cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rating the "Raters": Legal Exposure of Trustmark Authorities in the Context of Consumer Health Informatics

There are three areas of potential legal exposure for an organization such as a trustmark authority involved in e-health quality rating. First, an e-health provider may make a complaint about negative or impliedly negative ratings rendered by the ratings body (false negative). Typically, a negative ratings complaint would rely on defamation or product disparagement causes of action. In some cases such complaints could be defended on the basis of absence of malice (US). Second, the rating body might render a positive rating on e-health data that a third party allegedly relied upon and suffered injury (false positive). While the primary cause of action would be against the e-health data provider, questions may arise as to the possible liability of the trustmark authority. For example, some US liability exposure is possible based on cases involving the potential liability of product warrantors, trade associations, and certifiers or endorsers. Third, a ratings body may face public law liability for its own web misfeasance. Several risk management approaches are possible and would not necessarily be mutually exclusive. These approaches will require careful investigation to assess their risk reduction potential and, in some cases, the introduction of legislation.
Ultrastructural and biochemical localization of N-RAP at the interface between myofibrils and intercalated disks in the mouse heart.

N-RAP is a recently discovered muscle-specific protein found at cardiac intercalated disks. Double immunogold labeling of mouse cardiac muscle reveals that vinculin is located immediately adjacent to the fascia adherens region of the intercalated disk membrane, while N-RAP extends ∼ 100 nm further toward the interior of the cell. We partially purified cardiac intercalated disks using low- and high-salt extractions followed by density gradient centrifugation. Immunoblots show that this preparation is highly enriched in desmin and junctional proteins, including N-RAP, talin, vinculin, β1integrin N-cadherin, and connexin 43. Electron microscopy and immunolabeling demonstrate that N-RAP and vinculin are associated with the large fragments of intercalated disks that are present in this preparation, which also contains numerous membrane vesicles. Detergent treatment of the partially purified intercalated disks removed the membrane vesicles and extracted vinculin β-integrin. Further separation on a sucrose gradient removed residual actin and myosin and yielded a fraction morphologically similar to fasciae adherentes that was highly enriched in N-RAP, N-cadherin, connexin 43, talin, desmin, and α-actinin. The finding that N-RAP copurifies with detergent-extracted intercalated disk fragments even though β-integrin and vinculin have been completely removed suggests that N-RAP association with the adherens junction region is mediated by the cadherin system. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that recombinant N-RAP fragments bind α-actinin in a gel overlay assay. In addition, immunofluorescence shows that N-RAP remains bound at the ends of isolated, detergent-treated cardiac myofibrils. These results demonstrate that N-RAP remains tightly bound to myofibrils and fasciae adherentes during biochemical purification and may be a key constituent in the mechanical link between these two structures.
Detection of Switchgrass mosaic virus in Miscanthus and other grasses

Abstract A new marafivirus tentatively named Switchgrass mosaic virus (SwMV) was recently detected in Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass). The virus is related to Maize rayado fino virus (MRFV). As Miscanthus and other grass species are grown alongside switchgrass in our experimental fields, there has been concern that the virus could be transmitted to these plants. To investigate this possibility, leaf samples from Miscanthus spp. and other grasses rotated with switchgrass in a field planting were tested for SwMV by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Switchgrass mosaic virus was detected in leaf samples of Miscanthus × giganteus, M. sinensis, M. transmorrisonensis, Saccharum ravennae, Andropogon virginicus and Sorghastrum nutans. The nucleotide sequences of the amplicons from these samples were 99% identical to SwMV in switchgrass. This is the first report of SwMV detection in Miscanthus spp. and the other grasses, apart from switchgrass.
An Escherichia coli expression vector that allows recovery of proteins with native N-termini from purified calmodulin-binding peptide fusions.

We describe a T7-based Escherichia coli expression vector in which protein coding sequence is seamlessly fused to the N-terminal calmodulin-binding peptide (CBP) purification tag. We combined the use of the site-specific protease enterokinase (EK) and the type IIs restriction enzyme Eam1104 I, which cleave outside their respective (amino acid and nucleotide) target sequences, such that any amino acid sequence may be fused directly C-terminal to the EK cleavage site without codon constraints conferred by the cloning method. PCR products are cloned using ligation-dependent or ligation-independent methods with high cloning efficiencies (>10(6) cfu/microg vector), allowing production of insert quantities sufficient for several cloning experiments with a limited number of PCR cycles, resulting in a significant time-savings and reduced likelihood of accumulating PCR-derived mutations. CBP fusion proteins are expressed to high levels when the CBP peptide is positioned at the N-terminus. CBP binds to calmodulin with nanomolar affinity, and fusion proteins are purified to near homogeneity from crude extracts with one pass through calmodulin affinity resin using gentle binding and elution conditions. We show high efficiency seamless cloning of three inserts into the pCAL-n-EK vector, including one encoding the protein c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). CBP-EK-JNK fusion protein was synthesized to 10-20 mg/liter culture and purified to near homogeneity in one step with calmodulin affinity resin. The fusion tag was efficiently removed with EK to yield active JNK with native N-terminal amino acid sequence.
Structural change in urban Chinese food preferences

