cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The mechanism of the direct photo-oxidative decarboxylation of α-oxo-carboxylic esters

Abstract A variety of α-oxo-carboxylic esters are shown to undergo direct photo-oxidation, in both polar and non-polar solvents, to produce a higher yield of carbon dioxide than under degassed conditions. In the case of n-hexyl pyruvate, hexaldehyde is also a product of the reaction. Evidence is presented which indicates that singlet oxygen plays little, if any, part in these decarboxylations. A mechanism involving electron transfer from the excited α-oxo-carboxylic ester to ground state oxygen, leading to per-acid intermediates, is proposed as being in competition with the Type II process for fragmentation of these esters.
Partitioning of unstructured problems for parallel processing

Many large-scale computational problems are based on unstructured computational domains. Primary examples are unstructured grid calculations based on finite volume methods in computational fluid dynamics, or structural analysis problems based on finite element approximations. The question of how to distribute such unstructured computational domains over a large number of processors in a MIMD machine with distributed memory is addressed. A graph theoretical framework for these problems is established. Based on this framework three decomposition algorithms are introduced. In particular a new decomposition algorithm is discussed, which is based on the computation of an eigenvector of the Laplacian matrix associated with the graph. Numerical comparisons on large-scale two- and three-dimensional problems demonstrate the superiority of the new spectral bisection algorithm.
Human RNase III Is a 160-kDa Protein Involved in Preribosomal RNA Processing

A human RNase III gene encodes a protein of 160 kDa with multiple domains, a proline-rich, a serine- and arginine-rich, and an RNase III domain. The expressed purified RNase III domain cleaves double-strand RNA and does not cleave single-strand RNA. The gene is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues and cell lines, and the protein is localized in the nucleus of the cell. The levels of transcription and translation of the protein do not change during different phases of the cell cycle. However, a significant fraction of the protein in the nucleus is translocated to the nucleolus during the S phase of the cell cycle. That this human RNase III is involved in processing of pre-rRNA, but might cleave at sites different from those described for yeast RNase III, is shown by antisense inhibition of RNase III expression. Inhibition of human RNase III expression causes cell death, suggesting an essential role for human RNase III in the cell. The antisense inhibition technique used in this study provides an effective method for functional analysis of newly identified human genes.
Computer Control of White Sugar Refining Process

Control of the white sugar vacuum pan has proven to be an ideal application for process control computers. The computer is well suited to perform this function because of the batch nature of the process, and has been used to augment a complete analog control system. Each strike requires detailed sequencing and precise monitoring of process variables in order to maintain product quality while increasing plant efficiency. For pans equipped with mechanical circulators, an additional improvement results when the current load of the circulator motor is used as the measure of consistency. Further, the computer is able to duplicate the control sequencing on multiple units through the use of separate setpoint arrays, determined for each particular pan and type of strike being boiled. The primary improvement is the reduction of time per strike, leading directly to increased output. The computer also helps to minimize downtime by constantly monitoring alarm conditions and taking corrective action when necessary to avoid emergency situations such as solidifying the massecuite in the pan. Preliminary results have shown an immediate increase in refinery production as a result of installation of the process control computer.
Democratic policies for language revitalisation: the case of Catalan

Democratic policies for language revitalisation: the case of Catalan, edited by Miquel Strubell and Emili Boix-Fuster, Houndsmills, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, xiii + 254 pp., £55 (hardc...
On inhibition between spatial frequency channels: adaptation to complex gratings.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that adapting to a complex grating may produce little rise in the contrast threshold of a test grating whose spatial frequency matches one of the higher harmonics of the adapting pattern. The present study shows that adaptation may be strong if the adapting component of a complex grating appears visible as a separate grating. The adapting component could be made to appear as a separate grating by sufficiently separating the spatial frequencies of the components, or by drifting the components relative to each other, or by substituting a jittering, noisy component for the stationary component. Under these conditions, the visible component produced strong adaptation. Inhibition between mechanisms tuned to different spatial frequencies does not readily account for our data. An alternate model with lateral inhibition between spatially adjacent mechanisms is in agreement with known results.
New Semiquinone/Catecholate Complexes That Exhibit Valence Tautomerism. Synthesis and Characterization of MnIII(thf)2(3,6-DBSQ)(3,6-DBCat) and Observations on the MnIV(3,6-DBSQ)2(3,6-DBCat)/MnIII(3,6-DBSQ)3 Equilibrium in the Solid State

