cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The growth of L‐cells and Vero cells on an autoclavable MEM–peptone medium

The growth of L-60TM cells (a suspension culture adapted L-cell) on media composed of MEM (minimum essential medium (Eagle)) and bactopeptone autoclaved together or separately under a variety of conditions has veen determined. It has been found that MEM autoclaved with 0.5% bactopeptone at 15 psi for 20 min, cooled and then neutralized with NaHCO3, consistently supported good cell growth of L-60TM and L-929 cells. Similar results were obtained when the MEM and bactopeptone were autoclaved separately. The cells grew initially as a monolayer, subsequently becoming a stationary suspension. Some experiments were carried out with agitated suspension culture of L-60TM cells in the autoclaved MEM-bactopeptone combination with and without added methylcellulose and results were obtained which indicate that large scale suspension culture is possible in this system. Other peptones were also found to support cell growth. The autoclaved MEM-bactopeptone combination also supported the growth of Chang liver and Vero cells. The Chang liver cells rapidly dissociated from the plastic surface but the Vero cells remained sufficiently securely attached so that it was possible to grow them near to confluency in roller bottles.
Violent Geographies. speaking the unspeakable and the politics of space

Why would essentially local, and in some ways parochial, movements be construed by those in power, and by those holding the reins of state power in partkviar, as a threat to the Nigerian state? What is there about the site–specific character of such irreducibly local social movements that explain in some way the mass violence which surrounds the efforts by the state to limit their appeal, their legitimacy, their goals? How can one explain the particular geography of intolerance? The paper provides an account which explores the weakness of nation-building in Nigeria (its "public secret"), weaknesses and tensions that were deepened by the contradictory impact of petro-capitalism. [Ethnicity, nationalism, violence, Islam, Nigeria]
The length of storage of emu eggs and resultant effects on hatchability

SUMMARY Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are a large flightless bird and are members of the Ratite family. Emu originated from Australia and have long been raised for their meat and oil. The cost associated with raising emu is high, which makes emu meat and products expensive. Emu have very low hatchability rates when compared with other commercial poultry. To date, little research has been published on egg storage conditions of emu eggs, which may contribute to the decreased hatchability of the eggs. In this study, eggs were stored for times ranging from 1 to 8 wk and subsequent effects on moisture loss and hatchability was recorded. we found significant differences (P < 0.0104) in hatchability of emu eggs due to storage time. Significant differences (P < 0.0001) were also found in moisture loss due to egg storage. Based on these data, 2 wk of egg storage appears to be the optimal storage time. After 3 wk of storage, hatchability begins to decrease.
The Role of the Media in the Disparate Response to Gun Violence in America

In December 2012, 20 elementary school children fell victim to gun violence. Shortly after the killings occurred, national media outlets instantaneously and simultaneously began covering the tragedy with “calls to action” explicitly voiced by public officials and members of the general citizenry. Gun violence in African American communities has also left an indelible mark on the quality and quantity of life among the youngest members as well. Statistics released by federal law enforcement officials reveal that, collectively, more children of color die each year to gun violence. However, gun-related crimes involving low-income persons and racial and ethnic minorities are framed by the media as a convergence of cultural, environmental, and individual shortcomings and immorality. Consequently, structural and/or policy resolutions to address such crimes involving low-income persons and racial and ethnic minorities are overlooked or even omitted from the national and, more importantly, political discourse.
MaaT: effective and scalable coordination of distributed transactions in the cloud

The past decade has witnessed an increasing adoption of cloud database technology, which provides better scalability, availability, and fault-tolerance via transparent partitioning and replication, and automatic load balancing and fail-over. However, only a small number of cloud databases provide strong consistency guarantees for distributed transactions, despite decades of research on distributed transaction processing, due to practical challenges that arise in the cloud setting, where failures are the norm, and human administration is minimal. For example, dealing with locks left by transactions initiated by failed machines, and determining a multi-programming level that avoids thrashing without under-utilizing available resources, are some of the challenges that arise when using lock-based transaction processing mechanisms in the cloud context. Even in the case of optimistic concurrency control, most proposals in the literature deal with distributed validation but still require the database to acquire locks during two-phase commit when installing updates of a single transaction on multiple machines. Very little theoretical work has been done to entirely eliminate the need for locking in distributed transactions, including locks acquired during two-phase commit. In this paper, we re-design optimistic concurrency control to eliminate any need for locking even for atomic commitment, while handling the practical issues in earlier theoretical work related to this problem. We conduct an extensive experimental study to evaluate our approach against lock-based methods under various setups and workloads, and demonstrate that our approach provides many practical advantages in the cloud context.
Some Notes on the Linear Viscoelasticity of Functionally Graded Materials

