cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of RIA and IRMA methods for measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

We present data comparing the Roche CEA radioimmunoassay (RIA) utilizing ultrafiltration and the Abbott CEA immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) methods for standard curve sensitivity, analytical reproducibility, recovery (pre and post extraction), dilution linearity, and patient correlation. The Roche intra- and inter-assay precision figures for this assay were 8% and 15%, respectively, for a CEA concentration of 4.0 ng/mL. The Abbott assay gave comparable precision values of 9% and 16%, respectively, for a CEA concentration of 2.0 ng/mL. Recovery for plasma spiked with CEA stock preparations was commercial-source-dependent when assayed by the Roche assay, but independent when measured by the Abbott assay. The Roche assay did not recover both preparations quantitatively, while the Abbott assay did. Plasma dilution studies over a wide range of CEA concentrations gave linear results for both assays provided the Roche assay utilizes the extraction method with dialyzate dilution for CEA values greater than 20 ng/mL. A difference (60%) was observed in linear regression slopes of the measured values between the Roche "indirect" and "direct" assays. Exposure of CEA to perchloric acid seems to play a critical role in recovery of CEA material when assayed by the Roche method. A large number of the patient samples assayed gave widely discrepant results when comparing the RIA to the IRMA methods. The potential significance of these discrepancies is discussed.
Electricity policies for low-income households

This paper discusses the implications of restructuring the U.S. electricity industry for low-income energy policy and low-income households. The paper discusses the historical development of existing low-income energy policies and programs. Federal policy has focused primarily on addressing the heating needs of low-income customers. State policy has traditionally vested the vertically integrated utility with much of the responsibility to provide energy programs to low-income customers. The paper considers how industry restructuring may affect the appropriateness of these policies and programs. The paper describes new policies to provide low-income electricity services that could be developed in parallel with broader industry restructuring efforts.
Libraries and the mobile revolution: remediation=relevance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at the big picture of where academic libraries fit into the mobile revolution.Design/methodology/approach – Using Jim Hahn's accompanying article, “On the remediation of Wikipedia and the iPod,” the author comments on what remediation means for the academic library culture as a whole. The reflections are based on observations of current trends in technology and the emergence of a mobile culture. A definition of this generation of library users is suggested – the ING (information now generation). Editorial in nature, the paper also discusses some new technologies and how they might be applicable to the technological growth of libraries.Findings – This reflection of current trends encourages librarians to look/listen, explore, apply, prevail when it comes to applying emerging technologies to the library world.Originality/value – The paper offers insights into how librarians can prepare themselves for the “Remediation Revolution.”
Local context drives infection of grasses by vector-borne generalist viruses

Host characteristics commonly determine infection risk, but infection can also be mediated by regional- or local-scale variation in the biotic and abiotic environment. Experiments can clarify the relative importance of these factors. We quantified drivers of infection by barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDV), a group of generalist, vector-borne grass pathogens, at hierarchically nested spatial scales (10(5)-1 m) by planting individuals of six common grass species into five Pacific Coast grassland sites spanning 7 degrees of latitude (> 5000 total hosts) and applying a factorial combination of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer. Infection differed most among experimental blocks (10(2)-10(3) m scale), suggesting that local factors control infection risk; infection increased with cover of long-lived hosts and phosphorus, but not nitrogen, fertilization. For B/CYDV, local context more strongly predicts infection risk than host species traits or regional context; such spatially nested experiments can clarify the factors underlying variation in infection risk.
Feedforward compensation of the amplifier output stage for improved stability with capacitive loads

It is pointed out that the stability margin of an audio power amplifier is reduced by a pole in the loop-gain transfer function caused by shunt capacitance in the loudspeaker load. The problem is most severe in amplifiers with output stages that have a high output impedance before feedback. Because MOSFET devices can have an output impedance that is much higher than BJT (bipolar junction transistor) devices, amplifiers with MOSFET output stages are particularly susceptible to load-induced oscillations. A feedforward frequency compensation technique is described that bypasses the pole in the output stage caused by the load capacitance for improved stability of the amplifier. >
The Dynamics of Foreign Policy Agenda Setting

Theoretical and empirical work on public policy agenda setting has ignored foreign policy. We develop a theory of foreign policy agenda setting and test the implications using time-series vector autoregression and Box-Tiao (1975) impact assessment methods. We theorize an economy of attention to foreign policy issues driven by issue inertia, events external to U.S. domestic institutions, as well as systemic attention to particular issues. We also theorize that the economy of attention is affected by a law of scarcity and the rise and fall of events in competing issue areas. Using measures of presidential and media attention to the Soviet Union, Arab-Israeli conflict, and Bosnian conflict, we show that presidential and media attentions respond to issue inertia and exogenous events in both primary and competing issue areas. Media attention also affects presidential attention, but the president does not affect issue attention by the media.
Cross-lingual Projected Expectation Regularization for Weakly Supervised Learning

