cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Protein Levels of 24 Cytokines in Scrapie Agent-Infected Brain and Glial Cell Cultures from Mice Differing in Prion Protein Expression Levels

Activation of microglia and astroglia is seen in many neurodegenerative diseases including prion diseases. Activated glial cells produce cytokines as a protective response against certain pathogens and as part of the host inflammatory response to brain damage. In addition, cytokines might also exacerbate tissue damage initiated by other processes. In the present work using multiplex assays to analyze protein levels of 24 cytokines in scrapie agent-infected C57BL/10 mouse brains, we observed elevation of CCL2, CCL5, CXCL1, CXCL10, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin 1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-12p40. Scrapie agent-infected wild-type mice and transgenic mice expressing anchorless prion protein (PrP) had similar cytokine responses in spite of extensive differences in neuropathology. Therefore, these responses may be primarily a reaction to brain damage induced by prion infection rather than specific inducers of a particular type of pathology. To study the roles of astroglia and microglia in these cytokine responses, primary glial cultures were exposed to scrapie agent-infected brain homogenates. Microglia produced only IL-12p40 and CXCL10, whereas astroglia produced these cytokines plus CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL1, G-CSF, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p70, and IL-13. Glial cytokine responses from wild-type mice and transgenic mice expressing anchorless PrP differed only slightly, but glia from PrP-null mice produced only IL-12p40, indicating that PrP expression was required for scrapie agent induction of other cytokines detected. The difference in cytokine response between microglia and astroglia correlated with 20-fold-higher levels of PrP expression in astroglia versus microglia, suggesting that high-level PrP expression on astroglia might be important for induction of certain cytokines.
Engaging Undergraduates in the New York City S-SAFE Internship Program: An Impetus to Raise Geoscience Awareness.

ABSTRACT To engender and raise awareness to the geosciences, a geoscience research project and a corresponding geoscience internship program were designed around plume dispersion dynamics within and above the New York City subway system. Federal, regional, and local agencies partnered with undergraduate students from minority-serving institutions to conduct the largest plume dispersion study ever done in a complex, dense, urban-coastal metropolis. The students were engaged in an array of geoscience activities within the confines of geoscience learning communities. Assessment results indicate that the geoscience exposure and experience helped to stimulate and proliferate geoscience awareness and knowledge among the undergraduates.
Virus-specific CD8+ T cells infiltrate melanoma lesions and retain function despite high PD-1 expression

It is well known that CD8+ T cell infiltration of tumors is correlated with positive patient prognosis. Because of this, many viral vaccine vectors have been created to induce expansion and infiltration of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a herpes virus that induces a persistent/latent infection for the life of the host. It is able to drive large populations of viral-specific T cells that are fully functional and infiltrate most tissues. We have established that acute infection with a recombinant murine CMV virus expressing an altered gp100 antigen (MCMV-gp100) caused expansion and tumor infiltration of gp100-specific CD8+ T cells, leading to a therapeutic delay in the growth of B16 melanomas in mice. Coincidentally, we observed that at least 20% of the CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) were MCMV-specific. These virus-specific T cells infiltrated tumors independently of viral replication. Unexpectedly, T cell infiltration of tumors occurred even in latently infected animals, long after viral replication had been controlled. Together, these data suggest that virus-specific CD8+ T cells can become TIL, even long after the primary infection. We were curious about differences between tumor and virus-specific CD8+ TIL. As expected, after acute MCMV-gp100 infection, gp100-specific CD8+ TIL were PD-1hi and markedly dysfunctional. Virus-specific CD8+ T cells were also PD-1hi in the tumor after acute MCMV-gp100 infection, but these cells remained fully functional. PD-1 is an activation marker expressed on recently stimulated CD8+ T cells and both gp100-specific and virus-specific T cells expressed PD-1 after acute MCMV-gp100 infection. In the circulation of tumor-bearing mice or in the absence of a tumor, both gp100-specific and virus-specific CD8+ T cells lost PD-1 expression over time. However, PD-1hi cells that migrated into tumors retained expression of PD-1 regardless of specificity. Strikingly, introducing B16 tumors into MCMV-gp100 latently infected mice after PD-1 expression was lost, resulted in PD-1 up-regulation on and subsequent dysfunction of gp100-specific T cells that entered the tumor, but not virus-specific T cells found in the same tumors. Together, these data suggest that the tumor environment sustains PD-1 expression on recently activated CD8+ TIL independently of antigen in the tumor, but that the presence of antigen in the tumor drives subsequent CD8+ TIL dysfunction.
Complete genome sequence, metabolic model construction and phenotypic characterization of Geobacillus LC300, an extremely thermophilic, fast growing, xylose-utilizing bacterium

