cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Supply Chain Analysis and Modeling for the Manufactured Housing Industry

In today’s competitive environment, managing the entire supply chain becomes a key factor for the successful business. However, the manufactured housing (MH) industry has mainly focused on manufacturing and quality improvements in the past years. It is important for the MH industry to extend its focus to the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire supply chain. In this paper, as a first step, current supply chain practices in the manufactured housing industry have been identified and analyzed along with the characteristics of customer, retailer, and manufacturer. This analysis assists the supply chain participants in planning new products and preparing for new consumer needs. As a result, the entire supply chain process was modeled and a conceptual supply chain model was developed. This conceptual supply chain model can be used for understanding the current supply chain relationship at the macro level as well as a framework for developing a supply chain management system for the manufactured housing in...
The Dynamics of Orographic Wake Formation in Flows with Upstream Blocking

The development of orographic wakes and vortices is revisited from the dynamical perspective of a three-dimensional (3D) vorticity-vector potential formulation. Particular emphasis is given to the role of upstream blocking in the formation of the wake. Scaling arguments are first presented to explore the limiting form of the 3D vorticity inversion for the case of flow at small dynamical aspect ratio . It is shown that in the limit of small the inversion is determined completely by the two horizontal vorticity components—that is, the part of the velocity induced by the vertical component of vorticity vanishes in the small- limit. This result leads to an approximate formulation of small- fluid mechanics in which the three governing prognostic variables are the two horizontal vorticity components and the potential temperature. The remainder of the study then revisits the problem of orographic wake formation from the perspective of this small- vorticity dynamics framework. Previous studies have suggested that one of the potential routes to stratified wake formation is through the blocking of flow on the upstream side of the barrier. This apparent link between blocking and wake formation is shown to be relatively straightforward in the small- vorticity context. In particular, it is shown that blocking of the flow inevitably leads to a horizontal vorticity distribution that favors deceleration of the leeside flow at the ground. This process of leeside flow deceleration, as well as the subsequent time evolution of the wake, is illustrated through a series of numerical initial-value problems involving flows past 2D and 3D barriers. It is proposed that the initiation of the wake flow in these stratified problems resembles the flow produced by a retracting piston in shallow-water theory.
Reproductive timing and early embryonic development in an old world fruit bat, Otopteropus cartilagonodus (Megachiroptera)

Otopteropus cartilagonodus (Megachiroptera, Pteropodidae) is a rare, small-bodied cynopterine bat endemic to Luzon Island in the Philippine Archipelago. Twenty-two female and seven male O. cartilagonodus were collected during March and May of 1988. Observations were made on early embryonic development and the morphology of ovaries, uteri, and testes. All females collected during March were pregnant, and their uterine swellings occurred within a narrow size range (2–4 mm in diameter). Moreover, the embryos of all eight females captured in March and examined histologically were all within or just before the primitive-streak stage of development. The uterine swellings of females captured in May ranged from 15 to 20 mm in diameter, and their extrapolated birth dates were in late May or June. The synchrony of embryologie development and the apparent lack of developmental progress during March suggests that O. cartilagonodus has a prolonged period at the primitive-streak stage of embryonic development. The morphology of the embryo, embryonic membranes, and uterus at these stages is similar to that of two other cynopterine fruit bats, Cynopterus sphinx and Haplonycteris fischeri .
Fame Attributions And The Feeling Of Knowing

Abstract Names of famous and non-famous people which had or had not been previously presented were shown to subjects, who had to make a judgment about the fame status of the person. Half the old names were initially presented with fictitious and irrelevant information about the person. For names judged “Famous and I don't know why” a feeling-of-knowing (FOK) judgment was required indicating subjects' predictions about their likelihood of subsequent recognition of the famous attribute. When frequencies of “Famous and I know why” and “Famous and I don't know why” responses were pooled, old names were judged famous more often than new, irrespective of whether the name was or was not genuinely famous. This supports a misattribution hypothesis, whereby prior occurrence is attributed to fame. By contrast, prior presentation alone did not influence the FOK. Rather, the irrelevant information interacted with fame status, such that high ratings were given to old non-famous names previously presented without, compa...
Serotonin and the vascular wall

