cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rate of gene silencing at duplicate loci: a theoretical study and interpretation of data from tetraploid fishes.

A large-scale simulation has been conducted on the rate of gene loss at duplicate loci under irreversible mutation. It is found that tight linkage does not provide a strong sheltering effect, as thought by previous authors; indeed, the mean loss time for the case of tight linkage is of the same order of magnitude as that for no linkage, as long as Nu is not much larger than 1, where N is the effective population size and u the mutation rate. When Nu is 0.01 or less, the two loci behave almost as neutral loci, regardless of linkage, and the mean loss time is about only half the mean extinction time for a neutral allele under irreversible mutation. However, the former becomes two or more times larger than the latter when Nu ≥ 1.——In the simulation, the sojourn times in the frequency intervals (0, 0.01) and (0.99, 1) and the time for the frequency of the null allele to reach 0.99 at one of the two loci have also been recorded. The results show that the population is monomorphic for the normal allele most of the time if Nu ≤ 0.01, but polymorphic for the null and the normal alleles most of the time if Nu ≥ 0.1.——The distribution of the frequency of the null allele in an equilibrium tetraploid population has been studied analytically. The present results have been applied to interpret data from some fish groups that are of tetraploid origin, and a model for explaining the slow rate of gene loss in these fishes is proposed.
A note on curvature of α-connections of a statistical manifold

The family of α-connections ∇ (α) on a statistical manifold M equipped with a pair of conjugate connections ∇≡ ∇ (1) and ∇ ∗ ≡∇ (−1) is given as ∇ (α) = 1+α 2 ∇+ 1−α 2 ∇ ∗ . Here, we develop an expression of curvature R (α) for ∇ (α) in relation to those for ∇, ∇ ∗ . Immediately evident from it is that ∇ (α) is equiaffine for any α ∈ R when ∇, ∇ ∗ are dually flat, as previously observed in Takeuchi and Amari (IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 51:1011-1023, 2005). Other related formulae are also developed.
Telomeres and telomerase: the path from maize, Tetrahymena and yeast to human cancer and aging.

Telomeres and telomerase: the path from maize, Tetrahymena and yeast to human cancer and aging
Comparative genomic hybridizations reveal absence of large Streptomyces coelicolor genomic islands in Streptomyces lividans

The genomes of Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans bear a considerable degree of synteny. While S. coelicolor is the model streptomycete for studying antibiotic synthesis and differentiation, S. lividans is almost exclusively considered as the preferred host, among actinomycetes, for cloning and expression of exogenous DNA. We used whole genome microarrays as a comparative genomics tool for identifying the subtle differences between these two chromosomes. We identified five large S. coelicolor genomic islands (larger than 25 kb) and 18 smaller islets absent in S. lividans chromosome. Many of these regions show anomalous GC bias and codon usage patterns. Six of them are in close vicinity of tRNA genes while nine are flanked with near perfect repeat sequences indicating that these are probable recent evolutionary acquisitions into S. coelicolor. Embedded within these segments are at least four DNA methylases and two probable methyl-sensing restriction endonucleases. Comparison with S. coelicolor transcriptome and proteome data revealed that some of the missing genes are active during the course of growth and differentiation in S. coelicolor. In particular, a pair of methylmalonyl CoA mutase (mcm) genes involved in polyketide precursor biosynthesis, an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase implicated in timing of actinorhodin synthesis and bldB, a developmentally significant regulator whose mutation causes complete abrogation of antibiotic synthesis belong to this category. Our findings provide tangible hints for elucidating the genetic basis of important phenotypic differences between these two streptomycetes. Importantly, absence of certain genes in S. lividans identified here could potentially explain the relative ease of DNA transformations and the conditional lack of actinorhodin synthesis in S. lividans.
Investigations of Institute for Engineering Thermophysics (Thermogasdynamics Department) in the Area of Combustion and Gasification Of Alternative Fuels

The Ukraine is dependent on other countries to provide around 60% of its annual energy demand. The fuel balance of Ukraine is as follows: (1) natural gas is 41%, (2) coal is 24.3%, (3) oil is 18.4%, (4) nuclear is 12.5%, (5) others is 4.8%. The total annual energy balance is between 110 and 140 million tons of the "conditional" fuel, the annual import of natural gas is 53 billion cubicmeter, of oil is 13 billion tons, and of coal is 10 billion tons. The rene- wable and alternative energy sources must be developed to have an increased involvement in the countries energy balance, as the Ukraine has a significant supply of brown coal, peat and biomass. Currently, the use of renewable and alternative energy sources is only 0.5% (2003) of the countries total energy balance, with a projection to be 2.5% by 2020 and 3.5% by 2030. Over the last 10 years the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics has been involved in the national research program to increase the use of alternative energy sources in various industrial applications. This report provides the brief review of some accomplishments in the field, including the application of: (1) a wood gas generator of 50 kWt, (2) thermal energy generators using peat, brown coal and their blends with biomass, (3) a thermal energy generator using waste motor oil. The basic design of all test facilities used is given in this report along with the results of experimental studies.
Ileal luminal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and E. coli lipopolysaccharide effects in the anesthetized rat.

