cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Expression of Munc13-2 Produces Unique Synaptic Phenotypes in the Basolateral Amygdala of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J Mice

C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice are well known to differentially express a number of behavioral phenotypes, including anxiety-like behavior, fear conditioning, and drug self-administration. However, the cellular mechanisms contributing to these differences remain unclear. Given the basolateral amygdala (BLA) contributes to these behaviors, we characterized strain-dependent differences in presynaptic and postsynaptic function in BLA neurons by integrating electrophysiological, biochemical, and genetic approaches to identify specific molecular mechanisms. We found that D2 glutamatergic synapses expressed enhanced release probability and lower sensitivity to both the inhibitory effects of low extracellular calcium and facilitation by phorbol esters. Furthermore, repetitive stimulation of BLA afferents at low (2 Hz) or high (40 Hz) frequencies revealed that B6 terminals, relative to D2 terminals, were more sensitive to synaptic fatigue principally because of reduced vesicle recycling rates. Additionally, B6 synapses exhibited more robust augmentation of spontaneous release after repetitive stimulation relative to the D2 strain. In silico analysis of the inheritance of synaptic physiology from an array of BXD recombinant inbred strains (Jansen et al., 2011) identified a segment on chromosome 4 containing the gene encoding Munc13-2, which has calcium-/phorbol ester-binding domains and controls presynaptic function. We subsequently found that B6 mice express substantially higher levels of Munc13-2 compared with the D2 strain whereas expression of several release-related proteins, including Munc13-1, was equivalent. We then knocked down the expression of Munc13-2 in B6 mice using a short hairpin RNA and found this recapitulated the presynaptic phenotype of D2 BLA synapses. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice have been used to understand the genetic mechanisms controlling behaviors related to a number of psychiatric illnesses. However, the fundamental neurobiological mechanisms producing these behavioral characteristics remain unresolved. Here we identify a critical family of presynaptic proteins differentially expressed by these strains that control strain-dependent synaptic physiology. This family of proteins regulates excitation/secretion coupling, vesicle recycling, and short-term plasticity throughout the CNS. Thus, differential inheritance of proteins like Munc13-2 has broad implications for genetic control over a wide variety of pathological behaviors. Importantly, these proteins also contain a large number of modulatory sites, making them attractive potential targets for the development of novel neuropharmaceutical treatments.
A static traffic grooming algorithm for elastic optical networks with adaptive modulation

We propose a novel static traffic grooming algorithm for elastic optical networks, which are aware of multiple modulation formats. Evaluation showed the algorithm significantly saves optical paths compared to other algorithms in various network conditions.
Staging of laser-plasma accelerators

We present results of an experiment where two independent Laser-Plasma-Accelerator (LPA) stages are coupled at a short distance by a plasma mirror. Stable electron beams were focused by a discharge capillary-based active plasma lens [2] to a 10-micron-level beam size in a Hydrogen plasma, such that they interact with a dark-current-free, quasi-linear wakefield excited by the laser of the second stage. Changing the arrival time of the electron beam with respect to the second stage laser pulse allowed reconstruction of the temporal field structure and determination of the plasma density. Injection into the wakefield of the second stage was verified by a 100 MeV energy gain of the electron beam.
The Way of Trees in Africa

On the face of every tree, there is a story. The story is not on the surface of the tree. It is the tree itself. Every tree tells a story. To see it is to see its story, and to sense it in any other way is to sense its story. Ultimately, botany is tree ontology. To study a tree is to decipher its ontology. Since I am neither a botanist nor a biophysical scientist, there may be a legitimate concern about what I can meaningfully contribute to our understanding of the way of trees in Africa. What can philosophy—my field of study—contribute to the understanding of this way or to the understanding of the way of trees in general? To prepare the way for an answer to this question, it should not be assumed that the physical and biological sciences have a monopoly on helping us understand the way of trees in Africa or anywhere else. Moreover, the understanding of science is not an exclusive domain of physical and biological scientists. Contrary to what may be fashionable, philosophers too have a contribution to make to our understanding of physical and of biological sciences, and to the understanding of science in general. In addition, it should not be forgotten that philosophers are both creatures of nature and a part of the physical and biological world. In seeking to understand nature, they seek to understand themselves in a holistic way. Natural science (physical and biological) is a human science, and where and when human science is at stake, as human beings, philosophers are inevitably implicated and have something significant to say about the nature of this implication.
NFL Fanatics Communication of Identity through Apparel and Merchandise: A Gender Comparison