Serotonin possesses both vasoconstrictor and vasodilator properties. The constrictor action of the monoamine can be due to: (a) direct activation of vascular smooth muscle; in most blood vessels, this is mediated by S2-serotonergic receptors; (b) augmentation (amplification) of the action of other endogenous vasoconstrictors such as catecholamines, angiotensin II and the prostanoids; and (c) release of norepinephrine from adrenergic nerves. The dilator action of serotonin can be due to: (a) activation of endothelial cells which release endothelium-derived relaxing factor(s); this response appears to be mediated by S1-serotonergic receptors; (b) direct inhibition of vascular smooth muscle; (c) inhibition of adrenergic neurotransmission by an action on S1-serotonergic prejunctional receptors; and (d) release of other endogenous mediators. The net effect of serotonin on the blood vessel wall depends on: (a) the integrity of the endothelium; (b) the degree of activation of the vascular smooth muscle; (c) the level of sympathetic tone; and (d) local (e.g. PO2, temperature) and chronic (e.g. blood pressure) modulating factors. S2-serotonergic antagonists prevent the constrictor action of serotonin, and often unmask its dilator potential.
Component integrity check and recovery against malicious codes

With the rise in usage of software components in distributed computing applications, the importance of safeguarding these components has assumed great significance. In trying to ensure the survivability of these components, we enable a mission-critical application to detect malicious codes in a component downloaded from a remote location and recover the original functionality of the compromised component. In our work, we use digital signatures to ensure the integrity of software components in a large distributed system. By detecting unauthorized add-ons to the original components we can ensure that only legitimate software components are allowed to execute in a protected software environment. We also explore techniques to recover the original functionality of the component under attack by removing the affected portion from the component. In this paper we introduce the system architecture and the support mechanisms for our proposed approaches.
REDUCTION IN MANURE WEIGHT AND VOLUME USING AN IN-HOUSE LAYER MANURE COMPOSTING SYSTEM UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS

SUMMARY Many of the problems that have currently beset the commercial egg layer industry have arisen because of methods of handling the manure output from large flocks. Alternative techniques for handling of animal manure within animal production facilities will need to be developed to satisfy current and future zoning and environmental criteria placed on these types of operations. This paper discusses tests conducted in a commercial, naturally ventilated, high-rise layer house that involved an in- house deep litter manure management system. Layers at commercial densities deposited their manure onto stacked litter materials located directly beneath the cages. Regular turning of the litter facilitated composting within the layer house, resulting in a reduction of manure volume and weight. In the full-scale house, the deep litter system produced a 39% reduction in manure weight and a 37% reduction in manure volume over that of deep stacked raw manure. The compost at the end of these tests had a dry basis nutrient density of approximately 2% N, 8.5% P2O5, and 5.5% K2O. The compost had a decreased moisture content, improved handling properties, and less odor than raw manure.
Charge of the Light Brigade

Security & Privacy's associate editor in chief, Marc Donner, discusses the upcoming vote on the Protect America Act, as well as an article about that act in the issue.
Perceptions of Public versus Private Sector Personnel and Informal Red Tape: Their Impact on Motivation:

This article presents the findings from a survey of public and private sector managers' perceptions of the formal and informal red tape encountered in their organizations. Formal red tape is percei...
Bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA in house dust mite cultures

Background Allergen extracts prepared from Dermatophagoides farinae contain significantly more endotoxin than Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts, and extracts from both mite extracts contain more endotoxin than pollen extracts. Attempts to culture bacteria from mite cultures have failed to establish the sources of the endotoxin. Objective To determine the bacterial sources of endotoxin in mite extracts. Methods Live mites of both species were obtained from 2 sources, DNA was extracted from the mites, and DNA encoding bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA was amplified by using specific primers. The amount of bacterial DNA in each mite DNA sample was determined by quantitative PCR using an internal standard, and sequence homologies were determined from amplifications performed by using a high-fidelity DNA polymerase. Results DNA from D farinae appeared to contain between 11-fold and 24-fold more 16S ribosomal gene copies than the genomic DNA from D pteronyssinus ( P ≤ .003). Sequence analysis indicated the dominant presence of at least 3 phylogenetic clusters of Bartonella species ( henselae , quintana , vinsonii , and grahamii ), as well as uncharacterized α-proteobacteria, from both D farinae and D pteronyssinus . In a few clones, sequences from Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas species, and Acinetobacter species were also identified. Conclusion House dust mite DNA contains evidence of Bartonella and other Gram-negative species. These Gram-negative species are likely to be the sources of the endotoxin found in mite allergenic extracts.
Forest Productivity and Health in a Changing Atmospheric Environment

Historically, forest managers and researchers have believed that forest productivity and health would be assured by wise silviculture and by protection from insects, disease, and fire. Much of our knowledge and procedures for strategic planning and management are based on observations during the past 100 years. Because much of this knowledge is emperically based, such as growth and yield tables, it is now being questioned as to its validity under a changed climate and chemical environment. Our knowledge of risks associated with management options is also based on past observations. These, too, will undoubtedly change and reduce our ability to choose the best option. These changes will probably not occur uniformly over the globe, but instead will show regional variations in amount of change. Our traditional knowledge base may not fit the events and effects of a future climate and chemical environment.
Stability: the common thread in the evolution of feedback control

