cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of vpu start-codon mutations on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication in macrophages.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vpu protein increases the release of virus particles from infected cells. Mutations that abrogate vpu function have a profound effect on HIV-1 replication in primary macrophage cultures. About 1.24 % of primary isolates in the HIV databases have vpu start-codon mutations. In addition, the envelope of the AD8 isolate was reported to compensate for the lack of vpu, whilst the YU-2 virus (cloned directly from the brain tissue of an infected individual) is macrophage-tropic, despite having a vpu start-codon mutation. These observations raise the possibility that envelopes evolve to compensate for the loss of vpu function in vivo. Chimeric vpu + and vpu − replication-competent clones were constructed that contained the envelopes of SF162, AD8 or YU-2. Macrophages were infected with these chimeras and virus release was measured over time by a reverse transcriptase ELISA. It was found that vpu-deficient chimeras carrying AD8 and YU-2 envelopes were consistently released at lower levels than their wild-type (wt) vpu counterparts, indicating that these envelopes did not compensate for the lack of vpu. Non-chimeric vpu + and vpu − AD8 and YU-2 followed similar patterns, although replication by vpu-deficient AD8 was variable, with virion release reaching 60 % of that recorded for AD8 with a wt vpu. In summary, no evidence was found that the AD8 or YU-2 envelopes can compensate for the lack of vpu for replication in macrophages.
Killing the ettringite reaction in sulfate-bearing soils

The formation of ettringite in sulfate-bearing clay soils often results in rapid and significant expansion when calcium-based stabilizers are added to the soil. The researchers tested the hypothesis that ettringite crystal growth could be inhibited by adding a specific chemical that would prevent nucleation of ettringite crystallites, much like retarding the setting of portland cement by using organic additives. The researchers created ettringite in the laboratory by using clay mineral standards mixed with hydrated lime, gypsum, and water, with an ultrasonic homogenizer to catalyze the reaction. A natural soil from Texas (State Highway 289) that had caused sulfate-induced heave problems was also used. Diatomaceous earth, volcanic glass (amorphous silica), and calcium phosphate monobasic monohydrate were added in different proportions to see whether the formation of ettringite could be stopped. The diatomaceous earth and volcanic glass did not inhibit the growth of ettringite in any of the clay mineral sta...
The Requirement for Pneumococcal MreC and MreD Is Relieved by Inactivation of the Gene Encoding PBP1a

MreC and MreD, along with the actin homologue MreB, are required to maintain the shape of rod-shaped bacteria. The depletion of MreCD in rod-shaped bacteria leads to the formation of spherical cells and the accumulation of suppressor mutations. Ovococcus bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, lack MreB homologues, and the functions of the S. pneumoniae MreCD (MreCDSpn) proteins are unknown. mreCD are located upstream from the pcsB cell division gene in most Streptococcus species, but we found that mreCD and pcsB are transcribed independently. Similarly to rod-shaped bacteria, we show that mreCD are essential in the virulent serotype 2 D39 strain of S. pneumoniae, and the depletion of MreCD results in cell rounding and lysis. In contrast, laboratory strain R6 contains suppressors that allow the growth of ΔmreCD mutants, and bypass suppressors accumulate in D39 ΔmreCD mutants. One class of suppressors eliminates the function of class A penicillin binding protein 1a (PBP1a). Unencapsulated Δpbp1a D39 mutants have smaller diameters than their pbp1a+ parent or Δpbp2a and Δpbp1b mutants, which lack other class A PBPs and do not show the suppression of ΔmreCD mutations. Suppressed ΔmreCD Δpbp1a double mutants form aberrantly shaped cells, some with misplaced peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis compared to that of single Δpbp1a mutants. Quantitative Western blotting showed that MreCSpn is abundant (≈8,500 dimers per cell), and immunofluorescent microscopy (IFM) located MreCDSpn to the equators and septa of dividing cells, similarly to the PBPs and PG pentapeptides indicative of PG synthesis. These combined results are consistent with a model in which MreCDSpn direct peripheral PG synthesis and control PBP1a localization or activity.
Instrumentation for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery and laparoendoscopic single-site surgery

Objective : To describe the evolution of instrumentation and technology for natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) as applied to urologic procedures. Materials and Methods : We performed a search of published reports on PubMed and MEDLINE for the search terms NOTES, single-port, single-incision, single-site, natural orifice + surgery, SPA, LESS, incisionless, and scarless from 1990-2009. Studies relevant to this urologic symposium were chosen for detailed review. Results : Multiple case reports, case series, and review articles relevant to NOTES and LESS utilized for urologic surgery dating from 1991 to 2009 were identified. We were subsequently able to chronicle the technological advances in instrumentation utilized for NOTES, including transvaginal nephrectomy, transvesical NOTES, combination or hybrid NOTES, and robotic-assisted NOTES or R-NOTES. For LESS, we detailed the development of various access ports and operating platforms to facilitate performing urologic procedures through a single-port access site. Conclusions : Significant progress has been made in developing new, multi-lumenal access ports and articulating or curved instruments to aid in triangulation necessary for certain urologic procedures. Magnetic anchoring guidance systems (MAGS) have further enhanced the approach to LESS, with the potential for future application to NOTES. NOTES and LESS have future implications for the armamentarium of urologic surgeons, although much more research is necessary to further improve instrumentation and overcome the learning curve necessary for new technology.
Dynamic warp subdivision for integrated branch and memory divergence tolerance

