cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunobiology and Immunotherapy of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a common B-cell malignancy characterized by clonal expansion of transformed plasma cells in the bone marrow. 1 Natural history of MM is characterized by disease progression, and the development of anemia, lytic bone disease, and infections. However, although clonal expansion of transformed plasma cells is an essential prerequisite for the development of MM, the most common clinical outcome of such expansions in vivo in humans is not MM, but the development of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). MGUS has been estimated to occur in up to 1–3% of the elderly population, and is commonly viewed as a preneoplastic state. However, most patients with MGUS will generally remain stable throughout their life, and only a small proportion (estimated at about 1% per year) will develop MM. 2 Another clinically distinct subset is patients with asymptomatic MM, who also have a relatively indolent course, but much higher risk for transformation to symptomatic MM. 3 Recent application of interphase cytogenetics and genomic technologies has yielded the surprising finding that many of the cytogenetic and genomic changes in tumor cells initially identified in MM can now also be detected in the tumor cells in MGUS. 4 , 5 In many instances, genetic lesions such as deletion of chromosome 13 that seem to impart an adverse outcome in MM do not do so in MGUS. These findings therefore suggest the possibility that clinical outcome in MM depends not only on the properties of the tumor cells themselves but also on changes in the host tumor microenvironment and their interactions with the tumor cells. An important component of this microenvironment is the cells of the immune system. 6 Therefore, improved understanding of the immune microenvironment in MM might provide newer approaches for therapy and prevention of this disease. Below, I will first briefly discuss some of the general principles underlying the mechanisms of immune control and escape of tumors, and then describe the current studies about the status of immune cells in MM and MGUS. Understanding the status of the host immune response is an essential first step for optimal development of therapeutic approaches targeting the immune system in MM. Chapter 11
Households as Corporate Firms: Constructing Financial Statements from Integrated Household Surveys

We use and modify the rigorous standards of corporate financial accounting to create the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows for households in developing countries. The purpose is to better measure productivity, risk, financing, and portfolio management in an analysis of high frequency panel data. What emerges is an analogy between households and corporate firms. For example, household wealth can be viewed as equity, consumption as dividends, gifts as equity issue, and the household budget constraint as the firm cash flow constraint. The accounts also allow us to distinguish savings as a budget surplus as in the cash flow statement versus savings as wealth accumulation as in the balance sheet. We show how to use a high frequency household survey that contains a series of detailed questions to create the line items of each of the financial statements, and we propose accounting procedures to deal with nontrivial issues: multiperiod production activities, storage, inventories, livestock aging, loan repayments, barter transactions, gifts and transfers, owner-produced consumption and other intra-household transactions. We then show how to use the accounts to analyze the rate of return to production activities, the debt to wealth ratio, and the movement of both consumption and investment to income. Finally, we show how to use the statement of cash flows to decompose and quantify household budget deficits into their various financing components and show how to apply the balance sheet to study household portfolio management. The conceptualization of this paper has important implications for measurement, questionnaire design, the modeling of household decisions, and the analysis of panel data.
Correlation between Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engraftment Assay Results and Bone Marrow Biopsy, Flow Cytometry, and Cytogenetics Findings.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation following induction chemotherapy is an increasingly successful therapeutic option for patients with leukemia or lymphoma. The use of molecular assays in post-transplant patients has become the standard in evaluating these patients for evidence of engraftment or early recurrence of disease. The detection of residual host cells in the bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) following stem cell transplantation often influences subsequent clinical management. The aim of our study is to determine the extent of correlation between the results of PCR-based stem cell engraftment (SCE) assays and BM biopsy (BMBx), multiparameter flow cytometry (FC) and cytogenetics findings in patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation as therapy for hematolymphoid malignancies. We retrospectively reviewed the results of 1103 serial SCE assays performed at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and 596 of these had temporally corresponding BMBx, FC and/or cytogenetic analysis. Concordance between the results of SCE analysis and those of the latter assays was defined as the detection of similar host/donor compositions. While some cases demonstrated clear discordance between the results, a subset showed an equivocal correlation due to the unclear significance of <5% host DNA by SCE analysis. Of 318 SCE assays with concurrent BMBx, 167(52%) showed concordant results, 104(33%) showed discordant results, and 47(15%) demonstrated an equivocal correlation. Of 221 SCE assays with concurrent FC, 111(50%) showed concordant results, 73(33%) showed discordant results, and 37(17%) demonstrated an equivocal correlation. Additionally, SCE assays were performed on concurrent, paired BM and PB specimens in 168 patients. Concordant results were identified in 141(84%) pairs. Of the remaining 27 pairs, host DNA was detected in the PB of 16 cases in which the BM showed either donor only DNA (6 cases) or <5% host DNA (10 cases). Four cases showed <5% host DNA in the PB and chimeric DNA in the BM. However, donor only DNA was detected in the PB in 7 cases that demonstrated a chimeric BM. Lastly, concurrent SCE analysis and XY FISH analysis was identified in 28 cases. Concordance between these two assays was observed in 24 (86%) cases, whereas one (3%) case was discordant and 3 (11%) cases showed an equivocal correlation. In conclusion, both BMBx and FC show similar but weak correlations to SCE analysis. In contrast, XY FISH analysis demonstrates a strong correlation to SCE analysis. Furthermore, SCE analyses performed on paired PB and BM specimens show an overall good correlation. However, our data suggest that in a subset of cases, SCE analysis performed on PB may detect residual host DNA that is not detectable by SCE analysis of BM, possibly due to the heterogeneity of the marrow composition.
Proton Straggling in Thick Silicon Detectors

