cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a compact, battery powered, and fiber optic controlled remotely operated vehicle

Developed for the 4 Annual Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) competition, Tim the ROV was designed and built by MIT's ROV team to compete in the Explorer Class division. Capable of operating at depths of 40 feet and completing tasks such as fluid collection, temperature measurements, and object retrieval in less than 30 minutes, Tim was designed to be small and highly maneuverable. To aid in maneuverability, Tim is equipped with on-board power and a passive-spooling, single-strand fiber optic tether. Tim's compact layout and powerful thrusters also contribute to the main design goal - build a small, highly maneuverable ROV capable of competing in the MATE ROV competition.
Contrasting mean vertical motion from tilt correction methods and mass continuity

Mean vertical motion is computed from 3D sonic anemometer measurements using three different tilt correction methods. The mean vertical motion is sensitive to the choice of tilt correction method. For a given tilt correction approach, the mean vertical motion is sensitive to the time-scale chosen for averaging the wind components. The mean vertical motion is also computed from mass continuity using the horizontal divergence estimated from a network of 2Dsonicanemometers. Theestimatebasedonmasscontinuityismoreinagreement withthesubsidenceexpectedfromthedecrease of roughness in the downwind direction at the site. Because all the tilt correction methods assume that the long-term mean vertical motion is zero, albeit in different forms, theyfail to reproduce thevertical motion based on the persistent horizontal divergence. The meanvertical motion from the mass continuity equation has much less scatter compared to that based on the 3D sonic anemometer. However, the magnitude of the divergence can be dependent on the spatial scale over which the horizontal gradients are calculated. The eddyflux,storageand advectionterms inthebudgetequation fornet ecosystemexchangeof carbonareevaluated. Estimates of advection of carbon dioxide based on mass continuity are more plausible than estimates based on the tilt correction methods. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Efficiently Extracting Operational Profiles from Execution Logs Using Suffix Arrays

An important software reliability engineering tool is operational profiles. In this paper we propose a cost effective automated approach for creating second generation operational profiles using execution logs of a software product. Our algorithm parses the execution logs into sequences of events and produces an ordered list of all possible subsequences by constructing a suffix-array of the events. The difficulty in using execution logs is that the amount of data that needs to be analyzed is often extremely large (more than a million records per day in many applications). Our approach is very efficient. We show that our approach requires O(N) in space and time to discover all possible patterns in N events. We discuss a practical implementation of the algorithm in the context of the logs from a large cloud computing system.
Raman intensities near second‐order transitions. Part II‐tris‐(sarcosine)calcium chloride

The theory of light-scattering intensities originally discussed by Fleury and developed recently by the present authors for LaP5O14 was applied to the second-order ferroelectric phase transition in tris(sarcosine)calcium chloride, (CH3NHCH2COOH)3CaCl2· It was found that the combination of critical exponents 2β-γ′ = +0.05 ± 0.002; this is in good agreement with mean field theory, which predicts exactly zero, and sets strict limits on the intensity (small) of any dynamic central mode near the Curie temperature Tc. To′, the transition temperature extrapolated from soft-mode frequency squared vs. temperature, was found to be 131.5 ± 0.1 K, about 1 K above Tc, demonstrating weak acousto-optic coupling.
Bubble Growth During Decompression of a Liquid

The solution of the diffusion equation in spherical coordinates subject to time-dependent boundary conditions is derived. The solution can be employed to describe the growth of either a diffusion-controlled gas bubble or a heat transfer-controlled vapor bubble provided that convection effect is negligible. It is shown that the Epstein-Plesset solution for a gas bubble in a constant pressure field and the Jones-Zuber solution in a Cartesian coordinate system for a vapor bubble in a variable pressure field are special cases of the present solution. Numerical results obtained from the present analysis compare favorably with available experimental data for the growth of both gas and vapor bubbles during decompression processes.
Betaglycan can act as a dual modulator of TGF-beta access to signaling receptors: mapping of ligand binding and GAG attachment sites

Betaglycan, also known as the TGF-beta type III receptor, is a membrane-anchored proteoglycan that presents TGF-beta to the type II signaling receptor, a transmembrane serine/threonine kinase. The betaglycan extracellular region, which can be shed by cells into the medium, contains a NH2-terminal domain related to endoglin and a COOH-terminal domain related to uromodulin, sperm receptors Zp2 and 3, and pancreatic secretory granule GP-2 protein. We identified residues Ser535 and Ser546 in the uromodulin-related region as the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) attachment sites. Their mutation to alanine prevents GAG attachment but does not interfere with betaglycan stability or ability to bind and present TGF-beta to receptor II. Using a panel of deletion mutants, we found that TGF-beta binds to the NH2-terminal endoglin-related region of betaglycan. The remainder of the extracellular domain and the cytoplasmic domain are not required for presentation of TGF-beta to receptor II; however, membrane anchorage is required. Soluble betaglycan can bind TGF-beta but does not enhance binding to membrane receptors. In fact, recombinant soluble betaglycan acts as potent inhibitor of TGF-beta binding to membrane receptors and blocks TGF-beta action, this effect being particularly pronounced with the TGF-beta 2 isoform. The results suggest that release of betaglycan into the medium converts this enhancer of TGF-beta action into a TGF-beta antagonist.
Effect of Instructor-Personalized Multimedia in the Online Classroom