We have isolated a new extremely thermophilic fast-growing Geobacillus strain that can efficiently utilize xylose, glucose, mannose and galactose for cell growth. When grown aerobically at 72 °C, Geobacillus LC300 has a growth rate of 2.15 h(-1) on glucose and 1.52 h(-1) on xylose (doubling time less than 30 min). The corresponding specific glucose and xylose utilization rates are 5.55 g/g/h and 5.24 g/g/h, respectively. As such, Geobacillus LC300 grows 3-times faster than E. coli on glucose and xylose, and has a specific xylose utilization rate that is 3-times higher than the best metabolically engineered organism to date. To gain more insight into the metabolism of Geobacillus LC300 its genome was sequenced using PacBio's RS II single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing platform and annotated using the RAST server. Based on the genome annotation and the measured biomass composition a core metabolic network model was constructed. To further demonstrate the biotechnological potential of this organism, Geobacillus LC300 was grown to high cell-densities in a fed-batch culture, where cells maintained a high xylose utilization rate under low dissolved oxygen concentrations. All of these characteristics make Geobacillus LC300 an attractive host for future metabolic engineering and biotechnology applications.
Re-Examination of Nikuradse Roughness Data

This note describes an inconsistency in the original presentation of some of the Nikuradse data and provides a Moody-type diagram with some engineering applications for a range of the data believed to be valid. The data are reviewed here because they appear in many classical texts of fluid mechanics for engineers.
Speaking Fundamental Frequency Characteristics of 15, 16 and 17 Year-Old Girls:

The purpose of this research was to obtain speaking fundamental frequency data on a large number of high-school age girls in order to determine the age at which adult female speaking fundamental frequencies are established. Forty-four 15 year-olds, 115 16 year-olds and 148 17 year-olds were recorded reading a standard passage. The mean fundamental frequencies for these age groups were 207.5, 207.3 and 207.8 c.p.s., respectively. These results indicate that females attain adult speaking fundamental frequencies by 15 years of age. It seems necessary, therefore, to study girls 14 years of age and younger in order to determine when adult frequencies are first evidenced.
A Landslide Victory: BLM’s Proposed Rule on Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Effect on States and Tribes

Issue: Whether BLM’s Proposed Rule on hydraulic fracturing positively impacts states and tribes, further illustrating a need for federal regulations.Topic Statement: Natural gas is a significant energy source but, if done incorrectly, has the potential to negatively impact the environment and human health. Currently, hydraulic fracturing is largely regulated by states and in an inconsistent manner. Therefore, hydraulic fracturing should be regulated on a federal level to provide uniformity and, thus, BLM’s Proposed Rule is step in right direction.
A MELUS Interview: Joseph Bruchac

If the past thirty years encompass what has been called a Renaissance period in Native American literature, Joseph Bruchac, who has devoted his life to translating one culture to another through his writing and teaching, must surely be considered a Renaissance man. He has taught English in Africa and African American and Native American literature in this country. As the editor of The Greenfield Review Press, dedicated to the publication of multicultural material, he has published anthologies of poetryfrom American prisons-collected during seven years of teaching in the prison system-as well as anthologies of Native American, Asian American and African American poets. Greenfield Press has published early works by many writers who have gone on to become quite well known, such as Linda Hogan, Barney Bush, and Beth Brant, and an instructional volumefor other small press publishers. Bruchac's writing includes poetry, novels, short stories, essays, and retellings of traditional Native American stories. Yet, he is perhaps best knownfor his award-winning storytelling. Much of his time is devoted to telling stories in schools, and his stories have been published in more than twenty books and numerous magazines, and in both audio and videoformats. Bruchac's contributions to the educational process are numerous. Among his notable works of children's literature are his praised collaborations with Michael Caduto, Keepers of the Earth and Keepers of the Animals. In these books, traditional Native stories serve as a centerpiecefor lessons about environmental concerns. Motivated by a belief that the world is in need of saving, Bruchac says: "My writing...give[s] me a chance to share my insights into the beautiful and all toofragile world of human life and living things we have been granted. Which is one of the reasons I write-not to be a man apart, but to share" (Albany Times Union 1 [June 1980]). Born in upstate New York, Bruchac is of Abenaki and Slovak heritage. In his essay "Notes of a Translator's Son," Bruchac translates the FrenchCanadian termfor a person of mixed blood, metis, into English as "translator's son." Unlike half-breed, a terms he finds insulting, metis "means that you are able to understand the language of both sides, to help them un-
Abstract 3148: Mapping mobile DNAs in human cancer cell lines.

