cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic alteration of structure and function in glycine transfer RNA of Escherichia coli: Mechanism of suppression of the tryptophan synthetase A78 mutation

Abstract Suppression ( su A78 + ) of the trpA78 missense mutation (Gly,GGU/C → Cys,UGU/C) in Escherichia coli involves a genetically altered tRNA Gly isoacceptor. Purification and sequence analysis of 32 P-labeled suppressor tRNA indicates that the su A78 + mutation results in the alteration of a small fraction of the tRNA GGU/C Gly3 of the cell. The resulting tRNA UGU/C Gly3 contains a C → A substitution at the 3′ end (C36) of the anticodon (GCC) and in addition, a modification of the adjacent A(A37) to form N 6 -( Δ 2 -isopentenyl)-2-thiomethyl-adenylic acid. Labeled glycyl-tRNA UGU/C Gly3 binds to E. coli ribosomes in the presence of the cysteine triplets, UpGpU and UpGpC, but not with the glycine triplets, GpGpU and GpGpC. The suppressor tRNA UGU/C Gly3 glycylates relatively slowly in the presence of the glycyl-tRNA synthetase, with a V max value 200-fold lower than that of wild-type tRNA GGU/C Gly3 . Multiple identical copies of genes specifying the sequence of tRNA GGU/C Gly3 apparently occur on the E. coli chromosome, since suppressor mutations alter the nucleotide sequence of only a fraction of the tRNA GGU/C Gly3 population.
The Impact of ASR on Speech-to-Speech Translation Performance

This paper reports on experiments to quantify the impact of automatic speech recognition (ASR) in general and discriminatively trained ASR in particular on the machine translation (MT) performance. The minimum phone error (MPE) training method is employed for building the discriminative ASR acoustic models and a weighted finite state transducer (WEST) based method is used for MT. The experiments are performed on a two-way English/dialectal-Arabic speech-to-speech (S2S) translation task in the military/medical domain. We demonstrate the relationship between ASR and MT performance measured by BLEU and human judgment for both directions of the translation. Moreover, we question the use of BLEU metric for assessing the MT quality, present our observations and draw some conclusions.
Homology-dependent underwinding of duplex DNA in recA protein generated paranemic complexes

RecA protein promoted formation of paranemic joints, in which a recA-ssDNA complex and a nicked circular dsDNA molecule are homologously aligned without net cross-strand interwinding, is accompanied by extensive underwinding of the dsDNA molecule. When the nick is sealed by DNA ligase, a highly negatively superhelical DNA molecule is formed. This underwinding has the following properties: (a) it occurs within 2 min; (b) it is completely homology dependent; (c) it does not require a homologous free DNA end. The resulting underwound DNA species is comprised of a heterogeneous population of topoisomers. The degree of unwinding exhibits a strong dependence on the fractional length of homology in the dsDNA molecule and indicates that paranemic joints can extend for at least 2900 base pairs. The rapid underwinding associated with paranemic joint formation is followed by a longer phase in which the dsDNA molecule is more extensively underwound.
Small renal masses: the promise of thulium laser enucleation partial nephrectomy.

Maximal renal preservation, particularly in patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction, is imperative to minimize the risk of significant renal insufficiency for patients undergoing partial nephrectomy. Improvements in surgical technology, including modalities such as off-clamp laser enucleation, might move us closer to this goal.
Nativity Status and Voter Turnout in the Early Twentieth-Century Urban United States

Running counter to both theoretical expectations and the results of previous empirical studies, recent research has shown that European immigrants voted at higher rates than native-born Americans in urban areas of the United States during the beginning of the twentieth century. The explanation offered for this research finding, based on aggregate-level data, is that the numerical superiority of the immigrants in cities discouraged the native-born population from voting. However, a number of competing explanations could also be offered to account for this same finding. If this finding is valid, it could be attributable to the political machines spurring the immigrants to vote. Or this finding could be a spurious one caused by either the ecological fallacy or a census undercount of the foreign born. The authors, using both aggregate- and individual-level data, confirm that immigrants were more electorally active than the native born in one northeastern city. Their study reinforces the notion that the higher...
U.S. inequality: Debt constraints or incomplete asset markets?

