cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Eimeria maxima sporozoite surface protein IMP1

The purpose of this study was to characterize Eimeria maxima immune-mapped protein 1 (IMP1) that is hypothesized to play a role in eliciting protective immunity against E. maxima infection in chickens. RT-PCR analysis of RNA from unsporulated and sporulating E. maxima oocysts revealed highest transcription levels at 6-12h of sporulation with a considerable downregulation thereafter. Alignment of IMP1 coding sequence from Houghton, Weybridge, and APU-1 strains of E. maxima revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms that in some instances led to amino acid changes in the encoded protein sequence. The E. maxima (APU-1) IMP1 cDNA sequence was cloned and expressed in 2 different polyHis Escherichia coli expression vectors. Regardless of expression vector, recombinant E. maxima IMP1 (rEmaxIMP1) was fairly unstable in non-denaturing buffer, which is consistent with stability analysis of the primary amino acid sequence. Antisera specific for rEmaxIMP1 identified a single 72 kDa protein or a 61 kDa protein by non-reducing or reducing SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting. Immunofluorescence staining with anti-rEmaxIMP1, revealed intense surface staining of E. maxima sporozoites, with negligible staining of merozoite stages. Immuno-histochemical staining of E. maxima-infected chicken intestinal tissue revealed staining of E. maxima developmental stages in the lamnia propia and crypts at both 24 and 48 h post-infection, and negligible staining thereafter. The expression of IMP1 during early stages of in vivo development and its location on the sporozoite surface may explain in part the immunoprotective effect of this protein against E. maxima infection.
The labor of lunch: why we need real food and real jobs in American public schools: by Jennifer E. Gaddis, Oakland, CA, University of California Press, 2019, 291 pp., ISBN: 9780520300033

Jennifer Gaddis, PhD, is an interdisciplinary activist scholar and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Society and Community Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Gaddis has s...
Abstract 2137: A high proportion of protein phosphorylation sites identified in CPTAC breast cancer and lung adenocarcinoma may result from direct phosphorylation by CDK1

Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that drives the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, and increased CDK1 kinase activity is a frequent feature of several tumor types. In the current study, we have used the National Cancer Institute9s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) datasets to identify potential target phosphorylation sites associated with CDK1 activity in breast and lung adenocarcinoma and to experimentally study some of their biologic effects. Among the global protein phosphorylation sites detected in CPTAC, 80% and 81% of the identified phosphorylation sites in breast cancer and lung adenocarcinoma were found to correlate well with the level of an activating phosphorylation site in CDK1, t161. Positive correlations (r > 0.6) were present in most paired samples of tumor tissue and normal tissue. In addition, 42% and 40% of all phosphorylation sites in both of these tumor types were found to contain the minimum CDK1 consensus motif Ser/Thr-Pro (S/T-P). This result suggests that many of the sites with this motif are directly phosphorylated by CDK1, while most of the sites that lack this sequence are likely to be phosphorylated by other kinases. In both tumor types, increased phosphorylation of proteins in several signaling pathways, including those for glycolysis and the cell cycle, were found to be associated with phosphorylation of CDK1 t161. To study a possible direct effect of CDK1-dependent phosphorylation on a protein involved in cell cycle progression, we selected Epithelial Cell Transforming 2 (ECT2), which is a Rho family-specific GEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor) with a role in G2/M. In agreement with the proteomic data, mass spectrometry analysis showed elevated ECT2 phosphorylation on T359, S367, T373, S376 and S861 in the G2/M phase that was sensitive to treatment with a CDK1 inhibitor. Biological experiments confirmed that phosphorylation of these sites enhanced the pro-oncogenic and GEF activity of ECT2. Additional experimental mechanistic analysis is needed to demonstrate whether specific phosphorylations are attributable to direct or indirect effects of CDK1. Citation Format: Dunrui Wang, Xiaolan Qian, Sarah Eng, Lisa Jenkins, Marian Durkin, Douglas Lowy. A high proportion of protein phosphorylation sites identified in CPTAC breast cancer and lung adenocarcinoma may result from direct phosphorylation by CDK1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2137.
Quantitative Performance Characterization of Radiation Dose for the Carestream CS9600 Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Machine.

Abstract Introduction Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) machines produce relatively low levels of harmful ionizing radiation, as compared with the computed tomography devices used in medical practices. The Carestream CS9600 CBCT imaging device has been recently introduced into the marketplace, and the manufacturer reports the use of an increased x-ray tube voltage (120 kVp) for the device, along with a reduced patient dose that is achieved using added filtration. Independent dosimetry studies are performed to ensure appropriate radiation exposure dose levels are within recommended safety guidelines.The purpose of this study is to independently evaluate and measure the radiation exposure dose performance parameters of the CS9600 CBCT, including its multiple field of view, exposure settings, and filtration options. Methods A thimble ionization chamber and PMMA phantom were used to characterize dose index using the established SEDENTEXTCT evaluation method. Results The phantom-obtained radiation dose index measures ranged from 0.128782–13.848 milligrays (mGy) for the various scanning options evaluated. The field of view, type of filter used, and phantom size all had a direct impact on the relationship between the experimentally obtained dose index measures and the dose area product values reported by the manufacturer. Conclusions A strong linear correlation was observed between the experimentally obtained dose index measures and the manufacturer-reported dose area product values. The 0.7 mm Cu filter that has been added to the CS9600 reduced the exposure dose index measures even with the x-ray tube kilovoltage peak (kVp) being increased to 120 kVp, as compared with the 0.15 mm Cu filter at 90 kVp.
Pervious Concrete Chemical Degradation by Calcium Chloride Deicer

