cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of a New Rat Chondrosarcoma Cell line to Delineate a 119-Base Pair Chondrocyte-specific Enhancer Element and to Define Active Promoter Segments in the Mouse Pro-α1(II) Collagen Gene

We show that a new rat chondrosarcoma (RCS) cell line established in long-term culture from the Swarm tumor displayed a stable differentiated chondrocyte-like phenotype. Indeed, these cells produced the collagen types II, IX, and XI and alcian blue-stainable cartilage-specific proteoglycans, but no type I or type III collagen. To functionally characterize their chondrocytic nature, the cells were stably transfected with a type II collagen/beta geo chimeric gene which confers essentially perfect chondrocyte-specific expression in transgenic mice. RCS cells expressed both beta-galactosidase and G418 resistance, in comparison with similarly transfected 10T1/2 and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts which did not. These cells were then used to perform a systematic deletion analysis of the first intron of the mouse type II collagen gene (Col2a1) using transient expression experiments to determine which segments stimulated expression of a luciferase reporter gene in RCS cells but not in 10T1/2 fibroblasts. Cloning of two tandem copies of a 156-base pair (bp) intron 1 fragment (+2188 to +2343) in a construction containing a 314-bp Col2a1 promoter caused an almost 200-fold increase in promoter activity in RCS cells but no increase in 10T1/2 cells. DNase I footprint analysis over this 156-bp fragment revealed two adjacent protected regions, FP1 and FP2, located in the 3'-half of this segment, but no differences were seen with nuclear extracts of RCS cells and 10T1/2 fibroblasts. Deletion of FP2 to leave a 119-bp segment decreased enhancer activity by severalfold, but RCS cell specificity was maintained. Further deletions indicated that sequences both in the 5' part of the 119-bp fragment and in FP1 were needed simultaneously for RCS cell-specific enhancer activity. A series of deletions in the promoter region of the mouse Col2a1 gene progressively reduced activity when these promoters were tested by themselves in transient expression experiments. However, these promoter deletions were all activated to a similar level in RCS cells by a 231-bp intron 1 fragment that included the 156-bp enhancer. The RCS cell-specific activity persisted even if the Col2a1 promoter was replaced by a minimal adenovirus major late promoter. This 231-bp intron 1 fragment also had strong enhancing activity in transiently transfected mouse primary chondrocytes. Our experiments establish the usefulness of RCS cells as an experimental system for studies of the control of chondrocyte-specific genes, provide an extensive delineation of segments in the Col2a1 first intron involved in chondrocyte-specific activity, and show that promoter sequences are dispensable for chondrocyte specificity.
Period optimization for hard real-time distributed automotive systems

The complexity and physical distribution of modern active-safety automotive applications requires the use of distributed architectures. These architectures consist of multiple electronic control units (ECUs) connected with standardized buses. The most common configuration features periodic activation of tasks and messages coupled with run-time priority-based scheduling. The correct deployment of applications on such architectures requires end-to- end latency deadlines to be met. This is challenging since deadlines must be enforced across a set of ECUs and buses, each of which supports multiple functionality. The need for accommodating legacy tasks and messages further complicates the scenario. In this work, we automatically assign task and message periods for distributed automotive systems. This is accomplished by leveraging schedulability analysis within a convex optimization framework to simultaneously assign periods and satisfy end-to-end latency constraints. Our approach is applied to an industrial case study as well as an example taken from the literature and is shown to be both effective and efficient.
Simulation of Atmospheric Oxidation Capacity in Houston, Texas

Air quality model simulations are performed and evaluated for Houston using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. The simulations use two different emissions estimates: the EPA 2005 National Emissions Inventory (NEI) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Emissions Inventory. A comparison of predictions with observed data from the 2006 TexAQS-II Radical and Aerosol Measurement Project (TRAMP) suggest that while the predicted oxides of nitrogen are greater than observations, predicted volatile organics (e.g., ethane, acetone) are substantially lower than the observations. Predicted hydroxyl radical predictions are in good agreement with the observations. Hydroperoxy radical predictions, however, are substantially lower than the observations.
In diabetic nephropathy, high doses of vitamin B decrease glomerular filtration rate and increase risk of the composite outcome of a vascular event or all-cause mortality compared with placebo

Commentary on: AA House, M Eliasziw, DC Cattran, et al.. Effect of B-vitamin therapy on progression of diabetic nephropathy: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA2010;303:1603–9.
Variational derivation for higher gradient Van der Waals fluids equilibria and bifurcating phenomena

En The equilibrium equations for a higher gradient van der Waals fluid is obtained in this paper from a variationally consistent formulation. An initial instability analysis for a fluid in a cubic-shaped hard device with sliding walls is then performed. In particular, the uniform contraction of a cubic block of fluid governed by the van der Waals free energy is analyzed. A finite perturbation about a homogeneous state is considered and a consistent linearization of such perturbation is shown to yield the possibility of bifurcation. This happens whenever the local volume ratio lies within the spinodal region of the energy and in the presence of sufficiently small capillarity.
The Effects of Persistence and Small Group Interaction during Computer-Based Instruction.

