cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low Expression Of Abelson Interactor-1 Is Linked With Systemic Persistence and Acquired Drug Resistance In Bcr-Abl-Induced Leukemias

The basis for persistence of leukemic stem cells in the bone marrow microenvironment (BMME) remains poorly understood. We present evidence that signaling crosstalk between α4 integrin and Abelson interactor-1 (Abi1) is involved in acquisition of an anchorage-dependent phenotype and drug resistance in Bcr-Abl positive leukemia cells. Comparison of Abi1 (ABI1) and α4 integrin (ITGA4) gene expression in relapsing Bcr-Abl positive CD34+ progenitor cells demonstrated a reduction in Abi1 and an increase in α4 integrin mRNA in the absence of Bcr-Abl mutations. This inverse correlation between Abi1 and α4 integrin expression, as well as linkage to elevated phospho-Akt and phospho-Erk signaling, was confirmed in imatinib mesylate (IM) resistant leukemic cells. These results indicate that the α4-Abi1 signaling pathway may mediate acquisition of the drug resistant phenotype of leukemic cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Derivation and validation of the automated search algorithms to identify cognitive impairment and dementia in electronic health records

Abstract Purpose Long-term cognitive impairment is a common and important problem in survivors of critical illness. We developed electronic search algorithms to identify cognitive impairment and dementia from the electronic medical records (EMRs) that provide opportunity for big data analysis. Materials and methods Eligible patients met 2 criteria. First, they had a formal cognitive evaluation by The Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Second, they were hospitalized in intensive care unit at our institution between 2006 and 2014. The “criterion standard” for diagnosis was formal cognitive evaluation supplemented by input from an expert neurologist. Using all available EMR data, we developed and improved our algorithms in the derivation cohort and validated them in the independent validation cohort. Results Of 993 participants who underwent formal cognitive testing and were hospitalized in intensive care unit, we selected 151 participants at random to form the derivation and validation cohorts. The automated electronic search algorithm for cognitive impairment was 94.3% sensitive and 93.0% specific. The search algorithms for dementia achieved respective sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 99%. EMR search algorithms significantly outperformed International Classification of Diseases codes. Conclusions Automated EMR data extractions for cognitive impairment and dementia are reliable and accurate and can serve as acceptable and efficient alternatives to time-consuming manual data review.
A reliability-based transit trip planning model under transit network uncertainty

Transit, although an important public transportation mode, is not thoroughly utilized in the United States. To encourage the public to take transit, agencies have developed systems and tools that assist travelers in accessing and using information. Transit data modeling and trip planner system architecture developments have helped advance these systems, and the recent emergence of transit trip planning algorithms promises further enhancement. Conventional transit trip planning algorithms are usually developed based on graph theory. In order to utilize these algorithms, certain assumptions must be made to support these algorithms (e.g. buses always run on time). However, these assumptions may not be realistic. To overcome these limitations, our study develops an innovative transit trip planning model using chance constrained programming. Unlike previous studies, which only minimized passenger-experienced travel time, our study also considers transit service reliability. Additionally, in-vehicle travel time, transfer time, and walking time are all included as elements of passenger-experienced travel time. Our transit trip planning model avoids the assumptions of previous studies by incorporating transit service reliability and is capable of finding reliable transit paths with minimized passenger-experienced travel time. The algorithm can also suggest a buffer time before departure to ensure on-time arrivals at a given confidence level. General Transit Feed Specification data, collected around Tucson, Arizona, was used to model the transit network using a “node-link” scheme and estimate link-level travel time and travel time reliability. Three groups of experiments were developed to test the performance of the proposed model. The experiment results suggested that the optimal anticipated travel time increased with increasing on-time arrival confidence level and walking was preferred over direct bus transfers that involved out of direction travel. The proposed model can also include additional travel modes and can easily be extended to include intercity trip planning.
Oxidative Deaminations and Deisatinylations of Ugi-Azide and Ugi-3CR Products: A Two-Step MCR-Oxidation Protocol toward Functionalized α-Ketoamides and α-Ketotetrazoles

A new postcondensation multicomponent reaction (MCR) methodology, comprising oxidative deaminations enabling access to multiple privileged carbonyl-containing scaffolds in two steps, is described. These protocols allow facile access to functionalized α-ketoamide and α-ketotetrazole small-molecule peptidomimetic-like building blocks from prototypical synthons with two points of diversity. Incorporation of chalcone and alkynyl moieties with further ring-forming reactions enables access to additional novel heterocyclic ring systems, including a unique and potentially highly pharmacologically relevant scaffold, a 1,2-selenazol-3(2H)-one.
An alarming trend: Change in the risk profile of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction over the last two decades.

