cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamics study of single-stranded DNA in aqueous solution confined in a nanopore

Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to study the molecular behaviours of single-strand DNA molecules in aqueous solution in a cylindrical pore of 2–3 nm diameter. We examined the solvent and the ion distribution in the nanopore. We studied the conformational properties of the single-strand DNA and the dependence of the conformation on the diameter of the nanopore and on the length of the single-stranded DNA, and the interaction between the single-stranded DNA and the ions. We found that the ions in the nanopore show a preference to the centre of the pore. In addition, the sodium ions exhibit an oscillatory density distribution in the radial direction correlated with the density distribution of the water molecules. The end-to-end distance, and the orientation of the end-to-end vector of the single-stranded DNA are strongly affected by the confinement. The counter-ions adsorb strongly to the charged sites on the single-stranded DNA, most dominantly the backbone phosphate groups. There exist...
Rickettsia massiliae and Rickettsia conorii Israeli Spotted Fever Strain Differentially Regulate Endothelial Cell Responses

Rickettsiae primarily target microvascular endothelial cells. However, it remains elusive how endothelial cell responses to rickettsiae play a role in the pathogenesis of rickettsial diseases. In the present study, we employed two rickettsial species with high sequence homology but differing virulence to investigate the pathological endothelial cell responses. Rickettsia massiliae is a newly documented human pathogen that causes a mild spotted fever rickettsiosis. The "Israeli spotted fever" strain of R. conorii (ISF) causes severe disease with a mortality rate up to 30% in hospitalized patients. At 48 hours post infection (HPI), R. conorii (ISF) induced a significant elevation of IL-8 and IL-6 while R. massiliae induced a statistically significant elevated amount of MCP-1 at both transcriptional and protein synthesis levels. Strikingly, R. conorii (ISF), but not R. massiliae, caused a significant level of cell death or injury in HMEC-1 cells at 72 HPI, demonstrated by live-dead cell staining, annexin V staining and lactate dehydrogenase release. Monolayers of endothelial cells infected with R. conorii (ISF) showed a statistically significant decrease in electrical resistance across the monolayer compared to both R. massiliae-infected and uninfected cells at 72 HPI, suggesting increased endothelial permeability. Interestingly, pharmacological inhibitors of caspase-1 significantly reduced the release of lactate dehydrogenase by R. conorii (ISF)-infected HMEC-1 cells, which suggests the role of caspase-1 in mediating the death of endothelial cells. Taken together, our data illustrated that a distinct proinflammatory cytokine profile and endothelial dysfunction, as evidenced by endothelial cell death/injury and increased permeability, are associated with the severity of rickettsial diseases.
Cre-dependent selection yields AAV variants for widespread gene transfer to the adult brain

Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) are commonly used vehicles for in vivo gene transfer. However, the tropism repertoire of naturally occurring AAVs is limited, prompting a search for novel AAV capsids with desired characteristics. Here we describe a capsid selection method, called Cre recombination-based AAV targeted evolution (CREATE), that enables the development of AAV capsids that more efficiently transduce defined Cre-expressing cell populations in vivo. We use CREATE to generate AAV variants that efficiently and widely transduce the adult mouse central nervous system (CNS) after intravenous injection. One variant, AAV-PHP.B, transfers genes throughout the CNS with an efficiency that is at least 40-fold greater than that of the current standard, AAV9 (refs. 14,15,16,17), and transduces the majority of astrocytes and neurons across multiple CNS regions. In vitro, it transduces human neurons and astrocytes more efficiently than does AAV9, demonstrating the potential of CREATE to produce customized AAV vectors for biomedical applications.
Study of the T ( p , n ) He 3 and Li 7 ( p , n ) Be 7 Reactions

Absolute total ($p, n$) cross sections for the $\mathrm{T}(p, n){\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ and ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}(p, n){\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ reactions have been remeasured from threshold to 2.4 Mev, with special attention to the cross section near threshold. The $\mathrm{T}(p, n){\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ total cross section follows the behavior expected from either direct interaction or Breit-Wigner analysis over most of the range studied. Departure from predicted behavior occurs below ${E}_{p}(\mathrm{lab})=1.10$ Mev. The ${\mathrm{Li}}^{7}(p, n){\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ cross section can be fitted over the entire energy range studied by assuming a broad ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ resonance near threshold, a ${3}^{+}$ resonance at 2.25 Mev, and a small reaction background due to distant $l=1$ resonances. The usual assumption of equal reduced widths for neutron and proton, however, cannot be used. Data for both reactions extrapolate to the values determined by reciprocity from the inverse reactions with thermal neutrons.
Density of Milled and Unprocessed Refuse

