cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corneal immunity is mediated by heterogeneous population of antigen-presenting cells

Corneal antigen presenting cells (APC), including dendritic cells (DC), were thought to reside exclusively in the peripheral cornea. Here, we present recent data from our group dem- onstrating that the central cornea is indeed en- dowed with a heterogeneous population of epithe- lial and stromal DC, which function as APC. Al- though the corneal periphery contains mature and immature resident bone marrow-derived CD11c DC, the central cornea is endowed exclusively with immature and precursor DC, both in the epithe- lium and the stroma, wherein Langerhans cells and monocytic DC reside, respectively. During inflam- mation, a majority of resident DC undergo matu- ration by overexpressing major histocompatibility complex class II and B7 (CD80/CD86) costimula- tory molecules. In addition to the DC, macro- phages are present in the posterior corneal stroma. In transplantation, donor-derived DC are able to migrate to host cervical lymph nodes and activate host T cells via the direct pathway when allografts are placed in inflamed host beds. These data revise the tenet that the cornea is immune-privileged as a result of lack of resident lymphoreticular cells and suggest that the cornea is capable of diverse cellu- lar mechanisms for antigen presentation. J. Leu- koc. Biol. 74: 000-000; 2003.
A mössbauer study of the hyperfine interactions in intermetallic, ferromagnetic, and ferroelectric compounds of antimony

Mossbauer investigations of Sb121 nuclei in 21 antimony compounds were made at 78 and 293 °K. Using reported values for the Sb121 moments, electron densities, magnetic fields, field gradients, and asymmetry parameters were deduced. The electron densities obtained from the Mossbauer effect measurements were correlated with s-electron populations on the Sb ion which were calculated using molecular-orbital techniques. Some of the disadvantages of this method are discussed. Using the known value of the Debye temperature θD for the source, recoilless fractions and Debye temperatures were calculated for the abscrbers. In the binary alloys containing iron, FeSb and FeSb2, the Fe57 resonance was measured as well. Mosbaueruntersuchungen an Sb121-Kernen wurden in 21 Antimonverbindungen bei 78 und 293 °K durchgefuhrt. Mit veroffentlichten Werten fur die Sb121-Momente wurden Elektronendichten, Magnetfelder, Feldgradienten und Asymmetrieparameter hergeleitet. Die erhaltenen Elektronendichten aus den Mosbauereffektmessungen wurden korreliert mit den s-Elektronenbesetzungen an den Sb-Ionen, die mit MO-Technik berechnet wurden. Einige Nachteile dieser Methode werden diskutiert. Mit dem bekannten Wert der Debye-Temperatur θD fur die Quelle wurden Ruckstosanteil und Debye-Temperaturen fur alle vorhandenen Absorber berechnet. In den binaren Legierungen, die Eisen, enthalten, FeSb und FeSb2, wurde auch die Fe57-Resonanz gemessen.
Electrostatically Actuated Cantilever With SOI-MEMS Parallel Kinematic $XY$ Stage

This paper presents the design, analysis, fabrication, and characterization of an active cantilever device integrated with a high-bandwidth 2-DOF translational (XY) micropositioning stage. The cantilever is actuated electrostatically through a separate electrode that is fabricated underneath the cantilever. Torsion bars that connect the cantilever to the rest of the structure provide the required compliance for the cantilever's out-of-plane rotation. The active cantilever is carried by a micropositioning stage, which enables high-bandwidth scanning to allow manipulation in three dimensions. The design of the microelectromechanical system stage is based on a parallel kinematic mechanism (PKM). The PKM design decouples the motion in the X- and Y-directions while allowing for an increased motion range with linear kinematics in the operating region (or workspace). The trusslike structure of the PKM also results in increased stiffness and reduced mass of the stage. The integrated cantilever device is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer using surface micromachining and deep reactive ion etching processes. The actuation electrode of the cantilever is fabricated on the handle layer, while the cantilever and the XY stage are at the device layer of the SOI wafer. Two sets of electrostatic linear comb drives are used to actuate the stage mechanism in the X- and Y-directions. The cantilever provides an out-of-plane motion of 7 mum at 4.5 V, while the XY stage provides a motion range of 24 mum in each direction at the driving voltage of 180 V. The resonant frequency of the XY stage under ambient conditions is 2090 Hz. A high quality factor (~210) is achieved from this parallel kinematic XY stage. The fabricated stages will be adapted as chip-scale manufacturing and metrology devices for nanomanufacturing and nanometrology applications.
Probability distribution normalisation of data applied to neural net classifiers

The individual elements of pattern vectors generated by real systems often have widely different value ranges. Direct application of these patterns to a distance-based classifier such as a multilayer perceptron can cause the large value range elements to dominate in the classification decision. A commonly used remedy is to normalise the variance of each pattern element before use. However, the author shows that this approach is often inappropriate and that better results can be obtained by nonlinearly scaling the pattern elements to render their probability distributions approximately uniform as well as having the same variance. >
Functional morphology of the pectoral fins in bamboo sharks, Chiloscyllium plagiosum: Benthic vs. Pelagic station-holding

Bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) are primarily benthic and use their relatively flexible pec- toral and pelvic fins to rest on and move about the sub- strate. We examined the morphology of the pectoral fins and investigated their locomotory function to determine if pectoral fin function during both benthic station-holding and pelagic swimming differs from fin function described previously in leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata .W e used three-dimensional kinematics and digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) to quantify pectoral fin function in five white-spotted bamboo sharks, C. plagiosum, during four behaviors: holding station on the substrate, steady horizontal swimming, and rising and sinking during swimming. During benthic station-holding in current flow, bamboo sharks decrease body angle and adjust pectoral fin angle to shed a clockwise fluid vortex. This vortex generates negative lift more than eight times that pro- duced during open water vertical maneuvering and also results in an upstream flow that pushes against the pos- terior surface of the pectoral fin to oppose drag. In con- trast, there is no evidence of significant lift force in the wake of the pectoral fin during steady horizontal swim- ming. The pectoral fin is held concave downward and at a negative dihedral angle during steady horizontal swim- ming, promoting maneuverability rather than stability, although this negative dihedral angle is much less than that observed previously in sturgeon and leopard sharks. During sinking, the pectoral fins are held concave upward and shed a clockwise vortex with a negative lift force, while in rising the pectoral fin is held concave downward and sheds a counterclockwise vortex with a positive lift force. Bamboo sharks appear to sacrifice maneuverability for stability when locomoting in the water column and use their relatively flexible fins to generate strong negative lift forces when holding position on the substrate and to en- hance stability when swimming in the water column. J. Morphol. 249:195-209, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Long-term experimental analysis of occupancy and lighting in religious facilities

Abstract Buildings of religious worship constitute nearly 8% of all commercial buildings in the United States. However, to date, religious facilities have received inadequate attention in the literature. Religious facilities exhibit unique patterns of occupancy and energy usage that do not reflect the general patterns of office, education, and other commercial buildings. This paper characterizes building lighting consumption and occupancy patterns in religious facilities to identify potential energy-saving opportunities through a long-term, in-depth experimental study. Occupancy and lighting schedules are experimentally determined for two architecturally identical church buildings in different climates. General trends of occupancy reveal intermittent, but consistent, use of the building. The feasibility of occupancy based lighting control in these buildings is evaluated. Experimental results of occupancy based lighting control in the church buildings demonstrate the limited potential for energy savings and that individual areas of the building should be considered and evaluated separately given the varied usage patterns.
Environmental Stimuli Inducing Diapause in the Boll Weevila

In laboratory studies conducted at Stoneville and State College, Mississippi, 5 environmental stimuli induced diapause in the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman: (1) exposure to an 11-hour photoperiod in the larval and pupal stages; (2) exposure to night temperatures of 10 in the adult stage; (3) boll feeding in the adult stage; (4) limitation of the quantity of squares fed in the adult stage; and (5) boll feeding in the larval stage. Wild strains of weevil in Mississippi responded to these stimuli, but the State College laboratory strain did not.
Studies on Epitaxial Relationship and Interface Structure of AlN/Si(111) and GaN/Si(111) Heterostructures

We present the details of epitaxial growth interface structure of single wurtzite AlN thin films on (111) Si substrates by laser-molecular-beam-epitaxy. High quality AlN thin films with atomically sharp interfaces can be obtained by Laser-MBE at a substrate temperature of 650 ±10°C. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to study the details of epitaxial growth of AlN on Si(111) substrate. The orientation-relationship of AlN on Si(111) was studied from Si and zone axis and determined to be AlN [21 10]Si[110] and AlN [0110]Si[211]. The atomic structure of the interface was studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Fourier filtered image of cross-sectional AlN/Si(111) samples from both Si and zone axis. The results revealed the domain matching epitaxy of 4:5 ratio between the interplanar distances of Si(110) and AlN [21 10]. We also present similarities and differences between the growth mechanism of AlN/Si(111) and GaN/Si(111) heterostructures.
CT virtual bronchoscopy in children: clinical application

Objective To discuss the technique′s characteristics, manifestation, clinical application, and limit in normal and abnormal pediatric airway by using CTVB (CT virtual bronchoscopy) in comparison with FOB (fiberoptic bronchoscopy). Methods Spiral scans were performed by a GE Hispeed spiral scanner in 113 pediatric chests The reformed images of 45 patients were transported to a workstation by which 3 D reconstructions were performed with a software named Navigator and CTVB was generated Results Bronchi were manifested 100% in grades Ⅰ-Ⅲ, 46 7% and 13 3% were revealed in grade Ⅳ and V with CTVB, respectively FOB can only enter grade Ⅰ-Ⅲ bronchi, only 62 2% of the lobar bronchi can be manifested by FOB The findings of CTVB were stenosis ( n =34), occlusion ( n =11), and mass ( n =16) Only 3 radiotransparent foreign bodies and 2 inflammatory emboli were misdiagnosed as tumors, the rest was consistent with FOB Conclusion CTVB is an important supplement to conventional CT, CTVB can detect intraluminal space occupying lesions and occlusions or stenosises caused by all kinds of causes,but lack specificity CTVB can fly through the occlusions or stenosises of the lumen and enter the distal bronchi, thus can make up for the disadvantages of FOB It can′t make the diagnosis independently and must join together the CT primitive the diagram resemble or rebuild the diagram resemble proceeds to synthesize the analysis
MPP+ is transported by the TEA(+)-H+ exchanger of renal brush-border membrane vesicles

