cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validation of anti-glucocerebrosidase antibodies for western blot analysis on protein lysates of murine and human cells

Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GBA1 gene, encoding the lysosome-resident glucocerebrosidase enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of glucosylceramide. The discovery of an association between mutations in GBA1 and the development of synucleinopathies, including Parkinson disease, has directed attention to glucocerebrosidase as a potential therapeutic target for different synucleinopathies. These findings initiated an exponential growth in research and publications regarding the glucocerebrosidase enzyme. The use of various commercial and custom-made glucocerebrosidase antibodies has been reported, but standardized in-depth validation is still not available for many of these antibodies. This work details the evaluation of several previously reported glucocerebrosidase antibodies for western blot analysis, tested on protein lysates of murine gba+/+ and gba-/- immortalized neurons and primary human wild-type and type 2 GD fibroblasts.
In-situ monitoring of polymer flow temperature and pressure in extrusion based additive manufacturing

Abstract We demonstrate a novel Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) nozzle design to enable measurements of in-situ conditions inside FFF nozzles, which is critical to ensuring that the polymer extrudate is flowing at appropriate temperature and flow rate during the part build process. Testing was performed with ABS filament using a modified Monoprice Maker Select 3D printer. In-situ measurements using the printer’s default temperature control settings showed an 11 °C decrease in temperature and significant fluctuation in pressure during printing as well as fluctuations while idle of ± 2 °C and ±14 kPa. These deviations were eliminated at lower flow rates with a properly calibrated proportional–integral–derivative (PID) system. At the highest tested flow rates, decreases in melt temperature as high as 6.5 °C were observed, even with a properly calibrated PID, providing critical insight into the significance of flow rate and PID calibration on actual polymer melt temperature inside the FFF nozzle. Pressure readings ranging from 140 to 6900 kPa were measured over a range of filament feed rates and corresponding extrusion flow rates. In-situ pressure measurements were higher than theoretical predictions using a power-law fluid model, suggesting that the assumptions used for theoretical calculations may not be completely capturing the dynamics in the FFF liquefier. Our nozzle prototype succeeded in measuring the internal conditions of FFF nozzles, thereby providing a number of important insights into the printing process which are vital for monitoring and improving FFF printed parts.
The effect of sodium ion on antinociception and opiate binding invivo

Abstract Large quantities of NaCl and CaCl2 but not KCl given intrapertoneally decreased the antinociceptive activity of morphine. NaCl also antagonized the effect of morphine on the stereo-specific binding of opiates. This high dose of NaCl doubled the level of sodium in the brain but did not alter the specific gravity of brain tissue. These in vivo effects of NaCl confirm the antagonistic effects of NaCl in vitro that have been reported.
Better code search and reuse for better program repair

A branch of automated program repair (APR) techniques look at finding and reusing existing code for bug repair. ssFix is one of such techniques that is syntactic search-based: it searches a code database for code fragments that are syntactically similar to the bug context and reuses such code fragments to produce patches. The keys to its success lie in the approaches it uses for code search and code reuse. We investigated the effectiveness of ssFix using the Defects4J bug dataset and found that its code search and code reuse approaches are not truly effective and can be significantly improved. Motivated by the investigation, we developed a new repair technique sharpFix that follows ssFix's basic idea but differs significantly in the approaches used for code search and code reuse. We compared sharpFix and ssFix on the Defects4J dataset and confirmed through experiments that (1) sharpFix's code search and code reuse approaches are better than ssFix's approaches and (2) sharpFix can do better repair. sharpFix successfully repaired a total of 36 Defects4J bugs and outperformed many existing repair techniques in repairing more bugs. We also compared sharpFix, ssFix, and four other techniques on another dataset Bugs.jar-ELIXIR. Our results show that sharpFix did better than others and repaired the largest number of bugs.
Identification of the Coding-Complete Genome of Cycas Necrotic Stunt Virus in Transcriptomic Data Sets of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

ABSTRACT We present evidence here that alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) can be a natural host species for a new strain of Cycas necrotic stunt virus (CNSV), for which the name CNSV-A (alfalfa) is proposed. Prior to this report, the virus has not been identified in alfalfa.
Cdc42-Dependent Transfer of mir301 from Breast Cancer-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Regulates the Matrix Modulating Ability of Astrocytes at the Blood–Brain Barrier

Breast cancer brain metastasis is a major clinical challenge and is associated with a dismal prognosis. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the early stages of brain metastasis can provide opportunities to develop efficient diagnostics and therapeutics for this significant clinical challenge. We have previously reported that breast cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) breach the blood-brain barrier (BBB) via transcytosis and can promote brain metastasis. Here, we elucidate the functional consequences of EV transport across the BBB. We demonstrate that brain metastasis-promoting EVs can be internalized by astrocytes and modulate the behavior of these cells to promote extracellular matrix remodeling in vivo. We have identified protein and miRNA signatures in these EVs that can lead to the interaction of EVs with astrocytes and, as such, have the potential to serve as targets for development of diagnostics and therapeutics for early detection and therapeutic intervention in breast cancer brain metastasis.
When Opportunity Strikes: A Case of a 67-year-old with History of Cardiac Transplant Developing New-onset Seizures

