cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of nonhistone chromosomal proteins in determining circular dichroism spectra of chromatin.

Abstract Complexing of histone proteins, from WI-38 cells with pure DNA from WI-38 cells, causes a marked decrease in the amplitude of the positive ellipticity band and a red shift in circular dichroism spectra in the 250–300 nm region. Total nonhistone chromosomal proteins from WI-38 cells (without histones) cause an analogous effect, but of significantly reduced magnitude. However, the two effects are not additive, because, when DNA is complexed with both histones and nonhistones, the amplitude of the positive ellipticity band has an intermediate value, between the histone-DNA complex and the nonhistone-DNA complex. Removal of certain nonhistone proteins from chromatin of WI-38 cells, by extraction with 0.25–0.35 m NaCl, causes a decrease in the positive circular dichroism band in the 250–300 nm region. Removal of histones and other nonhistone proteins from chromatin by extraction with 0.75 and 1.5 m NaCl causes a strong increase in positive ellipticity. This suggests the existence of modest but definite effects of nonhistone proteins in determining DNA conformation in native chromatin. Taken as a whole, nonhistone chromosomal proteins have a weaker but analogous effect to that of histones, while the nonhistone proteins extractable with 0.25–0.35 m NaCl have an opposite effect.
The influence of extracellular acidosis on the effect of IKr blockers.

Background: Myocardial infarction causes the acidification of the cellular environment and the resultant acidosis maybe arrhythmogenic. The effect of acidosis on the action of antiar-rhythmic drugs, an important issue in the antiarrhythmic drug therapy after myocardial infarction, remains to be studied.Methods: To evaluate the effect of acidosis on rectifier potassium current (Ikr) blockers, the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG), which encodes IKr, was expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The two electrodes voltage clamp technique was used and the experiments were performed at room temperature.Results: Quinidine (10 µM) inhibited HERG tail current by 37% ± 5% at pH7.4. The block decreased to 5% ± 2% with extracellular pH at 6.2. Dofetilide (0.3 µM) inhibited HERG tail current by 34% ± 3% and 1% ± 2% at extracellular pH 7.4 and 6.2, respectively. Azimilide (10 µM) inhibited HERG tail current by 59% ± 3% and 17% ± 3% at extracellular pH 7.4 and 6.2. There were significant differences in the HERG inhib...
MODERATORS AND SUBGROUPS

It is argued that an alternative preferable to the use of moderators is subgrouping subjects on the basis of the patterns or profiles of their scores across several dimensions of significance. This means that the variance between subgroups is of primary concern. Evidence is presented to suggest that, as implied, the simple fact of subgroup membership will often significantly enhance both meaning and prediction.
PAX6 expression identifies progenitor cells for corneal keratocytes

Keratocytes of the corneal stroma produce a transparent extracellular matrix required for vision. During wound-healing and in vitro, keratocytes proliferate, becoming fibroblastic, and lose biosynthesis of unique corneal matrix components. This study sought identification of cells in the corneal stroma capable of assuming a keratocyte phenotype after extensive proliferation. About 3% of freshly isolated bovine stromal cells exhibited clonal growth. In low-mitogen media, selected clonal cultures displayed dendritic morphology and expressed high levels of keratan sulfate, aldehyde dehydrogenase 3A1, and keratocan, molecular markers of keratocyte phenotype. In protein-free media, both primary keratocytes and selected clonal cells aggregated to form attachment-independent spheroids expressing elevated levels of those marker molecules. The selected clonal cells exhibited normal karyotype and underwent replicative senescence after 65-70 population doublings; however, they continued expression of keratocyte phenotypic markers throughout their replicative life span. The progenitor cells expressed elevated mRNA for several genes characteristic of stem cells and also for genes expressed during ocular development PAX6, Six2, and Six3. PAX6 protein was detected in the cultured progenitor cells and a small number of stromal cells in intact tissue but was absent in cultured keratocytes and fibroblasts. Cytometry demonstrated PAX6 protein in 4% of freshly isolated stromal cells. These results demonstrate the presence of a previously unrecognized population of PAX6-positive cells in adult corneal stroma that maintain the potential to assume a keratocyte phenotype even after extensive replication. The presence of such progenitor cells has implications for corneal biology and for cell-based therapies targeting corneal scarring.
Racial differences in survival among men with prostate cancer and comorbidity at time of diagnosis.

lished. Therefore, we performed a retrospective cohort study of the effect of comorbidity on survival outcomes in a biracial cohort of incident cancers diagnosed in the Chicago area. Our objective was to evaluate the prognostic significance of comorbidity at the time of diagnosis in relation to cause-specific mortality in both early- and advanced-stage prostate cancer and in Black and White men. This article focuses on the effect of comorbidity on racial differences in survival. We hypothesized that baseline differences in comorbidity would help explain racial variation in all-cause mortality beyond that caused by differences in age, stage at presentation, histological characteristics, and treatment patterns.
Develop and Nurture an International Alliance Capability

