cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formaldehyde-Treated, Heat-Inactivated Virions with Increased Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Env Can Be Used To Induce High-Titer Neutralizing Antibody Responses

The lack of success of subunit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 vaccines to date suggests that multiple components or a complex virion structure may be required. We hypothesized that the failure of current vaccine strategies to induce protective antibodies is linked to the inability of native envelope structures to readily elicit these types of antibodies. We have previously reported on the ability of a formaldehyde-treated, heat-inactivated vaccine to induce modest antibody responses in animal vaccine models. We investigated here whether immunization for HIV with an envelope-modified, formaldehyde-stabilized, heat-inactivated virion vaccine could produce higher-titer and/or broader neutralizing antibody responses. Thus, a clade B vaccine which contains a single point mutation in gp41 (Y706C) that results in increased incorporation of oligomeric Env into virions was constructed. This vaccine was capable of inducing high-titer antibodies that could neutralize heterologous viruses, including those of clades A and C. These results further support the development of HIV vaccines with modifications in native Env structures for the induction of neutralizing antibody responses.
Abatement of acid mine drainage by capping a reclaimed surface mine with fluidized bed combustion ash

A watershed in north-central Pennsylvania was being polluted by acidic drainage from a surface coal mining operation. To abate the pollution, a thick cement mix based on fluidized bed combustion (FBC) ash was applied to the regraded surface, after which the site was covered with topsoil and revegetated. The FBC ash cement layer serves as an aquitard, preventing infiltrating rainfall from reaching acid-forming units in the backfilled mine. The horizontal components of ground water flow to the site are negligible. Consequently, acid formation was inhibited, and the concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Al were diminished substantially below levels present in the ground water and surface discharges before the application of the fly ash. Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn are not present at detection limits in the receiving stream, while only a trace of Se is present. Benthic macroinvertebrate populations have improved markedly.
Prepubertal periodontitis: a review of diagnostic criteria, pathogenesis, and differential diagnosis.

This paper reviews the literature on prepubertal periodontitis (PP) according to the definition and the classification of PP by Page. The generalized form of PP (G-PP) defined by Page was identified as the oral manifestation of a systemic disease called leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) and thus the pathogenesis is known at the molecular level. On the other hand, the localized form of PP (L-PP) is a disease defined by clinical criteria and its pathogenesis is not known at the molecular level. The reported prevalence of L-PP differs widely in reports, according to the methodology and population studied. However, it seems to be at least 0.84% or greater. Potential periodontal pathogens that have been associated with L-PP include the following bacteria: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.), Bacteroides intermedius, Bacteroides gingivalis, Capnocytophaga sputigena, and Eikenella corrodens. Suggested contributing factors have included PMN or monocyte chemotactic defects and cementum defects. There is no unique pattern of bone loss in L-PP; however, there may be a type of periodontitis that affects all deciduous teeth, in the absence of LAD. L-PP may lead to localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) or generalized juvenile periodontitis (GJP). Histiocytosis X, hypophosphatasia and mild forms of blood dyscrasias may have minimal or no clinical signs and symptoms except for alveolar bone loss. Therefore diseases known to be associated with alveolar bone loss must be definitively excluded in prepubertal children until the pathogenesis of L-PP at the cellular and molecular levels is understood and L-PP can be definitively diagnosed either as a distinct disease entity or entities.
Synthesis of polymeric core–shell particles using surface‐initiated living free‐radical polymerization

An easy and novel approach to the synthesis of functionalized nanostructured polymeric particles is reported. The surfactant-free emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of the crosslinking reagent 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxy methyl)-1,3-propanediol trimethacrylate was used to in situ crosslink colloid micelles to produce stable, crosslinked polymeric particles (diameter size ∼ 100-300 nm). A functionalized methacrylate monomer, 2-methacryloxyethyl-2'-bromoisobutyrate, containing a dormant atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) living free-radical initiator, which is termed an inimer (initiator/monomer), was added to the solution during the polymerization to functionalize the surface of the particles with ATRP initiator groups. The surface-initiated ATRP of different monomers was then carried out to produce core-shell-type polymeric nanostructures. This versatile technique can be easily employed for the design of a wide variety of polymeric shells surrounding a crosslinked core while keeping good control over the sizes of the nanostructures. The particles were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, optical microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Raman spectroscopy.
Impact and frequency of extra-genitourinary manifestations of prune belly syndrome

