cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deletion of the Regulatory Subunit of Protein Kinase A in Aspergillus fumigatus Alters Morphology, Sensitivity to Oxidative Damage, and Virulence

Aspergillus fumigatus is an important opportunistic fungal pathogen. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating morphology, growth, and virulence in a number of fungal pathogens of plants and animals. We have constructed a mutant of A. fumigatus that lacks the regulatory subunit of PKA, pkaR, and analyzed the growth and development, sensitivity to oxidative damage, and virulence of the mutant, along with those of the wild type and a complemented mutant. Both growth and germination rates of the mutant are reduced, and there are morphological abnormalities in conidiophores, leading to reduced conidiation. Conidia from the DeltapkaR mutant are more sensitive to killing by hydrogen peroxide, menadione, paraquat, and diamide. However, the hyphae of the mutant are killed to a greater extent only by paraquat and diamide, whereas they are less susceptible to the effects of hydrogen peroxide. In an immunosuppressed mouse model, intranasally administered conidia of the mutant are significantly less virulent than those of the wild type or a complemented mutant. Unregulated PKA signaling is detrimental to the virulence of A. fumigatus, perhaps through the reduced susceptibility of the mutant to damage by oxidizing agents and reduced growth kinetics.
Rethinking “Place” in Tourism Development: A Conceptual Framework of Place for Tourism Planners and Sociologists

AbstractThe notion of place has been discussed within many different fields. Nonetheless, not many conversations are happening between the different fields that study this concept. This has resulted in the creation of a body of knowledge that, on instances, tend to be secluded from the knowledge created in other fields. Among them, the gap between planners and sociologists is significant. For instance, only a small number of planning articles mention the human/emotional connections to place, while sociologists often overlook the potential contribution of the physical environment in their observations. In here we propose an integrated framework that includes these two fields. We provide insights into why these two fields think differently about place and why we need an incorporated framework of place by indicating the strength and shortcomings of each field. Furthermore, we will extend this framework to the context of tourism-dependent communities to suggest how this concept can be applied in the tourism s...
A Novel Synaptic Transmission Mediated by a PACAP-like Neuropeptide in Drosophila

Neuropeptide-mediated transmission was analyzed at Drosophila larval body-wall neuromuscular junctions. Focal application of vertebrate pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP38) to the neuromuscular junction region triggered two temporally distinct muscle responses: an immediate depolarization followed by a large enhancement of K+ current. This late enhancement occurred many minutes after the early depolarization. High frequency stimulation of motor nerve fibers evoked a postsynaptic response mimicking that induced by PACAP38. This evoked response was desensitized by preincubation of the preparation with PACAP38. PACAP38-like immunoreactivity was also found in the Drosophila CNS and at almost all larval neuromuscular junctions. Moreover, an immunoreactive band that compares well with PACAP38 in size was identified in Western blot. These results demonstrate that a PACAP-like peptide may function in invertebrates and that a neuropeptide can evoke two distinct postsynaptic responses, each separated by up to 15 min. In addition, this initial electrophysiological study provides a basis for genetic analysis of neuropeptide function in Drosophila.
LGBT Politics and American Political Development

Although the rest of the American politics subfield has taken up many of the research challenges that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) politics poses, there has been very little attention to LGBT politics within APD (American political development). Yet LGBT politics has deeply developmental and “state-centered” dynamics. Until the middle of the twentieth century, sexual orientation was simply not widely and deeply politicized in the United States. But abruptly, in a period of a decade and a half (roughly 1940–1955), national political and bureaucratic actors created a national sexuality regime that has taken 60 years of LGBT struggle to partly reverse. In seeking to substitute a different, overtly inclusive sexuality regime, LGBT citizens and their straight allies have initiated far-reaching changes in public policy, regulation of the workplace, and the institution of marriage. American politics has thus been developed by LGBT politics—and in the process, a fruitful research agenda has emerged.
Triggering of 1812 Santa Barbara Earthquake by a Great San Andreas Shock: Implications for future seismic hazards in southern California

We study the evolution of the stress field over the last 200 years in southern California using the stress buildup associated with major faults and stress drops associated with great earthquakes. In this report we calculate the change in the Coulomb Failure Function (ΔCFF) associated with the great Wrightwood earthquake of Dec. 8, 1812 on the San Andreas fault for the region near Santa Barbara that experienced a large shock 13 days later. The rupture length constrained by paleoseismic data is used for the Wrightwood earthquake of 1812; a uniform displacement of 3.5 m from the surface to seismogenic depths is assumed. The geologic setting and focal mechanisms of earthquakes in the Santa Barbara region are dominated by thrust, left-lateral strike-slip faulting and combinations of the two. For our preferred rupture model of the earthquake of Dec. 8 the Santa Barbara shock of Dec. 21, 1812 occurred in a region of +0.01 to +0.1 MPa ΔCFF for reasonable fault orientations, indicating that it may have been advanced by years to decades and triggered by the great San Andreas earthquake 13 days earlier. We also calculate ΔCFF on typical kinds of faults in southern California for a future candidate great earthquake along the San Bernardino and Coachella Valley segments of San Andreas fault. This earthquake produces large positive values of ΔCFF for shallow-dipping thrust faults beneath the greater Los Angeles area and for NW-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults in three regions. This suggests that shocks of magnitude similar to the M 7.1 1812 Santa Barbara earthquake could be triggered by the next great event on the southern San Andreas fault.
Diagram understanding using Graphics Constraint Grammars

