cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microanatomy of the cochlear hook

Communication among humans occurs through coding and decoding of acoustic information. The inner ear or cochlea acts as a frequency analyzer and divides the acoustic signal into small frequency bands, which are processed at different sites along the cochlea. The mechano-electrical conversion is accomplished by the soft tissue structures in the cochlea. While the anatomy for most of the cochlea has been well described, a detailed description of the very high frequency and vulnerable cochlear hook region is missing. To study the cochlear hook, mice cochleae were imaged with synchrotron radiation and high-resolution reconstructions have been made from the tomographic scans. This is the first detailed description of the bony and soft tissues of the hook region of the mammalian cochlea.
Basic Cloud Computing Types

Cloud computing’s marquee feature is the availability of all required software on the web. The principal service that provides this feature is Software as a Service (SaaS) and this is the leading type of service on the cloud. Medium sized businesses that have the ability to have computing expertise amongst its work force have the option of selecting Platform as a Service (PaaS). PaaS gives the business the ability to choose applications that fit their needs most by selecting multiple platforms from the cloud provider. Large and niche businesses have the option of selecting only the infrastructure from the cloud provider, thus benefiting from the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) option. In this chapter we will highlight the major benefits and certain drawbacks of these three important services in the cloud. Moreover, the cloud provides different modes in which an organization could benefit. The four basic modes are: public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud and community cloud. Public clouds are the most widely deployed and used by all small and medium sized businesses. Private clouds are predominantly used by large businesses that need to supplement their data centers in a reliable way. Hybrid clouds provide a way for a business to manage certain services in-house and use the cloud for some of their customer facing applications. The community cloud serves a vertical market such as health care or automotive where the users have some common features in their applications. This chapter will address the strengths and weaknesses of these four modes of cloud computing. We will conclude this chapter with a survey of Storage as a Service that is gaining ground as an important cloud service.
An Analysis of a Sample of the General Population's Understanding of Forgiveness: Implications for Mental Health Counselors

Forgiveness can be a long and treacherous process, but it can eventually lead to a better understanding of ourselves, as well as a deeper understanding of the person who hurt us. These interviews have shown the impact of forgiveness in real life. They have reinforced the importance of including forgiveness, or at least parts of the forgiveness process, into our recovery from a deep hurt. By recognizing the opportunity to forgive, [we] may already have a greater understanding of [our] pain and may have the potential to offer forgiveness in a seemingly unhopeful situation.
Abstract 40: The role of pressure-driven flow in invasion and chemoresistance of cancer cells in an engineered breast tumor model

Collapsed blood or lymphatic vessels in the tumor microenvironment often cause fluid buildup, leading to heterogeneous flow throughout the tissue. Here, we used a three-dimensional (3D) engineered tumor model to investigate how fluid flow specifically influences invasion and chemoresistance of breast cancer cells. To mimic breast tumors, we cultured aggregates of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells embedded in 3D collagen channels. Collagen channels were flanked on the ends by two media reservoirs. By changing the relative heights of media in the reservoirs, we controlled the pressure-induced flow experienced by the tumor cell aggregate. We found that the direction of flow through the collagen channel determined the invasive phenotype of the engineered tumor. These analyses will be repeated with the addition of chemotherapy drugs taxol or 5-fluorouracil in the media to determine the effect of fluid flow on chemotherapeutic response. Our engineered tumor model provides insight into how physical forces influence the invasive phenotype of cancer cells. Citation Format: Allison K. Simi, Andreas P. Kourouklis, Alexandra S. Piotrowski-Daspit, Joe Tien, Celeste M. Nelson. The role of pressure-driven flow in invasion and chemoresistance of cancer cells in an engineered breast tumor model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 40.
Osteochondral Lesions of the Knee: Differentiating the Most Common Entities at MRI

