cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive analysis of precursor microRNA cleavage by human Dicer

Dicer cleaves double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) or precursor microRNAs (pre-miRNAs) to yield ≈ 22-nt RNA duplexes. The pre-miRNA structure requirement for human Dicer activity is incompletely understood. By large-scale in vitro dicing assays and mutagenesis studies, we showed that human Dicer cleaves most, although not all, of the 161 tested human pre-miRNAs efficiently. The stable association of RNAs with Dicer, as examined by gel shift assays, appears important but is not sufficient for cleavage. Human Dicer tolerates remarkable structural variation in its pre-miRNA substrates, although the dsRNA feature in the stem region and the 2-nt 3'-overhang structure in a pre-miRNA contribute to its binding and cleavage by Dicer, and a large terminal loop further enhances pre-miRNA cleavage. Dicer binding protects the terminal loop from digestion by S1 nuclease, suggesting that Dicer interacts directly with the terminal loop region.
Dance as L'intervention: Health and Aesthetics of Experience in French Contemporary Dance

This article investigates the ways in which discourses and experiences of health and healing have shaped the development of contemporary dance in France. It confronts the problem of how to situate contemporary dance in relation to other dance genres and suggests Robert Desjarlais’ concept of the ‘aesthetic of experience’ as a helpful framework for understanding the ways in which technique and virtuosity operate differently in contemporary dance than in other dance forms. The article is ethnographic and historical and attempts to create a dialogue between dance studies and medical anthropology. The ethnographic and historical material has three parts. First, I offer an analysis of the cultural idiom of illness as blocageand argue that contemporary dancers in Aix-en-Provence experience their work as a form of healing or dEblocage. Next, I show how two historical and political events in France led to the promotion of dance as a means of social reform: (1) the Situationist art movement of the 1960s and its id...
A pastoral evaluation of menopause in the African context

Menopause, with its physical and emotional changes, appears to be an inevitable road for women to travel. The moment of choice for women at menopause involves not only whether they will embrace the new self or try to cling to identities from earlier life but also how the society in which they live views women after menopause. Amongst other things, many African marriages face difficulties when the moment of menopause arrives. This situation is often characterised by a second marriage or a situation where husband and wife no longer share a room. Whenever this happens, it testifies to the idea that the sole purpose of marriage amongst African people is procreation – hence, when the period for that is passed, the bedroom setup changes. This is one of the ways in which senior women are deemed unfit for sexual encounters, a gender-equality concern. This article aims to unveil and discuss how some Africans use menopause as an excuse to exclude women from sexual intercourse, and how pastoral caregivers can help in such situations.
REPRESENTING WITHIN-SESSION RESPONSE RATES PROPORTIONALLY AND ENTIRELY

In this technical article, methods for collecting and representing response rates maintained by schedules of reinforcement are presented. First, the time in a session that each important event (e.g., responses, reinforcers) occurs is collected and stored by a computer. Another computer program is used, then, to convert each response to a percentage of the total responses in a session and to plot these percentages cumulatively as a function of the time in the session that they occurred. In this manner, response rates may be expressed proportionally (i.e., using the same y-axis scale regardless of absolute response rate) without requiring the arbitrary selection of an interval over which responses are aggregated and expressed relative to the entire-session rate. A property of these records is that deviations in the slope of the obtained record from the diagonal, which connects (x, y) = (start of session, 0%) to (x, y) = (end of session, 100%), occurring at any point and for any duration, represent changes in the local response rate from the entire-session rate. This method of representing ongoing responding is illustrated by several records of key pecking of a pigeon on a variable-interval 60-s schedule of food reinforcement. Relative local response rates were also computed from these data at several levels of resolution (i.e., the time over which responses were aggregated), including the level typically employed by those interested in within-session changes in response rates.
Multitasking in an eye: the unusual organization of the Thermonectus marmoratus principal larval eyes allows for far and near vision and might aid in depth perception

Very few visual systems diverge fundamentally from the basic plans of well-studied animal eyes. However, investigating those that do can provide novel insights into visual system function. A particularly unusual system exists in the principal larval eyes of a visually guided aquatic predator, the sunburst diving beetle, Thermonectus marmoratus (Coleoptera: Dystiscidae). These eyes are characterized by complex layered distal and proximal retinas. We previously reported that their principal eye E2 has a bifocal lens, and previous behavioral experiments suggested that these larvae have a unilateral range-finding mechanism that may involve their bizarre eye organization. In the present study, we expanded our optical measurements and found that: (1) E1 also has a bifocal lens, (2) E1 is best suited for far vision while E2 is best suited for near vision and (3) throughout their typical hunting range, the positions of focused images shift across specific retinal layers. This anatomical and optical organization in principle could support unilateral range finding. Taken together, our findings outline an unusual visual mechanism that is likely to be essential for the extraordinary hunting ability of these larvae.
Observations of soft electron flux during SAR arc event

