cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activities of ICP0 Involved in the Reversal of Silencing of Quiescent Herpes Simplex Virus 1

ICP0 is a transcriptional activating protein required for the efficient replication and reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Multiple regions of ICP0 contribute its activity, the most prominent of which appears to be the RING finger, which confers E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. A region in the C terminus of ICP0 has also been implicated in several activities, including the disruption of a cellular repressor complex, REST/CoREST/HDAC1/2/LSD1. We used quiescent infection of MRC-5 cells with a virus that does not express immediate-early proteins, followed by superinfection with various viral mutants to quantify the ability of ICP0 variants to reactivate gene expression and alter chromatin structure. Superinfection with wild-type virus resulted in a 400-fold increase in expression from the previously quiescent d109 genome, the removal of heterochromatin and histones from the viral genome, and an increase in histone marks associated with activated transcription. RING finger mutants were unable to reactivate transcription or remove heterochromatin from d109, while mutants that are unable to bind CoREST activate gene expression from quiescent d109, albeit to a lesser degree than the wild-type virus. One such mutant, R8507, resulted in the partial removal of heterochromatin. Infection with R8507 did not result in the hyperacetylation of H3 and H4. The results demonstrate that (i) consistent with previous findings, the RING finger domain of ICP0 is required for the activation of quiescent genomes, (ii) the RF domain is also crucial for the ultimate removal of repressive chromatin, (iii) activities or interactions specified by the carboxy-terminal region of ICP0 significantly contribute to activation, and (iv) while the effects of the R8507 on chromatin are consistent with a role for REST/CoREST/HDAC1/2/LSD1 in the repression of quiescent genomes, the mutation may also affect other activities involved in derepression.
Black Sign Language and School Integration in Texas.

Black deaf adults have been said to have "poor communication skills" at least partly because of difficulties interviewers have had in obtaining information from them. Apparently, however, at least in some regions, blacks' sign language has been different from whites' sign language. This paper will present some differences between the sign language of black deaf persons educated before and since racial integration of the schools and relate these differences to educational policies. Evidence is also provided as to the awareness of these differences and of educational policies on the part of teachers before and after integration. (Sociolinguistic variation, sign languages, minority group language, language death, racial integration) To be born deaf almost always means exclusion from those aspects of social experience based on fluent, easy, oral communication. The odds against developing language normally are enormous. To be born deaf in a literate society, where success in schooling and access to economic activities are dependent to a large extent on certain functions of language associated with print, almost always means severely limited achievement in school and underemployment. Nevertheless, deaf people on the whole lead socially active lives through networks of other deaf people. To be born black and deaf has been a double whammy, for apparently deaf blacks have widely been excluded from both social and educational participation with deaf whites. Fleeting references to "poor communication skills" of black deaf adults appear here and there in the literature, but no studies comparing their communication skills to whites' have been carried out. This paper is an attempt to describe some aspects of sociolinguistic variation in the sign language of black deaf persons in one community, Austin, Texas, and to discuss those variations in terms of the educational and social background of the individuals. It is not an assessment of communication skills but may point the way to some factors to consider in such an assessment.
The COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support (COMPASS) Total Worker Health™ study among home care workers: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Home care workers are a high-risk group for injury and illness. Their unique work structure presents challenges to delivering a program to enhance their health and safety. No randomized controlled trials have assessed the impact of a Total Worker Health™ program designed for their needs. Methods/design: The COMPASS (COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support) study is a cluster randomized trial being implemented among Oregon’s unionized home care workers. Partnering with the Oregon Home Care Commission allowed recruiting 10 pairs of home care worker groups with 8 participants per group (n = 160) for balanced randomization of groups to intervention and control conditions. Physiologic and survey evaluation of all participants will be at enrollment, 6 months and 12 months. Primary outcomes are to increase health promoting (for example, healthy nutrition and regular physical activity) and health protecting (that is, safety) behaviors. In addition to assessing outcomes adjusted for the hierarchical design, mediation analyses will be used to deconstruct and confirm the program’s theoretical underpinnings and intervention processes. Intervention groups will participate in a series of monthly 2-hour meetings designed as ritualized, scripted peer-led sessions to increase knowledge, practice skills and build support for healthy actions. Self-monitoring and individual and team level goals are included to augment change. Because generalizability, reach and achieving dissemination are priorities, following initial wave findings, a second wave of COMPASS groups will be recruited and enrolled with tailoring of the program to align with existing Home Care Commission educational offerings. Outcomes, process and mediation of those tailored groups will be compared with the original wave’ sf indings. Discussion: The COMPASS trial will assess a novel program to enhance the safety and health of a vulnerable, rapidly expanding group of isolated caregivers, whose critical work allows independent living of frail seniors and the disabled.
Spatio-temporal model-assisted very low-bit-rate coding with compatibility

