cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An inducible predator defense in the marine microalga Emiliania huxleyi (Prymnesiophyceae) is linked to its heteromorphic haploid-diploid life cycle

iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES ix INTRODUCTION 1 MATERIALS AND METHODS 7 Organisms and culture conditions 7 Emiliania huxleyi characterization 9 Cell cycle analysis and ploidy determination 11 Flow cytometer cell count method 12 Preliminary experiment I: 24-hr ingestion rate 14 Preliminary experiment II: growth stimulation 15 Vacuole count method of ingestion rate measurement 19 Defense induction experiment I 20 Defense induction experiment II 25 RESULTS 29 Cell cycle analysis and ploidy determination 29 Preliminary experiment I: 24-hr ingestion rate 34 Preliminary experiment II: growth stimulation 37 Defense induction experiment I 39 Defense induction experiment II 54 DISCUSSION 63 Evidence for inducible defense 63 Mechanism of defense 67 The role of nutrients 73 Haploid-diploidy and defense 75 Conclusions 82 LITERATURE CITED 83
Education as a Fault Line in Assessing Democratisation: Ignoring the Globalising Influence of Schools

As schools are conscripted as part of structural adjustment and democratization projects, they become agents of global penetration of the world periphery. Some scholars claim that people on the periphery are “mystified” by dominant ideologies and willingly and without conscious awareness of implications accept Western learning and thereby subordinate themselves to the world system. However, this chapter demonstrates that oppositional strategies are often used to resist the globalizing influence of schools, though not at the extreme periphery. Political scientists who focus on democracy and democratization routinely ignore schools, notwithstanding how crucial education may be as a ‘fault line’ in arriving at meaningful assessments of democratization and globalization.
Renal Biopsy Diagnosis of IGA Nephropathy in Chin Refugees Living in the United States

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common diagnosis in patients undergoing renal biopsy for hematuria and proteinuria, but histopathology may vary widely among affected patients. Worldwide, IgAN is the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis and is a leading cause of end-stage renal failure in patients presenting for renal replacement therapy. In the United States, prevalence rates of IgA nephropathy are only 2 to 10 percent while in Asia prevalence rates range from 20 to 40%. In Chin refugees relocated from Myanmar (formerly Burma) to a geographic area near our laboratory in the Midwestern United States (U.S.), IgAN was the most frequently encountered glomerulopathy detected in needle biopsy specimens. We report our biopsy experience with this small but unique cohort, many of whom have had little to no previous access to medical care.
A Flying Pantograph: Interleaving Expressivity of Human and Machine

Drawing as a means of expression has evolved over time, as, and through a means of computation: Since pre-historic time, humankind has been involved in drawing through a myriad forms of mediums that, over many years, have evolved to be increasingly computation-driven. However, they largely continue to remain constrained to human body scale and aesthetics, while computer technology now allows a more synergistic and collaborative expression between human and machine. In our installation, we engage audience with a drone-based drawing system that applies a person's pen drawing at different scales in different styles. The unrestricted and programmable motion of the proxy can institute various artistic distortions in real-time, creating a new dynamic medium of creative expression.
Significant books: Lead poisoning litigation

Paul J. Bottari and Michael L. Bulhosa, A Complete Guide to Lead Paint Poisoning Litigation (American Bar Association: Tort and Insurance Practice Section, 1998.) 204 pp. (including appendices). $8...
Exploiting the Polypharmacology of ß-Carbolines to Disrupt O. volvulus Molting

Onchocerciasis is an infection caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus, which can eventually result in blindness. The lack of an effective macrofilaricide and the possible development of ivermectin-resistant strains of O. volvulus necessitate the need for alternative treatment strategies. We have shown that targeting the L3-stage-specific chitinase OvCHT1 impairs the shedding of the filarial cuticle. In our continued efforts to discover OvCHT1 inhibitors, we identified the β-carboline alkaloid scaffolding as a chitinase inhibitor that is capable of penetrating the worm cuticle. Herein, we disclose the rich polypharmacology of the β-carboline class of compounds as an approach to abrogate the molting of the parasite and thus the initiation of infection in the human host.
Abstract W P413: Intravenous Delivery of the AAV9-sFLT Vector Reverses the Phenotype of Spontaneously Developed Brain Arteriovenous Malformation in Mice

