cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An assessment of data quality in the Vermont-Oxford Trials Network database.

Abstract The Vermont-Oxford Trials Network is a voluntary collaborative research group of neonatologists that maintains a database for very low birthweight infants (501–1500 g). The database (1) provides core data for randomized trials, (2) serves as a resource for outcomes research in neonatology, and (3) generates quality management reports for participating sites. To assess the reliability of this database and to determine the sources of error, we reviewed 635 medical records chosen at random from among the 4341 eligible infants born at 40 participating data generating sites during an 18-month period beginning January 1, 1990. The estimated frequencies of disagreement between the medical record and database for each of the 10 data items studied and the standard errors of the estimates (in parentheses) were: date of birth 1.3% (0.4), date of admission 2.5% (0.6), date of discharge 8.8% (1.0), birthweight (difference > 50 g) 2.9% (0.6), location of birth (inborn or outborn) 2.1% (0.5), multiple birth 2.2% (0.5), cesarean section 2.5% (0.6), gender 2.1% (0.5), status 28 days after birth 3.4% (0.6), final status 2.9% (0.6). The overall proportions and mean values for items in the database were close to the estimated values based on the random sample of records. There were a total of 247 disagreements between the database and the medical records in the sample. Twenty-three were due to data keying errors. Two hundred twenty-four were due to errors in transcription or interpretation. The rate of data keying errors decreased from over 50 errors per 10,000 fields to less than 15 errors per 10,000 fields when specific quality control procedures, including visual inspection, were instituted. Data keying errors accounted for 13.7% of all disagreements between he database and medical record before improved data entry methods were introduced, and only 3.7% of all errors after they were introduced. We concluded that the Vermont-Oxford Trials Network Database is reliable. Data keying errors have been reduced by the introduction of additional quality control measures. Further reductions in database errors will require measures aimed at minimizing transcription or interpretation errors by individuals completing the data forms.
Performance verification of bivariate regressive adaptive index for structural health monitoring

This study focuses on data-driven methods for structural health monitoring and introduces a Bivariate Regressive Adaptive INdex (BRAIN) for damage detection in a decentralized, wireless sensor network. BRAIN utilizes a dynamic damage sensitive feature (DSF) that automatically adapts to the data set, extracting the most damage sensitive model features, which vary with location, damage severity, loading condition and model type. This data-driven feature is key to providing the most flexible damage sensitive feature incorporating all available data for a given application to enhance reliability by including heterogeneous sensor arrays. This study will first evaluate several regressive-type models used for time-series damage detection, including common homogeneous formats and newly proposed heterogeneous descriptors and then demonstrate the performance of the newly proposed dynamic DSF against a comparable static DSF. Performance will be validated by documenting their damage success rates on repeated simulations of randomly-excited thin beams with minor levels of damage. It will be shown that BRAIN dramatically increases the detection capabilities over static, homogeneous damage detection frameworks.
The effect of T-lymphocyte ‘clonality’ on the calculated hprt mutation frequency occurring in vivo in humans

The frequency of 6-thioguanine resistant (TGr) mutant T-lymphocytes arising in vivo in humans can be quantified with a cell cloning assay. However, the in vivo proliferation of T-lymphocytes that may include TGr mutant cells can distort the relationship between mutation events and the resulting frequency of mutant cells. The T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement pattern of T-cell colonies can be used as an independent measure of clonality. Analysis of T-cell 'clonality' in 413 wild type and 1736 TGr mutant isolates from 58 individuals shows that mutant clonality is a frequent occurrence (35/58 individuals = 60.3%). However, a major effect on the mutant frequency corrected for clonality (the calculated 'mutation frequency') was found only in nine samples all of which had mutant frequencies greater than 40 x 10(-6).
T-lymphocyte heterogeneity: wheat germ agglutinin labeling of transmembrane glycoproteins.

Abstract We have recently described "fracture-label" techniques that permit direct cytochemical labeling of freeze-fractured cells. We report here the use of fracture-labeling to investigate the distribution and partition of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) receptor sites over the protoplasmic and exoplasmic plasma membrane faces of freeze-fractured human thymus-derived (T) lymphocytes. All exoplasmic faces are strongly labeled by WGA. In contrast, the protoplasmic faces exhibit remarkable variation, ranging from virtual absence of label in some faces to very high densities in other faces. We interpret the presence of WGA receptor sites over the protoplasmic faces to reflect the presence of transmembrane WGA-binding sialoglycoproteins that, during freeze-fracture, partition with the inner half of the plasma membrane. Our results, therefore, indicate heterogeneous expression of integral membrane proteins within populations of human T cells. Fracture-label techniques thus represent an additional tool in the definition of lymphocyte subpopulations.
Uterine leukocytes: key players in pregnancy.

