cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 4823: Circulating tumor cell miR-27a overexpression as a novel mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a very lethal disease, being the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The vast majority of these deaths are due to metastasis. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of metastasis are still largely unclear. Micro RNAs are non-coding RNAs that are typically about 22 nucleotides in length. They are now established as important regulators of gene expression. A number of different micro RNAs have been shown to contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma progression and metastasis. Although micro RNA 27a (miR-27a) has been implicated in the metastasis of other solid cancers, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis was previously unknown. We have recently established a novel circulating tumor cell line from a syngeneic metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model and we have demonstrated that it has enhanced tumorigenicity and metastatic capacity (1). In this study, our aim was to determine if miR-27a has a role in the development, progression and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. To accomplish this aim, we used primary human hepatocytes (Hu 1476), a non-tumorigenic hepatocyte cell line established from the liver of wild-type immune competent Balb/c mouse (BNL CL.2), a highly tumorigenic hepatocellular carcinoma cell line derived from BNL CL.2 hepatocytes (BNL 1ME A. 7R.1), and a novel circulating tumor cell line derived from the syngeneic metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma Balb/c mouse model (OL0825). Total RNA was extracted from cultured cells. cDNA was made using a protocol suitable for assessment of miRNA expression. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to determine miR-27a expression using primers specific for human and mouse miR-27a. GAPDH was used as a house-keeping gene. The expression profile of a panel of four miRNAs (miR-27a, miR-27b, miR-103, and miR-107) in the BNL CL.2 hepatocytes was very similar to that of the Hu 1476 primary human hepatocytes. However, the BNL 1ME A. 7R.1 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line had about 42-fold greater expression of miR-27a than BNL CL.2 hepatocytes. Notably, the novel circulating tumor cell line, OL0825, had about 130-fold greater expression of miR-27a than the BNL CL.2 hepatocytes. Therefore, we conclude that circulating tumor cell miR-27a overexpression may be a novel mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis. Furthermore, miR-27a may be a useful biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma progression and metastasis. 1. Ogunwobi OO, Puszyk W, Dong H, Liu C. Epigenetic upregulation of c-Met and HGF drives metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS One, 2013, 8(5):e63765. Citation Format: Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, Chen Liu. Circulating tumor cell miR-27a overexpression as a novel mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4823. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4823
A novel technique for the fabrication of laboratory scale model functionally graded materials

In this work, the authors describe the design, fabrication and testing of model functionally graded materials (FGMs). The inhomogeneous property variations were generated by altering material properties through selective ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Poly(ethylene co-carbon monoxide) (ECO) was chosen to make the FGMs because of its rapid degradation under UV light. Irradiated ECO becomes stiffer, stronger and more brittle with increasing irradiation time. Through a series of tension tests, the authors characterized the mechanical behavior of the specific ECO used as a function of UV exposure time. Furthermore, by controlling exposure time, specimens with continuously and discretely varying mechanical properties were produced. The resulting graded materials exhibited a Young's modulus that varied from about 160 MPa to 250 MPa and a strain to failure that varied from about 900 percent to 10 percent over the width in a 150 mm wide specimen. Microhardness measurements were used to determine the differences between discretely and continuously varying mechanical properties.
The Eag Domain Regulates Outward Current Density and Recovery from Inactivation of the hERG K+ Channel Through a Non-Covalent Interaction

The Human Ether-a-go-go Related Gene (hERG) encodes a voltage-activated K+ channel. hERG contributes to repolarization of the ventricular action potential as the primary component of the cardiac delayed rectifier K+ current (IKr) and has also been shown to modulate neuronal firing frequency. hERG gating is characterized by rapid inactivation upon depolarization and rapid recovery from inactivation and slow closing (deactivation) upon repolarization. These factors combine to create a resurgent hERG current, where the amplitude of the current is paradoxically larger with repolarization than with depolarization. These gating transitions also determine the timing and amplitude of the resurgent current. Previous data has suggested that the hERG N-terminus regulates gating kinetics, however the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Deletion of the N-terminus (amino acids 2-354) has been shown to speed channel deactivation and recovery from inactivation compared to that of wild-type hERG. Relative outward current amplitude is also increased during the depolarization phase of N-truncated channels, leading to reduced current rectification. A genetically encoded Eag domain fragment (amino acids 1-135) was shown to restore slow deactivation to N-truncated channels. Our present study sought to further investigate Eag domain contributions to hERG gating kinetics. We coexpressed the genetically encoded Eag domain fragment (N1-135) with hERG channels bearing a deletion of the N-terminus in Xenopus oocytes and measured current with two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings. Here we report that coexpression with the N1-135 peptide led to a reduction in relative outward current and slowed recovery from inactivation resulting in channels with properties similar to those measured in wild-type hERG. Through regulation of deactivation and inactivation gating, the Eag domain determines the physiologically critical resurgent component of hERG current via a non-covalent interaction with the channel.
Brain macrophage surface marker expression with HIV-1 infection and drug abuse: a preliminary study.