Advances in feedback control theory have inextricably been linked to progress in stability theory, and conversely, the horizons of stability theory have greatly been expanded by the challenges posed in increasingly complex feedback control systems. In the present article we trace the development of stability theory in feedback control by making contact with some of the major milestones in this area.
Jet-Stream Structure and Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT)

Abstract Cloud-photogrammetric studies conducted from the ground reveal the existence of wave perturbations near tropopause level, of a wavelength the same order of magnitude as is experienced in clear-air turbulence. A case study of the CAT occurrence on 13 April 1962 reveals the importance of the confluence mechanism of two jet streams, and the turning of wind with height in CAT generation.
Intrinsic motivation as a mediator between metacognition deficits and impaired functioning in psychosis.

Objective Poor functioning has long been observed in individuals with psychosis. Recent studies have identified metacognition – one's ability to form complex ideas about oneself and others and to use that information to respond to psychological and social challenges–as being an important determinant of functioning. However, the exact process by which deficits in metacognition lead to impaired functioning remains unclear. This study first examined whether low intrinsic motivation, or the tendency to pursue novel experiences and to engage in self-improvement, mediates the relationship between deficits in metacognition and impaired functioning. We then examined whether intrinsic motivation significantly mediated the relationship when controlling for age, education, symptoms, executive functioning, and social cognition. Design Mediation models were examined in a cross-sectional data set. Methods One hundred and seventy-five individuals with a psychotic disorder completed interview-based measures of metacognition, intrinsic motivation, symptoms, and functioning and performance-based measures of executive functioning and social cognition. Results Analyses revealed that intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between metacognition deficits and impaired functioning (95% CI of indirect effect [0.12–0.43]), even after controlling for the aforesaid variables (95% CI of indirect effect [0.04–0.29]). Conclusions Results suggest that intrinsic motivation may be a mechanism that underlies the link between deficits in metacognition and impaired functioning and indicate that metacognition and intrinsic motivation may be important treatment targets to improve functioning in individuals with psychosis. Practitioner points The findings of this study suggest that deficits in metacognition may indirectly lead to impaired functioning through their effect on intrinsic motivation in individuals with psychosis. Psychological treatments that target deficits in both metacognition and intrinsic motivation may help to alleviate impaired functioning in individuals with psychosis. Limitations The cross-sectional design of this study is a limitation, and additional longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the direction of the findings and rule out rival hypotheses. Generalization of the findings may be limited by the sample composition. It may be that different relationships exist between metacognition, intrinsic motivation, and functioning in those with early psychosis or among those in an acute phase or who decline treatment.
Social justice, egalitarianism, and the history of emergency medicine.

The early history of emergency medicine as a formal specialty was shaped and characterized by concern on the part of its practitioners for social justice. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
Defensive Moves: US Tax Considerations Affecting Citizens and Green Card Holders Working or Residing in the UK

As UK tax practices become more international, advisers require a good idea of the non-UK tax issues that apply to their clients. For most taxpayers, exposure to US tax rules is a distant "nightmare" scenario. However, as taxpayers’ affairs also become more international – or an adviser discovers that one of their taxpayers has a green card, passport, or other links to the US – they must grapple with aspects of US taxation.
Functional Role of Ca2+ Currents in Graded and Spike-Mediated Synaptic Transmission Between Leech Heart Interneurons

Lu, Jin, John F. Dalton, IV, Darrell R. Stokes, and Ronald L. Calabrese. Functional role of Ca2+ currents in graded and spike-mediated synaptic trnasmission between leech heart interneurons. J. Neu...
Printed and molded nanostructures for photonics

This paper describes some recently developed high resolution printing, molding and lamination techniques for photonic systems that rely on unconventional materials. The capabilities of these methods are illustrated through their application to various organic photonic components, including photonic crystal lasers, nanoscale light emitting diodes and other devices.
Effects of Proton-Induced Displacement Damage on Gallium Nitride HEMTs in RF Power Amplifier Applications

The effects of proton-induced displacement damage in GaN HEMTs on circuit-level RF power amplifier parameters such as circuit gain, stability, and RF output power are presented. The results are explained based on the device-level degradation. Commercial-off-the-shelf GaN HEMTs from two manufacturers were compared. Differences are observed in both device and circuit level responses. Suggestions to mitigate the negative effects of displacement damage on GaN based amplifiers are also provided.
Axial emission measurements on a medium power hydrogen arcjet thruster

