cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combining multiple positive training sets to generate confidence scores for protein–protein interactions

Motivation: High-throughput experimental and computational methods are generating a wealth of protein–protein interaction data for a variety of organisms. However, data produced by current state-of-the-art methods include many false positives, which can hinder the analyses needed to derive biological insights. One way to address this problem is to assign confidence scores that reflect the reliability and biological significance of each interaction. Most previously described scoring methods use a set of likely true positives to train a model to score all interactions in a dataset. A single positive training set, however, may be biased and not representative of true interaction space. Results: We demonstrate a method to score protein interactions by utilizing multiple independent sets of training positives to reduce the potential bias inherent in using a single training set. We used a set of benchmark yeast protein interactions to show that our approach outperforms other scoring methods. Our approach can also score interactions across data types, which makes it more widely applicable than many previously proposed methods. We applied the method to protein interaction data from both Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens. Independent evaluations show that the resulting confidence scores accurately reflect the biological significance of the interactions. Contact: rfinley@wayne.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Online.
Professional Orientation, Associational Membership, and Teacher Militancy

Using work orientation and organizational membership as critical variables, the author developed a model to explain teacher militancy. It was hypothesized that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) members would be more professionally oriented than the National Education Association (NEA) members; furthermore, that the more professionally oriented teachers would be more alienated, would have more frequent conflict with the administration of the school system, and would be more militant. The findings supported these hypotheses. However, within the work orientation categories there were some unanticipated findings. For AFT members, the “Professionally Oriented” members were the more alienated, had more frequent conflicts with the administration, and were more militant. For NEA members, the “Job Bureaucrats,” and not the “Professionally Oriented,” were found to be more alienated, to have more frequent conflicts with the administration, and to be more militant. The data suggest that AFT and NEA members hold quite different definitions of professionalism and of the appropriate role of the public school teacher.
Heterogeneous institutional investors and CEO compensation

This paper examines the relationship between institutional ownership and executive compensation by taking into account the heterogeneity of institutional investors. The paper finds that ownership by transient institutional investors, who have short investment horizons and active trading, is positively related to the performance sensitivity of option grants for CEOs. However, no significant relationship holds for other types of institutions, including those dedicated institutional investors, who have longer horizon and concentrated holdings. Further tests suggest that the positive relationship between transient institutional ownership and the CEO pay-for-performance sensitivity is not driven by the trading behavior of transient institutional investors when stock performance is good. Instead, the paper documents preference of transient institutional investors for greater performance sensitivity of option grants for CEOs. After using an instrument approach to control for preference and endogeneity, transient institutional ownership is no longer significantly related to the CEO pay-for-performance sensitivity. Additionally, the paper does not find dedicated institutional investors serve a monitoring role in correcting overcompensation paid to CEOs. After controlling for preference and endogeneity, neither the level of salary nor the level of total direct compensation for CEOs is significantly related to dedicated institutional ownership. The findings suggest that on average the influence of institutional investors on CEO compensation occurs indirectly through their preference in line with their different investment types.
X Window implementation of Petri net based animation for FMS

The authors describe a software package which can model and analyze the performance of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) cell based on Petri net theory. Using X Window graphical interface and animation, this software package allows modeling and analysis to be visualized and makes it easy to understand and manipulate. It lets a user draw the factory layout of an arbitrary FMS cell on the screen using the tools supplied. A corresponding Petri net model can also be drawn on the screen. It can display the animated overall operating process of the FMS corresponding to the Petri net model. By experimenting with different inputs and comparing the output in a timed period, a user can quickly determine how to improve the efficiency, reduce the cost, and pin down the bottleneck. >
Wet-Chemical Treatment of Si3 N 4 Surfaces Studied Using Infrared Attenuated Total Reflection Spectroscopy

Infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy has been used to observe the surface chemistry of Si 3 N 4 films (grown on Si by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition) under steady-state conditions during exposure to dilute aqueous HF solutions. Surfaces etched in HF do not exhibit rapid growth of an SiO 2 layer when subsequently exposed to either humid room air at room temperature or to liquid H 2 O. However, some evidence is found for the formation of an ultrathin oxide-like layer when the etched surface is rinsed in deionized H 2 O. Removal of this layer in HF results in no detectable signal in the Si-H stretching region, unlike the case for Si subjected to a similar oxide-removal treatment. The presence of SiOH groups has been detected by observing their removal by reaction with aqueous acetic acid or HCl solutions, which suggests that SiH x groups are rapidly hydrolyzed. An attempt was made to detect surface NH x groups by protonation in aqueous acid to form NH + x + 1 , which should be more readily observable in the infrared spectrum. However, the surface coverage of NH x , if any, is too small to be detected by this means.
Purification, characterization, and identification of a sphingomyelin synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PlcH is a multifunctional enzyme.

