cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The nature of knowledge and its influence on knowledge sharing practice: experiences from building the MACROS system

This study investigates how the interactive influences of the nature of knowledge and multiple organizational and technological factors - trust, leadership, incentives and issues, group size and variety, implementation strategy, and technology - facilitated and/or impeded the knowledge sharing processes. Using a case study approach, the research focuses on the modifying effects of four characteristics of knowledge- codifiability, context-embeddedness, practice-embeddedness, and dynamics- on the processes and outcomes of knowledge sharing in a case of building the multi-purpose access for customer relations & operational support (MACROS) system involving multiple organizations, divisions, and geographically separated offices. The case results suggest that modifying effects occurred along at least three dimensions- codifiability, context-embeddedness, and practice-embeddedness. The levels of codifiability appeared to dictate the implementation strategy; reduced context-embeddedness allowed for more effective group coordination; reduced context-embeddedness also enhanced trust; codified knowledge is more effective than uncodified knowledge in demonstrating concrete incentives; and technology interacts with context-embeddedness and practice-embeddedness. The results of this study have theoretical and practical implications for a larger set of problems encountered in sizable organizations. More specifically, even though the relevance of the nature of knowledge has been widely acknowledged by I. Nonaka, et. al. (2001), it is not always clear how it comes into play. This study conceptualized the nature of knowledge as a modifying variable, and the results provide a new and more comprehensive framework for investigating the relevance of the nature of knowledge in knowledge management research.
Scheduling design and analysis for end-to-end heterogeneous flows in an avionics network

Avionics Full DupleX (AFDX) Switched Ethernet technology provides a deterministic network with guaranteed service to support real-time data transmission in real-world avionics applications. The determinism provides a worst-case upper bound of end-to-end transmission delays of virtual links (VLs) that are often assumed to be homogeneous and have similar transmission requirements. However, performing the analysis of end-to-end delays of heterogeneous flows remains an open problem. This paper derives end-to-end delay bounds of transmitting heterogeneous flows, including avionics, multimedia (video & audio) and best-effort data flows, in an AFDX network that uses Deficit Round Robin (DRR) scheduling policy on switch output ports. To this end, we transform scaled multi-type flows to a single representation of utilization, i.e., DRR quanta, to efficiently handle heterogeneous flows in a unified way and comprehensively study their end-to-end delays. We further compare the DRR-based scheduling policy with current avionics standards, i.e., FIFO and a static priority policy, in terms of transmission delays and fairness. Extensive experiments based on periodical and sporadic flows in an AFDX prototype show the efficacy and efficiency of our proposed schemes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that analyzes end-to-end delays based on the DRR policy for heterogeneous flows in an AFDX network.
Innate immunity turned inside-out: antimicrobial defense by phagocyte extracellular traps

The formation of extracellular traps (ETs) by phagocytic cells has been recognized as a novel and important mechanism of the host innate immune response against infections. ETs are formed by different host immune cells such as neutrophils, mast cells, and eosinophils after stimulation with mitogens, cytokines, or pathogens themselves, in a process dependent upon induction of a reactive-oxygen-species-mediated signaling cascade. ETs consist of nuclear or mitochondrial DNA as a backbone with embedded antimicrobial peptides, histones, and cell-specific proteases and thereby provide a matrix to entrap and kill microbes and to induce the contact system. This review summarizes the latest research on ETs and their role in innate immunity and host innate defense. Attention is also given to mechanisms by which certain leading bacterial pathogens have evolved to avoid entrapment and killing in these specialized structures.
Indium-111 platelet scintigraphy in cerebrovascular disease.

We obtained scintigraphic images of the neck from 100 patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease after injecting indium-111-labeled autologous platelets. One or more focuses of increased activity, implying local platelet accumulation, were seen along the course of the cervical carotid arteries in 52 patients. In 64 patients, there was a highly significant correlation between the results of scintigraphy and carotid arteriography (p = 10 6). There was no significant correlation between the scintigraphic findings and the previous or subsequent occurrence of transient ischemic attack or cerebral infarction in the carotid circulation. These data suggest that factors other than the simple formation of platelet thrombi in the cervical carotid arteries are of primary importance in the pathogenesis of stroke.
Complement is essential for protection by an IgM and an IgG3 monoclonal antibody against experimental, hematogenously disseminated candidiasis.

