cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A method of bite force measurement in primates.

Abstract A bite force transducer consisting of two differential strain beams with four strain gages in a full bridge configuration was modified for measuring occlusal forces in rhesus monkeys. A procedure of muscle stimulation (20–50 V, 60 Hz, and 0.8 ms duration) produced maximal unilateral masticatory muscle contraction when stimulating electrodes were placed in the masseter muscle. Tests of this procedure revealed reproducible results and a potential for use in studies of the force of isometric contraction of the masticatory muscles in normal and experimentally altered macaques and other primates.
Laser resurfacing of the face: analysis and diagnosis

Inherent changes within the skin Skin tone and color Skin vasculature Skin lesions Dynamic lines Facial muscles acting on the skin Loss of tissue elasticity Decreased elastin Disarray of collagen bundles Effects of gravity Soft tissue and bone loss Shifting of facial soft tissue evolving area in facial rejuvenation. Interest in this technology has paralleled the growing quest for more youthful skin. There has been a rapid expansion of all types of skin rejuvenation, from over-thecounter topical treatments to the more sophisticated use of lasers. What was the mainstay for cutaneous exfoliation less than half a decade ago (the CO2 laser) has been eclipsed by less invasive techniques. A number of lasers with shorter or even no healing time have been developed. With such a variety in treatments, the cosmetic surgeon must properly evaluate the patient’s needs and select an appropriate treatment plan. Skin type, extent of photoaging, associated dynamic wrinkles, and facial aging must be taken into account. Treatment for facial aging starts with proper diagnosis of the cause (see text box below). Therapy can range from home topical products to minimally invasive office procedures to aggressive resurfacing. Treatment can then be directed at the diagnosed problems and tailored according to the patient’s tolerance for minimal to invasive treatment.
‘What's larvae got to do with it?’ Disparate patterns of post‐glacial population structure in two benthic marine gastropods with identical dispersal potential

In marine environments, many species have apparently colonized high latitude regions following the last glacial maximum (LGM) yet lack a life-history stage, such as a free-living larva, that is clearly capable of long-distance dispersal. Two hypotheses can explain the modern high latitude distributions of these marine taxa: (1) survival in northern refugia during the LGM or (2) rapid post-glacial dispersal by nonlarval stages. To distinguish these two scenarios, I characterized the genetic structure of two closely related northeastern Pacific gastropods that lack planktonic larvae but which have distributions extending more than 1000 km north of the southern limit of glaciers at the LGM. Despite having identical larval dispersal potential, these closely related species exhibit fundamentally different patterns of genetic structure. In Nucella ostrina, haplotype diversity among northern populations (British Columbia and Alaska) is low, no pattern of isolation by distance exists and a coalescent-based model of population growth indicates that during the LGM population size was reduced to less than 35% of its current size. In the congeneric and often sympatric N. lamellosa, northern populations harbour a diversity of ancient private haplotypes, significant evidence of isolation by distance exists and regional subdivision was found between northern (Alaska) and southern (southern British Columbia, Washington and Oregon) populations. Estimates of coalescent parameters indicate only a modest reduction in population size during the LGM and that northern and southern populations of N. lamellosa split approximately 50 Kyr before the LGM. The patterns are consistent with the hypothesis that N. ostrina recently reinvaded the northeastern Pacific but N. lamellosa survived the LGM in a northern refuge. A comparison of similar studies in this region indicates that depleted levels of genetic variation at high latitudes--evidence suggestive of recent colonization from a southern refuge--is more common among intertidal species that live relatively high on the shore, where exposure times to cold stress in air are longer than for species living lower on the shore. These data suggest that for some faunas, ecological differences between taxa may be more important than larval dispersal potential in determining species' long-term biogeographical responses to climate change.
The Past Quarter-Century as Economic History and the Tasks of International Economic Organization

I Was assigned for this occasion a rather substantial—one might almost say grandiose—subject. I would not deny responsibility, because I accepted it. But in view of its scope I should first explain how I have tried to render it manageable, with respect to both theoretical structure and mode of exposition.
Uncoupling of the Baroreflex by NN-Cholinergic Blockade in Dissecting the Components of Cardiovascular Regulation

