cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid clinical induction of hepatic cytochrome P4502B6 activity by ritonavir.

Ritonavir is the most potent and efficacious inhibitor of cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A), and it is used accordingly for the pharmacoenhancement of other antiretrovirals. Paradoxically, ritonavir induces the clinical metabolism and clearance of many drugs. The mechanism by which ritonavir inhibits and induces clinical drug metabolism is unknown. Ritonavir induces CYP2B6 in human hepatocytes. This investigation tested the hypothesis that ritonavir induces human CYP2B6 in vivo. Thirteen healthy human immunodeficiency virus-negative volunteers underwent a three-way sequential crossover protocol, receiving racemic bupropion after nothing (control), 3 days of treatment with ritonavir, and 2.5 weeks of treatment with ritonavir (400 mg twice a day). Stereoselective bupropion hydroxylation was used as an in vivo probe for CYP2B6 activity. Plasma and urine (R)- and (S)-bupropion and (R,R)- and (S,S)-hydroxybupropion concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Racemic, (R)-, and (S)-bupropion plasma ratios of the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 h to infinity (AUC0-∞) (ritonavir/control) were significantly reduced to 0.84, 0.86, and 0.80, respectively, after 3 days of ritonavir treatment and to 0.67, 0.69, and 0.60 after steady-state ritonavir treatment. Apparent oral clearances for racemic, (R)-, and (S)-bupropion all were significantly increased by 1.2-fold after 3 days of ritonavir treatment and by 1.4-, 1.7-, and 1.5-fold after steady-state ritonavir treatment. The plasma (S,S)-hydroxybupropion/(S)-bupropion AUC0-72 ratio was significantly increased by ritonavir. Formation clearances of both (R,R)- and (S,S)-hydroxybupropion were increased 1.8-fold after 3 days of ritonavir treatment and 2.1-fold after steady-state ritonavir treatment. These results show that ritonavir induces human CYP2B6 activity. Induction is rapid, occurring after only 3 days of ritonavir, and is sustained for at least 2 weeks. The ritonavir induction of CYP2B6 activity may have significant implications for drug interactions and clarify previously unexplained interactions.
Joint Independent Component Analysis of Brain Perfusion and Structural Magnetic Resonance Images in Dementia

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides various imaging modes to study the brain. We tested the benefits of joint analysis of multimodality MRI data using joint independent components analysis (jICA) in comparison to unimodality analyses. Specifically, we designed a jICA to decompose the joint distributions of multimodality MRI data across image voxels and subjects into independent components that explain joint variations between image modalities across subjects. We applied jICA to structural and perfusion-weighted MRI data from 12 patients diagnosed with behavioral variant front temporal dementia (bvFTD), a type of dementia, and 12 healthy elderly individuals. While unimodality analyses showed widespread brain atrophy and hypoperfusion in the patients, jICA further revealed links between atrophy and hypoperfusion in specific brain regions. Moreover, significant links were confined to the right brain hemisphere in FTLD, consistent with the clinical symptoms. Considering multimodality effect size between bvFTD patients and controls, brain atrophy and hypoperfusion regions identified by multimodality jICA yielded the large effect size while regions identified by unimodality analysis of atrophy and hypoperfusion differences revealed only a medium multimodality effect size between bvFTD patients and controls. The findings demonstrate the power of jICA to effectively evaluate multimodality brain imaging data.
Stone Shamans and Flying Deer of Northern Mongolia: Deer Goddess of Siberia or Chimera of the Steppe?

Mongolia’s Bronze Age deer stones are one of the most striking expressions of early monumental art in Central Asia, yet their age, origins, relationships, and meaning remain obscure. Speculation about Scythian connections has stimulated recent research in Mongolia that has begun to peel away their mysteries and reveals connections to Scytho-Siberian and northern art. Radiocarbon-dated horse skulls indicate pre-Scythian ages of “classic Mongolian” deer stones as well as firm association with the Late Bronze Age khirigsuur [kurgan] burial mound complex.
Sex and Race Differences in Right Ventricular Structure and Function The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis–Right Ventricle Study

Background—Right ventricular (RV) morphology is an important predictor of outcomes in heart and lung disease; however, determinants of RV anatomy have not been well studied. We examined the demogra...
Contact sensing for parts localization: sensor design and experiments

A 2-axis force/torque sensor has been designed for contact sensing and the localization of 2-D curved shapes. The sensor is an aluminum piece attached with two "chip sensors", each a half-bridge circuit consisting of two strain gauges. It functions like a "wrist" which uses the two chip sensors to detect bending and twisting moments, respectively. When an external force is exerted on a jaw mounted with the F/T sensor, the point of force application is linearly related to the ratio between the reading variations from the chip sensors. This principle is used for determining contact locations on the jaw after calibration. A simple strategy is later described to control the jaw to roll on a motionless 2-D object while estimating the movement of contact. Given its shape, the object's position and orientation relative to the jaw can also be estimated during the rolling motion. Experiments have been conducted with an Adept Cobra 600 manipulator.
Electrical conductivity of a natural (Mg,Fe)SiO3 majorite garnet