Firms increasingly enter into alliances when expanding into international markets and market segments. Unfortunately, many of these alliances fail because managers are overconfident and unprepared for the diverse and complex contingencies they encounter. Growing research suggests that developing an alliance capability function improves alliance performance. We first identify common types of problems and opportunities that arise from alliance design to alliance dissolution. With this understanding, we then specify the alliance capabilities that must be developed to deal with these contingencies. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Description of a multicenter safety checklist for intraoperative hemorrhage control while clamped during robotic partial nephrectomy

Background The adoption of robotic assistance has contributed to the increased utilization of partial nephrectomy for the management of renal tumors. However, partial nephrectomy can be technically challenging because of intraoperative hemorrhage, which limits the ability to identify the tumor margin and may necessitate the conversion to open surgery or radical nephrectomy. To our knowledge, a comprehensive safety checklist does not exist to guide surgeons on the management of hemorrhage during robotic partial nephrectomy. We developed such an safety checklist based on the cumulative experiences of high volume robotic surgeons.
Immobilized aldehydes and olefins in the solid support synthesis of tetrahydroquinolines via a three component condensation

Two novel and highly efficient solid support (SS) versions of tetrahydroquinoline synthesis based on the three component condensation reaction of aldehydes, anilines, and electron-rich olefins catalyzed by trifluoroacetic acid were described. In the first version, 4-carboxybenzaldehyde was immobilized on Acid sensitive MEthoxy BenzAldehyde (AMEBA) resin as the solid-supported component of this reaction. The procedure provided tetrahydroquinolines in high yield (60–80%) and good purity (>80%). Further advancement of this solid-phase synthesis was achieved by using resin-bound olefins (prepared from immobilized 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and the corresponding Wittig reagents) with anilines, and aldehydes to afford the target products (61–85% yields, >85% purity). Both SS approaches allowed the use of novel alkene, aniline, and aldehyde entries, thereby yielding a diverse array of tetrahydroquinolines.
Kinetics of antifibrillatory effects of bretylium: Correlation with myocardial drug concentrations

To determine the kinetics of the antifibrillatory effects of bretylium tosylate and to assess the relative importance of myocardial versus serum drug concentrations, studies were performed in 32 dogs after they received bolus injections of bretylium tosylate (6 mg/kg or 2 mg/kg body weight) or saline solution. Parallel determinations were made of drug concentrations in serum and myocardium, together with antifibrillatory and electrophysiologic effects, both with and without 2 minutes of coronary ischemia produced by temporary coronary ligation. Serum bretylium concentration decreased rapidly after intravenous injection, whereas myocardial concentrations increased gradually, peaking at 1.5 to 6 hours in both open and closed chest dogs. The ratio of myocardial to serum drug concentration increased to 6.4 to 12.6 at 12 hours. Parallel elimination of the drug in serum and myocardium occurred thereafter, with elimination half-life of 10.5 hours (closed chest dogs). Electrophysiologic and antifibrillatory effects paralleled myocardial rather than serum drug kinetics with peak effects at 3 to 6 hours. The ventricular effective refractory period was 24 to 26 ms greater at 3 hours in dogs treated with the drug than in those receiving saline solution. The ventricular fibrillation threshold increased 6 to lo-fold after 2 mg/kg of the drug was given at 3 to 6 hours.in dogs both with and without ischemia in comparison with that in control animals treated with saline solution. The average increase in threshold exceeded 1Bfold after administration of 6 mg/kg of the drug (2 minutes to 12 hours). The repetitive ventricular response threshold 3 hours after drug administration increased 5-fold afler 2 mg/kg and 16-fold after 6 mg/kg of the drug was administered in dogs with or without ischemia.
Utilization trends of cervical artificial disc replacement during the FDA investigational device exemption clinical trials compared to anterior cervical fusion

While anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the gold standard surgical treatment for cervical disc disease, concerns regarding adjacent segment degeneration lead to the development of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA). This study compares the utilization trends of CDA versus ACDF during the period of the Food and Drug Administration Investigational Device Exemption clinical trials from 2004 to 2007. The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to identify CDA and ACDF procedures performed in the USA between 2004 and 2007. The prevalence of CDA and ACDF procedures was estimated and stratified by age, sex, diagnosis, census region, payor class, and hospital characteristics. The average length of hospital stay, total charges, and costs were also estimated. The number of CDA surgeries significantly increased annually from 2004 to 2007 and mostly took place at urban non-teaching hospitals. There were no regional differences between CDA and ACDF utilization. There was no difference between sex or admission type between CDA and ACDF patients. ACDF patients were older and had more diabetes, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CDA patients were more likely to be discharged home and had shorter hospital stays but had a higher rate of deep venous thrombosis than ACDF patients. Significantly more CDA patients had private insurance while more ACDF patients had Medicare. The average cost was higher for ACDF than CDA. While ACDF dominated surgical intervention for cervical disc disease during the trial period, CDA utilization increased at a significantly greater rate suggesting rapid early adoption.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Bone Regeneration

