cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequence analysis and transcriptional activity of the LTR of OLV-CU1, a North American ovine lentivirus

Although ovine lentiviruses have been described in the United States since the early part of this century, North American strains of sheep lentiviruses remain relatively uncharacterized at the molecular level. The LTR of a North American ovine lentivirus, OLV-CU1, was found to be closely related at the molecular and functional levels to visna virus, the Icelandic ovine lentivirus. Sequence analysis of the LTR revealed high identity to other ovine and caprine lentiviruses in key regulatory elements of the upstream promoter region (-25 to -115). However, the R region of the LTR was much less homologous. Transcriptional control of OLV-CU1 in transient transcriptional assays required a conserved putative AP-4 region and possibly an AP-1 like element in the upstream promoter region for moderate to high levels of transcription, much like visna virus. In contrast to visna virus, the down-stream region beyond the transcriptional start site was required for virus-specific transactivation.
Conceptual recommender system for CiteSeerX

Short search engine queries do not provide contextual information, making it difficult for traditional search engines to understand what users are really requesting. One approach to this problem is to use recommender systems that identify user interests through various methods in order to provide information specific to the user's needs. However, many current recommender systems use a collaborative model based on a network of users to provide the recommendations, leading to problems in environments where network relationships are sparse or unknown. Content-based recommenders can avoid the sparsity problem but they may be inefficient for large document collections. In this paper, we propose a concept-based recommender system that recommends papers to general users of the CiteSeerx digital library of Computer Science research publications. We also represent a novel way of classifying documents and creating user profiles based on the ACM (Association for Computer Machinery) classification tree. Based on these user profiles which are built using past click histories, relevant papers in the domain are recommended to users. Experiments with a set of users on the CiteSeerX database show that our concept-based method provides accurate recommendations even with limited user profile histories.
IMPACTS OF SUPERCRITICAL EXTRACTION ON GC/MS PROFILES OF VOLATILES IN WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE SAMPLED BY SOLID-PHASE MICROEXTRACTION

Whey protein isolate (WPI) contains >90% protein but has flavors that are disliked by some consumers. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction, although principally feasible, has not been reported for the impacts on volatile profiles of WPI. In this work, adsorption conditions in a headspace solid-phase microextraction method for subsequent gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analysis were first established for assessment of extraction efficiency by scCO2. GC/MS profiles of WPI were then compared after scCO2 extraction at various combinations of temperature (30–65C), pressure (7.0–30.0 MPa) and duration (10–90 min). Overall, extractions with a higher temperature and a higher pressure for a longer time were more effective in removing volatiles, and most peaks on the chromatogram of unprocessed WPI sample disappeared or were reduced significantly after scCO2 extraction at all studied conditions. Our findings demonstrated that scCO2 may provide a green approach to improve flavor quality of whey protein ingredients for novel food applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Supercritical extraction can be applied as a green technology to extract whey protein ingredients for improved flavor profiles, demonstrated in this work, and functional properties, demonstrated in our earlier work. Extraction using supercritical carbon dioxide is a feasible food processing unit operation, and no regulatory hurdles are expected if organic solvent is not used. These improved protein ingredients can be used to develop a variety of food products such as beverages and snack bars for improved sensory quality.
Developing an educational consortium: the Portland experience.

The demand for critical care nurses continues to exceed the supply. The reasons for this include (1) an increasing number of critical care beds, (2) critical care beds representing a growing percentage of patients, (3) occupancy rates of critical care units ranging from 80% to 100%, (4) downsizing of healthcare staff, (5) declining enrollments in nursing schools, and (6) inadequate retention of nurses. 1 An aging population and technological advances are also contributing factors. These factors are apparent nationwide, and the predictions are that they will continue to worsen. 2 Hospitals are aggressively recruiting new staff and use agency and traveling nurses to fill vacancies. These solutions are temporary and costly. Critical care internship programs seek to attract experienced nurses who want to transfer to a critical care area or new graduate nurses who have an interest in critical care. Although no standardized definition of an internship program has been published, this term is often used by clinical nurse specialists and educators to describe a program that provides specialty-area content combined with building of areaspecific skills and time at the bedside with a clinical preceptor. 3 In 1996, board members of the Greater Portland chapter of the American Association of CriticalCare Nurses (GPC-AACN) noted that 6 introductory internship programs in adult critical care were offered in the Portland area. These programs were sponsored by 6 different hospitals and involved approximately 120 participants. The GPC-AACN saw an opportunity and invited a group of area clinical nurse specialists, nurse educators, and managers to discuss the idea of forming an educational consortium to more effectively address entry-level education for novice critical care nurses. In this article, I describe the process this group went through to develop a 6-day course on the core theory of critical care nursing on a consortium basis, discuss how this core content can mesh with individual hospitals’ internship programs, and provide details that readers might use or adapt for use in their own facilities. The idea of consortium-based education is not new. The litera
The neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene encodes multiple alternatively spliced transcripts

