cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Modeling Approach to Generate a Polymeric Nanofiber Scaffold for Salivary Gland Cells

BACKGROUND: Electrospun nanofibers have been utilized in many biomedical applications as biomimetics of extracellular matrix proteins that promote self-organization of cells into 3D tissue constructs. As progress towards an artificial salivary gland tissue construct, we prepared nanofiber scaffolds using PLGA, a biodegradable and biocompatible material. METHOD OF APPROACH: We used electrospinning to prepare nanofiber scaffolds using PLGA with both DMF and HFIP as solvents. Using a design of experiment (DOE) approach, system and process parameters were optimized concurrently and their effects on the diameter of the resulting fibers were computed into a single model. A transfer function was used to reproducibly produce nanofibers of a defined diameter, which was confirmed by SEM. The mouse salivary gland epithelial cell line, SIMS, was seeded on the nanofiber scaffolds, and morphology, cell proliferation, and viability were assayed. RESULTS: Varying two or more parameters simultaneously yielded trends diverging from the linear response predicted by previous studies. Comparison of two solvents revealed that the diameter of PLGA nanofibers generated using HFIP is less sensitive to changes in the system and process parameters than are fibers generated using DMF. Inclusion of NaCl reduced morphological inconsistencies and minimized process variability. The resulting nanofiber scaffolds supported attachment, survival and cell proliferation of a mouse salivary gland epithelial cell line. In comparison with glass and flat PLGA films, the nanofibers promoted self-organization of the salivary gland cells into 3D cell clusters, or aggregates. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that nanofiber scaffolds promote salivary gland cell organization, and suggest that a nanofiber scaffold could provide a platform for engineering of an artificial salivary gland tissue construct. This study additionally provides a method for efficient production of nanofiber scaffolds for general application in tissue engineering.
Spatial coincidence of rapid inferred erosion with young metamorphic massifs in the Himalayas

A spatially distributed rate-of-erosion index (EI) based on models of bedrock river incision documents a strong spatial correspondence between areas of high erosion potential and young metamorphic massifs as well as structural highs throughout the Himalayas. The EI is derived from slopes and drainage areas calculated from a hydrologically cor- rected digital elevation model (GTOPO30) combined with precipitation data (IIASA) to generate synthetic annual stream discharges. These variables drive three generalized pro- cess models to produce EI maps that, while differing in detail, provide an internally con- sistent, spatially continuous index of large-scale erosion rates. The large spatial variation in potential erosion rates in the Himalayas suggested by the EI patterns contrasts with the uniform convergence of the Indian subcontinent. If these EI gradients persist through time, they support the emerging view of a positive feedback between localized, rapid ero- sion and upward advection of lower crust.
A Genomewide Overexpression Screen Identifies Genes Involved in the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Pathway in the Human Protozoan Parasite Entamoeba histolytica

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite that causes amoebic dysentery and liver abscess. E. histolytica relies on motility, phagocytosis, host cell adhesion, and proteolysis of extracellular matrix for virulence. In eukaryotic cells, these processes are mediated in part by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling. Thus, PI3K may be critical for virulence. We utilized a functional genomics approach to identify genes whose products may operate in the PI3K pathway in E. histolytica. We treated a population of trophozoites that were overexpressing genes from a cDNA library with a near-lethal dose of the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. This screen was based on the rationale that survivors would be overexpressing gene products that directly or indirectly function in the PI3K pathway. We sequenced the overexpressed genes in survivors and identified a cDNA encoding a Rap GTPase, a protein previously shown to participate in the PI3K pathway. This supports the validity of our approach. Genes encoding a coactosin-like protein, EhCoactosin, and a serine-rich E. histolytica protein (SREHP) were also identified. Cells overexpressing EhCoactosin or SREHP were also less sensitive to a second PI3K inhibitor, LY294002. This corroborates the link between these proteins and PI3K. Finally, a mutant cell line with an increased level of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate, the product of PI3K activity, exhibited increased expression of SREHP and EhCoactosin. This further supports the functional connection between these proteins and PI3K in E. histolytica. To our knowledge, this is the first forward-genetics screen adapted to reveal genes participating in a signal transduction pathway in this pathogen.
Light Energy Transducing and Signal Transducing Rhodopsins of Halobacteria

Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is a purple-colored 26 kDa protein with a retinal chromophore and a broad absorption band centered at 570 nm. The molar extinction coefficient is 64,000 M-1 cm-1 It forms two-dimensional crystals in the ~5.0 nm-thick cell membrane of Halohaoteviwn halohivm, which are easily isolated and known as the purple membrane (pm). Halobacteria are found in natural salt lakes and salterns; they require molar concentrations of NaCl for growth, and through bR, can use sunlight as an energy source, because, in the light, bR ejects protons from the cell and generates an electrochemical gradient across the cell membrane. For a brief recent review, see Stoeckenius (1985).*
Physical and kinetic studies of arginyl transfer ribonucleic acid ligase of Neurospora. A sequential ordered mechanism.

