cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2755: Regulation of 53BP1 by the structural nuclear protein NuMA

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can cause genomic instability and cancer through point mutations and genomic translocations if they are not properly repaired. DSBs are repaired by two major pathways: homologous recombination (HR) or nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The cellular choice between these two pathways is critical to cell survival and is altered in cancers. 53BP1, which promotes NHEJ by blocking CtIP-dependent DNA resection, is a key protein mediating repair pathway choice. Here, we present a new negative regulation mechanism of 53BP1 that relies on the structural nuclear protein NuMA. Apart from its role in mitotic spindle assembly, NuMA influences chromatin organization during the interphase and modulates the chromatin response to DNA damage. We identified an interaction between NuMA and 53BP1 by proteomics analysis of a 53BP1 pull-down and confirmed this interaction by NuMA immunoprecipitation. We measured greater than 50% decreased 53BP1-NuMA binding in response to DSB, which suggest that, in the absence of DNA damage, NuMA may restrain 53BP1 diffusion. This hypothesis is supported by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements in cells expressing GFP-tagged 53BP1, as well as by microirradiation experiments in which NuMA overexpression or silencing inhibited or promoted 53BP1 recruitment at DNA damage sites, respectively. 53BP1 has an essential role in B cell class switch recombination (CSR) and mediates PARPi sensitivity in BRCA1-null cells. We will present how modulating NuMA expression affects both aspects of 53BP1 function. The results from our work will help to understand how 53BP1 is controlled, and shed light on the mechanisms regulating this modulator of PARPi sensitivity in the presence or absence of DNA damage. Citation Format: Naike Salvador Moreno. Regulation of 53BP1 by the structural nuclear protein NuMA. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2755.
Nonlinear relationships can lead to bias in biomass calculations and drift-foraging models when using summaries of invertebrate drift data

Drift-foraging models offer a mechanistic description of how fish feed in flowing water and the application of drift-foraging bioenergetics models to answer both applied and theoretical questions in aquatic ecology is growing. These models typically include nonlinear descriptions of ecological processes and as a result may be sensitive to how model inputs are summarized because of a mathematical property of nonlinear equations known as Jensen’s inequality. In particular, we show that the way in which continuous size distributions of invertebrate prey are represented within foraging models can lead to biases within the modeling process. We begin by illustrating how different equations common to drift-foraging models are sensitive to invertebrate inputs. We then use two case studies to show how different representations of invertebrate prey can influence predictions of energy intake and lifetime growth. Greater emphasis should be placed on accurate characterizations of invertebrate drift, acknowledging that inferences from drift-foraging models may be influenced by how invertebrate prey are represented.
Anaerobic degradation of atrazine

Atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine) is the most frequently used herbicide in U.S. agricultural crop production. Unfortunately, the heavy use of this herbicide has contaminated soil, sediments, and aquatic ecosystems. Anaerobic degradation of atrazine was studied under sulfate and nitrate-reducing conditions using enrichment cultures developed from an atrazine contaminated soil. The soil samples were enriched using mineral salt media with either nitrate or sulfate as electron acceptors in the presence of atrazine under strict anaerobic conditions. The enriched samples were experimented with atrazine as either the sole source of carbon or nitrogen and also under co-metabolic conditions with molasses as co-substrate. The results revealed that atrazine was removed under both electron acceptor conditions. However, the atrazine degradation efficiency was significantly higher under sulfate reducing conditions than the nitrate reducing conditions. Under sulfate reducing conditions, atrazine removal was faster when molasses was used as co-substrate. The metabolic analysis showed that atrazine was mineralized and the major metabolites observed include hydroxy atrazine, cyanuric acid, chloride, and ammonium. A soil slurry reactor with atrazine contaminated soil showed more than 99% removal of atrazine within 70 days of incubation.
Co-delivery of polymeric metformin and cisplatin by self-assembled core-membrane nanoparticles to treat non-small cell lung cancer

Clinically, combined therapy of cisplatin (CDDP) and metformin is an effective treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The success is attributed to synergistic effects between the two drugs. Therefore, we hypothesize that co-encapsulation of CDDP and metformin will avoid the prominent toxicity of CDDP while maintaining the synergy between the regimens. CDDP was first conjugated to polyglutamic acid (PGA) to form anionic PGA-CDDP which was electrostatically complexed with the cationic polymeric metformin (polymet). The nano-sized complex was then stabilized with cationic liposomes composed of DOTAP (2, 3-Dioleoyloxy-propyl)-trimethylammonium/Cholesterol/DSPE-PEG-anisamide aminoethyl. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed the synergy between polymet and CDDP. CDDP delivered with nanoparticles (NPs) exhibited significantly increased tumor accumulation over free CDDP and suppressed tumor growth through apoptosis in NSCLC H460 tumor-bearing mice without nephrotoxicity. The synergistic effect of polymet alongside CDDP demonstrates that polymet-CDDP NPs can activate the AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) pathway and inhibit mammalian target rapamycin (mTOR) activity to enhance growth suppression. In all, this platform is the first to successfully co-load polymet, a polymeric metformin, and CDDP into the same nanoparticle for successful treatment of NSCLC.
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy in the Previously Radiated Patient

