cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli thymidine kinase gene provides evidence for conservation of functional domains and quaternary structure.

Summary Using λ bacteriophage clones from the Kohara Escherichia coli library spanning minutes 25.5 to 26.5 on the E. coli chromosome (strain W3110), two overlapping DNA fragments were identified which were able to confer thymidine kinase (TK) enzyme activity to a TK- strain of E. coli (KY895). This genetic complementation assay was used in concert with subcloning procedures to identify the minimal region (a 900bp EcoRI-SalI fragment) which contained the E. coli thymidine kinase gene (tdk.) The nucleotide sequence of the Eco RI–SalI fragment and a small portion of the adjoining downstream fragment was determined. Computer analysis of the derived sequence indicated the presence of a rightward-reading open reading frame of 615bp which was capable of encoding a 205-amino-acid polypeptide with a predicted Mr, of 23458 daltons. The in vivo transcriptional activity of this locus was confirmed by Northern blot hybridization analysis of RNA isolated from E. coli JM101 or KY895 which detected a 650-nucleotide RNA transcribed from this region. This places the tdk gene at approximately minute 27.35 on the E. coli W3110 chromosome, about 15 kb downstream from the narG locus and approximately 25 kb upstream of the trp operon. Although the predicted Mr of the E. coli TK protein was 23.5 kDa, gel-filtration analyses suggested that, like eukaryotic thymidine kinases, the active form of this enzyme is a multimeric complex. Furthermore, comparisons between the predicted amino acid sequences of the TK proteins encoded by E. coli, bacteriophage T4, and a mammalian poxvirus (vaccinia virus) revealed several regions of amino acid identity, one of which appears to be the ATP-binding site, thereby suggesting that the essential functional domains of this enzyme have been well-conserved throughout evolution.
Trichodysplasia of immunosuppression treated with oral valganciclovir.

Trichodysplasia of immunosuppression (TOI) is a newly described rare clinicopathologic entity usually found in transplant patients on chronic immunosuppressive medications or with hematologic malignancies. TOI consists of a cutaneous eruption of spiny papules predominantly affecting the face and arms. The distinct histopathologic picture includes abnormally maturing anagen follicles with hyperkeratotic infundibula and excessive inner root sheath differentiation. Given that intranuclear viral particles have been noted on electron microscopy of skin biopsy in several patients, a viral etiology is suspected. These viral particles are similar in shape and size to a polyoma virus, however, the virus has not been identified to date. There are reports of improvement of TOI with topical cidofovir or tazarotene 0.5% gel, but to our knowledge there has not been a report of near-complete resolution with oral valganciclovir. We report a case of TOI in a heart transplant patient on a chronic immunosuppressive regimen of sirolimus, mycophenolic acid and prednisone that demonstrated almost complete response to treatment with systemic valganciclovir.
Introduction to magnification in endodontics.

UNLABELLED Dentistry has recently recognized the practicality and benefits of treating damaged and diseased oral tissues under high magnification levels. Initially, enhanced vision was more-or-less restricted to the use of prescription bifocals, awkward magnifying loops, and heavy cumbersome telephoto glasses; the microscope drew little interest and was quickly viewed as another useless and expensive dental gadget. However, owing to the very nature and demands of the therapy, endodontists were quick to accept and adopt this technology, and the manufacturers were quick to adapt and market their surgical microscopes to the endodontic office. Since acceptance leads to progression, we are currently witnessing manufacturers adapting the microscopic and other magnifying lenses to other areas of dentistry. However, choosing and purchasing a microscope involves a great number of issues, including the adequacy of one's present vision, the type of practice conducted, the demands one places on the quality of his or her dentistry, and the amount of time and expense one wishes to devote to becoming competent in using magnification. In addition, one must become familiar with what the different levels of magnification offer, what different depths and widths of field meet their normal practice needs, the amount of space required for the equipment, and whether the investment is cost effective. This article details all of the benefits as well as the difficulties encountered when embarking on a magnification journey. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The art of dentistry is based on precision. The human naked eye is capable of distinguishing fine detail, but it is no match for what can be accomplished when an image is sharpened and enlarged. The microscope and other forms of magnification fill that need, especially for accomplishing endodontic procedures.
Microbial strengthening of loose sand.