This study compared the effects of grouping students with different levels of persistence on their ability to learn in cooperative learning groups while working at the computer. A total of 138 sixth grade students were classified as high, average, or low in terms of persistence and assigned to dyads. Students completed a workshop on small-group interaction methods, a computer-based tutorial, a posttest, and a survey. Results indicated that average persisters interacted more than either high or low persisters. Promotive verbal interaction correlated positively with achievement, and grouping increased partner liking. The implications for forming effective cooperative learning groups is discussed.
Business Enterprises and Global Worlds

The role of business enterprise in integrating economies is one of the central historical themes of the last two centuries. Although globalization—both in its current iteration and in its nineteenth-century form—has been widely studied, the role of the firm, as opposed to macroeconomic forces, has yet to receive sufficient attention. Many research questions remain, including the role of the United States as a host country, the place of multinationals based in emerging markets, and the importance of understudied sectors such as retailing. Business historians should shift the focus of queries from “why” to “how” and go beyond the discipline's traditional organization along national lines to study the behavior of firms worldwide.
Triangle Atheists: Stigma, Identity, and Community Among Atheists in North Carolina's Triangle Region

Sociological studies of atheism have tended to coalesce around three primary themes: stigma, identity, and community. To date, however, no studies have taken a reflexive approach to these themes or applied them in the field to test their analytical utility as well as their relations in contemporary atheist experience. This study employs a mixed-methods approach that includes in-depth interviews (n = 19), participant observation, and one survey administered to two atheist groups, one local (n = 151) and one national (n = 456). Ethnographic findings confirm the central role of stigma, identity, and community in atheist experience and emphasize their nestedness in one another. Survey results find that atheist affiliates in both national and local groups rate political activism as more important than social reasons in motivating them to affiliate, while local affiliates rated social reasons significantly higher than national affiliates rated social reasons. Suggestions for future research include consideration of these themes’ connectedness in subsequent analyses and further inquiry into the functional divergences between local and national atheist organizations.
Are psychiatrists cost-effective? An analysis of integrated versus split treatment

OBJECTIVE: Managed care organizations prefer putatively less expensive split treatment, i.e., a psychopharmacologist plus a non-M.D. psychotherapist. In this study the cost of integrated care by a psychiatrist was compared with split care. METHOD: Using 1998 fee schedules of seven large managed care organizations (with 54.3% market share and 67.8 million lives) plus Medicare (37 million people), the author modeled clinical scenarios of psychotherapy alone, medication alone, and combined treatment provided by a psychiatrist or split with a psychologist or social worker. RESULTS: Brief psychotherapy by a social worker was the least expensive treatment. When treatment required both psychotherapy and medication, combined treatment by a psychiatrist cost about the same or less than split treatment with a social worker psychotherapist; it was usually less expensive than split treatment with a psychologist psychotherapist. CONCLUSIONS: The integrated biopsychosocial model practiced by psychiatry is both theoreti...
Design of Thermally Robust Clock Trees Using Dynamically Adaptive Clock Buffers

On-chip temperature gradient has emerged as a major design concern for high-performance integrated circuits for the current and future technology nodes. Clock skew is an undesirable phenomenon for synchronous digital circuits that is exacerbated by the temperature difference between various parts of the clock tree. The main aim of this paper is to provide intelligent solution for minimizing the temperature-dependent clock skew by designing dynamically adaptive circuit elements, particularly the clock buffers. Using an RLC model of the clock tree, we investigate the effect of on-chip temperature gradient on the clock skew for a number of temperature profiles that can arise in practice due to different architectures and applications. As an effective way of mitigating the variable clock skew, we present an adaptive circuit technique that senses the temperature of different parts of the clock tree and adjusts the driving strengths of the corresponding clock buffers dynamically to reduce the clock skew. Simulation results demonstrate that our adaptive technique is capable of reducing the skew by up to 92.4%, leading to much improved clock synchronization and design performance.
A Highly Conserved Lysine Residue on the Head Domain of Type II Keratins is Essential for the Attachment of Keratin Intermediate Filaments to the Cornified cell Envelope through Isopeptide Crosslinking by Transglutaminases