In scientific and technical literature, diagrams play a crucial role. We introduce the Graphics Constraint Grammar (GCG) for the analysis of diagrams. Using the grammar, low-level elements of the diagrams are aggregated into higher-order structures. GCG allows the integration of syntax and semantics in order to locate diagram components and discover their information content. Geometrical relations of components of the diagrams are defined by the constraint relations that they must satisfy. Properties of higher-level objects are derived by propagation of attributes from their lower-level constituents. GCG can also be used as the basis for diagram generation systems.
Zinc sulfate taste acuity reflects dietary zinc intake in males

Gauging an individual's response after they taste a solution of zinc sulfate has been proposed as a method of determining nutritional zinc deficiency, a so-called “zinc taste test.” Despite the lack of evidence regarding any relationship between dietary zinc intake and zinc sulfate taste acuity, clinicians continue to utilize zinc sulfate taste testing with their patients. Therefore, assessing the relationship between zinc sulfate taste acuity and dietary zinc intake is warranted. This report assessed 363 individuals (77 males, 286 females) for zinc sulfate taste acuity and dietary zinc intake. Zinc sulfate taste acuity was assessed by both the Bryce-Smith & Simpson zinc taste test (BSZTT) and the taste intensity visual analog scale (TIVAS). Dietary intake of zinc was assessed by a zinc-specific food frequency questionnaire (ZnFFQ). Zinc sulfate taste acuity, as measured by the TIVAS, was found to be significantly different between the sexes (U = 8766; p = 0.013). Males averaged a TIVAS score of 21.58 ± 2.52 (Mean ± SEM) whereas females had a TIVAS score averaging 31.49 ± 1.67. No correlations were found between female zinc sulfate taste perception and dietary zinc intake as measured by both the BSZTT (rs = 0.014; p = 0.816) and the TIVAS (rs = 0.025; p = 0.679). Similarly, male zinc intake was not correlated with BSZTT scores (rs = 0.199; p = 0.099). However, zinc sulfate taste acuity, measured by the TIVAS, was significantly correlated with dietary zinc intake in the male population (rs = 0.237; p = 0.048). These findings suggest that zinc sulfate taste acuity measurement may aid in the assessment of zinc nutriture among males.
Credit Card Processing: A Look Inside the Black Box

Each year, hundreds of millions of credit and debit cardholders make billions of transactions worth trillions of dollars. Yet few consumers are aware that such transactions travel through, and are made possible by, a highly evolved group of intermediaries. Those intermediaries sign up merchants to accept cards, handle card transactions, manage the dispute-resolution process, and, with regulatory agencies, set rules that govern card transactions. I examine the transaction process for debit cards with an eye toward demystifying this "Black Box." I explain the two major parts of the transactions process - one, authorization, and two, clearing and settlement. I consider the complications introduced by general-purpose cards, such as Visa and MasterCard, emphasizing the key roles of merchant acquirers and card processors. I also discuss the risk of fraud in the transaction process. While the risk is low for face-to-face transactions, it is far higher for business done by mail, telephone, or over the Internet. Merchant acquirers, who sign up merchants to accept cards and who provide or arrange for processing, bear most of the risk of loss if merchants fail to make good on transactions disputed by customers. To guard against such losses, acquirers evaluate the credit quality of merchants seeking or using the acquirers' services. I identify some of the risk factors associated with specific industries, merchant types, and transactions that influence the price merchants pay for acquirers' services. Finally, I discuss some ways that merchant acquirers and merchants manage risk, especially the risk of fraud.
Affirmative Action, Race, and Ethnic Quotas

The concept of affirmative action is often associated with the changing strategies adopted in the United States after the passage of the 1964 and 1965 landmark civil rights legislation, when it became clear that simply making discrimination illegal would not significantly alter patterns of systemic racial inequality. Policies designed to rectify entrenched group inequalities date back at least to the end of the nineteenth century, when preference policies and quotas were introduced by the British colonial administration in India to address the massive caste inequalities in employment and education. Such measures have provoked significant opposition and strong defenses everywhere they were introduced: opponents claimed that they were a form of “reverse racism” no longer necessary; supporters, that they were justified in the name of both reparations for past racial injustices and the need to “level the playing field,” without which an individual, colour-blind competition would do nothing but perpetuate past inequality. Keywords: affirmative action; inequality; race and ethnicity; racism
IRA Withdrawals: How Much, When, and Other Savings Behavior

