cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The composition of the active intermediate in the transfer of aminoacyl-RNA to ribosomes.

Abstract It was first shown in this laboratory (1,2) that one of the fractions obtained from extracts of Escherichia coli W by chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex catalyzes the GTP-dependent binding of aminoacyl-RNA to E. coli ribosomes in a manner analogous to that previously reported for the rabbit reticulocyte system (3,4). Further investigation (5,6) indicated that this fraction interacts with GTP in the presence of aminoacyl-RNA to form a complex which serves as the active intermediate in the enzymatic transfer of aminoacyl-RNA to E. coli ribosomes. Similar findings have also been reported by other investigators (7–12). Evidence has been obtained recently (13,14) that two protein fractions, differing in heat lability, are required for the formation of a GTP-protein complex and for the GTP-dependent transfer of aminoacyl-RNA to ribosomes. In the present investigation, evidence is presented which demonstrates that the active intermediate for the transfer of aminoacyl-RNA to ribosomes is a complex composed of aminoacyl-RNA, GTP, and the heat labile transfer factor.
Surface Defect Imaging of Semiconductor Wafers, Microelectronics, and Spacecraft Structures

The purpose of this study is to present novel optical imaging techniques, based on all active Muller matrix optical polarimetric principles, for efficient detection, inspection and monitoring of semiconductor and microelectronic components, and spacecraft structure. The experimental results of this study indicate that the polarimetric imaging techniques are highly efficient in detecting defects on semiconductor structures when compared to nonpolarimetric techniques
Calpeptin attenuated inflammation, cell death, and axonal damage in animal model of multiple sclerosis

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model for studying multiple sclerosis (MS). Calpain has been implicated in many inflammatory and neurodegenerative events that lead to disability in EAE and MS. Thus, treating EAE animals with calpain inhibitors may block these events and ameliorate disability. To test this hypothesis, acute EAE Lewis rats were treated dose dependently with the calpain inhibitor calpeptin (50-250 microg/kg). Calpain activity, gliosis, loss of myelin, and axonal damage were attenuated by calpeptin therapy, leading to improved clinical scores. Neuronal and oligodendrocyte death were also decreased, with down-regulation of proapoptotic proteins, suggesting that decreases in cell death were due to decreases in the expression or activity of proapoptotic proteins. These results indicate that calpain inhibition may offer a novel therapeutic avenue for treating EAE and MS.
An EM Algorithm for Blind Hop Timing Estimation of Multiple FH Signals Using an Array System With Bandwidth Mismatch

Hop timing estimation for noncooperative frequency-hopped (FH) signals is an important problem that feeds into the multiple facets of military communications, from interception of noncooperative communications to interference mitigation. If there is a mismatch between the receiver's observation band and the hop bandwidth of the transmitted signals in an FH system, signals appear to hop in and out of the observation frequency band. This causes model-order variations and high-resolution parametric methods that assume fixed model order may fail. Using an antenna array and capitalizing on the data structure of 2-D frequency mixture (space and time), this paper proposes an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm for blind hop timing and frequency estimation with possible bandwidth mismatch. The initialization of the EM algorithm is given by the data spectrogram. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method performs well even at low-to-moderate signal-to-noise ratio with unknown hop sequences.
On the Observation of an Atomic Fluorescence Double-Resonance Excitation Process in an ICP Induced by a Spectral Continuum Source

Double-resonance fluorescence refers to a process in which atoms (or molecules) are excited into the fluorescence state in a stepwise manner with two lasers tuned at appropriate atomic (or molecular) energy levels. The analytical advantage of such excitation processes as compared to that involving only one step (single-resonance fluorecence) lies in its increased spectral selectivity without a significant loss of sensitivity if both excited state transitions are saturated. Several analytical studies performed with tunable lasers in atmospheric-pressure atomizers have been reported in the literature.
C-V characteristics of ion implanted depletion IGFETs and buried channel CCDs

Abstract Capacitance voltage measurements of ion implanted devices for several circuit connections are presented and interpreted in terms of a simple constant profile approximation. Based on this model the device capacitance is described quantitatively in terms of the series combination of a p−n junction capacitance and a conventional MOS capacitance. It is shown that shallow and deep implants reveal characteristically distinctive C-V curves which provide an immediate rough estimate of the implant depth. Analysis of the model yields directly, important parameters for first order design purposes. It is also shown that the measurements provide a simple diagnostic technique to examine the physics of the implanted structure. The use of the simplified model is justified by the agreement between experimental and calculated values.
Clofibrate Inhibition of 11β-Hydroxylation in Bovine Adrenal Cortex Mitochondria

