cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Centralized repair of multiple node failures

This paper considers a distributed storage system, where multiple storage nodes can be reconstructed simultaneously at a centralized location. This centralized multi-node repair (CMR) model is a generalization of regenerating codes that allow for bandwidth-efficient repair of a single failed node. This work focuses on the trade-off between the amount of data stored and repair bandwidth in this CMR model. In particular, repair bandwidth bounds are derived for the minimum storage multi-node repair (MSMR) and the minimum bandwidth multi-node repair (MBMR) operating points. The tightness of these bounds are analyzed via code constructions. The MSMR point is characterized through codes achieving this point under functional repair for general set of CMR parameters, as well as with codes enabling exact repair for certain CMR parameters. The MBMR point, on the other hand, is characterized with exact repair codes for all CMR parameters for systems that satisfy a certain entropy accumulation property.
Novel N/PFET Vt control by TiN plasma nitridation for aggressive gate scaling

A novel N/PFET threshold voltage (Vt) control scheme was developed for aggressive gate scaling. TiN plasma nitridation reduces absolute Vt by 100mV for both NFETs and PFETs at the same time without photolithography step increase and performance or reliability penalty. TiN plasma nitridation does not need additional work function metal (WFM) to control Vt and hence allows thicker gate contact metal for low gate resistance and improved AC performance.
SIRT5 Reveals Novel Enzymatic Activities of Sirtuins

The human SIRT5 gene was first identified in 1999 using the sequence of yeast SIR2 protein (Frye RA, BiophysRes Commun 260:273–279, 1999). Sequence analysis suggests that it is more similar to prokaryotic sirtuins (Frye RA, BiophysRes Commun 260:273–279, 1999, Res Commun 273:793–798, 2000). Among the seven mammalian sirtuins, SIRT5 played a special role in our understanding of sirtuin enzymatic activity as it was the first sirtuin that was found to have a novel enzymatic activity other than the well-known NAD-dependent deacetylase activity (Imai S-I, Armstrong CM, Kaeberlein M, Guarente L, Nature 403:795–800, 2000; Tanner KG, Landry J, Sternglanz R, Denu JM, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:14178–14182, 2000), the hydrolysis of succinyl and malonyl lysine on proteins. This finding suggested that other sirtuins (e.g. SIRT4, SIRT6, and SIRT7) with weak deacetylase activity may also prefer other acyl lysine modifications, which was confirmed later with several sirtuins. In this chapter, we will summarize what is known about SIRT5, with a focus on the discovery of its new enzymatic activity and how the new activity finding influences the understanding of SIRT5 function, inhibitor development, and the study of other sirtuins.
Assistance or Obstacle? The Impact of Different Levels of English Developmental Education on Underprepared Students in Community Colleges.

Developmental education is the most common approach used by community colleges to assist underprepared students for college-level course work. Yet there is limited evidence regarding this strategy on students assigned to the lowest level of the developmental sequence. This paper extends current knowledge on this critical question by examining the impacts of different levels of developmental reading and writing on students’ academic outcomes. The results suggest that the impacts are generally insignificant for students on the margin of needing developmental course work, yet the estimates are negative on students assigned to the lowest level of the developmental sequence. The results therefore support the increasing national push to reform these programs.
How Research Influences Policy: The Evidence we Need to “speak truth to power”—A Reflection on an AAHE Scholar Address Three Decades on

ABSTRACTThirty years after expressing concerns about the translation and communication of science to the public and to policy makers, this reflection finds that the same issues face public health education perhaps even more urgently today with the advent of politicians who actively dispute science, and a public that has voted in support of their campaign promises to repeal and replace laws that provided health care and protection from global warming.
Age-related Changes in Lateral Entorhinal and CA3 Neuron Allocation Predict Poor Performance on Object Discrimination

Age-related memory deficits correlate with dysfunction in the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus, which includes both hyperactivity and overly rigid activity patterns. While changes in intrinsic membrane currents and interneuron alterations are involved in this process, it is not known whether alterations in afferent input to CA3 also contribute. Neurons in layer II of the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) project directly to CA3 through the perforant path, but no data are available regarding the effects of advanced age on LEC activity and whether these activity patterns update in response to environmental change. Furthermore, it is not known the extent to which age-related deficits in sensory discrimination relate to the inability of aged CA3 neurons to update in response to new environments. Young and aged rats were pre-characterized on a LEGO© object discrimination task, comparable to behavioral tests in humans in which CA3 hyperactivity has been linked to impairments. The cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity with fluorescence in situ hybridization for the immediate-early gene Arc was then used to identify the principal cell populations that were active during two distinct epochs of random foraging in different environments. This approach enabled the extent to which rats could discriminate two similar objects to be related to the ability of CA3 neurons to update across different environments. In both young and aged rats, there were animals that performed poorly on the LEGO object discrimination task. In the aged rats only, however, the poor performers had a higher percent of CA3 neurons that were active during random foraging in a novel environment, but this is not relate to the ability of CA3 neurons to remap when the environment changed. Afferent neurons to CA3 in LEC, as identified with the retrograde tracer choleratoxin B (CTB), also showed a higher percent of cells that were positive for Arc mRNA in aged poor performing rats. This suggests that LEC contributes to the hyperactivity seen in CA3 of aged animals with object discrimination deficits and age-related cognitive decline may be the consequence of dysfunction endemic to the larger network.
Co-occurrence of FLT3-TKD and NPM1 mutations defines a highly favorable prognostic AML group.

