cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A C9orf72-CARM1 axis regulates lipid metabolism under glucose starvation-induced nutrient stress

Cells undergo metabolic adaptation during environmental changes by using evolutionarily conserved stress response programs. This metabolic homeostasis is exquisitely regulated, and its imbalance could underlie human pathological conditions. We report here that C9orf72, which is linked to the most common forms of the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), is a key regulator of lipid metabolism under stress. Loss of C9orf72 leads to an overactivation of starvation-induced lipid metabolism that is mediated by dysregulated autophagic digestion of lipids and increased de novo fatty acid synthesis. C9orf72 acts by promoting the lysosomal degradation of coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), which in turn regulates autophagy-lysosomal functions and lipid metabolism. In ALS/FTD patient-derived neurons or tissues, a reduction in C9orf72 function is associated with dysregulation in the levels of CARM1, fatty acids, and NADPH oxidase NOX2. These results reveal a C9orf72-CARM1 axis in the control of stress-induced lipid metabolism and implicates epigenetic dysregulation in relevant human diseases.
A maize cytochrome b–c1 complex subunit protein ZmQCR7 controls variation in the hypersensitive response

The gene GRMZM2G318346 which encodes a cytochrome b–c1 complex subunit 7 is associated with variation in strength of the hypersensitive response in maize. We previously identified a QTL at 3,545,354 bp (B73 reference genome V2) on maize chromosome 5 associated with variation in the hypersensitive response (HR) conferred by the autoactive R-gene Rp1-D21 (Olukolu et al. in PLoS Genet 10:e1004562 2014). In this study, we show that a gene at this locus, GRMZM2G318346 which encodes a cytochrome b–c1 complex subunit seven (ZmQCR7), an important part of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, can suppress HR mediated by Rp1-D21 in a transient expression assay. ZmQCR7 alleles from two maize lines, W22 and B73 differ for the encoded proteins at just two sites, amino acid 27 (threonine and alanine in B73 and W22, respectively) and amino acid 109 (asparagine and serine), however, the B73 allele is much more effective at suppressing HR. We show that variation at amino acid 27 controlled this variation in HR-suppressing effects. We furthermore demonstrate that the B73 allele of ZmQCR7 can suppress HR induced by RPM1(D505 V), another autoactive R-gene, and that Arabidopsis homologs of ZmQCR7 can also suppress NLR-induced HR. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Can Teacher Leadership Reduce Principal Stress

The purpose of this study was to determine what stressors face practicing school principals, with an interest in determining whether they perceived that teacher leaders could relieve some of their ...
Large eddy simulation of compressible, shaped-hole film cooling

Abstract Shaped-hole film cooling is an essential cooling technology in modern gas turbine engines. The performance of a given film cooling design, and thus the life of the cooled part, is dependent on the scenario parameters that define the environment in which it operates, including Reynolds and Mach numbers, upstream boundary layer and turbulence characteristics, blowing ratio, density ratio, pressure gradient, surface curvature, etc. Of these, one parameter that has received relatively little attention in the open literature is Mach number. This work evaluates the role of Mach number in shaped-hole film cooling performance by comparing results of two large eddy simulations of a plenum-fed 7-7-7 hole cooling a flat plate at freestream Mach numbers of 0.25 and 0.5, with all other relevant scenario parameters fixed. This comparison shows important differences between the two cases. To begin, the performance, as measured by laterally-averaged adiabatic effectiveness, is dramatically different, with the high Mach case performing up to 50% worse. This decrease in performance at high Mach is due to the coolant jet separating from the surface and a large scale oscillation that leads to significant asymmetry in the time-averaged flow, features which are absent in the low Mach case. These changes appear to be caused by changes to the flow in the cooling hole, which is also asymmetric in the high Mach case. This asymmetry leads to entrainment of hot gas into the hole on one side. Further, in the high Mach case, the flow in the hole is mildly supersonic and has sequence of weak shocks, which are, of course, absent in the low Mach scenario.
The Expanding Role of Endoscopy in Tissue Acquisition and Therapeutic Interventions for Gastrointestinal and Neuroendocrine Malignancies

Since the development of the flexible fiberoptic endoscopy by Basil Hirschowitz and Larry Curtiss in 1958, gastrointestinal endoscopy has developed an established and important role in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine malignancies. However, over the last 5 years, there has been a rapid further expansion of its role in several areas of both tissue acquisition and therapeutic intervention related to gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine malignancies. This chapter will focus on several of the important new developments including endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle biopsy, endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection, endoscopic ablative therapies, EUS-guided biliary access, and natural orifice transgastric endoscopic surgery (NOTES).
CHARITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN MEDIEVAL POLAND

