cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of stocking strategies for endangered white abalone using a hierarchical demographic model

Abstract Evaluation of stocking strategies for endangered white abalone ( Haliotis sorenseni ) has been challenging due to limited data. The present study demonstrated an application of hierarchical demographic model for investigating population dynamics of white abalone and evaluating efficacy of hypothetical restoration strategies. The model represented demographic parameters as multi-level hierarchies, which accounted for uncertainty in parameter estimation due to limited data, and accounted for individual/sub-population variability in demographic traits in response to spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The model also accounted for the Allee effect (i.e., density-dependent fertilization success) observed in white abalone populations. In the calculation of fertilization success, we applied region-specific density estimates from three regions (Tanner Bank, Cortes Bank and San Clemente Island). Elasticity analyses showed that survival affected growth rate more than fertility, and fertility and survival of large-size individuals (>130 mm) had the most influence on growth rate; the mean elasticity to fertility decreased while the one to survival increased as the population became less abundant. Evaluation of stocking strategies suggested that restoration efforts directed at larger-size individuals may be more effective in increasing population density than efforts focusing on juveniles; the degree of increase depended on both initial population density and initial size structure. However, stocking large-size individuals led to a decrease in the intermediate-size class (90–130 mm) proportion in most cases. Efficacy of increasing intermediate-size class proportion heavily depended on initial population density. We suggest that restoration efforts may need to consider the region-specific density-dependence effect, and to balance stocking efficacy and laboratory expenses/time consumption.
Rational Expectations and Learning from Experience

I. Introduction, 47.—II. The model, 49.—III. Conclusions, 54. The universal form of conscious behavior is thus action designed to change a future situation inferred from a present one. It involves perception and, in addition, twofold inference. We must infer what the future situation would have been without our interference, and what change will be wrought in it by our action. Fortunately or unfortunately, none of these processes is infallible, or indeed ever accurate and complete (Knight, 1921, pp. 201–02). The correspondence of expectations that makes it possible for all parties to achieve what they are striving for is in fact brought about by a process of learning by trial and error which must involve a constant disappointment of some expectations. The process of adaptation operates, as do the adjustments of any self-organizing system, by what cybernetics has taught us to call negative feedback: responses to the differences between the expected and the actual results of actions so that these differences will be reduced (Hayek, 1976, pp. 124–25).
Block-implicit calculation of steady turbulent recirculating flows

Abstract A solution algorithm based on a fully-coupled solution of the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations is proposed to calculate steady multidimensional turbulent recirculating flows. The governing elliptic partial differential equations are discretized by finite differences and the nonlinear algebraic equations are solved by a block implicit algorithm employing Newton's method and sparse matrix techniques. The technique is applied to the analysis of two recirculating flow geometries of relevance to gas turbine combustors and furnace flows. The algorithm is observed to be rapidly convergent and stable. The calculated flow characteristics are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data.
Hypophysiotropic hormone testing in a patient with hypothalamic hypopituitarism.

Abstract A 59-year-old woman with metastatic breast carcinoma presented with weight loss, vomiting, and polyuria. Basal endocrine testing revealed low levels of thyroxine, cortisol, and gonadotropins, and the presence of diabetes insipidus. Direct stimulation of the pituitary with hypophysiotropic hormones indicated intact pituitary reserve. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia, however, failed to increase plasma cortisol or growth hormone levels significantly. On computed tomographic scanning, a lesion was found in the area of the hypothalamus. Thus, a functional abnormality of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis causing clinically significant hypothalamic hypopituitarism was not clearly apparent following administration of hypothalamic releasing' factors but was demonstrable with indirect stimulation via insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia remains an important diagnostic test in the evaluation of hypopituitarism.
Challenges for structure-based HIV vaccine design.

Purpose of review We review structural information on the native HIV envelope trimer and the known epitopes for broadly neutralizing antibodies and discuss how this structural information should guide the design of more effective immunogens. Recent findings Recent epitope mapping of HIV-positive sera demonstrates that the immune system is able to mount a potent and broadly neutralizing antibody response against conserved elements of the HIV envelope. The structure of trimeric envelope spikes on intact HIV-1 virions (the target of neutralizing antibodies) was determined at low resolution using cryo-electron tomography. Fitting high-resolution crystal structures of monomeric gp120 complexed with different neutralizing ligands into the cryo-electron density maps provides useful models for the native virion trimer and for mechanisms of neutralization. Summary So far, all attempts to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV by immunization have failed. Recent structural information on the virion-associated HIV envelope spike and of the precise interaction of broadly neutralizing mAbs with their epitopes clarifies the steric and geometric constraints faced by antibodies targeting conserved HIV epitopes. Implications for vaccine design are discussed.
Increases in Body Mass Index Following Initiation of Methadone Treatment