We propose the concept of spatio-temporal model-assisted compatible coding, a technique that selectively encodes areas of different importance to the human eye in terms of space and time in moving images. Our motivation is the fact that eye contact and lip synchronization are very important in person-to-person communication. Several areas including the eyes and lips require different types of quality since they have different perceptual significance to human observers. For example, for the eyes, high resolution is needed for clear communication, while for the lips frequent refresh is desirable. Fully automatic algorithms are described for performing model area detection and motion tracking. An area-selective (AS) rate control scheme is proposed, in order to effect AS bit allocation. It extends prior work that dealt with only the spatial dimensions to include the temporal aspects of the video signal as well. The decoder does not need to be changed in any way although the encoder's rate control unit is modified. As a result, the scheme can be used in compliance with standards-based codecs. As the scene model is only used in the rate control module (hence the term "model-assisted"), the technique does not suffer from the artifacts associated with model-based coding. Extensive experimental results are provided using ITU-T H.263, addressing very low bit-rate compression (below 64 kb/s).
Abnormal PfEMP1/knob display on Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes containing hemoglobin variants: fresh insights into malaria pathogenesis and protection

Hemoglobin (Hb) variants are associated with reduced risk of life-threatening Plasmodium falciparum malaria syndromes, including cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia. Despite decades of research, the mechanisms by which common Hb variants – sickle HbS, HbC, α-thalassemia, fetal HbF – protect African children against severe and fatal malaria have not been fully elucidated. In vitro experimental and epidemiological data have long suggested that Hb variants do not confer malaria protection by restricting the growth of parasites in red blood cells (RBCs). Recently, four Hb variants were found to impair cytoadherence, the binding of P. falciparum-infected RBCs (PfRBCs) to microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs), a centrally important event in both parasite survival and malaria pathogenesis in humans. Impaired cytoadherence is associated with abnormal display of P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), the parasite’s major cytoadherence ligand and virulence factor, on the surface of host RBCs. We propose a model in which Hb variants allow parasites to display relatively low levels of PfEMP1, sufficient for sequestering PfRBCs in microvessels and avoiding their clearance from the bloodstream by the spleen. By preventing the display of high levels of PfEMP1, Hb variants may weaken the binding of PfRBCs to MVECs, compromising their ability to activate endothelium and initiate the downstream microvascular events that drive the pathogenesis of malaria.
Analysis of Adhesively Joined Composite Beams

Green's functions are generated for a simply supported, shear deformable, beam under concentrated loads and moments. These functions are subsequently employed to evaluate the stress transfer mechanisms within an adhesively joined composite beam, with particular attention to the stress field within the adhesive bond line. It is shown that the stacking order of the composite beam affects the sign of the peel stresses, switching from tensile to compressive. The results, which are obtained by solving a system of linear algebraic equations, are in good agreement with the more cumbersome finite element solutions.
Non-parametric and light-field deformable models

Statistical shape-and-texture appearance models use image morphing to define a rich, compact representation of object appearance. They are useful in a variety of applications including object recognition, tracking and segmentation. These techniques, however, have been limited to objects with Lambertian surface reflectance, simple geometry and topology. In this work, we present new shape-and-texture appearance models that overcome these limitations. In the first part of our work, we develop a 4D shape-and-texture appearance model, built using light-fields. This model is capable of representing objects with complex surface reflectance and geometry. We demonstrate our light-field appearance model using 50 light-fields of the human head captured from a real-time camera array. Next, we present a non-parametric appearance model of the shape and texture of objects whose appearance manifolds exhibit a varying topology, e.g., have holes. We demonstrate this model using 2D mouth images of speaking people. In our experiments, we evaluate the performance of each method and provide a comparison with conventional, linear single- and multi-view deformable models.
Necrotizing Fasciitis Caused by Hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Filipino Female in North America

Necrotizing fasciitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae has been described in Southeast Asia, but has only recently begun to emerge in North America. The hypermucoviscous strain of K. pneumoniae is a particularly virulent strain known to cause devastatingly invasive infections, including necrotizing fasciitis. Here we present the first known case of necrotizing fasciitis caused by hypermucoviscous K. pneumoniae in North America.
An on-line position error compensation method for sensorless IPM motor drives using high frequency injection

This paper addresses the position error issue existing in sensorless IPM motor drives using the high frequency injection (HFI) method. A simple-to-design on-line compensation method is proposed based upon filter group delay theory, which substantially minimizes the error between the estimated position and the actual position caused by filters in a conventional HFI system. The method determines the position error compensation based upon a demodulation delay and a velocity or rotational frequency of the electrical machine. Experimental results with a 10-hp interior permanent magnet motor are presented showing improved sensorless performance using the proposed method.
EVALUATION AND REDEFINITION OF THE STATES OF ANURAN PECTORAL GIRDLE ARCHITECTURE

