cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Replacement of Regurgitant Bicuspid Aortic Valve in a Dilated, Non-Compacted Left Ventricle

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common form of congenital heart disease, with 20% of asymptomatic adults with BAV presenting with significant valve insufficiency. Yet, limited data exist regarding surgical indications and outcomes when BAV is accompanied by left ventricular dilation, systolic dysfunction, or left ventricle non-compaction (LVNC) syndrome. We present a case of dilated cardiomyopathy due to severe BAV regurgitation and partial LVNC syndrome and the decision to undergo aortic valve replacement. Our patient represents the most extreme documented case of regurgitant BAV with dilated, dysfunctional, and partially non-compacted left ventricle. Yet, surgical intervention provided improvement in systolic performance and ventricular dimensions.
Radiation Detection Mechanisms in High Temperature Superconductors

All radiation detection modes in superconductors and superconducting structures can be characterized by the dependence of resistance on temperature, current, or voltage. This allows their performance to be estimated and compared by measuring film resistance as a function of temperature and current. We present measurements of the current dependence of film resistance for high temperature oxide superconductors (HTOS) which indicate a high (> 10KV/W) responsivity for radiation detection. We will relate this high responsivity to resistance mechanisms in these films.
A clinical pregnancy after a simple method of zona cutting, cryopreservation, and zygote intrafallopian transfer *

A 30-year-old nulliparous woman, who was infertile for greater than 3 years, conceived after the procedures of a simple method of zona cutting, cryopreservation, and ZIFT. This case illustrates: (1) acid medium, chymotrypsin, or sucrose are not needed for the procedure of zona cutting; (2) the zygotes resulting from zona cutting survive through freezing and thawing; and (3) oocyte retrieval can be done concomitant with conservative surgery for endometriosis.
Qudaich: A smart sequence aligner

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology produces massive amounts of data in a reasonable time and low cost. Analyzing and annotating these data requires sequence alignments to compare them with genes, proteins and genomes in different databases. Sequence alignment is the first step in metagenomics analysis, and pairwise comparisons of sequence reads provide a measure of similarity between environments. Most of the current aligners focus on aligning NGS datasets against long reference sequences rather than comparing between datasets. As the number of metagenomes and other genomic data increases each year, there is a demand for more sophisticated, faster sequence alignment algorithms. Here, we introduce a novel sequence aligner, Qudaich, which can efficiently process large volumes of data and is suited to de novo comparisons of next generation reads datasets. Qudaich can handle both DNA and protein sequences and attempts to provide the best possible alignment for each query sequence. Qudaich can produce more useful alignments quicker than other contemporary alignment algorithms.
Franchising ethnic entrepreneurship: Immigrant business owners and an alternative economic model

Abstract Purpose This study considers an under-explored pathway of immigrant business expansion beyond contemporary models of ethnic entrepreneurship. Methodology/approach We push against dominant theories of immigrant adaptation and small business, such as assimilation theory, to explain a rise of franchised small businesses among Indian Americans. We combine two cases on Indian American small business ownership, based on years of qualitative fieldwork each. Findings Indian Americans have forged a new path of immigrant business growth beyond either enclave or middleman minority businesses. The growth of franchised stores by immigrants remains underexplored in the immigration and work literature. Their growth in the industry signals a type of mobility, by moving more into corporate models of business ownership and performance. Yet, their success has depended on many of the same mechanisms that define lower end, informal ethnic businesses, such as a reliance on ethnic social capital for information and financing, strategies to avoid racism, co-ethnic labor, and the like. Research limitations Like any qualitative study, it is limited by its lack of breadth. But, given that it combines two cases, it compensates for this challenge more than otherwise. Originality/value This chapter furthers the argument that immigrant mobility does not necessarily mean assimilation and in fact can represent a collective response against assimilationist tendencies. This continued collective strategy to mobility is all the more necessary in the face of neoliberal economic models that place greater burdens on individuals.
Escherichia coli, aber nicht Streptococcus pneumoniae induziert eine cPLA2-abhängige parakrine Signaltransduktion vom alveolaren zum kapillaren Lungenkompartiment

