cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulus complexity and autistic children's responsivity: Assessing and training a pivotal behavior

Interdisciplinary research suggests that autistic children's limitations in responding to environmental stimuli may be directly related to the number of components contained in the stimuli; as the number of components increases, such children hypothetically would exhibit greater difficulties in responding. The central purpose of this experiment was to assess whether such children indeed exhibit greater difficulties in responding as the number of components contained in an environmental stimulus was increased from one to four. If the children's responsivity was a function of stimulus complexity, a second focus of this experiment was to assess the feasibility of teaching them to respond to a complex environmental stimulus containing up to four components and to determine whether the effects of the intervention would generalize to other situations involving complex structured and social stimuli. Data gathered using a multiple baseline design across behaviors and children indicate that all of the children exhibited fewer correct responses to a stimulus as the number of stimulus components was increased from one to four. The results further showed that the training program used in this investigation was effective in producing some generalized increases in the children's responses to complex structured and social stimuli. Conceptualizing autistic children's responses to complex multicomponent stimuli as a pivotal target behavior that can be operationally defined may have important implications for understanding and altering the children's responsivity and development.
Transactive memory systems: a perspective on coordination in human-robot incident response teams

This paper introduces Transactive Memory System (TMS) theory to the study of human-robot interaction in a complex work setting comprised of people with complementary domains of expertise. New insights regarding the development of TMS in human-robot incident response teams are presented.
The Continuous Curing Process for Thermoset Polymer Composites. Part 2: Experimental Results for a Graphite/Epoxy Laminate:

A new composite manufacturing method called continuous curing has been developed to alleviate problems in the processing of thick composites such as long manufacturing cycle times and material degradation due to thermal spiking. A 10 cm-thick graphite/epoxy (AS4/3501-6) laminate was fabricated using the continuous curing method. The thermal distributions were measured during the process and the final cure distribution was obtained by DSC testing. The mechanical performance of the laminate was analyzed by destructive testing of 16-ply mechanical test specimens removed from the bulk laminate. These specimens were distributed at five locations across the thickness of the laminate. Results for longitudinal compressive strength, transverse tensile strength, and interlaminar shear strength show some degradation. An attempt to quantify the factors contributing to the lower measured strengths is presented. Optical microscopy and image analysis was performed to obtain void and fiber volume distributions across the...
Characteristic time correlation for lean blowoff of bluff-body-stabilized flames☆

Abstract Characteristic times associated with turbulent mixing, homogeneous chemical kinetics, liquid-droplet evaporation, and fuel injection are quantified for lean blowoff. The model linearly correlates variations in combustor pressure, inlet temperature, air velocity, flame-holder geometry, fuel type, and injector size using data obtained from three different bluff-body stabilizers that simulate the same fundamental combustion processes of both conventional and advanced prevaporizing-premixing gas-turbine combustors. The characteristic time model does not attempt to solve for the entire combustor flow field but rather considers only key regions of the flow that are important to the flame-stabilization process. Lean blowoff is viewed as the competition between a fluid mechanic and chemical time evaluated in the shear-layer region between the hot recirculation zone and the free stream. Heterogeneous effects associated with fuel evaporation and injection represent perturbations on this process that are correlated using a droplet-evaporation time and fuel-injection mixing time, respectively.
Geologic Time and Isotopic Constitution of Radiogenic Lead

The isotopic constitutions of samples of lead from Colorado carnotite, Wilberforce uraninite, and Katanga and Great Bear Lake pitchblendes were found from densitometer measurements of the hyperfine structure of $\ensuremath{\lambda}5372$. The probable geologic ages of these minerals calculated from the Ac D: Ra G ratios agree very well with the ages from Pb: U ratios with the exception of the Great Bear Lake pitchblende in which case leaching or some other method of alteration may have changed the Pb: U ratio.
Causal discourse analyzer: improving automated feedback on academic ESL writing

Expressing causal relations plays a central role in academic writing. While it is important that writing instructors assess and provide feedback on learners’ causal discourse, it could be a very time-consuming task. In this respect, automated writing evaluation (AWE) tools may be helpful. However, to date, there have been no AWE tools capable of evaluating causal discourse. The authors of the present study attempt to fill in this gap by (1) developing an automated causal discourse analyzer and (2) investigating how accurately the analyzer processes learners’ causal discourse in academic writing. The accuracy of the analyzer is evaluated on cause-and-effect essays written by 17 non-native undergraduate students. The results indicate precision of .93, recall of .71, and accuracy of .76, which is promising for pedagogical applications of the analyzer, that is, providing learners with automated formative feedback specific to causal discourse.
Low external pH prevents cell elongation but not multiplication of embryogenic carrot cells

