cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flexible timing of annual movements across consistently used sites by Marbled Godwits breeding in Alaska

The study of avian movement has detailed a spectrum of strategies for the timing and use of sites throughout the annual cycle, from near randomness to complete consistency. New tracking devices now permit the repeated tracking of individual animals throughout the annual cycle, detailing previously unappreciated levels of variation within migratory systems. Godwits (genus Limosa) have featured prominently in studies of avian migration, but information derived from repeated tracking of individuals is limited. The Marbled Godwit subspecies Limosa fedoa beringiae breeds on the central Alaska Peninsula, and little is known about basic aspects of its migration ecology, including the repeatability with which this population times its annual migratory movements or uses migratory and nonbreeding sites. To address these questions, we equipped 9 Marbled Godwits breeding at a site near Ugashik, Alaska, with solar-powered satellite transmitters. We tracked individuals from July, 2008 to October, 2015 and obtained repeat migratory tracks from 5 of these birds. Individuals exhibited high fidelity to breeding, nonbreeding, and migratory stopover sites across years, but in contrast to congeners that conduct consistently timed, long, nonstop migrations, beringiae Marbled Godwits exhibited low levels of individual- or population-level repeatability in the timing of migratory movements. Their relatively short migrations may enable the integration of local environmental cues, potentially facilitating individual flexibility in the timing of annual migratory movements. Curiously, if local cues ultimately drive the timing of Marbled Godwit migratory movements, the population's relatively constrained distribution during both the breeding and nonbreeding season should serve to synchronize birds if they are responding to similar cues. That our sample of Marbled Godwits nonetheless exhibited within- and between-year variation in the timing of their migratory movements suggests a complex integration of annually variable internal and external cues.
Status and Plans for Version-6 at Srt

• Highlights from April 7 Net-Meeting presentation–“Comparison of results run at JPL using different Start-up options“• Further results related to Start-up options• Comparison of JPL 2 Regression MODIS with SRT Version-5.44–SRT Version-5.44 is functionally equivalent to JPL 2 Regression MODISwith minor differences• Improved cloud parameter retrievals using SRT Version-5.44• Future plans for Version-6 at SRT
Conclusion: Re-Enchantment and Psychedelic Aesthetics

This chapter briefly concludes the book by summarizing its contents, while connecting to contemporary thought of figures such as Michael Taussig and Simon Critchley, stressing the need for more literary ways of reading. It analyzes and laments the treatment of Maria Sabina, whose work with mushrooms was exploited by psychedelic enthusiasts. It points out tensions within literary categories of ethnopoetics. It argues that blindly optimistic approaches to the benefits of psychedelics risk perpetuating the same exploitation that affected Sabina, indeed and exploitation that is deeply imprinted on a still-thriving European phantasy structure. I briefly point toward attempts at hybridity such as the work of Gloria Anzaldua and Luis Leon.
Unsupervised clustering with smoothing for detecting paratext boundaries in scanned documents

Digital humanities scholars are developing new techniques of literary study using non-consumptive processing of large collections of scanned text. A crucial step in working with such collections is to separate the main text of a work from the surrounding paratext, the content of which may distort word counts, location references, sentiment scores, and other important outputs. Simple heuristic methods have been devised, but are not accurate for some texts and some methodological needs. This study describes a method for paratext detection based on smoothed unsupervised clustering. We show that this method is more accurate than simple heuristics, especially for non-fiction works, and edited works with larger amounts of paratext. We also show that a more accurate detection of paratext boundaries improves the accuracy of subsequent text processing, as exemplified by a readability metric.
Ameliorating effects of Gö6976, a pharmacological agent that inhibits protein kinase D, on collagen-induced arthritis

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling can contribute to the pathogenesis of arthritis. Disruption of TLR signaling at early stages of arthritis might thereby provide an opportunity to halt the disease progression and ameliorate outcomes. We previously found that Go6976 inhibits TLR-mediated cytokine production in human and mouse macrophages by inhibiting TLR-dependent activation of protein kinase D1 (PKD1), and that PKD1 is essential for proinflammatory responses mediated by MyD88-dependent TLRs. In this study, we investigated whether PKD1 contributes to TLR-mediated proinflammatory responses in human synovial cells, and whether Go6976 treatment can suppress the development and progression of type II collagen (CII)-induced arthritis (CIA) in mouse. We found that TLR/IL-1R ligands induced activation of PKD1 in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS). TLR/IL-1R-induced expression of cytokines/chemokines was substantially inhibited in Go6976-treated HFLS and PKD1-knockdown HFLS. In addition, serum levels of anti-CII IgG antibodies, and the incidence and severity of arthritis after CII immunization were significantly reduced in mice treated daily with Go6976. Synergistic effects of T-cell receptor and TLR, as well as TLR alone, on spleen cell proliferation and cytokine production were significantly inhibited in the presence of Go6976. Our results suggest a possibility that ameliorating effects of Go6976 on CIA may be due to its ability to inhibit TLR/IL-1R-activated PKD1, which might play an important role in proinflammatory responses in arthritis, and that PKD1 could be a therapeutic target for inflammatory arthritis.
Polish American festivals and ethnic identity

