cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multivariate approach for the enantioselective analysis in micellar electrokinetic chromatography-mass spectrometry: I. Simultaneous optimization of binaphthyl derivatives in negative ion mode

A mixture of two molecular micelles polysodium N-undecenoxy carbonyl-L-leucinate, (poly-L-SUCL) and polysodium N-undecanoyl leucylvalinate, (poly-L-SULV) was utilized in micellar electrokinetic chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MEKC-ESI-MS) to simultaneously separate and detect enantiomers of binaphthyl derivatives. Separation parameters such as background buffer composition, voltage, temperature, and nebulizer pressure were optimized using a multivariate central composite design (CCD). Baseline enantioseparation for both analytes was achieved. The CCD was also used in the optimization of sheath liquid and spray chamber parameters to achieve optimum ESI-MS response. The results demonstrate that CCD is a powerful tool for the optimization of MEKC-MS parameters and the response surface model analysis can provide in-depth statistical understandings of the significant factors required to achieve maximum enantioresolution and ESI-MS sensitivity.
Development of humanized mouse models to study human immune system-tumor interactions (TUM10P.1055)

Cancer progression involves interplay between tumor cells and non-malignant stoma, including immune cells. Our understanding of the interactions between immune systems and tumors is based mostly on mouse models. However many differences exist between murine and human biology, and translation of findings from mice to clinical application is challenging. The study of human immune systems and tumors is limited by logistical and ethical restrictions of working with primary specimens from patients. Here we describe a humanized mouse model to study the in vivo interactions between human immune systems and human tumors. In these studies NOD -scid IL2r g null (NSG) mice expressing human SCF, GM-CSF and IL-3 (NSG-SGM3) were engrafted with human fetal thymus and fetal liver-derived hematopoietic stem cells (BLT). NSG-SGM3-BLT mice support high levels of human cell chimerism, including development of human myeloid cells, T cells and B cells. Engrafted NSG-SGM3-BLT mice were implanted with patient melanoma cells and monitored for tumor growth and immune system homeostasis. The human melanoma grew with similar kinetics in NSG-SGM3-BLT mice as compared to control NSG-SGM3 mice. Human immune cells, including human macrophage and T cells, infiltrated the melanoma. The T cell infiltrate was dominated by human FOXP3+ Treg and by PD1+ CD4 and CD8 T cells. These data show that NSG-SGM3-BLT mice, are a promising model to study human immune system-tumor interactions and to test novel therapies.
Safety in numbers? Gastric cancer survival varies with total retrieved lymph nodes.

4058Background: Recently published AJCC 8thTNM-staging guidelines recommend a minimum of 16 lymph nodes be assessed in gastric cancer surgery with more lymph nodes ( 30) being desirable. However, the independent effects of greater numbers of lymph nodes excised on the overall survival of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma are understudied. Methods: National Cancer Database (NCDB) was reviewed from 2010 to 2014 for patients who underwent potentially curative surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma. Patients with zero or unknown number of harvested lymph nodes were excluded, as were those with metastatic or in-situ disease, or who received neoadjuvant chemo- or radiotherapy. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for multivariate survival analysis. Results: Of the 12,507 patients who met selection criteria, 4,880 (39.0%) were female. The median age was 69 years [IQR: 59-77]. Median number of lymph nodes examined for each clinical T and N-stage is provided in the table. Overall, 51.0% of patients had < 16 l...
Three-Phase CO2 Flow in A Basalt Fracture Network

Geologic CO2 sequestration in basalt reservoirs is predicated on permanent CO2 isolation via rapid mineralization reactions. This process is supported by a substantial body of evidence, including laboratory experiments documenting rapid mineralization rates, regional storage estimates indicating large, accessible storage reservoirs, and two successful pilot scale studies. Nevertheless, there remains significant uncertainty in the behavior of CO2 flow within basalt fracture networks, particularly in the context estimating physical trapping potential in early time and as CO2 undergoes phase change. In this study, a Monte Carlo numerical model is designed to simulate a supercritical CO2 plume infiltrating a low permeability flood basalt entablature. The fracture network model is based on outcrop-scale LiDAR mapping of Columbia River Basalt, and CO2 flow is simulated within fifty equally probable realizations of the fracture network. The spatial distribution of fracture permeability for each realization is randomly drawn from a basalt aperture distribution, and ensemble results are analyzed with e-type estimates to compute mean and standard deviation of fluid pressure and CO2 saturation. Results of this model after 10 years of simulation suggests that (1) CO2 flow converges on a single dominant flow path, (2) CO2 accumulates at fracture intersections, and (3) variability in permeability can account for a 1.6 m depth interval within which free CO2 may change phase from supercritical fluid to subcritical liquid or gas. In the context of CO2 sequestration in basalt, these results suggest that physical CO2 trapping may be substantially enhanced as carbonate minerals precipitate within the basalt fracture network.
Cultural Fit and the Choice of International Market Entry Scale of Chinese Firms

