cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unraveling protein misfolding diseases using model systems

Abstract Experimental model systems have long been used to probe the causes, consequences and mechanisms of pathology leading to human disease. Ideally, such information can be exploited to inform the development of therapeutic strategies or treatments to combat disease progression. In the case of protein misfolding diseases, a wide range of model systems have been developed to investigate different aspects of disorders including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Utility of these systems broadly correlates with evolutionary complexity: small animal models such as rodents and the fruit fly are appropriate for pharmacological modeling and cognitive/behavioral assessment, the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans allows analysis of tissue-specific disease features, and unicellular organisms such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the bacterium Escherichia coli are ideal for molecular studies. In this chapter, we highlight key advances i...
Emulating Satellite Missions through Space Communications Emulation

Due to the increasing complexities in future space missions, NASA must search for alternative methods of validating and verifying requirements, goals and results. Adding to these complexities, NASA is looking at missions that will explore the Moon and then Mars. These types of missions will have characteristics not seen in the typical Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. To meet these schedules, NASA must look at software tools that will help evaluate and determine liabilities in proposed missions before they are ready to launch. NASA/Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing a software emulation testbed that will serve as a tool where government, universities or industry can emulate mission scenarios. The emulation testbed is called the Space Communications Emulation Facility (SCEF) and will help scientists and missions managers to evaluate potential missions. Whereas the testbed can emulate complete missions, it has one unique attribute in that researchers will be able to insert customized code into the testbed and evaluate new concepts, such as a component of a spacecraft, routing algorithms, etc. The goal of this paper is to introduce SCEF and describe both its hardware and software architecture and components. The highly configurable satellite node is described including an explanation of how research code can be tested and validated. One such example is shown by the On-board Schedule Revision System being developed by NASA/Ames Research Center (ARC). This dynamic scheduler will take inputs from the ground or other satellites and continually update the on-board schedule to increase the utility of the satellite and conserve precious resources. This paper will show how the On-board Schedule Revision System can be integrated into the SCEF environment.
Thermodynamics and the CVD of Diamond

Bulk diamond is unstable relative to bulk graphite except at high pressure and temperature. In spite of this, well crystallized diamond has been grown using numerous CVD methods, most of which have in common the production of atomic hydrogen and hydrocarbon radicals in regimes where solid carbon is expected to be a stable product. Two fundamentally different points of view have emerged in the effort to explain why well crystallized diamond, and not graphite or vitreous carbon, is observed in these experiments. The first argues that graphite is “etched” by atomic hydrogen at a rate higher than diamond and hence diamond is kinetically stable with respect to graphite. If diamond formation is kinetically controlled the deposition mechanism is critical and much debate has centered on the mechanism and species involved. Alternatively it is argued that at the growth interface, diamond surfaces are stabilized by termination with hydrogen. If this is correct, and bulk reorganization ignored, then it is shown that a global understanding of the parameters important to the growth of diamond can be obtained without detailed kinetic analyses. Thus it is argued that single crystal diamond films of arbitrarily high purity and perfection are theoretically possible by CVD in spite of the bulk instability of diamond. It is also suggested that general principles exist which might be applied to the growth of other well crystallized metastable phases - notably cubic boron nitride.
Crowd simulation via multi-agent reinforcement learning

Artificial intelligence is frequently used to control virtual characters in movies and games. When these characters appear in crowds, controlling them is called crowd simulation. In this paper, I suggest that crowd simulation could be accomplished by multi-agent reinforcement learning, a method by which groups of agents can learn to act autonomously in their environment. I present a case study that explores the challenges and benefits of this type of approach and encourages the development of learning techniques for AI in entertainment media.
Electron probe x-ray microanalysis: a quantitative electron microscopy technique for measurement of elements and water in nervous tissue cells.

Although structure and function of the major cells comprising nervous tissue have been studied extensively, very little detailed information exists concerning subcellular distributions of water and such elements as Na, K, Cl, and Ca. This information gap limits our understanding of cell physiology since transmembrane gradients of corresponding ionic species are critically involved in modulating the metabolic and signaling behavior of neuronal and glial cells (1). Moreover, substantial evidence indicates that neuropathic conditions induced by a variety of injury events (e.g., xenobiotic intoxication, disease processes, trauma) involve shifts in subcellular ion composition and volume regulation (2-4). Several techniques (e.g., atomic absorption spectrophotometry, ion selective microelectrodes, ion-sensitive fluorescent dyes) have been used to measure tissue or cellular levels of elements (ions) in normal and injured nervous tissue. In our laboratory, we have used electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) to investigate the role of ion and water deregulation in different central and peripheral neuropathies (5-7). EPMA is a quantitative electron microscope technique that measures both water content (percentage water) and total (free plus bound) concentrations of biologically relevant elements (e.g., Na, K, S, P, Cl, Ca, and Mg in mmol/kg dry or wet weight) in cellular morphological compartments. Unlike other methods of ion/element measurements, EPMA permits simultaneous determinations of multiple elements and allows optical differentiation of nervous tissue cell types and their processes (e.g., nerve and glial cell bodies, dendrites, axons) with subsequent analyses of submembrane regions or organelles (e.g., axoplasm, mitochondria).
Characterization of Deuterated-Xylene Scintillator as a Neutron Spectrometer