Several pathologic conditions may manifest as an osteochondral lesion of the knee that consists of a localized abnormality involving subchondral marrow, subchondral bone, and articular cartilage. Although understanding of these conditions has evolved substantially with the use of high-spatial-resolution MRI and histologic correlation, it is impeded by inconsistent terminology and ambiguous abbreviations. Common entities include acute traumatic osteochondral injuries, subchondral insufficiency fracture, so-called spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee, avascular necrosis, osteochondritis dissecans, and localized osteochondral abnormalities in osteoarthritis. Patient demographics, the clinical presentation, and the role of trauma are critical for differential diagnosis. A localized osteochondral defect can be created acutely or can develop as an end result of several chronic conditions. MRI features that aid in diagnosis include the location and extent of bone marrow edema, the presence of a fracture line, a hypointense area immediately subjacent to the subchondral bone plate, and deformity of the subchondral bone plate. These findings are essential in diagnosis of acute traumatic injuries, subchondral insufficiency fracture, and its potentially irreversible form, spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee. If the lesion consists of a subchondral region demarcated from the surrounding bone, the demarcation should be examined for completeness and the presence of a "double-line sign" that is seen in avascular necrosis or findings of instability, which are important for proper evaluation of osteochondritis dissecans. Subchondral bone plate collapse, demonstrated by the presence of a depression or a fluid-filled cleft, can be seen in advanced stages of both avascular necrosis and subchondral insufficiency fracture, indicating irreversibility. Once the diagnosis is established, it is important to report pertinent MRI findings that may guide treatment of each condition. ©RSNA, 2018 An earlier incorrect version of this article appeared online. This article was corrected on August 23, 2018.
Right Ventricular-Arterial Coupling Ratio Derived From 3-Dimensional Echocardiography Predicts Outcomes in Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is an important determinant of outcomes in pulmonary hypertension (PH). RV-arterial coupling ratio using stroke volume (SV) to end-systolic volume (ESV) ...
Social Construction of Knowledge and the Community of Inquiry Framework

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is a social constructivist model of learning processes in online educational environments. It views learning in such settings as supported by three interacting presences: cognitive presence, the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning in a virtual community of inquiry; social presence, the ability of participants in an online class to project themselves socially and emotionally and correspondingly to perceive each other as “real”; and teaching presence, the design and organization of online classes and the facilitation of learning and direct instruction within them. The presences are commonly measured through content analysis and the use of the CoI survey and the framework has been used around the world to inform both research and practice.
Occipito-Temporal Sensitivity and Emotional Faces in Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract Difficulties in recognizing and processing emotional signals in facial expressions in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) can cause interpersonal problems, discomfort, and anxiety in social situations with significant clinical meaning in promoting alcohol intake and relapse. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight the interaction between neural systems involved in emotional face processing and emotion and reward systems affected in AUD. We propose a model of a distributed brain network that includes basic occipito-temporal visual face processing regions and limbic, striatal, and prefrontal regions underwriting component processes needed for recognizing emotion, assigning valence to stimuli, and exerting inhibitory control to regulate behavior. Altered dynamic interactions among nodes of core visual and mesocorticolimbic systems can provide a mechanistic understanding of the difficulties perceiving emotion in faces. Encoding salience in emotional faces is highly relevant considering how it may impact daily life and social interactions of individuals with AUD.
Metabolic engineering of Clostridium thermocellum for n -butanol production from cellulose

Biofuel production from plant cell walls offers the potential for sustainable and economically attractive alternatives to petroleum-based products. In particular, Clostridium thermocellum is a promising host for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) because of its strong native ability to ferment cellulose. We tested 12 different enzyme combinations to identify an n-butanol pathway with high titer and thermostability in C. thermocellum. The best producing strain contained the thiolase–hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase–crotonase (Thl-Hbd-Crt) module from Thermoanaerobacter thermosaccharolyticum, the trans-enoyl-CoA reductase (Ter) enzyme from Spirochaeta thermophila and the butyraldehyde dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase (Bad-Bdh) module from Thermoanaerobacter sp. X514 and was able to produce 88 mg/L n-butanol. The key enzymes from this combination were further optimized by protein engineering. The Thl enzyme was engineered by introducing homologous mutations previously identified in Clostridium acetobutylicum. The Hbd and Ter enzymes were engineered for changes in cofactor specificity using the CSR-SALAD algorithm to guide the selection of mutations. The cofactor engineering of Hbd had the unexpected side effect of also increasing activity by 50-fold. Here we report engineering C. thermocellum to produce n-butanol. Our initial pathway designs resulted in low levels (88 mg/L) of n-butanol production. By engineering the protein sequence of key enzymes in the pathway, we increased the n-butanol titer by 2.2-fold. We further increased n-butanol production by adding ethanol to the growth media. By combining all these improvements, the engineered strain was able to produce 357 mg/L of n-butanol from cellulose within 120 h.
Genes derived from ancient polyploidy have higher genetic diversity and are associated with domestication in Brassica rapa

Many crops are polyploid or have a polyploid ancestry. Recent phylogenetic analyses have found that polyploidy often preceded the domestication of crop plants. One explanation for this observation is that increased genetic diversity following polyploidy may have been important during the strong artificial selection that occurs during domestication. To test the connection between domestication and polyploidy, we identified and examined candidate genes associated with the domestication of the diverse crops of Brassica rapa. Like all "diploid" flowering plants, B. rapa has a diploidized paleopolyploid genome and experienced many rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD). We analyzed transcriptome data of more than hundred cultivated B. rapa accessions. Using a combination of approaches, we identified more than 3,000 candidate genes associated with the domestication of four major B. rapa crops. Consistent with our expectation, we found that the candidate genes were significantly enriched with genes derived from the Brassiceae mesohexaploidy. We also observed that paleologs contained significantly more genetic diversity than non-paleologs, suggesting that elevated genetic variation may explain why paleologs are enriched among domestication candidate genes. Our analyses demonstrate the key role of polyploidy in the domestication of B. rapa and provide support for its importance in the success of modern agriculture.
Contraria sunt complementa o los Orbes del sueño de Clara Janés

