cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Practice

We have long believed that the best needs-assessment for continuing education for physicians derives from practice analysis. Our lengthy interviews with practicing physicians have yielded a number of effective methods used to study individual practices and profit maximally from experience. Many used index cards and ledgers to note patient problems seen, treatments prescribed, and outcomes obtained; some recorded lessons learned from puzzling patients; and others studied their mistakes. All were dedicated physicians who developed methods to advance their learning from their clinical experience. The concepts they related continue to be valid and important today, although the computer has now replaced pen and paper for the recording and manipulation of data. Whether physicians view data electronically tallied and presented on a computer screen or manually recorded, sorted, and stacked on index cards, the information allows physicians to use their clinical experience to improve patient care. In fact, physicians developing such analytic methods should probably lay out their approach with pen and paper before selecting appropriate software.
A Proof of the Hall-Paige Conjecture

In 2009 Wilcox proved that any minimal counterexample to the Hall-Paige conjecture must be a finite nonabelian simple group. He further proved that no finite simple group of Lie type, with the possible exception of2F4(2)′, the Tits group, could be a minimal counterexample to this conjecture. As the alternating groups were proved to be admissible in 1955 by Hall and Paige, and the Mathieu groups were proved admissible in 1993 by Dalla Volta and Gavioli, this left 22 possible minimal counterexamples to the Hall-Paige conjecture. Building on Wilcox’s work, Evans reduced the number of possible minimal counterexamples to the Hall-Paige conjecture to just one; Janko’s fourth group, J4. This last group was shown not to be a minimal counterexample by Bray, thus completing a proof of the conjecture. In this chapter we will cover proofs that finite nonabelian simple groups are admissible.
Characteristics of models that impact transformation of BIMs to virtual environments to support facility management operations

Building information models (BIMs) have been used by the Architectural/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry with a focus on storing and exchanging digital information about building components. However, the untapped potential of BIMs in facility operations and the experience of facility operators while they interact with digital building information have not been understood widely. One of the underlying bottlenecks in the use of BIMs in the FM phase is the lack of interactions with components to easily access information of interest, and the lack of ways to navigate in models with full spatial understanding. Virtual environments (VEs), which represent physical spaces digitally in virtual worlds, enable interactions with virtual components to access information with spatial understanding. The underlying challenges in the conversion of BIMs to VE hinder a streamlined process. This paper provides a detailed analysis of building size, geometric complexities of discipline models and level of geometric granularity as factors contributing to inefficient transformation of BIMs to VE. The paper also provides research findings on a set of computational approaches such as polygon reduction and occlusion culling to overcome challenges and improve the data transfer faced in converting BIMs into VEs over a range and size of facility models.
Socially Just Educators Staying True to Themselves: The Role of Administrators Within or Outside of their Social Support Network

The paper will highlight the specific relationship between administrative support in either fostering socially just educators [with a specific focus on Disability Studies in Education (DSE) teaching identity] or disempowering and disenfranchising them. It will explore this phenomenon, and describe the connection between administrative support, teacher identity and resiliency. Login for full text: [Word] [PDF] [TXT] Socially Just Educators Staying True to Themselves: The Role of Administrators Within or Outside of their Social Support Network by Carrie Eileen Rood is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://rdsjournal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/801. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://www.rds.hawaii.edu.
An agent-based approach to designing residential renewable energy systems

Abstract Residential consumers in the U.S. have demonstrated a growing interest in rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems, resulting in increased adoption over the last decade. However, this has diminished utility revenues, and policymakers have expressed concerns about inequitable consumer access to publicly-funded rooftop PV adoption incentives. In response to these concerns, policymakers and utility companies are changing their policies to discourage rooftop PV adoption. Alternative renewable energy models, such as utility-provided community solar programs, offer a potential solution. However, when designing such programs, it is important to consider the potential impacts on different system stakeholders, including utilities, policymakers, and solar installers. This paper describes an agent-based model that predicts the performance of different residential distributed solar models with respect to these stakeholders' objectives. In this model, consumer agents residing in an urban utility territory decide in each time-step whether they will adopt a particular renewable energy model, and the impacts of their adoption decisions on stakeholder performance metrics are captured over time. Simulation results suggest that if community solar program premium prices are set appropriately, all stakeholders can benefit: the utility can recover part of its revenue losses even as rooftop PV adoption increases, solar installers’ businesses can thrive, and increased renewable energy adoption can be achieved equitably. The proposed modeling methodology can help to inform design decisions of distributed solar energy models that avoid benefiting some stakeholders at the unnecessary expense of others.
Laser Speckle in Dynamic Sensing Applications

Laser velocimetry is used as a measurement technique across a variety of fields including mechanical vibration and flow research, medical diagnostics and shock physics. In modern photon Doppler velocimetry (PDV) applications, the perception is that laser speckle pollutes the measured signal, sometimes destroying useful data. Recent experiments suggest the possibility of exploiting speckle to measure transverse speeds, thereby gaining information about surface dynamics across an additional degree of freedom. In this report, we examine the influence of axial displacement and probe characteristics on speckle velocimetry measurement capabilities.
Joint Transitions for the Remote Center of Motion Constraint: Demonstration on a Redundant Manipulator

