cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4184: CAF-derived MFAP5 promotes tumor angiogenesis and confers paclitaxel resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Although most patients respond to chemotherapy, relapse often occurs as chemoresistance disease. We previously reported the tumor-promoting role of Microfibrillar-Associated Protein 5 (MFAP5) in ovarian cancer. Follow up studies suggested a pro-angiogenic and chemo-protective role of MFAP5. Based on these findings, the present study aims at delineating the mechanism by which stromal MFAP5 modulates tumor angiogenesis and chemoresistance, and evaluating the potential of targeting MFAP5 as therapy for ovarian cancer. Immunostaining of HGSOC tissue sections revealed a significant correlation between stromal MFAP5 expression and intratumoral microvessel density. Further endothelial cell motility and tube formation assays on human endothelial cells demonstrated the pro-angiogenic roles of exogenous MFAP5. Furthermore, anti-αVβ3 integrin antibody and cell permeant calcium chelator, BAPTA, attenuated MFAP59s effects, suggesting that MFAP5 exerts its biological activity on endothelial cells through the αVβ3 integrin receptor and calcium signaling. In vivo studies showed that extensive tubular network was formed in the matrigel mixed with MFAP5 injected into mice (p In addition, analysis on stromal gene expression profiles revealed that stromal MFAP5 expression is significantly increased in the group of patients with shorter progression-free survival when compared to those with longer progression-free survival. Further cell survival assays showed that pretreating to HGSOC cell lines with recombinant MFAP5 confers resistance to ovarian cancer cells towards paclitaxel treatment. RNA-Seq analysis was performed to delineate the underlying mechanism of such induced chemoresistance. To conclude, stromal MFAP5 contributes to ovarian tumor angiogenesis and chemoresistance. Hence, targeting stromal MFAP5 could be a potential therapy for ovarian cancer treatment. Citation Format: Cecilia S. Leung, Tsz-Lun Yeung, Kay-Pong Yip, Kwong-Kwok Wong, Anil K. Sood, Michael J. Birrer, Samuel C. Mok. CAF-derived MFAP5 promotes tumor angiogenesis and confers paclitaxel resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4184. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4184
Transient atrial fibrillation after open abdominal aortic revascularization surgery is associated with increased length of stay, mortality, and readmission rates

Abstract Background It is well established that transient postoperative atrial fibrillation (TPAF) is associated with adverse postoperative outcomes after major cardiac and noncardiac operations. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the incidence, impact, and risk factors associated with the development of TPAF in patients undergoing revascularization surgery for occlusive diseases of the abdominal aorta and its branches (AAB). Methods By use of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Database from Florida and California, patients who underwent open revascularization of AAB between 2006 and 2011 were identified. Patients diagnosed with aortic dissection or abdominal aortic aneurysm were excluded to limit the study cohort to include only patients with occlusive etiology. Also excluded were those with a pre-existing diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and those who underwent thoracic aortic repair and peripheral artery revascularization procedures. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses with treatment effects were conducted to analyze the association between TPAF and length of stay (LOS); the mortality rates at index admission, 1 month, and 1 year; and the readmission rates at 1 month and 1 year (adjusted for comorbidities and surgical and demographic factors). A backwards stepwise logistic regression model was built to identify predictors of TPAF. Results A total of 4462 patients were identified; 3253 underwent aortoiliac/femoral bypasses (72.9%), 1514 endarterectomies of AAB (33.9%), and 288 bypasses of AAB (6.5%). The incidence of TPAF was 2.4% (109 patients). Multivariate regression analysis with treatment effects showed that TPAF was associated with significantly increased LOS, mortality, and readmission rates. Factors identified as predictors of TPAF by backwards stepwise logistic regression modeling include electrolyte disorders, increasing age, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (C statistic = .69; accuracy = 58%). Conclusions TPAF after revascularization of AAB is associated with increased LOS, inpatient mortality, 1-year mortality, and hospital readmissions. Strategies to identify patients at risk for development of TPAF and implementation of appropriate prophylactic measures may improve surgical outcomes and reduce cost of care.
Design Matters: Mid-Term Results from a Multi-Design Fuel Economy Feedback Experiment

Energy feedback to drivers is one method to engage drivers in energy saving driving styles. In contrast to the occasional broadcasting of general driving tips, in-vehicle energy feedback gives drivers access to accurate information about their specific driving situation on an ongoing basis. The increasing prevalence of such feedback in new vehicles suggests a belief that ongoing, in-vehicle feedback is better. However, there is little reliable evidence of the effectiveness of energy feedback in real-word driving in passenger vehicles. This study begins to fill this gap. Participants are given a commercially-available fuel consumption display and recording device to use in their personal vehicle for two months. For the first month the display is blank as the device records a baseline of driving and fuel consumption. For the second month the display is switched on to show drivers one of three feedback designs. This paper presents preliminary results (N=75) of a larger study that will include 150 drivers along the California-Nevada Interstate-80 corridor. Using a mixed-effects linear model, we find an average driving efficiency improvement of between 1.5% and 6% (gallons/100 miles) between the without- and with-feedback months, depending on the feedback designs. Categorizing trips into types based on distance and multiple speed characteristics, there are differences in the apparent effectiveness of feedback across trip types. Finally, an overall decrease in fuel consumption of 10% between periods was observed. While approximately 3% of that is explained by changes in driving behavior, the remaining 7% is due to reduced VMT.
Performing Power en Las Yardas (at the Yards): The Body, Capitalist Discipline, and the Making of Mexican Yardero Lives in South Chicago

