cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Total dissolved nitrogen analysis: comparisons between the persulfate, UV and high temperature oxidation methods

We compared the persulfate (PO), ultraviolet (UV), and high temperature oxidation (HTO) methods used to analyze total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentrations in aquatic samples to determine whether the three methods differed in terms of standard parameters (blanks, limits of detection and linearity, and precision) or in oxidation efficiency of standard compounds and field samples of varying salinity. The TDN concentrations of several N-containing standard compounds, as well as a humic mixture and a suite of field samples collected from the Sargasso Sea, Chesapeake Bay and an aquaculture pond were determined with the three methods. The PO method had the highest percent recoveries for the range of labile and refractory standard compounds tested (93±13). The HTO method yielded recoveries of 87±14; recoveries increased to 91±10 under optimized conditions. The standard UV method, with 30% H2O2 as the oxidant, was found to be highly variable, producing the lowest percent recoveries (71±21); the oxidation efficiency of the UV method increased substantially in subsequent trials (91±12), when the PO reagent was used in place of H2O2. In the field sample comparison, the PO, UV with PO reagent, and HTO method produced similar results (slopes of the Model II regression lines comparing them ranged from 1.00 to 1.05 with r2≥0.99). The standard UV method, however, produced concentrations 5% to 40% lower than the other methods. Analysis of the spectra emitted by the UV lamp used in this study suggests that variations in the UV spectra reaching the sample may have caused the reduced efficiencies. The poor recovery of some standard compounds with each of the methods suggests that concentrations of TDN, and subsequently DON, measured in the field with any of the methods will likely be underestimated to some degree depending on the composition of the TDN pool at that time. With careful attention to detail, however, the PO and HTO methods can provide reproducible results consistent with each other. The standard UV method, however, was found to be highly unpredictable in practice.
Human sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase catalyzes the first step in hydrogen sulfide metabolism and produces a sulfane sulfur metabolite.

Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQOR) is a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyzes the first step in the mitochondrial metabolism of H2S. Human SQOR is successfully expressed at low temperature in Esc...
On the quantization of gravity

Abstract We analyse the construction of quantum states for the case of gravity and matter using the solution of the 2-submanifold boundary value problem and “sum over paths” quantisation. This leads to a specification of such states in terms of a complete commuting set of operators. The “sum over topologies” definition is obtained only by a very ad hoc assumption which is made precise. The problem of the arbitrariness of the background metric discussed and resolved by analogy with QED.
Outcomes analysis of laparoscopic ventral hernia repair in transplant patients

Postoperative wound complications are minimized after laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) while maintaining low recurrence rates and acceptable morbidity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of LVHR in patients after organ transplantation in comparison to a large cohort of nontransplantation patients after LVHR. A retrospective, institutional review board (IRB)-approved review was performed on 347 patients who underwent LVHR between July 2000 and December 2007. LVHR was successfully completed in 38/38 transplantation patients (n = 21 liver, n = 5 cardiac, n = 8 kidney, n = 1 lung/kidney, n = 2 kidney/pancreas, n = 1 double lung) without conversion and in 301/309 (97.4%) nontransplant patients. Previous hernia repairs were attempted in 5/38 (13.2%) of the transplant patients and 108/309 (35.0%) of nontransplantation patients. Mean defect size was 256 cm2 (p < 0.00001) and mesh size 780 cm2 (p < 0.00001) in the transplantation patients, and 140 cm2 and 426 cm2 in nontransplantation patients, respectively. Mean operating time was similar between the two groups (216.9 min versus 184.0 min). Perioperative complication rate was similar between groups (34.2% versus 34.3%, p = 1.0). There were three (1.0%) mesh infections and two (0.6%) mortalities in the nontransplantation patients and one mesh infection and no mortalities in the transplantation group. At mean follow-up of 20.0 (range 1.1–41) months in the transplantation group and 5.0 (range 1–38) months in the nontransplantation group, the hernia recurrence rate was 7.9% and 2.9%, respectively (p = 0.1330). Perioperative complication and hernia recurrence rates in transplant patients after LVHR are comparable to nontransplant patients, although the transplantation patients had significantly larger hernias. LVHR should be considered to manage ventral incisional hernias post transplantation.
Comorbid Disease in Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury: Descriptive Findings Using the Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale

Abstract Holcomb EM, Millis SR, Hanks RA. Comorbid disease in persons with traumatic brain injury: descriptive findings using the Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale. Objective To provide descriptive findings regarding the overall health status and prevalence of medical comorbidities experienced by traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. Design Inception cohort design with cross-sectional follow-up at 1 to 15 years. Setting Rehabilitation hospital. Participants Adults (N=258) with moderate to severe TBI. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure The Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale is a 14-item rating scale used to indicate health status by rating impairment across 14 different domains. Results The TBI sample had lower rates of comorbidities compared with other rehabilitation populations, including stroke and orthopedic samples. The most commonly encountered medical conditions within our sample were eyes, ears, nose, and throat problems, psychiatric or behavioral disturbances, hypertension, and musculoskeletal injury at mild to moderate severity. Prevalence of conditions did not differ by sex, race, or cause of TBI. Conclusions The current TBI sample was relatively healthy with few medical comorbidities. Further, the Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale may better be used as a standardized checklist to assess for the presence of co-occurring conditions, given the near absence of conditions in the higher range of severity.
The antianxiety effect of beta-blockers on punished responding

Abstract Clinically effective anxiolytic drugs generally increase responding that is suppressed by punishment. Although beta-adrenergic antgonists have been reported to reduce anxiety in humans, such effects have not been reported reliably in animal punishment procedures. In the present study, three pigeons were trained to key peck under a multiple schedule. In the presence of a white light every thirtieth response produced grain. In the presence of a red light very thirtieth response produced grain and electric shock which suppressed responding to approximately 10 percent of that occurring in the alternate component. Propranolol (1.0–5.6 mg/kg) and, less reliably, atenolol significantly increased punished responding in a dose-related manner; propranolol effects were approximately twice as large as those of atenolol. Both drugs no more than weakly increased unpunished response rates at doses that increased punished responding. These results suggest that (1) beta-blockers have an antianxiety effect on punished behavior, and that (2) peripheral beta-blockade, the predominant action of beta-blockers regardless of whether they readily penetrate the brain, is likely to be involved in this effect.
Structure and properties of high energy, high rate consolidated molybdenum alloy TZM

Abstract Powders of molybdenum alloy TZM, prepared using the plasma rotating electrode process (PREP), were consolidated using high energy, high rate (HEHR) resistance sintering. The power source was a 10 MJ homopolar generator which provided power densities up to 9000 J g −1 over a duration less than 3 s. The effects of power density and electrode pressure were studied relative to product density. Inhomogeneity of densification was observed both axially and to a lesser degree radially. Tensile properties are equivalent to those of PREP powder hot isostatically pressed at 1600 °C. Fractographic examination revealed a transparticle, transgranular cleavage fracture mode. A detailed analysis was undertaken of second-phase precipitates formed during HEHR consolidation. Zirconia was present in starting powders and was unaffected by HEHR processing. Intragranular cubic TiC precipitated as stable 0.5 μm particles. Hexagonal Mo 2 C precipitated on grain boundaries and ranged in size between 0.3 and 1 μm.
A tribute to Sidney Loeb —The pioneer of reverse osmosis desalination research

The technical viability of RO desalination technology was demonstrated in the late 1950's by the pioneering work of Sidney Loeb and Srinivasa Sourirajan and a team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) led by Professors Joseph McCutchan and Samuel Yuster. Today Reverse osmosis (RO) membrane desalination is a mature process for the production of potable water from seawater and inland brackish water. RO membranes are also now widely used as part of the overall process for the treatment of wastewater for reclamation and reuse for irrigation, industrial, and groundwater recharge applications. RO desalination technology is used worldwide and has made it possible to develop new potable water sources in areas of the world where freshwater water sources are scarce.
Measuring ligand‐protein binding using NMR diffusion experiments

Characterization of ligand-protein interactions is important because many biologically important processes are mediated by the binding of a small molecule to an enzyme or cell-surface receptor. Pulsed-field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) spectroscopy measurements of diffusion coefficients permit noninvasive, quantitative analysis of binding over a broad range of dissociation constants and ligand:protein concentration ratios. An arsenal of specific and selective PFG-NMR methods has been developed by exploiting differential behaviors of small molecule ligands and macromolecular proteins. A discussion of several PFG-NMR methods and their relevant applications reveals the analytical value of using PFG-NMR diffusion measurements for studying ligand-protein binding. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 20A: 24–41, 2004.
Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in liquid metal flows: influence of cavitation and magnetic fields

The influence of magnetic fields and cavitation on the Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability in liquid mercury has been studied numerically in 2D geometry. Numerical results shed light on the evolution of the Muon Collider target proposed as a pulsed jet of mercury interacting with high intensity proton beams in a strong magnetic field. We have shown that a uniform longitudinal magnetic field significantly reduces amplitudes and velocities of surface instabilities and is able to stabilize the jet during period of time typical for the jet breakup at zero magnetic field. We have developed a simple homogeneous two-phase equation of state for modeling of liquids with cavitation bubbles and applied it to the study of the evolution of mercury due to the interaction with proton pulses.
EM-AODV: Metric Based Enhancement to AODV Routing Protocol