Of concern in landfilling for solid waste disposal is minimizing landfill space requirements by maximizing solid waste density. This paper presents the results of investigations into the effect on density of such factors as shredding the refuse, refuse moisture content, landfill machine static pressure and vibrations, machine compaction time, savings in cover soil resulting from the smoother face using milled refuse, and container wall effects during laboratory testing. Milling was shown to increase the density of residential-light commercial solid waste by 15% over unprocessed refuse (dry weight, field scale, equal compactive effort). Laboratory data indicated that the numerical increase in density is approximately constant over a wide pressure range, which means that the percentage increase would decrease at higher applied pressures. The effective refuse density in a landfill (pounds refuse per cubic yard landfill space) increased to 29% by shredding when no daily cover was used, compared to unprocessed refuse, covered daily.
A Statistical Study of Urbanization

story of the Fall of Man, the story of what happened to Adam and Eve. But the theme is the nature of justice, the relation of human will to Divine Will, the relation of Good to Evil .... It is conceivable that Milton might have used another subject, though probably one not as effective, for the vehicle of his theme."23 In a similar way we might say of Mr. Warren that his theme is human guilt and inescapable evil in the nature of man and the world, that he has used as the vehicle of that theme, various subjects, including Huey Long, the Beauchamp-Sharpe murder case, and the theological concept of "Original Sin," and that he has expressed this theme through these subjecis, using his various and impressive talents as poet, novelist, and dramatist. In a similar way, William Faulkner has used his novelistic talent to imprison in stories of impotent perverts, homicidal Negroes, Snopeses, and gallant Confederate soldiers a theme so close to Milton's that we might call the vast Yoknapatawpha County legend a Southern Paradise Lost. Now what I am suggesting about the Fugitives is that their theme is drawn from the culture of their region; it is, in fact, the qualities I have equated with the old order which constitute that theme. When, as Agrarians, they espoused an apparent return to Cash's "Cloud-Cockoo Land" they were in fact using the Old South as subject rather than as theme. In their attempt to rally the South to stem the tide of materialism and to give it "belief rather than doubt, conviction rather than skepticism, loyalty rather than distrust," as Harry Ashmore has shown24 they were making a literary use of economics and politics-they were, indeed, feebly enacting as amateur sociologists what they were later to realize magnificently as art. That their Agrarian effort was unhappy was inevitable. Yet their response was sensitive and artistically intelligent to the currents of their day. And they have given us a better literature, a more informed criticism, and a greater wealth of good poetry than we might have expected from their half ludicrous public stanches. They have taught us, too, that artists respond to the pressures of their culture, not by making political gestures or by accurate reporting, but by imprisoniing through their talent its themes in its subjects. The Southern talent has found its themes in a combination of regional tradition and the inner self and its subjects have come from the history and the soil of the South.
Childhood Sexual Abuse, HPA Axis Regulation, and Mental Health: An Integrative Review

Adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Animal studies suggest that dysregulated biological stress systems are a potential mechanism, but there are multiple challenges involved in conducting translational studies in humans. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to determine the state of the science of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation in adults who experienced CSA, with a focus on the health outcomes of MDD and PTSD. A variety of methods for HPA axis measurement were used in the 10 reviewed studies. The results suggested that changes in HPA axis regulation are present in many adults who experienced CSA-with and without a current MDD or PTSD diagnosis. Further research is needed to verify these findings. The review results can help researchers determine research strategies that will optimize scarce subject and financial resources.
Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Determination of Degradation in Vegetable Oils Used To Fry Various Foods

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic methods for measuring degradation products, including total polar materials (TPMs) and free fatty acids (FFAs), in soy-based frying oil used for frying various foods have been successfully developed. Calibration models were developed using forward stepwise multiple linear regression (FSMLR) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression techniques and then tested with an independent set of validation samples. The results show that the quality of oil used for frying different foods can be measured with a single model. First-derivative treatments improved results for TPM measurement. In addition, PLS models gave better prediction results than FSMLR models. For PLS models, the best correlations (r) between the NIR -predicted data and the chemical method data for TPMs and FFAs in oils were 0.995 and 0.981, respectively. For FSMLR models, the best r values for TPMs and FFAs in oils were 0.993 and 0.963, respectively.
Physical chemistry quality analysis of red 'Fuji' apple

165samples of 'Fuji' apple produced in 55 main apple production counties in China were examined.The average value of fruit hardiness was 7.50 kg/cm2,soluble solids content 13.50%,and total acid 0.306%.Compared the result of 1995 with that of 1999,the physical chemistry quality of 'Fuji' apples was declined little.The main factors influencing the quality were analyzed briefly.
What is the diagnostic value of head MRI after negative head CT in ED patients presenting with symptoms atypical of stroke