Some of the effects of bacterial toxins are mediated through the local production of nitric oxide (NO) or its products. This study examined if NO inhibition in the intestinal mucosa had effects on the responses to intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in anesthetized rats. Aminoguanidine (AMGU, 500 μM), a relatively selective inducible NO synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, or N G-nitro-l-arginine (NOLARG, 50 or 500 μM), a nonselective inhibitor of iNOS and constitutive NOS (cNOS), were perfused through the ileal lumen during intravenous LPS (17 mg/kg) or saline administration. Intestinal H2O transport, NO3 − + NO2 − (NOx) secretion, absorptive site mucosal blood flow (ASBF), blood pressure, plasma [NOx], tissue damage, and blood leukocytes were measured for 4 hr. LPS increased luminal NOx secretion. At 50 μM, luminal NOLARG attenuated the LPS-induced NOx secretion and increased blood pressure. There were no significant changes in lethality, plasma [NOx] or other parameters. At 500 μM, luminal NOLARG converted a nonlethal dose of LPS into a lethal dose, but AMGU did not increase lethality. The LPS-induced luminal NOx secretion was blocked by 500 μM intraluminal AMGU and NOLARG. Luminal NOx secretion also increased in control animals. This increase was blocked by 500 μM NOLARG but not AMGU. Luminal 500 μM NOLARG increased blood pressure, but AMGU did not. Luminal 500 μM NOLARG prevented the LPS-induced increase in plasma [NOx] and the decrease in leukocytes, but AMGU did not. Tissue damage occurred with intravenous LPS plus intraluminal 500 μM NOLARG. It was concluded that luminal AMGU inhibited mucosal iNOS. Luminal NOLARG inhibited mucosal cNOS and iNOS, and cNOS inhibition primed a lethal LPS effect. NOLARG, but not AMGU, was absorbed from the intestine and had systemic effects.
The Decreasing Profitability of the Israeli Food Industry

A grounded theory research is of significant value when examining in depth the key factors impacting profitability in the food industry. Five Israeli food companies, which are different in age, size and their business models, were selected to optimally serve the purposes of the study. The selected methodology included a grounded theory approach, a purposeful sampling involving 15 executives from the five above-mentioned companies and two interview formats: An open-ended interview for the five CEOs and a structured interview adopted from Preziosi's (1980) Organizational Diagnosis Questionnaire for the remaining managers. This study revealed additional and well-grounded insights into the decreasing profitability of the food companies under investigation from 2010 to 2013. The findings are on the whole in agreement with the reviewed literature. However, a number of significant inconsistencies were also identified. On the theoretical level, the researcher recommends further investigation of additional Israeli and global food companies in order to increase the external validity of the results. On the practical level, the researcher recommends for government and industrial institutions to increase the viability of companies within the food industry by addressing the high level of concentration and diminishing its effect, especially concerning the SME. This research has enriched the current body of knowledge regarding the struggle for profitability of food companies by outlining nine key categories perceived to be the predominant causes of the decreasing profitability issue. This study is therefore of significant value to the current theoretical literature regarding both the Israeli and the global food industry.
Neurocysticercosis: fireflies in the central nervous system.

ABSTRACT.Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is caused by cysticerci spreading to spinal or brain tissue. NCC causes headaches, seizures, and focal neurological deficits. NCC is one of the main causes of epilepsy worldwide. NCC can cause death if it is not adequately treated. NCC is preventable through education of proper handwashing techniques proper food handling, and Separation of human and pig living quarters (CDC 1998). The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other international health organizations cire attempting to rid the world of NCC through education.Cysticerci create cavities in the brain and other body tissue where their tiny bodies grow sometimes into tapeworms two to seven meters in length and can live up to 25 years in the human body. On magnetic resonance imaging (MR!) wormholes appear. Often times, if best practice is fo llowed, the patient's entire body is scanned and more craters appear. Some authors have stated that cysticerci on a computed topo...
Ultradian variations of chromogranin A in humans

Chromogranin A (CgA) is an acidic soluble protein exocytotically released from virtually all neuroendocrine secretory vesicles. Here we examined spontaneous variations in CgA and catecholamine concentrations in humans. In normal subjects, basal CgA showed no day-to-day, week-to-week, or diurnal variability. Plasma CgA had significant ultradian variation in normotensives and hypertensives, and in bilaterally adrenalectomized subjects. Gender, but not age or blood pressure, influenced CgA variations, males having fewer (P less than 0.05) peaks per 8 h. Plasma catecholamines had significant ultradian variations in both controls and bilaterally adrenalectomized subjects. Within individuals, neither basal nor peak plasma CgA correlated with catecholamines, nor was there concordance between plasma CgA and catecholamine peaks. Somatostatin, a widespread inhibitor of nonsympathoadrenal neuroendocrine secretion, diminished both the frequency and amplitude of plasma CgA peaks. Thus spontaneous variations in basal CgA are not directly linked to alterations in sympathoadrenal catecholamine secretion. Furthermore, neuroendocrine secretion at sites other than the sympathoadrenal system contributes to spontaneous variations in CgA concentration.
THE TECUMSEH STUDY OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESS X. RELATION OF ACUTE INFECTIONS TO SMOKING, LUNG FUNCTION AND CHRONIC SYMPTOMS