Abstract The arginyl-tRNA ligase of Neurospora has been purified 1,800-fold. The purified preparation catalyzed the esterification of 140 µmoles of arginine to tRNA per hour per mg of protein of 35°. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a single major band from which the enzyme was estimated to be 95% homogeneous. The apparent molecular weight of the enzyme is about 85,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by gel filtration. No evidence for subunits was obtained. The enzyme required tRNAArg for the ATP-pyrophosphate exchange reaction, and this requirement was not satisfied by periodate-oxidized tRNA. Transfer RNA was also required for the arginine-dependent cleavage of pyrophosphate from ATP. These two reactions (pyrophosphate exchange and pyrophosphate cleavage from ATP) proceed at a faster rate than the esterification reaction. Other differences with the Escherichia coli arginyl-tRNA ligase, including molecular size, amino acid composition, tRNA substrate specificity, and order of substrate addition, were noted. dATP could fully replace ATP in both the pyrophosphate exchange and the esterification reactions. Canavanine could replace arginine, whereas arginine hydroxamate, arginine methyl ester, argininosuccinate, homoarginine, and α-amino-γ-guanidobutyrate were nonreacting competitive inhibitors. The addition of substrates and the release of products were investigated primarily by bisubstrate kinetics, deadend, and product inhibition studies. The kinetic patterns obtained indicated a unique sequential ordered mechanism of substrate addition; tRNAArg is bound first, followed by arginine, and then by ATP. Pyrophosphate and AMP may be released in a random fashion, and arginyl-tRNA is the last product to dissociate from the enzyme. The ligase catalyzed a tRNA-dependent pyrophosphorolysis of exogenous arginyladenylate. The enzyme could also use arginyladenylate as an arginine donor for the esterification of tRNA. The rates of pyrophosphorolysis and esterification with arginyladenylate were very similar to the ATPpyrophosphate exchange and over-all esterification rates, respectively.
"Halo effect" in trauma centers: does it extend to emergent colectomy?

Abstract Background Trauma centers (TCs) have been demonstrated to improve outcomes for some nontrauma surgical conditions, such as appendicitis, but it remains unclear if this extends to all emergency general surgery procedures. Using emergent colectomy in patients with diverticulitis as index condition, this study compared outcomes between TCs and nontrauma centers (NTCs). Materials and methods The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (2006–2011) was queried for patients ≥16 y with diverticulitis who underwent emergency surgical intervention. Outcomes included mortality, total charges, and length of stay (LOS). Mortality in TC and NTC was compared using logistic regression, controlling for patient, procedure, and hospital-level characteristics. Adjusted total charges and LOS were analyzed using generalized linear models with gamma and Poisson distributions, respectively. Results A total of 25,396 patients were included, 5189 (20.4%) were treated at TC and 20,207 (79.6%) at NTC. Median age and sex distribution were similar. Unadjusted proportional in-hospital mortality did not differ between TC and NTC; median charges and LOS were greater in TC. After adjusting, the odds of mortality were significantly higher in TC (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.51; P = 0.003) as were mean charges and LOS ( P Conclusions The improved outcomes reported for other nontrauma conditions in TC were not observed for patients undergoing an emergent colectomy for diverticulitis after accounting for patient, procedure, and hospital-level characteristics. Future research is needed to assess differences in case mix between TC versus NTC and possible case-mix effects on outcomes to elucidate potential benefit of surgical care in a TC across the breadth of emergency general surgery conditions.
Catching up with information literacy assessment Resources for program evaluation

April 2012 202 In March 2009, the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA released its triennial report on national faculty norms for 2007–08, which were based on survey responses from 22,562 full-time faculty at 372 four-year colleges and universities nationwide. For 97.2 percent of the faculty surveyed, helping students to evaluate the quality and reliability of information was a top goal for undergraduate education. Information literacy is the evaluation of the quality and reliability of information, paired with the ability to use that information legally and ethically. Academic librarians charged with developing a reliable assessment tool for their libraries’ information literacy instruction programs can find a wealth of resources that are readily available from both commercially and institutionally developed and administered products that are used among librarian peers across the country and throughout the world. In an article that appeared in the November 2010, issue of C&RL News, Jennifer Jarson provided links to several such resources. The goal of this article is to build on the assessment links Jarson provided. Her stated goal was to “guide readers to important resources for understanding information literacy and to provide tools for readers to advocate for information literacy’s place in higher education curricula.” In addition to the information on resources and tools, Jarson provided links to universities whose assessment tools were available for review on their Web sites. For this article, selected Web sites have been accessed and evaluated further. A handful of additional information resources have been profiled, including new Web sites that offer a variety of assessment tool formats.
Greenhouse conditioning affects landscape performance of bedding plants

