cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Quantitative Study of Serum Proteins in Bursectomized and Irradiated Chickens

Abstract Total protein content of chicken serum was found to increase slowly from hatch through 12 weeks of age. Albumin levels rose sharply from hatch until 2–3 weeks of age, while gamma G levels declined until 2–3 weeks of age. At this time the bird apparently attains the ability to produce IgG in appreciable quantities. IgM, which was generally absent or very low at hatching, increased rapidly during the first week of postembryonic life. Both surgical and hormonal bursectomy resulted in a delay in normal IgG production. IgM levels in these two groups were higher than control levels. Transferrin levels were also higher than found in the control groups. Surgical bursectomy plus 700 r. of the whole body gamma- irradiation resulted in decreased total protein content of the serum as well as decreased IgG and IgM levels. Percent albumin levels tended to be higher in bursectomized-irradiated birds than in control birds.
Asset Pricing with Real Investment Commitment

This paper analyzes the equilibrium efiect of investment commitment on excess returns when the representative consumer has Epstein-Zin utility. Investment commitment captures the idea that long-term investment projects require not only current expenditures but also commitment to future expenditures. The general equilibrium efiects of investment commitment and Epstein-Zin preferences generate endogenously time-varying flrst and second moments of consumption growth and stock returns. As a result, the flrst and second moments of expected excess returns are endogenously counter-cyclical, excess returns are predictable, and the equity premium increases by an order of magnitude. This paper also ofiers novel empirical flndings regarding the predictability of returns. In the model, lagged investment arises as a state variable, determining the amount of committed expenditures. In the real and simulated data, the lagged investment rate helps to forecast the mean and volatility of returns even after controlling for size and book-to-market.
A comprehensive approach to cardiac measurements

The solution to the problem of how to make the most accurate cardiac or cardiovasvular diagnosis has followed an interesting path, led largely by the availability of certain types of instrumentation. Characteristically, when a particular methodology or line of thought starts to become entrenched in the minds of investigators, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain an objective point of view. In many cases, researchers take up defensive positions to preserve or protect their particular approach.
First report of Pythium spinosum as a pathogen of watermelon and in association with a dieback of watermelon in southwest Florida.

The objective of the study was to elucidate the identity of pathogens associated with a dieback of mature watermelon vines in Southwest Florida. This is the first report of Pythium spinosum associa...
Simulations of Ge and C Implantations to Form Si1-χGeχ BJT

Simulations of Ge and C implantations in Si were performed to study bandgap grading in the Si1-χGeχ bipolar junction transistor. It was found that a wide-bandgap emitter and a narrow-bandgap base with no discontinuity and desirable bandgap grading were obtainable with implantation. Hence compared to epitaxially grown heterojunction bipolar transistors, these devices are likely to result in better device reliability.
A Probabilistic Analysis of the “Infancy Problem” of Space Launch Vehicles

In this paper, we analyze the probability of failure of space launch systems in their first five launches. The results are based first on frequentist statistics, then on a Bayesian analysis of the early performance of 41 types of rockets including NASA’s shuttle. The Bayesian method proves particularly useful when the experience base is small because it allows estimation of the reliability of a new rocket before the realization of a large number of trials. We compute the probability distribution of the failure rate and its mean (failure probability) based on binary failureIno failure events. Our main conclusions are that the failure probabilities are higher for the first and second launches (∼ 1/3 and ∼ 1/4 respectively) than for subsequent ones — a result that is perhaps lower than sometimes assumed — and remains roughly constant thereafter. Within a family of vehicles (e.g., the Delta’s), the first generation has a higher mean failure rate than the second and third.
Exploring teacher influence on the lives of students fro m diverse elementary schools in a rural Midwestern community

Background. Student achievement and adequate yearly progress (AYP) have practitioners and researchers alike searching for strategies that will sustainable student academic growth. One area of study that may inform practitioners is furthering an understanding of student-teacher relationships for students of di!ering abilities and in di!erent types of schools and situations. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the level of teacher in"uence perceived by #fth grade students from poverty and a$uent schools in a rural midwestern community. Method. Research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, with data collected from 24 semi-structured student interviews. Results. Results indicated similarities between the perceptions of teacher in"uence for students in poverty and a$uent schools on school-related issues, as well as di!erences in perceptions of overall teacher in"uence on their lives, especially on non-school related issues. Conclusions. An implication of the study is that students in poverty tend to have weaker foundational relationships with parents and lack trust of adults in general, and therefore may not have the emotional and psychological building blocks to naturally form strong relationships with teachers. Recommendations include concentrated e!orts in mentoring students of poverty, as well as promoting experiences with in"uential adults in order to build stronger positive relationships both in and out of school.
How should we be treating children with congenital hypothyroidism