Although FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) confer an adverse prognosis, co-occurrence with a nucleophosphomin ( NPM1 ) mutation partially improves response and survival outcomes. In contrast, simultaneous NPM1 and FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations were reported to improve response over that of an isolated NPM1 mutation in one as yet unverified report. To validate this, we explored the impact of the co-occurrence of FLT3 -TKD and NPM1 mutations on clinical outcomes. Study populations included 21 patients (8%) with FLT3 -TKD + NPM1 + mutated, 18 patients (7%) with FLT3 -TKD-only–mutated, 117 patients (44%) with NPM1 -only–mutated, and 107 patients (41%) with FLT3 -ITD + NPM1 –mutated AML. Compared with NPM1 + -only–mutated AML, FLT3 -TKD/ NPM1 double mutation status was associated with a significantly superior relapse-free survival (median, not reached vs 18.3 months; P = .03) and a trend toward improved overall survival (OS). The presence of FLT3 -TKD/ NPM1 double mutation status was an independent positive predictor in multivariable analysis. Allogeneic stem cell transplant did not improve outcomes in the FLT3 -TKD/ NPM1 cohort. Consistent with historical data, the co-mutation status defined a highly favorable prognostic group characterized by high response rates and prolonged disease-free and OS. These study findings substantiate previous data describing this intriguing paradoxical cooperative effect. Our results emphasize the need for elucidating the mechanistic links between FLT3 -TKD and NPM1 in future molecular and murine model studies.
Forensic psychiatric experiences, stigma, and self-concept: a mixed-methods study

This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate stigma experiences and self-concepts of individuals with both mental illness and criminal histories. The full sample of participants ...
Photopolymerized dynamic hydrogels with tunable viscoelastic properties through thioester exchange.

Abstract The extracellular matrix (ECM) constitutes a viscoelastic environment for cells. A growing body of evidence suggests that the behavior of cells cultured in naturally-derived or synthetic ECM mimics is influenced by the viscoelastic properties of these substrates. Adaptable crosslinking strategies provide a means to capture the viscoelasticity found in native soft tissues. In this work, we present a covalent adaptable hydrogel based on thioester exchange as a biomaterial for the in vitro culture of human mesenchymal stem cells . Through control of pH, gel stoichiometry , and crosslinker structure, viscoelastic properties in these crosslinked networks can be modulated across several orders of magnitude. We also propose a strategy to alter these properties in existing networks by the photo-uncaging of the catalyst 4-mercaptophenylacetic acid. Mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated in thioester hydrogels are able to elongate in 3D and display increased proliferation relative to those in static networks.
Flying MOFs: polyamine-containing fluidized MOF/SiO2 hybrid materials for CO2 capture from post-combustion flue gas

Solid-state synthesis ensures a high loading and well-dispersed growth of a large collection of metal–organic framework (MOF) nanostructures within a series of commercially available mesoporous silica. This approach provides a general, highly efficient, scalable, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive strategy for shaping MOFs into a fluidized form, thereby allowing their application in fluidized-bed reactors for diverse applications, such as CO2 capture from post-combustion flue gas. A collection of polyamine-impregnated MOF/SiO2 hybrid sorbents were evaluated for CO2 capture under simulated flue gas conditions in a packed-bed reactor. Hybrid sorbents containing a moderate loading of (Zn)ZIF-8 are the most promising sorbents in terms of CO2 adsorption capacity and long-term stability (up to 250 cycles in the presence of contaminants: SO2, NOx and H2S) and were successfully prepared at the kilogram scale. These hybrid sorbents demonstrated excellent fluidizability and performance under the relevant process conditions in a visual fluidized-bed reactor. Moreover, a biochemically inspired strategy for covalently linking polyamines to MOF/SiO2 through strong phosphine bonds has been first introduced in this work as a powerful and highly versatile post-synthesis modification for MOF chemistry, thus providing a novel alternative towards more stable CO2 solid sorbents.
Primacy and recency effects in serial recall of synthesized vowel sequences