In Orbes del sueno, Clara Janes offers a sample of the “orbs” that dreaming makes accessible, all of which are somewhat associated with areas in physics (hidden variables, quantum indivisibility and entanglements, multiple universes, relativity, wave function, supersymmetry, chaos theories…). In these formulations, the author finds parallels with subjective and internal experiences. Poems articulate encounters between poles that are traditionally opposed and mutually exclusive (subject/object, body/mind, inside/outside…) exemplifying Niels Bohr’s complementarity princile by which it becomes possible to elucidate the perceptual content of the phenomenon. The more the poetic speaker inserts herself into the cosmic web, the more she experiences a love-like relationship with the creativity of the cosmos and apprehends the life that it sustains.
Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy

Adjuvant endocrine therapy is a mainstay of treatment for women with hormone-receptor (estrogen-receptor and/or progesterone-receptor) expressing breast cancers. Extensive clinical trials over decades have demonstrated compelling improvements in overall survival and disease-free survival with use of adjuvant endocrine therapy. Along with implementation of widespread screening mammography programs, use of adjuvant endocrine therapy has contributed substantially to the decline in breast cancer mortality seen in the US and other developed societies. Around the world, it is likely that adjuvant endocrine treatment has contributed more to the reduction in cancer mortality than any other therapy employed in medical oncology. This chapter provides an overview of current adjuvant endocrine approaches to breast cancer therapy.
Marked Elevation of Lipase in COVID-19 Disease: A Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health crisis. Possible pancreatic involvement has recently been observed in these patients; however, its significance is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of significantly elevated lipase with disease outcomes. METHODS: Data about demographics, symptoms, laboratory values, and clinical outcomes were collected for 1,003 consecutive patients testing positive for COVID-19. Elevated lipase was defined as greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (>3 × ULN). Baseline characteristics among patients with or without elevated lipase were compared using Fisher exact test or Student t-test for categorical or numerical variables, respectively. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of lipase levels with primary clinical outcomes (intensive care unit admission and intubation) adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, history of diabetes, and hypertension. RESULTS: Of 1,003 patients with COVID-19, 83 had available lipase levels and were all admitted to the hospital. Of 83, 14 (16.8%) had elevated lipase (>3 × ULN), which was associated with higher rates of leukocytosis (P < 0.001) and abnormal liver enzymes (P < 0.01). Compared with lower lipase levels (<3 × ULN), patients with elevated lipase had higher rates of ICU admission (92.9% vs 32.8%; P < 0.001) and intubation (78.6% vs 23.5%; P 0.002). In a multivariable-adjusted model, higher lipase levels were significantly associated with admission to the ICU and rate of intubation. DISCUSSION: Lipase elevation is seen in COVID-19 and is associated with worse disease outcomes.
Non-lactate strong ion difference and cardiovascular, cancer and all-cause mortality.

Objectives Non-lactate strong ion difference (SID) has been shown to be associated with predictors of mortality in intensive care unit. However, the existence of any association between non-lactate SID (nlSID) and all cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality has not been explored before in community dwelling US adults. Methods In a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of the US non-institutionalized population, all adult participants (≥20 years of age) using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (1999-2010) combined with National Death Index for mortality status through December 2011. Cox proportional hazard models were built to estimate the hazard ratios for cardiovascular, cancer, and all-cause mortality for each unit increase in non-lactate SID. The models were adjusted for demographic and confounder variables Results In the study population the mean (SD) age was 49.6 (18.4) years. Of the study population, 31,475 (91.5%) were alive and 2,893 (8.4%) died during the mean (SD) follow-up period of 5.5 (3.5) years. In univariate regression model using nlSID as continuous variable, we found 2% (unadjusted hazard ratio, HR=1.02; 95% CI, 1.004-1.05) increase in all-cause but not in cardiovascular and cancer mortality (HR=1.03; 95% CI, 0.99-1.08, HR=1.01; 95% CI, 0.97-1.06). After adjusting for potential confounders, we found 7% (adjusted HR=1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.10), 5% (HR=1.05; 95% CI, 1.00-1.11) and 7% (HR=1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12) increase in all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Conclusions A high nlSID is associated with an increase in cardiovascular, cancer and all-cause mortality and may be a prognostic indicator of mortality in general adult population. These findings may provide a point of reference for further studies.
Making trains from boxcars: studying conflict and conflict management interdependencies