Abstract The pervious concrete layer in a permeable pavement system may be susceptible to chemical degradation by various deicers applied during winter weather events. In this research, the chemica...
The Development of Composite Artificial Intelligence (AI) without Data Sharing to Improve Classification of Amyloid PET in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)

1214 Objectives: The training of AI systems typically requires a large amount of aggregated data (‘big data’). It is challenging for researchers applying AI in molecular imaging since the amount of available data is often limited at individual institutions. This study explores the feasibility of a composite AI system to improve amyloid PET classification by aggregating multiple AI systems trained individually with small data sets instead of pooling data. Materials and Methods: 3D-SSP extracted regional values from [F-18]florbetapir PET data (ADNI, 165 normals, age 75±7 yrs, 78 female and 150 AD patients, age 75±8 yrs, 63 female, normalized to the cerebellum) were used to train 4 independent AI cores (multi-layer perceptron, 5 layers, logistic activation function). Simulating a multi-institutional setting, each AI system was trained with 10 different case mixes (combinations of AD vs normals with 150, 145, and 135 case mixes) randomly chosen from the master database. Individual networks (weights and activation thresholds) were then extracted and aggregated (non-weighted and weighted arithmetic means) across the systems to form the composite AI system. The classification accuracy of the individual AI systems vs the composite AI system was assessed using the common test data set. The categorization accuracy from the composite AI was compared to that from conventional SUVr analysis. Results: The classification accuracies of individual AI cores that were trained with the limited data sets varied substantially depending on the case mix of the training data sets (mean +/- SD, 74% +/- 10%; max 87%; and min 60%). The system trained with a relatively larger number of training cases (295 vs 285) generally resulted in better accuracy (79% vs 67%, respectively). In contrast, the composite AI system consistently outperformed individual AI cores (mean +/- SD, 87% +/- 2% vs 74% +/- 10%, respectively), resulting in an average of 19% improvement in accuracy, with the largest improvement being 43% as compared to the individual AI core performance. The composite AI system performed equally to the classification using the conventional SUVr (87% by the composite AI system vs 88% by SUVr using a threshold of 1.35). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a composite AI system can be constructed based on multiple neural networks from individually trained AI cores, each using a small data set. The composite AI system outperforms individual AI cores in the classification of amyloid PET for Alzheimer’s disease. This approach can be applied to AI development across multiple institutions without necessitating data sharing or pooling to create a large training data set. Further investigation is warranted to test various algorithmic configurations of the composite AI system.
CALEB GATTEGNO (1911-1988): A FAMOUS MATHEMATICS EDUCATOR FROM AFRICA?

On 11.11.1911, Caleb Gattegno, son of a Spanish merchant, was born in and grew up in Alexandria, Egypt. Later, he lived in Cairo, Egypt; in London and Reading, England; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; in La Chaux de Fond, Switzerland; and in New York City, USA, but worked all over the world, in all continents. His social concerns and intellectual development as well as his research into mathematics, mathematics education, linguistics, and psychology began in Africa, a continent to which he made several significant contributions.
A novel model to label delirium in an intensive care unit from clinician actions

In the intensive care unit (ICU), delirium is a common, acute, confusional state associated with high risk for short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. Machine learning (ML) has promise to address research priorities and improve delirium outcomes. However, due to clinical and billing conventions, delirium is often inconsistently or incompletely labeled in electronic health record (EHR) datasets. Here, we identify clinical actions abstracted from clinical guidelines in electronic health records (EHR) data that indicate risk of delirium among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We develop a novel prediction model to label patients with delirium based on a large data set and assess model performance. EHR data on 48,451 admissions from 2001 to 2012, available through Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III database (MIMIC-III), was used to identify features to develop our prediction models. Five binary ML classification models (Logistic Regression; Classification and Regression Trees; Random Forests; Naive Bayes; and Support Vector Machines) were fit and ranked by Area Under the Curve (AUC) scores. We compared our best model with two models previously proposed in the literature for goodness of fit, precision, and through biological validation. Our best performing model with threshold reclassification for predicting delirium was based on a multiple logistic regression using the 31 clinical actions (AUC 0.83). Our model out performed other proposed models by biological validation on clinically meaningful, delirium-associated outcomes. Hurdles in identifying accurate labels in large-scale datasets limit clinical applications of ML in delirium. We developed a novel labeling model for delirium in the ICU using a large, public data set. By using guideline-directed clinical actions independent from risk factors, treatments, and outcomes as model predictors, our classifier could be used as a delirium label for future clinically targeted models.
Biologia reprodutiva de fêmeas de cachara, Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum (Teleostei, Siluriformes, Pimelodidae), mantidas em cativeiro