There is considerable evidence that well-designed multimedia resources can enhance learning outcomes, yet there is little information on the role of multimedia in influencing essential motivational variables, such as student engagement. The current study examines the impact of instructor-personalized multimedia supplements on student engagement in an introductory, college-level online course. A comparison of student engagement between courses that feature increasing numbers of instructor-personalized multimedia components reveals conflicting evidence. While qualitative student feedback indicates enhanced engagement as a function of instructor-generated multimedia supplements, quantitative data reports no significant differences in engagement or learning between the various levels of multimedia inclusion. Findings highlight the complexity surrounding the appropriate use of multimedia within an online course. University policy-makers and instructors are cautioned to examine carefully the cost-benefit ratio of multimedia inclusion for online learning environments.
Advocacy: Emphasizing the Uncommon about the Common Core State Standards.

The author describes key issues and uncommon concerns about the Common Core State Standards that fit within two categories: philosophical and pedagogical. Philosophically, Common Core State K-12 St...
Computational Tools for the Interactive Exploration of Proteomic and Structural Data

Linking proteomics and structural data is critical to our understanding of cellular processes, and interactive exploration of these complementary data sets can be extremely valuable for developing or confirming hypotheses in silico. However, few computational tools facilitate linking these types of data interactively. In addition, the tools that do exist are neither well understood nor widely used by the proteomics or structural biology communities. We briefly describe several relevant tools, and then, using three scenarios, we present in depth two tools for the integrated exploration of proteomics and structural data.
Grading Renal Cell Carcinoma: The International Society of Urological Pathology Grading System

HISTOLOGICAL grade of renal cell carcinoma has long been linked to outcome for patients with renal cell carcinoma and, indeed, is one of the most powerful prognostic indicators for this malignancy. Over the years a variety of histological features have been used in the assignment of renal cell carcinoma histological grade, including tumor architecture, mitotic rate, cellular morphology, tumor necrosis, nuclear pleomorphism, and nuclear and nucleolar enlargement. The Fuhrman grading system, used by pathologists around the world, is based on nuclear size, nuclear shape, nucleolar size and nuclear pleomorphism. In practice, however, many pathologists rely on assessment of nucleolar prominence alone and it has been proposed that the grading of clear cell renal cell carcinoma should be based on nucleolar prominence. Recently, the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) held a consensus conference on the classification, prognostic factors, staging, and immunohistochemical and molecular assessment
Large non-gaussianity in axion inflation.

The inflationary paradigm has enjoyed phenomenological success; however, a compelling particle physics realization is still lacking. Axions are among the best-motivated inflaton candidates, since the flatness of their potential is naturally protected by a shift symmetry. We reconsider the cosmological perturbations in axion inflation, consistently accounting for the coupling to gauge fields c{phi}FF-tilde, which is generically present in these models. This coupling leads to production of gauge quanta, which provide a new source of inflaton fluctuations, {delta}{phi}. For c > or approx. 10{sup 2}M{sub p}{sup -1}, these dominate over the vacuum fluctuations, and non-Gaussianity exceeds the current observational bound. This regime is typical for concrete realizations that admit a UV completion; hence, large non-Gaussianity is easily obtained in minimal and natural realizations of inflation.
Q Methodology and Qualitative Research

Q methodology combines the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative methods, and its use in research has been facilitated by recent developments in computer software. Q methodology is briefly illustrated in a single-case study of the subjective experience of health care, and the data generated are used to illustrate the QMethod package, a menu-driven freeware program for mainframes and PCs that facilitates Q-sort data entry, correlation and factor analysis, theoretical rotation of factors, and calculation of factor scores. Instructions are provided for obtaining QMethod, for subscribing to a journal devoted to Q methodology, and for joining the Q methodology electronic discussion group.
Developments in Eastern Interior Basin, 1939 and First Quarter of 1940

Although Mississippian rocks continue to contribute the major part of the oil produced in this region, the outstanding new feature is the discovery and development of Devonian limestone wells in five pools, Sandoval, Salem, Bartelso, Centralia, and Tonti (in order of discovery). The saturated zone in the Devonian consists of dolomitic limestone with solution cavities, and probably fissures and joints. In the pools listed the top of Devonian limestone lies from 1,100 to 1,400 feet below the McClosky oolitic limestone (the lowest large producing zone in the Mississippian), and this interval probably increases to more than 2,000 feet in the deepest part of the basin. Initial productions of the new Devonian wells are exceptionally high for the area, some exceeding 10,000 barr ls per day, thus indicating a high degree of permeability of the oil-bearing rock. Thus far all the new areas of Devonian production are on structural closures indicated in Mississippian or Pennsylvanian key beds (or both) and furthermore are in areas of previous production from shallower strata. Whether or not there are structures affecting Devonian but not younger strata and of sufficient size to cause oil accumulation is not yet known.
Special Economic Zones and Accumulation by Dispossession in India