Recognizing running speech involves not only audibility of speech signals but also cognitive processes that support the encoding and retrieving of speech information to and from memory. The current study aims to separate the effects of audibility and cognitive load on speech recognition performance. Synthesized vowel sequences were presented in noise, and the listeners were instructed to recall all vowels in the sequences in the correct order. In separate conditions, the sequence lengths were 2, 5, and 8 vowels, the presentation rates were 1, 2, 4, and 6 Hz, and the vowel durations were between 12.5 and 100 ms. The signal-to-noise ratios used in the experiment were adjusted for each listener and each of the vowel durations so that the expected recognition performance for isolated vowels was always 80%. A primacy effect was observed and it was more prominent at higher presentation rates and longer sequence lengths. A recency effect was also observed in most listeners, but no significant effect of presentation rate was found.
English r -Insertion In Optimality Theory

Halle and Idsardi (1997) have claimed thatOptimality Theory cannot deal with theopaque interaction between r-insertion,r-deletion, and schwa epenthesisin English. In this paper, I show thatOT can deal with those phenomena and theirinteraction by using a recent approach toopacity, namely Sympathy Theory (McCarthy1999a, b).
SMARTER THAN GENIUS? HUMAN EVALUATION OF MUSIC RECOMMENDER SYSTEMS.

Genius is a popular commercial music recommender system that is based on collaborative filtering of huge amounts of user data. To understand the aspects of music similarity that collaborative filtering can capture, we compare Genius to two canonical music recommender systems: one based purely on artist similarity, the other purely on similarity of acoustic content. We evaluate this comparison with a user study of 185 subjects. Overall, Genius produces the best recommendations. We demonstrate that collaborative filtering can actually capture similarities between the acoustic content of songs. However, when evaluators can see the names of the recommended songs and artists, we find that artist similarity can account for the performance of Genius. A system that combines these musical cues could generate music recommendations that are as good as Genius, even when collaborative filtering data is unavailable.
Coronavirus polyprotein processing.

MHV gene 1 contains two ORFs in different reading frames. Translation proceeds through ORF 1a into ORF 1b via a translational frame-shift. ORF 1a potentially encodes three protease activities, two papain-like activities and one poliovirus 3C-like activity. Of the three predicted activities, only the more amino terminal papain-like domain has been demonstrated to have protease activity. ORF 1a polypeptides have been detected in infected cells by the use of antibodies. The order of polypeptides encoded from the 5′ end of the ORF is p28, p65, p290. p290 is processed into p240 and p50. Processing of ORF1a polypeptides differs during cell free translation of genome RNA and in infected cells, suggesting that different proteases may be active under different conditions. Two RNA negative mutants of MHV-A59 express greatly reduced amounts of p28 and p65 at the non-permissive temperature. These mutants may have defects in one or more viral protease activities. ORF 1b, highly conserved between MHV and IBV, potentially contains polymerase, helicase and zinc finger domains. None of these activities have yet been demonstrated. ORF 1b polypeptides have yet been detected in infected cells.
Finite element approximation of time optimal control problems for parabolic equations with Dirichelt boundary conditions

Finite element approximation of the time optimal control problem with Dirichlet boundary conditions is considered. Convergence of optimal controls as well as rate of convergence is discussed. An approximation using subspaces which are not required to satisfy zero boundary conditions is also considered.
Analysis of water sports injuries admitted to a pediatric trauma center: a 13 year experience.

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents. Injuries occurring during boating and recreational water sports are poorly described in the literature. Herein, we compare injuries from water sports to those resulting from motor vehicle collisions, which are better described in existing literature. A retrospective review of 1935 consecutive pediatric trauma patients, as defined by age < 18 years, admitted to a single level-1 pediatric trauma center between January 2000 and August 2013 was performed. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on the mechanism of injury: water sports injury (WSI) or motor vehicle collision (MVC). Demographics, injury descriptors, and outcomes were reviewed for each patient. Categorical variables were compared by Chi square or Fisher’s exact test, and continuous by t test or Mann–Whitney U test. Parametric data are reported as mean ± standard deviation and nonparametric as median (interquartile range). Significance was set at alpha level 0.05. A total of 18 pediatric patients were admitted for WSI and 615 for MVC during the study period. Among those with WSI, mean age was 12 ± 4 years, mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 11 ± 10, and mean Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was 7.841(IQR 6.055–7.841). 44% of WSI occurred by personal watercraft (Jet Ski, WaveRunner), 39% by boat, and 17% by other means (e.g., diving, tubing, kite surfing). Overall, the most common WSI included skin/soft-tissue lacerations (59%), head injury/concussion (33%), tendon/ligament lacerations (28%), and extremity fractures (28%). Compared to 615 patients admitted for MVC, age, sex, race, Glasgow Coma Scale, ISS, RTS, spleen and liver laceration rates, neurosurgical consultation, ICU admission, ICU and total length of stay, and mortality were similar. Patients with WSI were more likely to be tourists (44% vs. 5%, p < 0.001). Those with WSI showed a significantly higher requirement for any surgical intervention (61% vs. 15%, p = 0.001). The rate of open fracture (28% vs. 6%, p = 0.006) and, subsequently, orthopedic procedures (39% vs. 17%, p = 0.027) were also higher in the WSI group. Overall, water sports injuries are similar in in-hospital mortality to motor vehicle collisions. They are more likely to result in penetrating trauma and more likely to require surgical intervention. Primary and secondary prevention strategies should specifically target personal watercraft usage and tourist populations.
A Bayesian Approach for Asynchronous Parallel Sparse Recovery