Genomic instability represented by genetic and epigenetic changes is a hallmark of oncogenesis and tumor progression. The study of genomic instability using conventional methods has necessarily been restricted to regions of unique DNA and excludes repetitive DNA sequences. Repeat elements derived from mobile DNAs comprise a large portion of the human genome and are known sources of genetic variation in humans. Active transposable elements (TE) have recently been shown to cause genetic heterogeneity in tumors through somatic insertions. The functional impact of inherited and somatically acquired TE in cancer development and progression remains unproven. To begin to understand the roles of these mobile DNA elements in transformed cells, we used a novel genomic method to map TEs in a panel of well-characterized human cancer cell lines. Using transposon insertion profiling (TIP)-chip we discover transposition competent families of L1 and Alu TEs. This technique recovered many known reference and polymorphic insertions, novel polymorphisms shared by unrelated tumor cell lines, as well as unique, potentially tumor-specific insertions. Insertions were discovered in several important oncogenes such as KRAS, ALK and BRAF. Most insertions discovered were intronic or intergenic, however 16 TEs were putative exonic. Analysis of the novel and polymorphic insertions revealed a relative enrichment of L1 and Alu insertions in cancer gene loci that are mutated in human cancers or implicated in tumor development in forward genetic screens (p=7.74e-10). We also report associations of individual insertion sites with cellular phenotypes, including DNA methylation status, RNA and protein expression, and drug sensitivities. Epigenetic, gene expression and gene pathway associations were evaluated to delineate local (cis) from pathway (trans) effects. We identified several examples of cis effects of TEs on gene structure as well as nearly 250 curated proliferation pathways affected by a TE insertion. These data suggest that TE insertions may function locally to alter genomic structure or act more globally in concert with other genetic mechanisms to promote the development and progression of several common tumor types. Citation Format: John G. Zampella, Wan Rho Yang, Nemanja Rodric, Cheng Ran Lisa Huang, Jane Welch, Veena P. Gnanakkan, Toby C. Cornish, Jef D. Boeke, Kathleen H. Burns. Mapping mobile DNAs in human cancer cell lines. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3148. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3148
Long-Term Estimates of U.S. National Wind Tunnel Demand for NASA Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) using a Probabilistic Model

Long-term (five-to-ten-year) projections of wind-tunnel testing demand for national-class facilities are notoriously difficult to generate given the variability of government aerospace agendas, plans, and programs. This paper presents a Monte Carlo model that considers the problem as a function of the likelihood of a program start and the wind-tunnel testing demands of new and existing programs. We provide examples on how to apply this model and of the insights it offers decisionmakers on future wind-tunnel testing requirements.
Nanocrystalline Silicon TFTs With 50 nm Thick Deposited Channel Layer, 10 cm2/Vs Electron Mobility and 108 On/Off Current Ratio

Thin film transistors were made using 50 nm thick directly deposited nanocrystalline silicon channel layers. The transistors have coplanar top gate structure. The nanocrystalline silicon was deposited from discharges in silane, hydrogen and silicon tetrafluoride. The transistors combine a high electron field effect mobility of ∼ 10 cm 2 /Vs with a low “off” current of ∼ 10 −14 A per µm of channel length, and an “on”/“off” current ratio of ∼ 10 8 . This result shows that directly deposited silicon can combine high mobility with low “off” currents.
Essay: American Physics, Policy, and Politics: An Uneasy Relationship

This essay deals with the unique influence that physics and physicists have had on U.S. federal policy since World War II. I identify some "lessons learned" from the last six decades and speculate about the future of U.S. physics and physicists as advisors to future presidents.
Marrow Transplantation for Acute Nonlymphocytic Leukemia after Treatment with Busulfan and Cyclophosphamide

Abstract Fifty-one patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (16 with end-stage disease, 17 in second or third remission or in early relapse, and 18 in first remission) were given infusions of HL...
Five Classics of Fengshui: Chinese Spiritual Geography in Historical and Environmental Perspective

This two-part study investigates the theoretical and historical development of fengshui 風水 in early, middle, and late imperial China. The six chapters of Part One (“Discussion,” pp. 3–108) include ...
SU-D-207A-03: Potential Role of BOLD MRI in Discrimination of Aggressive Tumor Habitat in Prostate Cancer

Purpose: To determine whether blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) MRI signal measured in prostate cancer patients, in addition to quantitative diffusion and perfusion parameters from multiparametric (mp)MRI exams, can help discriminate aggressive and/or radioresistant lesions. Methods: Several ongoing clinical trials in our institution require mpMRI exam to determine eligibility (presence of identifiable tumor lesion on mpMRI) and prostate volumes for dose escalation. Upon consent, patients undergo fiducial markers placement and a T2*-weighted imaging at the time of CT sim to facilitate the fusion. In a retrospective analysis eleven clinical trial patients were identified who had undergone mpMRI on GE 3T magnet, followed by T2*-weighted imaging (time-period mean±SD = 48±20 days) using a consistent protocol (gradient echo, TR/TE=30/11.8ms, flip angle=12, matrix=256×256×75, voxel size=1.25×1.25×2.5mm). ROIs for prostate tumor lesions were automatically determined using ADC threshold ≤1200 µm2/s. Although the MR protocol was not intended for BOLD analysis, we utilized the T2*-weighted signal normalized to that in nearby muscle; likewise, T2-weighted lesion signal was normalized to muscle, following rigid registration of the T2 to T2* images. The ratio of these normalized signals, T2*/T2, is a measure of BOLD effect in the prostate tumors. Perfusion parameters (Ktrans, ve, kep) were also calculated. Results: T2*/T2 (mean±SE) was found to be substantially lower for Gleason score (GS) 8&9 (0.82±0.04) compared to GS 7 (1.08±0.07). A k-means cluster analysis of T2*/T2 versus kep = Ktrans/ve revealed two distinct clusters, one with higher T2*/T2 and lower kep, containing only GS 7 lesions, and another with lower T2*/T2 and higher kep, associated with tumor aggressiveness. This latter cluster contained all GS 8&9 lesions, as well as some GS 7. Conclusion: BOLD MRI, in addition to ADC and kep, may play a role (perhaps orthogonal to Gleason score) in identifying prostate lesions that would benefit from more aggressive radiotherapy.
Thermodynamic Modelling of Phase Separated Lipid Mixtures Induced by Protein Crowding

