cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reducing memory size in buffered crossbars with large internal flow control latency

A buffered crossbar supporting P priorities and a flow control latency of RT packets between the input adapter and the crossbar requires a memory of order O(N/sup 2/*P*RT) packets in the crossbar to support any traffic pattern without blocking. We propose a new priority elevation mechanism that reduces the memory requirements to O(N/sup 2/*RT) for large values of RT. Our analysis shows that our mechanism has no drawback on the usual performance metrics and that it only introduces a small priority unfairness and worst-case blocking of less than RT packet times. We further show that an optimized system using a crosspoint memory of size 2RT has an unfairness of less than 0.02% affected packets at 95% loading with an average burst size of 30 packets.
The Optimal Spatiotemporal Deployment of Radiation Portal Monitors Can Improve Nuclear Detection at Overseas Ports

Radiation portal monitors are starting to be deployed at overseas ports to prevent nuclear weapons from entering the U.S. in a shipping container. Current designs have containers on trucks passing through a portal monitor at approximately 10 mph, before being routed to one of several lanes at the port's front gate for a driver identification check. For a fixed cost of testing, which consists of the costs of radiation portal monitors plus offsite x-ray and possibly manual testing of containers generating a false radiation alarm that cannot be resolved by gamma-ray imaging, the neutron detection limits of the current design are compared with those of two other designs that do not affect truck congestion at the front gate. For a wide range of budgets, it is optimal to have six monitors in each lane that simultaneously test a truck while it is being processed at the front gate. This design is robust against the location (within the container) of the weapon and reduces the detection limit (relative to the curr...
Vagal Intramuscular Arrays: The Specialized Mechanoreceptor Arbors That Innervate the Smooth Muscle Layers of the Stomach Examined in the Rat.

The fundamental roles that the stomach plays in ingestion and digestion notwithstanding, little morphological information is available on vagal intramuscular arrays (IMAs), the afferents that innervate gastric smooth muscle. To characterize IMAs better, rats were given injections of dextran biotin in the nodose ganglia, and, after tracer transport, stomach whole mounts were collected. Specimens were processed for avidin-biotin permanent labeling, and subsets of the whole mounts were immunohistochemically processed for c-Kit or stained with cuprolinic blue. IMAs (n = 184) were digitized for morphometry and mapping. Throughout the gastric muscle wall, IMAs possessed common phenotypic features. Each IMA was generated by a parent neurite arborizing extensively, forming an array of multiple (mean = 212) branches averaging 193 µm in length. These branches paralleled, and coursed in apposition with, bundles of muscle fibers and interstitial cells of Cajal. Individual arrays averaged 4.3 mm in length and innervated volumes of muscle sheet, presumptive receptive fields, averaging 0.1 mm(3) . Evaluated by region and by muscle sheet, IMAs displayed architectural adaptations to the different loci. A subset (32%) of circular muscle IMAs issued specialized polymorphic collaterals to myenteric ganglia, and a subset (41%) of antral longitudinal muscle IMAs formed specialized net endings associated with the serosal boundary. IMAs were concentrated in regional patterns that correlated with the unique biomechanical adaptations of the stomach, specifically proximal stomach reservoir functions and antral emptying operations. Overall, the structural adaptations and distributions of the IMAs were consonant with the hypothesized stretch receptor roles of the afferents.
Too much to carry? Copyright laws in the electronic environment

The digitization of information, the rise of the World Wide Web and the development of new means for information creation, production and dissemination place new strains on the legal infrastructure of copyright laws in the USA. A review of the historical trends in copyright protection, focusing on changing socio-technical relations in the information production environment, has uncovered five core problems: (1) the difficulty of separating ideas from expression in determining infringement; (2) diminution of the public domain; (3) expansion of the definition of authorship; (4) trivialization of the definition of artifact tangibility and fixation; and (5) expansion of the time frame for protection past the point where only original producers and their immediate heirs are rewarded. These problems, which are responses to earlier stakeholder concerns, tend to complicate efforts to develop an effective legal framework for copyright in an electronic environment.
A comparison of horizontally and vertically deployed aquatic invertebrate activity traps

Activity traps are commonly used to develop abundance indices of aquatic invertebrates and may be deployed with either the funnel parallel to the water surface (horizontal position) or facing down (vertical position). We compared the relative performance of these two positions in terms of numbers of invertebrates captured, species richness of samples, detection rates of specific taxa, and community-level characterizations. Estimates of zooplankton abundance were also compared to quantitative estimates obtained using a watercolumn sampler. We used a matched-pairs design where 10 pairs of traps (one horizontal, one vertical) were deployed in each of 4 prairie wetlands on 5 dates in 1999. Vertical traps had higher detection rates and captured greater numbers of adult and larval Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Chaoboridae, hydracarina, cladocera, and Copepoda and also produced samples with greater species richness. Horizontal traps captured greater numbers of Amphipoda and Ostracoda and had higher detection rates for these taxa. Estimates of zooplankton abundance with vertical traps also correlated better with quantitative estimates and indicated greater differences between wetlands than horizontal traps. Both traps showed similar relationships among wetlands and changes through time at the community level, but vertical traps were more sensitive to temporal change. Our results indicate that vertical traps outperform horizontal traps and are preferable for obtaining indices of invertebrate abundance.
A novel analytical model and its test bed verification for network covert timing channels