Proposed definitions of the states of the pectoral girdle architecture in anurans—viz., arcifery, firmisterny, arciferofirmisterny, and “almost arcifery” are evaluated with respect to their consistency with the most recent morphological observations. All previous definitions of the states of pectoral girdle architecture are invalid and new ones are proposed; the associated terminology of these definitions is formally defined.
Engineering of telecommunications software

Complexity of telecommunications software and expectations of customers and the public regarding its quality are on the rise, while marketing and economic pressures dictate shorter product (or release) development times and lower development and maintenance costs. In general, the two goals are contradictory, and therefore it is not surprising that telecommunications industry faces some formidable software production problems.
Abstract 85: Long-term Monotherapy with Bendavia (MTP-131), A Novel Mitochondria-Targeting Peptide, Restores H11 Kinase Protein Levels in Mitochondrial Fractions of Left Ventricular Myocardium of Dogs with Advanced Heart Failure

Background: The heat shock protein H11 kinase (H11K) is expressed in the heart of dogs, rodents and humans and rapidly increases in response to increased contractile workload. Deletion of H11K in pressure overload transgenic mice accelerates LV dysfunction and remodeling by deactivating STAT3, a stress-inducible transcription factor. Deactivation of STAT3 has been shown to adversely impact mitochondrial respiration and consequently oxidative phosphorylation. We previously showed that chronic therapy (3 months) with Bendavia (BEN, MTP-131), a novel mitochondria-targeting peptide, improves LV systolic function in dogs with heart failure (HF) and normalizes mitochondrial respiration and rate of ATP synthesis in LV myocardium of dogs with HF. This study tested the hypothesis that H11K is reduced in mitochondria of the failing heart and that long-term therapy with BEN normalizes levels of this key heat shock protein. Methods: LV tissue was obtained from 12 dogs with microembolization-induced HF (LV ejection fraction ~30%) randomized to 3 months therapy with subcutaneous injections of BEN (0.5 mg/kg once daily, n=6) or saline (Control, n=6). LV tissue from 6 normal dogs was used for comparison. Tissue samples were used to extract mitochondrial fractions (MF). Protein levels of H11K and Porin, a mitochondrial protein not altered in HF, were determined in MF by Western blotting and protein band were quantified in densitometric units (du). Results: Protein level of Porin in MF was similar among NL, Control and BEN-treated dogs (0.24±0.0 vs. 0.22±0.01 vs. 0.23±0.01 du, respectively). Level of H11K was 0.45±0.03 du in NL, decreased to 0.17±0.02 in Controls (p<0.05vs. NL) and was normalized by BEN (0.37±0.05, p<0.05 vs. Control). H11K normalized to Porin was 1.93±0.23 du in MF of NL dogs, decreased to 0.78±0.0.09 du in Controls (p<0.05 vs. NL) and was restored to near normal levels after treatment with BEN (1.61±0.20 du, p<0.05 vs. Control). Conclusions: H11K protein levels are reduced in MF from LV myocardium of dogs with HF and normalized after chronic therapy with BEN. Restoring H11K with BEN likely contributed to the observed improvement in mitochondrial respiration and rate of ATP synthesis previously reported after long-term therapy with BEN.
The Structure of Simblum Sphaerocephalum

In October, I9II, Miss Winnie Gilbert, a student at Grinnell College, Iowa, brought in a specimen of the pink stink-horn, Simblum sphaerocephalum Schlecht. It was found on the north side of a deep railroad cut one mile west of Grinnell. Further search in this place resulted in the collection of several mature specimens and a number of "eggs." They grew about half way up the slope, facing south, on Marshall silt loam that had slid down the bank many years ago, and at about the level of the boundary between the loess and the glacial drift. Perhaps there are special moisture conditions at this level, though other vegetation does not suggest this. With them was Poa pratensis as dominant plant, as well as seedlings of Acer negundo, Physalis spp., Aster spp., etc. Two or three weeks later my colleague, Professor H. W. Norris, found specimens on a hillside above Skunk River, three miles southwest of Turner Station (southeast corner of section 5, Richland Township, Jasper County, Iowa). Some of the smaller " eggs" were cut open and killed in chromacetic fluid and later sectioned on the serial microtome. The rest of the material was preserved in alcohol. The following studies were made of the preserved material. My best alcoholic specimens have since been deposited with Professor Macbride at the State University of Iowa, Iowa City. A brief account of this find was presented to the Iowa Academy of Science in April, I9I2.1 Simblum sphaerocephalum was originally described by Schlechtendal (I86I) from Argentina, where it is common. Similar plants have been collected in southern Brazil and in Venezuela, and described under different names. In North America it is known from Astoria and Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island;
A New Dithiophene Fused p -Phenylene Vinylene Conducting Polymer. Synthesis and Study