There is very limited clinical experience with nipple-sparing mastectomy in previously radiated patients since local recurrences are rare after lumpectomy and radiation therapy. In addition, few previously radiated patients are considered appropriate candidates for nipple sparing mastectomy because of preoperative asymmetry, poor quality of skin, and a known association with a high risk of postoperative complications.
Temperature Limits for Production of Aflatoxin by Twenty-five Isolates of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus

Aflatoxicogenic isolates of Aspergillus were tested for their aflatoxin production after 8 weeks of growth on wort agar medium at high (41, 46 ± 1 C) and low (2, 7 ± 0.5 C) temperatures. Controls were grown at approximately 22 C, a temperature known to be favorable for aflatoxin production. There were two replications of each treatment. All replicate cultures of the 25 isolates grown at 22 C were positive for aflatoxin. Aflatoxins were not detected in wort agar when cultures were incubated at other test temperatures. It appears that both Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus will not produce aflatoxins when grown at ⩽ 7.5 C or at ⩾ 40 C.
Field-based assessment of wetland condition, wetland extent, and the National Wetlands Inventory in Kentucky, USA

The economic and ecological importance of wetlands is well documented, but there are few studies that have assessed wetland condition and extent for the United States. Many states, including Kentucky, have had no statewide field evaluation of wetlands of any kind. The National Wetland Inventory (NWI) is the largest database for mapped wetlands in the United States and the most comprehensive source of wetland information for Kentucky, but its value for determining wetland condition is limited. Therefore, our objectives were to document wetland extent and condition and assess the agreement between the NWI and field-based wetland characteristics in Kentucky. We conducted field and remote-sensing based assessments of 352 wetlands across the state. NWI-mapped and field-assessed wetlands had similar large-scale patterns; however, for individual wetlands, classification often disagreed. Based on our wetland assessment method, wetlands appear to be of moderate condition, although we found differences among basins, dominant vegetation types, and landscape positions and much variation as many sites scored very low and high. Our findings support previous work showing that rapid assessments are valuable for determining wetland condition for ambient monitoring and other applications. Also, our results provide the foundation for future status and trends studies and suggest an urgent need to update the NWI in Kentucky and elsewhere. We suggest that the NWI could be improved by using newer technology that increases wetland mapping accuracy and including predictions of wetland condition using the enhanced NWI approach.
Capturing a Stata Dataset and Releasing it into REDcap

With technology advances, researchers can now capture data using web-based applications. One such application, Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), allows for data entry from any computer with an Internet connection. As the use of REDCap has increased in popularity, we have observed the need to easily create data dictionaries and data collection instruments for REDCap. The command presented in this article, redcapture, demonstrates one method to create a REDCap-ready data dictionary using a loaded Stata dataset, illustrated by examples of starting from an existing dataset or completely starting from scratch
Bottlebrush elastomers: a promising molecular engineering route to tunable, prestrain-free dielectric elastomers (Conference Presentation)

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) refer to a broad range of relatively soft materials that change size and/or shape upon application of an electrical stimulus. Of these, dielectric elastomers (DEs) generated from either chemically- or physically-crosslinked polymer networks afford the highest levels of electroactuation strain, thereby making this class of EAPs the leading technology for artificial-muscle applications. While mechanically prestraining elastic networks remarkably enhances DEs electroactuation, external prestrain protocols severely limit both actuator performance and device implementation due to gradual DE stress relaxation and the presence of a cumbersome load frame. These drawbacks have persisted with surprisingly minimal advances in the actuation of single-component elastomers since the dawn of the “pre-strain era” introduced by Pelrine et al. (Science, 2000). In this work, we present a bottom-up, molecular-based strategy for the design of prestrain-free (freestanding) DEs derived from covalently-crosslinked bottlebrush polymers. This architecture, wherein design factors such as crosslink density, graft density and graft length can all be independently controlled, yields inherently strained polymer networks that can be readily adapted to a variety of chemistries. To validate the use of these molecularly-tunable materials as DEs, we have synthesized a series of bottlebrush silicone elastomers in as-cast shapes. Examination of these materials reveals that they undergo giant electroactuation strains (>300%) at relatively low fields (<10 V/m), thereby outperforming all commercial DEs to date and opening new opportunities in responsive soft-material technologies (e.g., robotics). The molecular design approach to controlling (electro)mechanical developed here is independent of chemistry and permits access to an unprecedented range of actuation properties from elastomeric materials with traditionally modest electroactuation performance (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS). Experimental results obtained here compare favorably with theoretical predictions and demonstrate that the unique behavior of these materials is a direct consequence of the molecular architecture.
Scopist: Building a Skill Ladder into Crowd Transcription