One of the challenges for redundant robotic manipulators is generating a trajectory that goes from an initial configuration to a task configuration. Often, the resolution of kinematic redundancy in trajectory generation problems is accomplished by adding a constraint, or by subjecting the motion to a cost function and searching for an optimal solution. This paper investigates the remote center of motion (RCM) constraint, which specifies an insertion point that a link can rotate about and translate into, but not deviate from. Using the RCM constraint, this paper theoretically and experimentally demonstrates how to create trajectories that enable a KUKA LBR iiwa 7 R800 robotic serial-link manipulator to insert several links into a single-entrance enclosure. Both a Jacobian-based and an optimization-based trajectory generation method are explored by physical demonstration. The maximum positional RCM errors were 1.2 mm and 0.9 mm respectively. The small positional error suggests that both methods are capable of generating trajectories for redundant manipulators that accomplish a task requiring both RCM constraint adherence and multiple link insertions.
Observations of surface cobbles at two southern California beaches

Abstract Southern California beaches are often sandy, but with largely undocumented cobble patches and berms. We describe the first multi-year, spatially extensive observations of surface cobbles at southern California beaches. The variation (spatial and temporal) of surface cobble distribution and backshore (e.g. upper foreshore) cobble morphology (slope, vertical extent, and elevation) are characterized using 11 years (2008–2018) of observations spanning 4.8 km of shoreline at Cardiff and Torrey Pines State beaches. Quarterly Global Positioning System surveys of beach elevation and visually identified sediment type (either sand or cobble) are used to create 1076 cross-shore profiles. Cobbles were not exposed continuously at either of these predominantly sandy beaches. The 202 cross-shore profiles with backshore cobbles and sandy foreshores are used for morphology analysis. Consistent with previous studies, cobble and sandy morphologies varied seasonally, and cobbles were most exposed during winter when wave energy increased. Extensive (vertical extent ≥ 2 m) backshore cobbles were usually fronted by low elevation, low slope sandy foreshores. At Torrey Pines cobble patches were occasionally exposed mid-profile on primarily sandy summer beaches. Persistent (2008–2015) backshore cobbles at Cardiff were apparently buried in 2016 by effects of a 2012 sand nourishment. Formation of year-round cobble piles on these seasonally sandy beaches may result from chronically reduced sand input owing to anthropogenic controls on river flooding and coastal cliff erosion (e.g. dams and seawalls).
Altered Regulation of adipomiR Editing with Aging

Adipose dysfunction with aging increases risk to insulin resistance and other chronic metabolic diseases. We previously showed functional changes in microRNAs involved in pre-adipocyte differentiation with aging resulting in adipose dysfunction. However, the mechanisms leading to this dysfunction in microRNAs in adipose tissue (adipomiRs) during aging are not well understood. We determined the longitudinal changes in expression of adipomiRs and studied their regulatory mechanisms, such as miRNA biogenesis and editing, in an aging rodent model, with Fischer344 × Brown-Norway hybrid rats at ages ranging from 3 to 30 months (male/females, n > 8). Expression of adipomiRs and their edited forms were determined by small-RNA sequencing. RT-qPCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of biogenesis and editing enzymes. Sanger sequencing was used to validate editing with aging. Differential expression of adipomiRs involved in adipocyte differentiation and insulin signaling was altered with aging. Sex- and age-specific changes in edited adipomiRs were observed. An increase in miRNA biogenesis and editing enzymes (ADARs and their splice variants) were observed with increasing age, more so in female than male rats. The adipose dysfunction observed with age is attributed to differences in editing of adipomiRs, suggesting a novel regulatory pathway in aging.
Atmospheric blocking events: a review

Even though meteorologists have been aware of atmospheric blocking for more than 100 years, it is a phenomenon still not well forecast or completely understood. Also, while there is not one standard accepted definition, there are some commonalities known about the understanding of blocking behavior. Blocking occurs less often than other destructive phenomena, but globally their occurrence has increased since the beginning of the century. The longevity of blocking means it can negatively impact agricultural and economic activity and human comfort by bringing extreme conditions not only to the areas where they occur but also to locations well upstream and downstream. Additionally, while it is known where blocking occurs and their general character has been well described, operational models still struggle to replicate the intensity and duration even though improvement has been noted in the timing and location of onset. Climatologically, models still underestimate their occurrence. In the last 40 years, investigators have used case study analysis and numerical and theoretical models to understand the onset and maintenance of blocking. Comparatively few have examined block decay. This review endeavors to cover the highlights of the history of blocking investigations, especially in the last few decades, in order to provide an understanding for a more general scientific audience.
Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Its Subunits in Man