Needless to say the importance of mobile ad-hoc networks has been increasing everyday because of its infrastructure-less, decentralized nature. Performance of an ad-hoc network mainly depends upon factors like path selection algorithm, power conservation strategy, quality of service schemes, and security mechanisms. Path selection is one of the main areas where many researchers are trying to improve the performance of the ad-hoc networks by proposing different routing protocols. Many ad-hoc network routing protocols choose the number of hops (shortest path) as the metric for data transfer which may not lead to stable paths. Thus, these unstable routes are prone to degrade the network performance. In this paper, the authors propose a new metric which takes the stability of the routes into consideration. A metric based enhanced version of ad-hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol (AODV) called enhanced metric based ad-hoc on demand distance vector protocol (EM- AODV) is presented. This new metric characterizes the stability of the paths by taking primarily three parameters viz. 'affinity, 'available bandwidth' and 'battery level' into routing decisions. The EM-AODV protocol maintains multiple paths to the destination in order to achieve load sharing. The performance of EM-AODV is compared with AODV in terms of data packet delivery ratio, number of route requests, control overhead, average number of packet drops, average end to end delay and average energy consumption. The protocol is backed by the simulations in GlomoSim that show an overall reduction in number of packet drops, route discovery frequency, control overhead and an increase in the packet delivery ratio.
Work in progress - a research-based tool kit for communicating unique messages about engineering to first generation college students

The ultimate purpose of this work-in-progress is to contribute to increased recruitment and retention efforts for first generation college students studying engineering at the undergraduate level. This paper describes the first stages of a project which aims to translate the authors' research into a “tool kit” of practical outreach and recruitment materials (e.g., brochures, slides, web-based information) for use and adaptation by the engineering education community. With the completion of this work, outreach and recruitment staff, diversity program personnel, teaching faculty and administrators will be equipped with information and materials that will help them to recognize and address the distinct barriers first generation college students face in pursuing an engineering education. Research conducted at two institutions (a diverse urban, commuter university and a predominately White residential school in a rural area) guides the tool kit development.
On a model-robust training method for speech recognition

Training methods for designing better decoders are compared. The training problem is considered as a statistical parameter estimation problem. In particular, the conditional maximum likelihood estimate (CMLE), which estimates the parameter values that maximize the conditional probability of words given acoustics during training, is compared to the maximum-likelihood estimate, which is obtained by maximizing the joint probability of the words and acoustics. For minimizing the decoding error rate of the (optimal) maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoder, it is shown that the CMLE (or maximum mutual information estimate, MMIE) may be preferable when the model is incorrect. In this sense, the CMLE/MMIE appears more robust than the MLE. >
The histone fold domain of Cse4 is sufficient for CEN targeting and propagation of active centromeres in budding yeast.

Centromere-specific H3-like proteins (CenH3s) are conserved across the eukaryotic kingdom and are required for packaging centromere DNA into a specialized chromatin structure required for kinetochore assembly. Cse4 is the CenH3 protein of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Like all CenH3 proteins, Cse4 consists of a conserved histone fold domain (HFD) and a divergent N terminus (NT). The Cse4 NT contains an essential domain designated END (for essential N-terminal domain); deletion of END is lethal. To investigate the role of the Cse4 NT in centromere targeting, a series of deletion alleles (cse4ΔNT) were analyzed. No part of the Cse4 NT was required to target mutant proteins to centromere DNA in the presence of functional Cse4. A Cse4 degron strain was used to examine targeting of a Cse4ΔNT protein in the absence of wild-type Cse4. The END was not required for centromere targeting under these conditions, confirming that the HFD confers specificity of Cse4 centromere targeting. Surprisingly, overexpression of the HFD bypassed the requirement for the END altogether, and viable S. cerevisiae strains in which the cells express only the Cse4 HFD and six adjacent N-terminal amino acids (Cse4Δ129) were constructed. Despite the complete absence of the NT, mitotic chromosome loss in the cse4Δ129 strain increased only 6-fold compared to a 15-fold increase in strains overexpressing wild-type Cse4. Thus, when overexpressed, the Cse4 HFD is sufficient for centromere function in S. cerevisiae, and no posttranslational modification or interaction of the NT with other kinetochore component(s) is essential for accurate chromosome segregation in budding yeast.
Husbandry of the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus with special emphasis on the collection and rearing of embryos

Annual killifish development is unique compared to other teleosts and is characterized by the dispersion and subsequent reaggregation of pre-embryonic blastomeres and the occurrence of embryonic diapause. Austrofundulus limnaeus is an excellent species to use for studies of development and embryonic diapause in annual killifish. A. limnaeus has a high fecundity, reproduces readily in a laboratory environment, and has a relatively long laboratory life span compared to many other species of annual killifish. Methods are presented for rearing A. limnaeus in the laboratory with an emphasis on collecting and incubating large numbers of embryos for biochemical and physiological studies. Females produce an average of 29 eggs during a two to four hour spawning. Egg quality (% fertilization and survival) and egg production (eggs female-1) are affected by the number of days between spawning events. Percent fertilization of eggs and survival of embryos decreases as the interval between spawning increases from two to eight days. The number of fertile embryos produced per female remains relatively constant as a function of spawning interval. Fertilization rates may be maintained at high levels by replacing aged males (1.5 years old) with younger males. An embryo medium was formulated to mimic the natural waters inhabited by A. limnaeus. The developmental rate and survival of embryos in the embryo medium was essentially equivalent when compared to Yamamoto's fish saline solution.
Correlation between psychological stress levels and the severity of overactive bladder symptoms

