cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Orthacanthus platypternus (Cope, 1883) (Chondrichthyes: Xenacanthiformes) teeth and other isolated vertebrate remains from a single horizon in the early Permian (Artinskian) Craddock Bonebed, lower Clear Fork Group, Baylor County, Texas, USA

An unusual 6–8 cm layer of prismatic cartilage and matrix containing some 8,800 teeth, coprolites, incomplete occipital spines, and denticles of Orthacanthus platypternus (Cope, 1883) occurs in the lower Permian (Artinskian) Craddock Bonebed in Texas, USA. It is the only species of shark present in the Clear Fork Group except for three worn Xenacanthus Beyrich, 1848 occipital spine fragments and two teeth of ? Lissodus ( Polyacrodus ) zideki (Johnson, 1981) (Hybodontoidei), both being the first occurrences in this unit. Analysis of measurements of teeth with complete bases randomly selected from 3,050 initially available teeth failed to reveal the presence of sexual dimorphism or the discrete presence of juveniles as expected, based on an independent study which identified the presence of Orthacanthus juvenile occipital spines. A few highly symmetrical small teeth are present, which had not been previously observed in the Texas lower Permian. They may be symphyseals and restricted only to juveniles. Other unusual teeth include germinal teeth and deformed teeth, both of which occur in the Clear Fork and underlying Wichita groups. One tooth displays an apparent example of the equivalent of an “enamel pearl” on one of its cusps. The most unusual teeth are those that appear to have undergone various stages of resorption. Only the lingual margin of the base is affected in which the apical button is resorbed to varying degrees until only the labial margin with the basal tubercle and the three cusps are all that remain. If the teeth were undergoing resorption, then the perplexing problem is why the apical button is resorbed and not the superjacent basal tubercle. Other vertebrate remains include palaeoniscoid scales and teeth and unidentified tetrapod bone fragments, jaw fragments, and teeth. Rare fragments of bones (scales?) bear a “comb edge” which have not been previously observed in the Texas lower Permian.
Preclinical assessment of MEK1/2 inhibitors for neurofibromatosis type 2-associated schwannomas reveals differences in efficacy and drug resistance development.

Background Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a genetic tumor-predisposition disorder caused by NF2/merlin tumor suppressor gene inactivation. The hallmark of NF2 is formation of bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS). Because merlin modulates activity of the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, we investigated repurposing drugs targeting MEK1 and/or MEK2 as a treatment for NF2-associated schwannomas. Methods Mouse and human merlin-deficient Schwann cell lines (MD-MSC/HSC) were screened against 6 MEK1/2 inhibitors. Efficacious drugs were tested in orthotopic allograft and NF2 transgenic mouse models. Pathway and proteome analyses were conducted. Drug efficacy was examined in primary human VS cells with NF2 mutations and correlated with DNA methylation patterns. Results Trametinib, PD0325901, and cobimetinib were most effective in reducing MD-MSC/HSC viability. Each decreased phosphorylated pERK1/2 and cyclin D1, increased p27, and induced caspase-3 cleavage in MD-MSCs. Proteomic analysis confirmed cell cycle arrest and activation of pro-apoptotic pathways in trametinib-treated MD-MSCs. The 3 inhibitors slowed allograft growth; however, decreased pERK1/2, cyclin D1, and Ki-67 levels were observed only in PD0325901 and cobimetinib-treated grafts. Tumor burden and average tumor size were reduced in trametinib-treated NF2 transgenic mice; however, tumors did not exhibit reduced pERK1/2 levels. Trametinib and PD0325901 modestly reduced viability of several primary human VS cell cultures with NF2 mutations. DNA methylation analysis of PD0325901-resistant versus -susceptible VS identified genes that could contribute to drug resistance. Conclusion MEK inhibitors exhibited differences in antitumor efficacy resistance in schwannoma models with possible emergence of trametinib resistance. The results support further investigation of MEK inhibitors in combination with other targeted drugs for NF2 schwannomas.
Predictors of Peripheral Vascular Injury in Patients with Blunt Lower Extremity Fractures.

Background Early identification of peripheral vascular injuries is crucial to prevent acute limb ischemia and amputation. We sought to identify predictors of vascular injury in patients with blunt lower extremity fractures. Methods A single institutional retrospective analysis of patients with blunt lower extremity fractures at a university-affiliated, county hospital over a 2-year period was performed. Patients with lower extremity vascular injury were compared to patients without lower extremity vascular injury. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of vascular injury. Results Two hundred seventy-four patients were identified. The mean age was 37.2 ± 17.6 years, and 73.7% were male. The most common mechanisms were auto versus pedestrian/bicycle (44.2%) and motor vehicle accidents (27.7%). Twenty-two patients (8.0%) had vascular injuries, of which the most commonly injured arteries were the anterior tibial artery (8, 36.4%) and the posterior tibial artery (8, 36.4%). Patients with vascular injuries were more likely to have a tibia-fibula fracture (90.9% vs 52.4%, P Conclusions Open tibia-fibula fractures particularly those involving a mid-shaft location are independent predictors of vascular injuries in patients with blunt lower extremity fracture. These findings may help identify patients requiring diagnostic and surgical intervention.
Evaluation of Safety Management and Leadership Training Using Mobile Technologies among Logging Supervisors.

