cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RIN ZF, a Novel Zinc Finger Gene, Encodes Proteins That Bind to the CACC Element of the Gastrin Promoter

Expression of gastrin, a gut hormone and growth factor, has tissue-specific transcriptional regulation and can be induced in some tumors. Previous studies have shown that a CACCcis-regulatory element is important for transcriptional activation in pancreatic insulinoma cells. To identify CACC-binding proteins, a λ phage cDNA library derived from a rat insulinoma cell line, RIN 38A, was screened by a Southwestern method. A novel member of the Cys2-His2 zinc finger gene family was cloned and designated RIN ZF, having a cDNA sequence of 3.8 kilobases. One full-length and a shorter splice variant were sequenced and had predicted protein masses of 91.6 and 88.7 kDa. Expression of both splice forms were ubiquitous in fetal and adult rat tissues. Recombinant RIN ZF protein exhibited sequence-specific binding to the gastrin CACC element in a gel mobility shift assay. In transient transfections, both splice variants appeared to have only weak activating effects on gastrin-luciferase reporter gene transcription. Furthermore, RIN ZF coexpression with Sp1 appeared to block the strongly activating effects of Sp1 mediated through the CACC element. These findings suggest that a novel set of zinc finger proteins may help regulate gastrin gene expression by interfering with Sp1 transactivation.
Valuation Characteristics of Equity Book Value and Net Income: Tests of the Abandonment Option Hypothesis

This study tests hypotheses about effects of the abandonment option on equity book value and net income valuation characteristics. As predicted, pricing multiples on and explanatory power of book equity (net income) increase (decrease) as firms approach liquidation or bankruptcy. Also, pricing multiples on and explanatory power of book equity (net income) are higher (lower) for approximately one-half of Compustat firms classified as less financially healthy, providing evidence inferences are not limited to firms approaching extreme financial distress. Net income and equity book value valuation characteristics vary predictably across three illustrative industries, selected based on extent of unrecognized intangible assets.
Record Ferromagnetic Exchange through Cyanide and Elucidation of the Magnetic Phase Diagram for a CuIIReIV(CN)2 Chain Compound

Reaction of the high-magnetic anisotropy building unit [ReCl4(CN)2]2− with [Cu(MeCN)6]2+ and hydrotris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate (Tp−) affords the zigzag chain compound (Bu4N)[TpCuReCl4(CN)2]. Dc magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal the presence of ferromagnetic exchange coupling between ReIV and CuII centers along each chain and a fit to the data gives an exchange constant of J/kB = +41 K (+29 cm−1), representing the strongest ferromagnetic coupling yet observed through cyanide. Below 11.4 K and at applied fields of less than 3600 Oe, the compound undergoes a phase transition to an antiferromagnetic ground state, stemming from weak π−π interchain interactions of strength J⊥/kB = −1.7 K (−1.2 cm−1). This metamagnetic behavior is fully elucidated using both experimental and theoretical methods. In addition, theoretical modeling provides a detailed determination of the local anisotropy tensors corresponding to the [ReCl4(CN)2]2− units and demonstrates that the zigzag arrangement of the ReIV centers signifi...
Justifying Analytic Claims

an attack on anything implicit in our ordinary ways of speaking, and that (ii) the view that certain perceptible qualities are dispositional (and therefore not 'in' things) is not inconsistent with anything implicit in our ordinary ways of speaking. (iii) What is directly touched by this view is the Objectivist account of perception. (iv) The expression of the Objectivist view is facilitated by a deviation from ordinary ways of speaking. Since the Objectivist view also makes assumptions that have little immediate plausibility, we may conclude that to represent the consequences of attention to the scientific facts as showing that certain perceptible qualities are not 'in' things, leaves their philosophical relevance to be established.
A Collaborative Interactive Genetic Algorithm Framework for Mixed-Initiative Interaction with Human and Simulated Experts: A Case Study in Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Design

The Interactive Genetic Algorithm (IGA) allows water resources and environmental decision makers to become active online participants during the optimization process, and thus provides a method to include qualitative expert knowledge within the search criteria. However, various interfering human factors, especially human fatigue, can limit the extent of the decision maker's participation. In this paper, we propose a mixed-initiative interaction technique for the IGA in which a simulated expert (created by using a machine learning model) can share the workload of interaction with the human expert, while constantly learning her/his preferences. This collaborative framework also allows the system to observe the learning behaviors of both the human and simulated expert, while utilizing their knowledge for search purposes. Many machine learning models can be utilized for creating the simulated experts, in our work we use fuzzy logic modeling that implements a rule based decision making criteria for modeling the human expert's preferences. These methodologies are tested on a field scale groundwater monitoring application to analyze their benefits.
Transfer of escherichia coli O157: H7 from simulated wildlife scat onto romaine lettuce during foliar irrigation