We consider a multilingual weakly supervised learning scenario where knowledge from annotated corpora in a resource-rich language is transferred via bitext to guide the learning in other languages. Past approaches project labels across bitext and use them as features or gold labels for training. We propose a new method that projects model expectations rather than labels, which facilities transfer of model uncertainty across language boundaries. We encode expectations as constraints and train a discriminative CRF model using Generalized Expectation Criteria (Mann and McCallum, 2010). Evaluated on standard Chinese-English and German-English NER datasets, our method demonstrates F 1 scores of 64% and 60% when no labeled data is used. Attaining the same accuracy with supervised CRFs requires 12k and 1.5k labeled sentences. Furthermore, when combined with labeled examples, our method yields significant improvements over state-of-the-art supervised methods, achieving best reported numbers to date on Chinese OntoNotes and German CoNLL-03 datasets.
Case 40: What Would You Do?

You are a clinical professor of anesthesia, aged 54, working in a large university hospital. Since 7 a.m. you have been in the operating room supervising anesthetic cases. The time is now 5:30 a.m. the next day. You find yourself in the ICU to pick up a 4-year-old child who has been in a motor vehicle accident. He was an unrestrained passenger in the back seat. He is scheduled to have his facial laceration fixed by a plastic surgeon. The surgeon is anxious to get this case done prior to the start of his elective plastic list at 7:30 a.m. today. The case is booked for 1 h.
Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome: Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Management

Benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS) is a connective tissue disorder with hypermobility in which musculoskeletal symptoms occur in the absence of systemic rheumatologic disease. Although BJHS has been well recognized in the rheumatology and orthopedic literature, it has not been discussed in the family medicine literature. Because most patients with musculoskeletal complaints are first seen by family physicians, it behooves primary care physicians to be familiar with recognizing and diagnosing BJHS. When patients with this syndrome are first seen by a physician, their chief complaint is joint pain, so BJHS can be easily overlooked and not considered in the differential diagnosis. Use of the Brighton criteria facilitates the diagnosis of BJHS. Treatment modalities include patient education, activity modification, stretching and strengthening exercises for the affected joint, and osteopathic manipulative treatment.
Electrospun cellulose nitrate and polycaprolactone blended nanofibers

Pure cellulose nitrate (CN) and blends of CN and polycaprolactone were electrospun to form nonwoven mats. Polymers were dissolved in a mixed solvent system of tetrahydrofuran and N,N-dimethylformamide. The concentrations were varied to obtain sub-micron and nanoscale fiber mats. Fiber mats were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, contact angle analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. The fiber morphology, surface chemistry and contact angle data show that these electrospun materials are suitable for applications including biosensing, biomedical and tissue engineering.
Histone H2B ubiquitination: the cancer connection

Post-translational modifications of histones play a critical role in gene expression control. Ultimately, cancer is a disease of aberrant gene expression. Accordingly, several histone-modifying enzymes have been described as proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Recent reports, including one from Shema and colleagues (pp. 2664- 2676) in the October 1, 2008, issue of Genes and Development, indicate that deregulation of histone H2B monoubiquitination may contribute to cancer development.
Identifying Hybridization Events in the Presence of Coalescence via Model Selection

As DNA sequences have become more readily available, it has become increasingly desirable to infer species phylogenies from multigene data sets. Much recent work has centered around the recognition that substantial incongruence in single-gene phylogenies necessitates the development of statistical procedures to estimate species phylogenies that appropriately model the process of evolution at the level of the individual genes. One process that gives rise to variation in the histories of individual genes is incomplete lineage sorting, which is commonly modeled by the coalescent, and thus much current work is focused on proper estimation of species phylogenies under the coalescent model. A second common source of discord in single-gene phylogenies is hybridization, a process that is ubiquitous in many groups of plants and animals. Although methods to incorporate hybridization into phylogenetic estimation have also been developed, only a handful of methods that address both coalescence and hybridization have been proposed. Here, I propose an extension of an existing model that incorporates both of these processes simultaneously by utilizing gene trees for inference in a likelihood framework. The model allows examination of the evidence for hybridization in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting due to deep coalescence via model selection using standard information criteria (e.g., Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion). The potential of the method is evaluated using simulated data.
Effect of Adding Sugars to a Carbohydrate-Free Diet on Intestinal Disaccharidase Activities in the Young Calf

