cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breaking Free of Control: How Conventional T Cells Overcome Regulatory T Cell Suppression

Conventional T (Tcon) cells are crucial in shaping the immune response, whether it is protection against a pathogen, a cytotoxic attack on tumor cells, or an unwanted response to self-antigens in the context of autoimmunity. In each of these immune settings, regulatory T cells (Tregs) can potentially exert control over the Tcon cell response, resulting in either suppression or activation of the Tcon cells. Under physiological conditions, Tcon cells are able to transiently overcome Treg-imposed restraints to mount a protective response against an infectious threat, achieving clonal expansion, differentiation, and effector function. However, evidence has accumulated in recent years to suggest that Tcon cell resistance to Treg-mediated suppression centrally contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. Tipping the balance too far in the other direction, cancerous tumors utilize Tregs to establish an overly suppressive microenvironment, preventing anti-tumor Tcon cell responses. Given the wide-ranging clinical importance of the Tcon/Treg interaction, this review aims to provide a better understanding of what determines whether a Tcon cell is susceptible to Treg-mediated suppression and how perturbations to this finely-tuned balance play a role in pathological conditions. Here, we focus in detail on the complex array of factors that confer Tcon cells with resistance to Treg suppression, which we have divided into two categories: 1) extracellular factor-mediated signaling and 2) intracellular signaling molecules. Further, we explore the therapeutic implications of manipulating the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway, which is proposed to be the convergence point of signaling pathways that mediate Tcon resistance to suppression. Finally, we address important unresolved questions on the timing and location of acquisition of resistance, and the stability of the “Treg-resistant” phenotype.
Parental Physical Force and Alcohol Use in Emerging Adults: Mediation by Psychological Problems:

Research has indicated that negative parenting practices, such as physical punishment, are associated with negative outcomes in children. These negative outcomes can present during childhood and during emerging adulthood. One negative consequence can be excessive alcohol use, a problematic outcome with its own myriad consequences. The goal of the current study was to examine the effects of parental physical force on emerging adult functioning, specifically alcohol and psychological problems. A sample of 488 young adults completed questionnaires on current perceptions related to alcohol-related problems, physical and psychological aggression by their parents experienced during the previous year, and current emotional and behavioral functioning. Results showed full mediation between paternal physical force and emerging adult alcohol problems by emerging adult psychological problems. Emerging adult psychological problems partially mediated the effect of maternal physical force on emerging adult alcohol problem. Gender did not moderate these effects. The results support existing literature suggesting that the use of parental physical force may lead to a chain reaction of problems, even during emerging adulthood. These results also reveal that emerging adults report currently receiving physical force from their parents, which brings to light a concerning lack of literature on the use of parental physical force on emerging adult children. These results advocate for positive parenting practives and efforts to teach them, even for emerging adult children. The results may also clinically suggest that paying attention to parental force in emerging adult clients could yield a better understanding of their current functioning, especially including excessive alcohol use.
Trophic group and the end-Cretaceous extinction: did deposit feeders have it made in the shade?

It has been suggested that a sudden event at the end of the Cretaceous period caused a major extinction that was felt disproportionately by creatures in the water column. It also has been argued that benthic deposit feeders, being relatively independent of abundance of organic particles in the water column, should have survived the crisis more readily than suspension feeders, which depended more upon feeding upon phytoplankton. I argue that the hypothesis of relative immunity of deposit feeders is insufficient, because deposit feeders by and large depend upon a supply of organic matter from the water column and would have succumbed to food shortage nearly as rapidly as suspension feeders, possibly within a maximum of three to six months. This near simultaneity of extinction would have been especially true of continental shelf environments. Even in some parts of the deep sea, it is likely that a dependence upon the water column above might have caused deep-sea deposit feeders to succumb rapidly. Therefore, deposit feeders would not necessarily have outsurvived suspension feeders during a crisis of depleted water-column phytoplankton, increased shading by inert particles, or poisoning of the water column and killing of phytoplankton. The relatively lower rate of extinction of nuculoid bivalves may relate instead to their presence in deeper-water refuge habitats, their apparent relative ability to diversify in higher latitudes, or their resistance to factors other than food shortage.
Valley segments, stream reaches, and channel units [Chapter 2]

Valley segments, stream reaches, and channel units are three hierarchically nested subdivisions of the drainage network (Frissell et al. 1986), falling in size between landscapes and watersheds (see Chapter 1) and individual point measurements made along the stream network (Table 2.1; also see Chapters 3 and 4). These three subdivisions compose the habitat for large, mobile aquatic organisms such as fishes. Within the hierarchy of spatial scales (Figure 2.1), valley segments, stream reaches, and channel units represent the largest physical subdivisions that can be directly altered by human activities. As such, it is useful to understand how they respond to anthropogenic disturbance, but to do so requires classification systems and quantitative assessment procedures that facilitate accurate, repeatable descriptions and convey information about biophysical processes that create, maintain, and destroy channel structure.
Large for Gestational Age Infants and Adverse Outcomes among Uncomplicated Pregnancies at Term.