Previous research on how cultural distance impacts the choice of entry mode shows contradictory findings. This study uses a strategic fit perspective to examine the impact of distinct cultural fact...
An Invitation Regarding Law and Legal Education, and Imagining the Future

This Essay consists of an invitation to participate in conversations about the future of legal education in ways that integrate rather than distinguish several threads of concern and revision that have emerged over the last decade. Conversations about the future of legal education necessarily include conversations about the future of law practice, legal services, and law itself. Some of those start with the somewhat stale questions: What are US law professors doing, what should they be doing, and why? Those questions are still relevant and important, but they are no longer the only relevant questions, and they are not the only places to start. What about other legal educators, meaning those who teach and train in legal services worlds but who don’t teach the professional practice of law or the delivery of traditional legal services? What about those who are involved deeply in the production and distribution of law, legal services, and legal information but who are not, themselves, lawyers? Why start with current teachers; why not start with current or future students, or current or future clients, or current or future institutions, or current or future sets of values? Expand the communities of interest and identities of potential participants not only beyond elite US law schools, and not only beyond the private law firms that constitute BigLaw, but also beyond the US and beyond North America. The invitation goes out, in short, to a much broader audience than US law professors, and it is framed in broad but pragmatic terms.
Three-Dimensional Optical Functional Imaging of Tissue with Two-Photon Excitation Laser Scanning Microscopy

This chapter demonstrates the use of two-photon excitation microscopy to monitor cellular metabolism in ocular tissue. Light can be used as a noninvasive probe to monitor cellular function in cells, tissues and organs. Cellular metabolism can be noninvasively optically monitored by the technique of redox fluorometry.1 This optical technique has been applied to the eye2–4 and quantitative analysis of the various pyridine nucleotides have been measured in individual cellular layers of the normoxic and anoxic eyes. The noninvasive optical probes are the intrinsic fluorescent pyridine nucleotides, and the flavoproteins. The pyridine nucleotides, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD(P)H are excited in the region 365 nm and fluoresce in the region 400–500 nm. The flavoproteins are excited in the region 450 nm and fluoresce in the region 500–600 nm. Typically the fluorescence is imaged and changes in fluorescence intensity follow changes in cell oxidative metabolism. Optical sections of micron thickness can be combined to visualize the full three-dimensional image of thick tissues.
The Case Against Closing of State Hospitals

Less than a generation ago, the neuroleptic drugs were introduced into psychiatric practice. With this major advance came the hope that hundreds of thousands of chronically mentally ill individuals could lead more normal lives. The public mental hospital (a term I will use synonymously with state hospital) could finally become a place of active treatment, and the days of the so-called snake pit would be at an end. In the 1960s, it became clear that many patients could be more effectively treated outside of the hospital. The community mental health centers would, perhaps, become the locus of treatment for the majority of patients. Once again, the state hospital was in disfavor.
Understanding the latest changes in EMTALA: our country's emergency care safety net.

On April 7, 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, which incorporated legislation known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to address the problem of “patient dumping” by hospital emergency departments. Although originally designed to serve as a safety net for emergency patients, the statute grew in both scope and complexity during the following two decades, wreaking widespread confusion within the physician and hospital communities regarding their respective responsibilities under the law.
Intestinal and Tissue Nematode Disease

Intestinal and tissue nematodes are large round worms ranging in size from 1-10cm. These organisms, which are elongated and symmetrical, infect over a billion people worldwide. While most of these infections are asymptomatic, symptomatic cases are associated with gross, disfiguring disease.
Some New Tools for EEG Modeling and Analysis

Several tools for the modeling and analysis of scalar and multivariate EEG data that are not necessarily stationary (and may in fact be subject to abrupt changes in covariance structure), and not necessarily Gaussian distributed are introduced.
The structure of mental models of sustainable agriculture

Progress towards sustainability is hampered by differing perceptions of how to advance goals in systems characterized by massive interdependency. Systems thinking has been advocated as a model for improving understanding and management of complex systems, but theory and methods to analyse systems thinking are not well developed. We propose and apply a new way of assessing systems thinking using social network tools to analyse mental models. We examine the cognitive maps of 148 thought leaders in sustainable agriculture in California and measure the extent to which each map captures six fundamental causal patterns. We find that the more complex forms of causal structure that are associated with systems thinking are relatively under-represented in the experts’ maps. Our findings have important implications for individual and collective decision making about sustainable agriculture and other science and policy debates involving complex systems. Cognitive mapping reveals how people think about complex systems and enables hypothesis tests on understanding interdependency. This study finds that education and experience are associated with more nuanced form of complex-systems thinking in sustainable agriculture, such as feedback loops and indirect effects.
‘Ya se aburren de tanta capital’: Leisure, Language and Law in El Jarama