In species with hemochorial placentation, which includes humans, mice and rats, antigen-specific T and B lymphocytes which are responsible for acquired immunity are virtually absent from the maternal-fetal interface. In contrast, non-antigen specific natural killer cells and macrophages which provide innate immunity are abundant and highly specialized. Autocrine/paracrine factors such as steroid and polypeptide hormones, prostaglandins and anti-inflammatory cytokines that are present in the uterine environment during pregnancy re-program their secretory profiles. Recent studies using transgenic mice and other approaches indicate that these environmentally modified leukocytes have major pregnancy-associated functions that include facilitation of implantation, modulation of the maternal uterine vasculature, supply of growth factors to the placenta, promotion of trophoblast differentiation and facilitation of parturition.
Effect of trichloroethylene on the exploratory and locomotor activity of rats exposed during development

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common contaminant of underground water supplies. To examine the effect of TCE on the developing central nervous system, rats were exposed to TCE throughout gestation until 21 days postpartum via their dams' drinking water. TCE concentrations of 312 mg/l, 625 mg/l and 1250 mg/l were tested. Exploratory behavior was higher in 60- and 90-day old male rats which were exposed to any level of TCE. The effect of TCE-exposure on locomotor activity (running wheel) was also examined in 60-day old males (625 and 1250 ppm exposure groups). Locomotor activity was significantly higher in rats exposed to 1250 ppm TCE. These data suggest that TCE has long-term effects on behaviour.
Role of Electrostatic Interactions in Transient Encounter Complexes in Protein-Protein Association Investigated by Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement

At equilibrium, the complex between the N-terminal domain of enzyme I (EIN) and HPr consists of a stereospecific complex in rapid exchange with a minor population (≤10%) of an ensemble of nonspecific encounter complexes. We have investigated the effect of ionic strength on the magnitude of the intermolecular paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) rates using HPr labeled with EDTA−Mn2+ at two different sites, E5C and E25C. The magnitude of PREs attributable to the stereospecific complex shows only a small dependence on salt concentration and can be accounted for by the dependence of the overall equilibrium dissociation constant on salt concentration, as determined by isothermal titration calorimetry, resulting, under the conditions of the NMR experiments, in a small decrease in the population of bound EIN as the salt concentration is increased from 0 to 0.5 M NaCl. The magnitude of intermolecular PREs originating from the ensemble of nonspecific encounter complexes, however, is much more sensitive to sa...
A 60V capacitive gain 27nV/√Hz 137dB CMRR PGA with ±10V inputs

This paper describes the implementation of a 60V programmable-gain amplifier (PGA) with ±10V differential input range and a 5V output compatible with many commercially available ADCs. While there is a wide range of possible applications, this design is particularly well suited for ±24V supply industrial process control applications, where small voltage signals need to be acquired in the presence of very large common-mode voltages.
Purification and characterization of tryptophan dioxygenase from Streptomyces parvulus

Tryptophan dioxygenase, derived from Streptomyces parvulus, was purified to near homogeneity and shown to have a native Mr of 88,000. Kinetic parameters of the enzyme were determined and evidence suggesting that it is a hemoprotein was obtained. Tryptophan dioxygenase has a high specificity toward L-tryptophan with an apparent Km of 0.3 mM. L-3-Hydroxykynurenine was a competitive inhibitor with respect to L-tryptophan with a Ki of 0.16 mM. In vitro, the enzyme displayed little activity in the absence of a reducing agent; ascorbate, at 50 mM, was the preferred reductant providing almost a 50-fold increase in enzyme activity. The regulation of tryptophan dioxygenase synthesis and activity is described. The expression of the enzyme is correlated with the biosynthesis of actinomycin D in S. parvulus. These results support the hypothesis that tryptophan dioxygenase functions as the first enzyme in the sequence converting L-tryptophan to the chromophore of this antibiotic.
Accuracy and Precision of Stream Reach Water Surface Slopes Estimated in the Field and from Maps

Abstract The accuracy and precision of five tools used to measure stream water surface slope (WSS) were evaluated. Water surface slopes estimated in the field with a clinometer or from topographic maps used in conjunction with a map wheel or geographic information system (GIS) were significantly higher than WSS estimated in the field with a surveying level (biases of 34, 41, and 53%, respectively). Accuracy of WSS estimates obtained with an Abney level did not differ from surveying level estimates, but conclusions regarding the accuracy of Abney levels and clinometers were weakened by intratool variability. The surveying level estimated WSS most precisely (coefficient of variation (CV) = 0.26%), followed by the GIS (CV = 1.87%), map wheel (CV = 6.18%), Abney level (CV = 13.68%), and clinometer (CV = 21.57%). Estimates of WSS measured in the field with an Abney level and estimated for the same reaches with a GIS used in conjunction with 1:24,000-scale topographic maps were significantly correlated (r = 0.8...
Some historical notes on interdisciplinary and interprofessional education and practice in health care in the USA