Background and Purpose: Current therapies for brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM) are invasive and have potential treatment-related morbidity. Excessive vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression is one of the key players in bAVM pathophysiology. The soluble VEGF receptor 1 (sFLT) possesses an anti-angiogenic effect. We hypothesize that intravenous delivery of adeno-associated viral vector serotype 9 (AAV9) expressing sFLT reverses the bAVM phenotype. Methods: SM22α-Cre transgenic mice were crossed with endoglin (Eng)-floxed mice to delete Eng. More than 95% of SM22 α-Cre;Eng-floxed mice spontaneously developed bAVM at age of 5 weeks. AAV9-sFLT (1x1011 viral genomes) was injected into the jugular vein of 5-week-old mice. AAV9-GFP was used as vector control. Brain vascular structure was analyzed using latex vascular casting 4 weeks after vector injection. The success of gene delivery, lymphocyte infiltration and neuronal loss was analyzed in the brain sections. Results: Due to the severity of the AVM lesion in this model, 3 of 9 AAV9-GFP-treated mice and 2 of 8 AAV9-sFLT-treated mice died during the 4-week treatment period. One paralyzed mouse in the AAV9-GFP group was euthanized before the treatment period ended. Only 1 of the 6 surviving mice in the AAV9-sFLT group had detectable bAVM, whereas all 5 mice in the AAV9-GFP group had it. GFP expression was detected in the bAVM lesion of AAV9-GFP-treated mice. Neither lymphocyte infiltration nor neuronal loss was observed. Conclusion: Because intravenous delivery of AAV9-sFLT reverses the bAVM phenotype without inducing intra-brain lymphocyte filtration and neuronal loss, AAV-mediated sFLT delivery could thus be developed into a specific, non-invasive therapy for patients with bAVM.
Abdominal Ultrasound Manifestations of Personnel with Occupational Hazard and Toxicant Exposure

[Objective]To study the effect of hazardous substances on gallbladder,spleen and kidney in ultrasonographic features.[Methods]Dynamic observation was performed on changes of liver,gallbladder,spleen and kidney by ultrasonic examination.[Results]Ultrasonic examination showed that the number of occupational hazard and toxicant exposed personnel with a reflex of gastrointestinal gas transit and a pathological change on liver,gallbladder,spleen and kidney was higher than those of normal people.[Conclusion]Ultrasonic examination is suitable for multitudinous examination of the occupational hazard and toxicant exposed personnel and the reexamination of poisoned patients.
Alpha fetoprotein determinations in the management of endodermal sinus tumors and mixed germ cell tumors of the ovary

Serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) titers determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) techniques may serve as useful tumor markers in patients with endodermal sinus tumors (EST) or mixed germ cell tumors of the ovary containing EST elements when serum AFP is detectable prior to initiation of combination chemotherapy. A decline in AFP titers to less than 20 ng/ml, followed by any subsequent elevation, is an ominous finding suggestive of recurrent or progressive disease and requires prompt diagnostic evaluation and change in management. AFP assays performed by non-RIA techniques lack sufficient sensitivity to be employed routinely as tumor markers.
MC-MinH: Metagenome Clustering using Minwise based Hashing.

Current bio-technologies allow sequencing of genomes from multiple organisms, that co-exist as communities within ecological environments. This collective genomic process (called metagenomics) has spurred the development of several computational tools for the quantification of abundance, diversity and role of different species within different communities. Unsupervised clustering algorithms (also called binning algorithms) have been developed to group similar metagenome sequences. We have developed an algorithm called MC-MinH that uses the min-wise hashing approach, along with a greedy clustering algorithm to group 16S and whole metagenomic sequences. We represent unequal length sequences using contiguous subsequences or k-mers, and then approximate the computation of pairwise similarity using independent min-wise hashing. The performance of our algorithm is evaluated on several real and simulated metagenomic benchmarks. We demonstrate that our approach is computationally efficient and produces accurate clustering results when evaluated using external ground truth.
Pyeloureteral dilatation of pregnancy after death of the fetus: An experimental study

Abstract Upper urinary tract dilatation has been demonstrated in the monkey after death of the fetus, but while the placenta remained functional toward the maternal organism. The unruptured uterine contents were secured at hysterotomy in two instances and recovered at the time of a spontaneous abortion in the third. These three histories of primary death of the fetus parallel earlier experiments in which the fetus alone was surgically removed. Thus, pyeloureteral dilatation in pregnancy is associated with the functioning of the maternal surface of the placenta during the physiological state of pregnancy without dependence on the continued presence or life of the fetus.
Pharmacotherapy of childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) appears in children and adolescents in virtually the same form as in adults. Pharmacotherapy of childhood and adolescent OCD is reviewed, including new medications not yet available on the market, with specific attention given to clomipramine (CMI). Adult controlled studies have found that CMI, a serotonin reuptake blocker, is selectively and specifically effective for treating OCD. Two controlled pediatric studies found that CMI was significantly better than placebo and desipramine.
Convergence proofs for Simulated Annealing falsification of safety properties

The problem of falsifying temporal logic properties of hybrid automata can be posed as a minimization problem by utilizing quantitative semantics for temporal logics. Previous work has used a variation of Simulated Annealing (SA) to solve the problem. While SA is known to converge to the global minimum of a continuous objective function over a closed and bounded search space, or when the search space is discrete, there do not exist convergence proofs for the cases addressed in that previous work. Namely, when the objective function is discontinuous, and when the objective is a vector-valued function. In this paper, we derive conditions and we prove convergence of SA to a global minimum in both scenarios. We also consider matters affecting the practical performance of SA.
Design Thinking in Health IT Systems Engineering: The Role of Wearable Mobile Computing for Distributed Care

