cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histology and Immunology of the Placenta in the Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae

The Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, is viviparous species that forms a yolk sac placenta to facilitate exchange between mother and embryo. However, very little is known about the immunological aspects of this organ in sharks. To begin to understand this, we used histology, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry to investigate the sharpnose shark placenta throughout gestation. We report the presence of lymphoid aggregates in the maternal portion of the placenta during all stages of gestation, and their increasing size and vascularity near term. Immunoglobulin is found in the maternal tissues of the placenta, but its presence in embryonic tissue and potential transfer from maternal circulation remains unclear. Placental cells resembling mammalian uterine NK cells and melanomacrophages of lower vertebrates are described for the first time. Similarities with mammalian placentae point to shared aspects in the co-evolution of reproductive and immune systems, even between two phylogenetically diverse groups in which placentation arose by convergent evolution.
Kinetics of the multi-step catalytic degradation of a polymer to its constituent subunits

The stepwise catalytic degradation of a polymer to its constituent subunits results in many molecules of polymers of shorter chain length. Using the Law of Mass Action, ordinary differential equations for each species can be obtained from the set of elementary reactions and these can be integrated to obtain species concentrations as a function of time. A special case of catalytic degradation of polymers, in which one subunit is released at each step, is examined. A mathematical dissertation on the kinetics of the series of reactions involved is presented. The solution of the set of differential equations involve tedious computations and cannot be easily adapted to the analysis of experimental data. Two additional methods of analysis are described. The first one makes use of the property that for any intermediary polymer whose initial and final concentrations are zero, the integral of its concentration with respect to time is inversely proportional to the degradation rate constant. Stepwise calculation of the rate constants can thus be obtained by determining the area under the concentration-time trajectories while the degradation rate constant of the first polymer is known. The second method makes use of the property that the maximum concentration attained by any individual intermediary polymer is inversely proportional to its degradation constant. These methods have the advantage of being simple since the degradation constants can be obtained stepwise from experimental data.
27 - Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS)

A series of studies conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) demonstrated that obsessive-compulsive symptoms were more problematic for children with SC, than for those with rheumatic carditis. The obsessive-compulsive symptoms in SC are indistinguishable from those of children with primary obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), and include contamination fears, fear of harm coming to self or others, doubting, symmetry concerns, and other obsessional worries, as well as compulsive washing, checking, ordering, arranging, and hoarding rituals. These clinical similarities as well as observations that the OCD in SC begins several weeks prior to the manifestation of the adventitious movements led to the speculation that post-streptococcal obsessive-compulsive symptoms might occur in the absence of frank chorea. Longitudinal observations of a large cohort of pediatric patients with OCD provided support for this postulate because a subgroup of patients had an acute symptom onset—an episodic course characterized by periods of complete symptom remission interrupted by abrupt, dramatic symptom exacerbations, and a close temporal relationship between these relapses and preceding Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GAS) infections. The subgroup was labeled with the acronym, “PANDAS”, to indicate the shared clinical and presumed etiopathogenic features: Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections. This chapter reviews the clinical features of the PANDAS subgroup and explores the factors postulated to participate in etiopathogenesis.
Synthesis of the cytotrienin A core via metal catalyzed C-C coupling.

A synthetic approach to the C17-benzene ansamycins via metal catalyzed C−C coupling is described. Key bond formations include direct iridium catalyzed carbonyl crotylation from the alcohol oxidation level followed by chelation-controlled Sakurai−Seyferth dienylation to form the stereotriad, which is attached to the arene via Suzuki cross-coupling. The diene-containing carboxylic acid is prepared using rhodium catalyzed acetylene-aldehyde reductive C−C coupling mediated by gaseous hydrogen. Finally, ring-closing metathesis delivers the cytotrienin core.
A foundation for competence set analysis

Abstract For each decision problem, there is a competence set consisting of knowledge, information and skills for its effective solution. How the decision-maker acquires and expands his/her competence set plays a key role in the process and quality of decision-making. This paper provides a mathematical foundation for studying competence sets, their expansion processes and stability. Time and cost functions for expansion, reachable domains, effective expansion using minimal spanning trees, random set decomposition of competence sets, marginal analysis, connectivity, metrization and stability of competence sets are some key concepts introduced.
Approximate realization and model reduction of non-minimum phase stochastic systems

This paper deals with the stochastic realization and reduction of non-minimum phase, linear time-invariant systems. Assuming that the input is non-Gaussian, stationary and white, we propose the use of 2nd- and higher-order output statistics to identify a finite-dimensional ARMA model. Both the input/output, and state space approaches are considered. We show that higher-order output cumulants are useful in estimating the AR coefficients of the minimum-phase (MP) part, and in providing us with a means for model order determination. Higher-order cumulants of the innovations are exploited to realize the all-pass (AP) part of the ARMA model.
Negative Differential Resistance in Buried-Channel $\hbox{Ge}_{x} \hbox{C}_{1 - x}$ pMOSFETs

