cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Social Plasticity and Demographic Variation in Primates

A basic assumption in contemporary models of primate behavioral ecology is that the social patterns we observe in wild subjects are adaptations, or the products of past evolutionary selection pressures. Yet, both ecological and demographic conditions can change during the course of an individual’s life span, resulting in selection pressures that fluctuate on shorter time scales than the generations over which evolutionary processes occur. The varying fitness consequences of particular social patterns under different conditions can result in behavioral polymorphisms within populations and in high levels of intraspecific behavioral variation between populations (Strier, 2003, 2009). Social behavior is especially sensitive to local conditions, which reflect the demographic histories of groups and populations (Sussman, 1977; Strier, 1997a; Struhsaker, 2000, 2008; Henzi and Barrett, 2003; Sapolsky and Share, 2004) in addition to the phylogenetic histories of species. If evolution has favored “expedience,” or “the ability to select whatever tactic is necessary to solve an immediate problem, regardless of the possible long-term consequences of such action,” as Barrett and Henzi (2005, p. 1868) have suggested, then a great deal of primate social behavior may not be adaptive in a genetically determined, evolutionary sense.
Altered conformational landscape and dimerization dependency underpins the activation of EGFR by αC–β4 loop insertion mutations

Mutational activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in human cancers involves both point mutations and complex mutations (insertions and deletions). In particular, short in-frame insertion mutations within a conserved αC-β4 loop in the EGFR kinase domain are frequently observed in tumor samples and patients harboring these mutations are insensitive to first-generation EGFR inhibitors. Despite the prevalence and clinical relevance of insertion mutations, the mechanisms by which these mutations regulate EGFR activity and contribute to drug sensitivity are poorly understood. Using cell-based mutation screening, we find that the precise location, length, and sequence of the inserted segment are critical for ligand-independent EGFR activation and downstream signaling. We identify three insertion mutations (N771_P772insN, D770_N771insG, and D770>GY) that activate EGFR in a unique way by relying more on the "acceptor" interface for kinase activation. Our drug inhibition studies indicate that these activating insertion mutations respond more favorably to osimertinib, a recently Food and Drug Administration-approved EGFR inhibitor for T790M-positive patients with lung cancer. Molecular dynamics simulations and umbrella sampling of WT and mutant EGFR suggest a model in which activating insertion mutations increase catalytic activity by relieving key autoinhibitory interactions associated with αC-helix movement and by lowering the transition free energy ([Formula: see text]) between active and inactive states. Our studies also identify a transition state sampled by activating insertion mutations that can be exploited in the design of mutant-selective EGFR inhibitors.
Our Epoch’s Little Banishments

I argue that the conceptual locus of the category banishment in today’s world is not banishment in the historical sense of the term, but a new kind of banishment that is predicated on the formation of geographies of privilege and disadvantage that cut across the divides of our modernity – East-West, North-South. The formation of such geographies includes a partial disassembling of the modern national territorial project, one aspiring (and dependent on) national unity, whether actual or idealised. This also means that there is a weakening of the explanatory power of the nation-based encasements of membership (for citizens, for firms, for political systems) that have marked our modernity. The micro-banishments I refer to are part of emergent and proliferating geographies of disadvantage (for citizens, firms, districts) internal to a country.
Management Systems for Exploration and Exploitation

We investigate ambidexterity and management system alignment at the project level. Drawing on Burns and Stalker’s (1961) notions of organic and mechanistic systems of management, we examine whether...
A community hospital experience on the outcome of patients with different genetic variant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

e19099 Background: The era of molecular medicine for NSCLC has arrived. However, this is creating unique challenges for the community oncologist. Many centers routinely perform molecular profiling ...
Redox Chemistry in the Genome: Emergence of the [4Fe4S] Cofactor in Repair and Replication.

Many DNA-processing enzymes have been shown to contain a [4Fe4S] cluster, a common redox cofactor in biology. Using DNA electrochemistry, we find that binding of the DNA polyanion promotes a negati...
A data-driven approach to extract operational signatures of HVAC systems and analyze impact on electricity consumption

Abstract The electricity consumption of Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems has a significant share in the energy consumption of buildings, which account for 75% of total electricity produced in the US. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency in HVAC systems is an essential goal in facility management (FM) industry. Building Automation Systems (BASs) deployed in buildings provide an enormous amount of data on HVAC operations, which can be leveraged to extract hidden knowledge and insights about operational signatures of these systems (i.e., parameter-value pairs set for running the equipment) and their relationship to energy profiles. This study aims to identify critical parameters of HVAC systems that drive the changes in the building energy-use profiles and develop an automated approach for identifying HVAC operational signatures and their energy profiles in buildings. The approach relies on data-driven methodologies and is composed of three major steps: data preprocessing, feature selection, and signature discovery and analysis. The approach was tested on four air handling units (AHUs) in different buildings. The results showed that it is possible to define operational signatures for facility operators to run AHUs at these custom settings and achieve about 30% saving in electric power, given the profiles across the operational signatures.
Carrier-gas assisted vapor deposition for highly tunable morphology of halide perovskite thin films