Bacterial pneumonias evoke an inflammatory response characterized by neutrophil influx into the alveolar space. Depending on the initial pathogen, neutrophil emigration in the lung occurs via two distinct adhesion cascades: Escherichia coli (E. coli)-induced emigration is dependent on CD18-positive β2-integrins, whereas neutrophil recruitment by Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is CD18-independent [1, 2]. The differential stimulation of these two emigration pathways may be controled by different signal transduction pathways. We have recently identified a TNF-α-inducible paracrine signaling mechanism between alveolar epithelium and capillary endothelium [3]: A TNF-receptor-1 (TNFR1)-mediated, calcium-dependent activation of the epithelial cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) generates arachidonic acid, which acts as a paracrine mediator and induces a calcium influx into juxtaposed endothelial cells. Here, we investigated the relevance of this signaling pathway for the inflammatory response to alveolar E. coli and S. pneumoniae. In isolated blood-perfused rat lungs, the cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was quantified in alveolar epithelial and capillary endothelial cells in situ using our recently described fura-2 ratio technique [4]. Intra-alveolar infusion of E. coli (108 CFU/ml), but not of S. pneumoniae (109 CFU/ml), induced a rapid ( 20 min) increase of [Ca2+]i both in alveolar epithelial and capillary endothelial cells (n=4 each). Hence, the epithelial response varies depending on the infused microorganism. The E. coli-induced signal transduction, quantified as an endothelial [Ca2+]i response to the alveolar stimulus, was completely blocked by pretreatment of the alveolar epithelium with: [1] the intracellular Ca2+-chelator BAPTA (40 µM), or [2] the cPLA2-inhibitor AACOCF3 (1 µM) 10 min prior to E. coli infusion (n=4 each). Thus, the signal pathways induced by E. coli and TNF-α are similar. However, epithelial pretreatment with the blocking anti-TNFR1-antibody E-20 (10 µg/ml) had no effect on the endothelial [Ca2+]i response to E. coli. Hence, the epithelial [Ca2+]i response is TNFR1-independent. E. coli, but not S. pneumoniae, induces an endothelial [Ca2+]i response through an alveolocapillary signaling mechanism similar to that recently described for TNF-α. This signal pathway may play a crucial role in the CD18-dependent inflammatory reaction to E. coli. The induction of epithelial [Ca2+]i transients may be an essential trigger mechanism for the differential regulation between CD18-dependent and -independent emigration pathways.
Explaining Ethics: Using the Explainer Genre to Integrate Ethics into Advertising Curricula

Innovations in advertising, such as sponsored social media posts and advertisers’ ability to track consumers’ online activity, pose new ethical considerations for advertising professionals at a tim...
Abstract 2829: Identification of transcriptomic signatures of organotropism in pancreatic cancer metastasis

Metastatic disease is the most common cause of death in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients. The most common sites of metastatic spread of PDA are to the liver, lung, and peritoneum. The acquisition of advanced stage PDA tissue samples has greatly improved our descriptive understanding of pancreatic cancer metastasis; however, important aspects of PDA metastatic cell biology remain poorly understood. We have previously shown that distant metastases arise from genetically evolved subclones within the primary site of PDA. To understand the biologic basis of PDA metastatic subclone formation we established a transgenic mouse model of PDA based on heterozygous inactivation of Tgfbr2 in association with p48-Cre mediated activation of mutant Kras and Trp53 alleles (KPTC mice). This model revealed that metastatic efficiency and organotropism are related but independently controlled phenomena by mutant Trp53 gain of function in association with TGFb signaling. Pertubation of TGFb signaling reduced liver but not lung metastasis due to a profound extravasation deficiency characterized by sinusoidal growth and lack of desmoplastic stroma compared to KPC mice. Analogous findings were confirmed in liver samples from patients indicating their clinical relevance. Portal vein colonization as a direct mode of access to the liver was observed in both mice and humans. To better understand the cell- autonomous features that promote organ specific metastasis, we have established cell lines from primary and metastatic PDAs of KPC mice representing five different target organ sites (liver, lung, peritoneum, omentum, lymph node). RNAseq and WGCNA performed on extracted RNA from these established cell lines indicate gene expression modules that are unique to metastases. Among metastases, gene expression modules have also been identified that are unique to local versus distant metastases. Analyses are ongoing to functionally validate these modules in additional samples of mouse and human PDA. These findings establish a novel paradigm for understanding pancreatic cancer metastasis and the observed clinical latencies of liver versus lung metastases specifically. Identification of cell-autonomous and micro-environmental mechanisms that support PDA organotropism have the potential to reveal novel targets for therapeutic intervention and modulation of the lethal metastatic phenotype. Citation Format: Yi Zhong, Jun Fan, Jinlong Huang, Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue. Identification of transcriptomic signatures of organotropism in pancreatic cancer metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2829. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2829
Delayed lymphocyte re-population following discontinuation of dimethyl fumarate and after switching to other disease modifying drug therapies.

Abstract Background Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) reduces absolute lymphocyte counts, CD4, and CD8 counts, without significantly affecting total white blood cell counts. However, the recovery rate of these cells after discontinuation of DMF is unknown. The effect of subsequent disease modifying therapies (DMTs) on re-population rate is also unknown. Objectives 1. To study the re-population rate of absolute lymphocytes, CD4, and CD8 counts back to baseline after discontinuation of DMF. 2. To measure the effect of subsequent DMTs on the re-population rate of these cells after DMF therapy. 3. To study the effect of the duration of exposure to DMF on repopulation of these cells. Methods A retrospective chart review of subjects who had discontinued DMF and in whom, CBC with differential, CD4 and CD8 counts were available at baseline, discontinuation and at follow-up (n = 113). Linear mixed models were used to analyze and assess linear trends in lymphocyte counts after DMF had been discontinued. Results DMF causes a significant drop in absolute lymphocyte, CD4, and CD8 counts. Re-population of these cells after discontinuation of DMF is significantly delayed, irrespective of whether or not a subsequent DMT is used, although there is a difference in re-population rate among DMTs. The re-population rate is also dependent on the duration of time patients have been exposed to DMF; longer exposure was associated with more delayed recovery. Conclusion During this 30 month study period, re-population rates were significantly delayed post-DMF, irrespective of what subsequent DMT the patients received. Furthermore, no recovery of lymphocyte counts occurred in patients who were started on fingolimod or alemtuzumab after DMF was discontinued; in fact there was a continued decline in all of the cell populations studied.
Influence of Social Interaction on Women College Students’ Electronic Gambling Machine Behaviour