The present work was developed in the Polo Regional de Desenvolvimento Sustentavel dos Agronegocios do Vale do Ribeira - APTA, in the city of Pariquera-Acu, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, during January 1999 to June 2001. Four months old alevins were distributed in four 600 m2- earthen fishponds, at the ratio of 1,0 fish/2 m2. Four stages of ovarian maturation were established: Young, Resting, Maturation, and Regression, based on the macrocospic features and bimonthly average values of the gonadosomatic (GSI), hepatosomatic (HSI), viscerosomatic (VSI) and celomatic fat (GCI) indices. The time and the average length of the first ovarian maturation were also determined. The bimonthly values of VSI, HSI and GCI per stage of maturation indicated an inverse variation in relation to the average values of GSI, with the highest ones in stages Young and Resting females, and the lowest ones, in the end of Maturation and beginning of Regression. During the reproductive cycle, the variation of these indices was discrete and the lowest values occurred in January-February. The reproductive period of this species occurs, in conditions of captivity, from the end of November to February, coinciding with the highest values of water temperature (30.0 - 32.8°C). The value of the standard average length in which 50% of the females reached the first maturation (L50) was 37.65 cm.
Bounding Omitted Variable Bias Using Auxiliary Data

This paper proposes a new estimator that bound omitted variable bias using proxies for omitted variables with an asymptotically valid bootstrap procedure. I provide open-source software to implement the estimator and to compute the confidence interval. The estimator is useful in many applications because it uses proxies that do not need to appear in the same dataset as the outcome variable. Many surveys include rich proxy variables for a diverse set of unobservable characteristics including abilities, beliefs, and preferences; such surveys can be used as auxiliary datasets in computing my estimator. I provide Monte Carlo simulation results that compare my estimator to the alternative estimator proposed by Pacini (2017) and to the Altonji et al. (2005) - Oster (2019) bound estimator. I show from a simulation that my estimator is robust when proxy variables are contaminated with a large amount of measurement error. Last, I illustrate the application of my estimator in the context of a Mincerian wage regression
Economic Analysis of Labor Regulation

In an era when administrative agency actions succeed or fail based on the thoroughness and rigor of their cost-benefit analyses and expertise, the 1940 statutory ban on hiring economists at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a shocking anachronism. The ban, accompanied by the Board’s failure to solicit external expertise, severely limits the success of the Board’s actions on judicial review, its institutional competency, and its ability to assess the economic effects of its labor regulation in achieving a central goal of the National Labor Relations Act: equal bargaining power between workers and their employers that secures competitive wages and increases worker purchasing power. This Article proposes the reestablishment of a Division of Economic Research at the NLRB to integrate the study, analysis and propagation of labor-related social science into the Board’s enforcement and policy-making. In doing so, it draws on the history of the Board’s short-lived Division of Economic Research (1935-1940) and on the broader development and incorporation of economic and social scientific expertise into the administrative state to consolidate best practices for a new Division. Rejecting the development of expertise through interagency working groups (IWGs) and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) review as insufficient, the Article provides the first roadmap of its kind on how a new internal “think tank” could integrate micro- and macroeconomic analysis into the Board’s labor regulation. The work of a new Division would not only develop and hone the Board’s ability to achieve the Act’s goals through rulemaking and adjudication, but it would also enhance the standing of the Board before the courts and the Board’s ability to contribute to national debates on how to fight inequality and reverse the dramatic decline of labor’s share of national income relative to capital.
Aspen mortality in the Colorado and southern Wyoming Rocky Mountains: Extent, severity, and causal factors

