cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conserved aromatic residues as determinants in the folding and assembly of immunoglobulin variable domains.

Abstract Detailed analysis of amino acid distribution, focusing on the “framework” regions of both heavy- and light-chain variable immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, distinguished those conserved sequence elements shared by both heavy-chain (VH) and light-chain (VL) domains from those conserved determinants unique to either VH or VL domains alone. Mapping of conserved chemical functionality onto characterized PDB structures showed the analogous placement and utilization of shared determinants in VH and VL structures that are generally similar. Identical Arginine–Aspartic acid ion-pairs located symmetrically on the lateral surfaces of VH and VL domains, respectively, as well as paired glutamine residues that constitute a central contact site between VH and VL domains represent clearly shared molecular features. Three sites of shared aromaticity were found localized to symmetrical sites lining the inaccessible interface of the VH–VL duplex, suggesting an expanded role for strategically conserved aromatic residues from a postulated determinant of individual Ig domain folding to now implicate conserved aromatic sites in the subsequent multi-subunit assembly of native antibody superstructure. Differential domain-specific conservation, representing evolutionary diversification and molecular asymmetry between heavy- and light-chain variable domains was limited, but included amino acids from each functional class and must be evaluated with regard to their possible involvement in heterologous aspects of IgV protein structure–function.
Embryonic Stem Cells for Grafting in Parkinson's Disease

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are characterized by their extensive self-renewal capacity and the ability to differentiate into all cell types of the embryo proper, including germ cells. The isolation of human embryonic stem (hES) cells in 1998 (Thomson et al., 1998) caused great excitement about the potential of ES cells in regenerative medicine. Cell replacement therapy in neurodegenerative disorders has been suggested as a promising application of hES therapy given the devastating nature of these diseases and the lack of alternative approaches for cellular restoration in the CNS. Parkinson’s disease has emerged as a key therapeutic target for cell replacement strategies in the CNS. This is due to several Factors, such as the rather selective loss of midbrain dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, the extensive cell death at the time of clinical manifestation, and the experiences obtained from the transplantation of fetal midbrain dopamine neurons in experimental models in animals and in human patients. This chapter will discuss the suitability of ES cells as a source for cell transplants in Parkinson’s disease. After a short introduction to the basic properties and the biology of ES cells, we will describe the various strategies that have been developed to control cell fate specification in vitro, and the application of ES-derived dopamine neurons in vivo in animal models of PD. The chapter will also discuss the current state of using human and non-human primate ES cells for dopamine neuron derivation and transplantation and the potential of therapeutic cloning in Parkinson’s disease. A final section will be dedicated to the problems associated with translating ES cell work to the clinic and efforts to develop therapeutic cloning as a therapeutic option in preclinical models of PD.
Low latency policy iteration via parallel processing and randomization

Infinite horizon discounted cost Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) are ubiquitous in operations research, communications engineering, robotics, and a variety of other control applications. Consequently, there is significant value in being able to compute optimal policies more quickly. Previous work has focused on exploiting certain structural properties in particular problems with the aim of reducing algorithmic complexity. In this paper, we take a complementary approach in which we do not assume specialized structure, but instead consider how parallel computing can be used to reduce computational latency. We propose a randomized and parallelized algorithm which iterates in policy space. We demonstrate numerically and prove analytically that an exponential increase in the number of available processing cores leads to a linear reduction in computational latency. While this exponential relationship may seem discouraging, our numerical example shows that we can achieve a marked reduction in latency even with a moderate number of processors.
Cis-acting elements in its 3′ UTR mediate post-transcriptional regulation of KRAS

Multiple RNA-binding proteins and non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), are involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation through recognition motifs in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of their target genes. The KRAS gene encodes a key signaling protein, and its messenger RNA (mRNA) contains an exceptionally long 3' UTR; this suggests that it may be subject to a highly complex set of regulatory processes. However, 3' UTR-dependent regulation of KRAS expression has not been explored in detail. Using extensive deletion and mutational analyses combined with luciferase reporter assays, we have identified inhibitory and stabilizing cis-acting regions within the KRAS 3' UTR that may interact with miRNAs and RNA-binding proteins, such as HuR. Particularly, we have identified an AU-rich 49-nt fragment in the KRAS 3' UTR that is required for KRAS 3' UTR reporter repression. This element contains a miR-185 complementary element, and we show that overexpression of miR-185 represses endogenous KRAS mRNA and protein in vitro. In addition, we have identified another 49-nt fragment that is required to promote KRAS 3' UTR reporter expression. These findings indicate that multiple cis-regulatory motifs in the 3' UTR of KRAS finely modulate its expression, and sequence alterations within a binding motif may disrupt the precise functions of trans-regulatory factors, potentially leading to aberrant KRAS expression.
Changes in locomotor activity following basal forebrain lesions in the pigeon

Adult male pigeons (Columba livia) were used to study the effects of basal forebrain lesions upon a measure of responsiveness to the environment, locomotor activity. Daily activity as well as food and water intake and body weight were recorded for Ss through various experimental test phases. Significant reductions occurred in activity scores of all but one experimental S following lesioning, with no changes occurring in controls during comparable test periods. Intrasession analyses of activity showed a tendency for lesion-produced activity depression to affect initial period scores most severely. Small lesions were identified in the parolfactory lobe and paleostriatum or anterior (ventral) thalamic and hypothalamic areas. A possible neuroanatomical explanation for these results was discussed.
The effect of chain bending on the photophysical properties of conjugated polymers.