This paper explores IRA withdrawal behavior of older Americans using a nationally representative sample. The data for this paper come from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. The HRS, the most comprehensive national survey of older Americans, is a biennial survey started in 1992 with primary respondents who are at least 50 years old along with their spouses, irrespective of the spouses’ ages. For this paper, data from 2002 to 2010 are used to document IRA-withdrawal behavior. Households from all five survey years (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010) are combined to form a cross-sectional sample. For example, 65-year-old households would include all households that were 65 in any one of the survey years. The sample includes 12,347 households that made an IRA withdrawal between the ages of 61 and 79. Households between ages 61 and 70 that made withdrawals even though they were not yet required to take IRA distributions (i.e., not subject to the required minimum distribution rules, or RMD) made larger withdrawals than older households, both in absolute dollar amounts as well as a percentage of IRA account balance. The bottom-income quartile of this age group had a very high percentage (48 percent) of households that made an IRA withdrawal, and their average annual percentage of account balance withdrawn (17.4 percent) was higher than the rest of the income distribution. Among households between ages 71 and 80 that are subject to RMDs, those that have a withdrawal exceeding the RMD amount had average withdrawal amounts that were more than double the amounts taken by those that withdrew only the RMD amount. The percentage of account balance withdrawn was also much larger for households that withdrew more than the RMD amount. Younger households (61 to 70) that made IRA withdrawals spent most of it, while for those between 71 and 80 there was some increase in savings (in CDs and similar holdings) associated with an IRA withdrawal. The PDF for the above title, published in the May 2013 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another May 2013 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “Trends in Health Coverage for Part-Time Workers.”
Efficiency Analysis for Long -Duration Electric MAVs

pT = propeller thrust [N] r = propeller section radius [m] T = driv er PWM period [sec] L = vehicle aerodynamic lift [N] m V = motor terminal voltage [V] p L = propeller section lift [N] s V = battery terminal voltage [V] D = vehicle aerodynamic drag [N] i V = ith Fourier series coefficient for V [V] p D = propeller section drag [N] emf V = motor back EMF volta ge [V]
To guide or to be the sage: children’s responses to varying facilitator prompts following a media literacy education curriculum in the United States

AbstractThe study is a qualitative analysis of how sixth graders responded to varying homework prompts from a media literacy education curriculum that focused on the prevalence of media violence and gender stereotypes in media. Textual analyses with constant comparisons suggested that students’ engagement with critical thinking differed across the prompts provided by the media literacy facilitators primarily in their responses to the question about the production and distribution of violent media. Compared to students who received the prompt that referenced both the entertainment and problematic aspects of the production/circulation of violent content, students who received the unfavorable prompt or no prompt at all were more likely to demonstrate richer thinking and go beyond mere description to discuss potential implications of media violence for audiences and/or consider the profit-seeking aspect of the media industries.
Third-Party Imagined Interactions: Expanding Mental Imagery to the Experience of others' Communication

Individuals replay interactions in their mind. Although previous studies have found that imagined interactions (IIs) help individuals recall past interactions and plan for future interactions, they have not investigated what occurs when individuals imagine the interactions of others. To fill this research gap, this study examined third-party imagined interactions (TPIIs), IIs that occur when an individual mentally experiences the interactions of others. The study results compare TPIIs and IIs finding they are mostly similar. Findings do not support a difference in topic, imagined partners, or when the imagined event occurred. The valence, frequency, and variety characteristics and the catharsis function showed differences between TPIIs and IIs, while equivalence-testing supports a conclusion of no difference in the discrepancy, retroactivity, specificity, and proactivity characteristics or the conflict-linkage, relational maintenance, rehearsal, and self-understanding functions. Satisfaction with the imag...
Contributions to the History of Psychology: XIII. Bibliographia Phrenologica:

Description of a bibliographic listing of 383 items concerned with phrenology and available from the American Society for Information Science is given. Some research underway is mentioned.
Maternal plasma folate, vitamin B12 levels and multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy and risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Boston Birth Cohort

BackgroundThe role of preconception/prenatal nutrition in the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is under-studied. Maternal adequate folate intake is important in protecting against neural tube defects in offspring, but uncertainty remains on its role in ASD. ObjectiveTo understand the relationship between maternal multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy and maternal plasma biomarkers of folate and vitamin B12 measured 24–72 hours after delivery and risk of later Autism Spectrum Disorder in children. MethodsData are from the Boston Birth Cohort, an ongoing longitudinal prospective birth cohort study that recruited low-income urban, primarily minority mother-offspring pairs (n=1,391) at the Boston Medical Center and followed them from birth through childhood between 1998–2013. Based on electronic medical records, children were diagnosed as having ASD (n=107) or categorized as ‘typical’ (n=1284). Prenatal multivitamin supplement intake data and maternal blood samples were collected 24–72 ho...
Air Pollution and Disease

Although air pollution does not produce a specific illness from which people die, it aggravates many preexisting cardiac and respiratory conditions, particularly (among the latter) asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. It may also add to the hazards of anesthesia. Guidelines are offered for evaluating the contribution air pollutants may make to a patient's illness, especially when he is already at risk.
The relationship of aerobic capacity, anaerobic peak power and experience to performance in CrossFit exercise.