We have experimentally characterized the neutron light output response functions of a deuterated-xylene scintillator for neutron energies lower than 10 MeV. We then used the response matrix to unfold the energy distribution of neutrons produced via several reactions, i.e., spontaneous fission, d(d,n)3He, 27Al(d,n)28Si, and 9Be(alpha,n)12C. Organic scintillators based on deuterated compounds show a fast response and good gamma-neutron discrimination capability, similar to or better than proton-based scintillators. Deuterated scintillators can also effectively provide neutron energy spectra by unfolding measured data with the detector response matrix, without the need of time-of-flight. Deuteron recoils, produced by elastic collisions between deuterium and impinging neutrons, are preferentially forward-scattered. This non-isotropic reaction results in distinct peaks in the response functions to monoenergetic neutrons. In this work, we evaluated a custom-fabricated 7.62 cm $\times 7.62$ cm deuterated-xylene (EJ301D) liquid scintillator. This liquid has a low volatility and higher flash point, compared to benzene-based deuterated detectors, e.g., EJ315 and NE230. We measured the EJ301D detector neutron response matrix (up to 6 MeV neutron energy) using an intense 252Cf source and the time-of-flight technique. The number of response functions obtained using our method is only limited by counting statistics and by the experimentally achievable energy resolution. Multi-channel unfolding was then performed successfully for neutron sources with different energy spectra.
Critical Care Considerations

Electroencephalography (EEG) provides the ability to continuously monitor the brain at the bedside and in the critical care unit. Continuous EEG (cEEG) is indicated in convulsive or nonconvulsive status epilepticus, acute stroke with alteration of mental status, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and post-cardiac arrest but may be useful in other situations as well. Invasive (depth) EEG monitoring and quantitative analysis techniques expand the monitoring capabilities of cEEG. With continuous improvements and advances in neurocritical care, cEEG is acquiring an important role in decision-making, but those who use it must be aware of special considerations that may add variability to the data, including medication side effects, artifacts that may mimic seizures, and the effects of structural lesions. Other practical issues must also be considered including maintaining high-quality recordings and interpreting controversial data. While imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Doppler ultrasound, and the neurological exam – standards of intensive care medicine – provide only a snapshot in time; cEEG provides uninterrupted brain monitoring at the bedside.
Modal Parameter Identification of Bridge based on Large Scale Data Sets

The main objective of this paper was to carry out an effective and meticulous long term state identification of cable stayed bridge, from a large amount of data collected from long span cable stayed bridge. In order to achieve the above objective, data visualization techniques were employed, because it can provide a quick and effective data analysis due to its graphical interface of data visualization. For this purpose a long span cable stayed bridge, having a main span of 1088m was selected as a case study. Firstly the data was collected from long span bridge, then based on data visualization outcome, Data Driven Stochastic Subspace Identification (DATA-SSI) technique has been employed to identify the modal parameters such as modal frequencies and damping ratios by plotting its stable diagrams. The results showed that the proposed method was effective in attaining its goals and can endows better results especially for long term continuous data and can prove to be a valuable tool in bridge health monitoring.
THE COLONIAL STRANGER AND POSTCOLONIAL AGENCY: THE CONGO NARRATIVE

In Inventing Ireland: The Literature of the Modern Nation (1996), the Irish critic Declan Kiberd argues “postcolonial writing does not begin only when the occupier withdraws: rather it is initiated at that very moment when a native writer formulates a text committed to cultural resistance”. While I agree with Kiberd that postcoloniality cannot be said to be synonymous with post-independence, in this essay I extend his formulation by adding another subversive initiator of the postcolonial moment, the sympathizing radical activist within the metropolis. I use the American case in relation to the Congo context in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to foreground my argument, especially with reference to the anticolonial activism of the African-American Presbyterian missionary William Sheppard and his co-worker Samuel Lapsley, and the anti-imperial stance of the American writer Mark Twain.
Selecting the right number of knots for B-spline parameterization of the dielectric functions in spectroscopic ellipsometry data analysis

Abstract B-spline representation of the dielectric functions provides many theoretical and practical benefits for material modeling in spectroscopic ellipsometry. However, the number of knots (and their locations, in general) defines actual performance of B-splines in ellipsometric data analysis. On the one hand, too large number of knots can result in serious overfitting of the experimental data. On the other hand, this number should be sufficient to fit all essential spectral features. Selection of the right number of knots is, in practice, a very subjective and empirically-driven task. In this paper, we discuss the choice of the number of knots utilizing three well-established versions of statistical information criteria in form of Akaike, corrected Akaike and Bayesian Information Criteria (AIC, AICc and BIC, respectively). The criteria establish a compromise between over- and underfitting of experimental data and allow formalized selection of the right number of knots. Effectiveness of the proposed methodology is illustrated using a few real-data examples.
“Radiorrhea”: an examination of mid-century youth and radio culture in Belgian pedagogies of leisure, 1945–1965