A field trial in Salinas Valley, California, was conducted during July 2011 to quantify the microbial load that transfers from wildlife feces onto nearby lettuce during foliar irrigation. Romaine lettuce was grown using standard commercial practices and irrigated using an impact sprinkler design. Five grams of rabbit feces was spiked with 1.29 × 108 CFU of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and placed −3, −2, and −1 days and immediately before a 2-h irrigation event. Immediately after irrigation, 168 heads of lettuce ranging from ca. 23 to 69 cm (from 9 to 27 in.) from the fecal deposits were collected, and the concentration of E. coli O157:H7 was determined. Thirty-eight percent of the collected lettuce heads had detectable E. coli O157:H7, ranging from 1 MPN to 2.30 × 105 MPN per head and a mean concentration of 7.37 × 103 MPN per head. Based on this weighted arithmetic mean concentration of 7.37 × 103 MPN of bacteria per positive head, only 0.00573% of the original 5 g of scat with its mean load of 1.29 × 108 CF...
Aerosol Propagation in an Urban Environment

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the capability of an arbitrary mach number algorithm to predict aerosol propagation in an urban environment. A preconditioned approach is applied to an unstructured mesh to determine accurately the highly unsteady turbulent flow field about the urban setting. DES modifications are implemented into a hybrid k − , k − ω turbulence model and evaluated. A scalar transport model is used to release and to advect the aerosol agent through the urban landscape. Comparisons between RANS and DES turbulence modeling are presented for multiple agent release scenarios.
Nanoscale engineering of TiO2 nanoparticles: Evolution of the shape, phase, morphology, and facet orientation

Abstract The solvothermal synthesis of nanostructured TiO2 has been studied to examine the processing parameters that control crystallite size, phase, morphology, and facet orientation. Control over the characteristics of these materials makes them useful for a wide range of applications in photocatalysis, environmental pollution remediation, and solar energy conversion. Moreover, this simple, low cost, and low toxicity synthesis process could be extendable to the controlled synthesis of other functional oxide crystals with well-defined morphologies and tunable sizes with active facet orientation.
Achieving agent coordination via distributed preferences

Agent-based systems provide hope for solving a wide variety of distributed problems. One key aspect of agent-based system is coordinating agent actions to achieve coherent behavior. For example, in concurrent engineering (CE), it is necessary to ensure that the individual decision made by constituents in a design organization achieve overall organizational objectives (e.g., increase market share), while still allowing individuals to exploit their expertise. We believe CE is representative of many multi-agent problems, in that agent coordination must include facilities to support both solving a hierarchically decomposed problem, e.g., the contract net, and interactions among peers as well.
Using Ethical Theories as a Tool for Understanding Cases

Ethics is not the same thing as morality. For one thing, morality is more of a matter of accepted social conventions or religious traditions, without the requirement of any rational, empirical, or scientific justification. In fact, moral stances can appear somewhat arbitrary when they are unfamiliar within your culture. Furthermore, ethics is not the same thing as strongly held personal opinion, “gut feelings,” the law, or compliance with regulations. Each of these may be confused with ethics, but none of them requires rational, empirical, or scientific justification, and each can be just as unethical as some of the social conventions called morality. Ethics, in contrast, is the careful, reflective, systematic, critical and scientific study of morality whose goal is to identify well justified ways to lead one’s life and behave towards others. This chapter presents a brief review of the two great Western philosophical theories of ethics, as well as four less rigorous ‘alternative’ ethical theories that may enrich our understanding and guide our behavior.
Binder-Carbide Phase Interactions in Titanium Carbide Base Systems

Binder-carbide phase interactions have been investigated in titanium carbide base systems using the Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDXS) capability of the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). Concentration gradients of Mo and V within carbide grains are shown after sintering in the presence of a Ni-rich liquid phase. Binder Ti and Mo levels were measured using this technique, which has a major advantage over phase separation analysis due to the ability to locate the analysis position with respect to the microstructural components.
The natural history of type II endoleaks after endovascular aneurysm repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Objective The natural history of type II endoleak (T2EL) after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) remains elusive; as such, treatment guidelines are ill defined. The purpose of this study was to better delineate the natural history of T2EL after EVAR for rAAA in an effort to determine the need for reintervention and optimal surveillance. Methods A retrospective record review was conducted of all patients undergoing EVAR for rAAA in two large tertiary care academic vascular centers. Patient demographics, comorbidities, anatomic variables, and operative details were analyzed. Primary outcomes included the presence of T2EL, reintervention, delayed rupture, and aneurysm-related death. Results EVAR was used to treat rAAA in 56 patients between 2000 and 2013. Mean follow-up of this cohort was 634 days. Completion arteriogram demonstrated T2ELs in 12 patients (21%), and an additional four T2ELs (7%) were found by postoperative computed tomography angiogram that were not identified on the completion angiogram. Body mass index was the only statistically significant variable associated with the development of T2EL ( P = .03). Preoperative warfarin use, aortic thrombus burden, and device type did not correlate with T2EL development. Iliolumbar vessels supplied 75% (n = 12) of T2ELs. Of the 14 patients with T2ELs who underwent serial imaging postoperatively, six (43%) sealed spontaneously. Five patients (36%) underwent reintervention for T2EL by way of coil embolization—four in which treatment was initiated by attending preference. One patient was treated for ongoing anemia in the immediate postoperative period. There was no sac expansion, delayed rupture, or graft explantation. Conclusions T2ELs after EVAR for rAAA are common and appear to be associated with a benign natural history if left untreated. Although many will spontaneously seal early in the postoperative period, those that remain patent do not appear to increase the risk for sac expansion or delayed rupture or affect patient survival. As such, a conservative approach to treatment of T2ELs in rAAA may be warranted.
DDAVP Versus vWF-Containing Factor Concentrate in a Patient with ET Associated Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome (AVWS).