Covert channels threaten conventional network security paradigms by exploiting existing system resources never intended to facilitate communication. By doing so, they can evade detection by conventional network security mechanisms such as firewalls. In order to improve network security, it is necessary to detect and disrupt covert communications. Due to the sheer number and variety of covert channel algorithms, it becomes impossible to deal with them on a case-by-case basis. A complete applicable covert channel detector necessitates the use of a common modeling framework. However a generic model is still lacking and the published models apply to only a few covert channel algorithms. To remedy this problem we present an event-based framework that models the covert communication process as a set of discrete events separated by a finite duration of time. This framework will allow behavioral analysis of the covert communications process in a generic way, which can be used to develop generalized detection mechanisms. Using this model, we derive the error performance of covert channels in different conditions of network delay jitter and packet losses. We then calculate the error performance of these algorithms by implementing them over a test-bed real network traffic and MATLAB simulations and compare the results to verify our model.
Industry-based acoustic survey of Atlantic herring distribution and spawning dynamics in coastal Maine waters

Abstract We describe a unique survey method that is able to cover a wide spatial and temporal range at a low cost. We utilised 10 individual small fishing vessels (lobster vessels) as acoustic research platforms to systematically survey a coastal population of Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus) in the Gulf of Maine. We examined 38 transects spanning more than 200 miles of coastline. Due to the low cost of chartering the vessels, the survey was repeated weekly for nine weeks, resulting in over 2300 nautical miles of on-transect data. We calibrated single beam systems using a split beam guiding transducer to increase our confidence in the accuracy of the data and allow inter-ship comparisons. Although only one year of data has been analysed, the large spatial and temporal coverage of this survey provides preliminary information on herring population dynamics including spatial distribution throughout the survey area, timing of spawning and habitat associations of spawning aggregations. This survey will provide the template for longer term monitoring of herring spawning dynamics in Coastal Maine and how this may respond to climate and ocean variability.
Corruption in Procurement: An Analysis of Contracting Modes

This research examines corruption in government procurement by studying auctions of incentive contracts. Government officials in our framework are not actively seeking bribes but would be prone to altering behavior when offered bribes. Using a simple linear contract, we study the incentives of private contractors to offer bribes and the incidence of corruption under different contracting modes. Our results show that corruption is likely to decrease as contracts move away from fixed-price formats.
Crisis Management in Nonprofit Organizations: A Case Study of Crisis Communication and Planning

A real crisis experienced by a national nonprofit organization is used in this case study to help students apply concepts associated with crisis management planning (CMP). Students are introduced to crisis planning, management, and communication strategies to help them develop the skills necessary to lead a nonprofit organization through a crisis. Concepts introduced in the theoretical background of the case provide students with a theoretical and a practical understanding of crisis, crisis management, crisis communication planning, and crisis communication strategies. Communication strategies presented are focused on image restoration strategies. The case is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students preparing to work in the nonprofit sector. Instructors are encouraged to use this case in conjunction with discussions of public relations, crisis management, or crisis communication strategies. The sample assignments and discussion questions allow students to connect crisis management theory to a practical organizational crisis within a classroom setting.
Belimumab for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A 20-year-old woman with SLE presents with disease flares and receives belimumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to B-cell activating factor, inhibiting B-cell stimulation. Belimumab is considered for patients who do not have a response or have adverse effects with first-line therapies.
Autonomy, Values, and Food Choice

In most areas of our lives, legal protections are in place to ensure that we have autonomous control over what happens in and to our bodies. However, there are fewer protections in place for autonomous choice when it comes to the food we purchase and consume. In fact, the current trend in US legislation is pushing us away from autonomous food choice. In this paper, I discuss two examples of this trend: corporate resistance to GM labeling laws and farm protection laws (often called “ag-gag” laws). These examples are quite different from a legislative point of view. In one case, laws that would promote autonomous choice are actively resisted, whereas in the other case, laws that undermine autonomy are enacted. The common core of the two examples is the effect: in both cases, we are unable to determine whether the food we purchase and consume is consistent with our values. In both cases, then, autonomous choice about the food we purchase and put into our bodies is undermined.
Response of a Mach 3 Cavity Flameholder to a Shock-Induced Distortion

