cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The haem-haemopexin utilization gene cluster (hxuCBA) as a virulence factor of Haemophilus influenzae

Haemophilus influenzae has an absolute growth requirement for a porphyrin source, which can be supplied in vitro by haem, haemoglobin, or the haemoglobin–haptoglobin, haem–haemopexin and haem–albumin complexes. Utilization of the haem–haemopexin complex is known to be mediated by the products of the hxuCBA gene cluster. It was demonstrated that hxuC, but not hxuA or hxuB, is also essential for the utilization of haem from haem–albumin complexes. Mutants of the type b strain E1a lacking genes in the hxuCBA gene cluster were examined for their ability to cause bacteraemia in rat models of invasive disease. In 5-day-old rats, mutants in the hxuCBA genes yielded a significantly reduced bacteraemic titre compared to the wild-type strain. In addition, 5-day-old rats infected with the hxuCBA mutant strains exhibited significantly improved survival rates compared to those infected with the wild-type strain. Mutations in the haemoglobin/haemoglobin–haptoglobin-binding protein genes (hgps), either alone or in combination with the hxuCBA mutations, had no impact on virulence in 5-day-old rats. In 30-day-old rats infected with either the hxuCBA mutants or the wild-type strains, there was no significant difference in the ability to establish bacteraemia although bacterial titres were lower in rats infected with the hxuCBA mutants than in those infected with the wild-type strain. These age-related differences in the impact of mutations in the hxuCBA gene cluster may be related to changes in levels of host haem-binding proteins during development of the rat.
The housing and neighborhood conditions of America's children: patterns and trends over four decades

This paper uses national and metropolitan area data from American Housing Surveys over four decades to examine the patterns and trends in the housing and neighborhood circumstances of children. Children across the income distribution have experienced dramatic improvements in the physical adequacy of their dwellings and in crowding but significant deterioration in housing affordability. Poor children are often in greatest jeopardy, with the rate of complaints about crime 25 percent higher in 2005 than in 1975, and the rate of school complaints twice as high in 2005 than 1975. Poor children also experience little payoff from residential mobility in terms of physical dwelling adequacy, crowding, affordability, or adequacy of schools, though moves are associated with fewer complaints about crime. However, it is the near poor – those between 101–200 percent of poverty – and not the poor who appear to be most affected by the tightness or looseness of the housing market.
The Effect of Single‐Dose Phenylpropanolamine on Blood Pressure in Patients with Hypertension Controlled by β Blockers

We studied the effect of phenylpropanolamine on blood pressures in seven patients whose hypertension was controlled with beta blockers. Rapid-release phenylpropanolamine 25 mg and placebo were given on separate days according to a double-blind, randomized, two-period crossover design. The crossover analyses detected significant drug effects without carryover or period effects for both systolic and diastolic pressures. The peak systolic blood pressures after phenylpropanolamine averaged 8 mm Hg higher than those measured after placebo. Similarly, the peak diastolic pressures after phenylpropanolamine averaged 4.9 mm Hg higher than those with placebo. Baseline weights, blood pressures, and pulses did not significantly differ between patient groups or change significantly across study periods. Usual single and therapeutic doses of phenylpropanolamine caused small but statistically significant increases in blood pressure. If such changes are not considered when antihypertensive therapy is altered or initiated, patients may receive excessive or unnecessary drugs.
Fishing for the signals that pattern the face

Zebrafish are a powerful system for studying the early embryonic events that form the skull and face, as a model for human craniofacial birth defects such as cleft palate. Signaling pathways that pattern the pharyngeal arches (which contain skeletal precursors of the palate, as well as jaws and gills) are discussed in light of a recent paper in BMC Developmental Biology on requirements for Hedgehog signaling in craniofacial development.
Exercise motivation of college students in online, face-to-face, and blended basic studies physical activity and wellness course delivery formats.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess exercise motivation among college students self-selected into 4 online (OL) and face-to-face (F2F) basic studies’ physical activity and wellness c...
Dietary effects on life history traits of riverine Bosmina

Summary 1. We compared growth, reproduction and life history characteristics of Bosmina raised on Ohio River seston versus a unialgal culture (Scenedesmus acutus), to assess potential nutritional constraints experienced by riverine populations. 2. Bosmina grew well in both treatments during their juvenile stage. Analysis of variance showed that Bosmina growth prior to the start of reproduction did not differ significantly between the treatments. After the onset of reproduction Bosmina fed on Scenedesmus grew faster and exhibited higher fecundity than their counterparts fed river seston. 3. Significant quantities of triacylglycerol (visible lipid droplets) were gradually accumulated in Bosmina fed on Scenedesmus. Visual lipid ovary indices were positively correlated with adult growth rate and fecundity and negatively correlated with longevity. 4. Biochemical analysis showed that Scenedesmus had significantly greater total ω3, ω6 and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) whereas river seston had more eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Thus, in contrast to Daphnia, EPA and DHA do not appear to influence Bosmina growth or reproductive performance, but linolenic acid or total PUFA may be important. 5. Comparatively weak performance by Bosmina feeding on river seston suggest that nutritional constraints may be important despite high particulate organic carbon and low C : N and C : P of river seston.
Low-frequency noise in TFSOI lateral n-p-n bipolar transistors

