cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of bovine non-classical major histocompatibility complex class I proteins in mouse P815 and human K562 cells

Major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) proteins can be expressed as cell surface or secreted proteins. To investigate whether bovine non-classical MHC-I proteins are expressed as cell surface or secreted proteins, and to assess the reactivity pattern of monoclonal antibodies with non-classical MHC-I isoforms, we expressed the MHC proteins in murine P815 and human K562 (MHC-I deficient) cells. Following antibiotic selection, stably transfected cell lines were stained with H1A or W6/32 antibodies to detect expression of the MHC-I proteins by flow cytometry. Two non-classical proteins (BoLA-NC1*00501 and BoLA-NC3*00101) were expressed on the cell surface in both cell lines. Surprisingly, the BoLA-NC4*00201 protein was expressed on the cell membrane of human K562 but not mouse P815 cells. Two non-classical proteins (BoLA-NC1*00401, which lacks a transmembrane domain, and BoLA-NC2*00102) did not exhibit cell surface expression. Nevertheless, Western blot analyses demonstrated expression of the MHC-I heavy chain in all transfected cell lines. Ammonium-sulfate precipitation of proteins from culture supernatants showed that BoLA-NC1*00401 was secreted and that all surface expressed proteins where shed from the cell membrane by the transfected cells. Interestingly, the surface expressed MHC-I proteins were present in culture supernatants at a much higher concentration than BoLA-NC1*00401. This comprehensive study shows that bovine non-classical MHC-I proteins BoLA-NC1*00501, BoLA-NC3*00101, and BoLA-NC4*00201 are expressed as surface isoforms with the latter reaching the cell membrane only in K562 cells. Furthermore, it demonstrated that BoLA-NC1*00401 is a secreted isoform and that significant quantities of membrane associated MHC-I proteins can be shed from the cell membrane.
Rationale and Design of the Echocardiographic Study of Hispanics / Latinos (ECHO-SOL)

Background: Information regarding the prevalence and determinants of cardiac structure and function (systolic and diastolic) among the various Hispanic background groups in the United States is limited. Methods and Results: The Echocardiographic Study of Latinos (ECHO-SOL) ancillary study recruited 1,824 participants through a stratified sampling process representative of the population-based Hispanic Communities Health Study – Study of Latinos (HCHS-SOL) across four sites (Bronx, NY; Chicago, Ill; San Diego, Calif; Miami, Fla). The HCHS-SOL baseline cohort did not include an echo exam. ECHO-SOL added the echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure and function to an array of existing HCHS-SOL baseline clinical, psychosocial, and socioeconomic data and provides sufficient statistical power for comparisons among the Hispanic subgroups. Standard twodimensional (2D) echocardiography protocol, including M-mode, spectral, color and tissue Doppler study was performed. The main objectives were to: 1) characterize cardiac structure and function and its determinants among Hispanics and Hispanic subgroups; and 2) determine the contributions of specific psychosocial factors (acculturation and familismo) to cardiac structure and function among Hispanics. Conclusion: We describe the design, methods and rationale of currently the largest and most comprehensive study of cardiac structure and function exclusively among US Hispanics. ECHO-SOL aims to enhance our understanding of Hispanic cardiovascular health as well as help untangle the relative importance of Hispanic subgroup heterogeneity and sociocultural factors on cardiac structure and function. ( Ethn Dis . 2015;25[2]:180–186)
Effect of system of lamb rearing and season on early post-partum fertility of ewes and growth performance of lambs in Katahdin sheep.

Summary The effect of season (S), lamb rearing system (RT) and grain supplementation (GS) on post-partum fertility in Katahdin ewes and growth in Katahdin lambs was evaluated. Katahdin ewes were bred to lamb in fall (n = 36) or spring (n = 56) and at approximately 2.5 months post-partum were randomly assigned to be permanently separated or to continue to suckle their lambs for an additional 3 months. All ewes were joined with rams following treatment to synchronize oestrus. Weaned (W, n = 84) and continuously suckled lambs (CSK, n = 88) were fed forage only (n = 84; hay and pasture for fall- and spring-born lambs respectively) or were supplemented (n = 88; 18% crude protein ration ad libitum) and all weighed biweekly. Ewes rebred in the fall had a shorter ram introduction to lambing interval (p < 0.05), higher prolificacy (p = 0.001) and higher lambing rates (p = 0.02); however, the proportion of ewes lambing was not affected by season. The first service lambing rate was lower in ewes continuously suckling lambs in the spring, but not in the fall breeding season (S × RT, p = 0.03). Lambs that continuously suckled their dams and were supplemented grew quicker and gained more (p < 0.001) than their weaned and unsupplemented counterparts. The effect of CSK on growth rate of lambs was greater in the spring (RT × S; p = 0.05), and the effect of supplementation on growth rate of lambs was greater in the fall (GS × S; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, Katahdin lambs achieved higher weight gains from continuous suckling and grain supplementation. Moreover, Katahdin ewes are capable of early rebreeding post-partum while suckling their lambs, which makes them suited for use in accelerated lambing programmes.
Health Information Technology and Quality Management