Functional proteins and biomolecules are capable of targeting different lipid phases, providing a variety of applications in areas such as nano-array technologies, microfluidic channels, and biosensors. When the protein/biomolecule concentration and amount of binding sites are sufficiently high, the binding becomes highly localized, resulting in a steric pressure that induces mixing of the phases. We examine and model this behavior in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs). We induced mixing using Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) and nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs). NLPs are nano-scale, disc-shaped patches of lipid bilayer that contain an amphiphilic scaffold protein (Apolipoprotein A1 or a derived variant) around its outer periphery. The GFP and NLP scaffold proteins used contained polyhistidine tags, which bound to phase-specific iminodiacetic acid (IDA) lipids in the GUVs via a Cu2+ -chelating mechanism. Fluorescence microscopy was used to image GUVs in mixed and phase-separated states. The number of GUVs present in each state follows a Boltzmann Distribution, where the energy difference between the states is equal to the free energy of mixing (ΔGmix) plus the energy from the steric pressure induced by GFP and NLPs. By varying the concentration of IDA lipid present in GUVs, the proposed model can be used to determine ΔGmix for a variety of lipid mixtures.
Business continuity and information availability: nifty assignment

A single major downtime of your IT infrastructure might mean disaster to your revenue stream and multiple minor disruptions might also have negative business impact as well. Thus, businesses and organizations of all types must continuously operate uninterrupted and make information readily and reliably available.
Humphry Davy and ‘The Lever of Experiment’

How do people become convinced by experiments? Why should anyone draw any conclusions from them? And why should they draw particular conclusions? These questions have emerged as central ones in recent work in the history and sociology of science. Their prominence in contemporary discussion of scientific practice marks the degree to which we have departd from a naive philosophical view of the nature of science. From that point of view, experiments are taken to represent nature just as it is and they simply communicate natural facts. Not to be convinced by them would be to violate the basic methodological rules of the scientific enterprise.
Dying: What Happens in the Cells and Tissues

The death of cells is a natural process, and in the last several decades has begun the elucidation of the process of programmed cell death. There are three general types of programmed cell death: apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis. Each is tightly controlled, starting with initiating events, and then the cascade that leads to cell death. Cancer is the failure of programmed cell death, and it may be possible to treat cancer by restarting the normal programmed cell death processes.
Segmentation of optic disc and optic cup in retinal fundus images using shape regression

Glaucoma is one of the leading cause of blindness. The manual examination of optic cup and disc is a standard procedure used for detecting glaucoma. This paper presents a fully automatic regression based method which accurately segments optic cup and disc in retinal colour fundus image. First, we roughly segment optic disc using circular hough transform. The approximated optic disc is then used to compute the initial optic disc and cup shapes. We propose a robust and efficient cascaded shape regression method which iteratively learns the final shape of the optic cup and disc from a given initial shape. Gradient boosted regression trees are employed to learn each regressor in the cascade. A novel data augmentation approach is proposed to improve the regressors performance by generating synthetic training data. The proposed optic cup and disc segmentation method is applied on an image set of 50 patients and demonstrate high segmentation accuracy for optic cup and disc with dice metric of 0.95 and 0.85 respectively. Comparative study shows that our proposed method outperforms state of the art optic cup and disc segmentation methods.
Simple Space Efficient Functions

The demand driven evaluation technique described in the last chapter works best with functions that are space efficient. In general, space efficient functions are characterized by the fact that individual elements of the result can be computed independently of each other, and the actions involved in this computation depend only upon the indices of the elements being computed, not upon the value of those elements. Not all APL functions are space efficient; however, the majority (and more importantly, the most commonly used functions) do possess this property.
Researching From Buried Experiences: Collaborative Inquiry With Asian American Youth

This article reports on an out-of-school practitioner researcher study, the Community Researchers Project, involving predominately Indonesian youth who were members of a Catholic parish in a diverse multilingual neighborhood of our city. The lives and learning of many of the youth in the Indonesian immigrant community were, to a large extent, invisible in the research literature or homogenized through broader generalizations regarding Asian Americans, such as the myth of the "model minority." Through analysis of several representative student inquiries, we argue that practitioner research can be an effective methodological vehicle for unearthing "buried" personal and collective histories that impact students.
A phase 2, multicenter study of FOLFIRINOX followed by ipilimumab in combination with allogeneic GM-CSF transfected pancreatic tumor vaccine in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