Abstract Straggling functions for protons in thick silicon radiation detectors are computed by Monte Carlo simulation. Mean energy loss is constrained by the silicon stopping power, providing higher straggling at low energy and probabilities for stopping within the detector volume. By matching the first four moments of simulated energy-loss distributions, straggling functions are approximated by a log-normal distribution that is accurate for Vavilov κ ≳ 0.3 . They are verified by comparison to experimental proton data from a charged particle telescope.
Exact geodesic distances in FLRW spacetimes

Geodesics are used in a wide array of applications in cosmology and astrophysics. However, it is not a trivial task to efficiently calculate exact geodesic distances in an arbitrary spacetime. We show that in spatially flat ($3+1$)-dimensional Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) spacetimes, it is possible to integrate the second-order geodesic differential equations, and derive a general method for finding both timelike and spacelike distances given initial-value or boundary-value constraints. In flat spacetimes with either dark energy or matter, whether dust, radiation, or a stiff fluid, we find an exact closed-form solution for geodesic distances. In spacetimes with a mixture of dark energy and matter, including spacetimes used to model our physical universe, there exists no closed-form solution, but we provide a fast numerical method to compute geodesics. A general method is also described for determining the geodesic connectedness of an FLRW manifold, provided only its scale factor.
Valence-electron correlation in the double K -shell photoionization of atomic beryllium

We extended the multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) + effective charge (EFC) method for double photoionization of atoms and investigated the effect of valence-electron correlation in the double $K$-shell photoionization of atomic beryllium. We used the MCHF method, which accounts for electron correlations, to calculate the initial-state wave function. The wave functions for the two continuum electrons in the final state are calculated in the angle-dependent EFC approximation. The actual interaction potential between the two final-state continuum electrons is approximated by the EFC, which is determined variationally. We studied the effect of valence shell electron correlation on the $K$-shell double photoionization of beryllium for both equal and unequal sharing of excess photon energies at four fixed scattered electron directions in order to study the effects near the double $K$-shell ionization threshold. We found considerable effect of valence shell correlation in the triple-differential cross section for double photoionization of the beryllium atom at each of the excess photon energies.
Deep reinforcement learning-based vehicle energy efficiency autonomous learning system

To mitigate air pollution problems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) have been developed to achieve higher fuel efficiency. The Energy Management System (EMS) is a very important component of a PHEV in achieving better fuel economy and it is a very active research area. So far, most of the existing EMS strategies just simple follow predefined rules that are not adaptive to changing driving conditions; other strategies as starting to incorporate accurate prediction of future traffic conditions. In this study, a deep reinforcement learning based PHEV energy management system is designed to autonomously learn the optimal fuel use from its own historical driving record. It is a fully data-driven and learning-enabled model that does not rely on any prediction or predefined rules. The experiment results show that the proposed model is able to achieve 16.3% energy savings comparing to conventional binary control strategies.
R&D's Relationship With Profits And Sales

(1983). R&D's Relationship With Profits And Sales. Research Management: Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 25-28.
“But we still try”: affective labor in the corporate mommy blog

This article studies three “mommy blogs,” online platforms catering to (in these cases) American mothers of various sub-demographics, through an affective labor framework. Using digital labor and A...
Molecular Diagnostics of Thyroid Tumors

Abstract Context.—Thyroid cancer is the most common type of endocrine malignancy and its incidence is steadily increasing. Papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma are the most common types of thyroid cancer and represent those tumor types for which use of molecular markers for diagnosis and prognostication is of high clinical significance. Objective.—To review the most common molecular alterations in thyroid cancer and their diagnostic and prognostic utility. Data Sources.—PubMed (US National Library of Medicine)–available review articles, peer-reviewed original articles, and experience of the author. Conclusions.—The most common molecular alterations in thyroid cancer include BRAF and RAS point mutations and RET/PTC and PAX8/PPARγ rearrangements. These nonoverlapping genetic alterations are found in more than 70% of papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas. These molecular alterations can be detected in surgically resected samples and fine-needle aspiration samples from thyroid nodules and can be...
Anterior Enterocele After Radical Cystectomy

Abstract Background: After radical cystectomy (RC), small and large bowel may herniate through the anterior vaginal wall with formation of an anterior enterocele. Anatomical shortcomings that predi...
Indirect Imaging Using Correlography

