cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technical role in competition analysis Part 3: Case study in competition analysis

In Part 1 of this paper a general overview of the extent, methodology and potential impact of the engineering approach to competition analysis was presented. In Part 2, examples of several key concepts were explored to further clarify meanings and show approaches to the analysis. In this final part, Part 3, a final key concept, risk/stiffness analysis, will be presented relating to market information and analysis.
Vesicle-binding properties of wild-type and cysteine mutant forms of α1 domain of apolipoprotein B

Previous studies demonstrated that structural perturbation of the alpha(1) domain of apolipoprotein B (apoB) blocked the initiation of lipoprotein assembly. We explored the hypothesis that this domain may interact with the inner leaflet of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane in a manner that may nucleate microsomal triglyceride transfer protein-dependent lipid sequestration. ApoB-17 (amino-terminal 17% of apoB), which contains most of the alpha(1) domain, was expressed stably in rat hepatoma cells and recovered from medium in lipid-poor form. On incubation with phospholipid vesicles composed of 1-myristol-2-myristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-gylycero-3-phosphocholine, apoB-17 underwent vesicle binding and was recovered in the d < 1.25 g/ml gradient fraction. To determine whether vesicle binding is disrupted by the same structural perturbations that block lipoprotein assembly in vivo, apoB-17 was subjected to partial and complete chemical reduction. Although normally a soluble peptide, mild reduction of apoB-17 caused its precipitation, suggesting that hydrophobic, solvent-inaccessible domains within the alpha(1) domain of apoB are stabilized by intramolecular disulfide bonds. In contrast to apoB-17 chemically reduced in vitro, forms of apoB-17 bearing pairwise cysteine-to-serine substitutions were recovered in soluble form from transiently transfected COS-1 cell extracts. Although individual disruption of disulfide bond 2 or 4 in apoB-28 and apoB-50 was previously shown to block lipoprotein assembly in vivo, these alterations had no impact on the ability of apoB-17 to bind to phospholipid vesicles in vitro or on its capacity to form recombinant lipoprotein particles. These results suggest that while the vesicle/lipid-binding property of the alpha(1) domain may reflect an essential role required for the initiation of lipoprotein formation, some other aspect of alpha(1) domain function is perturbed by disruption of native disulfide bonds. -- DeLozier, J. A., J. S. Parks, and G. S. Shelness. Vesicle-binding properties of wild-type and cysteine mutant forms of alpha(1) domain of apolipoprotein B. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 399--406.
Sex in Advertising: Who Dislikes it and Why?

The use of sex in advertising continues unabated, public outcry against it notwithstanding. Although some sex in ads might sell, as advertisers obviously believe to be the case, the questions are, how much sex is too much, and what kind of consumer would like sexual content in advertisements? This research examines these two questions, with consumer data from a study where consumers were shown an ad with either low or high sexual content. Results show that while the ad with high sexual content was uniformly judged to be ethically more unjust (compared to ads with low sexual content), the adverse effect on attitude toward the ad is not obtained for all consumers. Our results show that it depends on the sexual liberalism of the audience and on whether or not the use of sex is considered manipulative. Our research suggests that advertising professionals should assess sexual liberalism of their target audience and use sex only within the requisites of the communication task.
Uveal Melanoma Mimicking Advanced Coats' Disease in a Young Patient.

Background/Aims: To report a case and the unique histopathology of a necrotic uveal melanoma mimicking advanced Coats' disease in a young adult. <i&gt
Development of a comprehensive assessment technique to invigorate students' problem-solving skills and deter cheating:

It is a long-standing belief of most instructors that the assignment of graded homework to students is very useful in the process of teaching fundamental engineering courses. Results of several studies have also revealed that working on homework assignments with a significant independent effort enables students to develop higher cognitive level creative problem solving skills that they need in school (for example, to perform better in exams) and as practicing engineers. However, the availability and use of textbook solution manuals and other unapproved outside sources have hindered students from achieving the skills. Previous studies indicated that almost 90% of students used text book solution manuals at least once without permission and students with no access to solution manuals performed better than those who have. These two findings indicate that there is a need for developing alternative techniques that can possibly enhance homework assignments in order to stimulate the independent creative problem-...
Immunosuppression by mycobacterial arabinomannan.