Systemic administration of adrenergic agonists and nitric oxide donors is used extensively to determine cardiovascular receptor sensitivity. Conclusions regarding receptor sensitivity in the presence of the baroreflex may be misleading. In 8 normal volunteers, we determined the heart rate and blood pressure changes after incremental bolus doses of isoproterenol, phenylephrine, and sodium nitroprusside before and during neuronal nicotinic cholinergic (N(N)-cholinergic) blockade with trimethaphan. Results are given as median (25th/75th percentile). With trimethaphan, the baroreflex slope (as determined by bolus doses of nitroprusside and phenylephrine) decreased from 24 (22/26) to 0.00 (0.00/0.09) ms/mm Hg (P<0.01). The dose of isoproterenol that decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) 12.5 mm Hg changed from 0.61 (0.51/5.3) to 0.17 (0.12/0.21) microg (P<0.01); the dose required to increase heart rate 12.5 bpm changed from 0.22 (0.17/0.41) to 0.74 (0.33/2.3) microg (P<0.01). The dose of nitroprusside required to decrease SBP 12.5 mm Hg changed from 2.3 (1.3/3.4) to 0.18 (0.14/0.24) microg/kg (P<0.01). The dose of phenylephrine required to increase SBP 12.5 mm Hg changed from 135 (110/200) to 16 (10/30) microg (P<0.01). We conclude that the efferent arc of the baroreflex can be completely interrupted with N(N)-cholinergic blockade. Estimation of adrenoreceptor sensitivity and sensitivity to nitric oxide donors by systemic administration of agonists is severely confounded by baroreflexes. Uncoupling of the baroreflex by N(N)-cholinergic blockade may be a useful method to obtain an integrated measure of adrenergic receptor sensitivity and sensitivity to nitric oxide donors in humans. This approach would permit the comparison of normal and abnormal physiological states without the "noise" of baroreflex buffering.
Compositional analysis of heparin/heparan sulfate interacting with fibroblast growth factor.fibroblast growth factor receptor complexes.

Heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans (PGs) interact with a number of extracellular signaling proteins, thereby playing an essential role in the regulation of many physiological processes. One major function of HS is to interact with fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) and form FGF·HS·FGFR signaling complexes. Past studies primarily examined the selectivity of HS for FGF or FGFR. In this report, we used a new strategy to study the structural specificity of HS binding to 10 different FGF·FGFR complexes. Oligosaccharide libraries prepared from heparin, 6-desufated heparin, and HS were used for the interaction studies by solution competition surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and filter trapping assays. Specific oligosaccharides binding to FGF·FGFR complexes were subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis and disaccharide compositional analysis using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The competition SPR studies using sized oligosaccharide mixtures showed tha...
Early detection of cardiac dysfunction by strain and strain rate imaging in children and young adults with Marfan syndrome

OBJECTIVES Strain and strain rate imaging have been reported to detect cardiac dysfunction more accurately than conventional methods in adults with Marfan syndrome, but their utility has not been proven in younger patients. We sought to determine whether strain and strain rate imaging would allow early detection of cardiac dysfunction in children and young adults with Marfan syndrome. METHODS Unoperated patients (<30 years) with Marfan syndrome and healthy control participants were prospectively enrolled. Patients with greater than mild mitral or aortic insufficiency were excluded. Left ventricular systolic function was assessed by standard M-mode imaging. The strain and strain rate values were obtained from apical 4-chamber (longitudinal) and parasternal short-axis views at basal and midventricular levels (radial and circumferential). Data from the two groups were compared by a t test. RESULTS Sixteen patients with Marfan syndrome (mean age ± SD, 14.4 ± 6.4 years; range, 5.8-28.9 years) and 26 controls (mean age, 12.4 + 4.4 year; range, 4.1-18.1 years) were enrolled. Demographics and left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions were similar between the patients with Marfan syndrome and the controls. The M-mode-derived shortening fraction was significantly lower in the patients with Marfan syndrome compared to the controls, even though the values were within normal limits. The patients with Marfan syndrome had lower regional radial and circumferential strain rates, but there were no significant difference in strain between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Strain rate imaging may be useful in detection of subclinical changes in cardiac function in patients with Marfan syndrome when conventional echocardiographic parameters are within normal limits. These findings may be clinically important and warrant closer follow-up of these patients to monitor for cardiac dysfunction.
Equivalence of source-receiver migration and shot-profile migration

At first glance, shot-profile migration (Jacobs, 1982) and source-receiver (survey-sinking) migration (Claerbout, 1985) seem to be substantially different algorithms. The basic principles used by the two schemes are different. Shot-profile migration is performed by independently propagating the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield. The image is obtained by crosscorrelating the two wavefields (possibly normalized by the amplitude of the source wavefield). Source-receiver migration is based on the concept of survey sinking, by which we recursively synthesize equivalent data sets at increasing depth. At each depth step, imaging is performed by extracting the wavefield at zero time. Recently, the issue of the relation between shot-profile migration and source-receiver migration has become more relevant because of two important developments: (1) the increase in the practical applications of 3D prestack migration by wavefield continuation for imaging complex structures, and (2) the introduction of methods for computing angle-domain common-image gathers (ADCIG), both for velocity estimation (Biondi and Sava, 1999; Prucha et al., 1999; Clapp and Biondi, 2000) and for amplitude variation with angle (AVA) analysis (de Bruin et al., 1990; Wapenaar et al., 1999; Sava et al., 2001).
Phylogeography and species delimitation in the New Zealand endemic, genetically hypervariable harvestman species, Aoraki denticulata (Arachnida, Opiliones, Cyphophthalmi)

