cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DNA sequence variation and the recombinational landscape in Drosophila pseudoobscura: a study of the second chromosome.

The relationship between rates of recombination and DNA sequence polymorphism was analyzed for the second chromosome of Drosophila pseudoobscura. We constructed integrated genetic and physical maps of this chromosome using molecular markers at 10 loci spanning most of its physical length. The total length of the map was 128.2 cM, almost twice that of the homologous chromosome arm (3R) in D. melanogaster. There appears to be very little centromeric suppression of recombination, and rates of recombination are quite uniform across most of the chromosome. Levels of sequence variation (θ W , based on the number of segregating sites) at seven loci ( tropomyosin 1, Rhodopsin 3, Rhodopsin 1, bicoid, Xanthine dehydrogenase, Myosin light chain 1 , and ribosomal protein 49 ) varied from 0.0036 to 0.0167. Generally consistent with earlier studies, the average estimate of θ W at total sites is 1.5-fold higher than that in D. melanogaster , while average θ W at silent sites is almost 3-fold higher. These estimates of variation were analyzed in the context of a background selection model under the same parameters of mutation rate and selection as have been proposed for D. melanogaster. It is likely that a significant fraction of the higher level of sequence variation in D. pseudoobscura can be explained by differences in regional rates of recombination rather than a larger species-level effective population size. However, the distribution of variation among synonymous, nonsynonymous, and noncoding sites appears to be quite different between the species, making direct comparisons of neutral variation, and hence inferences about effective population size, difficult. Tajima’s D statistics for 6 out of the 7 loci surveyed are negative, suggesting that D. pseudoobscura may have experienced a rapid population expansion in the recent past or, alternatively, that slightly deleterious mutations constitute an important component of standing variation in this species.
Quantitative profiling of in vivo-assembled RNA-protein complexes using a novel integrated proteomic approach

Identification of proteins in RNA-protein complexes is an important step toward understanding regulation of RNA-based processes. Because of the lack of appropriate methodologies, many studies have relied on the creation of in vitro assembled RNA-protein complexes using synthetic RNA and cell extracts. Such complexes may not represent authentic RNPs as they exist in living cells as synthetic RNA may not fold properly and nonspecific RNA-protein interactions can form during cell lysis and purification processes. To circumvent limitations in current approaches, we have developed a novel integrated strategy namely MS2 in vivo biotin tagged RNA affinity purification (MS2-BioTRAP) to capture bona fide in vivo-assembled RNA-protein complexes. In this method, HB-tagged bacteriophage protein MS2 and stem-loop tagged target or control RNAs are co-expressed in cells. The tight association between MS2 and the RNA stem-loop tags allows efficient HB-tag based affinity purification of authentic RNA-protein complexes. Proteins associated with target RNAs are subsequently identified and quantified using SILAC-based quantitative mass spectrometry. Here the 1.2 kb internal ribosome entry site (IRES) from lymphoid enhancer factor-1 mRNA has been used as a proof-of-principle target RNA. An IRES target was chosen because of its importance in protein translation and our limited knowledge of proteins associated with IRES function. With a conventionally translated target RNA as control, 36 IRES binding proteins have been quantitatively identified including known IRES binding factors, novel interacting proteins, translation initiation factors (eIF4A-1, eIF-2A, and eIF3g), and ribosomal subunits with known noncanonical actions (RPS19, RPS7, and RPL26). Validation studies with the small molecule eIF4A-1 inhibitor Hippuristanol shows that translation of endogenous lymphoid enhancer factor-1 mRNA is especially sensitive to eIF4A-1 activity. Our work demonstrates that MS2 in vivo biotin tagged RNA affinity purification is an effective and versatile approach that is generally applicable for other RNA-protein complexes.
Experimental imaging of separatrix splitting on DIII-D

Perturbationsintheplasmaboundaryduetotheapplicationofnon-axisymmetric n = 3fields (δB/B ∼ 10 −4 −10 −3 ) were measured in the X-point region in DIII-D by tangential imaging of extreme ultra-violet and soft x-ray emission. Vacuum-field calculations show that these perturbations take the form of lobes extending outwards from the unperturbed separatrix. These structures can be resolved in experiment by performing a differential measurement of the image for different toroidal phases of the applied perturbation. Forward modelling of the line-integrated image with a synthetic diagnostic is used to directly compare the measurement with vacuum-field calculations. Results indicate the existence of these lobes match well with the measured data. These lobes are observed to shift poloidally on the high-field side of the magnetic axis as the edge magnetic safety factor is varied, consistent with vacuum-field calculations. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)
Description and validation of a structured simulation curriculum for strabismus surgery.