Rabbit renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV) were used to study the transport of the cationic neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). An outwardly directed H(+)-gradient stimulated MPP+ uptake and led to the development of an active accumulation of MPP+ within the vesicles. H(+)-gradient driven MPP+ transport was saturable, with a maximal transport rate of 3 nmol.mg-1.min-1 and an apparent Michaelis constant (Kt) of 8 microM. MPP+ and tetraethylammonium (TEA) behaved as competitive inhibitors of one another's transport in renal BBMV, suggesting the presence of a common transport pathway for these organic cations. At an ambient pH of 7.5, preloading BBMV with MPP+ failed to stimulate TEA uptake, although trans TEA did stimulate MPP+ uptake. Increasing ambient pH to 8.5 (i.e., reducing competition between H+ and these organic cations for a common transport pathway) led to a clear reciprocal trans stimulation of TEA and MPP+ fluxes. With an equilibrium-shift protocol, a trans concentration of M...
Oncolytic Measles Virus Selectively Targets CD46 Overexpression on Myeloma Cells.

Abstract Multiple myeloma remains incurable and novel therapeutics are urgently needed. We have shown that live attenuated Edmonston strain measles virus (MV-Edm) is potently oncolytic in multiple myeloma xenograft models and can efficiently infect CD138 sorted primary myeloma cells inducing extensive intercellular fusion which leads to cell death (Blood, 2001, v98, p2002). In contrast, the virus causes minimal damage to normal PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. To facilitate non-invasive imaging of sites of viral gene expression, we introduced the human thyroidal sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene into the viral genome (MV-NIS). MV-NIS infected myeloma cells efficiently concentrate radioiodine which provides a basis for noninvasive imaging and destruction of infected tumors using beta emitters such as 131I (Blood, 2004, v103, p1641). Clinical translation of MV-NIS in patients with refractory myeloma is planned. However, the mechanism underlying the tumor selectivity of MV-Edm has not previously been defined. MV-Edm uses either of two cellular receptors for cell entry and cell fusion; CD46, a regulator of complement activation, is expressed on all nucleated cells, wheras SLAM (signaling lymphocyte activation molecule) is expressed only on activated B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and monocytes, and is not present on myeloma plasma cells. Using a panel of CHO cell transfectants, we demonstrated that MV-Edm -mediated cell killing increases exponentially above a threshold CD46 receptor density (Can Res, 2004, v64, p4919). We subsequently obtained bone marrow aspirates from 18 myeloma patients and performed multi-parameter flow cytometry to determine the relative expression levels of CD46 on the myeloma plasma cells versus the rest of the hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The myeloma cells expressed significantly higher levels (5-fold) of CD46 receptors (MFI=294.9 + 204.4, means ± SD) on their cell surfaces compared to hematopoietic cells of the erythroid, myeloid and lymphoid lineages (MFI=58.6 ± 9.0). Analysis of the myeloma array data generated by the Shaughnessy lab indicated that, in comparison to plasma cells from healthy volunteers (2997 ± 1053, n=30, means ± SD), primary myeloma cells express 2-fold elevated levels of CD46 mRNA (6592 ± 4029, n=72, p=0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Taken together, these findings provide strong support for the hypothesis that selective destruction of myeloma cells by oncolytic measles viruses is a direct consequence of their overexpression of the cellular receptor CD46.
SGK1: The Dark Side of PI3K Signaling

Activation of the PI3K pathway is central to a variety of physiological and pathological processes. In these contexts, AKT is classically considered the de facto mediator of PI3K-dependent signaling. However, in recent years, accumulating data point to the existence of additional effectors of PI3K activity, parallel to and independent of AKT, that play critical and unique roles in mediating different developmental, homeostatic, and pathological processes. In this review, I summarize and discuss our current understanding of the function of the serine/threonine kinase SGK1 as a downstream effector of PI3K, and try to separate targets and pathways validated as uniquely SGK1-dependent from those shared with AKT.
Abstract P431: The Effect of Ten Days of Reduced Physical Activity (rPA) on Markers of Vascular Function

