cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visfatin and RBP4 gene expression levels in different adipose tissues and insulin resistance

Background As an endocrine organ, adipose tissue produces and secretes lots of hormones and adipokines that play important roles in metabolism and inflammation [1]. Varied adipose tissues may affect the inflammation distinctively, mainly because of the different secretion levels of the adipokines. Adipokines like visfatin and retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) may have important roles in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake to the cell [2,3]. Our research focuses on different tissue secretions of visfatin and RBP4 and their inflammatory properties.
Violations of Principle: Ideological Currency in the Psychological Contract

We recommend the inclusion of “ideological currency” in the psychological contract perspective in order to broaden the range of employee-organization exchanges that the perspective can accommodate. We differentiate ideological currency from other forms of exchange currency and develop a model that articulates the conditions under which the breach and violation of ideology-infused psychological contracts will likely occur. We conclude by considering the opportunities and challenges implied by the inclusion of ideology in the psychological contract.
Spectral hole burning in naphthalocyanines derivatives in the region 800 nm for holographic storage applications

Persistent spectral hole burning is studied for several free-based and metallo-naphthalocyanine derivatives in polymer hosts. These materials exhibit a strong 0-0 absorption band in the region 800 nm matching the wavelength range of most semiconductor diode lasers and Ti:Sapphire lasers. Metallo-naphthalocyanines demonstrate a nonphotochemical hole-burning mechanism that is likely related to rotations of small molecular groups attached to a relatively rigid molecular ring. Free-base molecules exhibit the regular proton phototautomerization mechanism of hole burning. Spectral- and hole-burning parameters were determined for eight materials; in particular, the hole-burning kinetics was analyzed and the quantum efficiencies were determined to be between 0.1% and 1%. Holograms (data pages) in the transmission geometry were successfully recorded in the materials studied using single-frequency laser diodes.
Initial Report of a Prospective Dosimetric and Clinical Feasibility Trial Demonstrates the Potential of Protons to Increase the Therapeutic Ratio in Breast Cancer Compared With Photons.

Purpose To compare dosimetric endpoints between proton therapy (PT) and conventional radiation and determine the feasibility of PT for regional nodal irradiation (RNI) in women with breast cancer. Methods and Materials From 2012 to 2014, 18 women (stage IIA-IIIB) requiring RNI prospectively enrolled on a pilot study. Median age was 51.8 years (range, 42-73 years). The cohort included breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy patients and right- and left-sided cancers. Treatment targets and organs at risk were delineated on computed tomography scans, and PT and conventional plans were developed. Toxicity was prospectively recorded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. A Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test compared the dose-volume parameters. The primary endpoint was a reduction in cardiac V5. Results Median follow-up was 20 months (range, 2-31 months). For all patients, the PT plan better met the dosimetric goals and was used for treatment. Proton therapy alone was used for 10 patients (9 postmastectomy, 1 after BCT) and combined proton–photon in 8 (6 BCT, 2 postmastectomy with immediate expander reconstruction). Proton therapy improved coverage of level 2 axilla ( P =.0005). Adequate coverage of internal mammary nodes was consistently achieved with PT (median D95, 50.3 Gy; range, 46.6-52.1 Gy) but not with conventional radiation therapy (median D95, 48.2 Gy; range, 40.8-55 Gy; P =.0005). Median cardiac V5 was 0.6% with PT and 16.3% with conventional radiation ( P P P Conclusion Proton therapy for RNI after mastectomy or BCT significantly improves cardiac dose, especially for left-sided patients, and lung V5 and V20 in all patients without excessive acute toxicity. Proton therapy simultaneously improves target coverage for the internal mammary nodes and level 2 axilla, which may positively impact long-term survival in breast cancer patients.
Drosophila Models of Neuronal Injury

Neurite degeneration is a hallmark feature of nearly all neurodegenerative diseases, occurs after most brain trauma, and is thought to be the underlying cause of functional loss in patients. Understanding the genetic basis of neurite degeneration represents a major challenge in the neuroscience field. If it is possible to define key signaling pathways that promote neurite destruction, their blockade represents an exciting new potential therapeutic approach to suppressing neurological loss in patients. This review highlights recently developed models that can be used to study fundamental aspects of neuronal injury using the fruit fly Drosophila. The speed, precision, and powerful molecular-genetic tools available in the fruit fly make for an attractive system in which to dissect neuronal signaling after injury. Their use has led to the identification of some of the first molecules whose endogenous function includes promoting axonal degeneration after axotomy, and these signaling pathways appear functionally well conserved in mammals.
In Vitro Absorption of Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Cyanide in Undisturbed Pooled Blood