TPS4160 Background: Combinatorial strategies aimed at priming tumor antigen-specific T cells while simultaneously blocking negative immune checkpoints may improve immunotherapy for immune tolerant ...
When is the unfolded protein response not the unfolded protein response

As sessile organisms, plants are subjected to variety of stresses for which they have evolved different protection mechanisms. One mechanism involves endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in which the process of protein folding is disturbed and misfolded proteins accumulate in the ER. ER stress elicits the unfolded protein response (UPR) whereby the stress conditions in the ER are communicated to the nucleus to regulate stress response genes. Since the UPR is one of a number of different mechanisms by which plants respond to stress, it is often difficult to distinguish the UPR from other stress responses. Many investigators have relied on the molecular signature of the UPR, the upregulation of UPR genes to implicate the UPR in response to various stresses. However, some of these genes are activated by other stresses making it problematic to know whether the UPR is truly activated in response to a given stress or is part of a complex response. Another challenge is to understand how plants actually perceive different stress conditions. Are all stress conditions that elicit the UPR response caused by an accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER? Is this the case for salt stress, which induces the UPR? How about biotic stresses, such as bacterial or viral infections? Do they lead to the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER or are there other means by which they induce the UPR?
Abstract MIP-047: INHIBITION OF POLY ADP–RIBOSE POLYMERASE (PARP) IN OVARIAN CANCER CELLS ENRICHES FOR CD133 AND CD117 POSITIVE POPULATIONS

Keywords: chemoresistance, cancer stem cells (CSC), DNA repair pathways, PARP inhibition INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy as women commonly present with metastatic disease that ultimately develops chemotherapy resistance. The development of OvCa has been linked to alterations in DNA repair pathways and the poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]–ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib has demonstrated antitumor activity and is an FDA approved monotherapy for the treatment of recurrent OvCa in patients with a germline BRCA mutations. Despite promising response rates, not all patients derive benefit, and the majority develop resistance to this therapy that is poorly understood. We hypothesized that ultimate resistance to olaparib is in part mediated by small populations of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are unaffected by olaparib therapy and may promote tumor resurgence. METHODS: UWB1.289 (BRCA1 mutated), UWB1.289 (WT), OVCAR4 (WT), and OVCAR3 (WT) cell lines and primary cell lines derived from serous OvCa obtained with IRB approval were treated in vitro with 0.1 μM, 1 μM and 10 μM olaparib for 7 days. We assessed cell viability and CSC marker expression (CD133 and CD117) via flow cytometric analysis, and sphere forming capacity via extreme limiting dilution assay (ELDA). RESULTS: Consecutive treatment over 7 days with olaparib decreased the viability of the non–sorted tumor cell population relative to the vehicle control treated cells. Despite the decrease in total cell number, the relative frequency of CD133+ and CD117+ cells increased (all lines p CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that olaparib may enrich for CSC populations that could contribute to resistance and recurrence. These data expose a potential resistance mechanism to olaparib therapy that is in part independent of BRCA mutation status. Citation Format: Chiara Bellio, Rosemary Foster, Whitfield B. Growdon Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos, and Bo R. Rueda. INHIBITION OF POLY ADP–RIBOSE POLYMERASE (PARP) IN OVARIAN CANCER CELLS ENRICHES FOR CD133 AND CD117 POSITIVE POPULATIONS [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 12-13, 2016; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr MIP-047.
Initial Responses to the Invitation

This chapter is an examination of how the invitation to attend an international conference on refugees was received by the various nations of the world approached by the United States government. It will be shown that there was both equivocation and suspicion by many countries, though a near-universal acceptance in spite of the concerns expressed. In particular, the British government and the British Dominions were ambivalent; the former on account of an ongoing concern that the Palestine Mandate would not be compromised, the latter because they did not want to be forced into taking large numbers of Jewish refugees. The chapter shows that there was a range of interest shown globally, but that in all cases it was agreed that the meeting should go ahead provided it would not force them into acting prematurely or against their interests.
CollabAll: Inclusive Discussion Support System For Deaf and Hearing Students

Even with advances in technology, group meetings between hearing and deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) students can be challenging for all participants. This paper introduces CollabAll, a system that aims to better facilitate productive meetings between D/HH and hearing students. CollabAll provides D/HH individuals with a mechanism to actively participate in making decisions and getting their point across in team meetings. CollabAll enables every team member to create discussion topics for their meeting, track the person currently communicating and the current topic being discussed along with providing a mechanism for "polite" interruptions. Early feedback from participatory design and focus group studies indicated a positive user experience.
Available studies fail to provide strong evidence of increased risk of diarrhea mortality due to measles in the period 4-26 weeks after measles rash onset.