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is an early marker of cardiovascular disease. Circulating angiogenic cells (CAC) are hypothesized to support endothelial health and repair and have been related to Framingham risk score. Both FMD and CAC have been investigated as early biomarkers of vascular dysfunction and are related to physical activity. Low physical activity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease however, the effect of a short-term reduction in physical activity on FMD and CACs is unclear. Purpose: To use a novel, objectively monitored model of rPA wherein participants maintain energy balance to evaluate changes in a physiological and cellular marker of vascular function. Hypothesis: rPA will result in lower FMD and CAC compared with baseline. Methods: Physical activity was measured via Actigraph GT3X before and during 10 days of rPA in healthy trained men (n=6). Baseline caloric intake was assessed and participants were instructed to reduce their intake to match the reduction in energy expenditure during rPA. FMD was assessed via duplex ultrasound of the brachial artery. Artery diameter and shear rate were analyzed with FMD Studio software (Quipu, Pisa). Data for baseline shear rate, baseline vessel diameter, peak shear rate, peak vessel diameter, absolute FMD, relative FMD, area under the curve (AUC), and normalized FMD were calculated for each subject. CAC colony forming units (CFU-EC) were measured before and after rPA. Paired T-tests were used to determine differences between variables before and after rPA. Results: Actigraph data revealed increased sedentary time (656 ± 42 to 758 ± 36 min/day, p=0.02) and decreased moderate to vigorous physical activity with rPA (MVPA, 87 ± 16 to 59 ± 9, p=0.03). Weight did not change with rPA. There was a 60 ± 27% increase in baseline shear rate (p=0.03) and a 22 ± 5% decrease in peak shear rate with rPA (p=0.003). We also found a 39% decrease in CAC with rPA (21 ± 5 to 14 ± 6, p=0.03). Conclusion: Our preliminary data show that short-term rPA results in significant changes in shear stress and CACs, two markers of vascular function. Future research should explore the independent influence of changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior on vascular function.
Multiple Sclerosis Mortality by Race/Ethnicity, Age, Sex, and Time Period in the United States, 1999-2015.

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) carries high morbidity and shortens life span. While there is recent recognition of other US minority populations such as blacks and Hispanics being affected with MS, examination of MS-specific mortality trends by race/ethnicity has been lacking. Objective To investigate MS mortality rates and trends in the United States by sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Methods We used the Compressed Mortality data file for 1999-2015 in the Wide-ranging online Data for Epidemiological Research system developed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to calculate the age-adjusted (US 2000 standard population) and age-specific MS mortality rate (per 100,000) by race/ethnicity and sex over time. Five mutually exclusive racial/ethnic groups were included in the analysis: non-Hispanic (NH) white, NH black, NH Asian or Pacific Islander (API), NH American Indian or Alaska Native, and Hispanic. Results The average annual age-adjusted MS mortality rate was highest among NH whites (0.90 for males and 1.50 for females) immediately followed by NH blacks (0.75 for males and 1.42 for females), and lowest among APIs (0.05 for males and 0.12 for females). Statistically significant, increasing trend in age-adjusted MS mortality was observed during 1999-2015 among NH whites and NH blacks regardless of sex, more substantially in the latter. Age-specific MS mortality patterns showed NH blacks had the highest rate under age 55 and NH whites had the highest rate after that age point. For these 2 groups, MS mortality increased with age in both sexes and peaked at ages 55-64 for NH blacks and 65-74 for NH whites before declining substantially, while for Hispanic and API groups the risk plateaued after age 55. Conclusion MS-specific mortality trends demonstrate distinctive differences by race/ethnicity and age. The observations that whites and females are more likely to die from MS is in line with the overall understanding that these groups are affected more by MS. However, the findings of blacks dying at an earlier age and having more substantially increasing mortality trends than whites suggest that MS burden weighs unequally by race. Further investigation into these trends may provide additional evidence into risk or protective factors within each group.
Using strontium isotopes to evaluate the spatial variation of groundwater recharge.

Recharge of alluvial aquifers is a key component in understanding the interaction between floodplain vadose zone biogeochemistry and groundwater quality. The Rifle Site (a former U-mill tailings site) adjacent to the Colorado River is a well-established field laboratory that has been used for over a decade for the study of biogeochemical processes in the vadose zone and aquifer. This site is considered an exemplar of both a riparian floodplain in a semiarid region and a post-remediation U-tailings site. In this paper we present Sr isotopic data for groundwater and vadose zone porewater samples collected in May and July 2013 to build a mixing model for the fractional contribution of vadose zone porewater (i.e. recharge) to the aquifer and its variation across the site. The vadose zone porewater contribution to the aquifer ranged systematically from 0% to 38% and appears to be controlled largely by the microtopography of the site. The area-weighted average contribution across the site was 8% corresponding to a net recharge of 7.5 cm. Given a groundwater transport time across the site of ~1.5 to 3 years, this translates to a recharge rate between 5 and 2.5 cm/yr, and with the average precipitation to the site implies a loss from the vadose zone due to evapotranspiration of 83% to 92%, both ranges are in good agreement with previously published results by independent methods. A uranium isotopic (234U/238U activity ratios) mixing model for groundwater and surface water samples indicates that a ditch across the site is hydraulically connected to the aquifer and locally significantly affects groundwater. Groundwater samples with high U concentrations attributed to natural bio-reduced zones have 234U/238U activity ratios near 1, suggesting that the U currently being released to the aquifer originated from the former U-mill tailings.
Isomorphism Problems for Cyclic Block Designs