Embryogenic cultures of cultivated carrot (Daucus crota cv. Scarlet Nantes) were initiated from seedling hypocotyls on hormone-containing nutrient medium and from wounded zygotic embryos on hormone-free medium. Both of these cultures were maintained with continuous multiplication as unorganized, embryogenic cell masses on hormone-free medium at pH 4.0, containing NH+4 as the sole nitrogen source. When grown on hormone-free medium at pH 4.0, neither culture contained any elongated cells. Virtually all cells were densely cytoplasmic and nearly spherical. Some cells were enlarged, not densely cytoplasmic, but always spherical. When either culture was transferred to an auxin-containing medium at pH 5.8, numerous elongated cells were produced. Elongated cells were observed when either naphthaleneacetic acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was used, and whether the nitrogen source was NH+4 alone or a combination of NH+4 and NO−3. Elongated cells were more abundant when a combined nitrogen source was used. When cultures containing elongated cells were transferred to and multiplied on hormone-free or hormone-containing medium buffered at pH 4.0, all elongated cells disappeared after 2 weeks. No elongated cells were observed in any of the lines tested at pH 4.0. These results clearly show that it was the pH of the culture medium and not the presence or absence of an auxin or the nitrogen source(s) that permitted or prevented cell elongation in the embryogenic cultures tested.
Influence of Glutamic Acid Residues on the Properties of Model Membrane-Spanning Helices

GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALW5LALALALALALALW19LAGA- amide) is a constructive model peptide for investigations of single-residue effects on protein-lipid interactions and the properties of membrane-spanning helices (J.Biol. Chem. 285, 31723). GWALP23 has favorable properties in bilayer membranes because the peptide exhibits only limited dynamic averaging of NMR observables such as the 2H quadrupolar splitting or the 15N-1H dipolar coupling (Biophys. J. 101, 2939). To investigate the potential influence of negatively charged glutamic acid side chains upon system properties, we have substituted a single Leu residue with Glu at different positions and incorporated specific 2H-Ala labels in the core of the single-Trp peptide Y5GWALP23 (see Biochemistry 51, 2044). Solid state 2H NMR experiments showed well defined 2H quadrupolar splittings for Y5GWALP23-E16 in the pH range from 4.0 to 9.0, suggesting that the peptide helix is well oriented in DOPC lipid bilayers. The E16-containing peptide seems to exhibit multi-state behavior at pH 10.9, in bilayers formed by ether-linked lipids, suggesting a pKa that is above pH 9 for the E16 side chain. The rather modest shift in the 2H quadrupolar splittings suggests that the orientation of the transmembrane peptide helix changes rather little at high pH. It is conceivable that the close proximity of E16 to W19 could provide stability to the neutral peptide helix and perhaps influence the pKa of E16. The molecular cousin having E14 instead of E16 shows multi-state behavior from pH 4.0 to pH 10.9 rendering pKa determination enigmatic at this time. Some puzzles remain with respect to comparisons between E16 and E14. We are additionally investigating the peptide-lipid behavior when Glu is introduced in position 12, at the peptide center.
Thermal conductivity of4He in aerogel near the λ-transition

Abstract We measured the thermal conductivity of 4 He at vapor pressure confined in base-catalyzed aerogel of density 0.14 g/cm 3 . As the transition region is approached from above, the conductivity increases but remains smaller than that of bulk helium. Below T λ the conductivity is infinite, but for sufficiently large heat current it becomes finite due to mutual friction effects. From the power dependence of the conductivity below T λ we estimate the effective cross-sectional area of the superfluid path through the sample.
Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

Prospects for the patient with small cell carcinoma of the lung have been partially turned around during the past decade. This dramatic achievement remains very incomplete, but it continues to gather momentum and seems to carry promise of greater advance in the future. An essential feature of the new approach to treatment is that it depends on cooperative and interdisciplinary effort; in all probability, increasing cooperation will be necessary for future progress. We will attempt to review here the current approaches to the understanding and management of this disease, as they may be of concern to surgeons, and to try to define the areas of failure and controversy.
The spasm of resistance vessel concept of ischemic heart disease and other ischemic diseases

This communication will discuss the spasm of resistance vessel concept of ischemic heart disease and other ischemic diseases, and will focus on ischemic heart disease. The hypothesis is regarded as a separate model or paradigm, and is based on the principle that spasm of resistance vessels directly induces symptoms in these conditions. Resistance vessels help maintain vascular homeostasis through autoregulatory mechanisms, and spasm of resistance vessels is considered to represent 'inappropriate' activation of these mechanisms by disease states, which are equated with risk factors. For ischemic heart disease, the most important risk factor is stenotic coronary artery disease, and the concept asserts that severe ischemia secondary to coronary artery disease causes sufficient tissue injury to incite injury-spasm of resistance vessels. While it is universally accepted that occlusions of epicardial arteries by stenotic coronary artery disease, spasm, and thromboses directly induce clinical symptoms, the hypothesis suggests that these occlusions have other roles. The concept accepts all current treatments of ischemic heart disease, but as this disorder is viewed differently, a significantly different direction of research is proposed for improving its treatment and prevention.
Periodontal Status in Patients With Gingival Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid

Background: Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) describes an autoimmune disease with a range of variants, including those with oral, ocular, and cutaneous lesions. Persistent oral lesions, lack of effective oral hygiene, and plaque accumulation may increase the risk of long-term periodontal disease. However, to our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the relationship between the presence of gingival MMP and periodontal health. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible impact of gingival pemphigoid lesions on the human periodontium.Methods: Twenty patients with histologic confirmation of subepithelial separation with or without direct immunofluorescence testing were randomly chosen to participate in a study evaluating their periodontal status. Parameters evaluated included plaque score, gingival index, bleeding index, probing depths, recession, clinical attachment level, mobility, furcation involvement, number of missing teeth, and Machtei criteria, a previously defined criteria for periodontiti...
Live Cell Imaging Reveals that the Inhibitory FcγRIIB Destabilizes B Cell Receptor Membrane-Lipid Interactions and Blocks Immune Synapse Formation

The FcgammaRIIB is a potent regulator of BCR signaling and as such plays a decisive role in controlling autoimmunity. The use of advanced imaging technologies has provided evidence that the earliest events in Ag-induced BCR signaling include the clustering of the BCR, the selective and transient association of the clustered BCR with raft lipids, and the concentration of BCR clusters in an immune synapse. That lipid rafts play a role in FcgammaRIIB's regulation of BCR signaling was suggested by recent studies showing that a lupus-associated loss of function mutation resulted in the receptor's exclusion from lipid rafts and the failure to regulate BCR signaling. In this study, we provide evidence from both biochemical analyses and fluorescence resonance energy transfer in conjunction with both confocal and total internal reflection microscopy in living cells that the FcgammaRIIB, when coligated with the BCR, associates with lipid rafts and functions both to destabilize the association of the BCR with raft lipids and to block the subsequent formation of the B cell's immune synapse. These results define new early targets of FcgammaRIIB inhibitory activity in the Ag-induced B cell activation pathway.
Application of corresponding states principles for prediction of self‐diffusion coefficients in liquids

A corresponding states approach has been used successfully to correlate reduced self-diffusivity of pure liquids with reduced temperature and acentric factor. In addition, dimensional analysis techniques have been used to accurately relate viscosity, normal boiling point and temperature with self-diffusivity, as well as to relate the three transport properties.
Automated Context-Aware Adaptation of Web Service Executions

The increasing popularity of Web services for application integration has strengthened the need for automated Web service composition and joint execution. Although there has been considerable research on Web service composition, very little has been studied about Web service execution, with the possible exception of Web service choreography languages. In this paper we focus our attention on Web service execution adaptation, and briefly summarize our earlier work on modeling adaptation using context ontologies. We then extend our earlier work and show how the adaptation process can itself be automated via the determination of the affected instances of the adapted Web service instances. We also present an algorithm for automated workflow adaptation that makes use of the contextual information via the context ontologies. � 1. Introduction, Motivation & Related Work
Slow-Coherency-Based Controlled Islanding&#8212;A Demonstration of the Approach on the August 14, 2003 Blackout Scenario

This paper demonstrates the use of a slow-coherency-based generator grouping algorithm and a graph theoretic approach to form controlled islands as a last resort to prevent cascading outages following large disturbances. The proposed technique is applied to a 30 000-bus, 5000-generator, 2004 summer peak load, Eastern Interconnection data and demonstrated on the August 14, 2003 blackout scenario. Adaptive rate of frequency decline-based load shedding schemes are used in the load rich islands to control frequency. The simulation results presented show the advantage of the proposed method in containing the impact of the disturbance within the islands formed and in preventing the impact of the disturbance from propagating to the rest of the system. This is demonstrated by the significant reduction in line flows in the rest of the system and by improved voltage and relative angle characteristics. Based on the suggestion in the joint U.S.-Canadian task force final report on the blackout, load shedding without any islanding is also performed, and results obtained are compared with the proposed controlled islanding method. The islanding method outperforms the load shedding-only method in reducing the transmission line flows, but both methods have similar effects on voltage and relative angle behavior
Effects of Androgens on Incorporation of Labeled Amino Acids Into Proteins by Prostate Mitochondria

Isolated rat ventral prostate mitochondria promote a vigorous incorporation of labeled isoleucine or phenylalanine into protein-like material. Conditions were worked out under which the amino acid incorporation could be made strictly dependent on an external energy source, and quite independent of energy transductions by the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Castration of adult rats leads to a marked decline in prostate mitochondrial amino acid incorporation. This was reversed within a day or so after treatment of the castrates with testosterone propionate, but not by addition of testosterone in vitro. The relationship of these findings to the androgenic control of prostatic protein synthesis and metabolism is discussed. (Endocrinology 82: 603, 1968)
It Makes Sense to Combine DFT and DFR/DFY

Historically, it has been common to treat design for testability (DFT) independently of design for reliability (DFR) and design for yield (DFY). DFT is viewed as an add-on to the standard design process — something that happens in parallel with design, but off the main path. DFR is seldom considered at all during the design process, with the exception of ESD circuitry, another add-on late in chip development. DFY is vague and mysterious to all but those involved in the deepest levels of physical design, and even those individuals do not always recognize that the source of their design rules is DFY.
Kinetic characterization of branched chain ketoacid dehydrogenase.

