cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex Differences, Sense Modality, and Production of Original Verbal Images:

A recent study (Khatena, 1976) on the use of several sense modaliries in the production of original verbal images showed that college adults tended to use the visual, auditory or combined visual and auditory senses most frequently and that they showed a preference for the use of multiple sense modalities, i.e., combination of two or more senses. The purpose of this study was to identify sex differences. From 650 college adults (300 men and 350 women) who had been administered Form 2A of Onomatopoeia and Images (Khatena & Torrance, 1973) a random sample of 50 men and 50 women's response sheets were selected. Onomatopoeia and Images is a measure of original verbal images and was the measure used in the earlier study on sense modalities. Verbal images produced in response to onomatopeic words were analyzed for the seven sense modalities of the Betts scale (Sheehan. 1967), i.e., visual, auditory, cutaneous, kinesthetic, olfactory, gustatory, and organic, either singly or in combination. For example, in response to "rumble" the verbal image "thunder" produced shows the use of a single sense modality (auditory) as distinct from "a car taking off at a stop light" (auditory-visual-kinesthetic) where multiple sense modalities were used. Analysis of the sense modalities used by both men and women in the production of original verbal images showed the auditory mode as most frequently used (Men: A1 = 7.36, SD = 3.82; Women: M = 7.16, SD = 3.01). Of the combined sense modalities used by both groups the auditory-visual was most frequenrly used (Men: hl = 5.20, SD = 3.88; Women: M = 4.64, SD = 3.67), and this is consistent with earlier findings. In addition. the auditory-kinesthetic modalities combined (Men: M = 2.92. SD = 2.53; Women: M = 2.84, SD = 2.38) and the auditory-visual-kinesthetic modalities combined (Men: M = 2.92, SD = 3.02; Women: M = 3.12, SD = 2.64) were the next frequenrly used. The single sense modality was preferred over multiple sense modalities in the production of original verbal images by both men and women. In this respect, this finding differs with that of the earlier study which indicated a preference for use of multiple over single sense modalities. A 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance design gave no significant differences for sex and sense modality or for their interaction. These results suggest that college men and women do not differ significantly in their use of various single or multiple sense modalities and that the use of the auditory and auditory-visual modalities combined in the production of original verbal images seems to be most noticeable in this study. In addition, these adults prefer to use the auditory-kinesthetic and auditory-visual-kinesthetic modalities when they produce original verbal images.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF INTERACTION BETWEEN GENETIC DRIFT AND NATURAL SELECTION

The role of random genetic drift in the evolutionary process has, for about two decades, been one of the controversial issues in population genetics. Some authors have appealed to "drift" as a convenient explanation of the origin of differences among organisms for which no other explanations seemed to be available. But one's inability to discover the adaptive significance of a trait does not mean that it has none (cf. Dobzhansky, 1956). The hypothesis of random genetic drift should not be used as a loophole; to be accepted it requires a firmer basis than suspicion. Other authors seem to think that drift and natural selection are alternatives. As soon as a gene is shown to have any effect whatever on fitness, the conclusion is drawn that its distribution in populations must be determined solely by selection and cannot be influenced by random drift. But this is a logical non-sequitur. The important work of Aird et al. (1954) and of Clarke et al. (1956) disclosed that the incidence of certain types of gastrointestinal ulceration is significantly different in persons with different blood groups. This is, however, far from a convincing demonstration that the observed diversity in the frequencies of the blood group genes in human populations is governed wholly, or even partially, by selection for resistance to ulcers. To make such a conclusion tenable it would have to be demonstrated that the environments in which human racial differences have evolved actually favored greater resistance in certain parts of the
0013 Salivary cortisol response to a high-protein challenge and metabolic syndrome in police officers

Objectives Policing is considered a high-stress occupation and officers have elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the association between salivary cortisol response to a standardised challenge and the metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), an indicator of increased cardiovascular risk. Method Cross-sectional data from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress Study (2004–2009) were analysed. MetSyn was defined as three or more of five components: abdominal obesity, hypertension, elevated triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glucose intolerance. Officers provided five salivary cortisol samples, one before challenge (ingestion of a high-protein shake) and four at 15-minute intervals thereafter, where increase represents normal response. Age- and sex-adjusted regression models were used to examine trends in mean number of components across quartiles of area under the curve (AUC) salivary cortisol. Patterns of mean cortisol response were assessed by MetSyn status using repeated-measures analysis of covariance. Results The study included 373 officers (74.0% men) with a mean age of 41.0 years. Prevalence of MetSyn was 25.7%. The mean count of MetSyn components decreased (1.89, 1.75, 1.55, 1.37; P P Conclusions A reduced cortisol response to a high-protein challenge may be associated with MetSyn. Future longitudinal studies could provide useful evidence for planning intervention studies on cardiovascular risk among police officers.
Reversing a red blood cell storage (RBCS) lesion: S-Nitrosothiol replenishment in aged RBCS