Social influence affects college students’ gambling behaviours. However, few studies have experimentally investigated the influence of social interaction on college students’ gambling behaviour, and those studies that have yielded mixed findings. Women college students ( n = 109) who endorsed recreational gambling behaviour were randomly assigned to gamble on electronic gambling machines (EGMs) in three conditions: warm social interaction from a confederate (i.e., initiating and maintaining conversation), cold social interaction from a confederate (i.e., refraining from initiating and maintaining conversation), or gambling alone. On average, participants in the warm social interaction condition placed significantly fewer spins and spent more time placing bets on the EGMs compared to the cold social interaction and no confederate conditions. When examining gambling behaviour over time, participants in the warm social interaction condition increased their bet size and the time between their bets over time compared to the cold interaction and no confederate conditions. These results suggest that interpersonal interactions significantly affect gambling behaviour. However, future research is needed to investigate these social processes in other forms of gambling and other gambling experiences. Resume L’influence sociale affecte les comportements de jeu des etudiants collegiaux et universitaires. Cependant, peu d’etudes ont analyse de maniere experimentale l’influence de l’interaction sociale sur le comportement de jeu des etudiants, et les etudes ont donne des resultats mitiges. Les etudiantes ( n = 109) qui ont adopte un comportement de jeu recreatif ont ete affectees au hasard a des jeux electroniques en fonction d’une des trois conditions suivantes : avec interaction sociale amicale d’un camarade (c.-a-d., qui amorce et entretient la conversation), avec interaction sociale froide d’un camarade (qui s’abstient d’amorcer et d’entretenir la conversation) ou en solitaire. En moyenne, les participantes en condition d’interaction sociale amicale ont joue beaucoup moins de tours et ont consacre plus de temps a parier sur les appareils de jeu electroniques, comparees a ceux qui etaient en interaction sociale froide ou en solitaire. En examinant le comportement de jeu sur une periode donnee, les participantes en condition d’interaction sociale amicale ont augmente la taille des paris et la duree entre les paris par rapport a celles qui etaient dans une interaction sociale froide et en solitaire. Ces resultats font ressortir que les interactions interpersonnelles affectent de maniere importante le comportement du jeu. Cependant, d’autres recherches doivent etre effectuees pour analyser ces processus sociaux dans d’autres formes de jeux de hasard et d’autres experiences de jeu.
Dietary folate and vitamins B-12 and B-6 not associated with incident Alzheimer’s disease

Context It is currently not known whether dietary intakes of folate and vitamins B12 and B6, co-factors in the methylation of homocysteine, protect against Alzheimer's disease. Objective To examine the association between risk of incident Alzheimer's disease and dietary intakes of folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Geographically defined biracial Chicago community. Participants 1,041 residents, aged 65 years and older, initially free of Alzheimer's disease and followed a median 3.9 years for the development of incident disease. Main outcome measure Probable Alzheimer's disease identified through structured clinical neurological evaluation using standardized criteria. Results A total of 162 persons developed incident Alzheimer's disease during follow-up. In logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, education, cognitive activities, APOE-epsilon4, and dietary intakes of vitamin E in food and total niacin, there was no association between risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and quintiles of folate intake or of vitamin B-12 intake. The adjusted odds ratio was 1.6 (95% confidence interval: 0.5, 5.2) for persons in the highest quintile of total folate intake (median of 752.7 microg/d) compared with persons in the lowest quintile of intake (median, 202.8 microg/d). Compared with persons in the first quintile of total vitamin B-12 intake (median, 3.1 microg/d) the odds ratio was 0.6 (95% confidence interval: 0.2, 1.6) for persons in the fifth quintile of intake (median, 20.6 microg/d). Intake of vitamin B-6 was not associated with incident Alzheimer's disease after control for dietary intakes of vitamin E and total niacin. Conclusion Dietary intakes of folate, vitamin B-12, or vitamin B-6 do not appear to be associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Compressibility of cubic white, orthorhombic black, rhombohedral black, and simple cubic black phosphorus