The female fan represents a significant percentage of the NFL fan base. Many believe that the female market is the last untapped demographic for the NFL. Given the increasingly important role of female fans in NFL fandom, this study attempts to answer the research question, are gender differences observed in NFL fans' supportive behavior of teams; do male and female NFL fans demonstrate different purchasing behaviors. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen participants who self-identified as fans of one or more NFL team(s). Three supportive behaviors of being an NFL fan were identified: Loyalty, knowledge, and wearing team apparel. Females and males showed different supportive behavior in terms of emotional connections, frequency of watching games, and types of licensed apparel/merchandise purchased. Wearing team apparel is an important aspect of being a fan and is associated with team loyalty for both genders, as indicated by social identity theory.
Tuning excitability of the hypothalamus via glutamate and potassium channel coupling

Abstract Heart failure and hypertension are both prevalent and serious health concerns, and progress toward understanding their underlying mechanisms could significantly impact development of therapeutic approaches This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
VOLUNTEERING BUFFERS NEGATIVE IMPACT OF LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENT ON OLDER ADULTS’ MENTAL HEALTH

Research abounds in demonstrating the negative impact of unemployment on older adults’ mental health. However, few studies examined the protective factors that buffer the negative impact of long-term unemployment (over six months) on older adults’ mental health. Using a framework of resilience and productive aging, this study explores the buffering effect of volunteering on the relationship between unemployment and depressive symptoms for older adults. A longitudinal design with 7 models using the first difference approach was adopted. Two waves (2010, 2012) of panel data from the Health and Retirement Study were used with a sample of 9,421 older adults age 50–85. Independent variable was a four-way interaction between two waves of unemployment and volunteering status. Control variables included change in self-reported health, change in difficulties in activities of daily living, change in total household income, and change in marital status. Results demonstrated that for long-term unemployed older adults, those who did not volunteer in wave 1 but volunteered between 100 to 200 hours in wave 2 had a significant decrease in depressive symptoms compared to those who were unemployed but did not volunteer in either wave. This study demonstrated a buffering effect of volunteering on depressive symptoms for long-term unemployed older adults. This finding is important because current unemployment interventions lack attention to both the long-term unemployed and people’s mental health. The finding from this study provides insights to inform future intervention development around creating volunteering opportunities for unemployed older adults in order to enhance their mental wellbeing.
Imagining Religious Leadership in the Middle Ages: Richard of Saint-Vanne and the Politics of Reform. By Steven Vanderputten. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2015. Pp. xv, 244. $49.95.)

In this volume, the author aims to unearth the Lotharingian abbot Richard of Saint Vanne [c. 970–1046] from under the layers of later hagiography and historiography that made this tenth‐century ecc...
New Directions for Work with Parents of Retarded Children

Social workers must first adopt for themselves new, healthier expectations, and then instill them in parents to help a child acquire adaptive behavior
Evaluation of a best practice alert to reduce unnecessary Clostridium difficile testing following receipt of a laxative.

Abstract Introduction This study examined the effect of an alert notifying providers ordering Clostridium difficile PCR when their patient received a laxative within 24 hours at four hospitals. Methods All patients whose provider received the laxative alert when ordering C. difficile testing were examined. Results Three hundred sixty-six patients had 483 alerts triggered, with 75% overridden. While 74% of patients had ≥2 bowel movements immediately pre-order, 33% of C. difficile tests were not performed due to no stool production post-order or laboratory rejection of formed stool. Of those with completed tests, 49% had ≤1 cardinal sign of C. difficile infection (CDI) and only 18% tested positive by PCR. There were no differences in frequency of CDI signs between the PCR-positive and PCR-negative patients. Conclusions C. difficile testing was common among patients receiving laxatives. Patients testing positive for C. difficile looked clinically similar to patients testing negative, suggesting a high false-positive rate.
The family physician: What sort of person?

BACKGROUND Character and virtue are as important as knowledge and skills in describing the ideal family physician. Sir Luke Fildes' The Doctor, a widely reproduced painting, provides a visual icon that helps focus attention on important aspects of the character of a "healing sort of person." By stressing rules and principles to the detriment of a good life as a biographical or narrative whole, modern teaching of medical ethics may fail to sufficiently address this aspect of humanism in medicine. Three virtues or character traits that seem necessary for the ideal family physician are humility, compassion, and forgiveness. Such evidence as now exists supports the idea that these physician attributes might be linked to superior health outcomes.
S-4: Differentiation and function of follicular helper T cells (Tfh)