The electrical conductivity of meteoritic majorite, measured at 10 Hz under a nitrogen atmosphere at ambient pressure, is 3.8 (±1.8) × 10−7 S/m at room temperature and displays an Arrhenius behavior with an activation energy of 0.55 (±0.1) eV over the temperature range 290–370 K. Extrapolating these values to conditions of the Earth's mantle suggests that majorite and spinel can account for the increase in electrical conductivity observed from the upper mantle to the transition zone, where these phases are stable.
A Differential Dual-Polarized Cavity-Backed Microstrip Patch Antenna With Independent Frequency Tuning

A dual-polarized cavity-backed microstrip patch antenna has been demonstrated with independent tuning of both polarizations from 0.6 GHz to ~1.0 GHz using varactor diodes (1.2-5.4 pF). The 10-dB impedance bandwidth varies from 0.9% to 1.8% over that range. Differential coaxial feeds and the placement of the tuning varactors in the appropriate symmetry planes are employed to achieve a differential-mode port-to-port isolation of >28 dB over the tuning range. Accordingly, the cross-polarization level is <; -20 dB at broadside. The antenna is 100 × 100 × 6.4 mm3 and is fabricated on a dielectric substrate (er = 2.2). The feed point and matching circuit for an impedance match to 50 Ω are determined using the transmission line model. This model underestimates the sensitivity of the resonance frequency to the loading capacitance, but leads to a good initial design. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first dual-polarized antenna with independent tuning over a 1.7:1 bandwidth and single-sided radiation.
How much did cold shock and swimming failure contribute to drowning deaths in the fishing industry in British Columbia 1976-2002?

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Identifying Useful Variables for Vehicle Braking Using the Adjoint Matrix Approach to the Mahalanobis-Taguchi System

The Mahalanobis Taguchi System (MTS) is a diagnosis and forecasting method for multivariate data. Mahalanobis distance (MD) is a measure based on correlations between the variables and different patterns that can be identified and analyzed with respect to a base or reference group. MTS is of interest because of its reported accuracy in forecasting small, correlated data sets. This is the type of data that is encountered with consumer vehicle ratings. MTS enables a reduction in dimensionality and the ability to develop a scale based on MD values. MTS identifies a set of useful variables from the complete data set with equivalent correlation and considerably less time and data. This paper presents the application of the Adjoint Matrix Approach to MTS for vehicle braking to identify a reduced set of useful variables in multidimensional systems.
Sidelined Investors, Trading-Generated News, and the Conditional Moments of Stock Returns

This paper studies information blockages and the asymmetric release of information in a security market with fixed setup costs of trading. In this setting, 'sidelined' investors may delay trading until price movements validate their private signals. Trading thereby internally generates the arrival of further news to the market. This leads to 1) negative skewness following price runups and positive skewness following price rundowns (even though the model is ex ante symmetric), 2) a lack of correspondence between large price changes and the arrival of external information, and 3) increases in volatility following large price changes.
Late Cenozoic sea level and the rise of modern rimmed atolls

This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. The definitive version was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 451 (2016): 73-83, doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.03.018.
The Power of Theme and Language in Multi-Cultural Communities: Which Tobacco Prevention Messages Are Most Persuasive to Mexican-American Youth?

ABSTRACT This article reports on an experiment conducted that tested anti-tobacco advertising strategies aimed at a bicultural Mexican-American youth audience. The direct effects of three advertising themes (negative health consequences, social norms against smoking, and tobacco industry manipulation) and three language executions (English, Spanish, and “Spanglish”) on adolescent Hispanics9 evaluations of the advertisements were examined using a multilevel modeling approach. Additionally, participant-level measures for acculturation and tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors as potential moderators were included. Although all the tested advertisements were viewed favorably, results suggest that a negative health theme may be most effective in a community-wide campaign because it evokes the least amount of counter-arguing among smokers while, at the same time, eliciting positive evaluations from nonsmokers. Results also support the use of either Spanglish or English in the design of anti-tobacco advertising aimed at Mexican-American youths. The study contributes to practical knowledge by examining these factors in stimuli with a high level of ecological validity.
Genetic analysis of the T-H-2 region in non-t chromosomes. I. Two new congenic strains isolate Qglo-1 from H-2.

A general breeding protocol useful in the construction of congenic lines of mice disparate in the 15 cMT-H-2 region of chromosome 17 in non-t chromosomes is described. Two such congenic lines, B6.TC2/Rn and B6.TC3/Rn, were derived from the C57BL/6J and B6.C-H-2d/By strains using this protocol. Both B6.TC2 and B6.TC3 dissociate the quantitative activity locus for glyoxalase I (Qglo-1) from theH-2 complex, and hence possess BALB/cBy DNA centromeric toH-2. However, neither new strain is able to map anyH-2-associated restriction fragment length polymorphism with anH-2 cDNA probe even though both strains are recombinant in the 2 cMQglo-1-H-2K interval.
Ethion, Ethion Monooxon, and Ethion Dioxon: Residues in the Body Tissues of Turkeys Confined in Pens on Treated Soil