Objective— To review the role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in bone formation and regeneration, and outline the development of strategies that use MSC in bone healing and regeneration. Study Design— Literature review. Methods— Medline review, synopses of authors' published research. Results— The MSC is the basic cellular unit of embryologic bone formation. Secondary bone healing mimics bone formation with proliferation of MSC then their differentiation into components of fracture callus. Bone regeneration, where large amounts of bone must form, mimics bone healing and can be achieved with MSC combined with strategies of osteogenesis, osteoinduction, osteoconduction, and osteopromotion. MSC based strategies first employed isolated and culture expanded stem cells in an osteoconductive carrier to successfully regenerate a critical segmental defect in the femur of dogs, which was as effective as autogenous cancellous bone. Because MSC appeared to be immunologically privileged, a study using mismatched allogeneic stem cells demonstrated that these cells would regenerate bone without inciting an immunologic response, documenting the possibility of banked allogeneic MSC for bone regeneration. A technique was developed for selectively retaining MSC from large bone marrow aspirates at surgery for bone regeneration. These techniques utilized osteoconductive and osteoinductive carriers and resulted in bone regeneration that was similar to autogenous cancellous bone. Conclusion— MSC can be manipulated and combined with carriers that will result in bone regeneration of critically sized bone defects. Clinical Relevance— These techniques can be employed clinically to regenerate bone and serve as an alternative to autogenous cancellous bone.
Predicting Changes in Hong Kong’s Hotel Industry Given the Change in Sovereignty from Britain to China in 1997:

A modified three-round Delphi study of 14 general managers was used to predict which changes will occur in Hong Kong’s hotel industry as a result of the change in sovereignty from Britain to the People’s Republic of China in 1997. The managers predicted that competitiveness within the hotel industry would become more intense following an immediate short-term lull in business, or recession, after the handover. In the long run, managers predicted that the number/type of hotels, influx of new labor, and volume of business would increase, making Hong Kong highly competitive with the rest of Asia.
The role of relational similarity in young children’s use of a scale model

The role of relational similarity in 3-year-old children’s understanding of the relation between a scale model and the space it represents was investigated in two studies. Relational similarity was manipulated by arranging the objects within the two spaces in either the same or different configurations; thus, the internal relations among the objects were either identical or very different. The pattern of results across studies revealed that multiple factors interacted to determine the children’s appreciation of the higher-level model–room relation. When other information about the model–room relation was provided via explicit instructions (Experiment 1), relational similarity did not affect performance. However, relational similarity did have a significant effect on performance when only minimal information regarding the model–room relation was given (Experiment 2). These results established that the children were sensitive to the relations among the objects within each space, as well as to whether those relations were similar across spaces. Furthermore, the results indicated that successful performance was supported by appreciation of the higher-level model–room relation, not merely the detection of individual object correspondences.
Cyber defenses for physical attacks and insider threats in cloud computing

In cloud computing, most of the computations and data in the data center do not belong to the cloud provider. This leaves owners of applications and data concerned about cyber and physical attacks which may compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of their applications or data. While much work has looked at protection from software (cyber) threats, very few have looked at physical attacks and physical security in data centers. In this work, we present a novel set of cyber defense strategies for physical attacks in data centers. We capitalize on the fact that physical attackers are constrained by the physical layout and other features of a data center which provide a time delay before an attacker can reach a server to launch a physical attack, even by an insider. We describe how a number of cyber defense strategies can be activated when an attack is detected, some of which can even take effect before the actual attack occurs. The defense strategies provide improved security and are more cost-effective than always-on protections in the light of the fact that on average physical attacks will not happen often -- but can be very damaging when they do occur.
The IRS-Signalling System in Insulin and Cytokine Action

IRS-signalling proteins are engaged and phosphorylated on tyrosine residues by the receptors for insulin and IGF-1, and various classes of cytokine receptors, including IL-4, IL-9, and IL-13; IFN alpha/beta and IFN gamma; and growth hormone and LIF. IRS-proteins provide an interface between these receptors and signalling proteins which contain Src homology-2 domains (SH2-proteins). The recent identification of IRS-2 provides new insight into the modular structure and function of the IRS-proteins. The IRS-proteins provide a means for signal amplification by eliminating the stoichiometric constraints encountered by most receptors which directly recruit SH2-proteins to their autophosphorylation sites. Moreover, IRS-proteins dissociate the intracellular signalling complex from the endocytic pathways of the activated receptor. The shared use of IRS-proteins by multiple receptors is likely to reveal important connections between various hormones and cytokines that were previously unrecognized,or observed but unexplained. The existence of additional signalling molecules based on the IRS-paradigm is likely.
Gray scale diagrams as business charts