The patient is a 16 year old boy with a past medical history of atrial septal defect and juvenile migraine headaches. He had no unusual bleeding or bruising during his early childhood including circumcision. His family history was negative for bleeding diasthesis. At the age of 12, he was diagnosed with an intramuscular hematoma on MRI after a baseball injury. Four months later he had heavy bleeding after an accidental knife wound to his hand, requiring repeated suturing. At age 14, he had another intramuscular hematoma after baseball injury, impairing range of motion in his leg. At age 15, following another deep muscular hematoma,, he underwent a laboratory evaluation for the first time. His CBC was normal except for a platelet count of 1,216,000/μl and he was subsequently diagnosed with ET. He had an elevated PTT, with a normal PT. He had a FVIII level of 42%, vWF Ag of 43%, and vWF:RCoF The patient demonstrated a good response to DDAVP, with greater than 2-fold baseline levels of FVIII and VWF:RCo persisting after 4 hours. Multimer studies showed increases of low and intermediate multimers after administration of DDAVP. Following infusion of Humate P (53 vWF:RCo U/kg), VWF:Ag levels increased appropriately; however, VWF:RCo and FVIII levels increased to a lesser extent and fell to baseline by 4 hours. Platelet counts remained stable with both Stimate and Humate P. These results suggest that the patient’s platelets have an especially high affinity for high molecular weight (HMW) multimers, explaining the lack of HMW multimers on baseline analysis in this patient. The shortened response duration following Humate P infusion suggests rapid clearance due to platelet binding of the larger (and more functional) multimers contained in the concentrate. The longer duration of response to DDAVP, which releases his own low and intermediate multimers (but not HMW multimers) into circulation, indicates that DDAVP may be a superior treatment option in patients with AVWS associated with ET.
CognitiveDB: An Intelligent Navigator for Large-scale Dark Structured Data

Volume and Variety of Big data [Stonebraker, 2012] are significant impediments for anyone who wants to quickly understand what information is inside a large-scale dataset. Such data is often informally referred to as 'dark' due to the difficulties of understanding its contents. For example, there are millions of structured tables available on the Web, but finding a specific table or summarizing all Web tables to understand what information is available is infeasible or very difficult because of the scale involved. Here we present and demonstrate CognitiveDB, an intelligent cognitive data management system that can quickly summarize the contents of an unexplored large-scale structured dataset, visualize it for interactive navigation, understanding, and support intelligent query processing.
Optimized interatomic potential for silicon and its application to thermal stability of silicene

An optimized interatomic potential has been constructed for silicon using a modified Tersoff model. The potential reproduces a wide range of properties of Si and improves over existing potentials with respect to point defect structures and energies, surface energies and reconstructions, thermal expansion, melting temperature, and other properties. The proposed potential is compared with three other potentials from the literature. The potentials demonstrate reasonable agreement with first-principles binding energies of small Si clusters as well as single-layer and bilayer silicenes. The four potentials are used to evaluate the thermal stability of free-standing silicenes in the form of nanoribbons, nanoflakes, and nanotubes. While single-layer silicene is found to be mechanically stable at zero Kelvin, it is predicted to become unstable and collapse at room temperature. By contrast, the bilayer silicene demonstrates a larger bending rigidity and remains stable at and even above room temperature. The results suggest that bilayer silicene might exist in a free-standing form at ambient conditions.
A Pattern of Possibility: Maxine Hong Kingston's Woman Warrior