SIMD organizations amortize the area and power of fetch, decode, and issue logic across multiple processing units in order to maximize throughput for a given area and power budget. However, throughput is reduced when a set of threads operating in lockstep (a warp) are stalled due to long latency memory accesses. The resulting idle cycles are extremely costly. Multi-threading can hide latencies by interleaving the execution of multiple warps, but deep multi-threading using many warps dramatically increases the cost of the register files (multi-threading depth x SIMD width), and cache contention can make performance worse. Instead, intra-warp latency hiding should first be exploited. This allows threads that are ready but stalled by SIMD restrictions to use these idle cycles and reduces the need for multi-threading among warps. This paper introduces dynamic warp subdivision (DWS), which allows a single warp to occupy more than one slot in the scheduler without requiring extra register file space. Independent scheduling entities allow divergent branch paths to interleave their execution, and allow threads that hit to run ahead. The result is improved latency hiding and memory level parallelism (MLP). We evaluate the technique on a coherent cache hierarchy with private L1 caches and a shared L2 cache. With an area overhead of less than 1%, experiments with eight data-parallel benchmarks show our technique improves performance on average by 1.7X.
Effects of pycnogenol on the microsomal metabolism of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK as a function of age.

NNK is a potent environmental carcinogen to which smokers and non-smokers are exposed. The response to NNK can be altered by various factors including nutrition. In this study, we examined the effects of pycnogenol on the in vitro metabolism of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK by liver and lung microsomes from 6- and 20-month-old male F344 rats. The major NNK metabolic pathway in liver microsomes was carbonyl reduction, while α-hydroxylation was the major pathway in lung microsomes irrespective of age. Pycnogenol (40 and 120 μg/ml) exhibited a statistically significant inhibition of carbonyl reduction and α-hydroxylation pathways in liver microsomes from both age groups and in addition to these pathways, pycnogenol inhibited the N-oxidation pathway in lung microsomes. The liver and lung microsomes from 20-month-old rats were less active than from 6-month-old rats although the difference was not statistically significant.
Spatial analysis of instream nitrogen loads and factors controlling nitrogen delivery to streams in the southeastern United States using spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) and regional classification frameworks

Understanding how nitrogen transport across the landscape varies with landscape characteristics is important for developing sound nitrogen management policies. We used a spatially referenced regression analysis (SPARROW) to examine landscape characteristics influencing delivery of nitrogen from sources in a watershed to stream channels. Modelled landscape delivery ratio varies widely (by a factor of 4) among watersheds in the southeastern United States—higher in the western part (Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi) than in the eastern part, and the average value for the region is lower compared to other parts of the nation. When we model landscape delivery ratio as a continuous function of local-scale landscape characteristics, we estimate a spatial pattern that varies as a function of soil and climate characteristics but exhibits spatial structure in residuals (observed load minus predicted load). The spatial pattern of modelled landscape delivery ratio and the spatial pattern of residuals coincide spatially with Level III ecoregions and also with hydrologic landscape regions. Subsequent incorporation into the model of these frameworks as regional scale variables improves estimation of landscape delivery ratio, evidenced by reduced spatial bias in residuals, and suggests that cross-scale processes affect nitrogen attenuation on the landscape. The model-fitted coefficient values are logically consistent with the hypothesis that broad-scale classifications of hydrologic response help to explain differential rates of nitrogen attenuation, controlling for local-scale landscape characteristics. Negative model coefficients for hydrologic landscape regions where the primary flow path is shallow ground water suggest that a lower fraction of nitrogen mass will be delivered to streams; this relation is reversed for regions where the primary flow path is overland flow. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mirtazapine treatment of diabetic gastroparesis as a novel method to reduce tube-feed residual: a case report

Introduction Gastroparesis is a common motility disorder that is characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Diabetes, along with other neuromuscular and infiltrating disorders, can predispose individuals to an increased risk of developing gastroparesis. Gastroparesis can be easily diagnosed through gastric emptying studies but is usually difficult to successfully treat. Therapy usually begins with pro-kinetic and anti-emetic agents.
The effect of perch availability during pullet rearing and egg laying on musculoskeletal health of caged White Leghorn hens

