cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arctic grazing systems and industrial development: can we minimize conflicts?

The industrialized world is expanding its search for energy, minerals, timber and other resources into the Arctic and adjacent higher latitudes. Up to now, large-scale development projects in the Arctic and sub-Arctic have been few. We can, however, profit from experiences gained from several of these, including oil and gas exploration and development in Alaska and on Russia's Yamal Peninsula, the Norilsk metalurgical complex of Siberia, Alaska's Red Dog mine and others. Conclusions drawn from these experiences are that industrial impacts on Arctic grazing systems can be minimized if the following considerations guide their planning: 1) most of the large development projects that have been undertaken in the North have lacked adequate background information on the grazing systems that they might impact; 2) there needs to be recognition by industry and governments for the amount of time required to gather such information and provision made for this; 3) because types of impacts on northern grazing systems that may result from development projects vary depending on whether they involve mining, oil or gas, hydroelectric or other activities, each proposed project must be assessed independently; 4) cumulative effects of multiple projects, often sequentially developed, are seldom addressed by the responsible governments, thus planning for development of an individual project should be within the context of regional and long-range development planning; and 5) types and sources of contaminants entering northern ecosystems, threatening the health of northern residents, must also be a major focus of project assessment.
Patterns of nucleotide substitution, insertion and deletion in the human genome inferred from pseudogenes

Nucleotide substitution, insertion and deletion (indel) events are the major driving forces that have shaped genomes. Using the recently identified human ribosomal protein (RP) pseudogene sequences, we have thoroughly studied DNA mutation patterns in the human genome. We analyzed a total of 1726 processed RP pseudogene sequences, comprising more than 700 000 bases. To be sure to differentiate the sequence changes occurring in the functional genes during evolution from those occurring in pseudogenes after they were fixed in the genome, we used only pseudogene sequences originating from parts of RP genes that are identical in human and mouse. Overall, we found that nucleotide transitions are more common than transversions, by roughly a factor of two. Moreover, the substitution rates amongst the 12 possible nucleotide pairs are not homogeneous as they are affected by the type of immediately neighboring nucleotides and the overall local G+C content. Finally, our dataset is large enough that it has many indels, thus allowing for the first time statistically robust analysis of these events. Overall, we found that deletions are about three times more common than insertions (3740 versus 1291). The frequencies of both these events follow characteristic power-law behavior associated with the size of the indel. However, unexpectedly, the frequency of 3 bp deletions (in contrast to 3 bp insertions) violates this trend, being considerably higher than that of 2 bp deletions. The possible biological implications of such a 3 bp bias are discussed.
Effect of Adjunctive Loperamide in Combination with Antibiotics on Treatment Outcomes in Traveler's Diarrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. A previous Cochrane Collaboration review established an effective advantage of antibiotic therapy, compared with placebo, for treatment of traveler's diarrhea. The goal of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to establish the effect on treatment outcomes of using antimotility agents in conjunction with antibiotic therapy. Methods. The meta-analysis was conducted through searches of electronic databases and pertinent reference lists (including other review articles) and consultation with experts in the field. Clinical trials on therapy of infectious diarrhea in adult populations that met eligibility criteria were studied. Data were extracted and verified by 2 independent investigators and were analyzed for outcomes of clinical cure at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h and time to last unformed stool. Study quality, heterogeneity, and publication bias were assessed. When appropriate, effect estimates among studies were pooled and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results. Nine studies consisting of 12 different adjunctive loperamide antibiotic regimens were included for analysis. Among 6 paired studies comparing antibiotics alone versus antibiotics in combination with loperamide, the odds of clinical cure at 24 h and 48 h favored combination therapy, with summary odds ratios of 2.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-3.6; P = .20, by x 2 heterogeneity statistic) and 2.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.1; P = .20, by x 2 heterogeneity statistic), respectively, with no evidence of heterogeneity. Factors that possibly affect advantage of combination therapy over solo therapy included increased frequency of pretreatment diarrhea and higher prevalence of noninvasive pathogens. Conclusion. Antibiotic therapy with adjunctive loperamide offers an advantage over antibiotics alone by decreasing the illness duration and increasing the probability of early clinical cure.
Retinal input to efferent target amacrine cells in the avian retina

The bird visual system includes a substantial projection, of unknown function, from a midbrain nucleus to the contralateral retina. Every centrifugal, or efferent, neuron originating in the midbrain nucleus makes synaptic contact with the soma of a single unique amacrine cell, the target cell (TC). By labeling efferent neurons in the midbrain, we have been able to identify their terminals in retinal slices and make patch-clamp recordings from TCs. TCs generate Na+-based action potentials (APs) triggered by spontaneous EPSPs originating from multiple classes of presynaptic neurons. Exogenously applied glutamate elicited inward currents having the mixed pharmacology of NMDA, kainate, and inward rectifying AMPA receptors. Exogenously applied GABA elicited currents entirely suppressed by GABAzine and therefore mediated by GABAA receptors. Immunohistochemistry showed the vesicular glutamate transporter, vGluT2, to be present in the characteristic synaptic boutons of efferent terminals, whereas the GABA synthetic enzyme, GAD, was present in much smaller processes of intrinsic retinal neurons. Extracellular recording showed that exogenously applied GABA was directly excitatory to TCs and, consistent with this, NKCC, the Cl- transporter often associated with excitatory GABAergic synapses, was identified in TCs by antibody staining. The presence of excitatory retinal input to TCs implies that TCs are not merely slaves to their midbrain input; instead, their output reflects local retinal activity and descending input from the midbrain.
Effects of orally-administered caffeine on the growth of tooth germs in protein-energy malnourished newborn rats.