Irradiation of a THF solution containing Mn2(CO)10 and 3,6-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone (3,6-DBBQ) gave dark green crystals of Mn(thf)2(3,6-DBQ)2. Structural characterization has shown that the inner coordination geometry about the metal has the axially elongated trans structure that appears characteristically for d4 Mn(III). trans-MnIII(thf)2(3,6-DBSQ)(3,6-DBCat) has a solid-state electronic spectrum that resembles spectra of related Mn(III) complexes containing nitrogen-donor ligands. Crystallographically imposed mmm symmetry averages structural differences between the SQ (semiquinonate) and Cat (catecholate) ligands. When the related reaction between Mn2(CO)10 and 3,6-DBBQ was carried out in the presence of 2,2‘-bithiophene, Mn(3,6-DBQ)3 was obtained. Crystallographic characterization has shown that the molecule is octahedral with relatively short Mn−O bond lengths (1.863(5)−1.927(5) A), and without the structural distortion that might be indicative of Mn(III). This result, with the spectral and magn...
Encoding, matching and score normalization for cross spectral face recognition: Matching SWIR versus visible data

We propose a methodology for cross matching color face images and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) face images reliably and accurately. We first adopt a recently designed image encoding and matching technique which is capable to encode face images in both visible and SWIR spectral bands. Encoding is performed in two steps. Images are initially filtered with a bank of Gabor filters. Then three local operators: Simplified Weber Local Descriptor and Local Binary Pattern applied to magnitude of filtered images and Generalized Local Binary Pattern applied to the phase are involved to create histogram-like feature templates. The distance between two encoded face images is measured by symmetric I-divergence. The encoding and matching methods are demonstrated on long range SWIR data matched against close range visible images. A considerable performance improvement is observed compared to the results by FaceIt G8. To further enhance performance we propose an adaptive score normalization approach. We demonstrate that significant performance improvement is achieved with a small training set. Matching scores obtained by the proposed normalized method and by FaceIt G8 are fused to result in further performance improvement.
GLASS: a comprehensive database for experimentally validated GPCR-ligand associations

Motivation: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are probably the most attractive drug target membrane proteins, which constitute nearly half of drug targets in the contemporary drug discovery industry. While the majority of drug discovery studies employ existing GPCR and ligand interactions to identify new compounds, there remains a shortage of specific databases with precisely annotated GPCR-ligand associations. Results: We have developed a new database, GLASS, which aims to provide a comprehensive, manually curated resource for experimentally validated GPCR-ligand associations. A new text-mining algorithm was proposed to collect GPCR-ligand interactions from the biomedical literature, which is then crosschecked with five primary pharmacological datasets, to enhance the coverage and accuracy of GPCR-ligand association data identifications. A special architecture has been designed to allow users for making homologous ligand search with flexible bioactivity parameters. The current database contains ∼500 000 unique entries, of which the vast majority stems from ligand associations with rhodopsin- and secretin-like receptors. The GLASS database should find its most useful application in various in silico GPCR screening and functional annotation studies. Availability and implementation: The website of GLASS database is freely available at http://zhanglab.ccmb.med.umich.edu/GLASS/. Contact: ude.hcimu@gnhz Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Maintaining materialized views in distributed databases

The problem of updating materialized views in distributed database systems is discussed. An architecture and detailed procedures to update a collection of remote views with arbitrary refresh times by using a single differential file are prescribed. The efficiency of the update procedure is enhanced by adopting a multiple-query optimization approach and by introducing a powerful prescreening procedure to eliminate differential tuples. It is shown that even for a single remote view there are many instances where the presented update procedure performs better (with respect to total I/O and communication costs) than existing methods. >
A wearable, Bluetooth-enabled system for home health care

The goal of this effort was to develop a personal portable monitoring system consisting of three components: an Internet-ready base station, a wearable data logger, and a plug-and-play portable sensor unit. This basic configuration can be extended to include multiple data loggers, each of which communicates with a separate suite of physiological/environmental sensors.
Tailored behavioral support for smoking reduction: development and pilot results of an innovative intervention

Reduction of smoking may increase the likelihood of eventual smoking cessation among those not ready to quit. We describe the development and acceptance of a smoking-reduction intervention that integrates telephone counseling sessions with newsletters. A computer-assisted telephone interviewing program generates real-time-tailored counseling delivered by lay interviewers. Pilot participants (n = 53) were adult smokers scheduled for outpatient procedures in a health maintenance organization, randomized to intervention or a control condition (quarterly mailings). Smoking levels were measured by self-report and biochemically. Among intervention participants continuing at 3 months, all but one rated their telephone support person positively on all dimensions. Counseling calls were 'about right' in number, and newsletters were perceived as quite personal. Intervention recipients reported smoking significantly fewer mean cigarettes per day at 3 months than at baseline, and significantly fewer than control participants. Comparisons were non-significant under intent-to-treat analyses and on biochemical measures. The program was well received by outpatients who were not ready to quit smoking, and was implemented successfully by telephone staff who had no previous smoking cessation counseling experience. An ongoing trial is evaluating effectiveness, cost and relationship to eventual cessation.
Cognitive Complaints in Adults Aging with HIV: A Pilot Study

As adults age with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease, they may be particularly vulnerable for developing neuropsychological impairments. In this pilot study, 50 HIV-positive and 50 HIV-negative adults were assessed on a variety of cognitive, affective, and aging measures. The HIV-positive group rated their cognitive ability as poorer compared with their HIV-negative counterparts. In fact, those who reported such cognitive complaints performed worse on several neuropsychological measures. However, many of these complaints may be mediated by psychosocial factors such as depression and stigma. Finally, the HIV-positive group also perceived that they were not aging as well. Given that cognitive complaints correspond to neuropsychological performance, therapists should pay special attention to clients' reports of decreased cognitive vitality as this could indicate the development of neuropsychological presentation. Implications for prevention, cognitive remediation, and successful aging are posited.
Neurogenetic dissection of conditioned behavior: evolution by analogy or homology?