Abstract Initial velocity and product inhibition experiments were performed to characterize the kinetic mechanism of branched chain ketoacid dehydrogenase (the branched chain complex) activity. The results were directly compared to predicted patterns for a three-site ping-pong mechanism. Product inhibition experiments confirmed that NADH is competitive versus NAD + and isovaleryl CoA is competitive versus CoA. Furthermore, both NADH and isovaleryl CoA were uncompetitive versus ketoisovaleric acid. These results are consistent with a ping-pong mechanism and are similar to pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. However, inhibition patterns for isovaleryl CoA versus NAD + and NADH versus CoA are not consistent with a ping-pong mechanism. These patterns may result from a steric interaction between the flavoprotein and transacetylase subunits of the complex. To determine the kinetic mechanism of the substrates and feedback inhibitors (NADH and isovaleryl CoA) of the branched chain complex, it was necessary to define the interaction of the inhibitors at nonsaturating fixed substrate (CoA and NAD + ) concentrations. While the competitive inhibition patterns were maintained, slope replots for NADH versus NAD + at nonsaturating CoA concentrations were parabolic. This unexpected finding resembles a linear mixed type of inhibition where the inhibition is a combination of pure competitive and noncompetitive inhibition.
Towards secure cloud-centric Internet of Biometric Things

Mobile platforms have recently been integrated with biometric identification methods such as fingerprint and/or voice recognition. However the rich contextual information carried on these platforms have not been a part of identification. Connected user devices, and mobile applications that run on those devices are prone to security vulnerabilities as a result of unauthorized access. In this paper, we present the Internet of Biometric Things (IoBT) concept that is a cloud-centric biometric identification architecture consisting of connected devices that require bio-metric authentication. The cloud-centric authentication in IoBT couples biometric and context-aware authentication techniques to protect mobile applications from unauthorized access by malicious users. Thus, existing local password and fingerprint based authentication is strengthened by cloud-centric knowledge-based spatiotemporal abstraction to obtain the context such as location, use of cellular data, use of WiFi data, number, timestamp and duration of received/placed calls and SMSs. We present the concept of enabling identification of fraud using cloud-centric context-awareness and local resources-based biometrics on mobile platforms. Furthermore, the benefits of the proposed concept is discussed in detail in comparison to existing authentication and identification techniques that rely on local computing resources on mobile devices.
Organizing Flexibility:The Flexible Firm in a New Century

Research on organizational flexibility should examine the linkages between numerical and functional flexibility. Unfortunately, studies of each type of flexibility generally neglect the other. Moreover, the most popular conception of the interplay between these two forms of flexibility — the core‐periphery model — is incomplete in important ways. I discuss evidence and limitations of the core‐periphery model of the flexible firm, and outline some promising attempts to conceptualize how organizations may combine functional and numerical flexibility. I focus mainly on the USA and the UK, though I also review evidence and issues involved in cross-national differences in organizational flexibility.
Overcoming substrate limitations for improved production of ethylene in E. coli

Ethylene is an important industrial compound for the production of a wide variety of plastics and chemicals. At present, ethylene production involves steam cracking of a fossil-based feedstock, representing the highest CO2-emitting process in the chemical industry. Biological ethylene production can be achieved via expression of a single protein, the ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE), found in some bacteria and fungi; it has the potential to provide a sustainable alternative to steam cracking, provided that significant increases in productivity can be achieved. A key barrier is determining factors that influence the availability of substrates for the EFE reaction in potential microbial hosts. In the presence of O2, EFE catalyzes ethylene formation from the substrates α-ketoglutarate (AKG) and arginine. The concentrations of AKG, a key TCA cycle intermediate, and arginine are tightly controlled by an intricate regulatory system that coordinates carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Therefore, reliably predicting which genetic changes will ultimately lead to increased AKG and arginine availability is challenging. We systematically explored the effects of media composition (rich versus defined), gene copy number, and the addition of exogenous substrates and other metabolites on the formation of ethylene in Escherichia coli expressing EFE. Guided by these results, we tested a number of genetic modifications predicted to improve substrate supply and ethylene production, including knockout of competing pathways and overexpression of key enzymes. Several such modifications led to higher AKG levels and higher ethylene productivity, with the best performing strain more than doubling ethylene productivity (from 81 ± 3 to 188 ± 13 nmol/OD600/mL). Both EFE activity and substrate supply can be limiting factors in ethylene production. Targeted modifications in central carbon metabolism, such as overexpression of isocitrate dehydrogenase, and deletion of glutamate synthase or the transcription regulator ArgR, can effectively enhance substrate supply and ethylene productivity. These results not only provide insight into the intricate regulatory network of the TCA cycle, but also guide future pathway and genome-scale engineering efforts to further boost ethylene productivity.
Mortgage Reform Under the Dodd-Frank Act

