cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Erv26p Directs Pro-Alkaline Phosphatase into Endoplasmic Reticulum–derived Coat Protein Complex II Transport Vesicles

Secretory proteins are exported from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in transport vesicles formed by the coat protein complex II (COPII). We detected Erv26p as an integral membrane protein that was efficiently packaged into COPII vesicles and cycled between the ER and Golgi compartments. The erv26Δ mutant displayed a selective secretory defect in which the pro-form of vacuolar alkaline phosphatase (pro-ALP) accumulated in the ER, whereas other secretory proteins were transported at wild-type rates. In vitro budding experiments demonstrated that Erv26p was directly required for packaging of pro-ALP into COPII vesicles. Moreover, Erv26p was detected in a specific complex with pro-ALP when immunoprecipitated from detergent-solublized ER membranes. Based on these observations, we propose that Erv26p serves as a transmembrane adaptor to link specific secretory cargo to the COPII coat. Because ALP is a type II integral membrane protein in yeast, these findings imply that an additional class of secretory cargo relies on adaptor proteins for efficient export from the ER.
Compensation for room reverberation in speaker identification

Accuracy in speaker recognition systems may degrade if channel conditions during the training and testing stages are significantly different. Such channels may include different microphones, telephone and mobile handsets, speech coders, and VoIP. Many compensation techniques have been proposed which seek to minimize the channel mismatch condition thereby improving accuracy rates in these systems. More recently, the acoustic channel and its effect on speaker identification (SI) have been investigated and it has been shown that when using clean training signals and reverberated test signals, a loss in accuracy results. In this paper, we improve upon a proposed method to compensate for this acoustic channel mismatch by utilizing a more accurate room reverberation model during the training stage. This model allows us to pre-distort (reverberate) clean training signals in order to approximate the expected reverberation present in test signals. By utilizing a set of reverberated training models for each speaker, SI accuracies can be improved.
Effect of gonadal steroids on progesterone receptor, estrogen receptor, and vitellogenin expression in male turtles (Chrysemys picta)

Hepatic vitellogenin (vtg) is a yolk precursor protein sequestered in follicular oocytes as nutrient supply for developing embryos in nonmammalian vertebrates. In prior research studies we have demonstrated that both progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) inhibit estrogen (E)- induced vitellogenesis in the male fresh water turtle (Chrysemys picta), and have suggested that these hormones may be involved in multihormonal regulation of vitellogenesis in the female turtle. However, the modes of action of progesterone and testosterone on estrogen-induced vitellogenesis are not known. We have proposed that progesterone inhibits vitellogenesis by modulation of progesterone receptor A (PRA) or B (PRB) isoforms and/or estrogen receptor (ER) gene transcription. In this study, we compare the vitellogenic responses of reproductively inactive male turtles to estradiol 17b in the presence of exogenous testosterone or progesterone. Northern blot analysis was used to monitor the changes in vtg mRNA, ER mRNA, and PR mRNA expression; Western blotting to determine changes in PR isoform expression and a homologous ELISA for measurement of plasma vtg. Progesterone and testosterone reduced estrogen-induced vtg mRNA expression, but plasma vtg was not significantly reduced by these steroids. PRA and PRB were transcribed even though ER mRNA could not be detected, suggesting constitutive PR expression. However, in the presence of estradiol 17b, both PR isoforms and mRNA transcripts were increased as a correlate of ER mRNA transcription, suggesting both transcriptional and translational effects; these effects were inhibited by testosterone and progesterone treatments. Since ER mRNA was sharply reduced by both testosterone and progesterone, and estradiol 17b increased PR mRNA transcription and translation, it is likely that the action of progesterone in reducing vtg mRNA is indirect via down regulation of ER mRNA, thus ER. This study provides further information on the role of progesterone and testosterone in the regulation of hepatic vitellogenesis, suggesting regulation of vitellogenesis mainly via modulation of hepatic ER mRNA. J. Exp. Zool. 301A:15-25,
Generalized auditory same-different discrimination by pigeons.

Three pigeons were trained in a successive same/different (S/D) procedure using compound auditory stimuli (pitch/timbre combinations). Using a go/no-go procedure, pigeons successfully learned to discriminate between sequences of either all same (AAAA . . . or BBBB . . .) or all different (ABCD . . .) sequences consisting of 12 sounds. Both pitch and timbre were subsequently established as controlling dimensions. Transfer tests with novel stimuli revealed a generalized basis for the discrimination (novel pitch/timbre combinations, novel pitches, novel instruments, and complex natural & man-made sounds). These results indicate for the first time that pigeons can learn generalized same/different discriminations in a nondominant modality. When combined with earlier visual results, they support a qualitative similarity among birds and primates in their capacity to judge this type of fundamental stimulus relation across different modalities.
Not) Bringing Up Baby The Effects of Jealousy on the Desire to Have and Invest in Children