Background Logging is recognized as one of the most dangerous industries in the United States (US), ranking among those with the highest occupational injury and fatality rates. Although logging operations in the Southeastern US have lower rates of injuries and fatalities compared to other regions of the US, due in part to the use of large machinery to fell timber as opposed to chainsaw felling, safety hazards continue to persist. The hazards present in the logging cut sites in which loggers operate may result in worker injury, illness, or fatality. Our objective was to develop, deliver, and evaluate a safety management and leadership training among logging contractors and supervisors using mobile tablets as a personal learning environment. Methods A safety leadership and management training vignette was developed based on previously collected focus group needs assessment data. A non-random sample of 31 male logging supervisors received the safety leadership and management training on a mobile tablet. Kirkpatrick Levels 1, 2, and 3 training effectiveness evaluations were performed. Results A statistically significant large effect size suggests safety knowledge was gained among training participants when comparing post-test scores to pre-test scores (Level-2). Participants rated their training experience favorably (Level-1), and applied knowledge gained from the training throughout their weekly work activities three months after training (Level-3). Conclusion Our findings suggest the utilization of mobile learning techniques can be an effective means to deliver safety management and leadership training content to logging contractors and supervisors. Future trainings should be linguistically and literacy-level appropriate, as well as comprehensive in nature, including meaningful and relevant content. Our observations support the use of mobile devices as just one component of a more comprehensive health and safety management program for workers in the logging industry.
“Don’t Call Me Small”: The Contribution of Ethnic Enterprises to the Economic and Social Well-Being of America

The source of U.S. entrepreneurs and their contributions to the economic and social well-being of American society are issues that are being addressed in many quarters today. One approach emphasizes the role that immigrant and minority entrepreneurs play in this process. The stereotypical enterprises created by ethnic immigrants evoke certain images: the corner retail establishment, predominately coethnic employees and customers, and a geographically bounded and identifiable section of town. Additional assumptions are also often made that the businesses are tied to the ethnic community and benefit from resources distributed through community ties. In fact, these businesses share many of the same characteristics of small enterprises in general. However, some also do share conditions, perceived as advantageous, that are related to the structure of specific ethnic communities. For these groups business enterprise is an important tool that contributes to the incorporation of ethnic immigrants into American society.
Discourse Behavior of Older Adults Interacting With a Dialogue Agent Competent in Multiple Topics.

We present some results concerning the dialogue behavior and inferred sentiment of a group of older adults interacting with a computer-based avatar. Our avatar is unique in its ability to hold natural dialogues on a wide range of everyday topics---27 topics in three groups, developed with the help of gerontologists. The three groups vary in ``degrees of intimacy", and as such in degrees of difficulty for the user. Each participant interacted with the avatar for 7-9 sessions over a period of 3-4 weeks; analysis of the dialogues reveals correlations such as greater verbosity for more difficult topics, increasing verbosity with successive sessions, especially for more difficult topics, stronger sentiment on topics concerned with life goals rather than routine activities, and stronger self-disclosure for more intimate topics. In addition to their intrinsic interest, these results also reflect positively on the sophistication of our dialogue system.
Factors associated with low graft regeneration in the early phase after living donor liver transplantation

Appropriate graft regeneration after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is crucial to avoid small-for-size syndrome. We enrolled 44 recipients who underwent ABO-identical/compatible LDLT from December 2007 to August 2016 and determined possible factors associated with low graft regeneration after LDLT. Liver regeneration was calculated by the ratio of the graft size on postoperative day (POD) 7 ± 1 day (calculated by CT volumetry) to the size of the donated liver at implant. Postoperative outcomes were compared between the low and high regeneration groups. Median regeneration rate was 1.65-fold. Regeneration rate was negatively correlated with graft-to-recipient weight ratio. Postoperative morbidity rates on POD 14-90 were significantly higher in the low group compared with the high group (63% vs 18%, P = .03). Graft and patient survival in the low group were significantly worse than the high group (1-year graft survival 73% vs 100%, P = .002; patient survival 82% vs 100%, P = .01). Cold ischemia time (CIT; per 10 minute; odds ratio [OR] =1.37) and platelet count <60 000/μL on POD 5 (OR = 14.32) were independently associated with low regeneration. In conclusion, longer CIT and postoperative thrombocytopenia were associated with low graft regeneration in the early phase after LDLT, which could consequently lead to poor graft and patient survival.
Power-speed trade-off in parallel prefix circuits