Abstract Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality around the world. We sought to study changes in the risk profile of patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods We retrospectively studied all patients presenting with STEMI to our center between 1995 and 2014. Patients were divided into four quartiles, 5years each. Baseline risk factors and comorbidities were recorded. Sub-analysis was done for patients with established CAD and their household incomes. Results A total of 3913 patients (67.9% males) were included; 42.5% presented with anterior STEMI and 57.5% inferior STEMI. Ages were 64±12, 62±13, 61±13 and 60±13 in the four quartiles respectively. Obesity prevalence was 31, 37, 38 and 40% and diabetes mellitus prevalence was 24, 25, 24 and 31%, while hypertension was 55, 67, 70 and 77%, respectively, p p Conclusion Despite better understanding of cardiovascular risk factors and more focus on preventive cardiology, patients presenting with STEMI over the past 20years are getting younger and more obese, with more prevalence of smoking, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. This trend is greater in the lower income population.
Wild Animal Suffering is Intractable

Most people believe that suffering is intrinsically bad. In conjunction with facts about our world and plausible moral principles, this yields a pro tanto obligation to reduce suffering. This is the intuitive starting point for the moral argument in favor of interventions to prevent wild animal suffering (WAS). If we accept the moral principle that we ought, pro tanto, to reduce the suffering of all sentient creatures, and we recognize the prevalence of suffering in the wild, then we seem committed to the existence of such a pro tanto obligation. Of course, competing values such as the aesthetic, scientific or moral values of species, biodiversity, naturalness or wildness, might be relevant to the all-things-considered case for or against intervention. Still, many argue that, even if we were to give some weight to such values, no plausible theory could resist the conclusion that WAS is overridingly important. This article is concerned with large-scale interventions to prevent WAS and their tractability and the deep epistemic problem they raise. We concede that suffering gives us a reason to prevent it where it occurs, but we argue that the nature of ecosystems leaves us with no reason to predict that interventions would reduce, rather than exacerbate, suffering. We consider two interventions, based on gene editing technology, proposed as holding promise to prevent WAS; raise epistemic concerns about them; discuss their potential moral costs; and conclude by proposing a way forward: to justify interventions to prevent WAS, we need to develop models that predict the effects of interventions on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and animals’ well-being.
Using Self-Disclosure to Manage Student Misconceptions in a Human Sexuality Classroom

This paper explores how three Human Development graduate student instructors of human sexuality have utilized student perception and instructor disclosure to challenge assumptions and misconceptions about sexuality. Three modes of pedagogy, culturally responsive pedagogy, experiential learning theory, and queer pedagogy, are discussed in order to illustrate the interplay of perception and disclosure when teaching. The authors provide a list of questions for instructors to be reflective as well as strategies to respond to student misconceptions about sexuality topics in the classroom. Keywords: culturally responsive pedagogy, disclosure, experiential learning theory, queer pedagogy, sexuality
Metabolic Encephalopathy Stroke – Clinical Features

Stroke research has been the subject of increased attention in recent years. As a result, significant progress has been made in the understanding of the mechanisms of ischemic injury and development of potential methods of treatment. Unfortunately, only one therapy has been shown to be of benefit for acute ischemic stroke patients in a randomized controlled clinical trial: intravenous administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke rt-PA Stroke Study Group (NINDS), 1995). Clinical and basic scientists have been contemplating the reasons for the failure to translate a large number of potential treatments into clinical practice. There are a number of possible explanations that include heterogeneity of human disease, and inherent species-related differences. In contrast to animal models where subjects have similar genetic material and undergo identical procedures, human stroke patients vary in their co-morbidities, age, risk factors, type and location of stroke, duration and severity of ischemia, among other things. Interestingly, the factors that contribute to the heterogeneity of human stroke play a significant role in the reversibility of ischemic injury (Table 5.1). We will discuss in this chapter some of the aspects that are associated with the ability of the brain tissue to improve its function following ischemia as it is seen in clinical practice.
Designing Geospatial Exploration Activities to Build Hydrology Understanding in Middle School Students

In the “Thinking with Data” unit, seventh-grade students used real-world data to learn core concepts and topics in four subjects. This chapter focuses on using geospatial maps in science. We designed activities that gave students map-based data relevant to the water cycle processes of evaporation, condensation, runoff, and infiltration. We wanted students to generate informal and causal explanations about the water cycle’s role in water distribution and salt pollution. In designing map activities, researchers applied the Preparation for Future Learning (PFL) framework in the use of layered and parallel data representations. Students used both everyday knowledge and scientific knowledge fragments in their investigations. While students actively engaged with the materials and increased their data literacy, opportunities for increased content knowledge were not fully exploited since the teacher did not link the students’ reasoning to water cycle concepts. We discuss implications for materials design in light of teacher professional development.
Ventilator Users: Independent Living and Quality of Life

This article presents a heuristic model for examining independent living that was derived from the philosophy underlying the independent living movement. It also discusses research on quality of life for persons who use mechanical ventilation and analyzes the issues of quality of life and independent living that face this population. The authors draw on their experiences as ventilator users and as rehabilitation researcher and clinician, respectively.
Amiodarone toxicity in two post-operative congenital heart disease patients