We study the device characteristics of Si-capped GexC1-x pMOSFETs from room temperature down to 77 K. The output characteristics of these devices reveal a negative differential resistance (NDR) at temperatures below 150 K. Our measurements indicate a higher effective carrier mobility in the buried-channel GexC1-x with respect to the Si-reference sample, which suggests that the observed NDR is due to real-space transfer of hot holes from the higher mobility GexC1-x channel layer into the lower mobility Si cap layer.
The Puppet Narrator of Vanity Fair

My essay sheds new light on the perceived shortcomings of Thackeray's narrator in Vanity Fair. There exists, I maintain, a level of narratological sophistication for which Thackeray is not adequately praised, and his dramatised narrator – a character long misunderstood and often maligned – is the key to our renewed understanding. In addition to thoroughly canvassing the ‘puppet’ narrator's dramatic evolution, I examine the ways in which previous scholars have both rejected and misrepresented ‘Before the Curtain’, Thackeray's introduction to the complete novel – what I call the novel's ‘surprise beginning’.
Barium Zirconate‐Lead Titanate Ferroelectric Ceramics

Hot-pressed barium zirconate-lead titanate ceramics have been examined to determine crystal-line symmetry and dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. Barium zirconate additions to lead titanate form solid solutions with a decreasing tetragonal c/a axial ratio until at 60PbTiO3–40BaZrO3 to 75PbTiO3–25BaZrO3 the ceramics have coercive forces low enough to permit polarization. High-coercive-force piezo-electric ceramics are formed with kp up to 0.30 and d33 up to 110 × 10−12 coulombs per newton.
Risk of leakage and tissue dissemination with various contained tissue extraction (CTE) techniques: an in vitro pilot study.

Abstract Study Objective To evaluate risk of leakage and tissue dissemination associated with various contained tissue extraction (CTE) techniques. Design In vitro study (Canadian Task Force classification: II-1). Setting Academic hospital simulation laboratory. Intervention Beef tongue specimens weighing 400 to 500 g were stained using 5 mL indigo carmine dye and morcellated under laparoscopic guidance within a plastic box trainer. CTE was performed via 3 different techniques: a stitch-sealed rip-stop nylon bag and multi-port approach; a one-piece clear plastic 50 × 50-cm isolation bag and multi-port approach; or a 1-piece clear plastic 50 × 50-cm isolation bag and single-site approach. Four trials of each CTE method were performed and compared with an open morcellation control. All bags were insufflated to within 10 to 25 mmHg pressure with a standard CO 2 insufflator. Visual evidence of spilled tissue or dye was recorded, and fluid washings of the box trainer were sent for cytologic analysis. Measurements and Main Results Blue dye spill was noted in only 1 of 12 CTE trials. Spillage was visualized from a seam in 1 of the 4 stitch–sealed rip-stop nylon bags before morcellation of the specimen. The only trial in which gross tissue chips were visualized in the box trainer after morcellation was the open morcellation control. However, cytologic examination revealed muscle cells in the open morcellation washings and in the washings from the trial with dye spill. Muscle cells were not observed at cytologly in any of the other samples. Conclusion CTE did not result in any leakage or tissue dissemination with use of the single-site or multi-port approach when using a 1-piece clear plastic 50 × 50-cm isolation bag. Further studies are needed to corroborate these findings in an in vivo context and to evaluate use of alternate bag options for specimen containment.
Genetic and biochemical characterization of vaccinia virus genes D2L and D3R which encode virion structural proteins

Polyclonal antisera raised against fusion proteins containing portions of the vaccinia virus D2L and D3R proteins were prepared. Immunoprecipitation of pulse-labeled infected cell extracts and Western blot analysis demonstrated that genes D2L and D3R encode 16.9- and 27-kDa proteins, respectively. Both are synthesized late during infection and there is no evidence for proteolytic processing of either protein. Western blots of purified virus and subvirion fractions showed that D2L and D3R are virion components, residing in a detergent-insoluble fraction, containing viral core structural proteins. Trypsin sensitivity experiments suggest that each is found in an equivalent position within the virus core. Pulse-chase analysis showed that both proteins exhibit biphasic stability in which an unstable nascent component is replaced by a stable form. This observation suggests that the stable component results from the insertion of D2L and D3R into an immature core structure. The DNA sequence of four ts mutants previously mapped to genes D2L and D3R is reported. Analysis of the ability of each mutant to synthesize and process viral proteins showed that protein synthetic patterns were indistinguishable from wild type, however, three of the four mutants were defective in the processing of the major virion structural precursor, p4a. Unlike the biphasic stability observed in wild-type infected cells, D2L and D3R were totally degraded in cells infected at 40 degrees with any of the four ts mutants. Stability of the D2L and D3R proteins, in cells treated with rifampicin, is unaffected which demonstrates that a block in morphogenesis is not directly responsible for the observed instability of the mutant proteins.
Measuring the Impact of International Financial Reporting Standards on Market Performance of Publicly Traded Companies