The origins and development of interdisciplinary health care teams in the US is traced from World War II successes with multidisciplinary medical and surgical teams to President Johnson's vision of The Great Society, in which the poor and underserved would have access to benefits of good health through the creation of community health centers located in areas of need. The concept of interdisciplinary teams of health professionals was espoused as a means for providing comprehensive and continuous care to such populations. This movement had significant implications for the education and training of future health professionals and both the federal government and philanthropic foundations have endeavored to effect changes in traditional disciplinary models. Despite repeated efforts, there remain many barriers to interdisciplinary and interprofessional education and practice in the US.
Past, present, and future of quantifier elimination procedures in system theory

The role of quantifier elimination procedures in the tackling of multidimensional digital filter stability test based on the generalization of Sturm's theorem appeared for the first time as a journal publication in 1974. That was followed in 1975 by a discursive documentation on the use of such methods to tackle output feedback stabilization and other control problems. Recent progress in software for symbol manipulations via serial as well as parallel processing encourage investigations into wider adoption of quantifier elimination theory based methods in problems involving higher number of free variables. This paper review the past and present status before giving future directions for research that incorporate the conflicting factors of accuracy of solution and computational cost for implementing for algorithms developed using particularly cylindrical algebraic decomposition.
Asset Management of Structures Using Hybrid Structural Health Monitoring and Structural Uncertainty Analysis Procedure

The safety and mobility of the population is dependent on the structural integrity of existing infrastructures. This requires a continuous monitoring program for condition assessment of infrastructures to guarantee their safe and reliable operation. A comprehensive structural health monitoring system involves a combination of advanced structural analyses integrated with field investigation using sensors and performance data acquisition. In this work a new engineering decisionmaking method for condition assessment of infrastructures is developed that is based on a hybrid experimental structural health monitoring (performance of nondestructive tests for structure’s response) and theoretical structural uncertainty analyses (interval finite element analysis of structures) procedure. In many cases, the application of results obtained from the health monitoring program of a structure is limited. Furthermore, the conventional deterministic structural analyses are incapable of considering uncertainties in experiments, system properties and loads, thereby resulting in error when estimating the state of health of a structure. This work proposes a new methodology that utilizes the results from structural health monitoring applications, combined with uncertainty analyses, in an effort to offer a more robust process for estimating the condition, energy conservation, and sustainable design of a given structure. On a broad sense, the results of this study will be applicable to the decision making process in determining a structure’s demand for retrofit or reconstruction. The developed methodology along with an illustrative example is presented.
Marine sedimentation at a calving glacier margin

A 2-month study at a subpolar, tidewater glacier was conducted at Anvers Island, Antarctic Peninsula (lat 64°S), to improve understanding of sedimentary processes and associated deposits in glacial marine settings. Data collected in the ice-proximal environment were (1) brash ice-size distribution and melt rates to assess sediment source and transport mechanisms; (2) conductivity-temperature-turbidity-depth (CTTD) profiles, water samples, and sediment-trap catches to study processes and patterns of sediment dispersal; (3) bottom cores and grabs to document recent glacial marine sedimentation; and (4) remotely operated vehicle video surveys of the ice terminus and sea bottom to obtain images of physical and biological processes. The water column is stratified and a halocline occurs at ∼20–30 m. Water temperature ranged from −1 to 1.6 °C, salinity was 32‰–34‰, and suspended solids were 3–5 mg/l well above the bottom. Ephemeral turbid horizons contain 8–15 mg/l suspended solids; rare surface plumes and a quasipermanent turbid layer produced by resuspension during calving events reach 25–35 mg/l. Meltwater drains from the glacier surface, but no subglacial meltwater was detected directly entering the sea. The most important sources of sediment appear to be the direct melting of the submerged ice front and melting of calved glacial ice. Most fragments of floating ice melt within 1 km of the ice front. Some sediment may be contributed as low-density (1.1 g/cm 3 ) algae-bound sediment pellets by meltwater streams draining the ablating ice surface. Sediment enters the stratified water column and is moved by tidal and wind-driven circulation. Marine sedimentation rates are low (∼3 mm/yr) relative to depth of bioturbation, resulting in unstratified sandy mud with dispersed clasts.
GRIN-V: progress in gradient-index imaging.