The relationship of acute respiratory illness and infection to chronic bronchitis was investigated in the community of Tecumseh, Michigan. Families were randomly selected for study from among all those in the community and they were followed for periods of one year. Occurrence of acute respiratory illnesses was identified on a weekly basis. Frequency of chronic symptoms of cough and sputum production was separately ascertained. Lung function studies were performed three times during the course of the surveillance year and blood specimens were collected at those times. The blood specimens were tested for rise in antibody titer with antigens of type A and B influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Adults with mild or intermittent chronic symptoms of cough and sputum production experienced more acute respiratory illness than those without these symptoms. This finding was present at different levels of smoking frequency. A similar relationship was present when serologic infection rates were used in the analysis instead of acute illness incidence. When the population was dichotomized on the basis of lung function data, the segment of the population with more depressed values was found to have experienced higher infection rates. The results suggest that acute infection may play an independent role in the pathogenesis of chronic respiratory disease.
Selective stimulation of epinephrine-responsive adenyl cyclase in mice by endotoxin.

SummaryA marked and selective stimulation of epinephrine-responsive cyclase activity in vivo and in vitro is caused by E. coli. lipopolysaccharide B endotoxin in normal and adrenalectomized mice. The effects are independent of protein synthesis and do not represent a change in the saturation characteristics of the dose-response curve for epinephrine. The effects appear compatible with the known increase in susceptibility to catecholamines in endotoxin-treated animals.
ABC Triblock Terpolymers Exhibiting Both Temperature- and pH-Sensitive Micellar Aggregation and Gelation in Aqueous Solution

Two poly(ethylene-alt-propylene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PEP-PEO-P(NIPAm-co-AA)) triblock terpolymers were synthesized by a combination of anionic and RAFT polymerizations, followed by acid hydrolysis. Micellar aggregation and gelation behavior in aqueous solutions were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and rheology, respectively. DLS measurements on dilute solutions revealed that the triblock terpolymers form micelles with PEP cores and PEO-P(NIPAm-co-AA) coronae at room temperature and undergo a micelle to micellar aggregate transition upon heating. Rheological measurements showed that micellar aggregation manifests itself as gelation at higher concentrations (∼4 wt %). The observed thermoresponsive aggregation and gelation is due to the intermicellar association of P(NIPAm-co-AA) blocks in the coronae above the lower critical solution temperature of the P(NIPAm-co-AA) block. The critical micellar aggregation and gelation temperatures are controlled ...
Recent advances in the discovery and development of antibacterial agents targeting the cell-division protein FtsZ

With the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, there is a dire need for new drug targets for antibacterial drug discovery and development. Filamentous temperature sensitive protein Z (FtsZ), is a GTP-dependent prokaryotic cell division protein, sharing less than 10% sequence identity with the eukaryotic cell division protein, tubulin. FtsZ forms a dynamic Z-ring in the middle of the cell, leading to septation and subsequent cell division. Inhibition of the Z-ring blocks cell division, thus making FtsZ a highly attractive target. Various groups have been working on natural products and synthetic small molecules as inhibitors of FtsZ. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of FtsZ inhibitors, focusing on those in the last 5years, but also includes significant findings in previous years.
Study on Experiment of Dissolving Scale during ASP Flooding

The component of scale in No.4 Oil Production Company of Daqing Oil Field Company is particular that has much Ba2+,so common scale dissolver can not dissolve it.In connection with the fact,through about the mechanism of scale dissolver during ASP flooding and experiment,a new type of scale dissolver is researched which is chelating agent to the main and addition agent to the auxiliary.The laboratory experiments indicate that this scale dissolver has approved elimination of scaling,and its optimum conditions is: scale cleanout temperature 50 ℃,pH13,scale cleanout time16 h.
Gene expression analysis of African-American and European-American breast tumors