The decision whether to require publicly traded companies to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) remains in flux. In 2008, the US Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a roadmap leading to complete acceptance of IFRS in the US. With the potential replacement of US GAAP with IFRS in the near future, understanding the impact of IFRS on corporate financial reporting is more important than ever. This study examines two factors which are critical considerations in the decision to accept or not accept IFRS in the US: How different is financial statement information derived under IFRS from information derived under US generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP); and how much incremental information value, if any, is provided by IFRS over US GAAP. The present study extends prior research by examining concurrently both differences and their impact on market performance. Findings of this study support the view that differences on financial statement results between IFRS and US GAAP are not significant, thus, supporting proponents of adoption of IFRS in the US, after which all US publicly traded companies would use IFRS and not US GAAP.
To Disclose or Not to Disclose? Status Distance and Self-Disclosure in Diverse Environments

People who are demographically different from one another face a fundamental challenge in developing high-quality relationships in organizations. We build theory about how the status differences that often accompany demographic characteristics can hinder this development through their influence on disclosure of personal information. We theorize about the construct of status distance and how, ironically, disclosure of personal information may increase status distance instead of bringing individuals closer together. Beyond status distance, we also discuss how status characteristics and identification with one's characteristics influence disclosure of status-relevant information.
Mechanistic Studies of Sansalvamide A-Amide: An Allosteric Modulator of Hsp90

Herein, we show that sansalvamide A-amide (San A-amide), a structurally unique molecule, influences a subset of cancer-related pathways involving heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). We show that San A-amide specifically binds to the N-middle domain of Hsp90 and allosterically disrupts the binding of proteins thought to interact with the Hsp90 C-terminal domain, while having no effect on an N-terminal domain client protein. This unique mechanism suggests that San A-amide is a potential tool for studying C-terminal binding proteins of Hsp90 as well as a promising lead in the development of new cancer therapeutics.
Signaling role of PDE isozymes in pathobiology of glomerular mesangial cells. Studies in vitro and in vivo.

Mesangial cells (MC) of renal glomeruli respond to immune-inflammatory injury by accelerated proliferation and generation of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM). We studied in vivo and in vitro roles of cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling in modulation of these pathobiologic processes with focus on PDE isozymes. Mitogenic synthesis of DNA in mesangial cells grown in primary culture was blocked by forskolin and dibutyryl cyAMP. Incubation of MC with PDE-3 inhibitors, cilostamide and lixazione, inhibited (>50%) mitogenesis, whereas inhibitors of PDE-4, rolipram and denbufylline, caused little or no inhibition. Conversely, inhibitors of PDE-4 suppressed generation of ROM in MC, whereas inhibitors of PDE-3 had no effect. Incubation of mesangial cells with cilostamide or with rolipram increasedin situ activity of PKA, and effects of the two inhibitors were additive. PDE inhibitors also decreased activity of mitogen-activated protein kinase. The efficacy of PDE isozyme inhibitors (IC50) to suppress mitogenesis or ROM generation paralleled IC50 for inhibition of cAMP hydrolysis by extracts from mesangial cells. Administration of lixazinone or lixazione in combination with rolipram to rats with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis induced by antithymic serum suppressed proliferation of mesangial cells and also reduced other histopathologic manifestations of the disease. Based on these observations, we propose that in MC, a cAMP pool that is hydrolyzed by PDE-3 inhibits by negative crosstalk via activation of PKA, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and mitogenesis; whereas cAMP pool linked to PDE-4 inhibits, also via activation of PKA, ROM generation in mesangial cells. Results also suggest that PDE isozyme inhibitors, in particular inhibitors of PDE-3, should be investigated for potential use for “signal transduction pharmacotherapy” of glomerulonephritis.
Colon-specific drug delivery using ethylcellulose and chitosan in the coat of compression-coated tablets.

Background: This study investigates a new means to achieve colon-specific drug delivery. Objective: This study assesses the use of chitosan and ethylcellulose in the coat of a compression-coated tablet to achieve colon-specific drug delivery. The effects of chitosan type and its level as well as the coat thickness were evaluated.Materials and methods: Caffeine-containing core tablets were prepared by direct compression. Three chitosan samples with different molecular weight and degree of deacetylation were used. Direct compression produced the finished coated tablet. The product was tested for its potential in colon-specific drug delivery by conducting release studies in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Enzymes harvested from rat cecal and colonic contents contributed to a medium to study drug release under colonic conditions.Results: Essentially no drug was released until action on the tablet by either the acidic pH or the presence of enzymes in the release medium. Chitosan type had no effect on ...
Glucocorticoid regulation of prolactin receptors in kidneys and adrenals of male rats.