Abstract Lactating dams with 8 suckling pups were fed either a 6 or 20 per cent protein diet from the birth of the pups to day 15. Pups were divided into caffeine and non-caffeine groups and, every other day between days 3 and 13, were either intubated with caffeine ( 1 mg 100 g body wt) dissolved in 0.1 ml physiological saline solution, or 0.1 ml saline solution as a control. At day 15, the weight of incisors and molar germs, hydroxyproline content, collagen synthesis and calcium contents were determined. Nutritional factors exercised consistent effects on all the parameters, but effects attributable to caffeine intubation were minor. There was lower molar weight in the 20 per cent protein group with caffeine, and collagen synthesis of incisor and molar germs in the caffeine and non-caffeine animals in the 6 and 20 per cent group were different. These parameters showed a significant interaction between nutrition and caffeine. Thus the direct administration of a small amount of caffeine to newborns causes only slight effects on tooth-germ development under some nutritional conditions.
The value and significance of life span and scheduled termination data in long-term toxicity and carcinogenesis studies.

Consideration is given to the age association of lesions, the duration of longterm toxicity and carcinogenesis studies, and to the value and significance of including scheduled termination in such long-term studies. There is now enough evidence that age and cancer are associated. It is argued that the increase in incidence of lesions with age has such disadvantages that extension of the duration of the long-term toxicity and carcinogenicity study beyond 2 years is not warranted in most cases. Incorporation of scheduled teimination in longterm studies gives more insight into the biologic behavior of toxic lesions and cancer and may enable one to make a distinction between “incidental“ and ”fatal” lesions. This distinction may be important for the statistical evaluation of data from chemical carcinogenesis studies.
Behind the Survey's Findings: Beware of Statisticians Bearing Enrollment Data.

The non-technical article attempts to uncover some hidden gaps in the design of enrollment surveys in general and foreign languages in particular. Numerous caveats pertaining to interpretations of the data are offered: what is the enrollment “universe”? Did all reporting agencies gather the data in the same fashion? Who isn't included? The main objective of the article is to provide teachers with a non-statistical, logical approach to determining the relevance of enrollment studies to their particular school systems.
Discriminating between Faults and Attacks in Secure Optical Networks

Security over the optical communications network presents many challenges to both attackers and network providers. The optical medium is not as simple to intrude because attackers must have specialized know-how, and it is not as easy to secure because of the humongous information each fiber carries and its very long length that is difficult to guard from bad actors who may have the required know-how. Conversely, optical system designers do not have the adequate tools in their disposal that are specially designed for securing the optical network and for monitoring and detecting intrusions. Even though intrusion detection in optical networks is a well understood operation in ITU standards, it is also recognized that optical technology cannot accomplish this yet and that the only tools available are simple optical power detectors and error-detection correction codes that monitor the incoming optical power level and the integrity of the signal. Thus, intrusion detection relies on signal processing in the electronic regime and by mapping in the transported frame test signals in order to accomplish this; such operations however are time consuming, inefficient, they may disrupt client service and inconclusive. In this paper, we present a method with which we discriminate between intrusions, and degradations and faults in-service and real-time. That is, we are able to detect intrusion as it occurs with no service disruption, and we believe that our method is fast, is conclusive, is efficient and it does not add to the network cost.
Challenges in pulmonary fibrosis · 1: Use of high resolution CT scanning of the lung for the evaluation of patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias

High resolution CT (HRCT) scanning has contributed significantly to the evaluation of patients with interstitial lung disease and is particularly useful in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The characteristic radiographic features of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias on HRCT scans have been increasingly analysed and are now fairly well described. Based on current data, HRCT scanning can provide a confident, highly specific diagnosis of IPF in many patients with diffuse lung disease. This article reviews an organised approach to HRCT scanning and identifies the features that allow an accurate diagnosis of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias to be made. The role of surgical lung biopsy is discussed in the diagnosis of cases when a definite HRCT diagnosis cannot be made.
Injectorless Quantum Cascade Laser with very low voltage-defect grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

We demonstrate an In0.66Ga0.34As/In0.355Al0.645As strain-compensated injectorless cascade laser; grown by MOCVD, with voltage defect ~30 meV, which is much lower compared to heterogeneous injector cascade laser with 79 meV and conventional cascade laser with 140 meV.
Unusual deregulation of cell cycle components in early and frank estrogen-induced renal neoplasias in the Syrian hamster