Transfusion of RBCs has been linked to disappointing patient outcomes. Specifically, a correlation between transfused RBC storage duration and increased incidence of mortality and morbidity has been observed in some clinical settings. Chemical changes (e.g., decreases in pH and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels) are well documented to produce “storage lesions” in banked RBCs. Recent work has revealed novel defects that progress over the typical 42-day storage of banked RBCs. Of note, loss of the S-nitrosothiol (SNO) moieties bound to the β93 cysteine of hemoglobin and to other, membrane-resident protein occurs rapidly (hours) after collection. This SNO loss and the attendant impairment in the nitric oxide (NO)-derived vasoactivity of RBCs may contribute to problems associated with transfusions of aged RBCs. We report on strategies to replenish the stored-RBC SNO/NO content via exposure to NO donors (e.g., N-diazeniumdiolates). We examine the RBC SNO/NO yield and distribution, measured via photolysis-chemiluminescence, as a function of incubation conditions (e.g., aerobic or anaerobic, NO-treatment duration) and of NO donor-specific NO release kinetics. For instance, bolus release of NO from the N-diazeniumdiolate PROLI/NO during longer anaerobic incubation favored heme-bound NO rather than SNO. Furthermore, we report on the efficacy of these treatments in improving RBC function with focus on enhanced deformability and decreased RBC adhesion to endothelium as assayed via laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyzer (LORCA) and in vitro flow chamber assays, respectively. Benefits associated with replenished SNO/NO content have the potential to impact clinical outcomes for a wide population of transfused patients.
The Construction of Internal Accounting Control System of Scientific Institution's Seed Enterprise

There are many problems in the scientific insti tution's seed enterprise,such as no clear right and responsibility,hidebound mechanism,low independent accounting department,low quality of accountant and incomplete internal accounting control system,etc..According to these problems,some countermeasures were promoted to perfect internal accounting control system,which were as follows: deepening reform of property right,establishing perfect modern enterprise system,strengthening the control of the behavior subject(people) of internal control,implementing the work of internal control,constructing rigorous internal control system of seed enterprise that focus on internal accounting control,building up consciousness of risk and establishing effective risk management system,etc..
Induction of Cloacal Exstrophy in the Chick Embryo Using the CO2 Laser

Abstract: We have developed a model for cloacal exstrophy in the chick embryo using the Cavitron AO 300 CO2 laser. Embryos between 68 and 76 hours of development have been injured caudal to the omphalomesenteric vessels in the region of the tail bud in ovo. This has resulted in the induction of cloacal exstrophy in 5 of 59 chicks that survived ten days after injury.Evidence from this model suggests that cloacal exstrophy is caused by early disruption of thecloacal membrane or that group of cells responsible for its subsequent development.
The Outpatient Psychotherapy of the Borderline Patient

This paper discussed common problems in the outpatient psychotherapy of borderline patients, especially their rage, seductiveness, and abrupt negative shifts. The definition of "borderline" is not settled. Even DSM-III-R mixes it up with other personality disorders. There are no pathognomonic symptoms, no specific personality constellations, and no compelling evidence for a definitive stage in infant development when this disorder is fixed; all stages are involved, from faulty foundational to oedipal periods. It is a descriptive diagnosis and typical presentations of such patients are reviewed. In the psychotherapeutic approach, limits must be set first, but these must be flexible and reasonable. Medications are used rarely and with care. We attempt to form an alliance by (a) getting the patient to join us in a study of himself or herself, especially a study of when rage and maladaptive behavior emerges, and (b) providing a consistent and reasonable ambience. The ultimate aim is uncovering and interpreting when the patient is ready for it, more and more approximating psychoanalytic treatment as the patient's pathology permits. The special phenomena of the self-object (Kohut), transitional object (Modell), and disruptive extreme erotic or raging (Kernberg) transferences were reviewed, as well as the pitfalls of therapist anxiety and impatience in dealing with them. While archaic transferences predominate, we serve as an auxiliary microscopic ego and appeal to the rational adult part of the patient's ego in a phenomenological investigation. We interpret early only if we cannot get the patient to examine what has led to the explosions and when distortions or projection without insight continues to predominate. The dangers of early transference interpretations are discussed. Therapy is long, tedious, and requires the willingness to patiently catalyze the patient's resumed development and endure the periodic disruptions. Countertransference problems and what to do about them are reviewed.
The History of Milieu as a Treatment Modality

Asylums and psychiatric hospitals were generally considered to be dreadful environments until the middle of this century. A century ago, during the era of “moral treatment,” there were a few exceptions, namely, private hospitals. Although there were a few early efforts to make hospital environments conducive to the recovery of patients, the terms therapeutic community and milieu therapy came into the language largely after the publication of a book by Jones in 1953 describing his hospital work. It was psychiatrists who first contributed to the literature on milieu as a treatment modality. Sullivan’s work in the 1920s at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt; the efforts at Menninger’s, beginning in 1937; Maxwell Jones’ publication in 1953; the work of Stanton and Schwartz in 1954; Greenblatt, Levinson, and Williams in 1957; the innovative experiment of Caudill in 1958; and Goffman’s work in 1961, all have added to an enlarging understanding of milieu phenomena.
The dissipation of field emitting carbon nanotubes in an oxygen environment as revealed by in situ transmission electron microscopy.