We demonstrate carrier-gas assisted vapor deposition (CGAVD) as a promising synthesis technique for high-quality metal halide perovskite thin films. Wide tunability of film microstructure and morphology are accesible with CGAVD via the combination of several independently controllable experimental variables. Here, we examine in detail the material transport mechanisms in CGAVD and develop analytical expressions for deposition rates for the halide perovskite precursors MABr, MAI, SnBr2, and SnI2 as a function of experimentally tunable temperatures, pressures, and flow rates. The method is then applied to systematically control the growth of MASnBr3 thin films via co-deposition across a range of stoichiometries and morphologies. In varying source material temperature, carrier gas flow rate, dilution gas flow rate, substrate temperature, and chamber pressure, corresponding changes are realized in the degree of crystallinity, grain orientation, and average grain size (from ∼0.001 to >0.7 µm2). Thin films of MASnI3 and MASnBr3 deposited using CGAVD show resistivities of 0.6 Ω cm and 7 × 104 Ω cm, respectively, broadly consistent with previous reports.
Consolidation in the dental industry: a closer look at dental payers and providers

We examine the effect of commercial dental insurance concentration on the size of dental practices, the decision of dentists to own a practice, and the choice of dentists to work at a dental management service organization—a type of corporate group practice that has become more prevalent in the United States in recent years. Using 2013–2015 dentist-level data from the American Dental Association, county-level data on firms and employment from the United States Census, and commercial dental insurance market concentration data from FAIR Health®, we find a modest effect of dental insurance market concentration on the size of dental practices. We also find that a higher level of commercial dental insurance market concentration is associated with a dentist’s decision not to own a practice. There is inconclusive evidence that higher levels of dental insurance market concentration impact a dentist’s decision to affiliate with a dental management service organization. Overall, our findings imply that dentists consolidate in response to increases in concentration among commercial dental insurers.
Strongly Secure Multiuser Communication and Authentication With Anonymity Constraints

We consider authentication of messages sent from transmitters to a receiver over a multiple access channel, where each transmitter shares a secret key with the legitimate receiver. Additionally, there exists a computationally unbounded opponent who has access to noisy observations of the messages transmitted and can initiate impersonation or substitution attacks. We require that the legitimate receiver must be able to authenticate the messages he receives with respect to predetermined groups of transmitters, but at the same time must be kept ignorant of the transmitter’s identity of a given message in a given group. We propose an information-theoretic formulation of these anonymity constraints as well as an authentication coding scheme for which the asymptotic probability of successful attack is shown to optimally scale with the length of the secret keys shared between each transmitter and the legitimate receiver. Our results quantify the positive impact of the multiple access setting compared to the single-user setting on the probability of successful attack.
Security Organizing: A Framework for Organizational Information Security Mindfulness

In the knowledge economy, organizational information is one of a firm's most valuable assets. However, despite significant advances in information security (InfoSec) research, problems in the field persist. This paper contends that advances in reliability and safety can help inform the future of InfoSec research. Specifically, the paper presents a framework for security organizing that is based on previous research about the organizational mindfulness characteristics of high reliability organizations (HROs). This paper considers the similarities among reliability, safety, and InfoSec, provides an initial validation of a potential construct for measuring security organizing in the workplace, and discusses opportunities for future research.
Short-Term Effects of an Obesity Prevention Program Among Low-Income Hispanic Families With Preschoolers.

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the short-term effects of an obesity prevention program promoting eating self-regulation and healthy food preferences in low-income Hispanic children. Design Randomized controlled trial with pretest, posttest, and 6- and 12-month assessments. Setting and Participants Head Start and similar early learning institutions in Houston, TX, and Pasco, WA. A total of 255 families with preschoolers randomized into prevention (n = 136) and control (n = 119) groups. Intervention Multicomponent family-based prevention program. Fourteen waves lasted 7 weeks each with 8–10 mother–child dyads in each group. Main Outcome Measures Parent assessments included feeding practices, styles, and knowledge. Child assessments included child eating self-regulation, willingness to try new foods, and parent report of child fruit and vegetable preferences. Parent and child heights and weights were measured. Analysis Multilevel analyses were employed to consider the nested nature of the data: time points within families within waves. Results The program had predicted effects on parental feeding practices, styles, and knowledge in the pre- to post-comparisons. Effects on child eating behavior were minimal; only the number of different vegetables tried showed significant pre-post differences. Conclusions and Implications Short-term effects of this prevention program highlight the importance of family-focused feeding approaches to combating child overweight and obesity.
Determination of economic efficiency of agricultural enterprises in Turkey: a DEA approach