The present research uses insights from evolutionary psychology and social cognition to explore the relationship between jealousy—both experimentally activated and chronically accessible—on men’s and women’s desire to start a family and invest in children. In our first two studies, we found that chronically jealous men and women responded to primed infidelity threat by exhibiting a diminished interest in infants (Study 1) and reporting less happiness upon receiving pregnancy news (Study 2) relative to controls. Study 3 extended these results by examining the effects of jealousy on desired parental investment. Consistent with the proposed theoretical framework, chronically jealous men, but not women, respond to infidelity threat by decreasing their desired level of parental investment relative to controls. Together, these results provide novel empirical support for the hypothesis that jealousy functions to attenuate the reproductive costs associated with partner infidelity.
Modeling and inverse compensation of hysteresis in vanadium dioxide using an extended generalized Prandtl-Ishlinskii model

Vanadium dioxide (VO ) 2 , a promising multifunctional smart material, has shown strong promise in microactuation, memory, and optical applications. During thermally induced insulator-tometal phase transition of VO2, the changes of its electrical, mechanical, and optical properties demonstrate pronounced, complex hysteresis with respect to the temperature, which presents a challenge in the utilization of this material. In this paper, an extended generalized Prandtl– Ishlinskii model is proposed to model the hysteresis in VO2, where a nonlinear memoryless function is introduced to improve its modeling capability. A novel inverse compensation algorithm for this hysteresis model is developed based on fixed-point iteration with which the convergence conditions of the algorithm are derived. The proposed approach is shown to be effective for modeling and compensating the asymmetric and non-monotonic hysteresis with saturation between the curvature output and the temperature input of a VO2-coated microactuator, as well as the asymmetric hysteresis with partial saturation between the resistance output and the temperature input of a VO2 film.
Biological weapons: Can fear overwhelm inaction?

The norm against biological weapons lacks force. Roughly 80 years after the Geneva Protocol first embraced a norm against biological weapons, the international community finds itself almost back at...
Planning for serendipity

Recently there has been a lot of focus on human robot co-habitation issues that are often orthogonal to many aspects of human-robot teaming; e.g. on producing socially acceptable behaviors of robots and de-conflicting plans of robots and humans in shared environments. However, an interesting offshoot of these settings that has largely been overlooked is the problem of planning for serendipity - i.e. planning for stigmergic collaboration without explicit commitments on agents in co-habitation. In this paper we formalize this notion of planning for serendipity for the first time, and provide an Integer Programming based solution for this problem. Further, we illustrate the different modes of this planning technique on a typical Urban Search and Rescue scenario and show a real-life implementation of the ideas on the Nao Robot interacting with a human colleague.
Cytadherence and the Cytoskeleton

In order to associate specifically with host cells, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and closely related species employ a specialized polar structure, the attachment organelle, which is assembled from a set of unique proteins (49–51). Many of these cytadherence-associated proteins exhibit insolubility in the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 (TX) and are associated with a structure, the triton shell, that remains after extraction of cells with TX. Because of its solubility properties, its appearance, and its association with various features of cell morphology, cell motility, cell division, and cell-cell adhesion, this triton shell is regarded as a novel bacterial cytoskeleton.
Scale invariant behavior in a large N matrix model

Eigenvalue distributions of properly regularized Wilson-loop operators are used to study the transition from UV behavior to IR behavior in gauge theories coupled to matter that potentially have an IR fixed point. We numerically demonstrate the emergence of scale invariance in a matrix model that describes $SU(N)$ gauge theory coupled to two flavors of massless adjoint fermions in the large $N$ limit. The eigenvalue distribution of Wilson loops of varying sizes cannot be described by a universal lattice beta function connecting the UV to the IR.
Macromolecular amplification of binding response in superaptamer hydrogels.

It is becoming more important to detect ultralow concentrations of analytes for biomedical, environmental, and national security applications. Equally important is that new methods should be easy to use, inexpensive, portable, and if possible allow detection by the naked eye. By and large, detection of low concentrations of analytes cannot be achieved directly but requires signal amplification by catalysts, macromolecules, metal surfaces, or supramolecular aggregates. The rapidly progressing field of macromolecular signal amplification has been advanced using conjugated polymers, chirality in polymers, solvating polymers, and polymerization/depolymerization strategies. A new type of aptamer-based hydrogel with specific response to target proteins presented in this report demonstrates an additional category of macromolecular signal amplification. This superaptamer assembly provides the first example of using protein-specific aptamers to create volume-changing hydrogels with amplified response to the target...
Cell polarity is on PAR with cytokinesis.

