cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of the TPC1 Channel from Arabidopsis Thaliana

Two-pore channels (TPCs) belong to the family of voltage-gated tetrameric cation channels and are ubiquitously expressed in organelles of animals and plants. Each TPC subunit contains 12 transmembrane segments that can be divided into two homologous copies of an S1-S6 Shaker-like 6-TM domain. A functional TPC channel assembles as a dimer - the equivalent of a voltage-gated tetrameric cation channel. Plant TPC channel (TPC1) is localized to the vacuole membrane and is responsible for generating the slow vacuolar (SV) current observed long before its molecular identification; therefore, plant TPC1 is also called SV channel.
Assessing and minimizing contamination in time of flight basedvalidation data

Abstract Time of flight experiments are the gold standard method for generating labeled training and testing data for the neutron/gamma pulse shape discrimination problem. As the popularity of supervised classification methods increases in this field, there will also be increasing reliance on time of flight data for algorithm development and evaluation. However, time of flight experiments are subject to various sources of contamination that lead to neutron and gamma pulses being mislabeled. Such labeling errors have a detrimental effect on classification algorithm training and testing, and should therefore be minimized. This paper presents a method for identifying minimally contaminated data sets from time of flight experiments and estimating the residual contamination rate. This method leverages statistical models describing neutron and gamma travel time distributions and is easily implemented using existing statistical software. The method produces a set of optimal intervals that balance the trade-off between interval size and nuisance particle contamination, and its use is demonstrated on a time of flight data set for Cf-252. The particular properties of the optimal intervals for the demonstration data are explored in detail.
Scalable and Tunable Carbide–Phosphide Composite Catalyst System for the Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass

We have prepared composite materials of hexagonal nickel phosphide and molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) utilizing a simple and scalable two-stage synthesis method composed of carbothermic reduction followed by hydrothermal incubation. We observe the monophasic hexagonal phosphide Ni2P in the composite at low phosphide-to-carbide (P:C) ratios. Upon an increase in the proportion of P:C, the carbide surface becomes saturated, and we detect the emergence of a second hexagonal nickel phosphide phase (Ni5P4) upon annealing. We demonstrate that vapor-phase upgrading (VPU) of whole biomass via catalytic fast pyrolysis is achievable using the composite material as a catalyst, and we monitor the resulting product slates using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Our analysis of the product vapors indicates that variation of the P:C molar ratio in the composite material affords product slates of varying complexity and composition, which is indicated by the number of products and their relative proportions in the...
Model predictive control to two-stage stochastic dynamic economic dispatch problem

Abstract A multi-stage model predictive control approach is proposed to compensate the forecast error in a scenario-based two-stage stochastic dynamic economic dispatch problem through a feedback mechanism. Reformulating the problem as a finite moving-horizon optimal control problem, the proposed approach decelerates the growth of the number of scenarios by updating the system as uncertainties are gradually realized. Consequently, the computation time is reduced, and the problem is solved without the need for using scenario reduction techniques that compromise the accuracy of the solution. To exhibit the computational efficiency of the proposed approach, numerical experiments are conducted on the IEEE 118-bus system.
Texture-directed twin formation propensity in Al with high stacking fault energy

Abstract Twin boundaries can enhance the strength and preserve the ductility of a variety of metallic materials with face centered cubic structures. However, twin boundaries are rare in aluminum due to its high stacking fault energy. There are limited successes for the formation of nanotwins in Al. Here, we show that twin morphology and twin density in Al can be altered by tailoring the textures of films. Transmission Kikuchi diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies on (111), (110) and (112) textured Al films indicate that Al (112) film has the highest twin density. Two design criteria are identified for the introduction of a high density of growth twins into Al.
Management of Multiple Intra-Hepatic Biliary Cysts in a Desert Rosy Boa, Lichanura trivirgata gracia

ABSTRACT An adult female desert rosy boa, Lichanura trivirgata gracia, presented with clinical signs of intermittent, fluctuant swellings in the middle third of the body. The swellings, present over a three-year period, did not adversely affect the animal's health. Radiographs showed radiopaque masses of soft tissue density that were extraintestinal based upon endoscopy and barium enterogram. Ultrasonography confirmed that the masses were fluid-filled. Aspirated fluid was sterile and contained epithelial and a few inflammatory cells. Exploratory laparotomy revealed three multiloculated cystic masses associated with the liver. The masses were diagnosed histologically as biliary cysts. Due to the lack of adverse clinical signs, benign nature of the cysts, and potential for surgical complications due to extensive involvement of the liver, periodic drainage was elected for management. This is the first report of biliary cysts in snakes, and biliary cysts should be considered as a differential diagnosis in sna...
Accessible Spiritual Practices to Aid in Recovery from Moral Injury

This article is based on the claim that spiritual practices can help sustain and rebuild even deeply wounded human spirits. It introduces simple spiritual practices, frequently originating within the Christian tradition but adaptable to other traditions or no specific tradition. Addressed primarily to those in recovery from the deep spiritual wound described as military moral injury, as well as their families, spiritual caregivers, congregations, and other supporters, its goal is to provide practices that offer practical and accessible means to spiritual healing.
Modulation of chemical toxicity by modification of caloric intake.