Asynchronous parallel algorithms are often studied for separable optimization problems where the component objective functions are sparse, or act on only a few components of the variable $x \in \mathbb{R}^{N}$. One challenge to developing asynchronous approaches for sparse recovery is that the optimization formulation of this problem has dense component objective functions. However, the assumed sparsity of the signal may be exploited in an asynchronous parallel approach. Here we propose such an approach where multiple processors asynchronously infer hidden variables that estimate the support of x in a Bayesian manner. We include numerical simulations that demonstrate the potential benefits of this method.
Systematic Review of Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Techniques: Comparison of Patellar Bone Socket and Cortical Surface Fixation Techniques.

Purpose To compare patellar bone socket and cortical surface fixation techniques for isolated medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction and determine whether there was a difference in (1) complication rates, including fracture of the patella; (2) redislocation rates; or (3) patient-reported outcomes. Methods A literature search was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We included patients who underwent isolated MPFL reconstruction for recurrent patellar instability. Patients with confirmed concomitant or prior ipsilateral knee procedures, multiligament injury, or less than 3 months of follow-up were excluded. Risk-of-bias assessment was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies (MINORS) system. Studies were classified by surgical technique (patellar bone socket group [group S] vs cortical fixation group [group F]), and complications, redislocations, and patient-reported outcomes were collected. Results A total of 29 studies yielded 981 patients with MPFL reconstruction for inclusion. Of the patients, 620 underwent a patellar bone socket technique and 361 underwent a cortical fixation technique. Patients ranged in age from 11 to 68 years. Patellar fracture rates ranged from 0% to 17% in group S and were 0% in all group F studies. Mean Kujala scores ranged from 83.5 to 93.6 in group S and from 84.4 to 94.5 in group F. Mean Lysholm scores ranged from 84.6 to 91.7 in group S and from 83.5 to 95 in group F. Redislocation rates ranged from 0% to 21% in group S and from 0% to 13% in group F. Although heterogeneous in nature, complication rates ranged from 0% to 28% in group S and from 0% to 4% in group F. Conclusions MPFL reconstruction techniques with patellar bone sockets showed a larger range of complication rates than cortical fixation techniques, although overall, complications remained uncommon. Clinically, the bone socket group had comparable postoperative redislocation rates and patient outcomes to the group treated with cortical fixation techniques. Level of Evidence Level IV, systematic review of Level I through IV studies.
Dominic Ongwen on trial: problematizing definitional boundaries and exploring the possibilities of socialization

This Chapter explores the case of Dominic Ongwen, the first individual ever to be tried by an international tribunal for charges of which he himself was a victim. It does so in order to pose broader enquiries about the complexities of victimhood and culpability, particularly in the context of formerly conscripted child soldiers. This Chapter first interrogates the categorical constructs of age delimiters and victim-perpetrators; it then places these into the trial setting through a specific analysis of how these constructs are operationalized by the International Criminal Court. After a brief discussion of some of the defences being offered in the case, this Chapter concludes by arguing that the incorporation of a sociological framework offers a more fruitful and robust understanding of the potential impacts of Ongwen’s experiences within the LRA.
Trends in the Use of Percutaneous Versus Open Surgical Breast Biopsy: An Update.

Abstract Purpose Despite the emergence of core-needle (percutaneous) biopsy as the standard of breast care, open surgical breast biopsies continue to be performed with variable frequency. The aim of this study was to compare trends in the use of percutaneous and open surgical breast biopsies and the relative roles of radiologists and surgeons in performing them. Methods The nationwide Medicare Part B Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files for 2004 to 2016 were reviewed, and trends were studied in the total volume of breast biopsies performed in the Medicare fee-for-service population and in volumes of imaging-guided percutaneous biopsies (IGPBs) and open surgical biopsies. Using Medicare’s physician specialty codes, the numbers of procedures performed by different specialties were determined. Trends in the type of imaging used for IGPBs were analyzed using the relevant Current Procedural Terminology codes, introduced in 2014. Results Between 2004 and 2016, utilization of IGPBs increased from 124,423 to 187,914 (+51%), whereas the use of open surgical breast biopsies declined from to 6,605 to 2,373 (−64%). IGPBs performed by radiologists increased from 89,493 to 160,485 (+79%), and IGPBs by surgeons declined from 30,264 to 24,703 (−18%). Among IGPBs from 2014 to 2016, ultrasound-guided and MRI-guided percutaneous biopsies increased, whereas stereotactic biopsies declined. Conclusions There is a steady upward trend in the utilization of imaging-guided breast biopsies, and a majority are performed by radiologists. Ultrasound is the primary guidance technique used in percutaneous breast biopsies.
"We Hold Each Other Accountable": Unpacking How Social Groups Approach Cybersecurity and Privacy Together