AbstractThe article examines the various discourses, engaged in by social observers and experts alike, on the relationship between radio, music, and youth during the 1950s and 60s. Through articles, inquiries, and surveys led by Belgian pedagogues, psychologists, educators, social workers, and journalists, the author moves from the topic of radio to the larger subject of leisure, analysing the issues raised by these social actors regarding the way in which adolescents of the era listened to radio, music, and sound in general. By analysing these discussions, we see that several problems with the radio emerge: first, the issue of distracted listening; second, the issue with noise; and third, the issue with modern music. These concerns reveal that there existed, from an adult sociocultural perspective, a “good” way of listening to radio and “good” genres of music to appreciate. In conclusion, the author explains how the “pedagogy of leisure” was effectively a means for society to control and domesticate the ...
Epigenetic Silencing of miRNA-34a in Human Cholangiocarcinoma via EZH2 and DNA Methylation: Impact on Regulation of Notch Pathway

Aberrant expression and regulation of miRNAs have been implicated in multiple stages of tumorigenic processes. The current study was designed to explore the biological function and epigenetic regulation of miR-34a in human cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Our data show that the expression of miR-34a is decreased significantly in CCA cells compared with non-neoplastic biliary epithelial cells. Forced overexpression of miR-34a in CCA cells inhibited their proliferation and clonogenic capacity in vitro, and suppressed tumor xenograft growth in severe combined immunodeficiency mice. We identified three key components of the Notch pathway, Notch1, Notch2, and Jagged 1, as direct targets of miR-34a. Our further studies show that down-regulation of miR-34a is caused by Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2)-mediated H3 lysine 27 trimethylation as well as DNA methylation. Accordingly, treatment with the EZH2 inhibitor, selective S-adenosyl-methionine-competitive small-molecule (GSK126), or the DNA methylation inhibitor, 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine, partially restored miR-34a levels in human CCA cells. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analyses showed increased EZH2 expression in human CCA tissues and cell lines. We observed that GSK126 significantly reduced CCA cell growth in vitro and intrahepatic metastasis in vivo. Our findings provide novel evidence that miR-34a expression is silenced epigenetically by EZH2 and DNA methylation, which promotes CCA cell growth through activation of the Notch pathway. Consequently, these signaling cascades may represent potential therapeutic targets for effective treatment of human CCA.
Food insecure community gardeners in rural Appalachian Ohio more strongly agree that their produce intake improved and food spending decreased as a result of community gardening compared to food secure community gardeners

Relationships among food security, produce intake and behaviors, health, and social capital in rural Appalachian community gardeners were examined. Gardeners (n = 120) were surveyed, with 50 respon...
Community Resilience to Drought Hazard in the South-Central United States

Drought is a hazard that inflicts costly damage to agricultural, hydrologic, and ecological systems and affects human health and prosperity. A comprehensive assessment of resilience to the drought hazard in various communities and an identification of the main variables that affect resilience is crucial to coping with the hazard and promoting resilience. This study assessed the community resilience to drought hazards of all 503 counties of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas using the resilience inference measurement (RIM) model for the period of 2000 to 2015. Through k-means cluster analysis, stepwise discriminant analysis (74.7 percent accuracy, 72.8 percent leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy), and regression analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.69), four variables (significant at p < 0.05) representing the social, economic, agriculture, and health sectors were identified as the main resilience indicators. Higher resilience counties were found in central Oklahoma and eastern Texas, with the f...
Interactive Diffraction of a Plane Longitudinal Wave by a Pair of Coplanar Central Cracks in an Elastic Solid

The problem of the diffraction of a plane longitudinal wave by a penny-shaped crack has been solved using the techniques of Hankel transforms [1]. The interaction of elastic waves with a Griffith crack has been investigated for a range of values of the wave frequency [2]. More recently, approximate formulas have been derived for the problem of diffraction of elastic waves by two coplanar Griffith cracks in an infinite elastic medium [3].
Double Object Constructions and Prepositional Dative Constructions Are Distinct: A Reply to Ormazabal and Romero 2012

Ormazabal and Romero (2012) take issue with the arguments in Bruening 2010b that certain instances of prepositional dative constructions are really double object constructions. I show that their criticisms, when examined closely, actually support this claim. I also show that their alternative explanation for the facts is not successful. I also expand on the arguments from Bruening 2010b, and further argue that double object constructions must be distinct syntactically and semantically from prepositional dative constructions. The two cannot be derived from the same source.
Financial Market Spillovers: How Different are the Transition Economies?