Research on international conflict management remains largely siloed, with studies omitting conflict events and focusing on disparate conflict management strategies (e.g., mediation, or peacekeepin...
Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America: Misunderstanding Jews and Jew Hatred

Beyond playing the First Amendment card, the University of California at Irvine publicly responded to the Zionist Organization of America’s (ZOA’s) complaint with a frontal assault on the 2004 Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (OCR) policy, flatly insisting that “Title VI does not apply to allegations of anti-Semitism.” UC-Irvine administrators reasoned that “religion is not a protected class for purposes of Title VI.” Additionally, the school argued that Shaare Tefila held that “Jewish” constitutes a “race” only for purposes of § 1982. The Court “specifically rested its holding on the fact that when the Civil Rights Act of 1866, of which § 1982 is a part, was enacted, ‘Jews … were among the peoples then considered to be distinct races and hence within the protection of the statute.’” By 1964, Irvine notes, “race theory had developed dramatically,” and Jews were no longer considered a race. Moreover, Irvine argued that Congress’s inclusion of religion in Title VII of the 1964 Act “indicates that had Congress desired to also make religion a protected class under Title VI, it knew that it needed to do so specifically.” Irvine also denies that it has discriminated against any student. ZOA responded that Jews are a protected class under Title VI as both a religious minority and a national origin group. ZOA conceded that the term “religion” “is not expressly included in the language of Title VI” but nevertheless argued that “the legislative history of the statute suggests that Congress intended that religious discrimination be included.” In support of this counterintuitive theory, ZOA cited a substantial number of sources that include religious discrimination in a recitation of discriminatory grounds prohibited by Title VI ZOA also argued that Jews are protected under the broad interpretation that some lower courts have given to the term “national origin” (notwithstanding the narrow construction that the U.S. Supreme Court had established).
The Endocannabinoid Anandamide Attenuates Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome by Downregulating miRNA that Target Inflammatory Pathways.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is defined as a type of respiratory failure that is caused by a variety of insults such as pneumonia, sepsis, trauma and certain viral infections. In this study, we investigated the effect of an endocannabinoid, anandamide (AEA), on ARDS induced in the mouse by Staphylococcus Enterotoxin B (SEB). Administration of a single intranasal dose of SEB in mice and treated with exogenous AEA at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight led to the amelioration of ARDS in mice. Clinically, plethysmography results indicated that there was an improvement in lung function after AEA treatment accompanied by a decrease of inflammatory cell infiltrate. There was also a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, and immune cells including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Vβ8+ T cells, and NK+ T cells in the lungs. Concurrently, an increase in anti-inflammatory phenotypes such as CD11b + Gr1+ Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs), CD4 + FOXP3 + Tregs, and CD4+IL10 + cells was observed in the lungs. Microarray data showed that AEA treatment in ARDS mice significantly altered numerous miRNA including downregulation of miRNA-23a-3p, which caused an upregulation of arginase (ARG1), which encodes for arginase, a marker for MDSCs, as well as TGF-β2, which induces Tregs. AEA also caused down-regulation of miRNA-34a-5p which led to induction of FoxP3, a master regulator of Tregs. Transfection of T cells using miRNA-23a-3p or miRNA-34a-5p mimics and inhibitors confirmed that these miRNAs targeted ARG1, TGFβ2 and FoxP3. In conclusion, the data obtained from this study suggests that endocannabinoids such as AEA can attenuate ARDS induced by SEB by suppressing inflammation through down-regulation of key miRNA that regulate immunosuppressive pathways involving the induction of MDSCs and Tregs.
Multiple organ involvement and ICU considerations for the care of acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) in children

Liver disease results in approximately 15,000 pediatric hospitalizations per year in the United States and is a significant burden to child health. Major etiologies of liver failure and indications for transplantation in children include: biliary atresia, metabolic/genetic conditions, toxins, infections, tumors, and immune-mediated liver/biliary injury. Children requiring transplantation are placed on the United Network of Organ Sharing waitlist including those with acute liver failure (ALF) and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). ALF is a clinical syndrome in which a previously healthy child develops rapid-onset hepatic dysfunction, and becomes critically ill with multiple organ dysfunction within days. ACLF, by contrast, is generally described as an acute decompensation of pre-existing chronic liver disease (CLD) brought on by a precipitating event, with higher risk of mortality. Children with ALF and ACLF receive multidisciplinary care in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) due to multiple organ system involvement and high risk of decompensation in these patients. The care of these patients requires a holistic approach that addresses the complex interplay between hepatic and extra-hepatic organ systems. This review will define and describe ALF and ACLF in the pediatric population, and outline the effects of ALF and ACLF on individual organ systems with diagnostic and management considerations in the ICU while awaiting liver transplantation.
Will Automated Trucks Trigger the Blame Game and Socially Amplify Risks