Despite the clear efficacy of methadone for opioid dependence, one less desirable phenomenon associated with methadone may be weight gain. We examined changes in body mass index (BMI) among patients entering methadone treatment. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 96 patients enrolled in an outpatient methadone clinic for ≥ 6 months. The primary outcome of BMI was assessed at intake and a subsequent physical examination approximately 1.8 ± 0.95 years later. Demographic, drug use and treatment characteristics were also examined. There was a significant increase in BMI following intake (p<0.001). Mean BMIs increased from 27.2 ± 6.8 to 30.1 ± 7.7 kg/m(2), translating to a 17.8-pound increase (10% increase in body weight) in the overall patient sample. Gender was the strongest predictor of BMI changes (p < 0.001), with significantly greater BMI increases in females than males (5.2 vs. 1.7 kg/m(2), respectively). This translates to a 28-pound (17.5%) increase in females vs. a 12-pound (6.4%) increase in males. In summary, methadone treatment enrollment was associated with clinically significant weight gain, particularly among female patients. This study highlights the importance of efforts to help patients mitigate weight gain during treatment, particularly considering the significant health and economic consequences of obesity for individuals and society more generally.
The role of nitric oxide and NO-donor agents in myocardial protection from surgical ischemic-reperfusion injury

The coronary vascular endothelium is injured by ischemia-reperfusion, which may facilitate the pathophysiological role played by neutrophils. Hearts undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery or other surgical procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass and elective cardioplegia undergo repetitive episodes of ischemia and reperfusion, which leads to endothelial injury as well as contractile dysfunction and morphological injury, despite the use of cardioprotective cardioplegic solutions and other strategies of myocardial protection. In cardiac surgery, as in coronary occlusion, endothelial injury seems to occur upon reperfusion with unmodified blood. Blood cardioplegia does not prevent this surgical 'reperfusion injury', but does prevent extension of endothelial injury during the period of hypothermic cardioplegic arrest ('protected ischemia'). It is not known whether global cardioplegic ischemia in preoperatively injured hearts impairs the basal release of nitric oxide (NO) and hence obtunds this endogenous protective mechanism. However, enhancement of blood cardioplegia with the NO precursor, L-arginine, reduces postsurgical myocardial injury, suggesting that endogenous or basal release of NO participates in the modulation of ischemic-reperfusion injury. In addition, an NO-donor agent also protects the myocardium from surgical ischemic-reperfusion injury. Both cardioprotective strategies involve inhibition of neutrophil accumulation, consistent with the known inhibitory effects of NO on neutrophil adherence and neutrophil-mediated damage to the coronary endothelium. Therefore, NO-related therapy offers a new strategy to protect the myocardium, including the coronary endothelium, from surgically imposed ischemic-reperfusion injury.
Prion Protein Aggregation Reverted by Low Temperature in Transfected Cells Carrying a Prion Protein Gene Mutation

Prion diseases are characterized by the conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrPC), a glycoprotein that is anchored to the cell membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol moiety, into an isoform that is protease-resistant (PrPres) and pathogenic. In inherited prion diseases, mutations in the prion protein (PrPM) engender the conversion of PrPM into PrPres. We developed a cell model of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, a neurodegenerative condition characterized by PrPM-containing amyloid deposits and neuronal loss, by expressing the Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker haplotype Q217R-129V in human neuroblastoma cells. By comparison to PrPC, this genotype results in the following alterations of PrPM: 1) expression of an aberrant form lacking the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, 2) increased aggregation and protease resistance, and 3) impaired transport to the cell surface. Most of these alterations are temperature-sensitive, indicating that they are due to misfolding of PrPM.
Molecular mechanisms of chronic rejection following transplantation

Although significant advances have been made in the field of organ transplantation, chronic rejection remains a major limiting factor for prolonged graft survival. The long-term survival and function of transplanted lungs are limited by the development of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). The 10-yr lung graft survival rate is only 18.6%. Aside from results of several clinical studies that strongly support the concept that BOS results from alloimmune-mediated injury, little is known regarding specific immune effectors or target molecules involved in the pathogenesis of BOS. Studies from our laboratory have provided evidence for the seminal role of CD4+ T-cells in the pathogenesis of obliterative airway disease (OAD) seen in BOS. Prior to any clinically detectable lesions, there is indirect antigen presentation of mismatched major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen and production of antibodies to these MHC antigens. Both MHC and minor histocompatibility antigen disparities can result in the development of OAD in animal models and preliminary results strongly suggest that peptide vaccination strategies may prevent OAD following heterotopic tracheal transplants. Using a newly developed orthotopic tracheal transplant model, we have obtained evidence for an important and probably exclusive role for airway epithelial cell injury as a primary mechanism for the immunopathogenesis of the development of OAD.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for decoupling using output feedback

