cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teens, Tweets, and Tanning Beds: Rethinking the Use of Social Media for Skin Cancer Prevention

The incidence of skin cancer is rising in the U.S., and melanoma, the deadliest form, is increasing disproportionately among young white women. Indoor tanning is a modifiable risk factor for all skin cancers and continues to be used at the highest rates in young white women. Adolescents and young adults report personal appearance-based reasons for using indoor tanning. Previous research has explored the influences on tanning bed use, including individual factors as well as relationships with peers, family, schools, media influences, legislation, and societal beauty norms. Adolescents and young adults also have high rates of social media usage, and research is emerging on how best to utilize these platforms for prevention. Social media has the potential to be a cost-effective way to reach large numbers of young people and target messages at characteristics of specific audiences. Recent prevention efforts have shown that comprehensive prevention campaigns that include technology and social media are promising in reducing rates of indoor tanning among young adults. This review examines the literature on psychosocial influences on indoor tanning among adolescents and young adults, and highlights ways in which technology and social media can be used for prevention efforts.
Role of PTPN2/22 polymorphisms in pathophysiology of Crohn's disease.

AIM To establish the relationship of protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 and 22 (PTPN2/22) polymorphisms and mycobacterial infections in Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS All 133 subjects' blood samples were genotyped for nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PTPN2/22 using TaqMan™ genotyping, while the effect of the SNPs on PTPN2/22 and IFN-γ gene expression was determined using RT-PCR. Detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) IS900 gene was done by nPCR after DNA extraction from the isolated leukocytes of each subjects' blood samples. T-cells isolated from the patient samples were tested for response to phytohematoagglutonin (PHA) mitogen or mycobacterial antigens by BrdU proliferation assays for T-cell activity. RESULTS Out of the nine SNPs examined, subjects with either heterozygous (TC)/minor (CC) alleles in PTPN2:rs478582 occurred in 83% of CD subjects compared to 61% healthy controls (P-values < 0.05; OR = 3.03). Subjects with either heterozygous (GA)/minor (AA) alleles in PTPN22:rs2476601 occurred in 16% of CD compared to 6% healthy controls (OR = 2.7). Gene expression in PTPN2/22 in CD subjects was significantly decreased by 2 folds compared to healthy controls (P-values < 0.05). IFN-γ expression levels were found to be significantly increased by approxiately 2 folds in subjects when either heterozygous or minor alleles in PTPN2:rs478582 and/or PTPN22:rs2476601 were found (P-values < 0.05). MAP DNA was detected in 61% of CD compared to only 8% of healthy controls (P-values < 0.05, OR = 17.52), where subjects with either heterozygous or minor alleles in PTPN2:rs478582 and/or PTPN22:rs2476601 had more MAPbacteremia presence than subjects without SNPs did. The average T-cell proliferation in CD treated with PHA or mycobacteria antigens was, respectively, 1.3 folds and 1.5 folds higher than healthy controls without any significant SNP. CONCLUSION The data suggests that SNPs in PTPN2/22 affect the negative regulation of the immune response in CD patients, thus leading to an increase in inflammation/apoptosis and susceptibility of mycobacteria.
Role of Thidiazuron in Tissue Culture of Orchids

Orchids are among the elite of flowering plants, fetching a very high price in the international market. The orchid industry of today is dependent on micropropagation for planting material, since orchid seeds lack a functional endosperm and do not germinate naturally without a fungal association. Proper growth and maintenance of orchid plantlets in tissue culture require an external supply of growth regulators. Recently, thidiazuron (TDZ) has surfaced as an effective bioregulant in plant cell and tissue cultures by virtue of its morpho-regulatory potential. It is reported to be the matchless synthetic cytokinin available and has significantly improved the in vitro regeneration and multiplication of species recalcitrant to propagation. This chapter summarizes the various developments and recent advancements in the application of TDZ for tissue culture of orchids.
The Historical Evolution of Alternative Metrics for Developing Countries’ Food and Agriculture Policy Assessment

The demand for quantitative assessments of the impacts of food and agricultural policies has grown steadily in the past four decades. From the application of social cost-benefit analysis to investments in developing countries in the 1970s to the use of increasingly sophisticated general equilibrium models today, the menu of available techniques for policy assessment has expanded rapidly. In addition, both partial and general equilibrium models have been developed to analyze world markets for agricultural commodities and the effects of government policies on such markets. Alongside the modeling of markets and the quantitative impact of policies, several indicators have been developed that build on trade policy measures, including effective protection and tariff equivalents. One example is the producer subsidy equivalent. This has been used by the OECD to estimate the level of support provided by government policies to the agricultural sector. The indicators have more recently been applied to developing cou...
The future of kinase inhibitors for DLBCL

In this issue of Blood, Battistello et al present results exploring inhibition of signaling across key nodes in the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway for Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK)-sensitive and BTK-insensitive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
Characterization of the PLP-dependent transaminase initiating azasugar biosynthesis.