It has been well established that the serum and urine of pregnant women contain several molecules immunologically related to, but smaller than the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) molecule. A number of laboratories have reported that the most abundant of these hCG-related molecules is one which behaves on gel chromatography and in radioimmunoassays for the hCG alpha-subunit (hCGα) very much like the authentic hCGα subunit (Franchimont and Reuter, 1972; Hagen and McNeilly, 1975; Vaitukaitis et al., 1976; Good et al., 1977). Also, some workers have produced evidence to suggest that a moiety with properties like those of the hCG betasubunit (hCGs) can be found in the serum and urine of pregnancy (Franchimont and Reuter, 1972; Good et al., 1977). The presence of free hCG subunits, or molecules with similar immunological and physicochemical characteristics, in normal pregnancy raises questions concerning the origin of these hCG-related peptides. It is not known whether they are degradation products of secreted hCH, or whether they are secreted themselves, or whether they are degradation products of other hCG-related peptides. We have been exploring the distribution, metabolism, and excretion of hCG and its subunits in normal human subjects with the aim of establishing the fundamental kinetic characteristics of these molecules, and with the aim of assessing the extent to which the degradation of secreted hCG accounts for the presence of hCG-related peptides in the biological fluids of pregnancy. In this chapter, we will attempt to summarize recent findings on the kinetics of metabolism of hCG and its subunits and to present some information concerning their disposal and degradation pathways.
Conceptualizing Disaster Preparedness Interventions and Research: What Does Literature Have to Do With It?:

Natural disasters are frequent, widespread, and derail the lives of large percentages of the population. Social work professionals are among those suitable for intervening in natural disasters as t...
Implementing Suicide Risk Screening in Pediatric Medical Patients: Feasible Quality Improvement Projects that Can Save Lives

With rising youth suicide rates in the US and around the world, medical settings have been leveraged as partners in prevention. Suicide risk screening programs can detect youth who may otherwise pa...
Scaled Symmetric Nullspace Equations for Simulating the Dynamics of Constrained, Multibody Systems

This paper presents a computationally efficient algorithm that is appropriate for a class of methods that simulate the nonlinear dynamics of constrained, multibody systems comprised of any number of arbitrarily connected, rigid bodies and subject to linear, nonholonomic constraints. The new method does not require the assembly and factorization of a system coefficient matrix at each time step and requires far less numerical linear algebra than other implementations of the symmetric nullspace equations. It is shown in this paper that the new approach requires approximately 0(1/6I3+1/2I2N) less floating point operations per derivative evaluation than the standard implementation of the symmetric nullspace equations where N is the number of coordinates, D is the number of constraints, and I=N-D is the number of independent derivatives of generalized, or quasi-, coordinates.
Post-keratorefractive Surgery Infections: Management Strategies

Infectious keratitis after keratorefractive surgery, although extremely rare, has the potential to be sight-threatening. Key to the management of post-operative bacterial and fungal keratitis is early diagnosis, identification of the causative organism with scrapings, irrigation with clinically appropriate antimicrobials, and subsequent topical antimicrobial drop administration. In non-responsive cases, confocal microscopy or polymerase chain reaction may aid in the identification of the causative organism to guide antimicrobial management.
Role of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis-Induced Necrotic Cell Death of Macrophages in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Dissertation

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, can manipulate host cell death pathways as virulent strains inhibit apoptosis to protect its replication niche and induce necrosis as a mechanism of escape. In vitro studies revealed that similar to lytic viruses, M. tuberculosis has the ability to induce cytolysis in macrophages when it reaches an intracellular burden of ~25 bacilli. Base on this finding, we proposed the burst size hypothesis that states when M. tuberculosis invades a macrophage at a low multiplicity of infection it replicates to a burst size triggering necrosis to escape the cell and infect naive nearby phagocytes, propagating the spread of infection. The first part of this study investigated if the in vitro observations of M. tuberculosis cytolysis were relevant to cell death of infected phagocytes during pulmonary tuberculosis in vivo. Mice infected with a low dose of M. tuberculosis revealed during TB disease, the major host cell shifted from one type of phagocyte to another. Enumeration of intracellular bacilli from infected lung cells revealed the predictions of the hypothesis were confirmed by the distribution of bacillary loads across the population of infected phagocytes. Heavily burdened cells appeared nonviable sharing distinctive features similar to infected macrophages from in vitro studies. Collectively, the data indicates that M. tuberculosis triggers necrosis in mononuclear cells when its number reaches the threshold burst size. The previous study showed during the period of logarithmic bacterial expansion, neutrophils were the primary host cell for M. tuberculosis coinciding with the timeframe of the highest rate of burst size necrosis. The second part of this study examined this link
Studying RNA Folding Using Site-Directed Spin Labeling

The method of site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) uses electron ­paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to monitor behaviors of a stable nitroxide radical attached at specific sites within an RNA or other biomacromolecules. Parameters obtained from EPR measurements, such as inter-nitroxide distances and descriptions of rotational motions of a nitroxide, can provide unique information on the local environment of the macromolecule. The SDSL strategy is capable of studying high-molecular-weight systems under physiological conditions. It serves as a unique biophysical tool for monitoring site-specific structural and dynamic features of RNA. This chapter summarizes the use of SDSL in mapping RNA conformations as well as in investigating conformational transitions during RNA folding.
LWR Core Materials