Abstract Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic medication known for its efficacy in treating tachyarrhythmias. The pulmonary complications including acute lung toxicity are well documented in the adult population, however much less so in pediatrics. We describe two pediatric congenital heart disease patients with suspected amiodarone induced pulmonary toxicity in the post-operative period. Case 1 presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome accompanied by periods of pulmonary hemorrhage post-operatively; after multiple courses of methylprednisolone and discontinuation of amiodarone, she showed significant clinical improvement with normalization of her CXR. Case 2 presented as hypoxemic with acute respiratory distress syndrome, and had notable clinical improvement after cessation of amiodarone with pulse dose methylprednisolone and inhaled budesonide.
Optical Touch Sensing on Non-Parametric Rear-Projection Surfaces

The field of augmented reality (AR) has introduced many novel input and output approaches for human-computer interaction. As touching physical objects with the fingers or hands is both natural and intuitive, touch-based graphical interfaces are ubiquitous, but many such interfaces are limited to flat screens or simple objects. We propose an optical method for multi-touch detection and response on non-parametric surfaces with dynamic rear-projected imagery, which we demonstrate on two head-shaped surfaces. We are interested in exploring the advantages of this approach over two-dimensional touch input displays, particularly in healthcare training scenarios.
The Effects of Air Pollution on the Development of Atopic Disease

Air pollution is defined as the presence of noxious substances in the air at levels that impose a health hazard. Thus, there has been long-standing interest in the possible role of indoor and outdoor air pollutants on the development of respiratory disease. In this regard, asthma has been of particular interest but many studies have also been conducted to explore the relationship between air pollution, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Traffic-related air pollutants or TRAP refers to a broad group of pollutants including elemental carbon, black soot, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2). In this review, we aim to examine the current literature regarding the impact of early childhood exposure to TRAP on the development of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Although there is growing evidence suggesting significant associations, definitive conclusions cannot be made with regard to the effect of TRAP on these diseases. This conundrum may be due to a variety of factors, including different definitions used to define TRAP, case definitions under consideration, a limited number of studies, variation in study designs, and disparities between studies in consideration of confounding factors. Regardless, this review highlights the need for future studies to be conducted, particularly with birth cohorts that explore this relationship further. Such studies may assist in understanding more clearly the pathogenesis of these diseases, as well as other methods by which these diseases could be treated.
LIDAR systems operating in the presence of oceanic turbulence

Oceanic turbulence may be detrimental for optical signals in short-link communication and sensing systems, and, in particular, LIDARs. To characterize light propagation for LIDARs we first establish 4 x 4 matrix framework applicable for general ABCD optical systems, a wide variety of optical waves, including partially coherent and partially polarized, and a variety of targets. We then adopt this approach for situations in which a target embedded in the turbulent oceanic layer is to be sensed by a bi-static LIDAR. Under some conditions the monostatic transmission links may also exhibit the Enhanced BackScatter (EBS) effect, due to phase conjugation of incident and return waves. We will brie y discuss the appearance of the EBS in the oceanic turbulence. Our treatment of the oceanic fluctuations is based on the well-known temperature-salinity based power spectrum of the refractive-index and the Huygens-Fresnel integral propagation method.
The Contextuality-by-Default View of the Sheaf-Theoretic Approach to Contextuality

The Sheaf-Theoretic Contextuality (STC) theory developed by Abramsky and colleagues is a very general account of whether multiply overlapping subsets of a set, each of which is endowed with certain "local'" structure, can be viewed as inheriting this structure from a global structure imposed on the entire set. A fundamental requirement of STC is that any intersection of subsets inherit one and the same structure from all intersecting subsets. I show that when STC is applied to systems of random variables, it can be recast in the language of the Contextuality-by-Default (CbD) theory, and this allows one to extend STC to arbitrary systems, in which the requirement in question (called "consistent connectedness'" in CbD) is not necessarily satisfied. When applied to deterministic systems, such as systems of logical statements with fixed truth values, a problem arises of distinguishing lack of consistent connectedness from contextuality. I show that it can be resolved by considering systems with multiple possible deterministic realizations as quasi-probabilistic systems with Bayesian priors assigned to the realizations. Although STC and CbD have distinct native languages and distinct aims and means, the conceptual modifications presented in this paper seem to make them essentially coextensive.
STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL COMPOUND SR3ZNPTO6, CONTAINING ZINC IN A HIGHLY UNUSUAL TRIGONAL PRISMATIC COORDINATION ENVIRONMENT

The structure of Sr3ZnPtO6 contains zinc in a highly unusual trigonal prismatic coordination environment. The structure consists of infinite one-dimensional chains of alternating face-shared PtO6 octahedra and ZnO6 trigonal prisms.
Developing a Large-Scale Cryogenic System for the Simultaneous Operation of Three Detector Focal Planes in TolTEC, A New Multichroic Imaging Polarimeter