There is strong evidence that estrogens are involved in the etiology, promotion and progression of a variety of cancers, including the cancers of the breast and endometrium. The Syrian hamster estrogen-induced, estrogen-dependent renal neoplasm is a well-established animal model used to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in solely estrogen-induced carcinogenic processes. G 1 cell cycle progression was studied in estrogen-induced early renal tumor foci and in large kidney tumors of castrated male hamsters. Levels of cyclin D1, cyclin E and retinoblastoma (pRb) proteins were higher in these renal neoplasias than in adjacent uninvolved renal tissue and kidneys from untreated, age-matched animals. Of particular interest is the presence of a predominant 35 kDa cyclin E protein variant form in primary renal tumors. In addition, amounts of the phosphorylated forms of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdk) 2 and 4 were decreased, and both RNA and protein levels of p27 kip1 (p27), a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, were markedly higher in early and frank renal tumors than in adjacent uninvolved renal tissue and kidneys of untreated, age-matched animals. These changes in cell cycle components coincided with a rise in renal tumor cell proliferation. Binding of the elevated p27 protein to cyclin E, cdk2 and cdk4, however, was not impaired, suggesting that this cell cycle suppressor protein is functional. In addition, cyclin D1-, cdk2-, cdk4- and cyclin E-associated kinase activities were also lower in these estrogen-induced renal neoplasms than in untreated, age-matched kidneys. Interestingly, when compared with untreated kidney tissue, early and frank renal neoplasms had less of the 62 kDa native form of E2F1 and contained a 57 kDa variant form. Thus we have characterized an unusual deregulation of the cell cycle during estrogen-induced renal tumorigenesis in Syrian hamsters which still allows for estrogen-driven kidney tumor cell proliferation and may contribute to the early genomic instability found.
Do plaques rapidly progress prior to myocardial infarction? The interplay between plaque vulnerability and progression

There is a common misperception in the cardiology community that most acute coronary events arise from ruptures of mildly stenotic plaques. This notion has emanated from multiple studies that had measured the degree of angiographic luminal narrowing in culprit plaques months to years before myocardial infarction. However, angiographic studies within 3 months before myocardial infarction, immediately after myocardial infarction with thrombus aspiration or fibrinolytic therapy, and postmortem pathological observations have all shown that culprit plaques in acute myocardial infarction are severely stenotic. Serial angiographic studies also have demonstrated a sudden rapid lesion progression before most cases of acute coronary syndromes. The possible mechanisms for such rapid plaque progression and consequent luminal obstruction include recurrent plaque rupture and healing and intraplaque neovascularization and hemorrhage with deposition of erythrocyte-derived free cholesterol. Moreover, recent intravascular and noninvasive imaging studies have demonstrated that plaques which result in coronary events have larger plaque volume and necrotic core size with greater positive vessel remodeling compared with plaques, which remain asymptomatic during several years follow-up, although these large atheromatous vulnerable plaques may angiographically seem mild. As such, it is these vulnerable plaques which are more prone to rapid plaque progression or are those in which plaque progression is more likely to become clinically evident. Therefore, in addition to characterizing plaque morphology, inflammatory activity, and severity, detection of the rate of plaque progression might identify vulnerable plaques with an increased potential for adverse outcomes.
RT‐qPCR demonstrates light‐dependent AtRBCS1A and AtRBCS3B mRNA expressions in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves

Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is widely used in diagnosis and research to determine specific mRNA expressions in cells. As RT-qPCR applications increase, it's necessary to provide undergraduates hands-on experience of this modern technique. Here, we report a 3-week laboratory exercise using RT-qPCR to demonstrate the light-dependent expressions of AtRBCS1A and AtRBCS3B genes encoding two Arabidopsis thaliana small subunits of the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). In the first week, students purified and quantified total RNA from leaves of A. thaliana pretreated in the dark for 96 hr and untreated controls. In the second week, RNA samples were separated by formaldehyde gel electrophoresis and used for RT-qPCR. Students calculated expressions of the two genes in dark treated leaves as percentages of those of the controls by using the 2(-ΔΔC) T method and the collected CT s. In the third week, class CT s, melting curves, students' calculations, and factors affecting the reliability of RT-qPCR results were summarized and discussed. Students' results show that (i) relatively pure and intact RNA samples are obtained; (ii) ACTIN2 is a better reference gene than the 18S rRNA; (iii) the dark treatment reduces both gene expressions to < 1%; (iv) the reduction in the expression of AtRBCS3B is significantly more than that of the AtRBCS1A. Results from pre- and post-lab tests indicate that besides the theory, this exercise helps students learn the applications and associated techniques of RT-qPCR. Future modifications and new experiments that can be developed based on students' learning outcomes and assessment are also discussed. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(4):405-411, 2016.
Optical calibration of a submicrometer magnification standard

