cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The choice of sale method and its consequences in mergers and acquisitions

Abstract We examine the method by which firms are sold, auctions or one-on-one negotiations. We define and describe a subset of transactions that result from auction failure (i.e., target-attempted auctions that secure only one bidder). Controlling for endogeneity, firm, and transaction specific characteristics, we show that attempted auctions that resulted in one-on-one negotiations are associated with lower final premiums and higher acquirer returns compared with both successful auctions and pure negotiations (negotiations with only one bidder from the outset to the conclusion of the transaction). We find that several target, acquirer, and deal-specific characteristics affect the likelihood of auction failure. The loss of latent (perceived) competition that results from an unsuccessful attempt to auction the target partially shifts the wealth created by a merger or acquisition from targets’ to acquirers’ shareholders. To maximize shareholders’ wealth, targets should carefully consider the likelihood of securing more than one interested bidder prior to initiating an auction.
Study on the Electric Field Intensity of the UHV AC Transmission Lines near Buildings

The 1 000 kV Jindongnan-Nanyang-Jingmen UHV AC test and demonstration transmission line project has been put into commercial operation.With the increase of voltage,the electromagnetic environment is more and more complicated,which may impose interference on the operation of radio station and the health of the residents and workers around the transmission lines.This paper calculated the electric field around the UHV AC transmission line making use of CDEGS software,and compared the output with the measured data.The result shows that the simulation output coincides with the measured data.According to the simulation output,the corridor width of the UHV AC transmission line is derived.In addition,two methods for suppressing the power-frequency distorted electric filed,i.e.setting shielded transmission lines and lower voltage lines under the UHV AC transmission line,are analyzed,and it is found that both methods can narrow the corridor width.
Abstract IA12: Long-range gene regulation in the context of chromatin domains

The 3D organization of the genome is critical for gene regulation, genome stability and faithful transmission of chromosomes to daughter cells. We apply Chromosome Conformation Capture-based technologies to determine how cells fold their chromosomes and to discover the mechanisms that drive the spatial organization of genomes. I will discuss our recent proposal that in interphase nuclei mammalian chromosomes are hierarchically organized (Gibcus and Dekker, 2013). First, at the nuclear level, chromosomes are compartmentalized into large multi-Mb domains that are either active and open or inactive and closed. These compartments themselves are composed of smaller sub-Mb Topologically Associating domains (TADs) (Dixon et al. 2012, Nora et al. 2012). Finally, long-range gene regulation occurs within TADs through long-range looping interactions between genes and regulatory elements. TAD organization and their role in gene regulation have important implications in cancer cells. I will highlight how genomic rearrangements in cancer genomes can lead to altered TAD organization and inappropriate gene expression, including increased expression of cancer promoting genes, and repression of cancer suppressing genes. I will also highlight two new studies from my laboratory that reveal different roles of TADs in chromosome-wide gene regulation along the dosage compensated X-chromosomes. First, in C. elegans we find that a Condensin complex mediates TAD formation and dosage compensation. Second, in mouse the dosage compensated X chromosome folds in a unique way with global loss of TADs. Citation Format: Job Dekker. Long-range gene regulation in the context of chromatin domains. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Sep 24-27, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(2 Suppl):Abstract nr IA12.
Decrypting the shark text encryption scheme

In his book, "The Raw Shark Texts", Steven Hall introduces an encryption scheme based on the QWERTY keyboard. By performing some simple rearrangements, the keyboard can be changed so that each letter key is surrounded by a combination of eight other letter keys. The encryption scheme is that when the key in the center of this nine key combination is pressed, one of the eight surrounding keys is randomly selected and printed instead. While messages encrypted this way can be decrypted using a lengthy brute-force method by applying a computer program, engaging in some computations using the fundamentals of conditional probability can speed up that search. This presentation will explain those techniques and how messages encrypted using this scheme can be decrypted. This assignment has applications to a course in encryption and data compression taught at Mount Mercy College.
A Unique Style of Management

I consider the management should have an establishment of eight persons, normally six Managers and two Assistant Managers, though the distribution may vary from time to time. This staffing allows sufficient spare time for outside jobs round Liverpool and for visiting foreign parts by ship. Two of the Managers should always be designated to make “Ship Management” the first charge on their time and energy … the other four Managers should be responsible for general commercial operation of the ships and other duties.
Statistical error model comparison for logistic growth of green algae (Raphidocelis subcapitata)

Abstract We validate a model for the population dynamics, as they occur in a chemostat environment, of the green algae Raphidocelis subcapitata, a species that is often used as a primary food source in toxicity experiments for the fresh water crustacean Daphnia magna. We collected longitudinal data from 4 replicate population experiments with R. subcapitata. This data was fit to a logistic growth model to reveal patterns of the algae growth in a continuous culture. Overall, our results suggest that a proportional error statistical model is the most appropriate for logistic growth modeling of R. subcapitata continuous population growth.
Phase II Trial of Angiotensin-(1-7) for the Treatment of Patients with Metastatic Sarcoma.