(2003). NEUROGENETIC DISSECTION OF CONDITIONED BEHAVIOR: EVOLUTION BY ANALOGY OR HOMOLOGY? Journal of Neurogenetics: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 295-326.
The Voice Effect of Unions: Evidence from the US

Union voice is part responsible for the increased provision of fringe benefits to union workers and is particularly responsible for the redistribution of benefits towards the preferences of the average union worker. Family friendly benefits are valued more by females so union voice should increase the likelihood that provision of family friendly benefits increases in female dominated union workplaces. Individual level data from the US is used to examine whether union voice exists in this capacity. The paper’s results suggest that female dominated workplaces do tend to have increased access to most family friendly benefits, serving as further evidence that union voice exists in the US.
SnHPO 4 from the Reaction of Stannous Fluoride and Hydroxyapatite at a Low pH

The reaction of stannous fluoride with hydroxyapatite at pH values less than 2 was studied. The X-ray diffraction powder pattern indicates that the major product is SnHPO 4. Chemical analysis corroborated this finding and also indicated a minor amount of calcium and fluoride. SnHP04 was synthesized and its X-ray pattern was compared with the reaction product.
Interactions between boreal wildfire and urban emissions

[1] A suite of particulate, gaseous and meteorological measurements during the Pittsburgh Supersite experiment were used to characterize the impact of the 2002 Quebec wildfires on pollutant concentrations and physical and chemical processes dominant in the region. Temporal trends in the number distribution of wildfire particles (isolated using Rapid Single-ultrafine-particle Mass Spectrometry data) combined with CO, NOx and O3 mixing ratios identified two separate periods (Periods I and II) when the measurement site was directly impacted by plumes of relatively unprocessed wildfire emissions; i.e., increases in primary ultrafine wildfire particles, CO and NOx concomitant with a decrease in O3 from intraplume NOx titration. Carbonaceous particle number distributions predominantly associated with vehicular emissions, PM2.5 sulfate mass concentration and SO2 mixing ratio resolved individual components of local and regional sources. Single particle signatures indicated a period of intense atmospheric processing following Period II that caused rapid growth of the ultrafine mode due to simultaneous sulfate and secondary organic mass accumulation, resulting in significant changes to particle physical and chemical properties. Particle growth was concurrent with large increases in O3 and maxima in incoming solar radiation and ambient temperature and is posited to have occurred in situ as the air mass, containing a mixture of urban and wildfire emissions, was advected past the site. In total, the current work demonstrates significant added severity for pollution episodes in an area already burdened by large anthropogenic emission rates due to the impact of the 2002 Quebec wildfires. High levels of atmospheric processing increased sulfate accumulation and SOA formation and brought PM2.5 mass concentrations close to, and O3 mixing ratios in excess of, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Projections of increasing wildfire activity under a warming climate may increase the frequency and severity of such events.
The conformation of T4 bacteriophage dihydrofolate reductase from circular dichroism.

Abstract The secondary and tertiary structure of T4 bacteriophage dihydrofolate reductase is investigated by vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and probability analysis of the primary amino acid sequence. The far ultraviolet CD spectrum of the enzyme in the range of 260-178 nm is analyzed by the generalized inverse and variable selection methods developed by our laboratory. Variable selection yields an average content of 26% alpha-helix, 21% antiparallel beta-sheet, 10% parallel beta-sheet, 20% beta-turns, and 32% "other" structures within the T4 protein. The characteristic peaks of the CD spectrum indicate that the enzyme has a lot of antiparallel beta-sheet, which is typical of the alpha + beta tertiary class of globular proteins. The secondary structure of the protein is also analyzed by using four statistical methods on the amino acid sequence. Although the secondary structures predicted by each individual statistical method vary to a considerable extent, the fractions of each structure jointly predicted by a majority of the methods are in excellent agreement with our CD analysis. The alternating arrangement for some segments of alpha-helix and beta-sheet predicted from primary structure to be within the enzyme is characteristic of proteins containing parallel beta-sheet. This supports our conclusion that the protein contains both parallel and antiparallel beta-sheet structures, but finding both types of beta-sheet also means that the protein may have the variation on alpha/beta tertiary structure recently found in EcoRI endonuclease and thymidylate synthase. These observations, in conjunction with other physical properties of the T4 reductase, suggest that the enzyme perhaps shares an evolution in common with the dihydrofolate reductases derived from type I R-plasmids rather than with the host-cell protein.
Solutions to realistic Prisoners' Dilemma games