A major skeletal problem of conventional- ly caged hens is increased susceptibility to osteoporosis mainly due to lack of exercise. Osteoporosis is charac- terized by a progressive decrease in mineralized struc- tural bone. Whereas considerable attention has been given to enriching laying cages, little research has been conducted on providing caged pullets with furnish- ments, in particular perches. The objective of the cur- rent study was to determine if metal perches during all or part of the life cycle of White Leghorns affected hen musculoskeletal health, especially at end of lay. Treat- ments during the pullet phase (hatch to 16.9 wk) en- tailed cages with and without perches. Four treatments were used during the laying phase (17 to 71 wk of age). Treatment 1 chickens never had access to perches at any point during their life cycle, typical of egg industry practices in the United States for conventional cages. Treatment 2 chickens had access to perches only during the egg-laying phase, which was from 17 to 71 wk of age. Treatment 3 chickens had access to perches only during the pullet phase (0 to 16.9 wk of age). Treatment 4 chickens had perch access throughout their entire life cycle (0 to 71 wk of age). Musculoskeletal health was assessed by measuring muscle weights, bone mineraliza- tion, bone fracture incidence, and keel bone deviations. Muscle deposition of 71-wk-old hens increased when given access to perches as pullets. Bone mineralization of 71-wk-old hens also increased if given perch access as adults. However, the disadvantage of the adult perch was the higher incidence of keel deviations and keel fractures at end of lay. The increase in bone mineraliza- tion of the keel bone as a result of perch access during the pullet and laying phases was not great enough to prevent a higher incidence of keel bone fractures at end of lay. Perch redesign and placement of perches within the cage to minimize keel fractures and deviations are possible solutions.
Nephron organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells model kidney development and injury

Kidney cells and tissues derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) may enable organ regeneration, disease modeling and drug screening. We report an efficient, chemically defined protocol for differentiating hPSCs into multipotent nephron progenitor cells (NPCs) that can form nephron-like structures. By recapitulating metanephric kidney development in vitro, we generate SIX2+ SALL1+ WT1+ PAX2+ NPCs with 90% efficiency within 9 days of differentiation. The NPCs possess the developmental potential of their in vivo counterparts and form PAX8+ LHX1+ renal vesicles that self-organize into nephron structures. In both two- and three-dimensional culture, NPCs form kidney organoids containing epithelial nephron-like structures expressing markers of podocytes, proximal tubules, loops of Henle and distal tubules in an organized, continuous arrangement that resembles the nephron in vivo. We also show that this organoid culture system can be used to study mechanisms of human kidney development and toxicity.
Molecular mapping of five soybean genes involved in male-sterility, female-sterility.

In soybean, asynaptic and desynaptic mutants lead to abnormal meiosis and fertility reduction. Several male-sterile, female-sterile mutants have been identified and studied in soybean, however, som...
A Common Interest: Franklin Roosevelt, Frank Hague, and the Presidential Election of 1936 in New Jersey

The Great Depression and the New Deal forged a mutually beneficial alliance between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mayor Frank Hague of Jersey City. Each needed the other. Hague benefited from the federal funds he was allocated by the New Deal relief agencies. Channeling this government assistance through his political machine in Jersey City enabled him to consolidate his control over Hudson County and ultimately become the dominant figure of the Democratic Party in New Jersey. In return, Hague pledged to secure New Jersey for Roosevelt in his reelection campaign. Ironically, Hague got the better of this arrangement. Roosevelt's personal popularity would have ensured his reelection in 1936 regardless of Hague's level of commitment. But by entrenching Hague's authority, as the New Deal tide ebbed over the ensuing years, and elections in New Jersey became more competitive, the President became ever more dependent on the capacity of the Mayor to deliver the votes he needed. This necessitated a policy of willful indifference towards Hague's increasingly autocratic and corrupt maladministration.
The role of purposeful diversity and inclusion strategy (PDIS) and cultural tightness/looseness in the relationship between national culture and organizational culture

Abstract The effect of national culture on organizational culture has long been debated by scholars. Institutional theory scholars argue for a strong effect of national culture on organizational culture through institutional isomorphism, whereas organizational culture scholars argue that organizations are capable of creating unique cultures that can bolster their competitive advantage. In this paper, we bridge the gap between the two literatures and propose that tighter cultures are less likely than looser cultures to tolerate deviance from the national culture surrounding them. At the organizational level, diversity strategy can vary dramatically; organizations that purposefully use diversity strategies are more likely to develop unique organizational cultures. Further, the interplay between national and organizational cultures result in greater constraining forces of national culture over organizational culture in tighter cultures than in looser ones; however, diversity strategies in tight cultures are more likely to foster distinct organizational cultures than those found in loose cultures.
My Home's Market Value: An Active Market Pricing Model

The current US residential real estate market is recovering although price growth remains stagnant. The non-linear pricing model examined represents a first investigation in the area of a single variable, polynomial correlation model. Using data from Easton, Connecticut demonstrated that when sellers set initial prices outside of a computed 95% confidence interval for similar properties no offers are forthcoming prior to asking price reductions and offered properties remain on the market longer.
Outcomes after Displaced Fractures of the Femoral Neck. A Meta-Analysis of One Hundred and Six Published Reports.

