cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High‐Throughput Biophysical Analysis and Data Visualization of Conformational Stability of an IgG1 Monoclonal Antibody After Deglycosylation

The structural integrity and conformational stability of an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), after partial or complete enzymatic removal of the N-linked Fc glycan, were compared with the untreated mAb over a wide range of temperature (10°C-90°C) and solution pH (3-8) using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, and static light scattering combined with data visualization employing empirical phase diagrams. Subtle-to-larger stability differences between the different glycoforms were observed. Improved detection of physical stability differences was then demonstrated over narrower pH range (4.0-6.0) using smaller temperature increments, especially when combined with an alternative data visualization method (radar plots). Differential scanning calorimetry and differential scanning fluorimetry were then utilized and also showed an improved ability to detect differences in the physical stability of a mAb glycoform. On the basis of these results, a two-step methodology was used in which conformational stability of a mAb glycoform is first screened with a wide variety of instruments and environmental stresses, followed by a second evaluation with optimally sensitive experimental conditions, analytical techniques, and data visualization methods. With this approach, a high-throughput biophysical analysis to assess relatively subtle conformational stability differences in protein glycoforms is demonstrated.
Myeloid cells in tumor inflammation

Bone marrow derived myeloid cells progressively accumulate in tumors, where they establish an inflammatory microenvironment that is favorable for tumor growth and spread. These cells are comprised primarily of monocytic and granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are generally associated with a poor clinical outcome. MDSCs and TAMs promote tumor progression by stimulating immunosuppression, neovascularization, metastasis and resistance to anti-cancer therapy. Strategies to target the tumor-promoting functions of myeloid cells could provide substantial therapeutic benefit to cancer patients.
Sternal Wound Infection Caused by Mycobacterium chelonae

Introduction Sternal wound infection caused by Mycobacterium chelonae, a member of the rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), is rare and may present without signs and symptoms of systemic infection. Methods We present a patient who had a M. chelonae infection of the sternum following excision of a left atrial myxoma and conducted a review of the literature from 1976 to 2013. Results Seventy cases of NTM sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery were identified, including six outbreaks and ten sporadic cases including the present case. Thirty-four cases were isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, 16 cases were isolated valve replacement, and two cases were valve replacement with CABG. The age range of the patients was between 6 and 78 years. The average time from the surgery was 49 ± 58 days which was longer than the usual bacterial mediastinitis. The overall mortality rate was 29%. Conclusion NTM sternal wound infection is rare but may be fatal if not properly treated. The toxic signs are often subtle and it will take longer to isolate compared to typical bacterial mediastinitis. Early recognition, the use of appropriate antibiotics based on susceptibility tests, and aggressive surgical debridement are required for full recovery. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12194 (J Card Surg 2013;28:687–692)
Taking the grand out of grandparent: Dialectical tensions in grandparent perceptions of surrogate parenting:

This interpretive study utilized a dialectical framework to explore themes that emerged in interviews with grandparents engaged in raising their grandchildren full-time (i.e. surrogate parents). Detailed interviews with 45 surrogate parents (ranging in age from 45 to 76 years old) were examined inductively and results revealed three primary contradictions: (i) connection versus separation, (ii) stability versus change, and (iii) protection versus expression. Multiple dialectical radiants are embedded within these three primary contradictions. Dialectical radiants for connection/separation included: responsibility-for versus freedom-from, desire versus obligation, blessing versus sacrifice, and safety versus threat. Dialectical radiants for stability/change included: health versus illness, and youthfulness versus aging. Dialectical radiants for protection/expression included: permissiveness versus discipline, and parent versus grandparent. A conceptual model visually demonstrates knots of contradictions fo...
Management of Oxidative Stress in Bacillus

The spore-forming bacterium and model prokaryotic genetic system, Bacillus subtilis, is extremely useful in the study of oxidative stress management through proteomic and genome-wide transcriptomic analyses, as well as through detailed structural studies of the regulatory factors that govern the oxidative stress response. The factors that sense oxidants and induce expression of protective activities include the PerR and OhrR proteins, which show acute discrimination for their peroxide stimuli, whereas the general stress control factor, the RNA polymerase sigma(B) subunit and the thiol-based sensor Spx, govern the protective response to oxidants under multiple stress conditions. Some specific and some redundant protective mechanisms are mobilized at different stages of the Bacillus developmental cycle to deal with vulnerable cells in stationary-phase conditions and during spore germination and outgrowth. An important unknown is the nature and influence of the low-molecular-weight thiols that mediate the buffering of the redox environment.
History, regionalism, and CARICOM trade: A gravity model analysis