The incidence of life-threatening, hematogenously disseminated candidiasis, which is predominantly caused by Candida albicans , parallels the use of modern medical procedures that adversely affect the immune system. Limited antifungal drug choices and emergence of drug-resistant C. albicans strains indicate the need for novel prevention and therapeutic strategies. We are developing vaccines and Abs that enhance resistance against experimental candidiasis. However, the prevalence of serum anti- Candida Abs in candidiasis patients has led to the misconception that Abs are not protective. To explain the apparent discrepancy between such clinical observations and our work, we compared functional activities of C. albicans -specific protective and nonprotective mAbs. Both kinds of Abs are agglutinins that fix complement and are specific for cell surface mannan, but the protective Abs recognize β-mannan, and the nonprotective Ab is specific for α-mannan. By several indirect and direct measures, the protective mAbs more efficiently bind complement factor C3 to the yeast cell than do nonprotective Ab. We hypothesize that the C3 deposition causes preferential association of blood-borne fungi with host phagocytic cells that are capable of killing the fungus. We conclude from these results that the protective potential of Abs is dependent on epitope specificity, serum titer, and ability to rapidly and efficiently fix complement to the fungal surface. The mechanism of protection appears to be associated with enhanced phagocytosis and killing of the fungus.
Abelian 2-subgroups of finite symplectic groups in characteristic 2

If Sp( V ) is the symplectic group of a vector space V over a finite field of characteristic p , and r is a positive integer, the abelian p -subgroups of largest order in Sp( V ) whose fixed subspaces in V have dimension at least r were determined in the preceding paper, in the case p ≠ 2. Here we deal with the case p = 2. Our results also complete earlier work on the orthogonal groups.
The role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in renal fibrosis

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involving injured epithelial cells plays an important role in the progression of fibrosis in the kidney. Tubular epithelial cells can acquire a mesenchymal phenotype, and enhanced migratory capacity enabling them to transit from the renal tubular microenvironment into the interstitial space and escape potential apoptotic cell death. EMT is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, as it leads to a substantial increase in the number of myofibroblasts, leading to tubular atrophy. However, recent findings suggest that EMT involving tubular epithelial cell is a reversible process, potentially determined by the surviving cells to facilitate the repopulation of injured tubules with new functional epithelia. Major regulators of renal epithelial cell plasticity in the kidney are two multifunctional growth factors, bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP-7) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). While TGF-β1 is a well-established inducer of EMT involving renal tubular epithelial cells, BMP-7 reverses EMT by directly counteracting TGF-β-induced Smad-dependent cell signaling in renal tubular epithelial cells. Such antagonism results in the repair of injured kidneys, suggesting that modulation of epithelial cell plasticity has therapeutic advantages.
Using Wikipedia's Content for Cross-Website Page Recommendations that Consider Serendipity

A majority of web personalization research concentrates on customizing a single website. On the contrary, recommending web pages across websites is the focus of this study. We emphasize that eliciting user interests among different topics within a domain is an important concern in cross-website page recommendations. Enhancing Wikipedia's categorization system through heuristic information extraction, we constructed a system to study the coverage of a user's interests in order to promote serendipity, new and interesting information, in recommendations. We compared our system's performance regarding topicality and serendipity with the classical vector space model and obtained a slightly superior result.
Tetrapeptide inhibitors of the glutamate vesicular transporter (VGLUT).

Abstract Quinoline-2,4-dicarboxylic acids (QDCs) bearing lipophilic substituents in the 6- or 7-position were shown to be inhibitors of the glutamate vesicular transporter (VGLUT). Using the arrangement of the QDC lipophilic substituents as a template, libraries of X1X2EF and X1X2EW tetrapeptides were synthesized and tested as VGLUT inhibitors. The peptides QIEW and WNEF were found to be the most potent. Further stereochemical deconvolution of these two peptides showed d Q l I d E l W to be the best inhibitor (Ki = 828 ± 252 μM). Modeling and overlay of the tetrapeptide inhibitors with the existing pharmacophore showed that H-bonding and lipophilic residues are important for VGLUT binding.
Coding for maximum likelihood detection on a magnetic recording channel

In the construction of modulation codes, a natural selection process occurs which chooses from a set of sequences which satisfy an underlying system constraint to produce a practical code. A method of selection which increases detectability on a magnetic recording channel using maximum likelihood sequence estimation is analyzed. It is shown that significant coding gains are achievable through the judicious selection of code sequences. In other cases, despite moderate costs in terms of decreased code rate, system reliability is improved. >
The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pathogenicity Island PAPI-1 Is Transferred via a Novel Type IV Pilus

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients or in individuals with cystic fibrosis. The notable ability of P. aeruginosa to inhabit a broad range of environments, including humans, is in part due to its large and diverse genomic repertoire. The genomes of most strains contain a significant number of large and small genomic islands, including those carrying virulence determinants (pathogenicity islands). The pathogenicity island PAPI-1 of strain PA14 is a cluster of 115 genes, and some have been shown to be responsible for virulence phenotypes in a number of infection models. We have previously demonstrated that PAPI-1 can be transferred to other P. aeruginosa strains following excision from the chromosome of the donor. Here we show that PAPI-1 is transferred into recipient P. aeruginosa by a conjugative mechanism, via a type IV pilus, encoded in PAPI-1 by a 10-gene cluster which is closely related to the genes in the enterobacterial plasmid R64. We also demonstrate that the precursor of the major pilus subunit, PilS2, is processed by the chromosomally encoded prepillin peptidase PilD but not its paralog FppA. Our results suggest that the pathogenicity island PAPI-1 may have evolved by acquisition of a conjugation system but that because of its dependence on an essential chromosomal determinant, its transfer is restricted to P. aeruginosa or other species capable of providing a functional prepilin peptidase.
ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF β-LIPOTROPIN AND ADRENOCORTICOTROPIN FROM TURKEY PITUITARY GLANDS*