ABSTRACT Goal: To determine the heterogeneity of surface marker expression of macrophages in the temporal lobe of patients who died with AIDS who were also Drug Abusers (DAs). We studied the expression of macrophage surface markers CD1 1c, CD14, CD68, and HLA-DR and T cell surface markers CD4, and CD8. Background: The macrophage is the prime locus for HIV-1-associated pathology, is the most frequently infected cell in the brain, and has the highest virus load compared to other cells. We previously described the heterogeneity of macrophage surface marker expression and performed morphometric analysis in peripheral nerves of patients who died from AIDS compared to HIV-1 negative individuals. We showed that the HIV-related neuropathy in AIDS is a multifocal process. It is similarly important to determine the expression of macrophage surface markers in brain. Temporal lobe tissue was selected for this preliminary study because we previously found elevated HIV-1 proviral DNA load and inflammatory processes in ...
Religious Conversion to Islam and Its Influence on Workplace Relationships in American and Egyptian Schools: A Case Study.

This single-subject case study explored one teacher’s religious conversion to Islam and her workplace relationships in the United States and Egypt. Key findings of the study suggested that social context of schools influenced workplace relationships. As a Muslim-American teacher working in the American public schools, she was uncomfortable revealing her Muslim identity. Teaching in an Islamic-American school, she was welcomed as a member of the community. In Egypt, she viewed the schools through an American lens and chose to outwardly disapprove of administrative decisions. Her Muslim identity had no bearing on her ability to gain acceptance; rather, it was her overconfidence and ego that harmed her workplace relationships. Although Amy failed to foster positive interpersonal relationships while teaching, she continued to pursue teaching, hoping for a better situation at another Egyptian private school.
COST‐VOLUME‐PROFIT ANALYSIS IN STOCHASTIC PROGRAMMING MODELS

This paper applies mathematical programming to cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis under contribution margin uncertainty. Three CVP probabilistic chance-constraint models based on various safety-first criteria for decisions under uncertainty are presented and compared. It is shown that a break-even segment of the mean-standard deviation frontier is a set of optimal solutions for the proposed models. An operational parametric quadratic programming (QP) model is constructed, and the efficiency frontier is generated. The procedures for locating an optimal solution on the efficiency frontier are then presented. The recommended QP procedure offers both technical relief from the computational difficulties posed by the probabilistic constraints and a desired flexibility in generating and presenting the relevant information for decisions under uncertainty.
Developmental physiology of late and moderate prematurity

This is a brief review of the developmental physiology of selected organ and functional systems in moderate and late preterm infants. This outline provides a discussion of the physiological underpinnings for some of the clinical conditions seen in this group of infants, including hypothermia, hypoglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome, transient tachypnea, severe respiratory failure, apnea, feeding difficulties, jaundice, and increased susceptibility to infections.
The Generalized Continuum Hypothesis is Equivalent to the Generalized Maximization Principle

In spite of the work of Godel and Cohen, which showed the undecidability of the Generalized Continuum Hypothesis (GCH) from the axioms of set theory, the problem still remains to decide GCH on the basis of new axioms. It is almost 100 years since Cantor first conjectured the Continuum Hypothesis, yet we seem to be no closer to determining its truth (or falsity). Nevertheless, it is a sound methodological principle that given any undecidable set-theoretical statement, we should search for “other (hitherto unknown) axioms of set theory which a more profound understanding of the concepts underlying logic and mathematics would enable us to recognize as implied by these concepts” (see Godel [7, p. 265]).
The naked endosperm Genes Encode Duplicate INDETERMINATE Domain Transcription Factors Required for Maize Endosperm Cell Patterning and Differentiation

The aleurone is the outermost layer of cereal endosperm and functions to digest storage products accumulated in starchy endosperm cells as well as to confer important dietary health benefits. Whereas normal maize (Zea mays [Zm]) has a single aleurone layer, naked endosperm (nkd) mutants produce multiple outer cell layers of partially differentiated cells that show sporadic expression of aleurone identity markers such as a viviparous1 promoter-β-glucuronidase transgene. The 15:1 F2 segregation ratio suggested that two recessive genes were involved, and map-based cloning identified two homologous genes in duplicated regions of the genome. The nkd1 and nkd2 genes encode the INDETERMINATE1 domain (IDD) containing transcription factors ZmIDDveg9 and ZmIDD9 on chromosomes 2 and 10, respectively. Independent mutant alleles of nkd1 and nkd2, as well as nkd2-RNA interference lines in which both nkd genes were knocked down, also showed the nkd mutant phenotype, confirming the gene identities. In wild-type kernels, the nkd transcripts were most abundant around 11 to 16 d after pollination. The NKD proteins have putative nuclear localization signals, and green fluorescent protein fusion proteins showed nuclear localization. The mutant phenotype and gene identities suggest that NKD controls a gene regulatory network involved in aleurone cell fate specification and cell differentiation.
Ground based observations of low frequency auroral hiss fine structure