Background. Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] is an endogenous antiangiogenic hormone with anticancer activity. In a phase I study of Ang-(1-7), two of three patients with metastatic sarcoma experienced disease stabilization. This phase II study examined clinical and biomarker outcomes for patients with metastatic sarcoma. Methods. Ang-(1-7) was administered by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 20 mg daily. If excessive toxicities occurred in the first cohort, a dose deescalation cohort was allowed. Blood samples were obtained to measure changes in biomarkers. Results. Treatment was well-tolerated and the dose deescalation cohort was not required. Plasma PlGF concentrations following treatment were not statistically significantly changed. A significant increase in plasma Ang-(1-7) was observed at 4 hours after injection. The median progression-free survival was 2.7 months (95% CI; 1.4 to 4.1 months), and the median overall survival was 10.2 months (95% CI; 5.3 to 18.3 months). Two patients with vascular sarcomas demonstrated prolonged disease stabilization of 10 months (hemangiopericytoma) and 19 months (epithelioid hemangioendothelioma). Conclusions. Ang-(1-7) at a dose of 20 mg daily was well-tolerated. This prospective phase II study failed to confirm the PlGF biomarker effect identified in the prior phase I study. Prolonged disease stabilization in hemangiopericytoma and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma may warrant further investigation.
Temperature, pH, and Strain of Pathogen as Factors Affecting Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes by Chlorine.

Listeria monocytogenes strain Scott-A was treated with 1 ppm available chlorine at different temperatures and pH values. Different strains of L. monocytogenes (California, Scott-A and V7) were also exposed to 1 ppm available chlorine at pH 7 and 25°C. The initial population of L. monocytogenes was 1 × 108 to 3.2 × 108 CFU/ml of sodium hypochlorite solution. Survival of L. monocytogenes was measured by surface-plating (on tryptose agar) samples taken at intervals of 30 s to 1 h of exposure to hypochlorite solution. Larger numbers of L. monocytogenes strain Scott-A survived at 25 than at 35°C. The smallest number was observed when cells were exposed to the hypochlorite solution at 5°C. The higher the pH values, in the range of 5 to 9, the greater were the numbers of survivors of L. monocytogenes strain Scott-A. Of the strains studied, California was the most resistant, while V7 was the least resistant to the hypochlorite solution.
Anabolic Steroid Misuse Among US Adolescent Boys: Disparities by Sexual Orientation and Race/Ethnicity.

Objectives. To examine the prevalence of anabolic steroid misuse among US adolescent boys as a function of sexual orientation and race/ethnicity.Methods. We analyzed boys from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 6248; mean age = 16), a representative sample of US high school students. Lifetime prevalence of anabolic steroid misuse was dichotomized as never versus 1 or more times.Results. Sexual minority boys reported elevated misuse compared with heterosexual boys, within each level of race/ethnicity. Black, Hispanic, and White sexual minority boys reported misuse at approximately 25%, 20%, and 9%, respectively.Conclusions. Sexual orientation health disparities in anabolic steroid misuse disproportionally affect Black and Hispanic sexual minority adolescent boys, but more research is needed to understand the mechanisms driving these disparities.
A clinically feasible protocol for measuring 18F-FDG tracer kinetics in SCCHN patients before and after therapy

1521 Objectives A clinically practical protocol is proposed for evaluating 18F-FDG kinetic rate parameters. Methods N = 7 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) received 68min dynamic 18F-FDG PET (64-slice GE-VCT PET/CT scanner) scans prior to therapy (Cetuximab) initiation (baseline), 4-12 days post-therapy initiation (early therapy assessment) and at the completion of therapy (follow-up). Each dynamic PET scan initiated simultaneously with IV injection of 15 mCi 18F-FDG. All kinetic modeling was performed using PMOD 3.4. Image based input functions were obtained from the carotid-artery. 2-tissue compartmental modeling was used to evaluate the kinetics of 18F-FDG for each 68min dynamic PET scan as well as a shortened dynamic data set. Each shortened data set consisted of the first 13 minutes of the corresponding full 68min PET scan as well as the final 5min (63-68min) frame. For both the full and shortened protocols, tumor ROI were defined on the final 5min frame of the 68min dynamic PET. 2-tissue kinetic rate parameters obtained from the shortened data sets were evaluated and compared to corresponding kinetic rate parameters obtained from the full 68min scan. Results The kinetic rate constant (K1) between the full and modified dynamic data sets had a correlation of 0.997. The shortened protocol followed the same tumor uptake trend as the full protocol. The blood volume (Vb) parameter had a correlation coefficient of 0.996. K Flux had a correlation coefficient of 0.979 and a p-value of 0.02. Conclusions Measurement of 18F-FDG 2-tissue kinetic rate parameters using a modified dynamic acquisition produces comparable accuracy to a 68min dynamic data set. The high correlation of the full data set and the shortened data set demonstrate that the shortened data set can provide significant and calculable kinetic data. Research Support US National Institutes of Health research grants U01 CA140230 and P30 CA047904.
Patient-reported symptoms following IMRT alone for oropharynx cancer: A survivorship study.