Biosynthesis of the azasugar 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) critically involves a transamination in the first committed step. Here, we identify the azasugar biosynthetic cluster signature in Paenibacillus polymyxa SC2 (Ppo), homologous to that reported in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 (Bam), and report the characterization of the aminotransferase GabT1 (named from Bam). GabT1 from Ppo exhibits a specific activity of 4.9 nmol/min/mg at 30°C (pH 7.5), a somewhat promiscuous amino donor selectivity, and curvilinear steady-state kinetics that do not reflect the predicted ping-pong behavior typical of aminotransferases. Analysis of the first half reaction with l-glutamate in the absence of the acceptor fructose 6-phosphate revealed that it was capable of catalyzing multiple turnovers of glutamate. Kinetic modeling of steady-state initial velocity data was consistent with a novel hybrid branching kinetic mechanism which included dissociation of PMP after the first half reaction to generate the apoenzyme which could bind PLP for another catalytic deamination event. Based on comparative sequence analyses, we identified an uncommon His-Val dyad in the PLP-binding pocket which we hypothesized was responsible for the unusual kinetics. Restoration of the conserved PLP-binding site motif via the mutant H119F restored classic ping-pong kinetic behavior.
Charge Storage and Quantum Confinement Resilience in Colloidal Indium Nitride Nanocrystals

Colloidal indium nitride nanocrystals (InN NCs) are stable heavily-doped nanomaterials, with as-prepared electron densities around ⟨Ne⟩ ∼ 7.4 × 1020 cm–3, independent of size, making these attracti...
David Oliver: Are we rushing patients home before they're ready?

Emergency readmission rates (defined as unplanned readmissions to hospital within 30 days of leaving) are now rising twice as quickly as overall emergency admissions. In June 2018 an analysis by QualityWatch (a Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation collaborative) showed a 19.2% rise in readmissions from 2010-11 to 2016-17, compared with a 10.5% rise in overall emergency admissions.1 The researchers noted that some coding and counting issues confounded data interpretation and accuracy, given that routine hospital episode statistics (HES) were used. And, although NHS Digital stopped reporting readmission rates in 2013-14—making triangulation hard—these are big numbers, as over a million patients a year are reportedly readmitted. The trends are consistent with recent analyses from HealthWatch England and the National Audit Office.23 The highest percentage of readmissions and the sharpest rise was …
Justification-affording Circular Arguments

An argument whose conclusion C isessential evidence for one of its premises canprovide its target audience with justificationfor believing C. This is possible becausewe can enhance our justification for believinga proposition C by integrating it into anexplanatory network of beliefs for which C itself provides essential evidence. I arguefor this in light of relevant features ofdoxastic circularity, epistemic circularity,and explanatory inferences. Finally, I confirmmy argument with an example and respond toobjections.
Reflection and Transmission of Guided Waves at the Boundary Between Two Dissimilar Waveguides

The reflection and transmission of a thin film guided wave incident at arbitrary angles onto the boundary between two dissimilar waveguides are problems of continuing interest in guided wave technology. The normal modes of individual waveguide with shorting planes are found and the point-matching method is used to satisfy the electromagnetic boundary conditions across the transverse interface between two waveguides.
Thermal and Fire Protective Fabric Systems

Fabric systems that include all clothing and other textile-based goods are altered when exposed to intense heat or flames; however, the characteristics of these changes are vastly different depending on the fiber type, cloth structure, the nature of finish applied, amount of moisture trapped within the garment, and the compactness of its various components. Burning of fabric swatches, an old trade method for quick fibers identification, would illustrate that cloth composition and fiber compactness dictates the effortless motion of gases within a structure. Loosely woven knitted light fabric or nonwoven mats promote a propagation of fire within the material in a much faster procession than a tight heavy fabric structure would support. Cloth system flammability is also affected by the surface morphology of the fabric as well as the moisture trapped within the structure or absorbed by the fiber materials. A high amount of free fiber ends extending beyond the plane of the fabric would also support a prompt fire spread throughout the cloth. Fire-retardant chemical additives are usually applied to natural fibers to essentially delay the combustion onset and, therefore, provide additional time to control or attenuate the flames.
Adoption of Business Intelligence & Analytics in Organizations – An Empirical Study of Antecedents

Although Business Intelligence& Analytics (BIA) systems are increasingly seen as a source of competitive advantage, limited research, to our knowledge, has examined the factors driving their organizational adoption. Drawing on TechnologyOrganization-Environment framework, we present a theoretical model of factors associated with the extent of organizational adoption of BIA technologies and test it with a large cross-sectional sample. We find that an organization’s perceived benefits, technology sophistication in terms of data infrastructure and organization size are positively associated with the extent of BIA adoption. In addition, we find that firms in knowledge-intensive industries are likely to more extensively adopt BIA and the lack of industry standards hinders adoption. This study can inform researchers and practitioners on the enabling conditions in organizations that drive the adoption of BIA technologies.
Promoting Ecological Sustainability in Woody Biomass Harvesting