The means by which mycobacteria elude host defence mechanisms to cause human disease is unknown. This report provides the initial demonstration of a soluble product of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with immunosuppressive activity which may contribute to the pathogenicity of this organism. Mycobacterial D-arabino-D-mannan (AM), purified from culture filtrates of M. tuberculosis by Concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity chromatography did not itself induce 3H-thymidine incorporation or migration inhibitory factor production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from tuberculin skin-test-positive healthy humans although it produced weak delayed skin-test reactions in these subjects. However, this mycobacterial cell wall polysaccharide suppressed the response of human lymphocytes to mycobacterial and other antigens as assessed with these in vitro correlates of delayed hypersensitivity. Immunosuppression by arabinomannan was not contingent upon prior exposure of the individual to M. tuberculosis, since it occurred with lymphocytes from tuberculin skin-test non-reactive as well as reactive subjects. Nor was it due to cytotoxicity, an antimitotic effect of the polysaccharide preparation or generation of suppressor cells. Rather, AM seemed to suppress macrophage-dependent, antigen-induced activation of human lymphocytes. This immunosuppressive substance elaborated by mycobacteria has potential relevance to the pathogenesis of human tuberculosis and the nature and limitation of the resulting host response.
A radically unexpected mechanism

The S -adenosylmethionine (SAM) radical enzyme superfamily plays a central role in the biosynthesis of many vitamins, cofactors, and antibiotics. Radical SAM enzymes catalyze challenging chemical reactions such as C-H bond activation ( 1 ), ring contraction ( 2 ), and molecular skeletal rearrangements ( 3 , 4 ). They overcome the dif culty of these reactions by forming a highly oxidizing radical species, 5′-deoxyadenosyl (5′-dAdo·), from SAM and a reduced iron-sulfur cluster ( 5 ). This radical species can selectively abstract a hydrogen atom from a substrate, enabling complex chemical transformations. There are more than 113,000 radical SAM enzymes, but only a small number are both biochemically and structurally characterized, and many of the reaction mechanisms remain enigmatic. On page 1320 of this issue, Sicoli et al. provide evidence for unexpected radical intermediates in the mechanism of the radical SAM enzyme NosL ( 6 ).
Popillia japonica: Seasonal History and Associated Scarabaeidae in Eastern North Carolina

The seasonal occurrence of the various life stages of the Japanese beetle in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas of North Carolina was observed during the period from 1977 through 1979. Data on emergence, period of activity, and population and sex ratio trends of adults caught in attractant traps during the summer were obtained. The importance of other Scarabaeidae found in association with Popillia japonica as potential competitors is discussed.
Agreement between Maternal Interview- and Medical Record based Gestational Age

Agreement between maternal interview- and medical record-based gestational age was assessed by using data from a case-control study of childhood strabismus. The sample consisted of 383 cases of strabismus and their age-matched controls, diagnosed between 1985 and 1986 in Baltimore, Maryland, who were under age 7 years when diagnosed. Medical record-based gestational age was derived, in order of priority, from early ultrasound examination, time from the last menstrual period, pediatric examination, and obstetric examination. The intraclass correlation coefficient, kappa, and mean difference were used to compare agreement between maternal interview- and medical record-based gestational age by maternal and pregnancy characteristics and characteristics related to study design. Overall, 86 percent of mothers were within 2 weeks of the gestational age reported in the medical record. The intraclass correlation coefficient comparing maternal and medical record-based gestational age was 0.83 (95% confidence interval 0.80-0.86). Agreement was positively associated with shorter length of recall, low birth order, and having a neonatal illness related to prematurity. Agreement was poor among mothers of healthy preterm infants. There was a weak positive association between recall and some sociodemographic covariates. There was greater misclassification of prematurity in the controls than in the cases. The results suggest that, in general, women recall gestational age well, which supports the use of gestational age derived from maternal interviews.
Analysis on HA gene of influenza A(H1N1) of Huzhou

Objective:To study the genetic characteristc of HA gene of Influenza A(H1N1)from Huzhou city in 2010.Methods: Respiratory specimens were collected and the influenza viruses were isolated using the MDCK cell.Nucleic acids were extracted from the isolated viruses and the HA gene were amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).The amplicons were sequenced and the data were subjected to the alignment analyses using the softwares of DNAstar and MegAlign.Results: HA regions of the isolate were 1739 bp.When compared with the viruses of A/HuZhou/09(H1)and A/California/07/2009(H1N1),there was no deletion or insertion of nucleotide acid.And the homology of Amino acids were 99.0% and 98.9% respectively.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the evolutional relationship of the HA gene of A/HuZhou/2010(H1N1)between A/HuZhou/09(H1)and A/California/07/2009(H1N1) were very near.Conclusion: The variation and molecular biology analyses of the influenza A(H1N1) virus are of great imporance to the development of scientific and effective prevention and control strategies of influenza.
Biopsychosocial Causes of Suicide and Suicide Prevention Outcome Studies in Juvenile Detention Facilities: A Review

To identify various biopsychosocial risk factors associated with suicidality in juvenile detention facilities and the effectiveness of suicide prevention protocols currently in use. Medical literature searches were conducted using databases like Pub Med, Ovid, and Google Scholar to identify studies conducted in and outside of United States. The prevalence of suicide among youth imprisoned at detention facilities has risen. Psychiatric disorders are common among such population, making them vulnerable to suicidal tendencies. Suicide risk screening within first 24 h of admission to the detention facility has shown to lower the risk of suicide. Identification of high risk individuals and their further psychiatric assessment is advocated. Much of work with regards to screening tools and instruments is underway and further study is required to get a better understanding.
Does the ranking of surgeons in a publicly available online platform correlate with objective outcomes

