cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CD147 Promotes Entry of Pentamer-Expressing Human Cytomegalovirus into Epithelial and Endothelial Cells

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replicates in many diverse cell types in vivo, and entry into different cells involves distinct entry mechanisms and different envelope glycoproteins. HCMV glycoprotein gB is thought to act as the virus fusogen, apparently after being triggered by different gH/gL proteins that bind distinct cellular receptors or entry mediators. A trimer of gH/gL/gO is required for entry into all cell types, and entry into fibroblasts involves trimer binding to platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα). HCMV entry into biologically relevant epithelial and endothelial cells and monocyte-macrophages also requires a pentamer, gH/gL complexed with UL128, UL130, and UL131, and there is evidence that the pentamer binds unidentified receptors. We screened an epithelial cell cDNA library and identified the cell surface protein CD147, which increased entry of pentamer-expressing HCMV into HeLa cells but not entry of HCMV that lacked the pentamer. A panel of CD147-specific monoclonal antibodies inhibited HCMV entry into epithelial and endothelial cells, but not entry into fibroblasts. shRNA silencing of CD147 in endothelial cells inhibited HCMV entry but not entry into fibroblasts. CD147 colocalized with HCMV particles on cell surfaces and in endosomes. CD147 also promoted cell-cell fusion induced by expression of pentamer and gB in epithelial cells. However, soluble CD147 did not block HCMV entry and trimer and pentamer did not bind directly to CD147, supporting the hypothesis that CD147 acts indirectly through other proteins. CD147 represents the first HCMV entry mediator that specifically functions to promote entry of pentamer-expressing HCMV into epithelial and endothelial cells.IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus infects nearly 80% of the world's population and causes significant morbidity and mortality. The current method of treatment involves the use of antiviral agents that are prone to resistance and can be highly toxic to patients; currently, there is no vaccine against HCMV available. HCMV infections involve virus dissemination throughout the body, infecting a wide variety of tissues; however, the mechanism of spread is not well understood, particularly with regard to which cellular proteins are utilized by HCMV to establish infection. This report describes the characterization of a newly identified cellular molecule that affects HCMV entry into epithelial and endothelial cells. These results will lead to a better understanding of HCMV pathogenesis and have implications for the development of future therapeutics.
The Riparian Children’s Play on the Tapará River, Santarém, Pará

Children’s play is set as a type of language, which means movement, knowledge exchange, and production of children’s cultures. In terms of goal, the following paper aims to depict 5- and 6-year-old riparian children’s plays from floodplains of Tapara Grande River, in Santarem, state of Para, Brazil. It was used focus group interviews for the data collection and narrative-oriented analysis. Sixteen children from the community participated in this survey, and additional data were obtained in interviews with their parents and teachers. The findings displayed the influence of nature in children’s daily life, particularly represented by flood and drought seasons of Tapara River. Movements, spaces, playmates, and the kinds of play were chosen according to the river limits and possibilities by (re)building space, which is used according to the children’s rendering. The study showed that despite that these plays are being regarded as ordinary child behavior, cultural features influence it somehow, as well as its types, styles, and playtime in this community.
Genetical Interference and Gene Conversion

Gene conversion is a phenomenon associated with a high frequency of crossing-over of flanking markers (Mitchell, 1955; Case and Giles, 1964; Fogel and Hurst, 1967). Within a sample of 907 conversion events at four loci in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 445 were associated with exchange of bracketing markers (Hurst et al., 1972). The finding that approximately 50% of the conversions were associated with crossing-over applied even when the bracketing alleles were in the same gene as the converted alleles. These results imply a direct relationship between gene conversion and crossing-over. A variety of different models have been proposed to explain recombination as a sequence of molecular events that may result in conversion alone, postmeiotic segregation, or either of these events associated with reciprocal recombination of outside markers (for review see Radding, 1973). A corollary of these models is that a reciprocal recombination event implies the occurrence of a conversion event somewhere between the recombined markers (Fogel and Mortimer, 1969; Paszewski, 1970). However, most and possibly all current models do not address themselves to the question of chiasma interference or the distribution of conversions and/or recombinations in adjacent genetic intervals.
Crawling and righting behavior of the subtropical sea star Echinaster (Othilia) graminicola : effects of elevated temperature