Binding of PRL to specific binding sites in kidney and adrenal was shown to be time- and temperature- dependent. The binding of [l25I]iodo-PRL to kidney preparations increased with increasing amounts of membrane protein. Adrenalectomy increased concentrations of PRL receptors in the kidneys 49% above control values, whereas dexamethasone treatment reduced PRL receptors to below control levels. The latter effect was not mediated primarily through the pituitary because dexamethasone treatment of hypophysectomized rats also produced a significant decrease in specific receptor-binding from 2.85 ± 0.20%-0.74 ± 0.08%. However, the pituitary was partly responsible for maintaining PRL receptors because kidney membrane preparations from intact control rats specifically bound 9.98 ± 0.32% ovine [125]iodo-PRL after incubation, which is significantly higher than what was found in hypophysectomized rats. In the adrenals, a reduction in specific PRL binding also was observed after hypophysectomy, from 12.72 ± 0.63%-5.7...
The ethical responsibilities at issue.

No sooner than I had said "yes" to Carol last summer, I began to have some misapprehensions about what I had done. Particularly as time moved on, I became increasingly aware of new responsibilities which had fallen on me and made it difficult for me to find the time to meet the obligation I had incurred to Carol. I must apologize to her and to Dr. Hearn, who is to comment upon my remarks, for not providing, for his reflection, much opportunity to see my paper in advance. But I have other misapprehensions. One, I don't know enough about the activities of those of you engaged in research on human tissue and the kinds of problems you face. I'm afraid I cannot speak too pointedly to issues that may be on your minds, for I have not had the opportunity to educate myself in the area as much as I would have liked. Another ground of misapprehension is that I find it very difficult to speak on as specific a topic as this except from the background of ideas and assumptions which I can't readily put out before you. Now this is, I think, especially a problem for philosophers, particularly one like myself. We don't have as much of a shared background in our discipline from which we speak as you scientists do. Within the scientific community you share a great deal in your assumptions, your methodology and your points of view, which enables you to move toward greater agreement; whereas in philosophy, it's the very assumptions, and the most basic ones, that are at issue, so that we cannot enjoy that community of shared background, assumptions and points of view that people in other disciplines have. This makes it particularly difficult. I don't come to you as an ethicist to speak on the ethical problems, but as a philosopher. You now feel uncertainty about the ethical issues in your research; what the philosopher brings is uncertainty about the nature of ethical issues. So we compound the uncertainties, and that makes it all the more difficult. But there are some remarks I would like to share with you and I hope I can make what I want to say intelligible without having to present the whole of the background from which I speak. No one will deny that human tissue research, both in vivo and in vitro, has produced beneficial results, and that it promises to continue to be a productive field. But then neither would anyone deny that beneficial results could be obtained by experimentation on human subjects in many others ways which we consider to be morally proscribed. And it is not just a matter of harmful effects outweighing beneficial results, or at least not in any simple way of evaluating consequences. There are some things we morally don't do (or at least morally condemn) even though they would have (or do have) beneficial results. What we wish to explore is whether there are things done or likely to be done in human tissue research that fall into this category. The most controversial area seems to be the use of fetuses and fetal material for research purposes. My remarks will focus on some of the issues in this area. 595
The Biosynthesis of inosinic acid in transfer RNA

Biosynthesis of inosinic acid in transfer RNA in- Eschericia coli by polynucleotide modification
The Relationship of Chronic Diseases and Health Status to the Health Services Utilization of Older Americans

OBJECTIVE: To study simultaneously the relationships among chronic diseases and physical health status as they affect health services utilization of older adults. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a large, cross-sectional health interview survey, the Supplement on Aging of the 1984 National Health Interview Survey, using multiple equation methods to evaluate disease-specific impacts on physical health status, the direct impact of specific diseases on utilization of physician services and hospital care, and the indirect impact of specific diseases on utilization, mediated through physical health status. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 11,497 people aged 65 and older, representing a complex, multistage sample of the noninstitutionalized, older adult population of the United States. MEASUREMENTS: Predictor variables included specific chronic diseases (hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and atherosclerotic heart disease), self-rated health status, and total number of disabilities. Control variables included age, gender, race, education, social integration. Outcome variables were physician visits and hospital stays. MAIN RESULTS: It was shown that different diseases have different relative impacts on physical health status, probability of utilization, and amount of utilization, if any, and different chronic diseases have a different mix of direct and indirect effects on utilization. CONCLUSION: The impact of chronic disease on health services utilization in a community-dwelling population is not a simple or direct relationship. Diseases vary according to their impact on different types of utilization, their impact on the probability of any health services use versus the amount of use, and on how much their effect on utilization is mediated through health status.
A cathode-ray switch tube with 10 channels of electron multiplication