The relationship between psychological stress and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) has been well described. Even though there is some overlapping of symptoms between overactive bladder (OAB) and IC/BPS, there have been very few studies that specifically investigated the relationship between psychological stress and urinary symptoms in OAB patients who do not have pelvic pain. Here we examined the relationship between psychological stress levels and the severity of overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms.
Effect of endurance exercise training on muscle glycogen supercompensation in rats

Nakatani, Akira, Dong-Ho Han, Polly A. Hansen, Lorraine A. Nolte, Helen H. Host, Robert C. Hickner, and John O. Holloszy.Effect of endurance exercise training on muscle glycogen supercompensation i...
Evaluation of a University‐Based Mentoring Program: Mentors’ Perspectives on a Service‐Learning Experience

Researchers in the educational field have investigated how a caring adult can best provide mentoring support to youth placed at risk and what functions a mentoring program should serve to promote healthy mentoring relationships. However, the perspective of mentors rarely has been sought to elicit their evaluation of a mentoring program or recommendations for programmatic change. The purpose of this article was to investigate the views of university students serving as mentors in high‐need high schools or community centers. We asked 49 students, primarily undergraduates across a range of liberal arts disciplines, who were participating in a university‐based service‐learning mentoring program for youth attending high‐poverty high schools: (a) what activities they engaged in with mentees, (b) how they benefited from the mentoring program, and (c) how they perceived the program and what recommendations they had for change. Findings revealed specific suggestions that mentoring program coordinators can adopt to...
Annotation of functional variation in personal genomes using RegulomeDB

As the sequencing of healthy and disease genomes becomes more commonplace, detailed annotation provides interpretation for individual variation responsible for normal and disease phenotypes. Current approaches focus on direct changes in protein coding genes, particularly nonsynonymous mutations that directly affect the gene product. However, most individual variation occurs outside of genes and, indeed, most markers generated from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify variants outside of coding segments. Identification of potential regulatory changes that perturb these sites will lead to a better localization of truly functional variants and interpretation of their effects. We have developed a novel approach and database, RegulomeDB, which guides interpretation of regulatory variants in the human genome. RegulomeDB includes high-throughput, experimental data sets from ENCODE and other sources, as well as computational predictions and manual annotations to identify putative regulatory potential and identify functional variants. These data sources are combined into a powerful tool that scores variants to help separate functional variants from a large pool and provides a small set of putative sites with testable hypotheses as to their function. We demonstrate the applicability of this tool to the annotation of noncoding variants from 69 full sequenced genomes as well as that of a personal genome, where thousands of functionally associated variants were identified. Moreover, we demonstrate a GWAS where the database is able to quickly identify the known associated functional variant and provide a hypothesis as to its function. Overall, we expect this approach and resource to be valuable for the annotation of human genome sequences.
The inflammasome in alcoholic hepatitis: Its relationship with Mallory-Denk body formation

Recent studies indicate that the inflammasome activation plays important roles in the pathogenesis of alcoholic hepatitis (AH). Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) is a key component of the macromolecular complex that is so called the inflammasome that triggers caspase 1-dependent maturation of the precursors of IL-1β and IL-18 cytokines. It is also known that the adaptor proteins including apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing CARD (ASC) and the mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) are necessary for NLRP3-dependent inflammasome function. Steatohepatitis frequently includes Mallory-Denk body (MDB) formation. In the case of alcoholic steatohepatitis, MDB formation occurs in 80% of biopsies (French 1981; French 1981). While previous studies have focused on in vitro cell lines and mouse models, we are the first group to investigate inflammasome activation in AH liver biopsy specimen and correlate it with MDB formation. Expression of NOD1, NLRP3, ASC, NAIP, MAVS, caspase 1, IL-1β, IL-18, and other inflammatory components including IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, STAT3, and p65 was measured in three to eight formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded AH specimens and control normal liver specimens by immunofluorescence staining and quantified by immunofluorescence intensity. The specimens were double stained with ubiquitin to demonstrate the relationship between inflammasome activation and MDB formation. MAVS, caspase1, IL-18, and TNF-α showed increases in expression in AH compared to the controls (p<0.05), and NAIP expression markedly increased in AH compared to the controls (p<0.01). There was a trend that levels of NLRP3, ASC, caspase1, IL-18, IL-10, and p65 expression correlated with the number of MDBs found in the same field of measurement (correlation coefficients were between 0.62 and 0.93, p<0.05). Our results demonstrate the activation of the inflammasome in AH and suggest that MDB could be an indicator of the extent of inflammasome activation.
Global Governance of Hazardous Chemicals: Challenges of Multilevel Management . By Henrik Selin

