cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunological tolerance to male skin isografts in female mice.

Summary1) Acquired tolerance to isolo-gous male skin may be produced in female mice of the A and C57 Bl (subline I) strains by injection at birth of living spleen cells taken from isologous adult male donors. The results show that by this procedure sex-determined incompatibility observed between male and female mice of these 2 strains may be overcome. 2) These observations are interpreted as providing evidence for the immunological basis of male skin graft rejection by isologous females.
Re-examination of Encephalitic Brains Known to Contain Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies: Electron-microscopic Observations Following Prolonged Fixation in Formalin

Brain tissue known to contain intranuclear inclusion bodies from eight fatal cases of encephalitis was studied by light and electron microscopy. This study demonstrated that prolonged fixation of autopsy specimens in formalin provided sufficient preservation to allow electron microscopic identification of viral particles. Differentiation between subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and herpes encephalitis was easily established in each of the eight cases studied. Two cases had such short encephalitic courses that SSPE was not considered until observations were made by electron microscopy. Light microscopic recognition of inclusion bodies in these two diseases may be difficult because most of them occur in small nuclei and characteristically they lack halos. Inclusion bodies with halos were seen only in cells with large nuclei, such as neurons. The discrepancy found in the literature regarding light microscopic identification of inclusion bodies is ascribed to failure to recognize inclusion bodies without halos. Some differences between the light microscopic characteristics of inclusion bodies in the two diseases were observed.
Effects of vitamin D in colorectal cancer.

KN There is a long history of ecologic and observational data demonstrating that vitamin D status affects the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Studies have evaluated vitamin D intake, both from diet and supplements, as well as vitamin D levels in the blood. Most of these studies suggest that the higher the vitamin D level, the lower the risk of developing CRC. A meta-analysis of 5 epidemiologic studies that evaluated blood levels of vitamin D and CRC found that a higher vitamin D level is associated with an approximately 50% lower risk of developing CRC.
Central origin of biphasic breathing pattern during hypoxia in newborns

The ventilatory response to moderate hypoxia of both animal and human newborns differs significantly from that of adults. The newborn response is characterized by transient hyperpnea followed by return of ventilation toward or below the control level and even apnea. To determine whether central respiratory control mechanisms are affected by hypoxia in newborns, we used an anesthetized, paralyzed, mechanically ventilated piglet model in which the vagus nerves were cut. Respiratory activity was determined by measuring electrical activity of a cut phrenic nerve. During a 6-min continuous exposure to 15% O2 as the inspired gas, 11 piglets increased their respiratory output to 181 +/- 38% of the control value within 2.5 min. However, by the 6th min the average respiratory output had declined to 104 +/- 25% of the control. During the exposure to hypoxia, the servo-controlled ventilator frequency (an index of CO2 flux to the lungs) was persistently greater than control (28.0 +/- 1.0 vs. 30.5 +/- 1.4 cycles/min; P less than 0.01). These data indicate that the newborn's characteristic breathing response to hypoxia is due to failure of central neural respiratory control mechanisms. Paralysis, constant end-tidal PCO2, and increased ventilator rate during hypoxia exclude changes in pulmonary mechanics or decreased metabolic rate as explanations of the paradoxical decline in respiratory output.
Hybrid Digital Signal Processing and Neural Networks for Automated Diagnostics Using Eddy Current Inspection

The primary purpose of the current research is to develop an integrated approach by combining information compression methods and artificial neural networks for the monitoring of plant components using nondestructive examination (NDE) data. Specifically, data from eddy current inspection of heat exchanger tubing are utilized to develop this technology. The results of analysis show that for effective (low-error) artifact type classification and estimation of parameters, it is necessary to identify proper feature vectors using different data representation methods.
Cybernetics as a usable past

The Cybernetic Brain is a strange, wonderful, and frustrating book. Beautifully written, passionately argued, and based on a decade’s worth of research, the book presents a detailed, wide-ranging history of British cybernetics as a usable past to challenge how we think about science and modernity. A sociologist of science who has written landmark books on quarks and ‘‘posthumanist’’ science studies, Pickering explains that Cybernetic Brain ‘‘is very much my own history of cybernetics in Britain—not a comprehensive survey, but the story of a set of scientific, technological, and social developments that speak to me for reasons I will explain and that I hope will interest others’’ (4). To create his own history of cybernetics, Pickering follows a strand of research extending from the work of two first-generation British cyberneticists—brain scientists W. Grey Walter and W. Ross Ashby—to that of second-generation researchers Stafford Beer and Gordon Pask, a strand that extends from the late 1940s to the 1970s. The psychiatric research of Gregory Bateson and R. D. Laing is considered with the first group. Along this strand, Pickering studies cybernetics in practice rather than the history of ideas, the performative rather than the representational aspect of British cybernetics. He emphasizes, for example, the unpredictable exploratory movements of Walter’s ‘‘tortoises’’ (small-scale electronic robots), rather than Walter’s attempts to use those movements to understand and represent the functioning of the human brain. In this trajectory of research, British cybernetics was transformed from the ‘‘science of the adaptive brain’’ (8) in the early 1950s, as instantiated in Walter’s tortoises and Ashby’s electromechanical ‘‘homeostat’’ model of the brain, into a ‘‘protean science’’ of the 1960s and 1970s, symbolized by Pask’s design of the Fun Palace, an interactive and adaptive architectural project, and Beer’s Project CyberSyn, an interactive computer system built to run the Chilean economy.
The performance and trade-offs of alternative harvest control rules to meet management goals for U.S. west coast flatfish stocks