This work discusses the elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle and the related issues in linear viscoelasticity of functionally graded materials (FGMs). It is clarified that the correspondence principle is directly applicable to certain boundary value problems of viscoelastic FGMs with closed-form solutions, and for general boundary value problems, the correspondence principle holds only for FGMs with variables separable relaxation moduli (moduli in separable form in space and time). For the relaxation moduli of an FGM to be variables separable, the time-dependence of the relaxation moduli in shear and dilatation should be identical. This imposes a rather severe restriction on the application of the correspondence principle to FGMs because engineering materials usually exhibit significantly different relaxation behavior in shear and dilatation. As an application of the correspondence principle, the stress and displacement fields near a stationary crack tip in a viscoelastic FGM are obtained. The pa...
Evidence-Based Practice Principles: Using the Highest Level When Evidence Is Limited

Clinicians providing psychiatric care are often faced with selecting interventions in areas of care for which there is limited scientific support, such as the information on traumatic stress responses and integrated care interventions. If they adhere to the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP), the lack of scientific support should not hamper clinicians from implementing the best EBP intervention. EBP interventions can be drawn from the literature provided clinicians accurately appraise the level of existing scientific knowledge. Regardless of the level of evidence, clinicians must discuss the recommended intervention, risks, benefits, and alternatives to achieve the best EBP outcome.
Pure Bending of Curved Beams of Thin-Walled Rectangular Box Section

A closed-form solution of the subject problem is presented. It is found that the circumferential stress may be smaller than a perpendicular stress. Accuracy of the solution is verified by comparison with finite element analyses
A Study of Anti-Coccidial Drugs Against Experimental Infections with Eimeria tenella and necatrix

Abstract THE control of coccidiosis in the chicken through the prophylactic administration of drugs has become standard practice in essentially all commercial poultry operations. Possibly the first drug to be used successfully in this manner was sulfaquinoxaline, Delaplane et al. (1947), Grumbles et al. (1948). Others followed which included the furans, Harwood et al. (1947), Harwood and Stunz (1949), (1950), Peterson and Hymas (1950); nitrophenide, Waletzky et al. (1949); and nicarbazin, Fogg and Siegmund (1955), Barber (1955), Cuckler et al. (1956), Rubin et al. (1956). 3,5-dinitrobenzamide has been a later addition to the list, More-house and McGuire (1959). More recently a series of new drugs has been introduced as anti-coccidial agents regarding which there is little published information. These include Trithiadol, 1 Arzene, 2 Glycamide, 3 and Zoaline. 4 Trithiadol is reported to be effective against Eimeria tenella, necatrix, maxima and acervulina, Coulston et al. (1958). In a study of six anti-coccidials, McLoughlin and Chester …
Training in Cardiovascular Genetics

The last 2 decades have borne witness to a rapid and vigorous expansion of our understanding of the genetic basis underlying many cardiovascular diseases. As fellows-in-training, this marks an exciting time with a rapid tempo of discovery that keeps us in constant motion, which challenges us to
Space charge formation in filled LDPE films

The effect of fillers on space charge formation or storage was studied. Thermally stimulated current (TSC) was measured to investigate the carrier traps in filled LDPE (low-density polyethylene) films. The characteristic relaxation time and activation energy of trapped carriers were calculated by computer simulation based on a single relaxation time model. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DTMA), and time-domain dielectric loss spectrometry (TDS) were also employed to analyze the effect of fillers on molecular relaxation behavior. The characteristic relaxation times for 10% 3A/LDPE and 5% 5A/LDPE are 4*10/sup -11/ s and 5*10/sup -11/ s, respectively. The corresponding activation energies are 0.5016 eV and 0.4878 eV. >
Figure 12 in Klaus Krippendorff's ‘Ross Ashby's information theory: a bit of history, some solutions to problems, and what we face today’, International Journal of General Systems, 38, 189–212, 2009

I regret that two of the quantities in Figure 12 of Krippendorff (2009) were incorrect. Ironically labelled ‘The Correct Account of Interactions…’ these quantities should instead be as follows: 10....
HEAT‐OF‐WETTING VALUES OF UNFIRED AND FIRED CLAYS

The heats of welting of unfired and fired clay minerals were measured on samples of montmorillonite, illite, and kaolinite types of clays. Autoclaved and unautoclaved samples of fired clays were studied. These data were obtained as a contribution to the knowledge of changes taking place in fired clayware through exposure to water vapor.
Blueschists and associated rocks in eastern Jamaica and their significance for Cretaceous plate-margin development in the northern Caribbean

