cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stress and Flow beneath Island Arcs

Summary. The flow pattern, stress distribution, topography, and gravity anomalies were computed from numerical models having density and viscosity distributions resemblant to the Aleutian arc. The results were compatible with the hypothesis that the excess density of the slab drives its descent and that hydrodynamic forces are responsible for topographic and gravity highs over the outer rise seaward of the trench and the frontal arc and lows over the trench. In models with simple distributions of rheological parameters, the force from the slab was transmitted directly upward producing a negative gravity anomaly over the arc. Material with low resistance to flow was needed along the fault plane above the slab or within the crust of the frontal arc and within the wedge of asthenosphere above the slab to reduce that force and to allow the horizontal lithosphere to move with the slab. Models with the resistance to flow thus reduced had outer rises, deep trenches, horizontal tension seaward of the trench, horizontal compression under the trench, and downdip tension in the slab. Free air gravity anomalies, which are the sum of between deflections of the free surface due to hydrodynamic forces and direct attractions from the masses driving the flow, were not fit excellently by any of the models, in part because the coarse grid used precluded accurate representation of the fault zone above the slab and the frontal arc. An alternate to the hypothesis that about 5 kb of stress on the fault plane is needed to produce an outer rise is offered by these models. Shear stress between the slab and the island arc was always below 700 bars in the more successful models if the density distribution was scaled to match the topography of the trench. This is much less than the 2000 bars stresses needed if frictional heating causes island arc volcanism.
Disruption of ant-seed dispersal mutualisms by the invasive Asian needle ant (Pachycondyla chinensis)

By disrupting the structure of native ant assemblages, invasive ants can have effects across trophic levels. Most studies to date, however, have focused on the impacts just two species (Linepithema humile and Solenopsis invicta). The impacts of many other invasive ant species on ecological processes in their introduced range are unknown. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the invasive ant Pachy- condyla chinensis disrupts ant-seed dispersal mutu- alisms by displacing native ant species, especially the keystone mutualist Aphaenogaster rudis, while fail- ing to disperse seeds itself. In a paired design we measured the impact of P. chinensis on the native ant-plant seed dispersal mutualism. The number of A. rudis workers was 96% lower in invaded than in intact plots, and the number of seeds removed was 70% lower in these plots. Finally, in invaded plots the abundance of Hexastylis arifolia, a locally abundant myrmecochorous plant, was 50% lower than in plots where P. chinensis was absent. A parsimonious interpretation of our results is that P. chinensis causes precipitous declines in the abundance of A. rudis within invaded communities, thereby dis- rupting the ant-plant seed dispersal mutualisms and reducing abundances of ant-dispersed plants. In sum, the magnitude of the effects of P. chinensis on seed dispersal is quantitatively similar to that documented for the intensively studied invasive Argentine ant. We suggest that more studies on the impacts of less- studied invasive ant species on seed dispersal mutu- alisms may increase our knowledge of the effects of these invaders on ecosystem function.
Methylselenol, a Selenium Metabolite, Induces Cell Cycle Arrest in G1 Phase and Apoptosis via the Extracellular-Regulated Kinase 1/2 Pathway and Other Cancer Signaling Genes

Methylselenol has been hypothesized to be a critical selenium (Se) metabolite for anticancer activity in vivo, and our previous study demonstrated that submicromolar methylselenol generated by incubating methionase with seleno-l-methionine inhibits the migration and invasive potential of HT1080 tumor cells. However, little is known about the association between cancer signal pathways and methylselenol's inhibition of tumor cell invasion. In this study, we demonstrated that methylselenol exposure inhibited cell growth and we used a cancer signal pathway-specific array containing 15 different signal transduction pathways involved in oncogenesis to study the effect of methylselenol on cellular signaling. Using real-time RT-PCR, we confirmed that cellular mRNA levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (CDKN1C), heme oxygenase 1, platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule, and PPARgamma genes were upregulated to 2.8- to 5.7-fold of the control. BCL2-related protein A1, hedgehog interacting protein, and p53 target zinc finger protein genes were downregulated to 26-52% of the control, because of methylselenol exposure. These genes are directly related to the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis. Methylselenol increased apoptotic cells up to 3.4-fold of the control and inhibited the extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling and cellular myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) expression. Taken together, our studies identify 7 novel methylselenol responsive genes and demonstrate that methylselenol inhibits ERK1/2 pathway activation and c-Myc expression. The regulation of these genes is likely to play a key role in G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which may contribute to the inhibition of tumor cell invasion.
Fuzzy subimage classification in image sequence coding