Motivated by recent financial crises, a large number of theoretical and empirical studies are attempting to understand how financial market shocks are transmitted across countries. Some of this research takes the form of large cross-country studies aimed at assessing the importance of “contagion” effects.1 Other studies focus on regional spillovers around a single event, mainly in Asia and Latin America.2 This chapter takes a closer look at the experience of transition economies. It documents spillover patterns and attempts to draw policy lessons from them.3
CHAPTER 3 – Physical Assessment

The purpose of clinical evaluation is to assess current health and nutritional status, to identify those nutritional and health factors that determine current status, and to provide prognostic data for risk of further nutrition-related morbidity. The mutual influence of nutrition and disease on each other is critical, and at times distinguishing between the ill effects of disease and malnutrition may be difficult or impossible. Assessment is guided by the symptoms and signs of disease. Risk for disease and etiologic factors are often revealed by demographic, occupational, and socioeconomic conditions as well as by family histories. On a population level, or in apparently healthy persons with low risk, screening may be used in lieu of a more detailed and resource-intensive assessment. The results of screening may indicate the need for further assessment, and several screening tools have such staged approaches, as discussed later in this chapter. Individuals with existing, or at risk for, nutritional compromise or disease should undergo a more detailed assessment. The term malnutrition is often used to describe protein energy malnutrition, but micronutrient malnutrition occurs in multiple disease states and must also be assessed. Nutritional disorders of excess should also be considered malnutrition and are of increasing importance. Such disorders include obesity, diets characterized by imbalanced macronutrient intake, and micronutrient toxicity induced by food faddism or supplement use.
A Renewal Theory Based Analytical Model for Multi-Channel Random Access in IEEE 802.11ac/ax

To support bandwidth-intensive services such as virtual reality video applications, next generation WLANs will allow users to transmit over multiple channels for high data rate transmissions. In this paper, an analytical model is developed to study the performance of the dynamic channel bonding in IEEE 802.11ac, and non-contiguous channel aggregation in IEEE 802.11ax, with coexisting legacy single channel users. By modeling the transmissions of single channel and multi-channel users with and without channel bonding as a two-level renewal process, the bonding probability of multi-channel users, along with the throughput of different users in each channel, are derived. Our analysis shows that multi-channel users can boost their throughput at the cost of degraded throughput of legacy users. Furthermore, it is shown that 802.11ax provides higher spectrum utilization compared to 802.11ac, while 802.11ac provides a friendlier coexistence with single channel users. Based on the analysis, a heuristic algorithm for primary channel selection is further proposed to maximize the throughput of multi-channel users. Extensive simulations using NS-3 validate the analysis and demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed channel selection algorithm.
Safety and Feasibility of Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement in the Native Right Ventricular Outflow Tract: A Multicenter Pediatric Heart Network Scholar Study

AbstractObjectives: This study sought to determine the safety and feasibility of transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) using the Melody valve in native (nonconduit) right ventricular out...
Non-linear multidimensional flow cytometry analyses delineate NK cell phenotypes in normal and HIV-infected chimpanzees

Natural killer (NK) cells are primary immune effector cells with both innate and potentially adaptive functions against viral infections, but commonly become exhausted or dysfunctional during chronic diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Chimpanzees are the closest genetic relatives of humans and have been previously used in immunology, behavior and disease models. Due to their similarities to humans, a better understanding of chimpanzee immunology, particularly innate immune cells, can lend insight into the evolution of human immunology, as well as response to disease. However, the phenotype of NK cells has been poorly defined. In order to define NK cell phenotypes, we unbiasedly quantified NK cell markers among mononuclear cells in both naive and HIV-infected chimpanzees by flow cytometry. We identified NKG2D and NKp46 as the most dominant stable NK cells markers using multidimensional data reduction analyses. Other traditional NK cell markers such as CD8α, CD16 and perforin fluctuated during infection, while some such as CD56, NKG2A and NKp30 were generally unaltered by HIV infection, but did not delineate the full NK cell repertoire. Taken together, these data indicate that phenotypic dysregulation may not be pronounced during HIV infection of chimpanzees, but traditional NK cell phenotyping used for both humans and other non-human primate species may need to be revised to accurately identify chimpanzee NK cells.
From Keynesianism to the Knowledge Economy: The Rise and Fall of Growth Regimes

This essay explores the evolution of postwar growth regimes, understood as the economic and social policies used by governments to pursue economic growth in the developed democracies. It charts movement in growth regimes from an era of modernization stretching from 1950 to 1975, through an era of liberalization running from 1980 to the late 1990s, to a subsequent era of knowledge-based growth. It argues that the capacities of democratic governments to pursue specific growth regimes depend, not only on economic circumstances, but also on evolving electoral conditions, marked especially by changes in the cleavage structures conditioning partisan electoral strategies. The essay concludes by exploring the implications of contemporary electoral politics for the development of growth regimes appropriate to a knowledge economy.
Structures and propagation speeds of autoignition-assisted premixed n-heptane/air cool and warm flames at elevated temperatures and pressures