Early detection by newborn screening and appropriate L-thyroxine treatment leads to normal or near-normal neurocognitive outcome in infants with congenital hypothyroidism. Many newborns with congenital hypothyroidism have some residual thyroid hormone production, and even in those with athyreosis, transplacental passage of maternal thyroid hormone offers some protection for a time. Given the serum T4 half-life of 6 days, the neonatal T4 level will fall and disappear over the first 2-3 weeks of life. Thus, there is a crucial 'window of opportunity' to correct the hypothyroidism and minimize the time the brain is exposed to hypothyroxinemia. While there are few truly prospective, randomized clinical trials investigating treatment parameters, studies measuring IQ outcome support a starting L-thyroxine dose of 10-15 microg/kg/day. Further, studies show that the most severely hypothyroid infants are at risk for a 5-20 point decrease in IQ. Such infants may benefit from a starting dose of 12-17 microg/kg/d, which has been shown to normalize T4 in 3 days and TSH in 2 weeks. Target serum T4 or free T4 levels appear to be higher in the first two weeks of treatment. Infants require more frequent laboratory monitoring, every 1-2 months in the first 6 months and every 3-4 months until age 3 years, as the developing brain has a critical dependence on thyroid hormone in the first 2-3 years of life.
MILDLY DELETERIOUS MUTATIONS IN AVIAN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA: EVIDENCE FROM NEUTRALITY TESTS.

To determine whether mildly deleterious mutations (MDMs) are present in nonrecombining genomes such as avian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), I analyzed molecular data from 14 studies using the neutrality tests of Tajima (1989a) and McDonald and Kreitman (1991). The presence of MDMs in mtDNA is inferred from trends observed across species in estimates of heterozygosity (θ and π) and by comparisons of polymorphism and divergence using the neutrality index (NI). Assuming neutrality, θ equals π and NI equals one. In this study, however, θ is greater than π more often than expected by chance, which reflects an excess of low-frequency alleles, and NI values presented here and elsewhere are consistently greater than one, which suggests an excess of nonsynonymous mutations within species (polymorphism) relative to between species (divergence). These observations suggest that, within species, there is an excess of rare haplotypes and that these haplotypes are carrying MDMs. The excess rare haplotypes may need to be accounted for when estimating population genetic parameters that assume strict neutrality.
Investigation on the Clonorchis sinensis Infection in Zhaoqing City

Objective To understand the current status of the Clonorchis sinensis infection in Zhaoqing city and to provide scientific basis for the future control work.Method The sampling of individuals was done by the lamination random sampling.Clonorchis sinensis eggs in stool were examined by the improved Kato-Katz’s thick slide method.Result In the whole city,10386 persons were surveyed and 498 were found to be infected with Clonorchis sinensis,with a total infection rate of 4.79%.The infection rates of male and female were 6.01% and 3.51%,respectively.The 50～59 age group showed the highest infection rate,and the infection rate of the key population was far higher than that of the general population.Gaoyao city,with an infection rate of 19.53%,was the most serious endemic area in the whole Zhaoqing city,and the next was Dinghu District,with an infection rate of 11.65%.Conclusion The mountainous counties in Zhaoqing city are low-epidemic areas of clonorchiasis,but the freshwater fish culture areas are the middle-epidemic or high-epidemic areas,including Gaoyao and Dinghu,which are the major areas of our control work against clonorchiasis.In order to lower the infection rate of Clonorchis sinensis and control the epidemic of clonorchiasis in Zhaoqing city,we suggest to enforcing the government in leading,and promoting all sections of the community to participate and taking the comprehensive control measure,mainly including behavior intervention and the survey and treatment to major areas and major crowds.
Action Dystonia in Lesch-Nyhan Disease

The motor disorder associated with Lesch-Nyhan disease (LND) was studied in a total of 44 patients (ages 2 to 38 years) seen at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, and other US and international centers.
Abstract 4366: Identifying novel recurrent mutations reveals candidate actionable mutations