The calibration of a new submicrometer magnification standard for electron microscopes is described. The new standard is based on the width of a thin thermal-oxide film sandwiched between a silicon single-crystal substrate and a polysilicon capping layer. The calibration is based on an ellipsometric measurement of the oxide thickness before the polysilicon layer is deposited on the oxide. The uncertainty in the derivation of a thickness for the layer from the ellipsometric parameters is also derived.
Effect of velocity distribution on red cell distribution in capillary blood vessels

Through the use of simulated model experiments, data on blood cell distribution into a bifurcating capillary blood vessel are obtained. The results show that the movement of red blood cells at a bi...
Recent Psychophysical and Neural Research in Shape Recognition

Shape is the major route by which we gain knowledge about our visual world. All contemporary theories of shape-based object representation, e.g., Hummel and Biederman (1992); Riesenhuber and Poggio (2002), assume a hierarchy of features by which the initial Gabor-like filtering that is characteristic of V1 cell-tuning is ultimately transformed through a series of stages to a point where cell tuning is better described by “moderately complex” features with receptive fields (r.f.s) that often cannot be analyzed into their linear components (Tanaka 1993; Kobatake and Tanaka 1994). These later stages are the inferior temporal cortex in the macaque (IT) and, in humans as determined by fMRI, likely the Lateral Occipital Complex (LOC). Along with the increase in r.f. nonlinearity in IT and LOC, the cells exhibit a high degree of invariance to changes in the conditions of presentation so the response is only moderately changed to variations in the viewing conditions. In this chapter we will review recent evidence, both behavioral and neural, that shed light on the nature of these object representations.
Estimating tsunami inundation from hurricane storm surge predictions along the U.S. gulf coast

Gulf of Mexico (GOM) coasts have been included in the U.S. Tsunami Warning System since 2005. While the tsunami risk for the GOM is low, tsunamis generated by local submarine landslides pose the greatest potential threat, as evidenced by several large ancient submarine mass failures identified in the northern GOM basin. Given the lack of significant historical tsunami evidence in the GOM, the potential threat of landslide tsunamis in this region is assessed from a worst-case scenario perspective based on a set of events including the large ancient failures and most likely extreme events determined by a probabilistic approach. Since tsunamis are not well-understood along the Gulf Coast, we investigate tsunami inundation referenced to category-specific hurricane storm surge levels, which are relatively well established along the Gulf Coast, in order to provide information for assessing the potential threat of tsunamis which is more understandable and accessible to emergency managers. Based on tsunami inundation studies prepared for the communities of South Padre Island, TX, Galveston, TX, Mobile, AL, Panama City, FL, and Tampa, FL, we identify regional trends of tsunami inundation in terms of modeled storm surge inundation. The general trends indicate that tsunami inundation can well exceed the level of storm surge from major hurricanes in open beachfront and barrier island regions, while more interior areas are less threatened. Such information can be used to better prepare for tsunami events as well as provide a preliminary estimate of tsunami hazard in locations where detailed tsunami inundation studies have not been completed.
Evolution of Src Homology 2 (SH2) Domain to Recognize Sulfotyrosine

Protein tyrosine O-sulfation is considered as the most common type of post-translational tyrosine modification in nature and plays important roles in extracellular biomolecular interactions. To facilitate the mapping, biological study, and medicinal application of this type of post-translational modification, we seek to evolve a small protein scaffold that recognizes sulfotyrosine with high affinity. We focused our efforts on the engineering of the Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain, which represents the largest class of known phosphotyrosine-recognition domain in nature and has a highly evolvable binding pocket. By using phage display, we successfully engineered the SH2 domain to recognize sulfotyrosine with high affinity. The best mutant, SH2-60.1, displayed more than 1700 fold higher sulfotyrosine-binding affinity than that of the wild-type SH2 domain. We also demonstrated that the evolved SH2 domain mutants could be used to detect sulfoprotein levels on the cell surface. These evolved SH2 domain mutants can ...
Business Strategies in East Asia

This chapter reviews the basics of strategic management from the international business perspective, and explains how the two major challenges in doing business internationally—the pressure to lower cost and the pressure to localize—influence the strategic decisions of the firm. It then correlates the strategic choice of a company with its market environment in major Asian countries.
Assessment of Status Epilepticus in Elderly Population: Geriatric Onset vs. Non-Geriatric Onset Epilepsy (P1.084)