The effect of pressure on the crystal structure of white phosphorus has been studied up to 22.4 GPa. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ phase was found to transform into the ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase at $0.87\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04\text{ }\text{GPa}$ with a volume change in $0.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3\text{ }\text{cc}/\text{mol}$. A fit of a second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation to the data gave ${V}_{\text{o}}=16.94\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08\text{ }\text{cc}/\text{mol}$ and ${K}_{\text{o}}=6.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\text{ }\text{GPa}$ for the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ phase and ${V}_{\text{o}}=16.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1\text{ }\text{cc}/\text{mol}$ and ${K}_{\text{o}}=9.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3\text{ }\text{GPa}$ for the ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase. The ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase was found to transform to the A17 phase of black phosphorus at $2.68\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.34\text{ }\text{GPa}$ and then with increasing pressure to the A7 and then simple cubic phase of black phosphorus. A fit of a second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation to our data combined with previous measurements gave ${V}_{\text{o}}=11.43\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05\text{ }\text{cc}/\text{mol}$ and ${K}_{\text{o}}=34.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\text{ }\text{GPa}$ for the A17 phase, ${V}_{\text{o}}=9.62\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01\text{ }\text{cc}/\text{mol}$ and ${K}_{\text{o}}=65.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6\text{ }\text{GPa}$ for the A7 phase and, ${V}_{\text{o}}=9.23\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01\text{ }\text{cc}/\text{mol}$ and ${K}_{\text{o}}=72.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3\text{ }\text{GPa}$ for the simple cubic phase.
Social Networks, Psychological and Organizational Climate and IS Development Success

This research draws on structuration theory to argue that employees’ relationships with co-workers are antecedents of psychological and organizational climate (perceptions of the organizational con...
Building recovery ready communities: the recovery ready ecosystem model and community framework

Background: Public and private systems in the United States and around the World are impacted by substance use disorders (SUD). Despite recent attempts at bringing top down solutions, SUDs continue...
Dimerization of A-α-[SiNb3W9O40]7- by pH-Controlled Formation of Individual Nb−μ-O−Nb Linkages

The reversible, stepwise formation of individual Nb-mu-O-Nb linkages during acid condensation of 2 equiv of A-alpha-[SiNb(3)W(9)O(40)](7-) (1) to the tri-mu-oxo-bridged structure A-alpha-[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(77)](8-) (4) is demonstrated by a combination of X-ray crystallography and variable-pD solution (183)W and (29)Si NMR spectroscopy. Addition of DCl to a pD 8.4 solution of 1 (Li(+) salt in D(2)O) results in formation of a mono-Nb-mu-O-Nb-linked dimer, A-alpha-[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(79)](12-) (2; pD = 3.0-1.3). At pD values between 1.6 and 0.3, two isomers (syn and anti) of the di-mu-oxo-bridged dimer, A-alpha-[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(78)](10-) (3), are observed by (183)W NMR (C(2v) and C(2h) symmetry for the syn and anti isomers, respectively; 5 (183)W NMR signals for each isomer in the ratio 2:2:2:2:1). X-ray-quality crystals of syn-3 were isolated in 53% yield (syn-A-alpha-Cs(8)H(2)[Si(2)Nb(6)W(18)O(78)].18H(2)O, orthorhombic, Cmcm, a = 40.847(2), b = 13.2130(7), and c = 16.8179(9) A at 173K, Z = 4, final R(1) = 0.0685). At the low-pD limit of -0.08 (1.2 M DCl), 4 alone is observed. Additional supporting data are provided by variable-pD (29)Si NMR spectroscopy. Reversibility of the above processes was subsequently demonstrated by acquisition of (183)W NMR spectra after incremental additions of LiOH to D(2)O solutions of 4 to effect its stepwise hydrolysis to 2 equiv of 1.
Weberian Social Thought, History of

This article is a revision of the previous edition article by C. Turner, volume 24, pp. 16407–16412, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd.
Gender in Post-9/11 American Apocalyptic TV: Representations of Masculinity and Femininity at the End of the World

Eve Bennett’s fascinating monograph on representations of gender and gendered power dynamics in post 9/11 American apocalyptic television is an important addition to television studies. Bennett fin...
Binding and differentiation in multisensory object perception

Cognitive scientists have long known that the modalities interact during perceptual processing. Cross-modal illusions like the ventriloquism effect show that the course of processing in one modality can alter the course of processing in another. But how do the modalities interact in the specific domain of object perception? This paper distinguishes and analyzes two kinds of multisensory interaction in object perception. First, the modalities may bind features to a single object or event. Second, the modalities may cooperate when differentiating an object or event from its surroundings. I critically evaluate evidence for various forms of multisensory binding. I then consider the case for multisensory differentiation. I argue that existing evidence for multisensory differentiation is inconclusive. I highlight ways that the issue might be empirically resolved.
Wolves in space: locations of individuals and their effect on pup survival in groups of a cooperatively breeding canid

In some cooperatively breeding species, breeding and nonbreeding individuals within a group care for young through provisioning and guarding, commonly referred to as alloparental care. The question of why nonbreeders contribute to the care of young is at the centre of research on the evolution of cooperative societies, and the mechanisms that drive the behaviour are a topic of debate. We employed a novel approach to examine grey wolf, Canis lupus, space use at pup-rearing sites by using genotyped scats to measure the distance between wolves and evaluate the influence of genetic relatedness and other group characteristics on this space use. Specifically, we evaluated how group composition and individual characteristics influenced space use and whether the distance between adults and pups influenced pup survival. We genotyped 3093 wolf scats collected at pup-rearing sites during June–August 2008–2016 and calculated the distance between scats. We found that space use at pup-rearing sites did not influence pup survival. We also found that nonbreeders, especially yearlings, remained closer to pups than did breeders, and that individuals more genetically related to the pups were found closer to them, suggesting kin-directed attendance behaviour. Finally, we found evidence suggesting that direct fitness benefits, such as gaining access to food, may influence space use as well and help to explain why yearling nonbreeders were found the closest to the pups. This is the first study to provide indirect evidence for kin-directed attendance behaviour in wolves and it contributes novel methodology for investigating space use and helping behaviour in cooperative breeders at reproductive sites.
Aromatherapy improves nausea, pain, and mood for patients receiving pediatric palliative care symptom-based consults: A pilot design trial.