Studies using intact bovine adrenocortical mitochondria reveal that clofibrate (chlorophenoxyisobutyrate, CPIB), a hypolipidemic drug, blocks steroid 11β-hydroxylation supported by malate or succinate without affecting the function of the mitochondrial dehydrogenases or respiratory chain enzymes. In aged mitochondria, permeable to reduced pyridine nucleotides, clofibrate also inhibits NADPH supported 11β-hydroxylation. When clofibrate is added to a suspension of aerobic mitochondria, a characteristic difference spectrum is produced. This spectrum, which is the “mirror image” of that induced by deoxycorticosterone (DOC), has peaks at about 568–70 and 422 mμ, a shoulder at 533–40 mμ and a trough at about 388 mμ. The absolute derivative spectrum of these aerobic mitochondria consists of 4 derivative absorption bands corresponding to those of oxidized cytochrome P-450 with inflection points at 572 and 536 mμ, the steady state level of reduced cytochrome b at 562 mμ, and the combined oxidized cytochromes and P...
A Boundary Integral Approach to Attachment/Spherical Shell Interaction

In pressure vessel applications, the accurate evaluation of the state of stress in the vicinity of nozzles or rigid attachments is of vital importance to the structural integrity of the vessel. Consequently, a number of investigations have paid attention to the problem and, through analytical and numerical approaches, provided information concerning the effect of system parameters, such as shell curvature and attachment geometry, on stress concentration and effective shell stiffness. While analytical solutions have only been able to provide information to axisymmetric problems, finite element approaches have been widely used as an attractive alternative. In evaluating the latter, one can identify the high computational cost that accompanies analyses dealing with complex systems. In this study, the performance of a boundary integral scheme is assessed as a possible analytical and/or numerical tool in dealing with spherical shells interacting with attachments. Such method hopes to achieve a close to analytical solutions representation of the stress state in the vicinity of the attachment that is accompanied by significant reduction in the computational cost. To achieve this, a set of integral equations, which satisfy the edge constraints, are reduced to a system of algebraic equations. These integral equations utilize singular solutions obtained for deepmore » (nonshallow) spherical shells, which in turn are more representative of the shell domain. Explicit comparisons, on the basis of representative shell-attachment interaction problems, between the finite element and boundary integral computational techniques are conducted in order to assess the performance and efficiency of the new method. Finally, shell stiffnesses in the form of insert translations and rotations are presented in dimensionless form.« less
Non-Michaelis-Menten kinetics in cytochrome P450-catalyzed reactions.

▪ Abstract The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) are the dominant enzyme system responsible for xenobiotic detoxification and drug metabolism. Several CYP isoforms exhibit non-Michaelis-Menten, or “atypical,” steady state kinetic patterns. The allosteric kinetics confound prediction of drug metabolism and drug-drug interactions, and they challenge the theoretical paradigms of allosterism. Both homotropic and heterotropic ligand effects are now widely documented. It is becoming apparent that multiple ligands can simultaneously bind within the active sites of individual CYPs, and the kinetic parameters change with ligand occupancy. In fact, the functional effect of any specific ligand as an activator or inhibitor can be substrate dependent. Divergent approaches, including kinetic modeling and X-ray crystallography, are providing new information about how multiple ligand binding yields complex CYP kinetics.
Classification-based reasoning

A representation formalism for N-ary relations, quantification, and definition of concepts is described. Three types of conditions are associated with the concepts: (1) necessary and sufficient properties, (2) contingent properties, and (3) necessary properties. Also explained is how complex chains of inferences can be accomplished by representing existentially quantified sentences, and concepts denoted by restrictive relative clauses as classification hierarchies. The representation structures that make possible the inferences are explained first, followed by the reasoning algorithms that draw the inferences from the knowledge structures. All the ideas explained have been implemented and are part of the information retrieval component of a program called Snowy. An appendix contains a brief session with the program. >
Two Tales (Tails) of SAMHD1 Destruction by Vpx

The lentivirus protein Vpx/Vpr recognizes the host restriction factor SAMHD1 at either its N- or C-terminal tail and targets it for destruction by the cellular protein degradation machinery. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Schwefel et al. (2015) report the structural basis of SAMHD1 N-terminal targeting by Vpx.
Sustaining the peace after ethnic civil wars

We explore factors that influence the duration of peace after an ethnic civil war. Results from a series of survival models indicate that political and economic discrimination against the ethnic group that was involved in the war on the opposition side diminishes chances for peace. This finding is robust across different model specifications. Group size, group concentration, war duration and war outcome also influence the risk of war recurrence, although these results are not as robust as those for ethnic discrimination. The intensity of the war and its humanitarian consequences—deaths, displacement, and genocide—do not seem significantly to influence the duration of post-war peace. Taken together, our findings show that the way ethnic groups interact with each other after a war is a more important factor than the level of violence during the war. Peace and ethnic co-existence are possible in the aftermath of ethnic conflicts.
Nitric Oxide Inhibits Rhinovirus-Induced Cytokine Production and Viral Replication in a Human Respiratory Epithelial Cell Line