In this work, we report the first direct experimental observations of carbon nanotubes (CNT) field emitting in an oxygen environment, using aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy in combination with an electrical biasing specimen holder under low-dose, field-free imaging conditions. Our studies show that while the CNTs remain stable during high vacuum field emission, they experience abrupt decreases in length, also termed “burn-back”, when field-emitting in an oxygen environment at around 30 Pa pressure. Furthermore, we perform correlative field-free and aberration-corrected, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging to understand how the structure of the CNTs – particularly the opening of the nanotube caps – is influenced by its gas environment during field emission. This work provides significant insight into the mechanism of carbon nanotube behavior under non-ideal field emission conditions.
Mitochondrial Alterations in Rett Syndrome

Muscle biopsy findings in two patients with Rett syndrome are reported from the Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Pathology, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH.
Exploring underground networks: The transcriptional control of plant root development

T gene expression is often thought to arise from spatially restricted transcriptional cascades. However it is unclear how expression is established at the top of these cascades. The SHORTROOT-SCARECROW transcriptional cascade is central to cell fate decisions in the Arabidopsis root cortex and endodermis (ground tissue). We experimentally derived a gene regulatory network for transcription factors in the Arabidopsis root ground tissue by enhanced yeast-1-hybrid assays. We then used this ground tissue gene regulatory network to dissect the regulation of the SHORTROOT-SCARECROW transcriptional cascade. We validated network predictions in planta and identified regulators of SCARECROW and SHORTROOT expression. Our results suggest that there is intercellular coordination of SHORTROOT and SCARECROW expression. Further, we leveraged cell type specific transcriptome data within a logistic regression to develop a model in which expression at the top of this transcriptional cascade is established through the opposing gradients of activators and repressors.
A PSMA-targeted theranostic agent for photodynamic therapy.

Abstract Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is over-expressed in the epithelium of prostate cancer and in the neovasculature of many non-prostate solid tumors. PSMA has been increasingly used as a target for cancer imaging and therapy. Here we describe a low-molecular-weight theranostic photosensitizer, YC-9, for PSMA-targeted optical imaging and photodynamic therapy (PDT). YC-9 was synthesized by conjugating IRDye700DX N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester with a PSMA targeting Lys-Glu urea through a lysine-suberate linker in suitable yield. Optical imaging in vivo demonstrated PSMA-specific tumor uptake of YC-9 with rapid clearance from non-target tissues. PSMA-specific cell kill was demonstrated with YC-9 in vitro through PDT in PSMA+ PC3-PIP and PSMA− PC3-flu cells. In vivo PDT in mice bearing PSMA+ PC3-PIP tumors at 4 h post-injection of YC-9 (A total of four PDT sessions were performed, 48 h apart) resulted in significant tumor growth delay, while tumors in control groups continued to grow. PDT with YC-9 significantly increased the median survival of the PSMA+ PC3-PIP tumor mice (56.5 days) compared to control groups [23.5–30.0 days, including untreated, light alone, YC-9 alone (without light) and non-targeted IRDye700DX PDT treatment groups], without noticeable toxicity at the doses used. This study proves in principle that YC-9 is a promising therapeutic agent for targeted PDT of PSMA-expressing tissues, such as prostate tumors, and may also be useful against non-prostate tumors by virtue of neovascular PSMA expression.
JC Virus Antibody Testing in the Penn MS Clinic - Examining the Utility and Stability of the Test (P3.065)

OBJECTIVE: To characterize serial JC virus (JCV) index testing in multiple sclerosis patients (MS) at the University of Pennsylvania. We aim to demonstrate seroconversion findings and investigate possible relationship of disease modifying therapies (DMTs) on JCV testing results. Compilation of indices and accompanying data provides a framework by which physicians can better understand JC virus testing, in light of interpreting risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). BACKGROUND: PML from JCV is a rare but serious complication seen in MS patients treated with natalizumab and, more recently, with other disease modifying therapies. The risk of PML in natalizumab-treated patients has been shown to be increased in patients with positive JCV serology. As other therapies propagate and length of treatment with DMTs that carry risk grows, PML risk assessment in MS patients will become increasingly important. METHODS: Medical records of MS patients at the University of Pennsylvania neurology clinic were reviewed for JCV testing. JCV index level results, length and type of DMT exposure, date of diagnosis, gender, and age were collected for each patient. RESULTS: Over 500 test results on more than 260 patients were collected. Nearly half of these patients were on natalizumab when tested, but patients on at least 11 different DMTs were tested. Over 150 patients were tested at least twice, and approximately 15[percnt] of patients seroconverted between consecutive tests. Serology values were found to fluctuate widely - greater than 2 units between testing in some cases. Duration or type of DMT was not proven to influence index values, but this is an ongoing investigative interest. CONCLUSION: JCV serologies are dynamic over time, and repeat testing and further study may need to be performed to interpret JCV index values. This data may greatly contribute to understanding this test and its utility in assessing PML risk in MS patients. Disclosure: Dr. Bierema has nothing to disclose. Dr. Williamson has received personal compensation for activities with EMD Serono and Teva Neuroscience.
The PROMIS fatigue item bank has good measurement properties in patients with fibromyalgia and severe fatigue