Abstract U.S. federal fisheries managers are mandated to obtain optimum yield while preventing overfishing. However, optimum yield is not well defined and the concept of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) has often been applied to provide an upper bound for the optimum yield value, but determining the MSY, identifying the relative biomass that produces MSY and the associated fishing rate required (FMSY) is difficult. The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages groundfish stocks off the U.S. west coast, has employed proxy targets in lieu of species-specific estimates of MSY, BMSY, and FMSY. The proxy targets are life history specific, with flatfish stocks managed using a target BPROXY of 0.25 of unfished biomass and a harvest control rule that applies an exploitation rate equal to a spawner-per-recruit harvest rate of F0.30, with a linear reduction of catch to zero if the stock falls below 5% of unfished biomass (BLIMIT). A management strategy evaluation was performed to explore the performance of the current harvest control rule applied to flatfish stocks to meet management goals, along with alternative harvest control rules that explore varying the values for BPROXY, BLIMIT, and FSPR. Each of the harvest control rules explored maintained stocks at or near BPROXY when stock-recruit steepness was 0.85 or greater, with very low probabilities of reducing relative biomass below a minimum stock size threshold (set at 0.50 BPROXY of each harvest control rule). The most aggressive harvest control rule, which applied a BPROXY of 0.20 and a target harvest rate of F0.25, led to fishing rates that exceeded the operating model FMSY values for low steepness (0.75), reducing the stock below BPROXY with catches exceeding MSY. Trade-offs exist among alternative harvest control rules where the more aggressive harvest control rules resulted in higher average catches, but with an increase in the average annual variation in catches and a decrease probability of the relative biomass being with 10% of the BPROXY. The trade-offs among the performance metrics and alternative harvest control rules coupled with the risk to the resource across a range of life histories should be carefully considered by fishery managers when selecting a harvest control rule that will meet the goals of management.
A Simplified Fe-Based PhotoATRP Using Only Monomers and Solvent

A photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP) of methacrylates is investigated using air-stable FeBr3 as catalyst in the absence of conventional ATRP initiators, additional ligands, reducing agents, and/or radical initiators. The ATRP alkyl halide initiator is formed in situ via photoreduction of FeBr3 by methacrylate monomers. The kinetics of the polymerization display a linear semilogarithmic plot after several hours of induction period. The molecular weight can be modulated by additions of different amounts of FeBr3, and polymers have narrow molecular weight distributions. Thus, FeBr3 acts as deactivator, as well as a source of activator FeBr2 and initiator. This method features a temporal control, and can provide various polymethacrylates with high chain end functionality.
Modulatory effects of Ampicillin/Sulbactam on glial glutamate transporters and metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 as well as reinstatement to cocaine-seeking behavior.

Glutamatergic system has an important role in cocaine-seeking behavior. Studies have reported that chronic exposure to cocaine induces downregulation of glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and cystine/glutamate exchanger (xCT) in the central reward brain regions. Ceftriaxone, a β-lactam antibiotic, restored GLT-1 expression and consequently reduced cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior. In this study, we investigated the reinstatement to cocaine (20mg/kg, i.p.) seeking behavior using a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm in male alcohol-preferring (P) rats. In addition, we investigated the effects of Ampicillin/Sulbactam (AMP/SUL) (200mg/kg, i.p.), a β-lactam antibiotic, on cocaine-induced reinstatement. We also investigated the effects of AMP/SUL on the expression of glial glutamate transporters and metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and shell and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). We found that AMP/SUL treatment reduced cocaine-triggered reinstatement. This effect was associated with a decrease in locomotor activity. Moreover, GLT-1 and xCT were downregulated in the NAc core and shell, but not in the dmPFC, following cocaine-primed reinstatement. However, cocaine exposure increased the expression of mGluR1 in the NAc core, but not in the NAc shell or dmPFC. Importantly, AMP/SUL treatment normalized GLT-1 and xCT expression in the NAc core and shell; however, the drug normalized mGluR1 expression in the NAc core only. Additionally, AMP/SUL increased the expression of GLT-1 and xCT in the dmPFC as compared to the water naive group. These findings demonstrated that glial glutamate transporters and mGluR1 in the mesocorticolimbic area could be potential therapeutic targets for the attenuation of reinstatement to cocaine-seeking behavior.
Making It Political: Working Towards Transformation in the Study of Internationalisation of Elite Education

