cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Shiga Toxin: Intestinal Cell Receptors and Pathophysiology of Enterotoxic Effects

Shiga toxin is enterotoxic in rabbit small bowel and binds to the microvillus membrane (MVM). The toxin exhibits specificity for glycolipids possessing a terminal gal-alpha 1----4gal disaccharide, including the neutral glycolipid Gb3 in MVM. Gb3, which is developmentally regulated in the rabbit small bowel, is present in very low concentration until the animals reach day 16 of life. In older animals an increase in Gb3 content is paralleled by an increase in the ability of MVM to bind toxin, which also correlates with the fluid secretion response. Shiga toxin selectively binds to villus cells, which contain Gb3, and not to crypt cells, which do not express Gb3. Targeting of the villus cell by the toxin is consistent with physiologic studies that demonstrate inhibition of villus cell Na+ absorptive pathways, with no effect on crypt cell Cl- secretory mechanisms. These effects are sufficient to account for the enterotoxicity of Shiga toxin in the rabbit model.
Boron-induced redistribution of hydrogen implanted at elevated temperature into crystalline silicon

The redistribution of hydrogen during elevated-temperature implantation of boron-pre-implanted silicon was investigated. By redistribution we mean that the final hydrogen distribution differs from the distribution of a control sample, and is attributed to sample preparation. Samples were prepared with a single boron pre-implantation, with projected range either shallower or deeper with respect to the projected range of a subsequent elevated-temperature hydrogen implantation. For shallower boron, the hydrogen redistribution was a wholesale shift in the entire distribution toward the surface, whereas for deeper boron, partial redistribution of end-of-range hydrogen toward the bulk was observed. Self-implantation experiments show that the wholesale hydrogen redistribution is not due solely to boron pre-implantation damage to the silicon lattice, but is driven by chemical effects attributed to the presence of boron.
Efficient data collection for estimating growth rates of structured populations

Demographic matrix models are used to estimate the population multiplication rate (finite rate of increase) of structured populations. When rates of transitions among age classes or stages (e.g., probabilities of growth or survival, fecundities) are estimated by tagging individuals, the number of individuals tagged from each stage determines the precision of the estimated transition rates, and hence the precision of the estimated population multiplication rate, λ. When there is a limit on the total number of individuals that can be tagged, tagging individuals at random does not produce the most precise estimate of λ possible. Here, using a linear approximation to the sampling variance of λ, I show how to calculate an allocation of tags among stages that provides a more precise estimate of λ than tagging individuals randomly. I illustrate this calculation with two examples, and show by simulation that stratified sampling based on this efficient sample composition can result in sizable increases in the precision of λ. The methods presented can also be used to compare the statistical efficiency of alternative sampling designs.
Propagation of the electromagnetic field in optical-limiting reverse-saturable absorbers

Reverse-saturable absorbers are of considerable interest for optical limiting. Using the electric dipole perturbation, we derived the rate equation for a five-level system describing reverse-saturable absorbers. Traditional theories for the propagating laser beam in these materials are expressed in terms of the optical intensity. However, with the introduction of high-power short-pulsed lasers, the propagation of light in these materials may be subject to nonlinear phenomena such as self-focusing and self-phase modulation. Furthermore, conventional theories treat the laser light as a continuous wave or as a very broad temporal pulse in which dispersive effects are neglected. In order to incorporate these other nonlinear or dispersive effects, and therefore determine their influence in reverse-saturable absorbers, we derived an equation for the propagation of the electromagnetic field, rather than the intensity, coupled to the rate equations for a five-level system. We also coupled our theory to experimentally measurable parameters for these materials and detailed the various physical approximations used to obtain the rate equations.
Extracellular proteins of goldfish optic tectum labeled by intraocular injection of 3H-proline.

Abstract A promiment group of soluble glycoproteins with a molecular weight of 30K–40K and pI 5.0–5.6 was detected in various parts of the goldfish brain as well as in the optic nerves. Since these proteins are readily liberated from the tissue, we have designated them exoglycoproteins (X-GPs). The X-GPs in the optic tectum were found to be labeled after intraocular injection of radioactive tracers, in a manner consistent with the labeling of proteins transported in the optic axons. However, the labeling of X-GPs was blocked by intracranial injection of a protein synthesis inhibitor, whereas the labeling of axonally transported proteins was unaffected. This shows that the X-GPs can be synthesized locally within the brain. Nevertheless, when protein synthesis in the retina was blocked, the labeling of the X-GPs in the tectum was prevented, like the labeling of axonally transported proteins. Thus precursors for the synthesis of X-GPs can be derived from materials transported in the optic axons. This synthesis can occur in nonneuronal cells, as indicated by the incorporation of labeled amino acid into X-GPs in optic nerves directly exposed to the label. The synthesis of X-GPs was increased in regenerating nerves, suggesting that these proteins may play a role in regeneration. Partial amino acid sequencing of the proteins showed that they are identical to the proteins previously identified as “ependymins,” which have been implicated in neuronal plasticity. There are minor differences in amino acid sequence among some individual spots.
The J-NABS 25th anniversary issue: reflecting on the past, synthesizing the present, and projecting into the future

