cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationships between soil aggregation and mycorrhizae as influenced by soil biota and nitrogen nutrition

The effect of the form of N nutrition on soil stability is an important consideration for the management of sustainable agricultural systems. We grew soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] plants in pot cultures in unsterilized soil, and treated them by (1) inoculating them with Bradyrhizobium japonicum, fertilizing with (2) nitrate or (3) ammonia, or (4) by providing only minimum N amendment for the controls. The soils were sampled at 3-week intervals to determine changes in water-stable soil aggregates (WSA), soil pH, the development of roots, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) soil and root colonization, and selected functional groups of soil bacteria. The soil fauna was assayed at the end of the experiment (9 weeks). WSA was correlated positively with root and AM soil mycelium development, but negatively with total bacterial counts. Soil arthropod (Collembola) numbers were negatively correlated with AM hyphal length. Soils of nodulated and ammonia-fertilized plants had the highest levels of WSA and the lowest pH at week 9. Sparse root development in the soils of the N-deficient, control plants indicated that WSA formation was primarily influenced by AM hyphae. The ratio of bacterial counts in the water-stable versus water-unstable soil fractions increased for the first 6 weeks and then declined, while counts of anaerobic bacteria increased with increasing WSA. The numbers of soil invertebrates (nematodes) and protozoans did not correlate with bacterial counts or AM soil-hyphal lengths. Soil pH did not affect mycorrhiza development, but actinomycete counts declined with decreasing soil pH. AM fungi and roots interacted as the factors that affect soil aggregation, regardless of N nutrition.
Changes in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy use among women with high cardiovascular risk.

After randomized trials failed to support the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD), HRT use for postmenopausal women declined. Our analysis of 1999–2000 and 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Surveys (NHANES) shows that HRT use decreased 19% (from 27.6 to 8.4%; P < .001) among women with CVD versus 3% (from 19.8 to 16.8%; P = .68) among low-risk women, suggesting that most of the drop in HRT use may be among women prescribed HRT as an unproven treatment to prevent CVD.
Combining Census and Survey Data to Study Spatial Dimensions of Poverty A Case Study of Ecuador

Combining sample survey data and census data can yield predicted poverty rates for all households covered by the census. This offers a means to construct detailed poverty maps. But standard errors on the estimated poverty rates are not negligible. Poverty maps, providing information on the spatial distribution of living standards, are an important tool for policymaking and economic research. Policymakers can use such maps to allocate transfers and inform policy design. The maps can also be used to investigate the relationship between growth and distribution inside a country, thereby complementing research using cross-country regressions. The development of detailed poverty maps is difficult because of data constraints. Household surveys contain data on income or consumption but are typically small. Census data cover a large sample but do not generally contain the right information. Poverty maps based on census data but constructed in an ad-hoc manner can be unreliable. Hentschel, Lanjouw, Lanjouw, and Poggi demonstrate how sample survey data and census data can be combined to yield predicted poverty rates for all households covered by the census. This represents an improvement over ad hoc poverty maps. However, standard errors on the estimated poverty rates are not negligible, so additional efforts to cross-check results are warranted. This paper - a joint product of the Development Research Group and the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, Poverty Division - is part of a larger effort in the Bank to study the spatial distribution and determinants of poverty. Jesko Hentschel may be contacted at jhentschel@worldbank.org.
Multiple intrusions and low-pressure metamorphism in the central Old Woman Mountains, south-eastern California: constraints from thermal modelling

The Old Woman Mountains in south-eastern California are a Late Cretaceous low-pressure metamorphic terrane where multiple magmatic intrusions generated broad regions of elevated metamorphic temperatures. In the Scanlon Gulch area, two sheet-like, Late Cretaceous granitoid plutons are in contact with the Scanlon shear zone, a 1-km-thick sheet of isoclinally folded and transposed metamorphic rocks. The metaluminous Old Woman granodiorite underlies the shear zone and the peraluminous Sweetwater Wash granite overlies it. Both plutons record emplacement ages of ∼74 Ma. Thermobarometry and phase relations in the shear zone suggest that peak metamorphism was at 650 ± 50† C and 4.3 ± 0.5 kbar. Late Cretaceous metamorphic temperatures were less elsewhere in the Old Woman Mountains, away from the intrusions. One-dimensional thermal models are used to investigate how differences in the time between the emplacement of plutons would affect the thermal evolution of the central Old Woman Mountains. The prediction of a thermal history inferred from petrological and thermochronological data requires the rapid emplacement of the two plutons around the shear zone; simulations with delays of more than 1 Myr in the emplacement of the second pluton failed to predict peak metamorphic temperatures. Calculations which consider only the emplacement of a single pluton yield metamorphic temperatures that are too low. The time separating the intrusions is by far the most sensitive parameter in the calculations; assumptions concerning the treatment of the initial geothermal gradient and the latent heat of crystallization have relatively small effects on the predicted thermal histories. Our results suggest that for certain geometries, relatively short-lived magmatic events involving rapid emplacement of multiple intrusions can produce low-pressure metamorphism.
Counteracting Identity Fraud in the Information Age: The Identitiy Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act