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is an autosomal dominantly-inherited disorder predisposing affected individuals to tumors of multiple cell types in the central nervous system, including meningiomas. A candidate tumor suppressor gene for this disorder has recently been cloned; the protein product of this gene has a predicted role in linking integral membrane proteins with the cytoskeleton. Utilizing reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses, we have identified a number of alternatively spliced transcription products encoded by the NF2 gene. These alternative splice variants were detected in RNA isolated from several sources, including primary leptomeningeal tissue and an established line of leptomeningeal cells (LMC). Several of these variants delete previously identified coding regions of this gene. Moreover, two of these splice variants add previously unrecognized exons to the NF2 coding region. These identified splice forms will serve as natural reagents for the functional dissection of the NF2 protein product(s). They also should be considered in studies investigating mutations of this gene in members of NF2 families and in tumor analyses.
The Influence of Prenatal Salt on the Development of Hypertension by Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR)

SummarySpontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) pups whose mothers receive a high salt diet during pregnancy and who continue on the high salt diet in postnatal life develop exceedingly high blood pressures (230 mm Hg before 4 months of age). This does not occur in SHR on high salt only prenatally or only postnatally nor does it occur in Wistar Kyoto (WKY) or Sprague Dawley (CD) rats. Among SHR pups on the high salt regimen both pre- and postnatally there is a greatly accelerated incidence of stroke as well as a markedly shortened life-span (36% mortality before 4 months of age). Maternal effects of the high salt diet include reduced gestational weight gain, and reduced successful pregnancies in SHR and WKY. However, in successful pregnancies maternal blood pressures in all three strains were not significantly altered by the high salt diet. The high salt diet did not affect the life span of the mothers, and the SHR mothers of pups on high salt both pre- and postnatally outlived their offspring.
Role of capecitabine (Xeloda ®) in breast cancer

One rationale for the development of new treatment strategies for advanced breast cancer is to provide targeted antineoplastic therapy, while at the same time improving the quality of life of patients. One such drug, capecitabine (Xeloda), is an oral fluoropyrimidine 5-fluorouracil carbamate. Capecitabine is converted to 5-fluorouracil primarily in cancer tissue and it has been demonstrated to combine ease of administration, a manageable toxicity profile and potent antineoplastic activity. Capecitabine is widely used in metastatic breast cancer and offers symptom palliation and in combination with docetaxel (Taxotere) improved survival compared with docetaxel alone. Its toxicity profile includes hand-foot syndrome and stomatitis and diarrhea, whereas its hematologic side effects are mild. Capecitabine has been evaluated as a single agent in women with advanced breast cancer where it offers an overall response rate of 20-30%. Capecitabine is synergistic with other chemotherapeutic agents, such as the taxanes, where it increases the response rate to over 40%. This review will place the available data on the use of capecitabine in metastatic breast cancer as a single agent or as part of a combination regime in context.
Banishing “I” and “we” from accounts of metacognition

Carruthers offers a promising model for how "we" know the propositional contents of "our" own minds. Unfortunately, in retaining talk of first-person access to mental states, his suggestions assume that a higher-order self is already "in the loop." We invite Carruthers to eliminate the first-person from his model and to develop a more thoroughly third-person model of metacognition.
The safety of remifentanil by bolus injection

Remifentanil is the newest of the fentanyl family of short-acting phenylpiperidine derivatives to be released into clinical practice. Remifentanil is a pure agonist at the μ opioid receptor with re...
Salivary gland cellular architecture in the Asian malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi

Anopheles mosquitoes are vectors for malaria, a disease with continued grave outcomes for human health. Transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans occurs by parasite passage through the salivary glands (SGs). Previous studies of mosquito SG architecture have been limited in scope and detail. We developed a simple, optimized protocol for fluorescence staining using dyes and/or antibodies to interrogate cellular architecture in Anopheles stephensi adult SGs. We used common biological dyes, antibodies to well-conserved structural and organellar markers, and antibodies against Anopheles salivary proteins to visualize many individual SGs at high resolution by confocal microscopy. These analyses confirmed morphological features previously described using electron microscopy and uncovered a high degree of individual variation in SG structure. Our studies provide evidence for two alternative models for the origin of the salivary duct, the structure facilitating parasite transport out of SGs. We compare SG cellular architecture in An. stephensi and Drosophila melanogaster, a fellow Dipteran whose adult SGs are nearly completely unstudied, and find many conserved features despite divergence in overall form and function. Anopheles salivary proteins previously observed at the basement membrane were localized either in SG cells, secretory cavities, or the SG lumen. Our studies also revealed a population of cells with characteristics consistent with regenerative cells, similar to muscle satellite cells or midgut regenerative cells. This work serves as a foundation for linking Anopheles stephensi SG cellular architecture to function and as a basis for generating and evaluating tools aimed at preventing malaria transmission at the level of mosquito SGs.
The pyrolysis of cannabinoids.