AbstractThe year 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of publication of the Journal of the North American Benthological Society (J-NABS). To highlight the occasion, we solicited 18 contributions, classified into: 1) physical environment, 2) interface of chemistry and biology, 3) biota, and 4) human factor, to review how subdisciplines within the general field of benthology have changed. We identified 7 major themes across the 18 contributions. First, articles dealing with biota were published with the greatest number in J-NABS over the past 25 y, but an increasing number of papers address the human factor and the chemical/biological interface. A 2nd theme was the value of special issues and series, which have resulted in greater visibility and attention for selected topics. Three of the 7 themes could be loosely classified as focusing on emerging or future trends: 3) the role of new technologies and methods in advancing benthic science, 4) the growing importance of multidisciplinary approaches to tackling prob...
Distinguishing random environmental fluctuations from ecological catastrophes for the North Pacific Ocean

Worries over sudden climate change and irreversible environmental change are rooted in the notion that complex natural systems might respond to change in a ‘nonlinear’ fashion: small changes might cause dramatic pathological behaviours in an ecosystem. Whether large-scale marine environments are balanced on a knife edge like this has been a matter of debate, but a new assessment of physical and biological data sources in the North Pacific shows that the biological variables show the ‘nonlinear’ behaviour that people are worried about. In practical terms, this suggests that a ‘precautionary’ approach should be taken to the management of marine ecosystems, by setting conservative fisheries quotas for instance. The prospect of rapid dynamic changes in the environment is a pressing concern that has profound management and public policy implications1,2. Worries over sudden climate change and irreversible changes in ecosystems are rooted in the potential that nonlinear systems have for complex and ‘pathological’ behaviours1,2. Nonlinear behaviours have been shown in model systems3 and in some natural systems1,4,5,6,7,8, but their occurrence in large-scale marine environments remains controversial9,10. Here we show that time series observations of key physical variables11,12,13,14 for the North Pacific Ocean that seem to show these behaviours are not deterministically nonlinear, and are best described as linear stochastic. In contrast, we find that time series for biological variables5,15,16,17 having similar properties exhibit a low-dimensional nonlinear signature. To our knowledge, this is the first direct test for nonlinearity in large-scale physical and biological data for the marine environment. These results address a continuing debate over the origin of rapid shifts in certain key marine observations as coming from essentially stochastic processes or from dominant nonlinear mechanisms1,9,10,18,19,20. Our measurements suggest that large-scale marine ecosystems are dynamically nonlinear, and as such have the capacity for dramatic change in response to stochastic fluctuations in basin-scale physical states.
Automatic classification of scar tissue in late gadolinium enhancement cardiac MRI for the assessment of left-atrial wall injury after radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a promising procedure for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) that relies on accurate lesion delivery in the left atrial (LA) wall for success. Late Gadolinium Enhancement MRI (LGE MRI) at three months post-ablation has proven effective for noninvasive assessment of the location and extent of scar formation, which are important factors for predicting patient outcome and planning of redo ablation procedures. We have developed an algorithm for automatic classification in LGE MRI of scar tissue in the LA wall and have evaluated accuracy and consistency compared to manual scar classifications by expert observers. Our approach clusters voxels based on normalized intensity and was chosen through a systematic comparison of the performance of multivariate clustering on many combinations of image texture. Algorithm performance was determined by overlap with ground truth, using multiple overlap measures, and the accuracy of the estimation of the total amount of scar in the LA. Ground truth was determined using the STAPLE algorithm, which produces a probabilistic estimate of the true scar classification from multiple expert manual segmentations. Evaluation of the ground truth data set was based on both inter- and intra-observer agreement, with variation among expert classifiers indicating the difficulty of scar classification for a given a dataset. Our proposed automatic scar classification algorithm performs well for both scar localization and estimation of scar volume: for ground truth datasets considered easy, variability from the ground truth was low; for those considered difficult, variability from ground truth was on par with the variability across experts.
Improving BTB performance in the presence of DLLs

Dynamically Linked Libraries (DLLs) promote software modularity, portability, and flexibility and their use has become widespread. The authors characterize the behavior of five applications that make heavy use of DLLs, with a particular focus on the effects of DLLs on Branch Target Buffer (BTB) performance. DLLs aggravate hot set contention in the BTB. Standard software remedies are ineffective because the DLLs are shared, compiled separately, and dynamically linked to applications. We propose a hardware technique, the DLL BTB, that adds a small second buffer to the BTB and dedicates it to storing DLL target addresses. We show that the DLL BTB performance is similar to a BTB with a victim buffer, but the DLL BTB requires no parallel lookups or datapaths between the original BTB and the added buffer.
Uptake of dissolved inorganic and organic bphosphorus compounds by phytoplankton and bacterioplankton