Abstract Conditioning treatments were evaluated for effects on growth of bedding plants during greenhouse production and carryover effects on plant performance in the landscape. Treatments included...
Abstract 2158: RAF signaling and SHOC2 mediate mutant NRAS acquired resistance to RAF inhibitors in melanoma

RAS signaling through extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2)/mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathway is critical for normal cellular homeostasis and is frequently aberrantly regulated in cancerous cells. Although often depicted as a linear sequence of RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK1/2, this pathway is also regulated by expression of multiple isoforms of proteins at each level, scaffold proteins that enhance pathway activation, and negative feedback mechanisms. Some of these factors may also impact on the response of the pathway to pharmacological inhibitors. To test this notion, we analyzed resistance to the RAF inhibitor, PLX4720, using mutant BRAF melanoma cell models. In a screen to isolate cells displaying resistance to the inhibitory effects of PLX4720, we observed a subset of cells harboring an acquired mutation in NRAS. In parental cells, expression of mutant NRAS was sufficient to prevent PLX4720-mediated inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling, entry into S phase and susceptibility to apoptosis in mutant BRAF cells. Effects of mutant NRAS were associated with the maintenance of RAF binding. Analysis of isolated clones of RAF inhibitor-resistant mutant BRAF cells demonstrated that re-activation of the ERK1/2 pathway in the presence of PLX4720 was dependent on NRAS, BRAF, CRAF, and the RAS-RAF scaffold protein, SHOC2/Sur-8. Depletion of SHOC2 also rendered resistant cells susceptible to PLX4720-mediated apoptosis in 3D collagen. Together, these data demonstrate the role of RAF isoforms and a RAS-RAF scaffold protein in the acquired resistance to RAF inhibitors induced by secondary mutations in NRAS. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2158. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2158
Span of Female Emergence and Male Sperm Depletion in the Female-biased, Quasi-gregarious Parasitoid, Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

The capacity of a single Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) male to inseminate his sisters adequately in a brood was tested. Ten matings in rapid succession depleted the male's sperm; we found this by alternately examining dissected spermathecae from some females and determining the number of fertilized eggs (daughters) produced by the remaining females. The proportion of daughters per female decreased linearly, from 70.3% for the first to 9.2% for the ninth female. Sperm was replenishable in males; depleted males allowed to rest for 24 h transferred full ejaculates to new females. Full ejaculates were also transferred by males mated at 30-min intervals. Emergence of adult females arising from a 6½h oviposition period spanned 2 to 3 days, and the intervals between female emergences within a brood exceeded 30 min in 76% of the cases. As male mating rate is closely linked to female emergence rate, full insemination of females in a brood is ensured by female emergence pattern coupled with protandry.
Variation in spine morphology among pre-eradication screwworm larvae, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), in relation to larval habitats

Despite 10 years of debate concerning genetically based mating incompatibility among target populations of screwworm flies ( Cochliomyia hominivorax [Coquerel]), no morphological characters, varying among populations, have been identified, quantified, and analyzed for any screwworm developmental stages. This study identifies and analyzes variation in an unambiguous set of characters. Single-, double-, and triple-pointed thoracic spines were analyzed from third instar larvae. All specimens were collected from naturally occurring wounds before initiation of the eradication program. Host animal and wound type are statistically significant ecological factors associated with this variation in simple analysis but may interact. Neither factor provides clear grouping of larvae when they are assigned to groups by posterior discriminant analysis. This suggests that host animals or wound types alone are unlikely to result in speciation processes for marginal screwworm populations.
Effect of grid inductance on grid current quality of parallel grid-connected inverter system with output LCL filter and closed-loop control

Grid-connected inverters (GCIs) are power electronics interfaces to connect distributed energy resources into the grid. In order to improve the performance of distributed energy resources as well as maintain the high power quality of the grid, it is important to understand the characteristic of GCIs with appropriate controllers depending on its applications. This paper presents a study on the effect of grid inductance on quality of the grid current when there are multiple parallel-connected inverters to the grid. The model includes three-phase two-level voltage source inverters, output LCL filter, the grid, and voltage-oriented PI controller with a power controller. Parallel GCI systems are mathematically modeled. Frequency responses of grid current are investigated according to different grid inductances. A parallel grid-connected inverter system is simulated using MATLAB Simulink in order to present the effect of grid inductance on grid current and power quality.
Small Things Considered