Aoraki denticulata, a widespread mite harvestman endemic to the NW South Island of New Zealand, was postulated to constitute an old lineage with deep genetic history. Expanding on previous studies, we explored its genetic diversity and population structure, phylogeography and diversification patterns. We also examined the systematic implications of such a complex scenario through species delimitation analyses under coalescent-based and barcoding gap discovery methodologies. Our results depict the deep evolutionary history of the A. denticulata lineage, which shows high geographic structure and low genetic connectivity among modern populations. Aoraki denticulata is further subdivided into three lineages: a lineage presently inhabiting the northern region of the Southern Alps (and including the subspecies A. d. major), a second lineage in the north-eastern part of the sampled land, and a third one occupying the south-eastern localities. When using species delimitation methods based on coalescence approaches, large numbers of cryptic species were estimated. Based on morphological and biological evidence, we thus argue that these methods may overestimate species in cases in which genetic divergence is unusually large and discuss the systematic implications of our findings.
On a multinational assessment of rotavirus disease in europe.

Rotaviruses were discovered in the 1960s in animals and in the 1970s in humans; the latter discovery was made by an intrepid group who performed duodenal biopsies on children with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) [1]. By the late 1970s, data already clearly indicated that rotavirus was the cause of the annual winter peak of AGE affecting young children, as well as a frequent cause of severe gastroenteritis in various animal species (e.g., [2-5]). Use of the retrospectroscope clarified or left as tantalizing the suggestion that rotaviruses were the cause of the annual "winter vom-
MicroRNA Regulatory Networks in Cardiovascular Development

The heart, more than any other organ, requires precise functionality on a second-to-second basis throughout the lifespan of the organism. Even subtle perturbations in cardiac structure or function have catastrophic consequences, resulting in lethal forms of congenital and adult heart disease. Such intolerance of the heart to variability necessitates especially robust regulatory mechanisms to govern cardiac gene expression. Recent studies have revealed central roles for microRNAs (miRNAs) as governors of gene expression during cardiovascular development and disease. The integration of miRNAs into the genetic circuitry of the heart provides a rich and robust array of regulatory interactions to control cardiac gene expression. miRNA regulatory networks also offer opportunities for therapeutically modulating cardiac function through the manipulation of pathogenic and protective miRNAs. We discuss the roles of miRNAs as regulators of cardiac form and function, unresolved questions in the field, and issues for the future.
Qualitative simulation of organizational microprocesses

Computer-based tools for the representation and simulation of business processes have been noted for their importance in the support of reengineering activities. However, organizational processes can be extremely difficult to represent and simulate mathematically, and limitations of the knowledge-based systems common in the business domain can preclude them from effectively supporting process analysis and redesign. The research described is oriented toward overcoming such limitations of extant computer-based simulation tools. Employing the AI technology of qualitative simulation, we developed and implemented a system for the representation and simulation of organizational microprocesses. This technology possesses a number of desirable features and the microprocess represents a useful unit of analysis. The use and utility of our system is demonstrated via two simulation examples, and we provide a set of research hypotheses for continuing this line of work. >
Conquering Big Data with Spark

Today, big and small organizations alike collect huge amounts of data, and they do so with one goal in mind: extract "value" through sophisticated exploratory analysis, and use it as the basis to make decisions as varied as personalized treatment and ad targeting. To address this challenge, we have developed Berkeley Data Analytics Stack (BDAS), an open source data analytics stack for big data processing. In this talk I'll focus on the execution engine in BDAS: Apache Spark. Apache Spark is a cluster computing engine that is optimized for in-memory processing, and unifies support for a variety of workloads, including batch, streaming, and iterative computations. Spark is now the most active big data project in the open source community, and is already being used by over one thousand organizations.
DNA Microarray for Microbial Biotechnology: Gene Expression Profiles in Escherichia coli during Protein Overexpression

DNA microarray has emerged as a powerful technique for parallel detecting of all the mRNA levels in the cell. With this technology, transcription profiles at the genomic scale can be readily obtained. This technology has typically been applied to eukaryotic systems and medical problems. Here we demonstrated an application to microbial biotechnology, protein production in Escherichia coli. The gene expression pattern of the E. coli was determined during high level expression of a model protein, the a-subunit of luciferase (the luxA gene product). The whole set of E. coli genes was amplified and printed on a glass slide as a probe to determine the mRNA level of E. coli during overexpression of LuxA. With a proper statistical treatment, we found that at least 10% of E.coli genes were perturbed during protein overexpression. Almost all the known heat shock genes were up-regulated. Most of glucose transport and glycolytic genes were down-regulated. In addition, there are numerous genes upor down-regulated that cannot be readily explained by existing mechanisms. These results offer an opportunity for further improvement of the host strain, growth medium, and bioprocessing conditions.
Bariatric Surgery in Obesity

