cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Requirements for cell surface expression of the human TCR/CD3 complex in non-T cells

The T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) consists of a glycoprotein heterodimer (alpha/beta or gamma/delta) which is non-covalently associated with at least four or five invariant polypeptides (CD3 gamma, delta, epsilon, zeta and eta). In T-cell variants lacking TCR alpha, beta or zeta, it has been shown that incomplete TCR/CD3 complexes are retained within the cell. To examine requirements for cell surface expression of TCR/CD3, we transfected COS monkey kidney cells with cDNAs encoding TCR alpha, beta and CD3 gamma, delta, epsilon and zeta. We report that cell surface appearance of TCR/CD3 on COS cells requires coordinate expression of all six proteins. In the absence of the zeta chain, subcomplexes comprising from two to five chains were readily demonstrable in COS cells, but they failed to reach the cell surface or to acquire N-linked oligosaccharide side chains indicating failure to reach the medial Golgi. Pulse-chase metabolic labelling of transfected COS cells showed that three chains (CD3 gamma, CD3 epsilon, and zeta) were stable while three (TCR alpha, TCR beta and CD3 delta) were rapidly degraded. In two- and three-chain co-transfections specific intracellular subcomplexes were formed between TCR alpha and CD3 gamma, TCR alpha and CD3 delta, or TCR beta and CD3 epsilon. Binary subcomplexes having at least one stable chain (CD3 epsilon - TCR beta) were stable while one formed by two unstable chains (TCR alpha - CD3 delta) was still degraded. Assembly of the TCR/CD3 complex in COS cells thus appears centered around the metabolically stable CD3 gamma and CD3 epsilon proteins. Site-specific mutations of the negatively-charged transmembrane amino acid of residues of the CD3 chains to alanines served to either abolish (for TCR alpha - CD3 delta and TCR beta - CD3 epsilon) or diminish (for TCR alpha -CD3 gamma) these TCR-CD3 interactions. These mutations had no effect, however, on CD3-CD3 interactions or upon synthesis, metabolism, or intracellular distributions of the CD3 proteins. The transmembrane domains of CD3 gamma, delta, and epsilon thus appear to play a major role in associations of CD3 with TCR chains.
Gas-chromatographic measurement of urinary polyamines in cancer patients.

The polyamines, spermidine and spermine, and the precursor diamine, putrescine, may have an important role in control of cellular growth because of their interaction with nucleic acid structure, function, and synthesis. We have developed a quantitative gas-chromatographic procedure for measuring polyamines and have measured their urinary excretion by cancer patients and noncancerous patients. Marked variations in values obtained during therapy and in response to some other variables are described. Both hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed urine samples have been examined, in order to quantitate both total and free polyamine and putrescine excretions. The potential clinical importance of these studies and the application of other instrumentation such as mass spectroscopy to improve the specificity and sensitivity of this method are discussed.
Glue-logic partitioning for floorplans with a rectilinear datapath

This paper describes a novel glue-logic partitioning algorithm for floorplan generation in a constrainted rectilinear area. This algorithm dissects the layout area into area blocks according to the given module aspect ratio. The algorithm estimates the transistor capacity for each area block, and then uses a seed-based multiway partitioning strategy to assign glue-logic components into area blocks. The algorithm runs iteratively and selects the partition with the minimum total area as the final floorplan. The examples demonstrate the algorithm's suitability for top-down hierarchical physical design.
Functional changes of apparent diffusion coefficient during visual stimulation investigated by diffusion-weighted gradient-echo fMRI

Abstract The signal source of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes induced by neural activity is not fully understood. To examine this issue, ADC-fMRI in response to a visual stimulus was obtained in isoflurane-anesthetized cats at 9.4 T. A gradient-echo technique was used for minimizing the coupling between diffusion and background field gradients, which was experimentally confirmed. In the small b-value domain (b = 5 and 200 s/mm2), a functional ADC increase was detected at the middle of the visual cortex and at the cortical surface, which was caused mainly by an increase in cerebral blood volume (CBV) and inflow. With higher b-values (b = 200 and 1000−1200 s/mm2), a functional ADC decrease was observed in the parenchyma and also at the cortical surface. Within the parenchyma, the ADC decrease responded faster than the BOLD signal, but was not well localized to the middle of visual cortex and almost disappeared when the intravascular signal was removed with a susceptibility contrast agent, suggesting that the decrease in ADC without contrast agent was mostly of vascular origin. At the cortical surface, an average ADC decrease of 0.5% remained after injection of the contrast agent, which may have arisen from a functional reduction of the partial volume of cerebrospinal fluid. Overall, a functional ADC change of tissue origin could not be detected under our experimental conditions.
From genes to geography: a genetic similarity rule for arthropod community structure at multiple geographic scales.