Abstract To examine the role of debt constraints and incomplete asset markets (lack of insurance markets) in explaining U.S. inequality, we run horse races between competing models. For a widely used model, we decompose inequality into its fundamental driving forces. The underlying source of inequality in all models is uninsurable idiosyncratic risk. Both debt constraints and incomplete asset markets are needed to account for inequality, but asset market incompleteness is the key friction. It better accounts for the concentration and dispersion of wealth, and is the most costly friction in terms of welfare. Tight debt constraints are important for explaining the lower tail of the wealth distribution.
Purification procedures for synthetic dyes: Part 1—dry column chromatography

Abstract The suitability of dry column chromatography for the purification of synthetic dyestuffs has been investigated. The results of this study indicate that the utility of this method for the generation of gram quantities of pure dyestuffs is limited, from a practical standpoint, to disperse dyes. Although dry column chromatography appears to be impractical for the purification of gram quantities of acid and direct dyes, relatively simple monoazo acid dyes were successfully purified in smaller quantities by this procedure. The simplicity and low cost of this method make it an excellent way to obtain useful amounts of disperse dyes which are pure enough for use in biological assays such as Ames tests.
Review of fish diversity in the Lake Huron basin

Lake Huron has a rich aquatic habitat diversity that includes shallow embayments, numerous tributaries, shallow mid-lake reef complexes, archipelagos, and profundal regions. These habitats provide support for warm, cool, and cold water fish communities. Diversity of fishes in Lake Huron reflects post-glaciation colonization events, current climate conditions, accidental and intentional introductions of non-indigenous species, and extinctions. Most extinction events have been largely associated with habitat alterations, exploitation of fisheries, and interactions with non-indigenous species. The most recent historical survey of extirpated and imperiled species conducted in the late 1970s identified 79 fish species in Lake Huron proper and about 50 additional species in tributaries. Of those 129 species, 20 are now considered extirpated or imperiled. Extirpated species include Arctic grayling, paddlefish, weed shiner, deepwater cisco, blackfin cisco, shortnose cisco, and kiyi. Six species have declined appr...
Early results on the characterization of the Terra MODIS spatial response

Abstract A project to characterize the Moderate Resolution-Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) spatial response (SR) using preflight Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) validation data and on-orbit imagery is described, and the results from the analyses are presented. The preflight validation data are used to estimate the optical blurring parameters to complete a system MTF model for MODIS bands 1 and 2. The model and data indicate that the prelaunch MTF is higher for band 2 than for band 1. The on-orbit imagery is used in a two-image MTF estimation technique to characterize the on-orbit MTF for MODIS bands 1 and 2. Three data sets coincident with MODIS collects are used, Landsat-7 ETM+ imagery of Maricopa Agricultural Center, Arizona, on September 26, 2000 and May 24, 2001 and ASTER imagery of Mono Lake, CA, on September 29, 2000. The on-orbit MTFs obtained to date are consistent with prelaunch validation MTF measurements in the cross-track direction, but are less than prelaunch MTFs in the in-track direction. Further analysis is in progress to confirm these results.
Recombinant expression, purification, and characterization of ThmD, the oxidoreductase component of tetrahydrofuran monooxygenase

Tetrahydrofuran monooxygenase (Thm) catalyzes the NADH-and oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of tetrahydrofuran to 2-hydroxytetrahydrofuran. Thm is composed of a hydroxylase enzyme, a regulatory subunit, and an oxidoreductase named ThmD. ThmD was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion to maltose-binding protein (MBP) and isolated to homogeneity after removal of the MBP. Purified ThmD contains covalently bound FAD, [2Fe-2S] center, and was shown to use ferricyanide, cytochrome c, 2,6-dichloroindophenol, and to a lesser extent, oxygen as surrogate electron acceptors. ThmD displays 160-fold preference for NADH over NADPH and functions as a monomer. The flavin-binding domain of ThmD (ThmD-FD) was purified and characterized. ThmD-FD displayed similar activity as the full-length ThmD and showed a unique flavin spectrum with a major peak at 463nm and a small peak at 396 nm. Computational modeling and mutagenesis analyses suggest a novel three-dimensional fold or covalent flavin attachment in ThmD.
Robust Input Shaper Control Design for Parameter Variations in Flexible Structures

Input shaping has been shown to yield good performance in the control of flexible structures while being insensitive to modeling errors. However, previous studies do not take into account the distributions of the parameter variations. We develop a new input shaping method that allows the ranges of system parameter values to be weighted according to the expected modeling errors. Comparisons with previously proposed input shaper designs are presented to illustrate the qualities of the new input shaper design method. These new shapers will be shown to have better robustness under uncertainty in structural parameters and shorter shaper lengths for lightly damped systems.
Effects of pedaling speed on the power-duration relationship for high-intensity exercise.

Seven males (age = 20.4 +/- 0.3 yr) each performed a total of eight exhaustive exercise bouts (four at 60 rpm and four at 100 rpm) in order to determine the influence of pedaling frequency on the parameters of the power-duration relationship for high-intensity cycle ergometry. The power-endurance time data for each subject at each rpm were fit by nonlinear regression to extract parameters of the hyperbolic: (P - theta PA). t = W', where P = power output, t = time to exhaustion, and theta PA and W' are constants. theta PA (the power asymptote, in watts (W] reflects an inherent characteristic of aerobic energy production during exercise, above which only a finite amount of work (W', in joules) can be performed, regardless of the rate at which the work is performed. theta PA at 60 rpm (235 +/- 8 W) was significantly (15.9 +/- 4.5%, P less than 0.05) greater than theta PA at 100 rpm (204 +/- 11 W), thus confirming our hypothesis that endurance would be compromised while cycling at the higher pedaling frequency. In contrast, W' was not significantly (P greater than 0.05) affected by cadence (16.8 +/- 1.7 kJ at 60 rpm vs 18.9 +/- 2.2 kJ at 100 rpm). Our data are consistent with the implications of previous investigations which demonstrated a greater cardiorespiratory and blood/muscle lactate response during constant-power exercise while cycling at high vs low rpm and indicate that the theoretical maximum sustainable power (i.e., theta PA) during cycle ergometry in untrained males is greater at 60 rpm than at 100 rpm.
Transcatheter closure of an extracardiac fontan fenestration