The advent of the information age has created new challenges to the ability of individuals to protect the privacy and security of their personal information. One such challenge is that of identity theft, which has imposed countless hardships upon its victims. Perpetrators of this fraud use the identities of others to steal money, obtain loans, and generally violate the law. The Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, makes the theft of personal information with the intent to commit an unlawful act a federal crime in the United States with penalties of up to twenty-five years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. This article first examines the problem of identity fraud and the inadequacy of existing remedies, and then assesses the need for and likely impact of the Act, as well as issues relating to the effectiveness of its future enforcement.
On development of 6H-SiC LDMOS transistors using silane-ambient implant anneal

Abstract 6H-SiC lateral double implanted metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors have been fabricated on four p-type wafers with p-type epitaxial layers doped with Al at 2–7×10 16 cm −3 . Each of the wafers received two nitrogen implants of heavy and light doses for drain/source and drift regions, respectively. The wafers had the implants activated at 1600°C in an Ar ambient (one wafer) or a silane overpressure ambient (three wafers). The subsequent characterization confirmed a much smoother surface for the silane-annealed wafers, with step bunching reduced from 25 nm peak steps with periodicity of 1 μm to undetectable steps. Near optimal breakdown voltages of 600 V were obtained for a 9 μm drift region length devices, and threshold voltage ranged from 9 to 12 V. Average values for effective channel mobility μ eff were in the range 35.2–44.1 cm 2 /Vs for the three silane-annealed wafers, and 30.0 cm 2 /Vs for the argon-annealed wafer.
Letter by Kass Regarding Article, “Role of Left Ventricular Stiffness in Heart Failure With Normal Ejection Fraction”

To the Editor: In their recent study, Westermann et al1 examined detailed hemodynamics using pressure-volume analysis in patients with heart failure symptoms despite a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the latter defined by an EF >50%. Their control group was individuals referred for chest discomfort without heart failure or significant coronary disease. The work represents the largest effort to date to detail rest and reserve function in HFpEF patients, and as such it is an important accomplishment. A primary conclusion was that diastolic chamber stiffening in HFpEF compromised stroke volume (because of reduced end-diastolic volume) …
Wheat in Bins and Discharge Spouts, and Grain Residues on Floors of Empty Bins in Concrete Grain Elevators as Habitats for Stored-Grain Beetles and Their Natural Enemies

Wheat stored in upright concrete bins at seven grain elevators in central Kansas was sampled intermittently for insects over a 2.5-yr period by collecting samples from the upper half of the grain mass, from the discharge spout at the base of the bins, and from residue remaining in empty bins before the 2000 wheat harvest. Samples were taken from the grain mass with a power vacuum sampler (PV) and from the discharge spouts (DS) by dropping grain onto the reclaim belt beneath the bins. The density and species distribution in the residue samples were compared with those found in the DS samples and samples from the grain mass (PV). Cryptolestes spp. dominated the insect populations in all types of samples, constituting >40% of all insects in the PV samples in three of five time periods and >60% of all insects in DS samples in four of the five time periods. Cryptolestes spp. was an early colonizer, being found in the grain mass shortly after new grain was added. Rhyzopertha dominica appeared to be slower to colonize grain and grain residue, but sometimes developed large populations (i.e., 2.4 ± 0.7 adults/kg between July and December 2000). Sitophilus spp. weevils often were present in grain masses, were often abundant in grain in the discharge spouts (i.e., 11.1 ± 2.9 adults/kg between July and December 2000), and were abundant in grain residue in empty bins in May/June 2000 (5.3 ± 0.7 adults/kg). Differences in density and species distribution of insects in grain in the upper part of the grain mass and those in the discharge spouts indicated that the populations were not closely related. Grain in discharge spouts usually was densely infested, and parasitic wasps, natural enemies of several of the beetles, were found when the density of the pest insects was greater than ≈10/kg. The population of natural enemies appeared to increase when the density of pest insects increased after a lag of about one month, and decreased when the population of pest insects decreased. Grain in discharge spouts appeared to provide an incubation chamber for pest insects, and removing this grain periodically should reduce the resident populations. Residue in empty bins often was densely infested compared with samples from the grain masses. Cleaning the empty bins before refilling with newly-harvested wheat resulted in a significantly-reduced density of pest insects in discharge spouts later, and the effect lasted at least 12 wk after filling.
TOPIC CONTINUITY IN L2 ENGLISH ARTICLE USE