We report experiments performed with our new simulation tool for multi-agent Prisoners' Dilemma games. Investigations of realistic situations in which agents have various personalities (Pavlovian, greedy, or conformist) show interesting new results. For the case of Pavlovian agents the game has non-trivial but remarkably regular solutions. Our results may lead to a better understanding of large organizations and constitute a more viable model for the evolution of cooperation in living organisms than those offered in the literature.
Photonic crystal enhanced microscopy for imaging of live cell adhesion

A form of microscopy that utilizes a photonic crystal biosensor surface as a substrate for cell attachment enables label-free, quantitative, submicron resolution, time-resolved imaging of cell–surface interactions without cytotoxic staining agents or temporally-unstable fluorophores. Other forms of microscopy do not provide this direct measurement of live cell–surface attachment localization and strength that includes unique, dynamic morphological signatures critical to the investigation of important biological phenomena such as stem cell differentiation, chemotaxis, apoptosis, and metastasis. Here, we introduce Photonic Crystal Enhanced Microscopy (PCEM), and apply it to the study of murine dental stem cells to image the evolution of cell attachment and morphology during chemotaxis and drug-induced apoptosis. PCEM provides rich, dynamic information about the evolution of cell–surface attachment profiles over biologically relevant time-scales. Critically, this method retains the ability to monitor cell behavior with spatial resolution sufficient for observing both attachment footprints of filopodial extensions and intracellular attachment strength gradients.
Validation of 3-D curved objects: CAD model and fabricated workpiece

This paper proposes a new method to describe and identify a 3-D curved object for the purpose of validating a fabricated object to the design specification. Curved 3-D objects are, in general, difficult to represent and identify because they lack distinct properties such as edges, planes, or cylindrical surfaces which are the building blocks in representing objects. In this paper, the authors propose to use principal axes of a 3-D object to establish a reference for the representation. A method of obtaining an inertia matrix from a 3-D range image is developed. The unique set of principal axes is obtained from the inertia matrix of an object with an arbitrary 3-D position and orientation, and the object can be described uniquely on these principal axes. On the principal axes, an object is described by a set of features describing the shape of the object such as spine, section size, section orientation, and section contraction. The features are used for comparing two objects for the validation purpose. The authors also propose a direct measure of similarity between two objects as a mean-squared difference of radii. As an experiment, two 3-D object models are designed through a CAD package, and fabricated objects are compared with the designed models for validation purposes. >
Right to Due Process of Law and Fair Trial: Issues and Challenges in the Philippines

But what does justice mean for the man/woman in the street? When a citizen knows that lawmen carry out extra-judicial killings with impunity? That lawmen resort to torture and other third-degree methods in order to extract confession from suspects? That most people languishing in detention suffer from this tragic fate not so much because of any wrongdoing but due to their poverty and incapacity to pay for good legal services? That double standard of justice – one for the rich and another one for the poor – exists?
Computer-Aided Diagnosis in Radiology

The amount of knowledge in diagnostic radiology is growing very rapidly and as a result, many practitioners are finding it impossible to practice state-of-the-art radiology. The rapid proliferation of computers and digitally generated images in diagnostic radiology provides an environment well suited to the delivery of computer-based decision support. In this paper, I will describe some of the basic functions and capabilities of contemporary systems and give examples from our research of how they may support radiologic diagnosis for mammography and obstetric ultrasound.
An Alternative to Propellant Depots: The Space Tug HERO Concept

Space exploration is in a period of transition. The retirement of the Space Shuttle has left a void in heavy payload deployment that can be filled many ways. Private companies are getting more involved, while others in space agencies want to develop heavy-lift launch vehicles. One solution, which has attracted attention in recent years, is propellant depots. These depots would store cryogenic propellants in low Earth orbit for use by other spacecraft when needed. While propellant depots would be useful, the cost and time to develop them is prohibitively high. An alternative proposed in this paper is the space tug highly elliptical rendezvous orbits (HERO) concept. In order to keep the development cost low and take advantage of flight proven hardware, the tugs can be made from the cryogenic upper stages of existing rockets like the Atlas V and Delta IV. Each tug boosts the payload into much higher elliptical orbits until the payload is ready to escape to its destination. Our study includes missions to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.
Dietary Supplementation with Cocoa Flavanols Does Not Alter Colon Tissue Profiles of Native Flavanols and Their Microbial Metabolites Established during Habitual Dietary Exposure in C57BL/6J Mice

Metabolism of flavanols (catechins, procyanidins) by gut microbiota has been extensively characterized. Comparatively little is known about accumulation of flavanols and their metabolites in the co...
Water-in-Oil Microstructures Formed by Marine Oil Dispersants in a Model Crude Oil.