Methods of meta-analysis, a technique for the combination of data from multiple sources, were applied to analyze 106 reports of the treatment of displaced fractures of the femoral neck. Two years or less after primary internal fixation of a displaced fracture of the femoral neck, a non-union had developed in 33 per cent of the patients and avascular necrosis, in 16 per cent. The rate of performance of a second operation within two years ranged from 20 to 36 per cent after internal fixation and from 6 to 18 per cent after hemiarthroplasty (relative risk, 2.6; 95 per cent confidence interval, 1.4 to 4.6). Conversion to an arthroplasty was the most common reoperation after internal fixation and accounted for about two-thirds of these procedures. The remaining one-third of the reoperations were for removal of the implant or revision of the internal fixation. For the patients who had had a hemiarthroplasty, the most common reoperations were conversion to a total hip replacement, removal or revision of the prosthesis, and debridement of the wound. Although we observed an increase in the rate of mortality at thirty days after primary hemiarthroplasty compared with that after primary internal fixation, the difference was not significant (p = 0.22) and did not persist beyond three months. The absolute difference in perioperative mortality between the two groups was small. An anterior operative approach for arthroplasty consistently was associated with a lower rate of mortality at two months than was a posterior approach. Some reports showed promising results after total hip replacement for displaced fractures of the femoral neck; however, randomized clinical trials are still needed to establish the value of this treatment.
High-Fidelity Interceptor Lethality Evaluation in AEDC's Aeroballistic Ranges *

of magnitude greater than that of the actual missile launch system. These acceleration loads drive design compromises in projectile geometry and mass-density distribution that will ensure the projectile survival of the launch environment. However, a “high-fidelity” projectile with the proper geometry and mass-density distribution would provide a more representative simulation of the flight vehicle kinetic energy release at impact. Current upgrades under development in the Range G facility will provide for the capability to launch large-scale “higher fidelity” projectiles at higher velocities than is currently possible in ballistic ranges. In addition, AEDC is developing a new technique for controlling the projectile pitch at the point of impact with a simulated target. These unique capabilities will make it possible to obtain more flight-representative lethality data in a ballistic range. This paper describes the current capabilities of the Range G facility along with the plans for its upgrade.
Effect of antioxidants on muscle and plasma lipids of vit. E-deficient guinea pigs.

SummaryIn guinea pigs with muscular dystrophy induced by feeding of Vit. E-deficient ration, there is a rise in cholesterol levels of plasma and skeletal muscle; these rises precede onset of dystrophy. Supplementation of Vit. E-deficient ration with antioxidants DPPD. BHT. DBH and Santoquin, although delaying onset of dystrophy symptoms, does not prevent the rise in plasma and muscle cholesterol and muscle total lipid in Vit. E-deficiency.
Effects of Fluosol-DA (Artificial Blood) on Clinical Chemistry Tests and Instruments

Artificial blood must be added to the list of therapeutic agents that produce interference with diagnostic laboratory tests. Fluosol-DA (Alpha Therapeutic Corp., Los Angeles, CA), a stable 20% emulsion of perfluorocarbons in aqueous medium, is being evaluated in clinical trials as a blood substitute in the United States. We investigated its effects in blood and serum samples on test results and instruments in the clinical chemistry laboratory. The 20% emulsion was added to blood or serum specimens in amounts corresponding to the replacement of in-vivo plasma volumes of 10-50%, concentrations that would be expected in blood samples obtained from patients who have received Fluosol. Observed interferences mimicked those caused by high triglyceride concentrations in serum specimens: interference with chemical reactions and generation of spurious absorbance readings because of turbidity. These types of errors are often additive, and the cumulative effect may cause either erroneously high or low values for the analytes concerned. Because Fluosol may be used widely, although infrequently, for patients refusing blood transfusions on religious grounds and for patients with rare antibodies to red blood cells who require transfusion, laboratories analyzing specimens containing Fluosol should be aware of the potential errors.
“Refugee Voices” Tragedy, Ghosts, and the Anthropology of Not Knowing

This article considers the parallels between ethnographic work and refugee advocacy to show how these knowledge forms seek and yet fail to represent “refugee voices.” The predicaments of refugees i...
Approximating Fixed Points and k-Fractional Calculus

We approximate fixed points of some iterative methods on a generalized Banach space setting.
Total androgen ablation: American experience

In conclusion, the intergroup study in the US, as well as preliminary results of the Anandron and leuprolide study, would support the view that combined androgen blockade is better than monotherapy in achieving clinical responses, prolonging the time to progression, and improving the survival rate. This improvement in survival rate is not a huge advance but is a step in the right direction. Future clinical trials are needed to evaluate newer methods to improve survival rates. The results also open up the possibility of employing this combined androgen blockade in earlier stages of prostate cancer in order to delay progression of the cancer and perhaps improve patient survival. Only carefully constructed clinical trials will be able to answer these questions.
Chondrosarcoma of the extraskeletal soft tissues. A report of seven cases and review of the literature.

