cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Selective formation of diblock copolymers using radical trap‐assisted atom transfer radical coupling

Polystyrene (PSt) radicals and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) radicals, derived from their monobrominated precursors prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), were formed in the presence of the radical trap 2-methyl-2-nitrosopropane (MNP), selectively forming PSt-PMA diblock copolymers with an alkoxyamine at the junction between the block segments. This radical trap-assisted, atom transfer radical coupling (RTA-ATRC) was performed in a single pot at low temperature (35 °C), while analogous traditional ATRC reactions at this temperature, which lacked the radical trap, resulted in no observed coupling and the PStBr and PMABr precursors were simply recovered. Selective formation of the diblock under RTA-ATRC conditions is consistent with the PStBr and PMABr having substantially different KATRP values, with PSt radicals initially being formed and trapped by the MNP and the PMA radicals being trapped by the in situ-formed nitroxide end-capped PSt. The midchain alkoxyamine functionality was confirmed by thermolysis of the diblock copolymer, resulting in recovery of the PSt segment and degradation of the PMA block at the relatively high temperatures (125 °C) required for thermal cleavage. A PSt-PMA diblock formed by chain extenstion ATRP using PStBr as the macroinitiator (thus lacking the alkoxyamine between the PSt-PMA segements) was inert to thermolysis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3619–3626
Clinical Use of Inotropic Therapy for Heart Failure: Looking Backward or Forward? Part II: Chronic Inotropic Therapy

Therapy with intravenous inotropic agents is most often initiated as short-term therapy during hospitalization to achieve one of several goals for acute management of decompensation, as described in part I of this report (Table).1 However, it may become difficult to wean these infusions in some patients as a heart failure progresses to late stages. View this table: Current Uses of Inotropic Agents in Heart Failure: Possible Trials ### Identification of Inotrope Dependence Many considered initially to be dependent on inotropic infusions can undergo successful weaning after complete diuresis of excess volume and careful adjustment of concomitant oral medications, which may be facilitated by hemodynamic monitoring to optimize loading conditions on oral agents.2,3 β-Adrenergic receptor antagonists would have been discontinued already in most cases. ACE inhibitors may need to be discontinued to maximize blood pressure and renal function, with addition of nitrates with or without hydralazine as needed for vasodilation. Dependence should not be declared until multiple interventions and weaning attempts have been made, in most cases requiring 2 to 3 weeks in the hospital, a systematic approach discussed by Hershberger et al.3 Although its magnitude can be debated, there is clearly a population of patients who are considered by experienced heart failure teams to be dependent on intravenous inotropic infusions despite multiple weaning attempts.4 It is assumed that such patients would not survive hospital discharge without ongoing inotropic support, although consensus has not been reached on exactly who they are. Dependence is most often manifested as symptomatic hypotension, recurrent congestive symptoms, or worsening renal function early after discontinuation of inotropic therapy. It should be emphasized that dependence for clinical purposes should be defined by limited clinical function, not by measured hemodynamic parameters, although these numbers have been required for Medicare coverage of home infusions in some states. For patients considered dependent, continuous inotropic …
Strain selection and medium optimization for glucoamylase production from industrial potato waste by Aspergillus niger.

Background Glucoamylase is one of the most common enzymes used in the food industry to break down starch into its monomers. Glucoamylase production and its activity are highly dependent on medium composition. Starch is well known as a glucoamylase inducer, and utilization of industrial starchy potato waste is an inexpensive way of improving glucoamylase production. Since glucoamylase production is highly dependent on medium composition, in this study medium optimization for glucoamylase production was considered to enhance glucoamylase activity. Results Among the evaluated microbial species, Aspergillus niger van Tieghem was found to be the best glucoamylase-producing fungus. The Plackett-Burman design was used to screen various medium ingredients, and malt extract, FeSO4 .7H2 O and CaCl2 ·2H2 O were found to have significant effects on glucoamylase production. Finally, malt extract, FeSO4 .7H2 O and CaCl2 .2H2 O were optimized by using a central composite design of response surface methodology. The results showed that the optimal medium composition for A. niger van Tieghem was 50 g L(-1) industrial waste potato mash supplemented with 51.82 g L(-1) malt extract, 9.27 g L(-1) CaCl2 ·2H2 O and 0.50 g L(-1) FeSO4 .7H2 O. Conclusion At the end of optimization, glucoamylase activity and glucose production were improved 126% and 98% compared to only industrial waste potato mash basal medium; 274.4 U mL(-1) glucoamylase activity and 41.7 g L(-1) glucose levels were achieved, respectively. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
Obstacles to Environmental Research by Scientists and Technologists: A Social Structural Analysis

