cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Streptomyces coelicolor encodes a urate-responsive transcriptional regulator with homology to PecS from plant pathogens

Many transcriptional regulators control gene activity by responding to specific ligands. Members of the multiple-antibiotic resistance regulator (MarR) family of transcriptional regulators feature prominently in this regard, and they frequently function as repressors in the absence of their cognate ligands. Plant pathogens such as Dickeya dadantii encode a MarR homolog named PecS that controls expression of a gene encoding the efflux pump PecM in addition to other virulence genes. We report here that the soil bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor also encodes a PecS homolog (SCO2647) that regulates a pecM gene (SCO2646). S. coelicolor PecS, which exists as a homodimer, binds the intergenic region between pecS and pecM genes with high affinity. Several potential PecS binding sites were found in this intergenic region. The binding of PecS to its target DNA can be efficiently attenuated by the ligand urate, which also quenches the intrinsic fluorescence of PecS, indicating a direct interaction between urate and PecS. In vivo measurement of gene expression showed that activity of pecS and pecM genes is significantly elevated after exposure of S. coelicolor cultures to urate. These results indicate that S. coelicolor PecS responds to the ligand urate by attenuated DNA binding in vitro and upregulation of gene activity in vivo. Since production of urate is associated with generation of reactive oxygen species by xanthine dehydrogenase, we propose that PecS functions under conditions of oxidative stress.
In search of a cost effective way to develop autonomous floor mapping robots

Simulation can be used to reduce the time and cost to develop a new technology. This paper describes the development of an autonomous floor mapping robot. In order to reduce the cost of building prototypes to test the program, we used the Simbad 3D simulator. To test in a more realistic environment, we established a way to control objects in a virtual world Second Life. Then, for the hardware part, we built a low cost robot with cheap but accurate Sharp IR sensors with a regular optical mouse.
Integrity Constraint Enforcement in a Multidatabase Using Distributed Active Rules

Active database rules have been identified as a useful technology for integrity constraint maintenance in centralized database systems. Maintaining constraints in a distributed environment such as that of a multidatabase system provides an even more challenging task for active rule technology. This paper presents the notion of distributed active rules for constraint processing in a distributed environment, together with an architecture for the use of such rules. The specification of distributed active rules is based on the statement of constraints that exist between heterogeneous database sources. The condition of a distributed rule must provide for an efficient means to check both local and remote constraint conditions. We present the structure of distributed active rules and provide an execution semantics for such rules. We also describe an architecture for communication between local and global rule processors. Finally, we discuss future research issues associated with the analysis of distributed constraints and the generation of distributed active rules.
Unbiased Modifier Screen Reveals That Signal Strength Determines the Regulatory Role Murine TLR9 Plays in Autoantibody Production

The autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus has a complex environmental and multifactorial genetic basis. Genome-wide association studies have recently identified numerous disease-associated polymorphisms, but it remains unclear in which cells and during which step of pathogenesis specific polymorphisms interact to cause disease. Using a mouse model in which the same activating mutation (CD45E613R) causes distinct genetic background-dependent disease phenotypes, we performed a screen for genetic modifiers of autoreactivity between anti-nuclear Ab (ANA)-resistant CD45E613R.B6 and ANA-permissive CD45E613R.BALB/c mice. Within a novel autoreactivity-associated locus on chromosome 9, we identify a putative modifier, TLR9. Validating a role for TLR9 in modifying autoreactivity in the context of the CD45E613R mutation, manipulation of TLR9 gene dosage eliminates ANA in CD45E613R.BALB/c mice, but confoundingly permits ANA in CD45E613R.B6 mice. We demonstrate that sensitivity to ANA is modulated by strength of TLR9 signal, because stronger TLR9(B6) signals, but not weaker TLR9(BALB/c) signals, negatively regulate CD45E613R B cell development during competitive reconstitution at the central tolerance checkpoint. Our results identify a novel autoreactivity-associated locus and validate Tlr9 as a candidate gene within the locus. We further demonstrate a novel role for TLR9 signal strength in central tolerance, providing insight into the interplay of disease-associated polymorphisms at a discrete step of systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis.
Distributed Key Management in Dynamic Outsourced Databases: A Trie-Based Approach

The decision to outsource databases is strategic in many organizations due to the increasing costs of internally managing large volumes of information. The sensitive nature of this information raises the need for powerful mechanisms to protect it against unauthorized disclosure. Centralized encryption to access control at the data owner level has been proposed as one way of handling this issue. However, its prohibitive costs renders it impractical and inflexible. A distributed cryptographic approach has been suggested as a promising alternative, where keys are distributed to users on the basis of their assigned privileges. But in this case, key management becomes problematic in the face of frequent database updates and remains an open issue. In this paper, we present a novel approach based on Binary Tries. By exploiting the intrinsic properties of these data structures, key management complexity, and thus its cost, is significantly reduced. Changes to the Binary Trie structure remain limited in the face of frequent updates. Preliminary experimental analysis demonstrates the validity and the effectiveness of our approach.
Impact of lithography variability on statistical timing behavior

