cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiological Actions of PTH II: Renal Actions

PTH exerts a range of effects on the kidneys from inhibition of phosphate absorption to stimulation of calcium recovery. Other effects on ion transport and acid–base balance are also described. PTH additionally exerts metabolic actions that include ammoniagenesis and gluconeogenesis. The actions of PTH in the kidney are mediated by the canonical type 1 PTH receptor (PTHR1). These receptors are spatially separated along the nephron, with high levels expressed in early proximal convoluted tubules and late distal tubules. Further complicating this picture is that in proximal tubules PTHR1 are present at both apical and basolateral cell membranes. At apical membranes the PTHR1 associates with the PDZ protein NHERF1, which regulates its signaling and trafficking. When associated with NHERF1 the PTHR1 signals primarily through phosphoinositides and PKC, whereas in the absence of NHERF1 at basolateral membranes of proximal and distal tubules, PTHR1 signals principally through cAMP and PKA. In addition to these PTH actions, PTH itself is importantly metabolized and inactivated by specific processes present at apical and basolateral proximal tubule membranes.
Differential Diagnosis of Lymphoid Leukosis

Lymphoid leukosis (LL), a lymphoid neoplastic disease of chickens, is caused by viruses of the avian leukosis/sarcoma virus group. The avian leukosis viruses (ALV) belong to the subfamily Oncovirinae of the family Retroviridae (1). LL is characterized by a relatively long incubation period that is rarely less than 16 weeks. Proof that the target cells for transformation by ALV are the lymphocytes in the follicles of the bursa of Fabricius is well documented (2,3,4). Transformed bursa cells metastasize to the liver, spleen and other visceral organs leading to death of the host around the onset of sexual maturity or later. Diagnosis of LL on the basis of gross and microscopic changes is possible in most cases in which the bursa is involved. If typical LL bursal lesions are not present, it is important to make a differential diagnosis between LL and other neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases that may be confused with it.
Deciphering Protein Complexes and Protein Interaction Networks for Stem Cell Pluripotency

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) hold great promise in regenerative medicine owing to their unique property of unlimited self-renewal while retaining multilineage differentiation capacities. Stem cell biology has been advanced by high throughput genomics and proteomics approaches toward identifying a fuller repertoire of genetic and epigenetic regulatory factors and understanding how they function individually and/or combinatorially in regulating self-renewal and maintaining pluripotency. Proteins function as members of protein complexes and form a myriad of protein-protein interactions in governing proper transcriptional output and cellular identity. Construction of protein-protein interaction networks together with other large datasets such as expression profiles and target gene occupancy is essential in facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of ESC self-renewal and pluripotency. This chapter will summarize current efforts and ongoing progresses in dissecting the protein complexes and mapping the protein interaction networks associated with the major pluripotency factors Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2, and provide guidance for refining the current methodologies and developing new tools for high throughput data generation to further our understanding of stem cell pluripotency.
Exact Reconstruction Procedures for Some Multidimensional Inverse Scattering and Inverse Boundary Value Problems

This talk reviewed recent progress in understanding various multidimensional inverse problems from an analytic point of view.
The ecological significance of tarsometatarsal length in sandpipers

The lengths of the femur (F), tibiotarsus (TB) and tarsometatarsus (TR) were measured in 158 specimens from 6 genera in the family Scolopacidae, and the relative length of the TR (TR/F+TB+TR) was calculated for each specimen. When congenerics were grouped on the basis of similar body length, leg length and weight, it was found that for some groups the relative TR length was correlated with ecological factors that may be functionally related to this parameter. For example, species ofCalidris that prefer biotypes with vegetation had relatively shorter TR than congenerics in the same group that preferred shores and shallow water. A relatively longer TR in this case may be related to wading in water. Species ofCalidris that frequent steep shores had relatively shorter TR lengths than congenerics in the same size class that frequent shores or grassy areas. A relatively shorter TR length in this case may provide a mechanical advantage for walking on steep surfaces. In cases where there is no apparent locomotor advantage to either a short or long TR, such as in species ofTringa, it is suggested that the posture and/or gait influenced by relative body proportions may have behavioral significance, especially during courtship periods.
On the Planning of Science