ObjectiveThe role of aromatherapy in supportive symptom management for pediatric patients receiving palliative care has been underexplored. This pilot study aimed to measure the impact of aromatherapy using validated child-reported nausea, pain, and mood scales 5 minutes and 60 minutes after aromatherapy exposure.MethodsThe 3 intervention arms included use of a symptom-specific aromatherapy sachet scent involving deep breathing. The parallel default control arm (for those children with medical exclusion criteria to aromatherapy) included use of a visual imagery picture envelope and deep breathing. Symptom burden was sequentially assessed at 5 and 60 minutes using the Baxter Retching Faces scale for nausea, the Wong-Baker FACES scale for pain, and the Children's Anxiety and Pain Scale (CAPS) for anxious mood. Ninety children or adolescents (mean age 9.4 years) at a free-standing children's hospital in the United States were included in each arm (total n = 180).ResultsAt 5 minutes, there was a mean improvement of 3/10 (standard deviation [SD] 2.21) on the nausea scale; 2.6/10 (SD 1.83) on the pain scale; and 1.6/5 (SD 0.93) on the mood scale for the aromatherapy cohort (p < 0.0001). Symptom burden remained improved at 60 minutes post-intervention (<0.0001). Visual imagery with deep breathing improved self-reports of symptoms but was not as consistently sustained at 60 minutes.Significance of resultsAromatherapy represents an implementable supportive care intervention for pediatric patients receiving palliative care consults for symptom burden. The high number of children disqualified from the aromatherapy arm because of pulmonary or allergy indications warrants further attention to outcomes for additional breathing-based integrative modalities.
Voltage stability based placement of distributed generation against extreme events

Abstract This paper is concerned about improving the resilience of power grids against extreme events which may lead to the line and generator outages and subsequent voltage stability problems and blackouts. The reported study investigates ways of eliminating or substantially reducing the chances of having such voltage stability problems during expected extreme events, by strategically placing a few distributed generators in the system. The problem is addressed in two stages, where a reasonably inclusive list of credible contingencies are individually considered first. A minimum number of distributed generators are selected and placed in order to maintain voltage stability under each considered contingency. In the second stage, the number of generators is minimized by the strategic selection of locations to reach a solution that ensures voltage stability under all considered contingencies in the system. Effectiveness and computational performance of the developed strategy are illustrated by simulating several outage scenarios using the IEEE 118-bus system.
Connexin 43 K63-polyubiquitination on lysines 264 and 303 regulates gap junction internalization

Gap junctions (GJs) assembled from connexin (Cx) proteins play a pivotal role in cell-to-cell communication by forming channels that connect the cytosols of adjacent cells. Connexin 43, the best-studied Cx, is ubiquitously expressed in vertebrates. While phosphorylation is known to regulate multiple aspects of GJ function, much less is known about the role ubiquitination plays in these processes. Here we show by using ubiquitination-type specific antibodies and Cx43 lysine (K) to arginine (R) mutants that a portion of Cx43 in GJs can become K63-polyubiquitinated on K264 and K303. Relevant Cx43 K/R mutants assembled significantly larger GJ plaques, exhibited much longer protein half-lives and were internalization impaired. Interestingly, ubiquitin-deficient Cx43 mutants accumulated as hyper-phosphorylated polypeptides in the plasma membrane, suggesting that K63-polyubiquitination may be triggered by phosphorylation. Phospho-specific Cx43 antibodies revealed that upregulated phosphorylation affected serines 368, 279/282, and 255, well-known regulatory PKC and MAPK phosphorylation sites. Together, these novel findings suggest that upon internalization, some Cx43 in GJs becomes K63-polyubiquitinated, ubiquitination is critical for GJ internalization, and that K63-polyubiquitination may be induced by Cx phosphorylation.
How Valuable is Farm Data to Farmers? Estimating Damages from Inaccessible Data

Farm data valuation has been an emergent topic in agricultural economics. Previous work focused on proving damages from farm data misappropriation, although no analyses were discovered regarding destroyed or data inaccessible to the farmer. Based on first hand experiences, estimation of expectation, incidental, and consequential damages of inaccessible farm data are described including supporting numerical analyses.
Interface migration by phase transformations.