Purpose To describe and validate a Web-based structured simulation curriculum of strabismus surgery for residents in training using noncadaveric eye models. Methods A pre- and posttest of cognitive skills, objective wet laboratory structured assessment of technique, and summative global evaluation form were implemented as part of a systematic ophthalmology wet lab (OWL) curriculum. Strabismus techniques were taught using a structured simulation method on noncadaveric models of eyes. Likert scale questionnaires were administered to assess the comfort level with strabismus surgery of residents before and after participation in the wet laboratory. Statistical analysis was performed using the paired t test. Results Seven residents participated in the curriculum. Average test scores improved from 65% to 91% ( P = 0.0002). Resident comfort level improved from an average score (assessed by Likert scale of 1-5) with standard deviation of 2.6 ± 1.0 to 4.3 ± 0.5 for passing scleral sutures ( P = 0.0008), of 2.6 ± 0.5 to 4.3 ± 0.5 for isolating and suturing muscles ( P = 0.00004), and of 2.7 ± 1.0 to 4.6 ± 0.5 for comfort with naming instruments ( P = 0.0007). Conclusions In this study of 7 residents, knowledge and comfort level with strabismus surgery statistically improved with a structured simulation curriculum.
Optimal shunt capacitor sizing for reduced line loading, voltage improvement and loss reduction of distribution feeders

A simple algorithm is proposed for the optimal capacitor sizing problem of distribution systems having randomly distributed concentrated loads, nonuniform wire size, and laterals. The model presented is nonlinear and includes the power flow limit of overloaded lines. The proposed method determines the near-optimum solution for the capacitor sizing problem. The method uses a quadratic programming approach. A quadratic objective function and linear constraint inequalities are used in conjunction with linear line loading inequalities. The objective function and the voltage inequalities are derived by using the bus impedance frame of reference. The derivation of the line loading inequalities is based on the distribution factors. Test results are given. >
Components for immersion

A person is immersed when they feel part of an environment they experience and influence. While virtual immersion systems are usually designed on a case by case basis, and are not easily reusable or scalable, our goal is to specify and develop a framework for the design and integration of immersive systems. We address the issues raised in the design and implementation of the middleware components necessary for immersion, in a generic, extensible, modular architecture for Integrated Media Systems we have developed for efficient generic concurrent processing of data streams. Design principles are illustrated on specific visual immersion components. Utilization of these components is demonstrated with a real-time immersive interactive application.
Genetic Changes That Correlate with Reduced Susceptibility to Daptomycin in Staphylococcus aureus

Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic with potent activity against gram-positive bacteria. Complete-genome comparisons of laboratory-derived Staphylococcus aureus with decreased susceptibility to daptomycin and their susceptible parent were used to identify genes that contribute to reduced susceptibility to daptomycin. Selective pressure of growth in sublethal concentrations of daptomycin resulted in the accumulation of mutations over time correlating with incremental decreases in susceptibility. Single point mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions occurred in three distinct proteins: MprF, a lysylphosphatidylglycerol synthetase; YycG, a histidine kinase; and RpoB and RpoC, the β and β′ subunits of RNA polymerase. Sequence analysis of mprF , yycF , yycG , rpoB , and rpoC in clinical isolates that showed treatment-emergent increases in daptomycin MICs revealed point mutations in mprF and a nucleotide insertion in yycG , suggesting a role for these genes in decreased susceptibility to daptomycin in the hospital setting.
Modeling positive experiences in human-computer interaction

Transcendence, peak experience, peak performance and flow are some of the most fundamental positive human experiences. This article explores how these experiences could be understood in human-computer interaction. A mediating concept used in the article is presence, the perceptual illusion of non-mediation in media and human-computer interaction. Positive human experiences are related to presence and implications to modeling positive experiences in human-computer interaction are discussed.
TESTING LIFE HISTORY CORRELATES OF INVASIVENESS USING CONGENERIC PLANT SPECIES

We used three congeneric annual thistles, which vary in their ability to invade California (USA) annual grasslands, to test whether invasiveness is related to differences in life history traits. We hypothesized that populations of these summer-flowering Centaurea species must pass through a demographic gauntlet of survival and reproduction in order to persist and that the most invasive species (C. solstitialis) might possess unique life history characteristics. Using the idea of a demographic gauntlet as a conceptual framework, we compared each congener in terms of (1) seed germination and seedling establishment, (2) survival of rosettes subjected to competition from annual grasses, (3) subsequent growth and flowering in adult plants, and (4) variation in breeding system. Grazing and soil disturbance is thought to affect Centaurea establishment, growth, and reproduction, so we also explored differences among congeners in their response to clipping and to different sizes of soil disturbance. We found minimal differences among congeners in either seed germination responses or seedling establishment and survival. In contrast, differential growth responses of congeners to different sizes of canopy gaps led to large differences in adult size and fecundity. Canopy-gap size and clipping affected the fecundity of each species, but the most invasive species (C. solstitialis) was unique in its strong positive response to combinations of clipping and canopy gaps. In addition, the phenology of C. solstitialis allows this species to extend its growing season into the summer—a time when competition from winter annual vegetation for soil water is minimal. Surprisingly, C. solstitialis was highly self-incompatible while the less invasive species were highly self-compatible. Our results suggest that the invasiveness of C. solstitialis arises, in part, from its combined ability to persist in competition with annual grasses and its plastic growth and reproductive responses to open, disturbed habitat patches. Corresponding Editor: D. P. C. Peters.
The liver in congestive heart failure