The effects of fueling rate and inlet distortion upon a cavity flameholder under a Mach 3 freestream have been examined through two-component 3 kHz particle image velocimetry. The oblique shock wave generated by the inlet of a scramjet flowpath has been approximated by an 8 degree shock generator attached to the isolator ceiling. Ensembleaveraged velocity statistics for the uniform inflow conditions show minimal correlation with the distribution of the combustion products (as identified by OH-PLIF visualization). The change in normal stresses with direct cavity fueling is consistent with the increased momentum flux through the fuel ports, suggesting that the cavity response may be explained through purely kinematic means. The addition of upstream fueling through a sonic port decreases the coherence of the recirculation zone within the cavity, and leads to non-uniform combustion. Visual inspections of the instantaneous velocity fields suggest this response is due to an amplification of the shear layer motion. Conversely, the response of the cavity in the distorted case is better correlated with the combustion behavior, in which regions of heat release exert a stabilizing effect upon the normal stresses. The methods for estimating the shear layer thickness are compared, and growth rates are computed for each test case.
Abstract 3577: Pan-cancer analysis of mutagenesis by APOBEC cytidine deaminases

The elucidation of mutagenic processes that shape cancer genomes is a fundamental problem whose solution promises insights into new treatment, diagnostic, and prevention strategies. We and others previously identified mutation clusters and genome-wide mutagenesis bearing the single-strand DNA (ssDNA)-specific APOBEC cytidine deaminase signature at 5′-tC-3′ motifs across many cancer types. Because of high abundance of APOBEC mutagenesis in several cancer types, we have developed a statistical approach capable of identifying cancer samples with APOBEC mutagenesis pattern based on WGS as well as on WES mutation data. This analysis, called Pattern of Mutagenesis by APOBEC Cytidine Deaminases (P-MACD), has been recently integrated into the Broad Institute GDAC Firehose and is currently available for Firehose standard and AWG-customized runs. The results of analysis using the P-MACD package will be discussed, including correlations with molecular and clinical features of TCGA cancer samples as well as relative roles of different APOBEC enzymes in cancer mutagenesis. Citation Format: Dmitry A. Gordenin. Pan-cancer analysis of mutagenesis by APOBEC cytidine deaminases. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3577.
Supply chain coordination with two-part tariffs under information asymmetry

Supply chain coordination literature indicates that two-part tariff contracts cannot coordinate a supply chain with a supplier and a retailer under information asymmetry, but can coordinate the channel under full information, while leaving the retailer zero profit. Motivated by the practice of Costco Business Centres, we incorporate customer heterogeneity, near-saturated retail market and asymmetric information into a stylised model. The retailer has the knowledge of customer heterogeneity while the supplier does not. The supplier, on the other hand, designs a menu of two-part tariffs for the retailer to choose from. We have found that two-part tariffs can coordinate the supply chain under asymmetric information, while leaving the retailer a positive profit. In addition, a one-size-fits-all two-part tariff can coordinate the supply chain at equilibrium, i.e. there is no need for the supplier to design different two-part tariffs for the retailer who may possess different types of information.
Atomic Number Dependent "Structural Transitions" in Ordered Lanthanide Monolayers: Role of the Hydration Shell.

When lanthanide ions are present in the aqueous subphase of a floating monolayer (Langmuir film), the ions attracted to the interface will in many cases form commensurate and/or incommensurate two-dimensional structures. These lattices depend not only on the molecules forming the monolayer, but also on the atomic number of the lanthanide, with a sudden change between the lattice formed by lighter ions and that formed by heavier ions under a given monolayer. Since there are few other relevant differences between the lanthanides, we attribute the Z-dependent “transition” to the number of water molecules associated with each ion. The first hydration shell is thought to vary continuously from ∼9 in lighter lanthanides to ∼8 in heavier lanthanides.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of fucose-truncated monosaccharide analogues of ipomoeassin F.

Abstract Ipomoeassin F is a plant-derived macrocyclic glycolipid with single-digit nanomolar IC50 values against cancer cell growth. In previous structure–activity relationship studies, we have demonstrated that certain modifications around the fucoside moiety did not cause significant cytotoxicity loss. To further elucidate the effect of the fucoside moiety on the biological activity, we describe here the design and synthesis of several fucose-truncated monosaccharide analogues of ipomoeassin F. Subsequent biological evaluation strongly suggests that the 6-membered ring of the fucoside moiety is essential to the overall conformation of the molecule, thereby influencing bioactivity.
Abstract 077: Hospitalized Heart Failure Epidemiology: Active Surveillance to Enhance Inpatient Cardiology Consultation Rates