When turkeys were confined in pens on soil sprayed with an emulsion of ethion (4 lb/gal EC) at a rate of 4, 12, and 40 lb AI/acre (4.48, 13.4, and 44.8 kg/ha), maximum residues found in fat and skin, respectively, at I wk posttreatment were 0.022 and 0.080 ppm for 4 lb/acre, 0.031 and 0.410 ppm for 12 lb/acre, and 0.295 and 0.666 ppm for 40 lb/acre. Small (0.002–0.003 ppm) residues of ethion monooxon were detected at 1–3 wk post treatment in the skin of turkeys at a rate of 40 lb/acre, but no ethion dioxon was detected in any tissue.
Sequence Stratigraphic Context of Extensive Basin-Margin Evaporites: Middle Jurassic Gypsum Spring Formation, Wyoming, U.S.A.

Abstract Ancient marine evaporites are commonly far more extensive than any known modern evaporite system. This is true not only for basin-central saline giants, but also for evaporites that occur in basin-margin settings, and the origin of these basin-margin systems is unclear. Extensive basin-margin evaporites of the Middle Jurassic Gypsum Spring Formation are well exposed along the eastern flank of the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming, USA, and a facies and sequence stratigraphic analysis was undertaken to understand the origin of these evaporites and associated deposits. The Gypsum Spring Formation was deposited on a northwestward-dipping mixed evaporate–carbonate–siliciclastic ramp, with facies and depositional environments that include distal ooid shoal grainstone, open-marine shallow-subtidal peloidal–skeletal wackestone to packstone, restricted shallow subtidal laminated lime mudstone, peritidal dolostone and microbialite, as well as red mudstone and gypsum deposited on mud flats, sabkhas, and salinas. Three depositional sequences are present, with the J-1, J-1a, and J-1b sequence boundaries characterized locally by chert-pebble lags, silicified horizons, and iron-rich paleosols. Evaporites accumulated in a basin-margin position, with 1–6 m beds of gypsum forming in salinas and sabkhas, and nodular anhydrite and gypsum forming in red mudstones deposited on sabkhas and mud flats. The limited lateral extent of salina-type gypsum beds and the variable number of these beds among the exposures indicates substantial autocyclic control on the formation of salinas. Salinas are well developed in the TST of the J-1 sequence, and sabkhas and mud flats are well developed in the J-1 HST, the J-1a HST, and the J-1b TST. The great lateral extent of the Gypsum Spring evaporites reflects the original expanse of the depositional environment in which they formed, and is not the result of diachroneity of a narrow evaporite-precipitating belt, such as the modern-day coastal sabkhas of the Trucial coast. The great lateral extent of Gypsum Spring evaporites suggests that they were precipitated mainly from continental brines on an expansive desert mudflat.
A Study of Solid Metal/Ceramic Reactions

In advanced energy systems, ceramics may allow higher operating temperatures for greater efficiency. However, compressive contacts at joints with metals are required by the poor tensile behavior of ceramics. Compression at these interfaces excludes oxygen, and oxides do not form. Reactions under inert or reducing conditions (as in metal matrix composites) have been studied,(1,2) as have reactions of complex superalloys with SiC,(3) Si/SiC(4) and Si3N4.(5) The reactions were complex, dictating a phenomenological study with no treatment of their basic nature or the phase equilibria. With a model alloy containing only Ni, Cr and A1, the present experiments and analyses are an attempt to gain a more basic understanding of metal/ceramic reactions.
Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy for renal pelvis stone in a crossed fused ectopic kidney: a case report -

Crossed renal ectopia is the second most common fusion anomaly of the kidney after horseshoe kidney. The incidence of both fused and unfused cases is 1 in 7000 in autopsies. Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) is a well-established technique in the surgical management of nephrolithiasis. The conventional fluoroscopic guidance of PCNL will be of limited value in ectopic anomalous kidneys due to the abnormal anatomical landmarks with consequent compromise of the procedure’s safety. A 30-year old male patient, previously healthy, presented to our urology outpatient clinic complaining of dull flank pain of six month duration with tenderness in the right renal area and an enlarged right kidney and 1 episode of gross haematuria. Radiological investigations showed left side crossed ectopia with nephrolithiasis. Patient was managed successfully by fluoroscopic guided percutaneous nephrolithotripsy. The position of the stone-containing ectopic kidney can make it easy to reach the pelvis of the target kidney without injuring any adjoining structure. The superimposition of the different soft tissue densities in the radiologic view may limit the ability of the operator to distinguish between different tissue identities. Laparoscopic guidance can represent as a practical solution to this technical problem.
Outcomes of Patients with Refractory/Relapsed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Who Progress After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in the Rituximab Era.