Introduction Many known risks are associated with cardiac transplantation. Although dangers surround the transplant itself, immunosuppression increases the vulnerability to infection and malignancy. Without expertise in transplant medicine, diagnosing and managing patients with complications of immunosuppression can become challenging. Case Description : A 67-year-old male 4 months post orthotopic heart transplant (OHT), without induction therapy, tolerating appropriate immunosuppression and antimicrobial prophylaxis presented to an outside hospital (OSH) for new-onset seizures and fevers of up to 104° F. At the OSH he was started on Keppra and underwent a brain MRI showing enhancing masses with edema, suspicious for metastatic disease with primary lung carcinoma, as the patient had a known lung nodule pre-OHT. The OSH called us for transfer, however, the patient refused due to wanting to stay near his home to take care of his cats. However, he continued to deteriorate despite being on steroids and anti-epileptics and on day 3, he agreed to be transferred to our facility. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed normal ejection fraction, no vegetations or abscess or evidence of graft dysfunction. Repeat MRI at our institution revealed 3 ring-enhancing lesions within the supratentorial parenchyma consistent with cerebral abscesses. CT scan showed a 2.5 cm pulmonary nodule in the left lingula. Lumbar puncture indicated white blood cells and predominant neutrophils. He was originally scheduled for a lung biopsy, but pre-procedure CT revealed the lung nodule decreased in size, suggesting an infectious etiology. He began IV Meropenem and Bactrim since all evidence was suggestive of infection and not malignancy. Brain biopsy revealed the lesions were abscesses and culture demonstrated gram-positive filamentous rods, consistent with Nocardia. Linezolid was added to his current antibiotic regiment for better broader coverage. Bacterial speciation detected Nocardia cyriacigeorgica. The patient continued to improve after antibiotic initiation and was discharged to rehab. Conclusion : Immunosuppressed patients are susceptible to opportunistic infections, such as that of N. cyriacigeorgica, especially in the first year following OHT. These infections can lead to clinical manifestations that may be mistaken for malignancy at centers lacking expertise in transplant medicine. Transplant patients should be aware of the risks of chronic immunosuppression therapy and counseled to return to the implanting center for serious conditions.
Utility Maximization and Dissipation Under Price Controls

This paper shows how basic micro-economics tools, and more specifically utility analysis, can be used to understand dissipating behavior in situations where prices alone cannot equate supply and demand. A few conclusions can be derived from our analysis: 1) the amount of dissipation depends on how clearly rights to buy are defined, 2) there is a crucial difference when analyzing non-price competition between average non-price costs and marginal non-price costs ; 3) When net suppliers do not have to compete on non-price margins, the cost of dissipation is fully borne by net demanders and net-demanders may sometimes gain by forcing net-suppliers to compete on non-priced margins ; 4) individuals have an incentive to minimize dissipation. If bargaining costs are zero, it will always be rational to establish institutions to get rid of wasteful non-price competition.
Does the clinical utility of self-disclosure of stuttering transcend culturally and linguistically diverse populations?

Purpose: Research suggests that self-disclosure can improve listeners' perceptions of stuttering; however, it is unknown whether the effectiveness of self-disclosure transcends culture and language. This study examined the clinical utility of self-disclosure in a culturally and linguistically diverse population: Hebrew-speaking people who stutter in Israel.Method: The experimental protocol replicated Byrd, Croft et al. Participants (N = 92 adults in Israel) viewed a video of either a male or female Hebrew-speaking person who simulated stuttering and self-disclosed informatively, apologetically, or not at all. Participants then rated the speaker on ten traits (i.e. friendly, outgoing, intelligent, confident, engaging, distracting, unfriendly, shy, unintelligent, insecure) using a bipolar likert scale.Result: Results indicated that participants rated the speaker who self-disclosed in a neutral and informative manner as significantly more outgoing compared to the speaker who did not self-disclose at all, supporting the results from Byrd, Croft et al. Additionally, the male speaker was rated as significantly more friendly and outgoing than the female speaker.Conclusion: This study suggests that self-disclosing in a neutral and informative manner can improve listeners' perceptions of people who stutter similarly across culture and language.
Advancing food democracy: The potential and limits of food policy positions in local government

