cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Balanus eburneus: a sensitive indicator of copper and zinc pollution in the coastal zone.

Barnacles were collected in the Eau Gallie Harbor waters, Florida, and were examined for copper and zinc by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results suggest that a 1 ppb increase in dissolved copper brings about a 36 ppm increase in tissue copper levels and that B. eburneus a sensitive indicator of copper and zinc pollution. However, this pollution is non-detectable 1 km away in the barnacles of Indian River Lagoon. This suggests minimal input or rapid dilution of the metals in the Indian River waters and raises concern for pollutant enrichment in restricted coastal embayments. (JMT)
CD123 is a useful immunohistochemical marker to facilitate diagnosis of acute graft-versus-host disease in colon.

Summary The efficacy of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is greatly hampered by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and opportunistic infection; the gastrointestinal tract is one of the main target organs involved by GVHD and opportunistic infectious agents. The presence of crypt apoptosis is the major criterion for the histologic diagnosis of GVHD; however, it can also be seen in infection, especially cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis. Therefore, the definitive histopathologic diagnosis of GVHD in gastrointestinal tract can be challenging or impossible without reliable ancillary markers. We studied the expression of CD123 and C4d in 38 colonic biopsies from patients with HSCT with acute GVHD and 14 colon biopsies from patients with CMV colitis without history of HSCT. CD123 expression was significantly increased in the acute GVHD group compared with the CMV group (65.8% versus 14.3%; P P > .05). We further applied CD123 immunostaining to upper gastrointestinal (n = 23) and colonic biopsies (n = 24) in patients with HSCT without evidence of acute GVHD or infection and 11 biopsies from patients who had used mycophenolate. The negative staining of CD123 in all these cases further supports the specificity of CD123 in acute GVHD. In summary, CD123 might be a useful ancillary marker to aid in separating infection from GVHD in patients with HSCT.
High-resolution photoacoustic vascular imaging in vivo using a large-aperture acoustic lens

Reflection-mode photoacoustic microscopy with dark-field laser pulse illumination and high frequency ultrasonic detection is used to non-invasively image blood vessels in the skin in vivo. Dark-field illumination minimizes the interference caused by strong photoacoustic signals from superficial structures. A high numerical-aperture acoustic lens provides high lateral resolution, 45-120 micrometers in this system while a broadband ultrasonic detection system provides high axial resolution, estimated to be ~15-20 micrometers. The optical illumination and ultrasonic detection are in a coaxial confocal configuration for optimal image quality. The system is capable of imaging optical-absorption contrast at up to 3 mm depth in biological tissue.
ASSESSMENT OF A CONCEPTUALLY BASED INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION FORM

An instrument to be used by students in evaluating faculty was developed with the major focus being five conceptualized interpretations of scales (factors) culled from other research on faculty evaluation. The five conceptualized factors were: Evaluation, Presentation, Preparation, Personality, and Intellect. Thirty-five professors from the Division of Curriculum and Instruction teaching 65 classes (1,122 students) at graduate and undergraduate levels participated in May; and 75 professors teaching 2,804 students participated in a December study. Each of the five factors were found to be: independent; stable across student groups; of high internal consistency and reliability; of a high degree of concurrent validity (faculty evaluating themselves); discriminatory among faculty; and applicable under sundry instructional conditions. The instrument can provide information to instructors for the improvement of teaching, as well as providing information for students concerning individual instructors. As part of a larger evaluation system, the instrument can provide information for career decisions.
Response of the neutral particle upper atmosphere to the solar eclipse of 7 March 1970

Results of soundings with a series of five pitot probes launched in conjunction with the solar eclipse of Mar. 7, 1970. Three soundings were programmed to occur at 40, 80, and 100% obscuration of the sun (at 100 km) during a 42-min period. The remaining two soundings were made 24 hr before and after the eclipse. The five soundings yielded neutral particle pressure, temperature, and density profiles over the altitude regime from 30 to 125 km. Below 95 km, the three density profiles resulting from the eclipse day launches had an average deviation of less than 1.5%. Above 95 km, density changes of up to 20% were observed. Such changes in density are comparable in magnitude to those normally observed over a period of several hours. On Mar. 10, 1971, three additional pitot probes were launched at times identical to those of the 1970 eclipse day. Comparison of the two sets of data should provide for a more objective analysis regarding atmospheric response to solar input.
Dominant lethal mutations induced in mouse spermatogonia by mechlorethamine, procarbazine and vincristine administered in 2-drug and 3-drug combinations.