Audio transcription is an important task for making content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Much of the transcription work is increasingly done by crowd workers, people online who pick up the work as it becomes available often in small bits at a time. Whereas work typically provides a ladder for skill development -- a series of opportunities to acquire new skills that lead to advancement -- crowd transcription work generally does not. To demonstrate how crowd work might create a skill ladder, we created Scopist, a JavaScript application for learning an efficient text-entry method known as stenotype while doing audio transcription tasks. Scopist facilitates on-the-job learning to prepare crowd workers for remote, real-time captioning by supporting both touch-typing and chording. Real-time captioning is a difficult skill to master but is important for making live events accessible. We conducted 3 crowd studies of Scopist focusing on Scopist's performance and support for learning. We show that Scopist can distinguish touch-typing from stenotyping with 94% accuracy. Our research demonstrates a new way for workers on crowd platforms to align their work and skill development with the accessibility domain while they work.
ON APPROXIMATING CONSTANTS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT A SELECTION PROCEDURE BASED ON RANKS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses approximating constants required to implement a selection procedure based on ranks. It presents a comparison of two methods of approximating the constants required to implement a ranking and selection procedure based on joint ranks. One of the methods is based on a result of Dudewicz and requires only a slide rule to actually apply. The other method derives from a result given and requires the use of an auxiliary table. The chapter discusses other applications for these types of approximations, with focus on Bechhofer-type selection procedures and selection from a multivariate normal population. It also discusses the particular subset selection procedure to which these approximations will be applied. The chapter also discusses two approximations methods.
Ruthenium(II)-Catalyzed Direct C–H Arylation of Indoles with Arylsilanes in Water

The ruthenium(II)-catalyzed, heteroatom-directed C–H arylation of indoles with arylsilanes in water has been developed. The method represents the first example of a ruthenium(II)-catalyzed oxidative C–H arylation in water/aqueous media as a sustainable solvent for C–H functionalization. The reaction enables the synthesis of a wide range of indoles with exquisite selectivity for arylation at the C-2 position. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate reversibility of the C–H ruthenation step under the developed reaction conditions.
The effect of nitrogen fertilization, rock type, and habitat type on individual tree mortality

An individual tree mortality model for nitrogen fertilized Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca [Beissn.] Franco) stands was developed using data from permanent research plots located throughout the inland Northwest. The proposed linear logistic model included the following independent variables: a dummy variable for the two habitat types, a set of dummy variables for the five rock types, a set of dummy variables for the three N fertilizer treatments, diameter at breast height, crown ratio, and crown competition factor. The results show that N fertilization, rock type, and habitat type significantly affect individual tree mortality. The probabilities of tree mortality on fertilized plots were greater than those on control plots and increased with increasing N fertilizer application rates. Trees growing on granitic and metasedimentary rocks had lower foliar potassium concentration and exhibited greater probabilities of mortality than did those growing on other rocks. The probabilities of mortality for trees growing on sedimentary rocks were very low. Moist sites had lower soil fertility and produced higher mortality rates than dry sites. Furthermore, the N fertilization response ratio, defined as the annual mortality probability of a fertilized tree over the annual mortality probability of a unfertilized tree with identical tree and stand characteristics, was estimated based on the mortality model. The response ratios were nearly constant (about 1.4) across a range of tree diameters for all rock types with the 224 kg N treatment. The response ratios were also nearly constant (about 2.1) across a range of tree diameters for all rock types with the 448 kg N treatment. Finally, the mortality prediction model passed a validation test on independent data not used in model development.
Hindu-Muslim differentials in child mortality in India