Optimizing area and speed in parallel prefix circuit have been considered important for a long time. The issue of power consumption in these circuits, however, has not been addressed. The paper presents a comparative study of different parallel prefix circuits form the point of view of power-speed trade-off. The power consumption and the power-delay product of seven parallel prefix circuits were compared. A linear output capacitance assumption, combined with PSpice simulations, is used to investigate the power consumption in the parallel prefix circuits. The degrees of freedom studied include different parallel prefix algorithms and voltage scaling. The results show that the use of the linear output capacitance assumption provides results that are consistent with those obtained using PSpice simulations. The study can help identify parallel prefix algorithms with the desirable power consumption with a given throughput.
Fully automated brain tumor segmentation and survival prediction of gliomas using deep learning and mri

Tumor segmentation of magnetic resonance images is a critical step in providing objective measures of predicting aggressiveness and response to therapy in gliomas. It has valuable applications in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment planning of brain tumors. The purpose of this work was to develop a fully-automated deep learning method for tumor segmentation and survival prediction. Well curated brain tumor cases with multi-parametric MR Images from the BraTS2019 dataset were used. A three-group framework was implemented, with each group consisting of three 3D-Dense-UNets to segment whole-tumor (WT), tumor-core (TC) and enhancing-tumor (ET). Each group was trained using different approaches and loss-functions. The output segmentations of a particular label from their respective networks from the three groups were ensembled and post-processed. For survival analysis, a linear regression model based on imaging texture features and wavelet texture features extracted from each of the segmented components was implemented. The networks were tested on both the BraTS2019 validation and testing datasets. The segmentation networks achieved average dice-scores of 0.901, 0.844 and 0.801 for WT, TC and ET respectively on the validation dataset and achieved dice-scores of 0.877, 0.835 and 0.803 for WT, TC and ET respectively on the testing dataset. The survival prediction network achieved an accuracy score of 0.55 and mean squared error (MSE) of 119244 on the validation dataset and achieved an accuracy score of 0.51 and MSE of 455500 on the testing dataset. This method could be implemented as a robust tool to assist clinicians in primary brain tumor management and follow-up.
Cultural competence in LIS education: case study of United States ranked schools

Cultural competence is considered the ability to interact effectively with individuals from diverse cultures. Through integrating cultural competence in graduate curriculum using literature and rea...
Livestock ownership and anaemia in Sub-Saharan African households.

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between livestock ownership and Hb concentration of women of child-bearing age (WCBA) and preschool-aged children in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). DESIGN A prospective analysis of publicly available cross-sectional data, using linear and logistic regressions controlling for potential confounders. SETTING Twenty-eight countries in SSA. PARTICIPANTS 162 305 WCBA and 118 607 children aged 6-59 months. RESULTS More than half of WCBA (62·5 %) and children (58 %) belonged to households that owned livestock. The average altitude-adjusted blood Hb concentration for WCBA and children was 12.23 and 10·24 g/dL, respectively. In adjusted models, higher number of livestock owned was associated with lower Hb concentration for children but not for WCBA. The magnitude of the association for children was small, with one additional unit of livestock owned reducing Hb concentration by 0·001 g/dL. Higher numbers of cattle, cows and bulls, sheep, and goats were associated with lower Hb concentration for both groups. The number of certain categories of livestock owned was associated with the consumption of relevant foods by children. There was no association between the consumption of animal-source foods and Hb concentration or between livestock ownership and diarrhoeal diseases or fever among children. CONCLUSIONS Livestock ownership in SSA had a net negative association with the Hb concentration of children and no association with that of WCBA. The results highlight the need for research aimed at clarifying the mechanisms linking livestock ownership and nutritional status, and identifying entry points for leveraging livestock ownership to improve the health of women and children in SSA.
What Is “Eating Right” at Work? User Experience With an Employee Wellness Program

This paper discusses preliminary findings from a user experience study with an Employee Wellness Program (EWP) at a large midwestern university. The EWP is a salient site for studying three types of workplace technical communication: internal program planning documentation; employee-facing promotional materials; and the use of mobile digital technologies for self-tracking and reporting of employee data. Three questions drive this study: (1) How does the EWP describe and enact eating-related wellness practices? (2) How do users experience eating-related promotional technical communications? (3) How do users experience mobile digital technology use related to eating habits within the EWP? Drawing from a larger project, this paper discusses findings from two stages of research: first, a qualitative grounded theory analysis of meeting minutes and promotional materials; and second, a survey of employees focused on user experience with EWP discourse and digital technologies. The EWP facilitates examination of how, as an audience, employees experience and are constructed by employer-driven health-related programming. Preliminary results show that while most employees find the EWP generally beneficial, many also find it invasive, hard to access, and unfriendly to users.
Time-modulated Coupled-cavity System for Optical Switching

The scattering parameters of a time-modulated two-coupled-cavity system are obtained using coupled mode theory and verified using the finite-difference time-domain method. We find that a suitably tailored time-modulation of the cavities allows for switching the output on and off. The proposed functionality can be used in direct amplitude modulation of an optical carrier from a frequency-modulated RF message.
Establishing criterion validity for the Revised Critical Nutrition Literacy Tool in U.S. college students.