Fuzzy systems are used to classify subimages efficiently in adaptive hybrid transform/predictive coding of image sequences. An adaptive fuzzy system estimates fuzzy rules by clustering input-output data generated by the subimage classification method of W.-H. Chen and C.H. Smith (1977). The fuzzy rules define patches in the state space and approximate an unknown function by covering its graph with patches. The fuzzy system classifies subimages into four temporally active subimage classes according to the between-frame prediction error signal. The system encodes active subimages with more bits, and inactive subimages with fewer bits, to compress the image data. Fuzzy classification improved coding performance over nonfuzzy classification and nonadaptive interframe coding. >
Singlet Oxygen Oxidation Rates of ∝‐, γ‐, and δ‐Tocopherols

The reaction rate constants of 5 x 10 -4 M, 10 × 10 -4 M, and 20 x 10 -4 M α-,γ, and δ-tocopherols with singlet oxygen in inetliytene chloride containing i x 10 -5 M chlorophyll under light at 25 °C for 60 min were studied The oxidation of tocopherols determined by a spectrophotometric method showed that the losses of 20 × 10 -4 M α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols after 60 min under light were 21%, 16%, and 9%, respectively. The degradation of α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols was undetectable in the absence of chlorophyll under light or in the presence of chlorophyll in dark. The losses of tocopherols under light were mainly due to singlet oxygen oxidation. The degradation rates of 20 x 10 M α-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols were 6.6 × 10 -6 M/min, 5.0 × 10 -6 M/min, and 2.9 x 10 6 M/min, respectively. The reaction rates between α-,γ-, or δ-tocopherol and singlet oxygen were 4.1 × 10 6 /M s, 3.3 × 10 6 /Ms, and 1.4 x 10 6 /M s, respectively. The singlet oxygen oxidation rate of δ-tocopherol was significantly lower than α- or γ-tocopherol at α = 0.05. As the electron density in the chromanol ring of tocopherol increased, the singlet oxygen oxidation was increased.
The site of an immune-selected point mutation in the transmembrane protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 does not constitute the neutralization epitope.

Abstract We previously reported the in vitro generation of a neutralization-resistant variant of the molecularly cloned isolate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HXB2D. The molecular basis for the resistance was shown to be a point mutation in the env gene, causing the substitution of threonine for alanine at position 582 of gp41. Here, we show the variant to be resistant to syncytium inhibition as well as to neutralization by the immune-selecting serum. Moreover, 30% of HIV-positive human sera able to neutralize the parental virus have significantly decreased ability to neutralize the variant. As the A-to-T substitution thus has general relevance to the interaction of HIV-1 with the host immune system, we investigated further the biologic and immunologic bases for the altered properties. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the 582 region failed to compete in infectivity, neutralization, or syncytium inhibition assays and did not elicit neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, human antibodies, affinity purified on synthetic peptide resins, bound to gp41 and peptides from the 582 region but did not possess neutralizing antibody activity. Some viral constructs in which the AVERY sequence in the 582 region was altered by site-directed mutagenesis were not infectious, indicating that the primary structure in this region is crucial for viral infectivity. Constructs predicted to possess a local secondary structure similar to that of the variant nevertheless behaved like the parental virus and remained neutralization sensitive. These results suggest that the requirements for neutralization resistance in this region are very precise. Our results with synthetic peptides show that the 582 region does not by itself constitute a neutralization epitope. Moreover, the degree of flexibility in amino acid substitution which allows maintenance of neutralization sensitivity suggests that position 582 does not form part of a noncontiguous neutralization epitope. The basis for neutralization resistance of the immune-selected variant is more likely a conformational change altering a neutralization epitope at a distant site.
Discrimination learning alters the distribution of protein kinase C in the hippocampus of rats.

Protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme that plays an essential role in eukaryotic cell regulation (Nishizuka, 1988; Huang et al., 1989), is critical to memory storage processes both in the marine snail Hermissenda crassicornis and in the rabbit (Alkon et al., 1988; Bank et al., 1988; Olds et al., 1989). Specifically, activation of PKC mimics neurobiological correlates of classical conditioning in both Hermissenda and the rabbit, and the distribution of the enzyme within the rabbit hippocampus changes after Pavlovian conditioning. Here, we report that the amount of PKC, as assayed by specific binding of 3H- phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (3H-PDBU), decreased significantly within the hippocampal CA3 cell region in rats trained to solve a water maze task either by cognitive mapping or by visual discrimination strategies, but not in control rats. Furthermore, hippocampal lesions interfered with acquisition of both of these tasks. We interpret these findings to support the conclusion that distributional changes of PKC within the mammalian hippocampus play a crucial role in memory storage processes.
HIV-1 replication in cell lines harboring INI1/hSNF5 mutations