After examining the concept of festivals as ethnic practice and the scholarship on ethnic and heritage festivals among various ethnic groups in the US, including Cajuns and Czech, Scottish and Germ...
Using to Numb the Pain: Substance Use and Abuse Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between heterosexist events, internalized homophobia, and substance use and abuse among 824 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Participants completed the Schedule for Heterosexist Events (SHE), Internalized Homophobia Scale (IHP), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST). A MANCOVA with age as a covariate and sexual orientation as a cofactor indicated there were significant differences in how lesbians, gay males, and bisexuals experienced heterosexism and internalized homophobia. In particular, gay males and lesbians reported experiencing more heterosexism than bisexuals, and gay males and bisexuals reported experiencing more internalized homophobia than lesbians. Participants who were classified as having at least one alcohol or drug use disorder were significantly more likely to have experienced heterosexism and internalized homophobia than those who were not classified as having a substance use disorder. Implications for mental health counselors, counselor educators, and researchers are noted.
The Gustatory Sensory G-Protein GNAT3 Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Progression in Mice.

Background & Aims Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) initiation and progression are accompanied by an immunosuppressive inflammatory response. Here, we evaluated the immunomodulatory role of chemosensory signaling in metaplastic tuft cells (MTCs) by analyzing the role of GNAT3, a gustatory pathway G-protein expressed by MTCs, during PDA progression. Methods Gnat3-null (Gnat3-/-) mice were crossbred with animals harboring a Cre-inducible KrasLSL-G12D/+ allele with either Ptf1aCre/+ (KC) or tamoxifen-inducible Ptf1aCreERT/+ (KCERT) mice to drive oncogenic KRAS expression in the pancreas. Ex vivo organoid conditioned medium generated from KC and Gnat3-/-;KC acinar cells was analyzed for cytokine secretion. Experimental pancreatitis was induced in KCERT and Gnat3-/-;KCERT mice to accelerate tumorigenesis, followed by analysis using mass cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing. To study PDA progression, KC and Gnat3-/-;KC mice were aged to morbidity or 52 weeks. Results Ablation of Gnat3 in KC organoids increased release of tumor-promoting cytokines in conditioned media, including CXCL1 and CXCL2. Analysis of Gnat3-/-;KCERT pancreata found altered expression of immunomodulatory genes in Cxcr2 expressing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and an increased number of granulocytic MDSCs, a subset of tumor promoting MDSCs. Importantly, expression levels of CXCL1 and CXCL2, known ligands for CXCR2, were also elevated in Gnat3-/-;KCERT pancreata. Consistent with the tumor-promoting role of MDSCs, aged Gnat3-/-;KC mice progressed more rapidly to metastatic carcinoma compared with KC controls. Conclusions Compromised gustatory sensing, achieved by Gnat3 ablation, enhanced the CXCL1/2–CXCR2 axis to alter the MDSC population and promoted the progression of metastatic PDA.
Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for Anomaly Detection in Avionics Networks

Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Variational Inference are applied in near real-time to detect anomalies in ground vehicle network traffic for a ground vehicle network. The technical approach, that utilizes the Natural Language Processing (NLP) technique to detect potential malicious attacks and network configuration issues, is described and the results of a proof of concept implementation are provided. Potential use cases for applying the technique in the aircraft and avionics domain are provided.
Multicultural Counseling Competence: A Construct in Search of Operationalization:

The work of many great scholars has proliferated a sizable body of knowledge on the construct of multicultural counseling competence. However, the construct’s operationalization remains obscured, p...
Apple powdery mildew infestation detection and mapping using high-resolution visible and multispectral aerial imaging technique

Abstract Powdery mildew (PM) in apple orchards is a critical fungal disease that considerably reduces yield, harvested fruit quality, and orchard health. Rapid detection and mapping of resulting infestation at orchard scale is a challenge with existing laborious manual scouting approaches. Therefore, this study explored the feasibility of detecting and mapping PM infestation in an apple orchard block using high-resolution visible (red-green-blue [RGB]) and multispectral imaging technique. Imaging campaigns were conducted over an experimental orchard using small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) integrated with the above optical sensors. K-means classifier trained on individual snapshots of RGB imagery had mean disease detection accuracy of 77%. Eight multispectral vegetation indices also showed significant differences (p
Granulomatous Myositis Associated With Acetylcholine Receptor Antibodies Without Clinical Myasthenia.

ABSTRACT Myasthenia gravis associated with concurrent inflammatory myopathy is a rare but well-described syndrome, most often seen in patients with thymoma. We present a case of biopsy-proven granulomatous myositis associated with positive acetylcholine receptor binding, blocking, and modulating and antistriated antibodies, without clear clinical symptoms of myasthenia gravis and in the absence of thymoma. In addition, we include rarely reported neuromuscular ultrasound findings of granulomatous myositis in a patient without sarcoidosis. Inflammatory myopathy may precede development of myasthenia gravis in myasthenia gravis associated with concurrent inflammatory myopathy, and it is important to remain vigilant for symptoms suggestive of myasthenia gravis, especially in the presence of positive myasthenia-associated antibodies.
Individual differences in addiction-like behaviors and choice between cocaine versus food in Heterogeneous Stock rats.