We describe a numerical model for chip level lithography variability analysis. Gate level critical dimensions are adjusted based on lithographic variability simulations and these perturbed gate lengths are input to a chip timing analyzer. Statistical modeling studies highlight the interaction between lithography variability and chip timing performance including the role of lithography error correlation length, optical proximity effect residuals, exposure system imperfections and photomask errors. Understanding these relationships is a critical building block for lithographic error tolerancing, design manufacturability improvement and lithography limited yield enhancements on integrated circuits for which timing is a key performance metric.
Alcohol and sex: friendship networks and co-occurring risky health behaviours of US adolescents

AbstractThis study examined how the structure of friendship networks influences two risk behaviours in tandem (drinking and sexual intercourse) among a sample of US adolescents (7th–12th grades, n = 901; 2 schools) from Wave I of the Add Health data. For one school, adolescents in denser and smaller networks were at higher risk for engaging in sexual intercourse and drinking alcohol simultaneously. In that school, network attributes (out-degree and betweenness) and adolescents’ age were associated with an increased risk. In the other school, more diffused friendship networks posed less risk of engaging in these two behaviours in tandem. Moreover, engagement in risky behaviours was significantly predicted by teens’ age and gender. We conclude that friendships’ influence on adolescents’ risk behaviours varies, depending on size and composition of the networks and adolescents’ characteristics. Moreover, understanding adolescents’ social ties can be useful for health promoters, thus research on adolescent net...
Option Pricing on Cash Mergers

When a cash merger is announced but not completed, there are two main sources of uncertainty related to the target company: the probability of success and the price conditional on the deal failing. We propose an arbitrage-free option pricing formula that focuses on these sources of uncertainty. We test our formula in a study of all cash mergers between 1996 and 2008 which have suciently liquid options traded on the target company. The estimated success probability is a good predictor of the deal outcome. Our option formula for cash mergers does significantly better than the Black‐ Scholes formula and produces a volatility smile close to the one observed in practice. In particular, we provide an explanation for the kink in the volatility smile and show that the kink increases with the probability of deal success.
Defining human dendritic cell progenitors by multiparametric flow cytometry

Human dendritic cells (DCs) develop from progressively restricted bone marrow (BM) progenitors: these progenitor cells include granulocyte, monocyte and DC progenitor (GMDP) cells; monocyte and DC progenitor (MDP) cells; and common DC progenitor (CDP) and DC precursor (pre-DC) cells. These four DC progenitors can be defined on the basis of the expression of surface markers such as CD34 and hematopoietin receptors. In this protocol, we describe five multiparametric flow cytometry panels that can be used as a tool (i) to simultaneously detect or phenotype the four DC progenitors, (ii) to isolate DC progenitors to enable in vitro differentiation or (iii) to assess the in vitro differentiation and proliferation of DC progenitors. The entire procedure from isolation of cells to flow cytometry can be completed in 3-7 h. This protocol provides optimized antibody panels, as well as gating strategies, for immunostaining of BM and cord blood specimens to study human DC hematopoiesis in health, disease and vaccine settings.
Late liver function test abnormalities post-adult liver transplantation: a review of the etiology, investigation, and management

Approximately 24,000 liver transplants are performed annually worldwide, almost 7000 of which are performed in the USA. Survival is excellent and continues to improve, with 1-year survival currently exceeding 85 %, but effective management of patients after liver transplantation is critical to achieve optimal results. A plethora of diseases can affect the transplanted allograft, ranging from recurrence of the original disease to de novo liver pathology, and diagnosis can be complicated by nonclassical presentation, de novo disease, or inconclusive histology. Patients can remain asymptomatic despite significant damage to the transplanted liver, so prompt identification and treatment of liver disease after transplantation is crucial to preserve allograft function. Liver function tests are routinely taken throughout the postoperative period to monitor the graft. Although nonspecific, they are inexpensive, noninvasive, and sensitive for allograft disease and can quickly alert physicians to the presence of asymptomatic pathology. This review will outline possible causes of liver function test abnormalities in the late posttransplant period and provide guidance for investigation, diagnosis, and management.
Treatment Sequencing for Childhood ADHD: A Multiple-Randomization Study of Adaptive Medication and Behavioral Interventions