OBJECTIVE The accuracy of public reporting in health care, especially from private vendors, remains an issue of debate. The authors investigated the association of the publicly reported physician complication rates in an online platform with real-world adverse outcomes of the same physicians for patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion. METHODS The authors performed a cohort study involving physicians performing posterior lumbar fusions between 2009 and 2013 who were registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. This cohort was merged with publicly available data over the same time period from ProPublica, a private company. Mixed-effects multivariable regression models were used to investigate the association of publicly available complication rates with the rate of discharge to a rehabilitation facility, length of stay, mortality, and hospitalization charges for the same surgeons. RESULTS During the selected study period, there were 8,457 patients in New York State who underwent posterior lumbar fusion performed by the 56 surgeons represented in the ProPublica Surgeon Scorecard over the same time period. Using a mixed-effects multivariable regression model, the authors demonstrated that publicly reported physician-level complication rates were not associated with the rate of discharge to a rehabilitation facility (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.72-1.31), length of stay (adjusted difference -0.1, 95% CI -0.5 to 0.2), mortality (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.49-1.55), and hospitalization charges (adjusted difference $18,735, 95% CI -$59,177 to $96,647). Similarly, no association was observed when utilizing propensity score-adjusted models, and when restricting the cohort to a predefined subgroup of Medicare patients. CONCLUSIONS After merging a comprehensive all-payer posterior lumbar fusion cohort in New York State with data from the ProPublica Surgeon Scorecard over the same time period, the authors observed no association of publicly available physician complication rates with objective outcomes.
Business Attraction and Redistribution by U.S. Local Governments To What Extent Is There a Zero-sum Relationship between Business and Citizens' Interests?

As localities increasingly confront challenging fiscal circumstances, how are they prioritizing the interests of business vis-a-vis citizens’? While some scholars suggest an inverse relationship between localities’ developmental policies and social services provision, a zero-sum situation, others question this view. The second group of scholars suggest a positive-sum relationship where governments attend similarly to the interests of both business and citizens or where efforts devoted to business do not undermine social policy. Analyses of a national survey of county governments reveal support for both views, although the positive-sum hypothesis receives more affirmation. Counties are sustaining social safety nets even as they pursue business-friendly developmental policies.
Integrated optimization of energy costs and occupants’ productivity in commercial buildings

Abstract I ndoor E nvironment Q uality (IEQ) of an office has significant effects on the performance and productivity of its occupants. There are several factors that have positive or negative impacts on occupants’ overall satisfaction, including the level of thermal comfort, visual comfort, aural comfort and I ndoor A ir Q uality (IAQ). While keeping energy savings objectives, energy management system can provide acceptable thermal comfort, visual comfort, and IAQ levels, by taking energy-related decisions. Several inputs that are changing continuously, such as energy prices, sets of indoor and outdoor environment parameters, occupants’ presence, activities and preferences are required for timely energy-related decision-making. Therefore, there is a need for a well-structured method to reach optimum decisions for energy costs and occupants’ IEQ. The main interest of this research is to propose a M ulti- O bjective Op timization (MOOP) method for energy and comfort management in commercial buildings. The proposed method is capable of providing situation-specific economic optimum indoor conditions, based on the combination of thermal comfort, IAQ, and energy costs, as well as energy prices, occupancy information and types of occupants’ activities. Operation of the proposed method is analyzed by annual energy performance simulation of a commercial building in Montreal, Canada. Based on provided results, the proposed MOOP method is capable of improving productivity of occupants, by up to $1000 per year per person, while reaching energy savings objectives. It is observed that potential for productivity improvement is higher during the swing and warm seasons, compared to the cold season. Having ability of flexible decision-making, the proposed MOOP method is suitable for I ntelligent E nergy M anagement S ystems (IEMSs), with objectives of maximizing energy costs and comfort conditions.
The Effects of Current Income Attributes on Nonprofessional Investors’ Say-on-Pay Judgments: Does Fairness Still Matter?

The say-on-pay (SOP) regulation in the Dodd-Frank Act (Public L. no. 111–203, H.R. 4173 2010) requires publicly-traded U.S. firms to hold a nonbinding, advisory shareholder vote on executive compensation. Advocates claim that SOP voting gives shareholders a mechanism to hold managers and boards more accountable. Critics contend that SOP votes may simplistically reflect shareholders’ reactions to the overall value of CEO compensation or the firm’s net income. However, based on prior research, we contend that market participants’ SOP votes are likely to consider current income attributes. For example, the market punishes firms that do not meet or beat benchmarks such as analyst earnings expectations, and that shareholders scrutinize the quality of the income sources of firms that consistently meet/beat analyst expectations. We thus expect that more shareholders will provide ‘agree’ SOP votes for a firm that consistently meets/beats analyst forecasts and does so when net income does not include (rather than includes) nonrecurring gains. Further, we consider whether perceptions about the fairness of CEO compensation play a mediating role in the relationship between the interaction of these two current income attributes and SOP votes. Results from an experiment using evening MBA students as participants indicates that the two current income attributes significantly interact with respect to the percentage of agree SOP votes, and that compensation fairness perceptions fully mediate this relationship. Further, the mediating effect of compensation fairness perceptions is robust to including CEO-level and other determinants found in prior research. We conclude with a discussion of our findings and their implications for public policy and research.
The Interconnections between Autophagy and Integrin-Mediated Cell Adhesion