5561 Background: Patients (pts) with favorable oropharynx cancer (OPC) are often treated with single modality RT with excellent disease control. We present the pattern of pt-reported symptoms in OPC survivors treated with IMRT alone. This will represent a benchmark for later comparison to pts treated with other modalities (e.g., proton therapy, transoral surgery). Methods: Pts eligible for this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study had OPC treated with IMRT (no systemic therapy), in remission >18 mos, completed the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory – Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN). Clinical data were tabulated and analyzed using non-parametric statistics. Results: 89 pts participated. OPC sub-site was tonsil in 58, base of tongue (BOT) in 30, and soft palate in 1 pt. 65% were TX/1, 28% T2, and 7% T3/4, while 53% were NX/1 with 47% N2. Mean RT dose was 66 Gy (SD±2.5). Median age was 54 years (SD±11). Mean follow-up at MDASI-HN was 74 months (SD±15). Mean MDASI-HN symptom rating (0 to 10 scale) was 1.3 (95...
A Model Predictive Control Strategy for Stabilization of Oscillating Yeast Cultures

Abstract Continuous cultures of budding yeast are known to exhibit autonomous oscillations that adversely affect bioreactor stability and productivity. This phenomenon is modeled by coupling the population balance equation (PBE) for the cell mass distribution to the mass balance for the rate limiting substrate. An efficient and robust numerical solution technique is developed using orthogonal collocation on finite elements. The controller design model is obtained by linearizing and temporally discretizing the ordinary differential equations resulting from spatial discretization of the PBE model. The resulting linear state-space model is used to design model predictive controllers that regulate the cell number distribution by manipulating the dilution rate and the feed substrate concentration. The ability of the controllers to stabilize steady-state and periodic solutions is evaluated via simulation.
The pitfall of instrumental variables in big data: What the rule of thumb can't give you

ABSTRACTBackground: Instrumental variables (IVs) have become much easier to find in the “Big data era” which has increased the number of applications of the Two-Stage Least Squares model (TSLS). Wi...
Effects of Change Orders on Cost Growth, Schedule Growth, and Construction Intensity of Large Highway Projects

AbstractPrevious research have shown that change orders have a detrimental effect on cost growth and schedule growth of construction projects. These studies mainly concentrated on the number of cha...
Targeted HIV testing at birth supported by low and predictable mother‐to‐child transmission risk in Botswana

INTRODUCTION Most African countries perform infant HIV testing at 6 weeks or later. The addition of targeted testing at birth may improve retention in care, treatment outcomes and survival for HIV-infected infants. METHODS HIV-exposed infants were screened as part of the Early Infant Treatment (EIT) study in Botswana. Screened infants were ≥35 weeks gestational age and ≥2000 g at birth. Risk factors for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) were assessed by maternal obstetric card or verbally. Risk factors included 400 copies/mL, poor maternal ART adherence, lack of maternal zidovudine (ZDV) in labour, or lack of infant post-exposure prophylaxis. Infants underwent dried blood spot testing by Roche Cobas Ampliprep/Cobas Taqman HIV-1 qualitative PCR. RESULTS From April 2015 to April 2016, 2303 HIV-exposed infants were tested for HIV in the EIT study. Of these, 369 (16%) were identified as high risk for HIV infection by information available at birth, and 12 (0.5% overall, 3.25% of high risk) were identified as HIV positive at birth. All 12 positive infants were identified as high risk at the time of screening, and only 2 risk factors were required to identify all positive infants: either <8 weeks of maternal ART in pregnancy (75%) or lack of maternal HIV suppression at last test (25%). CONCLUSIONS In utero MTCT occurred only among infants identified as high risk at delivery, using information available from the mother or obstetric record. Birth testing that targets high-risk infants based on maternal ART receipt is likely to identify the majority of in utero HIV transmissions, and allows early ART initiation for these infants.
Exercise cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: a feasibility study and meta-analysis.

Cardiac stress testing improves detection and risk assessment of heart disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the clinical gold-standard for assessing cardiac morphology and function at rest;...
Biological Control and Integrated Pest Management

The manipulation of beneficial organisms remains a very important tool in integrated pest management programs of insect pests worldwide. This chapter describes the approaches to using biological control and a historical perspective of each. Recent developments in genetics, systematics, population dynamics, pesticide chemistry, and public opinion have led to increased scrutiny and inclusion of beneficial insects into IPM programs. This chapter describes these developments and the variety of approaches that have been used to implement biological control as a useful tactic in IPM. It also describes how biological control interacts with other IPM tactics, and the potential for better integration into IPM programs.
THE IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSE OF THE OLIGODENDROCYTE IN THE ACTIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS LESION