Even in healthcare and health information technology change will not vanish or disperse. Technology, civilization, and creative thought will drive this force increasingly forward. Health care managers will continue being judged on their ability to efficiently and effectively manage Patton & James, 2000. The arena of Health Services Research HSR is trusted on by judgment deciders and the public is the principal basis of data on how thriving health systems are meeting this task Steinwachs & Hughes, 2008. The goal of HSR is to deliver material that will ultimately lead to advances in the health of the community. HSR evaluation of quality of care has demonstrated it is an unspecified science and multifaceted, even though its description is comparatively simple Steinwachs & Hughes, 2008. This article is to investigate the background, controversies, and problems surrounding Health Information Technology HIT Change and Quality Management including an overview of current changes and benefits of implementation. This will be coupled with solutions and recommendations, further research, and conclusion. This will enhance the field of research in leadership, change management, quality management, and health care.
A near optimal tracking control of dynamic nonholonomic systems

In this paper, the tracking problem of dynamic nonholonomic systems is investigated. By separately considering kinematic and dynamic models of a nonholonomic system, a new real-time near-optimal control is proposed based on the backstepping design. Besides being implementable online, the proposed control has the property that its closeness to the optimal control obtained off-line and numerically can be measured and monitored. To show its effectiveness, the proposed control is simulated for a unicycle wheeled mobile robot.
An Establishment of a System for Conditional Overexpression of Genes in Megakaryocytes and Platelets In Vivo.

Abstract Expression of foreign or endogenous genes in vivo is an essential tool for following regulatory processes, including the control of gene expression. Constitutive expression of such genes throughout development often results with lethality due to adverse effects during embryogenesis. Several such examples exist with regard to the megakaryocyte (MK)/platelet lineage. Here, we employed the tetracycline (Tet)-off system to conditionally overexpress genes in MKs and platelets in vivo. We generated three transactivator transgenic lines expressing the Tet transactivator element (tTA), under the control of the megakaryocyte-specific, platelet factor 4 promoter (PF4-Tet). Three responder lines were simultaneously generated, each with a bidirectional minimal CMV-tTA responsive promoter upstream of prokaryotic s-Galactosidase gene (s-Gal) (as a marker), with an insertion site in the opposite side for a gene of interest. A transactivator founder line that strongly expressed tTA was cross-bred to the three other responder lines. The resulting double transgenic mouse lines exhibited tetracycline-dependent transgene overexpression in the megakaryocytic lineage. Lineage specificity was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses. By changing tetracycline concentration in the drinking water, we could turn on/off the expression of the gene at any desirable time during the mouse lifespan, and showed that in adult mice under inducing conditions, s-Gal expression was restricted to MKs and platelets. Hence, we generated a mouse line, PF4-Tet that is available to conditionally overexpress any gene of interest in the MK/platelet lineage in vivo. This system should be valuable for the study of effects of selected proteins on an array of genes expressed in vivo and on consequent megakarypoiesis and/or thrombosis and hemostasis.
High-Fidelity, High-Performance Computational Algorithms for Intrasystem Electromagnetic Interference Analysis of IC and Electronics

Ever-increasing complexity in high-speed electronic devices and systems presents significant computational challenges in the numerical analysis in terms of desired accuracy, efficiency, and scalable parallelism. The objective of this paper is to investigate high-resolution, high-performance full-wave field solvers for scalable electromagnetic simulations of product-level integrated circuits (ICs) and electronics. The emphasis is placed on advancing parallel algorithms that are provably scalable facilitating a design-through-analysis paradigm, and enabling concurrent multiscale modeling and computation. The capability and the benefits of the algorithms are validated and illustrated through complex 3-D IC and electronics applications.
Valence asymmetries in attitude ambivalence.

Existing models of ambivalence suggest that as the number of conflicting reactions (e.g., attitude components) increases, so too does the experience of ambivalence. Interestingly, though, these models overwhelmingly assume that this relationship is independent of valence. Across 3 studies we observe that this effect is in fact heavily influenced by 2 established valence asymmetries: positivity offset (baseline positive reactions even in the absence of positive information) and negativity bias (greater impact of negative reactions than positive reactions). Consistent with positivity offset, we observe that subjective ambivalence is greater when people have univalent negative rather than univalent positive attitudes. However, as conflicting information is acquired, subjective ambivalence rises more quickly when that information is negative rather than positive. The latter effect is consistent with negativity bias and suggests that although people feel more conflicted when they have only negative (vs. only positive) reactions, they also feel more conflicted when they have mostly positive (vs. mostly negative) reactions. Our investigation also uncovers an interesting consequence of these asymmetries: When people have mixed reactions, they do not experience maximum ambivalence at equal levels of positivity and negativity, as suggested by canonical ambivalence theory. Rather, subjective ambivalence peaks when positive reactions outnumber negative reactions. These effects are found to have downstream consequences for other dimensions of attitude strength. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Biochemistry: A toxin that fuels metabolism.