The diagnostic value of head magnetic resonance imaging after negative head computed tomography for emergency department patients with vague neurologic symptoms, such as dizziness and altered mental status, remains an ongoing discussion. The objective of this study is to detect the subgroup of patients with such presentations having minor strokes whom may benefit from primary and secondary stroke prevention. We conducted a retrospective analysis and stratified patient risk factors associated with positive findings on subsequent head MRI ordered by the emergency department physician following a normal head CT. Two hundred fifty-two patients presenting with atypical stroke symptoms to the emergency department had a negative head CT followed by head MRI within 24 h ordered by emergency department clinician (123 males and 129 females; mean age of 59.4). Twenty nine of the 252 patients (11.5 %) had findings of acute to subacute infarct on the subsequent MRI. Positive MRI findings were statistically correlated with the following variables: age (p < 0.001), history of hyperlipidemia (p = 0.019), hypertension (p < 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.004), anticoagulation use (p = 0.029), and prior transient ischemic attack or stroke (p < 0.001). The mean age of the MRI-positive group was 74.1 years, with a mean difference of 16.7 ± 2.4 years more than the MRI-negative group (95 % CI, 11.8-21.5 years) (t = 6.8, p < 0.001). Emergency physicians caring for patients with vague neurologic complaints should maintain a lower threshold for ordering a head MRI despite a negative head CT for elderly patients with a history of prior stroke or transient ischemic attack to exclude a CT occult or minor ischemic stroke.
Supported lipid bilayers as models for studying membrane domains.

Abstract Supported lipid bilayers have been in use for over 30 years. They have been employed to study the structure, composition, and dynamics of lipid bilayer phases, the binding and distribution of soluble, integral, and lipidated proteins in membranes, membrane fusion, and interactions of membranes with elements of the cytoskeleton. This review focuses on the unique ability of supported lipid bilayers to study liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered domains in membranes. We highlight methods to produce asymmetric lipid bilayers with lipid compositions that mimic those of the extracellular and cytoplasmic leaflets of cell membranes and the functional reconstitution of membrane proteins into such systems. Questions related to interleaflet domain coupling and membrane protein activation have been addressed and answered using advanced reconstitution and imaging procedures in symmetric and asymmetric supported membranes with and without coexisting lipid phase domains. Previously controversial topics regarding anomalous and anisotropic diffusion in membranes have been resolved by using supported membrane approaches showing that the propensity of certain lipid compositions to form “rafts” are important but overlaid with “picket-fence” interactions that are imposed by a subtended cytoskeletal network.
Dynamic characteristics of cardiac R-R intervals during sleep and waking states.

Traditional assessment of cardiac R-R intervals during sleep-wake states uses summary statistics such as mean and interquartile range. Such summary statistics are less able to provide information about instantaneous or dynamic aspects of beat-to-beat control. We examined state-dependent beat-to-beat patterning by plotting each cardiac R-R interval against the previous interval (Poincare plots). This procedure provides an indication of the probability of occurrence of one interval from its predecessor and allows assessment of dynamic properties of R-R interval variation. Cardiac R-R intervals were determined over 5-12-minute periods of wakefulness (AW), quiet sleep (QS) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM) from six cats; each interval was plotted on the y-axis against the previous value on the x-axis resulting in an RRn + 1 vs. RRn plot. These plots provided evidence that the correlation between an interval and its successor was greater in REM than in QS, even though the overall range was greater in REM. The results suggest that short-term cardiac control during REM may be influenced by more closely regulated mechanisms than suggested by classic concepts.
TCT-816 Trend of Utilization & Procedural Outcomes of Endomyocardial Biopsy in United States: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Based Study

There is limited data on recent trends of utilization and procedural outcomes of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) in the United States. In this report we aim to study the nationwide trends in the performance EMB and in-hospital outcomes using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. NIS data was
Doughnuts reveal life's secrets

Even the great Isaac Newton – taking a break from celestial matters by sipping a cup of coffee under his favourite apple tree – might have been stymied by one mundane question. How, he may have wondered, do you dunk a doughnut to achieve nirvana – that is perfect softness and flavour – without losing part of the doughnut in the coffee? Along with boiling an egg, turning a wrench and adding up a shopping bill, this is surely one of those little moments in life that might be improved by applying some of our cosmic scientific understanding right here on Earth.
An Integrated Combustor-Thermoelectric Micro Power Generator