Sphingomyelin synthase is the enzyme that synthesizes sphingomyelin (SM) in mammalian cells by transferring a phosphorylcholine moiety from phosphatidylcholine to ceramide. Despite its importance, the gene and/or the protein responsible for this activity has not yet been identified. Here we report the purification, identification, and biochemical characterization of an enzymatic activity that synthesizes SM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SM synthase-like activity was found secreted in the culture medium of P. aeruginosa, strains PA01 and PAK, whereas it could not be detected in cultures of Escherichia coli. From the medium of PAK cultures, SM synthase was purified through sequential chromatographic columns. After separation on polyacrylamide-SDS gels and visualization by silver staining, the purified enzyme showed two bands, one of ∼75 kDa and one of 30–35 kDa. Interestingly, the highly purified SM synthase preparation also showed neutral sphingomyelinase activity. We therefore investigated whether the protein we purified as SM synthase could actually be the previously identified PlcH, a 78-kDa phospholipase C known to hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine and SM in P. aeruginosa. First, the purified SM synthase preparation contained a 78-kDa protein that reacted with monoclonal antibodies raised against purified PlcH. Second, purified PlcH showed SM synthase activity. Third, using different knockout mutant strains for the PlcH operon, PlcH was found to be necessary for SM synthase activity in P. aeruginosa. Interestingly, SM synthase activity was specific to the Pseudomonas PlcH as other bacterial phospholipases did not display SM synthase activity. Biochemical studies on the Pseudomonas SM synthase confirmed that it is a transferase, similar to the mammalian enzyme, that specifically recognizes the choline head-group and the primary hydroxyl on ceramide. This SM synthase did not have reverse transferase activity. In conclusion, the Pseudomonas PlcH also exerts SM synthase activity; therefore, for the first time, we have identified a structural gene for a SM synthase.
Impact Of Stock Options On Quarterly EPS: A Proposal For Change

The purpose of this paper is to: 1) explore the annual and quarterly economic impact of FAS 123 on a group of SP 2) propose changes in the measurement and disclosure rules of FAS 123; and 3) determine the annual and quarterly economic impact of these proposed changes on the same group of S&P 100 firms. While both FAS 123 and dynamic option expense measurement approaches have material economic impact and reduce the EPS amounts reported under APBO 25 rules approximately 16 percent or more, no statistically significant differences are found between the results of these two approaches in any year 2000 quarters. However, when the sample is split into two groups based on negative and positive quarterly returns, the differences between the results of the two methods are statistically significant for seven of eight quarterly observations. Compared to the static (FAS 123) measurement approach, the dynamic (quarterly recalculated) approach results in lower option expenses and higher EPS values for firms with declining stock prices and higher option expenses and lower EPS values for firms with increasing stock prices. Thus, the dynamic measurement approach proposed in this paper more faithfully represents the economic reality of individual firms.
Community coding

We introduce community coding, where information systems meet social networks. Community coding is an emerging field of social computation and coding theory, which provides a method of aggregating resources from a community to maximize the sum of their utilities by allowing the community members to coordinate their contributions of resources. Community coding can be classified into two categories: (a) coding based on collective knowledge over aggregated community sources to maximize the efficiency; (b) coding based on collective contributory resources over aggregated community sources to minimize the possibility of the disruption of services. The ultimate objective is to harness and unleash the power of a community to better perform some tasks that one individual is not able to accomplish efficiently and effectively. We illustrate the principles and notions of community coding by real-life system examples.
A New Algorithm for Measuring and Optimizing the Manipulability Index

The estimation of the performance characteristics of robot manipulators is crucial in robot application and design. Furthermore, studying the manipulability index for every point within the workspa...
Behavior of reoccurring PARAFAC components in fluorescent dissolved organic matter in natural and engineered systems: a critical review.

Fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) has been widely used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM). Characterization is based on the intensity and location of independent fluorescent components identified in models constructed from excitation–emission matrices (EEMs). Similar fluorescent components have been identified in PARAFAC studies across a wide range of systems; however, there is a lack of discussion regarding the consistency with which these similar components behave. The overall goal of this critical review is to compare results for PARAFAC studies published since the year 2000 which include one or more of three reoccurring humic-like components. Components are compared and characterized based on EEM location, characteristic ecosystems, and behavior in natural and engineered systems. This synthesis allows PARAFAC users to more confidently infer DOM characteristics based on identified components. Additionally, behavioral inconsistencies between similar co...
TEACHERS' BASE PAY, STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO AND PER-STUDENT EXPENDITURES AS PREDICTORS OF COMMUNITIES' AVERAGE SATISFACTION WITH LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS

Summary.-Ln an analysis of 15 rural and urban communities in the Midwest, nonsignificant relationships were found between parental satisfaction with the local school system and three presumed measures of educational quality or financing, including teachers' base pay, student/teacher ratio, and per student expenditure. Implications for the support of public education are briefly discussed. Recently, at least some scholars (4, p. 55) have described their view of public education in terms of ". . . the collapse of educational standards in the public schools . . ." while commenting at the same time that many parents are choosing to send their children to private schools or even schooling them at home to ensure that their children obtain an education consonant with the parents' value systems. Amidst the controversy of how to reverse the decline in the quality of public education perceived by many, appeals are often made for better pay, better facilities and equipment, and for smaller student/ceacher ratios. The purpose of the following study was to conduct a secondary analysis of available data to assess the relationship between such factors and mean scores for fathers and mothers of adolescent children on their satisfaction with the local public school system. It was expected that average satisfaction scores for parents would correlate positively with the three community-level variables of teachers' base pay, per student expenditure, and studentlteacher ratio. Data were available from 15 rural and urban communities on 1975 studentlteacher ratios. teachers' base pay, and per student expenditure. In those same communities surveys were conducted, during the 1977-1978 academic year, on local quality of life factors, including satisfaction with local school system. The surveys were part of the larger NC 128 study, "Quality of Life and Area of Residence," supported and sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture. Rural communities surveyed included Paxton, Unois; Tipton, Indiana; Neodesha, Kansas; Montevideo, Minnesota; West Rains, Missouri; Logan, Ohio; and Auburn, Nebraska. Urban communities surveyed included Decatur, Illinois; Anderson, Indiana; Wichita, Kansas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Springfield, Missouri; Reno/Sparks, Nevada; Dayton, Ohio; and Omaha, Nebraska. Additional data on the characteristics of these communities and their respondents are available (3) but the rural communities ranged in size from 3395 (Neodesha) to 7166 West Plains) while the urban communities ranged from populations of 69,486 (Anderson) to 378,112 (Minneapolis).
A Geostatistical Approach for Improved Prediction of Traffic Volume in Urban Area

As inaccurate traffic volume prediction may result in inadequate transportation planning and design, traffic volume prediction based on traffic volume data is very important in spatial decision making processes such as transportation planning and operation. In order to improve the accuracy of traffic volume prediction, recent studies are using the geostatistical approach called kriging and according to their reports, the method shows high predictability compared to conventional methods. Thus, this study estimated traffic volume data for St. Louis in the State of Missouri, USA using the kriging method, and tested its accuracy by comparing the estimates with actual measurements. In addition, we suggested a new method for enhancing the accuracy of prediction by the kriging method. In the new method, we estimated traffic volume data: first, by applying anisotropy, which is a characteristic of traffic volume data appearing in determining variogram factors; and second, by performing co-kriging analysis using interstate highway, which is in a high spatial correlation with traffic volume data, as a secondary variable. According to the results of the analysis, the analysis applying anisotropy showed higher accuracy than the kriging method, and co-kriging performed on the application of anisotropy produced the most accurate estimates.
Factors associated with antihypertensive prescribing.

OBJECTIF: L'hypertension constitue un facteur de risque majeur de maladie coronarienne et cerebrovasculaire et un probleme de sante non negligeable en Amerique. Cette etude avait pour objectif d'investiguer les facteurs associes aux approches therapeutiques de l'hypertension. POPULATION: Les auteurs ont utilise les visites medicales enregistrees dans le sondage national sur les soins medicaux ambulatoires (National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys: NAMCS) au cours des annees 1989, 1990, et 1991. METHODES: La regression lineaire multivariee a ete utilisee pour indentifier les caracteristiques de l'utilisation des soins de sante associees a la ordonnance d'antihypertenseurs lors de la visite. De plus, les auteurs ont evalue l'association entre les visites et le recours a la therapie combinee. RESULTATS: Pour chacune des trois annees observees, 69-75% des rencontres etaient associes a une ordonnance d'antihypertenseur. Les donnees recueillies confirment la tendance decrite dans la litterature demontrant une diminution de l'utilisation des diuretiques et des β-bloqueurs et une augmentation de l'utilisation des bloqueurs du canal calcique. Les auteurs ont note une diminution du recours a la therapie combinee, exprimee en pourcentage des ordonnances entre 1990 et 1991. Les variables associees a une ordonnance d'antihypertenseurs ont regroupe les caracteristiques predisposantes (âge superieur a 65 ans), les caracteristiques du besoin (presence du diagnostic d'insuffisance cardiaque) et les caracteristiques de l'utilisation des soins de sante (specialite du medecin, diagnostic anterieur d'hypertension). Les variables les plus significatives associees a la therapie combinee etaient les caracteristiques predisposantes (âge superieur a 65 ans), besoins (presence d'un diagnostic d'insuffisance cardiaque, presence d'un diagnostic d'hypertension avec atteinte des organes cibles), et les caracteristiques de l'utilisation des soins de sante (specialite medicale). CONCLUSIONS: Cette evaluation nationale confirme les donnees regionales anterieures concernant les categories d'antihypertenseurs utilises. Les consultations chez les cardiologues, les patients portant plusieurs diagnostics et les patients âges de plus de 65 ans sont plus susceptibles de recevoir un traitement combine.
The Distribution of Prostate Specific Antigen in Men Without Clinical or Pathological Evidence of Prostate Cancer: Relationship to Gland Volume and Age