Blood samples from aircraft accident victims are analyzed for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and cyanide ion (CN(-)). Such victims often suffer open wounds near the autopsy blood collection sites. Many aircraft crashes result in fires that fill the victim's atmosphere with smoke that is rich in carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). It is important to determine whether pooled blood in those wounds may have absorbed these gases after death, which could lead one to erroneously conclude that the presence of COHb and CN(-) in blood was the result of breathing in these gases. A laboratory desiccator was used as a chamber to establish whether CO or HCN may be absorbed in undisturbed, pooled blood. COHb levels were 4.3-11.0% after exposure to CO (5,532, 8,298, 11,064, 22,129 and 33,193 ppm) for 30 and 60 min. Blood CN(-) concentrations (1.43-5.01 µg/mL) increased with exposure to HCN at 100 and 200 ppm, each at 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. The observed COHb increases do not exclude the possibility for higher COHb levels in blood exposed to highly CO-rich atmospheres, but there is a strong potential for CN(-) levels to increase by the absorption of atmospheric HCN. Thus, postmortem COHb and CN(-) levels should be carefully interpreted.
Immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of cutaneous neoplasms

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of diagnostic immunohistochemical stains available to pathologists and dermatopathologists. Immunohistochemistry has become an indispensable tool in dermatopathology, not only in diagnosis but also in the treatment and prognostication of cutaneous neoplasms. In this review we attempt to outline current, as well as new, immunohistochemical stains of relevance in the diagnosis and classification of cutaneous neoplasms.
Comparing land surface phenology derived from satellite and GPS network microwave remote sensing

The land surface phenology (LSP) start of season (SOS) metric signals the seasonal onset of vegetation activity, including canopy growth and associated increases in land- atmosphere water, energy and carbon (CO2) exchanges influencing weather and climate variability. The vegetation optical depth (VOD) parameter determined from satellite pas- sive microwave remote sensing provides for global LSP mon- itoring that is sensitive to changes in vegetation canopy water content and biomass, and insensitive to atmosphere and solar illuminationconstraints. Directfieldmeasuresofcanopywater content and biomass changes desired for LSP validation are generally lacking due to the prohibitive costs of maintaining regional monitoring networks. Alternatively, a normalized mi- crowave reflectance index (NMRI) derived from GPS base station measurements is sensitive to daily vegetation water content changes and may provide for effective microwave LSP validation. We compared multiyear (2007-2011) NMRI and satellite VOD records at over 300 GPS sites in North America, and their derived SOS metrics for a subset of 24 homogenous land cover sites to investigate VOD and NMRI correspondence, and potential NMRI utility for LSP valida- tion.Significant correlations (P <0.05) were found at 276 of 305 sites (90.5 %), with generally favorable correspon- dence in the resulting SOS metrics (r 2 =0.73, P <0.001, RMSE = 36.8 days). This study is the first attempt to compare satellite microwave LSP metrics to a GPS network derived reflectance index and highlights both the utility and limita- tions of the NMRI data for LSP validation, including spatial scale discrepancies between local NMRI measurements and relatively coarse satellite VOD retrievals.
Biocatalytic synthesis of polymers. Synthesis of an optically active, epoxy‐substituted polyester by lipase‐catalyzed polymerization

The enantioselective polymerization of bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl) trans-3,4-epoxyadipate with 1,4-butanediol using the enzyme porcine pancreatic lipase as a catalyst is described. The polymerization was carried out at ambient temperature in anhydrous ethyl ether. End group analysis provided MN = 5,300 daltons, whereas GPC provided Mw = 7,900 daltons for the polymer. The unchanged (+)-enantiomer of the diester was shown to have an enantiomeric purity of > 95% by proton NMR in the presence of the chiral shift reagent Eu(hfc)3. The stereochemical purity of the (−)-polymer was estimated at > 96% by consideration of the amount of the slower reacting enantiomer that could have been incorporated and still attain the observed degree of polymerization (25) when the starting ratio of racemic diester to diol was 2:1. Direct determination of the stereochemical purity of the polymer using Eu(hfc)3 was unsuccessful. Similar studies on polymer having random stereochemical orientations of the epoxide showed that such polymers do not behave as if they are racemic in the presence of the shift reagent. The polymer required for the latter studies was prepared by epoxidation of the product from enzyme catalyzed polymerization of bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl) trans-3-hexenedioate with 1,4-butanediol.
Accurate prediction of stability changes in protein mutants by combining machine learning with structure based computational mutagenesis

Motivation: Accurate predictive models for the impact of single amino acid substitutions on protein stability provide insight into protein structure and function. Such models are also valuable for the design and engineering of new proteins. Previously described methods have utilized properties of protein sequence or structure to predict the free energy change of mutants due to thermal (ΔΔG) and denaturant (ΔΔGH2O) denaturations, as well as mutant thermal stability (ΔTm), through the application of either computational energy-based approaches or machine learning techniques. However, accuracy associated with applying these methods separately is frequently far from optimal. Results: We detail a computational mutagenesis technique based on a four-body, knowledge-based, statistical contact potential. For any mutation due to a single amino acid replacement in a protein, the method provides an empirical normalized measure of the ensuing environmental perturbation occurring at every residue position. A feature vector is generated for the mutant by considering perturbations at the mutated position and it's ordered six nearest neighbors in the 3-dimensional (3D) protein structure. These predictors of stability change are evaluated by applying machine learning tools to large training sets of mutants derived from diverse proteins that have been experimentally studied and described. Predictive models based on our combined approach are either comparable to, or in many cases significantly outperform, previously published results. Availability: A web server with supporting documentation is available at http://proteins.gmu.edu/automute Contact: ivaisman@gmu.edu
Siren canora: the mermaid and the mythical in late nineteenth-century science

