cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparative study of secretory immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G in host defense in an in vitro pneumonia model.

Abstract Background An exaggerated inflammatory response to infections including nosocomial pneumonia may be detrimental to the host and contribute to morbidity and mortality. Both secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and IgG contribute to the immune defense of respiratory surfaces. However, their relative ability to protect against invasive infections and the resultant host inflammatory response are unknown and were the basis for this study. Methods Calu-3 cell (a respiratory epithelial cell line) monolayers were established in a Transwell system (Costar Corp., Cambridge, MA). Escherichia coli and either polyclonal SIgA or IgG were inoculated into the apical chamber and neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophils) were added to the basal chamber. PMN cytotoxic potential was indexed by %CD11b expression, superoxide anion (O 2 −) production, and % elastase release. Bacterial translocation into the basal chamber was quantitated after log transformation. Calu-3 monolayer integrity was indexed by permeability to dextran fluorescein isothiocyanate. Results The addition of E coli to Calu-3/polymorphonuclear cocultures led to increases in O 2 − generation, elastase release, and CD11b expression. These effects were diminished by the addition of SIgA but not IgG. A similar effect was noted with Calu-3 barrier function. Conclusions SIgA may function to protect against microbial invasion of respiratory surfaces and protect against tissue injury from an exaggerated inflammatory response.
Cosmetic Psychopharmacology and the President's Council on Bioethics

Advances in neuroscience and biotechnology have heightened the urgency of the debate over "cosmetic psychopharmacology," the use of drugs to enhance mood and temperament in the absence of illness. Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness (2003), the report of the President's Council on Bioethics, has criticized the use of cosmetic psychopharmacology. The Council claimed that cosmetic psychopharmacology will necessarily lead to "severing the link between feelings of happiness and our actions and experiences in the world," but it provided no satisfactory arguments to support this claim and ignored the possibility that cosmetic psychopharmacology might actually enhance the link between happiness and experience. The Council's arguments against cosmetic psychopharmacology depend heavily on the mistaken belief that Prozac and similar antidepressants are mood brighteners in healthy subjects. The empirical evidence, however, clearly indicates that these drugs are not forms of cosmetic psychopharmacology, thus negating much of the Council's arguments. The use of pharmaceutical agents to enhance mood or personality in normal individuals should not be rejected a priori. Instead, the effects of each agent on the individual and on society must be weighed using sound ethical reasoning and the best evidence available.
INTRA- AND INTER-STATE TRANSFERABILITY OF SOYBEAN VARIETY RESEARCH

the aggregate investment in agricultural research at the national level or on specific An example of agricultural research tech- crops at the national level (Sim and Gardner) nology transfer and implications for the fiscal copsatthenationallevel(SimandGardner). These studies have been used as evidence coordination and conduct of agricultural recoordination and conduct o agricultural re that agricultural research is a highly producsearch programs is presented. Uniform Soy- t is a hiy tive investment that should be maintained bean Tests conducted in four Southern States ne end be inin are used to estimate the potential for trans- and expanded beyond current funding levels. ferability of soybean variety research among Another group of studies (Garren and White, ferability of soybean variety research among -av a and b; Otto and Havlicek; White and Havhomogeneous sub-areas. The results indicate a and b; Otto and H avlicek; Wite and Hava high degree of transferability among the lek) has attempted to measure the benefits sub-areas.g Coordinated management ty ao of research investments within a given state, bean variety research could potentially pro- as well as the benefits that accrue to the state bean variety research could potentially pro- from external research investments. Most of vide more effective expenditure of soybean breeding research investments. Additionally, tese utilized state political boundthe concept or research transferability is not aries in determining the study region limited to soybeans or soybean variety re- Other studies of research evaluation have search. Increased coordination of agricul- used the geo-climatic regions and sub-regions tural research investments by individual states of the 1957 Yearbook ofAgriculture (USDA) may enhance existing benefits.
Candidate success in multi-member districts: an investigation of Duverger and Cox

Abstract Cox generalizes Duverger's Law to multi-member district elections. He posits that the number of viable candidates in any individual district is limited by an upper bound of M+1 (where M is equal to the district magnitude). I extend Cox's theory to elections held under the single transferable vote in Irish and Tasmanian elections. I do so by examining the re-nomination, vote share and success rates of candidates as compared to each candidate's order of finish in the previous election. The results generally support Cox's hypothesized M+1 boundary.
Molecular Mechanism of Membrane Binding of the GRP1 PH Domain

The pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of the general receptor of phosphoinositides 1 (GRP1) protein selectively binds to a rare signaling phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3), in the membrane. The specific PIP3 lipid docking of GRP1 PH domain is essential to protein cellular function and is believed to occur in a stepwise process, electrostatic-driven membrane association followed by the specific PIP3 binding. By a combination of all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, coarse-grained analysis, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) membrane docking geometry, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) kinetic studies, we have investigated the search and bind process in the GRP1 PH domain at the molecular scale. We simulated the two membrane binding states of the GRP1 PH domain in the PIP3 search process, before and after the GRP1 PH domain docks with the PIP3 lipid. Our results suggest that the background anionic phosphatidylserine lipids, which constitute around one-fifth of the membrane by composition, play a critical role in the initial stages of recruiting protein to the membrane surface through non-specific electrostatic interactions. Our data also reveal a previously unseen transient membrane association mechanism that is proposed to enable a two-dimensional “hopping” search of the membrane surface for the rare PIP3 target lipid. We further modeled the PIP3-bound membrane–protein system using the EPR membrane docking structure for the MD simulations, quantitatively validating the EPR membrane docking structure and augmenting our understanding of the binding interface with atomic-level detail. Several observations and hypotheses reached from our MD simulations are also supported by experimental kinetic studies.
Development and dynamics of the photosynthetic apparatus in purple phototrophic bacteria

The purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides provides a useful model system for studies of the assembly and dynamics of bacterial photosynthetic membranes. For the nascent developing membrane, proteomic analyses showed an ~2-fold enrichment in general membrane assembly factors, compared to chromatophores. When the protonophore carbonyl-cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone (CCCP) was added to an ICM inducing culture, an ~2-fold elevation in spectral counts vs. the control was seen for the SecA translocation ATPase, the preprotein translocase SecY, SecD and SecF insertion components, and chaperonins DnaJ and DnaK, which act early in the assembly process. It is suggested that these factors accumulated with their nascent polypeptides, as putative assembly intermediates in a functionally arrested state. Since in Synechocystis PCC 6803, a link has been established between Chl delivery involving the high-light HilD protein and the SecY/YidC-requiring cotranslational insertion of nascent polypeptides, such a connection between BChl biosynthesis and insertion and folding of nascent Rba. sphaeroides BChl binding proteins is likely to also occur. AFM imaging studies of the formation of the reaction center (RC)-light harvesting 1 (LH1) complex suggested a cooperative assembly mechanism in which, following the association between the RC template and the initial LH1 unit, addition of successive LH1 units to the RC drives the assembly process to completion. Alterations in membrane dynamics as the developing membrane becomes filled with LH2-rings were assessed by fluorescence induction/relaxation kinetics, which showed a slowing in RC electron transfer rate thought to mainly reflect alterations in donor side electron transfer. This was attributed to an increased distance for electron flow in cytochrome c2 between the RC and cytochrome bc1 complexes, as suggested in the current structural models. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Organization and dynamics of bioenergetic systems in bacteria, edited by Prof Conrad Mullineaux.
Integrated delivery systems: the cure for fragmentation

Our healthcare system is fragmented, with a misalignment of incentives, or lack of coordination, that spawns inefficient allocation of resources. Fragmentation adversely impacts quality, cost, and outcomes. Eliminating waste from unnecessary, unsafe care is crucial for improving quality and reducing costs—and making the system financially sustainable. Many believe this can be achieved through greater integration of healthcare delivery, more specifically via integrated delivery systems (IDSs). An IDS is an organized, coordinated, and collaborative network that links various healthcare providers to provide a coordinated, vertical continuum of services to a particular patient population or community. It is also accountable, both clinically and fiscally, for the clinical outcomes and health status of the population or community served, and has systems in place to manage and improve them. The marketplace already contains numerous styles and degrees of integration, ranging from Kaiser Permanente–style full integration, to more loosely organized individual practice associations, to public–private partnerships. Evidence suggests that IDSs can improve healthcare quality, improve outcomes, and reduce costs—especially for patients with complex needs—if properly implemented and coordinated. No single approach or public policy will fix the fragmented healthcare system, but IDSs represent an important step in the right direction. (Am J Manag Care. 2009;15:S284-S290)
Caesium diuranium hexa-telluride.

Single crystals of CsU2Te6 were synthesized from the reaction of U, Te, and Cs2Te3 at 1273 K. CsU2Te6 crystallizes in the space group Cmcm in the CsTh2Te6 structure type. The asymmetric unit comprises one U (site symmetry m2m), one Cs (m2m; half-occupancy) and two Te atoms (m.. and m2m). The structure of CsU2Te6 consists of infinite [U2Te6] layers perpendicular to [010] separated by Cs atoms. There are infinite Te—Te—Te linear chains along [001].
Utilization Aware Power Management in Reliable and Aggressive Chip Multi Processors

With increasing transistor density on a single chip, processor design in the nanoscale era is hitting power and frequency walls. Due to these challenges, processors not only need to run fast, but remain cool and consume less energy. At this juncture where no further improvement in clock frequency is possible, data dependent latching through timing speculation provides a silver lining. In this paper, (a) we present a novel power level switching mechanism using reliable and aggressive designs that support overclocking. Using the proposed framework, we achieve 40 percent speed-up and also observe 75 percent energy-delay squared product (ED $^2$ ) savings relative to the base architecture. (b) showcase the loss of efficiency in current chip multiprocessor systems due to excess power supplied. We propose a utilization-aware task scheduling (UTS)—a power management scheme that increases energy efficiency of chip multiprocessors. (c) demonstrate that UTS along with aggressive timing speculation extracts ample performance from the system without loss of efficiency, and also without breaching power and thermal constraints. We demonstrate that UTS improves performance by 12 percent due to aggressive power level switching and over 50 percent in ED $^2$ savings in comparing to traditional power management techniques.
VariantBam: filtering and profiling of next-generational sequencing data using region-specific rules.