TolTEC is an upcoming millimeter-wave imaging polarimeter designed to fill the focal plane of the 50-m-diameter Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT). Combined with the LMT, TolTEC will offer high-angular-resolution (5$$''$$–10$$''$$) simultaneous, polarization-sensitive observations in three wavelength bands: 1.1, 1.4, and 2.0 mm. Additionally, TolTEC will feature mapping speeds greater than $$2 \,\hbox {deg}^2/\hbox {mJy}^2/\hbox {h}$$, thus enabling wider surveys of large-scale structure, galaxy evolution, and star formation. These improvements are only possible through the integration of approximately 7000 low-noise, high-responsivity superconducting Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detectors. Utilizing three focal planes of detector arrays requires the design, fabrication, and characterization of a unique, large-scale cryogenic system. Based on thermal models and expected photon loading, the focal planes must have a base operational temperature below 150 mK. To achieve this base temperature, TolTEC utilizes two cryocoolers, a Cryomech pulse tube cooler and an Oxford Instruments dilution refrigerator, to establish four thermal stages: 45 K, 4 K, 1 K, and 100 mK. During the design phase, we developed an object-oriented Python code to model the heat loading on each stage as well as the thermal gradients throughout the system. This model has allowed us to improve thermal gradients in the system as well as locate areas of poor thermal conductivity prior to ending a cooldown. The results of our model versus measurements from our cooldowns will be presented along with a detailed overview of TolTEC’s cryogenic system. We anticipate TolTEC to be commissioned at the LMT by Spring 2020.
Exploring the Role of Gender in Perceptions of Robotic Noncompliance

A key capability of morally competent robots is to reject or question potentially immoral human commands. However, robot rejections of inappropriate commands must be phrased with great care and tact. Previous research has shown that failure to calibrate the “face threat” in a robot’s command rejection to the severity of the norm violation in the command can lead humans to perceive the robot as inappropriately harsh and can needlessly decrease robot likeability. However, it is well-established that gender plays a significant role in determining linguistic politeness norms and that people have a powerful natural tendency to gender robots. Yet, the effect of robotic gender presentation on these noncompliance interactions is not well understood. We present an experiment that explores the effects of robot and human gender on perceptions of robots in noncompliance interactions, and find evidence of a complicated interplay between these gendered factors. Our results suggest that (1) it may be more favorable for a male robot to reject commands than for a female robot to do so, (2) it may be more favorable to reject commands given by a male human than by a female human, and (3) that robots may be perceived more favorably when their gender matches that of human interactants and observers. ACM Reference Format: Ryan Blake Jackson, Tom Williams, and Nicole Smith. 2020. Exploring the Role of Gender in Perceptions of Robotic Noncompliance. In Proceedings of the 2020 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI ’20), March 23–26, 2020, Cambridge, United Kingdom. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 9 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3319502.3374831
Dynamic Environmental Stress Screening Using Machine Learning

Summary and ConclusionsThermal Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) is a proven method used to detect manufacturing defects in production hardware. Numerous multi-hour cycles are performed to properly screen systems with thousands of solder connections, complex mechanical configurations, and intricate electrical designs. The current industry standard thermal ESS process is to perform a survey on the system, define the profile, and establish a set quantity of cycles to perform per system. It is also well-understood that machine learning has the capability to improve manufacturing processes [1]. In an effort to reduce test times and unnecessary stress, a Machine Learning (ML) model, based on the amount of production rework performed on the system prior to ESS, can be generated to predict the optimal amount of cycles to perform on the system. This approach improves both cost and schedule of the system under test.
Physician attitudes on buprenorphine induction in the emergency department: results from a multistate survey

Emergency Departments (ED) are rapidly becoming an important location for initiation of buprenorphine (EDBUP) for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). Previous investigations of emergency me...
A drug-resistant β-lactamase variant changes the conformation of its active-site proton shuttle to alter substrate specificity and inhibitor potency.

Lys234 is one of the residues present in class A β-lactamases that is under selective pressure due to antibiotic use. Located adjacent to proton shuttle residue Ser130, it is suggested to play a role in proton transfer during catalysis of the antibiotics. The mechanism underpinning how substitutions in this position modulate inhibitor efficiency and substrate specificity leading to drug resistance is unclear. The K234R substitution identified in several inhibitor-resistant β-lactamase variants is associated with decreased potency of the inhibitor clavulanic acid, which is used in combination with amoxicillin to overcome β-lactamase–mediated antibiotic resistance. Here we show that for CTX-M-14 β-lactamase, whereas Lys234 is required for hydrolysis of cephalosporins such as cefotaxime, either lysine or arginine is sufficient for hydrolysis of ampicillin. Further, by determining the acylation and deacylation rates for cefotaxime hydrolysis, we show that both rates are fast, and neither is rate-limiting. The K234R substitution causes a 1500-fold decrease in the cefotaxime acylation rate but a 5-fold increase in kcat for ampicillin, suggesting that the K234R enzyme is a good penicillinase but a poor cephalosporinase due to slow acylation. Structural results suggest that the slow acylation by the K234R enzyme is due to a conformational change in Ser130, and this change also leads to decreased inhibition potency of clavulanic acid. Because other inhibitor resistance mutations also act through changes at Ser130 and such changes drastically reduce cephalosporin but not penicillin hydrolysis, we suggest that clavulanic acid paired with an oxyimino-cephalosporin rather than penicillin would impede the evolution of resistance.
Infant Allergy Testing and Food Allergy Diagnoses Before and After Guidelines for Early Peanut Introduction.

