cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting speech-in-noise and speech-in-speech recognition for school-age children with hearing loss

Children with hearing loss require a more advantageous SNR than children with normal hearing to achieve comparable masked speech recognition performance. Although children with hearing loss continue to have difficulties even when appropriately fitted with hearing aids, individual differences are often substantial. This study evaluated the influence of age, degree of hearing loss, aided audibility, and daily hearing aid use on speech-in-noise and speech-in-speech recognition on a sample of 47 children (5-17 years) with bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss. Age-matched children with normal hearing were also tested. Each child completed open-set monosyllabic word recognition in two masker conditions; speech-shaped noise and two-talker speech. Thresholds for 50% correct were measured in each masker using an adaptive tracking procedure. Compared to children with normal hearing, thresholds for children with hearing loss were elevated by an average of 7.4 dB in the noise masker and 6.5 dB in the speech masker. Preliminary results indicate that both age and aided audibility were significant predictors of performance for children with hearing loss in both masker conditions. Hearing aid use was a significant predictor of performance in noise. Degree of hearing loss was not associated with performance in either masker when aided audibility was taken into account.
Adjustment Problems in Early Adulthood Among Victims of Childhood Physical Abuse: A Focus on Adolescent Risk and Protective Factors

Physical abuse in childhood places individuals at risk for many behavioral and mental health problems in adulthood. Nevertheless, not all abused children will ultimately experience these negative o...
A comparison of glenohumeral joint kinematics and muscle activation during standard and geared manual wheelchair mobility

Abstract The high prevalence of upper extremity joint injuries among manual wheelchair users is largely attributed to the high repetitive loading during propulsion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using geared wheels for manual wheelchair mobility on shoulder joint biomechanics. Fourteen able-bodied participants performed overground propulsion and ramp ascension using standard and geared manual wheelchair wheels. Spatial temporal parameters, glenohumeral joint kinematics, and shoulder muscle activity were quantified. Findings indicated that regardless of the level of slope, the propulsion speed and stroke distance decreased significantly (p ≪ 0.001), and the stroke frequency increased significantly (p ≤ 0.025) during geared manual wheelchair propulsion. The glenohumeral joint ranges of motion in the coronal plane (p ≤ 0.005) and peak joint angles in the coronal (p ≤ 0.023) and transverse (p ≤ 0.012) planes were significantly different between standard and geared wheels usage. Shoulder muscle activity was substantially less using the geared wheels with significant findings in the pectoralis major (level floor, p ≤ 0.008) and infraspinatus (p ≤ 0.014) peak muscle activity, and the anterior deltoid (p ≤ 0.014) and pectoralis major (p ≤ 0.015) integrated muscle activity. However, the shoulder flexor normalized integrated muscle activity (muscle activity per stroke distance) was not different between the wheels.
An electrostatic spectral neighbor analysis potential for lithium nitride

Machine-learned interatomic potentials based on local environment descriptors represent a transformative leap over traditional potentials based on rigid functional forms in terms of prediction accuracy. However, a challenge in their application to ionic systems is the treatment of long-ranged electrostatics. Here, we present a highly accurate electrostatic Spectral Neighbor Analysis Potential (eSNAP) for ionic α-Li3N, a prototypical lithium superionic conductor of interest as a solid electrolyte or coating for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. We show that the optimized eSNAP model substantially outperforms traditional Coulomb–Buckingham potential in the prediction of energies and forces, as well as various properties, such as lattice constants, elastic constants, and phonon dispersion curves. We also demonstrate the application of eSNAP in long-time, large-scale Li diffusion studies in Li3N, providing atomistic insights into measures of concerted ionic motion (e.g., the Haven ratio) and grain boundary diffusion. This work aims at providing an approach to developing quantum-accurate force fields for multi-component ionic systems under the SNAP formalism, enabling large-scale atomistic simulations for such systems.
Economics of Quality Sponsored Data in Non-Neutral Networks

The growing demand for data has driven the service providers (SPs) to provide differential treatment of traffic to generate additional revenue streams from content providers (CPs). While SPs currently only provide best-effort services to their CPs, it is plausible to envision a model in near future, where CPs are willing to sponsor quality of service for their content in exchange of sharing a portion of their profit with SPs. This quality sponsoring becomes invaluable especially when the available resources are scarce, such as in wireless networks, and can be accommodated in a non-neutral network. In this paper, we consider the problem of quality-sponsored data (QSD) in a non-neutral network. In our model, SPs allow CPs to sponsor a portion of their resources, and price it appropriately to maximize their payoff. The payoff of the SP depends on the monetary revenue and the satisfaction of end-users both for the non-sponsored and sponsored content, while CPs generate revenue through advertisement. Note that in this setting, end-users still pay for the data they use. We analyze the market dynamics and equilibria in two different frameworks, i.e., sequential and bargaining game frameworks, and provide strategies for: 1) SPs—to determine if and how to price resources and 2) CPs—to determine if and what quality to sponsor. The frameworks characterize different sets of equilibrium strategies and market outcomes depending on the parameters of the market.
Experimental verification of the “rainbow” trapping effect in plasmonic graded gratings

Direct measurements on graded grating structures show that light of different wavelengths in the 500–700nm region is “trapped” at different positions along the grating, consistent with theoretical predictions, thus verifying the “rainbow” trapping effect.
Influence of two supplemental vitamin E levels and weaning age on performance, humoral antibody production and serum cortisol levels of pigs.

Three trials using 156 Yorkshire x Hampshire x Duroc crossbred pigs (avg initial wt, 7.9 kg) were conducted to evaluate the effects of two supplemental dietary vitamin E (11 vs 220 IU/kg of diet) and weaning age (21, 28 or 35 d) on performance and immunocompetence of pigs. Supplemental vitamin E (220 IU/kg of diet) increased (P less than .01) serum concentrations of vitamin E for all weaning ages compared with pigs fed 11 IU of vitamin E/kg of diet. However, supplemental vitamin E did not affect performance, serum cortisol concentration or the primary and secondary antibody response to sheep red blood cells. As weaning age increased, weekly ADG and avg daily feed intake increased linearly (P less than .01). Cortisol levels decreased during the 1st wk following weaning and then increased linearly (P less than .01) over time; pigs weaned at 35 d of age had higher (P less than .01) cortisol values initially and over time than pigs weaned at 21 and 28 d. Pigs weaned at 35 d had a higher (P less than .01) primary response to sheep red blood cells than pigs weaned at 21 and 28 d of age, but this effect was not observed for the secondary response. There were no interactive effects (P greater than .10) of dietary vitamin E level and weaning age. In summary, the highest level of supplemental vitamin E increased serum vitamin E concentration but did not affect performance, cortisol levels or one test of the immune response, antibody titers to red blood cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Multiscale resistant kernel surfaces derived from inferred gene flow: An application with vernal pool breeding salamanders

The importance of assessing spatial data at multiple scales when modelling species-environment relationships has been highlighted by several empirical studies. However, no landscape genetics studies have optimized landscape resistance surfaces by evaluating relevant spatial predictors at multiple spatial scales. Here, we model multiscale/layer landscape resistance surfaces to estimate resistance to inferred gene flow for two vernal pool breeding salamander species, spotted (Ambystoma maculatum) and marbled (A. opacum) salamanders. Multiscale resistance surface models outperformed spatial layers modelled at their original spatial scale. A resistance surface with forest land cover at a 500-m Gaussian kernel bandwidth and normalized vegetation index at a 100-m Gaussian kernel bandwidth was the top optimized resistance surface for A. maculatum, while a resistance surface with traffic rate and topographic curvature, both at a 500-m Gaussian kernel bandwidth, was the top optimized resistance surface for A. opacum. Species-specific resistant kernels were fit at all vernal pools in our study area with the optimized multiscale/layer resistance surface controlling kernel spread. Vernal pools were then evaluated and scored based on surrounding upland habitat (local score) and connectivity with other vernal pools on the landscape, with resistant kernels driving vernal pool connectivity scores. As expected, vernal pools that scored highest were in areas within forested habitats and with high vernal pool densities and low species-specific landscape resistance. Our findings highlight the success of using a novel analytical approach in a multiscale framework with applications beyond vernal pool amphibian conservation.
Transient receptor potential vanilloid-4 contributes to stretch-induced hypercontractility and time-dependent dysfunction in the aged heart.

AIMS Cardiovascular disease remains the greatest cause of mortality in Americans over 65. The stretch-activated transient receptor potential vanilloid-4 (TRPV4) ion channel is expressed in cardiomyocytes of the aged heart. This investigation tests the hypothesis that TRPV4 alters Ca2+ handling and cardiac function in response to increased ventricular preload and cardiomyocyte stretch. METHODS AND RESULTS Left ventricular maximal pressure (PMax) was monitored in isolated working hearts of Aged (24-27 months) mice following preload elevation from 5 to 20mmHg, with and without TRPV4 antagonist HC067047 (HC, 1 µmol/L). In preload responsive hearts, PMax prior to and immediately following preload elevation (i.e. Frank-Starling response) was similar between Aged and Aged+HC. Within 1 min following preload elevation, Aged hearts demonstrated secondary PMax augmentation (Aged>Aged+HC) suggesting a role for stretch-activated TRPV4 in cardiac hypercontractility. However, after 20 min at 20 mmHg Aged exhibited depressed PMax (Aged<Aged+HC) suggestive of TRPV4-dependent contractile dysfunction with sustained stretch. To examine stretch-induced Ca2+ homeostasis at the single-cell level, isolated cardiomyocytes were stretched 10-15% of slack length while measuring intracellular Ca2+ with fura-2. Uniaxial longitudinal stretch increased intracellular Ca2+ levels and triggered Ca2+ overload and terminal cellular contracture in Aged, but not Aged+HC. Preload elevation in hearts of young/middle-age (3-12 months) mice produced an initial PMax increase (Frank-Starling response) without secondary PMax augmentation, and cardiomyocyte stretch did not affect intracellular Ca2+ levels. Hearts of transgenic mice with cardiac-specific TRPV4 expression exhibited PMax similar to 3- to 12-month control mice prior to and immediately following preload elevation but displayed secondary PMax augmentation. Cardiomyocytes of mice with transgenic TRPV4 expression were highly sensitive to mechanical stimulation and exhibited elevated Ca2+ levels, Ca2+ overload, and terminal contracture upon cellular attachment and stretch. CONCLUSION TRPV4 contributes to a stretch-induced increase in cardiomyocyte Ca2+ and cardiac hypercontractility, yet sustained stretch leads to cardiomyocyte Ca2+ overload and contractile dysfunction in the aged heart.
Cutaneous Bipolaris Infection in a Neutropenic Patient with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Bipolaris spicifera is a darkly pigmented (dematiaceous) fungus that uncommonly causes infections in humans. There are few cases of reported cutaneous Bipolaris infection in the literature. We report a case of a five-year-old boy with B-precursor-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed a cutaneous fungal infection on his left cheek Histopathological and microbiological findings identified the fungus as Bipolaris spicifera. Surgical excision and systemic antifungal therapy are the mainstay of treatment.
Balloon-Assisted Valve Tracking: Atraumatic Retrieval of a Ventricularized Transcatheter Aortic Valve Prosthesis.

We report a novel percutaneous approach for the retrieval of a migrated balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve (TAVR) that: 1) minimizes interaction with the unstable valve; 2) stabilizes it on an arteriovenous rail; and 3) minimizes vascular trauma. A 90-year-old gentleman underwent
Abstract 99: Phenotypic characterization of knockdown of CDKs in the intestinal epithelial cells

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are serine/threonine kinases that bind to cyclins and together act as regulators of cell cycle progression. CDK inhibitors have various therapeutic potentials including cancer (e.g. CDK4/6 inhibitors). Intestinal epithelial cells are highly proliferative; however, the impact of individual CDK inhibition on intestinal cell proliferation has not been well studied. The IEC6 cell line, a non-transformed rat small intestinal epithelial cell line with characteristics of crypt epithelial cells, was utilized in the current study to understand the role of CDKs in the proliferation and survival of intestinal cells. In the initial experiment CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib treatment demonstrated a lack of potent toxicity in the IEC6 in comparison with MCF7 (breast cancer cell line), indicating the absence of intestinal cell reliance on CDK4 or CDK6 for cell cycle progression. To further illustrate the role of CDKs in intestinal cells, targeted gene knockdown experiments using CDK1, 2, 4, and 6 siRNA and lipofectamine-mediated transfection were conducted. Surprisingly, only CDK1 knockdown causes profound cell death. CDK2, 4, or 6 knockdowns, whether single, double or triple combinations, did not have significant impact on IEC6 cells, as measured by multiple endpoints including impedance, ATP viability, and caspase activity. To further understand the role of CDK1 in cell cycle, various seeding densities of IEC6 cells were used with CDK1 siRNA. Although the impact of CDK1 knockdown on IEC6 cells decreased at the initial proliferation phase with the higher seeding density, there was still a decrease of viability observed at the later time point (when cells reached proliferation plateau), indicating a non-canonical role of CDK1 that is not related to cell cycle. This research supports the concept that CDK1, but not CDKs 2, 4, or 6, is essential for intestinal cell cycle progression and explains the lack of GI toxicity observed with palbociclib. Citation Format: Shuyan Lu, Wenyue Hu, Tae Sung, Brad Hirakawa, Marina Amaro, Bart Jessen. Phenotypic characterization of knockdown of CDKs in the intestinal epithelial cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 99.
MANAJAMEN STRATEGIS MENGATASI GALAT PENERIMA KUR DI KABUPATEN LOMBOK TIMUR

This research describes strategical management to overcome error beneficiaries of credit for people business (KUR). The research method used was qualitative. Data sources were primary and secondary data. For data collecting used interview and FGD. The research result showed that error beneficiaries of KUR consisted of exclusion error and inclusion error. Strategy that used to overcome exculison error includes extensification and intensification. Meanwhile, socialization is a strategy that used to overcome inclusion error.
CHRIST-ENLIVENED STUDENT AFFAIRS: A Guide to Christian Thinking and Practice in the Field : Perry L. Glanzer, Theodore F. Cockle, Elijah G. Jeong, and Britney N. Graber. Copyright © 2020. Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press, 2020, 254 pp., $22.99, ISBN 978-1-68426-500-8

Over the past few centuries, Christian educators in student development have accomplished much and led in amazing ways. This reality is especially remarkable because these leaders have found their ...
An Array of Low-Cost, High-Speed, Autonomous Electric Field Mills for Thunderstorm Research.

The atmospheric electric field is an important research parameter in understanding storm electrification and energy exchange between lightning and the atmosphere across the globe. The near-surface electric field can range from a few V/m (order of 10-100 V/m), mainly produced by the currents in the global electric circuit and local charge perturbations, to tens of kV/m in the presence of electrified clouds. The electric field mill (EFM), a variable capacitance electrometer, has been the instrument of choice in the atmospheric electricity community studying phenomena associated with the atmospheric electric field. The EFM is particularly useful in following storm movement and evolution, monitoring the fair-weather electric field at distant locations, and measuring the vertical electric field inside clouds with EFM deployments on balloons. In this paper, we describe a new electric field mill ground-based design, which focuses on lowering the manufacturing and operational costs of doing research with an array of EFM instruments while maintaining the scientific capabilities offered by past designs and commercially available devices. The theory of operation, data processing, and calibration of the instrument are also described. Example data from the first generation of these new field mills, deployed in the RELAMPAGO campaign in Argentina, are presented here. The RELAMPAGO deployment and data set illustrate important strengths of this design, for example, cost, autonomy, longevity, and measurement quality.
Critical Spatial Practices: A Trans-scalar Study of Chinese Hutongs and American Alleyways

Across time and cultures, the built environment has been fundamentally shaped by forces of occupancy, obsolescence, and change. In an era of increasing political uncertainty and ecological decline, contemporary design practices must respond with critical actions that envision more collaborative and sustainable futures. The concept of critical spatial practice, introduced by architectural historian Jane Rendell, builds on Walter Benjamin and the late 20th century theories of Henri Lefebvre and Michel de Certeau to propose multi-disciplinary design practices that more effectively address contemporary spatial complexities. These theoretical frameworks operate through trans-scalar means to resituate the built environment as a nexus of flows, atmospheres, and narratives (Rendell, 2010). Assuming an analogous relationship to the contemporary city, critical spatial practices traverse space and time to engage issues of migration, informality, globalisation, heterotopia, and ecology. This essay documents an interdisciplinary academic design studio that employed critical spatial practices to study correspondences between Chinese and American cities. Here, the notions of urban and interior are relational. Urbanism and interior spaces are viewed as intertwined aspects in the historical development of Beijing hutongs and Cincinnati alleyways. These hybrid exterior-interior civic spaces create sheltered public worlds and socio-spatial conditions that nurture people and culture.
Substance and Shadow: Resources for Developing a Vaiṣṇava Ecotheology

Scholars have often criticized Hinduism for being an ecologically unfriendly religion, due to being too “other worldly” and “indifferent” toward the natural world. According to Hindus, they argue that the natural world is simply māyā—“ephemeral,” “illusory,” and “unreal.” The Bhāgavata Purāṇa, for example, features over 60 passages that reduce the material world to nothing more than a passing dream (svapna). (For an extensive discussion on this topic, please refer to my book, Māyā in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: Human Suffering and Divine Play (Oxford University Press, 2020)). Meanwhile, other scholars have tried to correct this image by pointing to passages in Indian sacred literature that highlight the divinity of nature, as well as Hindu rituals that involve worshiping the earth, plants, animals, trees, water, sun, and sky. This paper will argue, however, that both the scholarly criticisms and responses are problematic for two reasons. First, these discussions often assume that a religious practitioner’s beliefs concerning the world and environment directly correspond to her attitude toward, and treatment of, the environment. Second, the scholarly criticisms and responses are based on a narrow interpretation and understanding of the concept of māyā. The word “māyā” has held a variety of meanings in Indian sacred literature. This paper focuses on conceptions of māyā found within the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and explores resources in the Bhāgavata that may be useful for developing a Vaiṣṇava ecotheology.
Regional Immigration Enforcement

Regional disparities in immigration enforcement have existed for decades, yet they remain largely overlooked in immigration law scholarship. This Article theorizes that bottom-up pressure from states and localities, combined with top-down pressures and policies established by the President, produce these regional disparities. The Article then provides an empirical analysis demonstrating enormous variations in how Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s twenty-four field offices engage in federal enforcement around the United States. By analyzing data related to detainers, arrests, removals, and detention across these field offices, the Article demonstrates substantial differences between field offices located in sanctuary and anti-sanctuary regions, as well as variations within each of those groups. In order to promote more equitable and transparent enforcement, the Article offers recommendations regarding agency guidelines, rulemaking, performance metrics, and institutional designs, examining the strengths and limitations of these approaches.
Depression is associated with hippocampal volume loss in adults with HIV.

Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in persons with HIV (PWH) than HIV-uninfected individuals. In HIV-uninfected individuals, depression has been associated with atrophy in the hippocampus and other brain regions. In the present study, we investigated the impact of depression on brain structure in PWH. One hundred PWH participated in a cross-sectional study (56.6 ± 6.4 yrs, range 41-70 yrs, 24 females, 63 African Americans). The Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Structural MRI images were collected. Both the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique and a region of interest (ROI) based approach were used to examine the relationship between hippocampal gray matter volume (GMv) and depressive symptoms. The impact of HIV CD4 nadir and antidepressants was also investigated. Both VBM and ROI approaches revealed that higher BDI-II scores (implicating more severe depressive symptoms) were associated with loss of hippocampal GMv, especially in the right hippocampus and the right entorhinal cortex. Low CD4 nadir predicted additional hippocampal volume loss independent of depressive symptoms. Taking antidepressants did not have a detectable effect on hippocampal volume. In summary, having more depressive symptoms is associated with smaller hippocampal volume in PWH, and a history of severe immunosuppression (i.e., low CD4 nadir) correlates with additional hippocampal volume reduction. However, the impact of depression on hippocampal volume may be independent of HIV-disease severity such as low CD4 nadir.
Risk of Mortality After an Arterial Ischemic Event Among Intracerebral Hemorrhage Survivors

Background and Purpose:The impact of arterial ischemic events after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) on outcomes is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of death among ICH survivors with an...
Abstract 3166: Impact of cancer associated fibroblast phenotypes on the infiltration of t-lymphocytes in early age onset colorectal cancer

Background: Incidences of early age onset colorectal cancer (CRC) (those diagnosed before age 50) have been increasing by 2% every year since the 1990s, with the rate expecting to double by 2030. Although there has been some research done on differences in mutational profiles between patients diagnosed before and after age 50, little research has been done to understand the immune and stromal environments of early age onset (EAO) CRC. As identified by previous literature, there are two distinct phenotypes of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs): myofibroblastic (myCAFs) and non-myofibroblastic (non-myCAFs). Here, we evaluate both CAF environments as well as immune infiltrating cells in context of EAO CRC. Methods: A total of 153 CRC patient samples were obtained with matching adjacent normal tissue. Of these, 60 patients had EAO CRC. Tissue slides were stained via immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the CAF subtype markers αSMA, FAP, PDPN, and MMP2, by Masson9s Trichrome for collagen, and then quantified on an intensity scale from 0-3. MyCAF and non-myCAF scores were calculated by averaging the scores of αSMA and collagen, or FAP, PDPN, and MMP2, respectively. Once these scores were determined, they were split into low (average score Results: Cancers with a low myCAF and non-myCAF score display the highest average number of CD4+ (10.6) and CD8+ (10.3) TILs across both age groups. Furthermore, cancers with both myCAF and non-myCAF high scores had reduced average CD4+ and CD8+ TILs when compared to both CAF scores being low (p value: 0.018 for CD8+ TILs, Conclusions: Here we demonstrate that there are differences in the stromal and immune microenvironments between both age groups of CRC. We indicate that increased myCAF and non-myCAF scores are associated with T cell exclusion. However, the extent of T cell exclusion is different in EAO CRC compared to patients diagnosed after age 50. The reasoning for the difference in T-cell exclusion remains unknown and this implicates the importance for further research into the stromal and immune microenvironments of EAO CRC. Citation Format: Anna Lippert, Katherine A. Johnson, Philip B. Emmerich, Cheri A. Pasch, Linda Clipson, Kristina A. Matkowskyi, Wei Zhang, Dustin A. Deming. Impact of cancer associated fibroblast phenotypes on the infiltration of t-lymphocytes in early age onset colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3166.
Acute Proteomic Changes in Lung after Radiation: Toward Identifying Initiating Events of Delayed Effects of Acute Radiation Exposure in Non-human Primate after Partial Body Irradiation with Minimal Bone Marrow Sparing.

ABSTRACT Radiation-induced lung injury is a delayed effect of acute radiation exposure resulting in pulmonary pneumonitis and fibrosis. Molecular mechanisms that lead to radiation-induced lung injury remain incompletely understood. Using a non-human primate model of partial body irradiation with minimal bone marrow sparing, lung was analyzed from animals irradiated with 12 Gy at timepoints every 4 d up to 21 d after irradiation and compared to non-irradiated (sham) controls. Tryptic digests of lung tissues were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry followed by pathway analysis. Out of the 3,101 unique proteins that were identified, we found that 252 proteins showed significant and consistent responses across at least three time points post-irradiation, of which 215 proteins showed strong up-regulation while 37 proteins showed down-regulation. Canonical pathways affected by irradiation, changes in proteins that serve as upstream regulators, and proteins involved in key processes including inflammation, fibrosis, and retinoic acid signaling were identified. The proteomic profiling of lung conducted here represents an untargeted systems biology approach to identify acute molecular events in the non-human primate lung that could potentially be initiating events for radiation-induced lung injury.
Molecular profiling of MPS1 gene silencing in U251 glioma cell line.

Aneuploidy has been recognized as a common characteristic of cancers. Aneuploidy frequently results from errors of the mitotic checkpoint, the major cell cycle control mechanism that acts to prevent chromosome missegregation. Mutation of the genes that control chromosome segregation during mitosis may explain the high rate of chromosomal instability and aneuploidy, a characteristic of most solid tumors, including glioblastoma (GBM) (Gordon et al., 2012 [1]; Singh et al., 2012 [2]). Monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1) is an essential spindle assembly checkpoint kinase that is overexpressed in several human cancers (Kilpinen et al., 2010 [3]; Mills et al., 1992 [4]; Yuan et al., 2006 [5]). In our previous publication, we have shown the role of MPS1 kinase in DNA repair and enhanced radiosensitivity in GBM (Maachani et al., 2015 [6]). Here, we provide methodological and analytical details of that study, to compare mRNA expression profile of siMPS1-silenced U251 cells with untransfected control, and siRNA control (siNeg) at 6, 24, and 48 h after transfection. The raw data of this study is deposited in Gene Expression Omnibus under the accession number {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE57091","term_id":"57091"}}GSE57091.
An Improved Radioisotope Dilution Assay for Serum Vitamin B12 Using Hemoglobin-coated Charcoal

A radioisotope dilution assay for vitamin B12, using hemoglobin-coated charcoal, was modified in several respects, the most prominent of which was the use of cyanide extraction of sera. With these modifications, the B12 levels were significantly higher in sera from normal subjects and patients with folate deficiency, whereas sera from patients with pernicious anemia and other B12-deficient states were only minimally affected. The use of cyanide extraction thus resulted in a clearer differentiation of B12-deficient sera from other sera; all 23 patients with pernicious anemia had B12 levels below 140 pg/ml, whereas all of 85 normal and 218 folate-deficient subjects had B12 levels above 156 pg/ml. The microbiologic assay with Euglena gracilis was similarly affected by cyanide extraction of sera. Thus, it appears that the use of cyanide results in more complete extraction of B12 from serum proteins.
Studies of gluconeogenic mitochondrial enzymes. 3. The conversion of alpha-ketoglutarate to glutamate by bovine liver mitochondrial glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase.

Abstract Kinetic experiments have been performed on the bovine liver mitochondrial glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase. The two enzymes have been prepared in pure form from the same mitochondrial extracts. The levels of activity of these two enzymes in mitochondrial extracts have been estimated. The rate of glutamate utilization by these two enzymes has been compared. The results have been normalized according to the levels of enzyme found in crude mitochondrial extracts. The studies of the rate of conversion of glutamate to α-ketoglutarate with pure enzyme are consistent with studies of intact rat liver mitochondria, in that the transaminase pathway is the major route of glutamate oxidation and the main inhibitors of glutamate oxidation by the dehydrogenase are the levels of reduced pyridine nucleotides. Other products of these reactions have considerably less effect as inhibitors. The Michaelis constant of glutamate is considerably higher in the glutamate dehydrogenase than in the transaminase reaction. Therefore the glutamate dehydrogenase reaction would be comparatively more significant in the presence of low concentrations of glutamate. However, on the basis of estimates of enzyme levels, the rate of the transaminase reaction would be greater than the rate of the glutamate dehydrogenase reaction even at rather low concentrations of glutamate. Since none of the products of the transaminase reaction inhibit this reaction until they are present at rather high concentrations, and since the Michaelis constant of glutamate is very much higher than that of oxaloacetate, it is suggested that the concentration of glutamate would be the main regulator of the transaminase reaction.
Regularization method for optimally switched and impulsive systems with biomedical applications

Dynamical systems are considered where the control consists of the choice among a finite number fixed vector fields, x/spl dot/ = f/sub i/(x), where i /spl isin/ {1,..., N} = A. To avoid pathological cases, it is assumed that the usual Lie-algebraic conditions guaranteeing reachability are satisfied. The control is parameterized by the number of switches, m, a "word" of length m + 1 with alphabet A and a sequence of switching times {/spl tau/1, ... ,/spl tau/m}. Two regularization schemes are introduced and motivated, replacing the given problem by a smooth control problem, which can be solved by standard numerical optimal control methods. This solution depends on a regularization parameter /spl rho/, such that if /spl rho/ /spl rarr/ 0, the original objective is recovered. The regularized control is a smooth function, and its quantization to a predetermined set {u1,...,u/sub N/} gives the approximation of the switching times and the "word". Substituting the word in the original problem, allows an iterative refinement towards the optimal switching times. Impulsive control determines a timing problem. Here a fixed affine system x/spl dot/ = f(x) + g(x)u is considered where the control takes the singular form u(t) = /spl Sigma//sup N//sub i=1/ u/sub i/i/spl part/(t -/spl tau//sub i/). The optimization is over the values u/sub i/ and times /spl tau//sub i/. Optimal pulse vaccination as a control of epidemics and the optimal scheduling of chemotherapy in cancer are discussed as applications of optimal timing problems.
Nuclear Role of IκB Kinase-γ/NF-κB Essential Modulator (IKKγ/NEMO) in NF-κB-dependent Gene Expression

The IκB kinase (IKK) complex, which is composed of the two kinases IKKα and IKKβ and the regulatory subunit IKKγ/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) essential modulator (NEMO), is important in the cytokine-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway. In addition to modulation of IKK activity, the NF-κB pathway is also regulated by other processes, including the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of various components of this pathway and the post-translational modification of factors bound to NF-κB-dependent promoters. In this study, we explored the role of the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of components of the IKK complex in the regulation of the NF-κB pathway. IKKγ/NEMO was demonstrated to shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus and to interact with the nuclear coactivator cAMP-responsive element-binding protein-binding protein (CBP). Using both in vitro and in vivo analysis, we demonstrated that IKKγ/NEMO competed with p65 and IKKα for binding to the N terminus of CBP, inhibiting CBP-dependent transcriptional activation. These results indicate that, in addition to the key role of IKKγ/NEMO in regulating cytokine-induced IKK activity, its ability to shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus and to bind to CBP can lead to transcriptional repression of the NF-κB pathway.
Fusarium as a pathogen: A case report of Fusarium sepsis and review of the literature

Fusarium species are known to the dermatologist as cutaneous contaminants. Rarely they occur as pathogens. We report a case of disseminated Fusarium moniliforme in a 44-year-old patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia. We also review the previous reports of human Fusarium infections. The mycologic characteristics of Fusarium, including its nosologic and morphologic characteristics and its response to medications, are discussed.
Signalling and endocytosis: Wnt breaks down on back roads.

How are Wnt signals made effective in only the right times and places? New studies of the asymmetrical influences of Wnt signals originating from a source show the importance of differential signal degradation and regulated endocytosis.
Quantitative Risk-Benefit Analysis of Probiotic Use for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Probiotics have seen widespread use for a variety of gastrointestinal problems, especially in two common disorders: irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. Since a wide variety of probiotic preparations has been used, and despite a large number of studies performed, a great deal of heterogeneity exists among them. Straightforward evidence-based recommendations for the use of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease have thus been difficult to formulate. In an effort to improve understanding of the risk-benefit balance of probiotics in these conditions, this study (1) queried the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database for all reported adverse drug events related to probiotics in 2013, and (2) constructed risk-benefit planes for both irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease using a geometric approximation of the confidence region between risk and benefit. The results show that adverse events from probiotics vary widely by disease, and when they occur, they are mild and may be difficult to distinguish from the natural history of the underlying disorders they are used to treat. The risk-benefit plane for irritable bowel syndrome straddles the risk-benefit threshold, so patients can expect a balance between a low chance of risk and also a low chance of benefit. The risk-benefit plane for inflammatory bowel disease largely lies above the risk-benefit threshold, so patients may expect more benefit than risk in most cases. More standardized and high-quality research is needed to improve our understanding of risk and benefit for these complex biopharmaceuticals.
Control of doubly-fed induction generators in a multiple wind turbine system operating in a stand-alone mode

This paper presents a method for controlling a multiple wind turbine system using doubly-fed induction generators (DFIG) in a stand-alone (i.e., off grid) operation mode. The DFIG operates in stand-alone mode by utilizing extracted aerodynamic energy for maintaining the output voltage under load. A synchronous reference frame is utilized in the modeling of DFIG and the formulation of the control law. A power coordinator controller distributes the real and reactive load power among multiple wind turbines according to their wind speeds. A three-phase voltage balancing control scheme maintains balanced output voltage under unbalanced loading conditions. The proposed control method is shown to be effective by computer simulations.
Solarthermal and Solar Quasi-Electrolytic Processing and Separations: Zinc from Zinc Oxide as an Example

The advantages of using the high thermodynamic potential of sunlight for energy-intensive industrial solar thermochemical and thermoelectrochemical processing and the concomitant need for high-temperature separation methods are discussed. Example applications are introduced. The production of zinc from zinc oxide is used as an explicit illustrative example to show some opportunities and problems that solar energy presents. The use of quasi-electrolysis, which takes advantage of the high-temperature process heat available from sunlight, is introduced as a separation technique. Suggestions are made for additional kinds of opportunities which might be profitably explored.
Biochemical and functional evidence of p53 homology is inconsistent with molecular phylogenetics for distant sequences.

The tumor suppressor p53 is mutated in ∼50% of all human cancer cases worldwide. It is commonly assumed that the phylogenetic history of this important tumor suppressor has been thoroughly studied; however, few detailed studies of the entire extended p53 protein family have been reported, and none comprehensively and simultaneously consider functional, molecular, and phylogenetic data. Herein we examine a diverse collection of reported p53-like protein sequences, including representatives from the arthropods, nematodes, and protists, with the goal of answering several important questions. First, what evidence supports these highly divergent proteins being true homologues to the p53 family? Second, is the inferred overall family phylogeny concordant with known structures and functions? Third, does the extended p53 family possess recognizable conserved sites outside of the within-chordate, highly-conserved DNA-binding domain? Our study shows that the biochemical and functional evidence of p53 homology for nematodes, arthropods, and protists is inconsistent with their implied phylogenetic relationship within the overall family. Although these divergent sequences are always reported as functionally similar to human p53, our results confirm and extend the hypothesis that p63 is a far more appropriate protein for comparison. Within these divergent sequences, we find minimal conservation within the DNA-binding domain, and no conservation elsewhere. Taken together, our findings suggest that these sequences are not bona fide homologues of the extended p53 family and provide baseline criteria for the future identification and characterization of distant p53-family homologues.
Mechanism of Action of Bimatoprost (Lumigan

Bimatoprost is a new ocular hypotensive agent that lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) in normal, ocular hypertensive, and glaucomatous eyes. Its mechanism of action has been studied in normal human subjects. Bimatoprost mildly stimulates the rate of aqueous humor flow during the day (13%) and at night (14%). Its ocular hypotensive action is due primarily to a 26% reduction in the tonographic resistance to outflow. Thus, bimatoprost enhances the pressure-sensitive outflow pathway. Additional beneficial effects may include an increase in the rate of flow via the pressure-insensitive outflow pathway (sometimes called the "uveoscleral outflow pathway") and a lowering of the extraocular recipient pressure (sometimes called "episcleral venous pressure"). Reduction of tonographic resistance to aqueous humor outflow reduces steady-state IOP, an effect that is beneficial for the treatment of glaucoma. In addition to its effect on steady-state IOP, reduction of resistance allows the eye to recover more quickly from transient IOP elevations. The former effect is common to all ocular hypotensive drugs, but the latter effect is an exclusive property of drugs that reduce outflow resistance, such as bimatoprost.
Multichannel phtorefractive correlator for rotation-invariant optical pattern recognition

Abstract A multichannel optical correlator is reported in this paper. Holographic matched filters synthesized with reference patterns at different rotational angles are stored in the photorefractive medium via angular and modified peristrophic multiplexing. During the recognition process, the input image is compared with all the reference patterns in parallel. The feasibility is demonstrated by experimental results.
Some quantitative observations on the cochlear division of the eighth nerve in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

Abstract The number of fibers in the cochlear division of the eighth nerve of the squirrel monkey has been determined by a variety of sampling procedures to be between 29,000 and 34,000. More than 90% of the fibers are myelinated; this population ranges in diameter from 1 to 5.0 μm and is unimodal in its distribution. A small population of unmyelinated fibers with diameters between 0.4 and 1.0 μm has been found in the nerve; the origin of these fibers is not known, but they may be vasomotor in nature. There are significant regional differences in axon diameters in the nerve. The fibers in the area of the nerve which are thought to be derived from the apical turn of the cochlea are, on the average, larger than those from the basal portion of the spiral ganglion.
Factors influencing information needs among cancer patients: A meta-analysis

Abstract Receiving the right information is extremely important for cancer patients as they move through the illness trajectory. However, according to previous research, not all patients are alike in the amount of information they need. A meta-analysis was conducted to study the aggregate influence of demographic and situational variables on the amount of information cancer patients need. The intent was to provide those individuals involved in information exchanges with indicators – patient characteristics and/or patient – to avoid overwhelming patients who need less information as well as to satisfy the higher needs of patients who need greater amounts of information. The pooled effect sizes produced show that younger cancer patients need more information (r = −0.26) and patients who preferred active roles in treatment decision-making express greater need for information (r = 0.38). Cancer patients' gender, thier education, time elapsed since diagnosis of cancer, and the stage of their illness may not be related to their information needs. In particular, it may be important to probe further the reasons for the lower need for information among elderly cancer patients because if their lower needs are due to their feelings of inhibition, efforts should be made in all contexts of health information transfer to enhance their information seeking.
Acoustic recognition of sibling species within the holarctic lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

. Individuals of Chrysoperla curnea (Stephens) from central Europe exhibit courtship songs that are radically different from those of nearctic members of the same species. Additionally, the two geographically distinct populations will not hybridize under laboratory conditions. It is likely, therefore, that the two song morphs are distinct, sibling species; consequently Chrysoperla plorabunda (Fitch) is raised from synonymy, to include New World specimens formerly placed in C.camea. Within the nearctic region, other plorabunda-like individuals have been found to possess uniquely different calls, suggesting that the carnea-plorabunda complex may in fact consist of numerous morphologically indistinguishable species.
Edward A. Bouchet: A model for understanding African Americans and their doctoral experience

The life and experiences of Dr. Edward A. Bouchet, the first African-American to receive a doctorate from Yale in 1876, are used to model features of the African-American doctoral experience. Bouchet’s early years and educational experiences are discussed to draw references to contemporary research on prior socialization toward doctoral degree completion. His experiences during doctoral study are highlighted to develop conclusions about literature regarding doctoral student socialization frameworks as they relate to the current experiences of African-American students. Furthermore, Bouchet’s life after the doctorate characterizes many issues associated with challenges faced by African-American doctoral degree completers and their postdoctoral degree completion experiences.