The impact of chain bending on the photophysical properties of emissive conjugated polymers (CPs) is studied theoretically using Holstein-style Hamiltonians which treat vibronic coupling involving the ubiquitous vinyl/ring stretching mode nonadiabatically. The photophysical impact of chain bending is already evident at the level of an effective Frenkel Hamiltonian, where the positive exciton band curvature in CPs translates to negative excitonic coupling between monomeric units, as in J-aggregates. It is shown that the absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectral line shapes respond very differently to chain bending. The misalignment of monomeric transition dipole moments with bending selectively attenuates the 0–0 PL peak intensity while leaving the 0–1 intensity practically unchanged, a property which is ultimately due to the uniquely coherent nature of the 0–0 peak. Hence, the 0–0/0–1 PL ratio, as well as the radiative decay rate, decrease with chain bending, effects that are more pronounced at lower...
The Component Ingredients Optimization of Non-rosin-based and Halogen-free Solid Flux

As the development of lead-free solder in electronic assembly,traditional flux can not meet with the requirement of lead-free soldering process.In this paper,a non-rosin-based solid flux which used in the cored solder wire was developed.The formula ingredients of the new flux was optimized.The best ingredients content of this flux as follows:adipic acid(8.0wt%),sebacic acid(1.0wt%),stearic acid(36.0wt%),rosin(35.0wt%)PEG(18.0wt%),OP-10(0.9wt%),CTAB(0.3wt%),benzotriazole(0.5wt%~0.1wt%).This flux will become homogeneous liquid when it is heated to 110℃～130℃ and it will freeze entirely below 80℃,so it can meet with the requirement of the cored solder wire manufacture.Compared with the traditional rosin-based flux containing halogen,this flux has the same wettability.The joint soldered with this flux is plump and light.Furthermore,after soldering,the residues at the joint surface did not change color when heated at170℃for 30 minutes.The flux can meet with the needs of high-temperature electronic devices and can replace the rosin-based flux.
The Management of the Kock Continent Ileal Reservoir Urinary Diversion with Single Pigtail Self-retaining Ileal Conduit Stents

The use of single pigtail soft silicone self-retaining ileal conduit stents appears to have particular value in the perioperative management of patients with a Kock pouch continent urinary diversion. Stenting provides greater assurance of sustained internal urinary diversion, lessening concern regarding anastomotic leaks from the pouch itself. This technique also allows easy sequential radiographic confirmation of healing without losing the capability for continued internal drainage by these stents if necessary. A protocol for the use of such stents is described.
Effect of liver transplant on pulmonary functions in adult patients with alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency: 7 Cases

OBJECTIVES Alpha 1 antitrypsin (A1A) is a 52 kD glycoprotein that is mainly synthesized in the liver. As a major protease inhibitor, it binds to and neutralizes neutrophil elastase, thereby limiting the damage to the normal tissues after an inflammatory response. A deficiency in A1A leads to end-stage liver disease, both in children and in adults. In addition, the deficiency also has a detrimental effect in the lungs of the adult population. Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency is corrected with hepatic replacement; however, the changes in pulmonary functions have not been studied before and after liver transplant. The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in the pulmonary functions of patients who underwent liver transplant for the treatment of A1A deficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nine patients underwent liver transplant for A1A deficiency. Seven patients (5 men, 2 women; mean age, 49.95 -/+ 7.09 years) had their pulmonary function tests available before the liver transplant (mean, 5.6 -/+ 3.4; range, 0.9-10.1 months) and after the liver transplant (mean, 30.3 -/+ 18.4, range 7.8-48.1 months) for analysis. RESULTS The mean, preliver, transplant, FEV1 was 2.69 -/+ 0.9 L, which was nearly unchanged after the liver transplant to a mean of 2.7 -/+ 1.2 L. During the mean total interval of nearly 3 years, an estimated decline of 250 mL in FEV1 was expected. CONCLUSIONS It appears from the results of our study that liver transplant probably prevented the progression of pulmonary disease in A1A-deficient patients. Further study and close, postliver, transplant follow-up is warranted to support our initial findings.
Data Driven Feed Forward Adaptive Testing