Abstract A carbohydrate-free diet formulated to determine the effect of dietary carbohydrates on digestive enzymes in the young calf consisted of 30% fat and 70% of a protein premix which contained 92% protein. After an adaptation of about 3 days, calves consumed this diet readily and gained weight. Sixteen male Holstein calves were fed the basal carbohydrate-free diet from 6 to 21 days of age after which they were divided into four groups, three of which received added carbohydrates: (I) lactose, (II) galactose, or (III) glucose at 4.5 g/kg body weight daily for 2 wk. The fourth group (IV), control, continued to receive the basal only. Lactase activities per milligram protein in the mucosa of the proximal one-third of the small intestine from calves receiving these diets were 10.2, 7.8, 5.8, and 4.7 (× 10 −2 μ M disaccharide hydrolyzed/min). Values from diet I were greater than from either III or IV. Intestinal maltase followed a trend similar to that for lactose, with diet I higher than IV. There were no significant differences between any of the treatments in the distal section. Pancreatic amylase activity was less in calves receiving the glucose-supplemented diet (31.4) than in those fed the carbohydrate-free diet (65.2). Preprandial blood glucose rapidly declined in calves on the carbohydrate-free dietary regime and was not increased by the addition of any sugars to the diet. Glucose disappeared from the blood faster in calves which received carbohydrates for 2 wk than in those on a carbohydrate-free ration. Increases in blood glucose after feeding galactose were low compared to those from either glucose or lactose diets.
Integer programming models for optimization problems in test generation

Test pattern generation for combinational circuits entails the identification of primary input assignments for detecting each fault in a set of target faults. An extension to this procedure consists of reducing the number of required test patterns by using heuristic test compaction techniques. In this paper we show that finding the optimally compacted test set can be cast as an integer linear programming (ILP) optimization problem, thus providing a formal framework for characterizing this optimization problem as well as the heuristics commonly used in its solution. One significant property of the proposed ILP model is that its size is polynomial in the size of the original circuit description. Moreover, we describe techniques for reducing the size of the proposed ILP formulation. These techniques include, for example, identification of fault independence relations, removal of redundant faults by preprocessing, and using empirical upper bounds.
Upregulation of neuroreceptors on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells promotes their anti-tumor function

Meeting abstracts The nervous system can regulate the exacerbation of pro-inflammatory immune response predominantly in an immunosuppressive setting. Studies also suggest that glutamate, serotonin, dopamine, and substance P trigger immune responses such as cytokine secretion, integrin expression,
Keys to the species of Athesmia Loss, 1899 (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae: Dicrocoeliinae), with the description of a new species from the clapper rail, Rallus longirostris Boddaert (Gruiformes: Rallidae), from Galveston, Texas, U.S.A.

Eleven specimens of a previously undescribed species of Athesmia Looss, 1899 were recovered from six clapper rails, Rallus longirostris Boddaert (Rallidae), collected from November, 1984 through October, 1995 from the Galveston, Texas area of the Gulf of Mexico. Species of Athesmia can be divided into two body types based on the posterior extent of the ceca relative to the vitelline field (vitellarium): the attilae type where the ceca may be uneven, but they both extend at least to near the level of the posterior margin of the vitelline field, or more commonly surpass the vitelline field posteriorly and the heterolechithodes type where the cecum on the side of the vitelline field terminates well above the posterior margin of the vitelline field, usually near its anterior extremity, while the cecum opposite the vitelline field extends at least to the level of the posterior margin of the vitelline field, or more commonly surpasses the vitelline field posteriorly. Athesmia ralli n. sp. is assigned to the attilae type. The new species is most similar to Athesmia butensis Petri, 1942, but differs from this species by having a longer space from posterior testis to ovary (600–790 compared to less than 200), which represent a larger percentage of the total body length (7–8% compared to 2%) and a larger maximum egg size (47 by 29 compared to 42 by 25). The new species further differs from A. butensis by having a somewhat larger body, a longer forebody and the vitelline field reaches posteriorly to the posterior third of the body in the new species but is confined to the middle third of the body in A. butensis. A key to species also is provided.
Isolation and sequence-based identification of Oxyporus corticola from a dog with generalized lymphadenopathy

The present case report describes isolation of the fungus Oxyporus corticola from multiple lymphocutaneous tissues of a Beagle dog. Until recently, this fungus had not been reported in the human or veterinary medical literature as a cause of animal disease. A single previous report also involved infection in a German Shepherd Dog, a breed with reported increased susceptibility to disseminated fungal infection and dysfunctional immune response. Isolates were non-sporulating and required molecular identification methods for prompt differentiation from other fungal pathogens. Risk factors for infection with O. corticola are unknown.
Morphology, evolution and function of feeding in the giant anteater ( Myrmecophaga tridactyla )

The edentulous giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) ingests food using a slender, elongated sticky tongue which can project to a distance greater than the cranial length. A large and elongated hyoid apparatus, including a long stylohyal, epihyal, reduced ceratohyal and fused basihyal-thyrohyal fused to a partially ossified thyroid cartilage, supports the tongue. The fusion pattern and relative hyoid element sizes in adult Myrmecophaga differ from those in other xenarthran anteaters, tree and ground sloths, and armadillos. The hyoid bones have synovial joints with articular surfaces permitting great freedom of movement. A unique hyoid muscle arrangement enables Myrmecophaga to project the tongue with great speed and precise positional control. This muscle arrangement combined with an elongated secondary palate, accommodates the retracted tongue within the oropharynx without compromising the animal's ability to breathe. Maximum gape is reached at a few degrees of mandibular depression, but the oral opening is increased to 2 cm by the extreme length of the anterior facial region. Gape is further increased by medial rotation and depression of the unfused mandibular rami at the mental symphysis. This movement, even without mandibular depression, permits protraction and retraction of the elongated tongue. Mandibular rotation in lieu of depression and elevation simplifies jaw movements made by a smaller uniquely modified muscle mass over shorter distances, therefore increasing the speed with which anteaters can ingest food, and complements the extremely rapid tongue protrusion–retraction cycle.
Energy Release Rates for the ENF Specimen Using a Beam on an Elastic Foundation