Blueschists and associated low-grade greenschists and amphibolites occur in the Blue Mountains of eastern Jamaica and are found in proximity to volcanic-arc–generated rocks. In the blueschist and greenschist rocks, known as the “Mount Hibernia Schists,” metamorphosed basalts, gabbro, and peridotites are found in a structurally disrupted region along with meta-cherts, marbles, meta-conglomerates, and meta-epiclastic rocks. The amphibolite-facies rocks, known as the “Westphalia Schists,” occur in a belt adjacent to the Mount Hibernia Schists and consist of banded mafic to quartzofeldspathic schists. A small outcrop of similar amphibolites also occurs in Green Bay, several kilometres southwest of the Blue Mountains. The metaigneous rocks of the Mount Hibernia Schists have tholeiitic affinities, but the Westphalia Schists seem to be more calc-alkaline. The Mount Hibernia blueschists contain minerals typical of high-pressure–low-temperature terranes, including crossite, riebeckite, pumpellyite, and stilpnomelane. The Mount Hibernia greenschists are low-grade, chlorite-zone rocks lacking biotite. In contrast, the Westphalia amphibolites typically contain the higher-grade minerals hornblende, biotite, and plagioclase. Both groups of schists have a low-grade greenschist overprint characterized by epidote, chlorite, and chloritoid. The lithological associations, chemical composition, and metamorphism of these rocks strongly suggest that they were formed in the accretionary prism or subduction complex of the Jamaica–Nicaragua Rise island-arc system. The present geological setting and consideration of their thermal evolution indicate that these rocks probably recrystallized in Early Cretaceous time. The metamorphic rocks are now juxtaposed against a Campanian ophiolite body and are found in close association with Upper Cretaceous andesites and granodiorites. A model for the genesis of the Jamaican Schist terrane describes the formation and subsequent erosion of these rocks in a pre-Campanian, accretionary complex. The tectonic regime changed in Campanian time and involved the obduction of the ophiolite body and a 150-km outward stepping of the site of subduction, and hence of volcanism. This latter change resulted in the later Cretaceous arc complex being superimposed on the Lower Cretaceous accretionary fore-arc complex. Tertiary, left-lateral transcurrent faulting and consequent uplift and erosion exposed the present blueschist-ophiolite-magmatic arc complex.
Increased susceptibility of Trpv4 -deficient mice to obesity and obesity-induced osteoarthritis with very high-fat diet

Objective To test the hypotheses that: (1) the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel is protective in the obesity model of osteoarthritis (OA), resulting in more severe obesity-induced OA in Trpv4 knockout ( Trpv4 −/− ) mice; and (2) loss of TRPV4 alters mesodermal stem cell differentiation. Methods Male Trpv4 −/− and wild-type ( Trpv4 +/+ ) mice were fed a control or high-fat diet (10% kcal and 60% kcal from fat, respectively) for 22 weeks, at which time spontaneous cage activity and severity of knee OA were evaluated. In addition, the adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic potential of bone marrow-derived (MSC) and adipose-derived (ASC) stem cells from Trpv4 −/− and Trpv4 +/+ mice were compared. Results A high-fat diet significantly increased knee OA scores and reduced spontaneous cage activity in Trpv4 −/− mice, while also increasing weight gain and adiposity. MSCs from Trpv4 −/− mice had decreased adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential versus Trpv4 +/+ MSCs. ASCs from Trpv4 −/− mice had increased adipogenic and osteogenic and reduced chondrogenic differentiation potential versus Trpv4 +/+ ASCs. Conclusions Pan- Trpv4 −/− mice develop more severe OA with high-fat feeding, potentially due to more severe diet-induced obesity. The altered differentiation potential of Trpv4 −/− progenitor cells may reflect the importance of this ion channel in the maintenance and turnover of mesodermally-derived tissues.
Properties of Yttria‐Aluminoborate Glasses

In the Y2O3–Al2O3–B2O3 system, homogeneous glasses were obtained from compositions containing from 50 to 65 mol% B2O3. The density, refractive index, and thermal expansion increase as Y2O3 replaces either B2O3 or Al2O3. These glasses have a dilatometric softening temperature above 665°, and below 300°C their dc electrical resistivity exceeds that of fused silica. The infrared absorption spectra indicate that BO3, BO4, and AlO4, groups are present in these glasses.
Sharp Breaks or Smooth Shifts? an Investigation of the Evolution of Primary Commodity Prices

This paper explores the behavior of real commodity prices over a 50–year period. Attention is given to how the shifting means for various commodity prices have changed with a special emphasis on behavior since the mid 2000s. To identify structural changes in commodity prices, we estimate shifting–mean autoregressions by using: the Bai and Perron (1998) procedure for determining structural breaks; low frequency Fourier functions; and a procedure that specifies shifts to be smooth logistic functions of time. We find that the pattern in the timing of shifts is suggestive of the causal factors underlying the recent boom.
Theoretical Dependence of the Near-Asymptotic Apparent Optical Properties on the Inherent Optical Properties of Sea Water*