This paper seeks to reconstruct David Harvey’s theory of accumulation by dispossession (ABD) through an ethnography of a Special Economic Zone in Rajasthan, India. While Harvey sees ABD as an economic process of over-accumulated capital finding new outlets, I argue that it is an extra-economic process of coercive expropriation typically exercised by states to help capitalist overcome barriers to accumulation – in this case, the absence of fully capitalist rural land markets. In India’s privately developed SEZs, the accumulation generated by this dispossession – which represents the disaccumulation of the peasantry – occurs through capitalist rentiers who develop rural land for mainly IT companies and luxury real estate, and profit from the appreciation of artificially cheap land acquired by the state. While such development has only minimally and precariously absorbed the labour of dispossessed farmers, it has generated a peculiar agrarian transformation through land speculation that has enlisted fractions of the rural elite into a chain of rentiership, drastically amplified existing class and caste inequalities, undermined food security and, surprisingly, fuelled non-productive economic activity and pre-capitalist forms of exploitation.
The Anatomic Basis of Lingual Nerve Trauma Associated With Inferior Alveolar Block Injections

Purpose This study describes the anatomic variability in the position of the lingual nerve in the pterygomandibular space, the location of the inferior alveolar nerve block injection. Materials and Methods Simulated standard landmark-based inferior alveolar nerve blocks were administered to 44 fixed sagitally bisected cadaver heads. Measurements were made of the diameter of the nerves and distances between the needle and selected anatomic landmarks and the nerves. Results Of 44 simulated injections, 42 (95.5%) passed lateral to the lingual nerve, 7 (16%) passed within 0.1 mm of the nerve, and 2 (4.5%) penetrated the nerve. The position of the lingual nerve relative to bony landmarks within the interpterygoid fascia was highly variable. Conclusion Variation in the position of the lingual nerve is an important contributor to lingual nerve trauma during inferior alveolar block injections. This factor should be an important part of preoperative informed consent.
WHOLE‐LAKE FERTILIZATION EFFECTS ON DISTRIBUTION OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION BETWEEN BENTHIC AND PELAGIC HABITATS

The perception that primary production in lakes is positively related to phos- phorus loading is based almost entirely on studies of phytoplankton. This is partly because benthic and pelagic habitats in lakes are often treated as separate ecosystems, the processes of which can be evaluated independently. However, light and nutrients often limit primary producers in both benthic and pelagic habitats. We tested the hypothesis that reductions in light associated with increases in phytoplankton could cause compensatory decreases in benthic algal (periphyton) primary production. We monitored production of periphyton on sediments (epipelon), periphyton on wood (epixylon), and phytoplankton in four lakes in upper Michigan, USA, from 1991 to 1995. During the summers of 1993-1995, we stimulated phytoplankton production in three of the lakes by fertilizing with nitrogen and phosphorus (N:P ' 25 by atoms) at rates between 0.3 and 2.0 mg P m-3-d-l. The response of periphyton to fertilization was substratum specific: epixylon increased with fertilization, but epipelon decreased. However, when area-specific production was extrapolated to the whole-lake scale, epixylon never constituted >4% of benthic primary production. Thus, the decline in epipelic production dominated the benthic response to fertilization. We also estimated whole-lake (epipelon + phytoplankton) primary production. Epipelic algae constituted 50- 80% of whole-lake primary production at ambient nutrient levels. However, only 10-40% of primary production was benthic at the highest fertilization rates. The increase in whole- lake primary production caused by water column fertilization was greatly overestimated when we did not include the compensatory decline in epipelic algae as they were shaded by increases in phytoplankton concentrations.
Statistical Compact Modeling of Variations in Nano MOSFETs

We present a methodology to generate performance-aware corner models--PAM. Accuracy is improved by emphasizing electrical variation data and reconciling the process and electrical variation data. PAM supports corner (plusmnsigma and plusmn2sigma) simulation and MC simulation. Furthermore, PAM supports application-specific corner cards, for example, for gain sensitive applications.
Author's reply by S. Wang and F. L. Teixeira

Wang and Teixeira reply to a comment (by An Ping Zhao, IEEE Microwave Wireless Comp. Lett., vol.14, no.5, p. 248-9, 2004) on their original paper (Wang and Teixeira, IEEE Microwave Wireless Comp. Lett., vol.13, p.72-4, 2003 February).
Impact of Airflow Characteristics on Particle Resuspension from Indoor Surfaces