Transcriptomic methods make it possi-ble to take a snapshot of the processes occurring in a mixed microbial popula-tion; sampling over a time course can transform that image into a motion pic-ture. That's the goal: a molecular video of what is being done, by whom, and when, out in the environment. But there is a catch: for continuity of the frames in your movie, you need to sample the same population at each time point. When your target population is drifting effortlessly in the marine environment, and your bucket is tethered to a sluggish ship, the ocean current presents you with a new population each time you capture some water. Ed DeLong, with postdocs Liz Ottesen and Frank Ayl-ward, and colleagues from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, solved this problem by using a free-drifting, ro-botic Environmental Sample Processor (ESP). The ESP, suspended 23 m below a drifting float on the surface in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), could “go with the flow,” and collect and pre-serve samples of microbes ranging from 0.22–5 μm in size at specified time points. Physical measurements from the environment were recorded in real time, and RNA from the recovered samples was analyzed by reverse transcription and sequencing, and mapped back to the genomes of ocean denizens.
The role of aerobic and anaerobic semen cultures in asymptomatic couples undergoing in vitro fertilization: effects on fertilization and pregnancy rates.

Objective To determine if routine semen culture is useful in asymptomatic couples undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Design Prospective data collection. Setting All cultures and IVF cycles were performed at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Participants All asymptomatic couples undergoing IVF-ET from January 1989 through January 1990. Interventions Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were performed on semen samples obtained before IVF. Main Outcome Measures Quantitative semen cultures were evaluated for both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial isolates. Fertilization and pregnancy rates (PRs) were compared in patients with positive and negative semen cultures. Results Eighty percent of cultures contained at least one bacterial isolate. Three of the four most commonly isolated bacteria were normal skin flora. Positive culture results had no effect on either fertilization or PRs. Conclusions Bacterial contamination is common with semen collection, yet routine semen cultures are not beneficial in asymptomatic couples undergoing IVF-ET.
Inhibitors of plasma thromboplastin antecedent (factor XI): Studies on mechanism of inhibition

Acquired inhibitors of plasma thromboplastin antecedent (PTA) have been described in several recent studies, which collectively emphasize the heterogeneity of PTA functions that are impaired by this class of circulating anticoagulants. To clarify whether acquired inhibitors of PTA exhibit inhibitory properties that vary widely from one patient to the next, IgG inhibitors from four patients were isolated. The effect of these inhibitors on the binding of PTA to glass, the activation of kaolin-bound PTA, the coagulant activity of both kaolin-bound and fluid phase activated PTA (aPTA), and the enzymatic activity of aPTA against a low molecular weight substrate was quantified. The relative inhibition of these individual components of PTA activation and function by the four anticoagulants was quite similar. The results indicate that the principal binding sites for acquired inhibitors of PTA are PTA domains involved with surface binding and conversion of PTA to aPTA, with less effective steric impairment of aPTA enzymatic activity.
Detection of Stimulants and Narcotics by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for Sports Doping Control

Sports drug testing laboratories are required to detect several classes of compounds that are prohibited at all times, which include anabolic agents, peptide hormones, growth factors, beta-2 agonists, hormones and metabolic modulators, and diuretics/masking agents. Other classes of compounds such as stimulants, narcotics, cannabinoids, and glucocorticoids are also prohibited, but only when an athlete is in competition. A single class of compounds can contain a large number of prohibited substances and all of the compounds should be detected by the testing procedure. Since there are almost 70 stimulants on the prohibited list it can be a challenge to develop a single screening method that will optimally detect all the compounds. We describe a combined liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) testing method for detection of all the stimulants and narcotics on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list. Urine for LC-MS/MS testing does not require sample pretreatment and is a direct dilute and shoot method. Urine samples for the GC-MS method require a liquid-liquid extraction followed by derivatization with trifluoroacetic anhydride.
Indigenous Intellectuals: Sovereignty, Citizenship, and the American Imagination, 1880–1930

In the United States of America today, debates among, between, and within Indian nations continue to focus on how to determine and define the boundaries of Indian ethnic identity and tribal citizenship. From the 1880s and into the 1930s, many Native people participated in similar debates as they confronted white cultural expectations regarding what it meant to be an Indian in modern American society. Using close readings of texts, images, and public performances, this book examines the literary output of four influential American Indian intellectuals who challenged long-held conceptions of Indian identity at the turn of the twentieth century. Kiara M. Vigil traces how the narrative discourses created by these figures spurred wider discussions about citizenship, race, and modernity in the United States. Vigil demonstrates how these figures deployed aspects of Native American cultural practice to authenticate their status both as indigenous peoples and as citizens of the United States.
Battling Silent Chaos: The Refrain and Decolonial Potentials