There is a strong belief in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) that central nervous system (CNS) demyelination is integrally related to the early selective depletion of the CNS myelinating cell, the oligodendrocyte. Subscribers to this theory are numerous and while still a hypothetical scenario, “oligodendrogliolysis” was first proposed by Lumsden1 in the 1950s. Thus far, however, investigators have been unable to provide evidence in situ for widespread lysis of oligodendrocytes in MS2, although from studies in vitro, it has been known for years that the oligodendrocyte is highly susceptible to damage by a number of soluble immune mediators. Included among the latter are anti-myelin immunoglobulins3, cytokines4 and complement5. The lack of compelling evidence for selective oligodendrocyte destruction notwithstanding, it is clear from the literature on the subject that their depletion in MS must occur sometime between the initial acute inflammatory, actively demyelinating phase when oligodendrocytes are abundant, and the chronic, silent fibrous astrogliotic MS plaque where few, if any, oligodendrocytes can be located2. Complicating the analysis of factors underlying the demise of the oligodendrocyte in MS, are reports documenting that during periods of disease activity, oligodendrocyte proliferation occurs at the margins of established lesions. These observations, together with subsequent confirmatory reports, have led to considerations of the possibility that immune-mediated destruction of myelin may actually exert a stimulatory effect upon the oligodendrocyte. This possibility is underscored by the presence of sometimes substantial amounts of CNS remyelination within and around acute and actively expanding MS lesions6,8,9.
Remnant Settlement Patterns

There are real methodological and theoretical difficulties inherent in classical settlement pattern analysis, especially when it is defined as the analysis of “the distribution of sites across a landscape.” All of the contributors to this volume, in one fashion or another, are seeking more satisfactory and productive ways of understanding and interpreting spatial distributions of archaeological materials. There are many ways to refine methods of spatial analysis, and the approach we outline here is but one. Our approach, which we call “remnant settlement pattern analysis” focuses on the spatial and temporal dynamics of past people’s use of places and the way those dynamics changed through time. We are seeking a set of concepts and approaches (e. g., Dewar 1986, 1992) that avoid many of the difficulties that are created by a focus on “sites” (cf. Dunnell, this volume and 1988; Binford, this volume; Camilli 1988). Nonetheless, our effort is in some ways an elaboration and reform of the traditional approach to settlement patterns, where archaeologists attempt to interpret the distribution of the places where they find concentrations of artifacts—so-called “sites”—across a landscape to reconstruct the dynamics of ancient cultural systems, estimate population density, and monitor changes in these over time.
Differential Forms and Integration

Physics is expressed in the language of differential equations (e.g., Maxwell, Dirac, Yang-Mills, Einstein, etc.). Differential equations live on differentiable manifolds and differentiable manifolds have topologies that influence not only the solutions to differential equations defined on them, but even the type of equation that one can define on them. At some naive level then it is perhaps not surprising that topology and physics interact. The profound depth of this interaction in recent years, however, has made it abundantly clear that the naive level is not the appropriate one from which to view this.
A New Paradigm of Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) : Challenges for Space, Time, and Shapes

Using 3D food printing with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, patients can receive diagnoses and prescriptions from their doctors while in the comfort of their homes. The patient-specific prescription has been innovated by converging 3D food printing technology with drug delivery systems (DDSs). Quantitative drug dosages can be incorporated into the composition of food and produced in any shape within a short time. Automating food and DDSs makes promising implications for healing patients remotely, as well. Each of these aspects, along with IoT technology, have contributed to increased health care for patients, no matter their location. The quantitative discharge of vitamin C melted in water, mayonnaise, ketchup, and peanut butter has been verified using the Piston Typed Extrusion (PTE) method. Designs with different curves and shapes were repeatedly printed with a head speed of 1.6×10-2 m/s, and it was confirmed that effective control while printing the shapes was possible. The Hagen-Poiseuille (HP) formula was utilized to simulate the overall printing time. This simulation affirmed that increasing the head speed from 1.6×10-2 m/s to 4.0×10-2 m/s had reduced the printing time consistently, but the time was not reduced continuously after 4.0×10-2 m/s, depending on the materials’ viscosities and how much curvature exists in the designs. The precision of printing was adjusted within 5% of the theoretical value during printing, and the IoT technology allowed printing of the materials within five minutes, regardless of the patient’s location. Article Type: Original Research
The Current State Of Telehealth Evidence: A Rapid Review

Policy makers and practitioners show a continued interest in telehealth’s potential to increase efficiency and reach patients facing access barriers. However, telehealth encompasses many applicatio...
Challenging Circadian Rhythm Disorder Cases

The complex interplay of the sleep and circadian systems, which are substantially differentially regulated, provides for plasticity that is expressed in health and disease. The classic circadian rhythm disorders are readily recognizable, but atypical forms can be identified by actigraphy and melatonin profilometry. Although the dim-light melatonin onset test maps the start of the biological night, 24-hour mapping can define the limits of the biological night, whereas other forms of strategic testing can identify conditions such as iatrogenic hypermelatoninemia. Routine testing in clinical practice can expand the range of identifiable circadian rhythm disorders.
Converting Student Data to Counseling Information.