Beta-Lipotropin and corticotropin have been isolated in highly purified form from turkey pituitary glands. The isolated hormones were characterized by NH2-terminal residue, amino acid and sequence analyses. Their hormonal activity and immunoactivity were also investigated.
Disputed Interrogation Techniques in America : True and False Confessions and the Estimation and Valuation of Type I and II Errors

American studies of wrongful conviction have revealed a disturbing pattern. For roughly 25 percent of such cases the defendant was wrongfully convicted in part as the result of a false confession or false guilty plea. In this chapter, we first discuss the evidence that false confessions are a problem. We then review the causes of false confession, with emphasis on police interrogation techniques and interrogation-induced false confession. In this context, we discuss the specific interrogation techniques most strongly implicated in the production of false confessions, as well as specific reforms widely suggested by interrogation scholars to reduce the incidence of interrogation-induced false confession. Finally, the main body of the chapter addresses the issue of how the courts have treated the difficult issues raised by the undeniable problem of false confession and the role of coercive interrogation practices in producing them. Specifically, we address the courts’ rulings regarding the acceptability of specific interrogation practices and the conditions under which a confession is to be regarded as “voluntary” and hence admissible as evidence in trial.
Nutrition from mushrooms, understanding and reconciling available data

Mushrooms are nutritionally valuable foods. They are high in proteins, including most essential amino acids and high in most water soluble vitamins and probably in pro-vitamin D. However, there have been many reports suggesting that they had little or no value. While the reports of little value were erroneous, other reports have claimed greater nutritional value than can be substantiated, Moreover, most of our knowledge of the nutritional value of mushrooms is based on chemical analysis. Some of the nutrients may be destroyed or unavailable to consumers. This paper looks at the available information and tries to reconcile it.
An integrated approach to real-time system design and on-line performance visualization with steering

Emerging parallel or distributed heterogeneous real-time computer systems with many disparate constraints and requirements would benefit from a unifying and comprehensive systems engineering support in the design, testing and deployment phases, which interfaces with a human at a very high level and efficiently handles the system complexity. We present an approach to integration of: a compiler and constraint logic programming-based approach to design and engineering of complex real-time systems; and an online performance analysis and visualization technology with steering. An example distributed real-time system is used to help describe the integrated approach. Details are presented about how the involved technologies are used to help system developers and users achieve better system performance through on-line repair and reconfiguration.
Contact lens-related microbial keratitis: Part I: Epidemiology.

Purpose To put into perspective the individual risk and the societal burden of contact lens microbial keratitis. Methods I reviewed the available epidemiologic data on contact lens microbial keratitis with emphasis on distinguishing microbial from nonmicrobial keratitis, determining the incidence of the disease, the relative risk with different styles of contact lenses, and the risk factors. Results Contact lens wear can be classified in multiple different ways (indications for wear, contact lens material, wearing schedule, and replacement schedule). Adverse effects of contact lens wear on the cornea have been documented by several studies. Distinction between aseptic and septic focal infiltrates is discussed. The incidence rates for bacterial microbial keratitis range from approximately two/10,000 per year for rigid contact lens, 2.2-4.1/10,000 per year for daily-wear soft contact lens, to 13.3-20.9/10,000 per year for extended-wear soft contact lenses. The risk with therapeutic contact lenses is much higher: approximately 52/10,000 per year. Comparative studies suggest that the relative risk of microbial keratitis is approximately 1 for rigid gas-permeable lenses (RGPs; the referent), 0.5-2.74 for polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), 1.0-4.2 for daily-wear soft contact lenses, 2.7-36.8 for extended-wear soft contact lenses, and 13.0-13.3 for disposable soft contact lens wear. The most significant risk factors include overnight wear, smoking, male sex, and socioeconomic status. Conclusions There is a significant health concern for the 26 million wearers of contact lenses with some potentially modifiable risk factors. Identification of the risk factors and further studies of the pathogenesis allow contact lens manufacturers to direct research efforts and practitioners to provide better information and informed consent to patients.
1H and 13C NMR Analysis of Gas Turbine Fuels As Applied to the Advanced Distillation Curve Method

The analysis of gas turbine fuels by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as applied to the composition-explicit advanced distillation curve method is reported. To demonstrate the general applicability for such fuels, eight independent fuel samples were characterized: one sample of JP-5, one sample of JP-8, and six samples of Jet-A. Distillate fractions were obtained for each fuel by use of the advanced distillation curve (ADC) method. These fractions were analyzed by 1H and 13C NMR, along with the undistilled residue (i.e., the undistilled liquid remaining in the kettle after 90 vol % had been distilled) and the neat fuel. NMR spectroscopy is useful for the analysis of complex hydrocarbon mixtures because it provides the mole fractions of various classes of hydrocarbons, such as aromatics and linear alkanes, without the need to calibrate. NMR spectroscopy also gives ready access to other average properties for the components of each fuel sample, such as the extent and type of alkane b...
Design Guidelines for Expert Systems