T cell help to B cells is a fundamental aspect of adaptive immunity and the generation of B cell memory. The development of virtually all neutralizing antibodies is CD4 T cell dependent. Tfh cells are the unique and specialized T cells for B cell help, required for development of germinal centers, affinity matured Abs, and most B cell memory (memory B cells and memory plasma cells (PC)). T cell help is frequently a primary limiting factor for these processes. Therefore understanding and controlling Tfh cells is important for developing true rational vaccine development strategies (Crotty, ARI 2011). Tfh cells are also potentially extremely useful biomarkers in human vaccine clinical trials. Tfh depend on expression of the transcription factor Bcl6, and there are multiple steps required for follicular helper T cell differentiation, including roles of IL-6, IL-21, and ICOS. Importantly, additional factors required for Tfh differentiation remain poorly defined. Tfh function is mediated in part by cytokines IL-21 and IL-4, as well as the chemokine CXCL13.
The Lexicon of Louisiana French

We chose to entitle this chapter “The Lexicon of Louisiana French,” rather than “The Lexicon of Cajun French and Louisiana Creole,” to underscore the dilemma faced in the description of the lexical resources available to speakers of these languages. The line of demarcation between the two languages is even fuzzier for the lexicon than for the grammar and the phonology. As the review of the literature will show, the information currently available on the lexicon of the two languages remains too incomplete and fragmentary to help one determine whether speakers draw on a common lexical stock, whether they have access to a relatively well delimited lexicon specific to each of the two languages, or whether they have at their disposal a lexical stock that varies from region to region but is shared by the speakers of a particular regional variety of Cajun French (CF) and Louisiana Creole (LC).
Approaching drug-induced parkinsonism from a neurohospitalist perspective.

In the hospital setting, a neurologist may be asked to help differentiate drug-induced parkinsonism from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. While ancillary tests can be confirmatory, a proper history ...
Cognition in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Background A major area of concern expressed by multiple myeloma patients is cognitive change after treatment. Cognition is a seldom-reported outcome of treatment for cancer survivors. As disease-free survival continues to improve in the multiple myeloma population, patients are faced with returning to their pre-diagnosis activities coupled with cognitive changes that alter their interactions with the world around them. Studies to date have been inconclusive of cognitive change over time in myeloma patients, largely due to study design that does not establish baseline cognition. Objectives We want to understand the trajectory of cognitive function over time in multiple myeloma patients compared to a control group, by acquiring true baseline cognitive data at diagnosis and following subjects over time. Secondarily, we want to determine if there is a correlative impact on quality of life. Methods We have enrolled 20 myeloma participants and 20 control participants, made up largely of caregivers. After informed consent, we perform cognitive testing using selected tests from the NIH Toolbox cognitive domain, administered on an iPad. These tests assess processing speed, working memory, attention, and executive function at four time points: at diagnosis, after initial treatment, four months later or 100 days post-autologous stem cell transplant, and nine months after that or one year post-autologous transplant. A quality of life questionnaire (FACT-MM) is also completed at the time of each testing. Current Status We have collected baseline and secondary time-point data thus far with limited tertiary time-point data. We will continue to study this population longitudinally through early 2020 to complete testing. Preliminary data shows that myeloma patients and controls have similar baseline cognition with mean cognitive scores of 47.8 and 47.9, respectively. Controls appear to improve cognitively at the second testing, with a mean score of 52.7, likely due to practice effect. Myeloma patients stay about the same to slightly worse following induction treatment with a mean cognitive score of 45.6. Interestingly, our quality-of-life data suggests that myeloma patients improve functionally and emotionally following initial treatment, but controls (i.e. caregivers) worsen slightly, both functionally and emotionally, which endorses the growing priority of caregiver support.
La narcogentrificación de la ciudad en Trabajos del reino (2004)

This study engages Yuri Herrera’s novel Trabajos del reino (2004) to zoom in on the way in which drug lords besiege concrete and symbolic spaces in cities. I argue that drug lord El Rey’s conquerin...
The Impact of Breast Density Notification Laws on Supplemental Breast Imaging and Breast Biopsy

Dense breast tissue increases breast cancer risk and lowers mammography sensitivity, but the value of supplemental imaging for dense breasts remains uncertain. Since 2009, 37 states and Washington DC have passed legislation requiring patient notification about breast density. Examine the effects of state breast density notification laws on use of supplemental breast imaging and breast biopsies. Difference-in-differences analysis of supplemental imaging and biopsies before and after notification laws in 12 states enacting breast density notification laws from 2009 to 2014 and 12 matched control states. Supplemental imaging/biopsy within 6 months following an index mammogram were evaluated during four time periods related to legislation: (1) 6 months before, (2) 0–6 months after, (3) 6–12 months after, and (4) 12–18 months after. Women ages 40–64 years receiving an initial mammogram in a state that passed a breast density notification law or a control state. Mandatory breast density notification following an index mammogram. Use of breast biopsies and supplemental breast imaging (breast ultrasound, tomosynthesis, magnetic resonance imaging, scintimammography, and thermography), overall and by specific test. Supplemental breast imaging and biopsy increased modestly in states with notification laws and changed minimally in control states. Adjusted rates of supplemental imaging and biopsy within 6 months of mammography before legislation were 8.5% and 3.1%, respectively. Compared with pre-legislation in intervention and control states, legislation was associated with adjusted difference-in-differences estimates of + 1.3% (p < 0.0001) and + 0.4% (p < 0.0001) for supplemental imaging and biopsies, respectively, in the 6–12 months after the law and difference-in-differences estimates of + 3.3% (p < 0.0001) and + 0.8% (p < 0.0001) for supplemental imaging and biopsies, respectively, 12–18 months after the law. As breast density notification laws are considered, policymakers and clinicians should expect increases in breast imaging/biopsies. Additional research is needed on these laws’ effects on cost and patient outcomes.
Validation of the Predicted Heat Strain Model in Hot Underground Mines