Abstract Aspen mortality and overstory dieback have occurred at unusually high levels throughout Colorado and western North America over the past fifteen years. Findings from southwestern Colorado indicated dieback and mortality was clearly related to climate stress, coupled with disease and insect attack. To determine whether similar amounts and causes of mortality were occurring in other mountainous regions of Colorado and southern Wyoming, we determined the health status of aspen on five national forests during 2009–2010. We established 500 random characterization plots in aspen-dominated stands on four of the five national forests and 97 detailed measurement plots, with half in ‘damaged’ and half in ‘healthy’ aspen stands (as defined by USDA Forest Service aerial detection surveys). Overstory aspen was healthy overall, in spite of nearly ubiquitous presence of disease among plots (99%) and high incidence of insect damage (50–75%); in detailed plots standing adult dead aspen percentages ranged from 20% to 33% among the five national forests. Adult aspen in damaged stands occurred at lower densities, and had thinner crowns (41% dead crown, compared to 16% in healthy stands). Damaged stands also had more standing dead adult trees (37%) than in healthy stands (16%). The proportion of live sapling stems and density of saplings did not differ between healthy and damaged stands. Incidence of select mortality agents, including wood-boring insects ( Agrilus liragus and Saperda calcarata ) (40% in damaged, 18% in healthy), aspen bark beetles ( Procryphalus mucronatus and Trypophloeus populi ) (31% in damaged, 12% in healthy) and Cytospora canker (caused by fungi in the genus Cytospora ) (40% in damaged, 18% in healthy) was considerably greater among damaged stands. Aspen bark beetles were more common on south-facing sites than east or west-facing sites (27%, 17%, and 15%, respectively); Cytospora canker was less common on sites above 2800 m (23%) than on lower-elevation sites (28–34%). Prevalence of wood borers, aspen bark beetles and Cytospora canker were all significantly and negatively correlated with latitude among at least two of three aspen size classes. Attempts to model various measures of health of adult aspen (i.e. crown dieback and stem mortality) using site and climatic variables were largely unsuccessful. Since no differences were detected in density of regeneration between damaged or healthy stands, we conclude that most stands will persist upon the landscape for the foreseeable future. Further, we note that although observed densities of regeneration in damaged stands are not as great as levels observed following complete stand removal, suckering does occur, and stems are measurably healthier than regeneration in healthy stands.
The Surprise Twist in Hume's Treatise

A Treatise of Human Nature opens with ambitious hopes for the science of man, but Hume eventually launches into a series of skeptical argu- ments that culminates in a report of radical skeptical despair. This essay is a preliminary exploration of how to interpret this surprising development. I first distinguish two kinds of surprise twist: those that are incompatible with some preceding portion of the work, and those that are not. This suggests two corresponding pictures of Hume. On one picture, he believed the skeptical development to be at odds with something in early Treatise; on the other, he took these two portions of Book 1 to be perfectly compatible. After defending the claim that Hume endorsed both of these portions, I sketch two promis- ing interpretations—a "perspectivist," in compatibilist interpretation and a "post-skeptical," compatibilist interpretation—and offer some reasons to favor the latter view.
Affinity Purification of Embryo Proteins Phosphorylated on Tyrosine In Vitro

Fertilization of the sea urchin egg is accompanied by activation of one or more protein tyrosine kinases which have been shown to phosphorylate a restricted set of egg proteins in vitro. In order to characterize these tyrosine kinase substrates, we have used an antibody specific for phosphotyrosine to prepare an immunoaffinity column capable of binding phosphotyrosine containing proteins. This column bound five 32P-labelled proteins from detergent extracts of embryo membranes phosphorylated in vitro. All were very tightly membrane associated, requiring detergent solubilization. Phosphoamino acid analysis revealed that each of these proteins was phosphorylated exclusively on tyrosine, indicating that they do not act as substrates for other classes of protein kinases.
Identification of a S-ribonuclease-binding protein in Petunia hybrida.

To investigate protein-protein interactions in gametophytic self-incompatibility, we used a yeast two-hybrid assay to identify proteins that could interact with the S-ribonuclease protein. These assays identified a pollen-expressed protein, which we have named PhSBP1, that appears to bind with a high degree of specificity to the Petunia hybrida S-ribonuclease. Although PhSBP1 activates reporter gene expression only when expressed in tandem with a S-RNAse bait protein, binding is not allele-specific. Sequence analysis demonstrated that PhSBP1 contained a C-terminal cysteine-rich region that includes a RING-HC domain. Because many RING-finger domain proteins appear to function as E3 ubiquitin ligases, our results suggest that ubiquitination and protein degradation may play a role in regulating self-incompatibility interactions. Together, these results suggest that PhSBP1 may be a candidate for the recently proposed general inhibitor (RI) of self-incompatibility ribonucleases.
How Much Rigor is Possible in Physics

Publisher Summary Rigor is essentially applied to reasoning. However, in extended meaning it implies sharpness and precision and has overtones of certainty. Considering the extended meaning of rigor, this chapter discusses to what extent, what is done in physics, can have the attributes of sharpness, precision, and certainty. All human enterprise is subject to one restriction, the possibility of self-doubt, on any attainable sharpness or certainty that is generally ubiquitous and unavoidable. There are certain human activities that have apparent perfect sharpness, such as the area of mathematics and logic. The physics of measurement and the laboratory does not have the yes-no sharpness of mathematics, but employs conventional mathematics as an indispensible tool.
Engineering overexpression of ORCA3 and strictosidine glucosidase in Catharanthus roseus hairy roots increases alkaloid production.