Abstract A gravity model is fitted to 17 annual cross sections, 1980–1996, of bilateral trade data (imports and exports) between CARICOM member states and selected trading partners. Specifically, the paper investigates the effects of regional integration, colonial legacies and linguistic ties on CARICOM bilateral trade flows between member states and between member states and North American and European Union countries. The empirical results indicate that history and regionalism have had significant and strong effects on CARICOM trade. Additionally, two traditional explanatory variables in gravity models, income per capita and population, have significant and positive effects on CARICOM trade while the distance between trading partners exerts the expected negative effect.
Evaluation of Endoscope Sheaths As Viral Barriers

Objectives: Evaluate ENT endoscope sheaths as barriers to virus passage. Study Design: “Defective” sheaths covering an endoscope were challenged with virus to determine how many virus particles could be recovered from the endoscope. Methods: Sheaths with small laser-drilled holes (2 to 30 μm) were challenged with high-titer virus suspensions (108 viruses/mL). The inside of the sheath and the endoscope were separately rinsed to recover any virus that penetrated through the hole in the sheath. In an attempt to assess the possible importance of holes in the sheaths, a sequential test was conducted with an initial virus challenge outside a defective sheath (30-micron hole in the sheath), after which the possibly contaminated endoscope was removed and inserted into a second defective sheath (with a 20-micron hole at the same location) to determine whether the contaminating virus would pass outward through the second sheath. Results: Small volumes of virus-containing fluid penetrated through the hole, e.g., 500 virus particles passed through one of three 30-μm holes. A significant fraction of those virus particles was occasionally found on the endoscope after removal from the sheath. Similar results were obtained with sheaths that had small tears (34-84 μm in length, from punctures with fine wires). Although some virus penetration could occur during the initial challenge contaminating the endoscope, no virus was detected passing outward through the second sheath. Conclusions: Use of a sheath combined with intermediate level disinfection should provide a safe instrument for ENT endoscopy.
Bioenergetics assessment of fish and crayfish consumption by river otter (Lontra canadensis): integrating prey availability, diet, and field metabolic rate

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are important predators in aquatic ecosystems, but few studies quantify their prey consumption. We trapped crayfish monthly as an index of availability and collecte...
Exact SU(2)×U(1) stringy black holes

Extreme magnetic dilaton black holes are promoted to exact solutions of heterotic string theory with unbroken supersymmetry. With account taken of [alpha][sup [prime]] corrections this is accomplished by supplementing the known solutions with SU(2) Yang-Mills vectors and scalars in addition to the already existing Abelian U(1) vector field. The solution has a simple analytic form and includes multiple black holes. The issue of exactness of other black-hole-type solutions, including extreme dilaton electrically charged black holes and Taub--Newman-Unti-Tamburino solutions, is discussed.
Finding Heavy Hitters from Lossy or Noisy Data

Motivated by Dvir et al. and Wigderson and Yehudayoff [3,10], we examine the question of discovering the set of heavy hitters of a distribution on strings (i.e., the set of strings with a certain minimum probability) from lossy or noisy samples. While the previous work concentrated on finding both the set of most probable elements and their probabilities, we consider enumeration, the problem of just finding a list that includes all the most probable elements without associated probabilities. Unlike Wigderson and Yehudayoff [10], we do not assume the underlying distribution has small support size, and our time bounds are independent of the support size. For the enumeration problem, we give a polynomial time algorithm for the lossy sample model for any constant erasure probability μ < 1 , and a quasi-polynomial algorithm for the noisy sample model for any noise probability ν < 1/2 of flipping bits. We extend the lower bound for the number of samples required for the reconstruction problem from [3] to the enumeration problem to show that when μ = 1 − o(1), no polynomial time algorithm exists.
A Microscopic Finite Element Model of Shoe–Floor Hysteresis and Adhesion Friction

Few efforts have attempted to model the tribological interaction of shoe–floor contacting surfaces despite high prevalence of slipping accidents. Hysteresis and adhesion are the two main contributing mechanisms in shoe–floor friction at the microscopic asperity level. This study developed a three-dimensional microscopic finite element model of shoe–floor surfaces to quantify the effect of surface topography, shoe material properties and sliding speed on hysteresis and adhesion friction. The validity of the model was assessed by comparing model predictions to pin-on-disk experimental data. The model predicts that hysteresis friction increases for harder shoe materials, rougher shoe surfaces and rougher floor surfaces, while adhesion increases for smoother shoe surfaces, smoother floor surfaces and decreasing sliding speed. The effects of shoe material and floor roughness on the predicted hysteresis friction values were consistent with the experimental data. The effects of sliding speed on adhesion friction were moderately consistent with the experimental data. In addition, the predicted hysteresis magnitudes were consistent with experimental data. This model is a significant step toward development of a comprehensive shoe–floor friction model.
Timeline for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

March 19 — Macondo Prospect lease purchased by a consortium of BP (65%), Anadarko Petroleum (25%), and Mitsui Oil Exploration (10%). This lease sale included 614 other prospect leases, of which 34.5% were at the depth of the Macondo Prospect or deeper.1
Mindtagger: a demonstration of data labeling in knowledge base construction