[1] An electric field waveform receiver, operated at South Pole Station during 2004, recorded numerous low-frequency (LF) auroral hiss events, revealing fine structures which fall into three categories, in order of occurrence rate: patchy/continuous features, which have wide bandwidth (100s of kHz) and slow time variation (of order 1 s or longer); vertical/impulsive features, which have wide bandwidth (100s of kHz) and short duration (≪1 s); and discrete features, which have narrow bandwidths (100s of Hz to a few kHz) and a range of durations. We investigate two possible generation mechanisms for the discrete features. First, they may arise from mode conversion of narrowband Langmuir waves generated where the discrete feature frequency matches the plasma frequency in the auroral ionosphere. In fact, the estimated source power of narrowband discrete whistler modes observed in recent sounding rocket experiments and the estimated source power of the discrete features observed at South Pole station are ordered in the manner expected if mode conversion of Langmuir waves accounts for each of these observations. Second, Sonwalkar and Harikumar (2000) propose that auroral hiss must mode convert on meter-scale density irregularities in order to gain access to ground level; we put forth that if the meter-scale irregularities are highly monochromatic, the resulting mode-converted whistler modes that reach the ground will be composed of narrow-band discrete features. Ray-tracing studies in a model auroral ionosphere suggest that scattering from 10–100 m irregularities could account for the fine structures in the LF auroral hiss observed at South Pole Station.
Modeling the transport of organic chemicals between polyethylene passive samplers and water in finite and infinite bath conditions

Understanding the transfer of chemicals between passive samplers and water is essential for their use as monitoring devices of organic contaminants in surface waters. By applying Fick's second law to diffusion through the polymer and an aqueous boundary layer, the authors derived a mathematical model for the uptake of chemicals into a passive sampler from water, in finite and infinite bath conditions. The finite bath model performed well when applied to laboratory observations of sorption into polyethylene (PE) sheets for various chemicals (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT]) and at varying turbulence levels. The authors used the infinite bath model to infer fractional equilibration of PCB and DDT analytes in field-deployed PE, and the results were nearly identical to those obtained using the sampling rate model. However, further comparison of the model and the sampling rate model revealed that the exchange of chemicals was inconsistent with the sampling rate model for partially or fully membrane-controlled transfer, which would be expected in turbulent conditions or when targeting compounds with small polymer diffusivities and small partition coefficients (e.g., phenols, some pesticides, and others). The model can be applied to other polymers besides PE as well as other chemicals and in any transfer regime (membrane, mixed, or water boundary layer–controlled). Lastly, the authors illustrate practical applications of this model such as improving passive sampler design and understanding the kinetics of passive dosing experiments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;9999:1–11. © 2015 SETAC
Cyclic diguanylate inversely regulates motility and aggregation in Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile-associated disease is increasing in incidence and is costly to treat. Our understanding of how this organism senses its entry into the host and adapts for growth in the large bowel is limited. The small-molecule second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) has been extensively studied in Gram-negative bacteria and has been shown to modulate motility, biofilm formation, and other processes in response to environmental signals, yet little is known about the functions of this signaling molecule in Gram-positive bacteria or in C. difficile specifically. In the current study, we investigated the function of the second messenger c-di-GMP in C. difficile. To determine the role of c-di-GMP in C. difficile, we ectopically expressed genes encoding a diguanylate cyclase enzyme, which synthesizes c-di-GMP, or a phosphodiesterase enzyme, which degrades c-di-GMP. This strategy allowed us to artificially elevate or deplete intracellular c-di-GMP, respectively, and determine that c-di-GMP represses motility in C. difficile, consistent with previous studies in Gram-negative bacteria, in which c-di-GMP has a negative effect on myriad modes of bacterial motility. Elevated c-di-GMP levels also induced clumping of C. difficile cells, which may signify that C. difficile is capable of forming biofilms in the host. In addition, we directly quantified, for the first time, c-di-GMP production in a Gram-positive bacterium. This work demonstrates the effect of c-di-GMP on the motility of a Gram-positive bacterium and on aggregation of C. difficile, which may be relevant to the function of this signaling molecule during infection.
III.—On a Case in which various massive Crystalline Rocks including Soda-Granite, Quartz-Diorite, Norite, Hornblendite, Pyroxenite, and different Chrysolitic Rocks, were made through Metamorphic Agencies in one Metamorphic Process