This research examines the capabilities and boundaries of a hands-free mobile augmented reality (AR) system for distributed healthcare. We use a developer version of the Google Glass™ head-mounted display (HMD) to develop software applications to enable remote connectivity in the healthcare field, and to characterize system usage, data integration, and data visualization capabilities.
Association of Vitamin D Metabolites with Parathyroid Hormone, Fibroblast Growth Factor-23, Calcium, and Phosphorus in Dogs with Various Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

Background Hypovitaminosis D is associated with progression of renal disease, development of renal secondary hyperparathyroidism (RHPT), chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD), and increased mortality in people with CKD. Despite what is known regarding vitamin D dysregulation in humans with CKD, little is known about vitamin D metabolism in dogs with CKD. Objectives The purpose of our study was to further elucidate vitamin D status in dogs with different stages of CKD and to relate it to factors that affect the development of CKD-MBD, including parathyroid hormone (PTH), fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), calcium, and phosphorus concentrations. Methods Thirty-seven dogs with naturally occurring CKD were compared to 10 healthy dogs. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], and 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [24,25(OH)2D], and PTH and FGF-23 concentrations were measured. Their association with serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations and IRIS stage was determined. Results Compared to healthy dogs, all vitamin D metabolite concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stages 3 and 4 CKD (r [creatinine]: −0.49 to −0.60; P < .05) but not different in dogs with stages 1 and 2 CKD. All vitamin D metabolites were negatively correlated with PTH, FGF-23, and phosphorus concentrations (r: −0.39 to −0.64; P < .01). Conclusions and Clinical Importance CKD in dogs is associated with decreases in all vitamin D metabolites evaluated suggesting that multiple mechanisms, in addition to decreased renal mass, affect their metabolism. This information could have prognostic and therapeutic implications.
Dyslipidaemia: The PCSK9 adventure [mdash] humanizing extreme LDL lowering

PCSK9 inhibitors are the most potent LDL-cholesterol lowering drugs on the market. The latest cardiovascular outcome trials of these anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies show positive results with fully-human antibodies, although with modest effect on major adverse cardiovascular events in patients who attain LDL-cholesterol target levels with statin therapy, whereas humanized antibodies are associated with the development of neutralizing antibodies.
Collective Rabi dynamics of electromagnetically coupled quantum-dot ensembles

Rabi oscillations typify the inherent nonlinearity of optical excitations in quantum dots. Using an integral kernel formulation to solve the three-dimensional Maxwell-Bloch equations in ensembles of up to ${10}^{4}$ quantum dots, we observe features in Rabi oscillations due to the interplay of nonlinearity, nonequilibrium excitation, and electromagnetic coupling between the dots. This approach allows us to observe the dynamics of each dot in the ensemble without resorting to spatial averages. Our simulations predict synchronized multiplets of dots that exchange energy, dots that dynamically couple to screen the effect of incident external radiation, localization of the polarization due to randomness and interactions, as well as wavelength-scale regions of enhanced and suppressed polarization.
Boron: From Cosmic Scarcity to 300 Minerals

Boron is rare in the cosmos because its nucleus is “fragile.” So, how does one get from the interstellar medium, where boron was first produced, to Earth9s upper continental crust where boron is concentrated in deposits containing remarkably diverse suites of boron minerals? Processes that led to the formation of continental crust also concentrated boron, which is preferentially incorporated into melts and aqueous fluids. Deposits with high boron-mineral diversity include granitic pegmatites, peralkaline intrusions, boron-enriched skarns, and evaporite deposits. Despite the loss of boron minerals from the geologic record due to their ready solubility in water and breakdown at low temperatures, the increase in boron-mineral diversity with time is real, and is accelerated during supercontinent assembly.
Damage localization with fiber Bragg grating Lamb wave sensing through adaptive phased array imaging

Fiber Bragg gratings are known being immune to electromagnetic interference and emerging as Lamb wave sensors for structural health monitoring of plate-like structures. However, their application f...
Pregnancy planning, timing, happiness and depressive symptoms among low-income women living with and without HIV.

Objective: This study assessed associations of sociodemographic factors and pregnancy intent and wantedness with pregnancy happiness and prenatal depressive symptoms and the relationship between pr...
Type 1 Diabetes and Epigenetics

Abstract Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a common juvenile autoimmune disease. Although susceptibility to T1D is genetically predetermined, low concordance among monozygotic twins suggests a role for epigenetic mechanisms in the disease manifestation. Evidence indicates that T lymphocytes mediate the destruction of insulin-producing β-cells via engagement of innate immune cells, which culminates in hyperglycemia and associated complications. Recent studies provide critical evidence for the involvement of histone acetylation in modulating the innate and adaptive immune system of nonobese diabetic mice, which spontaneously develop T1D in a similar manner to humans. Preliminary evidence also suggests a role for histone acetylation in sustaining viability and improving the function of insulin-producing β-cells. Combined regulation of the immune system and pancreatic endocrine cells appears necessary for the amelioration of T1D in mice. Concerted efforts to decipher the epigenetic code of autoimmune diabetes may provide unique perspectives on diabetogenesis and offer novel possibilities for the treatment of patients with T1D.
Chemical probes of Skp2-mediated p27 ubiquitylation and degradation.