Necessary and sufficient conditions for decoupling linear multivariable systems using output feedback are determined. For a system which satisfies these conditions, the class of all feedback matrices which decouple the system is characterized. These conditions provide realistic criteria for determining if a compensator or an observer is required for decoupling.
Economic Factors and Relationship Quality Among Young Couples: Comparing Cohabitation and Marriage

Are economic resources related to relationship quality among young couples, and to what extent does this vary by relationship type? To answer these questions, we estimated regression models predicting respondent reports of conflict and affection in cohabiting and married partner relationships using the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, 1997 (NLSY97, N = 2,841) and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health, N = 1,702). We found that economic factors are an important predictor of conflict for both married and cohabiting couples. Affection was particularly responsive to human capital rather than short-term economic indicators. Economic hardship was associated with more conflict among married and cohabiting couples.
Newly secreted adenylate cyclase toxin is responsible for intoxication of target cells by Bordetella pertussis.

Summary Adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin is present on the surface of Bordetella pertussis organisms and their addition to eukaryotic cells results in increases in intracellular cAMP. To test the hypothesis that surface-bound toxin is the source for intoxication of cells when incubated with B. pertussis, we characterized the requirements of intoxication from intact bacteria and found that this process is calcium-dependent and blocked by monoclonal antibody to AC toxin or antibody against CD11b, a surface glycoprotein receptor for the toxin. Increases in intracellular cAMP correlate with the number of adherent bacteria, not the total number present in the medium, suggesting that interaction of bacteria with target cells is important for efficient delivery of AC toxin. A filamentous haemagglutinin-deficient mutant (BP353) and a clinical isolate (GMT1), both of which have a marked reduction in AC toxin on their surface, and wild-type B. pertussis (BP338) from which surface AC toxin has been removed by trypsin, were fully competent for intoxicating target cells, demonstrating that surface-bound AC toxin is not responsible for intoxication. B. pertussis killed by gentamicin or gamma irradiation were unable to intoxicate, illustrating that toxin delivery requires viable bacteria. Furthermore, CCCP, a protonophore that disrupts the proton gradient necessary for the secretion of related RTX toxins, blocked intoxication by whole bacteria. These data establish that delivery of this toxin by intact B. pertussis is not dependent on the surface-associated AC toxin, but requires close association of live bacteria with target cells and the active secretion of AC toxin.
Neonatal Hemodialysis and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe catheters, dialyzers, and blood lines in hemodialysis for neonates. 2. Explain the blood prime and hemodialysis prescription in hemodialysis for neonates. 3. List potential complications of hemodialysis for neonates. 4. Identify the types of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in neonates. 5. Explain the dialysis prescription and anticoagulation options for CRRT in neonates. 6. List potential complications of CRRT in neonates. Since the mid-1980s, when dialysis manufacturers began making dialyzers and blood circuit paths that required smaller extracorporeal volumes, hemodialysis has been used successfully to manage renal failure in neonates and infants. Compared with peritoneal dialysis (PD), which is analogous to the “family sedan” in the world of dialysis (slower, more predictable, easier to operate), hemodialysis is the “race car.” Hemodialysis is capable of removing fluids and solutes much more rapidly than is PD. Unlike PD, hemodialysis uses catheters that access the intravascular space directly. Despite the advantages of hemodialysis, the process in neonates is technically more challenging than PD due to the very attributes that make it so effective. Rapid removal of intravascular fluids, exceeding the rate of refill from the extravascular space, causes problems with hypotension due to direct reduction in intravascular volume. Similarly, rapid rates of solute clearance can cause problems with increased intracranial pressure. Catheter placement and maintenance of catheter function can constitute a significant obstacle to hemodialysis. Hemofiltration is very similar to hemodialysis in that patient blood is circulated through an artificial kidney. However, hemofiltration differs from hemodialysis in three significant aspects. First, the hemofilter has larger pore sizes than the standard dialyzer, which allows for excellent fluid removal, even with low blood flow rates, and better larger molecule clearance. Second, hemofiltration runs continuously without the continuous presence of a dialysis nurse. Third, typical hemofiltration uses a pre- or postdilution …
Alternative solution of the kernel function in subsonic unsteady lifting surface theory

Our purpose is to outline a possible approach to the approximation of the kernel function. To this end, the kernel function has been approximated with a portion of the integrand in the kernel replaced with a simple curve fit. This curve fit employs functions that render the integrand readily integrable.
Design and implementation of a DSP-based MIMO system prototype for real-time demonstration and indoor channel measurements

The design and implementation of the Virginia Tech Space-Time Advanced Radio (VT-STAR), a multiple antenna element space-time (ST) processing prototype testbed, is presented. The testbed is a research tool for comparing practical and theoretical performance metrics (e.g., throughput, link reliability) in different wireless channel conditions. The prototype builds around software-defined radio (SDR) concepts on a DSP platformand provides the flexibility to implement various forms of ST techniques. Different components of the system are described in detail, including the software implementation, I/O schemes with custom hardware, and data transfer mechanisms between the DSP and the host PC. Two different example realizations are presented, a real-time demonstration and an offline measurement tool. Finally, some representative measurement results obtained in indoor environments are presented. These results show VT-STAR to be a promising tool for performing MIMO experiments and generating channel measurements that can complement simulation studies in this area.
Automated Interface Refinement for Compositional Verification