Much of the research on L2 article acquisition has investigated the effects of semantic, syntactic, and discourse universals on the systematicity and variability of learners' article use. The present paper looks at systematicity from the combined perspective of two putative discourse universals related to topic continuity (e.g., Givon, 1983) that have been addressed only separately in past studies of article acquisition: the tendency to mark the distinction between topics and comments (e.g., Huebner, 1983) and the tendency to mark the distinction between new, continuous, and reintroduced NP referents (e.g., Chaudron & Parker, 1990). The present study examines how well these discourse universals account for the patterns of article use and nonuse found in narratives written by 199 Finnish-speaking and 145 Swedish-speaking adolescent learners of English. The quantitative results of the study cast some doubt on learners' sensitivity to the topic-comment distinction and also suggest that learners' tendency to mark distinctions between new, continuous, and reintroduced NP referents is influenced by the prominence of such distinctions in the L1. The quantitative results are supported by a qualitative analysis of a subset of the data that suggests numerous other elements that are needed to characterize the systematicity of individual learners' interlanguage article systems.
Radiation mitigating properties of the lignan component in flaxseed

Wholegrain flaxseed (FS), and its lignan component (FLC) consisting mainly of secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), have potent lung radioprotective properties while not abrogating the efficacy of radiotherapy. However, while the whole grain was recently shown to also have potent mitigating properties in a thoracic radiation pneumonopathy model, the bioactive component in the grain responsible for the mitigation of lung damage was never identified. Lungs may be exposed to radiation therapeutically for thoracic malignancies or incidentally following detonation of a radiological dispersion device. This could potentially lead to pulmonary inflammation, oxidative tissue injury, and fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the radiation mitigating effects of FLC in a mouse model of radiation pneumonopathy. We evaluated FLC-supplemented diets containing SDG lignan levels comparable to those in 10% and 20% whole grain diets. 10% or 20% FLC diets as compared to an isocaloric control diet (0% FLC) were given to mice (C57/BL6) (n=15-30 mice/group) at 24, 48, or 72-hours after single-dose (13.5 Gy) thoracic x-ray treatment (XRT). Mice were evaluated 4 months post-XRT for blood oxygenation, lung inflammation, fibrosis, cytokine and oxidative damage levels, and survival. FLC significantly mitigated radiation-related animal death. Specifically, mice fed 0% FLC demonstrated 36.7% survival 4 months post-XRT compared to 60–73.3% survival in mice fed 10%-20% FLC initiated 24–72 hours post-XRT. FLC also mitigated radiation-induced lung fibrosis whereby 10% FLC initiated 24-hours post-XRT significantly decreased fibrosis as compared to mice fed control diet while the corresponding TGF-beta1 levels detected immunohistochemically were also decreased. Additionally, 10-20% FLC initiated at any time point post radiation exposure, mitigated radiation-induced lung injury evidenced by decreased bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) protein and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine release at 16 weeks post-XRT. Importantly, neutrophilic and overall inflammatory cell infiltrate in airways and levels of nitrotyrosine and malondialdehyde (protein and lipid oxidation, respectively) were also mitigated by the lignan diet. Dietary FLC given early post-XRT mitigated radiation effects by decreasing inflammation, lung injury and eventual fibrosis while improving survival. FLC may be a useful agent, mitigating adverse effects of radiation in individuals exposed to incidental radiation, inhaled radioisotopes or even after the initiation of radiation therapy to treat malignancy.
An arbitrary order variationally consistent integration for Galerkin meshfree methods

Author(s): Hillman, Michael Charles | Advisor(s): Chen, Jiun-Shyan | Abstract: The rate of convergence in Galerkin methods for solving boundary value problems is determined by the order of completeness in the trial space and order of accuracy in the domain integration. If insufficiently accurate domain integration is employed, the optimal convergence rate cannot be attained. For meshfree methods accurate domain integration is difficult to achieve without costly high order quadrature, and the lack of accuracy in the domain integration may lead to sub-optimal convergence, or even solutions that diverge with refinement. The difficulty in domain integration is due to the overlap of the shape function supports and the rational nature of the shape functions themselves. This dissertation introduces a general framework to achieve the optimal order of convergence consistent with the order of trial space without high order quadrature.First, the conditions for achieving arbitrary order exactness in a boundary value problem using the Galerkin approximation with quadrature are derived. The conditions are derived in a general form and are applicable to all types of problems: the test function gradients in the Galerkin approximation should be consistent with the chosen numerical integration, and this is termed variational consistency. Specifically, integration by parts of the inner product between the test function and differential operator acting on the desired exact solution should hold when evaluated with the chosen quadrature. Specific problems are then considered with the conditions explicitly stated, including elasticity, the Euler-Bernoulli beam, the Kirchhoff-Love plate, and the non-linear formulation of solid mechanics.Treating the type of numerical integration as a given, test function gradients are then constructed to satisfy this condition. The resulting method is arbitrarily high order exact and applicable to all types of integration. The method is then used as a correction to several commonly used numerical integration methods and applied to the various boundary value problems. It is demonstrated that the error induced by numerical integration is greatly reduced, and optimal convergence is either partially or fully restored. Further, it is shown that the variationally consistent integration methods are more effective than their standard counterparts in terms of computing time and solution error.
Hybrid coupling layers for bulk metallic glass adhesion

Solutions to the technical challenge of bonding and joining bulk metallic glasses have long been sought after due to the exceptional property sets displayed by this class of engineering materials. Here, we demonstrate the ability to deposit a compositionally and functionally graded hybrid coupling layer using sol–gel processing methods to promote adhesion at the metallic glass–epoxy interface. In this study, we fine-tune the molecular composition by varying the sol Zr:Si ratio, altering film properties that consequently influence crack path selection at the interface. When optimized, up to 3-fold improvements in the adhesive/cohesive properties of these structural bond lines can be attained, with the highest GC values correlating with cohesive cracking through the hybrid. We also demonstrate the ability of these hybrid structures to significantly reduce the influence of moisture-assisted degradation as evidenced by reductions in crack growth rates of over two orders of magnitude and increased threshold limits.
IIb or not IIb? Toward a rational application of left main stenting.