A numerical and experimental investigation of the axial emission of a 5 kW class radiatively-cooled hydrogen arcjet thruster is presented. The complete visible spectrum is modeled, taking into account graybody thermal emission from the cathode and plasma radiation from hydrogen atoms and free electrons. The cathode temperature and the arc electron number density are obtained from the measured emission spectrum. The cathode temperature is found to be in the neighbourhood of the melting point of tungsten and increases with arcjet power at a constant massflow rate, suggesting an increase in the current density at the arc attachment point. The measured near-cathode electron number density is also found to increase with power, suppofling the idea of an increasing arc current density with arcjet power. The measured and modeled arc electron densities are, however, in discrepancy by a factor of approximately three.
Histopathology of Guinea Pigs with Cholesterol-Induced Anemia.∗:

SummaryThe response of guinea pigs to dietary cholesterol is unique among small animals. Instead of developing cardiovascular lesions, the guinea pig becomes acutely anemic. The anemia is accompanied by enlarged liver and spleen, and fatty infiltration of liver, spleen, lung, and kidney. Most of the organs showed striking pathological changes when examined microscopically. The liver showed lipid globules, erythropoiesis, spotty necrosis, accumulation of hemosiderin and cholesterol, and diffuse regeneration. Splenomegaly was due to erythropoietic proliferation, red cell congestion and, to a lesser degree, to fatty deposits. The primary change in the adrenal was a selective fatty infiltration of the zona fasciculata. The lungs showed fat globules in the histiocytes as well as fat emboli in the capillaries. The testes were small and poorly developed. Spermatogenesis was greatly impaired. The bone marrow was hyperplastic, and the kidney showed glo-merulosclerosis. The pancreas and heart were unaffected. The c...
Dynamic loading of thin shells with application to helicopter aerodynamics

We formulate the problem of the deformation of a thin cylindrical shell due to the impingement of a vortex. Using dimensional analysis, the full 3D and unsteady equations defining the deflection of the shell due to the vortex loading can be simplified to yield approximate equations for which analytical solutions can be obtained for specified forms of the loading. It is shown how the maximum deflection can be calculated from this solution. The theoretical results are applied to the case of a tip-vortex shed from a rotor blade impinging on a model helicopter airframe. Previous work indicates that the vortex-surface interaction is primarily inviscid and in this case the loading corresponds to the pressure field induced by the vortex. The vortex generates a local suction peak which tends to pull the shell toward the vortex. Results are obtained for the flow parameters of recent model experiments and for the case of an aluminum shell. The basic character of the radial deflections is shown to contain both dissipative and wave-like components. The theory is also applied to the blade passage effect. (Author)
Motion Characteristics on Vertical Plane of Superspeed Underwater Vehicle

When a superspeed underwater vehicle runs in cruise phase,its motion mode is different from that of a usual bedewed vehicle because a majority of its surface is surrounded by supercavitation.Therefore,its motion characteristics are unique.In order to control the depth and the attitude of this kind of superspeed underwater vehicle,it is necessary to investigate the motion characteristics of the vehicle on a vertical plane.This paper analyzed the hydrodynamic characteristics of the vehicle based on the hydrodynamic mechanism,and established a motion model of the vehicle on a vertical plane.It also analyzed the motion characteristics with lack of damp,and presented a key problem that the attack angle is not allowed to exceed the bound in control process.It was suggested that the control force should not be too violent.The research may be useful for designing the control system of a superspeed underwater vehicle.
Transcriptome profiling of patient derived xenograft models established from pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients confirm maintenance of FLT3-ITD mutation

Improvements in survival have been achieved for children and adolescents with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the 5-year survival rates increasing from less than 20% to more than 70%.[1] However...
Escaping the Boundaries of the Law – Meta-Tags and What Lies Beneath?

Businesses, particularly small businesses, are in a constant struggle to market themselves effectively to increase their customer base. In order to compete with larger businesses and maximize their sites’ effectiveness, some site owners have resorted to utilize more well-known trademarks into their own meta-tags. This Article discusses: the practice of using another company’s trademark in a meta-tag; the trademark owner’s possible causes of action against the infringer, including claims for trade mark infringement, passing off and misleading conduct; and certain limits to causes of action in Australia as compared to other jurisdictions, including the UK and the USA; issues in Australia due to the absence of case-law with respect to meta-tags and trademark infringement, despite recent UK and US cases.
Well-Defined Cobalt(I) Dihydrogen Catalyst: Experimental Evidence for a Co(I)/Co(III) Redox Process in Olefin Hydrogenation.