We tested the hypothesis that leaf modifying arthropod communities are correlated with cottonwood host plant genetic variation from local to regional scales. Although recent studies found that host plant genetic composition can structure local dependent herbivore communities, the abiotic environment is a stronger factor than the genetic effect at increasingly larger spatial scales. In contrast to these studies we found that dependent arthropod community structure is correlated with both the cross type composition of cottonwoods and individual genotypes within local rivers up to the regional scale of 720 000 km 2 (Four Corner States region in the southwestern USA). Across this geographical extent comprising two naturally hybridizing cottonwood systems, the arthropod community follows a simple genetic similarity rule: genetically similar trees support more similar arthropod communities than trees that are genetically dissimilar. This relationship can be quantified with or without genetic data in Populus .
Modeling urban landscape dynamics: A case study in Phoenix, USA

Urbanization has profoundly transformed many landscapes throughout the world, and the ecological consequences of this transformation are yet to be fully understood. To understand the ecology of urban systems, it is necessary to quantify the spatial and temporal patterns of urbanization, which often requires dynamic modeling and spatial analysis. In this paper, we describe an urban growth model, the Phoenix Urban Growth Model (PHX- UGM), illustrate a series of model calibration and evaluation methods, and present scenario-based simulation analyses of the future development patterns of the Phoenix metropolitan region. PHX-UGM is a spatially explicit urban landscape model and is a modified version of the Human-Induced Land Transformations (HILT) model originally developed for the San Francisco Bay Area. Using land use and other data collected for the Phoenix area, existing growth rules were selectively modified and new rules were added to help examine key ecological and social factors. We used multiple methods and a multi-scale approach for model calibration and evaluation. The results of the different evaluation methods showed that the model performed reasonably well at a certain range of spatial resolutions (120-480 m). When fine-scale data are available and when landscape structural details are desirable, the 120-m grain size should be used. However, at finer levels the noise and uncertainty in input data and the exponentially increased computational requirements would considerably reduce the usefulness and accuracy of the model. At the other extreme, model projections with too coarse a spatial resolution would be of little use at the local and regional scales. A series of scenario analyses suggest that the Metropolitan Phoenix area will soon be densely populated demographically and highly fragmented ecologically unless dramatic actions are to be taken soon to significantly slow down the population growth. Also, there will be an urban morphological threshold over which drastic changes in certain aspects of landscape pattern occur. Specifically, the scenarios indicate that, as large patches of open lands (including protected lands, parks and available desert lands) begin to break up, patch diversity declines due partly to the loss of agricultural lands, and the overall landscape shape complexity also decreases because of the predominance of urban lands. It seems that reaching such a threshold can be delayed, but not avoided, if the population in the Phoenix metropolitan region continues to grow. PHX-UGM can be used as a tool for exploring the outcome of different urban planning strategies, and the methods illustrated in this paper can be used for evaluating other urban models.
Tumor Prevention and Antitumor Immunity with Heat Shock Protein 70 Induced by 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 in Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate Cells

The biological modifier delta12-prostaglandin J2 and related prostaglandins have been reported to have significant growth-inhibitory activity with induction of heat shock proteins (Hsps). Tumor-derived Hsps have been shown previously to elicit specific immunity to tumors from which they are isolated. In this study, 15-deoxy-delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2)-induced Hsp70 was purified from transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate cells (TRAMP-C2). It was then tested for its ability to activate specific CTLs and induce protective immunity against prostate cancer in C57BL/6 mice. Treatment of cells with 8.0 microM 15d-PGJ2 for 24 h caused significant induction of Hsp70 expression. The yield of Hsp70 purified from 15d-PGJ2-treated cells was 4-5-fold higher when compared with untreated TRAMP-C2 cells. Vaccination of mice with Hsps isolated from TRAMP-C2 cells elicited tumor-specific CTLs and prevented the growth of TRAMP-C2 tumors. These results indicate that the induced heat shock proteins may have promising applications for antitumor, T-cell immunotherapy. In particular, these findings have important implications for the development of novel anticancer therapies aimed at promoting an immune response to prostate tumors.
Repeated Readings Combined With Word Boxes Phonics Technique Increases Fluency Levels of High School Students With Severe Reading Delays

The purpose of this article is to present the use of repeated readings with word boxes instruction with a sample of high school students who were classified with severe reading delays. Repeated readings and word boxes are designed to help children increase fluency and acquire word identification skills, respectively. These approaches were also found to be helpful in improving reading levels of 3 high school students who were severely delayed readers.
Survey of structural regularities in molecular properties. I. Carbon‐13 chemical shifts in alkanes

Many regularities in properties among structurally related compounds are known but a systematic approach to investigate all such cases is rare. A plan is outlined for a systematic study of structural regularities that is based on use of selected graph invariants as prime auxiliary quantities. In this paper carbon-13 chemical shifts in alkanes are examined. Since NMR spectra of paraffins are well understood, the example provides a useful illustration of the approach, introduces basic concepts, and illustrates the kind of the results that the graph-theoretical scheme generates. Differences and similarities between graph-theoretical viewing of the problem of structural regularities and customary direct use of additivities are discussed in some detail.
Gaming for Beginners