To better understand the early biochemical events that occur in human rhinovirus (HRV) infections, we examined the kinetics and mechanisms of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-6 production from infected epithelial cells. Several HRV strains caused IL-8 and IL-6 production, but HRV-16 induced maximal IL-8 and IL-6 mRNA expression and protein production more rapidly than did HRV-14, despite similar rates of replication of the two viral strains. Viral induction of cytokine mRNA does not require new protein synthesis, since it was unaffected by cycloheximide treatment. The potent glucocorticoid budesonide did not affect viral replication or cytokine mRNA induction but modestly inhibited cytokine protein production. Interestingly, the nitric oxide donor 3-(2-hydroxy-2-nitroso-1-propylhydrazino)-1-propanamine (NONOate) inhibited both rhinovirus replication and cytokine production in a dose-dependent fashion without reducing levels of cytokine mRNA. The NONOate effects were due to release of nitric oxide, because NONOate that had been depleted of its nitric oxide content had no effect. Thus, nitric oxide may play an important anti-inflammatory and antiviral role in colds and nitric oxide donors may represent a novel therapeutic approach.
Palladium(II)-catalyzed dicarboxymethylation of chiral allylic alcohols: chirality transfer affording optically active diesters containing three contiguous chiral centers

This manuscript describes the extension of Stille’s palladium-catalyzed olefin dicarbonylation reaction to chiral allylic alcohols with chirality transfer to afford the corresponding chiral alcohol functionalized with bis-carbomethoxy esters, containing three contiguous chiral centers, in good to excellent diastereoselectivities (78–98%).
Hypercortisolemia decreases dexamethasone half-life in rabbit

The pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone have been found to be related to endogenous hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Lower plasma dexamethasone levels in psychiatric patients (especially depressed) who are dexamethasone suppression test (DST) nonsuppressors have previously been reported. Since DST nonsuppression is one measure of HPA axis hyperactivity and is usually associated with relatively increased plasma cortisol levels and lower post dose plasma dexamethasone levels, we hypothesized that hypercortisolemia can induce a more rapid disappearance of dexamethasone from plasma. We therefore studied the kinetics of dexamethasone in rabbits before and after a period of sustained hypercortisolemia produced by administration of IM hydrocortisone acetate, a slowly absorbed salt of cortisol. Mean dexamethasone half-life decreased significantly from baseline of 1.92 h on day zero in seven rabbits to 1.17 h on experimental day 17 of induced hypercortisolemia (P<0.001), while there was no significant change in saline treated controls (n=3). Dexamethasone half-life had returned to the baseline levels when retested 88 days later on experimental day 105. The results indicate that pronounced hypercortisolemia decreases dexamethasone half-life in rabbits, and support the concept that increased circulating cortisol levels induce hepatic enzymes that metabolize dexamethasone. Thus, the lower postdexamethasone plasma dexamethasone levels and decreased dexamethasone half-life in DST nonsuppressors may in part reflect the effect of prior or coincident hypercortisolemia.
Interaction of hydrogen chloride with ice surfaces: the effects of grain size, surface roughness, and surface disorder.

Characterization of the interaction of hydrogen chloride (HCl) with polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) ice particles is essential to understanding the processes responsible for ozone depletion. The interaction of HCl with ice was studied using a coated-wall flow tube with chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) between 5 10 -8 and 10 -4 Torr HCl and between 186 and 223 K, including conditions recently shown to induce quasiliquid layer (QLL) formation on single crystalline ice samples. Measurements were performed on smooth and rough (vapor-deposited) polycrystalline ice films. A numerical model of the coated-wall flow reactor was used to interpret these results and results of studies on zone-refined ice cylinders with grain sizes on the order of several millimeters (reported elsewhere). We found that HCl adsorption on polycrystalline ice films typically used in laboratory studies under conditions not known to induce surface disordering consists of two modes: one relatively strong mode leading to irreversible adsorption, and one relatively weak binding mode leading to reversible adsorption. We have indirect experimental evidence that these two modes of adsorption correspond to adsorption to sites at crystal faces and those at grain boundaries, but there is not enough information to enable us to conclusively assign each adsorption mode to a type of site. Unlike what was observed in the zone-refined ice study, there was no strong qualitative contrast found between the HCl uptake curves under QLL versus non-QLL conditions for adsorption on smooth and vapor-deposited ices. We also found indirect evidence that HCl hexahydrate formation on ice between 3 10 -7 and 2 10 -6 Torr HCl and between 186 and 190 K is a process involving hydrate nucleation and propagation on the crystal surface, rather than one originating in grain boundaries, as has been suggested for ice formed at lower temperatures. These results underscore the dependence of the HCl-ice interaction on the characteristics of the ice substrate.
Sources of uncertainty in the extreme value statistics of climate data