Abstract Autophagy is a cellular degradation process integral for promoting cellular adaptation during metabolic stress while also functioning as a cellular homeostatic mechanism. Mounting evidence also demonstrates that autophagy is induced upon loss of integrin-mediated cell attachments to the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Analogous to its established cytoprotective role during nutrient starvation, autophagy protects cells from detachment-induced cell death, termed anoikis. Here, we review the significance of autophagy as an anoikis resistance pathway, focusing on the intracellular signals associated with integrins that modulate the autophagy response and dictate the balance between cell death and survival following loss of cell–matrix contact. In addition, we highlight recent studies demonstrating that autophagy functions in the upstream regulation of integrin-mediated cell adhesion via the control of focal adhesion remodeling, and discuss how these emerging interconnections between integrin-mediated adhesion pathways and autophagy influence cancer progression and metastasis.
Differential Response of Fanconi Anemia Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells to Oxidative and Oncogenic Stresses

Members of the Fanconi anemia (FA) protein family are involved in DNA damage response. A common damage to DNA in vivo is oxidative stress, and compelling evidence suggests that FA cells are in an in vivo pro-oxidant state. In response to oncogenic activation, normal cells induce genetically encoding programs that prevent deregulated proliferation and thus protect multicellular organisms from cancer progression. How FA cells respond to oxidative DNA damage and oncogenic stress is largely unknown. By employing an in vivo stress-response model expressing the Gadd45b -luciferase transgene, we show here that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from mice deficient for the FA gene Fanca or Fancc differentially responded to oxidative and oncogenic stresses. Compared to wild-type controls, Fanca -/- or Fancc -/- HSPCs exhibited a persistent response to oxidative stress. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that accumulation of unrepaired DNA damage, particularly in oxidative damage-sensitive genes, was responsible for the long-lasting response in FA HSPCs. In contrast, using two inducible models of oncogenic activation (LSL-K-ras G12D and Myc ER ), we identify a short-lived response of FA HSPCs to oncogenic insults both in vitro and in vivo . Mechanistic studies revealed that loss of Fanca or Fancc impaired oncogenic stress-induced senescence (OIS), and genetic correction of Fanca or Fancc deficiency restored OIS in HSPCs. Furthermore, FA deficiency compromised K-ras G12D -induced arginine methylation of p53 mediated by the protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5). Finally, forced expression of PRMT5 in HSPCs from LSL-K-ras G12D /CreER- Fanca -/- mice prolonged oncogenic response and delayed leukemia development in recipient mice. Taken together, our study demonstrates differential responses of HSPCs to oxidative and oncogenic stresses and identifies the FA pathway as an integral part of this versatile cellular mechanism. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
“Social Work Is a Profession, Not an Ideology”: A Qualitative Analysis of Student Perceptions of Social Justice Discussions in the Classroom

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to describe student perceptions of their experiences around social justice discussions in the social work classroom through a qualitative, grounded theory framework. Student responses from a qualitative section of a survey were analyzed and sorted into three categories: perceived discrimination, heightened self-awareness/self-assessment, and future social work practice. Each of these categories was derived from comparable multiple themes stemming from the student responses. A conceptual model resulting from the analysis suggests that students who shared experiences of perceived discrimination during classroom discussions could develop an enhanced self-awareness, which would result in an added empathy for clients in their future social work practice. Suggestions for teaching strategies and directions for future research are also discussed.
Histoplasma capsulatum and Histoplasmosis

The fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum infects tens to hundreds of thousands of individuals every year. Ensuing disease severity is largely dependent on the host immune response with activation of cell-mediated immunity essential for eventual pathogen control. During the early stages of infection normally fungicidal phagocytes provide a permissive intracellular host niche for Histoplasma yeasts. These fungal elements avoid destruction by phagocytes by minimizing exposure of immunostimulatory molecules on their surface and by detoxifying antimicrobial reactive compounds produced by phagocytes. Within the phaogcyte, yeasts overcome nutrient limitations including organic sulfur, iron, and zinc. Activation of T-cells and the ensuing production of pro-inflammatory Th1 and Th17 cytokines (especially TNFα, IFNγ, and GM-CSF) stimulate phagocyte reactive oxygen and nitric oxide production, thereby changing the host–pathogen balance to favor phagocyte clearance of intracellular Histoplasma yeasts. Clinical management of histoplasmosis involves identification of susceptible individuals with functional or therapeutic reduction of factors mediating activation of cell mediated immunity and augmentation of fungal control through administration of azole- and polyene-class antifungals.
Proposed reference dose for toxaphene carcinogenicity based on constitutive androstane receptor-mediated mode of action

Toxaphene is a liver tumor promoter in B6C3F1 mice but not in F344 rats or hamsters. Recent studies demonstrate that key events leading to the mouse liver tumor response for toxaphene are mediated ...
AG490, a JAK2-specific inhibitor, downregulates the expression and activity of organic anion transporter-3.