Recent studies reported that when given a mutually exclusive choice between cocaine and palatable food, most rats prefer the non-drug reward over cocaine. However, these studies used rat strains with limited genetic and behavioral diversity. Here, we used a unique outbred strain of rats (Heterogeneous Stock, HS) that mimic the genetic variability of humans. We first identified individual differences in addiction-like behaviors (low and high). Next, we tested choice between cocaine and palatable food using a discrete choice procedure. We characterized the individual differences using an addiction score that incorporates key features of addiction: escalated intake, highly motivated responding (progressive ratio), and responding despite adverse consequences (footshock punishment). We assessed food versus cocaine choice at different drug-free days (without pre-choice cocaine self-administration) during acquisition of cocaine self-administration or after escalation of cocaine self-administration. We also assessed drug versus food choice immediately after 1-, 2-, or 6-h cocaine self-administration. Independent of the addiction score, without pre-choice cocaine (1 or more abstinence days), HS rats strongly preferred the palatable food over cocaine, even if the food reward was delayed or its size was reduced. However, rats with high but not low addiction score modestly increased cocaine choice immediately after 1-, 2-, or 6-h cocaine self-administration. Like other strains, HS rats strongly prefer palatable food over cocaine. Individual differences in addiction score were associated with increased drug choice in the presence but not absence (abstinence) of cocaine. The HS strain may be useful in studies on mechanisms of addiction vulnerability.
Becoming what you are seeking: Building Relational Self-Awareness in emerging adults

Emerging adults are attempting to navigate a rapidly shifting and immensely complicated landscape of modern love, often without meaningful sex and relationship education. Although individually oriented relationship education programs for emerging adults make a difference in the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of the recipients (Simpson et al., Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2018, 47, 477) and most emerging adults report they yearn for relationship education (Weissbourd et al., The talk: How adults can promote young people's healthy relationships and prevent misogyny and sexual harassment, 2017), these programs are not widely available. Educators who are working with emerging adults in a classroom or psychoeducational setting are well-positioned to help emerging adults identify and enact healthy and purposeful relational and sexual choices. The first part of the paper orients readers to the "topography" of the modern love landscape by describing four macro cultural themes that impact the intimate lives of emerging adults. The second part of the paper introduces relationship educators to Relational Self-Awareness (Solomon, Loving Bravely: 20 lessons of self-discovery to help you get the love you want, New Harbinger, 2017), an integrative approach to helping emerging adults understand the self-in-relationship. Each of the five pillars of Relational Self-Awareness is defined and operationalized, and specific recommendations are provided for how educators can integrate these pillars into their existing curricula. Clinical implications and future directions are offered.
Reliability and validity of a novel cognitive self-assessment tool for patients with cancer.

Background Subjective cognitive function is an important outcome measure in oncology. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) is a quality of life (QoL) measure that includes indices of physical, emotional, social, and neurologic aspects of disease but does not measure cognitive function. This study seeks to validate a novel index of cognition derived from the FACT-Br. Methods Patients with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses (N = 214) completed neuropsychological evaluation and self-report measures. Nine FACT-Br items regarding cognition were combined to form the FACT-Br-cognitive index (CI). Reliability was evaluated by exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating FACT-Br-CI with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cognitive-8 scales. Discriminant validity was assessed by correlating FACT-Br-CI with other FACT-Br indices and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI, BAI). Exploratory analyses evaluated the impact of cognitive performance and disease variables on FACT-Br-CI. Results The FACT-Br-CI consisted of a single factor that demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.867) and strong concurrent validity, correlating strongly with PROMIS Cognitive-8 scales (r = 0.675-0.782). The relationship between the FACT-Br-CI and other FACT subscales ranged from moderate to strong (r = 0.372-0.601), as did correlations with measures of depression (BDI, r = -0.621) and anxiety (BAI, r = -0.450). Modest correlations were observed with neuropsychological measures (rs = 0.249-0.300). Conclusions The FACT-Br-CI is a reliable and valid measure of self-reported cognition. Studies that included the FACT-Br could be retrospectively analyzed to assess subjective cognitive outcomes, enriching the information from prior research. Integration of the FACT-Br-CI in routine clinical care may be an efficient method of monitoring cognition.
SU‐E‐T‐183: Clinical Quality Assurance Workflow for Dynamic Tumor Tracking Radiation Dose Delivery