This study demonstrates both the application and the effectiveness of a simple statistical method for converting student data into meaningful, relevant, and useful counseling information through co...
Applying a biopsychosocial model to inner city asthma: Recent approaches to address pediatric asthma health disparities.

Summary Pediatric asthma in inner cities is often severe and children living in these urban locations with socioeconomic disadvantage experience greater asthma morbidity. There are many interconnected risk factors that individually, and in combination, enhance asthma morbidity. These include biologic factors innate to the child, such as genetics and allergen susceptibility, as well as factors related to the family and neighborhood context. The biopsychosocial model can be used to frame these risk factors and develop interventions specific to the inner city. Successful inner city asthma interventions exist and key characteristics include multi-tiered components that operate within the community to coordinate disease management resources between patients, families and health care systems.
A spatially explicit tree search application for agroforestry in the United States

A spatially explicit application has been developed for the conterminous United States to assist farmers and extension agents with selecting appropriate tree species for agroforestry applications. The application combines several spatially explicit databases of tree species, high-resolution soil data, and climate. On the front-end of the application, a simple graphical user interface (GUI) allows the user to indicate their location, the size of the area to be searched, and the functional use category for the trees. These parameters are used to query a PostGRESQL relational database management system on the back-end via a Python script. All tree species within the user-specified area and matching the user-specified objectives, are returned to the web page along with tree characteristics, and soil and climate data for the specified location. Expert feedback on the application was solicited and used to make improvements to the service. The accuracy of the application was tested at several locations in Missouri, USA, and found satisfactory.
Markov Chain Hitting Times

In the context of Markov chains, the fundamental use of the heuristic is to estimate the distribution of the first hitting time to a rarely-visited state or set of states. Such problems arise in several areas of applied probability, e.g., queueing theory and reliability, as well as pure theory. The heuristic is useful in the case where the stationary distribution is known explicitly but transient calculations are difficult.
Enantioselective Synthesis of γ-Lactams by Lewis Base Catalyzed Sulfenoamidation of Alkenes

A method for the catalytic, enantioselective, intramolecular 1,2-sulfenoamidation of alkenes is described. Lewis base activation of a suitable sulfur electrophile generates an enantioenriched, thiiranium ion intermediate from a β,γ-unsaturated sulfonyl carboxamide. This intermediate is subsequently intercepted by the sulfonamide nitrogen resulting in cyclization to form γ-lactams. Electron-poor alkenes required the use of a new selenophosphoramidate Lewis base catalyst. Subsequent manipulations of the products harness the latent reactivity of both the amide and thioether functionality.
Internet privacy, technology, and personal information

Computer programs are used to obtain and store information about the online activities of users of the web. Many people are concerned about this practice because they believe that it can violate users' rights to privacy or result in violations of them. This belief is based on the assumption that the information obtained and stored with the use of the programs includes personal information. My main aim in this paper is to argue that this assumption is false. I discuss the import of this result for computer ethics. If my thesis is correct, using the programs cannot violate a person's right to privacy and cannot result in violations of a right to privacy. Nevertheless it is prima facie morally wrong because, as I explain, it encourages people to perform actions that diminish the well-being of others. I discuss the implications of my thesis for the obligations of online businesses with regard to the relevant information.
Invisible axion search methods

Originally hypothesized to explain the absence of $C\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}P$ violation in the strong interactions, the axion has emerged as a candidate constituent of dark matter. This review guides the reader through the search methods for the QCD axion as well as for new kinds of particles with axionlike properties. For each case, the physics of the method, the signatures, and the background are discussed in depth. A must-have addition to the quiver of axion hunters.
PCN-222 Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles with Tunable Pore Size for Nanocomposite Reverse Osmosis Membranes

Nanorods of PCN-222, a large-pore, zirconium-based porphyrinic metal-organic framework (MOF), have been prepared through coordination modulation-controlled crystal growth through competing monodentate ligands known as modulators-for incorporation into reverse osmosis thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. Postsynthetic modification of the MOF node through binding of myristic acid (MA) altered channel dimensions and pore size distribution. The extent of MOF modification was characterized through Brunauer-Emmett-Teller gas sorption and 1H NMR following digestion of the particles. TFN membranes containing PCN-222 nanoparticles modified with varying levels of MA were fabricated via dispersion in the aqueous phase during interfacial polymerization, and the resulting flux and rejection performance of each membrane were evaluated. Increased water flux was observed with increasing MA content in the PCN-222 nanorods. Up to 95% increase in water flux was observed for a TFN containing 0.01 wt % loading of PCN-222 nanorods with a 10:1 MA to linker ratio, while maintaining high salt rejection. The flux change was attributed to tunable water transport through the nanorod pore structure and also through rapid water transport pathways at the nanorod-polymer interface.
Automated Five-Color Multiplex Co-detection of MicroRNA and Protein Expression in Fixed Tissue Specimens

