cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A self-calibrated neutron capture measurement of the 1. 15-keV resonance of iron

A measurement with thick and thin iron samples showed that GAMMA/sub n/GAMMA/sub ..gamma..//GAMMA = 55.5 +- 0.6 meV and GAMMA/sub n/ = 61.5 +- 0.7 meV for the 1.15-keV iron resonance. Since iron is a major constituent in many nuclear fission and fusion reactor structural parts, determining the neutron capture cross section for iron has been especially important to reactor design.
Permease Classification and Mechanisms: Conclusions and Future Perspectives

There has been tremendous progress in defining the structures and physicochemical properties of representative permeases within each group of the major types of bacterial carbohydrate transport systems. For example, the lactose permease and the mannitol Enzyme II of the PTS have been purified to homogeneity and reconstituted in artificial membranes, and the nucleotide sequences of their genes have been determined. From the gene sequences, the amino acid sequences of the proteins have been deduced, and hydropathy analyses of these sequences have yielded interesting predictions regarding the topographies of these proteins in the membrane. This chapter discusses the diversity of permease mechanisms in living cells. While the bacterial carbohydrate permeases discussed in the chapter are among the most thoroughly investigated transport systems, other systems, particularly some of those in animal cells, have been subjected to critical scrutiny. The chapter presents a classification of carbohydrate transport systems in Escherichia coli and S. typhimurium , and also presents the functional characteristics of the various permease classes.
When to Confront: The Role of Patience

This paper examines the effects of patience on ordinary conflicts such as divorce, price wars and commercial litigation. Players optimally decide when, if ever, to start a destructive confrontation. In the unique equilibrium, there is a tight connection between patience, aggressiveness and strength. In particular patience may lead to immediate confrontation (the most inefficient outcome). This inefficiency is caused by preemptive moves that deny option values to the opponent.
A shrinking world for tourists? Examining the changing role of distance factors in understanding destination choices

This study examines the impacts of distance factors on Mainland Chinese tourists' international destination choices in 2007 and 2015 and how these factors' effects change over time. A random-coefficients conditional logit model was utilized to investigate three types of destination choices: past destination choice, dream destination choice, and intended destination choice. We identified different effects of distance factors on these different types of destination choices. Our results reveal substantial heterogeneity in the effect of cultural distance; in most cases, positive and negative effects of cultural distance co-occurred among Chinese residents. In comparing estimates from different years, we found diminishing effects of geographic distance on dream and intended destination choices. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Building Blocks of Global Health Mentorship: Motivation, Expectations, and Institutional Support.

Background: Global health education and training experiences are in high demand. Mentorship plays an important role in successful training, but academic institutions often lack formalized mentorship support. This study aimed to evaluate perceptions of global health mentorship across disciplines at Johns Hopkins University and to understand how to better support faculty mentorship for global health training. Methods: This is a retrospective study that used qualitative methods to assess the perceptions of students who participated in the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health (CGH) field placement program from 2011–2013 and CGH faculty who may have served as their mentors. Qualitative data was gathered through 30 individual in-depth interviews and 4 focus groups capturing both faculty and student perspectives. Data were analyzed inductively until thematic saturation was reached; a theoretical model, which we call the “building blocks of global health mentorship” model, emerged to serve as an analytical and synthesizing framework. Findings: A series of factors influenced global health mentorship from an individual to institutional level, including motivation, expectation alignment, finances, time, and knowledge. Both students and faculty reported the importance of motivation and aligned expectations to the mentorship experience and, more broadly, the overseas experience. Mentorship relationships were identified by students and faculty as either a catalyst or a hindrance to the training experience from both a personal and a professional point of view. Many faculty mentioned insufficient institutional support and financial resources, which negatively influenced their capacity to serve as mentors. Conclusions: Many factors, ranging from individual to institutional, influence mentorship for both faculty and students, which in turn influence international experiences. The underlying role of institutional support emerged as a highly salient influencing factor. Global health programs should harness the faculty and students’ motivations and expectations, as well as provide better support to faculty serving as mentors.
Adaptive responses in a PARP inhibitor window of opportunity trial illustrate limited functional interlesional heterogeneity and potential combination therapy options.