According to the 1946 Plan de Ordenacion General de Madrid, the outermost ring of land around the Spanish capital would be dedicated to ‘expansion and relief of the city’. The easternmost border of this zone was the Jarama River, the setting of Rafael Sanchez Ferlosio’s celebrated novel, El Jarama (1956). Sanchez Ferlosio expresses the attitudes of the city tourists and their local observers through a mix of dialogue and description that has brought El Jarama recognition as the quintessential novela social. Yet scholars have often overlooked the manipulation of language that standardizes and codifies the experience of the novel’s characters. Through this manipulation, it becomes evident that leisure space is subject to disciplinary forces that undermine its essence as a possible ‘counter-space’. I argue that a large part of this is due to the judicial presence following the novel’s main tragic event. The standardization of language and of the juridical field reinforces the construction of the leisure space that is already taken over by the expansion of the urban sphere of influence.
Nonstatistical Dissociation Dynamics of Nitroaromatic Chromophores.

Organic carbon in the atmosphere is emitted from biogenic and anthropogenic sources and plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and climate. Recent studies have identified several of the major nitroaromatic chromophores embedded in organic "brown carbon" (BrC) aerosols. Indeed, nitroaromatic chromophores are responsible for the enhanced solar absorption of BrC aerosols, extending into the near UV (300-400 nm) and visible regions. Furthermore, BrC chromophores serve as temporary reservoirs of important oxidizing intermediates including hydroxyl (OH) and nitric oxide (NO) radicals that are released upon electronic excitation. The present work represents the first study of the 355 nm photolysis of known BrC chromophores ortho-nitrophenol and 2-nitroresorcinol, as well as the prototypical nitroaromatic, nitrobenzene. Experiments are carried out in a pulsed supersonic jet expansion with velocity map imaging of NO X2Π (ν″ = 0, J″) fragments to report on the photodissociation dynamics. The total kinetic energy release (TKER) distributions and the NO X2Π (ν″ = 0, J″) product state distributions deviate significantly from Prior simulations, indicating that energy is partitioned nonstatistically following dissociation. Experiments are conducted in tandem with complementary calculations using multireference Moller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MRMPT2) for stationary points obtained by using multiconfiguration self-consistent field (MCSCF) with an aug-cc-pVDZ basis on the ground and lowest energy triplet electronic states. Furthermore, insights into the partitioning of energy upon photodissociation are achieved by using relaxed scans at the MCSCF/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. As a whole, the results suggest that upon excitation to S1, all three nitroaromatics share a common overall mechanism for NO production involving isomerization of the nitro group, nonradiative relaxation to S0, and dissociation to form rotationally hot NO.
Policies and practice regarding pregnancy and maternity leave: An international survey.

Abstract Background As women become a larger part of the surgical workforce, policies surrounding maternity and parental leave play a role in professional practice. Little is known about leave policies worldwide. Methods A de novo survey distributed internationally to women surgeons assessed leave polices for surgeons, inclusive of the regulatory body or source of applicable policies, changes in surgical practice due to pregnancy, and duration of leave for both parents. Results The 1111 survey respondents in 53 different countries describe diverse policies ranging from loss of operating room privileges early in pregnancy to maintenance of full surgical schedules until term delivery. Policy creators include national governments (42.38%), employers/hospitals (60.46%), supervisors (18.06%). Self-determined (9.12%), and unknown (8.7%). Paid parental leave was available to 64.44% of women surgeons and 38.68% of partners. Conclusion Maternity and parental leave policies vary markedly across the global surgical workforce with implications for professional practice.
Energetics of Acidianus ambivalens growth in response to oxygen availability.

All life requires energy to drive metabolic reactions such as growth and cell maintenance; therefore, fluctuations in energy availability can alter microbial activity. There is a gap in our knowledge concerning how energy availability affects the growth of extreme chemolithoautotrophs. Toward this end, we investigated the growth of thermoacidophile Acidianus ambivalens during sulfur oxidation under aerobic to microaerophilic conditions. Calorimetry was used to measure enthalpy (ΔHinc ) of microbial activity, and chemical changes in growth media were measured to calculate Gibbs energy change (ΔGinc ) during incubation. In all experiments, Gibbs energy was primarily dissipated through the release of heat, which suggests enthalpy-driven growth. In microaerophilic conditions, growth was significantly more efficient in terms of biomass yield (defined as C-mol biomass per mole sulfur consumed) and resulted in lower ΔGinc and ΔHinc . ΔGinc in oxygen-limited (OL) and oxygen- and CO2 -limited (OCL) microaerophilic growth conditions resulted in averages of -1.44 × 103 kJ/C-mol and -7.56 × 102 kJ/C-mol, respectively, and average ΔHinc values of -1.11 × 105 kJ/C-mol and -4.43 × 104 kJ/C-mol, respectively. High-oxygen experiments resulted in lower biomass yield values, an increase in ΔGinc to -1.71 × 104 kJ/C-mol, and more exothermic ΔHinc values of -4.71 × 105 kJ/C-mol. The observed inefficiency in high-oxygen conditions may suggest larger maintenance energy demands due to oxidative stresses and a preference for growth in microaerophilic environments.
Evaluating Representations for Gene Ontology Terms