Summary Introduction Prune belly syndrome (PBS) extra-genitourinary (extra-GU) manifestations are serious comorbidities beyond the genitourinary (GU) anomalies of this disease. We hypothesized an underestimation of the reported frequency and understated impact on quality of life (QOL) of extra-GU comorbidities in PBS survivors beyond the newborn period. To assess this, the frequencies of extra-GU manifestations of PBS in a contemporary cohort of living patients were compared to compiled frequencies from published literature. Second, the impact of extra-GU PBS manifestations on patient/family QOL was assessed via a non-validated open-ended survey. Material and methods From 2010 to 2013, PBS survivors were prospectively recruited locally or at three PBS Network National Conventions. The family/subject was asked to complete a detailed PBS questionnaire, non-validated QOL survey, and provide medical records for review. Clinical data were extracted from medical records for local patients. The frequencies of extra-GU manifestations were compared between the contemporary, living cohort and a published literature cohort derived from PubMed. Results and discussion Seven of 706 published studies met criteria for frequencies tabulation of extra-GU PBS manifestations. This largest reported living PBS patient cohort (n = 65) was 99% male with mean age 10 years (1 month-45 years). The living PBS cohort had a statistically significantly higher incidence of gastrointestinal (63%), orthopedic (65%), and cardiopulmonary (49%) diagnoses compared to the compiled published cohort (n = 204). Eleven PBS males and 32 family members completed the QOL survey. Of these, 47% listed at least one non-GU problem (i.e. lung disease, skeletal problems, constipation) as negatively affecting their QOL; 42% listed at least one GU problem (i.e. self-catheterization, recurrent UTIs) as negatively affecting their QOL; 56% reported musculoskeletal surgery and 21% reported gastrointestinal surgery/medication as positively impacting their QOL. Conclusions In this large contemporary series, surviving individuals with PBS had a significantly higher incidence of orthopedic, gastrointestinal, and cardiopulmonary diagnoses than previously reported in PBS publications. From the patient/family QOL perspective, non-GU PBS manifestations negatively impact their QOL and treatment of these non-GU conditions improves their lives. As urologic surgeons for these medically complex patients, it is extremely important to be aware of and prepare for the high incidence of non-GU PBS comorbidities directly impacting the medical and surgical treatment and QOL of PBS patients and their families.
Cognitive Rehabilitation for Schizophrenia and the Putative Role of Motivation and Expectancies

Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) approaches seek to enhance cognitive processes or to circumvent cognitive impairments in schizophrenia in an effort to improve functional outcome. In this review we examine the research findings on the 8 evidence-based approaches to cognitive remediation listed in the 2005 Training Grid Outlining Best Practices for Recovery and Improved Outcomes for People With Serious Mental Illness, developed by the American Psychological Association Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice. Though the approaches vary widely in theoretical orientation and methods of intervention, the results are, for the most part, encouraging. Improvements in attention, memory, and executive functioning have been reported. However, many persons with schizophrenia are more impaired in real-world functioning than one would expect given the magnitude of their cognitive deficits. We may need to look beyond cognition to other targets such as motivation to identify the reasons that many persons with schizophrenia demonstrate such marked levels of disability. Although a number of current CR approaches address motivation to varying degrees, treating motivation as a primary target may be needed to maximize CR outcomes.
A Highly Integrated Decoder For The Set Top Box

A highly integrated set top box decoder has been designed to meet the challenge of reducing cost while increasing functionality. This decoder is intended to be the heart of the DSS set top box. It incorporates a 32bit ARM CPU, a transport demultiplexer, a MPEG-2 video decoder, a MPEG-1 audio decoder, an NTSC/PAL encoder, an on screen display (OSD) controller to mix graphics and video, a host of U0 interfaces, and an extension bus to connect to other peripherals. This paper analyzes the integration of major functions and the consolidation of separate memories into a single 16 Mbits SDRAM.
Comparison of Larval Development and Overwintering Stages of the Spotted Knapweed Biological Control Agents Agapeta zoegana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Cyphocleonus achates (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Montana Versus Eastern Europe

Larval development of insects introduced for biological control of invasive weeds may be constrained if the new climate is more extreme than in their native range. We surveyed larval development in Agapeta zoegana L. and Cyphocleonus achates (Fahraeus), two species of biological control insects introduced from eastern Europe against spotted knapweed in western North America. We dissected spotted knapweed roots collected from five sites in western Montana over 6 yr either in late fall or early spring and measured larval head capsule size to determine the overwintering instar stage. Development of A. zoegana was estimated equally well with late fall or early spring root collections, but C. achates rate of development may be underestimated using fall samples. The larvae of neither species entered diapause in as advanced an instar in western Montana as reported for their native range. Most A. zoegana larvae reached the third (26%) or fourth (20%) instar at diapause, with only 15% reaching sixth instars, as they typically do in their native Eurasia. Almost all (94%) C. achates overwintered as first instars, with most of the remaining (4%) being eggs, some of which were viable in the spring. Only a small number (2%) of C. achates larvae overwintered as second instars, the common overwintering stage in their native range. Slower development may explain, in part, why A. zoegana only has one generation per year in Montana compared with two to three generations per year in Europe.
Do State Transitions Control CEF1 in Higher Plants