// Marilyne Labrie 1 , Tae-Beom Kim 2 , Zhenlin Ju 2 , Sanghoon Lee 3 , Wei Zhao 3 , Yong Fang 1 , Yiling Lu 3 , Ken Chen 2 , Pedro Ramirez 4 , Michael Frumovitz 4 , Larissa Meyer 4 , Nicole D. Fleming 4 , Anil K. Sood 4 , Robert L. Coleman 4 , Gordon B. Mills 1 , 3 and Shannon N. Westin 4 1 Knight Cancer Institute and Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA 2 Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 3 Department of Systems Biology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 4 Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA Correspondence to: Shannon N. Westin, email: swestin@mdanderson.org Keywords: poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor; combination therapy; adaptive response; ovarian cancer; targeted therapy Received: March 12, 2019 Accepted: May 02, 2019 Published: May 28, 2019 ABSTRACT Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi)-based combination therapies are demonstrating efficacy in patients, however, identifying the right combination for the right patient remains a critical challenge. Thus, it is urgent to develop approaches able to identify patients likely to benefit from specific combination therapies. Several groups, including ours, have demonstrated that targeting adaptive responses induced by PARPi increases depth and duration of response. In this study, we instituted a talazoparib (PARPi) monotherapy window of opportunity trial to identify informative adaptive responses in high grade serous ovarian cancer patients (HGSOC). Patients were treated for 7 to 14 days with PARPi monotherapy prior to surgery with tissue samples from multiple sites being collected pre- and post-treatment in each patient. Analysis of these samples demonstrated that individual patients displayed different adaptive responses with limited interlesional heterogeneity. Ability of combination therapies designed to interdict adaptive responses to decrease viability was validated using model systems. Thus, assessment of adaptive responses to PARPi provides an opportunity for patient-specific selection of combination therapies designed to interdict patient-specific adaptive responses to maximize patient benefit.
Fathoming sea turtles: monitoring strategy evaluation to improve conservation status assessments.

Population monitoring must be accurate and reliable to correctly classify population status. For sea turtles, nesting beach surveys are often the only population-level surveys that are accessible. However, process and observation errors, compounded by delayed maturity, obscure the relationship between trends on the nesting beach and the population. We present a simulation-based tool, monitoring strategy evaluation (MoSE), to test the relationships between monitoring data and assessment accuracy, using green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, as a case study. To explore this first application of MoSE, we apply different treatments of population impacts to virtual true populations, and sample the nests or nesters, with observation error, to test if the observation data can be used to diagnose population status accurately. Based on the observed data, we examine population trend and compare it to the known values from the operating model. We ran a series of scenarios including harvest impacts, cyclical breeding probability, and sampling biases, to see how these factors impact accuracy in estimating population trend. We explored the necessary duration of monitoring for accurate trend estimation and the probability of a false trend diagnosis. Our results suggest that disturbance type and severity can have important and persistent effects on the accuracy of population assessments drawn from monitoring nesting beaches. The underlying population phase, age classes disturbed, and impact severity influenced the accuracy of estimating population trend. At least 10 yr of monitoring data is necessary to estimate population trend accurately, and >20 yr if juvenile age classes were disturbed and the population is recovering. In general, there is a greater probability of making a false positive trend diagnosis than a false negative, but this depends on impact type and severity, population phase, and sampling duration. Improving detection rates to 90% does little to lower probability of a false trend diagnosis with shorter monitoring spans. Altogether, monitoring strategies for specific populations may be tailored based on the impact history, population phase, and environmental drivers. The MoSE is an important framework for analysis through simulation that can comprehensively test population assessments for accuracy and inform policy recommendations regarding the best monitoring strategies.
Tackling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia-One Fish at a Time.

Despite advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a need for improved strategies to decrease morbidity and improve cure rates in relapsed/refractory ALL still exists. Such approaches include the identification and implementation of novel targeted combination regimens, and more precise upfront patient risk stratification to guide therapy. New curative strategies rely on an understanding of the pathobiology that derives from systematically dissecting each cancer’s genetic and molecular landscape. Zebrafish models provide a powerful system to simulate human diseases, including leukemias and ALL specifically. They are also an invaluable tool for genetic manipulation, in vivo studies, and drug discovery. Here, we highlight and summarize contributions made by several zebrafish T-ALL models and newer zebrafish B-ALL models in translating the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms operative in ALL, and also highlight their potential utility for drug discovery. These models have laid the groundwork for increasing our understanding of the molecular basis of ALL to further translational and clinical research endeavors that seek to improve outcomes in this important cancer.
A review of network simulation models of hepatitis C virus and HIV among people who inject drugs.

Abstract Network modelling is a valuable tool for simulating hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) and assessing the potential impact of treatment and harm-reduction interventions. In this paper, we review literature on network simulation models, highlighting key structural considerations and questions that network models are well suited to address. We describe five approaches (Erdos–Renyi, Stochastic Block, Watts–Strogatz, Barabasi–Albert, and Exponential Random Graph Model) used to model partnership formation with emphasis on the strengths of each approach in simulating different features of real-world PWID networks. We also review two important structural considerations when designing or interpreting results from a network simulation study: (1) dynamic vs. static network and (2) injection only vs. both injection and sexual networks. Dynamic network simulations allow partnerships to evolve and disintegrate over time, capturing corresponding shifts in individual and population-level risk behaviour; however, their high level of complexity and reliance on difficult-to-observe data has driven others to develop static network models. Incorporating both sexual and injection partnerships increases model complexity and data demands, but more accurately represents HIV transmission between PWID and their sexual partners who may not also use drugs. Network models add the greatest value when used to investigate how leveraging network structure can maximize the effectiveness of health interventions and optimize investments. For example, network models have shown that features of a given network and epidemic influence whether the greatest community benefit would be achieved by allocating hepatitis C or HIV treatment randomly, versus to those with the most partners. They have also demonstrated the potential for syringe services and “buddy sharing” programs to reduce disease transmission.
Impact of zero valent iron aging on reductive removal of technetium-99