This article examines the history of moral panics about media, gleans some lessons from media studies that can help the study of electronic games, and is critical of both utopic and dystopic, cybertarian and pessimistic accounts of gaming.
Validity of the Test of Infant Motor Performance for prediction of 6-, 9- and 12-month scores on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale

The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) is a test of functional movement in infants from 32 weeks' post-conceptional age to 4 months postterm. The purpose of this study was to assess in 96 infants (44 females, 52 males) with varying risk, the relation between measures on the TIMP at 7, 30, 60, and 90 days after term age and percentile ranks (PR) on the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Correlation between scores on the TIMP and the AIMS was highest for TIMP tests at 90 days and AIMS testing at 6 months (r=0.67, p=0.0001), but all comparisons were statistically significant except those between the TIMP at 7 days and AIMS PR at 9 months. In a multiple regression analysis combining a perinatal risk score and 7-day TIMP measures to predict 12-month AIMS PR, risk, but not TIMP, predicted outcome (21% of variance explained). At older ages TIMP measures made increasing contributions to prediction of 12-month AIMS PR (30% of variance explained by 90-day TIMP). The best TIMP score to maximize specificity and correctly identify 84% of the infants above versus below the 10th PR at 6 months was a cut-off point of 1 SD below the mean. The same cut-off point correctly identified 88% of the infants at 12 months. A cut-off of -0.5 SD, however, maximized sensitivity at 92%. A negative test result, i.e. score above -0.5 SD at 3 months, carried only a 2% probability of a poor 12-month outcome. We conclude that TIMP scores significantly predict AIMS PR 6 to 12 months later, but the TIMP at 3 months of age has the greatest degree of validity for predicting motor performance on the AIMS at 12 months and can be used clinically to identify infants likely to benefit from intervention.
Hip-hop Realness and the White Performer

Hip-hop's imperatives of authenticity are tied to its representations of African-American identity, and white rap artists negotiate their place within hip-hop culture by responding to this African-American model of the authentic. This article examines the strategies used by white artists such as Vanilla Ice, Eminem, and the Beastie Boys to establish their hip-hop legitimacy and to confront rap music's representations of whites as socially privileged and therefore not credible within a music form where credibility is often negotiated through an artist's experiences of social struggle. The authenticating strategies of white artists involve cultural immersion, imitation, and inversion of the rags-to-riches success stories of black rap stars.
Toward ecologically-based invasive plant management on rangeland

Land managers typically use herbicides, biological controls, fire, grazing, and revegetation to manage and restore rangeland dominated by invasive plants. Without careful planning and implementation, these tools may temporarily control the weeds but may ultimately have minimal influence on ecological processes, fail over the long term, and lead to weed reinvasion. This can result from the lack of a broad ecological perspective. Successional management provides a process-based framework for weed ecologists to develop and test integrated weed management strategies and for land managers to organize implementation of these strategies in a way that adequately addresses ecological processes. This framework offers land managers practical methods for modifying ecological processes to direct plant community composition away from invasive species and toward desired plant assemblages. To date, successional management has not gained widespread application because, in part, it has not been conceptually linked to other successional models. Therefore, we illustrate how other successional models can be incorporated within the framework. Incorporating other prevailing successional models will further elucidate ecological processes, offer additional management strategies, and widen the possibilities for ecologically based management of rangeland weeds. Approaching management of weed-infested rangeland through this process-based framework will enable managers to implement strategies that maximize the likelihood of success because these methods will be integrated based on ecological principles. Successional management should be adjusted as we gain a better understanding of the factors that drive succession.
Consideration of Torsional Moment in Design of a Floating Structure

Experimental and analytical results were combined to develop a torsional moment spectrum for a semi-immersed rectangularly shaped prism (draft-water depth) = 0.25. Incident wave patterns were oriented perpendicular to the prism resulting in a two-dimensional analysis. The spectrum plots a dimensionless torque coefficient as a function of a dimensionless wave number. Comparison of Experimental and Analytical results indicate good agreement. Results also indicate that me magnitude of torsional moment that can be imposed upon a structure from wave action for the case examined is significant.
A Normative Study of Airflow in Children

Seven-year-old youngsters from the University of Missouri at Columbia Laboratory School were subjects for the measurement of vital capacity, phonation air volume, maximum phonation time, and mean flow rate. The children phonated maximally into a respirometer. The group often boys was quite similar in most respects to the group of ten girls. Although certain clear differences were found, they did not achieve high significance with t-tests. The smaller mean flow rate for the girls is discussed in the light of recent experimental findings.
Pore Structure and Synergy in Antimicrobial Peptides of the Magainin Family.