A key element in the social movement for environmental protection has been the “impact analysis” role of scientists and technologists. Because of the structural positions of scientific and technological institutions relative to monopoly capital interests, serious constraints exist on extensions of these roles. For scientists, the constraints include: (1) the division of scientific labor and power; (2) the control of scientific “missions”; (3) the control of publication/communication access; and (4) direct social and economic coercion of scientists. For technologists, there are at least four additional constraints: (1) control over access to data; (2) the control of consultantships; (3) the ideology of “feasibility;” and (4) the non-transferability of specialized engineering skills. While the development of new organizational forms may encourage more impact analysis, it is difficult to judge how much transformation these will utlimately promote.
Does environmental advertising reflect integrated marketing communications?: An empirical investigation

Abstract We describe an empirical assessment of the degree to which environmental ads may be classified as integrated. A framework discussed by Nowak and Phelps (1994) is applied to a set of “green” ads to determine whether such ads are truly integrated. Because organizations should use more than one approach in order to develop a green posture, integrated marketing communications would appear to be a suitable method for forming an environmentally conscious stance. Results indicate that only about half of the environmental ads that were studied were classifiable as integrated according to criteria discussed by Nowak and Phelps. Further, integrated green ads do not appear to be applying the types of direct behavioral inducements that might be optimal for building a positive environmental posture. Such findings may have implications for the recent decline in use of and interest in green advertising.
Examining the Process of de Novo Gene Birth: An Educational Primer on "Integration of New Genes into Cellular Networks, and Their Structural Maturation"

SUMMARY New genes that arise from modification of the noncoding portion of a genome rather than being duplicated from parent genes are called de novo genes. These genes, identified by their brief evolution and lack of parent genes, provide an opportunity to study the timeframe in which emerging genes integrate into cellular networks, and how the characteristics of these genes change as they mature into bona fide genes. An article by G. Abrusan provides an opportunity to introduce students to fundamental concepts in evolutionary and comparative genetics and to provide a technical background by which to discuss systems biology approaches when studying the evolutionary process of gene birth. Basic background needed to understand the Abrusan study and details on comparative genomic concepts tailored for a classroom discussion are provided, including discussion questions and a supplemental exercise on navigating a genome database.
Needs assessment on education for knowledge utilization in the life sciences

Working scientists have long recognized the importance of information and organized systems of information storage and retrieval as basic tools for the conduct of scientific inquiry. It is only in recent years, however, that science educators have begun to assess the significance of such systems for the general education of non-scientists in pre-college and introductory college settings. This growing recognition is perhaps most evident in the life sciences where, since the announcement that the structure of DNA had been determined and the genetic code cracked, scientific knowledge has expanded at a rate never before matched in human experience. In response, many of the nation's most distinguished leaders in science education have written about the demands that the explosion in knowledge places upon today's curriculum of the life sciences. Their recommendations and findings have been reported in several documents of significance for educational planning and improvement in the 1980s [1-3]. In all these reports, one finds consensus: general education in the life sciences must begin to address in substantive ways the importance of information and information systems, because those topics form a necessary basis for the development of an optimal
No more Mr Nice Guy – implementation of mandatory seasonal influenza immunization for all personnel

In the US, immunization for many vaccine preventable illnesses are mandated as a condition of employment, but Influenza (flu) has not been mandatory. Despite 1986 Center for Disease Control recommendations that healthcare workers be vaccinated annually for flu, the US national average is 61.9%. Patient & employee safety / preventing nosocomial infections are central to quality care. So, we sought to achieve universal flu immunization for all personnel.
Clinically inapparent invasive vulvar carcinoma in an area of persistent Paget’s disease: a case report

Abstract Background Invasive vulvar carcinoma is reported to occur in 5 to 20% of patients with vulvar Paget’s disease. We report a case in which a clinically inapparent invasive lesion was discovered on reexcision of microscopically persistent vulvar Paget’s disease. Case A 58-year-old woman presented with a diagnosis of vulvar Paget’s disease. A wide local excision of the lesion was performed and pathologic analysis revealed microscopic Paget’s disease at two of the margins. The patient returned for a follow-up 4 months later and a vulvar biopsy revealing persistent Paget’s cells was obtained from the area of the prior microscopically positive surgical margin. A reexcision was performed from the normal-appearing vulva and invasive vulvar carcinoma was noted in this specimen. Conclusion This case demonstrates several concerning aspects of this disease, most important of which is that the clinically apparent lesion did not contain the clinically significant invasive lesion. Invasive vulvar carcinoma may occur in association with microscopically persistent vulvar Paget’s disease, a condition often encountered after primary treatment with wide local excision.
Altered Skeletal Muscle Phenotypes in Calcineurin Aα and Aβ Gene-Targeted Mice