This paper reports a micromachined thermoelectric (TE) power generator based on catalytic combustion in a micromachined combustion chamber. The 2mm×8mm×0.5mm combustion chamber is covered by a dielectric diaphragm supported on a silicon substrate that is bonded to a glass substrate. The generator integrates polysilicon-Pt thermopiles on the diaphragm to take advantage of high combustion temperature as well as excellent thermal isolation of the diaphragm. Combustion of hydrogen and air mixture is self-sustained inside the combustor after ignition and output power level of ∼1µW/thermocouple has been obtained. Temperature measurements indicate that power level of 10µW/thermocouple could be achieved by slight geometric modification to fully exploit the high temperature gradient of combustion on diaphragm.
Waveform Window #38: EEG Stages of Neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy: From Background Suppression to Resolution of Neonatal Seizures.

EEG testing is frequently ordered when there is a clinical suspicion of seizures or when a patient is placed on a hypothermia protocol following anoxic brain injury. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy...
Combination Antifungal Therapy: A Review of Current Data

The incidence of invasive fungal infections has been on the rise, particularly in transplant recipients and in patients with hematological malignancies and other forms of immunosuppression. There is a mismatch between the rate of antifungal resistance and the development of new antifungal agents. Based on this, the idea of combining antifungals in the treatment of invasive fungal infections appears tempting for many clinicians, particularly after many in vitro studies showed synergism between many antifungal agents. Several randomized controlled trials have been published regarding the efficacy and safety of combination of antifungals, but the high cost, the limited number of cases and the multitude of confounding factors lead in some instances to weak and sometimes contradictory results. The lack of consensus in many clinical scenarios raises the importance of the need for more studies about combination antifungal therapies and should incite infectious disease societies to develop specific recommendations for the clinicians to follow while approaching patients with invasive fungal infections.
Yoga for Military Veterans with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is prevalent, especially among military veterans. Many cLBP treatment options have limited benefits and are accompanied by side effects. Major efforts to reduce opioid use and embrace nonpharmacological pain treatments have resulted. Research with community cLBP patients indicates that yoga can improve health outcomes and has few side effects. The benefits of yoga among military veterans were examined. Design Participants were randomized to either yoga or delayed yoga treatment in 2013–2015. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months. Intention-to-treat analyses occurred in 2016. Setting/Participants One hundred and fifty military veterans with cLBP were recruited from a major Veterans Affairs Medical Center in California. Intervention Yoga classes (with home practice) were led by a certified instructor twice weekly for 12 weeks, and consisted primarily of physical postures, movement, and breathing techniques. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was Roland−Morris Disability Questionnaire scores after 12 weeks. Pain intensity was identified as an important secondary outcome. Results Participant characteristics were mean age 53 years, 26% were female, 35% were unemployed or disabled, and mean back pain duration was 15 years. Improvements in Roland−Morris Disability Questionnaire scores did not differ between the two groups at 12 weeks, but yoga participants had greater reductions in Roland−Morris Disability Questionnaire scores than delayed treatment participants at 6 months −2.48 (95% CI= −4.08, −0.87). Yoga participants improved more on pain intensity at 12 weeks and at 6 months. Opioid medication use declined among all participants, but group differences were not found. Conclusions Yoga improved health outcomes among veterans despite evidence they had fewer resources, worse health, and more challenges attending yoga sessions than community samples studied previously. The magnitude of pain intensity decline was small, but occurred in the context of reduced opioid use. The findings support wider implementation of yoga programs for veterans. Trial registration This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02524158.
An exact test for comparing a fixed quantitative property between gene sets.

Motivation A significant difference in the distribution of a feature between two gene sets can provide insight into function or regulation. This statistical setting differs from much of hypothesis testing theory because the genome is often considered to be effectively fixed, finite and entirely known in commonly studied organisms, such as human. The Mann-Whitney U test is commonly employed in this scenario despite the assumptions of the test not being met, leading to unreliable and generally underpowered results. Permutation tests are also commonly employed for this purpose, but are computationally burdensome and are not tractable for obtaining small P values or for multiple comparisons. Results We present an exact test for the null hypothesis that gene set membership is independent of the quantitative gene feature of interest. We derive an analytic expression for the randomization distribution of the median of the quantitative feature under the null hypothesis. Efficient implementation permits calculation of precise P values of arbitrary magnitude and makes thousands of simultaneous tests of transcriptome-sized gene sets computationally tractable. The flexibility of the hypothesis testing framework presented permits extension to a variety of related tests commonly found in genomics. The exact test is used to identify signatures of translation control and protein function in the human genome. Availability and implementation The exact test presented here is implemented in R in the package kpmt available on CRAN. Contact map2085@med.cornell.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Abstract 15804: Utility of Multi-modal Imaging in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis

Introduction: Definitive echocardiographic evidence is a major criterion for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis by modified Duke Criteria. Pulmonary valve infectious endocarditis (PVIE), however, can be challenging to identify by echo. We sought to evaluate the added utility of multimodal imaging in PVIE. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographic, laboratory, imaging, clinical, and surgical data from patients diagnosed with PVIE (2008-2015). All patients had undergone TEE as well as cardiac MRI or PET/CT and had Duke major and minor criteria evaluated. Results: A total of 17 patients were identified with definite PVIE (76 % male and ages 4-70 years). Fourteen patients had congenital heart disease with RV to PA conduits; 3 with subsequent transcatheter pulmonary valve implant. Overall, 15/17 (88%) had positive blood cultures: strep spp 6, staph spp 5, HACEK spp 3, enterococcus 1. Only 9/ 17 demonstrated TEE evidence of PVIE. In 8 cases, TEE was negative but showed new PV obstruction and evidence of PVIE was subsequently seen by PET/CT (n=5; see figure, arrow denotes area of abnormality) or cardiac MRI (n=3). Multimodal imaging was significantly better than TEE alone for detection of PVIE (17/17 versus 9/17, p=0.001). PVIE was confirmed by surgery in 14 cases. Conclusion: The ability to detect endocardial involvement in PVIE by echocardiography is poor, but echo is helpful in identifying new obstruction. Multimodal imaging improves the ability to preoperatively identify endocardial involvement in PVIE. Consideration should be given for PVIE to revise Duke criteria to include new obstruction and endocardial involvement by multimodal imaging.
The Co-Occurrence of Asexuality and Self-Reported Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Diagnosis and Sexual Trauma Within the Past 12 Months Among U.S. College Students

An increasing number of individuals identify as asexual. It is important to understand the relationship between a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or a history of sexual trauma co-occurs with asexual identity. We aimed to assess whether identification as asexual was associated with greater likelihood for self-reported PTSD diagnosis and history of sexual trauma within the past 12 months. Secondary data analysis was undertaken of a cross-sectional survey of 33,385 U.S. college students (12,148 male, 21,237 female), including 228 self-identified asexual individuals (31 male, 197 female), who completed the 2015-2016 Healthy Minds Study. Measures included assessment of self-report of prior professional diagnosis of PTSD and self-report of prior sexual trauma in the past year. Among non-asexual participants, 1.9% self-reported a diagnosis of PTSD and 2.4% reported a history of sexual trauma in the past 12 months. Among the group identified as asexual, 6.6% self-reported a diagnosis of PTSD and 3.5% reported a history of sexual assault in the past 12 months. Individuals who identified as asexual were more likely to report a diagnosis of PTSD (OR 4.44; 95% CI 2.32, 8.50) and sexual trauma within the past 12 months (OR 2.52; 95% CI 1.20, 5.27), compared to non-asexual individuals. These differences persisted after including sex of the participants in the model, and the interaction between asexual identification and sex was not significant in either case. Asexual identity was associated with greater likelihood of reported PTSD diagnosis and reported sexual trauma within the past 12 months. Implications for future research on asexuality are discussed.
Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Behaviors: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study.

Introduction There are known racial differences in cardiovascular health behaviors, including smoking, physical activity, and diet quality. A better understanding of these differences may help identify intervention targets for reducing cardiovascular disease disparities. This study examined whether socioeconomic, psychosocial, and neighborhood environmental factors, in isolation or together, mediate racial differences in health behaviors. Methods Participants were 3,081 men and women from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study who were enrolled in 1985–1986 (Year 0) and completed a follow-up examination in 2015–2016 (Year 30). A health behavior score was created at Years 0, 7, 20, and 30 using smoking, physical activity, and diet assessed that year. The race difference in health behavior score was estimated using linear regression in serial cross-sectional analyses. Mediation analyses computed the proportion of the race and health behavior score association attributable to socioeconomic, psychosocial, and neighborhood factors. Results Data analysis conducted in 2016–2017 found that blacks had significantly lower health behavior scores than whites across 30 years of follow-up. Individual socioeconomic factors mediated 48.9%–70.1% of the association between race and health behavior score, psychosocial factors 20.3%–30.0%, and neighborhood factors 22.1%–41.4% (p Conclusions Racial differences in health behavior scores appear to be mediated predominately by correspondingly large differences in socioeconomic factors. This study highlights the profound impact of socioeconomic factors, which are mostly not under an individual’s control, on health behaviors. Policy action targeting socioeconomic factors may help reduce disparities in health behaviors.
Second-Order Light Scattering by Classical Fluids II: Double Light Scattering by Critical Fluids