End-to-end knowledge base construction systems using statistical inference are enabling more people to automatically extract high-quality domain-specific information from unstructured data. As a result of deploying DeepDive framework across several domains, we found new challenges in debugging and improving such end-to-end systems to construct high-quality knowledge bases. DeepDive has an iterative development cycle in which users improve the data. To help our users, we needed to develop principles for analyzing the system's error as well as provide tooling for inspecting and labeling various data products of the system. We created guidelines for error analysis modeled after our colleagues' best practices, in which data labeling plays a critical role in every step of the analysis. To enable more productive and systematic data labeling, we created Mindtagger, a versatile tool that can be configured to support a wide range of tasks. In this demonstration, we show in detail what data labeling tasks are modeled in our error analysis guidelines and how each of them is performed using Mindtagger.
AIDS virus escape from cytotoxic T lymphocyte containment in monkeys

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-based vaccine protection of rhesus monkeys against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) infection confers clinical benefit, but allows persistent viral replication. The intense selective pressure by CTLs on this replicating virus should rapidly select for viral escape variants. We demonstrated such escape in 7 of 9 vaccinated and control monkeys in a group of plasmid gag DNA vaccinated monkeys after a heterologous SIVsm challenge during a 3-year period of follow-up. The viral mutations all occurred in dominant CTL epitopes and were associated temporally with clinical deterioration of the infected monkeys. In contrast to the frequency of this occurrence in monkeys following SIVsm infection, only 1 of 8 monkeys optimally vaccinated with cytokine-augmented plasmid gag and env DNA developed such a clinically significant dominant epitope escape variant after SHIV-89.6P infection during a similar period of follow-up. Studies demonstrated that this dominant epitope was structurally constrained in SHIV-89.6P, and a coincident mutation in a region of the virus flanking the epitope was required to facilitate the generation of an optimally replicating variant virus with a dominant epitope mutation. These studies illustrate the potential complexity of the biologic events leading to the escape of an AIDS virus from a vaccine-elicited CTL response. This abstract was published in Cancer Immunity, a Cancer Research Institute journal that ceased publication in 2013 and is now provided online in association with Cancer Immunology Research.
MHD T-Burner Combustion Response Test Improvements

MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) instrumentation was installed on the 36 inch T-burner for simultaneous measurements of pressure coupled response and h@lD velocity field oscillation measurements. Tests have been done at pressures of 200,300, and 1000 psia using pellets of AP, HMX, and RDX and AP/HTPB propellants BP4, 3%HMX, 3%UFAL and PBAN/AP. Recent improvements include a 3800 gauss permanent magnet, high impedance preamps, capacitors on inputs leads as high pass filters, Autolite spark plug probes, and ceramic liner in pipe. It was hoped that these improvements would produce larger MHD electrode voltages, but apparently good electrical insulation from the wall is still required. Phenolic liners will be inserted in future tests. Probe 1, nearest the sample, generally had the highest signal levels (except when it shorted out), but not the same frequency as the pressure oscillation. Oscillation levels were strongest for the AP pellets. It was expected that the phase lags for the probes would be closer together than they were.
Morphology of phytophthora cinnamomi

The morphology of Pc40 (A2) and Pc97 (A1) isolates of Phytophthora cinnamomi was studied with light and scanning electron microscopy. While confirming the findings of previous workers, some interes...
Abstract B36: The Ewing's sarcoma fusion oncogene EWS-FLI1 induces tumors and developmental phenotypes in zebrafish

Ewing9s sarcoma, a member of the small round blue cell family of tumors, is an aggressive and malignant bone tumor of children and young adults. The cells are generally poorly differentiated, although can also have characteristics of neuroectodermal cells. Ewing9s tumors are characterized by a t(11:22) that generates a fusion of the EWS protein and the FLI1 transcription factor. This fusion oncoprotein, EWS-FLI1, represents a potential therapeutic target for treatment of Ewing9s sarcoma. However, the molecular mechanisms by which EWS-FLI1 mediates tumorigenesis remain unknown. Few animal models exist in which to study the function of EWS-FLI1. Here, we report the use of zebrafish as a new vertebrate model of EWS-FLI1 function and tumorigenesis. Using the zebrafish Tol2 transposon system, we have developed several transgenic models to study the function of EWS-FLI1 in a vertebrate model organism. First, we have injected zebrafish with transposons containing human EWS-FLI1 driven by either the heat shock or the β-actin promoter. A subset of the injected fish developed tumors when raised to adulthood. These tumors strongly resemble Ewing9s sarcoma. This finding demonstrates that the functional targets of EWS-FLI1 that mediate tumor development are conserved from zebrafish to human. We observe an increased incidence of tumors in a p53 mutant background, suggesting that the p53 pathway may suppress EWS-FLI1 driven tumorigenesis. We are performing microarray analysis to identify candidate downstream effector genes and to compare to previously identified EWS-FLI1 target genes. In addition to these tumors, we identified transgenic lines that transmit the EWS-FLI1 transgene to their progeny. The embryos that express EWS-FLI1 exhibit abnormal embryonic development. This result suggests that EWS-FLI1 may regulate conserved developmental pathways. These transgenic lines represent a novel physiological context in which to study the cellular function of EWS-FLI1. From these two models of EWS-FLI1 expression in the zebrafish, we conclude that human EWS-FLI1 functions in zebrafish and that these models provide a novel context in which to study the function of this fusion oncogene. Additionally, the rapid development and small size of the zebrafish will allow us to utilize these models for genetic and chemical screens for specific EWS-FLI1 inhibitors for the treatment of Ewing9s sarcoma. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(23 Suppl):B36.
The investigation and analysis of silicosis complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis in a wolfram mine