Nutrition is known to play a major role in the etiology of many disease states. Heart disease and cancer are both influenced by dietary factors, and chronic diseases, with their long latencies, appear to be especially susceptible to the influence of diet. Diet affects the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease, gallstones, appendicitis, varicose veins, obesity, hiatus hernia, and cancer.1 Indeed, in the last case, it has been suggested that at least 36% of all causes can be attributed to dietary factors.2
Nonlinear Normal Forms

Chapters 2 and 3 have been somewhat of a digression from the problem posed in Chapter 1, that of normalizing a system of nonlinear differential equations. In this chapter we return to that problem, equipped with the methods discussed in Chapters 2 and 3.
Ethics in Academic Surgery

There is increasing awareness of the unique ethical issues inherent to clinical care and research, including the dual loyalties of the surgeon-scientist. Learning how to approach and manage ethical conflicts that may arise is critical for any academic surgeon. An understanding of the underlying ethical principles, past precedents, and the relevant regulations or guidelines can help guide moral reasoning and ethical decision-making. Voluntary informed consent, scientific value, and favorable risk-benefit ratios must be taken into consideration with all human subjects research. To preserve research integrity, good research practices must be observed, along with the avoidance of research misconduct including falsification, fabrication, and plagiarism. Conflicts of interest must be appropriately disclosed and managed. Moving beyond ethical principles as a guide for behavior, character needs to serve as a foundation for ethical decision-making.
Aid to the Civil Power: The Military Establishment, the Land War, and the Home Rule Crisis, 1879–1914

A plurality of Irish military officers were not only career soldiers, but also belonged to the nobility or landed gentry. Thus, the land question of the late nineteenth century had a significant impact on Irish officers, not only as a contributing factor to civil unrest in Ireland, but as a direct threat to the estates that provided officers’ livelihoods. This chapter charts the reactions of Irish officers to instances of civil unrest in Ireland and identifies a distinct difference in how urban versus rural unrest was dealt with by the army. This chapter also discusses the effect of rising tensions between unionists and nationalists, and the increasingly ‘political’ nature of army operations aiding the civil power. The Home Rule question is shown to be noteworthy for two reasons: first, because of the unexpectedly minor effect it had on the cohesion of the officer corps before 1912; and second, because of the response of the British government, which suspected, despite evidence to the contrary, that Irish soldiers would be compromised by political developments in Ireland.
Uniformization by rectangular domains: A path from slits to squares

Abstract Let Σ ( Ω ) be the class of functions f ( z ) = z + a 1 z + ⋯ univalent on a finitely connected domain Ω, ∞ ∈ Ω ⊂ C ‾ . By a classical result due to H. Grotzsch, the function f 0 maximizing ℜ a 1 over the class Σ ( Ω ) maps Ω onto C ‾ slit along horizontal segments. Recently, M. Bonk found a similar extremal problem, which maximizer f 1 ∈ Σ ( Ω ) maps Ω onto a domain on C ‾ , whose complementary components are squares. In this note, we discuss a parametric family of extremal problems on the class Σ ( Ω ) with maximizers f m , 0 m 1 , mapping Ω onto domains on C ‾ , whose complementary components are rectangles with horizontal and vertical sides and with module m.
Antinausea Protocol Reduces Hospital Length of Stay for Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication.

Objective The perioperative course of patients undergoing laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) was reviewed to determine whether the use of a new treatment protocol consisting of total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) plus triple antiemetic therapy was associated with shorter hospital length of stay (HLOS). Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Single academic center. Participants The study comprised 448 patients. Fifty-four patients undergoing LNF who received TIVA were compared with 394 who received standard inhalational anesthesia (non-TIVA) between January 2010 and June 2017. Interventions Patients who received TIVA were compared with those who received non-TIVA. Measurements and Main Results In multivariate analysis, TIVA was significantly associated with reduced HLOS (odds ratio 2.91, 95% confidence interval 1.47-5.78) and a 7.8% reduction in cost of care (p Conclusions The use of TIVA in patients undergoing uncomplicated LNF shortens HLOS and is associated with reduced cost of care. This study illustrates that communication among surgeons and anesthesiologists results in improved patient care.
Analysis and Modeling of Passive LC Filters Using Node Elimination Technique

Eliminating circuit nodes reduces the order of the circuit determinants and relaxes the computing memory requirement in order to extract circuit characteristics. However, node eliminations increase the number of components in the transformed circuit and can introduce errors in circuit transfer functions if critical components are omitted from the model. This paper shows how a filter node can be eliminated without introducing more components while preserving all filter characteristics including coupling factors among inductors, scattering parameters, voltage gain and node impedance transfer functions, impulse, step and transient responses.
Base-Hurricane: A new extension for the Landis-II forest landscape model