This article examines the relationship between capitalism, the body, and discipline in a new working-class population in Chicago, Illinois. Specifically, this analysis documents how Mexican lawn-service workers—commonly known as yarderos—develop the discipline to control their movements, feelings, and bodily functions to perform lawn-care services efficiently. The article draws on Michel Foucault's notion of biopower and Karl Marx's capitalist framework to advance an anthropological analysis of the ways in which workers become self-disciplining. The article concludes with a reflection on the hardships of the lawn-care industry, the production process, and how laughter becomes a mechanism to humanize an activity that is dehumanizing.
Understanding Music Listening Intents During Daily Activities with Implications for Contextual Music Recommendation

Why do we listen to music? This question has as many answers as there are people, which may vary by time of day, and the activity of the listener. We envision a contextual music search and recommendation system, which could suggest appropriate music to the user in the current context. As an important step in this direction, we set out to understand what are the users» intents for listening to music, and how they relate to common daily activities. To accomplish this, we conduct and analyze a survey of why and when people of different ages and in different countries listen to music. The resulting categories of common musical intents, and the associations of intents and activities, could be helpful for guiding the development and evaluation of contextual music recommendation systems.
Sub-saturating Multiphase Flash Irradiances to Estimate Maximum Fluorescence Yield.

Many intricacies of leaf-level photosynthesis can be probed by combining infrared gas analysis with pulse-amplitude-modulation chlorophyll a fluorometry. A key fluorescence yield (ΦF) parameter required for estimating many of the phenomena associated with the light reactions of photosynthesis is referred to as the maximum ΦF, which is termed Fm' when measured on a light-adapted leaf. While ubiquitously used to assess many aspects of photosynthesis, Fm' is problematic because it is prone to being underestimated. This error can be propagated to parameters and phenomena that are based on estimation of Fm'. Theoretical and experimental observations have shown that ΦF increases hyperbolically in response to increasing irradiance, asymptotically approaching the maximum ΦF, or Fm', at extreme irradiances. Importantly, depending upon the convexity of the hyperbolic response, ΦF exhibits a linear and inverse relationship with the reciprocal of irradiance, a relationship previously referred to as a reciprocal plot. Given the negative slope of the reciprocal plot, estimates of ΦF at infinite irradiance can be obtained, even over sub-saturating irradiances, by linear regression and extrapolation of the resultant reciprocal plot to the y-intercept. Here, we show how to obtain data from a dynamic multiphase flash of sub-saturating irradiance, occurring within the time span of ~1 s, to generate a reciprocal plot that subsequently provides an accurate estimate of ΦF at infinite irradiance, or Fm'.
Psychosocial assessment of organ transplant candidates: Current status of methodological and philosophical issues.

Psychosocial assessments of candidates for organ transplant surgery are conducted to ascertain that potential patients are likely to benefit from the surgery through adequate coping, good compliance, and commitment to rehabilitation. Such assessments must be based on a realistic analysis of the behavioral demands of the transplant patient's role. Reliability of psychosocial assessments has been established within some programs, but wide discrepancies in the psychosocial criteria that are used exist among transplant centers. Validation studies are needed, with particular emphasis on outcomes for the patient and family as a whole, that go beyond the question of mere survival.
Chapter 16 Marketing margins: Empirical analysis

Abstract The marketing margin, characterized as some function of the difference between retail and farm price of a given farm product, is intended to measure the cost of providiing marketing services. The margin is influenced primarily by shifts in retail demand, farm supply, and marketing input prices. But other factors also can be important, including time lags in supply and demand, market power, risk, technical change, quality, and spatial considerations. Topics for future research include improved specifications for margins and demand and supply shifters, retail-to-farm price transmission of retail demand changes, and impacts of vertical integration and policy interventions.
Jewish and Korean Merchants in African American Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective

(1993). Jewish and Korean Merchants in African American Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 5-22.
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cardiac tissue, or heart muscle, relies on blood supply from coronary arteries for oxygen and nutrient delivery. When the coronary arteries are narrowed, or blocked, restoration of blood flow is essential for preservation of heart tissue and avoidance of myocardial infarction (i.e., dead heart muscle). Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has long been the standard surgical treatment option for patients with CAD. The principle of the operation is to create a new route for nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart muscle by using a conduit, either a vein or an artery. The most commonly used conduits are the internal mammary arteries or the great saphenous veins. In this chapter, we shed light on this important surgical technique, with emphases on its indications, outcomes, and complications. We also highlight some special considerations and discuss the emergence of new, less invasive techniques like minimally invasive bypass procedures, hybrid CABG, as well as the evolution of technology to include robotic techniques.
Researchers' Perceived Challenges in Studying Chronic Kidney Disease of Nontraditional Etiology in Mesoamerica.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Despite growing research interest in the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology (a distinct form of chronic kidney disease disproportionately affecting agricultural populations across Mesoamerica—Central America and southern Mexico), its etiology remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE Elucidate factors that impact researchers’ efforts to understand the epidemic of chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology. METHODS Semistructured interviews were conducted with 39 international researchers, selected based on their publications and participation in conferences about chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology. Interviews were conducted from May through September of 2015 in English or Spanish by video conference, telephone or in person. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed iteratively using content analysis. RESULTS Of 39 researchers interviewed, 30.8% were women, 84.6% had a medical and/or doctoral degree and 74.3% had ≥6 years’ experience carrying out research on chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology. Three major themes were identified related to factors affecting research progress. The first, influence of state and private interests, concerned perceptions that sugar industry and some governments in Mesoamerica dismissed, hindered, intimidated and inaccurately represented research on chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology. The second, limited material and human resources, had to do with scarcity of stable, impartial funding and adequate in-country research infrastructure. Researchers were largely funded by nontraditional sources (charitable organizations, private donations, sugar industry in Mesoamerica, personal funds) or not funded at all. The third, logistical challenges across study lifetimes, referred to barriers such as unwieldy approval mechanisms, gang interference and publication hurdles. CONCLUSIONS Producing high quality and clinically relevant studies to address chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology in the resource-scarce Mesoamerican research climate has been fraught with challenges. These findings contextualize the progress that has been made in understanding chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology to date and highlight the need for public health and biomedical organizations to support researchers’ ongoing efforts to engage all stakeholders in addressing the epidemic, disseminate their research findings and identify feasible strategies for addressing the community-wide suffering caused by chronic kidney disease of nontraditional etiology.
High-Efficiency Conversion of CO2 to Oxalate in Water Is Possible Using a Cr-Ga Oxide Electrocatalyst

Electrochemical transformation of CO2 into commodity chemicals such as oxalate is a strategy for profitably remediating high atmospheric CO2 levels. Electrocatalysts for oxalate generation, however, have required prohibitively large applied potentials, forcing the use of nonaqueous electrolytes. Here, a thin film comprised of alloyed Cr and Ga oxides on glassy carbon is shown to electrocatalytically generate oxalate from aqueous CO2 with high Faradaic efficiencies at 690 mV overpotential. Oxalate is produced at a surface anion site via a CO-dependent pathway; the process is highly sensitive to the hydrogen-bonding environment and avoids the commonly invoked CO2•– intermediate. Ultimately, this catalytic system accomplishes efficient CO2 to oxalate conversion in protic electrolyte.
Functional and structural analysis of rare SLC2A2 variants associated with Fanconi‐Bickel syndrome and metabolic traits

Deleterious variants in SLC2A2 cause Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome (FBS), a glycogen storage disorder, whereas less common variants in SLC2A2 associate with numerous metabolic diseases. Phenotypic heterogeneity in FBS has been observed, but its causes remain unknown. Our goal was to functionally characterize rare SLC2A2 variants found in FBS and metabolic disease-associated variants to understand the impact of these variants on GLUT2 activity and expression and establish genotype-phenotype correlations. Complementary RNA-injected Xenopus laevis oocytes were used to study mutant transporter activity and membrane expression. GLUT2 homology models were constructed for mutation analysis using GLUT1, GLUT3, and XylE as templates. Seventeen FBS variants were characterized. Only c.457_462delCTTATA (p.Leu153_Ile154del) exhibited residual glucose uptake. Functional characterization revealed that only half of the variants were expressed on the plasma membrane. Most less common variants (except c.593 C>A (p.Thr198Lys) and c.1087 G>T (p.Ala363Ser)) exhibited similar GLUT2 transport activity as the wild type. Structural analysis of GLUT2 revealed that variants affect substrate-binding, steric hindrance, or overall transporter structure. The mutant transporter that is associated with a milder FBS phenotype, p.Leu153_Ile154del, retained transport activity. These results improve our overall understanding of the underlying causes of FBS and impact of GLUT2 function on various clinical phenotypes ranging from rare to common disease.
Values or origin? Mandatory immigrant integration and immigration attitudes in Europe