Abstract Recently, as the number of new protein sequences being collected is rising at a faster pace than the number being annotated, there have been efforts in developing better methods for predicting protein functions. Because protein functions are annotated by Gene Ontology (GO) terms, one key auxiliary resource is the GO data itself. GO terms have definitions consisted of a few sentences describing some biological events, and are arranged in a tree structure with specific terms being child nodes of generic terms. The definitions and positions on the GO tree of the GO terms can be used to construct their vector representations. These vectors can then be integrated into existing prediction models to improve the classification accuracy. In this paper, we adapt two neural network architectures, Embeddings from Language Models and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, to encode GO definitions into vectors. We evaluate these new encoders against the previous definition and position encoders in three tasks: (1) measuring similarity between GO terms (2) asserting relationship for orthologs and interacting proteins based on their GO annotations and (3) predicting GO terms for protein sequences. Results in task 1 and 2 find that BERT-based encoders are often better than the other kinds of encoders. Result in task 3 shows that using GO vectors as additional prediction features increases the accuracy, primarily for GO terms with low occurrences in the dataset. In task 3, we also observe that having GO vectors as features definitely helps, but the choice of encoders does not greatly affect the outcome.
How do Expatriate Managers Draw the Boundaries of Moral Free Space in the Case of Guanxi

This paper explores expatriates’ ethical evaluations of and responses to guanxi in China through the lens of integrative social contracts theory. We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 expatriate managers who had spent, on average, 6.5 years working and living in China. Based on the content analysis of these interviews, we identified two different uses of guanxi: defensive and competitive. In general, the respondents found defensive guanxi moral in the Chinese context, while they considered competitive guanxi immoral. Based on our findings, we identified fair competition as the substantive hypernorm that governed most respondents’ ethical evaluations of guanxi. The study has implications for all scholars who seek to utilize integrative social contracts theory to study the relationship between informal networks and corruption in developing countries.
Passing The Scalpel: A Student Initiative in Identifying and Addressing Unmet Needs in Dental Education

Purpose Becoming an oral-maxillofacial surgeon is often challenging for young trainees. The purpose of this manuscript is to explore how a student-led group, which emphasizes networking, mentorship, and academic opportunities, may impact one's journey to becoming an oral-maxillofacial surgeon. Patients and Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study where a 5-question Likert-type survey was administered to students who matriculated into residency and participated in a student-led group called Passing The Scalpel (PTS). This survey evaluated the value of PTS in providing exposure, career decision-making, networking/mentorship, and camaraderie. The results were analyzed, and statistical outcomes were evaluated. Results There was an 80.5% response rate (n = 29). Question 1 regarding first exposure to oral-maxillofacial surgery had a mean score of 2.55 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.35; χ2 = 15.39; P Conclusion PTS is an effective student-led initiative that emphasizes early exposure, networking, and mentorship opportunities and encourages students in choosing oral-maxillofacial surgery as a specialty. PTS demonstrates that student-led initiatives can fulfill unmet needs in the dental curriculum.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Activities Mobilize Hispanic Voters

Do activities by immigration enforcement agencies suppress or mobilize Hispanic voters? To answer this question, we exploit the sharp discontinuity in the legal authority of United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the boundary of the 100-mile interior US border zone. We find that CBP activities increased Hispanic voter registration and turnout in the 2016 US general election by 1.8pp and 1.5pp, respectively. We suggest that the main mechanism is via personal experiences—observing or hearing about CBP activities—as opposed to elite-driven campaigns that are unlikely to be spatially discontinuous. We also estimate the electoral consequences of CBP activities through a simulation exercise and find a small increase in the Democratic Party's representation in the US Congress.
A Low-Power Wearable E-Nose System Based on a Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) Array for Indoor VOC Monitoring

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are pervasive in the environment and their real-time continuous monitoring can facilitate better understanding of their effects on human health by combining environmental factors with physiological conditions. The scope of wearable sensors for detection of VOCs is evident as the accuracy of the sensor prediction depends on its proximity to the VOC source along with the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor itself. In this paper, we present a low-power wearable e-nose system based on a capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array. CMUTs offer inherent benefits of excellent mass resolution, easy array fabrication, and integration with electronics, which make them an appropriate choice as a transducer element for gravimetric e-nose systems. A 5-channel CMUT sensor array was chemically functionalized and used for the detection of four volatiles, ethanol, toluene, p-xylene, and styrene. All the channels of the sensor array achieved a resolution below 10 ppm within 0.2–3% of OSHA-PEL time-weighted average (TWA) for each volatile. For each test cycle, the maximum frequency shift, the rate of adsorption, and the rate of desorption were extracted as features. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied to visualize the discrimination performance of the sensor array. The system performance was characterized using an automated testing system. The presented sensor system can be used for identification of volatiles with suitable pattern-recognition techniques.
Metabolite profiling reveals organ-specific flavone accumulation in Scutellaria and identifies a scutellarin isomer isoscutellarein 8-O-β-glucuronopyranoside