We investigate three sources of uncertainty in the calculation of extreme value statistics for observed and modeled climate data. Inter-model differences in formulation, unforced internal variability and choice of statistical model all contribute to uncertainty. Using fits to the GEV distribution to obtain 20 year return values, we quantify these uncertainties for the annual maximum daily mean surface air temperatures of pre-industrial control runs from 15 climate models in the CMIP3 dataset.
Spontaneous emission and gain in GaAlAs quantum well lasers

Measurements of spontaneous emission from GaAlAs single quantum well lasers over a wide range of carrier densities are discussed. From these measurements, the optical gain, refractive index, and linewidth enhancement factor are determined, all of which contribute to the overall performance of a semiconductor laser. In addition, a simple model which adequately describes the important features in the spontaneous emission (and therefore the gain) data is presented. With this model, quantitative information about the carrier density-dependent bandgap shrinkage, lifetime broadening, and the shape of the broadening functions is obtained. >
An industry view of industry/academic research collaboration

Society benefits from collaboration of industry and centers of higher education. Collaboration is now taking place on a global scale. Fundamental advancements in a wide variety of areas benefit from partnership with industry leaders. Industry brings a deep understanding of market problems and a means to commercialize discovery. Academia provides deep technical knowledge and novel approaches (often cross-discipline) to problem-solving. Globalization - both global commerce as well as global access to ideas - enables new solutions to problems to be generated and validated more quickly. A review of the framework and best practices and some historical insights are presented to build the case for industry&#60;>academic collaboration at a personal level and with a focus on solving problems that benefit both parties. Examples are used to highlight this approach.
Compromised emotional competence: Seeds of violence sown early?

The authors expected less secure preschoolers to be less emotionally competent when interacting with peers at age 3 and that these emotionally incompetent children, especially those who showed much unregulated anger, would be less socially competent in kindergarten. These directional hypotheses were examined in a sample of 91 preschoolers, and all were corroborated.
Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species: Implications for cardiovascular device engineering

The development of medical devices for cardiovascular applications has suffered due to lack of understanding of why vascular wall cells act nonphysiologically when exposed to biomaterials. One possible reason might be the chemical environment associated with cardiovascular disease. An improved understanding of cellular and subcellular mechanisms may assist in future device design to account for the disease environment. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) are produced through normal cellular metabolism and are rendered harmless by enzymatic systems. However, during a disease process, these systems may act aberrantly, and either fail to convert ROS and RNS to harmless substances or by producing more oxidants. There is indirect evidence that the implantation of biomedical materials may also be responsible for the triggering of these aberrant pathways that may lead to the eventual failure of the device. The understanding of how the vascular environment may be changed at the subcellular level by the presence of a biomaterial is critical. In the following pages, we hope to review the current thinking within vascular biology regarding ROS and RNS, how they are measured, and how they may impact vascular cells.
POLLEN LIMITS SEED SET IN SMALL POPULATIONS OF FERAL MISCANTHUS SINENSIS, AN ORNAMENTAL GRASS WITH INVASIVE POTENTIAL

First place in Environmental and Plant Sciences Category in CFAES Undergraduate Research Forum
Imaging nuclear spins weakly coupled to a probe paramagnetic center

Optically detected paramagnetic centers in wide-band-gap semiconductors are emerging as a promising platform for nanoscale metrology at room temperature. Of particular interest are applications where the center is used as a probe to interrogate other spins that cannot be observed directly. Using the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond as a model system, we propose a strategy to determine the spatial coordinates of weakly coupled nuclear spins. The central idea is to label the target nucleus with a spin polarization that depends on its spatial location, which is subsequently revealed by making this polarization flow back to the NV for readout. Using extensive analytical and numerical modeling, we show that the technique can attain high spatial resolution depending on the NV lifetime and target spin location. No external magnetic field gradient is required, which circumvents complications resulting from changes in the direction of the applied magnetic field, and considerably simplifies the required instrumentation. Extensions of the present technique may be adapted to pinpoint the locations of other paramagnetic centers in the NV vicinity or to yield information on dynamical processes in molecules on the diamond surface.
Pressure influences on air-licking behavior of rats

In an effort to resolve a paradox posed by conflicting speculations about pressure influences on air-licking, two experiments examined this performance in thirsty rats as a consequence of manipulation of the pressure of a delivered air stream. The first experiment concurrently measured rates of both tube-contacting and initiation of access to air when four different pressures were available. The second experiment paired each of the pressures to provide direct comparisons of their capacity to influence the two dependent measures. In both experiments, tube-contacting performances yielded an inverted U-shaped function indicative of aversive influences at very high pressures, while measures of initiating access to the stream showed incremental responding to an asymptote at pressures of 350 g/cm2 and above. It was concluded that the consequences of airstream pressure manipulation may be specific to the dependent measure used to define air-licking.
Management of the Meconium-Stained Newborn