Formaldehyde, a DNA-damaging agent formed in cells, has now been shown to support metabolic processes that involve molecular units containing a single carbon atom — linking metabolism to a DNA-protection mechanism. See Article p.549
School of the Dialogue of Cultures: Questions Through Time and Space

The comments compare the School of the Dialogue of Cultures and the Developmental Instruction approach and explore the historical context, epistemological framework, approaches to meaning making, and cultural tools of the School of the Dialogue of Cultures. The author poses theoretical and methodological questions regarding the approach.
Do developmental temperatures affect redox level and lifespan in C. elegans through upregulation of peroxiredoxin

Abstract Lifespan in poikilothermic organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, can be substantially increased simply by decreasing growth temperature. To gain insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of this effect, we investigated the effects of temperature in development and adulthood on C. elegans lifespan. We found that worms exposed to 25 °C during development and shifted to 15 °C in adulthood exhibited an even longer lifespan than animals constantly kept at 15 °C. Analysis of the in vivo redox status demonstrated that at 25 °C, C. elegans larvae have a more reduced redox state and higher Prdx-2 expression levels than animals raised at 15 °C. Worms lacking prdx-2 fail to show the additional lifespan extension upon shift from 25 °C to 15 °C and reveal a lifespan similar to prdx-2 worms always kept at 15 °C. These results suggest that transiently altering the in vivo redox state during development can have highly beneficial long-term consequences for organisms.
Net Neutrality, the Fairness Doctrine, and the NRB: The Tension between United States Religious Expression and Media Regulation

This article analyzes the historical continuity between the opposition of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) to the Fairness Doctrine (1949) and to the contemporary Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Open Internet principle, net neutrality. These debates demonstrate how media policy discourse has shaped democratic ideals, including by designating whose voices are or are not included in broadcast and digital communication spaces. The discourse emerging from both media policy debates reveals that fears concerning cultural hegemony and the diversity of expression in the United States have intertwined with fears concerning the invasion of foreign ideologies. The article then considers the possibility of reconciling religious and secular discourse in the mediated public sphere.
Pathologic Upgrade Rates of High-Risk Breast Lesions on Digital Two-Dimensional vs Tomosynthesis Mammography

Background Our aim was to compare the pathologic upgrade rates of high-risk breast lesions (HRLs) on digital two-dimensional mammography (DM) vs digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Study Design The study cohort was composed of patients with HRLs diagnosed by image-guided core needle biopsy from December 2007 to February 2011 (DM group, before DBT integration) and from January 2013 to March 2016 (DBT group, after complete DBT integration). Medical records were reviewed for surgical outcomes and follow-up imaging. Results Eight hundred and ninety-three patients with 900 biopsy-proven HRLs underwent surgical excision (97.0% [873 of 900]) or had at least 2 years of imaging follow-up (3.0% [27 of 900]). The most common HRL was atypical ductal hyperplasia in the DM and DBT groups (37.4% [337 of 900]). The overall upgrade rate of HRLs to malignancy was 11.3% (102 of 900). There were no statistically significant differences in overall upgrades rates of HRLs on DM vs DBT (11.4% [54 of 475] vs 11.3% [48 of 425]; p = 0.97) or in upgrade rates of HRL subtypes. However, HRLs that upgraded on DBT were more likely to be invasive rather than in situ carcinoma compared with HRLs that upgraded on DM (39.6% [19 of 48] vs 20.4% [11 of 54]; p = 0.03). Overall, the most common HRL to upgrade was atypical ductal hyperplasia (18.4% [62 of 337]). The least common HRLs to upgrade in the DBT group were biphasic neoplasms (0% [0 of 22]), flat epithelial atypia (1.6% [1 of 62]), and papillomas without atypia (4.5% [2 of 44]). Conclusions There is no difference in the upgrade rates of HRLs on DM vs DBT, but the proportion of HRL upgrades that are invasive rather than in situ carcinoma is higher with DBT.
Ultra-Coarse-Grained Models Allow for an Accurate and Transferable Treatment of Interfacial Systems.

Interfacial systems are fundamentally important in many processes. However, constructing coarse-grained (CG) models for such systems is a significant challenge due to their inhomogeneous nature. This problem is made worse due to the generally nontransferable nature of the interactions in CG models across different phases. In this paper, we address these challenges by systematically constructing ultra-coarse-grained (UCG) models for interfaces, in which the CG sites are allowed to have internal states. We find that a multiscale coarse-grained (MS-CG) representation of a single CG site model fails to identify the directionality of a molecule and is unable to reproduce the correct phase coexistence for aspherical molecules. In contrast with conventional MS-CG models, the UCG methodology allows chemical and environmental changes to be captured by modulating the interactions between internal states. In this work, we design the internal states to depend on local particle density to distinguish different phases ...
Understanding Interactive Competence in L1/L2 Contrastive Context: A Case of Back-Channel Behavior in Japanese and English