Aims: To test whether the addition of Flavobacterium johnsoniae could increase the strength of saturated Ottawa 30 sand. Methods and Results: A box model was built that simulates groundwater-like flow through a main sand compartment. Strength tests were performed at seven locations and at two depths, 10·8 and 20·3 cm below the top of the tank, using a vane shear device before and after the addition of bacteria. After the addition of Fl. johnsoniae, sand samples were obtained from multiple sampling ports on the vertical sides of the box model. The presence of a bacterial biofilm was confirmed by staining these sand samples with SYTO-9 and Alexa Fluor 633 and viewing with a confocal microscope. The average shear strength increases after the addition of Fl. johnsoniae were 15·2–87·5%, depending on the experimental conditions. Conclusions: Flavobacterium johnsoniae caused a statistically significant increase in the strength of saturated Ottawa 30 sand. Significance and Impact of the Study: Biofilm-forming bacteria can increase the shear strength of saturated sand. The addition of biofilm-forming bacteria to a building site may be an alternate method to mitigate the effects of liquefaction.
Rheological Studies of Fish Proteins

Fish protein is highly functional in the sense that it will bind water and form a strong deformable gel in a suitable environment of ionic strength, pH, and temperature conditions. Specific gel properties are dependent on factors including species, fish quality, and degree of protein degradation during processing and storage. Rheology reveals species differences, fish handling and storage effects, changes during thermal processing, and final product quality. Rheology serves as a research tool in the study of fish protein gelation mechanisms. The role of chemical bonds stabilizing fish protein gels may be studied via rheological comparison with gels of better known chemistry and structure.
Learning to hash on structured data

Hashing techniques have been widely applied for large scale similarity search problems due to the computational and memory efficiency. However, most existing hashing methods assume data examples are independently and identically distributed. But there often exists various additional dependency/structure information between data examples in many real world applications. Ignoring this structure information may limit the performance of existing hashing algorithms. This paper explores the research problem of learning to Hash on Structured Data (HSD) and formulates a novel framework that considers additional structure information. In particular, the hashing function is learned in a unified learning framework by simultaneously ensuring the structural consistency and preserving the similarities between data examples. An iterative gradient descent algorithm is designed as the optimization procedure. Furthermore, we improve the effectiveness of hashing function through orthogonal transformation by minimizing the quantization error. Experimental results on two datasets clearly demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method over several state-of-the-art hashing methods.
The Predictive Validity of an Opinion Leadership Scale

This study evaluated the dimensionality, internal consistency, discriminant validity, and predictive validity of a self-report scale for consumer opinion leadership within a specific product field. A sample of 117 students completed the scale for three product categories: snack food, CDs, and skin care products. Fifteen weeks later they reported how many people they had told about new snack food, music, or skin care products they had purchased. Data analysis showed that (1) the opinion leadership scale was unidimensional, (2) showed good internal consistency, and (3) both the individual items and the summed scales possessed discriminant validity. For music and skin care products, those who had told someone had higher scores on the opinion leadership scale than those who had told no one. Scores on the opinion leadership scales were positively correlated with the number of other consumers told about CDs and skin care products. Thus the scale appears psychometrically sound and useful for market research.
Paleomagnetic Results From The Eastern Caliente-Enterprise Zone, Southwestern Utah: Implications For Initiation of A Major Miocene Transfer Zone

The Miocene Caliente-Enterprise zone (CEZ) in southwestern Utah (USA) is a 20–50-km-wide east-northeast–trending left-lateral transfer zone that displaces north-south–trending crustal blocks of the eastern Basin and Range Province to the west. Previous paleomagnetic results from the central and western CEZ show significant counterclockwise vertical axis rotations of strike-slip–bounded fault blocks, and these rotation estimates vary in magnitude both across and along the strike of the zone. Results of recent detailed geologic mapping and new geochronologic data in the area east of previous studies allow us to extend paleomagnetic studies into the easternmost CEZ. New paleomagnetic results include data from 4 regionally extensive latest Oligocene to early Miocene (ca. 24–22 Ma) ignimbrite sheets and from 3 ca. 22–20 Ma Iron Axis laccoliths. These data reveal significant magnitudes and similar spatially variable components of counterclockwise vertical axis rotation. Rotation estimates from the ignimbrites are assessed relative to what we interpret to be a nonrotated to only minimally rotated reference section just north of the Colorado Plateau (Grass Valley) and from several low-extension areas in southeast Nevada. Accepted tilt-corrected paleomagnetic data from sites away from the reference areas are discordant in declination from the expected individual ash-flow tuff directions, with rotation (R) and flattening (F) estimates that range from R = −2° to −84° and F = +15° to −14°. Many of the rotation estimates are large and statistically significant. For example, site P-18 from the Bauers Tuff yields an R = −61.1° ± 5.3° and F = −0.6° ± 5.0°. Relative to the expected Miocene direction, in situ paleomagnetic data from the Iron Axis laccoliths, specifically the Three Peaks laccolith, yield a mean that is discordant in declination, with estimated R = −22.2° and F = −8.8° values. These rotation and flattening estimates, although consistent with the overall data set from volcanic rocks, must be considered of lesser quality, as we are unable to accurately correct these data for possible effects of local tilting. If the rotation estimate is viable, then we suggest that this component of deformation involves much of the upper crust, and we furthermore propose that the boundary of the eastern CEZ extends farther east than previously envisioned, to within a few kilometers of the breakaway with the Colorado Plateau. The transitional zone between the eastern CEZ and Colorado Plateau is therefore abrupt and occurs within a narrow zone near Cedar City, Utah.
Scaling and dimensional methods to incorporate knock and flammability limits in models of high-efficiency gasoline and ethanol engines