Abstract Zero valent iron (ZVI) is a promising material for reductive removal of technetium-99 from industrial waste streams. One potential application is treatment of radioactive waste streams generated during processing of legacy low activity aqueous waste that is currently stored in tanks at the Hanford Site. However, there is a lack of understanding of the useful lifetime of ZVI for treatment and the changes in reductive removal of Tc over time under aerobic conditions. In this research, we studied the reductive removal of Tc(VII) by ZVI aged in 0.08 M NaCl solutions from 0 to–30 days. Our results show that ZVI could be used to remove Tc(VII) from aqueous solutions by reduction to the less soluble and relatively immobile Tc(IV) with greater than 99 % removal efficiency in three hours. Moreover, greater than 90 % of Tc remained in the solid phase for up to one week. However, after 10 days of ZVI aging, a significant decrease in removal of Tc occurs (55 % maximum removal) followed by negligible removal after aging for two weeks or more which is consistent with diminished reductive capacity due to formation of iron oxides on the surface. The uptake results correlate with XRD and FTIR analysis showing an increase in magnetite followed by maghemite and goethite with aging time.
Diversity in urban design and neighbourhood resilience in response to the Great Recession

This research explores how the lack of diversity in newly constructed, mass produced, cookie-cutter type neighbourhoods affected trajectories in response to the Great Recession. Results suggest tha...
Christianity in India: The Anti-Colonial Turn: by Clara A. B. Joseph, London, Routledge, 2019, 178 pp., $155.00 (hardcover), ISBN 9780815357742

Christianity in India: The Anti-Colonial Turn begins with the observation that both colonial and postcolonial discourse share two biases. Both are inclined to accept the orientalist assumption that...
Epsom Salt Ingestion Leading to Severe Hypermagnesemia Necessitating Dialysis.

Abstract Background Hypermagnesemia is an often overlooked electrolyte abnormality that has a myriad of presenting symptoms. It has been observed after both accidental and intentional ingestions of magnesium-containing compounds, and as in the case presented, Epsom salts, which are primarily magnesium sulfate. Case Report A 56-year-old man presented to the emergency department reporting weakness after an ingestion of Epsom salts used as a laxative and was found to be bradycardic and hypotensive. He subsequently developed altered mental status and respiratory depression necessitating intubation. His magnesium level was found to be > 3.91 mmol/L (> 9.5 mg/dL). He was given multiple doses of calcium gluconate and generous i.v. fluids with furosemide, with minimal improvement. However, his magnesium level corrected rapidly after initiation of dialysis, and 3 days later he was discharged home in good condition with normal neurologic function. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? Keeping a high level of suspicion for, and quickly recognizing, hypermagnesemia allows for prompt initiation of treatment, which can avoid significant hemodynamic or respiratory compromise. Mainstays of treatment are i.v. calcium and i.v. fluids. Loop diuretics may be given as an adjunct as well. Dialysis should be considered in cases of severe hypermagnesemia because it results in rapid correction of magnesium levels.
Rural Population Health and Aging: Toward a Multilevel and Multidimensional Research Agenda for the 2020s

The unique health and aging challenges of rural populations often go unnoticed. In fact, the rural United States is home to disproportionate shares of older and sicker people, there are large and growing rural-urban and within-rural mortality disparities, many rural communities are in population decline, and rural racial/ethnic diversity is increasing.Yet rural communities are not monolithic, and although some rural places are characterized by declining health, others have seen large improvements in population health. We draw on these realities to call for new research in five areas.First, research is needed to better describe health disparities between rural and urban areas and, because rural places are not monolithic, across rural America. Second, research is needed on how trends in rural population health and aging are affecting rural communities. Third, research is needed on the ways in which economic well-being and livelihood strategies interact with rural health and aging. Fourth, we need to better understand the health implications of the physical and social isolation characterizing many rural communities. Finally, we argue for new research on the implications of local natural environments and climate change for rural population health and aging.
Synthesis of oligosaccharide fragments of capsular polysaccharide Staphylococcus aureus type 8

To enhance our understanding of the activation and conjugation processes, reported herein is the synthesis of oligosaccharides comprising two sequential repeating units of capsular polysaccharide S...
Parasite burden and red blood cell exchange transfusion for babesiosis.