AbstractWe estimated the in vivo prostate gland volume in 408 men (320 without clinical evidence of prostate cancer, and 88 with an abnormal digital rectal examination and/or transrectal prostate ultrasound and negative biopsies) using sequential step-section ultrasound analysis and correlated it to the serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) value. Of the men 331 (81.1%) had a PSA value of 4 ng./ml. or less. The PSA value was greater than 4 but less than or equal to 10 in 64 men (15.7%) and greater than 10 in 13 (3.2%). The men were subclassified by prostate gland volume at arbitrary break points. A total of 139 men (34.1%) had a gland of 25cm.3 or less, 2.2% of whom had a PSA value of greater than 4. Further analysis revealed that the incidence of a PSA value greater than 4 increased as the prostate volume increased (18.4% for greater than 25 but less than or equal to 50, and 65.4% for greater than 50) and as age increased. We found a statistically significant association between prostate gland volume and...
Clinical experiences with microwave thermal ablation of lung malignancies

Approximately 30% of early stage lung cancer patients are not surgical candidates due to medical co-morbidities, poor cardiopulmonary function and advanced age. These patients are traditionally offered chemotherapy and radiation, which have shown relatively modest improvements in mortality. For over a decade, percutaneous image-guided ablation has emerged as a safe, cost-effective, minimally invasive treatment alternative for patients who would otherwise not qualify for surgery. Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is currently the most extensively studied and widely utilised technique in the treatment of lung malignancies, there is a growing body of evidence that microwave ablation (MWA) has several unique benefits over RFA and cryoablation in the lung. This article reviews our institution's clinical experiences in the treatment of lung malignancies with MWA including patient selection, procedural technique, imaging follow-up, treatment outcomes and comparison of ablation techniques.
Henry Green’s Particular Visionary Gerunds

Much of the serious comic fiction written between the two world wars, like that of Aldous Huxley or Evelyn Waugh, depicts the contemporary world as a metallic construction of artifice and posture, a series of sharp edges without coherence or love. Consciously characterising what the authors regard as a wasteland, they create a valueless contemporary world and deepen the comedy with a frenetic, futile search for value and stability. Values echo from a recalled or imagined past, but such recall, like Tony Last’s country house in A Handful of Dust, only magnifies the impossibility of recovery and the comically seen difference between a stable past and the chaotic, vacant present. Transformation is possible in the fiction of Huxley and Waugh, particularly in their later work, but is only achieved through altered states of human consciousness or reassertions of old religions, through attitudes or institutions seen as unlikely to influence the contemporary social world. Henry Green’s fiction, in contrast, is silent about the values of the contemporary world, and his comically rendered depictions depend little on an historical version of experience that can substantiate theories of decline. They suggest no transformations, however unlikely. Waugh’s Tony Last ends bitterly, reading the irrelevancies of Dickens to uncomprehending natives in the Brazilian jungle.
Gastrointestinale Harnsäureausscheidung: Rolle der Parotisdrüse

Harnsaure ist das Endprodukt des Purinstoffwechsels im menschlichen Organismus. Beim Gesunden entstehen taglich etwa 800 mg, davon werden 2/3 durch die Nieren ausgeschieden. Der Rest, 250–300 mg, gelangt mit den Verdauungssekreten in den Dunndarm und wird nicht wieder aufgenommen, sondern im Kolon durch Bakterien weiter abgebaut [1, 2]. Obwohl Harnsaure in Speichel, Magensaftund Galle nachgewiesen wurde, ist uber diesen zweiten Ausscheidungsweg noch wenig bekannt, besonders uber den Transfermechanismus fur dieses Molekul durch gastrointestinale Epithelien und seine Beeinflusbarkeit durch Medikamente sowie uber die Bedeutung der extrarenalen Ausscheidung fur die Urathomoostase bei Gesunden und hyperurikamischen Patienten.
A hybrid key management scheme for healthcare sensor networks