Purpose Efficient management of fibromyalgia (FM) requires precise measurement of FM-specific symptoms. Our objective was to assess the measurement properties of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) fatigue item bank (FIB) in people with FM.
Babinet Principle for Partially Coherent Fields

Babinet theorem in an electromagnetic diffraction theory relates single-point quantities, intensities or field amplitudes, generated by complementary sources. We derived and demonstrated experimentally Babinet principle for two-point quantity, the spatial coherence function of the field.
Metabolic Profile of the Cellulolytic Industrial Actinomycete Thermobifida fusca

Actinomycetes have a long history of being the source of numerous valuable natural products and medicinals. To expedite product discovery and optimization of biochemical production, high-throughput technologies can now be used to screen the library of compounds present (or produced) at a given time in an organism. This not only facilitates chemical product screening, but also provides a comprehensive methodology to the study cellular metabolic networks to inform cellular engineering. Here, we present some of the first metabolomic data of the industrial cellulolytic actinomycete Thermobifida fusca generated using LC-MS/MS. The underlying objective of conducting global metabolite profiling was to gain better insight on the innate capabilities of T. fusca, with a long-term goal of facilitating T. fusca-based bioprocesses. The T. fusca metabolome was characterized for growth on two cellulose-relevant carbon sources, cellobiose and Avicel. Furthermore, the comprehensive list of measured metabolites was computationally integrated into a metabolic model of T. fusca, to study metabolic shifts in the network flux associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism.
Socio-structural drivers, fisheries footprints, and seafood consumption: A comparative international study, 1961-2012

This study examines the socio-structural drivers that influence the fisheries footprint and seafood consumption of nations. We assess how levels of economic development, population size, and transformations in food-system dynamics, such as those associated with terrestrial protein production and consumption, account for variation in ecological impacts and seafood consumption over time. The fisheries footprint indicator allows for a broader, ecologically grounded analysis. The seafood consumption indicator is a more restrictive measure, focused solely on direct human consumption. Using fixed-effects regression for 162 nations over the 1961 to 2012 period, we find that population and affluence are central drivers of nations’ fisheries footprint and seafood consumption. The results also indicate that diets within nations tend to become more protein intensive across different forms of animal protein. These findings suggest that modernization and changing dynamics of food systems have contributed to increased impacts on seafood consumption and, more generally, aquatic ecosystems.
Solid pseudopapillary tumour (Frantz’s tumour) of the pancreas in childhood: successful management of late liver metastases with sunitinib and chemoembolisation

The patient is a girl aged 17 years who originally presented at age 11 years with a solid pseudopapillary tumour (SPT) in the head of the pancreas treated by an R0 pylorus-preserving Whipple procedure. The patient underwent surveillance CT every 3 months for the first year followed by MRI every 6 months. She was noted to have a new liver lesion in Couinaud segment VI highly suspicious for metastasis at 30 months. Liver wedge biopsy confirmed metastatic SPT. Two months later two new lesions were noted in Couinaud segment VII. The family preferred medical management to surgery resulting in a treatment combination of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib and hepatic artery embolisation. The patient developed a hepatic abscess following embolisation but recovered with antibiotics. The patient has subsequently been followed with serial MRIs every 3 months, and 20 months following chemoembolisation, she has no evidence of recurrence of the metastases.
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF THE INDEX OF MICROCIRCULATORY RESISTANCE AFTER PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

The prognostic impact of microvascular dysfunction after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains unclear in patients with stable coronary artery disease. We enrolled 541 patients (mean age 67 years, male 81%) with stable coronary artery disease who underwent PCI and elective measurement of
The Long-Term Stress of Chronic Illness: An Illustration from Pediatric Oncology

Major advances in treatment over the past decade have dramatically improved the outlook for children with cancer. Malignancy in childhood now implies an arduous course of therapy and the very real possibility of a cure. Increasing numbers of children are successfully completing treatment and entering the period of off-treatment follow-up. Although termination of treatment brings release from years of pain and anxiety for the child and family, our experience suggests that the time after termination is a vulnerable period.
Reconceptualizing the Interaction of Drug and Sexual Risk Among MSM Speed Users: Notes Toward an Ethno-Epidemiology