Skp2 is a member of the F-box family of proteins that serve as substrate-specific adaptors in Skp1–CUL1–ROC1–F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligases. Skp2 (Fbxl1) directly binds to the tumor suppressor p27 in the context of the SCFSkp2 E3 ubiquitin ligase to ubiquitylate and target-phosphorylated p27 for proteasomal degradation. As p27 is a powerful suppressor of growth in a variety of cells, and as Skp2 is also overexpressed in many human cancers, Skp2 is considered an oncogene and an intriguing drug target. However, despite 20 years of investigation, a valid chemical inhibitor of Skp2-mediated degradation of p27 has not been identified. Recently, an increasing number of compounds designed to have this bioactivity have been reported. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of the evidence regarding bioactivity, structure, and medicinal chemistry in order to evaluate and compare these Skp2 inhibitor compounds. Despite chemically diverse compounds with a wide array of Skp2-mediated p27 ubiquitylation inhibition properties reported by several independent groups, no current chemical probe formally qualifies as a validated pharmaceutical hit compound. This finding suggests that our knowledge of the structural biochemistry of the Skp2–p27 complex remains incomplete and highlights the need for novel modes of inquiry.
Synergy between chemical permeation enhancers and drug permeation across the tympanic membrane.

Chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs) can enable antibiotic flux across the tympanic membrane. Here we study whether combinations of CPEs (sodium dodecyl sulfate, limonene, and bupivacaine hydrochloride) are synergistic and whether they could increase the peak drug flux. Synergy is studied by isobolographic analysis and combination indices. CPE concentration-response (i.e. trans-tympanic flux of ciprofloxacin) curves are demonstrated for each CPE, isobolograms constructed for pairs of CPEs, and synergy demonstrated for all three pairs. Synergy is much greater at earlier (6 h) than later (48 h) time points, although the effect sizes are greater later. Synergy is also demonstrated with the three-drug combination. Combinations of CPEs also greatly enhance the maximum drug flux achievable over that achieved by individual CPEs.
Ionospheric F2 Behavior at Coniugate Places in Low Latitudes

After a brief review of the current knowledge of ionospheric F2 conjugate behavior in low latitudes, temporal variations of foF2 at several low-latitude conjugate pairs are examined for the period from IGY through IQSY. Although the monthly median values of foF2 at conjugate stations showed poor correlations, deviations from the median values, ΔfoF2, on individual days exhibited positive conjugate correlations in all seasons for both geomagnetically quiet and disturbed periods. Furthermore, a negatively correlated temporal variation of ΔfoF2 was discovered between the equatorial zone (L < 1.09) and the low-latitude zone (1.1 < L < 1.3). All of these results indicate a strong diffusion effect along field lines.
Observed Low Frequency Fluctuations in Space

Measurements in the magnetosphere of low frequency magnetic fluctuations less than 1 KHz have been obtained recently with the OGO, ATS and IMP series of satellites. The OGO results indicate the existence of magnetically noisy regions of limited spatial extent within the magnetosphere. Fluctuations between 1Hz-1 kHz show two distinct classes of occurrence, steady and burst occurrences. The general character of the steady noise properties is in agreement with lower altitude ELF hiss measurements. The burst events may be associated with whistler loss cone instabilities. Transverse low frequency fluctuations with periods between 1 to 6 min have been observed on the ATS-1 satellite. Monochromatic oscillations of peak amplitude 2–20 gammas appear to represent the second harmonic of a standing Alfven wave on a field line. Longer period oscillations of 6 or 8 min have also been observed and may represent an eigenmode oscillation of the magnetopause boundary. Compressional oscillations of the geomagnetic tail with periods of ~ 20 min have been observed by Explorer-33 and probably represent the eigenmodes of the geomagnetic tail. A review of observations and theoretical studies of magnetic fluctuations below 1 kc is given in this paper.
The Ugliness of Trolls: Comparing the Methodologies of the Alt-Right and the Ku Klux Klan

The alt-right claims it responsibly advocates for its positions while the Ku Klux Klan was “ad-hoc.” This allows them to accept the philosophy of white nationalism while rejecting comparisons with prior white nationalist organizations. I confront this by comparing the methodologies of alt-right trolls and the KKK. After studying each movement’s genesis in pranks done for amusement, I demonstrate that each uses threats to police behavior, encourages comradery around ethnic heritage, and manipulates politics to exclude voices from public deliberation. Differences between alt-right trolls and the KKK originate in the technologies they use, not out of a concern for responsible advocacy.
Faith in Law: The Legal and Political Legacy of the Protestant Reformations

The sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation revolutionized not only theology and the church, but also law and the state. This northern European reform movement, though divided into Lutheran, Anabaptist, Anglican, and Calvinist branches, collectively broke the international rule of the medieval Catholic Church and its canon law, and permanently splintered Western Christendom into competing nations and regions. The Reformation also triggered a massive shift of power, property, and prerogative from the church to the state. Protestant states now assumed jurisdiction over numerous subjects and persons previously governed by the medieval church, and they gave new legal form to Protestant teachings. But these new Protestant laws also drew heavily on the medieval ius commune as well as on earlier biblical and Roman jurisprudence. This chapter analyses the new legal syntheses that emerged in Protestant lands, with attention to the new laws of church-state relations, religious and civil freedom, marriage and family law, education law, social welfare law, and accompanying changes in legal and political philosophy.
English Versus Native Language on Social Media: International Students' Cultural Adaptation in the U.S.

The number of international students studying in the U.S. has substantially increased in the digital age. Do having access to content in their native language work for or against their adaptation to American culture? In order to address this question, this research employed focus groups and interviews containing a total of 12 international students in 2016. Qualitative data analysis then revealed international students' language preferences on social media as well as the functions performed by each language. Their cultural adaptation was studied by coding data into language preference, friendship, acts and social norms, and characteristics and values. Social media proved very effective in connecting international students with their home culture, but it was not as equally effective in connecting them with their host culture.
Flood Monitoring System Using Distributed Hydrologic Modeling for Indus River Basin

Abstract Hydrometeorological disasters can have devastating, direct impacts on life and property as well as indirect effects on food security, economy, and the livelihoods of communities. The Indus River Basin (IRB) has the highest annual worldwide average number of people physically exposed to floods and landslides, which occur seasonally from storm systems during the monsoon season. In this region to reduce the risk of recurrent flood disasters, there is a critical need need for applied research and development of an operational flood monitoring and prediction system. This chapters looks at the advance flood modeling paradigm that assimilates hydrometeorological forcing such as quantitative precipitation estimation into physically based numerical modeling for flood hazard assessment. We demonstrate the implications of geospatial data from spaceborne sensors and geospatial modeling for hydrologic applications in data-scarce environments. We include a discussion on how to set up a distributed hydrologic modeling framework and assimilate multi-sensor remote sensing data for operational flood forecasting systems for the IRB. We conclude that for future improvements in a flood forecasting framework, attention must be focused on the robustness of model parameters, the accuracy and spatio-temporal resolution of hydrometeorological data, and incorporation of an ensemble forecasting system.
Safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

This chapter reviews evidence on the safety of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with the specific and limited definition of safety as the absence of evidence for a Serious Adverse Effect, the criteria of which are explained. The chapter adopts an evidence-based approach, using an aggregation of research experience from both animal studies and trials in human subjects. Safety data from animal tests for tissue damage are reviewed along with insight into how to relate animal dosage to human dosage. This includes utilizing computational models. The chapter presents relevant dose-response curves and dose metrics (including current, duration, current density, charge, charge density) for meaningful safety standards. Special consideration is given to populations that could be more vulnerable including children and the elderly, subjects with mood disorders, stroke, epilepsy, implants, and those employing at-home tDCS approach. The data summarized in this chapter support the conclusion reached by prior review that there is no evidence suggesting that conventional tDCS protocols, as commonly implemented in either healthy subjects or patient populations in clinical trials, increase risk of serious adverse events. Evidently, as with any novel treatment options, continuing research and vigilance are warranted. Based on the specific definition of safety set forth, the chapter on safety does not address tolerability or general issues related to adverse event monitoring. This chapter avoids specific recommendations or endorsements on protocols, but rather focuses on presenting the evidence for safety.
Motivating Software Quality Measurement

Within the software engineering community we are beginning to see the emergence of models and assessment procedures that focus on software quality measurement and the capability of an organization to produce a quality product (Jones, 1990; Humphrey, 1990). While certainly a step in the right direction, these procedures describe where we would like to be, but provide little assistance in how to get there. The material presented in this book describes not only the destination, i.e. a process supporting software quality assessment and prediction, but a road map outlining how to get there.
III – BIOLOGICAL RELATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses charge transfer reactions between specific substances under specific conditions. A middle-range transfer would have no measurable outward sign and can, thus, not be detected. If it could be demonstrated that these metabolites can give a whole electron to a strong acceptor, then one could suppose that they could give a part of an electron to an acceptor of average reactivity. The donation of a whole electron is easy to detect, owing to the color and spin resonance signal of the generated free radical. As charge transfer between a pair of molecules may be promoted by the presence of an extraneous weak donor, which can fill the place of a transferred electron, it seemed interesting to know whether tissues contain weak donors and contain them in quantity. As the cell is rich in donors but poor in acceptors, one can expect no striking changes in physical state and activity by introducing a small amount of additional donors. The opposite being true for acceptors; these may have a regulatory activity.
Application of a Justice as Fairness Perspective to Laws Banning Same-Sex Marriage