For over 30 years, the elective treatment of significant left main (LM) coronary disease has been the province of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Recently, several large registries using either bare-metal stents (BMS) or drug-eluting stents (DES) and 1 large clinical trial, the SYNTAX (
A New Ixodes Species (Acari: Ixodidae), Parasite of Shrew Tenrecs (Afrosoricida: Tenrecidae) in Madagascar

Abstract: A new tick species belonging to the African subgenus Afrixodes Morel, 1966 of the genus Ixodes Latreille, 1795, namely, Ixodes (Afrixodes) microgalei n. sp., is described. Females of this species are most similar to those of Ixodes colasbelcouri Arthur, 1957 and Ixodes nesomys Uilenberg & Hoogstraal, 1969. The female of the new species can easily be differentiated from I. colasbelcouri by a short spur on coxae IV, and from I. nesomys by longer spurs on coxae I and large punctations on its scutum. Ixodes microgalei is known only from the eastern humid forest of Madagascar, specifically in the Province of Antananarivo, where its females have been collected from several species of shrew tenrecs (Afrosoricida, Tenrecidae), namely, Microgale dobsoni Thomas, Microgale parvula Grandidier, and Microgale soricoides Jenkins.
Preferential inhibition of Sp1 expression in growing tumors by mithramycin-A (MIT) directly correlates with its potent antiangiogenic effects in human carcinoid xenograft model

15041 Background: MIT, also known as aureolic acid and plicamycin (Mithracin), is an aureolic acid-type polyketide produced by various soil bacteria of the genus Streptomyces. Previous studies have...
Teaching Managers How to Improve Their Decision-Making Processes

This paper attempts to bring into focus some concepts and techniques which experience indicates may be helpful in overcoming problems encountered in teaching managers or in teaching the application of economics in decision making. I have drawn primarily from my own experiences in informal learning situations. Also, I have surmised that the economist's concern for teaching managers is a product of his interest in teaching economics to them.
The Origin of the Artery of the Ligamentum Teres Femoris

One hundred and thirty-four stillborn specimens were arterially injected with latex and dissected to determine the origin of the foveolar artery. The obturator artery supplied this branch in 54.5 per cent and the medial femoral circumflex artery in 14.9 per cent. Separate foveolar branches arose from both these vessels in 6.7 per cent, while in the remaining 23.9 per cent an anastomotic connection between the obturator and medial femoral circumflex gave origin to the foveolar artery.
Gonad-Stimulating Extract from Alfalfa Meal.

For reasons which can better be stated in a more complete report, it was thought highly probable that the pituitary hormone was not elaborated in the animal body from simple chemical substances, but on the contrary, was built up from complex precursors, or, taken in from the environment in a form not far removed from the hormone itself. If such hypothesis were correct, one should be able to isolate from foods these complex substances, or precursors, which when given to an animal in sufficient amounts, would prove to be gonad-stimulating. Of the foodstuffs considered, green plants seemed to be the most likely source of such material. Consequently, alfalfa was investigated from this standpoint and found to yield an extract capable of affecting the rabbit ovary in a fashion similar to that of the material found in pregnancy urine; i. e., the production of corpora lutea and corpora hemorrhagica in unmated rabbits.The extract is prepared by mixing 1 kilo of alfalfa meal with 10 liters of water and sufficient 3...
Characterization of a triglyceride hydrolase secreted by canine liver maintained in vitro.

SummaryThese studies demonstrate that canine liver synthesizes a TGH activated by C-I but not by C-II. This TGH has properties similar to lipoprotein lipase C-I isolated from postheparin plasma of human subjects, but differs from a previously reported liver triglyceride-lipase or protamine insensitive-lipase in its sensitivity to NaCl and protamine sulfate, as well as in its requirement for a serum cofactor, C-I. These data suggest the possibility that, in dogs, liver is a source of plasma LPLC-I.
Similarities and Differences between the Biosynthesis of Nucleotides and the Prebiotic Synthesis of Nucleotides