This paper argues that, for a number of naturalists and lay commentators in the second half of the nineteenth century, evolutionary – especially Darwinian – theory gave new authority to mythical creatures. These writers drew on specific elements of evolutionary theory to assert the existence of mermaids, dragons and other fabulous beasts. But mythological creatures also performed a second, often contrapositive, argumentative function; commentators who rejected evolution regularly did so by dismissing these creatures. Such critics agreed that Darwin's theory legitimized the mythological animal, but they employed this legitimization to undermine the theory itself. The mermaid, in particular, was a focus of attention in this mytho-evolutionary debate, which ranged from the pages of Punch to the lecture halls of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Crossing social boundaries and taking advantage of a range of venues, this debate arose in response to the indeterminate challenge of evolutiona...
The ultramicrotome superstage: a versatile aid for section manipulation.

The design and properties of a rigid, box-like device to be placed on the knife stage of a Porter-Blum MT-2 ultramicrotome are described. This “superstage” acts as a hand and tool rest, and a wind screen for the knife boat. The superstage easily permits tight rafts of ultrathin sections to be centrally located on grids. Additionally, it aids in placing 1 μm thick sections at the same relative location on glass slides to facilitate their examination in the light microscope.
SOME TESTS OF BINOMIAL PROBABILITY ASSESSMENTS

A replication of the Alpert-Raiffa probability assessment experiment is used to motivate the development of several tests for evaluating assessors. The tests permit an evaluation of an assessor's accuracy in estimating target quantities and in estimating his own uncertainty as well. Assumption of normal subjective distributions permits the determination of subjective variances. Data from trial assessments are employed to test models which assert that assessed quantities are equal to subjectively assessed error variances. Several tests of the latter type are compared using data from individual, as well as pooled, assessors.
Noise in phase-locked loops

Jitter and phase noise properties of phase-locked loops (PLL) are analyzed, identifying various forms of jitter and phase noise in PLLs. The effects of different building blocks on the jitter and phase noise performance of PLLs are demonstrated through a parallel analytical and graphical treatment of noise evolution in the phase-locked loop.
A Quick and Dirty Response to the Quick and Dirty Crowd; Particularly to Jack Byrd's “The Value of Queueing Theory”

Queueing theory is a useful, important part of the tool bag of OR/MS, and any half serious professional ought to know it. To charge otherwise in a professional journal, on the basis of sending students to visit a two-clerk bookstore, seems to me absurd or malicious---take your choice. In that same bookstore I could prove that linear programming, inventory theory, network analysis, simulation, geometric programming, indeed virtually all of OR/MS is equally useless. Now, it is really very weird but over the years I've done similar experiments at Columbia with my first year OR students. Do you believe it, but the results were entirely different? In a pretty wide range of problems my students found queueing theory useful---and one application was even to setting red-green cycles on traffic lights. How do you account for the difference---the experimentor, the subjects, the environment? Maybe, but perhaps it's just that we were not quite so quick, or quite so dirty, or trying to be quite so cute.
Military Geography from Peace to War

Military Geography from Peace to War is a collection of articles, some previously published in other journals, concerning the relationships between geography and the military. The study of military...
Judging Grammaticality with Tree Substitution Grammar Derivations

In this paper, we show that local features computed from the derivations of tree substitution grammars --- such as the identify of particular fragments, and a count of large and small fragments --- are useful in binary grammatical classification tasks. Such features outperform n-gram features and various model scores by a wide margin. Although they fall short of the performance of the hand-crafted feature set of Charniak and Johnson (2005) developed for parse tree reranking, they do so with an order of magnitude fewer features. Furthermore, since the TSGs employed are learned in a Bayesian setting, the use of their derivations can be viewed as the automatic discovery of tree patterns useful for classification. On the BLLIP dataset, we achieve an accuracy of 89.9% in discriminating between grammatical text and samples from an n-gram language model.
To Speak or Not to Speak

This article provides tips on when attorneys should speak up or remain silent in legal documents.
Transplanted neurons integrate into adult retinas and respond to light