CrossFit is becoming increasingly popular as a method to increase fitness and as a competitive sport in both the Unites States and Europe. However, little research on this mode of exercise has been performed to date. The purpose of the present investigation involving experienced CrossFit athletes and naive healthy young men was to investigate the relationship of aerobic capacity and anaerobic power to performance in two representative CrossFit workouts: the first workout was 12 minutes in duration, and the second was based on the total time to complete the prescribed exercise. The participants were 32 healthy adult males, who were either naive to CrossFit exercise or had competed in CrossFit competitions. Linear regression was undertaken to predict performance on the first workout (time) with age, group (naive or CrossFit athlete), VO2max and anaerobic power, which were all significant predictors (p < 0.05) in the model. The second workout (repetitions), when examined similarly using regression, only resulted in CrossFit experience as a significant predictor (p < 0.05). The results of the study suggest that a history of participation in CrossFit competition is a key component of performance in CrossFit workouts which are representative of those performed in CrossFit, and that, in at least one these workouts, aerobic capacity and anaerobic power are associated with success.
The Usefulness of Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography in Surgery of Brainstem Cavernous Malformations

Background Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) estimates the course and connectivity patterns of white matter tracts. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether findings in the brain stem modify the preoperative surgical trajectory planning or postoperative outcome in patients with brain stem cavernous malformations. Methods Ten patients with symptomatic brainstem cavernous malformation underwent surgical resection. Five patients received preoperative DTI evaluation and the remaining 5 did not. Reconstructed DTI tracts consisted of corticospinal, medial lemnisci, and cerebellar peduncles. The surgical planning and postoperative outcome were evaluated. Results In 5 patients with no preoperative DTI evaluation, surgical planning was based on anatomic landmark and the 2-point technique. The other 5 patients underwent preoperative DTI, and findings were factored into the selection of the surgical approach. In 3 of the 5 cases with DTI evaluation, the 2-point technique suggested a similar trajectory. In the other 2, the DTI findings suggested a different approach to avoid damage to the white matter tract. Two patients in the group with no DTI had immediate postoperative new or worsened deficit, which improved at long-term follow-up. No patient in the DTI group had a new neurologic deficit. Conclusions Compared with the standard magnetic resonance imaging, DTI provided improved visualization of cavernous malformation involvement in eloquent fiber tracts of the brainstem. This additional information might help in selecting a more appropriate surgical trajectory in selected lesions. Larger patient cohorts are needed to assess the effect of this modality in patients' outcome.
Indoor particulate matter exposure is associated with increased black carbon content in airway macrophages of former smokers with COPD

Abstract Introduction Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) is associated with worse morbidity in individuals with COPD. Inhaled PM is phagocytosed by airway macrophages (AM), and black carbon measured in AM may serve as a biomarker of air pollution exposure. As there is little data on how indoor PM exposure may influence AM black carbon content in those with respiratory disease, we investigated the association of indoor PM 2.5 concentration to AM black carbon content in adults with COPD. Methods Former smokers (>10 pack-years smoking history, quit date >1 year prior to enrollment) older than 40 years of age with moderate-severe COPD were eligible. Indoor air PM 2.5 concentrations were measured over 5–7 days at baseline, 3 month, and 6 month intervals. Sputum induction was performed during clinic visits concordant with home monitoring. A total of 50 macrophages per sputum specimen were photographed and quantified using appropriate software by trained staff blinded to PM concentrations. Longitudinal analyses using generalized estimating equations were used to assess the relationship between indoor PM exposure and AM black carbon content. Results Participants (n=20) were older (mean (SD) age 67 (4) years), predominantly Caucasian (85%) and male (70%), with an average smoking history of 52 pack-years and mean (SD) quit date of 13 (9) years prior to enrollment. The majority of daily time was reported to be spent indoors (>23 h). Mean indoor PM 2.5 concentration was 12.8 (13.5) µg/m 3 . The mean area of black carbon quantified in airway macrophages was 1.2 (0.7) µm 2 . In multivariate cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, each 10 µg/m 3 increase in indoor PM 2.5 was significantly associated with a 0.26 µm 2 and 0.19 µm 2 increase in airway macrophage black carbon total area, respectively (p Conclusion Higher indoor PM 2.5 concentration is associated with an increase in black carbon content of AM in individuals with COPD. These data support the potential for AM black carbon content to be a useful non-invasive biomarker of exposure to indoor PM.
Absolute quantitative measurement of transcriptional kinetic parameters in vivo

mRNA expression involves transcription initiation, elongation and degradation. In cells, these dynamic processes are highly regulated. However, experimental characterization of the dynamic processes in vivo is difficult due to the paucity of methods capable of direct measurements. We present a highly sensitive and versatile method enabling direct characterization of the dynamic processes. Our method is based on single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) and quantitative analyses of hybridization signals. We hybridized multiple probes labelled with spectrally distinct fluorophores to multiple sub-regions of single mRNAs, and visualized the kinetics of synthesis and degradation of the sub-regions. Quantitative analyses of the data lead to absolute quantification of the lag time of mRNA induction (the time it takes for external signals to activate transcription initiation), transcription initiation rate, transcription elongation speed (i.e. mRNA chain-growth speed), the rate of premature termination of transcripts and degradation rates. Applying our method to three different biological problems, we demonstrated how our method may be applicable to reveal dynamics of mRNA expression that was difficult to study previously. We expect such absolute quantification can greatly facilitate understanding of gene expression and its regulation working at the levels of transcriptional initiation, elongation and degradation.
The Adaptive Value of Cognitive Immaturity: Applications of Evolutionary Developmental Psychology to Early Education