Background: Co-management of hospitalized heart failure (HHF) patients by hospitalists and cardiologists may enhance care quality. Aided by an enterprise data warehouse (EDW) screen for HHF patients, we implemented a house surveillance model of heart failure consultation, whereby cardiology consultation and multidisciplinary heart failure intervention was offered for patients meeting criteria. Objective: To analyze the impact of house surveillance for HHF on cardiology consultation rates for patients coding into heart failure diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) on medicine units. Methods: An EDW screen for HHF was deployed, and services with HHF patients were offered cardiology consultation. The intervention was deployed 7/2015; chart review for patients 6 months pre- and post-intervention was conducted to ascertain consultation rate. Results: There were 386 patient discharges from a non-cardiac service with a heart failure DRG. In the six months prior to intervention, 40% of patients had cardiology consultation. This figure rose to 69% post-intervention, a highly statistically significant result. Conclusions: EDW-enabled active surveillance for HHF increases cardiology consultation rate, allowing for multidisciplinary intervention, co-management, and potentially improved outcomes for HHF patients.
Performance of Recycled Plastic Pin (RPP) for Slope Stabilization

Surficial failures of highway slopes in clayey soils are quite common throughout the United States. These failures commonly occur for the slope constructed with expansive clay, especially after prolonged rainfall. These failures are also predominant in North Texas area and cause significant maintenance problems for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). As an alternative to the conventional slope stabilization technique, a green and cost effective slope stabilization method using the Recycled Plastic Pin (RPP) had been utilized and tested for its performance. RPPs are driven into the slope face to provide additional resistance along the slip surface, which increases the factor of safety against shallow slope failure. Current study summarizes the long term performance of a highway slope on expansive clay reinforced with RPP. The slope is located over US 287 near the St. Paul overpass in Midlothian, Texas. Surficial movement had taken place over the slope, resulting in cracks over the shoulder and near the bridge abutment. Three 50 ft. slope sections were stabilized using RPPs in March 2011. In addition, two 50 ft. unreinforced control sections were utilized between the reinforced sections to evaluate the performance of slope sections stabilized with RPP. After installation of the RPPs, the performance of the slope was monitored by using instrumented RPPs, inclinometers and topographic survey. The performance monitoring results indicate that, maximum deformation of the reinforced slope section is less than 3.75 cm (1.5 in.). However, more than 38 cm (15 in.) of vertical settlement was observed at the control sections during the last 5 years monitoring period. Also, few slope-sections just opposite side of reinforced slope at the same highway failed during the monitoring period. Based on the last 5 years monitoring data, it was summarized that RPP can be successfully utilized for slope stabilization.
Draft Genome Sequences of 64 Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis Isolates Obtained from Wild Mice.

Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis is a foodborne pathogen of global concern, because it is frequently isolated from foods and patients. Draft genome sequences are reported here for 64 S Enteritidis strains isolated from the intestines and spleens of mice caught live on chicken farms in the U.S. Northeast. The availability of these genomes provides baseline information on the genomic diversity of S Enteritidis during the 1990s, when foodborne outbreaks traced to internal contamination of eggs were prevalent.
Identifying factors associated with the direction and significance of microRNA tumor-normal expression differences in colorectal cancer.

microRNAs are small non-protein-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, and have a potential epigenetic role in disease progression and survival of colorectal cancer. In terms of tumor-normal expression differences, many microRNAs exhibit evidence of being up-regulated in some subjects but down-regulated in others, or are dysregulated only for a subset of the population. We present and implement an approach to identify factors (lifestyle, tumor molecular phenotype, and survival-related) that are associated with the direction and/or significance of these microRNAs’ tumor-normal expression differences in colorectal cancer. Using expression data for 1394 microRNAs and 1836 colorectal cancer subjects (each with both tumor and normal samples), we perform a dip test to identify microRNAs with multimodal distributions of tumor-normal expression differences. For proximal, distal, and rectal tumor sites separately, these microRNAs are tested for tumor-normal differential expression using a signed rank test, both overall and within levels of each lifestyle, tumor molecular phenotype, and survival-related factor. Appropriate adjustments are made to control the overall FDR. We identify hundreds of microRNAs whose direction and/or significance of tumor-normal differential expression is associated with one or more lifestyle, tumor molecular phenotype, or survival-related factors. The results of this study demonstrate the benefit to colorectal cancer researchers to consider multiple subject-level factors when studying dysregulation of microRNAs, whose tumor-related changes in expression can be associated with multiple factors. Our results will serve as a publicly-available resource to provide clarifying information about various factors associated with the direction and significance of tumor-normal differential expression of microRNAs in colorectal cancer.
Ghrelin Regulation of Learning, Memory, and Neurodegeneration