DOSS (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate), Tween 80, and Span 80, surfactants commonly used in marine crude oil spill dispersants, have been mixed into a model oil at a total surfactant concentration of 2 wt %, typical for dispersant-treated oil slicks. These surfactant-oil blends also contained 0.5–1.5 wt % synthetic seawater to enable formation of water-in-oil (W/O) microstructures. Trends in dynamic oil–seawater interfacial tension (IFT) as a function of surfactant blend composition are similar to those observed in prior work for crude oil treated with similar blends of these surfactants. In particular, Span 80-rich surfactant blends exhibit much slower initial dynamic IFT decline than DOSS-rich surfactant blends in both model oil and crude oil, and surfactant blends containing 50 wt % Tween 80 and a DOSS:Span 80 ratio near 1:1 produce ultralow IFT in the model oil (<10–4 mN/m) just as similar surfactant blends do in crude oil. At all DOSS:Span 80 ratios, surfactant blends containing 50 wt % Tween 80 form c...
Microstructure and Defects in Implanted Hipox-Structures

High-pressure oxidation of silicon (HIPOX) is one of various techniques used for electrical-isolation of semiconductor-devices on silicon substrates. The effect of HIPOX-related stresses on isolation structures is of interest because structural-defects, if formed, could electrically degrade devices. The present investigation was performed to study the origin and behavior of defects in recessed HIPOX structures. The structures were exposed to a boron implant. The experimental observations indicate that glide dislocations arise when the following features are present: (i) HIPOX, (ii) recessed edge, (iii) boron implant. The origin and behavior of the defects are modelled and explained in terms of implant-induced dislocation-sources creating glide-dislocations in the structures. The microstructure of the structures described above, and defect-modelling is presented.
Heritage and Community Regeneration in Northern Ireland: Finding Points of Coalescence in the Development Planning Process

ABSTRACTBringing heritage resources to the forefront in communities can serve to help heal long-standing divides with impacts not only in economic dimensions, but also social and cultural. It is an ironic turn—some of the heritage resources in Northern Ireland have been the site of intense and violent conflict over long periods of time—and now serve as focal points for bringing together divergent groups, helping heal divisions in communities. Seventeen communities throughout Northern Ireland are examined, gauging impacts and perceptions of community regeneration and redevelopment processes. Results provide insights for addressing lingering conflict and finding points of coalescence, with heritage playing a role in transformation.
Research on the Calibration Method of Radio Interference Measurement Result at the Low-voltage Side of Corona Cage

Corona cage is an important measurement tool which is well used in the research of the electromagnetic environment of transmission lines. Since there is a need for calibration when the measurement results are used to calculate the excitation function, we proposed two calibration methods, and studied the calibration method of the measurement result. The first one is an experiment method which uses the high frequency source as a current source. The second method is a calculating method which is based on the theoretical analysis. A distributed parameter equivalent circuit is established to calculate the calibration factor. Bundled conductors of 6×LGJ-720/50 are used in the comparison of the experiment method and calculation method. The experimental result of calibration factor is 0.03 and the calculation result is 0.033, showing that the error of these two methods is only 10%. The comparison result indicates that the methods proposed in this paper are feasible. Finally, the impact of the conductor parameters on the calibration factor is analyzed. The result indicates that the calibration factor errors of different conductors used in HVDC transmission lines are no more than 7%.
SU-F-T-637: Single-Isocenter Versus Multiple-Isocenter VMAT SRS for Unusual Multiple Metastasis Case with Two Widely Separated Lesions

Purpose: Single-isocenter (SI) volumetric modulated arc therapy has been shown to be an effective and efficient approach to multiple metastasis radiosurgery. However, certain extreme cases raise the question of whether multiple-isocenter (MI) approaches can still generate superior plans. In this study, we ask this question with respect to a clinical case with two very widely separated lesions. Methods: A patient with two widely separated (d = 12cm) tumors was treated with SI-VMAT SRS using 10MV flattening filter free (FFF) beam with high-definition multi-leaf collimator (HD-MLC, 2.5/5mm) in two non-coplanar arcs using concentric rings to enforce steep gradient. Because of lesion positioning with respect to collimator angle selection, lesions were treated by 5mm leaves. We re-planned the case with a congruent arc arrangement but separate isocenter for each lesion. In this manner, lesions were treated by 2.5mm leaves. Conformity index (CI), V50%, and mean brain dose were compared. Results: Neither conformity (CI_SI = 1.12, CI_MI = 1.08) nor V50% (V50%_SI =8.82cc, V50%_MI =8.81cc) were improved by utilizing a separate isocenter for each lesion. Mean brain dose was slightly reduced (dmean_SI = 118.4 cGy, dmean_MI = 88.7 cGy) by using multiple isocenters. Conclusion: For this case with a lesion at the apex of the brain and another distantly located at the base of skull, employing a separate isocenter for each target did not meaningfully improve plan quality. Single-isocenter VMAT has been shown feasible and equivalent to multiple-isocenter VMAT for multiple metastasis cases in general. In this extreme case, single- and multiple- isocenter VMAT were also equivalent. If rotational setup errors are appropriately corrected, the increased delivery efficiency of the single-isocenter approach renders it preferable to the multiple isocenter approach. Dr's Thomas, Popple, and Fiveash have all received honoraria from Varian Medical Systems for discussing their experiences with stereotactic radiosurgery.
Über Approximationsprozesse auf Banachräumen

