscale was a better predictor of CVR than its pessimism subscale. Conclusions These findings add to the understanding of health-promoting effects of dispositional optimism by addressing relationships of optimism and pessimism with cardiovascular concomitants of anger and sadness that are thought to contribute to heart disease.
Holographic cap collectors for enhanced mid-day energy production of vertically mounted bifacial photovoltaic modules

The most expensive electrical energy occurs during early morning and late afternoon time periods. This poses a problem for fixed latitude mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems since the sun is low in the sky. One potential solution is to use vertically mounted bifacial PV modules to increase the East-West collection area and solar energy production during high energy usage time periods. However, vertically mounted PV modules have reduced conversion efficiency during mid-day time periods. In this paper the use of a horizontally mounted collector with holographic elements is examined as a way of increasing the energy yield of vertically mounted bifacial PV (VMBP) modules during mid-day time periods. The design of a holographic `cap’ collector is evaluated that considers dimensional constraints, holographic diffraction efficiency characteristics, and system solar collection efficiency properties. The irradiance illuminating the vertical mount is modeled with and without the cap. The design process also includes the optimization of separation between rows of vertically mounted modules and the use of directional diffusers in the proximity of the modules to maximize system energy yield.
Co-IP assays for measuring GPCR–arrestin interactions

βarrestin1 and -2 (also known as arrestin2 and -3, respectively) are G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) adapter proteins, performing three major functions in the cell: functional desensitization, i.e., G protein uncoupling from the receptor, GPCR internalization via clathrin-coated pits, and formation of signalosomes. The βarrestins elicit a large part of the G protein-independent signaling emanating from GPCRs. Several methodologies have been developed over the past 15 years or so to quantify the GPCR-arrestin interaction/binding, especially since the latter's roles in signal transduction were discovered. One of the simplest and most traditional of these methodologies is the assay of co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), followed by western blotting. This assay is also one of the most reliable ones, since it does not require any chemical modification of either component in the complex (i.e., neither of the receptor nor of the arrestin). Therefore, it is the only assay that can detect and semi-quantify interactions between native GPCRs and native arrestins. The caveat of this assay is of course that its reliability depends on the quality (specificity and sensitivity) of the utilized antibodies. Here, we describe a simple protocol for performing this co-IP assay to get a measurement of the steady-state levels of agonist-elicited GPCR-arrestin interaction in cells.
On the structure of IV estimands

Abstract When the overidentifying restrictions of the constant-effect linear instrumental variables model fail, common IV estimators converge to different probability limits. I characterize the estimands of two stage least squares, two step GMM, and limited information maximum likelihood as functions of the single-instrument estimands from the just-identified IV regressions which consider each instrument separately. The limited information maximum likelihood estimand is found to be discontinuous on a set of dimension equal to the number of instruments minus one, and to equal the full parameter space on a set of dimension equal to the number of instruments minus two.
Acid Suppression Therapy and Symptom Improvement (or Lack Thereof) in Children.

* Abbreviations: GER — : gastroesophageal reflux H2RA — : histamine H2-receptor antagonist HR — : hazard ratio PPI — : proton pump inhibitor Acid suppression therapy, in the form of histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), is a common treatment in pediatrics for management of gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Symptoms commonly associated with GER in younger children include frequent emesis, back arching, fussiness, and discomfort. GER symptoms are reported in 10.3% of all children, with symptoms even more commonly noted in individuals <2 years old.1 At 4 months of age, 67% of children have daily regurgitation. Parents report a perceived problem with GER in 23% of 6-month-old infants.2 This high rate of concern results in GER being a common complaint in outpatient and inpatient settings. Combined with the ready availability of acid suppression therapy, this has led to increased prescribing of both H2RAs and PPIs in both infants and older children.3,4 Acid suppression therapy has been previously viewed as benign; however, recent research has revealed that these medications may carry risk. In this issue of Pediatrics , Malchodi et al5 assessed possible long-term adverse effects from use of acid suppression therapy. … Address correspondence to Mary Boruta, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 102375, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: mary.boruta{at}duke.edu
Treg Cells Promote the SREBP1-Dependent Metabolic Fitness of Tumor-Promoting Macrophages via Repression of CD8+ T Cell-Derived Interferon-γ

Summary Regulatory T (Treg) cells are crucial for immune homeostasis, but they also contribute to tumor immune evasion by promoting a suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Mice with Treg cell-restricted Neuropilin-1 deficiency show tumor resistance while maintaining peripheral immune homeostasis, thereby providing a controlled system to interrogate the impact of intratumoral Treg cells on the TME. Using this and other genetic models, we showed that Treg cells shaped the transcriptional landscape across multiple tumor-infiltrating immune cell types. Treg cells suppressed CD8+ T cell secretion of interferon-γ (IFNγ), which would otherwise block the activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1)-mediated fatty acid synthesis in immunosuppressive (M2-like) tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Thus, Treg cells indirectly but selectively sustained M2-like TAM metabolic fitness, mitochondrial integrity, and survival. SREBP1 inhibition augmented the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade, suggesting that targeting Treg cells or their modulation of lipid metabolism in M2-like TAMs could improve cancer immunotherapy.
BIOLOGICAL AGE INFLUENCES HEART FAILURE PATHOGENESIS