Cyclic electron flow around photosystem I (CEF1) in oxygenic photosynthesis is thought to augment the production of ATP/NADPH to balance the chloroplast energy budget. In the green alga Chlamydomonas, CEF1 has been shown to be regulated by the so-called state transitions, which involve reversible phosphorylation of antenna and other complexes in response to changes in plastoquinone redox state (Allen, 1981). Whether this regulatory system operates in C3 plants, which have much less robust state transitions, have been unclear. Moreover, recent works by Iwai et al. (2010) and Livingston et al. (2010) suggest that CEF1 in Chlamydomonas and Arabidopsis may operate through different pathways, with the later involving the NDH complex. In this work, we test for the involvement of state transitions in CEF1 using a newly isolated mutant, hcef2, with constitutively high CEF1. We find that the high CEF1 mutant is predominantly in state II. We also find that the mutants stn7 and tap38, locked in state I and state II (Bellafiore et al., 2004; Pribil et al., 2010), respectively, show elevated CEF1. This indicates STN7 is not necessary for activation of CEF1. We suggest a role of CEF1 as a compensatory mechanism to balance the redox state of the chloroplast when the state transition response is impaired.
Tapering Our Focus to the Causes and Correction of Metallosis in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty

Serum metal ion levels associated with primary total hip arthroplasty is a topic of appreciable interest and concern to orthopaedic surgeons. Metal ion levels are elevated in virtually all patients with a total hip implant, but the significance of the elevated metal ions is unclear. Additionally, high serum concentrations of metal ions do not directly correlate with an adverse local tissue response or other adverse response by the host. Patients evaluated in the current investigation had elevated metal ion levels, which the authors believe, and most researchers concur, are primarily associated with corrosion at the femoral head-neck junction1-3. The same group of investigators has recently reported on adverse local tissue response after total hip arthroplasty as a result of metallosis originating from corrosion at the femoral head-neck junction in ten patients who had a metal-on-polyethylene articulation3. The serum cobalt levels …
Communicating radiation risk to patients and referring physicians in the emergency department setting

Heightened awareness about the radiation risks associated with CT imaging has increased patients' wishes to be informed of these risks, and has motivated efforts to reduce radiation dose and eliminate unnecessary imaging. However, many ordering providers, including emergency physicians, are ill prepared to have an informed discussion with patients about the cancer risks related to medical imaging. Radiologists, who generally have greater training in radiation biology and the risks of radiation, often do not have a face-to-face relationship with the patients who are being imaged. A collaborative approach between emergency physicians and radiologists is suggested to help explain these risks to patients who may have concerns about getting medical imaging.
Romanesque Churches in Florence

The following pages attempt to provide a clue for the dating of a group of Florentine Romanesque basilicas by an examination of their masonry technique. In establishing the chronology I hope to eliminate one of the main obstacles in the investigation of the Florentine Proto-Renaissance. With the main exponent of this movement, the Baptistery of Florence, I have dealt elsewhere.1 The central monument of the present discussion is San Miniato al Monte. I have confined myself to an examination of the style and the chronological problems involved, but an analysis of the particular historical and cultural conditions which this style represents will follow at some later time.2
Adsorption of hydrogen in covalent organic frameworks using expanded Wang–Landau simulations

Using expanded Wang–Landau simulations, we study the adsorption of hydrogen in a series of covalent organic frameworks (COF-102, COF-105 and COF-108). In the present implementation, this new method...
Archival Sources for Latin American Business History

Since the Business History Review's special issue on Latin America twenty years ago, many articles and monographs have been published utilizing archival sources. An examination of many of these studies and experience in archives suggest that the historian of Latin American business must use a variety of sources to study individual firms and the relationships between business and the national societies in which they operate. In this essay Professor Reber discusses eight types of archives found in the United States, Latin America, Great Britain, France, and Spain which hold manuscripts of interest to those studying both the economic and business history of Latin America. She also offers advice about bibliographic aids, guides, and, briefly, printed primary source materials useful in supplementing the often hard-to-find archival data.
Study on parameters of dynamic performance of prestressed steel-reinforced concrete beams

In order to promote the application of prestressed steel-reinforced concrete in the seismic area,simulation analysis is performed on 7 prestressed steel-reinforced simply-supported concrete beams with span of 3800 mm and 2 such beams with span of 4500 mm. The simulated results agree well with the test results. By using the method of simulation analysis,the influences of two factors on the moment-curvature curve of section and the load-displacement curve of members are researched,which are the ratio of the resistance of shaped steel to the total resistance and the ratio of the resistance of prestressed steel to the total resistance of section. Formulas for calculating the curvature ductility and the displacement ductility are given by the statistical study. And the hysteretic models for the load-displacement and the moment-curvature of prestressed steel-reinforced concrete beams are proposed,which agree well with test results.
Noninvasive Continuous Hemoglobin Monitoring in Combat Casualties: A Pilot Study.