Obesity has been considered a pandemic phenomenon for many years. Multiple studies comparing non-surgical medical interventions to bariatric surgery have shown the superiority of the surgical intervention. This is especially true when the resolution of Type 2 diabetes is used as an endpoint. As bariatric surgical techniques have evolved, the safety of the procedures has improved. The most critical development in the safety of bariatric surgery was the adoption of minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB), in patients who otherwise suffered from a significant rate of complication even from just the open access. Two other significant advancements in safety were the development of data repositories and the identification of the need for a multidisciplinary obesity care team. It was a natural evolution, then to integrate these two aspects into the development of Center of Excellence accreditation systems.
A Preliminary Note on a New Bark Disease of the White Pine

(1914). A Preliminary Note on a New Bark Disease of the White Pine. Mycologia: Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 84-87.
Ultra-Low Power Wireless Sensor Network SoC for Biosignal Sensing Application in 65nm CMOS

This paper presents an ultra-low power bio-signal sensing system on chip (SoC) fabricated in a 65nm CMOS technology. The proposed SoC processes a selected bio-signal (i.e. ECG, EMG, ECoG, Neural spike, and EEG), and packetizes it, and transmits through an RF transmitter by means of On-Off Keying (OOK) modulation scheme. In standby mode, the SoC consumes only 912 nW, while it consumes 6.1 uW when fully operating, which can be achieved by an aggressive duty-cycling (i.e. 0.2526%). With a standard Lithium-ion AA-sized battery, the proposed SoC can operate for more than 50 years. When equipped with energy harvesting (e.g. Temperature gradients), the proposed SoC can maintain operation permanently.
Chiggers and Other Disease-Causing Mites

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the acarines that are of importance to human health, a group that includes human parasites, natural parasites of other mammals and birds that in particular situations may bite humans, and acarines whose fecal matter, body secretions, and disintegrating bodies are sources of potent allergens. Chiggers are the parasitic larval stage of prostigmatid mites that belong to the family Trombiculidae. Chiggers can cause dermatitis and transmit the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi, which causes scrub typhus in humans. Scrub typhus is characterized by an ulcer at the site of the bite, high fever, and headache. The chiggers that vector scrub typhus to humans feed mainly on wild rodents but these species may also parasitize birds. The primary reservoir hosts for this disease are rodents. Humans become infected when they venture into an enzootic area and are bitten by an infected larva. This chapter also discusses mites that bite humans, live in the skin of humans, or produce substances that induce immune and/or inflammatory reactions. Because acarine parasites can induce inflammatory and adaptive immune responses, an understanding of the relationship between these two responses is important if one is to understand the symptoms associated with bites from parasitic mites or reactions to body parts, secretions, and fecal matter.
Magnetic Behavior of Solid Ar-O $_2$ 2 Solutions

Solid molecular oxygen presents an interesting example of a low-temperature crystal which exists within several different magnetic phases. When solid solutions of argon and oxygen are formed with molar concentrations of oxygen between 60 and 80 %, a new structural and magnetic phase, known as the $$\delta $$ -phase, appears at low temperatures. In order to investigate the nature of the $$\delta $$ -phase, we carried out SQUID magnetometry measurements solid argon-oxygen solutions made up of 74 % oxygen and 26 % argon. In particular, we performed measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of the solid solutions over complete temperature cycles and isothermally as a function of time. Taken together, the experimental data demonstrate that that the $$\delta $$ -phase is not an equilibrium thermodynamic state of the solid solutions, but is instead only a metastable state.
The Ministry of Nostalgia

Through an ever-expanding series of books and reviews, Owen Hatherley has positioned himself as the Pevsner of the era of neoliberal austerity and private finance initiatives, surveying not only bu...
An exact computable formula for the average bit-error probability of the IEEE 802.15.3a UWB channel model

The IEEE 802.15.3a standards body has developed a modification of the Saleh-Valenzuela multipath channel model as the accepted model for ultra-wideband channel investigations. Although it is straightforward to simulate channel realizations according to the model, doing so many thousands of times in order to estimate bit-error probabilities is computationally intensive. To overcome this burden, this paper derives an exact analytical formula for the average bit-error probability that can be quickly evaluated using Gaussian quadrature.
Elements of Ergodic Theory of Stationary Processes and Strong Mixing

Let\({\bigl (X_{n},\,n \in \mathbb{Z}\bigr )}\) be a discrete-time stationary stochastic process.
Reconstructive Techniques for the Saddle Nose Deformity in Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: A Systematic Review.