A new modified beam theory analysis is presented for the ENF specimen, which is used to evaluate the mode II delamination fracture toughness of fiber reinforced composite materials. The analysis combines the solution of a beam on a generalized elastic foundation to incorporate the effect of crack tip deformation, and a Timoshenko Beam Theory solution of the ENF to incorporate transverse shear on the predicted energy release rates. A distinctive feature of this approach is that crack tip deformation and shear deformations are treated separately and explicitly in accounting for deviations from simple beam theory. Two unknown parameters are introduced, however, that must be determined by comparison with finite element solutions. The resulting solution nevertheless demonstrates considerable accuracy over a wide range of material properties (e.g., axial to shear modulus ratios) and crack lengths. In addition, the current analysis compares very favorably with other analyses of the ENF that incorporate the effec...
The role of pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles in a biomechanical model of massive rotator cuff tear

Background Superior migration of the humeral head after massive rotator cuff tear (mRCT) is thought to lead to cuff tear arthropathy. Previous biomechanical studies have demonstrated the ability of the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi (PM/LD) muscles to resist this migration. This study examined the role of PM/LD muscles on glenohumeral joint forces and acromiohumeral contact pressures in a mRCT model. Methods Six cadaveric shoulders were tested using a custom shoulder-testing system. Muscle insertions of the rotator cuff, deltoid, and PM/LD were preserved and used for muscle loading. Specimens were tested in 3 different humeral rotation positions at 0° abduction and 2 rotation positions at 60° abduction. Testing was performed for intact specimens, after supraspinatus removal, and after supraspinatus/infraspinatus/teres minor removal. PM/LD were loaded or unloaded to determine their effect. Humeral head kinematics, glenohumeral joint forces, and acromiohumeral contact area and pressure were measured. Results For the mRCT condition at 0° abduction, unloading the PM/LD resulted in superior shift of the humeral head. Acromiohumeral contact pressures were undetectable when the PM/LD were loaded but increased significantly after PM/LD unloading. After mRCT, superior joint forces were increased and compressive forces were decreased compared with intact; loading the PM/LD resolved these abnormal forces in some testing conditions. Conclusion In mRCT, the PM and LD muscles are effective in improving glenohumeral kinematics and reducing acromiohumeral pressures. Strengthening or neuromuscular training of this musculature, or both, may delay the progression to cuff tear arthropathy.
Effects of active versus passive recovery on power output during repeated bouts of short term, high intensity exercise

ATP repletion following exhaustive exercise is approximated to be 90-95% complete in 3 minutes, and is crucial in the performance of short duration, high intensity work. Few studies appear to have used this 3-minute interval in the investigation of recovery modes, blood lactate accumulation and power output. Thus, our aim was to investigate changes in peak power (PP), average power (AP) and blood lactate during repeated bouts of high intensity, short duration cycling, comprising active and passive recovery modes lasting 3 minutes. Seven male cyclists (age 21.8±3.3 yrs, mass 73.0±3.8kgs, height 177.3±3.4cm) performed both an active (3 min at 80rpm & 1kg resistance) and a passive recovery (no work between bouts) protocol. Following a warm-up, subjects performed six 15-second maximal sprints against a fixed workload of 5.5kg. Mean PP across the six trials was 775±11.2Watts (W) and 772±33.4W for active and passive protocols respectively; whereas mean AP was 671±26.4W and 664±10.0W, respectively. Neither was significantly different. There was a significant difference within trials for both peak power and average power (p<0.05), with both values decreasing over time. However, the decrease was significantly smaller for both PP and AP values during the active recovery protocol (p<0.05). In the current study, variation in power output cannot be explained by lactate values, as values did not differ between the active and passive protocol (p=0.37). Lactate values did differ significantly between trials within protocols (p<0.05). The results of this study suggest that an active recovery of 3 minutes between high intensity, short duration exercise bouts significantly increases PP and AP compared to a passive recovery, irrespective of changes in blood lactate levels.
Chromosomal Mosaicism for Translocation Breakpoints in a Patient with Congenital Absence of the Uterus and Vagina