Recent research in the performance of public key algorithms, such as Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), have illustrated upon their practical applicability in sensor networks. With this research, we are proposing an optimization to one of the most critical operations in Public Key Cryptography (PKC)-authentication of the public key. Here, we provide a framework that proposes a resource-efficient, lightweight and scalable key management scheme for the network under consideration. The proposed scheme uses a one-way hash function to construct a hash tree (Merkle Tree) as an alternative to traditional public key authentication techniques. Security and privacy are two foundational pillars in the design of electronic health systems, with users demanding high confidentiality of their personal data. Without the right infrastructure it is difficult to secure the ecosystem of wearable devices. We envision that by harnessing the performance capabilities of traditional symmetric-key algorithms coupled with the inherent benefits of the PKC architecture, the proposed scheme will provide a more robust and efficient security solution for e-Health driven applications.
Combined EphB2 receptor knockdown with radiation decreases cell viability and invasion in medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is one of the most common types of pediatric brain tumor characterized by the subpopulation of cells that exhibit high invasive potential and radioresistant properties. In addition, dysregulated function and signaling by Eph family of receptors have been shown to impart pro-tumorigenic characteristics in this brain malignancy. In the current study, we investigated whether EphB2 knockdown in combination with radiation can alter invasiveness and decrease medulloblastoma tumor growth or viability in vitro. The expression of EphB2 receptor was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Microarray analysis and mRNA analysis was performed on medulloblastoma patient datasets and compared to the normal cerebellum. The radiosensitization effect following EphB2 knockdown was determined by clonogenic assay in human medulloblastoma cells. Effects of EphB2-siRNA in absence or presence of radiation on cell cycle distribution, cell viability, and invasion were analyzed by flow cytometry, MTT assay, trypan blue exclusion assay, xcelligence system, and Western blotting. We observed that EphB2 is expressed in both medulloblastoma cell lines and patient samples and its downregulation sensitized these cells to radiation as evident by decreased clonogenic survival fractions. EphB2 expression was also high across different medulloblastoma subgroups compared to normal cerebellum. The radiosensitization effect observed following EphB2 knockdown was in part mediated by enhanced G2/M cell cycle arrest. We also found that the combined approach of EphB2 knockdown and radiation exposure significantly reduced overall cell viability in medulloblastoma cells compared to control groups. Similar results were obtained in the xcelligence-based invasion assay. Western blot analysis also demonstrated changes in the protein expression of cell proliferation, cell survival, and invasion molecules in the combination group versus others. Overall, our findings indicate that specific targeting of EphB2 receptor in combination with radiation may serve as an effective therapeutic strategy in medulloblastoma. Future studies are warranted to test the efficacy of this approach in in vivo preclinical models.
Thinking Strategically About Communication

This note offers a four-step framework for writing business letters, reports, and proposals. It advises the writer to consider purpose, audience, channel, and message structure when drafting managerial communications, and offers effective strategies for dealing with common communication challenges.
Construction Planning in South East Asia

Successful construction operations in Southeast Asia require comprehensive, flexible plans based upon the best possible information. A section or purpose and scope describes the general operating environment of Southeast Asia to include geography, business system and weather. Another section describes preplanning considerations to include sources of local expertise, the metric system, and various communication systems. A section on manpower describes the various aspects of both the local and foreign labor markets. Project supervision is also reviewed. Other sections review some aspects of equipment selection, power supplies, and equipment maintenance, and the proper selection, storage and uses of materials. The last section describes the various construction methods and management tools peculiar to construction in Southeast Asia.
Building Dignified Worlds: Geographies of Collective Action, by Gerda Roelvink

In Building Dignified Worlds, Gerda Roelvink explores from a post-structuralist geographer’s lens how research does and could inform alternative forms of collective action taken by people at the gr...
Estimating Error Covariance and Correlation Region in UV Irradiance Data Fusion by Combining TOMS-OMI and UVMRP Ground Observations

Surface ultraviolet (UV) observations can be obtained from satellite or ground observations. This paper uses one data fusion technique (similar to Kalman filter) to combine the advantages from both sources of observations, aiming at achieving a better estimate of surface UV. In this paper, new mathematical methods and algorithms were developed to estimate the error covariance and correlation region, which are the most important components in this data fusion technique. This technique was applied to the satellite data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)-Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) combined with ground measurements from UV-B Monitoring and Research Program (UVMRP) within the region of continental U.S. from 2005 to 2015. Numerical experiments showed that the technique is effective, and TOMS-OMI data were improved by combining UVMRP data. In addition, the innovative ensemble-based method is generic and can be applied to other fields for data fusion/assimilation.
Abstract 19738: Biomarkers of Exposures and Cardiovascular Toxicity of Smokeless Tobacco Products

Eight million people in the United States use smokeless tobacco products (ST). Epidemiological studies on ST and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are contradictory and non-conclusive. While some studie...
Examination of gene repertoires and physiological responses to iron and light limitation in Southern Ocean diatoms

Diatoms play a fundamental role at the base of the polar marine food web. In the Southern Ocean, low iron concentrations and light levels control diatom abundance and distribution. Diatoms must therefore employ strategies that allow them to cope when iron and/or light availability is growth limiting. Through a combination of physiological and molecular-based approaches, we have investigated the physiological response to variable iron concentrations and light levels along with the expressed gene repertoires of nine newly isolated diatoms from the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) region of the Southern Ocean. The diatoms ranged across five orders of magnitude in biovolume and displayed various degrees of susceptibility to low iron and light availability. Under the performed laboratory culture conditions, the growth rates of most diatoms decreased more due to low light level rather than low iron concentrations. Additionally, most diatoms were not subject to further reductions in growth rates when grown under combined low-light and iron-limiting conditions, indicating they are less likely to be co-limited by an additive effect. By sequencing the transcriptomes of these diatoms, we identified genes that likely facilitate their growth under variable iron and light conditions commonly present in the Southern Ocean. Specifically, we investigated the presence of 20 key genes involved in iron acquisition and homeostasis, iron usage in photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation, and protection from reactive oxygen species. When comparing gene repertoires of recently sequenced transcriptomes of diatoms isolated from around the globe, the prevalence of certain genes exhibited biogeographical patterns that clearly distinguish Southern Ocean diatoms from those isolated from other regions.
Membrane Potential Is Required for MurJ Function