This chapter briefly outlines some of the principles of evolutionary developmental psychology, emphasizing that some aspects of young children’s cognitive immaturity are actually adaptations for surviving the niche of childhood and not simply deficits or shortcomings that need to be overcome. We take an evolutionary developmental perspective to describe how young children learn, focusing on learning through observation and play. We argue that educators can take advantage of some of these features of young children’s thinking and learning styles, and that some efforts to accelerate young children’s cognitive development, such as educational videos and direct-instruction preschools, can actually be counterproductive to early education.
Abstract 4399: Utilizing cobalt coordination chemistry as a traceless prodrug strategy in targeted drug delivery

We recently reported the synthesis of albumin nanoparticles using cobalt as a traceless, reductively labile crosslinker. Here, we report in vitro characterization of particle uptake for fluorescently labeled cobalt crosslinked albumin nanoparticles (Co-Alb-FITC NPs) via image-based flow cytometry as well as preliminary toxicity data. Uptake of Co-Alb-FITC NPs by gastric carcinoma cells (SNU-5) was rapid, but could be dramatically reduced through the addition of an inhibitor of macropinocytosis. High levels of non-specific uptake of other particle types were also observed suggesting SNU-5 cells possess high macropinocytic activity. Cancers harboring mutated Ras (>20% of all cancers) are known to take up protein via macropinocytosis to satisfy metabolic demands. Because SNU-5 cells are not known harbor mutated Ras, our findings may indicate that other cancers rely on this mechanism as well, which would have important implications for observing selectivity in active nanoparticle targeting strategies. The Co-Alb NPs themselves were found to exhibit no inherent toxicity. Based on these initial findings, Co-Alb NPs were loaded with the active metabolite of camptothecin, SN-38, to explore their potential as a delivery vector for hydrophobic drugs. An albumin-topotecan prodrug conjugate was also synthesized by crosslinking the amine group in topotecan with lysine residues in the protein, which should be applicable to other amine-containing therapeutics. Characterization of drug loading and release will be discussed along with preliminary in vitro characterization. Citation Format: Robby A. Petros, Duong T. Nguyen, Ronaldo J. Cavazos, Clifford S. Morrison, Jana B. Lampe, Alesha N. Harris, Brian K. McFarlin. Utilizing cobalt coordination chemistry as a traceless prodrug strategy in targeted drug delivery. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4399. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4399
Cardiac mechanics and dysfunction with anthracyclines in the community: results from the PREDICT study

Background Our objective was to determine the relevance of changes in myocardial mechanics in diagnosing and predicting cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) in a community-based population treated with anthracyclines. Methods Quantitative measures of cardiac mechanics were derived from 493 echocardiograms in 165 participants enrolled in the PREDICT study (A Multicenter Study in Patients Undergoing AnthRacycline-Based Chemotherapy to Assess the Effectiveness of Using Biomarkers to Detect and Identify Cardiotoxicity and Describe Treatment). Echocardiograms were obtained primarily at baseline (prior to anthracyclines), 6 and 12 months. Predictors included changes in strain; strain rate; indices of contractile function derived from the end-systolic pressure–volume relationship (end-systolic elastance (Eessb) and the left ventricular (LV) volume at an end-systolic pressure of 100 mm Hg (V100)); total arterial load (effective arterial elastance (Ea)) and ventricular–arterial coupling (Ea/Eessb). Logistic regression models determined the diagnostic and prognostic associations of changes in these measures and CTRCD, defined as a LV ejection fraction decline ≥10 to Results By 12 months, 31 participants developed CTRCD. Longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain rate, V100, Ea, and Ea/Eessb each demonstrated significant diagnostic associations, with a 1–7% increased odds of CTRCD (p Conclusions Changes in non-invasively derived measures of myocardial mechanics are diagnostic and predictive of cardiac dysfunction with anthracycline chemotherapy in community populations. Our findings support the non-invasive assessment of measures of myocardial mechanics more broadly in clinical practice and emphasise the role of serial assessments of these measures during and after cardiotoxic cancer therapy. Trial registration number NCT01032278; Pre-results.
IMMU-18. HUMANIZED ANTI-CD47 ANTIBODY COMBINED WITH AN AGONIST ANTI-CD40 ANTIBODY IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR DIPG XENOGRAFTS WITH CRANIOSPINAL DISSEMINATION