Mutational hotspots indicate selective pressure across a population of tumor samples and drive the dysregulation of proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis in many human tumors. We recently performed a comprehensive analysis of hotspot mutations in 11,000 retrospectively characterized primary untreated cancers, revealing widespread lineage diversity and mutational specificity. Yet, as broad-based clinical sequencing has begun to guide the routine care of patients, most clinically sequenced cancer patients present with recurrent or metastatic solid tumors. Furthermore, such tumors likely possess distinct mutational patterns driven by prior treatment exposure or treatment-associated evolution after diagnosis that are undetectable in primary untreated samples. We therefore sought to expand our analysis to incorporate such prospectively characterized active cancer patients as part of an ongoing initiative at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. With nearly 10,000 patients profiled thus far, this growing prospective dataset with extensive clinical and treatment history is a transformative resource and the largest of its kind. Here, we combined these prospective data with retrospective studies to analyze the somatic mutational landscape of 21,000 cancer patients across 74 cancer types representing the broadest range of human malignancies characterized to date. We developed and applied a biologically and statistically principled computational model to identify hotspots mutated more frequently than would be expected in the absence of selection. This analysis uncovered hundreds of new biologically and therapeutically relevant candidate driver mutations for which targeted agents are currently being investigated in early phase trials. Indeed, we identify several hotspots in key effectors of PI3K and MAPK signaling with differential response in vitro to current investigational therapies suggesting mutant allele-specific therapeutic decisions may be warranted. In total, over half of all hotspot mutations identified were novel, including several novel hotspots in small GTPase RAC1 that are lineage specific and functionally distinct. Understanding the distinct molecular function of these mutations, and the specific mutant alleles at individual codons, is a necessary translational prerequisite for enabling precision oncology through clinical decision support for patients sequenced at the point of care. Citation Format: Matthew T. Chang, Sizhi Paul Gao, Tripti Shrestha Bhattarai, Tambudzai Shamu, Cyriac Kandoth, Saurabh Asthana, Jocelyn S. Chapman, JianJiong Gao, Nicholas D. Socci, Adam B. Olshen, David M. Hyman, Michael F. Berger, David B. Solit, Nikolaus D. Schultz, Barry S. Taylor. Identifying novel recurrent mutations reveals candidate actionable mutations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4366.
Facet-Dependent Oxidative Goethite Growth As a Function of Aqueous Solution Conditions.

Nitroaromatic compounds are groundwater pollutants that can be degraded through reactions with Fe(II) adsorbed on iron oxide nanoparticles, although little is known about the evolving reactivity of the minerals with continuous pollutant exposure. In this work, Fe(II)/goethite reactivity toward 4-chloronitrobenzene (4-ClNB) as a function of pH, organic matter presence, and reactant concentrations was explored using sequential-spike batch reactors. Reaction rate constants were smaller with lower pH, introduction of organic matter, and diluted reactant concentrations as compared to a reference condition. Reaction rate constants did not change with the number of 4-ClNB spikes for all reaction conditions. Under all conditions, oxidative goethite growth was demonstrated through X-ray diffraction, magnetic characterization, and transmission electron microscopy. Nonparametric statistics were applied to compare histograms of lengths and widths of goethite nanoparticles as a function of varied solution conditions. ...
Comparison of wood smoke and cigarette smoke in causing chronic mucous hypersecretion

Introduction: Wood smoke (WS) exposure is associated with increased prevalence of chronic bronchitis and rapid decline in lung function. However, potency of WS and cigarette smoke (CS) in activating mucin gene expression has not been compared. Aims and objectives: We tested the hypothesis that WS is more potent than CS in causing mucous cell metaplasia (MCM). Methods: C57BL/6 mice were exposed for 30 d to filtered air (FA) or CS for 5 days/week and 6 hours/day at 250 mg/m 3 total particulate matter (TPM) or to WS for 2 h/d at 10 mg TPM/m 3 . Extent of MCM was determined in stained lung sections. Mucin gene expression was analyzed by Western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescent staining. Findings were replicated in differentiated primary airway epithelial cultures from human (HAEC) and murine cells (MAECs). Results: WS exposure at 25-fold lower TPM concentrations than CS increased Muc5ac, Muc5b, SPDEF and Bcl-2 mRNAs in the lungs of mice, while these mRNAs were not significantly increased by FA or CS. This increase was accompanied with a 2-fold increase in MCM by WS compared with CS. Combined exposure to CS and WS showed MCM similar to WS alone. In HAEC, WS at 40-fold lower concentration increased levels of Muc5ac, Muc5b, SPDEF and Bcl-2 mRNAs by 2.5-fold more than CS. Further, WS compared with CS showed significantly enhanced activation of ERK1/2 and p53. Inhibition of ERK1/2 with UO126 suppressed WS-induced MUC5B but not MUC5AC mRNA levels, and WS-induced MUC5AC and SPDEF mRNA levels were reduced in p53 -/- compared to p53 +/+ MAECs. Conclusions: Exposure to WS compared to CS causes increased MCM by activating the ERK1/2 and p53 pathways to increase MUC5B and MUC5AC expression, respectively.
Agenda-Setting Through the Television Programming Schedule: An Examination of Major League Baseball on Fox

The core concept of the agenda-setting theoretical model is the transfer of topic salience from the media agenda to the public agenda. Sports leagues need to have their games properly positioned in...
Genes Dysregulated in a Murine Model of Leukemogenesis Comprise a Signature for Identification of Therapeutics in Humans.