Resuspension is an important source of indoor particles. We measured the resuspension of 1 to 20 μm particles on common indoor materials and explored the importance of turbulence to the resuspension process. Experimental variables included materials (linoleum, carpet, and galvanized sheet metal) and bulk air velocity (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 m/s). At each of these conditions the turbulence intensity in the boundary layer was varied between a low, medium, and high state and ranged from 9 to 34% at the surface. For comparison of resuspension from the considered surfaces and at different flow conditions, we use the relative resuspension, which quantifies resuspension without requiring knowledge of the number of particles initially seeded on the surface. The relative resuspension compares the fraction of particles resuspended at the experimental conditions to the maximum achieved with a controlled impinging jet. In general, the results show that for the ranges considered, increasing velocity caused the largest ...
Adaptive optics and the eye (super resolution OCT)

The combination of adaptive optics (AO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) was first reported 8 years ago and has undergone tremendous technological advances since then. The technical benefits of adding AO to OCT (increased lateral resolution, smaller speckle, and enhanced sensitivity) increase the imaging capability of OCT in ways that make it well suited for three-dimensional (3D) cellular imaging in the retina. Today, AO-OCT systems provide ultrahigh 3D resolution (3 × 3 × 3 μm³) and ultrahigh speed (up to an order of magnitude faster than commercial OCT). AO-OCT systems have been used to capture volume images of retinal structures, previously only visible with histology, and are being used for studying clinical conditions. Here, we present representative examples of cellular structures that can be visualized with AO-OCT. We overview three studies from our laboratory that used ultrahigh-resolution AO-OCT to measure the cross-sectional profiles of individual bundles in the retinal nerve fiber layer; the diameters of foveal capillaries that define the terminal rim of the foveal avascular zone; and the spacing and length of individual cone photoreceptor outer segments as close as 0.5° from the fovea center.
Cyclops: The JPL Airsar Synoptic Processor

Capability for synoptic, or wide-area, SAR processing has been added to the JPL Aircraft Synthetic Aperture Radar System (AIRSAR) by means of the CYCLOPS synoptic processor. Polarimetric requirements have been relaxed so that a single node in the system can process SAR data with a throughput of three channels in 3.75 hours. Each channel consists of five minutes of full-range-swath data chosen from the twelve available AIRSAR polarization channels. Processed data consists of 16-look, 16-meter resolution imagery with a swath size of 60 km. The processor fully utilizes the available Doppler bandwidth and provides processing options for range migration correction, zero-Doppler deskew, frequency registration, and radiometric correction. The detected-power output product is scaled so as to provide sigma zero radiometric calibration.
Comprehensive review of PV/EV/grid integration power electronic converter topologies for DC charging applications

In recent years, there has been great interest in the research and development of electric vehicles (EVs). In the past 5 years, numerous EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been introduced in the market by auto manufacturers. However, with the increase in demand of EVs/PHEVs comes the need to provide charging facilities at convenient locations, for recharging of the on-board batteries. Fast charging is also a necessity for consumer convenience. Therefore, off-board charging infrastructures have to be looked at closely. This need for fast charging is creating a shift in EV charger development work to focus on DC charging facilities. This paper provides an overview of various power converter topologies used for a photovoltaic (PV) and grid connected DC charging infrastructures. Specific focus is placed on Z-source converters that can be used for a single-stage connection of PV, grid, and EV. PWM control techniques for off-board converters are also reviewed in this paper.
Helminths of Notophthalmus viridescens (Caudata: Salamandridae) from 118th Pond, Michigan, U.S.A

One hundred and three newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) collected in 2001 from 118th Pond, Allegan County, Michigan, U.S.A., were examined for parasites. Four helminth taxa (Megalodiscus temperatus, an undetermined metacercaria, Falcaustra sp., Spiroxys sp.) infected these newts. Falcaustra sp. was the most prevalent, intense and abundant species. The prevalence of Spiroxys sp. was second only to Falcaustra sp. The prevalence of no helminth taxon exceeded 15.5%, and no helminth was gravid. Thirty-three (32%) newts were infected with 1 helminth species, and 7 (7%) harbored 2 helminth species. In August 2000, gorgoderid metacercariae infected 2 of 6 (33%) newts examined. The helminth fauna of newts from 118th Pond is not host specific because these 5 helminth species also infected green frogs in an earlier study from this pond.
Navigating Haiti's History: Saint‐Domingue and the Haitian Revolution

The decade since the bicentennial of Haiti's independence has seen an outpouring of scholarship on its history, particularly on the course and impacts of the Haitian Revolution, which transformed the Atlantic world's most productive colony into the Americas’ second independent state and involved one of history's most successful slave rebellions. This new historical research builds upon a long, albeit scattered, historiography on Saint-Domingue (colonial Haiti) and the Haitian Revolution. Haiti's colonial and revolutionary history has important implications for understanding the development of plantation society, Haiti's connections with the USA and the rest of Latin America, and current policy debates ranging from land use to education.
Exon recognition and nucleocytoplasmic partitioning determine AMPD1 alternative transcript production