This study explores how US car drivers respond to a hypothetical but plausible news story about an incident involving an automated truck. We also evaluate the degree to which drivers intend to communicate risk perception through word of mouth and social media. Although industry expects automated trucks to increase safety, lower energy consumption, and alleviate transportation bottlenecks, prior studies of public perception of automated trucks have identified concerns about safety and job losses. We employed a between-subjects experiment to evaluate both the perception of risk and blame and the intent to communicate concerns by word of mouth and social media. Participants were exposed to a hypothetical news story regarding an automated truck accident without including cues on fault. The appearance of the truck was varied between experiment conditions, testing both human-driven and automated trucks. While we successfully manipulated perceptions of the design of the truck using several areas of literature, we did not find distinct risk and communication responses between different designs of the truck. We did find substantial differences in risk perception, blame, and intent to communicate risk between a human-driven and automated truck in an otherwise identical scenario.
Nonlinear Feature Selection by Relevance Feature Vector Machine

Support vector machine (SVM) has received much attention in feature selection recently because of its ability to incorporate kernels to discover nonlinear dependencies between features. However it is known that the number of support vectors required in SVM typically grows linearly with the size of the training data set. Such a limitation of SVM becomes more critical when we need to select a small subset of relevant features from a very large number of candidates. To solve this issue, this paper proposes a novel algorithm, called the `relevance feature vector machine'(RFVM), for nonlinear feature selection. The RFVM algorithm utilizes a highly sparse learning algorithm, the relevance vector machine (RVM), and incorporates kernels to extract important features with both linear and nonlinear relationships. As a result, our proposed approach can reduce many false alarms, e.g. including irrelevant features, while still maintain good selection performance. We compare the performances between RFVM and other state of the art nonlinear feature selection algorithms in our experiments. The results confirm our conclusions.
Wear properties of two-phase Al2O3/ZrO2 (Y2O3) ceramics at temperatures from 296 to 1073 K

Abstract Reciprocating sliding friction experiments were conducted with various two-phase, directionally solidified Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) pins sliding on B 4 C flats in air at temperatures of 296, 873, and 1073 K under dry sliding conditions. Results indicate that all the Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) ceramics, from highly Al 2 O 3 -rich to ZrO 2 -rich, exceed the main wear criterion requirement of 10 −6 mm 3 N −1 m −1 or lower for effective wear-resistant applications. Particularly, the eutectics and Al 2 O 3 -rich ceramics showed superior wear properties. The composition and microstructure of Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2 (Y 2 O 3 ) ceramics played a dominant role in controlling the wear and friction properties. The controlling mechanism of the ceramic wear, friction, and hardness was an intrinsic effect involving the resistance to shear fracture of heterophase bonding and cohesive bonding and the interlocking microstructures at different scales in the ceramics.
Widespread shifts in the demographic structure of subalpine forests in the Sierra Nevada, California, 1934 to 2007

Aim Many climate-linked vegetation models predict major contraction of subalpine forests within the next 100 years, which would require a relatively rapid replacement of high-elevation species by lower-elevation species over large portions of subalpine forest. We tested this prediction by comparing empirical data from a historic data set with data collected from re-sampled sites from 2007–09. Location Central Sierra Nevada, CA, USA, 2300–3400 m elevation. Methods We re-sampled 139 undisturbed historical vegetation plots across 5500 km2 originally sampled from 1929–34 in the subalpine zone of the Sierra Nevada, and compared historical with current forest structure and composition. We compared historic and modern climatic conditions using two high-elevation climate stations nearby. Results Subalpine forests experienced a net increase in tree stem density of 30.4%, including a 63.3% increase in small trees. Six of eight tree species showed statistically significant increases in small tree density, including species with distributions at both the upper and lower boundaries of subalpine. Increases in small tree density were partly offset by a 20% decrease in large trees. These shifts were significant throughout the landscape of our study area. Modern stand composition was indistinguishable from historical composition. Daily minimum temperature (+ 1.2°C) and precipitation (+ 15–48%) both increased during the same period. Main conclusions Warming temperatures plus steady to increasing precipitation have led to less stressful conditions for recruitment and survival of small trees, and are probably contributing to increased mortality of large trees. Tree abundance and composition in the subalpine has not changed in the direction predicted by vegetation models linked to future climate scenarios. Our results underline the fundamental role that moisture balance plays in structuring mediterranean-zone montane forests. Future shifts in vegetation composition and structure from these regions are likely to depend on interactions between water balance and disturbance factors like fire, insects and disease.
Binding of thallium and other cations to the gramicidin A channel. Equilibrium dialysis study of gramicidin in phosphatidylcholine vesicles.