Test cost is a critical component in the overall cost of the product. Test cost varies in direct proportion with test time. This thesis introduces a data driven feed forward adaptive technique for reducing test time at wafer sort while maintaining the product defect level. Test data from first insertion of wafer is statistically analyzed to make a decision about adaptive test flow at subsequent insertions. The data driven feed forward technique uses a statistical screen to analyze test data from first probe of wafer and provides recommendations for test elimination at second insertions. At the second insertion dies are subjected to only the optimum number of tests for a reduced test flow. This technique is applicable only for the products which are tested at two or more insertions. The statistical screen identifies the dies for reduced test flow based upon correlation of tests across insertions. The tests which are repeated at both the insertions and are highly correlated are the candidates of elimination at second insertion. The feed forward technique is applied to a mixed signal analog product and figures of merit are evaluated. Application of technique to the production data shows that there is an average 55% test time reduction when a single site is tested per touchdown and up to 10% when 16 sites are tested in parallel per touchdown.
Hydra effects in discrete-time models of stable communities

Abstract A species exhibits a hydra effect when, counter-intuitively, increased mortality of the species causes an increase in its abundance. Hydra effects have been studied in many continuous time (differential equation) multispecies models, but only rarely have hydra effects been observed in or studied with discrete time (difference equation) multispecies models. In addition most discrete time theory focuses on single-species models. Thus, it is unclear what unifying characteristics determine when hydra effects arise in discrete time models. Here, using discrete time multispecies models (where total abundance is the single variable describing each population), I show that a species exhibits a hydra effect in a stable system only when fixing that species’ density at its equilibrium density destabilizes the system. This general characteristic is referred to as subsystem instability. I apply this result to two-species models and identify specific mechanisms that cause hydra effects in stable communities, e.g., in host–-parasitoid models, host Allee effects and saturating parasitoid functional responses can cause parasitoid hydra effects. I discuss how the general characteristic can be used to identify mechanisms causing hydra effects in communities with three or more species. I also show that the condition for hydra effects at stable equilibria implies the system is reactive (i.e., density perturbations can grow before ultimately declining). This study extends previous work on conditions for hydra effects in single-species models by identifying necessary conditions for stable systems and sufficient conditions for cyclic systems. In total, these results show that hydra effects can arise in many more communities than previously appreciated and that hydra effects were present, but unrecognized, in previously studied discrete time models.
OIII-A-1

BACKGROUND/AIMS Drug-induced QT interval prolongation, which can lead to torsade de pointes, is a concern in drug development. The present study evaluated the predictability of nonclinical assays (in vitro hERG and in vivo safety pharmacology studies) for drug-induced QT interval prolongation. METHODS Nonclinical and clinical data on 19 drugs/candidates were evaluated. Data included that submitted to the FDA in support of INDs and NDAs, and published data. Clinical studies included positive controlled QT studies and those showing QT interval prolongation without a positive control arm. Drugs were considered positive if the mean QTc increase was greater than 5 msec. Nonclinical criteria for a positive assay were: IC50 ≤1 μM for hERG inhibition; 10% increase in QTc in vivo or significant at P<0.05. RESULTS Of 10 drugs that were positive clinically (QTc increases of 5.5 to 62 ms), false negative rates were 50% and 60%, for hERG and in vivo studies, respectively. Of 9 drugs that were negative clinically, false positive rates were 22% and 14% for hERG and in vivo studies, respectively. For drugs positive in either hERG or in vivo studies, false negative and false positive rates were 20% and 22%, respectively. Changing the IC50 cutoff or normalizing IC50's to therapeutic free plasma levels did not change predictability in a usable manner. CONCLUSION In this database, data from in vitro hERG and in vivo safety pharmacology studies was insufficient to fully predict whether drugs will prolong QT interval clinically. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 79, P29–P29; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.106
Doxorubicin Has Dose-Dependent Toxicity on Mouse Ovarian Follicle Development, Hormone Secretion, and Oocyte Maturation.

Doxorubicin (DOX), one of the most commonly used anticancer medications, has been reported to affect fertility by damaging ovarian follicles; however, the dose-dependent toxicity of DOX on the dynamic follicle development and oocyte maturation has not been well-defined. Our objective is to determine the effects of human-relevant exposure levels of DOX on follicular functions across developmental time. In vitro cultured multilayered secondary mouse follicles were treated with DOX at 0, 2, 20, 100, and 200 nM for 24 h, and follicle development, hormone secretion, and oocyte maturation were analyzed. DOX caused dose-dependent toxicity on follicle growth, survival, and secretion of 17β-estradiol (E2). At 200 nM, DOX induced DNA damage and apoptosis in follicle somatic cells first and then in oocytes, which was correlated with the uptake of DOX first to the somatic cells followed by germ cells. Follicles treated with DOX at 0, 2, and 20 nM showed similar oocyte metaphase II (MII) percentages after in vitro oocyte maturation; however, 20 nM DOX significantly increased the number of MII oocytes with abnormal spindle morphology and chromosome misalignment. In an effort to harmonize the in vitro study to in vivo treatment, dose-dependent toxicity on oocyte meiotic maturation was found in 16-day-old CD-1 mice treated with DOX at 0, 0.4, 2, and 10 mg/kg, consistent with the in vitro oocyte maturation outcomes. Our study demonstrates that DOX has dose-dependent toxicity on ovarian follicle development, hormone secretion, and oocyte maturation, which are three key factors to support the female reproductive and endocrine functions.
Die offen abstrahlende koaxiale Leitung mit Schirm