Plants of the genus Cannabis are known to produce stronger and more immediate effects when smoked, the usual way of administration in Western countries, than when orally taken in similar amounts. In particular, the psychoactive effects are stronger than could be expected from the initial tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content (Galanter et al. 1973). Therefore, it is important to investigate the products obtained following smoking instead of concentrating on the toxicology of the natural constituents.
Dendritic Cells and Peptide-Based Vaccine In Multiple Myeloma

Since Steinman and Cohn [1]’s initial report on dendritic cells (DC) with a distinctive stellate morphology, DC have been extensively studied by many other investigators for their major role as antigen-presenting cells (APC) to stimulate T lymphocytes and induce the disease-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). As major regulators of the adaptive immune response, DC have been known as the most potent APC for initiating cellular immune responses through the stimulation of naive T cells and to mediate antitumor responses in both preclinical studies and clinical trials [2–4]. The unique ability of DC to induce and sustain primary immune responses makes them prime candidates in vaccination protocols as a cancer therapy [5–8]. Therefore, translating the accumulating knowledge on DC subsets and their unique functional specializations into designs for novel vaccines is emerging as a key topic in the field of immunotherapy. More than 200 clinical trials have been performed using DC as cellular adjuvants in cancer [9]. The first US Food and Drug Administration approval in history for a therapeutic cancer vaccine was sipuleucel-T (Provenge; Dendreon, Inc.) that is an autologous DC-based vaccine loaded with a prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP)-GM-CSF fusion protein for treatment of men with advanced castrate-resistant prostate cancer. These ongoing studies have been accompanied by the development of a wide range of therapies using DC in other types of cancer, and we will specifically focus on the development of current DC therapies to treat multiple myeloma.
Effects of yohimbine and drug cues on impulsivity and attention in cocaine-dependent men and women and sex-matched controls

Abstract Background Deficits in executive function have been associated with risk for relapse. Data from previous studies suggest that relapse may be triggered by stress and drug-paired cues and that there are significant sex differences in the magnitude of these responses. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the pharmacological stressor and alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine and cocaine cues on executive function in cocaine-dependent men and women. Methods In a double-blind placebo controlled cross-over study, cocaine-dependent men (n = 12), cocaine-dependent women (n = 27), control men (n = 31) and control women (n = 25) received either yohimbine or placebo prior to two cocaine cue exposure sessions. Participants performed the Connors’ Continuous Performance Test II prior to medication/placebo administration and immediately after each cue exposure session Results Healthy controls had a significant increase in commission errors under the yohimbine condition [RR (95% CI) = 1.1 (1.0–1.3), χ21 = 2.0, p = 0.050]. Cocaine-dependent individuals exhibited a significant decrease in omission errors under the yohimbine condition [RR (95% CI) = 0.6 (0.4–0.8), χ21 = 8.6, p = 0.003]. Cocaine-dependent women had more omission errors as compared to cocaine-dependent men regardless of treatment [RR (95% CI) = 7.2 (3.6–14.7), χ21 = 30.1, p Conclusions These data add to a growing literature demonstrating significant sex differences in behaviors associated with relapse in cocaine-dependent individuals.
Cytokinesis involves a nontranscriptional function of the Hippo pathway effector YAP

YAP is a transcriptional coactivator that controls organ expansion and differentiation and is inhibited by the Hippo pathway in cells in interphase. Here, we demonstrated that, during mitosis, YAP localized to the midbody and spindle, subcellular structures that are involved in cytokinesis, the process by which contraction of the cytoskeleton produces two daughter cells. Furthermore, YAP was phosphorylated by CDK1, a kinase that promotes cell cycle progression. Knockdown of YAP by shRNA or expression of a nonphosphorylatable form of YAP delayed the separation of daughter cells (called abscission) and induced a cytokinesis phenotype associated with increased contractile force, membrane blebbing and bulges, and abnormal spindle orientation. Consequently, these defects led to an increased frequency of multinucleation, micronuclei, and aneuploidy. YAP was required for proper localization of proteins that regulate contraction during cytokinesis, including ECT2, MgcRacGap, Anillin, and RHOA. In addition, depletion of YAP increased the phosphorylation of myosin light chain, which would be expected to activate the contractile activity of myosin II, the molecular motor involved in cytokinesis. The polarity scaffold protein PATJ coprecipitated with YAP and colocalized with YAP at the cytokinesis midbody, and knockdown of PATJ phenocopied the cytokinetic defects and spindle orientation alterations induced by either YAP depletion or expression of a nonphosphorylatable YAP mutant. Together, these results reveal an unanticipated role for YAP in the proper organization of the cytokinesis machinery during mitosis through interaction with the polarity protein PATJ.
A Comparison of Monolayer Phase Behavior for Hydroxycholesterols Lipid Systems