Heat-related illnesses (HRI) are relatively common in both hot surface and underground mining operations. When workers are exposed to extreme heat or strenuous work in a hot environment, they become prone to heat stress. Heat strain is the result of the body’s response to external and internal heat stress. It is therefore vital for the conditions leading to heat strain be detected and treated in a timely manner. Heat-related illnesses are manifested by exhaustion and heat stroke. The predicted heat strain (PHS) [ISO 7933 (2004)] model has been developed to predict the health condition of the worker in terms of core body temperature and water loss. The PHS model tested in this study is based on eight physical parameters that are measured at different intervals during a work shift. They include air temperature, humidity, radiation, air velocity, metabolic rate, clothing insulation, posture, and acclimatization. The model predictions are then compared with a direct physiological measurement, such as core body temperature. We present the results of an extensive study that monitored and predicted body’s response to heat stress under different environmental and working conditions. The PHS model provided reliable results in most instances in comparison with other prediction methods currently in use in the field.
Use of Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Cosmetic Abdominoplasties: A Systematic Review of the Literature:

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is used in abdominoplasties for postoperative pain control. There has been no systematic review and meta-analysis of its use reported in the literature. The ...
The History of Quality Metrics

In a humorous, satirical editorial, Dr. Joseph Alpert depicts Socrates conversing with Asculepo, a young medical student, regarding the elements of high-quality medicine. In their discussion, Asculepo states that he is confused about the elements of high-quality medicine that his professors called quality “metrics.” Socrates responds that it is “quite strange” that they want to teach you to practice high-quality medicine, but they evidently cannot agree on how to measure this thing called “quality.” During the past two decades, quality measures have evolved to play a crucial role in healthcare delivery; but in many ways, we are still not clear about what they should consist of.
Kinetic control of MERS‐CoV 3CL pro is mediated by non‐conserved residues distal to the active site

Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus is a re-emergent zoonotic pathogen with a 30% fatality rate in humans The MERS positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome is translated into two polyproteins that must be processed by two viral cysteine proteases (3CLpro and PLpro) into 16 non-structural proteins (nsp) before viral replication can occur Attempts to drug either of these cysteine proteases have proven difficult MERS 3CLpro functions as dimer and is unique among all of the coronavirus 3CLpro enzymes studied to date because competitive inhibitors activate the wild-type MERS 3CLpro enzyme at low inhibitor concentrations and inhibit at higher concentrations This mechanism of substrate/inhibitor-induced dimerization seems to be mediated by non-conserved residues in structural regions distal to the catalytic site We have identified unique residues that are involved in the inhibitor-induced dimerization mechanism and we show that these ?competitive? inhibitors activate and inhibit in a dose-dependent manner In an attempt to provide a structural basis for this mechanism, we crystallized the apo and inhibitor-bound forms of this enzyme and diffracted them to 1 5 ? 2 2 A We also show that residues in distinct structural regions synergize to modulate the intrinsic kinetic parameters of this family of enzymes These parameters include increased turnover (kcat) and a lower dimer dissociation constant (KD) Additionally, a rapid-equilibrium kinetic mechanism was developed to model the kinetic response of MERS 3CLpro to inhibitors that act via substrate/inhibitor induced activation/inhibition mechanisms Support or Funding Information This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contracts No HHSN272200700058C, HHSN272201200026C, and HHSN272201700060C This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U S Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No DE-AC02-06CH11357 Use of the Lilly Research Laboratories Collaborative Access Team (LRL-CAT) beamline at Sector 31 of the Advanced Photon Source was provided by Eli Lilly Company, which operates the facility
Academic Librarian Perceptions of Academic Librarians: Building a Foundation of Shared Understanding.