Background Congenital absence of the uterus and vagina (CAUV) is a well known syndrome in which a phenotypic females lack mullerian derived structures. Identification of the genes responsible for this disorder has been hampered because in general patients with CAUV cannot reproduce, and inheritance patterns of mutations cannot be traced. De novo translocation break points have been used successfully to aid in identifying genes responsible for a wide variety disorders and does not rely on a reproductive history for identifying the genes. Methods Chromosomal studies utilizing high-resolution banding were performed on peripheral leukocytes and fibroblast cultures from various sites on a patient with CAUV. Results We have identified tissue specific mosaicism in a patient with CAUV and de novo balanced translocations from leukocyte and tissue fibroblast cultures by GTG banding techniques. Chromosome analysis from leukocyte on the patient's parents showed normal karyotypes while the patient herself had a more complex pattern. Studies on leukocyte cultures from this patient identified a 46, XX, t(8;13) q22.1;q32.1) de novo balanced reciprocal translocation. Analysis of metaphase spreads from fibroblasts cultures of the buttock region revealed a second set of chromosome mosaicism. One cell line was similar to the leukocyte culture with a 46, XX, t(8:13)(q22.1;q32.1) karyotype. The other cell line had three balanced translocations showing a 46, XX, t(1;12)(q23;q24.3), t(6;6)(q15;p25), t(8;13)(q22;q32) karyotype. These two cell lines were in a ratio of 20: 5 respectively. Chromosome analysis of fibroblast cultures from the breast region shows cells with both the simple and more complex translocation. Conclusion These results indicate the importance of analyzing multiple tissue samples in the process of locating de novo break points for gene identification. It also suggests that somatic mosaicism may be a mechanism in the pathogenesis of uterovaginal agenisis. Identification of the genes at the specific break points of these translocations is in progress.
The Tunicate CIONA : A Model System for Understanding the Relationship Between Regeneration and Aging.

The use of the tunicate Ciona intestinalis as a model system to study the relationship between regeneration and aging is reviewed. Ciona has powerful regeneration capacities, which fade with age. Some additional benefits are a relatively short life span, the ability to study regeneration in vitro, the close phylogenetic relationship between tunicates and vertebrates, and the host of molecular tools already established in this system. The neural complex (NC), the oral siphon (OS), and the oral siphon pigment organs (OPO) have high capacities for regeneration. However, these organs show an inverse relationship between rate of regeneration and age. The ability to regenerate a complete OS disappears in the oldest animals of a natural population, probably due to the inability to form a blastema at the wound site. Effects on blastema formation could also be involved in the reduction of NC regeneration capacity. The fidelity of OPO restoration is also compromised by excess differentiation of precursor cells in local siphon niches in the oldest animals. The Ciona model provides a pathway to understand the molecular basis of these phenomena.
Forced in‐plane flow through complex deformable structures: Influence of an imposed curve

Forced in-plane flow of liquids through contiguous flat and curved regions of confined fabrics has been studied both as a general phenomenon and for predicting the flow of polymers during injection molding of monolithic composite structures with complex configurations. A controlled pressure difference is applied to drive the flow, while the mass flow rate is measured gravimetrically by Liquid/Air Displacement Analysis (LADA). Measurements have been carried out along fabric paths that are first vertical, then curved, and finally horizontal. Fluid flow equations have been adapted for analyzing flow in the flat sections, leading to the evaluation of permeability constants and capillary pressures. A saturated flow rate measured at constant hydrodynamic pressure is used to evaluate the overall permeability coefficient of the encapsulated fabric. Data are presented showing that permeability can be reduced as a consequence of flow through the curved region.
Public Participation in Hazardous Waste Facility Location Decisions

Public opposition continues to stymie siting of new hazardous waste management facilities in the United States. A review of the literature indicates that much effort has been undertaken in the states to institutionalize public participation in the siting process. However, informal public participation such as public pressure on local elected officials and active passive civil disobedience has been most influential in the denigration of siting proposals. Current state siting procedures suffer from numerous critical flaws: facility needs assessments are rarely performed, and there is much elasticity in the demand for off-site facilities since alternative management options are available; serious and credible environmental sensitivity studies tend to be site specific, but no corresponding regional reference studies indicate that the proposed site is relatively advantageous; and early and meaningful public participation in the siting process has not achieved socially acceptable proposals. These flaws must be ...
An Exploratory Study of Infrastructure Barriers and the Role of Semantic Data Exchange Technologies in the Provisioning of Business Intelligence Services

Business Intelligence BI has been a top technology development concern for high-ranking IT executives over the past decade. The objective of BI is to use data analysis as a competitive weapon, deeply integrated into business processes. The ability of an organization to provide enterprise-level BI services depends heavily on its IT strategy, itself a function of existing technology investment. Previous research has described four IT architecture stages ranging from isolated applications to modular services, each with increasing complexity and service capabilities. Representatives from four companies were interviewed about the status of their BI activities, and the resulting data helps identify common barriers faced by these organizations in the provisioning of enterprise-level BI services. Interview results also describe the success of a limited-scope operational BI system by one of these firms, and the role of semantic data exchange technologies, primarily XML, in this system.
Chemotaxis Control of Transient Cell Aggregation