The identification of genes and pathways that are critical for the development and maintenance of leukemia is important for designing new anti-leukemia therapeutics. However, selection of aberrantly regulated genes and pathways and the translation of these features into targeted anti-cancer drugs represent a significant challenge. Studies have characterized the various oncogenic lesions associated with leukemia, and have shown that specific combinations of mutations are sufficient to induce malignancy in model systems. Thus, we sought to identify the gene signature arising from the introduction of cooperating oncogenic mutations into non-malignant cells. We hypothesized that compounds capable of maximally antagonizing the aberrant expression of this subset of genes would represent potential anti-leukemia therapeutics. To test this hypothesis, we turned to the use of murine genetics and chemical genomics. To this end, we adapted mouse systems created by retroviral transduction of primary marrow cells with the BCR-ABL translocation alone or in combination with the NUP98-HOXA9 translocation. This approach creates authentic models of chronic and blast crisis myeloid leukemia (CML and bcCML, respectively), which has been shown to closely resemble human disease. Next, we employed flow cytometry to separate the transduced marrow into purified primitive lin- populations of either normal, BCR-ABL+, or BCR-ABL+/NUP98-HOXA9+ cells. Importantly, lin- cells were used to focus specifically on those genes most relevant to leukemic stem and progenitor populations. Microarray gene expression profiling was performed on these purified populations in six independent experiments using the Affymetrix Mouse 430 2.0 platform. Gene expression signatures for each transduced population relative to normal lin- cells were obtained. Next, in silico screening for agents that antagonize these signatures was performed comparing the resulting signatures to a local microarray compendium that included the CMap dataset. Gene expression signatures arising from the introduction of BCR-ABL alone identified traditional chemotherapeutics including cytarabine, etoposide, idarubicin – agents considered less effective against leukemic stem cell populations – as well as agents acting along the PI3 kinase pathway. Surprisingly, drugs shown to antagonize the gene signature derived by the introduction the two oncogenic mutations (BCR-ABL and NUP98-HOXA9) included 15-delta-prostaglandin-J2, celastrol, MG- 132, and parthenolide. Each of these drugs eradicate malignant stem and progenitor cells, while sparing normal cells. Thus, the murine-derived signature successfully identified drugs highly relevant to human disease. Our studies therefore demonstrate the utility of combining gene expression-based drug screening and mouse cancer genetics to reveal novel anti-leukemia compounds in humans. DCH and JMA contributed equally.
Persistent Innovation and Firm Orientations: A Conceptual Framework—An Abstract

Continuous supply of innovations is important for firms to remain profitable in a rapidly changing technological and market environment. This chapter, first, builds on the notion of persistent innovation with reference to approaches to learning about and tracking customer needs, the development of new market offerings, the development and implementation of internal processes, and the development and implementation of specific marketing programs. Second, characteristics that reflect a strong marketing and R&D interface, that is, connectivity, cooperation, knowledge exchange, and knowledge integration, are identified. Third, recognizing that firm orientations, that is, internal customer orientation, market orientation, learning orientation, technology orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation, are important for firms focused on persistent innovation, a conceptual framework that synthesizes relevant literature streams is developed. The framework reveals empirical potential for better understanding of how organizations can continuously innovate for competitive advantage in the marketplace. Discussion and future research directions are provided.
Gradients in Catostomid assemblages along a reservoir cascade

Serial impoundment of major rivers leads to alterations of natural flow dynamics and disrupts longitudinal connectivity. Catostomid fishes (suckers, family Catostomidae) are typically found in riverine or backwater habitats yet are able to persist in impounded river systems. To the detriment of conservation, there is limited information about distribution of catostomid fishes in impounded rivers. We examined the longitudinal distribution of catostomid fishes over 23 reservoirs of the Tennessee River reservoir cascade, encompassing approximately 1600 km. Our goal was to develop a basin-scale perspective to guide conservation efforts. Catostomid species composition and assemblage structure changed longitudinally along the reservoir cascade. Catostomid species biodiversity was greatest in reservoirs lower in the cascade. Assemblage composition shifted from dominance by spotted sucker Minytrema melanops and buffalos Ictiobus spp. in the lower reservoirs to carpsuckers Carpiodes spp. midway through the cascade and redhorses Moxostoma spp. in the upper reservoirs. Most species did not extend the length of the cascade, and some species were rare, found in low numbers and in few reservoirs. The observed gradients in catostomid assemblages suggest the need for basin-scale conservation measures focusing on three broad areas: (1) conservation and management of the up-lake riverine reaches of the lower reservoirs, (2) maintenance of the access to quality habitat in tributaries to the upper reservoirs and (3) reintroductions into currently unoccupied habitat within species' historic distributions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dabbling with Piezo2 for mechanosensation.