Catharanthus roseus produces many pharmaceutically important terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) such as vinblastine, vincristine, ajmalicine, and serpentine. Past metabolic engineering efforts have pointed to the tight regulation of the TIA pathway and to multiple rate-limiting reactions. Transcriptional regulator ORCA3 (octadecanoid responsive Catharanthus AP2-domain protein), activated by jasmonic acid, plays a central role in regulating the TIA pathway. In this study, overexpressing ORCA3 under the control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter in C. roseus hairy roots resulted in no change in the total amount of TIAs measured. RT-qPCR results showed that ORCA3 overexpression triggered the upregulation of transcripts of most of the known TIA pathway genes. One notable exception was the decrease in strictosidine glucosidase (SGD) transcripts. These results corresponded to previously published results. In this study, ORCA3 and SGD were both engineered in hairy roots under the control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Co-overexpression of ORCA3 and SGD resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in serpentine by 44 %, ajmalicine by 32 %, catharanthine by 38 %, tabersonine by 40 %, lochnericine by 60 % and horhammericine by 56 % . The total alkaloid pool was increased significantly by 47 %. Thus, combining overexpression of a positive regulator and a pathway gene which is not controlled by this regulator provided a way to enhance alkaloid production.
Situational crime prevention and worldwide piracy: a cross-continent analysis

Relying on situational crime prevention perspective, this study compares successful and unsuccessful pirate attacks reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) from the year 2000 through 2013 (n = 4,902). The study builds upon the recent work of Shane and Magnuson in Justice Quarterly, pp 1–26 (2014), which found various SCP techniques effectively prevented piracy attacks on a global level. The current study builds upon these findings by testing whether the global effect of SCP is consistent across individual continents. A series of mixed-effects logistic regression models and follow-up likelihood ratio tests were incorporated to explore the research question. In each model, SCP techniques were associated with unsuccessful piracy attacks on a global level. When considered individually, SCP techniques were equally effective in each continent. However, the use of multiple techniques classified within the increased effort technique of SCP was associated with increased likelihood of unsuccessful attacks in only 3 (South East Asia, Far East, and Rest of the World) of the 6 continents included in this study. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Vocational Choice: A Decision Making Perspective.

Abstract We propose a model of vocational choice that can be used for analyzing and guiding the decision processes underlying career and job choices. Our model is based on research in behavioral decision making (BDM), in particular the choice goals framework developed by Bettman, Luce, and Payne (1998) . The basic model involves two major processes. First, the selection of a decision strategy according to four choice goals: maximizing decision accuracy, minimizing cognitive effort, minimizing negative emotion, and maximizing justifiability of the decision. Second, the construction of situation-specific preferences, which can reflect irrelevant task and context factors such as the evaluation mode. This basic model is extended to account for social influences and the long decision time typical of most career and job decisions. We review research on vocational choice in light of this model, discuss normative implications for counseling, and outline a research agenda for studying vocational choice from a behavioral decision making perspective.
ONYX EMBOLIZATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF SPINAL DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULAE: INITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP: TECHNICAL CASE REPORT

Objective Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (SDAVF) are the most common variety of spinal vascular malformations. The Onyx liquid embolic system (ev3 Neurovascular, Irvine, CA) was recently approved for the treatment of intracranial arteriovenous malformations, but its use to treat SDAVFs is not yet well established. We report our initial experience with Onyx embolization in the treatment of SDAVFs. Methods Retrospective analysis of 3 consecutive patients with SDAVFs who were treated with the Onyx as the single treatment modality was performed. Demographic, clinical, and radiographic presentations as well as long-term outcomes were reviewed. Results Four procedures were performed in 3 patients. In all cases, transarterial microcatheterization was performed with a Marathon microcatheter (ev3 Neurovascular) and Onyx-18 (ev3 Neurovascular) was used. All 3 patients were men (age, 75-78 years) and presented with progressive myelopathy. Two patients underwent only 1 procedure, with a single pedicle embolized to achieve angiographic cure. In the remaining patient, 2 procedures with embolization through 3 different pedicles from 2 adjacent levels were necessary to achieve angiographic cure. No procedure-related complications were noted. No evidence of residual or recurrent SDAVF was seen on magnetic resonance imaging (mean, 10.6 months; range, 7.1-14.6 months), angiographic (mean, 12.2 months; range, 10.2-14.9 months), or clinical (mean, 13 months; range, 10.2-14.9 months) follow-up examination. Conclusion Our initial experience suggests that the endovascular treatment of SDAVFs with the Onyx is feasible, safe, and highly effective, as it allows for a controlled penetration of the embolic agent into the draining vein. In this small series, we found no evidence of clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, or angiographic recurrence during the long-term follow-up period.
Concise review: Transplantation of human hematopoietic cells for extracellular matrix protein deficiency in epidermolysis bullosa.