Heart failure (HF) impacts patients of all ages and is an enormous public health problem. Historically, HF has been treated with a single, multi-purpose approach, despite the observation that biological differences such as age influence HF pathogenesis and therapeutic outcomes. We hypothesized that HF pathogenesis differs across the life-course, a hypothesis which we tested with a mouse model of cardiac dysfunction at three distinct stages of life. C57BL/6 mice at pediatric (5 weeks), adult (3-5 months), and old (18 months) ages were treated with a mini-osmotic pump that eluted isoproterenol (ISO; 30mg/kg/hour) for six days. As expected, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality were significantly worse in the old group. Both pediatric and adult underwent hypertrophic remodeling, as evident by higher LV weight relative to tibia length (TL). However, ISO exposure did not increase LV/TL in old mice. We performed RNA-sequencing to understand pathways and genes differentially regulated by age. 119, 1515, and 33 genes were significantly differentially expressed in pediatric, adult, and old mice exposed to ISO, respectively. Of these, only 2 transcripts were upregulated in response to ISO across all three ages. Expression of pro-fibrotic mediators differed across the life-course, with adults inducing a pro-fibrotic transcriptional program (α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, collagen, periostin) that was attenuated in old and absent in pediatric animals. Our data clearly demonstrates that pediatric, adult, and aged hearts activate distinct molecular remodeling in response to ISO, highlighting the significance of age as a biological variable in HF pathogenesis.
Strain-Adaptive Self-Assembled Networks of Linear-Bottlebrush-Linear Copolymers

We study the strain-adaptive behavior of the self-assembled networks of linear-bottlebrush-linear (LBL) triblock copolymers using a combination of analytical calculations and molecular dynamics sim...
Is intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) safe in patients on Dabigatran?

Introduction: Dabigatran etexilate is a newly approved oral anticoagulant indicated for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation. There are no reliable, rapidly available laboratory markers to assess its anticoagulant activity.There is no data on the safety of r-tPA on patients who are on dabigatran and it is not known if r-tPA is safe in patients who are on dabigatran with a normal aPTT. Case report: We report the case of a 59-year-old male who presented with right hemiparesis and global aphasia. Two days prior to admission he underwent elective cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. He had begun dabigatran at 150 mg BID 3 days before cardioversion. Five days after commencing dabigatran, and 10 hours after the last oral dose he presented with these symptoms. Patient fulfilled the criteria for r-tPA including a normal aPTT (30 seconds), normal prothrombin time (INR=1.0) and a normal creatinine clearance (glomerular filtration rate>60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ). A brain CT without contrast was normal. After extensive discussion with the family, with clear understanding of the risks and benefits of such an approach in a patient who has been on dabigatran, consent was obtained and r-tPA (0.9 mg/kg alteplase) was given.Patient's hospital course remained uncomplicated and he was discharged 4 days after the initial symptoms to an acute rehabilitation facility and is currently on coumadin with INR therapeutic goal between 2 and 3. Conclusion: More studies are needed to asses if r-tPA might be safe in patients who are on dabigatran with a normal activated partial thromboplastin time and more than 10 hours after the last dose.
Torsion-free metabelian groups with infinite cyclic quotient groups

For any group G, we write G′ for the commutator subgroup [G, G] and G″for the second commutator subgroup (G′)′ = [G′, G′]. The quotient groups G/G′ and G′/G″ are of course abelian. In this paper we are concerned with the problem of classifying the groups G/G″ when G is finitely generated and the conditions (1) G/G′ is infinite cyclic (2) G/G″ is torsion-free are both satisfied.
Agent-based and continuous models of hopper bands for the Australian plague locust: How resource consumption mediates pulse formation and geometry

Locusts are significant agricultural pests. Under favorable environmental conditions flightless juveniles may aggregate into coherent, aligned swarms referred to as hopper bands. These bands are often observed as a propagating wave having a dense front with rapidly decreasing density in the wake. A tantalizing and common observation is that these fronts slow and steepen in the presence of green vegetation. This suggests the collective motion of the band is mediated by resource consumption. Our goal is to model and quantify this effect. We focus on the Australian plague locust, for which excellent field and experimental data is available. Exploiting the alignment of locusts in hopper bands, we concentrate solely on the density variation perpendicular to the front. We develop two models in tandem; an agent-based model that tracks the position of individuals and a partial differential equation model that describes locust density. In both these models, locust are either stationary (and feeding) or moving. Resources decrease with feeding. The rate at which locusts transition between moving and stationary (and vice versa) is enhanced (diminished) by resource abundance. This effect proves essential to the formation, shape, and speed of locust hopper bands in our models. From the biological literature we estimate ranges for the ten input parameters of our models. Sobol sensitivity analysis yields insight into how the band's collective characteristics vary with changes in the input parameters. By examining 4.4 million parameter combinations, we identify biologically consistent parameters that reproduce field observations. We thus demonstrate that resource-dependent behavior can explain the density distribution observed in locust hopper bands. This work suggests that feeding behaviors should be an intrinsic part of future modeling efforts.
Identifying individuals associated with organized criminal networks: A social network analysis