If there are, as is sometimes claimed, certain matters that human beings are better off for not knowing about, or things that we ought not to be trying to understand, I cannot imagine what these might be. Therefore, I do not propose to get into this line of argument beyond acknowledging that the argument does exist. I take it as axiomatic that science is a useful, intelligent, and productive sort of human behavior, and, as our collective social activities go, it has a considerably better record than most. Moreover, I doubt that it will make a great deal of difference, in the very long run, whether any or even all of us were to decide that science was, for one reason or another, a bad thing and should be voted away. It is now a permanently established part of our social structure, and it will not go away. To be sure, it has only become a dominant part of human behavior during the last 300 years or so, but it represents an explosively successful expression of the most fundamental of all human urges, which is to find out about things. We are not, of course, unique among animals for curiosity in general, but our kind of incessant, compulsive, insatiable need to reach an understanding of nature, and, above all, our instinctive drive to make some kind of sense out of it, surely sets us apart from other forms of life. We seem to have agreed, informally, a few centuries ago, that we were not likely ever to find all the meaning we need by making it up out of our own heads, so we set about doing science, and I believe we will keep at it, for a long time to come.
The non-abundant nutrient (NAN) concept as a determinant of predator-prey fitness

We applied the non-abundant nutrient concept (NAN), an off-shoot from the ecological concept known as Liebig’s “law of the minimum” or the concept of “limiting factors”, to explain why certain predators are well fitted while others are poorly fitted to their prey. The generalist predatorsGeocoris punctipes (Say) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae) andChrysoperla carnea Stephens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and the specialist predator of whitefliesSerangium parcesetosum Sicard (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were compared, nutritionally, to determine their relative propensities for predation onEphestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) eggs, silverleaf whitefly nymphsBemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) andAphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae). Using two prey content parameters, biomass (measured as dry weight) and methionine (the least abundant protein amino acid in all three prey species), we made estimates of how many of the various kinds of prey would need to be consumed to satisfy each predator’s growth requirements to reach the adult stage. From this information and observations regarding developmental periods, prey handling times, extraction efficiencies and conversion efficiencies, we developed a daily time budget for each predator feeding on each of the three types of prey. The number of prey and the time required to satisfy the methionine requirement were generally much greater than the numbers and time required for meeting biomass requirements. Of the three species of predators, onlyS. parcesetosum could survive and reproduce within a reasonable time budget with whiteflies as prey. Cotton aphids also appeared to be a marginal prey with respect to methionine content.
DYNAMIC BUCKLING OF A CIRCULAR RING CONSTRAINED IN A RIGID CIRCULAR SURFACE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a general finite-difference method that has been developed for predicting large elastic-plastic dynamic response of single-layer two-dimensional structures such as beams and rings and circular-plates and shells of revolution in axisymmetric deformations. The method was applied to the study of dynamic buckling of spherical shells under impact loading and it was discovered that the resulting solution was very sensitive to the space-mesh size that was chosen for the analysis. The general numerical method has also been extended to the analysis of the dynamic response of unbounded concentric rings where a simple relation is assumed for the collision between the rings. The chapter presents an extension of the general method to the study of dynamic buckling of a ring that is constrained in a rigid circular surface and is subjected to a transiently applied inertial loading. In this case, a relationship accounting for the collision between the ring and the rigid boundary is required. The chapter also describes a method that has been developed to calculate the deformation and the snap-buckling behavior of such a ring under statically applied inertial loading.
Clinical Implications of the Revised AAP Pediatric Hypertension Guidelines

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: New pediatric hypertension definitions were recently published in a clinical practice guideline (CPG). We evaluated the impact of the CPG, compared with the previous guideline ("Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents"), on the prevalence of hypertension and associations with target organ damage (TOD) in high-risk youth. METHODS: Participants (10–18 years old) undergoing an evaluation of the cardiovascular effects of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in youth were studied. Blood pressure was categorized according to the 2 guidelines as normal, elevated, and hypertension (stages 1 and 2). Measures of TOD (carotid artery intima-media thickness, pulse wave velocity, left ventricular mass, and diastolic function) were obtained. Associations between blood pressure categories and TOD and the sensitivity of hypertension classification in identifying TOD were evaluated. RESULTS: Data were available for 364 participants (65% female sex; 15.1 ± 2.1 years of age). Hypertension was identified in 8% and 13% as defined in the Fourth Report and CPG, respectively (P = .007). The 2 guidelines revealed similar associations with TOD; however, the CPG demonstrated improved sensitivity of TOD detection in hypertensive participants. For example, the proportion of participants with an abnormal left ventricular mass categorized as hypertensive increased from 20% to 31% as defined in the Fourth Report and CPG, respectively (P CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of the CPG increased the prevalence of pediatric hypertension in a population of high-risk youth and improved the sensitivity of TOD identification in hypertensive participants.
Advances and Applications in Cements/CBC's, Including Waste Management

Advanced cements used in the making of very strong or otherwise high performance cementitious materials are discussed. These include CBC (Chemically Bonded Ceramics) which is a generic term describing ceramic-like materials formed by chemical reactions at ordinary temperatures. Innovations in chemistry, as well as processing, are responsible for the major improvements. Recent studies focussed on the synthesis, equilibria, reactions, and bonding mechanisms in chemically bonded ceramics (CBC) in the system CaO-A12O3-P2O5-SiO2-H2O. MDF and DSP cements are discussed briefly, as are rapid setting belite-sulfoaluminate and related cements. Fundamentals of energy-efficient processing, and utilization of by-products are discussed briefly, as well as applications of certain cements in waste management. These include alkali-activated cements, which generate very high early strength, develop a working strength in about four hours, have relatively low porosity, and consequently have low permeability.
Weak correlation of bleeding scores to platelet electron microscopy: A retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with delta-storage pool disorder

