cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 3′ Untranslated Region of Sindbis Virus Represses Deadenylation of Viral Transcripts in Mosquito and Mammalian Cells

The positive-sense transcripts of Sindbis virus (SINV) resemble cellular mRNAs in that they possess a 5' cap and a 3' poly(A) tail. It is likely, therefore, that SINV RNAs must successfully overcome the cytoplasmic mRNA decay machinery of the cell in order to establish an efficient, productive infection. In this study, we have taken advantage of a temperature-sensitive polymerase to shut off viral transcription, and we demonstrate that SINV RNAs are subject to decay during a viral infection in both C6/36 (Aedes albopictus) and baby hamster kidney cells. Interestingly, in contrast to most cellular mRNAs, the decay of SINV RNAs was not initiated by poly(A) tail shortening in either cell line except when most of the 3' untranslated region (UTR) was deleted from the virus. This block in deadenylation of viral transcripts was recapitulated in vitro using C6/36 mosquito cell cytoplasmic extracts. Two distinct regions of the 319-base SINV 3' UTR, the repeat sequence elements and a U-rich domain, were shown to be responsible for mediating the repression of deadenylation of viral mRNAs. Through competition studies performed in parallel with UV cross-linking and functional assays, mosquito cell factors-including a 38-kDa protein-were implicated in the repression of deadenylation mediated by the SINV 3' UTR. This same 38-kDa protein was also implicated in mediating the repression of deadenylation by the 3' UTR of another alphavirus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. In summary, these data provide clear evidence that SINV transcripts do indeed interface with the cellular mRNA decay machinery during an infection and that the virus has evolved a way to avoid the major deadenylation-dependent pathway of mRNA decay.
SFMBT1 functions with LSD1 to regulate expression of canonical histone genes and chromatin-related factors

SFMBT1 (Scm [Sex comb on midleg] with four MBT [malignant brain tumor] domains 1) is a poorly characterized mammalian MBT domain-containing protein homologous to Drosophila SFMBT, a Polycomb group protein involved in epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Here, we show that SFMBT1 regulates transcription in somatic cells and during spermatogenesis through the formation of a stable complex with LSD1 and CoREST. When bound to its gene targets, SFMBT1 recruits its associated proteins and causes chromatin compaction and transcriptional repression. SFMBT1, LSD1, and CoREST share a large fraction of target genes, including those encoding replication-dependent histones. Simultaneous occupancy of histone genes by SFMBT1, LSD1, and CoREST is regulated during the cell cycle and correlates with the loss of RNA polymerase II at these promoters during G2, M, and G1. The interplay between the repressive SFMBT1–LSD1–CoREST complex and RNA polymerase II contributes to the timely transcriptional regulation of histone genes in human cells. SFMBT1, LSD1, and CoREST also form a stable complex in germ cells, and their chromatin binding activity is regulated during spermatogenesis.
Evaluation of Attractants to Improve Trapping Success of Nutria on Louisiana Coastal Marsh

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) are an important part of the Louisiana (USA) fur industry, but high densities of nutria cause extensive damage to coastal marsh ecosystems. Hence, there is a need to develop improved methods for targeted management of nutria. We screened 14 olfactory cues as potential lures for nutria, first in controlled settings and then in the field, to see if nutria capture rates using foothold traps would increase. In Y-maze trials, nutria most frequently selected olfactory cues of a synthetic formulation of nutria anal-gland secretion and nutria fur extract. We examined the 3 most selected attractants in Y-maze trials and female nutria urine under field conditions to compare trapping success over untreated traps. Capture probability was nearly 2.5 times greater for fur wash than control and 2 times greater for urine than control (relative risk = 2.43 and 2.01, respectively). The results suggest that use of semiochemicals and synthetic formulations of semiochemicals increased nutria trapping success. Development and use of effective synthetic semiochemicals could benefit resource managers nationwide who are responsible for reducing damage caused by this invasive herbivore.
Rebuilding the German Constitution, I

On May 8, 1949—the fourth anniversary of unconditional surrender—the Parliamentary Council adopted at Bonn the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. This date was chosen intentionally to remind the German people that this provisional constitution is a way-station on the road out of the chaos which the collapsing Hitler regime left behind it. Any consideration of this Basic Law should start from the fact that the charter is not the creation of a free people, and that it will have to function within limits, both territorial and functional, which severely handicap its chance of becoming a genuine constitution, securely anchored in the basic convictions of the people. Its limits territorially are imposed by the refusal of the Soviet Union to permit the Germans living in their Zone of Occupation to express themselves freely concerning the charter. This raises the presumption, confirmed by other evidence, that these Germans would, by a considerable majority, accept the Basic Law if given a chance to do so. The charter's functional limits are imposed by the Western Allies, who decreed three basic limitations upon the German people's autonomy and independence: (1) the Occupation Statute, (2) the Ruhr Statute, and (3) the Inter-Allied Security Board. Of these, the Occupation Statute is much the most important, and encompasses the other two by its provisions. This is shown by the fact that the Letter of Approval, issued by the Military Governors on May 12, 1949, notes that acceptance of the constitution is premised upon the understanding that all governmental power in Germany, federal, state, and local, is “subject to the provisions of the Occupation Statute.”
A composite Yb:YAG / Yb:GSAG cryogenically cooled amplifier for picosecond pulses