Sea stars exhibit discrete neuromuscular-mediated behaviors, such as crawling and righting, which are critical to daily functioning and survival. As global seawater temperatures rise, subtidal asteroids such as Echinaster (Othilia) graminicola on the Gulf Coast of Florida are increasingly subjected to elevated temperatures, which may compromise their neuromuscular health. To better understand the neuromuscular biology of E. graminicola and the effects of elevated seawater temperature on behavior, we first describe their righting mechanism and identify the arms used in righting and crawling. Together, this allowed us to determine if they exhibit any bilateral tendencies, related to their anterior–posterior ancestry, by measuring the frequency with which each arm led in righting and crawling. To determine the effect of elevated seawater temperature on their described righting behavior, we tested the effects of acute (1 day) and chronic (7 day) exposure to seawater temperatures ranging from 28 to 36 °C on righting time in a laboratory experiment. We found that E. graminicola rights by somersaulting, but exhibits no lead arm preference during this behavior. In crawling, Arm E, located adjacent to the madreporite, led most frequently, indicating a partial tendency toward bilateralism. Sea stars righted significantly faster with increasing temperature and exposure time as temperatures increased from 28 to 34 °C, suggesting some capacity for acclimatization to elevated temperatures. However, at 36 °C, righting time increased dramatically and sea stars experienced high mortality, suggesting E. graminicola may be living near the upper limits of its thermotolerance. As seawater temperatures rise beyond an organism’s thermal tolerance, their neuromuscular responses may become critically impaired, reducing their capacity to survive in a warming ocean.
An IoT based mHealth Platform for Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Medicinal care signifies as a standout amongst the most striking application ranges for the IoT. Hospitals utilize new advances and IoT to screen the situation of patient's therapeutic conditions and other related data. There are vast IoT applications that are being readily used in the medical care nowadays from. It can possibly keep patients safe and sound, as well as it will enhance how doctors provide care. Thermometers, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, glucose monitors, and more are altogether beginning to end up associated and giving patients a chance to track their wellbeing. This is significant for those circumstances that require line up meetings with specialists. In this study, we presented a preliminary healthcare system for the treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) or Chronic Renal Disease patients with the concept of IoT, which includes patient log, the nutrition of the food basically focusing on the level of salt intake, monitoring the sleep pattern, activity level, water intake and so on in order to provide with required improvements needed for the betterment of their health condition. In addition, the data and information obtained from the patient log and from their activities will stored in cloud for future purposes and simultaneously it can be accessed directly by the caregivers for monitoring of a patient’s health condition.
Comparison of machine learning techniques to predict unplanned readmission following total shoulder arthroplasty.

Background Machine learning (ML) techniques have been shown to successfully predict postoperative complications for high-volume orthopedic procedures such as hip and knee arthroplasty and to stratify patients for risk-adjusted bundled payments. The latter has not been done for more heterogeneous, lower-volume procedures such as total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) with equally limited discussion around strategies to optimize the predictive ability of ML algorithms. The purpose of this study was to (1) assess which of 5 ML algorithms best predicts 30-day readmission, (2) test select ML strategies to optimize the algorithms, and (3) report on which patient variables contribute most to risk prediction in TSA across algorithms. Methods We identified 9043 patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Database who underwent primary TSA between 2011 and 2015. Predictors included demographics, comorbidities, laboratory data, and intraoperative variables. The outcome of interest was 30-day unplanned readmission. Five ML algorithms—support-vector machine (SVM), logistic regression, random forest (RF), an adaptive boosting algorithm, and neural network—were trained on the derivation cohort (2011-2014 TSA patients) to predict 30-day unplanned readmission rates. After training, weights for each respective model were fixed and the classifiers were evaluated on the 2015 TSA cohort to simulate a prospective evaluation. C-statistic and f1 scores were used to assess the performance of each classifier. After evaluation, features were removed independently to assess which features most affected classifier performance. Results The derivation and validation cohorts comprised 5857 and 3186 primary TSA patients, respectively, with similar demographics, comorbidities, and 30-day unplanned readmission rates (2.9% vs. 2.7%). Of the ML algorithms, SVM performed the worst with a c-statistic of 0.54 and an f1-score of 0.07, whereas the random-forest classifier performed the best with the highest c-statistic of 0.74 and an f1-score of 0.18. In addition, SVM was most sensitive to loss of single features, whereas the performance of RF did not dramatically decrease after loss of single features. Within the trained RF classifier, 5 variables achieved weights >0.5 in descending order: high bilirubin (>1.9 mg/dL), age >65, race, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and American Society of Anesthesiologists' scores ≥3. In our validation cohort, we observed a 2.7% readmission rate. From this cohort, using the RF classifier we were then able to identify 436 high-risk patients with a predicted risk score >0.6, of whom 36 were readmitted (readmission rate of 8.2%). Conclusion Predictive analytics algorithms can achieve acceptable prediction of unplanned readmission for TSA with the RF classifier outperforming other common algorithms.
Water Channel Tests of Dense Plume Dispersion in a Turbulent Boundary Layer

The behavior of dense gas or vapor plumes released into the atmospheric boundary layer is similar to the behavior of plumes of dense, water soluble chemicals discharged into a navigable river. In particular, the spatial concentration distribution for a dense chemical plume discharged into a slow flowing river shows the same gravity spreading and density stratification effects as are expected for a release of dense gas into the air at low wind speed.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy Improves Survival in pN-positive Clinical Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Neoadjuvant Therapy and Resection