Background Delta granule storage pool deficiency (δ-SPD) is a rare platelet disorder in which a deficiency of platelet granules leads to poor aggregation, resulting in varying clinical bleeding phenotypes. Children with δ-SPD have variable laboratory results, making the proper diagnosis and evaluation controversial. Objectives To describe the demographic and laboratory trends of this population and to assess the value of electron microscopy in diagnostic evaluation and its correlation to bleeding symptoms. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 109 pediatric patients diagnosed with δ-SPD. We collected demographic information and bleeding scores using a validated bleeding assessment tool. A descriptive and exploratory analysis was performed. Results The majority of patients were female, with an average age at diagnosis of 11.61 years. Females were diagnosed at a significantly older age presenting most often with menorrhagia, while males presented most commonly with epistaxis. The majority showed normal lumiaggregometry, the mean platelet electron microscopy (PEM) value was 2.37, and the mean bleeding score was 6. Bleeding assessment tool and PEM had a significantly weak correlation. Conclusions Patients with more dense granules per platelet had higher bleeding scores than those with fewer dense granules per platelet. The current body of evidence does not favor the use of PEM in routine clinical practice, and results are difficult to interpret. In patients with severe mucocutaneous bleeding symptoms and normal platelet aggregation studies, consideration should be given to an alternative diagnosis and further evaluation is warranted.
Reduction of uranium triiodide to metal by thermal decomposition

Uranium metal was successfully produced from uranium triiodide through thermal decomposition in a tetra-arc crystal furnace. The uranium triiodide was produced by reacting uranium and iodine at 600 °C for 24 h. After the uranium triiodide was heated in the arc furnace, a product was confirmed to be uranium metal through X-ray diffraction, density, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements. Historically, uranium triiodide has been reduced after passing through a gaseous intermediate of uranium tetraiodide and reduced on a hot filament. This is the first report of directly reducing uranium triiodide to uranium metal, circumventing the uranium tetraiodide intermediary.
How the mechanobiome drives cell behavior, viewed through the lens of control theory

ABSTRACT Cells have evolved sophisticated systems that integrate internal and external inputs to coordinate cell shape changes during processes, such as development, cell identity determination, and cell and tissue homeostasis. Cellular shape-change events are driven by the mechanobiome, the network of macromolecules that allows cells to generate, sense and respond to externally imposed and internally generated forces. Together, these components build the cellular contractility network, which is governed by a control system. Proteins, such as non-muscle myosin II, function as both sensors and actuators, which then link to scaffolding proteins, transcription factors and metabolic proteins to create feedback loops that generate the foundational mechanical properties of the cell and modulate cellular behaviors. In this Review, we highlight proteins that establish and maintain the setpoint, or baseline, for the control system and explore the feedback loops that integrate different cellular processes with cell mechanics. Uncovering the genetic, biophysical and biochemical interactions between these molecular components allows us to apply concepts from control theory to provide a systems-level understanding of cellular processes. Importantly, the actomyosin network has emerged as more than simply a ‘downstream’ effector of linear signaling pathways. Instead, it is also a significant driver of cellular processes traditionally considered to be ‘upstream’.
When are assumptions shaken? A prospective, longitudinal investigation of negative life events and worldviews in a national sample

Abstract Theorists maintain that negative life events (NLE) can alter worldviews, but evidence for this idea has been lacking. We present a model that raises three questions: (1) Do different types of NLE engender different types of worldview change? (2) Do factors that facilitate positive reappraisals of NLE buffer against worldview change? (3) Does change in stability of worldviews occur independent of change in worldview content? These questions were examined in data from a national U.S. sample of adults surveyed prospectively over a three-year period (N = 2138). NLE were reported by 91.6% of the sample. Each question was answered at least in part in the affirmative. Exposure to NLE may affect worldviews and thereby individual well-being and social behavior.
Deep Infection Following Dry Needling in a Young Athlete: An Underreported Complication of an Increasingly Prevalent Modality: A Case Report.