Magainin 2 and PGLa are among the best-studied cationic antimicrobial peptides. They bind preferentially to negatively charged membranes and apparently cause their disruption by the formation of transmembrane pores, whose detailed structure is still unclear. Here we report the results of 5–9 μs all-atom molecular dynamics simulations starting from tetrameric transmembrane helical bundles of these two peptides, as well as their stoichiometric mixture, and the analog MG-H2 in DMPC or 3:1 DMPC/DMPG membranes. The simulations produce pore structures that appear converged, although some effect of the starting peptide arrangement (parallel vs. antiparallel) is still observed on this timescale. The peptides remain mostly helical and adopt tilted orientations. The calculated tilt angles for PGLa are in excellent agreement with recent solid state NMR experiments. The antiparallel dimer structure in the magainin 2 simulations resembles previously determined NMR and crystal structures. More transmembrane orientations and a larger and more ordered pore are seen in the 1:1 heterotetramer with an antiparallel helix arrangement. Insights into the mechanism of synergy between these two peptides are obtained via implicit solvent modeling of homo- and heterodimers and analysis of interactions in the atomistic simulations. This analysis suggests stronger pairwise interactions in the heterodimer than in the two homodimers.
Rural Latino/a Youth and Parents on the Northern Great Plains: Preliminary Findings from the Latino Youth Care Project (LYCP)

Most research focuses on Latino/a families and youth residing in the US Northeast, the West or Southwest, and the South. However, recent demographic changes reveal substantial increases of Latino/as in the Northern Great Plains region of the United States. This chapter summarizes a research effort aimed at understanding adjustment of Latino/a youth residing in relatively small towns and cities in the Northern Great Plains. A conceptual model that emphasizes the youth ecology, sociocognitive and socioemotive traits, and culture-related stress is proposed, and preliminary findings from an ongoing study are reported. The findings to date suggest tentative support for aspects of the proposed model. Implications of the findings and recommendations for future research direction are discussed.
Congenital Clasped Thumb

Congenital clasped thumb is a flexion-adduction deformity at the MP joint where the palmar surface of the thumb characteristically rests tightly flexed against the palm of the hand beneath the four digits (Fig. 26.1). Newborns normally tend to maintain the thumb beneath the flexed fingers for the first 3–6 months [1]. In utero the hand is held in a fist position with the digits overlapping the clasped thumb. In this physiologic posture the thumb is supple, the deformity is passively correctable, and the infant spontaneously extends all joints of the thumb. Congenital clasped thumb is more often bilateral than unilateral [2] and is seen in males twice as often as females [2]. Congenital clasped thumb is not very common and typically the result of hypoplasia or absence of a portion of the extensor musculotendinous unit. Secondary skin deficiencies both palmar and first web space, collateral ligament tightness, palmar plate contracture, and abnormal configurations of the joint surfaces may develop. Observation of the resting posture of the thumb and the position of its three joints will help localize the specific anatomic problem in many cases (Fig. 26.2).
Iron ‘ElectriRx’ man: Overground stepping in an exoskeleton combined with noninvasive spinal cord stimulation after paralysis

We asked whether coordinated voluntary movement of the lower limbs could be regained in an individual having been completely paralyzed (>4 yr) and completely absent of vision (>15 yr) using a novel strategy - transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation at selected sites over the spinal vertebrae with just one week of training. We also asked whether this stimulation strategy could facilitate stepping assisted by an exoskeleton (EKSO, EKSO Bionics) that is designed so that the subject can voluntarily complement the work being performed by the exoskeleton. We found that spinal cord stimulation enhanced the level of effort that the subject could generate while stepping in the exoskeleton. In addition, stimulation improved the coordination patterns of the lower limb muscles resulting in a more continuous, smooth stepping motion in the exoskeleton. These stepping sessions in the presence of stimulation were accompanied by greater cardiac responses and sweating than could be attained without the stimulation. Based on the data from this case study it appears that there is considerable potential for positive synergistic effects after complete paralysis by combining the overground stepping in an exoskeleton, a novel transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation paradigm, and daily training.
Muscarine Modulates Ca2+ Channel Currents in Rat Sensorimotor Pyramidal Cells Via Two Distinct Pathways

Stewart, Ansalan E., Zhen Yan, D. James Surmeier, and Robert C. Foehring. Muscarine modulates Ca2+ channel currents in rat sensorimotor pyramidal cells via two distinct pathways. J. Neurophysiol. 8...
EFFECT OF ANGIOTENSIN 11 ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL IN THE DOG.