Abstract Hurricanes in the southeast United States are infrequent disturbances that affect large areas and have a large effect on forest succession. In order to understand and quantify this effect, we added a new module to the LANDIS-II landscape change model. Focusing on the southeast coast of the United States, we simulated stochastic hurricanes for 50 years. For each simulated storm, the new model extension generates the maximum sustained wind speed over the region and uses the resulting parameter surface to compute maximum sustained wind speed for each cohort cell in a raster grid. Mortality is estimated for each species and age cohort in each cell based on the maximum sustained wind speed, altering forest succession. Results indicate that hurricanes reduce average aboveground biomass by > 20% over 50 years on a landscape in Fort Bragg, North Carolina (USA) compared to a scenario without hurricanes and increased uncertainty of projected succession.
Addressing Military Sexual Violence by Proposing a Social Media Influencer Model.

Military sexual violence (MSV) is a prevalent issue that uniquely affects mission readiness. Although research on MSV and social media is growing, examinations of possible interventions like those ...
The Population Map of Changes in the Spatiotemporal Sensitivity of Visual Neurons Across Saccadic Eye Movements

Numerous physiological studies have reported changes in neurophysiological responses to visual stimuli around the time of saccadic eye movements in various brain areas. We have recently developed a statistical model framework capable of capturing fast dynamic changes in neuronal sensitivity across saccadic eye movements from the neural activity in extras-triate areas of nonhuman primates. Having obtained precise spatiotemporal processing kernels of neurons, representing the neurons’ spatiotemporal sensitivity, estimated using these models, we observed tremendous diversity in these changes in extras-triate cortex. Building upon this kernel-based description of perisaccadic sensitivity changes, we characterize and track the spatial and temporal dynamics of neurons across saccadic eye movements, and for a large population of extrastriate neurons. Such a network-level description is crucial for understanding the sources of these dynamics and interpreting their functional significance.
Algorithms Using Local Graph Features to Predict Epidemics.

We study a simple model of epidemics where an infected node transmits the infection to its neighbors independently with probability $p$. This is also known as the independent cascade or Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model with fixed recovery time. The size of an outbreak in this model is closely related to that of the giant connected component in ``edge percolation'', where each edge of the graph is kept independently with probability $p$, studied for a large class of networks including configuration model \cite{molloy2011critical} and preferential attachment \cite{bollobas2003,Riordan2005}. Even though these models capture the effects of degree inhomogeneity and the role of super-spreaders in the spread of an epidemic, they only consider graphs that are locally tree like i.e. have a few or no short cycles. Some generalizations of the configuration model were suggested to capture local communities, known as household models \cite{ball2009threshold}, or hierarchical configuration model \cite{Hofstad2015hierarchical}. Here, we ask a different question: what information is needed for general networks to predict the size of an outbreak? Is it possible to make predictions by accessing the distribution of small subgraphs (or motifs)? We answer the question in the affirmative for large-set expanders with local weak limits (also known as Benjamini-Schramm limits). In particular, we show that there is an algorithm which gives a $(1-\epsilon)$ approximation of the probability and the final size of an outbreak by accessing a constant-size neighborhood of a constant number of nodes chosen uniformly at random. We also present corollaries of the theorem for the preferential attachment model, and study generalizations with household (or motif) structure. The latter was only known for the configuration model.
Numerical Simulations of Nanosecond-Pulse Discharges

The purpose of this study is to investigate physical processes of nanosecond-pulse discharges by using a computationally efficient solver and to compare the obtained results with the experimental data. The voltage input for this study is obtained from experimental data; the predicted current and the electron number densities at the periodic states are compared with the measured data. The experiment was conducted with Argon gas at 3 Torr pressure in 2 cm gap where the pulse repetition frequency is 30 kHz.
Preparing the Groundwork for a Responsible Debate on Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning

The debate over both cloning and stem cell research has been intense and polarizing. It played a significant role in the recently completed presidential campaign, mentioned by both candidates on the stump, at both parties' conventions, and was even taken up directly during one of the presidential debates. The topic has been discussed and debated almost continuously by the members of the legal, scientific, medical, and public policy commentariat. I believe that it is a heartening tribute to our national polity that such a complex moral, ethical, and scientific issue has become a central focus of our political discourse. But, as you have no doubt noticed, the content of the discourse itself has been sometimes quite impoverished and unsatisfying. No one camp in this debate is solely to blame for these difficulties - partisans on all sides bear some measure of responsibility for the current state of the public discourse. In the interests of improving the quality of public deliberation and discussion on this matter, I will provide a few modest suggestions for how the public debate might be improved. I begin with a few general observations applicable to both domains under consideration today, stem cell research and cloning. Then I focus on each separately; first, directing my comments to stem cell research, and then turning to the distinct (though obviously closely related) matter of cloning.
Specific in vivo association between the bHLH and LIM proteins implicated in human T cell leukemia.