Cytokinesis is the physical division of one cell into two daughter cells that occurs at the end of the cell cycle.1 Cytokinesis is thought to be fundamentally similar in all metazoan divisions-that...
Comparative analysis and bias assessment of detecting results of human growth hormone using two chemiluminescence apparatus

Objective To explore the comparability of human growth hormone(hGH)detected by chemiluminescence apparatus of SIEMENS Immulite 1000 and Beckman Coulter DXI 800 detection systems,through methodology comparing and bias assessing.Methods According to Clinic and Laboratory Standrd Instritate(CLSI)EP9-A2 document,at least 8 copies of different concentrations of fresh serum were collected everyday,then we tested hGH with two detection systems for at least 5 days continuously.Every sample was detected repeatedly with obverse and reverse sequence,then we recorded the results,checked outlier,observed linearity and data distribute,and calculated correlation coefficient and linear regression equation.According to the regression equation,we calculated hGH in the critical value of the expected bias and the expected bias of the 95% confidence interval,and determined the bias accepted or not.Results The correlation coefficient(r)of two detection systems in hGH was 0.999,and the difference of mean results was negative bias.The bias was in the permissible error range,and it was acceptable.Conclusion Methodology comparison and bias estimation of the same test items in different detection systems should be carried out regularly in order to ensure comparability and continuity of test results.
Liver microsomal metabolism of N-methylcarbazole: structural identification of the four major metabolites of N-methylcarbazole using 1H Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy.

1 H Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy, in conjunction with mass spectrometry, was employed for the identification of the four major metabolites formed from N -methylcarbazole, a cocarcinogen present in tobacco smoke, after incubation in vitro with rabbit liver microsomes. The four metabolites were separated by high pressure liquid chromatography and characterized by ultraviolet spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and 1 H Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry established that each of the metabolites contained an oxygen atom and 1 H Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy was used to identify the positional isomers of the hydroxylated N -methylcarbazole. It was established from comparison of the 1 H Fourier transform NMR spectra of the isolated metabolites of N -methylcarbazole with those of the corresponding spectra for known synthetic compounds that the four major metabolites formed in vitro were: 1-hydroxy- N -methylcarbazole, 2-hydroxy- N -methylcarbazole, 3-hydroxy- N -methylcarbazole, and N -hydroxymethylcarbazole.
Regional geochemical analysis of the southern portion of the Norwegian Sector of the North Sea

To test the usefulness of surface geochemical methods as regional evaluation tools, a study was undertaken by Tenneco Oil Company, comprising, in part, the southern quadrants of the Norwegian North Sea.
From Dragon to Superpower

China is rapidly taking on the appearance of a world superpower. This is a vast change from a little over a decade ago, when the nation appeared to be no more than an oversized developing country with little prospect for successful development. Simultaneous with the ‘last stretch’ to superpower status, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is displaying other visible signs of modernity and vitality. These include a more business-like approach to managing its domestic and external economic affairs. For example, China now makes use of macro-stabilization programs to curb domestic inflation, is building a legal infrastructure with which to protect the rights of foreign and domestic investors, and is improving the balance between the demand and supply of infrastructure services. This leap toward modernity also is reflected by the development of more flexible financial markets that assure foreign investors that in China they will be able to secure needed financial services.
Neurocognitive Interventions for Childhood and Adolescent Disorders

Interest in the neuropsychological basis of childhood and adolescent disorders continues to grow (Gaddes & Edgell, 1994; Obrzut & Hynd, 1991; Rourke, 1991), and neurocognitive models for designing effective interventions for treating various disorders show promise (Teeter & Semrud-Clikeman, in press). Technological innovations in computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single-photon emission computer tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) (Yudofsky & Hales, 1992), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) (Binder, personal communication) have transformed our understanding of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia).
The Optic Nerve in Moving Pictures.

Prevailing concepts of the optic nerve (ON) head (ONH) and peripapillary region have been informed by static histologic and photographic images. Consequently, most investigators have been biased to envision the ONH region as largely rigid.
Bottom-Up and Middle-Down Proteomics Have Comparable Accuracies in Defining Histone Post-Translational Modification Relative Abundance and Stoichiometry

Histone proteins are key components of chromatin. Their N-terminal tails are enriched in combinatorial post-translational modifications (PTMs), which influence gene regulation, DNA repair, and chromosome condensation. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based middle-down proteomics has emerged as a technique to analyze co-occurring PTMs, as it allows for the characterization of intact histone tails (>50 aa) rather than short (<20 aa) peptides analyzed by bottom-up. However, a demonstration of its reliability is still lacking. We compared results obtained with the middle-down and the bottom-up strategy in calculating PTM relative abundance and stoichiometry. Since bottom-up was proven to have biases in peptide signal detection such as uneven ionization efficiency, we performed an external correction using a synthetic peptide library with known peptide relative abundance. Corrected bottom-up data were used as reference. Calculated abundances of single PTMs showed similar deviations from the reference when comparing midd...
Acoustics at the Intersection of Architecture and Music: The Caveau Phonocamptique of Noyon Cathedral