Background The utility of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) after neoadjuvant therapy and curative intent surgery for clinical stage IIIA (cIIIA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not defined. We sought to evaluate the contribution of AC to overall survival (OS) in patients with cIIIA NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative intent surgical resection. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried from 2010 to 2016 for patients with cIIIA NSCLC who underwent curative intent surgical resection after neoadjuvant therapy. Patients were grouped by receipt of AC, and OS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The association between mortality and AC was evaluated using Cox regression. Ninety-day landmark and propensity score–matched analyses were performed to address bias associated with early postoperative morbidity and mortality. Results Of 3847 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 780 received AC (20.2%). In the unadjusted cohort there was no difference in 5-year OS between the AC and no AC groups (42.8% vs 43.9%, P = .105). Cox regression demonstrated a decreased risk of mortality in pN > 0 patients receiving AC (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.92; P 0 patients who received AC (5-year OS: 42.4% vs 37%, P Conclusions For patients with completely resected cIIIA NSCLC after neoadjuvant therapy, AC is associated with an increase in OS for patients with residual pathologic lymph node involvement.
Grammatical Concepts and Metalinguistic Awareness in First-Year College Writers: A Study of Reading Journals

This study examines the nature of metalinguistic awareness in first-year college writers enrolled in two-year degree programs, corequisite support courses, or both. Metalinguistic awareness is an a...
Patient and Provider Acceptability of a Patient Preauthorized Concealed Opioid Reduction.

OBJECTIVE Limited research of how to best taper opioids brings about an ethical and clinical dilemma. Experiments using overt and concealed administration of opioids have demonstrated the benefits of a concealed reduction to eliminate negative expectations and prolong analgesic benefits. This may allow for opioid tapering without significant increases in pain. Based on this, we investigated patient and provider acceptance of a concealed opioid reduction for chronic pain. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey via REDcap with 74 patients, who are currently taking or have taken high dose opioids, and 49 providers using a validated questionnaire based on two hypothetical clinical trials comparing a patient preauthorized concealed opioid reduction vs standard tapering. RESULTS We found that patients and providers have positive attitudes toward a concealed reduction of opioid dosages. More than 60% of providers and patients surveyed viewed the hypothetical clinical trial as helpful to reduce pain, side effects, and withdrawal symptoms. Sixty-one percent of patients and 77.6% of providers recognized that there would be differences in pain relief depending upon which group the hypothetical participants would be enrolled in. CONCLUSIONS Patients and providers appear to understand the benefits of a concealed opioid reduction. Our findings support future randomized controlled trials that compare concealed and overt opioid tapering in patients with chronic pain. More research is needed to understand the difference in attitudes between research and clinical practice and to test the acceptability of a concealed reduction following a participation in an active clinical trial.
Fostering Cognitive Presence, Social Presence and Teaching Presence with Integrated Online—Team-Based Learning

This paper describes the development of the Integrated Online-Team-Based Learning (IO-TBL) model and details students' perceptions of IO-TBL using the Community of Inquiry framework. IO-TBL is an online team-based learning course design that combines the flexibility of asynchronous engagement with the connectedness offered through synchronous meetings. Student comments from small group instructional feedback sessions and end-of-course teaching evaluations were grouped into clusters of similar statements about what was going well and suggestions for improvement, which were then assigned to one of the three presences of the Community of Inquiry framework. While students most commonly identified increased learning, synchronous meetings, teamwork, and the instructor as going well in the course, students found IO-TBL to impose a heavy workload and require a significant amount of time. Clusters were most often related to teaching presence, followed by social presence, and then cognitive presence.
Vehicle Level Software Design of the Florida Polytechnic Autonomous Golf-Cart

In this paper, we summarize some of the design and implementation related aspects of the Florida Polytechnic Autonomous Golf-Cart, and present details of the low-level microcontroller based subsystem, two-way non-blocking communication details, and the lightweight software subsystem based on the co-operative multitasking approach. Autonomous vehicles research is becoming a larger field each day. As technology progresses, we want to develop more efficient and smarter vehicles which can transport us with little to no input from the motorist, and electric golf carts are valuable assets towards this goal. In the scientific literature, there are several published results and proposed architectures for autonomous golf carts, and we will review some of major ones, describing pros and cons of each design approach, and how they relate to our design and implementation. However, our main focus will be the vehicle level software design.
Na,K-ATPase α4, and Not Na,K-ATPase α1, is the Main Contributor to Sperm Motility, But its High Ouabain Binding Affinity Site is Not Required for Male Fertility in Mice.