Objective To explore the occurrence and the development of the silicosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in 440 wolfram mine silicosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis(SCPT group) and 339 simple silicosis in the same wolfram mine as control group. Results The incidence of complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis among Ⅰstage, Ⅱstage and Ⅲ stage silicosis were 62.53%, 34.48% and 93.33% respectively(p0.01).There were no statistical differences between the age of pa- tients suffering from silicosis in Ⅰstage and Ⅱstage in SCPT group and control group(p0.05) .The incidence of rock drilling workers was higher than that in the control group (p0.01),and there were no differences in the other types of work(p0.05). The contact period of the Ⅰstage silicosis was significantly shorter than the control group (p0.01). The incidence of silicosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis became lower as time passed. The stage promoting interval of SCPT group has no statistical differences (p0.05). The case fatality rate of the SCPT group was significantly higher than the control group(p0.01),and became higher accompanying with the silicosis(p0.01). Conclusion The silicosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis were happened generally in rock drilling workers and shorter period of contacting dust workers. The mortality rate was higher. The incidence of silicosis patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis became lower as time passed. The measures of control and prevention of silicosis complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis were effective.
Prediction of Cognitive States During Flight Simulation Using Multimodal Psychophysiological Sensing

The Commercial Aviation Safety Team found the majority of recent international commercial aviation accidents attributable to loss of control inflight involved flight crew loss of airplane state awareness (ASA), and distraction was involved in all of them. Research on attention-related human performance limiting states (AHPLS) such as channelized attention, diverted attention, startle/surprise, and confirmation bias, has been recommended in a Safety Enhancement (SE) entitled "Training for Attention Management." To accomplish the detection of such cognitive and psychophysiological states, a broad suite of sensors was implemented to simultaneously measure their physiological markers during a high fidelity flight simulation human subject study. Twenty-four pilot participants were asked to wear the sensors while they performed benchmark tasks and motion-based flight scenarios designed to induce AHPLS. Pattern classification was employed to predict the occurrence of AHPLS during flight simulation also designed to induce those states. Classifier training data were collected during performance of the benchmark tasks. Multimodal classification was performed, using pre-processed electroencephalography, galvanic skin response, electrocardiogram, and respiration signals as input features. A combination of one, some or all modalities were used. Extreme gradient boosting, random forest and two support vector machine classifiers were implemented. The best accuracy for each modality-classifier combination is reported. Results using a select set of features and using the full set of available features are presented. Further, results are presented for training one classifier with the combined features and for training multiple classifiers with features from each modality separately. Using the select set of features and combined training, multistate prediction accuracy averaged 0.64 +/- 0.14 across thirteen participants and was significantly higher than that for the separate training case. These results support the goal of demonstrating simultaneous real-time classification of multiple states using multiple sensing modalities in high fidelity flight simulators. This detection is intended to support and inform training methods under development to mitigate the loss of ASA and thus reduce accidents and incidents.
Overview of FDA's Expanded Access Program for Investigational Drugs.

Expanded access, also called “compassionate use,” provides a pathway for patients to gain access to investigational drugs, biologics, and medical devices used to diagnose, monitor, or treat patients with serious diseases or conditions for which there are no comparable or satisfactory therapy options available outside of clinical trials. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) facilitates the expanded access process; however, access to investigational treatments requires not only FDA’s review and authorization but also the active involvement and cooperation of other parties, including drug companies and health care providers, in order to be successful.
Control of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Activated Sludge Using Polyvalent Phages in Conjunction with a Production Host

Bacteriophage-based microbial control could help address a growing need to attenuate the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, the infectivity of commonly isolated narrow-host-range phages decreases quickly upon addition to activated sludge (i.e., plaque-forming units had a half-life of 0.63 h). Here, we show that polyvalent (broad-host-range) phages proliferate and thrive in activated sludge microcosms, especially when added along with their production hosts. Polyvalent phage cocktails (PER01 and PER02) were significantly more effective than narrow-host-range coliphage cocktails (MER01 and MER02) in suppressing a model ARB [β-lactam-resistant Escherichia coli NDM-1, initially present at 6.2 ± 0.1 log10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL]. After 5 days, the NDM-1 concentration significantly decreased to 3.8 ± 0.2 log10 CFU/mL in the presence of the polyvalent phage cocktail, compared to 4.7 ± 0.3 log10 CFU/mL for the coliphage cocktail treatment. ...
FIP200 and Rb1 expression in CNS metastasis from breast cancer (CNS met): Potential predictors of patient outcome.