Late-onset chronic diseases, such as dementias, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, and tissue malignancies, are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the USA, creating the greatest emotional and financial burden on the individual and society. As the size of the aging population continues to grow, late-onset chronic diseases are predicted to further dominate the attention of biomedicine and society at large. Guided by the notion that late-onset chronic diseases are the consequence of prolonged overworking of various tissues that have genetic and epigenetic vulnerabilities, it is reasonable to suggest that it is the cellular energy metabolism of the different tissues that determines their health and longevity and consequently those of the entire organism. Ghrelin is a gut-derived hormone that affects brain functions at the time of low nutrient availability from the environment. Because such conditions, including calorie restriction, have been shown to suppress chronic disease development and prolong longevity, ghrelin may act to enable the propagation of these central and peripheral mechanisms. Here I review the conceptual and experimental aspects of ghrelin’s action on integrative physiology in the promotion of brain health and life span.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Provide Neuroprotection and Improve Long-Term Neurologic Outcomes in a Swine Model of Traumatic Brain Injury and Hemorrhagic Shock.

Abstract Combined traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhagic shock (HS) remains a leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes have demonstrated promise in...
Gender Issues in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Illness

Chronic illness will more than likely touch each one of us through the course of our lifetimes, whether directly or indirectly. In the United States, 7 of every 10, or more than 1.7 million, people die each year due to a chronic illness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2008a), and 1 of every 10, or 25 million, people experience major disabilities and limitations in activity due to the course and symptoms of chronic diseases (CDC, 2008a).
Umweltveränderung und Speziation

Darwin und Wallace erkannten schon sehr fruh die Bedeutung von Inseln fur die Artbildung. Da aber die Mehrheit der Tier- und Pflanzenarten auf Kontinenten lebt, sind die meisten Diskussionen uber die Speziation nichtsdestoweniger von der Verteilung und Variation kontinentaler Spezies ausgegangen. Geographische Artbildung, so stellte man sich vor, sei dem Aufbau einer Schranke in einem zuvor kontinuierlichen Verbreitungsgebiet und der daraus resultierenden Verringerung oder volligen Verhinderung des Genflusses zuzuschreiben. Die Mehrheit der in den Lehrbuchern enthaltenen Diagramme uber geographische Speziation spiegeln diese Auffassung wider. Sie beherrschte einige Jahre lang auch weitgehend mein eigenes Denken, aber schon bald beeindruckte mich der Umstand, das die am starksten abweichenden Nachkommen eines artbildenden Taxons jedesmal in einer isolierten Grenzlage auftraten. Bereits 1940 wies ich darauf hin und unterstrich dies erneut im Jahre 1942: extreme periphere Isolate weichen gelegentlich derart stark von der Elternspezies ab, das sie als verschiedene Gattungen klassifiziert worden sind. Als Beispiele fur dieses Prinzip fuhrte ich Serresius, Todirhampus, Thyliphaps, Oedirhinus und Dicranostephes an (1942, S. 284).
Computational linguistics for studying language in people: principles, applications and research problems (invited talk)

One of the goals of computational linguistics is to create automated systems that can learn, generate, and understand language at all levels of structure (semantics, syntax, morphology, phonology, phonetics). This is a very demanding task whose complete fulfillment lies far in the future. Human beings can learn, generate, and understand language at all levels of structure, and the study of how they do it can be pursued by computational modeling. Indeed, one sort of "acid test" for theories in linguistics is whether they can serve as the basis for successful models of this kind. A research strategy for theoretical linguistics based on modeling thus invites close collaboration between "mainstream" linguists and their computational colleagues.
Internal Hydrology and Geochemistry of Coral Reefs and Atoll Islands: Key to Diagenetic Variations

Diagenetic changes in coral reef carbonates continue to generate both interest and controversy. Considerable attention has been devoted to carbonate porosity (Choquette and Pray 1970, Enos and Sawatsky 1981), pore-water geochemistry and diagenetic environments (Berner 1980, Longman 1980), and general geochemistry (Curtis 1977), but the subject of formation-scale fluxes and material balances has not received the attention it deserves. The rates, distributions, and mechanisms of fluid transport through the reef structure are basic to the understanding of diagenetic processes. Although some mineralogic transitions may be able to occur in a closed system (e.g., aragonite to calcite), others, such as dolomitization, require the passage of many volumes of pore water through the system in order to remove calcium and supply magnesium. Thus, the hydrogeology of a formation — porosity, permeability, the forces available to drive fluids through the system, and the evolution of these parameters over time — will exert important controls over the rate, nature, and extent of diagenesis. At the same time, diagenetic changes may provide important clues to formation hydrogeology and its development.
Transculturalized Diversity and Inclusion Model: A New Framework for Disabilities:

The ProblemAfter 30+ years of debating the best model for disability, there is a need for a new framework. As the medical model of disability seeks a cure and the social model points to the environ...
In times of crisis: Middle East policy between the counterterror state and the marketplace of ideas