Human organic anion transporter-3 (hOAT3) is richly expressed in the kidney, where it plays critical roles in the secretion of clinically important drugs, including anti-viral therapeutics, anti-cancer drugs, antibiotics, antihypertensives, and anti-inflammatories. In the current study, we examined the role of AG490, a specific inhibitor of the Janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2), in hOAT3 transport activity in the kidney COS-7 cells. AG490 induced a time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of hOAT3-mediated uptake of estrone sulfate, a prototypical substrate for the transporter. The inhibitory effect of AG490 correlated with a reduced expression of hOAT3 at the cell surface. Our lab previously demonstrated that Nedd4-2, a ubiquitin ligase, down regulates OAT expression and transport activity by enhancing OAT ubiquitination, which leads to an internalization of OAT from cell surface to intracellular compartments and subsequent degradation. In the current study, we showed that treatment of hOAT3-expressing cells with AG490 resulted in an enhanced hOAT3 ubiquitination and degradation, which was accompanied by a strengthened association of Nedd4-2 with hOAT3 and a reduction in Nedd4-2 phosphorylation. SiRNA knockdown of endogenous Nedd4-2 abrogated the effects of AG490 on hOAT3. In summary, our study demonstrated that AG490 regulates hOAT3 expression and transport activity through the modulation of Nedd4-2.
Response of marine microbial communities to anthropogenic stress

Marine microbial communities adapt rapidly to changingenvironmental conditions, including anthropogenicstress. Adaptation involves a wide range ofstrategies, including, (a) formation of resistant,dormant stages, (b) initiation of repair mechanisms, (c)immobilization of toxic chemicals, (d) active transportof chemicals out of the cell, (e) use of contaminantchemicals as carbon or energy sources, and (f)transformation of contaminants to less toxic or morevolatile forms. Adaptation responses are generally plasmid- orchromosomally-mediated and controlled throughinduction or derepression of a variety of biochemicalpathways. Characterization of microbial communityresponses at the molecular level provides biomarkersof contaminant exposure which in turn may be used toprovide an overall picture of ecosystem health. Thisreview will discuss the interactions betweenmicroorganisms and environmental contaminants and thepotential use of microbial biomarkers to assess thehealth of the microbial ecosystem.
The Brief Case: Klebsiella variicola-Identifying the Misidentified.

A 72-year-old Japanese male with a history of colorectal cancer with metastases to the liver and peritoneum presented to the emergency department with fever and abdominal pain and was subsequently found to have Gram-negative bacteremia. The patient had undergone numerous chemotherapy treatment
Schutz on Social Groups

On analogy with the structure of individual selves, e.g., consociates, contemporaries, predecessors, and successors, the structure of collectivities or groups not actually described by Schutz can be discerned that, as concrete, is actually more fundamental than individuals, who are actually abstract.
Simple Stateless Steganography.

Steganography is the science of hiding the very presence of a secret message within a public communication channel. In Crypto 2002, Hopper, Langford, and von Ahn proposed the first complexitytheoretic definition and constructions of stegosystems. They later pointed out a flaw in their basic construction. Their proposed fix for this flaw dramatically reduces the efficiency of the construction, because it requires the use of strong error-correcting codes. Our first contribution is to demonstrate that the construction that was thought flawed is actually often not. By carefully analyzing the severity of the flaw in their original construction, we show that it is safe to use under proper conditions—thus eliminating the need for expensive error-correction. Moreover, when such conditions do not hold, we provide an alternative fix for the flaw, which is often more efficient. In addition, we demonstrate that for memoryless channels, the construction can be used to send multiple bits statelessly (maintaining synchronized state between the sender and the recipient, as was proposed for the original construction, is particularly problematic in steganography). We provide tight bounds on the security of such an approach.
Voluntary Constituencies: Modified At-Large Voting as a Remedy for Minority Vote Dilution in Judicial Elections

The Supreme Court has recently held in two cases that judicial elections are covered by section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 19651, and that trial judges are not exempt from the Act because they happen to hold "single person offices"that is, exercise an authority independent of others who hold a similar office.2 The immediate, practical effect of the decision will be to remove a jurisdictional hurdle for the Blacks and Latinos who have suits
Trehalose as an alternative to glycerol as a glassing agent for in vivo DNP MRI