The skin is constantly exposed to environmental insults and requires effective repair processes to maintain its protective function. Wound healing is severely compromised in people with congenital absence of structural proteins of the skin, such as in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a severe congenital mechanobullous disorder caused by mutations in collagen type VII. Remarkably, stem cell transplantation can ameliorate deficiency of this skin-specific structural protein in both animal models and in children with the disorder. Healthy donor cells from the hematopoietic graft migrate to the injured skin; simultaneously, there is an increase in the production of collagen type VII, increased skin integrity, and reduced tendency to blister formation. How hematogenous stem cells from bone marrow and cord blood can alter skin architecture and wound healing in a robust, clinically meaningful way is unclear. We review the data and the resulting hypotheses that have a potential to illuminate the mechanisms for these effects. Further modifications in the use of stem cell transplantation as a durable source of extracellular matrix proteins may make this regenerative medicine approach effective in other cutaneous and extracutaneous conditions. STEM CELLS 2011;29:900–906
Atmospheric chemistry of alkanes

The reactions of the alkanes under atmospheric conditions and in the presence of oxides of nitrogen are reviewed and evaluated. Particular emphasis is placed upon their subsequent reactions after the initial OH radical reaction under conditions where the alkyl peroxy radicals produced react predominantly with NO, rather than with HO2 and/or RO2 radicals. Methods are discussed for estimating the overall OH radical rate constants, the number of molecules of NO consumed per alkane molecule reacted, and the products formed and their yields.
Absence of cerebellar influences on hippocampal neurons in the cat.

Abstract A variety of electrophysiological techniques was used to detect the presence of cerebellar influence on hippocampal neurons in the cat. Neither intracellular nor extracellular responses of 463 hippocampal neurons, nor hippocampal field potentiaLs, exhibited any changes after electrical stimulation of the cerebellar surface or of depth nuclei. Hippocampal pyramidal cells were identified electrophysiologically by evidence of fornix-evoked recurrent inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, and in some cases electrode recording sites were verified by dye marking in the hippocampus with pontamine sky blue. Electrode tracks of macroelectrode recording sites in hippocampus were verified histologically, as were tip positions of depth stimulating electrodes using a Prussian blue reaction. Stimulating currents applied to the cerebellar regions were well above the threshold determined in other experiments for evoking a motor cortex gross potential. Eleven hippocampal neurons exhibited a long-latency inhibition during high-current pulse-train stimulation of the fastigial nucleus, usually only when that stimulation evoked jaw movements. These hippocampal responses were similar to those evoked by lower currents applied to electrodes in the brain stem, and were probably due to current spread to brain stem, where the jaw movements could be evoked. These results provide evidence that there are few, if any, axons originating in the cerebellum that activate a neural pathway that directly or indirectly terminates on hippocampal neurons in the cat.
Metacomprehension and Negation: Assessing Readers’ Awareness of the Difficulty of Negated Text

The present research explored the awareness that readers have of the difficulty of negative text and the impact that awareness has on their comprehension of that text. Participants read narrative and expository paragraphs, rated their comprehension, and answered a comprehension question. The present research established detrimental effects of negation, as well as demonstrated the readers’ awareness of the difficulty of expository, negative text. However, there were no consistencies in the relationship between readers’ metacomprehension judgments and their actual comprehension performance, suggesting that readers may be unable to use their metacomprehension effectively to adjust their reading strategies when processing negation during reading.
Displaced abomasum in dairy cattle: etiological factors.

Abstract Displacement of the abomasum in dairy cows is occurring with increasing frequency in the United States and probably in other areas of the world where dairying is practiced intensively. The primary causative factor appears to be an atony of the abomasum accompanied by dilatation and accumulation of gas. Factors contributing to atony and ultimately to displacement include stress of parturition, toxemia due to concurrent disorders such as metritis or mastitis, and metabolic disorders especially milk fever and ketosis. Genetic and mechanical effects seem to play a minor role in etiology of this disorder. Preventive measures include minimum grain and corn silage prepartum with other forage ad libitum and the best known management practices to reduce other parturient disorders.
The Drop Toe Sign: An Indicator of Neurologic Impairment in Congenital Clubfoot

Nine patients presenting during infancy were identified with clubfeet and absent anterior and lateral compartment functions. We considered these to be neurogenic clubfeet. All patients had the drop toe sign: resting posture of the toes in plantarflexion and absent active dorsiflexion movement after plantar stimulation of the foot. Two patients (three feet) underwent exploration of the peroneal nerve, which revealed anatomic abnormalities. Six patients required more casts than typical for initial correction of deformity; all but two had Achilles tenotomy. Four relapsed despite full-time bracing and eventually needed intraarticular surgery to achieve a plantigrade foot. Idiopathic absent peroneal nerve function is not a well-described entity in the clubfoot literature. All babies with clubfoot should be examined for the drop toe sign. When noted, the feet will likely be more difficult to correct initially, may need early Achilles tendon lengthening, will likely need permanent bracing, are likely to relapse and need intraarticular surgery, and may need multiple surgeries to remain plantigrade throughout growth.
Bioconjugated carbon nanotubes for targeting cancer biomarkers