The apparent optical properties of sea water are a set of measurables that describe the geometry of the submarine light field. These properties are related to the inherent optical properties—the volume attenuation coefficient and the volume scattering function—through the process of radiative transfer. A numerical approximation to the equation of radiative transfer was programmed for solution on a high-speed digital computer. The technique is based on resolving the hydrosol into a system of thin slabs, finding approximate transmission and reflection operators for each slab, and then systematically applying these operators to determine the geometry of the light field in the interior of the system of slabs. Thus each set of calculations produces the radiance solid as a function of depth. The apparent optical properties were found by numerical integration of the radiance. A simple three-parameter model was used to simplify study of the dependence of the apparent optical properties on the directional characteristics of the volume scattering function.
Suppression of Stra8 Expression in the Mouse Gonad by WIN 18,446

Bis-(dichloroacetyl)-diamines (BDADs) are compounds that inhibit spermatogenesis and function as male contraceptives in many species; however, their mechanism of action has yet to be fully investigated. It has been proposed that BDADs may function via inhibition of testicular retinoic acid (RA) biosynthesis. We employed an organ culture technique and the expression of a marker for RA activity, Stra8 (stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8), to investigate if the BDAD WIN 18,446 inhibited the biosynthesis of RA from retinol (ROL) in neonatal and adult murine testis and in the embryonic murine gonad. After culturing either whole testes or germ cells isolated from mice at 2 days postpartum (dpp) with WIN 18,446 or with WIN 18,446 plus ROL, Stra8 expression was suppressed, demonstrating that WIN 18,446 inhibited the conversion of ROL to RA in both systems. We also utilized a transgenic mouse containing an RA-responsive LacZ reporter gene to demonstrate limited RA induction of LacZ expression in 2-dpp testes cultured with WIN 18,446 plus ROL. The expression of Stra8 was downregulated in adult mouse testis tubules cultured with WIN 18,446 when compared to tubules cultured with the vehicle control. WIN 18,446 also inhibited the conversion of ROL to RA in embryonic ovaries and testes cultured for 48 h. These murine results provide critical insights regarding how the BDADs can inhibit spermatogenesis by blocking the ability of vitamin A to drive germ cell development. In addition, these techniques will be useful for screening novel inhibitors of RA biosynthesis as potential male contraceptives.
EFFECTS OF RADIOCOLLARS ON GIANT PANDA STRESS-RELATED BEHAVIOR AND HORMONES

Abstract Studies assessing the potential negative consequences of radiocollars on endangered mammals are few. No such studies have been conducted on giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), an endangered species potentially sensitive to invasive monitoring technologies and handling. Lack of knowledge about the effects of radiocollars and concern for the well-being of radiocollared pandas led to a moratorium on radiocollaring the species in the wild in 1995. To assess the potential effect of radiocollars on the behavior of giant pandas, 4 captive giant pandas (2 male, 2 female) were immobilized and fitted with radiocollars during February and March 2000, just prior to the mating season. We evaluated potential behavioral and endocrine indices of stress daily for 2 weeks before and after immobilization and attachment of radiocollars. We found no significant change in stereotypic behaviors, activity levels, or cortisol levels for any of the 4 individuals. Both adult radiocollared pandas mated successfully. Our r...
Understanding it Entrepreneurial Intention: An Information Systems View

IT (Information Technology) entrepreneurs have been contributing greatly to economic growth and job creation. Despite this, IT entrepreneurship remains understudied in business research. In particular, studying IT entrepreneurial behavior has been ignored in both Information Systems (IS) and entrepreneurship disciplines. This study for the first time empirically examines IT entrepreneurial behavior and its antecedent factors from the IS discipline. The findings suggest that two key IS constructs, personal innovativeness in IT (PUT) and computer self-efficacy (CSE), respectively, have direct and indirect influences on IT entrepreneurial intention. As the first step of a research effort, this study calls for more empirical studies on IT entrepreneurial behavior from the IS discipline. The study concludes with discussion of the limitations and suggestions for future research.
Liquid Crystal-Like Phase Separation in Systems of Macroscopic Rods

Experiments with monolayers of macroscopic rods indicate separation into isotropic and aligned phases at greater-than-critical concentrations. This behavior is qualitatively similar to that of rodlike liquid crystalline polymers, which in turn has been modelled successfully in threedimensions by Flory and Ronca. We have adapted their approach to predict the ordering of rods in two dimensions. A preliminary phase diagram is presented. The critical rod concentration at which an aligned phase can appear first is a decreasing function of rod axial ratio. Rods of a given axial ratio will phase separate at lower overall concentrations in two dimensions than in three.
Problems Existing in the Academic Evaluation by Using Key Journals and Strategies

Sine 1990s,key journals have increasingly played an important role in the academic evaluation in universities.However,there are some problems due to some misunderstanding.The paper studies such problems and puts forward some strategies.
Research on the Skilled and Applied Curriculum System Constructionfor for Cost Engineering in Independent institute

Based on the positioning of the independent institute of applied undergraduate education and focused on the student's employment prospects and career development planning,it explores the mode of curriculum system construction for cost engineering of independent institute.It establishes the goal of the cost engineering curriculum system of "skilled-oriented" and sets up the professional curriculum modules of the cost engineering of main line to the "application".At the same time,the four years of university education is set to 2 years of general education in order to consolidate the basis of students',1 year of professional education to develop students' professional skills,and 1 year of self-education to improve their practical ability to use.
Ribonuclease and deoxyribonuclease activities in zinc-deficient tissues.