Seven examples of chondrosarcoma of the extraskeletal soft tissues are presented together with a review of nineteen previously reported cases. There was considerable variation in the size of the tumors. The age range of the patients was wide. Males predominated seventeen to nine. The lesions may appear as either a painless or painful tumor which may or may not be visualized on the roentgenogram as a tumor with or without stippling. In a few of the cases the exact anatomical site of origin of the lesion could not be determined; in the others the tumor was found to arise from a bursa, muscle, fascia, or connective tissue. No tumor arose from bone, cartilage, or periosteum. The tumors usually were firm peripherally and soft centrally. The cut surfaces showed wide variations in color. The lesions have the same histological features as chondrosarcoma of bone and showed marked variation in the matrix and the cellular elements. Treatment should consist in excisional biopsy followed by definitive wide resection. Amputation is indicated when the tumor recurs or when bone has been invaded. Since recurrence has been reported as early as two months and as late as fifteen years after the primary operation, all patients should be carefully followed. Eleven of the tumors recurred and four metastasized. The exact incidence of recurrence and metastases is not known because of inadequate follow-up which exceeded five years in only four of the cases. Follow-up was either not recorded or was less than five years in twenty-two cases.
Mutation drivers of immunological responses to cancer

In cancer immunology, somatic missense mutations have been mostly studied with regard to their role in the generation of neoantigens. However, growing evidence suggests that mutations in certain genes, such as CASP8 or TP53, influence the immune response against a tumor by other mechanisms. Identifying these genes and mechanisms is important because, just as the identification of cancer driver genes led to the development of personalized cancer therapies, a comprehensive catalog of such cancer immunity drivers will aid in the development of therapies aimed at restoring antitumor immunity. Here, we present an algorithm, domainXplorer, that can be used to identify potential cancer immunity drivers. To demonstrate its potential, we used it to analyze a dataset of 5,164 tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and to identify protein domains in which mutation status correlates with the presence of immune cells in cancer tissue (immune infiltrate). We identified 122 such protein regions, including several that belong to proteins with known roles in immune response, such as C2, CD163L1, or FCγR2A. In several cases, we show that mutations within the same protein can be associated with more or less immune cell infiltration, depending on the specific domain mutated. These results expand the catalog of potential cancer immunity drivers and highlight the importance of taking into account the structural context of somatic mutations when analyzing their potential association with immune phenotypes. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(9); 789-98. ©2016 AACR.
Modeling Gesture-Typing Movements

Word–Gesture keyboards allow users to enter text using continuous input strokes (also known as gesture typing or shape writing). We developed a production model of gesture typing input based on a human motor control theory of optimal control (specifically, modeling human drawing movements as a minimization of jerk—the third derivative of position). In contrast to existing models, which consider gestural input as a series of concatenated aiming movements and predict a user’s time performance, this descriptive theory of human motor control predicts the shapes and trajectories that users will draw. The theory is supported by an analysis of user-produced gestures that found qualitative and quantitative agreement between the shapes users drew and the minimum jerk theory of motor control. Furthermore, by using a small number of statistical via-points whose distributions reflect the sensorimotor noise and speed–accuracy trade-off in gesture typing, we developed a model of gesture production that can predict real...
Proposal of a new model for CL regression or maintenance during pregnancy on the basis of timing of regression of contralateral, accessory CL in pregnant cows

In bovine pregnancy, regression or maintenance of the corpus luteum (CL) is mediated through local communication pathways between embryo, uterus, and ovary with Days 16 to 25 of pregnancy generally recognized as the pivotal period determining either luteolysis or prevention of luteolysis. To evaluate this concept, accessory CL was generated by treating Holstein lactating dairy cows (n = 718) with GnRH on Day 5 of the first follicular wave to produce an accessory CL on the ovary either contralateral or ipsilateral to the gravid horn. In pregnant cows, 66.2% (86/130) of contralateral CL regressed by Day 75 of pregnancy, whereas few ipsilateral accessory CL regressed (11.9%; 8/67), on the basis of similar criteria (P < 0.0001). As hypothesized, some contralateral CL regressions (22/86 = 25.6%) happened on Days 19 to 25 of pregnancy. However, most contralateral CL regressions (64/86 = 74.4%) happened later than expected, from Days 33 to 60 of pregnancy. Later contralateral CL regression was more common in primiparous (84.3%) than multiparous (60.0%; P = 0.02) cows. Early accessory contralateral CL regression (Days 19-25) may be related to lack of exposure of the contralateral horn to interferon tau from the elongating embryo because pregnant cows without early accessory CL regression had a smaller uterine volume than nonpregnant cows or pregnant cows that had early accessory CL regression (128.4 ± 3.9 vs. 147.0 ± 3.8 vs. 143.6 ± 10.9 mm3, respectively; P = 0.003). These results indicate that there is a second distinct period for CL protection during bovine pregnancy from Days 30 to 60 and implicate local and not systemic pathways in occurrence or prevention of luteolysis during both the early (≤25 days) and later (≥33 days) critical periods since accessory contralateral CL regressed whereas the accessory ipsilateral CL of pregnancy remained.
Radical-medicated end-group transformation of amphiphilic methacrylate random copolymers for modulation of antimicrobial and hemolytic activities