Abstract Attempts to test the validity of the soft electron flux hypothesis for the excitation of SAR arcs have heretofore met with no apparent success. However, observations of other emissions during the times of some SAR arcs repeatedly favour the presence of the soft electron flux in the topside ionosphere. Although no new cases of coincident measurements of SAR arc intensities and the corresponding soft electron flux values are available, an instance has been analyzed in which an SAR arc was examined shortly after an OGO 6 measurement of the soft electron flux. The SAR arc observations were then interrupted by the weather, but in view of the behaviour of the electron flux during the arc development it is believed that this event lends strong observational support to the hypothesis that soft electrons can be an excitation source for SAR arcs. In the case considered, the precipitation of soft electron flux peaks at about the same location and time of occurrence as the SAR arc. The peak value is found to be 5.2 × 108 cm−2 sec−1, which is more than adequate to excite the observed arc.
Recycling of plastic bottles for use as a lightweight geotechnical material

Purpose – Geotechnical fills are used for building roadway embankments, filling in behind retaining walls, and as backfill above buried pipelines. Lightweight fill reduces the load so structures can be built more economically. A new lightweight geo‐material made from recycled plastic bottles glued together in their original post‐consumer form was developed. The purpose of this work is to explore the use of this new material as a lightweight geotechnical fill.Design/methodology/approach – Through a preliminary laboratory and field study, aspects of the physical and mechanical characteristics of the recycled plastic bottle blocks were investigated. This new material is currently undergoing field trials behind a retaining wall on a bicycle path.Findings – It was found that the average density of this new material is very low, at 32.63 kg/m3 (2.04 lb/ft3), with 59.5 percent of a block made up of recycled plastic bottles. The plastic bottle waste stream obtained from a recycling plant is gap‐graded having appr...
Synucleins in synaptic plasticity and neurodegenerative disorders.

Synucleins are small highly conserved proteins in vertebrates, especially abundant in neurons and typically enriched at presynaptic terminals. Three genes in humans produce closely related synuclein proteins, all of which share a large amphipathic domain capable of reversible binding to lipid vesicles. Alpha synuclein has been specifically implicated in neurodegenerative disease. Two point mutations are genetically linked to familial Parkinson's disease, and alpha synuclein appears to form the major fibrillary component of Lewy bodies. Alpha synuclein also contributes to the intracellular inclusions of multiple system atrophy, and a fragment has been found in senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease. Although their normal cellular functions are unknown, several observations suggest the synucleins may serve to integrate presynaptic signaling and membrane trafficking. Alpha synuclein has been identified as a potent and selective inhibitor of phospholipase D2, which produces phosphatidic acid (to which synuclein binds) and is believed to function in the partitioning of membranes between the cell surface and intracellular stores. We outline a hypothesis whereby synuclein supports localized, experience-dependent turnover of synaptic membranes. Such a process may be important for lifelong learning and memory functions and may be especially vulnerable to disruption in aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases.
Vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes with post-growth wavelength adjustment

A novel vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser design enables the post-growth determination of the emission wavelength. The lasers employ a hybrid top mirror consisting of a semiconductor Bragg mirror and a metal reflector. The laser cavity length of each element in a 2-D array can be precisely adjusted after epitaxial growth by anodic oxidation and etching. An emission wavelength range of 25 nm is experimentally observed. Lasers operate under continuous wave conditions with threshold currents of about 6 mA and output powers up to 0.5 mW. >
Effects of Item Grouping on Selection Efficiency

The effects of grouping items into categories were assessed for three methods of selection: 1) selecting a toolbar item with a mouse (Toolbar method); 2) selecting a menu item with a mouse (Menu method); and 3) selecting a menu item with a keyboard shortcut (Keyboard method). Users performed one of the three methods across 270 trials and had their speeds assessed in blocks of 30 trials. For each method, half the users selected items from a single menu or toolbar while the other half selected items from two menus or toolbars. Overall, the Keyboard method was the fastest, followed by the Toolbar method. When two menus or toolbars were used, users reported making category decisions regardless of the method used. With the Menu method, category decisions did not slow performance because they were offset by faster item selection due to fewer items in each menu when two menus were used. With the Toolbar method, the effect of fewer items in each toolbar when two toolbars were used was less pronounced. With the Ke...
Does loose AI-DBMS coupling stand a chance?