In this study, it is tried to determine the efficiencies of agricultural enterprises in the use of capital and credit in Turkey by DEA. In the scope of the study, 550 farmers in enterprises in Antalya, Konya, Karaman, Ankara, and Eskisehir were interviewed. According to the results of the data envelopment analysis, 95 farmers according to CRS, 134 according to under VRS, and 95 according to under SE were found to be effective. The higher average of the overall technical efficiency is Antalya (0.87) and Konya (0.72). This result shows that even if the agricultural enterprises reduce input use by 13% in Antalya and 28% in Konya, they will achieve the same agricultural income. According to the research results, it is determined that agricultural enterprises in Turkey do not use effectively the capitals, and they can achieve the same agricultural income with a low level of capital. Keeping the accounting records of agricultural enterprises in Turkey is important in terms of making a proper production plan.
Metastasis, Mortality, and Quality of Life for Men With NCCN High and Very High Risk Localized Prostate Cancer After Surgical and/or Combined Modality Radiotherapy.

Abstract Purpose To compare metastasis-free survival, overall survival, and patient-reported quality of life (QOL) of men with National Comprehensive Cancer Network high or very high risk prostate cancer after definitive surgery and/or multimodal radiotherapy (RT). Patients and Methods We studied a retrospective cohort study of 586 patients treated between the years 2000 and 2017 receiving radical prostatectomy with or without postoperative RT, external-beam RT (EBRT) with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), or EBRT plus brachytherapy (Brachy) boost + ADT. Patient-reported QOL for urinary, bowel, sexual, and overall physical and mental functioning was assessed using the American Urological Association symptom scale, the Sexual Health Inventory in Men, the Rectal-Function Assessment Scale, the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite, and the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey. Results Median follow-up for survival was 5 years. No significant differences between the treatments were observed for overall survival or metastasis-free survival at the P Conclusion Men with very and/or high-risk localized prostate cancer are likely to require multimodal therapy. The overall differences in survival and long-term QOL are similar for men choosing surgical versus RT pathways.
Dynamic pharmacy leadership during the COVID-19 crisis: Optimizing patient care through formulary and drug shortage management.

Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for health systems around the world. We describe our approach to adapting the pharmacy leadership structure to address critical medication shortages through innovative data analysis, procurement strategies, and rapid implementation of medication policy. Summary Yale New Haven Health deployed a system incident management command structure to effectively respond to the COVID-19 crisis. System pharmacy services adopted a similar framework to enable efficient communication and quick decision-making in key domains, including drug procurement and policy. By refining a model to project health-system medication needs, we were able to anticipate challenges and devise alternative treatment algorithms. By leveraging big data and creating a system knowledge base, we were able to consolidate reporting and coordinate efforts to ensure system success. Various procurement strategies were employed to ensure adequate supply, including frequent communication with our wholesaler, sourcing direct from suppliers, outsourcing of sterile products compounding to registered 503B outsourcing facilities, and acquisition of active pharmaceutical ingredients for compounding of essential medications. Strategic positioning of pharmacists within the health system's incident command response teams and rapid adaption of drug use policy governance fueled accelerated response and nimble implementation. Communication was streamlined and executed via multiple outlets to reach a broad audience across the health system. Conclusion With medication shortages posing a threat to patient care, dynamic pharmacy leadership proved essential to providing patient care at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. System alignment and the rapid adaption of the existing framework for drug shortage management and medication use policy were crucial to success in crisis response.
Do Not Forget the 20%: A Lesson from Service Mentorship

