cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fatigue Evaluation of Steel and Concrete Bridges

The fatigue limit state is one of the important considerations in the design of bridges. Accumulated load cycles can cause cracking or even failure. An approach to evaluation of steel and concrete bridges with regard to fatigue is presented. The method for prediction of the remaining life of a bridge superstructure is based on the load model and the procedure to estimate fatigue degradation of materials. In the case of steel girders, degradation of material is considered using S-N curves. For reinforced concrete beams, degradation of concrete in the compressive zone is described by the rheological fatigue model. Reliability analysis is performed for the fatigue limit state function of flexure. Prediction of the remaining fatigue life for steel and concrete beams is illustrated on examples of existing bridge girders.
From a Traditional Combustion Course to an Alternative and Renewable Energy Course

With the increased interest and focus on sustainability and energy independence, utilization of renewable energy resources has been receiving a lot of attention. A new course on Alternative and Renewable Energy has been developed in the School of Engineering at Grand Valley State University as both a new technical elective course in thermofluids area as well as an alternative to the existing Combustion Applications course. While this course emphasizes alternative and renewable energy sources and applications, it also encompasses the basics of combustion of hydrocarbon fuels that is not covered in the single compulsory four credit hour thermodynamics course in the mechanical engineering curriculum. In this sense it serves a unique purpose of filling in an important gap in the curriculum. The laboratory used for the combustion course has been enhanced and transformed to be a Combustion and Energy Applications Laboratory. The experimental course that was developed and offered for the first time in fall 2008 tries to utilize to the maximum extent the existing laboratory and the essential and relevant topics of the combustion course, and builds on these with topics and experiments on alternative and renewable energy in forming a coherent course. In this regard, new equipment including a Hy-Expert™ Instructor Fuel Cell System, portable self-contained educational training units for solar photovoltaic, wind energy, and hydrogen energy have been purchased and added to the lab to complement the existing equipment. Other additions that are under way for enhancing this course are also described in this paper. This paper also discusses how the course and the laboratory were developed, the difficulties encountered, feedback obtained from the students as well as the overall experience and recommendations of the instructor.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Fluorimetric determination of dissociation constants of sparingly soluble amino and hydroxy aromatic compounds

Abstract Fluorimetry is a relatively fast and accurate means of determining the dissociation constants of sparingly soluble arylamines and hydroxy aromatic compounds. However, serious complications can result from the dependence of fluorescence on excited-state as well as ground-state acid—base chemistry. Several approaches to circumventing or compensating for this difficulty are discussed. The pK a values of several sparingly soluble compounds are evaluated by the methods described to demonstrate the precision of the methods, notwithstanding the low concentrations of the analytes.
Histone phosphorylation in late interphase and mitosis

Abstract Histone phosphorylation in late interphase has been investigated employing cells synchronized by the isoleucine-deprivation method, followed by resynchronization at the G 1 S boundary using hydroxyurea. Phosphorylation occurred in both f1 and f2a2 as cells synchronously entered S phase following removal of hydroxyurea. The relative rates of phosphorylation of both species of histone increased in G2-rich and metaphase-rich cultures. A small amount of histone f3 phosphorylation was also observed in M-rich cultures which was not seen in G1, S, or G2-rich cultures. It is concluded that f1 phosphorylation is not dependent on continous DNA replication. These experiments suggest consideration of the concept that f1 phosphorylation is initiated as a preparation for impending cell division.
Portable Parallel Programming on Cloud and HPC: Scientific Applications of Twister4Azure

Recent advancements in data intensive computing for science discovery are fueling a dramatic growth in use of data-intensive iterative computations. The utility computing model introduced by cloud computing combined with the rich set of cloud infrastructure services offers a very attractive environment for scientists to perform such data intensive computations. The challenges to large scale distributed computations on clouds demand new computation frameworks that are specifically tailored for cloud characteristics in order to easily and effectively harness the power of clouds. Twister4Azure is a distributed decentralized iterative MapReduce runtime for Windows Azure Cloud. It extends the familiar, easy-to-use MapReduce programming model with iterative extensions, enabling a wide array of large-scale iterative data analysis for scientific applications on Azure cloud. This paper presents the applicability of Twister4Azure with highlighted features of fault-tolerance, efficiency and simplicity. We study three data-intensive applications - two iterative scientific applications, Multi-Dimensional Scaling and KMeans Clustering, one data -- intensive pleasingly parallel scientific application, BLAST+ sequence searching. Performance measurements show comparable or a factor of 2 to 4 better results than the traditional MapReduce runtimes deployed on up to 256 instances and for jobs with tens of thousands of tasks.
Autoregulation of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa protein PtxS occurs through a specific operator site within the ptxS upstream region.