This chapter draws on experiences and encounters collaborating with undergraduate student researchers and teachers, students, alumni, and administrators at an elite boarding school in Jordan involved in a multi-sited ethnography of what students learn at elite schools about themselves, others, and the world around them through global citizenship education about their place in the world, their relationships with others, and who they are. The author explores the possibilities of this collaboration in charting a justice-oriented collaborative approach that provides an epistemology for researchers and participants to challenge, contest, and transform practices reinforcing privileged ways of knowing and doing. Some limitations of this collaboration are considered to question whether such a research approach reflects social justice practice.
The International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM) 2016: summary and innovation in genomics

In this editorial, we first summarize the 2016 International Conference on Intelligent Biology and Medicine (ICIBM 2016) that was held on December 8–10, 2016 in Houston, Texas, USA, and then briefly introduce the ten research articles included in this supplement issue. ICIBM 2016 included four workshops or tutorials, four keynote lectures, four conference invited talks, eight concurrent scientific sessions and a poster session for 53 accepted abstracts, covering current topics in bioinformatics, systems biology, intelligent computing, and biomedical informatics. Through our call for papers, a total of 77 original manuscripts were submitted to ICIBM 2016. After peer review, 11 articles were selected in this special issue, covering topics such as single cell RNA-seq analysis method, genome sequence and variation analysis, bioinformatics method for vaccine development, and cancer genomics.
“So Why Is It OK Here?” Literacy Candidates Grappling With Culture/Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Urban Fieldsites:

Drawing on culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and the development of cultural competence, this study explores how teacher learners in a critical inquiry group narrated and discussed their urban f...
The Role of Advanced Brain Tumor Imaging in the Care of Patients with Central Nervous System Malignancies

T1-weighted post-contrast and T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) constitute the gold standard for diagnosis and response assessment in neuro-oncologic patients but are limited in their ability to accurately reflect tumor biology and metabolism, particularly over the course of a patient’s treatment. Advanced MR imaging methods are sensitized to different biophysical processes in tissue, including blood perfusion, tumor metabolism, and chemical composition of tissue, and provide more specific information on tissue physiology than standard MRI. This review provides an overview of the most common and emerging advanced imaging modalities in the field of brain tumor imaging and their applications in the care of neuro-oncologic patients.
Increased Ca++, Mg++, and Na+ + K+ ATPase activities in erythrocytes of sickle cell anemia

To determine whether diminished activity of the Ca++ extrusion pump could account for the high levels of red blood cell (RBC) Ca++ in sickle cell anemia (SS), we measured calmodulin-sensitive Ca++ ATPase activity in normal and SS RBC. Hemolysates prepared with saponin were compared, since such preparations expressed maximum ATPase activities, exceeding isolated membranes or reconstituted systems of membranes plus cytosol, SS RBC hemolysates had greater Ca++ ATPase activity than normal hemolysates; they exhibited higher Mg++ and Na+ + K+ ATPase activities as well. Assays on density (age) fractions of SS and normal red cells demonstrated that all ATPase activities were highest in low density (young) cells, and activities in SS red cells exceeded those in normals in all fractions studied. Thus, when studied under conditions that maximize enzyme activity, Ca++ ATPase activity, like Mg++ and Na+ + K+ ATPase, is actually increased in SS RBC, probably due to the young red cell population present. The elevated Ca++ levels in these cells are more likely due to an increased Ca++ leak or abnormal calcium binding than to defective extrusion by the ATPase pump.
IN VIVO VOLTAMMETRIC MONITORING OF DOPAMINE RELEASE AND CATABOLISM IN THE RAT STRIATUM

ABSTRACT Electroanalysis using microelectrodes implanted in the rat striatum allows continuous in vivo monitoring of the extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and homovanillic acid (HVA). The effects of drugs on DA metabolism are described. Electroanalytical techniques applicable to in vivo measurements of monoamine release and catabolism in brain tissue have been described (1–6). Recent results illustrating the effects of drugs believed to interfere with normal striatal DA neurotransmission by different mechanisms are summarized in this article.
In-Channel Processing to Create Autonomous Hydrogel Microvalves

A liquid phase polymerization process to integrate functional materials with microfluidic systems was used to fabricate microvalves (inside of microchannels). The microvalves consist of a stimuli-responsive hydrogel structure that undergoes a volume change in response to changes in local pH. The approach greatly simplifies system construction and assembly since the functional components are fabricated in situ and can perform both sensing and actuation functions. A 2D shut-off valve and a 3D hybrid valve were fabricated and tested. Hydrogel-based microvalves have a number of advantages over conventional microvalves, including simple fabrication, no external power requirement, no integrated electronics and large displacement.
Patterns of Care in Recurrent Glioblastoma in the Era of Molecular Diagnosis (P6.129)