We have addressed the question of how keratin intermediate filaments are associated with the cell envelope at the periphery of cornified epidermal cells. Many peptides from human epidermal cell envelopes containing isopeptide crosslinks inserted by transglutaminases in vivo have been characterized. A major subset involves the type II keratin chains keratin 1, 2e, 5, or 6 crosslinked to several protein partners through a lysine residue located in a conserved region of the V1 subdomain of their head domains. This sequence specificity was confirmed in in vitro crosslinking experiments. Previously the causative mutation in a family with diffuse nonepidermolytic palmar-plantar keratoderma was shown to be the loss in one allele of the same lysine residue of the keratin 1 chain. Ultrastructural studies of affected palm epidermis have revealed abnormalities in the organization of keratin filaments subjacent to the cell envelope and in the shape of the cornified cells. Together, these data suggest a mechanism for the coordination of cornified cell structure by permanent covalent attachment of the keratin intermediate filament cytoskeleton to the cell envelope by transglutaminase crosslinking. Furthermore, these studies identify the essential role of a conserved lysine residue on the head domains of type II keratins in the supramolecular organization of keratin filaments in cells.
Averaged Template Matching Equations

By exploiting an analogy with averaging procedures in fluid dynamics, we present a set of averaged template matching equations. These equations are analogs of the exact template matching equations that retain all the geometric properties associated with the diffeomorphism group, and which are expected to average out small scale features and so should, as in hydrodynamics, be more computationally efficient for resolving the larger scale features. From a geometric point of view, the new equations may be viewed as coming from a change in norm that is used to measure the distance between images. The results in this paper represent first steps in a longer term program: what is here is only for binary images and an algorithm for numerical computation is not yet operational. Some suggestions for further steps to develop the results given in this paper are suggested.
Novel Approaches to Calculate Nuclear Matrix Elements for Double Beta Decays

Neutrinoless double beta decay is a unique process that could reveal physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. If observed, it would prove that neutrinos are Majorana particles, and it could give information regarding the neutrino masses and their hierarchy, provided that reliable nuclear matrix elements (NME) can be obtained. The two-neutrino double beta decay is an associate process that is allowed by the Standard Model and it was observed for about ten nuclei. The NME associated with this decay mode could be even more difficult to calculate, but they can be directly related to the experimental half-lives, and they can be constrained using data from charge-exchange reactions. Here we offer a brief overview of the theoretical challenges associated with these two processes, emphasizing the tools necessary to reliably calculate the associated nuclear matrix elements. We also emphasize the role of the competing mechanisms that could contribute to the neutrinoless double beta decay half-life.
THE DEFENSE BUDGETARY PROCESS

The purpose of the Defense Budget Process is to produce a force structure to support national security policy. To accomplish this task, the Department of Defense has designed a system built around planning, programming and budgeting and zero based budgeting. However, while these two systems help to marry policy and force structure, for several interrelated reasons the fit is far from perfect. These reasons include: resource constraints; inadequate guidance; length of the budget process; the size scope, controllability and impact of the defense budget; inadequate decision making methodology; past decisions; and domestic political constituencies.
Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation: Intensive Care Management

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has assumed in creasing importance in the treatment of bone marrow failure, hematopoietic malignancies, congenital immuno deficiencies, and solid tumors. Children undergoing BMT are at high risk for infection and hemorrhage dur ing the period of aplasia. In addition, life-threatening complications of circulatory, pulmonary, gastrointesti nal, hepatic, and renal function are common and fre quently require intensive supportive care. This review provides an overview of pediatric BMT that focuses on management problems relevant to intensive care. Thor ough pretransplantation assessment of underlying organ dysfunction is mandatory before undertaking BMT. The complications associated with preconditioning regi mens that use total body irradiation and high doses of ablative chemotherapy are described. Finally, problems involving individual organs are discussed by systems. The challenge of improving the results of BMT in the treatment of childhood malignant and hematopoietic disor...
Edge Effects, Invasion, and the Spatial Pattern of Herb-Layer Biodiversity in an Old-Growth Deciduous Forest Fragment

ABSTRACT: Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to global biodiversity, altering both habitat structure and availability. Small preserves nested within landscapes dominated by human commerce can serve as long-term storehouses of biodiversity, yet they are vulnerable to threats such as exotic plant invasion and disturbance. The Drew Woods State Nature Preserve (DWSNP) in Darke County, Ohio, provided an opportunity to understand the capacity of a small old-growth preserve for maintaining regional floristic biodiversity and assessing ecological threats. A series of six approximately biweekly herbaceous layer samplings were conducted across 32 1-m2 circular plots within DWSNP, and percent vegetative cover was estimated for each herbaceous species identified. The vascular flora of this 6-ha site was inventoried and used for a Floristic Quality Assessment. Spatial patterns were visualized using ArcGIS software, and linear regression analyses and non-metric multidimensional scaling were used to test f...
A dual cryogenic ion trap spectrometer for the formation and characterization of solvated ionic clusters

A new experimental approach is presented in which two separate cryogenic ion traps are used to reproducibly form weakly bound solvent clusters around electrosprayed ions and messenger-tag them for single-photon infrared photodissociation spectroscopy. This approach thus enables the vibrational characterization of ionic clusters comprised of a solvent network around large and non-volatile ions. We demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument by clustering water, methanol, and acetone around a protonated glycylglycine peptide. For water, cluster sizes with greater than twenty solvent molecules around a single ion are readily formed. We further demonstrate that similar water clusters can be formed around ions having a shielded charge center or those that do not readily form hydrogen bonds. Finally, infrared photodissociation spectra of D2-tagged GlyGlyH(+)⋅(H2O)1-4 are presented. They display well-resolved spectral features and comparisons with calculations reveal detailed information on the solvation structures of this prototypical peptide.
Hormonal regulation of glycogen metabolism in neonatal rat liver.