Compositional verification is essential for verifying large systems. However, approximate environments are needed when verifying the constituent modules in a system. Effective compositional verification requires finding a simple but accurate over approximate environment for each module. Otherwise, many verification failures may be produced, therefore incurring high computational penalty for distinguishing the false failures from the real ones. This paper presents an automated method to refine the state space of each module within an over approximate environment. This method is sound as long as an over approximate environment is found for each module at the beginning of the verification process, and it has less restrictions on system partitioning. It is also coupled with several state-space reduction techniques for better results. Experiments of this method on several large asynchronous designs show promising results.
Path diagnosis with IPMP

The ability to measure and identify performance fault locations on an Internet path between two hosts is an important first step towards diagnosing and correcting a fault or avoiding fault locations entirely. The ability to identify fault locations on both the forward and reverse paths from a single point would be very powerful for both operators and users. Rather than describing a tool for path diagnosis per se, this paper describes how one could apply a simple measurement protocol to diagnose faults.
A Theoretical Framework for the Study of the Psychological Sense of Community of English-Speaking Caribbean Immigrants

The central observation here is that a Caribbean immigrant from one island develops a psychological sense of community towards Caribbean immigrants from a different island. This sense of community is the inclination of the immigrant to consider himself or herself and immigrants from the other island to be a unit, to relate to the immigrants from the other island as though these immigrants were himself or herself. It may be engendered as the immigrant develops connections to immigrants from the other island: resides close to them, interacts with them, identifies with them, and displays a dependence on them for his or her identity. The immigrant develops these connections under the influence of contextual conditions under which the immigrant lives: the Caribbean migrant ideology, the disorganization the immigrant experiences because of the differences between his or her native culture and that of the new society and the achievement orientation of the immigrant in the new society.
Functional roles of the A335 and G338 residues of the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT-SLC46A1) mutated in hereditary folate malabsorption.

The proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT-SLC46A1) mediates intestinal folate absorption and folate transport across the choroid plexus, processes defective in hereditary folate malabsorption (HF...
On Arabic-English cross-language information retrieval: a machine translation approach

Machine translation (MT) is an automatic process that translates from one human language to another by using context information. We empirically evaluate the use of an MT-based approach for query translation in an Arabic-English cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) system, called ALKAFI, using the TREC-7 and TREC-9 topics and collections. The effect of the query length on the MT performance is also investigated in order to explore how much context is actually required for successful MT processing.
A Pan-specific Antibody for Direct Detection of Protein Histidine Phosphorylation

Despite its importance in central metabolism and bacterial cell signaling, protein histidine phosphorylation has remained elusive with respect to its extent and functional roles in biological systems because of the lack of adequate research tools. We report the development of the first pan-phosphohistidine (pHis) antibody using a stable pHis mimetic as the hapten. This antibody was successfully used in ELISA, western blotting, dot blot assays and immunoprecipitation and in detection and identification of histidine-phosphorylated proteins from native cell lysates when coupled with MS analysis. We also observed that the amount of protein pHis in Escherichia coli lysates depends on carbon source and nitrogen availability in the growth medium. In particular, we found that the amount of pHis on phosphoenolpyruvate synthase (PpsA) is sensitive to nitrogen availability in vivo and that α-ketoglutarate inhibits phosphotransfer from phosphorylated PpsA to pyruvate. We expect this antibody to open opportunities for investigating other pHis proteins and their functions.
Race Differences in Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults

Objectives. Explaining race differences in cognitive functioning in later life continues to challenge researchers. This study was an attempt to incorporate the clinical literature, emphasizing biological correlates of cognitive functioning, and the social research literature, emphasizing social inequalities and consequent health outcomes, in the examination of sources of race differences in cognitive functioning in older adults. Methods. With data from Wave 1 of the Assets and Health Dynamics of the Oldest Old survey, the authors used structural equation models (LISREL 8.30) to estimate the direct effects of race on cognitive functioning and indirect effects through social and biological risk factors for the total sample ( N � 5,955). Results. Race had a direct association with cognitive functioning. Race also had indirect effects on cognitive functioning through social risk factors—education and health insurance. There did not appear to be indirect effects of race through biological risk factors. Discussion. The direct and indirect effects of race through social risk factors attest to the importance of examining different ways through which race can influence cognitive functioning of older adults. This research also emphasizes the need for researchers to investigate more closely race differences in dimensions of cognitive functioning and cognitive functioning over time.
Prediction of process cheese instrumental texture and melting characteristics using dielectric spectroscopy and chemometrics.