Background While traumatic delivery with large for gestational age (LGA; birth weight above 90%) is acknowledged, there is paucity of data regarding other morbidity and mortality associated with LGA. Our hypothesis was that compared with appropriate for gestational age (AGA), LGA have a significantly higher rate of composite neonatal morbidity (CNM). Objective Our objective was to compare the CNM among uncomplicated LGA versus AGA at term (37 weeks or more) among all available Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) databases. We excluded women who delivered before 37 weeks, those with hypertension or diabetes, multiple gestations, and known anomalies, and those with birth weight less than 10% for GA. Using multivariable analysis, we compared the CNM between LGA and AGA. Random-effect logistic regressions were used to account for study heterogeneity, with adjustment for potential confounders. We calculated adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Approximately 60% (n = 50,734) of all participants met inclusion criteria. Among uncomplicated pregnancies, the rate of LGA was 12.1%. The rate of CNM was 15% in LGA and 10% in AGA (aOR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.46–1.70). The likelihood of stillbirth and neonatal mortality was similar among both groups. Subgroup analysis revealed that CNM was increased among both birth weight > 95% and birth weight 90 to 95% and at different GA at delivery. Conclusion Among uncomplicated pregnancies at term, LGA newborns, compared with AGA, have a significantly higher likelihood of CNM but similar stillbirth and neonatal death risk. Trials are warranted to determine appropriate management of LGA to decrease these risks.
Is the Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act Constitutional

Proposals for the reform or abolition of the Electoral College have been advanced from the early Republic onwards to the present. One of the perceived problems in our existing system has been the possibility (and occasional occurrence) of a “faithless elector” – that is, an elector who is pledged to vote for one Presidential candidate, but who in fact votes for another or does not vote at all. Several States have sought to cure this problem by enacting the Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act (UFPEA). This article reviews the background, history and purposes of the Electoral College. It considers both American and British views and practices in the late eighteenth century and after, together with relevant case law and legal scholarship. It concludes that the UFPEA is unconstitutional.
KNOWing How to Play: Gamer Knowledges and Knowledge Acquisition

Abstract This article examines the different types of knowledge that MMORPG players develop as they learn and play a game. Data is drawn from a year of case-study/ethnography based research sessions with a ten-member raiding group in the game World of Warcraft . Drawing from the work of Aristotle, contemporary game studies scholarship, actor network theory, and the concept of “practices,” what is presented here is a matrix of complex gamer knowledge types intended not only to expand the reader’s understanding of the robust variations and nuances in gamer knowledge but also to serve as a potential example of how to articulate that richness in future research. The matrix is accompanied by rationale and examples of how the knowledges function in game experiences.
Detection of diffuse seafloor venting using a structured light laser sensor: 1. Development of a classification based detection method

Systematic and remote detection of diffuse hydrothermal venting is complex yet necessary to establish a comprehensive understanding the distribution, contribution, and context of fluid flow within hydrothermal systems. Diffuse flow is characterized by both low temperature and low flow rates and cannot be consistently distinguished during extensive systematic surveys using current vehicle-mounted visual, acoustic, or environmental sensors. The ROV-mounted structured light laser sensor is sensitive to fluid density anomalies and seafloor characteristics. Presented advancements to the detection algorithm include the development and implementation of intensity normalization routines and a support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm. The resulting comprehensive maps establish the spatial distribution of potential hydrothermal vents and associated bacteria within a vent field.
On-command on/off switching of progenitor cell and cancer cell polarized motility and aligned morphology via a cytocompatible shape memory polymer scaffold.

In vitro biomaterial models have enabled advances in understanding the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture in the control of cell motility and polarity. Most models are, however, static and cannot mimic dynamic aspects of in vivo ECM remodeling and function. To address this limitation, we present an electrospun shape memory polymer scaffold that can change fiber alignment on command under cytocompatible conditions. Cellular response was studied using the human fibrosarcoma cell line HT-1080 and the murine mesenchymal stem cell line C3H/10T1/2. The results demonstrate successful on-command on/off switching of cell polarized motility and alignment. Decrease in fiber alignment causes a change from polarized motility along the direction of fiber alignment to non-polarized motility and from aligned to unaligned morphology, while increase in fiber alignment causes a change from non-polarized to polarized motility along the direction of fiber alignment and from unaligned to aligned morphology. In addition, the findings are consistent with the hypothesis that increased fiber alignment causes increased cell velocity, while decreased fiber alignment causes decreased cell velocity. On-command on/off switching of cell polarized motility and alignment is anticipated to enable new study of directed cell motility in tumor metastasis, in cell homing, and in tissue engineering.
Nonholonomic Mechanics, Dissipation and Quantization

In this review paper we consider some of the basics of nonholonomic systems, considering in particular how it is possible do derive nonholonomic equations of motion as a limit of a Lagrangian system subject to dissipation. This in then extended to show how dissipation may be induced from a Hamiltonian field with a view to quantization of the system.
Molecular targeting of the Aurora-A/SMAD5 oncogenic axis restores chemosensitivity in human breast cancer cells.