Measles vaccination effectiveness studies showed dramatic decreases in all-cause mortality in excess of what would be expected from the prevention of measles disease alone. This invited speculation that measles infection may increase the risk of diarrhea morbidity and mortality subsequent to the acute phase of the disease. The aim of the present systematic review is to summarize the existing evidence in the publically available literature pertaining to the putative causal link between measles and diarrhea in the period 4–26 weeks following measles rash onset. We searched the PubMed, Embase, Open Grey and Grey Literature Report databases for relevant literature using broad search terms. Prospective, retrospective and case-control studies in low- and middle-income countries involving children under five wherein relevant evidence were presented were included. Data were extracted from the articles and summarized. Fifty abstracts retrieved through the database searches met the initial screening criteria. Twelve additional documents were identified by review of the references of the documents found in the initial searches. Six documents representing five unique studies that presented evidence relevant to the research question were found. Four of the included studies took place in Bangladesh. One of the included studies took place in Sudan. Some measles vaccine effectiveness studies show lower diarrhea morbidity and mortality among the vaccinated. However, children who received vaccine may have differed in important ways from children who did not, such as health service utilization. Additionally, cohort studies following unvaccinated children showed no difference in diarrhea morbidity and mortality between cases and controls more than 4 weeks after measles rash onset. One study showed some evidence that severe measles may predispose children to gastroenteritis, but was not able to show a corresponding increase in the risk of diarrhea mortality. The available evidence suggests that the risk of measles-associated diarrhea mortality is largely limited to the 5-week period 1 week prior to and 4 weeks after measles rash onset, and that there is no increased risk of diarrhea mortality in the longer-term caused by measles.
NDE application of air-coupled array for thickness measurement of concrete slab

In this paper, we describe the improvement of Impact-Echo (IE) using developed air-coupled array system. The air-coupled array system utilizes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to receive leaky waves in concrete-air media without physical coupling process. The air-coupled array system benefits of Lamb wave analysis. It is known that thickness mode frequency measured by IE test is emerged from S1-ZGV (zero group velocity at the first symmetric mode) among Lamb waves. Lamb wave analysis is experimentally evaluated through the aircoupled sensing and two-dimensional fast Fourier transform. The contour map of frequency-wave number domain (f-k domain) clearly provides thickness mode frequency of tested slab among noise components, indicating the thickness information of concrete slab with minimal error. The developed air-coupled array system has a great potential to provide thickness mode frequency of concrete slab, which has been practically limited at air-coupled IE.
Ventriloqual voicings of parenthood in graduate school: an intersectionality analysis of work-life negotiations

ABSTRACTTaking a ventriloqual approach to intersectionality analysis, this study investigates the communicative constitution of graduate student parenthood and their work-life negotiations. Analyzing 30 in-depth interviews, we found that figures – ideal graduate student worker norms, gender ideologies of work and family, and cultural values of family and child-rearing responsibilities – intersected with one another in shaping the experiences for graduate student parents. These intersectionalities belong to broader structures that constrain graduate students’ career and personal-life choices to fulfill/disrupt roles in navigating parenthood, yet the interplays of various aspects of intersectionality create space for transformation. The study contributes to an emergent grounded-in-action perspective of intersectionality to uncover systems of interlocking oppressions and lived tensions. The theoretical and practical implications of nonhuman agents acting to enable and constrain sustainable work-life communic...
Formation and characterization of ternary (Na, NH4, H3O)-jarosites produced from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans cultures

Abstract The purpose of this study was to characterize a series of (Na, NH4, H3O)-jarosites produced with various combinations of NH4+ + Na+ in cultures of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans that simulated acid solutions from bioleaching systems. The solution concentrations utilized were 6.1, 80, 160 and 320 mM for NH4+ and 0, 50, 100, 250 and 500 mM for Na+ as their respective sulfates. Media at pH 2.2 were inoculated with iron-oxidizing A. ferrooxidans and incubated in shake flasks at 22 ± 2 °C. As the bacteria oxidized ferrous sulfate, ferric iron hydrolyzed and precipitated as schwertmannite (idealized formula Fe8O8(OH)6(SO4).nH2O) and/or as solid solution jarosites [(Na, NH4, H3O)-Fe3(SO4)2(OH)6)] depending on the relative and absolute concentrations of NH4+ and Na+. The precipitates were characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, specific surface area, and Munsell color. Schwertmannite was the dominant mineral product at low combinations of Na+ (≤50 mM) and NH4+ (≤80 mM) in the media after 2 weeks of aging. At higher single or combined concentrations and with aging for 6 and 11 weeks, the formation of yellowish, solid solution jarosites was enhanced. Precipitation of jarosite-group minerals was favored by NH4+ relative to Na+. Color (Munsell hue) was a useful tool for assessing sample mineralogy after extended aging, but the presence of abundant, poorly crystalline schwertmannite tended to mask the color of admixed jarosite-group minerals after only 2 weeks of contact with the culture media. The purest samples of jarosite-type minerals had specific surface areas of jarosites with chemical compositions that were dependent on the relative concentrations of Na+ and NH4+ in the synthesis media. No phase separations involving discrete, end-member Na-, NH4-, or H3O-jarosites were detected.
IRREVERSIBLE BINDING OF 6-THIOPURINE TO RAT HEPATIC MICROSOMAL PROTEINS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the irreversible binding of 6-thiopurine to rat hepatic microsomal proteins in vitro and in vivo. The use of the anti-neoplastic agent 6-thiopurine is limited because of drug-induced hepatotoxicity. 6-thiopurine can be biotransformed by rat hepatic microsomes into a reactive metabolite that subsequently binds to hepatic microsomal protein in vitro and in vivo. This binding is inhibited by glutathione. Data suggests the involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the metabolic activation of 6-thiopurine to a metabolite capable of binding to hepatic microsomal protein both in vitro and in vivo. The metabolite appears to bind to protein by formation of a disulfide bond that is not easily cleaved. Glutathione protects against protein binding by competing with protein thiols for the metabolite. The chapter illustrates a possible mechanism for these metabolic routes of 6-thiopurine.
Notes on the heterogeneity, circulation, and modification of membranes, with emphasis on secretory cells, photoreceptors, and the toad bladder.