Abstract Male mice were treated with mechlorethamine (2.0 mg/kg), procarbazine (100 mg/kg) and vincristine (0.67 mg/kg) alone, or in 2-drug and 3-drug combinations. 5 weeks later and continuing for 5–8 weeks, embryos fertilized by spermatozoa that were derived from drug-treated spermatogonia were evaluated for drug-induced dominant lethal mutations. Significant mutagenesis was detected for mechlorethamine alone, for 2-drug combinations including mechlorethamine and for 3-drug combinations. Combinations where mechlorethamine was given first were mutagenic whereas combinations where mechlorethamine was not given first were not. Some combinations were more cytotoxic to the germinal epithelium than others. The data suggest that mutagenesis by this combination of drugs which is used extensively in treating Hodgkin's disease is due primarily to the mechlorethamine and that the frequency of mutation-induction may be a function of the order of administration.
Dynamic changes in the expression of MicroRNA-31 during inflammatory bowel disease-associated neoplastic transformation.

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. Aberrant microRNA (miR) expression has been linked to carcinogenesis; however, no reports document a relationship between IBD-related neoplasia (IBDN) and altered miR expression. In the current study we sought to identify specific miR dysregulation along the normal–inflammation–cancer axis. Methods: miR microarrays and quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect dysregulated miRs. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was employed to test for potential usefulness of miR-31 as a disease marker of IBDNs. In silico prediction analysis, Western blot, and luciferase activity measurement were employed for target identification. Results: Several dysregulated miRs were identified between chronically inflamed mucosae and dysplasia arising in IBD. MiR-31 expression increases in a stepwise fashion during progression from normal to IBD to IBDN and accurately discriminated IBDNs from normal or chronically inflamed tissues in IBD patients. Finally, we identified factor inhibiting hypoxia inducible factor 1 as a direct target of miR-31. Conclusions: Our study reveals specific miR dysregulation as chronic inflammation progresses to dysplasia. MiR-31 expression levels increase with disease progression and accurately discriminates between distinct pathological entities that coexist in IBD patients. The novel effect of miR-31 on regulating factor inhibiting hypoxia inducible factor 1 expression provides a new insight on the pathogenesis of IBDN. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
Insertion of microscopic objects through plant cell walls using laser microsurgery

A detailed protocol is presented for precisely inserting microscopic objects into the periplasmic region of plant callus cells using laser microsurgery. Ginkgo biloba and Agrobacterium rhizogenes were used as the model system for developing the optical tweezers and scalpel techniques using a single laser. We achieved better than 95% survival after plasmolyzing G. biloba cells, ablating a 2–4-μm hole through the cell wall using a pulsed UV laser beam, trapping and translating bacteria into the periplasmic region using a pulsed infrared laser beam, and then deplasmolyzing the cells. Insertion of bacteria is also described. A thermal model for temperature changes of trapped bacteria is included. Comparisons with other methods, such as a reverse-pressure gradient technique, are discussed and additional experiments on plants using laser microsurgery are suggested. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 60: 348–355, 1998.
The Complexities of Genetic Counseling and Testing for Hereditary Colon Cancer

Genetic counseling and testing for hereditary colon cancers is rapidly evolving and offers valuable management information for the clinician, the patient, and the entire family. The added genetic testing options have also increased the complexity of the process and underline the necessity of pre- and posttest genetic counseling and accurate ordering and result interpretation. Board-certified genetic counselors can assist gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons in the genetic testing process to improve the likelihood that the correct test is ordered, reduce wasted health care dollars, and accurately interpret test results.
Automobility, Vélomobility, American Mobility: An Exploration of the Bicycle Tour

Using the framework of ‘automobility’ as outlined by Sheller and Urry, this article uses the bicycle tour to explore one way the middle class mediates the automobile’s dominance of the American landscape. The material history of the American road is first placed into the current automobilities discourse and then used to situate the bicycle tour. The romantic notion of lost public place in the city is seen as a driving force for escaping on two wheels into the ‘authentic’ American landscape. As the long distance bicycle tourist experiences the material landscape in a new way, the idea of a lost public landscape is challenged and the tourist is able to come to terms with his or her place in the dominant mobility assemblage of human and machine. The result is not a full resistance of the automobile, but a new conception of place and mobility.
The constitution of metastable titanium-rich Ti-Fe alloys:An order-disorder transition

Single phase Ti-Fe alloys with up to 50 at. pct Fe were prepared by splat cooling. Alloys with less than about 35 at. pct Fe consisted of β-titanium solid solution, designated Ti(Fe); alloys with more than 35 at. pct Fe consisted of a partially disordered, off-stoichiometric TiFe solid solution. The degree of order of this phase was determined. A continuous phase transition between the ordered and the disordered metastable phase is possible. The ordered metastable phase fulfills known valence electron concentration criteria for the occurrence of the CsCl structure type.
Energy efficient communications in ad hoc networks using directional antennas