The Cathedral of Noyon houses the most unusual—and largely unknown—installation of acoustic vases in Western Europe, the caveau phonocamptique , a chamber installed beneath the pavement of the crossing. Acoustic vases are simple earthenware pots placed in the walls and vaults of postclassical churches, their installation inspired by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio9s De architectura libri decem . In Acoustics at the Intersection of Architecture and Music: The Caveau Phonocamptique of Noyon Cathedral, Andrew Tallon investigates the intended operation of the caveau as a monumental amplifier. According to the principle of conservation of energy, the effect of an acoustic vase can only be one of absorption, but when sung directly into, a vase appears to “sing back.” Tallon asserts that this effect, along with the importance of Vitruvius as the foremost authority on ancient architecture known to European builders and patrons, must ultimately account for this unique array at Noyon.
Cobalt-Catalyzed α-Alkylation of Ketones with Primary Alcohols

An ionic cobalt–PNP complex is developed for the efficient α-alkylation of ketones with primary alcohols for the first time. A broad range of ketone and alcohol substrates were employed, leading to the isolation of alkylated ketones with yields up to 98%. The method was successfully applied to the greener synthesis of quinoline derivatives while using 2-aminobenzyl alcohol as an alkylating reagent.
Creep compliance rheology with a probe-like cylindrical geometry.

Background Rheology experiments have been performed on the vitreous humor, a soft gel that rests inside of the eye, to study its viscoelastic behavior and underlying macromolecular structure. A significant challenge for experimentalists is preserving the macromolecular structure when removing vitreous from in vivo conditions. Objective We have developed a novel probe-like rheometer geometry that allows us to perform shear rheology experiments on the vitreous humor in situ. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of the probe geometry. Methods Creep compliance responses of silicone oils, Xanthan gum solutions, and bovine and porcine vitreous humor were measured using the probe geometry and compared to measurements performed with standard geometries. Results Viscosities calculated from the creep responses of silicone oils closely match between the probe and standard geometry. Viscosities and creep compliance values of Xanthan gum measurements achieve order of magnitude agreement between the probe and standard geometry. Significant differences are detected with the probe between bovine and porcine vitreous (p Conclusions These results suggest the probe may feasibly measure viscosities of Newtonian fluids, and correctly detect differences in the creep response of complex fluids with varying viscoelastic behaviors.
Zika Virus infection of rhesus macaques leads to viral persistence in multiple tissues.

Zika virus (ZIKV), an emerging flavivirus, has recently spread explosively through the Western hemisphere. In addition to symptoms including fever, rash, arthralgia, and conjunctivitis, ZIKV infection of pregnant women can cause microcephaly and other developmental abnormalities in the fetus. We report herein the results of ZIKV infection of adult rhesus macaques. Following subcutaneous infection, animals developed transient plasma viremia and viruria from 1–7 days post infection (dpi) that was accompanied by the development of a rash, fever and conjunctivitis. Animals produced a robust adaptive immune response to ZIKV, although systemic cytokine response was minimal. At 7 dpi, virus was detected in peripheral nervous tissue, multiple lymphoid tissues, joints, and the uterus of the necropsied animals. Notably, viral RNA persisted in neuronal, lymphoid and joint/muscle tissues and the male and female reproductive tissues through 28 to 35 dpi. The tropism and persistence of ZIKV in the peripheral nerves and reproductive tract may provide a mechanism of subsequent neuropathogenesis and sexual transmission.
Task-based data-acquisition optimization for sparse image reconstruction systems

Conventional wisdom dictates that imaging hardware should be optimized by use of an ideal observer (IO) that exploits full statistical knowledge of the class of objects to be imaged, without consideration of the reconstruction method to be employed. However, accurate and tractable models of the complete object statistics are often difficult to determine in practice. Moreover, in imaging systems that employ compressive sensing concepts, imaging hardware and (sparse) image reconstruction are innately coupled technologies. We have previously proposed a sparsity-driven ideal observer (SDIO) that can be employed to optimize hardware by use of a stochastic object model that describes object sparsity. The SDIO and sparse reconstruction method can therefore be "matched" in the sense that they both utilize the same statistical information regarding the class of objects to be imaged. To efficiently compute SDIO performance, the posterior distribution is estimated by use of computational tools developed recently for variational Bayesian inference. Subsequently, the SDIO test statistic can be computed semi-analytically. The advantages of employing the SDIO instead of a Hotelling observer are systematically demonstrated in case studies in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data acquisition schemes are optimized for signal detection tasks.
Special Doctoral Colloquium Session: The Difficulties, Issues, and Pitfalls Doctorate Students Must Conquer in Becoming a Researcher, Author, and Scholar: An Abstract

Today’s as well as future young assistant marketing professors face growing pressures to publish their research in top-tier marketing journals quickly upon graduating from their doctorate program. A fundamental question that needs exploring is the following: “What Ph.D. program difficulties, issues, and pitfalls must doctorate students overcome in their learning processes of becoming a researcher and scholar with capabilities of writing and publishing journal quality manuscripts?”
Genetic Strategies in Strain Design for Fermentations