Case Dry needling frequently is performed by a variety of practitioners for pain treatment. A 16-year-old boy had dry needling in the posterolateral aspect of the right thigh for treatment of pain after a knee injury. He developed an abscess on the posterolateral distal aspect of the right thigh deep to the site of the dry needling. Treatment included surgical drainage and intravenous antibiotics. Conclusion Deep infection is a rare but serious complication of dry needling. Standardized guidelines for safety and sterile technique with dry needling are needed to minimize the risk of infection.
Sovereign risk: Gulf sovereign wealth funds as engines of growth and political resource

ABSTRACTThe economic reform agenda moving across the Gulf Cooperation Council states precipitated by the end of a decade-long run of high oil prices, high population growth rates, and costly demand...
The Direct Relationship between Bullying Rates and Extracurricular Activities among Adolescents and Teenagers with Disabilities.

Past studies have indicated students who have disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing bullying victimization in comparison to other student groups. Extracurricular activity participation ...
TechCheck: Development and Validation of an Unplugged Assessment of Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Education

There is a need for developmentally appropriate Computational Thinking (CT) assessments that can be implemented in early childhood classrooms. We developed a new instrument called TechCheck for assessing CT skills in young children that does not require prior knowledge of computer programming. TechCheck is based on developmentally appropriate CT concepts and uses a multiple-choice “unplugged” format that allows it to be administered to whole classes or online settings in under 15 min. This design allows assessment of a broad range of abilities and avoids conflating coding with CT skills. We validated the instrument in a cohort of 5–9-year-old students (N = 768) participating in a research study involving a robotics coding curriculum. TechCheck showed good reliability and validity according to measures of classical test theory and item response theory. Discrimination between skill levels was adequate. Difficulty was suitable for first graders and low for second graders. The instrument showed differences in performance related to race/ethnicity. TechCheck scores correlated moderately with a previously validated CT assessment tool (TACTIC-KIBO). Overall, TechCheck has good psychometric properties, is easy to administer and score, and discriminates between children of different CT abilities. Implications, limitations, and directions for future work are discussed.
Analysis and Mitigation of Receiver Induced Nonlinearities on Pulse-Doppler Radars

Receiver nonlinearities can degrade pulse-Doppler radar performance when strong interferers are present. Non-linear equalization (NLEQ), typically used to digitally mitigate receiver distortions, has the potential to reduce intermodulation distortion (IMD) and cross-modulation distortion (CMD) that may be incurred when strong adjacent channel signals are present. This article reports on an investigation of NLEQ's viability to counter these deleterious effects and improve radar system performance. A simulation was developed analyzing the received signal for a weak target return in the presence of a strong adjacent band interferer, which was present for a fraction of the coherent processing interval (CPI). The receive signal's spectral regrowth increased the radar's in-band noise floor and corrupted the magnitude and phase of the target response, degrading the receive pulse-Doppler processing. It is shown that NLEQ can be used to compensate for these receiver-induced nonlinearities thus improving radar system performance.
Complicated Green Advertising: Understanding the Promotion of Clothing Recycling Efforts

The fashion industry, a major global polluter, has been paying more attention to the environmental and ecological impacts of clothing production. A subset of established brands — some supported by the US group Cotton Incorporated — have pushed programmes where denim and other types of clothing can be turned in at a store, collected, and then sent for recycling. Often, these recycling efforts are supported with promotional offers that allow customers to purchase new items at a discount. This is potentially paradoxical as in this way recycling is used to promote further consumption. This paper interrogates the promotion of recycling programmes from four US brands: American Eagle, H&M, Madewell and The North Face. To do so, this paper uses a textual analysis and deconstruction of the brands’ websites and in-store advertising, as well as a KWIC analysis of Twitter messages. By examining the tangible communication components that support the recycling efforts, this analysis highlights the ‘complicated greenness’ (Hepburn, 2013) within the process as consumer incentives for recycling promote further consumption and often leave consumers confused as to the environmental efficacy of such practices. This paper offers considerations for ways fashion brands might be more impactful in their foray into environmentalism.
Transposable element control disrupted by meiotic drive in a stalk-eyed fly genome

Some stalk-eyed flies in the genus Teleopsis carry selfish genetic elements that induce sex ratio (SR) meiotic drive and impact the fitness of male and female carriers. Here, we produce a chromosome-level genome assembly of the stalk-eyed fly, T. dalmanni, to elucidate the pattern of genomic divergence associated with the presence of drive elements. We find evidence for multiple nested inversions along the sex ratio haplotype and widespread differentiation and divergence between the inversion types along the entire X chromosome. In addition, the genome contains tens of thousands of transposable element (TE) insertions and hundreds of transcriptionally active TE families that have produced new insertions. Moreover, we find that many TE families are expressed at a significantly higher level in SR male testis, suggesting a molecular connection between these two types of selfish genetic elements in this species. We identify T. dalmanni orthologs of genes involved in genome defense via the piRNA pathway, including core members maelstrom, piwi and Argonaute3, that are diverging in sequence, expression or copy number between the SR and standard (ST) chromosomes, and likely influence TE regulation in flies carrying a sex ratio X chromosome.
Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling (eds.), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability

Melissa K. Nelson and Dan Shilling (eds.), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Learning from Indigenous Practices for Environmental Sustainability
Immune Checkpoint-Bioengineered Beta Cell Vaccine Reverses Early-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease that results from autoreactive T cells destroying insulin-producing pancreatic beta (β) cells. The development of T1DM is associated with the deficiency of co-inhibitory immune checkpoint ligands (e.g., PD-L1, CD86, and Gal-9) in β cells. Here, a new translational approach based on metabolic glycoengineering and bioorthogonal click chemistry, which bioengineers β cells with co-inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules that induce antigen-specific immunotolerance and reverse early-onset hyperglycemia is reported. To achieve this goal, a subcutaneous injectable acellular pancreatic extracellular matrix platform for localizing the bioengineered β cells while creating a pancreas-like immunogenic microenvironment, in which the autoreactive T cells can interface with the β cells, is devised.
The black rim susceptibility sign in the MRI evaluation of intracranial colloid cysts.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Colloid cysts are relatively rare intracranial lesions located in the rostral aspect of third ventricle. They may produce acute hydrocephalus, brain herniation, and death. On conventional MRI, the appearance of a colloid cyst varies depending on its composition. Small isointense cysts can be missed. The purpose of this study is to introduce a new sign, "black rim susceptibility" sign for the accurate diagnosis of colloid cyst on susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI). METHODS A retrospective case-control study consisted of 100 MRI brain scans (19 cases and 81 controls) performed from January 2012 to September 2018. Two fellowship trained neuroradiologists individually interpreted SWI sequences for the presence of the "black rim susceptibility" sign (thin rim of dark signal along the periphery of a rounded, hyperintense focus). RESULTS The sample was 43% male and 57% female, with an average age of 51.8 ± 17.7. Out of 19 cases, 9 had undergone surgery in which pathology had confirmed colloid cyst. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for reader 1 was 94.8%, 98.8%, and 98% and for reader 2 was 89.5%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value for reader 1 was 94.7% and 98.8% and for reader 2 was 100% and 97.6%, respectively. Interrater correlation between the two readers was calculated with kappa of 0.93. CONCLUSION The black rim susceptibility appearance of colloid cyst on SWI is a novel description and an effective sign that can be used by radiologists for accurate diagnosis.
Enhanced biomethane production via thermophilic anaerobic digestion of cattail amended with potassium phosphate- and magnesium-modified biochar

Biochar can effectively strengthen anaerobic digestion (AD) and improve the treatment efficiency of organic wastes. However, the types of biochar tested so far are very limited and the exact mechanism remains unclear. This paper investigated the effects of potassium phosphate- and magnesium-modified biochar and the biochar particle size on AD of cattail. The direct use of raw pine pyrolysis biochar in AD showed an adverse effect on the methane production. The addition of potassium phosphate-modified biochar with a smaller particle size (< 1 mm) was most conducive to methane production, increasing the biogas production by 18.3–20.1%. The use of biochar doped with 2 M MgCl2 and calcined at 800 °C resulted in a 21.1% increase of specific methane productivity compared with AD without biochar. The increased buffer capacity, nutrients released by the biochar, enhanced electron transfer and better aggregation function of small particles may contribute to the improved methane production. Preliminary analysis showed that the cost of raw materials and increased product sales can be balanced, and the application of this technology may bring more profits. The knowledge obtained can be used as a guide for enhancing the performance of anaerobic digesters at the plant.
Hyperkalemia-induced escape capture bigeminy.

Escape-capture bigeminy can be an early sign of sick sinus node manifesting as sinoatrial exit block. Medications such as digoxin, beta-blockers, and calcium-channel blockers have been associated with escape-capture bigeminy but rarely associated with hyperkalemia. We demonstrate a case of complete resolution of the electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities following hyperkalemia treatment and normalization of serum potassium levels. A quick search for reversible cause and work-up is essential to avoid unnecessary delays in the recognition and treatment of the catastrophic noncardiac clinical conditions associated with this ECG finding.
Heat Shock Alters Keratocyte Movement and Morphology: Exploring a Role for HSP27 (HSPB1)