BACKGROUND: Critical nutrition literacy (CNL) plays an important role in how college students make everyday decisions about nutrition choices. Increasing CNL is an aim of many introductory nutrition courses, but there are limited instruments measuring this construct. This study aimed to assess the changeability of CNL and the relationship between CNL and markers of diet quality in young adults. DESIGN: This was a two-phase research project consisting of a nonexperimental, pre–post study and a cross-sectional assessment from 2018 to 2019. Participants were U.S. college students, 18-24 years old, recruited from introductory-level courses from three participating universities, located in Rhode Island, West Virginia, and New Jersey. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Interventions consisted of (1) a 4-credit, 13-week nutrition course and (2) a cross-sectional, online behavior, environment, and perception survey. CNL was measured using the Revised CNL Tool (CNLT-R) instrument across both phases. Measures for phases include: (1) the changeability of CNL and (2) the relationship between CNL and markers of diet quality. ANALYSIS: Paired t-tests and multivariate analysis of variance were utilized through SPSS version 25.0. RESULTS: CNL score significantly increased from baseline to postintervention from 3.38 ± 0.48 to 3.61 ± 0.55 (P = 0.014). There was an overall significant effect of CNL on markers of diet quality, such as cups of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and teaspoons of added sugar (F [2,1321] = 3.12, P CONCLUSIONS: This research found that an introduction to nutrition course was associated with an increase in CNL and that CNL is related to diet quality. The instrument could be used by nutrition educators as an outcome assessment. Future research should investigate other components of the CNL construct as well as predictive validity.
Toward More Efficient Corporate Knowledge

When the law treats corporations as though they know things, it affects how they manage information. While there is an optimal level for each corporation to invest in information management, that level varies with idiosyncratic characteristics of the corporation and information. As a consequence, present doctrines for attributing knowledge to corporations--which apply in the same way to all corporations--must routinely over- or under-incentivize corporations to build compliance-focused information systems. This short paper discusses this inefficiency in more detail and gestures toward a more flexible and efficient knowledge doctrine.
Persistent CO2 reactivity deficits are associated with neurological dysfunction up to one year after repetitive mild closed head injury in adolescent mice.

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) deficits in adolescents with concussion may persist after resolution of neurological symptoms. Whether or not CVR deficits predict long term neurological function i...
Loeys-Dietz Syndrome and Ischemic Stroke (2539)

Objective: To highlight Loeys-Dietz Syndrome as an under-recognized genetic cause of ischemic stroke. Background: Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a spectrum of six autosomal dominant genetic disorders of the connective tissue, first reported in 2005, and characterized by multiple arterial tortuosity, aneurysms and dissections, as well as musculoskeletal, cutaneous, gynecological and craniofacial manifestations. LDS is caused by mutations in TGFβ signaling pathway-related genes. Design/Methods: A 48-year-old caucasian woman with history of intractable headaches, “popping sound” in her neck, and asthma presented with acute right hand numbness. Except for hand numbness, her neurological physical examination was otherwise unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain showed an acute left middle cerebral-posterior cerebral artery borderzone punctate infarct. Cervical and intracranial vessel imaging revealed a large left cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) and bilateral vertebral pseudoaneurysms. She underwent stenting of the left ICA pseudoaneurysm. Additional data gathering revealed she had a history of multiple right shoulder dislocations, mitral valve prolapse, and right hip instability. She had undergone several corrective spinal surgeries for kyphosis, removal of an arachnoid cyst, and a ventral hernia repair. The patient developed exertional chest pain few months later, and cardiac catheterization for that showed coronary artery vasospasm of unclear etiology. Based on the patient’s multisystemic involvement, a connective tissue disorder was suspected. After negative genetic testing for Marfan and Ehler-Danlos syndromes, Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS) was suspected and genetic testing was performed. Results: A heterozygous pathologic variant of transforming growth factor β 2 ligand (TGFB2) was detected, which is associated with LDS Type 4. Conclusions: We report a case of LDS Type 4 with cervical arterial pseudoaneurysms and ischemic stroke. In stroke patients with cervical arterial tortuosity/pseudoaneurysm and/or recurrent dissections, genetic testing for LDS must be performed in addition to Marfan and Ehler-Danlos syndromes. Disclosure: Dr. Nahhas has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kohli has nothing to disclose. Dr. Banerjee has nothing to disclose.
Anatomy and Physiology of the Oral Mucosa