We establish that for all λ > 0, k≥3, there exists cyclic block designs (v,k,λ) which are isomorphic but not multiplier equivalent, for infinitely many values of v. The constructions are based on previous work of the author [14], [13] and N. Brand [3], [4], In particular we establish this result when v=pq and v=pt,t≥2, for primes p,q;p,q sufficiently large.
Proceedings of the first edition of the MCC workshop on Mobile cloud computing

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 1st edition of MCC, the Mobile Cloud Computing Workshop associated with SIGCOMM. We are happy to have this event in Europe, the home of much of the pioneering work on mobile social networks and mobile clouds. The MCC workshop will feature a keynote speaker. John Crowcroft, internationally renowned authority in wireless and mobile computing, will deliver the keynote on mobile cloud computing focusing on the recent development of Personal Mobile Cloud named NyMoTe. MCC will also host a panel on "Mobile Cloud Computing: Open the Pandora's Box". The panel will be formed by outstanding academic scholars and well-established industrial researchers in the area of mobile cloud computing. They will present their recent research results, and present their vision about the future of mobile cloud computing. Confirmed panelists include Dr. Fan Bai (General Motors), Dr. Kyu-Han Kim (HP research lab, USA) and Jorg Ott (Aalto University, Finland). The workshop has a single track program comprising three sessions that offer selected papers in a broad range of mobile cloud computing topics - from mobile cloud architecture to mobile social networks, mobile cloud based sensing, and mobile cloud computing foundations, models, and applications. The main theme that emerges from these diverse contributions, and the main message to our attendees, is the coming together of different technologies, from low power sensor radios to ad hoc networks, mesh and cellular networks to enable integrated, pervasive mobile and cloud computing.
Marine Microorganisms: A New Biomedical Resource

Microorganisms have had a profound effect on medicinal science since the discovery that not only are they the cause of infection, but they produce organic substances that can cure infection. The discovery of penicillin in 1929 heralded the era of antibiotics and the realization that microorganisms are a rich source of clinically useful natural products [see Betina (1983) for an outline of the history of antibiotics]. Since that time, between 30,000 and 50,000 natural products have been discovered from microorganisms. Of these substances, more than 10,000 are biologically active and more than 8000 are antibiotics (Berdy, 1989; Betina, 1983). This tremendous rate of discovery is testament to the inherent ability of microorganisms to produce bioactive metabolites and the heavy investment of industry in microbial resources. Due to this investment, over 100 microbial products are in use today as antibiotics, antitumor agents, and agrichemicals. Despite the many discoveries, most antibiotics of microbial origin come from terrestrial bacteria belonging to one taxonomic group, the order Actinomycetales. Although these bacteria continue to be studied extensively, it is clear that the rate of discovering novel metabolites from terrestrial actinomycetes is decreasing and that new sources of bioactive natural products must be explored.
Tribology of Cutting Tools

This chapter introduces the concept of the cutting tool tribology of a part of the metal cutting tribology. It argues that the importance of the subject became actual only recently because the modern level of the components of the machining system can fully support improvements in the cutting tool tribology. The underlying principle for tribological consideration is pointed out. The major parameters of the tribological interfaces, namely the tool-chip and tool-workpiece interfaces are considered. The chapter also describes an emerging mechanism of tool wear known as cobalt leaching. The rest of the chapter presents some improvements of tribological conditions of cutting tools as the use of application specific grades of tool materials, advanced coating and high-pressure metal working fluid (MWF) supply.
Reduction in Comorbid Conditions Over 5 Years Following Bariatric Surgery in Medicaid and Commercially Insured Patients

Objective This study sought to determine changes in the prevalence of comorbid disease following bariatric surgery in Medicaid patients compared with commercially insured patients. Methods Data were obtained from the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery, an observational cohort study of adults undergoing bariatric surgery at one of six geographically diverse centers in the United States. A total of 1,201 patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with 5 years of follow-up were identified. Poisson mixed models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and compare changes in common comorbidities between insurance groups within 0-1 and 1-5 years post surgery. Propensity scores were used to achieve balance in the baseline comorbidity burden between Medicaid and commercial patients. Results In the first year, risk of all six comorbidities decreased substantially over time in both groups, ranging from a 32% to a 69% decrease from baseline. After 1 year post surgery, the risk of disease was stable in both groups (RRs ranged from 1.0 to 1.1). After propensity score weighting, the RRs in the first year were more similar in magnitude, while the RRs in the 1- to 5-year period were unchanged. Conclusions These results suggest that Medicaid patients experience a medium-term reduction in comorbid disease after bariatric surgery.
A posttranslational modification code for CFTR maturation is altered in cystic fibrosis.