A ten-channel switch tube with five stages of electron multiplication has been developed. The advantages are low crosstalk, low beam potential, electrostatic deflection, and light weight. This tube will be used to convert wide-band information from a single channel into ten channels of information that can be transmitted over standard telephone cables in telemetering operations. Venetian-blind dynodes are used for the multiplier structure. Each channel is defined by a louver on the dynode desk. U-shaped shields are Used to minimize crosstalk. The channel length is 0.120 inch, or a total length of 1.2 inches for the ten channels. The collector system provides a method for equalizing the gain of all the channels. Operating at a 2-kv beam potential with 5-µa beam current, the tube provides 20 ma of output current, with less than 5% crosstalk to adjacent channels. The electron optics and the performance of the tube are described.
Binding Capacity of Reductively Fragmented Antibodies to the 2,4-Dinitrophenyl Group

Mild reductive cleavage of the polypeptide chains of antibodies to the 2,4-dinitrophenyl group has been carried out according to the methods of Porter and co-workers. The addition of epsilon-2,4-dinitrophenyllysine permitted almost complete retention of the antibody binding capacity upon transfer to IM propionic acid. Fractionation of the chains showed that the hapten was specifically bound to the A and not the B chains, and that about 30 percent of the B chains were bound to A in the presence of the bound hapten. The results confirm the conclusion of Porter and ca-workers that the A chain is the principal component of the antibody site, but suggest that the B chain may also contribute to the site.
Nucleosome Positioning by Human Alu Elements in Chromatin

Abstract Alu sequences are interspersed throughout the genomes of primate cells, occurring singly and in clusters around RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes. Because these repeat elements are capable of positioning nucleosomes in in vitro reconstitutes (Englander, E. W., Wolffe, A. P., and Howard, B. H. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 19565-19573), we investigated whether they also [Abstract] influence in vivo chromatin structure. When assayed collectively using consensus sequence probes and native chromatin as template, Alu family members were found to confer rotational positioning on nucleosomes or nucleosome-like particles. In particular, a 10-base pair pattern of DNase I nicking that spanned the RNA polymerase III box A promoter motif extended upstream to cover diverse 5′-flanking sequences, suggesting that Alu repeats may influence patterns of nucleosome formation over neighboring regions. Computational analysis of a set of naturally occurring Alu sequences indicated that nucleosome positioning information is intrinsic to these elements. Inasmuch as local chromatin organization influences gene expression, the capacity of Alu sequences to affect chromatin structure as demonstrated here may help to clarify some features of these elements.
Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus presenting in childhood: a case report and review of the literature

A 2-year-old African American, Hispanic boy presented with well-defined, violaceous, annular dermal plaques without scale over the upper extremities, face, lower extremities, and buttocks. The clinical presentation and laboratory studies were consistent with a diagnosis of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematous (SCLE). SCLE presenting in childhood is exceedingly rare, with only eight cases previously reported. It is important to clinically differentiate SCLE from other eruptions more common to children, such as atopic dermatitis, urticarial drug eruptions, and psoriasis vulgaris, because progression to systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) may occur. SLE needs to be closely followed. We present the first case (to our knowledge) of SCLE in a child of African American or Hispanic descent and provide a table of other documented pediatric presentations of SCLE for comparison.
Abstract 310: Identification of secreted proteins that reflect intracellular autophagy dynamics in melanoma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Autophagy, a catabolic process that maintains cellular homeostasis, is a primary therapy resistance mechanism in cancer. Emerging studies indicate that autophagy is involved in secretion through non-classical mechanisms. However, the effects of autophagy-mediated secretion on the tumor microenvironment are poorly understood. Further, while autophagy is a potential cancer therapeutic target, efforts to inhibit autophagy in clinical trials have been hampered by sub-optimal methods to quantitatively monitor tumor autophagy levels. Here, we leveraged the recent findings that autophagy is implicated in non-classical secretion to identify secreted proteins associated with autophagy in melanoma. The conditioned media of low autophagy WM793 melanoma cells was compared to its highly autophagic metastatic derivative, 1205Lu, using quantitative proteomics. These comparisons identified secreted proteins associated with high autophagy, such as IL-1β, IL-8, LIF, FAM3C, and DKK3, which have previously been implicated in tumorigenesis. These proteins were shown to be elevated in supernatants of an independent panel of high autophagy melanoma cell lines compared with low autophagy cells, suggesting a mechanistic link between autophagy level and secretion of these proteins. In addition, secretion of these proteins increased when melanoma cells with intrinsically low autophagy levels were treated with an autophagy-inducing tat-Beclin 1 peptide. Further supporting a mechanistic link, Atg7 silencing in an intrinsically high autophagy cell line resulted in significantly decreased secretion. Finally, serum collected from untreated metastatic melanoma patients with high tumor autophagy levels exhibited higher levels of these proteins than serum from low autophagy patients. These results suggest that autophagy-related secretion affects the tumor microenvironment and that measurement of extracellular autophagy-associated secreted proteins in tumors and in plasma can serve as surrogates for intracellular autophagy dynamics in tumor cells. Citation Format: Adam Akl, Xiaowei Xu, Shengfu Piao, Ravi K. Amaravadi, David W. Speicher. Identification of secreted proteins that reflect intracellular autophagy dynamics in melanoma. [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 310. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-310
Synthesis of operating procedures for complete chemical plants—III. Planning in the presence of qualitative, mixing constraints