The protein products of proto-oncogenes implicated in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia include two distinct families of presumptive transcription factors. RBTN1 and RBTN2 encode highly related proteins that possess cysteine-rich LIM motifs. TAL1, TAL2 and LYL1 encode a unique subgroup of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins that share exceptional homology in their bHLH sequences. We have found that RBTN1 and RBTN2 have the ability to interact with each of the leukemogenic bHLH proteins (TAL1, TAL2 and LYL1). These interactions occur in vivo and appear to be mediated by sequences within the LIM and bHLH domains. The LIM-bHLH interactions are highly specific in that RBTN1 and RBTN2 will associate with TAL1, TAL2 and LYL1, but not with other bHLH proteins, including E12, E47, Id1, NHLH1, AP4, MAX, MYC and MyoD1. Moreover, RBTN1 and RBTN2 can interact with TAL1 polypeptides that exist in assembled bHLH heterodimers (e.g. TAL1-E47), suggesting that the RBTN proteins can influence the functional properties of TAL1. Finally, we have identified a subset of leukemia patients that harbor tumor-specific rearrangements of both their RBTN2 and TAL1 genes. Thus, the activated alleles of these genes may promote leukemia cooperatively, perhaps as a result of bHLH-LIM interactions between their protein products.
The role of S-cones in human vision

The human S-cone ERG and single neuron responses from cells mediating the signals of short wavelength sensitive cones (S-cones) were examined and compared with the responses of long (L) and middle (M) wavelength sensitive cones. The S-cone system contributes a relatively small signal to the total cone ERG; it can be selectively light adapted; its b-wave is slower than that of L- and M-cone b-wave; and it lacks a d-wave. Transient tritanopia, a striking feature of S-cone on-retinal ganglion cells, is relatively weak at the level of the ERG. The responses of geniculate neurons were studied using a slowly moving border of energy and wavelength contrast. The ability of cells to respond to wavelength contrast across a border in which energy contrast was reversed was tested in all major varieties of retino-geniculate neurons in the macaque monkey. Cells mediating the signals of S-cones are unique in responding to wavelength rather than energy contrast. The most effective stimulus for such cells is white/yellow wavelength contrast at minimum energy contrast. It is suggested that the S-cone system's major role is to detect wavelength (chromatic) contrast and in particular white and grey from yellow and brown at minimal energy (brightness) contrast.
The nature of urinary protein in eclampsia

Abstract The ratio of albumin to globulin in the urine of patients suffering from nephritis appears to bear a somewhat constant relationship to the type and severity of the renal disease present. Thus, Hiller, McIntosh and Van Slyke 1 have found that it is usually above 10 in nephrosis, between 5 and 10 in acute nephritis, while in the advanced stages of chronic glomerular nephritis with urea retention and impaired kidney function, it falls below 5. They note, moreover, that cases of acute nephritis show a low ratio during the early stage followed by a higher one during recovery. In view of such facts, these authors attach a certain prognostic significance to the albumin:globulin ratio of the urine in nephritis and agree with the earlier students 2, 3 of the subject that in general the prognosis is grave in patients showing relatively high urinary globulin. The nature of the urinary protein excreted in the various toxemias of pregnancy has apparently received little attention. The only approach that has been made to the problem, indeed, seems to be the study of Wallis 4 reported in 1921, although Dr. Williams tells me that Emerson and Slemons many years ago made some observations in this service, which were not published. Wallis applied certain refractometric and nephelometric tests to the urinary proteins in various conditions and reached the conclusion that in "toxic albuminuria," including eclampsia, the ratio of albumin to globulin was 2 to 1, while in nephritis it was 6 to 1. As the result of this study, he regards the urinary albumin:globulin ratio as a valuable means of differentiating preeclampsia from nephritis. The present paper reports a quantitative study of the urinary albumin and globulin in 21 cases of toxemia of pregnancy. The group comprises 9 cases of eclampsia, 4 of preeclampsia, 6 of chronic nephritis, and 2 of nephrosis complicating pregnancy. In several instances the corresponding figures for the serum proteins were also determined.
Relaxed continuous random network models: (I). Structural characteristics☆

Abstract Two elastic-energy-relaxed continuous random network (Polk) models for tetrahedrally bonded amorphous semiconductors have been obtained: a 201-atom model built entirely at Yale and a 519-atom model relaxed from a structure built by Polk and Boudreaux which originated at Harvard. In relaxing the coordinates to minimize the total energy the Keating potential was used for the interatomic interactions. The models are analyzed in terms of density, elastic distortion energy, elastic constants, numbers of five-, six- and seven-fold rings, distribution of dihedral angles, and radial distribution functions. We find that, despite their different origins, the models have essentially identical characteristics. Our principal conclusions are as follows: (a) The density of the CRN model is, to within 1%, that of diamond cubic. (b) The bulk modulus is about 3% lower than that for the diamond cubic structure and the shear modulus lies between the two diamond cubic shear moduli. (c) There are, to within ± 10% (and with corrections for surface effects), 0.38 five-fold, 0.91 six-fold and 1.04 seven-fold rings per atom. (d) For a reasonable value of the bond bending force constant, rms bond length distortions are about 1.0% and bond angle distortions are about 7.0°. (e) The radial distribution function agrees very well with experiment for all four principal peaks.
Hepatotoxicity of vitamin A and ethanol in the rat.