A survey concerning perceptions of academic librarians was conducted at a large, 4-year university with three populations: librarians, faculty, and undergraduate students. The high response rate an...
Unusual Four-Membered Metallocycles in Complexes of Main Group III Metals

The most important chemical and physical properties of Al, Ga, In, and Tl, as well as the basic aspects of their inorganic chemistry are summarized in this review. Special attention is given to the formation of stable and unusual 4-membered chelate rings in compounds of these metals. The current status of structural coordination and organometallic chemistry of main group III metals in oxidation states +1, +2 and +3, in respect of the formation of those uncommon metallocycles with variety of O, N, S, Se, and Te donor atoms, is reviewed. It turns out that thallium is the least represented metal in the group for this type of binding with conventionally used organic ligands. However, Tl+ readily forms Werner-type complexes with cyanoximes, which are a new subclass of ampolidentate organic ligands with the general formula NC–C(=N–OH)–R (where R is an electron-withdrawing group), capable of binding numerous metal ions. These Tl(I) cyanoximates possess unusual structures with dimeric Tl2O2 core, which can adopt either symmetrical or unsymmetrical planar/non-planar geometry. Structural chemistry, binding modes, thermal and spectroscopic properties of these ‘TlL’ composition complexes are discussed.
Evaluating the Evidence: Is Neurolysis or Neurectomy a Better Treatment for Occipital Neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia, a neuropathy of the occipital nerves, can cause significant pain and distress, resulting in a decrease in the patient's quality of life. Options for surgical treatment involve transection or decompression of the greater and lesser occipital nerves. Current evidence provides no clear consensus regarding one technique over the other. Here, we present a systematic review of the literature to potentially answer this question. Eligible studies compared neurolysis versus neurectomy for the treatment of occipital neuralgia after failure of conservative therapy. Our outcome of interest was resolution of symptoms. We performed a search of MEDLINE/PubMed and Ovid from inception to 2019. Eligible studies included the words "occipital neuralgia" and "surgery." All studies comparing neurolysis to neurectomy were included in the analysis. None of the studies identified were randomized control trials. Each study was evaluated by two independent researchers who assigned a level of evidence according to the American Association of Neurology (AAN) algorithm. Data extracted included mechanism of surgery (neurolysis or neurectomy), resolution of pain symptoms, and length of follow-up. Each study was level IV evidence. After reviewing the data, there was insufficient evidence to recommend one method of treatment over the other. This inconclusive result highlights the importance of a national registry to compare outcomes between the two treatment modalities.
Steam gasification of powder river basin coal: surface reaction kinetics and intraparticle mass transfer restrictions

Steam gasification kinetics studies were conducted in a modified drop tube fixed bed reactor to approximate the injection of ambient temperature coal into a fluidized bed gasifier. Product gases were measured using a customized rapid response gas analysis system with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Experiments were done within Regime I temperature range (no mass transfer restrictions), and effects of temperature and pressure on surface chemical reaction were analyzed using three different particle size ranges. The random pore model closely fits the experimental results and the fitting parameters are listed. Char characterizations are presented, including surface area measurements and scanning electron microscope images. Mass transfer resistances were analyzed by comparing experimental and theoretically predicted effectiveness factors using the Thiele modulus, based on particle sizes, temperature, total pressure, and steam partial pressure.
Perturbation-Based Analysis of Thin-Walled Steel Tubes Buckling Under Compression: Numerical and Experimental Study

This paper investigates the development and validation of a numerical model of a thin-walled steel tube under axial compressive loading. The tested specimens consisted of a thin steel tube with a coupler inserted and welded onto each end to reduce buckling due to edge distortion and allow an axial load to be applied when the tube is surrounded by a solid medium. A three-dimensional finite element (FE) model was developed using LS_DYNA. A global imperfection field is used by implementing an imperfection-based perturbation method to accurately trigger the experimentally observed deformation. Validation of the behavior and failure of the model was based upon previous tests performed on four thicknesses of steel with diameter-to-thickness ratios (D/t) ranging approximately from 40 to 120 under monotonic axial compression. The FE results were found accurate for the stress-strain curve up to buckling and in the post-buckling region. It was revealed that the models did precisely match the location and type of local buckling and were able to predict well the buckling (bifurcation) loads.
Efficacy of a fully remote primary lecture series at an academic hematology and oncology fellowship program

11031Background: 615 fellows began training in American combined hematology/oncology fellowship programs in July 2020. These new fellows face a steep learning curve. The coronavirus pandemic has si...
Complement Plays a Critical Role in Inflammation-Induced Immunoprophylaxis Failure in Mice