Wir betrachten eine verlustlose koaxiale Leitung, die in der Ebene z = 0 offen endet und sich in der negativen z -Richtung ins Unendliche erstreckt (Fig. 10.1). In der Ebene z = 0 setze sich der ausere Leiter in einen unendlich ausgedehnten ebenen metallischen Schirm fort. Die Leitung denken wir uns bei z = -∞ (praktisch in einer Entfernung vom offenen Ende, die genugt, um die durch das Ende hervorgerufene Storung als abgeklungen betrachten zu konnen) mit einer Frequenz erregt, die unterhalb der Grenzfrequenz der hoheren Schwingungstypen der koaxialen Leitung liegt. Dies bedeutet, das wir als fortschreitende Welle nur den „Lecher-Typ“(TEM-Typ) anregen, d. h. eine nach dem offenen Leitungsende laufende Welle, deren elektrische und magnetische Feldkomponenten in einer Ebene senkrecht zur Leiterachse liegen und deren Groβe gegeben sei durch $$ {E_{0\varrho }} = \sqrt {\frac{{\mu {\mu _0}}}{{\varepsilon {\varepsilon _0}}}} \frac{{{e^{ikz}}}}{\varrho };\,{H_{0\varphi }} = \frac{{{e^{ikz}}}}{\varrho }. $$ (10.1)
Substrate Insolubility Dictates Hsp104-Dependent Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated Degradation

Summary Misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are destroyed by ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Although the retrotranslocation of misfolded proteins from the ER has been reconstituted, how a polypeptide is initially selected for ERAD remains poorly defined. To address this question while controlling for the diverse nature of ERAD substrates, we constructed a series of truncations in a single ER-tethered domain. We observed that the truncated proteins exhibited variable degradation rates and discovered a positive correlation between ERAD substrate instability and detergent insolubility, which demonstrates that aggregation-prone species can be selected for ERAD. Further, Hsp104 facilitated degradation of an insoluble species, consistent with the chaperone's disaggregase activity. We also show that retrotranslocation of the ubiquitinated substrate from the ER was inhibited in the absence of Hsp104. Therefore, chaperone-mediated selection frees the ER membrane of potentially toxic, aggregation-prone species.
Patients With Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis have Better Long-Term Functional Outcomes Than Those With Other Autoimmune Encephalitides. (P1.339)

Objective: To examine differences in long-term functional outcome between patients with anti-NMDA receptor (Anti-NMDAR) encephalitis and patients with other autoimmune encephalitides. Background: Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is an increasingly recognized, potentially debilitating neurologic disease with widely ranging clinical presentations. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis is thought to be associated with good recovery. However, outcomes studies in other forms of AE are limited. Design/Methods: Retrospective review of inpatient records at Johns Hopkins Hospital identified patients with AE diagnosed between 2005 and 2015. Patients/families were asked to participate in a structured telephone interview. Neurologic disability was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and adaptive function by Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-Third Edition (ABAS-3). Results: 12 patients with anti-NMDAR antibodies were compared to 65 with other AE (28 with other identified antibodies; 37 with no identified antibody). Subjects did not differ by clinical characteristics nor mRS at admission. Mean duration of follow-up from diagnosis was 4.0 years (standard deviation 3.0 years). Anti-NMDAR encephalitis more often resulted in improved mRS from discharge to follow-up (75% vs. 40%, p Conclusions: Patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis demonstrate better long-term outcomes compared to other forms of AE. Different pathophysiology may explain these differences. Alternatively, better recognition of anti-NMDAR encephalitis may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment initiation, thus impacting outcomes. Clinicians should use caution in extrapolating findings from anti-NMDAR encephalitis to other forms of AE. Study Supported by: The Johns Hopkins Center for Refractory Status Epilepticus and Neuroinflammation Disclosure: Dr. Gordon-Lipkin has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yeshokumar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Arenivas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Saylor has nothing to disclose. Dr. Probasco has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Oxford University.
Landscapes of power: politics of energy in the Navajo Nation

Remote, extractive landscapes are often marked by persistent pollution, particularly when the extracted resource in question comes from underground and serves as a source of energy. The toxic legac...
Covalent Carbon Compounds: From Diamond Crystallites to Fullerene-Assembled Polymers

As is clear from the work discussed here and elsewhere in this book there are a variety of ways in which cluster calculations are impacting the understanding and design of solid state properties. Also illustrated in the above discussion is the fact that each theory and numerical algorithm has specific subfields where it is most appropriate and the discussion of this topic necessitates equal emphasis on both the specific theory and the application. With respect to density-functional based calculations several known results have been reiterated here. First, it is possible to obtain very accurate geometries, vibrational modes, electronic densities, polarizabilities and hyper polarizabilities within a local approximation of the theory. Second, the overbinding that is present in existing local approximations to the density-functional theory can be circumvented if the cluster energies are calculated within the generalized gradient approximation. Finally, we presented results that show one example where the generalized gradient approximation significantly improves results. In contrast to the local-density-approximation which leads to qualitatively incorrect results for the methyl-methane hydrogen abstraction energy, we show that the generalized gradient approximation leads to results that are almost quantitatively correct.
Understanding Support for the War in Iraq during the Bush Years: Differences in Civilian and Military Opinion