Potential sources of dissolved P to phytoplankton and bacterioplankton were examined in a small meso-eutrophic lake. Kinetic analyses of whole lake water on three dates demonstrated that the maximal rate (V,,,,,) for phosphate uptake was highest (5.2 nM min- ‘) in spring. On all dates, size fractionation of plankton and kinetic analyses of uptake indicated that most (> 50%) uptake of phosphate was by phytoplankton at VmaX and by bacteria at ambient concentrations. Isotope dilution assays, with either unlabeled phosphate or various dissolved organic P (DOP) compounds, demonstrated that phosphate was the preferred substrate for uptake into both algae and bacteria. Phytoplankton had greater capacity for uptake of P from both phosphate and DOP than bacterioplankton. We concluded that phytoplankton use both phosphate and DOP, particularly at high substrate concentrations, and that bacterial utilization of P may be limited by the availability of organic C or other nutrients.
The Therapeutic Realizations Scale—Revised (TRS-R): Psychometric characteristics and relationship to treatment process and outcome

Therapeutic realizations are one of five universal, session-level change processes explicated in the Generic Model of Psychotherapy. Realizations refer to session impacts, the moment-to-moment accomplishments that patients experience within sessions. This study establishes the psychometric characteristics and factor structure of a modified patient-rated measure of session-level effects, the Therapeutic Realization Scale—Revised (TRS-R). In addition, it shows the relationship of the TRS-R to treatment process and outcome from the perspective of both patients and therapists. The findings provide support for the TRS-R as a reliable and valid, multidimensional index of session-level treatment effects. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 56: 1207–1220, 2000.
Education for Clinical Practice: An Alternative Approach

Although there have been many advances in technology, nursing science, and the professional role, there has been little planned, substantive change in the approach to clinical education. Documented problems include faculty workload, clinical placements, student anxiety, and concurrent teaching and evaluation. This article reviews the current status of clinical education and offers an alternative approach. The recommendation involves teaching a course on clinical practice, which includes patient care and adaptive competencies, evaluation in the college laboratory, and placing students with preceptors in the clinical laboratory. Ideas for implementation are offered, which include curricular changes and student-centered teaching strategies that encourage activities such as reflection and decision making. Advantages include opportunities for professional development for faculty and preceptors, improved student learning, and elimination of reality shock. The need for faculty development and educational research is emphasized.
THE TRANSFIGURATION OF DUTY IN AUROBINDO'S ESSAYS ON THE GITA

Aurobindo Ghose was a major nationalist intellectual of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who rose to prominence as one of the most radical leaders of the Swadeshi movement before retreating to the French colony of Pondicherry to dedicate his life to spiritual exercises and experiments. Aurobindo, like so many others of the nationalist period, produced a major commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. I will argue that his appeal to the Gita in the late 1910s represented, however, not a continuation of his nationalist project, but rather a radical reformulation of it in the wake of the defeat of the Swadeshi mobilization of 1905–8.
The Production of Amitriptyline from Nortriptyline in Formaldehyde-Containing Solutions

The stability of nortriptyline in aqueous solutions containing various concentrations of formaldehyde was investigated. Amitriptyline, as a reaction product, was determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in these experiments. Factors that may contribute to this phenomenon, including pH, formaldehyde concentration, and incubation time were evaluated. At 40% (v/v) formaldehyde concentration and pH 4, there was a 68% decrease in nortriptyline concentration along with a concomitant formation of amitriptyline after 24 h. The N-methylated product was responsible for 48% of the total tricyclic drug present. The data also clearly indicate that the formation of amitriptyline is favored at elevated pH.
Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Anatomy of the Left Atrium and the Esophagus. Implications for Left Atrial Catheter Ablation

Background— During left atrial (LA) catheter ablation, an atrioesophageal fistula can develop as a result of thermal injury of the esophagus during ablation along the posterior LA. No in vivo studies have examined the relationship of the esophagus to the LA. The purpose of this study was to describe the topographic anatomy of the esophagus and the posterior LA by use of CT. Methods and Results— A helical CT scan of the chest with 3D reconstruction was performed in 50 patients (mean age, 54±11 years) with atrial fibrillation before an ablation procedure. Consecutive axial and sagittal sections of the CT scan were examined to determine the relationship, size, and thickness of the tissue layers between the LA and the esophagus. The mean length and width of the esophagus in contact with the posterior LA were 58±14 and 13±6 mm, respectively. The esophagus had a variable course along the posterior LA. The esophagus was close (10±6 mm from the ostia) and parallel to the left-sided pulmonary veins (PVs) in 56% of...
A disposable fiberoptic arthroscope: a cadaver study.