1. The development of active and inactive phosphorylase was determined in rat liver during the perinatal period. No inactive form could be found in tissues from animals less than 19 days gestation or older than the fifth postnatal day. 2. The regulation of phosphorylase in organ cultures of foetal rat liver was examined. None of the agents examined [glucagon, insulin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP (6-N,2′-O-dibutyryladenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate)] changed the amount of phosphorylase activity. 3. Glycogen concentration in these explants were nevertheless decreased more than twofold by 4h of incubation with glucagon or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Incubation with insulin for 4h increased the glycogen content twofold. 4. Glycogen synthetase activity was examined in these explants. I-form activity (without glucose 6-phosphate) was found to decrease by a factor of two after 4h of incubation with dibutyryl cyclic AMP, whereas I+D activity (with glucose 6-phosphate) remained nearly constant. Incubation for 4h with insulin increased I-form activity threefold, with only a slight increase in I+D activity. 5. When explants were incubated with insulin followed by addition of dibutyryl cyclic AMP, the effects of insulin on glycogen concentration and glycogen synthetase activity were reversed. 6. These results indicate that the regulation of glycogen synthesis may be the major factor in the hormonal control of glycogen metabolism in neonatal rat liver.
Effect of Time-Dependent Changes in Pore Pressure on Geomechanical and Acoustic Properties of Shale Formations

Summary Accurate knowledge of rock strength and stresses around wellbores is critical in minimizing costly wellbore instability problems. In unconventional shale gas and shale oil formations, the role of geomechanics is even more vital due to the interactions of natural fractures and induced hydraulic fractures. In this paper, we present how acousticderived properties change with the depth of investigation and time due to the time-dependent changes of pore pressure in intact shale formations. The role of near wellbore permeability reduction as well as filtrate viscosity increase on enhancing wellbore stability is also discussed. The results of the time-dependent stress and strength in fractured shale formations using comparative modeling of resource and seal shales is the subject of another paper.
Post-polymerization crosstalk between the actin cytoskeleton and microtubule network

Cellular cytoskeletal systems play many pivotal roles in living organisms by controlling cell shape, division, and migration, which ultimately govern morphology, physiology, and functions of animals. Although the cytoskeletal systems are distinct and play different roles, there is growing evidence that these diverse cytoskeletal systems coordinate their functions with each other. This coordination between cytoskeletal systems, often termed cytoskeletal crosstalk, has been identified when the dynamic state of one individual system affects the other system. In this review, we briefly describe some well-established examples of crosstalk between cytoskeletal systems and then introduce a newly discovered form of crosstalk between the actin cytoskeleton and microtubule network that does not appear to directly alter polymerization or depolymerization of either system. The biological impact and possible significance of this post-polymerization crosstalk between actin and microtubules will be discussed in detail.
Forecasting in the presence of expectations

Physical processes routinely influence economic outcomes, and actions by economic agents can, in turn, influence physical processes. This feedback creates challenges for forecasting and inference, creating the potential for complementarity between models from different academic disciplines. Using the example of prediction of water availability during a drought, we illustrate the potential biases in forecasts that only take part of a coupled system into account. In particular, we show that forecasts can alter the feedbacks between supply and demand, leading to inaccurate prediction about future states of the system. Although the example is specific to drought, the problem of feedback between expectations and forecast quality is not isolated to the particular model–it is relevant to areas as diverse as population assessments for conservation, balancing the electrical grid, and setting macroeconomic policy.
Collusion Attack Detection in Networked Systems

Security protocols have been commonly used to protect secure communication in networked systems. It is often assumed that individual wireless nodes or leaders in a system are sincere and use techniques (authentication, permission, etc.) of these protocols to have secure communications. We discover that such protocols may be leaked by a sophisticated collusion attack (a type of attacks in which a node intentionally has a secret agreement with an adversary, or is compromised by an adversary). Before an attack is made, the node seems to be working properly, communicating with others, and providing correct values/decisions. Currently, there is no systematic method for detecting such an attack. In this paper, we propose CAD, a Collusion Attack Detection scheme for networked systems. We think that wireless nodes usually have some correlation patterns in communication metrics (e.g., radio timing, amount of packets transmitted). When there is a significant discrepancy in such patterns with a node, the node is said to be colluded. We evaluate CAD in simulations with real data traces. Evaluation results demonstrate that CAD achieves a collusion detection rate up to 92%, which is at least 50% better compared to existing schemes.
Cascade diode lasers generating 2 W CW near 2 μm