// Mateusz Opyrchal 5 , Malgorzata Gil 5 , Jeffrey L. Salisbury 2 , Mathew P. Goetz 1 , Vera Suman 1 , Amy Degnim 1 , James McCubrey 4 , Tufia Haddad 1 , Ianko Iankov 1 , Chenye B. Kurokawa 3 , Nicole Shumacher 2 , James N. Ingle 1 , Evanthia Galanis 1,3 and Antonino B. D’Assoro 1,2 1 Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA 3 Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College Of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA 4 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA 5 Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA Correspondence to: Antonino B. D’Assoro, email: // Keywords : breast cancer, chemoresistance, tumor progrression, EMT, stemness Received : October 16, 2015 Accepted : July 26, 2017 Published : September 01, 2017 Abstract Although the majority of breast cancers initially respond to the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents, most breast cancer patients experience tumor relapse and ultimately die because of drug resistance. Breast cancer cells undergoing epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) acquire a CD44 + /CD24 - /ALDH1 + cancer stem cell-like phenotype characterized by an increased capacity for tumor self-renewal, intrinsic drug resistance and high proclivity to develop distant metastases. We uncovered in human breast tumor xenografts a novel non-mitotic role of Aurora-A kinase in promoting breast cancer metastases through activation of EMT and expansion of breast tumor initiating cells (BTICs). In this study we characterized the role of the Aurora-A/SMAD5 oncogenic axis in the induction of chemoresistance. Breast cancer cells overexpressing Aurora-A showed resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, while treatment with alisertib, a selective Aurora-A kinase inhibitor, restored chemosensitivity. Significantly, SMAD5 expression was required to induce chemoresistance and maintain a breast cancer stem cell-like phenotype, indicating that the Aurora-A/SMAD5 oncogenic axis promotes chemoresistance through activation of stemness signaling. Taken together, these findings identified a novel mechanism of drug resistance through aberrant activation of the non-canonical Aurora-A/SMAD5 oncogenic axis in breast cancer.
Transthyretin Mimetics as Anti-β-Amyloid Agents: A Comparison of Peptide and Protein Approaches.

β-Amyloid (Aβ) aggregation is causally linked to neuronal pathology in Alzheimer's disease; therefore, several small molecules, antibodies, and peptides have been tested as anti-Aβ agents. We developed two compounds based on the Aβ-binding domain of transthyretin (TTR): a cyclic peptide cG8 and an engineered protein mTTR, and compared them for therapeutically relevant properties. Both mTTR and cG8 inhibit fibrillogenesis of Aβ, with mTTR inhibiting at a lower concentration than cG8. Both inhibit aggregation of amylin but not of α-synuclein. They both bind more Aβ aggregates than monomer, and neither disaggregates preformed fibrils. cG8 retained more of its activity in the presence of biological materials and was more resistant to proteolysis than mTTR. We examined the effect of mTTR or cG8 on Aβ binding to human neurons. When mTTR was co-incubated with Aβ under oligomer-forming conditions, Aβ morphology was drastically changed and Aβ-cell deposition significantly decreased. In contrast, cG8 did not affect morphology but decreased the amount of Aβ deposited. These results provide guidance for further evolution of TTR-mimetic anti-amyloid agents.
An Up to Date Review of Pseudotumor Cerebri Syndrome

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS), and benign intracranial hypertension are all terms that have been used for a neurologic syndrome consisting of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), headache and vision loss without mass lesion or underlying infection or malignancy. In this review article, categorization, diagnostic criteria, symptom management strategies, and disease treatment options for pseudotumor cerebri syndrome will be discussed. The Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial has now proven that acetazolamide should be the first line therapy in primary PTCS, but other treatment options exist in patients who cannot tolerate acetazolamide or in selected cases, which requires surgical intervention for PTCS which acutely threatens vision. Headache has also been shown to require focused treatment beyond therapies that lower ICP, specifically targeting coexistent primary headache disorders and medication overuse. Advances in treatment and diagnostic modalities have improved understanding of PTCS types and their treatment. The pathophysiology of primary PTCS, however, remains incompletely understood, but continued evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid flow dynamics, aquaporins, hormones, natriuretic peptides, and the link with female gender and obesity may lead to future answers.
Three-year review of gene sequencing analyses of pulmonary non-small cell lung cancers obtained by fine-needle aspiration or surgical biopsy: mutation and failure rates.