Abstract In dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), the solutions of the hyperpolarizable molecule and the paramagnetic agent need to form a glass when frozen to attain significant levels of polarization in reasonable time periods. Molecules which do not form glasses by themselves are often mixed with excipients to form glasses. While glassing agents are often essential in DNP studies, they have the potential to perturb the metabolic measurements that are being studied. Glycerol, the glassing agent of choice for in vivo DNP studies, is effective at reducing ice crystal formation during freezing but is rapidly metabolized, potentially altering the redox and ATP balance of the system. As a biologically inert alternative to glycerol, we show here that 15–20 wt % trehalose yields a glass that polarizes samples more rapidly than the commonly used 60% wt formulation of glycerol and yields similar polarization levels within clinically relevant timeframes. Trehalose may be an attractive alternative to glycerol for situations where there may be concerns about glycerol’s glucogenic potential and possible alteration of the ATP/ADP and redox balance.
Why does peer instruction benefit student learning

In peer instruction, instructors pose a challenging question to students, students answer the question individually, students work with a partner in the class to discuss their answers, and finally students answer the question again. A large body of evidence shows that peer instruction benefits student learning. To determine the mechanism for these benefits, we collected semester-long data from six classes, involving a total of 208 undergraduate students being asked a total of 86 different questions related to their course content. For each question, students chose their answer individually, reported their confidence, discussed their answers with their partner, and then indicated their possibly revised answer and confidence again. Overall, students were more accurate and confident after discussion than before. Initially correct students were more likely to keep their answers than initially incorrect students, and this tendency was partially but not completely attributable to differences in confidence. We discuss the benefits of peer instruction in terms of differences in the coherence of explanations, social learning, and the contextual factors that influence confidence and accuracy.
CHAPTER 3 – Elementary Coding

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on elementary coding, which represents the number of instructions that are arranged into meaningful patterns in such a way that the computer is made to perform a given calculation. The coding technique that should ordinarily be employed consists of creating the instructions for handling each item of data as it is needed from a small set of prototype instructions. An iterative loop of addresses consists of a sequence of addresses that the control consults repetitively in the execution of a code. If a program causes the computer to carry out on the same data exactly the same calculation every time it is executed, its initial address will be called a proper entry point for the program. The coder should not blindly set out to write a program without working out a precise plan of attack beforehand. An index register to index register transmission can be carried out by means of an appropriate combination of the store index and load index or enter index instructions.
A balance between matrix deformation and the coordination of turning events governs directed neutrophil migration in 3-D matrices

Abstract Three-dimensional (3-D) neutrophil migration is essential for immune surveillance and inflammatory responses. During 3-D migration, especially through extravascular spaces, neutrophils rely on frontal protrusions and rear contractions to squeeze and maneuver through extracellular matrices containing narrow pores. However, the role of matrix density and the cells’ ability to probe and remodel matrix pores during 3-D chemotaxis are far from being understood. We investigated these processes by tracking the trajectories of over 20,000 neutrophils in a 3-D migration device containing collagen matrices of varying concentrations and analyzing the shape of these trajectories at multiple scales. Additionally, we quantified the transient 3-D matrix deformations caused by the migrating cells. The mean pore size of our reconstituted collagen matrices decreased when the collagen concentration ([col]) was increased. In low-[col] matrices, neutrophils exerted large transient deformations and migrated in relatively straight trajectories. In contrast, they were not able to appreciably deform high- [col] matrices and adapted to this inability by turning more often to circumvent these narrow matrix pores. While this adaptation resulted in slower migration, the cells were able to balance the more frequent turning with the long-range directional bias necessary for chemotaxis. Based on our statistical analysis of cell trajectories, we postulate that neutrophils achieve this balance by using matrix obstacles as pivoting points to steer their motion towards the chemoattractant. Inhibiting myosin-II contractility or Arp2/3-mediated pseudopod protrusions not only compromised the cells’ ability to deform the matrix, but also made them switch to increased turning in more restrictive matrices when compared to untreated control cells. Both myosin-II contractility and Arp2/3-mediated branched polymerization of actin played a role in fast migration, but Arp2/3 was also crucial for neutrophils when coordinating the orientations of successive turns to prevent veering away from the chemotactic path. These results may contribute to an improved understanding of the mechanisms employed by migrating neutrophils in confined 3-D environments, as well as the molecular and environmental regulators for maintaining persistent motion.
Detection and Phylogenetic Analyses of Taura Syndrome Virus from Archived Davidson's-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Shrimp Tissue

