cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1919: Warfarin-dependent gamma-carboxylation regulates androgen receptor activity

The anti-coagulant warfarin prevents the gamma-carboxylation (gla) of target proteins by interfering with the vitamin K cycle through its inhibition of the vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR). Most known gla proteins are found in the blood clotting cascade, but we demonstrate using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry that the androgen receptor (AR) can also be gamma-carboxylated. This modification occurs at amino acid 2E and can be prevented by warfarin treatment. This residue has been found to be mutated in partial androgen insensitivity syndrome patients. Warfarin, likely through its ability to control carboxylation, alters AR conformation and inhibits AR transcriptional activity, as does siRNA-mediated knockdown of VKOR, the target of warfarin. We further demonstrate that warfarin treatment reduces AR target gene expression in benign mouse prostate tissue in vivo. Interestingly, retrospective studies have shown that prolonged use of warfarin reduces the incidence of prostate cancer, an effect that is not observed for other cancers. In a small series of patients at our institution, we found that one allele of a functional SNP in VKOR is found at a significantly higher rate in prostate cancer patients than would be expected in the general population. We also found that VKOR is highly expressed in normal human prostate epithelia but is lost in cancerous tissue, a pattern of expression that appears to be unique to prostate cancer. We hypothesize that the lower prostate cancer incidence observed in men taking warfarin is due to the ability of warfarin to reduce AR activity, similar to the effect of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Importantly, we show for the first time that a nuclear receptor and transcription factor can be regulated by gamma-carboxylation. Citation Format: Ben Yi Tew, Teresa Hong, Sumanta K. Pal, Markus Kalkum, Jeremy Jones. Warfarin-dependent gamma-carboxylation regulates androgen receptor activity. [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 1919. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1919
Future developments in biosensors for field-ready Zika virus diagnostics

Since early reports of the recent Zika virus outbreak in May 2015, much has been learned and discussed regarding Zika virus infection and transmission. However, many opportunities still remain for translating these findings into field-ready sensors and diagnostics. In this brief review, we discuss current diagnostic methods, consider the prospects of translating other flavivirus biosensors directly to Zika virus sensing, and look toward the future developments needed for high-sensitivity and high-specificity biosensors to come.
Filamin A Deficiency Leads to Premature Platelet Formation and Increased Clearance

Abstract 2027 Filamin A (FlnA) is a large cytoplasmic protein that crosslinks and stabilizes actin filament networks and links membrane glycoproteins and signaling proteins to the underlying cytoskeleton. FlnA loxP-PF4-Cre mice that specifically lack FlnA in their platelets and megakaryocytes (MKs) have a macrothrombocytopenia with increased tail bleeding time. FlnA KO platelets have decreased surface expression of the von Willebrand factor receptor (vWfR) and are cleared rapidly from the circulation of WT mice, indicating an inherent surface defect that leads to detection and removal. FlnA loxP-PF4-Cre mice have a marked increase in MK numbers in bone marrow and spleen. Detailed analysis of platelet production by FlnA KO MKs in vitro reveals an altered maturation program and defects in vWfR stability, compared to WT. Surprisingly, the surface expression of vWfR components (Ibα, Ibβ, IX and V) on FlnA KO MKs is normal or increased compared to WT MKs, although the total amount of GPIbα is decreased and GPIbα is not associated with the actin cytoskeleton. Analysis of the GPIbβ subunit shows increased degradation in FlnA KO MKs and platelets. Although FlnA KO and WT MK cultures contain comparable cell numbers, FlnA KO MKs more rapidly convert their proplatelets into large CD61 + platelet-sized particles. These findings suggest that aberrant platelet maturation by FlnA KO MKs results in enlarged platelets that are cleared rapidly because of altered vWfR expression. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
π–π Interactions

Noncovalent associations between arenes and heteroarenes have important structural and functional consequences for organic synthesis, biological structure and binding, synthetic molecular recognition, supramolecular chemistry, π-conjugated materials, and crystal engineering. This article, drawing on the most recent theoretical and experimental data, discusses the fundamental “nature” of (hetero)arene association and how the geometry and energy of the interaction vary in response to substituents, size, curvature, and solvent.
The Civil Side of Criminal Procedure: Back to the Future?