For infants with meconium-stained amniotic fluid, management has significantly changed over time. The goal of preventing meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) and its complications led to the initial recommendations in the 1970s and 1980s based on biologic plausibility and nonrandomized studies. The incidence of MAS and mortality related to MAS has progressively declined since the 1970s, most likely because of obstetric practices that have decreased the incidence of birth beyond 41 weeks’ gestation. As the body of evidence evolved, these interventions were abandoned. The latest recommendations for management of MAS are based on multiple large randomized trials and are reflected in the 2015 American Heart Association guidelines.
Economic Framework for Analyzing Liability Rules

Liability rules have significant economic consequences for the party to whom the rule applies, to the injured parties, and to society as a whole. For this reason, the development of liability rules, particularly to determine economically efficient ones, requires that these economic consequences be taken into consideration in addition to any other social goals desired by government regulation.
Longitudinal associations of hypersomnolence and depression in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study.

Abstract Background Hypersomnolence is common in depression, however longitudinal associations of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), long habitual sleep duration, and objective sleep propensity with depressive symptomatology are not well established. Methods Data from adults participating in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study who had multiple assessments at 4-year intervals were utilized in analyses. Conditional (intrasubject) logistic regression estimated the likelihood of development of depression and three primary hypersomnolence measures: subjective EDS [Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) >10], habitual sleep duration ≥9 h/day, and increased physiological sleep propensity [multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) mean sleep latency Results After adjusting for all covariates, the odds for development of depression were significantly increased 1.67-fold (95% CI 1.02–2.73, p=0.04) in participants who also developed subjective EDS. However, development of increased physiological sleep propensity on the MSLT was associated with a trend towards reduced odds for development of depression (odds ratio 0.50, 95% CI 0.24–1.06, p=0.07). No significant longitudinal association between excessive sleep duration and depression was observed. Limitations Depression was not verified by psychiatric interview and an objective measure of sleep duration was not utilized. Conclusions Our results demonstrate a significant longitudinal association between increased subjective EDS and depression. However, increased physiological sleep propensity on the MSLT was paradoxically marginally protective against the development of depression. Further research is indicated to determine the mechanism underling divergent effects of various aspects of hypersomnolence on the course of mood disorders.
Remote sensing of solar induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence from satellites, airplanes and ground-based stations

With the advent of existing high resolution spectrometers in space (GOSAT, GOME-2, OCO-2), global observations of solar induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) became feasible for the first time. The potential of SIF is to provide an independent and more direct proxy for photosynthetic activity and, depending on retrieval methodology, be less susceptible to atmospheric scattering. Empirically, strong linear correlations between SIF and gross primary production (GPP) have been shown in several studies, albeit with somewhat different slopes per biome type. Here, we show the first full year of data acquired by the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2, which provides unprecendendet spatial resolution (1.3·2.3 km), data volume (more than 1 million measurements per day) and signal-to-noise ratios (>500). In addition, we show the first direct validation of space-based OCO-2 SIF measurements using the newly built Chlorophyll Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer (CFIS), an imaging spectrometer optimized for SIF retrievals and OCO-2 validation. To conclude, we will present a new ground-based measurement system developed by UCLA for long term observations of SIF at ground-based stations.
Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory and integrable systems

Abstract The Coulomb branch of N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions is described in general by an integrable Hamiltonian system in the holomorphic sense. A natural construction of such systems comes from two-dimensional gauge theory and spectral curves. Starting from this point of view, we propose an integrable system relevant to the N = 2 SU(n) gauge theory with a hypermultiplet in the adjoint representation, and offer much evidence that it is correct. The model has an SL(2, Z ) S-duality group (with the central element −1 of SL(2, Z ) acting as charge conjugation); SL(2, Z ) permutes the Higgs, confining, and oblique confining phases in the expected fashion. We also study more exotic phases.
Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and Interventions, edited by S. Ahmed and M. M. Amer

Cultural competence is a central ethical concern of the social work field. According to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, “social workers should understand culture and its ...
Identification of cellular factors involved in the apoptotic response of tumor cells to HDAC inhibitors.