The concept of loose coupling of artificial intelligence systems and database systems is defined. The issues that arise in determining the scope of loose integration are identified. A cache-based architecture being implemented in a knowledge management system project is described. The objective is to develop an interface that is useful for generalized database access from an expert system. >
Finding low-utility data structures

Many opportunities for easy, big-win, program optimizations are missed by compilers. This is especially true in highly layered Java applications. Often at the heart of these missed optimization opportunities lie computations that, with great expense, produce data values that have little impact on the program's final output. Constructing a new date formatter to format every date, or populating a large set full of expensively constructed structures only to check its size: these involve costs that are out of line with the benefits gained. This disparity between the formation costs and accrued benefits of data structures is at the heart of much runtime bloat.We introduce a run-time analysis to discover these low-utility data structures. The analysis employs dynamic thin slicing, which naturally associates costs with value flows rather than raw data flows. It constructs a model of the incremental, hop-to-hop, costs and benefits of each data structure. The analysis then identifies suspicious structures based on imbalances of its incremental costs and benefits. To decrease the memory requirements of slicing, we introduce abstract dynamic thin slicing, which performs thin slicing over bounded abstract domains. We have modified the IBM J9 commercial JVM to implement this approach.We demonstrate two client analyses: one that finds objects that are expensive to construct but are not necessary for the forward execution, and second that pinpoints ultimately-dead values. We have successfully applied them to large-scale and long-running Java applications. We show that these analyses are effective at detecting operations that have unbalanced costs and benefits.
Consent, Validity and Choice of Forum Agreements in International Contracts

The doctrine of separability in international contracts often leads to requests for a court or arbitral tribunal to consider challenges to both the existence and validity of a choice of forum clause prior to hearing party positions on the existence and validity of the remainder of the contract. What is not always clear, however, is what law governs the consideration of choice of forum issues. This inquiry contains at least two important parts: whose law is to govern the determination, and which law (general contract law, procedural law, law on dispute resolution, etc.) is to be applied. This chapter considers the provisions of each the New York Arbitration Convention, the Brussels I Regulation, and the 2005 Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements that are applicable to the questions of consent to and validity of choice of forum agreements. Each has different language, without clear distinction to why the language differences exist. The doctrines of separability and competence-competence usually are involved in the determination of what law governs the existence and validity of choice of forum agreements. The existence of a choice of forum agreement and its validity are distinctly different questions, and require consideration beyond the law of jurisdiction or arbitration in order insure that a party to a dispute is not subjected to a forum that would not otherwise have jurisdiction over that party and to whose jurisdiction that party has not consented.
Inferring Identity From Language: Linguistic Intergroup Bias Informs Social Categorization

The present research examined whether a communicator's verbal, implicit message regarding a target is used as a cue for inferring that communicator's social identity. Previous research has found linguistic intergroup bias (LIB) in individuals' speech: They use abstract language to describe in-group targets' desirable behaviors and concrete language to describe their undesirable behaviors (favorable LIB), but use concrete language for out-group targets' desirable behaviors and abstract language for their undesirable behaviors (unfavorable LIB). Consequently, one can infer the type of language a communicator is likely to use to describe in-group and out-group targets. We hypothesized and found evidence for the reverse inference. Across four studies, individuals inferred a communicator's social identity on the basis of the communicator's use of an LIB. Specifically, participants more strongly believed that a communicator and target shared a social identity when the communicator used the favorable, rather than the unfavorable, LIB in describing that target.
Potential for the Use of Germinated Wheat and Soybeans to Enhance Human Nutrition

Wheat and soybeans are the major agricultural exports of the United States. The U.S. sells more of each crop than any other nation. Soybeans are the main staple in China, but the U.S. sells more soybeans than China grows. For hundreds of millions of other people, wheat is the main staple. And yet, most Americans eat whole grains of neither wheat nor soybeans. In the United States, many nutrients of wheat and soybeans are lost in processing or are fed to animals. A highly significant share of the wheat nutrients are lost from the main foodstream when the germ and bran (with aleurone) portions are separated. Whole soybeans are carefully processed for food by only a handful of Americans.
Real-time 3D model acquisition

The digitization of the 3D shape of real objects is a rapidly expanding field, with applications in entertainment, design, and archaeology. We propose a new 3D model acquisition system that permits the user to rotate an object by hand and see a continuously-updated model as the object is scanned. This tight feedback loop allows the user to find and fill holes in the model in real time, and determine when the object has been completely covered. Our system is based on a 60 Hz. structured-light rangefinder, a real-time variant of ICP (iterative closest points) for alignment, and point-based merging and rendering algorithms. We demonstrate the ability of our prototype to scan objects faster and with greater ease than conventional model acquisition pipelines.
Effect of Storage Temperature and Sample Volume on Brucella melitensis Isolation from Goat Milk

Aim: To determine the impact of storage temperature and sample volume on milk culture success under a simulated field setting. Study Design: Prospective cohort study.
Parturition in Aplodontia