Calcineurin is a calcium-regulated serine-threonine protein phosphatase that controls developmental and inducible biological responses in diverse cell types, in part through activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). In skeletal muscle, calcineurin has been implicated in the regulation of myoblast differentiation, hypertrophy of mature myofibers, and fiber type switching in response to alterations in intracellular calcium concentration. However, considerable disagreement persists about the functional role of calcineurin signaling in each of these processes. Here we evaluated the molecular phenotypes of skeletal muscle from both calcineurin Aα and calcineurin Aβ gene-targeted mice. Calcineurin Aα was observed to be the predominant catalytic isoform expressed in nearly all skeletal muscles examined. Neither calcineurin Aα or Aβ null mice showed any gross growth-related alterations in skeletal muscle, nor was fiber size or number altered in glycolytic/fast muscle types. In contrast, both calcineurin Aα and Aβ gene-targeted mice demonstrated an alteration in myofiber number in the soleus, an oxidative/slow-type muscle. More significantly, calcineurin Aα and Aβ gene-targeted mice showed a dramatic down-regulation in the oxidative/slow fiber type program in multiple muscles (both slow and fast). Associated with this observation, NFAT-luciferase reporter transgenic mice showed significantly greater activity in slow fiber-containing muscles than in fast. However, only calcineurin Aα null mice showed a defect in NFAT nuclear occupancy or NFAT-luciferase transgene activity in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that calcineurin signaling plays a critical role in regulating skeletal muscle fiber type switching but not hypertrophy. Our results also suggest that fiber type switching occurs through an NFAT-independent mechanism.
Comments on “Beam Quality Factor of Higher Order Modes in a Step-Index Fiber”

In a previously published paper [1], equations are presented that predict the beam-quality factor of beams from multimode fibers. We demonstrate that the simplification made in these equations to generate several of the figures is incorrect and that these formulas cannot be generally simplified for beams that are coherent superpositions of modes.
Control and kinematic design of multi-degree-of freedom mobile robots with compliant linkage

Mobile robots (unlike automated guided vehicles) usually rely on dead-reckoning between periodic absolute position updates and their performance is diminished by excessive wheel slippage. This paper introduces compliant linkage, a new concept in the control and kinematic design of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) mobile robots. As the name implies, compliant linkage provides compliance between the drive wheels or drive axles of a vehicle, to accommodate control errors which would otherwise cause wheel slippage. The concept of compliant linkage was implemented and tested on a 4-DOF vehicle built at the University of Michigan's Mobile Robotics Lab. Experimental results show that control errors are effectively absorbed by the linkage, resulting in smooth and precise motion. The dead-reckoning accuracy of the compliant linkage vehicle is substantially better than that reported in the literature for other MDOF vehicles; it was found equal to, or even better than that of comparable 2-DOF vehicles. >
Historical and simulated ecosystem carbon dynamics in Ghana: land use, management, and climate

Abstract. We used the General Ensemble biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS) to simulate responses of natural and managed ecosystems to changes in land use and land cover, management, and climate for a forest/savanna transitional zone in central Ghana. Model results show that deforestation for crop production during the 20th century resulted in a substantial reduction in ecosystem carbon (C) stock from 135.4 Mg C ha−1 in 1900 to 77.0 Mg C ha−1 in 2000, and in soil organic C stock within the top 20 cm of soil from 26.6 Mg C ha−1 to 21.2 Mg C ha−1. If no land use change takes place from 2000 through 2100, low and high climate change scenarios (increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation over time) will result in losses of soil organic C stock by 16% and 20%, respectively. A low nitrogen (N) fertilization rate is the principal constraint on current crop production. An increase in N fertilization under the low climate change scenario would lead to an increase in the average crop yield by 21% with 30 kg N ha−1 and by 42% with 60 kg N ha−1 (varying with crop species), accordingly, the average soil C stock would decrease by 2% and increase by 17%, in all cropping systems by 2100. The results suggest that a reasonable N fertilization rate is critical to achieve food security and agricultural sustainability in the study area through the 21st century. Adaptation strategies for climate change in this study area require national plans to support policies and practices that provide adequate N fertilizers to sustain soil C and crop yields and to consider high temperature tolerant crop species if these temperature projections are exceeded.
Role of head pose estimation in speech acquisition from distant microphones