Abstract Gramicidin A is a linear peptide antibiotic which forms dimer transmembrane channels selective for small monovalent cations, including thallium ions (Tl + ) which are strongly bound. While there is great interest in the number of ion-binding sites per channel and the affinities of the sites for the various cations, measurements of the kinetics of ion permeation yield these equilibrium parameters only as indirect estimates dependent on the model assumed for the channel. Sonicated lipid vesicles. containing 1 mole of gramicidin per 30 moles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. can be prepared with 5 m m -gramicidin. Evidence from our previous spectroscopic studies strongly supports the belief that this gramicidin is in the form of symmetrical dimer channels. Lipid vesicles containing gramicidin were dialyzed against control vesicles without gramicidin in the presence of a constant amount of radioactive 201 Tl + and increasing amounts of non-radioactive Tl + . The ratio of 201 Tl + free in solution to 201 Tl + bound to the channel was measured after equilibrium (≥ 48 h) at 23 °C, and this ratio was plotted as a function of the free Tl + concentration. The inverse of the slope yielded 0.8 to 1.1 for the maximum number of simultaneously occupied highest affinity sites per channel, and the inverse of the intercept yielded a highest affinity constant of 500 to 1000 m −1 for each site. It appears that direct electrostatic repulsion prevents ions from binding simultaneously to the identical channel ends for thallium ion concentrations up to 20 m m . Estimates of the highest affinity constants for Rb + and Na + were also obtained.
Knowledge Acquisition and Its Impact on Competitiveness

Knowledge acquisition begins with identifying knowledge in an organization's external environment and concludes with transforming that knowledge into a representation that can be used by the organization. This can manifest as any of 10 kinds of activities belonging to the knowledge acquisition class. This paper identifies and tests each kind of knowledge acquisition activity and finds empirical support for the propositions that the kinds of activities in the knowledge acquisition class can be performed in ways contributing to an organization's competitiveness. Additionally, for 9 of the 10 knowledge acquisition activities, the study offers empirical support that when technology is more important in the way activities are performed, those activities yield more strongly positive competitive impacts. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pedicled vascularized bone grafts for scaphoid and lunate reconstruction.

Abstract Conventional bone grafts have some osteogenic potential, whereas vascularized bone grafts retain live, functional osteocytes and osteoblasts. High rates of scaphoid union have been achieved with conventional bone grafting in the absence of osteonecrosis or prior surgery. Vascularized bone grafting is valuable in the management of wrist disorders with compromised bone vascularity (eg, scaphoid nonunion with proximal pole necrosis, Preiser disease, Kienbock disease) or when previous grafting has failed. Improved understanding of the vascular anatomy of the wrist has allowed the use of an array of vascularized bone grafts that do not require microsurgical anastomosis. Successful outcome depends on careful patient selection and appropriate surgical technique.
Explicit upper bound for the Weil-Petersson volumes

An explicit upper bound for the Weil-Petersson volumes of the moduli spaces of punctured Riemann surfaces is obtained, using Penner's combinatorial integration scheme with embedded trivalent graphs. It is shown that for a fixed number of punctures n and for genus g going to infinity, the Weil-Petersson volume of M_{g,n} has an upper bound c^g g^{2g}. Here c is an independent of n constant, which is given explicitly.
What is the Exclusion Problem

The philosophical literature contains at least three formulations of the problem of causal exclusion. Although each of the three most common formulations targets theories according to which some effects have ‘too many determiners’, no one is reducible to either of the others. This article proposes two ‘new’ exclusion problems and suggests that exclusion is not a single problem but a family of problems unified by the situations they problematize. It is shown, further, that for three of the most popular attempts to solve one or another of the ‘old’ problems, each remains vulnerable to one of the ‘new’ exclusion problems.
Very high-Q inductors using RF-MEMS technology for System-On-Package wireless communication integrated module

We present the fabrication and the characterization of very high-Q suspended RF-MEMS inductors for RF applications in C-band, X-band and Ku-band. The fabrication technique relies on conventional MEMS micro-machining on a low cost ceramic RF substrate. This low temperature, low cost manufacturing technique is therefore compatible with the fabrication of a complete S-O-P wireless integrated module. A physical based model of the inductors is presented. It takes into account the influence of substrate losses and radiation losses. The fabricated devices exhibit very high performances such as Q above 100 and self-resonance frequency as high as 50 GHz.
Reduction of osmium(VIII) to osmium(II) by reaction with an olefin and EDTA. Formation of an OSII—EDTA complex

Abstract The complex Na6H4[OSII(EDTA)3] is formed by reaction between osmium tetroxide, an olefin and EDTA. The same complex is produced by reaction between potassium osmate and EDTA. The EDTA analogue, trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′- tetraacetate, forms a similar complex.
Radiometric effects on absorbing microspheres