The significant numbers of new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) have brought renewed attention to risk practices related to the use of speed among MSM. However, the primary focus on sexual risk has produced gaps in understanding the role of injection risk. In this critical review, we identify tenacious biases in earlier research and present epidemiological indicators of speed use among MSM. We outline four major areas for future research: (1) transitions into injection, (2) situational injection groups, (3) speed injection practices, and (4) risk reduction interventions. Aiming to inform risk reduction interventions for MSM, we describe how an ethnographic epidemiology might reconceptualize the interaction of sexual and drug risk. Detailing a venue-based research approach, we propose ways to study how MSM use speed to “script” both sexual and injection risk behaviors in the context of social hierarchies and commercial settings.
Step-Index Circular Waveguides

The circular waveguide has found extensive use in optical communications systems, especially long distance communication links. The circular waveguide has no intrinsic advantage over rectangular waveguides except in one critical area: cost. Manufacturing circular waveguides from glass is a well established technology. Industry can produce hundreds of thousands of kilometers of circular dielectric waveguide each year. The same cannot be said about planar or rectangular waveguides. In this chapter, we will develop a description of wave propagation along a circular waveguide. This chapter deals with the “step-index” fiber (Fig. 4.1). Light is guided by a high-index circular core of uniform index, surrounded by a lower-index cladding layer. The cladding layer is usually covered with a plastic coating to protect the fiber from environmental hazards and abrasion. To find the modes of the circular step-index fiber, we must solve the wave equation in cylindrical coordinates. The modes of the cylindrical structure are more abstract than those of the planar structure. Not only are they circular in symmetry which will require a more complicated solution to the wave equation, but they are two dimensional, so there will be two mode numbers. We will see a similar effect when we discus rectangular waveguides in the next chapter.
Isoquinoline and Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids

Alkaloids that possess an isoquinoline moiety in their structure are among the most common of all alkaloids. More than 4000 compounds of many structural types but with this structural feature are known (Verpoorte et al., 1991). Those treated in this chapter are all derived from a 3,4-dihydroxytyramine (dopamine) precursor that is linked to an aldehyde or ketone of several different origins. One series of isoquinoline alkaloids involves glyoxylic acid, pyruvic acid, and an α-keto acid derived from leucine as the carbonyl portion. These compounds are largely, but not exclusively, found in the Cactaceae.
Electrical resistance in percutaneous cordotomy. Technical note.

We have described the use of a simple ohm-meter in measurement of a prominent increase in direct current resistance upon insertion of an electrode from spinal fluid into spinal cord. This is another parameter of measurement indicating passage of the electrode into the spinal cord during percutaneous cordotomy for relief of intractable pain.
Neurovascular anatomy in relation to intracranial neoplasms

Abstract The neurovascular anatomy is highly complex, and knowledge of the neurovasculature is essential to improve neurosurgical outcome. The diagnosis and management of intracranial neoplasms and other neurological disorders depends on an extensive awareness of the general neuroanatomy and its close relation to the neurovasculature. Recognition of anatomical variations, anomalies, and malformations within the neurovascular tree is crucial to improving surgical outcomes and preventing neurosurgical complications. In this chapter, the neurovascular anatomy and its relation to common intracranial neoplasms is discussed, with illustrative case representations.
(388) Multidisciplinary "Prehab" Prior to Spine Surgery for Patients with Opioid Addiction and Chronic Pain Syndrome is Efficacious

Opioid addiction is the number one health care issue in the United States with spinal ailments the leading medical condition associated with opioid addiction. In the literature, patients with chronic pain syndrome and opioid addiction going for spine surgery have poor post-operative clinical outcomes and likely to be on opioids for life. Current evidence-based methods to optimize patients prior to spine surgery have been: 1) transition from opioids to non-opioid medications, 2) cardiovascular exercise program, 3) smoking cessation, 4) alcohol cessation, and 5) psychotherapy to treat mood and maladaptive pain behavior. The authors hypothesized that an initiation of an interdisciplinary “prehab” protocol utilizing all five aforementioned modalities prior to spine surgery in patients with chronic pain syndrome and opioid addiction would optimize post-surgical outcomes, including decreased pain and opioid consumption. From 2013 to 2017, 175 patients (85 without prehab, 89 with prehab) met the inclusion criteria. Demographics and case breakdown (surgery type performed) were similar between the cohorts. One year after surgery, a significantly greater amount of patients receiving prehab were opioid-free following surgery compared to patients without prehab (28% vs 92%, respectively, p
A prokaryotic-eukaryotic hybrid viral vector for delivery of large cargos of genes and proteins into human cells