The above brief description of the Cortland rocks prepares the way for a consideration of their relation to the other rocks of the county. The following questions arise: Are they one with the latter in system ? are they rocks of an earlier system ? or are they eruptive rocks, and not metamorphic, and hence, of no bearing on the general question as to the age of the Westchester limestones and the associated schists ?
Proteolipid Protein Gene Mutation Induces Altered Ventilatory Response to Hypoxia in the Myelin-Deficient Rat

Pelizaeus Merzbacher disease is an X-linked dysmyelinating disorder of the CNS, resulting from mutations in the proteolipid protein ( PLP ) gene. An animal model for this disorder, the myelin-deficient (MD) rat, carries a point mutation in the PLP gene and exhibits a phenotype similar to the fatal, connatal disease, including extensive dysmyelination, tremors, ataxia, and death at approximately postnatal day 21 (P21). We postulated that early death might result from disruption of myelinated neural pathways in the caudal brainstem and altered ventilatory response to oxygen deprivation or hypercapnic stimulus. Using barometric plethysmography to measure respiratory function, we found that the MD rat develops lethal hypoxic depression of breathing at P21, but hypercapnic ventilatory response is normal. Histologic examination of the caudal brainstem in the MD rat at this age showed extensive dysmyelination and downregulation of NMDA and to a lesser extent GABA A receptors on neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius, hypoglossal nucleus, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Unexpectedly, immunoreactive PLP/DM20 was detected in neurons in the caudal brainstem. Not all biosynthetic functions and structural elements were altered in these neurons, because phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated neurofilament and choline acetyltransferase expression were comparable between MD and wild-type rats. These findings suggest that PLP is expressed in neurons in the developing brainstem and that PLP gene mutation can selectively disrupt central processing of afferent neural input from peripheral chemoreceptors, leaving the central chemosensory system for hypercapnia intact.
Metabolism of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) by human cytochrome P4501B1

Cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) is the most recently identified member of the dioxin-inducible CYP1 family. CYP1B1 is constitutively expressed in most human tissues, including colon and breast, and can activate numerous chemically diverse carcinogens. We evaluated the metabolism of the dietary heterocyclic amine carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) by microsomes from yeast expressing the human CYP1B1 protein. PhIP metabolites were analysed by HPLC with fluorescence and absorbance detection. We found that human CYP1B1 metabolizes PhIP to three products: N2-OH-PhIP, a mutagenic activation product; 4'-OH-PhIP, a detoxification product; and 2-OH-PhIP, the mutagenic potential of which is unknown. Metabolite identity was confirmed by co-elution with authentic standards and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The identity of the 2-OH-PhIP standard was additionally confirmed by mass spectrometry. Kinetic studies of the formation of N2-OH-PhIP, 4'-OH-PhIP and 2-OH-PhIP by CYP1B1 indicated apparent Km values of 5.7 +/- 1.3, 2.2 +/- 0.5 and 1.3 +/- 0.2 microM, respectively. Apparent turnover rates were 0.40 +/- 0.03, 0.93 +/- 0.02 and 0.04 +/- 0.00 nmol product/min nmol P450, respectively. At saturating levels of substrate, CYP1B1-mediated formation of the non-mutagenic metabolite 4'-OH-PhIP was favored two-fold over that of the mutagenic metabolite, N2-OH-PhIP and >10-fold over that of 2-OH-PhIP. The formation of N2-OH-PhIP, a potent mutagen implicated in the etiology of human colon and breast cancer, indicates that CYP1B1 may play an important role in PhIP-mediated carcinogenesis.
Non-adaptive and adaptive filter implementation based on sharing multiplication

FIR filtering can be expressed as multiplication of a vector by scalars. We present high-speed implementations for adaptive and nonadaptive filters based on a computation sharing multiplier which specifically targets computation re-use in vector-scalar products. The performance of the proposed implementation is compared with implementations based on carry save and Wallace tree multipliers in 0.6 /spl mu/ technology. We show that the sharing multiplier scheme improves speed by approximately 30% and 21% with respect to the Wallace tree multiplier based implementation for non-adaptive and adaptive filters, respectively.
Dangers of overhydration in children

As opposed to my colleagues who work in developing countries,1 I encounter the problem of overhydration on almost a daily basis. Overzealous intravenous fluid replacement therapy is …
After the Two-Year Commitment: A Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry of Teach For America Teacher Retention and Attrition