A computational imager combining ideas from correlography and phase retrieval is used to recover images of non-line-of-sight (NLoS) objects. It exploits the intrinsic roughness of real-world surfaces to indirectly illuminate NLoS objects and intercept the return.
GREEK PHILOSOPHERS ON EUTHANASIA AND SUICIDE

The word “euthanasia” is not always used and understood in the same way. Nor, for that matter, is “suicide”. The first thing to do in approaching the Greek philosophers’ views about euthanasia and suicide is, therefore, to be clear about the senses of these words in which there existed for the philosophers of Greece corresponding moral categories. Which of the different kinds of action that might be called, or have by someone or other in modem discussions been called, euthanasia or suicide seemed to the Greek philosophers sufficiently interesting or problematic, from the moral point of view, so that they developed lines of argument and analysis in order to accommodate them? And which of these did they group together sufficiently closely for it to make sense to speak of Greek views on the morality of euthanasia or suicide? The answers to these questions will not just help us to avoid misunderstanding, by making it clear in what senses of these words it is acceptable to speak of Greek philosophers’ views on euthanasia and suicide. They will also constitute an important first step in the substantial characterization of the Greek tradition in moral theory: one learns a lot about the character of any moral theory by seeing how, given that theory and its intellectual resources, the different kinds of human actions are arranged in significant groupings and which ones of these groupings are seen to call for philosophical comment.
A theory of default reasoning

We propose a theory of default reasoning satisfying a list of natural postulates. These postulates imply that knowledge bases containing defaults should be understood not as sets of formulas (rules and facts) but as collections of partially ordered theories. As a result of this shift of perspective we obtain a rather natural theory of default reasoning in which priorities in interpretation of predicates are the source of nonmonotonicity in reasoning. We also prove that our theory shares a number of desirable properties (completeness, soundness etc.) with the theory of normal defaults of R. Reiter. We limit our discussion to logical properties of the proposed system and prove some theorems about it. Modal operators or second order formulas do not appear in our formalization. Instead, we augment the usual, two-part logical structures consisting of a metalevel and an object level, with a third level- a referential level. The rderential level is a partially ordered collection of defaults; it contains a more permanent part of a knowledge base. Current situations are described on the object level. The metalevel is a place for rules that can eliminate some of the models permitted by the object level and the referential level.
Rapid cardiac compression: An effective method of avian euthanasia

ABSTRACT Proper methods for euthanasia are critical for research with birds. Training in these methods is generally required by institutional animal care and use committees for any research that involves handling of birds, even if the intent is for birds to be released into the wild. Rapid cardiac compression (RCC) remains a preferred method for quick euthanasia in field settings but has not been described adequately in the literature. We describe proper application of RCC for euthanasia of small birds. We also provide external cues for a bird as it progresses toward death as well as other considerations when using RCC. Note that RCC is also known as “thoracic compression,” but that term is not biologically accurate and should be abandoned.
Ectomesoderm and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes in spiralian development.

Background Spiralians (e.g., annelids, molluscs, and flatworms) possess two sources of mesoderm. One is from endodermal precursors (endomesoderm), which is considered to be the ancestral source in metazoans. The second is from ectoderm (ectomesoderm) and may represent a novel cell type in the Spiralia. In the mollusc Crepidula fornicata, ectomesoderm is derived from micromere daughters within the A and B cell quadrants. Their progeny lie along the anterolateral edges of the blastopore. There they undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), become rounded and undergo delamination/ingression. Subsequently, they assume the mesenchymal phenotype, and migrate beneath the surface ectoderm to differentiate various cell types, including muscles and pigment cells. Results We examined expression of several genes whose homologs are known to regulate Type 1 EMT in other metazoans. Most of these genes were expressed within spiralian ectomesoderm during EMT. Conclusions We propose that spiralian ectomesoderm, which exhibits analogous cellular behaviors to other populations of mesenchymal cells, may be controlled by the same genes that drive EMT in other metazoans. Perhaps these genes comprise a conserved metazoan EMT gene regulatory network (GRN). This study represents the first step in elucidating the GRN controlling the development of a novel spiralian cell type (ectomesoderm). Developmental Dynamics 247:1097-1120, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MORPHO-FUNCTIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS AND CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS IN PATIENTS WITH MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE AND SIGNIFICANT MITRAL REGURGITATION

High cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) is associated cardiac remodeling (athlete's heart) and with improved outcomes in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Our aim was to identifying morpho-functional cardiac adaptations that are associated with the highest levels of CRF in patients with
Endothelial-derived exosomes demonstrate a link between endothelial innate inflammation and brain dysfunction and injury in aging