In India, Muslim children exhibit lower child mortality than Hindu children, in spite of the fact that, on average, their mothers are poorer and less educated – characteristics typically associated with higher child mortality. Using data from the National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-1, -2 and -3), we seek explanations for this paradox. We test the hypothesis that this paradox may be explained by lower son preference among Muslims. Indeed, lower son preference could produce a more typical pattern of sex differentials in mortality among Muslims and generate lower child mortality among them at the national level, compensating for their lower socio-economic status. However, we find no evidence for this hypothesis in the NFHS data. We find that Muslims are subject to a number of advantages, in addition to the better known disadvantages, which appear to contribute to their lower child mortality. However, part of the Muslim mortality advantage remains unexplained. Michel GUILLOT, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia PA 19104, USA. E-mail: miguillo@sas.upenn.edu" . ALLENDORF, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 605 E. Springfield Ave. Champaign, IL 61820, USA. E-mail: kallendo@illinois.edu DOI: 10.4402/genus-249
Physiological Consequences of Maternal Separation and Loss in the Squirrel Monkey

As the chapters in this volume indicate, the squirrel monkey has been a valuable subject in many areas of research. One area in which the squirrel monkey has been particularly popular is in the investigation of developmental issues. Our laboratory has found it to be the subject of choice for two reasons. First, the specificity and duration of the emotional bond between mother and infant make the squirrel monkey a good model for the study of attachment processes. Second, the resiliency of the infant and its high adrenocortical hormone levels are extremely conducive to experiments on the effects of psychological and environmental perturbations that occur early in life. Here we will review a series of studies on the physiological consequences of maternal separation in infant squirrel monkeys, and also discuss some of the factors that can ameliorate the deleterious hormonal and immunological effects of maternal loss.
Dose-related periorbital edema following sorafenib in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia:

We describe a case of dose-related periorbital edema in a patient with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia taking sorafenib and voriconazole that resolved following sorafenib dose reduction. We hypothesize that the mechanism of this adverse event may be related to the inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) by sorafenib. Clinicians should be aware of this possible dose-related adverse event and the potential role of sorafenib dose reduction when on concurrent voriconazole.
Chemoselective monoalkylation of 5-trifluoroacetamido- and 5-acetamido-1-pentanol derivatives via N,O-bisdeprotonation. Quantitation of evolved H2 as a probe of anion formation

Abstract Measurements of H2 evolution revealed that neither 5-trifluoroacetamido-1-pentanol (1) nor 5-acetamido-1-pentanol (6) underwent complete bisdeprotonation upon treatment with excess NaH in THF, thereby accounting for the unexpected course of subsequent alkylations with carbohydrate-derived triflates 2 and 7. These studies in turn led to an effective protocol for generation of N,O-dianions from 1 and 6; as anticipated, the former chemoselectively furnished O-alkylation products with triflates 2 and 15.
Strength and failure characteristics of a glass fiber SMC-R composite under combined tensile and shear stresses

Abstract Sheet molding compounds with randomly oriented short fibers (SMC-R) is considered a suitable lightweight alternative for steel and aluminum alloys in many structural automotive components. It is also finding a few applications in the aircraft industry. This study focuses on the quasi-static behavior of a glass fiber SMC-R composite under biaxial loading with a combination of tensile and shear stress components. A butterfly shaped Arcan specimen was used to generate the biaxial loading conditions. It was observed that the failure load is lower under combined tensile and shear loading conditions compared to uniaxial loading conditions. Damage development in SMC-R causes the material to change from a linear behavior to a non-linear behavior at the knee load. The degree of non-linearity increases with increasing shear stress. The failure envelopes based on the nominal principal stresses in the significant section of the Arcan specimen show that von Mises failure criterion used for isotropic materials gives a reasonable agreement with the experimental data.
Smuggling and Sovereignty: Individual Agencies within the Structures of Human Smuggling and Enforcement in the Mediterranean

Coverage of ‘Borderland Schengen’ and the European immigration ‘crisis’ continues to produce ‘irregular’ migrants through visual-political processes not only as threats to stability and cohesion in...
Aerodynamics in motorsports

Motor racing, like other popular forms of competitive sports, requires physical fitness, concentration, and vigorous preparation and training. Although progress in technology may dominate the race,...
The history and impact of women in animal behaviour and the ABS: a North American perspective

It has been argued that the influx of women into the fields of primatology and animal behaviour caused a transformation in conventional beliefs, particularly with regard to our understanding of male–female sexual dynamics and the role of females in animal societies. Women members of the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) have played important roles in challenging the accepted wisdom in our field. Simultaneously, at least during the last 40 years, women have become an increasingly vibrant force within the ABS, including playing significant roles within the leadership of the society. As a result, animal behaviour represents a notable exception with regard to gender parity when compared to some other scientific disciplines. This paper examines the synergisms between the influx of women into animal behaviour and novel advances in the field. It also addresses questions debated by feminist scholars regarding the reasons and mechanisms for women's impacts and whether feminism is a factor in disciplinary transformations. Finally, it suggests the integration of women in animal behaviour provides a blueprint for inclusion of other groups under-represented in the sciences.
Melanocortin regulation of histaminergic neurons via perifornical lateral hypothalamic melanocortin 4 receptors