Purpose: One of the most important aspects of implementation of new treatment modalities is an ‘end-to-end’ verification of the treatment process. Radiation treatment based on dynamic tracking of a tumor is highly patient-specific, therefore, special attention should be paid to quality assurance of the treatment delivery. Our goal was to design the clinical workflow that ensures accurate delivery of the planned dose using the Dynamic Target Tracking option of VeroTM (BrainLab,MHI) linac. Methods: A patient simulation is designed to include a pre-treatment session to verify whether the system can reliably track the motion of the implanted marker and build the 4D model of the target motion. The external surrogate and target motion patterns are recorded in the ExactracTM log files. In this work, a spectrum of custom marker and external surrogate motion trajectories closely resembling the patient specific motion patterns was used. 1mm thick/11mm long VisicoilTM marker was placed 15 and 20mm from the center of the spherical tissue equivalent target (centroid to centroid distance) in the 4D motion phantom (CIRSTM). 3D conformal (3 mm block margin) SBRT plans were delivered to 2 moving targets in the phantom: 1) 20mm diameter target that allows ion chamber dose measurement and 2) 25mm target that allows using film to measure CAX dose (GafchromicTM EBT3 used). The measured dose was compared to the iPlanTM TPS results using MonteCarlo algorithm (1% variance, Dose-to-water). Results: On average, film shows 98.9% pass using gamma criterion for 2% and 2mm DTA, 94.3% match for 2% and 1 mm DTA, 98% pass for 1% and 2 mm DTA however only 88% points passing for 1% and 1 mm DTA. Ion chamber measurements agreed with the calculation within 1.5%. Conclusion: The clinical QA workflow was designed for SBRT delivery using real-time tumor tracking on VeroTM linac.
Discovery of losartan, the first specific non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist.

UNLABELLED DISCOVERY OF LOSARTAN: Losartan (DuP 753, MK 954) is the first potent and selective non-peptide angiotensin II (Ang II) antagonist. The discovery of losartan followed an observation that several simple benzylimidazoles are weak Ang II antagonists. These compounds (e.g. S8307) lack potency but are orally active and selective for Ang II receptors (AT receptors). Losartan was synthesized using S8307 and other analogs of the benzylimidazoles as chemical leads. ACTION OF LOSARTAN Losartan selectively inhibits all Ang II responses that have been studied and lowers blood pressure in several animal models of renin-dependent hypertension. In animals, the antihypertensive efficacy of losartan is similar to that of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors but, unlike ACE inhibitors, losartan is a more selective inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system since it does not affect the metabolism of kinins. Compared with peptide Ang II antagonists (e.g. saralasin), losartan has significant advantages, including a long duration of action, effective oral absorption and no Ang II agonist activity. CONCLUSIONS The high selectivity and potency for AT receptors, the non-peptide structure and the oral activity of losartan represent a pharmacological breakthrough. This agent is now being used to elucidate the physiology of AT receptors and is likely to be useful in the therapeutic management of diseases in which the renin-angiotensin system is known to be involved.
Statistics of superluminal sources

The probability density that a randomly selected beamed source lies at angle θ to the line of sight is shown in Fig. 3. For reasonable values of the Lorentz factor, the Doppler boost exponent and the N(S) exponent, p(θ) peaks at a few degrees, well inside the angle for maximum apparent transverse velocity. Theoretical distributions of the apparent transverse velocity are sharply peaked near the maximum possible value, but the observed distribution is peaked at low velocities. Some of the difference is due to the inhomogeneous nature of the sample. BL Lacs have a lower average velocity than quasars. From a purely statistical point of view this might be due to their being the low-θ tail of the quasar distribution; this also would help to explain the rapid intensity variations and high continuum/line ratios. However this explanation is unlikely, because the redshift distributions are so different.
Enzymological Basis for Growth Inhibition by l-Phenylalanine in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. 29108

The pattern of allosteric control in the biosynthetic pathway for aromatic amino acids provides a basis to explain vulnerability to growth inhibition by l-phenylalanine (0.2 mM or greater) in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. 29108. We attribute growth inhibition to the hypersensitivity of 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase to feedback inhibition by l-phenylalanine. Hyperregulation of this initial enzyme of aromatic biosynthesis depletes the supply of precursors needed for biosynthesis of l-tyrosine and l-tryptophan. Consistent with this mechanism is the total reversal of phenylalanine inhibition by a combination of tyrosine and tryptophan. Inhibited cultures also contained decreased levels of phycocyanin pigments, a characteristic previously correlated with amino acid starvation in cyanobacteria. l-Phenylalanine is a potent noncompetitive inhibitor (with both substrates) of 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase, whereas l-tyrosine is a very weak inhibitor. Prephenate dehydratase also displays allosteric sensitivity to phenylalanine (inhibition) and to tyrosine (activation). Both 2-fluoro and 4-fluoro derivatives of phenylalanine were potent analog antimetabolites, and these were used in addition to l-phenylalanine as selective agents for resistant mutants. Mutants were isolated which excreted both phenylalanine and tyrosine, the consequence of an altered 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase no longer sensitive to feedback inhibition. Simultaneous insensitivity to l-tyrosine suggests that l-tyrosine acts as a weak analog mimic of l-phenylalanine at a common binding site. Prephenate dehydratase in the regulatory mutants was unaltered. Surprisingly, in view of the lack of regulation in the tyrosine branchlet of the pathway, such mutants excrete more phenylalanine than tyrosine, indicating that l-tyrosine activation dominates l-phenylalanine inhibition of prephenate dehydratase in vivo. In mutant Phe r19 the loss in allosteric sensitivity of 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase was accompanied by a threefold increase in specific activity. This could suggest that existence of a modest degree of repression control (autogenous) over 3-deoxy-d-arabinoheptulosonate synthase, although other explanations are possible. Specific activities of chorismate mutase, prephenate dehydratase, shikimate/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dehydrogenase, and arogenate/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dehydrogenase in mutant Phe r19 were identical with those of the wild type.
Device for Ensuring Continuity of Air Supplied to Carbon Dioxide Incubators for Tissue Culture