This chapter discusses the major pathways for nucleotide biosynthesis and has considered how these nucleotides might have been synthesized in the prebiotic world. Nucleotides are composed of three components: ribose, phosphate, and a purine or pyrimidine base. The most common bases in RNA are adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine. The biosynthetic pathway to pyrimidine nucleotides is simpler than that for purine nucleotides, reflecting the simpler structure of the base. In contrast to the biosynthetic pathway for purine nucleotides, in the pyrimidine pathway, the pyrimidine ring is constructed before ribose-5-phosphate is incorporated into the nucleotide. The first pyrimidine mononucleotide to be synthesized is orotidine-5-monophosphate (OMP) and from this compound, pathways lead to nucleotides of uracil, cytosine, and thymine. In the prebiotic world, there are a variety of ways in which the three components of the nucleotides could have been synthesized and connected to one another. For example, the sugar and the base could have been linked first or the sugar or sugar phosphate could have served as a foundation on which the nitrogenous base was synthesized. Effective prebiotic conditions for nucleoside synthesis only have been found for hypoxanthine. A solution of hypoxanthine and ribose in the presence of a magnesium salt is heated to dryness and then heated as a dry film for many hours. This results in inosine nucleoside in yields of up to 50%. Nucleosides can be converted into nucleotides by heating to dryness in a solution containing inorganic orthophosphate and urea.
Methods of calculation pressure-volume strain relations with fractal geometry

The present paper dealt with pressure-volume strain relations of SFRC(steel fiber reinforce concrete) materials under compaction.Fractal interpolation functions were used to calculate the data and then the iterated function system(IFS) of SFRC materials were presented.By using test data of three SFRC materials and concrete,parameters in iterated function system were calculated.Finally,the attractors(figure of final iterated function system) of iterated function system were presented.The attractors pass through all test data and can express relationship between pressure and volume strain more correctly.
The Decade in Clinical Thyroid Disease: An Analysis of Published Literature

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the current status of the clinical thyroidology literature using bibliographic analysis. Methods: The subject “clinical thyroidology” was divided into six broad topics: iodine deficiency/iodine nutrition, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism/thyrotoxicosis, thyroiditis/autoimmune thyroid disease, thyroid nodules/multinodular goiter, and thyroid cancer. Using Scopus, an online bibliographic searching tool, this study sought to examine the trends in the publication of clinical thyroid disease–related research articles over the decade from 2006 through the end of 2015. Citation counts were also retrieved for individual research papers in order to find papers that might have had a bigger impact on clinical practice. Review articles, guidelines, and editorials were excluded. Results: A total of 19,055 articles were published in the broad area of clinical thyroid disease. The largest proportion was in the topic of thyroid cancer, accounting for >30% of the total. T...
Stability Analyses of the Uprated BWR Using the Large Assembly with Small-Pins Concept

The Large Assembly with Small Pins (LASP) concept is an evolutionary fuel design proposed to enable a higher power density in boiling water reactors while maintaining the same operating conditions,...
Imagined or real: the intersection of tribalism and nationalism in the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)

The Middle East is frequently looked upon from an angle of tribalism.1 This is specifically true for Kurdistan,2 with Kurdish people often regarded as the quintessential tribal society.3 While the ...
Simulation as a tool for hybrid system design

A case study of the use of simulation as a tool for design and validation of hybrid systems is presented. We use an intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS) architecture, a system that involves both continuous state and discrete event controllers as our example of a hierarchical hybrid system. We point out that even though analytical methods do not exist for verification of hybrid control system, a simulation tool can be useful to (in)validate that the hybrid system operates properly. >
Pentameric IgM Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for Human β2-Microglobulin Are More Potent at Inducing Apoptosis in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Multiple myeloma is still an incurable plasma malignancy because patients are prone to quickly relapse after conventional treatment or even high-dose chemotherapy. At the present time, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are being successfully used to treat cancers. We recently discovered that anti-β 2 -microglobulin (β 2 M) mAbs (IgG1 isotype) induced myeloma cell apoptosis (Yang et al., Cancer Cell2006; 10:295–307). The mAbs bind, cross-link, and recruit surface β 2 M/MHC class I molecules on myeloma cells to lipid rafts where downstream signaling pathways are activated. Therefore, it is possible that enhancing the capacity of the mAbs to cross-link surface MHC class I could further improve the efficacy of mAb-induced myeloma cell apoptosis. To examine this hypothesis, we generated anti-β 2 M mAbs of IgM isotype with a pentameric structure. By using Annexin V and TUNEL assays, we showed that, compared with monomeric IgG mAbs, IgM anti-β 2 M mAbs exhibit stronger tumoricidal activity on all six myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells isolated from five myeloma patients in dose- and time-dependent manner. About 80% to 90% of myeloma cells were apoptotic when treated with IgM mAb at a concentration as low as 20 mg/mL in a 12-hour culture. Furthermore, IgM anti-β 2 M mAbs, which at the same dose had stronger therapeutic efficacy than IgG mAbs in vivo, had greatly reduced tumor burdens and retarded tumor growth in SCID mice. To examine whether the pentameric structure plays an important role in IgM mAb-mediated tumoricidal activity, IgM mAbs were treated with β-mercaptoethanol (2ME), a specific agent that breaks the J-chain of IgM antibody leading to irreversible disruption of the IgM pentameric structure. By using native gel electrophoresis, we confirmed that without 2ME treatment, IgM mAbs were pentamers with one band of 950 kDa. After treatment with 2ME, IgM mAbs displayed a strong band in 175 kDa (monomer), indicating that 2ME completely broke pentamers to monomers. Furthermore, we found that the addition of 2ME-pretreated IgM mAbs to cell culture induced much weaker myeloma cell apoptosis than pentameric IgM mAbs. By using Western blot analysis, we further showed that 2ME-pretreated IgM mAbs induce weaker JNK activation and caspase-9, -8, -3, and PARP cleavage. By using confocal microscopy, we showed that 2ME-pretreated IgM mAbs are much less efficient at recruiting β 2 M/MHC class I molecules into lipid rafts on myeloma cells, although 2ME-pretreated IgM mAbs bound well to myeloma cell surface. Thus, our findings indicate that enhancing cross-linking of surface β 2 M/MHC class I molecules may be a novel approach to improve the antimyeloma efficacy of the mAbs. This study also suggests that our IgM anti-β 2 M mAbs may be a better therapeutic agent for future clinical application.
From Horicon to Hamburgers and Back Again: Ecology, Ideology, and Wildfowl Management, 1917–1935