Abstract 2689 Salvage chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) remain the current standard of care for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who have primary refractory disease or relapse after initial therapy. The addition of rituximab results in improved overall survival (OS) after first line treatment, but cure rates of salvage therapy and ASCT are inferior when compared to historical controls (Gisselbrecht et al, JCO 2010). In the pre-rituximab era, patients with DLBCL who progressed after ASCT had an extremely poor prognosis, with a median OS of 3 months from the time of progression (Vose et al, Blood 1992). There is a paucity of data regarding outcomes and clinical patterns following progression after ASCT in the rituximab era. We conducted a retrospective analysis using our institutional database of DLBCL patients who underwent ASCT for primary refractory or relapsed disease. For those who progressed after ASCT, we evaluated OS defined as time from date of progression after ASCT to date of death from any cause or last follow-up. We also analyzed OS for various subgroups based on their clinical characteristics and post-progression therapy. The impact of post-progression therapy on outcome was assessed by calculating OS from the time of exposure to a particular treatment to date of death from any cause or last follow-up. Median OS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and subgroup comparisons were performed using the log rank test. We identified 215 patients with primary refractory or relapsed DLBCL who underwent ASCT between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2011. All patients received rituximab as part of their first line treatment. Fifty-six patients (26% of total) were found to have progression after ASCT. Eight patients were excluded from the analysis because they were not re-biopsied at relapse (n=5) or they had indolent disease at relapse (n=3). Data on the remaining 48 patients (median age 57 years; range 20–74) were further analyzed. The median OS from progression after ASCT for the entire cohort was 10.7 months (95% CI: 6.8–18.0 months). Patients who progressed 48 months after the treatment. Patients who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplant following progression after ASCT (n=6) had a median OS of only 7.1 months (95% CI: 0.8-n/a months). In the rituximab era, the median OS of DLBCL patients who progress after ASCT appears improved when compared to historical controls, especially in those who progress > 1 year from ASCT. Patients with DLBCL progressing after ASCT should be considered for therapy with novel agents, which may result in long term survival. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A stitch in time saves nine: the role of moral judgement in reducing internet policy violations

Internet access has become ubiquitous in many organisations. While employees need this access to perform their duties, many studies report a large percentage of employees use their work internet access in violation of organisational policies. These activities can result in reduced efficiency, increased vulnerability to cyber-attack, and legal liability. Although firms vary according to their acceptable personal internet use policies, they tend to provide generic usage guidelines which do not provide a clear basis for decision making. We argue that the decision to use company internet resources for personal use is largely a moral decision, a fact which has been previously overlooked in research and in practice. In this study, we create and test a predictive model which is framed using moral judgement. The model is confirmed using a survey of 787 knowledge workers. Our results suggest that organisations should incorporate moral guidelines in their acceptable internet use policies.
A comparison of Monte Carlo tree search and rolling horizon optimization for large-scale dynamic resource allocation problems

Abstract Dynamic resource allocation (DRA) problems constitute an important class of dynamic stochastic optimization problems that arise in many real-world applications. DRA problems are notoriously difficult to solve since they combine stochastic dynamics with intractably large state and action spaces. Although the artificial intelligence and operations research communities have independently proposed two successful frameworks for solving such problems—Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) and rolling horizon optimization (RHO), respectively—the relative merits of these two approaches are not well understood. In this paper, we adapt MCTS and RHO to two problems – a problem inspired by tactical wildfire management and a classical problem involving the control of queueing networks – and undertake an extensive computational study comparing the two methods on large scale instances of both problems in terms of both the state and the action spaces. Both methods are able to greatly improve on a baseline, problem-specific heuristic. On smaller instances, the MCTS and RHO approaches perform comparably, but RHO outperforms MCTS as the size of the problem increases for a fixed computational budget.
Use of Antibiotics for Maintenance of Axenic Cultures of Amphidinium carterae for the Analysis of Translation

Most dinoflagellates in culture are bacterized, complicating the quantification of protein synthesis, as well as the analysis of its regulation. In bacterized cultures of Amphidinium carterae Hulbert, up to 80% of protein synthetic activity appears to be predominantly bacterial based on responses to inhibitors of protein synthesis. To circumvent this, axenic cultures of A. carterae were obtained and shown to respond to inhibitors of protein synthesis in a manner characteristic of eukaryotes. However, these responses changed with time in culture correlating with the reappearance of bacteria. Here we show that culture with kanamycin (50 μg/mL), carbenicillin (100 μg/mL), and streptomycin sulfate (50 μg/mL) (KCS), but not 100 units/mL of penicillin and streptomycin (PS), prevents the reappearance of bacteria and allows A. carterae protein synthesis to be quantified without the contribution of an associated bacterial community. We demonstrate that A. carterae can grow in the absence of a bacterial community. Furthermore, maintenance in KCS does not inhibit the growth of A. carterae cultures but slightly extends the growth phase and allows accumulation to somewhat higher saturation densities. We also show that cultures of A. carterae maintained in KCS respond to the eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide, emetine, and harringtonine. Establishment of these culture conditions will facilitate our ability to use polysome fractionation and ribosome profiling to study mRNA recruitment. Furthermore, this study shows that a simple and fast appraisal of the presence of a bacterial community in A. carterae cultures can be made by comparing responses to cycloheximide and chloramphenicol rather than depending on lengthier culture-based assessments.
Prospective Evaluation of 68Ga-RM2 PET/MRI in Patients with Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer and Negative Findings on Conventional Imaging