INTRODUCTION: DIPG is the most common malignant brainstem tumor in children. The resistance of DIPG to standard treatments along with inoperability of this tumor because of the anatomical location leave DIPG patients with dismal prognosis. Multiple studies revealed that DIPG patients have only a few months of survival after detection of cranio-spinal metastasis. Our previous work showed that a humanized anti-CD47 antibody (anti-huCD47 mAb), an immune-modulatory drug that increases phagocytic activity of macrophages against cancer cells, has a therapeutic effect on DIPG xenografts. However, the efficacy of anti-CD47 therapy was reduced with tumor size and presence of metastasis at the onset of treatment. Therefore, we tested the synergistic effect of anti-huCD47 mAb combined with anti-msCD40 mAb, another immuno-modulatory antibody that increases the recruitment of macrophages to the tumor site, on DIPG xenografts with cranio-spinal dissemination. METHODS: Human-derived DIPG cells were infected with GFP-luciferase expressing virus and injected to the pons of NOD scid gamma mice. The engraftment was verified via bioluminescent (BLI) imaging. The mice with positive signal in forebrain and spine were randomized for treatment with anti-huCD47 mAb alone, anti-msCD40 mAb alone, anti-huCD47 mAb coupled with anti-msCD40 mAb, and control. The efficacy of treatment was measured using follow-up BLI imaging and survival analysis. RESULTS: Follow-up BLI imaging revealed significant decline in the flux measures of mice receiving combined treatment (P< 0.05). BLI signals from the spinal and forebrain strongly diminished in the mice under combined treatment compared to the other groups. A significant extension in survival was seen in this group compared to the other three groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combinatorial treatment with anti-CD47 Ab and anti-CD40 Ab is effective in the removal of not only DIPG from a primary site but also a cranio-spinal dissemination of the disease.
Interconnect and packaging technologies for terahertz communication systems

Using newly developed silicon micromachining technology that enables low-loss and highly integrated packaging solutions, we are developing vertically stacked transmitters and receivers at terahertz frequencies that can be used for communication and other terahertz systems. Although there are multiple ways to address the problem of interconnect and packaging solutions at these frequencies, such as system-on-package (SOP), multi-chip modules (MCM), substrate integrated waveguide (SIW), liquid crystal polymer (LCP) based multilayer technologies, and others, we show that deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) based silicon micromachining with vertical integration allows the most effective solutions at terahertz frequencies.
Coaching Character: Winning On and Off the Field

Sport provides many paths for positive change in society (Kaufman P, Wolff EA, J Sport Soc Issues 34(2):154–175, 2010). For athletes, the path to individual excellence contains many hurdles and lessons that leave them a better character on the other side. For coaches the effect is exponential – for every athlete they drive along that same path, there is an opportunity to change not only that life, but potentially the lives of other athletes and fans who follow that performer as well (Bloom GA, Durand-Bush N, Schinke RJ, Salmela JH, Int J Sport Psychol 29:267–281, 1998). While the fans, reporters and owners who bay for blood in the coliseum of professional sports don’t often care about how the competitors feel (Cameron A, Death brings a sportsman to life, December 14. Retrieved from TheAge.com.au: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/death-brings-a-sportsman-to-life-20141213-125npe.html, 2014), the field of positive psychology can have a significant impact in the lives of those touched by sports by providing ways to both train and measure the leaders against a new scoreboard.
Abstract 16678: Multigenic Etiology of CHD With Heterotaxy Involving PCD and Cilia Genes

Introduction: We recently showed patients with CHD associated with heterotaxy can exhibit respiratory ciliary dysfunction (CD) similar to that of patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) - a ciliopathy with airway mucociliary clearance defects. As both PCD and heterotaxy have a 1 in 10,000 incidence, the finding of CD in heterotaxy patients likely reflects the dual role of motile cilia in airway clearance and left-right patterning. Thus, we hypothesize heterotaxy may arise from mutations in PCD genes and other cilia related ciliome genes. Methods and Results: CHD patients with heterotaxy, 13 with CD and 13 without CD (no-CD), were sequence captured followed by SOLiD sequencing at 40X coverage to identify sequence variants in all 13 PCD genes and nearly 1000 other ciliome genes. Coding variants were filtered against dbSNP and the 1000 Genomes databases, and novel coding variants (NCV) were validated by Sanger sequencing. Analysis of the 13 PCD genes revealed 10 NCV in 7 CD patients, and 5 NCV in 3 no-CD patients. The 3 PCD patients had 5 NCV, with 2 siblings having homozygous CCDC39 mutation (1072delA) known to cause PCD. Interestingly, CD-heterotaxy patient 9002 was heterozygous for the most common pathogenic DNAI1 mutation, IVS1+2_3insT, a disease NCV not seen in the general population. As PCD is a recessive disorder, we evaluated NCVs found in DNAH6 , a motor dynein gene not yet demonstrated to cause PCD. DNAH6 NCVs were found in 9002 and one other CD and one PCD patient, but not in any no-CD patient. Dnah6 morpholino (MO) knockdown (KD) in zebrafish embryos showed laterality defects and phenotypes consistent with heterotaxy, suggesting a role in CD and heterotaxy. Conclusion: Our study showed heterotaxy patients with CD can have heterozygous NCVs in PCD genes, including known disease causing DNAI1 mutation. Functional analysis with zebrafish MO showed DNAH6 KD can cause heterotaxy. We propose DNAH6/DNAI1 double heterozygous mutation may contribute to CD and heterotaxy.
Ionic Motion in α -AgI