Hydroxycholesterols play an integral role in the management of cholesterol levels in the cell membrane. Hydroxycholesterols are oxidized versions of cholesterol containing a second hydroxyl functional group. Isomers exist that vary in the position of the second hydroxyl group, which influences the physical behavior of hydroxycholesterols. The behavior of the hydroxycholesterols 7s-OH, 20-OH, 22(R)-OH, 22(S)-OH, 25-OH and 27-OH, are explored in a 1,2-Dimysristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) monolayer using a Langmuir Trough, fluorescence microscopy, and image analysis. Isotherms for each isomer at a variety of compositions were recorded, and show interesting features dependent on the isomer. Taking fluorescence images of hydroxycholesterol-rich domains and phospholipid-rich domains provides a physical look at the phase-behavior of the hydroxycholesterol/lipid system. These sterol rich domains are observed after a phase change which occurs at different pressures, depending on the sterol. The behavior between 22(R) hydroxycholesterol and 22(S) hydroxycholesterol has proved to be particularly interesting. The optical activity influences the observed phase behavior and provides insight into the conformations of the two optical isomers.
Influence of race/ethnicity, body mass index, and proximity of menopause on menstrual cycle patterns in the menopausal transition: the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Objective Few studies evaluate factors that influence menstrual cycle length (MCL) during the menopausal transition (MT), a life-stage during which very long cycles become more likely to occur. The objective of this paper was to assess how BMI and race/ethnicity, factors associated with MCL in young women, influence MCL during the MT.
Main controlling factors for the vertical seal of faults

Based on the analysis of interior structure and type and characteristics of transporting passages in fault zone, this paper points out the pressure exerted on fault surface, the mudstone content of filling material in fault zone and precipitation of silica and carbonate to the main factors controlling the formation of the vertical seal of faults. The big or small of the pressure exerted on fault surface controls the tightness and seal of spaces and inclination fractures in fault zone. It is the direct factor that causes the spaces and inclination fractures in fault zone to be sealed. The lithology of strata faulted controls that of filling material in fault zone. The big or small of the mudstone content of filling material in fault zone controls the seal or open of connected porosity of fault zone to a certain degree. Precipitation of silica and carbonate is the main factors controlling the formation of the vertical seal of vertical fracture and connected porosity that were not blocked up by mudstone in fault zone. Whether there exist silica and carbonate precipitation controls the seal of open of vertical fractures and connected porosity that are not blocked up by mudstone in fault zone.
Detection and analysis of heavy metals in market food in Huangshi City from 2009-2010

[Objective]To investigate the contents of lead,cadmium and mercury in food in Huangshi City from 2009-2010,provide the evidences for controlling the pollution in food.[Methods]A total of 15 kinds of 168 samples were collected from farm produce market and supermarket in Huangshi urban area,and the contents of lead,cadmium and mercury in food samples were detected.[Results]The qualified rates of heavy metals in 15 kinds of food were relatively high.The over standard rate of lead,cadmium and mercury was respectively 3.6%,5.0% and 2.5%,which were lower than those of other cities.[Conclusion]Although the level of heavy metal pollution in food in Huangshi City is relatively low,the monitoring should be strengthened.
Lynch Syndrome: Female Genital Tract Cancer Diagnosis and Screening

Lynch syndrome is responsible for approximately 5% of endometrial cancers and 1% of ovarian cancers. The molecular basis for Lynch syndrome is a heritable functional deficiency in the DNA mismatch repair system, typically due to a germline mutation. This review discusses the rationales and relative merits of current Lynch syndrome screening tests for endometrial and ovarian cancers and provides pathologists with an informed algorithmic approach to Lynch syndrome testing in gynecologic cancers. Pitfalls in test interpretation and strategies to resolve discordant test results are presented. The potential role for next-generation sequencing panels in future screening efforts is discussed.
Abstract LB-002: Methylation of the EGF receptor regulates signaling and therapeutic response