We undertake a range of tests for structural food preference change in urban China, using provincial-level panel data from 2002 to 2010. We introduce a time transition function into the Generalized Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (GQAIDS) to represent consumer preferences. We apply this system to evaluate the demand structure for seven food groups. The use of the GQAIDS specification relaxes many empirical demand system restrictions associated with previous analyses of structural preference change. Our findings suggest that Chinese food preferences are continuing to evolve.
Suppression of stimulation artifacts from myoelectric-evoked potential recordings

A system that allows detection of single and double differential surface myoelectric signals during electrical stimulation of either the nerve or the muscle motor point, using surface electrodes, is described. The input referred stimulation artifact is limited to less than 24 mu V/sub pp/ by a switching constant current/constant voltage output stage, slew rate limiting, and time windowing of the detected signal. The system is suitable for muscle crosstalk and for muscle fatigue investigation during functional electrical stimulation, in addition to measuring muscle or nerve conduction velocity. >
The sources of aerosol elemental carbon at Allegheny Mountain

Abstract Aerosol elemental carbon measurements were taken at two rural sites in southwestern Pennsylvania during August 1983. Carbon, though a small part of the aerosol mass at both sites, was a leading constituent of the aerosol on an atom basis. Time-weighted average concentrations at Allegheny Mountain and Laurel Hill were 1.2 and 1.4 μg m −3 , respectively. Absolute Principal Component Analysis followed by multiple regression and Chemical Mass Balance techniques were utilized to apportion the measured elemental carbon to its sources. Motor vehicles were estimated to be the largest source of elemental carbon at the two sites, contributing 41–68% and 34–56% at Allegheny Mountain and Laurel Hill, respectively.
Adolescence as a culture-bound syndrome

In keeping with an expanded definition of culture-bound syndromes, this paper argues that adolescence in American society has been 'medicalized' into a full-blown symptom complex or pathologic condition. Culture-bound syndromes in highly differentiated societies such as the U.S., may be taxonomically sorted by distinctive cultural identity system domains of age, gender, family, vocation and ethnicity.
Design and evaluation of a mechanical nanomanufacturing system for nanomilling

Abstract This paper presents design and evaluation of a mechanical nanomanufacturing system for performing the nanomilling process. The nanomilling process uses a nanotool (an atomic force microscope probe tip) that is rotated at high speeds to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) nano-scale features on a sample surface. After explaining the kinematics of the two nanomilling process configurations, the nanomilling system, including the 3D piezoelectric actuator that rotates the nanotool, the nanopositioning stage that provides the feeding and depth motions, and the software program that controls the nanomilling motions are described. A measurement system is then constructed to measure the dynamic nanomilling motions. A compensation algorithm is developed to enable obtaining desired nanotool motions in the presence of frequency and amplitude-dependent nonlinearities of the 3D piezoelectric actuator. The nanomilling system is then evaluated directly by measuring the nanotool motions, and indirectly by assessing the accuracy of the fabricated nanoscale features. It was shown that the nanomilling system facilitates fabrication of complex nano-scale features with high accuracy through the high-stiffness nanotool assembly and high-frequency (compensated) nanotool motions.
Drug-Eluting Stents Versus Bare Metal Stents for Narrowing in Saphenous Vein Grafts

Conflicting data exist regarding an advantage of drug-eluting stents (DES) over bare metal stents (BMS) in catheter-based treatment of saphenous vein graft (SVG) stenoses. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of these modalities in that lesion subset. The DES group consisted of 138 cases with 183 lesions (sirolimus-eluting stents, n = 117; paclitaxel-eluting stents, n = 66) and the BMS group consisted of 344 cases with 478 lesions that were followed to 1 year. We examined a composite end point that comprised death, Q-wave myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization. More BMS were deployed per patient (p <0.001) and the diameters of BMS deployed was significantly greater (p <0.001). Peak postprocedure values of creatine kinase-MB (p = 0.003) and troponin I (p = 0.05) were higher in BMS. At 1 year there was no significant superiority of DES over BMS with regard to hard end points (death and Q-wave myocardial infarction). In conclusion, this study indicates that both DES and BMS for SVG disease provide acceptably safe and efficacious results, but unlike the case in native coronary arteries, DES use does not reduce the frequency of the need for repeat revascularization.
The Rotational Lasso

This paper presents a sparse approach of solving the one-sided Procrustes problem with special orthogonal constraint. By leveraging a planar decomposition common to all rotation matrices, a new constraint is introduced into this classical problem in the form of a sparsity-inducing norm. We call the resulting optimization problem the Rotational Lasso. Experimental results are presented from a synthetic dataset.
Mean-Variance Portfolio Rebalancing with Transaction Costs