For several decades, food policy councils (FPCs) have led the effort to place food on local govern­ment policy agendas. While FPCs are making pro­gress in supporting local food systems, they also face institutional and organizational challenges. In recent years, a handful of cities and counties have endeavored to further food system reform with the establishment of full-time government staff posi­tions focused on food policy. As of spring 2020, there were 19 confirmed food policy positions housed in local governments across the United States. While there is considerable literature on FPCs, little research has been published regarding food policy staffing in local governments. Accordingly, this study uses original in-depth inter­views with 11 individuals in municipal or county food policy positions to understand the purpose and function of governmental food policy staff positions and their impact on local food systems. Our findings suggest that these positions help to coordinate and nurture local food programs and policies and have the potential to facilitate mean­ingful participation of individuals and groups in the community in food system reform. We discuss the potential benefits and challenges for governmental food policy positions to support food democracy, and provide the following recom­mendations for communities interested in estab­lishing or strengthening similar positions: (1) iden­tify and coordinate existing opportunities and assets, (2) foster and maintain leadership support, (3) root the work in community, (4) connect with other food policy professionals, and (5) develop a food system vision.
Absence Unexcused: A Systematic Review on Truancy

Mirroring trends in the legal system, discipline within education has adopted zero-tolerance policies in an attempt to curb undesired behaviors in school. K–12 schools have expanded the use of excl...
Abstract PO-126: Loss of HIF1A decreases resistance to radiation and invasiveness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth most lethal cancer in the United States with an estimated 60,430 new cases and 48,220 deaths in 2021. PDACs are characterized by extensive desmoplastic stroma and severe hypovascularity, resulting in an intra-tumoral hypoxic microenvironment. In response to hypoxic stress, cancer cells set off many adaptive responses including metabolism regulation, cell survival, and inflammation through the stabilization and activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) family of transcription factors. In this study, we used the gene-editing tool CRISPR-cas9 to knock out HIF1A and investigate whether HIF1A affects the radioresistant and invasive characteristics of PDACs in a KPC cell line model. To first observe how HIF1A affects PDAC radioresistance, we performed a clonogenic survival assay with increasing doses of radiation on both wild-type and HIF1A knockout (KO) cells treated and untreated with CoCl2-induced hypoxia conditions (100 uM and 200 uM CoCl2). Our data showed that under hypoxia, KO cells exhibited significant cell death when treated with 6, 8, and 10 Gy of radiation as compared to wild-type KPC cells, emphasizing the role of HIF1A in radiation resistance. In addition, to understand the role of HIF1A in regulating the invasive behavior of PDACs, we performed a cell proliferation assay on wild-type and KO KPC cells. HIF1A KO cells treated with CoCl2 exhibited significantly reduced proliferation compared to wild-type cells also treated with CoCl2 (p 0.05). Because western blot demonstrated increased HIF1A expression in wild-type cells following CoCl2 treatment, our results provided evidence for the role of HIF1A activation in promoting PDAC invasiveness. Through western blot, we also confirmed the association between HIF1A expression with p53 degradation in PDAC. We used COREMINE, a literature mining tool, to map a direct interaction between HIF1A with KRAS in PDACs (p=0.000016). We propose HIF1A as a switch to activate KRAS and degrade p53 under hypoxic conditions in PDAC proliferation. Thus, modulating the HIF1A switch may be an important mechanism to reduce the tumor-promoting microenvironment and inhibit cancer growth. Citation Format: Kevin J. Tu, Sanjit K. Roy, Binny Bhandary, Amit Sawant, Hem D. Shukla. Loss of HIF1A decreases resistance to radiation and invasiveness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer; 2021 Sep 29-30. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(22 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-126.
Neural Tuning to Sound Duration in the Inferior Colliculus of the Big Brown Bat, Eptesicus fuscus

Ehrlich, Daphna, John H. Casseday, and Ellen Covey. Neural tuning to sound duration in the inferior colliculus of the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 2360–2372, 1997. Neural t...
Chylothorax and Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury Associated With Robotic Video-Assisted Mediastinal Lymph Node Dissection.

ObjectiveAlthough the technical aspects of robotic video-assisted thoracic surgery (RVATS) for lung resections may be advantageous, compared with standard thoracoscopy, complications of chylothorax...
The Effect of ID Verification in Online Markets: Evidence from a Field Experiment

eBay’s ID Verify program, which allowed sellers to pay a fee to have their identity confirmed by a credit information company, was designed to alleviate asymmetric information problems in online auctions. We conduct a field experiment where items are sold on eBay by one of four identities that either are or are not ID verified and have either a good or no reputation. We find that ID verification increases the number of bids placed but has no impact on the level of the winning bid, and may even lower the winning bid among sellers who have good reputations.
Testicular biopsy in the study of male infertility: its current usefulness, histologic techniques, and prospects for the future.