microRNAs are an important class of noncoding regulatory RNAs with functional roles in development, physiology, and disease. Visualization of microRNA expression at a single-cell level has contributed to a better understanding of their biological function in animal models and their etiological contribution to human diseases. In addition, several microRNAs have been highlighted as potential biomarkers carrying diagnostic and prognostic information. Co-detection of microRNA expression with that of cell-type-specific proteins can enhance the interpretative power of expression changes during development or altered expression in pathological conditions. Here, we describe an automated fluorescence-based five-color multiplex assay for co-detection of microRNA (e.g., miR-10b, miR-21, miR-205), noncoding RNA (e.g., snRNA U6, 18S rRNA), and protein expression (e.g., cytokeratin 19, vimentin, collagen I) in paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed tissue slides on a Leica Bond Rx staining station. While this protocol uses mainly mouse tissues to demonstrate multiplex detection, it can be generally applied to single-cell expression analysis of other animal models and clinical specimens.
Assessing Domestic Change and Continuity in North Korea

To what extent is change taking place within North Korea? Have market forces altered the relationship between state and society? How might the flow of information from the outside world challenge t...
The Mexican Day of the Dead and Celtic Halloween on the Borderlands

This chapter tracks how Halloween and Day of the Dead have increasingly entangled across the US/Mexican Borderlands throughout the 2010s. It then reviews the scholarly disputes over whether these two holidays enjoy genuinely pre-colonial indigenous origins or strictly Medieval European ones; yet though the two camps may disagree vociferously, they nevertheless both still conclude that these holidays engage in anti-colonial resistances, since they belie the erasure of native peoples. Then, by means of Octavio Paz’s The Labyrinth of Solitude, this discussion pivots to an examination of how the dead resist colonialism in literature; of necessity, this argument also draws upon (and critiques) Bakhtin’s theory of the Carnivalesque as it can be applied to both holidays.
Sleep and the Gut Microbiome in Psoriasis: Clinical Implications for Disease Progression and the Development of Cardiometabolic Comorbidities:

Background:Sleep dysfunction and sleep disorders are important comorbidities of psoriasis. Not only do these sleep comorbidities contribute to reduced quality of life, but they may also lead to wor...
Modular synthesis of streptogramin antibiotics

Streptogramins are antibiotics produced by several species of Streptomyces bacteria that are used in both human and veterinary medicine. Group A streptogramins comprise 23-membered macrocyclic polyketide/nonribosomal peptide hybrids for which several innovative fully synthetic routes have been developed. Herein we describe in detail our scalable routes to natural Group A streptogramins and we compare these routes to other reported syntheses.
Paraquat Inhalation, a Translationally Relevant Route of Exposure: Disposition to the Brain and Male-Specific Olfactory Impairment in Mice.

Epidemiological and experimental studies have associated oral and systemic exposures to the herbicide paraquat (PQ) with Parkinson's disease. Despite recognition that airborne particles and solutes can be directly translocated to the brain via olfactory neurons, the potential for inhaled PQ to cause olfactory impairment has not been investigated. This study sought to determine if prolonged low-dose inhalation exposure to PQ would lead to disposition to the brain and olfactory impairment, a prodromal feature of Parkinson's disease. Adult male and female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to PQ aerosols in a whole-body inhalation chamber for 4 h/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Subsets of mice were sacrificed during and after exposure and PQ concentrations in various brain regions (olfactory bulb, striatum, midbrain, and cerebellum) lung, and kidney were quantified via mass spectrometry. Alterations in olfaction were examined using an olfactory discrimination paradigm. PQ inhalation resulted in an appreciable burden in all examined brain regions, with the highest burden observed in the olfactory bulb, consistent with nasal olfactory uptake. PQ was also detected in the lung and kidney, yet PQ levels in all tissues returned to control values within 4 weeks post exposure. PQ inhalation caused persistent male-specific deficits in olfactory discrimination. No effects were observed in females. These data support the importance of route of exposure in determination of safety estimates for neurotoxic pesticides, such as PQ. Accurate estimation of the relationship between exposure and internal dose is critical for risk assessment and public health protection.
Mapping urban land use by combining multi-source social sensing data and remote sensing images

Knowledge of detailed urban land-use patterns is essential in urban management, economic analysis, and policy-making aimed at sustainable urban development. To extract this information, previous studies relied on either the physical features extracted from remote sensing images or human activity patterns analyzed from social sensing data, but seldom on both of them. In this study, we proposed a framework to map the land-use patterns of New York City by combining multiple-source social sensing data and remote sensing images. We started by generating urban land use parcels using the transportation network from the Open street map and grouping them into built-up and non-built-up categories. Then, the random forest method was applied to classify built-up parcels and the National Land Cover Data was used to determine the land use type for non-built-up parcels. Results indicate that a satisfying overall testing accuracy with 77.31% was achieved for the level I classification (residential, commercial, and institutional regions) and 66.53% for level II classification (house, apartment, public service, transportation, office building, health service, education, and retails). Among the Level II classes, the residential land use has achieved the highest accuracy in built-up parcels with the user’s accuracy at 74.19% and producer’s accuracy at 80.99%. In addition, the classified map indicates that most commercial areas are concentrated in the Manhattan, residential land uses are distributed in the boroughs of Staten Island, Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, and institutional areas are evenly distributed in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. The classified land use and functional information could further be used in other studies, such as urban planning and urban building energy use modeling.
Machine Learning for Light Sensor Calibration.