Reverberant environments pose a challenge to speech acquisition from distant microphones. Approaches using microphone arrays have met with limited success. Recent research using audio-visual sensors for tasks such as speaker localization has shown improvement over traditional audio-only approaches. Using computer vision techniques we can estimate the orientation of the speaker's head in addition to the location of the speaker. In this paper we study the utility of using the head pose information for effective beamforming and clean speech acquisition from distant microphones. The improvements in speech recognition accuracy relative to that of a close talking microphone are presented and the results provide sufficient motivation for incorporating head pose information in beamforming techniques.
THE EFFECTS OF TELEVISION ON PUBLIC LIBRARY CIRCULATION

The various mass media compete for the attention of their audiences and readers, but they also reinforce each other. This study attempts to measure the effects of television on public library circulation by finding in the comparison of communities with and without television a substitute for experimentation. Edwin B. Parker is Associate Professor of Communications at Stanford University. He read this paper at the annual convention of the Pacific Chapter of the American Association for Public Opinion Research at Pacific Grove, California, in January 1963. W A r HEN a new medium of mass communication becomes widely adopted in a complex society, it is reasonable to expect that it will produce some changes in the uses made of the old. If the new medium can perform a function that had been served equally or less effectively by older media, then the new medium will to some extent displace the old. The extent of displacement will depend on how well the new medium fulfills the functions of the old and whether additional functions are also fulfilled by the new. In most cases the overlap is not total and the previously existing media continue to perform functions not fully served by the new medium. The considerable reduction in the use of radio and the change in the nature of radio programming since the coming of television is a good example of such a displacement and shift in function.' More than twenty years ago Lazarsfeld investigated the effects of the coming of radio on the use of print media. He concluded that "radio has not impaired the reading habits of the population."2 This conclusion is based in part on survey research evidence indicating that radio listening is correlated with movie attendance but is not correlated with book reading, which is therefore presumably different in function. It is nevertheless quite possible that radio did produce some changes
Psychotherapy process and procedure: The behavioral mandate *

Contemporary behavior therapy is not easily defined, but it can be characterized in terms of a core of basic assumptions, including the seminal commitment to maintaining a link to the principles, procedures, and findings of experimental psychology. Originally based on conditioning theory, the theoretical and research foundations of behavior therapy were expanded during the 1970s to include cognitive processes and procedures, and more attention will be given to affect in the 1980s. Recent proposals for a rapprochement between behavior therapy and psychodynamic therapy via the identification of common clinical strategies are likely to prove unsuccessful. Alternatively, it is suggested that we develop replicable and effective methods of change within the framework of behavior therapy and invite other therapeutic approaches similarly to show what they can and cannot accomplish. Despite the influence of experimental psychology on behavior therapy, the disturbing gap between research and practice remains. Aside from generating more relevant clinical research, we must accept that political, economic, social, and personal factors are major determinants of delivery of mental health services. AABT should take a more activist role in supporting any reasonable policies that seek to make reimbursable only those methods that are safe and effective, and to guarantee the appropriate recognition of psychologists and other professionals as independent health providers.
Co-ordinate covariance and the motion of isotopic-spin sources in gauge theories

The motion of singularities in the classical Yang-Mills field is derived from the field equations of general relativity. It is pointed out that in Yang-Mills field by itself does not determine the motion of its sources in spite of its being a nonlinear theory.
Metaphysical Conservatism and Mechanical Characteristics of Human Nature

We sketch some reasons for thinking that modern formulations of mechanics might shed some light on old questions about human nature, in particular the malleability of human nature and the character of limits on cognition and volition. We illustrate the approach by showing how to regard certain forces that depend on mental states or the states of artificial controllers as interaction forces between minds or controllers and their environments, thus allowing physical measurement of some mental properties.
Comparative Functional Morphology of Maximum Mandibular Opening (Gape) in Primates

There is wide variation among primates in the size and shape of teeth, the size and position of masticatory muscles, and the morphology of the craniofacial skeleton. The functional significance of these differences is usually considered to be related to the biomechanics of mastication, more specifically, to the delivery of forces for obtaining and breaking down food, and for dissipating the resulting masticatory stresses (Hylander, 1977; Oyen et al., 1979) (this excludes features obviously related to other functions, such as the braincase and orbits).
Point-of-care breast cancer diagnosis biochip