Knowledge based expert systems are applicable to a wide range of engineering problems ranging from formation to derivation. At the formation end of the spectrum, design, planning and prediction have been identified as generic tasks with similar issues that are dealt with by experts, and need to be formalized for successful expert system implementation. At the derivation end, diagnosis, interpretation and monitoring have been identified as generic tasks with similar subproblems with which experts must cope. At the implementation level, four levels of programming have been identified: logic programming, production system programming, object oriented programming and hybrid programming. The following tentative guidelines are offered to aid an expert system architect in developing a system as efficiently and effectively as possible: Define the expert domain and the eventual environment of the implementation. Ensure that the domain is well defined and there is a wealth of information and, more importantly, expertise. Start at the highest programming level possible. For derivation type problems, rule based systems (or hybrid rule based systems) offer a number of advantages. For diagnostic problems, the EMYCIN model is particularly adaptable. Monitoring and interpretation problems can also be adapted to the EMYCIN model. For formation problems, object oriented code (or hybrid object-oriented systems) offer some distinct advantages. Production systems offer a number of advantages to both formation and derivation problems including modularity and portability.
PPARγ agonists promote differentiation of cancer stem cells by restraining YAP transcriptional activity

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive pediatric bone cancer in which most tumor cells remain immature and fail to differentiate into bone-forming osteoblasts. However, OS cells readily respond to adipogenic stimuli suggesting they retain mesenchymal stem cell-like properties. Here we demonstrate that nuclear receptor PPARγ agonists such as the anti-diabetic, thiazolidinedione (TZD) drugs induce growth arrest and cause adipogenic differentiation in human, mouse and canine OS cells as well as in tumors in mice. Gene expression analysis reveals that TZDs induce lipid metabolism pathways while suppressing targets of the Hippo-YAP pathway, Wnt signaling and cancer-related proliferation pathways. Significantly, TZD action appears to be restricted to the high Sox2 expressing cancer stem cell population and is dependent on PPARγ expression. TZDs also affect growth and cell fate by causing the cytoplasmic sequestration of the transcription factors SOX2 and YAP that are required for tumorigenicity. Finally, we identify a TZD-regulated gene signature based on Wnt/Hippo target genes and PPARγ that predicts patient outcomes. Together, this work highlights a novel connection between PPARγ agonist in inducing adipogenesis and mimicking the tumor suppressive hippo pathway. It also illustrates the potential of drug repurposing for TZD-based differentiation therapy for osteosarcoma.
Variable depth distribution of Trichodesmium clades in the North Pacific Ocean.

Populations of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in the genus Trichodesmium are critical to ocean ecosystems, yet predicting patterns of Trichodesmium distribution and their role in ocean biogeochemistry is an ongoing challenge. This may, in part, be due to differences in the physiological ecology of Trichodesmium species, which are not typically considered independently in field studies. In this study, the abundance of the two dominant Trichodesmium clades (Clade I and Clade III) was investigated during a survey at Station ALOHA in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) using a clade-specific qPCR approach. While Clade I dominated the Trichodesmium community, Clade III abundance was >50% in some NPSG samples, in contrast to the western North Atlantic where Clade III abundance was always 80 m, while Clade III populations were only observed in the mixed layer and found to be significantly correlated with depth and temperature. These data suggest active niche partitioning of Trichodesmium species from different clades, as has been observed in other cyanobacteria. Tracking the distribution and physiology of Trichodesmium spp. would contribute to better predictions of the physiological ecology of this biogeochemically important genus in the present and future ocean.
A Novel Conditional Knockout of the Diamond Blackfan Anemia Gene Rpl11 Shows Failure of Erythropoiesis, a Marked Increase in BFU-E Progenitors By Phenotype That Proliferate Poorly in Culture, and Activation of p53 Target Genes

Abstract Diamond Blackman Anemia (DBA) is a severe erythroid hypoplasia that usually presents during the first year of life. Most cases are due to heterozygous mutations in ribosomal protein genes including RPS19, RPL5 and RPL11. Ribosomal stress-induced p53 activation is thought to play a major role in DBA, leading to apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest in the erythroid lineage. This response is dependent on accumulation of RPL5 and RPL11 subunits that bind and sequester MDM2, the ubiquitin ligase that naturally degrades p53. Thus, it is difficult to understand how this pathway can operate in the presence RPL5 or RPL11 mutations. Here we show that Rpl11 haploinsufficiency in mice leads to severe anemia characteristic of DBA and, surprisingly, p53 activation in the bone marrow. We created a conditional Rpl11 mouse with loxP sites that flank exon 2. These animals were crossed with MxCre heterozygotes, and treated with pIpC. After three weeks, Rpl11+/- animals became severely anemic, with increased MCV, decreased reticulocyte counts and normal leukocyte and platelet counts. Sacrifice of survivors after 4 months showed increased spleen weight due to the murine stress erythroid response. FACS analysis of bone marrow cells showed a marked increase in BFU-E and relative decrease in CFU-E in Rpl11+/- animals. However, methylcellulose colony forming assays revealed a decrease in large BFU-E colonies from Rpl11+/- animals, coupled with an increase in smaller, atypical BFU-E colonies, which fail to proliferate at a normal rate. To identify transcriptional signatures associated with severe anemia in Rpl11+/- animals, we sequenced cDNA libraries from total BM of induced Rpl11+/- mice and identified 508 differentially expressed genes relative to controls. Unexpectedly, p53 pathway genes were significantly upregulated in Rpl11+/- mice, which may suggest that Rpl5 accumulation alone or with haploinsufficient amounts of Rpl11 can sequester MDM2, or that p53 activation occurs through an alternative mechanism. In conclusion, we created a unique genetic heterozygous Rpl11 conditional knockout mouse that recapitulates the severe macrocytic anemia of DBA. We wish to use this model to identify novel molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and test emerging therapies. Disclosures Ebert: Genoptix: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties; Celgene: Consultancy; H3 Biomedicine: Consultancy.
The Importance of "Money"