Introduction Mutational analysis is becoming the standard of diagnostic workup. Sufficient amounts of and quality tumor tissue can be challenging when faced with a small biopsy or biopsy by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Materials and Methods We reviewed the failures of FNA and surgical biopsy to yield sequencing data and causes thereof over a 3-year period. We executed a search of the laboratory information system for requests to perform our targeted 50-gene assay by massively parallel sequencing on surgical biopsies and FNAs and compared the results. Results Three failure causes were assigned: insufficient tissue as defined by the pathologist, failure to meet quality control indicating library preparation or sequencing failure, and failure of pre-qualifying step for DNA integrity. A total of 327 of 354 cases were successfully sequenced (92%), including 151 FNA cases and 203 biopsies, with 16 (10.6%) and 11 (5.4%) failures, respectively. The Fisher’s exact test two-tailed P-value equals 0.050381, making the difference between FNA and biopsy not statistically significant. Insufficient tissue, quality control failure, and DNA integrity were identified as the cause of the failure in 10 (62%), 3 (19%), and 3 (19%) FNA biopsies, and in 5 (45.5%), 1 (9%), and 5 (45.5%) surgical biopsies. The most common cause of failure of FNA was insufficient tissue. For surgical biopsies, DNA integrity and insufficient tissue were equally as likely to be implicated. Both FNA and surgical biopsy have a low failure rate overall without statistical significance between them. Conclusions Although surgical biopsy is considered the gold standard, these findings support FNA as an equal modality.
Use of SystemC Modelling in Creation and Use of an SOC Platform: Experiences and Lessons Learnt from OMAP-2

OMAP-2 is a platform for creation of systems-on-chip (SOCs). It is underpinned by a basic set of rules and guidelines covering programming models, bus interfaces and RTL design. It comprises the basic building blocks of an SOC: memory controllers, networkson-chip (NOCs), DMA controllers, interrupt controllers, processor subsystems, UARTs, timers and so on. SOCs can be constructed from the OMAP-2 platform by selecting the basic building blocks and adding device-specific IPs such as multimedia or modem coprocessors. The platform is pre-validated and timing-closed for a range of process nodes, so top-level SOC integration is straightforward This paper discusses the role of performance modelling in the creation of both the OMAP-2 platform and the devices based on it. The platform itself is required to be highly generic: capable of supporting a wide range of functional and performance requirements, some of which may be unknown when the platform is created. Surprisingly, the same can be true for the specific devices, which are frequently openly programmable and expected to have a life extending beyond that of the products that drive their development. It is, however, generally true that device requirements are more precise than platform requirements. Because the SOCs built from OMAP-2 are highly complex, it is not possible to analyse performance satisfactorily using static calculations such as in spreadsheets. Therefore simulation is used. The requirements on the simulation technology are first and foremost ease of test case creation, ease of model creation, and credibility of results. The emphasis on test case creation is a consequence of the complexity of the devices and of the way in which an SOC platform such as OMAP-2 is used: because the whole motivation is to be able to move from marketing requirements to RTL freeze and tape-out in a very short time; and because in many cases large parts
Interactions Between Calcium and ROP Signaling Regulate Pollen Tube Tip Growth

The pollen tube has long been a favorite system to investigate the regulation and function of the spatiotemporal calcium signal in plants. Calcium is critical for polarized cell growth in pollen tubes, termed tip growth, and its intracellular accumulation at the tip region of pollen tubes displays a tip-high gradient and an oscillatory pattern that is tightly correlated with growth oscillation. One calcium oscillator in pollen tube is a ROP GTPase, which belongs to a conserved Rho family of small GTPases. Active ROP1 oscillates in a phase ahead of growth oscillation, and the distribution of active ROP1 to the apical plasma membrane defines tip growth site and is required for pollen tube growth. This polarized growth depends on many factors including active ROP1-regulated downstream factors: F-actin dynamics and tip-focused calcium gradients. These downstream elements are in turn involved in positive and negative feedback regulations of ROP1, respectively. In addition, ROP1 activity is regulated both spatially and temporally by several regulatory proteins, which may be regulated by calcium.
Influence of Bovine Lactoferrin on the Growth of Listeria monocytogenes

The influence of bovine lactoferrin (LF) and Apo-LF on growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) 2% fat milk was determined. The effect of LF was dependent upon both the degree of iron saturation and concentration. Before iron removal, LF was found to be approximately 52% saturated with iron; and at 23 and 46 mg/ml LF, minimal growth inhibition of L. monocytogenes was observed. Following dialysis, Apo-LF iron saturation was reduced to approximately 18%. At 15 and 30 mg/ml Apo-LF, a bacteriostatic effect against L. monocytogenes was observed. Inhibition of growth associated with Apo-LF was abolished when ferric ammonium citrate was added to saturate the iron binding sites of the Apo-LF.
Poor between-session recall of extinction learning and hippocampal activation and connectivity in children.

