cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reproducible and accessible analysis of transposon insertion data at scale

ABSTRACT Significant progress has been made in advancing and standardizing tools for human genomic and biomedical research, yet the field of next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis for microorganisms (including multiple pathogens) remains fragmented, lacks accessible and reusable tools, is hindered by local computational resource limitations, and does not offer widely accepted standards. One of such “problem areas” is the analysis of Transposon Insertion Sequencing (TIS) data. TIS allows perturbing the entire genome of a microorganism by introducing random insertions of transposon-derived constructs. The impact of the insertions on the survival and growth provides precise information about genes affecting specific phenotypic characteristics. A wide array of tools has been developed to analyze TIS data and among the variety of options available, it is often difficult to identify which one can provide a reliable and reproducible analysis. Here we sought to understand the challenges and propose reliable practices for the analysis of TIS experiments. Using data from two recent TIS studies we have developed a series of workflows that include multiple tools for data de-multiplexing, promoter sequence identification, transposon flank alignment, and read count repartition across the genome. Particular attention was paid to quality control procedures such as the determination of the optimal tool parameters for the analysis and removal of contamination. Our work provides an assessment of the currently available tools for TIS data analysis and offers ready to use workflows that can be invoked by anyone in the world using our public Galaxy platform (https://usegalaxy.org). To lower the entry barriers we have also developed interactive tutorials explaining details of TIS data analysis procedures at https://bit.ly/gxy-tis. Importance A wide array of tools has been developed to analyze TIS data and among the variety of options available, it is often difficult to identify which one can provide a reliable and reproducible analysis. Here we sought to understand the challenges and propose reliable practices for the analysis of TIS experiments. Using data from two recent TIS studies we have developed a series of workflows that include multiple tools for data de-multiplexing, promoter sequence identification, transposon flank alignment, and read count repartition across the genome. Particular attention was paid to quality control procedures such as the determination of the optimal tool parameters for the analysis and removal of contamination. Our work democratizes the TIS data analysis by providing open workflows supported by public computational infrastructure.
Activation of MAP3K DLK and LZK in Purkinje Cells Causes Rapid and Slow Degeneration Depending on Signaling Strength

The conserved MAP3Ks Dual leucine zipper kinases can activate JNK via MKK4 or MKK7. Vertebrate DLK and LZK share similar biochemical activities and undergo auto-activation upon increased expression. Depending on cell-type and nature of insults both MAP3Ks can induce pro-regenerative, pro-apoptotic or pro-degenerative responses, although the mechanistic basis of their action is not well understood. Here, we investigated these two MAP3Ks in cerebellar Purkinje cells using loss- and gain-of function mouse models. While loss of each or both kinases does not cause discernable defects in Purkinje cells, activating DLK causes rapid death and activating LZK leads to slow degeneration. Each kinase induces JNK activation and caspase-mediated apoptosis independent of each other. Significantly, deleting CELF2, which regulates alternative splicing of Mkk7, strongly attenuates Purkinje cell degeneration induced by activation of LZK, but not DLK. Thus, controlling the activity levels of DLK and LZK is critical for neuronal survival and health.
Excessively Asian: crying, Crazy Rich Asians, and the construction of Asian American audiences

Amidst the outpouring of conversation surrounding the popular romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians (2018), a common response by Asian American audience members centered on the experience of crying at ...
Many realities, one world: Dharavi, stranded migrants, and the lockdown in India

In India a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of COVID has stranded 600 million internal migrants, laborers who move within the country from its underdeveloped regions to cities and production ...
Smart Cities and Ethical Policies: The Challenges of Public Cameras and AI

You are currently viewing an article that was in the August 2021 Good Systems Network Digest.
Toll-like receptor 4-mediated enteric glia loss is critical for the development of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of premature infants, whose pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, although activation of the Gram-negative bacterial receptor Toll-l...
Defining Innate Immune Responses to the Human Gut Microbiota from Phylum to Strain

The functional potential of the gut microbiota remains largely uncharacterized. Efforts to understand how the immune system responds to commensal organisms have been hindered by the large number of strains that comprise the human gut microbiota. We develop a screening platform to measure innate immune responses towards 277 bacterial strains isolated from the human gut microbiota. We find that innate immune responses to gut derived bacteria are as strong as responses towards pathogenic bacteria, and vary from phylum to strain. Myeloid cells differentially rely upon TLR2 or TLR4 to sense particular taxa, an observation that predicts in vivo function. These innate immune responses can be modeled using combinations of up to 8 TLR agonists. Furthermore, the immunogenicity of strains is stable over time and following transplantation into new humans. Collectively, we demonstrate a powerful high-throughput approach to determine how commensal microorganisms shape innate immune phenotypes.
The National Court of Appeals: An Idea Whose Time Has Come (Or, How We Abolished the Fifth Circuit)