Mammalian sperm express two Na,K-ATPase (NKA) isoforms, Na,K-ATPase α4 (NKAα4) and Na,K-ATPase α1 (NKAα1). While NKAα4 is critical to sperm motility, the role of NKAα1 in sperm movement remains unknown. We determined this here using a genetic and pharmacological approach, modifying the affinity of NKAα1 and NKAα4 for the inhibitor ouabain to selectively block the function of each isoform. Sperm from wild-type (WT) mice (naturally containing ouabain-resistant NKAα1 and ouabain-sensitive NKAα4) and three newly generated mouse lines, expressing both NKAα1 and NKAα4 ouabain resistant (OR), ouabain sensitive (OS), and with their ouabain affinity switched (SW) were used. All mouse lines produced normal sperm numbers and were fertile. All sperm types showed NKAα isoform expression levels and activity comparable to WT, and kinetics for ouabain inhibition confirming the expected changes in ouabain affinity for each NKA isoform. Ouabain at 1 μM, which only block ouabain-sensitive NKA, significantly inhibited total, progressive, and hyperactivated sperm motility in WT and OS, but had no significant effect on OR or SW sperm. Higher ouabain (1 mM), which inhibits both ouabain-sensitive and ouabain-resistant NKA, had little additional effect on sperm motility in all mouse lines, including the OR and SW. A similar pattern was found for the effect of ouabain on sperm intracellular sodium ([Na+]i). These results indicate that NKAα4, but not NKAα1 is the main contributor to sperm motility and that the ouabain affinity site in NKA is not an essential requirement for male fertility.
Minimally Invasive Medial Gastrocnemius Flap Harvesting Technique: A Case Report

Summary The gastrocnemius muscle flap remains a workhorse for lower extremity reconstruction. It provides ample vascularized tissue, is extremely reliable, and can be dissected with ease. However, conventional flap harvest requires additional incisions which increase morbidity. Endoscopic techniques have been described in the harvest of various muscle flaps but none have yet described an effective, minimally-invasive technique for medial gastrocnemius muscle harvest in a clinical case. We present a minimally invasive technique for the harvest of a medial gastrocnemius muscle flap without additional incision, thereby minimizing donor site morbidity and cosmetic deformity.
Incidentally-Discovered Silent Cerebrovascular Disease Identified Using Natural Language Processing Are Strong Risk Markers for Future Ischemic Stroke

Background: White matter disease (WMD) and silent brain infarction (SBI) are known risk markers for stroke. Nevertheless, the predictive value of these changes when seen incidentally on routinely-obtained neuroimages is unknown. Methods: We included patients age ≥ 50 in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) health system scanned between 2009-2019 with a head CT or MRI and no prior history of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or dementia. We used natural language processing (NLP) to identify patients with SBI and WMD from the corresponding report of the index neuroimage. We used Cox proportional hazards to estimate the risk of future ischemic stroke associated with the presence of SBI and of WMD, controlling for major stroke risk factors. Results: Among 262,875 individuals receiving neuroimaging, NLP identified 13,154 (5·0%) with SBI and 78,330 (29·8%) with WMD. The incidence rate of future stroke was 32·5 (95% CI 31·1, 33·9) per 1,000 patient-years for patients with SBI; 19·3 (95% CI 18·9, 19·8) for patients with WMD and 6.8 (95% CI 6·7, 7·0) for patients without silent cerebrovascular disease. The crude HR associated with SBI was 3.40 (95% CI 3·25 to 3·56); and for WMD was 2·63 (95% CI 2·54 to 2·71). Adjusted for major stroke risk factors, the effect of incidentally-discovered SBI was found to be stronger in younger compared to older patients and for MRI- compared to CT-discovered lesions. With MRI, the adjusted HR was 2·95 (95% CI 2·53 to 3·44) for those = age 65. The adjusted HR associated with a finding of WMD was 1·76 (95% CI 1·69 to 1·82) and was not modified by age or imaging modality. Conclusion: Incidentally-discovered SBI and WMD are common in patients > age 50 and are associated with substantial increases in the risk of subsequent symptomatic stroke. These findings present an opportunity for stroke prevention. Funding Statement: This work was funded by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant (R01-NS102233). Declaration of Interests: None to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by Tufts Medical Center’s and KPSC’s Institutional Review Board.
Meeting the Challenge of Teaching Integrated Assessment

In this chapter, the focus shifts to an exploration of how the flexible, multilayered approach to assessment set forth in previous chapters can actually be taught to students. Like clients, teachers and students have different styles, needs, and preferences, and thus, different approaches will resonate under different conditions and with different groups of learners. The skillful and effective instructor must be able to shift and adapt among a diverse pedagogical repertoire in order to convey how ideas, concepts, and models are actualized and rendered useful in real-world practice. Three approaches are described that foster this kind of knowledge-for-use: cognitive apprenticeship, problem-based learning (PBL), and experiential teaching. Principles, examples, and specific teaching strategies are provided for each model, with discussion of caveats and potential challenges. Exemplars of classroom activities and assignments are then analyzed to show how they embody or elicit the pedagogical principles of these three models. The chapter concludes with a list of ten essential teaching heuristics.
A Review of “Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750“

Odd Arne Westad presents an accessible and excellent account for the general reader of China's international history over the past 250 years. With China at its center, it is an important corrective...
The Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology at 25

This issue, redesigned in a new format, marks the beginning of Volume 25, the beginning of the “silver anniversary” year of the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. Data were compiled from the first 24 volumes to study changes over time, and Pearson correlations were calculated to determine linear trends in the journal's development The number of articles per volume has doubled, from about 25 to 50. In recent years the first authors of articles were more likely to be located outside the U.S. (up from about 5% to about 25%). Also, in recent years the first authors of articles were less likely to be affiliated with nonmedical school university departments and more likely to be affiliated with medical schools or research institutes. An introduction to this special 25th anniversary issue is provided.
Experiments in neural network control of a free-flying space robot