Abstract Background In healthy adults, successful between-session recall of extinction learning depends on the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), especially when tested in the extinction context. Poor extinction recall and dysfunction within hippocampal-vmPFC circuitry are associated with fear-based disorders (e.g., anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder). Despite the early age of onset of virtually all fear-based disorders and the protracted development of the hippocampus and vmPFC across the first two decades of life, little is known about extinction recall and the underlying neural correlates in children. Methods Here, we tested extinction recall in 43 pre-adolescent children (ages 6–11 yrs) by coupling functional magnetic resonance imaging and virtual reality with a novel interpersonal threat-related two-day (ABBA) fear-extinction paradigm. Conditioned fear responding was assessed at behavioral, subjective, physiological, and neural levels. Results Although children demonstrated intact within-session extinction, there was poor between-session recall of extinction learning (retention index: 13.56%), evidenced by elevations in skin conductance, avoidant behavioral responses, and subjective ratings. Elevations in conditioning fear responding were accompanied by activation in the hippocampus and insula, and increased connectivity of the hippocampus with the insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex - regions implicated in the return of fear in adult studies. Children who kept more distance from the extinguished cue during extinction subsequently demonstrated heightened hippocampal-cingulate coupling during recall, suggesting that avoidant behavior interferes with extinction retention. Conclusions Poor extinction recall in children may have implications for developmental vulnerability to fear-based disorders, and for the application of therapeutic strategies that rely on principles of extinction (e.g., exposure therapy) to pediatric samples.
Epidural Injections of Etidocaine 1.5% with and without Epinephrine A Double Blind Comparison

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical progression and regression of etidocaine 1.5% with and without epinephrine, following single shot epidural injections. In addition, venous plasma levels of etidocaine were compared in the two groups. Thirty-five patients participated in the study, and they were randomly assigned to two groups of 17 and 18, respectively. The results indicated that the addition of epinephrine to etidocaine 1.5% not only enhanced the onset, but extended the level of sensory analgesia significantly, when compared to the plain solution. Furthermore, the degree of motor blockade was significantly enhanced in the epinephrine group. Finally, there were no significant differences noted in the venous plasma levels of the two groups. In conclusion, it would appear that the addition of epinephrine to etidocaine 1.5% enhanced the overall quality of sensory and motor block.
Fast, scalable, and programmable packet scheduler in hardware

With increasing link speeds and slowdown in the scaling of CPU speeds, packet scheduling in software is resulting in lower precision and higher CPU utilization. By offloading packet scheduling to the hardware such as a NIC, one can potentially overcome these drawbacks. However, to retain the flexibility of software packet schedulers, packet scheduler in hardware must be programmable, while also being fast and scalable. State-of-the-art packet schedulers in hardware either compromise on scalability (Push-In-First-Out (PIFO)) or the ability to express a wide range of packet scheduling algorithms (First-In-First-Out (FIFO)). Further, even a general scheduling primitive like PIFO is not expressive enough to express certain key classes of packet scheduling algorithms. Hence in this paper, we propose a generalization of the PIFO primitive, called Push-In-Extract-Out (PIEO), which like PIFO, maintains an ordered list of elements, but unlike PIFO which only allows dequeue from the head of the list, PIEO allows dequeue from arbitrary positions in the list by supporting a programmable predicate-based filtering at dequeue. Next, we present a fast and scalable hardware design of PIEO scheduler and prototype it on a FPGA. Overall, PIEO scheduler is both more expressive and over 30× more scalable than PIFO.
Proliferation of Ly6C+ monocytes/macrophages contributes to their accumulation in mouse skin wounds.