This paper utilizes John Rawls’ theory of Justice as Fairness to assess laws banning same-sex marriage. It is argued that such laws are unjust from this perspective in that they do serve to disadvantage homosexuals in regards to the legal benefits of marriage. In addition, legal unions (i.e. domestic partnerships or civil unions) that stop short of marriage do not compensate for this unjustness in that they do not offer the same legal benefits of marriage.
Are Professional Investors Prone to Behavioral Biases? Evidence from Mutual Fund Managers

I study the determinants of mutual fund managers’ expectations about the stock market and its implications for decision making and fund performance. Using a direct measure of managers’ market expectations extracted from mutual funds’ semi-annual reports, I find that fund managers extrapolate their funds’ past performance into their market outlook. In addition, their expectation about the market return is negatively related to whether they experienced the burst of the dot-com bubble. Funds with managers who have higher market expectation take more risk by increasing their equity holdings and the beta of their equity portfolios, but underperform subsequently. My results suggest that professional investors are also prone to behavioral biases, which is detrimental to mutual fund investors.
Novel epigenetic-metabolic inhibitor combination treatment blocks platinum-induced ovarian cancer stem cell enrichment

Abstract High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and aggressive type of ovarian cancer. Platinum resistance is a common occurrence in HGSOC and a main cause of tumor relapse resulting in high patient mortality rates. Recurrent ovarian cancer is enriched in aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)+ ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs), which are resistant to platinum agents. We demonstrated that acute platinum treatment induced a DNA damage-dependent decrease in BRCA1 levels through BRCA1 promoter DNA hypermethylation. In a parallel pathway associated with G2/M arrest, platinum treatment also induced an increase in expression of NAMPT, the rate limiting regulator of NAD+ production from the salvage pathway, and NAD+ levels, the cofactor required for ALDH activity. Both decreased BRCA1 and increased NAD+ levels were required for the platinum-induced enrichment of OCSCs, and inhibition of both DNA methyltransferases (DNMT) and NAMPT synergistically abrogated the platinum-induced increase in OCSCs. We conclude that these two separate pathways lead to platinum-induced OCSC enrichment, providing preclinical evidence that in the neoadjuvant setting, combining DNMT and NAMPT inhibitors with platinum has the potential to reduce OC reoccurrence.
Development of a Simulated Three-Dimensional Truck Model to Predict Excess Fuel Consumption Resulting from Pavement Roughness:

Excess vehicle fuel consumption, the percentage change in fuel consumption caused by road roughness, is an important part of the environmental and cost assessment of a pavement’s life cycle. Flexib...
Modeling the impact of development policies and climate on suburban watershed hydrology near Portland, Oregon

Abstract We simulated watershed hydrologic response to land use scenarios representing different sets of policies for suburban development and watershed management in an urbanizing watershed near Portland, Oregon. We asked (1) Can watershed-scale planning and development policies reduce the hydrologic impacts of urbanization? (2) How effective are different policies (including “green” neighborhood design, riparian protection, and representative Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater controls) in maintaining the pre-development hydrologic regime? and (3) Does climate change influence these results? We co-developed 50-year land and water management scenarios with a stakeholder advisory committee and used a spatially-explicit natural and human systems model to evaluate changes in water balance and streamflow characteristics under each scenario. We also used a factorial analysis to explore the influence of individual scenario elements on watershed hydrology. Results indicate that the biggest driver of change for this watershed was the spatial extent of development, followed by the nature of the development pattern, climate, forest harvest, and use of LID controls. Stormwater runoff increased as developed area increased, as did stream discharge for both periods of high and low flow. Increases in evapotranspiration (ET) with climate warming were offset by reductions in ET with development. Designs that condensed development and preserved upland and riparian forest showed the greatest potential for maintaining pre-development water balance and streamflow regimes, thereby reducing impacts of urbanization. These results bridge spatial and temporal scales important to decision-makers, highlighting the importance of considering impacts over time of neighborhood-scale development decisions on watershed-scale hydrology.
Perineuronal Net Dynamics in the Pathophysiology of Epilepsy

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are condensed extracellular matrix (ECM) assemblies of polyanionic chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, hyaluronan, and tenascins that primarily wrap around GABAergic parvalbumin (PV) interneurons. During development, PNN formation terminates the critical period of neuroplasticity, a process that can be reversed by experimental disruption of PNNs. Perineuronal nets also regulate the intrinsic properties of the enclosed PV neurons thereby maintaining their inhibitory activity. Recent studies have implicated PNNs in central nervous system diseases as well as PV neuron dysfunction; consequently, they have further been associated with altered inhibition, particularly in the genesis of epilepsy. A wide range of seizure presentations in human and rodent models exhibit ECM remodeling with PNN disruption due to elevated protease activity. Inhibition of PNN proteolysis reduces seizure activity suggesting that PNN degrading enzymes may be potential novel therapeutic targets.
Reproductive plasticity of Hawaiian Montipora corals following thermal stress