Recent studies in conversational interaction across speech commuities have revealed that not only grammar proper, but also interactive strategies at a time of face-to-face encounter differ from language to language. Although in the past, conversation analysts have pointed out differences in some aspects of interactive competence, often such studies have been plagued by their ad-hoc nature of data, anecdotal accounts and casually defined contrastive context in which the analysis is made. In this study we attempt to understand one aspect of interactive competence, i.e., conversation management through back-channel strategies in a specific contrastive context of casual conversation in Japan and the United States. The methodology adopted here is what we may call “contrastive conversation analysis” as opposed to Hartman’s (1980) “contrastive textology” in which primarily written text — what he calls “parallel text”— is analyzed. Note that although so-called contrastive analysis has been under attack over the last two decades — primarily because of its failure to meet unrealizable expectation i.e., prediction of learners’ errors in its own right, widely held among applied linguists especially in the United States—the term contrastive analysis used herein is broader in its application and does not necessarily predict actual learners’ errors. Based on this framework, this study investigates “back-channel” expressions, such as uh-huh’s and brief comments received by the person who has the turn without relinquishing the turn as characterized first by Yngve (1971).
Evaluation Use Revisited

Evaluation use1, and remains today, a pressing issue in the evaluation literature. Are evaluations used? Do they make a difference in the decision-making process or at all? If not, why?
Judge Akua Kuenyehia: First Vice President

This is a profile of Judge Akua Kuenyehia who was elected for a nine-year term from the African Group of States, and is assigned to the Pre-Trial Division. Prior to her appointment to the International Criminal Court at The Hague (ICC), It focuses on her legal and professional qualifications that prepared her for the position she now occupies.
Retinal measurements predict 10-year disability in multiple sclerosis.

Objective Optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived measures of the retina correlate with disability and cortical gray matter atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS); however, whether such measures predict long-term disability is unknown. We evaluated whether a single OCT and visual function assessment predict the disability status 10 years later. Methods Between 2006 and 2008, 172 people with MS underwent Stratus time domain-OCT imaging [160 with measurement of total macular volume (TMV)] and high and low-contrast letter acuity (LCLA) testing (n = 150; 87%). All participants had Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) assessments at baseline and at 10-year follow-up. We applied generalized linear regression models to assess associations between baseline TMV, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness, and LCLA with 10-year EDSS scores (linear) and with clinically significant EDSS worsening (binary), adjusting for age, sex, optic neuritis history, and baseline disability status. Results In multivariable models, lower baseline TMV was associated with higher 10-year EDSS scores (mean increase in EDSS of 0.75 per 1 mm3 loss in TMV (mean difference = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.11-1.39; P = 0.02). In analyses using tertiles, individuals in the lowest tertile of baseline TMV had an average 0.86 higher EDSS scores at 10 years (mean difference = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.23-1.48) and had over 3.5-fold increased odds of clinically significant EDSS worsening relative to those in the highest tertile of baseline TMV (OR: 3.58; 95% CI: 1.30-9.82; P trend = 0.008). pRNFL and LCLA predicted the 10-year EDSS scores only in univariate models. Interpretation Lower baseline TMV measured by OCT significantly predicts higher disability at 10 years, even after accounting for baseline disability status.
From Hijrah to Khilafah : Rhetoric, Redemption, and ISIL's Recruitment Strategy

Global migration to ISIL-controlled territories has persisted despite ISIL’s well-documented repressive tactics, multinational efforts to stop the migration, and the difficulties facing disillusioned recruits who wish to return to their home countries. This article asks what motivates some individuals to emigrate from countries that rank high on the UN’s Human Development Index to ISIL-controlled territories in Iraq and Syria. To address this question, I examine ISIL’s official online magazine, Dabiq , as a rhetorical artifact designed to persuade and motivate readers. Dabiq ’s recruitment strategy consists of three key terms arranged as a jeremiad that guide readers through a redemptive drama of guilt and purification. The article discusses implications for rhetoric and professional communication, terrorism studies, and counterterrorism strategy.
Substance Use and Interpersonal Violence: Exploring Potential Threats to Underrepresented Minority Students’ Academic Success:

BackgroundCollege dropout has been described as an epidemic, with underrepresented minority (URM) students having the highest dropout rates at colleges and universities. This study examines interpe...
Can patterns of habitat use by western Nearctic–Neotropical migratory landbirds in winter inform conservation priorities?