Many, if not most, accounts of the financial crisis of 2008 include a prominent role for the U.S. residential mortgage market. While other U.S. property markets, such as commercial and retail, exhibited similar boom and bust patterns, the elevated level of defaults and associated costs borne by the taxpayer have brought a particular emphasis on American single-family mortgage finance policies. It should be of little surprise that the Dodd-Frank Act contains multiple provisions related to mortgage finance. This paper offers a review of those provisions, followed by an evaluation of their likely impact and effectiveness.
Optimal Velocity in a Race

(1974). Optimal Velocity in a Race. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 81, No. 5, pp. 474-480.
A Geography of International Arbitration

### a. Arbitration as a Place of Interlegality THIS ARTICLE will address the evolving standards of independence and impartiality that are central to the selection of arbitrators in international commercial arbitration, and I locate my presentation in the region of what Santos calls ‘interlegality’.1 Santos argues that we live in a time of porous legality or of legal porosity, of multiple networks of legal orders forcing us to constant transitions and trespassings.2 Elsewhere I have noted that in the interests of economic competitiveness and growth, developing states are decentralizing, deregulating and liberalizing in order to provide more attractive economic environments for financial capital.3 As the influence of state-led institutions decreases, we can see a shift in the scales of governance. While state institutions are minimized and local actors acquire the opportunity to exercise influence over their destinies, the international, globalized market has been groping for its own choreography of governance.4 The growth in international arbitration of commercial disputes is but one example of this new choreography of governance. Santos, in arguing for a symbolic cartography of law, argues that interlegality is the intersection of different legal orders.5 He contends there has been an increase in the number, locations and penetrations of law into social, political, cultural and economic life. The premise of the concept appears accurate: governmental regulation of these four realms of life grows as laws are enacted, for example, to alter or entrench notions of marriage, implement term limits, protect cultural heritage and subsidize business interests. The regulation occurs at local, state, federal and international scales. Other regions also create law: by way of example we can look to Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, Gypsy and transnational arbitration, the internal governance of multinational corporations, the Catholic Church, all of which exist at a transnational scale, and indigenous peoples, criminal organizations and militia movements …
Oxygen Electrode Rechargeability in an Ionic Liquid for the Li–Air Battery

Oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) and oxygen evolution reactions (OERs) on glassy carbon (GC) and gold electrodes were investigated in a neat and Li+-containing room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(triflouromethanesulfonyl)imide (EMITFSI). The presence of Li+ significantly changes the ORR mechanism. While similar one-electron O2/O2•– reversible couples result on both electrodes in neat EMITFSI, in the presence of added LiTFSI, the initially formed LiO2 decomposes to Li2O2. In addition, the ORR and OER in the Li+-doped solution exhibit strong distinctions between the Au and GC electrodes. The voltammetric data on the Au electrode revealed a highly rechargeable ORR, yielding LiO2 and Li2O2, which underwent multiple cycles without electrode passivation.
Subsoil abundance and surface absence: a junior mining company and its performance of prognosis in northwestern Ecuador

Spectacle and performance have long characterized global mining investment. In this paper, I examine the performative strategies of a junior mining company called Ascendant Copper in its pursuit of copper in northwestern Ecuador in the mid-2000s. I focus on Ascendant's contradictory efforts to attract mining investment with imagery of subsoil abundance while also downplaying the scale and significance of mining in the face of local opposition. I approach the company's divergent strategies as reflective of the dual meanings of prognosis, as both forecast and diagnosis. I begin by examining the means through which Ascendant promoted subsoil copper wealth within the framework of resource classification established by the Toronto Stock Exchange. I then analyse the way the company employed discourses of corporate social responsibility to portray its local presence as one defined by conservation and development. In analysing the articulation of a junior company like Ascendant in relation to both subsoil and surface, I not only highlight the materiality of corporate social responsibility, but also underscore the precarious becoming of junior companies, who seldom feature in anthropological accounts of corporations.
Controversies in Contraception

Few areas of medical care are as fraught with controversy as female contraception. Most debates in the lay community stem from divergent political and religious standpoints, with such discussions invariably deliberate on women’s rights to control their own fertility and the availability of safe, effective, and reversible methods. Within the medical community, debates mostly revolve around the safety of highly effective hormonal and intrauterine methods, with such disputes being frequently used as fuel in the overarching socio-political deliberations. Health care providers must be familiar with the evidence behind the controversies. Women often present with preformed ideas about the safety or risks of taking certain contraceptives. These preconceptions can lead to reluctance to accept contraceptive methods that may be optimal for a particular woman and thus result in an unintended and unplanned pregnancy.
Using architectural forms to map TEI data into an object-oriented database

This paper develops a solution to the problem of importing existing TEI data into an existing object-oriented database schema without changing the TEI data or the database schema. The solution is based on architectural processing. Two meta-DTDs are used, one to define the architectural forms for the object model and another to map the existing SGML data onto those forms. A full example using a critical text in TEI markup is developed.
Open ureterocolonic anastomoses.