SummaryAngiotensin 11 given by intravenous infusion in a moderately large dose does not elevate either venous or arterial blood glucose levels within one hour in the conscious dog, nor does it produce glycosuria. This suggests that secondary release of catecholamines does not play a significant role in the physiological responses to angiotensin 11. The absence of glycosuria indicates that the renal tubular reabsorption of glucose was not affected by angiotensin 11 at this level of filtered load of glucose.
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Canine intestinal microbiology and metagenomics: From phylogeny to function

Recent molecular studies have revealed a complex microbiota in the dog intestine. Convincing evidence has been reported linking changes in microbial communities to acute and chronic gastrointestinal inflammation, especially in canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The most common microbial changes observed in intestinal inflammation are decreases in the bacterial phyla Firmicutes (i.e., Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and ) and Bacteroidetes, with concurrent increases in Proteobacteria (i.e., ). Due to the important role of microbial-derived metabolites for host health, it is important to elucidate the metabolic consequences of gastrointestinal dysbiosis and physiological pathways implicated in specific disease phenotypes. Metagenomic studies have used shotgun sequencing of DNA as well as phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) to characterize functional changes in the bacterial metagenome in gastrointestinal disease. Furthermore, wide-scale and untargeted measurements of metabolic products derived by the host and the microbiota in intestinal samples allow a better understanding of the functional alterations that occur in gastrointestinal disease. For example, changes in bile acid metabolism and tryptophan catabolism recently have been reported in humans and dogs. Also, metabolites associated with the pentose phosphate pathway were significantly altered in chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and indicate the presence of oxidative stress in dogs with IBD. This review focuses on the advancements made in canine metagenomics and metabolomics and their implications in understanding gastrointestinal disease as well as the development of better treatment approaches.
Features of successful academic hospitalist programs: Insights from the SCHOLAR (SuCcessful HOspitaLists in academics and research) project

BACKGROUND As clinical demands increase, understanding the features that allow academic hospital medicine programs (AHPs) to thrive has become increasingly important. OBJECTIVE To develop and validate a quantifiable definition of academic success for AHPs. METHODS A working group of academic hospitalists was formed. The group identified grant funding, academic promotion, and scholarship as key domains reflective of success, and specific metrics and approaches to assess these domains were developed. Self-reported data on funding and promotion were available from a preexisting survey of AHP leaders, including total funding/group, funding/full-time equivalent (FTE), and number of faculty at each academic rank. Scholarship was defined in terms of research abstracts presented over a 2-year period. Lists of top performers in each of the 3 domains were constructed. Programs appearing on at least 1 list (the SCHOLAR cohort [SuCcessful HOspitaLists in Academics and Research]) were examined. We compared grant funding and proportion of promoted faculty within the SCHOLAR cohort to a sample of other AHPs identified in the preexisting survey. RESULTS Seventeen SCHOLAR programs were identified, with a mean age of 13.2 years (range, 6–18 years) and mean size of 36 faculty (range, 18–95). The mean total grant funding/program was $4 million (range, $0–$15 million), with mean funding/FTE of $364,000 (range, $0–$1.4 million); both were significantly higher than the comparison sample. The majority of SCHOLAR faculty (82%) were junior, a lower percentage than the comparison sample. The mean number of research abstracts presented over 2 years was 10.8 (range, 9–23). DISCUSSION Our approach effectively identified a subset of successful AHPs. Despite the relative maturity and large size of the programs in the SCHOLAR cohort, they were comprised of relatively few senior faculty members and varied widely in the quantity of funded research and scholarship. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:708–713. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine
Traditional Sino-Korean Diplomatic Relations: A Realistic Historical Appraisal

(1965). Traditional Sino-Korean Diplomatic Relations. Monumenta Serica: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 155-169.
Using conics to construct geometric 3-configurations, part I: symmetrically generalizing the Pappus configuration

The \((9_{3})\) Pappus configuration can be realized as a geometric configuration with 3-fold rotational symmetry; using this 3-fold rotation, its Levi graph (the incidence graph for the configuration) can be quotiented by the automorphism corresponding to the 3-fold rotation to form an edge-labelled \(K_{3,3}\). This graph quotient, a type of voltage graph, is called the reduced Levi graph of the configuration. In this paper, we generalize this rotational realization of the Pappus configuration by developing a construction technique for a family of geometric configurations with m-fold rotational symmetry for any \(m \ge 3\) whose reduced Levi graphs are all labelled versions of \(K_{3,3}\). The constructions use primarily straightedge-and-compass techniques, along with the construction of certain conic sections.
Abstract 66: TLR2 Signaling Protects Against Angiotensin II--Mediated AAA Formation in ApoE-/- Mice