ABSTRACTIn this article, I examine how the notion of ‘crisis’ has developed as a dominant framework through which the U.S. foreign policy establishment understands and ultimately legitimates security interventions into the Middle East. Specifically, I locate the emergence of this framework in the converging demands of a post-9/11 security state—or what has been called the U.S. ‘counterterror state’ (Masco 2014)—and a growing think tank expert industry in Washington DC positioned to provide ‘outside’ regional analysis and policy recommendations to government officials. Relying on extensive ethnographic fieldwork among foreign policy elites in Washington, I trace how such think tank experts emerged as one of the few ‘credible’ sources of expertise for the U.S. government after other regional scholars and analysts were largely dismissed. I then examine why this crisis framing has become so central to the work of these experts and the market-driven logics and forces that have increasingly implicated the U.S. ...
Characterization of recombinant fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase gene mutations: evidence of inhibition/activation of FBPase protein by gene mutation.

Specific residues of the highly regulated fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) enzyme serve as important contributors to the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Previous clinical studies exploring the genetic basis of hypoglycemia revealed two significant mutations in the coding region of the FBPase gene in patients with hypoglycemia, linking the AMP-binding site to the active site of the enzyme. In the present study, a full kinetic analysis of similar mutants was performed. Kinetic results of mutants Y164A and M177A revealed an approximate two to three-fold decrease in inhibitory constants (K i's) for natural inhibitors AMP and fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (F2,6-BP) compared with the Wild-type enzyme (WT). A separate mutation (M248D) was performed in the active site of the enzyme to investigate whether the enzyme could be activated. This mutant displayed an approximate seven-fold increase in K i for F2,6-BP. Interfacial mutants L56A and L73A exhibited an increase in K i for F2,6-BP by approximately five-fold. Mutations in the AMP-binding site (K112A and Y113A) demonstrated an eight to nine-fold decrease in AMP inhibition. Additionally, mutant M248D displayed a four-fold decrease in its apparent Michelis constant (K m), and a six-fold increase in catalytic efficiency (CE). The importance-and medical relevance-of specific residues for FBPase structural/functional relationships in both the catalytic site and AMP-binding site is discussed.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT: A CASE OF SHORT QT SYNDROME WITH EARLY REPOLARIZATION

Short QT syndrome (SQTS) is a rare channelopathy associated with life threatening arrhythmias. What is known about SQTS is based on small patient cohorts and case reports. We present a unique case where delayed diagnosis of SQTS was later corrected providing life-saving treatment. A 27-year-old
Head and Neck Pleomorphic Myxoid Liposarcoma in a Child With Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

Abstract Introduction Pleomorphic myxoid liposarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer seen in the pediatric population that has been previously associated with hereditable cancer disorders like Li Fraumeni syndrome. We present a case report and review of the relevant literature. Case presentation Pleomorphic myxoid liposarcoma presenting as a second primary tumor in a child with a strong family history for cancer led to diagnosis of Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is associated with TP53 tumor suppressor gene inactivation. Management and outcome The tumor was fully excised, but postoperative radiation was deferred to limit future radiation-induced tumorgenesis. Discussion Pleomorphic myxoid liposarcoma is rare but aggressive, and should prompt caregivers to test for potential hereditable cancer disorders. Li-Fraumeni syndrome is associated with early onset neoplasia and development of recurrent primary tumors. Its presence affects treatment decisions and methods of surveillance. Chemoradiation should be used judiciously in this population.
Patient-Level Modeling Approach Using Discrete-Event Simulation: A Cost-Effectiveness Study of Current Treatment Guidelines for Women with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Decision tree and Markov models have been the most commonly used modeling methods in health economic evaluations. Both methods are known for their limitations. Discrete-event simulation (DES), an e...
Low-Overhead In Situ Visualization Using Halo Replay

In situ visualization and analysis is of increasing importance as the compute and I/O gap further widens with the advance to exascale capable computing. Yet, in situ methods impose resource constraints leading to the difficult task of balancing simulation code performance and the quality of analysis. Applications with tightly-coupled in situ visualization often achieve performance through spatial and temporal downsampling, a tradeoff which risks not capturing transient phenomena at sufficient fidelity. Determining a priori visualization parameters such as sampling rate is difficult without time and resource intensive experimentation. We present a method for reducing resource contention between in situ visualization and stencil codes on heterogeneous systems. This method permits full resolution replay through recording halos and the communication-free reconstruction of interior values uncoupled from the main simulation. We apply this method in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code HARVEY [1] on the Summit supercomputer. We demonstrate minimal-overhead, in situ visualization relative to simulation alone, and compare the Halo Replay performance to tightly-coupled in situ approaches.
Envisioning student work: Writing before research and its impact on the reference process