What types of financial instruments get treated as “money”? What are the implications for financial regulation? These two questions animate The Money Problem: Rethinking Financial Regulation by Morgan Ricks and my review of his thought-provoking new book. The backbone of The Money Problem is a reform agenda that aims to give the government complete control over the creation of money equivalents. According to Ricks, the government should insure all bank deposits, no matter how large, and prohibit any other entity from issuing short-term debt. I question the efficacy, benefits, and costs of the proposed reforms. Both theory and history suggest that so expanding the government’s formal safety would engender massive moral hazard while likely failing to achieve the purported aim of “panic-proofing” the financial system. I also worry about the foregone credit creation and other costs of eliminating money market mutual funds, sale and repurchase agreements (repos), commercial paper, and other arrangements that are pervasive today and would be outlawed under the proposed reforms. Nonetheless, The Money Problem could — and should — transform the ongoing debate about how best to promote financial stability. Ricks’s core insight is that financial crises routinely emanate from changes in the types of instruments that market participants are willing to treat like money. The range of instruments accorded that status expands during periods of financial stability and contracts rapidly when the boom turns to bust, magnifying the adverse consequences of that change. His claim that government guarantees are the most effective way to staunch runs in the face of such a change is also persuasive. Combining these insights with a heightened appreciation of the inevitable dynamism of financial markets lays the groundwork for a different set of reforms. I argue that the government should be prepared to act as an “insurer-of-last-resort” to stem the spread of a budding financial crisis. This type of support, however, should be reserved for periods of systemic distress. More broadly, history suggests that the rise of private money, as embodied in the growth of shadow banking before the recent crisis, is endemic to finance. Rather than fooling ourselves into believing that a broad ex ante regime can eliminate private money creation, we should recognize its development as inevitable and devise a regime that is capable of responding as markets evolve.
Data-driven pricing of demand response

We consider the setting in which an electric power utility seeks to curtail its peak electricity demand by offering a fixed group of customers a uniform price for reductions in consumption relative to their predetermined baselines. The underlying demand curve, which describes the aggregate reduction in consumption in response to the offered price, is assumed to be affine and subject to unobservable random shocks. Assuming that both the parameters of the demand curve and the distribution of the random shocks are initially unknown to the utility, we investigate the extent to which the utility might dynamically adjust its offered prices to maximize its cumulative risk-sensitive payoff over a finite number of T days. In order to do so effectively, the utility must design its pricing policy to balance the tradeoff between the need to learn the unknown demand model (exploration) and maximize its payoff (exploitation) over time. In this paper, we propose such a pricing policy, which is shown to exhibit an expected payoff loss over T days that is at most O(√T), relative to an oracle who knows the underlying demand model. Moreover, the proposed pricing policy is shown to yield a sequence of prices that converge to the oracle optimal prices in the mean square sense.
Murine Cytomegalovirus Deubiquitinase Regulates Viral Chemokine Levels To Control Inflammation and Pathogenesis

Maintaining control over inflammatory processes represents a paradox for viral pathogens. Although many viruses induce host inflammatory responses to facilitate infection, control is necessary to avoid overactivation. One way is through the manipulation of proinflammatory chemokine levels, both host and viral. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV), a model betaherpesvirus, encodes a viral C-C chemokine, MCK2, which promotes host inflammatory responses and incorporates into virions to facilitate viral dissemination. Here, we show that the activity of M48, the conserved MCMV deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB), regulates MCK2 levels during infection. Inactivation of M48 DUB activity results in viral attenuation and exacerbates virally induced, MCK2-dependent inflammatory responses. M48 DUB activity also influences MCK2 incorporation into virions. Importantly, attenuation of DUB-mutant virus acute replication in vitro and in vivo is largely ameliorated by targeted deletion of MCK2. Thus, uncontrolled MCK2 levels appear to mediate DUB-mutant virus attenuation in specific tissues or cell types. This demonstrates that MCMV M48 DUB activity plays a previously unappreciated role in controlling MCK2 levels, thereby managing MCK2-dependent processes. These findings reveal a novel intrinsic control mechanism of virally induced inflammation and support the identification of betaherpesvirus DUBs as possible new targets for antiviral therapies. IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus infections represent a tremendous burden not only to those afflicted but also to health care systems worldwide. As cytomegalovirus infections are a leading cause of nongenetic sensory loss and neurodevelopmental delay, it is imperative that valuable model systems exist in order that we might understand what viral factors contribute to replication and pathogenesis. Currently, the only approved drug treatments against CMV infection are nucleoside analogues, to which some strains have become resistant. Understanding unique viral enzymatic contributions to infections will allow the development of novel pharmacological therapies. Here, we show that M48, the conserved MCMV deubiquitinase, is critical for MCMV replication in mice and demonstrate that attenuation is due to deregulated production of a viral proinflammatory chemokine. The deubiquitinases of both human and murine CMV represent structurally unique DUBs and are therefore attractive targets for pharmacological intervention. Continued research into the substrates of these DUBs will lend additional insight into their potential as targets.
Intervalley Biexcitonic Optical Stark Effect in Monolayer WS 2