Abstract The laminar flame speeds and structures of near-limit autoignition-assisted cool and warm n-heptane/air flames at different ignition Damkӧhler numbers which are the ratios between flow residence time and the ignition delay time, elevated temperatures and pressures are studied computationally and analytically over a broad range of equivalence ratios. The primary objective of this work is to understand the effects of the ignition Damkӧhler number, mixture temperature, equivalence ratio, and pressure on the dynamics and structures of cool and warm flame propagation near the flammability limit. Different transitions among near-limit cool, warm, and hot flames are examined. The results show that both cool and warm flame structures and propagation speeds change dramatically with the increase of the ignition Damkӧhler number. Moreover, the dependence of normalized cool and warm flame speeds on the ignition Damkӧhler number is affected by the equivalence ratio, pressure, and flame regimes. Furthermore, for equivalence ratios within the hot flame flammability limits, the results show that there exist two flame speeds, one for the hot flame and the other for the cool flame. It is shown that the cool flame speed has a non-monotonic dependence on the initial mixture temperature due to the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) effect. However, the warm flame speed has a much weaker NTC effect and the hot flame speed only increases monotonically with the increase of the initial temperature. The results also reveal that the lean cool flame speed can be much higher than the hot flame speed near the NTC region. Finally, a simple analytical model for predicting the flame speed of autoignition assisted flames is developed. The model implies that the reduced activation energy of autoignition strongly affects the flame speed dependence on the ignition Damkӧhler number. The present results significantly advanced the understanding of the near-limit low temperature flame dynamics.
Computer science I with flare

Flare is a new multimedia library for the Python language that provides a rich cross-platform object-oriented framework for working with images, sound, and animation using an application programming interface (API) that is well suited for Computer Science I (CS1) classes. In this paper we survey existing Python multimedia solutions in the context of teaching CS1 and how perceived limitations with these solutions motivated the development of Flare.
Cross-state learning and service delivery in India’s federal system

This paper attempts to place the issue of cross-state learning and borrowing experiences in service delivery in India in the specific context of political incentives in India’s federal democracy as...
Are electoral autocracies better for the poor? Evidence from social assistance programs:

Autocratic elections occur on uneven playing fields, yet their regular contestation compels ruling parties to pay attention to citizens’ demands. This claim is at the heart of research linking mult...
Don’t Use a Bifactor Model Unless You Believe the True Structure Is Bifactor:

The current article provides a response to concerns raised by Dombrowski, McGill, Canivez, Watkins, & Beaujean (2020) regarding the methodological confounds identified by Decker, Bridges, Luedke, a...
Clinical Presentation and Characteristics of Hand and Wrist Ganglion Cysts in Children.

Purpose Ganglion cysts are the most common mass of the hand or wrist. In adults, ganglions have a female predilection and are commonly located in the dorsal wrist. However, their presentation in children has not been well reported. This investigation sought to describe the presentation of pediatric ganglion cysts in a prospective cohort. Methods A multicenter prospective investigation of children (aged ≤18 years) who presented with ganglion cysts of the hand or wrist was conducted between 2017 and 2019. The data collected included age, sex, cyst location, hand dominance, pain, and patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) scores for upper-extremity (UE) function. The patients were divided into cohorts based on age, cyst location, and cyst size. Multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors predictive of worse UE function and higher pain scores. Results A total of 173 patients with a mean age of 10.1 ± 5.3 years and female-to-male ratio of 1.4:1 were enrolled. The dorsal wrist was the most commonly affected (49.7%), followed by the volar wrist (26.6%) and flexor tendon sheath (18.5%). In older patients, dorsal wrist ganglions were more common than tendon sheath cysts (11.9 ± 4.1 years vs 6.2 ± 5.8 years) and were larger (86.7% were >1 cm) than cysts in other locations (34.5% were >1 cm). Patients aged >10 years reported higher pain scores, with 21.5% of older patients reporting moderate/severe pain scores versus 5.0% of younger children. This cohort of patients had an average PROMIS UE function score of 47.4 ± 9.5, and lower PROMIS scores were associated with higher pain scores. Conclusions Ganglions in pediatric populations, which most commonly affect the dorsal wrist, demonstrate a female predilection. In younger children, cysts are smaller and more often involve the volar wrist or flexor tendon sheath. Older children report higher pain scores. Pediatric ganglion cysts do not appear to result in a clinically meaningful decrease in UE function. Type of study/level of evidence Diagnostic II.
Guidelines for removal, preservation, and CT imaging of the syrinx, the avian vocal organ