Abstract The past couple of decades has witnessed an unprecedented rise in organized crime. This rise, coupled with increasing intricacies of organized crime, poses significant and evolving challenges for international law enforcement authorities. With the passage of time, authorities such as Interpol, have discovered that modern criminal organizations have adopted a networked structure, a shift away from the traditional hierarchical structure. Fluid networked structures make it difficult for the authorities to apprehend individuals associated with each network, and consequently, to disrupt the operations of the network. Various research groups have analyzed prison/courtroom transcripts, to create an organizational structure of known individuals, or a social network of individuals, suspected to be a part of a major drug/terrorist organization. These social networks have been studied fairly extensively from network centrality perspectives, to understand the role of suspect individuals in the network. Additionally, with drug and terror offenses increasing globally, the list of suspect individuals has also been growing over the past decade. As it takes significant amount of technical and human resources to monitor a suspect, an increasing list entails higher resource requirements on the part of the authorities, and monitoring all the suspects soon becomes an impossible task. In this paper, we primarily focus on two types of networks – (i) Drug Trafficking Organizations, and (ii) Terrorist Organizations, and present a methodology for the surveillance of individuals associated with these networks. Our methodology is based on the mathematical notion of Identifying Codes, which ensures reduction in resources on the part of law enforcement authorities, without compromising the ability to uniquely identify a suspect, when they become “active” in drug/terror related activities. Furthermore, we show that our approach requires far lesser resources when compared to strategies adopting standard network centrality measures for the unique identification of individuals. In other words, we show that the strategy of monitoring individuals in such networks, by utilizing centrality measures is wasteful, on the part of the authorities. Finally, we evaluate the efficacy of our approach on real world datasets.
Metabolic Interactions between Brachypodium and Pseudomonas fluorescens under Controlled Iron-Limited Conditions

Iron (Fe) availability has well-known effects on plant and microbial metabolism, but its effects on interspecies interactions are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate metabolite exchange between the grass Brachypodium distachyon strain Bd21 and the soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25::gfp/lux (SBW25) during Fe limitation under axenic conditions. We compared the transcriptional profiles and root exudate metabolites of B. distachyon plants grown semihydroponically with and without SBW25 inoculation and Fe amendment. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the hydroponic solution revealed an increase in the abundance of the phytosiderophores mugineic acid and deoxymugineic acid under Fe-limited conditions compared to Fe-replete conditions, indicating greater secretion by roots presumably to facilitate Fe uptake. In SBW25-inoculated roots, expression of genes encoding phytosiderophore biosynthesis and uptake proteins increased compared to that in sterile roots, but external phytosiderophore abundances decreased. P. fluorescens siderophores were not detected in treatments without Fe. Rather, expression of SBW25 genes encoding a porin, a transporter, and a monooxygenase was significantly upregulated in response to Fe deprivation. Collectively, these results suggest that SBW25 consumed root-exuded phytosiderophores in response to Fe deficiency, and we propose target genes that may be involved. SBW25 also altered the expression of root genes encoding defense-related enzymes and regulators, including thionin and cyanogenic glycoside production, chitinase, and peroxidase activity, and transcription factors. Our findings provide insights into the molecular bases for the stress response and metabolite exchange of interacting plants and bacteria under Fe-deficient conditions.IMPORTANCE Rhizosphere bacteria influence the growth of their host plant by consuming and producing metabolites, nutrients, and antibiotic compounds within the root system that affect plant metabolism. Under Fe-limited growth conditions, different plant and microbial species have distinct Fe acquisition strategies, often involving the secretion of strong Fe-binding chelators that scavenge Fe and facilitate uptake. Here, we studied interactions between P. fluorescens SBW25, a plant-colonizing bacterium that produces siderophores with antifungal properties, and B. distachyon, a genetic model for cereal grain and biofuel grasses. Under controlled growth conditions, bacterial siderophore production was inhibited in the root system of Fe-deficient plants, bacterial inoculation altered transcription of genes involved in defense and stress response in the roots of B. distachyon, and SBW25 degraded phytosiderophores secreted by the host plant. These findings provide mechanistic insight into interactions that may play a role in rhizosphere dynamics and plant health in soils with low Fe solubility.