A laser amplifier using two cryogenically cooled materials, Gd 3 Sc 2 Al 3 O 12 (GSAG) and YAG, demonstrates tens of millijoule pulse energy at kilohertz repetition rates. The near-diffraction-limited output was compressed to picosecond pulse duration.
Aerosol gene therapy with PEI: IL-12 eradicates osteosarcoma lung metastases.

Purpose: We determined whether polyethylenimine (PEI), a polycationic DNA carrier, can be used to deliver the interleukin (IL) 12 gene by aerosol to treat established osteosarcoma (OS) lung metastases in a nude mouse model. Experimental Design: Tumor response was assessed using our OS lung metastases model. Treatment with aerosolized PEI containing the murine IL-12 gene (PEI: IL-12 ; 600 μl PEI and 2 mg IL-12 ) was given twice weekly for 5–6 weeks. Results: Aerosol therapy for 2 weeks resulted in high expression of both the p35 and p40 subunits of IL-12 in the lungs but not in the livers of mice. Peak IL-12 mRNA expression was seen 24 h after a single aerosol PEI: IL-12 treatment. This expression gradually decreased with continued detection for up to 7 days. IL-12 protein was not detectable in plasma even after 6 weeks of aerosol therapy. The number of lung metastases in mice treated with aerosol PEI: IL-12 was decreased significantly (median, 0; range, 0–33) compared with mice that received PEI alone (median, 37.5; range, 11–125; P = 0.002). Nodule size was also significantly smaller in the aerosol PEI: IL-12 group with 87% of the nodules measuring ≤0.5 mm in diameter compared with 65% in the aerosol PEI group. Mice that received aerosol PEI alone had numerous large lung nodules (3–5 mm). In the aerosol PEI: IL-12 group, no nodules were >1 mm. Weekly aerosol PEI: IL-12 therapy was as effective as twice weekly therapy. Conclusions: Aerosol therapy resulted in selective gene expression and protein production in the tumor area. Aerosol PEI: IL-12 may avoid the systemic toxicities described previously in patients treated with i.v. IL-12. Because OS metastasizes almost exclusively to the lung, aerosol PEI: IL-12 therapy may provide a therapeutic option, which may be especially valuable.
How do educational attainment and gender relate to fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, and academic skills at ages 22–90 years?

Educational attainment and gender differences on fluid intelligence (Gf), crystallized intelligence (Gc), and academic skills in reading, math, and writing were analyzed for stratified adult samples ranging in age from 22 to 90 years. The data sources were the adult portions of the standardization samples of the second editions of Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (N = 570) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Brief Form (N = 555). Five univariate analysis of covariance were conducted with age as the covariate. Correlational analysis supplemented the covariate analyses to better understand the relationship of the five variables to education. All variables related significantly and substantially to years of formal schooling, an important finding in view of the key nature of this background variable for conducting neuropsychological assessments, as elaborated by Heaton and his colleagues. Surprisingly, Gf related just as strongly to education as did the school-related Gc. Among academic skill areas, math correlated higher with years of formal schooling than did either reading or writing. Women significantly outperformed men on the writing test and the reverse was true for the math test; other gender differences were not significant. These analyses fill a gap in the literature regarding the nature of gender and education differences in academic skills for heterogeneous samples of normal adults between young adulthood and old age and have practical implications for neuropsychological assessment.
Adaptive cooperative manipulation with intermittent contact

Cooperative manipulation with multiple, independent agents can be complicated by changing dynamics as the agents come in and out of contact with the object they are manipulating. This effect, combined with uncertainty in the environment, leads to nontrivial issues in terms of guaranteeing convergence and task completion. Here we illustrate how these effects can be mitigated using a decentralized adaptive control technique based on hybrid control. Results are verified in an experiment using three agents.
Evaluating adaptive signal control using CORSIM

This paper discusses the evaluation of adaptive traffic signal control using TSIS/CORSIM. The paper reviews three adaptive control strategies that have been developed through contracts awarded by the FHWA's Turner-Fairbank IST (Intelligent Systems and Technology) Division. The paper discusses the framework and evaluation procedures for testing and assessing these advanced control algorithms, before they are deployed in the field. The paper also discusses sophisticated hardware in the loop experiments that permit the benefits of other ITS concepts and technologies to be assessed and quantified.
Posterior spinal tuberculosis: a case report.