Abstract Hepatic abnormalities constitute common and important secondary effects of congestive heart failure. Considerable information has been accumulated on the liver in heart failure, including anatomic changes, 1–10 biochemical alterations, 11–18 and physiologic disturbances. 19 The present report is based on histologic studies of the liver correlated with clinical and biochemical findings in seventy-five patients with congestive heart failure. The investigation was undertaken to further the evaluation of the mechanism and significance of hepatic abnormalities in chronic circulatory congestion.
Co-transduction of cDNAs for c-kit and steel factor into single CD34+ cord blood cells further enhances the growth of erythroid and multipotential progenitors.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the c-kit encoded tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand, steel factor (SLF), are critical for normal blood cell development. We have reported that transduc...
Suppressed impact of nitric oxide on renal arteriolar function in rats with chronic heart failure

We performed experiments to test the hypothesis that experimental heart failure (HF) is associated with altered nitric oxide (NO)-dependent influences on the renal microvasculature, including dimin...
The MBA's Climate Change Primer

Climate change may prove to be the most important business issue of the 21st century. Every sector - from finance to energy to consumer products - will be impacted by changes in regulations, weather patterns, and commodity prices. On balance, climate change will probably have a devastating impact on ecosystems and economies - especially in the poorest parts of the world. However, important solutions exist to mitigate that impact as the global economy moves to a new energy future. The question is no longer Is there human-caused climate change? Now the questions are: 1) How intense will the impacts be? and 2) What are feasible and profitable solutions to the intensity of those impacts?
Protein turnover in skeletal muscle of suckling rats

To determine the normal changes in protein turnover of skeletal muscle in vivo during the suckling period of rats, protein synthesis was measured in soleus, plantaris, anterior tibialis, and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of 1- to 28-day-old rats using a flooding dose of L-[4-3H]phenylalanine. Protein mass of hind-limb muscles increased nearly 100-fold, and RNA increased approximately 20-fold between 1 and 28 days of age. The total amount of protein synthesized per day increased 34-fold. Fractional protein synthesis rates (Ks) decreased two- to threefold between 1 and 28 days postpartum as a result of a decrease in protein synthetic capacity (RNA/protein). Protein synthetic efficiency (total protein synthesized/RNA) increased during this period. Ks were similar among the four muscles at 1-10 days. At 16 days, Ks increased in soleus and plantaris as a result of increases in protein synthetic efficiency; Ks did not increase in anterior tibialis and EDL. These data suggest that, during the suckling period, protein synthetic capacity in skeletal muscles of rats declines, while protein synthetic efficiency increases. The increase in translational efficiency occurred earlier in weight-bearing muscles (soleus, plantaris) than in non-weight-bearing muscles (anterior tibialis and EDL) and was associated with the appearance of mobility.
The Use of Thermal Refugia by Two Small Desert Birds

The extent to which birds select specific microsites during their diurnal activity and the thermal consequences of microsite selection during the day has received scant attention (DeWoskin 1980; Walsberg 1985, 1993; Weathers and Sullivan 1989). Most research has focused on microsite selection and the physiological consequences of occupancy of specific sites such as nocturnal roosts or nest sites (Walsberg 1985). Diurnal microsite selection based on thermal constraints may have important effects on other daily activities such as foraging, social behavior, reproduction and the avoidance of predators. Observations of the curtailment of these activities due to thermally imposed physiological constraints is thus important to understanding the behavioral ecology of birds in desert environments. The general problems presented by terrestrial environments are carried to an extreme in subtropical deserts. In such areas, surface water is rare, humidities are low, and intense solar radiation produces very high air temperatures during the four to five month-long summer. For example, air temperature-which is best regarded as a minimum index of environmental temperature-sometimes exceeds 50"C and commonly is above 35"C for over 12 hours each day in the Sonoran Desert. Most birds are diurnal and do not use burrows
Prediction of disulfide bonding in protein structure based on method of graph matching

An important problem in protein structure prediction is the correct location of disulfide bonding in proteins.The location of disulfide bonding can strongly reduce the search in the conformational space.Therefore the correct prediction of the disulfide bonding starting from the protein residue sequence may also help in predicting its 3D structure.In this paper we equate the problem of predicting the disulfide bonding in proteins to a problem of finding the graph matching with the maximum weight.The graph vertices are the residues of cysteine in the sequence.Edges are then drawn between pairs of vertices.The edges are weighted based on a weighted-function.Finding the graph matching with the maximum weight by EJ algorithm and this matching equated the corrected disulfide bonding.This method has being used to predict disulfide bonding in protein structure and a fine result has been got.
Energy Storage Method by Integrating Elastic Potential Energy and Rotational Kinetic Energy of Cylindrical Spring