Sunlight incident on the Earth’s atmosphere is essential for life, and it is the driving force of a host of photo-chemical and environmental processes, such as the radiative heating of the atmosphere. We report the description and application of a physical methodology relative to how an ensemble of very low-cost sensors (with a total cost of 0.99. Both the circuits used and the code have been made publicly available. By accurately calibrating the low-cost sensors, we are able to distribute a large number of low-cost sensors in a neighborhood scale area. It provides unprecedented spatial and temporal insights into the micro-scale variability of the wavelength resolved irradiance, which is relevant for air quality, environmental and agronomy applications.
Environmental influences on sex ratio and spatial distribution of dioecious Morella cerifera L. on a Virginia barrier island.

ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON SEX RATIO AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF DIOECIOUS MORELLA CERIFERA L. ON A VIRGINIA BARRIER ISLAND. By Molly Margaret Hokkanen, B.S. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Advisor: Donald R. Young, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Biology For dioecious plant species, sex ratios within a population depend on multiple environmental and life history characteristics. Sex ratio is an indicator of population health and can be a predictor for genetic bottlenecking. My study established the previously unknown sex ratio for the shrub, Morella cerifera, on a Virginia barrier island. The ratio was compared with multiple environmental and reproductive traits to determine their potential influence on sex determination and/or distribution of male and female plants. Multivariate analyses were used to identify relationships between sex, sex ratio and environmental drivers. The sex ratio for M. cerifera changed depending on scale. The entire island ratio did not vary significantly from 50:50, based on a Chi-squared analysis. Different spatial scales resulted in different and more variable sex ratios. The environmental variables measured did not suggest any relationships with sex or sex ratio. Future studies with a focus at multiple spatial scales may elucidate the connection between environment and sex ratios for M. cerifera.
WE-D-204-06: An Open Source ImageJ CatPhan Analysis Tool

Purpose: The CatPhan is a popular QA device for assessing CT image quality. There are a number of software options which perform analysis of the CatPhan. However, there is often little ability for the user to adjust the analysis if it isn't running properly, and these are all expensive options. An open source tool is an effective solution. Methods: To use the software, the user imports the CT as an image sequence in ImageJ. The user then scrolls to the slice with the lateral dots. The user then runs the plugin. If tolerance constraints are not already created, the user is prompted to enter them or to use generic tolerances. Upon completion of the analysis, the plugin calls pdfLaTex to compile the pdf report. There is a csv version of the report as well. A log of the results from all CatPhan scans is kept as a csv file. The user can use this to baseline the machine. Results: The tool is capable of detecting the orientation of the phantom. If the CatPhan was scanned backwards, one can simply flip the stack of images horizontally and proceed with the analysis. The analysis includes Sensitometry (estimating the effective beam energy), HU values and linearity, Low Contrast Visibility (using LDPE & Polystyrene), Contrast Scale, Geometric Accuracy, Slice Thickness Accuracy, Spatial resolution (giving the MTF using the line pairs as well as the point spread function), CNR, Low Contrast Detectability (including the raw data), Uniformity (including the Cupping Effect). Conclusion: This is a robust tool that analyzes more components of the CatPhan than other software options (with the exception of ImageOwl). It produces an elegant pdf and keeps a log of analyses for long-term tracking of the system. Because it is open source, users are able to customize any component of it.
Addressing ethnic change in the Northern Gulf of Mexico seafood industry.

Language and cultural barriers have prevented Extension from effectively engaging Vietnamese-Americans within the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry. A partnership formed with other agencies facing similar problems that allows for hiring appropriate staff seems to be a good solution. Experience has shown what works and what doesn't when engaging this particular constituency. The Workforce Changes Like many other Sea Grant Extension programs throughout the United States, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Extension supports the marine fisheries industry through education and outreach activities, as part of a broader overall effort in coastal and marine-related programming. The influx of many new Asian workers, primarily Vietnamese, into the northern Gulf of Mexico commercial fishing and seafood processing industries has required tactical change to more effectively reach these new constituents. In most instances, Asians have adapted quite well to working in the seafood industry. However, many of them do not speak or understand English well, which poses a communication problem, particularly in respect to compliance with regulations. In our experience, Asians are very cooperative among themselves in sharing their labor and finances, but they are also closed to non-Asian outsiders with whom they are not familiar. This is particularly relevant to outsiders who are perceived to be associated with government agencies. The percentage of Asians employed in this sector of the coast economy has been increasing steadily since the mid-1970's. This is particularly true in Mississippi and Alabama, where "coastal villages" of Asian ethnicity have developed within the cities of Biloxi, Mississippi and Bayou La Batre, Alabama. According to the latest census figures, 6,646 Vietnamese-Americans reside in the five coastal counties of Alabama and Mississippi. Of these, 2,871 reside in Harrison County, Mississippi and 2,304 reside in Mobile County, Alabama (U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000). About half of the Vietnamese-Americans in Mississippi live in Biloxi. A study of the community done in the late 1990's showed that an estimated 90% were Catholic, and 90% worked in the seafood industry (Peterson, 1999). This percentage has diminished somewhat due to transition of Vietnamese-Americans into other occupations and an increasing Hispanic labor pool, but the Northern Gulf seafood industry is still predominantly Asian in composition. Addressing Ethnic Change in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Seafood Industry 10/26/09 08:08:27
Effects of lyophilization on the physical characteristics and chemical stability of amorphous quinapril hydrochloride.