The synthesis of a cobalt dihydrogen CoI-(H2) complex prepared from a CoI-(N2) precursor supported by a monoanionic pincer bis(carbene) ligand, MesCCC (MesCCC = bis(mesityl-benzimidazol-2-ylidene)phenyl), is described. This species is capable of H2/D2 scrambling and hydrogenating alkenes at room temperature. Stoichiometric addition of HCl to the CoI-(N2) cleanly affords the CoIII hydridochloride complex, which, upon the addition of Cp2ZrHCl, evolves hydrogen gas and regenerates the CoI-(N2) complex. Furthermore, the catalytic olefin hydrogenation activity of the CoI species was studied by using multinuclear and parahydrogen (p-H2) induced polarization (PHIP) transfer NMR studies to elucidate catalytically relevant intermediates, as well as to establish the role of the CoI-(H2) in the CoI/CoIII redox cycle.
Standards and Case Story Analysis

In the field of education, “standards” is an evocative term. It implies both excellence and limitations, representing both minimum competency and the desire to strive for a measurable benchmark of quality. How can one word signify such disparate intentions? And, more importantly, how can educators, as professionals, be informed by standards in a manner that can well serve students in schools?
Insomnia and suicide-related behaviors: A multi-study investigation of thwarted belongingness as a distinct explanatory factor

Abstract Background Insomnia is a robust correlate of suicidal ideation and behavior. Preliminary research has identified thwarted belongingness (c.f. social disconnection) as an explanatory link between insomnia and suicidal ideation. Objectives This study replicates and extends previous findings using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs in four demographically diverse samples. Additionally, the specificity of thwarted belongingness was evaluated by testing anxiety as a rival mediator. Method Self-report measures of insomnia symptoms, thwarted belongingness, suicidal ideation and behavior, and anxiety were administered in four adult samples: 469 undergraduate students, 352 psychiatric outpatients, 858 firefighters, and 217 primary care patients. Results More severe insomnia was associated with more severe thwarted belongingness and suicidality. Thwarted belongingness significantly accounted for the association between insomnia and suicidality, cross-sectionally and longitudinally, beyond anxiety. Notably, findings supported the specificity of thwarted belongingness: anxiety did not significantly mediate the association between insomnia and suicidality, and insomnia did not mediate the relation between thwarted belongingness and suicidality. Limitations This study relied solely on self-report measures. Future studies incorporating objective sleep measurements are needed. Conclusion Findings underscore the utility of assessing and addressing sleep disturbances and social disconnection to reduce suicide risk.
A human-in-the-loop wireless warning message notification model and its application in connected vehicle systems

ABSTRACTObjective: Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication has become one of the most active fields of research recently. The implementation of the wireless connected vehicles has widely extended the transmission range of warning messages to inform drivers of hazards ahead. The present study addressed the human component with mathematical modeling of the human reaction time to warning messages in the connected vehicle systems (CVSs) with different confidence intervals (CIs). Methods: In the present study, human performance in warning responses is modeled by extending an existing mathematical model of human performance with the complexity level of tasks. The modeling of human performance with different levels of uncertainty is integrated to propose the warning message notification model in the CVS settings. The warning message notification models were proposed to model the CVSs parameters including maximum available message notification delay, the maximum available machine processing time, the minimum accep...
SRAM sense amplifier offset cancellation using BTI stress

Device variability in modern processes has become a major concern in SRAM design leading to degradation of both performance and yield. Variation induced offset in the sense amplifiers requires a larger bitline differential, which slows down SRAM access times. In this paper, we propose a post fabrication technique that takes advantage of the typically detrimental bias temperature instability (BTI) aging effect to improve SRAM sense amplifier offset.
Postoperative Complications of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis: A Comparison to the ACS-NSQIP Risk Calculator and the Tokyo Guidelines

We compared observed postoperative outcomes from laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed for acute cholecystitis (AC) to outcomes predicted by the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator.We also noted and compared any differences in observed outcomes across the different Tokyo Guidelines (TG) levels of AC severity.We hypothesized that ACS-NSQIP would accurately predict complications and length of stay (LOS) and that increased TG severity levels would correlate with more complications, increased conversion to open surgery, and longer LOS. A review of all patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis over eighteen months was performed. ACS-NSQIP predicted a complication rate of 4.6% (11% found) and LOS of 0.73 days (2.5 found), p < 0.05. Increased TG severity had LOS of 1.89, 2.75, and 5.33, respectively, p < 0.05. The complication numbers and conversion to open cholecystectomy were insignificant between the TG classes. ACS-NSQIP did not accurately predict complications or LOS. TG classifications did not show a significant difference in complications or conversion to open surgery, but positively correlated with LOS. ACS-NSQIP may not accurately predict patient outcomes and the TG, originally created with the purpose of differentiating levels of inflammation and severity, may only be useful for predicting LOS.
WHOIS Lost in Translation: (Mis)Understanding Domain Name Expiration and Re-Registration