Abstract This paper presents real-time detection of breast cancer cells through label-free protein biosensors based on antibody-conjugated carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs). Both insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) specific and nonspecific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reduced the electrical conductance of the CNTFET devices. Subsequent application of human BT474 and MCF7 breast cancer cells resulted in an increase in the conductance only for the IGF1R-specific mAb-CNTFET devices. Furthermore, the MCF7 breast cancer cells produced a greater increase in device conductance compared to BT474 breast cancer cells. This could be attributed to the larger number of IGF1 receptors in MCF7 breast cancer cells compared to BT474 cancer cells. Nonspecific mAb-CNTFETs did not yield any change in the conductance of the devices due to application of BT474 and MCF7 breast cancer cells. These results therefore imply that specific binding between IGF1 receptor and its specific mAb results in a dramatic change in electrical conductance of CNTFET devices. Consequently, mAb-CNTFETs are very promising biosensor candidates to detect circulating cancer cells in blood samples.
Transient Anti-CD40L Co-Stimulation Blockade Prevents Immune Responses against Human Bullous Pemphigoid Antigen 2: Implications for Gene Therapy

Skin grafts from mice expressing human bullous pemphigoid antigen 2 (hBPAG2) in epidermal basement membrane elicit hBPAG2-specific IgG and graft loss in wild-type (Wt) recipients. Graft loss was dependent on CD4+ T cells and correlated with the production and tissue deposition of hBPAG2-specific IgG. To explore the role of CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) interaction in this model, Wt mice grafted with transgenic (Tg) skin were treated with hamster anti-CD40L mAb MR1. In contrast to grafted Wt mice treated with equivalent doses of control IgG, 22 of 23 MR1-treated Wt mice did not develop hBPAG2-specific IgG or graft loss for ≥60 days. MR1-treated mice also accepted a second Tg skin graft without durable production of hBPAG2-specific IgG or graft loss. Moreover, splenocytes and enriched CD4+ T cells from MR1-treated graft recipients transferred un- or hyporesponsiveness to hBPAG2 to other mice and demonstrated a dominant tolerant effect over cotransferred naive splenocytes following adoptive transfer to Rag2-/- mice. Successful inhibition of hBPAG2-specific IgG production and Tg graft loss following CD40:CD40L co-stimulatory blockade in this model provides opportunities to study mechanisms of peripheral tolerance and generate antigen-specific regulatory CD4+ cells—issues of relevance to patients with pemphigoid as well as individuals undergoing gene replacement therapy for epidermolyis bullosa.
Effects of dietary iron deficiency on iron-sulfur proteins and bioenergetic functions of skeletal muscle mitochondria

Decreases in the mitochondrial content of Fe-S proteins appear to cause a loss of bioenergetic functions in skeletal muscle mitochondria during dietary iron deficiency. Following 21 days of an iron-deficient diet (2 mg iron/kg), significant decreases in muscle mitochondrial iron protein content, dehydrogenase and oxidase activities, and rates of ATP synthesis were observed relative to rats fed a control diet (50 mg iron/kg). Fe-S proteins were studied by EPR spectroscopy at low temperatures, following incubation with substrates, and/or redox titrations. Submitochondrial preparations were utilized in order to overcome membrane barriers to electron donors and to concentrate inner mitochondrial membrane Fe-S proteins. The Fe-S proteins of rat muscle mitochondria (not previously studied) appear remarkably similar to those of other tissues and species. Although the concentration of most Fe-S proteins studied was decreased by iron deficiency, the Rieske cluster of Complex III (Fe-Sbc-1) was only minimally affected. In Complex II, Fe-S cluster S-1 was decreased 38% and cluster S-3 was decreased 59%. Complex I Fe-S clusters were substantially decreased by iron deficiency. The Fe-S cluster of electron-transferring flavoprotein dehydrogenase was 55% lower in the iron-deficient submitochondrial preparations. Succinate and NADH dehydrogenase activities, and maximal rates of reversed electron transport were about 80% lower in iron-deficient submitochondrial preparations than in controls, and oxidase activities were decreased about 70%. Decreases in cytochrome content were too small to explain loss of oxidase activity, and clearly could not affect dehydrogenases or reversed electron transport. Despite reductions in maximal rates of ATP formation, the efficiency of phosphorylative coupling was not affected. Our studies suggest that the loss of Fe-S clusters causes decreases in the dehydrogenase activities and that the iron depletion from the complexes is not a random process.
Systematic identification of pharmacogenomics information from clinical trials