This case is significant because the patient was born in the United States and had never traveled abroad
Turbulent Fluxes in the Hurricane Boundary Layer. Part I: Momentum Flux

Abstract An important outcome from the ONR-sponsored Coupled Boundary Layer Air–Sea Transfer (CBLAST) Hurricane Program is the first-ever direct measurements of momentum flux from within hurricane boundary layers. In 2003, a specially instrumented NOAA P3 aircraft obtained measurements suitable for computing surface wind stress and ultimately estimating drag coefficients in regions with surface wind between 18 and 30 m s−1. Analyses of data are presented from 48 flux legs flown within 400 m of the surface in two storms. Results suggest a roll-off in the drag coefficient at higher wind speeds, in qualitative agreement with laboratory and modeling studies and inferences of drag coefficients using a log-profile method. However, the amount of roll-off and the wind speed at which the roll-off occurs remains uncertain, underscoring the need for additional measurements.
An RHBD Technique to Mitigate Missing Pulses in Delay Locked Loops

A radiation-hardened-by-design (RHBD) voltage- controlled delay line (VCDL) for single-event mitigation in delay-locked loops (DLLs) is proposed. A modified fully differential delay cell topology is used to harden the VCDL, resulting in a dramatic reduction of the missing pulses generated by the DLL after an ion strike. By increasing the width-to-length ratios of the feedback transistors of the VCDL delay cells, this topology provides substantially reduced single-event errors while maintaining high operating frequency, wide tuning range and small area penalty.
On the Expressiveness of BPMN for Modeling Wireless Sensor Networks Applications

Business processes describe the transformations which add economic value to products and services. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are a pervasive means for business processes to interact in real time with the environment. In this paper, we analyze the business process model and notation (BPMN) standard with respect to its expressiveness for capturing the reactive, communication, and heterogeneous aspects of such WSN applications. Our analysis is based on a representative set of WSN applications for which we found the BPMN language adequate in capturing high-level specifications.
Infections affecting blood cell morphology

A 36-year-old female presented in 1995 with chronic fatigue of four years’ duration, evident symptomatically even after 10 hr of sleep. In addition, she noted intermittent epistaxis, gingival bleeding, petechial hemorrhages, and menorrhagia. In 1991, she had transient right cervical lymphadenopathy that resolved quickly and was not biopsied. At that time, the white blood cell count was 14,900/mL with 63% lymphocytes, 27% neutrophils, 10% monocytes; hematocrit was 38% and platelet count was 128,000/mL. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the pelvis and abdomen showed small ovarian cysts and an abdominal ultrasound revealed mild splenomegaly. Serology for hepatitis A and B and toxoplasmosis immunoglobulin (Ig)M were negative but the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) monospot test was positive, and relevant titers showed EBV IgM viral capsid less than 1:10, EBV IgG viral capsid 1:320, EBV early antigen 301 EU (normal, 0–47), and EBV nuclear antigen IgG 1:320. Bone marrow exam was unrevealing. Modest thrombocytopenia, presumed secondary to hypersplenism or immunemediated destruction, and lymphocytosis persisted over the subsequent four years. Past medical history also included a one-pack-per-day history of cigarette smoking until 1995. As of 1995, EBV serologies were unchanged from those obtained in 1991. Flow cytometry of peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed a predominance of B lymphocytes with a normal kappa:lambda ratio of surface immunoglobulins, consistent with a polyclonal population. There was no rearrangement of the heavy chain portion of the immunoglobulin gene and human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-typing was DR7 positive. Quantitative serum immunoglobulins were not performed. Wright’s stain of peripheral blood (Fig. 1a,b) showed mild lymphocytosis, occasional bi-lobed lymphocytes and several very large lymphocytes with abundant cytoplasm and nuclear folding. Red cell morphology was normal but giant platelets were present.
EFFECTS OF HgCl2 ON THE APICAL MEMBRANE AND ION TRANSPORT PROCESSES IN TURTLE BLADDER

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the effects of mercury chloride on the apical membrane and ion-transport processes in turtle bladder. The isolated, short-circuited bladder of Pseudemys scripta has been shown to possess active transport mechanisms for the reabsorption of sodium, chlorine, and bicarbonate. When such turtle-bladder preparations are bathed on both surfaces by identical sodium-rich media containing bicarbonate and chlorine, mucosal additions of mercury chloride are followed by monotonic decreases in I sc and PD, which reach 10% of the control levels after 10 min. During this period, the transepithelial resistance reaches twice the control level and then decreases to half the control level between 60 and 240 min after the addition to mercury chloride. Mercuric ions added to the mucosal fluid first block the sodium paths in the apical membrane to suppress sodium reabsorption. The subsequent increase in bladder conductance with nullification of net isoconductive reabsorption could be caused by mercury-induced loosening of the tight junctions.
Cryo-electron Microscopy Structures of Chimeric Hemagglutinin Displayed on a Universal Influenza Vaccine Candidate