UNLABELLED We developed VariantBam, a C ++ read filtering and profiling tool for use with BAM, CRAM and SAM sequencing files. VariantBam provides a flexible framework for extracting sequencing reads or read-pairs that satisfy combinations of rules, defined by any number of genomic intervals or variant sites. We have implemented filters based on alignment data, sequence motifs, regional coverage and base quality. For example, VariantBam achieved a median size reduction ratio of 3.1:1 when applied to 10 lung cancer whole genome BAMs by removing large tags and selecting for only high-quality variant-supporting reads and reads matching a large dictionary of sequence motifs. Thus VariantBam enables efficient storage of sequencing data while preserving the most relevant information for downstream analysis. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION VariantBam and full documentation are available at github.com/jwalabroad/VariantBam CONTACT rameen@broadinstitute.org SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
PWM Controlled ac Power Supply based on ac Chopper Technology and Its Applications

Many studies of the ac power supply have been reported. There are ac chopper circuits in these reports. The ac chopper circuits are effective method for ac power control. But, the ac chopper does not apply to practical use because it has some problems that needs bi-directional switch and ac snubber.In this paper, I propose the novel PWM controlled ac power supply based on ac chopper technology. Proposed PWM controlled ac power supply can solve problems of devices and snubber circuits because this circuit uses bilateral switch circuit instead of bi-directional switch. This paper describes circuit configuration and operation of PWM controlled ac power supply, and explains ac voltage regulator and series voltage compensator for application example through experimental results.
Cooperative folding near the downhill limit determined with amino acid resolution by hydrogen exchange

The relationship between folding cooperativity and downhill, or barrier-free, folding of proteins under highly stabilizing conditions remains an unresolved topic, especially for proteins such as λ-repressor that fold on the microsecond timescale. Under aqueous conditions where downhill folding is most likely to occur, we measure the stability of multiple H bonds, using hydrogen exchange (HX) in a λYA variant that is suggested to be an incipient downhill folder having an extrapolated folding rate constant of 2 × 105 s−1 and a stability of 7.4 kcal·mol−1 at 298 K. At least one H bond on each of the three largest helices (α1, α3, and α4) breaks during a common unfolding event that reflects global denaturation. The use of HX enables us to both examine folding under highly stabilizing, native-like conditions and probe the pretransition state region for stable species without the need to initiate the folding reaction. The equivalence of the stability determined at zero and high denaturant indicates that any residual denatured state structure minimally affects the stability even under native conditions. Using our ψ analysis method along with mutational ϕ analysis, we find that the three aforementioned helices are all present in the folding transition state. Hence, the free energy surface has a sufficiently high barrier separating the denatured and native states that folding appears cooperative even under extremely stable and fast folding conditions.
Investigation on hygienic status of fresh-purified drinking water from vending machines in Shanghai

[Objective]To understand the hygienic and management status of fresh-purified drinking water from vending machines in Shanghai,further look for the scientific and effective management measures.[Methods]From May to December in 2013,1 100 water vending machines,500 households,5 health administrators and 4 water supply enterprises were collected from 9 districts,to perform the cross-sectional investigation, water quality testing, self-checking capability building and personnel interview.[Results]The total qualified rate of fresh-purified drinking water from vending machines was higher than 90%,and the unqualified indicators mainly included the total number of bacteria,Escherichia coli and oxygen consumption. More than 74% of survey respondents have used the fresh-purified drinking water from vending machines. The self-checking capability of laboratory in two enterprises did not meet the requirements of standards. [Conclusion]To establish the effective laws and regulations,and strengthen law enforcement are main ways to improve the orderly development of industry and ensure the safe water supply.
Hygienic Survey of Central Air Conditioning Ventilation Systems in Public Places of Shanghai