I use point-count survey data collected from 171 locations across 11 vegetation conditions in western Mexico to illustrate common patterns of winter habitat use by 97 Nearctic–Neotropical migratory landbird species. A number of bird species are relatively restricted in their habitat use, with some (e.g., Northern Waterthrush [Parkesia noveboracensis], American Redstart [Setophaga ruticilla]) occurring only in relatively undisturbed habitats, and others (e.g., Say's Phoebe [Sayornis saya], Horned Lark [Eremophila alpestris]) occurring only in relatively disturbed lands associated with agriculture. A large number of bird species (e.g., Cassin's Vireo [Vireo cassinii], MacGillivray's Warbler [Geothlypis tolmiei]) use every one of the vegetation types considered, from low-elevation tropical deciduous forests to high-elevation conifer forests. Bird species showing patterns of restricted habitat use deserve conservation attention, but even the more broadly distributed species might become significantly less abundant in human-altered portions of habitats. Identifying the latter will require the inclusion of a wider spectrum of altered vegetation types/conditions than what I included here, or than what is typically considered in wildlife–habitat relationship programs.
Orthonormal balances as a means of characterizing dietary exposure.

Abstract Evaluating the effect of nutritional components on health outcomes is hampered by technical difficulties that are closely related to the compositional nature of dietary data. Compositional data consist of parts of a whole and, on the basis of the assumption that any relevant information they provide is contained in the ratios between them, procedures based on log-ratio transformations have been proposed for their analysis. It has been previously suggested that nutrient compositions can be analyzed using isometric log-ratio transformations which allow the compositions to be represented by a system of orthogonal coordinates corresponding to the log-contrasts between the compositional parts. One particular expression of these contrasts is called balances, and the aim of this note is to provide a step-by-step description of how to construct orthonormal balances and show how they can be applied to dietary data by means of an example based on data coming from an Italian population-based study. Nutrient balances are new variables that can be included as covariates in regression models. After fitting a linear regression model using estimates of relative fat mass as a response variable, scores indicating the obesogenic potential of foods can be defined on the basis of their nutritional contents and the estimated effect of the balances on relative fat mass. This approach to evaluating the relationship between diet and health outcomes provides insights into the roles of specific nutrient ratios and foods within a comprehensive and integrated framework that complies with the essentially compositional nature of dietary data.
Parental mobile health adherence to symptom home monitoring for infants with congenital heart disease during the single ventricle interstage period: A concept analysis.

Purpose Single ventricle heart disease is fraught with risk for infant mortality and morbidity. During the interstage period, or the time between palliative cardiac surgeries, mobile health (mHealth) technology improves the ability of registered nurse coordinators to monitor infant symptoms through parental monitoring and reporting. The concept of parental mHealth adherence to symptom home monitoring of infants with single ventricle congenital heart disease has not been defined, despite increasing use of mHealth technology. Methods Rodger's concept analysis method was used to derive a unified definition of parental mHealth adherence to symptom home monitoring of infants with congenital heart disease during the single ventricle interstage period. A literature review included a search of databases for studies that addressed interstage home mHealth monitoring. Thematic analysis was applied to selected articles to derive a unified definition based on attributes, antecedents, consequences, related terms, and an illustrative case example. Sixteen publications were selected. Attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept were derived from the literature leading to a definition of parental mHealth adherence for infants with congenital heart disease during the single ventricle interstage period. The definition is the degree of adherence to which parents' transfer mHealth data for their infant meet healthcare providers' recommendations for symptom home monitoring. Consequences were improved infant symptom home monitoring through parental mHealth adherence measured by initiation, implementation, and discontinuation. Conclusion The unified definition of the concept will provide a firmer ground for research in mHealth and interstage pediatric care and a guide for clinicians in developing new mHealth interventions for symptom home monitoring. Practice implications This concept analysis hypothesizes that infants with a single ventricle during the interstage period, whose parents are mHealth symptom home monitoring adherent, will have timelier symptom identification with resultant superior outcomes compared with infants with a single ventricle during the interstage period whose parents are not mHealth adherent.
Assessing the Potential for Unintended Microbial Consequences of Routine Chlorhexidine Bathing for Prevention of Healthcare-associated Infections

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) is an antiseptic that is widely used in healthcare due to its excellent safety profile and wide spectrum of activity. Daily bathing with CHG has proven to be effective in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections and multi-drug resistant pathogen decolonization. Despite the proven benefits of CHG use, there remain concerns and unanswered questions about the potential for unintended microbial consequences of routine CHG bathing. This review aims to explore some of these questions.
Knowledge discovery from comparisons of specialized and conventional metrics determined from acoustic fields and measurements

Once acoustic signals (information streams) are recorded, there are myriad possible means for extracting and representing the embedded scientific or engineering knowledge that awaits discovery. Given the rich history of acoustic investigations, such knowledge extraction commonly involves comparisons based on conventional or specialized metrics chosen or devised to indicate critical underlying phenomena. Such comparisons may rely entirely on simulation results, experimental results, or a combination of the two. However, a suitable metric must be used in each case. This presentation provides four examples where conventional or specialized metric comparisons indicated new knowledge: (1) performing Monte-Carlo simulations and machine-learning predictions of the probability density function (PDF) of acoustic transmission loss (TL) in uncertain ocean sound channels to attain knowledge of how to best represent PDF(TL) when predicting it; (2) Using simulated acoustic-radiation data from vibrating structures and specialized dilation cross correlation metrics to remotely generate knowledge of experimental damage type and severity; (3) Comparing the measured horizontal coherence of acoustic fields and autoproducts to extract knowledge of their relative coherence lengths and bandwidths; and (4) Scaling of high-Reynolds-number hydrofoil-trailing-edge velocimetry and surface-pressure fluctuations measurements to attain knowledge of the near-wake conditions that lead to tonal noise. [Sponsored by ONR and NAVSEA.]
Nanometric flow and earthquake instability.