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) degenerate in diseases like glaucoma and are not replaced in adult mammals. Here we investigate whether transplanted RGCs can integrate into the mature retina. We have transplanted GFP-labelled RGCs into uninjured rat retinas in vivo by intravitreal injection. Transplanted RGCs acquire the general morphology of endogenous RGCs, with axons orienting towards the optic nerve head of the host retina and dendrites growing into the inner plexiform layer. Preliminary data show in some cases GFP(+) axons extending within the host optic nerves and optic tract, reaching usual synaptic targets in the brain, including the lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus. Electrophysiological recordings from transplanted RGCs demonstrate the cells' electrical excitability and light responses similar to host ON, ON-OFF and OFF RGCs, although less rapid and with greater adaptation. These data present a promising approach to develop cell replacement strategies in diseased retinas with degenerating RGCs.
On the behavior of ballistic impact into flexible protection systems

Past photographic analyses have shown that a fabric impacted at ballistic speeds deforms into approximately a conical shape. By ignoring the complex fiber interactions and treating the deformed fabric as simply a homogenous, isotropic conical shell, the problem is simplified to one easily handled by conical shell analysis. Experimental data on projectile velocities and simple target properties, in combination with the proposed algorithm should allow one to predict geometry, strain in the fabric, and load applied by the fabric onto the projectile in successive time intervals during a simulated impact. Data on projectile exit velocity after penetration identifies the failure strain of the fabric. Through use of the model one can then predict the outcome of impacts involving different target thickness and different bullet sizes and shapes. An experimental program was performed, involving .22 and .357 bullets fired at Kevlar 29 fabric targets. Results compare favorably with the theory.
Slavery in the subfamily dolichoderinae (F. Formicidae) and its ecological consequences

Evidence of slave-making habits in 2 species of the subfamily Dolichoderinae has been found in arid habitats of western North America. The enslaved species are of the subfamilies Myrmicinae and Formicinae. In previously reported cases of slavery in ants, both the slave-making and enslaved species are of the subfamily Formicinae., In the 2 new cases of slavery reported here, presence of slaves of another species in a colony significantly increases the breadth of diet and/or the range of temperatures at which the colony forages.
Discussion about Quality Control of Sulfur Hexafluoride Used in Electric Equipment

The methods and techniques of quality control of sulfur hexafluoride(SF6)in electric equipment are described.It is indicated that there exist limitations in the SF6 purity computing method of GB/T 12022-2006 Sulphur Hexafluoride for Industrial Use,which fails to reflect the influence of other impurities such as carbon dioxide(CO2),thionyl sulfide(SOF2),sulfuryl fluoride(SO2F2),disulfuryl decafluoride(S2OF10)on the electric performance of SF6.The situation and problems of SF6 quality control in the power industry of Guangdong are analyzed.It is suggested that SF6 should not be applied to electric equipment when its purity is lower than 99.9% due to the existence of massive impurities excluded in Standard GB/T 12022-2006;the sampling inspection ratio of SF6 should be higher.The SF6 imported from Japan or Germany is superior to domestic SF6 in quality and stability,and is recommended to be used.
Essence of survival analysis

Many clinical trials are designed based on a time-to-event endpoint. Overall survival and progression-free survival are commonly used, especially in Phase II and III clinical trials. Overall survival measures the time to death from any cause, while progression-free survival measures the time to progression of the disease or death from any cause. The key distinguishing factor is that the event of interest, such as death, may not occur in all individuals, making their time to this event unknown. Survival analysis comprises of the methods used to estimate the rates associated with time-to-an-event data, compare the rates between groups, and assess how other factors impact these rates.
Technical details in relation to the successful use of instrumentation in scoliosis.

Summary The technical details in relation to the successful use of instrumentation in scoliosis have been presented as they may concern the following: (1) the specifications of the instruments as related to the role they play in correcting and holding the deformed spine; (2) the proper placement of instrumentation in various situations, (3) the proper seating of the distraction and compression hooks, (4) the technique to use in the corrective force application, (5) the fusion technique, (6) other instances in which instrumentation is of value, and (7) patient orientation before surgery.
Pan de Yuca and Brown Rice

AbstractEfforts to provide “good” food to vulnerable populations in the United States are proliferating, and one major set of venues for these initiatives is publicly funded foodservice. While some aspects of these initiatives are well studied, the work that cooks do under new healthy food initiatives is often overlooked. Cooks shape what ends up on the plate and what is eaten, and thus their work influences the success of these efforts. At the same time, their work in these new regimes contributes to their own labor experiences and lives in important ways. Examining this latter issue, I study the experiences of cooks implementing a healthy meal program in childcare centers, afterschool programs, senior centers, and shelters in New York City. I find that healthy meal programs teach cooks new skills and offer new avenues for caring for clients and family members. However, these programs also place additional demands on and create new anxieties for cooks, particularly in terms of in how they communicate the...
Abstract 74: Targeting nuclear export for triple-negative breast cancer therapy