We are facing a crisis of confidence in our federal courts. Polarization in the judicial selection process and partisanship in judicial decision-making have yielded a steep decline in the public’s trust of the judicial branch. In response, many have focused reform efforts towards the Supreme Court, the public approval rating of which has hit an all-time low. But as important as Supreme Court reform is, that focus misses a bigger picture. The vast majority of cases go no further than the thirteen U.S. Courts of Appeals, which suffer from the same polarization and politicization but without the same level of public scrutiny. I intend to explore in this Article whether a single, centralized intermediate federal appellate court would alleviate the problems generated by stacked, partisan regional circuits, and methods by which this reform could be accomplished.
Baker Tube Stitchless Plication

Operations for intestinal obstruction due to extensive adhesions, when the patient has already undergone numerous similar operations.
Circulating Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Prognosis and Survival: A Systematic Review

Purpose. Previous studies of survivors of breast cancer have drawn heterogeneous conclusions regarding the association between circulating biomarkers and breast cancer prognosis and survival. We sought to determine the role of circulating biomarkers in breast cancer prognosis and survival through the conduct of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods. A MEDLINE search was performed from its inception through 2014. Studies met the inclusion criteria if they: (1) included at least 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer of any age, stage, and menopausal status; (2) assessed circulating biomarkers at least one year prior to ascertaining breast cancer prognosis and survival outcomes; (3) evaluated all-cause mortality, breast cancer death, recurrence, or disease-free survival. Results. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria for systematic review. Fourteen studies were subject to meta-analysis that included a total of 11,954 breast cancer survivors. High circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP...
Comments on ‘Sensitivity of tropical‐cyclone models to the surface drag coefficient’

Some conclusions from a recent numerical modeling study regarding the potential intensity of tropical cyclones are shown to be attributable to a relatively short model integration time. Three-dimensional simulations that are long enough to allow for a quasi-steady state of maximum intensity show a result consistent with theory, i.e., that maximum intensity is inversely proportional to surface drag coefficient. An alternative hypothesis for how tropical cyclones can intensify in numerical models in the absence of surface drag is also offered.
Nowhere to Run, Nothing to Hide, or Nothing to Lose: Candidate Position-Taking in Congressional Elections

Previous research has argued that electoral incentives lead candidates to avoid discussing the key issues of the day. This paper argues that candidates frequently address issues and do so in systematic ways. We identify three variables that predict whether a candidate will address an issue and whether the candidate will take a clear stance on that issue: (i) issue salience; (ii) ideological congruence; (iii) candidate quality. This argument is tested using data collected from the campaign websites of U.S. House candidates in 2006 and 2008. We find that more candidates are willing to discuss an issue when it is salient nationally. Further, candidates are more likely to take clear positions on issues when they are ideologically aligned with their districts or if they were of low quality.
Representations of Chevalley groups in characteristic $p$

If GK is a Chevalley group over a field K of prime characteristic p, the irreducible representations of GK over K form a natural object of study. The basic results have been obtained by Steinberg [15], who showed that, if K is perfect, then each irreducible rational representation of GK over K is a tensor product of representations obtained from certain basic representations by composing them with field automorphisms. These basic representations were obtained by “integrating” the irreducible restricted representations of a restricted Lie algebra associated with the group, which had been studied earlier by Curtis [7]. The present author had obtained the main results previously for the groups SL(n, K), Sp(2n, K) by different means, involving reduction (mod p) from the characteristic 0 case [16]. In this paper we extend this method to the other types of groups, in the hope that some additional insight may be gained.
Takings, Substantive Due Process, and the Regulatory Roles of Government