PR-3 Observed differences in survival between African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) breast cancer patients are attributed to differences in socio-demographic and healthcare factors. However, recent studies have found that, after accounting for these differences, AA still exhibit lower breast cancer survival rates than EA, suggesting that differences in tumor biology may contribute to survival. AA breast cancer patients tend to have a greater prevalence of more aggressive, poorly differentiated, estrogen-receptor (ER) negative breast tumors and a higher rate of lymph node involvement than EA. More recent data indicate that AA ethnicity is an independent predictor of poor response to therapy. Despite this evidence, few studies have examined how differences in tumor biology between AA and EA breast cancer patients contribute to differences in survival. We examined gene expression profiles of micro-dissected breast tumors from 35 patients (18 AA, 17 EA) with invasive breast cancer using Affymetrix HG-U133A which contains 22,283 probe sets match to transcripts from approximately 13,000 human genes. The two groups of patients were well matched on clincopathological characteristics. We used laser capture microdissection to analyze the stromal gene signature separate from the tumor epithelium signature. The resulting datasets were analyzed on the gene and pathway level for expression differences overall, and by ER status. We identified several pathways and biological processes that were significantly enriched for genes with expression differences in the tumor epithelium and tumor stroma between AA and EA for both comparisons. The most significant identified processes included angiogenesis, blood vessel development in the tumor stroma and the regulation of chemotaxis and antigen presentation/processing in the tumor epithelium. These differences were independent of other prognostic factors that significantly affect the tumor gene signature such as p53 status. We used in-house software to find the previously recognized disease associations of those genes that were differently expressed in breast tumors by race/ethnicity. This analysis revealed a common association of these genes with diseases that arise from an inflammatory environment, indicating that differences in inflammation and immunobiology of breast tumors may play a role in the survival health disparity. We are currently corroborating the gene expression differences of those genes by RNA and protein analyses using a validation set of 60 breast cancer patients (AA and EA, both n=30). We are also examining non-cancer tissue samples to determine if these genes are generally differently expressed in the two race groups of our study. In conclusion, this study revealed that race/ethnicity is associated with differences in gene expression of breast tumors that may influence disease aggressiveness and response to therapy.
You Who in Your Selves Do Comprehend All: Notes Towards a Study of Queer Union in Katherine Philips and John Milton

ABSTRACTThis essay makes the case for a comparative analysis of the 1667 poetic volumes of Katherine Philips and John Milton. In their writings, Philips and Milton share a preoccupation with what might be called “queer union”, referring less to positivist models of same-sex relations than to non-normative notions of embodied union in the various relations of homoerotic friendship, ideal marriage and erotic chastity. This essay does not undertake an analysis of Philips's and Milton's poems, except in precis form at its end. Rather, it offers critical grounds for thinking about how and why readers might embark on a comparative study of Philips and Milton as contemporaneous poets who draw on the rhetorical resources of epithalamium and elegy to assert the presence and value of queer integration amid the fragmentations of lived experience.
Passive imaging of SNM with cosmic-ray generated neutrons and gamma-rays

We present a novel concept of the SNM imaging system based on cosmic-ray muon tracking in coincidence with neutron/gamma detection. The cosmic-ray flux at sea level is about 1 muon/sq. cm/minute. It is composed of nearly equal numbers of μ+ and μ-. In previous work, we have demonstrated that these muons can be used to image nuclear threats in relatively short times by measuring their multiple scattering through objects. Here we propose to image nuclear objects by combining tracking of the muons into a scene with measurements of the secondary particles produced when the muons stop in dense potentially fissile materials. We use multiple drift tube planes to trace incoming cosmic rays. Plastic scintillator serves as a detector of outgoing neutrons and gamma-rays. Additionally, the same plastic scintillator is used to estimate the energy of incoming cosmic-rays. We use a coincidence of n/gamma detection with the initial cosmic-ray trigger to suppress the background. The fissions produced by the stopped μ-generate fission chains that die away after several (∼5) fissions. Each fission produces ∼10 energetic gamma rays and ∼2.5 neutrons. Although a self-shielding needs to be considered, it is likely that tens of neutrons and gamma rays will escape from the object of typical configuration. The efficiency of detecting at least one of the products within ∼100 ns could be close to 100% for a detector of reasonably large solid angle (∼2 ster). Ten minutes of data should produce 50 trajectories from μ-stopped in 20 kg of U. These numbers can be scaled for other size objects. Our approach has no active source, and therefore it is safe for humans and has no effect on the object under inspection. The detectors are scalable and portable. The drift tubes of the detectors are sealed and do not need the gas replenishment. Detection and localization of SNM is achieved with automatic reconstruction algorithm, which can be run at a standard computer.
Poa L. in New Mexico, with a key to middle and Southern Rocky Mountain species (Poaceae)

The 23 species and subspecies of Poa that occur in New Mexico are described in detail. Collection locations of these species in New Mexico are given in dot distribution maps. A descriptive key to the species of Poa that occur in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico, including general distribution for species not in New Mexico, is provided. Three new nomenclatural combinations are proposed: Poa arctica subsp. aperta ; P. fendleriana subsp. longiligula ; P. f. subsp. albescens . Subgeneric affinities of species of the southern Rocky Mountain region are indicated. Of the 25 species that occur within the region, the geographic affinities are; circumpolar ( P. alpina, P. arctica, P. glauca, P. interior, and P. leptocoma ), Beringian ( P. lettermanii , and P. pattersonii ), Eurasian weeds ( P. annua, P. bulbosa, P. compressa, P. palustris, P. pratensis (also circumpolar), and P. trivialis ), Pacific Northwest ( P. bolanderi, P. cusickii, P. nervosa, and P. stenantha ), northern Great Plains ( P. arida ), southern Great Plains and South American Pampas ( P. arachnifera ), Great Basin – Californian ( P. fendleriana and P. secunda ), and Middle and Southern Rocky Mountain ( P. bigelovii, P. curta, P. occidentalis, P. reflexa, and P. tracyi ). The only native diploid Poa species known in the Southern Rocky Mountains, the contiguous United States, and southern Canada are P. lettermanii and P. occidentalis .
Performing A Regional Transportation Asset Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessment

Abstract Extreme weather is creating a growing challenge for disaster managers and transportation planners. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) recently completed a study sponsored in part by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to conduct an assessment of critical transportation assets in the state that are most vulnerable to plausible extreme weather events out to 2040. This vulnerability assessment required building an asset inventory, determining which of those assets should be considered critical, identifying various types of extreme weather events to which the critical assets may be exposed, and quantifying the potential asset damage and system disruption for the selected extreme weather event types and critical asset combinations. Combining this information then provided an overall vulnerability rating for the critical transportation assets in the state. The Tennessee study is unique in that it represents an inland region whose climate and topography expose the state to a variety of extreme weather events, and which are not dominated by concerns associated with sea level rise and storm surge. Moreover, all significant passenger and freight transport modes and support facilities were considered across a large region. As a result, the vulnerability assessment serves as an important screening tool to help stakeholders better understand where to focus their resources as they consider potential adaptation measures, and as a catalyst for facilitating a more proactive approach to building transportation resilience to extreme weather events. The methodology and tools developed in the study are also transferable to other regions attempting to better understand the vulnerabilities of their transportation infrastructure to climate change and extreme weather. This paper describes the study approach and findings, including a discussion of steps being taken to incorporate the study results into agency operations and planning.
'Separate but Not Quite Equal': Collegiality Experiences of Full-Time Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Members.

ABSTRACTCollegiality, which indicates respect, a voice in decision making, and a commitment to the common good, is central to academic governance and faculty culture. However, as faculty work is increasingly unbundled, little is known about how concepts traditionally applied to tenure-track faculty, such as collegiality and the collegium (to which access is granted through recognition of expertise), apply to newer categories such as full-time non-tenure-track faculty (NTTF). This interview study investigated collegiality experiences among 38 full-time NTTF in a public comprehensive university and a religiously affiliated research university. A framework blending symbolic interaction (Blumer, 1980; Snow, 2001) and role ambiguity (Bess, 1992) was used to understand the experiences of NTTF with collegiality. Findings suggest that with little opportunity to earn recognition as experts based on scholarship, NTTF experiences with collegiality are at best conditional and at worst deficient. Interactions with col...
Grass cell walls have a role in the inherent tolerance of grasses to the cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor isoxaben.

BACKGROUND Cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors (CBIs) are pre-emergence herbicides that inhibit anisotropic cell expansion resulting in a severely swollen and stunted growth phenotype. Resistance to group 21 CBIs, such as isoxaben, is conferred by missense mutations in CELLOSE SYNTHASE A (CesA) genes required for primary cell wall synthesis, concluding that this is their in vivo target. RESULTS Herein, we show that grasses exhibit tolerance to group 21 CBIs and explore the mechanism of tolerance to isoxaben in the grass Brachypodium distachyon (L.). Comparative genomics failed to identify synonymous point mutations that have been found to confer isoxaben resistance in the dicot Arabidopsis thaliana (L.). Brachypodium did not metabolize 14C-isoxaben. We next explored the role of grass-specific non-cellulosic cell wall components, specifically the hemicellulose polysaccharide mix linkage glucans (MLG), as a potential tolerance mechanism by compensating for the loss of cellulose during cell elongation. A partial-transcriptional knockdown T-DNA insertion was found in a key MLG synthesis gene, Cellulose synthase-like F6 (CslF6) and this mutant was found to be 2.1 times more sensitive to isoxaben than wild-type plants. CONCLUSION These data suggest that the composition and compensatory response of grass cell walls may be a factor in conferring tolerance to group 21 CBIs.
Analytical Ethnomusicology: How We Got Out of Analysis and How to Get Back In

Analysis has had a long and somewhat tenuous history under the umbrella of ethnomusicology. In this chapter, we examine the trajectory of analytical ethnomusicology, from its parallel beginnings in late 19th-century Europe and North America through its relative obscurity in the field in the mid-20th century to its panoply of new methods in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The aim of the chapter is threefold. Looked at in one way, it is a simple historical overview of analysis in ethnomusicology: an examination of the major players, from Erich Moritz von Hornbostel to Alan Lomax to many of today’s central scholars, as well as the major trends and intellectual frameworks influencing its execution, from cultural evolutionism to cultural relativism to interdisciplinarity. Yet it is also designed as an exploration of the myriad methods and approaches in the analytical ethnomusicologist’s toolkit, from transcription and trait listing to structural analysis, computational analysis, and the new comparative analysis. And finally, woven throughout is the story of the place of analysis in ethnomusicological research: its strengths and weaknesses, successes and mistakes, practitioners and detractors. Through these discussions, we then begin to unpack the ebbs and flows of its use, reception, and usefulness in the field.
Covering a Graph with Cycles of Length at Least 4