Objective: N/A Background: Recurrent glioblastoma has poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. We evaluated patterns of care and survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma treated at the Cleveland Clinic. Design/Methods: We analyzed 258 patients diagnosed with recurrent glioblastoma between 2012 and 2017. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from the date of first recurrence to the date of death or last follow up, and progression free survival (PFS) was calculated from date of first to second recurrence, assuming treatment occurred near first recurrence, with death counting as an event for PFS. Results: At the time of analysis, median age was 62 years, 177 patients (69%) had died, and 11 (4.3%) were lost to follow up. 249 patients (97%) had reported molecular testing for MGMT, EGFR, or IDH. Of patients with available data, 66 (37%) had MGMT methylation, 93 (44%) with EGFR amplification, and 13 (6.9%) with IDH mutation. Median durations from initial diagnosis to first recurrence, and from first to second recurrence (PFS) were 6.9 and 4.6 months, respectively. After first recurrence, 62 patients had surgery, 26 received re-irradiation, 32 received Lomustine, 82 received Bevacizumab, 21 received both, 73 received other chemotherapy, and 79 enrolled in clinical trials. Median OS was 11.7 months. MGMT-methylated patients had longer median time to first recurrence (10 vs 5.7 months, P Conclusions: Surgical re-resection can still offer an OS advantage for patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Compared to Lomustine, Bevcizumab improved PFS in MGMT-methylated but not MGMT-unmethylated glioblastomas. Disclosure: Dr. Migdady has nothing to disclose. Dr. Dai has nothing to disclose. Dr. Thapa has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bellamkonda has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ahluwalia has nothing to disclose.
Lynch Syndrome-Associated Colorectal Cancer.

Key Clinical Points Lynch Syndrome–Associated Colorectal Cancer The Lynch syndrome is the most common inherited syndrome associated with colorectal cancer, accounting for 3% of new diagnoses; it is...
The Philosophical Progress of Hume's Essays

For those open to the possibility that philosophical thought can improve life, David Hume's Essays: Moral, Political, and Literary have something to say. In the first comprehensive study of the Essays, Margaret Watkins engages closely with these neglected texts and shows how they provide important insights into Hume's perspective on the breadth and depth of human life, arguing that the Essays reveal his continued commitment to philosophy as a discipline that can promote both social and individual progress. Addressing topics such as politics, war, slavery, the priesthood, the development of industry, aesthetics, emotional disorders, egoism, friendship, sexuality, gender relations, and the nature of philosophy itself, the volume examines Hume's purposes and aims against the backdrop of the eighteenth century society in which he lived. It will be of interest to scholars of modern thought in philosophy, politics, history, and economics.
Inhaled nitric oxide prevents systemic and pulmonary vasoconstriction due to hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier infusion: A case report.

Abstract Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are used in extreme circumstances to increase hemoglobin concentration and improve oxygen delivery when allogenic red blood cell transfusions are contraindicated or not immediately available. However, HBOC-induced severe pulmonary and systemic vasoconstriction due to peripheral nitric oxide (NO) scavenging has stalled its implementation in clinical practice. We present a case of an 87 year-old patient with acute life-threatening anemia who received HBOC while breathing NO gas. This case shows that inhaled NO allows for the safe use of HBOC infusion by preventing HBOC-induced pulmonary and systemic vasoconstriction.
Gay-Straight Alliances, Inclusive Policy, and School Climate: LGBTQ Youths' Experiences of Social Support and Bullying.

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) and school policies focused on support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning youth may reduce bias-based bullying and enhance social supports in schools. Using multivariate regression, we tested the relationship between youth reports of the presence of GSAs and LGBTQ-focused policies, independently and mutually, with experiences bullying and perceived support (n = 1,061). Youth reported higher classmate support in the presence of GSAs and higher teacher support in the presence of LGBTQ-focused policies; the presence of both GSAs and LGBTQ-focused policies was associated with less bullying and higher perceived classmate and teacher support. The findings indicate that GSAs and LGBTQ-focused policies are distinctly and mutually important for fostering safer and more supportive school climates for youth.
Trabecular Meshwork TREK-1 Channels Function as Polymodal Integrators of Pressure and pH.

Purpose The concentration of protons in the aqueous humor (AH) of the vertebrate eye is maintained close to blood pH; however, pathologic conditions and surgery may shift it by orders of magnitude. We investigated whether and how changes in extra- and intracellular pH affect the physiology and function of trabecular meshwork (TM) cells that regulate AH outflow. Methods Electrophysiology, in conjunction with pharmacology, gene knockdown, and optical recording, was used to track the pH dependence of transmembrane currents and mechanotransduction in primary and immortalized human TM cells. Results Extracellular acidification depolarized the resting membrane potential by inhibiting an outward K+-mediated current, whereas alkalinization hyperpolarized the cells and augmented the outward conductance. Intracellular acidification with sodium bicarbonate hyperpolarized TM cells, whereas removal of intracellular protons with ammonium chloride depolarized the membrane potential. The effects of extra- and intracellular acid and alkaline loading were abolished by quinine, a pan-selective inhibitor of two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels, and suppressed by shRNA-mediated downregulation of the mechanosensitive K2P channel TREK-1. Extracellular acidosis suppressed, whereas alkalosis facilitated, the amplitude of the pressure-evoked TREK-1-mediated outward current. Conclusions These results demonstrate that TM mechanotransduction mediated by TREK-1 channels is profoundly sensitive to extra- and intracellular pH shifts. Intracellular acidification might modulate aqueous outflow and IOP by stimulating TREK-1 channels.
Initial in vivo testing of a multitarget kinase inhibitor, regorafenib, by the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium

Background Regorafenib is a small molecule multikinase inhibitor that inhibits multiple kinases including BRAF, KIT, PDGFRB, RAF, RET, and VEGFR1-3. Procedures The in vivo anticancer effects of regorafenib were assessed in a panel of six osteosarcoma models, three rhabdomyosarcoma models, and one Ewing sarcoma model. Results Regorafenib induced modest inhibition of tumor growth in the models evaluated. Conclusion The overall pattern of response to regorafenib appears similar to that of the kinase inhibitor sorafenib, with pronounced slowing of tumor growth in some models, limited to the period of agent administration, being the primary treatment effect.
Systematics of a radiation of Neotropical suboscines (Aves: Thamnophilidae: Epinecrophylla)

The stipple-throated antwrens of the genus Epinecrophylla (Aves: Thamnophilidae) are represented by eight species primarily found in the lowlands of the Amazon Basin and the Guiana Shield. The genus has a long and convoluted taxonomic history, with many attempts made to address the taxonomy and systematics of the group. Here we employ massively parallel sequencing of thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) to provide both the most comprehensive subspecies-level phylogeny of Epinecrophylla antwrens and the first population-level genetic analyses for most species in the genus. Most of our analyses are robust to a diversity of phylogenetic and population genetic methods, but we show that even with thousands of loci we are unable to confidently place the western Amazonian taxon pyrrhonota. We uncovered phylogenetic relationships between taxa and patterns of population structure that are discordant with both morphology and current taxonomy. For example, we found deep genetic breaks between taxa in the ornata group currently regarded as species, and in the haematonota and leucophthalma groups we found paraphyly at the species and subspecies levels, respectively. Our population genetics analyses showed extensive admixture between some taxa despite their deep genetic divergence. We present a revised taxonomy for the group, discuss the biogeographic patterns that we uncover, and suggest areas for further study.
Survey of Clinician Opinions on Kidney Transplantation from Hepatitis C Virus Positive Donors: Identifying and Overcoming Barriers.

Background Transplant practices related to use of organs from hepatitis C virus–infected donors (DHCV+) is evolving rapidly. Methods We surveyed US kidney transplant programs by email and professional society LISTSERV postings between July 2019 and January 2020 to assess attitudes, management strategies, and barriers related to use of viremic (nucleic acid testing positive [NAT+]) donor organs in recipients who are not infected with HCV. Results Staff at 112 unique programs responded, representing 54% of US adult kidney transplant programs and 69% of adult deceased donor kidney transplant volume in 2019. Most survey respondents were transplant nephrologists (46%) or surgeons (43%). Among the responding programs, 67% currently transplant DHCV antibody+/NAT− organs under a clinical protocol or as standard of care. By comparison, only 58% offer DHCV NAT+ kidney transplant to recipients who are HCV−, including 35% under clinical protocols, 14% as standard of care, and 9% under research protocols. After transplant of DHCV NAT+ organs to recipients who are uninfected, 53% start direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) therapy after discharge and documented viremia. Viral monitoring protocols after DHCV NAT+ to HCV uninfected recipient kidney transplantation varied substantially. 56% of programs performing these transplants report having an institutional plan to provide DAA treatment if declined by the recipient’s insurance. Respondents felt a mean decrease in waiting time of ≥18 months (range, 0–60) justifies the practice. Program concerns related to use of DHCV NAT+ kidneys include insurance coverage concerns (72%), cost (60%), and perceived risk of transmitting resistant infection (44%). Conclusions Addressing knowledge about safety and logistic/financial barriers related to use of DHCV NAT+ kidney transplantation for recipients who are not infected with HCV may help reduce discards and expand the organ supply. Podcast This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/K360/2020_11_25_KID0004592020.mp3
Harnessing the potential of bacterial oxidative folding to aid protein production

Protein folding is central to both biological function and recombinant protein production. In bacterial expression systems, which are easy to use and offer high protein yields, production of the protein of interest in its native fold can be hampered by the limitations of endogenous posttranslational modification systems. Disulfide bond formation, entailing the covalent linkage of proximal cysteine amino acids, is a fundamental posttranslational modification reaction that often underpins protein stability, especially in extracytoplasmic environments. When these bonds are not formed correctly, the yield and activity of the resultant protein are dramatically decreased. Although the mechanism of oxidative protein folding is well understood, unwanted or incorrect disulfide bond formation often presents a stumbling block for the expression of cysteine-containing proteins in bacteria. It is therefore important to consider the biochemistry of prokaryotic disulfide bond formation systems in the context of protein production, in order to take advantage of the full potential of such pathways in biotechnology applications. Here, we provide a critical overview of the use of bacterial oxidative folding in protein production so far, and propose a practical decision-making workflow for exploiting disulfide bond formation for the expression of any given protein of interest.
Politically oriented bullshit detection: Attitudinally conditional bullshit receptivity and bullshit sensitivity:

Bullshit results from communicating with little to no regard for truth, evidence, or established knowledge (Frankfurt, 1986; Petrocelli, 2018a). Such disregard for truth serves as a common source o...
The impact of obesity in patients hospitalized with opioid/opiate overdose.