As described in the Author's Note, this recently completed book is an in-depth analysis of the law of what constitutes a compensable taking and how that law relates (along with its history and rhetoric) to the law of substantive due process. While that analysis focuses primarily on so-called "regulatory takings," it also considers other forms of takings, for example, those that may occur when governmental employees cause injury to private property while engaging in tortious conduct. The book is intended to serve as a comprehensive research tool for students, lawyers, judges, land use planners, and others who may be interested in the law of compensable takings, including those who may have a special interest in its history or rhetoric, such as political scientists, economists, historians and rhetoricians. Most takings and related substantive due process decisions of the United States Supreme Court are analyzed, as are many state court decisions, many of which prove to be of far more significance than most of the Supreme Court's decisions. Indeed, except for the law of takings as it relates to utility rate regulation and rent control, nearly all the present-day law of takings, including its confused and confusing substantive due process rhetoric, have been created (or invented) by state courts. Surprisingly little is the original work of the United States Supreme Court. Of the book's ten chapters, only the book's foundation chapters, Chapters I, II, and V, accompany this abstract. Following the broad overview presented in Chapter I of the book's research, analyses, and principal conclusions, Chapter II describes in greater detail the three regulatory roles of government - prevention, redistribution, and that of encouraging the exchange or sharing of privately owned resources - that are most likely to be relevant when trying to decide whether a particular governmental regulation or its application, or any other form of governmental action or inaction constitutes a compensable taking. In terms of legal analysis, the book's two most important chapters are Chapters IV and V. Though it does not accompany this abstract, Chapter IV expands the analysis presented in Chapters I and II and demonstrates from several different perspectives how, on a principled basis, it is possible to distinguish between governmental actions or inactions that constitute compensable takings and those that do not. In most instances, that process involves using the involuntary Good Samaritan test of takings (as I have denoted it) to identify which regulatory role (or roles) the government was exercising when it adopted or applied a particular regulation or undertook other regulatory action. The resulting conclusion answers the question of whether a compensable taking has occurred. The purpose of Chapter V, the book's single most important chapter, is to demonstrate and explain how, and why, that process and test reflect so well the underlying policies of the takings clause, its language and its history of nearly eight hundred years.
Top-seeded solution crystal growth of noncentrosymmetric and polar Zn2TeMoO7 (ZTM)

Abstract A top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method was used to grow large, centimeter size, crystals of Zn2TeMoO7 (ZTM) – a noncentrosymmetric and polar material. A TeO2–MoO3 mixture in combination with the parent compound was used as a flux. The morphologies of the crystals can be controlled by different rotation speeds. Optical spectra indicate that ZTM is transparent up to 5.25 µm with a UV absorption edge of 300 nm. In addition, the refractive index along the optical x, y, and z axes was measured at different wavelengths.
Simultaneous X-ray, Optical and Radio Observations of Galactic X-ray Sources

Simultaneous observations of the X-ray source Sco X-1 are reviewed and discussed. Several conclusions can be drawn from the observations. (a) There is no correlation of the radio intensities with either the optical or X-ray intensities. (b) The X-ray intensity is high and variable only when the blue optical magnitude is brighter than 12.6–12.7. (c) There is often correlation of X-ray and optical flares, but the relationship is not one to one.
Which neuropsychological tests predict progression to Alzheimer's disease in Hispanics?

Objective: To investigate which neuropsychological tests predict eventual progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals. Although our approach was exploratory, we predicted that tests that underestimate cognitive ability in healthy aging Hispanics might not be sensitive to future cognitive decline in this cultural group. Method: We compared first-year data of 22 older adults (11 Hispanic) who were diagnosed as cognitively normal but eventually developed AD (decliners), to 60 age- and education-matched controls (27 Hispanic) who remained cognitively normal. To identify tests that may be culturally biased in our sample, we compared Hispanic with non-Hispanic controls on all tests and asked which tests were sensitive to future decline in each cultural group. Results: Compared to age-, education-, and gender-matched non-Hispanic controls, Hispanic controls obtained lower scores on tests of language, executive function, and some measures of global cognition. Consistent with our predictions, some tests identified non-Hispanic, but not Hispanic, decliners (vocabulary, semantic fluency). Contrary to our predictions, a number of tests on which Hispanics obtained lower scores than non-Hispanics nevertheless predicted eventual progression to AD in both cultural groups (e.g., Boston Naming Test [BNT], Trails A and B). Conclusions: Cross-cultural variation in test sensitivity to decline may reflect greater resistance of medium difficulty items to decline and bilingual advantages that initially protect Hispanics against some aspects of cognitive decline commonly observed in non-Hispanics with preclinical AD. These findings highlight a need for further consideration of cross-cultural differences in neuropsychological test performance and development of culturally unbiased measures.
The association between prolonged fatigue and cardiovascular disease in World War II veteran twins.

Reports of fatigue preceding cardiac events have recently been confirmed by large prospective studies. To assess for genetic confounding, we investigated prolonged fatigue and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a cohort of World War II veteran twins. We examined data from a questionnaire mailed to members of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC) World War II Twins Registry in 1998 and 1999 which included questions on demographics, medical conditions and symptoms of fatigue. Data from twins discordant for prolonged fatigue lasting a month or more were analysed using conditional logistic regression. Among 1955 twin pairs, 157 monozygotic and 174 dizygotic pairs (mean age 74 years) were discordant for prolonged fatigue. An association was found between prolonged fatigue and a history of myocardial infarction or coronary artery surgery adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, smoking, alcohol use and depression (OR [Odds Ratio]: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.3-4.0). When analyses were performed separately by zygosity, the association was slightly larger for monozygotic (OR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.2-9.1) than dizygotic twins (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 0.9-4.0). These data corroborate the association of fatigue with CVD and suggest that it is not influenced by a common genetic factor. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship and to better understand the biologic mechanisms.
Aggregate inventory behavior in large European economies