Let $G$ be a graph of order $n\geq 4k$, where $k$ is a positive integer. Suppose that the minimum degree of $G$ is at least $\lceil n/2\rceil$. We show that $G$ contains $k$ vertex-disjoint cycles covering all the vertices of $G$ such that $k-1$ of them are quadrilaterals.
Epitope mapping of commercial antibodies that detect myocilin

The presence of myocilin is often used in the process of validating trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and eye tissues, but the antibody reagents used for detection are poorly characterized. Indeed, for over a century, researchers have been using antibodies to track proteins of interest in a variety of biological contexts, but many antibodies remain ill-defined at the molecular level and in their target epitope. Such issues have prompted efforts from major funding agencies to validate reagents and combat reproducibility issues across biomedical sciences. Here we characterize the epitopes recognized by four commercial myocilin antibodies, aided by structurally and biochemically characterized myocilin fragments. All four antibodies recognize enriched myocilin secreted from human TM cell media. The detection of myocilin fragments by ELISA and Western blot reveal a variety of epitopes across the myocilin polypeptide chain. A more precise understanding of myocilin antibody targets, including conformational specificity, should aid the community in standardizing protocols across laboratories and in turn, lead to a better understanding of eye physiology and disease.
The Control of Membrane Fluidity in Plasmalogen­ Containing Anaerobic Bacteria

Studies on the control of membrane fluidity in living organisms have largely concentrated on the participation of diacylphospholipids and their acyl chains in these processes. The effects of additions of sterols to diacylphospholipids have also been intensively investigated. In addition to the fact that diacylphosphatides are the predominant lipid class in many biological membranes, physical studies on these lipids have been facilitated by the relative ease of chemical synthesis of pure diacylphospholipids with homogeneous acyl chains. Added to this consideration, many of the now classical studies on the biological regulation of membrane fluidity were done on mycoplasmas, acholeplasmas, and Escherichia coli, all of which contain diacyl lipids with or without sterols, as their predominant lipid types. As many of the chapters in this volume will undoubtedly attest, considerable understanding of the phase behavior of these lipids and the membranes that contain them has been achieved. In addition, progress is being made on the ther-motropic phase behavior of other major lipid classes such as sphingolipids (see Ruocco et al., 1981, for references). Ether lipids in the form of plas-malogens (1-O-alk-l′-enyl-2-acyl phosphoglycerides) and 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl phosphoglycerides are other major lipid classes in biological membranes.
System Reliability Theory: Models, Statistical Methods, and Applications, Second Edition

(2005). System Reliability Theory: Models, Statistical Methods, and Applications, Second Edition. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 84-87.
Advances in I/O, Speedup, and Universality on Colossus, an Unconventional Computer

Colossus, the first electronic digital (and very unconventional) computer, was not a stored-program general purpose computer in the modern sense, although there are printed claims to the contrary. At least one of these asserts Colossus was a Turing machine. Certainly, an appropriate Turing machine can simulate the operation of Colossus. That is hardly an argument for generality of computation. But this is: a universal Turing machine could have been implemented on a clustering of the ten Colossus machines installed at Bletchley Park, England, by the end of WWII in 1945. Along with the presentation of this result, several improvements in input, output, and speed, within the hardware capability and specification of Colossus are discussed.
Control and stability of the linearized dispersion-generalized Benjamin–Ono equation on a periodic domain

We investigate the exact control problem associated to the linearized dispersion-generalized Benjamin–Ono equation which contains fractional-order spatial derivatives on a periodic domain, $$\mathbb {T}$$ . More specifically, we establish that a mass-preserving external force can be applied to the linear system to achieve a final state from a given initial state. The stabilization problem with a linear feedback control is also studied.
Using error grid analysis to assess blood glucose estimation accuracy in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

ABSTRACTDespite an increase in adolescents’ use of type 1 diabetes (T1D)-related technology to aid in blood glucose (BG) management and insulin administration, adolescents with T1D often estimate t...
Optimizing Choice Architectures

This paper investigates decision quality in large choice sets across several choice architectures in three studies. In the first controlled experiment, we manipulate two features of a choice archit...
AI-based cognitive framework for evaluating response of concrete structures in extreme conditions