In considering the origin, intracellular circulation, and turnover of cellular membranes, microscopists, for obvious reasons, focus on the movement of membrane in bulk (Fig. 1) (cf. Bennett, 1969; Novikoff and Holtzman, 1976). They think largely in terms of such established or proposed mechanisms as exocytosis and endocytosis, the formation of secretory granules from sacs and vacuoles of the Golgi sacs, and the degradation of membrane within lysosomes (see legend to Fig. 1 for details and references). From morphologic evidence, and related cytochemical and autoradiographic findings, one can make a fairly persuasive case that membranes, such as those surrounding secretory structures, or even plasma membranes: (1) originate as membranes by growth or budding from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); (2) circulate in the cell as morphologically intact entities (although, in microscopically or cytochemically detectable aspects, such as thickness, they may be modified by the Golgi apparatus or other organelles) (3) are degraded to small molecules by bulk processes such as incorporation in autophagic vacuoles or multivesicular bodies, perhaps after complex cycling among cellular compartments (see Fig. 1 and the recent studies on the involvement of the Golgi apparatus in membrane recycling by Herzog and Farquhar, 1977, and Farquhar, 1978). Such schemes account reasonably for many observations, especially when one adds to them the likelihood that membranes of certain cellular structures—notably the inner compartments of mitochondria and plastids—may be assembled locally, rather than imported from the ER.
MR evaluation of calcium entry blockers with putative cerebroprotective effects in acute cerebral ischaemia.

MR imaging and spectroscopy were used to investigate whether two calcium channel entry-blockers, nicardipine and RS-87476 (Syntex), would reduce ischaemic brain damage in barbiturate-anaesthetized cats subjected to permanent unilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The evolution of cerebral injury was assessed in vivo in a total of 38 cats using a combination of diffusion-weighted and T 2-weighted spin-echo proton MR imaging and phosphorus 31 (P-31) and proton (H-1) MR spectroscopy for up to 12h following arterial occlusion. Immediately thereafter, the volume of histochemically ischaemic brain tissue was determined planimetrically. In untreated control animals, diffusion-weighted MR images obtained with strong gradient strengths (5.5 gauss/cm) displayed increased signal intensity (oedema) in the ischaemic MCA territory less than 45 min after stroke. These changes were closely correlated with the appearance of abnormal P-31 and H-1 metabolite levels evaluated with surface coil MR spectroscopy. Cats injected with i.v. nicardipine (10 µg/kg bolus, 8 µg/kg/h maintenance) or RS-87476 (2–50 µg/kg bolus, 0.7–17.5 µg/kg/h maintenance) showed a significant reduction in ischaemic injury in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex, internal capsule and basal ganglia. The results of this study suggest that these calcium entry blockers protect against brain damage induced by acute stroke by stabilizing cellular metabolic processes, reducing lactate formation in ischaemic tissues, and attenuating cytotoxic and vasogenic oedema.
The Relationship Between Volunteers' Work Behaviors and Background and Preparation Variables

Increasingly, a large number of individuals provide volunteer services. Demographic information known about these individuals is also increasing. Although recent efforts have attempted to examine more closely the relationships between demographic and background variables and subsequent volunteer motivation and retention, few have studied how these variables impact actual work performed by volunteers. This study provides a model for how volunteers' demographic and background variables may be related to volunteers' perceptions of the frequency and importance of their work behaviors. Although it is possible that motivation also may be related to work behaviors, this study provides information ultimately leading to a more complete picture of the potential impact of demographic and background variables on work behaviors.
Antioxidant therapy and atherosclerosis: animal and human studies.