We have previously shown that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa toxA regulatory protein PtxS autoregulates its own synthesis by binding to a 52-bp fragment. The 3′ end of the 52-bp fragment is located 58 bp 5′ of the ptxS translation start site. We have identified a 14-bp palindromic sequence (TGAAACCGGTTTCA) within the 52-bp fragment. In this study, we used site-directed mutagenesis and promoter fusion experiments to determine if PtxS binds specifically to this palindromic sequence and regulates ptxS expression. We have also tried to determine the roles of specific nucleotides within the palindromic sequence in PtxS binding and ptxS expression. Initial promoter fusion experiments confirmed that the 52-bp fragment does not overlap with the region that carries the ptxS promoter activity. PtxS binding was eliminated upon the deletion of the 14-bp palindromic sequence from the 52-bp fragment. In addition, the deletion of the 14-bp sequence caused a significant enhancement in ptxS expression in the P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 and the ptxS isogenic mutant PAO::ptxS. Mutation of specific nucleotides within the 14-bp sequence eliminated, reduced, or had no effect on PtxS binding. However, mutations of several of these nucleotides produced a significant increase in ptxS expression in both PAO1 and PAO::ptxS. These results suggest that (i) the 14-bp palindromic sequence and specific nucleotides within it play a role in PtxS binding and (ii) deletion of the palindromic sequence or changing of certain nucleotides within it interferes with another mechanism that may regulate ptxS expression.
Comparison of Office, Ambulatory, and Home Blood Pressure Antihypertensive Response to Atenolol and Hydrochlorthiazide

Office, home, and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) demonstrate variable associations with outcomes. The authors sought to compare office BP (OBP), home BP (HBP), and ambulatory BP (ABP) for measuring responses to hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), atenolol, and their combination. After completing washout, eligible patients were randomized to atenolol 50 mg or HCTZ 12.5 mg daily. Doses were doubled after 3 weeks and the alternate drug was added after 6 weeks if BP was >120/70 mm Hg (chosen to allow maximum opportunity to assess genetic associations with dual BP therapy in the parent study). OBP (in triplicate), HBP (twice daily for 5 days), and 24-hour ABP were measured at baseline, after monotherapy, and after combination therapy. BP responses were compared between OBP, HBP, and ABP for each monotherapy and combination therapy. In 418 patients, OBP overestimated BP response compared with HBP, with an average 4.6 mm Hg greater reduction in systolic BP (P<.0001) and 2.1 mm Hg greater reduction in diastolic BP (P<.0001) across all therapies. Results were similar for atenolol and HCTZ monotherapy. ABP response was more highly correlated with HBP response (r=0.58) than with OBP response (r=0.47; P=.04). In the context of a randomized clinical trial, the authors have identified significant differences in HBP, OBP, and ABP methods of measuring BP response to atenolol and HCTZ monotherapy.
Super-continuum generation to 3 μm in fused silica fiber with nanosecond diode pumping

Using a two-stage design with ~1 m standard fiber followed by 10 cm of high-nonlinearity, fused silica fiber, super-continuum is generated from ~0.8 to 3.0 mum using amplified 2 ns laser diode pulses.
A Lesson Learned as a Teacher's Helper.

The practice of paddling students for misbehavior remains legal in 19 states. The practice was quite prevalent in the mid- to late-20th century and was implemented in order to instill fear in students, so that they would behave properly. To public school students, this was as normal as recess. To an observer with no former frame of reference, however, it provided a gateway to a greater understanding of discipline, compliance, and classroom management.
On demand multicast routing with unidirectional links

In wireless ad-hoc networks, unidirectional links occur for several reasons: nonuniform transmit power, nonuniform background noise, and external interference. Several researchers have addressed unidirectional links and the associated unidirectional routing problem. The main focus has been so far on "unicast" routing; the consensus is that unidirectional links should be detected and avoided. In this paper, we consider the multicast case and derive a different conclusion: namely, it pays to exploit unidirectional links rather then avoid them. To prove the point, we select a popular ad hoc multicast protocol, on-demand multicast routing protocol (ODMRP) and introduce a slightly modified version, ODMRP-ASYM, that can handle unidirectional links. Specifically, ODMRP-ASYM reroutes the join reply packet when a unidirectional link is detected on the join query path. The option is invoked only when a unidirectional link is detected. The main advantages are: control overhead comparable with ODMRP even in highly asymmetric topologies; virtually no performance degradation in the presence of unidirectional links (while ODMRP typically suffers up to 15% drop in delivery performance); 2-connectivity maintenance even if no bidirectional path exists between sender and receiver (in this case, unidirectional link avoidance strategies fail). Extensive simulation experiments demonstrate ODMRP-ASYM robustness to unidirectional links and superiority over conventional ODMRP.
Instantaneously companding integrators

The concepts behind instantaneously companding integrators are reviewed, and the context in which they may find use is discussed. Several examples of specific cases are offered, including log domain, square root domain and variable capacitance circuits. Several issues requiring attention are discussed.
Distraction beyond the driver: predicting the effects of in-vehicle interaction on surrounding traffic

Recent studies of driver distraction have reported a number of detrimental effects of in-vehicle interaction on driver performance. This paper examines and predicts the potential effects of such interaction on other vehicles around the driver's vehicle. Specifically, the paper describes how computational cognitive models can be used to predict the complex interactions among several vehicles driving in a line when one or more of the vehicles' drivers are performing a secondary task (phone dialing). The results of simulating two distinct car-following scenarios illustrate that in-vehicle interaction by one driver can have significant downstream effects on other drivers, especially with respect to speed deviations relative to a lead vehicle. This work generalizes recent work developing computational evaluation tools for user interfaces in complex domains, and further serves as an example of how user interaction in some domains can have broader effects on the community at large.
HIV-related thrombocytopenia.