Abstract A nonlinear planning methodology for handling qualitative mixing constraints is presented. It is intended to account for operational specifications prohibiting the mixing of two or more chemical species which form undesirable or potentially dangerous mixtures. The approach is based on the concept of the planning island and several algorithms derived from graph theory. The methodology is provably correct and all stated constraints are satisfied, thus ensuring that only feasible operating procedures are automatically synthesized. The methodology has been successfully applied to two industrial case studies: (a) the catalyst regeneration of powerforming reactors in a petroleum refinery; and (b) the planning of recovery procedures from faults in an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) plant. The synthesis of operating plans for complete chemical plants is an interesting problem and one that has many practical applications. The thrust of a computer-based planning methodology should be toward increased automation, improvement in the efficiency of planning (planning should be achieved in polynomial time, wherever possible) and guarantees that the planning methodology produces correct (feasible) plans. It is also desirable that the plans generated are optimal, or at least cost efficient in their implementation. In developing this methodology, we have addressed the first three of these considerations within a modelling framework that is easy-to-use, menu-driven and which utilizes models with which process engineers are generally familiar. There has been an implicit tradeoff between safety (correctness) and optimality. Future work should address the issue of the completeness of the methodology (i.e. if a feasible plan exists, it will be found) which can not be currently guaranteed without the exhaustive (and practically infeasible) generate-and-test approach.
Functional diversity among sensory receptors in a Drosophila olfactory circuit

The ability of an animal to detect, discriminate, and respond to odors depends on the function of its olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), which in turn depends ultimately on odorant receptors. To understand the diverse mechanisms used by an animal in olfactory coding and computation, it is essential to understand the functional diversity of its odor receptors. The larval olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster contains 21 ORNs and a comparable number of odorant receptors whose properties have been examined in only a limited way. We systematically screened them with a panel of ∼500 odorants, yielding >10,000 receptor–odorant combinations. We identify for each of 19 receptors an odorant that excites it strongly. The responses elicited by each of these odorants are analyzed in detail. The odorants elicited little cross-activation of other receptors at the test concentration; thus, low concentrations of many of these odorants in nature may be signaled by a single ORN. The receptors differed dramatically in sensitivity to their cognate odorants. The responses showed diverse temporal dynamics, with some odorants eliciting supersustained responses. An intriguing question in the field concerns the roles of different ORNs and receptors in driving behavior. We found that the cognate odorants elicited behavioral responses that varied across a broad range. Some odorants elicited strong physiological responses but weak behavioral responses or weak physiological responses but strong behavioral responses.
Role of Iron in Microbe-Host Interactions

The ability of microorganisms that would like to live in or on mammalian hosts to acquire iron is a critical determinant of the host-parasite interaction. Despite the abundance of iron, its availability to microbes is restricted by the iron-binding and transport systems of the host. The successful commensal or pathogen therefore must express effective systems to compete for its iron. The acquisition of iron is thus essential, although not sufficient, for virulence. This review examines host and microbial iron-acquisition and transport mechanisms in an attempt to stimulate the reader's interest in potential "soft spots" that may be exploited prophylactically and therapeutically.
Computer tomography, radionuclide imaging and ultrasonography in hepatic mass lesions.

Abstract The livers of 86 patients comprising this report were examined by both transmission computerized tomography (CT) and radionuclide scans (LS). Fifty-nine of them were also examined by gray-scale ultrasound (US). In a comparative study, the strengths and weaknesses of each modality were evaluated. CT demonstrated 85%,US 82%, and LS 73% of masses involving the liver. Because of better resolution and sectioning capabilities, together with stop-motion imaging, CT and US detected smaller and deeper mass lesions than did LS. However, LS was more informative in hepatocellular disorders than was US or CT. Our experience indicates that information obtained on the liver and surrounding structures by each imaging modality used here tends to be somewhat unique, and thus these procedures complement one another rather than being competitive.
Agency without autonomy: valuational agency