High-power cascade diode lasers emitting near 2 μm were designed and fabricated. Coated 3-mm-long lasers generated ∼2 W of continuous wave power at the current of 6 A. The power conversion efficiency peaked at 20%.
Abstract 347: Mechanism of c-Met TKI resistance and role of epithelial mesenchymal transition in melanoma

Various tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI’s) are approved for the treatment of melanoma, but their efficacies are limited due to development of drug resistance. To analyze the resistance to c-Met inhibitors we used two melanoma cell lines: MU which has mutated BRAF (V600E +ve) and RU which has wild type BRAF. These cell lines were also made resistant to c-Met inhibitor, SU11274 by growing them in progressively increasing concentrations of drug. In earlier studies we observed activation of Wnt pathway in both of the aforementioned cell lines indicating the role of active β-Catenin in transcription and hence cell proliferation. β-Catenin levels when localized and accumulated in the nucleus binds to TCF/LEF and activates transcription. The level of β-Catenin in the cytosol is regulated by the adherens junction proteins (E-Cadherin) along with the Wnt pathway. Increased levels of β-Catenin might be a possible result of loss of E-Cadherin which is related to epithelial mesenchymal transition. During epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) cells transition from epithelial (attached, non-migratory) to mesenchymal (unattached and migratory) cells which promotes metastasis. We examined the role of EMT in the development of resistance in the c-Met TKI resistant melanoma cell lines. We quantified the β-Catenin activity using luciferase assay and observed a 5 fold upregulation in the SU11274 resistant MU cells when compared to MU parental cells in the presence of HGF. Additionally, we performed immunoblotting, where we observed modulation in EMT related proteins in MU and RU parental and resistant cells. E-Cadherin, ZO-1, Claudin-1 and Slug were found to be downregulated 1.5 - 2.7 fold, 1.5 - 2.0 fold, 2 - 9 fold and 1.5 - 2 fold respectively and N-Cadherin and β-Catenin were found to be upregulated 1.8 - 5.3 and 2.4 - 3.7 fold respectively in the SU11274 resistant MU cells in the presence and absence of HGF and SU11274 treatments. Similarily we observed upregulation of β-Catenin by 1.7 fold and downregulation of E-Cadherin and ZO-1 by 2 - 3.5 fold and 6 - 9 fold respectively in SU11274 resistant RU cells when compared to RU parental cells in the presence and absence of HGF and SU11274 treatments. Further studies are being carried to understand the role of EMT in the development of this acquired resistance. These results may help in development of novel therapies for melanoma patients or may help in increasing the efficacy and beneficence from the currently available therapeutics. Citation Format: Supriya Rajanna, Ichwaku Rastogi, Sunil Palani, Neelu Puri. Mechanism of c-Met TKI resistance and role of epithelial mesenchymal transition in melanoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 347. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-347
Research Area Problem and Methodology

In this chapter, Al Rasheed illustrates the usefulness of feminist ethnography and Black feminist epistemology as useful tools and as methodological interventions to study communities and groups and make new knowledge claims. Al Rasheed used semi-structured interviews to expose how race and gender impact both the process and the outcome of data collection for this specific group and demonstrated how the Sudanese woman’s experience as an African Muslim could be made the centre of analysis that offers alternative insights into the hegemonic and prevailing paradigms that define Muslims and Africans. Al Rasheed offers a robust account adopting performativity and intersectionality allowing the contextualization of the experiences of Sudanese women and better understanding of how racial and gendered identity influences the outcome of such study.
Unique roles for histone H3K9me states in RNAi and heritable silencing of transcription

Heterochromatic DNA domains have important roles in the regulation of gene expression and maintenance of genome stability by silencing repetitive DNA elements and transposons. From fission yeast to mammals, heterochromatin assembly at DNA repeats involves the activity of small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) associated with the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Typically, sRNAs, originating from long noncoding RNAs, guide Argonaute-containing effector complexes to complementary nascent RNAs to initiate histone H3 lysine 9 di- and trimethylation (H3K9me2 and H3K9me3, respectively) and the formation of heterochromatin. H3K9me is in turn required for the recruitment of RNAi to chromatin to promote the amplification of sRNA. Yet, how heterochromatin formation, which silences transcription, can proceed by a co-transcriptional mechanism that also promotes sRNA generation remains paradoxical. Here, using Clr4, the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe homologue of mammalian SUV39H H3K9 methyltransferases, we design active-site mutations that block H3K9me3, but allow H3K9me2 catalysis. We show that H3K9me2 defines a functionally distinct heterochromatin state that is sufficient for RNAi-dependent co-transcriptional gene silencing at pericentromeric DNA repeats. Unlike H3K9me3 domains, which are transcriptionally silent, H3K9me2 domains are transcriptionally active, contain modifications associated with euchromatic transcription, and couple RNAi-mediated transcript degradation to the establishment of H3K9me domains. The two H3K9me states recruit reader proteins with different efficiencies, explaining their different downstream silencing functions. Furthermore, the transition from H3K9me2 to H3K9me3 is required for RNAi-independent epigenetic inheritance of H3K9me domains. Our findings demonstrate that H3K9me2 and H3K9me3 define functionally distinct chromatin states and uncover a mechanism for the formation of transcriptionally permissive heterochromatin that is compatible with its broadly conserved role in sRNA-mediated genome defence.
Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficiency, Carney triad and the epigenome