Abstract Although growth retardation is a common manifestation of zinc deficiency in animals and man, biochemical mechanisms accounting for this phenomenon are not well understood. In our previous studies, ribonucleic acid (RNA)/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was found to be decreased in some of the zinc-deficient tissues of experimental animals. In this study, activities of ribonuclease (RNase) and deoxyribonuclease (DNase) were investigated in the testes, kidneys, bone, and thymus of zinc-deficient, continuously pair-fed and ad libitum-fed control rats. RNase activity was measured by a modified method of Kunitz 7,9,10 and DNase activity was determined by a modified method of Sung. 11 Nucleuses were measured at both acid and alkaline pH's in all the tissues, except for alkaline RNase and DNase in the bone and alkaline DNase in the thymus, in which case the activities were too low to be measured. Whereas DNase activities showed no difference between the zinc-deficient and pair-fed control rats, the activities of RNase were increased in the zinc-deficient tissues. It is believed that the increased RNase activity may, in part, be responsible for decreased protein synthesis and growth retardation so commonly observed in many animal species, including man.
Mining Frequent Subtrees in Glycan Data Using the Rings Glycan Miner Tool

This chapter describes the Glycan Miner Tool, which is available as a part of the Resource for INformatics of Glycomes at Soka Web site. It implements the α-closed frequent subtree algorithm to find significant subtrees from within a data set of glycan structures, or carbohydrate sugar chains. The results are returned in order of p-value, which is computed based on the probability of the reproducibility of the returned structures. There is also a user-friendly manual that allows users to apply glycan array data from the Consortium for Functional Glycomics. Thus, glycobiologists can take the glycan structures that bind to a particular glycan-binding protein, for example, to retrieve the glycan subtrees that are deemed to be important for the binding to occur.
Evidence for M-Phase-Specific Modification of a Gap Junction Protein

Gap junctions are intercellular junctions which permit free diffusion of ions and small molecules (up to about 1000 daltons) through proteinaceous channels connecting two adjacent cells (1). These channels are formed when hexamers of connexin (ex) proteins in each of the apposing plasma membranes become aligned, thereby creating a continuous aqueous passageway connecting the cells’ cytoplasm. This continuity of cell interiors lends itself to metabolic cooperation and has been postulated to be a principal means of maintaining tissue homeostasis (2). Aside from the proposed homeostatic function of gap junctions, these structures have been thought to play a major role in the control of cell growth and differentiation (1, 2). In fact, gap junctionmediated intercellular communication (GJIC) has been demonstrated to be regulated by a variety of growth signals, such as epidermal growth factor, tumor promoters, as well as viral and cellular src proteins (3). Moreover, the involvement of gap junctions in growth regulation is further implicated by the discovery of connexin molecules as candidate tumor suppressor proteins (4), as well as the demonstration that transfection of connexins into tumor cells reduces their tumorigenicity in vivo and/or in vitro (5,6, 7). For normal cells, cell division represents the most common and universal process in which growth controls must be exerted. Several laboratories, including ours, have reported on cell cycle-dependent GJIC using various methods, including electronmicroscopic and immunostaining analyses, Northern hybridization, dye transfer, and GAP-FRAP (4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). Thus, it appears that cell cycle-dependent regulation of gap junctions is a common phenomenon. Yet the molecular basis( es) for this phenomenon has not been fully elucidated. In at least one study, differential transcription was observed for cx26 and ex43 in normal human mammary epithelial cells as a function of cell cycle progression (4).
Gender Attitudes, Gendered Partisanship: Feminism and Support for Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton among Party Activists

Activists in the Democratic and Republican parties have distinct concerns about women’s place in American politics and society. These views lead them to evaluate female candidates through different ideological lenses that are conditioned, in part, on their divergent attitudes about gender. We explore the implications of these diverging lenses through an examination of the 2008 candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, using data from an original survey of Democratic and Republican National Convention delegates. We find that delegate sex did not affect their evaluations but that evaluations were influenced by the interaction of partisanship and attitudes about women’s roles.
The Pedagogical Issues of Teaching "Eastern" and "Western" Traditions

Rather than doing away with the categories of "East" and "West," this article draws attention to and problematizes these classifications as constructed notions of space that are always changing. Theoretical models such as Orientalism and neo-Orientalism help us to critically evaluate these categories and thus make them useful in the classroom.
Transformations in Argentinean Catholicism, from the Second Half of the Twentieth Century to Pope Francis