Abstract Inventory fluctuations are known to be an important propagation mechanism for U.S. business cycles. This paper compares the significance of inventory fluctuations in the U.S. with four other major industrial economies in Europe. A general model of aggregate inventory demand is specified which seeks to encompass the models presented in recent studies of inventory behavior. This model is estimated for the large European economies —United Kingdom, West Germany, France and Italy. The preferred models that result from this analysis are compared with the empirical evidence for the U.S.
The Wulff Shape of Alumina: III, Undoped Alumina

Controlled-geometry cavities were introduced into the m{100} plane of undoped sapphire substrates using photolithographic methods, and subsequently internalized by diffusion bonding the etched sapphire to an undoped high-purity polycrystalline alumina. Pore-boundary separation during growth of the sapphire seed into the polycrystal entrapped the pores within the single crystal. Pores with an equivalent spherical radius of ≈1 μm reached a quasi-equilibrium shape after prolonged anneals at 1600° and 1800°C. The introduction of mechanically induced surface defects accelerated pore shape equilibration. The Wulff shape of undoped alumina was determined by characterizing the shape and facet structure of these equilibrated internal pores using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The observed planes in the Wulff shape of undoped alumina, c(0001), r{012}, s{101}, a{110}, and p{113} planes, were consistent with those reported by Choi et al.; however, a different energy sequence is inferred. The absence of the m-plane in the Wulff shape is consistent with other experimental studies, but inconsistent with those lattice simulations that predict the m-plane to be one of the lowest energy planes in pure alumina. A comparison of Wulff shapes at 1600° and 1800°C suggests that the surface energy of undoped alumina becomes more isotropic as temperature increases.
Comparative feeding ecology of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) and fraser's dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) in the sulu sea

Frasei's and spinner dolphins are known to feed on mesopelagic prey, but their diets and feeding ecologies have not been compared in areas where they are observed together. In this study we examined the stomach contents of both species caught incidentally in a driftnet fishery for tuna in the eastern Sulu Sea. Importance of prey items was determined using the percent occurrence, percent number, and volumetric methods. Mesopelagic fishes, particularly myctophids (mainly Ceratoscopelus warmingi, Diaphus spp. and Myctophum asperum), were the most important component in the diet of spinner dolphins, whereas in Fraser's dolphins, mesopelagic cephalopods (Abraliopsis, Onychoteutbis, Histiateuthis, and Chiroteuthis), and crustaceans (Notostomos elegaus, Acanthephyra quadrispinosa, and Acanthephyra carinata) appeared to be equally important as the myctophid species. Fraser's dolphins appeared to feed preferentially on larger prey and had more diversified prey (Shannon's diversity index = 1.2) than spinner dolphins (diversity index = 0.9). Vertical distributions of the prey items summarized from published literature indicate that spinner dolphins forage in the upper 200 m and probably occasionally to as deep as 400 m, whereas Fraser's dolphins have a wider vertical foraging range, from near the surface to probably as deep as 600 m.
An asymptotically optimal nonpammetrf c statistic foe testing equality of two normal population mea1s and ¥a1xance5

A'nonparametric two-sample test is introduced which Is asymp¬totically optimal for testing the hypothesis that two samples come from identical normal populations versus the alternative that the populations are normal, but vary in the mean and/or variance. The statistic is shown to be robust when the populations arie not nor¬mal, Finite sample properties are considered and the exact criti¬cal points obtained for certain sample sizes
Long QT syndrome: diagnosis and management.

Background Long QT syndrome (LQT) is characterized by prolongation of the QT interval, causing torsade de pointes and sudden cardiac death. The LQT is a disorder of cardiac repolarization caused by alterations in the transmembrane potassium and sodium currents. Congenital LQT is a disease of transmembrane ion-channel proteins. Six genetic loci of the disease have been identified. Sporadic cases of the disease occur as a result of spontaneous mutations. The acquired causes of LQT include drugs, electrolyte imbalance, marked bradycardia, cocaine, organophosphorus compounds, subarachnoid hemorrhage, myocardial ischemia, protein sparing fasting, autonomic neuropathy, and human immunodeficiency virus disease. Methods Data on the diagnosis and management of LQT were thoroughly reviewed. Results and Conclusions The diagnosis of LQT primarily rests on clinical and electrocardiographic features and family history. The clinical presentations range from dizziness to syncope and sudden death. Genetic screening is available primarily as a research tool. Short-term treatment of LQT is aimed at preventing the recurrences of torsades and includes intravenous magnesium and potassium administration, temporary cardiac pacing, withdrawal of the offending agent, correction of electrolyte imbalance, and, rarely, intravenous isoproterenol administration. The long-term treatment is aimed at reducing the QT-interval duration and preventing the torsades and sudden death and includes use of oral β-adrenergic blockers, implantation of permanent pacemaker/cardioverter-defibrillator, and left thoracic sympathectomy. Sodium channel blockers are promising agents under investigation. Electrocardiograms are recorded for screening of family members. The data favor treating asymptomatic patients, if <40 years old at the time of diagnosis, with β-adrenergic blockers. (Am Heart J 2002;143:7-14.)
17-beta-estradiol increases expression of 52-kDa and 60-kDa SS-A/Ro autoantigens in human keratinocytes and breast cancer cell line MCF-7.