Abstract Objective Histaminergic neurons of the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) are wake-promoting and contribute to the regulation of energy homeostasis. Evidence indicates that melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) are expressed within the TMN. However, whether the melanocortin system influences the activity and function of TMN neurons expressing histidine decarboxylase (HDC), the enzyme required for histamine synthesis, remains undefined. Methods We utilized Hdc-Cre mice in combination with whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and in vivo chemogenetic techniques to determine whether HDC neurons receive metabolically relevant information via the melanocortin system. Results We found that subsets of HDC-expressing neurons were excited by melanotan II (MTII), a non-selective melanocortin receptor agonist. Use of melanocortin receptor selective agonists (THIQ, [D-Trp8]-γ-MSH) and inhibitors of synaptic transmission (TTX, CNQX, AP5) indicated that the effect was mediated specifically by MC4Rs and involved a glutamatergic dependent presynaptic mechanism. MTII enhanced evoked excitatory post-synaptic currents (EPSCs) originating from electrical stimulation of the perifornical lateral hypothalamic area (PeFLH), supportive of melanocortin effects on the glutamatergic PeFLH projection to the TMN. Finally, in vivo chemogenetic inhibition of HDC neurons strikingly enhanced the anorexigenic effects of intracerebroventricular administration of MTII, suggesting that MC4R activation of histaminergic neurons may restrain the anorexigenic effects of melanocortin system activation. Conclusions These experiments identify a functional interaction between the melanocortin and histaminergic systems and suggest that HDC neurons act naturally to restrain the anorexigenic effect of melanocortin system activation. These findings may have implications for the control of arousal and metabolic homeostasis, especially in the context of obesity, in which both processes are subjected to alterations.
TENSCell: Imaging of Stretch-Activated Cells Reveals Divergent Nuclear Behavior and Tension

Abstract Mechanisms of cellular and nuclear mechanosensation are unclear, partially because of a lack of methods that can reveal dynamic processes. Here, we present a new concept for a low-cost, three-dimensionally printed device that enables high-magnification imaging of cells during stretch. We observed that nuclei of mouse embryonic skin fibroblasts underwent rapid (within minutes) and divergent responses, characterized by nuclear area expansion during 5% strain but nuclear area shrinkage during 20% strain. Only responses to low strain were dependent on calcium signaling, whereas actin inhibition abrogated all nuclear responses and increased nuclear strain transfer and DNA damage. Imaging of actin dynamics during stretch revealed similar divergent trends, with F-actin shifting away from (5% strain) or toward (20% strain) the nuclear periphery. Our findings emphasize the importance of simultaneous stimulation and data acquisition to capture mechanosensitive responses and suggest that mechanical confinement of nuclei through actin may be a protective mechanism during high mechanical stretch or loading.
Long non-coding RNAs in liver diseases: Focusing on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcribed RNA molecules with the lengths exceeding 200 nucleotides, are not translated into protein. They can modulate protein-coding genes by controlling transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. The dysregulation of lncRNAs has been related to various pathological disorders. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of lncRNAs and their implications in the pathogenesis of three common liver diseases: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Future studies to further define the role of lncRNAs and their mechanisms in various types of liver diseases should be explored. An improved understanding from these studies will provide us a useful perspective leading to mechanism-based intervention by targeting specific lncRNAs for the treatment of liver diseases.
Busulfan-based reduced toxicity conditioning regimen used in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in HLH patients results in sustained donor chimerism.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe systemic inflammatory syndrome characterized by excessive inflammation and an ineffective immune response. This syndrome, often driven by a gene...
Telework during COVID-19: exposing ableism in U.S. higher education

Abelism, like the many other ‘isms,’ pervades the rules and norms within the U.S. higher education system. Through a first person narrative, this article explores one person’s perspective and exper...
Generation of high power ultrafast mid-infrared pulses through ZnGeP 2

We present the generation of femtosecond pulses centered at 3 and 8 μm through a ZnGeP 2 -based Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplifier. The output can be used for a two-color high harmonic generation scheme.
Traffic Flow Management: Data Mining Update

This presentation provides an update on recent data mining efforts that have been designed to (1) identify like/similar days in the national airspace system, (2) cluster/aggregate national-level rerouting data and (3) apply machine learning techniques to predict when Ground Delay Programs are required at a weather-impacted airport
Role of cytoskeleton and deformability in laminin-mediated cell rolling