Objective:To assess Status Epilepticus(SE) in an elderly population. Background:Incidence of SE increases significantly after age 60, and the elderly have the highest associated mortality. With an aging population, SE is becoming a common problem confronting clinicians. SE is the first seizure in more than 25[percnt] new-onset elderly epilepsy, a comparison of the presentation of SE between geriatric onset (GOE; age of onset 55 years or older) and longstanding(NGOE; age of onset less than 55 years) in elderly population has not been made. Methods:Following IRB approval, all patients age 65 years or older between January 2012-July 2014 with the probable diagnosis of epilepsy using ICD-codes 345/780 were retrospectively identified. 660 patients were screened for eligibility. Patients with unconfirmed diagnosis, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, syncope, vertigo, transient ischemic attack, who were not on antiepileptic drugs and who had a follow-up period less than 30 days were excluded. Age of onset of seizures stratified 190 eligible patients into GOE and non-GOE groups. Demographic and clinical data including the type (convulsive vs. non-convulsive) and the trigger factors for SE, were collected. Results:More patients in GOE group(15[percnt]) had a history of SE than non-GOE group(2[percnt])(p value 0.05). Intracerebral hemorrhage(36[percnt]) and ischemic stroke(36[percnt]) were the most frequent triggers of SE in GOE group with these factors being less common in non-GOE group. Conclusion:SE is more common in GOE, however we did not show non-convulsive SE to occur more frequently. The underlying etiology did differentiate the GOE from the NGOE group with intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke more frequent. The presence of certain triggers increase the likelihood of SE in GOE patients, emphasizing the need for higher suspicion of SE in this vulnerable group in order to prevent morbidity and mortality. Disclosure: Dr. O9Dwyer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rajebi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Fahimi has nothing to disclose.
RACK1 Regulates Angiotensin II-Induced Contractions of SHR Preglomerular Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

The preglomerular microcirculation of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is hypersensitive to angiotensin (ANG) II, and studies have shown that this is likely due to enhanced coincident signaling between G protein subunits αq (Gαq; released by ANG II) and βγ (Gβγ; released by Gi-coupled receptors) to active phospholipase C (PLC). Here we investigated the molecular basis for the enhanced coincident signaling between Gβγ and Gαq in SHR preglomerular vascular smooth muscle cells (PGVSMCs). Because receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1; a scaffolding protein) organizes interactions between Gβγ, Gαq, and PLC, we included RACK1 in this investigation. Cell fractionation studies demonstrated increased levels of membrane (but not cytosolic) Gβ, Gαq, PLCβ3, and RACK1 in SHR PGVSMCs compared with Wistar-Kyoto rat PGVSMCs. In SHR PGVSMCs, coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated RACK1 binding to Gβ and PLCβ3, but only at cell membranes. Pertussis toxin (which blocks Gβγ) and U73122 (which blocks PLC) reduced membrane RACK1; however, RACK1 knockdown (shRNA) did not affect membrane levels of Gβ, Gαq, or PLCβ3 In a novel gel contraction assay, RACK1 knockdown in SHR PGVSMCs attenuated contractions to ANG II and abrogated the ability of neuropeptide Y (which signals via Gβγ) to enhance ANG II-induced contractions. We conclude that in SHR PGVSMCs the enlarged pool of Gβγ and PLCβ3 recruits RACK1 to membranes and RACK1 then organizes signaling. Consequently, knockdown of RACK1 prevents coincident signaling between ANG II and the Gi pathway. This is the first study to implicate RACK1 in vascular smooth muscle cell contraction and suggests that RACK1 inhibitors could be effective cardiovascular drugs.
Pharmacokinetics of intravenous and transdermal fentanyl in alpacas.

The purpose of the study was to determine pharmacokinetics of fentanyl after intravenous (i.v.) and transdermal (t.d.) administration to six adult alpacas. Fentanyl was administered i.v. (2 μg/kg) or t.d. (nominal dose: 2 μg kg-1 hr-1 ). Plasma concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Heart rate and respiratory rate were assessed. Extrapolated, zero-time plasma fentanyl concentrations were 6.0 ng/ml (1.7-14.6 ng/ml) after i.v. administration, total plasma clearance was 1.10 L hr-1 kg-1 (0.75-1.40 L hr-1 kg-1 ), volumes of distribution were 0.30 L/kg (0.10-0.99 L/kg), 1.10 L/kg (0.70-2.96 L/kg) and 1.5 L/kg (0.8-3.5 L/kg) for V1 , V2 , and Vss , respectively. Elimination half-life was 1.2 hr (0.5-4.3 hr). Mean residence time (range) after i.v. dosing was 1.30 hr (0.65-4.00 hr). After t.d. fentanyl administration, maximum plasma fentanyl concentration was 1.20 ng/ml (0.72-3.00 ng/ml), which occurred at 25 hr (8-48 hr) after patch placement. The area under the plasma fentanyl concentration-vs-time curve (extrapolated to infinity) after t.d. fentanyl was 61 ng*hr/ml (49-93 ng*hr/ml). The dose-normalized bioavailability of fentanyl from t.d. fentanyl in alpacas was 35.5% (27-64%). Fentanyl absorption from the t.d. fentanyl patch into the central compartment occurred at a rate of approximately 50 μg/hr (29-81 μg/hr) between 8 and 72 hr after patch placement.
What is Mentoring

What is mentoring? Is it just a buzz word or is this really valuable? How can mentoring help one to grow and advance personally and professionally? How and where does one even begin? Many of us hav...
Improved Post-Thaw Function and Epigenetic Changes in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Cryopreserved Using Multicomponent Osmolyte Solutions

Current methods for freezing mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) result in poor post-thaw function, which limits the clinical utility of these cells. This investigation develops a novel approach to pr...
Class and Gender as predictors of study abroad participation among US liberal arts college Students