Abstract To study the possible hepatotoxicity of vitamin A supplementation and its potentiation by ethanol, rats were fed diets with either normal or fivefold increased vitamin A content, both with or without ethanol. Ethanol with a normal vitamin A diet produced the expected proliferation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and moderate mitochondrial lesions. Vitamin A supplementation by itself produced endoplasmic reticulum proliferation, slight enlargement of mitochondria, and moderate decrease in cytochrome oxidase activity and cytochrome aa 3 content. The combination of high vitamin A and ethanol resulted in much more striking lesions, with giant mitochondria containing paracrystalline inclusions and depression of oxygen consumption in state-3 respiration with five different substrates, including palmitate and palmitoyl coA. The depression of fatty acid oxidation may have contributed to the lipid accumulation. The blood levels of vitamin A were unaffected whereas liver levels of vitamin A were increased by vitamin A supplementation and decreased by ethanol. As a net result the liver vitamin A content of the high-A-ethanol group was not greater than that of the normal-A-control group, suggesting that a metabolite of vitamin A rather than vitamin A itself may have been responsible for the potentiation of vitamin A toxicity by ethanol. Mitochondrial toxicity reflected itself also in decreased content of various cytochromes and reduced activity of enzymes, including glutamate dehydrogenase. The activity of the latter was increased in the serum. Implications of these findings for the routine treatment of alcoholics with vitamin A and the monitoring for possible signs of toxicity are discussed.
Mycotoxins and Mycotoxicoses

Mycotoxins are compounds (metabolites) formed by fungi and are highly toxic when consumed by animals, including humans. A large number of mycotoxins have been identified and new ones are described periodically. Mycotoxins can accumulate in seeds (kernels) of corn (maize), small grains, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and peanuts, as well as in hay and other feed crops. Commercially processed foods and feeds, including meats, cheeses, and species, and the like, may also contain mycotoxins. Keywords: mycotoxins; mycotoxicoses; fungi; sampling; mycotoxin contamination; Aspergillus; Fusarium; Penicillium
Information literacy online tutorials: An introduction to rationale and technological tools in tutorial creation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide the findings of a survey of current technologies used in creating information literacy online tutorials in academic libraries. It also aims to inform readers of the technological tools available to develop good online tutorials.Design/methodology/approach – The author surveys 372 online tutorials on the library web sites of 100 academic libraries in a random sample from Peterson's Guide to Four Year Colleges 2008.Findings – About one‐third of the surveyed academic libraries have developed their own online tutorials. Most of the tutorials teach search skills for a specific database. The tutorial contents also include general introduction to library resources, research in a subject area, how‐to for an application, and library‐related concepts and procedures. One‐third of the tutorials have been created by tutorial software. The other technological approaches include portable document format (PDF), Hypertext Markup Language, Common Gateway Interface scripts, ...
The Influence of Maximum Running Speed on Eye Size: A Test of Leuckart's Law in Mammals

Vertebrate eye size is influenced by many factors, including body or head size, diet, and activity pattern. Locomotor speed has also been suggested to influence eye size in a relationship known as Leuckart's Law. Leuckart's Law proposes that animals capable of achieving fast locomotor speeds require large eyes to enhance visual acuity and avoid collisions with environmental obstacles. The selective influence of rapid flight has been invoked to explain the relatively large eyes of birds, but Leuckart's Law remains untested in nonavian vertebrates. This study investigates the relationship between eye size and maximum running speed in a diverse sample of mammals. Measures of axial eye diameter, maximum running speed, and body mass were collected from the published literature for 50 species from 10 mammalian orders. This analysis reveals that absolute eye size is significantly positively correlated with maximum running speed in mammals. Moreover, the relationship between eye size and running speed remains significant when the potentially confounding effects of body mass and phylogeny are statistically controlled. The results of this analysis are therefore consistent with the expectations of Leuckart's Law and demonstrate that faster-moving mammals have larger eyes than their slower-moving close relatives. Accordingly, we conclude that maximum running speed is one of several key selective factors that have influenced the evolution of eye size in mammals.
The Relationships among Employment, Paid Sick Leave, and Difficulty Obtaining Health Care of Single Mothers with Young Children

Single mothers face many challenges in managing their multiple roles, including lack of time and feelings of role strain. Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, this study examined w...
A systems biology approach to the global analysis of transcription factors in colorectal cancer