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) comprise the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. They rapidly acquire resistance to chemotherapy and are also refractory to endocrine therapy and HER2 inhibitors. In fact, no targeted therapies are currently available against these tumors. Genome sequencing studies have shown that TNBCs are exceedingly heterogeneous in genetic mutations as well as copy number variations. Yet, TNBC almost invariably harbor inactivating mutations in TP53, which seems to be a crucial event in the pathogenesis of these tumors. We recently performed a series of siRNA lethality screens in vitro (N = 11 cell lines) to identify, in an unbiased way, recurrent vulnerabilities that could be harnessed as novel targets for TNBC therapy. Hits were genes whose silencing triggered massive cell death in ≥ 30% of TNBC lines tested. The screens re-discovered mitosis as a frequent Achilles’ heel of these tumors (antimitotic drugs are currently a mainstay of TNBC therapy), supporting the validity of the approach. The nuclear transport gene RAN also scored among the most frequent TNBC selective dependencies. Moreover, TNBC cell lines were exquisitely sensitive to selinexor (KPT-330), a first-in-class inhibitor of exportin 1 (XPO-1) currently in phase 2 trials, both in vitro and in vivo. TNBC cells treated with selinexor died of apoptosis. In contrast, normal human primary breast epithelial progenitors (BPE) underwent cell cycle arrest (but not death) upon selinexor treatment, and were able to resume proliferation upon drug removal. The efficacy of selinexor across different TNBC models varied, suggesting that additional factors, beside the TNBC status, are at play. Preliminary data based on a genome-wide CRISPR screen for genes and networks conferring sensitivity to selinexor using a p53-mutant TNBC cell line (MDA-MB-231) implicated a number of TP53-related genes as key mediators of response. Together, these data support the notion that p53-mutant TNBC coopt nuclear export function to silence TP53-associated networks and that XPO-1 inhibitors could be a viable strategy to tackle TNBC in the clinic. Citation Format: Fabio Petrocca. Targeting nuclear export for triple-negative breast cancer therapy. [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 74.
Solid State Transition Behavior of Blends

Publisher Summary This chapter focusses on the solid-state transition behavior of blends. It discusses the criteria for miscibility and briefly reviews the widely used methods of glass transition temperature (Tg) measurement in polymer blends with respect to their advantages and limitations in the study of polymer compatibility. The methods by which Tg of polymers may be determined are differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermal optical analysis (TOA), probe penetration thermo-mechanical analysis (TMS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical and dielectric measurements, and dilatometry. DSC has been widely used in the study of blend compatibility and in the determination of crystallinity in crystalline-amorphous polymer blends. DSC thermograms are plots of heat capacity (Cp) versus temperature. Apart from rapidity of measurement, the principal advantages of DSC in the study of polymer blends are that only small (typically 5–30 mg) samples are required and the available rapid temperature scan permits the study of heat sensitive polymers such as PVC without the addition of stabilizers. Dynamic mechanical measurements are widely used in the study of polymer compatibility. With this technique, a dynamic modulus can be measured as a function of temperature over a range of frequencies. From traditional torsion pendulum measurements, the dynamic shear loss modulus (G") and the dynamic shear storage modulus (G') can be obtained as a function of temperature at a nominal frequency in the vicinity of 1 Hz. The chapter provides a detailed account of solid-state transition behavior of poly (2, 6-dimethylphenylene oxide)-polystyrene blends and PPO- poly-chloro-styrene blends.
Characterizing Airborne Microorganisms in a Cotton Card Room Using an Andersen Air Sampler1

An Andersen Air Sampler was used to collect airborne microorganisms during the processing of cotton bales in a model card room. The instrument is convenient and practical for collecting and identif...
Spectrum Opportunity Detection: How Good Is Listen-before-Talk?

We consider spectrum opportunity detection in cognitive radio networks for spectrum overlay. We highlight the differences between detecting primary signals and detecting spectrum opportunities. We show that besides noise and fading, the geographic distribution and traffic pattern of primary users have significant impact on the performance of spectrum opportunity detection. A necessary and sufficient condition for the equivalence between primary signal detection and spectrum opportunity detection is obtained, and the performance of listen-before- talk in a Poisson primary network with uniform traffic pattern is analyzed. Furthermore, we study the translation from the physical layer opportunity detection performance to the MAC layer performance. This issue is crucial in examining the impact of sensing errors on the design of higher layers and in choosing the optimal operating characteristics of the spectrum sensor. We demonstrate the complex dependency of the relationship between PHY and MAC on the applications and the use of MAC handshaking signaling such as RTS/CTS.
Horizon ring nulling shorted annular patch GNSS antenna with shunted stubs