We examine relationships between military affiliation and support for the war in Iraq and support for President Bush in five southern states chosen because of their support of Republican presidents and concentration of military families. Using public opinion data, we disentangle the effects of race, military affiliation, age, and ideology on support for President Bush and his prosecution of the war. Of note are differences between civilians and military-affiliated respondents in support for the Iraq War. Incongruence is evident about the direction of the war effort between those who fought the war—members of the military—and those who managed most of the war—President Bush and his administration.
SVD-based analysis of image boundary distortion

Publisher Summary Imaging systems attempt to build a digital or analog representation f of a desired scene. In practice, technological limitations restrict these systems so that they can only obtain an imperfect image g. It isassumed that this imperfection is due to a linear blur and additive noise. The chapter refers to a a discrete scene f which is the ideal image that is tried to be recovered. It presents and analyzes a localized regularization scheme which successfully deals with unpredictable intrusive energy near the boundaries. It also reviews common assumptions for modeling the boundary and explains how they may cause problems during restoration. The Chapter describes regularization methods to reduce the effect of noise and discusses approaches to handle boundary effects, including the incomplete deblurring method.
Adult adjustment of the mentally retarded: implications for teacher education.

This article briefly reviews the adult adjustment of the educable mentally retarded. The findings suggest that perhaps teacher preparation is less than optimal. A tentative model for the preparation of teachers of secondary level educable mentally retarded children, augmenting subject matter competency with knowledge of the nature and needs of the retarded learner, is proposed.
Unraveling the clinicopathological features driving the emergence of ESR1 mutations in metastatic breast cancer.

ESR1 mutations were recently found to be an important mechanism of endocrine resistance in ER-positive (ER + ) metastatic breast cancer. To determine the clinicopathological features driving the emergence of the ESR1 mutations we studied plasma cfDNA and detailed clinical data collected from patients with metastatic breast cancer. Droplet Digital PCR was performed for the detection of the most common ESR1 mutations and PIK3CA mutations. Among the patients with ER + /HER2- disease, ESR1 mutations were detected in 30% of the patients. There were no associations between the pathological features of the primary disease or time to distant recurrence and the emergence of ESR1 mutations in metastatic disease. The prevalence of the ESR1 mutations was significantly associated with prior treatment with an aromatase inhibitor in the adjuvant or metastatic setting. The prevalence of the ESR1 mutations was also positively associated with prior fulvestrant treatment. Conversely, the prevalence of ESR1 mutations was lower after treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. There were no significant associations between specific systemic treatments and the prevalence of PIK3CA mutations. These results support the evolution of the ESR1 mutations under the selective pressure of treatment with aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant and metastatic settings and have important implications in the optimization of adjuvant and metastatic treatment in ER + breast cancer. Treatment with aromatase inhibitors, a class of drugs that suppress the synthesis of estrogen, can drive the evolution of mutations in the estrogen receptor gene ESR1, leading to tumor resistance against hormone therapies. To better understand the emergence of ESR1 mutations, Rinath Jeselsohn from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and coworkers tested tumor DNA contained within blood samples from 155 women with metastatic breast cancer. They found ESR1 mutations rarely in women with any molecular subtype of cancer other than estrogen receptor-positive disease. Nothing about the primary tumor predicted who would develop ESR1 mutations; however, treatment with an aromatase inhibitor was associated with mutations arising. The findings highlight the need to develop therapeutic regimens that reduce the selective pressure for ESR1 mutations and/or target these mutations directly.
High-Frequency Resonant Converter with Synchronous Rectification for High Conversion Ratio and Variable Load Operation

Applying RF circuit design techniques to dc-dc power conversion has pushed the switching frequency of power converters using discrete components well beyond 10 MHz. This paper proposes a simple solution to implement synchronous rectification for resonant dc-dc power converters operating at above 10 MHz, by using a symmetric bandpass matching network between the inverter and rectifier. The bandpass matching network enables the synchronous switch to be driven by the same clock signal as the inverter switch. Furthermore, this family of high frequency converter is able to maintain zero-voltage-switching operation over a wide load range. A 200 W 13.56 MHz 210 V-to-30 V bidirectional converter with a peak efficiency of 90% is demonstrated.
HEMODYNAMIC PREDICTORS OF OUTCOME IN PARAVALVULAR AORTIC REGURGITATION

Paravalvular aortic regurgitation (PVAR) is an adverse outcome after aortic valve replacement (AVR). While the hemodynamic consequences of valvular aortic regurgitation are known, the significance of hemodynamic alterations in PVAR and their relation to severity, procedural success of percutaneous
Non-catalytic dissolution of biochar in hydrogen donor solvent