Global Governance of Hazardous Chemicals: Challenges of Multilevel Management. By Henrik Selin. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2010. 235p. 22.00 paper.In his book, Henrik Selin introduces readers to the complex and fragmented international regime governing the management of hazardous chemicals. He presents a compelling account of the environmental and human health threats posed by international trade and the transboundary movement of hazardous chemicals and waste, building a strong case for this problem as an appropriate target for international cooperation and governance. He then analyzes the development and contents of the chemicals regime, with particular emphasis on the way that linkages among issues and actors contribute to the design of chemicals management policy.
Restrictive loss of Plakoglobin in cardiomyocytes leads to Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inheritable myocardial disorder associated with fibrofatty replacement of myocardium and ventricular arrhythmia. A subset of ARVC is categorized as Naxos disease, which is characterized by ARVC and a cutaneous disorder. A homozygous loss-of-function mutation of the Plakoglobin (Jup) gene, which encodes a major component of the desmosome and the adherens junction, had been identified in Naxos patients, although the underlying mechanism remained elusive. We generated Jup mutant mice by ablating Jup in cardiomyocytes. Jup mutant mice largely recapitulated the clinical manifestation of human ARVC: ventricular dilation and aneurysm, cardiac fibrosis, cardiac dysfunction and spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. Ultra-structural analyses revealed that desmosomes were absent in Jup mutant myocardia, whereas adherens junctions and gap junctions were preserved. We found that ventricular arrhythmias were associated with progressive cardiomyopathy and fibrosis in Jup mutant hearts. Massive cell death contributed to the cardiomyocyte dropout in Jup mutant hearts. Despite the increase of β-catenin at adherens junctions in Jup mutant cardiomyoicytes, the Wnt/β-catenin-mediated signaling was not altered. Transforming growth factor-beta-mediated signaling was found significantly elevated in Jup mutant cardiomyocytes at the early stage of cardiomyopathy, suggesting an important pathogenic pathway for Jup-related ARVC. These findings have provided further insights for the pathogenesis of ARVC and potential therapeutic interventions.
Effects of age on color preference for black and white by infants and young children.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether age influenced preference for the colors black and white by infants and young children. The investigator administered a color-preference test to 1...
Preconceptional Obesity and Fetal Outcomes: Transdisciplinary Evidence for Obesity’s Effects on Fertility

Obesity impairs reproductive function on many levels, leading to higher rates of infertility, longer times to conception, and increased rates of pregnancy complications, and congenital anomalies. Although gestational obesity plays an important role, some of these outcomes may also stem from obesity’s effects on gametes. This chapter primarily summarizes the clinical evidence and experimental data that have suggested possible mechanisms to explain the effects of maternal obesity on oocyte quality and developmental competence. First, the chapter will explore the associations between oocyte quality and maternal insulin and glucose. Next, attention will turn to recent studies suggesting that lipotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and spindle misalignment also mediate the effects of maternal obesity on oocyte quality and developmental competence. Lastly, the chapter will present some new data suggesting that paternal obesity contributes to aberrant embryo development.
GROUND PROVING THREE SEISMIC REFRACTION TOMOGRAPHY PROGRAMS

During a recent ground-proving exercise at the shared University of North Florida and University of Florida karstic limestone geophysical and ground-proving test site in central Florida, the limestone bedrock surface was mapped along several survey lines with both intrusive and geophysical techniques. Analyses of the site investigation data revealed a highly erratic limestone bedrock surface, which is common in karst terrane. Analysis of seismic refraction data demonstrated that three commercially available refraction tomography software systems can reveal the undulating bedrock surface. However, the tomography data revealed marked differences in the compression wave velocities at the top of the bedrock surface at various locations along one of the survey lines. Compression wave velocities were highest within slots or valleys and lowest at the tops of blocks or pinnacles. This variability is attributed to the geologic history of the limestone, which includes how the limestone was formed and how the limestone weathered. Ground proving via cone penetration tests and geotechnical borings appears to corroborate this finding and demonstrates the importance of measuring multiple material parameters during site characterization activities in complex terranes.
Historical background: why is it important to improve automated particle selection methods?