Charity in the Christian tradition is a voluntary form of care and help, which consists in material support provided by wealthy people to the weak, poor and helpless. The article discusses the most important form so institutional assistant ce provided by clergy, religious or dears, confraternities and corporations - guilds. In the Middle Ages, the greatest social problems were poverty, begging and vagrancy. The actual guardian of the poor was the bishop, where he was obliged to collect funds "provided by the faithful members during the monthly services, from the Sunday collection and imposed penitential penalties. All lay people who performed this task by giving alms to the needy were obliged to provide basic help to their neighbours. Very important institutions that helped the needy were monasteries, especially those that had their own agricultural economy. Their duties included providing a one-off accommodation and a modest meal for travelers. The monks regularly supported local poor people, often playing the role of seasonal employers, e.g. during the harvest season. Various fraternities and corporations – guilds were created in medieval cities. From their members they required observance of moral principles and the provision of Christian love to their fellow men. From the collected contributions, as well as from fines for breaking corporate rules or privileges, a fund for charity was created.These organizations were created primarily by craftsmen. One of the most important goals was to care for old and sick members, as well as their decent burial. Some corporations had their own hospitals and shelters.
Coping with family stress in individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis.

Abstract Background Despite the long-emphasized role of the family environment in the schizophrenia literature, coping with family stress has been neglected in research on the psychosis risk period. Methods The sample consisted of 75 youth at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis and 79 matched healthy controls who reported on their use of engagement and disengagement coping strategies in response to stress with parents and perceived social support (i.e., advice availability, family support and strain). Participants were also assessed for clinical symptoms. Results Individuals at CHR reported similar levels of engagement strategies (e.g., emotion regulation, positive thinking) and more frequent use of disengagement strategies (e.g., avoidance, denial) compared to healthy controls. In individuals at CHR (as well as healthy controls), greater use of engagement strategies predicted greater perceptions of availability of advice support, whereas greater employment of disengagement strategies predicted lower perceived social support from the family and greater family strain. In individuals at CHR (as well as healthy controls), engagement strategies were not linked to any clinical outcomes, whereas disengagement strategies were closely tied to anxiety and depression (but not psychosis symptoms in individuals at CHR). Conclusions Individuals at CHR appeared to engage the same amount as controls, but disengage more often when coping with family stress; this pattern was linked to perceptions of social support and tied to a putative family environment as well as clinical phenomenology. The findings have implications for targeting interventions for CHR populations during a vulnerable period for stress and social change.
The Hietzing School and Red Vienna: Psychoanalysis and Progressive Social Reform: Freud/Tiffany: Anna Freud, Dorothy Tiffany Burlingham and the ‘Best Possible School’, Edited by E. A. Danto & A. Steiner-Strauss (2019). New York, NY: Routledge, 188 pp., $39.95.

Published in 2019, this deceptively small volume is a rich source for understanding the significance of the Hietzing School, founded in 1927 Vienna by Dorothy Tiffany Burlingham and Anna Freud. The...
Marking Time in Memorials and Museums of Terror: Temporality and Cultural Trauma

The theory of cultural trauma focuses on the relationship between shared suffering and collective identity: Events become traumatic when they threaten a group’s foundational self-understanding. As ...
Gustavus Adolphus, Circulation, and Liberty as a Heroic Virtue

Shortly after the death of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden and Protestant hero of the Thirty Years’ War, an anonymous poet in England noted the multilingual character of the accounts of his heroic campaign
A systematic review of the effectiveness of employer-led interventions for drug misuse.

Aims Employers in the United States incur substantial costs associated with substance use disorders. Our goal was to examine the effectiveness of employer-led interventions to reduce the adverse effects of drug misuse in the workplace. Methods We conducted a systematic review of studies that evaluated the effectiveness of recommended workplace interventions for opioids and related drugs: employee education, drug testing, employee assistance programs, supervisor training, written workplace drug-free policy, and restructuring employee health benefit plans. We searched PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE (embase.com), PsycINFO (Ebsco), ABI Inform Global, Business Source Premier, EconLit, CENTRAL, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), Scopus (Elsevier), Proquest Dissertations, and Epistemonikos from inception through May 8, 2019, with no date or language restrictions. We included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and cross-sectional studies with no language or date restrictions. The Downs and Black questionnaire was used to assess the quality of included studies. The results were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Results In all, 27 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Results were mixed, with each intervention shown to be effective in at least one study, but none showing effectiveness in over 50% of studies. Studies examining the impact of interventions on workplace injuries or accidents were more commonly reported to be effective. Although four studies were randomized controlled trials, the quality of all included studies was "fair" or "poor." Conclusions Despite the opioid epidemic, high-quality studies evaluating the effectiveness of employer-led interventions to prevent or reduce the adverse effects of substance use are lacking. Higher quality and mixed methods studies are needed to determine whether any of the interventions are generalizable and whether contextual adaptations are needed. In the meantime, there is a reason to believe that commonly recommended, employer-led interventions may be effective in some environments.
Systemic and local immune responses of weaned beef calves vaccinated post-transportation and at the time of a mild respiratory tract infection