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a potentially life-threatening degenerative vascular disease that affects 6-9% of men over 65. Although Toll-like receptors (TLRs) mediate the innate immune response resulting in the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the site of a range of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, they have also been implicated in immune tolerance. To determine the role of TLR2 signaling in AAA formation we compared AAA formation in ApoE -/- and ApoE-/-TLR2 -/- DKO mice using a mouse model for angiotensin II (ANGII) mediated AAA formation. Treatment of ApoE -/- mice with Alzet pumps releasing 750 ng/kg/min ANG II resulted in formation of AAAs in 75% of mice (n=23) and a mean increase in aortic diameter from 1.0 mm in saline treated controls to 2.15±0.15 mm, p -/- DKO mice compared to ApoE -/- alone was unchanged, of the 12 ApoE-/-TLR2-/-DKO who developed AAAs, half demonstrated severe aneurismal involvement of the aortic arch and thoracic aorta compared to the ApoE -/- group consistent with a protective effect of TLR2. To test this hypothesis, mice were pretreated with PAM3, 50ug/ mouse/week. The incidence of AAA formation decreased to 32% in PAM 3 treated mice and aortic diameter decreased to 1.17±0.08 (n=18, p
Monoclonal Antibody to SAAL 1–3 Isomer Better Discriminant of the Acute Phase Reaction to Cancer and Monitor of Disease Progression than the Polyclonal Antibody to Human AA

During the last three decades it was found that many of the serum proteins that behave as acute phase reactants present specific patterns of change in relation to the dissemination of most malignant tumors; serum haptoglobin, various glycoproteins (1) and serum mucoid (2) were found to be positive discriminants for metastatic spread while serum transferrin and albumin (1) appeared to be negative discriminants. Serum Amyloid A (SAA) a precursor of amyloid A (AA) protein found in amyloid deposits in patients with secondary amyloidosis and with Familial Mediteranean Fever was also found by us (3) and others (4,5) to behave biologically as an acute phase reactive protein, and to be a positive discriminant for metastatic dissemination of malignant tumors (6–9). However, in other studies (10,11,12) the correlation of SAA level with disease activity in patients with cancer was found more difficult to define-The recent identification in our laboratory of four isomers of the low molecular SAA (SAAL) by isoelectric focusing (13) has permitted to look at SAA level variations in different diseases with monoclonal antibodies against these isomers. In the present study, using these antibodies we attempted to better define the correlation between SAA levels and cancer dissemination by looking at the correlation of SAA level with tumor size and by comparing this correlation to that between tumor size and other acute phase reactive proteins. We found that SAAL level correlates well with tumor size, that this correlation is superior to that of four other acute phase reactive proteins we tested and is improved when a monoclonal antibody to one of the SAAL isomers (SAAL 1–3) was used.
Reproductive ovarian testing and the alphabet soup of diagnoses: DOR, POI, POF, POR, and FOR

There are large variations in the number of oocytes within each woman, and biologically, the total quantity is at its maximum before the woman is born. Scientific knowledge is limited about factors controlling the oocyte pool and how to measure it. Within fertility clinics, there is no uniform agreement on the diagnostic criteria for each common measure of ovarian reserve in women, and thus, studies often conflict. While declining oocyte quantity/quality is a normal physiologic occurrence as women age, some women experience diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) much earlier than usual and become prematurely infertile. Key clinical features of DOR are the presence of regular menstrual periods and abnormal-but-not-postmenopausal ovarian reserve test results. A common clinical challenge is counseling patients with conflicting ovarian reserve test results. The clinical diagnosis of DOR and the interpretation of ovarian reserve testing are complicated by changing lab testing options and processing for anti-mullerian hormone since 2010. Further, complicating the diagnostic and research scenario is the existence of other distinct yet related clinical terms, specifically premature ovarian failure, primary ovarian insufficiency, poor ovarian response, and functional ovarian reserve. The similarities and differences between the definitions of DOR with each of these four terms are reviewed. We recommend greater medical community involvement in terminology decisions, and the addition of DOR-specific medical subject-heading search terms.
How Stress Influences Purpose Development: The Importance of Social Support:

The present study explored the influence of psychological stress on the development of purpose among youth of color living in urban, low-income communities. A qualitative approach based on grounded...
Group B Wolbachia Strain-Dependent Inhibition of Arboviruses

Mosquito-borne viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV), are global threats that continue to infect millions annually. Historically, efforts to combat the spread of these diseases have sought to eradicate the mosquito population. This has had limited success. Recent efforts to combat the spread of these diseases have targeted the mosquito population and the mosquito's ability to transmit viruses by altering the mosquito's microbiome. The introduction of particular strains of Wolbachia bacteria into mosquitos suppresses viral growth and blocks disease transmission. This novel strategy is being tested worldwide to reduce DENV and has early indications of success. The Wolbachia genus comprised divergent strains that are divided in major phylogenetic clades termed supergroups. All Wolbachia field trials currently utilize supergroup A Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitos to limit virus transmission. Here we discuss our studies of Wolbachia strains not yet used in virus control strategies bu...
A Quadratic Nonlinear Oscillator

As previously discussed nonlinear vibration and periodic motions of galloping cables, analytical solutions for period-m motions in a periodically forced, and quadratic nonlinear oscillator are presented first through the Fourier series solutions with finite harmonic terms, and the stability and bifurcation analyses of the corresponding period-m motions are carried out. The bifurcation trees of period-1 motions to chaos are presented for a better understanding of complex motions in such a quadratic nonlinear oscillator. Trajectories and amplitude spectrums are illustrated numerically.
Gender-Based Differences in Engineering Faculty Members’ View and Use of Student-Centered Learning Strategies