Abstract In order to highlight the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of engineering for extreme conditions, this study offers insights into developing an AI-based cognitive framework capable of accurately tracing response of concrete structures under elevated temperatures. This framework is utilized to derive simple expressions that allow evaluation of thermal and structural response of reinforced concrete (RC) beams and columns either; at a specific point in time or through tracing time–temperature/deformation history, for up to four hours of fire exposure. The developed AI-based framework successfully comprehends the naturally complex behavior of fire-exposed RC structural members and implicitly takes into account high temperature material properties of concrete and steel reinforcement, as well as associated phenomena; i.e. creep deformation and fire-induced spalling, and thus does not require input of temperature-dependent material properties nor need for distinct simulation/analysis software.
Investigation of Tellurite Based Fire-Through Dielectric (FTD) Ag Paste Contacts for Si Solar Cell with High Sheet Resistance Emitter

This paper reports the importance of PbO/TeO2 ratio in the formation of Ag2Te, which is responsible for increasing the reformed glass conductivity after sintering. The presence of Ag2Te, a degenerate semiconductor, seen in the Raman Spectra, after HNO3 etching of the gridline and its absence in the HF etched counterpart, supports this assertion. Thus, the increase glass conductivity after sintering has the potential of enabling formation of high quality contacts to emitter with high sheet resistance.
Remote Dietary Counseling Using Smartphone Applications in Patients With Stages 1-3a Chronic Kidney Disease: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

Objective(s) Although healthy dietary patterns are associated with decreased mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), few patients receive dietitian counseling due to concerns such as dietitian availability, travel distance, and cost. Our objective was to determine the feasibility of dietary smartphone application–supported telecounseling to reduce sodium intake and improve dietary quality in patients with early CKD. Methods This was a pre-post, mixed methods feasibility study of 16 patients with Stage 1-3a CKD in central/northeast Pennsylvania. Patients recorded and shared dietary data via smartphone applications with registered dietitians, who used motivational interviewing to provide telephone counseling weekly for 8 weeks. Seven patients were assigned to a customized study-specific application and nine patients to a commercially available, free application (MyFitnessPal). Participant satisfaction was assessed via survey, and participants were invited to complete a semistructured interview. Outcomes assessed included sodium intake, Healthy Eating Index 2015 score, weight, and 24-hour blood pressure (BP). Results Mean age was 64.7 years, 31% were female, 100% were white, 13% had income Conclusions An application-supported telecounseling program with a registered dietitian appears to be a feasible and well-accepted strategy to improve dietary quality and improve cardiovascular risk factors in patients with early kidney disease.
High-Frequency Properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O Josephson Junctions Fabricated with Helium Ion Beam Irradiation

We have fabricated spiral THz antennas containing embedded high $\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{C}}\mathrm{YBa}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{7}$ (YBCO) focused helium ion beam Josephson junctions (JJ) for characterization of their high frequency characteristics. The values of the resistance and critical current of the junctions are controlled through the irradiation dose and geometry of the junction. We observe several orders of Shapiro steps in the current voltage characteristics of the device when irradiated with 0.6 THz and a single step when irradiated at 2.52 THz.
Discriminative stimulus and antinociceptive effects of dihydroetorphine in rhesus monkeys

Abstract Rationale. Although dihydroetorphine has µ opioid agonist activity there is evidence to suggest that it is not identical to that of morphine. Objective. This study compared dihydroetorphine to other opioids under behavioral conditions that are sensitive to µ opioid agonism. Methods. The acute effects of dihydroetorphine, etorphine and morphine were evaluated using two procedures. In one procedure, monkeys received 3.2 mg/kg per day of morphine and discriminated naltrexone from saline while responding under a fixed-ratio 5 schedule of stimulus shock termination. In addition, a warm-water, tail-withdrawal procedure was used in untreated monkeys. Results. When acutely deprived of morphine, monkeys responded on the naltrexone lever, and this effect was reversed by dihydroetorphine, etorphine and morphine. Each agonist produced the maximum (20-s latency) antinociceptive effect in 50°C water. Naltrexone antagonized the discriminative stimulus and antinociceptive effects of dihydroetorphine and etorphine, although Schild analyses yielded large variability in slopes and pA2 values. Naltrexone reversed established effects of dihydroetorphine and morphine in both procedures and pretreatment with dihydroetorphine (2, 6 or 24 h) did not alter the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine. Conclusions. Taken together, these data support the notion that dihydroetorphine is a µ agonist with a short duration of action; however, variability in antagonism of dihydroetorphine and morphine might be a manifestation of differences that have been reported for these drugs at the cellular level.
Nature Enhanced Meditation: Effects on Mindfulness, Connectedness to Nature, and Pro-Environmental Behavior:

Previous research suggests that meditation, a mindfulness exercise, could result in increased connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behavior. Exposure to nature also is associated with thes...
Abstract B30: The histone demethylase PHF8 epigenetically regulates the TGFbeta pathway to promote melanoma metastasis