Behavioral and pharmacological treatments for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were evaluated to address whether endpoint outcomes are better depending on which treatment is initiated first and, in case of insufficient response to initial treatment, whether increasing dose of initial treatment or adding the other treatment modality is superior. Children with ADHD (ages 5-12, N = 146, 76% male) were treated for 1 school year. Children were randomized to initiate treatment with low doses of either (a) behavioral parent training (8 group sessions) and brief teacher consultation to establish a Daily Report Card or (b) extended-release methylphenidate (equivalent to .15 mg/kg/dose bid). After 8 weeks or at later monthly intervals as necessary, insufficient responders were rerandomized to secondary interventions that either increased the dose/intensity of the initial treatment or added the other treatment modality, with adaptive adjustments monthly as needed to these secondary treatments. The group beginning with behavioral treatment displayed significantly lower rates of observed classroom rule violations (the primary outcome) at study endpoint and tended to have fewer out-of-class disciplinary events. Further, adding medication secondary to initial behavior modification resulted in better outcomes on the primary outcomes and parent/teacher ratings of oppositional behavior than adding behavior modification to initial medication. Normalization rates on teacher and parent ratings were generally high. Parents who began treatment with behavioral parent training had substantially better attendance than those assigned to receive training following medication. Beginning treatment with behavioral intervention produced better outcomes overall than beginning treatment with medication.
On-Line Synthesis and Analysis by Mass Spectrometry

In this laboratory experiment, students learn how to use ESI to accelerate chemical synthesis and to couple it with on-line mass spectrometry for structural analysis. The Hantzsch synthesis of symmetric 1,4-dihydropyridines is a classic example of a one-pot reaction in which multiple intermediates can serve to indicate the progress of the reaction as a function of the electrospray variable parameters. This reaction allows students to gauge the effects of the spray variables while observing the enhanced reaction rate through product analysis in the charged microdroplets. Soft ionization techniques used in conjunction with collision-induced dissociation provide students experience with full scan MS to infer reaction progress and collision-induced fragmentation patterns for structural analysis. The experiment as a whole combines the physical phenomena of electrospray, Hantzsch chemical reactivity, and analytical measurements involving use of an ion trap mass spectrometer.
A rare nidus for pulmonary thromboembolism after vertebroplasty

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is used to treat osteoporotic compression fractures and bone loss due to malignancy. The cement used can serve as a potential nidus for pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). An 87-year-old woman with recent L2 vertebroplasty presented with abdominal pain and shortness of breath. Thoracoabdominal CT scan revealed extensive bilateral pulmonary emboli associated with a 9 cm cement fragment in the inferior vena cava (IVC) extending proximally from the level of the right superior renal vein, likely secondary to cement leak from the vertebral plexus into the IVC. She refused catheter extraction was managed conservatively. There are 51 reported cases of cement pulmonary embolism. IVC foreign bodies serving as a nidus for PTE have been reported with IVC filters with an incidence of 6.2%. This is the second reported case of vertebroplasty cement serving as a nidus for PTE. Treatment depends on time interval between the procedure and the symptom onset.
Host-Plant Selection by Migrating Boll Weevils

Field experiments were conducted at Florence, S. C., in 1963 and 1964 to study the roles of odor and color in selection of host plants by the boll weevil, Authonomus grandis Boheman. Periodic removal of all or part of the fruiting forms from cotton plants did not reduce their attractiveness to this insect. Moreover, boll weevils were attracted to fruiting cotton plants in significantly larger numbers than to cocklebur plants of similar size and color, or to green or red-painted plastic forms, indicating that under the conditions of the tests the primary attractant of cotton plants to the insect is odor.
Relationship between Female Size, Type of Egg Mass Deposited, and Description of the Oviposition Behavior of the Sibling Species Tabanus nigrovittatus and T. simulans (Diptera: Tabanidae)

Smaller flies ( Tabanus nigrovittatus Macquart) deposit double-tiered egg masses on the adaxial surface of leaf blades of Spartina alterniflora Loisel while orienting on the leaf blade with their head directed towards the marsh surface. The larger females ( T. simulans Walker) deposit single-layered, shingled eggs with their head oriented toward the sky. T. simulans was observed ovipositing in both the laboratory and field, whereas T. nigrovittatus was only observed laying eggs in the laboratory.
Epidemic features of TB in Guiling City from 2007-2011

[Objective]To understand the TB patients data via TB special reporting system,to analyze the dynamic changes of epidemic reporting and epidemiological characteristics,and provide evidence for the future TB control programs.[Methods]Descriptive analysis was performed on TB patients data reported in TB special reporting system from 2007-2011.[Results]A total of 18 187 TB cases were reported from 2007-2011,with average reported incidence of 71.52 /100 000.The incidence showed annual declining trend,from 87.5 /100 000 in 2007 to 58.96 /100 000 in 2011.Smear positive occupied 43.03%,with upward trend.Male cases were more than female cases,with ratio of 3.09∶ 1.TB cases distributed in every month,the incidence was relatively low in 1st quarter and 4th quarter.The incidence of counties with convenient transportation was higher than that of remote mountain area,with the highest(101.61 /100 000) in Lipu County and the lowest(48.17 /100 000) in Ziyuan County,showing upward tendency in urban area.[Conclusion]Guiling City actively promotes the modern TB control strategy,strengthen DOTS management to reduce the TB incidence.But the TB epidemic is still not optimistic,effective TB prevention and management measures should be adopted to control the spread of TB,aiming at different populations.
The Development of a Comprehensive, Institution-Based Patient Risk Evaluation Program: I. Development, Content, and Data Management