Complement impacts innate and adaptive immunity. Using a model in which the human KEL glycoprotein is expressed on murine red blood cells (RBCs), we have shown that polyclonal immunoprophylaxis (KELIg) prevents alloimmunization to transfused RBCs when a recipient is in their baseline state of heath but with immunoprophylaxis failure occurring in the presence of a viral-like stimulus. As complement can be detected on antibody coated KEL RBCs following transfusion, we hypothesized that recipient complement synergizes with viral-like inflammation to reduce immunoprophylaxis efficacy. Indeed, we found recipient C3 and C1q were critical to immunoprophylaxis failure in the setting of a viral-like stimulus, with no anti-KEL IgG alloantibodies generated in C3-/- or C1q-/- mice following KELIg treatment and KEL RBC transfusion. Differences in RBC uptake were noted in mice lacking C3, with lower consumption by splenic and peripheral blood inflammatory monocytes. Finally, no alloantibodies were detected in the setting of a viral-like stimulus following KELIg treatment and KEL RBC transfusion in mice lacking complement receptors (CR1/2-/-), narrowing key cells for immunoprophylaxis failure to those expressing these complement receptors. In-vitro studies showed complement fixed opsonized RBCs were significantly less likely to bind to B-cells from CR1/2-/- than wild type mice, potentially implicating lowered B-cell activation threshold in the presence of complement as being responsible for these findings. We thus propose a two-hit model for inflammation-induced immunoprophylaxis failure, where the first "hit" is recipient inflammation and the second "hit" is complement production/sensing. These results may have translational relevance to antigen-antibody interactions in humans.
David Oliver: Daily Mail 's campaign on general practice won't help GPs or their patients.

For months several UK national newspaper titles have been carrying exhortations for GPs to return to seeing more patients in their consulting rooms and scale back their online and telephone consultations.12 I have often found the papers’ tone to be unpleasant, highly critical, or downright hostile. Any attempt to understand or explain is often buried in the prose well below the inflammatory headlines. The Daily Mail ’s recent campaign for a “right” for all patients who want face-to-face GP appointments to get them exemplifies the problems with this combative approach. This week the Mail claimed a “win” in its campaign, with England’s health and social care secretary, Sajid Javid, announcing that GPs will be incentivised to …
Unsupervised Spatio-temporal Latent Feature Clustering for Multiple-object Tracking and Segmentation.

Assigning consistent temporal identifiers to multiple moving objects in a video sequence is a challenging problem. A solution to that problem would have immediate ramifications in multiple object tracking and segmentation problems. We propose a strategy that treats the temporal identification task as a spatio-temporal clustering problem. We propose an unsupervised learning approach using a convolutional and fully connected autoencoder, which we call deep heterogeneous autoencoder, to learn discriminative features from segmentation masks and detection bounding boxes. We extract masks and their corresponding bounding boxes from a pretrained instance segmentation network and train the autoencoders jointly using task-dependent uncertainty weights to generate common latent features. We then construct constraints graphs that encourage associations among objects that satisfy a set of known temporal conditions. The feature vectors and the constraints graphs are then provided to the kmeans clustering algorithm to separate the corresponding data points in the latent space. We evaluate the performance of our method using challenging synthetic and real-world multiple-object video datasets. Our results show that our technique outperforms several state-of-the-art methods.
The integration of activity in saline environments: problems and perspectives

The successful integration of activity in saline environments requires flexibility of responses at all levels, from genes to life cycles. Because plants are complex systems, there is no 'best' or 'optimal' solution and with respect to salt, glycophytes and halophytes are only the ends of a continuum of responses and possibilities. In this review, I briefly examine seven major aspects of plant function and their responses to salinity including transporters, secondary stresses, carbon acquisition and allocation, water and transpiration, growth and development, reproduction, and cytosolic function and 'integrity'. I conclude that new approaches are needed to move towards understanding either organismal integration or 'salt tolerance', especially cessation of protocols dependent on sudden, often lethal, shock treatments and the embracing of systems level resources. Some of the tools needed to understand the integration of activity and even 'salt stress' are already in hand, such as those for whole-transcriptome analysis. Others, ranging from discovery studies of the nature of the cytosol to expanded tool kits for proteomic, metabolomic and epigenomic studies, still need to be further developed. After resurrecting the distinction between applied stress and the resultant strain and noting that with respect to salinity, the strain is manifest in changes at all -omic levels, I conclude that it should be possible to model and quantify stress responses.
The Magic of Wondering: Building Understanding Through Online Inquiry

The ability to ask questions is essential to learning, reasoning, and understanding. This column introduces a sequence of activities that incorporate the use of digital images and online texts into intentional opportunities for even the youngest learners to work with their teachers and classmates as they wonder, anticipate, explore, and think deeply about things that matter to them.
Genotype relative risks: methods for design and analysis of candidate-gene association studies