One of the most significant European policy developments of the past decade has been the proliferation of mandatory immigrant civic and language integration requirements. The primary intention of t...
A Voltage Droop-Based State of Charge Control among Split Batteries in Modular Multilevel Converter for Grid Energy Storage Interface

In grid energy storage systems based on batteries, the interface converter topology plays a significant role in the optimized operation of the system. Among the different types of transformer-less high-power converters, the split battery type modular multilevel converter (SBMMC) has become a promising technology for interfacing the storage system with a medium voltage grid which can also perform battery management. This paper proposes a droop-based control for state of charge (SoC) balancing among the battery packs in SBMMC for a grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS). First, steady-state analysis of the SBMMC is performed which forms the basis for SoC balancing scheme. Consequently, the droop-based control is applied to balance SoCs among the arms and submodules (SM) by controlling the reference voltages. For SoC balancing among the three phases of the upper and lower arms, appropriate zero sequence voltage (ZSV) is injected to the respective reference voltages of each arm. The proposed SoC balancing method has been validated through simulation results.
Data transformations for statistical assessment of quantitative imaging biomarkers: Application to lung nodule volumetry.

Variance stabilization is an important step in the statistical assessment of quantitative imaging biomarkers. The objective of this study is to compare the Log and the Box–Cox transformations for v...
Industrial Hemp in the USA: A Brief Synopsis

Industrial hemp has a long history of use in the U.S.A. Historically the crop was grown for fiber for home use as well as for ship cordage, rigging and sails, and this made the crop of strategic importance. The end of slavery, changing technologies, and other competing fibers all played roles in hemp’s decline as an important commodity in the U.S.A., but prohibition through various federal legislation essentially created a 70-year hiatus for the crop. Changes in U.S. federal legislation have made hemp once again legal, and the crop is returning to production fields. However, this time around the majority of effort with the crop is for flowers production. Most regions of the country have seen rapid expansion of acres in hemp flower production, largely due to the potential returns significantly greater than possible with other commodity crops. Opportunities for other hemp products – i.e., grain and fiber – remain more restricted as processing capacity, particularly for fibers, is limited. However, regions such as the Mid-West and Great Plains are likely to be able to grow hemp grain in rotation with other crops given that this part of the U.S.A. has grain suitable infrastructure capable of handling hemp. Both long-term farmers and agricultural neophytes are engaging in efforts to grow hemp flowers, and it is likely that the market for cannabidiol (CBD) hemp growers will remain volatile over the next few years. Still-evolving Federal guidelines provides further uncertainty to these markets. Current production models rely on labor-intensive production, harvest and processing systems, and the application of technologies such as mechanization is likely to introduce significant changes in costs, value, and opportunity for this new industry. To date, research has largely focused on plant varieties and management. Efforts to address issues such as low seed vigor and seed shatter would likely have value across all hemp production systems. Research work also is being conducted on disease resistance and management, weed management and herbicide susceptibility. After a long interruption, U.S.A. efforts to improve industrial hemp are in the beginning stages of an exciting new chapter for this crop.
Reconfigurable Non-Foster Elements and Squint-Free Beamforming Networks Using Active Transversal \textFilter-Based Negative Group Delay Circuit

A new type of reconfigurable negative group delay (NGD) circuits based on active transversal filter topology is introduced in this work. By incorporating varactors with the NGD circuit at the input and output ports of active transversal filter based on distributed amplifiers (DAs), one can notably enhance the tunability for both amplitude and phase responses, thereby enabling NGD characteristic synthesis with a wider reconfigurable range. In this article, the proposed reconfigurable NGD circuits are applied to create both tunable non-Foster elements and tunable squint-free beamforming networks, which are verified by experiment. Furthermore, a general N-stage transfer function for the proposed reconfigurable NGD circuit is derived, in which a two-stage particular case is given as an illustrative proof-of-concept example. Based on the reconfigurable NGD circuits, a prototype of a tunable negative capacitor is fabricated and measured, of which the capacitance can be tuned from -1.0 to -4.0 pF over a bandwidth of 100 MHz at 1 GHz or around 10% relative bandwidth. In addition, such an NGD circuit is utilized to create a low-dispersion superluminal transmission line, which enables a reconfigurable series antenna feedline for squint-free beam steering. Experimental results show that the main beam of the NGD antenna array has a tuning range from -15° to 15° within a squint-free bandwidth of 100 MHz at 2 GHz or within a relative bandwidth of around 5%.
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease: Polyglycine protein is the culprit.