The multistep process regulating the maturation of membrane proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the secretory pathway is disrupted in many protein misfolding disorders. Mutations in the ion channel CFTR that impair its folding and subsequent localization to the plasma membrane cause cystic fibrosis (CF), an inherited and eventually lethal disease that impairs the function of multiple organs, mostly the lungs. Here, we found that proper maturation of CFTR is dependent on cross-talk between phosphorylation and methylation events in the regulatory insertion (RI) element of the protein. Manipulating these posttranslational modifications (PTMs) prevented the maturation of wild-type CFTR and instead induced its degradation by ER quality control systems. Deletion of Phe 508 (ΔF508), the most prevalent mutation in CF, and other mutations in CFTR that impair its trafficking, such as N1303K, also led to quantitative and qualitative PTM changes that prevented the maturation of misfolded CFTR. Further analysis revealed that a wild-type CFTR–like PTM pattern and function was restored in ΔF508 CFTR when cells were cultured at 28°C but only in the presence of the kinase CK2α. Furthermore, the ability to replicate this PTM pattern predicted the efficacy of treatments in restoring ΔF508 CFTR activity. Accordingly, evaluation of patient information revealed that point mutations of several of the modification sites are associated with clinical CF. These findings identify a minimal quantitative and qualitative PTM code for CFTR maturation that distinguishes correctly folded from misfolded CFTR.
Squalamine blocks tumor-associated angiogenesis and growth of human breast cancer cells with or without HER-2/neu overexpression.

Angiogenesis is critical for breast cancer progression. Overexpression of HER-2/neu receptors occur in 25-30% of breast cancers, and treatment with trastuzumab inhibits HER-2-overexpressing tumor growth. Notably, HER-2-mediated signaling enhances vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion to increase tumor-associated angiogenesis. Squalamine (aminosterol compound) suppresses VEGF-induced activation of kinases in vascular endothelial cells and inhibits tumor-associated angiogenesis. We assessed antitumor effects of squalamine either alone or with trastuzumab in nude mice bearing breast tumor xenografts without (MCF-7) or with HER2-overexpression (MCF-7/HER-2). Squalamine alone inhibited progression of MCF-7 tumors lacking HER2 overexpression, and squalamine combined with trastuzumab elicited marked inhibition of MCF-7/HER2 growth exceeding that of trastuzumab alone. MCF-7/HER-2 cells secrete higher levels of VEGF than MCF-7 cells, but squalamine elicited no growth inhibition of either MCF-7/HER-2 or MCF-7 cells in vitro. However, squalamine did stop growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and reduced VEGF-induced endothelial tube-like formations in vitro. These effects correlated with blockade of focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation and stress fiber assembly in HUVECs. Thus, squalamine effectively inhibits growth of breast cancers with or without HER-2-overexpression, an effect due in part to blockade of tumor-associated angiogenesis.
Disordered eating behaviors and attitudes and their correlates among a community sample of older women.

Abstract This study provided a descriptive report of disordered eating behaviors and attitudes among older women and evaluated correlates (maladaptive perfectionism, appearance-related criticism). Participants were 97 women, ages 65–90, who completed questionnaires. Per the Eating Attitudes Test - 26, approximately 6% of participants met clinical cut-offs for a likely eating disorder. Maladaptive perfectionism was significantly correlated with an array of disordered eating attitudes as well as bulimic symptoms, but appearance-related criticism from significant others was not significantly correlated with disordered eating behaviors or attitudes. Results suggest that disordered eating behaviors and attitudes exist among older women with both similarities and differences in correlates compared to young women.
Identification of Secondary Crash Risk Factors using Penalized Logistic Regression Model

Secondary crashes (SCs) have increasingly been recognized as a major problem leading to reduced capacity and additional traffic delays. However, the limited knowledge on the nature and characterist...
Pseudomonas Species: Natural Scavenger of Aromatic Compounds from Industrial Effluents

An ever-increasing human demand has led to rapid industrialization, and almost all industrial effluents contain hazardous aromatic compounds, viz., dyes, azo dyes, phenolic dyes, other phenolic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, etc. There are a number of chemical and physical techniques to minimize the contents of harmful compounds discharged into the environment. However, their non-economical nature and production of secondary contaminants during the process has led to the demand for greener alternatives. Microbial degradation has been a great area of research for years. Out of numerous microbes, Pseudomonas species like P. putida, P. aeruginosa, and P. fluorescens are supposed to be the most reported one, for the degradation of aromatic compounds. Also metagenomics, an emerging molecular technique, can play an imperative role in biodegradation processes. Since, industrial effluents are a combination of compounds which in turn requires a consortium of microbes for their utilization. Metagenomic techniques can remodel any bacterial strain by combining the desired genes for the degradation of various classes of aromatic compounds from respective strains of Pseudomonas. This approach will modify the original genetic makeup of the bacterial strain which ultimately improves the microbial degradation method. In this book chapter, we are discussing a new paradigm in biodegradation involving metagenomics using Pseudomonas species.
Innovative engineering and sensing strategies for aptamer-based small-molecule detection