To examine the effects of transport stress and concur-rent respiratory infection on bovine vaccine responses, 75 previously weaned beef calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (n=25/group). Group 1 calves were not transported, but were vaccinated (NTV). Both Groups 2 (vaccinated TV) and 3 (not vaccinated TUV) were transported for 12 h. Twelve h after transport, calves in NTV and TV groups were vaccinated intranasally with modified-live bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus −1 (BHV-1), and parainfluenza virus type 3 (PI3V), and subcutaneously with modified-live bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) types 1 and 2 vaccine with Mannheimia hemolytica (Mh) leukotoxoid vaccine. Nasal secretions and serum were collected pre- and post-vaccination for measurement of nasal interferon alpha, beta, and gamma, IgA to BHV-1 and BRSV, and serum neutralizing (SN) titers to BHV-1, BRSV, and BVDV types 1 and 2. At vaccination some calves had nasal discharge and fever. Pre-vaccination nasal swabs, tested for respiratory viruses, were negative. During the 21-d study, 6 calves developed BRD and eventually recovered. BHV-1 and BVDV 1 and 2 SN titers were significantly higher in vaccinated than nonvaccinated calves on d 14 and 21. BVDV2 titers were significantly higher in TV than NTV. Vaccination stimulated systemic, but not mucosal, antibody responses. Cattle can mount a humoral response to vaccination in spite of transport and mild respiratory disease.
Proton-pump inhibitor vs. H2-receptor blocker use and overall risk of CKD progression

The relationship between proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression remains controversial. Specifically, there is a lack of data evaluating renal outcomes in established CKD patients. The aim of our study is to determine the risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or death amongst CKD patients on PPI, histamine-2 receptor blocker (H2B), or no anti-acid therapy. Using our CKD registry, we evaluated the relationship between PPI and H2B use and outcomes amongst patients with CKD (eGFR < 60), with at least 2 PCP visits in the year prior. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the relationship between medication groups and overall mortality, while competing risks regression models were used to determine the risk of ESKD with death as a competing risk. 25,455 patients met inclusion criteria and were stratified according to medication group: no antacid therapy (15,961), PPI use (8646), or H2B use (848). At 4 years, the cumulative incidence of ESKD with death as a competing risk was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.7, 2.4), 1.5% (0.8, 2.8), and 1.6%(1.4, 1.9) among PPI, H2B, and no medication respectively (P = 0.22). The cumulative incidence of death with ESKD as a competing risk was 17.6% (95% CI: 16.6, 18.6), 16.7% (13.7, 19.8), and 17.3% (16.6, 18.0) (P = 0.71). Use of PPI in a CKD population was not associated with increased mortality or progression to ESKD when compared to H2 blocker and to no acid suppressing therapy.
Progressive focal weakness, aphasia, and somnolence (P1.036)

OBJECTIVES: 1) To increase awareness of intravascular lymphoma as a potential cause of unexplainable progressive neurological deficits. 2) To present a case of progressive weakness and somnolence secondary to increasing intracranial pressure in a woman with prior breast cancer who was misdiagnosed with cortical vein thrombosis and ultimately found to have intravascular lymphoma. BACKGROUND: Intravascular lymphoma most commonly presents with CNS symptoms. Although it is rarely detected before autopsy, when it is discovered pre-mortem, it can be treated successfully. Random skin biopsy has been shown to be effective in making the diagnosis, however this disease is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of neurologic disorders. CASE: Patient A.B. is a 58 year-old woman with prior breast cancer on tamoxifen who presented to an outside hospital after two months of slowly progressive left arm clumsiness, difficulty speaking, and confusion precipitated by an episode of fainting. Magnetic resonance venography was suggestive of cortical vein thrombosis and she was discharged on warfarin. Within a week, she returned with worsened symptoms despite being therapeutic on warfarin. Cerebral angiogram showed signs concerning for progression of cortical vein thrombosis and she was admitted briefly until she developed generalized seizures and was transferred to our hospital on intravenous heparin for further management. She had a devastating course, despite being therapeutic on heparin, complicated by pulmonary emboli, spinal infarct, progressive intracranial hypertension, and cerebral edema progressing to coma. DESIGN/METHODS: Case presentation with audience participation. Neurological manifestations of intravascular lymphoma will be reviewed. RESULTS: Autopsy revealed intravascular lymphoma. CONCLUSIONS: Intravascular lymphoma can present with a variety of neurological deficits and is a treatable condition that should be considered in patients with unexplained progressive deficits that could be attributed to vessel occlusion. Disclosure: Dr. Werner has nothing to disclose. Dr. San Luis has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ames has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gottesman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ziai has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Oakstone Medical Publishing.
Tritium measurements in neutron-induced cavitation of deuterated acetone