Scutellaria is a genus of plants containing multiple species with well-documented medicinal effects. S. baicalensis and S. barbata are among the best-studied Scutellaria species, and previous works have established flavones to be the primary source of their bioactivity. Recent genomic and biochemical studies with S. baicalensis and S. barbata have advanced our understanding of flavone biosynthesis in Scutellaria. However, as over several hundreds of Scutellaria species occur throughout the world, flavone biosynthesis in most species remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed organ-specific flavone profiles of seven Scutellaria species, including S. baicalensis, S. barbata and two species native to the Americas (S. wrightii to Texas and S. racemosa to Central and South America). We found that the roots of almost all these species produce only 49-deoxyflavones, while 49-hydroxyflavones are accumulated exclusively in their aerial parts. On the other hand, S. racemosa and S. wrightii also accumulated high levels of 49-deoxyflavones in their aerial parts, different with the flavone profiles of S. baicalensis and S. barbata. Furthermore, our metabolomics and NMR study identified the accumulation of isoscutellarein 8-O-β-glucuronopyranoside, a rare 49-hydroxyflavone, in the stems and leaves of several Scutellaria species including S. baicalensis and S. barbata, but not in S. racemosa and S. wrightii. Distinctive organ-specific metabolite profiles among Scutellaria species indicate the selectivity and diverse physiological roles of flavones.
Conventional Versus Video Laryngoscopy for Tracheal Tube Exchange: Glottic Visualization, Success Rates, Complications, and Rescue Alternatives in the High-Risk Difficult Airway Patient.

BACKGROUND:Tracheal tube exchange is a simple concept but not a simple procedure because hypoxemia, esophageal intubation, and loss of airway may occur with life-threatening ramifications. Combining laryngoscopy with an airway exchange catheter (AEC) may lessen the exchange risk. Laryngoscopy is use
Introduction: the evolving role of bisphosphonate therapy in multiple myeloma

Bone disease is a hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM) and contributes to most of the debilitating morbidity associated with this disease. Bone lesions result not only from the direct deposits of MM cells within the bone, but also from the release of soluble factors by both the tumor and the
Purification and characterization of a DNA helicase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract A novel DNA helicase, scHelI, has been purified from whole cell extracts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using biochemical assays to monitor the fractionation. The enzyme unwinds partial duplex DNA substrates, as long as 343 base pairs in length, in a reaction that is dependent on either ATP or dATP hydrolysis. scHelI also catalyzes a single-stranded DNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis reaction; the apparent Km for ATP is 325 microM. The unwinding reaction on circular partial duplex substrates is biphasic, with a fast component occurring within 5 min of the initiation of the reaction and a slow component continuing to 60 min. This is in contrast to the ATP hydrolysis reaction, which exhibits linear kinetics for 60 min. The direction of the unwinding reaction is 5' to 3' with respect to the strand of DNA on which the enzyme is bound. The unwinding reaction is strongly stimulated by the addition of Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA-binding protein when long partial duplex substrates are used. The enzymatic activity of scHelI copurifies with a polypeptide of 135 kDa as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The polypeptide sediments as a monomer in a glycerol gradient in the presence of 0.2 M NaCl.
Federalism, Fiscal Authority, and Centralization in Latin America: Fiscal Centralization in Mexico

This book argues that the commitment problem in the dilemma of fiscal centralization was solved in the case of Mexico through a hegemonic party system. I show that the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), which ruled Mexico for seven decades, created a regional compromise: Local elites could maintain relative autonomy, being protected with the power and money of the federal government, while national elites could exercise discretion in the use of national financial resources in order to pursue a “developmentalist” strategy through import substituting industrialization (ISI). Moreover, local elites were willing to go along with this arrangement because the center ensured a flow of financial transfers and respected their local political careers as long as they did not run into conflict with the federal ambition ladder. The consequences of this regional pact were perverse. On the one hand, Mexican federalism was diminished and political practices were far from any democratic ideal; on the other, regional development suffered because resources were concentrated in the regions that benefited from the centralized model of development. The arrangement was sustained for a long time because it was a strategic political equilibrium. Neither regional nor national elites would benefit from redrawing the federal pact. This arrangement was no longer feasible after the 1990s, once the center ceased to be able to provide resources for patronage and protection from local electoral threats. The process of fiscal centralization is reflected in the national public finances throughout the century.
Ultrastructure of Azotobacter vinelandii