Abstract Chronic thrombocytopenia is a common hematologic disorder in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although often asymptomatic, the thrombocytopenia may be associated with a variety of bleeding abnormalities. The underlying pathophysiology includes accelerated peripheral platelet destruction and decreased (‘ineffective’) production of platelets from the infected megakaryocytes. HIV-related thrombocytopenia (HIV-TP) responds to antiretroviral therapy. Most studies have evaluated the use of AZT (zidovudine) and have shown increased platelet production. Combination therapy (HAART) also resulted in sustained platelet increases. When antiretroviral agents fail to improve the platelet count or cannot be used, other therapies, similar to those used in ‘classic’ immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), can be employed, including steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), intravenous anti-D or splenectomy. Anti-D treatment offers advantages for HIV-TP because the duration of effect appears to be significantly longer than the response duration after IVIg therapy (initial results of our open-arm study were confirmed by our randomized trial). Of note, follow-up of heavily treated patients showed no acceleration of CD4 decline and no change in plasma viral load measurements. Splenectomy has been used to treat HIV-positive patients with refractory thrombocytopenia. Although it is effective therapy, there are concerns about infections and selection of appropriate candidates. Other treatment modalities, such as interferon, vincristine, danazol, low-dose splenic irradiation and staphylococcal protein A immunoadsorption have shown limited success in HIV-TP. Alternatively, thrombocytopenia in HIV-infected patients may be treated with pharmacological hyperstimulation of megakaryocytopoiesis (administration of PEG-rHuMGDF or TPO). Latest evidence indicates that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 (coreceptor for the cellular entry of lymphotropic HIV strains) is expressed on megakaryocytes; as a result, the development of chemokine receptor antagonists may modify the course of the disease.
Paid Work in Early Adolescence: Developmental and Ethnic Patterns

Descriptive data on paid work performed both by White and African American students in Baltimore were collected as part of a more extensive longitudinal study. More than one-half of the youth worked for pay during the school year at 13 and 14 years of age, and around 70% worked during the summers. Those who started work the earliest were those who had done more chores at home. Patterns of work by these relatively low socioeconomic status (SES) students are consistent with patterns of youth employment in other parts of the country. For example, rates of employment for African American youth were lower than for White youth. Despite weaker academic records, the lowest SES African American boys at 13 years of age held proportionately more of the semi-skilled jobs (clerical, sales, and craft) than did White students of either gender or African American girls. The findings are discussed in a life course framework.
Plasmid-templated shape control of condensed DNA-block copolymer nanoparticles.

Plasmid condensation by cationic polymers in aqueous solutions has been widely used to prepare DNA nanoparticles with diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers.[1] Although many of these polycation–DNA nanoparticles display relatively high levels of transfection efficiency in cell culture, their performance in vivo has been disappointing.[2] This low in vivo delivery efficiency partly results from insufficient control over the physical properties and colloidal stability of the nanoparticles. Several methods have been developed to improve colloidal stability of DNA nanoparticles in physiological media, including polyethylene glycol (PEG)-conjugation, polyionic coating, and condensing DNA into polyelectrolyte micelles.[3] However, until now there has been no effective method to control and tune the shape of plasmid DNA-containing nanoparticles within this size range. This limitation is particularly pressing in view of several recent studies that show the importance of nanoparticle shape in regulating their cellular uptake and in vivo transport,[4–6] as demonstrated for the uptake of gold nanoparticles by macrophages,[7] for margination dynamics of nanoparticles in blood vessels,[6] and for the tissue distribution and circulation stability and thus drug delivery efficiency of organic and inorganic nanoparticles.[5,8] We note that none of these shaped nanoparticles have been used to package and deliver plasmid DNA.
A Dynamic Simulation of the Impact of Regional Air Pollution

The problem of predicting cost associated with the environment around us is complex. In this paper a Regional Economic Leontief Input-Output is calculated as a function of an air pollutant, sulfur dioxide. The model presented is a multi-stage optimization model which uses linear programming. The model uses an objective function to be optimized subject to the flow of the Leontief Input-Output model and environmental level constraints. The model is dynamic in a Markovian sense in that each stage is dependent only on the previous stage. This dependency arises from the way the environmental variable and excess demand are handled. The environmental variable level for stage n + 1 is determined in stage n and the excess demand from stage n is carried over to stage n + 1. An example is used to demonstrate the use of the model.
Ozone production in electrostatic air cleaners with contaminated electrodes