An attempt to reproduce the tritium measurements in an acoustic cavitation experiment with deuteratad acetone has shown no evidence of tritium production attributed to D-D fusion. The average number of disintegrations per minute observed is within 1σ of zero.
A three-wavelength flexible sensor for monitoring the moisture content of transformer pressboard

A three-wavelength interdigitated flexible sensor has been developed for measuring the heterogeneous properties of transformer pressboard. The imposed spatial wavelengths are 1 mm, 2.5 mm, and 5 mm, and the temporal frequency ranges from 0.005 Hz to 10000 Hz. Because the penetration depth of the electric field is approximately 1/5 of the wavelength, the sensor can be used to observe spatial as well as temporal changes in the dielectric loss of transformer pressboard. Experimental results indicate that the measured response is sensitive to changes in the moisture content of the pressboard. In addition, the sensor can be used to monitor the absorption of moisture into pressboard as a function of time. This measurement provides an estimate of the diffusion coefficient of moisture in oil-free transformer pressboard at room temperature of 3.5*10/sup -11/ m/sup 2//s. >
Factors associated with the initiation of proton pump inhibitors in corticosteroid users.

Purpose Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and corticosteroids are commonly prescribed drugs; however, each has been associated with fracture and community acquired pneumonia. How physicians select patients for co-therapy may have implications for potential additive or synergistic toxicities.
Multiscale Measurements Distinguish Cellular and Interstitial Hindrances to Diffusion In Vivo

Molecular cancer therapy relies on interstitial diffusion for drug distribution in solid tumors. A mechanistic understanding of how tumor components affect diffusion is necessary to advance cancer drug development. Yet, because of limitations in current techniques, it is unclear how individual tissue components hinder diffusion. We developed multiscale fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (MS-FRAP) to address this deficiency. Diffusion measurements facilitated by MS-FRAP distinguish the diffusive hindrance of the interstitial versus cellular constituents in living tissue. Using multiscale diffusion measurements in vivo, we resolved the contributions of these two major tissue components toward impeding diffusive transport in solid tumors and subcutaneous tissue in mice. We further used MS-FRAP in interstitial matrix-mimetic gels and in vivo to show the influence of physical interactions between collagen and hyaluronan on diffusive hindrance through the interstitium. Through these studies, we show that interstitial hyaluronan paradoxically improves diffusion and that reducing cellularity enhances diffusive macromolecular transport in solid tumors.
Chemical composition of urea-treated corn silage containing added dried whey or whey products.

Abstract Dried whole whey, partially delactosed whey, or lactose were added at two percents (1 and 2% dried whole whey equivalent) to corn silage and .5% urea-treated corn silage and .5% urea-treated corn silage in laboratory silos. Additions of whey products reduced nonprotein nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen in urea-treated corn silage. Dried whey was most effective in reducing ammonia nitrogen while lactose was least effective. This reduction in ammonia nitrogen with no change in total nitrogen indicated that additions of whey products to urea-treated corn silage may have added to the corn silage. Amount of addition of whey products did not influence results. Acid detergent fiber was slightly reduced by all additions and was lowest in corn silages with added lactose. Lactic acid, acetic acid, and pH were higher in corn silages containing urea but were not affected by additions of whey products.
New insights into pacemaker syndrome gained from hemodynamic, humoral and vascular responses during ventriculo-atrial pacing.

Abstract Ventricular pacing is performed during programmed electrical stimulation and during normal functioning of single chamber (VVI or VVIR) pacemakers. In many patients, retrograde ventriculo-atrial (V-A) conduction may occur and evoke hemodynamic and reflex neurohumoral responses, which are unique to this pacing mode. Accordingly, forearm blood flow, forearm vascular resistance, mean and phasic arterial pressure, cardiac output and plasma norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine were measured during atrial, ventricular and V-A pacing at a cycle length of 600 ms (100 beats/min) before and after regional a blockade with intraarterial phentolamine in 16 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction >35% and little or no symptoms of congestive heart failure. During V-A pacing, cardiac output decreased by 10%, whereas forearm vascular resistance increased from 52 ± 7 to 70 ± 9 U (p
Discriminating between models for the dark energy

Recent measurements suggest our Universe has a substantial dark energy component, which is usually interpreted in terms of a cosmological constant. Here we examine how much the form of this dark energy can be modified while still retaining an acceptable fit to the high redshift supernova data. We first consider changes in the dark energy equation of state and then explore a model in which the dark energy is interpreted as a fluid with a bulk viscosity.
Virion-Associated Vpr of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Triggers Activation of Apoptotic Events and Enhances Fas-Induced Apoptosis in Human T Cells