Nine fresh cadaver ankle joints underwent arthroscopy to determine effectiveness of a small diameter, disposable, fiberoptic arthroscope. A sequential examination of the joint was performed through routine anteromedial and anterolateral portals.The anterior aspect of the joint with all anatomical structures was well visualized via the two anterior portals. The posterior aspect of the joint was also well visualized via anterior portals without distraction due to the flexibility of the scope and its small diameter. The quality of the visualization of the posterior joint from the anterior portals alone was comparable to that from the posterior approach.The results of this study indicate that diagnostic arthroscopy of the ankle joint with this disposable 1.6-mm arthroscope is comparable to the standard 2.7-mm to 5mm arthroscopes. The size, flexibility, and 30° viewing angle of this scope allow excellent and thorough joint visualization by routine anterior portals and minimize the need for joint distractors an...
Managing concussion in the school setting.

Concussion is a significant injury that can occur in physical education, during recreational activities, and during sports. School nurses should be included as an integral member of the concussion management team and assist with education, evaluation, and management of a concussed student. Recent and updated sport-related concussion management recommendations from the National Athletic Trainers' Association Research and Education Foundation as published in the March 2014 Journal of Athletic Training are reviewed to provide an understanding of best practices for concussion management in the school setting. Language: en
The consistency between treatments provided to nursing facility residents and orders on the physician orders for life-sustaining treatment form.

Objectives To evaluate the consistency between treatments provided and Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) orders. Design Retrospective chart abstraction. Setting Stratified, random sample of 90 nursing facilities in Oregon, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Participants Eight hundred seventy living and deceased nursing facility residents aged 65 and older with a minimum 60-day stay. Measurements Chart data about POLST form orders and related treatments over a 60-day period were abstracted. Decision rules were created to determine whether the rationale for each treatment was consistent with POLST orders. Results Most residents (85.2%) had the same POLST form in place during the review period. A majority of treatments provided to residents with orders for comfort measures only (74.3%) and limited antibiotics (83.3%) were consistent with POLST orders because they were primarily comfort focused rather than life-prolonging, but antibiotics were provided to 32.1% of residents with orders for no antibiotics. Overall consistency rates between treatments and POLST orders were high for resuscitation (98%), medical interventions (91.1%), and antibiotics (92.9%) and modest for feeding tubes (63.6%). In all, POLST orders were consistent with treatments provided 94.0% of the time. Conclusion With the exception of feeding tubes and antibiotic use in residents with orders for no antibiotics, the use of medical treatments was nearly always consistent with POLST orders to provide or withhold life-sustaining interventions. The POLST program is a useful tool for ensuring that the treatment preferences of nursing facility residents are honored.
Bayes estimation of component-reliability from masked system-life data

This paper estimates component reliability from masked series-system life data, viz, data where the exact component causing system failure might be unknown. It focuses on a Bayes approach which considers prior information on the component reliabilities. In most practical settings, prior engineering knowledge on component reliabilities is extensive. Engineers routinely use prior knowledge and judgment in a variety of ways. The Bayes methodology proposed here provides a formal, realistic means of incorporating such subjective knowledge into the estimation process. In the event that little prior knowledge is available, conservative or even noninformative priors, can be selected. The model is illustrated for a 2-component series system of exponential components. In particular it uses discrete-step priors because of their ease of development and interpretation. By taking advantage of the prior information, the Bayes point-estimates consistently perform well, i.e., are close to the MLE. While the approach is computationally intensive, the calculations can be easily computerized.
Are Mastectomies on the Rise? A 13-Year Trend Analysis of the Selection of Mastectomy Versus Breast Conservation Therapy in 5865 Patients

The equivalency of survival between mastectomy and breast conservation therapy (BCT) has long been established, resulting in two decades of predominant BCT. Recently, surgeons have recognized a trend toward increasing mastectomy. Institutional trends of mastectomy and BCT were reviewed, confirming this perception in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. This report evaluates the factors that influence patient decisions to choose surgical therapies. Patients who underwent mastectomy or BCT for invasive and in situ breast cancer were identified upon retrospective review of a prospectively accrued breast cancer database between 1994 and 2007. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of the association between mastectomy and patients’ clinicopathologic characteristics. Of the 5,865 patients, 3,736 underwent BCT and 2,129 underwent mastectomy. The overall surgical volume decreased during the study period. Mastectomy rates during the periods of 1994–1998, 1999–2003, and 2004–2007 were 33%, 33%, and 44%, respectively (P < 0.01). Immediate reconstruction rates decreased during the same time periods from 16%, 5%, and 7%, respectively (P < 0.01). On logistic regression analysis, gender, age < 40 years, increase tumor size, and lymphovascular invasion were significant independent predictors of mastectomy. The mastectomy rate increased during the period 1999–2003 (OR 1.2) and during 2004–2007(OR 1.8). The perception of an increasing choice toward mastectomy has been confirmed at this institution. Possible reasons are younger population with higher lifetime risk, higher stage disease, and more biologically aggressive or diffuse tumors. Patient preference, fear of genetic or recurrence risk, and “intangible” factors seem to shift decisions toward mastectomy.
Primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts

A case of primary cutaneous cryptococcal infection is presented and cases of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis in normal and immunocompromised hosts are reviewed. Cutaneous cryptococcosis can occur from local inoculation or dissemination from a distant site of infection. Risk factors associated with development of primary cutaneous cryptococcosis are those which affect cell-mediated immunity, such as corticosteroid usage, solid organ transplantation, sarcoidosis and immunosuppression. The cutaneous manifestations of cryptococcosis are protean and may mimic other cutaneous diseases. Patients with a diagnosis of cryptococcosis from a skin biopsy or culture should undergo evaluation to exclude disseminated disease and an evaluation of cell-mediated immunity. Although some patients do well without antifungal therapy, these patients cannot be discerned prospectively and therefore antifungal therapy appears warranted in all patients with localized disease. Choice of therapy depends on the extent of disease and immunocompetence of the host.
Mycoplasma superantigen initiates a TLR4-dependent Th17 cascade that enhances arthritis after blocking B7-1 in Mycoplasma arthritidis-infected mice.

Summary Mycoplasma arthritidis is a natural pathogen of rodents causing arthritis, toxic shock and necrotizing fasciitis. It secretes a potent superantigen (SAg), MAM, that differentially affects the immune system depending upon presence or absence of TLR4, thus potentially influencing disease outcomes. Here, we establish that antibody to co-stimulatory molecule B7-1(CD80) enhances arthritis in wild-type C3H/HeSnJ (TLR2+4+) mice but suppresses arthritis in TLR4-defect C3H/HeJ (TLR2+4−) mice. Also, blockade of the B7-1/CD28 co-stimulatory pathway in C3H/HeSnJ mice resulted in a marked increase in an alternative co-stimulatory pathway ICOS/ICOSL that was associated with elevation of the IL-17/Th17cascade with enhanced IL-23, IL-6, and the RORγt and STAT3 transcriptional factors on CD4+ T cells. Anti- B7-1 also increased inflammatory chemokines and the stress protein HMGB1 that promotes cellular infiltration to joints. Using a MAM-deficient strain of M. arthritidis, a monoclonal antibody to TLR4 and a TLR4-defective mouse strain, we established that both MAM and TLR4 are required for the systemic and local joint triggering of the Th17/IL-17 cascade in mice treated with anti-B7-1 antibody. Importantly, blocking of IL-17 with anti-IL-17 antibody suppressed the elevated arthritis in M. arthritidis-infected mice treated with anti-B7-1 antibody. Thus, this unique model of arthritis illustrates how microbial agonists can bridgeinnate and adaptive immune responses to redirect signalling pathways, thus promoting chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease.
Embryonic modulation of maternal steroids in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

In birds, maternally derived yolk steroids are a proposed mechanism by which females can adjust individual offspring phenotype to prevailing conditions. However, when interests of mother and offspring differ, parent–offspring conflict will arise and embryonic interests, not those of the mother, should drive offspring response to maternal steroids in eggs. Because of this potential conflict, we investigated the ability of developing bird embryos to process maternally derived yolk steroids. We examined how progesterone, testosterone and oestradiol levels changed in both the yolk/albumen (YA) and the embryo of European starling eggs during the first 10 days of development. Next, we injected tritiated testosterone into eggs at oviposition to characterize potential metabolic pathways during development. Ether extractions separated organic and aqueous metabolites in both the embryo and YA homogenate, after which major steroid metabolites were identified. Results indicate that the concentrations of all three steroids declined during development in the YA homogenate. Exogenous testosterone was primarily metabolized to an aqueous form of etiocholanolone that remained in the YA. These results clearly demonstrate that embryos can modulate their local steroid environment, setting up the potential for parent–offspring conflict. Embryonic regulation must be considered when addressing the evolutionary consequences of maternal steroids in eggs.
Post synthesis level power modeling of FPGAs

In this paper we outline a methodology and tool suite capable of modeling the power consumption of an FPGA design at the post synthesis, or EDIF, level. Modeling at this level has the following advantages: 1) early power feedback in the design flow, 2) power results displayed at a high level, closer to the logical design entry point 3) and the elimination of bulky, low-level timing accurate simulation and stimulus files. These three aspects allow a designer to quickly and easily generate power estimates, relate the results back to their original logical level design entry, and explore design trade-off scenarios. The results presented here were derived using Xilinx Virtex2 FPGAs and tool suites, however the techniques apply to all FPGAs.
Beyond Smokestacks and Silos: Open‐Source, Web‐Enabled Coordination in Organizations and Networks

What accounts for coordination problems? Many mechanisms of coordination exist in both organizations and networks, yet despite their widespread use, coordination challenges persist. Some believe the challenges are growing even more serious. One answer lies in understanding that coordination is not a free good; it is expensive in terms of time, effort, and attention, or what economists call transaction and administrative costs. An alternative to improving coordination is to reduce its costs, yet there is little guidance in the literature to help managers and researchers calculate coordination costs or make design decisions based on cost reductions. This article explores two cases—the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Peer-to-Patent pilot program and the online relief effort in Haiti following the devastating earthquake there in 2010—to illustrate the advantages and constraints of using Web 2.0 technology as a mechanism of coordination and a tool for cost reduction. The lessons learned from these cases may offer practitioners and researchers a way out of our “silos” and “smokestacks.”
Industrial Transportation Network by Utilization of a Pilot Cable with a Single Frequency