Abstract Recent mathematical models show that molecular events that mediate rolling interactions also have an impact on the stochastic features of rolling. In spherical cells, statistical fluctuations in cell displacement were shown to be an indication that only a few adhesion bonds are involved in rolling interactions. In this study, we investigated whether cell shape and cell deformability could also modulate the stochastic features of rolling. As an experimental model we considered the flow-initiated rolling of MCF-10 breast epithelial cells on laminin. The dynamic adhesion of MCF-10A cells to laminin, which involves integrin α6β4, occurs slow enough to allow for an accurate determination of the trajectories of rolling cells. The data from high-magnification videomicroscopy showed that cell shape, cell deformability, and the level of fluid shear stress were all strong determinants of the rolling velocity and the extent of fluctuations in the trajectory of rolling cells. MCF-10A cells with large surface projections rolled faster and wobbled more extensively than spherical cells under the same flow conditions. The extent of wobbling decreased and the variation of rolling velocity increased with increasing fluid shear stress. MCF-10A cells treated with cytochalasin B, which increased cell deformability and caused extensive blebbing without significantly altering surface expression of laminin integrins, reduced mean rolling velocity and increased its variance. Because leukocytes change shape as they roll in postcapillary blood venules at high shear rates, results indicate the need for further expanding the present biophysical models of rolling to the case of deformable cells.
Elliptical Galaxy Dynamics: The Issues Pertaining to Galaxy Formation

How elliptical galaxy dynamics relate to galaxy structure, stellar populations, spiral galaxies and environment are reviewed. The evidence assembled shows that most, if not all, galaxies originally classified as gE contain disks within them. Taken together, the existing evidence are most consistent with the gravitational, hierarchical, clustering, merging (HCM) concept that all galaxies, including gE, are formed from the combination of much smaller galaxies. Within the HCM picture, the evidence also strongly suggests that the subunits which go into forming galaxies must be related in specific ways both to the mass of the galaxy they will form, and to the environment in which the galaxy forms. Despite the extensive data that we now have on galaxies that can constrain their formation history, the lack of a physical understanding of the stellar initial mass function prevents us from developing realistic physical models for galaxy formation.
European Union and the deconstruction of the Rhineland frontier

The Rhineland region includes the core regional economy of western Europe, encompassing Belgium, Luxemburg and parts of the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Germany. Throughout history there have been tensions between this region's roles as a frontier and as western Europe's economic core. Michael Loriaux argues that the European Union arose from efforts to deconstruct this frontier. He traces Rhineland geopolitics back to its first emergence, restoring frontier deconstruction to the forefront of discussion about the EU. He recounts how place names were manipulated to legitimate political power and shows how this manipulation generated the geopolitics that the EU now tries to undo. Loriaux also argues that the importance of this issue has significantly affected the nature of the EU's development and helps condition a festering legitimation crisis.
CO-CREATING NEW VENTURES: ATTRACTION, SEARCH, AND UNCERTAINTY IN FOUNDING PARTNERSHIP FORMATION

This study extends current research on entrepreneurial teams by focusing on a precursor of the new venture team, namely the founding partnership. We focus on the relationships between founders early in the venture creation process to gain insights on how homophily and resource seeking behaviors can coexist in partnerships, and why only some entrepreneurs partner. Results show that entrepreneurs partner first with one other person (dyad) for personal reasons, and then may add additional founders based on more pragmatic motives. The availability of potential partners and the level of perceived uncertainty in the environment both influence the establishment of founding partnerships, and larger partnerships are the result of resource-seeking behavior which is more likely to occur in ventures that pursue stable, high-technology opportunities.
How Do Forced-Choice Dilemmas Affect Multiracial People? The Role of Identity Autonomy and Public Regard in Depressive Symptoms

The present study reports on correlational data gathered from an Internet survey to explore why forced-choice dilemma situations relate to depressive symptoms among multiracial people (N = 317). Specifically, a model was tested that explored the role of identity autonomy (the extent to which multiracial people feel they can racially identify however they desire) and public regard (the extent to which multiracial people think others value their multiracial identity). The results of the model suggest that forced-choice dilemmas predict greater depressive symptoms because forcedchoice dilemmas may promote greater beliefs that their multiracial identity is devalued in society and more generally restrict identity autonomy. Implications are discussed in terms of multiracial health and public policies regarding assessments of racial identities. jasp_634 1657..1677 Researchers widely accept that people of multiracial heritage face unique challenges associated with their membership in multiple racial categories. These unique challenges have been proposed as precipitating factors in racial identity development, overall psychological health, and the occurrence of problem behaviors, including poor academic performance among multiracial people (Gillem, Cohn, & Throne, 2001; Logan, 1981; Rockquemore & Brunsma, 2002a, 2002b; Shih & Sanchez, 2005). In a review of work on multiracial health, Shih and Sanchez proposed that forced-choice dilemmas may contribute to multiracial people’s psychological well-being. Thus, the present study is designed to examine empirically the possible link between self-reported experiences of forced-choice dilemmas and psychological wellbeing, as well as the mechanisms that may account for the relationship. Forced-choice dilemmas refer to situations in which multiracial people are asked or pressured to choose between their multiple racial identities, rather than being allowed to identify with their multiple racial identities (Standen, 1996). Because of the difficulties multiracial people face, many theorists have erroneously predicted that multiracial people will exhibit worse
Authoritarianism, Social Dominance, and Other Roots of Generalized Prejudice