Wind tunnel tests were conducted to assess independently the contributions of contaminated wires and plates to ozone production in positive-polarity, wire-plate air cleaners. After one week of operation in filtered air containing Arizona road dust, ozone concentration in a laboratory air cleaner increased by 460%. In this case, there was slight contamination on the discharge wires, but the ozone increase is attributed exclusively to back corona on the collection plates. Oxidized discharge wires were believed to contribute to an order of magnitude increase in ozone concentration in a commercial air cleaner operated in room air for seven weeks. It was found that wire contamination alone can increase ozone generation. An insulating tape adhesive applied to a 0.254 mm-diameter stainless steel wire caused a tenfold increase in ozone concentration. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to characterize contaminate morphology and elemental composition. >
Day Care Attendance and Other Risk Factors for Invasive Haemophilus influenzae Type b Disease

Two hundred and ninety-five of 373 (79%) children with reported cases of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) occurring in the state of Oklahoma from January 1, 1986, through December 31, 1987, were matched according to birth date with two controls each. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the independent roles of day care attendance, number of young children in the home, crowding, passive smoking, maternal education, household income, and race in Hib disease. Statistically significant odds ratios (ORs) were found for day care attendance (OR = 2.9), the presence of two or more children in the home under 6 years of age (OR = 2.4), crowding (ratio of number of people in the home to number of bedrooms > or = 2) (OR = 2.0), and exposure to cigarette smoking in the home (OR = 1.4). Household income was independently associated with Hib disease. African Americans were at increased risk even after adjustment for income and crowding (OR = 4.1). Although there were no important differences in risk for other factors by type of Hib disease, there was a large and statistically significant difference in risk for day care attendance between meningitis (adjusted OR = 5.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1-8.2) and other types of Hib disease (combining nonmeningitis cases, adjusted OR = 1.6, 95% CI 0.9-2.7). Increasing numbers of hours per week of day care attendance and children per room were associated with increasing risk of Hib meningitis in a dose-response pattern. The highest day care ORs for meningitis were observed in the youngest ( or = 24 months) children. The adjusted OR for exposure to breast feeding was 0.5 (95% CI 0.3-0.8). A protective effect for Hib polysaccharide vaccination among children aged > or = 18 months was suggested but did not reach statistical significance (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-1.1).
A Fully Differential Ultra-Compact Broadband Transformer-Based Wilkinson Power Divider

This letter presents a fully differential and integrated transformer-based Wilkinson power divider with a broad bandwidth, low loss, high isolation, and an ultra-compact form factor. Two differential transformers connected in parallel serve as the impedance transforming and power combining network in the proposed Wilkinson power divider. Shunt capacitors are added between the output ports for matching and isolation enhancement. A proof-of-concept transformer-based Wilkinson power divider is designed at 60 GHz and implemented in a standard 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process with the core chip area of $270\ \mu\text{m} \times 107\ \mu\text{m}$ and the simulated 1 dB-magnitude fractional bandwidth of 64% at the 60 GHz center frequency. Measurement results of 4 independent samples demonstrate the passive loss of 1.32 dB at 62 GHz with standard deviation of 0.1 dB and the peak isolation of 28 dB at 65 GHz with magnitude and phase imbalance within 0.2 dB and 5 $^{\circ}$ , respectively.
Experimental Study on Protective Effect of Curcumin on Liver Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Rats

Objective To investigate the potential protective effect of curcumin on liver ischemia reperfusion(I/R)injury in male rat model and to clarify its possible mechanism.Methods Ninety-eight Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups:sham operation group(N),ischemia reperfusion group(IR),solvent control group(D)and curcumin group(C).Blood and liver tissue samples of rats were taken at 1,3 and 6 h after reperfusion.The level of serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),histopathological examination,expression of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)were compared.Results Compared with group IR and group D,serum ALT and TNF-α levels and histological damage of group C were significantly decreased(P0.05);the expression of NF-κB of group C was significantly lower than that of group IR(P0.05).Conclusions Curcumin can protect the liver from ischemia reperfusion injury possibly by inhibiting NF-κB expression and reducing the release of inflammatory mediators.
Radiologic (radiographic) and imaging features of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

Since the previous edition of this book several advances have occurred in the radiologic evaluation of both ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The most important of these is the definition of the place of computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation and management of these conditions. Other imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radionuclide imaging (NM) and ultrasonography (US) have also become more important in evaluation of both UC and CD. Imaging studies are used in all phases of these conditions: (1) in the initial evaluation of the patient to allow a diagnosis to be established; (2) in the preoperative patient to determine the full extent of disease; (3) in the postoperative patient to evaluate complications of treatment and the presence of recurrent disease; (4) during clinical exacerbations to determine if complications are present; (5) to demonstrate extraluminal and extra-abdominal manifestations; and (6) to allow imaging-guided interventional procedures to be undertaken in patients with complicated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
INSTITUTIONALIZED PRACTICES OF INFORMATION CONTROL.