The Fifth International Meeting on Gradient-Index Optical Imaging Systems was held in Monterey, California on 19–20 April 1984. Progress in the field is reviewed.
Predictors of Stroke After Transient Ischemic Attack in Children

Background and Purpose— Transient ischemic attack (TIA) in children has received far less attention compared with TIA in adults. The risk factors of stroke after TIA in children are relatively unknown. We aimed to determine the percentage of children who have stroke after TIA and the risk factors associated with stroke after TIA. Methods— We searched the medical records at Boston Children’s Hospital for the year 2010 to find children who were evaluated for TIA to determine associated risk factors of stroke after TIA. We included children who were evaluated in 2009 through 2010 for TIA and had magnetic resonance imaging. We examined follow-up imaging through August 2014 for subsequent stroke. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios for factors in our cohort who are associated with stroke after presentation with TIA. Results— We identified 63 children who experienced a TIA. The mean time of imaging follow-up was 4.5 years after TIA presentation. Of the 63 children, 10 (16%) developed radiological evidence of ischemic cerebral injury within the follow-up period. Four of the 10 (6%) demonstrated diffusion abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging at TIA presentation, whereas 8 (13%) had a stroke after their TIA. Arteriopathy, female sex, and autoimmune disorders were significantly associated with stroke after TIA. Conclusions— In our cohort of children, stroke occurred after TIA at a rate similar to that seen in adults, but the risk factors for stroke after TIA in children are different.
Choline and choline-related compounds are associated with cognitive performance and cerebrovascular pathology in older adults (135.5)

Choline is an essential nutrient critical to brain health. Our objective was to evaluate the association of plasma choline (Cho) and Cho-related compounds with cognition and cerebrovascular patholo...
III–V heterostructure-on-insulator for strain studies in n-InGaAs channels

Strain effects on the effective channel mobility of InGaAs pseudo (Ψ) n-MOSFETs are investigated using the mechanical beam bending technique. For this purpose III-V heterostructures grown on InP are transferred to Si by direct wafer bonding. An electron mobility increase up to 70% can be achieved under tensile strain. By comparison with simulations of InGaAs band structure parameters under strain, we suggest that this mobility enhancement is due to an increase of the sheet carrier density rather than to a decrease of the effective mass.
MIXED CONTINUOUS VARIABLE AND CATALOG SEARCH USING GENETIC ALGORITHMS

In this paper a general design and catalog representation is proposed and implemented. The representation is applied to mixed continuous variable and catalog search using genetic algorithms. The representation addresses a number of common catalog search design scenarios. In addition to catalogs of static data (e.g., different sizes of pipes), it is possible to model/search subdesigns that can provide performance data based upon operating conditions. The use of catalog hierarchies allows the search to simultaneously consider catalogs from different vendors and at different levels of detail, therefore achieving the capability of modeling solutions containing general information. The capabilities of the representation are demonstrated through an object-oriented computer implementation that uses a genetic optimization and search algorithm.
Synthesis of arborescent (Dendritic) polystyrenes via controlled inimer‐type reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of styrene and 4-vinylbenzyl dithiobenzoate, a RAFT-based inimer (initiator-monomer), is described. Controlled polymerization was achieved in bulk conditions using thermal initiation at 110 °C to give arborescent polystyrene (arbPSt). The number-average molecular weights of the polymers increased linearly with conversion and were much higher than theoretically calculated for a linear polymerization, reaching Mn = 364,000 g/mol with Mw/Mn = 2.65. Branching analysis by NMR showed an average of 3.5 branches per chain. SEC data, which were similar to those measured in arborescent polyisobutylene, supported the architectural analysis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7621–7627, 2008
The ideology of consumership and the coming deregulation of the public school system

This article examines the origins and implications of the ideology of consumership as it relates to the educational reform movement known generically as school choice. The ideology of consumership is defined as a belief that market‐driven governance policies can, in and of themselves, solve the ‘crisis’ in American education. The ideology of consumership is examined as a form of public discourse. The central argument of this paper is that if consumership does replace citizenship as the basic ethos and driving force of American education, the public school system will cease to exist as we have known it. A distinction is made between those school‐choice advocates who base their proposals on empirical studies of school improvement and those school‐choice advocates who maintain that markets alone can transform schools. The ‘gospel’ of free‐market choice is examined and implications are drawn concerning the possible effects of deregulation on the American public school system.
Effect of stone composition on operative time during ureteroscopic holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser lithotripsy with active fragment retrieval.

Objective To assess whether the stone composition affects the operative time of ureteroscopic holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser lithotripsy (ULL) with active fragment retrieval. The chemical composition of a calculus is known to affect the efficacy with which it is fragmented by a device, such as pneumatic, laser, or shock wave lithotripter. Previous studies examining the efficacy of holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser lithotripsy have been performed in vitro, but it is not known whether the operative time is significantly affected by the chemical composition of a patient's stone. Methods We selected all patients who had undergone ULL for stone disease from July 2008 to January 2011 for a retrospective chart review. We used a standardized operative technique of fragmentation and active retrieval of all fragments identified on full inspection of the entire collecting system using rigid and flexible endoscopes. The stone composition was defined as the presence of a single predominant (>51%) component. Statistical analysis was performed on a per-procedure basis relative to the stone burden, as measured in minutes of operative time per gram of stone. Results A total of 187 cases of unilateral ULL with active retrieval of stone fragments confirmed to have a single predominant chemical composition met the inclusion criteria. When accounting for the weight of the recovered stone, no difference was found in the operative time among the apatite, brushite, cystine, calcium oxalate monohydrate, calcium oxalate dihydrate, and uric acid stones. Conclusion Although stone composition is widely recognized as an important procedural variable, especially for shock wave lithotripsy, it appears to have little effect on the overall operative time for holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet lithotripsy when using active fragment retrieval.
Measuring optically thick molecular samples using chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy

In this Letter, a dispersion-based gas sensing method applied to detection of optically thick samples is presented. We show that chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique provides perfectly linear signal response over a wide range of target analyte concentrations. Using the most convenient chirp-modulated CLaDS detection scheme, it enables spectroscopic measurements in a line-locked mode from the minimum detection limit up to >99% peak molecular absorption.
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Diagnostic and Treatment Conundrum

A 54-year-old man presented with a 12-week history of right lower extremity radicular pain with symptoms and signs of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). He reported a recent medical history of transient ischemic attack followed by cerebrovascular accident for which he underwent carotid endarterectomy. Following carotid endarterectomy, the patient was left with minimal residual speech and memory deficits, but concomitant presentation of right lower extremity radicular pain in the postoperative period was the reason for seeking pain relief. Right lumbar radiculopathy was suspected at the time of presentation to the pain clinic, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral moderate to severe lumbar foraminal stenosis, worse on the right side. Parasagittal lumbar epidural steroid injection, and aggressive multimodal pain management strategy was started resulting in significant improvement in pain scores, functionality and stress levels, albeit for a short period. Patient continued to obtain incomplete resolution of symptoms with conventional treatment. He underwent spinal cord stimulation at an early stage but only derived moderate benefit. The presented case is unusual because of overlapping etiologies that influenced our treatment plans. In this article, we will discuss the evidence for each of the questions raised by practitioners while treating aforementioned patient with CRPS. J Med Cases. 2016;7(1):33-42 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2378w
Hepatic denervation does not significantly change the response of the liver to glucagon in conscious dogs

In view of the increasing frequency of liver transplantation, and the importance of glucagon in the minute-to-minute regulation of glucose production, we assessed the effect of hepatic denervation on the liver's response to a physiological rise in glucagon in 18-h fasted dogs. Before study (2 wk), the dogs underwent liver denervation (DN; n = 6) or sham operation (SH; n = 5). Endogenous insulin and glucagon secretion were inhibited using somatostatin, and the two hormones were replaced intraportally in basal amounts. After the control period the glucagon infusion rate was tripled for 3 h. Glucagon increased from 41 +/- 8 to 128 +/- 8 and 54 +/- 4 to 129 +/- 9 pg/ml in SH and DN, respectively (P < 0.05), causing tracer-determined glucose production to increase from 2.5 +/- 0.1 to 4.9 +/- 0.5 and 2.3 +/- 0.1 to 5.8 +/- 0.8 mg.kg-1.min-1 by 15 min, respectively (P < 0.05). Glucose clearance fell slightly during glucagon infusion in DN, causing a somewhat greater increase in the plasma glucose level (to 175 +/- 15 vs. 207 +/- 20 mg/dl). The changes in gluconeogenic efficiency increased 65-90% in both groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, denervation of the liver failed to significantly alter the metabolic response of that organ to a half-maximally effective increment in the plasma glucagon level.
Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Multi-instance Multi-task Learning

Multi-instance learning studies problems in which labels areassigned to bags that contain multiple instances. In these settings, the relations between instances and labels are usually ambiguous. Incontrast, multi-task learning focuses on the output space in whichan input sample is associated with multiple labels. In real world, asample may be associated with multiple labels that are derived fromobserving multiple aspects of the problem. Thus many real worldapplications are naturally formulated as multi-instance multi-task(MIMT) problems. A common approach to MIMT is to solve it task-by-task independently under the multi-instance learningframework. On the other hand, convolutional neural networks (CNN) have demonstrated promising performance in single-instancesingle-label image classification tasks. However, how CNN deals withmulti-instance multi-label tasks still remains an open problem. Thisis mainly due to the complex multiple-to-multiple relations betweenthe input and output space. In this work, we propose a deep leaningmodel, known as multi-instance multi-task convolutional neuralnetworks (MIMT-CNN), where a number of images representing amulti-task problem is taken as the inputs. Then a shared sub-CNN isconnected with each input image to form instance representations. Those sub-CNN outputs are subsequently aggregated as inputs toadditional convolutional layers and full connection layers toproduce the ultimate multi-label predictions. This CNN model, through transfer learning from other domains, enables transfer ofprior knowledge at image level learned from large single-labelsingle-task data sets. The bag level representations in this modelare hierarchically abstracted by multiple layers from instance levelrepresentations. Experimental results on mouse brain gene expressionpattern annotation data show that the proposed MIMT-CNN modelachieves superior performance.
Abstract LB-256: Targeting MLL1 methyltransferase activity for treatment of acute leukemia with MLL1 rearrangement