Recent work has shown the utility of using simplified models with prescribed burn rates to assess the potential of advanced combustion strategies to increase engine efficiency. However, this approa...
Opiine Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Oriental Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Kauai Island, Hawaii: Islandwide Relative Abundance and Parasitism Rates in Wild and Orchard Guava Habitats

During a 2-yr survey of Kauai Island, four species of opiine parasitoids were recovered from host fruits infested with Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) [= Dacus dorsalis Hendel]; Biosteres arisanus (Sonan), Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), Psyttalia incisi (Silvestri), and Biosteres vandenboschi (Fullaway). These species constituted 87.5, 9, 2.4, and 1.1% of the total parasitoids recovered in 1988, and 95.1, 0.9, 4, and 0.04% of the total parasitoids recovered in 1989, respectively. Total islandwide opiine parasitism rates on the basis of live parasitoids recovered from oriental fruit fly pupae were 41.4% in 1988 and 53% in 1989. Wild common guava, Psidium guajava L., and strawberry guava, Psidium cattleianum Sabine, were the most prevalent hosts infested with oriental fruit fly encountered during our roadside survey. Population studies in a large commercial common guava orchard indicated that oriental fruit fly infestation of fruits was correlated with infestation of wild common guava fruits in surrounding wild habitats. Positive correlations between numbers of B. arisanus , the dominant parasitoid, and numbers of oriental fruit fly indicated a density-dependent relationship. Overall, percentage parasitism of B. arisanus was significantly higher in wild habitats than in orchard habitats. Relative abundance of D. longicaudata, P. incisi , and B. vandenboschi were significantly higher in orchard habitats than in wild habitats.
Nylon Fibers as Template for the Controlled Growth of Highly Oriented Single Crystalline ZnO Nanowires

This article reports the first controlled synthesis of large scale continuous arrays of single-crystalline ZnO nanowires with tunable size and properties on nylon fibers using a two-step low-temperature hydrothermal growth strategy. This process involves seed treatment of the substrate with ZnO nanocrystals that will form nucleation sites for subsequent epitaxial growth of single crystalline ZnO nanowires. Well-defined, vertically oriented, highly dense, and uniform ZnO nanowires of the wurtzite crystal structure covering the entirety of the fibers were achieved. In order to study the size and shape-dependent optical and electrochemical properties of the nanowires, the seed-to-growth solution concentration ratio was varied, resulting in hexagonal flat-ended (nanorods) and tapered (nanoneedles) morphologies. The amount of ZnO nanorods and nanoneedles grown on nylon fibers were determined as 30.1 ± 0.5% and 11.4 ± 0.7% ZnO by weight, respectively. In comparison to nanorods, ZnO nanoneedles demonstrated enha...
Unbiased Stereological Analysis of Reactive Astrogliosis to Estimate Age-Associated Cerebral White Matter Injury.

Cerebral white matter injury (WMI) contributes to cognitive dysfunction associated with pathological aging. Because reactive astrocyte-related factors contribute to remyelination failure after WMI, we sought accurate, cost-effective, and reproducible histopathological approaches for quantification of morphometric features of reactive astrogliosis in aged human white matter in patients with vascular brain injury (VBI). We compared 7 distinct approaches to quantify the features of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-labeled astrocytes in the prefrontal white matter of brains from patients with VBI (n = 17, mean age 88.8 years) and controls that did not exhibit VBI (n = 11, mean age 86.6 years). Only modern stereological techniques (ie, optical fractionator and spaceballs) and virtual process thickness measurements demonstrated significant changes in astrocyte number, process length, or proximal process thickness in cases with VBI relative to controls. The widely employed methods of neuropathological scoring, antibody capture assay (histelide), area fraction fractionator, and Cavalieri point counting failed to detect significant differences in GFAP expression between the groups. Unbiased stereological approaches and virtual thickness measurements provided the only sensitive and accurate means to quantify astrocyte reactivity as a surrogate marker of WMI in human brains with VBI.
Mortuary Sealing Among the Maya

In the Maya region, covering architecture and human remains in white marl has traditionally been interpreted as an act of defacement that accompanied some termination rituals. Recently, researchers have shown that such covering was a form of ritualized wrapping or sealing and could occur in the absence of other signs of desecration, as a part reverential termination. Here, I build on this work to argue that such sealing is not necessarily part of termination rites at all and could occur independently in mortuary contexts. I also suggest that such sealing is a distinct subset of other types of mortuary wrapping. Decoupling sealing from termination and exploring its relationship to other forms of wrapping helps refine our understanding of mortuary and ritual categories in the Maya area.
Beyond Branding: Van Riel and Fombrun’s Corporate Communication Theory in the Human Services Sector