Internet domain names expire when not renewed and may be claimed by a new owner. To date, despite existing work on abuses of residual trust after domain ownership changes, it is not well understood how often and how fast re-registrations occur, and the underlying processes are often over-simplified in scientific literature, leading to a potential bias in those studies. While in principle registration data is available in Whois databases, scalability issues and data ambiguities make re-registrations a challenging subject of study in practice. By focusing on domains about to be deleted, we were able to track 7.4 M com, net, org, biz and name domains over up to ten months to gather data for a survival analysis of re-registrations. Our results show that expiration processes may vary, and that many re-registrations happen soon after deletion, especially for older domains. We also discuss intricacies of Whois data to aid in avoiding potential pitfalls, as fast domain ownership changes combined with hidden domain states may pose challenges to operational and research communities.
Analysis of the Nearshore Fish Community in a Northeast Florida Estuary

Abstract The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR), located in Northeast Florida, serves as an ideal estuarine habitat for many economically and ecologically important species of fish and crabs. As climate change affects Florida ecosystems, the replacement of Spartina alterniflora (Smooth Cordgrass) marshes by northward-moving mangroves is possible. A change in the dominant vegetation has the potential to alter organic carbon inputs, which can lead to a shift in the primary and secondary consumers in the area. An assessment of the fish community is needed in the systems where the change from Smooth Cordgrass to mangrove is the most likely in order to determine which species and which breeding populations will be affected. We conducted a biodiversity survey over the course of 24 months to document the seasonal and spatial patterns in species richness, seasonal abundance, and size of species caught. From May 2013 to April 2015, we used a 15.24-m seine net to sample 8 sites wi...
Rev-erb regulation of cholesterologenesis

REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ are heme regulated nuclear receptors that are known to regulate metabolic pathways. We previously demonstrated that treatment of mice with synthetic REV-ERB agonists suppressed plasma cholesterol levels and the hepatic levels of the rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase). Here, we characterize the role of REV-ERB on the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway in greater detail. The REV-ERB agonist SR9009 reduced plasma cholesterol levels in both wild type C57Bl/6 and low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) null mice as well as reducing the expression of an array of genes within the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. Consistent with these data, we observed increased expression of these genes in mice deficient in expression of Rev-erbα. Analysis of global run-on and deep sequencing (GRO-Seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq) data revealed that Rev-erb directly binds to the majority of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and directly suppresses their expression. This study reveals insight into the complex mechanism by which Rev-erb directly and indirectly (via inhibition of Srebf2 expression) regulates cholesterol biosynthesis and provides information of how cholesterol levels are regulated in a circadian fashion. Additionally, these studies suggest that targeting Rev-erb may be an effective method for suppressing LDL cholesterol levels in the clinic.
Quantum adiabatic protocols using emergent local Hamiltonians.

We present two applications of emergent local Hamiltonians to speed up quantum adiabatic protocols for isolated noninteracting and weakly interacting fermionic systems in one-dimensional lattices. We demonstrate how to extract maximal work from initial band-insulating states, and how to adiabatically transfer systems from linear and harmonic traps into box traps. Our protocols consist of two stages. The first one involves a free expansion followed by a quench to an emergent local Hamiltonian. In the second stage, the emergent local Hamiltonian is ``turned off'' quasistatically. For the adiabatic transfer from a harmonic trap, we consider both zero- and nonzero-temperature initial states.
Have a Happy, Fun, Assertive Life! (Avoid Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness, and Suicide!)

Depression, anxiety, and suicide are common problems for all humanity, but individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders may be at higher risk than the general population for these challenges. This chapter reviews prevention and treatment strategies. It takes Skinner’s work on self-management as a framework to understand mental health and psychotherapy. This chapter also emphasizes the role applied behavior analysis can play in understanding the functions of behavior related to mental health issues and in promoting happiness and assertiveness and self-management of mood and other mental health disorders as both prevention and remedy for these problems. The most promising approaches include exposure and reinforcement for anxiety disorders, behavioral activation for mood disorders, and behavioral self-management for these and all of life’s problems. Evidence for applied behavior analysis and anxiety disorders is strong, at least for simple phobias and emerging for mood disorders. Research on other approaches is limited in quantity and quality at this time.
Dimercaptosuccinic Acid Renal Scintigraphy For The Evaluation of Pyelonephritis and Scarring: A Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies

AbstractRenal cortical scintigraphy has been reported to be useful in children for confirmation of the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis. Subsequent experimental studies have demonstrated that dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy, when compared directly with histopathology, is highly reliable for the detection and localization of parenchymal inflammatory changes associated with acute pyelonephritis. Recent clinical studies of acute pyelonephritis using DMSA scintigraphy reveal that the majority (50 to 91%) of children with febrile urinary tract infections have abnormal DMSA renal scan findings and that the majority of these children do not have demonstrable vesicoureteral reflux. However, when vesicoureteral reflux is present, renal cortical abnormalities are demonstrated by DMSA scintigraphy in 79 to 86% of the kidneys. In children with febrile urinary tract infections routine clinical and laboratory parameters are not reliable in the differentiation of acute pyelonephritis, documented by DMSA ren...
Motivating repeated readers in an Extensive Reading class: A critical reflection on course design