MurJ, the flippase that exports the bacterial cell wall monomer Lipid II to the periplasm, is a target for new antibiotics, which are desperately needed to treat Gram-negative infections. Quantitative methods to monitor MurJ activity are required to characterize inhibitors but are challenging to develop because the lipid-linked substrate is not chemically altered in a flippase reaction. Here we show that MurJ inhibition can be quantified by measuring the accumulation of intracellular Lipid II using a biotin-tagging strategy. We have exploited this assay to show that MurJ is inhibited in the presence of a compound that dissipates the membrane potential. By probing cysteine accessibility we have found that under this condition MurJ relaxes into an inactive, outward-facing conformation reminiscent of that targeted by the peptide antibiotic LysM. We conclude that membrane potential is required for MurJ function in E. coli, and we anticipate that the ability to accumulate this inactive conformation will lead t...
Transformer-DARwIn: A miniature humanoid for potential robot companion

Robot companionship has become more popular in past years. However, humanoid gait might be somewhat unstable for these applications. Even with miniature humanoids, falls occur frequently. Thus, wheel attachments have been added onto a miniature humanoid, so it can move faster and with more stability than walking. In addition, with such attachments a robot can switch from walking to rolling when necessary. DARwIn-OP is a humanoid robot that has been used as an experimentation and performance evaluation platform. This paper discusses preliminary work regarding robot companionship applications by using a miniature humanoid capable of fetching different toys based on voice command.
Probable aflatoxin B1-induced alterations in Triticum SPP, CVS., Seedling Organ Elongations and 65Zn-ZnCl2 Uptake/Distribution

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites which are produced by both Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, two fungi which can grow upon a variety of agro-economic crops (Dashek and Llewellyn, 1982, 1983). Chemically, aflatoxins are bifuranocoumarins (Figure 1) which can be carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and toxic (Wogan, 1965). A variety of agricultural commodities including wheat (Table 1) can serve as substrates for natural contamination by aflatoxin-producing fungi (Goldblatt, 1969; Llewellyn et al. , 1987). In this connection, the results of investigations by Llewellyn and h is associates ( Llewelly net al. , 1982, 1984) suggest that plants exhibit Cultivar-dependent differences in aflatoxin 8: (AFB1 )-influence d uptake of Zn++, an ion required for in dole-3-acetic acid synthesis (Skoog, 1940). The latter is a naturally occurring hormone in plants required for both their growth and development.
Inverse Correlation between Lethality and Thermodynamic Stability of Contact Insecticide Polymorphs

Contact insecticides often involve the interaction of whole organisms and toxicant crystal surfaces. The crystalline phase of these compounds has not, however, been considered for the optimization of insecticide performance. Lindane (1R,2r,3S,4R,5r,6S-hexachlorocyclohexane) has been one of the most widely used insecticides, but other (inactive) stereoisomers accompanying its manufacture have led to massive chemical waste remediation problems. Crystalline polymorphs are also isomers in the broadest sense, yet only one crystal structure of lindane has been reported. Herein, we report the discovery and characterization of two new polymorphs, Forms II and III. The efficacy of Forms I, II, and III against Drosophila melanogaster revealed an inverse correlation between lethality and thermodynamic stability; the least stable kills fastest. This understanding provides a crystal engineering opportunity wherein formulations containing the most active contact insecticide polymorph can achieve infectious disease prop...
(217) Microglia-Like Cells Derived from Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells from Patients with Sickle Cell Disease as a Model System to Investigate Chronic Pain