The search for the personological roots of generalized prejudice (or ethnocentrism) began with the authoritarian personality, but in recent years, the twin constructs of right‐wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation have been widely treated as the dual processes that lead to generalized prejudice. However, studies conducted for this article show that other constructs, notably empathy and principled moral reasoning, contribute important additional variance. Whereas authoritarianism and social dominance positively predict generalized prejudice, empathy and principled moral reasoning are related negatively to it. For the final study, a structural model of these relationships was tested. To fully understand individual differences in the propensity for generalized prejudice, it is necessary to move beyond the dual processes union of authoritarianism and social dominance.
Microbial physiology and necromass regulate agricultural soil carbon accumulation

Abstract Strategies for mitigating soil organic carbon (SOC) losses in intensively managed agricultural systems typically draw from traditional concepts of soil organic matter formation, and thus emphasize increasing C inputs, especially from slowly decomposing crop residues, and reducing soil disturbance. However these approaches are often ineffective and do not adequately reflect current views of SOC cycling, which stress the important contributions of microbial biomass (MB) inputs to SOC. We examined microbial physiology as an alternate mechanism of SOC accumulation under organic (ORG) compared to conventional (CT) agricultural management practices, where ORG is accumulating C despite fewer total C inputs and greater soil tillage. We hypothesized that microbial communities in ORG have higher growth rates (MGR) and C use efficiencies (CUE) and that this relates to greater MB production and ultimately higher retention of new C inputs. We show that ORG had 50% higher CUE (±8 se) and 56% higher MGR (±22 se) relative to CT (p
Sarcocystis cafferi n. sp. (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) from the African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

Abstract: Sarcocystis infections have been reported from the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), but the species have not been named. Here we propose a new name Sarcocystis cafferi from the African buffalo. Histological examination of heart (92), skeletal muscle (36), and tongue (2) sections from 94 buffalos from the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa, and a review of the literature revealed only 1 species of Sarcocystis in the African buffalo. Macrocysts were up to 12 mm long and 6 mm wide and were located in the neck muscles and overlying connective tissue. They were pale yellow; shaped like a lychee fruit stone or cashew nut; turgid or flaccid and oval to round (not fusiform). By light microscopy (LM) the sarcocyst wall was relatively thin. By scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the sarcocyst wall had a mesh-like structure with irregularly shaped villar protrusions (vp) that were of different sizes and folded over the sarcocyst wall. The entire surfaces of vp were covered with papillomatous str...
Enhancer 1 binding factor, a Ku-related protein, is a positive regulator of RNA polymerase I transcription initiation.

Abstract We have previously characterized a protein, enhancer 1 binding factor (E1BF), from rat cells that can modulate RNA polymerase I-directed transcription of the rat rRNA gene in vitro. E1BF, a heterodimeric DNA binding protein composed of 72-kDa and 85-kDa subunits, is related to the human Ku autoantigen with respect to immunological and certain structural properties. To establish the direct role of E1BF in transcription, we investigated the effect of anti-Ku antibodies on RNA polymerase I-directed transcription in rat and mouse cell extracts. These antibodies, one directed against the 70-kDa Ku subunit and the other against a peptide fragment of this subunit, dissociated the E1BF heterodimer into its two subunits. The DNA-protein complex formed in the presence of the antibodies contained only the 72-kDa subunit. Preincubation of the extracts with these antibodies resulted in an almost complete inhibition of transcription. The reduced transcription was observed when either linear or circular template was used. The inhibitory effect of the antibodies was greatest when added prior to preinitiation complex formation and was minimized significantly when added after establishment of the initiation complex. The repression of rRNA gene transcription was overcome by the addition of purified E1BF. This study demonstrates that E1BF, a Ku-related protein, is required for RNA polymerase I-directed transcription, the 72-kDa subunit is the major DNA binding polypeptide, the factor acts primarily in the formation of the preinitiation complex, and heterodimerization of its two subunits is crucial for maintaining the functional integrity of the protein.
Lidar-assisted measurement of PM10 emissions from agricultural tilling in California's San Joaquin Valley – Part II: emission factors