Background The association between parasite burden and end-organ dysfunction in subjects with Babesia microti infection has not been extensively studied, nor has the optimal role of red blood cell exchange (RCE) transfusion in babesiosis treatment. This retrospective chart review evaluates the associations between parasitemia, end-organ dysfunction, and outcomes in babesiosis patients treated with antimicrobial agents and RCE compared to those treated with antimicrobial agents alone. Materials and methods We evaluated adults (≥18 years of age) with laboratory-confirmed babesiosis who were admitted between 2011 and 2017 to Yale New Haven Hospital, located in a Babesia-endemic region of the Northeastern United States. Patient demographics, parasitemia levels, clinical and laboratory indicators of end-organ dysfunction, and outcomes were examined. Results Ninety-one subjects (mean age 65.1 years, 69.2% male) were studied. Subjects were stratified according to peak parasitemia: 10% (n = 18). Laboratory measures indicating degrees of hemolysis, coagulopathy, and pulmonary, renal and hepatic dysfunction differed significantly across peak parasitemia levels. Median length of hospital stay increased with each successive peak parasitemia level (P Conclusions Babesia microti parasitemia is closely associated with disease severity, though not all subjects with end-organ dysfunction had high-grade parasitemia. Our data suggest that the use of parasitemia >10%, coupled with clinical status, is a reasonable indicator for RCE in babesiosis patients.
The road less traveled in protein folding: evidence for multiple pathways

Free Energy Landscape theory of Protein Folding, introduced over 20 years ago, implies that a protein has many paths to the folded conformation with the lowest free energy. Despite the knowledge in principle, it has been remarkably hard to detect such pathways. The lack of such observations is primarily due to the fact that no one experimental technique can detect many parts of the protein simultaneously with the time resolution necessary to see such differences in paths. However, recent technical developments and employment of multiple experimental probes and folding prompts have illuminated multiple folding pathways in a number of proteins that had all previously been described with a single path.
Abstract 16955: Contrasting Effects of Smooth Muscle TRPV4 Channels on Vascular Function

Introduction: Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels are a major Ca2+ entry pathway in vascular endothelial cells. TRPV4 channels are also expressed in vascular smooth muscle cel...
Plasma Cell Neoplasms

Multiple myeloma is defined as a clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells characterized by the presence of end-organ damage manifesting as hypercalcemia, anemia, renal dysfunction, and lytic bone disease. As understanding of malignant plasma cell biology has evolved, genetic testing has become a critical component of the workup of plasma cell disorders. This chapter covers important topics in genetic analysis of the most prevalent plasma cell neoplasms, including multiple myeloma, smoldering myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS), and AL amyloidosis. The clinical significance and impact of genetic findings on disease staging, prognostication, and treatment are reviewed. Several patient cases are presented to highlight key points in the role of genetic studies for these disorders.
Low-Value Care at the Actionable Level of Individual Health Systems.

Importance Low-value health care remains prevalent in the US despite decades of work to measure and reduce such care. Efforts have been only modestly effective in part because the measurement of low-value care has largely been restricted to the national or regional level, limiting actionability. Objectives To measure and report low-value care use across and within individual health systems and identify system characteristics associated with higher use using Medicare administrative data. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study of health system-attributed Medicare beneficiaries was conducted among 556 health systems in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Compendium of US Health Systems and included system-attributed beneficiaries who were older than 65 years, continuously enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B for at least 12 months in 2016 or 2017, and eligible for specific low-value services. Statistical analysis was conducted from January 26 to July 15, 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures Use of 41 individual low-value services and a composite measure of the 28 most common services among system-attributed beneficiaries, standardized to distance from the mean value. Measures were based on the Milliman MedInsight Health Waste Calculator and published claims-based definitions. Results Across 556 health systems serving a total of 11 637 763 beneficiaries, the mean (SD) use of each of the 41 low-value services ranged from 0% (0.01%) to 28% (4%) of eligible beneficiaries. The most common low-value services were preoperative laboratory testing (mean [SD] rate, 28% [4%] of eligible beneficiaries), prostate-specific antigen testing in men older than 70 years (mean [SD] rate, 27% [8%]), and use of antipsychotic medications in patients with dementia (mean [SD] rate, 24% [8%]). In multivariable analysis, the health system characteristics associated with higher use of low-value care were smaller proportion of primary care physicians (adjusted composite score, 0.15 [95% CI, 0.04-0.26] for systems with less than the median percentage of primary care physicians vs -0.16 [95% CI, -0.27 to -0.05] for those with more than the median percentage of primary care physicians; P 20% of non-White beneficiaries vs -0.06 [95% CI, -0.16 to 0.03] for systems with ≤20% of non-White beneficiaries; P = .04), headquartered in the South or West (adjusted composite, 0.28 [95% CI, 0.14-0.43] for the South and 0.22 [95% CI, 0.02-0.42] for the West compared with -0.09 [95% CI, -0.26 to 0.08] for the Northeast and -0.44 [95% CI, -0.60 to -0.28] for the Midwest; P < .001), and serving areas with more health care spending (adjusted composite, 0.23 [95% CI, 0.11-0.35] for areas above the median level of spending vs -0.24 [95% CI, -0.36 to -0.12] for areas below the median level of spending; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this large cohort study suggest that system-level measurement and reporting of specific low-value services is feasible, enables cross-system comparisons, and reveals a broad range of low-value care use.
Cognitive dissonance as an explanation for relationship satisfaction in long distance relationships