Enthusiasm for the use of forest biomass as an energy resource is growing as a result of increased energy costs and a desire to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. Although the opportunity exists for forests to have a significant role in the development and use of bioenergy technologies, justifiable concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of using forest-based energy feedstocks have emerged. In this article, we review the state of our knowledge regarding the impacts of intensive forestry with respect to issues relevant to bioenergy production, including soil and site productivity, hydrologic quality, and biodiversity. We then present guiding principles intended to aid with sustainable forest management decisions.
Radar Data Cube Analysis for Fall Detection

In recent years, radar has been employed as a fall detector, due to its superior sensing capabilities and penetration through walls. In this paper, we introduce a multi-linear subspace fall detection scheme that exploits the three radar signal variables: slow-time, fast-time, and Doppler frequency. The proposed approach attempts to find the optimum orthonormal subspaces that minimize the reconstruction error for different modes of the radar data cube. Experimental results based on real radar data obtained from multiple subjects and aspect angles demonstrate that the proposed multi-dimensional principal component analysis (MPCA) yields the highest overall classification accuracy among other methods including physically interpretable pre-defined features and spectrogram-based standard PCA.
Impact of lithiated cobalt oxide and phosphate nanoparticles on rainbow trout gill epithelial cells.

Metal oxide and phosphate nanoparticles (NPs) are ubiquitous in emerging applications, ranging from energy storage to catalysis. Cobalt-containing NPs are particularly important, where their widesp...
Abstract P325: Effectiveness of the First Outpatient Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) Program

Introduction: ICR has been used for the treatment of patients recovering from a myocardial infarction, cardiac surgery, percutaneous intervention, and/or stable angina. Pritikin ICR is a comprehens...
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies utilize a thin needle for acquiring cellular material from a lesion or mass in the body for diagnosis. It is an important diagnostic modality for both superficial and deep lesions because it is minimally invasive, safe, quick, accurate, and cost-effective. This chapter reviews the role of FNA cytology, its advantages and limitations, and the technical aspects of the procedure. Important points are illustrated with the help of diagrams, images, and supplementary material (e.g., virtual slides, video, and animation). The approach to evaluating FNA cytology and its diagnostic use for a variety of different lesions is discussed. This chapter provides an in-depth overview of the role of FNA cytology in patient care.
‘Ethics Are Messy’: Supervision as a Tool to Help Social Workers Manage Ethical Challenges

Supervision is a critical component of professional socialisation for social workers that helps them develop skills to practice in complex private and public organisations whose values may be at od...
A conserved RNA degradation complex required for spreading and epigenetic inheritance of heterochromatin

Heterochromatic domains containing histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) can be epigenetically inherited independently of underlying DNA sequence. To gain insight into the mechanisms that mediate epigenetic inheritance, we used a Schizosaccharomyces pombe inducible heterochromatin formation system to perform a genetic screen for mutations that abolish heterochromatin inheritance without affecting its establishment. We identified mutations in several pathways, including the conserved and essential Rix1-associated complex (henceforth the rixosome), which contains RNA endonuclease and polynucleotide kinase activities with known roles in ribosomal RNA processing. We show that the rixosome is required for spreading and epigenetic inheritance of heterochromatin in fission yeast. Viable rixosome mutations that disrupt its association with Swi6/HP1 fail to localize to heterochromatin, lead to accumulation of heterochromatic RNAs, and block spreading of H3K9me and silencing into actively transcribed regions. These findings reveal a new pathway for degradation of heterochromatic RNAs with essential roles in heterochromatin spreading and inheritance.
Opa-typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: establishment and evaluation of a new method

Objective To establish a molecular typing method (opa-typing) for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and to evaluate its performance based on epidemiological data. Methods Twenty-six gonorrhea patients were recruited from March to April 2006 at two sites, including 17 cases from the STD Clinic of Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College and 9 cases from the STD Clinic of Shandong Provincial Institute of Dermatology. Of the 26 patients, 6 were from three known sexual links, while the remaining 20 patients did not have any sexual contact with each other. The opa gene was amplified by using PCR from Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from these patients followed by overnight digestion with restriction enzymes Taq Ⅰ and Hpa Ⅱ. The enzyme digestion band patterns were analyzed using the Cel-Compar program. Results The opa gene was successfully amplified from all the 26 Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains, and restrictedly digested by endonucleases Taq Ⅰ and Hpa Ⅱ . Identical band patterns were observed between patients with sexual links, but not among the remaining 20 patients. Conclusions The results of opatyping of Neisseria gonorrhoeae coincide with the information on sexual behaviour provided by patients. Opatyping may serve as a reliable tool in sexual network analysis. Key words: Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Genes, opa; Research
Replaced right and common hepatic arteries with lienogastric trunk: a rare variant of celiaco-mesenteric anatomy