Maxine Hong Kingston is one of the many contemporary American novelists of non-European ethnicities and one of many women novelists who have found in mythology and folklore both stories and images which can transform the genre by providing “novel” patterns of order and “meronymic” language. These inclusive patterns and words help expand our perspective as they encompass both the linear and cyclical stories of the individual within the context of communal and social, mythic and historic, truths. In The Woman Warrior, the complex “frog knot” of her female heritage is untied for us not only to open up women9s possible stories but also to offer her readers the variety which keeps us sane, freeing us from a dominant discourse which convincingly describes the inevitable tragedy of our common death but often fails to remind us of the simultaneous richness of our uncommon lives.
Reversal of Pacing-Induced Cardiomyopathy Following Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Abstract Objectives This study sought to determine the extent, time course, and predictors of improvement following cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) upgrade among pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM) patients. Background PICM is an important cause of heart failure in patients exposed to frequent right ventricular (RV) pacing. CRT may reverse PICM. Methods We retrospectively studied 1,279 consecutive patients undergoing CRT procedures between 2003 and 2016. Patients undergoing CRT upgrade from a dual-chamber or single-chamber ventricular pacemaker for PICM were included. PICM was defined as decrease of ≥10% in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), resulting in LVEF 35% among those with severe PICM were identified. Results Of 69 PICM patients, LVEF improved from 29.3% to 45.3% over a median 7.0 months. Of 54 patients with severe PICM, 39 (72.2%) improved to LVEF >35% over a median 7.0 months. Most improvement occurred within the first 3 months, although improvement continued over the remainder of the first year. In linear regression, narrower native QRS was associated with greater LVEF improvement following CRT upgrade (+2.00% per 10-ms decrease; p = 0.05). Conclusions CRT is highly efficacious in reversing PICM, with 72% of severe PICM patients achieving LVEF >35% and most of the improvement occurring within 1 year. These data support initial upgrade to a CRT pacemaker with consideration of further upgrade to CRT defibrillator after 1 year if LVEF remains ≤35%.
Health Insurance and the Use of Peritoneal Dialysis in the United States

Background Many patients in the United States have limited or no health insurance at the time they develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We examined whether health insurance limitations affected the likelihood of peritoneal dialysis (PD) use. Study Design Retrospective cohort analysis of patients from the US Renal Data System initiating dialysis therapy in 2006 through 2012. Setting & Participants We identified socioeconomically similar groups of patients to examine the association between health insurance and PD use. Patients aged 60 to 64 years with "limited insurance" (defined as having Medicaid or no insurance) at ESRD onset were compared with patients aged 66 to 70 years who were dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid at ESRD onset. Predictor Type of insurance coverage at ESRD onset. Outcomes The likelihoods of receiving PD before dialysis month 4, when all patients qualified for Medicare due to ESRD, and of switching to PD therapy following receipt of Medicare. Results After adjusting for observable patient and geographic differences, patients with limited insurance had an absolute 2.4% (95% CI, 1.1%-3.7%) lower probability of PD use by dialysis month 4 compared with patients with Medicare at ESRD onset. The association between insurance and PD use reversed when patients became Medicare eligible; patients with limited insurance had a 3-fold higher rate of switching to PD therapy between months 4 and 12 of dialysis (HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.8-4.6) compared with patients with Medicare at ESRD onset. Limitations Because this study was observational, there is a potential for bias from unmeasured patient-level factors. Conclusions Despite Medicare's policy of covering patients in the month that they initiate PD therapy, insurance limitations remain a barrier to PD use for many patients. Educating providers about Medicare reimbursement policy and expanding access to pre-ESRD education and training may help overcome these barriers.
One or multiple paths to quality assurance of higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates

AbstractThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven autonomous emirates that follow different economic models. There is a process for quality assurance at the federal level, however, each emirate takes its own approach to assure the quality of its institutions. This has resulted in different procedures and varying levels of oversight and scrutiny of quality. Since the majority of higher education providers in the UAE are market-driven, this poses the challenge of maintaining the quality of education in those institutions. This study explores how well quality assurance systems support the quality of commercial higher education institutions using two research methods: semi-structured interviews with 38 stakeholders to investigate their perceptions of the quality assurance processes in the UAE; and focus group discussions with 161 students to collect their views of the quality of education in the commercialised institutions. The research confirms earlier findings that quality of education is a fu...
Selecting optimal features from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for discrete-frequency imaging

Tissue histology utilizing chemical and immunohistochemical labels plays an important role in biomedicine and disease diagnosis. Recent research suggests that mid-infrared (IR) spectroscopic imaging may augment histology by providing quantitative molecular information. One of the major barriers to this approach is long acquisition time using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Recent advances in discrete frequency sources, particularly quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), may mitigate this problem by allowing selective sampling of the absorption spectrum. However, DFIR imaging only provides a significant advantage when the number of spectral samples is minimized, requiring a priori knowledge of important spectral features. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a GPU-based genetic algorithm (GA) using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) for DFIR feature selection. Our proposed method relies on pre-acquired broadband FTIR images for feature selection. Based on user-selected criteria for classification accuracy, our algorithm provides a minimal set of features that can be used with DFIR in a time-frame more practical for clinical diagnosis.
Formation of globular cluster systems: from dwarf galaxies to giants