Abstract A simple device to ensure the continuity of air supplied to carbon dioxide incubators for tissue cultures is described.
The Development and Evolution of the U.S. Law of Corporate Criminal Liability

In the United States, corporate criminal liability developed in response to the industrial revolution and the rise in the scope and importance of corporate activities. This article focuses principally on federal law, which bases corporate criminal liability on the respondeat superior doctrine developed in tort law. In the federal system, the formative period for the doctrine of corporate criminal liability was the early Twentieth Century, when Congress dramatically expanded the reach of federal law, responding to the unprecedented concentration of economic power in corporations and combinations of business concerns as well as new hazards to public health and safety. Both the initial development of the doctrine and the evolution in its use reflect a utilitarian and pragmatic view of criminal law. This article describes the evolution of the practice of corporate criminal liability and sentencing, arguing that administrative responses by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Sentencing Commission have responded to widespread criticism of the existence of corporate liability as well as the breadth of the respondeat superior standard of liability. As a result of this evolution in enforcement, only a very small number of corporations are convicted, and the penalties imposed on those that are convicted are adjusted to reflect corporate culpability. Nevertheless, the broad potential for criminal liability has significant consequences for a wide range of corporate behavior. Corporations have powerful incentives to perform internal investigations, cooperate with both regulators and prosecutors, and actively pursue settlement of claims of misconduct. To avoid criminal liability, corporations also enter into deferred prosecution agreements that often require changes in corporate business practices and governance as well as monitoring to ensure compliance. The purpose of these administrative responses attempt is to reduce or eliminate the negative effects of imposing criminal liability while exploiting the law’s power to deter criminal behavior, improve corporate citizenship, and bring about beneficial structural reforms. The persistence of the doctrine of respondeat-superior-based corporate criminal liability and its limitation in practice shed light on three key aspects federal criminal law. First, the Sentencing Guidelines have served as a more limited substitute for comprehensive criminal code reform. Second, the federal justice system lacks the resources to process the vast majority of cases falling under the criminal code, and prosecutorial discretion is relied upon to select a small fraction of cases for prosecution. Finally, like corporations, all defendants receive incentives for cooperation that may effectively compel them to plead guilty and/or assist in the investigation and prosecution of others.
Zeta Pegasi: An Spb Variable Star

Broadband photometric observations of the bright star Zeta Pegasi are presented that display brightness variability of 488.2 +/- 6.6 micromag (ppm) range with a period of 22.952 +/- 0.804 hr (f approx. equals 1.04566 c/d). The variation is monosinusoidal, so the star is recommended for membership in the class of small-amplitude Slowly Pulsating B-Stars (SPB) variables oscillating in a non-radial g-mode.
Abstract 1752: Search for effective therapies for canine and human osteosarcoma using novel therapeutic agents

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor of both humans and dogs. Despite advances in treatment of other cancers, the survival rates for OS have stagnated for the past decades. Therefore, there is a great need to identify novel and effective treatments. Several classes of novel small molecules with anti-tumor activities have become available in the last few years. Among these are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) which are a class of potential anti-tumor medications that are able to inhibit kinase activity of many receptor tyrosine kinases. Another class of molecules target inhibition of the proteasome which induces cell death through various mechanisms. We hypothesized that one or more of such drugs would be effective against canine and human OS cell lines. Our preliminary data identified three TKIs (sunitinib, sorafenib, gefitinib), and a proteasome inhibitor (bortezomib) as having good growth inhibition effects in low concentrations on three canine OS cell lines (D17, Abrams, and Gracie) and two human OS cell lines (SAOS2 and U2OS) in a series of drug screening assay. We then determined the exact IC50 concentration of each drug, capable of inhibiting proliferation by 50%. The IC50 values of bortezomib range from 0.01 to 0.22 μM and the values for sorafenib were from 6 to nearly 9 μM across different cell lines tested, which were all within or close to achievable plasma concentration and tolerable levels. In addition, sunitinib, sorafenib, and bortezomib were shown to decrease cell migration ability in the wound healing assay. With the promising results from in vitro studies, these small molecule inhibitors are good candidates for further evaluation in treating human and canine OS. Citation Format: Yating Yang, Ewa Bartczak, Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan. Search for effective therapies for canine and human osteosarcoma using novel therapeutic agents. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1752. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1752
Reasoning about Systems of Physics Equations