INI1/hSNF5 is a cellular protein that directly interacts with HIV-1 integrase (IN). It is specifically incorporated into HIV-1 virions. A dominant negative mutant derived from INI1 inhibits HIV-1 replication. Recent studies indicate that INI1 is associated with pre-integration and reverse transcription complexes that are formed upon viral entry into the target cells. INI1 also is a tumor suppressor, biallelically deleted/mutated in malignant rhabdoid tumors. We have utilized cell lines derived from the rhabdoid tumors, MON and STA-WT1, that harbor either null or truncating mutations of INI1 respectively, to assess the effect of INI1 on HIV-1 replication. We found that while HIV-1 virions produced in 293T cells efficiently transduced MON and STA-WT1 cells, HIV-1 particle production was severely reduced in both of these cells. Reintroduction of INI1 into MON and STA-WT1 significantly enhanced the particle production in both cell lines. HIV-1 particles produced in MON cells were reduced for infectivity, while those produced in STA-WT1 were not. Further analysis indicated the presence of INI1 in those virions produced from STA-WT1 but not from those produced from MON cells. HIV-1 produced in MON cells were defective for synthesis of early and late reverse transcription products in the target cells. Furthermore, virions produced in MON cells were defective for exogenous reverse transcriptase activity carried out using exogenous template, primer and substrate. Our results suggest that INI1-deficient cells exhibit reduced particle production that can be partly enhanced by re-introduction of INI1. Infectivity of HIV-1 produced in some but not all INI1 defective cells, is affected and this defect may correlate to the lack of INI1 and/or some other proteins in these virions. The block in early events of virion produced from MON cells appears to be at the stage of reverse transcription. These studies suggest that presence of INI1 or some other host factor in virions and reverse transcription complexes may be important for early events of HIV-1 replication.
ACCELERATED TEMPERATURE STUDY OF ANTIOXIDANTS

The improvement in shelf life with antioxidants as measured by the time to reach 3% oxidation of methyl linoleate in model systems at aw 0.11 and 0.75 was studied at 25, 35 and 45°C. Oxidation was measured manometrically and by peroxide value. It was found that the primary antioxidants BHA and BHT gave significant protection as compared to α-tocopherol, tertiary butylhydro-quinone and propyl gallate. The chelating agents EDTA and isopropyl citrate were much less effective. For the primary antioxidants BHA and BHT, mechanism changes occur such that the protection achieved at 25°C is two to three times greater than that achieved at 45°C whereas the chelating agents gave about the same protection. It was concluded that a single temperature accelerated shelf life test should not be used for testing antioxidant effectiveness.
Roughening by Ion Bombardment: A Stochastic Continuum Equation

In the context of linear cascade theory, we derive a stochastic nonlinear equation to describe the evolution and scaling properties of surfaces eroded by ion bombardment. The coefficients appearing in the equation are calculated explicitly in terms of the physical parameters characterizing the sputtering process. We find that transitions may take place between various scaling behaviors when experimental parameters such as the angle of incidence of the incoming ions or their average penetration depth, are varied.
Leaf Anatomical Characters and Their Value in Understanding Morphoclines in the Araceae

Leaf anatomy and petiole anatomy of the Araceae are discussed in terms of their potential use as character states in a phylogenetic analysis. The characters include leaf venation and structure, leaf epidermis, mesophyll ground tissue, vascular bundles, sclerenchyma, collenchyma, laticifers, secretory ducts, and raphide crystals. Characters that seem to have the greatest potential for use in phylogenetic analysis include those of ground tissue, vascular bundles, fibers, trichosclereids, collenchyma, and laticifers. Other, equally distinguishable, characters have states that are apparently autapomorphies, providing little phylogenetic signal. Therefore, although most leaf and petiole structural variation is useful diagnostically, some characters will probably be less valuable in phylogenetic analysis than originally hoped.
Time Scales of Climate Response

Abstract A coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) is integrated to a near-equilibrium state with the normal, half-normal, and twice-normal amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Most of the ocean below the surface layers achieves 70% of the total response almost twice as fast when the changes in radiative forcing are cooling as compared to the case when they are warming the climate system. In the cooling case, the time to achieve 70% of the equilibrium response in the midoceanic depths is about 500–1000 yr. In the warming case, this response time is 1300–1700 yr. In the Pacific Ocean and the bottom half of the Atlantic Ocean basins, the response is similar to the global response in that the cooling case results in a shorter response time scale. In the upper half of the Atlantic basin, the cooling response time scales are somewhat longer than in the warming case due to changes in the oceanic thermohaline circulation. In the oceanic surface mixed layer and atmosphere, the response ...
Quantification of Uncertainty in Sketches

Design Notebooks (DNBs) can be used to assess the information gathering activities, creativity and individual participation within design groups. Moreover DNBs are the communication tools in the overall design process. For communication purposes, DNBs contain information representations (IRs) such as sketches, symbols, text and equations that usually are imprecisely defined. Imprecise or vague IRs may lead to uncertainty in design communication. This work considered the uncertainty in sketches, one of the most widely used IRs in DNBs. The research question of this study is: Can the uncertainty in sketches be quantified? To answer the research question the following specific aims are formulated: identify the type of uncertainty, assess appropriate uncertainty quantification methods and establish a framework to quantify the uncertainty in sketches. The uncertainty in sketches is found to be mainly an epistemic uncertainty and a modified numerical approach was implemented to quantify it. Using the established framework, the uncertainty in sketches has been quantified and further study is recommended to assess its effect on design communication.© 2014 ASME
Abstract 17280: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Identifies Severity of Cardiac Involvement in Systemic Sclerosis