This work presents a possibility for achieving automatic industrial transport with automated transport modules guided by pilot cables located in the floor utilising a single frequency. For the information flow, coils and Hall sensors are located on the transport modules and in the floor. A complete information graph is used to keeping track of the positions of all the automated transport modules and their relative position.
PROBABILISTIC PROOFS OF HOOK LENGTH FORMULAS INVOLVING TREES

Recently, Han discovered two formulas involving binary trees which have the interesting property that hooklengths appear as exponents. The pur- pose of this note is to give a probabilistic proof of one of Han's formulas. Yang has generalized Han's results to ordered trees. We show how the probabilistic approach can also be used in Yang's setting, as well as for a generalization of Han's formula in terms of certain infinite trees.
IRE1 prevents endoplasmic reticulum membrane permeabilization and cell death under pathological conditions

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has emerged as a critical regulator of cell survival. IRE1 is a transmembrane protein with kinase and RNase activities that is localized to the ER and that promotes resistance to ER stress. We showed a mechanism by which IRE1 conferred protection against ER stress-mediated cell death. IRE1 signaling prevented ER membrane permeabilization mediated by Bax and Bak and cell death in cells experiencing ER stress. Suppression of IRE1 signaling triggered by its kinase activity led to the accumulation of the BH3 domain-containing protein Bnip3, which in turn triggered the oligomerization of Bax and Bak in the ER membrane and ER membrane permeabilization. Consequently, in response to ER stress, cells deficient in IRE1 were susceptible to leakage of ER contents, which was associated with the accumulation of calcium in mitochondria, oxidative stress in the cytosol, and ultimately cell death. Our results reveal a role for IRE1 in preventing a cell death-initializing step that emanates from the ER and provide a potential target for treating diseases characterized by ER stress, including diabetes and Wolfram syndrome.
Prevalence of Voice Disturbances in the Pediatric Craniofacial Patient Population

ObjectiveTo report on the prevalence of voice disturbances in the pediatric craniofacial population and to prove that the pediatric Voice Handicap Index (pVHI) is a useful questionnaire for this unique population.Study DesignCase series with chart review.SettingTertiary care center.SubjectsPediatric patients seen by a pediatric otolaryngologist in a craniofacial clinic.MethodsConsecutive patients (N = 366) seen by a single pediatric otolaryngologist in a craniofacial clinic from July 2011 to September 2012 were included. Any patient specifically referred for airway problems or voice difficulties completed a pVHI questionnaire. Patients each underwent an evaluation including flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy and videostroboscopy. Voice disturbance was further characterized into dysphonia, hypernasality, or hyponasality.ResultsOf all the patients evaluated, 280 (77%) were specifically referred for airway problems or voice disturbance. Of those referred, 39 (10.7%) were found to have an organic vocal fold pat...
Consumption of prickly pear cactus flowers by Melanoplus occidentalis: a coevolutionary association?

A study of the association between Melanoplus occidentalis (Thomas) and the prickly pear cactus, Opuntia polyacantha Haw., was conducted on native rangeland in southeastern Wyoming. During the study, the grasshopper population density was 14.5 ± 3.7 m-2, of which 52% were M. occidentalis in cactus patches and 16%were M. occidentalis in the surrounding rangeland. Surveys of prickly pear flowers showed that 54% of the flowers had one or more (up to four) grasshoppers, of which 96% were M. occidentalis. Females of this species comprised 72% of the individuals within the cactus patches and 33% of the individuals captured in surrounding rangeland. Of the insects found in prickly pear flowers, grasshoppers accounted for 87%of the biomass; meloids (ll %)and nitidulids (2%)made up the balance. Crop content analysis of the 10 dominant grasshopper species collected from cactus patches revealed that only M. occidentalis had fed on prickly pear flowers. Within this species, 37% of all individuals had detectable levels of prickly pear cactus tissue in their crops, including 41%of the adults (58% of the females and 28% of the males) and 23% of the nymphs. Behavioral observations revealed that M. occidentalis fed on prickly pear stamens in short (10–15 min) bouts, which were frequently interrupted by aggressive physical interactions between individuals. Evaluation of the cactus stamens of flowers in the area revealed that 20% were completely or heavily damaged, 75% were moderately to slightly damaged, and 5% were undamaged by grasshopper feeding.
Digital-Analog Hybrid Simulation Study on Subsynchronous Oscillation of ±500 kV DC Transmission Project From Hulun Buir to Liaoning