Nature has devised various strategies for sensing food so species can coexist and exploit different types of prey. Sharks can detect amino acids in blood as low as 1 ppb, while hawks and buzzards scan the Earth from a height of ∼10,000 feet looking for rodents. However, not all birds rely on their keen sense of sight to acquire food. Albatross hover above the water to smell floating food and foraging ducks utilize sense of touch to capture insects beneath the water. In PNAS, Schneider et al. (1) examine the molecular alterations in vertebrates that lead to diverse types of feeding behavior. They study foraging birds that rely on distinct sensory input: visual (chickens) vs. tactile (ducks and geese). Dabbling ducks utilize their soft bills/beaks to sense food without visual or olfactory cues just like primates can feel touch through fingertips. Sense of touch is primitive and crucial for survival but still the least-understood sensory modality in the vertebrates. Significant efforts are underway to understand mechanosensation at a cellular and molecular level (2). The hairless skin of mammals detects touch and vibration via specialized corpuscles (Meissner and Pacinian) innervated by rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors. In ducks, the tactile information is carried out by Herbst and Grandry corpuscles located in the glabrous skin of bills, tongue, and oral cavity. In a previous study, the authors established that adult duck’s trigeminal neurons produce robust mechanically activated electrical responses in vitro. In addition, trigeminal ganglia from several species of adult tactile foraging birds contain significantly large-diameter cells, which suggested but did not prove the presence of large mechanoreceptor populations (3). The … [↵][1]1Email: ruhma.syeda{at}utsouthwestern.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Antineoplastic Urinary Protein Inhibits Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Angiogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common tumor in human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Recent clinical trials with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) prepared from early pregnancy urine have shown encouraging results in the resolution of KS lesions. A urinary protein with antitumor activity, ANUP (antineoplastic urinary protein), a dimer of 32 kD, has previously been shown to inhibit the growth of various tumor cell lines in vivo. It was thus studied for its activity in KS cell lines in vitro and in vivo to determine whether it could be a source of the anti-KS activity observed in hCG preparations. ANUP is a strong growth inhibitor for KS cell lines, but has little or no effect on fibroblast, aortic smooth muscle, T- and B-lymphocyte, and monocyte cell lines. ANUP also inhibited the proliferation of endothelial cell lines, suggesting that the in vitro effects were endothelial cell lineage-specific. However, ANUP antibodies did not block the inhibitory effect of certain commercial preparations of hCG, previously shown to be active in KS. Thus, the active protein in these commercial preparations of hCG may be distinct from ANUP. The antitumor activity of ANUP was further confirmed in a chicken allantoic membrane (CAM) assay in which vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and beta fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced angiogenesis was inhibited by ANUP in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo activity of ANUP was demonstrated in the murine model of KS, where ANUP inhibited tumor growth. ANUP is thus a potential candidate for development in the treatment of KS and other diseases in which angiogenesis plays an important role.
Predicting Reinforcement and Punishment Behaviors in College Students Coping with Substance Misuse: An Application of Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory

Managing a romantic partner’s substance misuse can be challenging, especially in cases where attempts to show support end up worsening the negative behavior. Understanding what might predict one’s ...
Intelligent Monitoring in a Robotic Assistant for the Elderly

The NurseBot project is developing a mobile robot that is intended to assist elderly people suffering from mild cognitive disorders in their everyday life (see http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~nursebot). One of the main components of the project is intelligent reminding, which is useful when an elderly person has mild memory problems. The robot possesses information about the elder’s daily activities, and monitors their performance, providing reminders when needed. The reminders may address activities that are critical to the elder’s health and safety (taking their medications), as well as activities that support the elder’s general happiness (their favorite TV program). An intellig ent reminder system must be able to analyze its user’s plans and compute a monitoring plan of its own. One of the main aspects of intelligent monitoring is to identify which activities should be monitored. It is infeasible to monitor everything, for several reasons. First, the robot may not be able, or might choose not to follow its user around all the time, for example, it might not enter the user’s bathroom. Second, the kinds of and the accuracy of the sensors may limit the ability of the robot to m onitor certain activities. Third, too much monitoring may annoy the elderly user, who may be attentive to and punctual about certain activities, only requiring monitoring for other activities. Prior work on selecting activities to monitor during plan exe cution (e.g. Pollack and McCarthy 1999) has not focused on these aspects of the problem, but instead has distinguished between environmental changes that influence an existing plan in some way, and those that do not. The intelligent monitoring system we a re developing learns which activities need to be monitored, and when reminders need to be issued. It is initially provided with a detailed representation of the user’s plans, which may be modified, via additions, deletions, or changes, as time
New approaches to understanding double-stranded RNA processing by ribonuclease III purification and assays of homodimeric and heterodimeric forms of RNase III from bacterial extremophiles and mesophiles.