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by vascular dysfunction and excessive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, including the heart. At autopsy, myocardial fibrosis is seen in half of SSc patients despite patent coronary arteries, and cardiac death is 5-15 times more common in SSc patients with myocardial fibrosis than those without. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that extracellular volume fraction (ECV), a noninvasive marker of diffuse myocardial fibrosis measured by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), correlates with other clinical markers of SSc disease severity. Methods: 44 SSc patients underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) for pulmonary artery systolic pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance; pulmonary function testing (PFT) for forced vital capacity and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide; and measurement of modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) by clinicians blinded to the CMR results. We calculated left ventricular (LV) myocardial ECV = [[Unable to Display Character: ∆]]R1 myocardium /[[Unable to Display Character: ∆]]R1 blood * (1- hematocrit), where R1 = 1/T1 and [[Unable to Display Character: ∆]]R1 is post-contrast - pre-contrast R1. Results: ECV correlated with mRSS (R = 0.49; p Conclusions: In patients with SSc, myocardial fibrosis measured by ECV correlates with skin involvement but not with DD, ILD, or PVD. That the relationship between ECV and mRSS was fair, and that other markers of SSc severity lacked correlation suggests that involvement of different organ systems occur independently of each other. ECV holds promise for noninvasively measuring myocardial fibrosis in SSc, which portends a worse prognosis, develops independently from other organ involvement, and has previously required invasive endomyocardial biopsy.
DNA and the Criminal Justice System: Consensus and Debate

This concluding chapter in a volume addressing the use of DNA evidence in the pretrial and posttrial phases of the criminal justice system identifies and analyzes areas where consensus does -- or should -- exist, as well as areas of disagreement. Two primary areas of consensus exist. First, because DNA changes the meaning of time in the criminal justice system, the system's notion of finality must be rethought: evidence must be preserved, statutory criteria must be developed to govern postconviction access to and review of DNA evidence, and statutes of limitation on the introduction of new evidence should be lengthened or abolished. Second, DNA offender databases can be effective and legitimate tools for solving and preventing crimes. In the area of posttrial relief, the areas of disagreement which we discuss include the appropriate gatekeepers of and criteria for postconviction review, the appropriate response to exculpatory and guilt-confirming results, and how to address the systemic flaws in the criminal justice system which DNA testing has unearthed. In the area of offender databases, we discuss debates about the appropriate criteria for direct inclusion in the database, the appropriateness of indirect inclusion of offenders' relatives through low-stringency searches by law enforcement, and how the database should be regulated.
Hydrogen NMR of Palladium Hydride: Measuring the Hydride−Gas Exchange Rate

We consider small PdHx particles in equilibrium with the surrounding H2 gas. Because the hydrogen longitudinal nuclear spin relaxation rate R1 = 1/T1 of the gas is so much larger than that of the bulk hydride, the apparent hydride relaxation rate will be increased by rapid exchange of H between the gas and the hydride phases. Under a wide range of conditions, the apparent hydride relaxation rate R1 will equal the rate of hydride-to-gas exchange events. This method is demonstrated for well-dispersed PdHx using commercial Pd black where the hydride and gas signals are distinguished by the Knight frequency shift. The method is an equilibrium measurement of the hydride-to-gas exchange rate and should find application in high surface area metallic hydrides for characterization of the surface reactivity toward H2.
Methods Comparison for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Despite the tendency to rely considerably on laboratory test results for the differential diagnosis of Lyme disease, considerable problems exist with such testing. In this article we compare the effectiveness of five main categories of laboratory tests used for the detection of Lyme disease. Our goal is to enable the reader to better understand the limitations of different test methods and to realize that until better tests become available, diagnosis of Lyme disease still must be made clinically. Clinical data, however, can be used to increase the predictive power of any laboratory test as well as to help judge its validity.
Human urocortin II, a new CRF-related peptide, displays selective CRF2-mediated action on gastric transit in rats

Human urocortin (hUcn) II is a new member of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family that selectively binds to the CRF2receptor. We investigated the CRF receptors involved in mediating the ...
Stimulation of Membrane Phospholipid Metabolism by Agents that Increase Acidification in Toad Urinary Bladder