This Essay, an introduction to a symposium on the Civil Side of Criminal Procedure, explains the critical role of civil litigation in guiding and checking the criminal justice system and how both civil and criminal procedure may be reformed to improve compliance by law enforcement officers with legal limits on investigation and prosecution. For roughly the first century under the Constitution, civil litigation based on the common law torts of trespass, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution provided the primary regulation of American law enforcement. Systemic reliance on private law made sense while criminal law enforcement, prosecution included, was conducted largely by private persons. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the criminal justice became administered by full-time public officers, and the regulatory structure evolved. A regime of administrative discretion regulated at the margins by exclusionary rules and the residual threat of tort liability has been in place ever since. The articles in the Symposium invite the speculation that civil proceedings may bring criminal procedure back to the future, and provide some intriguing glimpses of what such a future might look like.
Dose-dense (DD) cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) at 14-day intervals: A pilot study of every 14- and 10–11-day dosing intervals for women with early-stage breast cancer

590 Background: CMF (C 600 mg/m2, M 40 mg/m2, F 600 mg/m2) is an option for adjuvant therapy for patients with low risk early stage breast cancer. DD regimens as predicted by mathematical models of cancer growth and treatment response are superior. We previously demonstrated the safety of DD EC (epirubicin/cyclophosphamide) followed by paclitaxel at 10–11 day (d) intervals. We investigated the feasibility of administering DD adjuvant CMF every 14 d and then every 10–11 d in a 2-stage phase II trial. Methods: An initial cohort (A) was treated q 14 d with PEG-filgrastim (Neulasta) support. A second cohort (B) was treated every 10–11 d with filgrastim/Neupogen x 5 d and then, based on feasibility, modified (cohort C) to use 7 d filgrastim. The primary end point was feasibility defined as having ANC > 1.5 x 103/uL on day 1 of planned treatment for all 8 cycles with no grade 3 or higher non-hematologic toxicity. All three cohorts were tested using a Simon's two-stage optimal design with type I and type II erro...
Yeast dynamin associates with the GARP tethering complex for endosome-to-Golgi traffic

Yeast dynamin, Vacuolar Protein Sorting 1 (Vps1), has been implicated in recycling traffic from the endosome to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Previous research showed a genetic interaction of Vps1 with all components of the GARP tethering complex, which anchors vesicles at the late Golgi membrane. We used the yeast two-hybrid system and have identified a 33 amino acid segment of Vps51, a GARP subunit, that interacts with Vps1. Based on sequence homology between Vps51 and its mammalian homolog Ang2 in the 33 amino acids stretch, we identified two key residues of Vps51, E127 and Y129, that bind Vps1. The replacement of these residues led to severe defects in endosome-to-TGN transport of Snc1, providing evidence of the physiological relevance of the interaction of Vps51 with Vps1 for the traffic. Furthermore, our functional analysis revealed that Vps1 acts upstream of Vps51 and that the absence of Vps1 resulted in reduced localization levels of Vps51 and its binding partner Tlg1 to the late Golgi. Taken together, we propose that Vps1 functions with the GARP tethering machinery for efficient tethering/fusion at the TGN.
DONALDSON BROWN (1885–1965): THE POWER OF AN INDIVIDUAL AND HIS IDEAS OVER TIME

ABSTRACT Donaldson Brown developed the expanded Return on Investment (ROI) measure, or DuPont formula, in l914. However ROI was not Brown's only contribution to financial management. His dealer ten-day reporting system was widely and rapidly adopted throughout the auto industry. His ideas to support a variety of forecasting and planning techniques supported decentralized corporate management and his pricing processes were cutting-edge developments that others tried to emulate. Flexible budgeting at General Motors, frequently unrecognized, also was in place during his financial administration in the early l920s. ROI remains Brown's most prominent contribution and the technique achieved status as a dominant approach to financial management in industrial corporations by the l950s. As a national standard-of-performance measure, it was supported by varying sources including the American Management Association as well as in the teaching materials of academics, especially Robert N. Anthony of the Harvard Busines...
Balanoid Barnacles from the Early Miocene Parachucla and Penney Farms Formations, Northern Florida

Balanus reflexus n. sp., geologically the earliest member of the B. amphitrite Darwin complex in the New World, Cuncavus crassostricula Zullo, a species originally described from the early Miocene (Aquitanian) of North Carolina, and "Solidobalanus” sp. indet., apparently related to the middle Eocene through early Oligocene "Solidobalanus" antiquus (Meyer-) complex of the Gulf Coastal Plain, occur in the early Miocene (Aquitanian) Parachucla and laterally equivalent Penney Farms Formations in Columbia and Hamilton Counties, northern Florida. These species, together with Actinabalanus .f7oridanus Zullo and Perreault from the late early Miocene (Burdigalian) Chi pol a Formation of the Florida Panhandle, and Balanus humilus Conrad, a nomen dubium purportedly from the Tampa Limestone and Hawthorne Formation, comprise the known Miocene cirriped fauna of Florida.
Consumer use and response to online third-party raw DNA interpretation services.