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted Highlights? Clinical outcome is gaining more attention in pharmacogenomics (PGx) studies. ? ClinicalTrials.gov is rich in clinical outcome information for PGx studies. ? ClinicalTrials.gov provides more timely PGx data than the biomedical literature. ? We developed a method for identifying PGx information from ClinicalTrials.gov. ? This research has potentials in enriching the existing knowledge on PGx relations. Recent progress in high-throughput genomic technologies has shifted pharmacogenomic research from candidate gene pharmacogenetics to clinical pharmacogenomics (PGx). Many clinical related questions may be asked such as 'what drug should be prescribed for a patient with mutant alleles?' Typically, answers to such questions can be found in publications mentioning the relationships of the gene-drug-disease of interest. In this work, we hypothesize that ClinicalTrials.gov is a comparable source rich in PGx related information. In this regard, we developed a systematic approach to automatically identify PGx relationships between genes, drugs and diseases from trial records in ClinicalTrials.gov. In our evaluation, we found that our extracted relationships overlap significantly with the curated factual knowledge through the literature in a PGx database and that most relationships appear on average 5years earlier in clinical trials than in their corresponding publications, suggesting that clinical trials may be valuable for both validating known and capturing new PGx related information in a more timely manner. Furthermore, two human reviewers judged a portion of computer-generated relationships and found an overall accuracy of 74% for our text-mining approach. This work has practical implications in enriching our existing knowledge on PGx gene-drug-disease relationships as well as suggesting crosslinks between ClinicalTrials.gov and other PGx knowledge bases.
Theory of high frequency acoustic wave scattering by turbulent flames

Abstract This paper describes an analysis of acoustic wave scattering by turbulent premixed flames with moving, convoluted fronts that have random and possibly fractal characteristics. Such interactions play a role in the characteristic unsteadiness observed in turbulent combustion processes. The problem is posed with an integral formulation of the wave equation and assumes that the smallest scales of flame wrinkling are much larger than the acoustic wavelength. Thus, these results apply to high frequency (short wavelength) wave scattering. Explicit solutions for the spatial and temporal characteristics of the scattered field are derived for cases where the characteristics of the flame surface are Gaussian. These characteristics are investigated for flames with single, multiple, and continuous (e.g., fractal) scales of wrinkling. It is shown that the spectral characteristics of the waves scattered from weakly corrugated flames are the same as those of the incident frequency shifted spectrum of the flame front position. Thus, these results suggest that scattering measurements can provide information about the spectrum of the flame front position. It is also shown, however, that as the flame roughness increases, the spectral characteristics of the scattered waves become increasingly scrambled relative to those of the flame itself, and thus, provide less information about the temporal characteristics of the flame’s movement. The paper closes with a discussion of additional possibilities for using the integral equation approach used in this paper to assess other characteristics of acoustic wave—turbulent flame interactions.
Aging workers and trade-related injuries in the US construction industry

The study was designed to identify any trends of injury type as it relates to the age and trade of construction workers. The participants for this study included any individual who, while working on a heavy and highway construction project in the Midwestern United States, sustained an injury during the specified time frame of when the data were collected. During this period, 143 injury reports were collected. The four trade/occupation groups with the highest injury rates were laborers, carpenters, iron workers, and operators. Data pertaining to injuries sustained by body part in each age group showed that younger workers generally suffered from finger/hand/wrist injuries due to cuts/lacerations and contusion, whereas older workers had increased sprains/strains injuries to the ankle/foot/toes, knees/lower legs, and multiple body parts caused by falls from a higher level or overexertion. Understanding these trade-related tasks can help present a more accurate depiction of the incident and identify trends and intervention methods to meet the needs of the aging workforce in the industry.
Channels which transmit letters of unequal duration

In Section I an inequality of McMillan (1956) implied by unique decipherability is generalized to channels whose letters have unequal costs and used to prove that no uniquely decipherable encoding can increase the capacity of such a channel. The same methods yield a proof of the equivalence of several definitions of capacity. In Section II the matching problem is considered, a code construction of Shannon (1948) is generalized as a partial answer, and some unsolved problems are described. Finally, in Section III some generalizations are given for channels capable of transmitting a denumerable infinity of distinct letters.
Clinical Syndrome Associated with Zolpidem Ingestion in Dogs: 33 Cases (January 1998‐July 2000)

Zolpidem is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic of the imidazopyridine class that is used to treat insomnia in humans. Zolpidem binds selectively to the benzodiazepine omega-1 receptor and increases the frequency of chloride channel opening, which results in inhibition of neuronal excitation. A retrospective study was conducted of zolpidem ingestion in dogs that were reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) between January 1998 and July 2000. Data analysis included amount ingested, clinical effects, and time of onset of signs. Thirty-three reports of zolpidem ingestion in dogs (ranging in age from 5 months to 16 years) were evaluated. Approximate ingested dosages ranged from 0.24 to 21 mg/kg. Clinical signs reported included ataxia (18 dogs; 54.5%), hyperactivity (10 dogs; 30.3%), vomiting (7 dogs; 21.2%), and lethargy (5 dogs; 15.2%), as well as panting, disorientation, nonspecific behavior disorder, and hypersalivation (4 dogs each sign; 12.1%). Other signs reported include tachycardia, tremors, apprehension, vocalization, hypersalivation, weakness, and hyperesthesia. In 85% percent of reports, clinical signs developed within 1 hour and usually resolved within 12 hours. Although central nervous system (CNS) depression is reported as a primary effect of zolpidem in humans and would also be expected in dogs, information obtained from this study indicates that some dogs may exhibit a paradoxical excitation reaction. This effect appears to vary among individual dogs.