Low-frequency (1/f) noise is characterized as a function of base current density (J/sub B/) on thin-film-silicon-on-insulator (TFSOI) lateral bipolar transistors. In the low injection region of operation, the noise power spectral density was proportional to J/sub B//sup 1.8/ for J/sub B/ 0.4 /spl mu/m/sup 2/), the noise bias dependence shifts to J/sub B//sup 1.2/, indicating current crowding effects, alter the contribution of noise sources near the extrinsic base link region of the device. In addition to the expected 1/f noise and shot noise, we have observed a bias dependent generation-recombination (Gm) noise source in some of the devices. This G/R noise is correlated to random-telegraph-signal (RTS) noise resulting from single trapping centers, located at or near the spacer oxide and/or the Si to SIMOX interface, which modulate the emitter-base space charge region.
Tumor Localization And Identefication

Delineation of the malignant tissue is essential in planning the therapy of patients with carcinomas. The tumor extension and its infiltration into surrounding tissues influences the choice of treatment modality and is used in planning surgical excision and/or a course of radiotherapy. The x-ray attenuation properties of malignant and normal tissues is similar thus the contrast between these tissues is limited on X-ray CT or radiographic images. However, large differences exist in the proton magnetic resonance relaxation times in normal and malignant tissues. The differences in the spin-spin relaxation time between these tissues is being explored for computer assistance in demarcating the boundary of abnormal tissues.
Three traditions in social thought on alcoholism.

The three traditions in social thought on alcoholism that are discussed here are the moral perspective and the Prohibition movement, stressing alcohol and its supposed evil, destructive properties; the modern alcoholism movement and the “disease” conception of alcoholism, stressing the alcoholic as “sick”; and the “new public health,” which stresses the need for societal controls over alcohol (in contrast to personal controls). The “new public health” movement represents an attempt to put “alcohol” back into “alcoholism policies” and harbors an ecological base that stresses societal limits and societal controls (in energy use as well as in alcohol use).
Structure of the Vulcan Peak alpine-type peridotite, southwestern Oregon

The Vulcan Peak alpine-type peridotite forms part of the Josephine ultramafic complex in the Klamath Mountains geologic province. The peridotite is a partly serpentinized highly deformed harzburgite-dunite complex, in which three episodes of high-temperature plastic deformation are recognized. The first deformation was the most intense and produced the dominant metamorphic foliation and scattered folds in crosscutting layers and in the foliation itself. The first deformation seems also to have produced an olivine fabric in which X is normal to the foliation. The second deformation superposed a similar and pervasive fabric on the first, in which X olivine is normal to a spotty weak subvertical north-striking foliation that crosscuts the first foliation. These olivine fabrics are analogous to fabrics produced experimentally by either gliding or syntectonic recrystallization at temperatures in the range 1000° to 1200°C. This temperature range agrees with the temperatures of formation calculated from the distribution of Mg and Fe in mineral pairs. The third deformation was characterized by a limited plasticity, in which deformation was restricted to scattered narrow northeast-striking subvertical plastic shear zones. The sense of movement on the shear zones is consistently down on the northwest. A homotactic olivine fabric is present in the shear zones, consisting of a strong Z-point maximum approximately parallel to the zone. This fabric suggests glide on the system {Ok1} [100], which has been produced experimentally in the temperature range 800° to 1000°C. After the high-temperature and presumably deep-seated plastic deformation, the relatively cold peridotite was thrust, probably in post-Middle Jurassic time, northward against a complex of igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. Later, probably in Late Cretaceous or Tertiary time, the peridotite and the complex were thrust together westward against the low-grade Dothan Formation.
Blockwise coordinate descent procedures for the multi-task lasso, with applications to neural semantic basis discovery

We develop a cyclical blockwise coordinate descent algorithm for the multi-task Lasso that efficiently solves problems with thousands of features and tasks. The main result shows that a closed-form Winsorization operator can be obtained for the sup-norm penalized least squares regression. This allows the algorithm to find solutions to very large-scale problems far more efficiently than existing methods. This result complements the pioneering work of Friedman, et al. (2007) for the single-task Lasso. As a case study, we use the multi-task Lasso as a variable selector to discover a semantic basis for predicting human neural activation. The learned solution outperforms the standard basis for this task on the majority of test participants, while requiring far fewer assumptions about cognitive neuroscience. We demonstrate how this learned basis can yield insights into how the brain represents the meanings of words.
Remains of Small Ornithurine Birds from a Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Microsite in Russell County, North-Central Kansas