Abstract Cellulose and lignin, biomass model compounds, have been used to produce biochar through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). Biochars were prepared at various temperatures to investigate the effect of C/O ratio on biochar dissolution in tetralin, a hydrogen donor solvent previously used in direct coal liquefaction (DCL). In contrast with DCL, biochar dissolution was done without the use of any catalyst. All of the dissolution experiments were carried out at 400 °C to stay below the critical point of tetralin. Hydrogen from tetralin stabilizes the radicals formed during the thermal breakdown of oxygenated hydrocarbon bonds in the biochar. It was observed that the dissolution of biochar depends on (a) the HTC temperature which dictates the C/O ratio of the biochars and (b) presence of biocrude (which consists of furanic and phenolic compounds) produced during HTC. In general, low C/O ratio (obtained at low HTC temperature) and presence of biocrude greatly enhanced the dissolution of biochar in tetralin. This is because low C/O ratio contains more reactive oxygenated groups and biocrude promotes the scission of ether linkages in biochar to form phenoxy radicals which are stabilized by tetralin. A detailed mechanism of biochar dissolution in the presence of biocrude has been proposed in this study. The highest conversion of cellulose (C230, C/O = 1.1) and lignin (AL350, C/O = 3.1) biochars were observed to be 90 wt% and 75 wt% respectively.
Rapid, Refined, and Robust Method for Expression, Purification, and Characterization of Recombinant Human Amyloid beta 1-42

Amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients primarily consists of amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ42). Commercially, Aβ42 is synthesized using high-throughput peptide synthesizers resulting in the presence of impurities and the racemization of amino acids that affects its aggregation properties. Furthermore, the repeated purchase of even a small quantity (~1 mg) of commercial Aβ42 can be expensive for academic researchers. Here, we describe a detailed methodology for robust expression of recombinant human Aβ(M1-42) in Rosetta(DE3)pLysS and BL21(DE3)pLysS competent E. coli using standard molecular biology techniques with refined and rapid one-step analytical purification techniques. The peptide is isolated and purified from transformed cells using an optimized reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) protocol with commonly available C18 columns, yielding high amounts of peptide (~15–20 mg per 1 L culture) within a short period of time. The recombinant human Aβ(M1-42) forms characteristic aggregates similar to synthetic Aβ42 aggregates as verified by western blotting and atomic force microscopy to warrant future biological use. Our rapid, refined, and robust technique produces pure recombinant human Aβ(M1-42) that may be used to synthesize chemical probes and in several downstream in vitro and in vivo assays to facilitate Alzheimer’s disease research.
2D-Based Coarse-to-Fine Approaches for Small Target Segmentation in Abdominal CT Scans

Deep neural networks have been widely adopted for automatic organ segmentation from abdominal CT scans. However, the segmentation accuracy of small organs (e.g., pancreas) or neoplasms (e.g., pancreatic cyst) is sometimes below satisfaction, arguably because deep networks are easily disrupted by the complex and variable background regions which occupy a large fraction of the input volume. In this chapter, we propose two coarse-to-fine mechanisms which use prediction from the first (coarse) stage to shrink the input region for the second (fine) stage. More specifically, the two stages in the first method are trained individually in a step-wise manner, so that the entire input region and the region cropped according to the bounding box are treated separately. While the second method inserts a saliency transformation module between the two stages so that the segmentation probability map from the previous iteration can be repeatedly converted as spatial weights to the current iteration. In training, it allows joint optimization over the deep networks. In testing, it propagates multi-stage visual information throughout iterations to improve segmentation accuracy. Experiments are performed on several CT datasets, including NIH pancreas, JHMI multi-organ, and JHMI pancreatic cyst dataset. Our proposed approach gives strong results in terms of DSC.
Multi-Organ Infarction in a Patient Receiving Infliximab

A 54 year-old woman with a history of psoriatic arthritis on methotrexate and infliximab was admitted to a local hospital with fevers and abdominal pain. She underwent cholecystectomy, but was readmitted to our institution 9 days later with persistent symptoms. The patient had a three pack-year smoking history. On arrival, the patient was in moderate discomfort. BP was elevated at 158/80 mm Hg. Examination revealed an early systolic murmur at the left upper sternal border, 2+ nonpitting edema at the ankles, and a psoriatic rash. The abdomen was diffusely tender to palpation, without costovertebral angle tenderness. Abnormal laboratory test results included leukocyte count of 26,300 cells/ μ l, hemoglobin of 10.4 g/dl, and C-reactive protein of 230.7 mg/L. Viral hepatitis screening was negative. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a wedge-shaped focus in the splenic hilum, mild diffuse small bowel dilation, and striated enhancement of …
Accounting for multiple dimensions of biodiversity to assess surrogate performance in a freshwater conservation prioritization