Two studies examined relationship satisfaction in long distance relationships within the contexts of social exchange theory and cognitive dissonance theory. In study one, subjective and objective costs in relationships were measured over the course of a semester in both long distance and geographically proximal couples. Results suggested that participants in long distance relationships had higher objective and subjective costs than participants in geographically proximal relationships. In both long distance and geographically proximal couples an increase in either objective or subjective costs from time 1 to time 2 was related to a decrease in relationship satisfaction from time 1 to time 2, but the relationship between change in costs and change in relationship satisfaction did not differ by relationship type. Study two attempted to create cognitive dissonance about relationships in both long distance and geographically proximal couples. Although results suggested that people in long distance relationships who experienced cognitive dissonance about their relationships experienced a smaller decrease in their relationship satisfaction scores than members of geographically proximal relationships who experienced cognitive dissonance and members of long distance relationships in the non-dissonance, control condition, the difference was not statistically significant. Implications of these results and suggestions for further testing the applications of social exchange theory and cognitive dissonance theory to the issue of relationship satisfaction in long distance relationships are discussed.
Preconditions for post-employment learning: Preliminary results from ongoing research

This article describes the first phase of a two-phase, mixed-method study. The study, now in progress, explores how and to what extent willingness to engage in learning in mature adulthood is influenced by prior experiences and specific individual personality variables, such as perceived locus of control and degree of self-efficacy. Study participants in this phase are 20 active adults over the age of 50 who participate in various formal and informal programs at a YMCA in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. Preliminary results thus far are discussed with respect to how they may inform educators of mature adults in open education settings. A profile of the characteristics of mature adults likely to be engaged in learning activities is beginning to emerge. A larger sample of participants taken from the same population is now being studied to confirm or refute the value of this profile.
Efficient Load Balancing on a Cluster for Large Scale Online Video Surveillance

In this paper we present a new load distribution strategy tailored to real-time, large scale surveillance systems with the objective of providing best effort timeliness of on-line automated video analysis on a cluster of compute nodes. We propose a novel approach to fine grained load balancing, modeled as a makespan minimization problem to reactively minimize the tardiness of processing individual camera feeds. The proposed approach is also robust in the sense that it is not dependent on either the estimates of future loads or the worst case execution requirements of the video processing load. Simulation results with real-life video surveillance data establish that for a desired timeliness in processing the data, our approach reduces the number of compute nodes by a factor of two, compared to systems without the load migration heuristics.
EU Merger Guidelines

This article provides a description of the 2004 EU guidelines for horizontal mergers and the 2008 guidelines developed to examine nonhorizontal (vertical and conglomerate) mergers. The process by which the regulatory authorities examine these mergers is identified, as are parallels and emerging differences between these and the more recently adopted US merger guidelines. The economic methods and evidence involved in examining possible coordinated and noncoordinated anticompetitive effects of a merger are highlighted, as are the regulatory commission's definition and measurement of market boundaries and market concentration. The practical importance of these guidelines to the business community is also discussed. Keywords: mergers; competition; European Union; antitrust
Cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for the anxiety disorders: Two approaches with much to offer.

Arch and Craske (2008) examine the similarities and differences between cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for the anxiety disorders and suggest that the two treatment approaches have as many similarities as differences. We agree and believe that there is merit in this conclusion—it brings us together in common purpose and helps move us toward improved approaches to reducing client suffering. Our discussion focuses on the similarities that we think about most positively and the differences of which we should be mindful.
Theory of reggeized bootstraps.—III