(1965). Institutionalized Practices of Information Control. Psychiatry: Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 119-132.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor enhancement of spontaneous IPSCs in neocortical interneurons.

Zhou, Fu-Ming and John J. Hablitz. Metabotropic glutamate receptor enhancement of spontaneous IPSCs in neocortical interneurons. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2287–2295, 1997. Using neocortical layer I neur...
Gender and Aging

Growing older is not the same for women as it is for men. Women's and men's early socialization has very real consequences in the later years of life. Seeing as women are consistently, and over the course of their lives, defined as caring, emotional, and domestic, it is not surprising to find that they enter the later years of life with unique values, attitudes, behaviors, and circumstances. Like women, when men are consistently, and over the course of their lives, defined as ambitious, competitive, and independent, it is not surprising to find that they enter the later years of life with different unique values, attitudes, behaviors, and circumstances. Indeed, gender has an impact upon the aging process for both women and men. Keywords: aging; aging men; aging women; gender roles; lifecycle
Causation, Truth, and the Law

Deciding matters of legal liability, in torts and other civil actions, requires deciding causation. The injury suffered by a plaintiff must be caused by an event or condition due to the defendant. The courts distinguish between cause-in-fact and proximate causation, where cause-in-fact is determined by the “but-for” test: the effect would not have happened, “but for” the cause.1 Proximate causation is a set of legal limitations on cause-in-fact. As this conference is entitled A Cross-Disciplinary Look at Scientific Truth: What’s the Law to Do, I will ignore the distinction between cause-in-fact and proximate causation, and instead focus on both the sense in which cause-in-fact claims can be considered true or false and on the challenges to establishing them. Before a court can decide on proximate causation, and thus on liability or damages, it must decide on the truth of the cause-in-fact question: Was the injury suffered by the plaintiff caused by the action(s) of the defendant? For example, was John Smith’s liver cancer caused by his exposure to trichloroethylene (“TCE”) in a factory that employed him for ten years? I will focus on what we must assume before cause-infact claims can even be said to have a truth value, that is, objectively true or false independent of whether we can know it. Philosophers distinguish individual level causal claims (cause-in-fact claims) from “general causal claims.”2 I will try to
Histamine Production by Psychrotrophic Pseudomonads Isolated from Tuna Fish

Sixty isolates of psychrotrophic bacteria obtained from raw tuna fish were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens , Pseudomonas putida and non-fluorescent Pseudomonas sp., and were tested for their ability to produce histamine. Following incubation in modified histidine decarboxylase broth, 28% of P. putida , 21% of P. fluorescens and 62% of the non-fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. isolates produced histamine. The maximum amount of histamine produced by a single isolate was 3.2 mg/100 ml, far below the minimum level of 50 mg/100 g believed necessary to induce symptoms of histamine toxicity.
TMOD-05MODELING ACVR1 AND HIST1H3B MUTATIONS IN DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA IN VIVO USING THE SLEEPING BEAUTY SYSTEM

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brainstem tumor that occurs in the pons in children; median age 6-7 years. The most frequent DIPG mutations affect the N-terminal tail of histone H3.3 and histone H3.1 and result in the change of a lysine to methionine at residue 27. In addition, six recurrent somatic activating mutations in ACVR1, which encodes for the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor kinase, have also been identified in DIPG tumors. We aim to use the sleeping beauty transposase system to generate spontaneous in vivo tumor models that will allow us to test the contributions of these genes to the pathogenesis of DIPG tumors. We have cloned ACVR1 G328V, and HIST1H3B K27M sequences into a plasmid that contains flanking inverted repeats (IR) which contain binding sequences for the sleeping beauty transposase, which will excise DNA between the IR sites and insert it into the host genome. Plasmids encoding a short hair pin for p53, oncogenic NRAS, the sleeping beauty transposase/luciferase were injected with group 1: ACVR1 G328V; group 2: HIST1H3B K27M; or group 3: ACVR1 G328V and HIST1H3B K27M into the subventricular zone of neonatal mice. Tumor development in mice is monitored by measuring luciferase activity in vivo; animals that have reached moribund stage are perfused and processed for histology. Our long-term goal is to understand the interplay between the ACVR1 activating mutation and the histone H3K27M mutation. The ACVR1 mutations result in constitutive BMP pathway activation and the H3K27M mutation has been shown to globally alter H3K27 methylation. Through this study we hope to elucidate how ACVR1 mutations and H3K27 mutations contribute to tumor progression in order to uncover novel therapeutic targets for DIPG which would improve prognosis for DIPG patients.
Vectorial Cholesterol Transport by STARD4 is Mediated by Specific PIP2 Membrane Composition

STARD4 (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid-transfer domain containing 4) is known to transport cholesterol from the plasma membrane (PM) to intracellular organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum and endocytic recycling compartment, but it has not been known if the transport is selective. Identification of a surface-exposed basic region encompassing the C-terminal helix in the crystal structure of STARD4 suggested the possibility that anionic lipids confer membrane selectivity.
Sharing specific "We" autobiographical memories in close relationships: the role of contact frequency.