The flood of numeric data in science and technology has prompted new graphic representations called visualization. Business also has a serious need for new graphic representations. One candidate comes from the unlikely gray scale. Gray scale diagrams can present large amounts of quantitative information in a compact format. Hundreds of data points can easily be represented in one diagram, using small gray scale squares (or tiles), without visually overloading a viewer. An experiment was done to compare subjects' responses to answer questions from three types of charts, traditional column and line charts and gray scale tile charts. The results showed that questions were answered more correctly and more quickly using gray scale tile charts than using traditional charts. However, subjects reported they experienced more strain using gray scale tile charts.
Experimental Evidence for Bone Marrow as a Source of Nonhematopoietic Endometrial Stromal and Epithelial Compartment Cells in a Murine Model

Human endometrium has the remarkable ability to regenerate all cellular compartments with every menstrual cycle; the cellular source remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the bone marrow (BM) is a source of multiple endometrial cell types using a murine BM transplant model. BM cells were harvested from transgenic donor mice that ubiquitously express green fluorescent protein (GFP) and were injected into lethally irradiated, syngeneic female recipient mice. Recipients with successful hematopoietic reconstitution were sacrificed at 3, 5, 9, and 12 mo posttransplant, after which hysterectomy was performed. Numbers of GFP-positive, CD45-positive, and CD45-negative cells in the endometrial stromal and epithelial compartments were determined. In the stromal compartment, BM-derived cells (BMDCs) were detectable as early as 3 mo posttransplant, and the BM remained a long-term contributor of nonhematopoietic endometrial cells. Nonhematopoietic endometrial cells comprised 47.3%–72.2% of total BMDCs in the stromal compartment at 12 mo posttransplant. In contrast, BMDCs were not detected in the glandular or luminal epithelial compartments until 12 mo posttransplant. These data demonstrate that the BM is a significant source of nonhematopoietic endometrial stromal compartment cells and contributes to a much lesser extent to the epithelial compartments. That BM is a source of nonhematopoietic cells in the endometrial stromal and epithelial compartments provides a potential mechanism by which monthly regeneration of the endometrium may occur. bone marrow, endometrial stem cells, endometrium, murine bone marrow transplant
An Empirical Study of RefactoringChallenges and Benefits at Microsoft

It is widely believed that refactoring improves software quality and developer productivity. However, few empirical studies quantitatively assess refactoring benefits or investigate developers’ perception towards these benefits. This paper presents a field study of refactoring benefits and challenges at Microsoft through three complementary study methods: a survey, semi-structured interviews with professional software engineers, and quantitative analysis of version history data. Our survey finds that the refactoring definition in practice is not confined to a rigorous definition of semantics-preserving code transformations and that developers perceive that refactoring involves substantial cost and risks. We also report on interviews with a designated refactoring team that has led a multi-year, centralized effort on refactoring Windows. The quantitative analysis of Windows 7 version history finds the top 5 percent of preferentially refactored modules experience higher reduction in the number of inter-module dependencies and several complexity measures but increase size more than the bottom 95 percent. This indicates that measuring the impact of refactoring requires multi-dimensional assessment.
Young and older emotional faces: are there age group differences in expression identification and memory?

Studies finding that older compared to young adults are less able to identify facial expressions and have worse memory for negative than positive faces have used only young faces. Studies finding that both age groups are more accurate at recognizing faces of their own than other ages have used mostly neutral faces. Thus, age-differences in processing faces may not extend to older faces, and preferential memory for own-age faces may not extend to emotional faces. To investigate these possibilities, we had young and older participants view young and older faces presented either with happy, angry, or neutral expressions and identify the expressions displayed, and then complete a surprise face recognition task. Older compared to young participants were less able to identify expressions of angry young and older faces and (based on participants’ categorizations) remembered angry faces less well than happy faces. There was no evidence of an own-age bias in memory, but self-reported frequency of contact with young and older adults and awareness of own emotions played a role in expression identification of and/or memory for young and older faces.
Simulation of DNA catenanes.