Studies illustrating the effectiveness of ER in facilitating learners' development in reading fluency, speed and vocabulary have been reported in different contexts. However, studies exploring the extent to which ER accommodates repeated readers are almost absent from the literature. It is in this light that this paper proposes a number of motivating tasks that teachers may use to teach ER as a course. The present paper illustrates the task-based syllabus I developed for repeated readers. I will describe the series of motivating tasks and explain the rationale behind each
A prostate derived commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis strain prevents and ameliorates induction of chronic prostatitis by UPEC infection

Chronic prostatitis/Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common syndrome with limited therapies and an unknown etiology. Previously, our laboratory has defined a potential role for pathogenic infection in disease onset. Intra-urethral infection with a uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain isolated from a CP/CPPS patient, CP1, induces prostatic inflammation and tactile allodynia in mice. We have also demonstrated that a prostate specific Staphylococcus epidermidis bacterial isolate, NPI (non-pain inducing), from a healthy subject reduces pain and inflammation in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) murine model. Here we focus on the interplay between these human isolates in the context of prostatitis development and resolution. NOD/ShiLtJ mice were inoculated with either NP1 or CP1, or combinations of both. Infection with CP1 induced pelvic tactile allodynia after 7 days, while NPI instillation alone induced no such response. Instillation with NPI 7 days following CP1 infection resolved pelvic tactile allodynia and prophylactic instillation 7 days prior to CPI infection prevented its onset. Prophylactic NPI instillation also prevented CP1 colonization of both prostate and bladder tissues. In vitro analyses revealed that CP1 and NPI do not directly inhibit the growth or invasive potential of one another. Immunological analyses revealed that specific markers associated with CP1-induced pelvic allodynia were decreased upon NPI treatment or repressed by prophylactic colonization. This study demonstrates that a commensal bacterial isolate can inhibit the colonization, pain responses, and immunological activation to uropathogenic bacteria, emphasizing the power of a healthy prostatic microflora in controlling health and disease.
Extreme PCR Meets High-Speed Melting: A Step Closer to Molecular Diagnostics "While You Wait".

The race for fast molecular diagnostics has been ongoing for several years. And for good reason. The ability to diagnose or monitor diseases at the point of care is increasingly important to population health, chronic disease, and prevention of acute hospital admissions and readmissions. It also provides clinicians access to rapid and actionable diagnostic results (1). Although protein biomarker-based tests no doubt played, and will continue to play, a major role, the rise of DNA and RNA-based diagnostics in view of the superb sensitivity and specificity that can be obtained is unquestionable. Speed, however, has not been the strongest point in DNA diagnostics, because in most approaches a DNA amplification step is involved, which adds to an already time-consuming sample preparation step, required for effective PCR and genotyping. Accordingly, applications like molecular testing of residual tumor by monitoring mutations in surgical margins during operation have not taken off, because even a 15-min PCR may weigh heavily in this setting (2). During the past 3 years, the DNA amplification puzzle has started to yield a solution. In 2015 Carl Wittwer and his group at the University of Utah came up with Extreme PCR, a PCR adaptation that achieves DNA amplification of short targets in just a few seconds (3). Extreme PCR adds to a long track record of major PCR developments from the Wittwer laboratory that include rapid-cycle PCR (4), the Lightcycler instrument (5), and high-resolution melting (HRM)2 (6). Extreme PCR, which is distinct from a commercial trademark known as xPCR, achieves specific amplification against our basic PCR instincts by including 10- to 20-fold higher amounts of primers and polymerase in the reaction. These amounts …
The Middle East North Africa Socio-economic Challenges

Middle Eastern societies have been facing fundamental social, economic and political challenges in recent decades. Many of these challenges were highlighted by the chain of political uprisings across the region that began in 2011. These challenges have arisen partly from changes in a number of social factors. Identities, social and individual values, the definition of the social roles for different genders and state–citizen relations have all begun to change across the region. The degree to which such changes have taken root differs between different countries; nevertheless, the change is widespread and visible in every part of the region. Such changes have presented societies with new challenges for which neither policymakers nor the public have solutions to offer. This chapter will review a number of key socio-economic challenges that face the region.
Closure in the Criminal Courtroom: The Birth and Strange Career of an Emotion