As in continuous time, the nontrading region (NTR) in a mean-variance model with fixed, proportional, and quadratic trading costs is a singleton only for pure quadratic costs. Utility loss from costs is approximately proportional at small cost levels, and approximately constant at large cost levels. Trading can be to the interior of the NTR (fixed costs with or without proportional costs), the exterior of the NTR (quadratic costs with or without proportional costs), or the boundary (pure proportional costs). Absent fixed costs, the NTR is a multidimensional parallelogram. An application shows how to improve on traditional symmetric futures overlay strategies.
Childhood blood pressure tracking correlations corrected for within‐person variability

The correlation coefficient between initial and subsequent blood pressure (BP) measurements is referred to as the tracking correlation. Childhood BP tracking correlations, although positive, have been considered too low to make accurate predictions for an individual. These correlations, however, can be raised substantially by averaging BP over multiple weekly visits in each year, which partially accounts for within-person variability. In a cohort of 333 school children, we measured BP 3 times on each of 4 successive weekly visits, in each of 4 consecutive years, using a random-zero sphygmomanometer. Approximately 90 per cent of subjects had data for one or more follow-up years, and 75 per cent of subjects who entered in the first year had data for all four years. With a model that allows estimation of correlations and that uses all available longitudinal data, we calculated tracking correlations completely corrected for within-person variability, the statistical equivalent of measuring BP on an infinite number (infinity) of visits and measurements per visit. Age-sex adjusted tracking correlations for 3 years of follow-up based on the means from 1,2,3,4, and infinity visits are, for systolic BP, 0.43, 0.56, 0.62, 0.66, and 0.73, respectively, and for diastolic BP, 0.20, 0.37, 0.46, 0.50, and 0.70, respectively. With longer follow-up, the use of corrected tracking correlations would allow determination of the maximal extent to which childhood BP can predict adult levels, and therefore the usefulness of screening to identify children at high risk of developing hypertension.
Outbursts of anger as a trigger of acute cardiovascular events: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim Short-term psychological stress is associated with an immediate physiological response and may be associated with a transiently higher risk of cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to determine whether brief episodes of anger trigger the onset of acute myocardial infarction (MI), acute coronary syndromes (ACS), ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke, and ventricular arrhythmia. Methods and results We performed a systematic review of studies evaluating whether outbursts of anger are associated with the short-term risk of heart attacks, strokes, and disturbances in cardiac rhythm that occur in everyday life. We performed a literature search of the CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases from January 1966 to June 2013 and reviewed the reference lists of retrieved articles and included meeting abstracts and unpublished results from experts in the field. Incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated with inverse-variance-weighted random-effect models. The systematic review included nine independent case-crossover studies of anger outbursts and MI/ACS (four studies), ischaemic stroke (two studies), ruptured intracranial aneurysm (one study), and ventricular arrhythmia (two studies). There was evidence of substantial heterogeneity between the studies ( I 2 = 92.5% for MI/ACS and 89.8% for ischaemic stroke). Despite the heterogeneity, all studies found that, compared with other times, there was a higher rate of cardiovascular events in the 2h following outbursts of anger. Conclusion There is a higher risk of cardiovascular events shortly after outbursts of anger.
Fixed-node routing architecture and its performance in ATM networks

The architecture and performance of fixed-node virtual channel (VC) routing in asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks is studied. In fixed-node routing, only the nodes are specified, and any of the available parallel links between nodes may be used. Applying the fixed-node routing architecture in ATM networks has the advantages of more efficient use of network resources, better availability/reliability and performance, and the ability to support superrate services. The sequencing problem associated with this approach in conventional packet-switched networks can be easily solved in the ATM environment. An analysis is presented of the performance of this routing architecture for an internally nonblocking ATM switch with partially shared output buffers based on a discrete-time D/sup (A)//D/c/B queuing system for general input traffic. A D/sub 1/+ . . . +D/sub N//D/c/B queuing system is used for deterministic traffic. It is shown that the fixed-node routing architecture yields better performance in terms of delay, loss probability, channel utilization, and switch throughput than its fixed-path counterpart. >
Robotic reactive motion with jerk reduction

This paper builds on initial work on specifying robot motion using human-inspired motor programs. The existing method relies on a series of square wave torque pulses to actuate the robot. Using such pulses to produce motions with a robot will generate large peaks in absolute jerk — change in acceleration per unit time — which can damage the robot and decrease motion stability. This paper presents three alternatives to the square wave pulse that reduce maximum absolute jerk without a significant loss in motion production. Moreover, the alternatives do not require additional parameterization. The alternatives are tested and the peak jerk and motion production of each is compared. The results show that smoothing the square wave pulse can significantly reduce jerk with a minor loss in the amount of motion that can be produced with a single pulse.
Multicultural Competence For Doing Social Justice: Expanding Our Awareness, Knowledge, And Skills