The oral route of drug delivery remains the preferred method for the administration of medicinal compounds to humans due to convenience, cost, and ease of drug administration, which, not unexpectedly, leads to an increase in patient compliance. However, for conventional low molecular weight organic and peptide-based therapeutic compounds that are subject to either a high “first-pass” effect due to intestinal and/or hepatic extraction or extensive degradation and/or inactivation by gastric acid or gastrointestinal enzymes , and for patients that would otherwise not be administered a drug by the oral route due to either a specific disease state (malabsorption syndrome, immediately postabdominal surgery, etc.) or age (pediatric or geriatric), the oral transmucosal route of drug administration is a viable and safe alternative. This has led to the development of a variety of dosage forms, for example, mucoadhesive tablets, gels, patches, ointments, and films to name a few, for placement and subsequent delivery of various drug substances from the oral cavity. This chapter reviews the most pertinent concepts regarding the anatomy and physiology of the oral mucosa and its relevance to local and systemic oral transmucosal drug delivery . Some of the concepts addressed involve the advantages and disadvantages of oral transmucosal drug delivery , routes of drug delivery, factors that influence drug delivery which are associated with the permeant and the microenvironment within the oral cavity (e.g., mucus, saliva, and salivary glands) , and practical considerations regarding tissue irritation and/or damage when using this route of drug administration. Lastly, the role of permeation enhancers and buffering agents/pH modifiers in oral transmucosal drug delivery are discussed. It is hoped that the fundamental information contained in this chapter regarding the anatomy and physiology of the oral cavity will assist those pharmaceutical scientists directly involved with the formulation of dosage forms intended for oral transmucosal drug delivery.
The selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene: reproductive assessments following premating exposure in female rats.

Abstract Raloxifene HCl is a nonsteroidal, selective estrogen receptor modulator developed as a therapeutic agent for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Two studies were conducted that examined the effects of premating exposure to raloxifene HCl. In the first study, adult female CD ® rats (20/group) were given diets containing 0, 0.01, or 0.1% raloxifene (providing an average of 0, 6, or 63 mg/kg/d, respectively) for 2 weeks, after which the treated diets were replaced with control diet. Following a 2-week period without treatment, each female that had displayed at least three conversions in vaginal cytology from cornified cells to leukocytes was cohabited for 1 to 2 d with an untreated male as she entered proestrus. Females were killed at midgestation and examined for evidence of pregnancy. In the second study, adult female CD ® rats (40/group) were given oral gavage doses of raloxifene (0, 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg/d) for 4 weeks. Immediately or following a 2-week period without treatment, 20 females/group were cohabited with untreated males (1:1) for up to 3 weeks. The females were allowed to deliver and rear their offspring until Postpartum Day 21. Progeny survival, growth, and development were evaluated. Maternal body weight, body weight gain, and food consumption were depressed in all raloxifene treatment groups. Doses ≥1mg/kg caused disruptions in estrous cycles. In Study 1, 90% of the females treated with raloxifene resumed normal cycling, and fertility was not significantly affected. Although there were no statistically significant differences in time-to-mating, fertility, or liveborn indices in Study 2, females in the 10-mg/kg immediate-cohabitation group had slightly increased gestation lengths and smaller litter sizes. Progeny from these litters were larger on Postpartum Day 1 and had advanced incisor eruption and eye opening. In addition, slight delays were seen in physical landmark appearance in the 0.1- and 1-mg/kg immediate-cohabitation groups and in the 1- and 10-mg/kg delayed-cohabitation groups. Progeny viability, growth, and negative geotactic performance were not adversely affected. In these studies of maternal premating exposure to raloxifene, findings were consistent with established pharmacologic activity of the test chemical. Reproductive effects (disrupted estrous cycles and decreased litter size) occurred at doses ≥1 mg/kg and were generally reversible. Effects on offspring were seen at doses ≥0.1 mg/kg, were of minor importance, and were resolved during the lactation period.
Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has its roots in weapons research; since World War II, it has been used to replace experiments that are expensive, difficult, dangerous, or even impossible to conduct. The development of CFD for compressible flow was dominated by weapons research and astrophysics until 1980, when aeronautical CFD caught up, took the lead, and has been in the forefront since. CFD is primarily concerned with the approximation of partial differential equations (PDEs) on computational grids; to make these approximations suitable for the simulation of fluid flow, they have to adhere to principles of consistency, stability, convergence, monotonicity, conservation, and irreversibility. Major tools in the development of CFD solvers are the Von Neumann analysis, a linear Fourier analysis used to determine numerical stability as well as analyzing the dissipative and dispersive errors in the numerical approximation, and the nonlinear monotonicity analysis, which is used to develop limiters needed to prevent numerical oscillations that may overrun the numerical simulation. When applying these tools in developing a practical flow solver, a host of practical issues relating to the physical model, the grid, the choice of implicit or explicit marching methods, and convergence acceleration, must be considered. Keywords: computational fluid dynamics; numerical analysis; partial differential equations; advection–diffusion equation; Euler equations; Navier–Stokes equations; conservation laws; compressible flow; conservation; consistency; stability; convergence; monotonicity; irreversibility; limiting; non-oscillatory interpolation; Von Neumann analysis; high-resolution schemes; history of CFD
Using Dynamic Capability Evaluation to Organize a Team of Cooperative, Autonomous Robots