This article examines some of the ways in which Black and Brown young women and men within the context of the US are consistently confronted by the silences around state-sanctioned violence enacted on our bodies with impunity while even our playful sonoric outbursts are reconfigured as threats to the state. I argue that, different from Deleuze and Guattari's conceptualisation where the refrain functions to keep chaos at bay, the refrain produced by a group of Black and Brown youth at a ferry station in New York brings to the fore and into confrontation the very Codes that create a sense of ‘home’ and ‘security’ for some at the expense of their well-being and often lives. However it is from navigating, what I refer to as, silent chaos that this article seeks to explore the decolonial potential of the sonoric ‘disruptions' produced by these Black and Brown young women and men, in particular by examining how they challenge the status quo and highlight the urgent need for new systems of valuation that would s...
Small Donors, Big Democracy: New York City's Matching Funds as a Model for the Nation and States

Abstract Restrictions on speech will not be accepted by the Supreme Court in the name of equality, but this does not rule out equality and participation as legitimate policy goals. It is both constitutional and appropriate to promote these goals without new constraints on speech by using incentives to increase the number and importance of low-dollar donors. The constitutional theory is straightforward. The empirical question is whether this could work. There are few examples of current policies with this specific purpose. One run by the City of New York gives participating candidates six dollars in matching funds for each of the first $175 that a city resident donates. This article asks whether a similar approach could become a model for others. The argument has three parts. The first is an empirical analysis of New York City's campaign finance records since 1997, showing that (a) multiple matching funds do increase the proportional role of small donors; (b) they have also increased the number of small do...
Fluidity of figure and space in Osamu Tezuka’s Ode to Kirihito

ABSTRACTUsing the methodological tools of textual analysis, this article examines the use of structural variance, or fluidity, used to depict narrative comic book production’s most basic subject matter – figures and spaces – in Osamu Tezuka’s Ode to Kirihito. By tracing this fluidity, it is argued here that this exemplary work can be understood as a meditation on the unique affordances and limitations of comic book and line art imposed by both institutional and material contexts. Specifically, tracking Ode to Kirihito’s shifting use of line work and detail as a structural variable reveals a systematic refusal to align representational style with subject matter, highlighting fluidity and change as essential aesthetic resources in comic books.
A Public Health of Consequence: Review of the July 2017 Issue of AJPH.

An introduction is presented in which the authors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including the concept of a public health of consequence in the U.S., health disparities, and firearms laws in various American states.
Fungible Life: Experiment in the Asian City of Life

Nearly 20 years after Flexible Citizenship (Duke University Press, 1999) remade the way that anthropologists think about transnational networks—and what it means to be ‘Chinese’ in a globalised wor...
Mobile Interventional Stroke Teams Lead to Faster Treatment Times for Thrombectomy in Large Vessel Occlusion

Background and Purpose— Endovascular recanalization treatment for acute ischemic stroke is a complex, time-sensitive intervention. Trip-and-treat is an interhospital service delivery model that has not previously been evaluated in the literature and consists of a shared mobile interventional stroke team that travels to primary stroke centers to provide on-site interventional capability. We compared treatment times between the trip-and-treat model and the traditional drip-and-ship model. Methods— We performed a retrospective analysis on 86 consecutive eligible patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion who received endovascular treatment at 4 hospitals in Manhattan. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts: trip-and-treat (n=39) and drip-and-ship (n=47). The primary outcome was initial door-to-puncture time, defined as the time between arrival at any hospital and arterial puncture. We also recorded and analyzed the times of last known well, IV-tPA (intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator) administration, transfer, and reperfusion. Results— Mean initial door-to-puncture time was 143 minutes for trip-and-treat and 222 minutes for drip-and-ship ( P P =0.0887), initial door-to-recanalization was nonetheless 79 minutes faster for trip-and-treat ( P P =0.0704). Conclusions— Compared with drip-and-ship, the trip-and-treat model demonstrated shorter treatment times for endovascular therapy in our series. The trip-and-treat model offers a valid alternative to current interhospital stroke transfers in urban environments.
Completion of a validated pelvic floor symptom and bother instrument in real-life practice

Validated questionnaires are commonly used in research, but successful completion rates in clinical settings are largely unknown. The primary goal of this study was to assess the frequency of appropriate completion of a validated research survey. We secondarily examined relationships between demographics and successful questionnaire completion. New patients completed a paper form of the Pelvic Floor Bother Questionnaire (PFBQ) to assess pelvic floor symptoms and level of bother. Various aspects of successful survey completion were assessed, including unanswered questions, affirmative responses without selection of a level of bother, or choosing a level of bother despite reporting not having a symptom. Relationships between self-reported demographic characteristics and completion of the survey were also evaluated. Five hundred and fourteen questionnaires were completed by a cohort of women with a mean age of 57.5 ± 14.4 years (range 19–97). Overall, 45.3% of women (n = 233) completed the entire PFBQ properly as originally described. Women skipped at least one entire question 16.5% of the time. On logistic regression, older age was significantly associated with improper questionnaire completion (55.0 years ±14.9 successful vs 59.6 years ±13.6 unsuccessful completion, p < 0.001 for overall completion). Age was significantly associated with proper completion of every individual PFBQ question, except question 8 concerning fecal incontinence (p = 0.06). Education level was not significantly associated with successful questionnaire completion. Overall successful completion of the survey as designed and validated was low, even in a highly educated population. Ways to simplify the instrument to enhance completion, such as electronic smart questionnaires, should be further investigated.
COMMUNITY SOLAR PLAN MODEL