68Ga-labeled DOTA-4-amino-1-carboxymethyl-piperidine-d-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH2 (68Ga-RM2) is a synthetic bombesin receptor antagonist that targets gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPr). GRPr proteins are highly overexpressed in several human tumors, including prostate cancer (PCa). We present data from the use of 68Ga-RM2 in patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa and negative findings on conventional imaging. Methods: We enrolled 32 men with BCR of PCa, who were 59-83 y old (mean ± SD, 68.7 ± 6.4 y). Imaging started at 40-69 min (mean, 50.5 ± 6.8 min) after injection of 133.2-151.7 MBq (mean, 140.6 ± 7.4 MBq) of 68Ga-RM2 using a time-of-flight-enabled simultaneous PET/MRI scanner. T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and diffusion-weighted images were acquired. Results: All patients had a rising level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (range, 0.3-119.0 ng/mL; mean, 10.1 ± 21.3 ng/mL) and negative findings on conventional imaging (CT or MRI, and a 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scan) before enrollment. The observed 68Ga-RM2 PET detection rate was 71.8%. 68Ga-RM2 PET identified recurrent PCa in 23 of the 32 participants, whereas the simultaneous MRI scan identified findings compatible with recurrent PCa in 11 of the 32 patients. PSA velocity was 0.32 ± 0.59 ng/mL/y (range, 0.04-1.9 ng/mL/y) in patients with negative PET findings and 2.51 ± 2.16 ng/mL/y (range, 0.13-8.68 ng/mL/y) in patients with positive PET findings (P = 0.006). Conclusion:68Ga-RM2 PET can be used for assessment of GRPr expression in patients with BCR of PCa. High uptake in multiple areas compatible with cancer lesions suggests that 68Ga-RM2 is a promising PET radiopharmaceutical for localization of disease in patients with BCR of PCa and negative findings on conventional imaging.
Biases in Data-Driven Networking, and What to Do About Them

Recent efforts highlight the promise of data-driven approaches to optimize network decisions. Many such efforts use trace-driven evaluation; i.e., running offline analysis on network traces to estimate the potential benefits of different policies before running them in practice. Unfortunately, such frameworks can have fundamental pitfalls (e.g., skews due to previous policies that were used in the data collection phase and insufficient data for specific subpopulations) that could lead to misleading estimates and ultimately suboptimal decisions. In this paper, we shed light on such pitfalls and identify a promising roadmap to address these pitfalls by leveraging parallels in causal inference, namely the Doubly Robust estimator.
Novel Hybrid Precoding Designs for mmWave Multiuser Systems with Partial Channel Knowledge

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) large-scale antenna systems typically apply hybrid analog-digital precoders to reduce hardware complexity and power consumption. In this paper, we design the hybrid precoder to maximize the average sum rate of mmWave multiuser downlink systems with partial channel knowledge in contrast to the full channel knowledge assumption of the existing approaches. We design the zero-forcing (ZF) hybrid precoder with partial channel knowledge, and provide the necessary conditions for its application. If these conditions are not satisfied, we propose another hybrid precoder design which is based on the signal-to-interference- and-noise ratio (SINR) and signal-to-leakage-and-noise ratio (SLNR). Performance results corroborate advantages of the proposed hybrid precoder designs over a benchmark design.
Gene-based predictive models of trophic modes suggest Asgard archaea are not phagocytotic.

With the current explosion of genomic data, there is a greater need to draw inference on phenotypic information based on DNA sequence alone. We considered complete genomes from 35 diverse eukaryotic lineages, and discovered sets of proteins predictive of trophic mode, including a set of 485 proteins that are enriched among phagocytotic eukaryotes (organisms that internalize large particles). Our model is also predictive of other aspects of trophic mode, including photosynthesis and the ability to synthesize a set of organic compounds needed for growth (prototrophy for those molecules). We applied our model to the Asgard archaea, a group of uncultured microorganisms that show close affinities to eukaryotes, to test whether the organisms are capable of phagocytosis, a phenotypic trait often considered a prerequisite for mitochondrial acquisition. Our analyses suggest that members of the Asgard archaea—despite having some eukaryote-specific protein families not found in other prokaryotes—do not use phagocytosis. Moreover, our data suggest that the process of phagocytosis arose from a combination of both archaeal and bacterial components, but also required additional eukaryote-specific innovations.
Percutaneous abscess drainage: current applications for critically ill patients.