While the state of the art has been described for recording bird songs and calls, there are no described best practices for collecting and preserving the avian vocal organ, the syrinx. In addition to skins and skeletal preparations, field collection of tissues for DNA sequencing has become a common practice. Protocols for such tissue collection often involve accessing internal organs. Here we argue that collecting syringes, which also involves accessing the chest cavity, adds only minimal time to field or skeletal preparation and can be done without damage to the skeleton. Collecting syringes will enable studies of structure–function relationships in the production of calls and song that have not been previously possible. Three-dimensional X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging techniques allow new insight into these relationships, but material of both male and female birds as well as juveniles is lacking for most avian taxa. Here, we present a guide to the removal and preservation of the avian syrinx and associated vocal anatomy in hopes of increasing their representation in biological collections. In this guide, we suggest that taking in situ measurements is ideal since dissection, fixation, and tissue staining can affect measurements of certain airway features such as tracheal diameter and bronchial length. Our guidelines demonstrate that removing a single wing, shoulder, and half of the pectoral girdle from the dorsal side of the thorax along with disarticulating the sternal and vertebral rib segments on one side of the body allows exposure of the complete airway without damaging the skeleton. We also provide recommendations for fixation, storage, and staining of specimens in preparation for diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) scans that allow imaging of both soft tissue structures such as vocal folds and muscles as well as the cartilaginous rings that support these structures.
Phosphoproteomic response mapping to anti-angiogenic agents bevacizumab and cediranib in high-grade serous ovarian and endometrial cancer cell lines

Objectives: Antiangiogenics have become a cornerstone of treatment in advanced stage and recurrent high grade serous ovarian cancer. Both cediranib (ICON6) and bevacizumab (ICON7, GOG218) have demonstrated benefit as a maintenance treatment for ovarian cancer patients in clinical trials. Investigators have also explored their role in advanced stage and recurrent endometrial carcinoma (MITO-END 2, Rose 2017, Aghajanian 2011). There have been no head to head trials in gynecologic cancers comparing cediranib to bevacizumab, although in colorectal carcinoma, phase III data suggests equivalent efficacy (HORIZON III). We hypothesize that these drugs, although both categorized as anti-angiogenics, induce unique cellular responses and sought to explore the varying impact of each agent on cell signaling using established serous cell models. Methods: CAOV3 ovarian cancer cells and Hec50 endometrial cancer cells were exposed to 1mM bevacizumab or cediranib for 24 hours. Cell lysates were analyzed in duplicate using an antibody-based phosphoproteomic array of 875 phosphoproteins supplied by Kinexus Bioinformatics (Vancouver, BC). Priority signaling effects were defined for each drug and in each cell line as those with a significant (>75%) change from control with an acceptable sum of error ( Results: Bevacizumab yielded 13 total leads, and cediranib yielded 9 in CAOV3 ovarian cancer cells (Table 1). Both agents significantly enhanced signaling events on the following epitopes: ABl, EZH2, HGK (2 sites), and IGF1R, indicating that these may be some of the core cellular effects of anti-angiogenic agents. Interestingly, all common leads induced by both agents in CAOV3 cells represent potential pro-oncogenic effects. In Hec50 cells (Table 1), both cediranib and bevacizumab treatment induced a unique set of phosphoproteins compared to the effects of these agents in CAOV3 cells, yet common findings were the phosphorylation of IGFR1 by bevacizumab and the activation of alternative MAP kinases in both cell lines. Download : Download high-res image (128KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumor development and metastasis. Blocking angiogenesis using monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab or tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as cediranib is a strategy that is proving to be helpful in the care of patients with gynecologic malignancies. These molecular agents have both on-target, therapeutic effects but also may induce pathways of resistance. In these comprehensive phosphoproteomic mapping studies, we noted the activation of signaling pathways which were cell and drug specific. One consistent finding was the enhanced phosphorylation of IGFR1 and alternative MAP kinases that may portend eventual drug resistance.
The Effects of SRT1720 Treatment on Endothelial Cells Derived from the Lung and Bone Marrow of Young and Aged, Male and Female Mice.

Angiogenesis is critical for successful fracture healing. Age-related alterations in endothelial cells (ECs) may cause impaired bone healing. Therefore, examining therapeutic treatments to improve angiogenesis in aging may enhance bone healing. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is highly expressed in ECs and its activation is known to counteract aging. Here, we examined the effects of SRT1720 treatment (SIRT1 activator) on the growth and function of bone marrow and lung ECs (BMECs and LECs, respectively), derived from young (3–4 month) and old (20–24 month) mice. While aging did not alter EC proliferation, treatment with SRT1720 significantly increased proliferation of all LECs. However, SRT1720 only increased proliferation of old female BMECs. Vessel-like tube assays showed similar vessel-like structures between young and old LECs and BMECs from both male and female mice. SRT1720 significantly improved vessel-like structures in all LECs. No age, sex, or treatment differences were found in migration related parameters of LECs. In males, old BMECs had greater migration rates than young BMECs, whereas in females, old BMECs had lower migration rates than young BMECs. Collectively, our data suggest that treatment with SRT1720 appears to enhance the angiogenic potential of LECs irrespective of age or sex. However, its role in BMECs is sex- and age-dependent.
NCCN Risk Reclassification in Black Men with Low and Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer After Genomic Testing.