Research indicates differences exist between male and female students’ preferences for pedagogical practices, such as collaborative learning. Less is known, however, about how male and female instructors view and utilize classroom strategies. To aid in exploring this new area, the Value, Expectancy, and Cost of Testing Educational Reforms Survey (VECTERS) was completed by engineering faculty members to assess dispositions towards, and use of, three student-centered learning strategies: formative feedback to adjust instruction, real-world applications, and student-to-student discussions. While there were no gender-based differences regarding reported frequency of using student-centered strategies, there were significant attitude differences – for instance, female faculty members were significantly more confident in the value and expectancy of success for real-world applications and formative feedback. There were, however, no gender-based differences in perception of costs of implementing student-centered strategies.
Substance-Using Pregnant and Parenting Adolescent Girls: Considerations for Preventive Intervention Using a Resilience Lens

Evidence is needed to develop substance use prevention programs addressing the needs of adolescent mothers, yet there remains a paucity of research examining the lived experience and context of sub...
Tocqueville’s Moderate Penal Theory

In its analysis of nineteenth-century American penal goals, On the Penitentiary System presents a balanced view of human nature, a form of self-knowledge that penal reformers need when attempting to morally reform an individual via an institution. Ferkaluk argues that Tocqueville and Beaumont answer the question of whether incarceration should seek to perfect or restrain prisoners by articulating a specific relationship between body, mind, and soul as the moderating limit to penal discipline. The association between human nature and effective penal reform is explored through three contrasting pairs of elements in the American penitentiary system: theory and experience, solitude and labor, and corporal punishment and religion. Discussion of each element reveals the authors’ critique of immoderate penal imaginations which hinder the French from reforming the whole human being.
Maintaining Architecture-Implementation Conformance to Support Architecture Centrality: From Single System to Product Line Development

Architecture-centric development addresses the increasing complexity and variability of software systems by focusing on architectural models, which are generally easier to understand and manipulate than source code. It requires a mechanism that can maintain architecture-implementation conformance during architectural development and evolution. The challenge is twofold. There is an abstraction gap between software architecture and implementation, and both may evolve. Existing approaches are deficient in support for both change mapping and product line architecture. This article presents a novel approach named 1.x-way mapping and its extension, 1.x-line mapping to support architecture-implementation mapping in single system development and in product line development, respectively. They specifically address mapping architecture changes to code, maintaining variability conformance between product line architecture and code, and tracing architectural implementation. We built software tools named xMapper and xLineMapper to realize the two approaches, and conducted case studies with two existing open-source systems to evaluate the approaches. The result shows that our approaches are applicable to the implementation of a real software system and are capable of maintaining architecture-implementation conformance during system evolution.
Tetra­ethyl­ammonium (aceto­nitrile)­tri­chlorido­palladate(II)

A new square-planar palladium complex salt, (C8H20N)[PdCl3(C2H3N)], has been formed with one of the Cl atoms in tetra­chlorido­palladate(II) replaced by an aceto­nitrile coordinated through the N atom. This compound could be a useful precursor for synthesis of palladium complexes. The complex salt crystallizes in the monoclinic P21/c space group.
The Photochemistry of Purine in Ice Analogs Relevant to Dense Interstellar Clouds

The aromatic nitrogen heterocyclic compound purine is the core structural framework of many important biomolecules, particularly nucleobases. Purine and purine derivatives have been observed in carbonaceous chondrites, and it has been hypothesized that the exogenous delivery of these compounds, along with many other biologically relevant compounds, may have played a role in the emergence of life. Numerous experiments in our laboratory have demonstrated that the nucleobases used by life to encode genetic material could have been produced abiotically under astrophysically relevant conditions. Specifically, the UV photoprocessing of pyrimidine and purine in simple ices of astrophysical interest has resulted in the production of all five biological nucleobases, namely, uracil (RNA), cytosine (RNA and DNA), thymine (DNA), adenine (RNA and DNA), and guanine (RNA and DNA). Additionally, follow-up work has examined the photochemistry of pyrimidine in more complex astrophysical ice mixtures to better understand the formation of these compounds under realistic conditions. In this work, we examine the photochemistry of purine in more complex ices of astrophysical interest and compare our results with those from simpler ice mixtures. We also examine the effects of competing parallel synthesis of organic compounds in the ices (unrelated to purine). Finally, we discuss the astrophysical and astrobiological implications of our findings.
Frank Lloyd Wright in the Soviet Union