Objective To describe the accuracy and precision of noninvasive hemoglobin measurement (SpHb) compared with laboratory or point-of-care Hb, and SpHb ability to trend in seriously injured casualties. Methods Observational study in a convenience sample of combat casualties undergoing resuscitation at two US military trauma hospitals in Afghanistan. SpHb was obtained using the Masimo Rainbow SET (Probe Rev E/Radical-7 Pulse CO-Oximeter v 7.6.2.1). Clinically indicated Hb was analyzed with a Coulter or iStat and compared with simultaneous SpHb values. Results Twenty-three patients were studied (ISS 20 ± 9.8; age 29 ± 9 years; male 97%; 100% intubated). Primary injury cause: improvised explosive device (67%) or gunshot (17%). There were 49 SpHb-Hb pairs (median 2 per subject). Bias: 0.3 ± 1.6 g/dL (95% LOA -2.4, 3.4 g/dL). The SpHb-Hb difference 1 g/dL, a concurrent absolute change in SpHb of >1 g/dL had a sensitivity: 61%, specificity 85%, positive predictive value: 80%, and a negative predictive value: 69%. The SpHb signal was present in 4643 of 6137 min monitored (76%). Conclusions This was the first study to describe continuous SpHb in seriously injured combat casualties. Using a threshold of 1 g/dL previously specified in the literature, continuous SpHb is not precise enough to serve as sole transfusion trigger in trauma patients. Further research is needed to determine if it is useful for trending Hb changes or as an early indicator of deterioration in combat casualties.
Effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin and dietary energy intake on growth, secretion of luteinizing hormone, follicular development, and onset of puberty in beef heifers.

The effects of dietary energy and recombinant bovine somatotropin (bST) on pattern of LH release, follicular development, and onset of puberty were studied in 40 Angus heifers. At 7 mo of age, heifers were assigned to a 2 x 2 factorial experiment; the main effects were dietary energy (high [HDE]: 14.15 Mcal of ME/d or moderate [MDE]: 10.84 Mcal of ME/d) and somatotropin (bST; 350 mg every 2 wk or vehicle). Beginning at 9 mo of age, heifers were observed twice daily for estrous activity. From 10.5 to 12 mo of age, five heifers from each treatment group were selected for weekly ultrasound examination of ovarian structures and biweekly sequential blood sampling to determine concentrations of LH. Somatotropin treatment altered intermediary metabolism in a manner consistent with enhanced accretion of lean tissue and decreased deposition of fat. The HDE heifers were younger (P 5 mm in diameter than those of vehicle-treated heifers. We conclude that chronic treatment with bST did not alter age at puberty or pattern of LH release in heifers and that even modest differences in energy intake influence the timing of the prepubertal increase in pulsatile LH release.
Diagnosis of wrist injuries.

SUMMARY There is little in the way of surface architecture to explain the complex anatomy of the wrist. Confidence in x-ray examination, especially the lateral, is essential to primary accurate diagnosis. The primary care physician will have a great impact on the end-result of wrist injuries because late care is difficult and has a guarded prognosis.
Measurement of the branching ratio for decay of Upsilon states to micro+ micro-

Using the Columbia University--Stony Brook detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have measured ${B}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}$, the branching fraction into muons, of the 1S, 2S, and 3S \ensuremath{\Upsilon} mesons. We obtain ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$(1S)=(2.61\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.09\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.11)%, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$(1S)=51.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.2 keV, ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$(2S)=(1.38\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.25\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15)%, ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{\mathrm{tot}}$(2S)=42.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9.2 keV, ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}$(3S)=(1.73\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.11)%, and ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{\mathrm{tot}(3\mathrm{S})=27.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.7}$ kev. We also derive, from these results, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}$=0.174 and ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\mathrm{MS}\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}=157}$ MeV, where MS\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} denotes the modified minimal-subtraction scheme.
Chronic Nonspecific Diarrhea

Case Presentation A toddler is seen for his 2-year well child examination. His parents are concerned and have received complaints from his child care provider that he has three to four loose, watery bowel movements daily; each bowel movement requires a clean-up and change of clothes. This diarrhea has been present intermittently for at least 6 months. He has a very good appetite, no other abdominal symptoms, and no blood in his stools. His development appears normal. Physical examination is entirely normal, including a weight of 13 kg and height of 90 cm, both at the 75th percentile for age. What additional history is useful, what laboratory evaluation would you perform, and how would you advise his parents? Introduction Gastrointestinal disorders account for approximately 5% of pediatric office visits. Many of these visits are for acute diarrhea that usually is infectious in origin and resolves in fewer than 7 days. Diarrhea in the young child that persists for longer than 3 weeks is termed chronic and can be frustrating and anxiety provoking for both physicians and parents. Through careful clinical assessment, the clinician can separate the majority of patients who require only observation from those who require a limited number of simple tests or those who require extensive testing. Definition
It can W8: A community intervention to decrease distracted driving