The key component of the fission reactor core is the fuel pellet. The other core materials are used either for structural support or for nuclear control, and both their amounts and their geometries are carefully controlled to ensure maximum efficiency of the fission reaction. Experience with LWR cores is extensive and has been widely published in several important meeting proceedings.(1–3) Early problems with fuel rods such as hydriding, clad collapsing, and unanticipated growth and fretting, which were mainly caused by inadequate design or manufacturing, have been eliminated. In this chapter, therefore, the intent is to focus on those material limitations that are under current study, and to only briefly summarize past developments.
Clintonism and the Legacy of 'New Democrat' Family Policy

This paper assesses the legacy of President Clinton's family policy from the perspective of what it suggests about New Democrat, or Third Way politics, associated with such organizations such as the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and the Progressive Policy Institute. In his 1992 campaign, Clinton elaborated a new social contract, or new covenant, of mutual responsibility: government should afford opportunity to people, who, in return, should take responsibility and adhere to such core values as work, family, and personal responsibility. This rhetorical appeal to values was a successful attempt, by Democratic politicians, to attract voters around themes of values and family - such that they were not the domain only of the Republicans. What is the legacy of Clintonism as it bears on linking family values to family policy? How did candidate Clinton's campaign pledges about a New Covenant for families, pairing opportunity and responsibility, translate into family policies during the two terms of Clinton's presidency? To evaluate President Clinton's family policy, and how it drew on these themes, I focus on three significant pieces of legislation that he signed: the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, and the Defense of Marriage Act. Family leave and welfare reform featured prominently in Clinton's New Covenant. By contrast, Clinton did not campaign for the Defense of Marriage Act, and the bill seemed, on one view, to be at odds with the New Covenant's commitment to address discrimination against gay man and lesbians. But Clinton defended his signing of DOMA as consistent with his philosophy. I evaluate the symbolic and practical significance of these three laws. These laws, with their strengths and weaknesses, continue to shape often-contentious public discourse over the place of families, family values, and how best to strengthen families.
Empirical Studies in Comparative Politics

Nowhere in political science is the above statement truer than in the study of comparative politics. There have been many publications by public choice scholars, and many more by researchers who are at least sympathetic to the public choice perspective. Yet little of this work has been integrated into the main stream of comparative political science literature, and still less has made its way onto graduate readings lists.
2K-CAP (a novel bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid) decreases prostate-specific antigen and induces Go/G1 cell cycle growth arrest of prostate carcinoma cells: implications for prostate cancer intervention

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 5881 Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Reduction in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels has been proposed as an endpoint biomarker for human prostate cancer intervention. We investigated the effects of 2K-CAP, a novel derivative of tetrandrine (an active constituent of Chinese herb S. tetrandra) on PSA secretion and cell growth and proliferation in LNCaP cells, a line of hormone sensitive prostate cancer cells. Treatment of LNCaP cells with 2K-CAP resulted in significant decrease in PSA synthesis and secretion. Treatment of cells with charcoal stripped serum and 5α-dihyroxy testosterone showed that 2K-CAP treatment inhibited androgen stimulated PSA secretion and down regulation of androgen receptor levels. 2K-CAP also suppressed the growth and proliferation of LNCaP cells. These effects of 2K-CAP on inhibition of growth and proliferation were time ( 24-96h) and concentration (5-20 μM) dependent. We also show that 2K-CAP treatment inhibited growth and proliferation of LNCaP cells stimulated by androgens as well as complete Fetal Calf Serum. These results demonstrate that 2K-CAP treatment had profound effect on androgen dependent as well as growth factor stimulated growth and proliferation of prostate cancer cells. 2K-CAP treatment resulted in increase in Rip/p21 levels with no effect on p27/Kip. Cell Cycle analysis revealed that 2 K-CAP treatments increased the number of cells in Go/G1-phase of the cell cycle, consistent with G1/Go arrest. Taken together these studies demonstrate that 2K-CAP causes growth arrest of LNCaP cells by inhibiting cell cycle in Go/G1 phase, and inhibiting PSA synthesis and secretion. These results demonstrate that 2K-CAP as a potential agent for intervention of prostate cancer.
MESA: A 3-D EULERIAN HYDROCODE FOR PENETRATION MECHANICS STUDIES

We describe an explicit, finite-difference hydrocode, called MESA, and compare calculations to metal and ceramic plate impacts with spall and to Taylor cylinder tests. The MESA code was developed with support from DARPA, the Army, and the Marine Corps for use in armor/anti-armor problems primarily, but the code has been used for a number of other applications. MESA includes 2-D and 3-D Eulerian hydrodynamics, a number of material strength and fracture models, and a programmed burn high explosives model.
Accuracy Analysis of Car Body-Mounted Doppler LIDAR Technology Used to Measure Track Speed and Curvature