[Objective]To understand the hygienic status and contamination characteristics of central air conditioning ventilation systems before commencement of commercial operation in public places of Shanghai.[Methods]The hygienic indices of 62 selected central air conditioning ventilation systems were detected according to the Hygiene Specification for Central Air Conditioning Ventilation System in Public Buildings.[Result]The qualified rates of PM10,total bacteria,total fungi,and β-hemolytic streptococcus bacteremia in the supply air samples were 95.2%,87.1%,85.5%,and 100.0%,respectively.The qualified rates of accumulated dust mass,total bacteria,and total fungi on the internal surface of ventilation ducts were 90.3%,90.3%,and 91.9%,respectively.Legionella pneumophila was not detected in the condensed water samples,but 61.5% of the cooling water samples were positive for Legionella pneumophila and the main type was Lp1.There were correlation variations and seasonal changes among hygienic indices of central air conditioning systems.[Conclusion]Hygienic issues exist in some newly installed public central air conditioning ventilation systems before commercial operation.More efforts should be directed toward future studies on the inter-index correlations to optimize evaluation index systems.Given the seasonal changes,strengthened health supervision in summer and winter would be more appropriate.
Research on Multi-Hop Routing Algorithm of Wireless Sensor Network

To improve the efficiency of routing protocols and extend the survival period of wireless sensor networks,design a new multi-hop routing algorithm based on LEACH.The algorithm includes four phases: cluster heads election,clusters forming,greedy binary tree establishment and data transmission. The algorithm can reduce the amount of data transmitted in networks and energy consumption by electing proper cluster heads,forming cluster reasonably and fusing data in middle cluster heads.In the simulation experiment,the algorithm is implemented with C++;The running results of new algorithm and the LEACH are compared,and the energy consumption of the algorithm is analyzed.The effectiveness of the algorithm in saving energy has been verified by the simulation results.
Towards scalable voltage control in smart grid: a submodular optimization approach

Voltage instability occurs when a power system is unable to meet reactive power demand at one or more buses. Voltage instability events have caused several major out- ages and promise to become more frequent due to in- creasing energy demand. The future smart grid may help to ensure voltage stability by enabling rapid detection of possible voltage instability and implementation of corrective action. These corrective actions will only be effective in restoring stability if they are chosen in a timely, scalable manner. Current techniques for select- ing control actions, however, rely on exhaustive search, and hence may choose an inefficient control strategy. In this paper, we propose a submodular optimization approach to designing a control strategy to prevent volt- age instability at one or more buses. Our key insight is that the deviation from the desired voltage is a super- modular function of the set of reactive power injections that are employed, leading to computationally efficient control algorithms with provable optimality guarantees. Furthermore, we show that the optimality bound of our approach can be improved from 1/3 to 1/2 when the power system operates under heavy loading conditions. We demonstrate our framework through extensive simulation study on the IEEE 30 bus test case.
Transurethral resection for ejaculatory duct stenosis and oligospermia

Four patients with oligospermia were treated for ejaculatory obstruction after diagnosis by semen analysis and vasography. Ejaculatory obstruction was caused by urethral catheterization or infection in all cases. Transurethral resection of the posterior prostatic urethra produced fertile levels of sperm in the semen in one patient. While success rates are low, low morbidity and possible use of sperm for in vitro fertilization make investigation and treatment of these patients worthwhile.
Occupational Health Problems of the Rural Work Force

Just as rural was historically synonymous with farm, so the rural worker commonly is thought of as a farmer. However, the number of persons employed in agriculture has been steadily decreasing. This decrease has been paralleled by a continuing diversification of rural employment possibilities, resulting from the decentralization of American manufacturing and the movement of many plants to rural locations, as well as from increases in the size of other rural occupations (such as rural professional services, defense activities, and recreational services).
Stretch-Gated Ion Channels in Neuronal Mechanoreceptors

The sense of touch, or mechanosensitivity, is crucial for virtually all aspects of everyday life, yet among all the senses possessed by vertebrates, it remains least explored at the cellular and molecular levels. Key to touch sensitivity are neuronal mechanoreceptors, which constitute a minor group of neurons in the somatosensory ganglia of most vertebrates. The scarcity of neuronal mechanoreceptors coupled with the absence of unequivocal markers for their identification impedes progress in understanding the molecular mechanism of touch sensitivity. Towards this end, we developed a novel animal model - the trigeminal system of duck embryos. Ducks are tactile specialists capable of foraging by means of acute mechanosensitivity of the glabrous skin covering their bill. We found that in contrast to rodents and other vertebrates, the trigeminal ganglia innervating duck head are dominated by mechanoreceptors instead of thermoreceptors and nociceptors. Electrophysiological analysis showed that duck trigeminal neurons have an augmented ability to convert touch into excitation, presumably due to the properties of the resident stretch-sensitive ion channels. We determined that a majority of duck trigeminal neurons express mechano-activated ion channels of the Piezo and Nav classes. We explored functional properties of these channels in vitro and inquired into their contribution to mechanically activated excitatory current and action potential generation in rapidly-adapting neuronal mechanoreceptors. Our data suggest a molecular mechanism underlying the sense of touch in the glabrous skin of vertebrates.
61 – Emotions and Heart Disease