Abstract Academic librarians recognize the frequent student request for assistance with “filling in” sources for a research assignment. In this circumstance, the student is not looking for a variety of sources or an overview of a topic, but for a single article that says a specific thing, supporting an argument they've already laid out. Librarians are limited to finding resources that fit into the specific slot and must balance the specificity of student needs, the availability of resources, and often by faculty assignment prompts, like trying to find pieces that fit a puzzle already laid out. How can librarians best support these students and their research needs? The column provides recommendations for negotiating with students in this position and shares strategies to be employed when students present the research request: “I need an article that says …”.
HOW TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE TERATOGENIC POTENTIAL OF CHEMICALS

Teratological effects are partially genetically based, or occur as a result of some physical, nutritional or hormonal influence on the developing embryo. We propose that at least part of the teratological effect is produced by chemicals in our environment – if not as direct effects, then through their breakdown of metabolic products in the body. Wien I first advanced this theory, I was informed by teratologists and toxicologists that it did not seem reasonable that chemicals should have such serious effects. Since the thalidomide disaster, the role of chemicals in influencing development is unquestioned.
Partitioning and Coding Styles

Successful synthesis depends strongly on proper partitioning of the design, together with a good HDL coding style.
LBP31: MOLECULAR MEASUREMENT OF T-HELPER SUBSET GENE TRANSCRIPTS IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD RAPIDLY AND ACCURATELY IDENTIFIES SUBSET VARIATIONS IN RELATION TO GRAFT STATUS

There are varying roles for facilitating, effector and regulatory CD4 helper cell subsets in solid organ allograft maintenance and survival. Interplay between the relative levels may impact the character of the recipient’s anti-graft immune response. As such, efficient and accurate monitoring of their peripheral fluctuation can be a critical component of immune monitoring of transplant patients. In this study we developed a real-time PCR (RT-PCR) based TaqMan® algorithm to rapidly determine the proportions of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in purified CD4 cells, using the expression markers TBX21, GATA3, RORC and FOXP3, respectively, with 18S as normalizing marker. The algorithm was tested with blood samples of 22 healthy donors and the expression results were compared and correlated with percentage of CD4 subsets obtained by intranuclear (FoxP3) and cytoplasmic (INF γ , IL4 and IL17A) staining flow cytometry. A strong correlation was found between expression of TBX21 and % of INF γ cells ( r = 0.60, p p r = 0.75, p r = 0.67, p γ /IL4; r = 0.73, p r = 0.57, p r = 0.50, p
Dynamic simulation and control of a combustion turbine process for biogas derived methane

Abstract Combined cycle power plants that use both gas and steam turbines have much higher efficiencies than traditional steam power plants and are increasingly utilized for both natural gas and biogas based power generation. Gas is burned using high-pressure air to produce a high-temperature, high-pressure gas that is fed into a gas turbine driving a generator. The lower-pressure exhaust gas from the combustion turbine is still at high temperature, so it can be used to produce steam to drive a steam turbine that generates additional power. This paper illustrates that the dynamic simulation of these turbine systems is not straightforward because of numerical integration and variable specification (free or fixed) issues. An effective control structure for handling the very large hour-to-hour daily disturbances in electric power load is developed. The numerical example is for a low-pressure biogas process, but the turbine simulation procedure is applicable to any combustion turbine process.
Maximum Ti concentrations in Si quantified with atom probe tomography (APT)

Atom Probe Tomography (APT) is used to explore Si into which a high concentration of Ti has been incorporated through ion implantation and pulsed laser melting. Ti shows abundant segregation out of the Si, with regions near the surface showing evidence of the classic “cellular breakdown” morphology characteristic of constitutional supercooling. Ti concentrations in excess of the nominal Mott limit have previously been reported, but these concentrations have relied on secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements, which are susceptible to artifacts. The APT method provides improvements over the SIMS method and shows that Ti concentrations are below the Mott limit everywhere outside of the broken-down regions below the surface SiO layer. The data confirm that Ti behaves as would be expected under a conventional rapid solidification theory. This has implications for how Ti in Si concentration data produced by non-atomistic techniques are interpreted and also indicates that the use of the conventional solidification apparatus can be used to predict Ti concentrations that may be achievable using implantation and laser melting techniques.
Complications with the Zurich Canine Total Hip Replacement System in an Initial Series of Cases Performed by a Single Surgeon.