2446 Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors induce a reversible growth arrest in primary cells while causing most transformed cell lines to undergo apoptosis. This property has made this class of drugs attractive candidates as chemotherapeutic agents for cancer. HDAC inhibitors suppress the deacetylase activity of class I and II HDACs (HDACs 1-11), induce histone hyperacetylation and modulate gene transcription through chromatin remodeling, leading to the activation of genes involved in cell growth and survival. The most dramatic consequence of HDAC inhibition is seen at the G2/M checkpoint where the acetylation status of the histone proteins is essential in determining whether mitosis proceeds. Tumor cells fail to arrest at G2/M in response to HDAC inhibitors and the resultant aberrant mitosis could represent the trigger for apoptosis. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underpinning the induction of apoptosis by HDAC inhibitors in tumor cells has not been elucidated. In order to identify cellular targets that contribute to the ability of HDAC inhibitors to induce apoptosis, we used a retroviral gene trap vector to mutagenize the HCT116 cell line, a colon cancer cell line that is highly sensitive to HDAC inhibitors in terms of apoptosis. The mutagenized HCT116 population was treated with trichostatin A (TSA), an HDAC inhibitor, at concentrations that normally kill wild-type HCT116 cells. Resistant clonal cell lines were obtained that are 5 to 100-fold more resistant to TSA than the parental cell line. While several clones are uniquely resistant to TSA, several clones show cross-resistance to other apoptosis inducing agents such as camptothecin, staurosporin and doxorubicin, indicating that the molecular mechanism triggered by these drugs might intersect. We are currently cloning the site of integration of the mutagenic retrovirus in our resistant cell lines to identify the genes that, when disrupted, lead to TSA resistance. This unique approach will allow us to identify cellular genes that are involved in the apoptotic response of tumor cells to HDAC inhibitors. The identification of such genes could also prove helpful in predicting which tumor types will be sensitive to treatment with HDAC inhibitors.
Abstract 12626: Co-Injection of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells With Shear Thinning Hydrogel Enhances Survival and Angiogenesis in a Murine Model of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Introduction: Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (iPSC-ECs) are a promising cell source for enhancing blood perfusion for treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). ...
Pharaoh ant colonies dynamically regulate colony demography by culling young queen and male-destined larvae

The success of social insect colonies is dependent upon efficient and dynamic allocation of resources to alternate queen and worker castes. The developmental and molecular mechanisms regulating the caste fate of individual larvae in response to environmental cues have been the focus of intense study. However, the mechanisms regulating colony-level resource allocation into alternate castes (i.e. caste allocation ratios) are less well studied. Here, we systematically manipulate colony demography to elucidate the social regulatory mechanisms of caste allocation in the ant Monomorium pharaonis. We find that differences in caste allocation result from differences in timing and efficiency of culling of very young reproductive-destined larvae, which are always present in colonies. Based on our results, we develop a conceptual model depicting how colonies integrate numerous individual-level caste determination decisions to regulate colony-level caste allocation. We propose that adult workers make decisions about culling larvae based on the ratio of the number of workers to the number of eggs contained in colonies, likely signalled by pheromone present on eggs. This strategy is a bet-hedging strategy which enables the dynamic alteration of colony demography in response to internal and external conditions. The strategy is likely key to the ability of M. pharaonis and similar ants to thrive in disturbed habitats and to become widespread invasive species.
Repurposing of the anti-malaria drug chloroquine for Zika Virus treatment and prophylaxis

One of the major challenges of the current Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic is to prevent congenital foetal abnormalities, including microcephaly, following ZIKV infection of pregnant women. Given the urgent need for ZIKV prophylaxis and treatment, repurposing of approved drugs appears to be a viable and immediate solution. We demonstrate that the common anti-malaria drug chloroquine (CQ) extends the lifespan of ZIKV-infected interferon signalling-deficient AG129 mice. However, the severity of ZIKV infection in these mice precludes the study of foetal (vertical) viral transmission. Here, we show that interferon signalling-competent SJL mice support chronic ZIKV infection. Infected dams and sires are both able to transmit ZIKV to the offspring, making this an ideal model for in vivo validation of compounds shown to suppress ZIKV in cell culture. Administration of CQ to ZIKV-infected pregnant SJL mice during mid-late gestation significantly attenuated vertical transmission, reducing the ZIKV load in the foetal brain more than 20-fold. Given the limited side effects of CQ, its lack of contraindications in pregnant women, and its worldwide availability and low cost, we suggest that CQ could be considered for the treatment and prophylaxis of ZIKV.
Is There a Role for Hysteroscopic Endometrial Ablation in Modern Gynecology

Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common gynecologic complaint. Management of patients with HMB could represent a challenge for the provider and the patient suffering from this condition. Endometrial ablation offers a minimally invasive, easy to perform surgical modality for the treatment of HMB. Adequate patient selection is essential to ensure a high efficacy and patient satisfaction. Both resectoscopic and non-resectoscopic global endometrial ablation modalities are accepted options for the current management of patients with HMB.
Efficient time-domain deconvolution of seismic ground motions using the equivalent-linear method for soil-structure interaction analyses