1. Es sei X ein reeller (oder komplexer) Banachraum mit den Elementen f,g, … und der Norm ∥·∥x (wenn im folgenden der Bezugsraum eindeutig aus dem Zusammenhang hervorgeht, schreiben wir kurz ∥·∥), und E(X) sei die Algebra der beschrankten, linearen Transformationen von X in sich.
E-083 Acute Stroke Intervention for Large Vessel Occlusion with Combined Stent Retriever and Suction Thrombectomy (Solumbra Technique): A Retrospective Analysis of 85 Patients

Introduction The superiority of mechanical thrombectomy over medical management has been established in recent randomized controlled trials, however, controversy remains over the most effective and safest technique for clot retrieval. Mechanical thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion (LVO) can be performed through aspiration alone with the ADAPT technique, or combined stent retriever with aspiration either in the cervical vasculature using a proximal balloon guide, or directly at the clot face with an intermediate catheter, the so-called “Solumbra” technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Solumbra technique at our institution. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of all patients undergoing endovascular stroke treatment for LVO using the Solumbra technique between January 2014 and March 2016. The Solumbra technique consisted of deployment of a stent retriever (Solitaire, Trevo or Mindframe) distal to the clot with an intermediate catheter (5 Max Ace, Ace 64 or SOFIA) at the clot face. Patient demographic data, stroke presentation, treatment details, and complications were recorded. The primary outcome was successful TICI 2 B/3 reperfusion and the number of passes for revascularization. Secondary outcome measures were complication rates, including symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (PH2 hemorrhage with a NIHSS increase >4) and mRS ≤ 2 on discharge. Embolization into new territory was based on new post-procedure MRI DWI lesions. Results The Solumbra technique was performed for LVO in 85 patients (37 male, 48 female) with a mean age of 71.4 years (range 28–93). The mean NIHSS on presentation was 14 (IQR 10–19), and IV tPA was administered in 65% of patients. Vessel occlusion was located predominantly in the anterior circulation in the ICA terminus (n = 12, 14%), M1 (n = 51, 60%) and M2 (n = 16, 19%) segments, with Basilar occlusion occurring in 7 patients (8%). Successful reperfusion (TICI 2 B/3) was achieved in 88% of patients, consisting of TICI 3 in 38 patients (45%). The mean number of passes for revascularization was 1.9 (SD 1.3) and time from access to revascularization was 52.7 minutes (95% CI 45.3–60.1). Mean NIHSS on discharge was 7 (IQR 2–12) with good functional outcome (mRS ≤ 2) present in 44% of patients, and mortality (mRS = 6) rate of 12%. Complications included parenchymal hemorrhagic transformation (18%), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (4.7%) and emboli in new territory based on new MRI lesions (7%). Conclusion The Solumbra technique compares favourably to other thrombectomy techniques used for acute stroke intervention. It achieved a TICI 2 B/3 reperfusion in 88% of patients, with an average number of 1.9 passes. Good functional outcome was achieved in 44% of patients on discharge, with a symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate of 4.7%. Disclosures J. Wong: None. N. Telischak: None. J. Heit: None. A. Moraff: None. R. Dodd: None. H. Do: None. M. Marks: None.
Abstract 3194: A new mechanism of drug resistance in cancer: extracellular ATP-induced resistance through ATP internalization and upregulation of protein phosphorylation in Akt and ERK pathways