HSP27 is essential for mammalian cell movement. To further explore the effects of heat shock and the mechanistic role of HSP27, we have initiated a study using a well-established model of rapidly moving cells, the fish keratocyte. Here we report that heat shock causes a decrease in cell speed. Since changes in cell morphology can drastically affect cell movement, we also monitored changes in cell morphology. Heat shock caused a decrease in the number of polar cells and an increase in those with one stuck adherent edge, indicating the occurrence of both cytoskeletal re-organization and increased adhesion to substrata. Analyses of HSP27 levels using Western blots showed they were relatively high in keratocytes prior to heat shock and remained high afterward. In contrast, Western blot analysis of HSP70 showed that it was induced strongly by heat shock, indicating that fish keratocytes mounted a robust heat shock response. Surprisingly, given the propensity of HSP27 to localize in nuclear/perinuclear regions following heat shock, the location of HSP27 in fish keratocytes was unchanged as shown by indirect immunostaining with anti-HSP27 antibodies. Fluorescence intensities of immunostained images of cells before and after heat shock were quantified using Image J software. The results of this analysis showed that fluorescence intensity decreased following heat shock, suggesting changes in HSP27 that affected antibody recognition. Possible roles for HSP27 in regulating actin filament dynamics, cell speed and morphology are discussed.
Perianal Paget’s disease: three decades experience of a single institution

Perianal Paget’s disease is a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma of the perianal skin and the second most common localization of extramammary Paget’s disease. This study was designed to evaluate long-term outcomes in patients with perianal Paget’s disease. We identified patients who were treated for perianal Paget’s disease between 1981 and 2013. Patient demographics, family history, associated malignancies, treatments, histopathological features, need for re-operations, and long-term outcomes were documented. Our study cohort consisted of 15 male and 10 female patients with a median age of 67 (40–83) years. Four patients had concurrent anorectal adenocarcinoma (two anal canal, two rectal) when perianal Paget’s disease was diagnosed. Index operations performed were wide local excision (14 patients), local excision (five patients), abdominoperineal resection (four patients), and radiotherapy (two patients). Five patients developed invasive carcinoma (three anal canal, one vulvar, one perianal squamous cell carcinoma) during a median follow-up time of 60 (3–299) months. Thirteen patients were re-operated. Fifteen patients had a reconstructive procedure following excision. Overall survival was similar between the patients who were treated with wide local excision and local excision regardless of surgical margin status at index excision (P = 0.75). Since there is a risk for developing invasive carcinoma in the anal canal and perineum in patients with perianal Paget’s disease, close follow-up is needed after R0 or R1 excision. Physicians should be aware of the risk of cancers associated with perianal Paget’s disease and should rule out them during management.
Plane Stress Limit Analysis by Finite Elements

A numerical method is presented for the determination of lower bounds on the yield-point load of plane stress problems. In this method, a finite element technique is used to construct a parametric family of piecewise quadratic, equilibrium stress fields. The best lower bound is then found by maximizing the load, subject to the yield constraints, by means of the sequential unconstrained minimization technique. Because all conditions of the Lower Bound theorem are met exactly, the resulting solutions are true bounds. Results are given for square slabs with various cutouts and compared to upper bounds and complete elastic plastic finite element solutions.
Comparison of digitized radiographic alveolar features between 20- and 70-year-old women. A preliminary study.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a difference exists in four digital image features, extracted from standardized periapical radiographs of the maxillary alveolar bone, between younger and older women. These features included mean pixel intensity, l(x); pixel intensity variance, var l(x); mean absolute Fourier transform coefficient, |F(u);| and mean spatial first moment of the absolute Fourier coefficients, M1. The interproximal bone between the maxillary canine and lateral incisor was analyzed in two groups of 10 younger and older women with mean ages of 24 and 74 years, respectively. l(x) was significantly less in the 70-year-old group than in the 20-year-old group (p = 0.01), as were |F(u)| (p < 0.05) and M1 (p < 0.01). Var l(x) tended to be significantly less in the 70-year-old group (p = 0.06). We conclude that in women a measurable diminution in the magnitude of these four bony features comes with age.
Wheel of Innovation : How Leaders' Attitudes and Behaviors Drive Disruptive Technology in the U.S. Navy

WHEEL OF INNOVATION: HOW LEADERS’ ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS DRIVE DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE U.S. NAVY by Eddy Wayne Witzel Chair: Shirley A. Freed ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH DissertationOF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: WHEEL OF INNOVATION: HOW LEADERS’ ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS DRIVE DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE U.S. NAVY Name of researcher: Eddy Wayne Witzel Name and degree of faculty chair: Shirley A. Freed, Ph.D. Date completed: March 2014
Probing optical mode structures in a photonic crystal using a near-field scanning optical microscope

We probe the optical mode structure of a two-dimensional triangular photonic crystal using a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). Light from the subwavelength NSOM aperture was coupled through the nanochannel glass (NCG) array photonic crystal and collected in the far-field using a microscope objective. The optical intensity variations as a function of positions in a unit cell were recorded as the sample was moved with respect to the NSOM aperture. We varied the excitation frequency of the NSOM light and the collection objective numerical aperture (NA), in order to distinguish the relation between reciprocal lattice wave-vectors and the transverse momenta of the photons responsible for the NSOM image.
Political Institutions under Dictatorship: Institutions and Outcomes under Dictatorship