In this issue of Neuron, Boivin et al. (2021) show that a polyglycine-expanded protein, uN2CpolyG, is translated from an expansion of GGC repeats in the 5′ UTR of the NOTCH2NLC (Notch homolog 2 N-terminal-like C) gene, defining a new pathological mechanism for neuronal intranuclear inclusion diseases (NIID).
Resonant chalcogenide-metal-fluoropolymer nanograting for tunable pyroelectric sensing

A resonant pyroelectric detector was demonstrated to support narrowband and tunable photopyroelectric effect in the near-infrared region. The narrowband pyroelectric device was built on a chalcogenide-metal-fluoropolymer (As 2 S 3 -Ag-PVDF) nanograting membrane, which was fabricated inexpensively using a solvent-assisted imprint lithography process. Under the resonant condition, the device exhibited a responsivity of 1.36 V/W. The device’s absorption and pyroelectric characteristics can be tuned using a bias voltage applied to the membrane.
Natural Born Shenanigans: How the Birther Movement Exacerbated Confusion Over the Constitution's Natural Born Citizen Requirement

The campaign for the U.S. presidency in 2008 was marked by several high-profile media controversies, but perhaps none so persistent (nor high-profile) as the dispute over eventual President Barack Obama’s place of birth. A vocal group known as ″birthers″ seized on Obama’s father’s Kenyan nationality to claim (or alternatively insinuate) that, contrary to his claim of birth in Hawaii, Obama was born in Kenya. According to birthers, Obama was ineligible to serve in the presidency by operation of the constitutional requirement that the President be a natural born citizen. Birthers battled a mainstream academy and press unsympathetic to their views and potentially problematic productions by Obama, and theorists continue to champion their cause today. Whatever its merits, the birther movement’s persistent advocacy against Obama’s eligibility in the face of hard facts may have actually helped to downplay and discredit a distinct, more legally credible challenge to the candidate’s status as a natural born citizen.
When is a pay-as bid preferable to uniform price in electricity markets

This paper discusses, pay-as bid preferable to uniform price in electricity markets. In real electricity markets the auctioned products are not completely homogeneous and the markets are not complete. In non-homogeneous situations, nature of the product and market incompleteness necessitate a high degree of product fragmentation, a pay as bid settlement approach with optimized assignment based on requirements and multiattribute of the tender, may be promising.
Norms and Public Policy: Toward a Better Theory of the Policy Process

This paper argues that social norms offer a promising way to move policy theorizing forward. Norms — defined here as informal, shared rules of behavior appropriate to a given identity — exercise great influence over human behavior (Elster 1989). Recognizing this, scholars have incorporated norms in their models of human behavior in psychology, sociology, economics, and other disciplines, as well as some areas of political science. This paper attempts to help public policy theory take a similar “normative turn.” The paper reviews the important but limited role of norms in leading theories of the policy process to date. It then reviews new developments in thinking about norms in political choice in other areas of political science, with a goal of better linking work in these areas to policy theory. Finally, the paper offers recommendations (illustrated by recent policy conflicts) for improving models of policy change and stability: (1) Pay greater attention to ongoing normative conflict, including alternative ways of relieving such conflict, in a given policy domain, and (2) attend more to the role of persuasion and existing elite and public normative beliefs in decisionmaking.
Effect of Vitamin D and Low Dietary Calcium on Lead Uptake and Retention in Rats

The effects of cholecalciferol (formerly vitamin D-3) supplementation and alterations in dietary calcium levels on intestinal 210Pb absorption and tissue uptake were studied in weanling female Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were placed in one of three groups: 1) normal dietary calcium with normal cholecalciferol; 2) low dietary calcium with normal cholecalciferol; or 3) normal dietary calcium with cholecalciferol supplementation. Blood 210Pb levels were determined at 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours following the administration of either an oral or an IP dose of 210Pb. Femur and kidney 210Pb activities were subsequently determined for all animals 24 hours after the administration of 210Pb. Cholecalciferol supplementation resulted in increased net intestinal absorption of 210Pb with uptake into femurs and kidneys. The effect of cholecalciferol to increase tissue uptake of 210Pb was shown to be independent of the effect of cholecalciferol on the gastrointestinal absorption of lead. A lowering of dietary calcium was shown to increase lead absorption with uptake into femurs; however, this increased tissue uptake of lead was shown to be dependent upon increased intestinal lead absorption and was not a direct effect of the low calcium diet.
Moderated and Drifting Linear Dynamical Systems

We consider linear dynamical systems, particularly coupled linear oscillators, where the parameters represent meaningful values in a domain theory, and thus learning what affects them contributes to explanation. Rather than allow perturbations of latent states, we assume that temporal variation beyond noise is explained by parameter drift, and variation across coupled systems is a function of moderating variables. This change in model structure reduces opportunities for efficient inference, and we propose sampling procedures to learn and fit the models. We test our approach on a real dataset of self-recalled emotional experience measurements of heterosexual couples engaged in a conversation about a potentially emotional topic, with body mass index (BMI) being considered as a moderator. We evaluate several models on their ability to predict future conversation dynamics (the last 20% of the data for each test couple), with shared parameters being learned using held out data. We validate the hypothesis that BMI affects the conversation dynamic in the experimentally chosen topic.
Exploring the Technical Adequacy of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Reading for Children Who Use Manually Coded English