ABSTRACTResearchers tested an intervention to decrease cell-phone use while driving on a university campus. A total of 3,827 driving observations were recorded on a campus roadway over a three-week period. The campus intervention, consisting of fear appeals, pledges, and behavioral prompts, was tested using an ABA reversal design (Baseline-Intervention-Baseline) with observed cell-phone use as the dependent measure. A Chi-Square test of independence indicated the percentage of drivers talking on a cell phone decreased significantly from 8.5% of 945 drivers at Baseline to 5.5% of 1,428 drivers following the Intervention. In contrast, the percentage of drivers observed texting increased significantly from 4% of 945 drivers at Baseline to 6.2% of 1,428 drivers following the Intervention. Additionally, safety-belt use was associated with the type of phone use observed. Findings were significantly different for women versus men. Results are discussed in the context of behavioral community intervention and gend...
Immunopurification and functional reconstitution of a Na+ channel complex from rat lymphocytes

Patch-clamp experiments have demonstrated an amiloride-sensitive Na+ conductance in human B lymphoid cells. We measured whole cell currents in rat lymphocytes and observed a similar Na(+)-specific ...
Diagnosis and Management of Bleeding Small Bowel Tumors

The small intestine is a rare source for upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, as it accounts for only 5 % of cases. However, it is the most common cause of obscure GI bleeding and should thus be considered for all patients with GI bleeding and no source by standard endoscopic examination. Diagnosis has been historically difficult due to limited means of gaining access; however newer techniques have improved our diagnostic and therapeutic abilities. Small bowel tumors represent the second most common cause of small bowel bleeding after vascular malformations. The aim of this chapter is to examine the diagnostic and management approaches to the patient with bleeding small bowel tumors.
Current Delimitation and Typology of the Czech Countryside and its Importance for Rural Development

The aim of the paper is to delimit the countryside in the Czech Republic (according to local conditions) and the rural municipalities’ typology (according to their development potential). The author also focuses on the usage of a combination of Geographic Information Systems, spatial data analysis, and spatial statistics tools, together with traditional multivariate statistical methods for rural delimitation and typology. The typology of the rural municipalities, according to their development potential, is based on up-to-date socio-economic indicators from the 2011 Census, which makes up the final part of the article, followed by conclusions and considerations about future rural development in the Czech Republic.
A Survey on Systems Security Metrics

Security metrics have received significant attention. However, they have not been systematically explored based on the understanding of attack-defense interactions, which are affected by various factors, including the degree of system vulnerabilities, the power of system defense mechanisms, attack (or threat) severity, and situations a system at risk faces. This survey particularly focuses on how a system security state can evolve as an outcome of cyber attack-defense interactions. This survey concerns how to measure system-level security by proposing a security metrics framework based on the following four sub-metrics: (1) metrics of system vulnerabilities, (2) metrics of defense power, (3) metrics of attack or threat severity, and (4) metrics of situations. To investigate the relationships among these four sub-metrics, we propose a hierarchical ontology with four sub-ontologies corresponding to the four sub-metrics and discuss how they are related to each other. Using the four sub-metrics, we discuss the state-of-art existing security metrics and their advantages and disadvantages (or limitations) to obtain lessons and insight in order to achieve an ideal goal in developing security metrics. Finally, we discuss open research questions in the security metrics research domain and we suggest key factors to enhance security metrics from a system security perspective.
An Overview of the Contractarian Public Finance of James Buchanan

Although it is only in the last ten or fifteen years that James Buchanan has emphasized a contractarian approach to public policy analysis, most of his nearly 40 years of work in the area of public finance exhibits contractarian themes. This paper outlines Professor Buchanan's contractarian approach to policy analysis, and applies it to various topics in public finance in order to demonstrate the underlying unity of his work. Many of Buchanan's most original contributions to public finance can be best understood as a consequence of his contractarian perspective.
Abstract 434: Characterizing the role of serine metabolism in pediatric sarcomas