Sharing memories in conversations with close others is posited to be part of the social function of autobiographical memory. The present research focused on the sharing of a particular type of memo...
Ready to collaborate? Operator and supply chain under the spotlight

In the last 12 months or so, particularly with the drop in oil price, there’s been a lot of speculation about the future of the Australian oil and gas industry. Strenuous efforts are being made to bring down costs, reduce complexity and expedite the completion of major capital projects. Yet with the commodity price looking likely to be subdued for some time, serious questions persist. How can we sustain activity in Australia, secure the investment needed to continue exploration and appraisal drilling, for the next wave of projects? In looking for answers to these challenges, collaboration is a theme that comes up time and time again. But what does it actually mean? What does it look like in practice? Who does it well and how? And which companies are reaping the rewards of great collaboration? To fill this knowledge gap we are launching a survey which will look at many aspects of collaboration in the Australia and compare this with the results of similar surveys conducted in the UK. We will be looking to survey both operators and service companies working in the Australia and find out: What does collaboration mean? What constitutes effective collaboration? How do companies view themselves and each other as collaborators? How does collaboration in Australia compare with companies in the North Sea? We hope a better understanding of collaboration could help companies in Australia continue to improve productivity and efficiency, adopt new ways of working, and truly make the most of Australia’s abundant resources.
Cost of Equity, Pension Intensity Risk and Audit Quality: An Empirical Examination of Their Relations

Prior research documents that markets efficiently impound pension plan risk into a defined benefit plan’s market value. This study adds to these prior works by investigating how audit quality affects the pension risk – cost of equity relation. Using proxies to measure pension intensity, and audit quality, we document that audit quality attenuates the positive relation between a sponsoring firm’s cost of equity and the scaled magnitude of the firm’s pension intensity risk. We rationalize these findings by asserting that the positive relation between a defined benefit plan firm’s cost of equity and pension intensity reflects increased financial risk associated with higher pension obligations but the quality of the auditor reduces this risk.
Functional and Biochemical Characterization of Dib1's Role in Pre-Messenger RNA Splicing.

Abstract The spliceosome is a dynamic macromolecular machine that undergoes a series of conformational rearrangements as it transitions between the several states required for accurate splicing. The transition from the B to Bact is a key part of spliceosome assembly and is defined by the departure of several proteins, including essential U5 component Dib1. Recent structural studies suggest that Dib1 has a role in preventing premature spliceosome activation, as it is positioned adjacent to the U6 snRNA ACAGAGA and the U5 loop I, but its mechanism is unknown. Our data indicate that Dib1 is a robust protein that tolerates incorporation of many mutations, even at positions thought to be key for its folding stability. However, we have identified two temperature-sensitive mutants that stall in vitro splicing prior to the first catalytic step and block assembly at the B complex. In addition, Dib1 readily exchanges in splicing extracts despite being a central component of the U5 snRNP, suggesting that the binding site of Dib1 is flexible. Structural analyses show that the overall conformation of Dib1 and the mutants are not affected by temperature, so the temperature sensitive defects most likely result from altered interactions between Dib1 and other spliceosomal components. Together, these data lead to a new understanding of Dib1's role in the B to Bact transition and provide a model for how dynamic protein–RNA interactions contribute to the correct assembly of a complex molecular machine.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia with del(17p13.1): a distinct clinical subtype requiring novel treatment approaches.

This review will discuss the pathophysiology associated with the del(17p13.1) interphase cytogenetic abnormality, the current generally poor outcomes in affected patients, currently approved therapeutic agents, and new agents now undergoing investigation.
An Exploration Of Heterogeneous Networks On Chip

As the the number of cores on a single chip continue to grow, communication increasingly becomes the bottleneck to performance. Networks on Chips (NoC) is an interconnection paradigm showing promise to allow system size to increase while maintaining acceptable performance. One of the challenges of this paradigm is in constructing the network of inter-core connections. Using the traditional wire interconnect as long range links is proving insufficient due to the increase in relative delay as miniaturization progresses. Novel link types are capable of delivering single-hop long-range communication. We investigate the potential benefits of constructing networks with many link types applied to heterogeneous NoCs and hypothesize that a network with many link types available can achieve a higher performance at a given cost than its homogeneous network counterpart. To investigate NoCs with heterogeneous links, a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm is given a heterogeneous set of links and optimizes the number and placement of those links in an NoC using objectives of cost, throughput, and energy as a representative set of a NoC’s quality. The types of links used and the topology of those links is explored as a consequence of the properties of available links and preference set on the objectives. As the platform of experimentation, the Complex Network Evolutionary Algorithm (CNEA) and the associated Complex Network Framework (CNF) are developed. CNEA is a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm built from the ParadisEO framework to facilitate the construction of optimized networks. CNF is designed and used to model and evaluate networks according to: cost of a given topology; performance in terms of a network’s throughput and energy consumption; and graph-theory based metrics including average distance, degree-, length-, and
Defining the Nature and Future of the Party–Military Relations in North Korea:

AbstractSince Kim Jong-il officially launched his Songun politics in 1998, conflicting assessments have generated two competing arguments regarding the political role of the Korean People’s Army (K...
Hidden glassy behaviors in an ideal Heisenberg Kagom\'{e} antiferromagnet

Dynamics of classical Heisenberg spins, ${\bf S}_i=({\bf s}_i,S_{iz})$, on the Kagom\'{e} lattice has been studied. An ideal Heisenberg Kagom\'{e} antiferromagnet is known to remain disordered down to T=0 due to the macroscopic degeneracy of the ground state. Through the study, however, we find that ${\bf S}_i$ and their planar components ${\bf s}_i$ behave in a qualitatively different way and especially planar spins (${\bf s}_i$) show the exotic glass-like transition in the very low temperature $T\sim 0.003J$ ($J$: spin exchange). The glassy behaviors of ${\bf s}_i$ would be found to be driven by the spin-nematic fluctuations, different from ordinary spin glasses by disorders or anisotropies.
Intergenerational Transfer of Parental Sexual Orientation and Other Myths

Are same-sex parents more likely to raise lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) children than are heterosexual parents? Since 1991, the answers from social science theory and the answers suggested by much social science research have been in the affirmative: namely, to predict that same-sex parents would be more likely to raise LGB children. Nevertheless, it appears that most scholars have rejected this conclusion and have cast their support in favor of a "no difference" hypothesis, interpreting research as proving that LGB parents are not more likely to raise LGB children. This article provides more than 170 quotes from more than 150 sources by more than 160 scholars and authors who have assumed the truth of the "no difference" hypothesis. However, an assessment of social science research reveals that the children of nonheterosexual parents have been more likely to grow up to engage in same-sex sexual behaviors, or to identify as nonheterosexual, than children raised by heterosexual parents. This article examines other correlates of homosexuality. Research indicates that homosexuals are more likely to abuse drugs, use tobacco, contract sexually transmitted infections, report poorer mental health, report higher rates of considering suicide, and to have been sexually abused as children compared to heterosexuals. Research may suggest that homosexuals have shorter lifespans and may be more likely to sexually abuse children, but these results are more ambiguous. Minority stress theory is insufficient to account for all of these discrepancies between heterosexuals and nonheterosexuals. Alternatives to sexual-minority stress theory are proposed. The dangers of science-driven more by politics than empirical evidence are discussed with special reference to challenges facing judicial authorities as they wrestle with the question of how to interpret social science results accurately in cases involving homosexuality, gay marriage, or same-sex parenting.
Choline: The Neurocognitive Essential Nutrient of Interest to Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

AbstractCholine is an essential nutrient for proper liver, muscle, and brain functions as well as for lipid metabolism and cellular membrane composition and repair. Humans can produce small amounts...
Electronic Health Record Phenotypes for Identifying Patients with Late-Stage Disease: a Method for Research and Clinical Application

Systematic identification of patients allows researchers and clinicians to test new models of care delivery. EHR phenotypes—structured algorithms based on clinical indicators from EHRs—can aid in such identification. To develop EHR phenotypes to identify decedents with stage 4 solid-tumor cancer or stage 4–5 chronic kidney disease (CKD). We developed two EHR phenotypes. Each phenotype included International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 and ICD-10 codes. We used natural language processing (NLP) to further specify stage 4 cancer, and lab values for CKD. Decedents with cancer or CKD who had been admitted to an academic medical center in the last 6 months of life and died August 26, 2017–December 31, 2017. We calculated positive predictive values (PPV), false discovery rates (FDR), false negative rates (FNR), and sensitivity. Phenotypes were validated by a comparison with manual chart review. We also compared the EHR phenotype results to those admitted to the oncology and nephrology inpatient services. The EHR phenotypes identified 271 decedents with cancer, of whom 186 had stage 4 disease; of 192 decedents with CKD, 89 had stage 4–5 disease. The EHR phenotype for stage 4 cancer had a PPV of 68.6%, FDR of 31.4%, FNR of 0.5%, and 99.5% sensitivity. The EHR phenotype for stage 4–5 CKD had a PPV of 46.4%, FDR of 53.7%, FNR of 0.0%, and 100% sensitivity. EHR phenotypes efficiently identified patients who died with late-stage cancer or CKD. Future EHR phenotypes can prioritize specificity over sensitivity, and incorporate stratification of high- and low-palliative care need. EHR phenotypes are a promising method for identifying patients for research and clinical purposes, including equitable distribution of specialty palliative care.
Shared and unique immune alterations in pre-clinical autoimmunity