HVDC system may cause sub-synchronous oscillation(SSO) occurred in thermal power units near rectifier station.To ensure secure and stable operation of AC/DC power transmission system from Hulun Buir to Liaoning,the possibly occurred subsynchronous oscillation(SSO) of turbogenerating units in Hulun Buir League,which might be caused by HVDC power transmission system from Hulun Buir to Liaoning,is studied by digital-analog hybrid simulator,and the risk of occurring SSO under different operation modes of AC/DC power transmission system from Hulun Buir to Liaoning is analyzed in depth,besides,the impacts of operating conditions of HVDC power transmission system on SSO are studied.The effectivity of adopting SSO damping controller in control system of HVDC power transmission project is verified by results of hybrid digital-analog hybrid simulation,and corresponding suggestions are given.
Molecular Basis for the Role of Cationic Residues in Antimicrobial Peptide Interactions

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play a vital role in the innate immune response and represent promising templates for developing broad-spectrum alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Most AMPs are charged amino acid sequences that interact more strongly with negatively charged prokaryotic membranes than net neutral eukaryotic ones. Both AMPs and synthetic analogues with arginine-like guanidine groups show a greater toxic effect against bacteria than those with lysine-like amine groups, though the atomistic mechanism for this increase in potency remains unclear. To examine this, we have conducted comparative molecular dynamics simulations of two mutants of a model AMP, KR-12: one with all lysine residues mutated to arginine (R-KR12), and one with all arginine residues mutated to lysine (K-KR12). Both peptides were simulated in two model membrane systems: prokaryotic (POPC/POPG) or eukaryotic (pure POPC). Simulations show that both peptides demonstrate similar favorability for the POPC/POPG bilayer over POPC, partition analogously to the bilayer, and display a preference for forming hydrogen bonds with the anionic POPGs. However, R-KR12 has a significantly higher propensity for hydrogen bonding with the bilayer than K-KR12, resulting in considerably longer interaction times. Overall, these results help elucidate the greater toxicity of arginine-rich AMPs and offer potential insights for designing more potent therapeutic analogues in the future.
Reexamining the Literature: The Impact of Peer Tutoring on Higher Order Learning.

ABSTRACTThe body of peer-tutoring intervention research targeting higher order learning (HOL) objectives for middle and high school students with disabilities is reviewed. Peer-tutoring outcomes are synthesized and studies are analyzed to examine the influence of tutoring procedures and study design features on intervention efficacy. Findings show that (a) peer-tutoring interventions targeting HOL objectives have had mixed results; (b) positive, statistically significant peer-tutoring effects may be related to researchers' choice of assessments and comparison condition instruction; and (c) requiring tutors to independently evaluate tutee responses to HOL prompts and to carry out complex error-correction procedures may hinder tutoring intervention efficacy. Implications for research and eight recommendations for using peer tutoring to target HOL objectives are presented.
Crafting the third century of the National Library of Medicine

In 20 years the National Library of Medicine (NLM) will enter its third century of service to the nation. From a small bookshelf in the office of an army surgeon to a dynamic suite of resources for discovery and care, the NLM assures that the information needed for discovery and care is available where needed, when needed, and, increasingly, in the format needed. This week I begin my tenure as the 19th appointed director of the NLM. I am using this opportunity to reach out to colleagues in the biomedical and health informatics community to solicit your guidance about how to invest in and grow the NLM. What kind of library and library services are needed to determine whether a foodborne pathogen is a new species or a known species? How many infrastructure standards, predictive algorithms, natural language processing–guided tumor interpretations, and vocabulary cross-mappings must be in place to support an automated query soliciting the next step in cancer screening for a specific patient in a given community? Is it possible to describe and …
Assessing Techniques for the Estimation of Original Firing Temperatures of Plains Ceramics: Experimental and Archaeological Results

Firing practices yield insights into the technological skill, knowledge, and behavior of potters. Skill and time, clays, fuels, and intended vessel use are significant for potters' decisions about heating rates, firing temperature and atmosphere. Firing is one stage in ceramic production that, when considered with the vessel's life history, reveals strategies of craftspersons and technological changes, or continuities across space and time. This paper explores methods for estimating firing temperatures. Experiments demonstrate that techniques used in other regions, such as stepwise clay oxidation analysis, are problematic for Plains ceramics and possibly other regions. A revised protocol is developed and paired with magnetic susceptibility to produce better estimates. Results indicate unexpected amounts of low-fired pottery (<500°C), with all temperatures below 750°C. Perhaps Plains Woodland and Northeastern Plains Village potters in North Dakota employed low-firing temperatures, in combination with less ...
Platelet Generation Under Shear Force Is Modulated by Site-Specific Phosphorylation of Myosin-II Heavy Chain,