Abstract Vegetative cells and cysts of Azotobacter vinelandii 12837 were prepared for electron microscopy by several methods assumed to preserve structural details destroyed by techniques previously reported in the literature. Examination of large numbers of cells and cysts by these methods revealed four structural details not reported previously: intine fibrils, intine vesicles, intine membrane, and microtubules. The intine fibrils form a network in the gel-like homogeneous matrix of the CC2 layer. Intine vesicles which seem to originate in the cell wall complex of the central body are seen in the intine and exine of cysts. Analogous structures are found on vegetative cells. The intine is divided into two chemically distinct areas by the two-layered intine membrane. Microtubules, previously reported only in vegetative cells, were found in cysts.
Lost in the Gutters: Ethnic Imaginings in Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings

Abstract (E): This paper examines how the visual narrative of Adrian Tomine's Shortcomings rubs up against reality in ways that ask the reader-viewer to be moved in particular ways that complicate a resistant-to or assimilation-with narrative that typifies contemporary Asian American storytelling traditions. The paper analyzes Tomine’s compelling anti-heroic characterization, careful crafting of images, and use of page layout to argue that these conscious authorial choices provide the reader-viewers with a cognitive map upon which, if followed, they can build a complex emotional engagement with the protagonist. At the end of the comic book, the visuals ultimately invite the reader-viewers to experience an unresolved Asian American identity and ask that they feel for Tomine's protagonist, and not jut because of his marginalized status in a racist US mainstream. Abstract (F): Cet article analyse comment les recits visuels d’Adrian Tomine dans Shortcomings se frottent au reel de maniere a provoquer l’emotion du lecteur-spectateur d’une facon plus complexe que dans les recits conventionnels des Americano-Asiatiques, qui soit insistent sur l’assimilation soit s’y opposent. Il examine comment les personnages si clairement anti-heroiques de Tomine, son art parfait du dessin et son usage de la composition paginale offrent au public une structure cognitive capable de mettre en place un rapport emotionnel tres complexe avec le protagoniste. A la fin du livre, les images invitent meme le lecteur a faire lui-meme l’experience d’une identite americano-asiatique inachevee et le poussent a se mettre vraiment a la place du protagoniste de Tomine, sans pour autant se limiter a sentir de la peine pour son statut de personnage marginal dans une culture americaine dominante qui demeure raciste.
The effects of human activity on the temporal variability of coral reef fish assemblages in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary

1. A visual assessment method, called Discrete Group Censusing, was used to assess and monitor five coral reef fish assemblages in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, Florida, USA. 2. Samples were obtained quarterly from Winter 1988 to Autumn 1990 to investigate a possible relation between the variability of reef fish assemblages and human disturbance. 3. Two types of disturbance were studied: a ship grounding that occurred 4 years previous to the study, and intensive, recreational snorkel and SCUBA diving. These disturbances appeared to have no short-term effect on the temporal variability of the reef fish assemblages during the study period. 4. Furthermore, the assemblages at all five study sites appeared to be extremely stable over the 2 year period of the study. These results support the theory that coral reef fish assemblages are highly ordered and stable over relatively large spatial scales. 5. The Discrete Group Censusing visual assessment method was found to be a valuable and easily applied tool for the nondestructive in situ monitoring of reef fish assemblages on coral reefs.
Why have tobacco control policies stalled? Using genetic moderation to examine policy impacts.

Background Research has shown that tobacco control policies have helped produce the dramatic decline in use over the decades following the 1964 surgeon general’s report. However, prevalence rates have stagnated during the past two decades in the US, even with large tobacco taxes and expansions of clean air laws. The observed differences in tobacco control policy effectiveness and why policies do not help all smokers are largely unexplained. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the importance of genetics in explaining response to tobacco taxation policy by testing the potential of gene-policy interaction in determining adult tobacco use. Methods A moderated regression analysis framework was used to test interactive effects between genotype and tobacco policy in predicting tobacco use. Cross sectional data of US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) linked with genotype and geocodes were used to identify tobacco use phenotypes, state-level taxation rates, and variation in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (CHRNA6) genotype. Tobacco use phenotypes included current use, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and blood serum cotinine measurements. Results Variation in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor was found to moderate the influence of tobacco taxation on multiple measures of tobacco use. Individuals with the protective G/G polymorphism (51% of the sample) responded to taxation while others had no response. The estimated differences in response by genotype were C/C genotype: b = −0.016 se = 0.018; G/C genotype: b = 0.014 se = 0.017; G/G genotype: b = −0.071 se 0.029. Conclusions This study provides novel evidence of “gene-policy” interaction and suggests a genetic mechanism for the large differences in response to tobacco policies. The inability for these policies to reduce use for individuals with specific genotypes suggests alternative methods may be needed to further reduce use.
Lysosome recruitment during host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi uses an unusual mechanism to enter cells. Recent observations revealed that instead of trypanosomes being brought in to fuse with lysosomes, it is the lysosomes that migrate to the trypanosomes and actually participate in their internalization. Signalling events involving intracellular free Ca 2+ occur upon contact of the parasites with host cells and may contribute to the regulation o f this unusual process.
The CRF1 receptor antagonist, NBI-35965, abolished the activation of locus coeruleus neurons induced by colorectal distension and intracisternal CRF in rats