ABSTRACT We test the hypothesis that endothelial cells take on an inflammatory phenotype in functionally intact human subjects with radiographic evidence of white matter injury. Markers within all three complement effector pathways and regulatory proteins were quantified from endothelial-derived exosomes (EDE) of subjects (age 70-82) with (n=11) and without (n=16) evidence of white matter hyperintensity on MRI. Group differences and associations with systemic markers of immune activation (IL6, ICAM1), cognition and neuroimaging were calculated via regression modelling. EDE complement factors within the alternative and classical pathways were found to be higher and regulatory proteins lower in subjects with WMH. EDE levels of several factors demonstrated significant associations with cognitive slowing and systolic blood pressure. The inhibitor of the membrane attack complex, CD46, showed a significant positive association with cerebral grey matter volume. Systemic inflammatory markers, IL6 and ICAM1, were positively associated with EDE levels of several factors. These findings provide the first in vivo evidence of the association of endothelial cell inflammation with white matter injury, cognition, and brain degeneration in functionally normal older individuals, and form the basis for future biomarker development in early or preclinical stages of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.
An End-to-End Framework to Identify Pathogenic Social Media Accounts on Twitter

Pathogenic Social Media (PSM) accounts such as terrorist supporter accounts and fake news writers have the capability of spreading disinformation to viral proportions. Early detection of PSM accounts is crucial as they are likely to be key users to make malicious information "viral". In this paper, we adopt the causal inference framework along with graph-based metrics in order to distinguish PSMs from normal users within a short time of their activities. We propose both supervised and semi-supervised approaches without taking the network information and content into account. Results on a real-world the dataset from Twitter accentuates the advantage of our proposed frameworks. We show our approach achieves 0.28 improvement in F1 score over existing approaches with the precision of 0.90 and F1 score of 0.63.
Fleißig oder faul? Welche Einstellungen und Stereotype haben angehende Lehrkräfte gegenüber Schüler*innen aus unterschiedlichen sozialen Schichten?

Schuler*innen aus Familien mit niedrigem sozialen Status erreichen im Vergleich zu Schuler*innen aus Familien mit hohem sozialen Status schlechtere Leistungen und erhalten zum Teil auch trotz gleicher Fahigkeiten und Leistungen seltener eine Empfehlung fur das Gymnasium. Anzunehmen ist, dass Lehrkrafte eine zentrale Rolle im Kontext der sozialen Ungleichheiten im Bildungssystem einnehmen und hierbei ihre Einstellungen und Stereotype gegenuber Schuler*innen mit unterschiedlichem sozialen Status von Bedeutung sind. Dieser Beitrag stellt eine Studie vor, in der implizite sowie explizite Einstellungen und Stereotype angehender Lehrkrafte gegenuber Schuler*innen mit hohem und niedrigem sozialen Status untersucht wurden. Aufbauend auf der Theorie der Eigengruppenpraferenz wurde zudem der soziale Status der Lehramtsstudierenden in den Analysen berucksichtigt. Die Ergebnisse verweisen auf positivere Einstellungen und Stereotype gegenuber Schuler*innen mit hohem sozialem Status.
Searching for a Sense of Place: The Process of How Adolescent Girls Overcome Suicidality.

Adolescent suicide is a preventable health problem; however, warning signs are often missed. In this study we developed a grounded theory to explore the process of how adolescent girl suicide attem...
Designing Selective and Non-Immunosuppressive Antifungal FK506 Analogs: Structures, Biophysics and Dynamics of Fungal and Human Calcineurin-Inhibitor Complexes

Calcineurin is an attractive antifungal target due to its central role in fungal pathogenesis. The development of specific antifungals targeting calcineurin is complex, as calcineurin inhibitors, such as FK506, are immunosuppressive. Using fungal calcineurin-inhibitor crystal structures we recently developed a less immunosuppressive FK506 analog, APX879, with broad-spectrum antifungal activity and efficacy in a murine model of invasive fungal infection. To better understand the interaction of the human and fungal FK506-binding proteins (FKBP12) required for calcineurin inhibition at a molecular level, and guide the design of fungal-selective and non-immunosuppressive FK506 analogs, here we report the high-resolution structures of the M. circinelloides FKBP12 bound to FK506 and the human, A. fumigatus and M. circinelloides FKBP12 proteins bound to the FK506 analog, APX879. Combining structural, genetic and biophysical methodologies with molecular dynamics simulations, we identify critical variations in these structurally similar FKBP12:ligand complexes to enhance fungal-selectivity.
Cyber-Physical Systems

Control systems are ubiquitous; a landmark of the control of mechanical systems was James Watt’s governor. Digital computers have been used as controllers since the early days of computing. But control theory and computer engineering have long been regarded as separate fields. Cyber-physical systems (CPS) has recently emerged as a discipline that unites these two disciplines. Just as embedded computing emerged to develop hardware/software co-design, CPS is developing methods for control/computing co-design.
Implementation of a High-Risk Breast Clinic for Comprehensive Care of Women With Elevated Breast Cancer Risk Identified by Risk Assessment Models in the Community.

INTRODUCTION:Many radiology centers perform risk assessment at time of screening mammography. The Massachusetts General Hospital North Shore Cancer Center (MGHNS) developed a nurse practitioner (NP...
Association of Health-Related Quality of Life with Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Lifetime Risk Pooling Project.