We explored the validity and reliability of curriculum-based measurement reading procedures for progress monitoring purposes with students who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use manually coded English. Results indicate that interjudge and alternative form reliability was very acceptable. However, Pearson product moment correlations between the curriculum-based measurement procedures (e.g., reading passages via signing, identifying idea units, and words retold) and a standardized reading test that was normed with students who were deaf or hard of hearing were lower than expected. Implications for using curriculum-based measurement with students who are deaf and hard of hearing and for assessment of these students are discussed.
Stem cell factor-deficient mice have a dysregulation of cytokine production during local inflammation

INTRODUCTION A role for mast cells has been demonstrated in various disease conditions, such as IgE-dependent immediate hypersensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and asthma [1-3]. One way in which mast cells contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases is by producing cytokines. In fact, mast cells produce both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. For example, IL-1, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, [...]
Disjunctive signed logic programs

In this work, we define signed disjunctive programs and investigate the existence of answer sets for this class of programs. Our main argument is based on an analogue of Tarski's fixed point theorem which we prove for multivalued mappings. This is an original approach compared to known techniques used to prove the existence of answer sets for disjunctive programs.
Silicon monolithic microchannel-cooled laser diode array

A monolithic microchannel-cooled laser diode array is demonstrated that allows multiple diode-bar mounting with negligible thermal cross talk. The heat sink comprises two main components: a wet-etched Si layer that is anodically bonded to a machined glass block. The continuous wave (cw) thermal resistance of the 10 bar diode array is 0.032 °C/W, which matches the performance of discrete microchannel-cooled arrays. Up to 1.5 kW/cm2 is achieved cw at an emission wavelength of ∼808 nm. Collimation of a diode array using a monolithic lens frame produced a 7.5 mrad divergence angle by a single active alignment. This diode array offers high average power/brightness in a simple, rugged, scalable architecture that is suitable for large two-dimensional areas.
Flow and mixing in Juan de Fuca Canyon, Washington

We report breaking internal lee waves, strong mixing, and hydraulic control associated with wind-driven up-canyon flow in Juan de Fuca Canyon, Washington. Unlike the flow above the canyon rim, which shows a tidal modulation typical on continental shelves, the flow within the canyon is persistently up-canyon during our observations, with isopycnals tilted consistent with a geostrophic cross-canyon momentum balance. As the flow encounters a sill near the canyon entrance at the shelf break, it accelerates significantly and undergoes elevated mixing on the upstream and downstream sides of the sill. On the downstream side, a strong lee wave response is seen, with displacements of O(100 m) and overturns tens of meters high. The resulting diffusivity is O(10−2 m2 s−1), sufficient to substantially modify coastal water masses as they transit the canyon and enter the Salish Sea estuarine system.
On the development of practical nonlinear filters

Abstract The general problem of estimating the state of a nonlinear, time-discrete system from noisy measurement data is considered from the point of view of developing feasible computational algorithms for evaluating the Bayesian recursion relations. Algorithms which have been proposed are reviewed; the computational implementation of these algorithms is discussed; general conclusions coming from numerical studies are noted; and areas requiring additional research are defined.
Some physiological effects caused by venom from the Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum.

Abstract Anesthetized and non-anesthetized animals were tested with intravenous injections of Heloderma suspectum venom. These envenomated animals—dogs and rats—developed hypotension, tachycardia, and ventilatory difficulties. Gila Monster venom had the immediate effect of causing a reduction in carotid blood flow. This was followed by hypotension and changes in intrathoracic and post-caval blood pressures. Ventilatory irregularities found—such as gasping, rapid shallow breathing, or apnea—were accompanied by a reduction in arterial blood oxygenation. Toxicity studies proved that venom used had an ld 50 of 1·35 mg/kg when tested by means of intracardial injections in rats.
Factors that determine Ca2+ sensitivity of photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase. Kinetic analysis of the interaction between the Ca2+-bound and the Ca2+-free guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs) and recombinant photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase 1 (RetGC-1).

We explored the possibility that, in the regulation of an effector enzyme by a Ca2+-sensor protein, the actual Ca2+ sensitivity of the effector enzyme can be determined not only by the affinity of the Ca2+-sensor protein for Ca2+ but also by the relative affinities of its Ca2+-bound versus Ca2+-free form for the effector enzyme. As a model, we used Ca2+-sensitive activation of photoreceptor guanylyl cyclase (RetGC-1) by guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs). A substitution Arg838Ser in RetGC-1 found in human patients with cone−rod dystrophy is known to shift the Ca2+ sensitivity of RetGC-1 regulation by GCAP-1 to a higher Ca2+ range. We find that at physiological concentrations of Mg2+ this mutation increases the free Ca2+ concentration required for half-maximal inhibition of the cyclase from 0.27 to 0.61 μM. Similar to rod outer segment cyclase, Ca2+ sensitivity of recombinant RetGC-1 is strongly affected by Mg2+, but the shift in Ca2+ sensitivity for the R838S mutant relative to the wild type is ...
The effect of ploidy on chemical mutagenesis in cultured Chinese hamster cells.