Directional antennas can be useful in significantly increasing node and network lifetime in wireless ad hoc networks. In order to utilize directional antennas, an algorithm is needed that will enable nodes to point their antennas to the right place at the right time. In this paper we present an energy-efficient routing and scheduling algorithm that coordinates transmissions in ad hoc networks where each node has a single directional antenna. Using the topology consisting of all the possible links in the network, we first find shortest cost paths to be energy efficient. Then, we calculate the amount of traffic that has to go over each link and find the maximum amount of time each link can be up, using end-to-end traffic information to achieve that routing. Finally, we schedule nodes' transmissions, trying to minimize the total time it takes for all possible transmitter-receiver pairs to communicate with each other. We formulate this link problem as solving a series of maximal-weight matching in a graph. Furthermore, we propose a method that can enable our scheduling algorithm to work in a distributed and adaptive fashion. We demonstrate that our algorithm achieves all the possible transmitter/receiver gains possible from using directional antennas. In addition, we illustrate through simulation that our routing scheme achieves up to another 45% improvement in energy cost for routing.
Neural crest specification: migrating into genomics.

The bones in your face, the pigment in your skin and the neural circuitry that controls your digestive tract have one thing in common: they are all derived from neural crest cells. The formation of these migratory multipotent cells poses an interesting developmental problem, as neural crest cells are not a distinct cell type until they migrate away from the central nervous system. What defines the pool of cells with neural crest potential, and why do only some of these cells become migratory? New genomic approaches in chick, zebrafish and Xenopus might hold the key.
Age and cytogenetics as predictors of event free survival in patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia receiving high dose cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin as consolidation chemotherapy.

Between 1991 and 1999,67 patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) in complete remission received high dose cytarabine (HiDAC) 3 gm/m2 q12h × 12 doses followed by daunorubicin 45 mg/m2/day × 3 days as consolidation therapy. Five year actuarial event free survival (EFS) was 34% × 6%. Age was significantly associated with EFS. EFS was 60% × 15% in patients age 20 to 29, 48% × 16% in patients age 30 to 39, 23% × 10% in patients age 40 to 49, 31% × 11% in patients age 50 to 59, and 0% in patients age × 60. Contrary to other reports which have used different HiDAC regimens, we found no relationship between cytogenetics and EFS. Cytogenetics were defined as favorable risk: t(8;21), inv (16), and del (16); neutral risk: normal or t(15;17); and unfavorable risk: any abnormality not included in favorable risk or neutral risk. EFS was 29% × 17% in patients with favorable cytogenetics, 37% × 14% in patients with neutral cytogenetics, and 31% × 12% in patients with unfavorable cytogenetics. These difference...
Write twice disk buffering

Non-volatile (safe) disk buffers improve performance in DBMSs. Writes to the disk buffer are durable without incurring physical disk writes. Moreover, physical writes at the disk can be performed at low cost using write piggybacking and multiblock purges. However, safe disk buffers are expensive. In this paper, unsafe buffers are used to simulate safe buffers, by writing each block twice to disk. The first write is performed immediately, anywhere. The second write is deferred, but written at a fixed location. These two writes together cost less than a single random write. >
Chemokine modulation of high-conductance Ca2+-sensitive K+ currents in microglia from human hippocampi

During acute pathological processes, microglia transform into an activated state characterized by a defined morphology and current profile, and are recruited to injury sites by chemokines. No information is available on the ion channels and the mode of action of chemokines in microglia in brain slices from humans with a chronic pathology. Thus, patch-clamp recordings of microglia were performed in hippocampal slices from seven patients who underwent surgery for pharmaco-resistant epilepsy. Cells were identified as microglia by positive labelling with fluorescein-conjugated tomato lectin before recording. All the recorded cells had an ameboid morphology characteristic of activated microglia. However, they had a high input resistance (3.6 G omega), a zero-current resting potential of -16 mV, and lacked Na+ currents, inwardly rectifying and delayed rectifying K+ currents such as non-activated microglia. Importantly, recorded cells expressed Ca2+-sensitive outward currents that activated at 0 mV with non-buffered intracellular Ca2+ and were sensitive to 1 mm tetraethylammonium (TEA). The estimated single-channel conductances were 187 pS in cell-attached and 149 pS in outside-out patches, similar to those of high-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels. The chemokine MIP1-alpha increased whole-cell outward current amplitudes measured at +60 mV by a factor of 3.3. Thus, microglia in hippocampi from epileptic patients express high-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels that are modulated by the chemokine MIP1-alpha. This modulation may contribute to the migratory effect of MIP1-alpha on microglia.
Four-way lossless outphasing and power combining with hybrid microstrip/discrete combiner for microwave power amplification

This work demonstrates a four-way outphasing and power combining system for microwave power amplification using a novel power combining network. The ideally lossles combining network is implemented using a combination of microstrip transmission-line sections with discrete shunt elements. We present the derivation of the power combining network topology as well as practical implementation details. The new power combining network is demonstrated in a 50-W, 2.14-GHz power amplifier system using load modulation of switching GaN PAs through outphasing for output power control. The system has a peak CW drain efficiency of 59.5% and drain efficiency above 45% over a 8.17-dB outphasing output power range. In modulated tests with a signal bandwidth of 3.84 MHz, the system demonstrates 52% average drain efficiency for a 3.9-dB peak to average power ratio (PAPR) signal, and 38% drain efficiency for a W-CDMA signal with 9.6 PAPR.
Effect of microstructure of nitrogen-doped graphene on oxygen reduction activity in fuel cells.