Many problems in introductory Physics require the student to enter a system of algebraic equations as the answer. Tutoring systems must be able to understand the student's submission before they can generate useful feedback. This paper presents an approach that accepts from the student a system of equations describing the physics of the problem and checks to see if it is correct. When it is not, the student's equation set is analyzed vis-a-vis one or more correct sets of equations, known physics concepts, and algebraic transformations. During this analysis credit-blame assignment is performed to identify one of several types of errors including 1) algebraic errors, 2) one or more omitted physics concepts, 3) incorrect instances of a required physics concept, and 4) use of an inappropriate physics concept. Experimental data collected from an introductory physics class is summarized and discussed vis-a-vis other methods. Results indicate that the techniques applied are effective at localizing most errors but that more work is needed to distinguish between algebraic and conceptual errors.
Combinations of fungicide and cultural practices influence the incidence and impact of fusiform rust in slash pine plantations

Slush pine was grown in central Louisiana unrler,f?)ur levels c!f'culture with or without repeatc~d spmyings of the .sy.vten~ic ,fungicide triadimefhn ,fir protection against ,fusifi)rm rust. The eight treatment cornbinations were: (I) no,fungicide, weed control, or,fertilizer; (2) weeded; (3) weeded, applied irzorganic ,firtilizer, and bedded b<fi)replcrrlting; (4) weeded, bedded, and applied inorganic fertilizer in the sixth growing season (clel(.lcryedjkrtilizutioi~); (5) c~pplied fungicide but no weed control or,fertilizer; (6) applied fungicide and weeded; (7) czpplied ,fungicide plus treatment 3; and (8) applied fungicide plus treatment 4. Fungicide appliccrtions greatly reduced,fu.sijorm rust impact in 10-yr-old sla.sh pine stands. Fungicide treatments resulted in higher .survival, ,fewer trees with stem galls, fewer trees with gal1.s encircling 76%-100% c$' the .stem circumference, greater total volume/ac, and less volume/c~c among infected trees. The fungicide-treated trees had,fewer stem ga1l.s below 5 ft of tree height compared with untreated trees, indicating that the furzgicide treutmentprotectedpIc1nted seedlings through several growing seasons. Weed control increased fusiform rust incidence. The,fungicicle-treated plots receiving delayedfertilization yielded the most volume (3,018 ft3/ac) a$er 10 growing seasons because of high stocking and accelerated growth ji)llowing ,fertilization. South. J. Appl. For. (2):53-59.
Drug‐Induced Neuromuscular Blockade and Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia gravis is an uncommon disorder of the neuromuscular junction resulting in weakness of all striated voluntary muscles. Therapeutic advances have increased patients' age and survival. Older patients with myasthenia gravis may have additional medication needs. Numerous drugs have experimental and clinical evidence of neuromuscular blockade. A MEDLINE search of the English literature from 1966 to the present pertinent to drug-induced myasthenia gravis was performed. Additional literature was obtained from reference citations of relevant articles. Drugs with several reports of neuromuscular blockade were assessed for causality by a recognized probability scale. Prednisone was most commonly implicated as aggravating myasthenia gravis, and D-penicillamine was most commonly associated with myasthenic syndrome. The greatest frequency of drug-induced neuromuscular blockade was seen with aminoglycoside-induced postoperative respiratory depression. However, drugs most likely to impact myasthenic patients negatively are those used in the treatment of the disease. These include overuse of anticholinesterase drugs, high-dose prednisone, and anesthesia and neuromuscular blockers for thymectomy.
A squared‐variable transformation approach to nonlinear programming optimality conditions

We show that the well-known necessary and sufficient conditions for a relative maximum of a nonlinear differentiable objective function with nonnegative variables constrained by nonlinear differentiable inequalities may be derived using the classical theory of equality constrained optimization problems with unrestricted variables. To do this we transform the original inequality-constrained problem to an equivalent equality-constrained problem by means of a well-known squared-variable transformation. Our major result is to show that second order conditions must be used to obtain the Kuhn-Tucker conditions by this approach. Our nonlinear programming results are motivated by the development of some well-known linear programming results by this approach.
Metopon and two unique derivatives: affinity and selectivity for the multiple opioid receptors