This viewpoint explores what specific experiences DPETE students may need outside of research and teaching and suggests the lack of experience managing service responsibilities can create a situati...
Estimating the infection-fatality risk of SARS-CoV-2 in New York City during the spring 2020 pandemic wave: a model-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the infection-fatality risk (ie, risk of death among all infected individuals including those with asymptomatic and mild infections) is crucial for gauging the burden of death due to COVID-19 in the coming months or years. Here, we estimate the infection-fatality risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in New York City, NY, USA, the first epidemic centre in the USA, where the infection-fatality risk remains unclear. METHODS: In this model-based analysis, we developed a meta-population network model-inference system to estimate the underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in New York City during the 2020 spring pandemic wave using available case, mortality, and mobility data. Based on these estimates, we further estimated the infection-fatality risk for all ages overall and for five age groups (<25, 25-44, 45-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years) separately, during the period March 1 to June 6, 2020 (ie, before the city began a phased reopening). FINDINGS: During the period March 1 to June 6, 2020, 205â639 people had a laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 and 21â447 confirmed and probable COVID-19-related deaths occurred among residents of New York City. We estimated an overall infection-fatality risk of 1·39% (95% credible interval 1·04-1·77) in New York City. Our estimated infection-fatality risk for the two oldest age groups (65-74 and ≥75 years) was much higher than the younger age groups, with a cumulative estimated infection-fatality risk of 0·116% (0·0729-0·148) for those aged 25-44 years and 0·939% (0·729-1·19) for those aged 45-64 years versus 4·87% (3·37-6·89) for those aged 65-74 years and 14·2% (10·2-18·1) for those aged 75 years and older. In particular, weekly infection-fatality risk was estimated to be as high as 6·72% (5·52-8·01) for those aged 65-74 years and 19·1% (14·7-21·9) for those aged 75 years and older. INTERPRETATION: Our results are based on more complete ascertainment of COVID-19-related deaths in New York City than other places and thus probably reflect the true higher burden of death due to COVID-19 than that previously reported elsewhere. Given the high infection-fatality risk of SARS-CoV-2, governments must account for and closely monitor the infection rate and population health outcomes and enact prompt public health responses accordingly as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. FUNDING: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Science Foundation Rapid Response Research Program, and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
A Case of Failure of EkoSonic™ Endovascular System in the Treatment of Submassive Pulmonary Embolism.

Submassive pulmonary embolism (SPE) is characterized by the presence of right ventricular (RV) strain as visualized on echocardiogram or CT scan with brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and/or troponin elevation. The condition accounts for 20-25% of all pulmonary embolism (PE) cases. In cases of SPE, catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) is generally considered in the presence of severe hypoxemia, worsening RV dysfunction, patients with increasing tachycardia and elevated troponins, free-floating thrombus in the right atrium or RV, and presence of extensive clot burden. EkoSonic (TM) Endovascular System (EKOS;Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA) has been successfully used to treat cases of PE even where systemic thrombolytic therapy has failed. However, in this article, we describe a unique case of the failure of EKOS in treating a 71-year-old African American man who presented to the hospital with progressively worsening chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. He was suspected to have SPE;however, a CT pulmonary angiogram could not be performed to estimate the clot burden due to an acute kidney injury. He was diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia during the hospitalization and had a delayed EKOS procedure with minimal improvement in oxygenation and clot burden. He subsequently underwent half-dose systemic thrombolytic therapy with complete resolution of his symptoms. Given our success with half-dose systemic therapy, we propose that it may be considered as a "rescue therapy" in cases where EKOS fails to deliver results.
Case report of ipsilateral humeral shaft fracture and shoulder dislocation treated by closed reduction followed by intramedullary nailing

Combined humeral shaft fracture and shoulder dislocation injury is rare. Consequently, there are no standard treatment protocols for this injury. We present a case of a 33-year-old man who slipped off a motorcycle and incurred a right humeral shaft fracture and right shoulder dislocation. We performed closed reduction of the shoulder followed by intramedullary nailing. The protocol is different from most in existing papers and results in a good prognosis. However, gentle reduction is essential to avoid iatrogenic neurovascular damage.
“I lost myself”: Merging Layers to Create a New Identity

International Graduate Students (IGS) may share their journey in the United States with their accompanying families. Families tend to be the student, their spouse, and children if they have any. Those individuals who travel with the student are sometimes referred to as dependents. As they go through acculturation, both students and dependents encounter the challenge of affirming or reinventing their identities. In this study, we used the communication theory of identity (CTI) to analyze the disparate experiences of both groups. In CTI four layers constitute the concept of identity. The layers are: a) The way individuals see themselves (personal), b) their communicative interaction through social roles (relational), c) their construction of messages (enactment), and d) their role within a group or social network (communal). Thus, CTI views identity as a communicative and relational phenomenon.
Indicated Opioids in Pregnancy: Guidance on Providing Comprehensive Care.

In modern obstetric practice, providers will encounter patients for whom opioid use in pregnancy is reasonable or even necessary. A “one-size-fits-all” approach to the counseling and management of such patients is misguided. Understanding indications for ongoing opioid use in pregnancy is essential to patient-centered care. Specifically, recognition of the nuanced differences between opioid dependence and opioid use disorder is crucial for appropriate diagnosis, screening for common concurrent conditions, adequately counseling about individualized maternal and perinatal risks, and accurate documentation of diagnoses and medical decision-making. In this paper, we explore the current typical scenarios in which opioid use in pregnancy may be encountered, ongoing opioid prescribing should be considered, and provide a guide for the obstetric provider to navigate the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Key Points
Six-year Burden of Care for Nonsyndromic Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Patients: A Comparison Between Cleft Centers and Noncleft Centers.