In this report, we review the relationship between succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficiency and the epigenome, especially with regards to two clinical conditions. Carney triad (CT) is a very rare disease with synchronous or metachronous occurrence of at least three different tumor entities; gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), paraganglioma (PGL), and pulmonary chondroma. This condition affects mostly females and it is never inherited. Another disease that shares two of the tumor components of CT, namely GIST and PGL is the Carney-Stratakis syndrome (CSS) or dyad. CSS affects both genders during childhood and adolescence. We review herein the main clinical features and molecular mechanisms behind those two syndromes that share quite a bit of similarities, but one is non-hereditary (CT) whereas the other shows an autosomal-dominant, with incomplete penetrance, inheritance pattern (CSS). Both CT and CSS are caused by the deficiency of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) enzyme. The key difference between the two syndromes is the molecular mechanism that causes the SDH deficiency. Most cases of CT show down-regulation of SDH through site-specific hyper-methylation of the SDHC gene, whereas CSS cases carry inactivating germline mutations within one of the genes coding for the SDH subunits A, B, C, or D (SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD). There is only partial overlap between the two conditions (there are a few patients with CT that have SDH subunit mutations) but both lead to increased methylation of the entire genome in the tumors associated with them. Other tumors (outside CT and CSS) that have SDH deficiency are associated with increased methylation of the entire genome, but only in CT there is site-specific methylation of the SDHC gene. These findings have implications for diagnostics and the treatment of patients with these, often metastatic tumors.
Relative navigation of autonomous GPS-degraded micro air vehicles

Unlike many current navigation approaches for micro air vehicles, the relative navigation (RN) framework presented in this paper ensures that the filter state remains observable in GPS-denied environments by working with respect to a local reference frame. By subtly restructuring the problem, RN ensures that the filter uncertainty remains bounded, consistent, and normally-distributed, and insulates flight-critical estimation and control processes from large global updates. This paper thoroughly outlines the RN framework and demonstrates its practicality with several long flight tests in unknown GPS-denied and GPS-degraded environments. The relative front end is shown to produce low-drift estimates and smooth, stable control while leveraging off-the-shelf algorithms. The system runs in real time with onboard processing, fuses a variety of vision sensors, and works indoors and outdoors without requiring special tuning for particular sensors or environments. RN is shown to produce globally-consistent, metric, and localized maps by incorporating loop closures and intermittent GPS measurements.
A Portrait of the North-Western District: An Italian Bronx?

This chapter focuses on district 8 of Milan and attention is particularly drawn to these neighbourhoods: Quarto Oggiaro, Certosa, Vialba and QT8.
DisCrit Classroom Ecology: Using praxis to dismantle dysfunctional education ecologies

Abstract Using a critical conceptual analysis, we theorize a DisCrit Classroom Ecology to counter current dysfunctional education ecologies. We begin by exploring the lineage of Critical Race Theory, through both its intellectual forerunner Gift Theory and a more recent sibling, DisCrit. Next, we explore the three interrelated constructs of DisCrit Classroom Ecology; Pedagogy, Curriculum, and Solidarity, and the strand that animates them, DisCrit Resistance. Finally, we discuss the deep implications and transformative possibilities of using praxis to (re)organize classrooms through a DisCrit Classroom Ecology.
Spacemakers: A Leadership Perspective on Curriculum and the Purpose of K–12 Educational Makerspaces

This qualitative research study investigated how educational makerspace leaders, whom we refer to as spacemakers, framed the purpose of the makerspace in K–12 education and how makerspaces support ...
The MIS CV Technique

A Metal-Insulator-Silicon (MIS) structure consists of a silicon substrate covered by an insulating layer upon which a conductive electrode is deposited (figure 4.1).
Pull the Andon Rope on Working Memory Capacity Interventions Until We Know More.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to discuss the current state of interventions for improving working memory (WM) capacity language and academic skills and to provide suggestions for speech-la...
Exploring the motherhood experiences of active methamphetamine users

Drug panics involve the emergence of “demon drugs” argued to be symptomatic of larger social and moral breakdown among society. Nowhere is this more evident than the discourse surrounding women methamphetamine users, who are framed by the media as rejecting the central values of American social life, including motherhood and family. While there is substantive research on drug use generally, and some examinations of motherhood, identity, and careers such as initiation, desistance and persistence of drug use, there is far less research addressing how users’ life experiences with drugs shape their identity as addicts. The present study employed ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews in order to explore the roles and identities associated with motherhood in a sample of twenty-eight active female methamphetamine users in a rural southern area. The central research questions are: 1) How do women who are actively using methamphetamine understand and experience motherhood? 2) What role does their drug use play in shaping their identity as mothers? Findings suggest that women draw from larger cultural narratives about motherhood to engage in identity work to minimize the double stigma of being a drug user and a drug user who is a mother. Implications for treatment and policy are discussed.
A microscale additive manufacturing approach for in situ nanomechanics