AbstractA simple technique for open ureterocolonic anastomosis is presented. This technique provides adequate exposure for mucosal-to-mucosal approximation and allows the construction of an antireflux ureterocolonic anastomosis.
Dopaminergic modulation of respiratory motor output in peripherally chemodenervated goats.

We examined the ventilatory effects of exogenous dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) administration in chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, artificially ventilated adult goats before and after car...
Multiple genetically engineered humanized microenvironments in a single mouse

Immunodeficient mouse models that accept human cell and tissue grafts can contribute greater knowledge to human stem cell research. In this technical report, we used biomaterial implants seeded with genetically engineered stromal cells to create several unique microenvironments in a single mouse. The scope of study was focused on human CD34 hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) engraftment and differentiation within the engineered microenvironment. A mouse model system was created using subdermal implant sites that overexpressed a specific human cytokines (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (hVEGFa), Stromal Derived Factor 1 Alpha (hSDF1a), or Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (hTNFa)) by stromal cells in a three-dimensional biomaterial matrix. The systemic exposure of locally overexpressed cytokines was minimized by controlling the growth of stromal cells, which led to autonomous local, concentrated sites in a single mouse for study. This biomaterial implant approach allowed for the local analysis of each cytokine on hematopoietic stem cell recruitment, engraftment and differentiation in four different tissue microenvironments in the same host. The engineered factors were validated to have bioactive effects on human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cell differentiation. This model system can serve as a new platform for the study of multiple human proteins and their local effects on hematopoietic cell biology for in vivo validation studies.
Astrocyte-produced leukemia inhibitory factor expands the neural stem/progenitor pool following perinatal hypoxia-ischemia.

Brain injuries, such as cerebral hypoxia–ischemia (H-I), induce a regenerative response from the neural stem/progenitors (NSPs) of the subventricular zone (SVZ); however, the mechanisms that regulate this expansion have not yet been fully elucidated. The Notch- Delta-Serrate-Lag2 (DSL) signaling pathway is considered essential for the maintenance of neural stem cells, but it is not known if it is necessary for the expansion of the NSPs subsequent to perinatal H-I injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether this pathway contributes to NSP expansion in the SVZ after H-I and, if so, to establish whether this pathway is directly induced by H-I or regulated by paracrine factors. Here we report that Notch1 receptor induction and one of its ligands, Delta-like 1, precedes NSP expansion after perinatal H-I in P6 rat pups and that this increase occurs specifically in the most medial cell layers of the SVZ where the stem cells reside. Pharmacologically inhibiting Notch signaling in vivo diminished NSP expansion. With an in vitro model of H-I, Notch1 was not induced directly by hypoxia, but was stimulated by soluble factors, specifically leukemia inhibitory factor, produced by astrocytes within the SVZ. These data confirm the importance both of the Notch-DSL signaling pathway in the expansion of NSPs after H-I and in the role of the support cells in their niche. They further support the body of evidence that indicates that leukemia inhibitory factor is a key injury-induced cytokine that is stimulating the regenerative response of the NSPs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Advanced Protein Models

In this chapter, more advanced protein models are discussed. The ideas of binding time and simple regulation via feedback are introduced along with MatLab implementations.
Modeling and computationally efficient algorithms for analysis of battery equalization systems

Battery equalization systems are circuit modules designed to balance the charges among the cells in battery management systems. Within this area, most research and development efforts have been spent on electrical hardware design. On the other hand, limited studies have been carried out to investigate the systems' performances from the system level. The commonly-used methods in these studies include physical experimentation of the hardware equipment and computer simulation based on the circuit models. Unfortunately, these tools are usually inefficient especially for large scale systems. In this paper, we study two types of battery equalization systems (namely, layer-based and module-based) based on mathematical models extracted from their circuit behavior. Specifically, we derive the formulas to calculate the equalization time (i.e., the time needed to complete entire equalization process) of the battery systems and develop algorithms to calculate the state of charge (i.e., the ratio of a cell's remaining charge to its charge capacity) of battery cells during the equalization process. Numerical experiments are used to justify the accuracy and computational efficiency of the proposed algorithms against simulations.
Clinical significance of incidental [18 F]FDG uptake in the gastrointestinal tract on PET/CT imaging: a retrospective cohort study