Abstract A current trend in single-particle electron microscopy is to compute three-dimensional reconstructions with ever-increasing numbers of particles in the data sets. Since manual—or even semi-automated—selection of particles represents a major bottleneck when the data set exceeds several thousand particles, there is growing interest in developing automatic methods for selecting images of individual particles. Except in special cases, however, it has proven difficult to achieve the degree of efficiency and reliability that would make fully automated particle selection a useful tool. The simplest methods such as cross correlation (i.e., matched filtering) do not perform well enough to be used for fully automated particle selection. Geometric properties (area, perimeter-to-area ratio, etc.) and the integrated “mass” of candidate particles are additional factors that could improve automated particle selection if suitable methods of contouring particles could be developed. Another suggestion is that data be always collected as pairs of images, the first taken at low defocus (to capture information at the highest possible resolution) and the second at very high defocus (to improve the visibility of the particle). Finally, it is emphasized that well-annotated, open-access data sets need to be established in order to encourage the further development and validation of methods for automated particle selection.
Retinoid-regulated gene expression in normal and leukemic myeloid cells

Physiological concentrations of retinoic acid can induce acute alterations in the expression of the enzyme tissue transglutaminase in cultured macrophages. The induction of this enzyme offers a probe to study the mechanism of retinoid action in both normal and leukemic cells.
Role of Constitutive Androstane Receptor in Toll-Like Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Gene Expression of Hepatic Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes and Transporters

Impairment of drug disposition in the liver during inflammation has been attributed to downregulation of gene expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) and drug transporters. Inflammatory responses in the liver are primarily mediated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We have recently shown that activation of TLR2 or TLR4 by lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), respectively, leads to the downregulation of gene expression of DMEs/transporters. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this downregulation is not fully understood. The xenobiotic nuclear receptors, pregnane X receptor (PXR) and constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), regulate the expression of DMEs/transporter genes. Downregulation of DMEs/transporters by LTA or LPS was associated with reduced expression of PXR and CAR genes. To determine the role of CAR, we injected CAR+/+ and CAR−/− mice with LTA or LPS, which significantly downregulated (∼40%–60%) RNA levels of the DMEs, cytochrome P450 (Cyp)3a11, Cyp2a4, Cyp2b10, uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1a1, amine N-sulfotransferase, and the transporter, multidrug resistance-associated protein 2, in CAR+/+ mice. Suppression of most of these genes was attenuated in LTA-treated CAR−/− mice. In contrast, LPS-mediated downregulation of these genes was not attenuated in CAR−/− mice. Induction of these genes by mouse CAR activator 1,4-bis-[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene was sustained in LTA- but not in LPS-treated mice. Similar observations were obtained in humanized CAR mice. We have replicated these results in primary hepatocytes as well. Thus, LPS can downregulate DME/transporter genes in the absence of CAR, whereas the effect of LTA on these genes is attenuated in the absence of CAR, indicating the potential involvement of CAR in LTA-mediated downregulation of DME/transporter genes.
High-resolution structures of the M2 channel from influenza A virus reveal dynamic pathways for proton stabilization and transduction

The matrix 2 (M2) protein from influenza A virus is a proton channel that uses His37 as a selectivity filter. Here we report high-resolution (1.10 A) cryogenic crystallographic structures of the transmembrane domain of M2 at low and high pH. These structures reveal that waters within the pore form hydrogen-bonded networks or “water wires” spanning 17 A from the channel entrance to His37. Pore-lining carbonyl groups are well situated to stabilize hydronium via second-shell interactions involving bridging water molecules. In addition, room temperature crystallographic structures indicate that water becomes increasingly fluid with increasing temperature and decreasing pH, despite the higher electrostatic field. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations reveal a collective switch of hydrogen bond orientations that can contribute to the directionality of proton flux as His37 is dynamically protonated and deprotonated in the conduction cycle.
Improving Reliability of Abstracted Prehospital Care Data: Use of Decision Rules

Our experience suggests that even with standard definitions, information on ambulance report forms may be abstracted inconsistently. Hypothesis: The use of written decision rules will improve agreement between paramedics abstracting data from records of prehospital cardiac arrest. Methods: Sixty-three ambulance reports were selected by a random sample of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Four paramedic abstractors each were given a set of definitions for use in abstracting data and one pair, randomly assigned, also was given a set of decision rules. Abstractors recorded whether there was: (1) underlying cardiovascular disease; (2) a witnessed arrest; (3) bystander CPR; and (4) the presenting rhythm. Agreement between pairs of abstractors was determined by computing kappa values. Results: Kappa values for each variable, for abstractors without and with decision rules were: (1) 0.23, 0.33; (2) 0.39, 0.41; (3) 0.43, 0.66; and (4) 0.65, 0.80. Kappa values consistently were higher for the pair of abstractors using decision rules. The degree of improvement varied with the difficulty of the decision required. Conclusion: The addition of decision rules to variable definitions is worthwhile but does not ensure good or excellent levels of agreement in data abstracted from records by paramedics.
Do women advance equity? The effect of gender leadership composition on LGBT-friendly policies in American firms