Abstract Oxidation of LDL cholesterol appears to play a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Animal models of atherosclerosis have elucidated this process and have demonstrated an antioxidant effect of vitamin administration that has been correlated with delayed progression or regression of atherosclerosis. However, clinical trials of antioxidants present a confused picture. Explanations proposed for the discrepancy in results include differences in patient characteristics, the antioxidant content of their diets and dose selection. However, a striking feature of these trials is the absence of a biochemical basis for patient inclusion or dose selection. Reliable, quantitative indices of free radical induced modification of lipids , such as F2 - isoprostanes have emerged. Future trials of anti-oxidant therapy in cardiovascular disease should be targeted toward patients with high levels of oxidant stress or patients with depletion of endogenous antioxidants. The dose of anti-oxidant should be chosen based on a surrogate readout, such as F2 isoprostanes, that is a reliable, reproducible and easily obtainable in vivo measure of oxidant stress.
Extraction of astaxanthin from engineered Camelina sativa seed using ethanol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract Natural astaxanthin, a high-value carotenoid that is currently extracted mainly from marine organisms, was extracted from engineered camelina seed using ethanol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) for the first time, and compared with hexane and accelerated solvent extraction using hexane and ethanol. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite rotatable design was employed to investigate the effect of pressure (30–45 MPa), temperature (40–60 °C), and ethanol concentration (10–35%, w/w). RSM-optimized conditions (41.6 MPa, 36.6 °C and 42.0% ethanol concentration) predicted the astaxanthin concentration as 437 μg/g oil, whereas the actual concentration was 421 ± 14 μg/g oil. Astaxanthin concentration in accelerated solvent extracted oil was significantly lower than that in ethanol-modified SC-CO2- and hexane-extracted oils (P
Destroying the Caroline: The Frontier Raid that Reshaped the Right to War

On the night of December 29, 1837, a British force seized the US steamer Caroline, which had been operating near Navy Island on the Niagara River. The vessel had allegedly supplied a band of Canadi...
Middle school students’ generalizations about properties of geometric transformations in a dynamic geometry environment

Abstract Making generalization is fundamental to mathematics and a crucial component of mathematical thinking. To help learners become more proficient at constructing mathematical generalizations, it is vital to better understand the forms that the constructive process might take in various mathematical contexts. The study reported here aimed to offer an empirically grounded theory of forms of generalization middle students made as they engaged in explorations regarding geometric transformations within a dynamic geometry environment. Based on their sources, participants’ statements about properties of geometric transformations were categorized into four types: context-bounded properties, perception-based generalizations, process-based generalizations, and theory-based generalizations. Although these forms of generalizations are different in their construction process, with appropriate pedagogical support generalizations of the same type and different types of generalizations can build on each other. DGS mediated the construction of these forms of generalizations based on how learners used it.
Birth weight discordance in very low birth weight twins: mortality, morbidity, and neurodevelopment.

Examine outcomes among birth weight concordant and discordant 401–1500 g twins. Twins (n = 8,114) at NICHD Neonatal Research Network (1994–2011) were studied. Discordance (birth weight difference/larger twin birth weight x 100%) was categorized into: ≤ 14, > 14–20, > 20–30, and > 30%. Separate logistic regression models for the smaller and larger infants assessed the adjusted association between discordance and outcomes. Compared with the smaller twin with ≤ 14% discordance, mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis, severe retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and neurodevelopmental impairment or death were highest among the smaller twins with discordance > 30%. The larger twins with discordance > 30% had higher odds of patent ductus arteriosus, moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy, blindness, cognitive and motor scores 14–20%. Discordance > 30% was associated with higher mortality in the smaller twin and higher morbidities among the smaller and larger twins.
Failure to Thrive and Frequent PICU Admissions in a 2-year-old Boy.

1. Tierney M. Morrison, MD* 2. Jacinta Cooper, MD, PhD† 3. Kelly O’Shea, MD* 4. Ndidi Unaka, MEd, MD‡ 1. *Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 2. †Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham AL 3. ‡Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and Division of Hospital Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH A 2-year-old boy with a history of delayed immunizations who has received all recommended vaccinations except for varicella presents to the emergency department with progressive bilateral lower leg and facial edema and 5 days of upper respiratory symptoms, including cough, congestion, and rhinorrhea. He is evaluated in the critical care area for treatment of hypoxemia with oxygen saturations in the 70s on room air, requires 18 L/min oxygen via high-flow nasal cannula with a fraction of inspired oxygen of 100%, and is subsequently admitted to the PICU. On physical examination, he is in the 12th percentile for weight, down from the 57th percentile at birth; poor weight gain is most notable during the 6 months before this admission. He has increased work of breathing with subcostal retractions and suprasternal tugging, diffuse crackles bilaterally, and end expiratory wheezing in all lung fields. The patient’s abdomen is soft and nontender but distended, with prominent hepatomegaly. The liver edge is palpable 3 cm below the right costal margin. Splenomegaly is not noted on presenting physical examination. Chest radiography demonstrates diffuse, bilateral pulmonary opacities. The cardiomediastinal silhouette is largely obscured by overlying pulmonary parenchymal opacities and is consistent with moderate cardiomegaly, and pulmonary vasculature is ill-defined. The differential diagnosis for the patient’s respiratory distress includes reactive airway disease (given the noted wheezing on auscultation) and pulmonary edema from acute respiratory distress syndrome (given lower extremity and facial edema …