A molecular-dynamcis study of silver diffusion in superionic conductor $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-AgI is performed. Interionic potentials are constructed using Pauling's ideas of ionic radii. The diffusion constant for silver and its temperature dependence are in good agreement with experiment. Good agreement is also obtained for the silver density map with the experiment of Cava, Reidinger, and Wuensch.
Exploring Ultimate Water Capillary Evaporation in Nanoscale Conduits.

Capillary evaporation in nanoscale conduits is an efficient heat/mass transfer strategy that has been widely utilized by both nature and mankind. Despite its broad impact, the ultimate transport limits of capillary evaporation in nanoscale conduits, governed by the evaporation/condensation kinetics at the liquid–vapor interface, have remained poorly understood. Here we report experimental study of the kinetic limits of water capillary evaporation in two dimensional nanochannels using a novel hybrid channel design. Our results show that the kinetic-limited evaporation fluxes break down the limits predicated by the classical Hertz–Knudsen equation by an order of magnitude, reaching values up to 37.5 mm/s with corresponding heat fluxes up to 8500 W/cm2. The measured evaporation flux increases with decreasing channel height and relative humidity but decreases as the channel temperature decreases. Our findings have implications for further understanding evaporation at the nanoscale and developing capillary eva...
The Wnt‐signaling pathways in mammalian patterning and morphogenesis

Together with the fibroblast growth factor (FGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β, and Hedgehog pathways, the Wnt pathway is one of the four major signaling pathways that are involved in almost every aspect of embryogenesis. Using the mouse as a model organism, research over the last decade has revealed numerous roles of the Wnt pathway in mammalian development. In this chapter, we focus on some of the recent advances in our understanding of how Wnt signaling, through collaboration with other pathways, regulates gastrulation and organogenesis, including neural patterning, heart development, hematopoiesis, and the formation of liver, limb, skin, kidney, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. We also discuss the important function of the novel noncanonical Wnt pathway in polarity establishment and morphogenesis, a process through which a tissue or embryo acquires its final shape. Interestingly, the canonical and noncanonical Wnt pathways share a number of critical components, raising the possibility that patterning and morphogenesis may be intimately linked.
The Fundamental Role of Early Environments to Developing an Emotionally Healthy Brain

The quality of early socioemotional environments has a clear link to emotional health. Findings from neuroscientific and behavioral studies explain this enduring link, and findings focus on the pla...
Improving STAP performance in target rich environments through adaptive illumination

Targets in the Training Data (TTD) represent a significant source of clutter heterogeneity which reduces the Minimum Discernable Velocity (MDV) in Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) radar. Most techniques for dealing with TTD rely on identifying and removing heterogeneous samples (range gates) from the Training Data (TD). In target rich environments, this process can result in a drastic reduction in training data quantity and impede performance. This paper presents an alternative to TTD using a modern planar Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) to adaptively shape transmit antenna patterns such that transmit nulls are placed along road locations in the radar scene. It is shown that this technique effectively reduces TTD reflections and restores TD that would otherwise be removed; both the quality and quantity of available TD increases.
A fast algorithm for calculating isothermal phase behavior using machine learning

Abstract Compositional models are frequently used to describe fluids in petroleum reservoir simulation, particularly for simulations of enhanced oil recovery. While compositional models are more accurate than black oil models, they incur a larger computational cost, in part, due to more complex phase-equilibrium calculations and can result in longer run times. Here, we develop an algorithm to reduce the cost of phase-equilibrium calculations for compositional models by applying two machine learning techniques: relevance vector machines and artificial neural networks. We test the algorithm on three fluid data sets and find a speedup of over 20% with an error of 0.01%, and a speedup of over 90% with a maximum error of 5%. These results suggest that the algorithm can be used to reduce the overall run time of compositional reservoir simulations with a small impact on accuracy.
Genomic Instability Promoted by Overexpression of Mismatch Repair Factors in Yeast: A Model for Understanding Cancer Progression.