Development of safe and efficient nanoscale vehicles that can deliver large molecular cargos into human cells could transform future human therapies and personalized medicine. Here, we design a hybrid viral vector composed of a prokaryotic virus (bacteriophage T4) and a eukaryotic virus [adeno-associated virus (AAV)]. The small 25-nm AAV is attached to the large 120 nm × 86 nm T4 head through avidin-biotin cross-bridges using the phage decoration proteins Soc and Hoc. AAV “piggy-backed” on T4 capsid, by virtue of its natural ability to enter human cells acted as an efficient “driver,” delivering the largest payloads of foreign DNA (up to 170 kb) and protein (up to 1025 molecules) reported to date, and elicited robust immune responses in mice against flu and plague pathogens and conferred complete protection against lethal pneumonic plague challenge. The T4-AAV represents a unique platform for assembly of natural building blocks into potential therapeutics against genetic and infectious diseases.
Muscle stem cell renewal suppressed by Gas1 can be reversed by GDNF in mice

Muscle undergoes progressive weakening and regenerative dysfunction with age due in part to the functional decline of skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs). MuSCs are heterogeneous but whether their gene expression changes with age and the implication of such changes are unclear. Here we show that in mice, Growth arrest-specific gene 1 (Gas1) is expressed in a small subset of young MuSCs with its expression progressively increasing in larger fractions of MuSCs later in life. Over-expression of Gas1 in young MuSCs and inactivation of Gas1 in aged MuSCs support that Gas1 reduces the quiescence and self-renewal capacity of MuSCs. Gas1 reduces Ret signaling, which is required for MuSC quiescence and self-renewal. Indeed, we show that the Ret ligand, Glial Cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF), can counteract Gas1 by stimulating Ret signaling and enhancing MuSC self-renewal and regeneration, thus improving muscle function. We propose that strategies aimed to target this pathway can be exploited to improve the regenerative decline of muscle stem cells.
Coulomb Explosion in Nanosecond Laser Fields

We report experimental observations of Coulomb explosion using a nanosecond laser at 532 nm with intensities less than 1012 W/cm2. We observe multiply charged atomic ions Arn+ (1 ≤ n ≤ 7) and Cn+ (...
Genetically Engineered Human Kidney Cells for Real-Time Cytotoxicity Testing In Vitro.

Classic toxicology studies often utilize in vivo animal models. Newer approaches employing in vitro organ-specific cellular models have been developed in recent years to help accelerate the speed and reduce the cost of traditional toxicology testing. Toward the goal of supporting in vitro cellular model research with a regulatory application in mind, we have developed a ‘designer’ human kidney cell line called HK2-Vi that can fluorescently measure the cytotoxicity of potential toxins on proximal tubule cell viability in a direct exposure in vitro model. HK2-Vi was designed to be a reagent-less kinetic assay that can yield data on short- or long-term cell viability after toxin exposure. To generate HK2-Vi, we used monocistronic lentiviral transduction methods to genetically engineer a human kidney cell line called HK-2 to stably co-express two transgenes. The first is Perceval HR, which encodes a fluorescent biosensor of both cytosolic ATP and ADP and the second is pHRed, which encodes a biosensor of cytosolic pH. Relative levels of cellular ATP and ADP effectively serve as a reliable and robust indicator of cell viability. Because the fluorescence Perceval HR is pH-dependent, we co-expressed the pHRed genetic biosensor to correct for variations in pH if necessary. Heterogenous populations of transduced renal cells were enriched by flow cytometry before monoclonal cellular populations were isolated by cell culture methods. A single clonal population of co-transduced cells expressing both Perceval HR and pHRed was selected to be HK2-Vi. This established cell line can now serve as a tool for in vitro toxicology testing and the methods described herein serve as a model for developing designer cell lines derived from other organs.
Optimizing open data to support one health: best practices to ensure interoperability of genomic data from bacterial pathogens

The holistic approach of One Health, which sees human, animal, plant, and environmental health as a unit, rather than discrete parts, requires not only interdisciplinary cooperation, but standardized methods for communicating and archiving data, enabling participants to easily share what they have learned and allow others to build upon their findings. Ongoing work by NCBI and the GenomeTrakr project illustrates how open data platforms can help meet the needs of federal and state regulators, public health laboratories, departments of agriculture, and universities. Here we describe how microbial pathogen surveillance can be transformed by having an open access database along with Best Practices for contributors to follow. First, we describe the open pathogen surveillance framework, hosted on the NCBI platform. We cover the current community standards for WGS quality, provide an SOP for assessing your own sequence quality and recommend QC thresholds for all submitters to follow. We then provide an overview of NCBI data submission along with step by step details. And finally, we provide curation guidance and an SOP for keeping your public data current within the database. These Best Practices can be models for other open data projects, thereby advancing the One Health goals of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable (FAIR) data.
An evaluation of the benefits of mobile fare payment technology from the user and operator perspectives