Importance Repairing the saddle nose deformity in the setting of granulomatosis with polyangiitis disease is a rare but challenging situation for any surgeon. Given that the available data in the literature is based on case reports and small case series, there is little evidence available to help delineate which reconstructive techniques are optimal. Objective To examine which techniques were most successful in reconstructive rhinoplasty for a saddle nose deformity secondary to granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Evidence Review PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Collaboration Databases, and Web of Science were searched using the termsWegener’s granulomatosisorgranulomatosis with polyangiitiscross-referenced withsaddle nose deformityoracquired nasal deformity. These databases were supplemented with 2 cases from Boston Medical Center. Databases were queried from inception of article collection through December 14, 2015, to identify publications reporting the repair of a saddle nose deformity and granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Findings A total of 10 studies met inclusion criteria yielding a cohort of 44 patients. The overall success rate for rhinoplasty, both primary and secondary, was 84.1% (37 of 44 patients), with a complication rate of 20%. The use of a single L-shaped graft fared better than individually placed grafts. An increased risk of graft failure was noted as the number of overall grafts increased and if nonautologous tissue was used. Conclusions and Relevance Rhinoplasty for saddle nose deformity is a safe and effective procedure in the setting of granulomatosis with polyangiitis. In the face of this disease, reconstruction should focus on placing a robust, L-shaped strut graft with autologous tissue over individual grafts. Additionally, the use of split-calvarial bone appears to have a slightly lower complication rate over costal cartilage.
Increased Sensitivity of Prothrombin Time Using Recombinant Tissue Thromboplastin Reagents: Implications for Plasma Transfusion.

Acquired coagulopathies are often treated with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion. Standards for the tranfusion of FFP vary, but are often based on coagulation tests, especially prothrombin time (PT). Previously, the PT test was performed using tissue thromboplastin (TT) reagents derived from human or animal tissue homogenates (hTT). These preparations were fairly crude and varied between manufacturers and lots. Recently, these have been replaced with recombinant TT (rTT) reagents that are more consistent. However, anecdotal reports suggest that rTT is more sensitive to mildly decreased clotting factor levels, leading to longer PTs and increases in FFP transfusion. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that rTT reagents are more sensitive and to determine if thresholds for FFP transfusion should be increased. Fifty plasma samples from patients with prolonged PTs (range 13.0–27.6 seconds; normal 9.2–12.8 seconds) were randomly selected. PTs for each sample were re-measured using rTT (Innovin, Dade-Behring, Liederbach, Germany; ISI=0.91) and hTT (Thromboplastin Reagent, Helena Laboratories, Beaumont, Texas; ISI=2.07) on the same instrument (Start 4 benchtop coagulation analyzer, Diagnostica Stago, Parsippany, New Jersey). These measured PTs are compared in Fig. 1. At the lower end of the PT range (beginning at ~13 seconds), the rTT PTs are shorter, on average, than the hTT PTs. However, the average rTT PT increases at a 1.4 times greater rate than the hTT PT, such that the average PT of the two reagents is equivalent at 16.4 seconds and longer for rTT thereafter. This suggests that the rTT reagent is indeed more sensitive. A similar pattern is seen when factor II and VII levels for each sample are plotted against the corresponding PT (Fig. 2). At high factor levels, the rTT PT is lower, on average, than the hTT PT. However, as factor levels decrease, the rTT PT rises about twice as fast as the hTT PT. The PTs for the two reagents are equivalent at 66% factor II (PT=15.7) and 46% factor VII (PT=17.7). The important thresholds for risk of surgical bleeding are 40% factor II and 25% factor VII. The equivalent PTs in this study are 20.5 (rTT) and 18.1 (hTT) for 40% factor II and 22.3 (rTT) and 19.6 (hTT) for 25% factor VII. These differences are not corrected by converting PTs to the international normalized ratio (INR). Instead, INRs are higher for hTT than rTT, and the degree of difference between the two reagents is greater. The equivalent INRs are 1.90 (rTT) and 2.54 (hTT) for 40% factor II activity, and 2.05 (rTT) and 2.98 (hTT) for 25% factor VII activity. The results of this study confirm that PTs measured using rTT are more sensitive to changes in clotting factor levels than those measured using hTT, especially at clinically significant factor levels. This suggests that thresholds for the transfusion of FFP should be raised at those institutions using rTT.
Temporally Diverse Excitation Generates Direction-Selective Responses in ON- and OFF-Type Retinal Starburst Amacrine Cells

The complexity of sensory receptive fields increases from one synaptic stage to the next. In many cases, increased complexity is achieved through spatiotemporal interactions between convergent excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Here, we present evidence that direction selectivity (DS), a complex emergent receptive field property of retinal starburst amacrine cells (SACs), is generated by spatiotemporal interactions between functionally diverse excitatory inputs. Electrophysiological whole-cell recordings from ON and OFF SACs show distinct temporal differences in excitation following proximal compared with distal stimulation of their receptive fields. Distal excitation is both faster and more transient, ruling out passive filtering by the dendrites and indicating a task-specific specialization. Model simulations demonstrate that this specific organization of excitation generates robust DS responses in SACs, consistent with elementary motion detector models. These results indicate that selective integration of spatiotemporally patterned excitation is a computational mechanism for motion detection in the mammalian retina.
Assessing User Engagement in Information Visualization

Engagement is an important aspect of user experience. While some researchers have investigated user engagement in the context of information visualization, there is still a lack of scholarship on the topic. In this paper we briefly explore the role and significance of user engagement in information visualization, and discuss challenges in its characterization and assessment. We present VisEngage, a self-assessment questionnaire that provides insight into 11 different characteristics of user engagement. We report the results of an online pilot study that was conducted using VisEngage, and reflect on its potential utility for visualization researchers and designers.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Selective Metabolite Transport across the Propanediol Bacterial Microcompartment Shell.