Abstract As the extracardiac Fontan operation evolves, a reliable method for creating and subsequently closing communications between the systemic and pulmonary venous chambers would be useful. We describe a surgical technique for creating this "fenestration" and a complementary transcatheter technique that allows safe and reliable closure of these communications regardless of size and position.
Learning with limited minority class data

A practical problem in data mining and machine learning is the limited availability of data. For example, in a binary classification problem it is often the case that examples of one class are abundant, while examples of the other class are in short supply. Examples from one class, typically the positive class, can be limited due to the financial cost or time required to collect these examples. This work presents a comprehensive empirical study of learning when examples from one class are extremely rare, but examples of the other class(es) are plentiful. Specifically, we address the issue of how many examples from the abundant class should be used when training a classifier on data where one class is very rare. Nearly one million classifiers were built and evaluated to generate the results presented in this work. Our results demonstrate that the often used 'even distribution' is not optimal when dealing with such rare events.
Assessing Children’s Language Skills at a Distance: Does it Work?

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of using videoconferencing to assess children’s language skills. Participants were 6 typically developing monolingual English-speaking children, ages 3;0–5;11, from middle class families. Using a within-subjects design, the participants completed a story-retell task in both videoconferencing (VC) and face-to-face (F2F) conditions. During the task for each condition, children were presented with a story, along with a wordless book. In addition, 4 unfamiliar words were embedded within the story. Results showed that there were no significant differences in the microstructures of their narratives between F2F and VC conditions. Results also showed that children learned the target words in both conditions equally well. The findings in this study provide evidence that the VC and F2F conditions are comparable when administering the story-retell task to typically developing young children. Despite these preliminary findings, more research is needed to verify whe...
Scattering and absorption of light by ice particles: Solution by a new physical-geometric optics hybrid method

Abstract A new physical-geometric optics hybrid (PGOH) method is developed to compute the scattering and absorption properties of ice particles. This method is suitable for studying the optical properties of ice particles with arbitrary orientations, complex refractive indices (i.e., particles with significant absorption), and size parameters (proportional to the ratio of particle size to incident wavelength) larger than ∼20, and includes consideration of the edge effects necessary for accurate determination of the extinction and absorption efficiencies. Light beams with polygon-shaped cross sections propagate within a particle and are traced by using a beam-splitting technique. The electric field associated with a beam is calculated using a beam-tracing process in which the amplitude and phase variations over the wavefront of the localized wave associated with the beam are considered analytically. The geometric-optics near field for each ray is obtained, and the single-scattering properties of particles are calculated from electromagnetic integral equations. The present method does not assume additional physical simplifications and approximations, except for geometric optics principles, and may be regarded as a “benchmark” within the framework of the geometric optics approach. The computational time is on the order of seconds for a single-orientation simulation and is essentially independent of the size parameter. The single-scattering properties of oriented hexagonal ice particles (ice plates and hexagons) are presented. The numerical results are compared with those computed from the discrete-dipole-approximation (DDA) method.
Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor isoforms in the Japanese quail embryo.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is required for vascular development. In the quail, four VEGF isoforms formed by alternative splicing, are translated into proteins with 122, 146, 166, and 190 amino acids. VEGF isoforms differ biochemically, with variable affinities for heparan sulfate proteoglycans, the extracellular matrix and VEGF receptors. There are few data on the functional significance of VEGF isoforms. RT-PCR was used to examine isoform expression during quail vascular development. Our results suggest that all quail isoforms are expressed during establishment of the vascular pattern in whole embryos and extraembryonic tissues at apparently equal levels. No isoform-specific expression patterns were detected in isolated endoderm or between embryo halves.
Cloning of the mouse insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) gene and complete sequence of mouse IRS-1

The mouse IRS-1 gene has been cloned and its structure determined. Mouse IRS-1 differs from rat by the absence of the potential C-terminal nucleotide binding site. Otherwise, the predicted IRS-1 protein is highly conserved between mouse, rat and humans, especially in the possible phosphorylation sites. The highly conserved nature of IRS-1 suggests the importance of these domains in the function of IRS-1 or its association with other proteins.
Electrical signature of the deformation and dehydration of microgels during translocation through nanopores