Abstract Recently, public transit systems have seen declining ridership levels in most American cities, and transit agencies are seeking strategies to counteract this negative trend. One emerging strategy uses mobile technologies for fare payment, which could improve the transit user experience and potentially attract or retain riders. However, there has been limited prior research evaluating the benefits of new mobile fare payment technologies after real-world deployment. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate emerging payment technologies from both the transit user and operator perspectives. Surveys of bus riders in Tallahassee, Florida were conducted before and after a two-month period in which a mobile fare payment application (“app”) was deployed throughout the bus system. Bus operators, who are responsible for fare validation, were also surveyed at the end of the study period. The results reveal that most app users reported spending less time purchasing a transit pass and less time boarding the bus, which could result in travel time savings from the user perspective. Despite these benefits, it was hypothesized that app users would increase the number of trips they made on transit; however, the user surveys provided limited evidence to support this. From the operator perspective, drivers reported spending less time collecting fares and observed that app users spent less time boarding the bus, which could lead to dwell time reductions after adoption levels increase. As transit users increasingly rely on mobile technologies, these findings are critical for transit agencies to justify initial deployment or expansion of mobile fare payment technologies.
REGULATION OF MIXED FUNCTION OXIDASE ACTIVITY BY MEMBRANE LIPIDS

Organic solvent extraction of lyophilized microsomes under anhydrous conditions decreases the apparent K m for benzo(a)-pyrene sixfold in untreated rat liver microsomes but has no effect on the apparent K m in microsomes from 3-methylcholanthrene treated rats. Similar extraction of rabbit lung microsomes increased benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity; addition of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine to these microsomes further increased activity to twice that in unextracted microsomes.
Examining the Potential Impact of Race Multiplier Utilization in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Calculation on African-American Care Outcomes.

Advancing health equity entails reducing disparities in care. African-American patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have poorer outcomes, including dialysis access placement and transplantation. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equations, which assign higher eGFR values to African-American patients, may be a mechanism for inequitable outcomes. Electronic health record–based registries enable population-based examination of care across racial groups. To examine the impact of the race multiplier for African-Americans in the CKD-EPI eGFR equation on CKD classification and care delivery. Cross-sectional study Two large academic medical centers and affiliated community primary care and specialty practices. A total of 56,845 patients in the Partners HealthCare System CKD registry in June 2019, among whom 2225 (3.9%) were African-American. Exposures included race, age, sex, comorbidities, and eGFR. Outcomes were transplant referral and dialysis access placement. Of 2225 African-American patients, 743 (33.4%) would hypothetically be reclassified to a more severe CKD stage if the race multiplier were removed from the CKD-EPI equation. Similarly, 167 of 687 (24.3%) would be reclassified from stage 3B to stage 4. Finally, 64 of 2069 patients (3.1%) would be reassigned from eGFR > 20 ml/min/1.73 m2 to eGFR ≤ 20 ml/min/1.73 m2, meeting the criterion for accumulating kidney transplant priority. Zero of 64 African-American patients with an eGFR ≤ 20 ml/min/1.73 m2 after the race multiplier was removed were referred, evaluated, or waitlisted for kidney transplant, compared to 19.2% of African-American patients with eGFR ≤ 20 ml/min/1.73 m2 with the default CKD-EPI equation. Single healthcare system in the Northeastern United States and relatively small African-American patient cohort may limit generalizability. Our study reveals a meaningful impact of race-adjusted eGFR on the care provided to the African-American CKD patient population.
Lessons Learned: Trapeziectomy and Suture Suspension Arthroplasty for Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis

In this study, we describe refinements of an accepted technique made by a single surgeon for trapeziectomy and suture suspension arthroplasty for thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis after 220 cases over 4 years. Results are derived from 77 patients who underwent treatment using this technique comparing postoperative results with preoperative assessment and had sufficient data for inclusion. The surgical technique is described, including tips and modifications to avoid known possible complications. All patients in this study had advanced Eaton stage III or IV osteoarthritis. Grip strength and key pinch showed statistically significant improvement, and the improvement in palmar pinch approached significance. Pain scores were significantly decreased with over 50% of the patients rating their pain at 0 postoperatively. The overall complication rate was very low, and improvements in technique were made to mitigate future occurrence. This surgical technique for the treatment of thumb CMC arthritis achieved pain relief and recreated ligamentous support of the base of the first metacarpal to resist proximal migration after trapeziectomy, providing an increase in grip strength and key pinch with return of range of motion early in the postoperative period. Refinements on this technique through a large volume single surgeon experience provide technical tips for optimizing outcomes.
Reconsidering Institutional Labor Economics

The author illustrates the utility of institutional labor economics and makes a case for a reconsideration of it. Two recent developments motivate this effort: the rise of New Personnel Economics (NPE) as a significant subfield of labor economics and the substantial shifts in work organization that have taken place since the 1990s. Understanding how and why firms have reorganized work opens the door for a renewed interest in institutional approaches. The author explains that the rules of institutional labor markets (ILMs) emerge from the competition between organizational interest groups - unions, personnel professionals, and the government - and competing views of firms' objectives - resulting in the rise of ILMs, the slow diffusion of High Performance Work Systems, strategies used to obtain a high level of commitment from workers, the use of contingent employees, and the spread of new promotion rules in response to equal employment opportunity pressures. As such, the role of power and influence in establishing work rules is of central concern, though more conventional NPE considerations also remain important.
The distributional effects of nudges.