Objective The Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) serve as the platform for quantitative risk assessment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Data are sparse regarding the benefit of adding health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures to the PCE. We sought to estimate the association of HRQoL with ASCVD events and evaluate the potential utility of adding HRQoL to the PCE in refining quantitative risk assessment for primary prevention decisions. Methods Three multi-ethnic longitudinal cohorts were included in the study. HRQoL was measured using the SF-12 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS); higher PCS or MCS scores indicate better HRQoL. We constructed a four-level HRQoL status variable: MCS <50 and PCS <50; MCS <50 and PCS ≥50; MCS ≥50 and PCS <50; MCS ≥50 and PCS ≥50. Harrell's C statistics and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analyses were used to assess the added predictive ability of HRQoL for incident ASCVD. Results A total of 9,904 individuals were included in the analysis, of whom 4,743 were in the low risk subgroup (<5% predicted 10-year risk). HRQoL status, PCS and its subscale scores were independent predictors of ASCVD events. HRQoL improved both discrimination (delta C: 0.004, p = 0.05) and reclassification (cNRI: 0.15, p<0.01) modestly when added to PCE; 3% and 6% of individuals with events were correctly reclassified to higher risk in the overall sample and low risk subgroup, respectively. Conclusion HRQoL is an independent predictor of ASCVD events, and improves ASCVD risk prediction significantly, though modestly, overall and in low-risk individuals. HRQoL may be a cost-effective risk-enhancing factor for refining quantitative risk assessment for primary prevention decisions.
Usefulness of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists to Reduce Adverse Cardiovascular Disease Events in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Evidence suggests glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The objective of this study was to analyze randomized controlled trials (RCT) testing GLP-1 RA's effect on CVD events among participants with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). RCTs comparing GLP-1 RA versus placebo were identified using the PubMed and Cochrane databases. The endpoints in this study included major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), and nonfatal stroke), and the individual components of MACE. The primary analysis calculated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each endpoint. Heterogeneity for each endpoint was calculated using Chi2 and I2 tests. For any endpoint with significant heterogeneity, a meta-regression was performed using mean baseline hemoglobin A1C (A1C) as the moderator and a R2 value was calculated. Seven RCTs (N = 56,004) were identified with 174,163 patient-years of follow-up. GLP-1 RA reduced MACE [RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.95], cardiovascular death [RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.95], and nonfatal stroke [RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.95]. There was no statistically significant heterogeneity among these RCTs. GLP-1 RA did not reduce nonfatal MI [RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.02]. However, there was significant heterogeneity among these RCTs (Chi2 = 12.68, p = 0.05, I2 = 53%). When accounting for baseline A1C in the regression model, there was no longer significant heterogeneity for this endpoint (p = 0.23, I2 = 27%). A potential linear relationship between baseline A1C and GLP-1 RA's effect on nonfatal MI (R2 = 0.64) was observed. In conclusion, GLP-1 RA reduced MACE, cardiovascular death, and nonfatal stroke; GLP-1 RA did not reduce nonfatal MI, however there may be a linear association between baseline A1C and GLP-1 RA's effect on nonfatal MI.
High power thermal battery development

This paper describes an effort to develop a prototype thermal battery that can be used in high power applications. The goal of this ongoing activity is to develop a battery that can serve as a base module to meet higher power requirements using multiple modules in series or parallel combinations. The thermal battery chemistry being developed consists of lithium(silicon) anodes, all-lithium salt electrolyte, and cobalt disulfide cathodes. In addition, high power, rapid-response battery testers were developed for multiple applications.
Interrelationships among dependency, empathy, and sharing: A preliminary study.

The sharing behavior of 66 fourth-grade students was observed in two different experimental situations: (a) in the experimenter's presence (visible sharing), and (b) anonymously (invisible sharing). In addition, measures of empathy and dependency were given to each child. For girls some support was found for a positive relationship between empathy and sharing in both of the experimental conditions; also, moderate dependency, as measured by peer and teacher ratings, was related to invisible sharing. The correlations found among the variables were quite different for boys. Both empathy and dependency, as measured by the Children's Social Desirability Questionnaire, were negatively related to invisible sharing, and empathy was positively correlated to social desirability scores. Also, as indicated by curvilinear analyses, the interrelationships among these variables for boys were more complex than were suggested by simple linear correlations.
Classical conditioning of the eye withdrawal reflex in the green crab

Eye withdrawal in the green crab, Carcinus maenas was conditioned by pairing a mild vibration to the carapace as a conditioned stimulus (CS) with a puff of air to one of the eyes as an unconditioned stimulus (US). Animals subjected to repeated pairings showed an increased probability of eye retraction during CS presentation. Significantly less responding was found in several control groups subjected to backward conditioning, unpaired stimuli, stimuli alone, or simply time in the apparatus. Although conditioned animals showed few responses to CS alone after 24 hr, retention could be demonstrated by acquisition that was much more rapid on day 2 than on day 1. Conditioning could also be effected in the eye when it was restrained, a result consistent with reports in the literature that this reflex does not require proprioceptive feedback. Because the neuromuscular circuitry of eye withdrawal is already well defined in Carcinus, this is a promising candidate for studying the neuronal basis of classical conditioning.
In vivo lung morphometry with hyperpolarized 3He diffusion MRI: Reproducibility and the role of diffusion‐sensitizing gradient direction