The resistive-pulse sensing technique was used to investigate the deformation and dehydration of individual 570 nm radius poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgels during their translocation through a glass membrane containing a single conical nanopore with orfice radii ranging from 200 to 700 nm. Microgel translocation rates were found to be dependent on both the applied pressure and the pore radius, and a translocation threshold pressure was found to be a function of the pore size. Importantly, current–time traces resulting from translocation events demonstrate changes in the conductivity of the microgel, due to compression and partial dehydration during translocation. A minimum nanopore-to-microgel radius ratio of ∼0.4 is observed for translocation, suggesting a theoretical limit imposed by the compressibility of the microgel and Columbic repulsion with the pore walls. Our results provide fundamental insight into microgels including their compressibility and conductivity, as well as the ability of soft particles to permeate porous membranes and pass through voids of dimensions smaller than the particles themselves.
Processed EMG for closed-loop control of atracurium infusion

The design and application of a closed-loop controller for the infusion of the muscle relaxant atracurium are described. The controller uses a processed electromyography system for the feedback signal and a new control algorithm, for which a flowchart is given. Initial clinical testing in the operating room demonstrated excellent control characteristics. The algorithm settled within 15 min with very little variation in the state of relaxation. Each person had his or her own settling point, but this was always within 7-12% of control, which produced acceptable clinical relaxation. >
B cells modulate mucosal associated invariant T cell immune responses.

A common finding when measuring T cell immunity to enteric bacterial vaccines in humans is the presence of background responses among individuals before immunization. Yet the nature of these background responses remains largely unknown. Recent findings show the presence in uninfected individuals of mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells that mount broad spectrum immune responses against a variety of microorganisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and enteric bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Therefore, we investigated whether MAIT immune responses to intestinal bacteria might account for the background responses observed before immunization. Here we measured MAIT immune responses to commensal and enteric pathogenic bacteria in healthy individuals with no history of oral immunization with enteric bacteria. We found that MAIT cells were activated by B cells infected with various bacteria strains (commensals and pathogens from the Enterobacteriaceae family, but not by uninfected cells. These responses were restricted by the non-classical MHC-related molecule 1 (MR1) and involved the endocytic pathway. The quality of these responses (i.e., cytokine profile) was dependent on bacterial load but not on the level expression of MR1 or bacterial antigen on B cell surface, suggesting that a threshold level of MR1 expression is required to trigger MAIT activation. These results provide important insights into the role of B cells as a source of antigen presenting cells to MAIT cells and the gut immune surveillance of commensal microbiota.
Dynamic Community Identification

Humans and other social animals interact in diverse ways. A central problem in the study of societies is identifying core communities: sets of entities among whom interactions are frequent and consistent. Membership in social groups often changes, thus making it difficult to characterize a society’s community structure. In this chapter we formalize the computational problem of dynamic community identification and review computational methods that address the changing nature of community membership. We discuss in detail the dynamic community identification method by the authors which in many ways subsumes other approaches.
Transfer as a Benchmark for Multi-Representational Architectures

We argue that transfer of spatial and conceptual knowledge between tasks and domains is an essential benchmark for multi-representational architectures aimed at human-level intelligence. The underlying hypothesis is that spatial relationships provide a natural level of abstraction, highlighting the similarities and differences between situations and domains. Therefore, not only will spatial representations improve domain reasoning and learning, they will also facilitate the transfer of knowledge across domains. The simulated environments of real-time strategy (RTS) games provide an excellent test-bed for exploring this hypothesis for two reasons: many different RTS domains have been constructed and RTS requires a wide range of reasoning tasks.
Disparate responses of serum and hepatic alkaline phosphatase and 5' nucleotidase to bile duct obstruction in the rat.

The response of 5′ nucleotidase in serum and liver to bile duct ligation is different from that of alkaline phosphatase. Bile duct ligation causes a 6-fold increase in hepatic alkaline phosphatase and a similar rise in the activity of the liver alkaline phosphatase isozyme in serum. Both increases are inhibited by the prior administration of cycloheximide. There is no increase in hepatic 5′ nucleotidase after bile duct ligation, and prior treatment of rats with cycloheximide does not inhibit the elevation of 5′ nucleotidase in serum caused by bile duct ligation. The response of 5' nucleotidase to bile duct ligation and to inhibition of protein synthesis in the rat is therefore more like that of glutamic pyruvic transaminase.
Anoxia-induced apoptosis occurs through a mitochondria-dependent pathway in lung epithelial cells.