Abstract : In our research, we have developed an architecture and computational structure that allows for a generic team of robots to dynamically discern what their capabilities are and then apply those to evaluate if the team can achieve an externally mandated set of goals. We define the process of dynamic capability evaluation to determine if a team of robots can build a cooperative organization with the necessary capabilities to satisfy a set of stated organizational goals. Based on this evaluation, the organization will decide whether to organize and proceed, relax some goals, or abandon the process of organization.
Hereditary Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is both a genetic and epigenetic disease. It arises because of an accumulation of genetic and epigenetic abnormalities that perturb gene expression and lead to carcinogenesis within the colorectal mucosa. The classes of genes primarily involved are largely those concerned with regulation of cell growth: tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes, and the average sporadic colorectal cancer has accumulated 90 different mutations.1 Most mutations occur because of the environment. However, about one third of colorectal cancers have a hereditary component. Hereditary colorectal cancer is important because members of affected families can be identified as high risk and be advised to have early, intensive surveillance or even prophylactic surgery, because of the complex, multidisciplinary care the families need, and because of what it teaches about the biology of sporadic colorectal cancer. In this chapter, the syndromes of hereditary colorectal cancer are reviewed.
Changing Plasmid Copy Number by Mutation of the pMB1 Origin of Replication (LB209)

We are developing Programmed Evolution as a system to optimize metabolic pathways in E. coli. The system allows introduction of variation in the regulatory elements of a genetic circuit encoding enzymes that control the desired orthogonal metabolism. Bacteria with variations that contribute best to metabolic output are selected through a fitness module. We reasoned that variation in plasmid copy number (PCN) of vectors containing the genetic circuit would affect metabolic output. We designed and cloned mutations in the pMB1 origin of replication to produce a change in PCN. We mutated the promoter regions of the RNA I and RNA II genes. PCN was measured by the use of Real Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) by comparison of five serial dilutions of chromosomal and plasmid DNA. Analysis of Ct values of plasmid and chromosomal DNA suggested altered PCN in some of the mutants. PCN measurements from RT-qPCR were corroborated with measurements of DNA yield from plasmid preps of bacteria carryin...
Risk, motives, and styles of utilization review: A cross-condition comparison

Abstract In the United States various forms of managed care have been introduced to control the use of expensive medical services. One of the most prominent involves utilization review of hospital admissions. While reviewing the appropriateness of inpatient treatment is appealing in principle, its application is made difficult by clinical uncertainty. Managed care plans develop and implement review criteria often without the guidance of clear clinical norms of treatment. Under these conditions, we suggest that utilization review organizations (UROs) can be expected to develop “styles” of review that respond to clinical uncertainty, influenced by their experience, professional orientation, and financial incentives. Two review styles are explored in this paper: standardization, where the URO reduces the variance in clinical practices by eliminating those practices that deviate from professional norms and stringency, whereby the URO shifts the distribution of clinical practice as it tries to change the professional norms of practice. Data from a 1992–1993 national survey of utilization review organizations are used to test whether UROs have review styles that systematically respond to organizational attributes, economic pressures, and clinical uncertainty associated with three medical conditions: cardiac catheterization, low back pain, and adolescent depression. UROs were found to adopt more stringent review strategies for conditions with weaker norms of appropriate treatment. Financial incentives and organizational experience are positively related to greater stringency. Standardization responds to professional orientation and organizational experience. Variation in the review styles of UROs has implications for the resulting distribution of clinical practices as well as the equity of access to medical care.
TIME-RESOLVED PROFILES IN MODULATED POLARIZATION SPECTROSCOPY

The absorption of a modulated light beam in which the state of the polarization is continuously variable is discussed. It is now possible to measure the average time-dependent profile for the polarization cycle of such a beam, and corresponding theoretical descriptions are needed in order to extract the information contained in it. This work generates such a description. Based on a semiclassical treatment of light/matter interactions, a three-parameter fit function is derived that permits the simultaneous extraction of absorbance, linear dichroism, and circular dischroism from the profile for various types of uniformly oriented, partially oriented, and isotropic materials and combinations of them. The theoretical expressions are used to analyze data for (+)-3-methylcyclopentanone, the results being (1) an increase of the S/N ratio, (2) the simultaneous generation of absorption and dichroism spectra of identical quality, and (3) a description of window adsorbates of the cyclopentanone material. The Jones p...
Protected gates for superconducting qubits

We analyze the accuracy of quantum phase gates acting on “0-π qubits” in superconducting circuits, where the gates are protected against thermal and Hamiltonian noise by continuous-variable quantum error-correcting codes. The gates are executed by turning on and off a tunable Josephson coupling between an LC oscillator and a qubit or pair of qubits; assuming perfect qubits, we show that the gate errors are exponentially small when the oscillator's impedance √L/C is large compared to ℏ/4e^2≈1 kΩ. The protected gates are not computationally universal by themselves, but a scheme for universal fault-tolerant quantum computation can be constructed by combining them with unprotected noisy operations. We validate our analytic arguments with numerical simulations.
Regulation of pyrimidine synthesis in Pseudomonas resinovorans