Amidst funding cuts, increasing competition, and growing demands for service, nonprofit human services organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of marketing communication, especially branding. However, Van Riel and Fombrun’s (2007) corporate communication theory suggests that focusing too intently on branding may actually weaken these organizations over the long term. Drawing on a series of focus groups with a cohort of human services nonprofits, this study extends Van Riel and Fombrun’s theory into the nonprofit context and reveals the importance of a balanced approach to nonprofit corporate communication.
Inflammation and emphysema in cigarette smoke-exposed mice when instilled with poly (I:C) or infected with influenza A or respiratory syncytial viruses

The length of time for cigarette smoke (CS) exposure to cause emphysema in mice is drastically reduced when CS exposure is combined with viral infection. However, the extent of inflammatory responses and lung pathologies of mice exposed to CS and infected with influenza A virus (IAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or treated with the viral derivative dsRNA (polyinosine-polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] have not been compared. Mice were exposed to CS or filtered air for 4 weeks and received a single dose of vehicle, AV, or RSV infection and extent of inflammation and emphysema was evaluated 14 d later. In another set of experiments, mice were instilled with poly (I:C) twice a week during the third and fourth weeks of CS exposure and immediately analyzed for extent of inflammation and lung pathologies. In CS-exposed mice, inflammation was characterized mainly by macrophages, lymphocytes, and neutrophils after IAV infection, mainly by lymphocytes, and neutrophils after RSV infection, and mainly by lymphocytes and neutrophils after poly (I:C) instillations. Despite increased inflammation, extent of emphysema by poly (I:C) was very mild; but was robust and similar for both IAV and RSV infections with enhanced MMP-12 mRNA expression and TUNEL positivity. Both IAV and RSV infections increased the levels of IL-17, IL-1β, IL-12b, IL-18, IL-23a, Ccl-2, Ccl-7 mRNAs in the lungs of CS-exposed mice with IAV causing more increases than RSV. CS-induced inflammatory responses and extent of emphysematous changes differ depending on the type of viral infection. These animal models may be useful to study the mechanisms by which different viruses exacerbate CS-induced inflammation and emphysema.
Extracellular vesicles carry microRNA-195 to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and improve survival in a rat model

The cancer microenvironment plays a central role in cancer development, growth, and homeostasis. This paradigm suggests that cancer fibroblasts support cancers, probably in response to stimuli received from the cancer cells. We aimed at investigating whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) can shuttle microRNA (miR) species between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells. To this end, we extracted EVs according to published protocols. EVs were studied for their miR content by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. EVs were transfected with select miR species and utilized in vitro as well as in vivo in a rat model of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). We found that miR-195 is down-regulated in CCA cells, as well as in adjoining fibroblasts. Furthermore, we report that EVs shuttle miR-195 from fibroblasts to cancer cells. Last, we show that fibroblast-derived EVs, loaded with miR-195, can be administered in a rat model of CCA, concentrate within the tumor, decrease the size of cancers, and improve survival of treated rats. Conclusion: EVs play a salient role in trafficking miR species between cancer cells and CAFs in human CCA. Understanding of these mechanisms may allow devising of novel therapeutics. (Hepatology 2017;65:501-514).
Kiosk Reporting Among Probationers in the United States

Kiosk reporting is one type of electronic reporting that reduces the need for a low-risk offender to meet face-to-face with a probation officer. Probationers are identified by the kiosk using biome...
Aristocrats in Bourgeois Italy: The limits of fusion: aristocratic–bourgeois relations in nineteenth-century Piedmont

As old juridical and institutional barriers disappeared in the course of the nineteenth century, the degree to which the aristocracy survived as an identifiably separate group at the upper reaches of Piedmontese society depended on more than recasting and reproducing traditional values, customs, and practices. It also entailed a restructuring of relations with other wealthy and influential non-noble elements who emerged to challenge the primacy of the old titled families within a new and greatly expanded ruling class. In this arena, aristocratic survival involved a mixture of flexibility and rigidity. From the stand point of the law, nobles had become only one among the various strata of the bourgeois world by the second half of the century. Moreover, changing political and economic realities in Piedmont and on the Italian peninsula necessitated an unprecedented level of cooperation and collaboration between nobles and non-nobles in virtually all areas of public life, especially after 1848. Rubbing elbows on elective municipal councils or on the boards of voluntary associations, however, did not automatically lead to more intimate connections in private life. On the contrary, the persistence of relatively closed social networks at least in Piedmont served to reinforce a caste consciousness and isolation that delayed genuine integration of old and new elites.
Musical Theater and Independent Film