Fault zones accommodate relative motion between tectonic blocks and control earthquake nucleation. Nanocrystalline fault rocks are ubiquitous in “principal slip zones” indicating that these materials are determining fault stability. However, the rheology of nanocrystalline fault rocks remains poorly constrained. Here, we show that such fault rocks are an order of magnitude weaker than their microcrystalline counterparts when deformed at identical experimental conditions. Weakening of the fault rocks is hence intrinsic, it occurs once nanocrystalline layers form. However, it is difficult to produce “rate weakening” behavior due to the low measured stress exponent, n, of 1.3 ± 0.4 and the low activation energy, Q, of 16,000 ± 14,000 J/mol implying that the material will be strongly “rate strengthening” with a weak temperature sensitivity. Failure of the fault zone nevertheless occurs once these weak layers coalesce in a kinematically favored network. This type of instability is distinct from the frictional instability used to describe crustal earthquakes. Extremely fine-grained fault rocks are intrinsically weak and behave as fluids even at low temperatures and fast deformation rates. Local production of fine-grained material during fault movement can lead to an earthquake instability.
Understanding Patient Expectations and Determinants of Satisfaction in an Outpatient Urology Clinic at an Academic Medical Center.

Abstract Objective To examine and better understand expectations and facilitators of satisfaction amongst patients presenting to an ambulatory urology clinic at an academic medical center. Methods Patients completed an anonymous survey regarding expectations for their clinic visit. Patients were included in the investigation if they were aged 18-89 years and had the ability to complete informed consent. Chi-square analysis was then used to analyze the collected data. Results A total of five hundred patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were predominantly white males and were older than 60 years of age. Most patients had at least a college education and drew an annual household income between $40,000-$99,999. Most enrollees were return patients (74.8%). Most expected to be seen within 3-7 days of referral and expected 16-30 minutes with their provider. Patients noted they would not be equally satisfied seeing a physician versus advanced practice provider on their initial visit but would on a return visit. About half (52%) of the cohort stated they would be dissatisfied with their clinic experience if their expectations were not met. Significance was found between variables including age, race, gender and type of visit and their survey responses. Conclusion Patient satisfaction remains an important measure for the quality and safety of patient care. This investigation highlighted patient prioritization of time to be seen after referral and the provider that cares for them at both initial and follow-up visits. Future research is needed to enhance stakeholder understanding of precisely how expectations impact overall satisfaction.
Alkane Functionalization at Nonheme Iron Centers: Mechanistic Insights