Teach For America (TFA), an organization that places college graduates as teachers in low-income areas for 2 years, contributes to teacher attrition. With this mixed methods study in one urban region, we investigated teachers’ professional decisions at the end of 2 years. Respondents fell into categories in relation to the organization’s 2-year commitment, including leavers, lingerers, and lasters, and descriptors related to remaining at placement school or relocating to another school. Historical, environmental, and external factors impacted teachers’ professional decisions related to retention and attrition. Findings provide insight to improve retention of TFA teachers.
The Effect of Syntax On Low-Achieving Students' Abilities To Solve Mathematical Word Problems:

This study attempted to determine the influence of syntax on the difficulty of written mathematical problems with low-achieving eighth-grade students. Three tests, composed of increasingly more difficult sentence structures, were administered. These tests were developed at a fourth-grade level or below in reading vocabulary and mathematical computations. The subjects were functioning at a minimum fourth-grade achievement level for both reading and mathematical computations. The results revealed a significant difference between the test that contained the most complex syntax and the other 2 tests. Therefore, educators need to be aware of the syntactic structures contained in achievement tests and textbooks, and instruct students in developing a strategy that breaks difficult sentences into shorter sentences that are easier to read.
Photo-effects on the viscosity of titania nanoparticle suspensions in conducting and insulating medium

The effect of illumination on the viscosity of titania suspensions in silicone oil (insulating medium) and an aqueous buffer (conducting medium) was investigated. Commercially available P25 anatase titania was suspended at a volume fraction of 0.5%. A 12.3% increase in viscosity was observed when silicone oil suspension was used as the medium, while a 2.47% decrease in viscosity was observed for the aqueous buffer suspension after exposure to UV-vis irradiation. The capability of the suspension medium to scavenge photoinduced charges results in the observed photorheological effects. The results presented here demonstrate a new method for influencing the rheological properties of nanoparticle suspensions.
Abstract 585: PTEN is a critical determinant in sensitizing cells to γ-secretase inhibitors

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Phase I studies of gamma secretase inhibitors (GSIs) that block Notch signaling have indicated clinical activity, especially in patients with sarcomas and melanoma. None of these patients had activating mutations, yet they showed intrinsic sensitivity to the drug. Therefore, an understanding of the mechanisms for de novo sensitivity and resistance to this class of drugs would be critical for drug development. Towards this end, we treated a panel of human melanoma and sarcoma cells lines with JC-34, a potent inhibitor of gamma secretase. Even though all the cell lines showed inhibition of cleaved Notch 1 and suppression of Hes1 luciferase, only some of the cell lines showed inhibition of growth or induction of apoptosis. The sensitive cell lines also underwent G1 cell cycle arrest. In addition, all the sensitive cell lines were characterized by induction of PTEN and suppression of p-AKT (473) after the administration of JC-34. Melanoma cell lines with wild type PTEN were sensitive (SKMEL 32 and SKMEL 267) while PTEN mutant/ null cells were insensitive (SKMEL 39 and 133). In order to further assess the impact of PTEN status upon drug susceptibility, we compared the impact of JC-34 upon isogenic breast cancer cell lines that differ only in PTEN status. In the breast cancer cell line MDAMB468, proliferation inhibition was approximately 50% in the presence of PTEN expression compared to 10% in MDAB468 cells without PTEN expression. In this system, induction of apoptosis was a significant contributor to inhibition of proliferation. Taken together, these data suggest that the status of PTEN before and/or after drug treatment may play a critical role in determining tumor susceptibility to Notch pathway inhibition. As PTEN is negatively regulated by Notch, modulation of PTEN status by GSIs may provide a rationale means to explain sensitivity of this class of drugs to particular subsets of tumor. This hypothesis will be validated in planned clinical trials with GSIs in patients with these diseases. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 585. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-585
Influence of Step Rate on Shin Injury and Anterior Knee Pain in High School Runners.

ABSTRACTPurposeHigh school cross-country runners have a high incidence of injury, particularly at the shin and knee. An increased step rate during running has been shown to reduce impact forces and loading of the lower extremity joints. The purpose of this prospective study was to examine step rate
The Effect of Added Fiber With and Without Fat in a Practical Broiler Ration

ABSTRACT THE emphasis in recent years on broiler rations of high energy content has resulted in very little use of medium and low energy feeds. The present availability of a concentrated energy source such as inedible animal fats is such that these fats might be profitably combined with low energy feeds for use in broiler rations provided the only limiting factor in their use is low energy content. Insko and Culton (1949) compared the effect of ground oats, alfalfa meal, and wheat bran added alone and in various combinations to starter rations on an equal fiber basis. Maximum growth rate was obtained from rations containing less than 5% fiber, regardless of its source. Robertson et al. (1948) reported that a chick ration containing 3.5% crude fiber and 800 Calories per pound of productive energy promoted faster growth in White Leghorns than rations which were lower in productive energy but equal in . . .
Asymmetric Very Large Mode Area Fiber with Enhanced Higher Order Mode Delocalization