Modern track inspection technologies contribute to more efficient and reliable identification of track conditions including track geometry and sections requiring maintenance. Records of car body motion and rail conditions are also vital for derailment or track failure investigations. Doppler LIDAR technology is a tool with a vast array of utility in measuring speed of a moving target with a high degree of accuracy and precision, and has been proven by a Virginia Tech (VT) research team to record body motion and track curvature through car body speed characteristics. In the context of track maintenance, high sensitivity to rail surface deviations and signal fidelity at high speeds make LIDAR a desirable tool for collecting information on local curvature deviations and car body dynamic responses to such irregularities. Virginia Tech’s Railway Technologies Laboratory research team has completed extensive analysis on its Doppler LIDAR system’s ability to obtain train speed and track curvature profiles in terms of the system’s accuracy and dependency on car body motion during curve navigation. Due to the LIDAR system’s capability of providing curvature data from the speed profile, it follows that the LIDAR system also serves as a high-accuracy alternative to the geometry car’s IMU which also provides curvature data. Results show the LIDAR system records curves with a high correlation with ground truth measurements. The signal processing techniques used to reveal track curve and car body motion are reviewed to show that, indeed, the LIDAR system detects car body motion in addition to the track’s curvature profile. Results strongly suggest Doppler LIDAR serves as a high-accuracy alternative to multiple rail inspection instruments and provides useful data for the improvement of rail condition localization and mapping.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
An Injectable PEG-BSA-Coumarin-GOx Hydrogel for Fluorescence Turn-on Glucose Detection

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder, requiring vigilant monitoring of blood glucose levels. In this study, an injectable fluorescent enzymatic hydrogel was designed for rapid glucose detection. The leakage-free glucose-responsive hydrogel was constructed by the covalent linkage of a multi-arm poly-(ethylene glycol) (PEG), bovine serum albumin (BSA), glucose oxidase (GOx), and 4-(aminomethyl)-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (Coumarin-NH2). The GOx serves as glucose-recognition element and the pH-sensitive Coumarin-NH2 as a fluorescence turn-on reporter. The material properties of the fluorescent hydrogel were systematically characterized which show high elasticity with good mechanical strength. Upon the addition of glucose, the as-developed fluorescent hydrogel shows a fast response time, good sensitivity, and good reproducibility at physiological pH and ambient temperature. The glucose-sensing mechanism is based on the oxidation of the glucose by GOx that generates protons to change the local pH. Consequently, protonation of the covalently immobilized and pH-sensitive Coumarin-NH2 turns on the fluorescence of the coumarin. The fluorescence hydrogel developed holds great promise as an injectable, implantable glucose-sensing biomaterials for in vivo continuous glucose monitoring.
The effects of retirement expectations and social support on post‐retirement adjustment: A longitudinal analysis

Purpose – The aim is to examine the shifting effects of retirement expectations and social support on adjustment three and half and ten months post‐retirement.Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of this study, the authors used a survey methodology. Expectations regarding retirement and social support were used to predict three facets of satisfaction post‐retirement; life satisfaction, retirement satisfaction, and social satisfaction.Findings – Results suggested that expectations consistently and significantly predicted satisfaction early and later in retirement. Social support was only a significant antecedent of retirement satisfaction at time 2, and had a non‐significant relationship to social and life satisfaction in retirement.Practical implications – Results support the view that retirement expectations have a strong influence on retirement, life, and social satisfaction in the first year of an individual's retirement.Originality/value – The paper's findings imply that interventions designe...
INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICAL STATE OF ENDOTOXIC PREPARATIONS ON DERMAL TOXICITY

Abstract Roberson, Bob S. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) and William J. Cromartie. Influence of the physical state of endotoxic preparations on their dermal toxicity. J. Bacteriol. 84:882–887. 1962.—Studies were performed with various preparations of endotoxin from Escherichia coli to test for a possible relation between the physical state or degree of aggregation of the toxin and dermal toxicity. Endotoxic fractions were prepared by enzymatic and physical dissolution of cell walls, phenol extraction, and ether extraction. A comparison of the toxic effects of the different preparations after a single intradermal injection into rabbits demonstrated that the degree and duration of the inflammatory response was influenced significantly by the physical state of the preparation. In addition, the least active material, the aqueous ether extract, was treated so as to yield three preparations differing only in the degree of aggregation. Dermal titration of these preparations suggests that a departure from an optimal range of particle size results in a diminished capacity of endotoxin to induce the acute and protracted manifestations of dermal response.
Flow Cytofluorometric Detection of Tumor-specific Rosette-forming Cells in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Tumor-specific rosette-forming cells reactive to solubilized tumor antigens conjugated to autologous erythrocytes were quantitated by flow cytofluorometry. Leukocytes from a high frequency of the patients (greater than 70%) with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SQCC) formed rosettes to the conjugated SQCC tumor antigens but not to other histologically distinct tumor antigens (melanoma and colon carcinoma). Healthy control subjects or tumor patients with other cancers were mostly unreactive to the SQCC tumor extract [1 to 21 (5%) and 1 of 14 (7%) for controls and tumor patients, respectively]. Rosette-forming activity was observed in SQCC patients with primary cancers [22 of 30 (73%)] or in remission [5 of 6 (83%)], whereas patients with tumor recurrence were uniformly unresponsive [0 to 9 (0%)]. Tumor-specific rosette formation was mediated predominantly by monocytes, as identified by histochemical techniques and physiological properties. Rosette formation in reactive patients was abrogated by short-term culture, but the abated response could be restored by incubation with autologous serum or sera from other rosette-forming cell-positive patients. However, responsiveness of nonreactive patients with SQCC recurrence could not be constituted by rosette-forming cell-positive sera. These observations suggested the presence of tumor-reactive monocytes in a high frequency of patients with primary cancer or in remission but not in patients with recurrent disease.
Metabolism of pyridine compounds by phthalate-degrading bacteria.