Progression from health to a classified autoimmune disease is an evolving process that can happen rapidly in some diseases, but usually takes years to develop. Specific immune alterations predate pathogenic autoimmunity and can be used as disease biomarkers to identify high-risk individuals for prevention studies applied in the pre-clinical state. Here we discuss recent findings that illuminate specific immune pathways that are altered in the earliest phases of pre-clinical autoimmunity as well as those mediators more closely associated with later clinically apparent and classified disease onset.
Pathogen Prevalence in Fractured versus Granular Aquifers and the Role of Forward Flow Stagnation Zones on Pore-Scale Delivery to Surfaces

Lesser pathogen prevalence is well recognized in granular versus fractured aquifers; however, the impact of residence time (inactivation/death) versus removal (pore-scale delivery to surfaces) on pathogen prevalence remains unaddressed. The objective of this study was to examine the specific role of pore-scale delivery to surfaces (removal) as an explanation of contrasting pathogen prevalence in granular versus fractured media from Wisconsin. Inactivation/death was obviated by the use of nonbiological colloids in column transport experiments conducted in representative media from the two Wisconsin sites. Trends in retention as a function of colloid size were examined using nano- to microsized (0.1-4.2 μm) carboxylate-modified polystyrene latex microspheres that represented virus- to protozoa-sized pathogens. Several orders of magnitude greater removal of all colloid sizes were observed in granular relative to those in fractured media, whereas the size corresponding to minimum retention contrasted between the two media. Particle trajectory simulations in collectors (flow fields with surfaces) representing granular versus fractured media captured the observed contrasting retention and trends with colloid size. These results demonstrate that flow impingement on surfaces at forward flow stagnation zones drives contrasting pore-scale delivery to surfaces in granular versus fractured media and potentially the observed contrasting pathogen prevalence in granular versus fractured aquifers.
Bounds for elements of the degree sequence of an unknown vertex set in a balanced bipartite graph

Consider the set of all balanced bipartite graphs. Given the degree sequence of one vertex set in one of these graphs, we find bounds for any given position in the degree sequence of the unknown vertex set. Additionally, we establish bounds for the median of the unknown degree sequence, as well as bounds for any given percentile. We discuss the connection between this paper and the High School Prom Theorem. Acknowledgements: Supported in part by the Elmira College Summer Research Program. Thanks to Dr. Charlie Jacobson for his guidance, and to an anonymous referee for his helpful suggestions. PAGE 144 RHIT UNDERGRAD. MATH. J., VOL. 14, NO. 1
Nipple malposition after bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction: Objective postoperative analysis utilizing BCCT.core computer software.

Nipple-sparing mastectomies (NSMs) are accepted as safe oncologic procedures for select patient populations, but objective evaluation of aesthetic outcomes has not been clearly established. The purpose of this study was to utilize BCCT.core computer software to objectively evaluate NAC malposition following bilateral NSM with implant reconstruction and compare the analysis to an expert panel. Postoperative photographs of 43 patients who underwent bilateral NSM were analyzed with the BCCT.core and by an expert panel of plastic surgery residents and attendings. The panel was asked to only evaluate nipple asymmetry and position. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine interrater reliability (n = 12) and between expert panel ratings and BCCT.core ratings. Statistics were performed using SPSS statistical package version 24.0. The ICC for the expert panel interrater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.941, 95% CI: 0.912-0.964). The analysis between BCCT.core individual parameters, specifically the breast retraction assessment (ie, BRA score = the difference in nipple position between the two breasts assessing breast symmetry) and expert panel, showed statistically significant positive correlation. The parameters provided by the BCCT.core software were correlated with both the mean expert panel rating and BCCT.core ratings. Therefore, it is plausible that BCCT.core parameters could be used to objectively quantify NAC malposition/asymmetry and guide treatment in patients undergoing bilateral NSM with implant reconstruction.
Identification of PIM1 substrates reveals a role for NDRG1 in prostate cancer cellular migration and invasion

ABSTRACT PIM1 is an oncogenic serine/threonine kinase that promotes and maintains prostate tumorigenesis. To more fully understand the mechanism by which PIM1 promotes oncogenesis, we performed a chemical genetic screen to identify direct PIM1 substrates in prostate cancer cells. The PIM1 substrates we identified were involved in a variety of oncogenic processes, and included N-Myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 (NDRG1), which has reported roles in the suppression of cancer cell invasion and metastasis. NDRG1 is phosphorylated by PIM1 at serine 330 (pS330), and the level of NDRG1 pS330 is associated with high grade compared to low grade prostate tumors. While NDRG1 pS330 is largely cytoplasmic, total NDRG1 is both cytoplasmic and nuclear. Mechanistically, PIM1 phosphorylation of NDRG1 decreases its stability, reducing its interaction with AR, and thereby lowering expression of AR target genes. PIM1-dependent NDRG1 phosphorylation also reduces NDRG1’s ability to suppress prostate cancer cell migration and invasion. Our study identifies a novel set of PIM1 substrates in prostate cancer cells using a direct, unbiased chemical genetic screen. It also provides key insights into the mechanisms by which PIM1-mediated phosphorylation of NDRG1 impairs its function, resulting in enhanced cell migration and invasion.