Abstract Although freshwater ecosystems support a disproportionately large number of species, decision-support tools for prioritizing protected area efforts have mostly been implemented in marine and terrestrial environments. Systematic conservation planners rely on surrogate metrics to represent unsampled elements of biodiversity, yet few studies have considered the potential benefits associated with prioritizing multiple dimensions of freshwater biodiversity across multiple organism groups. In this study, we first evaluated relationships among patterns of taxonomic richness, functional diversity, functional redundancy, and biotic integrity for freshwater fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the Congaree Biosphere Region, South Carolina, USA. We then used the decision-support tool Marxan to explore a potential trade-off between the number of organism groups sampled (i.e., taxonomic extent) and the multidimensional nature of biodiversity. Our central findings indicated that the processes driving patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity among organism groups were complementary, with direct implications for the evaluation of surrogate performance. Our results also suggest that within-taxa variation among measures of taxonomic and functional diversity may be more important to consider than the taxonomic representation of multiple organism groups. That is, we may be able to enhance the efficiency of conservation planning efforts by using available datasets in a more comprehensive way, as surrogate performance was largely mediated by the variation among metrics. Through the continued development of functional trait databases, we may be able to enhance the efficiency of data collection efforts and promote the timely and sustainable development of conservation strategies.
Test Use With Children and Youth Internationally

The goals of this chapter are to briefly review the history of testing, examine the status of test use with children and youth from international perspectives in some detail, and outline some future directions for test development and use. The attainment of these goals is somewhat difficult because literature and other sources of information on test use are unavailable for many countries. In addition, some available information is likely to be inaccurate given changes in geographic boundaries and political and economic orientations within many countries during the last few years.
Impulsive head rotation resets oculopalatal tremor: examination of a model.

Abstract: We have described a neuromimetic model of the interaction between the inferior olive (IO) and the cerebellum that accounts for symptomatic oculopalatal tremor (OPT), a disorder characterized by oscillations of the eyes (nystagmus), palate and other branchial muscles. OPT develops months after some brainstem strokes, in association with hypertrophic degeneration of the inferior olivary nucleus (IO). We hypothesized that OPT requires both (1) a pulsatile oscillator created by tighter electrotonic coupling between cells in the IO, and (2) a learned response from the cerebellar cortex that combines with the IO pulses to generate the quasi-pendular oscillations. Since the vestibular nuclei project to both IO and vestibulocerebellum, one prediction of the model is that rapid head rotations could interrupt the oscillator, effectively resetting the timing of the ocular nystagmus. The ocular oscillations in OPT vary in amplitude and phase, making it difficult to determine by Fourier analysis whether head perturbations phase-shift the nystagmus. We applied complex wavelet analysis to data from four patients with OPT and checked whether vestibular stimuli induced a change in phase of the nystagmus. First we calculated a threshold for the spontaneous rate of change of phase of OPT by comparing many segments of nystagmus waveform with their time-shifted versions, bootstrapping these arrays, and computing 95% prediction intervals for each patient. Then we compared the rate of change of phase due to each head perturbation with the threshold for that patient. To minimize the effects of the head perturbation itself on the wavelet analysis, we measured effects in a plane orthogonal to the head rotation, e.g., effects of horizontal head rotations on the torsional component of OPT. In all four patients, the rate of change of phase shift increased sharply at the time of the head perturbation, and in three the change was judged to be statistically significant. Thus, the experimental tests supported the prediction of our model for OPT.
Brain Stimulation for Pain

In the ever-advancing world of neuromodulation, use of electrical stimulation for pain relief has been a dominant theme – mainly due to wide acceptance of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) over the last four decades and, more recently, with rebirth of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) approach. The relative simplicity of these interventions resulted in a shift among practitioners who use it – and if in the beginning most neuromodulation procedures were done by neurosurgeons, vast majority of both SCS and PNS systems are now implanted by non-surgeons, primarily anesthesiologists and physiatrists who specialize in the field of pain medicine. The only target of neuromodulation where neurosurgeons proudly keep their surgical monopoly is the brain. And when it comes to indications for cerebral neuromodulation procedures, one immediately thinks of movement disorders, Parkinson disease (PD), essential tremor (ET), and dystonia, all of which have been successfully treated with stimulation of thalamic nuclei or basal ganglia. In this chapter, we focus on deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures and their applications in treatment of chronic pain.
Catalysis by Adsorbed Enzymes THE HYDROLYSIS OF TRIPROPIONIN BY PANCREATIC LIPASE ADSORBED TO SILICONIZED GLASS BEADS

Abstract The reaction of porcine pancreatic lipase B (EC 3.1.1.3) with the soluble triglyceride, tripropionin, shows substantial stimulation in the presence of hydrophobic surfaces. The enhancement of the enzymatic rate can be correlated with the reversible binding of the enzyme to the hydrophobic surface with a dissociation constant K = 1.3 x 10-8 m. The binding of the enzyme to the surface is diffusion controlled with a rate constant of 1.8 x 106 m-1 s-1. At saturation of the surface with enzyme each protein molecule occupies an average area of 6000 A2 per molecule. The hydrolytic reaction on the surface is first order with respect to the amount of adsorbed enzyme and the concentration of tripropionin at the solution-solid interface. The second order rate constant of the reaction is 1.3 x 1013 cm2 mole-1 s-1. The surface reaction requires a basic group on the enzyme with a pK of 5.85. The enhancement of the velocity on the surface as compared to the homogeneous reaction can be ascribed to an increased local concentration of the substrate at the liquid-solid interface.
A novel feedback scheme to increase throughput in multiple access radio systems