Biological catalysts capable of functionalizing alkanes include cytochrome P4501 (which contains a heme active site) and methane monooxygenase2 (MMO, which has a nonheme diiron active site). For cytochrome P450, an oxoiron(IV)(porphyrin cation radical) complex derived from the heterolysis of the O-O bond in an intermediate ferric peroxide is strongly implicated as the active species in the cytochrome P-450 mechanism.3 For MMO, an analogous mechanism (Figure 1) is proposed by substituting the heme center with a diiron active site.2 As has been found for cytochrome P450, Lipscomb et al. recently demonstrated that diferric MMO can hydroxylate alkanes with H2O2 via a peroxide shunt pathway, thus implicating a diferric peroxide complex in its mechanism of alkane hydroxylation.4 The peroxide intermediate is then proposed to decompose to a high valent iron-oxo species which is capable of abstracting hydrogen from alkanes. In our efforts to model the chemistry of MMO and other nonheme iron enzymes, we have explored the capabilities of a series of nonheme iron complexes to catalyze alkane functionalization chemistry and provide some mechanistic insight into this intriguing reaction.5 Modeling efforts towards this goal have entailed the combination of an iron complex with peroxide or O2/reductant.6–8 Most prominent of these are the systems developed by Barton et al.7 using iron salts collectively known as the “Gif” systems; an alkyl hydroperoxide has recently been identified to be the precursor of the alcohol and ketone products observed. This hydroperoxide is proposed to derive from O2 trapping of an alkyliron(V) species produced by the interaction of the alkane with a high valent iron-oxo species. We have been interested in the nature of the oxidizing species that is involved in alkane functionalization reactions by nonheme iron centers. In order to define more clearly the coordination environment of the metal center in such reactions, we have used iron complexes of tetradentate tripodal ligands as catalysts for the tert-butyl hydroperoxide-dependent oxidation of cyclohexane.
Abstract 293: Therapeutic effects of the bromodomain inhibitors JQ1 and I-BET 762 on pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is expected to be the second most deadly cancer by 2030 with very few effective therapeutic options to improve patient survival. Bromodomain inhibitors (JQ1 and I-BET 762) are a new generation of chemotherapeutic drugs that target BET proteins, impairing their ability to bind to acetyl modified lysines and therefore interfering with transcriptional initiation and elongation. BET proteins regulate several genes responsible for cell cycle, apoptosis and inflammation. I-BET 762 is currently in clinical trials for cancer and has the advantage of oral administration. Kras is one of the most common mutated genes in pancreatic cancer (90%); however its protein is a difficult drug target. p-Erk, responsible for several pathways regulating cell survival, is a downstream effector of Kras that has been shown to be essential for the progression and maintenance of pancreatic cancer. LSL-KrasG12D/+;LSL-Trp53R172H/+;Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) and LSL-KrasG12D/+;Pdx-1-Cre (KC) mouse models are commonly used to study pancreatic cancer. KPC mice develop the full spectrum of pancreatic cancer by an average age of 20 weeks. The KC mouse model is commonly used to study pancreatic cancer progression after stimulation with a pancreatic inflammatory agent, such as cerulein. JQ1 and I-BET 762 reduce the protein levels of p-ERK 1/2 in cells lines derived from a pancreatic tumor or ascites of KPC animals. JQ1 and I-BET 762 are also effective at inhibiting cell growth in human pancreatic cells harboring Kras mutations. When KC mice are injected with LPS to induce inflammation and pancreatitis, p-ERK 1/2 protein levels are significantly increased. This model is being used to test the effects of JQ1 and I-BET 762 after a single LPS injection, in KC mice. Pancreatic cancer is driven by several cytokines and chemokines, including CCL2 and IL-6, which recruit and regulate the inflammatory cells (macrophages, T cells and MDSC (Myeloid derived suppressor cells) cells) in the tumor. Levels of IL-6 and CCL2 in cell lines developed from KPC mice are reduced when treated with JQ1 and I-BET 762. KC mice stimulated with LPS also have higher levels of CCL2 and IL-6 than mice stimulated with saline. In conclusion this study showed that the bromodomain inhibitors JQ1 and I-BET 762 had positive effects in suppressing targets of inflammation in pancreatic cancer. We thank James Bradner for the generous gift of JQ1. Citation Format: Ana S. Leal, Charlotte R. Williams, Michael B. Sporn, Karen T. Liby. Therapeutic effects of the bromodomain inhibitors JQ1 and I-BET 762 on pancreatic cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 293. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-293
Neighborhood perceptions and emotional well-being in young adulthood.

PROBLEM: While mounting research suggests that neighborhood environment impacts mental health outcomes, for adolescents and adults, there is scant research on how perceived neighborhood context affects young adults. In this article, we explore the role of perceived neighborhood characteristics, specifically indicators of perceived neighborhood stressors, on emotional well-being among young adults. METHOD: Using a regional sample of young adults, we estimate regression models to examine the relationship of perceived neighborhood stressors on three mental health outcomes (depressed affect, hopelessness, and anger), reflective of a general emotional well-being, while controlling for key individual characteristics related to mental health outcomes. FINDINGS: Results show perceived neighborhood effects for emotional well-being consistent with a stress process model where the scale of perceived neighborhood stressors is associated with poor emotional well-being for depressed affect and hopelessness. Specific perceived neighborhood measures were significant for each of the mental health outcomes whereby greater perceptions of unsafe conditions and economic hardship are positively associated with poor emotional well-being and greater social intervention and more social attachments are associated with better emotional well-being. CONCLUSION: For young adults, perceptions of neighborhood stressors are related to indicators of mental health. We discuss the implications of our findings for ongoing research on neighborhood contextual effects and mental health during the transition to adulthood.
Brain-Computer Interfaces

Brain-computer interface (BCI) research deals with establishing communication pathways between the brain and external devices where such pathways do not otherwise exist. Throughout the world, such research is surprisingly extensive and expanding. BCI research is rapidly approaching a level of first-generation medical practice for use by individuals whose neural pathways are damaged, and use of BCI technologies is accelerating rapidly in nonmedical arenas of commerce as well, particularly in the gaming, automotive, and robotics industries. The technologies used for BCI purposes are cutting-edge, enabling, and synergistic in many interrelated arenas, including signal processing, neural tissue engineering, multiscale modeling, systems integration, and robotics. This WTEC study gathered information on worldwide status and trends in BCI research to disseminate to government decisionmakers and the research community. The study reviewed and assessed the state of the art in sensor technology, the biotic-abiotic interface and biocompatibility, data analysis and modeling, hardware implementation, systems engineering, functional electrical stimulation, noninvasive communication systems, and cognitive and emotional neuroprostheses in academic research and industry. The study also compared the distinctly different foci, range, and investment levels of BCI research programs in the United States, Canada, China, Europe, and Japan.
Discussion--The Role of "Other Information" in the Valuation of Foreign Income for U.S. Multinationals