Purpose. To prepare amorphous quinapril hydrochloride(QHCl) by lyophilization and to compare its physical characteristics andchemical stability as a function of the initial pH of the pre-lyophilizedsolution.
Affinity Purification of Proteins Binding to GST Fusion Proteins

This unit describes the use of proteins fused to glutathione-S-transferase (GST fusion proteins) to affinity purify other proteins, a technique also known as GST pulldown purification. The describes a strategy in which a GST fusion protein is bound to agarose affinity beads and the complex is then used to assay the binding of a specific test protein that has been labeled with [35S]methionine by in vitro translation. However, this method can be adapted for use with other types of fusion proteins; for example, His6, biotin tags, or maltose-binding protein fusions (MBP), and these may offer particular advantages. A describes preparation of an E. coli extract that is added to the reaction mixture with purified test protein to reduce nonspecific binding.
The Kinect: a low‐cost, high‐resolution, short‐range 3D camera

We present a novel application of the Kinect™, an input device designed for the Microsoft® Xbox 360® video game system. The device can be used by Earth scientists as a low-cost, high-resolution, short-range 3D/4D camera imaging system producing data similar to a terrestrial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor. The Kinect contains a structured light emitter, an infrared camera (the combination of these two produce a distance image), a visual wavelength camera, a three-axis accelerometer, and four microphones. The cost is ~ US $100, frame rate is 30 Hz, spatial and depth resolutions are mm to cm depending on range, and the optimal operating range is 0.5 to ~5 m. The resolution of the distance measurements decreases with distance and is ≤1 mm at 0.5 m and ~75 mm at 5 m. We illustrate data collection and basic data analysis routines in three experiments designed to demonstrate the breadth and utility of this new sensor in domains of glaciology, stream bathymetry, and geomorphology, although the device is applicable to a number of other Earth science fields. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The “Zoo” of Super-Soft X-Ray Sources

The definition of super-soft X-ray sources (SUSO’s) appears with slightly different versions in the literature; it generally indicates black-body like emitters at temperatures kT<100 eV (usually 20–40 eV) and at very high luminosities, ≳1036 ergs s-1 and often ≃ 1038 ergs s-1 (Eddington luminosity for a IM ⊙ star). These stars are therefore among the hottest in the universe. As Table 1 shows, the X-ray flux was observed to be variable in five sources, on different time scales (days to years). Therefore the sources might fall below the detection threshold of the present instruments and be hidden for part of their life. The X-ray fluxes are still not well determined because fitting a black body instead of realistic and complex atmospheric model the flux is usually overestimated.
The Sociology of Large-Scale Organizations

Emerging Organizational Forms: The Proliferation of Regional Intergovernmental Organizations in the Modern World System.By James Hawdon
Plastic deformation of nylon 6 single crystals and thin membranes

The deformation of single crystals shows two preferential directions for crack formation at 60° to each other. The cracks open very little on crystals lying directly on the Mylar substrate and substantially more on the higher layers of a multilayer crystal. The primary crack direction is parallel to the plane of hydrogen bridges. The microfibrils bridging the cracks are too short for a good dark field electron micrograph. Deformed thin membranes occasionally show a lamellar structure. After annealing at 215°C well oriented single crystal blocks belonging to microfibrils can be observed. Die bei der Deformation von Einkristall-Lamellen auftretenden Risse zeigen zwei bevorzugte, unter 60° zueinander stehende Richtungen. Die Risse sind eng bei Kristallen, die unmittelbar auf der Mylar-Unterlage liegen, und wesentlich breiter in den oberen Schichten von Lamellenpaketen. Die primare Richtung der Risse lauft parallel zu der Ebene der Wasserstoffbruckenbindungen. Die Mikrofibrillen, die die Risse uberbrucken, sind zu kurz, um brauchbare Dunkelfeldaufnahmen erhalten zu konnen. Deformierte dunne Filme zeigen gelegentlich eine Lamellar-Struktur. Nach dem Tempern bei 215°C werden gut orientierte Einkristallblocke, die zu den Mikrofibrillen gehoren, beobachtet.