The intracellular signaling pathways that control O2 deprivation (anoxia)-induced apoptosis have not been fully defined in lung epithelial cells. We show here that the lung epithelial cell line A54...
A design-based digital controls laboratory course

The format, contents, and teaching strategy of an undergraduate laboratory course in digital control systems at Saginaw Valley State University is described. The innovative approach used in this course involves: a) utilization of a digital signal processor for implementing the designed digital controllers; b) consolidation of theoretical concepts taught in the lecture through implementation of controllers with real systems; and c) computer simulation techniques are used mainly to speed design work, yet their shortcomings are recognized through consistent comparison of simulation results with those obtained by actual measurements. >
Adenylate Kinases 1 and 2 Are Part of the Accessory Structures in the Mouse Sperm Flagellum

Proper sperm function depends on adequate ATP levels. In the mammalian flagellum, ATP is generated in the midpiece by oxidative respiration and in the principal piece by glycolysis. In locations where ATP is rapidly utilized or produced, adenylate kinases (AKs) maintain a constant adenylate energy charge by interconverting stoichiometric amounts of ATP and AMP with two ADP molecules. We previously identified adenylate kinase 1 and 2 (AK1 and AK2) by mass spectrometry as part of a mouse SDS-insoluble flagellar preparation containing the accessory structures (fibrous sheath, outer dense fibers, and mitochondrial sheath). A germ cell-specific cDNA encoding AK1 was characterized and found to contain a truncated 3 0 UTR and a different 5 0 UTR compared to the somatic Ak1 mRNA; however, it encoded an identical protein. Ak1 mRNA was upregulated during late spermiogenesis, a time when the flagellum is being assembled. AK1 was first seen in condensing spermatids and was associated with the outer microtubular doublets and outer dense fibers of sperm. This localization would allow the interconversion of ATP and ADP between the fibrous sheath where ATP is produced by glycolysis and the axonemal dynein ATPases where ATP is consumed. Ak2 mRNA was expressed at relatively low levels throughout spermatogenesis, and the protein was localized to the mitochondrial sheath in the sperm midpiece. AK1 and AK2 in the flagellar accessory structures provide a mechanism to buffer the adenylate energy charge for sperm motility.
Improved Tolerance Limits by Combining Analytical and Experimental Data: An Information Integration Methodology

We propose a coherent methodology for integrating different sources of information on a response variable of interest, in order to accu- rately predict percentiles of its distribution. Under the assumption that one of the sources is more reliable than the other(s), the approach combines fac- tors formed from the data into an additive linear regression model. Quantile regression, designed for quantifying the goodness of fit precisely at a desired quantile, is used as the optimality criterion in model-fitting. Asymptotic confidence interval construction methods for the percentiles are adopted to compute statistical tolerance limits for the response. The approach is demon- strated on a materials science case study that pools together information on failure load from physical tests and computer model predictions. A small simulation study assesses the precision of the inferences. The methodology gives plausible percentile estimates. Resulting tolerance limits are close to nominal coverage probability levels.
Pre-processing and treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) prior to incineration

Abstract: This chapter outlines the primary municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment methods commonly practiced in the integrated solid waste management industry as precursors to MSW incineration. Beginning with the most basic processing techniques, used in mass burn plants, and expanding to advanced separation, and biological and thermal treatment of MSW, this chapter gives the reader a basic understanding of the machinery, techniques and fundamental theories employed in the various methods of processing MSW for energy and material recovery.
Ductal lavage (DL) of affected and unaffected breasts in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer: Can this technique be used for risk assessment?

1024 Background: Ductal lavage (DL) is designed to obtain cellular material from breast ducts. The use of DL in risk assessment is under investigation. The aim of this study was to evaluate cytolog...
Exogenous cdk4 overcomes reduced cdk4 RNA and inhibition of G1 progression in hematopoietic cells expressing a dominant-negative CBF - a model for overcoming inhibition of proliferation by CBF oncoproteins

Core Binding Factor (CBF) is required for the development of definitive hematopoiesis, and the CBF oncoproteins AML1-ETO, TEL-AML1, and CBFbeta-SMMHC are commonly expressed in subsets of acute leukemia. CBFbeta-SMMHC slows the G1 to S cell cycle transition in hematopoietic cells, but the mechanism of this effect is uncertain. We have sought to determine whether inhibition of CBF-mediated trans-activation is sufficient to slow proliferation. We demonstrate that activation of KRAB-AML1-ER, a protein containing the AML1 DNA-binding domain, the KRAB repression domain, and the Estrogen receptor ligand binding domain, also slows G1, if its DNA-binding domain is intact. Also, exogenous AML1 overcame CBFbeta-SMMHC-induced inhibition of proliferation. Representational difference analysis (RDA) identified cdk4 RNA expression as an early target of KRAB-AML1 activation. Inhibition of CBF activities by KRAB-AML1-ER or CBFbeta-SMMHC rapidly reduced endogenous cdk4 mRNA levels, even in cells proliferating at or near control rates as a result of exogenous cdk4 expression. Over-expression of cdk4, especially a variant which cannot bind p16INK4a, overcame cell cycle inhibition resulting from activation of KRAB-AML1-ER, although cdk4 did not accelerate proliferation when expressed alone. These findings indicate that mutations which alter the expression of G1 regulatory proteins can overcome inhibition of proliferation by CBF oncoproteins. Oncogene (2000).
Experimental pulmonary edema. IV. Pulmonary edema accompanying trauma to the brain.