Direct experimental observations reveal that grain boundaries in aluminium oxide migrate by a chain of structural phase transformations within the boundary core.
Designing Corner Compensation for Electrophoresis in Compact Geometries

Recent studies have shown that serpentine microchannels intended to increase the separation efficiency of electrophoresis on microchips may actually decrease efficiency due to band broadening in the corners. We have designed and tested a compensating corner geometry that greatly reduces this so-called “race-track” effect. Initial corner designs were evaluated using a technique that allows sample skew to be determined from properties of the electric field. Optimized versions of the compensating corners were then generated using full simulations of the electrokinetic and diffusional transport of the samples. The corner geometries were validated experimentally using caged- and bleached fluorescence imaging.
Program Evaluation: Its Role and Contribution to Evidence‐Based Practice

Program evaluation should be as much a part of practice as the initial client assessment. It shouldn't be considered “optional” or something to be conducted “if I get time.” To help practitioners and students appreciate its importance, this chapter presents a quick overview of the necessity for program evaluation. A brief section on the history of program evaluation for social workers helps to introduce the reader to the movement from subjective and unsophisticated efforts to the objective accountability now increasingly being required. Program evaluation is a vital part of evidence-based practice, but what constitutes proof or makes a compelling argument for an effective intervention? This chapter assists the reader in understanding levels or degrees of evidence and introduces the reader to ways of thinking about the strength or limits of evidence for guiding practice Keywords: program evaluation; accountability; evidence-based practice; effectiveness; evaluation
Metabolism and biliary excretion of phenanthridinium salts—II: Biliary excretion

Abstract The biliary excretion of phenanthridinium salts has been investigated in rats with ligated renal pedicles. The biliary excretion of the four phenanthridinium compounds investigated took place against large bile-blood concentration gradients and became constant with increasing dose. 150C47 (3, 8-diamino-6- p -aminophenyl-5-methylphenanthridinium chloride) was investigated in detail to determine if it is excreted into bile by the specific metabolically dependent transport system that has been proposed for a number of other quaternary ammonium compounds, including certain phenanthridinium compounds. The excretion of total diazotizable material in bile reached a maximum at a dose of about 20 mg/kg and then remained constant as the dose was increased further. This maximum was not a result of either decreased bile flow or a limited ability of the liver to accumulate 150C47. The excretion of free 150C47 increased with dose over the entire dose range investigated (0–50 mg/kg), whereas its monoacetyl metabolite reached a maximum rate of excretion at 15–20 mg/kg and then decreased as the dose was increased further. The excretion of both forms was directly proportional to dehydrocholate-induced bile flow, but independent of the decrease in flow caused by the intravenous administration of hypertonic sucrose. The possible role of bile salts in the excretion of phenanthridinium compounds is discussed, and data in vitro on the binding of 150C47 to plasma proteins and liver homogenates and its complexing with bile are presented in connection with this point. The behavior of this compound is compared with that of procaineamide ethobromide, a quaternary compound for which a specific metabolically dependent transport system has been proposed.
Positivity properties of toric vector bundles

— We show that a torus-equivariant vector bundle on a complete toric variety is nef or ample if and only if its restriction to every invariant curve is nef or ample, respectively. Furthermore, we show that nef toric vector bundles have a nonvanishing global section at every point and deduce that the underlying vector bundle is trivial if and only if its restriction to every invariant curve is trivial. We apply our methods and results to study, in particular, the vector bundlesML that arise as the kernel of the evaluation map H0(X,L) ⊗ OX → L, for ample line bundles L. We give examples of twists of such bundles that are ample but not globally generated. Resume. — Nous prouvons qu’un fibre vectoriel equivariant sur une variete torique complete est nef ou ample si et seulement si sa restriction a chaque courbe invariante est nef ou ample, respectivement. Nous montrons egalement qu’etant donne un fibre vectoriel torique nef E et un point x ∈ X, il existe une section de E non-nulle en x; on deduit de cela que E est trivial si et seulement si sa restriction a chaque courbe invariante est triviale. Nous appliquons ces resultats et methodes pour etudier en particulier les fibres vectoriels ML, definis en tant que noyau des applications d’evaluation H0(X,L) ⊗ OX → L, ou L est un fibre en droites ample. Finalement, nous donnons des exemples des fibres vectoriels toriques qui sont amples mais non engendres par leur sections globales.
Anticompetitive Tying and Bundling Arrangements in the Smartphone Industry

As smart technologies become more prevalent and mobile devices become the digital platform of choice, how will antitrust law adapt? While current tying law has been criticized for its reliance on dated physical product precedents, the principles of tying and bundling doctrines are well-suited to address the next technology-based product combinations and integrations. Smartphones are an ideal foil for emerging antitrust issues, as these devices stand at the crossroads of tying and bundling inquiries. Integration of a smartphone mobile operating system (“mOS”) with an application clearinghouse exemplifies the types of challenges that will test current tying and bundling doctrines. These dynamic high technology products exhibit a dual nature, as they are easily cognizable as separate products, yet they can also be characterized as a single product. This Note examines several permutations of tying tests to draw out the consequences of treating smartphone technologies as single or multiple products under the law.To ensure the viability and increase the efficacy of current tying and bundling applications by courts, this Note recommends that (1) non-equilibrium-based assertions by either plaintiffs or defendants should be recognized as the exception, not the norm; (2) flexible rule of reason analyses should be utilized in high-technology industries; and (3) evidentiary tools, such as natural experiments and price-indexes, should be considered a permissible inference of anticompetitive arrangements. Although it is unorthodox to suggest that current tying and bundling law does not need to be significantly altered in order to address the issues raised by dynamic high technology industries, effective integration of evidentiary and econometric analyses rises to the challenge — while maintaining a modest role for antitrust in the economy.
Golden Jubilee Lecture. Randomised clinical trials of choroidal melanoma treatment.