Abstract Two mature transcripts are produced from the rat AMP deaminase 1 (AMPD1) gene, one that retains exon 2 and one from which exon 2 has been removed. The ratio of these two transcripts is controlled by stage-specific and tissue-specific signals (I. Mineo, P. R. H. Clarke, R. L. Sabina, and E. W. Holmes, Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:5271-5278, 1990; R. L. Sabina, N. Ogasawara, and E. W. Holmes, Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:2244-2246, 1989). By using transfection studies with native, mutant, and chimeric minigene constructs, two steps in RNA processing that determine the ratio of these two transcripts have been identified. The first step is recognition of this exon in the primary transcript. The primary transcript is subject to alternative splicing in which exon 2 is either recognized and thereby included in the mature mRNA or is ignored and retained in a composite intron containing intron 1-exon 2-intron 2. The following properties of the primary transcript influence exon recognition. (i) Exon 2 is intrinsically difficult to recognize, possibly because of its small size (only 12 bases) and/or a suboptimal 5' donor site at the exon 2-intron 2 boundary. (ii) Intron 2 plays a permissive role in recognition of exon 2 because it is removed at a relatively slow rate, presumably because of the suboptimal polypyrimidine tract in the putative 3' branch site. The second step in RNA processing that influences the ratio of mature transcripts produced from the AMPD1 gene occurs subsequent to the ligation of exon 2 to exon 1. An RNA intermediate, composed of exon 1-exon 2-intron 2-exon 3, is produced in the first processing step, but it is variably retained in the nucleus. Retention of this intermediate in the nucleus is associated with accumulation of the mature mRNA containing exon 2, while cytoplasmic escape of this intermediate is reactions, exon recognition and nucleocytoplasmic partitioning, determine the relative abundance of alternative mRNAs derived from the AMPD1 gene.
A Transonic Compressor Stage: Part 1 — Experimental Results

The results of an experimental program to test a transonic compressor stage are presented. The stage was designed using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) techniques to minimize the use of empirical methods. The main performance characteristics of the stage are presented along with a description of the test rig. Some of the technical difficulties and solutions implemented in sustained testing of a transonic stage are outlined. Equations used to mass average the pressure and temperature ratio, to derive the isentropic efficiency and a method of measuring losses due to the case-wall are presented. Results from the experimental program for 70, 80, 90 and 100% speeds for rig open throttle to near stall are presented. Stall occurred at all speeds except 100%, where it was avoided due to rotor stress concerns. Quantitative performance maps of stage total-to-total pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency were determined. In addition, a map showing the losses due to the case-wall is presented. The total-to-total stagnation pressure and temperature profiles at the exit to the stage over the entire test range were measured and used to calculate the isentropic efficiencies. Static pressure measurements along the case-wall and hub-wall through the stage are presented. The experimental program has yielded data from a transonic compressor stage that can be used in the validation of CFD [1] codes and evaluation of the original design methods.© 2004 ASME
AIDS Rumour, Intellectual Anxiety, and Discursive Empowerment among Cameroonian Tradipractitioners

ABSTRACTThis article refines established notions of rumour as a strategy of discursive empowerment by differentiating typologies of empowerment. Specifically, I employ terminology from the anthropological literature on witchcraft to distinguish between ‘levelling’ rumour, which seeks to attack the power of others, and ‘accumulative’ rumour, which seeks to increase the power of rumour-tellers. To exemplify this, I explore a rumour that circulated in 2012 and 2013 among practitioners of traditional medicine in West Cameroon, which claimed that the state would kill tradipractitioners working to cure HIV/AIDS. I first outline the likely sociopolitical roots of practitioners’ anxiety regarding their intellectual labour. I then argue that this narrative was simultaneously levelling and accumulative in a national context, yet became accumulative in the more international context of practitioner–anthropologist relations. Ultimately, both forms of empowerment were key to understanding the rumour's favourable posit...
Is the nuclear envelope a 'generator' of membrane? Developmental sequences in cytomembrane elaboration.

Early diplotene oocytes from Necturus maculosus ranging from ∼ 0.2 to 0.5 mm in diameter were examined by electron microscopy. In the smallest oocytes of this range, the cytoplasm is largely devoid of membranes, but contains primarily ribosomes and mitochondria. In slightly larger oocytes, smooth-surfaced cytomembranes first appear in the perinuclear cytoplasm. At this time, the outer layer of the germinal vesicle nuclear envelope (GVNE) shows frequent connections with long membranous lamellae that extend for considerable, but variable distances into the juxtanuclear ooplasm. The number of smooth membranous lamellae increases tremendously as the oocytes increase in diameter. In such oocytes as well, frequent continuities are observed between the outer membrane of the GVNE and many of the cytoplasmic membranes. Eventually, as the ooplasm becomes populated with extensive numbers of membranous lamellae, instances of continuity between the membranous lamellae and nuclear envelope now become sparse and eventually non-existent. The frequent connections observed between membranous lamellae and the outer membrane of the GVNE during a circumscribed interval of diplotene strongly implicate the GVNE in the generation of extensive amounts of cytoplasmic membrane. The ooplasm of larger oocytes in the size range indicated contain numerous Golgi complexes and large quantities of annulate lamellae most of which are positioned in the peripheral or subcortical ooplasm, as well as extensive quantities of smooth membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets.
Ribosomal RNA Genes during Development in the Brine Shrimp Artemia: Structure, Expression and Evolution