This study argues for a broad concept of adaptation, one that recognizes the extent to which works born of other works often do not inhabit source texts or try to recreate them but shift, sometimes aggressively, our perspective on another text, just as good critical readings choose a point of emphasis in relation to their object(s) of inquiry. Adaptation is an act of independence that acknowledges what is most interesting to the adapter about a previous work of art, stretching its identity into new media and different socio-cultural or historical eras.
Perforated gastric metastasis of Merkel cell carcinoma: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract A 53year-old Vietnamese male presented with a complaint of a left buttock mass which had grown to 8.0cm during the past three years. A CT scan revealed the gluteal lesion and a large mass of the stomach. A biopsy of the gluteal skin lesion was diagnosed as a high grade neuroendocrine carcinoma consistent with Merkel cell carcinoma. Tumor cells in the gastric biopsy showed the same morphology and immunophenotype as seen in the skin biopsy, and expressed synaptophysin, chromogranin, CD56, and cytokeratin (CK) 20 with perinuclear dot-like staining. The diagnosis of gastric metastasis of Merkel cell carcinoma was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry for Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). The patient underwent one cycle of chemotherapy until he presented with a perforation of the gastric lesion. Surgical resection was performed, with subsequent pathologic analysis of the stomach lesion interpreted as metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. Herein we describe the first case of perforated gastric metastasis of Merkel cell carcinoma. Histopathological diagnosis of perforated gastric metastasis of Merkel cell carcinoma was established by characteristic immunostains for CK20 and MCPyV in addition to the positive stains for neuroendocrine markers (synaptophysin, chromogranin and CD56).
The role of risk preferences in a multi-target defender-attacker resource allocation game

Abstract This paper studies a sequential defender-attacker game, where the defender allocates defensive resources to multiple potential targets while considering the risk preferences of both attacker and defender. We model and obtain analytical equilibrium results for this problem and study how risk preferences affect a player’s behavior in equilibrium. We find that in the strategic case, when both the attacker and the defender have some target valuation, the strategic attacker’s risk preferences and target valuation affect the optimal defense allocation. In particular, when the attacker becomes more risk seeking/averse, the high valuable target to the attacker would receive more/less resources. The proposed model leads to a significantly lower expected damage than a model where the attacker is incorrectly considered risk neutral, especially when the attacker is risk seeking.
Primary Cutaneous B-cell Lymphomas

B-cell lymphomas represent approximately 20% to 25% of primary cutaneous lymphomas. Within this group, most cases (>99%) are encompassed by 3 diagnostic entities: primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma, primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma, and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type. In this article, the authors present clinical, histopathologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular features of each of these entities and briefly discuss the rarer intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: Diagnosis, Clinical Implications, and Future Directions.

Abstract Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is diagnosed by a clinical history of dream enactment accompanied by polysomnographic rapid eye movement sleep atonia loss (rapid eye movement sleep without atonia). Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is strongly associated with neurodegenerative disease, especially synucleinopathies such as Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. A history of RBD may begin several years to decades before onset of any clear daytime symptoms of motor, cognitive, or autonomic impairments, suggesting that RBD is the presenting manifestation of a neurodegenerative process. Evidence that RBD is a synlucleinopathy includes the frequent presence of subtle prodromal neurodegenerative abnormalities including hyposmia, constipation, and orthostatic hypotension, as well as abnormalities on various neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and autonomic tests. Up to 90.9% of patients with idiopathic RBD ultimately develop a defined neurodegenerative disease over longitudinal follow-up, although the prognosis for younger patients and antidepressant-associated RBD is less clear. Patients with RBD should be treated with either melatonin 3 to 12 mg or clonazepam 0.5 to 2.0 mg to reduce injury potential. Prospective outcome and treatment studies of RBD are necessary to enable accurate prognosis and better evidence for symptomatic therapy and future neuroprotective strategies.
Statistics Reform in Africa: Aligning Incentives with Results

AbstractWhile there is a strong association between limited capacity and unavailability or production of low quality statistics in Africa, poor incentives are argued to be behind Africa’s statistical tragedy. The paper explores whether incentives of leaders and donors are aligned with the production of quality statistics and proposes six concrete ways to improve the current situation.
Study and analysis of hadoop cluster optimization based on configuration properties

Hadoop framework consists of multiple components. One set of configuration parameters may not be suitable for all types of applications. Hence, for optimum performance, each framework parameter needs to be carefully chosen and adjusted. This paper highlights some of the important configuration properties related to Block size, memory allocation, CPU allocation, Number of MapReduce jobs, Job scheduling and JVM which should be tuned for improved Hadoop application performance. The result of some Benchmark problems are analyzed.
Carbonyl-Metabolizing Enzymes and Their Relatives Recruited as Structural Proteins in the Eye Lens