Digital resources are often collectively owned and shared by small social groups (e.g., friends sharing Netflix accounts, roommates sharing game consoles, families sharing WhatsApp groups). Yet, little is known about (i) how these groups jointly navigate cybersecurity and privacy (S&P) decisions for shared resources, (ii) how shared experiences influence individual S&P attitudes and behaviors, and (iii) how well existing S&P controls map onto group needs. We conducted group interviews and a supplemental diary study with nine social groups (n=34) of varying relationship types. We identified why, how and what resources groups shared, their jointly construed threat models, and how these factors influenced group strategies for securing shared resources. We also identified missed opportunities for cooperation and stewardship among group members that could have led to improved S&P behaviors, and found that existing S&P controls often fail to meet the needs of these small social groups.
The Effectiveness of Item-Specific Encoding and Conservative Responding to Reduce False Memories in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer's Disease Dementia.

Objective: Patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia are more susceptible to false memories than healthy older adults. Evidence that these patients can use cognitive strategies to reduce false memory is inconsistent. Method: In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of conservative responding and item-specific deep encoding strategies, alone and in combination, to reduce false memory in a categorized word list paradigm among participants with mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD), amnestic single-domain mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy age-matched older controls (OCs). A battery of clinical neuropsychological measures was also administered. Results: Although use of conservative responding alone tended to reduce performance in the MCI and OC groups, both deep encoding alone and deep encoding combined with conservative strategies led to improved discrimination for both gist memory and item-specific recollection for these two groups. In the AD group, only gist memory benefited from the use of strategies, boosted equally by deep encoding alone and deep encoding combined with conservative strategies; item-specific recollection was not improved. No correlation between the use of these strategies and performance on neuropsychological measures was found. Conclusions: These results suggest that further evaluation of these strategies is warranted as they have the potential to reduce related and unrelated memory errors and increase both gist memory and item-specific recollection in healthy older adults and individuals with amnestic MCI. Patients with AD were less able to benefit from such strategies, yet were still able to use them to reduce unrelated memory errors and increase gist memory.
Pathology of Renal Tumors

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) comprises a group of tumors that represent the most common malignant renal neoplasms. Several distinct subtypes of RCC exist, each characterized by unique morphologic, cytogenetic, molecular, and clinical characteristics. Aside from RCC, there are also several benign tumors that occur in the kidney, representing up to 20% of all renal cortical neoplasms. In this chapter we review the pathology of renal tumors.
The two sides of Hippo pathway in cancer

The Hippo signaling pathway was originally characterized by genetic studies in Drosophila to regulate tissue growth and organ size, and the core components of this pathway are highly conserved in mammals. Studies over the past two decades have revealed critical physiological and pathological functions of the Hippo tumor-suppressor pathway, which is tightly regulated by a broad range of intracellular and extracellular signals. These properties enable the Hippo pathway to serve as an important controller in organismal development and adult tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of the Hippo signaling has been observed in many cancer types, suggesting the possibility of cancer treatment by targeting the Hippo pathway. The general consensus is that Hippo has tumor suppressor function. However, growing evidence also suggests that the function of the Hippo pathway in malignancy is cancer context dependent as recent studies indicating tumor promoting function of LATS. This article surveys the Hippo pathway signaling mechanisms and then reviews both the tumor suppressing and promoting function of this pathway. A comprehensive understanding of the dual roles of the Hippo pathway in cancer will benefit future therapeutic targeting of the Hippo pathway for cancer treatment.
Osteoporotic Fractures: What Orthopaedic Surgeons Can Do to Prevent the Next Fall and the Next Fracture?