Chemotaxis affords motile cells the ability to rapidly respond to environmental challenges by navigating cells to niches favoring growth. Such a property results from the activities of dedicated signal transduction systems on the motility apparatus, such as flagella, type IV pili, and gliding machineries. Once cells have reached a niche with favorable conditions, they often stop moving and aggregate into complex communities termed biofilms. An intermediate and reversible stage that precedes commitment to permanent adhesion often includes transient cell-cell contacts between motile cells. Chemotaxis signaling has been implicated in modulating the transient aggregation of motile cells. Evidence further indicates that chemotaxis-dependent transient cell aggregation events are behavioral responses to changes in metabolic cues that temporarily prohibit permanent attachment by maintaining motility and chemotaxis. This minireview discusses a few examples illustrating the role of chemotaxis signaling in the initiation of cell-cell contacts in bacteria moving via flagella, pili, or gliding.
Rapid responsiveness to practice predicts longer-term retention of upper extremity motor skill in non-demented older adults

Skill acquisition is a form of motor learning that may provide key insights into the aging brain. Although previous work suggests that older adults learn novel motor tasks slower and to a lesser extent than younger adults, we have recently demonstrated no significant effect of chronological age on the rates and amounts of skill acquisition, nor on its long-term retention, in adults over the age of 65. To better understand predictors of skill acquisition in non-demented older adults, we now explore the relationship between early improvements in motor performance due to practice (i.e., rapid responsiveness) and longer-term retention of an upper extremity motor skill, and whether the extent of rapid responsiveness was associated with global cognitive status. Results showed significant improvements in motor performance within the first five (of 150) trials, and that this "rapid responsiveness" was predictive of skill retention 1 month later. Notably, the extent of rapid responsiveness was not dependent on global cognitive status, as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Thus, rapid responsiveness appears to be an important variable in longer-term neurorehabilitative efforts with older adults, regardless of their cognitive status.
Becoming and Belonging in Gay Men’s Life Stories A Case Study of a Voluntaristic Model of Identity

This article contributes to sociological studies of identity by shedding light on concrete social identification practices and placing these practices in cultural context. Gay men’s autobiographica...
Resolution of racemic amino acids by gas chromatography. II. N-perfluoroacyl-L-prolyl derivatives.

The L- and D-amino acids could be resolved by coupling N-trifluoroacetyl-prolyl chloride (L-TPC) as the resolving agent by gas chromatography. The reaction conditions were studied in detail, the solvents, the amount of resolving agent and reaction time for quantitative derivatization. The 22 stationary phases were studied for chromatographic separation. Relative retention times and separation factors were determined for each enantiomeric pair of 15 amino acids and glycine. Relation between separation factors and structure of amino acids were also discussed.
Abstract 4227: Sensitizing resistant ovarian cancer to chemotherapy through inhibition of small GTPases

Platinum- or paclitaxel-resistance is a major problem in women with advanced ovarian cancer (OVCA) and that confers a poor prognosis for patients. Consequently there is a great need to identify new drugs and drug targets for the management of residual and recurrent metastatic OVCA. About 90% of OVCA starts on the ovarian surface epithelium, but individual cells or multicellular aggregates (MCAs) shed into the peritoneal cavity and contribute to OVCA9s metastasis into adjacent organs. These MCAs are resistant to apoptosis and to radio- and chemo-therapy. In OVCA, resistance to chemotherapy and apoptosis has been linked to the small GTPases, Rac1 and Cdc42, and their downstream effectors. Identifying compounds that disperse MCAs through disrupting adhesions would sensitize this resistant subpopulation to chemotherapy. We hypothesize that inhibition of one or both of these GTPases disrupts MCAs and sensitizes drug-resistant OVCA cells to respond to chemotherapeutic agents. We assessed if chemical inhibition of Rac1 or Cdc42 would sensitize drug-resistant OVCA monolayers and in vitro MCAs to cisplatin9s cytotoxicity. The OVCA cell lines evaluated were OVCA 429 and SKOV-3ip. The inhibitors we used included: (1) NSC 23766, a Rac1-specific inhibitor, (2) ML141, a Cdc42-specific inhibitor, (3) Toxin B, an inhibitor of Rac, Cdc42 and Rho, and (4) R-naproxen, an inhibitor of Rac1 and Cdc42 (based on our data). We found that Rac1 and Cdc42 inhibitors disperse MCAs in a liquid overlay assay. Furthermore, these inhibitors sensitized OVCA cells to cisplatin9s cytotoxic effect. Finding drugs that increase efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents against resistant OVCA cell populations is of particular importance. Thus far, GTPases have not been extensively examined as therapeutic targets, but they offer new opportunities for OVCA therapy. Our findings indicate that Rac1 and Cdc42 inhibitors disperse MCAs and improve their response to chemotherapeutic agents. This could increase the effectiveness of intraperitoneal chemotherapy and improve patient outcomes and survival. Since one of these inhibitors is R-Naproxen (an FDA approved off-patent drug), it has potential for rapid clinical application. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4227. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4227
Manipulating Inlet Cavitation to Control Spray Properties