Our analysis of vertebrate remains collected from a Cenomanian microsite in the Lincoln Limestone, the basal-most member of the Greenhorn Formation in Russell County, Kansas, identifies ornithurine (sensu Chiappe, 1996) avian fossils. The specimens presented here are slightly younger than the oldest avian remains known from North America (from the Woodbine Formation, Texas) and of a similar age as the avians from the Asheville Formation in Saskatchewan, Canada. This find thus connects the extensive geographic range of the earliest North American birds from Saskatchewan south through central Kansas and on to Texas. The specimens discussed here are fragmentary, yet show features definitive of ornithurine birds. One specimen is attributable to Ichthyornis, whereas another preserves teeth characteristic of ornithurine birds. In addition to bird bones, the microsite yielded numerous bony fish remains, shark teeth, coniasaur vertebrae, and other lizard bones.
On a singular nonlinear semilinear elliptic problem

We consider the singular boundary value problemWe study the existence, uniqueness, regularity and the dependency on parameters of the positive solutions under various assumptions.
Prevention of airway allograft tolerance by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid requires type I interferon responsiveness for mouse airway obliteration

Background Respiratory RNA viruses are associated with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) in lung transplant recipients (LTRS); however, the immune mechanisms that regulate airway obliteration remain incompletely understood. Methods Using the mouse heterotopic tracheal transplant model of obliterative airway disease (OAD), we studied the role of double-stranded (ds)RNA using polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly[I:C]), a synthetic analog of viral dsRNA, in abrogating airway allograft tolerance established with donor-specific transfusion (DST) and anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody therapy. Results Wild-type (WT) B6 recipients of accepted BALB/c airway grafts demonstrated significantly reduced intragraft CD8 + T cells, with markedly impaired allospecific interferon (INF)-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α secretion, uncoupled from an activated phenotype, and evidence of proliferation. Administration of poly(I:C) to DST/anti-CD154–treated recipients restored OAD pathology and CD8 + alloeffector responses to levels observed in untreated mice. However, B6 type I IFN receptor-deficient (IFN-αβR –/– ) recipients were resistant to the abrogation of tolerance mediated by poly(I:C) and did not develop CD8 + alloeffector responses or OAD. Further, adoptive transfers of WT CD8 + T cells or CD11c + dendritic cells alone into B6 IFNαβR –/– recipients treated with poly(I:C) and DST/anti-CD154 were incapable of abrogating airway graft tolerance. Conclusions Together, these data indicate abrogation of DST/anti-CD154–induced airway allograft tolerance via dsRNA requires type-I IFN responsiveness for mouse airway obliteration.
Mechanisms of altered vagal control in heart failure: influence of muscarinic receptors and acetylcholinesterase activity

Parasympathetic control of the heart is attenuated in heart failure (HF). We investigated possible mechanisms and sites of altered vagal control in dogs with HF induced by rapid pacing. Muscarinic ...
Cardiovascular event rates in atorvastatin patients versus patients switching from atorvastatin to simvastatin

AbstractObjective:Statin dose, adherence, and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes are important factors when considering switching statin therapies. The objective of the study was to compare CV event rates and risk in managed care patients receiving atorvastatin versus those switched to simvastatin from atorvastatin.Methods:Patients 18–64 years, with ≥3 continuous pharmacy claims for atorvastatin between 1/1/05–11/30/07 and ≥12 months pre- and ≥3 months post-index continuous eligibility were identified using HealthCore Integrated Research Database (HIRD). Patients were stratified into two cohorts: one continued atorvastatin without interruption and the other switched to simvastatin. Patients were matched 1:10 (continue atorvastatin/switch simvastatin) on five variables, excluding lipid parameters due to limited data availability. Descriptive statistics were reported for sample characteristics. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was developed to evaluate adjusted CV risk.Results:In total 73,960 atorvas...
Inversion of airborne contaminants in a regional model

We are interested in a DDDAS problem of localization of airborne contaminant releases in regional atmospheric transport models from sparse observations. Given measurements of the contaminant over an observation window at a small number of points in space, and a velocity field as predicted for example by a mesoscopic weather model, we seek an estimate of the state of the contaminant at the begining of the observation interval that minimizes the least squares misfit between measured and predicted contaminant field, subject to the convection-diffusion equation for the contaminant. Once the “initial” conditions are estimated by solution of the inverse problem, we issue predictions of the evolution of the contaminant, the observation window is advanced in time, and the process repeated to issue a new prediction, in the style of 4D-Var. We design an appropriate numerical strategy that exploits the spectral structure of the inverse operator, and leads to efficient and accurate resolution of the inverse problem. Numerical experiments verify that high resolution inversion can be carried out rapidly for a well-resolved terrain model of the greater Los Angeles area.
Observational analysis of pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist behaviors at roundabouts in the United States