Nudges are tools to achieve behavioural change. To evaluate nudges, it is essential to consider not only their overall welfare effects but also their distributional effects. Some nudges will not help, and might hurt, identifiable groups. More targeted, personalized nudging may be needed to maximize social welfare and promote distributive justice.
Migration and Development: A Framework to Identify the Links, Policies and Institutions that Matter

It is estimated that the gains to global welfare from a modest increase in migration greatly outweigh the gains to we(fare from any further trade liberalization. Yet, migration remains an ill-understood and under-researched instrument of development. In fact, only recently has the liberalization of labour markets been discussed in the same policy-oriented way as the liberalization of goods or capital markets. This address will present an analytical framework for thinking about economic migration and explore the channels through which development outcomes eventuate. It will distinguish between permanent and tempora1y migration flows and outline the policy challenges faced in both forms of movements. Both sending and receiving countries have a role to play in ensuring that migration policies are development friendly while remaining market-driven. In particular, it will highlight the market failures that plague the temporary movement of people and keep such movements at sub-optima/levels worldwide. These market failures are particularly onerous for the small fragile states of the Pacific that seek to improve the economic outcomes of their citizens through regional integration but are faced with the challenges of geography and size. Given the importance of promoting more pro-poor migration globally and in the Pacific, this keynote will outline the policy and institutional underpinnings that are needed to facilitate tempor01y programs for the poor.
Alexander Duality for Monomial Ideals and Their Resolutions

Alexander duality has, in the past, made its way into commutative algebra through Stanley-Reisner rings of simplicial complexes. This has the disadvantage that one is limited to squarefree monomial ideals. The notion of Alexander duality is generalized here to arbitrary monomial ideals. It is shown how this duality is naturally expressed by Bass numbers, in their relations to the Betti numbers of a monomial ideal and its Alexander dual. Relative cohomological constructions on cellular complexes are shown to relate cellular free resolutions of a monomial ideal to free resolutions of its Alexander dual ideal. As an application, a new canonical resolution for monomial ideals is constructed.
Using seismic sensors to detect elephants and other large mammals: a potential census technique

Summary 1. Large mammal populations are difficult to census and monitor in remote areas. In particular, elephant populations in Central Africa are difficult to census due to dense forest, making aerial surveys impractical. Conservation management would be improved by a census technique that was accurate and precise, did not require large efforts in the field, and could record numbers of animals over a period of time. 2. We report a new detection technique that relies on sensing the footfalls of large mammals. A single geophone was used to record the footfalls of elephants and other large mammal species at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia. 3. Temporal patterning of footfalls is evident for some species, but this pattern is lost when there is more than one individual present. 4. We were able to discriminate between species using the spectral content of their footfalls with an 82% accuracy rate. 5. An estimate of the energy created by passing elephants (the area under the amplitude envelope) can be used to estimate the number of elephants passing the geophone. Our best regression line explained 55% of the variance in the data. This could be improved upon by using an array of geophones. 6. Synthesis and applications. This technique, when calibrated to specific sites, could be used to census elephants and other large terrestrial species that are difficult to count. It could also be used to monitor the temporal use of restricted resources, such as remote waterholes, by large terrestrial species.
Suppression of Nonsense Mutations Induced by Expression of an RNA Complementary to a Conserved Segment of 23S rRNA

We identified a short RNA fragment, complementary to the Escherichia coli 23S rRNA segment comprising nucleotides 735 to 766 (in domain II), which when expressed in vivo results in the suppression of UGA nonsense mutations in two reporter genes. Neither UAA nor UAG mutations, examined at the same codon positions, were suppressed by the expression of this antisense rRNA fragment. Our results suggest that a stable phylogenetically conserved hairpin at nucleotides 736 to 760 in 23S rRNA, which is situated close to the peptidyl transferase center, may participate in one or more specific interactions during peptide chain termination.
Morphological Analysis of the Saphenous Nerve in the Dog

Owners spend millions of US dollars to alleviate pain from stifle osteoarthritis (OA) pain in pet dogs each year. Neurectomy of the saphenous nerve has been shown to effectively alleviate symptoms ...
Toward a More Fully Reciprocal Feminist Inquiry

I argue in this paper for a more reciprocal research process that interrogates the discursive production of experience and identity. I suggest that it is necessary to problematize the role of “interviewees” in the research process by recognizing that their experiences and their narrations of those experiences are discursive formations, created out of contested and contingent circumstances. In this way, we gain a more critical and less essentializing understanding of “others.”