A new conducting polymer, poly(benzo[l, 2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene-4,8-diyl vinylene) (1), has been prepared by pyrolysis of a precursor polymer 2, which, in turn, was prepared by a multistep synthetic sequence (Scheme 1). The polymer has a UV-vis spectral maximum at 501 nm (2.48 eV), band-gap (band edge) of 1.92 eV and with FeCl3 doping a conductivity of 15 S cm−1. Quantum mechanical calculations using PRDDO, ab-initio and modified extended Hiickel methodology on the monomers, trimers and polymers, both aromatic and quinoid, provided structures and an absorption maximum band-gap which is consistent with either a planar aromatic polymer or a polymer which has both aromatic and quinoid units.
Degrees of Product Newness and Early Trial

Although numerous demographic and behavioral characteristics have been associated with early triers, little research has been done examining the relationship between early trial and product attribu...
Identification of aberrant pathway and network activity from high-throughput data

The workshop focused on approaches to deduce changes in biological activity in cellular pathways and networks that drive phenotype from high-throughput data. Work in cancer has demonstrated conclusively that cancer etiology is driven not by single gene mutation or expression change, but by coordinated changes in multiple signaling pathways. These pathway changes involve different genes in different individuals, leading to the failure of gene-focused analysis to identify the full range of mutations or expression changes driving cancer development. There is also evidence that metabolic pathways rather than individual genes play the critical role in a number of metabolic diseases. Tools to look at pathways and networks are needed to improve our understanding of disease and to improve our ability to target therapeutics at appropriate points in these pathways.
Section 7. Synthesis of Ocean-Atmosphere-Carbonate Sediment Evolution During the Phanerozoic

Based on the pervious sections dealing with observational, experimental, and modelling efforts applicable to understanding the ocean-atmosphere-carbonate sediment evolution during the Phanerozoic Eon, in this section we integrate the information into a consistent picture of that evolution. As
Practice and Experience on using Teaching Material for Teaching Reform—“Electromagnetics and its Application”

With the development of socialism market economy,reguirements of society to talents'overall quality are higher and higher. Students need to have better ability to solve problems and better adaptability. Fortunataly,the State Eduation Committee's systematic reform of the courses shows the characteristics of engineering comprehersiveness and application.
Resorption of trap nitrogen during senescence and the benefit of prey capture in the carnivorous plant, Sarracenia alata

Carnivorous plants commit a certain quantity of nutrients to their traps, so in order to break even, the quantity of limiting nutrients acquired from prey capture should at least equal the quantity committed to the trap. However, nutrient resorption during senescence could substantially reduce the quantity of nutrients irretrievably committed to traps and affect the benefit of prey capture. Since carnivorous plants generally grow in nutrient-poor soils, we hypothesized that nitrogen resorption during senescence should be relatively efficient. We further hypothesized that the resorption of nitrogen should reduce the nitrogen irretrievably committed to the trap, which in turn would minimize the N needed from prey capture in order to break even. We performed a field study in Leon County, TX, USA in which we compared the N content of non-capturing mature pitchers, of non-capturing senescent pitchers after resorption, and of prey capture in Sarracenia alata. The observed N resorption efficiency of S. alata in this study was 38–42 %, based on dry-mass-corrected %N or N/unit area, respectively. This resorption efficiency was low compared to quantities reported in other carnivorous plant species and did not support our first hypothesis. The N content of cumulative prey capture was not sufficient to offset the N content of mature pitchers but was sufficient to offset the N contained in senescent pitchers. Therefore, resorption reduced the N required from prey capture to break even, which supported our second hypothesis.
Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) radiometer Subband calibration and calibration drift

The radiometer Subband calibration and calibration drift correction have been successfully used in the released radiometer L1B data product. Although their performances satisfy the requirements, they are still under continuing analysis to find their remaining uncertainty. The progress will be presented besides the current performance.
Hypothetically Speaking: Constructing Professional Identity in Law School

A significant aspect of learning how to be a lawyer includes the acquisition—through trial and error—of a way of speaking, reading and writing that is unique to the work of doing law. Embodying this professional role requires the ability to parse and produce large amounts of complex, jargon-rich language known as ‘legalese:’ a learned communicative skill which produces a craftbound discourse (Maley 1987). The law school graduate, moreover, typically enters the workforce with little experience in legal practice. A three year education must therefore provide sufficient training for their immediate professional future. Words must fulfill the role that experience cannot. In conjunction with ethnographic observation of first year classes at a major law school, I analyzed classroom interaction for patterns in talk that foster a sense of professional identity. Hypothetical situations emerged as a striking unit of analysis. Professors presented brief, improvised descriptions of potential legal quandaries, while positioning students as characters in the narratives. Using pronouns such as in “you, the plaintiff,” “you, the defendant,” and asking questions such as “why would you pass a statute allowing these lawsuits?” rather than “why would lawyers/legislators/they pass a statute,” the professor positions students within the legal system, and allows them to cognitively role play with their professional identity. Hypothetical situations as a unit of analysis inform our understanding of law school curriculum, as well as other types of training situations where students must develop the critical thinking skills of the real world within the walls of a classroom.
Microarray Analysis of Peripheral Blood Monocytes in Sickle Cell Anemia Patients with Cerebrovascular Stenosis.