ABSTRACT In fulfillment of a research project funded by Argonne National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy, the community of Kent, Ohio is developing a plan of adaptation to solar and other alternative energy resources. The process is to involve the community in defining the goals and, as the basis of community commitment, begin the process of implementation.
Immunochemical studies of bovine and frog liver glutamate dehydrogenases.

Abstract Rabbit antibody prepared against native bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase is not a competitive inhibitor of coenzyme at active sites or of nucleotides at modifier (allosteric) sites. The antibody, indeed, activates glutamate dehydrogenase at the active sites of both bovine and frog liver enzymes. At modifier sites the antibody is antagonistic to the effects of purine nucleotides. For example, the antibody partially inhibits the activating effects of adenosine diphosphate and the inhibitory effects of guanosine triphosphate on glutamate dehydrogenase activity. Immunochemical and kinetic experiments indicate that there is a great deal of antigenic similarity between the bovine and frog liver enzymes. These results suggest that the antigenic sites are quite similar in both the bovine and frog enzymes and are not active or allosteric sites. It is possible that antibody is bound to a part of the enzyme molecule which contains neither active nor allosteric sites and which is structurally similar from species to species, while active and allosteric sites differ from species to species.
DNA released from neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) activates pancreatic stellate cells and enhances pancreatic tumor growth

Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation results in the expulsion of granulocyte proteins and DNA into the extracellular space. This process is mediated by the enzyme peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PADI4) and translocation of elastase to the nucleus. NET formation, marked by increased levels of extracellular DNA, promotes pancreatic cancer proliferation and metastasis. Mice deficient in Padi4 demonstrate decreased pancreatic tumor growth, associated with a reduction in circulating extracellular DNA levels, diminished pancreatic stromal activation and improved survival in murine orthotopic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Transplantation of Padi4-/- bone marrow into genetically engineered mice with Kras driven pancreatic adenocarcinoma (Pdx1-Cre:KrasG12D/+, KC mice) limits the frequency of invasive cancers when compared with syngeneic controls. DNA from neutrophils activates pancreatic stellate cells that form dense, fibrous stroma which can promote and enable tumor proliferation. DNase treatment diminishes murine tumor growth and stromal activation to reverse the effect of NETs within the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, deletion of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in pancreatic stellate cells abrogates the effects of DNA in promoting stellate cell proliferation and decreases tumor growth. Circulating neutrophil-derived DNA correlates with the stage in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, confirming the role of NETs in human pancreatic cancer. These findings support further investigation into targeting of NETs, PADI4 and extracellular DNA as a potential treatment strategy in patients with pancreatic cancer. Trial Registration: This study reports correlative data from a clinical trial registered with clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01978184 (November 7, 2013).
Enhanced Situational Awareness with Signals of Opportunity: RSS-based Localization and Tracking

Ubiquity of wireless technology presents opportunities for enhancing Situational Awareness by utilizing Signals of Opportunity for passive vehicle localization and tracking. The problem of power-based localization and tracking for a moving vehicle is explored with an assumption on the availability of a network of road side units that are capable of measuring Received Signal Strength (RSS) of known wireless emissions coming from the vehicle. While power-based localization methods are known to provide poor performance, the objective of the presented work is to utilize the regularity of vehicular motion to improve localization performance. In particular, the performance of Kalman Filter (KF), Extended Kalman Filter (EKF), and track-to-track fusion techniques are compared to ordinary least squares and range-free weighted centroid methods. Presented approach is evaluated via simulations, where perfect knowledge of the transmitter characteristics and Rician channel fading were assumed. Performance of KF/EKF approaches are observed to be better than the range-free weighted centroid method, but it remains inferior to Satellite-based localization that provides higher accuracy and reliability. The accuracy of the system is observed to be highly dependent on the channel, fading, and knowledge of the transmitter characteristics.
Chapter 5 – Thyroid Hormones