SS-A/Ro autoantibodies are detected in high frequency in patients with subacute cutaneous lupus, neonatal lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Sjogren syndromes. It has been reported that estrogen was capable of inducing cell surface expression of SS-A/Ro antigens in human keratinocytes, although the molecular forms of the antigen or antigens were not defined. In this study, we analyzed the effects of estrogen on cultured cells by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis with respect to both 52-kDa and 60-kDa SS-A/Ro autoantigens. At concentrations of 10 −8 to 10 −7 M, 17- β -estradiol induced up to a 5-foId increase of both 52-kDa and 60-kDa SS-A/Ro mRNA in human keratinocytes compared with untreated cells, 1-lormonal depletion of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 showed decreased levels of SS-A/Ro mRNA and protein, and the addition of estradiol led to an increase in SS-A/Ro expression. The estrogenic effect might be mediated through estrogen receptor and the putative estrogen response element at the 5ʹ region of both SS-A/Ro gens. If the production of autoantibodies is governed at least in part by an antigen-driven process, as has been proposed, our results linking the expression of both forms of SS-A/Ro proteins to estrogenic stimulation may help to explain the high frequency of anti-SS-A/Ro autoantibodies observed in diseases affecting predominantly females.
Natural history of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria using modern diagnostic assays

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is an uncommon, acquired disorder of blood cells caused by mutation of the phosphatidylinositol glycan class A (PIG-A) gene. The disease often manifests with haemoglobinuria, peripheral blood cytopenias, and venous thrombosis. The natural history of PNH has been documented in retrospective series; but there has only been one study that correlated the more sensitive and specific flow cytometric assays that have become available in the last decade with severe symptoms associated with PNH. In a retrospective analysis of 49 consecutive patients with PNH evaluated at Johns Hopkins, large PNH clones were associated with an increased risk for thrombosis as well as haemoglobinuria, abdominal pain, oesophageal spasm, and impotence. Of the 14 (29%) patients that developed thrombosis, nine died; six of these from complications related to thromboses. According to logistic regression modelling, for a 10% change in PNH clone size, the odds ratio for risk of thrombosis was estimated to be 1.64. No patient with or =61% PNH granulocytes manifested with thrombosis. These data not only confirm that the size of the PNH clone correlates with the risk for thrombosis, but they also suggest a correlation of PNH clone size to more symptomatic PNH.
Morphine Bioavailability from a Topical Gel Formulation in Volunteers

Abstract Although available therapies provide relief to many patients with cancer-related pain, swallowing difficulties or intestinal obstruction may preclude oral analgesic delivery in some. Topical morphine might provide an alternate delivery form but morphine bioavailability from a topical gel formulation has not been reported in humans. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study of five volunteers after they provided institutionally-approved, written, informed consent. They were admitted to the Northwestern University General Clinical Research Center twice, being randomly assigned to receive either 1mL of morphine compounded at 10mg/mL in pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO) base applied to the wrist and 1mL of normal saline administered subcutaneously, or 1mL of topical drug-free PLO base and 1mL of subcutaneous morphine, 3mg/mL, the first time and the opposite combination the second. Seventeen blood samples were collected from 5minutes to 10hours after dose administration for morphine concentration determination. Plasma samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction and morphine concentrations measured by a mass spectrometric technique with a linear range of 0.5–500ng/mL. Bioavailability of the topical formulation relative to the subcutaneous dose was to be estimated from doses and the plasma morphine concentration versus time relationships. Because morphine was seldom detected in plasma samples after topical administration and was unquantifiable when it was, the low bioavailability of topical morphine was unquantifiable. These results suggest that topical administration of morphine compounded in a PLO base for transdermal drug delivery is unlikely to provide relief of cancer-related pain.
Modified Kalish osteotomy: a simple approach to minimizing proximal dorsal stress risers.