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience severe acute pain episodes, and often progress to chronic pain. In patients with chronic pain, microglia are readily activated, stimulating neurons to send a pain signal; studying microglia may provide important insights into development of chronic pain. Human microglia are difficult to obtain; we proposed to culture microglia-like cells (MLC) from peripheral blood from three individuals from each of the following groups: patients with SCD and chronic pain (SCD CP+, defined as pain for more than 50% of days for at least 3 months), without chronic pain (SCD CP-), and blood donors (WT). When cultured with GM-CSF and IL-34, SCD ± CP and WT PBMCs developed microglial morphology, were CD11bhigh and CD45low by flow cytometry, CX3CR1+ by fluorescence microscopy, consistent with microglia. We treated our MLC with LPS, and found that treated MLC cells had significantly higher CD68 positivity compared to resting microglia cells, and significantly higher level of Iba1 positivity measured by immunofluorescence, indicating activation. MLC differed significantly depending on donor group. SCD CP+ had shorter and fewer branches than WT; branching of MLC from SCD CP- were intermediate in number and length. When treated with 100 ng/ml LPS, nearly 100% of MLC derived from patients with SCD CP+ became activated, compared to approximately 25% WT or SCD CP-. WT cells released 1098 ±136 pg/ml TNF-alpha, 84±18 pg/ml IL-1beta, and 121 ±23 pg/ml IL-10 in response to LPS stimulation; SCD CP- cells released 2959±410 pg/ml TNF-alpha, 209±55 pg/ml IL-1beta, and 401±50 pg/ml IL-10 in response to LPS stimulation. This data suggests that donor characteristics are retained by the MLC developed in culture. We propose to use this model system to derive mechanistic insights into the development of chronic pain in SCD, and to screen pharmacologic agents to treat and prevent chronic pain.
Open aortic surgery volume experience at a regionalized referral center and impact on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education trainees.

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to review our institute's open aortic surgery volume experience and its impact on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education trainees. Methods A review was conducted of the vascular surgery department's operative database for all cases that underwent aortic aneurysm repair, whether open aortic repair (OAR), endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), or fenestrated EVAR (FEVAR). We also reviewed our graduating trainees' case logs. In the setting of our regionalized referral center, all patients who underwent open or endovascular aortic intervention between 2010 and 2014 at our main campus were included. The total number of aortic procedures performed by our graduation trainees was determined. All aortic aneurysm interventions, both open and endovascular (both EVAR and FEVAR), were included. The main outcome measures were the total number of aortic interventions, any change in trends of intervention, and the total number of open aortic cases that our graduation trainees had. Results During the 5-year period analyzed, a total of 1389 abdominal aortic aneurysm repair procedures were performed by OAR, EVAR, and FEVAR. Of those, 462 were OARs, representing 33.2% of the total; 440 were EVARs, representing 31.6%; and 487 were FEVARs, representing 35.2%. For all OAR procedures, there was a significant increase in the proportion of these cases over time (P = .014). The total number of EVAR and FEVAR cases performed annually during this time did not change, whereas the number of OAR cases has increased. Of the OARs, 59.3% were performed for juxtarenal aneurysms, whereas 22.9% involved type IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. On average, graduating vascular surgery trainees performed 23.1 OARs before graduation (range, 19-26). Conclusions In contrast to the documented national trend of decreased OAR, our institute continues to see increased OAR relative to EVAR and FEVAR. Moreover, we theorized that the preservation of OAR volume in our program and other similar institutions might offer a practical solution to the challenge of addressing vascular surgery training in aortic surgery by OAR, EVAR, and FEVAR. Inclusive discussions at the national and international levels are needed to reach consensus regarding the future of vascular surgery training and key issues, such as additional, mandatory, subspecialized training in OAR and FEVAR for both residents and fellows who wish to receive certification in OAR; creation of centers of excellence for open aortic surgery that would centralize OAR and direct trainees to those centers for their needed training; and possibly development of new training strategies whereby single cases can be shared among trainees with alternating roles as exposure and closure vs repair.
Almost periodic solutions of Cohen–Grossberg neural networks with time-varying delay and variable impulsive perturbations

Abstract In this paper, we consider the problem of existence of almost periodic solutions of impulsive Cohen–Grossberg neural networks with time-varying delays. The impulses are not at fixed moments, but are realized when the integral curves of solutions meet given hypersurfaces, i.e., the investigated model is with variable impulsive perturbations. Sufficient conditions for perfect stability of almost periodic solutions are derived. The main results are obtained by employing the Lyapunov–Razumikhin method and a comparison principle. In addition, the obtained results are extended to the uncertain case, and robust stability of almost periodic solutions is also investigated. An example is considered to demonstrate the effectiveness of our results.
E-083 Coil migration following internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm obliteration