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted monoclonal antibody, cetuximab, is one of the most effective ways of controlling colorectal cancer progression. However, resistance to cetuximab has been observed in clinical setting. Here, we report a mechanism contributing to cetuximab resistance in which protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) methylates the extracellular domain of EGFR at R198 and R200, leading to an increase in the binding affinity between EGF and methylated EGFR, and subsequently receptor dimerization, downstream signaling activation, and cell proliferation in vitro. R/K mutation of the EGFR methylation sites reduces tumor growth in mouse orthotopic xenograft model. Increased EGFR methylation retains its signaling activation and cell proliferation in the presence of cetuximab. Importantly, EGFR methylation level is correlated with higher recurrence rate after cetuximab treatment and poor overall survival, suggesting that the methylation status of EGFR has the potential to predict resistance to cetuximab treatment in colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer patients. Citation Format: Hsin-Wei Liao, Jung-Mao Hsu, Weiya Xia, Mien-Chie Hung. Methylation of the EGF receptor regulates signaling and therapeutic response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-002.
MULTIPLE FORMS OF HOUSEFLY CYTOCHROME P-450

ABSTRACT Three different species of cytochrome P-450 are partially purified from a susceptible, noninduced , housefly strain. The hemoprotein species appear to be free of NADPH cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome b 5 and they are distinguished by column chromatography, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and spectral properties. Cytochromes P-450HF, P-452HF and P-453HF are purified to specific contents of 3.5, 7.5 and 13.9 nmols of hemoprotein per mg of protein and their apparent molecular weights are 53,000; 48,000 and 43,000, respectively.
Temperature sensitive molecularly imprinted microspheres for solid-phase dispersion extraction of malachite green, crystal violet and their leuko metabolites

This article demonstrates the feasibility of an alternative strategy for producing temperature sensitive molecularly imprinted microspheres (MIMs) for solid-phase dispersion extraction of malachite green, crystal violet and their leuko metabolites. Thermo-sensitive MIMs can change their structure following temperature stimulation. This allows capture and release of target molecules to be controlled by temperature. The fabrication technique provides surface molecular imprinting in acetonitrile using vinyl modified silica microspheres as solid supports, methacrylic acid and N-isopropyl acrylamide as the functional monomers, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker, and malachite green as the template. After elution of the template, the MIMs can be used for fairly group-selective solid phase dispersion extraction of malachite green, crystal violet, leucomalachite green, and leucocrystal violet from homogenized fish samples at a certain temperature. Following centrifugal separation of the microspheres, the analytes were eluted with a 95:5 mixture of acetonitrile and formic acid, and then quantified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) with isotope internal calibration. The detection limits for malachite green, crystal violet and their metabolites typically are 30 ng·kg−1. Positive samples were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS in the positive ionization mode with multiple reaction monitoring. The method was applied to the determination of the dyes and the respective leuko dyes in fish samples, and accuracy and precision were validated by comparative analysis of the samples by using aluminum neutral columns.
Social Imagination and the Politics of Crisis

This article takes the discourse of crisis as a lens through which to explore the social construction of future realities. It investigates different meanings of crisis and its deployment as a fighting word in the contentious politics of future making. It questions conventional accounts of recent crises and calls for a recalibration of theoretical approaches and empirical sensibilities to engage competing narratives and their explicit or implicit visions for the future, and thus recognize an underlying crisis of the democratic imagination. The juxtaposition of narratives related to diverse social actors, including not only elites but also grassroots, allows a broader view of the scope of choices. It argues that studies about the construction of crises, crises responses, and reasonable expectations for change are of practical relevance in the democratization of futures.
Organizational Communication as Cultural Performance: Some Managerial Considerations.

This essay uses the metaphor of “performance” from an interpretive perspective as a guide to understand the nature of managerial communication. As developed from an interpretive perspective, “performances” are conceptualized not in the “bottom line” sense of organizationally productive behavior but in the “dramaturgical” and “cultural” sense of those situationally variable interactions in which managers and other members construct senses of organizational identity and reality. This essay develops three managerial performances of “rationality” “sociability,” and “authority” and illustrates these processes with observational data taken from a field study of managerial communication.
Therapy of pediatric ALL relapsing after allogeneic transplant: how to make progress with limited patient numbers?

Therapy of pediatric ALL relapsing after allogeneic transplant: how to make progress with limited patient numbers?
Politics in the Kurdish periphery: clan networks and local party strategies in a comparative perspective

ABSTRACTDespite the return to violence and state repression in the Kurdish conflict, the ruling Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (Justice and Development Party – AKP) has remained the only alternative to the Kurdish National Movement (KNM) for Turkey's Kurdish citizens. What local-level strategies did the AKP employ in Kurdish areas to reinforce its national-level appeal to Islamic values? Under what conditions did local vote-seeking strategies help the AKP to overcome its pro-Kurdish rivals at the ballot box? This article examines the politics of local coalition building in the periphery of the Kurdish landscape – Bingol and Mus. Despite their many similarities, the two cities voted for different political parties in national elections. This article examines how the AKP's local party organizations interacted with local authority structures, recruited influential local elites, and pursued new voters. The vitality of clan networks in parts of Bingol enabled the AKP to build a reliable local coalition. The gradua...
Simple Random Sampling