Abstract Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors have been reported to play a role in tonic colorectal distension (CRD)-induced activation of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons. We examined the influence of repeated phasic CRDs and intracisternal (ic) CRF on the spontaneous discharge rate of LC neurons in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats and the role of CRF receptors using the nonselective CRF 1 /CRF 2 antagonist, astressin, and the water-soluble CRF 1 receptor antagonist, NBI-35965. Two consecutive phasic CRDs (43.7 ± 1.1 mm Hg, 30 s each) at a 10-min interval increased LC activity to 184.9 ± 15% and 171.9 ± 12.2%, respectively. There was no difference in magnitude, onset (within 1 s), and duration (5–7 min) of the LC responses between the 1st and 2nd CRDs. CRF (300 ng/rat, ic) injected 10 min after the 2nd CRD increased LC activity to 191.1 ± 11.2%. Astressin (3 μg, ic) completely blocked the 2nd CRD- and ic CRF-induced LC activation. Neither ic vehicle nor astressin influenced basal LC neuronal activity. NBI-35965 (10 mg/kg, iv) prevented the 2nd CRD- and ic CRF-induced LC neuronal activation, while at 5 mg significantly reduced the LC response to the 2nd CRD by 80%, but did not block that of ic CRF injected 30 min later. These findings indicate a primary role of brain CRF interacting with CRF 1 receptors in mediating the activation of LC neurons in response to a phasic CRD within the nociceptive range (>40 mm Hg). This activation may have relevance to irritable bowel syndrome characterized by lower pain threshold to CRD and hypervigilance to colonic input.
Photoacclimation kinetics of single-cell fluorescence in laboratory and field populations of Prochlorococcus

Abstract Picophytoplankton show promise as dynamic tracers for vertical mixing if an appropriate index of photoacclimative state and the kinetics of change in that index can be determined. To this end, several light shift incubations were carried out with laboratory cultures of Prochlorococcus MED4 and natural populations of Prochlorococcus at sea. These time series revealed systematic changes in chlorophyll fluorescence in response to changes in incident light intensity. Prochlorococcus also exhibited strong diel patterns in fluorescence and light scattering resulting from the phasing of cell division to the daily photoperiod. In order to obtain a parameter that was insensitive to the daily photoperiod, Prochlorococcus red fluorescence was normalized to the 0.33 power of forward angle light scattering, an empirically derived normalization factor. We propose that this normalized fluorescence could be an appropriate measure of photoacclimation in Prochlorococcus , suitable for use in inverse modeling of mixing dynamics. A logistic model for photoacclimation was found to fit the experimental data well, although there was some systematic deviation from the data for populations shifted to high irradiances. Estimates of photoacclimative rates ranged from 0.9 to 2 d −1 .
Comparative assessment of the effect of aflatoxin B1 on hepatic dysfunction in some mammalian and avian species.

1. Aflatoxin Bl (1.5 mg/kg body weight, i.p.) was administered to rats, mice, quail and chickens to examine the comparative effect on hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes, cytosolic glutathione S-transferase and serum enzymes. 2. Administration ofaflatoxin B1 to rats resulted in a significant decrease in microsomal cytochrome P-450, NADPH-cytochrome C reductase, activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, cytosolic glutathione S-transferase and liver glutathione content. However, no significant changes in these parameters were seen in mice. 3. Quail showed a significant decrease in the content of cytochrome P-450 and the activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase, aniline hydroxylase and cytosolic glutathione S-transferase. A similar treatment did not affect these biotransformation enzymes in chickens. 4. The activities of serum enzymes, sorbitol dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were increased significantly in rats and quail. Mice exhibited a significant increase in the activities of sorbitol dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase, while chickens showed a significant increase only in alanine aminotransferase.
A brain stem region essential for the classically conditioned but not unconditioned nictitating membrane response

Abstract Radio-frequency lesions of the right dorsolateral pons severely impaired both acquisition and retention of the ipsilateral conditioned nictitating membrane response to both visual and auditory conditioned stimuli. Unconditioned responses were unaffected, and conditioning of the contralateral (left) eye was not impaired. These data suggest a critical role of the dorsolateral pons in the generation of conditioned responding in this preparation.
Formal mode of statistical inference for causal effects

Causation is a topic that many statisticians address indirectly in their applied work when conducting randomized experiments or observational studies for treatments. Remarkably few statisticians, however, have addressed the topic in their own writing or theoretical research. I.J. Good is one of these few (e.g., Good, 1961, 1971, 1972, 1980a, 1980b, 1983, 1988), and consequently this brief review of modes of statistical inference for causal effects seems appropriate for a volume honoring Jack’s extensive and creative contributions to statistics.
Fluid-Solid Interaction—a New Trend

Almost two and a half decades ago, while a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, I studied internal flow and heat transfer in circular tubes [1]. Single tubes had been studied a long tim...
Impaired autophagy triggers chronic pancreatitis: lessons from pancreas-specific atg5 knockout mice.