Aptamers are nucleic acid-based affinity reagents that have gained widespread attention as biorecognition elements for the detection of targets such as ions, small molecules, and proteins. Over the past three decades, the field of aptamer-based sensing has grown considerably. However, the advancement of aptamer-based small-molecule detection has fallen short of the high demand for such sensors in applications such as diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and forensics. This is due to two challenges: the complexity of developing generalized sensing platforms and the poor sensitivities of assays targeting small molecules. This paper will review new approaches for the streamlined development of high-performance aptamer-based sensors for small-molecule detection. We here provide historical context, explore the current state-of-the art, and offer future directions-with emphasis placed on new aptamer engineering methods, the use of cooperative binding, and label-free approaches using fully-folded, high-affinity aptamers for small-molecule sensing.
Pediatric Intussusception: Not Galileo’s Telescope

Classically, intussusception is described in the young toddler who presents with episodic abdominal pain, bloody stools, and a palpable abdominal mass. This presentation is not often the case, however, and an increased awareness of intussusception in patients with crying, lethargy, or other nonspecific complaints is essential to ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment. Although patients are commonly diagnosed by ultrasound, a diagnosis may be possible on abdominal plain radiography or abdominal computed tomography scan as well. Most hemodynamically stable patients will be amenable to nonoperative reduction techniques using either hydrostatic or pneumatic enema. Patients who are acutely ill, however, usually require surgery, as they often have bowel wall ischemia. A small percentage of patients will have repeat episodes of intussusception.
The transition of total elbow arthroplasty into the outpatient theater.

Background Outpatient total joint arthroplasty is increasing in frequency as reimbursement models change. Potential benefits include same-day surgery for patients and decreased exposure to nosocomial pathogens. This study aims to determine if total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is also trending toward an outpatient setting, and if there is any impact on complication rates as a result. Methods A retrospective chart review of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was performed. Specifically, the database was queried for all patients with CPT code 24363 from 2010-2017. The percentage of TEAs performed each year as an outpatient was trended from 2010-2017. Additionally, the complication rate between the inpatient and outpatient cohorts was compared. Results A total of 524 TEAs were analyzed. Of these, 111 procedures (21.2%) were performed as an outpatient. There was a statistically significant increase in the percentage of outpatient TEAs from 2010-2017 (P = .0016). In 2010, 2.4% of TEAs were outpatient, compared with 34.5% in 2017. The total complication rate trended toward being lower in the outpatient group, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = .08). Conclusions There is a significant trend toward TEA being performed as an outpatient procedure, with more than one-third currently being performed in this manner. In our study, there was no difference in the complication rate between inpatient and outpatient TEAs; in fact, outpatient TEAs trended toward having a lower complication rate than inpatient TEAs. Taken together, the outpatient setting comprises an ever-increasing segment of TEA without an increase in morbidity to patients.
Wilson's Disease

Wilson's disease is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper transport. Affected individuals accumulate abnormal levels of copper in the liver and later in the brain as a consequence of mutations in both alleles of the Wilson's disease gene ( ATP7B ). This gene was identified in 1993 and encodes a copper-transporting adenosine triphosphatase expressed primarily in the liver, where its major function is excretion of hepatic copper into the biliary tract. The clinical condition was first described in 1912 by S.A. Kinnier Wilson. In 1948, pathologist J.N. Cummings proposed an etiologic connection with copper overload. Therapy with copper chelation by penicillamine was introduced in 1956 by J.M. Walshe. More recent medical treatments also rely on copper chelation.
Predicted Cellular Immunity Population Coverage Gaps for SARS-CoV-2 Subunit Vaccines and their Augmentation by Compact Joint Sets

Abstract Subunit vaccines induce immunity to a pathogen by presenting a component of the pathogen and thus inherently limit the representation of pathogen peptides for cellular immunity based memory. We find that SARS-CoV-2 subunit peptides may not be robustly displayed by the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules in certain individuals. We introduce an augmentation strategy for subunit vaccines that adds a small number of peptides to a vaccine to improve the population coverage of pathogen peptide display. We augment a subunit vaccine by selecting additional pathogen peptides to maximize the total number of vaccine peptide hits against the distribution of MHC haplotypes in a population. For each subunit we design independent MHC class I and MHC class II peptide sets for augmentation, and alternatively design a combined set of peptides for MHC class I and class II display. We evaluate the population coverage of 9 different subunits of SARS-CoV-2, including 5 functional domains and 4 full proteins, and augment each of them to fill a predicted coverage gap. We predict that a SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain subunit vaccine will have fewer than six peptide-HLA hits with ≤ 50 nM binding affinity per individual in 51.31% (class I) and 32.99% (class II) of the population, and with augmentation, the uncovered population is predicted to be reduced to 0.54% (class I) and 1.46% (class II). We find that a joint set of pathogen peptides for MHC class I and class II display is predicted to produce a more compact vaccine design than using independent sets for MHC class I and class II. We provide an open source implementation of our design methods (OptiVax), vaccine evaluation tool (EvalVax), as well as the data used in our design efforts here: https://github.com/gifford-lab/optivax/tree/master/augmentation.
UAV Threat Level Assessment based on the Velocity and Distance from Collision