Abstract Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) of both large and small cerebral vessels occurs in one-third of patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) by age 20 years. Large vessel stenosis (LVS) occurs in ~10% of patients and is associated with overt stroke and/or (+) transcranial Doppler (TCD). Epistatic genetic modifiers are postulated to account for the significant phenotypic heterogeneity of SCA and likely contribute to CVD. Potential genetic modifers of CVD may be found in pathways for inflammation, adhesion, stress/immune reactions, angiogenesis, thrombosis, and oxidant generation. Peripheral blood monocytes are activated in SCA and contribute to inflammation and endothelial activation. The goal of this study is to determine if there is a difference in gene expression profiles of monocytes in patients with SCA and LVS, compared to SCA controls without CVD, and to normal African American (AA) controls. The study group consisted of 1) SCA patients with LVS [n = 6, (moyamoya = 3, no moyamoya =3)], 2) SCA patients without CVD and nornal TCD (n = 3), and 3) normal AA controls (n = 3). The 6 SCA-LVS patients were on chronic transfusion programs to maintain Hb S angiogenesis (PD-ECGF, 5.1 fold, p = 0.025), cell signaling (lymphocyte antigen complex 6, 10.4 fold, p = 0.032, STAT1, 5.1 fold, p = 0.039), and inflammation (MARCO, 3.1 fold, p = 0.042). 2) SCA patients with LVS compared to SCA controls revealed 47 differentially expressed genes (p = angiogenesis (PD-ECFG, -3.59 fold, p = 0.02), cell signaling (lymphocyte antigen complex 6, −4.61 fold, p = 0.02), adhesion (junction plakoglobin, −7.73 fold, p = 0.03), inflammation (LTA4H, 2.57 fold, p =0.009). These data suggest that patients with SCA and LVS overexpress leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), an enzyme that catalyzes the final step in the leukotriene B4 (LTB4) pathway. LTB4 is a chemoattractant which triggers adhesion and aggregation of leukocytes to the endothelium. Five-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP), a leukotriene pathway protein has recently been identified as a candidate gene for stroke and AMI risk in an Icelandic population. Also of interest, the SCA-LVS patients showed decreased expression of PD-ECFG and lymphocyte antigen complex 6, both genes being significantly overexpressed in SCA controls. Since the SCA-LVS patients are on chronic transfusion, underexpression could be due to the ameliorating effects of transfusion therapy. Validation studies of these findings are currently underway.
Unsupervised network mapping of commercially available immunoassay yields three distinct chronic rhinosinusitis endotypes

Background Endotyping chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) through simplified cytokine assays may help direct individualized therapy such as corticosteroids, antibiotics, or biologics. We performed an unsupervised network analysis to endotype CRS and control subjects using a commercially available cytokine-chemokine immunoassay. Methods A 41-plex cytokine-chemokine array along with major basic protein (MBP) assay was performed on sinonasal surgical tissue of 32 adults. Subjects were defined as non-CRS controls (n = 6), CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP; n = 13), and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP; n = 13). Unsupervised network modeling was performed to reveal association cytokine-chemokine (“analyte”) clusters and “subject” groups. Results Network mapping and unsupervised clustering revealed 3 analyte clusters and 3 subject groups. Analyte cluster-1 was composed of T helper 1 (Th1)/Th17 type markers, analyte cluster-2 Th2 markers, and analyte cluster-3 chemokines (CC) and growth factors (GF). Subject group-1 was devoid of CRSwNP, had fewer asthmatics, and was associated most strongly with analyte cluster-3 (CC/GF) (p < 0.001). Subject group-2 was characterized with the most asthmatics (86%) and CRSwNP (100%) patients, and was associated with analyte cluster-2 (Th2; p < 0.001). Subject group-3 was associated with both analyte cluster-1 (Th1/Th17) and analyte cluster-3 (CC/GF) (p < 0.001), and had the highest proportion of CRSsNP patients (62.5%). Tissue levels of MBP, eosinophilia, and computed tomography (CT) scores were significantly higher in subject group-2 vs other groups (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion An unbiased network-mapping approach using a commercially available immunoassay kit reveals 3 distinct tissue cytokine-chemokine signatures that endotype CRS patients and controls. These signatures are prominent even in a limited number of patients, and may help formulate individualized therapy and optimize outcomes.
The Association Between Plasma Ceramides and Sphingomyelins and Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Differs by Sex and APOE in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