DNA catenanes are important objects in biology, foremost as they appear during replication of circular DNA molecules. In this review we analyze how conformational properties of DNA catenanes can be studied by computer simulation. We consider classification of catenanes, their topological invariants and the methods of calculation of these invariants. We briefly analyze the DNA model and the simulation procedure used to sample the equilibrium conformational ensemble of catenanes with a particular topology. We consider how to avoid direct simulation of many DNA molecules when we need to account for the linking–unlinking process. The simulation methods and their comparisons with experiments are illustrated by some examples. We also describe an approach that allows simulating the steady state fraction of DNA catenanes created by type II topoisomerases.
Neutral nets for computing

There has been a resurgence of interest in neutral net models composed of many simple interconnected processing elements operating in parallel. The computational power of different neutral net models and the effectiveness of simple error correction training procedures have been demonstrated. Three important feed-forward models are described. Single- and multi-layer perceptrons which can be used for pattern classification are described, as well as Kohonen's feature map algorithm which can be used for clustering or as a vector quantizer. A major emphasis is placed on relating these models to existing classification and clustering algorithms. >
Guanylate cyclase 1 relies on rhodopsin for intracellular stability and ciliary trafficking

Sensory cilia are populated by a select group of signaling proteins that detect environmental stimuli. How these molecules are delivered to the sensory cilium and whether they rely on one another for specific transport remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether the visual pigment, rhodopsin, is critical for delivering other signaling proteins to the sensory cilium of photoreceptor cells, the outer segment. Rhodopsin is the most abundant outer segment protein and its proper transport is essential for formation of this organelle, suggesting that such a dependency might exist. Indeed, we demonstrated that guanylate cyclase-1, producing the cGMP second messenger in photoreceptors, requires rhodopsin for intracellular stability and outer segment delivery. We elucidated this dependency by showing that guanylate cyclase-1 is a novel rhodopsin-binding protein. These findings expand rhodopsin's role in vision from being a visual pigment and major outer segment building block to directing trafficking of another key signaling protein.
COLOR-PATTERN VARIATION IN LAKE ERIE WATER SNAKES: THE ROLE OF GENE FLOW.

In an effort to clarify the evolutionary processes influencing color-pattern variation in Lake Erie island water snake (Nerodia sipedon) populations, rates of gene flow among island and mainland populations were estimated from patterns of allozymic variation detected using electrophoresis. Rates of gene flow were high with Nm, the number of migrants per generation, averaging 25.5 among island sites, 9.2 between the Ontario mainland and the islands, and 3.6 between the Ohio mainland and the islands. Based on estimates of current population size from mark-recapture work and of past population size extrapolated from the extent of shoreline habitat, values of m between island and mainland populations ranged from 0.0008-0.01. Synthesis of estimates of the rate of gene flow with information on inheritance of color pattern, the strength of natural selection, and population history supports the hypothesis that color-pattern variation in island populations results from a balance between gene flow and natural selection. However, depending on the mode of inheritance of color pattern, stochastic processes such as drift may have been important in the initial stages of differentiation between island and mainland populations.
Meta-Analysis of PNPLA3 Gene Polymorphism and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Objective To explore the relationship between patatin- like phospholipase domain containing 3( PNPLA3)rs738409 gene polymorphism and non- alcoholic fatty liver disease( NAFLD). Methods The literature concerning PNPLA3 rs738409 gene polymorphism and non- alcoholic fatty liver disease was comprehensively retrieved in WanFang DATA,Chinese full- text journal databases,VIP database,Embase and Pubmed database. The included literature was tested for heterogeneity,merging effect value,sensitivity analysis and bias evaluation with RevMan 5. 0 software. There were 11 pieces of literature included,which covered 1069 cases of NAFLD and 2127 cases of controls. The corresponding effect model was used for pooled analysis according to heterogeneity test results. Results For NAFLD,the pooled OR and 95% CI of gene type GC,CC,GC + CC were 0. 63( 0. 36- 1. 12)( Z = 1. 57,P 0. 05),0. 22( 0. 11- 0. 43)( Z = 4. 43,P 0. 05),and 0. 50( 0. 15- 1. 66)( Z = 1. 13,P 0. 05) respectively. The sensitiveness analysis was stable and there was no publication bias. Conclusions PNPLA3 rs738409 CC gene type is closely related to the occurrence of NAFLD.
Epidemic characteristics of infectious diarrhea in New District of Wuxi City from 2008-2012

[Objective]To explore the epidemiologic characteristics and trend of infectious diarrhea in New District of Wuxi City,so as to provide evidence for developing control measures and evaluating their effect.[Methods]Descriptive epidemiology was applied for characteristics analysis of infectious diarrhea based on data collected from routine infectious disease monitoring system from 2008-2012 in New District of Wuxi City.[Results]A total of 358 infectious diarrhea cases were reported from 2008-2012.The annual incidence rate fluctuated within a narrow range(9.05 /100 000-12.72 /100 0000).Infants below 3 years old were the main susceptive persons accounted for 76.26% of the total reported cases.And 0-1 year age group occupied 38.83% of total reported cases.The peak incidence of infectious diarrhea appeared from October-November,and there was a small peak in summer.Laboratory diagnosed cases among the total reported cases accounted for 63.69%,and rotavirus infection among the total reported cases and laboratory diagnosis cases accounted for 42.46% and 66.67%,respectively.[Conclusion]Rotavirus diarrhea of children below 3 years old accounted for the major proportion of all reported infectious diarrhea cases in New District of Wuxi City from 2008-2012,and more attentions should be paid to children Rotavirus diarrhea control and prevention.
Alternative/Organic Agricultural Systems