SummaryExperimental pulmonary edema occurs in the rat in a matter of seconds as a result of a blow to the calvaria causing fatal trauma to the brain. This edema is prevented or reduced in degree by agents which produce a deep narcosis and by adrenergic blocking compounds. The mechanism of its production is discussed in relation to other types of experimental pulmonary edema.
Effect of glucose and diuretics on intracellular potentials of mouse intestinal mucosa.

SummaryTo substantiate our previous hypothesis in explanation of the inhibitory effect of EA, furosemide, and amiloride on mouse intestine, the intracellular potential, Vmc, and transmural potential, Vsm, of the intestinal mucosal epithelium were measured simultaneously with a 0.5-μm diameter microelectrode. It was found when glucose was present in the Ringer bathing solution, an average Vsm of 22.5 ± 0.87 mV was recorded and Vsm was 2.68 ± 0.09 mV. EA, furosemide, and amiloride at 0.5 mM produced an hyperpolarization of Vmc and a reduction of Vsm. The Vmc increased to 34.8 ± 0.68, 31.9 ± 2.6, and 31.2 ± 0.92 mV, respectively. When the bathing fluid contained no glucose, the average Vmc was 29.5 ± 0.53 mV and the average Vsm was 1.28 ± 0.10 mV. Addition of EA in the glucose-free bathing media caused no significant change in Vmc, but a decrease in Vsm. However, addition of furosemide or amiloride did cause further hyperpolarizations of Vmc, to 40.7 ± 0.64 and 39.8 ±1.2 mV, respectively. These results suppo...
Applicability of APEX in the Middle and Upland Huaihe River Watershed

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender(APEX).APEX model was tested and used to compare benefits of different land management measures in three experimental plots in the middle and upland Huaihe river watershed.Simulated average daily runoff and sediment yield were within 20% of observed values,the average Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient(EF) above 0.6 and average R2 above 0.7 during the calibration period.For the validation period,simulated average daily runoff and sediment yield were within 12% of observed values,APEX model tracked the variability of daily runoff and sediment yield with the average EF above 0.5 and average R2 above 0.7.The long-term benefits of management practice 2(woodland with horizontal-ditch) over the baseline(fallow) were quantified as a 37% surface runoff reduction and 89% sediment yield reduction.Benefits of management practice 1(mixed wood-grass with horizontal-terrace) were slightly less than these of management practice 2.Constructions of horizontal ditch,horizontal terrace and enhancing vegetation are efficient strategies for controlling runoff and sediment in the research area.The results suggested that APEX is a useful tool for evaluating soil and water loss under different management practices in the middle and upland Huaihe river watershed.A new approach was proposed for soil erosion study in the area lacking detailed information.
Discussion on the Design and Development of Big Customer Relation Management

With the development of the management and marketing, the CRM plays a more important role in the corporation. But the resource of the corporation is limited; we can only administer a few of customers. So we get a new conception--big customer relation management, we can administer the customer and resource better. In this thesis, we will analyze the key customer relation management and talk about how to develop a system..
Yield and quality characteristics of day-neutral strawberry in the United States Upper Midwest using organic practices

AbstractThe Upper Midwest of the US accounts for an extremely small portion of national strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) production due to the prevalence of ‘June-bearing’ cultivars, which are limited to a short six-week fruiting window from June to early July. Determination of high yielding and high quality organically managed cultural practices for newer day-neutral cultivars in the region was performed. Six day-neutral cultivars were planted at two locations (St. Paul, and Morris, MN) in 2013 and 2014 and organically managed as annual crops under straw mulch, plastic mulch, and plastic mulch with low tunnel cultural practices. Yield and average berry weight for each cultivar/cultural practice combination was collected and analyzed weekly and cumulatively at each location and year. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total soluble solid (TSS) content of fruit was measured as indicators of nutritional and sensory quality over time. Day-neutral production added an average of fourteen weeks to the June-bearin...
Oxygen as a driver of gut dysbiosis

Changes in the composition of gut-associated microbial communities may underlie many inflammatory and allergic diseases. However, the processes that help maintain a stable community structure are poorly understood. Here we review topical work elucidating the nutrient-niche occupied by facultative anaerobic bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae, whose predominance within the gut-associated microbial community is a common marker of dysbiosis. A paucity of exogenous respiratory electron acceptors limits growth of Enterobacteriaceae within a balanced gut-associated microbial community. However, recent studies suggest that the availability of oxygen in the large bowel is markedly elevated by changes in host physiology that accompany antibiotic treatment or infection with enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella serovars or attaching and effacing (AE) pathogens. The resulting increase in oxygen availability, alone or in conjunction with other electron acceptors, drives an uncontrolled luminal expansion of Enterobacteriaceae. Insights into the underlying mechanisms provide important clues about factors that control the balance between the host and its resident microbial communities.
Erythron to the Liver: Send Iron