Aims: To investigate the regulation of de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis in the bacterium Pseudomonas resinovorans ATCC 14235. Methods and Results: The pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway enzymes were measured in cell extracts from P. resinovorans ATCC 14235 and from an auxotroph lacking orotate phosphoribosyltransferase activity. Pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway enzyme activities in ATCC 14235 were affected by the addition of pyrimidine bases to the culture medium. The de novo enzyme activities of the phosphoribosyltransferase mutant strain increased after pyrimidine starvation indicating possible repression of the pathway by a pyrimidine-related compound. Aspartate transcarbamoylase activity in ATCC 14235 was inhibited in vitro by ATP, UTP and pyrophosphate. Conclusions: Pyrimidine biosynthesis in P. resinovorans was regulated at the level of enzyme synthesis and at the level of activity for aspartate transcarbamoylase. Its regulation of enzyme synthesis seemed to be similar to what has been observed in the taxonomically related species Pseudomonas oleovorans. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study found that pyrimidine biosynthesis is regulated in P. resinovorans. This could prove helpful to future studies investigating polyhydroxyalkanoate production by the bacterium.
Four Classes of Structurally Unusual Peptides from Two Marine-Derived Fungi: Structures and Bioactivities.

Abstract The structures and biological properties of peptides produced by two genera of marine-derived fungi, an atypical Acremonium sp., and a Metarrhizium sp., were explored. The Acremonium strain was isolated from a marine sponge and has previously been shown by our group to produce peptides from the efrapeptin and RHM families. The isolation and structural elucidation of the new linear pentadecapeptides efrapeptins Eα (1) and H (2) and N-methylated octapeptides RHM3 (3) and RHM4 (4) were carried out through a combination of 1D and 2D NMR techniques and tandem MS. Additional known efrapeptins E, F, and G and the known syctalidamides A and B were also isolated. The absolute configurations of 1–4 are proposed to be the same as the original compound families. The marine sponge-derived Metarrhizium sp. was shown to produce destruxin cyclic depsipeptides including A, B, B2, desmethyl B, E chlorohydrin, and E2 chlorohydrin. Efrapeptins Eα (1), F, and G each displayed IC50s of 1.3 nM against H125 cells, and destruxin E2 chlorohydrin displayed an IC50 of 160 nM against HCT-116 cells. An initial therapeutic assessment suggested a continuous (168 h) exposure of at least 2 ng/mL, or a daily (24 h) exposure of at least 300 ng/mL for H125 cells treated with efrapeptin G, and a continuous (168 h) exposure of at least 190 ng/mL for HCT-116 cells treated with destruxin E2 chlorohydrin, will cause 90% tumor cell death in vitro.
Marriage Preparation Education Programs: An Assessment of Their Components

In an effort to evaluate marriage preparation education (MPE) programs against recognized standards of program development, eight MPE programs were examined according to the four components (content, instructional process, implementation process, and evaluation process) of an evaluative model. A team of three researchers rated program components according to a determined set of rubric descriptors and offered qualitative comments associated with program utilization. Results showed that none of the selected programs scored consistently high or low on all program components measured. Most programs had research-supported foundations but were lacking in evaluation information and tools. Qualitative results highlighted strengths and weaknesses among current MPE programs. Recommendations are offered for improving MPE programs and professional standards in the field of MPE.
Pharmacokinetic modeling of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in rat and in rabbit brain following single dose administration.

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model has been developed to describe the kinetics of organic anions in the central nervous system using 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) as a model compound. The model consists of brain, body, venous, and arterial compartments. The brain compartment is subdivided into brain plasma, brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Brain uptake is membrane-limited via a blood-brain barrier with saturable clearance from the CSF into the venous blood by the choroid plexus. The body has both a central and a deep compartment with saturable renal clearance from the central compartment. The model was used to examine venous plasma time course curves with experimental data from rats given 2,4-D by i.v. (5 or 90 mg/kg) or by oral ingestion (10, 50, or 150 mg/kg). The model was then extended to examine studies in which rabbit plasma, brain, and CSF concentrations were measured at 2 h after i.p. injection (40 mg/kg). In the rat, elimination was saturable (Vmax2 = 3.45 mg/h; Km2 = 86 mg/l) and the deep-compartment transfer coefficients were k12 (0.013 l/h) and k21 (0.048 l/h) between body and deep tissue compartment. Both oral and i.v. data were well described with these values. Limited single time point brain data from rabbits were analyzed with a lumped brain model assuming the generic model for 2, 4-D in rat applies to the rabbit. The model simulations were in good agreement with rabbit plasma, brain, and CSF concentrations at 2 h after i.p. injection.
CD8+ T Cell Immunity to 2009 Pandemic and Seasonal H1N1 Influenza Viruses