2014 Background: Patients with CNS met have a poor outcome with significant variation in overall survival. No marker to predict survival exists. Rb1 is a negative regulator of the cell cycle, and F...
Structural properties of the equilibrium solutions of riccati equations

Structural properties of equilibrium solutions of quadratic matrix equation, using variational interpretation of associated Riccati equation, transform techniques and Parseval formula
Test Anxiety and a High-Stakes Standardized Reading Comprehension Test: A Behavioral Genetics Perspective

Past research suggests that reading comprehension test performance does not rely solely on targeted cognitive processes such as word reading, but also on other non-target aspects such as test anxiety. Using a genetically sensitive design, we sought to understand the genetic and environmental etiology of the association between test anxiety and reading comprehension as measured by a high-stakes test. Mirroring the behavioral literature of test anxiety, three different dimensions of test anxiety were examined in relation to reading comprehension, namely intrusive thoughts, autonomic reactions, and off-task behaviors. Participants included 426 sets of twins from the Florida Twin Project on Reading. The results indicated test anxiety was negatively associated with reading comprehension test performance, specifically through common shared environmental influences. The significant contribution of test anxiety to reading comprehension on a high-stakes test supports the notion that non-targeted factors may be interfering with accurately assessing students' reading abilities.
A multisite study of performance drivers among institutional review boards.

Introduction The time required to obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is a frequent subject of efforts to reduce unnecessary delays in initiating clinical trials. This study was conducted by and for IRB directors to better understand factors affecting approval times as a first step in developing a quality improvement framework. Methods 807 IRB-approved clinical trials from 5 University of California campuses were analyzed to identify operational and clinical trial characteristics influencing IRB approval times. Results High workloads, low staff ratios, limited training, and the number and types of ancillary reviews resulted in longer approval times. Biosafety reviews and the need for billing coverage analysis were ancillary reviews that contributed to the longest delays. Federally funded and multisite clinical trials had shorter approval times. Variability in between individual committees at each institution reviewing phase 3 multisite clinical trials also contributed to delays for some protocols. Accreditation was not associated with shorter approval times. Conclusions Reducing unnecessary delays in obtaining IRB approval will require a quality improvement framework that considers operational and study characteristics as well as the larger institutional regulatory environment.
Assessing Visual Search Performance in Ocular Compared to Cerebral Visual Impairment Using a Virtual Reality Simulation of Human Dynamic Movement

Virtual reality (VR) can provide robust assessment of cognitive spatial processing skills in individuals with visual impairment. VR combined with objective measures of behavioral performance (i.e., eye tracking) affords a high degree of experimental control, task flexibility, participant engagement, and enhanced data capture. Individuals with visual impairment typically have difficulties identifying people in crowded environments; these difficulties may differ depending on the origin of the visual impairment. Specifically, individuals with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI) may show a greater sensitivity to scenarios of high dynamic visual complexity compared to those with ocular based visual impairment (OVI). To test potential differences in visual search performance, we have developed a first-person perspective VR environment integrated with eye tracking designed to simulate the dynamic movement of humans in a hallway. Participants were tasked with locating a specific target individual walking among a crowd of people moving in various directions in the hallway. To assess the effect of task difficulty, we manipulated factors of crowd density and presence of object clutter within the hallway. Results to date show that both visually impaired groups demonstrate increased variability in search patterns and reaction times as compared to controls. Additionally, performance of the CVI group fluctuates greater as a function of task difficulty. Findings from the current work demonstrate a successful interaction between individuals with visual impairments and VR simulations in assessing high level visual function. Further studies will serve as a theoretical foundation for the creation of new assessment and training paradigms for visually impaired individuals.
Xylanases: structure and function.