In this lecture I shall treat the double (and higher-order multiple) scattering of light by critical fluids. We shall discuss the basic physics behind this “new” effect and how much (how little?) it tells us about the correlations of density fluctuations in these many-body systems. The first predictions of the dependence of double light scattering intensities on the temperature, incident wavelength and sample size were given by Oxtoby and Gelbart.1,2 These predictions were confirmed by the experiments of Reith and Swinney.3 A more general and rigorous theory was then developed by Boots, Bedeaux and Mazur,4–6 and several other experiments were performed.7–9
Stomatal neighbor cell polarity and division in Arabidopsis.

Asymmetric divisions are key to regulating the number and patterning of stomata in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Many formative asymmetric divisions take place in neighbor cells (NCs), cells adjacent to a stoma or stomatal precursor. TOO MANY MOUTHS is a receptor-like protein required for the correct plane of NC division, resulting in the placement of the new precursor distal to the pre-existing stoma. Because plant cells usually become polarized before asymmetric division, we studied whether NCs display a cytological asymmetry as a function of cell stage and of possible division behavior. Cells that divided in the developing leaf epidermis were smaller than 400 µm–2 in area and included NCs as well as isolated cells. All NCs in the youngest complexes divided with comparable frequencies, but divisions became restricted to the smaller and most recently produced NCs as the stomatal complex matured. The majority of developing NCs had distally located nuclei, suggesting that nuclear position is actively regulated in NCs. NC stages exhibiting distally located nuclei were the likeliest to divide asymmetrically. However, a distal nucleus did not necessarily predict an asymmetric division, because more NCs had distal nuclei than were likely to divide. No defect was detected in nuclear distribution in tmm NCs. These data suggest that TMM uses intercellular signals to control the plane of asymmetric division after or independently of nuclear positioning.
A knowledge elicitation study for a speech enabled GIS to handle vagueness in communication

One of challenges toward development of usable speech enabled Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is how to handle vagueness that naturally exist in human-GIS communication. The meaning of some spatial concepts are not only fuzzy, but also context dependent. To enable the GIS to handle the vagueness problem, in particular, the context-dependency subproblem, we propose to design a collaborative speech enabled GIS, which can emulate a human GIS operator's role and handle the vagueness problem in communication through collaborative dialogues. To emulate a human GIS operator's role, the GIS must have knowledge corresponding to a human GIS operator's knowledge involved in handling the vagueness problem. This paper describes a knowledge elicitation study that we conducted to elicit human GIS operators' knowledge about how to handle the vagueness problem through collaborative dialogues. A speech enabled GIS, Dave_G, incorporates part of the study results. This system is able to handle the vagueness problem through various collaborative dialogues.
Multiple Pulse Chirping in Self-Induced Transparency

The interest in phase modulation of short optical pulses has continually increased in the last few years[1]. In this note we will restrict ourselves to the first order theory of steady-state pulses. That is to say, we will work in the common “slowly varying” approximation according to which the envelope and the phase of the pulse vary very little within an optical cycle[la,c,d]. This approach leads to the prediction that the single optical pulses (solitons) propagating in linear absorbers must show no phase modulation[2]. It predicts also the possible existence of a variety of non-chirped as well as chirped pulse trains[3]. Here we will present a unified view of this problem.
Challenges in Urban Drainage

Urbanisation leads to concentration of population in relatively small areas and this process causes many environmental impacts on water resources and increases the population demands on such services as water supply, flood protection, drainage, wastewater disposal, and water-based recreation. The drainage systems, which have evolved through history, represent compromises between ecological needs, human wellbeing, technical abilities and availability of resources. Only in recent years has the depletion and degradation of urban water resources led to the advocacy of a sustainable urban water system, characterised by lower water consumption, preservation of natural drainage, reduced generation of wastewater through water reuse and recycling, advanced water pollution control, and preservation and/or enhancement of the receiving water ecosystem.
The Federal Approach to Recycling of Polymers

Previous speakers have discussed the technological aspects of polymer waste management. I would like to turn your attention now to policy and economic considerations related to the recovery of resources from polymers. Unless otherwise stated, the discussions reflect my own personal views, and are not the policy of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
A Computational Comparison of Soft Landing of α-Helical vs Globular Peptides