Roundabouts continue to gain popularity in the United States as an intersection treatment for improving operational efficiency and motor vehicle safety. A number of studies conducted in the United States and other countries have shown the benefits of roundabouts for these purposes. However, there is still concern that roundabouts may not provide safety or operational benefits for pedestrians and bicyclists. Crash-based studies of pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the United States have fallen short because of the relatively small number of roundabouts installed to date, which results in sample size issues due to the low number of motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists. This study was undertaken as part of an NCHRP project. This paper focused on analyzing the interactions between motorists and pedestrians or bicyclists at roundabouts. This research did not find any substantial safety problems for nonmotorists at roundabouts based on conflicts or collisions. At the same time, the findings from behavioral observation have highlighted some aspects of roundabout design that require additional care to ensure safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists. Emphasis needs to be placed on designing exit legs to ensure proper sight lines and motor vehicle speeds. The junction of the circulatory lane and exit lane was observed to be the location of greatest risk for bicyclists. Multilane roundabouts may require additional traffic control measures to ensure safe access for pedestrians.
Formulation and evaluation of sublingual delivery of piroxicam using thermosensitive polymer with an inverted Franz diffusion cell

Objectives The aim of the study was to prepare a sublingual formulation for piroxicam using a thermosensitive polymer and to evaluate its permeation through porcine sublingual mucosa. Methods Formulation technique utilized the transition property of poloxamer from solution state at room temperature to gel state at oromucosal temperature (37 °C). The permeation of the drug was evaluated using an inverted Franz diffusion cell technique that allowed the dosage form to be directly applied onto the substrate with required volume of saliva. The formulation was characterized for microscopy of the piroxicam crystals, sol–gel transition property and in-vitro diffusion study. Key findings Poloxamer-based formulation enhanced solubility and increased permeability of the piroxicam. Conclusion Poloxamer formulation with 0.1% w/w piroxicam delivered a cumulative amount of 11.99 ± 7.82 and 11.23 ± 1.79 μg/cm2, while non-poloxamer formulation delivered 3.57 ± 2.20 and 4.60 ± 6.90 μg/cm2 with 0.1 and 0.5 ml artificial saliva, respectively, through porcine sublingual tissue in 6 h. A similar delivery profile was observed for 0.05% w/w piroxicam formulation as well.
Reply to "(Im)Possible Frontiers: A Comment"

In Brennan and Lo (2010), a mean-variance efficient frontier is defined as “impossible” if every portfolio on that frontier has negative weights, which is incompatible with the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) requirement that the market portfolio is mean-variance efficient. We prove that as the number of assets n grows, the probability that a randomly chosen frontier is impossible tends to one at a geometric rate, implying that the set of parameters for which the CAPM holds is extremely rare. Levy and Roll (2014) argue that while such “possible” frontiers are rare, they are ubiquitous. In this reply, we show that this is not the case; possible frontiers are not only rare, but they occupy an isolated region of mean-variance parameter space that becomes increasingly remote as n increases. Ingersoll (2014) observes that parameter restrictions can rule out impossible frontiers, but in many cases these restrictions contradict empirical fact and must be questioned rather than blindly imposed.
Interaction between protein tyrosine phosphatase and protein tyrosine kinase is involved in androgen-promoted growth of human prostate cancer cells.

Steroid hormones play key roles in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation in targeting tissues. However, in advanced cancers, the steroid hormone regulation is frequently attenuated through a yet unknown mechanism even in the presence of functional steroid hormone receptors. We investigate the functional role of tyrosine phosphorylation signaling in the hormone-refractory growth of human prostate tumors. Initial studies demonstrate that the androgen-responsive phenotype of human prostate cancer cells associates with a low phosphotyrosine (p-Tyr) level of ErbB-2, which is regulated by cellular prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP), a protein tyrosine phosphatase. In prostate cancer cells, the p-Tyr level, but not the protein level, of ErbB-2 inversely correlates with the androgen-responsiveness of cell proliferation. Androgen-stimulated cell growth concurs with a down-regulation of cellular PAcP, an elevated p-Tyr level of ErbB-2, and the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Furthermore, only the ErbB-2 inhibitor AG 879, but not the EGFR inhibitor AG 1478, abolishes androgen-induced cell proliferation. Forced expression of ErbB-2 can also attenuate androgen promotion of cell growth. Data taken collectively conclude that in human prostate cancer cells, the tyrosine phosphorylation of ErbB-2 regulated by cellular PAcP plays a key role in regulating androgen-mediated proliferation signaling.
The growth of the gonococcus in various gaseous environments