Previous reports have indicated that metabolic acidosis stimulates H+ excretion, and this excretion is accompanied by an increased turnover of phospholipids (PL) in toad urinary bladder. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if other known stimulators of H+ excretion [insulin, deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA), epinephrine, parathyroid hormone, and CO2] might also stimulate PL turnover in the toad urinary bladder. Quarter bladders from normal toads were removed, weighed, and then incubated with [32P]orthophosphate for 2 hr at 25 degrees C. PL were extracted, separated, and detected using thin layer chromatography and autoradiography, and quantitated by liquid scintillation counting. Results were expressed in cpm (100 mg bladder)-1 (hr)-1. One quarter bladder received insulin (100 milliunits/ml), DOCA (10(-6) M), epinephrine (50 mM), parathyroid hormone (100 micrograms/ml), or 5% CO2 during the incubation, whereas the paired quarter bladder received no treatment. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylinositol turnover were increased by insulin (P less than 0.025 and less than 0.05, respectively). DOCA had no effect on PL turnover, but stimulated the percentage fraction of PC (P less than 0.05) expressed as percentage fraction of total lipids. Five percent CO2 in the bath resulted in an increased rate of turnover of the PL fractions phosphatidylinositol (P less than 0.05), and the phosphatidic acid plus phosphatidyl-serine (P less than 0.01). Epinephrine and parathyroid hormone were both without effect on PL metabolism. We conclude that insulin, DOCA, and CO2 may stimulated H+ excretion in toad bladder in part by increasing turnover of membrane PL, PC, and phosphatidylinositol, and in the case of CO2, phosphatidic acid plus phosphatidylserine as well, but not PC.
Hospital markup and operation outcomes in the United States

Background Although the price hospitals charge for operations has broad financial implications, hospital pricing is not subject to regulation. We sought to characterize national variation in hospital price markup for major cardiothoracic and gastrointestinal operations and to evaluate perioperative outcomes of hospitals relative to hospital price markup. Methods All hospitals in which a patient underwent a cardiothoracic or gastrointestinal procedure were identified using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 2012. Markup ratios (ratio of charges to costs) for the total cost of hospitalization were compared across hospitals. Risk-adjusted morbidity, failure-to-rescue, and mortality were calculated using multivariable, hierarchical logistic regression. Results Among the 3,498 hospitals identified, markup ratios ranged from 0.5–12.2, with a median markup ratio of 2.8 (interquartile range 2.7–3.9). For the 888 hospitals with extreme markup (greatest markup ratio quartile: markup ratio >3.9), the median markup ratio was 4.9 (interquartile range 4.3–6.0), with 10% of these hospitals billing more than 7 times the Medicare-allowable costs (markup ratio ≥7.25). Extreme markup hospitals were more often large (46.3% vs 33.8%, P Conclusion There is wide variation in hospital markup for cardiothoracic and gastrointestinal procedures, with approximately a quarter of hospital charges being 4 times greater than the actual cost of hospitalization. Hospitals with an extreme markup had greater perioperative morbidity.
The IDO1 selective inhibitor epacadostat enhances dendritic cell immunogenicity and lytic ability of tumor antigen-specific T cells.

// Caroline Jochems 1 , Massimo Fantini 1 , Romaine I. Fernando 1 , Anna R. Kwilas 1 , Renee N. Donahue 1 , Lauren M. Lepone 1 , Italia Grenga 1 , Young-Seung Kim 2 , Martin W. Brechbiel 2 , James L. Gulley 3 , Ravi A. Madan 3 , Christopher R. Heery 1 , James W. Hodge 1 , Robert Newton 4 , Jeffrey Schlom 1, * , Kwong Y. Tsang 1, * 1 Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 2 Radioimmune Inorganic Chemistry Section, Radiation Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 3 Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA 4 Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, DE, USA * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jeffrey Schlom, email: js141c@nih.gov Keywords: IDO inhibitor, dendritic cells, T cells, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), Tregs Received: February 29, 2016 Accepted: April 26, 2016 Published: May 12, 2016 ABSTRACT Epacadostat is a novel inhibitor of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) that suppresses systemic tryptophan catabolism and is currently being evaluated in ongoing clinical trials. We investigated the effects of epacadostat on (a) human dendritic cells (DCs) with respect to maturation and ability to activate human tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) lines, and subsequent T-cell lysis of tumor cells, (b) human regulatory T cells (Tregs), and (c) human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vitro . Simultaneous treatment with epacadostat and IFN-γ plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) did not change the phenotype of matured human DCs, and as expected decreased the tryptophan breakdown and kynurenine production. Peptide-specific T-cell lines stimulated with DCs pulsed with peptide produced significantly more IFN-γ, TNFα, GM-CSF and IL-8 if the DCs were treated with epacadostat. These T cells also displayed higher levels of tumor cell lysis on a per cell basis. Epacadostat also significantly decreased Treg proliferation induced by IDO production from IFN-γ plus LPS matured human DCs, although the Treg phenotype did not change. Multicolor flow cytometry was performed on human PBMCs treated with epacadostat; analysis of 123 discrete immune cell subsets revealed no changes in major immune cell types, an increase in activated CD83 + conventional DCs, and a decrease in immature activated Tim3 + NK cells. These studies show for the first time several effects of epacadostat on human DCs, and subsequent effects on CTL and Tregs, and provide a rationale as to how epacadostat could potentially increase the efficacy of immunotherapeutics, including cancer vaccines.
"We Can Change the World"——The Implication of IB Program of Field Elementary School in the US