OBJECTIVE To determine differences in burden of care between nonsyndromic patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate undergoing treatment at American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA)-accredited centers and nonaccredited centers in New York State. DESIGN A retrospective review of the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database from January 2001 to December 2014 was performed using ICD-9 and CPT coding. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS This study included patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate who underwent both lip and palate repairs during their first 6 years of life. Exclusion criteria included orofacial cleft syndromes, follow-up under 6 years, and one-stage combined cleft lip and palate repairs. RESULTS Eighty-eight patients were treated at cleft centers, and 29 patients at nonaccredited centers ( n = 117). Age at primary palatoplasty (13.0 months vs 18.1 months; p = .019), total number of cleft operations (2.3 vs 2.7; p = .012), and total number of primary cleft-specific procedures (2.2 vs 2.5; p = .0049) were significantly lower for patients treated in cleft centers. Age at primary cheiloplasty (4.8 months vs 4.6 months; p = .865), post-cheiloplasty length of stay (1.2 days vs 1.2 days; p = .673), post-palatoplasty length of stay (1.5 days vs 1.9 days; p = .211), average hospital admissions (2.2 vs 2.3; p = 0.161), and total complication rates (34.1% vs 21.1%; p = 0.517) did not differ significantly between cleft centers and noncenters. CONCLUSIONS This data demonstrates some significant differences in overall 6 year burden of care for nonsyndromic patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate treated at ACPA-accredited cleft centers versus nonaccredited centers.
Neuroimmunodegeneration: do neurons and T cells use common pathways for cell death?

In syndromes of pediatric neuroimmunodegeneration (NID), certain neurons and T cells degenerate and disappear during early development at an accelerated rate without alerting the peripheral immune cells. Current studies of some of these NID syndromes suggest that the primary cause of neuronal and T cell death is an imbalanced cytokine signaling system with a dysfunctional redox status, and that the loss of T cells and neurons may be secondary to impaired functions of their accessory supportive cells. These dysfunctions include inappropriate production of developmental cytokines, inadequate secretion of reductants, and disregulation of excitotoxic amino acid metabolism. Two examples of pediatric NID in humans are ataxia telangiectasia and pediatric human immunodeficiency virus infection. An animal model is retrovirus-induced T and neuronal cell loss in neonatal mice infected with a neuroimmunopathogenic mutant, ts1, of the Moloney murine leukemia virus. Because both thymic and neuronal components share man...
A Cost-Utility Analysis of Alternative Strategies in Screening for Breast Cancer

Screening for early detection is a primary way to control breast cancer. The choice of effective screening policies involves substantial uncertainty and difficult tradeoffs among medical costs and the duration and quality of life. In this paper, we study the choice of the age at which screening should begin and the frequency of screening tests. These have been issues of important debate in the health policy community. We address these questions using the framework of cost-utility analysis, as we consider it important to evaluate the outcomes of preventive care in terms of morbidity and quality of life, in addition to survival. After a brief review of background information on breast cancer screening, we introduce cost-utility analysis and its relation with Bayesian decision-making. We then discuss modelling and prior specifications, and carry out a cost-utility evaluation of the currently recommended policy. Finally we compare those to the the Bayes-optimal decision for various values of the exchange rate between dollars and quality of life. We discuss the implications of the results for actual policy decisions.
Elastic Constants and Anisotropy of MgSiO3 Perovskite, Periclase, and SiO2 at High Pressure

We review recent results of first principles theory as applied to the elastic constants of important deep earth phases at high pressure, including MgSiO3 perovskite, MgO periclase and the stishovite, CaCl2 and columbite phases of SiO2. The foundation and implementation of the theoretical technique, the plane-wave pseudopotential method, is briefly discussed as is the method for determining the structure and elastic constants at high pressure. The results show that predicted elastic constants are in good agreement with experiment: RMS deviation are 5 %, 7 % and 4 %, respectively for perovskite, periclase and stishovite. Much of the difference can be accounted for by the difference in temperature between the athermal calculations and the 300 It experiments. We discuss these results in terms of seismological observations paying particular attention to 1) the properties of aggregates and 2) anisotropy. Comparison of the seismic wave velocities of isotropic mono-phase aggregates with those of the lower mantle show that the P- and S-wave velocities of perovskite are consistent with those of the deep earth, supporting the view that this mineral is the most abundant constituent of the lower mantle. The properties of anisotropic mono-phase aggregates are estimated based on the theoretical results for single crystals and simple models of flow in D " and of mineralogical deformation mechanisms. We find that the SH/SV anisotropy is large for aggregates of perovskite, periclase and silica (6-8 % in magnitude) compared with that observed in D ". While mono-phase aggregates of silica exhibit fast SH velocity at pressures corresponding to D ", perovskite and periclase have slow SH velocities. We discuss the implications of these results for the origin of anisotropy in D ".
Trapping and Moving Atoms on Surfaces

Abstract We have used a scanning tunneling microscope to laterally reposition a single cobalt atom adsorbed on the (111) face of a copper crystal. We find that the atom follows a complex path determined by the trapping potential of the STM tip, the effects of vibrational heating from inelastic electron scattering, and the overall potential landscape of the crystal surface. The atom's dynamical response produces the classic signature of a random two-state fluctuator, permits the acquisition of a binding site image of the surface, and suggests a methodology for atom-based measurements of nanostructures.
Identification of the yeast TOP3 gene product as a single strand-specific DNA topoisomerase.