By utilizing cylindrical helical springs which were compressed then rotated,a newenergy storage method which integrated elastic potential energy and rotational kinetic energy was mentioned and the equipment model was preliminarily built. Energy-density ratios of various common spring materials were contrastively calculated to get the optimal material in energy storage ability. The rotational kinetic energy and elastic potential energy of springs at a range of parameters were contrastively analyzed. The stored energy values of integration energy storage method and corresponding flywheel method were compared. The results showthat the integration energy storage method is feasible.
Ventricular Fibrillation-Induced Cardiac Arrest Results in Regional Cardiac Injury Preferentially in Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery Territory in Piglet Model

Objective. Decreased cardiac function after resuscitation from cardiac arrest (CA) results from global ischemia of the myocardium. In the evolution of postarrest myocardial dysfunction, preferential involvement of any coronary arterial territory is not known. We hypothesized that there is no preferential involvement of any coronary artery during electrical induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) in piglet model. Design. Prospective, randomized controlled study. Methods. 12 piglets were randomized to baseline and electrical induced VF. After 5 min, the animals were resuscitated according to AHA PALS guidelines. After return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), animals were observed for an additional 4 hours prior to cardiac MRI. Data (mean ± SD) was analyzed using unpaired t-test; p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Segmental wall motion (mm; baseline versus postarrest group) in segment 7 (left anterior descending (LAD)) was 4.68 ± 0.54 versus 3.31 ± 0.64, p = 0.0026. In segment 13, it was 3.82 ± 0.96 versus 2.58 ± 0.82, p = 0.02. In segment 14, it was 2.42 ± 0.44 versus 1.29 ± 0.99, p = 0.028. Conclusion. Postarrest myocardial dysfunction resulted in segmental wall motion defects in the LAD territory. There were no perfusion defects in the involved segments.
Spontaneous aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage in a child with multiply recurrent posterior fossa juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma

A 9-year-old boy with a history of posterior fossa juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma presented to the emergency room for lethargy and worsening headache. Three years earlier, he underwent near total resection of the tumour. Owing to the progressive disease, he had a second resection and underwent conformal radiation therapy, totalling 5040 cGy. In the following 2 years, he reported of severe headaches. Multiple brain MRIs with and without contrast and head CTs without contrast did not reveal disease recurrence or significant abnormality. On the day of presentation, the …
Ecosystem Services Mapping for Sustainable Agricultural Water Management in California’s Central Valley

Accurate information on agricultural water needs and withdrawals at appropriate spatial and temporal scales remains a key limitation to joint water and land management decision-making. We use InVEST ecosystem service mapping to estimate water yield and water consumption as functions of land use in Fresno County, a key farming region in California’s Central Valley. Our calculations show that in recent years (2010–2015), the total annual water yield for the county has varied dramatically from ∼0.97 to 5.37 km3 (all ±17%; 1 MAF ≈ 1.233 km3), while total annual water consumption has changed over a smaller range, from ∼3.37 to ∼3.98 km3 (±20%). Almost all of the county’s water consumption (∼96% of total use) takes place in Fresno’s croplands, with discrepancy between local annual surface water yields and crop needs met by surface water allocations from outside the county and, to a much greater extent, private groundwater irrigation. Our estimates thus bound the amount of groundwater needed to supplement consum...
Bestseller Lists and the Economics of Product Discovery

Innovations in information technology have increased the prevalence of markets with large numbers of products. Each week, for example, an average of over 800 books are published, and an average of over 1,100 iOS apps are released in Apple's App Store. This review summarizes existing research about how consumers learn about new products in such markets, focusing on mechanisms like bestseller lists and user-generated product reviews. In addition to reviewing research findings about how these mechanisms directly influence sales, this article also discusses how these mechanisms affect broader market outcomes, such as the shape of the success distribution and the likelihood that good products are discovered.
Interesting Guided-Inquiry Labs for a Large-Enrollment, Active Learning Physics II Course

Introductory physics labs often focus on a series of common experiments intending to teach the student the measurement side of physics. While these experiments have the potential to be quite instructive, we observed that our students often consider them to be boring and monotonous, which often leads to them being uninstructive. To combat this, we have designed a series of labs with two major goals: the experiments should be relevant to the students’ world, and the labs should gently guide the students to develop the experimental process on their own. Meeting these goals is difficult, particularly in a course with large enrollment where labs are instructed by graduate students. We have had success meeting these goals in our classroom, where over the last decade our introductory physics course has transformed from a traditional, lecture-learning class to a flipped class based on the textbook Six Ideas that Shaped Physics. Here we describe the structure of the new labs we have designed to capitalize on our classroom success while overcoming the aforementioned difficulties. These new labs are more engaging and instructive for our introductory physics students.
Warning: Don't Infer Regional Inflation Differences from House Price Changes