Through the secretion of thyroxine, T4, and its active derivative, T3, the thyroid governs myriad physiological events which bring about functional alterations in virtually all metabolic pathways and organs. Thyroid hormone modulates oxygen consumption and basal metabolic rate (BMR), as well as lipid, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism. It has fundamental effects on the nervous system both during development and in childhood and adulthood. Thyroid hormone regulates the synthesis and degradation rates of numerous proteins, including other growth factors and hormones, so that many of its effects emerge as secondary influences on other endocrine pathways. The effects of thyroid hormone fall into two categories of biological responses: (a) effects on cellular differentiation and development, particularly, but not limited to, the nervous system; and (b) effects on metabolic pathways through which the body uses carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. These two actions are interconnected in that changes in development and growth are both a cause and a consequence of hormonal modulation of metabolism. This chapter covers thyroid hormone secretion, its regulation, and its actions and some of their mechanisms, setting the stage to observe the results of excess or insufficiency of this hormone. The symptoms of the most common disease states of the thyroid gland, covered here, are a direct consequence of an interruption of the known actions of its hormones. Furthermore, treatments of these conditions are based directly on our understanding of the mechanisms of the synthesis of thyroid hormone and its regulation.
White, Black, and Latina Female Victims in U.S. News: A Multivariate and Intersectional Analysis of Story Differences:

Prior research suggests the media depict White female victims more sympathetically than their minority counterparts, yet no researcher has yet examined this proposition at the multivariate level. M...
Utility of a 31-gene expression profile for predicting outcomes in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma referred for sentinel node biopsy.

Abstract Background A 31-gene genetic expression profile (31-GEP; Class 1 = low risk, Class 2 = high risk) developed to predict outcome in cutaneous melanoma (CM) has been validated by retrospective, industry-sponsored, or small series. Methods Tumor features, sentinel node biopsy (SNB) results, and outcomes were extracted from a prospective database of 383 C M patients who underwent SNB and had a 31-GEP run on their primary tumor. Groups were compared by uni- and multi-variable analysis. Relapse-free and distant metastasis-free survival (RFS, DMFS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Results Breslow thickness, T stage, and SNB positivity were significantly higher in Class 2 patients. Recurrence rates were higher for Class 2 vs Class 1 patients and highest in patients who were Class 2 and SNB positive. GEP class was predictive of RFS and DMFS and independently predicted relapse in AJCC “low risk” (stages IA-IIA) patients. Conclusions 31-GEP adds prognostic information in CM patents undergoing SNB.
miR34a: a novel small molecule regulator with a big role in bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), characterized by pulmonary inflammation leading to impaired alveolarization and vascular dysregulation, have an increased risk of abnormal lun...
Structural Validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale Among Family Members of Critically Ill Patients

Background The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is commonly used clinically and scientifically among surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients. The validity of the HADS has been scrutinized, but its use among surrogate decision makers has not been examined. Objective To examine the structural validity of the HADS. Methods This study was a secondary analysis of data obtained from a 3-arm randomized controlled trial of a decision support intervention. Participants were recruited from 6 intensive care units at a tertiary medical center in Northeast Ohio. Participants were adult surrogate decision makers for critically ill, cognitively impaired adults who were not expected to be discharged from the intensive care unit within the subsequent 48 hours. The fit of 2-factor, 3-factor, and bifactor structures of the HADS was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. Results The bifactor structure, possessing a general psychological distress factor and anxiety and depression group factors, showed a superior fit and met a priori thresholds for acceptable model fit. The general psychological distress factor accounted for more than 75% of the common variance in the HADS items. Conclusion Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence supporting a bifactor structure of the HADS. In this sample, the instrument validly measures psychological distress rather than distinct symptoms of anxiety and depression. Replication of these results is encouraged, and use of alternative measures is recommended when measuring distinct symptoms of anxiety and depression among surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients.
AI/ML assisted shale gas production performance evaluation

Shale gas reservoirs are contributing a major role in overall hydrocarbon production, especially in the United States, and due to the intense development of such reservoirs, it is a must thing to learn the productive methods for modeling production and performance evaluation. Consequently, one of the most adopted techniques these days for the sake of production performance analysis is the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Hydrocarbon exploration and production is a continuous process that brings a lot of data from sub-surface as well as from the surface facilities. Availability of such a huge data set that keeps on increasing over time enhances the computational capabilities and performance accuracy through AI and ML applications using a data-driven approach. The ML approach can be utilized through supervised and unsupervised methods in addition to artificial neural networks (ANN). Other ML approaches include random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), boosting technique, clustering methods, and artificial network-based architecture, etc. In this paper, a systematic literature review is presented focused on the AI and ML applications for the shale gas production performance evaluation and their modeling.
NEUTRON-TRANSFER REACTIONS FROM THE NITROGEN BOMBARDMENT OF Be, C, O, Na, AND Mg$sup 24$,$sup 25$,$sup 2$$sup 6$