There is a need for standardization of risk factor questionnaires for epidemiological research. This paper describes the development and implementation of a comprehensive cancer risk evaluation program at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. A detailed self-administered questionnaire is given to all newly registered adult patients. The format of the instrument, coding systems, quality control measures, and data entry mechanisms are discussed. The criteria for the choice of a data base management system are outlined. The identification of high-risk patient subgroups is possible, and it is feasible to link this data base with clinical and biochemical data. There is considerable potential for collaborative research using this risk evaluation program, bringing together basic scientists, clinicians, and epidemiologists.
Automated framework to improve users' awareness on Online Social Networks

The popularity of Online Social Networks (OSN) have brought up new privacy threats. These threats often arise after users willingly, but unwittingly share their information with a wider group of people than they intended. This paper identifies an important problem with posting on social networks and proposes a unique two phases approach to address the problem. The first phase involves recognition of key phrases in potential posts. These key phrases suggest that the message reveals information that might compromise the safety of the poster or someone else. A set of detection rules have been developed for this purpose and tested with over 16000 real Facebook posts. The detection system success rate was about 85%. The second phase involves automatic placement of friends into sets called Circles of Trust. Potentially messages with sensitive information then can be restricted to just the appropriate Circles of Trust. An approach to do the initial assignment of friends to circles and mechanisms for moving friends between circles as their relationship with the poster changes is also discussed.
Group size and the framing effect

Past research provides conflicting evidence for the role of value in the appearance of framing effects. In this study, the effects of frame and group size were examined using scenarios about less valuable and more valuable groups (animal vs. human). In addition, two picture manipulations, intended to increase the value of the group, were presented. Choice patterns differed for the human and animal groups, with participants exhibiting greater risk seeking overall for the human scenario and showing a framing effect for humans but not animals when no pictures were presented. A small group size increased the proportion of risky choices for both the animal and human scenarios. Presenting pictures with names did lead to framing effects for animals, but providing pictures or pictures and names eliminated framing effects for the human scenario. These findings suggest that the relationship between value and framing effects is a matter of degree.
Levelized cost of energy calculations for microgrids

The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) provides an effective tool to compare different energy resource technologies with different lifetimes, cost structures, and capacity factors from an economical perspective. This paper follows simple and limited discussions in LCOE calculations of individual generation units and extends it to a sophisticated model to determine LCOE of integrated generation units. The proposed model is further tailored to determine the LCOE of microgrids which comprise various distributed energy resource (DER) technologies, such as dispatchable thermal generation, renewable wind and solar generation, as well as distributed energy storage (DES). Numerical simulations on a test microgrid exhibit the viability of the proposed model and further analyze the sensitivity of a microgrid's LCOE to a variety of factors such as the individual DERs' rated powers, LCOEs, and capacity factors.
Treatment of Movement Disorders With Focused Ultrasound

Although the use of ultrasound as a potential therapeutic modality in the brain has been under study for several decades, relatively few neuroscientists or neurologists are familiar with this technology. Stereotactic brain lesioning had been widely used as a treatment for medically refractory patients with essential tremor (ET), Parkinson disease (PD), and dystonia but has been largely replaced by deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, with advantages both in safety and efficacy. However, DBS is associated with complications including intracerebral hemorrhage, infection, and hardware malfunction. The occurrence of these complications has spurred interest in less invasive stereotactic brain lesioning methods including magnetic resonance imaging–guided high intensity–focused ultrasound (FUS) surgery. Engineering advances now allow sound waves to be targeted noninvasively through the skull to a brain target. High intensities of sonic energy can create a coagulation lesion similar to that of older radiofrequency stereotactic methods, but without opening the skull, recent Food and Drug Administration approval of unilateral thalamotomy for treatment of ET. Clinical studies of stereotactic FUS for aspects of PD are underway. Moderate intensity, pulsed FUS has also demonstrated the potential to safely open the blood-brain barrier for localized delivery of therapeutics including proteins, genes, and cell-based therapy for PD and related disorders. The goal of this review is to provide basic and clinical neuroscientists with a level of understanding to interact with medical physicists, biomedical engineers, and radiologists to accelerate the application of this powerful technology to brain disease
Tube Migration Leading to Gastric Outlet Obstruction: An Unusual Complication of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement is a well-established technique for administering long-term enteral nutrition. Gastric outlet obstruction is a rare complication of gastrostomy tube placement caused by migration of the tube into pyloric channel or duodenal bulb. A 72-year-old female presented with complaints of nausea and abdominal pain after recent PEG placement. The diagnosis of tube migration leading to gastric outlet obstruction was made after the inflated Mickey balloon was visualized obstructing the pyloric channel. The Mickey tube was carefully extracted with an endosnare. Early recognition of the tube migration leading to obstructive symptoms in a clinically appropriate scenario prevents further complications such as ulceration, necrosis and avoids surgical intervention. J Med Cases. 2017;8(12):407-408 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2948w
A Winnicottian Redescription of Christian Spiritual Direction Relationships: Illustrating the Potential Contribution of Psychology of Religion to Christian Spiritual Practice:

The contemporary Christian spiritual direction literature and the psychoanalytic object relations theory of D. W. Winnicott share an emphasis on facilitating relationships. A closer examination, ho...
Bortezomib and Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts

Bortezomib is the first-in-class proteasome antagonist approved for treatment of myeloma. It is active in newly diagnosed, relapsed, and refractory patients and is now being used as a platform for combinations with other new agents for myeloma. In addition to its anti-myeloma effect, bortezomib also targets the bone microenvironment and can inhibit osteoclast formation and stimulate osteoblast activity in patients with myeloma. Potentially, combination of bortezomib with other agents that stimulate bone formation or block bone resorption will further enhance the anti-myeloma effects of bortezomib and overcome the contribution of the tumor microenvironment to myeloma growth. In this chapter, we discuss the potential mechanisms responsible for bortezomib’s effects on osteoclast and osteoblast activity in myeloma.
Advancing Understanding and Design of Functional Materials Through Theoretical and Computational Chemical Physics

Theoretical and computational chemical physics and materials science offers great opportunity toward helping solve some of the grand challenges in science and engineering, because structure and properties of molecules, solids, and liquids are direct reflections of the underlying quantum motion of their electrons. With the advent of semilocal and especially nonlocal descriptions of exchange and correlation effects, density functional theory (DFT) can now describe bonding in molecules and solids with an accuracy which, for many classes of systems, is sufficient to compare quantitatively to experiments. It is therefore becoming possible to develop a semiquantitative description of a large number of systems and processes. In this chapter, we briefly review DFT and its various extensions to include nonlocal terms that are important for long-range dispersion interactions that dominate many self-assembly processes, molecular surface adsorption processes, solution processes, and biological and polymeric materials. Applications of DFT toward problems relevant to energy systems, including energy storage materials, functional nanoelectronics/optoelectronics, and energy conversion, are highlighted.
Felicia's journey: an object-relational study of psychopathy.

This paper examines Atom Egoyan’s film, Felicia’s Journey, based on the novel of the same name by William Trevor, from an object-relational viewpoint. The protagonist’s characteristic defense mecha...
Pediatric Diagnosis and Management

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in children manifests important differences with regard to the causes, manifestations, response to therapy, and outcomes compared to this disease in adults. Management and diagnosis in infants and young children in particular are associated with unique considerations. Etiology is an important determinant of survival, particularly in the youngest patients, and pursuit of the specific cause is therefore requisite. Diagnosis is more challenging because of a variety of metabolic and syndromic disorders that present with the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype in infancy. Diagnostic criteria commonly used in adults must be scaled to body size in children. There is considerable clinical value in genetic characterization in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the resulting cost-benefit ratio for genetic testing is therefore far more favorable than in adults. Most of the available information concerning response to therapy and potential methods of preventing sudden death has been developed in adult patients, but management of children requires consideration of the differences in age-specific risk-to-benefit ratios such as higher complication rates for implantable defibrillators. Sports participation is a particularly challenging issue in adolescents because of the high percentage of participation and the important social role of these activities. These young patients experience high rates of adverse psychological response to both exercise restrictions and defibrillator implantation. Overall, both diagnosis and therapy require age-stratification.
Differential gene expression in response to eCry3.1Ab ingestion in an unselected and eCry3.1Ab-selected western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) population.

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, the western corn rootworm (WCR) is one of the most destructive pests in the U.S. Corn Belt. Transgenic maize lines expressing various Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis have been adopted as a management strategy. However, resistance to many Bt toxins has occurred. To investigate the mechanisms of Bt resistance we carried out RNA-seq using Illumina sequencing technology on resistant, eCry3.1Ab-selected and susceptible, unselected, whole WCR neonates which fed on seedling maize with and without eCry3.1Ab for 12 and 24 hours. In a parallel experiment RNA-seq experiments were conducted when only the midgut of neonate WCR was evaluated from the same treatments. After de novo transcriptome assembly we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Results from the assemblies and annotation indicate that WCR neonates from the eCry3.1Ab-selected resistant colony expressed a small number of up and down-regulated genes following Bt intoxication. In contrast, unselected susceptible WCR neonates expressed a large number of up and down-regulated transcripts in response to intoxication. Annotation and pathway analysis of DEGs between susceptible and resistant whole WCR and their midgut tissue revealed genes associated with cell membrane, immune response, detoxification, and potential Bt receptors which are likely related to eCry3.1Ab resistance. This research provides a framework to study the toxicology of Bt toxins and mechanism of resistance in WCR, an economically important coleopteran pest species.
UN Troop Deployment and Preventing Violence Against Civilians in Darfur