The opportunistic uptake of extracellular molecules has been named as a key emerging hallmark of cancer metabolism[1]. Extracellular ATP (eATP) levels of various cancer types are 103 to 104 times higher than those in their corresponding normal tissues[2]. However, the biological significance of the high ATP concentrations is not clear. We recently reported that cancer cells uptake extracellular ATP via different endocytoses to enhance growth, survival, and drug resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)[3 ,4]. We hypothesized that eATP induces resistance to TKIs by endocytoses-mediated internalization of eATP, which competes with TKIs for the ATP-binding site of receptor TKs (RTKs), phosphorylating and activating RTKs and RTK-mediated signaling pathways. In contrast to previous reports that synthesized intracellular ATP (iATP) elevation contributed acquired drug resistance, here we report a novel intrinsic drug resistance in which eATP was internalized and substantially increased iATP levels and promoted cancer cell drug resistance to the TKI sunitinib in human NSCLC A549 cells. The iATP level elevation and drug resistance were mediated primarily by macropinocytosis. The resistance was reduced when macropinocytosis was suppressed by inhibitors or an siRNA knockdown of a key micropinocytosis protein PAK1. Intracellularly, the elevated iATP upregulated phosphorylation of PDGFR and proteins/enzymes in the PDGFR-mediated Akt-mTOR and Raf-ERK signaling pathways, resulting in reduced apoptosis triggered by sunitinib. Furthermore, both in vitro and in A549 tumors, eATP partially restored phosphorylation levels of PDGFR and PDGFR-mediated proteins/enzymes suppressed by sunitinib. The resistance cannot be accounted for by the overall purinergic receptor-mediated signaling, glycolysis, or mitochondrial OXPHOS. These results strongly suggest that the eATP-elevated intracellular ATP levels reversed the inhibition of TKIs by using the mechanism we hypothesized, linking for the first time the ATP-rich tumor microenvironment with cancer drug resistance. All these findings significantly expand our understanding of the roles of extracellular ATP in cancer, and offer new anti-drug resistance targets. 1. Pavlova N, Thompson C. Cell Metab. (2016) 23:27-47. 2. Falzoni et al., Interface Focus.(2013) 3: 20120101. 3. Qian Y, Wang X, et al., Cancer Lett. (2014)351: 242-5. 4. Qian Y, Wang X et al., Mol Cancer Res (2016) 14:1087-96 Citation Format: Xuan Wang, Yunsheng Li, Yanrong Qian, Yanyang Cao, Xiaozhuo Chen. A new mechanism of drug resistance in cancer: extracellular ATP-induced resistance through ATP internalization and upregulation of protein phosphorylation in Akt and ERK pathways [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 3194. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3194
Environmental Control of the Redox Potential of QA in Rb. Sphaeroides Reaction Centers: Polar Replacement of ILEM265 Causes Marked Changes in QA and QB Function

The acceptor quinones, QA and QB, of bacterial reaction centers (RCs) undergo light-induced reduction in series to accumulate two reducing equivalents from the one-electron turnover of the primary photoevents. After two RC turnovers, accompanied by binding of two protons, a molecule of quinol (QBH2) is released from the QB site, which is then refilled by an oxidized quinone.
Patterns of transcriptional parallelism and variation in the developing olfactory system of Drosophila species

Organisms have evolved strikingly parallel phenotypes in response to similar selection pressures suggesting that there may be shared constraints limiting the possible evolutionary trajectories. For example, the behavioral adaptation of specialist Drosophila species to specific host plants can exhibit parallel changes in their adult olfactory neuroanatomy. We investigated the genetic basis of these parallel changes by comparing gene expression during the development of the olfactory system of two specialist Drosophila species to that of four other generalist species. Our results suggest that the parallelism observed in the adult olfactory neuroanatomy of ecological specialists extends more broadly to their developmental antennal expression profiles, and to the transcription factor combinations specifying olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) fates. Additionally, comparing general patterns of variation for the antennal transcriptional profiles in the adult and developing olfactory system of the six species suggest the possibility that specific, non-random components of the developmental programs underlying the Drosophila olfactory system harbor a disproportionate amount of interspecies variation. Further examination of these developmental components may be able to inform a deeper understanding of how traits evolve.
Rates and predictors of success and failure in repeat epilepsy surgery: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

OBJECTIVE Medically refractory epilepsy is a debilitating disorder that is particularly challenging to treat in patients who have already failed a surgical resection. Evidence regarding outcomes of further epilepsy surgery is limited to small case series and reviews. Therefore, our group performed the first quantitative meta-analysis of the literature from the past 30 years to assess for rates and predictors of successful reoperations. METHODS A PubMed search was conducted for studies reporting outcomes of repeat epilepsy surgery. Studies were excluded if they reported fewer than five eligible patients or had average follow-ups < 1 year, and patients were excluded from analysis if they received a nonresective intervention. Outcomes were stratified by each variable of interest, and quantitative meta-analysis was performed to generate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Seven hundred eighty-two patients who received repeat resective epilepsy surgery from 36 studies were included. Engel I outcome was observed in 47% (n = 369) of patients. Significant predictors of seizure freedom included congruent over noncongruent electrophysiology data (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.6-8.2), lesional over nonlesional epilepsy (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.9-5.3), and surgical limitations over disease-related factors associated with failure of the first surgery (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-5.3). Among patients with at least one of these predictors, seizure freedom was achieved in 58%. Conversely, the use of invasive monitoring was associated with worse outcome (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.2-0.9). Temporal lobe over extratemporal/multilobe resection (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 0.8-3.0) and abnormal over normal preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 0.6-5.4) showed nonsignificant trends toward seizure freedom. SIGNIFICANCE This analysis supports considering further resection in patients with intractable epilepsy who continue to have debilitating seizures after an initial surgery, especially in the context of factors predictive of a favorable outcome.
Jeroen DeWulf, The Pinkster King and the King of Congo: The Forgotten History of America’s Dutch-Owned Slaves