Background Cellular and animal studies demonstrated relationships between sphingolipid metabolism and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. High blood ceramide levels have been shown to predict cognitive impairment and AD, but these studies had small sample sizes and did not assess differences in risk by sex or APOE genotype. Objective To determine whether plasma ceramides and sphingomyelins were associated with risk of AD, and whether the association varied by sex and APOE genotype. Methods Participants included 626 men and 366 women, aged 55 years and older, enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Plasma ceramides and sphingomyelins were determined using quantitative analyses performed on a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer. Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by sex, were used to examine the relationship of plasma ceramides and sphingomyelins with risk of AD over a mean (SD) follow-up of 15.0 (7.0) years for men and 13.1 (5.9) years for women. Results Among men, the highest tertile of most ceramides and sphingomyelins were associated with an increased risk of AD. Among women, there were no associations between any of the ceramides and risk of AD. In contrast, women in the highest tertile of most sphingomyelins had a reduced risk of AD, which was most pronounced among APOE ɛ4 carriers. Conclusion These results provide further evidence for the role of sphingolipid metabolism in AD and highlight the importance of considering sex and APOE genotype in assessing this relationship.
Abstract P011: Source and Catabolism Sites of the Cardio-renal Protective Peptide N-Acetyl-Seryl-Aspartyl-Lysyl-Proline (Ac-SDKP)

Ac-SDKP is a natural tetrapeptide with anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties in vascular, myocardial and kidney tissues. It is degraded by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and treatment with ACE inhibitors increases its plasma levels. However the main sites of Ac-SDKP production and catabolism are unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the source and catabolism sites of Ac-SDKP. Ac-SDKP was measured in brain, thymus, lungs, heart, spleen, kidney, liver, intestine, and bone marrow from male 200-250 gr Sprague Dawley rats. Samples from arterial blood delivered to and venous blood exiting from kidney, spleen, intestine, liver, and lungs were obtained, and the vein to arterial (V-A) plasma levels differences were calculated as an index of organ production or elimination. Additionally, urinary Ac-SDKP excretion over 24 hrs and Ac-SDKP renal clearance were measured. Inulin clearance was also determined. The Stop Flow technique was performed to evaluate the renal handling of Ac-SDKP in different segments of the nephron. The greatest amounts of Ac-SDKP were found in Thymus, Spleen and Bone marrow (111.3±9; 92.2±24; 70.3±17 pmoles/mg of protein respectively), while the lowest values were found in brain, large intestine and heart (10.7±6; 14.8±6 ;19.8±7; pmoles/mg of protein, respectively). Ac-SDKP is secreted by different organs into the circulating blood. The highest V-A difference was found in the spleen (15.2±7 nM), reflecting its production, while the lowest V-A differences was observed in the lungs (-1.2±3.7 nM), reflecting a high degradation of Ac-SDKP in this tissue. No V-A differences were found in kidney (0.98±7 nM). It was not possible to obtain venous samples from Thymus or Bone marrow. The renal clearance of Ac-SDKP was 0.15 ml/min/100g body weight, equivalent to a fractional excretion of 14.5%. The stop flow technique showed the highest Ac-SDKP levels in the distal part of the nephron, while the proximal segments showed the lowest (11 Vs. 4.2 Ac-SDKP/Inulin ratio). In conclusion, Ac-SDKP production occurs mainly in lymphoid organs. Expectedly, high Ac-SDKP degradation was observed in the lungs. In the kidney Ac-SDKP is filtered, probably degraded in the proximal tubule and secreted in the distal tubule.
Review: Crombie Taylor: Modern Architecture, Building Restoration and the Rediscovery of Louis Sullivan by Jeffrey Plank; Ira Rakatansky: As Modern as Tomorrow by John Caserta and Lynnette Widder, editors

Jeffrey Plank. Crombie Taylor: Modern Architecture, Building Restoration and the Rediscovery of Louis Sullivan . Richmond, California: William Stout, 2010, 324 pp., 54 color and 111 b/w illus. $65, ISBN 9780979550812 John Caserta and Lynnette Widder, editors. Ira Rakatansky: As Modern as Tomorrow . Richmond, California: William Stout and Rhode Island School of Design, 2010, 207 pp., 74 color and 100 b/w illus. $40, ISBN 9780981966700 Though the global economy has crippled commercial architectural publishing in recent years, the monograph remains a surprisingly durable genre, and minor figures from the modern period continue to arouse the interests of scholars and audiences. The latest beneficiaries of this trend are Crombie Taylor of Chicago and Ira Rakatansky of Providence, two midcentury architects with clear connections to modernist masters. Taylor is the more significant of the two, and Jeffrey Plank provides the more serious and extensive study. Crombie Taylor: Modern Architecture, Building Restoration and The Rediscovery of Louis Sullivan is a big book in every sense: well-researched, beautifully designed and printed. Charles Crombie Taylor (1914–1999) was a man of many interest and abilities. While he designed “spare, even severe” houses (13) that evoke a more reductive Mies van der Rohe, he also devoted many years to restoring Louis Sullivan masterworks and reconstructing Sullivan's method of creating pattern and ornament. He did double-duty as an architectural historian and color photographer, earning NEH and NEA grants for experimental multiscreen presentations of historic buildings. He also served as director for Chicago's Institute of Design (New Bauhaus), and later taught architectural history at the University of Southern California (USC) for several years. Plus he loved the English countryside. Plank weaves these “contradictory” facets together to create a seamless portrait of Taylor where each aspect of his work seems to complement and enrich the others (15). If you have visited Adler & Sullivan's Auditorium Building—the banquet hall, the Sullivan room, or the auditorium itself—you have experienced Taylor's great achievement. He led the restoration work from 1954 to 1963, and that project clearly remains a masterwork in the field of historic preservation. When Taylor began, many original elements had been lost, and in particular the …
National Partnership for Maternal Safety: Maternal Safety Bundles