Abstract Ribonuclease III (RNase III) is a double‐stranded (ds)‐RNA–specific endonuclease that plays essential roles in the maturation and decay of coding and noncoding RNAs. Bacterial RNases III are structurally the simplest members of the RNase III family, which includes the eukaryotic orthologs Dicer and Drosha. High‐resolution crystal structures of RNase III of the hyperthermophilic bacteria Aquifex aeolicus and Thermotoga maritima are available. A. aeolicus RNase III also has been cocrystallized with dsRNA or specific hairpin substrates. These structures have provided essential structural insight to the mechanism of dsRNA recognition and cleavage. However, comparatively little is known about the catalytic behaviors of A. aeolicus or T. maritima RNases III. This chapter provides protocols for the purification of A. aeolicus and T. maritima RNases III and also describes the preparation of artificial heterodimers of Escherichia coli RNase III, which are providing new insight on the subunit and domain interactions involved in dsRNA recognition and cleavage.
Collection, Examination, Quality Rating and Storage of Ejaculated Semen

Semen collection is something between a craft and an art, more or less difficult depending upon the animal species that one is working with. Individual experimenters differ greatly in the degree of mastery of techniques that have been elaborated for this purpose over the years; some are demonstrably better at it than others.
The Protective Role of Zinc in Cancer: A Potential Chemopreventive Agent

The essentiality of trace mineral element-zinc in human health has been recognized over several decades. Zinc is known to participate in the activation of approximately 300 enzymes and is involved in the regulation of over 2,000 zinc-dependent transcription factors, which are involved in DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, cell division, and other metabolisms. Early evidence suggested that zinc deficiency can cause growth retardation, delayed sexual maturation, depressed immune response, and cause abnormal cognitive functions. A large body of epidemiological and clinical studies demonstrates that zinc deficiency is associated with the increased risk of some cancers, such as prostate, esophageal and oral cancers. The data from in vitro and in vivo studies clearly suggest that zinc may play a protective role in the development and progression of cancer; however, the exact mechanism of zinc action in carcinogenesis is not fully understood. A large number of studies have demonstrated that zinc deficiency induces inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, apoptosis and cellular dysfunction, disrupts DNA-protein interaction, and depresses the functioning of T cell mediated immune response. Zinc supplementation reverses these adverse effects, suggesting that the anti-tumor effect of zinc could be potentially due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, DNA and protein integrity, T-cell immune response, and other properties. Therefore, zinc may be implicated as a chemopreventive agent as summarized in this article.
A Dictionary Matching Algorithm Fast on the Average for Terms of Varying Length

We examine the exact dictionary matching problem with dynamic text and static terms and propose a simple but efficient algorithm with sublinear (in size of text) average performance for a wide range of practical problems. The algorithm is based on the Commentz-Walter-Horspool algorithm (CWH), presented by Baeza-Yates and Re‘gnier [101. Typically, our refinement will prune out more than 30% of characters scanned by CWH, when searching for all occurrences of tags, which are of varying lengths and members of a set of moderate size, in natural language text. This problem arises frequently in practice in scanning text downloaded from the internet, and accounts for a major portion of the preprocessing time associated with indexing such text for later retrieval. Our approach, which we refer to as layering, keeps track of an upper bound on the maximal length of potential term prefixes ending at each given position in the text. This information is then used to mask out some of the terms and filter out unnecessary character comparisons during the search. A practical implementation is described, which increases the size of the existing data structures as well as the preprocessing cost only by a factor of the size of the longest term in the set.
An unusual case of ANP amyloid associated with atrial thrombus

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is synthesized and stored in the endocrine granules of atrial myocytes. It has diuretic, natriuretic and vasodilatory properties and is released due to increased at...
History and Background of End-of-Life Decision-Making and Culture

This admonition from members of the Navajo community arose in response to the discussions of terminal illness and a patient’s desire for life-support—both of which are implicit topics in discussions of advance directives.
The impact of two types of CEO overcompensation on corporate social responsibility

This article explores the impact of two types of CEO overcompensation—internal and external overcompensation—on the socially responsible activities of firms. Using a panel dataset of U.S. firms, this study tests its hypotheses and finds that CEO internal overcompensation discourages corporate social responsibility (CSR), due to strong CEO internal dominance and power in achieving CEO’s short-term career goals. By contrast, CEO external overcompensation promotes CSR performance because of CEOs interests in maintaining status and reputation in the industry. Moreover, when firm financial performance is good, the relation between internal overcompensation and CSR performance becomes positive, while older CEO and high industry-level CSR performance strengthens the relation between external overcompensation and CSR performance. In sum, contradicting CSR performance levels, resulting from different types of CEO overcompensation, are supported by our analyses. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.
Non-Hermitian complimentary acoustic metamaterials for imaging through skull

Complimentary metamaterials are designed to facilitate full acoustic transmission through highly mismatched impedance barriers. Applied to biomedical acoustics, complimentary metamaterials theoretically enable unidirectional acoustic transmission through the skull to realize noninvasive brain imaging and facilitate neural ultrasound therapies. Previously designed complimentary acoustic metamaterials relied on the realization of negative material parameters opposite to that of the skull to cancel the impedance mismatch effect. However, much of the incident acoustic energy is dissipated due to the skull’s internal porosity, preventing full energy transmission. To resolve this issue, we propose to counteract the skull’s acoustic attenuating effects with a non-Hermitian complimentary metamaterial (NHCMM) having an active gain circuit to achieve high acoustic transmission at high frequencies. In addition to the full wave simulations showing near perfect transmission from either side of the skull, the NHCMM preserves imaging information for objects inside the skull, and enhances the focused acoustic energy used for focused ultrasound therapies. By facilitating two-way acoustic transmission through the skull with NHCMMs, we lay the foundation for noninvasive brain imaging and treatment for neural disorders.
Catalysis at Metal/Oxide Interfaces: Density Functional Theory and Microkinetic Modeling of Water Gas Shift at Pt/MgO Boundaries