Ocean warming, fueled by climate change, is the primary cause of coral bleaching events which are predicted to increase in frequency. Bleaching is generally damaging to coral reproduction, can be exacerbated by concomitant stressors like ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and can have lasting impacts to successful reproduction and potential adaptation. We compared morphological and physiological reproductive metrics (e.g., sperm motility, mitochondrial membrane integrity, egg volume, gametes per bundle, and fertilization and settlement success) of two Hawaiian Montipora corals after consecutive bleaching events in 2014 and 2015. Between the species, sperm motility and mitochondrial membrane potential had the most disparate results. Percent sperm motility in M. capitata, which declined to ~ 40% during bleaching from a normal range of 70–90%, was still less than 50% motile in 2017 and 2018 and had not fully recovered in 2019 (63% motile). By contrast, percent sperm motility in Montipora spp. was 86% and 74% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. This reduction in motility was correlated with damage to mitochondria in M. capitata but not Montipora spp. A major difference between these species is the physiological foundation of their UVR protection, and we hypothesize that UVR protective mechanisms inherent in Montipora spp. mitigate this reproductive damage.
Is There a Public–Military Gap in the United States? Evaluating Foundational Foreign Policy Beliefs:

The presumed “gap” in fundamental foreign policy beliefs between what Huntington (1957) described as “liberal society” and the “conservative military mind” lies at the core of research on civil–mil...
Predictors of Decline in Renal Function 5 Years after EVAR.

IntroductionWhile there exists copious short-term data regarding renal function following infra-renal endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR), long-term analysis is sparse. This is a s...
Retrievable inferior vena cava filters can always be removed using “fall-back” techniques

Objective Retrievable inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs) left in place for a prolonged period can lead to complications including filter migration, fracture, and caval thrombosis. “Fall-back” techniques for IVCF retrieval that can be used when standard snaring is unsuccessful have been recently described. The purpose of this study was to analyze how incorporation of these new techniques affected the outcomes of IVCF retrievals at our institution during the past 5 years. Methods Data were collected of all patients undergoing IVCF removal by vascular surgeons at a tertiary academic medical center between 2009 and 2013, including demographics and procedural and filter characteristics. A standard technique of snaring the retrieval hook was attempted first in all cases; if this was unsuccessful, a number of fall-back techniques were employed, including the use of endoscopic graspers, 18F sheaths, and snaring a second wire below the collar of the filter to collapse it into the sheath. Results IVCF retrieval was attempted in 275 patients; 3 were excluded intraoperatively because of thrombus in the filter. Most filters (97%) were Gunther Tulips (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind); 70% had been placed prophylactically before bariatric surgery. A total of 268 filters (98.5%) were retrieved successfully, 213 (79%) by standard snaring and 55 (21%) with fall-back techniques. In patients undergoing fall-back techniques, technical success was achieved 100% of the time. The median time since insertion was significantly longer in the fall-back group (173 days vs 83 days; P Conclusions Incorporation of fall-back techniques may allow 100% technically successful and safe removal of retrievable IVCFs and is especially useful in removing filters with prolonged dwell time.
Diffraction synthesis of reflector antennas: An efficient approach for the optimization procedure

Shaped reflector antennas for spacecraft applications have been designed using diffraction synthesis techniques based on optimization methods. These techniques are very demanding from a computational point of view and they rely on efficient numerical codes as the repeated evaluation of physical optics (PO) current integration is required. A reduction in the computing time can be achieved by an adequate starting point of the optimization procedure. In general, standard surfaces obtained by simple presynthesis analysis are used to initialize the iteration. The critical point of searching for a start is addressed in the present work by adopting a strategy that employs the reflector obtained from the geometrical optics (GO) synthesis to initialize the diffractive scheme. The same optimization scheme is used to solve the PO and GO steps. To illustrate the approach, it is applied to the design of a reflector antenna to satisfy the BRASILSAT satellite specifications. >
Anaerobic degradation of lysine. IV. Cobamide coenzyme-dependent migration of an amino group from carbon 6 of beta-lysine (3,6-diaminohexanoate) to carbon 5 forming a new naturally occurring amino acid, 3,5-diaminohexanoate.