Translocation of the MLL1 gene, which encodes for the histone methyltransferase, MLL1, is found in approximately 10% of all cases of acute leukemia and is generally associated with poor patient outcomes. Recent research has pointed to an essential function for the wild-type copy of MLL1 in these leukemias. In these cells, abnormal upregulation of MLL1-directed histone methylation and subsequent overexpression of MLL1 gene targets is an essential step in the development and progression of leukemia. Efficient MLL1-catalyzed histone methylation can only be achieved when MLL1 associates with the complex of WDR5, RbBP5 and Ash2L. MLL1 complex assembly is nucleated by a highly conserved interaction between the MLL1 SET domain and WDR5. We hypothesize that blocking histone methyltransferase activity of wild-type MLL1 through inhibition of the essential WDR5-MLL1 interaction will prevent abnormal gene upregulation and transformation in leukemias with MLL1 rearrangement. Using rational design, we have developed potent inhibitors for WDR5. We have demonstrated that the lead compound, MM-401, can disrupt the interaction of MLL1 with WDR5, and prevent assembly of the MLL1 complex. We have also shown that MM-401 specifically inhibits MLL1 complex activity, with an IC50=320nM. Using MLL1 fusion-transduced mouse bone marrow cells as a model, we have shown that treating leukemia cells with MM-401 inhibits expression of the MLL1 target oncogene, HoxA9, in a concentration-dependent fashion. Treatment of these cells with MM-401 also promotes differentiation of leukemia blasts in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, MM-401 specifically impairs cell growth and viability of human leukemia cell lines with MLL1 rearrangement but does not alter growth of leukemia cell lines with mutations or translocations targeting other oncogenes. In conclusion, we have developed a potent inhibitor MM-401, which is the first in a novel class of inhibitors designed to target MLL1 methyltransferase activity, one of the most important chromatin modifying enzymes for transcription activation. We have further demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of the MLL1 methyltransferase activity specifically targets leukemias with MLL1 rearrangement, and shifts leukemia cells away from the undifferentiated, rapidly proliferating state that is characteristic of aggressive AMLs. These results point to a promising new therapeutic target for leukemia treatment. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-256. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-256
High Resolution 3D Computational Imaging in Scattering Media

This talk will describe new methods for achieving high-resolution 3D images in a commercial microscope, by computational imaging approaches. We describe two setups employing illumination-side and detection-side aperture coding of angle (Fourier) space for capturing 4D phase-space (e.g. light field) datasets with fast acquisition times. Using a multi-slice forward model, we develop efficient reconstruction algorithms for both the coherent and partially coherent imaging cases. By exploiting the redundant nature of 4D datasets used to recover 3D images, we demonstrate robustness to scattering. Experimentally, we achieve real-time 3D and phase imaging with digital aberration correction and mitigation of scattering effects. The result is a high-resolution gigapixel image in multiple depth planes with fast capture times. Such computational approaches to optical microscopy add significant new capabilities to commercial microscopes without significant hardware modification.
Covariation between life history and sexually selected traits : an example with cardueline finches

Traits associated with fecundity and survival are often subject to similar trade-offs because allocation of resources to one activity will limit the others. Such trade-offs have been proposed to account for sex-specific associations between life history and sexually selected traits. In this study I examined life history correlates of variation in sexual dimorphism in cardueline finches. These birds show strong variation in plumage sexual dichromatism. While this variation may reflect changes in intensity of sexual selection or cost of mate sampling, it could also be caused by differences in the costs of secondary sexual traits. I used path analysis to control for potential effects of breeding altitude, nest height, body size, migratory class, and phylogeny to show that variation in sexual dichromatism and plumage brightness in both sexes closely corresponded to variation in life history traits. Sexual dichromatism was negatively correlated with clutch size. Association between sexual ornamentation and fecundity was different for males and females. Male plumage brightness was negatively correlated with clutch size and numbers of broods, but female brightness was positively correlated with clutch size across extant cardueline finches. Nest height and altitude of breeding covaried with sexual dichromatism and with sexual ornamentation in both sexes. Association of sexual ornamentation with clutch size and numbers of broods was more similar between sexes in high-elevation species than in low-elevation species. In males, associations among plumage brightness and life history traits changed more with altitude compared to females. Similar selection pressures caused by equal sharing of parental care between sexes at higher altitudes may account for this pattern.
The History of Road Tests

Discussion of five periods of road building and road tests in United States from latter part of 18th century to AASHO Road Test now under construction in Illinois; description for each road test project including date of construction, purpose, scope and reported findings. (49 refs.)
Gray wolf harvest in Idaho