A novel very-large-mode-area asymmetric rod-type fiber was fabricated and experimentally characterized. The fiber supports effective and robust single-mode operation for a core diameter of 66μm making it attractive for high power amplifier systems.
Computational Fluid Dynamics for the Aerodynamic Design and Modeling of a Ram-Air Parachute with Bleed-Air Actuators

Abstract : The activation of spoilers on the upper surface of a wing is a relatively new method of achieving longitudinal and lateral control of ram-air canopies, often referred to as parafoils. No numerical studies, however, have fully investigated the 3-D aerodynamic performance of these bleed-air actuators. Simulation results are presented for a finite span, ram-air canopy geometry and several configurations amenable for comparison with wind tunnel experiments and flight test data. Assessments are also made between the resulting flowfields and previously reported 2-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results. Evaluations include cases with an asymmetrical trailing edge deflection to simulate a turn and the inclusion of two different bleed-air vents. Lift, drag and roll coefficients correlate well with wind tunnel and flight test results.
Ice Crystal Particle Measurement Using Shadowgraph Imaging Techniques

Various methods and types of instrumentation have been used to measure the particle size distribution of ice crystals. They all have their strengths and weaknesses which affect the results. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has conducted a study to develop a technique to measure ice particulates using a particle image velocimeter (PIV) in a shadowgraph or backlighting configuration. Due to the inherent capability of the PIV system, using this technology for ice crystal particle measurement has some specific advantages in accomplishing this task. This paper describes the setup, methodologies used in the analysis and the experiments performed to calibrate the system.
New Progressions and Development Direction of Pediatrics

Objective To summarize recent progressions and development trend on pediatrics at domestic and abroad,analyze the subject position of our army in international and find out advantages and disadvantages so as to promote the further development.Methods The relevant English and Chinese literature in last five years was reviewed with Pubmed and CHKD search engines.Current situation and development trend on pediatrics were analyzed and summarized combined with the literature.Results In recent years pediatrics of our army has made great progress,especially in metabonomics,molecular imaging,stem cell therapy,minimal invasive skills,critical care medicine and so on.However military pediatrics has not been established,which is our most urgent need.Conclusion Pediatrics is confronted with an optimal opportunity.Pediatrics of our army should expand our advantages and reinforce military characteristics.Tracking the international forefront and continuous innovation is necessary to set up the advantage discipline of our army.
Pretreatment of Latent Prints for Laser Development.

The pretreatment procedures for laser detection of latent fingerprints is reviewed. The general features of laser detection and the operational aspects of the examination of physical evidence for laser fingerprint detection are enumerated in the initial sections. The literature review is divided into various pretreatment approaches. Cited studies prior to 1981 are primarily concerned with the demonstration of the viability of laser fingerprint detection, whereas work post-1981 addresses issues of compatibility with the traditional methods of fingerprint development, examination of difficult surfaces, and the routine implementation of laser detection by law enforcement agencies. Related topics of research, review articles, conference reports, case examinations, the research support climate, and future trends are also briefly addressed.
Characterization and antimicrobial spectrum of bifidocin B, a bacteriocin produced by Bifidobacterium bifidum NCFB 1454

Five stains of Bifidobacterium bifidum (ATCC 11863 and 29591, and NCFB 1453, 1454, 1455) were examined for production of bacteriocins in MRS broth with 0.05% cysteine. Only strain NCFB 1454 excreted a bacteriocin into the broth: it was designated bifidocin B. Bifidocin B was sensitive to several proteolytic enzymes (protease IV, pronase E, protease XVII, proteinase K, trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, papain, and pepsin), but was resistant to catalase, peroxidase, lipase, lysozyme, cellulase, ribonuclease A, and amylases. It was also resistant to organic solvents such as ethyl alcohol, acetone, hexane, chloroform, methanol, and ether, and to heating at 90 degrees C for 15, 30, and 60 min or at 121 degrees C for 15 min. Bifidocin B remained active after storage at -20 or -7 degrees C for 3 months and retained biological activity after exposure to pH values of 2 to 10. Bifidocin B was active against some food-borne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria such as Listeria, Enterococcus, Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus species but was not active against the other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria tested. Bifidocin B was produced during exponential phase, reaching a maximum activity of 3,200 AU/ml at early stationary phase. Bifidocin B had a molecular mass of about 3.3 kDa as analyzed by Tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Experiencing ‘Illegality’ as a Family? Immigration Enforcement, Social Policies, and Discourses Targeting Mexican Mixed‐Status Families