The ducks return to Horicon Marsh in early spring. A chill hangs in the Wisconsin April air, but the birds prepare to breed, selecting territory among the reeds and ponds.' At the sight of another bird, the male squawks and flaps his wings, chasing the intruder away. Meanwhile, the hen ferrets out a perfect nesting place among tall grass or aquatic vegetation. After settling on a spot, she lays a single egg each day for a week and a half. During the incubation period, her mate flies north to join other males for the molt. In mid-May, the ducklings, fuzzy and awkward, peck their way through the shell, and emerge into world. Only half of them will survive the summer. Predation, soil toxicity, poor climate, low water levels, insufficient feed, any number of disasters can strike the young brood. By fall, the
Liver Physiology: Metabolism and Detoxification

The liver plays a central role in metabolism of nutrients, synthesis of glucose and lipids, and detoxification of drugs and xenobiotics. The major pathways in the liver are glucose, fatty acids, cholesterol, and bile acid synthesis. Insulin and glucagon are two key metabolic regulators that regulate liver metabolism in the fed and fasting states, respectively, to maintain metabolic homeostasis. The liver expresses P450 monooxygenase systems for drug metabolism and detoxification. Metabolism and detoxification protect liver from injury by drugs and toxic metabolites. This article will briefly summarize the major metabolic pathways and their regulation in maintaining metabolic homeostasis.
Online Pricing Strategies: Implications for Luxury Consumers

AbstractFor most products, price is the marketing variable customers react to more than any other. While this may be less so for luxury products, marketers of luxury brands still have to set a price. Most managers emphasize costs and competition when setting price. However, the third component of price, customer value or what a customer is willing to pay, is considered less often and is, in fact, much more important than costs and competition for luxury goods. Today, in this era of digital marketing, marketers have a greater ability to understand customer value and set a price accordingly. In this paper, new approaches to digital pricing that incorporate customer value are described and shown how they impact luxury good pricing.
The effect of trass and fly ash in minimizing alkali-carbonate reaction in concrete

Abstract The influence of natural pozzolans on the controlling of the alkali-carbonate reaction (ACR) and the alkali-silica reaction (ASR) has not been studied comprehensively, regardless of the research studies conducted on utilizing natural pozzolans as supplementary cementitious materials. Nevertheless, the performance of natural pozzolans toward the ACR and ASR was investigated in recent studies. The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate the alkali-carbonate expansion of mortar specimens, which contain trass and fly ash in the short-term. For the short-term, the extent of expansion due to ACR was monitored for fourteen 7-day intervals. Based on the test result, fly ash and trass meaningfully reduced the expansion due to ACR in the short-term. Moreover, long-term test results for trass were presented as well. For the long-term, samples were kept at 80 °C in NaOH solution for curing in 56 days according to ASTM C1260 and 390 days according to ASTM C1293 . The observations by optical microscopy have been conducted on thin sections.
Eplerenone as a novel treatment for persistent subretinal fluid following retinal detachment surgery.

Abstract Purpose To describe the clinical course of a patient with persistent subretinal fluid (SRF) after primary scleral buckle surgery for a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair who was subsequently treated with oral eplerenone for resolution of SRF. Observations A 34 year-old-male presented with a large bullous macula-involving RRD of unknown duration and underwent primary scleral buckle and retinotomy for drainage of subretinal fluid (SRF). His post-operative course was characterized by persistent macular SRF for 1.5 years with poor vision largely unchanged from his pre-operative presentation. Patient declined additional surgical treatment and opted for conservative management. Given such persistent SRF, the patient was trialed on a course of oral eplerenone 50 mg po bid. After only one month on this therapy, a marked decline in SRF was noted with near complete resolution after two months. Conclusions and Importance To our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind to show the effectivity of oral eplerenone treatment in the reduction of SRF following retinal detachment surgery.
A General Nonlinear Evolution Equation for Irreversible Conservative Approach to Stable Equilibrium