Abstract Methods are described for the accumulation and detection of 3,5-diaminohexanoate, a new basic amino acid intermediate in the lysine fermentation pathway formed by the reaction sequence α-lysine ⇌ β-lysine ⇌ 3,5-diaminohexanoate. Migration of the terminal amino group of β-lysine to carbon atom 5 in a cobamide coenzyme-dependent reaction results in the formation of 3,5-diaminohexanoate. The dihydrochloride, and the N,N′-dibenzoyl derivative and the δ-lactam (4-amino-6-methyl-2-piperidone) of the new amino acid were prepared and characterized chemically and by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analyses. The new amino acid is fermented by crude extracts of Clostridium sticklandii and Clostridium M-E to the same fatty acids that are produced from α- and β-lysine.
Peptidomic analysis reveals proteolytic activity of kefir microorganisms on bovine milk proteins.

Abstract Scope The microorganisms that make up kefir grains are well known for lactose fermentation, but the extent to which they hydrolyze and consume milk proteins remains poorly understood. Peptidomics technologies were used to examine the proteolytic activity of kefir grains on bovine milk proteins. Methods and results Gel electrophoresis revealed substantial digestion of milk proteins by kefir grains, with mass spectrometric analysis showing the release of 609 protein fragments and alteration of the abundance of >1500 peptides that derived from 27 milk proteins. Kefir contained 25 peptides identified from the literature as having biological activity, including those with antihypertensive, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, opioid and anti-oxidative functions. 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing identified the principle taxa in the culture as Lactobacillus species. Conclusion The model kefir sample contained thousands of protein fragments released in part by kefir microorganisms and in part by native milk proteases.
Multiple-probe technique: a variation on the multiple baseline.

Multiple-baseline and probe procedures are combined into a “multiple-probe” technique. The technique is designed to provide a thorough analysis of the relationship between an independent variable and the acquisition of a successive-approximation or chain sequence. It provides answers to the following questions: (1) What is the initial level of performance on each step in the training sequence? (2) What happens if sequential opportunities to perform each next step in the sequence are provided before training on that step? (3) What happens when training is applied? (4) What happens to the performance of remaining steps in the sequence as criterion is reached in the course of training each prior step? The technique features: (1) one initial probe of each step in the training sequence, (2) an additional probe of every step after criterion is reached on any training step, and (3) a series of “true” baseline sessions conducted just before the introduction of the independent variable to each training step. Intermittent probes also provide an alternative to continuous baseline measurement, when such measurement during extended multiple baselines (1) may prove reactive, (2) is impractical, and/or (3) a strong a priori assumption of stability can be made.
Advantages and limits of longitudinal evaluation research in energy conservation

Abstract Evaluations of conservation programs tend to be single snap-shots of program effects, usually taken soon after a program begins. The resulting picture may miss the delayed effects of the program, or it may overestimate the long-term impacts. The evaluation described in this paper follows the research cohorts for 4 years, and, as a case study, it provides ideas on both advantages and limitations to a longitudinal approach. Suggestions are offered for improving the usefulness of this type of program evaluation.
Putative clinical subtypes of social phobia: a factor-analytical study

Perugi G, Nassini S, Maremmani I, Madaro D, Toni C, Simonini E, Akiskal HS, Putative clinical subtypes of social phobia: a factor-analytical study. Objective: To examine symptomatological subtypes of social phobia (SP) and their relationships with a number of feared situations and avoidant personality disorder (APD). Method: In 153 out-patients with SP according to DSM-III-R criteria, clinical subtypes were investigated by means of principal component factor analysis of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). We compared the various SP subtypes on the basis of the highest Z-scores obtained on each LSAS factor. Results: Five factors (interpersonal anxiety, formal speaking anxiety, stranger-authority anxiety, eating and drinking while being observed, anxiety of doing something while being observed) emerged, accounting for 64.7% of the total variance. When the dominant LSAS factor groups were compared, the highest values in the numbers of feared situations and the presence of APD were observed in the interpersonal anxiety' dominant group and the lowest in the anxiety of doing something while being observed'. The 'interpersonal anxiety' dominant group was the most likely to present a positive family history for SP and a lifetime comorbidity with mood disorders. Conclusion: The emerging multidimensional structure of phobia is congruent with, and further enriches, the existing literature.
Recurrent abdominal pain and ascites in an adolescent

A 15-year-old boy was admitted to Hartford Hospital for evaluation of ascites and chronic abdominal pain. He had been in good health until age 12 years, when he developed recurrent episodes of periumbilical abdominal pain. The discomfort was described as crampy and unassociated with eating, any particular activity, or time of day. The cramps would last for several minutes and then subside. Several episodes of cramping would occur over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, then remit for several months. The patient had no diarrhea, vomiting, fever, fatigue, rashes, or weight loss during the episodes of pain. Clinical diagnoses of viral syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and peptic ulcer had been made. At age 15 years the bouts of abdominal pain became more frequent and severe. He noted anorexia and fatigue, and his weight decreased by 5 kg over a 2-month period. He denied vomiting, diarrhea, fever, arthralgia, cough, and night sweats. Past medical history was otherwise unremarkable; family history was positive for severe asthma in the father. There had been no significant travel history in the past several years.