Simple Random Sampling (SRS) is the simplest and most common method of selecting a sample, in which the sample is selected unit by unit, with equal probability of selection for each unit at each draw. In other words, simple random sampling is a method of selecting a sample s of n units from a population Ω of size N by giving equal probability of selection to all units. It is a sampling scheme in which all possible combinations of n units may be formed from the population of N units with the same chance of selection.
Low Costs and the Growth of Good US Jobs

Gabe explores the impacts of a low-cost economic development strategy on the growth of good jobs in states and US metropolitan areas. The effects of taxes, and energy and labor costs are considered; as well as an overall business cost index that is a combination of the three. Information presented in the chapter shows that low costs help the growth of states and metropolitan areas, but these impacts do not translate into higher productivity or more persistent employment conditions over time. The impacts of low costs on the growth of states are primarily associated with energy and labor costs. Taxes, on the other hand, do not appear to have an effect—one way or another—on the economic development of US regions.
Behavioral Differences among Eastern Bluebird Populations Could Be a Consequence of Tree Swallow Presence: A Pilot Study

Aggressive interference competition for limited resources is frequently observed among animals. However, these behavioral interactions within (intraspecific) and between (interspecific) species are costly as they can be energetically expensive and cause injury or death. To avoid these agonistic interactions, numerous species alter their behaviors and resource requirements. Spatial variation in nest site competition allows for investigation of concurrent variation in territorial defense behavior. Further, among species with bi-parental nest defense, behavioral similarity in territorial defense may benefit pairs. Here, we studied territorial aggression between two eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) populations (North Carolina and Alabama, USA) that differ in avian community structure; those in North Carolina have recently begun to experience strong interspecific competition for nesting cavities by tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), a competitive pressure that is relatively new for North Carolina bluebirds (~35-40 years) and is absent in Alabama populations. We found that bluebirds in North Carolina are more aggressive to simulated territorial intrusions compared to their Alabama counterparts. Behavioral similarity (here, in aggression) between partners is strong and similar in both populations. These results suggest that bluebirds in North Carolina may have to maintain higher baseline aggression during territory establishment and nest construction to co-occur with highly aggressive tree swallows, but that, in both populations, behavioral similarity between partners may be adaptive. Finally, we acknowledge the preliminary nature of this study and the need for expanding the behavioral studies to other sites in the southeastern United States. Greater regional coverage would exclude the possibility of alternative drivers of the observed behavioral differences between the North Carolina and Alabama populations.
Patient and caregiver determinants of patient quality of life and caregiver strain in left ventricular assist device therapy

Background Although current guidelines emphasize the importance of social support to the success of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy, few studies examine the influence of the caregiver on patient outcomes or quantify the impact of LVAD caregiving on caregiver outcomes. The purpose of this analysis was to identify patient and caregiver determinants of patient quality of life (QOL) and caregiver strain in response to LVAD therapy. Methods and Results Data on patients receiving LVAD therapy and their caregivers (n=50 dyads) were prospectively collected pre‐implantation and 1, 3, and 6 months post‐implantation. Growth curve modeling was used to describe change in patient QOL (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire) and caregiver strain (Multidimensional Caregiver Strain Index). Patient QOL improved most in the first month (β=23.22±3.76, P P P P P P =0.04). Better relationship quality was associated with greater improvement in patient QOL (β=14.39±5.85, P =0.01) and less pre‐implantation caregiver strain (β=−9.31±2.28, P P =0.01), and patients with nonspousal caregivers had less improvement in QOL (β=−3.70±1.62, P =0.02). Conclusions A combination of patient and caregiver characteristics predicts patient and caregiver response to LVAD therapy. Including caregiver factors in future studies may be helpful in developing interventions that improve patient and caregiver outcomes, together.
The Polemic of Individualized Appellation in Late Antiquity: Creating Marcionism, Valentinianism, and Heresy

This article describes rhetorical innovations in late antique Christian polemic around the construction of orthodoxy/heresy and Christianity more broadly. Late antique Christian polemicists label groups as heretical by using their founders9 names as eponymous proxies for an entire group and set of ideas: Marcionism/ites, Valentinianism/ites, and so forth. This type of group construction, which I term the polemic of individualized appellation due to the pejorative labeling of a group after an individual founder, is an intentional and often artificial type of elite, literary polemic put to service in the wider creative mythmaking and boundary/identity construction by heresiologists such as Justin, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Eusebius, and Epiphanius. In identifying both precursor ingredients in various ancient Mediterranean comparanda and novel developments in the Christian heresiologists9 discourse, I also engage with recent scholarship on heresy, orthodoxy, and identity constructions in Late Antiquity. I explain why the polemic of individualized appellation was especially effective in constructing difference, its role in this particular late antique context, and its function in effacing apparent similarities in widespread practices and beliefs. I conclude with a methodological discussion, arguing that scholars in religion and history should reject their sources9 categories of group identity construction due to their inherent bias.
Computer Programs for Framed Structures