A low cost dual-band shorted annular ring patch antenna is presented for the application of GNSS reception with interference rejection at the horizon. It is shown that the antenna can achieve circular polarization with a single feed pin using two shunted stubs along the inner wall of the ring. The effect of the shunted stubs on the antenna resonance is analytically derived and verified through simulations. The dimensions of the annular ring were designed to create a deep null in the RHCP gain pattern at the horizon and around all azimuth. Additionally, a novel feed configuration is presented using a coplanar waveguide transition to improve impedance matching for the LI and L2 GPS frequencies.
24-P : ANALYSIS OF HLA CLASS I & II IgG SUBTYPES IN TRANSPLANT PATIENTS AND TRANSPLANT CANDIDATES USING THE SINGLE ANTIGEN BEAD-BASED LUMINEX METHOD

Aim To determine the HLA antibody of the isotype IgG and its subtypes (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4) in allosensitized patients and transplant recipients. Methods Single Antigen Bead based assay using Luminex platform was done on diagnostic serum samples from 19 Renal/Heart Transplant candidates/recipients. Results Serum samples from 19 patients were analyzed, 4 had sequential samples, and 4 had pre and post transplant samples. The data from these limited samples indicate that while HLA antibodies are generally represented by all 4 subtypes of IgG, the predominant subtype was IgG1, (the efficient complement binding subtype) followed by IgG2. The physiological concentrations of IgG subtypes follows their designated numbers (IgG1 > IgG2 > IgG3 > IgG4), and seemingly, the alloimmune response also follows this pattern. There were notable differences in the antibody specificity profiles between pre and post transplant sera, but the distribution of IgG subtypes maintained the hierarchy in terms of number of IgG subtype specificities seen prior to transplantation except in one of the 4 patients tested where the pre-transplant IgG1 disappeared and serum from post transplant had IgG2 and IgG4 not present prior to transplant. Of the 4 sequential samples analyzed, HLA-specific antibody profile changed in all; however, the IgG subtype distribution pattern remained the same in all except for one patient where a shift from IgG1 and 2 to IgG3 was observed. Conclusions The limited samples analyzed from allosensitized patients indicate a predominance of IgG1 subtype of HLA-Class I and II Specific antibodies based on the MFI values. However, IgG subtypes have different biological functions and the concentration alone might not indicate functional hierarchy. Detailed studies with more patients with pre and post transplant samples along with functional assays are required to better understand the role of alloimmune IgG isotypes in allograft function and survival.
Psychophysiological responses in a human operant situation

Heart rate, galvanic skin response, and blink rate were measured in situations where the behavior of human Ss was controlled via an operant procedure involving a mixed schedule of reinforcement: FR 20 VI 4 DRL. In one experiment, two Ss were tested over a number of sessions in which responses to reinforcing stimuli during the operant procedure were compared with responses to the same stimuli in situations where Ss did not work for reinforcement. Another S worked entirely under the operant procedure, during several sessions of which an electric shock was correlated with his operant behavior. The reinforcing stimuli produced consistent decreases in blink rate throughout all operant sessions and consistent GSRs throughout all operant sessions except those where electric shock was given. The pattern of change in heart rate varied among Ss. These results were discussed in relation to the adaptation of responses during the non-operant conditions, to the level of background physiological activity, and to the complexity of the schedule of reinforcement.
Prenatal Metabolism: Metals and Metallothionein

Many of the preceding chapters have been concerned with the effects of metals on the developing organism. Such similarities or differences in the effects of the various metals can be mediated through direct action on the embryo/fetus, on the placenta and its extraembryonic membranes or on the mother. To establish such interactions, it is imperative that the clinician and medical scientist understand the metabolism of these metals in question.
Na+ electrochemical gradient and Na+-Ca2+ exchange in rat proximal tubule.

he basolateral cell membrane of the rat proximal tubule contains a Na+-Ca2+ exchanger that may participate in the regulation of cytosolic calcium (Cai) and Ca2+ transport. In this work, the activit...
How Employers and Conservatives Shaped the Modern Tax State

Coordinated nations with large welfare states rely on comparatively regressive “mass tax” systems, whereas liberal countries with limited welfare states historically embraced more progressive “class tax” systems. This chapter explores the origins of these paradoxical strategies. It suggests that “mass” and “class” tax strategies come from different models of revenue policymaking, organized around the logic of state-building versus crisis mobilization. A state-building model, which produces the mass tax, transpires in countries with strong political institutions for consensual policymaking, and includes support by business and the right, whereas a crisis-mobilization model, which produces the class tax, occurs in countries with few institutions for consensual policymaking. This argument is supported with quantitative data from 1900 to 2000 and case studies of the United States and Denmark.
The influence of work–family conflict on job stress among two groups of community corrections staff

The negative individual and organizational impact of job stress is well documented for institutional correctional officers. One known predictor of job stress in this setting is work–family conflict...
On the Design of Energy-Efficient I/O Circuits for Interposer-based 2.5D System-in-Package