Biological entities do not perform in isolation, and often, it is the nature and degree of interactions among numerous biological entities which ultimately determines any final outcome. Hence, experimental data on any single biological entity can be of limited value when considered only in isolation. To address this, we propose that augmenting individual entity data with the literature will not only better define the entity’s own significance but also uncover relationships with novel biological entities. To test this notion, we developed a comprehensive text mining and computational methodology that focused on discovering new targets of one class of molecular entities, transcription factors (TF), within one particular disease, colorectal cancer (CRC). We used 39 molecular entities known to be associated with CRC along with six colorectal cancer terms as the bait list, or list of search terms, for mining the biomedical literature to identify CRC-specific genes and proteins. Using the literature-mined data, we constructed a global TF interaction network for CRC. We then developed a multi-level, multi-parametric methodology to identify TFs to CRC. The small bait list, when augmented with literature-mined data, identified a large number of biological entities associated with CRC. The relative importance of these TF and their associated modules was identified using functional and topological features. Additional validation of these highly-ranked TF using the literature strengthened our findings. Some of the novel TF that we identified were: SLUG, RUNX1, IRF1, HIF1A, ATF-2, ABL1, ELK-1 and GATA-1. Some of these TFs are associated with functional modules in known pathways of CRC, including the Beta-catenin/development, immune response, transcription, and DNA damage pathways. Our methodology of using text mining data and a multi-level, multi-parameter scoring technique was able to identify both known and novel TF that have roles in CRC. Starting with just one TF (SMAD3) in the bait list, the literature mining process identified an additional 116 CRC-associated TFs. Our network-based analysis showed that these TFs all belonged to any of 13 major functional groups that are known to play important roles in CRC. Among these identified TFs, we obtained a novel six-node module consisting of ATF2-P53-JNK1-ELK1-EPHB2-HIF1A, from which the novel JNK1-ELK1 association could potentially be a significant marker for CRC.
GENERALIZED SIGNED-RANK ESTIMATORS FOR AUTOREGRESSION PARAMETERS

ABSTRACT A new class of weighted signed-rank-based estimates for estimating the parameter vector of an autoregressive time series is considered. The Wilcoxon signed-rank estimate and the GR-estimates of Terpstra et al. (GR-Estimates for an Autoregressive Time Series. Statistics and Probability Letters 2001, 51, 165–172; Generalized Rank Estimates for an Autoregressive Time Series: A U-Statistic Approach. Statistical Inference for Stochastic Processes 2001, 4, 155–179) can be viewed as special cases of the so-called GSR-estimates. Asymptotic linearity properties are derived for the GSR-estimates. Based on these properties, and a symmetry assumption, the GSR-estimates are shown to be asymptotically normal at rate n 1/2. The theory of U-Statistics along with a characterization of weak dependence that is inherent in stationary AR(p) models are the primary tools used to obtain the results. Tests of hypotheses as well as standard errors for confidence interval procedures can be based on such results. An efficie...
Down's Syndrome: Transport, Storage, and Metabolism of Serotonin in Blood Platelets

Extract: Serotonin (5HT) transport and metabolism were studied in platelets from 14 trisomy-21 patients who were matched with 12 sibling and 9 non-sibling control subjects with regard to age, sex, home environment, diet and weight. Endogenous 5HT content, in nanograms per milligram platelet protein, was reduced from 446 ± 66 in the sibling controls and from 492 ± 74 in the non-sibling controls to 158 ± 16 in the Down's syndrome group, a difference of 61% and 68% respectively (P < 0.001). Initial uptake of 14C-5HT measured after a 3-min incubation period was reduced 35% (P < 0.05) in the platelets from Down's syndrome patients, while the efflux of radiolabeled amine from platelets was not significantly altered in these patients. Since platelets do not synthesize 5HT, the decreased transport found may explain the lower 5HT levels in these patients. Mongols did not differ from control subjects in the activity of platelet monoamine oxidase.
Molecular subtype and response to dasatinib, an Src/Abl small molecule kinase inhibitor, in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines in vitro

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy and is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Recently, the multitargeted kinase inhibitor sorafenib was shown to be the first systemic agent to improve survival in advanced HCC. Unlike other malignancies such as breast cancer, in which molecular subtypes have been clearly defined (i.e., luminal, HER2 amplified, basal, etc.) and tied to effective molecular therapeutics (hormone blockade and trastuzumab, respectively), in HCC this translational link does not exist. Molecular profiling studies of human HCC have identified unique molecular subtypes of the disease. We hypothesized that a panel of human HCC cell lines would maintain molecular characteristics of the clinical disease and could then be used as a model for novel therapeutics. Twenty human HCC cell lines were collected and RNA was analyzed using the Agilent microarray platform. Profiles from the cell lines in vitro recapitulate previously described subgroups from clinical material. Next, we evaluated whether molecular subgroup would have predictive value for response to the Src/Abl inhibitor dasatinib. The results demonstrate that sensitivity to dasatinib was associated with a progenitor subtype. Dasatinib was effective at inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in “progenitor-like” cell lines but not in resistant lines. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cell line models maintain the molecular background of HCC and that subtype may be important for selecting patients for response to novel therapies. In addition, it highlights a potential role for Src family signaling in this progenitor subtype of HCC. (HEPATOLOGY 2013)
Creating Options: A Career Development Training Program for Minorities