INTRODUCTION Jordan, a dynastic monarchy since independent statehood in 1946, was dominated by King Hussein. During his 47 years in power, he made a number of institutional changes. After a failed coup attempt and wrangling with a socialist-led parliament, Hussein dissolved the assembly and banned political parties in 1957. Elections to a new legislature were held in 1962 and again in 1967, but candidates had to run as independents. By 1978, Hussein had marginalized the parliament in favor of a National Consultative Council, a sixty-person council charged with giving advice to the king. Hussein reconstituted the legislature, however, in 1984 with the first competitive general elections held five years later. The elections were a huge success for Islamist groups, who were expected to win seven to fifteen seats, but instead garnered thirty-four. A further ten deputies were elected from opposition parties (six nationalists and four leftists). In the face of opposition victory, the king made a conciliatory choice of prime minister in Mudar Badran, who had already served in the post in the early 1980s. Nevertheless, assembly members were in no mood to compromise. In Badran's initial appearance before the parliament, he was “subject to a bruising three-day debate” in which parliamentarians criticized the government's past record in managing the economy.
Hubble Space Telescope Planetary Camera Imaging of HH 29

We present Hubble Space Telescope Hα and [S II] images of HH 29. The proximity of HH 29 (140 pc) and the high resolution of the Planetary Camera has resulted in the most detailed images obtained so far of any Herbig-Haro object. The most prominent feature is a linear Hα ridge leading the working surface of a bow shock with a chaotic trailing [S II] bright region. The high-excitation ridge is perpendicular to a line extending toward the class 0 protostar L1551-NE, supporting its recent identification as the driving source. Previous studies have identified several low-velocity features within the working surface. Our images reveal them to be miniature bow shocks facing upstream. Evidently a cluster of dense quasi-stationary clumps have been overrun by a faster, lower density flow. The shock front impacted the front of the largest clump several decades ago, and during the 1990s, a prominent gap appeared in the advancing bow shock in the wake of the obstacle. The Hubble Space Telescope images show that by 1998 the shock front had wrapped around the back of the clump, closing the shock shadow it produced.
Tracking 3-D coronary artery motion with biplane angiography

The motion of coronary arteries has attracted increasing attention because of its possible effects on the development of atherosclerosis. Biplane angiography is the best clinical modality so far to extract this information spatially and temporally. In this paper, a new method is proposed to track 3-D coronary artery segments in biplane angiogram sequences based on a 3-D deformable model. The model combines the 3-D active contour model with image block matching technique, and considers both global and local motion of the vessel. By this new method, the coronary artery segment can be tracked well over a cardiac cycle.
Achievable regions in the bias-variance plane for parametric estimation problems

We use the uniform Cramer-Rao (CR) lower bound to generate bias-variance tradeoff curves which separate achievable from unachievable regions in the estimator bias variance plane.
Chapter 13. Macrolide Antibiotics

Publisher Summary Though modification of macrolides by both chemical and bioconversion methods continues to generate new antibiotics with potentially useful properties, erythromycin, spiramycin, and tylosin still remain important antimicrobial agents. The therapeutic utility of macrolide antibiotics is well established in both clinical and veterinary medicine. In recent time, researches have focused on various aspects of the chemistry and biology of macrolides, and several and newer macrolides possessing advantageous features have been prepared and evaluated in preclinical tests. Results are now emerging from the clinical trials that are anticipated to determine the therapeutic value of such new products. Fermentation remains an invaluable source of new macrolides, aided by new screening methods, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based assays and studies of biosynthetic pathways. Molecular biology is now employing its tools to create hybrid and genetically-engineered products. New therapeutic applications of macrolides are being sought in both clinical and veterinary medicine and discoveries are being made on the mechanisms, by which these agents kill microorganisms and interact with the host's defense systems. It certainly appears that the macrolide research is alive and well, offering potential scientific and medical rewards. This chapter discusses some of the more important trends within the class of traditional 14- and 16-membered macrolide antibiotics.
An economical and preparative orthogonal solid phase synthesis of fluorescein and rhodamine derivatized peptides: FRET substrates for the Staphylococcus aureus sortase SrtA transpeptidase reaction

An economical and preparative-scale orthogonal solid-phase method of incorporating carboxyrhodamine and carboxyfluorescein fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes site-specifically into synthetic peptide substrates for the S. aureus Sortase transpeptidase SrtA has been developed.
A world-wide distributed system using Java and the Internet

This paper describes the design of a distributed system built using Java that supports peer-to-peer communication among processes spread across a network. We identify the requirements of a software layer that supports distributed computing, and we propose a design that meets those requirements. Our primary concerns are (I) the identification, specification, and implementation of software components that can be composed in different ways to develop correct distributed applications; (2) reasoning about the components systematically; and (3) providing services to the components. This paper deals with the last of these concerns. Though our implementation uses Java, the fundamental ideas apply to any object-oriented language that supports messaging and threads. Alternative implementations use such languages coupled with object request brokers or remote procedure invocation mechanisms.
Detection and Differentiation of CVI988 (Rispens Vaccine) from Other Serotype 1 Marek's Disease Viruses