Depression is the main emotional variable being investigated with respect to coronary heart disease (CHD). This chapter focuses on the negative emotion (depression) as a risk factor for CHD in women. Two meta-analyses, including major prospective studies of CHD, evaluated association of personality variables and negative emotions with CHD outcomes. Negative emotions were indeed related to CHD outcomes in both studies. Although these early attempts to link negative emotions to CHD are promising, most of the data included in the meta-analyses came from men; when women were included, results were not reported by gender. Not surprisingly, depressive symptoms among patients with heart disease are significantly more common than among people in the general population. It should be noted, however, that some prospective studies do not support a link between negative emotions and heart disease. One study among elderly hypertensive patients found no relationship between depression measured at baseline and subsequent cardiovascular outcomes but did find that heart disease increased both in men and in women as their levels of depression increased over the follow-up period.
American Policy Toward Japan: The Sisyphean Dilemma or What is the Sound of One Hand Clapping?

On 16 May 1991, the White House threatened Japan with trade sanctions. Was it because after decades of negotiations, a doubling of the yen’s value since 1985, and Tokyo’s ten “market opening packages” of the 1980s, the United States continued to suffer immense and intractable trade deficits with Japan? If America’s $41 billion trade deficit with Japan in 1990 had instead been balanced, 1 435 000 more Americans would have been employed, and the country’s economic development, creation of wealth, and ability to deal with a range of socioeconomic problems would have been greatly enhanced.1 But, tragically, the efforts of American companies to sell or invest in Japan continue to be obstructed by a bewildering web of barriers. During the Spring of 1991, Tokyo continued to stall in negotiations over Japan’s cartelized construction and semiconductor markets. Meanwhile, Japanese corporations enjoyed virtually unlimited access to American markets. By early 1991, Japan’s automobile makers had captured 30 per cent of the American market, contributing to the $3.2 billion in losses for United States producers over the preceding year with no upturn in sight.
Molecular oncology of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is malignancy of epithelial origin occuring with a high incidence in southern China and south-east Asia. The molecular basis for the disease is not yet well understood. Epidemiology studies have correlated the disease with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, certain dietary and environmental factors. Molecular genetic studies, on the other hand, have provided some evidence suggesting that chromosomal deletions at 3p and 9p and alterations of some known tumor suppressor genes, including p53, p16, and Rb2, may contribute to the genesis of the disease. Like all other cancers, nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis is a multistage process involving interactions between multiple factors. An individual's genetic background, surrounding environment and life style could play a crucial role in development of the disease. This review only focuses on the current understanding of possible molecular mechanisms of nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis with emphasis on tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. Future research directions are also being suggested in the hope that this will ultimately lead to the cloning of the key gene(s) responsible for this geographically/ethnically specific malignancy.
Soluble Fe in Aerosols Sustained by Gaseous HO2 Uptake

The soluble fraction of aerosol Fe, mainly Fe(II), represents a large source of nutrient iron to the open ocean. Fe(II) may also play an important role in the adverse health effects of ambient aerosols. Our current understanding of the reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) in aerosols suggests that the major pathway is the photoreduction of Fe(III)–oxalate complexes, but this pathway cannot explain the observed nighttime Fe(II) in ambient aerosols and is also limited by the supply of oxalate. Here we propose a new pathway initiated by gaseous HO2 uptake, followed by Cu–Fe redox coupling, which can sustain nighttime Fe(II) and also dominate Fe(III) reduction in the absence of Fe(III)–oxalate complexes. Consequently, aqueous OH production is substantially enhanced via the Fenton reaction and sustained by the influx of HO2 from the gas phase. This mechanism is potentially the major mechanism for sustaining soluble Fe(II) in ambient aerosols and can be tested by a combination of modeling and aerosol Fe speciation me...
The atmosphere as a source/sink of polychlorinated biphenyls to/from the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site.

Abstract Waterbodies polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may cause the air in the surrounding area to become PCB-contaminated. Conversely, when a waterbody is located in or near an urban area, the deposition of atmospheric PCBs may act as a low-level, ongoing source of PCB contamination to that water. Distinguishing these situations is necessary to be protective of human populations and to guide efforts seeking to cleanup such aquatic ecosystems. To assess the situation at the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) Superfund site, low-density polyethylene passive samplers were deployed in the summer of 2015 to quantify freely dissolved water and gaseous air concentrations of PCBs thereby enabling estimates of the direction and magnitude of air-water exchange of PCB congeners. For the sum of the 27 PCB congeners, average concentrations were 220 pg/m3 (95% C.I.: 80–610) in the air and 320 pg/L (95% C.I.: 110–960) in the water. The sum of air-water exchange fluxes of these PCB congeners was estimated to be 68 ng/m2/day (95% C.I.: 30–148) into the lower atmosphere, contrasting with the reported wet and dry depositional flux of only 5.5 ng/m2/day (95% C.I.: 1–38) from the air into the water. Therefore, the atmosphere was ultimately a sink of PCBs from the LDW Superfund site, at least under 2015 summertime conditions. However, we conclude that air-water exchange of PCBs is likely only a minor sink of PCBs from the LDW and only a minor source of contamination to the region's local atmosphere.
Opportunities to Increase Availability of Deceased Donor Kidneys