Because of their capabilities for adaptation, nonlinear function approximation and parallel hardware implementation, neural networks have proven to be well-suited for some important control applications. However, several issues are present in many real-world neural-network control applications that have not yet been addressed effectively in the literature. Four of these important generic issues are identified and addressed as part of the development of an adaptive neural-network control system for an experimental 2-D space robot prototype. The first issue concerns the importance of true system-level design of the control system. A new hybrid strategy is developed here for the beneficial integration of neural networks into the total control system. The basic philosophy is to borrow heavily from conventional control theory, using the neural network as a key subsystem just where its nonlinear, adaptive, and parallel processing benefits outweigh the associated costs. A second important issue concerns incorporating prior knowledge into the neural-network controller. A "Fully-Connected Architecture" (FCA) is developed with functionality beyond that of layered networks, yet still trainable with backpropagation. The enhanced capabilities of the FCA are shown to be particularly beneficial for control tasks. For example, they provide the ability to pre-program the neural network directly with a linear approximate controller. A third issue is that while neural networks are commonly trained using gradient-based optimization (backpropagation), many real-world systems have discrete-valued functions (DVFs) that are not continuously differentiable. A new technique, using noisy-sigmoid-based approximating functions during learning, is developed to address this limitation. The algorithm is applied to the on-off-thruster control problem, as well as to training neural networks built with signums instead of sigmoids. The fourth issue, speed of adaptation, is often a limiting factor in the real-time implementation of a neural control system. This issue is resolved here by drawing on the above contributions: using the FCA and automatically growing the network combine to produce rapid adaptation in an experimental demonstration on a free-flying space robot. The neural controller adapts in real time to account for multiple destabilizing thruster failures. Stability is restored within 5 seconds, and near-optimal performance is achieved within 2 minutes.
Environmental Toxicants and Lung Development in Experimental Models

Abstract The respiratory system is a target for a wide range of toxic environmental contaminants. While the acute and chronic effects of a large number of these substances have been well characterized for the respiratory system of adult mammals, there is significantly less known about the impact of these lung-targeted compounds on the developing respiratory system. This chapter summarizes what is currently known about the majority of these compounds, addressing first environmental tobacco smoke, a well-recognized lung toxicant mixture; bioactivated environmental contaminants; oxidant gases; therapeutic glucocorticosteroids; and other miscellaneous compounds that have been shown to alter lung development.
Further phenotypic characterization and isolation of human hematopoietic progenitor cells using a monoclonal antibody to the c-kit receptor.

A mouse antihuman monoclonal IgG2a antibody, termed stem cell receptor- 1 (SR-1), specific for a determinant of the c-kit ligand receptor (KR), was used as an immunologic probe to analyze KR expression by human bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells. Monoclonal antibodies to CD34 and HLA-DR were used in a multicolor staining protocol in conjunction with SR-1 to further define the phenotypes of various classes of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Expression of KR (SR-1+) on hematopoietic progenitor cells identified subpopulations of cells expressing CD34 (CD34+). While one-half of the CD34- and HLA-DR- expressing cells (CD34+ HLA-DR+) expressed the KR (SR-1+), one-third of the CD34+ cells that lacked HLA-DR expression (CD34+ HLA-DR-) were SR- 1+. The CD34+ HLA-DR+ SR-1+ cell population contained the vast majority of the more differentiated progenitor cells, including the colony- forming unit (CFU) granulocyte-macrophage; burst-forming unit- erythrocyte; CFU-granulocyte, erythrocyte, macrophage, megakaryocyte; and the CFU-megakaryocyte. The overall progenitor cell cloning efficiency of this subpopulation was greater than 31%. By contrast, the CD34+ HLA-DR- SR-1+ cell population contained fewer of these more differentiated progenitor cells but exclusively contained the more primitive progenitor cells, the BFU-megakaryocyte, high proliferative potential-colony-forming cell, and long-term bone marrow culture- initiating cell. The overall progenitor cell cloning efficiency of this subpopulation was greater than 7%. Both the CD34+ HLA-DR- and CD34+ HLA- DR+ cell subpopulations lacking KR expression contained few assayable hematopoietic progenitor cells. Long-term bone marrow cultures initiated with CD34+ HLA-DR- SR-1+ but not CD34+ HLA-DR- SR-1- cells, which were repeatedly supplemented with c-kit ligand (KL) and interleukin-3, generated assayable progenitor cells of at least 2 lineages for 10 weeks. These experiments demonstrate the expression of the KR throughout the hierarchy of human hematopoietic progenitor cell development. We conclude from our data that the KL and KR play a pivotal role in cytokine regulation of both the primitive and more differentiated human hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Processing and properties of MoSi2–SiC and MoSi2–Al2O3

Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi 2 ) is a candidate material for high temperature structural applications due to its high melting point and excellent oxidation resistance. A major impediment to implementing this material is its low temperature fracture toughness. Earlier studies examined polycrystalline MoSi 2 for the role of grain size and SiO 2 impurity distribution on the fracture response via indentation. The goal of this study is to apply this indentation analysis to MoSi 2 containing additions of either Al 2 O 3 or SiC. These additions modify the microstructure and result in changes to the indentation cracking behavior. Indentation crack responses and crack lengths are recorded and the fracture toughness values are determined. An explanation is presented for the formation of a tortuous crack path that increases the fracture toughness for the sample with the SiC addition.
Ultrastructure and peroxidase cytochemistry of normal human leukocytes at birth

Abstract At birth, differential and white blood cell counts of normal newborn infants are strikingly different from those of adults in that the number of leukocytes is increased and immature cells course through the circulation. In this study, our intent was to examine normal neonatal cord blood by electron microscopy and peroxidase cytochemistry to determine whether any detectable differences exist in the leukocytes of neonatal and adult blood. This investigation was undertaken because newborn infants have an increased susceptibility to infection, and alterations in phagocyte function have been implicated as the cause. Cord blood was found to contain mature leukocytes of all kinds, similar in ultrastructure and peroxidase localization to those of adults. Moreover, as indicated earlier by light microscopy, immature forms (normally found only in adult bone marrow) were present in the blood of newborns. We found that nearly all cell lines were represented in the neonatal circulation by such developmental forms as promyelocytes, myelocytes, promonocytes, erythroblasts, megakaryocytes, rare unidentifiable blasts, and dividing cells—all resembling their counterparts in adult bone marrow. With the techniques used here, neonatal leukocytes were similar to those of the adult in ultrastructure and peroxidase localization, although some had been mobilized into the blood in a remarkably immature state. This study, the first of its kind, will serve as a helpful background for future investigations of acquired, genetic or neoplastic leukocyte abnormalities which may be discovered at birth.
Obstetric Recommendations in American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Practice Bulletins versus UpToDate: a comparison.

Objective To compare the obstetric recommendations in American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) practice bulletins (PB) with similar topics in UpToDate (UTD). Study Design We accessed all obstetric PB and cross-searched UTD (May 1999–May 2013). We analyzed only the PB which had corresponding UTD chapter with graded recommendations (level A–C). To assess comparability of recommendations for each obstetric topic, two maternal–fetal medicine (MFM) subspecialists categorized the statement as similar, dissimilar, or incomparable. Simple and weighted kappa statistics were calculated to assess agreement between the two raters. Results We identified 46 ACOG obstetric PB and 86 UTD chapters. There were 50% fewer recommendations in UTD than in PB (181 vs. 365). The recommendations being categorized as level A, B, or C was significantly different (p Conclusion Though obstetricians have two sources for graded recommendations, incongruity among them may be a source of consternation. Congruent recommendations from ACOG and UTD could enhance compliance and potentially optimize outcomes.
A technique for minimizing subject-observer looking interactions in field settings.

Abstract An evaluation of a technique for minimizing subject-observer interaction (i.e., looking at the observer) is presented. The data show that nine children with school-adjustment problems looked less frequently at observers wearing sunglasses than at observers without sunglasses.
Magnitude of Binocular Vision Controlled by Islet-2 Repression of a Genetic Program that Specifies Laterality of Retinal Axon Pathfinding

Pathfinding of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons at the midline optic chiasm determines whether RGCs project to ipsilateral or contralateral brain visual centers, critical for binocular vision. Using Isl2tau-lacZ knockin mice, we show that the LIM-homeodomain transcription factor Isl2 marks only contralaterally projecting RGCs. The transcription factor Zic2 and guidance receptor EphB1, required by RGCs to project ipsilaterally, colocalize in RGCs distinct from Isl2 RGCs in the ventral-temporal crescent (VTC), the source of ipsilateral projections. Isl2 knockout mice have an increased ipsilateral projection originating from significantly more RGCs limited to the VTC. Isl2 knockouts also have increased Zic2 and EphB1 expression and significantly more Zic2 RGCs in the VTC. We conclude that Isl2 specifies RGC laterality by repressing an ipsilateral pathfinding program unique to VTC RGCs and involving Zic2 and EphB1. This genetic hierarchy controls binocular vision by regulating the magnitude and source of ipsilateral projections and reveals unique retinal domains.
Rām Banwās: Searching for Rām in world religion textbooks