Purpose: To illustrate an approach to evidence-based medical practice by reporting the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) randomised clinical trials and cohort studies of choroidal melanoma. Methods: COMS randomised clinical trials of Iodine-125 (I-125) brachytherapy, adjunctive cohort study of visual acuity in eyes treated with brachytherapy and adjunctive natural history study. COMS randomised clinical trial of pre-enucleation radiation. Results: The COMS I-125 brachytherapy trial (N = 1,317 patients) of medium-sized choroidal melanoma showed 5-year all-cause mortality of 18% [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 16-20%] and no statistically significant difference in mortality following 1-125 brachytherapy or enucleation. Adjunctive cohort natural history study (N-42 patients) of patients eligible for the I-125 brachytherapy trial who deferred treatment or had no melanoma treatment had a 5-year all-cause mortality of 30% (95% CI, 18-47%). The COMS pre-enucleation radiation trial (N = 1,003 patients) of large-sized choroidal melanoma showed 5-year all-cause mortality of 40% (95% CI, 37-44%). Conclusions: Evidence derived from randomised clinical trials and cohort studies shows the need for longterm (ž 5 years) follow-up to determine the efficacy of treatment for choroidal melanoma by any modality. The rather similar 5-year mortality for treated and untreated medium melanoma patients suggests that metastatic dissemination may occur at an early stage of choroidal melanoma. To increase longterm survival, ocular treatment of choroidal melanoma must strive for diagnosis and treatment of melanoma at an early stage when metastasis is less likely and be combined with measures to detect and treat micrometastasis
Extraction of striations from continuous active sonar (CAS) data

Previous work has shown that the waveguide invariant can provide a new physics-based tracking constraint that exploits the multipath structure to limit the possible target tracks in pulsed active sonar (PAS) data. The innovation of the invariance extended Kalman filter (IEKF) tracking algorithm is to make predictions and measurements of the target's propagation signature in addition to the conventional quantities of the target displacement and velocity vectors. A necessary preprocessing step is to isolate the target return from the direct arrival. Striation-based beamforming [1] can be used as an optional pre-processing step to preserve the multipath structure in the beamformer output of a horizontal line array (HLA). The recent trend toward continuous active sonar (CAS) processing has generated interest in how the waveguide invariant might be similarly exploited for tracking when the sonar is operated with a high duty cycle. It is expected that the physics-based signal processing algorithms discussed here will extend the applicability of the invariance principle to CAS systems and provide enhanced tracking performance.
Regulation of Bacillus subtilis glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase inactivation in vivo.

Glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase is stable in growing cells, but is inactivated in an oxygen-dependent process at various rates in starving or antibiotic-treated cells. On the basis of studies of the purified enzyme, we suggested (D.A. Bernlohr and R.L. Switzer, Biochemistry 20:5675-5681, 1981) that the inactivation in vivo was regulated by substrate stabilization and a competition between stabilizing (AMP) and destabilizing (GMP, GDP, and ADP) nucleotides. This proposal was tested by measuring the intracellular levels of these metabolites under cultural conditions in which the stability of the amidotransferase varied. The results established that the stability of amidotransferase in vivo cannot be explained by the simple interactions observed in vitro. Metabolite levels associated with stability of the enzyme in growing cells did not confer stability under other conditions, such as ammonia starvation or refeeding of glucose-starved cells. The data suggest that a previously unrecognized event, possibly a covalent modification of amidotransferase, is required to mark the enzyme for oxygen-dependent inactivation.
U.S. perspective on mycotoxin regulatory issues.

Control programs set up by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for aflatoxin, an unavoidable natural contaminant produced by specific molds that invade a number of feedstuffs and basic foods, provide an example of forces that affect risk assessment and management strategies by a regulatory agency. More recently, on an international scale, efforts to establish international food standards for fumonisin, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and patulin, as well as for aflatoxin, demonstrate the complexity of developing regulations and/or standards designed to protect consumer health and ensure fair trade practices on a global scale. Current FDA regulations for aflatoxins address public health concerns for potential contamination in basic foods, residues in milk, and animal feeds for numerous commodities and applications. Regulatory limits, sampling and analytical procedures, decontamination and/or diversion to less risk uses for contaminated product are components of mycotoxin control programs. Current efforts by FDA to establish regulatory controls for deoxynivalenol, fumonisin, and patulin add further insight on the role that safety and risk assessment procedures play in the development of action levels and advisories for mycotoxins.
Contemporary management of anastomotic leak after colon surgery: assessing the need for reoperation.