Does the presence of UN peacekeeping force lower civilian fatalities at the local level? If it does, is it because of their coercive military capacity or for other reasons such as their roles in mo...
Bounding network-induced delays for time-critical services in avionic systems using measurements and network calculus

In this work, we propose to derive realistic, accurate bounds on network-induced delays for time-critical tasks running on Avionics Full-Duplex Switched (AFDX) Ethernet. Our preliminary evaluation results show that through measurement-based modeling and refining network-calculus-based analysis with measurements tight delay bounds can be obtained for AFDX networks with realistic traffic patterns and network workloads.
Subsurface water piping transports plankton and prevents meromixis in a deep volcanic crater lake (Dominica, West Indies)

Boeri Lake—a small (3.6 ha) but deep (39.6 m) crater lake on Morne Micotrin in Dominica, West Indies—presents a limnological enigma; it exhibits strong morphometric and circumstantial evidence for meromixis, yet it is not stratified. We tested the hypothesis that water seepage from Boeri Lake overcomes morphometric drivers of stratification and prevents the onset of meromixis. We compared water chemistry and plankton community composition in Boeri Lake to perennial streams on Morne Micotrin to assess if water discharging from these springs originates in Boeri Lake. Lacustrine phytoplankton and zooplankton taxa were detected in nearby streams, which also had similar water chemistry to that of Boeri Lake. In contrast, two other streams that drain Morne Micotrin and one neighboring reference stream had little in common with waters from Boeri Lake. This suggests that Boeri Lake’s anomalous limnology is explained by hydrologic connectivity to nearby flanking streams, and supports our hypothesis that subsurface water piping, combined with high annual rainfall, stymies the onset of meromixis. We provide an explanation for how holomictic lakes can persist and transport organisms through the ground in tropical mountain ecosystems and discuss implications of consistent water piping for plankton community assembly on island lakes.
Monopole and quadrupole contributions to the angular momentum density

Abstract The energy-momentum tensor form factors contain a wealth of information about the nucleon. It is insightful to visualize this information in terms of 3D or 2D densities related by Fourier transformations to the form factors. The densities associated with the angular momentum distribution were recently shown to receive monopole and quadrupole contributions. We show that these two contributions are uniquely related to each other. The quadrupole contribution can be viewed as induced by the monopole contribution, and contains no independent information. Both contributions however play important roles for the visualization of the angular momentum density.
The cytophotometric estimation of the desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content of individual plasma cells from multiple myeloma and nonspecific plasmacytoses.

THE HISTOGENESIS of plasma cells and their relationship to the plasma cells associated with multiple myeloma has been a subject of considerable controversy. Many authorities consider the plasma cell system to be an independent blood cell series arising from the hematopoietic reticulum cells. 1 , 2 , 3 Some have designated the plasma cells of multiple myeloma as “myeloma cells” and consider them to be neoplastic forms of plasma cells. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 Others do not separate myeloma cells from non-specific plasmacytoses but believe them to be morphologically similar to immature forms of plasmacytes. 8, 9 Abnormalities of the nucleus, such as multinucleation, giant nuclei, incompletely divided nuclei, and nuclei of unequal size are frequently found in plasma cells, being especially common in multiple myeloma. 10 , 11 , 12 Of additional interest is observation of the infrequency of mitoses in both forms of plasma cells. 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 The association of such nuclear abnormalities and the scarcity of mitotic figures suggests the presence of abnormal or atypical mitosis in plasma cells. Amitosis has, in the past, been regarded as a common mechanism of cell division in plasma cells. 12 These considerations and the clinically malignant nature of myeloma cells suggested that a study of the DNA content of plasma cell nuclei might contribute to the available information concerning mitosis in plasma cells and the nature of the myeloma cell. The DNA content of the nucleus has been shown to be intimately related to chromosome structure and mitotic activity, and to be of value as a means of quantitatively detecting alterations in chromosomal and mitotic DNA relationships in certain malignant and leukemic cells. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 The present report deals with the cytophotometric estimation of the DNA content of individual plasma and myeloma cells at the recognized stages of morphologic differentiation.
Evolution of information systems research: Insights from topic modeling

Abstract Information systems (IS) research has continued to consistently evolve with the transitions in the IS discipline over time. There has been a general interest in the IS discipline over time as researchers have examined various aspects such as the intellectual core, diversity, and impact of IS research. On the basis of 2962 articles published in six leading IS journals between 2003 and 2017, topic modeling using latent semantic indexing was applied to author-supplied keywords. Topics such as IS development, IT adoption, and IS usage had endured over time; topics such as e-commerce and IT outsourcing had gained momentum and then waned over time; and topics such as social media, design science, and online communities have gained momentum in recent times. Results suggest that IS research has evolved considerably over time and generally included new frontiers while serving its core strength and identity.
ID1 Mediates Escape from TGFβ Tumor Suppression in Pancreatic Cancer.