Mexican mixed-status families have been front and center in embroiled national debates about the place of undocumented immigrants and their citizen family members in this country. These families face unique obstacles, including possible family fragmentation caused by deportation, challenges to birthright citizenship, and they are often targeted by anti-immigrant elected officials and political pundits that perpetuate a racialized discourse that casts even citizen children in these families as an abomination of US citizenship. Therefore, “illegality” may be a familial experience that can be endured by citizens and non-citizens alike. Despite their unique vulnerabilities, researchers know very little about how mixed-status families experience belonging in the country while managing possible tensions and inequalities shaped by immigration status. In this article, I review the research on punitive immigration enforcement and the scholarship on social policies and discourse targeting mixed-status families. I conclude by reviewing new directions in sociological research and suggest avenues for research that may examine mixed-status families' subjectivities, belonging, and negotiations of family relationships.
Beyond the Boost: Measuring the Intrinsic Dipole of the Cosmic Microwave Background Using the Spectral Distortions of the Monopole and Quadrupole.

We present a general framework for the accurate spectral modeling of the low multipoles of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) as observed in a boosted frame. In particular, we demonstrate how spectral measurements of the low multipoles can be used to separate the motion-induced dipole of the CMB from a possible intrinsic dipole component. In a moving frame, the leakage of an intrinsic dipole moment into the CMB monopole and quadrupole induces spectral distortions with distinct frequency functions that, respectively, peak at 337 and 276 GHz. The leakage into the quadrupole moment also induces a geometrical distortion to the spatial morphology of this mode. The combination of these effects can be used to lift the degeneracy between the motion-induced dipole and any intrinsic dipole that the CMB might possess. Assuming the current peculiar velocity measurements, the leakage of an intrinsic dipole with an amplitude of $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}T=30\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{K}$ into the monopole and quadrupole moments will be detectable by a PIXIE-like experiment at $\ensuremath{\sim}40\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nK}$ ($2.5\ensuremath{\sigma}$) and $\ensuremath{\sim}130\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nK}$ ($11\ensuremath{\sigma}$) level at their respective peak frequencies.
Functional genomic analysis reveals overlapping and distinct features of chronologically long-lived yeast populations.

Yeast chronological lifespan (CLS) is extended by multiple genetic and environmental manipulations, including caloric restriction (CR). Understanding the common changes in molecular pathways induced by such manipulations could potentially reveal conserved longevity mechanisms. We therefore performed gene expression profiling on several long-lived yeast populations, including an ade4∆ mutant defective in de novo purine (AMP) biosynthesis, and a calorie restricted WT strain. CLS was also extended by isonicotinamide (INAM) or expired media derived from CR cultures. Comparisons between these diverse long-lived conditions revealed a common set of differentially regulated genes, several of which were potential longevity biomarkers. There was also enrichment for genes that function in CLS regulation, including a long-lived adenosine kinase mutant (ado1∆) that links CLS regulation to the methyl cycle and AMP. Genes co-regulated between the CR and ade4∆ conditions were dominated by GO terms related to metabolism of alternative carbon sources, consistent with chronological longevity requiring efficient acetate/acetic acid utilization. Alternatively, treating cells with isonicotinamide (INAM) or the expired CR media resulted in GO terms predominantly related to cell wall remodeling, consistent with improved stress resistance and protection against external insults like acetic acid. Acetic acid therefore has both beneficial and detrimental effects on CLS.
On the Genealogy and Legitimacy of the Politically Liberal Secular Polity: Bockenforde and the Asadians

My article compares and contrasts two critical approaches to the politically liberal, politically secular modern state: the historicist approach of Bockenforde and the Foucault inspired post-colonial, genealogical approach of theorists such as Asad, Cavanaugh, Danchin, Hurd, and Mahmood. For Bockenforde, political liberalism and political secularism are freedom-guaranteeing achievements that every religion must come to terms with. Nevertheless he saw liberal political secularism as self-eviscerating because without religious support, the motivations and solidarity needed by the modern state won’t be forthcoming. To the post-secular, post-colonial genealogists, liberalism and political secularism are modes of governmentality that restrict freedom, create and discriminate against religious minorities and generate grave conflict within and across borders. They locate the internal paradox of liberal political secularism in its claim to be separate from and neutral towards religion(s), while assuming the prerogative to intrusively regulate and define religion, and to draw the boundaries between the religious and the political. While they differ in their diagnoses and commitments, the two approaches a. have much to learn from each other and b. share some central, and in my view, flawed political theological assumptions. I make these assumptions explicit, challenge the explicit and covert political theology informing them, and present alternative that defends the legitimacy, basic principles, and core achievements of liberal, democratic (and social-democratic) constitutionalism and political secularism.
Charge transfer in EuS/Bi 2 Se 3 heterostructures as indicated by the absence of Raman scattering