Globular cluster (GC) systems around galaxies of a vast mass range show remarkably simple scaling relations. The combined mass of all GCs is a constant fraction of the total galaxy mass and the mean metallicity and metallicity dispersion of the GC system scale up weakly with galaxy mass. The metallicity of massive, metal-poor ("blue") clusters increases with cluster mass, while that of metal-rich ("red") clusters does not. A significant age-metallicity relation emerges from analysis of resolved stellar populations in Galactic GCs and unresolved populations in nearby galaxies. Remarkably, all these trends can be explained by a simple merger-based model developed in previous work and updated here using recent observations of galaxy scaling relations at high redshift. We show that the increasing dispersion of GC metallicity distributions with galaxy mass is a robust prediction of the model. It arises from more massive galaxies having more mergers that combine satellite GC systems. The average metallicity also increases by 0.6~dex over 3~dex in halo mass. The models show a non-linear trend between the GC system mass and host galaxy mass which is consistent with the data. The model does not consider GC self-enrichment, yet predicts a correlation between cluster mass and metallicity for massive blue clusters. The age-metallicity relation is another robust prediction of the model. Half of all clusters are predicted to form within the redshift range $5<z<2.3$, corresponding to ages of $10.8-12.5$~Gyr, in halos of masses $10^{11}-10^{12.5} M_{\odot}$.
Rethinking the Spaces of Supervision

A common finding in the research on teacher education is that teacher candidates place a high value on their student teaching experiences. Most regard their clinical experiences as an influential—if not the single most influential—factor in their professional learning and development as pre-service teachers (Knowles & Cole, 1996; Smith & Lev-Ari, 2005; Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-Mundy, 2001).
Anonymous ID Assignment and Opt-Out

The networked society places great demand on the dissemination and sharing of private data. As privacy concerns grow, anonymity of communications becomes important. This paper addresses the issue of anonymous ID assignment to nodes in a distributed network and how it can be integrated with secure mining algorithms to allow nodes, that have privacy concerns, a capability to opt out of the mining computation. We propose two algorithms for ID assignment and evaluate their performance. We use them in the design of a protocol that allows a node to opt out of data mining, and investigate the collusion resistance capability of the resulting protocol.
Pre-mRNA Modifications and Their Role in Nuclear Processing

Background Cellular non-coding RNAs are extensively modified post-transcriptionally, with more than 100 chemically distinct nucleotides identified to date. In the past five years, new sequencing based methods have revealed widespread decoration of eukaryotic messenger RNA with diverse RNA modifications whose functions in mRNA metabolism are only beginning to be known. Results Since most of the identified mRNA modifying enzymes are present in the nucleus, these modifications have the potential to function in nuclear pre-mRNA processing including alternative splicing. Here we review recent progress towards illuminating the role of pre-mRNA modifications in splicing and highlight key areas for future investigation in this rapidly growing field. Conclusions Future studies to identify which modifications are added to nascent pre-mRNA and to interrogate the direct effects of individual modifications are likely to reveal new mechanisms by which nuclear pre-mRNA processing is regulated.
What’s political Twitter talking about?: Setting the media agenda for the 2016 presidential debates among influential left, center, and right political media

Abstract This study explicates the concept of news media agendamelding. While only one-quarter of U.S. adults are on Twitter, it remains a popular platform among news media and political elites who often still set the public agenda for political discourse. Twitter provides insights into the issues that are at the top of the media and policy agendas, as well as how social media might influence the way journalists approach political issues. At the same time, there is concern about the influence of social media on political polarization. This study uses a specific set of influential Twitter users to examine one main question: Were there differences between right, left, and center political media reactions during the 2016 presidential debates? This study provides further evidence that there is, in fact, a conservative political Twitter media agenda that exists separately from liberal or nonpartisan media outlets.
Effects of amino acid substitutions in the F helix of bacteriorhodopsin. Low temperature ultraviolet/visible difference spectroscopy.

Site-specific mutagenesis in combination with low temperature UV/visible difference spectroscopy has been used to investigate the role of individual amino acids in the structure and function of bacteriorhodopsin (bR). We examined the effects of eight single amino acid substitutions, all in the putative F helix, on the absorption of bR as well as formation of the K and M intermediates. Both the absorbance spectra and the photocycle difference spectra of Escherichia coli expressed bR as well as the mutants S183A, P186G, and E194Q all closely resembled the corresponding purple membrane spectra. In contrast the Pro-186—-Leu substitution resulted in the loss of the normal photocycle and a large blue shift in the bR state lambda max. Thus, Pro-186 appears to play a critical role in maintaining the normal protein-chromophore interactions, although the pyrrolidine ring is not essential since proline could be replaced by glycine at this position. The mutants W182F, W189F, and S193A did not appear to be directly involved in the bathochromic shift of bR since they all had lambda max's close to that of purple membrane and produced intermediates similar to K and M. However, alterations in the UV and visible difference spectra as well as the appearance of some irreversibility in the photoreactions indicate that these mutants have altered protein-chromophore interactions during the photocycle. Unlike the other mutants examined, Y185F exhibited a red-shifted form of bR and K raising the possibility that Tyr-185 is directly involved in color regulation. In addition, UV difference peaks previously associated with a tyrosine deprotonation were absent in Y185F indicating that Tyr-185 undergoes protonation changes during the photocycle in agreement with recent Fourier transform infrared difference measurements (Braiman, M.S., Mogi, T., Stern, L. J., Hackett, N., Chao, B. H., Khorana, H.G., and Rothschild, K. J. (1988) Proteins: Structure, Function, and Genetics 3, 219-229). Our results suggest that Trp-182, Tyr-185, Pro-186, Trp-189, and Ser-193, all of which are within a 100 degrees segment of the F helix, are part of a retinal-binding pocket.
Characterizing the Interfacial Behavior of 2D Materials: a Review