TGF-β is an important tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), yet inactivation of TGF-β pathway components occurs in only half of PDA cases. TGF-β cooperates with oncogenic RAS signaling to trigger epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in pre-malignant pancreatic epithelial progenitors, which is coupled to apoptosis owing to an imbalance of SOX4 and KLF5 transcription factors. We report that PDAs that develop with the TGF-β pathway intact avert this apoptotic effect via Inhibitor of Differentiation 1 (ID1). ID1 family members are expressed in PDA progenitor cells and are components of a set of core transcriptional regulators shared by PDAs. PDA progression selects against TGF-β-mediated repression of ID1. The sustained expression of ID1 uncouples EMT from apoptosis in PDA progenitors. AKT signaling and mechanisms linked to low-frequency genetic events converge on ID1 to preserve its expression in PDA. Our results identify ID1 as a crucial node and potential therapeutic target in PDA.
CARING FOR CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES FOR HEALTH IN AGING?

Eight to ten percent of children have a developmental disability (DD). Caring for a child with DD can be rewarding. It can also be difficult, particularly for older parents or other caregivers (hereafter parents). Few studies have examined their experiences. We followed parents for 18 years using the nationally representative Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). We defined DD with criteria used in research and education law, as: (1) autism, intellectual disability, learning disorder, epilepsy with seizures, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, or traumatic brain injury; and (2) qualification for professional services. We used three waves of the PSID’s Childhood Development Study, 1997-2007, linking children’s and parents’ PSID data (n=4,070) to study three outcomes: parents “not very” or “not at all” satisfied with “life as a whole”; nonspecific psychological distress; and reports that depressive feelings interfered with life or activities “a lot.” Discrete-time hazard models controlled for: child disability; children’s and parents’ age, sex, and education; survey design; and repeated measures. Among parents ages 47-61 at baseline (65-79 in 2015), those who cared for a child with DD were significantly more likely to report low satisfaction with life (hazard ratio, HR 4.6, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.6-13.2), distress (HR 2.8, CI 1.1-6.9) and, among women, depressive feelings (HR 1.3 CI 1.0-1.8). We found no such differences for parents less than age 65 in 2015. Results highlight the need to provide emotional support, respite, or other services for older adults caring for children with disabilities.
Hobbes and the Politics of Translation

This essay argues that Hobbes’s work as a translator was fundamental to his mature political philosophy. A proper appreciation for the significance of Hobbes’s lifelong engagement with the politics...
Development and Validation of Machine Learning Algorithms for Predicting Adverse Events After Surgery for Lumbar Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

Background Preoperative prognostication of adverse events (AEs) for patients undergoing surgery for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS) can improve risk stratification and help guide the surgical decision-making process. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a set of predictive variables for 30-day AEs after surgery for LDS. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used for this study (2005–2016). Logistic regression (enter, stepwise, and forward) and LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) methods were performed to identify and select variables for analyses, which resulted in 26 potential models. The final model was selected based on clinical criteria and numeric results. Results The overall 30-day rate of AEs for 80,610 patients who underwent surgery for LDS in this database was 4.9% (n = 3965). The median age of the cohort was 58.0 years (range, 18–89 years). The model with the following 10-predictive factors (age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade, autogenous iliac bone graft, instrumented fusion, levels of surgery, surgical approach, functional status, preoperative serum albumin [g/dL] and serum alkaline phosphatase [IU/L]) performed well on the discrimination, calibration, Brier score, and decision analyses to develop machine learning algorithms. Logistic regression showed higher areas under the curve than did LASSO methods across the different models. The predictive probability derived from the best model is uploaded on an open-access Web application, which can be found at: https://spine.massgeneral.org/drupal/Lumbar-Degenerative-AdverseEvents . Conclusions It is feasible to develop machine learning algorithms from large datasets to provide useful tools for patient counseling and surgical risk assessment.
Femoral Derotation Osteotomy Improves Hip and Spine Function in Patients With Increased or Decreased Femoral Torsion.