Excitation functions were measured for neutron-transfer reactions yielding ${\mathrm{N}}^{13}$ from the nitrogen bombardment of Be, C, O, Na, ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{24}$, ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{25}$, and ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{26}$. At the maximum incident energy of 27.5 Mev, the cross section varies from 0.14 mb for oxygen to 2.8 mb for magnesium-25. Nitrogen-13 was separated chemically from the targets and counted as ammonium tetraphenylboron. The chemical method was checked by measuring yields of both reaction products, ${\mathrm{N}}^{13}$ and ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{27}$, in the reaction ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{26}$(${\mathrm{N}}^{14}$,${\mathrm{N}}^{13}$)${\mathrm{Mg}}^{27}$. By plotting the transfer cross sections as a function of ${E}^{*}={E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{\mathrm{barrier}}+Q$, a systematic behavior of all the cross sections is displayed.
Detecting application load imbalance on high end massively parallel systems

Scientific applications should be well balanced in order to achieve high scalability on current and future high end massively parallel systems. However, the identification of sources of load imbalance in such applications is not a trivial exercise, and the current state of the art in performance analysis tools do not provide an efficient mechanism to help users to identify the main areas of load imbalance in an application. In this paper we discuss a new set of metrics that we defined to identify and measure application load imbalance. We then describe the extensions that were made to the Cray performance measurement and analysis infrastructure to detect application load imbalance and present to the user in an insightful way.
7 – INHERITANCE THEORY AND NETWORKS WITH ROLES

Abstract We present a formalization of monotonic inheritance nerworks with roles. Roles (like the role father) are partial functions from individuals to individuals and figure in universal-existential statements like “every person has a father.” The networks we consider also permit relational statements such as “every person's father loves that person's mother,” and equality statements among roles and individuals. Restricted networks of this sort are less expressive than first-order logic; like all inheritance systems, they constitute a sort of weak logic founded on path-based reasoning. On the other hand, their rules of inference and resulting proofs are substantially more complex than what one finds in simple IS-A hierarchies; the latter use purely linear proof sequences. We show all that query answering in networks with roles corresponds to parsing a fragment of the network with a context-free grammar whose nonterminals are inference rules and whose terminals are links. Proofs in these systems, although still path-based, take the form of trees rather than chains.
Respiratory Care and Neuromuscular Disease

Aside from the heart, the respiratory muscles are the only ones in the body that are absolutely necessary for life. It is therefore not surprising to learn that respiratory-muscle dysfunction is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in those with acute and chronic neuromuscular illness. In this and the next issue of RESPIRATORY CARE ,w e discuss acute and chronic neuromuscular diseases and their effects on the respiratory system. The crucial nature of the respiratory muscles in their function as a “vital pump” has been known for nearly the past 2,000 years. However, it has been only in the past 100 years or so that devices have been available that can support or even replace the ventilatory function of the respiratory muscles. The development of the iron lung in response to the polio epidemics of the 20th century was a major turning point in the care of individuals with acute and chronic effects of this deadly neuromuscular disease. Respiratory care was essential to the survival and recuperation of individuals with the effects of polio. However, there were several problems with the iron lung and related devices, not the least of which was their size and bulkiness. It was in the 1980s, with the advent of equipment for the treatment of sleep apnea, that a real revolution in the care of individuals with acute and chronic neuromuscular respiratory failure occurred. Comfortable lightweight interfaces that enabled delivery of phasic positive-pressure with portable ventilators allowed for nighttime (and daytime) treatment of the hypoventilation that frequently accompanies neuromuscular diseases. The articles in this and the following issue of RESPIRATORY CARE detail the physiology of some of the major acute and chronic neuromuscular diseases that are seen in clinical practice. Supportive options for failure of both the ventilatory muscles and the muscles that allow adequate cough function are detailed, and data supporting their use are reviewed. In addition to noninvasive options, the appropriate use of invasive (tracheostomy) ventilation is also discussed. We highlight the crucial role of the respiratory therapist in the support of the individual with neuromuscular disease. These papers correspond to the presentations at the 37th RESPIRATORY CARE Journal Conference, by a multidisciplinary group of pulmonologists, intensivists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, and respiratory therapists. It is unusual to have such a diverse group together in the same room discussing issues related to respiratory failure in patients with neuromuscular disease. The discussions that resulted were lively and the papers produced are superb. Our thanks to the faculty and the American Respiratory Care Foundation for their support of this conference.
Heterochrony in Gastropods

Fossil gastropods seem to be ideally suited for studies of heterochrony. The description and analysis of heterochrony in evolutionary sequences require a detailed understanding of the ontogeny of the organisms involved. Not only must the ontogeny be well-preserved in its entirety, but the basic parameters underlying growth must be amenable to quantitative description. In a gastropod shell, most, or frequently all, of an individual’s ontogeny is recorded. The gastropod shell grows by continued accretion of new material onto the previously existing shell, so that the form of the juvenile is generally intact and part of the adult shell. Furthermore, there is no question about which juvenile form grew into which adult form, as there might be with organisms that molt, such as ostracodes and trilobites.