Background A landmark 2015 trial on early exposure to peanuts led to expert recommendations for screening and early peanut introduction in high-risk (severe eczema and/or egg allergy) infants, but the impact of this paradigm shift on allergy testing and diagnosis is unknown. Objective We assessed the effects of the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial and guideline publications on allergy testing and food allergy diagnoses in infants. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, deidentified administrative health claims from a commercial and Medicare advantage claims database were used. Infants with at least 1 year of continuous coverage were selected using newborn codes for birth hospitalizations from January 2010 to June 2018. Interrupted time series models were used to compare the prevalence of allergy testing before and after LEAP publication in February 2015 and formal guideline publication in January 2017. Results For 487,533 included infants, allergy testing increased after LEAP (risk ratio [RR]: 1.11 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-1.15]) and guidelines (1.21 [1.18-1.23]). This increase of testing was also seen in infants not considered high risk, both after LEAP (1.12 [1.08-1.17]) and guidelines (1.20 [1.16, 1.23]). For first-time allergy tests, post-guideline median number of allergens tested was 9 for serum tests and 10 for skin tests. Post-guidelines, there was a significant increase in diagnosis of peanut (RR: 1.08 [1.00, 1.16]), egg (1.12 [1.05, 1.20]), and other food allergies (excluding milk) (1.22 [1.14, 1.31]). Conclusion Allergy testing has increased, including in non–high-risk infants. Multiallergen testing may be contributing to an increase in the diagnosis of other food allergies.
Bilateral trigeminal nerve sheath tumors treated with stereotactic radiosurgery: A case report

Abstract Bilateral trigeminal nerve sheath tumors are extremely rare with a paucity of previously disseminated cases. In addition, bilateral nerve sheath tumors are often secondary to genetic conditions such as Neurofibromatosis (NF) 2 and schwannomatosis. Here, we present the case of a 55-year-old male who presents with bilateral trigeminal nerve sheath tumors who was subsequently treated with stereotactic radiosurgery. We also review literature relevant to NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis diagnosis and discuss previous cases of bilateral trigeminal nerve sheath tumors.
From Scrapbooks to State Archives: Memorializing the Radical Risorgimento

This final chapter reveals how these women of the left used the traditionally feminine practice of collecting and storing family letters and papers to shape the collective memory of the Risorgimento. It begins with an overview of women’s traditional activities as collectors of memory, popular narratives of the Risorgimento, and the major opportunities available to nineteenth-century female authors. The next two sections discuss how Chambers, Nathan, Saffi, Schwabe, and White Mario archived the letters and documents of their former colleagues, friends, and loved ones and later translated, edited, and published collected volumes of these documents. To conclude, it examines how White Mario wrote her own histories and biographies using the sources collected by her female colleagues. Throughout, the chapter argues that these women understood the importance of public and historical narratives and used the printed word to ensure that their republican, leftist, and anti-Catholic view of Italy lived on.
Stochastic Neura1 Learning in Identification and State Estimation

This paper investigates the application of stochastic neural networks to state estimation and system identification. The state estimation problem is approached by using a neural network and then a bank of Kalman filters. Also the system identification problem is solved by a neural network and by least squares identification.
The Aromatic Amino Acid Hydroxylases

The enzymes phenylalanine hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, and tryptophan hydroxylase constitute the family of pterin-dependent aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. Each enzyme catalyzes the hydroxylation of the aromatic side chain of its respective amino acid substrate using molecular oxygen and a tetrahydropterin as substrates. Recent advances have provided insights into the structures, mechanisms, and regulation of these enzymes. The eukaryotic enzymes are homotetramers comprised of homologous catalytic domains and discrete regulatory domains. The ligands to the active site iron atom as well as residues involved in substrate binding have been identified from a combination of structural studies and site-directed mutagenesis. Mechanistic studies with nonphysiological and isotopically substituted substrates have provided details of the mechanism of hydroxylation. While the complex regulatory properties of phenylalanine and tyrosine hydroxylase are still not fully understood, effects of regulation on key kinetic parameters have been identified. Phenylalanine hydroxylase is regulated by an interaction between phosphorylation and allosteric regulation by substrates. Tyrosine hydroxylase is regulated by phosphorylation and feedback inhibition by catecholamines.
Mobilization or Resignation? The Role of Political Efficacy in Russia's Authoritarian Reversal