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Vpr protein exists in three different forms: soluble, intracellular, and virion associated. Previous studies showed that virion-associated Vpr induces apoptosis in activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and Jurkat T cells, but these studies were conducted in the presence of other de novo-expressed HIV proteins that may have had additive proapoptotic effects. In this report, we show that virion-associated Vpr triggers apoptosis through caspases 3/7 and 9 in human T cells independently of other HIV de novo-expressed proteins. In contrast to a previous study, we also detected the activation of caspase 8, the initiator caspase of the death receptor pathway. However, activation of all caspases by virion-associated Vpr was independent of the Fas death receptor pathway. Further analyses showed that virion-associated Vpr enhanced caspase activation in Fas-mediated apoptosis in Jurkat T cells and human activated PBMCs. Thus, our results indicate for the first time that viral particles that contain virion-associated Vpr can cause apoptosis in the absence of other de novo-expressed viral factors and can act in synergy with the Fas receptor pathway, thereby enhancing the apoptotic process in T cells. These findings suggest that virion-associated Vpr can contribute to the depletion of CD4 + lymphocytes either directly or by enhancing Fas-mediated apoptosis during acute HIV-1 infection and in AIDS.
Simulation of Chaotic Particle Motion in Particle-Laden Jetflow and Application to Abrasive Waterjet Machining

A novel method is presented for modeling the abrasive waterjet machining process. Particle motion on the cross section of particle-laden jetflow is simulated in order to quantify the erosion contributions of millions ofparticles having different kinematic behaviors. The simulation is performed using fractal point sets with chaotic behavior for the cases of circular and noncircular (elliptical, triangular) jets. The jetflow constructed can be endowed with any desired velocity profile and/or particle flowrate. In association with a classical constitutive equation for estimating the penetration ability of a particle, the drilling and cutting operations are simulated and verified by experiment for titanium, glass, and other materials. Roughness and waviness of the cutting surfaces are also simulated and there is good consistency between theory and experiment. Triangular and elliptical jetflows are utilized to explore potential applications of noncircular abrasive waterjets.
Posterior Hox gene expression and differential androgen regulation in the developing and adult rat prostate lobes.

Axis positioning and tissue determination during development involve coordinated expression of Hox genes throughout the body. The most posterior Hox gene clusters are involved in prostate organogenesis. In the present study, we characterized and compared the expression profiles of posterior (5′) Hox genes in the separate lobes of the adult rat prostate gland, the coagulating gland, seminal vesicles, and epididymis using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. These genes include Hoxa9–11, Hoxa13, Hoxd13, and Hoxb13. We identified a unique Hox code for each of these organs and propose that this contributes to the organ-specific and prostate lobe-specific identities in the adult rat. Using the ventral prostate (VP) as a model, we characterized the Hox genes expression patterns over time from birth through adulthood. Expression levels of the three Hox13 genes and Hoxa10 were significantly higher in the adult VP compared with the neonatal developing VP suggesting an important role during adult homeostasis. In contrast...
An improved method of coulostatic titrations

Abstract The complexities of performing coulostatic titrations have been greatly reduced by using a special external sweep circuit which produces a horizontal sweep rate for the oscilloscope that varies with the square root of time. Since the potential decay at a large H.D.M.E. also varies with the square root of time and was applied to the vertical plates, linear decay curves were obtained. The slopes of the linear decay curves were plotted against volume of titrant. Lead and cadmium were titrated successfully in the concentration range of 4.4·10 -6 -4.7·10 -5 M .
Crystal and molecular structure of trans,trans-9,10-bis(4-pyridylethenyl)anthracene

The crystal and molecular structure of trans,trans-9,10-bis(4-pyridylethenyl)anthracene (1) is reported. Crystal data for 1 (190 K): monoclinic, space group P21/c, a = 7.581(1) A, b = 5.669(1) A, c = 22.680(2) A, β = 95.595(5)°, V = 970.1(2) A3, with calculated density of 1.32 g/cm3 for Z = 2. The molecule in the solid state forms one-dimensional ribbons, which are organized within two-dimensional sheets.
A Citizen-Eye View of Television News Source Credibility

This experimental study used 244 participants to investigate citizen perceptions of news sources focusing on source credibility. Ten television news stories were created with varying source affiliation (officials or citizens), source race (African American or Caucasian), and type of story (hard or soft news). For the first time, results showed viewers do distinguish between the credibility of official and citizen sources. No difference was found in credibility on the basis of race. Results are discussed within the frameworks of civic journalism, hidden racism, and citizen sources.
Enzyme Assays: High-Throughput Screening, Genetic Selection, and Fingerprinting Jean-Louis Reymond, ed. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH, 2006, 368 pp., $175.00, hardcover. ISBN 3-527-31095-9

High-throughput assays of different types are used in a variety of laboratory settings, and this volume addresses the current state of high-throughput measurement of enzyme activities. The introduction to this book is an excellent and thoughtful reflection on the advantages of screening for enzyme function rather than predicting function from structural screening. The volume contains contributions describing assays for a variety of types of enzymes used in diverse laboratory and industrial settings. The collection seems to be broadly targeted toward an audience of industrial scientists, biomedical researchers, and research clinicians, rather than specifically to the clinical laboratorian. Activity assays for a number of classes of primarily hydrolytic enzymes are covered including hydrolases, lipolytic enzymes, proteases, and enantiomeric selective hydrolases. The …
Use of decision analysis to evaluate patients' choices of diagnostic prenatal test