The development of fuel cells as clean-energy technologies is largely limited by the prohibitive cost of the noble-metal catalysts needed for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. A fundamental understanding of catalyst design principle that links material structures to the catalytic activity can accelerate the search for highly active and abundant nonmetal catalysts to replace platinum. Here, we present a first-principles study of ORR on nitrogen-doped graphene in acidic environment. We demonstrate that the ORR activity primarily correlates to charge and spin densities of the graphene. The nitrogen doping and defects introduce high positive spin and/or charge densities that facilitate the ORR on graphene surface. The identified active sites are closely related to doping cluster size and dopant–defect interactions. Generally speaking, a large doping cluster size (number of N atoms >2) reduces the number of catalytic active sites per N atom. In combination with N clustering, Stone-W...
Equilibrium, thermodynamic, and transport properties of polyatomic gases from molecular structure

The possibility of predicting physical properties for polyatomic gases entirely from molecular structure has been explored. Intramolecular force constants for the bonds can be drawn from spectroscopically established tables and applied successfully to molecules involving a large variety of structures. A vibrational analysis of the molecule using these constants yields the thermodynamic functions of the ideal gas. The intermolecular pair potential parameters for the spherical core model of Kihara can be obtained quantitatively from molecular constants, and this potential can be used in obtaining the dilute gas transport properties. A linear relationship was found between the Kihara sphereical core size and Pitzer's acentric factor. Also from the Kihara model the critical constants are derived, which allows one to use Pitzer's compressibility tables for the dense gas corrections to the ideal gas law and the excess functions of the thermodynamic quantities. A complete package of computer programs which predict all important physical properties directly from input name alone has been written and tested. Suggestions are given for future work needed to improve many of the techniques presented.
Modular synchronization in distributed, multiversion databases: version control and concurrency control

A version control mechanism is proposed that enhances the modularity and extensibility of multiversion concurrency control algorithms. The multiversion algorithms are decoupled into two components: version control and concurrency control. This permits modular development of multiversion protocols and simplifies the task of proving the correctness of these protocols. A set of procedures for version control is described that defines the interface with the version control component. It is shown that the same interface can be used by the database actions of both two-phase locking and time-stamp concurrency control protocols to access multiversion data. An interesting feature of the framework is that the execution of read-only transactions becomes completely independent of the underlying concurrency control implementation. Unlike other multiversion algorithms, read-only transactions in this scheme do not modify any version-related information, and therefore do not interfere with the execution of read-write transactions. The extension of the multiversion algorithms to a distributed environment becomes very simple. >
Beyond the P Value The Quest for Improving Health Status in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease

Ischemic heart disease is highly prevalent in the United States, affecting 17.6 million patients (≈7.9% of the adult population), and is associated with increased mortality, hospitalizations, and an estimated annual cost of $177 billion.1 Diabetes mellitus is a coexistent complication for many of the patients living with ischemic heart disease with similar short-term outcomes whether it predates or is diagnosed at the time of the initial acute coronary syndrome.2 Targets of therapy for these ischemic heart disease patients are focused on improved mortality and reduced major adverse nonfatal cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, unstable angina, stroke, and need for repeat revascularization. As a result in part of research advances in the management of acute coronary syndromes and implementation of primary and secondary prevention efforts, overall mortality rates attributable to ischemic heart disease in the United States have decreased dramatically since 1970 with an additional 36% decrement between 1996 and 2006.1,3 Because more patients are living with ischemic heart disease, improving quality of life or health status has emerged as an important additional target of therapy. Article see p 1690 Health status is a concept that measures the impact of a patient's illness on various parts of his or her daily life related to symptom burden, functional limitations, and quality of life.4 Although some tools such as the New York Heart Association functional classification have traditionally been assessed by physicians, more recent trends allow patients to report their health status directly, grouped as patient-reported outcomes. Quality of life is a complex measure resulting from the patient's integration of biological variables related to the disease process, symptom burden, disconnect between the desired and actual functional status, perceived prognosis, and general health perceptions.5 These concepts can be quantified with tools that have established psychometric properties and …
A New Information Lossless STBC for 2 Transmit Antennas with Reduced-Complexity ML Decoding