The impact of biotechnology on the production of fuels and chemicals will depend in part upon advances in our ability to genetically manipulate microorganisms of commercial interest. Many of the goals of successful fermentations such as high product yield, high rates of product formation, absence of undesired side products, reduced production of cell mass, and lack of end-product inhibition can be achieved, at least in principle, by the use of a combination of genetic and in vitro recombinant DNA approaches. However, many of the bacteria, particularly anaerobes, that are useful for producing fuels and chemicals have not yet been the object of detailed genetic or molecular biological study.
Conversations with a pioneer: Paul Baran in his own words

ABSTRACTThis interview is based on two conversations the author had with Paul Baran in 2004 and 2010. The 2010 conversation represents one of last times Baran participated in an interview before his death in March 2011. Topics discussed include how Baran drew upon inspiration from Warren McCulloch's work on neural networks to bring distributedness to communication networks and how this led to Hot Potato Routing, which later became known as packet switching. The latter, being an foundational part of Internet technology, has placed Paul Baran firmly in the histories of networking and the Internet, even if the origins of packet switching are hotly contested – a topic that is also discussed in the conversations. Finally, Baran also shares his views on technological development and determinism and what the future for the Internet holds.
Developing a Web service based application for demographic information modeling and analyzing

Public safety has been discussed for many years, but how to use and understand crime data is still difficult. Limitations of previous research were mainly restricted by technology. The significant technological advance since last century provided a tool for researchers to compute large amount of data and complicate models while shrinking process time too. This research tried to combine results from previous work and current technology together in order filling following two gaps: 1) Predict fine spatial resolution crime information from demographic backgrounds for large coverage. 2) Implement web-based crime information access system for real time update and access.
Making Music Visible: Robert Lepage Adapts Aspects of Siegfried Without Shifting a Word

Based on rehearsals for the Metropolitan Opera /Ex Machina co-production of Siegfried in October 2011, this chapter interrogates how Quebecois auteur-director Robert Lepage adapted Wagner’s third Ring instalment through scenography —the dialogic interplay of the bodies, objects, and physical medias employed on stage—rather than shifts to the libretto or score . Lepage’s work is positioned as a development of Wagner and Appia’s prescribed Ring aesthetics, which were largely incompatible with the prevailing standards of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century opera production. This re-envisioning of Siegfried is also positioned as an adaptation that subverts aspects of the opera’s potentially problematic politics of representation through its evocative visual performance text.
Solid-State Transformer for Grid Interface of High-Power Multipulse Rectifiers

This paper proposes a medium-frequency (MF) solid-state transformer (SST) based grid interface for high-power multipulse rectifiers. In the proposed approach, the low-frequency ac (grid) voltage is transformed to MF voltage via front-end converters. The three single-phase MF outputs from these converters are fed to the primary side of a three-phase, five-limb multiwinding isolation transformer (or alternately three one-phase transformers). The secondary side windings from the transformer are configured in a certain “zig-zag” arrangement, which are connected to the inputs of three-phase diode rectifier modules as in a typical multipulse system. The proposed topology can better than double the power density by reducing volume (or weight) of the required front-end isolation transformer while maintaining the same input current quality as a conventional low-frequency transformer based approach. Usage of an open-loop square wave pulse width modulation for the front-end converters makes this approach simple to implement. This paper explains the proposed concept taking an adjustable speed drive application's perspective using modeling, simulation, and experimental results from a scaled down laboratory prototype.
The Classical Homicidal Chauffeur Game

The Homicidal Chauffeur differential game is often mentioned in the literature, but the game’s complete solution is not readily available. In this work, the complete solution process of the Homicidal Chauffeur differential game is illustrated for the parameter range in the heart of the speed ratio-capture radius parameter space initially investigated by Isaacs, and referred to by Breakwell and Merz as the classical Homicidal Chauffeur differential game. Some salient features of the solution of this foundational differential game are highlighted, and some popular misconceptions are dispelled. This tutorial paper fills a gap in the literature on pursuit-evasion differential games.
Credit unions, class, race, and place in New York City