Women with a family history of a chromosomal or genetic abnormality must weigh several factors in choosing between amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. We compared the prenatal test choices of three such women with those of decision analytic models that incorporated their preferences. Patient preferences were assessed using visual linear rating scales. Threshold analysis was used to determine preference ranges, and stochastic sensitivity analysis to provide confidence levels, for each choice of test. The test choices of patients and decision analytic models agreed in one case, and disagreed in two cases. In one of the latter two cases, stochastic and threshold analyses showed the disagreement to be slight; for small shifts in preference differences for first- vs. second-trimester diagnosis, or first- vs. second-trimester therapeutic abortion, patient and decision model would have agreed. In the other, stochastic analysis showed their differences to be large; there were no thresholds for early diagnosis, or for early therapeutic abortion, that would have led to agreement between patient and model. In the two cases in which patient and decision model agreed or slightly disagreed, the patients had made their own choice of prenatal test. In the case in which patient and decision model strongly disagreed, the patient's physician had shared in the choice of test. Decision analysis can be useful in analyzing prenatal test choices based on individual preferences for pregnancy outcomes. When choices of patients and decision models do not agree, examination of the locus of decision making (patient vs. physician) may help resolve apparent differences.
Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia: age, morphological phenotype, papillomavirus DNA, and coexisting invasive carcinoma.

Abstract Recent studies suggest that subsets of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) may be distinguished based on morphological presentation, the presence or absence of human papillomavirus (HPV) nucleic acids, and patient age. We analyzed 65 VIN lesions, including 15 with associated squamous cell carcinoma, to determine the relationship between pathological parameters associated with common types of VIN (multinucleation, koilocytosis, verruco-papillary morphology, diffuse atypia), rarer variants (differentiation, basal atypia), patient age, and papillomavirus nucleic acids. For all lesions higher mean ages were observed in patients with lesions that were associated with cancer and with well differentiated VIN variants with basal atypia only. A strong negative correlation with HPV nucleic acids was observed for differentiated variants with basal atypia ( P = .002). In the common or "classic" VIN group patients with lesions with koilocytotic atypia, multinucleation, and verruco-papillary morphology were generally younger. However, no parameter or group of parameters defined a subset of patients with a significantly lower mean age or lesions with a higher index of HPV nucleic acids. Three of six lesions of lichen sclerosus (LS)—associated VIN, including one involving invasive carcinoma in elderly women, contained HPV nucleic acids; all three lesions exhibited the features of classic VIN. The finding of HPV across a broad age range suggests that this virus may play a role in vulvar neoplasia at any point in life. The direct demonstration of HPV nucleic acids within three LS-associated VINs is intriguing because it links two distinct risk factors to the same neoplasm.
The effect of testing location on usability testing performance, participant stress levels, and subjective testing experience

The effect of testing location on usability test elements such as stress levels and user experience is not clear. A comparison between traditional lab testing and synchronous remote testing was conducted. The present study investigated two groups of users in remote and traditional settings. Within each group participants completed two tasks, a simple task and a complex task. The dependent measures were task time taken, number of critical incidents reported, and user-reported anxiety score. Task times differed significantly between the physical location condition; this difference was not meaningful for real world application, and likely introduced by overhead regarding synchronous remote testing methods. Critical incident reporting counts did not differ in any condition. No significant differences were found in user reported stress levels. Subjective assessments of the study and interface also did not differ significantly. Study findings suggest a similar user testing experience exists for remote and traditional laboratory usability testing.
Using Variable-Resolution Meshes to Model Tropical Cyclones in the Community Atmosphere Model

AbstractA statically nested, variable-mesh option has recently been introduced into the Community Atmosphere Model’s (CAM's) Spectral Element (SE) dynamical core that has become the default in CAM version 5.3. This paper presents a series of tests of increasing complexity that highlight the use of variable-resolution grids in CAM-SE to improve tropical cyclone representation by dynamically resolving storms without requiring the computational demand of a global high-resolution grid. As a simplified initial test, a dry vortex is advected through grid transition regions in variable-resolution meshes on an irrotational planet with the CAM subgrid parameterization package turned off. Vortex structure and intensity is only affected by grid resolution and no spurious artifacts are observed. CAM-SE model simulations using an idealized tropical cyclone test case on an aquaplanet show no numerical distortion or wave reflection when the cyclone interacts with an abrupt transition region. Using the same test case, th...
The Interplay of Ligand Binding and Quaternary Structure in the Diverse Interactions of Dynein Light Chain LC8.