Abstract Background We sought to investigate contemporary management of anastomosis leakage (AL) after colonic anastomosis. Methods The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database 2012 to 2013 was used to identify patients with AL. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to find predictors of the need for surgical intervention in management of AL. Results A total of 32,280 patients underwent colon resection surgery with 1,240 (3.8%) developing AL. Overall, 43.9% of patients with AL did not require reoperation. Colorectal anastomosis had significantly higher risk of AL compared with ileocolonic anastomosis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.20; P = .04). However, the rate of need for reoperation was higher for AL in colocolonic anastomosis compared with ileocolonic anastomosis (AOR, 1.48; P = .04). White blood cell count (AOR, 1.07; P P = .01), and protective stoma (AOR, .43, P = .02) were associated with reoperation after AL. Conclusions Nonoperative treatment is possible in almost half of the patients with colonic AL. The anatomic location of the anastomosis impacts the risk of AL. Severity of leakage, the presence of a stoma, and general condition of patients determine the need for reoperation.
Endogenous and biliary excretion of calcium-45 and strontium-89.

Summary Short-term appearance of intravenously injected Ca* and Sr* in the isolated segments of the gastrointestinal tract of the dog has been determined. Both isotopes were excreted into all parts of the tract; about 20% more Sr* was found than Ca*. About 75% of excreted Sr* and 50% of excreted Ca* was found in the small intestine; for the large intestine the values were about 20% for Sr* and 40% for Ca*. It was estimated that 6–9% of the Ca* and Sr* excreted into the tract was derived from the bile. By direct comparison, the amount of biliary Sr* was almost twice that of biliary Ca*.
Potential, but unobserved, adverse cardiovascular effects from endurance exercise.

To the Editor: The review by O'Keefe et al1 in the June 2012 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings discusses the hypothesis that excessive strenuous exercise may result in adverse cardiovascular effects. Data from Wen et al2 are cited as supportive evidence that the mortality benefits of exercise “peak at 50 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise per day.” The reproduced figure, however, does not show a peak; rather, it possibly shows a plateau in the benefit of exercise at the highest level observed, and even the case for a plateau is unconvincing. Turning to the primary data, O'Keefe et al wrote a letter to the journal of publication3 and received a response that proved their interpretation to be incorrect. Wen et al4 responded to their letter with a description of data that show not only the absence of peak but also no evidence of a plateau, with a continuing trend to improved all-cause mortality and even better hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease at the highest level of exercise. Wen et al wrote, “We were not able to identify an upper limit of physical activity, either moderate or vigorous, above which more harm than good will occur… .” The interpretation of the data provided in the review by O'Keefe et al is misleading, particularly given the response of the authors of the original data.
Composite Adaptive Internal Model Control and Its Application to Boost Pressure Control of a Turbocharged Gasoline Engine

Internal model control (IMC) explicitly incorporates the plant model and its approximate inverse and offers an intuitive controller structure and calibration procedure. In the presence of plant-model uncertainty, combining the IMC structure with parameter estimation through the certainty equivalence principle leads to adaptive IMC (AIMC), where either the plant model or its inverse is identified. This paper proposes a composite AIMC (CAIMC) that explores the IMC structure and simultaneous plant dynamics and inverse dynamics identification to achieve improved performance of AIMC. A toy plant is used to illustrate the feasibility and potential of CAIMC. The advantages of CAIMC are later demonstrated on the boost-pressure control problem of a turbocharged gasoline engine. The design of the CAIMC assumes that the plant model and its inverse are represented by the first-order linear dynamics. The unmodeled dynamics and uncertainties due to linearization and variations in operating conditions are compensated through adaptation. The resulting CAIMC is first applied to a physics-based high-order and nonlinear proprietary turbocharged gasoline engine model, and then validated on a turbocharged 2-L four-cylinder gasoline engine on a vehicle with vacuum-actuated wastegate. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the CAIMC cannot only effectively compensate for uncertainties but also auto-tune the IMC controller for the best performance.
Preservation of vascular integrity in organs perfused in vitro with a platelet-rich medium.

In non-thermic conditions, platelets seem to “nurture” the micro-circulation in some way. This could obviously be valuable in the preservation of isolated organs.
Relation of three-hour-range index K to aurora seen at Ithaca, New York

Auroral data have been accumulated in the National Geographic Society-Cornell University study of aurora since 1938. In this paper these data for the years 1938–41 have been studied for four observers and also for auroras at Ithaca during 1938–42. Our cooperating observers assigned ratings to the aurora of each hour largely on the basis of maximum brightness, using O, G, I, II, III, IV, to cover the range from no aurora to maximum. The observations of JACK GRANT (Orillia, Ontario), CYRUS J. FERNALD (Wilton, Maine), the Milwaukee Astronomical Society, and those of myself and others in Ithaca were combined for three-hour periods, the averaging process giving ten rating-indices called A'. The data are shown in the upper half of Figure 1. The rating-indices for Ithaca (lower half of Fig. 1) were gradually developed and then applied as uniformly as possible to the whole series of observations.