The problem of understanding entropy and irreversibility has been tackled by thousands of physicists during the past century. Schools of thought have formed and flourished around different perspectives of the problem. But a definitive solution has yet to be found.1
It takes a village: channeling fatty acid metabolism and triacylglycerol formation via protein interactomes

Diet, hormones, gene transcription, and posttranslational modifications control the hepatic metabolism of FAs; metabolic dysregulation causes chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, and warrants exploration into the mechanisms directing FA and triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis and degradation. Long-chain FA metabolism begins by formation of an acyl-CoA by a member of the acyl-CoA synthetase (ACSL) family. Subsequently, TAG synthesis begins with acyl-CoA esterification to glycerol-3-phosphate by a member of the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) family. Our studies of the isoforms ACSL1 and GPAT1 strongly suggest that these proteins are members of larger protein assemblies (interactomes). ACSL1 targeted to the ER interacts with peroxisomal, lipid droplet, and tethering proteins, uncovering a dynamic role for ACSL1 in organelle and lipid droplet interactions. On the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM), PPARα upregulates ACSL1, which interacts with proteins believed to tether lipid droplets to the OMM. In contrast, GPAT1 is upregulated nutritionally by carbohydrate and insulin in a coordinated sequence of enzyme reactions, from saturated FA formation via de novo lipogenesis to FA esterification by GPAT1 and entry into the TAG biosynthesis pathway. We propose that involved enzymes form a dynamic protein interactome that facilitates esterification and that other lipid-metabolizing pathways will exist in similar physiologically regulated interactomes.
Exploring student understanding of the engineering design process using distractor analysis

Typical approaches to assessing students’ understanding of the engineering design process (EDP) include performance assessments that are time-consuming to score. It is also possible to use multiple-choice (MC) items to assess the EDP, but researchers and practitioners often view the diagnostic value of this assessment format as limited. However, through the use of distractor analysis, it is possible to glean additional insights into student conceptualizations of complex concepts. Using an EDP assessment based on MC items, this study illustrates the value of distractor analysis for exploring students’ understanding of the EDP. Specifically, we analyzed 128 seventh grade students’ responses to 20 MC items using a distractor analysis technique based on Rasch measurement theory. Our results indicated that students with different levels of achievement have substantively different conceptualizations of the EDP, where there were different probabilities for selecting various answer choices among students with low, medium, and high relative achievement. We also observed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in student achievement on several items when we analyzed the data separately by teacher. For these items, we observed different patterns of answer choice probabilities in each classroom. Qualitative results from student interviews corroborated many of the results from the distractor analyses. Together, these results indicated that distractor analysis is a useful approach to explore students’ conceptualization of the EDP, and that this technique provides insight into differences in student achievement across subgroups. We discuss the results in terms of their implications for research and practice.
From A (Aggression) to V (Victimization): Peer Status and Adjustment Among Academically Gifted Students in Early Adolescence:

Peer status is an important indicator and predictor of adjustment. While gifted children tend to enjoy favorable peer status, their social functioning during adolescence is less clear. The current ...
Reactivation of Chronic Hepatitis C as a Potential Trigger for Guillain-Barré Syndrome

A 74-year-old man with a past medical history of chronic low back pain presented with two to three weeks of progressive weakness starting in the lower extremities and then spreading to the upper extremities. Distal muscles were more affected than proximal muscles; weakness was accompanied by numbness and paresthesias. There was no preceding acute viral, respiratory, or gastrointestinal illness. Initial workup revealed hepatitis C antibody reactivity, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed albuminocytologic dissociation. MRI demonstrated multilevel degenerative changes and diffuse enhancement of the cauda equina nerve roots compatible with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Repeat testing confirmed ongoing hepatitis C infection with increasing quantitative hepatitis C virus (HCV) levels. This case illustrates an interesting presentation of GBS potentially triggered by hepatitis C reactivation. This is the first case, to our knowledge, with serologic evidence demonstrating acute hepatitis C reactivation concurrent with GBS which presented in the absence of immunomodulatory interferon treatment. The patient continues to recover with ongoing rehabilitation at the time of this case report.
A bivariate zero-inflated negative binomial model for identifying underlying dependence with application to single cell RNA sequencing data

Summary Measuring gene-gene dependence in single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) count data is often of interest and remains challenging, because an unidentified portion of the zero counts represent non-detected RNA due to technical reasons. Conventional statistical methods that fail to account for technical zeros incorrectly measure the dependence among genes. To address this problem, we propose a bivariate zero-inflated negative binomial (BZINB) model constructed using a bivariate Poisson-gamma mixture with dropout indicators for the technical (excess) zeros. Parameters are estimated based on the EM algorithm and are used to measure the underlying dependence by decomposing the two sources of zeros. Compared to existing models, the proposed BZINB model is specifically designed for estimating dependence and is more flexible, while preserving the marginal zero-inflated negative binomial distributions. Additionally, it has a simple latent variable framework, allowing parameters to have clear and intuitive interpretations, and its computation is feasible with large scale data. Using a recent scRNA-seq dataset, we illustrate model fitting and how the model-based measures can be different from naive measures. The inferential ability of the proposed model is evaluated in a simulation study. An R package ‘bzinb’ is available on CRAN.
Conflicted epistemic beliefs about teaching for creativity