We report a rare variant in mesenteric arterial anatomy: replacement of the right hepatic and common hepatic arteries to the SMA in a patient treated for hepatocellular carcinoma. The potential clinical implications of this unusual variation of celiaco-mesenteric anatomy will be discussed.
Predictors of disordered weight loss behaviors among same-sex and opposite-sex romantic partners

Abstract Although the majority of adults will attempt to lose weight at some point in their lives, most weight loss behaviors are ineffective and potentially harmful. Further, weight loss behaviors often closely resemble disordered eating, and include behaviors such as fasting and purging. The current study examined potential predictors of disordered approaches to weight loss in the context of same-sex and opposite-sex romantic partnerships by investigating participants' (n = 500, Mage = 29.62 years) BMI, body image, self-esteem, relationship quality and disordered weight loss behaviors. We conducted analyses using Actor Partner Interdependence Models, which revealed that the greatest predictors of participating in disordered weight loss behavior were body dissatisfaction and having a male partner. These findings suggest that it is not sexuality, per se, that places individuals at risk for disordered weight loss behavior, but perhaps the value placed on thinness as defined by particular gender and cultural groups.
Pharmacotherapy for Small Fiber Neuropathy

Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a condition that affects small nerve fibers leading to a variety of symptoms, including pain, discomfort, tingling, and sensory loss. The development of new drugs is commonly complicated by variable medication pharmacokinetics and patients’ response to treatment due to comorbidities. In this review, we discuss currently used drugs, including the evidence about their efficacy. We also mention the medications with a questionable response in SFN treatment and those that are potential emerging therapies. SFN treatment is aimed towards addressing the cause of neuropathy and alleviating its symptoms. Determining the best treatment option may be challenging. Current drug treatments include antiseizure drugs, antidepressants, opioids, immunomodulating agents, topical medications, and NMDA antagonists. Each of these drugs has different molecular targets, efficacy, and adverse effect profiles. In some cases, the exact underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Current drug treatments provide patients with varying, often suboptimal, relief of symptoms. The need for new, effective, and safe therapies for SFN warrants intensive development and testing of new agents.
SprayNPray: user-friendly taxonomic profiling of genome and metagenome contigs

Abstract Shotgun sequencing of cultured microbial isolates/individual eukaryotes (whole-genome sequencing) and microbial communities (metagenomics) has become commonplace in biology. Very often, sequenced samples encompass organisms spanning multiple domains of life, necessitating increasingly elaborate software for accurate taxonomic classification of assembled sequences. While many software tools for taxonomic classification exist, SprayNPray offers a quick and user-friendly, semiautomated approach, allowing users to separate contigs by taxonomy (and other metrics) of interest. Easy installation, usage, and intuitive output, which is amenable to visual inspection and/or further computational parsing, will reduce barriers for biologists beginning to analyze genomes and metagenomes. This approach can be used for broad-level overviews, preliminary analyses, or as a supplement to other taxonomic classification or binning software. SprayNPray profiles contigs using multiple metrics, including closest homologs from a user-specified reference database, gene density, read coverage, GC content, tetranucleotide frequency, and codon-usage bias. The output from this software is designed to allow users to spot-check metagenome-assembled genomes, identify, and remove contigs from putative contaminants in isolate assemblies, identify bacteria in eukaryotic assemblies (and vice-versa), and identify possible horizontal gene transfer events.
Triadic family structures and their day-to-day dynamics from an adolescent perspective: A multilevel latent profile analysis.

Relationship structure (patterns of relative closeness among multiple family members) and dynamics (changes in relationship structures overtime) are two main aspects of family system functioning, yet empirical tests of these concepts lag behind theory. Recent growth in advanced methods for complex data structures makes it possible to empirically capture structures and dynamics within multiple family relationships overtime. To answer how relationship structure may fluctuate from day to day, this study used multilevel latent profile analysis (MLPA) as an innovative and feasible method to capture mother-father-adolescent (MFA) relationship structures and dynamics on a daily basis. Using daily adolescent reports of mother-father (MF), mother-adolescent (MA), and father-adolescent (FA) closeness from 144 two-parent families for up to 21 days, we identified six day-level MFA structures: Cohesive (33% of days; three close dyads), Mother-Centered (9%; closer MF, average MA, less close FA), Adolescent-Centered (4%; less close MF, closer MA and FA), MA-Coalition (3%; closer MA, less close MF and FA), Disengaged (23%; three less close dyads), and Average (28%; three approximately average dyads). We identified five types of MFA dynamics at the family level: Stable Cohesive (35% of families; exhibited Cohesive structure most days), Stable Disengaged (20%; Disengaged structure most days), Stable MA-Coalition (3%; MA-Coalition structure most days), Stable Average (24%; Average structure most days), and Variable (17%; varied among multiple structures). Methodologically, daily diary designs and MLPA can be useful tools to empirically examine concrete hypotheses of complex, non-linear processes in family systems. Substantive and methodological implications are discussed.
Inhibition of chylomicron assembly leads to dissociation of hepatic steatosis from inflammation and fibrosis