Abstract In situ nanomechanics in scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) has been the gold-standard for direct observation of deformation mechanisms of metals and alloys. The extracted deformation mechanisms complement the process – microstructure – property relationship that is required for the full understanding of the mechanical behavior of these materials. Micro-pillar compression is perhaps the most frequently used method for such studies. Fabrication of micro-pillars from bulk materials relies on milling by the focused ion beam (FIB), which often requires several tens of hours of the equipment time, and the associated expenses. Additionally, the heavy ion bombardment by FIB may introduce damage into materials, which in turn may result in compromised interpretation of materials’ behavior. We introduce a microscale additive manufacturing (AM) approach that enables direct deposition of nano-pillars and micro-pillars of metals and alloys in room environment. In addition to the size, this process allows control over the microstructure of the deposited metals and alloys. Depending on the size and microstructure, a typical micro-pillar can be fabricated in a few minutes to tens of minutes at very low cost and without any beam-induced damages. When combined with in situ instrumentation, this approach may enable high-throughput investigation of the process – microstructure – property relationship, in particular for nano-crystalline and nano-twinned metals and alloys.
The role of positive emotions in child development: A developmental treatment of the broaden and build theory

Historically, research on emotions in childhood has been dominated by studies on negative emotions. Consequently, little research has been conducted on the role of positive emotions. Recently, an a...
Communication to cure cath chaos

Communication errors in the cath lab may lead to incorrect medication administration or dosing, or incorrect sizes of devices deployed in patients, with catastrophic results. Use of closed-loop communication minimizes these errors. In this study, two rounds of quality improvement projects improved, but did not completely close the communication gap. Standard setting by professional societies and individual cath lab leaders may be necessary to improve the use of closed-loop communication in cath labs-although a completely successful strategy remains to be identified.
Anemia, Mortality, and Hospitalizations in Heart Failure With a Preserved Ejection Fraction (from the TOPCAT Trial)

In this post-hoc analysis of the TOPCAT trial, we evaluated the prognostic role of anemia in adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Anemia was defined as hemoglobin of <12 g/dl in females and <13 g/dl in males. The primary outcome was a composite of CV mortality, aborted cardiac arrest (ACA), and heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Secondary outcomes were components of the primary outcome, all-cause, CV and non-CV mortality, cause-specific CV and non-CV mortality, all-cause and HF hospitalization, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Among 1,748 patients from TOPCAT-Americas, patients with anemia had a 52% higher risk of the primary outcome (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.27, 1.83, p<0.05) during a median follow up of 2.4 years. These patients were also at higher risk of all-cause and CV mortality with no difference in non-CV mortality. Among CV causes, patients with anemia had higher risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD)/ACA and presumed CV death with no difference in death due to pump failure. Among non-CV causes, patients with anemia had higher risk of death due to malignancy (HR 2.61, p<0.05). Patients with anemia had higher risk of all-cause and HF hospitalizations (HR 1.26 and 1.56, respectively, p<0.05 for both). There was no difference in the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. In conclusion, patients with HFpEF and anemia are at higher risk of mortality and hospitalization. Anemia is a significant risk factor for SCD/ACA, death due to presumed CV causes and malignancy in HFpEF.
Expiry Date Digits Recognition using Deep Learning

In this paper, a deep learning model is proposed to recognize expiry date digits from images. This model can be used with smart expiry architecture to get automatic notification in the smartphone for the foods that are expiring soon. The proposed model is tested and has an accuracy of 80%.
Implementing an Attack Graph Generator in CUDA

Attack graphs can be used in security analysis for both computer networks and cyber physical systems to enumerate all possible attack paths. The main challenge in applying attack graphs is the design of scalable generators, which should construct large scale graphs within practical limits for execution time and storage resources. With the availability of high performance computing hardware, parallel computing units can be employed to accelerate the exploration of new states in attack graph generation. While NVIDIA’s GPU devices have significantly improved the performance of other graph-oriented algorithms, there is little research using them on the generation of attack graphs. In this paper, we present a parallel attack graph generator based on NVIDIA’s extension of C language: CUDA. To accelerate the exploration, the generator uses a large number of warps in the GPU device. Each warp is assigned with multiple initial states, which are then expanded by 32 in-warp threads. The performance experiments are conducted on a virtual machine instance providing a Tesla P4 GPU. The acceleration achieved demonstrates the effectiveness of using a large number of CUDA cores to accelerate the attack graph generator.
Merchant Masculinity in Early Modern Northern Europe