SUMMARY Falls are the leading cause of injuries for geriatric patients, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Orthopaedic surgeons should take an active role in decreasing patient falls, improving patient bone health, and initiate care to prevent subsequent fracture. In this manuscript, we outline 5 areas for orthopaedic surgeons to intervene and prevent the next fall: (1) patient education; (2) modifying environment/home safety measures; (3) medical fall risk assessment; (4) bone health evaluation and optimization; and (5) physical/occupational therapy.
Generic modules for gentle algebras

Abstract In this article, we construct the generic modules in each irreducible component of variety of β -dimensional modules of a triangular gentle algebra. The construction is completely combinatorial and allows for determination of canonical decomposition of irreducible components as well as calculation of the dimension of the higher self-extension spaces for generic modules.
The Relais Document Delivery System: An Innovative Model for Resource Sharing

This paper describes the Relais document delivery system, which enables libraries to fully automate their interlibrary loan and document delivery processes. Relais has been successfully implemented at the U.S. National Library of Medicine and a predecessor system, IntelliDoc, was successfully implemented at CISTI (Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information). Three central capabilities are described in detail: the use of a scanning workstation to digitize requested documents, the ability to support an array of delivery methods, including electronic delivery, and the ability to retrieve detailed data on requests processed by Relais.
ASSAY OF POLY-β-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID

Law, John H. (Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.) and Ralph A. Splepecky. Assay of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid. J. Bacteriol. 82:33-36. 1961-A convenient spectrophotometric assay of bacterial poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid has been devised. Quantitative conversion of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid to crotonic acid by heating in concentrated sulfuric acid and determination of the ultraviolet absorption of the produce permits an accurate determination of this material in quantities down to 5 mug. This method has been used to follow the production of poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid by Bacillus megaterium strain KM.
The evolution of the system of globular clusters

Globular clusters have a sufficiently distinct character that we can treat the system of globular clusters, as a distinct object which has a size, mass and angular momentum, but also, an internal density distribution, velocity distribution, and, in general, a detailed interior structure. Shapley, of course, pioneered in the effort to model, that is to describe, the existing state of the system from our vantage point. At the present time we probably have an inventory of clusters which is largely complete, and for the majority of the identified systems we have good knowledge (cf for example Webbink, 1985) of positions in the galaxy, one component of galactic velocity and a sufficiently detailed picture of the interior dynamical state to characterize each cluster by a luminosity and two radii: a core radius rc where the surface density has fallen to half the central value, and a tidal radius rt determined by a fit to the King (1966) truncated isothermal profiles, which is thought to represent the radius beyond which the tidal force due to the galaxy effectively exceeds the force due to the clusters own gravity.
Regulatory T cells Versus Th17: Differentiation of Th17 Versus Treg, Are They Mutually Exclusive?

Naive CD4+ cells differentiate into T helper (Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells to execute their immunologic function. Whereas TGF-β suppresses Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, this cytokine promotes Th9, Th17, and Foxp3+ regulatory T cells depending upon the existence of other cytokines. IL-6 promotes Th17 but suppresses regulatory T cell differentiation. Moreover, natural but not TGF-β-induced regulatory T cells convert into Th17 cells in the inflammatory milieu. This chapter discusses the updates of these cell differentiation and conversion, as well as underlying mechanisms.
Global and Regional Patterns of Tobacco Smoking and Tobacco Control Policies

Abstract Context Tobacco smoking is a major worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality from various diseases, including urologic diseases. Objective We reviewed, at global and regional levels, the prevalence and trends of tobacco smoking and legislative and regulatory efforts around tobacco control. We also provided information about electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use. Evidence acquisition We used several sources to present the most up-to-date information from national surveys, including the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, the Global Tobacco Control Report, and the Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Evidence synthesis Smoking prevalence has been decreasing globally, although trends in smoking vary substantially across countries and by gender. Among men, smoking prevalence in most high-income countries started to decrease in the mid-1990s, followed after a few decades by generally smaller decreases in some low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, there has been no change, or there has even been an increase, in smoking prevalence in many other LMICs. Countries with the highest male smoking prevalence are located in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. Similar to men, smoking prevalence for women has been decreasing in most high-income countries and some LMICs, although the decrease began later and was slower than that for men. Except in a few countries, smoking is much less common for women than for men. Most countries with the highest smoking prevalence in women are in Europe. Countries that have implemented the best practices for tobacco control, including monitoring, smoke-free policies, cessation programs, health warnings, advertising bans, and taxation, have been able to reduce smoking rates and related harms. E-cigarette use has rapidly increased since its introduction to the market. Conclusions Health care providers should advise smoking patients about quitting smoking. Countries must improve the implementation and enforcement of tobacco control policies. Particular attention should be paid to preventing an increase in smoking among women in LMICs. Patient summary We reviewed smoking prevalence and tobacco control policies in various regions. Countries with more effective tobacco control programs have seen higher reductions in smoking prevalence and, consequently, in smoking-related mortality. Because both longer duration and higher intensity of smoking (amount of tobacco smoked per day) are associated with an increased risk of tobacco-related diseases, smokers should quit smoking as soon as possible.
Diminished expression of the t cell receptor on the expanded lymphocyte population in mrl/mp-1pr/1pr mice