Research in small-scale internal flow cavitation has produced new understanding of the unsteady and two-phase internal flow in classical spray geometries and some exciting initial demonstrations of new spray control methods. Experiments and computational models from several groups have shown that inlet cavitation is generally present in spray orifices and that the unsteadiness of the cavitation at the inlet of the orifice clearly affects spray properties at the exit of the orifice. Thus, the inlet cavitation is a possible actuation method for spray control. Experiments demonstrate that two modifications, one passive, and one active, near the orifice inlet both have noticeable effects on the droplet size distribution in the resulting spray. Additionally, the driving pressure required to produce hydraulic flip is increased substantially, allowing greater mass flow through a given diameter orifice. Measurements show that the streamwise extent of the cavitation at the inlet is substantially reduced by this step, leading to the increased operating pressure range. This paper reports on the demonstration of these new spray control methods, including a miniature fluidic device to manipulate the cavitation, and therefore, control the spray. This fluidic spray control device can be turned on and off and the strength of this control effect can be modulated.
A Symmetric Finite Difference Discretization of Pressure-Poisson Equation on Curvilinear Grids

G discrete gradient operator D coefficient matrix for discrete divergence operator G coefficient matrix for discrete gradient operator L coefficient matrix for discrete Laplace operator J jacobian matrix Re Reynolds number ν kinematic viscosity d dimension (d = 2, 3) Ω problem domain Γ boundary of Ω (.)x operator in Cartesian coordinates (.)ξ operator in curvlinear coordinates ￿ (.) intermediate vector
Physiological and immunocytochemical evidence for a putative H-K-ATPase in elasmobranch renal acid secretion

The mechanism of renal acid secretion in marine fish is largely unknown. We explored whether H(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (H(+)-K(+)-ATPase) is present and functional in acid secretion in the kidney of the elasmobranch spiny dogfish shark, Squalus acanthias. In whole animal studies, a specific inhibitor of mammalian H(+)-K(+)-ATPase, Sch-28080, abolished greater than 87% of basal (62 mg/kg) and 75% of imidazole-stimulated titratable acid excretion (5 and 62 mg/kg). Antibodies directed against the COOH-terminus hog gastric H(+)-K(+)-ATPase alpha-subunit stained specific subdivisions of the neck, early and late proximal tubule, late intermediate tubule, both segments of the distal tubule, and the early collecting duct of the renal tubule of these fish. These findings are consistent with a major role for a protein similar to the mammalian gastric H(+)-K(+)-ATPase in elasmobranch renal acid secretion.
They Don’t Get It: The Promise and Problem of Using Student Resistance as a Pedagogical Tool

Sociology faculty often feel frustrated when students don’t “get it,” i.e., when students are resistant or hostile to course material or faculty, and have little increase in sociological critical thinking. Those of us who teach about gender must find ways to manage student resistance to the course material. Dealing with student resistance might increase some students’ critical thinking, while simultaneously frustrating progressive students. As we engage with resistance, we must consider whether we are engaging in feminist teaching or teaching feminism (Weitz (2010). Feminist Teacher, 20(3), 226–236). This chapter describes a faculty member’s engagement with student resistance in the classroom, and the strengths and weaknesses of doing so. After she describes how she confronts resistance, two of her former students (both of whom identify as feminists) describe the promise and problems of using student resistance as a pedagogical strategy.
The dependence of the measured electric strengths of liquids on electrode spacing

For some twenty-five years the decrease in the measured electric strength of liquids with increasing electrode spacing has been an important subject of study because of its practical as well as theoretical significance. Early investigators were handicapped by the lack of reproducibility of electric strength values as well as their inability to measure accurately small electrode spacings. With the recent development of a reproducible pulsed-voltage technique (1) and a means of determining small electrode separations (1–10μ) by capacitance measurement, we have re-examined this phenomenon using several carefully purified hydrocarbons as the liquid dielectric. Our measurements extend and, in some cases, supplant those of Edwards (1) and Goodwin and MacFadyen (2).
Temporal Trends in Blood Stream Infection Isolates from Surgical Patients

Abstract Background: Blood stream infections (BSIs) are a common source of morbidity and death in hospitalized patients. We hypothesized that the proportions of bacteremia from gram-positive and fungal pathogens have decreased over time, whereas rates of gram-negative bacteremia have increased as a result of better central venous catheter management. Methods: All U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-defined BSIs in patients treated on the general surgery and trauma services at our institution between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2009 were identified prospectively. These cases were analyzed on a yearly basis to compare rates of various infections over time. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend was used to evaluate categorical data, whereas the Jonckheere-Terpstra test for ordered values was used to analyze continuous data. Results: A total of 1,040 patients had 1,441 episodes of BSI caused by 1,632 strains of bacteria or fungi. There was no difference over time in the proportion of BSI among...
Founding Resources and Intentional Exit Sales Strategies: An Imprinting Perspective