Abstract Testicular biopsy has been widely used for the diagnosis of male infertility for more than three decades. During that time, with advances in cytogenetics, radioimmunoassay, and endocrinology, the role of testicular biopsy has changed. Testicular biopsy is still useful in the diagnosis of azoospermic and Oligospermic males without stigmata of gonadotropic insufficiency or Kline-felter's syndrome. A classification and description is presented of pathologic changes in the testis as seen on testicular biopsy by light microscopy. The present rationale for testicular biopsy in infertility, the processing and staining of histologic material, and the role of testicular biopsy in infertility and infertility related situations, including cryptorchidism, malignant disease, and chemotherapy related changes, are discussed. Further understanding of testicular function and disease will depend upon the correlation of histologic and ul-tramicroscopic changes, immunohistologic localization of hormones, and epidemiologic and endocrinologic data.
Comparison of Wide-Field/Deconvolution and Confocal Microscopy for 3D Imaging

Optical microscopy has always been a central technique to biological research, but in recent years its importance has vastly increased, mainly because of the introduction of epifluorescence imaging, which gives very sensitive detection, coupled with a multitude of highly specific fluorescent probes. Furthermore, it is often possible to obtain useful images noninvasively at light levels that are not damaging to living cells. Microinjection and other cell-loading methods can therefore be used in combination with fluorescence microscopy to analyze and modify subcellular structure and function in living cells.
Importance of A-loop complementarity with tRNAHis anticodon for continued selection of tRNAHis as the HIV reverse transcription primer.

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) preferentially selects tRNALys,3 as the primer for reverse transcription. HIV-1 can be forced to select alternative tRNAs through mutation in the primer-binding site (PBS) and a region upstream of the PBS designated as the A-loop. Alteration of the PBS and A-loop to be complementary to the 3' terminal nucleotides and anticodon of tRNAHis results in HIV-1 that can stably utilize this tRNA for replication.
The effect of mushroom intake on modulating post-prandial glycemic response (647.48)

The consumption of mushrooms has been shown to lead to a number of health benefits. To determine the effect of Portabella mushroom intake on the glycemic responses of a young, healthy population following an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), 8 men and 8 women (19 to 29 yo, avg = 24;Body Fat % 18.4±7.2; Fasting Glucose 89.2±4.0) completed 3 modified OGTTs over a 2 week period. The OGTTs were evaluated in response to a 75g Glucose Drink (G), a 75g Glucose Drink with 9.5g Portabella powder (MG), or 9.5 g Portabella powder with Stevia/flavored water (M). Fasting and 30 min blood samples were collected for 2 h. Glucose levels were only elevated with G and MG with MG being higher in men at 30 min (P<0.02) and women at 60 (P<0.005) and 120 min (P<0.01). Insulin was higher in G and MG and showed a more gradual decline with MG in women. In women, hunger (Likert Scale) increased by 120 min (P<0.05) during G which was eliminated my addition of mushroom powder. Mushroom powder reduced postprandial hypoglycemia, rap...
Death ideation in older adults: psychological symptoms of depression, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness

Death ideation is commonly reported by older adults in the United States; however, the factors contributing to death ideation in older adults are not fully understood. Depressive symptoms, as well as components of the interpersonal theory of suicide, perceived burden, and thwarted belonging may contribute to death ideation.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderating relationship of the psychological symptoms of depression on the relation between perceived burdensomeness and death ideation, and thwarted belongingness and death ideation.Method: A sample of 151 older adults completed questionnaires assessing numerous covariates, as well as perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, death ideation, and the psychological symptoms of depression.Results: The results of this study indicated that the proposed moderating relationship was supported for the relationship between perceived burdensomeness and death ideation, but was not supported for the relationship between thwarted b...
Emission spectroscopic studies of copper contamination in a free-burning argon arc

The vapor density distribution of copper contaminants evaporated from the water-cooled anode of an atmospheric-pressure free-burning arc (200 A and 1-cm gap spacing) was measured by emission spectroscopy. An automated emission spectroscopic setup has been developed in order to minimize the time for data acquisition and data evaluation. The vapor density distribution was measured in a two-step process. In the first step, the temperature distribution in the plasma was measured using the absolute line intensity method at the argon spectral line of 4300 AA. In the second step, the vapor density distribution of copper was determined by measuring the absolute intensity distribution of the copper spectral line at 5218 AA. The measurements show that the copper vapor is mainly concentrated in the fringes of the arc and in the center of the arc column with a radius of 1 mm. The vapor density distribution in the arc column is more concentric toward the cathode tip. >
Advances in newborn screening for biochemical genetic disorders