The impact of metal/oxide interfaces on the catalytic properties of oxide-supported metal nanoparticles is a topic of longstanding interest in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. The significance of the metal/oxide interaction has been shown to vary according to both the inherent reactivity of the metal nanoparticle and the properties of the oxide support, with effects such as the metal d-band center, the nanoparticle shape, and the reducibility of the oxide believed to contribute to the overall system reactivity. In recent years, the water gas shift (WGS) reaction, wherein carbon monoxide and water are converted to carbon dioxide and hydrogen, has emerged as a model chemistry to probe the molecular-level details of how catalysis can be promoted in such environments, and this reaction is the focus of the present contribution. Using a combination of periodic Density Functional Theory calculations and microkinetic modeling, we present a comprehensive analysis of the WGS mechanism at the interface between a quasi-one dimensional platinum nanowire and an irreducible MgO support. The nanowire is lattice matched to the MgO support to remove spurious strain at the metal/oxide interface, and reactions both on the nanowire and at the three-phase boundary itself are considered in the mechanistic analysis. Additionally, to elucidate the consequences of adsorbate–adsorbate interactions on the WGS chemistry, an ab-initio thermodynamic analysis of CO coverage is performed, and the impact of the higher coverage CO states on the reaction chemistry is explicitly evaluated. These results are combined with detailed calculations of adsorbate entropies and dual-site microkinetic modeling to determine the kinetically significant features of the WGS reaction network which are subsequently, validated through experimental measurements of apparent reaction orders and activation barrier. The analysis demonstrates the important role that the metal/oxide interface plays in the reaction, with the water dissociation step being facile at the interface compared to the pure metal or oxide surfaces. Further, explicit consideration of CO interactions with other adsorbates at the metal/oxide interface is found to be central to correctly determining reaction mechanisms, rate determining steps, reaction orders, and effective activation barriers. These results are captured in a closed-form Langmuir–Hinshelwood model, derived from a simplified version of the complete microkinetic analysis, which reveals, among other results, that the celebrated carboxyl mechanism of Mavrikakis and coworkers is the governing pathway when accounting for reaction-relevant CO coverages.
Olivia Health Analytic Platform

Olivia is a health analytical platform that enables exploration between a wide range of features such as regional and socio-economical properties and the severity of COVID-19 outbreak. It uses different visualization techniques to demonstrate the correlations and temporal changes in an efficient manner. It also provides means of crowdsourcing knowledge by allowing individuals to submit their findings to the system to be shared with everyone. Olivia has a Machine Learning backbone that provides prediction capabilities.
MgC2H2 isomers – simple penta-atomic molecules missing in the laboratory

Abstract Three isomers of MgC2H2, magnesaprop-2-yne (1), magnesapropadiene (2), and magnesacyclopropene (3), have been theoretically characterized using density functional theory and coupled-cluster methods. Experimental data are currently not available for all the three isomers (1, 2, and 3) of MgC2H2 studied here. Thus, energetic and spectroscopic information have been documented through high-level quantum chemical calculations, which may encourage experimental studies on these simple organomagnesium molecules. Considering the presence of MgCCH in IRC + 10216, it is hypothesized that some of the isomers of MgC2H2 are potential target molecules for both laboratory molecular spectroscopic and radioastronomical studies. It is noted here that the dipole moment value for 1 is ~ 0.0094 Debye at the ae-CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pCVTZ level of theory. Relative stabilities of the cations, MgC2 H 2 + , have also been briefly stated.
Acute cardiovascular response to unilateral, bilateral, and alternating resistance exercise with blood flow restriction.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) exercise is a common alternative to traditional high-load resistance exercise used to increase muscle size and strength. Some populations utilizing BFR at a low load may wish to limit their cardiovascular response to exercise. Different contraction patterns may attenuate the cardiovascular response, but this has not been compared using BFR. To compare the cardiovascular response to unilateral (UNI), bilateral (BIL), and alternating (ALT) BFR exercise contraction patterns. Twenty healthy participants performed four sets (30 s rest) of knee extensions to failure, using 30% one-repetition maximum, 40% arterial occlusion pressure, and each of the three contraction patterns (on different days, at the same time of day, separated by 2–10 days, randomized). Cardiovascular responses, presented as pre- to post-exercise mean changes (SD), were measured using pulse wave analysis and analyzed with Bayesian RMANOVA. ALT caused greater changes in: aortic systolic [ΔmmHg: ALT = 21(8); UNI = 13(11); BIL = 15(8); BF10 = 29.599], diastolic [ΔmmHg: ALT = 13(8); UNI = 7(11); BIL = 8(8); BF10 = 5.175], and mean arterial [ΔmmHg: ALT = 19(8); UNI = 11(11); BIL = 13(7); BF10 = 48.637] blood pressures. Aortic [ΔmmHg bpm: ALT = 4945(2340); UNI = 3294(1408); BIL = 3428 (1461); BF10 = 113.659] and brachial [ΔmmHg bpm: ALT = 6134(2761); UNI = 4300(1709); BIL = 4487(1701); BF10 = 31.845] rate pressure products, as well as heart rate [Δbpm: ALT = 26(14); UNI = 19(8); BIL = 19(11); BF10 = 5.829] were greatest with ALT. Augmentation index [Δ%: UNI = -6(13); BIL = − 7(11); ALT = − 5(16); BF10 = 0.155] and wave reflection magnitude [Δ%: UNI = − 5(9); BIL = − 4(7); ALT = − 4(7); BF10 = 0.150] were not different. Those at risk of a cardiovascular event may choose unilateral or bilateral BFR exercise over alternating until further work determines the degree to which it can be tolerated.
Toward Accurate Sensing with Knitted Fabric: Applications and Technical Considerations