This review essay is a contribution to ongoing scholarly discussion of how “Hinduism” has been represented in the textbooks assigned to students in academic courses in schools, colleges, and universities in North America. Textbook representations of Hinduism have been analyzed in earlier review essays, and among them the one by Paul E. Muller-Ortega (1988) in consultation with Gerald James Larson is particularly noteworthy. What is distinctive about the present essay is that it gives special attention to the presentation, or lack thereof, of Ram bhakti in chapters on Hinduism in world religion textbooks. Most of the textbooks selected for review were successful enough to have gone through multiple editions, indicating that they have been assigned to a large number of students. The challenge that faces any instructor who wishes to represent Hinduism adequately within the limited horizons of a conventional academic course was clearly stated by Muller-Ortega: “It is the daunting and often frustrating task of the teacher somehow to remain true to a vision of a tradition, yet to compress that vision into the requisite ten or sixteen week term, selecting a finite list of topics that will form perhaps the only exposure those students will ever have to the formal study of this tradition” (1988: 61). He also notes that textbooks selected for student reading can play a key role in determining the effectiveness of a course of study: “One of the crucial decisions which will determine the success of the teacher revolves around the authoritative voices added to his own to help in this presentation, primarily, though not exclusively, in the form of textbooks” (Muller-Ortega 1988: 61). World events of the past century—as well as advances in technology, communication, and travel—have inspired a rise in interest in the cultural and religious traditions of peoples and countries far distant from the West. As a consequence, the study of the world’s major religious traditions has become a part of the
Use of a random urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio for the diagnosis of significant proteinuria during pregnancy*

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a random urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio is a clinically useful predictor of significant proteinuria (300 mg/24 hour). Study Design: The medical records of 138 women who completed both a random urinary protein-to-cre-atinine ratio and a 24-hour urine collection for the evaluation of preeclampsia were reviewed. Urine samples for the random protein-to-creatinine ratio were collected before the 24-hour urine collection. With the use of a protein level of at least 300 mg in the 24-hour urine sample as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the random protein-to-creatinine ratio for the diagnosis of significant proteinuria were determined with a range of cutoffs. Results: Fifty percent of the study population had significant proteinuria. The data suggest that a cutoff below 0.14 ruled out significant proteinuria. The best cutoff of ≥0.19 yields a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 70%. All of the false-negative test results had 24-hour urine protein levels below 400 mg; 13 of the 21 false-positive results had levels that ranged from 250 to 300 mg. Conclusion: The random urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio is strongly associated with the 24-hour total protein excretion. A level below 0.14 can rule out significant proteinuria. A best cutoff of ≥0.19 is a good predictor of significant proteinuria. With further study, the random urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio could replace the 24-hour urine collection as a simpler, faster, more useful method for the diagnosis of significant proteinuria. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:808-11.)
Ontogenetic shift of spectral sensitivity in the larval phototaxis of two sympatric caridean shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni and L . boggessi (Decapoda: Lysmatidae)

Phototactic behaviors have not been previously examined in the caridean shrimp family Lysmatidae. Informal observations suggest that their larvae exhibit a pronounced and unusual phototaxis. We subjected larvae of two sympatric species (Lysmata wurdemanni and L. boggessi) to a range of light spectra and intensities to examine their phototactic responses. Early- (zoea 1), middle- (zoea 6), and late-stage (zoea 12) larvae were examined under conditions of either light adaptation or dark adaptation. Each unique experiment (e.g., dark-adapted zoea 1 larvae of L. wurdemanni) had five replicate runs per treatment (e.g., n = 5 for each spectrum or intensity), with ten larvae per run. Larvae were less sensitive to light than some other decapod crustaceans, typically requiring a light intensity of 1014 photons m−2 s−1 to elicit a response. Both species displayed similar peak spectral preference shifts from 480 to 520 nm as they progressed from early to late zoeal stages. Spectral preference shifts during ontogeny are previously unknown in crustaceans and, to our knowledge, other marine taxa. The phototaxis of these larvae is also interesting in light of the reevaluation of the taxonomic status of western Atlantic Lysmata. These newly recognized separate species have distinct but overlapping ranges and habitats, and an adaptive interpretation of their respective phototactic behaviors may provide insight into their unique habitats and life histories. The apparent spectral shift observed in both species is likely a reflection of a migration from bluer (offshore or deeper) water early in larval development to shallower coastal waters as metamorphosis approaches.
Continuity in visual recognition memory: infancy to 11 years

Abstract This study demonstrates continuity in visual recognition memory from early infancy to later childhood. Visual recognition memory, assessed with a paired-comparison task at 7 months, correlated significantly with visual recognition memory from a span task at 11 years, r = .35. This relation remained significant even when other measures of memory at 11 years were controlled, indicating that some of the variance in the infancy measure was related uniquely to later recognition memory. Controlling for 11-year recognition memory partly explained the relation between the infancy measure and 11-year IQ (reported in Rose & Feldman, 1995 ), however, it was those aspects of 11-year recognition memory shared with other 11-year measures of memory which accounted for the infancy-IQ relation, not those unique to recognition. Better infant performance was also associated with faster 11-year retrieval speed (as indexed by response time); however, unlike other aspects of speed studied earlier (encoding and perceptual speed), retrieval speed was not involved in the infancy-IQ relation.
The homologous methylation of tRNA in rat brain