Abstract Using diverse economies and relational poverty insights, we examine the place-making practices of the cooperatively owned and democratically structured financial institutions – credit unions. In the U.S., they represent the rarely recognized but widely spread local banking systems that prioritize interests of communities over profit-maximization for outside investors. Their mission to a large degree aligns with anti-poverty and anti-racist social justice struggles and with the ethics of “solidarity” economy, a growing international movement. Our research begins a geographic inquiry into distinct non-capitalist place-making practices of credit unions while also acknowledging that they are a heterogeneous group themselves. In particular, we link their impact on place to commitment to community development and inclusion of low-income and minority populations which signal their resistance to racial capitalism and global finance. These practices are visible in special designations as low-income, minority, and community development institutions. We find that credit unions in the underserved communities address multiple forms of marginalization, as evident in overlapping designations, with the least amount of resources at their disposal. The non-designated credit unions, accounting for significant cooperative finance membership and resources in New York City, are mainly linked to employment and are more distant from social justice struggles. They eventually spatialize the benefits of solidarity finance in the better off neighborhoods in which their members live. At another level, however, these credit unions scale up solidarity finance and divert significant assets from capitalist circulation to social reproduction and solidarity realms. These findings emphasize the important differences between credit unions that matter for social transformation towards the solidarity economy.
Enzymatically degradable alginate hydrogel systems to deliver endothelial progenitor cells for potential revasculature applications.

The objective of this study was to design an injectable biomaterial system that becomes porous in situ to deliver and control vascular progenitor cell release. Alginate hydrogels were loaded with outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) and alginate lyase, an enzyme which cleaves alginate polymer chains. We postulated and confirmed that higher alginate lyase concentrations mediated loss of hydrogel mechanical properties. Hydrogels incorporating 5 and 50 mU/mL of alginate lyase experienced approximately 28% and 57% loss of mass as well as 81% and 91% reduction in storage modulus respectively after a week. Additionally, computational methods and mechanical analysis revealed that hydrogels with alginate lyase significantly increased in mesh size over time. Furthermore, alginate lyase was not found to inhibit OEC proliferation, viability or sprouting potential. Finally, alginate hydrogels incorporating OECs and alginate lyase promoted up to nearly a 10 fold increase in OEC migration in vitro than nondegradable hydrogels over the course of a week and increased functional vasculature in vivo via a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Overall, these findings demonstrate that alginate lyase incorporated hydrogels can provide a simple and robust system to promote controlled outward cell migration into native tissue for potential therapeutic revascularization applications.
Image-guided resection of fibro-osseous lesions of the skull base.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic resection of sinonasal fibro-osseous lesions remains a technical challenge because of the loss of anatomic landmarks and the frequent need to resect bone along the skull base. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of image-guidance systems for the resection of these lesions. METHODS Endoscopic surgery was performed in 10 patients with fibro-osseous lesions of the sinuses and skull base (six fibrous dysplasias and four osteomas). Indications for surgical intervention were recurrent infection (7), facial pain (3), mucocele (1), and compressive optic neuropathy (1). All surgeries were performed with an image-guidance system, which included an integrated high-speed drill system. RESULTS Anatomic localization was accurate to within 1 mm when monitoring the depth of bone removal along the skull base. Complete resection of the fibro-osseous lesion was possible in six patients (60%) and partial removal was possible in four patients (40%). In the latter group, a margin of dysplastic bone was preserved along the ethmoid roof to prevent dural exposure. There were no intraoperative complications. Surgery resulted in resolution of infection and facial pain in nine patients (90%). Additional surgery was required in one patient (10%) who developed recurrent optic neuropathy because of continued dysplastic bone growth. Mean follow-up was 34 months (range, 13-67 months). CONCLUSION Image-guidance technology appears to be ideally suited for the treatment of patients with fibro-osseous lesions of the sinonasal cavity. Real-time monitoring of the depth of bone removal relative to the skull base may enhance the safety and efficacy of such surgery.
Diamond Growth by Hot Carbon Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition

Diamond depositions from hydrogen-methane-acetone mixtures using hot carbon filaments as a thermal source have been performed. Depositions on both the carbon filaments and the silicon substrates have been observed. Stratic pyrolytic-graphite (PG) coatings were observed on the carbon filaments at temperature above 1800°C. Addition of oxygen from acetone enabled diamond growth on silicon substrates by pitting the PG coatings. Diamond growth rate on substrates is about 0.1-0.2 µm per hour resulting from a major hydrocarbon deposition on the carbon filaments. The diamond particles deposited on the substrates are about 1 µm in size and have cubo-octahedron shape consisting of smooth {100} and rough {111} faces. The rough {111} faces consist of triangular tiles and pits, resulting from the low carbon concentration near the growth planes. This method provides a contamination-free, PG-coated and durable carbon filament for diamond growth and for bias enhanced diamond growth.
Milkweed Cardenolides and Their Comparative Processing by Monarch Butterflies ( Danaus plexippus L.)

The milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae) comprises some 200 genera and 2500 species of perennial shrubs, herbs and vines distributed throughout the tropics and extending to temperate areas of the world. They include some highly prized ornamentals and economically significant weeds, and are generally characterized to the layman by the milky latex they exude when a leaf or other organ is ruptured. Chemical interest in the milkweeds has been stimulated by the use of some plants in medicinal preparations to treat cancers, tumors, and warts (Refs. in 54), as emetics, to treat bronchitis (Refs. in 64), and as a source of digitalislike therapeutic agents (Refs. in 44). They are also known for their poisonous nature, which has found advantageous use in the preparation of arrow poisons, and also causes occasional but extensive poisoning episodes among grazing sheep and cattle in milkweed-infested rangelands52,58.
Humblet's angular momentum decomposition applied to radiation torque on metallic spheres using the Hagen-Rubens approximation

Abstract When a circularly polarized electromagnetic wave is scattered by an isotropic sphere, Humblet's decomposition from 1943 is helpful for understanding why the axial projection of the spin-angular momentum gives incomplete information concerning the total radiated angular momentum. Humblet asserted that some field angular momentum is orbital angular momentum (OAM). This distinction, applied here to Mie scattering, gives insight into why classical electromagnetic radiation torque is proportional to absorbed power for isotropic spheres. It also reveals the direct measurability (from Stokes parameters) of spin contributions to the radiated angular momentum. This approach is applied to metallic spheres in circularly polarized illumination modeled with Lorenz–Mie theory using the Hagen–Rubens approximation (1903) in which the real and imaginary components of the sphere's refractive index are equal in magnitude. That approximation is often useful for terahertz and lower frequencies. It was helpful to compare a spin efficiency factor Qspin with the canonical scattering efficiency factor Qsca for varying sphere sizes at a fixed frequency. A small-size limiting case Qsca/Qspin = 2 is recovered associated with a common interpretation of electric dipole-related torque. For larger sizes, the OAM contribution increases giving Qsca/Qspin > 2. Van de Hulst's scattering calculations for metal spheres are also reproduced. Dedicated in memory of Seattle Pacific University Professor James H. Crichton (1937–1999).
Do Vaccines Cause Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

DTP and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Other vaccines currently routinely recommended to the general population in the U.S. have not been shown to cause SIDS.
Isolated cortical venous thrombosis after fetal demise

Isolated cortical venous thrombosis (ICVT) occurring in the absence of dural venous thrombosis, constitutes about 2%–5% of all cerebral venous thrombosis. Its vague, non-specific presentation makes it a difficult and challenging diagnosis that needs an extensive workup especially in young patients. Outcome and prognosis depend mainly on early diagnosis and treatment. Here we discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis and the treatment of a young woman diagnosed with ICVT with acute ischaemic venous stroke, in the setting of eclampsia and family history of coagulation disease.
A Comprehensive Review of Biomarker Use in the Gynecologic Tract Including Differential Diagnoses and Diagnostic Pitfalls

Morphologic (ie, hematoxylin and eosin) evaluation of the Mullerian tract remains the gold standard for diagnostic evaluation; nevertheless, ancillary/biomarker studies are increasingly utilized in daily practice to assist in the subclassification of gynecologic lesions and tumors. The most frequently utilized "biomarker" technique is immunohistochemistry; however, in situ hybridization (chromogenic and fluorescence), chromosomal evaluation, and molecular analysis can also be utilized to aid in diagnosis. This review focuses on the use of immunohistochemistry in the Mullerian tract, and discusses common antibody panels, sensitivity and specificity of specific antibodies, and points out potential diagnostic pitfalls when using such antibodies.
Kellerman: Automated and Autonomous Spatial Mobilities

Was the first automated traffic signal in New York (NY), London (UK), or San Francisco (CA)? The answer, found in Automated and Autonomous Spatial Mobilities, is none of the above. The first signal...
Elevated zinc transporter ZnT3 in the dentate gyrus of mast cell-deficient mice

Zinc is important in neurogenesis, but excessive levels can cause apoptosis and other pathologies leading to cognitive impairments. Mast cells are present in many brain regions including the hippocampus, an area rich in vesicular zinc. Mast cells contain zinc-rich granules and a well-developed mechanism for uptake of zinc ions; both features point to the potential for a role in zinc homeostasis. Prior work using the Timm stain supported this hypothesis, as increased labile zinc was detected in the hippocampus of mast cell-deficient mice compared to wild-type mice while no differences in total zinc were found between the two genotypes in the whole brain or other tissues. The current report further examines differences in zinc homeostasis between wild-type and mast cell-deficient mice by exploring the zinc transporter ZnT3, which transports labile zinc into synaptic vesicles. The first study used immunocytochemistry to localize ZnT3 within the mossy fibre layer of the hippocampus to determine whether there was differential expression of ZnT3 in wild-type versus mast cell-deficient mice. The second study used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine total zinc content in the whole dentate gyrus of the two genotypes. The immunocytochemical results indicate that there are higher levels of ZnT3 localized to the mossy fibre layer of the dentate gyrus of mast cell-deficient mice than in wild-type mice. The ICP-MS data reveal no differences in total zinc in dentate gyrus as a whole. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that mast cells participate in zinc homeostasis at the level of synaptic vesicles.
Effect of disaster debris, floodwater pooling duration, and bridge damage on immediate post-tsunami connectivity