Objective The aim of this study was to quantify the complications using the Zurich total hip replacement system in an initial series of cases performed by a single surgeon who had experience with other total hip replacement systems. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective study in which complications were classified as major if any treatment was needed or if the outcome was less than near-normal function. Complications that did not warrant treatment and that did not result in function that was inferior to near-normal were considered minor. Outcomes were assessed by radiographic review, physical examination, subjective gait evaluation or, in one case, by objective gait analysis. Bilateral total hip replacements were considered separate procedures. Results The first 21 procedures in 19 dogs performed by a single surgeon were included. The mean time to follow-up was 48 weeks (range: 8–120 weeks; standard deviation: 36 weeks). Two cases (of 21) experienced major complications including one dog with excess internal femoral rotation during weight bearing and one dog having luxation. One case (of 21) had a minor complication; femoral fracture in the presence of an intact bone plate that maintained alignment and healed without treatment. Clinical Significance A high rate of successful outcomes with few major complications can be obtained in the initial cases treated using the Zurich total hip replacement system for surgeons with prior experience with other total hip replacement systems.
The Effect of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Serum Creatinine in Transgender Individuals.

Abstract Objective To describe the changes in serum creatinine (Cr) levels after the initiation of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) in transgender individuals to better understand the expected changes and interpretation of laboratory values in this population. Methods A retrospective chart review of all adult transgender patients initiated on GAHT at Mayo Clinic from January 2011 to October 2019 was completed. Laboratory values were obtained prior to initiating GAHT and at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiating GAHT. Baseline Cr values were compared with Cr values at 3, 6, and 12 months after initiating GAHT in transgender men (TM) on testosterone and transgender women (TW) on estradiol and antiandrogens. Results A total of 84 TW (median age of 30 years) and 24 TM (median age of 23 years) were included for analysis. Following a matched pair analysis of TW, Cr values were found to be significantly decreased by −0.03 at 3 months (P = .04), −0.10 at 6 months (P Conclusion In TW and TM, a change in Cr level was seen as early as 3 months toward their affirmed gender after initiating GAHT. Clinicians can use Cr levels established at 6 months as new baseline values, as these changes continue to persist up to 12 months.
OCEAN wealth profiles: A latent profile analysis of personality traits and financial outcomes

Abstract There is a growing interest in the role of personality characteristics in describing financial outcomes. The Big Five personality traits have been shown to predict relevant financial outcomes including income and net worth. In the present research (n = 395), we move beyond individual Big Five personality traits to look at personality profiles in the prediction of financial outcomes. Using latent profile analyses, we identified three profiles—Under Controlled, Resilient, and Over Controlled—which were uniquely associated with income, risk tolerance, and life satisfaction. These patterns held even after controlling for gender, education, and age. The discussion focuses on the relative benefits of a personality approach over the common risk-tolerance approach.
Child Support Services And Non-Welfare Families

Under the law, Child Support Enforcement services are supposed to be available to all single-headed families with absent parents who are not paying support, or not paying enough support. Using Alabama as a case study, it was determined that factors operating at the agency level effectively control how many non-public assistance clients are being served. The number of non-AFDC clients was found to be a function of the number of AFDC clients rather than a function of the free-market of services. It is proposed that the incentive structure for collections, which limits incentive payments for non-AFDC to 115 percent of AFDC collections, is a key factor. Methods of advertising, or marketing of services to non-AFDC populations may be used as tool to control access to information regarding agency services.
Rejection in heart transplantation: more antibodies than just DSA

Aim The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of antibodies to non-HLA antigens for heart recipients diagnosed with rejection (AMR, ACR, BNR-T). Antibodies to non-HLA antigens have been implicated in the antibody mediated rejection (AMR) and acute cellular rejection (ACR) processes independent of and synergistic with de novo donor HLA specific antibody (DSA). In heart transplantation, recipients are often treated for biopsy negative rejection (BNR-T). Methods Posttransplant sera from 21 heart recipients biopsied for cause were tested for DSA and for antibodies to: Precursor Endothelial Cell Antibody (IgM), Precursor Endothelial Cell Antibody (IgG), AT1R, Tubulin B, Perlican, PRKRIP1, EDNRA, FLRT2, and Vimentin 33. Results 19 of 21 recipients were diagnosed with one of these 3 forms of rejection: 3 = AMR, 2 = ACR, 14-BNR-T. Of these, 6 (32%) had DSA while 15 (79%) had AT1R-ab. Other non-HLA antibodies detected at the time of rejection included: (13.7%) Precursor Endothelial Cell Antibody (IgM), (30.2%) Precursor Endothelial Cell Antibody (IgG), (15.8%) AT1R, (6.3%) Tubulin B, (14.7%) Perlican, (5.3%) PRKRIP1, (12.6%) EDNRA, (14.7%) FLRT2, and (7.4%) Vimentin 33. Conclusions Our previous studies showed an increased negative impact of freedom for AMR and/or ACR when antibodies to both DSA and AT1R were present (p = 0.001). These studies are consistent with the detection of multiple antibodies to non-HLA antigens during the rejection process. Monitoring for these antibodies may provide increased insight into the rejection process in the absence of de novo DSA, especially regarding BNR-T. Download : Download full-size image