Dynein light chain LC8 is a small, dimeric, and very highly conserved globular protein that is an integral part of the dynein and myosin molecular motors but appears to have a broader role in multiple protein complexes unrelated to molecular motors. LC8 binds to two families of targets: those having a KXTQT sequence fingerprint and those having a GIQVD fingerprint. All known LC8 binding partners containing these fingerprints share a common binding site on LC8 that raises the question of what determines binding specificity. Here, we present the crystal structure of apo-LC8 at 1.7-A resolution, which, when compared with the crystal structures of several LC8 complexes, gives insight into the mechanism underlying the binding diversity of LC8. Peptide binding is associated with a shift in quaternary structure that expands the hydrophobic binding surface available to the ligand, in addition to changes in tertiary structure and ordering of LC8 around the binding groove. The observed quaternary shift suggests a mechanism by which binding at one of the two identical sites can influence binding at the other. NMR spectra of titrations with peptides from each fingerprint family show evidence of allosteric interaction between the two binding sites, to a differing degree in the two ligand families. Allosteric interaction between the binding sites may be a mechanism to promote simultaneous binding of ligands from the same family, providing a physiological role for the two fingerprints.
Two-stage power conversion architecture for an LED driver circuit

This paper presents a merged-two-stage circuit topology suitable for efficient LED drivers operating from either wide-range dc input voltage or ac line voltage. This two-stage topology is based on a soft-charged switched-capacitor pre-regulator/transformation stage and a high-frequency magnetic regulator stage. Soft charging of the switched capacitor circuit, zero voltage switching of the high-frequency regulator circuit, and time-based indirect scale current control are used to maintain high efficiency, high power density, and high power factor. Two implementations of the proposed architecture are demonstrated: a wide input voltage range dc-dc converter and a line interfaced ac-dc converter. The dc-dc converter shows 85-95% efficiency at 20 W power across 25-200 V input voltage range, and the ac-dc converter achieves 88% efficiency with 0.93 power factor at 8.4 W average power.
Electrochemiluminescence of copper(I) bis(2,9-dimethyl-1,10- phenanthroline).

The electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) properties of Cu[dmp]2+ (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) have been investigated. ECL has been observed for Cu(dmp)2+ in aqueous, nonaqueous, and mixed solvent solutions using tri-n-propylamine as an oxidative−reductive coreactant. The ECL intensity peaks at potential corresponding to oxidation of both the coreactant and Cu(dmp)2+. The peak potential corresponding to maximum ECL emission is ∼500 mV more anodic than corresponding oxidative peak potentials, indicating that the ECL emission may be due to the formation of either the *Cu(dmp)2+ metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited state or an excited-state product of Cu(dmp)2+ oxidation. ECL efficiencies (φecl = photons generated per redox event) are solvent-dependent (φecl (CH3CN) > φecl (50:50 (v/v) CH3CN:H2O) > φecl (H2O)) and correspond fairly well with photoluminescence efficiencies. Increased ECL efficiencies (≥50-fold) are observed in the presence of the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100.
Distributed-parameter control of the heat source trajectory in thermal materials processing

In thermal manufacturing processes performed by a localized, sequentially moving heat source, simultaneous regulation of multiple thermal quality characteristics requires real-time control of the temperature field developed through the distributed heat input on the part surface. Such control of the thermal field to a desired distribution employs infrared sensing and feedback of the surface temperature hill, to modulate the torch power and motion in-process. The torch trajectory is guided in real time by an efficient optimization algorithm based on the concept of moving complexes. This distributed-parameter control strategy is developed using a numerical simulation model of thermal processing, and its performance is evaluated experimentally in heat treatment of thin stainless steel plates. The thermal controller is applied to the new scan welding process, in which it drives the torch in a reciprocating motion along the weld, yielding a uniform and smooth temperature field, and thus a favorable material structure and mechanical properties. Application of such thermal control to various other material processing methods is also investigated.
Hammersley stochastic annealing: efficiency improvement for combinatorial optimization under uncertainty

This paper presents hierarchical improvements to combinatorial stochastic annealing algorithms using a new and efficient sampling technique. The Hammersley Sequence Sampling (HSS) technique is used for updating discrete combinations, reducing the Markov chain length, determining the number of samples automatically, and embedding better confidence intervals of the samples. The improved algorithm, Hammersley stochastic annealing, can significantly improve computational efficiency over traditional stochastic programming methods. This new method can be a useful tool for large-scale combinatorial stochastic programming problems. A real-world case study involving solvent selection under uncertainty illustrates the usefulness of this new algorithm.
Cyanobacteria gene and protein sequences in diurnal oscillation metabolic processes