In this issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology , Cohen et al. ([1][1]) report that receiving a kidney from a diabetic deceased donor versus remaining on the waiting list is associated with better patient survival. This important study provides data to support the use of
Recent Trends in Extreme Precipitation and Temperature over Southeastern South America: The Dominant Role of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion in the CESM Large Ensemble

AbstractObservations show an increase in maximum precipitation extremes and a decrease in maximum temperature extremes over southeastern South America (SESA) in the second half of the 20th century. The Community Earth System Model (CESM) Large Ensemble (LE) experiments are able to successfully reproduce the observed trends of extreme precip- itation and temperature over SESA. Careful analysis of a smaller ensemble of CESM-LE single forcing experiments reveals that the trends of extreme precipitation and temperature over SESA are mostly caused by stratospheric ozone depletion. The underlying dynamical mechanism is investigated, and it is found that, as a consequence of stratospheric ozone depletion and the resulting southward shift of tropospheric jet streams, anomalous easterly ow and more intense cyclones have occurred over SESA, which are favorable for heavier rainfall extremes and milder heat extremes.
The updated force field parameters for molecular modeling of cisplatin and oxaliplatin adducts with DNA

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 1566 Conformational changes in the DNA duplex introduced by the anticancer drugs cisplatin (CP) and oxaliplatin (OX) may be, in part, responsible for their difference in tumor specificity and mutagenicity. The accuracy of force field parameters employed for molecular mechanics modeling is crucial for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, resulting in agreement with experimental data and meaningful predictions. Here we report force field parameters for molecular mechanics modeling of CP and OX adducts with DNA. We conducted quantum mechanics calculations using Gaussian03 on the 9-methyl-guanine derivatives of CP and OX to determine the atomic partial charges. These charges were determined by Mulliken method based on either NMR structures or geometry optimized structures. The Mulliken method was not sensitive to the geometry of structures and was able to produce consistent and reasonable charges. After averaging the charges of chemically identical atoms, the differences between the two sets of Mulliken charges, one based on distorted NMR structures and the other based on geometry optimized structures, were no more than 0.1 e. The other force field parameters were extended based on AMBER parm99 force field parameters and previous work by Yao et al and Scheeff et al . Forty 10 ns unrestrained MD simulations of a 12-mer DNA duplex d(5’-CCTCAG\*G\*CCTCC-3’)-d(5’-GGAGGCCTGAGG-3’) (G* = G coordinated to platinum) , containing either cis -Pt(NH3)22+ (CP-DNA) or (trans-RR)1,2 -Pt(C6H10)(NH2)22+ (OX-DNA) crosslinking moiety, were conducted under fully solvated condition with counter ions to investigate the impact of the two sets of Mulliken charges. From extensive root mean square standard deviation (RMSD) analysis, we concluded that the differences in the two sets of Mulliken charges did not have significant impacts on the simulations, and that the simulations were independent of the starting structures. The updated force field parameters were capable of driving the structures to a similar conformational ensemble of which the critical inter-proton distances were within the NMR experimental range. Ten out of forty 10 ns simulations starting from our NMR structures are being analyzed extensively, focusing on the central four AG\*G\*C base-pairs. The RMSD analysis of the trajectories of the ten simulations showed less flexibility for the OX-DNA adduct compared to the CP-DNA adduct. In addition, the 5’ end of both platinated adducts shows higher flexibility than the 3’ end. Comparison of interproton distances between the NMR and that of our simulated structures revealed only 11 / 175 violations for the CP-DNA adduct and 3 / 112 for the OX-DNA adduct. (supported by NIH grant CA84480)
Selections From the ABC 2017 Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland: Finding a Pedagogical Pot o’ Gold:

This article, the first of a two-part series, offers readers 13 teaching innovations debuted at the 2017 Association for Business Communication’s annual conference in Dublin, Ireland. Assignment to...
When Are Two Visual Cognition Systems Better Than One

Visual decision-making involving pairs of individuals tasked with determining the location of an object is a cognitive process combining independent systems together. Although it has been observed that combined systems can improve each of the individual systems, it remains a challenging problem to determine why and how this will occur. In this paper, we use Combinatorial Fusion Analysis (CFA) as a methodology through which we can effectively combine the decisions of two independent visual cognition systems. An experiment with 20 trials is performed in which participants are tasked with determining an object location, and stating the uncertainty factor for their decision. Our results demonstrate that the combination of two visual cognition systems using CFA can match or improve the performance of each individual system only if the pair of systems perform relatively well and are cognitively diverse.
Anti-Takeover Provisions and Corporate Disclosure †