What role has society played in ushering in Russia’s authoritarian reversal? Russia’s authoritarian backsliding has happened with the quiescence - or even outright support - of the population. One factor that has contributed to popular acceptance of authoritarianism is citizens’ low sense of political efficacy. Using quantitative measures of political attitudes and behaviors over time together with original data from in-depth interviews with ordinary Russians, this paper presents an analysis of the relationship between political efficacy and the actions and inactions taken by Russian citizens’ that have facilitated political elites’ ability to roll back democratic institutions with impunity. I show that efficacy attitudes have declined over time in Russia, that these attitudes influence individuals’ decisions about participating in politics, and that the failure of national elections to produce an incumbent turnover has contributed further to low levels of perceived efficacy.
Stimulation of Enhanced CD8 T Cell Responses Following Immunization with a Hyper-Antigen Secreting Intracytosolic Bacterial Pathogen

The intracytosolic niche for replication of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) facilitates delivery of bacteria-derived Ags into the MHC class I pathway for subsequent stimulation of CD8 effector T cells. Using Lm strains that are equivalent for in vivo virulence yet express marked differences in the level of secretion of a protective target Ag, we have evaluated how these specific differences in secretion levels influences the magnitude and effector function of Ag-specific CD8 T cell responses following Lm injection. Immunization with low doses of a hyperantigen-secreting Lm strain stimulated enhanced target-Ag specific CD8 T cell responses compared with the magnitude stimulated following immunization with the same dose of wild-type Lm. The enhanced determinant-specific response was also evident by in vivo CTL activity, increased numbers of memory cells 4 wk following immunization, and enhanced antilisterial protection following a challenge infection. Initiation of antibiotic treatment 24 h following infection with wild-type Lm markedly reduced the magnitude of the effector CD8 T cell response. In contrast, antibiotic treatment initiated 24 h following immunization with the hyperantigen secreting strain of Lm did not impact the frequency of the target-Ag specific CD8 T cells. Thus, immunization with a low dose of a hyperantigen secreting Lm strain, followed by antibiotic treatment to limit the extent of the infection, may represent a safe strategy for the stimulation of enhanced effector CD8 T cell responses to specific Ag by a rLm vaccine.
A small signal model for dual channel high electron mobility transistors

A technique is presented to calculate the total channel charge of a dual channel high electron mobility transistor. The current voltage characteristics and the small signal parameters g/sub m/ and g/sub D/ of the device are derived. The effects of parasitic drain and source resistances and channel length modulation are included.
Stock Option Compensation and Managerial Discretion in the Insurance Industry: Are Reserves Manipulated to Enhance Profitability?

Stock options create an incentive for managers of companies to maximize the value of their company's stock. Prior research has hypothesized that managers of insurers manipulate reserve levels to achieve organization goals, including minimization of taxes and income smoothing. The current study tests whether the awarding of stock options to insurance company executives is associated with the accuracy of reserve estimates. We test two competing hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that the granting of options to executives encourages under reserving. This would be the case if inflated earnings resulting from under reserving result in higher insurer stock valuations. The second hypothesis is that grants of options to executives result in more accurate reserving. Empirical support for this hypothesis would suggest the market valuations of insurers' stock take into consideration the perceived accuracy of financial disclosures and that valuations are higher for firms that report more accurate reserve estimates. Consequently, executives holding options will attempt to report reserve estimates as accurately as possible. Our empirical analyses support the hypothesis that insurers that award stock options estimate reserves more accurately than other insurers, other things equal.
Space group representations induced by local site symmetries

Representations of space groups induced from local site groups are discussed. The representations are infinite dimensional and correspond physically to energy bands in solids. The induced (band) representations can be reduced in terms of space group irreducible representations. Thus two alternate notations can be used for labeling band representations. The reduction of the band representations (subduction frequencies) for O h 5 are explicitly given along with an example of the use of the subduction frequencies in another context, namely for microscopic mode determinations.
A shot in the arm for fractional charge

The theory of the fractional quantum Hall effect implies the existence of quasiparticles, collective electron states that have fractional charge. New experiments provide a direct measurement of the charge of these strange states, from the noisiness of the current they carry.
Na2SO4‐lnduced Corrosion of Si3N4 Coated with Chemically Vapor Deposited Ta2O5

Hot isostatically pressed Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} was coated with chemically vapor-deposited Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}, and subjected to oxidative and corrosive environments to determine the feasibility of using a Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} coating for protecting Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} from hot corrosion. The coated structure was relatively stable at 1,000 C in pure O{sub 2}. However, the Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} system became unstable in an environment containing Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and O{sub 2} at 1,000 C because (1) Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} and Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} reacted rapidly to form NaTaO{sub 3} and (2) subsequently NaTaO{sub 3} interacted destructively with the underlying Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} substrate to form a molten phase.
A radioimmunoassay of rat type I iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinase

A highly sensitive, specific, and reproducible RIA has been developed to measure rat type I iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinase (5'-MD). A 16-amino acid peptide (LAP-744) corresponding to a portion of the carboxy-terminal region of the rat liver 5'-MD, as predicted from its cDNA, was synthesized, and rabbits were immunized with the peptide-BSA conjugate. In a final dilution of 1:15,000, our anti-5'-MD antibody bound about 30-35% of a tracer amount of [125I]LAP-744. The detection threshold of the RIA approximated 0.08 pmol LAP-744 or an equivalent amount of 0.08 pmol 5'-MD. Rat liver and kidney microsomes produced dose-response curves that were essentially parallel to that of LAP-744. No inhibition of binding of [125I]LAP-744 to antibody was produced by 0.3 mg or less rat microsomal proteins from testes, heart, brain, muscle, spleen, intestine, lung, placenta, or fetal liver. Recovery of nonradioactive LAP-744 added to spleen microsomes averaged 103%. The coefficient of variation averaged 4% within an assay an...
Malignant melanoma in early Parkinson's disease: The DATATOP trial

The available epidemiological data on the incidence of malignant melanoma in Parkinson's disease are contradictory. The role of levodopa therapy in this context has been debated. We identified all known cases of malignant melanoma (N = 5) in the DATATOP clinical trial cohort and compared that to published expected values (N = 1.5) for a standard healthy population. The standardized event ratio was 3.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-7.8), indicating that incidence of malignant melanoma was higher than expected. We found no association between levodopa therapy and the incidence of melanoma.
Testosterone levels in benign prostatic hyperplasia: sexual function and response to therapy with dutasteride.

Testosterone levels in benign prostatic hyperplasia: sexual function and response to therapy with dutasteride
EXPLORING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CAMPUS CO-CURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

This research examines the relationship between college student attendance at co-curricular programs and GPA. Researchers tracked attendance of two cohorts totaling 3,000+ students through electromagnetic scanning at university-sponsored events. Analysis of GPA by attendance rate clusters revealed that students attending 5-14 events over the 4-year period had significantly higher (p < 0.001) GPAs than students attending fewer or more events. The findings from this study contribute to the scope of research on student engagement in higher education. Whereas research on student alcohol use, depression, and anxiety has addressed the risk factors for student success, this study complements existing research by examining the protective facets of student institutional engagement.
Diagnosis of feline acute intermittent porphyria presenting with erythrodontia requires molecular analyses

Erythrodontia is the hallmark of human congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP), but is also a major phenotypic feature of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) in cats. In this study, detailed biochemical and molecular analyses were performed on two unrelated cats with autosomal dominant AIP that presented with erythrodontia, yellow-brown urine and mild changes in erythrocytes. The cats had elevated concentrations of urinary 5-aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen, and half normal erythrocytic hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS) activity. Two novel HMBS mutations were detected; one cat had a deletion (c.107_110delACAG) and one cat had a splicing alteration (c.826-1G>A), both leading to premature stop codons and truncated proteins (p.D36Vfs 6 and p.L276Efs 6, respectively). These studies highlight the importance of appropriate biochemical and molecular genetic analyses for the accurate diagnoses of porphyrias in cats and extend the molecular genetic heterogeneity of feline AIP. Thus, although erythrodontia is a classic sign of congenital erythropoietic porphyria in human beings, cats with erythrodontia may have acute intermittent porphyria, a hepatic porphyria.
Effect of groundwater iron and phosphate on the efficacy of arsenic removal by iron-amended BioSand filters.

Naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater in Cambodia is a serious health concern. This study tested the efficacy of a BioSand filter amended with iron nails, Kanchan filter, as a household water treatment option with three natural arsenic-bearing groundwater sources of varying compositions and spiked with lab cultured E. coli and MS2. The effectiveness of arsenic and pathogen removal was not constant over time and was highly dependent on the influent composition. The filter was relatively ineffective in treating arsenic contaminated groundwater and effluent arsenic concentrations were between 74 and 226 μg L−1, which is higher than accepted drinking water standards. The overall average arsenic removal was 39.4, 74.9, and 45.4%, respectively, and the extent of arsenic removal was not related to the influent arsenic concentration. The main reasons for poor arsenic removal was due to the combination of high influent P (>0.5 mg L−1) and low Fe (<5 mg L−1) concentrations and that the added iron nails were la...
Changes in timber haul emissions in the context of shifting forest management and infrastructure