Abstract Abstract 3262 Platelets are generated from megakaryocytes (MKs) under blood shear. When activated, platelet aggregration and contraction result in part from non-muscle myosin-IIA (NMM-IIA), which is the most abundant isoform of MKs. Defects in this motor protein are a common basis of May-Hegglin disease in which thrombocytopenia is a common symptom. Recently, we showed that reversible inhibition of NMM-IIA – rather than irreversible perturbations – together with soft 2D matrix increases polyploid MKs and also platelet generation (Shin et al., PNAS, 2011; 108:11458–63). While we identified specific phosphorylation sites in NMM-II heavy chain that can modulate MK polyploidization physiologically, it remained to be investigated whether the same sites can also influence platelet generation and activation. Since we showed previously that cytoskeletal proteins undergo forced disruption of specific domains and specific interactions within shear-stressed cells (Krieger et al., PNAS, 2011; 108:8269–74), it is possible that NMM-II heavy chain phosphorylation sites are also exposed under physical forces. Here, intravenous blood shear forces simulated by a cone and plate rheometer are shown to induce the de-activating and isoform-specific phosphorylation at Ser1943 (pS1943) of NMM-IIA in MKs. MEG01 cells show that the fraction of pS1943 NMM-IIA increases up to a low shear stress (0.5Pa), while further increases in shear stress lead to cell fragmentation and a decay in pS1943. Mutational analysis of this site in MEG01 cells together with knockdown and overexpression addresses whether pS1943 is both sufficient and necessary for cellular fragmentation under shear. The role of pS1943 in platelet activation will also be discussed in relation to May-Hegglin disease. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Malignant hematopoietic breast tumors

Hematopoietic neoplasms involving the breast, although less common than breast carcinoma, are often clinically indistinguishable from other breast tumors. Microscopically, these tumors can mimic primary carcinoma of the breast, especially in limited material such as needle biopsy specimens. Forty-five hematopoietic breast neoplasms including 21 primary non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs), 19 secondary NHLs, 1 undetermined NHL, 1 lesion secondary to Hodgkin's disease, and 3 granulocytic sarcomas were reviewed with regard to histologic subtype, morphologic features, and immunophenotype. The median age of patients at presentation was 67 years for those with primary NHLs and 61 years for those with secondary NHLs. The majority of lymphomas were intermediate or high grade. Diffuse large cell type was by far the most common histologic subtype. No lymphomas resembling lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue were identified in this series, suggesting that such lymphomas are rare in breast compared with other sites such as the gastrointestinal tract and lung. Four primary NHLs, 2 secondary NHLs, and 1 granulocytic sarcoma were initially misdiagnosed as carcinomas; three patients underwent radical mastectomy, and at least three other patients nearly received surgical treatment. One primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma of B-cell origin was identified that closely resembled poorly differentiated ductal carcinoma. "Single file" or targetoid patterns with extensive sclerosis mimicking invasive lobular carcinoma was common in lymphomas and was seen in one of the granulocytic sarcomas. In addition, two breast lymphomas, one of B-cell phenotype and the other of T-cell phenotype, showed frequent signet ring cells, which potentially could be confused with lobular carcinoma. Despite a number of recent articles on lymphomas of the breast, it appears that these tumors continue to be confused with carcinomas. Histologic features suggestive of lymphomatous involvement include absence of in situ carcinoma, frequent individual karyorrhectic cells, lymphoepithelial lesions, and cellular discohesiveness.
Obesity and adverse breast cancer risk and outcome: Mechanistic insights and strategies for intervention.

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE Recent decades have seen an unprecedented rise in obesity, and the health impact thereof is increasingly evident. In 2014, worldwide, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight (body mass index [BMI], 25-29.9 kg/m2), and of these, over 600 million were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Although the association between obesity and the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease is widely known, the impact of obesity on cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality is not fully appreciated. Obesity is associated both with a higher risk of developing breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women, and with worse disease outcome for women of all ages. The first part of this review summarizes the relationships between obesity and breast cancer development and outcomes in premenopausal and postmenopausal women and in those with hormone receptor-positive and -negative disease. The second part of this review addresses hypothesized molecular mechanistic insights that may underlie the effects of obesity to increase local and circulating proinflammatory cytokines, promote tumor angiogenesis and stimulate the most malignant cancer stem cell population to drive cancer growth, invasion, and metastasis. Finally, a review of observational studies demonstrates that increased physical activity is associated with lower breast cancer risk and better outcomes. The effects of recent lifestyle interventions to decrease sex steroids, insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 pathway activation, and inflammatory biomarkers associated with worse breast cancer outcomes in obesity also are discussed. Although many observational studies indicate that exercise with weight loss is associated with improved breast cancer outcome, further prospective studies are needed to determine whether weight reduction will lead to improved patient outcomes. It is hoped that several ongoing lifestyle intervention trials, which are reviewed herein, will support the systematic incorporation of weight loss intervention strategies into care for patients with breast cancer. CA Cancer J Clin 2017;67:378–397. © 2017 The Authors. CA A Cancer Journal for Clinicians published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
A Simple Proof that ep/q Is Irrational

Using a simple application of the mean value theorem, we show that rational powers of e are irrational.