The specific contribution of epigenetic dysregulation to the metastatic process remains understudied. Through a meta-analysis of gene expression datasets followed by a functional mini-screen, we identified PHF8, a histone demethylase of the Jumonji C proteins family, as a novel prometastatic factor in melanoma. Loss- and gain-of-function approaches demonstrate that PHF8 promotes cell invasion without affecting proliferation in vitro, and increases dissemination but not tumor growth in vivo, thus strengthening its specific contribution to the acquisition of metastatic potential. PHF8 demethylase activity is required for its proinvasive role. Transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses revealed that PHF8 orchestrates molecular changes that directly control the TGFβ signaling pathway and, as a direct consequence, melanoma invasion. Citation Format: Rana Moubarak, Ana De Pablos-Aragoneses, Vanessa Ortiz-Barahona, Richard Von Itter, Yixiao Gong, Michael Gowen, Sebastian Stefan, Diana Argibay, Eleazar De Miera-Vega, Igor Dolgalev, Elena Sokolova, Farbod Darvishian, Aristotelis Tsirigos, Iman Osman, Eva Hernando. The histone demethylase PHF8 epigenetically regulates the TGFbeta pathway to promote melanoma metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr B30.
Cardiometabolic Effects of High-Intensity Hybrid Functional Electrical Stimulation Exercise after Spinal Cord Injury.

INTRODUCTION The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease following spinal cord injury is known to be high. However, it is unknown whether engaging in high-intensity exercise, which is advocated by recent guidelines, is beneficial or feasible for these individuals. OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of high-intensity, whole-body exercise on the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease in individuals with spinal cord injury. DESIGN Combination of a randomized controlled trial and an open label intervention study of functional electrical stimulation legs plus arms rowing. SETTING Outpatient academic rehabilitation hospital. PARTICIPANTS Forty individuals with spinal cord injury, with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairments scales A-D and neurological levels of injury C1-T12. INTERVENTION Six months of high-intensity, hybrid-functional electrical stimulation rowing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Change in VO2max , serum lipids, and insulin resistance, prevalence of cardiometabolic disease. RESULTS Individuals averaged 42.1 ± 22.0 minutes of hybrid-functional electrical stimulation rowing a week over an average of 1.69 sessions per week over the 6 months of intervention. This amounted to an average of 170.9 ± 100 km rowed, at a mean heart rate of 82.7% of individualized maximum. Only one of 40 individuals met current exercise guidelines for the full 6 months. VO2max increased significantly (P < .001), yet prevalence of cardiometabolic disease did not change significantly (decrease from 22.5% to 20%, P = .70). Hemoglobin A1c did decrease significantly over this time (P = .01), although serum lipids and fasting glucose/insulin levels were unchanged. In exploratory subanalyses assessing individuals injured ≤12 months, those with more chronic injuries decreased their triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (P = .04), a marker of cardiac mortality. Stratifying by neurological level of injury, individuals with paraplegia had worsened low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level (P = .02) and total cholesterol-to-HDL ratio (P = .04) over the 6-month intervention. CONCLUSIONS Sustained high-intensity exercise with hybrid functional electrical stimulation rowing does not decrease the prevalence of cardiometabolic disease after spinal cord injury.
The superstar effect in gymnastics

Tournament structures provide a unique opportunity to assess the factors that affect an agent’s decision-making. In this paper, we seek to determine the peer-effects of Simone Biles’ ‘superstar’ pr...
Sample size adaptations and evaluation of pediatric study interpretability.

To extend marketing exclusivity, a drug manufacture is required by the Food and Drug Administration to conduct an interpretable study of approved drugs that may benefit pediatric patients. In return for conducting an interpretable study, the drug manufacturer is rewarded with an additional 6 months of marketing exclusivity. If the study design uses a fixed sample size and nothing is changed during the study, it is relatively easy to determine whether an interpretable study was conducted. However, if the sample size can be changed based on an unblinded interim analysis, it is difficult to answer the question of whether the study was interpretable. We investigate the optimal design from the manufacturers perspective and find the strategy for sample size adaptation that optimizes the utility including the chance of an interpretable study.
Ursodeoxycholic Acid for Adjuvant Therapy With Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy of Gallstones

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) of gallstones is a new and experimental treatment. Recent data seem to indicate that the use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) after ESWL may optimize the results of the shock wave treatment. Most of the published data on the clinical use of such therapy emanate from two studies conducted in West Germany in approximately 300 patients. These subjects received combination therapy with UDCA and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) before and after ESWL. The stone fragments gradually disappeared by 18 months after lithotripsy. No adverse effects attributable to the UDCA-CDCA treatment were noted. Several considerations support the view that adjuvant chemical dissolution therapy will be necessary for best results with ESWL, including compatibility of the rate of stone dissolution postlithotripsy with that of chemical dissolution rather than mechanical ejection; the common presence of cholesterol-supersaturated bile in gallstone patients, promoting reconglomeration of fragments; and decreased contractility of the gallbladder, which may improve after successful cholelitholytic therapy with UDCA. Placebo-controlled studies on the use of UDCA with ESWL are currently being conducted.