Monocytes and macrophages (Mo/MΦ) play critical roles in all phases of skin wound healing. The majority of these cells are thought to be recruited from blood Mo; however, the role local proliferation of Mo/MΦ in the wound has not been defined. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that local proliferation of Mo and/or MΦ contributes to their accumulation during wound healing. Male C57Bl/6 mice (N = 4-9/group) were subjected to excisional skin wounding. Proliferating Mo/MΦ (F4/80+Ki67+) were observed in wound cryosections, peaking on day 5 post-wounding. Cell cycle analysis on cells isolated from skin tissue revealed that wounding increased both the number and percentage of inflammatory Ly6C+F4/80lo/- Mo/MΦ in the S/G2/M phases, peaking on day 6 post-wounding. In contrast, more mature Ly6C-F4/80+ cells were found predominantly in the G0 phase with less than 1% cells in S/G2/M phase following injury. In peripheral blood, Mo were very rarely found in the S/G2/M phase, suggesting that the wound environment triggered the Ly6C+F4/80lo/- Mo proliferative response. Furthermore, injury induced several potential regulators of proliferation in wounds, including IL-1β and IL-6, and wound Mo/MΦ expressed surface receptors for these cytokines. However, wound Mo/MΦ proliferation was not altered in IL-1R1 knockout (KO) or IL-6 KO mice. In summary, our findings indicate that proliferation contributes to Mo/MΦ accumulation in wounds and, contrary to findings in other pathophysiologic conditions, Ly6C+/F4/80lo/- Mo/MΦ proliferate during skin wound healing whereas mature Ly6C-F4/80+ MΦ do not.
Dictating Thermodynamic Control through Tethering: Applications to Stereoselective Bis‐Spiroketal Synthesis

Approaches to stereocontrol that invoke thermodynamic control fail when two or more potential products are energetically similar, but rational structural perturbations can be employed to break the energetic degeneracy and provide selective transformations. This manuscript illustrates that tethering is an effective approach for the stereoselective construction of bis-spiroketals with thermodynamically similar stereoisomers, providing a new approach to set remote stereocenters and prepare complex structures that have not previously been accessed stereoselectively.
Vibro-acoustic modulation and data fusion for localizing alkali–silica reaction–induced damage in concrete:

This article investigates the application of vibro-acoustic modulation testing for diagnosing damage in concrete structures. The vibro-acoustic modulation technique employs two excitation frequenci...
Freight truck emissions reductions with connected vehicle technology: A case study with I-710 in California

Abstract This research aims to understand the implications of Connected Vehicle Technology (CVT) on freight truck emissions – mainly, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compound (VOC) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). CVT is associated with communication between trucks and in this paper, it is represented using route connectivity for trucks along a defined length of a freeway. The route connectivity is based on density of freight trucks with sensors exhibiting communication range as discs of known radii. The model is then applied over a 30-mile length of the interstate-710 (I-710) freeway of the Southern California Region to evaluate reductions in emissions. It is found that there is substantial decrease in emissions with decrease in number of trucks used up to establish communication connectivity through sensor transmission along the studied I-710 stretch. In fact, a decrease in emissions is noted with initial increase in sensor transmission radius from 1000 ft to 8000 ft. However, beyond the radius of 9000 ft, emissions reductions become almost constant. These findings can help determine optimum number of connected trucks needed to cause emissions reductions on I-710 (and other freeways) experiencing considerable heavy-duty truck traffic in the United States.
On Inadvertently Made Tables: a Brockean Theory of Concrete Artifacts

There has been a lot of discussion recently regarding abstract artifacts and how such entities (e.g., fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes, and mythological planets like Vulcan), if they indeed exist, could possibly be our creations. One interesting aspect of some of these debates concerns the extent to which creative intentions play a role in the creation of artifacts generally, both abstract and concrete. I here address the creation of concrete artifacts in particular. I ultimately defend a Brock-inspired, heterodox view on which creative intentions are not at all necessary for the creation of concrete artifacts. A concrete artifact is just a hunk of matter having a certain configuration owing to human activity and, given that configuration, is disposed to participate in other human activities.
Autoreactivity in naïve human fetal B cells is associated with commensal bacteria recognition

Restricted V(D)J recombination during fetal development was postulated to limit antibody repertoire breadth and prevent autoimmunity. However, newborn serum contains abundant autoantibodies, suggesting that B cell tolerance during gestation is not yet fully established. To investigate this apparent paradox, we evaluated the reactivities of more than 450 antibodies cloned from single B cells from human fetal liver, bone marrow, and spleen. We found that incomplete B cell tolerance in early human fetal life favored the accumulation of polyreactive B cells that bound both apoptotic cells and commensal bacteria from healthy adults. Thus, the restricted fetal preimmune repertoire contains potentially beneficial self-reactive innate-like B cell specificities that may facilitate the removal of apoptotic cells during development and shape gut microbiota assembly after birth.
A Community of Practice for Professional Development in Technology Integrations for Accessibility: A Case Study of a Faculty Inquiry Group

This research investigates the characteristics of a faculty inquiry group, a learning community in which faculty and staff can learn technology integration to enhance accessibility for students wit...
Ontogenetic Scaling of Skeletal Components in the Common Sea Urchin Lytechinus variegatus