Regulated harvest is a relatively new phenomenon for gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the contiguous United States. Most studies of wolf harvest have been conducted in northern latitudes where wolf populations are large and human densities are low. Insights from wolf harvest in northern North America may not accurately describe wolf harvest in the lower 48 states. I assessed the efficacy of the recently (2009, 2011–2014) reinstated wolf harvest in Idaho, USA, to test whether it was selective for certain characteristics of individual wolves. I predicted that males and females would be harvested at similar rates, pups would be more common in trap than rifle harvest, most harvest would be from trapping, and harvest effort would not decline over time. Additionally, I predicted that black wolves would be selected as trophies and more frequent in rifle than trap harvest. Male wolves were more vulnerable to rifle harvest than females, pups were not more vulnerable to trapping, trapping did not comprise most of the harvest, and effort did not appear to change over time. Lastly, black wolves were not effectively targeted as trophies. I recommend continued monitoring of wolf harvest to further test harvest-related predictions that provide insights specific to wolves and ecological systems of the conterminous United States. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.
A rational choice theory of religious authority

The rational choice literature on religion has been noticeably silent on the nature and purpose of religious authority. I first summarize the rational choice theory of authority and offer a rational choice definition of religious authority. A primary insight is that (religious) authority exists to coordinate social action. I then argue that social coordination is a fundamental aspect of religious life, perhaps equally important as the social dilemma problems that have received attention in the literature. Finally, I apply this new rational theory to demonstrate its value. I demonstrate how rituals create religious authority; the relationship between religious authority, organizational hierarchy, and religious strictness; and how the theory creates complementarities between the two, sometimes contentious, sides of the secularization debate.
The Structure of Forestry Production: Short-Run and Long-Run Results

This paper extends the study of reg/onal f•restry production to address long-run producfion possibilities using a restricted profit function approach. The model consists of two outputs, sawtimber and pulpwood; one variable/nput, regeneration effort; and two quasifixed inputs, land and growing stock. Estimation is performed using cross-sectional data of industrial timber production in the southeastern United States. Estimated values include ownand cross-price lasticities between inputs and outputs, HicksJan elasticities of substitution, shadow prices of the quasi-fixed factors, and long-run MarshallJan elasfidties. While short-run supply elasticities are consistent with earlier studies, long-run results show much greater supply responses as land and management inputs are given time to adjust. These results also suggest hat ambiguous results regarding pulpwood and sawtimber subsfitutability found in previous studies can be explained by a shift from complementafity inthe short run to subsfitutability in the long run. Fog. ScI. 37(2):540551.
Multiple objective optimization in a spacecraft power system to maximize serviceability

Different from most power systems, the requirement for reliability of the power system on board a spacecraft is much more stringent. However, the reliability of the spacecraft power system can not be solely realized by increasing system redundancies due to limitations on mass. A Ring-Bus topology has been proposed for this purpose. This paper provides an analysis to this special topology, study selected critical possible failure scenarios and propose methods to maximize the serviceability of the system. A spacecraft power system is distinguished from most other system as it orbits around the earth. The primary source of the system is solar energy. Batteries save energy for ellipse time. To maximize the serviceability, the solar energy should be utilized most efficiently and the batteries should be strategically discharged to meet not only immediate load but anticipated load in the future. At the same time, the system should minimize current flows among different ring buses. Multiple objective functions are proposed and implemented in this paper based on different system operating conditions. The main goal is to maximize the serviceability of the system. The optimization result can be utilized to design controllers for the PV sources, loads and batteries. The proposed methods are tested on a Ring-Bus system. The testing result shows that the system can correctly determine its optimum operating strategy and corresponding control actions
Las imágenes y la lógica del cono de luz: rastreando el giro postulacional de Robb en la física geométrica

Previous discussions of Robb’s work on space and time have offered a philosophical focus on causal interpretations of relativity theory or a historical focus on his use of non-Euclidean geometry, or else ignored altogether in discussions of relativity at Cambridge. In this paper I focus on how Robb’s work made contact with those same foundational developments in mathematics and with their applications. This contact with applications of new mathematical logic at Gottingen and Cambridge explains the transition from his electron research to his treatment of relativity in 1911 and finally to the axiomatic presentation in 1914 in terms of postulates. At the heart of Robb’s physical optics was the model of the light cone. The model underwent a transition from a working mechanical model in the Maxwellian Cambridge sense of a pedagogical and research tool to the semantic model, in the logical, model-theoretic sense. Robb tracked this transition from the 19th- to the 20th-century conception with the earliest use of the term ‘model’ in the new sense. I place his cone models in a genealogy of similar models and use their evolution to track how Robb’s physical researches were informed by his interest in geometry, logic and the foundations of mathematics.
An Unimagined Community