A number of papers in this seminar are devoted to the production and characterization of cellulases. This is proper, since the use of cellulases is perhaps the most feasible method of converting cellulose to products that may be used for fuels and chemicals. However, all celluloses from hardwoods and grasses are associated with significant amounts of xylan, a hemicellulose possessing a β-l,4-linked xylose backbone, with branches containing xylose and other pentoses, hexoses, and uronic acids (Figure 1).
Acquisition. Acclimation to Changing Carbon Availability

Aquatic organisms, including those such as Chlamydomoncas reinhardtii that inhabit the soil water solution, face a variable supply of dissolved inorganic carbon (Ci) for photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Accordingly, C. reinhardtii has the ability to acclimate to the changing (Ci) supply through a variety of responses, which include development of a limiting-CO2-inducible CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM). The CCM uses active (Ci) transport, probably both at the plasmalemma and the chloroplast envelope, to accumulate a high concentration of bicarbonate in the chloroplast stroma. The initial enzyme of photosynthetic carbon assimilation, Rubisco, is located in, a stromal, structure called the pyrenoid, and one hypothesis, suggests, that dehydration of the accumulated bicarbonate to supply CO2, the substrate for Rubisco, occurs only in the pyrenoid. However, an α-type carbonic anhydrase responsible for dehydration of the stromal bicarbonate pool apparently is located in the thylakoid lumen, so it may be restricted to thylakoid membranes encompassed by the pyrenoid. The high CO2 concentration generated at the site of Rubisco both increases the photosynthetic rate and suppresses oxygenation of RuBP, a wasteful side pathway. In addition to the changes demonstrably related to the function of the CCM, C. reinhardtii exhibits several other changes upon acclimation to limiting (Ci), such as induction of three additional carbonic anhydrases (one periplasmic and two mitochondrial), changes in the intracellular location of mitochondria, up-regulation of photorespiratory enzymes and up-regulation of several other genes, of unknown function. Important transient changes in gene regulation also occur during the acclimation period before the CCM becomes functional, including an arrest of the cell division cycle and a decline in Rubisco synthesis. One of the key areas of interest currently under investigation is how the C. reinhardtii cells recognize the change in (Ci) or CO2 concentration and transduce that signal into gene expression changes needed for induction of a functional CCM, as well as all the other changes seen upon acclimation to limiting CO2.
Salvage Therapy in Metastatic Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumour at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses salvage therapy in metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC). The results of salvage chemotherapy at the UTMDACC have resulted in a high cure rate of 58%. The components of therapy were hypothesized that may have contributed to the high cure rate. The salvage treatment strategy was similar in the two groups and consisted of the sequential and frequent delivery of independently effective regimens of BOP, CISCA, POMB, and ACE followed by early surgery for patients with persistent residual disease. Seventy-five percent patients with metastatic chemotherapy–refractory NSGCT of the testis are disease-free with salvage therapy with a median follow-up of 34 months. The higher than anticipated cure rate may be attributed to selection factors or those related to treatment.
Recent Seismic Activity in Albania and its Features

Data on historical earthquakes in Albania are very scarce. The total number of historical earthquakes (with IO>VIII degrees) prior to1800 is only 21 events, and 77 events (with IO>VII degrees), and for the 19th century. 1037 events with M>4.1, were recorded during period 1900—1995.Albania is characterized by a continuous and sporadic seismic activity. During past and recent earthquakes a lot of liquefaction phenomena including “pseudo” volcanoes of sand and water have been observed in the Preadriatic area of Albania.
Sculpting Place Through Ceramic Maps

Place is a fundamental theme of geographic inquiry that has recently seen a renewed interest. As a multifarious concept, place can be a challenge to portray through maps. The infiuence of empirical science and new technologies on cartography can obscure meaning attached to place that is not observable. To better portray place, the role of art needs to be reconsidered in making maps.Domain,the collaborative artwork of a geographer and an artist, depicts the diverse meaning of place that continues to evolve in south central Virginia of the United States. Constructed of stoneware, glazes, and steel, the piece consists of panels portraying the contentious relationship between an ethnic neighborhood and a state-supported university. Collectively, the work presents multiple temporal and spatial perspectives showing property acquisition adjacent to the university.
Investment Management and Technology: Past, Present, and Future

This paper analyzes how the practice of investment management has been affected over the past 45 years by technological progress, market innovations, and advances in finance theory. Over the next few decades, as retirement-income systems around the world make the transition from "pay-as-you-go" social security to self-directed retirement accounts, the investment-management business is likely to undergo a radical transformation. There will be a growing demand for customized, integrated investment and insurance products. Financial engineering will play a major role in this transformation.
Web Infrastructures and Online Attention Ecology

The Web has given rise to novel infrastructures for content curation and user content generation. Existing literature connecting website features and user behavior concentrates on a small number of popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Search, and Wikipedia. This study raises the analytical scheme from the particularities of singular websites to “formats” shared across sites. Through measures we employ to gauge distinct aspects of attention, we analyze traffic to the world’s most popular sites at three time points and determine their website formats with the assistance of human coders. We found that, compared with websites invested in producing original content, the curatorial websites tend to serve as attention hubs, and websites driven by user-generated content serve as attention bridges. Methodologically, this study advances the project of capturing the interconnections within the online attention ecology. Empirically, our findings show how this ecology evolved in relation to Web infrastructures.
Abstract 245: Association Between Levels of Caregiver Engagement and Rates of Self-reported Healthcare Utilization After Stroke: A Mixed Methods Study