US maternal mortality has unexpectedly increased over the past 25 years. A national imperative exists to identify and evaluate the causes of these deaths as well as characterize preventable factors. Evidence demonstrates that implementing comprehensive protocols improves outcomes. In fact, bundles, evidence-based interventions that are designed to be implemented together resulting in improved outcome, are recognized as the explanation for the dramatic decrease in California’s maternal mortality rate as compared to the continued rise in national maternal mortality rate between 2008 and 2013. Consequently, the National Partnership for Maternal Safety (NPMS), housed within the Council on Patient Safety in Women’s Health Care, created bundles for each of the three most common preventable conditions resulting in severe maternal morbidity or mortality: obstetric hemorrhage, severe hypertension, and venous thromboembolism.
Stock Market Analysis in Fashion Marketing Class

Stock markets are at the center of today’s economy (Hafer & Hein, 2007). Despite the positive relationship between stock returns and marketing activities such as product innovations (Srinivasan et al. 2009), the discipline of fashion marketing has not been aggressively devoted to teach financial and stock trading systems in classroom. The purpose of the study is to enhance student motivation and learning in fashion financial markets.
Antibacterial activity of the seeds, roots and shoots of Lotus populations

In this study the antibacterial activity of the ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts from the seeds, roots and shoots of Lotus aegaeus, Lotus angustissimus, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus gebelia, Lotus palustris populations grown naturally in Turkey were investigated by using the disc diffusion and agar dilution method, against main plant pathogenic bacteria (Clavibacter michiganensis, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Erwinia caratovora, Pseudomonas phaseolicola). According to results, the shoot ethyl acetate extract of L. aegaeus and shoot extracts of L. corniculatus against C. michiganensis and shoot extracts of all solvents of L. angustissimus against P. phaseolicola showed high antibacterial activity. This is the first report of antibacterial activity of the Lotus species against plant pathogens. In the study these stated effective extracts showed higher antibacterial effects by comparison with used chemical preservatives against sensitive bacteria. This study offers that active compounds present in Lotus species could play a big role in naturally plant preservation against plant diseases.
Chapter Two Controllability and Adaptive Coping In The Elderly: an Adult Developmental Perspective

Abstract The relationship between controllability and coping is discussed from a developmental perspective. For example, one such developmental framework is proposed by Labouvie-Vief who argues that adult cognition represents a major reorganization in thinking which is reflected in increasing self-control and self-regulation. Given this emphasis, the author discusses empirical research findings suggesting that (a) patterns of coping vary across age groups with younger individuals endorsing more defensive strategies than older adults, (b) there are age-related differences and changes in internal locus of control, and (c) older adults more effectively balance both instrumental and emotional/palliative coping strategies depending on the appraised controllability of the situation. These findings are discussed in terms of methodological issues for studying controllability and coping in the elderly, theoretical issues pertaining to developmental components of controllability and coping in adulthood and aging, and implications for healthy adaptive functioning in the elderly.
Hierarchical consistency of strategies in image repair theory: PR practitioners’ perceptions of effective and preferred crisis communication strategies

Drawing from image repair theory and situational crisis communication theory, this study advances crisis communication theory by analyzing nearly 800 public relations professionals’ perceptions of ...
Voting for Balance: The Third Circuit Splits with the Sixth Circuit over the Press's Right to Access Polling Stations in PG Publishing Co. v. Aichele

In 2013, in PG Publishing Co. v. Aichele, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit applied the experience and logic test to the voting process, contradicting the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s previous application of a traditional forum analysis to the voting process in its 2004 Beacon Journal Publishing Co. v. Blackwell decision. This Comment argues that the experience and logic test properly balances the government’s interest in privacy against the public’s interest in access to information. In contrast, applying a traditional forum analysis to the right of access creates the potential for the government to hide behind a veil of secrecy.
Effect of Neurologist Ambulatory Visits on Utilization and Expenditures of Non-Ambulatory Care in the United States (P04.256)