Proximal dorsal stress risers are a potential complication to the Kalish osteotomy. The authors describe a modification to this osteotomy that is simple and effective. Since performing the wing-clip modification, there have been no observed stress risers.
Influence of ganglion age, nonneuronal cells and substratum on neurite outgrowth in culture

Abstract This study characterizes the outgrowth patterns of superior cervical ganglia (SCG) obtained from embryonic (E15), perinatal (E20–21), and adult (P35) rats when placed in culture on various substrata. Outgrowth morphology, degree of fasciculation, and outgrowth length were examined on collagen (COL), polyornithine (PO), polylysine (PL), fibronectin (FN), and nonneuronal cells (NNCs) from the ganglion. COL and FN supported extensive neuritic outgrowth; PO and PL provided poor support. Outgrowth pattern, degree of fasciculation, neurite growth rate, and the number of NNCs in the outgrowth varied considerably depending upon the COL configuration. When undiluted COL (∼5 mg/ml) was air dried, a three-dimensional loose fibrillar network was formed. Upon COL dilution or gelling undiluted COL by ammoniation, an essentially two-dimensional layer was formed. On two-dimensional COL, NNCs were able to proliferate and migrate extensively from ganglia of all ages; their presence influenced the form and extent of neurite growth. E15, E20, and P35 neurites responded differently to their endogenous NNCs. E15 neurites extended in relation to NNC surfaces and were predominantly nonfasciculated. E20 neurites became more fasciculated in the presence of NNCs that exhibited morphological and behavioral differences from those migrating from E15 ganglia. E20 neurite bundles became defasciculated when they extended into E15 outgrowth. Far fewer neurites grew from P35 explants in the presence of their NNCs. Three-dimensional COL greatly slowed NNC migration and thus allowed investigation of neurite outgrowth from ganglia of differing age in the absence of NNCs. We conclude that neuritic outgrowth patterns on varying substrata reflect not only neurite differences depending upon ganglion age but also variation in the behavior of accompanying NNCs.
Capacity Decay Mechanism of Microporous Separator-Based All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries and its Recovery

For all vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) with porous separators as membranes, convection effect is found to play a dominant role in the capacity decay of the cells over cycling by investigating the relationship between electrical performances and electrolyte compositions at both positive and negative sides. Although the concentration of total vanadium ions hardly changes at both sides over cycling, the net transfer of solutions from one side to another and thus asymmetrical valance of vanadium ions at both sides lead to the capacity fading and lower energy efficiency, which is confirmed to result from the hydraulic pressure differential at both sides of separators. In this paper, the hydraulic pressures of solutions at both sides can be in-situ monitored, and regulated by varying the gas pressures in electrolyte tanks. It is found that the capacity can be stabilized and the net transfer of solutions can be prevented by slightly tailoring the hydraulic pressure differential at both sides of separators, which, however, doesn’t work for Nafion membranes, suggesting the negligible convection factor in flow cells using Nafion membranes. Therefore, the possibility of porous separators allows long-term running for VRBs without capacity loss, highlighting a new pathway to develop membranes used inmore » VRBs.« less
Harmonic Analysis of Visual Stimuli below Fusion Frequency

Data which represent the relation between modulation amplitude and frequency of a sinusoidally modulated light stimulus for constant flicker appearance have been employed to predict characteristics of rectangular waveforms which will be of the same flicker appearance. Predictions are compared with the results of an experiment in which such rectangular waveforms were employed.
Market potential for smart growth neighbourhoods in the USA: A latent class analysis on heterogeneous preference and choice

With data from a 2011 National Association of Realtors community preference survey, we examined individualsâ preferences and the resulting market potential for smart growth neighbourhoods in the USA. Using a latent class choice model, we discovered four classes of individuals that reveal distinctive behaviours when choosing smart growth neighbourhoods, based on the interplay between aspects of community design, socioeconomic characteristics and personal attitudes. Based on these results we estimated the demand for smart growth neighbourhoods given the way they are planned and built. By linking the results of the latent class choice to a market diffusion model we were able to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed smart growth neighbourhood design in inducing less sprawling development.
The value of oxygen-carrying solutions in the operative setting, as determined by mathematical modeling.