A new information lossless, full-rate space-time block code is presented for 2 transmit antennas over 2 symbol periods. We show that our code is capacity-achieving and exploit its special algebraic structure to derive a reduced-complexity maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding algorithm. When the number of receive antennas is greater than 1, our code outperforms the Alamouti code. Comparing the performance of our code with state-of-the-art B2Phi and Golden codes in [4] and [7], demonstrates competitive performance for practical low-to-medium SNR ranges, for high spectral efficiencies, and as the number of receive antennas increases while requiring much lower ML decoding complexity.
Online Gestures: Icon Use by Fan Communities on LiveJournal

This paper examines the use of icons as communication devices in persistent conversations. The paper presents findings from the author's ethnographic study of a fan group on live journal. Analysis reveals how icons approximate physical gestures in face-to-face conversation. Icons are used as a signal for attention, for emphasis, or as acknowledgment of another party's conversation or mood. Designers of online environments are advised to consider the potential application of icons as conversational elements in online communities and provide for greater flexibility, variety and consistency in their use.
Chemically programmed antibodies targeting multiple alpha(v) integrins and their effects on tumor-related functions in vitro

Integrins αvβ3 and αvβ6 are highly expressed on tumor cells and/or by the tumor vasculature of many human cancers, and represent promising targets for anticancer therapy. Novel chemically programmed antibodies (cpAbs) targeting these integrins were prepared using the catalytic aldolase Antibody (Ab) programming strategy. The effects of the cpAbs on cellular functions related to tumor progression were examined in vitro using tumor cell lines and their cognate integrin ligands, fibronectin and osteopontin. The inhibitory functions of the conjugates and their specificity were examined based on interference with cell-cell and cell-ligand interactions related to tumor progression. Cell binding analyses of the anti-integrin cpAbs revealed high affinity for tumor cells that overexpressed αvβ3 and αvβ6 integrins, and weak interactions with αvβ1 and αvβ8 integrins, in vitro. Functional analyses demonstrated that the cpAbs strongly inhibited cell-cell interactions through osteopontin binding, and they had little or no immediate effects on cell viability and proliferation. On the basis of these characteristics, the cpAbs are likely to have a broad range of activities in vivo, as they can target and antagonize one or multiple αv integrins expressed on tumors and tumor vasculatures. Presumably, these conjugates may inhibit the establishment of metastastatic tumors in distant organs through interfering with cell adhesion more effectively than antibodies or compounds targeting one integrin only. These anti-integrin cpAbs may also provide useful reagents to study combined effect of multiple αv integrins on cellular functions in vitro, on pathologies, including tumor angiogenesis, fibrosis, and epithelial cancers, in vivo.
Paths of Relevance and the Induction of Status-Task Expectancies: A Research Note

Differences in individual's own and other's statuses often become the basis for stable and observable differences in their interaction. For example, Strodtbeck and his associates observed that differences in sex and occupational status strongly affect the choice of a jury foreman. Caudill found that position in a hospital's occupational hierarchy determines participation rates during ward rounds. Torrance discovered that rank in an Air Force bomber crew is closely related to influence on a variety of group decisionmaking tasks including some completely unrelated to crew responsibilities. The mechanisms through which these effects occur are called statusorganizing processes. Simmel, and later Park and Hughes, recognized the fundamental nature of these processes and theorized about them. Their conceptualization was basically interactional in character: statuses emerge from interaction; statuses govern interaction; and statuses are maintained by interaction. Status-organizing processes have been considered more systematically in a coordinated program of theory and research in status characteristics theory. Based largely on the Simmel-Park-Hughes tradition, this program attempts to answer three basic kinds of questions: 1. What are the status elements an individual group member may use to organize a task situation in terms of status? 2. How do these status elements become interrelated so as to organize the situation? 3. What are the behavioral consequences of such organization of the situation in terms of status? Status characteristics theory argues that status elements become salient (i.e., available as cues in defining the situation) for an individual p under any of three conditions: if the status p possesses is directly related,
STARS Computing Corps: Enhancing Engagement of Underrepresented Students and Building Community in Computing

In this article, the authors examine the impact of participation in a national community for broadening participation in computing that engages college students in computing-related service projects. Results of their study show many benefits for undergraduate computing students who engage in such projects, including academic, career, and personal benefits, with students who are underrepresented in computing benefitting more than others. Results also suggest that that an annual conference centered on training and reflection on service learning projects can help build a strong sense of community among students who otherwise wouldn't have access to a similar group of peers. These findings establish empirical support for the Students a Technology in Academia, Research, and Service Computing Corps model of engagement, a flexible approach that can be applied across a variety of institutional types to positively impact underrepresented students in computing.
High Angle-of-Attack Flight Dynamics of Small UAVs