Although a direct link between opioid use in obese patients and risk of overdose has not been established, obesity is highly associated with higher risk for opioid/opiate overdose. Evidence for cli...
Design and Modeling of a Variable-Stiffness Spring Mechanism for Impedance Modulation in Physical Human–Robot Interaction

Our goal is to investigate different approaches to modulate stiffness and apply them to human-robot interaction. Here we report on our effort employing the concept of adjustable unsupported-length cantilever leaf spring, which has been previously applied to different designs of variable stiffness actuators. By transmitting the interaction force through the elastic component directly to the supporting structure instead of the actuation unit, this type of actuator requires low power to adjust and to maintain a desired stiffness. In the design of a 1-translational degree of freedom body weight support system of a rehabilitation robot, we used a leaf spring mechanism for stiffness modulation relying only on the spring deflection in combination with a non-backdrivable actuator for adjusting the vertical equilibrium position. This paper describes our approach in determining the spring parameters to attain a desired range of stiffness with a short traveling distance of the adjuster. To model the spring stiffness under deflection, the ideal cantilever support model cannot be assumed for a conventional design of dual roller-pairs slider, especially with a soft spring. A beam deflection model considering the non-zero slopes at the contact points between the rollers and the spring is presented, along with the validation experiments using different spring thicknesses on our prototype.
Clinical predictors of conduction disease progression in type I myotonic muscular dystrophy.

Background: Patients with type I myotonic muscular dystrophy (DM1) are at risk for sudden death due to atrioventricular conduction block. We sought to characterize the trends and predictors of time-dependent electrocardiographic (ECG) variations in patients with DM1. Methods: Seventy patients with DM1 underwent standard electrocardiography at first evaluation and routine and symptom prompted follow-up. Individual variations in ECG conduction intervals were assessed using spaghetti plots. Clinical predictors of conduction disease progression were assessed using multivariate random effects regression models of panel data clustered by patient and adjusted for heart rate. Results: Substantial individual variability was noted in time-dependent changes in PR, QRS, and QTc intervals of patients with DM1. Changes in the QTc interval were closely associated with prolongation of the QRS interval. Age, the presence of paroxysmal atrial flutter or fibrillation, and the number of cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG) repeats were independent positive predictors of time-dependent PR and QRS prolongation during long-term follow-up. Female sex was negatively associated with PR prolongation but positively associated with QTc prolongation. Lower left ventricular ejection fraction was associated with greater QRS interval progression during long-term follow-up but was not predictive of PR interval progression. Conclusions: Patients with DM1 can develop rapid changes in cardiac conduction intervals. Paroxysmal atrial flutter or fibrillation, older age, and larger CTG expansions predict greater time-dependent PR and QRS interval prolongation and warrant particular attention in the arrhythmic evaluation of this high risk patient subset. (PACE 2011; 34:171–176)
Recasting Secularism as One Conception of the Good among Many in a Post-Secular Constitutional Polity

Modern Enlightenment based constitutionalism accords secularism a privileged position: by remaining secular, the public sphere should warrant neutrality among religions and among the latter and non-religious ideologies in order to provide an optimal setting for the realization of freedom of religion as well as of freedom from religion. In recent decades, however, this institutional secularism has come under intense attack from a number of different quarters intent on dislodging it from its constitutional pedestal. These attacks have targeted secularism’s claim to neutrality from religious as well as non-religious perspectives. So long as secularism is the target and as its constitutionally privileged place is perceived as not fully eliminated, it can easily be portrayed as benefitting from an unfair advantage in the clash of ideologies. But what if secularism lost all priority, preference or advantage in the constitutional firmament? In that case, should secularism stand on an equal footing with religion? Or should it be cast as the irreligious or anti-religious in a struggle against religion? Or else, should secularism reemerge as primus inter pares or, on the contrary, as subordinate among all existing competing conceptions of the good? In this Chapter, I explore the case for “ideological” secularism as one of many conceptions of the good competing against others in a post-secular constitutional polity. Adopting a pluralist perspective, I conclude that under current circumstances ideological secularism is easier to defend than institutional secularism.
Integral Formulation of Density-Functional Theory