Purpose To evaluate the outcomes of proximal femoral derotation osteotomy (PFDO) on the hip and spine function of patients with abnormal femoral torsion. Methods This retrospective study included patients who underwent PFDO to treat increased or decreased femoral torsion between July 2014 and February 2019. The exclusion criteria were: previous fracture, fixation of slipped capital femoral epiphysis or osteotomy in the ipsilateral femur; PFDO associated to varus or valgus osteotomy; Tonnis grade 2 or 3 osteoarthritis; and PFDO performed to treat knee abnormalities. Hip function was assessed through the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS). A subgroup of consecutive patients with low back pain before the PFDO and operated after 2017 had the spine function assessed through the Oswestry disability index (ODI). Results A total of 37 hips (34 patients) were studied: 15 hips with increased femoral torsion and 22 with decreased femoral torsion. Eight patients were male and 26 were female. The average age at PFDO was 33 years (range, 15-54 years). At a mean follow-up of 24 months (range, 12-65 months), the mean mHHS improved from 58.1 ± 14.3 before PFDO to 82 ± 15.6 at the most recent follow-up (P Conclusion Proximal femoral derotation osteotomy improves the hip and spine function in patients with increased or decreased femoral torsion and nonarthritic hips. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Outcomes of Transcarotid Artery Revascularization and Carotid Endarterectomy at a Single Institution.

Background Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) are accepted revascularization modalities to treat carotid artery stenosis. Higher incidences of perioperative adverse neurological events and death have been reported in patients with transfemoral CAS. Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR) is a newer operative technique that involves direct transcervical carotid access, mitigating aortic arch manipulation and minimizing the risk of embolic stroke via cerebral blood flow reversal. Perioperative stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and death rates have been shown to be similar between TCAR and CEA, with TCAR having fewer complications. The objective of this study was to ascertain the safety and viability of TCAR by evaluating perioperative outcomes. We hypothesized that patients undergoing TCAR and CEA have equivalent outcomes. Methods We performed a single-institution retrospective review of a prospectively maintained Vascular Quality Initiative database on patients who underwent TCAR or CEA between 2012 and 2019. A total of 66 TCAR cases from February 2018 to December 2019 and 501 CEA cases from January 2012 to December 2019 were reviewed. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics as well as perioperative outcomes were captured for the statistical analyses. Results From 2012 to 2019, 567 patients underwent TCAR or CEA. Patients who underwent TCAR were found to have higher rates of comorbidities compared with CEA. There were no procedure-related strokes in patients who underwent TCAR. There was no statistically significant difference between TCAR and CEA procedure-related strokes (0% vs. 1.0%, P = 0.42). There were 5 CEA procedure-related strokes because of technical problems resulting in thrombosis of the target vessels. Three patients who underwent CEA had strokes unrelated to the operations. Overall, there were no perioperative deaths, MI, cranial nerve injury (CNI), or hematoma in patients who underwent TCAR. There were no complications of surgical site infection, pseudoaneurysm, or arteriovenous fistula among patients who underwent TCAR or CEA. Conclusions This single-center retrospective analysis of TCAR and CEA for the treatment of carotid artery disease suggests TCAR can result in equivalent perioperative procedure-related stroke as CEA as well as equivalent incidence of perioperative complications including MI, CNI, hematoma, and death in selected patients or patients with proper anatomy. TCAR may be considered a safe, feasible carotid revascularization option for carotid artery stenosis.
Small-Animal PET: A Technology That Changed Our Field.

As we continue to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, we can take the opportunity to reflect back and learn from history how unexpected events changed the way we live and work, sometimes in good ways. On September 11, 2001, many of us were at Rockville, Maryland, attending the HiRes
Generalizable EEG encoding models with naturalistic audiovisual stimuli

In natural conversations, listeners must attend to what others are saying while ignoring extraneous background sounds. Recent studies have used encoding models to predict electroencephalography (EEG) responses to speech in noise-free listening situations, sometimes referred to as "speech tracking" in EEG. Researchers have analyzed how speech tracking changes with different types of background noise. It is unclear, however, whether neural responses from noisy and naturalistic environments can be generalized to more controlled stimuli. If encoding models for noisy, naturalistic stimuli are generalizable to other tasks, this could aid in data collection from populations who may not tolerate listening to more controlled, less-engaging stimuli for long periods of time. We recorded non-invasive scalp EEG while participants listened to speech without noise and audiovisual speech stimuli containing overlapping speakers and background sounds. We fit multivariate temporal receptive field (mTRF) encoding models to predict EEG responses to pitch, the acoustic envelope, phonological features, and visual cues in both noise-free and noisy stimulus conditions. Our results suggested that neural responses to naturalistic stimuli were generalizable to more controlled data sets. EEG responses to speech in isolation were predicted accurately using phonological features alone, while responses to noisy speech were more accurate when including both phonological and acoustic features. These findings may inform basic science research on speech-in-noise processing. Ultimately, they may also provide insight into auditory processing in people who are hard of hearing, who use a combination of audio and visual cues to understand speech in the presence of noise.