Purpose Lung morphometry with hyperpolarized gas diffusion MRI is a highly sensitive technique for the noninvasive measurement of acinar microstructural parameters traditionally only accessible by histology. The goal of this work is to establish the reproducibility of these measurements in healthy volunteers and their dependence on the direction of the applied diffusion-sensitizing gradient. Methods Hyperpolarized helium-3 (3He) lung morphometry MRI was performed on a total of five healthy subjects. Two subjects received duplicate imaging on the same day and three subjects received duplicate imaging after a 4-month or 27-month delay to assess reproducibility. Four subjects repeated the measurement during the same session with different diffusion-sensitizing gradient directions to determine the effect on the parameter estimates. Results The 3He lung morphometry measurements were reproducible over the short term and long term (e.g., % coefficient of variation [CV] of mean chord length, Lm = 2.1% and 2.9%, respectively) and across different diffusion gradient directions (Lm % CV = 2.6%). Results also show independence of field inhomogeneity effects at 1.5T. Conclusion 3He lung morphometry is a reproducible technique for measuring acinar microstructure and is effectively independent of the choice of diffusion gradient direction. This provides confidence for the use of this technique to compare populations and treatment efficacy. Magn Reson Med 73:1252–1257, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regulation of pap pilin phase variation by a mechanism involving differential dam methylation states.

Abstract Transcription of the pap pilin (papA) gene in Escherichia coli is subject to control by a heritable phase variation mechanism in which alternation between transcriptionally active (phase on) and inactive (phase off) states occurs. Our results suggest that phase switching occurs without DNA rearrangement of pap DNA sequences, distinguishing this system from those described for E. coli type 1 pili and Salmonella flagellar phase variation. Analysis of the regulatory region upstream of papA in DNAs isolated from phase off and phase on cell populations showed that two deoxyadenosine methylase (Dam) sites, GATC1028 and GATC1130, were present. Southern blot analysis of MboI and DpnI restriction digests of DNAs showed that the GATC1028 site was unmethylated only in DNA isolated from phase on populations. Conversely, GATC1130 sites were unmethylated in DNA isolated from phase off populations. The presence of unmethylated GATC sites in E. coli is unusual and to our knowledge has not been previously reported. These results suggest that the methylation states of GATC1028 and GATC1130 may regulate pap transcription. Consistent with this hypothesis, Dam methylase levels affected the regulation of pap transcription; papA transcription was absent in dam- E. coli. Moreover, transition from the phase off to phase on state was not observed in E. coli expressing aberrantly high levels of Dam. A basic model is presented which outlines a possible mechanism by which alternation between phase off and phase on methylation states could occur.
OR16 IVIG Infusions deplete donor-specific HLA antibodies in lung transplant recipients: A single-center experience

Aim Donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSA) have been implicated in the development of antibody (Ab)-mediated rejection, acute cellular rejection, and bronchiolitis obliterans after lung transplant (LTx). We evaluated the prevalence of HLA Abs in LTx recipients and studied the impact of IVIG infusions on DSAs. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 86 consecutive LTx done at our institution between Jan 2013 and Dec 2014. HLA Abs were determined using Luminex single antigen beads on quarterly pre-tx sera and post-tx sera collected at week 2, monthly for 3 months (mos), and quarterly thereafter. A pre-tx auto-crossmatch (auto-xM) and donor-specific retrospective xM (allo-xM) were performed using flow cytometry methods. Results In this cohort (mean age 57.1 ± 10.5 yrs; HLA mismatch 7 ± 2/10), 52 were male. Forty-two percent (36/86) had pre-tx HLA Abs: 25 had 1–39% CPRA, 6 had 40–59% CPRA, and 5 had 60–99% CPRA. Donor-specific T cell allo-xM was −ve for all pts, but B cell allo-xM was +ve in 14 pts with no DSA. All 14 patients were also positive for B cell auto-xM. Post-tx mean follow-up was 8 mos (range, 1–22 mos). Nine pts (10%) had weak DSA pre-tx that persisted post-tx. Nineteen pts (22%) developed de novo DSA within 1–6 mos: 6 had class I DSA only, 7 had class II DSA only, and 6 had both class I and II DSAs. Among 19 de novo DSA producers, 14 (73.7%) were male and had pre-tx CPRA 1–39%. Most (63%) de novo DSAs were HLA-DQ specific. A subset of 9 pts (4 with pre-tx DSA and 5 with de novo DSA) were treated with IVIG. At the time of this analysis, 7 (78%) treated pts had lost their DSA (Figure), and 3 pts (33%) further lost non-DSAs. Six-month patient and graft survival for IVIG treated group was 100%. Conclusions De novo DSA production is prevalent after LTx. IVIG infusion effectively depletes DSA in LTx recipients. Long term follow up studies with more patients are needed to better understand the specificity, dynamics and pathogenicity of DSAs and their response to IVIG infusions, which will provide insights to improve graft survival. Download : Download full-size image
Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at increasing female students’ interest in science and science-related careers. This study examined the effectiveness of InSTEP on 123 female students’ pre-assessment and post-assessment changes in attitudes toward science and content knowledge of selected science concepts. An attitude survey, a science content test with multiple-choice questions, written assignments, and interviews to collect data were all used to measure students’ attitudes and content knowledge. A within-group, repeated measure design was conducted, and the results indicated that at the post-intervention level, InSTEP increased the participants’ positive attitudes toward science, science-related careers, and content knowledge of selected science concepts.
Periodic Variables and Gyrochronology in the Open Cluster NGC 2301