A few years ago, autophagy would require a detailed background introduction, but more and more, this fundamental cell biology mechanism of lysosome-driven degradation and recycling of cellular organelles, long-lived proteins, and lipids is becoming a common knowledge. Its main pathway, macroautophagy (herein referred to as autophagy), sequesters material destined for degradation into autophagosomes, which then fuse with lysosomes, forming the autolysosomes where cargo is degraded. The degradation products are recycled for the cell’s energy and biogenesis needs. Autophagosome formation is a complex process governed by sequential formation of protein complexes controlled by evolutionarily conserved ATG (autophagy-related) genes; ATG5, ATG7, and ATG8/LC3 are among the key ATG proteins. Autophagy is a major quality control mechanism and is critical for cell survival in starvation and other stress conditions.
Binomial Schedule for an M/G/1 Type Queueing System with an Unreliable Server under N-Policy

We consider in this paper an M/G/1 type queueing system with the following extensions. First, the server is unreliable and is subject to random breakdowns. Second, the server also implements the well-known -policy. Third, instead of a Bernoulli vacation schedule, the more general notion of binomial schedule with vacations is applied. A cost function with two decision variables is developed. A numerical example shows the effect of the system parameters on the optimal management policy.
Rapid Evolution of cis-Regulatory Sequences via Local Point Mutations

Although the evolution of protein-coding sequences within genomes is well understood, the same cannot be said of the cis-regulatory regions that control transcription. Yet, changes in gene expression are likely to constitute an important component of phenotypic evolution. We simulated the evolution of new transcription factor binding sites via local point mutations. The results indicate that new binding sites appear and become fixed within populations on microevolutionary timescales under an assumption of neutral evolution. Even combinations of two new binding sites evolve very quickly. We predict that local point mutations continually generate considerable genetic variation that is capable of altering gene expression.
Perinatal detection of gallstones in siblings

Infant and pediatric cholelithiases are well-recognized conditions, thought to be predisposed to by several factors. Fetal cholelithiasis by comparison is a rare finding, and little is known about the natural history and clinical significance of echogenic foci in the fetal gallbladder. The occurrence of fetal gallstones has not been reported among siblings. We report on the first known case of perinatal detection of gallstones in siblings.
Perception/action coupling of limb, head and rattle movements of infants exposed to cocaine

Abstract Perception/action coupling among head and limb movements and environmental events was evaluated in infants exposed to cocaine and control infants in three conditions: spontaneous, rattle, and face-to-face interaction. Time and frequency domain measures were used to quantify durations, median and peak frequency and coherence of body movements. Infants in both groups had significantly higher median movement frequencies in the rattle condition in comparison to the other two conditions. Infants exposed to cocaine moved less and with lower peak frequencies in the rattle condition in comparison to the control group. In addition, the cocaine-exposed group moved less and with lower peak frequencies in the rattle condition in comparison to the other two conditions. The magnitude of interlimb and head/limb coherence values increased for the cocaine infants in the rattle condition. Thus, the rattle condition elicited different movement organization from infants in comparison to the other conditions. Cocaine-exposed infants in particular appear differentially sensitive to the external rhythm introduced by the rattle.
Fludarabine Combined with Myeloablative Busulfan (FluBu4) Results in Reliable Engraftment and Low Transplant-Related Mortality in Pediatric Patients

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 21 (2015) S206eS239 S223 patient had a transient improvement in his vascular disease, he has now had an unexpected and significant progression. The role of sickle cell trait in his progression is unclear. Though bone marrow transplantation may be curative therapy for sickle cell disease, it may not halt the progression in all patients, especially those with severe disease.
Effect of the northward-migrating Mendocino triple junction on the Eel River forearc basin, California: Structural evolution

Offshore northern California, the Gorda plate is subducting obliquely beneath North America; the resulting complicated tectonic setting forms the southern end of the Cascadia subduction zone. The southern Cascadia subduction zone and overlying Eel River forearc basin lie just north of the unstable Mendocino triple junction. The Neogene strata of the Eel River basin record structural deformation caused by the underthrusting of the Gorda plate as well as deformation generated by northward migration and encroachment of the Mendocino triple junction. Three distinct deformation regimes are present in the Eel River forearc basin. (1) Along the western margin of the forearc basin and within the foreslope of the accretionary prism, thrust faults and anticlines record Pliocene– Pleistocene shortening caused by subduction of the Gorda plate. (2) The southern part of the basin rotated counterclockwise in the late Pleistocene, resulting in modern transpressional deformation offshore Humboldt Bay. The rotation and deformation are caused by north-south convergence across the boundary between the Pacific plate and the southernmost part of the forearc basin at the triple junction. (3) The northeastern margin of the Eel River basin is deformed by high-angle faults with a component of strike-slip motion that may represent the incipient northward propagation of the Pacific–North American transform system north of the triple junction.