As a kind of high-quality education program aiming at cultivating talents with international awareness and global vision,IB(International Baccalaureate) program has attracted consistent attention and recognition from educational organizations all over the world.The paper introduces the background and development of IB programs in American public schools,and summaries IB characteristics in three aspects: learning through research,characteristic development,and cultivation of international awareness.These aspects will surely be beneficial for public schools in China to develop IB programs.
Editorial: Navigating Divides

We all navigate divides daily. Some are easy and seamless and others are a consistent challenge. Some divides separate people and privilege one group over another, for instance some children and adults have to code switch their use of language, while others are able to seamlessly speak their version of English at home, at school, at work, to their friends, and throughout their day. There are students whose home knowledge aligns very closely to the school knowledge that is valued and other students who encounter very different sets of knowledge as they navigate the home-school divide. Great divides also exist for some students or educators who can show or must conceal their sexual orientation in their home, school, workplace, or any other setting. In other cases, a student’s, artist’s, or educator’s perceived disability creates a divide between that individual and peers; such a divide may be created by institutional policies rather than actual ability. While some divides have obvious physical and geographic markers such as living in a community of one socio-economic status and teaching in a community with another, others are more subtle. Great divides exist among educators with regard to their philosophical orientations about how people learn or the purpose of education. Interestingly, many educators do not articulate a formal philosophy of learning and thus they may be unaware of the divide between their methods and those of coworkers. When we collaborate with our peers, we may also encounter divides related to when and how we were educated, who we are as people,
A Chemiluminescent Platform for Smartphone Monitoring of H2O2 in Human Exhaled Breath Condensates

Noninvasive measurement of oxidative markers in clinical samples has the potential to rapidly provide information for disease management, but is limited by the need for expensive analytical instrumentation that precludes home monitoring or point-of-care applications. We have developed a simple to use diagnostic platform for airway hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) that combines optimized reaction-based chemiluminescent designs with an inexpensive home-built darkbox and readily available smartphone cameras. Specialized photography software applications and analysis of pixel intensity enables quantification of sample concentrations. Using this platform, sample H2O2 concentrations as low as 264 nM can be detected. The platform has been used to measure H2O2 in the exhaled breath condensates of human subjects, showing good agreement with the standard Amplex Red assay.
Now and Future Influenza Vaccines

Influenza is a modern day plague. In the young, the clinical picture is classical, but in the elderly, the disease may go unsuspected until complications such as pneumonia develop. Influenza A and B viruses are responsible, and these viruses mutate with great regularity. Antibodies to the HA and NA surface antigens of influenza viruses, both naturally and vaccine induced, are protective. The earliest influenza vaccines were crude, toxic, and ineffective. With modern purification techniques, the egg-grown viruses have been turned into safe, immunogenic, and effective killed-virus vaccines--whole virus and split virus. Surveillance permits the correct virus strains to be incorporated into each new vaccine. Those who have been experiencing the worst effects of influenza have been identified. These individuals need to be immunized each year. In the future, live influenza virus vaccines may offer the benefits of ease of administration and longer-lasting protection. Synthetic peptides, genetically engineered antigens, and even nonantigen (anti-idiotype) vaccines are possible, but such vaccines will require adjuvant enhancement. For the present, greater efforts must be made to use existing influenza vaccines.
Isomorphism Classes of Elliptic Curves Over Finite Fields

In this chapter, we count the isomorphism classes of elliptic curves over finite fields K. For the case K = F 2 m, we list a representative, in Weierstrass form, of each isomorphism class. We determine #E(F 2 m) for each supersingular curve E defined over F 2 m.
Estimating sensitivity of process capability modeled by a transfer function

We assume that the output variable Y of a process with a number of inputs (X 1 , X 2 , ..., X n ) is subject to specification limits, and that the inputs can be represented as random variables. The probability that Y falls within its specification limits is a measure of process capability. In this paper, we demonstrate a one-pass Monte Carlo simulation method that allows the estimation of the sensitivity of process capability to each parameter of the input variables. The proposed method may have gains in efficiency, in terms of reduction in root mean squared error, of several hundred times over competing methods. The results can be used to improve system performance by directing attention to those parameters for which small changes result in the largest change in capability. In this paper we outline the algorithm, demonstrate it on three problems, and provide some discussion of why it works.
Individual Differences and the Differential Impact of Strategic HRM Practices on Engagement

In this study, we explore the proposition that different individuals will respond to certain strategic human resource management practices in terms of their own work engagement depending upon certa...
An influenza A virus (H7N9) anti-neuraminidase monoclonal antibody with prophylactic and therapeutic activity in vivo.