Proponents of the highly productive modern agricultural system argue that the only way to feed the world is to make modern farming techniques available to all. For the foreseeable future, alternative systems cannot compete in production volume or economic return, but to suggest they never will neglects what has been accomplished. The discussion attempts to resolve whether or not there are ethical problems with alternative systems. The debate is dominated by opposing views and rarely achieves resolution or agreement.
pHi and serum regulate AE2-mediated Cl-/HCO3-, exchange in CHOP cells of defined transient transfection status

Anion exchanger (AE) protein-mediated anion exchange contributes to regulation of intracellular pH (pHi), Cl- concentration, and volume in vertebrate cells. We have extended the functional characterization of recombinant AE2-mediated Cl-/HCO3- exchange in single Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with the polyoma large T antigen (CHOP cells) of defined transient transfection status using a novel surface marker coexpression vector. Marker expression and detection had minimal effect on the low endogenous Cl-/HCO3- exchange activity of CHOP cells, whereas coexpression of marker with AE2 elevated CHOP cell Cl-/HCO3- exchange activity 16-fold. Between pHi of 7.3 and 7.8, AE2-mediated flux of proton equivalents was activated > 11-fold by increasingly alkaline pHi without reaching saturation. This activation may be secondary to allosteric effects of pHi on AE2, in parallel with the obligatory increase in substrate intracellular HCO3- concentration. Nominal removal of CO2/HCO3- reduced AE2 activity by 90%. Addition of 10% calf serum slowly activated AE2 activity severalfold. This activation was slowly reversed after serum removal. Surface marker coexpression vectors improve both the efficiency and reliability of studies of recombinant protein function for a wide range of single cell assays in many cell types.
An Application Restriction System for Bring-Your-Own-Device Scenarios

Different containerization techniques have been developed to ensure the separation of enterprise content and personal data on an end-user's device. Although the enterprise manages the environment in which work-related activities are conducted, referred to as a work persona, third-party applications installed on the mobile devices may make the enterprise content vulnerable to misuse or exfiltration. It is thus critical that enterprises be given the ability to restrict the capabilities of third-party applications that reside in the work persona. In mobile systems, applications typically request to use a list of capabilities on the device prior to being installed on the device, and alll capabilities must be granted in order for the applications to be installed. Our approach, that we refer to as DroidARM, focuses on post-installation application restriction policies. Such policies dynamically restrict the capabilities of mobile applications at run-time. An application restriction policy is configured through our Application Restriction Manager (ARM) Policy Manager that allows one to set different restrictions for each installed application. Adhering to the policy, our ARM system limits the capabilities of an application by restricting access to data and system resources contained within the work persona. Data shadowing is a data and system resource protection technique we have chosen to leverage. We have implemented DroidARM and integrated it into the Android operating system. Our experimental results show that our approach is efficient and effective.
History of the Internet

The birth of the Internet was not a single event. Instead, the network now known as the Internet was shaped by a series of technological advances made by government, business, science, and academia. The modern Internet represents limitless benefits from a continuing commitment to research by public government and private industry.
Our City, Your Crisis: The Baloch of Karachi and the Partition of British India

ABSTRACTThis essay approaches the Partition of British India through the perspective of the Baloch inhabitants of Karachi, who locate the city at the centre of diverse political geographies and cultural lineages. We specifically look at the testimony of the residents of Karachi's historic neighbourhoods of Qiyamahsari and Lyari. Their narratives demonstrate how Partition spelled the end of certain forms of socio-political life in the city, while reaffirming others. Together, these narratives help re-conceptualise Partition as a temporally and spatially dilated series of migrations and transformations, rather than as an event unproblematically tethered to the space and time of nation-states.
Is There an Association Between Bone Mineral Density and Mammographic Density? A Systematic Review.