The construct of multicultural competence has gained much currency in the literature; yet, less attention has been paid to students’ social justice advocacy and how to facilitate students’ growth in this area. Focusing on multicultural education in graduate programs that prepare future student affairs professionals, this position article provides a critique of multicultural knowledge, awareness and skills, and argues for competencies grounded in a commitment to social justice. While practitioners may be prepared to work with diverse populations, it is argued they are less equipped to foster social change. Developing awareness as critically conscious practitioners, acquiring knowledge as equity minded and privilege-cognizant individuals, and building skills in social justice advocacy are essential for the future agenda for multicultural competence.
Effect of simulated postprandial hyperglycemia on coronary blood flow in cardiac transplant recipients.

Patients with diabetes mellitus exhibit postprandial hyperglycemia, systemic oxidative stress, impaired endothelium-dependent, nitric oxide (NO)-mediated coronary artery dilatation, and an increased incidence of coronary events. Whether hyperglycemia causally mediates these associations is unknown. To test the hypothesis that postprandial hyperglycemia acutely impairs coronary endothelial function in humans, we compared the ability of the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine to increase conduit coronary diameter (the macrovascular response) and coronary blood flow velocity (the microvascular response) in 12 cardiac transplant recipients without diabetes before and after blood glucose was raised from 6.7 ± 1.3 mmol/l (121 ± 24 mg/dl) to 17.8 ± 1.5 mmol/l (321 ± 27 mg/dl) for 1 h. Hyperglycemia acutely doubled circulating levels of the oxidation product malondialdehyde, indicating systemic oxidative stress, but did not affect the ability of acetylcholine to dilate conduit coronary segments or accelerate coronary blood flow. We conclude that the oxidative stress associated with a single acute episode of hyperglycemia affects neither acetylcholine-mediated coronary endothelial NO release nor the subsequent bioavailability, metabolism, or action of NO within the coronary circulation of cardiac transplant recipients. These observations imply that the relationship among hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and coronary endothelial dysfunction is presumably mediated by mechanisms operating over longer periods of time.
Factors Influencing Changes in pH during Storage of Platelet Concentrates at 20–24°C

The magnitude of the pH change during platelet concentrate storage at 20-24 degree C in polyvinyl chloride containers is not determined solely by platelet count per cubic millimeter of plasma, since a wide variation in pH was observed with similar platelet concentrations. In modified platelet concentrates having lost through centrifugation 3-15% of total platelets and 61-92% of residual leukocytes, the pH was maintained at substantially higher levels than in the paired control platelet concentrates. Leukocyte levels do not appear to determine the magnitude of the pH fall. Continuous oxygen utilization is needed if the pH is to be maintained near 7.0. However, oxygen tension per se is not the factor which influences the extent of pH change. It has been concluded that a specific platelet subpopulation comprising a small proportion of the total platelets in concentrates and having an enhanced capacity to form lactate may be responsible for a major part of the pH reduction which occurs during storage of many platelet concentrates.
The concept of three dimensional resolution in echocardiographic imaging

Methods are described to call attention to the effects of the three-dimensional resolution of a commercial ultrasonoscope with control settings similar to those used for clinical purposes. Analysis includes photographs of display as well as real time digital acquisition system outputs. Lateral resolution within the scan plane and resolution perpendicular to the scan plane are defined. In general, resolution in the plane of scan is higher than in the orthogonal plane. The implications of this for clinical measurements are noted.
Approaches for increasing the solution stability of proteins.

Stabilization of proteins through proper formulation is an important challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. Two approaches for stabilization of proteins in solution are discussed. First, work describing the effect of additives on the thermally induced denaturation and aggregation of low molecular weight urokinase is presented. The effects of these additives can be explained by preferential exclusion of the solute from the protein, leading to increased thermal stability with respect to denaturation. Diminished denaturation leads to reduced levels of aggregation. The second approach involves stoichiometric replacement of polar counter ions (e.g., chloride, acetate, etc.) with anionic detergents, in a process termed hydrophobic ion pairing (HIP). The HIP complexes of proteins have increased solubility in organic solvents. In these organic solvents, where the water content is limited, the thermal denautration temperatures greatly exceed those observed in aqueous solution. In addition, it is possible to use HIP to selectively precipitate basic proteins from formulations that contain large amounts of stabilizers, such as human serum albumin (HSA), with a selectivity greater than 2000-fold. This has been demonstrated for various mixtures of HSA and interleukin-4. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Triangulating Debates Within the Field: Teaching International Relations Research Methodology