In 1937 the First All-Union Congress of Soviet Architects was held in Moscow. The congress brought architects from all areas of the Soviet Union. Under the auspices of Vsesoiuvnoe Obshchestvo Kul'turnoi Sviazi s zagranitsei (VOKS) it invited international architects from Europe and North and South America. The Organizing Committee of the Union of Soviet Architects invited Frank Lloyd Wright from the United States. Frank Lloyd Wright presented his philosophy and exhibited his work, specifically his designs for the weekend home for E. J. Kaufmann "Fallingwater" and the drawings for the S.C. Johnson Administration. Frank Lloyd Wright's presentation did not focus heavily on the architecture but, rather the spirit of the Russian and Soviet vision.
A tired young man with a dysmorphic thumb

A 23 year old man with short stature, congenital malformation of the left thumb and both ears, and a single kidney presented with back pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and easy bruising that had developed over several months. Physical examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly. His brother had died in early childhood, more than 20 years ago. The patient’s parents reported that his brother, “had similar but worse congenital malformations, including bad kidney problems.” Full blood count showed pancytopaenia, which prompted further laboratory investigations (table 1). View this table: Table 1 Initial laboratory investigations Radiography of the patient’s left hand (fig 1) revealed a single fused phalanx, anomalous carpal bones, and a hypoplastic radial styloid. Fig 1 (A) Dysmorphic left thumb. …
Chapter 11 – “Hit” to Drug: Lead Optimization

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on optimization of drugs. When dealing with large numbers of investigational compounds to be tested for agonist or antagonist activity, the methods used to determine system-independent measures of activity must be identified from the initial profile of activity (data driven analysis). Short form measures of activity can adequately drive structure activity relationships if appropriate corrections for system effects are made. Surmountable antagonism can be quantified by pA2 values, and insurmountable antagonism through pIC50 values that in some cases can be corrected for the strength of stimulation in the system. In all cases, the molar concentration at which blockade of an agonist response is first encountered is a reasonable indication of the molecular potency of the antagonist, with the possible exception being allosteric modulators that block receptor signaling but increase the affinity of the receptor for the agonist. In general, drugs can be divided into two initial types: those that do and those that do not initiate directly observable pharmacological response in the preparation. As a preface to specific discussion of the use of data driven analyses, it is useful to consider the application of surrogate parameters. Pharmacological data should directly be fit to specific models and parameters derived from that direct fit. There are pharmacological tools and techniques designed to determine system-independent measures of the potency and efficacy of drugs, but to apply them effectively, the molecular mechanism of the drug must be known beforehand.
Modeling bicyclist injury severity in bicycle–motor vehicle crashes that occurred in urban and rural areas: a mixed logit analysis

The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare the contributing factors to bicyclist injury severity in urban and rural areas. Two mixed logit models are developed for both the urban and rura...
Endothelial barrier reinforcement relies on flow-regulated glycocalyx, a potential therapeutic target.

Background The onset of many disease processes depends on the function of the endothelial cell (EC) glycocalyx (GCX) which acts as a flow-dependent barrier to cellular infiltration and molecular transport across the blood vessel wall. Objective This review aims to examine these processes with the potential end goal of implementing GCX repair to restore EC barrier function and slow the progression of disease. Methods Cell and mouse studies were employed to examine the state of EC GCX in healthy versus disruptive flow conditions. Correlations of observations of the GCX with a number of EC functions were sought with an emphasis on studies of trans-endothelial barrier integrity against vessel wall infiltration of cells and molecules from the circulation. To demonstrate the importance of GCX as a regulator of trans-endothelial infiltration, assays were performed using ECs with an intact GCX and compared to assays of ECs with an experimentally degraded GCX. Studies were also conducted of ECs in which a degraded GCX was repaired. Results In healthy flow conditions, the EC GCX was found to be thick and substantially covered the endothelial surface. GCX expression dropped significantly in complex flow conditions and coincided with a disease-like cellular and molecular accumulation in the endothelium or within the blood vessel wall. Therapeutic repair of the GCX abolished this accumulation. Conclusions Regenerating the degraded GCX reverses EC barrier dysfunction and may attenuate the progression of vascular disease.
Influence of the Natural Setting on Environmental Education Outcomes.

Environmental education (EE) typically occurs in natural settings, which research suggests may enhance learning outcomes. Although field trips are commonly used to teach EE, few studies have isolat...
Coccidioidomycotic brain abscess in an HIV-infected man.

PRIMARY COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS is a pulmonary infection caused by the soil fungus Coccidioides immitis. "[When] primary pulmonary infection fails to heal, either chronic pulmonary lesions, or dissemination supervenes.... Dissemination via the bloodstream occurs in 0.1 % of Caucasians, and in up to . . . 10% of Filipinos and Orientals."' While more than a dozen cases of disseminated infection have been reported in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),2-10 there has not been a description of a brain abscess due to C immitis. We report a fatal case of disseminated coccidioidomycosis in a homosexual man with AIDS-related complex who during life had a focal lesion in the brain stem localized by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that at autopsy proved to be a brain abscess containing Cimmitis sporangia, spherules, and hyphae.