Newborn screening (NBS) has evolved significantly since its introduction in 1962 for determining one biochemical genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU), to now include endocrinopathies, hemoglobinopathies, congenital infections, cystic fibrosis, and congenital deafness as well as many biochemical genetic disorders. The wide coverage of biochemical genetic disorders has been facilitated by the recent addition of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to the technology for newborn screening. MS/MS enables measurement of amino acids and acylcarnitine conjugates of organic and fatty acids in the Guthrie blood specimen from newborns in one assay, thus allowing for screening for multiple disorders with abnormalities in these analytes simultaneously. The newly detectable biochemical genetic disorders can be broadly classified into amino acid, organic acid, and fatty acid oxidation disorders. This article briefly reviews the MS/MS technology, the disorders identifiable by this technology, and the distinguishing analytes during newborn screening. Though newborn screening has now been expanded to include many biochemical genetic disorders, most of these disorders remain undetectable by newborn screening. Even in disorders detectable by screening, the biochemical abnormalities may not be present during the newborn period. Thus, individuals suspected of having a biochemical genetic disorder should undergo specific testing. Newborn screening continues to be modified with advances in molecular, enzymatic, and other technologies and continues to include a greater number of disorders. Keywords: newborn screening; tandem mass spectrometry; MS/MS; biochemical genetics
Institutional Change in the Electricity Industry: A Comparison of Four Latin American Cases

By means of a comparison of the process of restructuring of the electricity industry in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile, I examine the validity of three hypotheses about the determinants of institutional change in this industry. The case studies show that ideology plays a major role in shaping the outcomes of the institutional change process; distributional conflict, or the conflict over the economic rents that can be extracted from the electricity industry, also has a significant influence on institutional change, although somewhat weaker than ideology; finally, the degree of judicial independence in a country can affect institutional transformation with regard to property rights, but not with regard to the degree of reliance on competitive mechanisms of resource allocation.
A Quantitative Comparison of Edges in 3D Intraoperative Ultrasound and Preoperative MR Images of the Brain

The displacement of brain tissue during neurosurgery is a significant source of error for image-guidance systems. We are investigating the use of a computational model to predict brain shift and warp preoperative MR images accordingly. 3D ultrasound appears to be a valid means of acquiring intraoperative images to use as sparse data for guiding the model calculations. We present here a study of edge detection in MR and ultrasound images to investigate the accuracy of our ultrasound system and explore methods of extracting sparse data. Ultrasound images are acquired prior to deformation and compared to their corresponding oblique MR/CT images. Results from phantom images show misalignment by an average of 2.2 ± 1.67 degrees, 0.90 ± 0.82 mm in x, and 0.87 ± 0.87 mm in y. Patient images are misaligned by an average of 2.2 ± 1.4 degrees, 1.24 ± 0.89 mm in x, and 0.97 ± 0.87 mm in y.
Mind and Medicine

The Balance Within The Science Connecting Health and Emotions. Esther M. Sternberg. Freeman, New York, 2000. 270 pp. $24.95. ISBN 0-7167-3479-6. Writing for a general audience, Sternberg discusses the interface between the immune and nervous systems. She blends accounts of recent experimental approaches with historical vignettes on brain-body interactions.
Public Attitudes About Genetic Testing in the Newborn Period

ABSTRACT Objective To measure attitudes toward newborn genetic testing in our jurisdiction. Design A cross‐sectional, pen‐and‐paper survey. Setting The survey was administered to the general public and prospective parents in Eastern Canada between April 2010 and December 2010. Participants A total of 648 individuals completed surveys. Results Positive attitudes were found toward newborn genetic testing, regardless of whether an effective treatment existed for the disorder in question or whether the disorder developed in adulthood. A majority agreed (69%) that testing should be available for any condition to assist with future reproductive decisions. Most respondents (93%) agreed parents should provide informed consent before newborn screening (NBS) was undertaken and that parents had a fundamental right to access NBS if they so choose. Conclusion Interest in NBS for genetic disorders is generally high, regardless of whether an effective treatment exists. Findings lend support to the expansion of NBS panels to include those disorders currently lacking treatment but highlight consumers' desire for informed consent before testing is undertaken.
Dielectric constant and mixing model of BaTiO3 composite thick films

Abstract BaTiO 3 (BT) composite thick films of X7R BT particles with different BT gel fractions were prepared by using an aqueous BT sol. The dielectric constant versus different BT gel volume fractions showed a sigmoidal behavior as the BT gel phase filled the interstitials of the X7R BT particle compact. To explain and predict the effect of the BT gel as a second phase based on the experimental results, various models such as series, parallel, cubic, Lichtenecker’s model, and Hashin–Shtrikman bounds were considered. None of the existing theoretical models fit the experimental results. An empirical sigmoidal fitting function was proposed to fit the experimental data.
Coherent modulation filtering for speech

Modulation filtering ideally offers a new approach to modifying the dynamics of non-stationary signals, such as speech. In this paper, a new type of coherent modulation analysis and filtering method is proposed. The new method consists of two essential parts - an instantaneous frequency estimator based on conditional mean frequency, which is used for coherent modulation analysis, and a multi-component decomposition based on spectrogram peak tracking, which is used to separate multiple modulation components in signals. An important modulation filtering property, frequency shift invariance, is achieved with the new proposed method.
Observations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts

Recent observational progress in gamma ray burst research is reviewed. Findings concerning burst temporal and spectral characteristics, source direction and size spectrum studies, and transient event classification are discussed. The theories concerning the origin of the bursts are examined in the light of the recent evidence.
Human responses to augmented virtual scaffolding models

This study investigated the effect of adding real planks, in virtual scaffolding models of elevation, on human performance in a surround-screen virtual reality (SSVR) system. Twenty-four construction workers and 24 inexperienced controls performed walking tasks on real and virtual planks at three virtual heights (0, 6 m, 12 m) and two scaffolding-platform-width conditions (30, 60 cm). Gait patterns, walking instability measurements and cardiovascular reactivity were assessed. The results showed differences in human responses to real vs. virtual planks in walking patterns, instability score and heart-rate inter-beat intervals; it appeared that adding real planks in the SSVR virtual scaffolding model enhanced the quality of SSVR as a human – environment interface research tool. In addition, there were significant differences in performance between construction workers and the control group. The inexperienced participants were more unstable as compared to construction workers. Both groups increased their str...
Robert Wolf: My views on evaluation after reading The New Rhetoric

TNR is a philosophical treatise on "argumentation," which we might (simply) define as the process by which we persuade others, thereby gaining their adherence to some point of view or set of beliefs. Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca note that the study of argumentation has, since about the time of Descartes, been slighted, even ignored, while scholars have concentrated instead on formal logic and mathematical or quasi-mathematical demonstration and proof. They contend that the exclusion of argumentation is "a perfectly unjustified and unwarranted limitation of the domain of action of our faculty of reasoning and proving" (p.3); reasonable persons do attempt to persuade others, even when they lack "irrefutable proof" of the correctness of their contentions, and the reasonable, rational listener can be persuaded by convincing argument.
Local order and microstructure of germanium chalcogenide films

Abstract Amorphous films of nominal composition GeTe 2 have been observed by energy filtered electron diffraction and by electron microscopy. The diffracted intensity curves may vary from region to region within a film and changes may be brought about by electron beam heating, giving rise to observable changes in the radial distribution functions. Gross features are not apparent in the electron micrographs and glassy phase separation if it exists in these films must be restricted to a very fine scale (20 A or less). Similar effects have been observed in a variety of other telluride and also selenide films.
Bor-Stickstoff-Verbindungen, IV: Reaktionen der B-Amino-borazole

Bortrichlorid, Phosphoroxychlorid, Alkohole und N.N-Dimethyl-hydrazin reagieren mit B-Amino-borazolen unter Sprengung der B-Amino-Bindung, wahrend der Borazolring erhalten bleibt. B-Hydrazino-borazole und ein B-Aminoborazol mit freier NH2-Gruppe konnten erstmalig dargestellt werden. Versuche zur Isolierung eines N-Trihydroxy-borazols werden mitgeteilt.
Prognostic significance of vascular invasion in colorectal cancer of Dukes' B class

To further characterize important prognostic factors in colorectal cancer of the Dukes' B class the pathologic material from 143 Dukes' B patients was reviewed for the presence of lymphatic and/or blood vessel invasion and correlated with the postoperative tumor-free interval and overall length of survival. In 27 patients with vascular invasion within the bowel wall, both the tumor-free interval and the overall survival time were not significantly different from the same parameters in 116 patients without vascular invasion (P = 0.28, P = 0.12 respectively). These data suggest that vascular invasion within the bowel wall per se is not an important prognostic factor among patients with colorectal cancer of the Dukes' B class.
Role of Aspartate 143 in Escherichia coli tRNA-Guanine Transglycosylase: Alteration of Heterocyclic Substrate Specificity†

There are approximately 100 modified nucleosides that occur in RNA, with the vast majority of them occurring in tRNAs (1). The tRNA anticodon is one “hot spot” for hypermodification (e.g., the incorporation of elaborately modified nucleosides). Queuine (Figure 1) is one example of a hypermodified base that occurs in the wobble position of the anticodon of tRNAs Asp, Asn, His and Tyr. Queuine is incorporated into tRNA via a base exchange reaction (replacing guanine) catalyzed by tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT). In eukaryotes, queuine is directly exchanged into tRNA while in eubacteria, a queuine precursor (preQ1, Figure 1) is incorporated and ultimately modified to queuine (2). Queuine, guanine and preQ1 all share the same 2-amino-pyrimidin-4-one moiety that is involved in the Watson-Crick type base pairing between the tRNA anticodon and the mRNA codon during translation. In order to accurately maintain this interaction, and hence the identity of the tRNAs and the fidelity of translation, TGT must exercise precise and specific recognition of its heterocyclic substrate. Fig. 1 Physiological and Potential Alternative Heterocyclic Substrates for TGT. The X-ray crystal structure of the Zymomonas mobilis TGT bound to preQ1 revealed that aspartate 143 (D143, E. coli TGT numbering) appears to make two hydrogen bonds to the amino pyrimidone portion of preQ1 (3). In order to experimentally probe the role of D143 in heterocyclic substrate recognition, we carried out a thorough biochemical and computational characterization of wild-type and D143 mutant TGTs. Their interactions with guanine confirmed that D143 does play a vital role in heterocyclic substrate recognition (4). Computational simulations of guanine binding to wild-type and D143 mutant TGTs provided insight as to which interactions assisted in binding guanine (4). Since D143 was ascertained to be the determinant for guanine specificity, it follows that mutating this residue may allow for alternate substrate recognition. Not only is there precedence for altering substrate specificity with guanine binding proteins using hypoxanthine and xanthine (Figure 1) (5–7), but these purines are readily available in vivo and therefore provide an interesting and physiologically-relevant study of substrate specificity. We herein report biochemical studies to probe the recognition between wild-type and D143 mutant TGTs and the alternate purine heterocycles, hypoxanthine and xanthine.
Filling the Rab GAP.