2011 marked 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This represented a change not just in the content of schools or ideologies, but in the relationships between individuals, institutions, and systems. During this time, the post-Soviet Republic of Lithuania not only had to reimagine its national identity in a local context, but it also had to reimagine itself as a community within the political,economic, and historical imaginations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Therefore, in Lithuania, as in many other post-Soviet countries, debates over which events should or should not be included as part of the national identity, and thus represented in the school curriculum, are more than just discussions about educational content; they are debates over the moral legitimacy of certain narratives and the ability of sovereign states to define them.
Inhibition of γ′ Fibrinogen Production in Liver Cells by D-Dimers

Abstract γ′ fibrinogen contains a variant γ chain that arises from an alternative splicing event within the γ gene mRNA. While the more abundant γA chain contains the platelet-binding AGDV sequence at its carboxyl terminus, the γ′ chain carboxyl terminus has an extended VRPEHPAETEYDSLYPEDDL amino acid sequence that is highly negatively charged and contains two sulfated tyrosine residues. The γ′ chain contains binding sites for factor XIII zymogen and thrombin. This extended γ chain variant confers several unique properties on clots formed with γ′ fibrinogen, including resistance to fibrinolysis. γ′ fibrinogen is also a newly-emerging cardiovascular disease biomarker that shows an inverse association with deep venous thrombosis and thrombotic microangiopathy, and a significant positive association with coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. However, the underlying factors that regulate its production remain unknown. A recent study investigating the role of γ′ fibrinogen in stroke showed that the ratio of γ′ fibrinogen to total fibrinogen was higher in patients during the acute phase of a stroke and lower in the convalescent phase following a stroke. We therefore hypothesized that the end products of fibrinolysis may feed back to regulate γ′ fibrinogen expression. Fibrin(ogen) degradation products, including fibrinopeptides A and B, E-domains, and D-dimers, were therefore assayed for their effects on the production of γ′ fibrinogen in HepG2 human liver cells. The results showed that fibrinopeptide A, fibrinopeptide B, and E-domains had no effect on γ′ fibrinogen production by HepG2 cells, as measured by ELISA. However, the production of γ′ fibrinogen decreased in a dose-dependent manner when incubated with purified cross-linked D-dimers. RT-PCR demonstrated an 85.1 ± 4.6% inhibition in γ′ mRNA levels by 31 nM D-dimers after 24 hours of exposure. For comparison, the lower limit of the pathophysiologic cutoff of D-dimer concentration in disseminated intravascular coagulation is in the range of 41 nM. To further investigate the interactions of the D-dimers with the cells, D-dimers were labeled with fluorescein, incubated with HepG2 cells, and examined by fluorescence microscopy. Fluorescein-labeled D-dimers entered the cells within 20 minutes of incubation and displayed a diffuse cytoplasmic distribution. The D-dimers showed an increasing peri-nuclear localization with increasing time. By 60 minutes, the D-dimers had largely been cleared from within the cells. D-dimer uptake displayed a very different staining pattern than the non-receptor-mediated uptake of fluorescein-labeled albumin, which showed only a weak, diffuse cytoplasmic staining. These results suggest that D-dimers regulate γ′ fibrinogen production in liver cells in a process that involves binding to a cell-surface receptor, internalization, and degradation.
Marijuana on the Mind? The Impact of Marijuana on Cognition, Brain Structure, and Brain Function, and Related Public Policy Implications:

Although marijuana (MJ) has been used for thousands of years, the public’s opinion of MJ has shifted drastically over the past century, leaving many wondering about its potential risks and benefits. This article summarizes research detailing the impact of recreational MJ and related variables (frequency, magnitude, potency, and mode of MJ use) on cognition, brain structure, and brain function. MJ use, particularly at young ages, has been reported to undermine cognition, as well as alter brain structure and function. Furthermore, we discuss how data from recreational MJ studies, as well as more recent medical marijuana (MMJ) research findings, relate to legalization efforts. Considerations for policymakers, such as age limits, guidelines for safe use, and the therapeutic potential of certain constituents of MJ (i.e., cannabidiol), are also outlined. In recent years, policy has outpaced science; important areas in need of further research are noted.
Genome Silencing and Elimination: Insights from a "Selfish" B Chromosome.

B chromosomes are non-essential components of numerous plant and animal genomes. Because many of these “extra” chromosomes enhance their own transmission in ways that are detrimental to the rest of the genome, they can be thought of as genomic parasites. An extreme example is a paternally-inherited B chromosome known as Paternal Sex Ratio (PSR), which is found in natural populations of jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis. In order to ensure its own propagation, PSR severely biases the wasp sex ratio by converting diploid female-destined embryos into transmitting haploid males. This action occurs at the expense of the other paternally inherited chromosomes, which fail to resolve during the first round of division and are thus eliminated. Recent work has revealed that paternal genome elimination by PSR occurs by the disruption of a number of specific histone post-translational modifications, suggesting a central role for chromatin regulation in this phenomenon. In this review, we describe these recent advances in the light of older ones and in the context of what is currently understood about the molecular mechanisms of targeted genome silencing and elimination in other systems.