Ontogenetic allometric analyses can provide novel insights into aspects of evolution, ecology, and conservation. The present study exploits a model sea urchin to evaluate the ontogenetic allometry of skeletal defense and feeding efficiency. Individuals of Lytechinus variegatus were sampled from St. Joseph Bay, FL, and a range of different-sized late juvenile to adult individuals were weighed, measured, and dissected into skeletal components. Skeletal defense was evaluated by examining whole-body wet mass versus primary spine density (number/cm2), length (mm), breakage strength (N), and magnesium calcite levels (%). Feeding efficiency was indirectly inferred from the relationship between whole-body wet mass versus whole lantern dry weight and magnesium calcite content. It was found that between the late juvenile to adult growth phase, L. variegatus displays nonlinear and isometric scaling between body size and various metrics of skeletal spine defense. Intriguingly, most metrics of spine defense against predators displayed a nonsignificant, body-size-independent relationship, indicating L. variegatus invests heavily in spine defenses at an early age. In contrast, hyperallometric scaling best described the relationship between body size and lantern size (feeding efficiency) reflecting the potential importance of elevating food intake with increasing age.
Minimally Invasive Surgery in Gynecology: Underutilized?

Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery encompasses vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgery. In this review, we highlight the current use of laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery in benign and oncologic gynecology and explore whether utilization is optimal. Given the many benefits associated with minimally invasive surgery, including fewer perioperative complications, less blood loss, and faster recovery times, it is critical to offer as many gynecologic surgery patients as possible a minimally invasive approach.
A Peer-to-Peer Architecture for Mobile Communications

In this paper, we present a peer-to-peer (P2P) architectural solution to achieve continuous connectivity and seamless mobility across all technologies. This solution takes mobility management away from the networks, and transfers it to the mobile clients in order to make mobility independent of the network. Most important advantage of this approach is that it simplifies cross-technology handovers to a great extent, because networks do not have to negotiate the handover. As another consequence of being network-independent, this approach is compatible with existing wireless networks, thus we can take advantage of existing coverage without any costly upgrades. In addition, this architecture inherently provides multiple identities to mobile clients as a result of its de-centralized structure
Characterization of kallikrein‐related peptidase 4 glycosylations

Kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) is a glycosylated serine protease that functions in the maturation (hardening) of dental enamel. Pig and mouse KLK4 contain three potential N-glycosylation sites. We isolated KLK4 from developing pig and mouse molars and characterized their N-glycosylations. N-glycans were enzymatically released by digestion with N-glycosidase F and fluorescently labeled with 2-aminobenzoic acid. Normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (NP-HPLC) revealed N-glycans with no, or with one, two, or three sialic acid attachments in pig KLK4 and with no, or with one or two sialic acid attachments in mouse KLK4. The labeled N-glycans were digested with sialidase to generate the asialo N-glycan cores that were fractionated by reverse-phase HPLC, and their retention times were compared with similarly labeled glycan standards. The purified cores were characterized by mass spectrometric and monosaccharide composition analyses. We determined that pig and mouse KLK4 have NA2 and NA2F biantennary N-glycan cores. The pig triantennary core is NA3. The mouse triantennary core is NA3 with a fucose connected by an α1–6 linkage, indicating that it is attached to the first N-acetyglucosamine (NA3F). We conclude that pig KLK4 has NA2, NA2F, and NA3 N-glycan cores with no, or with one, two, or three sialic acids. Mouse KLK4 has NA2, NA2F, and NA3F N-glycan cores with no, or with one or two sialic acids.
Primary Isolation Medium for Cryptococcus neoformans

The isolation and identification of Cryptococcus neoformans is improved by use of a potato dextrose medium containing urea-antibiotic supplements and a pH of 3.5.
Health-related quality of life, functional impairment, and healthcare utilization by veterans: Veterans' quality of life study

Objectives: To describe the health status of veterans receiving care in a veterans integrated service network (VISN). Design: Cross-sectional survey with prospective follow-up. Setting: Former Upper Midwest VISN 13 (now a part of VISN 23), a regional Veterans Affairs (VA) network comprising five inpatient facilities and associated outpatient clinics. Participants: All veterans in VISN 13 who had at least one inpatient or outpatient encounter between October 1, 1997, and March 31, 1998. Measurements: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessed using subscales and component summaries from the 36-item short form for veterans (SF36-V), functional status assessed according to limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs), healthcare utilization assessed according to outpatient visits and hospitalizations, and death. Results: Of 70,334 eligible veterans, 40,508 responded and reported baseline HRQOL significantly lower than that of the general U.S. population for the physical (35.6, P<.001) and mental (46.4, P<.001) component summary scores (PCS and MCS, respectively) of the SF36-V. Many reported complete inability or some difficulty in completing ADLs such as getting in and out of a chair (35.1%) and walking (45.3%). More than 58% indicated some degree of difficulty with at least one of the ADLs. In multivariate analysis, PCS and MCS were significantly associated with subsequent use of inpatient and outpatient care and with mortality. Conclusion: The low quality of life and associated high rates of health services utilization in VA patients imply a need for innovative strategies to improve the HRQOL and functional status of this population.
Regulation of Pyruvate Oxidation in Isolated Rabbit Heart Mitochondria