Bacteria were isolated from marine sediments that grew aerobically on m-phthalate, p-phthalate, or dipicolinate (2,6-pyridine dicarboxylate [2,6-PDCA]). Strain OP-1, which grew on o-phthalate and was previously obtained from a marine source, was also studied. Intact cells of each organism demonstrated Na+-dependent oxidation of their growth substrates. Strain PCC5M grew on dipicolinate but did not metabolize m-phthalate. The phthalate degraders, however, demonstrated Na+-dependent metabolism of the appropriate PDCA analogs. 2,6-PDCA was transformed by strain CC9M when this strain was grown on m-phthalate, 2,5-PDCA was metabolized by strain PP-1 grown on p-phthalate, and 2,3-PDCA (quinolinate) was oxidized by strain OP-1 grown on o-phthalate. Spectral changes accompanying the Na+-dependent transformations of the PDCA analogs suggest the formation of hydroxylated compounds. Metabolism probably occurred via phthalate hydroxylases; this is a previously unrecognized route for the environmental transformation of pyridine compounds. Hydroxylated products may feed into known pathways for the catabolism of pyridines or be photochemically degraded because of their absorbance in the solar actinic range (wavelengths > 300 nm). The results reinforce recent evidence for the broad potential of aromatic hydroxylase systems for the destruction of pollutants.
Temperature, Salinity, and Aerial Exposure Tolerance of the Invasive Mussel, Perna viridis , in Estuarine Habitats: Implications for Spread and Competition with Native Oysters, Crassostrea virginica

Temperature, salinity, and aerial exposure tolerances of the invasive green mussel, Perna viridis, were investigated under environmentally realistic conditions to address potential competition with native oysters, Crassostrea virginica. This study demonstrated that green mussels exhibit a temperature tolerance range similar to that of its native range (13–30 °C), thereby limiting northern spread of south Florida populations. Salinity tolerances as low as 6 were observed during gradual decreases; however, acute changes resulted in low survival at salinities of 15 and below. At low salinities, even when survival was high, reductions in normal behavior (byssal production and valve closure) were observed. Green mussel survival was significantly inhibited during aerial exposure across all temperatures, and mortality synergistically increased (60–80 %) with increasing temperatures and exposure time. In contrast, oysters demonstrated ≥97 % survival over the exposure period at similar internal temperatures observed in green mussels. Internal temperatures for both species frequently exceeded 33 °C, reaching temperatures as high as 41 °C, while air temperatures averaged only 26.4 ± 1.6 °C. Our results suggest that while Florida green mussel populations exhibit relatively broad temperature and salinity ranges, their spread is limited by the available subtidal habitat, potentially sparing intertidal oyster reefs from habitat and nutrient competition.
An intercomparison study on models of sensible heat flux over partial canopy surfaces with remotely sensed surface temperature

Using remotely sensed surface temperature to estimate the sensible heat flux over partial canopy covered surfaces, one faces the problem of how the bare soil and plant foliage temperatures contributing to the radiometric surface temperature are related to the turbulent transport of sensible heat across the surface-atmosphere interface. To solve this problem, several sensible heat models, using radiometric surface temperature, have appeared in the literature. In this study, using the observational data from three interdisciplinary field experiments [the First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment (FIFE), Monsoon '90 and Washita '92, the performance of four models using average values of their parameters in predicting land surface sensible heat flux was evaluated. By analyzing the sensitivity of the models to common parameters and input variables, reasons for differences in the performances of the models and the potential to improve the agreement with observations have been ascertained. From the comparisons of modeled versus measured sensible heat flux for the different surfaces, the dual-source model in Norman et al. (1995) had the best agreement with its mean absolute percent difference (MAPD) values being similar to the observational accuracy (i.e., ∼ 20%). From the sensitivity analysis the model appears to have the greatest potential for operational applications since it requires relatively few parameters and is not very sensitive to the uncertainty in most of the model parameters. The single-source models in Kustas et al. (1989) and Troufleau et al. (1996) require accurate estimates of the surface roughness z0m and empirical relationships to account for differences between aerodynamic and radiometric temperature. Therefore, it may be difficult to improve their performance without some independent means of estimating the empirical coefficients and a reliable method for determining z0m. Estimates from the dual-source model in Lhomme et al. (1994) tend to produce the largest scatter with the observations. This may be related to the fact that the model is more sensitive to variations in most of the parameters common in dual-source models. In addition, its response to high surface-air temperature differences in the sensitivity analysis differs from all other models. Therefore, it may be more difficult to obtain reliable estimates from this model on an operational basis.
Chimeric Receptors Containing CD137 Signal Transduction Domains Mediate Enhanced Survival of T Cells and Increased Antileukemic Efficacy In Vivo