During a study of the mountain beaver ( Aplodontia rufa ) in Humboldt County, California, the writers were able to observe the process of parturition and to obtain information on early stages of post-natal development. In February and March, 1954, several mountain beaver were trapped along the bank of the Mad River near Arcata. Number “0” jump traps, padded with sponge rubber, were used to trap the animals alive and in good condition. On March 15, 1954, a female (Pl. I) was caught by the right rear leg. Palpation, at the time of capture, indicated she was about one week prepartum. Determination of the prepartum period was made by the comparison of fetuses of rodents of comparable size. Top: Captive female Aplodontia before birth of young. Bottom: Young Aplodontia four days after birth. Toe-clipped on left forefoot. The animal was placed in a 36 × 48 × 15 inches high wire mesh cage. A nest box with a hinged top was attached to the cage so that the animal could be observed in the cage or nest box. The cage was placed in a room in the science building at Humboldt State College. All observations were conducted in diffused light to preclude undue agitation of the animal. The animal was checked every few hours for indications of birth activity. On March 19, she was observed to …
Graph Theory and the Game of Sprouts

(1993). Graph Theory and the Game of Sprouts. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 100, No. 5, pp. 478-482.
Quantitative Structure–Property Relationship Predictions of Critical Properties and Acentric Factors for Pure Compounds

Knowledge of critical constants and phase boundary pressure properties is essential to understanding thermodynamic behavior of substances and is often required in practical process design applications. Where critically evaluated data are unavailable, a quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) regression method can be used to relate molecular properties (descriptors) to properties of interest. The relationship is trained and tested using existing critically evaluated data and is dynamic; as new data become available, the relationship can be updated to reflect changes. In this work, we use support vector regression (SVR) to develop estimation methods for critical properties and acentric factors based on critically evaluated data for over 900 pure compounds. From three-dimensional geometry and connectivity information, we calculate over 500 descriptors for each compound. A matrix of descriptor values defines the input vectors for SVR, whereas critically evaluated data for critical temperature, the...
LIGULA LENGTH AND COURTSHIP IN OCTOPUS DIGUETI: A POTENTIAL MECHANISM OF MATE CHOICE.

i Present address: Department of Zoology, Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605 USA. survive (Halliday, 1983). Octopuses appear to possess such a mating system (Wells and Wells, 1977); octopuses are not territorial in nature, and male octopuses are not known to actively compete for, or to guard mates. Thus female octopuses are predicted to choose mature males as mates although the mechanisms by which females might assess male maturity are unknown. The comparatively few observations of copulation
Significant features of thematic research collections

In order to support innovative scholarship, digital library development must be informed by an understanding of new modes of scholarly production. This paper considers an emergent genre of scholarly publication in the humanities: the digital thematic research collection. While thematic research collections have grown in number and academic significance over the past decade, and this is reflected in the literature on scholarly practice, we do not have a definitive grasp on this exciting phenomenon. What significant features distinguish thematic research collections as a mode of scholarly production? This paper describes a pilot study conducted as part of a project investigating the significant features of thematic research collections. A stronger understanding of thematic research collections will contribute to evolving scholarly evaluation processes for tenure and promotion and the advancement of digital libraries to support new modes of research.
Epidemiological characteristics and prevalent trend of syphilis in Wuhu ciyt

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of syphilis in Wuhu from 2006 to 2010,predict its prevalent trends in 2011 and 2012,and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of syphilis.Methods Epidemiological analysis was used to analyze the data of syphilis reported in Wuhu during 2006-2010.Regression equation with the exponential curve was applied to predict trends in the syphilis epidemic.Results During 2006-2010,a total of 4921 cases of syphilis were reported in Wuhu,of which 2 377 were males and 2 544 were females.There was significant gender difference in annual incidence rates(χ2=17.20,P0.01).Most of the cases belonged to the 20-49 age group.The prediction model(X=e3.522+0.136x) had good fitting degree.The incidence of syphilis in Wuhu were 66.82/10000 and 76.55/10000 in 2011 and 2012,according to the regression equation.Conclusion sThe prediction model established by regression equation with the exponential curve had a high value of practical application.
The Catalyzer Synthesise and Characterization of Oxiranemethane Sulfonic acid Sodium Salt

The paper takes wreath epoxy chloropropane,bisulfite sodium as raw material,the adopting two methods to synthesize 2,3-oxiranemethane sulfonic acid sodium salt;the investigated catalyst,melting agent and respond the influence of the temperature upon the reaction.Pass a condition and is hand over an experiment is the best to respond a condition for:Respond temperature 55 ℃,he sodium phosphate and sodium 3-chloro-2-hydroxy propane sulfate is 1:1(the mol compare),the each 0.1 mol responds a thing to add a 50 mL water.Under the best reaction condition,the outcome accepts a rate to attain 85% above.
Clinical Approaches to Migraine Prophylaxis

Chronic migraine is a recognized complication of episodic migraine. A high frequency of attacks and frequent use of abortive medications are important risk factors associated with conversion to a chronic condition. Prophylaxis is therefore recommended for patients with frequent episodic migraine. The agents approved for migraine prophylaxis are the anti-epileptic agents divalproex and topiramate, and the beta-adrenergic antagonists propranolol and timolol. However, a wide range of other systemic agents and local injections of botulinum toxin have also been used in migraine prophylaxis. The anticipated benefits must be weighed against the adverse effects associated with each agent in determining the optimal preventive regimen for individual patients.
Comparison of biochemical effects produced by calcium ions and by monomers of polyacrylamide (acrylamide and bisacrylamide) on strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae used for production of chiral synthons.