C. Frankel1 showed that some bacteria, namely, B. typhosus and Friedlander's bacillus, grow as well under pure CO2 as in atmospheric conditions; other strains, such as B. prodigiosus, B. proteus and B. phosphorescens will grow under pure CO2 but not as luxuriantly as under aerobic conditions; while still a third group will not grow at all under pure CO2 namely, the spirillum of Asiatic cholera, B. anthracis, Micrococcus tetragenus, the bacteria of chicken cholera and of rabbit and mouse septicemia. Of this last group, all will grow in a mixture of CCk and air, or some will grow under pure CO2, if the temperature of incubation is raised. He also says that the same holds true in a general way in atmospheres of pure oxygen. Ferran2 and Belfonti8 found that the tetanus bacillus could be successfully habituated to aerobic conditions by the gradual increase of oxygen in cultures. We know that as a rule most anaerobes are sensitive to exposure to oxygen, yet here is a case in which an anaerobic bacterium could be transformed into an aerobic one. Wherry and Oliver4 claimed that the gonococcus when first isolated grows best under a partial tension produced by the hay bacillus. Wherry and Ervin5 showed that the removal of CO2 inhibited the growth of a recently isolated tubercle bacillus. Cohen and Markle,' Cohen,7 and Cohen and Fleming8 published several articles on the advantage of using a reduced oxygen tension and an increased CO2 tension in the isolation of the meningococcus. Chapin' and Kohman10 also reported on the advantage of CO2 in the growth of the gonococcus and the meningococcus, but St. John11 claimed that the
Consumption as common sense: Heteronormative hegemony and white wedding desire

The white wedding remains the most popular marriage ritual in the United States despite significant social change since its inception. Current research on this phenomenon focuses primarily on the influence of mass media, including advertising that socializes women and girls. I argue that while important, mass media alone cannot explain why many women want to have a white wedding. Drawing from data gathered primarily with survey research and free association narrative interviews, this article examines the white wedding desires of women who experience them as common sense. I use Ludwig’s concept of heteronormative hegemony to provide a more thorough account of both gendered subject formation and white wedding desire. In this analysis, women’s social consumption of mass media, embodiment of gendered habitus as taste and ritualized conversations with other women are particularly salient.
Aplasia Cutis Congenita

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare disorder that is estimated to affect approximately three newborns in every 10,000 live births. It is usually detected at birth and most commonly affects the scalp as a solitary lesion. The type of lesion may be classified into one of nine groups. Membranous types and those with a “hair collar” are at highest risk to be associated with underlying neurodevelopmental abnormalities. In rare cases, associated abnormalities and syndromes may also be seen. Appropriate evaluation can be undertaken depending on clinical signs and symptoms. Treatment is often conservative, but more aggressive treatment may be indicated for some larger scalp lesions.
Pre-evaluation of occupational hazards in construction project of shoes manufacturing

Objective To identify,analyze and assess occupational risk factors possibly existed in the construction project.Methods The assessment was carried out by using combination of checklist and analogy.Results The items of construction site,overall layout,protective measures of occupational diseases,hygiene auxiliary rooms,personal protective equipments,the management system on industrial hygiene and emergency rescue measures accorded with the hygiene requirements of laws and regulations of occupational health.Occupational risk factors in the analogical enterprise were detected,the concentrations of benzene,toluene,xylene,acetone,butanone,isopropyl alcohol,cyclohexane,ethyl acetate,methyl acetate and solvent naphtha met the national standards.Dust concentrations of 11 posts were monitored with qualified rate 81.8%.Noise intensities of 38 posts were monitored with qualified rate 78.9%.Conclusion The construction project belongs to general occupational hazards.The occupational hazards which possibly present in the productive process of the project can be prevented.From the view of occupational health,the project is feasible.
La obra de Octavio Paz en el debate sobre la "literatura mundial"

In this article I examine the place Pascal Casanova assigned to the work of Octavio Paz in his book on the world literary space, The World Republic of Letters (1999). First, I refute Casanova’s claims regarding the ways in which Paz creates the “symbolic capital” that allowed him access to the metropolitan cultural centers. I then explore the place of enunciation from which Paz establishes his relationship with the literary tradition of the West through a brief review of Children of Mire and the introductory devices used in his Collected Works. Finally, I propose a new approach to the study of how the Mexican writer’s work unfolds in the world literary space. This approach draws from two concepts that are rooted in postcolonial theory: the concept of “appropriation” and “provincialization of Europe”.
Tissue engineering: Nanoelectronics for the heart

Real-time three-dimensional mapping and control of in vitro cardiomyocytes opens new paths for post-surgery heart monitoring and stimulation.
Gazprom's Refocus on Europe: The Replacement of the South Stream Pipeline with the Turkish Stream Pipeline

This paper aims to answers the question: Why Gazprom cancelled South Stream, and replaced in with Turkish Stream? In addressing this question, the thesis examines the debate surrounding the need for Turkish Stream — on the validity of which the interviewees of this study were split. Some regarded this project as part of Gazprom’s profit-oriented approach given the threat to its market share amidst liberalization in Europe — its largest export market. However, others believed there is no demand for the project. With interviews conducted with Turkish and European individuals in the energy sector as well as through risk modeling, the paper concludes that the decision to replace the pipeline was part of Gazprom’s strategy to tackle the challenges it has faced in the European market in order to secure its position in that market.
Follow the Money: Resource Allocation and Academic Supremacy among Community and University Partners in Food Dignity