The Hohenberg-Kohn-Sham density-functional theory is reformulated in terms of explicit relations between the electron density and the effective potential through the use of Feynman path integrals. In this formulation electron density is the only basic variable as in the Thomas-Fermi theory and orbitals are not needed. Possible applications to calculations in large molecules and the present limitations of the method are discussed.
Renovation, Disposal, and Conservation of Hindu Temples and Images: The Institutionalization of Creativity in South Indian and American Art Worlds

According to a widely accepted (but rarely followed) convention, Tamil temples are supposed to be renovated every 12 years. These practices commonly involve the destruction and replacement of older images. They may also be destroyed if damaged or ritually polluted, or if they are temporary icons made for a specific festival period. Ritualized practices of renovation and disposal indicate ways of seeing and knowing reality that are sometimes at odds with modernist perspectives informing museum conservation. Should the cosmological foundations of conservation be privileged over those of South Indian Hindus who practice the renovation and disposal of images?
Mãos em movimento... Olhares que estabelecem relações... Será possível teorizar o “ser” e o “estar” do surdo no mundo, sem imergir na cultura viva que se materializa dentro da comunidade surda?

The article focuses on central instigate reflection on the growing body of research in the field of deafness, especially in the field of Education, departing from external actors to the cultural experiences of deaf and have led to different reactions and opinions within this community. Since the 80s, many were (and still are!) Movements fighting for recognition of rights in which the deaf are engaged. The speeches of deaf people, in many instances, has "hit the front" lines with listeners, who usually do not consider the desires, their own ideas and concepts that different aspects of teaching deaf has been consolidating. To this end, supports our weightings in the production of such authors as PERLIM, LOPES, Thomas and KARNOPP, references in this area. In presenting us "look inside", with ways to understand that lack the experiential aspects of the deaf community, outside researchers, there are many questions that point to a discontent deaf subject, as it is and the world is through an experience highly visual and experiential, where the palpable reality and motion signals is transcribed in the hands in space and build on experiences where they are immersed. Materiality deaf is expressed in look, in establishing the visual link between the subjects, in fact lived through the body deaf, which is within the hearing world. By questioning whether you can "analyze" and ponder the deaf, decode it and then translate it, just "looking" outside without being in the place of another, regardless of its complexity and its culture. With this article does not intend to point out mistakes or successes, nor find victims or perpetrators of practices that become increasingly present in the search fields of deaf education. We will, therefore, lead the reader to reflect on the issues punctuated here, trying to understand that, in our view, the experience and knowledge seen "inside" the deaf culture are essential to be able to understand this cultural subject. Thus, when we look at little or no participation of a growing number of hearing researchers in the interplay of the materiality of bodies deaf, from an outside perspective, almost as established by an observatory, we question the need for a real approach of theoretical concepts with a true cultural immersion in the deaf community, to perhaps get closer to understanding who is this other than this other one who wants to speak.
Internal ESD transients in input protection circuits

The operation of a popular thick-field-device/grounded-gate transistor combination input protection circuit under electrostatic-discharge (ESD) stress is studied using a special test circuit. By monitoring internal voltages and currents, it was possible to observe how each element in the protection circuit contributed to the overall ESD protection. By means of the special test circuit it was determined that no degradation of the first gate-oxide transistor took place under ESD stress. >
The functional differentiation of the small intestine IX. The influence of thyroid function on cellular differentiation and accumulation of alkaline phosphatase in the duodenum of the chick embryo

Abstract In chick embryos that have been injected with thiourea at 11 days, normal differentiative events, including accumulation of alkaline phosphatase, fail to occur in the duodenal epithelium in the last 3 days before the normal hatching time of 20 days. In injected embryos that remain alive in the shell up to 1 week after the controls were hatched, differentiation proceeds slowly in a slightly abnormal pattern, but phosphatase activity rises only to about one-tenth of the normal level at hatching. The administration of l -thyroxine at 13 and 15 days (total dose=3.0 μg) raises the phosphatase level to normal in embryos 18 days old, although the deficiency of body weight and the hyperplasia of the thyroid glands are only partially corrected. Thiourea does not inhibit the growth and differentiation of the adrenals; and cortisone acetate, which alone accelerates the accumulation of phosphatase, is ineffective when given to thiourea-inhibited embryos. Exogenous cortisone is however fully effective in thiourea-treated embryos if l -thyroxine is also given; but l -thyroxine alone does not influence phosphatase accumulation in otherwise normal embryos. These facts indicate that the thyroid hormone exerts an effect which is permissive to the stimulatory effect of cortical hormone in the control of duodenal differentiation. Cortisone acetate administered at 14 days strongly reduces the rate of growth of thiourea-treated embryos, although it has little effect on the growth of controls at the same time, and it also significantly decreases absolute and relative thyroid weight in the inhibited embryos.
Right Ventricular Tumor and Thrombus

A 51-year-old woman with newly diagnosed renal cell carcinoma was evaluated for acute onset dyspnea. Computed tomography angiogram was suspicious for pulmonary embolism originating from the right ventricle (RV). Tissue plasminogen activator was given without resolution of the mass on echocardiogram
The apparent lack of stimulation of rabbit adrenal 21-hydroxylase activity by ACTH

Abstract The stimulation of rabbits twice daily for three days with 25 U of porcine ACTH, a treatment previously demonstrated to increase the specific activity of microsomal 17α-hydroxylase, did not increase the specific activity of microsomal 21-hydroxylase.
Flame etching enhances the sensitivity of carbon-fiber microelectrodes.