ABSTRACTThis paper explores one of the enduring small mysteries of student life – why do women participate in study abroad programs more than men? To answer this question, original data collected from seniors and recent graduates of a sample of liberal arts colleges in the US were analyzed. Results show an intractable gender gap persisting, even after common explanatory factors are explored, although these factors also point to the problem as one of gender and class, not gender per se. It concludes with a discussion of the meaning of cultural enrichment and venturing away from home for elite college women (elite women’s venture capital), and a call for future studies that pay attention to the ways race, gender, and class intersect to produce particular meanings of study abroad participation.
Minimizing scatter-losses during pre-heat for magneto-inertial fusion targets

The size, temporal and spatial shape, and energy content of a laser pulse for the pre-heat phase of magneto-inertial fusion affect the ability to penetrate the window of the laser-entrance-hole and to heat the fuel behind it. High laser intensities and dense targets are subject to laser-plasma-instabilities (LPI), which can lead to an effective loss of pre-heat energy or to pronounced heating of areas that should stay unexposed. While this problem has been the subject of many studies over the last decades, the investigated parameters were typically geared towards traditional laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) with densities either at 10% and above or at 1% and below the laser's critical density, electron temperatures of 3–5 keV, and laser powers near (or in excess of) 1 × 1015 W/cm2. In contrast, Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) [Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010) and Slutz and Vesey, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 025003 (2012)] currently operates at 5% of the laser's critical dens...
A Data-Driven Analysis of a Tactical Surface Scheduler

NASA's Airspace Technology Demonstration-2 (ATD-2) integrates arrival, departure, and surface operations to extend integrated traffic sequencing all the way from the gate to the overhead stream and back again for multi-airport, metroplex environments. A key concept of ATD-2 centers on surface scheduling that allows aircraft to taxi, climb, and insert within the overhead stream with minimal interruptions. A core principle is to allow aircraft to absorb delay at the gate prior to engine start in order to reduce overall fuel burn and emissions. To achieve these goals, it is necessary for the scheduler to properly balance the demand at the runway with the available capacity while also predicting accurate takeoff times. This paper provides a data-driven analysis of the runway demand capacity balancing and measures the accuracy of schedules that are generated while running in a live operational environment at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. We found that using minimum-time wake vortex separation constraints to define runway capacity resulted in scheduling departure operations at a slightly higher rate than the runway was operating and we discovered a surprising relationship between the runway rate and the accuracy of the schedules.
A Clinical Taxonomy for the Categorization of Language Functions Used By School-Age Children in a Structured Setting

The present study was designed to examine the pragmatic language functions used by school-age children during a structured dialogue. The structured dialogue consisted of a question-answer paradigm. Seven different questions were asked of each subject. A taxonomy consisting of ten categories was developed for the purpose of classifying the subjects' responses to the questions. The taxonomy was found to be effective in two ways: 1) the number of categories was sufficient to handle the subjects' responses to questions and 2) the interscorer reliability of the independent judges using the taxonomy was high. Results indicate the existence of both similarities and differences in the way school-age children answer questions during a structured dialogue.
Role of presenilin in APP processing and Aβ production

Mutations in presenilin (PS) 1 [1] and 2 [2–4] genes are the major causes of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). More than 60 missense mutations in PS1 (for review, see [5–7]) and three in PS2 [2–4,8] have been identified. PS1 and PS2 are 467 and 448 amino acid polypeptides with ∼60% homology. An 8 transmembrane (TM) domain model for PS 1 suggests that the N-terminus, TM 6→7 loop, and C-terminus all oriented toward the cytoplasm [9]. The holoproteins can be detected in transfected cells at ∼44 kDa (PS1) and ∼50 kDa (PS2) [10–12]. The half-life of both proteins is brief (30–60 min), and they undergo phosphorylation but no glycosylation or sulfation [13,14]. Very low levels of holoprotein are detected in untransfected cells and tissues; the major forms existing in cells are the endoproteolytic N-terminal fragments (NTF) and C-terminal fragments (CTF) [11,15]. PS1 is primarily cleaved at or close to amino acid 292; a point mutation at residue 292 completely abolished the endoproteolysis of PS1 [16]. This confirms the direct radiosequencing of the CTF of PS1 [15]. A secondary cleavage site is between residues 298 and 299, another site discovered by radiosequencing of the CTF [15]. The protease (presenilinase) responsible for the initial proteolytic cleavage around residue 292 is not identified; recent studies suggest that the PS1 itself might be the presenilinase [17]. Levels of PS1 and PS2 NTFs and CTFs are tightly regulated, because overexpression of holoprotein in transfected cells or transgenic mice essentially does not change the total levels of fragments [11]. PS holoproteins can also undergo caspase-mediated cleavage at alternative (slightly C-terminal) sites, a process that is believed to relate to apoptosis [18]. The NTF and CTF form high-molecular-weight complexes that may associate with β- and other catenins and appear to represent the biologically active form of the presenilins [19–21].
Turnover of Thiourea in the Aqueous Humors of the Rabbit Eye