Undergraduate introductory methods courses offer a unique opportunity to bring methodological pluralism to the field by teaching students multiple approaches to research. This article presents one way to organize an introductory undergraduate research methods course. By focusing on central debates between methodological approaches on issues of causality, context, and essentialism, an instructor can introduce positivism, interpretivism, and relationalism as distinct, coherent methodological approaches to research. Depicting these three debates and three approaches graphically on a triangle can illuminate some core methodological debates within the field today. It also illuminates the methodological underpinnings of many of the discipline's theoretical debates.
OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF DISCOVERY, TAXONOMY, PHYLOGENY, AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF MAJUNGASAURUS CRENATISSIMUS (THEROPODA: ABELISAURIDAE) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF MADAGASCAR

Abstract We review the historical sequence of discoveries of Majungasaurus crenatissimus, an abelisaurid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Basin, northwestern Madagascar. For almost a century, beginning in 1895, periodic expeditions conducted by French, Japanese, and Malagasy teams yielded fragmentary and isolated remains of a medium-sized theropod dinosaur from the Maevarano Formation. These materials were first assigned to Megalosaurus crenatissimus but later to Dryptosaurus crenatissimus, then Majungasaurus crenatissimus, and, most recently, Majungatholus atopus. The taxon was variously considered to pertain to Tyrannosauridae, “Megalosauridae,” and Abelisauridae. Recent excavations undertaken by the Mahajanga Basin Project (1993 to present) have resulted in abundant and spectacular remains of this theropod. The new material allows us to establish Majungasaurus crenatissimus as the valid name for this theropod and to conclusively place it within Abelisaur...
Functions of a Fuzzy Random Variable

In this chapter we will look at a few examples of functions of a single discrete (or continuous) fuzzy random variable. In the next chapter we consider functions of continuous fuzzy random variables (more than one). We start with discrete fuzzy random variables and then we discuss continuous fuzzy random variables.
7-substituted steroidal aromatase inhibitors: structure-activity relationships and molecular modeling.

AbstractAndrostenedione analogs containing 7α-substitutents have proven to be potent inhibitors of aromatase both in vitro and in vivo. Several of these agents have exhibited higher affinity for the enzyme complex than the substrate does. In order to examine further the interaction(s) of 7-substituted steroids with aromatase, biochemical and molecular modeling studies were performed on 7-substituted 4,6-androstadiene-3,17-diones. 7-Benzyl- and 7-phenethyl-4,6-androstadiene-3,17-diones effectively inhibited microsomal aromatase, with apparent Kis ranging from 61 to 174nM. On the other hand, 7-phenyl-4,6-androstadiene-3,17-dione exhibited poor activity, with an apparent Ki of 1.42μM. Energy minimization calculations and molecular modeling indicated that the 7-substituent is perpendicular to the steroid nucleus in the 7-phenyl analog and can only adopt a pseudo β position. The 7-benzyl- and 7-phenethyl- groups of 4,6-andros-tadiene-3,17-diones orient themselves in the minimized structure in a way that the ph...
Amazonian Foliicolous Fungi. II. Deuteromycotina

A detailed treatment of the Pycnothyriales collected as part of Projeto Flora Amazonica is presented. In addition, a few other Coelomycetes and Hyphomycetes are listed. Hansfordiopeltopsis is intro...
Prison sourcing: ‘doing good’ or ‘good for business’?

This teaching case explores the business and ethics of prison sourcing, the practice of training and hiring prisoners to perform work for the private or public sectors. Although most prison employment programs train and hire workers for manual labor, such as furniture building or textiles, some prison employment programs now train and hire inmates to perform low-level Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services like call center work, data entry, and document preparation. Prison sourcing is highly controversial. Besides the usual concerns about security and quality of work performed by prisoners, the ethical aspects of prison sourcing are hotly debated. Proponents argue prison sourcing is ethical because it defrays the costs of corrections, helps individuals successfully complete their confinement and prepares them to reintegrate into society, benefitting the individuals, their families, communities, and ultimately tax payers. Opponents argue that prison sourcing is a form of slavery, hurts small businesses, and steals jobs from law-abiding citizens. The authors developed this teaching case to allow students to explore these issues. The case is a dramatized version of an actual case study of prisoners performing BPO work for a private sector company.
Conformally Reduced WZNW Theory, New Extended Chiral Algebras and Their Associated Toda Type Integrable Systems (II) An Example

As an example and application of the method of our previous work, we construct explicitly the W algebra W[(p q p)_2] by the use of the canonical formalism of the corresponding generalized Toda theory, namely the (p q p)_2 Toda theory. Then we discuss various special Jimits of W[(p q p)_2] and point out the isomorphism between W[(p q p)_2] and W[(p q~+ P)_1].
Eating and Aging1

The dilemma in considering the nutrition of the elderly involves what has probably been a life-long satisfactory way of eating on one hand and on the other, the inevitable physical and social changes of aging which change former good things to contraindicated status. Some of these contradictory “facts” of the matter should and can be reconciled, as the author explains.
GON4L Drives Cancer Growth through a YY1–Androgen Receptor–CD24 Axis