The goals of this chapter are: (a) to explore the process of religious transformations due to modernization in a specific context, Argentina from World War II to the election of Jorge Bergoglio as pope; (b) to identify some features of the ‘transformed’ Catholicism, meaning the lived religion of Argentinean Catholics; and (c) to speculate how this specific background may affect Francis tenure at the Vatican. In the particular context of Latin America, many Catholic believers (laypersons, ministries, and bishops) in different countries became involved in the processes of social transformation and even fostered revolutionary movements. Argentine Catholics’ positions toward their country’s social changes were shaped by their political context as well as by the transformation of religious identity. I will highlight here some events that I see as thresholds crossed in a direction that is unlikely to be changed. These transformations of Argentinean Catholicism may provide an interpretative framework for Francis’ tenure as head of the Catholic Church.
Genotyping-by-sequencing targeting of a novel downy mildew resistance gene Pl 20 from wild Helianthus argophyllus for sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.)

Genotyping-by-sequencing revealed a new downy mildew resistance gene, Pl 20 , from wild Helianthus argophyllus located on linkage group 8 of the sunflower genome and closely linked to SNP markers that facilitate the marker-assisted selection of resistance genes. Downy mildew (DM), caused by Plasmopara halstedii, is one of the most devastating and yield-limiting diseases of sunflower. Downy mildew resistance identified in wild Helianthus argophyllus accession PI 494578 was determined to be effective against the predominant and virulent races of P. halstedii occurring in the United States. The evaluation of 114 BC1F2:3 families derived from the cross between HA 89 and PI 494578 against P. halstedii race 734 revealed that single dominant gene controls downy mildew resistance in the population. Genotyping-by-sequencing analysis conducted in the BC1F2 population indicated that the DM resistance gene derived from wild H. argophyllus PI 494578 is located on the upper end of the linkage group (LG) 8 of the sunflower genome, as was determined single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with DM resistance. Analysis of 11 additional SNP markers previously mapped to this region revealed that the resistance gene, named Pl 20 , co-segregated with four markers, SFW02745, SFW09076, S8_11272025, and S8_11272046, and is flanked by SFW04358 and S8_100385559 at an interval of 1.8 cM. The newly discovered P. halstedii resistance gene has been introgressed from wild species into cultivated sunflower to provide a novel gene with DM resistance. The homozygous resistant individuals were selected from BC2F2 progenies with the use of markers linked to the Pl 20 gene, and these lines should benefit the sunflower community for Helianthus improvement.
Sex in the Board Room: Board Gender Diversity and Firm Competitive Behavior

Drawing insights from the upper-echelons theory, organizational demography literature and competitive dynamics perspective, we hypothesize a positive relationship between board gender diversity and...
The Mental Health Implications of Emerging Adult Long-Term Cohabitation:

Despite the growing prevalence of cohabitation, past attempts to identify mental health outcomes from cohabitation do not differentiate by cohabitation duration. The current study investigated the ...
Intra-operative evaluation of prophylactic hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy specimens in hereditary gynaecological cancer syndromes

Aims Prophylactic total hysterectomy (TH) and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) have become routine procedures in women at genetic risk for gynaecological malignancies. Intra-operative pathology diagnosis of an occult malignancy provides the opportunity for immediate surgical staging and helps to avoid a second surgery. However, no standard guidelines exist for optimal intra-operative evaluation (IOE) of these specimens. We performed a retrospective analysis of prophylactic TH and BSO cases to assess the presence of gross findings, frozen and permanent section sampling practices, frozen section diagnoses and diagnostic discrepancies. Methods and results All prophylactic TH and BSO cases between 1990 and 2017 were retrieved from our departmental archives. A total of 413 cases were included in the study: 27 with Lynch syndrome (LS), 222 with germline BRCA 1 or 2 mutations and 164 cases with strong family or personal history (non-Lynch/non-BRCA). Only fewer than half of all cases (159 of 413; 38.5%) were sent for IOE, 15 of 27 (56%) LS cases, 93 of 222 (42%) BRCA cases and 51 of 164 (31%) non-Lynch/non-BRCA cases. A total of 19 patients (4.6% of patients combining all three groups) had a final diagnosis of malignancy or premalignancy on permanent sections. Of these 19 cases, eight had a corresponding gross lesion (42%) and could have been diagnosed on frozen section; however, only one of them underwent IOE. Conclusions Our results highlight the potential benefits and challenges of IOE in this setting and may provide a basis for future practice recommendations.
A simulation-based comparison of two goods-to-person order picking systems in an online retail setting

Design and analysis of order picking systems continues to be an active topic of interest both in academia and practice, especially in light of the significant increase in online retail sales. In th...
Science Operations and Data Handling for the FAST Satellite