This work describes synthesis of antimicrobial methacrylate copolymers by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and examines the versatility of this approach for improving chemical optimization to create potent, non-toxic antimicrobial polymers. Specifically, this study focuses on the radical-mediated transformation of end group of antimicrobial peptide-mimetic polymer. RAFT polymerization using 2-cyano-2-yl-dithiobenzoate provided a statistical methacrylate copolymer consisting of aminobutyl and ethyl groups in the side chains. The following radical-mediated modification using free radical initiators successfully transformed the ω-end group of parent copolymer from dithiobenzoate to a cyanoisobutyl or aminoethyl cyanopentanoate group without any significant changes to the polymer molecular weight. In general, the parent polymer and variants showed a broad spectrum of activity against a panel of bacteria, but low hemolytic activity against human red blood cells. The parent copolymer with the dithiobenzoate end-group showed highest antimicrobial and hemolytic activities as compared with other copolymers. The copolymers caused membrane depolarization in Staphylococcus aureus, while the ability of copolymers for membrane disruption is not dependent on the end-group structures. The synthetic route reported in this study will be useful for further study of the role of polymer end-groups in the antimicrobial activity of copolymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 304–312
Beginning a Journey and Choosing a Path

Why sociology? Why education? Neither of these seemed remote career interests for an aspiring artist who planned on attending art school after high school graduation; but life events can easily alter dreams, plans, and ultimately, occupational pathways. When in high school, I became critically ill and was hospitalized. At the time, there was a shortage of hospital rooms for young people, the consequence of the final years of the polio epidemic.
Object addition, removal and video authenticity testing

This research focuses on the process for adding, removing objects from videos and on the video authenticity testing. A new process is developed for adding an object in a video. A Graphical User Interface is designed to demonstrate the addition of object. Seam carving is one of the best existing techniques for object removal from an image. Even though seam carving will resize the image, it will be done without removing any of the primary objects in the image. This technique is used for object removal for this research. Video authenticity technique is to test videos to identify whether it is original or fake. Histogram and entropy techniques are used for checking video authenticity.
A canine model for microsatellite instability in cancer

6077 DNA microsatellite sequences (MS) are subject to replication errors, which for the most part, are detected and repaired by the mismatch repair (MMR) system. When MMR is defective, MS lesions accumulate, a phenomenon called microsatellite instability (MSI). Defects in MMR contribute to carcinogenesis and can confer inherited cancer susceptibility, as with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) in humans. Therefore, defective MMR represents a potential target for preventative and therapeutic intervention. The lack of relevant animal models presents a major stumbling block, however. Mouse models demonstrate increased cancer susceptibility resulting from selective inactivation of MMR. Unfortunately, these models also highlight fundamental differences between mice and humans with respect to carcinogenesis. Cancers that occur spontaneously in pet dogs share etiology, morphology, and clinical characteristics with human cancers and have great potential to bridge the gap between mouse models and humans. To this end, we are working to better characterize the genetic events in canine carcinogenesis. Recently, we evaluated MSI in canine epithelial malignancies. We compared PCR-amplified MS sequences from normal DNA isolated from blood to tumor DNA obtained from paraffin embedded sections. Twenty-two MS loci were evaluated including both tetra- and di- nucleotide repeats. We identified aberrant MS alleles in 15 of 18 mammary carcinomas (MC) and 7 of 7 transitional cell carcinomas (TCC). Most tumors, 17 of 20, exhibited low level MSI, with 1 to 3, primarily tetranucleotide, loci affected. Five tumors, including 3 TCC and 2 MC, exhibited high-level MSI with 35-90% of microsatellites affected. Interestingly, these tumors exhibited instability primarily in dinucleotide repeat loci. Four of the five tumors exhibiting high-level MSI were from West Highland White Terriers, a breed that is predisposed to TCC. We conclude that MSI may be a useful tool to study mechanisms of canine carcinogenesis and hypothesize that cancer susceptibility in West Highland White Terriers may result from germline defects in MMR genes. We are continuing to investigate other canine tumors for MSI and are evaluating the canine MMR system as a possible cause for our observations. These investigations could establish a novel, large animal model of cancer causation.
Identifying and Breaking Scaling Relations in Molecular Catalysis of Electrochemical Reactions