The angle-of-attack parameter has a significant influence on the aerodynamics and resulting flight dynamics of aircraft. Flight at high angle-of-attack conditions enables many missions; however, the flight dynamics are challenging to model. This paper investigates the flight dynamics for a small UAV that is piloted in open air at high angle-of-attack conditions. Models are estimated from the flight data to indicate some characteristics of the flight dynamics. The lateral dynamics are linear while the longitudinal dynamics and directional dynamics exhibit nonlinearities and high-order terms. Additionally, the magnitude and energy of wing rock is determined for the lateral dynamics.
Enzymatic synthesis of β-D-Gal-(1→3)-[β-D-GlcNAc-(1→6)]-α-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2-p as a carbohydrate unit of mucin-type 2 core

We have established a synthetic method for obtaining β-D-Gal-(1→3)-[β-D-GlcNAc-(1→6)]-α-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2 -p (1), which is a carbohydrate unit of mucin-type 2 core. A β-N-acetyl-D-hexosaminidase from Nocardia orientalis catalyzed the synthesis of the desired compound 1 with its isomers β-D-GalNAc-(1→6)-β-D-Gal-(1→3)-α-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2-p (2) β-D-GlcNAc-(1→3)-β-D-Glc-(1→3)-α-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2-p (3) through N-acetylglucosaminyl transfer from N,N′-diacetylchitobiose and β-D-Gal-(1→3)-α-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2-p. The enzyme formed the trisaccharides 1, 2, and 3 in 14% overall yield based on β-D-Gal-(1→3)-α-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2-p as an acceptor substrate, and in the ratio of 44:32:24. In this way, N-acetylglucosaminyl transfer favored O-6 of the acceptor rather than O-6′, and occurred to a lesser extent at O-3′. This reaction was efficient enough to allow a one-pot preparation of the desired carbohydrate unit of mucin-type 2 core. When β-D-Gal-(1→3)-β-D-GalNAc-OC6H4NO2-p was used as an acceptor, the enzyme also synthesized three kinds of trisaccharides in the same regioselectivity with respect to O-6 and O-6′ versus O-3′ of the acceptor.
Digital etching for highly reproducible low damage gate recessing on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

A room temperature digital etching technique for aluminum gallium nitride has been developed. An oxidizing agent and an acid have been used in a two step etching cycle to remove aluminum gallium nitride in approximately 5-6 /spl Aring/ increments. The process has been characterized to be reasonably linear and highly repeatable, offering an alternative to currently not available gate recess etch stopper technologies. Recessed gate Al/sub 0.35/Ga/sub 0.65/N/GaN HEMTs on sapphire were compared to unrecessed devices realized on the same sample. A fivefold gate leakage decrease and negligible variations on breakdown voltage support digital recessing as a viable solution for highly reproducible low surface-damage gate recessed structures.
Biology as a Process of Inquiry

This chapter provides an overview of the nature of process in science, and biology in particular, with an emphasis on the fact that science is always an ongoing exploration of unsolved problems. After tracing the history of debates about the role of various methods and approaches to biology in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the chapter proceeds to a discussion of a major revolution in biology during the twentieth century, with the introduction of new approaches associated with molecular and cell biology, and molecular genetics. The chapter concludes with three case studies of still-unsolved problems in biology: the annual migration of Monarch butterflies from the upper Midwest to Mexico in North America; the case in which chick embryos are induced to develop teeth, and what this tells us about genetic signals during embryonic development; finally, the vexing question of how life could have originated on Earth from non-living matter.
Phase I study of BYL719 and trastuzumab-MCC-DM1 (T-DM1) in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients with progression on trastuzumab and taxane-based therapy.

TPS672 Background: Despite the considerable efficacy of trastuzumab, eventually all HER2-positive MBC patients develop resistance and disease progression. Upregulation of the PI3K pathway and oncog...
NEIL1 protects against aflatoxin-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in mice

Global distribution of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is dominated by its incidence in developing countries, accounting for >700,000 estimated deaths per year, with dietary exposures to aflatoxin (AFB1) and subsequent DNA adduct formation being a significant driver. Genetic variants that increase individual susceptibility to AFB1-induced HCCs are poorly understood. Herein, it is shown that the DNA base excision repair (BER) enzyme, DNA glycosylase NEIL1, efficiently recognizes and excises the highly mutagenic imidazole ring-opened AFB1-deoxyguanosine adduct (AFB1-Fapy-dG). Consistent with this in vitro result, newborn mice injected with AFB1 show significant increases in the levels of AFB1-Fapy-dG in Neil1-/- vs. wild-type liver DNA. Further, Neil1-/- mice are highly susceptible to AFB1-induced HCCs relative to WT controls, with both the frequency and average size of hepatocellular carcinomas being elevated in Neil1-/- The magnitude of this effect in Neil1-/- mice is greater than that previously measured in Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A (XPA) mice that are deficient in nucleotide excision repair (NER). Given that several human polymorphic variants of NEIL1 are catalytically inactive for their DNA glycosylase activity, these deficiencies may increase susceptibility to AFB1-associated HCCs.
Antecedents of Project Success: The Perception of Vendor Employees