Regulating dietary fat absorption may impact progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here we asked if inducible inhibition of chylomicron assembly, as observed in intestine-specific microsomal triglyceride transfer protein knockout mice (Mttp-IKO), could retard NAFLD progression and/or reverse established fibrosis in two dietary models. Mttp-IKO mice fed a methionine/choline deficient (MCD) diet exhibited reduced hepatic triglycerides (TG), inflammation and fibrosis, associated with reduced oxidative stress and downstream activation of JNK and NFκB signaling pathways. However, when Mttpflox mice were fed a MCD for 5 weeks and then administered tamoxifen to induce Mttp-IKO, hepatic TG was reduced but inflammation and fibrosis were increased after 10 days reversal along with adaptive changes in hepatic lipogenic mRNAs. Extending the reversal time, following 5 weeks MCD feeding, to 30 days led to sustained reductions in hepatic TG but neither inflammation nor fibrosis were decreased and both intestinal permeability and hepatic lipogenesis were increased. In a second model, similar reductions in hepatic TG were observed when mice were fed a high fat/fructose/cholesterol diet for 10weeks, then switched to chow ± tamoxifen (HFFC→chow) or (HFFC→ Mttp-IKO chow), but again neither inflammation or fibrosis were affected. In conclusion, we found that blocking chylomicron assembly attenuates MCD-induced NAFLD progression by reducing steatosis, oxidative stress and inflammation. In contrast, blocking chylomicron assembly in the setting of established hepatic steatosis and fibrosis caused increased intestinal permeability and compensatory shifts in hepatic lipogenesis that mitigate resolution of inflammation and fibrogenic signaling despite 50-90 fold reductions in hepatic TG.
Community, faith, and public violence: A county-level examination of religious institutions and mass public shootings in the United States

Americans confront public forms of violence on a strikingly regular basis. Shootings within schools, religious institutions or simply crowded spaces have attracted significant media attention. The ...
Explaining asymmetries in bilateral FDI flows

Abstract This paper constructs a two-stage monopolistic competition model that explains the large number of zeros and missing bilateral FDI flows, as well as positive bilateral FDI flows we observe in the data. A Heckman two-step selection procedure is used to empirically estimate the model by employing data for 101 countries from 1995 to 2002. I show that certain characteristics previously considered important to determine FDI flows in traditional OLS estimations may only matter for multinationals selecting into FDI relationships, and in some cases, they may even negatively affect FDI flows.
Common substrates of dysphoria in stimulant drug abuse and primary depression: therapeutic targets.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the neural substrates of major depressive disorder (MDD), and of dysphoria in stimulant drug (for example, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, nicotine, caffeine) abusers provide increasing evidence that symptom overlap in these conditions reflects common neurobiological mechanisms. These include a dysregulation of corticolimbic systems and activation of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis. Substantial co‐morbidity between MDD and stimulant drug abuse suggests common vulnerability factors. There is increasing evidence that the neural substrates that underlie primary depression also contribute to dysphoric mood associated with withdrawal from substances of abuse. Animal research and clinical studies point to an importance of limbic dysfunction, including the pathological activation of the amygdala, and frontal cortical deficits, particularly the loss of cortical inhibition of amygdalar responsivity. Chronic drug abuse and/or preexisting vulnerability may act as causal factors, aberrant neuroadaptations, and/or compensations for frontal limbic dysfunction. Regardless of the direction of causality involving this dysfunction, elucidation of the neural substrates of dysphoria in addiction and depression, may lead to better treatments for both, and enhance the understanding of emotional processes in both healthy and diseased individuals.
Analytic models and empirical search: a hybrid approach to code optimization

Compilers employ system models, sometimes implicitly, to make code optimization decisions. These models are analytic; they reflect their implementor's understanding and beliefs of the system. While their decisions can be made almost instantaneously, unless the model is perfect their decisions may be flawed. To avoid exercising unique characteristics of a particular machine, such models are necessarily general and conservative. An alternative is to construct an empirical model. Building an empirical model involves extensive search of a parameter space to determine optimal settings. But this search is performed on the actual machine on which the compiler is to be deployed so that, once constructed, its decisions automatically reflect any eccentricities of the target system. Unfortunately, constructing accurate empirical models is expensive and, therefore, their applicability is limited to library generators such as ATLAS and FFTW. Here the high up-front installation cost can amortized over many future uses. In this paper we examine a hybrid approach. Active learning in an Explanation-Based paradigm allows the hybrid system to greatly increase the search range while drastically reducing the search time. Individual search points are analyzed for their information content using an known-imprecise qualitative analytic model. Next-search-points are chosen which have the highest expected information content with respect to refinement of the empirical model being constructed. To evaluate our approach we compare it with a leading analytic model and a leading empirical model. Our results show that the performance of the libraries generated using the hybrid approach is comparable to the performance of libraries generated via extensive search techniques and much better than that of the libraries generated by optimization based solely on an analytic model.
Identifying Some Obstacles to a Successful Mediation Process