Improving molecular catalysis for important electrochemical proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions, such as the interconversions of H+/H2, O2/H2O, CO2/CO, and N2/NH3, is an ongoing challenge. Synthetic modifications to the molecular catalysts are valuable but often show trade-offs between turnover frequency (TOF) and the effective overpotential required to initiate catalysis (ηeff). Herein, we derive a new approach for improving efficiencies—higher TOF at lower ηeff—by changing the concentrations and properties of the reactants and products, rather than by modifying the catalyst. The dependence of TOF on ηeff is shown to be quite different upon changing, for instance, the pKa of the acid HA versus the concentration or partial pressure of a reactant or product. Using the electrochemical reduction of dioxygen catalyzed by iron porphyrins in DMF as an example, decreasing [HA] 10-fold lowers ηeff by 59 mV and decreases the TOF by a factor of 10. Alternatively, a 10-fold decrease in Ka(HA) also lowe...
Ethical Challenges Inherent in the Evaluation of an American Indian/Alaskan Native Circles of Care Project.

This article provides first-person accounts of ethical issues inherent in an evaluation of the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO) Circles of Care project. Circles of Care is a three-year, infrastructure development program funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) which is part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The grant program is for American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) tribes and urban Indian communities and includes a strong emphasis on community engagement and community ownership. The Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio received a Circles of Care grant in the fifth cohort of the program. The first author (Project Evaluator) presents views that typically represent a western approach to evaluation, while the second author (Project Director) presents a Native perspective. Ethical issues are defined as well as the authors’ efforts to address these concerns.
Neural Mechanisms in Avian Circadian Systems: Hypothalamic Pacemaking Systems

Since the initial discovery that pinealectomy abolishes circadian locomotor rhythms in house sparrows (Gaston and Menaker 1968), the precise role of the pineal gland within the avian circadian system has been studied extensively (Menaker et al. 1978, 1981, Takahashi and Menaker 1979a). At present, there exists sufficient comparative data among avian species to suggest that the pineal plays a major role in the regulation of circadian rhythms in passerine birds, but only a minor role in gallinaceous birds (Takahashi and Menaker 1979a). The interspecific differences in the effects of pinealectomy among birds demonstrate that structures other than the pineal play an important role in regulating avian circadian rhythms.
Diacylglycerol composition and metabolism in peripheral nerve.

The content and molecular species composition of 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) in rat sciatic nerve was determined and compared with the molecular species profiles for glycerophospholipid classes in order to gain information concerning the metabolic pathways of DAG formation. The level of DAG in freshly dissected epineurium-free nerve (44±2 pmol/mg wet weight) was 10-40% of that in other tissues and cultured cells. The predominant DAG molecular species were 18: 0/20: 4 (30%) and 16: 0/18: 1 (17%). In comparison with phospholipid molecular species patterns, DAG was characterized by a substantial but lower proportion of the 18: 0/20: 4 species than was found in phosphoinositides, and a significant fraction of saturated species such as those found in phosphatidylcholine. In nerve from diabetic rats, both the content and arachidonoyl-containing molecular species of DAG were reduced. These species were also decreased in individual glycerophospholipids, except for phosphatidylinositol. The distribution of molecular species in phosphatidc acid (PA) did not resemble that of any other phospholipid. A large rise in DAG content occurred when nerve was incubated in vitro.Molecular species analysis indicated that phosphoinositides were the main source, especially during the initial period. This process was virtually abolished in a Ca2+-free medium and probably reflects a response to tissue injury. Evidence was obtained for the isomerization of DAG to 1,3-diacylglycerol during incubation. PA content and molecular species composition of incubated nerve did not change. However, inclusion of propranolol, a PA phosphatase inhibitor, caused a 40% accumulation of PA within 10 min, suggesting that formation of this phospholipid is continuous. These findings support the conclusion that DAG is principally derived from phosphoinositides by phospholipase C hydrolysis, but a minor fraction could be derived from phosphatidylcholine either by the action of phospholipase C or via phospholipase D and PA phosphatase. The metabolic origins of PA appear to be diverse.
New records, external and internal anatomy, and systematic position of Hansen's y-larvae (Crustacea: Maxillopoda: Facetotecta)