If house prices in one metropolitan statistical area (MSA) are increasing much faster than in another MSA, should one infer that overall inflation is also much faster in the former?
On becoming a reflective practitioner

The tension between theory, experiment, and practice plays out in genetic and evolutionary computation (GEC) as it plays out in other areas of science and technology. Back in the 80s, 90s, and 00s, I was always compelled to mix theory, experiment, and practical application in vigorous ways to achieve both understanding and effective computation, but my methodology often seemed to irritate more people than it satisfied. Theoreticians didn't think the work was quite "proper theory", and experimentalists/practitioners didn't think the work was sufficiently "real worldly." Although these concerns were always present in my GEC work, I haven't been thinking about them specifically over the last few years. Since resigning my tenure in 2010, I've been on a global quest to improve engineering education, a quest described in the book, A Whole New Engineer (www.wholenewengineer.org), and partially as a result of that journey, I think I can now better articulate some of the intuitions that led to the methodology of my earlier GEC career. I start philosophically by sharing some of Don Schon's thoughts about the epistemology of practice. He asks, how is it, that practitioners, whether they be physicians, architects, engineers, accounts, computer scientists, or even physical scientists, know things in practice? The conventional wisdom, Schon claims, is that practitioners know things by first, mastering a body of well understood and accepted theory, then applying that theory in practice. Schon calls this theory of practical knowing, technical rationality, and he claims that it (1) is the dominant paradigm of epistemology of practice and that (2) it is largely mistaken (or at least, incomplete and misleading). As an alternative, he suggests that practitioners come to know through a process of reflection-in-action, and the talk discusses some of the key ideas behind this model of practice. Thereafter, I revisit two case studies in early GEC work, the idea and use of deception and the idea and use of approximate little models through the lenses of technical rationality and reflection-in-action. The aim of this examination is to better understand the objections to and the intentions of the work, both. These are found to line up nicely along Schon's lines. Thereafter, I introduce Barry Johnson's notion of a polarity, and frame technical rationality and reflection-in-action. Johnson suggests that polarities are often regarded as solutions, but suggests that the appropriate stance is that poles must be managed. Here I suggest that the complexity of GEC demands the development of a population of reflective practitioners who actively manage the polarities of technical rationality and reflection-in-action, both. The talk discusses some of the key practices, particularly conversational practices, that can help do this. The talk concludes with some theoretical and practical observations regarding the education of A Whole New Engineer and what these might offer the educators and education of the next generation of genetic algorithmists and evolutionary computationers.
Neurologic aspects of lymphoma and leukemias.

The lymphomas and leukemias are a heterogenous group of hematologic malignancies with protean manifestations. Neurologic sequelae of the diseases have been recognized since the time the conditions were first described in the mid-1800s. Although our understanding of the various presentations of these blood disorders evolved along with our knowledge of malignancies, accurate diagnosis can still be difficult. It is critical for neurologists to have a high index of clinical suspicion to appropriately recognize their heralding features. This review’s focus is the relevant clinical neurologic features and diagnostic studies that identify leukemias and lymphomas affecting the nervous system.
A Model of the Terms of Trade and Economic Growth

The single country model described in Chapter Two can easily be modified for use in analyzing international trade. Assume the parameters of demand and the production functions in each country are given.2 Define M i j as the net imports of good i (i = M,A) by country j, and let $$m_{i{\kern 1pt} }^j{\mkern 1mu} = {\mkern 1mu} M_i^j/L_i^j{\mkern 1mu} for{\mkern 1mu} j{\mkern 1mu} = {\mkern 1mu} (\alpha ,{\mkern 1mu} \beta ). $$ We shall assume balanced trade so exports are simply negative imports. Also, it will be assumed there are no transportation costs.
Creating Meaningful Brands: The Relationship Between Brand Name and Brand Mark

Marketing theorists espouse that the long-term success of a brand is contingent upon the proper selection and operationalization of brand meaning prior to market entry. Nevertheless, prior research has not addressed how to design multiple branding elements that together can convey consistent brand meaning. Results of the first study support a relationship between structural characteristics of the brand name (e.g., front vs. back vowels) and the brand mark's size, shape, and color. The second study found that brands with marks that are consistent in design with the brand name better communicate intended brand meaning. An important implication is that a properly operationalized brand may require fewer marketing expenditures to create brand image.
The crystal structure of bis-{3,5-di-fluoro-2-[4-(2,4,6-tri-methyl-phen-yl)pyridin-2-yl]phen-yl}(picolinato)iridium(III) and its 4-tert-butyl-pyridin-2-yl analogue.