Abstract Evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of intact rabbit heart mitochondria may be regulated by a phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism. Mitochondria incubated in the presence of pyruvate plus l-malate and either ADP or uncoupler exhibit nearly identical, rapid rates of pyruvate oxidation but possess markedly different ATP levels. It was shown that under metabolic conditions which lead to a release or mobilization of intramitochondrial magnesium and which also have a high intramitochondrial ATP level, pyruvate oxidation was nearly completely inhibited after a brief lag phase. It was shown that the addition of exogenous magnesium to uncoupled mitochondria supplemented with ADP caused a more rapid inhibition of pyruvate oxidation. The observed inhibition of pyruvate oxidation was dependent upon the time of preliminary incubation with uncoupler and ADP and was atractyloside-sensitive. Evidence was obtained indicating that the inhibition of pyruvate oxidation was specific for the substrate, pyruvate, i.e. the oxidation of l(-)palmitylcarnitine or α-ketoglutarate was unaffected under conditions leading to an inhibition of pyruvate oxidation. In addition, it was demonstrated that the inhibition of pyruvate oxidation was not caused by an accumulation of either NADH or acetyl-CoA, both inhibitory products of the pyruvate dehydrogenase reaction, during the course of these experiments. The experiments reported in this communication indicate that the control of the availability of both ATP and magnesium are crucial for the regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex. These studies are consistent with the possibility that the pyruvate dehydrogenase-linked protein kinase may be an effective means of regulating the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA in intact metabolic systems such as the isolated mitochondrion.
Theorizing games in/and education

Games are a nascent topic for educational research, with an increasing numberof conferences (e.g. Games, Learning, & Society), print publications (e.g. Games & Culture), and even federal grants (e.g. Quest Atlantis, RiverWorld, Whyville) recently given to the study and design of gaming technologies in/for education. However, to date, games have been chronically under-theorized - a "technology in search of a paradigm" (Gredler, 1996). This symposium proposes new conceptualizations of games in relation to education. Our collective goal is to better articulate the nature of contemporary interactive technologies so as to forward educational theory; each paper addresses crucial aspects of games and gaming culture against a backdrop of research on learning, education, and society (c.f. Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, & Gee, 2005; Steinkuehler, in press). To do so, this unique symposium combines (a) ethnographies of naturally occurring game environments, (b) game-based learning programs based on findings of how learning occurs in such environments (c) a an empirical model based on games for thought, a type of professional practice simulation games, and (d) a research project using games and game technologies for social science theorizing. Together, these papers suggest new directions for the cognitive sciences pointing toward how to design learning systems for an information age networked society.
Atomic recovery units: failure atomicity for logical disks

Atomic recovery units (ARUs) are a mechanism that allows several logical disk operations to be executed as a single atomic unit with respect to failures. For example, ARUs can be used during file creation to update several pieces of file meta-data atomically. ARUs simplify systems, as they isolate issues of atomicity within the logical disk system, ARUs are designed as part of the Logical Disk (LD), which provides an interface to disk storage that separates file and disk management by using logical block numbers and block lists. This paper discusses the semantics of concurrent ARUs, as well as the concurrency control they require. A prototype implementation in a log-structured logical disk system is presented and evaluated. The performance evaluation shows that the run-time overhead to support concurrent ARUs is negligible for Read and Write operations, and small but pronounced for file creation (4.0%-7.2%) and deletion (17.9%-20.5%) which mainly manipulate meta-data. The low overhead (when averaged over file creation, writing, reading, and deletion) for concurrent ARUs shows that issues of atomicity can be successfully isolated within the disk system.
Chapter 27 Homologous Recombination in Dictyostelium as a Tool for the Study of Developmental Genes

Publisher Summary This chapter demonstrates the use of Dictyostelium as an expression system for myosin and its subfragments and presents the first evidence that gene disruption by homologous recombination can indeed occur in Dictyostelium . This approach is used to study the role of myosin in cell motility and during development. It is likely that when Dictyostelium is transformed with a plasmid that is not maintained extrachromosomally, integration can occur either randomly or by homologous recombination. Thus, one should grow cultures from individual transformants and analyze the restriction pattern of the genomic copy of the gene in each one to determine whether it has been altered by plasmid integration. As there is often integration of multiple copies of the transformation plasmid, it is advisable to use a DNA probe against sequences that are not present in the plasmid to generate the restriction map. This will ensure that any changes in the locus of the gene can be identified.