The value-relevance of earnings components is an important issue for accounting regulators because it can help them assess the benefit of mandating disclosures with respect to value-relevant earnings components (see, e.g., Barth et al. [2001]). Hope and Kang (hereafter HK) examine the value-relevance of earnings components—specifically, foreign and domestic earnings—by building on Bodnar and Weintrop (1997; hereafter BW). BW show that while both domestic and foreign earnings are value- relevant, the foreign earnings response coefficient is higher than the domestic earnings response coefficient. They also find that the foreign earnings response coefficient is higher than the domestic earnings response coefficient because of higher growth opportunities in foreign operations relative to domestic operations. The objective of HK is to provide an alternative explanation for BW's finding. Specifically, they argue that BW's result could be a statistical artifact due to the omission of an explanatory variable that...
Prejudicial Appearances: The Logic of American Antidiscrimination Law

In Prejudicial Appearances noted legal scholar Robert C. Post argues modern American antidiscrimination law should not be conceived as protecting the transcendental dignity of individual persons but instead as transforming social practices that define and sustain potentially oppressive categories like race or gender. Arguing that the prevailing logic of American antidiscrimination law is misleading, Post lobbies for deploying sociological understandings to reevaluate the antidiscrimination project in ways that would render the law more effective and just. Four distinguished commentators respond to Post’s provocative essay. Each adopts a distinctive perspective. K. Anthony Appiah investigates the philosophical logic of stereotyping and of equality. Questioning whether the law ought to endorse any social practices that define persons, Judith Butler explores the tension between sociological and postmodern approaches to antidiscrimination law. Thomas C. Grey examines whether Post’s proposal can be reconciled with the values of the rule of law. And Reva B. Siegel applies critical race theory to query whether antidiscrimination law’s reshaping of race and gender should best be understood in terms of practices of subordination and stratification. By illuminating the consequential rhetorical maneuvers at the heart of contemporary U.S. antidiscrimination law, Prejudical Appearances forces readers to reappraise the relationship between courts of law and social behavior. As such, it will enrich scholars interested in the relationships between law, rhetoric, postmodernism, race, and gender.
Measurement of Nontariff Barriers

As tariffs on imports of manufactures have been reduced as a result of multi-lateral trade negotiations, interest in the extent to which existing nontariff barriers may distort and restrict international trade is growing. Accurate and reliable measures are needed in order to address the issues involving the use and impacts of nontariff barriers. This study assesses currently available methods for quantifying such barriers and makes recommendations as to those methods that can be most effectively employed. The authors focus both on the conceptual issues arising in the measurement of the different types of nontariff barriers and on the applied research that has been carried out in studies prepared by country members of the OECD Pilot Group and others seeking to quantify the barriers. Nontariff barriers include quotas, variable levies, voluntary export restraints, government procurement regulations, domestic subsidies, and antidumping and countervailing duty measures. The authors discuss the many different methods available for measuring the effects of these and other nontariff barriers. Illustrative results are presented for industrial OECD countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Norway, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Finally, the authors offer guideline principles and recommend procedures for measuring different types of nontariff barriers. Economists, political scientists, government officials, and lawyers involved in international trade will find this an invaluable resource for understanding and measuring NTBs. Alan V. Deardorff and Robert M. Stern are Professors of Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan.
Clinical trials: Trial design in NASH—realities and challenges

The conclusions of clinical trials in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can be influenced by the study design. A group of experts has published recommendations for the design of studies in NASH; these recommendations represent a step towards a standardized methodology for clinical trials in this setting.
Cooperation Between Decay-Accelerating Factor and Membrane Cofactor Protein in Protecting Cells from Autologous Complement Attack

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF or CD55) and membrane cofactor protein (MCP or CD46) function intrinsically in the membranes of self cells to prevent activation of autologous complement on their surfaces. How these two regulatory proteins cooperate on self-cell surfaces to inhibit autologous complement attack is unknown. In this study, a GPI-anchored form of MCP was generated. The ability of this recombinant protein and that of naturally GPI-anchored DAF to incorporate into cell membranes then was exploited to examine the combined functions of DAF and MCP in regulating complement intermediates assembled from purified alternative pathway components on rabbit erythrocytes. Quantitative studies with complement-coated rabbit erythrocyte intermediates constituted with each protein individually or the two proteins together demonstrated that DAF and MCP synergize the actions of each other in preventing C3b deposition on the cell surface. Further analyses showed that MCP’s ability to catalyze the factor I-mediated cleavage of cell-bound C3b is inhibited in the presence of factors B and D and is restored when DAF is incorporated into the cells. Thus, the activities of DAF and MCP, when present together, are greater than the sum of the two proteins individually, and DAF is required for MCP to catalyze the cleavage of cell-bound C3b in the presence of excess factors B and D. These data are relevant to xenotransplantation, pharmacological inhibition of complement in inflammatory diseases, and evasion of tumor cells from humoral immune responses.