This chapter contains flow charts of computer programs for analyzing the six basic types of framed structures by the direct stiffness method. The flow charts are sufficiently detailed so that persons who are familiar with the elements of computer programming could write their own programs for structural analysis if desired.
Raman Scattering and Variable Order of Amorphous and Liquid Semiconductors

An understanding of the physical properties of noncrystalline condensed matter, to which Sir Nevill Mott has made many fundamental contributions, requires an intimate link to the statistical character of the microscopic bonding and structure. A central question in noncrystalline systems is the degree to which changes in structural order modify physical properties. At issue are the influence of variations in short range or intermediate range order on physical properties. This question naturally arises in attempting to understand the origin of substantial changes in physical properties that are observed in amorphous thin film semiconductors such as a-Ge and a-Si.1 In these systems, deposited well below the crystallization temperature, the nonequilibrium nature of the essentially atom by atom deposition processes provides for a potentially broad range of local and global structural variants. This contrasts with crystalline thin films, wherein the resulting crystal structure, orientation, and defects are less diverse in character. The nonequilibrium nature of amorphous thin films also implies that annealing processes may significantly influence physical properties even at low temperatures.
Adapting to Barriers: Glial Septate Junctions Stretch to Keep Up.

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is critical to ensure proper nervous system function and organismal health. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Babatz and colleagues explore the mechanisms of BBB maintenance and uncover a potential evolutionary link by which BBB glia construct paracellular barriers to ensure uninterrupted protection throughout development.
Evaluating CKD/ESRD patient with hepatitis C infection: How to interpret diagnostic testing and assess liver injury

Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is the most common cause of infection related deaths in USA according to Central Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in 2016. Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus and is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in hemodialysis (HD) dependent patients. A majority of patients with CHC could remain asymptomatic and are still undiagnosed. Early detection of CHC and linkage of infected patients to care for evaluation and treatment is the standard of care as emphasized by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO) and American Association for the Study of Liver Disease- Infectious Disease Society of America (AASLD-IDSA) practice guidelines. Historically, the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected CKD patients, including those on dialysis and in the peri-transplant setting, was a challenge. However, the evolution of various liver assessment tools, HCV tests, therapies and treatment strategies in the recent years has catalyzed a paradigm change in this area. This review provides an update on evaluating methodology, diagnostic tests and the various assessment tools for liver fibrosis pertaining to the CKD/HD patient infected with HCV.
Emphasizing livelihoods in the study of social-ecological systems: insights from fishing practices in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

ABSTRACTClimate change will impact rural livelihoods in Southern Africa in unprecedented ways. Successful responses must account for intersecting social and ecological factors that determine natural resource access for people living in changing social-ecological systems. However, much of the existing scholarly literature treats natural resource access as a dynamic social process, while often failing to account for how it is also ecologically variable. The social-ecological systems literature more holistically considers social and ecological aspects of resource use, but rarely considers how livelihoods themselves are social-ecological. This paper advances the argument that livelihoods are a useful entry point for understanding the complex and intersecting social-ecological factors that impact natural resource use. Findings are presented from a mixed-methods research project in the variable wetland environment of the Okavango Delta of Botswana to show how participation in various fishing practices is determ...
Secure Communication in Relay-Assisted Massive MIMO Downlink With Active Pilot Attacks

In this paper, the achievable secrecy rate of a relay-assisted massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink is investigated in the presence of a multi-antenna active/passive eavesdropper. The excess degrees-of-freedom offered by a massive MIMO base-station (BS) are exploited for sending artificial noise (AN) via random and null-space precoders. An active eavesdropper contaminates the uplink channel estimates by sending pilot sequences identical to those of the legitimate users/relay. This active pilot contamination makes the massive MIMO BS implicitly beamform the confidential signals toward the active eavesdropper during two-hop downlink transmissions. The achievable secrecy rates are derived by taking the detrimental effects of actively contaminated channel state information with estimation errors and spatially correlated fading at the multiple-antenna terminals into account. The secrecy rate loss incurred by active pilot attacks over passive eavesdropping is investigated, and the secrecy rate gap between random and null-space-based AN is compared. A novel transmit power control policy is designed to efficiently allocate transmit power at the BS/relay for payload data and AN sequences for maximizing the achievable secrecy rate. Our results reveal that active pilot contamination attacks significantly degrade the achievable secrecy rate in dual-hop transmissions, and the corresponding detrimental effects cannot be asymptotically mitigated in the infinite BS antenna regime.
Primary Embryonic Rat Cortical Neuronal Culture and Chronic Rotenone Treatment in Microfluidic Culture Devices