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate effect of neurologist care on utilization and cost of inpatient, emergency, and home care for patients with chronic neurological diseases. BACKGROUND: Neurologist care is mostly through office-based and outpatient visits (ambulatory care), but the effect of a neurologist ambulatory visit on inpatient, emergency, and home care (non-ambulatory care) is unknown. DESIGN/METHODS: Survey respondents from the 2002-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey(MEPS), a representative dataset of the civilian non-institutionalized US population, were identified for multiple sclerosis, parkinsonism, epilepsy, and dementia. Data collection included neurologist ambulatory care, age, illness duration, race, income, gender, education, comorbidities, region and year of care. Survey-weighted multivariate regressions were performed on costs and utilization totals for non-ambulatory care for the calendar year including a neurologist ambulatory visit. Subgroup analyses were performed for any condition-related ambulatory care and outcomes for each index condition. RESULTS: 3883 MEPS respondents (weighted sample: 4.3 million US citizens, 95% CI 4.0-4.6m) reported one or more index conditions. Fifty-eight percent reported ambulatory care for the condition, and 29% reported a neurologist visit. Neurologist visits were associated with illness duration, high school graduate education, insurance coverage, and income. For the group seeing a neurologist, the adjusted likelihood of a non-ambulatory event was reduced overall (OR=0.80, p=0.03) and adjusted non-ambulatory care expenditures were reduced by 40% overall (p=0.01), averaging $4983 in savings (p=0.003). Among respondents with any ambulatory care for their condition, those seeing a neurologist had reduced condition-associated non-ambulatory care events(OR=0.64, p=0.001) and costs ((53% reduction,(p CONCLUSIONS: Neurologist ambulatory care is associated with reduced total and condition-related inpatient, outpatient, and home health events and expenditures in patients with chronic neurological conditions. Disclosure: Dr. Ney has received personal compensation for activities with Surgical Neuromonitoring, PLLC and Surgical Neuromonitoring Associates. Dr. Van Der Goes has received personal compensation for activities with Pfizer, Inc. as a fellow.
Consistency vs Flexibility: The Impact of Employee Voice in Rule-Based and Discretionary Decision Procedures

Consistency and flexibility are desirable, but incompatible, features of decision-making procedures. A comparison of a rule-based decision procedure (maximizing consistency) with a discretionary decision procedure (maximizing flexibility) was conducted. Employee voice was predicted to interact with decision procedure in impacting fairness perceptions. Student participants (N = 128) in a 2 × 2 laboratory simulation viewed videotaped depictions of a supervisor discussing a positive drug test result with an employee. The employee was given, or not given, an opportunity to explain; the supervisor was permitted discretion in determining the consequence or was completely bound by company policy. The proposed advantages of each decision procedure were obtained under contrasting levels of employee voice. Voice was desirable when the supervisor had discretionary authority; voice was unnecessary or even detrimental when a rule-based procedure was used. No overall preference between these two decision procedures was evident.
Immunolocalization of sperm protein 17 (Sp17) in normal and malignant cells

5144 Sperm protein 17 (Sp17, gene SPA17) is a highly conserved, immunogenic protein expressed at low levels in normal somatic tissues and highly expressed in testis and a variety of malignant cells. Sp17 has been studied extensively in the context of mammalian sperm function. However, the function of Sp17 in normal somatic and malignant cells is poorly understood. We developed monoclonal antibodies specific for Sp17 and examined subcellular localization of the protein by immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence. In normal tissues, immunofluorescent staining of mature sperm showed strong staining of Sp17 in the flagella. Sp17 staining was also strong in other normal ciliated cells, including ciliated epithelia cells of the fallopian tube and bronchus, suggesting a normal role for this protein in the function of motile cilia. Immunofluorescent analysis of Sp17 expression in an in vitro model of primary ciliogenesis, the renal tubule cell line mCCD, demonstrated localization of the protein in the basal bodies, suggesting a role for Sp17 in the function of primary, nonmotile cilia as well. Immunofluorescent studies of immortalized tumor cell lines demonstrated Sp17 localization to centrosomes. Tissue microarray analysis of breast and ovarian tumors demonstrated overexpression of Sp17 protein in the majority of tumor samples. Sp17 localized to the nucleus in most samples, with some samples exhibiting predominantly cytoplasmic staining. Localization of Sp17 to the centrosome has not been previously reported, and suggests a new role for this protein in normal somatic and malignant cells.
Relating single-scenario facets to the convex hull of the extensive form of a stochastic single-node flow polytope

Abstract We study when a facet-defining inequality for a deterministic, single-scenario subproblem is also facet-defining for the extensive form of a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer linear program (SMIP). To answer this question, we introduce a novel stochastic variant of the well-known single-node flow (SNF) polytope, and present necessary and sufficient conditions for single-scenario facet-defining inequalities to be facet-defining for the extensive form. We further demonstrate that our stochastic SNF polytope is a relaxation of a broad subclass of SMIPs, illustrating its generality.
Immune checkpoint inhibition-induced myocarditis in cancer patients: Proposal of a detection and management strategy.

e15116Background: Monoclonal antibodies against the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), its ligand (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CT...