According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. The gold standard for breast cancer diagnosis is a needle biopsy where cells or tissue are removed from a suspicious area of the breast and then examined under a microscope. This test may take one to two weeks. Pandya and colleagues developed a new point-of-care diagnostic tool that assesses breast tissue quickly by measuring tissue mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. The authors used their silicon-based “biochip,” which was outfitted with microelectromechanical sensors, to assess small cylindrical samples of cancerous, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and normal breast tissue from patients. They found the cancerous tissue to be stiffer than other tissues during indentation tests, which supports the known density of tumors. Cancerous IDC tissue also demonstrated a higher resistivity, or resistance to carrying electrical current, when compared with normal tissue. The team reported that cancerous IDC tissue appeared coarse and hypothesized that this was due to disruptions in the extracellular matrix. As a consequence, higher resistance path for current to flow exists in cancerous tissue than smooth normal tissue. When heating tissues from 25 to 50oC with a tiny heater were placed under the sample, there was a significant difference in the thermal conductivity between normal and cancer tissues. The authors’ biochip was integrated with a 3D-printed cartridge that enabled connections to sensors and mechanical actuators. Such an automated assessment method may not only dramatically improve turnaround time, but also stratify tissue samples according to immediacy for a pathologist. Although promising for low-cost, multimodal tissue evaluation, the ability to grade tumors, or convey their aggressiveness, with the tool remains to be determined. H. Pandya et al. , Towards a portable cancer diagnostic tool using a disposable MEMS-based biochip. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng . 10.1109/TBME.2016.2535364 (2016). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=7420666&isnumber=4359967
Raman Scattering and Photoluminescence Measurements on II-VI Semiconductor Nanocrystals as a Function of Pressure and Particle Size

Pressure tuned photoluminescence and Raman scattering were employed to study the structural phase transition from wurtzite to rocksalt structure of CdS x Sei 1-x nanocrystals embedded in a glass matrix as a composite material and in the colloidal form. In both the composite and the colloidal form the increased phase stability of the wurtzite to rocksalt structure is reversible and size dependent. In contrast the phase transition in bulk semiconductors of cadmium-sulfide is sharp but for the nanocrystals it is broad and occurs at higher pressures. A size dependent study of the phase stability was conducted and a correlation between size and increase in phase stability was definitely established. For the nanocrystals in the composite form the difference in surface tension in both phases allowed for a model that predicted the tendencies observed in optical spectra. For the colloidal nanocrystals a model based on surface tension and volume effects (defects) gave good agreement in explaining the observations. The above results are discussed with respect to surface tension and deep level defects and their pressure dependence.
Efficient evaluation of threshold queries of derived fields in a numerical simulation database

In this paper, we present a method for the ecient evaluation of threshold queries of derived fields for large numerical simulation datasets stored in a cluster of relational databases. The datasets produced by these simulations are in the TB and even PB ranges. Data-intensive computations that examine entire time-steps of the simulation data are impractical to perform locally by the user, taking days or months to iterate over the entire dataset. The integrated method for the evaluation of threshold queries that we have developed achieves scalability through data-parallel execution of the computations on the nodes of an analysis database cluster. We extend the scientific analysis environment with the introduction of an application-aware cache for query results, building on the concept of semantic caching. The cache has little overhead and improves query performance by over an order of magnitude for queries that hit the cache. Caching the results of threshold queries preserves both the I/O and computation e↵ort used to obtain them. In the case of computational turbulence, this allows scientists to quickly focus on the most intense events and interesting regions in any time-step or the dataset as a whole, which greatly speeds up the rate of scientific exploration and discovery.
Influence of dietary protein on blood cholesterol and related metabolites of growing calves.

Forty male, Holstein calves were utilized to evaluate effects of either low (12%) or high (25%) dietary protein on growth and serum metabolites, with a particular concern for serum cholesterol. All diets contained 19% acid detergent fiber and consisted of corn silage, alfalfa hay and grain mixtures. Average concentration of total serum cholesterol was depressed (P = .001) for calves on the high-protein diets (58.8 mg/dl) as compared with their low-protein counterparts (67.9 mg/dl). Calves fed the high-protein diet had lower (P = .002) free serum cholesterol but elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as a percentage of total cholesterol. Calves receiving the high-protein diets showed increases (P = .206) in lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activity compared with low-protein counterparts. Serum urea nitrogen was increased (P = .001) for calves fed high-protein diets, while serum protein and glucose remained unchanged. Calves fed the high-protein diets consumed less dry matter with improved (P = .09) growth efficiency (gain/feed).
A Behavioral Approach to the Term Structure of Interest Rates

This chapter contains a discussion of the determinants of the term structure of interest rates. It provides a characterization result. This result serves as the context for discussing the impact of sentiment on the term structure. Sentiment injects volatility into the term structure both at the short end of the yield curve and at the long end. The impact of sentiment at the long end is especially pronounced, in that in a Markov setting, market efficiency implies that there should be very little volatility attached to long-term bond prices. Higher degrees of risk aversion accentuate the impact of sentiment. Heterogeneous coefficients of risk aversion inject additional volatility into the term structure. Although the expectations hypothesis of the term structure holds when prices are efficient, nonzero sentiment can cause the expectations hypothesis to fail. This chapter derives the prices of default-free bonds of varying maturities, that is, the term structure of interest rates. After having described the general pricing formula for the term structure, the discussion shifts to the implications of nonzero sentiment for excess volatility in rates and the failure of the expectations hypothesis. When expectations are formed on the basis of efficient prices, nonzero sentiment typically causes the expectations hypothesis to fail.
X-ray diffraction gratings: Precise control of ultra-low blaze angle via anisotropic wet etching