Abstract Deconvolution is the process that evaluates the seismic motion at depth of a soil profile, which can then be used as input excitation in soil-structure interaction (SSI) analyses. Clearly, the reliability of the SSI analysis depends on the precision of the derived deconvolved motions at depth. In this paper, the phase-amplitude modification procedure is presented to deconvolve both horizontal and vertical target (design) surface ground motions in multi-layered, equivalent-linear viscoelastic media for use in finite element time-domain structural analyses. The aim is to determine the seismic motions at the appropriate depth in the soil profile by modifying the target surface ground motions based on the mathematical model of the system, which is assessed by analyzing input-output data. The nonlinear behavior of the soil layers is approximated by employing the equivalent soil properties in the finite element model. The exact solution of vertical wave propagation, obtained with the SHAKE software, is used as a guide to obtain the equivalent properties of the soil layers, and evaluate the damping ratios. The procedure is validated using a multi-layered soil profile. The numerical results demonstrate that the convolved surface ground motions from the finite element analysis and the target ones are in almost perfect agreement, indicating that the approach can be used for reliable SSI evaluation in finite element time-domain analyses. Furthermore, the results indicate that the use of the deconvolved base motions resulting from SHAKE and applied directly in the finite element time-domain analysis may result in considerable error. In addition, the examination of different models of Rayleigh damping suggested that the optimized Rayleigh damping can decrease the frequency-dependency of the damping at high frequencies, which is more compatible with the frequency-independent behavior of soils, as verified experimentally by several researchers.
Block Copolymers as Adhesives

Block copolymers form a new class of molecular composite materials by the phase separation of incompatible hard and soft segments which form their macro-molecular structure. Thermoplastic elastomers where the soft segments form the continuous phase have been extensively investigated by means of an adsorption-interdiffusion (A-I) model for the interfacial phase which bonds the hard and soft phases. The molecular structure and rheological activity of the interfacial phase in thermoplastic elastomer block copolymers is shown to play a dominant role in nonlinear viscoelastic response, mechanical hysteresis and energy absorption. Creation of elastomeric microphases in epoxy structural adhesives has been recently identified with in situ block copolymerization between carboxy terminated nitrile (CTBN) rubber and the diepoxide. In this case, the soft phase is discontinuous and acts as a toughening agent for the hard epoxy continuum. The A-I model is shown applicable to describing the rheology and fracture properties of the CTBN modified epoxy adhesives. The specific advantages of developing block copolymers as elastomeric or structural adhesives is discussed in terms of molecular design factors such as composition, block structure and molecular weight. Adhesion properties unique to block copolymer adhesives are discussed and summarized.
Brain Dysfunction and Evoked Potentials

Before discussing these three very interesting presentations, allow me to generalize on certain aspects of the conference, to reminisce about how we have come so far and to speculate about where I feel we should be headed.
The role of endomyocardial biopsy in cardiac tumors diagnosis.

e22536Background: Pathologic examination is essential for definite diagnosis of both primary and secondary (metastatic) cardiac tumors. Limited data exists on the risks and benefits of catheterizat...
Developing A Trauma-Informed Lens In The College Classroom And Empowering Students Through Building Positive Relationships

In many social science college courses, professors cover a wide variety of topics that may act as triggers for victims of trauma in both traditional and online courses. At the same time, we may also encounter students who suffer trauma during their college experience. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of creating a safe and empowering environment in college classrooms regardless of what subjects we teach. Safe environments and the relationships we build with our students play a vital role in student success by understanding the importance of being trauma-informed.
The significance of cell water content in cell biology

Biological applications of quantitative phase imaging (QPI) seem to lag behind technique development, and the purpose of this paper is to sketch the existing or anticipated cell biological problems that could possibly be resolved with the help of QPI. The phase delay reported by QPI is directly related to the amount of intracellular macromolecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. Some QPI methods additionally allow the measurement of cell volume or are compatible with volume measurements by other techniques; the combination of phase and volume gives the local or cell-averaged concentration of macromolecules. This opens unique possibilities to study processes that are hardly amenable to other methods. The examples include: discrimination between anabolic growth and water accumulation or, conversely, between cell fragmentation and water loss; long-term maintenance of osmotic balance; studying metabolism on the organelle level; investigation of the effects of macromolecular crowding; detection of intracellular water gradients during cell chemotaxis. The need to relate observations to quantitative physiological models is emphasized.
Cytomegalovirus Infection among Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, California, 2005 to 2016.