Here we review how the interactions of graphene and other 2D materials with their growth and any target substrates have been characterized. Quantifying such interactions is particularly useful for modeling the transfer of the 2D materials to other substrates. It should also help model the assembly of structures made of 2D materials. Distinction is made between direct and indirect methods of extracting the traction-separation relations, which are the continuum representation of the functional form of the interactions between the 2D material and the substrate of interest. Salient features of traction-separation relations include the energy, strength and range of the interaction being considered. Adhesion and separation energies have been the hallmark of linearly elastic fracture mechanics characterizations in the past. The additional information on the strength and range of interactions provided by the measured traction-separation relations allows closer reference to the force fields associated with them and help with the identification of mechanisms. It should also spur theoretical developments to account for some of the interesting features that are being observed.
FTIR microspectroscopy reveals fatty acid-induced biochemical changes in C. elegans

Abstract Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR) is a promising method for the analysis of biological samples. Recent studies reported that FTIR imaging allows determination of the distribution of several biomolecules in a sample with no staining or extraction. In this study, FTIR was used to monitor biochemical changes in C. elegans nematodes cultured in nematode maintenance media (CeMM) without supplementation and with supplementation with either a long chain polyunsatured omega 3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or a saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid (PA) at 100 μM. EPA is an omega 3 fatty acid with documented health benefits while PA is generally consumed in diets. Worms were placed on BaF2 slides, and FTIR spectra were collected from single worms in transmission mode using a focal plane array detector. Principal component analysis grouped the FTIR spectra into three clusters corresponding to spectra of worms cultured with no supplementation, worms cultured with supplementation with EPA, and worms cultured with supplementation with PA. The major differences between the FTIR spectra reside in the vibrations corresponding to unsaturated fatty acids (3008 cm−1), lipids (2928, 2848, and 1744 cm−1), and proteins (1680, 1648, and 1515 cm−1). This indicates that supplementation with EPA or PA leads to biochemical alterations related to unsaturated fatty acids, lipids, and proteins. Furthermore, supplementing mutant strains (tub-1 and fat-3) CeMM with PA resulted in the appearance of the vibration 3008 cm−1, an increase in the intensity of the vibration 1744 cm−1, and a new vibration at 1632 cm−1, which is assigned to the amide I of β-pleated sheet component of proteins, in the spectra of tub-1 and fat-3 mutant strains. The results illustrated the potential use of FTIR alongside other techniques such as gas chromatography and staining techniques to investigate lipid metabolism and fat accumulation as well as induced changes in protein structures.
Glucose and Lactate Levels at Admission as Predictors of In-hospital Mortality.

Objective Glucose and lactate levels in patients at the time of admission have been studied in diverse patient groups. Some studies suggest that elevated glucose levels at admission predict worse outcomes. Elevated Lactate levels have also been reported to be directly associated with increased mortality. We wanted to determine if the combination of admission glucose and lactate levels improves the predictability of inpatient mortality and length of stay (LOS). Methods This is a retrospective study. We included all adult patients admitted at an academic medical center from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016. We collected basic clinical information, including age, gender, admission glucose and lactate levels, LOS, and mortality. We separated outcomes based on glucose and lactate levels by dividing them into quartiles. We also stratified patients based on normal lactate ( 4 mmol/L) levels; and on normal glucose (60-140 mg/dl), high glucose (140-200 mg/dl), and very high glucose (>200 mg/dl) levels. Results A total of 5,436 adult patients were included in our study. The median age was 58 years, and 57% of the patients were male. The median LOS was 6 days, and the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 11%. When the patients were separated in quartiles based on admission glucose values, mortality was higher in the 4th quartile (≥173 mg/dL): 14.87%, probability value (p): <0.001. When the patients were separated in quartiles based on lactate levels, the mortality was higher in the 4th quartile (≥2.23 mmol/L): 21.95%, p: 0.001. When the patients were paired according to normal, high, or very high lactate and glucose levels, the groups that had higher mortality were as follows: normal glucose/very high lactate: 32.43%; high glucose/very high lactate: 34.04%; and very high glucose and very high lactate: 39.15%. The groups with very high glucose and very high lactate had increased odds of mortality when compared with the other groups (p: <0.001). Conclusions Admission glucose and lactate levels provide useful information in the estimation of inpatient mortality. The LOS was shortened in the groups with higher glucose, lactate, or both. The combination of glucose and lactate levels predicted mortality better than either value alone.
Drug-Induced Psychosis