Abstract Introduction: Both bone mineral density (BMD) and breast density are related to reproductive hormone levels. This suggests that BMD and breast density could be meaningfully associated, and serve as surrogate markers for breast cancer risk. However, few studies have investigated the association of BMD with percent mammographic density, making it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies published in electronic databases till April 2016 using the following search terms: “bone density,” “bone mineral density,” “mammographic breast density,” “breast density,” and “mammographic density.” We identified 203 articles, of which 8 met the inclusion criteria for this review. Results: BMD does not appear to be associated with percent mammographic density. BMD at the spine was weakly positively associated with percent mammographic density among postmenopausal women who were not hormone users, while BMD at the hip and legs was positively associ...
Optimizing Third-Order Optical Nonlinearities Using Small Molecules

Donor-acceptor substituted small molecules can achieve record high third-order nonlinearities relative to the size of their conjugated system, reaching a maximum efficiency for a linear conjugated system of ~3 multiple bonds between donor and acceptor.
Learning from User Interactions in Personal Search via Attribute Parameterization

User interaction data (e.g., click data) has proven to be a powerful signal for learning-to-rank models in web search. However, such models require observing multiple interactions across many users for the same query-document pair to achieve statistically meaningful gains. Therefore, utilizing user interaction data for improving search over personal, rather than public, content is a challenging problem. First, the documents (e.g., emails or private files) are not shared across users. Second, user search queries are of personal nature (e.g., "alice's address") and may not generalize well across users. In this paper, we propose a solution to these challenges, by projecting user queries and documents into a multi-dimensional space of fine-grained and semantically coherent attributes. We then introduce a novel parameterization technique to overcome sparsity in the multi-dimensional attribute space. Attribute parameterization enables effective usage of cross-user interactions for improving personal search quality -- which is a first such published result, to the best of our knowledge. Experiments with a dataset derived from interactions of users of one of the world's largest personal search engines demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed attribute parameterization technique.
A model of dance/movement therapy for resilience-building in people living with chronic pain

Abstract Information Accumulating evidence supports the use of mind-body therapies and psychological treatments for chronic pain management. This study aimed to build a model of Dance/Movement Therapy for resilience-building in people with chronic pain. Methods A mixed methods study was conducted to test and refine a preliminary model towards building a composite model of DMT for pain resilience. Twenty-two people with chronic pain participated in a 10-week group DMT intervention. Quantitative assessments of resilience, kinesiophobia, body awareness, pain, mood, stress, and relaxation were conducted. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed according to grounded theory method and compared with the quantitative findings. Results DMT resulted in statistically significant improvements in resilience ( p p = 0.03), body awareness ( p = 0.02), and pain intensity ( p = 0.03) over time. Sixty eight percent of people felt ‘moderately to a great deal better’ post intervention. We found significant within-session changes in mood, stress, relaxation, and pain ( p Conclusions Group DMT is a promising treatment for chronic pain through dynamic mind-body pathways. The quantitative findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size and the lack of control group. More substantive and methodological work is required such as utilization of a large scale randomized controlled trial and mediation analysis is needed to further refine the model.
Multimarket contact and strategic entry decisions

This work examines the relationship between multimarket contact (MMC) and entry in the US broadband service industry. I examine unique data on entry into ADSL broadband over the years 2005-2008 in the USA. Results indicate that MMC increases the probability of entry into local broadband markets by incumbent local telephone companies, which is consistent with the firms' expectations that competition will be softer in such markets. Thus, the evidence is consistent with the notion that MMC facilitates mutual forbearance. A deeper investigation uncovers evidence consistent with firms using MMC to help build 'spheres of influence' to limit competition. Evidence for using MMC to 'transfer power' (shifting slackness in the incentive constraint to other markets) is weaker and contradictory. This result indicates that heterogeneity among firms within markets may be a more important driver of competition (or its lack) than heterogeneity among markets.
A modified SRF-PLL for phase and frequency measurement of single-phase systems

In this work, a single phase phase-locked-loop (PLL) that uses a low-pass notch filter is proposed. The new PLL was derived from the synchronous reference frame PLL (SRF-PLL) in which the dq axis components were generated using the αβ reference signals. The single-phase grid voltage was used as the α component, whereas the αβ component was derived by delaying the grid voltage by 90° in phase. The dynamics of the proposed PLL were compared to those of the SRF-PLL. The frequency measurement using the new PLL showed better performance over the SRF-PLL and a second-order generalized integrator (SOGI) PLL. The proposed PLL displayed better performance under both variable frequency and distorted grid voltage conditions. Experimental results were used to validate the dynamics obtained from the simulation results. The proposed method adds very little complexity to the conventional SRF-PLL.
Real Time Eye Gaze Tracking with 3D Deformable Eye-Face Model

3D model-based gaze estimation methods are widely explored because of their good accuracy and ability to handle free head movement. Traditional methods with complex hardware systems (Eg. infrared lights, 3D sensors, etc.) are restricted to controlled environments, which significantly limit their practical utilities. In this paper, we propose a 3D model-based gaze estimation method with a single web-camera, which enables instant and portable eye gaze tracking. The key idea is to leverage on the proposed 3D eye-face model, from which we can estimate 3D eye gaze from observed 2D facial landmarks. The proposed system includes a 3D deformable eye-face model that is learned offline from multiple training subjects. Given the deformable model, individual 3D eye-face models and personal eye parameters can be recovered through the unified calibration algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods while allowing convenient system setup and free head movement. A real time eye tracking system running at 30 FPS also validates the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Depth of organ response in AL amyloidosis is associated with improved survival: grading the organ response criteria.