A guiding principle in participatory action research collaborations is to strive for equity in relations between community and academic project partners. One promising way of assessing equity and power sharing in such partnerships is to trace and analyze financial resource allocation within them. This paper reports and assesses how nearly US$5 million in grant funding was allocated and spent between community and academic partners in a research, extension, and education project called Food Dignity in the United States. Findings from this analysis of extensive financial project records include that 36% of the funding was subawarded to the five community-based organization (CBO) partners, 40% supported the work of two univer­sity partners, and the remaining 24% was invested in developing and supporting the collaboration of many diverse partners on a wide range of project goals. Staff salary and fringe composed the single largest spending arena, making up about two-thirds of spending for CBOs and collaboration, and half for universities. However, had faculty salaries been paid from the grant, rather than by the partnering universities, then this component would have been much higher. Indirect costs and support for gradu­ate students were the next-biggest categories in academic budgets, while CBOs received and spent zero dollars in these arenas. Although this project has received a national award for community-campus partnerships, we find that, even within a narrow lens of an individual community-university partnership, our allocations underinvested in the research expertise, administrative costs, and capac­ity development needs of the CBOs. Using a wider lens that encompasses the systemic, institutional­ized inequities between community-based and university-based partners, we find that we pro­duced and reproduced inequities in our monetary resource allocations in at least four main ways: employment conditions, institutional support, capacity development, and autonomy, including control over funding. We call these systemic inequities academic supremacy and close with several institutional and individual recommendations for how to begin undoing them.
Elementary Students' Alternative Conceptions About Earth Systems Phenomena In Taiwan, Republic Op China

The purposes of this research are (1) to identify children's ideas about Earth systems, (2) to investigate the origins of children's beliefs about selected natural phenomena, and (3) to describe the characteristics of children's explanations. The research topics in this study have been selected from astronomy (day and night, the phases of the Moon, and seasons), meteorology (rain and wind), and geology (mountains and rivers). These topics are all taught in the elementary science curriculum in Taiwan. The results of this study will help science teachers develop effective teaching strategies by taking into account the characteristics of students' concept learning. These results also will provide information for curriculum designers to use in establishing meaningful instructional processes and developing understandable teaching materials. Furthermore, the results of this study will allow students to find out how their experiences affect their science learning in order to change their alternative conceptions. The focus of this study is an exploration of the conceptions about the Earth systems held by elementary students in Taiwan. This is the second study in Taiwan to probe children's ideas about earth science. The first study investigated elementary children's misconceptions about the Moon (Dai & Capie, 1990). This study is meant to provide additional baseline information on earth science conceptions children hold before and after formal science instruction.
A preliminary report on the mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) in the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve

This paper illustrates the relationship between changes in the physical condition of mountain reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufula) and seasonal changes in veld condition on the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. The dressed carcass weights of males average 44 percent greater and females 24 percent greater during November through February than during July through October. This large fluctuation in weight, the winter i?½ early spring peaks in carcasses found on the reserve, and the apparently low proportion of lambs surviving the winter suggest that winter malnutrition is the major factor controlling the population at Loskop.
Neuroendocrine mechanisms for parental sensitivity: overview, recent advances and future directions

Early parent-infant relationships play important roles in infants' development. New parents adapt to the developing relationship with their infants to coordinate parenting behaviors in the milieu of infant needs, hormones, moods, and stress. This review highlights research from the past two years, using non-invasive brain-imaging techniques and naturalistic tasks in mothers and fathers in relation to psychological, and endocrine measures. Recent work also connects parental brain physiology with parental sensitive behavior, parent/child outcomes and parent psychotherapy. Understanding neurobiological mechanisms underlying parenting thoughts, behaviors and moods (see Figure 1) will help identify mental health risks and contribute to parental mental health interventions and resilience.
REVIEWS AND COMMENTS ON ALCOHOL RESEARCH : WHAT IS ENOUGH AND WHAT CAUSES SLOW DEATH?