Coherent optical driving can effectively modify the properties of electronic valleys in transition metal dichalcogenides. Here we observe a new type of optical Stark effect in monolayer WS2, one that is mediated by intervalley biexcitons under the blue-detuned driving with circularly polarized light [1]. We find that such helical optical driving not only induces an exciton energy downshift at the excitation valley but also causes an anomalous energy upshift at the opposite valley, which is normally forbidden by the exciton selection rules but now made accessible through the intervalley biexcitons. These findings reveal the critical, but hitherto neglected, role of biexcitons to couple the two seemingly independent valleys and to enhance the optical control in valleytronics.
Mastery: Advancing Police Patrol

This chapter deals with the concept of mastery. It is a concept that is discussed infrequently in law enforcement and, particularly, police patrol. Yet, many of the officers on patrol and others who serve are genuine masters of their craft. They perform their job at a consistently high level, continue to study and apply learning, hone their skills, avoid complacency, overcome adversity, and show disdain for mediocrity.
Geochemical screening of source rocks and reservoirs: The importance of using the proper analytical program

Abstract Geochemical screening is routinely integrated into larger exploration (and sometimes development) programs that also include assessments of the geological setting, petrophysics, mechanical properties of the rock, etc. The Rock-Eval analytical equipment and its classical Basic/Bulk-Rock method have been developed mainly to characterize potential source-rock intervals in petroleum systems. However, with the increasing interest in unconventional plays, it has been recently demonstrated that the use of modified pyrolysis-temperature regimes improves the quantification of hydrocarbons still present in oil-impregnated samples. In spite of their availability, the use of such modified pyrolysis-temperature regimes still remains scarce among users of pyrolysis data (e.g., exploration geologists and geochemists, reservoir engineers, petrophysicists, and other geoscientists). Several cases were selected to portray how different analytical programs are necessary to obtain less biased and more accurate answers to critical questions during prospect and play evaluations and appraisals. Samples originating from conventional and unconventional plays in the Greater Permian Basin of West Texas (Wolfcamp & Spraberry formations), the DJ Basin in Colorado (Niobrara Formation), the Williston Basin (Lower Bakken Shale), and source-rock reservoirs in the Middle East were analysed each using three known different pyrolysis methods, namely the Institut Franҫais du Petrole's “Basic/Bulk-Rock”, “Reservoir”, and “Shale Play”. The Shale Play and Reservoir pyrolysis methods yield oil-in-place estimates 20–42% higher than those yielded by the Basic/Bulk-Rock method on the same sample (e.g., for the Niobrara Formation – 87 bbl oil/ac-ft Bulk method, 118 bbl oil/ac-ft Reservoir method, 119 bbl/ac-ft Shale method; for the Lower Bakken – 194 bbl oil/ac-ft Bulk method, 246 bbl oil/ac-ft Shale method). In addition, a mature, source-rock interval believed to contain gas-prone organic matter (Type III) based solely on TOC and pyrolysis data, was re-interpreted as composed mainly of amorphous oil-prone kerogen, following a multi-component study (which included transmitted and reflected-light organic petrography). These results present unequivocal evidence that underestimating the importance of selecting the proper analytical program can change interpretations dramatically.
International Medical Graduates and the American Health Care System

In 1994, for the first time in the history of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), an individual who was not born in the USA and had not trained in the USA was elected President. In his Presidential address delivered during the seventy-eighth convocation of the ACS on October 13, 1994, Dr. Alexander J. Walt stated: “I stand here as the first foreign medical graduate (FMG) to be President of this College…….The election of a FMG testifies to the great generosity of our American Society, to its warmth, tolerance, acceptance of strangers, willingness to experiment, and its disdain for artificial barriers…..” Nineteen years later, on October 6, 2013, another FMG, Dr. Carlos A. Pellegrini, gave his Presidential address in front of 1622 new fellows as the ninety-fourth President of the American College of Surgeons. Of the 1622 initiates, 346 (21.3%) were from 55 countries around the world. Even though Dr. Walt and Dr. Pellegrini are examples that are difficult to follow, their stories have a lot in common and show that foreign-born individuals can and do serve in leadership roles at the highest level in the American Health Care System.
Short Seller Influence on Firm Growth: A Threat Rigidity Perspective