This study evaluated the potentiality of dielectric spectroscopy as a tool to predict the functional properties of process cheese. Dielectric properties of process cheese were collected over the frequency range 0.2 to 3.2 GHz at 25°C. Dielectric spectra of process cheese were collected using a high-temperature, open-ended dielectric probe connected to a vector network analyzer. The present study was conducted using 2 sets of commercial process cheese formulations and a set of specially formulated process cheese. For the all the process cheese samples analyzed, a decrease in dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor was observed as the incident frequency increased. Partial least square regression (PLSR) and multilayer perceptron neural network models were developed using the dielectric spectra of process cheese to predict the hardness (gf), melting point (°C), and modified Schreiber melt diameter (mm) of process cheese. The prediction models were validated using the full cross-validation method. The ratio of prediction error to deviation was greater than 2 for melt diameter and hardness, indicating a good practical utility of the PLSR prediction models. The predictability of multilayer perceptron neural network was less than the PLSR models and could be due to the small number of training samples in the data sets. Dielectric spectroscopy coupled with PLSR could be a useful tool for the nondestructive measurement of functional properties of process cheese.
Verifying Anaconda's expert rating by competing against Chinook: experiments in co-evolving a neural checkers player

Abstract Since the early days of artificial intelligence, there has been interest in having a computer teach itself how to play a game of skill, like checkers, at a level that is competitive with human experts. To be truly noteworthy, such efforts should minimize the amount of human intervention in the learning process. Recently, co-evolution has been used to evolve a neural network (called Anaconda) that, when coupled with a minimax search, can evaluate checker-boards and play to the level of a human expert, as indicated by its rating of 2045 on an international web site for playing checkers. The neural network uses only the location, type, and number of pieces on the board as input. No other features that would require human expertise are included. Experiments were conducted to verify the neural network's expert rating by competing it in 10 games against a “novice-level” version of Chinook, a world-champion checkers program. The neural network had 2 wins, 4 losses, and 4 draws in the 10-game match. Based on an estimated rating of Chinook at the novice level, the results corroborate Anaconda's expert rating.
Implication for the CD94/NKG2A-Qa-1 system in the generation and function of ocular-induced splenic CD8+ regulatory T cells

The injection of antigen into the anterior chamber (AC) induces the production of antigen-specific splenic CD8+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) /suppressor T cells that perform the local suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses. Because CD94/NKG2A-Qa-1-dependent interactions have been implicated in CD8+ Treg-mediated immune suppression and DBA/2J mice are deficient in CD94/NKG2R, we have utilized these mice to test the hypothesis that the CD94/NKG2A-Qa-1 system is essential to the induction and immunosuppressive function of CD8+ Tregs in anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). We show that: (i) neither ACAID-mediated suppression of DTH to ovalbumin nor splenic Tregs/suppressor T cells was induced in DBA/2J mice that received an injection of antigen into the AC; (ii) splenic CD8+ Tregs from ACAID-induced DBA/2NCr mice suppressed the initiation of DTH when transferred to DBA/2J mice; (iii) following injection of antigen into the AC, intravenous administration of splenocytes or Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) isolated from DBA/2NCr but not from DBA/2J mice transferred suppression of DTH to DBA/2NCr mice; (iv) antibodies to CD94/NKG2A reduced the ACAID CD8+ T cell-mediated suppression of DTH and (v) The deficiency of such immune regulation in DBA/2J mice also correlated with a decreased number of Qa-1(b+) B cells, F4/80+ cells, a deficient number of CD94/NKG2AR and Qa-1 tetramer binding by CD8+ T cells. These results demonstrate that defective ACAID in DBA/2J mice involves multiple regulatory lesions resulting in a lack of induction of a CD8+ Treg response and possibly defective CD94/NKG2A-dependent suppression of peripheral cell-mediated immunity.
Not So Fast! A Response to Michael Guilfoyle

Although finding many places of agreement with Michael Guilfoyle's argument, I am also disappointed with his central conclusions. There are indeed nondiscursive lines of force, but these do not necessarily contradict the logic of discursive positioning. Moreover, discursive psychology has built into it many ways to account for stability as well as fluidity. I also agree with Guilfoyle's application of liminal spaces to positioning, but this need not mean that in such a liminal space a person who is lost for words is free from discourse in that moment. In the end, the case Guilfoyle presents throws up an ethical issue of how the client is positioned in the therapeutic relation that can be read in terms of the client acquiescing to therapist power. This reading renders Guilfoyle's case less than convincing.
Use of Zernike Polynomials for Modal Vector Correlation of Small Turbine Blades

Correlation of modal data using the Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) is difficult under the best of circumstances. This is especially true for very small structures such as turbine blades. Considering the typical geometric variation in overall blade geometry, the sensitivity of point location geometric variation can have a detrimental effect on the stated mode correlation using MAC. However, visual interpretation can indicate very similar shapes whereas MAC using detailed discrete points for a large number of points typically obtained from optical measuring systems may not yield suitable MAC values.
The Pleurotus Ostreatus-Sapidus Species Complex

SUMMARYTwo macroscopically indistinguishable, noninterbreeding populations of edible oyster mushrooms were studied. These were determined to be Pleurotos ostreatus which was found only on Populus t...
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) experience of systemic therapy in mucosal melanoma.