The rate of accumulation of JJ/ C-labeled thiourea in the aqueous humor of the anterior and posterior chambers of rabbits has been studied. The coefficients of transport by flow and diffusion and the concentration in the "secreted fluid" have been evaluated and compared with corresponding values for urea. The remits demonstrate that thiourea penetrates both the iris and ciliary processes more rapidly than urea, an effect ascribed to its greater lipoid solubility.
Why Amazon Chose TLA

Since 2011, engineers at Amazon have been using TLA+ to help solve difficult design problems in critical systems. This paper describes the reasons why we chose TLA+ instead of other methods, and areas in which we would welcome further progress.
OR38 Novel method using reverse engineering to define HLA epitope antibody targets

Aim Donor specific antibodies (DSA) lead to increased risk of antibody mediated rejection (AMR), but not all mismatched HLA induce an antibody response. Using full length genomic DNA next generation sequencing (NGS) for actual recipient and donor pairs, and sera known to contain DSA by single antigen beads (SAB), we developed a novel computer algorithm to define the exact regions being recognized, unbiased with respect to locus or position in the transcribed sequence including the leader sequence. Methods We analyzed 241 kidney and cardiac transplant pairs for DSA using SAB (One Lambda) and 17th IHIWS standardized procedures for Luminex® IgG and Bio-C1q. Donor and recipient were high resolution typed at all loci using TruSight HLA v2 Sequencing Panel and analyzed by Assign 2.1 (Illumina). We compared triplet amino-acids (AA) between donor and recipient starting at the first AA in exon 1 and stepping down the entire transcribed sequence of every allele one AA at a time, identifying every triplet present in the donor but not the recipient, irrespective of locus. We developed an in–house “triplet scanning program” to perform these analyses instantaneously. We grouped pairs by DSA, starting with those with one or a limited set of DSA(s), e.g., A2 by IgG (N = 6) or C1q (N = 5), and mapped the residues on 3-D images using iCn3D Structure Viewer. Results Two A2 DSA triplet clusters were common to IgG and C1q, 2 more were observed only for C1q, and one more was observed more often for IgG. For DQ2, 5 common DQA1∗05:01 clusters and, separately, 5 common DQB1∗02:01 clusters were found by IgG (N = 12) and/or C1q (N = 8). Failure to see an expected triplet in the cluster was explained by a shared recipient triplet at another locus. Conclusions SAB and NGS provide comprehensive data to map serologically reactive epitopes. Using an unbiased computer algorithm, we have found clear serologic epitopes shared by multiple disparate donor/recipient pairs increasing confidence in the definition. Differences between IgG + and C1q + epitopes provide an opportunity to assess clinical relevance of the two. Clear and unbiased epitope definition will allow the creation of a robust database and an opportunity to develop a standardized nomenclature.
Influencing factors on gelatin matrix for chlorhexidine delivery.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the influencing factors in the fabrication of gelatin matrix (gelatin chips) for drug delivery. The attributes affecting drug release characteristics of the...
Understanding subjective well-being

This chapter evaluates progress in measuring subjective well-being since the 2009 Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Report. It summarises approaches based on evaluative measures, experiential well-being and eudaimonia (the extent to which a person believes that his or her life has meaning and purpose). It notes a tremendous uptake of subjective well-being measures by national statistical offices since 2009, and the growth in research on subjective well-being in the scientific literature. The chapter takes stock of what we have learned from global analyses of social and economic progress “Beyond GDP” since 2009, including through the UN World Happiness Report, the US National Academy of Science Report on Measuring Subjective Well-Being, the OECD “How’s Life?” series and its Better Life Initiative. It also describes progress in acquiring new knowledge about subjective well-being and progress in applying this to policy. The chapter identifies some of the key issues that will need to be addressed to gain a more complete understanding of subjective well-being, including causality and data collection.
Opto-thermophoretic fiber tweezers

Recent advances in opto-thermophoretic tweezers open new avenues for low-power trapping and manipulation of nanoparticles with potential applications in colloidal assembly, nanomanufacturing, life sciences, and nanomedicine. However, to fully exploit the opto-thermophoretic tweezers for widespread applications, the enhancement of their versatility in nanoparticle manipulations is pivotal. For this purpose, we translate our newly developed opto-thermophoretic tweezers onto an optical fiber platform known as opto-thermophoretic fiber tweezers (OTFT). We have demonstrated the applications of OTFT as a nanoparticle concentrator, as a nanopipette for single particle delivery, and as a nanoprobe. The simple setup and functional versatility of OTFT would encourage its use in various fields such as additive manufacturing, single nanoparticle-cell interactions, and biosensing.
Waveform Inversion-Assisted Distributed Reverse Time Migration for Microseismic Location