Small sensors are useful for in vivo measurements and probing small spaces. In this paper, we compare two methods of fabrication of small, cylindrical carbon-fiber microelectrodes: flame-etching an...
Predictors of Perioperative Complications in Head and Neck Patients

Background Patients with significant medical problems requiring major otolaryngology procedures are at high risk for both medical and surgical complications. Objective To identify risk factors associated with perioperative complications in medically compromised patients undergoing major otolaryngology procedures. Methods Ninety-three consecutive patients with significant comorbid medical illnesses (eg, diabetes, hypertension) undergoing major head and neck surgical procedures were referred to a medical consultation center for preoperative assessment and medical management. Patient and surgical characteristics as well as perioperative complications were identified and recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine which characteristics were associated with complications. Results Thirty-two patients (34%) had postoperative complications. Twenty-six patients (28%) had serious medical complications, and 18 (19%) had surgical complications. No deaths occurred in the study population. On univariate analysis, the factors associated with all complications included history of hepatitis, flap reconstruction, oncologic surgery, preoperative radiation therapy, preoperative gastrostomy placement, intraoperative transfusion, anesthesia time (≥8 hours), and those with greater intraoperative fluid replacement and estimated blood losses. Only anesthesia time (≥8 hours) remained independently significant on multivariate analysis. A history of hepatitis and prolonged anesthesia time were the only independent predictors of medical complications. The only independent predictor of surgical complications was the volume of intraoperative fluid administered. Conclusions Prolonged anesthesia times of 8 hours or more, a history of hepatitis, and large-volume intraoperative fluid resuscitations predicted adverse outcomes. Special care must be taken in counseling these patients preoperatively and in caring for them during their operative and postoperative course.
The Daya Bay Experiment to measure Θ13Θ13

Abstract I present here a brief description of the goals, method and status of the Daya Bay antineutrino oscillation experiment to measure the mixing angle Θ 13 .
Structural Basis for GroEL-assisted Protein Folding from the Crystal Structure of (GroEL-KMgATP)14 at 2.0 A Resolution

Abstract Nucleotide regulates the affinity of the bacterial chaperonin GroEL for protein substrates. GroEL binds protein substrates with high affinity in the absence of ATP and with low affinity in its presence. We report the crystal structure of (GroEL-KMgATP)14 refined to 2.0 A resolution in which the ATP triphosphate moiety is directly coordinated by both K+ and Mg2+. Upon the binding of KMgATP, we observe previously unnoticed domain rotations and a 102° rotation of the apical domain surface helix I. Two major consequences are a large lateral displacement of, and a dramatic reduction of hydrophobicity in, the apical domain surface. These results provide a basis for the nucleotide-dependent regulation of protein substrate binding and suggest a mechanism for GroEL-assisted protein folding by forced unfolding.
Management of Sepsis: A 47-Year-Old Woman With an Indwelling Intravenous Catheter and Sepsis

Severe sepsis is the term used to describe the host response to infection when complicated by acute organ dysfunction. Severe sepsis occurs in more than 750 000 individuals in the United States each year, with a hospital mortality of about 30%. Although the classic presentation is of florid shock with frank hypotension, fever, and elevated white blood cell count, many patients can present with cryptogenic shock (shock without hypotension) with more subtle signs of vital organ compromise. Using the case of Ms C, a 47-year-old woman with short gut syndrome and an indwelling intravenous catheter who developed an episode of severe sepsis secondary to a central line infection, treatment of sepsis is discussed. Management consists of prompt intervention with broad-spectrum antibiotics and fluid resuscitation, even in the absence of hypotension, and institution of a variety of strategies in the emergency setting to prevent development or worsening of vital organ dysfunction. Although advances in understanding the host immune response have fueled considerable interest in immunomodulatory therapy, the role of such agents in clinical practice remains limited and controversial.
Hydrodynamic Cavitation and Boiling in Refrigerant (R-123) Flow Inside Microchannels

This report investigates the effect that hydrodynamic cavitation has on heat transfer. The fluid medium is refrigerant R-123 flowing through 227 μm hydraulic diameter microchannels. The cavitation is instigated by the inlet orifice. Adiabatic tests were conducted to study the two-phase cavitating flow morphologies and hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow. Diabatic experiments were performed resulting in surface temperatures under heat fluxes up to 213 W/cm2 and mass velocities from 622 kg/m2 s to 1368 kg/m2 s. Results were compared to non-cavitating flows at the same mass velocities. It was found that the cavitating flows can significantly enhance the heat transfer. The heat transfer coefficient of the cavitating flows was larger than the non-cavitating flows by as much as 84%.Copyright © 2006 by ASME