The effect of secondary structure on the soft landing process is investigated through direct dynamics simulations of AcA7K and AcKA7 colliding with a fluorinated, organic self-assembled monolayer (FSAM) surface. The α-helical (AcA7K) and globular (AcKA7) peptides each exhibited a similar probability of soft landing with normal incidence at all collision energies considered. Rapid conformational changes were quantified through the calculation of the time dependent, conformational entropy production that took place during the collision events, which is consistent with the prior structural measurements made by Laskin and co-workers on these systems. AcA7K produces more entropy during the collisions than AcKA7.
Miller v. Alabama and the Problem of Prediction

Beginning in 2010, the Supreme Court severely limited states’ ability to impose juvenile life without parole sentences. In a seminal case, Miller v. Alabama, the Court banned mandatory life without the possibility of parole sentences for juveniles and declared that only those juveniles that are “irreparably corrupt” should be made to spend the rest of their lives in prison. While Miller has been the subject of much scholarly debate, there has yet to be any discussion of a core instability at the center of Miller’s mandate: By limiting life without parole sentences only to those juveniles who are “irreparably corrupt” the Court is asking sentencers to predict whether a juvenile will be a danger decades down the road and after a long prison sentence. This Note uses legal and social science literature around the impossibility of long-term predictions about juvenile development to argue that the requirement of prediction in Miller prevents just application of the decision and argues that this instability should lead to a ban on juvenile life without parole sentences.
HPV DOWN-REGULATES THE STEM CELL MARKER CD44 IN VIRAL-RELATED ORAL EPITHELIAL DYSPLASIA AND HNSCC

Objective Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) represents the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and is characterized by dismal prognosis and poor patient survival. More than 75% of HNSCCs arise on a precancerous lesion. CD44 is a membrane bound glycoprotein stem-cell marker strongly expressed in normal oral mucosal epithelium. Upregulated in HNSCC, CD44 participates in key cell functions including cell division, migration and adhesion, and is recognized as a negative prognosticator for the disease. In addition, HPV(+) tumors show decreased CD44 levels when compared to HPV(-) neoplasms. We aimed to investigate the role of HPV infection in the regulation of CD44 expression in oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and invasive HNSCC. Methods Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded specimens of HPV(+) OED (N=16), HPV(-) OED (N=15) and HNSCC (N=29) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for CD44. Among the carcinoma specimens, five were HPV(+) and 24 HPV(-); 13 well-differentiated (WD), 5 moderately-differentiated (MD) and 6 poorly-differentiated (PD). HPV positivity was confirmed by immunohistochemistry for the surrogate marker p16. CD44 immunoreactivity was semi-quantitatively evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. Results HPV(+) OEDs (mean expression=1.74) showed significantly lower CD44 membranous immunoexpression than HPV(-) OEDs (mean expression=2.42, p Conclusions Lower CD44 expression in HPV(+) OEDs and HNSCCs may reflect decreased numbers of stem cells in HPV-driven lesions. The latter, can explain the limited frequency of malignant transformation in HPV(+) OEDs and better survival rates for patients with HPV(+) tumors.
Enterprise Models for the Design and Management of Manufacturing Systems

All engineered systems and their products (hereafter collectively referred to as manufacturing systems) are called upon to perform particular technical functions in an economic system. Economic systems are in reality networks of enterprises (corporate and/or individual) each of which is engaged in two generic classes of processes: a) the “real” physical/biological processes that use energy to transform matter from one technically specific form to another through the application of human knowledge and the dissipation of physical energy and skill-specific human time, and b) human-based cybernetic (information and decision) control processes for which the “real” physical and biological processes are objects of development and control. This paper reports a set of logically consistent models and a framework for quantitatively evaluating the underlying material and energy requirements of manufacturing enterprises and the products which they produce as a physical system. These methods integrate engineering and economic information necessary for design and management decisions at various levels of organization of the enterprise. Because they can provide analysis at multiple levels of enterprise and economic organization, the models are also ideally suited to environmental “Life-Cycle Assessment” of the material and energetic characteristics of networks of enterprises producing products. Quantitative analysis using these methods may be readily implemented using computer software.
Biophysics and the Genomic Sciences

It is now rare to find biological, or genetic investigations that do not rely on the tools, data, and thinking drawn from the genomic sciences. Much of this revolution is powered by contemporary sequencing approaches that readily deliver large, genome-wide data sets that not only provide genetic insights but also uniquely report molecular outcomes from experiments that biophysicists are increasingly using for potentiating structural and mechanistic investigations. In this perspective, I describe a path of how biophysical thinking greatly contributed to this revolution in ways that parallel advancements in computer science through discussion of several key inventions, described as "foundational devices." These discussions also point at the future of how biophysics and the genomic sciences may become more finely integrated for empowering new measurement paradigms for biological investigations.
Abstract #312: SertoliLeydig cell-like tumors and impaired oogenesis in Quaking heterozygous knockout mice