Over the last thirty years, the notion that the criminal justice system can help provide closure for victims and their families has gained remarkable traction, both in popular discourse and in the legal arena. Closure is offered—often successfully—as an argument for imposing death sentences, trimming procedural protections, permitting victim impact statements, truncating appeals, denying clemency petitions, speeding up executions, televising executions, and granting the bereaved access to the execution chamber. More broadly, it has transformed the debate about the legitimacy of the capital system—recasting the imposition of the death penalty from a retributive act to an act of compassion for bereaved families. Closure is a puzzle. Its parameters are fuzzy, its dynamics are murky, and its origins seem to have more to do with law and politics than with psychology. There is an argument to be made that closure isn’t an emotion at all, but rather a set of legal aspirations for the conduct of criminal proceedings. Yet closure has increasingly come to be viewed as an emotional state—and one that the criminal justice system is capable of helping victims and survivors attain. It has become a prime example of the power of the criminal justice system to shape emotional expectations. This chapter discusses the evolution of closure as a legal concept, the definitional ambiguities surrounding the term, and the institutional consequences of these ambiguities for the criminal justice system. It examines the symbiotic relationship between closure and the criminal justice system, arguing that the criminal justice system has played a powerful role in reshaping the emotional expectations of victims and their families. The chapter then reviews the empirical literature on closure and criminal justice. Finally, it identifies directions for further study.
Construction and Use of Transposon MycoTetOP2 for Isolation of Conditional Mycobacteria Mutants.

Mycobacteria are unique in many aspects of their biology. The development of genetic tools to identify genes critical for their growth by forward genetic analysis holds great promises to advance our understanding of their cellular, physiological and biochemical processes. Here we report the development of a novel transposon, MycoTetOP 2, to aid the identification of such genes by direct transposon mutagenesis. This mariner-based transposon contains nested anhydrotetracycline (ATc)-inducible promoters to drive transcription outward from both of its ends. In addition, it includes the Escherichia coli R6Kγ origin to facilitate the identification of insertion sites. MycoTetOP 2 was placed in a shuttle plasmid with a temperature-sensitive DNA replication origin in mycobacteria. This allows propagation of mycobacteria harboring the plasmid at a permissive temperature. The resulting population of cells can then be subjected to a temperature shift to select for transposon mutants. This transposon and its delivery system, once constructed, were tested in the fast-growing model Mycobacterium smegmatis and 13 mutants with ATc-dependent growth were isolated. The identification of the insertion sites in these mutants led to nine unique genetic loci with genes critical for essential processes in both M. smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These results demonstrate that MycoTetOP 2 and its delivery vector provide valuable tools for the studies of mycobacteria by forward genetics.
Risk Stratification of Severely Dysplastic Nevi by Non-Invasively Obtained Gene Expression and Mutation Analyses

Background: Strategies to non-invasively detect cutaneous melanoma generally focus on differentiating melanoma from non-melanoma lesions. However, given the variabilities in practice and lack of guidelines, it is important for clinicians to understand how such strategies and technologies perform on borderline lesions of uncertain clinical behavior. Objective: To evaluate LINC and PRAME gene expression and the presence of somatic mutations in BRAF, NRAS, and/or TERT in severely dysplastic nevi (SDN) and to assess, how combining gene expression and mutation analyses may impact test performance.Materials and Methods: One hundred three eligible skin lesions clinically suspicious for melanoma were non-invasively sampled via adhesive patches to enable genomic analyses. Afterward, these same lesions were immediately surgically biopsied to enable comparisons of genomic analyses with histopathologic diagnoses rendered by a panel of three dermatopathologists. Twenty-three of these lesions analyzed were deemed borderline lesions of SDN histology by at least one dermatopathologist. RNA-based gene expression positivity by Pigmented Lesion Assay (PLA) analysis was defined by detectable levels of LINC and/or PRAME. DNA-based mutation positivity was defined as detection of somatic mutations in BRAF (non-V600E), NRAS, and/or the TERT promoter. Results: Adding TERT mutation analyses to PLA gene expression increases the test’s sensitivity to rule out melanoma from 93% to 97% in this study. In addition, 61% of PLA positive lesions that were not diagnosed as melanoma were found to have severe histologic atypia. PLA-positive lesions histopathologically diagnosed as melanomas harbored TERT mutations in 70% of cases while both SDN and non-melanoma lesions including nevi without severe histologic atypia harbored TERT mutations in 4% of cases. BRAF non-V600E and NRAS mutations were only found in the melanoma group and adding these mutations did not further enhance the test’s sensitivity. Conclusions and Relevance: PLA positivity increases with histologic atypia of pigmented skin lesions. Combining TERT mutation analyses with melanoma-associated gene expression provides additional genetic information to further non-invasively risk-stratify pigmented lesions. These findings furthermore support that pigmented lesions exist on a spectrum of genomic atypia that may prove useful in identifying borderline lesions beyond their morphological appearance.