Heterostructures of topological insulators and ferromagnets offer new opportunities in spintronics and a route to novel anomalous Hall states. In one such structure, EuS/${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$, a dramatic enhancement of the Curie temperature was recently observed. We performed Raman spectroscopy on a similar set of thin films to investigate the magnetic and lattice excitations. Interfacial strain was monitored through its effects on the ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ phonon modes while the magnetic system was probed through the EuS Raman mode. Despite its appearance in bare EuS, the heterostructures lack the corresponding EuS Raman signal. Through numerical calculations we rule out the possibility of Fabry-Perot interference suppressing the mode. Direct measurements of the magnetic system also eliminate room temperature ordering from suppressing the mode. We therefore attribute the absence of a magnetic signal in EuS to a charge transfer with the ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$. This could provide an additional pathway for manipulating the magnetic, optical, or electronic response of topological heterostructures.
Corporate Taxation and the Regulation of Early Twentieth-Century American Business

In the early twentieth century, the taxation of modern business corporations became increasingly important to the development of American democracy. During that time, governments at all levels began to view business corporations not only as sources of badly needed public revenue, but also as potentially dangerous wielders of concentrated economic power. To combat the growing dominance of corporations, many fiscal reformers sought to use corporate taxation as a mode of regulatory governance. This paper explores the motives and intentions of fiscal reformers during critical junctures in the development of early twentieth-century U.S. corporate taxation. It seeks to explain how changing historical conditions shaped corporate tax law and policy. More specifically, this paper investigates why activists at certain times turned to taxation as a mode of corporate control, and why at other times they used tax policy to promote corporate growth. By focusing on the pivotal ideas and actions of key political economists, social commentators, and lawmakers, this paper attempts to answer the question: why did reformers see taxation as a viable form of public control over corporate power? We argue that the corporate tax emerged and developed as a result of competing factions and changing social, political, and economic conditions. During the height of corporate consolidations, some reformers believed taxation could be used to control, or even reverse, the growth of corporate size and power. In the wake of corporate scandals, moreover, the government’s collection and possible publicity of corporate information was seen as one specific way to regulate and discipline large-scale industrial corporations. By contrast, others saw the corporate tax as a means to encourage and foster the kind of behavior that would generate much needed economic activity and growth, especially during periods of financial crisis and economic recovery. Still others, mediating between these two extremes, sought to use the corporate tax in a supervisory capacity, while ensuring that it did not “kill the goose which lays the golden egg.” Thus, the corporate tax that developed throughout the first half of the twentieth century reflected changing visions of corporate regulation – visions that fluctuated among demands for penalty, subsidy, and neutrality.
A Dimension 6 Graph with Minimum Edge-set

The dimension of a graph G is defined to be the minimum n such that G has a representation as a unit-distance graph in $${{\mathbb {R}}}^n$$ . In this article, we show that a dimension 6 graph with minimum edge-set has exactly 21 edges, with this minimum realized only in the case of the complete graph $$K_7$$ . This result answers a higher-dimensional analogue of a question posed by Paul Erdős and presented by Alexander Soifer in The Mathematical Coloring Book.
Real-world incidence of efficacy and safety outcomes in patients on direct oral anticoagulants with left ventricular systolic dysfunction at a tertiary referral center.

Background Patients with heart failure (HF) have increased risk for thromboembolic events. Real-world incidences of efficacy and safety outcomes of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are of growing clinical interest. Hypothesis Real-world efficacy and safety outcomes of DOACs in patients with LVSD will be similar to those of LVSD or HF subgroups in the RE-LY, ROCKET-AF, and ARISTOTLE trials. Methods We performed a retrospective review of adult patients with LVSD (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%) on DOAC therapy between 2010 and 2016. Incidences of safety and efficacy outcomes of anticoagulation with DOACs were extracted from primary and secondary hospital discharge diagnoses. Results DOACs were prescribed to 287 patients with LVSD over a mean follow-up of 313.3 ± 52.3 days. Many patients had moderate and severe chronic kidney disease (28.9% and 10.1%, respectively) and indications for anticoagulation therapy other than atrial fibrillation (19.9%). For efficacy outcomes, the calculated incidence rates of ischemic stroke and systemic embolism were 1.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25-3.56) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.10-2.94) events per 100 person-years, respectively. For the safety outcomes, incidence rates of GI bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage were 2.4 (95% CI: 0.8-5.3) and 0.41 (95% CI: 0.1-2.2) events per 100 patient-years, respectively. Conclusions Our findings are largely compatible with the results of LVSD or HF subgroups in RE-LY, ROCKET-AF, and ARISTOTLE trials and add to increasing confidence that DOACs can be safely used for stroke and systemic embolism prevention in patients with LVSD.