To enhance the throughput of a slotted ALOHA control channel in a radio communication system, we present and analyze a method for estimating the number of remote stations that are attempting to transmit to a central base station. Each of the contending remote stations randomly chooses to transmit with probability p. Our novel contribution is the use of information concerning the number of successful packet transmissions that arrive without retransmission li.e., that are successfully received on their first transmission attemptr, as a metric for accurately and robustly estimating the number of contending remote stations. This estimate is determined at the base station and then used to compute the optimal transmission probability p that is used as feedback to the remote stations for their use. The proposed estimation method is analyzed and shown to provide good steadydstate performance for a variety of system models, including situations with noise and idling remote stations. The scheme is also shown to provide good tracking capabilities.
Congenital Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Unique Translocation t(11;19)(q23;p13.3)

Congenital leukemia is rarely encountered in clinical practice, even in tertiary children's hospitals. Leukemia may cause significant coagulopathy, putting the patient at risk of intracranial hemorrhage. In this case, the authors present a female infant with a unique mixed phenotypic congenital acute myeloid leukemia showing mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) rearrangement and severe coagulopathy resulting in a large subdural hematoma. Despite the fatal outcome in this case, neurosurgical treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia should be considered if coagulopathy and the clinical scenario allow.
Slow-Neutron Cross Sections of Pu 240 , Pu 242 , and Am 243

Measurements of the total cross sections of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{240}$, ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{242}$, and ${\mathrm{Am}}^{243}$ have been made using the Argonne "fast chopper." The results on ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{240}$ include only the resonance structure which could be studied through the ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{240}$ impurity in some samples of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$ which were used in an exhaustive study of the latter nuclide. The values of the resonance parameters of the resonances at 1.053, 20.4, and 38.2 ev comprise these results. The studies of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{242}$ and ${\mathrm{Am}}^{243}$ were made possible by the separation of these nuclides from samples of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$ which had undergone extensive neutron irradiation. Resonances were observed at 2.65 and 53.6 ev in ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{242}$ and at 0.976, 1.353, 1.74, 3.42, 5.12, 6.54, 7.84, 10.3, 12.8, 13.1, and 15.3 ev in ${\mathrm{Am}}^{243}$. Resonance parameters are reported for all of these resonances and in addition, the resonance capture integrals derived from these parameters are compared with the results of other measurements of these quantities.
A simple algorithm for triconnectivity of a multigraph

Vertex-connectivity and edge-connectivity represent the extent to which a graph is connected. Study of these key properties of graphs plays an important role in varieties of computer science applications. Recent years have witnessed a number of linear time 3-edge-connectivity algorithms - with increasing simplicity. In contrast, the state-of-the-art algorithm for 3-vertex-connectivity due to Hopcroft and Tarjan lacks the simplicity in the sense of ease of implementation as well as the number of passes over the graph although its time and space complexity is theoretically linear. In this paper, we propose a linear time reduction from 3-vertex-connectivity to 3-edge-connectivity of a multigraph. This reduction was previously unknown, while the reduction in the opposite direction already exists. We apply an existing linear time 3-edge-connectivity algorithm on the reduced graph for solving the 3-vertex-connectivity of the original graph. Hence, for a graph with |V| vertices and |E| edges, the proposed reduction turns into an O(|V| + |E|) time and space algorithm for 3-vertex-connectivity while enjoying the simplicity of the 3-edge-connectivity algorithms.
A retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of low molecular weight heparin for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in trauma patients

Abstract Background In trauma patients, Enoxaparin (a low molecular weight heparin, LMWH) prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk reduction is unproven. Methods Cohort analysis conducted consisting of all trauma patients age >13 admitted to Level-I trauma center and hospitalized >48 hours. VTE risk determined by the Risk Assessment Profile. High risk patients received LMWH unless contraindicated, while low and moderate risk patients received LMWH at attending surgeon's discretion. Odds ratio for VTE by logistic regression. VTE incidence, relative risk (RR), and number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism determined by risk category. Results Cohort consisted of 2,281 patients (1,211 low, 979 moderate, 91 high risks). VTE occured in 254 patients (11.1%). High-risk patients had significantly higher VTE incidence, odds ratio = 31.8 ( P P = .02). Among moderate and high risk, prophylactic LMWH reduced the incidence of pulmonary embolism (RR = .19, NNT=40.4, P = .01), and trended toward reduced DVT incidence (RR = .81, NNT=27.3, P = .15). LMWH lowered DVT incidence (RR = .52, NNT=4.1, P = .03) in high risk patients. Conclusion Prophylactic LMWH is associated with reduction of VTE in trauma patients.