A theory for bootstrapping entire Regge eigentrajectories of a coupled-channel system is discussed. This is an extension of a recently proposed theory for bootstrapping Regge trajectories in the framework of single-channel processes. The formalism is based on a Regge representation for a partial-wave eigenamplitude which satisfies the following properties regardless of the number of eigentrajectories included; it has the correct threshold behavior for the real and the imaginary parts and it is unitary. The total scattering amplitudes are constructed in terms of eigentrajectories which have the correct Mandelstam-cut structure in thes-t-u plane and are also unitary. The representations are expected to converge rapidly in terms of the number of trajectories since the amplitudes used have been modified to take account of the infinite set ofJ-singularities in their Born limit. The relationship of Levinson's theorem to the motion of Regge eigenpoles is discussed. Invoking crossing, a set of bootstrap equations is obtained for a self-consistent determination of the Regge trajectories which occur as the sole input in the formalism.
Effort to target agricultural runoff through farm legislation

The farm bill currently moving through the U.S. Congress could include provisions aimed at significantly reducing nitrogen and phosphorous runoff from agricultural areas, if a bipartisan group of more than 120 members of Congress has its way. The “Working Lands Stewardship Act of 2001” (H.R.2375) would provide more than $6 billion annually to willing farmers to help reduce polluted runoff and restore wetlands.
Electrathon vehicle design

Electrathon rallies are multi-vehicle competitions in which aerodynamic, lightweight electric vehicles meeting specific design and safety rules are raced. The objective is to travel the furthest distance in one hour on a limited charge, supplied by deep cycle marine type lead-acid battery packs. The rallies, open to any individual, club or educational institution, have been a popular sport in Great Britain and Australia for over a decade and have begun to grow in popularity in the United States. This paper describes how a University of Central Florida student design team is focusing on creating a vehicle capable of extending the current world Electrathon distance record. In addition to aerodynamic and safety concerns, the design focuses on minimizing energy losses in the electrical and drive systems. The completed design serves as the basis for fabrication of a vehicle to be raced in an upcoming Electrathon competition sponsored by the Florida Solar Energy Center.
Metabolism of adrenaline after blockade of monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyltransferase.

Experiments in cats infused with 5 µmole of dl-adrenaline-2-C14 showed that blockade of either monoamine oxidase or catechol-O-methyltransferase is largely compensated for by the activity of the intact enzyme system; combined blockade of both enzyme systems results in the formation of a new adrenaline catabolite and in the increased production of acidic, mainly conjugated, catabolites, the identity of which remains to be established.
Education for development, CD for Peace: Producing the “globally competitive” child

Abstract This paper is set against the backdrop of an increasingly pervasive discursive coupling of peace with development, and of extremism with underdevelopment. An evolving knowledge economy discourse casts education as both a key determinant of economic development, and as a crucial tool in the battle for “hearts and minds” in a global war against terrorism and extremism. Education for development, and education as anti-extremism are the twin goals of the Filipino CD for Peace – a contribution to the UN-backed International Power Users of ICT (Information Communication Technology) Symposium. In this paper, I examine the ways in which this youth Symposium feeds into and mobilizes powerful logics around the links between education and development/counterterrorism. My argument is that education for development, and one of its articulations, the CD for Peace , are undergirded by and reproduce neoliberal development logics in several overlapping respects. I illustrate the ways in which the language of connection and collaboration reproduces a distinct rationality related both to the transformative potential of (private investment in) ICT and to the production of particular kinds of subjectivities: youth as connected, informed, economically valuable global citizens beyond the reach of extremists. The Power Users project works to (re)construct teenagers as “gurus”; conflict (and poverty, and terrorism) becomes solvable through education and ICT. I show how knowledge economy discourse powerfully constructs youth as learning subjects who come to imagine their own roles and identities in specifically neoliberal ways: not only as learners, but also as advocates for this nexus of technology, education, development and peace.
Discrimination of pre- and post-treatment breast cancer serum using SELDI-TOF MS (surfaced-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry)