Abstract Educational policymakers and workforce studies emphasize creativity for teachers and students, yet there is an overreliance on performance measures and ratings of creativity that excludes the perspective of how teachers construct epistemic beliefs about what creativity means to them. This paper presents results from a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews to unearth epistemic beliefs about teaching for creativity as described by sixteen pre-service and in-service teachers enrolled in teacher education, Masters and PhD programs in an American university. Using qualitative content analysis, five themes emerged: teaching for creativity as a component of teaching success, discordant beliefs about creative teaching abilities, diverse beliefs about student creative potential, the importance of creativity for student learning and freedom to express new ideas. We discuss further how beliefs conflicted, namely the confusion about student potential as innate, malleable or a fusion of both, and the conflation of creativity with the arts. For implications, we propose future research exploring the calibration of teacher epistemic beliefs with teaching behavior in the classroom.
La deuda de un traductor: La poética de Aristóteles de Alonso Ordóñez (1624-1626)

In 1626 Alonso Ordonez published the first Spanish translation of Aristotle’s Poetics ever to appear in print. I argue that, rather than the Greek original, Ordonez took as the source of his work the sixteenth-century Latin and Italian translations by Alessandro Pazzi, Bernardo Segni, Lodovico Castelvetro and Alessandro Piccolomini. The analysis of Ordonez’s work, collated with a previous version preserved in the manuscript Matritensis 2624, makes it possible to outline the method and the principles that underpin a translation that, losing sight of the original, appears to us as a mosaic of previous works.
Headache in the Older Population: Causes, Diagnoses, and Treatments

Primary headaches are less common and differ in presentation in older versus younger individuals. Secondary headaches become more common among older patients. Diagnosis and management of headaches in those > 65 years are discussed. Migraine and tension-type headaches are rarely new onset in this age group and should be a diagnosis of exclusion. In older individuals, migraine is more likely to be bilateral with less sensory sensitivities. Migraine aura may present without headache; careful assessment is needed to exclude stroke. Other primary headaches discussed include cough, hypnic, and other headaches. Secondary causes discussed include giant cell arteritis, trigeminal post-herpetic neuropathy, sleep apnea, cardiac cephalgia, cervicogenic pain, vascular etiologies, medications, and burning-mouth syndrome. In older individuals, primary headaches are diagnoses of exclusion, and treatment is affected by comorbidities and polypharmacy. Secondary headaches are a major consideration requiring appropriate workup. Many treatments can safely be offered regardless of age.
Discovery of a microbially produced small molecule in a host-specific organ

Abstract The lifelong relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, and its microbial symbiont, Vibrio fischeri, represents a simplified model system for studying microbiome establishment and maintenance. The bacteria colonize a dedicated symbiotic light organ in the squid, from which bacterial luminescence camouflages the hosts in a process termed counterillumination. The squid hosts hatch without their symbionts, which must be acquired from the ocean amid a diversity of non-beneficial bacteria, so precise molecular communication is required for initiation of the specific relationship. It is therefore likely that there may be specialized metabolites used in the light organ microenvironment to modulate these processes. To identify small molecules that may influence the establishment of this symbiosis, we used imaging mass spectrometry to analyze metabolite production in V. fischeri with altered biofilm production, which correlates directly to colonization capability in its host. ‘Biofilm-Up’ and ‘Biofilm-Down’ mutants were compared to a wild-type strain, and masses that were more abundantly produced by the biofilm-up mutant were detected. Using a combination of structure elucidation and synthetic chemistry, one such signal was determined to be a diketopiperazine, cyclo(d-histidyl-l-proline). This diketopiperazine modulated luminescence in V. fischeri and, using label-free imaging mass spectrometry, was directly detected in the light organ of the colonized host. This work highlights the continued need for untargeted discovery efforts in host-microbe interactions and showcases the benefits of the squid-Vibrio system for identification and characterization of small molecules that modulate microbiome behaviors. Significance Statement The complexity of animal microbiomes presents challenges to defining signaling molecules within the microbial consortium and between the microbes and the host. By focusing on the binary symbiosis between Vibrio fischeri and Euprymna scolopes, we have combined genetic analysis with direct imaging to define and study small molecules in the intact symbiosis. We have detected and characterized a diketopiperazine produced by strong biofilm-forming V. fischeri strains that was detectable in the host symbiotic organ, and which influences bacterial luminescence. Biofilm formation and luminescence are critical for initiation and maintenance of the association, respectively, suggesting that the compound may link early and later development stages, providing further evidence that multiple small molecules are important in establishing these beneficial relationships.