Sarcomas represent a diverse group of malignancies with unique molecular and pathological characteristics. In order to improve sarcoma treatment, a better understanding of the alterations associated with specific sarcoma subtypes is critically important. Renewed interest in the altered metabolic properties of cancer cells has led to an exploration of targeting metabolic dependencies as a novel therapeutic strategy. Metabolism of the amino acid serine is frequently altered in cancer, supporting a number of critical biological processes, including protein, lipid, and nucleotide synthesis, and redox balance. The first, rate-limiting step in the serine synthesis pathway is catalyzed by the enzyme 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), which is overexpressed in several cancers. Previous work has shown that PHGDH loss or inhibition is selectively toxic to cancer cells with high PHGDH expression or increased flux through the serine synthesis pathway. In this study, we have characterized the dependency of pediatric sarcomas on serine metabolism by examining expression of PHGDH in Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines, and evaluating the effects of PHGDH inhibition and serine deprivation on cellular proliferation and bioenergetic properties. We show that PHGDH is highly expressed in pediatric sarcoma cell lines, and that PHGDH knockdown resulted in decreased proliferation, especially under conditions of serine limitation. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of PHGDH resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in proliferation and mitochondrial bioenergetic function. Furthermore, individual sarcoma cell lines were differentially sensitive to serine deprivation, indicating that some sarcoma cells may depend on extracellular serine in addition to de novo serine synthesis. Our findings suggest that the dependency of pediatric sarcomas on serine metabolism should be further investigated in order to identify vulnerabilities that could be targeted for potential therapeutic benefit. Citation Format: Sameer Issaq, Ria Kidner, Jason Rohde, Matthew Boxer, Lee Helman. Characterizing the role of serine metabolism in pediatric sarcomas [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 434. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-434
Pelvic Blood Flow Predicts Fibroid Volume and Embolic Required for Uterine Fibroid Embolization: A Pilot Study With 4D Flow MR Angiography.

OBJECTIVE. We report here an initial experience using 4D flow MRI in pelvic imaging—specifically, in imaging uterine fibroids. We hypothesized that blood flow might correlate with fibroid volume an...
“That we may live”: Pesticides, plantations, and environmental racism in the United States South:

This article situates pesticides as technologies marked by both continuities and discontinuities from previous modes of agrarian racism in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, a plantation region of the Un...
Diffusible messengers and intercellular signaling: locally distributed synaptic potentiation in the hippocampus

Diffusible messengers like nitric oxide (NO) have been proposed to act as intercellular signals in the production of long term potentiation (LTP; for review, see Schuman and Madison 1993). The postsynaptic generation of such a diffusible messenger leads to the prediction that synapses in the vicinity of the messenger-producing synapse will also be influenced. We have tested this prediction directly by recording simultaneously from two postsynaptic CA1 neurons and recording synaptic strength in response to Schaffer collateral stimulation before and after LTP induction (by pairing 1 Hz stimulation with postsynaptic depolarization) in one neuron (see also Bonhoefer et al. 1989). In experiments where we impaled two pyramidal neurons in close proximity (132.9 ± 39.6 μM intersomatic distance, ISD), the paired cell exhibited robust LTP (186.0 ± 15.6 mean percentage of baseline) and the nearby neighboring neuron also exhibited a significant increase in synaptic strength (130.6 ± 9.5%; n=19). Postsynaptic injection of the NO synthase inhibitor L-Me-Arg into the paired cell blocked LTP production in that cell (95.8 +/− 6.9%) as well as in the nearby cell (102.2 ± 10.1%; ISD = 143.3 ± 43.6 μM; n=18). This spreading of potentiation was spatially restricted as it was not observed when the neighboring cell was > 500 μM away (paired cell LTP, 170.1 ± 11.8%; distant neighbor, 97.6 ± 0.7%; ISD = 674.0 ± 38.3 μM; n=15). Since previous findings showed that LTP can be blocked by various postsynaptic manipulations, we were interested in whether these processes are also important in the neighboring cell. We found that a combination of dialysis, Ca2+ chelators, and membrane hyperpolarization in the nearby neighboring cell blocked the spreading of enhancement usually observed (paired 195.7 ± 43.1; neighbor, 105.6 ± 24.7; n=8). These results suggest that the neighboring cell may play an active role in the enhancement described, either as a target site for a diffusible signal, or perhaps for the generation of an additional messenger(s).
Rational Design Principles for the Transport and Subcellular Distribution of Nanomaterials into Plant Protoplasts

The ability to control the subcellular localization of nanoparticles within living plants offers unique advantages for targeted biomolecule delivery and enables important applications in plant bioengineering. However, the mechanism of nanoparticle transport past plant biological membranes is poorly understood. Here, a mechanistic study of nanoparticle cellular uptake into plant protoplasts is presented. An experimentally validated mathematical model of lipid exchange envelope penetration mechanism for protoplasts, which predicts that the subcellular distribution of nanoparticles in plant cells is dictated by the particle size and the magnitude of the zeta potential, is advanced. The mechanism is completely generic, describing nanoparticles ranging from quantum dots, gold and silica nanoparticles, nanoceria, and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). In addition, the use of imaging flow cytometry to investigate the influence of protoplasts' morphological characteristics on nanoparticle uptake efficiency is demonstrated. Using DNA-wrapped SWNTs as model nanoparticles, it is found that glycerolipids, the predominant lipids in chloroplast membranes, exhibit stronger lipid-nanoparticle interaction than phospholipids, the major constituent in protoplast membrane. This work can guide the rational design of nanoparticles for targeted delivery into specific compartments within plant cells without the use of chemical or mechanical aid, potentially enabling various plant engineering applications.
Chess-Like Games: A Game Othello