Instinct and common beliefs can sometimes misguide the mediator and be obstacles to mediation success. Following five different stages of a mediation session, this articles underlines a series of such obstacles and explores their underlying intuitions, as well as their subsequent usual behaviors and negative effects. Each time, instead, we suggest alternative strategies which increase expectations of success, with their expected outcome. This article combines a descriptive approach to obstacles, which increase the risks of a negative process and mediation failure, with a prescriptive approach of alternative behaviors which increase the chance of a positive process and mediation success.
Quantum-coherently assisted deep-UV localization of photonic states in active stopped-light plasmonic heterostructures

We introduce a new method to localize lightwaves. We show how the interaction of a gain medium with a planar deep-UV plasmonic heterostructure, at its zero-v g point, strongly localizes light. A quantum-coherent drive provides a means to control the localization and dramatically improve the dynamics.
An efficient broadcast protocol in networks with changing topologies

The authors study the problem of broadcasting a message to all the nodes in a network with changing topologies. A broadcast protocol is said to be reliable if every node can receive the message in finite time. Previous results show that reliable protocols are possible if the network is eventually connected and each node has an infinite message buffer space. The authors present a two-phase protocol which consists of the broadcast phase and the reply phase. The protocol is proved to be reliable and have minimum broadcast delay. Furthermore, it is shown that the protocol needs only bounded message buffer space if the network is eventually connected in time that is finite and bounded. The protocol also provides a dynamic buffer management scheme that is superior to other schemes, such as the static policy and forced-out policy. This can greatly simplify buffer allocation problems in communication networks. >
A15 Multifilamentary Superconductors by the Infiltration Process

The morphology of practical superconductors is an essential consideration that is directly related to the requirement of conductor stability. An extensive treatment of stabilization criteria has been provided by the Rutherford Laboratory Superconducting Applications Group.1 The adiabatic criterion is perhaps the most basic. For intrinsic stability, it requires that a superconductor should not exceed a critical size that is determined by certain properties of the superconducting material. In view of the adiabatic and the other criteria, the optimal size is generally considered to be less than 10 µm. From this requirement for such small sizes stems the preferred morphology for an intrinsically stable conductor: a large number of superconducting filaments arrayed in a normal matrix. Multifilamentary conductors were readily achieved with the ductile niobium-titanium superconducting alloy, and these have been developed to a high degree of sophistication, involving twisting, braiding and cabling. However, as shown in Table 1, the superconducting properties of niobium-titanium do not compare favorably with those of the A15 compounds. Consequently a great deal of current research effort is devoted to the development of multifilamentary conductors based on the intrinsically brittle intermetallic compounds of the Nb3Sn type.
Mycotoxins and fermentation--beer production

Along with food safety issues due to mycotoxins, the effects ofFusariuminfections on malt and beer quality can be disastrous. While some of theFusariumhead blight mycotoxins, such as DON, present in infected barley may be lost during steeping, theFusariummold is still capable of growth and mycotoxin production during steeping, germination and kilning. Therefore, detoxification of grain before malting may not be practical unless further growth of the mold is also prevented. Methods for reducing the amount of mold growth during malting are needed. Physical, chemical and biological methods exist for inhibiting mold growth in grain. Irradiation is a promising means for preventingFusariumgrowth during malting, but its effects on malt quality and mycotoxin production in surviving mold need to be evaluated in more detail. Chemical treatments such as ozonation, which do not leave chemical residues in beer, also appear to be promising. Although biological control methods may be desirable, the effects of these inhibitors on malt and beer quality require further investigation. In addition, storage studies are needed to determine the effect of biological control onFusariumviability and malt quality. It may also be possible to incorporate detoxifying genes into fermentation yeasts, which would result in detoxification of mycotoxins present in wort. Development of these types of technological interventions should help improve the safety of products, such as beer, made fromFusariuminfected grain.
CNN and the evolution of complex information systems in nature and technology

Cellular neural/nonlinear networks (CNN) are considered as the emergence of a new paradigm of complexity in the information age. In the framework of nonlinear dynamical systems, they can be compared with other paradigms of complexity (e.g., synergetics) as far as they are mathematically formalized. The dogma of local activity demonstrates remarkable advantages for computer simulations of pattern formation and pattern recognition in nature (e.g., diffusion-reaction processes, morphogenesis, artificial life, neural networks), but especially for nonlinear information processing in computer and chip technology. In the information age, nonlinear information processing and communication in global networks like the Internet are a challenge of complexity management. Ubiquitous computing is the future of a globalized world. The recent debate in sociology, economics, and philosophy on 'globalism' and 'localism' underlines the importance of the CNN paradigm for social, economic, and cultural systems.
Loss of NADH Oxidase Activity in Streptococcus mutans Leads to Rex-Mediated Overcompensation in NAD+ Regeneration by Lactate Dehydrogenase