Bacterial microcompartments are giant protein-based organelles that encapsulate special metabolic pathways in diverse bacteria. Structural and genetic studies indicate that metabolic substrates enter these microcompartments by passing through the central pores in hexameric assemblies of shell proteins. Limiting the escape of toxic metabolic intermediates created inside the microcompartments would confer a selective advantage for the host organism. Here, we report the first molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies to analyze small-molecule transport across a microcompartment shell. PduA is a major shell protein in a bacterial microcompartment that metabolizes 1,2-propanediol via a toxic aldehyde intermediate, propionaldehyde. Using both metadynamics and replica-exchange umbrella sampling, we find that the pore of the PduA hexamer has a lower energy barrier for passage of the propanediol substrate compared to the toxic propionaldehyde generated within the microcompartment. The energetic effect is consiste...
Gut Symbiont Bacteroides fragilis Secretes a Eukaryotic-Like Ubiquitin Protein That Mediates Intraspecies Antagonism.

Human gut Bacteroides species produce different types of toxins that antagonize closely related members of the gut microbiota. Some are toxic effectors delivered by type VI secretion systems, and others are non-contact-dependent secreted antimicrobial proteins. Many strains of Bacteroides fragilis secrete antimicrobial molecules, but only one of these toxins has been described to date (Bacteroidales secreted antimicrobial protein 1 [BSAP-1]). In this study, we describe a novel secreted protein produced by B. fragilis strain 638R that mediated intraspecies antagonism. Using transposon mutagenesis and deletion mutation, we identified a gene encoding a eukaryotic-like ubiquitin protein (BfUbb) necessary for toxin activity against a subset of B. fragilis strains. The addition of ubb into a heterologous background strain conferred toxic activity on that strain. We found this gene to be one of the most highly expressed in the B. fragilis genome. The mature protein is 84% similar to human ubiquitin but has an N-terminal signal peptidase I (SpI) signal sequence and is secreted extracellularly. We found that the mature 76-amino-acid synthetic protein has very potent activity, confirming that BfUbb mediates the activity. Analyses of human gut metagenomic data sets revealed that ubb is present in 12% of the metagenomes that have evidence of B. fragilis As 638R produces both BSAP-1 and BfUbb, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the toxin activity of BSAP-1 and BfUbb against a set of 40 B. fragilis strains, revealing that 75% of B. fragilis strains are targeted by one or the other of these two secreted proteins of strain 638R.IMPORTANCE We are just beginning to understand some of the important interactions that occur between microbes of the human gut microbiota that dictate the composition and abundance of its constituent members. The ability of one member to produce molecules that directly kill a coresident member has been shown among minor gut species and is just starting to be studied in the abundant Bacteroides species. Here, we show that some strains of Bacteroides fragilis have acquired a gene encoding a secreted eukaryotic-like ubiquitin protein with potent inhibitory activity against other B. fragilis stains. This is the first bacterially encoded ubiquitin-like molecule shown to function like a bacterial toxin. This molecule is an example of a gut symbiont acquiring and adapting a eukaryotic molecule likely to increase its competitiveness in the mammalian gut. Understanding antagonistic factors produced by abundant gut symbionts is an important prerequisite to properly engineer strains to colonize the gut for health benefits.
Suburb: Planning politics and the public interest, by Royce Hanson

Suburban space is increasingly complex in form and function. Low-density residential sprawl exists alongside urbanizing suburbs that feature mixed-use town centers. The redevelopment and urbanizati...
The Eyes Have It: Eyelid Swelling and Rash in a 79-year-old Woman With Macular Degeneration.

IntroductionA 79-year-old woman with macular degeneration was referred to the Allergy/Immunology clinic for the evaluation of a potential allergy to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VE...
Human and Non-Human Components of Crowding

A laboratory study of task performance and affect under conditions of environmental stress varied social, spatial density and noise, as well as locus of control. Interaction effects of environmental stressors and the personality variable suggested the need to examine multiple environmental and individual factors in crowding research. Background characteristics of subjects —including number of persons they presently live with, largest number lived with, and preference for privacy— were found to interact with environmental variables. Results are discussed in terms of adaptation level theory; the concept of “dissonant space” is introduced.
The Interplay of Teaching Conceptions and a Course Management System Among Award-Winning University Professors

As the use of course management systems (CMSs) becomes nearly ubiquitous in higher education, it is imperative that we consider their impact and influence on instructional methods and the learning environments. Moves to incorporate more student-centered models of teaching and learning, and integrating technology such as CMSs, are unlikely to be successful without understanding the relationship between the teaching conceptions of faculty and their adaptations of the technological tools available to them. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) how CMSs influence teaching methods, and (b) how faculty members’ conceptions about teaching and learning are supported by the functions available in CMSs. Results indicate that use of a CMS had very little influence on faculty members’ teaching practices or conceptions of teaching. Additionally, faculty reported using CMSs primarily for information dissemination, regardless of their conceptions of teaching. The results of this study have implications for administrators and faculty in higher education, as well as designers of CMSs.
Abstract 5737: Genomic drivers of cancer are enriched and mutually exclusive within non-T cell-inflamed tumors