Radiologically guided percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) was first reported in 1977. Since this time, technological advances in imaging, improved catheter technology, and increased experience with...
Mediation and Psychic Distance

After the shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe lived alone on his Island of Despair for twenty-five years. He built his own house, made his own clothes, hunted, raised corn and milked his goats: he did everything necessary to sustain life and to satisfy it by himself. He had to make his own decisions concerning safety and the future, and having made them he had to carry them out. Even the luxury of a comfortable adopted theology was denied him: his interpretation of the Bible and his own condition, though conventional from the standpoint of the society that bred him, was spun with trouble out of his own brain.
Quantum-Resolved Stimulated Dissociation and Desorption of Chemisorbed Molecules

The electronic excitations and subsequent dynamics responsible for the electron-stimulated dissociation of adsorbed molecules can be characterized in detail by examining the neutral products with quantum specific resolution[l]. We have examined the dissociation of chemisorbed NO2 on Pt(lll) through state-selective, time-of-flight laser resonance-ionization of the directly desorbed NO product[2]. The dissociation threshold and dynamics reflect the presence of two excitations: one hole in the 3b2 orbital and two-holes in the la2 orbital. The internal energy distributions of the NO product result from forces in the excited states that are largely determined by screening charge in the 6a1 orbital which is greater for the la2 -2 excitation than for the 3b2 -1 excitation, but still considerably less than the full electron in the analogous gas-phase process.
Abstract 5055: CC Chemokine Receptor 5 Signaling Suppresses Inflammation and Attenuates Adverse Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction by Recruiting Regulatory T Cells

Myocardial infarction triggers an inflammatory reaction that is critically involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac remodeling. Optimal cardiac repair is dependent on regulatory mechanisms that suppress inflammation preventing excessive matrix degradation. Chemokines are rapidly induced in the healing infarct mediating recruitment of leukocyte subsets with distinct properties. CCR5, the receptor for the CC chemokines MIP-1 α , MIP-1 β and RANTES plays an important role in immunoinflammatory responses. We hypothesized that CCR5 signaling may regulate the inflammatory response following myocardial infarction playing a role in the development of cardiac remodeling. CCR5 and its ligands MIP-1 α and MIP-1 β were markedly induced in reperfused mouse infarcts. Flow cytometry demonstrated that 38.3%+3.75 of the mononuclear cells infiltrating the infarcted myocardium after 24h of reperfusion expressed CCR5. CCR5 −/− mice and WT animals showed comparable macrophage and neutrophil infiltration in the infarct; however, CCR5 absence was associated with marked upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1 β , TNF- α and IL-6) and chemokine (MIP-2, MIP-1 α , - β and IP-10) mRNA expression in the infarcted myocardium. CCR5+ mononuclear cells isolated from WT infarcts had anti-inflammatory properties exhibiting higher expression of the inhibitory cytokine IL-10 than CCR5- cells. In addition, mononuclear cells isolated from CCR5 −/− infarcts had reduced IL-10 expression. Enhanced inflammation in the absence of CCR5 was associated with impaired recruitment of foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), a CD4+ lymphocyte subpopulation with suppressive properties (Tregs as a percentage of T cells: WT 13.1%+ 1.1 vs. KO 7.2%+ 1.1; p
Analysis of application effect of 220 kV UPFC demonstration project in Shanghai grid

The feasibility study of unified power flow controller (UPFC) application in 220 kV Shanghai Grid is conducted based on the analysis of the practical operation of the grid. The location selection method and scheme are proposed for the application of 220 kV UPFC demonstration project. The application effect of the demonstration project of UPFC is evaluated from various perspectives including enhancement of interface transfer capability, improvement of voltage stability performance of the grid and contribution to balancing of reactive power in 220 kV sectionalised systems.
The density of Li2CO3-Na2CO3-K2CO3-Rb2CO3-Cs2CO3-CaCO3-SrCO3-BaCO3 liquids: New measurements, ideal mixing, and systematic trends with composition

Abstract The densities of 15 liquids in the Li2CO3-Na2CO3-K2CO3-Rb2CO3-Cs2CO3-CaCO3-SrCO3-BaCO3 system were measured at 1 bar with the Pt double-bob Archimedean method between 758 and 1455 K. Melt compositions contain ≤50 mol% CaCO3, SrCO3 and BaCO3, and ≤100% Rb2CO3 and Cs2CO3. These results were combined with double-bob density measurements from the literature on nine liquids in the Li2CO3-Na2CO3-K2CO3-CaCO3 system to calibrate a new linear volume equation for multicomponent carbonate liquids. The regression led to the following fitted partial molar volumes (±1σ cm3/mol) at 1100 K for Li2CO3 (41.22 ± 0.09), Na2CO3 (53.27 ± 0.11), K2CO3 (71.59 ± 0.13), Rb2CO3 (80.78 ± 0.11), Cs2CO3 (94.00 ± 0.09), CaCO3 (40.18 ± 0.16), SrCO3 (44.33 ± 0.22) and BaCO3 (50.99 ± 0.19). At 1100 K, the thermal expansion coefficients of all alkali carbonate liquid components are indistinguishable within 1-sigma error (22.07 ± 1.66 × 10−5 K−1), but differ from the thermal expansion coefficients of all alkaline-earth carbonate liquid components, which are also indistinguishable within 1-sigma error (16.40 ± 2.85 × 10−5 K−1). The linear volume equation recovers the measurements within analytical error (±0.3%). The partial molar volumes of all eight carbonate components increase linearly along two different trends, one for the alkali carbonates (R2 = 0.999) and another for the alkaline earth carbonates (R2 = 0.999) as a function of cation volumes, where metal cation-oxygen coordination numbers are obtained from molecular dynamic simulations in the literature (ranging from 4- to 6-fold among the alkali metals and 7- to 8-fold among the alkaline-earth metals). The linear fits lead to two different partial molar volumes (∼38 and ∼31 cm3/mole) for the carbonate ion (CO32−) at 1100 K, which reflects a more open topological arrangement of the carbonate ions when in 4-fold coordination with the alkali metals vs. 6-fold coordination with alkaline earth metals. The results permit the partial molar volume of MgCO3 and FeCO3 in multicomponent carbonate liquids to be calculated if the oxygen and carbonate ion coordination with Mg2+ and Fe2+ are known. For example, in the case where Mg2+ and Fe2+ are in 6-fold coordination with both oxygen and carbonate, the estimated partial molar volumes at 1100 K are 34.4 (±0.6), and 35.1 (±0.6) cm3/mol, respectively, with a thermal expansion coefficient of 16.40 (±2.85) 10−5 K−1. In contrast, if Mg2+ and Fe2+ are in 4-fold coordination with both oxygen and carbonate, the estimated partial molar volumes at 1100 K are 40.0 (±0.6), and 40.4 (±0.6) cm3/mol, respectively, with a thermal expansion coefficient of 22.07 (±1.66) 10−5 K−1. To resolve these different estimates of molar volume, molecular dynamic simulations are needed to determine the respective coordination environments for Mg2+ and Fe2+ in carbonate liquids.
DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN WASHOUT IN CERVICAL LYMPH NODE FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION FOR METASTATIC TESTICULAR CANCER