A chess-like game Othello is introduced to illustrate games played by two players. The game Othello deals with some new techniques, such as, to control the take-turn actions between two players, to make image transparency, to flip the pieces with the frame-animation technique, and the like. The more crucial issue is to physically separate the GUI unit from the logic unit but logically link them together as a complete game. Thereafter, the game Othello is further converted from a two-player game to be a single-player game for introducing the concept of artificial intelligence.
Using Multimodal, Asynchronous Discussion Forums in Public (aka: Why My Students Blog)

Blogging in online courses has advantages for students and the field of education. Read why I require blogging in my technology in education graduate courses.
Associations between adolescent cannabis use frequency and adult brain structure: A prospective study of boys followed to adulthood

Abstract Background Few studies have tested the hypothesis that adolescent cannabis users show structural brain alterations in adulthood. The present study tested associations between prospectively-assessed trajectories of adolescent cannabis use and adult brain structure in a sample of boys followed to adulthood. Methods Data came from the Pittsburgh Youth Study – a longitudinal study of ˜1000 boys. Boys completed self-reports of cannabis use annually from age 13–19, and latent class growth analysis was used to identify different trajectories of adolescent cannabis use. Once adolescent cannabis trajectories were identified, boys were classified into their most likely cannabis trajectory. A subset of boys (n = 181) subsequently underwent structural neuroimaging in adulthood, when they were between 30–36 years old on average. For this subset, we grouped participants according to their classified adolescent cannabis trajectory and tested whether these groups showed differences in adult brain structure in 14 a priori regions of interest, including six subcortical (volume only: amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, and pallidum) and eight cortical regions (volume and thickness: superior frontal gyrus; caudal and rostral middle frontal gyrus; inferior frontal gyrus, separated into pars opercularis, pars triangularis, and pars orbitalis; lateral and medial orbitofrontal gyrus). Results We identified four adolescent cannabis trajectories: non-users/infrequent users, desisters, escalators, and chronic-relatively frequent users. Boys in different trajectory subgroups did not differ on adult brain structure in any subcortical or cortical region of interest. Conclusions Adolescent cannabis use is not associated with structural brain differences in adulthood.
Dynamic Representations Guiding Adaptive Behavior

We plan and execute our own actions while other animals, people, vehicles, and objects move around us. Our survival depends on the success of these daily interactions with a dynamic environment. It is thus highly advantageous to anticipate the movement of other creatures and objects in relation to our own future states. Even if we are planning to walk around or lift up an object currently at rest, we need to anticipate the effect of our motor movements on the environment. The advantages to anticipating movement suggest that representations of the world emphasize the future. I will review empirical support for my theory of “dynamic mental representations” with a focus on the implicit perceptual knowledge we have of dynamics and biomechanical motion. I will suggest that time represents time, and that therefore the normal view that representations are in some way distinct from processes is incorrect. Instead, I will argue, mental representations are an emergent property of processes unfolding over time. In this view, “representation” refers to the correspondence between internal and external information. Temporal information about the immediate future is of primary significance to our motor success, and thus to the human mind.
Application of machine learning to characterize uneconomical managed lane choice behaviour

Abstract Models of tolled Managed Lane (ML) travel assume that people pay the toll to experience a shorter travel time than using the toll-free general-purpose lanes. However, there are times users pay to travel on the MLs but go slower than the toll-free lanes. This research examined these ‘uneconomical trips’ on MLs to discover potential similarities among these trips and help understand the unexpected lane choice behavior. Some potential factors considered were toll rate, traffic flow, and past trip experience. Random forest and logistic regression methods were proposed to study the impact and significance of variables on the probability of a user making an uneconomical ML trip. The results indicated toll rate, traffic flow, travel time variability, and trip route (start and end points) are the crucial elements in predicting uneconomical ML trips. This study is the first to examine uneconomical ML trips and attempt to understand these trips. This provides the first step towards being able to predict these trips and provides additional understanding of travel on MLs. Also, the findings of this study are the first step towards being able to include uneconomical ML trips into lane choice modeling and toll feasibility studies. Finally, this study proposed an unconventional tool (random forest) to predict the travel behavior on MLs and showed that such tools can perform better than currently used logistic regression models in predicting these uneconomical ML trips.
Photosystem II oxygen-evolving complex photoassembly displays an inverse H/D solvent isotope effect under chloride-limiting conditions