BACKGROUND: The use of oxygen carriers (red cell [RBC] substitutes) in acute trauma and in surgery, with or without the use of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH), is being investigated. Mathematical modeling was used to assess the impact of RBC substitutes, with or without ANH, in the elective surgical setting. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Mathematical equations and computer models were developed on the basis of previously described mathematical principles, for better understanding of the potential efficacy of RBC substitutes for blood needs with or without ANH. Savings were calculated for a patient with a blood volume of 5000 mL and an initial hematocrit (Hct) of 45 or 30 percent. RESULTS: Substantial increases in the tolerable blood losses (or reduced allogeneic RBC needs) were most evident when the use of an RBC substitute to achieve severe ANH to a Hct that the patient might not otherwise have been able to tolerate was combined with the use of RBC substitutes as replacement for the surgical blood subsequently lost. However, the benefit was greatly dependent on the patient's initial Hct. For example, for a patient with a blood volume of 5000 mL and an initial Hct of 45 percent, a blood loss of approximately 2500 mL resulted in a final Hct of 28 percent without the use of an RBC substitute or ANH. In contrast, with the combined use of staged ANH with an RBC substitute and the RBC substitute for lost surgical blood, a blood loss of up to 14.5 L could be tolerated. However, in an anemic patient (blood volume 5000 mL, initial Hct 30%), a Hct of 28 percent cannot be sustained without the use of allogeneic RBCs for any of the described strategies, even when blood losses were as low as 1 L. CONCLUSION: The use of RBC substitutes has the potential to result in a substantial reduction in allogeneic RBC exposure. This benefit is essentially limited to the nonanemic patient when the use of an RBC substitute is combined with severe ANH and there is concomitant large perioperative blood loss. Anemic patients can be expected to have only limited benefit, because of an inability to sequester an adequate volume of autologous RBCs via ANH.
Tool-chip friction in machining with a large negative rake angle tool

A fundamental and quantitative analysis of the tool-chip friction helps to better understand the mechanism of chip formation and other complex phenomena in machining with a large negative rake angle tool. Built upon Lee and Shaffer's model, this paper presents an analytical slip-line approach to investigate how the negative tool rake angle and the cutting speed affect the tool-chip friction, and how the tool-chip friction further affects machining performances, such as the ratio of the cutting force to the thrust force, the chip thickness ratio, the geometry of the shear zone, and the geometry of the stagnation zone of material flow adjacent to the tool rake face. Published experimental data covering a wide range of negative tool rake angles and cutting speeds are employed to validate the analytical model. The predicted force ratio and chip thickness ratio are in good agreement with the experimental data. Different effects resulting from the positive and negative rake angles on the tool-chip friction are compared and analyzed.
NOTE ON EDITORIAL SATIRE AND PERSUASION

117 college students were either told or not told in advance the thesis of a satire ridiculing the idea that capital punishment is a deterrent to murder. Subjects were then asked whether they agreed with the statement that capital punishment is a deterrent to murder. Those not told the thesis in advance were also asked to identify which of five statements was the thesis. There may be a relationship between knowing a satire's thesis in advance and the persuasiveness of that satire. There also seems to be an association between perceiving a thesis while reading it and the satire's persuasiveness. The results tend to support those of prior studies.
Structural evidence of injury or malformation in the brains of children with congenital heart disease.

Neurological and developmental deficits are common in children with congenital heart disease (CHD). These are due to multiple factors that include the etiology of the CHD, the effects of abnormal cardiovascular function, and the possible sequelae of open heart surgery. CHD is frequently part of a multiple malformation syndrome that includes the brain. The causes of these syndromes include known or putative genetic defects. Abnormal cardiovascular function may be associated with poor brain growth, embolic infarction, cerebrovascular thrombosis, and abscess formation. Perioperative neurological complications included diffuse hypoxic-ischemic injury (particularly in neonates who undergo more than 45 to 60 minutes of hypothermic circulatory arrest), cerebral macro- and micro-emboli, dural sinus thrombosis, and cerebral hemorrhage. Neuroimaging, especially magnetic resonance imaging, is a useful prognostic instrument, can easily display gross congenital and acquired lesions, and should be performed preoperatively in addition to genetic studies. In some instances poor brain function may not be predicted unless slow head growth or microcephaly is present and thorough preoperative neurodevelopmental evaluation is encouraged.
Eating disturbance and body image: A comparison of a community sample of adult black and white women

Objective This study examined racial differences in eating disorder symptomatology in a community-based sample of middle-aged adult Black and White women and investigated predictors of body image dissatisfaction in these two different racial groups, since most research has focused on young adult White women. Method: Subjects (538 Black and White women) completed the Eating Disorder Inventory and measures of social pressures about thinness and negative attitudes about overweight. Results: Black and White women reported comparable levels of eating disturbance. However, after controlling for degree of overweight, White women had significantly greater rates of body dissatisfaction than Black women. Nonetheless, both racial groups reported considerable body image dissatisfaction and similar factors were found to predict body dissatisfaction for Black and White women. Discussion: Our data and other recent data indicate that eating disturbance occurs across a much broader age, race, and socioeconomic distribution than previously suspected. Research implications are discussed. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Encapsulation of protonated diamines in a water-soluble, chiral, supramolecular assembly allows for measurement of hydrogen-bond breaking followed by nitrogen inversion/rotation.