Fabric sensors have been introduced to enable flexible touch-based interaction. We advance the technical capabilities of a scalable and low-profile knitted capacitive touch sensing system by introducing methods to improve its touch localization accuracy. The sensor hardware design tends toward minimalism by using a single conductive yarn and two external connections located at each endpoint. Fewer connectors simplify the textile system integration, but this comes at the expense of reduced signal information output from the system. The electrical continuity of the sensing element, essential to the process of knitting, also increases the uncertainty of localizing touch. We propose using Bode analysis to measure changes in signal due to capacitive touch, as well as design a new algorithm, MSD, which retains the most significant aspects of the signal in terms of touch location identification. We do not classify location of touch, but focus on an invariant signal representation. To evaluate our methods, we introduce ELD, a distance metric to compute the similarity of pairs of key-presses, generalizable to computing distances of tensors of varying lengths. Our experiments show that the proposed sensing method results in high-fidelity signals. Furthermore, the sparse representation of key-presses produced by MSD significantly increases separability between different touch locations. Possible applications based on these sensors are also illustrated through prototypes and use case descriptions.
Estimating the Impact of Research Practitioner Partnerships on evidence-based Program Implementation*

Evidence-based program implementation in criminal justice and community settings is complex and rarely encounters an ideal set of conditions. Implementation failure may be more common than success,...
Mindfulness in Motion and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) in Hypertensive African Americans.

Objectives Hypertension increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. This pilot study's purpose was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel intervention, Mindfulness in Motion (MIM) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension DASH (MIM DASH), to improve diet, mindfulness, stress, and systolic blood pressure (BP) in older African Americans with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and hypertension. Design Cluster randomized controlled trial. Setting Intergenerational community center in a large metropolitan area. Participants African Americans with MCI and hypertension. Participants were divided into six groups randomized 1:1:1 to the MIM DASH group, attention only (non-hypertensive education) group, or true control group. The MIM DASH and attention only interventions were delivered in 8-weekly 2 hour group sessions. MIM included mindful movements from chair/standing, breathing exercises, and guided meditation. The DASH component used a critical thinking approach of problem solving, goal setting, reflection, and self-efficacy. The true control group received a DASH pamphlet at the end. Measurements Feasibility was tracked through enrollment and attendance records; acceptability was assessed through interviews. Blood pressure was measured using the Omron HEM-907XL Monitor. Dietary intake was measured by DASH-Q. Mindfulness was measured by the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale. Stress was measured by the Perceived Stress Scale. MCI was determined using the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination. Data were collected at baseline and 3-months. Results Median session attendance was six for the MIM DASH group and six for the attention only group. There were no changes in diet, mindfulness, or stress. There was a clinically significant reduction in systolic BP in the MIM DASH group (-7.2 mmHg) relative to the attention only group (-.7), and no change between the MIM DASH and true control groups. Conclusion Results indicate that the MIM DASH intervention was feasible and culturally acceptable in African Americans with hypertension and MCI.
Transnational litigation against the mandatory death penalty and anti-sodomy laws: a new Commonwealth human rights strategy?

In the Commonwealth, courts engage in transnational judicial dialogue on death penalty abolition and decriminalisation of homosexuality. Strategic litigation uses similarities in colonial-era laws ...
Online education in the post-COVID era

The coronavirus pandemic has forced students and educators across all levels of education to rapidly adapt to online learning. The impact of this — and the developments required to make it work — could permanently change how education is delivered.