Abstract Y-larvae comprise the crustacean taxon Facetotecta. A new kind of ‘nauplius y’, designated Type VI, is described from plankton in Disko Bay. West Greenland. The internal anatomy and some external features of ‘cypris y’ are described from a 2 μm-sectioned specimen collected in Oresund and from a whole-mounted specimen from Disko Bay. Newly discovered or reinterpreted features of ‘cypris y’ include: sessile compound eyes with tripartite crystalline cones; two pairs of eye-associated sensory organs which are homologized with the biramous, plumose cephalic organs found in some Ascothoracida; the antennular segmentation; identification of the ‘oral pyramid’ as the labrum with a posterior mouth and blind pharynx; sparse cephalic musculature except in antennules; first thoracic tergite shared by first two thoracomeres (first thoracomere not fused to head); a complicated array of basal thoracopodal sclerites; a solid oesophagus trace and no differentiated midgut (dorsal yolk or oil globules instead); a c...
Analysis of Paper-Based Colorimetric Assays With a Smartphone Spectrometer

We report on the adaptation of a smartphone’s rear-facing camera to function as a spectrometer that measures the spectrum of light scattered by common paper-based assay test strips. We utilize a cartridge that enables a linear series of test pads in a single strip to be swiped past the read head of the instrument while the phone’s camera records video. The strip is housed in a custom-fabricated cartridge that slides through the instrument to facilitate illumination with white light from the smartphone’s flash LED that is directed through an optical fiber. We demonstrate the ability to detect subtle changes in the scattered spectrum that enables quantitative analysis of single-analyte and multi-analyte strips. The demonstrated capability can be applied to broad classes of paper-based assays in which visual observation of colored strips is not sufficiently quantitative, and for which analysis of red-green-blue pixel values of a camera image are not capable of measuring complex scattered spectra.
Large Pericardial Cyst Presenting as Acute Cough: A Rare Case Report

Pericardial cysts are an uncommon cause of mediastinal masses and may be found incidentally on imaging. Symptoms commonly include cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath elucidating a broad differential on examination. Diagnosis is predominantly made using imaging modalities, such as CT, MRI, and CXR with treatment including resection for symptomatic cysts and observation for asymptomatic cysts. Due to a lack of specific signs and symptoms towards identifying pericardial cysts, many are identified at a later stage requiring resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). We present the rare case of a patient presenting with a sudden onset cough, shortness of breath, and pleuritic chest pain found to have a large pericardial cyst.
Nutrient sulfur acquisition strategies employed by bacterial pathogens

Pathogens have evolved elegant mechanisms to acquire essential nutrients from host environments. Sulfur is a requirement for bacterial growth and inorganic and organic sulfur-containing metabolites are abundant within the host-pathogen interface. A growing body of evidence suggests that pathogens are capable of scavenging both types of sulfur sources to fulfill the nutritional requirement. While therapeutic strategies focusing on inhibiting inorganic sulfate assimilation and cysteine synthesis show promise in vitro, in vivo efficacy maybe limited due to the diversity of host-derived sulfur sources and the fact that most pathogens are capable of acquiring multiple sources of sulfur.
Treatment of advanced pediatric renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Pediatric renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) is the second most common renal malignancy of childhood; however, treatment data for advanced disease is lacking. METHODS A retrospective analysis of pRCC patients (age < 21 years at diagnosis) treated between 2000 and 2015 at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center was undertaken, with specific focus on medical therapies, accompanied by a detailed literature review. RESULTS Twenty-four patients (median age = 15 years) were identified; 11 were female. Past history of kidney pathology (4) and prior hematologic/oncologic diagnoses (5) were common associated findings. Translocation morphology RCC (tRCC) was the most common subtype (16; 64%), followed by papillary (6; 24%), clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) (1), and chromophobe (1). The TNM stage distribution was I (8; 33%), II (2; 8%), III (3; 13%), and IV (11; 46%). Eleven patients with stage IV disease all had tRCC and received medicinal anticancer therapies, the most common being antiangiogenic (10), conventional chemotherapy (8), mTOR inhibition (7), and immunotherapy (3). Four patients also received small-port radiotherapy. The mean time to progression (TTP) was longest for axitinib (n = 2; TTP = 7.8 m; range 5.5-10 m) and sunitinib (n = 6; TTP = 4.7 m; range 0.3-12 m). Overall, 20 cases of pediatric RCC who received RCC-directed medicinal therapy with outcome data have been previously reported. CONCLUSIONS For patients with unresectable pRCC requiring systemic therapy, available data are scarce. Data herein support an increased TTP with antiangiogenic therapy in tRCC supporting a formal study of antiangiogenic therapies through multicooperative-group collaboration.
THE EQUIVARIANT CHEEGER–MÜLLER THEOREM ON LOCALLY SYMMETRIC SPACES

In this paper, we provide a concrete interpretation of equivariant Reidemeister torsion, and demonstrate that Bismut–Zhang’s equivariant Cheeger–Muller theorem simplifies considerably when applied to locally symmetric spaces. In a companion paper, this allows us to extend recent results on torsion cohomology growth and torsion cohomology comparison for arithmetic locally symmetric spaces to an equivariant setting.