The biochemical behaviour of four commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was studied in the presence of calcium ions, acrylamide and bisacrylamide. Calcium ions at a concentration of 300 µM induced an increase of NAD(P)+ reduction in commercial Turkish and American strains, while in Chilean and Brazilian commercial strains, it diminished NAD(P)+ reduction. On the other hand, polyacrylamide monomers (acrylamide and bisacrylamide) induced a decrease of NAD(P)+ reduction in all strains studied in this paper. When membrane potential (ΔΨ) and oxygen consumption were measured in the presence of polyacrylamide monomers, a decrease of both was observed in all strains studied.
Biomarkers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Clinical applications and prognostic markers

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a heterogeneous disease with a variable clinical course. The Rai and Binet staging systems are often used to predict survival. However, they do not take into account other biological characteristics of CLL cells that may influence the disease course and response to treatment. Prognostic factors such as chromosome abnormalities (trisomy 12, 11q deletions and 17p deletions), β2 microglobulin, thymidine kinase, CD38 and ZAP-70 expression, IGHV mutation status, and mutations in genes such as NOTCH1, MYD88, SF3B1, and ATM are also predictors of prognosis. These biological markers have enabled the development of multiparameter risk models to predict overall survival. In addition, these models are useful for treatment decisions, as they can identify patients that could be treated with clinical trials vs. standard of care therapies. This chapter will review the most important prognostic markers that have been described in CLL and their application in clinical practice.
Mid-infrared and Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers: from quantum design to commercialization

Summary form only given. The unipolar nature of quantum cascade lasers (QCL) combined with the capabilities of bandstructure engineering leads to unprecedented design flexibility and functionality compared to other lasers. State-of-the-art performance in the mid-IR and terahertz will be reviewed. A broad range of applications (chembio sensing, trace gas analysis, atmospheric chemistry, medical and combustion diagnostics, THz imaging, etc.) and their ongoing commercial development will be discussed. Finally I will also discuss recent exciting developments such as new light-sources that uses the giant resonant nonlinear susceptibilities of quantum engineered structures to achieve high conversion efficiency at satellite wavelengths, ultrabrodband lasers, photonic crystal and optofluidic QCLs.
Short-channel vertical NMOSFETs for high density fast SRAMs

Vertical NMOSFETs with /spl sim/0.3 /spl mu/m channel lengths and 105 /spl Aring/ gate oxide providing current drives of 445 (/spl mu/A/spl mu/m) for V/sub G/=4, V/sub D/=3.3 V, with well controlled short channel (DIBL=44 mV/V) and sub-threshold behavior (slope=88 mV/dec.) have been fabricated. Gate oxide integrity, the effect of arsenic and antimony as buried layer dopants and the symmetry of operation are discussed. >
Effects of Hospital Exemption from the Prospective Payment System

In this chapter, we focus on the decision of hospitals with psychiatric units to seek exemption for their units. We compare hospitals that became exempt from PPS to those that did not. We look for possible reasons for the decision to choose exemption and its eventual effects. In order to look at effects of choosing to become exempt, it was necessary to arrive at a means for comparing the exempt or nonexempt hospitals from the 1985 data to similar hospitals in the 1980 data when exemption was not an issue. Confidentiality keeps us from identifying hospitals in the 1980 survey that subsequently became exempt. Therefore we developed a technique to identify hospitals in 1980 similar to those ultimately becoming exempt by 1985. Because exemption is a hospital-level decision, all analyses were performed with the hospital as the unit of analysis.
An unusual presentation of a rare disease: posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome following abdominal sepsis

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is an unusual disease of unknown incidence and cause. There are a wide range of associated, predisposing medical causes to include pregnancy, renal failure, immunosuppressive medication administration and hypertension. The diagnosis is made following the radiographic identification of characteristic vasogenic edema in the setting of neurologic impairment. A significant portion of patients will have long-term, if not permanent, sequelae of the disease. We present a patient who developed PRES following a hemicolectomy that was complicated by an anastomotic leak. She went on to a complete recovery following surgical treatment of the leak and supportive care.
Unified Software Engineering Reuse (USER) using stable analysis, design and architectural patterns