Diffraction gratings are used from micron to nanometer wavelengths as dispersing elements in optical instruments. At shorter wavelengths, crystals can be used as diffracting elements, but due to the 3D nature of the interaction with light are wavelength selective rather than wavelength dispersing. There is an urgent need to extend grating technology into the x-ray domain of wavelengths from 1 to 0.1 nm, but this requires the use of gratings that have a faceted surface in which the facet angles are very small, typically less than 1°. Small facet angles are also required in the extreme ultra-violet and soft x-ray energy ranges in free electron laser applications, in order to reduce power density below a critical damage threshold. In this work, we demonstrate a technique based on anisotropic etching of silicon designed to produce very small angle facets with a high degree of perfection.
Allicin-inspired thiolated fluoroquinolones as antibacterials against ESKAPE pathogens

Thiolated fluoroquinolones were synthesized from ciprofloxacin and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against a panel of pathogenic bacteria. Gram-positive species including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) exhibited the highest level of increased sensitivity toward ciprofloxacin bound with a N-propylthio substituent. Evidence was found that the antibiotics form disulfides with low molecular weight thiols in bacteria and potentiate generation of cytosolic reactive oxygen species (ROS). In final analysis, the enhanced anti-MRSA activity of thiolated fluoroquinolones was attributed to increased cell permeability and reaction with cytosolic thiols that yields an inactive disulfide metabolite and the parent drug ciprofloxacin as an inhibitor of DNA synthesis.
Abstract 3103: Cyclin E amplification predicts sensitivity of primary Uterine Serous Carcinoma (USC) cell lines to the cdk2 inhibitor CYC065

We evaluated the in vitro effectiveness of the cdk2 inhibitor CYC065 on multiple primary chemotherapy-resistant USC cell lines with or without CCNE1 amplification. CCNE1-amplified primary cell lines were significantly more sensitive than wild type USC cell lines to CYC065 in vitro (i.e., IC50: mean±STDV = 61.75±13.22 nM and 103.16± 21.9 nM for CCNE1-amplified USC-ARK-2 and USC-ARK-7 cell lines, respectively and 539.2±182.1 nM for the wild type USC-ARK-4 cell line, p = 0.0048). Consistently, low concentrations of CYC065 (i.e., 100 - 300 nM) caused a dose dependent arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle specifically in CCNE1-amplified primary USC cell lines. Importantly, CCNE1 knockdown in the USC-ARK-2 cell line resulted in a 9.29-fold increase in the CYC065 IC50 when compared to the MOCK-transfected USC-ARK-2 cell line (p = 0.021). Finally, when primary CCNE1-amplified USC cell lines also harboring ERBB2 amplification (50% of CCNE1-amplified USC cell lines) were incubated in vitro with the combination of CYC065 and Herceptin (a monoclonal antibody targeting the product of the ERBB2 gene, HER2/neu), an increased inhibitory effect was reported in the combination treatment when compared to Herceptin or CYC065 used as single agent (i.e.,% viable cells: mean±STDV = 71.4±0.85, 65.4±14.2, 42.2±2.1 for the Herceptin, the CYC065 and the combination treatment on USC-ARK-2, respectively; p = 0.014). Together these findings identify CYC065 as a promising drug to be considered alone or in combination in the treatment of patients harboring CCNE1-amplified USC. Citation Format: Emiliano Cocco, Stefania Bellone, Salvatore Lopez, Elena Bonazzoli, Federica Predolini, Jonathan D. Black, Alessandro D. Santin. Cyclin E amplification predicts sensitivity of primary Uterine Serous Carcinoma (USC) cell lines to the cdk2 inhibitor CYC065. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3103. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3103
Quality Information Systems

From the Publisher: With Quality Information Systems, Fatemeh Zahedi cuts through the haze and hype too often found in generic texts on quality. With the precision, thoroughness, and impeccable qualitative orientation demanded from today's information systems professionals, Dr. Zahedi explains quality concepts, how to design them into systems, and how to measure their effectiveness, from inside the ever-more complex and competitive real-world of decision information systems.
A naturalistic assay for measuring behavioral responses to aversive stimuli at millisecond timescale