In principle, the inhibition of candidate gain-of-function genes defined through genomic analyses of large patient cohorts offers an attractive therapeutic strategy. In this study, we focused on changes in expression of CD24, a well-validated clinical biomarker of poor prognosis and a driver of tumor growth and metastasis, as a benchmark to assess functional relevance. Through this approach, we identified GON4L as a regulator of CD24 from screening a pooled shRNA library of 176 candidate gain-of-function genes. GON4L depletion reduced CD24 expression in human bladder cancer cells and blocked cell proliferation in vitro and tumor xenograft growth in vivo . Mechanistically, GON4L interacted with transcription factor YY1, promoting its association with the androgen receptor to drive CD24 expression and cell growth. In clinical bladder cancer specimens, expression of GON4L, YY1 , and CD24 was elevated compared with normal bladder urothelium. This pathway is biologically relevant in other cancer types as well, where CD24 and the androgen receptor are clinically prognostic, given that silencing of GON4L and YY1 suppressed CD24 expression and growth of human lung, prostate, and breast cancer cells. Overall, our results define GON4L as a novel driver of cancer growth, offering new biomarker and therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Res; 76(17); 5175–85. ©2016 AACR .
Have You Heard?: How Gossip Flows Through Workplace Email

We spend a significant part of our lives chatting about other people. In other words, we all gossip. Although sometimes a contentious topic, various researchers have shown gossip to be fundamental to social life—from small groups to large, formal organizations. In this paper, we present the first study of gossip in a large CMC corpus. Adopting the Enron email dataset and natural language techniques, we arrive at four main findings. First, workplace gossip is common at all levels of the organizational hierarchy, with people most likely to gossip with their peers. Moreover, employees at the lowest level play a major role in circulating it. Second, gossip appears as often in personal exchanges as it does in formal business communication. Third, by deriving a power-law relation, we show that it is more likely for an email to contain gossip if targeted to a smaller audience. Finally, we explore the sentiment associated with gossip email, finding that gossip is in fact quite often negative: 2.7 times more frequent than positive gossip.
Somatic Mosaicism and Neurological Diseases

Abstract Somatic mutations occur after the formation of the zygote, reflecting random mutations during normal mitotic cell divisions of embryonic development, and are hence present in clones of cells in one or more tissues of the body. There is increasing recognition of the role of somatic mutations in human genetic diseases, but the prevalence and role of somatic mutations in neuropsychiatric disorders have not been clearly established. Somatic mutations occurring in the developing brain have also been speculated to contribute to neuronal diversity. A few somatic mutation syndromes have been described that lead to neurological diseases. Besides conventional cytogenetics and Sanger sequencing, newer techniques such as single cell sequencing, high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays, and deep-targeted next-generation sequencing provide efficient and high-throughput methods to interrogate an individual’s genome for somatic mutations.
The Italian Baroque Table: cooking and entertaining from the Golden Age of Naples

Tommaso Astarita’s modest description of his monograph as a book about a book does not do justice to this lively and wide-ranging exploration of the cultural world of Antonio Latini, master steward...
Anion Binding of One-, Two-, and Three-Armed Thiourea Receptors Examined via Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Quantum Computations.

Benzene rings substituted with 1–3 thiourea containing arms (1–3) were examined by photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory computations. Their conjugate bases and chloride, acetate, and dihydrogen phosphate anion clusters are reported. The resulting vertical and adiabatic detachment energies span 3.93–5.82 eV (VDE) and 3.65–5.10 (ADE) for the deprotonated species and 4.88–5.97 eV (VDE) and 4.45–5.60 eV (ADE) for the anion complexes. These results reveal the stabilizing effects of multiple hydrogen bonds and anionic host–guest interactions in the gas phase. Previously measured equilibrium binding constants in aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide for all three thioureas are compared to the present results, and cooperative binding is uniformly observed in the gas phase but only for one case (i.e., 3·H2PO4–) in solution.
Solution of the Boltzmann transport equation in two real-space dimensions using a spherical harmonic expansion in momentum space

In this paper we present results obtained by solving the Boltzmann equation in two real space dimensions using a spherical harmonic expansion in momentum space. We show that if the coordinate system in momentum space is rotated to be aligned with the electric field then the magnitude of most of the harmonics can be assured to be small and thus they can be neglected without a significant loss of accuracy, which considerably reduces the complexity of the problem. Numerical results are presented for two dimensional structures in which flow occurs through both drift and diffusion. >
New zero-voltage switching HF link single-phase UPS system with input PFC

The loss of power supply reduces productivity and loses both revenue and, even more important, credibility. Power outages are one of the serious threats to an on-line system, which contains a considerable number of critical equipment that need to be operating all the time. However, maintaining commercial power and, at the same time, obtaining a clean power supply can be achieved with the help of a UPS system. This paper presents a new single-phase on-line UPS system configuration that enjoys the following advantages; constant frequency operation, zero-voltage switching, and input power factor correction. The principle of operation, different modes of operation, switching strategy, and control circuit are presented. The simulation of the proposed system is carried out using Matlab/Simulink, where components' voltages and currents, and harmonic spectra are presented and discussed. Experimental results obtained from a 500 W prototype are also presented to verify the performance of the proposed configuration
Letter by Downey and Cohen Regarding Article, “Protective Effects of Ticagrelor on Myocardial Injury After Infarction”