We present the results of a search for periodic variables within 4078 time-series light curves and an analysis of the period-color plane for stars in the field of the open cluster NGC 2301. One hundred thirty-eight periodic variables were discovered, of which five are eclipsing binary candidates with unequal minima. The remaining 133 periodic variables appear to consist mainly of late-type stars whose variation is due to rotation modulated by star spot activity. The determined periods range from less than a day to over 14 days and have nearly unreddened B - R colors in the range of 0.8 to 2.8. The Barnes (2003) interpretation of the period-color plane of late type stars is tested with our data. Our data did not show distinct I and C sequences, likely due to nonmember field stars contaminating in the background, as we estimate the total contamination to be 43%. Using different assumptions, the gyrochronological age of the cluster is calculated to be 210 ± 25 Myr, which falls in the range of age values (164-250 Myr) determined by previous studies. Finally, we present evidence which nullifies the earlier suggestion that two of the variable stars in NGC 2301 might be white dwarfs.
NUCLEIC ACID ECONOMY IN BACTERIA INFECTED WITH BACTERIOPHAGE T2 II. PHAGE PRECURSOR NUCLEIC. ACID

1. During the first 10 minutes of viral growth following infection of E. coli by phage T2 in broth, a pool of DNA is built up that contains phosphorus later to be incorporated into phage. This pool receives phosphorus from, but does not contain, the bacterial DNA. 2. After 10 minutes, DNA synthesis and phage maturation keep pace in such a way that the amount of precursor DNA increases moderately for a time and then remains constant. 3. The pool so described is defined in terms of the kinetics of transport of phosphorus from its origins in the culture medium, the bacterial DNA, and the DNA of the parental phage, to the viral progeny. The most interesting parameter of this system is the size of the precursor pool, which measures 10–9 to 2 x 10–9 µg. DNA-P (50 to 100 phage particle equivalents) per bacterium. 4. Neither the precursor nor the intracellular phage population exchanges phosphorus with the phosphate in the medium. More interestingly, the phosphorus in mature phage does not exchange with phosphorus in the precursor, showing that maturation is an irreversible process. 5. Maturation is also a remarkably efficient process. About 90 per cent of labeled phosphorus introduced early into the precursor pool is later incorporated into phage. 6. Viral DNA is synthesized at the rate of about 1.5 x 10–10 µg. DNA-P (7 or 8 phage particles) per bacterium per minute. This is somewhat faster than bacterial DNA is formed, but considerably slower than RNA is formed, in uninfected bacteria. 7. The transport of phosphorus from medium to viral precursor DNA takes an average of 8 or 9 minutes, and from precursor to phage an additional 7 or 8 minutes. 8. Metabolically active RNA has been detected in infected bacteria.
Pain assessment methods in mechanical dysfunction

This paper considers the reliability and validity of pain assessment methods in mechanical dysfunction. A distinction is drawn between measures of subjective report and those of pain behaviour. The latter is observable and therefore more amenable to direct study than subjective report. Measures of subjective report include rating scales, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and diary cards. Consideration is also given to personality assessment in this context. It is concluded that measurement needs to proceed from a number of standpoints, with the importance of each of these dependent upon the context. For chronic pain, emphasis on pain behaviours is appropriate.
An Analysis of the Warm-Season Diurnal Cycle over the Continental United States and Northern Mexico in General Circulation Models

Abstract The diurnal cycle of warm-season rainfall over the continental United States and northern Mexico is analyzed in three global atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) from NCEP, GFDL, and the NASA Global Modeling Assimilation Office (GMAO). The results for each model are based on an ensemble of five summer simulations forced with climatological sea surface temperatures. Although the overall patterns of time-mean (summer) rainfall and low-level winds are reasonably well simulated, all three models exhibit substantial regional deficiencies that appear to be related to problems with the diurnal cycle. Especially prominent are the discrepancies in the diurnal cycle of precipitation over the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and adjacent Great Plains, including the failure to adequately capture the observed nocturnal peak. Moreover, the observed late afternoon–early evening eastward propagation of convection from the mountains into the Great Plains is not adequately simulated, contributing to...
Hot spot conditions during cavitation in water