Abstract In this experimental and theoretical study of the radiation pressure on a microsphere and the radiant heating of that object due to illumination by a polarized laser beam it is shown that the radiation pressure can be measured directly by means of particle levitation in an electrodynamic balance. It is also demonstrated that the complex refractive index of an absorbing microsphere can be determined by comparison of the radiation pressure with theoretical calculations of the absorption and scattering cross sections. In addition, the complex refractive index of a weakly absorbing microdroplet is obtained by comparing measured evaporation rates with theoretical predictions based on computations of the internal heat source and solution of the governing energy equation. It is estimated that an imaginary component of the complex refractive index as small at 10−8 can be determined in this way.
Phorbol ester stimulation of phosphatidylcholine synthesis requires expression of both protein kinase C-α and phospholipase D

The protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulates both the synthesis and phospholipase D (PLD)-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho). Here, attached and suspended NIH 3T3 fibroblasts as well as variants of the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line expressing PKC-alpha and a PtdCho-specific PLD activity at widely different levels were used to determine the possible role of PKC-alpha, PtdCho hydrolysis, and choline uptake in the mediation of PMA effect on PtdCho synthesis. In wild-type MCF-7 cells, which express both PKC-alpha and PLD activities at very low levels, PMA had little effects on the uptake or incorporation [14C]choline into PtdCho. In multidrug resistant MCF-7/MDR1 cells, which highly express PKC-alpha but lack the PtdCho-specific PLD activity, 100-nM PMA had relatively small stimulatory effects on the uptake of [14C]choline (approximately 1.5-fold) and [14C]PtdCho synthesis (1.5- to 2-fold). In NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and MCF-7/PKC-alpha cells, both expressing PKC-alpha and PLD activities at high levels, 10-100-nM PMA enhanced [14C]choline uptake only slightly (1.7- to 2.2-fold), while it had much greater (approximately 4-9-fold) stimulatory effects on PtdCho synthesis. PMA significantly enhanced the formation of phosphatidic acid (PtdOH) in MCF-7/PKC-alpha cells (2.8-fold increase), but not in MCF-7/MDR1 cells (1.4-fold increase), while in both cell lines it had only small (1.3-1.5-fold) stimulatory effects on 1,2-diacylglycerol (1, 2-DAG) formation. In suspended NIH 3T3 cells, 200-300-mM ethanol blocked the stimulatory effect of PMA on PtdOH formation without affecting PtdCho synthesis indicating that neither PtdOH nor 1,2-DAG derived from it is a mediator of PMA effect on PtdCho synthesis. In attached NIH 3T3 cells, dimethylbenz[a]anthracene enhanced phosphocholine formation and, thus, choline uptake without increasing PtdCho synthesis or modifying the effect of PMA. While the results indicate that the stimulatory effect of PMA on PtdCho synthesis requires the expression of both PKC-alpha and a PtdCho-specific PLD, they do not support a role for 1,2-DAG, PtdOH or choline in the mediation of PMA effect.
WE-C-103-11: Impact of Patient Parameters On the Repeatability of DCE-CT Kinetic Analysis

Purpose: A mixed‐effects model can separate and quantify effects according to randomness and measurable patient parameters such as weight or blood pressure. Using data acquired with a high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and limited patient motion in test‐retest‐retest scanning, we investigated the impact of various patient parameters on the repeatability of dynamic contrast enhanced CT (DCE‐CT) kinetic analysis. Methods: Eleven canine patients with sinonasal tumors received three pre‐treatment DCE‐CT scans on consecutive days. To ensure sub‐millimeter reproducibility, patients were anesthetized and immobilized with a patient‐specific bite‐block, dental mold, and vacuum mattress. Kinetic analysis was performed using the distributed parameter model to compute values for blood flow (F), blood volume ratio (BVR), transit time, and permeability (PER). The repeatability of each parameter was evaluated by the Bland‐Altman repeatability coefficient. The impact of patient parameters was determined by a hierarchical mixed‐effects model. Results: The repeatability coefficients were calculated for F (45%), BVR (39%), transit time (29%), and PER (37%). Between patients, the patient parameters with significant influence on the kinetic parameters were patient weight, area underneath the curve (AUC) of the artery, and AUC of the vein (p<0.05). However, within a patient, patient weight did not have a prominent bearing on the repeatability as it was found stable with a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 2%. As the AUC of the artery increased by one SEM, F decreased by 24% and BVR by 40%. In addition, PS decreased by 14% when the AUC of the vein increased by one SEM. Conclusion: Despite high SNR and limited patient motion, the AUCs of the artery and vein had a notable impact on the repeatability within patients for F, BVR, and PER. This indicates the need for reliable vessel selection in order to minimize kinetic analysis uncertainty.
Grammatical pattern learning by human infants and cotton-top tamarin monkeys