Thun, M. J.; Peto, R.; Loped, A. D.; Monaco, J. H.; Henley, S. J.; Heath, C. W.; Doll, R. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults. N. ENGL. J. MED. 337 :1705–1714; 1997. As part of the Cancer Prevention Study II , a four-page questionnaire was mailed requesting information regarding the use of alcohol and tobacco and information on diet and other factors potentially affecting mortality. The analyses in this report included 251,420 women and 238,206 men, with a mean age of 56 years, who provided complete information for both alcohol and tobacco use. Deaths were ascertained from the month of enrollment until December 1991, both through inquiries by American Cancer Society volunteers and through the National Death Index. By 1991, 12% of the population was known to have died and another 2.2% was lost to followup. Death certificates were obtained for 98% of those who died. Heavier drinking (four or more drinks daily) was associated with increased mortality due to cirrhosis, alcoholism, and combined cancers of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, larynx, and liver. Mortality due to injuries or other external causes for men, but not women, was increased by heavy drinking. The mortality from breast cancer was 30% higher among women who reported at least one drink daily than among nondrinkers (relative risk 5 1.3). The rates of death from all cardiovascular disease were 30% lower for men who reported one drink daily (relative risk 5 0.7) and 36% lower for women (relative risk 5 0.06). The values were similar for drinking at less than three drinks per week or two–three drinks per day. The overall death rates were lowest among men and women who reported consumption of about one drink daily. Heavier drinking, more than four drinks daily, was associated with increased mortality, especially among subjects under age 60 with a low risk of cardiovascular disease. Any consumption of alcohol was associated with a small reduction in risk of death, but smoking approximately doubled this risk and was not offset by the consumption of alcohol. The authors conclude that in this middle-aged to elderly population, moderate alcohol consumption slightly reduced overall mortality, but was far smaller than the large increase in risk associated with the use of tobacco. Comments
Neodymium:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy in eye with an intrastromal inlay

We report intraoperative issues, patient outcomes, and lessons learned from inadvertently contacting a Kamra corneal inlay with a neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) laser during a routine capsulotomy procedure for posterior capsule opacification. We also present scanning electron microscopic and histopathologic images from a series of 4 inlays implanted in postmortem porcine eyes that were purposely contacted with an Nd:YAG laser. Our capsulotomy patient developed a clinically insignificant and transient corneal opacity accompanied by mild blanching on the inlay. Modeling this scenario in porcine corneas demonstrated the potential for carbon particle liberation into the overlying stroma, damage to the inlay body, and fusion of inlay nutrition holes.
Abstract 307: TRIB3 regulates cell cycle progression and programmed cell death in non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction: The pseudokinase Tribbles pseudokinase 3 (TRIB3) is known as a regulator in cellular responses to a variety of stresses such as glucose insufficiency and (ER) stress. TRIB3 has been described in some studies as a tumor suppressor due to its effect on inactivating PI3K/Akt pathway, but other studies suggest TRIB3 as a stimulator of tumor progression. In this study, we aimed to define the functions of TRIB3 in in non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: TRIB3 expression was altered using a lentiviral vector to overexpress TRIB3 in non-small cell lung cancer. A CRISPR-CAS9 construct with guiding sequence matching to TRIB3 gene was used to knock out its expression. Cell proliferation was evaluated using MTS and trypan blue assays. Boyden chamber assay was used to assess the cell migration while cell cycle phases were determined using flow cytometry. Heatmap analysis was performed to assess the changes in the expressions of genes in cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Results: TRIB3 overexpression led to reduced cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, it contributed to the increased of cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. QPCR analyses of cell cycle related genes showed an upregulation of CDK inhibitors in (NCI-H358) TRIB3 overexpression cells, while depletion of TRIB3 led to the down-regulation of CDK inhibitors. TRIB3 overexpression led to downregulation of LC3B and other autophagy markers while increasing the expression of apoptotic genes. Conclusion: Increased TRIB3 expression in non-small cell lung cancer cells inhibited proliferation by blocking cell cycle progression through the upregulation of CDK inhibitors, led to activation of cell death through apoptosis. Our study reveals a significant role of TRIB3 in regulating cell cycle progression, apoptosis and autophagy. Citation Format: Abeer Almiman, Daotai Nie, Jamila Adom. TRIB3 regulates cell cycle progression and programmed cell death in non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 307. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-307
Innovation, entrepreneurship and textiles

Innovation and entrepreneurship have become increasingly important parts of economic development in almost every country, region, and community. In this research we investigate the reasons people become entrepreneurs in the textile and apparel industries and compare entrepreneurship in these industries with other industries looking also at the success factors for start up companies. During our research we found many disrupters, people entering the textile and apparel industries from outside often having no prior experience in textiles or apparel. We also investigate the impact of government intervention on entrepreneurship. In recognition of the large economic impact entrepreneurial companies have on economic development and job growth, almost all federal governments, regional governments, and community governments have created support for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Encoded Vector Clock: Using Primes to Characterize Causality in Distributed Systems

The vector clock is a fundamental tool for tracking causality in distributed applications. Unfortunately, it does not scale well to large systems because each process needs to maintain a vector of size n, where n is the total number of processes in the system. To address this problem, we propose the encoding of the vector clock using prime numbers to use a single number to represent vector time. We propose the operations on the encoded vector clock (EVC). We then show how to timestamp global states and how to perform operations on the global states using the EVC. We also discuss scalability issues of the EVC.
Biomechanical Rigidity and Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Segmental Regions of the Trabecular Meshwork at Physiologic and Elevated Pressures