Mismatch repair (MMR) proteins act in spellchecker roles to excise misincorporation errors that occur during DNA replication. Curiously, large-scale analyses of a variety of cancers showed that increased expression of MMR proteins often correlated with tumor aggressiveness, metastasis, and early recurrence. To better understand these observations, we used The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression across Normal and Tumor tissue databases to analyze MMR protein expression in cancers. We found that the MMR genes MSH2 and MSH6 are overexpressed more frequently than MSH3, and that MSH2 and MSH6 are often cooverexpressed as a result of copy number amplifications of these genes. These observations encouraged us to test the effects of upregulating MMR protein levels in baker’s yeast, where we can sensitively monitor genome instability phenotypes associated with cancer initiation and progression. Msh6 overexpression (two- to fourfold) almost completely disrupted mechanisms that prevent recombination between divergent DNA sequences by interacting with the DNA polymerase processivity clamp PCNA and by sequestering the Sgs1 helicase. Importantly, cooverexpression of Msh2 and Msh6 (∼eightfold) conferred, in a PCNA interaction-dependent manner, several genome instability phenotypes including increased mutation rate, increased sensitivity to the DNA replication inhibitor HU and the DNA-damaging agents MMS and 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide, and elevated loss-of-heterozygosity. Msh2 and Msh6 cooverexpression also altered the cell cycle distribution of exponentially growing cells, resulting in an increased fraction of unbudded cells, consistent with a larger percentage of cells in G1. These novel observations suggested that overexpression of MSH factors affected the integrity of the DNA replication fork, causing genome instability phenotypes that could be important for promoting cancer progression.
Two Sources of Scalarity Within the Verb Phrase

In this paper I argue for two distinct sources of scalarity within the verb phrase, focusing specifically on VPs headed by incremental theme verbs. First, there is a quantity scale associated with the presence of an incremental theme argument. The scale structure of the quantity scale is crucially related to the part structure of the theme argument, and is the source of observed telicity effects. I argue that the quantity scale is not lexically encoded in the verb, but is derived from the part structure of the nominal argument via a functional morpheme. This morpheme is often silent in English, but in certain cases has an overt realization as partitive of. Second, there is a quality, or prototypicality, scale associated with the lexical entry of the verb itself. This type of scale is related to the different dimensions upon which events are classified by the verbs that name them. I argue that two distinct readings of the the proportional modifier half in English provide evidence for these two sources of scalarity within VP. The analysis is couched within a framework for aspectual composition that adopts the formal properties of scales and degrees that have become standard in recent work on gradable predicates.
The Stress System in Viscometric Flows of Incompressible Fluids

From the theorems of NOLL and WANG, stated and proved in the last lecture, its follows that in a viscometric flow of an incompressible fluid, $$ \mathop T\limits_ \sim = - p\mathop l\limits_ \sim + \mathop g\limits_ \sim \left( {{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_1},{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_2}} \right), $$ (8.1) where $$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_1} = \kappa \left( {\mathop N\limits_ \sim + {{\mathop N\limits_ \sim }^T}} \right),}\\ {{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_2} = 2{\kappa ^2}{{\mathop N\limits_ \sim }^T}\mathop N\limits_ \sim ,}\\ {{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_n} = \mathop 0\limits_ \sim ,ifn\underline \ge 3,} \end{array} $$ (8.2) and $$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{\mathop N\limits_ \sim }^2} = \mathop 0\limits_ \sim ,}&{tr\mathop N\limits_ \sim = 0,}&{\left| {\mathop N\limits_ \sim } \right| = 1,} \end{array} $$ (8.3) and $$ \mathop g\limits_ \sim \left( {\mathop Q\limits_ \sim {{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_1}{{\mathop Q\limits_ \sim }^T};\mathop Q\limits_ \sim {{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_2}{{\mathop Q\limits_ \sim }^T}} \right) = \mathop Q\limits_ \sim \mathop g\limits_ \sim \left( {{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_1},{{\mathop A\limits_ \sim }_2}} \right){\mathop Q\limits_ \sim ^T} $$ for all symmetric tensors A1 and A2 and for all orthogonal tensors Q.
Temporary and Permanent Pacemaker Therapy

Temporary cardiac pacing can be achieved by four basic techniques: thump pacing, external transthoracic electrical pacing, percutaneous transthoracic pacing, and transvenous endocar-dial pacing.
Fiber-Rich Food Processing Byproducts Enhance the Expansion of Cornstarch Extrudates.

Expansion characteristics of cornstarch-based extrudates incorporating fiber-rich food processing byproducts was explored. Waxy and regular cornstarch were used as the base materials with apple pomace and sugarcane bagasse incorporated at two addition levels (0%, 15%, and 30% w/w). Extrusions were conducted at three different screw speeds (150, 200, and 250 rpm) with other parameters optimized and kept constant. Apple pomace inclusion resulted in higher initial expansion index (4.23 to 5.60) and higher stable expansion index (2.76 to 4.43), but also showed higher shrinkage (8.50% to 34.72%) than sugarcane bagasse extrudates at the same inclusion levels. Inclusion of apple pomace showed potential of producing extrudates with significantly higher expansion than cornstarch control, with relatively lower energy inputs. Extrusion methods used here have the potential to preserve the textural quality and nutritional value of the fiber-enriched extrudates, providing the base for healthier snack food items.; Practical Application: Findings from this study can be extended to the other fiber-rich food processing byproducts, such as other fruit and vegetable pomace, cereal brans, and pulse hulls among other materials. This data will help the development of fiber-enriched extruded snacks that would have favorable consumer traits.; © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.