The crystal structures of bis­{3,5-di­fluoro-2-[4-(2,4,6-tri­methyl­phen­yl)pyridin-2-yl]phenyl-κ2N,C1}(picolinato-κ2N,O)iridium(III), [Ir(C20H16F2N)2(C6H4NO2)], 1, and bis­[2-(4-tert-butyl­pyridin-2-yl)-3,5-di­fluoro­phenyl-κ2N,C1](picolinato-κ2N,O)iridium(III), [Ir(C15H14F2N)2(C6H4NO2)], 2, are presented herein. These phospho­rescent cyclo­metallated iridium(III) compounds have been structurally investigated in order to better understand the nature of their blue-shifted emssions while maintaining high quantum yields. Compound 1 exhibits substantial twisting of the mesitylene rings out of the plane of the attached pyridine ring, with dihedral angles of 67.0 (1) and 78.7 (1)° between the best mean planes. For both compounds, the contribution of disordered solvent mol­ecule(s) was removed using the SQUEEZE [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18] routine in PLATON [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18]. These solvent mol­ecules are not considered in the given chemical formula and other crystal data.
Delayed PSA responses in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients (pts) treated with sipuleucel-T.

e17041Background: Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) received FDA approval in April 2010 for pts with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic mCRPC based on prolongation of overall survival. However, its adopti...
Pulmonary Matrikines: Origin, Function, and Contribution to Fibrotic and Non-fibrotic Lung Disease

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the lung is an acellular compartment that maintains organ structure and regulates the behavior of cells. Once thought to be a static structure, the lung ECM is now recognized to be highly dynamic, undergoing frequent degradation and resynthesis of its core components. However, excessive degradation of the ECM can have disastrous consequences, not only compromising organ structure but also leading to the release of potent bioactive substances called matrikines, which can impart deleterious effects on tissues. Although the field of lung matrikine biology is still in its infancy, a growing body of evidence supports the concept that these biological factors control a wide range of pathological processes, including many of those that contribute to the onset and progression of respiratory disorders like pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this chapter, we will discuss the major matrikines identified in the mouse and human lung. We will also review the mechanisms leading to their production, discuss their putative role in the pathobiology of several respiratory disorders, and propose how targeting these molecules could be used in treating these diseases.
Reevaluating the suppression function for phonon transport in nanostructures by Monte Carlo techniques

Thermal conductivity integral models including a suppression function to account for boundary scattering have had considerable success in explaining and predicting the thermal conductivity of nanostructures. However, the suppression function is analytically defined only for some simple structures, e.g., thin films and nanowires. For arbitrary nanostructures, Monte Carlo (MC)-based methods have been developed to calculate the suppression function. Here, we focus on two main types of MC-based methods: path sampling methods and ray tracing simulations. For the path sampling method, a more computationally efficient sampling algorithm is proposed based on the analytical solution of the average distance phonons can travel before a collision. The physical meaning of the path sampling method is rigorously given for the first time by comparing to the analytical solution of the Boltzmann Transport Equation for symmetric structures. Several limitations of the path sampling method are discussed based on assumptions in the derivation. Ray tracing simulations are well defined when a converged boundary mean free path (MFP) can be found. However, convergence is not guaranteed for arbitrary structures. More generally, we propose a modified formula to approximate the full-range suppression function with a characteristic length, which is determined by fitting to the calculated suppression function at selected MFPs. Ultimately, the accuracy of each calculated suppression function is evaluated by comparing the calculated thermal conductivity accumulation function for nanostructures including thin films, nanowires, and anisotropic modulated nanostructures. Our results provide guidance for selecting the appropriate techniques for calculating the suppression function and predicting the thermal conductivity of nanostructures.
Layers of finance: Historic tax credits and the fiscal geographies of urban redevelopment