The global outsourcing market is the fastest-growing segment of IT services. The success of outsourced projects has been related to organizational issues. This research studies the impact of these factors on relationship quality and vendor performance.
"I Have No Idea What's Going On Out There:" Parents' Perspectives on Promoting Sexual Health in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adolescents.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ) adolescents experience higher rates of negative sexual health outcomes relative to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Healthy parent-adolescent relationships and effective parenting are robust predictors of sexual health in heterosexual adolescents, but very little is known about barriers to and facilitators of effective parenting from the perspective of parents of LGBTQ adolescents. This study conducted online focus groups with 44 parents of LGBTQ adolescents in order to describe the factors influencing effective sexual health communication and parental monitoring in this population. Parents described generally positive relationships with teens, but many noted they went through a transition process in which they struggled with their child’s identity and were less supportive of their LGBTQ teen. Lack of understanding about LGBTQ-specific sexuality was a commonly endorsed barrier to effective communication, and this was most commonly endorsed by parents of cisgender girls. Parents of cisgender boys and transgender/gender-nonconforming teens described fears about long-term sexual health (i.e., sexual predators, consent) as a barrier to parental monitoring. Parents of LGBTQ adolescents need information and skills to optimize their teen’s sexual health. Parent-based programs for LGBTQ adolescents are long overdue for addressing these issues.
When Patients Question Vaccines: Considering Vaccine Communication through a Material Rhetorical Approach

Vaccinations are a notoriously difficult topic to discuss with patients, and efforts to persuade those who are most hesitant often fail. In this persuasion brief, common vaccination concerns and skepticisms are reexamined through the perspectives offered by rhetorical studies. This analysis demonstrates why current counter-arguments to vaccine skepticisms often fall short. As an alternative, this article encourages practitioners to consider how the material qualities of vaccinations contribute to their instability and make them difficult for patients to accept. This perspective suggests relationship-building and coalition-building as routes for improving doctor-patient communication about vaccines.
A null test of general relativity based on a long-term comparison of atomic transition frequencies

The local position invariance principle of general relativity stipulates that non-gravitational experiments should give outcomes that are independent of the position and orientation of the reference frames in which they have been performed. Here, we study the change in the rates of clocks on Earth with the spatial change of the solar potential, constraining the variation of a non-gravitational interaction—the hyperfine splitting in hydrogen and caesium atoms—to β = (2.2 ± 2.5) × 10−7, a factor of two improvement over previous estimates. Our result is based on the comparison between the long-term fractional frequency variation of four hydrogen masers that are part of an ensemble of clocks comprising the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, and the fractional frequencies of primary frequency standards operated by leading metrology laboratories in the United States, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom over a period of more than 14 years. Using our results together with the previous best estimates of β, we impose strict limits on the variation of fundamental constants, resulting in a test of general relativity with an unprecedented level of precision.
The Information Use in a SME: Its Importance and Some Elements of Influence

The aim of this study is to gain some insights into the importance of the information use for the success of a SME. Consequently we examine some characteristics of the owner/manager and his firm which determine the extent of this use. The value of the model is examined for 208 Belgian SME owner/managers. Our data suggest there is a positive relation between the extent of information use and the performance of a SME. Moreover, we find that SME owner/managers with a greater strategic awareness, with less firm experience prior to the present position and with a greater desire for growth use more information. Also, smaller family ownership and intervention in strategic management, as well as greater delegation of decision making, lead to a higher information use.
Environmental Changes Within Kyrgyzstan

One of the major threats to human security in Kyrgyzstan is from environmental degradation, particularly in the form of industrial pollution, contaminated food products, and radioactive contamination from uranium mine tailings. This chapter presents an overview of these problems, and comments on their potential to affect human security.
ATOMISTIC STUDIES OF DISLOCATIONS AND STACKING FAULT-TYPE DEFECTS IN Ll2 ORDERED STRUCTURES

ABSTRACT The stability of possible planar faults on {111} and {100} planes is discussed using crystallographic symmetry considerations and the results of atomistic calculations of γ-surfaces. In general it is found that the APB on {100} planes and SISF on {111} planes are always stable while APB and CSF on {111} planes can be either stable or unstable. Results of atomistic calculations of the core structure of screw dislocations dissociated on {111} planes are also presented. Different core configurations, some of them non-planar, are obtained, depending on the stability of APB and CSF. Possible implications of the different core structures for the plastic behavior of L12 alloys are discussed.
Climate Change and Its Impact on Water Resources

Recent years have witnessed an increase in global average air temperatures as well as ocean temperatures, as documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The rise in temperature is considered irrefutable evidence of climate change, and this has already started to have serious consequences for water resources and will have even more dire consequences in the future. Compounding these consequences are population growth, land-use changes and urbanization, increasing demands for water and energy, rising standards of living, changing dietary habits, changing agricultural practices, increasing industrial activities, increased pollution, and changing economic activities. All these will likely have adverse effects on water resources. This article briefly discusses climate change and its causes and impacts on water resources.
Real-Time Cooperative Analytics for Ambient Noise Tomography in Sensor Networks