9073 Background: Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a molecular and clinical subset of melanoma distinct from cutaneous melanoma (CM). The activity of systemic therapy (tx) in MM has not been rigorously eval...
Nuclease Footprints in Sperm Project Past and Future Chromatin Regulatory Events

Nuclear remodeling to a condensed state is a hallmark of spermatogenesis. This is achieved by replacement of histones with protamines. Regions retaining nucleosomes may be of functional significance. To determine their potential roles, sperm from wild type and transgenic mice harboring a single copy insert of the human protamine cluster were subjected to Micrococcal Nuclease-seq. CENTIPEDE, a hierarchical Bayesian model, was used to identify multiple spatial patterns, "footprints", of MNase-seq reads along the sperm genome. Regions predicted by CENTIPEDE analysis to be bound by a regulatory factor in sperm were correlated with genomic landmarks and higher order chromatin structure datasets to identify potential roles for these factors in regulating either prior or post spermatogenic, i.e., early embryonic events. This approach linked robust endogenous protamine transcription and transgene suppression to its chromatin environment within topologically associated domains. Of the candidate enhancer-bound regulatory proteins, Ctcf, was associated with chromatin domain boundaries in testes and embryonic stem cells. The continuity of Ctcf binding through the murine germline may permit rapid reconstitution of chromatin organization following fertilization. This likely reflects its preparation for early zygotic genome activation and comparatively accelerated preimplantation embryonic development program observed in mouse as compared to human and bull.
Scaling Up Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions

To implement preventive interventions that have had favorable outcomes in research studies into school settings may present challenges to the fidelity of the original research trial that produced these outcomes. Scaling up an evidence-based preventive intervention (EBI) is multifaceted and multilayered. Successful implementation of EBIs depends on more than appropriate selection of the intervention. A school’s organizational capacity has an influence on the quality of implementation. Factors that influence the decision to adopt EBI such as the school’s readiness, funding, time requirements, training required, community influence, and school climate are all areas to be considered. This chapter discusses key challenges in scaling up evidence-based preventive interventions in school settings and key factors that influence dissemination, adoption, and implementation stages in the scaling-up process as well as a summary of findings from studies on the multilevel factors that contribute to successful adoption and implementation with a case study that demonstrates one approach to addressing these challenges and issues.
Social Interactions as a Source of Information about E-Cigarettes: A Study of U.S. Adult Smokers

The novelty of e-cigarettes and ambiguity about their effects may foster informal sharing of information, such as through social interactions. We aimed to describe smokers’ social interactions about e-cigarettes and their recommendations that others use e-cigarettes. Data were collected from 2149 adult smokers in North Carolina and California who participated in a study of the impact of pictorial cigarette pack warnings. In the previous month, almost half of participants (45%) reported talking to at least one person about e-cigarettes and nearly a third of participants (27%) recommended e-cigarettes to someone else. Smokers recommended e-cigarettes to cut back on smoking (57%), to quit smoking (48%), for health reasons (36%), and for fun (27%). In adjusted analyses, more frequent e-cigarette use, positive views about typical e-cigarette users, and attempting to quit smoking in the past month were associated with recommending e-cigarettes for health reasons (all p < 0.05). Social interactions appear to be a popular method of information-sharing about e-cigarettes among smokers. Health communication campaigns may help to fill in the gaps of smokers’ understanding of e-cigarettes and their long-term effects.
Dominant-Negative Inhibition of MCT-1 Oncogene Attenuates a Malignant Phenotype through Translational Repression.