ABSTRACT Objective: This case report will describe the first adjunct use of directly measuring the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in fine-needle aspiration (FNA) washout for di...
Inhibition of acid secretion by bombesin is partly mediated by release of fundic somatostatin

The effect and mode of action of bombesin on gastric acid secretion was examined in the isolated, luminally perfused mouse stomach. Bombesin caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of basal and histamine-stimulated acid secretion and an increase in somatostatin secretion. Pertussis toxin was used to determine the contribution of somatostatin to the observed inhibition of acid secretion. Previous studies have shown that at a concentration of 125 ng/ml, pertussis toxin reverses completely the inhibition of acid secretion induced by exogenous and endogenous somatostatin. Preincubation of the stomach for 60 min with pertussis toxin (125 and 1250 ng/ml) reversed partially the inhibitory effect of bombesin on basal and histamine-stimulated acid secretion by 51%-59%, implying that bombesin-induced inhibition was partly mediated by release of somatostatin. The residual inhibition may represent a direct effect of bombesin on parietal cells.
Comparison of RNA isolation and library preparation methods for small RNA sequencing of canine biofluids.

Background Small RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of biofluids is challenging due to the relative scarcity of microRNAs (miRNAs), limited sample volumes, and the lack of a gold standard isolation method. Additionally, few comparisons exist for the RNA isolation and sequencing methods of biofluids. Objectives We aimed to compare the performance of six commercial RNA isolation kits and two library preparation methods for small RNA-seq using canine serum and urine. Methods Serum and urine were collected from seven dogs with protein-losing nephropathy, and the samples were pooled. Total RNA from serum (2 mL) and urine (10 mL) was isolated in triplicate using three methods each for serum (Zymo Direct-zol, mirVana PARIS, miRCURY Biofluids) and urine (Qiagen exoRNeasy, Norgen Urine Exosome, miRCURY Exosome). For each sample type, the two kits yielding the highest RNA concentration were selected, and small RNA-seq was performed using TruSeq and NEXTflex library preparations. Data were analyzed by CPSS 2.0 and DESeq2. Results For serum, Zymo Direct-zol combined with NEXTflex was the only combination that enabled successful library preparation, while for urine, Qiagen exoRNeasy combined with NEXTflex outperformed other combinations for detecting miRNAs. The total number of miRNAs detected in serum and urine was 198 and up to 115, respectively. miRNA expression in serum was distinct from urine. Furthermore, the library preparation method introduced a higher variation of urine results than the RNA isolation method. Conclusions Different isolation and library preparation methods show significant differences in miRNA results that could affect biomarker discovery. Small RNA-seq provides an unbiased, global assessment to compare these methods in canine biofluids.
Engaging Programming Students Through Simpler User Interfaces

We used line_explorer, a novel programming instructional tool to administer tests, which involved assigning a math problem based on a programming concept (loops) and the accompanying instructions for solving it to students. There were two display options for the instructions: the first provided all instructional information at once, while the other displayed the instructional information in phases. Findings from the study confirmed that an interface can affect the comfort level of the user, and thus can influence the effectiveness of the tool. Results from the research will aid in identifying parameters that need to be improved or adapted to line_explorer and other programming instructional tools, to encourage better comprehension of programming concepts, as well as improve the willingness of students to use these instructional tools.
Co-Curricular Learning at Research Universities: Results from the SERU Survey

We consider features of cocurricular activities as important learning environments outside of the classroom. Using survey data from seven large public research universities we investigated 17 speci...
Reward Engineering for Object Pick and Place Training.