Vilahur et al1 recently reported that ticagrelor offers more cardioprotection than clopidogrel, because it blocks the equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 and the resulting elevated tissue adenosine exerts additional protective effects on top of any from P2Y12 receptor blockade. Their evidence was that the protection from ticagrelor could be partially blocked by the adenosine receptor blocker 8-( p -sulfophenyl)theophylline. Unfortunately, they did not test whether 8-( p -sulfophenyl)theophylline could block clopidogrel’s protection. Furthermore, in our 2013 study, we showed that an adenosine receptor antagonist could block protection from clopidogrel in a rabbit infarct model.2 In addition, we found the anti-infarct effect of clopidogrel to be equal …
Mapping Features to Source Code through Product Line Architecture: Traceability and Conformance

Existing software product line approaches often develop and evolve product line features, architecture, and source code independently, which makes it difficult to manage the relationship and conformance between these artifacts. This paper presents a novel approach using the architecture as a pivot to address this problem. It consists of a modeling mechanism that integrates features specification into an architectural model, and an architecture-implementation mapping mechanism that combines code generation with annotation processing. The approach can trace a product line feature to the architecture and source code, and automatically update the architecture and source code to maintain their conformance when feature changes occur. We implemented an Eclipse-based toolset to support the approach, and conducted a case study with the Apache Solr open-source system. The result shows that our approach is both applicable and capable to support the development and evolution of real-world variations of a software system.
Resilience Across the Life Span: Adulthood

This chapter reviews the literature on resilience in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) adults. Resilience as a result of LGBT minority stress is explored, followed by an overview of LGBT strengths identified in the context of positive psychology research. Specific areas of resilience are then explored. These include growth resulting from coming out, interpersonal factors implicated in resilience, and individual difference resilience factors. Individual difference factors reviewed include faith, religion, and spirituality; personality-related factors; and cultural factors. The specific topic of resilience against suicidality is addressed, followed by a review of emerging data including stress biomarkers and affirmative approaches to LGBT resilience promotion. The chapter ends with suggested strategies for promoting resilience in the context of patient/healthcare provider relationships and a case scenario highlighting resilience promotion among LGBT adults.
High energy physics and very high energy astrophysics

The current research programs at the CERN LHC and at the U.S. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) and other activities are briefly reviewed. The programs which are related to cosmic ray issues and which form a link between the cosmic ray community and the particle accelerator community are noted. The AMS-02 satellite program is also noted.
Can Relative Binding Free Energy Predict Selectivity of Reversible Covalent Inhibitors

Reversible covalent inhibitors have many clinical advantages over noncovalent or irreversible covalent drugs. However, apart from selecting a warhead, substantial efforts in design and synthesis are needed to optimize noncovalent interactions to improve target-selective binding. Computational prediction of binding affinity for reversible covalent inhibitors presents a unique challenge since the binding process consists of multiple steps, which are not necessarily independent of each other. In this study, we lay out the relation between relative binding free energy and the overall reversible covalent binding affinity using a two-state binding model. To prove the concept, we employed free energy perturbation (FEP) coupled with λ-exchange molecular dynamics method to calculate the binding free energy of a series of α-ketoamide analogues relative to a common warhead scaffold, in both noncovalent and covalent binding states, and for two highly homologous proteases, calpain-1 and calpain-2. We conclude that cov...
Transmissibility of intra-host hepatitis C virus variants.

Intra-host hepatitis C virus (HCV) populations are genetically heterogeneous and organized in subpopulations. With the exception of blood transfusions, transmission of HCV occurs via a small number of genetic variants, the effect of which is frequently described as a bottleneck. Stochasticity of transmission associated with the bottleneck is usually used to explain genetic differences among HCV populations identified in the source and recipient cases, which may be further exacerbated by intra-host HCV evolution and differential biological capacity of HCV variants to successfully establish a population in a new host. Transmissibility was formulated as a property that can be measured from experimental Ultra-Deep Sequencing (UDS) data. The UDS data were obtained from one large hepatitis C outbreak involving an epidemiologically defined source and 18 recipient cases. k-Step networks of HCV variants were constructed and used to identify a potential association between transmissibility and network centrality of individual HCV variants from the source. An additional dataset obtained from nine other HCV outbreaks with known directionality of transmission was used for validation. Transmissibility was not found to be dependent on high frequency of variants in the source, supporting the earlier observations of transmission of minority variants. Among all tested measures of centrality, the highest correlation of transmissibility was found with Hamming centrality (r = 0.720; p = 1.57 E-71). Correlation between genetic distances and differences in transmissibility among HCV variants from the source was found to be 0.3276 (Mantel Test, p = 9.99 E-5), indicating association between genetic proximity and transmissibility. A strong correlation ranging from 0.565–0.947 was observed between Hamming centrality and transmissibility in 7 of the 9 additional transmission clusters (p < 0.05). Transmission is not an exclusively stochastic process. Transmissibility, as formally measured in this study, is associated with certain biological properties that also define location of variants in the genetic space occupied by the HCV strain from the source. The measure may also be applicable to other highly heterogeneous viruses. Besides improving accuracy of outbreak investigations, this finding helps with the understanding of molecular mechanisms contributing to establishment of chronic HCV infection.
Role of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis in Health and Disease