Previous studies of the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans have determined that this Gram-positive facultative anaerobe mounts robust responses to both acid and oxidative stresses. The water-forming NADH oxidase (Nox; encoded by nox) is thought to be critical for the regeneration of NAD+, for use in glycolysis, and for the reduction of oxygen, thereby preventing the formation of damaging reactive oxygen species. In this study, the free NAD+/NADH ratio in a nox deletion strain (Δnox) was discovered to be remarkably higher than that in the parent strain, UA159, when the strains were grown in continuous culture. This unanticipated result was explained by significantly elevated lactate dehydrogenase (Ldh; encoded by ldh) activity and ldh transcription in the Δnox strain, which was mediated in part by the redox-sensing regulator Rex. cDNA microarray analysis of S. mutans cultures exposed to simultaneous acid stress (growth at a low pH) and oxidative stress (generated through the deletion of nox or the addition of exogenous oxygen) revealed a stress response synergistically heightened over that with either stress alone. In the Δnox strain, this elevated stress response included increased glucose phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PTS) activity, which appeared to be due to elevated manL transcription, mediated in part, like elevated ldh transcription, by Rex. While the Δnox strain does possess a membrane composition different from that of the parent strain, it did not appear to have defects in either membrane permeability or ATPase activity. However, the altered transcriptome and metabolome of the Δnox strain were sufficient to impair its ability to compete with commensal peroxigenic oral streptococci during growth under aerobic conditions. IMPORTANCE Streptococcus mutans is an oral pathogen whose ability to outcompete commensal oral streptococci is strongly linked to the formation of dental caries. Previous work has demonstrated that the S. mutans water-forming NADH oxidase is critical for both carbon metabolism and the prevention of oxidative stress. The results of this study show that upregulation of lactate dehydrogenase, mediated through the redox sensor Rex, overcompensates for the loss of nox. Additionally, nox deletion led to the upregulation of mannose and glucose transport, also mediated through Rex. Importantly, the loss of nox rendered S. mutans defective in its ability to compete directly with two species of commensal streptococci, suggesting a role for nox in the pathogenic potential of this organism.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin is more common in fair-skinned individuals but is seen in all races. Although it is less common in skin of color, it is marked by worse prognosis, with mortality rates ranging from 17 to 30 %. SCC in populations with darker skin is less likely to be related to ultraviolet radiation and more likely related to unremitting ulcers, scars, and other chronic inflammatory processes compared to populations with lighter skin. Recent surveys revealed significant false perceptions among patients that dark skin confers complete protection from skin cancer, thus signifying the need to provide better education regarding this entity in skin of color. This chapter characterizes the epidemiology, clinical features, differential diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of SCC in skin of color.
Adenovirus E4-ORF3 Targets PIAS3 and Together with E1B-55K Remodels SUMO Interactions in the Nucleus and at Virus Genome Replication Domains

ABSTRACT Adenovirus E4-ORF3 and E1B-55K converge in subverting critical overlapping cellular pathways to facilitate virus replication. Here, we show that E1B-55K and E4-ORF3 induce sumoylation and the assembly of SUMO2/3 viral genome replication domains. Using a conjugation-deficient SUMO2 construct, we demonstrate that SUMO2/3 is recruited to E2A viral genome replication domains through noncovalent interactions. E1B-55K and E4-ORF3 have critical functions in inactivating MRN and ATM to facilitate viral genome replication. We show that ATM kinase inhibitors rescue ΔE1B-55K/ΔE4-ORF3 viral genome replication and that the assembly of E2A domains recruits SUMO2/3 independently of E1B-55K and E4-ORF3. However, the morphology and organization of SUMO2/3-associated E2A domains is strikingly different from that in wild-type Ad5-infected cells. These data reveal that E1B-55K and E4-ORF3 specify the nuclear compartmentalization and structure of SUMO2/3-associated E2A domains, which could have important functions in viral replication. We show that E4-ORF3 specifically targets and sequesters the cellular E3 SUMO ligase PIAS3 but not PIAS1, PIAS2, or PIAS4. The assembly of E4-ORF3 into a multivalent nuclear matrix is required to target PIAS3. In contrast to MRN, PIAS3 is targeted by E4-ORF3 proteins from disparate adenovirus subgroups. Our studies reveal that PIAS3 is a novel and evolutionarily conserved target of E4-ORF3 in human adenovirus infections. Furthermore, we reveal that viral proteins not only disrupt but also usurp SUMO2/3 to transform the nucleus and assemble novel genomic domains that could facilitate pathological viral replication. IMPORTANCE SUMO is a key posttranslational modification that modulates the function, localization, and assembly of protein complexes. In the ever-escalating host-pathogen arms race, viruses have evolved strategies to subvert sumoylation. Adenovirus is a small DNA tumor virus that is a global human pathogen and key biomedical agent in basic research and therapy. We show that adenovirus infection induces global changes in SUMO localization and conjugation. Using virus and SUMO mutants, we demonstrate that E1B-55K and E4-ORF3 disrupt and usurp SUMO2/3 interactions to transform the nucleus and assemble highly structured and compartmentalized viral genome domains. We reveal that the cellular E3 SUMO ligase PIAS3 is a novel and conserved target of E4-ORF3 proteins from disparate adenovirus subgroups. The induction of sumoylation and SUMO2/3 viral replication domains by early viral proteins could play an important role in determining the outcome of viral infection.
Full length article: Dynamic pricing for service provisioning and network selection in heterogeneous networks