Zoonotic A(H7N9) avian influenza viruses emerged in China in 2013 and continue to be a threat to human public health, having infected over 800 individuals with a mortality rate approaching 40%. Treatment options for people infected with A(H7N9) include the use of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors. However, like other influenza viruses, A(H7N9) can become resistant to these drugs. The use of monoclonal antibodies is a rapidly developing strategy for controlling influenza virus infection. Here we generated a murine monoclonal antibody (3c10-3) directed against the NA of A(H7N9) and show that prophylactic systemic administration of 3c10-3 fully protected mice from lethal challenge with wild-type A/Anhui/1/2013 (H7N9). Further, post-infection treatment with a single systemic dose of 3c10-3 at either 24, 48 or 72 h post A(H7N9) challenge resulted in both dose- and time-dependent protection of up to 100% of mice, demonstrating therapeutic potential for 3c10-3. Epitope mapping revealed that 3c10-3 binds near the enzyme active site of NA, and functional characterization showed that 3c10-3 inhibits the enzyme activity of NA and restricts the cell-to-cell spread of the virus in cultured cells. Affinity analysis also revealed that 3c10-3 binds equally well to recombinant NA of wild-type A/Anhui/1/2013 and to a variant NA carrying a R289K mutation known to infer NAI resistance. These results suggest that 3c10-3 has the potential to be used as a therapeutic to treat A(H7N9) infections either as an alternative to, or in combination with, current NA antiviral inhibitors.
FLT3ITD Expression Confers the Leukemogenic Properties of Growth Factor Independence and Enhanced Self-Renewal to Yolk Sac Progenitors.

Abstract Abstract 1576 Congenital leukemias are clinically and biologically distinct from those manifesting in later childhood and in adults. Derivation of the leukemic cell of origin from the primitive hematopoietic elements of the yolk sac compartment rather than definitive hematopoietic precursors may explain the unique features of this class of leukemias. We hypothesized that in the cellular context of the yolk sac precursor, common leukemogenic mutations such as the FLT3 receptor internal tandem duplication (FLT3ITD), induce characteristics allowing expansion or propagation of this developmentally self-limited cell population. Yolk sacs were dissected from pregnant C57BL/6 mice at E9.5, disaggregated and then infected with an MSCV-FLT3ITD-GFP or an MSCV-GFP control virus. To assess growth factor independence, infected yolk sac cells were plated in methylcellulose lacking growth factors. Colony numbers were scored after 7–10 days and demonstrated FLT3ITD was capable of establishing growth factor independence in yolk sac precursors, similar to results obtained using transduced fetal liver and adult bone marrow. To determine whether FLT3ITD expression in yolk sac progenitors enhanced self-renewal, the ability to serially replate was tested. Yolk sac cells were infected as above and plated in methylcellulose containing Il-3, Il-6, Scf and Epo. Colonies were scored and the cells were replated every 7–10 days. In contrast to infected fetal liver or adult bone marrow, FLT3ITD-expressing yolk sac cells were capable of replating beyond the 4th round. Analysis of derived FLT3ITD-expressing yolk sac colonies demonstrated a CD41+CD34+c-Kit+ population with an undifferentiated morphology similar to primary yolk sac progenitors. In summary, aberrant expression of the FLT3ITD mutation in yolk sac cells results in the acquisition of growth factor independence and enhanced self-renewal, characteristics essential for leukemogenesis. Although FLT3ITD expression in fetal liver and bone marrow allows growth factor independence, the distinctive ability to promote enhanced self-renewal as well in yolk sac cells suggests the yolk sac is a uniquely vulnerable target for leukemic initiation during fetal development. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Continuous Crystallization of Cyclosporine: Effect of Operating Conditions on Yield and Purity

A continuous crystallization process has potential advantages such as lower cost and improved flexibility in pharmaceutical production when compared to batch crystallization. In this work, multistage continuous cooling crystallization processes for cyclosporine were developed. The approach demonstrated that optimization of stage conditions can be used to improve yield and purity. For a multi-impurity system such as cyclosporine, the segregation of each impurity should be estimated separately due to their different behaviors. The effective distribution coefficients of the impurities were calculated and related to the steady state mother liquor concentrations. A population balance and mass balance model including distribution coefficients for impurities was used to estimate maximum yields and purities that could be obtained at various operating conditions. The results showed the limitation in yield and purity improvement using a mixed-suspension, mixed-product removal cascade. In addition, optimization alon...
Goldie Ranks of Prime Polycyclic Crossed Products

We use Moody’s “Brauer induction theorem” for crossed products S*Г of polycyclic-by-finite groups Г over right Noetherian rings S to determine the Goldie rank of S*Г in certain cases.
Leading-edge flow reattachment and the lateral static stability of low-aspect-ratio rectangular wings