Abstract Growing tax credit markets to preserve historic structures, deliver affordable housing, and encourage investment in distressed communities reveal intensification in the financialization of real estate. This paper develops a case study of federal historic tax credits to argue that there are multiple and interrelated processes of financialization at work within a single building, including tax sheltering. Drawing on commodification and marketization literatures in critical human geography, this paper illustrates how the fracturing of property rights by the tax code refashions buildings into ‘bundled’ financial assets. It uses qualitative and quantitative data collected in 2016–2017 to (i) demonstrate the production of new inventories of historic buildings through the revaluation of old structures, (ii) examine overlapping geographies of tax and finance produced by the strategic alignment of state and federal tax law, and (iii) discuss the creation of secondary credit markets by financial investors through the unbundling of the capital stack. Although historic tax credits—and tax credits in general—are now an integral part of real estate financing, the market for tax credits provides valuable theoretical insights into the variations of urban financialization that co-exist in the same physical space.
Emerging disease-modifying therapies for sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease afflicts millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 Americans. Complications are myriad and arise as a result of complex pathological pathways ‘downstream’ to a point mutation in DNA, and include red blood cell membrane damage, inflammation, chronic hemolytic anemia with episodic vaso-occlusion, ischemia and pain, and ultimately risk of cumulative organ damage with reduced lifespan of affected individuals. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s 2014 evidence-based guideline for sickle cell disease management states that additional research is needed before investigational curative therapies will be widely available to most patients with sickle cell disease. To date, sickle cell disease has been cured by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in approximately 1,000 people, most of whom were children, and significantly ameliorated by gene therapy in a handful of subjects who have only limited follow-up thus far. During a timespan in which over 20 agents were approved for the treatment of cystic fibrosis by the Food and Drug Administration, similar approval was granted for only two drugs for sickle cell disease (hydroxyurea and L-glutamine) despite the higher prevalence of sickle cell disease. This trajectory appears to be changing, as the lack of multimodal agent therapy in sickle cell disease has spurred engagement among many in academia and industry who, in the last decade, have developed new drugs poised to prevent complications and alleviate suffering. Identified therapeutic strategies include fetal hemoglobin induction, inhibition of intracellular HbS polymerization, inhibition of oxidant stress and inflammation, and perturbation of the activation of the endothelium and other blood components (e.g. platelets, white blood cells, coagulation proteins) involved in the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease. In this article, we present a crash-course review of disease-modifying approaches (minus hematopoietic stem cell transplant and gene therapy) for patients with sickle cell disease currently, or recently, tested in clinical trials in the era following approval of hydroxyurea.
A direct comparison of prophylactic low-molecular-weight heparin versus unfractionated heparin in neurosurgery: A meta-analysis.

Background Several studies have confirmed the role of prophylactic low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in neurosurgery; however, a paucity of literature has assessed its safety and efficacy versus prophylactic unfractionated heparin (UFH). The objective is to present a meta-analysis directly comparing prophylactic LMWH to UFH for the prevention of VTE in neurosurgery. Materials and methods Relevant studies that directly compared LMWH to UFH for prophylaxis of VTE in neurosurgery and/or spine surgery were identified by MEDLINE and EMBASE searches plus a scrutiny of references from the original articles and reviews. Three randomized trials were included in the meta-analysis. Efficacy and safety were ascertained per three primary outcome measures: VTE, minor complications (decline in hemoglobin/hematocrit), and major complications. Forest plot analysis provided odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and P-values. Results Of the 429 patients in the pooled analysis, the postoperative VTE rate of 5.6% (12/213) after LMWH chemoprophylaxis was equivalent to 3.7% (8/216) after UFH chemoprophylaxis (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 0.62-3.75, P = 0.308). Minor complications of 4.7% versus 4.6%, respectively, were nearly equal (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.41- 2.50, P = 0.929). All four major complications included intracranial hemorrhages: three after LMWH (1.4%) and one after UFH (0.5%) (OR = 2.32, 95% CI 0.34-16.01, P = 0.831). Tests for heterogeneity were nonsignificant in all three outcome measures. Conclusion Rates of VTE, minor complications, and major complications were equivalent between prophylactic LMWH and UFH in neurosurgery. Further, randomized clinical trials comparing the two heparin products are required to elucidate superior safety and efficacy in neurosurgical patients.
Taxonomic Observations within Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae): Insights from Ecology, Geography, Morphology, and Phylogeny Suggest Widespread Parallelism in Starworts and Erode Previous Infrageneric Classifications

Recent phylogenetic analysis circumscribes the bounds of a core genus of Stellaria comprising five major extant clades and around 112 species. Some finer scale phylogenetic relationships emerging from that study are interpreted here. The Larbreae and Petiolares clades are the main foci, as they comprise the bulk of Stellaria diversity. In particular, I address the implications of our phylogenetic work on some widespread and morphologically complex lineages of starworts, including the Stellaria borealis, Stellaria cuspidata, Stellaria longipes, and Stellaria media groups, and also briefly discuss other subclades within the Larbreae and Petiolares clades. Based on phylogenetic evidence, Stellaria sitchana is here recognized as a distinct species from Stellaria borealis rather than as Stellaria borealis subsp. sitchana, and this lineage is furthermore reported from the southern hemisphere for the first time. Other newly discovered lineages that require revised nomenclatural concepts pending future work also are briefly treated. Overall, a picture of widespread evolutionary parallelism emerges within Stellaria, and this parallelism is largely responsible for the non-monophyletic nature of most previous subdivisions of the genus.
Dyticodopoea and Pygmaeodopoea, New Genera for the Central American Cicada Species Previously Assigned to Odopoea Stål, 1861 (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Zammarini)