There is a surprising degree of overlapping structure evident across the languages of the world. One factor leading to cross-linguistic similarities may be constraints on human learning abilities. Linguistic structures that are easier for infants to learn should predominate in human languages. If correct, then (a) human infants should more readily acquire structures that are consistent with the form of natural language, whereas (b) non-human primates' patterns of learning should be less tightly linked to the structure of human languages. Prior experiments have not directly compared laboratory-based learning of grammatical structures by human infants and non-human primates, especially under comparable testing conditions and with similar materials. Five experiments with 12-month-old human infants and adult cotton-top tamarin monkeys addressed these predictions, employing comparable methods (familiarization-discrimination) and materials. Infants rapidly acquired complex grammatical structures by using statistically predictive patterns, failing to learn structures that lacked such patterns. In contrast, the tamarins only exploited predictive patterns when learning relatively simple grammatical structures. Infant learning abilities may serve both to facilitate natural language acquisition and to impose constraints on the structure of human languages.
Comparison of void volume, mobile phase volume and accessible volume determined from retention data for oligomers in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic systems

The experimental technique of mass spectrometric tracer pulse chromatography was used to determine the void volume, i.e., the total volume of eluent in the column, and the volume of eluent moving freely through the column, i.e., mobile phase volume, for a series of eluents with a C(18)-bonded RPLC column. The interstitial volume of the column was determined by size exclusion chromatography. In order to evaluate the utility of the accessible volumes determined from the retention volumes of homologous solutes, the accessible volume of the column was determined as a function of eluent composition and temperature with polystyrene and polyethylene glycol samples using Martin's Rule. Comparison of these four measured volumes indicated that the experimentally measured accessible volumes did not correspond to either the void volumes, mobile phase volumes or interstitial volumes.
Evaluative and skin-conductance responses to Renaissance and 20th-century paintings

Normative data on paintings from two periods are reported. Subjects rated the pleasingness and interestingness of 60 Renaissance and 60 20th-century (abstract) works, and indicated how much they wished to own a reproduction of each painting. Skin-conductance changes elicited by the paintings were also assessed. The data may facilitate the inclusion of real works of art in future experiments involving visual aesthetic materials (on either the independent- or the dependent-variable side) and are relevant for the research on some motivational and cognitive issues of current interest in the psychology of art.
Inside insider trading: patterns & discoveries from a large scale exploratory analysis

How do company insiders trade? Do their trading behaviors differ based on their roles (e.g., CEO vs. CFO)? Do those behaviors change over time (e.g., impacted by the 2008 market crash)? Can we identify insiders who have similar trading behaviors? And what does that tell us? This work presents the first academic, large-scale exploratory study of insider filings and related data, based on the complete Form 4 fillings from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We analyzed 12 million transactions by 370 thousand insiders spanning 1986 to 2012, the largest reported in academia. We explore the temporal and network-centric aspects of the trading behaviors of insiders, and make surprising and counter-intuitive discoveries. We study how the trading behaviors of insiders differ based on their roles in their companies, the transaction types, the company sectors, and their relationships with other insiders. Our work raises exciting research questions and opens up many opportunities for future studies. Most importantly, we believe our work could form the basis of novel tools for financial regulators and policymakers to detect illegal insider trading, help them understand the dynamics of the trades and enable them to adapt their detection strategies towards these dynamics.
Electron Acceleration in the Heart of the Van Allen Radiation Belts

The Van Allen radiation belts contain ultrarelativistic electrons trapped in Earth's magnetic field. Since their discovery in 1958, a fundamental unanswered question has been how electrons can be accelerated to such high energies. Two classes of processes have been proposed: transport and acceleration of electrons from a source population located outside the radiation belts (radial acceleration) or acceleration of lower-energy electrons to relativistic energies in situ in the heart of the radiation belts (local acceleration). We report measurements from NASA's Van Allen Radiation Belt Storm Probes that clearly distinguish between the two types of acceleration. The observed radial profiles of phase space density are characteristic of local acceleration in the heart of the radiation belts and are inconsistent with a predominantly radial acceleration process.
The formulation of a leadership development praxis: linking intentions to outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to formulate a leadership development praxis by integrating the theories of human agency and goal setting within an experiential framework.Design/methodology/approach – Definitional and conceptual distinctions are made between leader and leadership development: this conceptual clarity allows for the development and explication of three interrelated propositions.Findings – The analysis suggests that although each proposition focuses on a different phenomenon, level of analysis, and level of abstraction, these phenomena are connected, consistent with one another, and consistent with the conceptualization of leadership development provided herein; that is, leadership development is an active, intentional forward‐looking process that seeks to enhance the collective capacity of organizational members and the organization through human‐centered, goal‐inspired relationships.Practical implications – The present research has direct implications for leadership development educ...