For successful expansion of erythropoiesis, the activity of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) must be coordinated with the supply of iron to erythroid precursors. Increased iron supply for erythropoiesis is ensured by the suppression of hepcidin, the iron-regulatory hormone produced by the liver. Low hepcidin levels allow greater absorption of dietary iron and greater mobilization of iron from the stores in the spleen and the liver. The mechanisms coordinating erythropoietic activity with iron delivery are not well understood. We recently identified erythroferrone as a new mediator of hepcidin suppression during stress erythropoiesis 1 . Erythroferrone (ERFE) is a member of the C1q/TNF-related protein (CTRP) family of metabolic mediators. ERFE is produced in response to EPO by erythroblasts of the bone marrow and spleen of mice. The induction of ERFE by EPO was dependent on Jak2/Stat5 signaling. Ex vivo treatment of human erythroblasts with EPO also resulted in a dramatic induction of ERFE expression. The essential role of ERFE in acute hepcidin suppression by erythropoiesis was demonstrated in ERFE-deficient mice. In contrast to wild-type mice which suppressed hepcidin ~10-fold within hours after hemorrhage or erythropoietin injection, no hepcidin suppression was observed in ERFE knockout mice within 24 h. As a consequence, ERFE-deficient mice exhibited delayed recovery of hemoglobin after hemorrhage or severe inflammation. Treatment of mice or hepatocytes with recombinant ERFE protein confirmed the hepcidin-suppressive activity of the protein. It remains to be seen whether administration of ERFE protein would be useful for the treatment of anemia of inflammation mediated by elevated hepcidin. In iron-loading anemias including β-thalassemia, hepcidin is chronically suppressed by the exuberant but ineffective erythropoietic activity. This is the cause of iron overload in untransfused thalassemia patients and may contribute to iron loading even in transfused patients. We found that ERFE expression is greatly increased in the bone marrow and spleen of mice with β-thalassemia intermedia (th3 model). Transgenic ablation of ERFE in th3 mice normalized hepcidin and partially corrected their iron overload. Although human studies of the role of ERFE in health and disease are clearly needed, ERFE is a promising candidate for the pathological suppressor of hepcidin in anemias with ineffective erythropoiesis. References: 1. Kautz L, Jung G, Valore EV, et al. Identification of erythroferrone as an erythroid regulator of iron metabolism. Nat Genet . 2014; 46: 678-684. Disclosures Nemeth: Intrinsic LifeSciences: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merganser Biotech: Equity Ownership. Ganz: Intrinsic LifeSciences: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Keryx Pharma: Consultancy; Merganser Biotech: Consultancy, Equity Ownership.
Social Influences on Policy Preferences: Conformity and Reactance

Social norms have been used to nudge people toward specified outcomes in various domains. But can people be nudged to support, or to reject, proposed government policies? How do people’s views change when they learn that the majority approves of a particular policy, or that the majority opposes it? To answer these questions, we conducted a series of experiments. We find that in important contexts, learning about the majority’s opinion causes a significant shift toward support for or opposition to particular policies. At the same time, we find that when people’s views are fixed and firm, they are unlikely to conform to the majority’s view and that they might even show reactance. We show this pattern of results with respect to people’s support for or opposition to governmental policies in a wide range of substantive areas — and also to the use of paternalistic tools, such as nudges or bans.
Activation of CHK1 in Supporting Cells Indirectly Promotes Hair Cell Survival.

The sensory hair cells of the inner ear are exquisitely sensitive to ototoxic insults. Loss of hair cells after exposure to ototoxic agents causes hearing loss. Chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin causes hair cell loss. Cisplatin forms DNA mono-adducts as well as intra- and inter-strand DNA crosslinks. DNA cisplatin adducts are repaired through the DNA damage response. The decision between cell survival and cell death following DNA damage rests on factors that are involved in determining damage tolerance, cell survival and apoptosis. Cisplatin damage on hair cells has been the main focus of many ototoxic studies, yet the effect of cisplatin on supporting cells has been largely ignored. In this study, the effects of DNA damage response in cochlear supporting cells were interrogated. Supporting cells play a major role in the development, maintenance and oto-protection of hair cells. Loss of supporting cells may indirectly affect hair cell survival or maintenance. Activation of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) signaling was previously shown to promote hair cell survival. To test whether activating PI3K signaling promotes supporting cell survival after cisplatin damage, cochlea explants from the neural subset (NS) Cre Pten conditional knockout mice were employed. Deletion of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) activates PI3K signaling in multiple cell types within the cochlea. Supporting cells lacking PTEN showed increased cell survival after cisplatin damage. Supporting cells lacking PTEN also showed increased phosphorylation of Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) levels after cisplatin damage. Nearest neighbor analysis showed increased numbers of supporting cells with activated PI3K signaling in close proximity to surviving hair cells in cisplatin damaged cochleae. We propose that increased PI3K signaling promotes supporting cell survival through phosphorylation of CHK1 and increased survival of supporting cells indirectly increases hair cell survival after cisplatin damage.
Structured Simulation-Based Analog Design Synthesis