The refractive properties of the eye lens are determined by abundant soluble structural proteins known as crystallins. While some crystallins are common to most vertebrates, others are abundant only in groups of related species. These taxon-specific crystallins all turn out to be enzymes, apparently recruited by modification of gene expression without prior gene duplication. They include η-crystallin, accounting for up to 25% of protein in elephant shrew lenses and apparently identical to cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase; ρ-crystallin from frog lenses, a member of the same superfamily as aldose and aldehyde reductases; and ζ-crystallin, found in guinea pig and camel lenses, which is structurally related to alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Unlike ADH, ζ-crystallin requires NADPH rather than NAD+/NADH as cofactor. Molecular modelling of ζ-crystallin shows that amino-acid changes around the co-factor binding site are responsible for this change in affinity. Purified guinea pig lens ζ-crystallin has a substrate preference for orthoquinones which are reduced by a single electron transfer mechanism. cDNA sequencing of ζ-crystallin suggests that the expression in lens as a crystallin depends on a different gene promoter from that used predominantly in liver. The putative guinea pig ζ-crystallin lens promoter has now been assayed for function in transfection studies. Elements with positive and negative effects on transcription, at least one of which has tissue preferred function, have been defined. When introduced into transgenic mice this promoter exhibits tissue-specific expression in the lens. This is the first identification of a lens-specific, alternative promoter in an enzyme crystallin gene.
Considerations in Pediatric Overactive Bladder

Overactive bladder is a term used to describe the symptoms of urgency with or without urgency incontinence that is not the direct result of a known neurologic abnormality. This troublesome condition has a prevalence of as high as 15–20% of the pediatric population, with 2–4% of 7-year-old children reporting incontinence episodes at least once a week. The main objectives of treatment are to normalize the micturition pattern, bladder and pelvic floor overactivity, and cure incontinence. Treatment follows a stepwise, multimodal approach including behavioral modification, adjunctive biofeedback, and in refractory cases, pharmacotherapy. This review will outline the pharmacologic treatment options for pediatric overactive bladder in cases where conservative management has proven unsuccessful.
On-chip optical quantum memory at telecom wavelengths (Conference Presentation)

Optical quantum memories will enable technologies including long distance quantum communication and modular quantum computing. Rare earth ion doped crystals provide an excellent solid state platform for optical quantum memories. Among rare earths, erbium is particularly appealing due to its long-lived telecom-wavelength resonance, allowing integration with silicon photonics and with existing optical communication technology and infrastructure. We present an on-chip all-optical quantum memory at telecom wavelengths using a nanobeam photonic crystal cavity fabricated directly in erbium-167 doped yttrium orthosilicate. Using an atomic frequency comb protocol, we store coherent pulses for memory times as long as 10 µs, albeit with low efficiency. For shorter memory times, we achieve a memory efficiency of 0.4%, which is limited by the coupling rate between the resonator and the ensemble of ions. By working at dilution refrigerator temperatures, we are able to access a regime where the ions have long optical coherence times and good spectral holeburning properties using only a moderate magnetic field applied with permanent magnets. We characterize the multimode properties and fidelity of the quantum memory in this device, and outline a path toward higher efficiency.
Flexible textile antenna sensor for bio-impedance sensing

This paper presents the realization of antenna sensors on flexible textile substrates for bio-impedance measurements. A T-resonator technique was employed to characterize the dielectric constant of various textile materials and to evaluate how the human tissue, functioning as the superstrate, influence the effective dielectric constant. A single frequency antenna sensor was designed based on the measured dielectric constant and the effect of tissue on the antenna resonant frequency was characterized. Monitoring perspiration during exercise using the antenna sensor as well as wireless interrogation of the antenna sensor, when worn by a volunteer, was demonstrated. A rapid-prototyping technique for fabricating the T-resonator and the antenna sensor from conductive fabric or copper films is also presented.
Spatial and temporal assessment of responder exposure to snag hazards in post-fire environments

Abstract Researchers and managers increasingly recognize enterprise risk management as critical to addressing contemporary fire management challenges. Quantitative wildfire risk assessments contribute by parsing and mapping potentially contradictory positive and negative fire effects. However, these assessments disregard risks to fire responders because they only address social and ecological resources and assets. In this study, we begin to overcome this deficiency by using a novel modeling approach that integrates remote sensing, field inventories, imputation-based vegetation modeling, and empirical models to quantify post-fire snag hazard in space and time. Snag hazard increased significantly immediately post-fire, with severe or extreme hazard conditions accounting for 47%, 83%, and 91% of areas burned at low, moderate and high-severity fire, respectively. Patch-size of severe or extreme hazard positively correlated with fire size, exceeding >20,000 ha (60% of our largest fire) 10-years post-fire when reburn becomes more likely. After 10 years, snag hazard declined rapidly as snags fell or fragmented, but severe or extreme hazard persisted for 20, 30 and 35 years in portions of the low, moderate and high-severity fire areas. Because forests are denser and wildfires burn with greater severity than historically, these hazardous conditions may represent novel management challenges where risk of injury or death to responders outweighs the benefits of directly engaging the fire. Mapping snag hazard with our methodology could improve situational awareness for both decision makers and fire responders as they mitigate risk during fire management. However, as more landscapes burn we anticipate increased responder exposure to extremely hazardous conditions, which may further entrench the wildfire paradox as fire managers weigh current response decisions with future challenges. Aligning land management objectives with wildfire management needs, in part by mapping responder exposure to snags and other hazards, could help overcome the wildfire paradox and produce desirable long-term outcomes. This research also demonstrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to account for risk to all aspects of fire prone social-ecological systems as we learn to live with fire in rapidly changing environments.
Structural basis of Type IV CRISPR RNA biogenesis by a Cas6 endoribonuclease

Prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems rely on small non-coding RNAs derived from CRISPR loci to recognize and destroy complementary nucleic acids. However, the mechanism of Type IV CRISPR ...
Pre-trained Contextualized Character Embeddings Lead to Major Improvements in Time Normalization: a Detailed Analysis.