Although significant amounts of carbon may be stored in harvested wood products, the extraction of that carbon from the forest generally entails combustion of fossil fuels. The transport of timber from the forest to primary milling facilities may in particular create emissions that reduce the net sequestration value of product carbon storage. However, attempts to quantify the effects of transport on the net effects of forest management typically use relatively sparse survey data to determine transportation emission factors. We developed an approach for systematically determining transport emissions using: 1) -remotely sensed maps to estimate the spatial distribution of harvests, and 2) - industry data to determine landscape-level harvest volumes as well as the location and processing totals of individual mills. These data support spatial network analysis that can produce estimates of fossil carbon released in timber transport. Transport-related emissions, evaluated as a fraction of transported wood carbon at 4 points in time on a landscape in western Montana (USA), rose from 0.5% in 1988 to 1.7% in 2004 as local mills closed and spatial patterns of harvest shifted due to decreased logging on federal lands. The apparent sensitivity of transport emissions to harvest and infrastructure patterns suggests that timber haul is a dynamic component of forest carbon management that bears further study both across regions and over time. The monitoring approach used here, which draws only from widely available monitoring data, could readily be adapted to provide current and historical estimates of transport emissions in a consistent way across large areas.
The Wild Patience of John Howard Yoder: “Outsiders” and the “Otherness of the Church”

Yoder offers a vision of particular dialogical communities that practice generous solidarity precisely through creative uses of conflict and a vulnerable receptivity to the “least of these” within the church and outside it. Few today offer as compelling a vision for pursuing justice and political engagements in heterogeneous societies. Yoder interprets the binding lordship of Christ as the opening of dialogical relations between the church and the world in which giving and receiving happens in both directions. Vulnerable relations with outsiders are integral to the otherness of the church. When this understanding of caritas is forgotten and unpractised, the church loses its otherness and assimilates to the violence of the world.
Circadian photo-entrainment in a noctural rodent: quantitative measurement of light-sampling activity

Abstract The amount of daily light exposure was measured for a nocturnal rodent, the flying squirrel, Glaucomys volans , in an artificial den. The role of this light exposure in circadian photo-entrainment was assessed by means of telemetric monitoring of multiple activity functions of individual animals. Novel simulated den cages facilitated temporal and sparial tracking of each animal from its darkened nestbox through a darkened passageway to an activity chamber. The time exposed to light ranged for six individual flying squirrels during an entrainment schedule from 0·4–3·5% of the light period. The data suggest that this den-dwelling, nocturnal rodent, with free-running rhythms of slightly less than 24 h in period, synchronized its active time with the hours of darkness by viewing brief amounts of the daily light cycle at dusk when circadian arousal occurred.
Gel in polyethylene

A quantitative test for the presence of gel (insoluble polymer) in polyethylene is described. A number of experiments were performed by using the test and on the polymers separated by the test. It is concluded that gel is crosslinked polyethylene in the form of discrete particles of significant size, the large ones, probably weighing up to at least 10 mg. Some crosslinks are broken by treatment with solvents above 200°C., and much of the gel is thus rendered permanently soluble. Gel is also insoluble in the reaction medium in which it is produced. Thus, even if the ethylene–polyethylene phase relationships would predict a homogeneous reaction, the reaction must be hetero-geneous if gel is present. Therefore, kinetic treatments of ethylene polymerization which do not consider phase separation when gel is found in the reaction product are oversimplified.
On a fractional boundary value problem with fractional boundary conditions

Abstract In this paper, we consider a discrete fractional boundary value problem, for t ∈ [ 0 , b + 1 ] N 0 , of the form − Δ ν y ( t ) = f ( t + ν − 1 , y ( t + ν − 1 ) ) , y ( ν − 2 ) = 0 , [ Δ α y ( t ) ] t = ν + b − α + 1 = 0 , where f : [ ν − 1 , … , ν + b ] N ν − 2 × R → R is continuous, 1 ν ≤ 2 , and 0 ≤ α 1 . We prove that this problem can be interpreted as a discrete multipoint problem. We also show that the problem is a generalization of some recent results. Our results provide some basic analysis of discrete fractional boundary conditions.
Batch foam recovery of sporamin from sweet potato

The major sweet potato root protein, sporamin (which comprises about 80-90% of the total protein mass in the sweet potato) easily foams in a bubble/foam-fractionation column using air as the carrier gas. Control of that foam fractionation process is readily achieved by adjusting two variables: bulk solution pH and gas superficial velocity. Varying these parameters has an important role in the recovery of sporamin in the foam. Changes in the pH of the bulk solution can control the partitioning of sporamin in the foam phase from that in the bulk phase. A change in pH will also affect the amount of foam generated. The pH varied between 2.0 and 10.0 and the air superficial velocities (V0) ranged between 1.5 and 4.3 cm/s. It was observed in these ranges that, as the pH increased, the total foamate volume decreased, but the foamate protein (mainly sporamin) concentration increased. On the other hand, the total foamate volume increased significantly as the air superficial velocity increased, but the foamate concentration decreased slightly. The minimum residual protein concentration occurred at pH 3.0 and V0 = 1.5 cm/s. On the other hand, the maximum protein mass recovery occurred at pH 3.0 and at V0 = 4.3 cm/s.