ABSTRACT Influenza viruses expressing chimeric hemagglutinins (HAs) are important tools in the quest for a universal vaccine. Using cryo-electron tomography, we have determined the structures of a chimeric HA variant that comprises an H1 stalk and an H5 globular head domain (cH5/1 HA) in native and antibody-bound states. We show that cH5/1 HA is structurally different from native HA, displaying a 60° rotation between the stalk and head groups, leading to a novel and unexpected “open” arrangement of HA trimers. cH5/1N1 viruses also display higher glycoprotein density than pH1N1 or H5N1 viruses, but despite these differences, antibodies that target either the stalk or head domains of hemagglutinins still bind to cH5/1 HA with the same consequences as those observed with native H1 or H5 HA. Our results show that a large range of structural plasticity can be tolerated in the chimeric spike scaffold without disrupting structural and geometric aspects of antibody binding. IMPORTANCE Chimeric hemagglutinin proteins are set to undergo human clinical trials as a universal influenza vaccine candidate, yet no structural information for these proteins is available. Using cryo-electron tomography, we report the first three-dimensional (3D) visualization of chimeric hemagglutinin proteins displayed on the surface of the influenza virus. We show that, unexpectedly, the chimeric hemagglutinin structure differs from those of naturally occurring hemagglutinins by displaying a more open head domain and a dramatically twisted head/stalk arrangement. Despite this unusual spatial relationship between head and stalk regions, virus preparations expressing the chimeric hemagglutinin are fully infectious and display a high glycoprotein density, which likely helps induction of a broadly protective immune response.
Price Elasticity Under Rate Structure Change and Low-Income Discounts in California

The impact on household level water demand is evaluated in four California cities while undergoing a transition from uniform to tiered rates. Price elasticities for the time periods under uniform and tiered rates are determined individually using panel data regression methods. Price elasticities in Bear Gulch, Palos Verdes, South San Francisco, and East Los Angeles ranged from -0.09 to -0.22 under uniform rates and -0.12 to -0.532 under tiered rates. Theoretically, tiered rates maintain affordability for all users while compelling high users to reduce through increasing marginal prices for higher quantities of water. Evaluating the affects separately on low-income users, water patterns of eligible customers who took advantage of a rate assistance program were compared. Low-income discounts did not have a significant effect on water consumption patterns and only had a small difference in price elasticities compared with non-participants.
Male incontinence: relationship of physiology to surgery.

AbstractAfter prostatectomy it is the passive continence mechanism that maintains continence. Since this mechanism is less effective when the structures are not in the normal elevated position, perineal continence operations are probably successful in proportion to the mobility of the sub-prostatic structures and the ability to keep them elevated.
Case of oral lichen planus due to dental metal allergy

Patient This clinical report describes the treatment of a patient who experienced a hypersensitivity reaction associated with prosthetic restorations fabricated with a silver-palladium-copper-gold alloy. Discussion Patch testing revealed an allergy to the palladium substrate. Allergic symptoms disappeared from the patient's mucous membrane after all the prosthetic restorations in the patient were replaced with those fabricated using some alternative alloys. The case presented indicates that the release of palladium from prosthesis fabricated with dental metal alloys is able to induce hypersensitivity reactions resulting in soft-tissue changes in the buccal mucosa. Conclusion Dental procedures as a multidisciplinary approach to the care taking of patient are presented.
Stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma: who, when, and what type?

Overview:Early randomized trials of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue showed improved progression-free survival (PFS) over conventional chemotherapy. However, in the era of no...
Decreased PD-1 Expression on CD8 Lymphocyte Subsets and Increase in CD8 Tscm Cells in Children with HIV Receiving Raltegravir.

Abstract We investigated the effect of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) on immune recovery, particularly on the percentages of PD-1-positive cells within the major leukocyte subsets. Cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma samples collected longitudinally from a subset of 13 children and adolescents (between 9.7 and 18.2 years old) who were enrolled in the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) P1066 were used for this study. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry was performed to determine the effect of raltegravir-containing cART regimen on the distribution of leukocyte populations, on the expression of PD-1 on T cell subpopulations, and on the expression of well-established markers of T cell activation (CD38 and HLA-DR) on CD8 T cells. C reactive protein (CRP), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), IL-6, and soluble CD163 were assayed in plasma samples by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma viral loads were decreased in all subjects (by an aver...
Performance evaluation of 3G CDMA networks with antenna arrays

The 2G CDMA IS-95A cellular network has been deployed for almost eight yean. Although the system design rules and operating procedures for voice services are well established and understood, these rules and procedures need to be re-examined in light of several technology innovations. These innovations include the launch of cdma2000 1x high-rate data services and the new research results in interference cancellation, antenna array and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technologies. We have built a 3G cdma2000 1x cellular simulator, which simulates the physical layer using MATLAB and networking layers using OPNET Modeler, to investigate various design issues of cdma2000 1x networks. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of deploying antenna array techniques in CDMA networks using cdma2000 1x cellular simulator. We evaluate the capacity improvement for CDMA networks using antenna array technique under different deployment scenarios. We propose to utilize antenna array as one of the elements in QOS provisioning for data services. We also propose to couple antenna array with dynamic soft hand off thresholds adjustment to further improve the system capacity.
Adenovirus Hepatitis: Clinicopathologic Analysis of 12 Consecutive Cases From a Single Institution