The frequency of mutations induced by ethyl methane sulfonate was compared in a pseudodiploid Chinese hamster cell strain and in a tetraploid substrain derived from it. The frequency of reverse mutations from glycine auxotrophy to glycine independence was similar in the two strains, as expected for a dominant phenotype. Forward mutation to 6-thioguanine-resistance was 25 fold lower in the tetraploid as compared to the diploid strain. The resistant mutants lack hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase activity and their resistant phenotype is recessive in somatic cell hybrids. A combination of chromosomal segregation and mutation could account for the frequency of these recessive drug-resistant mutants in the tetraploid population.
Combustion of coal-water slurry in a two-cycle diesel engine; Effects of fuel amount and timing

This paper reports on coal-water slurry having micronized coal particles with approximately 50 percent coal loading successfully ignited and combusted in one cylinder of a two-cylinder 645 EMD engine by using diesel fuel pilot ignition aid. The effects of three different parameters, namely, pilot timing, pilot amount, and CWS fuel amount, are investigated in detail. The physical trends of combustion under single parametric variations are presented in terms of the cylinder pressure, temperature, heat release rates, and cumulative heat release curves. CWS combustion with less than 5 percent of the energy of combustion coming from pilot fuel is achieved.
Damage Potential of Cereal Leaf Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Virginia Small Grains and Corn

Oulema melanopus (L.) population densities were evaluated in controlled field plots in soft red winter wheat, winter barley, spring oats, and field corn in eastern Virginia during 1980–1982. Peak population densities of 1.3 to 1.6 per culm significantly reduced yields 392.6 kg/ha (5.8 bu/acre) (17.2%) in wheat. Populations were lower in barley, where a peak of 0.6 per culm reduced yields 124.0 kg/ha (2.3 bu/acre) below the treated plots. Heavy populations in oats, from 7.7 to 11.6 per culm, reduced yields 1,126.6 kg/ha (29.5 bu/acre) or 60.9%. Field corn yields were not significantly affected by preaestival adult feeding during June, even though defoliation approached 40 to 50%. Significantly more eggs were observed in oats that were treated in early spring, with 1.12 kg (AI) of disulfoton per ha to control aphids than in corresponding plots that were untreated. Similar treatments in wheat and barley did not significantly influence egg deposition.
Mycoplasma gallisepticum species and strain-specific recombinant DNA probes.

Summary Genomic libraries of vaccine (F‐K810) and wild type (S6) Mycoplasma gallisepticum were constructed in Escherichia coli (strain JM83) using the plasmid vector pUC8. Recombinant clones were screened by colony, dot and Southern hybridisations using 32P‐labelled genomic DNA from M. gallisepticum strains K810 and S6. Eight clones were identified which contained DNA sequences specific to M. gallisepticum and one clone was identified which contained a DNA fragment unique to the vaccine strain (F‐K810) of M. gallisepticum. When labelled and used as a probe in dot hybridisation assays, one of the M. gallisepticum species‐specific recombinant plasmids differentiated standard reference cultures, atypical strains and wild type isolates of M. gallisepticum from other avian Mycoplasma species. In similar assays, the plasmid containing vaccine strain‐specific sequences differentiated vaccine strains of M. gallisepticum from several other wild type strains of M. gallisepticum. Recombinant DNA probes provided sens...
Developmental Toxicity of Nondepolarizing Muscle Relaxants in Cultured Rat Embryos

Evidence of developmental toxicity of clinically used nondepolarizing muscle relaxants was sought in rat embryos grown in culture. Embryos were explanted at 8 AM on day 9 of gestation (presomite stage, plug day = day 0), and were cultured in rotating bottles with medium containing various concentrations of d-tubocurarine, pancuronium, atracurium, and vecuronium. At 10 AM on day 11 of gestation (forelimb bud stage), culture was terminated and embryos were examined for general morphology. Treatment with tested agents resulted in dose-dependent developmental toxicity; namely, growth retardation seen as decreased crown-rump length, decreased number of somite pairs, and morphologic abnormalities. However, the concentrations that caused toxicity were at least 30-fold greater than serum concentrations clinically achieved in the mother. We conclude that these muscle relaxants have a low potential for causing developmental toxicity during organogenesis.
Histogenesis of odontogenic tumors