An experimental study of low-aspect-ratio rectangular wings in cross flow shows that the reorganization of vortex flow on the wing plays a key role in initiating ``roll stall'' at angles of attack of sustained/increasing lift.
Affordable Care Act’s Cadillac Tax Could Affect One-Fourth Of Workers With Employer Health Coverage By 2025

The excise tax on high-cost health insurance plans (known as the Cadillac tax) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an important part of the law’s attempt to control rising health care costs. Ana...
The Borderline Personality

A new character disturbance classification much in evidence in the recent literature is the “borderline personality.” New definitions of the classification are reviewed in this article, and implica...
Hallucinations, Dreaming and Rem Sleep

It was Aristotle [1] who first proposed the hypothesis that the hallucinations of madness result from aberrant functioning of those mechanisms which normally produce hallucinations during sleep, i.e. the mechanisms of dreaming. With the 1952 discovery by Aserinski and Kleitman [2,3] of REM sleep and its relationship to dreaming, it became possible to put Aristotle’s, by now somewhat hoary, hypothesis to experimental (although indirect) tests. The first such experimental study was begun by Koresko, Snyder and Feinberg [4] just 10 years ago. While the data produced by this and the subsequent investigations of the past decade can hardly be considered definitive, I think that our knowledge nevertheless has advanced significantly and that it is worthwhile here to review those studies most pertinent to possible dream-hallucination relations.
Using a Parameterized Memory Model to Modulate NPC AI

While there continues to be exciting developments in research related to virtual characters, improvements are still needed to create plausibly human-like behaviors. In this paper, we present a synthetic parameterized memory model which includes sensory, working, and long-term memories and mechanisms for acquiring and retrieving memories. With the aid of this model, autonomous virtual humans are able to perform more reasonable interactions with objects and agents in their environment. The memory model also facilitates emergent behaviors, enhances behavioral animation, and assists in creating heterogeneous populations. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the memory model, we also provide an example in a 3D game environment and have conducted a user study in which we found general guidance in determining parameter values for the memory model, resulting in NPCs with more human-like game playing performances.
Representative dissonance: India’s Self and Western Image

Abstract Western media have often been criticized for portraying Third World destinations through a colonial prism via images of primitiveness and exoticism. Contrastingly, some destinations have begun to resist those representations with media campaigns of their own. The purpose of this study was to critically construe the differences between ways that India is represented in American tourism media and how it is represented by the Indian government itself. The findings revealed that these two representations are different in ways that reflect the colonial nature of international tourism and the postcolonial stage of India’s nationalism. Moreover, the study of representative dissonance is proposed as a tool for understanding the conflicting ideological forces that shape destination images.
Neural responses to simple simulated echoes in the auditory brain stem of the unanesthetized rabbit

1. In most natural environments, sound waves from a single source will reach a listener through both direct and reflected paths. Sound traveling the direct path arrives first, and determines the pe...
On Computing Enterprise IT Risk Metrics

Assessing the vulnerability of large heterogeneous systems is crucial to IT operational decisions such as prioritizing the deployment of security patches and enhanced monitoring. These assessments are based on various criteria, including (i) the NIST National Vulnerability Database which reports tens of thousands of vulnerabilities on individual components, with several thousand added every year, and (ii) the specifics of the enterprise IT infrastructure which includes many components.
Learning organizations: an introduction.

Many believe that successful companies beyond the year 2000 will all need to operate as learning organizations. Stimulating this vision have been Dr. Peter Senge of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dr. James Milojkovic of Stanford University. As a learning organization, all members of a company will learn more about other parts of the organization and more about essential processes such as: helping each other learn, sharing, cooperating, leading, and participating in organizational decisions. This learning together will change existing stratifications, such as "bosses make decisions and employees implement the decisions without being consulted." A learning organization is a group of very different people who work together closely; bosses learn to treat each person as a responsible adult and hourly employees learn to participate in decisions. Learning organizations have a strong commitment to continual change. Each participant is expected to personally learn and grow. Everyone is expected to be open and share information, all while being tactful. The question that is continually before everyone in the company is "how can we do better?"
Moral Education: Introduction

Theories of moral education seek to answer the question whether virtue can be taught, and if so, how? Eminent philosophers have been concerned with these questions, from Socrates to John Dewey, and psychologists, educators, and sociologists have added to what is now a mountain of literature on the subject. I can not adequately survey this literature; I shall try only to fit the essays in this section into a philosophical context.
Abstract TMP35: CD200-CD200R1 Inhibitory Signaling Attenuates Neuroinflammation and Reduces Behavioral Deficits Following Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: In ischemic stroke, central nervous system homeostasis is dysregulated, leading to a significant inflammatory response, cell death, and impaired neuronal survival. The immune-inhibito...