Liquids irradiated with high-intensity ultrasound undergo acoustic cavitation--the formation, growth, and implosive collapse of bubbles. The energy stored during the growth of the bubble in the rarefaction phase of the acoustic field is released when the bubble violently collapses in the compression phase of the acoustic field, as acoustic noise, shock waves, chemical reactions, and the emission of light (sonoluminescence, SL). This violent collapse is predicted to generate a hot spot of thousands of Kelvin within the bubble, but, to date, there have been only a limited number of experimental measurements of the temperature of this hot spot. Although the SL of water has been studied for more than 50 years, the effective hot spot temperature during aqueous cavitation remains unresolved. Given the importance of aqueous cavitation (sonography and bioeffects of ultrasound, sonochemical remediation of aqueous pollutants, synthetic applications of sonochemistry, etc.), the authors decided to apply previous spectroscopic analysis of SL of nonaqueous liquids to aqueous solutions doped with small amounts of hydrocarbons. The authors have collected and analyzed excited-state C{sub 2} NBSL (multi-bubble sonoluminescence, light emission from the clouds of cavitating bubbles) spectra from mixtures of organic liquids in water at 20 kHz and find an effective emissionmore » temperature of 4,300 {+-} 200 K.« less
Direct fluorescence measurement of diffusional water permeability in the vasopressin-sensitive kidney collecting tubule

A fluorescence method has been developed for accurate and instantaneous measurement of transepithelial diffusional water permeability (Pd) in perfused kidney tubules based on the sensitivity of the fluorophore aminonapthelane trisulfonic acid (ANTS) to solution H2O/D2O content. The fluorescence of ANTS was 3.2-fold lower in an H2O buffer than in a D2O buffer. The response of ANTS fluorescence to a change in solution H2O/D2O content occurred in less than 1 ms and was due to a collisional quenching mechanism. Isolated cortical (CCT) and outer medullary (OMCT) collecting tubules from rabbit were perfused with an isosmotic D2O buffer at specified lumen flow rates (2-100 nl/min); tubules were bathed in isosmotic H2O or D2O buffers in which vasopressin (VP) could be added rapidly. Lumen fluorescence was monitored by quantitative epifluorescence microscopy at 380 +/- 5 nm excitation and greater than 530 emission wavelengths. Pd was determined from tubule geometry, lumen flow, ANTS fluorescence, and ANTS fluorescence vs. H2O/D2O calibration relation. The instrument response time for a change in bath H2O/D2O content was less than 4 s. At 37 degrees C, Pd values (mean +/- SE in cm/s x 10(4] were 6.4 +/- 1.0 (-VP, n = 9) and 14.3 +/- 1.1 (+250 microU/ml bath VP, n = 9) in the CCT, and 5.8 +/- 1.0 (-VP, n = 6) and 15.3 +/- 2.0 (+VP, n = 6) in the OMCT; at 23 degrees C, Pd was 5.1 +/- 0.6 (-VP, n = 4) and 7.8 +/- 0.6 (+VP, n = 4) in the CCT. In response to rapid addition of 250 micro U/ml vasopressin to the bath, CCT Pd remained unchanged for 71 +/- l0s (n = 9, 37 degree C) and 170 +/- 45 s (n = 4, 23 degree C); this was followed by a slow increase in Pd(TI/2 = 91 +/- 17 s, 37 degree C; 119 +/- 31 s, 23 degree C) to the new steady-state value. These results provide a new approach for study of transepithelial water transport in kidney tubules. Compared with 3H20 methods, the fluorescence method is superior in technical simplicity, time resolution, and accuracy. The improved time resolution is important for examination of the pre-steady-state kinetics of vasopressin-induced signalling events resulting in the hydroosmotic response.
Luminance, contrast and spatial-frequency tuning of the transient-vergence system

Abstract Vergence has transient components that are stimulated by brief presentations of stimuli at large disparities (up to several degrees). The question that we have addressed is what stimulus features are encoded by this system. A competition paradigm [Jones & Kerr, (1972). Vision Research, 12, 1425–1430) was used in which three gabors were presented. A single Gabor was presented to the fovea of one eye and two gabors, 2.5 deg to either side of the fovea, to the other; one of which, when paired with the single Gabor defined a convergent direction, the other a divergent direction. When these Gabors are identical, observers have a tendency to respond in one particular direction. First we determined if increasing the luminance contrast of the Gabor pair whose disparity was opposite to the observer's response-bias direction (variable-contrast pair) relative to the remaining Gabor (reference) could alter the observer's response direction. Secondly, we determined if the contrast required for such a change in response was affected by the relative spatial frequency of the convergent and divergent Gabors. The reference Gabor was held at 2 cpd and the variable Gabor pair was varied between 5.6 and 0 (a gaussian) cpd. Results demonstrated that increasing the luminance contrast of the variable pair relative to the reference Gabor could alter the observer's response direction, even when the contrast of only one of the variable-pair Gabors was increased. The luminance contrast required for this change to occur was directly related to the spatial frequency of the variable pair over the entire frequency range tested. Vergence responses were preferentially made to lower spatial frequencies, even when a low spatial frequency was paired with a high one. We conclude that transient-vergence responses are not reduced by mixed contrasts (i.e. no contrast-paradox effect) and appear to be mediated by a system that employs a single lowpass sensitive channel.