Robotic grasping is a crucial area of research as it can result in the acceleration of the automation of several Industries utilizing robots ranging from manufacturing to healthcare. Reinforcement learning is the field of study where an agent learns a policy to execute an action by exploring and exploiting rewards from an environment. Reinforcement learning can thus be used by the agent to learn how to execute a certain task, in our case grasping an object. We have used the Pick and Place environment provided by OpenAI's Gym to engineer rewards. Hindsight Experience Replay (HER) has shown promising results with problems having a sparse reward. In the default configuration of the OpenAI baseline and environment the reward function is calculated using the distance between the target location and the robot end-effector. By weighting the cost based on the distance of the end-effector from the goal in the x,y and z-axes we were able to almost halve the learning time compared to the baselines provided by OpenAI, an intuitive strategy that further reduced learning time. In this project, we were also able to introduce certain user desired trajectories in the learnt policies (city-block / Manhattan trajectories). This helps us understand that by engineering the rewards we can tune the agent to learn policies in a certain way even if it might not be the most optimal but is the desired manner.
Recording/Feedback/Debriefing

Simulation can be a tremendous technology and platform to provide immersive education replicating a clinical situation or environment. Aside from clinical immersion, debriefing can host in-depth discussions and reflections on the situation, team actions, clinical judgment, critical thinking, clinical management, and communication occurring within the scenario. Replicating a lifelike clinical encounter allows learners the opportunity to navigate through their actions and behaviors for the specific situation. When learners lack knowledge and an appropriate clinical approach to manage a simulated case, time can be dedicated during the debriefing for teams to explore various solutions in solving their challenge. Utilizing video playback options during the debriefing provides an opportunity to review the situation as it unfolded. Mindful use of the video playback and technology warrants the facilitator to have undergone dedicated training in the methodology and techniques of using video playback during debriefing. Investing in staff development when video playback technology is available will help guide a safe and meaningful simulation debriefing for the learners. Since there are a variety of technology platforms available, the simulation administrator should be mindful in researching for the optimal system for their program and environment. Matching the capabilities of a video playback system to the functional need of a program while being mindful of budget constraints will be key to successfully implementing this feature into debriefing.
Distinguishing Robot Personality from Motion

The central research question of this work is can robot motioneffectively communicate distinct robot personalities? In this study,we implemented three distinct robot motion personalities inspiredby a subset of the seven dwarfs: Happy, Sleepy, and Grumpy. Weimplemented autonomous motion generation systems that mappedeach personality to path shape, timing, and seeking/avoidance ofthe participant features. A user study demonstrated that our 24participants could distinguish these personalities. Robot motionstyle predicted robot personality features such as politeness, friend-liness, and intelligence, which, for the most part, matched logicallyto the intended dwarf personality designs. These results indicatethat robot motion style is sufficient to indicate a robot's personalityduring its interactive behaviors with people.
Maximum supercooling studies in Ti39.5Zr39.5Ni21, Ti40Zr30Ni30, and Zr80Pt20 liquids-Connecting liquid structure and the nucleation barrier.

Almost three quarters of a century ago, Charles Frank proposed that the deep supercooling observed in metallic liquids is due to icosahedral short-range order (ISRO), which is incompatible with the long-range order of crystal phases. Some evidence in support of this hypothesis had been published previously. However, those studies were based on a small population of maximum supercooling measurements before the onset of crystallization. Here, the results of a systematic statistical study of several hundred maximum supercooling measurements on Ti39.5Zr39.5Ni21, Ti40Zr30Ni30, and Zr80Pt20 liquids are presented. Previous X-Ray and neutron scattering studies have shown that the structures of these liquid alloys contain significant amounts of ISRO. The results presented here show a small work of critical cluster formation (W* = 31–40 kBT) from the analysis of the supercooling data for the Ti39.5Zr39.5Ni21 liquid, which crystallizes to a metastable icosahedral quasicrystal. A much larger value (W* = 54–79 kBT and W* = 60–99 kBT) was obtained for the Ti40Zr30Ni30 and Zr80Pt20 liquids, respectively, which do not crystallize to an icosahedral quasicrystal. Taken together, these results significantly strengthen the validity of Frank’s hypothesis.Almost three quarters of a century ago, Charles Frank proposed that the deep supercooling observed in metallic liquids is due to icosahedral short-range order (ISRO), which is incompatible with the long-range order of crystal phases. Some evidence in support of this hypothesis had been published previously. However, those studies were based on a small population of maximum supercooling measurements before the onset of crystallization. Here, the results of a systematic statistical study of several hundred maximum supercooling measurements on Ti39.5Zr39.5Ni21, Ti40Zr30Ni30, and Zr80Pt20 liquids are presented. Previous X-Ray and neutron scattering studies have shown that the structures of these liquid alloys contain significant amounts of ISRO. The results presented here show a small work of critical cluster formation (W* = 31–40 kBT) from the analysis of the supercooling data for the Ti39.5Zr39.5Ni21 liquid, which crystallizes to a metastable icosahedral quasicrystal. A much larger value (W* = 54–79 kBT and...