While immunotherapy has seen dramatic successes in a variety of malignancies, the majority of patients fail to respond. In particular, less than 10% of patients with metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) respond to immunotherapy. Based on previous work demonstrating robust clinical activity of immunotherapies in patients with a T cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment, we investigated whether non-T cell-inflamed cancers show evidence for distinct genomic alterations that might mediate immune escape. RNA-seq gene expression data were analyzed from two prostate cancer cohorts, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) of primary tumors (n=437) and a Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) mCRPC cohort (n=43). These datasets were interrogated for common molecular alterations and their association with non-T cell-inflamed and T cell-inflamed cancers, focusing on copy number deletions of PTEN, RB1/CDKN2A, and activating mutations in CTNNB1 (β-catenin). Similar approaches were used to analyze 30 solid tumor types from TCGA (n=9555). Our analysis identified that 94% of primary prostate cancers harbor a non-T cell-inflamed tumor microenvironment, with only 6% of patients having a T cell-inflamed gene signature. Similar results were found in mCRPC patients from the SU2C cohort. Higher frequencies of PTEN loss and CTNNB1 activation, as well as a significant enrichment of RB1/CDKN2A deletion, were found in non-T cell-inflamed primary and metastatic prostate tumors. Moreover, we observed a direct correlation between the expression of PTEN/RB1 and CD8A expression within the tumor microenvironment. Strikingly, analysis of 30 human cancers revealed that loss of PTEN and/or RB1/CDKN2A correlates with T-cell exclusion across multiple malignancies. When combined with β-catenin pathway activation, we found that these alterations are mutually exclusive, with only 1% of non-T cell-inflamed cancers sharing all three mechanisms, 24% sharing two out of the three, and 75% of the samples harboring only one mechanism. Taken together, these data reveal that deregulated PTEN/PI3K, Rb and Wnt-β-catenin signaling networks are enriched in a mutually exclusive manner within non-T cell-inflamed cancers, suggesting that such cancers evolutionarily co-opt nonredundant signaling pathways to achieve a common goal of immune evasion. Targeting these pathways pharmacologically may provide an opportunity to enhance responsiveness to immunotherapy across multiple malignancies. Citation Format: Brian Olson, Riyue Bao, Jessica Fessler, Jason Luke, Thomas F. Gajewski, Akash Patnaik. Genomic drivers of cancer are enriched and mutually exclusive within non-T cell-inflamed tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5737.
Dysgu: A Mobile-Based Adaptive System to Redesign Out-of-class Activities

This research to practice work in progress paper will present a mobile learning environment, called Dysgu (‘learning’ in Welsh), which will provide enhanced learning experience outside the classroom. The Dysgu environment provides students with interactive and motivating out-of-class activities and accommodates personalization and adaptation to satisfy students’ specific needs. This system employs a novel approach by incorporating engaging factors, such as interactive activities, adaptive mobile technology, social networking, and gamification to overcome the shortcoming of traditional out-ofclass activities. Dysgu allows personalization to support student’s study needs and adapts to student behaviors, class dynamics, and difficulty of the out-of-class activity. By having a mobile interactive learning environment, faculty will be able to facilitate learning even after the students leave the classroom and intervene early when students fall behind their peers.
Injury and repair of gram-negative bacteria, with special consideration of the involvement of the cytoplasmic membrane.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the injury and repair of gram-negative bacteria, with special consideration of the involvement of the cytoplasmic membrane. The cytoplasmic membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is approximately 6 to 9 nm thick and consists predominantly of protein and lipid, as do all biological membranes. The structure of the membrane is in a two-dimensional arrangement of proteins embedded in a lipid bilayer. The major components of the cytoplasmic membrane are proteins, which have been placed in two general classes designated as peripheral and integral. Peripheral proteins are loosely bound to the membrane by electrostatic or hydrophobic interactions, whereas integral proteins are partially embedded in and partially protruding from the membrane. The function of the cytoplasmic membrane includes the maintenance of a permeability barrier, the transport of molecules and ions, and energy production. Because the cell wall is easily penetrated by most low-molecular-weight molecules, the membrane functions as the main cellular structure for controlling passive diffusion and active transport of molecules and ions in and out of the cell.
Optimal Placement of In-memory Checkpoints Under Heterogeneous Failure Likelihoods