A wide variety of drugs can cause psychosis that is transient once the drug is removed. Some drugs cause such a transient, drug-induced psychosis in most people who take them (e.g., LSD and PCP), and other drugs cause psychosis only in a minority of susceptible patients (e.g., cannabis). This chapter reviews common drugs associated with psychosis: alcohol and sedative (during intoxication and withdrawal), cannabis, stimulants, LSD and hallucinogens, and PCP. The difficulties in making a diagnosis of drug-induced psychosis vis-a-vis a primary psychotic disorder are discussed, particularly as more potent designer drugs are easily available today, and psychosis can be prolonged. The public health ramifications of high-potency cannabis as a risk factor for schizophrenia are emphasized.
Legal Liability and Issuer Expenses in Ipos

Issuers of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) face numerous decisions, of which the selection and compensation of experts---the legal counsel, the auditor and the investment banker---are among the most important. Using new data, our paper investigates the role of the entire IPO coalition (including the legal counsel). We examine how expert compensation, IPO underpricing, IPO underpricing uncertainty, and subsequent performance are related to: [1] expert quality; [2] legal caution and liability; [3] non- legal risk signals; and [4] one another.
The role of irradiation on deformation-induced martensitic phase transformations in face-centered cubic alloys

Localized deformation, including that by the deformation-induced shearing martensitic phase transformation, is responsible for hardening and embrittlement in irradiated face-centered cubic alloys. These localized deformation processes can have profound consequences on the mechanical integrity of common structural metals used in extreme radiation environments such as nuclear reactors. This article aims to review and understand exactly how irradiation affects the martensitic phase transformation in face-centered cubic alloys, with an emphasis on austenitic stainless steel, given its ubiquity in the archival literature. The influence of irradiation on stacking fault energy and subsequent implications on the phase transformation are discussed. Mechanisms by which irradiation-induced microstructures enhance the phase transformation are also described, including the surface energy contribution of irradiation-induced cavities (i.e., voids and bubbles) toward the critical martensite nucleation energy, and partial dislocation–cavity interactions. A deformation mechanism map illustrates how irradiation-induced cavities can modulate the martensitic transformation pathway.
A model of risk for perinatal posttraumatic stress symptoms

Existing research suggests that childbirth may be a significant trigger of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The current study examined whether subjective birthing experiences and objective childbirth characteristics mediated the association between predisposing psychosocial factors measured during pregnancy (e.g., fear of childbirth, history of trauma, and social support) and PTSS during the postpartum period. Women were recruited during pregnancy from a large Midwestern hospital. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and depression, as well as PTSS-related risk factors, including social support, lifetime trauma exposure, fear of childbirth, subjective perceptions, and objective characteristics of childbirth, were measured during pregnancy and 4, 8, and 12 weeks postpartum. A path model revealed that subjective perceptions of childbirth mediated the association between fear of childbirth and PTSS at 4 weeks postpartum. Objective childbirth characteristics mediated the association between fear of childbirth and PTSS at 8 weeks postpartum, and there was a direct association between fear of childbirth and PTSS. Subjective perceptions of childbirth also mediated the effect of fear of childbirth on PTSS at 4 weeks postpartum when controlling for OCD symptoms. Further, the direct effect of fear of childbirth on PTSS at 8 weeks postpartum remained significant when controlling for OCD symptoms. The current study emphasizes the importance of fear of childbirth and subjective and objective birthing experiences in predicting postpartum psychopathology. Future research should examine these models in diverse and at-risk samples. Valid assessments and effective interventions for perinatal PTSS should be explored.
Acculturation and endocrine disrupting chemical-associated personal care product use among US-based foreign-born Chinese women of reproductive age.

Background Personal care products (PCPs) are an important source of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) linked to adverse reproductive health outcomes. Objective We evaluated EDC-associated PCP use and acculturation among Asian women. Methods Our study included 227 foreign-born Chinese women ages 18-45 seeking obstetrics-gynecology care at community health centers (Boston, MA). Acculturation was measured by English-language use, length of US residence, and age at US entry. Self-reported use of PCPs (creme rinse/conditioner, shampoo, perfume/cologne, bar soap/body wash, liquid hand soap, moisturizer/lotion, colored cosmetics, sunscreen, and nail polish) in the last 48 h was collected. Latent class analysis was used to identify usage patterns. We also conducted multivariable logistic to determine the cross-sectional associations of acculturation measures and the use of individual PCP types. Results Those who used more PCP types, overall and by each type, tended to be more acculturated. Women who could speak English had 2.77 (95% CI: 1.10-7.76) times the odds of being high PCP users compared to their non-English speaking counterparts. English-language use was associated with higher odds of using perfume/cologne and nail polish. Significance Our findings give insight about EDC-associated PCP use based on acculturation status, which can contribute to changes in immigrant health and health disparities.
Bridging Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education: A Resident-as-Educator Curriculum Embedded in an Internship Preparation Course.