Abstract Objectives To assess the utility of genomic testing in risk-stratifying Black patients with low and intermediate risk prostate cancer. Methods We retrospectively identified 63 Black men deemed eligible for active surveillance based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) guidelines, who underwent OncotypeDx® Genomic Prostate Score™ testing between April 2016 and July 2020. Nonparametric statistical testing was used to compare relevant features between patients reclassified to a higher NCCN risk after genomic testing and those who were not reclassified. Results The median age was 66 years and median pre-biopsy PSA was 7.3. Initial risk classifications were: very low risk: seven(11.1%), low risk: 24(38.1%), favorable intermediate risk: 31(49.2%), and unfavorable intermediate risk: one(1.6%). Overall, NCCN risk classifications after Genomic Prostate Score testing were significantly higher than initial classifications (p=0.003, Wilcoxon signed-rank). Among patients with discordant risk designations, 28(28/40, 70%) were reclassified to a higher NCCN risk after genomic testing. A pre-biopsy prostate specific antigen of greater than 10 did not have significantly higher odds of HBR (OR:2.16 [95% CI: 0.64,7.59, p=0.2). Of favorable intermediate risk patients, 20(64.5%) were reclassified to a higher NCCN risk. Ultimately, 18 patients underwent definitive treatment. Conclusions Incorporation of genomic testing in risk stratifying Black men with low and intermediate-risk prostate cancer resulted in overall higher NCCN risk classifications. Our findings suggest a role for increased utilization of genomic testing in refining risk-stratification within this patient population. These tests may better inform treatment decisions on an individualized basis.
Gender Differences in Student Attitudes toward Computers.

AbstractThis study reports the development of a student computer attitude survey. The instrument highlighted gender differences in computer attitudes of 462 middle and high school students. The principal components analysis confirmed five expected factors: confidence, perception of computers as male domain, positive teacher attitudes, negative teacher attitudes, and perceived usefulness of computers. The main gender differences related to greater confidence among males and the perception of computers as a male domain supported by males and rejected by females. Male students reported high levels of negative interactions with teachers, though this did not affect their confidence or skill level.
N-Tier Client Server systems course with emphasis to mobile devices

This paper describes the design of a new course in N-Tier Client/Server systems, motivation and challenges, pedagogical considerations, the technology used, and the courses integration in the innovative Master of Science in Applied Computer Science program at Kennesaw State University. This course introduces client/server systems and technologies, middleware, and distributed computing. Unique aspects include the student hands-on lab experience with the development of the client software for a PDA platform, which interconnects over a wireless connection through middleware to a database server, in a three-tiered architecture.
Architecture of the vimentin cytoskeleton is modified by perturbation of the GTPase ARF1

Intermediate filaments are required for proper membrane protein trafficking. However, it remains unclear whether perturbations in vesicular membrane transport result in changes in the architecture of the vimentin cytoskeleton. We find that treatment of cells with Brefeldin A, an inhibitor of specific stages of membrane transport, causes changes in the organization of vimentin filaments. These changes arise from movement of pre-existing filaments. Brefeldin A treatment also leads to alterations in the microtubule cytoskeleton. However, this effect is not observed in cells lacking intermediate filaments, indicating that microtubule bundling is downstream of perturbations in the vimentin cytoskeleton. Brefeldin A-induced changes in vimentin architecture are probably mediated through its effects on ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1). Expression of a dominant-negative mutant of ARF1 induces BFA-like modifications in vimentin morphology. The BFA-dependent changes in vimentin architecture occurred concurrently with the release of the ARF1-regulated adaptor complexes AP-3 and AP-1 from membranes and adaptor redistribution to vimentin networks. These observations indicate that perturbation of the vesicular membrane transport machinery lead to reciprocal changes in the architecture of vimentin networks.
Communication Apprehension, Willingness to Communicate, and Sense of Humor: United States and New Zealand Perspectives.

Participants were 217 U.S. college students and 179 N.Z. college students. Results indicate N.Z. students sampled were significantly less willing to communicate and experienced greater communication apprehension than U.S. students sampled. N.Z. students reported enjoying humor less, being less able to recognize humor, and being less likely to use humor to cope with stress. Significant negative correlations were found for U.S. students between communication apprehension and humor variables (liking of humor, sensitivity to humor, and coping humor). Willingness to communicate was correlated positively with sensitivity to humor and coping humor. For N.Z. students significant positive correlations between communication apprehension and humor variables (liking of humor, sensitivity to humor and coping humor) were found. Willingness to communicate was negatively correlated with the same humor variables.
Sudden aseismic fault slip on the south flank of Kilauea volcano