We have designed a Virtual Burrow Assay (VBA) to detect the behavioral responses of head-fixed mice to aversive stimuli. We demonstrate its suitability for measuring novelty detection as well as aversion to both conditioned and innately aversive cues. The VBA simulates a scenario in which a mouse, poised at the threshold of its burrow, evaluates whether to remain exposed to potential threats outside or to retreat inside an enclosure. When presented with aversive stimuli, mice exhibit a stereotyped retreat whose onset is determined by measuring the position of a moveable burrow. This withdrawal, which requires no training, is characterized by an abrupt transition that unfolds within milliseconds -- a timescale similar to that of neuronal dynamics, permitting direct comparison between the two. The assay is compatible with standard electrophysiological and optical methods for measuring and perturbing neuronal activity.
Racial Differences in Salvageable Ischemic Penumbra (P02.051)

OBJECTIVE: Racial differences in maintenance of ischemic penumbra. BACKGROUND: African Americans (AA) have higher incidence of intracranial atherosclerosis than Caucasians. chronic ischemia may lead to formation of collateral circulation With increased sustainability of penumbra after acute stroke. DESIGN/METHODS: Admission perfusion computed tomography (PCT) of patients from August 2011 to March 2012 were reviewed. PCT included 4 supratentorial slices, 8 mm thick. Images were processed using Vitrea® to obtain cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT). Areas of increased MTT were marked as ischemic area. Corresponding area of preserved CBV was labeled penumbra. mean CBF, MTT or CBV for the total ischemic area (or penumbra) was estimated by multiplying each ischemic area (or penumbra) by the corresponding CBF (MTT or CBV), adding value of four slices and dividing by total area. Ischemic and penumbra areas in four slices were added and multiplied by slice thickness (0.8 cm) for ischemic (IV), penumbra volume (PV). RESULTS: Perfusion was abnormal in 43 (65.1 % AA vs. 30.2 % Caucasian) patients. mean IV was less in AA compared to Caucasians (63.64 ±36.7 cm3 vs. 89.57 ±52.6 cm3) as was mean PV (42.77±28.9 cm3 vs. 64.36 ± 43.8 cm3). Within the penumbra in AA, CBF was increased (28 ±12.2 ml/100 gm/sec vs. 23.11 ±12.5 ml/100 gm/sec) as was CBV (3.46 ±1.4 ml/100gm vs. 2.98 ±1.1 ml/100gm). Penumbra MTT was faster in AA (8.59 ±2.2 sec vs. 9.46 ±2.72 sec). Trends in CBF, CBV and MTT did not reach statistical significance due to the small sample size. only 36% of AA had CBF CONCLUSIONS: exploratory analysis suggests AA have greater CBF and CBV with faster MTT in the region of penumbra compared to Caucasians indicating the presence of biological mechanisms to preserve the penumbra. Disclosure: Dr. Suchdev has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mohamed has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bhattacharya has nothing to disclose.
Fibroblast bioenergetics to classify amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

The objective of this study was to investigate cellular bioenergetics in primary skin fibroblasts derived from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to determine if they can be used as classifiers for patient stratification. We assembled a collection of unprecedented size of fibroblasts from patients with sporadic ALS (sALS, n = 171), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS, n = 34), ALS/PLS with C9orf72 mutations (n = 13), and healthy controls (n = 91). In search for novel ALS classifiers, we performed extensive studies of fibroblast bioenergetics, including mitochondrial membrane potential, respiration, glycolysis, and ATP content. Next, we developed a machine learning approach to determine whether fibroblast bioenergetic features could be used to stratify patients. Compared to controls, sALS and PLS fibroblasts had higher average mitochondrial membrane potential, respiration, and glycolysis, suggesting that they were in a hypermetabolic state. Only membrane potential was elevated in C9Orf72 lines. ATP steady state levels did not correlate with respiration and glycolysis in sALS and PLS lines. Based on bioenergetic profiles, a support vector machine (SVM) was trained to classify sALS and PLS with 99% specificity and 70% sensitivity. sALS, PLS, and C9Orf72 fibroblasts share hypermetabolic features, while presenting differences of bioenergetics. The absence of correlation between energy metabolism activation and ATP levels in sALS and PLS fibroblasts suggests that in these cells hypermetabolism is a mechanism to adapt to energy dissipation. Results from SVM support the use of metabolic characteristics of ALS fibroblasts and multivariate analysis to develop classifiers for patient stratification.
Using self-determination theory to understand engineering student motivation during innovation projects

While prior studies on student innovation have examined cognitive and social aspects, recent studies have demonstrated the important role motivation plays in the engineering student experience of innovation, particularly in dealing with the unique challenges innovation presents. However, motivation can be observed in diverse ways and at diverse levels. Using Deci & Ryan's Self-determination Theory, this study examined five levels of motivational regulation (external, introjected, identified, integrated, and intrinsic) that engineering students experienced during innovation projects. The results suggest that students overall expressed more instances of intrinsic and integrated regulation compared to introjected and external motivation. Individual students experienced a variety of regulation types, often developing towards higher level regulation over time. These results suggest that innovation projects trigger complex modes of motivation among engineering students.
Semiotic Theory and Language Learning