Artemia is not yet a very useful organism in terms of its genetics, and certainly does not compare with Drosophila or yeast in this regard. However, the combined use of molecular and biochemical approaches can be very powerful in elucidating mechanisms of gene control during early development. To make effective use of the potential strength of this combined approach, it is important to select a suitable gene for in-depth study. A number of developmentally regulated genes have been identified in Artemia, and several excellent examples are included in this Symposium volume. The particular gene set in which we are interested is the one encoding ribosomal RNAs. Ribosomal RNA genes were the first eukaryotic genes to be isolated in pure form, and these genes are among the most extensively studied. Despite this, we do not yet have a detailed molecular understanding as to the molecular mode of regulation for this gene class. The brine shrimp Artemia offers some unusual advantages in this regard, an appreciation of which can be gleaned from reviews by Hentschel and Tata [1] and Warner et al. [2]. We believe that gene regulatory molecules, predicted to exist based on molecular data, can be isolated from the appropriate developmental stage(s) for further in-depth characterization of their molecular mode of operation.
Development of a novel recombinant BCG for tuberculosis vaccine

A novel recombinant BCG (BCG-DHTM), that was deficient in urease, expressed with gene encoding the fusion of BCG-derived HSP70 and M. tuberculosis-derived major membrane protein (MMP)-II, was constructed for use as a vaccine against tuberculosis. BCG-DHTM efficiently activated dendritic cells (DC) to induce cytokine production, including IL-12, TNFalpha and IL-1beta and phenotypic changes. The DC infected BCG-DHTM was more potent in activation of native T cells of CD4 and CD8 subsets than those infected vector control BCG. The activation of naive T cells by BCG-DHTM was closely associated with phagomal maturation, and that of naive CD8+ T cells by BCG-DHTM was induced by the activation of cytosolic cross-presentation pathway. Further, BCG-DHTM seemed to activate native CD4+ T cells and native CD8+ T cells by antigen-specific fashion. The primary infection of BCG-DHTM in C57BL/6 mice for 12 weeks efficiently produced T cells responsive to in vitro secondary stimulation with MMP-II, HSP70 and H37Rv-derived cytosolic protein and inhibited with multiplication of subsequently challenged M. tuberculosis in lungs at least partially. The effect of BCG-DHTM as a vaccine for tuberculosis is not fully convincing and need the improvement, however, our strategy in the development of new recombinant BCG for tuberculosis seems to provide useful tool.
Enhancement of Visual Field Predictions with Pointwise Exponential Regression (PER) and Pointwise Linear Regression (PLR).

Author(s): Morales, Esteban; de Leon, John Mark S; Abdollahi, Niloufar; Yu, Fei; Nouri-Mahdavi, Kouros; Caprioli, Joseph | Abstract: PurposeThe study was conducted to evaluate threshold smoothing algorithms to enhance prediction of the rates of visual field (VF) worsening in glaucoma.MethodsWe studied 798 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and 6 or more years of follow-up who underwent 8 or more VF examinations. Thresholds at each VF location for the first 4 years or first half of the follow-up time (whichever was greater) were smoothed with clusters defined by the nearest neighbor (NN), Garway-Heath, Glaucoma Hemifield Test (GHT), and weighting by the correlation of rates at all other VF locations. Thresholds were regressed with a pointwise exponential regression (PER) model and a pointwise linear regression (PLR) model. Smaller root mean square error (RMSE) values of the differences between the observed and the predicted thresholds at last two follow-ups indicated better model predictions.ResultsThe mean (SD) follow-up times for the smoothing and prediction phase were 5.3 (1.5) and 10.5 (3.9) years. The mean RMSE values for the PER and PLR models were unsmoothed data, 6.09 and 6.55; NN, 3.40 and 3.42; Garway-Heath, 3.47 and 3.48; GHT, 3.57 and 3.74; and correlation of rates, 3.59 and 3.64.ConclusionsSmoothed VF data predicted better than unsmoothed data. Nearest neighbor provided the best predictions; PER also predicted consistently more accurately than PLR. Smoothing algorithms should be used when forecasting VF results with PER or PLR.Translational relevanceThe application of smoothing algorithms on VF data can improve forecasting in VF points to assist in treatment decisions.
The Four-dimensional Interpretation of the National Governance Modernization in China in the New Period

The proposal of "Modernization of National Governance" has generally enriched the national construction theory in our country, further highlighted the important role of deepening the reform, promoting the building of socialist society and the Party, and the national development, and letting people be the masters of the country. This article will analyze and explain it from four new dimensions of "One Means""Two Keys" "Three Supports" and "Quartet Cooperation".
On the Training of Students' Audio - Visual Speaking Competence——Teaching Series of Japanese Audio - visual Speaking Course

The materials and objectives of audio - visual speaking course for Japanese majors at different stages are studied in a systematic way. In view of students problems in learning Japanese,efiective solutions are discussed, which is of help to improve their Japanese.
Treatment rates for PTSD and depression in recently hospitalized cardiac patients.