Abstract 5β-Methyl-7,8-dihydromorphinone (metopon), an isomer [6a S-(6aα,9aα,10β)13a S]-1,10-methano-4-hydroxy-11-methyl 6,6a,8,9,10,11,12,13-octahydro-[1]-benzopyrano[4,3,e]isoquinoline-7-(9a H)-one (compound 1) derived from a photochemical rearrangement of 5β-methylmorphinone, and [6a S-(6aα,9aα,10β)13a S]-1,10-methano-4-hydroxy-11-methyl-6,6a,8,9, 10,11,12,13-octahydro-[1]-benzopyrano[4,3,e]-14β-(p-nitrocinnamoylamino) isoquinoline-7-(9a H)-one (compound 2) were characterized for opioid receptor affinity, selectivity and analgesic properties. In competition binding assays using bovine striatal membranes, the three compounds inhibited the binding of 0.25 nM [3H][ d -Ala2,(Me)-Phe4,Gly(ol)5]enkephalin (DAMGO), a μ-selective peptide, with IC50 values less than 5 nM. All three compounds exhibited lower affinity for δ- and κ-opioid receptors. In the mouse 55 °C warm-water tail-flick assay, both metopon and compound 1 displayed antinociception that lasted for 60 min after i.c.v. injection. Morphine sulfate, metopon and compound 1 produced 50% antinociception with i.c.v. doses of 0.83, 2.0 and 4.0 nmol, respectively. The μ-selective, irreversible opioid receptor antagonist β-funaItrexamine blocked antinociception induced by metopon and compound 1, while δ- and κ-opioid receptor selective antagonists did not effect antinociception. These findings demonstrate metopon and its isomer bound with high affinity to the μ-opioid receptor and produced antinociception through this receptor.
The Hydrometeorology of a Deforested Region of the Amazon Basin

Abstract A series of numerical simulations were performed to evaluate the capability of the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to simulate the evolution of convection in a partly deforested region of the Amazon basin during the rainy season, and to elucidate some of the complex land–atmosphere interactions taking place in that region. Overall, it is demonstrated that RAMS can simulate properly the domain-average accumulated rainfall in Rondonia, Brazil, when provided with reliable initial profiles of atmospheric relative humidity and soil moisture. It is also capable of simulating important feedbacks involving the energy partition at the ground surface and the formation of convection. In general, more water in the soil and/or the atmosphere produces more rainfall. However, these conditions affect the onset of rainfall in opposite ways; while higher atmospheric relative humidity leads to early rainfall, higher soil moisture delays its formation. As compared to stratiform clouds, which tend to cove...
Characterization of simian virus 40 DNA component II during viral DNA replication

Abstract Replicating molecules of Simian virus 40 DNA labeled during a short pulse with [ 3 H]thymidine have been fractionated by ultracentrifugation methods and the open circular form (DNA component II) has been characterized. The pulse-labeled DNA component II is a relatively small constituent (1 to 3%) of the pool of replicating molecules. Examination of the circular (18 S) and linear (16 S) strands of DNA component II by alkaline sedimentation and by degradation using exonuclease III of Escherichia coli reveals that the newly synthesized DNA is principally in the linear strand. Cleavage of pulse-labeled DNA component II by an fi + , R-factor restriction endonuclease from E. coli demonstrates that the interruption in the pulse-labeled strand is specifically located at the termination point for replication. During a chase period of 20 minutes the amount of DNA component II increases to about 6 to 8% of the total labeled viral DNA. The kinetics of formation of superhelical, DNA component I and disappearance of replicative intermediates are linear during the chase period. After several hours of continuous labeling of replicating viral DNA, the DNA component II pool consists mainly of molecules labeled in both strands with the interruption non-specifically located in either strand. These molecules probably arise by the random introduction of single-strand breaks in newly synthesized DNA component I. During short periods of continuous labeling with [ 3 H]thymidine, the ratio of DNA components I to II increases as a function of the pulse duration. These results support a model for 8V 40 DNA replication in which the open circular form is a precursor of the superhelical form.
Climate change projected fire weather sensitivity: California Santa Ana wind occurrence

[1] A new method based on global climate model pressure gradients was developed for identifying coastal high-wind fire weather conditions, such as the Santa Ana Occurrence (SAO). Application of this method for determining southern California Santa Ana wind occurrence resulted in a good correlation between derived large-scale SAOs and observed offshore winds during periods of low humidity. The projected change in the number of SAOs was analyzed using two global climate models, one a low temperature sensitivity and the other a middle-temperature sensitivity, both forced with low and high emission scenarios, for three future time periods. This initial analysis shows consistent shifts in SAO events from earlier (September–October) to later (November–December) in the season, suggesting that SAOs may significantly increase the extent of California coastal areas burned by wildfires, loss of life, and property.
Review article: Chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder: have we got the assays right?