Taura syndrome is a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)-listed disease of marine shrimp that is caused by Taura syndrome virus (TSV), a single-stranded RNA virus. Here we demonstrate the utility of using 15-year-old archived Davidson's-fixed paraffin-embedded (DFPE) shrimp tissues for TSV detection and phylogenetic analyses. Total RNA was isolated from known TSV-infected DFPE tissues using three commercially available kits and the purity and ability to detect TSV in the isolated RNA were compared. TSV was successfully detected through RT-qPCR in all the tested samples. Among the TSV-specific primers screened through RT-PCR, primer pair TSV-20 for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), primers TSV-15 and TSV-16 for the capsid protein gene VP2 and primers TSV-5 for the capsid protein gene VP1 amplified the highest number of samples. To assess the phylogenetic relation among different TSV isolates, the VP1 gene was amplified and sequenced in overlapping segments. Concatenated sequences from smaller fragments were taken for phylogenetic analyses. The results showed that the TSV isolates from this study generally clustered with homologous isolates from the corresponding geographical regions indicating RNA derived from DFPE tissues can be used for pathogen detection and retrospective analyses. The ability to perform genomic characterization from archived tissue will expedite pathogen discovery, development of diagnostic tools and prevent disease spread in shrimp and potentially other aquaculture species worldwide.
Improving In Vitro Cartilage Generation by Co-Culturing Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Chondrocytes on an Allograft Adipose Matrix Framework.

Background Microtia is an inherited condition that results in varying degrees of external ear deformities; the most extreme form is anotia. Effective surgical reconstruction techniques have been developed. However, these usually require multistage procedures and have other inherent disadvantages. Tissue engineering technologies offer new approaches in the field of external ear reconstruction. In this setting, chondrocytes are cultured in the laboratory with the aim of creating bioengineered cartilage matrices. However, cartilage engineering has many challenges, including difficulty in culturing sufficient chondrocytes. To overcome these hurdles, the authors propose a novel model of cartilage engineering that involves co-culturing chondrocytes and adipose-derived stem cells on an allograft adipose-derived extracellular matrix scaffold. Methods Auricular chondrocytes from porcine ear were characterized. Adipose-derived stem cells were isolated and expanded from human lipoaspirate. Then, the auricular chondrocytes were cultured on the allograft adipose matrix either alone or with the adipose-derived stem cells at different ratios and examined histologically. Results Cartilage induction was most prominent when the cells were co-cultured on the allograft adipose matrix at a ratio of 1:9 (auricular chondrocyte-to-adipose-derived stem cell ratio). Furthermore, because of the xenogeneic nature of the experiment, the authors were able to determine that the adipose-derived stem cells contributed to chondrogenesis by means of a paracrine stimulation of the chondrocytes. Conclusions In this situation, adipose-derived stem cells provide sufficient support to induce the formation of cartilage when the number of auricular chondrocytes available is limited. This novel model of cartilage engineering provides a setting for using the patient's own chondrocytes and adipose tissue to create a customized ear framework that could be further used for surgical reconstruction.
15 Years Later: A Historic Look Back at “Quake 3: Ray Traced”

Real-time ray tracing has been a goal and a challenge in the graphics field for many decades. With recent advances in the hardware and software domains, this is becoming a reality today. In this work, we describe how we got to this point by taking a look back at one of the first fully ray traced games: “Quake 3: Ray Traced”. We provide insight into the development steps of the project with unreleased internal details and images. From a historical perspective, we look at the challenges pioneering in this area in the year 2004 and highlight the learnings in implementing the system, many of which are relevant today. We start by going from a blank screen to the full ray traced gaming experience with dynamic animations, lighting, rendered special effects and a simplistic implementation of the gameplay with basic AI enemies. We describe the challenges encountered with aliasing and the methods used to alleviate it. Lastly, we describe for the first time the unofficial continuation of the project, code named “Quake 3: Team Arena Ray Traced”, and provide an overview of the changes over the past 15 years that made it possible to generate fully ray-traced interactive gaming experiences with mass market hardware and an open software stack.
The Tale of the Silver Fox: The Co-Evolution of Property Rights and Contractual Arrangements in Limited Liability Companies

Law, in particular the law of business organizations, is a byproduct of normative solutions, or a sort of extended phenotype. Facing the emergence of new forms of business organizations, legislatures in European countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and also in the United States have created systems of property rights in order to ensure equilibrium not only within the corporate structure, but also among the interests and protections each corporate constituency claims for itself. One of the ways to facilitate this equilibrium is to provide default rules that restrict the transfer of shares of private limited liability companies (“PLLCs”) or give leeway to company members to introduce such restrictions in the articles of association. In this article, I adopt a bottom-up perspective to evaluate the dynamics and evolution of the markets, and I compare them to evolution in nature by looking at the environment where this evolution occurs. It has long been claimed that evolution in nature is different from institutional evolution. However, the law provides the tools necessary for institutional engineering just as biology supplies the scientist with the necessary cognitive equipment to undertake experiments based upon the artificial selection of species. The output of this comparison should be one that, normatively speaking, enables legislatures, regulators, and courts--in particular, those in common-law jurisdictions to create optimal legal solutions that are able to break the engrained status quo and manifestations of socio-economic and doctrinal path-dependence, or situations of pleiotropy in the law, if necessary. The term pleiotropy is used here to explain that, evolutionarily, there are unintended consequences for legal rules and legal institutions stemming from the interaction between market and law. Pleiotropy refers to the inheritance of legal solutions, which is different from the concept of path-dependence often used in economics and political science. Thus applied, fields of corporate law, contract law, and property law are shown to be related in unexpected ways. Using transfer restrictions or restrictions on changes to the structure of ownership of PLLCs as a ground for experimentation, this paper tries to unveil the legal and economic purposes of setting such restrictions.
Edging Closer to Commonplace: Assessing the Growth of Living Donor Liver Transplantation in the United States