Abstract Objective Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common after evaluation for suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and are associated with poor prognosis. However, it is unclear whether patients discharged after suspected ACS access treatments for subsequent psychological distress. We examined self-reported rates of receiving psychotherapy and/or medication for psychological distress in patients one month after a suspected ACS event. Methods A sample of 448 adults (age 60.4 ± 12.5; 47.8% female; 52.7% Hispanic, 32.1% Black) presenting to the emergency department with suspected ACS were recruited for the REactions to Acute Care and Hospitalization (REACH) study, an ongoing cohort study of medical and psychological outcomes after ACS evaluation. Socio-demographics and depressive symptoms were assessed in-hospital, and PTSD symptoms related to the suspected ACS event were queried via phone one month after enrollment. Participants also indicated whether they received either medication or counseling to deal with their emotions and coping after their heart problem. Results Approximately 15% ( n = 68) of the sample reported receiving some form of treatment. Treatment rate did not differ significantly as a function of demographics, ACS status, or insurance coverage, p s > 0.1. Over a quarter of participants (25.3%) who screened positive for PTSD and/or depression reported receiving treatment. Participants with PTSD and depression had a higher treatment rate (47.6%) vs. those with only depression (12.8%) or PTSD (30%) or no psychopathology (10.3%). Conclusion Findings suggest that 1 in 4 patients who screened positive for PTSD and/or depression reported receiving counseling or medication in the first month after a suspected ACS event.
Upper Gastrointestinal Involvement in Crohn Disease: Histopathologic and Endoscopic Findings.

Objectives Studies describing the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal (GI) Crohn disease (CD) and its histopathologic changes have been inconsistent as a result of different definitions used for upper GI involvement, diverse populations, and varying indications for endoscopy. We reviewed the literature describing endoscopic findings and histologic lesions in gastric and duodenal mucosa of patients with established CD. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for gastroduodenal biopsy findings in patients with CD from 1970 to 2014. We included all retrospective and prospective studies in adults. We calculated the prevalence of the most common endoscopic and histopathological findings among patients with overall CD and upper GI CD. Results Of the 385 articles identified, 20 eligible studies were included. A total of 2511 patients had CD and 815 had upper GI CD. In the CD group, the most common histopathological finding was nonspecific gastric inflammation in 32% of patients, followed by gastric granuloma in 7.9%. Focal gastritis was prevalent in 30.9% of patients. In the upper GI CD group, gastric inflammation was present in 84% of patients, followed by duodenal inflammation in 28.2% and gastric granuloma in 23.2%. The most common gastric endoscopic finding in patients with CD was erythema in 5.9%, followed by erosions in 3.7%. Duodenal endoscopic findings included ulcers and erythema in 5.3% and 3.0% of patients, respectively. Conclusions We found a prevalence of 34% for CD involving the upper GI tract across these 20 studies. Routine upper endoscopy with biopsies of the upper GI tract in the diagnostic workup of patients with CD can correctly classify the distribution and extent of the disease.
Abstract 4732: A novel analog of Leonurine inhibits melanoma growth and survival through STAT3 signaling pathways

Previous studies have shown that a major alkaloid of Leonurus japonicus Houtt, Leonurine, displays a variety of biological effects including inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase, kidney fibrosis, and osteoporosis. However, the full potential of this alkaloid as a cancer therapeutics has not been explored, primarily due to the lack of potency. A limited reports however, do suggest that Leonurine induces apoptosis in lung and liver cancer cells. We hypothesized that this natural product9s structure can be optimized to create a more potent and drug-like molecule. A recent structure-activity relationship (SAR) study in our laboratory based on Leonurine structure has led to the identification of three novel analogs which were >100 times potent than Leonurine in killing solid cancer cells. The aim of the current study is to determine whether the novel analogs of Leonurine exhibit anti-proliferative effects against tumor cells through suppression of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation pathway. We investigated the effects of Leonurine analogs on constitutive STAT3 activation, modulation of tyrosine kinases and phosphatases in STAT3 activation, STAT3-regulated gene products, and growth modulation of tumor cells. We found that these compounds inhibited constitutive STAT3 activation in metastatic melanoma cells. The suppression was mediated through the inhibition of activation of the upstream kinases Janus-like kinase (JAK) 1, and JAK2. Leonurine derivatives down-regulated the expression of STAT3-regulated gene products such as survivin, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, cyclin D1, and Mcl-1 leading to the suppression of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Moreover, we found that these Leonurine analogs significantly inhibited the proliferation of variety of cells derived from solid tumors including breast, pancreatic, prostate, and colon cancer. Overall, these results suggest that these new compounds are novel blockers of STAT3 activation and thus may have potential to suppress melanoma cell proliferation and chemoresistance. Citation Format: Manoj K. Pandey, Jacek Krzeminski, Deepkamal Karelia, Arun K. Sharma, Shantu G. Amin. A novel analog of Leonurine inhibits melanoma growth and survival through STAT3 signaling pathways. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4732.
Large gradual solar energetic particle events