With the growing interest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) complemented by its high functionality and easy accessibility, UAVs are now applied to a variety of fields from delivery services to military surveillance. As much as it holds potential in various positive applications, UAV-associated threats on sensitive facilities and public safety with its increased involvement in illegal activities and terrorist attacks have triggered active research in Counter-Uav(cuav) systems. The velocity of UAVs has a large impact on the collision distance between UAVs and facilities of importance, and with malicious intent, it could cause a disastrous outcome. In this paper, we propose a UAV threat assessment algorithm that classifies the threat level of UAVs based on the velocity change and distance from the facility of importance. The proposed algorithm was tested and compared with our previous algorithm through simulation. From the simulation results, we were able to confirm that analyzing the velocity and the type of velocity variation of a UAV based on its distance from the target can improve the accuracy of UAV threat assessment compared to our previous study that only utilized the different type of velocity variations. The results of this research are expected to be utilized in CUAV systems on predicting the threat of hostile UAVs and securing mitigation time to the posed threat, and research should further be continued on the velocity factor of UAV threat analysis.
Why Repo Spikes

Repurchase agreement (repo) markets are crucial to financial stability and monetary policy transmission. Recently, unexpected large spikes in U.S. dollar repo rates have posed challenges to the Fed's balance sheet policy. This paper presents a theoretical model that explicates the impact on repo rates of strategic complementarity in intraday payment timing among banks. I show that repo rates can have huge spikes despite only small or moderate changes in macroeconomic conditions. This sheds new light on the amount of reserves in the banking system required to support smooth functioning of payments and short-term funding markets.
The Effects of Variable and Constant Rupture Velocity on the Generation of High-Frequency Radiation from Earthquakes

A viewpoint exists that generation of seismic high frequencies results from sudden movements of ruptures, experiencing episodes of acceleration/deceleration. We investigated this effect theoretically for (1) the far field of a small near-line source and (2) the near field of a large fault computed exactly from the representation integral. The results indicate that, in both cases, the strength of the high-frequency radiation and the spectral fall-off for ruptures moving with constant positive or negative acceleration, as well as with regularly changing acceleration, are variable: depending on the parameters, they can exceed, be similar to, or fall below the levels produced by constant-velocity propagation. The directivity spectral levels for the scenarios of constant (positive or negative) acceleration, acceleration modulated by an orderly function, or constant velocity are fully controlled by regular interference: a particular high-frequency slope seen is an artifact of the case-specific interference. Randomization of rupture speed suppresses regular interference and creates an appearance of high-frequency generation by irregularity in the velocity, while in reality it is due to the elimination of artifacts. Realistic ruptures will always have a random component in their travel times, depending on fault and material properties, and will always exhibit elevated high-frequency content with respect to an idealized constant-velocity scenario. The conclusion is that interpreting this phenomenon as high-frequency generation by rupture irregularity would be incorrect. The additional $${\omega }^{-1}$$ spectral roll-off, typically attributed to fault finiteness, is a consequence of the constant-velocity assumption. Removing the latter flattens the spectrum, even for a finite fault.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Children.

The incidence of gallbladder disease in children is rising due to an increase in the development of nonhemolytic cholelithiasis in this age group. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard ...
Understanding Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness Through a Qualitative Approach

This article presents a non-experimental, exploratory study of the experiences of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC. Using a community-based participatory action appro...
Practical MVS JCL for Today's Programmer

PART I: ESSENTIAL MVS JCL Compiling Programs Information Storage and the Partitioned Data Set MVS Job Execution PART II: WORKADAY JCL DSN: Data Set Name UNIT: Device Specification DISP: Data Set Disposition DCB: Data Set Control Block SPACE: Disk Data Set Space Allocation VOL: Disk and Tape Volume Specification LABEL: Labels and Tape Data Sets AMP: Access Method (VSAM) Parameter SYSOUT: Printed Output PART III: THE PRODUCTION MVS AND MVS/XA ENVIRONMENTS GDG: Generation Data Groups COND: Job Stream Control and Recovery PARM: Passing Parameters into Programs Proc: Instream and Cataloged Procedures JCL Tools: Compiler, Sort, VSAM, and Utility JCL IEBCOMP: Comparing Two Data Sets IEBGENER: The Copy and Reformat Utility IEBPTCH: The Listing Utility IEHLIST: PDS and VTOC Listing Utility IEHPROGM: Maintaining Data Set Passwords Appendixes Index.