Persistence of T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has been a major barrier to use of these cells for molecularly targeted adoptive immunotherapy. To address this issue, we created a series of CARs that contain the T cell receptor-ζ (TCR-ζ) signal transduction domain with the CD28 and/or CD137 (4-1BB) intracellular domains in tandem. After short-term expansion, primary human T cells were subjected to lentiviral gene transfer, resulting in large numbers of cells with >85% CAR expression. In an immunodeficient mouse xenograft model of primary human pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, human T cells expressing anti-CD19 CARs containing CD137 exhibited the greatest antileukemic efficacy and prolonged (>6 months) survival in vivo, and were significantly more effective than cells expressing CARs containing TCR-ζ alone or CD28-ζ signaling receptors. We uncovered a previously unrecognized, antigen-independent effect of CARs expressing the CD137 cytoplasmic domain that likely contributes to the enhanced antileukemic efficacy and survival in tumor bearing mice. Furthermore, our studies revealed significant discrepancies between in vitro and in vivo surrogate measures of CAR efficacy. Together these results suggest that incorporation of the CD137 signaling domain in CARs should improve the persistence of CARs in the hematologic malignancies and hence maximize their antitumor activity.
Simulation Model for Studying Physiological Water Stress Responses of Whole Plants

(…) Simulations with the model demonstrated how the assumption of a hyperbolic dependence of photosynthetic rate on internal CO 2 concentration could lead to an increase in water use efficiency as stomates close. The model confirmed published data showing that stomatal closure induced by salinization increases the efficiency under water stress and leads to a greater C gain per irrigation cycle. Other simulations demonstrated how an increase in the volume of soil explored by unit mass of new roots could lead to greater amounts of water uptake and C gain per cycle. Interactions among these and other factors can be studied in a way that would not otherwise be possible
A microprocessor-controlled high-voltage current-comparator-based capacitance bridge

A microprocessor-controlled high-voltage current-comparator-based capacitance bridge is described. The bridge has a capacitance ratio and a dissipation factor (loss tangent) measurement range of 1/1 to 100/1 and 0 to 10%, respectively, with a resolution of 1 PPM (part per million). To accommodate capacitance ratios larger than 100/1 (up to 100000/1) and load currents of up to 1000 A, an additional range-extending two-stage current transformer is employed. The overall accuracy of the bridge including the ratio extender is better than 5 PPM in both magnitude and phase. The automatic balancing feature facilitates the use of the bridge for accurate load loss measurements of large high-voltage inductive loads, such as shunt reactors and power transformers. It allows tracking of the changes in the inductive and loss tangent balance due to power frequency fluctuations and heating effects, respectively. >
Purification of glutamate dehydrogenase isoenzymes and characterization of their substrate specificities.

Abstract Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) isoenzymes were purified from control, and ribonucleoside triphosphate (NTP)-treated peanut seedlings. GDH purification was by preparative-scale, free solution isoelectric focusing, followed by native PAGE, and the cryoelectrophoretic elution of the isoenzymes from the gel. SDS-PAGE of the purified GDH isoenzymes, followed by either silver staining of the gel, or western analysis using anti-GDH antibody, gave identical GDH polypeptide (a, α, and b) bands, thus, confirming the purity of the isoenzymes. The substrate specificities in the aminating activity of the GDH isoenzymes, or disaggregated polypeptides were determined by photometry, but the substrate specificities in the RNA synthesis activity were determined in cocktails containing 0.06–0.8 mM of each of UTP, ATP, GTP, and CTP, 0–100.0 mM NH4Cl, 0–50.0 mM α-ketoglutaratr (α-KG), 0–0.2 mM NADH, 0–10.0 mM CaCl2 5 units of DNase 1, antibiotics, and ∼5 µg pure GDH isoenzymes or polypeptides at pH 8.0, and overnight ...
The high-temperature resistivity of beryllium

Abstract The band structure of body-centered cubic beryllium is reported, both at the Hartree and exact-exchange Hartree-Fock level. There is no gap immediately above the valence band. This is consistent with the resistivity experiments by Amonenko et al. which rises sharply, but not discontinuously above the h.c.p.-to-b.c.c. phase transition at 1254°C.
REACTION OF Cp∗Ru(NO)Cl2 WITH 2,2-DICYANO-1,1-ETHYLENEDITHIOLATE (i-mnt). REDOX CHEMISTRY AND X-RAY DIFFRACTION STRUCTURE OF Cp∗Ru(NO)[S2C = C(CN)2]