The frequency and clinically important characteristics of incidental (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18 F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) uptake in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) on PET/CT imaging in adults remain elusive. All PET/CT reports from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2009 at a single tertiary referral center were reviewed; clinical information was obtained from cases with incidental (18)F-FDG uptake in the GIT, with follow-up through October, 2012. Of the 41,538 PET/CT scans performed during the study period, 303 (0.7 %) had incidental GIT uptake. The most common indication for the PET/CT order was cancer staging (226 cases, 75 %), with 74 % for solid and 26 % for hematologic malignancies. Of those with solid malignancy, only 51 (17 %) had known metastatic disease. The most common site of GIT uptake was the colon, and of the 240 cases with colonic uptake, the most common areas of uptake were cecum (n = 65), sigmoid (n = 60), and ascending colon (n = 50). Investigations were pursued for the GIT uptake in 147 cases (49 %), whereas 51 % did not undergo additional studies, largely due to advanced disease. There were 73 premalignant colonic lesions diagnosed in 56 cases (tubular adenoma, n = 36; tubulovillous adenoma with low grade dysplasia, n = 27; sessile serrated adenoma, n = 4; tubulovillous adenoma with high grade dysplasia, n = 3; villous adenoma, n = 3), and 20 cases with newly diagnosed primary colon cancer. All 20 (100 %) patients with malignant colonic lesions had a focal pattern of [18 F]FDG uptake. Among cases with a known pattern of [18 F]FDG uptake, 98 % of those with premalignant lesions had focal [18 F]FDG uptake. Eighteen (90 %) of the cases with newly diagnosed colon cancer were not known to have metastatic disease of their primary tumor. Areas of incidental uptake in the ascending colon had the greatest chance (42 %) of being malignant and premalignant lesions than in any other area. Focality of uptake is highly sensitive for malignant and premalignant lesions of the GIT. In patients without metastatic disease, incidental focal [18]FDG uptake in the GIT on PET/CT imaging warrants further evaluation.
SHERPA DHS HS-STEM Summer Internship Summary Paper

This report describes the Standard Unified Modeling and Mapping Integration Toolkit (SUMMIT) and how it can be used to prepare and plan for homeland emergencies.
Male risk-taking is related to number of mates in a polygynous bird

Lay Summary The male with the most mates is the bravest. If a male village weaverbird leaves his breeding colony when it is threatened, he saves himself but abandons his territory to predators and fierce rivals. This study shows that polygynous male weavers stand their ground during a disturbance according to how much they have to lose, especially how many females occupy their nests. Even the same male will get braver as he gains more females.
External validation of the breast reconstruction risk assessment calculator.

Summary Introduction The Breast reconstruction Risk Assessment (BRA) Score estimates patient-specific risk for postsurgical complications using an individual's unique combination of preoperative variables. In this report, we externally validate the BRA Score models for surgical site infection, seroma, and explantation in a large sample of intra-institutional patients who underwent prosthetic breast reconstruction. Methods We reviewed all initiated tissue expander/implant reconstructions by the senior authors from January 2004 to December 2015. BRA Score risk estimates were computed for each patient and compared against observed rates of complications. Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, concordance statistic, and Brier score were used to assess the calibration, discrimination, and accuracy of the models, respectively. Results Of the 1152 patients (1743 breasts) reviewed, 855 patients (1333 breasts) had complete data for BRA-score calculations and were included for analysis. Hosmer–Lemeshow tests for calibration demonstrated a good agreement between observed and predicted outcomes for surgical site infection (SSI) and seroma models ( P -values of 0.33 and 0.16, respectively). In contrast, predicted rates of explantation deviated from observed rates (Hosmer–Lemeshow P -value of 0.04). C statistics demonstrated good discrimination for SSI, seroma, and explantation (0.73, 0.69, and 0.78, respectively). Conclusions In this external validation study, the BRA Score tissue expander/implant reconstruction models performed with generally good calibration, discrimination, and accuracy. Some weaknesses in certain models were identified as targets for future improvement. Taken together, these analyses validate the clinical utility of the BRA score risk models in predicting 30-day outcomes.
Characterization of Volitional Electromyographic Signals in the Lower Extremity After Motor Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

Background. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of intact axons across a spinal cord lesion, even in those clinically diagnosed with complete spinal cord injury (SCI). These axons may a...
Abstract 611: Interaction of Hypertension and Diabetes in Progressive Nephropathy, Enhanced ER Stress and Mitophagy in Goto Kakizaki Rats

Hypertension is common in patients with diabetes and substantially increases the risk for onset of kidney disease and progression of nephropathy. To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which hypertension and diabetes interact to cause nephropathy, 4 month-old male Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, a spontaneous type II diabetic model, were implanted with telemetry probes to measure blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) 24-hrs/day. Hypertension was induced by aorta coarctation (AC) between renal arteries to determine the impact of hypertension plus diabetes in the right kidney (above the coarctation) and normal or slightly reduced blood pressure plus diabetes in the left kidney (below the coarctation). Four weeks after AC, BP above the AC was significantly increased from baseline (111±8 vs. 138±22 mmHg, n=7-9, p p
Experimental manipulation of population-level MHC diversity controls pathogen virulence evolution in Mus musculus