Aim The main purpose of this article is to assess trends in cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection reported among infants in California neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) during 2005 to 2016. Study Design The California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative collects data on all very low birth weight (VLBW, birth weight ≤ 1,500 g) and acutely ill infants > 1,500 g, representing 92% of NICUs in California. We compared clinical characteristics and length of hospital stay among infants with and without reported CMV infection (CMV-positive viral culture or polymerase chain reaction). Results During 2005 to 2016, CMV infection was reported in 174 VLBW infants and 145 infants > 1,500 g, or 2.7 (range: 1.5–4.7) and 1.2 (range: 0.8–1.7) per 1,000 infants, respectively (no significant annual trend). Among infants > 1,500 g, 12 (8%) versus 4,928 (4%) of those reported with versus without CMV infection died (p 1,500 g (61 vs. 14 days) (p Conclusion Reports of CMV infection remained stable over a 12-year period. Although we were not able to assess whether infection was congenital or postnatal, CMV infection among infants > 1,500 g was associated with increased mortality.
Enhancement of microwave time reversal imaging using metallic reflectors

Abstract There is a growing interest in the use of composites in several industries such as aerospace, automotive and civil infrastructure due to their unique properties such as light-weight, corrosion resistance and excellent thermo-mechanical properties. However, it is critical to ensure that no defects, such as disbonds, voids and delaminations are introduced during fabrication or during service. A variety of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques have been proposed and developed to detect such defects that can compromise the integrity of these structures. Microwave NDE techniques are well suited for inspection of dielectric materials such as composites because of the ability of electromagnetic waves to interact with these materials. Far field electromagnetic inspection systems have the capability of rapid, large area inspection at large stand-off distance. However the diffraction limits restrict the resolution of conventional far field imaging. This contribution focuses on enhancing the resolution of microwave far field imaging using metal reflectors to increase the virtual aperture of the receiver array. Model based studies demonstrate the feasibility and robustness of this approach and also determine the limits of this technique. Preliminary experimental results based on a time reversal cavity environment validates the approach for enhancing the resolution of microwave NDE imaging.
Comments on Ashish Rajadhyaksha’s “The great transition: our battles over history”

Rajadhyaksha’s essay is basically an ambitious and challenging attempt to place protest movements and their relation to changing structures of power in a larger comparative historical framework. Wh...
Collaborative sharing of multidimensional space-time data in a next generation hydrologic information system

Abstract In hydrologic research, there is a need to manage, archive, and publish data in a discoverable way to increase data reuse, transparency, and reproducibility. Multidimensional space-time data are commonly used in hydrologic research, and systems are needed for sharing and exchanging such data. Simply exchanging files may result in loss of metadata information and can be challenging when files are large. We developed an approach to manage, share, and publish multidimensional space-time data in HydroShare, a next generation hydrologic information system and domain specific repository. This paper presents the design, development, and testing of this approach. We selected the Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) as the underlying data model. We defined specific metadata elements to store and manage multidimensional space-time data. We adopted and adapted existing software to automatically harvest, support entry of metadata, and establish standardized data services to serve and enhance access to the datasets shared in HydroShare.
NEAR-INFRARED POLARIMETRY OF THE EDGE-ON GALAXY NGC 891

The edge-on galaxy NGC 891 was probed using near-infrared (NIR) imaging polarimetry in the H band (1.6 μm) with the Mimir instrument on the 1.8 m Perkins Telescope. Polarization was detected with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than three out to a surface brightness of 18.8 mag arcsec{sup –2}. The unweighted average and dispersion in polarization percentage (P) across the full disk were 0.7% and 0.3%, respectively, and the same quantities for polarization position angle (P.A.) were 12° and 19°, respectively. At least one polarization null point, where P falls nearly to zero, was detected in the northeast disk but not the southwest disk. Several other asymmetries in P between the northern and southern disk were found and may be related to spiral structure. Profiles of P and P.A. along the minor axis of NGC 891 suggest a transition from magnetic (B) field tracing dichroic polarization near the disk mid-plane to scattering dominated polarization off the disk mid-plane. A comparison between NIR P.A. and radio (3.6 cm) synchrotron polarization P.A. values revealed similar B-field orientations in the central-northeast region, which suggests that the hot plasma and cold, star-forming interstellar medium may share a common B-field. Disk-perpendicular polarizations previously seen at opticalmore » wavelengths are likely caused by scattered light from the bright galaxy center and are unlikely to be tracing poloidal B-fields in the outer disk.« less
Attending to Accuracy: Investigative Poetry

Poetic inquiry may include poems that require extensive historical, political, and/or ethnographic research. These poems, termed investigative poetry, need to communicate not only personally and aesthetically, but politically, culturally, and historically as well. To meet these goals for her poems of Rwanda, Laura Apol studied, read, and researched topics in a more intentional and specific way, focusing on aspects of the poem that required additional understanding. At times, the investigations were worked into existing poems; at other times, they led to new poems that set the stage, created a backdrop, or otherwise conveyed necessary information in an aesthetically defensible way. Several poems are included as examples of investigation in poetic inquiry.