Early generations of analog synthesis tools failed to migrate into mainstream use primarily because of difficulties in reconciling the simplified models required for synthesis with the industrial-strength simulation environments required for validation. We have recently seen the emergence of simulation-based synthesis tools that can size/bias a fixed circuit topology by exploiting the same simulation environment created to validate the sized circuit. These methods work remarkably well across a range of difficult analog circuits, and augmented with suitable macromodeling, have also been applied successfully to system-level designs. In this paper we review the motivation and architecture of simulation-based analog synthesis tools, and survey a few recent results from industrial designs.
AcFR: Active Face Recognition Using Convolutional Neural Networks

We propose AcFR, an active face recognition system that employs a convolutional neural network and acts consistently with human behaviors in common face recognition scenarios. AcFR comprises two main components—a recognition module and a controller module. The recognition module uses a pre-trained VGG-Face net to extract facial image features along with a nearest neighbor identity recognition algorithm. Based on the results, the controller module can make three different decisions—greet a recognized individual, disregard an unknown individual, or acquire a different viewpoint from which to reassess the subject, all of which are natural reactions when people observe passers-by. Evaluated on the PIE dataset, our recognition module yields higher accuracy on images under closer angles to those saved in memory. The accuracy is viewdependent and it also provides evidence for the proper design of the controller module.
Endoscopic management of anterior and posterior epistaxis

The current management for epistaxis encompasses a wide variety of options that include pressure and intranasal decongestants, nasal packing, chemical and electrical cauterization, endovascular embolization, and surgical ligation of offending vessels. For episodes of epistaxis refractory to the more conservative measures, the use of the rigid endoscope has significantly increased the efficacy of therapeutic techniques by improving visualization of and access to intranasal bleeding sites. This review highlights the endoscopic approach to manage cases of severe epistaxis through direct cauterization, ligation of the sphenopalatine artery, and ligation of the anterior ethmoid artery.
Entropic Anomaly Observed in Lipid Polymorphisms Induced by Surfactant Peptide SP-B(1-25).

The N-terminal 25 amino-acid residues of pulmonary surfactant protein B (SP-B1–25) induces unusual lipid polymorphisms in a model lipid system, 4:1 DPPC/POPG, mirroring the lipid composition of native pulmonary surfactant. It is widely suggested that SP-B1–25-induced lipid polymorphisms within the alveolar aqueous subphase provide a structural platform for rapid lipid adsorption to the air–water interface. Here, we characterize in detail the phase behavior of DPPC and POPG in hydrated lipid assemblies containing therapeutic levels of SP-B1–25 using 2H and 31P solid state NMR spectroscopy. The appearance of a previously observed isotropic lipid phase is found to be highly dependent on the thermal cycling of the samples. Slow heating of frozen samples leads to phase separation of DPPC into a lamellar phase whereas POPG lipids interact with the peptide to form an isotropic phase at physiologic temperature. Rapid heating of frozen samples to room temperature leads to strongly isotropic phase behavior for both...
Detecting soil and plant community changes in restored wetlands using a chronosequence approach

Wetland restoration aims to recreate or enhance valuable ecosystem services lost during wetland destruction. Regaining wetland ecosystem services depends on restarting basic wetland functions, like carbon (C) storage, which are unmeasured in many Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) restoration sites. We collected soil and plant data from 17 WRP sites in western New York that were used for tillage or non-tillage agriculture and then actively restored as isolated depressional wetlands by excavating basins and disabling drainage systems. Sites had been restored for 0–15 years when sampled in August-October 2010. We analyzed data as chronosequences and tested whether soil and vegetation parameters in restored wetlands, over time, (1) departed from pre-restoration baselines, estimated using active agricultural fields paired to each WRP site, and (2) converged towards “natural” benchmarks, estimated from four naturally-occurring wetlands. Restored WRP soils remained similar to agricultural soils in organic matter, density, moisture, and belowground plant biomass across chronosequences, indicating negligible C storage and belowground development for 15 years following restoration. Soil changes were limited in sites restored after both tillage and non-tillage agriculture and throughout the upland meadow, emergent shoreline, and open-water habitat zones that characterize these sites. Many plant metrics like aboveground biomass matched natural wetlands within 15 years, but recovered inconsistently among tilled and untilled sites and across all habitat zones, suggesting land-use history impacts and/or zonation effects. Disparities in recovery times exists between vegetation, which can respond quickly to wetland restoration, and underlying soils, which show limited signs of recovery 15 years after being restored.