Abstract Introduction: Serum protein profiles generated and analyzed by SELDI-TOF MS can distinguish women with breast cancer from normal healthy women. Our objective was to determine if the breast cancer protein profile reverts to a normal pattern after treatment. Methods: Following IRB approval, serum samples were obtained pre and 6 months post-treatment from women newly diagnosed with breast cancer (Ca) and normal healthy volunteers (NL). The samples were randomly spotted in duplicate onto IMAC-Cu and SAX ProteinchipsTM (Ciphergen) for SELDI-TOF MS. Biomarker Patterns and Biomarker Wizard software (Ciphergen) were used to analyze the protein peaks. Results: Serum was obtained from 34 women (16 NL and 16matched pre and post Ca treatment). Stage of disease included: 10 stage 1, 5 stage 2, and 2 stage 3. Combining the SELDI-TOF MS data from two surfaces yielded 133 protein peak clusters among the Ca samples. Twenty-seven of these clusters were differentially expressed (p Conclusions: Protein profiles generated by SELDI-TOF MS discriminate between NL, pre and post-treatment serum samples. Samples collected at further follow-up may reveal the profile achieving normalcy. If so, it could be used to monitor treatment or detect recurrences.
Retinol-Binding Protein 4: A Promising Circulating Marker of Liver Damage in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background & Aims Noninvasive methods are needed to identify pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most frequent chronic liver disease in children and adolescents in industrialized countries. Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) is an adipocytokine that has been associated with the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. We tested the serum levels of RBP4 to assess their associations with the metabolic profile and histologic features in a large well-characterized group of children with NAFLD. Methods The study included 59 children with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Histologic analyses were performed by an experienced hepatopathologist; the NAFLD activity score and fibrosis score were calculated for each patient. RBP4 levels in serum samples were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis. Anthropometric, blood pressure, and metabolic profile analyses (including glucose tolerance, fasting glucose, insulin, and lipid panel tests) were performed on samples from all patients. Results Decreasing levels of RBP4 were associated significantly with increasing levels of serum triglyceride. High levels of RBP4 were associated significantly with low necroinflammatory activity, a low NAFLD activity score, and a low fibrosis score. Furthermore, serum RBP4 levels decreased significantly as disease severity increased; there was a stepwise decrease in RBP4 from children with steatosis (3.8 mg/dL) to borderline nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (2.9 mg/dL) to definitive nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (1.9 mg/dL) ( P Conclusions Our study shows an inverse relationship between RBP4 levels and degree of liver damage. RBP4 therefore might be a potential novel noninvasive marker of severity of pediatric NAFLD.
An interactive camera placement and visibility simulator for image-based VR applications

We describe an interactive software simulator that assists with the design of multi-camera setups for applications such as image-based virtual reality, three-dimensional reconstruction from still or video imagery, surveillance, etc. Instead of automating the camera placement process, our goal is to assist a user by means of a simulator that supports interactive placement and manipulation of multiple cameras within a pre-modeled three-dimensional environment. It provides a real-time 3D rendering of the environment, depicting the exact coverage of each camera (including indications of occluded and overlap regions) and the effective spatial resolution on the surfaces. The simulator can also indicate the dynamic coverage of pan-tilt-zoom cameras using "traces" to highlight areas that are reachable within a user-selectable interval. We describe the simulator, its underlying "engine" and its interface, and we show an example multi-camera setup for remote 3D medical consultation, including preliminary 3D reconstruction results.
B Lymphocytes from Patients with a Hypomorphic Mutation in STAT3 Resist Epstein-Barr Virus-Driven Cell Proliferation

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) oncogenes exert potent B cell proliferative effects. EBV infection gives rise to B cell lines that readily proliferate in culture. This ability of EBV represents a powerful tool to study cell proliferation. In efforts to delineate the contribution of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) toward EBV-driven cell proliferation, we have discovered that B cells from patients with autosomal dominant hyper-IgE syndrome (AD-HIES) resist such EBV oncogene-driven outgrowth of cells. Patients with AD-HIES have a dominant negative mutation in their STAT3 gene which renders most of the protein nonfunctional. Exposure of healthy subject-derived B cells to EBV resulted in early activation of STAT3, rapidly followed by increased expression of its mRNA and protein. STAT3 upregulation preceded the expression of EBNA2, temporally one of the first viral oncogenes to be expressed. We found that STAT3 was necessary for subsequent survival and for proliferation of EBV-infected cells past the S phase of the cell cycle. Consequently, B cells from AD-HIES patients were prone to dying and accumulated in the S phase, thereby accounting for impaired cell outgrowth. Of importance, we have now identified a cohort of patients with a primary immunodeficiency disorder whose B cells oppose EBV-driven proliferative signals. These findings simultaneously reveal how EBV manipulates host STAT3 even before expression of viral oncogenes to facilitate cell survival and proliferation, processes fundamental to EBV lymphomagenesis.
Evidence for ambiguity in the posttranslational cleavage of poliovirus proteins

Abstract The molecular weights (estimated from mobilities in acrylamide gels) of the proteins of ts + and most temperature-sensitive (ts) strains of type 1 poliovirus correspond closely with those of their ancestral strain Mahoney. In one mutant strain, ts -89, the large precursor protein, NCVP 1, was cleaved more slowly at the restrictive temperature than that of ts + . The ts and ts + proteins differed from those of Mahoney in that the ts + structural protein VP 1B (31,000 daltons) was not detected in Mahoney virions or infected cell cytoplasms, while a normal Mahoney structural protein VP 1A (36,000 daltons) was absent from ts + and all ts virions except ts -2. Peptide analyses of proteins of ts + , several ts mutants and Mahoney virus did not reveal major differences and suggest that the primary sequences of the proteins of these strains do not differ extensively. Altogether, seven different structural proteins have been distinguished so far. As these exceed the probable translational capacity of the virus genome for such proteins, it is proposed that there are multiple cleavage sites in the precursor protein(s) and that these are used in varying combinations in different viral strains.
Development of a self-propelled microflotilla