Background: Caregivers (CGs) are critical in helping stroke survivors retain function and receive adequate healthcare. We aimed to identify the activities that CGs are engaged in over the course of...
INTEGRATED MORPHOLOGY OF CATECHOLAMINE AND NEUROPHYSIN NEURONS

Simultaneous visualization of norepinephrine (NE) and specific neurophysins was performed in rhesus monkey hypothalamus using a histoflourescence-immunocytochemical approach. NE varicosities appeared in juxtaposition to neurophysin perikarya and dendrites. This morphological relationship supports the concept of a role for NE in magnocellular activity.
Some Social and Philosophical Implications of Progress on the Origin and Synthesis of Life

There has been remarkable progress in synthesizing more complex essential components of living organisms and of obtaining ever greater understanding of the processes by which life may have originated on this planet. These developments will have significant practical consequences, but perhaps as important will be some of the implications they provide for the philosophical view of man--what he is, where he came from, where he may be headed.
Patient Perspectives on Short-Course Pharmacotherapy: Barriers and Facilitators to Medication Adherence.

Background:Medication nonadherence is a public health issue that contributes to poor health outcomes and health-care costs. Factors influencing long-term medication adherence are known; however, li...
Broadband, Small-Aperture Direction-Finding Array With Azimuth and Elevation Estimation Capability

A broadband (VHF-UHF), compact antenna array capable of estimating the elevation and azimuth angles of arrival of an electromagnetic wave is presented. Small-aperture direction-finding (DF) arrays are widely used at lower frequency bands (e.g., HF and VHF bands) where the electromagnetic wavelength is large and the physical size needed to accommodate the array is generally small. To design the proposed small-aperture DF array, we examined different array topologies that provide elevation and azimuth estimation capabilities and that are immune to errors caused by cross polarization. All of these potential candidates occupy the same volume of $14\times 14\times5.5$ cm3 corresponding to a maximum linear dimension of 19 cm. Subsequently, we adopted the topology that provides the lowest Cramer–Rao bound (CRB). The topology of this array was further optimized to efficiently utilize an available volume, and its DF performance was characterized over a wide frequency range from 30 to 2000 MHz using computer simulations. A prototype of the array was also fabricated and characterized using field tests at a number of discrete frequencies within this band. The measurement results show very good agreement with simulations and validate the DF capabilities and the expected accuracy levels predicted by the theoretical analyses.
Improving Model Robustness Using Causal Knowledge

For decades, researchers in fields, such as the natural and social sciences, have been verifying causal relationships and investigating hypotheses that are now well-established or understood as truth. These causal mechanisms are properties of the natural world, and thus are invariant conditions regardless of the collection domain or environment. We show in this paper how prior knowledge in the form of a causal graph can be utilized to guide model selection, i.e., to identify from a set of trained networks the models that are the most robust and invariant to unseen domains. Our method incorporates prior knowledge (which can be incomplete) as a Structural Causal Model (SCM) and calculates a score based on the likelihood of the SCM given the target predictions of a candidate model and the provided input variables. We show on both publicly available and synthetic datasets that our method is able to identify more robust models in terms of generalizability to unseen out-of-distribution test examples and domains where covariates have shifted.
Molecular genetics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

INTRODUCTION Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary disease of the myocardium characterized by unexplained cardiac hypertrophy, a small left ventricle and increased left ventricular ejection fraction. HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and a major cause of morbidity in the elderly. The prevalence of HCM is approximately 1:500 in the young, general population and likely higher in older individuals because of age-dependent penetrance.1 There have been remarkable advances in molecular genetic studies of HCM that have potential implications in understanding the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, risk stratifications and development of new therapies.
College Students and Their Knowledge and Perceptions About Sexual Assault

Because college women are particularly vulnerable to sexual assault, it is imperative to understand the knowledge college students possess about sexual assault. They may possess potentially problematic perceptions that contribute to the perpetuation of sexual violence. Quantitative survey data was collected from 18 to 25 year old college students as part of a larger qualitative study to examine the attitudes and beliefs about sexual assault among college students. The current research examines the knowledge college students have about sexual assault using an adapted survey. Results demonstrate that college students are inconsistent in their knowledge about sexual assault. They possess both accurate and problematic understandings of sexual assault. This data furthers our understanding of what college students believe about sexual assault. It also demonstrates a need to address problematic beliefs into current sexual assault prevention programming in order to target those attitudes that can lead to sexual violence.
Giant cell-rich lesions of bone