Quaking (QK) is a member of the STAR (Signal Transduction and Activation of RNA) family of RNA binding proteins that binds an element in the 3\#8217;UTR of select genes to regulate translation; one such gene is the human oncogene GLI1. The C. elegans homolog of QK, Defective in Germline Development (GLD-1) plays roles in sex determination and gametogenesis and has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor. Since one QK isoform, QKI-6, inhibits the translation of the oncogene GLI1 in mammals, deletion of the regulatory element that binds QK in the 3\#8217;UTR of GLI1 is associated with increased transformation in tissue culture, and allelic deletion of the QK locus on chromosome 6q26-27 occurs in a wide range of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer, we hypothesized that QK may function as a tumor suppressor at least in part through regulation of GLI1 translation. We obtained QK knockout (KO) mutant mice from Dr. Abe (RIKEN, Japan) and used these mice to establish a tumor suppressor role for QK. The mice carry a 355 base pair deletion of the coding sequence in exon 2 and the proximal part of intron 1 of the QK gene (Li et al., 2002). This QK mutation is embryonic lethal when homozygous. Here we demonstrate that by 12 months of life 86% of female QK heterozygous knockout mice (QK KO+/-) develop Sertoli-Leydig cell-like tumors (8% were metastatic). These mice also demonstrate abnormalities in the genitourinary tract, including impaired oogenesis with absence of follicles, uterine adenocarcinomas, abdominal cysts, weight loss, and cachexia. Immunohistochemistry shows GLI1 expression in the ovarian tumors and expression of inhibin-alpha, CD68 and occasional/scattered EMA, consistent with sex-cord-stromal tumors. The germ cell tumor markers c-KIT (CD117) and placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) were negative. We did not detect similar tumors in wild-type mice. These studies strongly suggest that enhanced tumorigenesis in QK KO heterozygous mice is at least partially mediated by deregulated expression of GLI1. Supported by the Eisenberg Foundation for Charities. Li Z, Takakura N, Oike Y, Imanaka T, Araki K, Suda T, Kaname T, Kondo T, Abe K, Yamamura K. Defective smooth muscle development in qki-deficient mice. Dev Growth Differ. (2003) 45:449-62. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 312.
Crafting Mosaics: Person‐Centered Religious Influence and Selection in Adolescent Friendships

This research addresses the intersection of two key domains of adolescents' lives: religion and peer networks. Religion scholars argue that religion is multi-faceted and better understood by focusing on combinations of indicators (i.e. mosaics), versus a variable-centered approach. We adopt this framework and investigate the interplay between religion and peer networks, both in how religious mosaics are shaped by friends and how religious profiles affect friend selection dynamics. With data from two schools in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we estimate religious mosaics using latent class analysis (LCA) to identify profiles consisting of combinations of commonly available survey-based measures of religious attitudes, behaviors, and identities. Finding evidence of theoretically-expected profiles, we then use stochastic actor based models (SABMs) to investigate network dynamics for these LCA-based religious profiles. We demonstrate how the profile data can be integrated within the SABM framework to evaluate processes of friend selection and influence. Results show evidence of adolescents influencing one another's religious mosaics, but not selecting friends on that basis.
A scientific theory of gist communication and misinformation resistance, with implications for health, education, and policy

A framework is presented for understanding how misinformation shapes decision-making, which has cognitive representations of gist at its core. I discuss how the framework goes beyond prior work, and how it can be implemented so that valid scientific messages are more likely to be effective, remembered, and shared through social media, while misinformation is resisted. The distinction between mental representations of the rote facts of a message-its verbatim representation-and its gist explains several paradoxes, including the frequent disconnect between knowing facts and, yet, making decisions that seem contrary to those facts. Decision makers can falsely remember the gist as seen or heard even when they remember verbatim facts. Indeed, misinformation can be more compelling than information when it provides an interpretation of reality that makes better sense than the facts. Consequently, for many issues, scientific information and misinformation are in a battle for the gist. A fuzzy-processing preference for simple gist explains expectations for antibiotics, the spread of misinformation about vaccination, and responses to messages about global warming, nuclear proliferation, and natural disasters. The gist, which reflects knowledge and experience, induces emotions and brings to mind social values. However, changing mental representations is not sufficient by itself; gist representations must be connected to values. The policy choice is not simply between constraining behavior or persuasion-there is another option. Science communication needs to shift from an emphasis on disseminating rote facts to achieving insight, retaining its integrity but without shying away from emotions and values.