MRL mice homozygous for the recessive lpr gene develop an accelerated autoimmune syndrome and massive lymphadenopathy. Because the function of the expanded lymph node population is unclear, we have studied the subunits of the T cell receptor for antigen (TcR). DNA and RNA were prepared from MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (lpr) and congenic MRL/Mp(-)+/+ (+/+) mice by standard techniques and studied by Southern blot, northern blot, and dot blot analysis using the cDNAs TT11, specific for the TcR alpha chain; 86T5, specific for the TcR beta chain; and T3 delta; specific for the subunit of the T3 molecule. Surface protein was immunoprecipitated with antisera 8177, which recognizes TcR framework determinants, and resolved by diagonal SDS-PAGE. FACS analysis was performed with a monoclonal antibody to murine T3, and with the KJ16-133 and F23.1 monoclonal antibodies, which recognize determinants encoded by the V beta 8 subfamily of beta chain variable region genes. When compared with +/+ controls, surface TcR density as detected by immunofluorescence using all three antibodies was significantly diminished on lpr spleen and lymph node cells, as well as on lpr lymph node cells which had been depleted of L3T4+ and Ly2+ cells by negative selection. There appeared, however, to be selective expression of the genes encoding the epitopes binding F23.1. Southern blot analysis of DNA showed polyclonal rearrangements of the TcR beta chain genes. There were increased alpha, beta, and T3 delta RNA transcripts in the double negative lymph node cells. The paradoxical decrease in TcR surface expression in the setting of large quantities of full length transcript is yet to be explained.
Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring during carotid surgery

Controversy exists over the value of intraoperative monitoring and shunting in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Although it is widely believed that contralateral carotid occlusion and previous stroke mandate intraoperative shunting, the susceptibility of these two groups of patients to cerebral ischemia during carotid artery endarterectomy is not well defined. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) were monitored in 113 carotid artery endarterectomy patients. Of these, 32 (28.3%) had a previous stroke, 24 (21.2%) had a contralateral carotid occlusion and 33 (29.2%) were diabetic. There were no deaths and only one perioperative stroke (0.9%). Cerebral ischemia occurred in 14 patients (12.4%). Six of these patients had a contralateral carotid occlusion. Some 29 patients (25.7%) were shunted, including 10 with contralateral carotid occlusions that did not have major SSEP changes. In the latter half of the study, 14 patients with contralateral carotid occlusions were selectively shunted (six shunted, eight not shunted) with no neurological complications. Thirty-two patients with prior strokes were selectively shunted (nine shunted, 23 not shunted); of these, one shunted patient undergoing combined carotid artery endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting had a perioperative stroke. Intraoperative monitoring with SSEPs accurately identifies cerebral ischemia secondary to carotid clamping as well as patients requiring shunts. With use of intraoperative SSEP monitoring, selective shunting may be safely performed in patients with a contralateral carotid occlusion or a previous stroke.
Complications associated with thoracocentesis

In order to determine the spectrum and frequency of complications associated with thoracocentesis, we decided to audit prospectively all thoracocenteses performed in the medical service at our institution. Over a ten-month interval, 125 procedures were performed. We identified 114 (91 percent) prospectively, 11 retrospectively by a computerassisted review of discharge summaries. Forty-six percent of the procedures were complicated by at least one adverse occurrence. Complications considered major occurred in 14 percent, minor in 33 percent. The major complications included 14 pneumothoraces (three required tube thoracostomies and one percutaneous aspiration), one splenic laceration, one sheared-off catheter, and one pneumo-hemothorax. The minor complications included pain in 28, persistent cough in 14, dry taps in 16, and subcutaneous fluid collections in four patients. We conclude that thoracocentesis can carry the risk of frequent morbidity even when a lecture and printed guidelines on performing thoracocentesis have been given and experienced individuals are in attendance during the performance of the procedure. Our study suggests a portion of this morbidity may be from poor technique, inability to adequately identify landmarks, and improper utilization of a needle-catheter apparatus. Suggestions for correction of these problems are made.
Standardization and construct validity of the physiognomic cue test.