In the study of neurodegenerative diseases, it is imperative to study the cellular and molecular changes associated with pathogenesis in the relevant cell type, central nervous system neurons. The unique compartmentalized morphology and bioenergetic needs of primary neurons present complications for their study in culture. Recent microculture techniques utilizing microfluidic culture devices allows for environmental separation and analysis of neuronal cell bodies and neurites in culture. Here, we present our protocol for culture of primary neurons in microfluidic devices and their chronic treatment with the Parkinson’s disease (PD) relevant toxicant rotenone. In addition, we present a method for reuse of devices for culture. This culture methodology presents advantages for evaluating early pathogenic cellular and molecular changes in neurons in a compartment-specific manner.
Robot Learning and Execution of Collaborative Manipulation Plans from YouTube Videos.

People often watch videos on the web to learn how to cook new recipes, assemble furniture or repair a computer. We wish to enable robots with the very same capability. This is challenging; there is a large variation in manipulation actions and some videos even involve multiple persons, who collaborate by sharing and exchanging objects and tools. Furthermore, the learned representations need to be general enough to be transferable to robotic systems. On the other hand, previous work has shown that the space of human manipulation actions has a linguistic, hierarchical structure that relates actions to manipulated objects and tools. Building upon this theory of language for action, we propose a framework for understanding and executing demonstrated action sequences from full-length, unconstrained cooking videos on the web. The framework takes as input a cooking video annotated with object labels and bounding boxes, and outputs a collaborative manipulation action plan for one or more robotic arms. We demonstrate performance of the system in a standardized dataset of 100 YouTube cooking videos, as well as in three full-length Youtube videos that include collaborative actions between two participants. We additionally propose an open-source platform for executing the learned plans in a simulation environment as well as with an actual robotic arm.
Progress in the solvent depolymerization of lignin

Abstract Solvent liquefaction of lignin is a simultaneous depolymerization and hydrodeoxygenation process used to generate monomer products for fuel and specialty chemical applications. Lignin source, its isolation technique, and the process conditions play essential roles in overall lignin conversion and product distribution. This paper reviews major structural changes that occur during Kraft, organosolv, soda, and other novel lignin extraction processes and how these structural changes affect the solvent liquefaction performances. Reaction conditions, including temperature, residence time, solvent characteristics, and catalyst, are reviewed. Finally, pathways for getting commercially valuable chemicals from lignin is explored. The role of non-water solvents in achieving high-value products from lignin depolymerization is also discussed. The structure of lignin was found to be more critical than reaction conditions in determining the product yields, and future research should have more emphasis on this aspect. Overall, high temperature and longer residence time were found to be useful for depolymerization under certain conditions, such as the presence of homogeneous catalysts, condensed lignin structure, and water as a solvent.
Leptophobic U(1)'s and R_b, R_c at LEP

In the context of explaining the experimental deviations in R_b and R_c from their Standard Model predictions, a new type of U(1) interaction is proposed which couples only to quarks. Special attention will be paid to the supersymmetric \eta-model coming from E_6 which, due to kinetic mixing effects, may play the role of the leptophobic U(1). This talk summarizes work done with K.S. Babu and J. March-Russell in hep-ph/9603212.
Multi-objective scheduling in labor-intensive manufacturing systems

Abstract In a manufacturing facility, the decision maker considers customer satisfaction as an essential priority in which customer due dates should be met. The cell loading, scheduling and the total manpower are considered among the main decisions in a manufacturing system. Three performance measures are studied in this paper and they are the number of tardy jobs, total manpower, and average flow time. Two approaches are proposed to handle such performance measures. In the first approach, lexicographical analysis is proposed to achieve the objectives, when the performance measures are not equally important. A three-phase methodology is introduced. In the first phase, a mathematical model has been used to maximize the output rate by allocating manpower to operations for several manpower levels. In the second phase, another mathematical model is developed based on the results of the first phase to minimize total manpower such that no job is tardy (i.e., the number of tardy jobs ( N T = 0)). In the third phase, a mathematical model is also proposed to minimize the average flow time based on the results obtained in the first and the second phases. The second approach allows varying weights for minimizing average flow time and total manpower subject to zero tardy jobs due to considerations for customer satisfaction. Thus, a two-phase methodology is followed, and a bi-objective fuzzy mathematical model is developed. Two-phase methodology produced similar results to three-phase methodology for certain values of weights assigned to performance measures. Three-phase methodology was efficient for lexicographical analysis. Furthermore, the number of cells in the system is affected by the nature of due dates. The number of cells and total manpower increase when the due dates are tight and decrease when the due dates are relaxed.