Recent studies have shown that pre-trained contextual word embeddings, which assign the same word different vectors in different contexts, improve performance in many tasks. But while contextual embeddings can also be trained at the character level, the effectiveness of such embeddings has not been studied. We derive character-level contextual embeddings from Flair (Akbik et al., 2018), and apply them to a time normalization task, yielding major performance improvements over the previous state-of-the-art: 51% error reduction in news and 33% in clinical notes. We analyze the sources of these improvements, and find that pre-trained contextual character embeddings are more robust to term variations, infrequent terms, and cross-domain changes. We also quantify the size of context that pre-trained contextual character embeddings take advantage of, and show that such embeddings capture features like part-of-speech and capitalization.
Sound Beneath the Waves

Crayfish are wonderful organisms for science. As a keystone species, the crayfish plays an important role in the ecosystem of freshwater bodies and has an amazing set of behaviors primarily driven by their sense of smell. The downside of these organisms is that they are aquatic and nocturnal. Given my current research location, the Upper Midwest of the United States, this often means late-night dives to the bottom of fairly cold lakes. My usual location of these dives is Douglas Lake at the University of Michigan Biological Station.
PbTiO3(001) Capped with ZnO(112̅0): An ab Initio Study of Effect of Substrate Polarization on Interface Composition and CO2 Dissociation.

Catalytic conversion of CO2 into useful chemicals is an attractive alternative to expensive physical carbon sequestration methods. However, this approach is challenging because current chemical conversion methods employ high temperatures or pressures, thereby increasing cost and potentially leading to net carbon positive processes. In this paper, we examine the interface properties of ZnO(1120)/PbTiO3 and its surface interaction with CO2, CO and O. We show that the stoichiometry of the stable interface is dependent on the substrate polarization and can be controlled by changing the growth conditions. Using a model reaction, we demonstrate that a dynamically tuned catalysis scheme could enable significantly lower-energy approaches for CO2 conversion.
Emergency Medical Services Providers' Knowledge, Practices, And Barriers To Stroke Management

Purpose Many strokes are not recognized by emergency medical services (EMS) providers and many providers do not prenotify emergency departments (EDs) of incoming stroke patients. The objectives of this project were to survey EMS providers to (1) assess knowledge of prehospital care related to stroke identification, time window for intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) administration, and comprehensive stroke centers in our health system, (2) gain insight from EMS providers regarding barriers to providing prenotification, information they provide for a prenotification, and optimal methods of providing feedback, and (3) provide EMS providers with stroke care and management information. Methods A survey was administered to EMS providers at four hospital EDs. The survey included questions related to knowledge of prehospital stroke care and barriers to providing prenotification. EMS providers were also provided a one-page flyer with information related to prehospital stroke care. Descriptive statistics were used to describe results. Results Of 301 EMS providers surveyed, 96.0% report that they use the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale to identify stroke, and 11.0% correctly identified the time window for IV tPA administration for acute ischemic stroke as within 4.5 hrs from the last known well time. The majority (82.7%) correctly identified the comprehensive stroke center in our health system. Barriers to providing prenotification included short transport time (40.5%), information being lost in dispatch (39.5%), and not having direct communication with ED staff (30.2%). Most reported wanting to receive feedback on the stroke patients they transported (93.7%), and 49.5% reported that the optimal method of providing feedback is via a mobile application. Conclusion Deficits in stroke care knowledge among EMS providers were identified. Short transport time, inability to communicate with ED staff, and information lost in dispatch were cited as barriers to providing prenotification. Most EMS providers desire real-time feedback regarding patients via a mobile application.
¡Si, Ella Puede! The Rhetorical Legacy of Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers

Stacey K. Sowards rhetorical history of labor rights leader Dolores Huerta in iSi, Ella Puede! The Rhetorical Legacy of Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers foregrounds the rich, complex, and...
Controlling secondary pollution impacts during enhanced in situ anaerobic bioremediation