Background With the availability of raw DNA generated from direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing companies, there has been a proliferation of third-party online services that are available to interpret the raw data for both genealogy and/or health purposes. This study examines the current landscape and downstream clinical implications of consumer use of third-party services. Methods Study participants were recruited online from social media platforms. A total of 321 survey respondents reported using third-party services for raw DNA interpretation. Results Participants were highly motivated to explore raw DNA for ancestral information (67%), individual health implications (62%), or both (40%). Participants primarily used one of seven companies to interpret raw DNA; 73% used more than one. Company choice was driven by the type of results offered (51%), price (45%), and online reviews (31%). Approximately 30% of participants shared results with a medical provider and 21% shared with more than one. Outcomes of sharing ranged from disinterest/discounting of the information to diagnosis of genetic conditions. Participants were highly satisfied with their decision to analyze raw DNA (M = 4.54/5), yet challenges in understanding interpretation results were reported irrespective of satisfaction ratings. Conclusion Consumers face challenges in understanding the results and may seek out clinical assistance in interpreting their raw DNA results.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue by Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract NiO nanoparticles were synthesized by a chemical precipitation method using nickel nitrate as precursors and Sodium hydroxide as precipitating agent. The NiO nanoparticles have been successfully used as a photocatalyst for degradation of Methylene Blue dye from the aqueous medium. The synthesized nanoparticles were studied by powder XRD, FESEM, EDAX and FTIR spectroscopy. The powder XRD result revealed that the obtained samples were nickel oxide with face centered cubic structure. The particle size and the morphology of NiO nanoparticles were studied by the FESEM. The EDAX and FTIR analyses confirmed the formation of NiO nanoparticles. The Photocatalytic degradation study results revealed that the NiO nanoparticles are potential photocatalyst in degradation of Methylene blue.
Defining Pharmacological Targets by Analysis of Virus-Host Protein Interactions.

Abstract Viruses are obligate parasites that depend on cellular factors for replication. Pharmacological inhibition of essential viral proteins, mostly enzymes, is an effective therapeutic alternative in the absence of effective vaccines. However, this strategy commonly encounters drug resistance mechanisms that allow these pathogens to evade control. Due to the dependency on host factors for viral replication, pharmacological disruption of the host-pathogen protein–protein interactions (PPIs) is an important therapeutic alternative to block viral replication. In this review we discuss salient aspects of PPIs implicated in viral replication and advances in the development of small molecules that inhibit viral replication through antagonism of these interactions.
Krise und Reform des Produkthaftungsrechts

Wiederholt wurde in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten auf Bundesebene der Versuch unternommen das US-amerikanische Produkthaftungsrecht zu reformieren bzw. ein bundeseinheitlich geltendes Produkthaftungsgesetz zu erlassen, um die zahlreichen und verwirrenden Unterschiede der bestehen den Rechtsauffassungen zu beseitigen. Immer wieder sind diese Versuche aus unterschiedlichsten Grunden gescheitert — zuletzt im Jahre 1996 am Vetorecht von Prasident Clinton wahrend seiner zweiten Amtsperiode.
Plane-Pair PEEC modeling for package power layer nets with inductance extraction

Recent FPGAs and CPUs consume significant power, and a low impedance power distribution network (PDN) is critical to get a robust performance. The decoupling capacitors in package usually provide charge for mid frequency switching currents, from tens of MHz to a few hundreds of MHz. The effectiveness of these capacitors are limited by the inductance associated with the current loop. Although commercial tools can estimate the PDN impedance, they do not generate a physics-based circuit which provides insight of where the inductance collects. In this short paper, a plane pair partial element equivalent circuit (PPP) method is applied to extract the inductance of the power layers on package. The method is validated by comparing with the cavity model and a commercial tool. The extracted inductance can be used to generate a physics based circuit model.
Using Candlestick Charting and Dynamic Time Warping for Data Behavior Modeling and Trend Prediction for MWSN in IoT

There is a rapid emergence of new applications involving mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN) in the field of Internet of Things (IoT). Although useful, MWSN still carry the restrictions of having limited memory, energy, and computational capacity. At the same time, the amount of data collected in the IoT is exponentially increasing. We propose Behavior-Based Trend Prediction (BBTP), a data abstraction and trend prediction technique, designed to address the limited memory constraint in addition to providing future trend predictions. Predictions made by BBTP can be employed by real-time decision-making applications and data monitoring. BBTP applies a candlestick charting technique to abstract the data behavior of a time partition in evolving data streams. It also quantifies differences between a pair of consecutive time partitions using dynamic time warping (DTW) at the sensor node. Then, it forwards the data to an Internet-enabled device, where the sensor’s future data trends are predicted using a multi-class Support Vector Machine (SVM). A comparative study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of our BBTP method on real-world datasets. Our results demonstrate that data trends predicted by BBTP achieve better precision, recall, and accuracy score when contrasted against four well-known techniques while reducing the space complexity by at least a factor of 10.
Who Will Drive the Change? Democratizing Health Data

The author discusses the importance of stakeholders outside of the public health and health care sectors to support interventions targeting social and environmental contexts to improve community and population health.
A Comparative Genomics Perspective on the Origin of Multicellularity and Early Animal Evolution