C. J. CUMMINS, C. E. SALAS AND O. Z. SELLINGER* Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Mental Health Research Institute, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104 (U.S.A.) (Accepted June 1 lth, 1975) Although several reports describing the properties of cerebral tRNA methyl- transferases and of the regional variations in their activities with age have appeared 4,~, 9,10,20,2z, the activity of these enzymes has always been measured in terms of the number of [14C-methyl] or [3H-methyl] groups transferred from appropriately labeled S-adenosyl-L-methionine onto tRNAs purified from non-neural sources4, 6,9,1°,2°,22. Studies on cerebral methylation of tRNA in vivo have been fewT,S, 21 and thus the specificity spectrum of the tRNA methyltransferases of neural tissue as well as the role these enzymes play in the processes of maturation and modification 16 of neuron all and glial tRNAs is wholly unknown. While exploring the consequences of a prolonged depletion of cerebral S- adenosyl-L-methionine 17 on cerebral methylations is, we noted a significant transfer of [14C-methyl] groups from S-adenosyl-L-[14C-methyl]methionine onto tRNAs of the same brain extracts from which we prepared the tRNA methyltransferases, i.e., we observed homologous tRNA methylation, a reaction described only once before in a mammalian system, viz. in rat liver~. In the present communication we provide evidence that the homologous methylation of brain tRNA involves principally two positions of its guanine residues. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were decapitated and the cerebral cortex excised and weighed. A 33 ~ (w/v) homogenate prepared in medium A of Pegg 14 was cen- trifuged at 104,000 × g for 60 min and the supernatant used directly as a source of methyltransferases. S-adenosyl-L-[14C-methyl]methionine (58 mCi/mmole) was fi'om New England Nuclear, Boston, Mass., and E. eoli B. from Schwarz-Mann, Orange- burg, N.Y. [14C-methyl] transfer was determined both by the 'rate' and the 'total extent' assays, as described by Pegg 14. The rate of methylation is expressed as nmoles of [~4C-methyl]/mg of protein/30 rain, while the 'total extent' methylation is express- ed as nmoles of [14C-methyl]/mg of protein/60 rain, each being measured under appropriately optimized conditions 15. Incubations were at 37 °C. Endogenous methylation is defined as the methylation occurring in the absence of E. coli B. tRNA, while total methylation is defined as the methylation occurring in its presence. The * To whom requests for reprints should be sent.
Isotopic labeling and normal-mode analysis of a model green fluorescent protein chromophore

Unambiguous vibrational band assignments have been made to 4‘-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethyl-imidazolinone (HBDI), a model compound of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore, with the use of isotopic labeling at positions C1, C3, N4, C5, and the bridging Cα. Vibrational spectra were collected using Raman and IR spectroscopy and ab initio normal mode calculations were performed using density functional theory (DFT) and a 6-31G** basis set. Although several reports of calculations and measurements on GFP model compounds have recently appeared, we are able to definitively assign normal modes for the first time because of the use of isotopic labeling. Specifically, in the region between 1750 and 1550 cm-1, we have identified marker bands both in Raman and IR spectra for cationic, neutral, and anionic forms of the chromophore. The Raman bands at 1744 (cation), 1697 (neutral), and 1665 cm-1 (anion) are assigned to νCO arising from the imidazolinone carbonyl group, whereas the bands at 1647 (cation), 1...
Photomechanical drug delivery

ABSTRACTPhotomechanical waves (PW) are generated by Q-switched or mode-locked lasers. Ablation is a reliable method for generating PWs with consistent characteristics. Depending on the laser wavelength and target material, PWs with differentparameters can be generated which allows the investigation of the interactions ofPWs with cells and tissue. PWs have beenshown to permeabilize the stratum comeum (SC) in vivo and facilitate the transport of drugs into the skin. Once a drug hasdiffused into the dermis it can enter the vasculature, thus producing a systemic effect. Fluorescence microscopy of biopsiesshow that 40-kDa molecules can be delivered to a depth of>300 m into the viable skin of rats. Many important drugs suchas insulin (6 kDa), and erythropoetin (48 kDa) are smaller or comparable in size, making the PWs attractive for transdermaldrug delivery. There are three possible pathways through the SC : Transappendageal via hair follicles or other appendages,transcellular through the corneocytes, and intercellular via the extracellular matrix. The intercellular route appears to be themost likely pathway ofdrug delivery through the SC.Keywords: Ablation, drug delivery, membrane permeability, photoacoustics, photomechanical effects, pressure waves, shockwaves, stress waves, trandennal delivery
The decision-making on an in-house logistic division’s operation strategies

Abstract This paper mathematically proves under which situations a firm should run its in-house logistic division as a cost center, as a profit center, or as an outsourced logistic to 3PL providers. By studying the effects of queuing delays and users’ related costs on the decision of a time-sensitive in-house logistics division, this research concludes that to maximize the value of an organization as a whole, the in-house logistics division should work as a deficit center. If operated as a profit center, an in-house logistic division will bring quicker service to its customers, but at a higher price and lower utilization.
Is fecal microbiota transplantation the answer for irritable bowel syndrome? A single-center experience

Is Fecal Microbiota Transplantation the Answer for Irritable Bowel Syndrome? A Single-Center Experience