Background Many graduate medical education programs have implemented curricula to develop trainees into the next generation of medical teachers; however, coordination of in-person teaching curricula is challenging due to full trainee schedules. Methods To address limited in-person time, we developed a largely asynchronous resident-as-educator curriculum. Our elective curricular activities are embedded within the fourth-year internship preparation course at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and include trainees from internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. Results Trainee self-assessment of teaching skills improved after our curriculum, and students evaluated resident sessions favorably. Discussion Trainees can be effective teachers in an internship preparation course after a brief, asynchronous teaching curriculum. To disseminate our curriculum, we designed a resident-as-educator curriculum website.
Computational Characterization and Boundary Condition Models of a Jet Interaction Fluidic Oscillator

Fluidically oscillating jet actuators that generate sweeping jets when supplied with a pressurized fluid have been used to mitigate separation and reduce drag in a range of flow control application...
Perinatal exposure to antibiotics reduces affiliative behavior after post-weaning in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).

Abstract Social behavior is influenced by a host of factors, including the immune system; for example, song quality in male starlings predicts immunocompetence suggesting the development of the immune system is interconnected with aspects social development ( Duffy and Ball, 2002 ). Treating birds with antibiotics during the perinatal period may alter this development, and thereby, social behaviors beyond song. We asked if antibiotic exposure during the perinatal period effected parenting and offspring social behavior (e.g. aggressive and affiliative behaviors) in zebra finches? We treated the drinking water of zebra finch parents and hatchlings from post-hatch day 5–14 with azithromycin or a vehicle control and monitored parenting/social behavior. After weaning, we transferred offspring from the breeding cage to group housing and monitored social behavior and integration into the colony by measuring aggressive and affiliative behaviors. For all treatments we saw a reduction in the number of songs performed by fathers, however, specifically for antibiotic treated offspring there was a reduction in affiliative behaviors relative to vehicle treated controls suggesting the immune system, perhaps via the guts microbiome, influences certain aspects of social behaviors in birds.
Multiple Biosynthetic Trafficking Routes for Apically Secreted Proteins in MDCK Cells

Many newly synthesized membrane proteins traverse endocytic intermediates en route to the surface in polarized epithelial cells; however, the biosynthetic itinerary of secreted proteins has not been elucidated. We monitored the trafficking route of two secreted proteins with different apical sorting signals: the N-glycan-dependent cargo glycosylated growth hormone (gGH) and Ensol, a soluble version of endolyn whose apical sorting is independent of N-glycans. Both proteins were observed to colocalize in part with apical recycling endosome (ARE) markers. Cargo that lacks an apical targeting signal and is secreted in a nonpolarized manner did not localize to the ARE. Expression of a dominant-negative mutant of myosin Vb, which disrupts ARE export of glycan-dependent membrane proteins, selectively inhibited apical release of gGH but not Ensol. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements revealed that gGH in the ARE was less mobile than Ensol, consistent with tethering to a sorting receptor. However, knockdown of galectin-3 or galectin-4, lectins implicated in apical sorting, had no effect on the rate or polarity of gGH secretion. Together, our results suggest that apically secreted cargoes selectively access the ARE and are exported via differentially regulated pathways.
Daily and Seasonal Rhythms

The sections in this article are: 1 Daily Rhythms 1.1 Models and Mechanisms 2 Circadian Pacemaking Systems in Invertebrates 2.1 Pacemakers in the Arthropod Brain 2.2 Circadian Pacemakers Outside the Nervous System in Insects 2.3 Pacemakers in the Gastropod Retina 2.4 Multioscillator Organization 2.5 Identification of Output Pathways 3 Circadian Pacemaking Systems in Vertebrates 3.1 The Mammalian SCN 3.2 Other Circadian Oscillators in Mammals 3.3 Hypothalamic Regulation of Circadian Function in Nonmammalian Vertebrates 3.4 The Pineal Organ 3.5 Eyes as Clocks 4 Photoreceptor Localization and Mechanisms of Entrainment in Invertebrates 4.1 Photoreceptive Input: Invertebrates 4.2 Mechanisms of Regulation of Pacemaker Phase 5 Photoreceptor Localization and Mechanisms of Entrainment in Vertebrates 5.1 Identification of Photoreceptors 5.2 Mechanisms of Regulation of Pacemaker Phase 6 Seasonality in Invertebrates 6.1 Modes of Seasonality 6.2 Timing of Seasonal Cycles 6.3 Photoperiodic Time Measurement 6.4 Mechanisms of Photoperiodic Time Measurement 6.5 The Photoperiodic Timer 6.6 The Photoperiodic Counter 6.7 Anatomical Location of Timers and Counters 6.8 Photoreceptors 6.9 Circannual Rhythms 7 Seasonality in Vertebrates 7.1 Photoperiodic Time Measurement: Models and Experimental Validation 8 Physiological Mechanisms 8.1 The Pineal and Melatonin: Mammals 8.2 Mechanisms of Pineal Action 8.3 The Pineal and Melatonin: Nonmammalian Vertebrates 8.4 Photoreceptive Inputs: Mammalian 8.5 Photoreceptive Inputs: Nonmammalian 8.6 Maternal–Fetal Transfer of Photoperiodic Information 9 Circannual Rhythms 9.1 Physiological Mechanisms 10 Concluding Comments