The human genome encodes at least 70 Rab GTPases and more than 50 putative Rab GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). An elegant scheme to rapidly identify the Rab target for each of these GAPs has led to the identification of a potent Rab GAP for Rab5.
Sharing Murder: Understanding Group Serial Homicide

Abstract This paper studies cases of serial homicide where multiple offenders are involved. It is suggested that such cases represent a surprisingly large proportion of serial murder incidents, a fact of considerable significance for investigators. The paper considers the kinds of relationship that exist between offenders in a particular case; the varying degrees of complicity involved; and the interpersonal dynamics of the initial decision to share in an act of murder. Finally, and speculatively, it will be asked whether and how subcultural theories can be applied to group participation in multiple homicide.
The color-redshift relation for giant elliptical galaxies

The colors of giant elliptical (gE) galaxies in clusters out to redshiftz=0.2, observed by Oke and Sandage (1968), are studied for systematic color-redshift effects. To reveal any intrinsic changes, theK term is subtracted from each color, after correction for galactic reddening and the resulting (B-V) c -K B-V versus z relation analysed. If the Oke and SandageK terms (relevant to nuclear colors) are used, the best fitting linear relation shows negligible change withz. But if the Whitford (1970)K terms (relevant to integrated colors) are used, there is a trend to bluer colors, by 0.07 mag.atz=0.2 if higher weight is given the better observed clusters. An upper limit, of ±0.08 mag. atz=0.2, is set to possible systematic aperture effects, by the total change between nuclear and integrated B-V and U-B of nearbygE galaxies. The color-redshift trends, interpreted as evolutionary changes, are related to evolution in the magnitude-redshift relation by means of models of stellar evolution in agE galaxy. If one uses the linear fit to the color-redshift relation obtained with WhitfordK terms and neglect of any aperture effects (which is the appropriate case if Oke and Sandage used large enough apertures), and if one adopts plausible limits to the ratio between color and magnitude evolution, the effect of evolution in the magnitude-redshift relation results in a negative value ofq 0. There are still substantial observational and theoretical uncertainties affecting this conclusion.
Intrinsic Behavioral and Physiological Differences Among Laboratory Populations of Prairie Deermice

The emphasis of this presentation is that social behavior is basically involved in the curtailment of growth of laboratory populations of prairie deermice through inhibiting influences on the reproductive development and function of population animals. Reproductive inhibition is not directly related to the numbers of animals present per se since physiological characteristics are similar between animals from populations differing widely in density under identical conditions of the physical environment. Thus, density should be interpreted relative to social or other behavioral factors and we should think of animals in a population in a qualitative as well as a quantitative sense. Population growth is controlled either by cessation of reproduction or by mortality of young and while 95% of the young remain reproductively immature and fail to reproduce, the weights and characteristics of their reproductive organs differ dependent upon the mechanism by which population growth is curtailed. Mechanisms of growth curtailment thus develop intrinsically to each population and involve communication through one or more of the senses of touch, smell, sight, hearing or taste. My data suggest that tactile cues from population animals (not necessarily overt aggression) may be of major importance in producing the reproductive retardation observed although chemosignals or other stimuli such as visual or auditory cues may act to slow reproductive recovery of inhibited animals. Data presented support the contention of a behavioral-physiological relationship distinct for each population.
Purification and properties of ovine follicle-stimulating hormone.