Interposer-based 2.5D System-in-Package (SiP) allows heterogeneous integration while promising lower cost and higher yield than TSV-based 3D integration [1] [2] [3]. Communications between dies in SiP are similar to those in System-on-Chip (SoC), except SiP is using wires in silicon interposers which have larger linewidth and show inductive properties. The total number of input/output (I/O) circuits to drive on-interposer wires is much larger than off-chip I/Os in SoC. Hence, design of lightweight I/O circuits is critical for 2.5D integrations, and digital singled-ended signaling has emerged as a preferred choice.
Prediction of Carbon Partitioning and Austenite Stability via Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics in Quench and Partition (Q&P) Steel

Thermodynamics-based predictive modeling for phase characteristics after the quench and partition (Q&P) process is key to the design of new alloys and processing cycles with the best combination of mechanical properties. The austenite carbon content influences its phase stability during mechanical deformation and thus determines the improvement to total elongation from transformation-induced plasticity. The current article describes a carbon partition model based on para-equilibrium simulations with the addition of a temperature-dependent effective stored energy model that predicts carbon enrichment in austenite after Q&P processing. A retained austenite stability model is also proposed that uses the predicted carbon in austenite to quantify the austenite stability in terms of the Msσ temperature. The developed models were calibrated and subsequently validated using measurements from advanced characterization techniques such as local electrode atom probe tomography, synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction and uniaxial tensile tests at varying test temperatures.
Lower excitatory synaptic gene expression in orbitofrontal cortex and striatum in an initial study of subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a severe illness that affects 2-3% of people worldwide. OCD neuroimaging studies have consistently shown abnormal activity in brain regions involved in decision-making (orbitofrontal cortex [OFC]) and action selection (striatum). However, little is known regarding molecular changes that may contribute to abnormal function. We therefore examined expression of synaptic genes in post-mortem human brain samples of these regions from eight pairs of unaffected comparison and OCD subjects. Total grey matter tissue samples were obtained from medial OFC (BA11), lateral OFC (BA47), head of caudate, and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was then performed on a panel of transcripts encoding proteins related to excitatory synaptic structure, excitatory synaptic receptors/transporters, and GABA synapses. Relative to unaffected comparison subjects, OCD subjects had significantly lower levels of several transcripts related to excitatory signaling in both cortical and striatal regions. However, a majority of transcripts encoding excitatory synaptic proteins were lower in OFC but not significantly different in striatum of OCD subjects. Composite transcript level measures supported these findings by revealing that reductions in transcripts encoding excitatory synaptic structure proteins and excitatory synaptic receptors/transporters occurred primarily in OFC of OCD subjects. In contrast, transcripts associated with inhibitory synaptic neurotransmission showed minor differences between groups. The observed lower levels of multiple glutamatergic transcripts across both medial and lateral OFC may suggest an upstream causal event. Together, these data provide the first evidence of molecular abnormalities in brain regions consistently implicated in OCD human imaging studies.
Abstract 2849: Axl: A promising therapeutic target that leads to multimodal inhibition of the metastatic pathway

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and approximately 90% of cancer-related deaths result from metastasis, the spread of cancer cells to secondary sites. In tumors, the upregulation of certain signaling pathways promotes the metastatic phenotypes of cancer cells characterized by enhanced invasion, migration, survival, proliferation and induction of angiogenesis. A key pathway involved in metastasis is the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl. Axl is expressed in a variety of tumor types and is associated with poor prognosis, metastasis, and outcome. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of genetic and pharmacologic inhibitions of Axl on the metastatic phenotypes, specifically cell migration, invasion and angiogenesis. Human breast and prostate cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and PC3-ML, respectively), and human lung microvascular endothelial cell (HMVEC-L) were used in this study. Stable Axl short hairpin RNA (shRNA) knockdown MDA-MB-231 and PC3-ML cell lines were generated by Mission Lentiviral transduction particles (Sigma). The efficacy of genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of Axl on tumor cell migration and invasion was evaluated by transwell migration and invasion assays. The effect of Axl knockdown on prostate cancer cell metastasis in vivo was evaluated by an intracardiac bone metastasis model. Conditioned media of Axl knockdown or control MDA-MB-231 cells were analyzed for angiogenic factors using the human angiogenesis array. The effect of Axl knockdown conditioned medium on angiogenic properties in vitro were assessed by endothelial cell tube formation and sprouting. Induction of angiogenesis in vivo was measured by performing intradermal assay. Genetic and pharmacologic inhibition of Axl decreases tumor cell migration and invasion. Axl knockdown inhibits metastatic disease burden of prostate cancer. Axl knockdown conditioned medium secretes less pro-angiogenic factors compared to its scramble control cells, suggesting that tumor cells utilize Axl pathway to promote the induction of angiogenesis. Axl knockdown conditioned medium impairs angiogenic properties, including endothelial cell tube formation and sprouting. Axl knockdown of tumor cells suppress tumor cell-induced angiogenesis in vivo. Collectively, these data indicate that Axl is involved in multiple steps of the metastatic pathway and that Axl is a promising anti-metastatic agent to inhibit tumor cell dissemination and initiation of angiogenesis. Further studies are ongoing to understand the downstream molecular signaling of Axl. Citation Format: Mai Tanaka, Dietmar W. Siemann. Axl: A promising therapeutic target that leads to multimodal inhibition of the metastatic pathway [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2849.
Broken charge symmetry in static strong coupling