SUMMARY The serotype 1 Marek's disease virus (MDV) is the causative agent for Marek's disease (MD), a lymphoproliferative disease of chickens of great concern to the poultry industry. CVI988 (Rispens vaccine), an attenuated serotype 1 MDV, is currently the most efficacious commercially available vaccine for preventing MD. However, it is difficult to detect and differentiate CVI988 when other serotype 1 MDVs are present. To facilitate the detection of CVI988, we developed two sets of primers for a mismatch amplification mutation assay (MAMA) PCR that targeted the single nulceotide polymorphism associated with the H19 epitope of the phosphorylated protein 38 gene. The PCR was very specific. One primer set (oncogenic primers) amplified DNA from 15 different serotype 1 MDVs except CVI988. The other primer set (CVI988 primers) amplified DNA from CVI988 but not from any of the other 15 serotype 1 MDVs. A real-time PCR assay was developed using MAMA primers, and specificity and sensitivity was evaluated in vitro...
Individual and Maturational Differences in Infant Expressivity.

Young infants can discriminate among different facial expressions. However, individual differences exist in infants' expressivity and ability to produce and discriminate facial expressions.
Exclusive Use of trans-Editing Domains Prevents Proline Mistranslation *

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) catalyze the attachment of specific amino acids to cognate tRNAs. Although the accuracy of this process is critical for overall translational fidelity, similar sizes of many amino acids provide a challenge to ARSs. For example, prolyl-tRNA synthetases (ProRSs) mischarge alanine and cysteine onto tRNAPro. Many bacterial ProRSs possess an alanine-specific proofreading domain (INS) but lack the capability to edit Cys-tRNAPro. Instead, Cys-tRNAPro is cleared by a single-domain homolog of INS, the trans-editing YbaK protein. A global bioinformatics analysis revealed that there are six types of “INS-like” proteins. In addition to INS and YbaK, four additional single-domain homologs are widely distributed throughout bacteria: ProXp-ala (formerly named PrdX), ProXp-x (annotated as ProX), ProXp-y (annotated as YeaK), and ProXp-z (annotated as PA2301). The last three are domains of unknown function. Whereas many bacteria encode a ProRS containing an INS domain in addition to YbaK, many other combinations of INS-like proteins exist throughout the bacterial kingdom. Here, we focus on Caulobacter crescentus, which encodes a ProRS with a truncated INS domain that lacks catalytic activity, as well as YbaK and ProXp-ala. We show that C. crescentus ProRS can readily form Cys- and Ala-tRNAPro, and deacylation studies confirmed that these species are cleared by C. crescentus YbaK and ProXp-ala, respectively. Substrate specificity of C. crescentus ProXp-ala is determined, in part, by elements in the acceptor stem of tRNAPro and further ensured through collaboration with elongation factor Tu. These results highlight the diversity of approaches used to prevent proline mistranslation and reveal a novel triple-sieve mechanism of editing that relies exclusively on trans-editing factors.
The malpractice insurance crisis

Abstract Malpractice insurance costs have escalated in the past few years. Although there has been a gradual increase in lawsuits, the current crisis seems to have been caused by the impact of the unprofitable investments made by the insurance industry rather than by the number of lawsuits. Strategies for coping with the problem are discussed, but the complexity of the problem precludes easy solutions.
Erratum to: RE: Doing What Comes Naturally

The online version of the original article can be found under doi:10.1007/s11606-009-1187-2.
Structure, Conformation, and Motions of Poly(ethylene oxide) and Poly(ethylene glycol) in Their Urea Inclusion Compounds

X-ray diffraction and FTIR and 13C NMR spectroscopies have been utilized to observe the inclusion compounds (ICs) formed by poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) oligomer with urea (U). We have confirmed that PEO-U-IC formed from solution has a trigonal crystal structure, while recrystallization from the melt produces a hexagonal PEO-U-IC. PEG-U-IC apparently adopts a crystal structure different from the trigonal and hexagonal forms of PEO-U-IC, and single crystals of PEG-U-IC are currently under investigation by X-ray diffraction. The conformations of PEO and PEG chains in their U-ICs appear similar to the TGT bulk crystalline conformation, while the all-trans conformer does not appear to be consistent with either the FTIR or the 13C NMR observations. For solution-formed PEO-U-IC in the trigonal crystal structure, where one-third of the urea molecules are hydrogen-bonded to the PEO chains and reside in the channels, the mobility of the included PEO chains is simi...