Background: Gene expression is controlled at multiple levels. Translation initiation is a critical checkpoint for regulating levels of protein synthesis. The MCT-1 (Multiple copies in T-cell lymphoma 1) oncogene product has been shown to bind to the cap complex through its PUA domain and recruit DENR, a SUI1 motif containing protein that can increase translation initiation of target mRNAs by scanning and recognition of the initiation codon. An important function of MCT-1 is its modulation of a subset of cancer related mRNAs in human tumors. Levels of MCT-1 protein are increased in a number of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cell lines and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The abnormal regulation of protein synthesis in lymphoma cells has the potential to be exploited for cancer therapy. We have shown that an MCT-1 deletion mutant, containing only the PUA domain interacts with the cap-complex but does not promote translation. We hypothesized that a PUA-domain mutant acting as dominant-negative would interfere with MCT-1 function through translational repression and modify the malignant phenotype. Method: Using a retroviral vector we established stable Jurkat cell lines expressing either PUA (Jurkat-PUA) or empty vector (Jurkat-V) in order to investigate the feasibility of targeting MCT-1 using a dominant-negative approach and its impact on the transformed phenotype. Multiple clones were plated in soft agar to determine anchorage-independent growth capacity. We also examined growth under reduced serum conditions to evaluate growth kinetics under stress conditions. Jurkat cell lines expressing either PUA or empty vector were exposed to either doxorubicin or gamma-irradiation and cell viability was assessed using both trypan blue exclusion and TUNEL assay. Effects on translation were assayed employing a combination of Western blotting and in-vivo translation assays. Results: There was a greater than three-fold difference in colony formation comparing Jurkat-V with Jurkat-PUA cells. Under serum deprivation conditions Jurkat-PUA grew much slower than Jurkat-V, and cell cycle analysis demonstrated Jurkat-PUA clones progressing through the cell cycle significantly slower than Jurkat-V clones. Sensitivity to both doxorubicin and gamma-radiation was increased at least 2-fold in cells expressing the PUA deletion mutant. Quantitative real-time PCR performed in Jurkat-V and Jurkat-PUA cells demonstrated equivalent levels of selected target mRNAs including Dp-1 and Cyclin D1 however, there were lower protein levels in the Jurkat-PUA clones. Finally, Jurkat-PUA cells displayed reduced in-vivo translation. Conclusion: We have shown that Jurkat cells retrovirally transduced with a dominant-negative MCT-1 mutant can interfere with protein synthesis and modify the malignant phenotype of a highly aggressive lymphoma. As proof of principle, we have established the utility of targeting MCT-1 and the translation initiation complex in lymphoma cells as a potentially useful therapeutic approach.
Design and deployment of mobile FSO communication system

As a potential solution to many applications, we developed a mobile free-space optical (FSO) system that achieves 1Gbps with transmission distance of 70 m. This system needs minimal preparation to be deployed within an hour.
An Economic Evaluation of Improvements in Process Capability for a Single-Level Canning Problem

Recent developments in quality improvement have emphasized variance reduction and created a need for methods to analyze the cost benefits that result from investments in increased conformance. In this paper we analyze the cost savings that result from a..
Making Smartphone Smart on Demand for Longer Battery Life

A major concern for today’s smartphones is their much faster battery drain than traditional feature phones, despite their greater battery capacities. The difference is mainly contributed by those more powerful but also much more powerconsuming smartphone components, such as the multi-core application processor. While the application processor must be active when any smart apps are being used, it is also unnecessarily waken up, even during idle periods, to perform operations related to basic phone functions (i.e., incoming calls and text messages). In this paper, we investigate how to increase the battery life of smartphones by minimizing the use of the application processor during idle periods.We find that the application processor is often waken up by a process running on it, called the Radio Interface Layer Daemon (RILD), which interfaces the user and apps to the GSM/LTE cellular network. In particular, we demonstrate that a great amount of energy could be saved if RILD is stopped, such that the application processor can sleep more often. Based on this key finding, we design a Smart On Demand (SOD) configuration that reduces smartphone idle energy consumption by running RILD operations on a secondary low-power microcontroller. As a result, RILD operations can be handled at much lower energy costs and the application processor is waken up only when one needs to use any smart apps, in an on-demand manner. We have built a hardware prototype of SOD. Our results show that SOD can reduce the energy consumption by up to 42%.
A software-defined MAC architecture for Wi-Fi operating in user space on conventional PCs

The ability to access low-level IEEE 802.11 MAC primitives, and in particular to manage single transmission attempts in software at the user space level, is a prerequisite for many application scenarios based on Wi-Fi and characterized by tight timings constraints. Seamless redundancy, traffic scheduling, and TDMA techniques are just a few significant examples. In this paper, a novel software architecture is defined, called SDMAC, which relies on conventional Linux PCs equipped with off-the-shelf Wi-Fi adapters and provides direct control on frame transmission to applications. Its implementation and evaluation on a real testbed showed that integrating SDMAC in the Linux protocol stack is a valid solution, in terms of the latencies introduced by software and hardware components, and suits a wide range of soft real-time applications.
Abstract 035: Mechanism of Chronic CaMKII Inhibition-Caused Regression of Heart Failure: Beneficial Effects on Neurohormonal Activation, Left Ventricular and Cardiomyocyte Contractile Function, [Ca2+]i Regulation and Beta-Adrenergic Modulation