The endless pursuit for creating effective systems for software reuse has continued for as long as software has existed. To date, there have been few, if any, such effective systems created for ensuring a high degree of reusability from one project to the next. The inherent tendency for projects to demand substantial alterations, despite being designed for maximum reusability, remains strong evidence of this fact. Software reusability makes study of stable analysis, design, and architecture patterns a domain of immense interest. By extrapolating the stable concepts that use software stability model (SSM) and Knowledge Maps (KMs), we can realize software solutions that do not need excessive alterations, changes or additions. Such patterns function as a framework, to which new objects can be added depending only on the uniqueness of the scenario to which it is applied. The effectiveness of these techniques will be demonstrated in this paper.
Determination of ether extract digestibility and energy content of specialty lipids with different fatty acid and free fatty acid content, and the effect of lecithin, for nursery pigs

Various specialty lipids are commercially available and used in nursery pig diets but may have fatty acid profiles and FFA content that affect their caloric value. In each of 2 experiments, 54 barrows (28 d of age) were fed a common diet for 7 d, allotted to dietary treatments, and fed their respective experimental diets for an additional 17 d followed by a 4-d total fecal and urine collection period to determine DE, ME, and ether extract (EE) digestibility of various lipid products or lipid-lecithin combinations. In Exp. 1, 5 sources of specialty lipid products were evaluated. Small differences in DE and apparent total-tract digestibility of EE were observed among these products, with the product containing high FFA derived from animal fat having greatest DE, ME, and apparent total-tract digestibility of EE (P < 0.05). In Exp. 2, a refined soybean oil (SO) and a SO containing high FFA content (SO-FFA) were fed with or without a de-oiled soybean-based lecithin (LEC). There was an interaction between lipid source and lecithin where LEC decreased DE, DE as a percentage of GE, and ME when included with SO-FFA, but not when added to SO (P < 0.01). When no LEC was added, there was no difference in energy or EE digestibility between SO-FFA and SO. In conclusion, the specialty lipid products evaluated were poorly digested, the addition of LEC to SO or SO-FFA did not improve lipid or energy digestibility, and the presence of high FFA in SO did not negatively affect lipid or energy digestibility.
A regioselective etherification of pyridoxine via an ortho-pyridinone methide intermediate

The catalyst-free, regioselective synthesis of 4′-O-substituted pyridoxine derivatives under solventless conditions is described. The methodology relies on the highly regioselective formation of the ortho-pyridinone methide from pyridoxine and subsequent oxa-Michael addition of alcohol nucleophiles. This methodology provides good to excellent yields for primary and secondary alcohols and moderate yields for tertiary alcohols.
A Tale of Two Animats: What Does It Take to Have Goals?

What does it take for a system, biological or not, to have goals? Here, this question is approached in the context of in silico artificial evolution. By examining the informational and causal properties of artificial organisms (“animats”) controlled by small, adaptive neural networks (Markov Brains), this essay discusses necessary requirements for intrinsic information, autonomy, and meaning.
Does Value for Money Create Advocates? A Study in the International Airline Services Industry

ABSTRACTNew carriers and business models have dramatically transformed the aviation industry. Using feedback ratings from 109 carriers and 36,710 passengers, this study first shows that emerging market airlines typically offer better value-for-money propositions than their established competitors. The study then relates perceived value for money with recommendation intention. The relationship is very strong without significant outliers; true loyalty shown by such customer advocates drives a service firm's profitability. Even the best entrenched airlines should not ignore this change in competitive climate, but respond by focusing on value for money as the standard for their business model's value proposition.
A Sweep Velocity-Controlled VCSEL Pulse Laser to Interrogate Sub-THz-Range Fiber Sensors

This letter reports an all-digital sweep velocity-controlled pulse laser with enhanced sweep bandwidth. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser was employed as the optical source. An all-digital phase locked loop was designed and implemented using a field programmable logic array chip to lock the laser sweep velocity within each chirped pulse. A laser temperature controller was used to tune the operation temperature to enhance the laser mode-hop-free bandwidth, resulting in a total frequency excursion of 212.12 GHz and a constant sweep velocity of 30.28 GHz/ms. The system was further adopted to interrogate a sub-terahertz-range fiber sensor array. A series of static strain tests were conducted to demonstrate the system sensing capability. Highly linear results with a sensitivity of −0.1426 GHz/ $\mu \varepsilon $ were observed.
¿Nuevas masculinidades en la televisión mexicana contemporánea?: El sexo débil (2011)

This article examines how the TV series El sexo debil [The Weak Sex] visually proposes a “reposition of masculinity” (Vendrell, 2011), particularly in the affective-corporeal experiences of its protagonists. As Nikki Wedgwood (2009) argues, it is imperative to highlight dissident models of masculinity that symbolically undermine—through television or other powerful media channels—heteropatriarchal discourses and practices. By using a theoretical framework that incorporates cultural studies, television studies, and gender studies, this work also analyzes the limits of such representation, since this series proposes the notion of gender flexibility only in the context of the upper classes—and mostly white characters— in Mexico City.
Adapting the buying funnel model of consumer behavior to the design of an online health research recruitment tool.