Purpose The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the trabecular meshwork (TM) modulates resistance to aqueous humor outflow, thereby regulating IOP. Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, is associated with changes in the ECM of the TM. The elastic modulus of glaucomatous TM is larger than age-matched normal TM; however, the biomechanical properties of segmental low (LF) and high flow (HF) TM regions and their response to elevated pressure, are unknown. Methods We perfused human anterior segments at two pressures using an ex vivo organ culture system. After extraction, we measured the elastic modulus of HF and LF TM regions by atomic force microscopy and quantitated protein differences by proteomics analyses. Results The elastic modulus of LF regions was 2.3-fold larger than HF regions at physiological (1×) pressure, and 7.4-fold or 3.5-fold larger than HF regions at elevated (2×) pressure after 24 or 72 hours, respectively. Using quantitative proteomics, comparisons were made between HF and LF regions at 1× or 2× pressure. Significant ECM protein differences were observed between LF and HF regions perfused at 2×, and between HF regions at 1× compared to 2× pressures. Decorin, TGF-β-induced protein, keratocan, lumican, dermatopontin, and thrombospondin 4 were common differential candidates in both comparisons. Conclusions These data show changes in biomechanical properties of segmental regions within the TM in response to elevated pressure, and levels of specific ECM proteins. Further studies are needed to determine whether these ECM proteins are specifically involved in outflow resistance and IOP homeostasis.
Differences in Mental, Cognitive, and Functional Health by Sexual Orientation Among Older Women: Analysis of the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Background and objectives This study addresses a gap in the knowledge base regarding whether there are differences in mental, cognitive, and functional health between sexual minority women aged 65 and older and their heterosexual counterparts, as well as whether disparities are moderated by age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. Research design and methods This study analyzes 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 21 states. Multivariate logistic regression is used to test the hypotheses. Results Compared to heterosexual women, lesbian/gay women aged 65 and older report worse functional health and bisexual women report worse cognitive health and more difficulties with instrumental activities of daily living. Disparities are particularly present for women in their late 60s and those in their 70s. While the likelihood of a depression diagnosis tends to be lower for heterosexual women with higher income, the inverse is true of sexual minority women. Additionally, sexual minority women with less education have lower odds of frequent mental distress and activity limitations than those with some college education. Sexual minority women of color have significantly lower odds of frequent mental distress, activity limitations, and use of special equipment compared to white sexual minority women. Discussion and implications Findings indicate a need for gerontological services that provide support to older sexual minority women, particularly in relation to cognitive and functional health. Future research is needed to understand risk and protective factors contributing to these disparities, including forms of resilience that occur among older sexual minority women of color.
Development of solid water phantom using wax

In this work, we develop wax-based solid water phantoms for CT systems that have radiation characteristics close to those of water for clinically appropriate CT tube voltages. Most commercial solid water phantoms are made with non-water-based materials for durability. However, manufacture-grade solid water is difficult to replicate in a common lab setting and ingredients can be toxic. We have developed a wax-based solid water phantom for a coronary calcified plaque phantom for our ongoing research project where calcium-based material and fatty material are mixed into the water-equivalent material. We chose soy wax as a main ingredient because it is non-toxic and can be easily used to develop more realistic coronary plaques with a variety of compositions (e.g., more wax for fattier plaque). We determined additional ingredients and concentrations needed to make solid water phantoms via least squares method where the mass fraction of each material was estimated by minimizing the difference between the linear attenuation coefficients of water and the mixture. Based on the analytical calculation, physical solid water phantoms were developed and were scanned using micro-CT and clinical CT systems to experimentally verify the optimal concentration of the mixed material and phantom homogeneity. The CT values of our solid water phantom at the optimal concentration was found comparable to that of water and had similar variance. In addition to supporting our plaque phantom development, this solid water phantom could be used as a basis to develop a variety of other complex tissue-mimicking phantoms for use in clinical CT scanner.
The Easy Case for Products Liability: A Response to Professors Polinsky and Shavell

In their article “The Uneasy Case for Product Liability,” Professors Polinsky and Shavell assert the extraordinary claim that there should be no tort liability - none at all - for injuries caused by widely-sold products. In particular, they claim to have found convincing evidence that the threat of tort liability creates no additional incentives to safety beyond those already provided by regulatory agencies and market forces, and that tort compensation adds little or no benefit to injury victims beyond the compensation already provided by various forms of insurance. In this response, we explain that, even on its own narrow terms, “Uneasy,” comes nowhere near to demonstrating what it purports to demonstrate. We also identify various “benefits” provided by tort liability for product-related injuries that Polinsky and Shavell entirely fail to consider. In fact, the case for some form of products liability - whether fault-based or defect-based - is really quite easy.