The imprinting perspective suggests that the decisions made early in the life of a firm may have lasting impact on its ability to move in a strategic direction. Utilizing this perspective, we exami...
Advances in islet encapsulation technologies

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas. Although islet transplantation has proved to be successful for some patients with type 1 diabetes, its widespread use is limited by islet donor shortage and the requirement for lifelong immunosuppression. An encapsulation strategy that can prevent the rejection of xenogeneic islets or of stem cell-derived allogeneic islets can potentially eliminate both of these barriers. Although encapsulation technology has met several challenges, the convergence of expertise in materials, nanotechnology, stem cell biology and immunology is allowing us to get closer to the goal of encapsulated islet cell therapy for humans.
Perception of Chemical Venous Thromboprophylaxis for Oncologic Lung Resections among Thoracic Surgeons.

Background Controversies on chemical venous thromboembolic (VTE) prophylaxis in patients undergoing lung resection for malignancy exist. The available guidelines on VTE do not specifically address its prophylaxis in patients undergoing oncologic lung resections. The goal of this survey was to evaluate the perception of VTE prophylaxis among thoracic surgeons performing these operations. Methods A self-reported online survey was distributed to 267 active members of the General Thoracic Surgical Club between July and September 2015. The survey consisted of 22 questions related to the use of chemical venous thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing oncologic lung resection and their impact on outcomes. Results Fifty-six thoracic surgeons replied to the survey. The majority of these surgeons (57%) perform both open and thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer. All respondents stated that treatment modality and extent of surgical resection have no influence on their decision to use chemical VTE prophylaxis. Twenty-two (39%) respondents do not use chemical VTE prophylaxis prior to their oncologic lung resections, while the remaining 34 (61%) reported use of anticoagulants prior to them. None of the respondents prescribe extended 30-day VTE prophylaxis to these patients. Forty-nine (87%) respondents believe that chemical VTE prophylaxis is not related to major postoperative bleeding episodes. Forty-five (81%) respondents reported that none of their reoperations for bleeding were secondary to VTE prophylaxis or if it was, that isolated event could be successfully managed nonoperatively. Conclusions The majority of thoracic surgeons surveyed believe that chemical VTE prophylaxis is safe and should be used regardless of the magnitude of oncologic lung resections whenever possible. Extended 30-day VTE prophylaxis is not yet used by the survey respondents.
Malignant transformation of multifocal tapioca iris nevus in a child.

A 31-month-old white boy was evaluated for multiple iris lesions in his left eye, initially suspected to be juvenile xanthogranuloma and later diagnosed as tapioca nevi. Four years later the tumors enlarged. There was invasion throughout the anterior segment into the angle and related secondary elevation in intraocular pressure. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy disclosed spindle-B melanoma. Treatment with custom-designed iodine-125 plaque radiotherapy resulted in tumor regression and stabilization of intraocular pressure.
CCS2, an Octatricopeptide-Repeat Protein, Is Required for Plastid Cytochrome c Assembly in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii .

In bacteria and energy generating organelles, c-type cytochromes are a class of universal electron carriers with a heme cofactor covalently linked via one or two thioether bonds to a heme binding site. The covalent attachment of heme to apocytochromes is a catalyzed process, taking place via three evolutionarily distinct assembly pathways (Systems I, II, III). System II was discovered in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii through the genetic analysis of the ccs mutants (cytochrome csynthesis), which display a block in the apo- to holo- form conversion of cytochrome f and c6, the thylakoid lumen resident c-type cytochromes functioning in photosynthesis. Here we show that the gene corresponding to the CCS2 locus encodes a 1,719 amino acid polypeptide and identify the molecular lesions in the ccs2-1 to ccs2-5 alleles. The CCS2 protein displays seven degenerate amino acid repeats, which are variations of the octatricopeptide-repeat motif (OPR) recently recognized in several nuclear-encoded proteins controlling the maturation, stability, or translation of chloroplast transcripts. A plastid site of action for CCS2 is inferred from the finding that GFP fused to the first 100 amino acids of the algal protein localizes to chloroplasts in Nicotiana benthamiana. We discuss the possible functions of CCS2 in the heme attachment reaction.
Inducible and multiplex gene regulation using CRISPR–Cpf1-based transcription factors

Targeted and inducible regulation of mammalian gene expression is a broadly important capability. We engineered drug-inducible catalytically inactive Cpf1 nuclease fused to transcriptional activation domains to tune the expression of endogenous genes in human cells. Leveraging the multiplex capability of the Cpf1 platform, we demonstrate both synergistic and combinatorial gene expression in human cells. Our work should enable the development of multiplex gene perturbation library screens for understanding complex cellular phenotypes.