Whereas most investors seek to maximize their investment, there are some who profit from downward stock price movement. Engaging in such behavior is called “short selling,” and it has increased con...
Intracellular translocation of Inositol Hexakisphosphate Kinase 2 during IFN-β- or radiation-induced apoptosis

4129 Inositol Hexakisphosphate Kinase 2 (IHPK2) gene is a growth suppressive and apoptosis-enhancing gene identified by an antisense technical knockout approach. Previously, we have reported that overexpression of IHPK2 sensitizes ovarian carcinoma cell lines to the growth suppressive and apoptotic effects of IFN-β treatment and γ -irradiation (Morrison, B. H., etc., J. Biol. Chem. 2001). To further understand the mechanism of apoptotic effect of IHPK2, we studied intracellular distribution of IHPK2 basally and during induction of apoptosis by IFN-β (100U/ml for 16 h) or γ -irradiation (1, 2, or 4 Gy). To study the subcellular localization of IHPK2, we utilized plasmids encoding two fusion proteins, wildtype IHPK2-EGFP, and a mutant, IHPK2-NLS-EGFP containing point mutations in the nuclear localization sequence. We determined localization of these Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein-tagged constructs. NIH-OVCAR-3 cells were transiently transfected IHPK2-EGFP, or with IHPK2-NLS-EGFP. In untreated IHPK2-EGFP cells, the fusion protein resides in cytoplasm and perinuclear region. After treatment with IFN-β (100U/ml for 16 h), IHPK2-EGFP translocated into the nucleus. In cells transfected with mutant IHPK2-NLS-EGFP, the fusion protein remained trapped in the cytoplasm. Similar translocation occurred in γ -irradiated transfected cells. To determine effects of NLS mutation upon cell growth, we performed antiproliferative assays. We treated stably transfected cells with IFN-β 10-200U/ml for 6 days. The ID 50 of untransfected and pCXN2 (vector) transfected cells were both 40U/ml. The ID 50 of IHPK2-pCXN2 cells was 8U/ml and the ID 50 of IHPK2-NLS-pCXN2 cells was 120U/ml. We conclude that IHPK2 enhanced apoptotic effects of IFN-β and dominant negative mutant IHPK2-NLS conferred IFN-β resistance. Nuclear localization of IHPK2 contributes to the induction of apoptosis by IFN-β or γ -irradiation.
The effects of bracing and knee flexion angle on hamstring activity during crutch walking: A preliminary study for post-operative care

Objectives: To determine if immobilization of the knee at varying degrees of knee flexion will limit the surface electromygraphical (sEMG) activity of hamstring muscles during crutch-assisted ambul...
Intramyocardial autologous CD34+ cell therapy for refractory angina: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract Background Previous studies have demonstrated that intramyocardial human CD34+ cells may relieve symptoms and improve clinical outcomes in chronic refractory angina unresponsive to optimal medical therapy or not amenable to revascularization. Methods We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the impact of human CD34+ cells compared with placebo in chronic refractory angina. Primary efficacy outcomes in our analysis were angina frequency and exercise time. Primary safety outcomes included major adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and death. Results Three eligible randomized trials including 269 patients (placebo = 90, CD34+ = 179) were included. Dose of auto-CD34+ cells ranged from 5 × 104 to 5 × 105 cells/kg. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 24 months. In a pooled analysis, administration of CD34+ cells decreased the risk of all-cause mortality [OR 0.24, 95% CI (0.08–0.73), p = 0.01], reduced angina frequency [mean difference −2.91, 95% CI (−4.57 to −1.25), p = 0.0006] and improved exercise time [mean difference 58.62 s, 95% CI (21.19 to 96.06), p = 0.02] compared with control group. However, there was no significant difference in the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke between groups. Conclusion In a meta-analysis, intra-myocardial CD34+ cell therapy was superior to placebo in improving risk of all – cause mortality, angina frequency with an increase in exercise time, without a significant increase in adverse events. This analysis supports further trials of CD34+ cell therapy for ischemic heart disease.
Imaging on the Nanoscale with Terahertz Time-Domain and Emission Microscopy

We combine Laser Terahertz Emission Microscopy (LTEM) with terahertz time-domain nanoscopy in a near-field microscopy configuration. With this, we demonstrate how the two techniques provide complementary information about the sample.
Ideology and Logrolling

In chapters 4 and 5 we found that various measures of ideology (e.g., membership in public interest lobbies or ADA ratings) seem to affect voting by members of Congress. In this chapter we extend our analysis of the ratings earned by congressional representatives. First, having found close relationships among the ratings given by various types of ideological interest groups, we examine in some detail the determinants of these ratings. We then provide a further test of the effect of ratings on congressional voting and find that, after we have controlled for most economic variables, the ratings still seem important. However, ratings may merely be a measure of belonging to a logrolling coalition (for a discussion of logrolling, see Buchanan and Tullock 1962), so we test this hypothesis by examining interrelationships between various votes and find that, even after this adjustment, ideology seems to be important in explaining voting.
School culture, self-efficacy, outcome expectation, and teacher agency toward reform with curricular autonomy in South Korea: a social cognitive approach