Introduction UMHealthResearch is the University of Michigan’s digital health research recruitment platform. It allows health researchers to connect efficiently with potentially eligible volunteers. Methods In 2013, the UMHealthResearch team strategically adapted a consumer behavior model, the buying funnel, to create the Digital Health Research Participation Funnel. The Digital Health Research Participation Funnel was then used to design a more active way for potential participants to volunteer for research studies through UMHealthResearch. Results In the 5 years before the redesign (2007–2012), an average of 1844 new accounts were created every year, whereas in the completed years after the redesign (2013–2016) the annual average improved to 3906, an increase of 111%. Conclusion Although a randomized design was not possible in this instance, these preintervention and postintervention data suggest that the focus on user experience is an effective strategy for improving web-based research recruitment platforms.
The development of genetically modified K562 cells as artificial antigen presenting cells for NKT cells (P4310)

CD1d-restricted type-I Natural Killer T cells (NKTs) have been shown to mediate anti-tumor immune responses in mouse models and are associated with improved outcome in several types of cancer. However, the therapeutic application of NKTs has been limited by low numbers and functional defects of these cells in patients with cancer. To provide a means for effective ex-vivo NKT-cell expansion for cell and gene therapy applications we explored native and engineered properties of K562 cells to function as artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPC). K562 cells express an activating allele of HLA-C and propagate NK cells which compete with NKTs in the same culture. Therefore, we used zinc finger nucleases to delete the endogenous HLA-C gene in K562 cells and transduced parental and HLA-Cnull K562 cells with CD1d cDNA followed by single cell sorting and clonal expansion. The clones exhibited a range of CD1d expression. They were pulsed with a NKT ligand, αGalactosylceramide and tested as aAPC for NKTs using CFSE proliferation assay. We found that aAPC clones with an intermediate level of CD1d expression induced the highest rate of NKT-cell proliferation. No difference was observed between K562/CD1d and HLA-CnullK562/CD1d clones when purified NKTs were used as responders. In contrast to K562/CD1d, HLA-CnullK562/CD1d clones did not expand NK cells when added to primary PBMC. Therefore, these HLAnullCD1d+ aAPC can be used to selectively expand primary NKTs for adoptive cell therapy.
Old and new tools in the clinical diagnosis of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes

Patients with inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFSs) classically present with specific patterns of cytopenias along with congenital anomalies and/or other physical features that are often recognizable early in life. However, increasing application of genomic sequencing and clinical awareness of subtle disease presentations have led to the recognition of IBMFS in pediatric and adult populations more frequently than previously realized, such as those with early onset myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Given the well-defined differences in clinical management needs and outcomes for aplastic anemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and MDS in patients with an IBMFS vs those occurring sporadically, as well as nonhematologic comorbidities in patients with IBMFSs, it is critical for hematologists to understand how to approach screening for the currently known IBMFSs. This review presents a practical approach for the clinical hematologist that outlines when to suspect an IBMFS and how to use various diagnostic tools, from physical examination to screening laboratory tests and genomics, for the diagnosis of the most frequent IBMFSs: Fanconi anemia, telomere biology disorders, Diamond-Blackfan anemia, GATA2 deficiency syndrome, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, and severe congenital neutropenia.
Use of infrared hyperspectral imaging (960–1680 nm) and low energy x-radiography to visualize watermarks

This paper proposes the use of near infrared (900 to 1700 nm) transmitted light imaging with a hyperspectral camera to obtain watermarks from prints. Specifically, we show that principal component analysis applied to the hyperspectral image cube collected in the near infrared was able to separate the watermark from text printed in carbon black ink on both sides of a page from the Blaue Atlas Maior of 1662. The resulting principal component image of the watermark was compared with an image obtained using a low-energy x-ray source and a phosphor plate. Low-energy x-radiography is becoming the gold standard for imaging watermarks, replacing beta radiography. The watermark obtained by transmitted near infrared hyperspectral imaging was found to possess many of the key features of the watermark revealed by the phosphor plate radiography. The method proposed here offers an additional way to extract watermarks from works of art on paper.
Minority Status Stress: Effect on the Psychological and Academic Functioning of African-American Students

Research suggests that the academic performance and psychological adaptation of African-American students on a predominantly White university setting is impacted by specific, unique cultural factors (i.e., sociocultural orientation and minority status stress). This investigation involved a test of a model examining the extent to which sociocultural orientation styles and perceived social support impact the effect of Minority Status Stress (perceived stressors attributed to being an ethnic minority) on the academic and psychological functioning of African-American students at a predominantly White university. Eighty African-American undergraduate and graduate students were administered self-report questionnaires to assess their standing on the relevant variables. Path analytic techniques supported a linear relationship in which sociocultural orientation of students impacted the level of minority status stress experienced, which in turn impacted students perceived social support. All of these factors had a significant impact on the students' psychological adaptation to the predominantly White university environment.
Suppression of Lymphocytes by Cephalosporins