We advance the literature on the demographic factors that shape organizational outcomes by analyzing the impact of the gender composition of firm leadership on the likelihood that a firm will adopt lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)-friendly policies. Drawing on social role and token theory, we test the relative impact of CEO gender and the gender composition of the board of directors separately and together in order to identify the effects of gender diversity at the top of the organization. We rely on a unique data set that includes corporate policies (gender identity and sexual orientation non-discrimination policies, domestic-partner benefits, and overall corporate equality index scores) as well as the gender of the CEO and board of directors among Fortune 500 firms over a 10-year period. Our findings suggest that firms with gender-diverse boards are more likely than other firms to offer LGBT-friendly policies, whereas findings for firms with women CEOs offer mixed results.
Enhanced Rate of Radiative Decay in CdSe Quantum Dots upon Adsorption of an Exciton-Delocalizing Ligand

This paper describes the enhancement of the quantum yield of photoluminescence (PL) of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) upon the adsorption of an exciton-delocalizing ligand, phenyldithiocarbamate. Increasing the apparent excitonic radius by only 10% increases the value of the radiative rate constant by a factor of 1.8 and the PL quantum yield by a factor of 2.4. Ligand exchange therefore simultaneously perturbs the confinement energy of charge carriers and enhances the probability of band-edge transitions.
Rate of glycogenesis in the liver of the rat after parenteral administration of glucose, fructose and invert sugar.

SummaryRate of glycogenosis in the liver of the rat after intraperitoneal injection of sugar solution was found to be highest after fructose, lowest after glucose, and intermediate between fructose and glucose after invert sugar. During the first 3 hours after injection the rate of glycogen formation was approximately twice as fast after fructose as after glucose, a finding that explains, in part, the more rapid disappearance from the blood of fructose than glucose after parenteral administration.
Eradication, control or neither? Hookworm vs malaria strategies and Rockefeller Public Health in Mexico.

Malaria's epidemiological importance in Mexico greatly exceeded that of hookworm, but the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) paid far more attention to hookworm. Although the RF collaborated with malaria campaigns around the world, malaria was only incidental to the RF's activities in Mexico. The hookworm campaign, on the other hand, involved the RF at every stage, from conceptualization and design to financing, hiring, and day-to-day administration. This paper seeks to understand why the RF's involvement in Mexico differed for the two diseases and what the organizational, political, and health implications were for these divergent approaches. Beginning in the mid 1920s the Mexican government developed a modest anti-larval service, periodically draining and filling ditches and swamps, dusting Paris green, petrolizing stagnant water, and administering quinine. Following the RF's 1927 shift towards scientific investigation, it began to sponsor small-scale malaria research, collecting climatological, entomological, epidemiological, and clinical information. The Mexican government eagerly petitioned the RF to join a national effort, but it was reluctant to become involved. A National Malaria Campaign was established in 1935 under President Lazaro Cardenas to coordinate education, sanitary engineering, and treatment. The popular Campaign followed RF strategies even without its direct participation. Meanwhile, the RF avidly pursued modest malaria research in Mexico, funding U.S. investigators to conduct experiments on pesticides, mosquito-trapping, and controversially, watering methods for rice. These efforts culminated in the world's first field trial of DDT against louse-borne typhus and later as a residual spray for malaria. In the end the RF used Mexico as a convenient locale for scientific research that had global implications but only an incidental relationship to Mexico's own Malaria Campaign. Likewise, the RF's much more active hookworm program was more a means than an end, leading not to eradication of the disease, but to Mexico's commitment to modern public health organization and methods.
Materials Challenges of AlGaN-Based UV Optoelectronic Devices

Abstract Over the past 15 years, tremendous progress has been made in AlGaN-based optoelectronic devices, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs) in the deep UV (DUV) region of the spectrum. However, performance levels are still lagging those of InGaN light emitters in the visible region due to outstanding materials challenges of the wider band gap AlGaN alloys. In this review, we focus on two of the most significant materials roadblocks to higher-performing AlGaN devices: doping and substrates. For each topic, we present the state of the art as well as exploratory concepts for enabling future device advances. On the topic of p-type doping, we describe the concomitant challenges of large acceptor activation energy, dopant solubility, and compensating defects and describe growth optimization approaches to mitigate those issues. We further present polarization engineering approaches to enhance p-type doping, including Mg-doped superlattices, distributed polarization doping, and tunnel-junction-enabled LEDs. Limitations to n-type doping for high-Al-composition AlGaN alloys are also reviewed along with insights into the origins these doping challenges. On the topic of substrates, we report the challenges of heteroepitaxy on lattice-mismatched substrates, describe the impact of high dislocation densities on AlGaN emitters, and overview strategies for dislocation reduction. State-of-the-art UV LD performance, enabled by these defect reduction strategies, is also presented. Limitations due to electrically insulating substrates are described as well as promising approaches to achieving vertical-injection UV light emitters. Overall, common themes of employing material and device structures at the micro/nanoscale and leveraging the polarization properties of nitride heterostructures reveal approaches for realizing next-generation UV light emitters.
The Psychological Foundations of Supervisor–Subordinate Information Asymmetry:

Information asymmetry in an employment relationship is much researched in the organization studies literature because of its consequences for employment contracts, compensation, and rent appropriat...
MMTV-PyMT and Derived Met-1 Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells as Models for Studying the Role of the Androgen Receptor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a faster rate of metastasis compared to other breast cancer subtypes, and no effective targeted therapies are currently FDA-approved. Recent data indicate that the androgen receptor (AR) promotes tumor survival and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in TNBC. Studies of AR in disease progression and the systemic effects of anti-androgens have been hindered by the lack of an AR-positive (AR+) immunocompetent preclinical model. In this study, we identified the transgenic MMTV-PyMT (mouse mammary tumor virus-polyoma middle tumor-antigen) mouse mammary gland carcinoma model of breast cancer and Met-1 cells derived from this model as tools to study the role of AR in breast cancer progression. AR protein expression was examined in late-stage primary tumors and lung metastases from MMTV-PyMT mice as well as in Met-1 cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Sensitivity of Met-1 cells to the AR agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and anti-androgen therapy was examined using cell viability, migration/invasion, and anchorage-independent growth assays. Late-stage primary tumors and lung metastases from MMTV-PyMT mice and Met-1 cells expressed abundant nuclear AR protein, while negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors. Met-1 sensitivity to DHT and AR antagonists demonstrated a reliance on AR for survival, and AR antagonists inhibited invasion and anchorage-independent growth. These data suggest that the MMTV-PyMT model and Met-1 cells may serve as valuable tools for mechanistic studies of the role of AR in disease progression and how anti-androgens affect the tumor microenvironment.
Inhibiting translesion DNA synthesis as an approach to combat drug resistance to DNA damaging agents

// Jung-Suk Choi 1 , Seol Kim 2 , Edward Motea 3 and Anthony Berdis 1, 2, 4, 5 1 Department of Chemistry, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA 2 Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA 3 Departments of Radiation Oncology and Pharmacology, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA 4 Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA 5 Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA Correspondence to: Anthony Berdis, email: a.berdis@csuohio.edu Keywords: DNA damage, DNA polymerization, chemotherapy, nucleoside analogs, leukemia Received: February 24, 2017 Accepted: April 11, 2017 Published: April 19, 2017 ABSTRACT Anti-cancer agents exert therapeutic effects by damaging DNA. Unfortunately, DNA polymerases can effectively replicate the formed DNA lesions to cause drug resistance and create more aggressive cancers. To understand this process at the cellular level, we developed an artificial nucleoside that visualizes the replication of damaged DNA to identify cells that acquire drug resistance through this mechanism. Visualization is achieved using "click" chemistry to covalently attach azide-containing fluorophores to the ethynyl group present on the nucleoside analog after its incorporation opposite damaged DNA. Flow cytometry and microscopy techniques demonstrate that the extent of nucleotide incorporation into genomic DNA is enhanced by treatment with DNA damaging agents. In addition, this nucleoside analog inhibits translesion DNA synthesis and synergizes the therapeutic activity of certain anti-cancer agents such as temozolomide. The combined diagnostic and therapeutic activities of this synthetic nucleoside analog represent a new paradigm in personalized medicine.
Complete chloroplast genome sequencing of vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) identifies markers that distinguish the non-fertile ‘Sunshine’ cultivar from other accessions

Abstract Non-fertile accessions of vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty) have been utilized in many parts of the world for environmental remediation and erosion control, but fertile plants can become noxious weeds. Due to the global interest in the environmental benefits of sterile vetiver, unique polymorphisms are needed to distinguish non-fertile from fertile plants. In this research, the chloroplast (cp) genomes of three non-fertile and two fertile vetivers were sequenced. The size, structure, and content of the vetiver cp genomes were typical of other grasses within the Andropogoneae. However, the total cp polymorphism rate of 0.02% was 5- to 7-fold lower, suggesting a recent divergence or slower rate of evolution in non-fertile and fertile vetivers relative to other grasses. In total, 28 polymorphisms––including 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 11 microsatellites, two small indels, and one microinversion––were identified that distinguished the sterile Sunshine from fertile accessions. In a broader survey of Poaceae cp genomes, one of the SNPs was used to develop a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) assay to uniquely identify Sunshine genomes. In a panel of 26 fertile and sterile vetivers, the four Sunshine and six additional non-fertile vetivers were distinguished from all other accessions. Two other sterile accessions were not detected by the assay, suggesting that sterility has originated more than once in vetiver. These variations in cp genome sequence can be used to assess sterility in other accessions through sequencing or by the newly developed CAPS assay.