This survey study investigated structural relationships among school culture, self-efficacy, and outcome expectation, and teacher agency development toward the national curriculum reform in South K...
Quantification of Choriocapillaris with Phansalkar Local Thresholding: Pitfalls to Avoid

Purpose To demonstrate the proper use of the Phansalkar local thresholding method (Phansalkar method) in choriocapillaris (CC) quantification with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). Design Retrospective, observational case series. Methods Swept source OCTA imaging was performed using 3×3 mm and 6×6 mm scanning patterns. The CC slab was extracted after semiautomatic segmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium/Bruch membrane complex. Retinal projection artifacts were removed before further analysis, and CC OCTA images from drusen eyes were compensated using a previously published strategy. CC flow deficits (FDs) were segmented with 2 previously published algorithms: the fuzzy C-means approach (FCM method) and the Phansalkar method. With the Phansalkar method, different parameters were tested and a local window radius of 1 to 15 pixels was used. FD density, mean FD size, and FD number were calculated for comparison. Results Six normal eyes from 6 subjects and 6 eyes with drusen secondary to age-related macular degeneration from 6 subjects were analyzed. With both 3×3 mm and 6×6 mm scans from all eyes, the FD metrics were highly dependent on the selection of the local window radius when using the Phansalkar method. Larger window radii resulted in higher FD density values. FD number increased with the increase in the window radius but then decreased, with an inflection point at about 1 to 2 intercapillary distances. Mean FD size decreased then increased with increasing window radii. Conclusions Multiple parameters, especially the local window radius, should be optimized before using the Phansalkar method for the quantification of CC FDs with OCTA imaging. It is recommended that the proper use of the Phansalkar method should include the selection of the window radius that is related to the expected intercapillary distance in normal eyes.
Block-Sparse Modeling for Compressed Sensing of Neural Action Potentials and Local Field Potentials

This paper presents our attempt for the efficient sparse modeling and recovery for Compressed Sensing (CS) of extracellular neural action and local field potentials (APs & LFPs). Both type of neural signals can be modeled as block-sparse in DCT (Discrete-Cosine Transform) domain, where we exploit the spectral information to determine the block boundaries, including bandpass filter pole information used for spike detection and the corner frequency of local filed potentials, respectively. Binary-Weighted l 1 -minimization (BW-l 1 -min) is proposed for neural signal recovery with their respective block boundary information. Experimental results demonstrate that block-sparse modeling and BW-l 1 -min recovery lead to more than 5-dB signal-to-noise ratio improvement for both AP and LFP signals as compared to the standard l 1 -minimization algorithm.
ADRENAL VEIN SAMPLING WITHOUT DISCONTINUATION OF MINERALOCORTICOID RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST THERAPY

OBJECTIVE Guidelines recommend withdrawing mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonists (MRA) for 4 weeks prior to adrenal vein sampling (AVS), but this is not always feasible because of hypertension and hypokalemia. This retrospective study of primary aldosteronism (PA) patients who underwent AVS between 2008 and 2018 assessed the effect of continuing MRA on the AVS procedure. METHODS Clinical data including antihypertensive regimen defined by WHO Daily Defined Dose (DDD) system were collected for 19 patients with adequate cannulation and lateralization during AVS. Results were compared between 5 who continued and 14 who discontinued MRA therapy (MRA and non-MRA groups). RESULTS At diagnosis, plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), potassium (K) doses, and DDD were not significantly different between groups. Aldosterone-renin ratio was significantly higher in the MRA group (median 375.0, IQR 224.8-544.3 vs 148.7, 118.4-192.1; p 0.034). No difference was found in lateralization index (median 48.3, IQR 23.6-52.1 vs 8.7, 4.9-20.2; p 0.10). Contralateral suppression, defined as aldosterone/cortisol ratio of unaffected adrenal to periphery, trended lower in the MRA group (median 0.17, IQR 0.03-0.39 vs 0.51, 0.27-1.1; p 0.056). All five MRA patients underwent successful adrenalectomy with at least 50% reduction in DDD and PAC, and normal K postoperatively. One MRA patient did not lateralize, which was confirmed on repeat AVS, after MRA withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Continuation of MRA may not interfere with AVS lateralization or affect contralateral adrenal suppression. Continuation of MRA in preparation for AVS may be considered especially in patients with severe PA to avoid uncontrolled hypertension and severe hypokalemia.
Deliberation, Democracy, and the Digital Landscape:

Deliberative scholarship is particularly well positioned to offer insight on our new digital reality. The papers in this Special Issue showcase both the methodological pluralism that flourishes in ...
Waves and rays in seismology: answers to unasked questions, 2nd edition

‘Waves and Rays in Seismology’ is a fascinating text devoted to the application of continuum mechanics to seismology. A crucial fact is laid out in the first sentence in the Forward: ‘Seismology, s...