Introduction Carotid blowout syndrome (CBS) refers to the acute rupture of any segment of the common carotid artery, including both the external and extracranial internal carotid arteries (ICA). CBS often results in life threatening hemorrhage and acute upper airway obstruction. CBS is a well-known phenomenon in patients with head and neck cancer and typically occurs via direct extension of tumor into the arterial wall or iatrogenically during surgical manipulation. With a reported incidence of 4.3% following radical neck dissection and mortality rates as high as 60%, CBS must always be considered in any patient with head or neck cancer and acute hemorrhage in the oro- or nasopharynx of unknown origin. Accepted management strategies for CBS include open surgical ligation or endovascular treatment via parent vessel sacrifice or intraluminal stent placement. One of the more feared complications associated with endovascular parent vessel sacrifice is distal migration of embolic material, which can lead to ischemic stroke. Delayed migration of embolic material into the oro- or nasopharynx is extremely uncommon. We present a case of a coil migration into the nasopharynx one year following endovascular treatment of CBS that occurred during nasopharyngeal carcinoma resection. Methods A 41-year-old female presented with brisk oral cavity hemorrhage after undergoing surgical resection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma seven weeks prior. Results Computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed a small 0.2×0.2×0.3 cm pseudoaneurysm arising from the medial aspect of the right ICA at the level of C1-C2 vertebrae that abutted the nasopharynx. After radiographically passing a balloon test occlusion (BTO), the decision was made to endovascularly sacrifice the right ICA. With the balloon inflated, embolization with coils and onyx was performed in the petrous segment of the ICA. Angiography and CTA confirmed pseudoaneurysm obliteration and complete vessel occlusion. Three-month follow-up CTA demonstrated stable vessel occlusion. Eleven months following ICA sacrifice, she started to complain of throat irritation and difficulty swallowing. During a scheduled sinus debridement, exposed coils were visualized in the right nasopharynx. CTA revealed vessel wall dehiscence with extrusion of coils into the nasopharynx but continued occlusion of the vessel. The exposed coils were clipped and extracted endoscopically for symptomatic relief. Three-month follow-up angiogram confirmed stable vessel occlusion and patient has remained asymptomatic. Conclusion CBS can be a rare and devastating complication of head and neck surgery, often requiring immediate endovascular treatment. Coil migration is a rare complication following cerebral pseudoaneurysm obliteration via endovascular vessel sacrifice. When a patient has a partially extruding coil, it is imperative to obtain imaging and treat as soon as possible to avoid further coil migration and possible airway compromise. Disclosures D. Sheinberg: None. D. McCarthy: None. E. Luther: None. S. Chen: None. R. Starke: None.
Influence of glucose infusions on luteinizing hormone secretion in the energy-restricted, primiparous, lactating sow.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of glucose infusion during lactation on LH secretion in the energy- restricted sow. Ten primiparous Landrace x York- shire sows (152 kg postfarrowing) were fed a low- energy (6.5 Mcal of ME/d), high-lysine (45 g/dl, corn-soybean meal diet throughout lactation. On d 18 of lactation, sows received a continuous infu- sion (1 L/l2 h) of glucose (50% dextrose solution1 or .9% saline from 1200 to 2400. Blood samples were drawn every 15 min for an 18-h period on d 18 to evaluate concentrations of plasma glucose, serum insulin, and serum LH before (600 to 1200) and during (1215 to 24001 the infusions. The glucose infusion immediately increased (P e .001) plasma glucose and serum insulin relative to preinfusion levels. Glucose and insulin concentrations in sows receiving the glucose infusion were higher (P e .001) throughout the infusion period relative to concentrations in sows receiving a saline infusion. Glucose infusions had no influence on LH pulsatil- ity during the 12-h infusion period. In contrast to the response observed in the nutrient-restricted gilt, these results indicate that glucose infusions do not result in an immediate increase in pulsatile LH secretion in the energy-restricted, lactating sow. Key Words: Lactating Sows, Infusion, LH, Insulin, Glucose
Thermoelectric power of Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev islands: Probing Bekenstein-Hawking entropy in quantum matter experiments

One of the remarkable properties of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model of randomly interacting electrons is that it has a nonvanishing extensive entropy in the limit of zero temperature. In its dual representation as the low energy theory of a charged black hole, this entropy is the Bekenstein-Hawking black hole entropy. This work shows how the entropy can be measured by thermoelectric probes of mesoscopic electronic realizations of Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models.
Recurrent Patellofemoral Instability in the Pediatric Patient: Management and Pitfalls.

The purpose of the review is to discuss the relevant pathoanatomy, management, complications, and technical considerations for recurrent patellofemoral instability (PFI) in the pediatric population. Special consideration is given to recent literature and management of the patient with repeat instability following surgery. Patellar stabilization surgery is in principle dependent upon restoration of normal patellofemoral anatomy and dynamic alignment. Historically, treatment options have been numerous and include extensor mechanism realignment, trochleoplasty, and more recently repair and/or reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) as a dynamic check rein during initial knee flexion. In skeletally immature patients, preference is given to physeal-sparing soft tissue procedures. While medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction has become a popular option, postoperative failure is a persistent issue with rates ranging from 5 to 30% for PFI surgery in general without any single procedure (e.g., distal realignment, MPFL reconstruction) demonstrating clear superiority. Failure of surgical patellar stabilization is broadly believed to occur for three main reasons: (1) technical failure of the primary stabilization method, (2) unaddressed static and dynamic pathoanatomy during the primary stabilization, and (3) intrinsic risk factors (e.g., collagen disorders, ligamentous laxity). PFI is a common orthopedic condition affecting the pediatric and adolescent population. Treatment of repeat instability following surgery in the PFI patient requires understanding and addressing underlying pathoanatomic risk factors as well as risks and reasons for failure.