A novel strain of H1N1 influenza A virus (pH1N1) emerged in 2009, causing a worldwide pandemic. Several studies suggest that this virus is antigenically more closely related to human influenza viruses that circulated prior to 1957 than viruses of more recent seasonal influenza varieties. The extent to which individuals who are naive to the 2009 pH1N1 virus carry cross-reactive CD8+ T cells is not known, but a certain degree of reactivity would be expected since there is substantial conservation among the internal proteins of the virus. In the present study, we examined the production of multiple cytokines in response to virus from CD8+ T cells in healthy adult subjects, between 18 and 50 years of age (born post 1957), who had no evidence of exposure to the 2009 pH1N1 virus, and had blood collected prior to the emergence of the pandemic in April of 2009. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were stimulated in vitro with a panel of live viruses, and assayed by intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry. Although results were variable, most subjects exhibited cytokine positive CD8+ T cells in response to pH1N1. Cytokine producing cells were predominantly single positive (IL2, IFNγ, or TNFα); triple-cytokine producing cells were relatively rare. This result suggests that although many adults carry cross-reactive T cells against the emergent pandemic virus, these cells are in a functionally limited state, possibly because these subjects have not had recent exposure to either seasonal or pandemic influenza strains.
Phase-matched electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation in a nematic liquid crystal

Abstract The phase-matching ability of nematic liquid crystal is demonstrated experimentally. The potential of nematic and smectic crystals as practical harmonic generators is discussed.
Insulin rapidly stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of a Mr-185,000 protein in intact cells

Phosphotyrosine-containing proteins are minor components of normal cells which appear to be associated primarily with the regulation of cellular metabolism and growth. The insulin receptor is a tyrosine-specific protein kinase, and one of the earliest detectable responses to insulin binding is activation of this kinase and autophosphorylation of its beta-subunit. Tyrosine autophosphorylation activates the phosphotransferase in the beta-subunit and increases its reactivity toward tyrosine phosphorylation of other substrates. When incubated in vitro with [gamma-32P]ATP and insulin, the purified insulin receptor phosphorylates various proteins on their tyrosine residues. However, so far no proteins other than the insulin receptor have been identified as undergoing tyrosine phosphorylation in response to insulin in an intact cell. Here, using anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, we have identified a novel phosphotyrosine-containing protein of relative molecular mass (Mr) 185,000 (pp185) which appears during the initial response of hepatoma cells to insulin binding. In contrast to the insulin receptor, pp185 does not adhere to wheat-germ agglutininagarose or bind to anti-insulin receptor antibodies. Phosphorylation of pp185 is maximal within seconds after exposure of the cells to insulin and exhibits a dose-response curve similar to that of receptor autophosphorylation, suggesting that this protein represents the endogenous substrate for the insulin receptor kinase.
Spatial Ecology of Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) and Great Plains Rat Snake (Pantherophis emoryi) in a Contiguous Tallgrass-Prairie Landscape

Abstract The Flint Hills region of Kansas and Oklahoma encompasses the largest, contiguous tallgrass prairie in North America and is an important conservation area for many tallgrass-prairie species. We conducted a radiotelemetry study with the use of temperature-sensitive transmitters to characterize the spatial ecology of two species of snakes within a portion of this contiguous grassland. We monitored Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racers (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) from 2006 to 2008 and Great Plains Rat Snakes (Pantherophis emoryi) from 2007 to 2008 at the Konza Prairie Biological Station in the northern Flint Hills. Although racers (mean = 67.3 ± 10.6 m, n = 12) and rat snakes (mean = 41.3 ± 4.7 m, n = 12) differed in the distance moved per day, they did not differ significantly in home-range size. The minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range averaged 11.45 ha (SE = 3.06, n = 12) for racers and 15.06 ha (SE = 2.48, n = 12) for rat snakes. By analyzing the autocorrelation of locations (M...
Storywork: Autobiographical learning in later life

By honoring the narrative complexity of personal identity, adult educators can assist older persons in the process of autobiographical learning, that is, learning about themselves and from themselves by reflecting on the stories through which they have defined themselves across the years.
Cation-specific structural accommodation within a catalytic RNA.

Metal ions facilitate the folding of the hairpin ribozyme but do not participate directly in catalysis. The metal complex cobalt(III) hexaammine supports folding and activity of the ribozyme and also mediates specific internucleotide photocrosslinks, several of which retain catalytic ability. These crosslinks imply that the active core structure organized by [Co(NH3)6]3+ is different from that organized by Mg2+ and that revealed in the crystal structure [Rupert, P. B., and Ferre-D'Amare, A. R. (2001) Nature 410, 780−786] (1). Residues U+2 and C+3 of the substrate, in particular, adopt different conformations in [Co(NH3)6]3+. U+2 is bulged out of loop A and stacked on residue G36, whereas the nucleotide at position +3 is stacked on G8, a nucleobase crucial for catalysis. Cleavage kinetics performed with +2 variants and a C+3 U variant correlate with the crosslinking observations. Variants that decreased cleavage rates in magnesium up to 70-fold showed only subtle decreases or even increases in observed rat...