Background: Recent evidence indicates that Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is upregulated in heart failure (HF), contributing to electric, structural and functional remodeling. CaMKII has been proposed to be a therapeutic target for HF. However, the role and mechanism of chronic CaMKII inhibition (I) in HF is unclear. We assessed the hypothesis that CaMKII I improves cardiomyocyte function, [Ca 2+ ] i regulation, and β-adrenergic reserve, thus limiting HF progression. Methods: We compared left ventricular (LV) and myocyte functional responses and plasma levels of norepinephrine (NE) over a period of 16 weeks (W) in 6 control (C) and 14 rats with HF induced by isoproterenol (ISO) (170 mg/kg sq for 2 days). After ISO for 12 weeks, HF animals were assigned to receive 4 W treatment with: placebo (saline) (n=6), KN-93 (70 µg/kg/day sq via mini pump) (n=6), or KN-92 (70 µg/kg/day sq via pump) (n=2), respectively. Results: Compared with C, ISO-treated rats had HF onset at 4 W after ISO and progressed to severe HF at 16 W with increased plasma NE (1398 vs 342 pg/ml), decreased ejection fraction (EF, 37% vs 62%) and LV contractility (E ES , 0.8 vs 1.3 mmHg/μl). LV time constant of relaxation (τ) (17.8 vs 10.6 ms) increased, accompanied with significant reductions in cell contraction (dL/dt max , 78 vs 151 μm/s), relaxation (dR/dt max , 59 vs 114 μm/s) and [Ca 2+ ] i transient ([Ca 2+ ] iT ) (0.18 vs 0.28). HF myocyte response to β-AR stimulation (ISO, 10 -8 M) was attenuated with significantly less increases in dL/dt max (34% vs 79%) and [Ca 2+ ] iT (19% vs 36%). The LV and myocyte dysfunction persisted in KN-92-treated HF group. In contrast, treatment with KN-93 significantly increased E ES (1.2 mmHg/μl) and EF (60%), decreased τ (12.1 ms) and corrected the elevation of plasma NE (319 pg/ml). Importantly, basal myocyte contraction (dL/dt max ,147 μm/s), relaxation (dR/dt max ,107 μm/s), and [Ca 2+ ] iT (0.25) improved. ISO-induced increase in dL/dt max (71%) and [Ca 2+ ] iT (32%) were augmented and close to normal control levels. Conclusion: Chronic CaMKII I prevents HF-induced sympathetic nervous system activation and improves LV and cardiomyocyte basal and β-AR stimulated contraction and relaxation, thus playing a salutary role at later stages of HF.
What Do We Know About Economic Diversification in Oil-Producing Countries?

Countries dependent on oil and mineral exports are often advised to diversify their economies, yet surprisingly little is known about how this can be done. This paper reviews the recent literature on diversification in resource-dependent states and suggests it has been constrained by missing and inconsistent data, and a reliance on diversification measures that are relatively uninformative for resource-rich states. It then uses an improved measure of export concentration from Papageorgiou and Spatafora to document three empirical patterns over the last half-century: the divergence between oil-producing states and non-oil states; the reconcentration of exports in most oil and mineral producing states since 1998, caused by the boom in commodity prices; and the heterogeneity of the oil producers, marked by greater diversification in Latin America and Southeast Asia, mixed performances in the Middle East, and greater concentration in Africa and the former Soviet Union. While change in the former Soviet Union was spurred by large new discoveries, the diversification failure of all oil-producing states in both North and sub-Saharan Africa is striking, and stands in contrast to the region’s non-oil producers. The paper concludes with a research agenda for deepening our understanding of this issue.
Connections between the Anomalous Volumetric Properties of Alcohols in Aqueous Solution and the Volume of Hydrophobic Association.

The partial molar volumes of alcohols in water exhibit a non-monotonic dependence on concentration at room temperature, initially decreasing with increasing concentration before passing through a minimum and rising to the pure liquid plateau. This anomalous behavior is associated with hydrophobic interactions. We report molecular simulations of short chain alcohols and alkanes in water to examine the volumetric properties of these mixtures at infinite dilution over a range of temperatures. Our simulations find this anomaly disappears at a crossover temperature, above which the solute volume only varies monotonically with concentration. A Voronoi volume analysis of solution configurations finds that solutes in clusters take up less space than individual solutes at low temperature and more space at elevated temperatures. These changes in cluster volumes are subsequently shown to correlate with the derivative of the solute partial molar volume with respect to solute concentration. The changes in solute volum...
Image quality assessment in first-person videos

Abstract First-person videos (FPVs) or egocentric videos provide a huge amount of data for visual lifelogs. The quality assessment of frames in FPVs serves as an important tool, feature or evaluation baseline for not only structuring but also analyzing lifelogs. To develop a frame-quality measure for FPVs, we introduce a new strategy for image quality estimation, called mutual reference (MR), which uses one or more pseudo-reference images to evaluate a test image. We then propose a MR quality estimator, called Local Visual Information (LVI), that primarily measures the relative blur between two images. To apply the MR strategy to FPVs, we propose a mutual reference frame quality assessment for FPVs (MRFQAFPV) framework which incorporates LVI. Our results, using both real and synthetic distortions and objective and subjective tests, demonstrate both methods perform better than existing NR QEs at measuring the quality of frames in FPVs.