More than 13,000 patients are added to the waitlist for life saving liver transplants across the United States each year. Despite the need, demand for liver allografts outpaces supply with nearly 1200 patients dying while awaiting a liver transplant annually. This disparity is likely multifactorial, including donor availability and quality, changes in the epidemiology of liver disease, and liver transplant allocation policy.
Temporal and spatial overlap in the behaviors of a native and invasive tree squirrel in southern California

The native western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) and introduced fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) can be found occupying various locales in southern California (USA) either coexisting or living separa...
Designing excitonic circuits for the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm: mitigating fidelity loss by merging gate operations.

In this manuscript, we examine design strategies for the development of excitonic circuits that are capable of performing simple 2-qubit multi-step quantum algorithms. Specifically, we compare two different strategies for designing dye-based systems that prescribe exciton evolution encoding a particular quantum algorithm. A serial strategy implements the computation as a step-by-step series of circuits, with each carrying out a single operation of the quantum algorithm, and a combined strategy implements the entire computation in a single circuit. We apply these two approaches to the well-studied Deutsch–Jozsa algorithm and evaluate circuit fidelity in an idealized system under a model harmonic bath, and also for a bath that is parameterized to reflect the thermal fluctuations of an explicit molecular environment. We find that the combined strategy tends to yield higher fidelity and that the harmonic bath approximation leads to lower fidelity than a model molecular bath. These results imply that the programming of excitonic circuits for quantum computation should favor hard-coded modules that incorporate multiple algorithmic steps and should represent the molecular nature of the circuit environment.
Murine antibody responses distinguish Rochalimaea henselae from Rochalimaea quintana

Rochalimaea henselae causes persistent bacteremia, bacillary angiomatosis, and parenchymal bacillary peliosis. Detection of a specific antibody response to R. henselae infection may represent an alternative to cultivation as a means of diagnosis. We assessed the specificity of induced murine antibodies for antigens from R. henselae and the closely related species R. quintana. Groups of CD-1 mice were inoculated with whole organisms of six strains of R. henselae and two of R. quintana. Pre- and postinoculation blood specimens were collected. Enzyme immunosorbent assays were performed by using as antigens preparations of immunogenic proteins from one isolate of R. henselae or from the R. quintana type strain. These demonstrated high specificity of R. henselae-induced antibodies for proteins of R. henselae and of R. quintana-induced antibodies for proteins of R. quintana. Protein preparations extracted from all of the strains were separated electrophoretically. After their transfer to membranes, immunoblots were performed by using 1:1,000 dilutions of all of the pre- and postinoculation sera in combination with proteins from all of the strains. Preinoculation sera had minimal reactivity. All of the R. henselae-induced immune sera reacted with numerous proteins of all of the R. henselae strains but cross-reacted minimally with proteins of R. quintana. Immune sera from R. quintana-inoculated mice had similar species specificity. An immunofluorescence assay was developed by using antiserum to one strain of R. henselae. A 1:1,000 dilution yielded fluorescence with all strains of R. henselae but with none of R. quintana, Bartonella bacilliformis, or Afipia felis. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus was also unreactive with a dilution of 1:500. A 1:10 dilution yielded weak fluorescence with R. quintana but none with Staphylococcus epidermidis.
Remineralization ratios in the subtropical North Pacific gyre

Based on a new mixing model of two end-members, the water column remineralization ratios of P/N/Corg - O2 = 1/13 ± 1/135 ± 18/170 ± 9 are obtained for the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) data set at station ALOHA. The traditional Redfield ratios of P/N/Corg/–O2 = 1/16/106/138 have standard deviations of more than 50%, when they are based on the average composition of phytoplankton. Apparently, the remineralization processes in the water column have smoothed out the observed large variability of plankton compositions. A new molar formula for the remineralized plankton may be written as 135H280O105N13P or C25(CH2O)101(CH4)9(NH3)13(H3PO4). Oxidation of this formula results in
Rational therapy for the prolapsed vagina.

Abstract The objectives of pelvic support are best served by any procedure that emphasizes loose posterior fixation of the prolapsed vagina. A simple abdominal operation has been described which, by adhering to this principle, leaves the patient with a well-suspended functional organ.