Photosystem II (PSII) performs the solar-driven oxidation of water used to fuel oxygenic photosynthesis. The active site of water oxidation is the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC), a Mn4CaO5 cluster. PSII requires degradation of key subunits and reassembly of the OEC as frequently as every 20 to 40 min. The metals for the OEC are assembled within the PSII protein environment via a series of binding events and photochemically induced oxidation events, but the full mechanism is unknown. A role of proton release in this mechanism is suggested here by the observation that the yield of in vitro OEC photoassembly is higher in deuterated water, D2O, compared with H2O when chloride is limiting. In kinetic studies, OEC photoassembly shows a significant lag phase in H2O at limiting chloride concentrations with an apparent H/D solvent isotope effect of 0.14 ± 0.05. The growth phase of OEC photoassembly shows an H/D solvent isotope effect of 1.5 ± 0.2. We analyzed the protonation states of the OEC protein environment using classical Multiconformer Continuum Electrostatics. Combining experiments and simulations leads to a model in which protons are lost from amino acid that will serve as OEC ligands as metals are bound. Chloride and D2O increase the proton affinities of key amino acid residues. These residues tune the binding affinity of Mn2+/3+ and facilitate the deprotonation of water to form a proposed μ-hydroxo bridged Mn2+Mn3+ intermediate.
Deployable One-Meter Reflectarray For 6U-Class CubeSats

This paper describes the development of a 1-m deployable reflectarray antenna which is designed to fit in a 6U (10×20×30cm3) class CubeSat. This antenna was designed for a potential Raincube follow-on mission, that could potentially follow the success of the precipitation radar Raincube. It deploys into a 98.6cm × 82.1cm flat reflector. This antenna provides a gain of 48.2-dBi and an aperture efficiency of 46%. It consists of a Cassegrain reflectarray using a total of 14 deployable panels, a telescoping feed and subreflector.
Dry Versus Wet and Gross: Comparisons Between the Dry Skull Method and Gross Dissection in Estimations of Jaw Muscle Cross-Sectional Area and Bite Forces in Sea Otters

Bite force is a measure of feeding performance used to elucidate links between animal morphology, ecology, and fitness. Obtaining live individuals for in vivo bite-force measurements or freshly deceased specimens for bite force modeling is challenging for many species. Thomason's dry skull method for mammals relies solely on osteological specimens and, therefore, presents an advantageous approach that enables researchers to estimate and compare bite forces across extant and even extinct species. However, how accurately the dry skull method estimates physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) of the jaw adductor muscles and theoretical bite force has rarely been tested. Here, we use an ontogenetic series of southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) to test the hypothesis that skeletomuscular traits estimated from the dry skull method accurately predicts test traits derived from dissection-based biomechanical modeling. Although variables from these two methods exhibited strong positive relationships across ontogeny, we found that the dry skull method overestimates PCSA of the masseter and underestimates PCSA of the temporalis. Jaw adductor in-levers for both jaw muscles and overall bite force are overestimated. Surprisingly, we reveal that sexual dimorphism in craniomandibular shape affects temporalis PCSA estimations; the dry skull method predicted female temporalis PCSA well but underestimates male temporalis PCSA across ontogeny. These results highlight the importance of accounting for sexual dimorphism and other intraspecific variation when using the dry skull method. Together, we found the dry skull method provides an underestimation of bite force over ontogeny and that the underlying anatomical components driving bite force may be misrepresented.
Complete histologic normalisation is associated with reduced risk of relapse among patients with ulcerative colitis in complete endoscopic remission

BACKGROUND Clinical and endoscopic remission are treatment targets in ulcerative colitis (UC). The value of histologic healing in altering clinical outcomes among patients with complete endoscopic healing is not well established. AIM To quantify the association between histologic activity and clinical relapse among patients with UC who were in complete endoscopic remission. METHODS This study included patients with UC from a prospective registry who were in complete endoscopic remission. Histologic activity was quantified by a senior gastrointestinal pathologist. Histologic activity was defined as lack of normalisation (Geboes score > 0) as well as histologically active disease (Geboes score ≥2.1 and ≥3.1). The primary outcome was clinical relapse within 2 years. Multivariable regression adjusting for potential confounders examined the independent predictive value of histologic changes. RESULTS The study included 83 patients (51% women) (median age 44 years; median disease duration 11 years). Forty-one (49%) had complete histologic normalisation. Within two years, 26 (31%) experienced clinical relapse. Patients with complete histologic normalisation were less likely to experience relapse (5/41, 12%) compared to those without normalisation (21/42, 50%, P < 0.001) (multivariable OR 7.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.48-24.70) by the Geboes score. The individual components of the Geboes score predictive of relapse were architectural changes (P = 0.03) and increased chronic inflammatory infiltrate (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Complete histologic healing using the Geboes score was associated with reduced rates of clinical relapse among patients with UC in endoscopic remission.