The TOP3 gene of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was postulated to encode a DNA topoisomerase, based on its sequence homology to Escherichia coli DNA topoisomerase I and the suppression of the poor growth phenotype of top3 mutants by the expression of the E. coli enzyme (Wallis, J.W., Chrebet, G., Brodsky, G., Golfe, M., and Rothstein, R. (1989) Cell 58, 409-419). We have purified the yeast TOP3 gene product to near homogeneity as a 74-kDA protein from yeast cells lacking DNA topoisomerase I and overexpressing a plasmid-borne TOP3 gene linked to a phosphate-regulated yeast PHO5 gene promoter. The purified protein possesses a distinct DNA topoisomerase activity: similar to E. coli DNA topoisomerases I and III, it partially relaxes negatively but not positively supercoiled DNA. Several experiments, including the use of a negatively supercoiled heteroduplex DNA containing a 29-nucleotide single-stranded loop, indicate that the activity has a strong preference for single-stranded DNA. A protein-DNA covalent complex in which the 74-kDa protein is linked to a 5' DNA phosphoryl group has been identified, and the nucleotide sequences of 30 sites of DNA-protein covalent complex formation have been determined. These sequences differ from those recognized by E. coli DNA topoisomerase I but resemble those recognized by E. coli DNA topoisomerase III. Based on these results, the yeast TOP3 gene product can formally be termed S. cerevisiae DNA topoisomerase III. Analysis of supercoiling of intracellular yeast plasmids in various DNA topoisomerase mutants indicates that yeast DNA topoisomerase III has at most a weak activity in relaxing negatively supercoiled double-stranded DNA in vivo, in accordance with the characteristics of the purified enzyme.
Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant: Too Many or Just Enough?

For liver transplant candidates with advanced kidney dysfunction, simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) transplantation is an important option. As the incidence of severe kidney dysfunction has increased over the past decade, so have the numbers of SLK transplants. This has engendered controversy within the transplant community because SLK transplants draw deceased donor kidneys from the kidney transplant candidate pool. Because kidney recovery after liver transplant alone (LTA) is difficult to predict, indications for SLK are not precisely defined. Candidates with hepatorenal syndrome can have kidney recovery after as much as 12 weeks on dialysis, whereas those with CKD may have early ESRD after LTA because of perioperative events and calcineurin inhibitor exposure. Although large observational studies generally show slightly improved survival in SLK recipients compared with LTA, inferences from these studies are limited by selection biases. Therefore, a true survival benefit of SLK in candidates without ESRD is still unproved. Although selection practices vary, generally LTA candidates have more kidney dysfunction because of hepatorenal syndrome and acute kidney injury, whereas SLK candidates have less severe liver disease and more CKD or ESRD. The debate over appropriate SLK is primarily one of the optimal kidney utilization vs the best interests of individual liver transplant candidates.
The time cost of documents to trade

The paper shows that the number of documents required to export and import tend to increase the time cost of shipments. However, this relationship is far from simplistic, varying sharply in magnitude depending on the income level and the size of the country. Specifically, the increase in the time cost of increased documentation is much larger for countries that are relatively poor and large in size. One interpretation of this finding is that the relatively rich countries that have more resources and the relatively small countries that rely more on trade invest more in building efficient documentation systems. Hence, increased documentation adds less to the time cost at the margin as income level rises and country size becomes smaller. At a broader level, our findings suggest caution in interpreting how input-based measures such as the number of required documents to trade affect the quality of the business environment as far as the associated cost is concerned.
Bacteremia in hospitalized patients with human immunodeficiency virus: A prospective, cohort study

Bacterial infections complicate the course of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. The purpose of this study was to describe the bacterial pathogens causing blood stream infection, identify the risk factors for the development of blood stream infection and determine the impact of blood stream infection on the outcome of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. The incidence, etiology, risk factors and outcome of bacterial blood stream infection were prospectively determined in 1,225 consecutive hospitalizations of adults with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Blood stream infection occurred in 88 hospitalizations (7%); 73 of 89 infections (82%) were community acquired. The most commonly isolated gram-positive organism was Streptococcus pneumoniae (21); gram-negative, Escherichia coli (14). Blood stream infection was detected in 8% of African Americans and 22% of Hispanics compared with 2% of whites (P = 0.0013). Patients with blood stream infection had higher white blood cell counts (median, 6.5 vs. 4.9 × 109/L; P = 0.0002) and mortality (18% vs. 4%; P < 0.0001) than patients without infection. In patients with human immunodeficiency virus, blood stream infection is associated with an increased mortality rate. Recognition of the incidence, etiology, and risk factors of blood stream infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection could lead to measures that reduce the increased mortality.
Encoding whisker deflection velocity within the rodent barrel cortex using phase-delayed inhibition