We examine the effects of anti-takeover provisions (ATPs) on corporate disclosure by testing the following two hypotheses: (1) The market pressure hypothesis, which predicts that firms with more ATPs will provide more information to the market and have higher earnings quality because ATPs shield managers from short-term market pressures so that managers can pursue long-term shareholder interests; (2) The management entrenchment hypothesis, which predicts that firms with more ATPs will disclose less information and have lower earnings quality because ATPs help entrenched managers pursue private benefits at the expense of shareholders. We find support for the market pressure hypothesis, not the management entrenchment hypothesis. High-ATP firms are more likely to make management earnings forecasts than low-ATP firms, especially when the forecast conveys bad news and when a large fraction of the firm’s institutional investors are transient investors. Low-ATP firms are also more likely than high-ATP firms to postpone their forecasts until the end of the quarter. The market reaction is stronger to negative forecasts made by low-ATP firms than to negative forecasts made by high-ATP firms. The quality of reported earnings of high-ATP firms is better than that of low-ATP firms. Evidence from analyst earnings forecasts is consistent with the above findings: analyst earnings forecasts of low-ATP firms are more optimistically biased and less accurate, especially early in the quarter, compared to those of high-ATP firms.
Maternal haploids of Petunia axillaris (Lam.) B.S.P. via culture of placenta attached ovules

Hybridization of Petunia axillaris and P. parodii with Nicotiana tabacum was attempted using the method of in vitro pollination and fertilization. Seedlings were produced when the Petunia species and N. tabacum were used as the maternal parents; however, most of these had the identical somatic chromosome complement of the maternal parent. With crosses involving P. axillaris as the maternal parent, a low frequency of haploids was also produced. Due to the potential of haploids in basic and applied genetic research, additional experiments were carried out to determine whether in vitro pollination was necessary to stimulate haploid production and to more closely define the optimal time for ovule excision and culture. Four treatments were applied to accomplish these objectives. They were: placentas cultured prior to the time of anthesis, with and without pollination, and placentas cultured after the time of anthesis, with and without pollination. In vitro pollination had no effect on the frequency of haploids produced. Placenta attached ovules cultured prior to the time of anthesis produced significantly more haploids than those cultured after anthesis. The preanthesis treatment produced a frequency of 6.5 haploids per 100 ovaries cultured. The culture of placenta attached ovules provides an alternative to anther culture as a means for haploid production.
Host–Pathogen Interactions

Transcriptome-based studies are now widely used to study the host response to bacterial pathogens, and conversely, the response of bacteria to the host or host cells. Neutrophils are the primary cellular response to bacterial infection and relatively recent transcriptome studies have changed our fundamental understanding of this process. Studies of bacterial genomes and transcriptomes have provided unprecedented information about bacterial epidemics, evolution, and pathogenesis. Such information will be important for our efforts to develop new vaccines or therapeutics designed to prevent or treat bacterial infections.
CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE | Climate Variability: North Atlantic and Arctic Oscillation

A leading pattern of weather and climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere is the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO). The NAO refers to a redistribution of atmospheric mass between the Arctic and the subtropical Atlantic, and swings from one phase to another to produce large changes in surface air temperature, winds, storminess, and precipitation over the Atlantic as well as the adjacent continents. The NAO also affects the ocean through changes in heat content, gyre circulations, mixed layer depth, salinity, high-latitude deepwater formation, and sea ice cover. A better understanding of how the NAO responds to external forcing, including increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, is thus crucial.
Silver-functionalized silica aerogel: towards an understanding of aging on iodine sorption performance

The silver-functionalized silica aerogel (Ag0-aerogel) is being developed for the removal and sequestration of iodine compounds from the off-gas of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. This material shows high selectivity and sorption capacity for iodine. However, its sorption performance decreases when exposed to air containing H2O and NOx at 150 °C for extended periods of time. This phenomenon is referred to as “aging” and simulates exposure of the sorbent during plant idling. This extensive study of unaged and aged samples of Ag0-aerogel with and without iodine revealed that decreased efficiency of I capture after NO-aging can be attributed to an increase in size of silver nanoparticles and by the formation of free sulfate on their surfaces from oxidized thiol groups. The smaller reactive surface areas of bigger particles and thin sulfate layer on particle surfaces prevented a complete utilization of the silver. By contrast, formation of silver sulfate appears to be the main factor in decreasing the sorption capacity for samples aged in dry or humid air. It is hypothesized that a short period exposure of the Ag0-aerogel to a reducing gas stream would reduce oxidized silver back to metal and sulfate to sulfide. This may recover the sorption performance of Ag0-aerogel close to original levels.
Judge Douglas Ginsburg Interviews Makan Delrahim on Intellectual Property and Antitrust