Language changes. A linguist believes that change is the very nature of language, that language is in the throes of change all the time. The extent to which language has changed from Chaucer’s Middle English, or even Shakespeare’s Elizabethan English, can be clearly seen. And today advanced electronic computer technology is having a revolutionary effect upon what constitutes the language of our culture: that is, the language in which cultural affairs are carried on. The language of our culture is no longer verbal language alone, but the whole array of electronic multi-media, particularly television and computer. It is this new cultural language that must be the concern of language educators, which I believe includes all of us who are concerned with education.
MicroMobile: Leveraging Mobile Advertising for Large-Scale Experimentation

Mobile systems researchers struggle with conducting experiments with real users: either the scale of the study lacks sufficient scale and diversity, or a great effort must be used to recruit and manage subjects. In this paper, we describe MicroMobile, a system for deploying short data-gathering experiments to an extremely diverse set of users via mobile advertising. We conduct experiments in three mediums: interactive advertisements, mobile browsers, and native applications on both major mobile operating systems. We use MicroMobile to demonstrate how researchers can use mobile advertising to recruit users, for as little as $1.50 per completed experiment. Across almost 500 completed experiments, we found that interactive ads have the highest participation rate (and thus lowest cost), which was 2x the participation rate of browser experiments and more than 6x native app experiments. Users were also highly diverse, spanning age, income, and ethnicity. While native apps are the most powerful platform, they constitute the most expensive targets. However, as mobile browsers add sensor APIs, browser-based experimentation has increasing applicability.
Molecular Biomechanics of Molluscan Mucous Secretions

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on molecular biomechanics of molluscan mucous secretions. The mechanical properties of molluscan mucins result from the presence in solution of a small amount of a protein-polysaccharide complex. These protein-polysaccharide molecules are highly expanded, and even at low concentrations, they might effectively enclose the entire solution volume. At very low concentrations, mucous secretions act as viscous liquids. At higher concentrations, cross-links between individual protein–polysaccharide molecules cause the formation of a gel network that can account for the viscoelastic properties of these mucins. These properties differ among mucins and have been shown to play an important role in the biological function of each mucous secretion. Mucous secretions function as antipredator devices by rendering the animal distasteful, fouling the predator's feeding apparatus, or simply making the animal too slippery to pick up. Many gastropods secrete mucus onto the ventral surface of the foot, using it both as an aid in locomotion and as a means by which the animal adheres to the surface on which it crawls.
Absence of zero-temperature dephasing by electron-electron interaction

The relation between the “non-perturbative analysis” of low temperature dephasing by Golubev and co-workers and the perturbation theory is discussed. The contributions missed in each order of perturbation theory by the “non-perturbative analysis” are listed. The main source of the mistake is pointed out.
Power usage optimization in multi-UAV common-mission cooperative UAS systems

UAVs operate on battery or combustible power sources, thus the length of the mission is strongly related to the efficiency of the UAVs. This work discusses multi-UAV system, in which multiple unmanned aerial vehicles cooperate as a group, communicate and process common task(s) (missions). In such case, not only the efficiency of a single UAV is important, but also the efficiency of the entire multi-UAV system. This paper presents the key architecture elements, their roles in the system and proposes algorithms to optimize the system operation as a whole. UAVs are equipped with FPGA processing units that can be reprogrammed to efficiently process certain functions.
Proceedings of the 45th annual southeast regional conference

As a part of the long standing ACM Southeast conference series, the 45th Annual ACM Southeast Conference continues to provide a reliable forum for faculty and student researchers to present quality research results on a wide variety of topics. The program includes an ample selection of papers, posters, and tutorials, as well as keynote talks from well-known researchers in the field. This year, paper and poster contributions were made in twenty three major areas, including software engineering, simulation and modeling, programming languages, computer graphics, information retrieval, network security, computational biology, and many others. A total of 151 regular and student papers were submitted, from which 81 regular papers and 8 student papers were accepted. The overall acceptance rate was approximately 59%. In addition, 30 regular and student posters were submitted, from which 17 were accepted for inclusion in the conference proceedings, giving an poster acceptance rate of approximately 56%. Seven two-hour tutorials were selected, which are offered during both days of the conference. Three special sessions on bioinformatics and computational biology, computer and network security, and entertainment computing are also offered. Many thanks go to all Special Session Chairs for their work.