Abstract Giant cell-rich bone lesions comprize heterogeneous neoplastic and non-neoplastic disorders with diverse clinical, radiological and pathological presentations. They are characterized by the presence of conspicuous osteoclast-type giant cells as a component of the presenting entity. Correlation with imaging, age and location of the lesion is essential to render an accurate diagnosis. Pathological diagnosis ultimately dictates the behavior and direct the management of these lesions. Both benign and malignant tumors of bone can elaborate an osteoclast-rich giant cell response and the distribution of giant cells vary with the type and nature of the underlying biological process. In recent years genetic alterations have emerged as ancillary techniques and are being used routinely to increase diagnostic specificity. This review will focus on common and uncommon giant cell-rich bone lesions and emphasize important clinical, radiological, pathological and molecular features which are necessary for a precise diagnosis.
Environmental Design and Neighborhood Context: A Multi-level Analysis of Crime at Apartments in Cincinnati Neighborhoods:

The present study examines the role of opportunity on crime counts within the multicontextual opportunity theoretical framework. We used weighted multilevel regression modeling of site observation ...
Residential proximity to greenness mitigates the hemodynamic effects of ambient air pollution

Previous studies have linked proximity to green spaces with lower cardiovascular disease risk. However, the mechanisms underlying the salutary effects of green areas are not known. In our study of ...
Variations in the canopy shock structures of massive extraterrestrial plumes: Parametric DSMC simulation of 2007 Tvashtar observations

Abstract The New Horizons flyby of the Jovian system yielded multiple images of the erupting Pele-class volcanic plume, Tvashtar. These images include a unique five-frame sequence or “movie” taken over 8 min that revealed short-term dynamical activity in the form of a traveling wave and evolving plume structure. The high-latitude Tvashtar plume was observed from various aspects during the flyby to exhibit a canopy shock and a depositional ring with thermal vent emission. The movie frames and other high-resolution images of Io taken during the New Horizons flyby by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were deconvolved to aid analysis of the plume dynamics. While our previous work (Hoey et al., 2016) modeled this plume's gas field in its steady state with rarefied gas dynamic methods, Tvashtar's virtual vent conditions were underconstrained by observation. Therefore, to constrain thermodynamic and geometric parameters at the virtual vent, we extend our models of the Tvashtar plume to perform a parametric series of 3-D simulations at much improved resolution. These simulations vary virtual vent aspect ratio and stagnation temperature, and implement new models for gas opacity in SO2 flows and for the condensation and sublimation of particles entrained in the plume. We arrive at a set of virtual vent conditions that incorporate or satisfy all available observational constraints and several novel ones, including the gas canopy height and aspect ratio and the depositional ring extent and orientation. The 2007 Tvashtar gas plume is shown to be consistent with a virtual vent of aspect ratio less than or equal to 3; stagnation temperature 1287 K; area 30 km2; and mass flow rate 2.0 × 105 kg/s SO2. Alternate canopy shock and depositional ring configurations are evaluated across a range of vent aspect ratios from 1 to 15 with results that will help to constrain the sources of other observed gas plumes. Finally, we develop an alternate hypothesis for the New Horizons observations of canopy unsteadiness in the Tvashtar plume; namely, that transient perturbations in the structure of the gas canopy shock itself produce a traveling notch-like structure that may even grow unstable, inducing temporary canopy collapse. This is as opposed to a high-amplitude density pulse at the source, or to source-entrained dust in a condensate model coupled to steady gas-field solutions.
Studies on the Glycosidases in Jack Bean Meal I. ISOLATION AND PROPERTIES OF α-MANNOSIDASE

Abstract α-Mannosidase was purified approximately 500-fold from jack bean meal. This enzyme was able to hydrolyze α-1,6', α-1,2'-, and α-1,3'-linked oligomannosides, but not phenyl-β-d-mannoside and β-1,4'-linked mannobiose. Approximately 5% of the total mannose present in the yeast mannan was set free by α-mannosidase after prolonged incubation. The fact that no sugars other than mannose were detected in the mannan digests indicates that this enzyme is not a polysaccharidase (endoenzyme) in nature. The enzyme hydrolyzes mannobiose, mannotriose, and mannotetraose derived from yeast mannan. The Km values obtained were: p-nitrophenyl-α-d-mannoside, 2.5 x 10-3 m; benzyl-α-d-mannoside, 3.1 x 10-2 m; methyl-α-d-mannoside, 1.2 x 10-1 m. The enzyme was competitively inhibited by mannono-(1 → 4)- and (1 → 5)-lactone. With p-nitrophenyl-α-d-mannoside as substrate, Ki values for (1 → 4)- and (1 → 5)-lactone were 1.0 x 10-2 m and 1.2 x 10-4 m, respectively. α-Mannosidase catalyzes hydrolysis, glycosyl transfer, and synthesis. One of the two disaccharides synthesized from mannose by α-mannosidase was identified as α-1,6'-linked mannobiose.