In-memory checkpointing has increased in popularity over the years because it significantly improves the time to take a checkpoint. It is usually accomplished by placing all or part of a processor's checkpoint into the local memory of a remote node within the cluster. If, however, the checkpointed node and the node containing its checkpoint both fail in quick succession, recovery using in-memory checkpoints becomes impossible. In this paper, we explore the problem of placing in-memory checkpoints among nodes whose individual failure likelihoods are not identical. We provide theoretical results on the optimal way to place in-memory checkpoints such that the probability of occurrence of a catastrophic failure, i.e. failure of a node as well as the node containing its checkpoint, is minimized. Using the failure logs spread over 5 years of a 49,152 node supercomputer, we show that checkpoint placement schemes that utilize knowledge of node failure likelihoods, and are guided by the theoretical results we provide, can significantly reduce the total number of such catastrophic failures when compared with placement schemes that are oblivious of the heterogeneity in nodes based on their failure likelihoods.
Delaware's 1999-2017 Leading Causes of Death Information Illustrates Its Obesity and Obesity-Related Life-Limiting Disease Burdens

Using commercially available but powerful big data analytics, this non-clinical obesity and underlying causes of death observational study, analyzed the very large US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) State of Obesity records, the CDC WONDER data, and the US census records. Compared to the 1999-to-2017 US obesity rate increase of 29.8%, an uncontrolled increase in Delaware's obesity rate (81.7%) was observed. During the same time period, CDC WONDER death certificate archives disclosed that there was a 60.53% surge in crude Delawarean mortality rate when obesity was listed as a single underlying cause of death. When any mention of obesity was documented on the death certificate, Delaware's 1999-2017 crude mortality rate advanced by 75.69% and its age-adjusted rate rose by 53.18%. Likewise, except for one year, Delaware's African American/Black population experienced higher crude mortality rate averages but however, between the years of 1997 and 2017, its Caucasian/White inhabitants had an enormous 87.34% death rate increase. With additional available CDC mortality data, Delaware males saw substantially larger age-adjusted death rate increases (79.87%) than their female counterparts (28.92%). Diabetes, circulatory system diseases, and neoplasms (cancer), are three common obesity comorbidities. For these three conditions, Delaware's 1999-2017 mortality rate figures mimic the falling national patterns of mortality rate averages, when each disease is listed as the single underlying cause of death, including observations where there are disproportionate numbers of cases that affect the African American/Black race.
Multiplex quantitative PCR for single-reaction genetically modified (GM) plant detection and identification of false-positive GM plants linked to Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) infection

Most genetically modified (GM) plants contain a promoter, P35S, from the plant virus, Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), and many have a terminator, TNOS, derived from the bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Assays designed to detect GM plants often target the P35S and/or TNOS DNA sequences. However, because the P35S promoter is derived from CaMV, these detection assays can yield false-positives from non-GM plants infected by this naturally-occurring virus. Here we report the development of an assay designed to distinguish CaMV-infected plants from GM plants in a single multiplexed quantitative PCR (qPCR) reaction. Following initial testing and optimization via PCR and singleplex-to-multiplex qPCR on both plasmid and plant DNA, TaqMan qPCR probes with different fluorescence wavelengths were designed to target actin (a positive-control plant gene), P35S, P3 (a CaMV-specific gene), and TNOS. We tested the specificity of our quadruplex qPCR assay using different DNA extracts from organic watercress and both organic and GM canola, all with and without CaMV infection, and by using commercial and industrial samples. The limit of detection (LOD) of each target was determined to be 1% for actin, 0.001% for P35S, and 0.01% for both P3 and TNOS. This assay was able to distinguish CaMV-infected plants from GM plants in a single multiplexed qPCR reaction for all samples tested in this study, suggesting that this protocol is broadly applicable and readily transferrable to any interested parties with a qPCR platform.
Comparing environmental impacts of Chinese Torreya plantations and regular forests using remote sensing

It is important to evaluate the environmental impact of land-use change before deciding on its development because of possible problems in sustainability. The Chinese Torreya tree (Torreya grandis cv Merrillii) is a traditional nut tree cultivated in China for more than a thousand years. The income from the cultivation of this species has improved the local economy in southeastern China. To increase nuts production, large industrial plantations of Torreya are under construction, which require clear-cutting local subtropical evergreen forests. In this study, several biophysical indices from remote sensing data at a regular evergreen broadleaved forest and a nearby Torreya plantation were compared. The results indicated that the Torreya plantation had a significantly lower albedo (12.43 ± 0.15%) and higher soil water storage within surface 2-m layer (69.0 ± 2.24 kg/m2/month) than the regular forest (12.64 ± 0.14% and 57.87 ± 1.81 kg/m2/month). The annual average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was significantly higher at the regular forest landscape than at the Torreya forest landscape. Except for NDVI, the resilience of these ecological processes was high in the regular evergreen broadleaved forest than in the Torreya plantation. The development of Torreya plantations at a large scale could alter local energy and hydrological processes. Environmental impacts and multiple ecological services should be considered for the sustainable development of Torreya plantations in this region. This study may provide an approach to evaluating potential environmental impacts for landscape change at large scales. Further research by ground observation and studies on ecological processes at different scales should be conducted. Our results may be helpful for relevant agencies to create strategies to better develop local economies and conserve the natural landscape.