Adenoviruses are common pathogens that usually cause self-limited infections. However, in the immunocompromised host they can cause severe infections involving multiple organs including the liver. A search of the pathology database at Stanford University Medical Center (1995 to 2016) identified 12 cases of adenovirus hepatitis including biopsy and autopsy specimens. There were 8 pediatric patients, 7 of which had received orthotropic liver transplants and 1 of which was receiving chemotherapy for lymphoblastic leukemia. There were 4 adult patients, of which 1 was actively receiving chemotherapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and 2 had undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies. One patient had lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma and had received chemotherapy over a year prior but was not receiving therapy at the time he contracted adenovirus hepatitis. In all cases, histologic sections showed nonzonal coagulative hepatocyte necrosis and characteristic intranuclear inclusions. Hepatocyte necrosis ranged from spotty to massive. The majority of cases (7/12; 58%) had no associated inflammation. If present, inflammation was focal and lymphohistiocytic. In 1 case, findings were focal within the liver, requiring an image-guided biopsy. This patient underwent a simultaneous nontargeted liver biopsy that lacked histologic evidence of adenovirus. Among the pediatric patients, 63% (5/8) died secondary to organ failure, while there was 100% (4/4) mortality in the adult population.
Comparing sintering and atomic layer deposition as methods to mechanically reinforce nanocolloidal crystals

Nanocolloidal crystals (NCCs) have promising applications in optical and photonic devices. However, it is critical to mechanically reinforce NCCs for device reliability, since as-synthesized NCCs are fragile due to weak interparticle bonding. Thermal sintering is currently the most common reinforcement technique; however, this method could induce serious cracking and is not suitable for temperature-sensitive materials. In this study, by characterizing silica NCCs reinforced through sintering and alumina atomic layer deposition (ALD), we find that the ALD treatment is much more effective for hardening, stiffening, and more importantly toughening NCCs. Thermally sintered NCCs are prone to indentation-induced cracking due to large residual tensile stress, significantly impairing the toughness. In contrast, the ALD treatment toughens NCCs by much over 300%. Our finding provides insights for reinforcing and toughening various nanoparticle-based and nanoporous materials.
Peptide-induced asymmetric distribution of charged lipids in a vesicle bilayer revealed by small-angle neutron scattering.

Cellular membranes are complex mixtures of lipids, proteins, and other small molecules that provide functional, dynamic barriers between the cell and its environment, as well as between environments within the cell. The lipid composition of the membrane is highly specific and controlled in terms of both content and lipid localization. The membrane structure results from the complex interplay between the wide varieties of molecules present. Here, small-angle neutron scattering and selective deuterium labeling were used to probe the impact of the membrane-active peptides melittin and alamethicin on the structure of lipid bilayers composed of a mixture of the lipids dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) and chain-perdeuterated dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC). We found that both peptides enriched the outer leaflet of the bilayer with the negatively charged DMPG, creating an asymmetric distribution of lipids. The level of enrichment is peptide concentration-dependent and is stronger for melittin than it is for alamethicin. The enrichment between the inner and outer bilayer leaflets occurs at very low peptide concentrations and increases with peptide concentration, including when the peptide adopts a membrane-spanning, pore-forming state. The results suggest that these membrane-active peptides may have a secondary stressful effect on target cells at low concentrations that results from a disruptionmore » of the lipid distribution between the inner and outer leaflets of the bilayer that is independent of the formation of transmembrane pores.« less
Enabling CCS via Low-temperature Geothermal Energy Integration for Fossil-fired Power Generation

Abstract Among the key barriers to commercial scale deployment is the cost associated with CO 2 capture. This is particularly true for existing large, fossil-fired assets that account for a large fraction of the electricity generation fleet in developed nations, including the U.S. Fitting conventional combustion technologies with CO 2 capture systems can carry an energy penalty of thirty percent or more, resulting in an increased price of power to the grid, as well as an overall decrease in net plant output. Taken together with the positive growth in demand for electricity, this implies a need for accelerated capital build-out in the power generation markets to accommodate both demand growth and decreased output at retrofitted plants. In this paper, the authors present the results of a study to assess the potential to use geothermal energy to provide boiler feedwater preheating, capturing efficiency improvements designed to offset the losses associated with CO 2 capture. Based on NETL benchmark cases and subsequent analysis of the application using site-specific data from the North Valmy power plant, several cases for CO 2 capture were evaluated. These included geothermally assisted MEA capture, CO 2 BOLs capture, and stand-alone hybrid power generation, compared with a baseline, no-geothermal case. Based on Case 10, and assuming 2.7 MMlb/h of geothermally sourced 150 °C water, the parasitic power load associated with MEA capture could be offset by roughly seven percent, resulting in a small (∼1 percent) overall loss to net power generation, but at levelized costs of electricity similar to the no-geothermal CCS case. For the CO 2 BOLs case, the availability of 150 ˚C geothermal fluid could allow the facility to not only offset the net power decrease associated with CO 2 BOLs capture alone, but could increase nameplate capacity by two percent. The geothermally coupled CO 2 BOLs case also decreases LCOE by 0.75 ¢/kWh relative to the non-hybrid CO 2 BOLs case, with the improved performance over the MEA case driven by the lower regeneration temperature and associated duty for CO 2 BOLs relative to MEA.
Understanding Male Homosexuality: Developmental Recapitulation in A Christian Perspective1:

Current attitudes and developments in society and the Christian community place more responsibility on Christian counselors and psychotherapists to be aware of biblical wisdom and scientific knowle...
Sora (Porzana carolina) autumn migration habitat use

Palustrine wetland management across the USA is often conducted under a moist soil management framework aimed at providing energetic resources for non-breeding waterfowl. Moist soil management techniques typically include seasonal water-level manipulations and mechanical soil disturbance to create conditions conducive to germination and growth of early successional, seed-producing wetland plants. The assumption is that providing stopover and wintering habitat for non-breeding waterfowl will also accommodate life-history needs of a broader suite of migratory waterbirds including shorebirds, wading birds and marsh birds. Although studies of wetlands provide some evidence to support this assumption for shorebirds and wading birds, there is less information on how other marshbirds respond. Sora (Porzana carolina) are a species of migratory rail that depend on wetlands year round as they migrate across North America. It is a species for which the consequences of wetland management decisions directed towards non-breeding waterfowl are unknown. We conducted nocturnal surveys on 10 public properties in Missouri, USA during autumn migration during 2012-2016 to examine sora habitat use in wetland impoundments managed to enhance the production of moist soil vegetation. We found a positive relationship with sora presence and mean water depth and annual moist soil vegetation; sora used, on average, deeper water than was available across surveyed impoundments and used locations with a higher percentage of annual moist soil vegetation than was available. We found a negative relationship with sora use and upland vegetation, woody vegetation and open water. We found sora using deeper water than have previously been reported for autumn migration, and that moist soil management techniques used on Missouri's intensively managed public wetland areas may be compatible with sora autumn migration stopover habitat requirements.
Structural health monitoring of composite structures for durability

Abstract During the last decade, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials have been advocated as an alternative to steel and concrete by infrastructure owners for extending the life of existing structures and increasing the durability of new structures due to the advantages they offer over conventional materials. Considering the wide variability of application, this chapter focuses on application of composites in bridge structure applications. Due to their noncorrosive nature, light weight, and reduced rehabilitation time, owners have been increasingly considering these materials during the last decade. Due to increased emphasis on life-cycle costs for effective bridge management and development of design and construction specifications, these materials have potential to gain more use and acceptability in the future. At the same time, structural health monitoring (SHM) is emerging as another tool, as bridge owners are more and more comfortable using SHM to make decisions related to bridge management activities. As FRP components can be prefabricated in controlled environments and thus have potential to be instrumented with appropriate sensors ahead of the field installation, SHM has great potential for use in a complementary fashion with composite materials. This chapter briefly describes this complementary relationship with case studies.
Calcium Control of the In Vivo Biosynthesis of 1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D 3 : Nicolaysen's Endogenous Factor

This chapter discusses the experimental study made in both vitamin D-deficient and vitamin D-supplemented rats of the effect of varying the dietary calcium content on the in vivo production of 1,25-DHCC from 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-HCC). The profiles of radioactive metabolites separated on Sephadex LH-20 from serum extracts were obtained from rats fed the various diets with and without vitamin D. The small dose of vitamin D 3 is chosen to minimize dilution of radioactive metabolites and to provide a small amount of 25-HCC to induce the factor(s) necessary for 1-hydroxylation in the kidney. A consideration of the serum calcium values and rat illustrates a growth effect of the vitamin even at the low level although vitamin D deficiency persisted. In vitamin D-deficient rats fed diets with 0–02% Ca through 2–0% Ca, 14 to 18% of the total radioactivity in the serum is recovered consistently as 1,25-DHCC. No correlation is found between the serum inorganic phosphorus levels and production of the metabolites.
Remission of alopecia universalis in a patient with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab

Alopecia areata (AA) is known to be associated with atopic dermatitis (AD).1, 2 Based on retrospective studies and meta-analyses, patients with AD have higher rates of AA, and the inverse has also been found.1, 2, 3, 4 The comorbidity of AA with AD is potentially related to their common immunologic pathways involving the helper T cell (Th), type 2 (Th2) immune response.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Dupilumab, a fully monoclonal antibody against interleukin (IL)-4 receptor α, downregulates the Th2 pathway through inhibition of IL-4 and IL-13 and was approved for the treatment of refractory moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in March 2017 by the US Food and Drug Administration. Reported side effects of dupilumab include injection site reactions, headache, conjunctivitis, keratitis, and blepharitis, among other more rare complications.6 Currently 2 reports exist in the literature of hair regrowth after initiation of dupilumab in patients with concomitant AD and alopecia totalis.7, 8 To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of hair recovery of the scalp, eyebrows, axillae, and groin in a patient with long-standing alopecia universalis treated with dupilumab alone.
Breast density follow-up decision support system using deep convolutional models

Breast cancer risk assessment relies on accurate classification of breast density, which is a key component of the ACR breast cancer screening recommendations for clinical decisions. The 5th edition of the BIRADS standard divides breast density into four categories, ranging from almost entirely fatty to extremely dense. High breast density (classes C and D) reduces the sensitivity of mammography, since the dense fibroglandular tissue can hide lesions, masses and other findings. Therefore, although the benefit of supplementary imaging in such cases has not been conclusively demonstrated, the ACR guidelines suggest additional screening for patients with high breast density. This creates an important treatment decision boundary between class B (scattered areas of fibroglandular density) and class C (heterogeneously dense). Unfortunately, the slightly abstract, qualitative nature of the class descriptions leads to significant inter- and intra-rater variation in breast density assessment. This is exacerbated by updates to the BIRADS standard that can cause recent breast density assessments to be incompatible with prior assessments for the same patient. Additionally, images from similar patients can vary significantly when taken with different devices or at sites with different acquisition protocols. To address these issues, we present a new deep learning algorithm combining three models that achieves accurate and objective breast density classification. The first model performs the normal four-class breast density classification, the second model performs a two-class low (A or B) vs. high (C or D) classification, and the third patch-based model focuses on improving the accuracy of the B and C categories. We present initial results from 9989 studies from a three-site dataset with BIRADS 4th and 5th edition ground truth.
Alignment of teachers' educational goals and habits of understanding, action, reflection, and improving practice with the Iowa State University Secondary Science Teacher Education Program

This study compares the extent to which the educational goals and habits promoted by the former and current Iowa State University Secondary Science Teacher Education Program (ISU SSTEP) transfer out into its graduates’ teaching practices. Investigated habits include graduates’ practices of understanding, action, reflection, and improving practice. Six teachers from the ISU SSTEP participated in this study. Three participants studied under the former program that included a single semester-length science teaching methods course. The other three participants graduated from the current program, which features a coordinated sequence of semester-length science teaching methods courses, and a semester-length course addressing the nature of science and its implications for teaching and learning science. Data collection included three classroom observations, teacher questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires for students about perceived emphasis of educational goals, and analysis of classroom artifacts. Data collected in this study is part of a larger study conducted under the direction of ISU science education faculty to determine the effectiveness of the current ISU SSTEP, and how it may be improved. Analysis of the data collected in this study illuminated factors that influence the transfer of ISU SSTEP goals and habits out into its graduates’ teaching practices. Suggestions are offered regarding how the ISU SSTEP might address some of these factors and improve the transfer of its promoted goals and habits out into its graduates’ pedagogical practices. However, some factors that interfere in the transfer of its promoted goals and habits may be beyond the control of the ISU SSTEP.
Clustering-based Control Optimization of Hard Disk Drive Servo System for Population-level Performance Enhancement

This paper presents a data-driven control design framework for population-level robustness and performance enhancement in hard disk drives (HDDs). First, a frequency-domain control design scheme is presented, where the stability, robustness, and performance properties of the closed-loop system are simultaneously optimized through a numerical optimization scheme. The validity of the controller is verified through a time-domain simulation. Then, a clustering-based control optimization framework is proposed to further improve the population-level performance of the system. Simulation results indicate that plant clustering based on the spectral frequency response data provides an effective solution for designing high-performance servo controllers for the HDDs.
Mechanochemical recovery of Co and Li from LCO cathode of lithium-ion battery

Abstract Increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that serve as power source for diverse electronic devices, electrical propulsion systems and other applications, calls for economical and environmentally benign recycling of spent LIBs and recovery of critical elements such as Co and Li from rapidly growing volumes of battery wastes. The presented study explores mechanochemical extraction of Co and Li from lithium cobaltate (LiCoO2), which serves as cathode material in commercial LIBs. Our investigation reveals that solvent-free mechanochemical processing can successfully convert pure, reagent grade LiCoO2 into metallic Co and Li-derivatives that are suitable for the further recovery of Li. We also show that the proposed approach can be successfully applied to reclaiming these critical elements from commercial LIBs. Due to its magnetic nature, metallic Co is easy to separate from non-magnetic components of mechanochemically generated powder mixtures using an appropriate magnetic separation technique, while Li can be reclaimed as Li2CO3 after an additional liquid-phase processing. The recovery rates achieved during our experiments with pure LiCoO2 are ∼90% for Co and ∼70% for Li.
Perspectives of adult undergraduate women working towards a degree