Design and analysis methods are presented for studying the association of a candidate gene with a disease by using parental data in place of nonrelated controls. This alternative design eliminates spurious differences in allele frequencies between cases and nonrelated controls resulting from different ethnic origins and population stratification for these two groups. We present analysis methods which are based on two genetic relative risks: (1) the relative risk of disease for homozygotes with two copies of the candidate gene versus homozygotes without the candidate gene and (2) the relative risk for heterozygotes with one copy of the candidate gene versus homozygotes without the candidate gene. In addition to estimating the magnitude of these relative risks, likelihood methods allow specific hypotheses to be tested, namely, a test for overall association of the candidate gene with disease, as well as specific genetic hypotheses, such as dominant or recessive inheritance. Two likelihood methods are presented: (1) a likelihood method appropriate when Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium holds and (2) a likelihood method in which we condition on parental genotype data when Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium does not hold. The results for the relative efficiency of these two methods suggest that the conditional approach may at times be preferable, even when equilibrium holds. Sample-size and power calculations are presented for a multitiered design. The purpose of tier 1 is to detect the presence of an abnormal sequence for a postulated candidate gene among a small group of cases. The purpose of tier 2 is to test for association of the abnormal variant with disease, such as by the likelihood methods presented. The purpose of tier 3 is to confirm positive results from tier 2. Results indicate that required sample sizes are smaller when expression of disease is recessive, rather than dominant, and that, for recessive disease and large relative risks, necessary sample sizes may be feasible, even if only a small percentage of the disease can be attributed to the candidate gene.
Controlled Contention: Balancing Contention and Reservation in Multicore Application Scheduling

One of the benefits of multiprogramming in conventional systems is to allow effective use of resources. For example, when one application blocks for I/O, another can use the available CPU time, improving throughput and performance. In a multithreaded environment, contention for resources can lead to substantial interference between applications: an application with dependencies can suffer if a thread holding critical dependency is not scheduled in time. In the HPCcommunity, this problem is often addressed by reservation-based schedulers such as Gang scheduling. However, such schedulers cannot reap the benefits of resource multiplexing leading to underutilization of the resources and lower overall throughput of the system. In this paper, we explore the trade off between contention and reservation in multithreaded application scheduling on multicourse systems. We show that neither approach is optimal under all conditions. We propose Controlled Contention (CC) -- a scheduling algorithm that allows controlled contention for resources, allowing the benefits of contention while supporting limited reservation to reduce interference. CC provides around 25% improvement in relative speedup over the Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS). We also show that CC can significantly benefit from application-level interference management while providing fairness that is not possible to achieve with application-level adaptation alone. The combined approach (CC with application-level adaptation)provides an average of 21% improvement in throughput, 35% improvement in relative speedup and 36% reduction in energy for the application mixes we consider.
The New Face of Catalysis

Platinum nanocrystals with unusual shapes show unusually high catalytic activity, suggesting possible ways to enhance catalysis in other materials.
Cashing-in: understanding post-acquisition CEO stock option exercise

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore post-acquisition compensation management and examine how the two most commonly used theories to explain CEO stock option exercise, agency theory and CEO overconfidence, expect CEOs to manage their stock options following an acquisition. Design/methodology/approach – Using logistic regression analysis, the authors investigate whether CEOs are more or less likely to exercise options following an acquisition, and the effect which CEO tenure and acquisition history may have on option exercise. Findings – The results suggest that CEOs are more likely to exercise options following an acquisition. The authors also find that CEO tenure and acquisition experience are both linked to an increase in option exercise. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest that future research should expect agency effects to outweigh overconfidence effects when considering CEO stock option exercise behavior within the post-acquisition firm context. Practical implicatio...
A One-Pot Synthesis of Dimethyl 2,3-O-Benzylidene-L-tartrate from L-Tartaric Acid

Abstract An economical one-pot synthesis of (-)-dimethyl 2,3-O-benzylidene-L-tartrate [(4R, 5S)-4,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane] and its enantiomer from the corresponding tartaric acids is reported in 83-91% yield. The desired benzylidene tartrate is obtained by reaction of tartaric acid and benzaldehyde (1.5 equiv) in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid in methanol followed by the addition of 3 equiv of trimethyl orthoformate, which reacts with the water generated in the reaction.
Preparation of α‐Acetoxy Ethers by the Reductive Acetylation of Esters: endo‐1‐Bornyloxyethyl Acetate