Makan Delrahim, the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust at the U.S. Department of Justice, delivered the keynote address at the LeadershIP Conference on IP, Antitrust, and Innovation Policy, which was co-sponsored by Competition Policy International. Following up on that discussion, Mr. Delrahim graciously agreed to answer the following questions posed by Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg.
Forelimb Position Affects Facultative Bipedal Locomotion in Lizards

ABSTRACT Recent work indicates that bipedal posture in lizards is advantageous during obstacle negotiation. However, little is known about how bipedalism occurs beyond a lizard9s acceleratory threshold. Furthermore, no study to date has examined the effects of forelimb position on the body center of mass (BCoM) in the context of bipedalism. This study quantified the frequency of bipedalism when sprinting with versus without an obstacle at 0.8 m from the start of a sprint. Forelimb positions were quantified during bipedal running at the start of a sprint and when crossing an obstacle. Two species with contrasting body forms (and thus different BCoM) were studied (Sceloporus woodi and Aspidoscelis sexlineata) to assess potential variation due to body plan and obstacle-crossing behavior. No significant difference in frequency of bipedalism was observed in S. woodi with or without an obstacle. However, A. sexlineata primarily used a bipedal posture when sprinting. Forelimb positions were variable in S. woodi and stereotyped in A. sexlineata. Caudal extension of the forelimbs helped shift the BCoM posteriorly and transition to, or maintain, a bipedal posture in A. sexlineata, but not in S. woodi. The posterior shift in BCoM, aided by more caudally placed forelimbs, helps raise the trunk from the ground, regardless of obstacle presence. The body plan, specifically the length of the trunk and tail, and forelimb position work together with acceleration to shift the BCoM posteriorly to transition to a bipedal posture. Thus, species exhibit morphological and behavioral adjustments to transition to and maintain facultative bipedalism while sprinting.
Challenges in the treatment and prevention of delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions with hyperhemolysis in sickle cell disease patients.

Background Delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions (DHTRs) are serious complications of RBC transfusion that can occur in previously alloimmunized patients. Patients who require episodic transfusions during heightened inflammatory states, such as patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), are particularly prone to alloimmunization and developing DHTRs with hyperhemolysis. While efforts to mitigate these hemolytic episodes via immunosuppressive drugs can be employed, the relative efficacy of various treatment options remains incompletely understood. Case reports In this study, we explored five patients with SCD and multiple RBC alloantibodies who received various forms of immunosuppressive therapy in an attempt to prevent or treat severe DHTRs. Results The clinical course for these five patients provides insight into the difficulty of effectively treating and preventing DHTRs in patients with SCD with currently available immunosuppressive therapies. Conclusion Based on our experience, and the current literature, it is difficult to predict the potential impact of various immunosuppressive therapies when seeking to prevent or treat DHTRs. Future mechanistic studies are needed to identify the optimal treatment options for DHTRs in the presence or absence of distinct alloantibodies in patients with SCD.
Investigating Phosphorylation Patterns of the Ion Channel TRPM7 Using Multiple Extraction and Enrichment Techniques Reveals New Phosphosites.

The study of membrane proteins, and in particular ion channels, is crucial to understanding cellular function. Mass spectrometry-based approaches including bottom-up strategies to study membrane proteins have been successful yet still can remain challenging. In this study, we sought to evaluate the phosphorylation patterns of the ion channel TRPM7 which is involved in a range of critical physiological functions. To overcome extraction obstacles associated with analyzing membrane proteins, we incorporated the use of 5% SDS solubilization coupled with SCAD and S-Trap digestion methods to eliminate detergent interference in downstream LC-MS/MS analysis. We found that the SCAD method was more efficient, yielding 84% of the overall identified proteins; however, the variability was greater than the S-Trap method. Using both methods together with TiO2 and Fe-NTA phospho-enrichment protocols, we successfully observed the phosphorylation pattern of TRPM7 in a transfected cell line. An average of 22 ± 6% of the TRPM7 amino acid sequence was observed. In addition to several previously reported phosphorylation sites, we identified six new phosphosites (S5, S233, S554, S824, T1265, and S1401), providing new targets for further functional analyses of TRPM7.
Utilizing relative weight analysis in customer satisfaction research

For customer satisfaction researchers, key driver analysis is a common practice to understand what product and service attributes are most important in driving the overall customer experience, typi...
Researcher perspectives on embedding community stakeholders in T1-T2 research: A potential new model for full-spectrum translational research - ADDENDUM.

Effective community engagement in T3-T4 research is widespread, however, similar stakeholder involvement is missing in T1-T2 research. As part of an effort to embed community stakeholders in T1-T2 research, an academic community partnered team conducted discussion groups with researchers to assess perspectives on (1) barriers/challenges to including community stakeholders in basic science, (2) skills/training required for stakeholders and researchers, and (3) potential benefits of these activities. Engaging community in basic science research was perceived as challenging but with exciting potential to incorporate "real-life" community health priorities into basic research, resulting in a new full-spectrum translational research model.