Adult learners have identified financial challenges in their pursuit of a college education. While it is understood that tuition and other educational expenses are among these challenges, perspecti...
Implementation of Real-Time Passenger Safety Alert System

Car accidents are a common event in all modernized society. However, as vehicles become more autonomous, car accidents will slowly begin to decrease. Even with the decrease in accidents, mistakes will still be made that cause damage to both property and persons. In an effort to reduce the damage caused by these mistakes, the system described in this paper uses sensors to measure features such as height and weight in order to distinguish between adult and small child. Once the system has made the distinction, it will inform the driver of potentially dangerous travel accommodations and recommend the proper safety seat or harness. This paper describes the process of designing, constructing, and testing the prototype of the system.
Toxoplasma gondii injected neurons localize to the cortex and striatum and have altered firing

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite that causes a long-term latent infection of neurons. Using a custom MATLAB-based mapping program in combination with a mouse model that allows us to permanently mark neurons injected with parasite proteins, we found that Toxoplasma-injected neurons (TINs) are heterogeneously distributed in the brain, primarily localizing to the cortex followed by the striatum. Using immunofluorescence co-localization assays, we determined that cortical TINs are commonly (>50%) excitatory neurons (FoxP2+) and that striatal TINs are often (>65%) medium spiny neurons (MSNs) (FoxP2+). As MSNs have highly characterized electrophysiology, we used ex vivo slices from infected mice to perform single neuron patch-clamping on striatal TINs and neighboring uninfected MSNs (bystander MSNs). These studies demonstrated that TINs have highly abnormal electrophysiology, while the electrophysiology of bystander MSNs was akin to that of MSNs from uninfected mice. Collectively, these data offer new neuroanatomic and electrophysiologic insights into CNS toxoplasmosis.
Modern Communications: A Systematic Introduction

Designed for a single-semester course, this concise and approachable text covers all of the essential concepts needed to understand modern communications systems. Balancing theory with practical implementation, it presents key ideas as a chain of functions for a transmitter and receiver, covering topics such as amplification, up- and down-conversion, modulation, dispersive channel compensation, error-correcting codes, acquisition, multiple-antenna and multiple-input multiple-output antenna techniques, and higher level communications functions. Analog modulations are also presented, and all of the basic and advanced mathematics, statistics, and Fourier theory needed to understand the concepts covered is included. Supported online with PowerPoint slides, a solutions manual, and additional MATLAB-based simulation problems, it is ideal for a first course in communications for senior undergraduate and graduate students.
SQL and Its Applications

This volume shows how relational systems - and Structured Query Langauge (SQL) in particular - can help solve a wide variety of information management problems. It explains the SQL language itself, and then introduces the basics of data definition and the selection capabilities of SQL. Part one introduces the different constructs of the language accompanied by many short examples - all referring to the same application: the notion of join and subquery, data manipulation facilities, performance issues, views, data protection. Part two presents case studies on the practical applications of SQL involving: classical data processing, classical data processing, dealing with interesting types of data, problems including textual data and object-oriented data, definition of relationships between entities of the same type, the design of an interactive, menu-driven applications, illustrating the trade-offs between static and dynamic SQL. Each case study chapter refers to a different generic types of application and discusses some specific techniques. Because very often the same problem can be handled in different ways, the case analysis highlights the advantages or disadvantages of the alternatives and discusses the trade-offs.
Diet of the Periwinkle Littorina irrorata in a Louisiana Salt Marsh

The diet of the periwinkle Littorina irrorata was examined. The food substrate utilized most frequently in the field was dead Spartina alterniflora. The primary component of the stomach and feces was vascular plant particles. Plant particles, even though a major portion of the diet, were egested unaltered in feces. Other food substrates contributed significantly to the diet. Marsh sediment was utilized by 37% of all snails observed to be feeding, while 4% grazed on live S. alterniflora. Algal mats, present on several occasions during the study, were utilized extensively. Comparison of microbial components in dead S. alterniflora and marsh sediment with those in the stomach and feces indicated that members of the microbial community of food substrates were assimilated.
Reactions at the 3' Terminus of Transfer Ribonucleic Acid A SINGLE ENZYME CATALYZES THE INCORPORATION OF ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE AND CYTIDINE MONOPHOSPHATE INTO TRANSFER RIBONUCLEIC ACID

Abstract ATP (CTP) transfer RNA nucleotidyltransferase was purified to homogeneity from homogenates of rabbit liver. The final specific activity for AMP incorporation was approximately 250 µmoles per hour per mg of protein under optimal conditions. The ratio of CMP to AMP incorporation remained constant over an approximately 7000-fold purification. The two activities had identical properties on acrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing, and had identical rates of heat inactivation at several temperatures. The data suggest that a single protein incorporates AMP and CMP into the -CCA terminus of tRNA.