The primary sensory feature represented within the rodent barrel cortex is the velocity with which a whisker has been deflected. Whisker deflection velocity is encoded within the thalamus via population synchrony (higher deflection velocities entail greater synchrony among the corresponding thalamic population). Thalamic (TC) cells project to regular spiking (RS) cells within the barrel cortex, as well as to inhibitory cortical fast-spiking (FS) neurons, which in turn project to RS cells. Thus, TC spikes result in EPSPs followed, with a small time lag, by IPSPs within an RS cell, and hence the RS cell decodes TC population synchrony by employing a phase-delayed inhibition synchrony detection scheme. As whisker deflection velocity is increased, the probability that an RS cell spikes rises, while jitter in the timing of RS cell spikes remains constant. Furthermore, repeated whisker deflections with fixed velocity lead to system adaptation --- TC ?RS, TC ?FS, and FS ?RS synapses all weaken substantially, leading to a smaller probability of spiking of the RS cell and increased jitter in the timing of RS cell spikes. Interestingly, RS cell activity is better able to distinguish among different whisker deflection velocities after adaptation. In this work, we construct a biophysical model of a basic `building block' of barrel cortex --- the feedforward circuit consisting of TC cells, FS cells, and a single RS cell --- and we examine the ability of the purely feedforward circuit to explain the experimental data on RS cell spiking probability, jitter, adaptation, and deflection velocity discrimination. Moreover, we study the contribution of the phase-delayed inhibition network structure to the ability of an RS cell to decode whisker deflection velocity encoded via TC population synchrony.
Two Gq Class G Proteins Are Expressed in Human Keratinocytes

G proteins link many cell surface receptor generated signals to activation of multiple cellular processes in all tissues. There is specificity in the receptor interaction with the G protein and in the interaction of the specific G protein with different effector molecules. The purpose of this study was to determine some of the biologically relevant G proteins in keratinocytes. The Gα subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein was investigated because much of the biologic activity and the receptor specificity resides there. A polymerase chain reaction strategy was used that amplified multiple Gα gene segments between conserved primer sites from keratinocyte first strand cDNA. Two Gq class G proteins, Gα16 and Gαy, were identified. Using northern analysis and in situ hybridization, mRNA of both of these genes were detected in keratinocytes in culture and in epidermal keratinocytes. Gαy was expressed in multiple other cell types and tissues, but Gαy was restricted in expression to keratinocytes and keratinocyte-derived adnexal structures in the skin. Gα16 has previously been reported to be limited in expression to hematopoietic cells. The physiologic receptor to which it couples in neutrophils is reported to be a C5a receptor. The receptor to which it couples in keratinocytes has not been elucidated but by analogy may be another chemokine receptor. We hypothesize that Gα16 is an important conduit for responses to inflammatory signals in keratinocytes.
Towards virtual videography (poster session)

Videographers have developed an art of conveying events in video. Through choices made in cinematography, editing, and post-processing, effective video presentations can be created from events recorded with little or no intrusion. In this paper, we explore systems that bring videography to situations where cost or time issues preclude application of the art. Our goal is to develop virtual videography, that is, systems that can help automate the process of creating an effective video presentation from given footage. In this paper, we discuss how virtual videography systems can be constructed by combining image-based rendering to synthetically generate shots with image understanding to help choose what should be shown to the viewer. To this, visual effects can be added to enhance the presentation, lessening the degradation caused by the medium.
Nonfallacious Rhetorical Strategies: Lyndon Johnson’s Daisy Ad

The traditional concepts of rhetorical strategy and argumentative fallacy cannot be readily reconciled. Doing so requires escaping the following argument: All argumentation involves rhetorical strategies. All rhetorical strategies are violations of logical or dialectical ideals. All violations of logical or dialectical ideals are fallacies. Normative pragmatics provides a perspective in which rhetorical strategies can be seen to have the potential for constructive contributions to argumentation and in which fallacies are not simply violations of ideals. One kind of constructive contribution, framing moves, is illustrated with the case of Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 TV campaign commercial known as the Daisy ad.
Modeling quantum processes in classical molecular dynamics simulations of dense plasmas