Two new cicada genera, Dyticodopoea Sanborn, n. gen. and Pygmaeodopoea Sanborn, n. gen., are described and illustrated. Central American species of OdopoeaStal, 1861 are transferred to the new genera to become D. azteca (Distant, 1881) new combination, D. diriangani (Distant, 1881) new combination, D. signoreti (Stal, 1864) new combination, and P. minuta (Sanborn, 2007) new combination. The range of D. signoreti (Stal, 1864), new combination is expanded to include Guatemala. A key to the species of DyticodopoeaSanborn, n. gen. and PygmaeodopoeaSanborn, n. gen. is provided.
Modeling Cerebral Hemodynamics Using BOLD Magnetic Resonance Imaging and its Application in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Objective This study develops a procedure and related analytical methods for deriving indices of cerebral hemodynamics in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) setting using resting state recordings of systemic blood pressure, pulse rate, and end-tidal CO2 synchronized with the MRI image acquisitions of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) data as a measure of cerebral perfusion. Methods We employed the concept of Principal Dynamic Modes (PDM) to model the effect of three determinants of cerebral perfusion: mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), end-tidal CO2 (PETCO2), and pulse rate (PR). The relation between these signals and the BOLD signal were used respectively to quantify cerebral autoregulation (CA), CO2 vasoreactivity (CVR), and pulse rate reactivity (PRR). Results Hemodynamic indices were obtained from 129 participants with normal cognition (NC) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). CA was reduced in MCI compared to NC in the parietal lobe, CVR was reduced in MCI in the occipital and temporal lobes, and PRR was reduced in the frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes. Reduced CVR and PRR were associated with worse cognitive scores including memory and executive function. Conclusion Employed acquisition and analysis of MRI hemodynamic identified cerebral hemodynamic alterations in MCI, related to PR and ETCO2 changes. Significance This modeling approach may offer a novel way to clinically assess cerebral hemodynamics during MRI.
The structure of word learning in young school-age children

Purpose We investigated four theoretically based latent variable models of word learning in young school-age children. Method One hundred sixty-seven English-speaking second graders with typical development from three U.S. states participated. They completed five different tasks designed to assess children's creation, storage, retrieval, and production of the phonological and semantic representations of novel words and their ability to link those representations. The tasks encompassed the triggering and configuration stages of word learning. Results Results showed that a latent variable model with separate phonological and semantic factors and linking indicators constrained to load on the phonological factor best fit the data. Discussion The structure of word learning during triggering and configuration reflects separate but related phonological and semantic factors. We did not find evidence for a unidimensional latent variable model of word learning or for separate receptive and expressive word learning factors. In future studies, it will be interesting to determine whether the structure of word learning differs during the engagement stage of word learning when phonological and semantic representations, as well as the links between them, are sufficiently strong to affect other words in the lexicon.
Non-biliary Complications Associated with Liver Grafts from Donation After Circulatory Death Donors

Although biliary complications are likely the most acknowledged and studied morbid complication associated with the use of donation after circulatory death (DCD) grafts, the scope of the issues with DCD livers extends beyond the bile duct to include post-reperfusion syndrome, overall graft dysfunction (both primary non-function and early allograft dysfunction), renal dysfunction (acute kidney injury and end-stage renal disease), and vascular complications (microthrombi, hepatic artery stenosis, hepatic artery thrombosis). This chapter covers the current incidence rates of these non-biliary complications in liver grafts from DCD donors in several large-center studies, both in isolation and in comparison to donation after brain death (DBD) liver grafts. Additionally, it briefly describes new modeling systems to better assess these complications and potential modalities to mitigate some of these issues.
An Opportune and Relevant Design for Studying the Health Trajectories of Healthcare Workers

ABSTRACT We describe the rationale, design, and implementation of baseline enrollment for a longitudinal, observational cohort study of healthcare workers. The importance of workplace as a characteristic of interest in population-based studies has become increasingly apparent over time. Most adults spend a majority of their waking hours living in their workplace environment, which serves as a source of unique as well as shared exposures, stressors, and related determinants of health. A rapidly expanding segment of the working population includes those individuals who work in the fields of healthcare. The healthcare workforce, at large, represents an increasingly diverse subset of the population with broad exposures; some exposures are specific to the workplace and others are common to persons living in the community. Importantly, healthcare workers tend to have general interest and willingness to participate in research, in addition to stable employment and easy access to on-site clinical research assessment locations. Accordingly, from a population of individuals working at a large medical delivery network, we enrolled over 6300 healthcare workers into a cohort study involving survey data collection on medical history, work environment, and family and living situation; this information was linked to participant electronic health record data and collected biospecimens.
Label-free chemical imaging of living biological samples at subcellular resolution

Chemical imaging of living cells is critically important for understanding the function and pathophysiology of biological systems such as the brain. The main obstacles are the limited amount of analyte in a single cell and the need for noninvasive in situ analysis in order to preserve cell function and microenvironmental information. We apply label-free chemical imaging methods to quantify the spatiotemporal distribution of important biomolecules at subcellular resolution. In combination with deep learning algorithms, we aim to build an integrated chemical imaging platform to study a wide range of normal and diseases processes in the brain.