Abstract Emission factors for agricultural operations are needed in order to develop reliable PM10 emissions inventories and air quality models for air basins with significant agricultural land use. A framework was developed to analyze the PM10 vertical profiles collected downwind of tilling operations in the San Joaquin Valley. The methods calculate emission factors on the basis of profile shape and assign quality ratings to each land preparation test. Uncertainties in the calculated emission factors and plume heights were used as one criterion for evaluating the relative quality of the reported emission factor. Other quality ratings were based on the magnitude of the difference in measured up- and downwind concentrations, wind direction, whether the tests were conducted near the edges of the field, and how well the proposed model fit the profile data. The emission factors from different operations were compared taking the quality of the emission factor into account. Plume heights and emission factors for 24 valid test profiles ranged from 2 to 20 m (mean=9.8; SD=3.6; median=9.8) and zero to 800 mg m−2 (mean=152; SD=240; median=43), respectively. Key environmental properties governing PM10 emission from these operations include relative humidity, soil moisture and vertical temperature gradient. Surprisingly, no discernable relationships were found between implement type or wind speed and the measured emission factors.
AHP based Classification Algorithm Selection for Clinical Decision Support System Development

Abstract Supervised classification algorithms have become very popular because of their potential application in developing intelligent data analytic software. These algorithms are known to be sensitive to the characteristic and structure of input datasets, therefore, researchers use different algorithm selection methods to select the most suitable classification algorithm for specific dataset. These methods do not consider the uncertainty about input dataset, and relative importance of different performance measurements (such as speed, accuracy, and memory usage) in the target application domain. Therefore, these methods are not appropriate for software development. This is especially true in medical field where various high dimensional noisy data might be used with the software. Hence, software developers need to select one supervised classification algorithm that has the highest potential to provide good performance in wide variety of datasets. In this regard, an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) based meta-learning algorithm is proposed to identify the most suitable supervised classification algorithm for developing clinical decision support system (CDSS). The results from ten publicly available medical datasets indicate that Support Vector Machine (SVM) has the highest potential to perform well on variety of medical datasets.
Analog and Digital Deformable Diffractive Optics Actuated by Inter-Nanomagnet Forces

In this paper, we present a novel actuation technique of diffractive optics based on magnetic interaction forces, permitting a fine resolution tuning as well as a tuning in discrete steps. This actuation combines advantages of “analog” and “digital” tuning in conventional diffractive optics. The application of a magnetic field perpendicularly to the beams of a freestanding grating coated with magnetic material generates intermagnet forces causing these beams to deform slightly or to clump together. A theoretical analysis of the forces has been carried out, followed by actuation simulations in both linear and nonlinear regimes for different types of gratings, showing examples of exponential and parabolic chirp profiles in addition to beam clumping. In experiment, the diffraction patterns of distinct fabricated gratings have shown both a continuous shift and smear as well as a discrete change in the diffracted angles proving the concept of analog and digital tuning.
Murray Edelman, polemicist of public ignorance

Abstract Murray Edelman's work raised significant theoretical and methodological questions regarding the symbolic nature of politics, and specifically the role played by non‐rational beliefs (those that lack real‐world grounding) in the shaping of political preferences. According to Edelman, beneath an apparently functional and accountable democratic state lies a symbolic system that renders an ignorant public quiescent. The state, the media, civil society, interpersonal relations, even popular art are part of a mass spectacle kept afloat by empty symbolic beliefs. However suggestive it is, the weaknesses of Edelman's theoretical and methodological approach, and the relative strengths of more recent research on the politics of cultural symbols, render Edelman's work unable to serve as either model or springboard for the contemporary study of political symbols.
A COMPARISON OF EXTENDED BIOPSY AND SEXTANT BIOPSY SCHEMES FOR PREDICTING THE PATHOLOGICAL STAGE OF PROSTATE CANCER

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We compared the performance of the extended multisite directed biopsy strategy to the sextant component of this strategy for predicting the pathological stage and Gleason score of the radical prostatectomy specimen.Materials and Methods:: We studied 157 men in whom prostate cancer was diagnosed by extended multisite directed biopsy and who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy. The pretreatment variables of serum prostate specific antigen, prostate specific antigen density, biopsy specimen Gleason score, the location, number and percent of cancer containing cores, greatest tumor length in a single core and greatest percent of tumor in a single core were determined and compared with the pathological features of prostate cancer in the radical prostatectomy specimens. A comparison of the information obtained from sextant component cores of the extended biopsy strategy with that from all cores of the extended biopsy strategy was performed using chi-square statistics and ROC curve analys...