One of the greatest hazards associated with oceanic volcanoes is not volcanic in nature, but lies with the potential for catastrophic flank failure. Such flank failure can result in devastating tsunamis and threaten not only the immediate vicinity, but coastal cities along the entire rim of an ocean basin. Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii, USA, is a potential source of such flank failures and has therefore been monitored by a network of continuously recording geodetic instruments, including global positioning system (GPS) receivers, tilt meters and strain meters. Here we report that, in early November 2000, this network recorded transient southeastward displacements, which we interpret as an episode of aseismic fault slip. The duration of the event was about 36 hours, it had an equivalent moment magnitude of 5.7 and a maximum slip velocity of about 6[?]cm per day. Inversion of the GPS data reveals a shallow-dipping thrust fault at a depth of 4.5[?]km that we interpret as the down-dip extension of the Hilina Pali--Holei Pali normal fault system. This demonstrates that continuously recording geodetic networks can detect accelerating slip, potentially leading to warnings of volcanic flank collapse.
Rapamycin prevents the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in NOD mice.

The effect of the immunosuppressive agent rapamycin (RAPA) was assessed in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse which is an autoimmune model of IDDM. RAPA was prepared in a vehicle of 8% cremophor EL/2% ethanol and investigated in two studies. NOD/MrK female mice (six per group, study no. 1; 10 per group, study no. 2) were dosed three times per week p.o. by gavage from 56 to 170 days of age (study no. 1) or from 64 to 176 days of age (study no. 2). Mice treated with RAPA at 0.6 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg, or 12 mg/kg maintained normal plasma glucose through 170 or 176 days of age with 10%, 0%, and 0% incidence of diabetes respectively. In contrast, naive, vehicle-treated, or RAPA 0.06 mg/kg-treated mice exhibited elevated plasma glucose and disease incidence typical for female NOD mice. Mice which became diabetic had elevated levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate, triglycerides and cholesterol. These plasma lipid concentrations were positively correlated with the duration of hyperglycaemia (r = 0.85, 0.87 and 0.84 respectively). Outside of its ability to prevent diabetes, RAPA itself did not affect the lipid profile of the mice. Intervention therapy with RAPA was ineffective at reversing the course of disease after IDDM onset under these experimental conditions. Finally, we report here that prophylactic treatment with RAPA was able to protect against IDDM development in some RAPA-treated mice 41 weeks after cessation of treatment. These data show that orally administered RAPA is effective in preventing onset of disease in the NOD mouse, a relevant model of autoimmune type I diabetes in man.
Warm river waters contributed to melting Arctic sea ice

In 2012 Arctic sea ice extent reached a record low in the satellite-observed record. A new study by Nghiem et al. suggests that warm waters discharged into the Arctic's Beaufort Sea from the Mackenzie River could have contributed to that low ice extent.
Erratum to: MG624, an α7-nAChR antagonist, inhibits angiogenesis via the Egr-1/FGF2 pathway

There was an error in the section entitled ‘‘Antitumor studies in nude mice’’ on page 104. The control group of H69 tumor-bearing mice was fed AIN-76A diet containing 10% corn oil. The treatment group of H69 tumor-bearing mice was fed MG624 (dose = 50 mg/kg food) in AIN-76A diet containing 10% corn oil and 0.2% DMSO. The conclusions of the article are unaltered. The authors regret these misstatements in the original article.
Oncogene expression in myelopoiesis.

Oncogenes are a class of genes hypothesized to be causally related to neoplasia [1]. To date, specific oncogenes have been recognized chiefly by their ability to transform test cells to a neoplastic phenotype. This has been accomplished largely through mutational analysis of the genotype of retroviruses or through the analysis of tumor cell DNA by in vitro transfection of rodent fibroblasts. Oncogenes are believed to arise by some genetic alteration from normal cellular genes called proto-oncogenes. Although the normal function of most proto-oncogenes is unknown, it has been proposed that they may function as tissue-specific and temporally specific regulators of differentiation [2]. The role of oncogenes in lymphoid malignancies has been extensively analyzed [3]. Less is known about their role in myeloid leukemias and especially in normal myelopoiesis. Space limitations permit discussion of only salient features of a limited number of oncogenes; we have arbitrarily selected myc, myb, fos, fms, fes, sis, and abl.
Race, Nation, and Nature: The Cultural Politics of “Celtic” Identification in the American West

Claims regarding a unitary, coherent “Celtic” culture and its westward spread over centuries have proliferated rapidly over the past 10 to 15 years. We examine both this general phenomenon, and one specific instance of it in detail: the claims of Celtic identity by Wise Use activists in New Mexico in the 1990s. Our primary concern is to examine their significance and utility in contemporary cultural politics. We argue that they have provided a powerful way for many white people in Western Europe and the United States to claim for themselves an ethnic identity strongly associated with oppression and resistance to the state, a position that affords them symbolic resources in negotiating the challenges of both multiculturalism and neoliberalism.