The University of California, Berkeley, is the primary science analysis center for the Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST). It is responsible for processing and routing the science data to the various investigators and serves as an on-line data archive and science command center for the project. Raw data, received from NASA within a few hours of its transmission to the ground, is processed into CD-ROMs for archive and distribution to the Co-Investigators, and summary data is generated for viewing at the FAST Web site or for retrieval as key parameter data from NASA or the FAST Web site. Daily science command loads and real-time commands are generated to optimize science data collection. This paper presents a description of the FAST ground operations performed at Berkeley. Also included is a discussion of the data analysis software and tools that allow the large data volume (>1 terabyte) to be accessed quickly and efficiently by the scientists. These tasks are more extensive than those performed in the past by science institutions and can be considered as a model for future small programs to reduce cost and maximize science return.
Nanoduct Fluid Flow

Nanoducts are unique in that fluid moving through them has intense vorticity, or molecular spin. In such regions of fluid flow, the molecular theory of fluids must be used to model the flow region and the physical properties of the fluid. Such properties change significantly in the presence of intense vorticity. These topics have been dealt with in Chap. 3 under the heading of the Nano-boundary Layer, using Waldman’s kinetic theory for a fluid of rotating and translating molecules.
First-Principles Investigations of the Temperature Dependence of Electronic Structure and Optical Properties of Rutile TiO2

To gain additional insight into high-temperature functional material properties for applications in optical gas sensing, the temperature effects on the band gap and optical properties of rutile TiO...
Using content analysis through simulation-based training for offshore drilling operations: Implications for process safety

Abstract Human factors play a large role in the creation and optimization of process safety in offshore drilling and well control operations by assessing and mitigating human error. The current industry practice relies on the simulation-based trainings for its drilling crews which lack the measurement and evaluation of human factors and non-technical skills. One way to improve training is to measure and evaluate an individual’s performance and non-technical skills, but there are no such validated, psychological tools made for offshore drilling operation. A way to create these tools is with the use of the content analysis and process tracing techniques, which are frequently used in research to identify psychological processes via communication. This paper presents the potential use of content analysis as a tool to optimize simulation-based trainings that can be applied to improve human factors in drilling and well control activities. To put this to test, an interactive trip-in experiment was specially designed in the University of Oklahoma virtual reality drilling simulator that allowed four participants as assistant drillers (two Novices and two Experts) to individually engage in four similar simulations and communicate with a driller in a manner similar to a real-world setting. The results from content analysis were translated into semantic maps to explore individual psychological states which informs their cognitive processes (e.g. working memory, long-term memory, metacognition) used during the experiment. The research found significant differences in the problem-solving techniques for the Novices and the Experts meaning, that perhaps they approached the problem psychologically differently. Results are a proof of concept that content analysis is an additional tool that may allow for improved performance evaluation and human factors optimization through simulation-based trainings.
EP1 Top-Down Proteomics

In the past several years, there have been a growing number of researchers working together to push forward the field of top-down proteomics. In its most basic form, top down (TD) involves observing intact proteins and incorporating the intact masses derived either from mass spectra or gels in the reported description of the proteins. In most applications, intact mass information alone is not enough to unambiguously identify a protein, and so tandem mass spectrometry must be performed. The most complete incarnation of TD involves observing a native (i.e., unchanged from its in vivo state) protein/peptide in a mass spectrometer, followed by its isolation and fragmentation. From the precursor and fragment ion masses, one can then make an unambiguous determination of not just the protein identity, but also its native post-translational state. This includes all post-translational modifications, proteolytic cleavages (e.g., signal peptide cleavages), amino acid changes from non-synonymous coding single nucleotide polymorphisms, and primary structure changes due to alternative splice variants. In this educational session, we will discuss some of the basic questions surrounding top-down proteomics. What is it? Why do it? How is it done? Do you really need a $700,000 instrument to do it? We will also include some recent results from some of the top labs that are using TD technology to explore both targeted and proteome-wide problems. We hope to pique your interest in this growing field and engender lively discussion.
Design, Evaluation, and Research Challenges Relevant to Exoskeletons and Exosuits: A 26-Year Perspective From the U.S. Army Research Laboratory

Efforts to develop exoskeletons and exosuits for military uses have been underway for many years. Assessments, evaluations, and research studies conducted at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have ...
Committors, first-passage times, fluxes, Markov states, milestones, and all that

Milestoning on a one-dimensional potential starts by choosing a set of points, called milestones, and initiating short trajectories from each milestone, which are terminated when they reach an adjacent milestone for the first time. From the average duration of these trajectories and the probabilities of where they terminate, a rate matrix can be constructed and then used to calculate the mean first-passage time (MFPT) between any two milestones. All these MFPT’s turn out to be exact. Here we adopt a point of view from which this remarkable result is not unexpected. In addition, we clarify the nature of the “states” whose interconversion is described by the rate matrix constructed using information obtained from short trajectories and provide a microscopic expression for the “equilibrium population” of these states in terms of equilibrium averages of the committors.
Hindbrain V2a neurons impose rhythmic activity on motor neurons in anin vitroreticulospinal circuit