The Hypothalamic–Pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis describes a complex set of positive and negative feedback influences between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland.[...]
Homoclinic tangle of the primary separatrix in the compact and closed versus open and unbounded magnetic topologies for divertor tokamaks

The simple map and the symmetric quartic map are the generic representation of the open-unbounded and closed-compact magnetic topologies for single-null divertor tokamaks, respectively. The map par...
The Exploration of Antarctica

In spite of its remote location and its cold and stormy weather, Antarctica has attracted seal hunters, whalers, and scientists all of whom have contributed to the exploration of this continent. The names of these explorers are preserved by many of the topographic and geologic features of Antarctica, as well as by the names of its coastal areas and surrounding oceans. Those who now wish to visit Antarctica can do so in steel-hulled ships or in large transport planes that land on the sea ice or even on the polar plateau. The research stations that are maintained in Antarctica by several nations offer most of the comforts of home. Even scientists who work in the mountains and on the polar plateau are transported into the field by helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft; and they use snowmobiles rather than dogsleds to travel across the polar plateau. In spite of these labor-saving accommodations and devices, the weather in Antarctica has not changed since the epic journeys of Robert Scott, Ernest Shackleteon, and Roald Amundsen. The sign at Williams Field adjacent to Ross Island welcomes travelers with the Maori phrase: “Haere Mai” (Welcome). It could also read: “Enter at your own risk.” Antarctica can be a cruel place. Those of us who now work in Antarctica should be aware of the heroic struggle and tragic fate of some of those who preceded us.
Moving Toward Reconciliation Forgiveness and the Reconstruction of Trust

In order for self and other to rebuild the relationship that is shattered by violation, trust must be reconstructed. Not all individuals are willing to reconstruct trust, nor should they be; however, some people do make the decision to rebuild the relationship even after a major trust violation. In this chapter, we will be investigating the dynamics that allow for reconciliation while at the same time investigating those elements that bring the relationship permanently to a halt.
Insights into the Allosteric Mechanism of Setmelanotide (RM-493) as a Potent and First-in-Class Melanocortin-4 Receptor (MC4R) Agonist To Treat Rare Genetic Disorders of Obesity through an in Silico Approach

Human melanocortin-4 receptor (hMC4R) mutations have been implicated as the cause for about 6-8% of all severe obesity cases. Drug-like molecules that are able to rescue the functional activity of mutated receptors are highly desirable to combat genetic obesity among this population of patients. One such molecule is the selective MC4R agonist RM-493 (setmelanotide). While this molecule has been shown to activate mutated receptors with 20-fold higher potency over the endogenous agonist, little is known about its binding mode and how it effectively interacts with hMC4R despite the presence of mutations. In this study, a MC4R homology model was constructed based on the X-ray crystal structure of the adenosine A2A receptor in the active state. Four MC4R mutations commonly found in genetically obese patients and known to effect ligand binding in vitro were introduced into the constructed model. RM-493 was then docked into the wild-type and mutated models in order to better elucidate the possible binding modes for this promising drug candidate and assess how it may be interacting with MC4R to effectively activate receptor polymorphisms. The results reflected the orthosteric interactions of both the endogenous and synthetic ligands with the MC4R, which is supported by the site-directed mutagenesis studies. Meanwhile it helped explain the decremental affinity and potency of these ligands with the receptor polymorphisms. More significantly, our findings indicated that the structural characteristics of RM-493 may allow for enhanced receptor-ligand interactions, particularly through those with the putative allosteric binding sites, which facilitated the ligand to stabilize the active state of native and mutant MC4Rs to maintain reasonably high affinity and potency.
Law's Underdog: A Call for Nonhuman Legalities

Questions pertaining to the role of nonhumans in law shed light on some of the most fundamental assumptions and constructions of contemporary modern law. I start by reviewing the traditions of anim...
Depth for Sparse Functional Data

The notions of depth for functional data provide a way of ordering curves from center-outward. These methods are designed for trajectories that are observed on a fine grid of equally spaced time points. However, in many applications the trajectories are observed on sparse irregularly spaced time points. We propose a model-based consistent procedure for estimating the depths when the curves are observed on sparse and unevenly spaced points.