ABSTRACT Daytime photosynthesis and nighttime nitrogen fixation metabolic processes have been reported in the bacterium, Cyanothece 51142. The organisms auto-fluorescence with 532 nm excitation would place cyanobacteria at the forefront in the remote sensing of microbial activity in astrobiology. The sensitivity of nitrogenase to oxygen was studied in terms of sequence nucleotide fluctuation. A nucleotide sequence fractal dimension can be calculated from a numerical series consisting of the atomic numbers of each nucleotide. The fractal dimension and Shannon entropy form a two-dimensional measure that is useful in assessing evolutionary pressures. The studied sequences in clude nitrogenase iron protein NifH, nitrogenase molybdenum-iron protein alpha chain NifD and beta chain NifK. The photosynthesis-lacking UCYN-A cyanobacterium as reported recently in the journal, Nature, was ob served to have the lowest entropy with relatively high fractal dimension values in the studied NifH, NifD and NifH sequences. The fractal dimension of NifH sequences correlates with the NifD sequence values with an R-square of 0.91 (N = 8). The Shannon mononucleotide entropy of NifD sequences correlates with the NifK sequence values with an R-square value of 0.92 (N = 8). The observed strong correlation suggests the presence of gradual evolutionary pressure among the studied cyanobacteria, and throws light on the reported paradox in evolution for the case of UCYN-A. The results show that diurnal oscillation metabolic processes in cyanobacteria (including the photosynthesis-deficient case) are not associated with extraordinary evolutionary pressures and thus are processe s consistent with putative astrobiological organisms. Keywords: nitrogenase protein, fractal dimension, Shannon entropy, UCYN-A, Cyanothece
End-of-life expenditure in the ICU and perceived quality of dying

Abstract OBJECTIVE Although end-of-life care in the ICU accounts for a large proportion of health-care costs, few studies have examined the association between costs and satisfaction with care. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of ICU costs with family- and nurse-assessed quality of dying and family satisfaction. METHODS: This was an observational study surveying families and nurses for patients who died in the ICU or within 30 h of transfer from the ICU. A total of 607 patients from two Seattle hospitals were included in the study. Survey data were linked with administrative records to obtain ICU and hospital costs. Regression analyses assessed the association between costs and outcomes assessing satisfaction with care: nurse- and family-assessed Quality of Death and Dying (QODD-1) and Family Satisfaction in the ICU (FS-ICU). RESULTS: For family-reported outcomes, patient insurance status was an important modifier of results. For underinsured patients, higher daily ICU costs were significantly associated with higher FS-ICU and QODD-1 ( P P = .01, respectively); this association was absent for privately insured or Medicare patients ( P = .50 and P = .85, QODD-1 and FS-ICU, respectively). However, higher nurse-assessed QODD-1 was significantly associated with lower average daily ICU cost and total hospital cost ( P P = .05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Family-rated satisfaction with care and quality of dying varied depending on insurance status, with underinsured families rating satisfaction with care and quality of dying higher when average daily ICU costs were higher. However, patients with higher costs were assessed by nurses as having a poorer quality of dying. These findings highlight important differences between family and clinician perspectives and the important role of insurance status.
Radial Error Feedback Control for Bar Turning in CNC Turning Centers

In-process measurement and control of CNC machines can improve machining accuracy while increasing productivity and eliminating waste in a cost effective way. This paper describes an in-process measurement and control system called radial error feedback control (REFC) for bar turning in CNC turning centers. REFC was designed to compensate for the radial error due to the time-varying bar deflection caused by the cutting force, which moves along the bar at a constant velocity. In a dry cutting environment, a noncontact laser sensor was used to directly measure the radial error of the workpiece while it is being cut. To compensate for the radial error, a gain-scheduled Kalman filter for prediction together with PI control law was designed, based on a time-varying model of the deflection of the bar. Analytical modelling (using classical beam vibration theory) was employed to develop a simple model for the bar bending. For non-uniform bars finite element modelling can be used. Experimental results show that the dimensional and geometric accuracy of the workpiece is substantially improved by this radial error feedback control technique.
Ice table depth variability near small rocks at the Phoenix landing site, Mars: A pre-landing assessment

Abstract We combine thermal simulations of ground ice stability near small rocks with extrapolations of the abundance of rocks at the Phoenix landing site based on HiRISE rock counts to estimate the degree of ice table depth variability within the 3.8 m 2 workspace that can be excavated during the mission. Detailed predictions of this kind are important both to test current ground-ice theory and to optimize soil investigations after landing. We find that Phoenix will very likely have access to at least one rock in the diameter range 5 cm to 1 m. Our simulations, which assume the ice to be in diffusive equilibrium with atmospheric water vapor, indicate that all rocks in this size range are associated with an annulus of deep ice-free soil. Ice table depth variability of 1–5 cm is very likely at the landing site due to the presence of small rocks. Further, there are scenarios in which Phoenix might exploit the presence of individual large rocks and/or the arrangement of small rocks to sample soils at depths >10 cm below the average depth predicted from orbit (∼4 cm). Scale analysis to constrain uncertainties in simulation results indicates that estimates of maximum depths may be somewhat conservative and that ice table depressions associated with individual rocks could be deeper and laterally more extended than indicated by formal predictions by mm to cm.