Abstract The reticulospinal system is an evolutionarily conserved pathway among vertebrates that relays locomotor control signals from the hindbrain to the spinal cord. Recent studies have identified specific hindbrain cell types that participate in this circuit, including Chx10+ neurons of the medullary reticular formation, which project to the spinal cord and are active during periods of locomotion. To create a system in which reticulospinal neurons communicate with spinal motor effectors, we have constructed an in vitro model using two purified excitatory neuronal subtypes: HB9+ spinal motor neurons and Chx10+ hindbrain neurons. Cultured separately, these neurons exhibit cell type-specific patterns of activity; the Chx10+ cultures developed regular, synchronized bursts of activity that recruited neurons across the entire culture, whereas motor neuron activity consisted of an irregular pattern. A combination of the two subtypes produced cultures in which Chx10+ neurons recruited the motor neurons into synchronized network bursts, which were dependent on AMPA receptors. In addition to demonstrating that the activity of in vitro networks can depend on the developmental identity of their constituent neurons, we provide a new model with genetically specified nerve cell types to study the activity of a reticulospinal circuit. Significance statement Models of the brain that use cultured neurons are usually comprised of a complex mixture of different kinds of cells, making it hard to determine how each cell type contributes to the overall pattern of activity. We made a simplified culture containing two cell types known to form a reticulospinal circuit in vivo. While in isolated cultures, each cell type had a distinct pattern of activity, in coculture the activity of one cell type came to dominate, indicating that the patterns observed in complex neuronal cultures arise in part from the distinctive properties of the constituent neurons.
V 2+ /V 3+ Redox Kinetics on GlassyCarbon in Acidic Electrolytes for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Vanadium redox flow batteries are a promising technology for energy storage, yet the mechanism of the kinetically limiting V2+/V3+ redox reaction remains poorly understood. Here, we elucidate the i...
Suitability of groundwater for irrigation in Manmunai West Divisional secretariat area of Batticaloa District

Groundwater quality has become a critical issue due to fresh water scarcity. Suitability of irrigation water is directly influences on the plant growth and its development, yield of the plant and deteriorates soil fertility. Irrigation waters, pumped from wells contain appreciable quantities of chemical substances and always carry substances derived from its natural environment or from domestic and industrial effluents. In the present study, the physical and chemical parameters of well water from Manmunai West DS area were analyzed to find the quality and the suitability of well water for irrigation. Water samples from 80 randomly selected wells which are presently used for irrigating crops were collected during the period from July to September 2017. Collected water samples were tested for water quality parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Hardness, Sodium (Na), Pottasium (K), bicarbonate, carbonate and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). The relative proportions of sodium to other cations were determined by the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) and Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP). Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) of the well water also determined using cation, bicarbonate and carbonate concentrations. According to the results, parameters such as pH, TDS, Mg, Bicarbonate, hardness and SAR were within the FAO recommended range for irrigation purpose while other parameters such as TSS, K, Na, Carbonate, RSC, SSP and EC were above recommended range. The study concluded that, about 85% of the well water of the study area is not suitable for irrigation in reference to Na, K, Carbonate, Bicarbonate, RSC, SSP and EC. Therefore, awareness on proper management of land against the poor irrigation water quality especially for sodium and bicarbonate hazards is important in the study area.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Disclosure and Sexual Behaviors among Kenyan Women.

Background Disclosure of HIV status is crucial to the adoption of preventive behaviors for HIV transmission. This study was conducted to investigate HIV status disclosure and its impact on sexual practices among HIV-positive women in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-positive women seeking care at two hospitals in Nairobi. A questionnaire and known self-efficacy scales were administered to eligible women to collect information on sociodemographic factors, HIV disclosure and beliefs, healthcare provider advice on disclosure, sexual practices, and self-efficacy. Results Of 497 women who were included in this analysis, 95.8% had disclosed their HIV status to someone. Women who disclosed were more likely to be in a relationship (p 0.0017) and to be the heads of their households (p 0.0042). Women who reported that their healthcare provider advised them to disclose and told them of ways to disclose were significantly more likely to have disclosed (p=0.0237 and p=0.0294, respectively). The belief that HIV status disclosure is important for HIV prevention and control and that the benefits of disclosure outweigh the risks was also significantly associated with disclosure (p<0.0001 for both). Conclusion The prevalence of disclosure among HIV-positive individuals' in hospital settings in Nairobi is high. These findings indicate that encouraging and suggesting ways to disclose by healthcare providers and individuals' beliefs about the benefits of disclosure can increase the rate of HIV disclosure. Prospective studies to assess these observations would provide reliable guidance on how to increase disclosure by all women.