Organ recovery following anti-plasma cell therapy is associated with improved outcome in patients with AL amyloidosis. Current organ response criteria do not consider the depth of response. Newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients who had involvement of at least one evaluable organ and documentation of organ response were included. Cardiac response was seen in 182 patients. Time to cardiac response was 9.4 months. Renal response was seen in 278 patients, at a median time to response of 6 months. Hepatic response was seen in 70 patients, with a median time to response of 6.1 months. In all organs, the deeper the organ response achieved, the longer the survival. This led to four organ response criteria: complete organ response (nadir NT-proBNP ≤400 pg/mL; nadir proteinuria ≤200 mg per 24 h; nadir alkaline phosphatase ≤×2 lower limit of normal); very good partial organ response (>60% reduction in parameter not meeting complete organ response definition); partial organ response (31–60% reduction in parameter); and non-responder (≤30% reduction in organ response parameter). Cardiac and renal progression were associated with baseline organ impairment and inversely associated with the depth of organ response. Grading the depth of organ response provides additional valuable prognostic information for newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients.
Single-carrier 48-GBaud PDM-256QAM Transmission Over Unrepeated 100km Pure-silica-core Fiber Using Commercially Available μITLA and LN-IQ-modulator

Record symbol-rate PDM-256QAM single-carrier transmission over 100km is achieved using commercially available laser and modulator with only applying compensation for linear frequency response of transceiver and receiver; device nonlinearity compensation is not used.
Current and Projected Distribution of the Red-Eared Slider Turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans, in the Great Lakes Basin

Exotic species introduced through the pet trade pose an ecological and economic threat to the Great Lakes region. Trachemys scripta elegans, the red-eared slider turtle, is a globally invasive species already present in the Great Lakes basin whose distribution and potential for spread is poorly known. We assembled a detailed dataset on T. s. elegans occurrence and establishment in the region and created a niche model to assess the potential for the spread of this species under current climate conditions and future scenarios. We found T. s. elegans occurs throughout the Great Lakes basin and suitable area will likely increase from 26% to 39–50% of the entire basin by 2050, with Lake Erie at greatest risk with ∼95% of its total area suitable for T. s. elegans by 2050. These findings highlight the need for further research to assess impacts of T. s. elegans on native species and proactive efforts to prevent its further spread.
Reduction of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Improves Angiogenic Progenitor Cell function in a Mouse Model of Type 1 Diabetes

Persistent vascular injury and degeneration in diabetes are attributed in part to defective reparatory function of angiogenic cells. Our recent work implicates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in high-glucose-induced bone marrow (BM) progenitor dysfunction. Herein, we investigated the in vivo role of ER stress in angiogenic abnormalities of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Our data demonstrate that ER stress markers and inflammatory gene expression in BM mononuclear cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells increase dynamically with disease progression. Increased CHOP and cleaved caspase­ 3 levels were observed in BM­-derived early outgrowth cells (EOCs) after 3 months of diabetes. Inhibition of ER stress by ex vivo or in vivo chemical chaperone treatment significantly improved the generation and migration of diabetic EOCs while reducing apoptosis of these cells. Chemical chaperone treatment also increased the number of circulating angiogenic cells in peripheral blood, alleviated BM pathology, and enhanced retinal vascular repair following ischemia/reperfusion in diabetic mice. Mechanistically, knockdown of CHOP alleviated high-glucose-induced EOC dysfunction and mitigated apoptosis, suggesting a pivotal role of CHOP in mediating ER stress-associated angiogenic cell injury in diabetes. Together, our study suggests that targeting ER signaling may provide a promising and novel approach to enhancing angiogenic function in diabetes.
Finite Semigroups Whose Idempotents Commute or Form a Subsemigroup

We give a new proof that every finite semigroup whose idempotents commute divides a finite inverse semigroup (Ash’s theorem), and, more generally, we prove that every finite semigroup whose idempotents form a subsemigroup divides a finite orthodox semigroup.
On a monotone newton-like method

We present an iterative algorithm for solving nonlinear systems of equations which is monotonically and superlinearly convergent for a large class of problems. In the construction of the algorithm we use some fixed bounds of the second derivatives. For convex mappings the algorithm reduces to the Newton-Fourier method.