The lack of minority counselors in the field of career planning and placement often leaves minority students without the option of seeing a counselor of the same race. This article describes a training program designed to introduce minority staff to the field of career planning and placement as a possible career choice. The program goals, recruitment and selection strategies, training design, and implications for other institutions are discussed.
Integrating Couple Therapy With Individual Therapies and Antidepressant Medications in the Treatment of Depression

There is a growing body of literature linking marital dissatisfaction with the onset, maintenance, and remission of depression, as well as with outcome following treatments of depression. Furthermore, there have been several studies suggesting that couple therapy may be effective in the treatment of depression for dissatisfied partners. However, not all individuals improve following couple therapy, suggesting that there is room for further developments in improving outcome to couple therapy. One possibility is that outcome may be improved by integrating couple therapy with individual therapies and/or antidepressants in the treatment of depression. The advantages of such integrations are outlined, and points and methods of integrating couple therapy with empirically supported individual therapies and antidepressant medications are discussed.
Caffeine inhibits UV-mediated NF-κB activation in A2058 melanoma cells: an ATM-PKCδ-p38 MAPK-dependent mechanism

Mammalian ultraviolet (UV) radiation response is a gene induction cascade activated by several transcription factors, including NF-κB. Although NF-κB is induced by UV radiation, the signal transduction mechanism remains relatively unclear. In the present study, we show that UV-induced NF-κB activation is mediated by the activation of Ataxia telangiecia mutated (ATM) and protein kinase C (PKC). We also show that caffeine specifically inhibits UV-mediated NF-κB activation, but not TNFα-mediated NF-κB activation. In addition, our study shows that ATM, but not ATM-Rad3-related (ATR) or DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is involved in UV-induced NF-κB activation. Because SB203580 (a p38 MAPK inhibitor), or Calphostin C or rottlerin (PKC inhibitors) was able to inhibit UV-mediated NF-κB activation, we evaluated whether caffeine could inhibit p38 MAPK or PKC activity. Caffeine or rottlerin inhibited UV-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, but not anisomycin-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, suggesting that p38 MAPK is downstream of PKC. Additionally, caffeine could effectively inhibit UV-induced increases in PKC activity. Taken together, our study demonstrates that caffeine is a potent inhibitor of UV-induced NF-κB activation. Additionally, this inhibition occurs due to the inhibitory action of caffeine on ATM and PKC, resulting in the inhibition of p38 MAPK activation.
Synergic effects of crypt-like topography and ECM proteins on intestinal cell behavior in collagen based membranes.

Abstract The basement membrane of small intestinal epithelium possesses complex topography at multiple scales ranging from the mesoscale to nanoscale. Specifically, intestinal crypt-villus units are comprised of hundred-micron-scale well-like invaginations and finger-like projections; intestinal cell phenotype is related to location on this crypt-villus unit. A biomimetic intestinal cell culture system composed of type I collagen based permeable cell culture membranes incorporating both micron-scale intestinal crypt-like topography and nanometer scale topography was fabricated. Membranes were pre-incubated with either laminin (Ln) or fibronectin (Fn), inoculated with intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and cultured for 1–21 days to study the relative significance of influence of crypt-like topography and biomimetic substrate chemistry on cell phenotype. Crypt-like topography inhibited Caco-2 differentiation during early culture, as evidenced by slower cell spreading and lower brush border enzyme activity. For example, alanine aminopeptidase activity was lower on Ln-coated patterned collagen (∼3.4 ± 0.24 mU/mg) compared to flat collagen (10.84 ± 0.55 mU/mg) at day 7. Caco-2 cultured on Fn-coated collagen started to spread earlier (1 day vs 3 days) and formed longer protrusions than on Ln-coated collagen. Pre-coating of Ln enhanced cell differentiation, as the maximum activity of a cell differentiation marker (alkaline phosphatase) was 2–3 times higher than on Fn-coated collagen, and maintained differentiated phenotype in long term (up to 21 days) culture. In general, compared to substrate topography, coating with ECM protein had more prominent and longer effect on cell behavior. Crypt-like topography affected Caco-2 spreading and differentiation during early culture, however the effect diminished as culture progressed. This information will benefit intestinal tissue engineering scaffold design, and modification of in vitro intestinal cell models.
Ford's war on inflation: A metaphor that did not cross

In the fall of 1974 President Ford consistently employed the metaphor of war to direct public attention to inflation. The metaphor failed to cross because it was not consistent with Ford's political commitments, because it was mis‐managed, and because rival metaphors diminished its potency and integrity.
Engaging Berleant: A Critical Look at Aesthetics and Environment: Variations on a Theme

Aesthetics and Environment: Variations on a Theme is collection of essays that lends emphasis to, and in some cases sheds new light on, Arnold Berleant's distinctive approach to aesthetic theory. T...
Critical temperature for sub-lethal cold injury of strawberry leaves

Abstract Freezing temperatures are a major limitation to strawberry production in temperate regions, and protected-cultivation strategies such as the use of tunnels and row covers are used to overcome this limitation. In order to optimize management under protected cultivation, it is necessary to understand the damage thresholds for strawberry plant tissues. The effects of freezing temperatures (−3, −5, and −7 °C) on leaf CO 2 assimilation were evaluated for ‘Chandler’, ‘Seascape’ and ‘Jewel’ strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa ). Growth chambers were used to expose plants to freezing temperatures under carefully defined conditions. Net assimilation was then measured on the cold-exposed leaves after the plants had been returned to 10 °C. Exposure to −3 °C did not significantly reduce CO 2 assimilation when compared to plants maintained at 10 °C day/5 °C night. However, leaves exposed to −5 °C for one night had a net CO 2 assimilation rate that was 49% of the control. When leaves were first exposed to a conditioning night of −3 °C and then exposed to −5 °C, the net assimilation rate was 62% of the untreated control. Repeated exposure to −5 or −7 °C night temperatures resulted in a further decrease in net assimilation after each successive exposure. Leaves exposed to −7 °C for one night had a net assimilation rate of 6% of the control. Leaves exposed to −5 °C or −7 °C did not show any recovery over a 28-d monitoring period. There was no significant difference among cultivars in the sensitivity of leaves to cold temperatures. These results indicate that protected cultivation systems should be managed to maintain strawberry leaf temperatures above −5 °C in order to preserve full photosynthetic activity of existing leaves which would extend the growing season of the crop.
Hippocampal Gαq/11 but not Gαo-coupled receptors are altered in aging

Normal aging may limit the signaling efficacy of certain GPCRs by disturbing the function of specific Gα-subunits and leading to deficient modulation of intracellular functions that subserve synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Evidence suggests that Gαq/₁₁ is more sensitive to the effects of aging relative to other Gα-subunits, including Gαo. To test this hypothesis, the functionality of Gαq/₁₁ and Gαo were compared in the hippocampus of young (6 months) and aged (24 months) F344 × BNF₁ hybrid rats assessed for spatial learning ability. Basal GTPγS-binding to Gαq/₁₁ was significantly elevated in aged rats relative to young and but not reliably associated with spatial learning. mAChR stimulation of Gαq/₁₁ with oxotremorine-M produced equivocal GTPγS-binding between age groups although values tended to be lower in the aged hippocampus and were inversely related to basal activity. Downstream Gαq/₁₁ function was measured in hippocampal subregion CA₁ by determining changes in [Ca(2+)]i after mAChR and mGluR (DHPG) stimulation. mAChR-stimulated peak change in [Ca(2+)]i was lower in aged CA₁ relative to young while mGluR-mediated integrated [Ca(2+)]i responses tended to be larger in aged. GPCR modulation of [Ca(2+)]i was observed to depend on intracellular stores to a greater degree in aged than young. In contrast, measures of Gαo-mediated GTPγS-binding were stable across age, including basal, mAChR-, GABABR (baclofen)-stimulated levels. Overall, the data indicate that aging selectively modulates the activity of Gαq/₁₁ within the hippocampus leading to deficient modulation of [Ca(2+)]i following stimulation of mAChRs but these changes are not related to spatial learning.
Privatization, Governance Structures, and Trade Union Strength in Africa: A Transaction Cost Perspective

When governments divest, stakeholders such as trade unions are affected. So, does the governance of privatization transactions vary according to the strength of trade unions? Governments of strong trade union countries are likely to adopt particular governance modes (e.g., internal), while those of weak union countries are likely to adopt other modes (e.g., external) for privatization transactions. Using transaction cost theory, the author found that trade union strength moderated the relationship between human asset specificity and mode of governance in a multilevel study of 1254 privatization transactions from 41 African countries. Governments of strong trade union countries were more likely to adopt internal governance modes given high asset specificity, while those of weak trade union countries were more likely to adopt external governance modes. Implications for privatization management and trade unions are discussed.
A wireless sensor network in port security

Millions of cargo containers are transported around the world and over 25,000 cargo containers arrive at US ports every day. Each container has to be identified and monitored for security and also for the integrity of the cargo, called condition sensing. This research looks at the current methods used for monitoring and identification. A wireless sensor based monitoring system over the IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee protocol is proposed for the condition sensing. The design of an efficient low-cost wireless ZigBee to Wi-Fi Bridge Interface incorporating a 128-bit AES data encryption security module in hardware is described. The proposed design provides a low-cost robust self-contained bridge solution that allows inter-network communication between the sensor network and the IEEE 802.11b wireless network. Xilinx Spartan 3A FPGA evaluation board is chosen as a platform for the bridge interface design, and implemented using Xilinx Embedded Development Kit (EDK) for overall embedded system design and development, ISE for FPGA hardware development, and Mentor Graphics ModelSim for design verification.