Abstract The reaction of the disodium salt of 2,2-dicyano-1,1-ethylenedithiol (i-mnt) with the cyclopentadienyl compound Cp∗Ru(NO)Cl2 in methanol gives the new piano-stool compound Cp∗Ru(NO)(i-mnt), (1), in high yield. 1 has been isolated and characterized in solution by IR and NMR (1H and 13C NMR) spectroscopic methods, and the solid-state structure has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Cp∗Ru(NO)(i-mnt) crystallizes, as the CH2Cl2 solvate, in the orthorhombic space group Pbcm, a = 9.8872(6) A, b = 13.5269(8) A, c = 15.0557(8) A, V = 2013.6(2) A3, Z = 4, d calc = 1.621 g · cm−3; R = 0.0330, Rw = 0.0353 for 1068 observed reflections with I> 3[sgrave](I). The observed Ru-N-O bond angle of 168.9(7)° in the X-ray structure of 1 confirms the near linear nature of the nitrosyl linkage. The oxidation/reduction properties of 1 have been explored by cyclic voltammetry, which revealed the presence of a quasi-reversible one-electron reduction (0/1−) and an irreversible oxidation. A comparison of the elec...
Characterization of a deletion allele of a sorghum Myb gene yellow seed1 showing loss of 3-deoxyflavonoids

Abstract In sorghum, 3-deoxyflavonoid pigments or phlobaphenes observed in the pericarp of mature seed are derived from flavan-4-ols through the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. We show here that phlobaphenes accumulation in pericarp, glumes and leaves is genetically linked with the functional yellow seed1 ( y1 ) gene. Molecular and genetic analysis was performed on a loss of function allele of y1 present in the line BTx623. This sorghum line does not accumulate any detectable levels of flavan-4-ols or visible phlobaphenes in pericarp, glumes and leaves. Molecular structure of the y1 [BTx623] showed a deletion of 3218 bp which removes 5′ non-coding, putative promoter, exon1, intron1, exon2, and part of the intron2 sequences. The null y1 allele designated as y1- ww ( w hite pericarp, w hite glume) is not transcribed and this results in a loss of Y1-regulated expression of structural genes needed for the biosynthesis of flavan-4-ols. Further LC–MS analysis of seed extracts of a functional y1 allele detected the presence of positively charged compounds known as 3-deoxyanthocyanidins. Compounds identified were apigeninidin, luteolinidin, and a methoxylated derivative of apigeninidin. These compounds were not detected in BTx623 seed extracts. Previous studies have shown that 3-deoxyanthocyanidins are induced in sorghum leaves challenged with Colletotrichum sublineolum , a fungus that causes anthracnose in sorghum. Our results now provide an evidence for a common flavonoid pathway that may lead to the biosynthesis of flavan-4-ols and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in sorghum.
P2 purinergic receptors signal to STAT3 in astrocytes: Difference in STAT3 responses to P2Y and P2X receptor activation

Extracellular ATP, released upon tissue damage to the CNS, can evoke reactive astrogliosis. The released ATP activates P2 purinergic receptors associated with the proliferation of normally quiescent astrocytes, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been implicated in reactive astrogliosis and plays an important role in cell cycle regulation. Therefore, we investigated whether extracellular ATP and purinergic receptors regulate STAT3 signaling. Using immunoblot analysis, we found that addition of ATP to primary cultures of rat cortical astrocytes increased Ser-727 phosphorylation of STAT3 in a time-sensitive and concentration-dependent manner. ATP-stimulated Ser-727 STAT3 phosphorylation was mediated through P2 receptor activation since suramin, an antagonist of P2 receptors, diminished this response, whereas 8-(para-sulfo-phenyl)-theophylline (8PSTP), an antagonist of P1 receptors, did not. We found that UTP, an agonist of P2Y(2/4/6) receptors, stimulated rapid and robust phosphorylation of Ser727-STAT3, whereas BzATP, an agonist for P2X receptors, exhibited a delayed and weaker response. In contrast, both P2Y and P2X agonists stimulated phosphorylation of Tyr705-STAT3 to a similar extent. P2 receptors can couple to extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK) and we found that inhibition of ERK signaling blocked phosphorylation of Ser727-STAT3. Further characterization of the Ser727-STAT3 phosphorylation response to P2Y receptor activation supported a role for P2Y2 and P2Y4, but not P2Y6, receptors as well as a partial role for P2Y1 receptors. Because phosphorylation of Ser727-STAT3 can promote DNA transcriptional activity of cell cycle regulatory genes, the differences in phosphorylation of Ser727-STAT3 may contribute to the mechanism by which P2Y receptors promote, whereas P2X receptors inhibit, astrocyte proliferation. In support of this hypothesis, inhibition of STAT3 activation by cucurbitacin I prevented ATP-stimulated mitogenesis. We conclude that P2 receptors stimulate STAT3 activation and suggest that P2 receptor/STAT3 signaling may play an important role in astrocyte proliferation and reactive astrogliosis.