Jeroen DeWulf, The Pinkster King and the King of Congo: The Forgotten History of America’s Dutch-Owned Slaves (Jackson, Miss.: University of Mississippi Press, 2017, 320 pp., isbn 978 14 96 80881 3).
QED limits for many-server systems under a priority policy

A multi-class many-server priority system operating in the quality-and-efficiency-driven regime is considered. Both arrival processes and service times are general. The many-server heavy-traffic diffusion asymptotic is characterized in terms of the corresponding limiting infinite-server process.
Feeling Populist: Navigating Political Subjectivity in Post-socialist Romania

Drawing on Laclau, this chapter examines the emergence of populist political subjectivity in Romania’s Jiu Valley coal mining region. Contrasting data gathered over a decade, during which the Jiu Valley increasingly lost social stability, economic security, and political influence, Friedman shows how political subjectivity can change over a relatively short time, describing how people in the region had, in an earlier period, relied on state socialist-era ideological cultural models that equated hard work and sacrifice with entitlement to recognition. As they became marginalized from political power in Romania, the sharing of discrete and different experiences of suffering, decline, humiliation, and the loss of agency became part of, what Laclau terms, a “chain of equivalence” that resulted in the rise of populist political feelings and subjectivities.
Barriers to Healthcare Access and Long-Term Survival After an Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Barriers to healthcare are common in the USA and may result in worse outcomes among hospital survivors of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). To examine the relationship between barriers to healthcare and 2-year mortality after hospital discharge for an ACS. Longitudinal study. Survivors of an ACS hospitalization were recruited from 6 medical centers in central Massachusetts and Georgia in 2011–2013. Study participants with a confirmed ACS reported whether they had a financial-related healthcare barrier, no usual source of care, or a transportation-related healthcare barrier around the time of hospital admission. None. Cox regression analyses calculated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for 2-year all-cause mortality for the three healthcare barriers while controlling for several demographic, clinical, and psychosocial characteristics. The mean age of study participants (n = 2008) was 62 years, 33% were women, and 77% were non-Hispanic white. One third of patients reported a financial barrier, 17% lacked a usual source of care, and 12% had a transportation barrier. Five percent (n = 100) died within 2 years after hospital discharge. Compared to patients without these barriers, those lacking a usual source of care and with barriers to transportation experienced significantly higher mortality (aHRs 1.40, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.51 and 1.46, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.89, respectively). Financial barriers were not associated with all-cause mortality (aHR 0.79, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.06). Observational study with other unmeasured potentially confounding prognostic factors. Absence of an established usual source of care and inconsistent transportation availability were associated with a higher risk for dying after an ACS. Patients with these barriers to follow-up care may benefit from more intensive follow-up and support.
In Vitro Tools for Quantifying Structure–Function Relationships in Cardiac Myocyte Cells and Tissues

The heart is a dynamic, electrically activated, chemically sensitive, mechanical pump with a regular rhythm that must operate without interruption for decades. The function of the heart is an emergent property of highly organized structures that span multiple spatial scales (Fig. 2.1). On the organ level, the heart is divided into four chambers. Two of these chambers, the ventricles, are thick-walled muscular chambers that are particularly constructed to work as pressure pumps and contract in a twisting manner to efficiently squeeze blood from the chamber. The walls of the ventricle comprise layers of two-dimensional sheets of laminar cardiac tissue. The tissue itself consists of highly aligned, elongated, cylindrical cardiac myocytes. Cardiac myocytes are spanned by parallel bundles of myofibrils, which consist of repeating sarcomere units. Sarcomeres are nanoscale structures composed of thick myosin filaments and thin actin filaments that slide past each other and shorten the sarcomere in response to an action potential. Because all sarcomeres within a cell are aligned, and all cells in a tissue are aligned, the amount of uniaxial force generated by the tissue as a whole is maximized due to its multi-scale organization. To achieve synchronous contraction, myocytes couple together via specialized cell–cell junctions, known as intercalated discs, which provide both mechanical adhesion and rapid electrical communication. Thus, the pumping function of the heart, which is multiple centimeters in diameter, is dependent on spatial organization that spans all the way down to the nanoscale. In this chapter, we will describe the role of the structure of single cardiac myocytes, cell–cell junctions, and multicellular tissues in the function of the healthy heart and how these structure–function relationships become disrupted in disease. We will focus on studies that have used in vitro tools to mimic different architectures observed in developing, healthy, and diseased hearts and make functional readouts in a controlled setting. Open image in new window Fig. 2.1 The multi-scale structure of the heart. The function of the heart is dependent on its hierarchical architecture, which spans organ, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels