cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interannual (ENSO) and Interdecadal (ENSO-like) Variability in the Southern Hemisphere Tropospheric Circulation*

Abstract Recent work has identified variability in the Pacific Ocean SST with a structure qualitatively similar to ENSO, but at lower frequencies than ENSO. Zhang et al. have documented the atmospheric circulation anomalies in the Tropics and Northern Hemisphere that are associated with decadal ENSO-like variability and compared these anomalies to those associated with the (interannual) ENSO cycle. Here the authors extend the study of Zhang et al. to the Southern Hemisphere using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data for 1958–96. Consistent with previous studies, the Southern Hemisphere circulation anomalies associated with ENSO display a teleconnection pattern from the central tropical Pacific into the far southeastern Pacific Ocean. Comparatively larger circulation anomalies are found in the Southern Hemisphere associated with the decadal ENSO-like variability, though aloft the structure of the anomalies emphasizes the polar vortex wit...
Hemoglobin Synthesis in Normal and Abnormal States

The study of hemoglobin synthesis has been one of the major areas of biomedical research for the past 20 years. The information obtained has led to a better understanding of genetics, molecular biology, protein chemistry, and mammalian physiology, as well as clinical hematology. It is beyond the scope of any review article to cover this prolific field completely. However, in this chapter an attempt will be made to summarize the major molecular control mechanisms in normal hemoglobin synthesis, as well as the molecular basis of some of the diseases of abnormal hemoglobin synthesis.
A touchy subject: an assessment of cutaneous allodynia in a chronic migraine population.

Background: Cutaneous allodynia (CA) is a common feature of migraine, which has a complex underlying pathophysiology that is not well understood. In addition to pain, photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, nausea, and vomiting, CA can contribute to the overall disability caused by migraine. The presence of CA can be established via a validated questionnaire. Validated questionnaires and other tests are rarely performed in clinical practice. As such, current prevalence estimates for CA may be an underestimation. Methods: Utilizing a validated questionnaire, we assessed the presence of CA in consecutive patients (n=44) presenting with chronic migraine at a tertiary headache center. Results: CA appears to be quite prevalent, at ∼90%, among female patients with chronic migraine. Conclusion: CA prevalence in chronic migraine may be underestimated in the literature, and larger studies may better demonstrate a more accurate estimate of its prevalence.
Minimum Error Dissipative Power Reduction Control Allocation via Lexicographic Convex Optimization for Momentum Control Systems

This brief presents a convex-optimization-based real-time control allocation algorithm to optimally utilize multiple actuators on a momentum control system while explicitly considering actuator constraints. The primary objective of the allocation is to minimize torque error and improve performance when the system saturates or becomes singular. As a secondary objective, internal bearing and gear friction are exploited to reduce power usage without the need for accurate friction models. The algorithm exploits the fact that redundant control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) and the rotors of reaction wheel assemblies (RWAs) have nonsingleton minimum torque error solutions. Thus, friction in the rotors and gimbals of the CMG and RWA can be used to find a minimum power solution among the set of minimum torque error solutions. The convex optimization framework enables real-time implementable algorithms, which fully utilize control authority without requiring tuning for changes in the number or the configuration of actuators.
Laparoscopic Surgery for Crohn’s Disease: Reasons for Conversion

Objective To examine factors influencing conversion from a laparoscopic to an open procedure in patients requiring surgery for Crohn's disease. Background Data Laparoscopic management of patients with complications of Crohn's produces better outcomes than traditional open approaches, but it is difficult to determine before surgery who will be amenable to laparoscopic management. In this series, a laparoscopic approach was offered to virtually all patients to determine reasons for laparoscopic failure. Methods Data regarding patients who underwent attempted laparoscopic procedures for Crohn's (January 1993 to June 2000) were collected prospectively. The bowel was mobilized laparoscopically and extracorporeal anastomoses were performed. Conversion to open surgery was defined as creation of an incision of more than 5 cm. Results One hundred ten patients (age 37 ± 1.1 years, 58% female) underwent 113 attempted laparoscopic interventions. Indications for surgery included obstruction (77%), failure of medical management (35%), fistula (27%), and perineal sepsis (4%). Sixty-eight procedures (60%) were completed laparoscopically. Procedures completed laparoscopically included ileo-cecectomy (n = 46), small bowel resection (n = 22), fecal diversion (n = 7), intestinal stricturoplasty (n = 7), resection of prior ileocolonic anastomosis (n = 5), segmental colectomy (n = 1), and lysis of adhesions (n = 1). Forty-five procedures (40%) were converted as a result of adhesions (n = 21), extent of inflammation or disease (n = 9), size of the inflammatory mass (n = 7), inability to dissect a fistula (n = 5), or inability to assess anatomy (n = 3). Factors associated with conversion were internal fistula as an indication for surgery, smoking, steroid administration, extracecal colonic disease, and preoperative malnutrition. In laparoscopic patients, mean times to passage of flatus and first bowel movement were 3.6 ± 0.2 days and 4.4 ± 0.2 days, respectively. Mean time to discharge was 6 ± 0.2 days. Conclusions Attempted laparoscopic management is safe and effective if there is an appropriate threshold for conversion to an open procedure. Conversion factors identified in this study largely reflect technical challenge and severity of disease. Patients taking steroids and those with known fistulas or colonic involvement threaten laparoscopic failure, but many of these patients can be managed laparoscopically and have better outcomes. By understanding the reasons for conversion, it is hoped that the chances of laparoscopic success can be improved by modifying standard preoperative medical management or using additional technological capabilities (e.g., robotics).
A molecular epidemiological study on HIV-1 transmission within a family

[Objective] To describe HIV-1 transmission within a family through clinical,epidemiological and molecular investigation to identify the transmission relationships among family members. [Methods] To investigate the risk factors for intrafamilial transmission of HIV-1 infection through qualitative epidemiology,to comprehensively analyze the HIV-1 pol and env gene which were amplified by nest RT-PCR,sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed and to compare with the data from clinical epidemiological survey. [Results] The subtype of HIV-1 of all three people of the family was CRF 07-BC.Phylogenetic analysis of the three people was as high as 98%-99%.The diversity of genetic clone was insignificant.The genetic relation was established among the parents' genetic clone,furthermore the son's genetic relation with the father was much higher than that with mother,and the drug resistance associated mutations of three patients were basically similar,other than A71T.The mutation rates at A71T of the son and father were 100% and 83% respectively,while no mutation happened in the mother.[Conclusion] In this family,the mother was infected by the father's part of the viruses which had not mutated,whilst the son was infected by the father's mutated virus.This study preliminarily revealed that the HIV transmission is due to intimate personal exposure among this family.
Red Blood Corpuscles MCV RDW Value Distinguishes the Clinical Value of the Anaemia

Objective Probe into it with the clinical value of distinguishing various anaemia of red blood corpuscles MCV RDW value. Method Health contrast 50 of group, 117 of patient, vein fetch 0 blood0.5～ 1.0ml uses EDTA·K2 anticoagulatorily, uses the blood cell appearance of the Model AC920 to determine within 2 hours.Result Contrast group MCV in health (85±10.1)f l ,RDW (12.5±1.8)%; Hypoferric anemia MCV (67. 1±11.5)fl,RDW (22.5±5.4)%; Light-duty Mediterranean anaemia MCV (65.3±13.5)fl , RDW (12.5±1.3)%; The folic acid lacks MCV (95±21.2)fl , RDW (26.5±2.5)%; Recycled obstacle anaemia MCV (95±19.6)fl ,RDW (12. 5±0.9)%. MCV distinguish various anaemia have statistics meaning ,RDW there is a statistics meaning besideslight-duty Mediterranean anaemia and recycled obstacle anaemia. MCV , RDW diagnose the hypoferric anemia sensitiveness is 95. 3% , peculiar is 96. 8%; The sensitiveness of light-duty Mediterranean anaemia is 93. 2% , peculiar is 94. 1%; It is 91 that the folic acid lacks the sensitiveness. 6% , peculiar is 95%. Conclusion MCV RDW is diagnosing the sensitiveness of various anaemia is and peculiar better, can be being regarded as the index of distinguishing various anaemia.
Rhizobium meliloti exopolysaccharides: genetic analyses and symbiotic importance.

Summary Genetic experiments have indicated that succinoglycan (EPS I), the acidic Calcofluor-binding exopolysaccharide, of the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Rhizobium meliloti strain Rm1021 is required for nodule invasion and possibly for later events in nodule development on alfalfa and other hosts. Fourteen exo loci on the second megaplasmid have been identified that are required for, or affect, the synthesis of EPS I. Mutations in certain of these loci completely abolish the production of EPS I and result in mutants that form empty Fix - nodules. We have identified two loci, exoR and exoS , that are involved in the regulation of EPS I synthesis in the free-living state. Certain exo mutations which completely abolish EPS I production are lethal in an exoR95 or exoS96 background. Histochemical analyses of the expression of exo genes during nodulation using exo :: Tn phoA fusions have indicated that the exo genes are expressed most strongly in the invasion zone. In addition, we have discovered that R. meliloti has a latent capacity to synthesize a second exopolysaccharide (EPS II) that can substitute for the role(s) of EPS I in nodulation of alfalfa but not of other hosts. Possible roles for exopolysaccharides in symbiosis are discussed.
Effect of dietary salt on arteriolar nitric oxide in striated muscle of normotensive rats.

This study evaluated the influence of high dietary salt intake on nitric oxide (NO) activity in the arteriolar network of rats resistant to salt-induced hypertension. The spinotrapezius muscle micr...
Agonist activation modulates cross-bridge states in single vascular smooth muscle cells

To determine cross-bridge properties during agonist-stimulated contractions, steady-state force and relative steady-state stiffness were recorded at rest (pCa 9) and during both full (pCa 4) and partial (pCa 7) Ca2+ activations of isolated single alpha-toxin permeabilized vascular smooth muscle cells. For pCa 4 and pCa 7, agonist (1 microM histamine) activation resulted in significant (P < 0.05) increases in both force and stiffness. The agonist-induced increase of steady-state force was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that of stiffness; at pCa 4, there was a 48% increase for force vs. 17% for stiffness, and, at pCa 7, there was a 160% increase for force vs. 57% for stiffness. The increase in force and stiffness after agonist prestimulation implies that the number of attached cross bridges has increased. However, after agonist prestimulation, we found that the increase of force was greater (P < 0.05) than that of stiffness, resulting in a greater force at any given level of stiffness. Thus these dat...
chapter 9 – Lana's Acquisition of Language Skills

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses Lana's acquisition of many critical language skills. Lana progressed rapidly in her training and mastered the system more readily than had been anticipated. All of these spontaneous innovations reveal a considerable degree of abstracting and generalizing ability; Lana's performances on occasion involved transferring information learned in one situation to another and generalizing skills learned in limited contexts to deal with broader problems. The first instance of Lana's spontaneous acquisition of linguistic-type skills was the most crucial—her learning to read lexigrams. Without specific training, Lana did learn how to read the projected lexigrams, and she also grasped the importance of their serial order to the point that she could complete valid sentences begun for her or erase invalid sentence beginnings presented to her by the experimenter. Lana's novel use of stock sentences reflects in a different way her mastery of the abstract concepts that underlie language use. In response to a problem situation, she spontaneously began using stock sentences for purposes different from those she had originally been taught were appropriate, and yet her novel uses of these sentences were completely suitable to the situations at hand. Subsequently, Lana moved beyond the stock-sentence phase and began composing entirely novel and appropriate sentences on her own.
Alternative Methods for the Calculation of Pedestrian Catchment Areas for Public Transit

Federal and local transportation policy aims to reduce vehicle emissions, improve air quality, and promote active lifestyles by investing in sustainable transportation alternatives. Investments in public transportation can be maximized by improving pedestrian connections to transit stops and stations. For pedestrian access to public transportation to be improved, enhancements must be within the pedestrian catchment area of a transit stop or station. This study explored three new approaches for identifying pedestrian catchment areas that incorporate topography, pedestrian facilities, and energy expenditure estimates: the network grade, pedestrian speed, and pedestrian energy methods. This paper includes a description of how to conduct the three spatial analyses and a comparison of results from these methods with the results from two methods widely used in practice: the Euclidian distance and network distance methods. The comparison was carried out by analyzing spatial data from the light rail Expo Line and...
Molecular Structures of Isolevuglandin-Protein Cross-Links

Isolevuglandins (isoLGs) are stereo and structurally isomeric γ-ketoaldehydes produced through free radical-induced oxidation of arachidonates. Some isoLG isomers are also generated through enzymatic cyclooxygenation. Post-translational modification of proteins by isoLGs is associated with loss-of-function, cross-linking and aggregation. We now report that a low level of modification by one or two molecules of isoLG has a profound effect on the activity of a multi subunit protease, calpain-1. Modification of one or two key lysyl residues apparently suffices to abolish catalytic activity. Covalent modification of calpain-1 led to intersubunit cross-linking. Hetero- and homo-oligomers of the catalytic and regulatory subunits of calpain-1 were detected by SDS-PAGE with Western blotting. N-Acetyl-glycyl-lysine methyl ester and β-amyloid(11-17) peptide EVHHQKL were used as models for characterizing the cross-linking of protein lysyl residues resulting from adduction of iso[4]LGE2. Aminal, bispyrrole, and trispyrrole cross-links of these two peptides were identified and fully characterized by mass spectrometry. Aminal and bispyrrole dimers were both detected. Furthermore, a complex mixture of derivatives of the bispyrrole cross-link containing one or more additional atoms of oxygen was found. Interesting differences are evident in the predominant cross-link type generated in the reaction of iso[4]LGE2 with these peptides. More aminal cross-links versus bispyrrole are formed during the reaction of the dipeptide with iso[4]LGE2. In contrast, more bispyrrole versus aminal cross-links are formed during the reaction of EVHHQKL with iso[4]LGE2. It is tempting to speculate that the EVHHQKL peptide-pyrrole modification forms noncovalent aggregates that favor the production of covalent bispyrrole cross-links because β-amyloid(11-17) tends to spontaneously oligomerize.
Augmented optimal control for buildings under high penetration of solar photovoltaic generation

This paper investigates the use of a collection of dispatchable heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) loads to absorb the slow (low-frequency) fluctuations in solar photovoltaic (PV) generation. We first formulate the building's thermal dynamics and the associated optimization problem. An optimization formulation is then designed based on traditional model predictive control algorithm, which provides the baseline performance. We then develop an augmented optimal control strategy to improve the solar tracking performance. To guarantee quality of service, in a fleet of residential/commercial buildings, a quadratic optimization problem is formulated to compute the optimal schedule for a given set of HVAC loads, while maintaining occupants comfort and PV generation constraints. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of the present algorithms through simulation, which validates that the proposed mechanism is able to achieve good PV tracking performance as well as obtain a minimal capacity of the required energy storage devices.
Poor Quality Ejaculate Sperm: Do the Data Support the Use of Testis Sperm?

Quantitative deficiencies in spermatogenesis, aberrations in spermatozoal ultramorphology, or defects in spermatozoal nuclear/DNA health may lead to male factor infertility. Rare situations present themselves when the clinical question of whether to harvest testis sperm, even when ejaculate sperm are available, arises. This chapter will try to provide an answer to this vexing problem by positing several scenarios and looking at the literature that bears on each: (1) Is testis sperm as genetically safe and competent as ejaculated sperm and vice versa when used as the sperm source for intracytoplasmic sperm injection? (2) Is testis sperm the answer when there are gross morphological abnormalities seen in the ejaculate sperm? (3) Is testis sperm the answer when there is extremely limited motility in the ejaculate sperm? (4) Is testis sperm the answer when there is increased DNA fragmentation in the ejaculate sperm or repeated ICSI failure for unknown reasons?
CE: Interventions to Improve Patient Pharmaceutical Care Outcomes

Implementing pharmaceutical care entails the application of communication skills and cognitive skills-skills that pharmacists have certainly used in the past, although not specifically for evaluating their patients' drug therapy. Before pharmacists can start the pharmaceutical care process, they need to establish the therapeutic relationship with their patients. Pharmacists need to be active listeners and demonstrate empathy for patients. They then need to interview the patient and collect relevant data to evaluate patient drug therapy and health status. Critical thinking skills improve pharmacists' abilities to identify drug therapy problems. Pharmacists can then use the problem-solving process to resolve the drug therapy problem. It is important that pharmacists create care plans to help guide their patient care activities and planned interventions. The final step in the pharmaceutical care process is the pharmacist's documentation of patient care activities.
The neurochemistry of awakening: findings from sleep disorder narcolepsy.

Abstract Recent progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of excessive sleepiness (EDS) is particularly indebted to the 1999 discovery of narcolepsy genes (i.e., hypocretin receptor and peptide genes) in animals and the subsequent discovery of hypocretin ligand deficiency in idiopathic cases of human narcolepsy-cataplexy. Hypocretin deficiency is also involved in many cases of symptomatic narcolepsy and EDS. Changes in other neurotransmitter systems (such as monoamines and acetylcholine) previously reported in these conditions are likely to be secondary to the impaired hypocretin neurotransmission; however, these may also mediate the sleep abnormalities seen in hypocretin deficient narcolepsy. The pathophysiology of hypocretin non-deficient narcolepsy is debated. Similarly, the pathophysiology of idiopathic hypersomnia, another defined primary hypersomnia, is largely unknown. This chapter discusses our current understanding of the neurochemistry of EDS, a disease of awakening.
Opinion and Special Articles: Challenges and opportunities in defining career identity in academic neurology.

There has never been a more exciting time to become a neurologist. As we emerge from training in clinical neurology after 4 or more years of residency and fellowship, many of us are faced with the core challenge of how to define and develop our career identity. That is, how do we continue to take great care of our patients, and now also advance our careers and make contributions to a dynamic field? Here, we focus on developing career identity within academic neurology, noting that careers in private practice neurology and other settings have unique sets of challenges, rewards, and opportunities.
Mitigation of human EMF exposure in downlink of 5G

While cellular communications operating at higher frequencies (i.e., above 6 GHz) have been attracting significant research interest, their potentially harmful impacts on human health are not studied as significantly. Few existing studies discussing the human health impacts above 6 GHz paid attention to uplink only, due to close contact of a transmitter to a human body. This paper claims the necessity of thorough investigation in downlink on human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Our simulation results suggest the downlink of a Fifth Generation Cellular Mobile Communications (5G) system can generate significantly higher power density (PD) and specific absorption rate (SAR) than the previous generations of wireless systems. Our study also highlights the significance of considering SAR as a metric in evaluation of the EMF exposure at high frequencies. Moreover, this paper proposes a downlink protocol that guarantees the EMF exposure level under a threshold while keeping the data rate above the 5G requirements.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of β-Lactamase Inhibitors

Novel β-lactamase inhibitors have extended the reach of new and existing β-lactams against multidrug-resistant bacteria expressing β-lactamases. The efficacy of these combination therapeutics relies on a complex two-component pharmacodynamic (PD) system where the β-lactamase inhibitor inactivates the bacterial β-lactamase enzyme and frees the companion β-lactam to act against its penicillin-binding protein target. Despite considerable investigation into the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics of β-lactams, the pharmacology of their companion β-lactamase inhibitors has only recently been rigorously explored. This review describes the diversity of β-lactamase enzymes, mechanisms of enzyme inhibition, and factors impacting the efficacy of clinically available β-lactamase inhibitors. Relevant PK differences among available inhibitors and the PK/PD properties of these agents are described independently of their companion β-lactams. In the modern era of antibiotic resistance, a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacology, PK, and PD of β-lactamase inhibitors is paramount to maximizing the therapeutic efficacy of existing β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations and protecting novel agents in the drug development pipeline.
“Like a Robot”: Designing Library Websites for New and Returning Users

AbstractThe Walter W. Stiern Library conducted a major redesign to conform the library website to modern web standards. While conducting think-aloud usability testing on the new page, we found that...
Foraging Benefits of Ecological Cognition in Fruit-Eating Primates: Results From Field Experiments and Computer Simulations

I focus on the foraging efficiency (food intake per time) of a hypothetical forager that uses distinct levels of information about a set of discrete renewing resources. The information may be the distance to the resource (D), both distance and maximum productivity of the resource (DP), or distance, productivity, and the elapsed time since the forager last visited each resource (DPT). The expected foraging efficiencies are based on the results of a field experiment on wild capuchin monkeys (Janson 2016) that documented the use of integrative memories of resource location, productivity, and elapsed time since the previous visit. Computer simulations of the choice process are used to extend the resource parameter space beyond the field experiment. The goal is to explore to what extent the use of elapsed time in choosing discrete feeding sites is a benefit under various conditions of resource and consumer characteristics. Major findings include that the use of elapsed time generally increases foraging efficiency on renewing resources by 30-35%, without much effect of resource size or variability – indeed, DPT outperforms D or DP choice even when all resources have the same productivity. The relative benefit of DPT increases when the most productive resources are only moderately common (not so rare that they contribute little to food intake, nor so common that choosing the nearest resource is likely to arrive at a highly productive one). The relative benefit of DPT decreases when the forager’s gut capacity is small or gut passage time is long because it cannot fully ingest large resource accumulations that occur after long elapsed intervals. I suggest that memory for and use of elapsed intervals since prior visits in foraging choices will prove to be a common feature of diverse foraging animals whenever the presence of a forager depresses food availability in a local area.
Justifying Ethical Expertise

People with expertise in a given field are typically asked for advice and counsel—professional guidance that most often takes the form of answers to particular questions: “Do I have cancer?” “No, y...
Pseudomonas aeruginosa mastitis in goats was also isolated from an essential oil-based teat dip

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that has been associated with mastitis in dairy animals, including goats (Yuan et al, 2017). An outbreak of mastitis in dairy goats was investigated at the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UVDL). Identification of the etiologic agent(s) and source of infection was the primary objective.
Mindfulness-based Virtual Reality Intervention in Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Study on End-user Perceptions and Safety

Background Virtual reality (VR) is an evolving technology that is becoming a common treatment for pain management and psychologic phobias. Although nonimmersive devices (e.g., the Nintendo Wii) have been previously tested with patients on hemodialysis, no studies to date have used fully immersive VR as a tool for intervention delivery. This pilot trial tests the initial safety, acceptability, and utility of VR during maintenance hemodialysis treatment sessions—particularly, whether VR triggers motion sickness that mimics or negatively effects treatment-related symptoms (e.g., nausea). Methods Patients on hemodialysis (n=20) were enrolled in a phase 1 single-arm proof-of-concept trial. While undergoing hemodialysis, participants were exposed to our new Joviality VR program. This 25-minute program delivers mindfulness training and guided meditation using the Oculus Rift head-mounted display. Participants experienced the program on two separate occasions. Before and immediately after exposure, participants recorded motion-related symptoms and related discomfort on the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire. Utility measures included the end-user’s ability to be fully immersed in the virtual space, interact with virtual objects, find hardware user friendly, and easily navigate the Joviality program with the System Usability Scale. Results Mean age was 55.3 (±13.1) years; 80% male; 60% Black; and mean dialysis vintage was 3.56 (±3.75) years. At the first session, there were significant decreases in treatment and/or motion-related symptoms after VR exposure (22.6 versus 11.2; P=0.03); scores >20 indicate problematic immersion. Hemodialysis end-users reported high levels of immersion in the VR environment and rated the software easy to operate, with average System Usability Scale scores of 82.8 out of 100. Conclusions Patients on hemodialysis routinely suffer from fatigue, nausea, lightheadedness, and headaches that often manifest during their dialysis sessions. Our Joviality VR program decreased symptom severity without adverse effects. VR programs may be a safe platform to improve the experience of patients on dialysis.
Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GvHD) Prophylaxis

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a life-saving therapeutic intervention for a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. As a result of research into the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, immunological interactions between donor and host, and use of different donor types, nearly all eligible patients now have a suitable donor. Unfortunately, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), incited by immunocompetent donor cells, causes most post-transplant morbidity and mortality. Acute and chronic GvHD, once arbitrarily characterized by occurrence before or after day +100, are better defined by distinctive clinical presentations to more appropriately guide treatment decisions. GvHD risk is influenced by HLA mismatch, stem cell source, conditioning intensity, and various other factors. A number of preventative approaches, including both in vitro and in vivo chemical and physical methods, improve patient outcomes. Most contemporary prophylaxis regimens were developed to prevent acute GvHD, but much of the current research effort is focused on reducing incidence of chronic GvHD. Common and emerging GvHD prophylaxis strategies are reviewed herein.
Matrix Degradation Assay to Measure the Ability of Tumor Cells to Degrade Extracellular Matrix

During the metastatic process, carcinoma cells form invadopodia, F-actin enriched protrusive structures, to degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) in order to invade the surrounding stroma and intravasate into the circulatory system. In this chapter, we describe the 2D-fluorescent matrix degradation assay, a highly sensitive and reproducible in vitro method used to measure invadopodia-mediated ECM degradation. We provide a detailed protocol on how to prepare the glass coverslips with fluorescent gelatin matrix and a standardized method to quantify gelatin degradation and invadopodia formation in order to evaluate cell invasion.
Observing an Anniversary: The 400 Years of Inequality Project

The 400 Years of Inequality Project was launched in 2016 by five partner organizations: the University of Orange, a people's university in Orange, New Jersey;the New School and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, both in New York City;ONE DC, a Washington, DC-based organization working to advance racial and economic equity;and, Voices of a People's History, a not-for-profit organization located in Brooklyn, New York, that increases awareness of US history through public readings of historical speeches and other texts. AtTulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, faculty, students, and community representatives discussed concerns related to mass incarceration. The School of Public Health at Boston University hosted a symposium on racism in housing and education, exhibited the 400 Years of Inequality Timeline in its Activist Lab (a venue for developing innovative ways to dismantle the injustices that produce and sustain inequities), and convened storytelling sessions on the topic of inequality with artist-in-residence RhodessaJones.
Singlet Oxygen Leads to Structural Changes to Chloroplasts During their Degradation in the Arabidopsis thaliana plastid ferrochelatase two Mutant.

During stress, chloroplasts produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Chloroplasts also contain many nutrients, including 80% of a leaf's nitrogen supply. Therefore, to protect cells from photo-oxidative damage and to redistribute nutrients to sink tissues, chloroplasts are prime targets for degradation. Multiple chloroplast degradation pathways are induced by photo-oxidative stress or nutrient starvation, but the mechanisms by which damaged or senescing chloroplasts are identified, transported to the central vacuole, and degraded are poorly defined. Here, we investigated the structures involved with degrading chloroplasts induced by the ROS singlet oxygen (1O2) in the Arabidopsis thaliana plastid ferrochelatase two (fc2) mutant. Under mild 1O2 stress, most fc2 chloroplasts appeared normal, but had reduced starch content. A subset of chloroplasts was degrading and some protruded into the central vacuole via "blebbing" structures. A three-dimensional electron microscopy analysis demonstrated up to 35% of degrading chloroplasts contained such structures. While the location of a chloroplast within a cell did not affect the likelihood of its degradation, chloroplasts in spongy mesophyll cells were degraded at a higher rate than those in palisade mesophyll cells. To determine if degrading chloroplasts have unique structural characteristics, allowing them to be distinguished from healthy chloroplasts, we analyzed fc2 seedlings grown under different levels of photo-oxidative stress. A correlation was observed between chloroplast swelling, 1O2-signaling, and the state of degradation. Finally, plastoglobule enzymes involved in chloroplast disassembly were upregulated while plastoglobules increased their association with the thylakoid grana, implicating an interaction between 1O2-induced chloroplast degradation and senescence pathways.
Microstructural and phase configurational effects determining water content : Dielectric relationships of aggregated porous media

[1] Many porous media in which we determine water content are aggregated and characterized by a dual-porosity pore network, composed of interaggregate pores and intra-aggregate pores. This paper reports sample-scale permittivity measurements made in four stable aggregate media with dual porosity. Results indicate two distinct dielectric responses depending on whether the aggregates are surrounded by water or air. We relate transitions in the permittivity response to the water retention characteristic (WRC), showing that after the interaggregate pores have drained, the slope of the water content–permittivity relationship is significantly reduced (permittivity values ranging from 5 to 7). The hydraulic critical water content (θhc) is defined as the point where all the interaggregate pores are air filled and all the intra-aggregate pores are water saturated and is determined from the WRC. The dielectric critical water content (θdc) is defined as the point where a slope change in the measured water content–permittivity relationship occurs. A two-step model is presented and designed to capture the physical characteristics of the permittivity response to drainage. Measurements of θhc and θdc reveal a separation in these two values. The difference is considered to be a function of the connectivity of the intra-aggregate pore network. A connectivity ratio is defined as 1-(θdc/θhc), where values close to 0 indicate low connectivity between the intra-aggregate pores and values tending to 1 indicate a high level of connectivity. Results from this work indicate that the reduced permittivity response measured in the water content–permittivity relationship is due to microstructure and phase configuration and not to “bound” water.
The dangers of parsimony in query-by-humming applications

Query-by-humming systems attempt to address the needs of the non-expert user, for whom the most natural query format -- for the purposes of finding a tune, hook or melody of unknown providence -- is to sing it. While human listeners are quite tolerant of error in these queries, a music retrieval mechanism must explicitly model such errors in order to perform its task. We will present a unifying view of existing models, illuminating the assumptions underlying their respective designs, and demonstrating where such assumptions succeed and fail, through analysis and real-world experiments.
How Does Household Expenditure Change With Age for Older Americans

Retirement saving involves a lot of unknowns, the most important being not knowing how much money will be needed in retirement. Although it is impossible to predict the retirement expenses of any particular household, the average amounts spent by current retirees can serve as important benchmarks for individual savers as well as for industry experts and policymakers. This paper examines the expenditure pattern of the older segment of the U.S. population. The majority of the households studied here have either reached retirement age or are on the cusp of retirement. The data come from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS), which is a supplement of the HRS. CAMS contains detailed spending information on 26 nondurable and six durable categories, and it follows the same group of people over time. Using this information coupled with the income information available in the HRS, this study summarizes the consumption behavior of the American elderly. The primary goal is to examine how overall spending and spending in different categories change with age. Home and home-related expenses is the largest spending category for every age group. Health expenses increase steadily with age. In 2011, households with at least one member between ages 50 and 64 spent 8 percent of their total budget on health items, compared with 19 percent for those age 85 or over. Health-related expenses occupy the second-largest share of total expenditure for those ages 75 or older. The two components of household expenditures that show a declining pattern across age groups are transportation expenses and entertainment expenses. Food and clothing expenses (as a share of total expenditure) remain more or less flat across the different age groups. There is a large increase in spending at the 95th percentile for those ages 90 or older, which can be attributed to very high health care expenses. The PDF for the above title, published in the September 2014 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another September 2014 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: “2014 Health and Voluntary Workplace Benefits Survey: Most Workers Continue to be Satisfied With Their Own Health Plan, but Growing Number Give Low Ratings to Health Care System.”
Spacecraft imaging of planets - Camera systems from Mariner to Space Telescope

The purpose of the study is to illustrate how imaging has been used to successfully explore the planets scientifically. The scientific, technological, and systems background for imaging instruments on Mariner, Viking, and Voyager are briefly reviewed, along with the scientific data return. Attention is also given to the present imaging systems on Galileo and the Space Telescope. A comparison of all these imaging systems is included, together with an assessment of their actual or projected science return.
BOUNDS ON THE NUMBER OF INFERENCE FUNCTIONS OF A GRAPHICAL MODEL

Directed and undirected graphical models, also called Bayesian networks and Markov random fields, respectively, are important statistical tools in a wide variety of fields, ranging from computational biology to probabilistic artificial in- telligence. We give an upper bound on the number of inference functions of any graphical model. This bound is polynomial on the size of the model, for a fixed number of parameters. We also show that our bound is tight up to a constant fac- tor, by constructing a family of hidden Markov models whose number of inference functions agrees asymptotically with the upper bound. This paper elaborates and expands on results of the first author from Elizalde (2005).
Regulation of axon regeneration by the RNA repair and splicing pathway

Mechanisms governing a neuron's regenerative ability are important but not well understood. We identify Rtca (RNA 3'-terminal phosphate cyclase) as an inhibitor of axon regeneration. Removal of Rtca cell-autonomously enhanced axon regrowth in the Drosophila CNS, whereas its overexpression reduced axon regeneration in the periphery. Rtca along with the RNA ligase Rtcb and its catalyst Archease operate in the RNA repair and splicing pathway important for stress-induced mRNA splicing, including that of Xbp1, a cellular stress sensor. Drosophila Rtca and Archease had opposing effects on Xbp1 splicing, and deficiency of Archease or Xbp1 impeded axon regeneration in Drosophila. Moreover, overexpressing mammalian Rtca in cultured rodent neurons reduced axonal complexity in vitro, whereas reducing its function promoted retinal ganglion cell axon regeneration after optic nerve crush in mice. Our study thus links axon regeneration to cellular stress and RNA metabolism, revealing new potential therapeutic targets for treating nervous system trauma.
Temporal Trends and Sex Differences in Revascularization and Outcomes of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Younger Adults in the United States

Abstract Background Older women presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are less likely to receive revascularization and have worse outcomes relative to their male counterparts. Objectives This study sought to determine temporal trends and sex differences in revascularization and in-hospital outcomes of younger patients with STEMI. Methods We used the 2004 to 2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases to identify all patients age 18 to 59 years hospitalized with STEMI. Temporal trends and sex differences in revascularization strategies, in-hospital mortality, and length of stay were analyzed. Results From 2004 to 2011, of 1,363,492 younger adults (age Conclusions Younger women are less likely to receive revascularization for STEMI and have higher in-hospital mortality as compared with younger men. Use of percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI and in-hospital mortality have increased, whereas length of stay has decreased in both sexes over the past several years.
Detection and evaluation of matrix metalloproteinases involved in cruciate ligament disease in dogs using multiplex bead technology.

Objective: To measure matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) suspected to be involved in the initiation or progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) explant culture media using multiplex bead technology. Study Design: In vitro experimental study. Animals: Adult dogs with (n=10) and without (n=10) CCL deficiency. Methods: Based on clinical, radiographic, and gross evidence of CCL deficiency, excised CCL were classified as normal and intact (n=10) or partially torn (n=10). The ligament was excised and immediately placed in tissue culture. Culture media were sampled and replaced on days 3 and 6. MMP-1, 2, 3, 9, and 13 were quantified in explant media using a multiplexing machine that uses flow cytometry, microspheres, spectral dyes, lasers, digital signal processing, and traditional chemistry. MMP concentrations were determined using a standard curve constructed from the serial dilution of positive controls. Media MMP concentrations comparing the type of ligament and the time frame were analyzed using a Mann–Whitney rank sum test. Results: Media exposed to intact ligaments had >3 times the amount of MMP-2 than for partially torn ligaments on day 6 (P=.006). Media exposed to intact ligaments also had significantly higher levels of MMP-3 than for partially torn ligaments on day 3 (P=.035) and on day 6 (P=.05). Conclusions: MMP multiplexing is a reliable, cost-effective, efficient, and sample-sparing method of MMP quantification. MMP-2, 3, 9, and 13 are released from CCL explants exposed to culture media and can be detected using multiplex bead technology. Clinical Relevance: CCL remnants exposed to the intra-articular environment may release degradative enzymes in vivo similar to that demonstrated in this in vitro study. Because MMPs are known to be involved in the initiation and progression of OA, debridement of these remnants as a component of treatment for cruciate disease in dogs deserves consideration.
Temperature Dependent Amorphization of Silicon During Self-Implantation

We have investigated the damage which results from silicon self-implantation for the range of doses from 2E14 to 1E16 cm−2 for temperatures from 82 to 296 K for 150 and 300 keV implants. Cross-sectional TEM was used to evaluate the nature of the amorphous layer. The experimental results were correlated with computer calculated damage distributions using a Monte Carlo simulation program. The depth of amorphous-crystalline interface(s) was evaluated as a function of dose and temperature. An experimental damage energy density curve was constructed. Using the curve, a critical energy density for amorphization, Ec was calculated for the samples implanted at different temperatures. The energy was found to depend on depth and implant energy, and it increased with temperature. A study of a-c interface morphology shows no dependance on temperature within the range considered. Kinetics of dynamic annealing are discussed in conjunction with the above findings.
“Building a Culture”: The Construction and Evolution of Venture Philanthropy as a New Organizational Field

“Venture philanthropy” burst loudly onto the scene in the mid- to late 1990s, promoted as a way to revolutionize grantmaking. Today the field has been refined, and its proponents are more modest. T...
The Threonine That Carries Fucose, but Not Fucose, Is Required for Cripto to Facilitate Nodal Signaling

Abstract Cripto is a membrane-bound co-receptor for Nodal, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily. Mouse embryos lacking either Cripto or Nodal have the same lethal phenotype at embryonic day 7.5. Previous studies suggest that O-fucosylation of the epidermal growth factor-like (EGF) repeat in Cripto is essential for the facilitation of Nodal signaling. Substitution of Ala for the Thr to which O-fucose is attached led to functional inactivation of both human and mouse Cripto. However, embryos null for protein O-fucosyltransferase 1, the enzyme that adds O-fucose to EGF repeats, do not exhibit a Cripto null phenotype and die at about embryonic day 9.5. This suggested that the loss of O-fucose from the EGF repeat may not have led to the inactivation of Cripto in previous studies. Here we investigate this hypothesis and show the following: 1) protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 is indeed the enzyme that adds O-fucose to Cripto; 2) Pofut1–/– embryonic stem cells behave the same as Pofut1+/+ embryonic stem cells in a Nodal signaling assay; 3) Pofut1–/– and Pofut1+/+ embryoid bodies are indistinguishable in their ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes; and 4) none of 10 amino acid substitutions at Thr72, including Ser which acquires O-fucose, rescues the activity of mouse Cripto in Nodal signaling assays. Therefore, the Thr to which O-fucose is linked in Cripto plays a key functional role, but O-fucose at Thr72 is not required for Cripto to function in cell-based signaling assays or in vivo. By contrast, we show that O-fucose, and not the Thr to which it is attached, is required in the ligand-binding domain of Notch1 for Notch1 signaling.