National minority women's defense of non-liberal minority cultures that encompass sexist customs and rules has greatly perplexed liberal theorists. Many attempted to resolve this puzzle by attributing constrained agency to such women and dismissing their defense as unreasonable. This article argues that this liberal assessment of minority women's position is philosophically indefensible and that the failure of mainstream liberalism to make sense of these women's response indicates not that these women's agency is compromised but rather that the liberal conception of agency as autonomy has limits in its cross-cultural applicability. An alternative conception of agency, valuational agency, that illuminates minority women's agency is proposed as a more plausible alternative for radically pluralistic societies.
Outcome of Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia With Second-Generation Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors After Imatinib Failure

Although imatinib revolutionized the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), recent data indicate a transformation in the treatment approach likely in the near future. For patients whose CML does not respond to standard-dose imatinib therapy, increasing the imatinib dose is a second-line option. However, high-dose imatinib is not an appropriate approach for patients experiencing drug toxicity, and there remain questions concerning the durability of responses achieved with this strategy. Alternative second-line options include the newer tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as dasatinib and nilotinib. A substantial amount of long-term data for these agents is available. Although both are potent and specific BCR-ABL TKIs, dasatinib and nilotinib exhibit unique pharmacological profiles and response patterns relative to different patient characteristics, such as disease stage and BCR-ABL mutational status. The superiority of second-generation TKIs over imatinib in newly diagnosed disease has been recognized as well. They induce high and rapid rates of cytogenetic and molecular response, with less progression to advanced forms of disease in comparison with imatinib. Several investigational agents specific for those patients with the T315I mutation remain under evaluation. The future of CML therapy may include early use of these potent agents to help more patients achieve molecular remission and potentially be a path to a CML cure.
Studies on the Lichen Parmotrema rigidum s. lat. from North and South America

In North America, the common and abundant coastal, corticolous species currently known as Parmotrema rigidum (Lynge) Hale, is shown to be morphologically distinct from the South American type and other South American representatives of the species based on both ascospore and conidial size. We describe the North American taxon as Parmotrema subrigidum Egan sp. nov., recognizing two chemical strains, one with atranorin and alectoronic acid and a second with atranorin, alectoronic, and norstictic acids.
Demystifying the Persistent Ambiguity of GIS as ‘Tool’ versus ‘Science’

Is GIS a tool or a science? The question is clearly important in the day-to-day operations of geography departments. Departments need to know if GIS is a tool that should be taught at the undergraduate level, or a science and thus a legitimate research specialty of faculty and graduate students. We summarize the debate on this question that was conducted on GIS-L electronic listserver in late 1993. In evaluating this discussion it became clear that GIS could be understood not by the two distinct positions taken by the GIS-L discussants but as three positions along a continuum ranging from tool to science. These positions attach several meanings to “doing GIS.” These are (1) GIS as tool, i.e., the use of a particular class of software, associated hardware tools, and digital geographic data in order to advance some specific purpose; (2) GIS as toolmaking, i.e., the advancement of the tool's capabilities and facilities (ease of use); and (3) the science of GIS, i.e., the analysis of the fundamental issues ra...
Reliability and consistency of dark-adapted psychophysical measures in advanced eye disease.

PURPOSE. To establish reliable vision measures allowing functional monitoring in patients with severe vision loss. METHODS. Legally blind and normally sighted subjects were enrolled in a repeated-measures study to determine the reproducibility of psychophysical vision measures under scotopic conditions. The tests included dark adaptometry, dark-adapted, full-field flash testing, and dark-adapted macular thresholds, obtained by using a perimeter with 500- and 650-nm targets. Two to five test repetitions were performed on the better eye of each subject at monthly intervals. Subject groups included retinitis pigmentosa (RP; n = 33), macular disease (MD; n = 14), optic nerve disease (ON; n = 4), diabetic retinopathy (DR; n = 5), and other retinal diseases (OR; n = 9), and normally sighted control (CTL; n = 12). RESULTS. Dark adaptometry timing yielded mean coefficients of variation for subjects across all groups that averaged approximately 20% throughout the test. For dark-adapted perimetry, the coefficients of repeatability (CR .95 ) were <7 dB (CTL), <8 dB (OR), <6 dB (ON and RP), and <15 dB (MD). Full-field flash test CR .95 by group varied from 5 to 15 dB, and most low-vision groups performed more reliably than CTL subjects. CONCLUSIONS. Dark-adapted psychophysical tests can provide reproducible vision measures in subjects with severe visual impairments, and these tests would be useful in monitoring outcomes in future clinical trials to reverse, halt, or slow vision loss. The most valuable measure of remaining vision was the dark-adapted, full-field flash test, as it produced repeatable results at all levels of vision loss and for all disease states included in this study.
Asymmetries of optokinetic nystagmus in amblyopia: the effect of selected retinal stimulation