The genetic basis of the origin of animal multicellularity and the subsequent diversification of complex animal forms has been a long-standing question in biology. In the past decade, the genomes of species representing early-branching animal lineages and close unicellular relatives of animals were sequenced, providing an unprecedented wealth of data from these understudied phyla. This chapter focuses on comparative genomic analyses of four animal lineages, cnidarians, ctenophores, placozoans, and sponges, and of two unicellular lineages, choanoflagellates and filastereans. These studies revealed striking conservation of gene structure and genomic organization among animals, and uncovered deep evolutionary origins of the genetic circuits underlying biological processes essential for animal biology, including cell cycle control, cell growth, programmed cell death, and specialized cell types. Genomic analyses therefore allow us to infer that all extant animals have descended from an ancestor with a complex genome that encoded a vast majority of the gene content responsible for biological processes in vertebrates. Strikingly, genomes of animals that lack specialized cell types such as muscles and neurons encode the molecular machinery required for the function of these cell types. Thus, the genomic events by which the ancestral animal genome gave rise to gross differences in animal morphology remain unknown. The genome sequences described here will enable future functional genetic studies of anciently-evolved genes in early-branching animal lineages and their unicellular relatives to decipher the evolution of animal body plans.
Constraining the Impact of Bacteria on the Aqueous Atmospheric Chemistry of Small Organic Compounds

In this study, we use a modeling approach to evaluate the potential impact of microbial metabolism on the organic composition of cloud droplets and atmospheric aerosols. Microbial consumption rates...
The New Media Centers' Consortium: A Tool for Legitimizing Technology in Higher Education.

AbstractThis article reports a portion of a large ethnographic study that examined one facility associated with the New Media Centers’ consortium. The New Media Centers’ consortium consists of technology companies and academic institutions that have joined together in an effort to create innovative multimedia facilities on college campuses across the country and beyond. The article suggests that the facility, and its unique association with the national consortium, was used as a tool for change. This article encourages readers to evaluate the role technology in higher education, and to develop an understanding of how that role is legitimized.
A Comparison of Multiple Methods for Short-Term Load Forecasting

We present five methods for probabilistic short-term load forecasting, namely, Bayesian estimation, a rank-reduction method based on principal component analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) estimation, ridge regression, and a supervised learning approach called scaled conjugate gradient neural network. We aim to incorporate the load and temperature effects directly in these methods to reflect hourly patterns of electrical demand. We provide empirical results based on data sets used in the Global Energy Forecasting Competition 2014 and show that ridge regression has a marginal advantage over the other methods.
Markets, Firms, and Publicly Held Corporations

If owners of factors of production could exchange their goods in the market without incurring marketing or transaction costs, they would do so without the need to establish a firm. Transaction costs are defined as “search and information costs, bargaining and decision costs, policing and enforcement costs” (Dahlman 1979). The Coase Theorem presents this frictionless market model as a means of demonstrating how positive transaction costs create appropriate incentives for the owners of factors of production to organize themselves within a firm (Coase 1937, 1960, 1988).
Comparative population genetics of the federally endangered Relict Darter, and its sister taxon the Clarks Darter (Teleostei: Percidae)

The southeastern United States harbors one of the most diverse temperate freshwater fish faunas of the world. Unfortunately, due to improper land use practices and habitat degradation, many of the species in this region are imperiled and may become extinct without appropriate conservation efforts. This study examined the population dynamics of an endangered endemic darter of southwest Kentucky, the Relict Darter (Etheostoma chienense) and its sister taxon, the undescribed Clarks Darter (Etheostoma cf. oophylax). Mitochondrial sequence data coupled with SNP data were used to infer population structure, gene flow, genetic variation, and effective population sizes of both species. The results from this study, based on 160 individuals from nine localities, indicate that the endangered Relict Darter possesses limited genetic variation based on mitochondrial DNA haplotypes (N = 4). In addition, SNP data (6.8 k markers) further indicates limited genetic structure (K = 1), as well as a low effective population size (143–918), suggesting that the Relict Darter can be managed as a single, panmictic conservation unit. It is suggested that conservation efforts be taken to protect remaining habitats, augment the system with artificial spawning substrates, and, as a last resort (if needed), supplement the natural population with captive reared individuals. Ethesotoma cf. oophylax showed some genetic variation among distant sites, but more samples are needed throughout the range in order to fully understand the population dynamics of this species.
Patterning and fusion of alumina particles on S7 tool steel by pulsed laser processing

Abstract The performance of many engineering instruments is directly influenced by the instrument’s subparts and their surface properties due to the frequent occurrence of interacting, mating, and sliding surfaces. Due to these effects, significant work is on-going studying the unique tribological properties that multi-scale surface patterns can induce. When a micro-sized pulsed laser is used to irradiate metallic samples, fluid forces in the melt pool cause flows due to surface tension and Marangoni flow. These induced flows can be used to form multi-scale surface patterns. If the metallic melt pool contains individual, non-dissolving constituents, these flows can also cause those constituents within the melt pool to separate and multi-material surface patterns to form. In this work, the formation of multi-material surface patterns through pulsed laser remelting of S7 tool steel that has been dip-coated with alumina nanoparticles through the sol-gel process is demonstrated. Various characterization techniques are used to quantify the materials and mechanical properties of those laser-induced multi-material patterns. Within the melt zone, martensite, carbide particles, and retained austenite appear after rapid cooling, resulting in increased hardness. Additionally, the melt zone and the heat affected zone is back tempered by consecutive laser pulses, causing a nonuniform hardness across the individual laser patterns. The flows within the melt pool cause the alumina nanoparticles to concentrate at the edge of melt zone, forming a pattern higher than the surface outside of the melt zone. Those alumina patterns possess a denser structure, higher hardness, and better cohesion to the base compared to the unprocessed dip-coated layer. Therefore, pulsed laser processing is a promising method to produce consolidated patterns on the S7 tool steel surface with oxide coatings such as alumina. The method is flexible and scalable and could be used to obtain various multi-material surface patterns inexpensively.
Non-prehensile manipulation of a devil-stick: planar symmetric juggling using impulsive forces

Juggling a devil-stick can be described as a problem of non-prehensile manipulation. Assuming that the devil-stick remains confined to the vertical plane, the problem of juggling the stick between two symmetric configurations is considered. Impulsive forces are applied to the stick intermittently and the impulse of the force and its point of application are modeled as control inputs to the system. The dynamics of the devil-stick due to the impulsive forces and gravity is described by half-return maps between two Poincare sections; the symmetric configurations are fixed points of these sections. A coordinate transformation is used to convert the juggling problem to that of stabilization of one of the fixed points. Inclusion of the coordinate transformation in the dynamic model results in a nonlinear discrete-time system. A dead-beat design for one of the inputs simplifies the control problem and results in a linear time-invariant discrete-time system. Standard control techniques are used to show that symmetric juggling can be achieved from arbitrary initial conditions.
Differences between cancer patients and others who use medicinal Cannabis.

Background Cancer patients have been at the forefront of policy discussions leading to legalization of medical Cannabis (marijuana). Unfortunately, Cannabis use among those with cancer is poorly understood. Methods A diverse group of patients seeking certification for medical Cannabis in the state of Michigan were surveyed at the time of their presentation to medical dispensaries. The survey assessed demographics, employment/disability, pain, physical functioning, mental health, mode of Cannabis use, and frequency/amount of Cannabis use. Chi-square and t-tests were performed to compare those who did and did not endorse cancer diagnosis. Results Analysis of data from 1485 adults pursuing medical Cannabis certification, including 72 (4.8%) reporting a cancer diagnosis, indicated that those with cancer were older [mean age 53.4 years (SD = 10.5) vs. 44.7 years (SD = 13.0); p<0.001] than those without cancer. They also differed regarding employment status (p<0.001; working: 20.8% vs. 46.2%; disabled: 44.4% vs. 26.5% for those with vs. those without cancer, respectively). Those with cancer used less Cannabis (p = 0.033 for quantity used) and used Cannabis less often (p = 0.032 for frequency of use); they less frequently endorsed smoking Cannabis (80% vs 91%; p = 0.015). There was a non-significant trend to increased edible use in those with cancer (57% vs. 44%; p = 0.052). Conclusions Patients with cancer who are seeking medical Cannabis are different from those seeking medical Cannabis without cancer, and they report using Cannabis differently. Further research to characterize the patterns and consequences of Cannabis use in cancer patients is needed.
COVID-19, economic anxiety, and support for international economic integration

There are growing concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic is strengthening nationalism around the world by fueling discrimination, unilateralism, and economic crises. However, there have been few empirical analyses of the effect of the pandemic on individuals' level of nationalism. Using evidence from two original surveys conducted in Canada in 2019 and 2020, I show that public support for international economic integration has increased rather than decreased since the outbreak of the pandemic. The survey data point to economic anxiety induced by the pandemic as a key mechanism shaping individuals' attitudes towards international economic integration. While the existing literature has found that negative economic sentiment depresses support for international economic integration, economic anxiety appears to be positively related to support for integration in the COVID-19 era. My findings therefore run counter to current arguments about the effect of the pandemic and to expectations based on the existing literature. Gaining a better empirical understanding of the relationship between the pandemic and nationalism in public opinion is particularly important at a time when international cooperation is needed to address both COVID-19 and its economic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Prediction of underwater residual lung volume in healthy men and women.

Regression equations are commonly used to predict residual lung volume (RV) during underwater weighing when measurement is not practical. However, the equations currently available were derived from on-land measures of RV and may account for changes in lung capacity during submersion, thus leading to inaccuracies in assessment of percent body fat (%BF). The purpose of this study was to (1) develop a new equation (RVNEW ) for the prediction of underwater RV, (2) cross-validate RVNEW and compare it to existing RV equations, and (3) compare the effects of RVNEW and existing equations on underwater %BF. One-hundred seventy-five healthy adults were recruited to complete simultaneous hydrostatic weighing and RV measurements. The sample was randomly divided into development (n = 131) and cross-validation (n = 44) cohorts. Regression analysis in the development cohort resulted in the following equation: underwater RV = -3·419 + 0·026 × height (cm) + 0·019 × age (y) (p 0·95) and limits of agreement ≤4·7%. The results of this study suggest that RVNEW may be more appropriate for RV estimation during hydrostatic weighing than existing equations. However, its applicability to populations outside the current study needs to be examined.
Overall survival with circulating tumor DNA-guided therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

9009Background: The effectiveness of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) at matching patients to life prolonging therapy has been studied mostly in small cohorts with limited follow up. The prognostic va...
Complete Dictionary Recovery Using Nonconvex Optimization

We consider the problem of recovering a complete (i.e., square and invertible) dictionary A0, from Y = A0X0 with Y e Rn×p. This recovery setting is central to the theoretical understanding of dictionary learning. We give the first efficient algorithm that provably recovers A0 when X0 has O(n) nonzeros per column, under suitable probability model for X0. Prior results provide recovery guarantees when X0 has only O (√n) nonzeros per column. Our algorithm is based on nonconvex optimization with a spherical constraint, and hence is naturally phrased in the language of manifold optimization. Our proofs give a geometric characterization of the high-dimensional objective landscape, which shows that with high probability there are no spurious local minima. Experiments with synthetic data corroborate our theory. Full version of this paper is available online: http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.06785.
Chapter 12 Methods in Paramecium Research

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses methods in Paramecium research. Paramecium and other eukaryotic unicells occupy a strategically important level of biological structure and function between the levels of prokaryotic and multicellular organisms. Paramecium possesses many attractive research features, some of them are (1) it is readily obtainable from nature, from commercial sources, and from investigators. (2) It is readily cultivated in isolation by methods varying from the simplest and crudest to fully defined axenic culture, and several others. Methods used in research on the general biology and genetics of P. aurelia were set forth by Sonneborn. This chapter updates the summary and extends it to all species of Paramecium. Paramecium caudatum, P. multimicronucleatum, P. aurelia, and P. bursaria occur commonly, and P. trichium and P. polycaryum less commonly, in still and moving fresh-water. For ecological and other studies that require sampling of natural sources Hairston and Kellerman exploited the long-known fact that paramecia swim toward the cathode in a weak electric current. The results of genetic work on higher organisms led to the concept of the gene that made possible the successful attack on the molecular genetics of bacteria and viruses.
Sighs and gasps in a dish.

The isolated vertebrate brainstem can produce not only the normal breathing rhythm, but also sighs and gasps. All three patterns may involve the same neural circuit.
Structure Elucidation of a Senescence Cross-Link from Human Extracellular Matrix: Implication of Pentoses in the Aging Process *

Isolation and structure elucidation of an acid-resistant fluorescent molecule from human extracellular matrix revealed the presence of an imidazo[4,5-b]pyridinium molecule comprising a lysine and an arginine residue cross-linked by a pentose. Structure confirmation was achieved in vitro by the nonenzymatic reaction of ribose with lysine and arginine residues. The cross-link, named pentosidine, could also be synthesized with isomers of ribose, arabinose, xylose, and lyxose as well as by incubating young human collagen with these sugars at 37 ° C. Pentosidine was found in a variety of human tissues including plasma proteins and red blood cells. Its presence in cells grown in culture strongly suggests ribose or ribonucleotide metabolites as precursors. The unexpected discovery of pentose-mediated protein cross-linking raises new questions concerning the aging process.
Identification and purification of a renal amiloride-binding protein with properties of the Na+-H+ exchanger.

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify and purify the Na+-H+ exchanger from rabbit renal brush border membranes by use of affinity chromatography. Triton-solubilized membranes were equilibrated with an affinity matrix consisting of the amiloride analogue A35 (5-N-(3-aminophenyl)amiloride) covalently coupled to Sepharose CL-4B beads through a triglycine spacer arm. The matrix was then washed extensively with buffer and sequentially eluted with buffer, buffer containing 5 mM amiloride, and 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Eluates were concentrated and subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The silver-stained gel revealed a 25-kDa protein that was not visible in the initial solubilized brush border membrane extract, was not eluted from the affinity matrix by buffer alone, but was eluted with 5 mM amiloride. A subsequent elution with 1% SDS did not release any more of the 25-kDa protein, indicating that it had been completely eluted from the affinity matrix by amiloride. The presence of 5 mM amiloride during equilibration of the solubilized brush border extract with the affinity matrix completely blocked adsorption of the 25-kDa protein. The relative abundance of this protein correlated closely with Na+-H+ exchange activity when preparations of cortical brush border membrane vesicles, outer medullary brush border membrane vesicles, and cortical basolateral membrane vesicles were compared. Moreover, binding of the protein to the affinity matrix was inhibited by amiloride and amiloride analogues with a rank order identical to that for inhibition of Na+-H+ exchange activity. These findings strongly suggest that the 25-kDa protein is a structural component of the Na+-H+ exchanger.
Abstract W P316: Improved Detection and Treatment of Post-Stroke Depression Utilizing Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) Screening over Standard Methods

Background and Purpose: Post-stroke depression is common, with an estimated prevalence of 30-35%. This study assessed the null hypothesis that PHQ-9 screening is equivalent to standard care (suicide screening + provider assessment) in detection of post-stroke depression. A secondary outcome was to assess the optimal timing and setting to perform PHQ-9 screening after stroke. Methods: PHQ-9 screenings and modified Rankin Scales were conducted in a prospective study population (n=49) at three time points - inpatient within 48 hours of admission for stroke, 7 days after discharge at the outpatient stroke clinic, and by telephone at 90 days. Actionable treatment of depression defined as psychiatry referral and/or initiation of antidepressants were recorded. A retrospective control group (n=125), prior to initiation of the PHQ-9, was reviewed to determine baseline rates for treatment of depression. Results: PHQ-9 screening increased actionable treatment of depression over standard methods from 5.6% to 18.4% (p=0.009, 95% CI 1.6-25% increase) with similar baseline characteristics of age (p=0.406), gender (p=0.9), and antidepressant therapy prior to admission (p=0.377) between groups. 20.4% of the study population had a score of ≥ 10 (depression) at one time point and 59% of the study population had a score of ≥5 signifying minimal symptoms of depression at one time point. 51% experienced an increase in their PHQ-9 from inpatient screening to the outpatient stroke clinic. A significant number, 28.6%, were lost to follow-up at 90 days. In multivariate analysis, predictors of high PHQ-9 scores in stroke patients were young age (p=0.015) and trend with prior antidepressant use (p=0.06). Gender was insignificant (p=0.266). Conclusions: PHQ-9 screening significantly increased our detection and treatment of post-stroke depression and sub-optimally treated pre-morbid depression. The outpatient stroke clinic seems to be the optimal time point for screening due to increased scores and the difficulty in obtaining scores at 90 days. Young age and prior antidepressant use predispose high PHQ-9 scores post-stroke.
Pathogenicity of a Strain of Trichomonas gallinarum in Turkeys and Its Possible Interaction with Cecal Coccidia

The pathogenicity of Trichomonas gallinarum (TG) in turkeys and chickens was assessed in a series of four experiments. TG was shown to be resistant to freezing for a period of 1 hr at -20 C; birds administered an emulsion of previously frozen TG were readily infected. Young birds receiving this inoculum were more likely to be infected with TG in both ceca compared with birds administered TG emulsion that had remained at room temperature for the same length of time. In this and other experiments, birds infected with the parasite consistently produced a yellow frothy liquid in the ceca, as well as small raised papulae on the mucosal surface of the ceca. Histologically, the lesions were located in the lamina propria, with openings that extended from the apex of the lesion to the crypts. The lamina propria was consistently infiltrated by lymphocytes and scattered heterophiles. Although TG is likely involved in the pathogenesis of the lesions, the resulting pathology could not be linked definitively to TG alone because inoculation was performed with a cecal contents homogenate containing significant numbers of cecal bacteria. Combined infections of TG and Eimeria adenoides (EA) were also studied. Turkeys administered both parasites were more frequently infected with TG in both ceca compared with those that received TG alone. Ceca infected with TG alone tended to be enlarged and gas filled, whereas those infected with the combination of TG and EA were smaller and usually lacked the yellow frothy liquid contents.
Morphological and Cytogenetic Effects of Isotox 25 Seed Treater (F) (Lindane and Captan) on Roots and Chromosomes of Rye (Secale cereale L.)

Isotox 25 Seed Treater (F) was applied at recommended rates to dry seeds of rye which were allowed to germinate. Roots from treated seeds were short and thickened near the apex. Cells of root tips showed greatly enlarged cells possessing nuclei exhibiting various levels of polyploidy.
Fatigue life prediction using 2‐scale temporal asymptotic homogenization

In this manuscript, fatigue of structures is modelled as a multiscale phenomenon in time domain. Multiple temporal scales are introduced due to the fact that the load period is orders of magnitude smaller than the useful life span of a structural component. The problem of fatigue life prediction is studied within the framework of mathematical homogenization with two temporal co-ordinates. By this approach the original initial boundary value problem is decomposed into coupled micro-chronological (fast time-scale) and macro-chronological (slow time-scale) problems. The life prediction methodology has been implemented in ABAQUS and validated against direct cycle-by-cycle simulations. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative synthetic substrate kinetics of porcine acrosin and porcine β-trypsin

Abstract 1. 1. Acrosin demonstrated a preferential binding of arginine containing substrates relative to lysine containing substrates and bound benzoyl containing substrates better than tosyl containing substrates. 2. 2. No clear cut pattern was observed in the maximal velocities of the acrosin catalyzed reactions. 3. 3. β-Trypsin manifested no selectivity for substrates containing arginine over lysine in either binding or maximal velocity, but greater maximal velocities were obtained for tosyl containing substrates relative to benzoyl containing substrates. 4. 4. The difference between the Kmapp, values for amide substrates and ester substrates indicated that acrosin hydrolysis proceeded through the classical double displacement mechanism.
The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in fetal cord samples utilized as serum supplements for in vitro fertilization.

Prior to initiating routine fetal cord serum (FCS) supplementation in our in vitro laboratory, the incidence of HIV in 306 random fetal cord samples obtained at the Labor and Delivery Unit of the Johns Hopkins Hospital from July 1985 to January 1988 was determined from a crosssectional patient sample. Of 306 samples, 3 (0.98%) were positive for HIV, and confirmed by Western blot analysis, enzyme immunoassay (ELISA), a prevalence significantly higher than a national sample (0.012%). The use of FCS in this setting was determined to be an unacceptable risk to patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. The 90-day quarantine period for verification of HIV seronegativity applied to semen donors may not be applicable to FCS sampling. Patient risk may also increase with pooling of FCS samples prior to HIV testing.
Ab Initio Photoisomerization Dynamics of a Simple Retinal Chromophore Model

The photoisomerization of the 11-cis-retinal-protonated Schiff base PSB11 (the chromophore of rhodopsin) to its all-trans isomer (PSBT) is the primary event of vision.1 Recent experimental investigation of the dynamics of native2,3 and 11cis-locked3 PSB11 in rhodopsin suggests that relaxation from the Franck-Condon (FC) region leads to a transient “fluorescent state” with a lifetime of 50-60 fs followed by the cis f trans motion leading to the formation of ground-state PSBT within 200 fs.4 Similar behavior has been observed for bacteriorhodopsin5 and for PSB11, PSB9, and PSBT in solution.6,7
Cocaine-induced reduction of brain neuropeptide Y synthesis dependent on medial prefrontal cortex

Abstract Repeated administration of cocaine elicits substantial, long-lasting, but reversible reductions in neuropeptide Y (NPY) and NPY mRNA in the rat cerebral cortex and nucleus accumbens. The NPY reduction appears to be mediated through a decrease in NPY biosynthesis, occurring transneuronally, perhaps in response to changes in synaptic dopamine associated with mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine neurons. The medial prefrontal cortex appears necessary for maintenance of cocaine's action on this neuronal network since excitotoxic lesions of this area prevented (lesion before cocaine) and reversed (lesion after cocaine) the reductions in NPY elicited by the cocaine. NPY may be a sensitive marker for chronic cocaine use. Its decrease may relate to the anxiety and depression associated with cocaine withdrawal in humans.
Maternal diet but not gestational weight gain predicts central adiposity accretion in utero among pregnant adolescents

Maternal diet but not gestational weight gain predicts central adiposity accretion in utero among pregnant adolescents
The synergistic action of lysozyme and trypsin in bacteriolysis.

Abstract The degree of synergism resulting from the concomitant action of lysozyme and trypsin on heated cells was influenced by cell and enzyme concentration, age, and pH of incubation. The enzyme system completely lysed species of the following genera: Aerobacter, Escherichia, Neisseria, Salmonella, Sarcina, Micrococcus, and Bacillus. Moderate response was elicited by species of Proteus, Serratia, Pseudomonas, and Streptomyces. A similar synergistic response has been observed on cells pretreated with agents other than heat. Certain chemicals, e.g., dilute alkali and lipoidal solvents, conditioned the enzymatic lysis of M. pyogenes var. aureus, fM. pyogenes var. albus and S. aurantiaca, species which hitherto could not be lysed by the lysozyme-trypsin combination. The implications of these studies as regards the presence and disposition of cellular substrate have been discussed.
Challenges to Modeling Dynamics in Developing a Developmental Understanding of Father-Child Relationships

This article discusses the challenges of theorizing and modeling father–child relationships in a developmentally sensitive context. Challenges to the creation of comprehensive theories are briefly discussed and concerns with conceptualizations of father involvement are reviewed. An alternative view of father–child relationships is garnered from meta-analytic perspectives. Affective climate, behavioral style and relational synchrony are identified as factors that always matter in father–child relationships regardless of the age of gender of the child, the context of fathering, or moderating factors.