Abstract A procedure is described for the purification of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from sheep pituitaries. The method utilized extraction of the glands at pH 4.0, metaphosphate, ammonium sulfate, and alcohol precipitation, and chromatography on CM-cellulose, sulfoethyl-Sephadex C-50, and Sephadex G-100. A yield of 5–6 mg per kilo of glands was obtained which had an activity of 45 times NIH-FSH-S1. The preparation has been analyzed by electrophoretic techniques and shown to be highly purified. The material has also been studied in the ultracentrifuge. Amino acid composition and carbohydrate content have been determined.
Conformational dynamics of threonine 195 and the S1 subsite in functional trypsin variants

Replacing the catalytic serine in trypsin with threonine (S195T variant) leads to a nearly complete loss of catalytic activity, which can be partially restored by eliminating the C42-C58 disulfide bond. The 0.69 μs of combined explicit solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed continuous rearrangement of T195 with different conformational preferences between five trypsin variants tested. Among three conformational families observed for the T195 residue, one showed the T195 hydroxyl in a conformation analogous to that of the serine residue in wild-type trypsin, positioning the hydroxyl oxygen atom for attack on the carbonyl carbon of the peptide substrate. MD simulations demonstrated that this conformation was more populated for the C42A/C58V/S195T and C42A/C58A/S195T triple variants than for the catalytically inactive S195T variant and correlated with restored enzymatic activities for triple variants. In addition, observation of the increased motion of the S214-G219 segment in the S195T substituted variants suggested an existence of open and closed conformations for the substrate binding pocket. The closed conformation precludes access to the S1 binding site and could further reduce enzymatic activities for triple variants. Double variants with intact serine residues (C42A/C58A/S195 and C42A/C58V/S195) also showed interchange between closed and open conformations for the S214-G219 segment, but to a lesser extent than the triple variants. The increased conformational flexibility of the S1 subsite, which was not observed for the wild-type, correlated with reduced enzymatic activities and suggested a possible mode of substrate regulation for the trypsin variants tested.
Precision, repeatability, and validation of the localization of cranial landmarks using computed tomography scans.

Computed tomography (CT) has brought to the craniofacial surgeon a three-dimensional representation of internal structures. CT scans provide visualization of anatomy for preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation. Beyond visualization, however, a CT scan enables assessment of measurements useful to clinicians and basic scientists. All measurement systems used with CT require the ability to accurately locate regions of interest on the image (i.e., areas, volumes, outlines, curves, surfaces, points). This study evaluates the precision and repeatability of locating anatomic landmarks in three dimensions on CT slice images, and validates these locations using an established measurement system. The average error of landmark position is always less than 0.5 mm and for some landmarks error is negligible. Repeatability studies show that less than 2% of the total variance in our data is due to measurement inaccuracy. Although data collected from CT scans are internally consistent, validation results caution the use of CT data in combination with data collected using calipers or other direct means of measurement.
Shock-wave compression of liquid argon to 910 kbar☆

Abstract We present new shock-wave data for liquid argon in the pressure range 400 to 910 kbar, up to nearly three times liquid density. The high temperatures excite sufficient numbers of electrons to affect the pressure and permit an estimate of the conduction band gap at high densities.
The effect of body mass index on survival following heart transplantation: do outcomes support consensus guidelines?

Objective:To determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) at the time of transplant and posttransplant survival and morbidity.Summary Background Data:The recent International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation listing criteria for heart transplantation stated that candidates shou
Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome Related to Antilymphocyte Globulin Therapy

A 21-year-old man developed the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) within five hours of receiving antilymphocyte globulin. No other identifiable cause of ARDS was present. The mechanism for development of acute lung injury is unknown, but may be related either to direct lung cytotoxicity or to complement-mediated leukocyte and platelet destruction with secondary lung injury from inflammatory mediators.
Trophic consequences of a biological invasion: do plant invasions increase predator abundance?

As invasive species become integrated into existing communities, they engage in a wide variety of trophic interactions with other community members. Many of these interactions are direct (e.g. predator–prey interactions or interference competition), but invasive species also can affect native community members indirectly, by influencing the abundances of intermediary species in trophic webs. Observational studies suggest that invasive plant species affect herbivorous arthropod communities and that these effects may flow up trophic webs to influence the abundance of predators. However, few studies have experimentally manipulated the presence of invasive plants to quantify the effects of plant invasion on higher trophic levels. Here, I use comparisons across sites that have or have not been invaded by the invasive plant Medicago polymorpha, combined with experimental removals of Medicago and insect herbivores, to investigate how a plant invasion affects the abundance of predators. Both manipulative and observational experiments showed that Medicago increased the abundance of the exotic herbivore Hypera and predatory spiders, suggesting positive bottom–up effects of plant invasions on higher trophic levels. Path analyses conducted on data from natural habitats revealed that Medicago primarily increased spider abundance through herbivore-mediated indirect pathways. Specifically, Medicago density was positively correlated with the abundance of the dominant herbivore Hypera, and increased Hypera densities were correlated with increased spider abundance. Smaller-scale experimental studies confirmed that Medicago may increase spider abundance through herbivore-mediated indirect pathways, but also showed that the effects of Medicago varied across sites, including having no effect or having direct effects on spider abundance. If effects of invasive species commonly flow through trophic webs, then invasive species have the potential to affect numerous species throughout the community, especially those species whose dynamics are tightly connected to highly-impacted community members through trophic linkages.