The cephalosporins are a rapidly proliferating group of antimicrobial agents. They are widely used because they are similar to the penicillins in their structure and mode of action, but have the added advantages of being relatively resistant to the beta-lactamases and of possessing bactericidal activity against a broad spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms, many of which are not susceptible to the penicillins (11).
Endotoxin (LPS) Toxicity to Hepatocytes (H) In Vitro - Modulation by Macrophages (M)

The liver plays a key role in the systemic response of a body to endotoxin exposure. The liver is not only a important site of metabolism and metabolic regulation, but it is composed of a large capillary bed rich in macrophages, the Kupffer cells. This sinusoidal network may contain at any time up to twenty percent of the circulating blood volume. The liver is responsible for clearing greater than ninety percent of endotoxin presented to it as an exogenous bolus (6,10,14), and it most likely also responsible for intermittently filtering endotoxin arising from the bacterial-infested gut into the portal vein under various pathological conditions (6,14). It is demonstrated that blockade of the liver’s reticuloendothelial system of macrophages can potentiate the systemic injury of endotoxin (6). On the other hand, endotoxin is also known to have a number of effects on macrophages directly, which are capable of producing secondary and possible injurious effects themselves (1,4,11,15). A variety of possible endotoxin-cellular interactions, particularly those with macrophages, might tip the balance toward the ultimate benefit or detriment of the organ in which they occur and the organism at large. The current study explores the endotoxin-macrophage interaction in the context of the liver.
Dionysiac Language (Pre-1799–1802)

This chapter considers the inner spirit of ritual that Holderlin transforms into a modern linguistic experience. Early gestures to the language of “the reveller/Dionysus” yield to a still more clear echo of the god’s battle cry against money-tyrants like Pentheus: the “joyful shout” that is inextricably tied to the making public and founding of a new langauge of Dionysus’ mystic Geheimnis, “secret”. Following this exploration of Bacchae, we turn to the adaption of Dionysiac language in Holderlin’s own poetry from 1799 until 1802. That this earthly and communal linguistic experience is struggling not only with monetised, but also visualised language—that is, language that speaks only of abstract, superficial images that promote individual profit—is made clear by Holderlin’s Dionysian description of modern money-tyrants who peer through “[t]he telescope […] and coun[t] and/Nam[e] the stars of heaven with names.”
A Hebrew Cognate of Unuššu/ʾunṯ in Is.33:8

Is. 33:8 is a difficult verse standing in a difficult context, but recent lines of evidence converge to make the meaning of this verse clear, and to show that we have here another instance of a newly identified Hebrew word. As it stands in the Masoretic Text, the verse reads: nāsammu mĕsillot sābat ‘ōbēr’ ōraḥ hēpēr bĕrit mā'as ‘ārimlō' ḥāsab’nos. A literal rendering will serve to make the difficulties clear: “Highways are desolate. No traveller passes by. He has broken the covenant, rejected the cities. He has not regarded man.”
Olefin Metathesis-Based Fluorescent Probes for the Selective Detection of Ethylene in Live Cells

Ethylene is an important plant hormone that is involved in a variety of developmental processes including agriculturally important ripening of certain fruits. Owing to its significant roles, a number of approaches have previously been developed to detect ethylene via molecular interactions. However, there are no current approaches for detection that are selective via a discrete homogeneous molecular interaction. Here we report two profluorescent chemodosimeters for the selective detection of the plant hormone ethylene. The approach consists of a BODIPY fluorophore with a pendant ruthenium recognition element based on a Hoveyda-Grubbs second generation catalysts. A marked increase in fluorescence is observed upon exposure to ethylene and selectivity is observed for ethylene over other alkenes, providing a unique approach toward ethylene detection. Imaging in live cells demonstrated that ethylene could be detected from multiple relevant sources.
Exoskeleton Controller and Design Considerations: Effect on Training Response for Persons with SCI

The objective of this research is to identify the demographic, physiological, kinematic and biomechanical determinants of exoskeleton assisted gait speed for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). High number (300) of gait cycles across multiple time-points were analyzed to identify the parameter estimates from mixed model for dependent variable walk speed. Step length, step width, single stance time did not contribute to walk speed whereas trunk lean mass, stride length, step frequency were the most significant contributors. These variables were more significant than any of the spatial temporal parameters that are associated with human gait. Future research should determine the relative contributions of each independent variable to walk speed for different devices. Understanding the effects of exoskeleton/human interface for different devices is crucial for developing effective/efficient training protocols for community ambulation, rehabilitation and recovery post SCI.