Amine nitrogen inversion, difficult to observe in aqueous solution, is followed in a chiral, supramolecular host molecule with purely rotational T-symmetry that reduces the local symmetry of encapsulated monoprotonated diamines and enables the observation and quantification of ΔG⧧ for the combined hydrogen-bond breaking and nitrogen inversion/rotation (NIR) process. Free energies of activation for the combined hydrogen-bond breaking and NIR process inside of the chiral assembly were determined by the NMR coalescence method. Activation parameters for ejection of the protonated amines from the assembly confirm that the NIR process responsible for the coalescence behavior occurs inside of the assembly rather than by a guest ejection/NIR/re-encapsulation mechanism. For one of the diamines, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine, the relative energy barriers for the hydrogen-bond breaking and NIR process were calculated at the G3(MP2)//B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory, and these agreed well with the experiment...
Estimating endocranial volume from the outside of the skull in Artiodactyla

Abstract A recent morphometric model that estimates endocranial volume from 3 linear dimensions taken on the outside of the braincase has increased dramatically both the number and the taxonomic breadth of fossil and extant members of the Carnivora with endocranial volume estimates. I present a similar model for the Artiodactyla, relating volume of the endocranial cavity to braincase height, width, and length. Using Akaike information criterion–based modeling methods, I derived a set of predictive equations with respect to a recent supermatrix phylogeny of the Artiodactyla. Three distinct allometric equations are reconstructed: for Bovidae, nonbovid ruminants, and nonruminant artiodactyls. This model accurately predicted endocranial volumes for artiodactyls (R2 = 0.942), and can be used to expand the available sample of fossil and extant taxa for which endocranial volume estimates exist. This will permit reconstruction of the plesiomorphic scaling of brain volume relative to body mass and testing of hyp...
Functional Murine Leukemia Virus Vectors Pseudotyped with the Visna Virus Envelope Show Expanded Visna Virus Cell Tropism

Pseudotype virus vectors serve as a powerful tool for the study of virus receptor usage and entry. We describe the development of murine leukemia virus (MuLV) particles pseudotyped with the visna virus envelope glycoprotein and encoding a green fluorescent protein reporter as a tool to study the expression of the visna virus receptor. Functional MuLV/visna virus pseudotypes were obtained when the cytoplasmic tail of the visna virus envelope TM protein was truncated to 3, 7, or 11 amino acids in length. MuLV/visna virus particles were used to transduce a panel of cell types from various organisms, including sheep, goat, human, hamster, mouse, monkey, and quail. The majority of the cells examined were susceptible to MuLV/visna pseudotype viruses, supporting the notion that the visna virus cellular receptor is a widely expressed protein found in many species. Of 16 different cell types tested, only mouse embryo fibroblast NIH 3T3 cells, hamster ovary CHO cells, and the human promonocyte cell line U937 cells were not susceptible to transduction by the pseudotyped virus. The production of functional MuLV/visna virus pseudotypes has provided a sensitive, biologically relevant system to study visna virus cell entry and envelope-receptor interactions.
Bilateral panuveitis in a patient on vemurafenib BRAF inhibitor therapy for stage IV melanoma.

PurposeTo describe a case of recurrent, bilateral panuveitis caused by the BRAF proto-oncogene inhibitor vemurafenib.MethodsCase report.ResultsA 25-year-old woman developed bilateral panuveitis and...
INTERFERON GAMMA DERIVED FROM CD4+ T CELLS IS SUFFICIENT TO MEDIATE T HELPER CELL TYPE 1 DEVELOPMENT

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) has been implicated in T helper type 1 (Th1) cell development through its ability to optimize interleukin 12 (IL-12) production from macrophages and IL-12 receptor expression on activated T cells. Various systems have suggested a role for IFN-gamma derived from the innate immune system, particularly natural killer (NK) cells, in mediating Th1 differentiation in vivo. We tested this requirement by reconstituting T cell and IFN-gamma doubly deficient mice with wild-type CD4(+) T cells and challenging the mice with pathogens that elicited either minimal or robust IL-12 in vivo (Leishmania major or Listeria monocytogenes, respectively). Th1 cells developed under both conditions, and this was unaffected by the presence or absence of IFN-gamma in non-T cells. Reconstitution with IFN-gamma-deficient CD4(+) T cells could not reestablish control over L. major, even in the presence of IFN-gamma from the NK compartment. These data demonstrate that activated T cells can maintain responsiveness to IL-12 through elaboration of endogenous IFN-gamma without requirement for an exogenous source of this cytokine.
Polymyxin Use Associated With Respiratory Arrest

The polymyxins (polymyxin B and E) are bactericidal polypeptide antibiotics first discovered in 1947 and used for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections. Renal and neurologic toxicities coupled with the increasing availability of effective alternatives led to declining use in the 1960s. The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms in the past decade has resulted in a resurgence in the use of polymyxins in critically ill patients, yet the side effects are not well known. We report two cases of respiratory arrest likely due to polymyxin B infusions in the context of a 10-fold increase in the use of polymyxin B in our institution over the past 10 years.