SUMMARY Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D [calcidiol or 25(OH)D] assays are used to diagnose chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder, and to guide and monitor interventions. Unfortunately, both assays have limitations. These limitations include analytical variability because of a lack of assay standardization, different calibrators used for each kit and differences in antibody specificity. For PTH assays, this leads to variability in the assessment of fragments and differences between results among kits from different manufacturers. For vitamin D, this leads to differences in the ability to detect D2 and D3 derivatives and differences among assays. For PTH, these problems are amplified by collection and handling differences and, for vitamin D, by diurnal and seasonal variation. Understanding these limitations should help clinicians to appropriately interpret results; attempts to develop universal standards to minimize these limitations may enhance the ability of these hormone measurements to predict underlying disease states.
The effects of various approximations on electron-electron scattering calculations in QCLs

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) employ the mid- and far-infrared intersubband radiative transitions available in semiconducting heterostructures. Through the precise design and construction of these heterostructures the laser characteristics and output frequencies can be controlled. When fabricated, QCLs offer a lightweight and portable alternative to traditional laser systems which emit in this frequency range. The successful operation of these devices strongly depends on the effects of electron transport. Electron-electron scattering is an essential mechanism involved in electron transport and approximations are often made in finding the electron-electron scattering rate in order to simplify calculations. Results will be presented characterizing various effects which are sometimes ignored in calculating electron-electron scattering rates. These effects include state-blocking, electron screening, temperature dependence, as well as the inclusion of all possible transitions that can occur in three periods of the QCL active region. These effects will be presented in the context of several QCL active region designs, including those grown and fabricated at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Photonics Center.
Circulating inhibitor of LATS: a bioassay artefact.

We previously reported (1) existence of a circulating inhibitor of the long-acting thyroid stimulator [LATS] based on demonstration of LATS activity in unconcentrated immunoglobulin G [IgG] fractions prepared from LATS-negative sera of hyperthyroid patients. The present report details a variety of subsequent studies which indicate that these initial findings were occasioned by a bioassay artefact.
Controlling Bilayer Composition and Surface Wettability of Sequentially Adsorbed Multilayers of Weak Polyelectrolytes

Variations in the linear charge density of a weak polyacid brought about by controlling solution pH in a layer-by-layer sequential adsorption process were used to systematically control the layer thickness, level of layer interpenetration, and surface wettability of sequentially adsorbed layers of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(allylamine) (PAH). The thickness contributed by an individual polyion layer was found to depend primarily on the pH of the polymer's dipping solution and, within the pH range examined, was not influenced by the thickness or level of interpenetration of the previously adsorbed layer. Contact angle and methylene blue adsorption measurements revealed that the deposited layers are typically highly interpenetrated and that the deposition process is a surface charge dominated adsorption process. Using this simple molecular-level blending approach, it is possible to create surfaces with advancing water contact angles that vary from essentially zero (completely wettable surfaces) to as ...
Development of an enzyme immunoassay for the Hawaii agent of viral gastroenteritis.

Abstract The Hawaii agent is a Norwalk-like virus of acute gastroenteritis in humans which is antigenically distinct from the prototype Norwalk agent. We established a solid phase sandwich type microtiter enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for Hawaii antigen employing sera and stools from experimentally challenged volunteers as reagents. This assay detected the Hawaii agent in stools from 3 of 8 volunteers who were ill after oral challenge with the Hawaii agent, including one specimen which was positive to a dilution of 1 320 . Virus shedding occurred on days 3 to 7 after challenge. The Hawaii-positive stools did not react in the EIAs for Norwalk and Snow Mountain agent (SMA), nor did Norwalk or SMA-positive stools react in the Hawaii EIA. Human rotavirus, enteric adenovirus, feline calicivirus, and several enteroviruses also did not react in the Hawaii EIA. A blocking EIA to detect serum antibody to the Hawaii agent was also developed employing a diarrheal stool containing Hawaii as a source of antigen. Serum antibody rises were detected in 15 of 16 individuals with experimentally induced illness after challenge and in 3 of 5 individuals who remained well after challenge. The EIA for the Hawaii agent should permit epidemiologic studies of the Hawaii agent to be carried out as well as allow further characterization of the Hawaii virion.
Simultaneous determination of rotational and translational temperatures of OH/2 Pi/ in a gas discharge

A simultaneous determination of the rotational and translational temperatures of OH(2 Pi) in a water-vapor discharge is reported. These temperatures were determined by measuring the strength and line shape of the absorption lines in the 2 Pi (v = 0) - 2 Sigma(+) (v = 0) transitions of OH using a CW tunable laser. It was found that the rotational distribution was thermalized, but the corresponding rotational temperature was much lower than the translational temperature. Possible implications of these results are discussed.
Bioconjugates for tunable peptide fragmentation : Free radical initiated peptide sequencing (FRIPS)

The free radical initiator Vazo 68 is coupled to a peptide and electrosprayed into an ion trap mass spectrometer. On collisional activation, the Vazo 68−peptide conjugate generates a free radical, which can be collisionally activated to cleave the peptide backbone. Mostly z-type fragments are formed, as in CAD of other radical peptides and ECD fragmentation. We present data for the Angiotensin II−Vazo 68 conjugate and discuss possible sites of H atom abstraction from the peptide. This experimental methodology for generating peptide fragments is a useful step toward the development of a completely gas-phase approach to protein sequencing.
Bosonic operator methods for the quark model

Quark model matrix elements can be computed using bosonic operators and the holomorphic representation for the harmonic oscillator. The technique is illustrated for normal and exotic baryons for an arbitrary number of colors. The computations are much simpler than those using conventional quark model wave functions.