The Physiognomic Cue Test (PCT) has been standardized on 1038 high school seniors applying to art, architecture, and engineering schools. Two varimax factors were found which remained stable when 228 Ss were retested. The two factors are related but discriminably separate. They represent tendencies to accept physiognomic descriptions of line drawings presented in terms of affective states (Factor A) and in terms of inferred symbols of actual objects (Factor B). A number of hypotheses were tested to establish the construct validity of these factors. Scores are significantly related to academic field, sex, openness in expressing affect, art style, college admissions criteria, freshman grades, and to style of spontaneous response to these line drawings. Norms for this population were stable, yet may not be applicable to other groups. The PCT appears to be a suitable instrument for conveniently measuring individual differences on this cognitive control principle.
Patient Safety in the Era of the 80-Hour Workweek

Objective In 2003, duty-hour regulations (DHR) were initially implemented for residents in the United States to improve patient safety and protect resident's well-being. The effect of DHR on patient safety remains unclear. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of DHR on patient safety. Design Using an interrupted time series analysis, we analyzed selected patient safety indicators (PSIs) for 376 million discharges in teaching (T) vs nonteaching (NT) hospitals before and after implementation of DHR in 2003 that restricted resident work hours to 80 hours per week. The PSIs evaluated were postoperative pulmonary embolus or deep venous thrombosis (PEDVT), iatrogenic pneumothorax (PTx), accidental puncture or laceration, postoperative wound dehiscence (WD), postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma, and postoperative physiologic or metabolic derangement. Propensity scores were used to adjust for differences in patient comorbidities between T and NT hospitals and between discharge quarters. The primary outcomes were differences in the PSI rates before and after DHR implementation. The PSI differences between T and NT institutions were the secondary outcome. Setting T and NT hospitals in the United States. Participants Participants were 376 million patient discharges from 1998 to 2007 in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Results Declining rates of PTx in both T and NT hospitals preintervention slowed only in T hospitals postintervention (p = 0.04). Increasing PEDVT rates in both T and NT hospitals increased further only in NT hospitals (p = 0.01). There were no differences in the PSI rates over time for hemorrhage or hematoma, physiologic or metabolic derangement, accidental puncture or laceration, or WD. T hospitals had higher rates than NT hospitals both preintervention and postintervention for all the PSIs except WD. Conclusions Trends in rates for 2 of the 6 PSIs changed significantly after DHR implementation, with PTx rates worsening in T hospitals and PEDVT rates worsening in NT hospitals. Lack of consistent patterns of change suggests no measurable effect of the policy change on these PSIs.
Implications of the dependence of the elastic properties of DNA on nucleotide sequence

Recent advances in structural biochemistry have provided evidence that not only the geometric properties but also the elastic moduli of duplex DNA are strongly dependent on nucleotide sequence in a way that is not accounted for by classical rod models of the Kirchhoff type. A theory of sequence-dependent DNA elasticity is employed here to calculate the dependence of the equilibrium configurations of circular DNA on the binding of ligands that can induce changes in intrinsic twist at a single base-pair step. Calculations are presented of the influence on configurations of the assumed values and distribution along the DNA of intrinsic roll and twist and a modulus coupling roll to twist. Among the results obtained are the following. For minicircles formed from intrinsically straight DNA, the distribution of roll–twist coupling strongly affects the dependence of the total elastic energy Ψ on the amount α of imposed untwisting, and that dependence can be far from quadratic. (In fact, for a periodic distribution of roll–twist coupling with a period equal to the intrinsic helical repeat length, Ψ can be essentially independent of α for −90 ◦ <α< 90 ◦ .) When the minicircle is homogeneous and without roll–twist coupling, but with uniform positive intrinsic roll, the point at which Ψ attains its minimum value shifts towards negative values of α. It is remarked that there are cases in which one can relate graphs of Ψ versus α to the ‘effective values’ of bending and twisting moduli and helical repeat length obtained from measurements of equilibrium distributions of topoisomers and probabilities of ring closure. For a minicircle formed from DNA that has an ‘S’ shape when stress-free, the graphs of Ψ versus α have maxima at α = 0. As the binding of a twisting agent to such a minicircle results in a net decrease in Ψ , the affinity of the twisting agent for binding to the minicircle is greater than its affinity for binding to unconstrained DNA with the same sequence.
Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and mechanical properties of eutectic Sn-Ag solder joints with and without intentionally incorporated Cu 6 Sn 5 reinforcements

Solidification of eutectic Sn-Ag solder, with and without Cu6Sn5 composite reinforcements, on copper substrates, was investigated at two different cooling rates. The size, orientation, randomness, and overall morphology of the dendritic microstructure were examined as a function of cooling rate. Cu6Sn5 particle reinforcements were found to act as nucleation sites for dendrites, in addition to sites on the substrate/solder interface. The mechanical properties of these solders were also examined as a function of cooling rate. Solder joints with a lower load-carrying area were found to exhibit higher shear strength, but reduced ductility when compared to solder joints with more load carrying area.
Benzaldehyde: defensive secretion of a harvester ant.

Abstract 1. 1. The xerophilous harvester ant Veromessor pergandei produces primarily benzaldehyde in its mandibular glands. 2. 2. This aldehyde, not isolated previously from insects, functions as an effective defensive secretion. 3. 3. A minor constituent, produced by the mandibular glands, functions as a releaser of alarm behavior.