We present a novel approach to locate microseismic sources in situ and in real time in distributed sensor networks (DSN). We propose a distributed reverse time migration (RTM) microseismic source location algorithm. RTM-based methods have advantages in passive source location in terms of robustness and accuracy. However, the traditional methods have a centralized data collection and ex situ postprocessing style, and were not designed for in situ and real-time seismic imaging, so communication and computation costs were not considered. Utilizing newly emerging DSN, real-time and in situ microseismic source location becomes possible. Thus, we specially design a joint imaging condition for the DSN system to reduce both computation and communication burdens. The tradeoff, however, is location resolution reduction. Sequentially, we employ a waveform inversion approach to obtain a finer resolution microseismic source location result. Finally, we validate the proposed method using both synthetic and field seismic records. Our approach shows promising performances using synthetics with single and multiple sources, as well as with field data. The proposed waveform inversion-assisted distributed RTM location algorithm obtains high-resolution source location results and significantly reduced communication and computation costs, even at a low signal-to-noise ratio.
Identity Complexes and Science Identity in Early Secondary: Mono-topical or in Combination with Other Topical Identities

Prior research suggests that students endorsing a science identity are more likely to participate in optional science experiences and choose STEM careers. Science identity is a topical identity, which refers to an identity related to a topic rather than a social or cultural group. However, studies of topical identities typically examine them in isolation. The current study identified typically occurring combinations of topical identities as identity complexes to determine whether science identity would tend to occur within STEM-only complexes or together within larger topical identity complexes. Over 1200 urban public-school students in 6th, 7th, and 9th grades from two different regions in the USA completed surveys asking about their topical identities, choice preferences, and optional science experiences. Latent class analyses revealed that students often endorse science identities in the context of other unrelated identities like athletic and artistic identities. Further, the frequency (overall and relative to each other) of the two high-science identity complexes varied substantially by gender, ethnicity, and grade. These patterns were not simple reflects of the commonly observed overall rates of science identity by demographics. Further, students in topical complexes with high science identity still had high participation in optional science experiences despite having many topical identities that could compete for time.
Mental Health Management Among Older Youth in Foster Care: Service Utilization and Preparedness.

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to document mental health service use (counseling and medication) among youth in foster care, examine how prepared they feel to manage their mental health, and investigate predictors of service use and preparedness. Methods The study includes a representative sample of youth in California foster care at age 17 years who participated in in-person, structured interviews (n = 727). Survey measures captured youth characteristics, their mental health service use, and their level of preparedness to manage their mental health. Data from a child welfare worker survey were used to capture county-level service availability, helpfulness, and coordination. Binary and ordered logistic regression were used to predict mental health service use and preparedness. Results Youth reported high rates of mental health service use and one-fifth of the sample reported feeling less than prepared to manage their mental health. Youth who screened positive for mental disorders were less prepared than their peers to manage their mental health. Physical (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44; p Conclusions Mental health service use remains high among youth in foster care. Youth with particular characteristics may benefit from interventions aimed at preparing them for managing their mental health in adulthood.
Teacher education in institutions of higher education: A history of common good

In this article, I discuss seldom-acknowledged ways in which university teacher preparation has served the common good throughout its history. I focus on the U.S., where teacher education has contr...
Robot-Assisted McKeown Esophagectomy

Three-hole esophagectomy or McKeown esophagectomy can be performed using the robot. We reserve this approach for patients with a mid esophageal tumor where the anastomosis in the neck allows complete resection of the tumor with negative surgical margins. Typically, patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer undergo induction chemoradiation therapy. Afterward, the patient undergoes restaging with PET-CT and EUS. Patients with concern for the invasion of the airway on the imaging or on EUS, they undergo flexible bronchoscopy with EBUS to ensure there is no invasion of the trachea. Patients also undergo a cardiac and pulmonary evaluation to ensure that patient is a good candidate for surgical treatment.
Thrombosis and novel hemophilia therapies: the fine line between clotting and bleeding.

Abstract The availability of novel nonfactor therapeutics is revolutionizing the management of hemophilia in individuals with inhibitory antibodies, as well as making prophylaxis more convenient even in the absence of inhibitors. Unfortunately, the use of these products has been associated with thrombotic events that are not typically seen with factor replacement. These are primarily seen when a patient on a nonfactor therapy experiences breakthrough bleeding and concomitantly receives another hemostatic agent. This video addresses thrombotic complication in 3 nonfactor products: (1) emicizumab, a bispecific antibody that mimics the cofactor activity of factor VIII; (2) fitusiran, an small interfering RNA that knocks down synthesis of antithrombin; and (3) concizumab, an antibody that blocks inhibition of factor Xa by tissue factor pathway inhibitor. The latter 2 agents were developed on the premise that hemostasis in hemophilia could be “rebalanced” by reducing the levels of anticoagulant activity to compensate for the defect in procoagulant activity. Each of these approaches increases peak levels of thrombin achieved in assays on plasma from treated subjects and reduces bleeding rates in individuals with or without inhibitors. However, we do not yet have a good mechanistic model for precisely how these approaches affect hemostasis in vivo. It is not only the total amount of active thrombin produced that determines the effectiveness of hemostasis but also how thrombin generation is regulated. Therefore, it is currently difficult to predict how these new agents will interact with other perturbations or therapeutic manipulations of the coagulation system.