Abstract A theoretical presentation concerning the histogenesis of mixed odontogenic tumors in relation to tooth germ embryogenesis is discussed. It is proposed that the individual tumors that make up this group are solely and totally dependent upon the presence of differentiation factors which are or are not elaborated by a particular tumor. The probability of sequential differentiating events resulting in the progression of an immature entity (ameloblastic fibroma) to a highly differentiated entity (odontoma) has been discounted, with reservations. Rather, it is postulated that individual mixed odontogenic tumors arise at comparable stages observed during normal odontogenesis and, as such, are incapable of further differentiation and thus proliferate within the histologic confines of their innate differentiated capacity.
Phycocyanobilin Is the Natural Precursor of the Phytochrome Chromophore in the Green Alga Mesotaenium caldariorum

Compared with phytochromes isolated from etiolated higher plant tissues and a number of lower plant species, the absorption spectrum of phytochrome isolated from the unicellular green alga Mesotaenium caldariorum is blue-shifted (Kidd, D. G., and Lagarias, J. C. (1990) J. Biol. Chem.265, 7029–7035). The present studies were undertaken to determine whether this blue shift is due to a chromophore other than phytochromobilin or reflects a different protein environment for the phytochromobilin prosthetic group. Using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, we show that soluble protein extracts prepared from algal chloroplasts contain the enzyme activities for ferredoxin-dependent conversions of biliverdin IXα to (3Z)-phytochromobilin and (3Z)-phytochromobilin to (3Z)-phycocyanobilin.In vitro assembly of recombinant algal apophytochrome was undertaken with (3E)-phytochromobilin and (3E)-phycocyanobilin. The difference spectrum of the (3E)-phycocyanobilin adduct was indistinguishable from that of phytochrome isolated from dark-adapted algal cells, while the (3E)-phytochromobilin adduct displayed red-shifted absorption maxima relative to purified algal phytochrome. These studies indicate that phycocyanobilin is the immediate precursor of the green algal phytochrome chromophore and that phytochromobilin is an intermediate in its biosynthesis in Mesotaenium.
Comparison of the Passivity between Cast Alloy and Laser-Welded Titanium Overdenture Bars

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the fit of cast alloy overdenture and laser-welded titanium-alloy bars by measuring induced strain upon tightening of the bars on a master cast as well as a function of screw tightening sequence. Materials and Methods: Four implant analogs were secured into Type IV dental stone to simulate a mandibular edentulous patient cast, and two groups of four overdenture bars were fabricated. Group I was four cast alloy bars and Group II was four laser-welded titanium bars. The cast alloy bars included Au–Ag–Pd, Pd–Ag–Au, Au–Ag–Cu–Pd, and Ag–Pd–Cu-Au, while the laser-welded bars were all Ti–Al–V alloy. Bars were made from the same master cast, were torqued into place, and the total strain in the bars was measured through five strain gauges bonded to the bar between the implants. Each bar was placed and torqued 27 times to 30 Ncm per screw using three tightening sequences. Data were processed through a strain amplifier and analyzed by computer using StrainSmart software. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. Results: Significant differences were found between alloy types. Laser-welded titanium bars tended to have lower strains than corresponding cast bars, although the Au–Ag–Pd bar was not significantly different. The magnitudes of total strain were the least when first tightening the ends of the bar. Conclusions: The passivity of implant overdenture bars was evaluated using total strain of the bar when tightening. Selecting a high modulus of elasticity cast alloy or use of laser-welded bar design resulted in the lowest average strain magnitudes. While the effect of screw tightening sequence was minimal, tightening the distal ends first demonstrated the lowest strain, and hence the best passivity.
Pressure dependence of the ferroelectric properties of KD2PO4

Abstract Hydrostatic pressure measurements to 3 kbar have shown that both the Curie temperature To and the Curie-Weiss constant C of KD2PO4 decrease with increasing pressure. The decrease of To is consistent with the recent theoretical model of Blinc and Svetina.
Physicians' communication of Down syndrome screening test results: the influence of physician numeracy.

Purpose: We investigated three questions: (1) How do obstetrician-gynecologists communicate positive and negative test results? (2) When reporting screening test results, do obstetrician-gynecologists use quantitative or qualitative information? and (3) Is physician numeracy (i.e., the ability to use and understand numbers) associated with use of quantitative or qualitative information? Method: Obstetrician-gynecologists (N = 203; 55.6% response rate) who were members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists completed a survey about their communication of Down syndrome screening test results, an Objective Numeracy Scale, and the Subjective Numeracy Scale. Results: Higher scores on the Subjective Numeracy Scale and younger age predicted obstetrician-gynecologists' use of numbers to explain testing results. The Objective Numeracy Scale did not predict use of numbers. Gender was correlated with scores on the Subjective Numeracy Scale (r = 0.2) and the Subjective Numeracy Scale-Ability Subscale (r = 0.3), with men scoring higher than women when controlling for age. Open-ended questions revealed that communication strategies vary, with approximately one in three obstetrician-gynecologists providing numerical information, and frequency format being the commonly used numerical format. Conclusion: Although physicians are often overlooked in the problem of low health literacy, it is important that we continue to investigate the impact of physician numeracy on patient care.