In this work, we initiated the effort of developing a so-called water microflotilla, which was capable of moving on a water surface. We explored its design, fabrication, propulsion, and motions in straight and circular channels. A water microflotilla comprised five microboats connected with a Nylon rope, and was fabricated using ultra-violet lithographic techniques. It was actuated by the difference between fore-and-aft surface tensions. The water microflotilla was tested in three straight and one circular channels at water levels of 3, 6 and 9 mm, respectively. In all the tests, the microflotilla moved like a rigid object, and no collisions were observed between neighboring microboats. Travel distances were above 0.44 m, and average speeds varied from 40.2 to 103.2 mm/s. Both the travel distances and the average speeds were found to increase with the increasing water depth and channel width. The two ends of the microflotilla had direct contact with the outer sidewall of the circular channel during a circular motion. The support forces of the outer sidewall at these contact points provided the centripetal force needed for the circular motion. Compared with a single microboat, such a microflotilla can be potentially employed to transport a large amount of supply in small-scale fluidic applications.
Comparative RNA-Seq analysis reveals pervasive tissue-specific alternative polyadenylation in Caenorhabditis elegans intestine and muscles.

Tissue-specific RNA plasticity broadly impacts the development, tissue identity and adaptability of all organisms, but changes in composition, expression levels and its impact on gene regulation in different somatic tissues are largely unknown. Here we developed a new method, polyA-tagging and sequencing (PAT-Seq) to isolate high-quality tissue-specific mRNA from Caenorhabditis elegans intestine, pharynx and body muscle tissues and study changes in their tissue-specific transcriptomes and 3’UTRomes. We have identified thousands of novel genes and isoforms differentially expressed between these three tissues. The intestine transcriptome is expansive, expressing over 30% of C. elegans mRNAs, while muscle transcriptomes are smaller but contain characteristic unique gene signatures. Active promoter regions in all three tissues reveal both known and novel enriched tissue-specific elements, along with putative transcription factors, suggesting novel tissue-specific modes of transcription initiation. We have precisely mapped approximately 20,000 tissue-specific polyadenylation sites and discovered that about 30% of transcripts in somatic cells use alternative polyadenylation in a tissue-specific manner, with their 3’UTR isoforms significantly enriched with microRNA targets. For the first time, PAT-Seq allowed us to directly study tissue specific gene expression changes in an in vivo setting and compare these changes between three somatic tissues from the same organism at single-base resolution within the same experiment. We pinpoint precise tissue-specific transcriptome rearrangements and for the first time link tissue-specific alternative polyadenylation to miRNA regulation, suggesting novel and unexplored tissue-specific post-transcriptional regulatory networks in somatic cells.
A pulsed NMR study of molecular motion in solid 5,5-dimethyl-5,6,11,12-tetrahydro-5 H-dibenzo[b,f]silocin

Abstract A pulsed NMR study of relaxation times, T 1 and T 1D , and second moments for solid 5,5-dimethyl-5,6,11,12-tetrahydro-5 H -dibenzo[ b,f ]silocin is reported. The compound was studied over the temperature range −175 to 50°C. Evidence was obtained for three motions characterized by activation energies, 2.70, 1.2, and ⩾4 kcal/mole, respectively. The first motion is methyl reorientation. The second motion is not assigned but is probably a relatively small amplitude flexing of the central ring. The third motion is also unassigned and may be large amplitude flexing of the central ring, libration, or anisotropic molecular reorientation. The motions was assigned by comparison of X-ray crystallographic data with NMR second moment data.
Levels of luteinizing hormone in sera and pituitaries of ewes during the estrous cycle and anestrus.

The levels of LH, as determined by radioimmunoassay, in pituitaries and sera of ewes during the estrous cycle and anestrus are described. The mean concentration of LH (μg/g ±SE) in pituitaries was 112 ±15 on day 1 of the estrous cycle and increased steadily to 374 ±47 on day 9. Concentrations in the pituitary fluctuated from 613 ±67 to 537 ±32 on days 11–15 and increased to 998 ±91 during the proestrus. The concentration of LH in serum between the ovulatory peaks was <2 ng/ml during the estrous cycle. The mean concentration of LH in pituitaries in anestrus from May to August varied from 431 ±27 to 300 ±42. The differences among months were not significant. The concentration of LH in serum (ng/ml ±SE) was .25 ±.059 in May, too low to be detected in June and July, and was 1.20 ±0.397 in August. During the estrous cycle the concentration of LH in the pituitary increased from day 1 to proestrus, while the level in serum remained constantly low. The concentration of LH in the pituitary during anestrus does not...