The virulence levels attained by serial passage of pathogens through similar host genotypes are much higher than observed in natural systems; however, it is unknown what keeps natural virulence levels below these empirically demonstrated maximum levels. One hypothesis suggests that host diversity impedes pathogen virulence, because adaptation to one host genotype carries trade-offs in the ability to replicate and cause disease in other host genotypes. To test this hypothesis, with the simplest level of population diversity within the loci of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), we serially passaged Friend virus complex (FVC) through two rounds, in hosts with either the same MHC genotypes (pure passage) or hosts with different MHC genotypes (alternated passage). Alternated passages showed a significant overall reduction in viral titre (31%) and virulence (54%) when compared to pure passages. Furthermore, a resistant host genotype initially dominated any effects due to MHC diversity; however, when FVC was allowed to adapt to the resistant host genotype, predicted MHC effects emerged; that is, alternated lines show reduced virulence. These data indicate serial exposure to diverse MHC genotypes is an impediment to pathogen adaptation, suggesting genetic variation at MHC loci is important for limiting virulence in a rapidly evolving pathogen and supports negative frequency-dependent selection as a force maintaining MHC diversity in host populations.
The Neurochemical Basis of Acetylcholine Precursor Loading as a Therapeutic Strategy

With the recognition that deficits in central cholinergic function may play a role in several pathological states (Davis et al., 1975b; Van Woert, 1976; Weiss et al., 1976; Aquilonius, 1977; Davis et al., 1977a; Drachman, 1977; Eckernas, 1977; Jenden, 1977a; Barbeau, 1978; Davis and Berger, 1978; Davis et al., 1978b), increasing attention has been directed to the possibility that administration of metabolic precursors of acetylcholine (ACh) may promote its synthesis, availability and utilization. This therapeutic strategy is certainly effective in the treatment of disorders characterized by deficits in the synthesis and metabolism of other neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine (Barbeau, 1976; Growdon et al., 1977a). At present there is suggestive although not compelling evidence of causative associations between cholinergic deficits and several clinical illnesses. There is very little information regarding the possible mechanisms by which administration of ACh precursors favors the synthesis and utilization of ACh, and whether other less direct mechanisms underlie the therapeutic successes which have been reported. In this chapter the origins of the choline (Ch) and acetyl moieties will be reviewed, with particular reference to ACh synthesis in the brain and its regulation. The experimental, clinical and laboratory evidence of the impact of precursor loading will be examined and some of the more promising directions for future research in this area will be identified.
Data for: Wavelength Dependent Photochemistry of Expanded Chromophore and Asymmetric Dibenzothiophene S-Oxides Derivatives

Abstract Irradiation of dibenzothiophene S-oxide (DBTO) is believed to generate ground state atomic oxygen [O(3P)]. The irradiation conditions and the efficiency of the deoxygenation event are not ideal when working with biological systems. Dinaphtho[2,1-b:1′,2′-d]thiophene S-oxide (DNTO) and several other analogs were shown to allow visible light to drive deoxygenation due to red-shifted absorbance of the DBTO derivatives. Additionally, DNTO and its analogs did not substantially improved quantum yield of deoxygenation (Φdeox.). To improve both Φdeox. and absorbance, changes were made to the DBTO scaffold. The first change was an addition of an electron withdrawing group (EWG) to weaken the S O bond strength of the sulfoxide to improve Φdeox.. The second change was the addition of an aromatic substituent to enhance and red-shift the absorbance. Common intermediate experiments were performed in toluene to examine if these new DBTO analogs produced a common oxidant under both UV and visible light irradiation. The separate light sources produced different product ratios suggesting these asymmetric DBTO derivatives have wavelength-dependent mechanisms of oxidation.
Effect of bypass kinase pathways on acquired CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance.

379Background: Cyclin Dependent Kinase-4/6 (CDK4/6) kinase inhibitors have shown clinical benefit in treatment of solid tumor types, including breast cancer. However, resistance is common, and the ...
Technical Challenges for Designing Personal Digital Assistants

Personal Digital Assistants are battery powered portable computing devices that are targeted to the horizontal consumer market. These products contain more features than laptop computers in a much smaller form factor and with more intense price pressure. This paper will use the Apple Newton MessagePad and the Motorola Envoy to frame consideration of the design tradeoffs involved with Personal Digital Assistants. The issues considered include mechanical engineering and industrial design, analog I/O, display technology and power supply design. Each of these concerns is considered in the context of four key design criteria: low cost, small size and weight, advanced features, and long battery life. The MessagePad and Envoy indicate that a range of engineering choices exists and effective system design requires closely integrated optimization across multiple engineering disciplines.