We present a method for treating quantum processes in a classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The computational approach, called ‘Small Ball’ (SB), was originally introduced to model emission and absorption of free–free radiation. Here, we extend this approach to handle ionization/recombination reactions as well as nuclear fusion events. This method exploits the short-range nature of screened-particle interactions in a dense plasma to restrict consideration of quantum processes to a small region about a given ion, and carefully accounts for the effects of the plasma environment on two-particle interaction rates within that region. The use of a reduced set of atomic rates, corresponding to the bottleneck approximation, simplifies their implementation within an MD code. We validate the extended MD code against a collisional–radiative code for model systems under two scenarios: (i) solid-density carbon at conditions encountered in recent experiments, and (ii) high-density Xe-doped hydrogen relevant for laser fusion. We find good agreement for the time-dependent ionization evolution for both systems. We also simulate fast protons stopping in warm, dense carbon plasmas. Here, reasonable agreement with recent experimental data requires contributions from both bound electrons, as modeled by SB in the extended MD code, and free electrons; for the latter, use of the classical random phase approximation (RPA) formula instead of the MD prediction yields better agreement with the experiment, a result that can be attributed to the use of modified Coulomb potentials in MD simulations of electron–ion plasmas. Finally, we confirm that the fusion reaction rate obtained from an MD simulation agrees with analytical expressions for the reaction rate in a weakly screened plasma.
In vitro evaluation of a low-modulus mesh canine prosthetic hip stem

Objective—To compare an electron beam melting-processed (EBMP) low-modulus titanium alloy mesh stem with a commercial cobalt-chromium (CC) stem in a canine cadaver model. Sample Population—9 pairs of cadaver femora. Procedures—EBMP stems of 3 sizes were placed in randomly chosen sides of femora (left or right) and CC stems in opposite sides. Stem impaction distances were recorded. Five strain gauges were attached to the femoral surface to record transverse tensile (hoop) strains in the femur during axial loading. Constructs were axially loaded 4 times to 800 N and 4 times to 1,600 N in a materials testing machine. Axial stiffness of constructs and bone surface strains were compared between EBMP and CC constructs. Results—Stems were impacted without creating femoral fissures or fractures. Stem impaction distances were larger for EBMP stems than for CC stems. Mean axial stiffness of EBMP constructs was lower than mean axial stiffness of CC constructs. Subsidence did not differ between groups. Bone strains v...
Analysis of Urea Nitrogen in the Presence of Ammonia Using an Ammonia Gas Sensitive Electrode

Abstract This report describes a method for the determination of ammonia and urea in raw sewage samples using an Orion Ammonia Gas-Sensing Electrode. Urea is determined by potentiometrically measuring the ammonia produced following exhaustive hydrolysis by urease and subtracting the amount of ammonia present before enzymatic hydrolysis. The recovery of urea from raw sewage samples using the procedure herein described is shown to be nearly Quantitative.
Effect of Bentonite on Nitrogen and Mineral Balances and Ration Digestibility of High-Grain Rations Fed to Lactating Dairy Cows

Abstract A digestion trial was conducted with lactating Holstein cows fed the following rations: I) a high-grain, fat-depressing ration; II) fat-depressing ration + 5% sodium bentonite; and III) fat-depressing ration + 10% sodium bentonite. The mean adjusted dry matter digestibilities of I) 78.7%, II) 80.8%, and III) 76.5% were not significantly different. A nonsignificant increase in nitrogen retention with a significant decrease in crude protein digestibility was noted with both of the bentonite treatments. The mean protein digestibilities (%) and daily nitrogen retention (g/day) for the treatments were: I) 79.9 and 37.2; II) 75.4 and 75.9; and III) 68.8 and 53.0, respectively. Energy digestibility decreased significantly. Mean digestible energy (%) for Treatments I, II, and III were 78.4, 71.8, and 69.1. Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium balances (g/day) were as follows: I) 31.6, 33.0, 8.2; II) 9.5, 9.4, 2.1; and III) 3.1, -3.4, 1.5. Differences between I versus II and III as well as II versus III in phosphorus balance were statistically significant.
Researching Humanitarian Intervention: Some Lessons:

This article calls into question how much `learning' from humanitarian catastrophes has actually taken place in the last decade - if `learning' entails fundamental changes in the ways that international responses are mounted. Eight lessons are offered for authors doing both scholarly and policy research. Three relate to the causal impact of humanitarian values (recognizing importance of ideas; distinguishing first- and second-order principles; avoiding political correctness). And five concern specific pleas for clarification in analyses (avoiding `international community'; distinguishing the roles of IGOs; rejecting best-case scenarios; moving beyond paralysis by analysis; taking care about extrapolation from today's headlines). Too much attention is paid to the differences among scholars, policy analysts, and journalists; and too little to the common ground that they occupy. Modesty is a good point of departure for the post-post-Cold War era.