In this paper, we model a market-based cognitive radio network where multiple wireless service providers (WSPs) offer competitive prices to users. We assume that WSPs use a mix of access technologies to provide a wide variety of wireless services (e.g., voice, data etc.) with a certain level of QoS while maximizing their revenues. Using a non-cooperative game model, we propose differentiated pricing strategies for the WSPs and users. We also propose an optimal strategy for access network selection by the service providers which minimizes the effect on QoS of the existing users and increases self-coexistence. We show that, in order to achieve Nash equilibrium, it is in the best interest of both WSPs and users to adhere to the proposed strategies. Performance issues from both providers' and users' perspectives are studied through analytical computations and simulation experiments. Analysis shows that our proposed pricing policy represents the oligopoly market, i.e., exhibiting larger sensitivity to a new provider when the number of existing providers is low and lower sensitivity when the number of existing providers is high. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed pricing and network selection policies benefit both users and WSPs.
A novel approach to space-time-frequency coded MIMO-OFDM over frequency selective fading channels

This paper proposes a space-time-frequency coding scheme for MIMO-OFDM that achieves full rate for an arbitrary number of antennas with complex-valued information symbols. In addition, the proposed scheme provides a very high level of diversity with relatively low complexity. In the new scheme, the spatial and frequency spreading is followed by a temporal spreading that facilitates simple separation of the respective signals sent by the various transmit antennas. This temporal spreading enables perfect separation of the superimposed transmit signals at the receiver prior to channel estimation. The Local Maximum Likelihood (LML) method of Rugini et al is employed to further reduce complexity. Simulations are presented demonstrating the efficacy of the new scheme. For example, for cases where an Orthogonal Space-Time Block (OSTBC) code exists, the new scheme is shown to provide the same full-diversity as the OSTBC. Again, though, the new scheme is applicable for an arbitrary number of transmit antennas and complex-symbol constellations.
Information Systems and Technology in the International Office of the Future

(1998). Information Systems and Technology in the International Office of the Future. European Journal of Information Systems: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 150-151.
Optimal R&D expenditure streams: An empirical view

Are the simple, abstract mathematical models of optimal RD the observed behavior implies the existence of a convex time-cost tradeoff when a profit-maximizing firm is assumed and relative efficiencies in converting monetary expenditures into effective R&D effort are consistent with expectations.
Bilingualism in the World of Health and Illness

The movement of peoples across linguistic boundaries means the existence of individuals who speak, to a greater or lesser extent, more than one language. How such individuals have in the past and can in the present serve as mediators within the health care system is described and the need for closer attention to such resources stressed.
Hispanics in Twenty-First Century America

going a remarkable demographic transformation as a result of immigration from Latin America and subsequent childbearing among immigrant Latinas. In the past 40 years, Hispanics have been transformed from a small, regionally isolated, ethnically divided population into a national demographic force of great social, economic, and political import. In 1970, the Hispanic population of the United States stood at just 9.6 million people and comprised only 4.7 percent of the U.S. population. Nearly threequarters were native born and the population was dominated by three disparate and regionally segmented groups. Sixty percent of all Hispanics were of Mexican origin and concentrated in the southwest, primarily Texas and California; 15 percent were Puerto Rican and lived in the northeast, mainly in and around New York City; another 7 percent were Cuban, who unlike the prior two groups were overwhelmingly foreign born and concentrated in South Florida, mostly in greater Miami. In 1970, very few Hispanics traced their origins to Central or South America and immigration from the Dominican Republic had only just begun. Occupying separate geographic spheres, members of the three principal Hispanic origin groups rarely came into contact with one another, except in Chicago, the one metropolitan area that housed significant numbers of all three origin groups. Over the next four decades, this small, regionally divided and ethnically segmented population was radically transformed by mass immigration to the point where in 2010 it had grown to 50.5 million people and constituted 16.3 percent of the U.S.