Abstract This study establishes a general methodology to account for the effects of the amount of disaster debris generated, debris dispersal, the duration floodwater pooling for events like tsunamis, and damage to infrastructure on initial and time evolution of connectivity between critical facilities and key locations within a community such as evacuation zones and shelters. The proposed methodology is applied to Seaside, OR, for cascading seismic and tsunami hazards corresponding to seven return periods ranging from 250 to 10,000 years. The post-event connectivity is assessed for the first 72 h. The results provide insights on immediate post-event connectivity, its evolution with time as floodwaters recede and as the debris is cleared, and the relative effect of debris, floodwater pooling, and infrastructure damage on connectivity. For example, the level of disconnection caused by debris and flooding in Seaside is not always directly proportional to the return period (magnitude) of the seismic-tsunami event. Results show that bridge damage further exacerbates the lack of connectivity due to debris and floodwater pooling, highlighting that multi-hazard and multi-infrastructure analyses are necessary to understand connectivity for disasters.
Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of CD19-selected cells: Utility in detecting disease in post-therapy samples of B-cell neoplasms.

CONTEXT The detection of low-level persistent or relapsed B-cell neoplasms, particularly post-therapy, can be challenging, often requiring multiple testing modalities. OBJECTIVE Here we investigate the utility of CD19-based selection of neoplastic B-cells (CD19S) as an enrichment strategy to improve the detection rate of cytogenetic abnormalities in post-therapy samples of B-cell neoplasms, especially those with low-level disease. DESIGN In a cohort largely comprised of post-therapy B-ALL and CLL samples, we performed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis on CD19-selected cells (CD19S FISH) in 128 specimens from 88 patients, and on non-selected cells (NS FISH) in a subset of cases. The FISH findings were compared with the concurrent flow cytometry (FC) results in all samples and molecular analysis in a subset. RESULTS CD19S FISH was able to detect cytogenetic aberrations in 86.0% of post-therapy samples with evidence of disease as determined by routine or MRD FC, compared to 59.1% of samples by NS FISH. CD19S FISH detected significantly higher percentages of positive cells compared to NS FISH (p < 0.001). Importantly, CD19S FISH enabled the detection of emergent subclones (clonal evolution) associated with poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS CD19S FISH can be useful in daily diagnostic practice. Compared to NS FISH, CD19S FISH is quantitatively and qualitatively superior for the detection of cytogenetic aberrations in B-cell neoplasms, which are important for risk stratification and optimal management of patients with B-cell neoplasms, especially in the relapsed setting. Although CD19S FISH has a diagnostic sensitivity inferior to that of MRD FC, the sensitivity of this modality is comparable to routine FC for the evaluation of low-level disease in the post-therapy setting. Moreover, CD19S samples are invaluable for additional molecular and genetic analyses.
Assessment of Sedimentary Botryococcenes in Vietnamese Maar Lakes as Paleoclimate Proxies

Summary In contemporary settings, suites of C30-C37 hydrocarbons with botryococcene-related structures, including monocyclic and bicyclic components, have been identified in East African maar lakes and in the Everglades. The sedimentary concentrations of these compounds can be substantive, dwarfing other aliphatic hydrocarbon constituents. Distributions of botryococcenes in sediment samples spanning the past 32 kyr from Lake Masoko, Tanzania, reveal temporal variations attributed to variations in dominant strains of B. braunii rather than a response to changing environmental and climate conditions. Recognition of similar suites of botryococcenes in Vietnamese maar lakes with records that extend back past the Last Glacial Maximum now affords the opportunity to further assess the possibility that botryococcene distributions may record climatic information in these settings. The relative abundances of C34:2 botyrococcene (A) and C34:3 monocyclic botyrococcene (M) in a sediment core from Lake Ia M’He in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, expressed as % M/(A+M), reveals a progressive decrease in the proportions of the monocyclic component relative to the acyclic botyrococcene from the last glaciation to the recent past. These data suggest that assessment of links between the distribution of these specific botyrococcene components in Lake Ia M’He sediments and changes in climate is merited.
Changing the Way the Enterprise Works: Operational Transformations.

The communication and information revolution is caused by a fast changing sets of technologies that have already caused changes in the enterprise. Furthermore the expectations of the "customers" of the enterprise have changed because of personal use of the internet and web. Customers expect the Time of response for any transaction to be instantaneous. Managing the pace of change is today’s big enterprise problem. The technologies of computers, networks, software that enable very fast response are complex and themselves fast changing .To use the new versions of technologies requires both learning new skills and changing internal operational procedures. Operational Transformation is the next frontier of business advantage. Because of global competition in uncertain times, Any enterprise of any size must be configured to change; change the way they conduct business and change basic operations. Failure to do this will mean losing to competitors who do change. These issues will be examined and a possible solution to the problem offered.