Abstract Open loop optokinetic eye movements were measured in response to monocular nasalward and temporalward visual field movement presented at four selected retinal sites in 6 strabismic amblyopes and 4 normal observers. Stimulus sites included the central retina (10 × 10 deg), a large field (40 × 32 deg), a large peripheral field with the center (10 × 10 deg) blocked out and a hemiretinal field (15 × 32 deg) excluding the fovea. We found directional preferences of OKN in amblyopia to nasalward stimulus movement for the foveal and concentric peripheral stimuli. The results of peripheral hemiretinal optokinetic stimulation of amblyopic subjects revealed a deficient OKN slow phase response from the temporal hemiretina, particularly for temporalward stimulus movement. There was no marked asymmetry of OKN in the normal group for the concentric stimuli. A normal preference was found for nasalward and temporalward stimulus field movement imaged on the nasal and temporal hemiretinae respectively. These results are interpreted in terms of a model of cortical and subcortical pathways for OKN derived from comparative studies of cat and monkey.
Differences in mitogenic responses of murine T cells to two distinct phytohemagglutinin (PHA) subcomponents.

Two distinct mitogenic subcomponents of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) — leucoagglutinin (LA) and “purified” PHA — apparently stimulated different subpopulations of murine T cells. In the DBA/2J strain, the mitogenic responses of splenic lymphocytes to LA reached maximal levels after 24 to 36 hr exposure and almost completely disappeared by 48 hr, whereas maximal responses to PHA were maintained after 48 hr incubation. The levels of LA-responding T cells were highest in DBA/2J spleens at 5 weeks of age but markedly declined by 9 weeks of age, whereas thymic levels of LA-responding T cells reached a maximum at 9 weeks of age and remained maximal past 15 weeks of age. PHA-responding cells, in contrast, reached maximal levels in both the spleen and thymus of DBA/2J mice at 9 weeks of age. In C57BL/6J mice, splenic and thymic lymphocytes responded similarly to both components, except that the response of splenic lymphocytes to PHA reached a maximum after shorter incubation time and declined sooner than their respon...
High-frequency effects of ballistic electron transport in semiconductors

The response of a semiconductor to a high-frequency electric field is studied using a simple method of electron transport which includes both ballistic and dissipative effects. Ballistic motion appears as an inductive reactance. The significance of ballistic transport can be quantitatively expressed by the Q of the free-carrier plasma resonance. It is shown that the condition Q > 1 should hold for high-purity GaAs at low temperatures and that this condition could be verified by measurements at frequencies well below the plasma frequency.
Dolomite stoichiometric variability resulting from changing aquifer conditions, Barbados, West Indies

Abstract Electron microprobe backscatter imaging (BSI) and wavelength-dispersive spectrometric analysis (WDS) of late Pleistocene dolomite cements from southeastern Barbados indicate variability in dolomite stoichiometry occurs on a micron scale. Replacement dolomitization and formation of dolomite cements occurred in a dilute mixing zone between normal marine and meteoric phreatic waters during the initial stages of a sea-level fall, following the oxygen isotope stage 7.3 glacio-eustatic highstand. The sea-level fall resulted in a progressive change to more meteoric conditions through time. BSI documents replacement dolomitization, dolomite cementation, alternating dolomite and low-Mg calcite (LMC) cementation, and finally LMC cementation. Dolomite cements show continuous, micron-scale, growth-perpendicular zonations in BSI response (similar to cathodoluminescent banding), indicating variation in dolomite stoichiometry. WDS measurements indicate average dolomite matrix compositions of 41 mol% MgCO 3 and stoichiometrically zoned dolomite cements average 42 mol% MgCO 3 . Dolomite cement zonation likely represents variations in dolomite saturation state as a function of variable mixing proportions. In all samples studied, the latest “generation” of dolomite shows marked increases in MgCO 3 content. Latest dolomites are essentially stoichiometric, averaging 49.5 mol% MgCO 3 . These stoichiometric dolomites are commonly directly followed by blocky LMC meteoric phreatic cement (1–4 mol% MgCO 3 ), indicating they represent precipitation from the most dilute, near-meteoric waters of the mixing zone.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED LEARNING AND SATISFACTION WITH COLLEGE: An Alternative View

Student and alumni reports of learning and development during college play an important role in research on educational outcomes. An intriguing finding of this research is the positive relationship between perceived learning and satisfaction with college. While studies have documented an association between perceptions of learning and satisfaction, the nature of the relationship is not clearly defined. This study evaluates two competing models of perceived learning and satisfaction. The first model represents a true relationship between learning and satisfaction, while the second treats the relationship as an artifact of a halo effect. Data came from subjects who completed learning and satisfaction questions as seniors and again two years after graduation. Analyses revealed that treating the learning-satisfaction relationship as an artifact of a halo effect provided the best representation of the data. Although not conclusive, results suggested that educational researchers and assessment practitioners should be careful in interpreting self-reports of learning and development, particularly as they relate to satisfaction with college.