Abstract In situ anaerobic bioremediation is an effective and well-proven remedial option to address chlorinated solvents in groundwater with minimal disturbance of the ground surface. This technology can be applied to effectively reduce contaminant concentrations in the subsurface while allowing site operations to continue uninterrupted. However, without careful design and forethought improperly designed applications can lead to unacceptable, potentially dangerous, consequences. Negative impacts stemming from inadequate site understanding and/or improper design can include failures in substrate distribution and poor remedy performance, gas generation, and subsequent migration into subsurface structures resulting in risks to occupants, accumulation of more toxic intermediate products, mobilization of naturally occurring metals, and impacts to secondary water quality. This chapter provides an overview of common problems that may be encountered during the application of enhanced anaerobic in situ bioremediation. The objective of this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive compendium of problems that may occur during in situ bioremediation application implementation and performance together with fixes for each problem, but to alert the reader to the importance of sufficient site characterization and proper application design. In some cases, where available, fixes to problems that may occur are presented.
Pharmacist-led Penicillin Allergy Assessment in the Emergency Department Reduced Empiric Fluoroquinolone Use

In a retrospective, quasi-experimental study of 380 adult patients with a reported penicillin allergy who received antibiotics at a community hospital emergency department, a pharmacist-led penicillin allergy assessment via medical records review and patient interview improved guideline-preferred antibiotic use by 13% (P = .018) and reduced fluoroquinolone use by 11% (P = .035).
Does the medium matter? A meta-analysis on using social media vs. traditional media in crisis communication

Abstract There has been a growing body of crisis communication research that treats social media as a critical variable, which might alter how people perceive and react to crisis communication messages. The meta-analysis of 8 studies (k = 22, n = 3209, combined n = 9703) compared the impact of social media vs. traditional media in crisis communication. Five studies (n = 1896) contained 8 relevant effect sizes on crisis responsibility, representing 3294 individuals. Seven studies (n = 3185) contained 14 relevant effect sizes on persuasiveness, representing 6409 individuals. Compared to traditional media, using social media significantly lessened consumers’ perceived crisis responsibility (r = -.134, 95 % CI -.212– -.054, p = .001). There was no significant difference between using traditional media and social media in crisis communication on persuasiveness (r = -.039, 95 % CI -.114– .035, p = .30). The moderator analysis indicated that for both crisis responsibility and persuasiveness, the effect size was more noticeable when an organization communicates with college students vs. non-student publics. The ability of social media in dampening crisis responsibility was more pronounced for fictitious organizations compared to real organizations. Compared to traditional media, social media was significantly more negative for preventable crisis, the influence was weak for accidental crisis. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as directions for future research.
A Comparative Analysis of Outcomes of Free Nipple Areolar Grafting in Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

Background Preserving the nipple areolar complex (NAC) increases satisfaction in breast reconstruction. This study aims to describe outcomes using free NAC grafts in microvascular breast reconstruction. Methods A case–control study evaluated prospective outcomes of microvascular breast reconstruction with free NAC grafts compared with matched controls with tattoo or local flap nipple reconstruction. Eligible patients for NAC grafting required correction of ptosis or nipple malposition. Postoperative photographs were rated for complications and aesthetics by the four study authors and two additional unbiased board-certified plastic surgeons. Satisfaction was measured with the BREAST-Q. Results Twenty patients who underwent 35 autologous breast reconstructions were analyzed. Nipple areolar reconstruction with grafts was completed with 13 NACs in 7 patients. The majority of free NAC grafts (11/13, 85%) were completed in immediate reconstruction, and 15% (2/13) were completed in delayed reconstruction. Partial graft hypopigmentation (mean 18.0%, standard deviation [SD] 7.5) was noted in all grafts. Less than half of grafts had areas of depigmentation (6/13, mean 6.1%, SD 7.5). Minor areas of partial loss occurred in 6/13 grafts (mean 2.9%, SD 4.6). Nipple projection was maintained in 54% of nipples (7/13). Depigmentation, hypopigmentation, graft loss, and projection were not statistically correlated with NAC aesthetic or overall aesthetic rating. However, NAC size (p = 0.003), position (p = 0.022), and symmetry (p = 0.028) were all correlated with aesthetic outcomes. Outcomes and satisfaction were similar to those seen with local flap reconstruction, although partial loss was less common in NAC grafts. Conclusion Nipple reconstruction can successfully be performed in microvascular breast reconstruction using free grafts. Although partial graft hypopigmentation is common, smaller areas of graft loss or depigmentation are anticipated and do not affect aesthetic outcomes. The use of free NAC grafts may allow additional patients to use their own nipples as part of their microvascular reconstruction and avoid secondary NAC reconstruction procedures.
Neurogenic TOS: Early Postoperative Care

Postoperative care after surgery for neurogenic TOS is an important consideration in optimizing patient outcomes. This begins with setting appropriate expectations prior to surgery and extends from the immediate postoperative period through outpatient office follow-up. Concerns during the immediate postoperative inpatient hospitalization revolve around attention to the volume and character of drain output, various pharmacological approaches to pain management, dietary recommendations, monitoring for and treatment of common and unusual complications, and early implementation of physical therapy. Development and use of a consistent protocol for early postoperative care is of great benefit to the surgeon and clinical team responsible for patients with neurogenic TOS.