Solar energetic particles, or SEPs, from suprathermal (few keV) up to relativistic ( $$\sim $$ few GeV) energies are accelerated near the Sun in at least two ways: (1) by magnetic reconnection-driven processes during solar flares resulting in impulsive SEPs, and (2) at fast coronal-mass-ejection-driven shock waves that produce large gradual SEP events. Large gradual SEP events are of particular interest because the accompanying high-energy ( $${>}10$$ s MeV) protons pose serious radiation threats to human explorers living and working beyond low-Earth orbit and to technological assets such as communications and scientific satellites in space. However, a complete understanding of these large SEP events has eluded us primarily because their properties, as observed in Earth orbit, are smeared due to mixing and contributions from many important physical effects. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge of these important phenomena, and summarizes some of the key questions that will be addressed by two upcoming missions—NASA’s Solar Probe Plus and ESA’s Solar Orbiter. Both of these missions are designed to directly and repeatedly sample the near-Sun environments where interplanetary scattering and transport effects are significantly reduced, allowing us to discriminate between different acceleration sites and mechanisms and to isolate the contributions of numerous physical processes occurring during large SEP events.
Specialty-Specific Values Affecting the Management of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids.

Abstract Purpose To better understand why interventional radiologists and gynecologists differ in their approaches to symptomatic uterine fibroids. Methods Conversational interviews were conducted with 26 interventional radiologists and gynecologists about their professional roles, clinical reasoning, and practice variation within and outside their specialty. Interview transcripts were systematically analyzed using NVivo 10 software (QSR International, Burlington, Massachusetts) according to grounded theory and content analysis to identify key themes and compare themes across specialties and practice environments. Data were supplemented with retrospective analysis of 7,659 patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids treated at a large academic center over 11 years. Results Interventional radiologists' shares of symptomatic uterine fibroid treatment and endovascular stent treatments have remained constant ( P > .05) for 11 y at a large medical center, whereas minimally invasive gynecologic fibroid treatments and the percentage of interventional radiology (IR) procedures reimbursed by Medicaid/Medicare have increased significantly ( r > .90, P r = .93, P Conclusions Interventional radiologists and gynecologists demonstrated wide-ranging perspectives regarding their role in caring for patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids. To promote genuine collaboration and adoption of shared goals, stakeholders should seek and promote a deeper understanding of specialty-specific values and culture.
Immunological Specificity of Immunocompetent Lymphocytes

There is now a vast amount of data which provides absolute proof that both T and B lymphocytes are capable of manifesting immunological specificity. This is exemplified by the fact that specificity exists in immune responses characteristic of each cell population—thus, cell-mediated immunity such as delayed hypersensitivity, which is predominantly a function of T cells, and antibody production, which is mediated by B cells are specific events in the immune system. In immune responses to T cell-independent antigens (see Chapter IX ) in which B cells develop antibody responses in the relative absence of T cell function, such cells truly reflect specificity for the antigens involved. The situation is somewhat more complex in humoral immune responses to antigens where T and B cell cooperative interactions are required (see Chapter X ), but conclusive evidence exists that each of the respective cell classes participating in such responses manifest specificity for antigenic determinants stimulating the response. In this chapter, we will consider the nature of the functional evidence demonstrating specificity of T and B lymphocytes, the comparative specificity of the two lymphocyte classes, and what is known about the nature of the antigen-binding receptors on each cell class.
Harmonization: Its Time Has Come.

The importance of standardization of laboratory test results has a long history traceable to the first proficiency testing results in 1947 that demonstrated large discrepancies among results from 59 hospital laboratories (1). The AACC published a series of monographs in 1953–1972 titled Standard Methods of Clinical Chemistry that promoted a single measurement procedure (MP) 2 for a measurand. This effort ultimately failed because technology and commercial interests produced different MPs for the same measurand. A conference organized in 1977 by the Centers for Disease Control [now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)], the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) spawned the National Reference System for the Clinical Laboratory that established the hierarchy of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) and reference measurement procedures (RMPs) that are now accepted as higher-order references for standardization of measurand results (2). The IFCC and professional organizations in various countries began to publish RMPs for different measurands in the mid-1970s. About this time, professional organizations and metrology institutes introduced matrix-based CRMs as the basis for calibration traceability of medical laboratory MPs for measurands for which there were no RMPs. In 1998, the European Union (EU) passed a regulation known as the EU Directive that for the first time required calibration traceability to higher-order references, when available, for medical laboratory MPs (3). This landmark legislation with an effective date of 2003, although only applicable to products sold in the EU, had a global influence to improve standardization of results for medical laboratory MPs. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) responded to the EU Directive by publishing, in 2003, standard 17511 that specified requirements for calibration traceability to higher-order references that included several levels of traceability depending on how complete a …