The transformative integration of sensor networks and geophysical imaging techniques enables the creation of a system to monitor and analyze seismic data in real time as well as image various subsurface structures, properties, and dynamics. Ambient noise seismic imaging is a technique widely used in geophysical exploration for investigating subsurface structures using recorded background raw ambient noise data. The current state-of-the-art of ambient noise monitoring relies on gathering these high volumes of raw data back to a centralized server or base station to pre-process, cross-correlate, analyze frequency-time components, and generate subsurface tomography. However, modern computational sensors (for example, those with $\sim$ 1.2 GHz of processor and $\sim$ 1 GB of memory) can be not only used for recording raw vibration data but also performing in situ processing and cooperative computing to generate subsurface imaging in real time. In this paper, we present a distributed solution to apply ambient noise tomography over large dense networks and perform in-network computing on huge seismic samples while avoiding centralized computation and expensive data collection. Results show that our approach can detect subsurface velocity variations in real time while meeting network bandwidth constraints and reducing communication cost ( $\sim -75\%$ ).
Futzing and Moseying: Interviews with Professional Data Analysts on Exploration Practices

We report the results of interviewing thirty professional data analysts working in a range of industrial, academic, and regulatory environments. This study focuses on participants' descriptions of exploratory activities and tool usage in these activities. Highlights of the findings include: distinctions between exploration as a precursor to more directed analysis versus truly open-ended exploration; confirmation that some analysts see “finding something interesting” as a valid goal of data exploration while others explicitly disavow this goal; conflicting views about the role of intelligent tools in data exploration; and pervasive use of visualization for exploration, but with only a subset using direct manipulation interfaces. These findings provide guidelines for future tool development, as well as a better understanding of the meaning of the term “data exploration” based on the words of practitioners “in the wild.”
Aquaporin Expression in Colonic Mucosal Biopsies From Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Diarrhea

Introduction Aquaporin (AQP) channels are involved in regulating fluid homeostasis in the colon. Several AQP channels were detected in human colon epithelial cells. In a previous study, rats fed 1% (wt/wt) sodium cholate had increased AQP3, 7, and 8 levels, suggesting AQP involvement in bile acid diarrhea (BAD). Our aim was to compare AQP expressions in rectosigmoid mucosal (RSM) biopsies from patients with irritable bowel syndrome-diarrhea (IBS-D) (divided into those with normal or high fecal BA excretion) and in patients with IBS-constipation (IBS-C) compared with healthy controls. Methods In RSM biopsies from 44 patients with IBS-D (with normal ( 2,337 μmol/48 hours (BAD)) fecal BA excretion), 10 patients with IBS-C, and 17 healthy controls, we measured expressions of AQP1, 3, 7, and 8, with RT-PCR (housekeeper gene GAPDH). We analyzed RNA for expression by RT-PCR assays, with expression calculated using 2-based fold-change. Comparisons of IBS groups were corrected for false detection rate (Bonferroni correction for 12 comparisons; P Results In RSM from patients with IBS-D (but not IBS-C), mRNA expression of AQP3 was decreased, and AQP7 and 8 were increased relative to controls. Fold differences were not different in IBS-D with or without BAD. Western blots confirmed increased expression of AQP7 and 8 and decreased AQP3 proteins in biopsies from patients with IBS-D compared with controls. Conclusions Increased AQP7 and 8 and decreased AQP3 expressions in RSM suggest that further studies on AQPs' potential role in the pathophysiology of diarrhea in IBS-D are warranted.Open access This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
Effects of sexual activity on several measures of physical performance in young adult males

Background There has been considerable debate as to whether sexual activity prior to an athletic event can affect physical performance. The goal of the study was to determine if sexual activity the evening before several physical performance tests affected the results compared to the same performance tests after five days of abstinence. Methods Ten, monogamous, married young men (28±7 years old, body mass index = 25.5±2.7 kg/m2) underwent a six-physical performance/balance/agility tests (forearm grip strength, balance, lateral movement, reaction time, anaerobic power, and maximal oxygen uptake) on three different days. The first day was a familiarization session, where the subjects familiarized themselves with the performance tests. Then, two randomized, single-blind mornings sessions occurred there was either no sexual intercourse on the five days prior to the tests (control condition) or sexual intercourse on the night before the tests (experimental condition) in a randomized counterbalanced, fashion. The six performance tests were performed in the same order for each of the three sessions. A paired-t-test was used to compare each fitness test between conditions. Results The results showed that sexual activity had no effect on any of the six physical performance tests. Conclusions This suggests that physical performance is unaffected by sexual activity within 24 hours prior to competition in young men.