A range of images and texts circulating in early modern northern Europe implicitly assigned elite merchants vigorous masculinity by crediting them with the ability to control the powerful, if hazar...
Trauma symptoms contribute to daily experiential avoidance: Does partner support mitigate risk?:

Objective:The present study examined the protective role of partner support in reducing daily experiential avoidance (EA) associated with trauma symptoms in a sample of 154 couples during pregnancy...
Exploratory cross-over, trial of augmented RLS with the dopamine receptor 1/5 antagonist ecopipam D1/D5 antagonist ecopipam for augmented RLS.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common condition that initially responds dramatically to dopaminergic therapy. Over time, however, dopaminergics cause augmentation, where symptoms occur earlier a...
Powering Electric Aircraft at O’Hare Airport: A Case Study

Electrification of aviation can potentially mitigate carbon emissions of air travel. Battery-electric and hybrid electric aircraft will impose charging requirements on airports. In this paper, we study the impacts of electrification on electricity demands at O’Hare International (ORD) airport. We consider the scenario where domestic US carriers partially adopt hybrid electric aircraft (HEA), but operate their airplanes based on current flight schedules. Under various battery technology evolution scenarios, we then compute the increase in electricity demand (both daily average and peak) to operate flights at ORD. The data analysis reveals substantial increase in airport energy demands that demands grid upgrades at airports.
Prevalence of high-risk bladder categorization with prenatal and postnatal myelomeningocele repair types.

Introduction Urologic substudies of prenatal myelomeningocele (MMC) closure have focused primarily on continence without significant clinical benefit. Fetoscopic MMC repair (FMR) is a newer form of prenatal intervention and touts added benefits to the mother, but urological outcomes have yet to be analyzed. We set out to focus on bladder safety rather than continence and examined bladder outcomes with different prenatal MMC repairs (FMR and prenatal open [POMR]) and compared bladder-risk-categorization to traditional postnatal repair (PSTNR). Methods An IRB-approved retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing all forms of MMC repairs with inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the MOMS trial was performed. Bladder safety assessment required initial urodynamic studies (UDS), renal bladder ultrasound (RBUS), and/or voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) within the 1st year of life. Follow-up analyses within the cohorts required follow-up studies within 18 months after initial evaluations. Outcomes assessed included bladder-risk-categorization based on the CDC UMPIRE study (high, intermediate, and safe), hydronephrosis (HN), and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). A single reader evaluated each UDS. Results Initial UDS in 93 patients showed that the prevalence of high-risk bladders were 35% FMR versus 36% PSTNR and 60% POMR. Follow-up UDS showed only 8% of FMR were high-risk compared to 35% POMR and 36% PSTNR. Change from initial to follow-up bladder-risk-category did not reach significance (p = .0659); however, 10% PSTNR worsened to high-risk on follow-up, compared to none in either prenatal group. Subanalysis of follow-up UDS between the prenatal cohorts also was not significant (p = .055). Only 8% of FMR worsened or stayed high-risk compared to 35% with POMR (p = .1). HN was significantly different at initial and subsequent follow up between the groups with the least in the FMR group. Conclusions Early outcome UDS analyses demonstrated lower incidence of high-risk bladders in FMR patients with a trend toward clinically significant improvement compared to POMR in regard to all evaluated metrics. Larger, prospective, confirmatory studies are needed to further evaluate the potential benefits on FMR on bladder safety and health.
Modification of the Basic Dilution Equation for the Programming of Serial Dilutions

Stock solutions made with accurately weighable quantities of biologically active compounds often do not result in physically measurable delivery volumes, delivered to cell cultures, assay buffers etc., consequently requiring delineation of the serial dilution steps of the stock solution in a case by case manner. The basic dilution equation (C1V1 = C2V2) alone is not amenable for the programming and computerization of the serial dilutions. The best solution to this dilemma is to develop an equation with the delivery volume as one of the variables. We present here a modified dilution equation (MDA) that has the delivered volume as one of the variables. We demonstrate with examples how the equation can be used in delineating serial dilution steps either manually or through programming. The equation is D = C1p/C2V2, where D is the fold dilution required of a stock solution of C1 concentration which is diluted and delivered (pipetted) at a volume p to cell culture media, assay mixture etc., of volume (V2 – p), to achieve a final concentration of C2. The equation is useful when the volume of the stock solution made up to the final volume as calculated with basic dilution equation is not measurable physically.
Adolescents and online fan fiction, by Rebecca Black

Review of Rebecca W. Black, Adolescents and online fan fiction. New York: Peter Lang, 2008, paperback, $29.95 (172p), ISBN 978-0820497389.
Review: Multicomponent nonpharmacologic interventions reduce incident delirium in inpatients

Source Citation Hshieh TT, Yue J, Oh E, et al. Effectiveness of multicomponent nonpharmacological delirium interventions: a meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175:512-20. 25643002