Standard perturbation techniques are applied to the study of the energy level splitting in the nucleon isobar states which results from introducing charge-symmetry violation. Whereas the scalar interaction model shows a high sensitivity to the symmetry breaking, the corresponding asymmetries are typically suppressed in the model with pseudoscalar mesons, owing to the interdependence of spin and isopin in the strong-coupling theory.
Evaluation of an instrument to assess resident surgical entrustable professional activities (SEPAs).

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and the validity of the new surgical entrustable professional activities (SEPAs) instruments. Methods A prospective evaluation of six procedure-specific SEPAs instruments derived from the validated OPRS evaluation tools was conducted in 2018. Each instrument includes an open-ended feedback item and a series of Likert-Scale rating items. Attending, resident and a constant 3rd surgeon-observer completed the same evaluation for the observed case within 3 days of each evaluated operation. Results 40 cases performed by 10 residents and 11 attending surgeons were observed and evaluated. The SEPAs instruments were supported by strong validity evidence. Factor analysis revealed three latent variables are consistent with the core construct of SEPAs instrument. Internal reliability was high with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.84 to 0.94 across the six procedures. Test-retest reliability varied from 0.74 to 0.93 in the study sample. Conclusions The SEPAs instruments are reliable and valid tools for assessment of crucial aspects of resident learning and surgical entrustable professional activities that lead to entrustment and eventually surgical autonomy.
Whole blood stability in quantitative bioanalysis

Establishing stability at all stages of a sample's lifespan is a critical part of performing regulated bioanalysis. For plasma assays, this includes the duration between when blood is drawn and when that blood is centrifuged to produce plasma. Here, we provide a discussion of current regulatory expectations around whole blood stability testing for LC-MS plasma assays, as well as the two primary experimental approaches utilized to assess whole blood stability. Next, we interrogated a large dataset of validated methods (1076 methods, the vast majority of which were for measurement of small molecules) to assess the correlation between whole blood and plasma stability profiles, finding them to be highly correlated. Finally, we summarize unique case studies; we have encountered during WB stability testing which offer lessons that may be broadly applicable.
A Hybrid Artificial Neural Network, Genetic Algorithm and Column Generation Heuristic for Minimizing Makespan in Manual Order Picking Operations

Abstract At an operational level, order picking is the main activity in fulfillment centers. Motivated by and through collaboration with a third party logistic company, this study presents a novel hybrid column generation (CG), genetic algorithm (GA), and artificial neural network (ANN) heuristic for minimizing makespan in manual order picking operations. The results of column generation heuristic is compared against a mixed integer programming model solved by Gurobi, and a parallel simulated annealing and ant colony optimization (PSA-ACO) previously proposed in the literature. Through numerical experiments, the superiority of CG heuristic compared to other methods is shown, and some managerial insights regarding the relationship between makespan optimization, workload balance, picking capacity, and number of pickers in order picking operations is presented.
Toward an Understanding of Intersectionality Methodology: A 30-Year Literature Synthesis of Black Women’s Experiences in Higher Education:

Kimberle Crenshaw’s scholarship on Black women has been the springboard for numerous education studies in which researchers use intersectionality as a theoretical framework; however, few have consi...
Prevalence of Hypervirulence-Associated Pathogenicity Loci Among Klebsiella pneumoniae Bloodstream Isolates at a United States Hospital

Abstract Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major threat to human health worldwide. “Classical” K. pneumoniae (cKp) strains commonly cause multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections in debilitated patients residing in hospitals and long-term care facilities. In contrast, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKp) strains may cause invasive, community-acquired infections in otherwise healthy individuals. These highly virulent strains were first identified in Taiwan in 1986 and have since disseminated across the globe. The prevalence of hvKp has been well described in Southeast Asia, but is not well understood in the United States. In this work, 141 consecutive K. pneumoniae blood stream isolates were collected at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from 2015-2017. To screen this collection for hvKp, isolates were tested for the hypermucoviscous phenotype and the presence of aerobactin and salmochelin biosynthesis genes, biomarkers that have been used to distinguish hvKp from cKp. These biomarkers were identified in 12 (8.5%), 6 (4.3%), and 5 (3.5%) isolates, respectively. Whole genome sequencing was performed on the six isolates that contained aerobactin biosynthesis genes and demonstrated that these genes were contained on large plasmids. Five isolates contained plasmids nearly identical to previously described hvKp virulence plasmids while one was similar to a plasmid from a swine isolate of K. pneumoniae. These findings indicate that several non-clonal hvKp-like strains are present in the U.S.