Endo-1-Bornoxyethyl acetate Bornyl acetate Diisobutylaluminum hydride 4-(Dimethamino)pyridine Acetic anhydride Keywords: alpha-acetoxy ethers; reductive acetylation; esters; lactones; oxacarbenium ions; Prins cyclization aluminum hemiacetal intermediates; waste disposal
Changes in Resting Energy Expenditure Following Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Background:There is no consensus whether resting energy expenditure (REE) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is altered. Methods: The objectives of this investigation were to describe changes in measured REE (mREE) using indirect calorimetry in 25 OLT patients on days 5, 10, and 15 after baseline (within 72 hours following OLT) and compare mREE changes with those calculated with 2 predicted equations for energy expenditure (pREE): the Harris-Benedict and Schofield equations. Results: Patients were 57 ± 5.4 years of age, 44% were male, 36% were black, and 72% had liver disease of viral etiology. Measured REE (at baseline and days 5, 10, and 15, per kcal/d: 1832 ± 952, 1565 ± 383, 1538 ± 345, 1578 ± 418) and kcal per kilogram of body weight (22.7 ± 12.8, 18.4 ± 4, 18.7 ± 3.8, 21 ± 6.5) did not change over time. In contrast, changes in pREE based on either the Harris-Benedict (P < .001) or Schofield (P = .006) equation using measured weights at each corresponding time point and lowest body weig...
Ecological constraints on group size : an analysis of spider monkey and chimpanzee subgroups

The social organization of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) appear remarkably similar. In this paper, field studies of these two species were used to (1) test a model of ecological constraints on animal group size which suggests that group size is a function of travel costs and (2) assess ecological and social factors underlying the social organization of these two species. Spider monkeys were studied over a 6-year period in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica, and chimpanzees were studied for 6 years in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Adults of both species spent their time in small subgroups that frequently changed size and composition. Thus, unlike most primate species, spider monkeys and chimpanzees were not always in a spatially cohesive social group; each individual had the option of associating in subgroups of a different size or composition. Both species relied on ripe fruit from trees that could be depleted through their feeding activity. However, spider monkey food resources tended to occur at higher densities, were more common, less temporally variable, and did not reach the low levels experienced by chimpanzees. Analyses of the relationship between subgroup size and the density and distribution of their food resources suggested that travel costs limit subgroup size. However, these ecological factors did not influence all age/sex classes equally. For example, the number of adult males in a subgroup was a function of food density and travel costs. However, this was not the case for female chimpanzees, suggesting that the benefits of being in a subgroup for females did not exceed the costs, even when ecological conditions appeared to minimize subgroup foraging costs. Therefore, it seems likely that social strategies influenced the relationship between food resource variables and subgroup size.
Dimensions of belief and feeling concerning three diseases, poliomyelitis, cancer, and mental illness: A factor analytic study

The present study searches for regularities in the dimensions of beliefs and feelings for three major diseases. The data were derived from a probability sample of 436 adults who had indicated their perceptions concerning poliomyelitis, cancer, and mental illness on 16 modified semantic differential scales. For each disease these responses were factor analyzed and rotated to produce an orthogonal varimax solution. Factors labeled Personal Involvement, Human Mastery, and Social Acceptability emerged repeatedly. Similarities and differences among the factor solutions obtained for the diseases studied are discussed along with their limitations and implications.
FEM Modeling of Effect of Cutting Speeds and Tool-Chip Frictional Coefficients in Orthogonal Machining of Titanium Alloy (Ti-6Al-4V)

Titanium alloys are classified as hard-to-cut materials due to high chemical reactivity and low thermal conductivity. In this paper, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is used to model and simulate effects of cutting speeds and too-chip frictional coefficients in orthogonal machining of Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). Johnson-Cook plastic model is used to model the workpiece due to its capability of modeling large strains, high strain rates, and temperature dependent visco-plasticity. The tool material is Carbide. Three different cutting speeds (70m/min, 150m/min, and 190m/min) and four different frictional coefficients (0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0) are used to explore the effects of the cutting speeds and frictional coefficients on the cutting temperature, cutting forces, and chip morphology. This model provides fundamental understanding of cutting mechanics of the orthogonal cutting of Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V).Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The isolation and characterization of a second oocyte 5S DNA from xenopus laevis

Abstract A second and minor DNA component containing 5S RNA genes has been purified from the genomic DNA of Xenopus laevis (Xlt 5S DNA). Some of Its physical and chemical characteristics are described. It contains a 5S RNA gene sequence which has some oocyte and some somatic-specific residues, as well as nucleotides which differ from both types of 5S RNA. There are about 2000 of these 5S RNA genes per haploid complement of DNA compared to about 24,000 of the principal oocyte 5S RNA genes. The multiple repeating units of Xlt 5S DNA are homogeneous in length (about 350 base pairs). We present evidence that Xlt 5S RNA is transcribed in ovaries but not in somatic cells; Xlt 5S DNA may therefore be under the same control as the major oocyte 5S DNA.