cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunocontraception: Filamentous Bacteriophage as a Platform for Vaccine Development

Background Population control of domestic, wild, invasive, and captive animal species is a global issue of importance to public health, animal welfare and the economy. There is pressing need for effective, safe, and inexpensive contraceptive technologies to address this problem. Contraceptive vaccines, designed to stimulate the immune system in order to block critical reproductive events and suppress fertility, may provide a solution. Filamentous bacteriophages can be used as platforms for development of such vaccines. Objective In this review authors highlight structural and immunogenic properties of filamentous phages, and discuss applications of phage-peptide vaccines for advancement of immunocontraception technology in animals. Results Phages can be engineered to display fusion (non-phage) peptides as coat proteins. Such modifications can be accomplished via genetic manipulation of phage DNA, or by chemical conjugation of synthetic peptides to phage surface proteins. Phage fusions with antigenic determinants induce humoral as well as cell-mediated immune responses in animals, making them attractive as vaccines. Additional advantages of the phage platform include environmental stability, low cost, and safety for immunized animals and those administering the vaccines. Conclusion Filamentous phages are viable platforms for vaccine development that can be engineered with molecular and organismal specificity. Phage-based vaccines can be produced in abundance at low cost, are environmentally stable, and are immunogenic when administered via multiple routes. These features are essential for a contraceptive vaccine to be operationally practical in animal applications. Adaptability of the phage platform also makes it attractive for design of human immunocontraceptive agents.
Using the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) to Support Implementation of Social–Emotional Teaching Practices

The emphasis on social–emotional competence and its importance to positive academic and nonacademic outcomes has led to a focus on identifying and implementing effective practices for supporting young children’s social–emotional competence. Our work to identify, validate, and support the fidelity of implementation of evidence-based practices to promote young children’s social–emotional competence and to address challenging behavior has focused on the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social–Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children framework (Fox et al. in Infants Young Child 23:3–14, 2010; Hemmeter et al. in Sch Psychol Rev 35:583–601, 2006; Hemmeter et al., in: Buysse, Peisner-Feinberg (eds) Handbook of response-to-intervention in early childhood, Brookes, Baltimore, 2013). The implementation of the Pyramid Model practices to provide effective intervention that leads to meaningful child outcomes will require that practitioners are able to implement the practices with fidelity. Implementation science provides guidance on the “drivers” or key components that must be in place within a system to ensure the use of evidence-practices or interventions (Blase et al. in stages of implementation analysis: where are we? FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2013; Metz et al. in an integrated stage-based framework for implementation of early childhood programs and systems. OPRE Research Brief OPRE 201548, 2015). In this paper, we address competency drivers by describing an instrument that has been developed, validated, and used to measure the fidelity with which practitioners implement Pyramid Model practices. In addition, we describe the professional development intervention we have used to support teachers to implement the practices with fidelity. We focus on how a fidelity tool can be used to measure practice implementation as well as to guide professional development focused on the practices.
Rate Coefficient Measurements and Theoretical Analysis of the OH + (E)-CF3CH═CHCF3 Reaction

Rate coefficients, k, for the gas-phase reaction of the OH radical with (E)-CF3CH═CHCF3 ((E)-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluoro-2-butene, HFO-1336mzz(E)) were measured over a range of temperatures (211–374 K) and bath gas pressures (20–300 Torr; He, N2) using a pulsed laser photolysis–laser-induced fluorescence (PLP–LIF) technique. k1(T) was independent of pressure over this range of conditions with k1(296 K) = (1.31 ± 0.15) × 10–13 cm3 molecule–1 s–1 and k1(T) = (6.94 ± 0.80) × 10–13exp[−(496 ± 10)/T] cm3 molecule–1 s–1, where the uncertainties are 2σ, and the pre-exponential term includes estimated systematic error. Rate coefficients for the OD reaction were also determined over a range of temperatures (262–374 K) at 100 Torr (He). The OD rate coefficients were ∼15% greater than the OH values and showed similar temperature dependent behavior with k2(T) = (7.52 ± 0.44) × 10–13exp[−(476 ± 20)/T] and k2(296 K) = (1.53 ± 0.15) × 10–13 cm3 molecule–1 s–1. The rate coefficients for reaction 1 were also measured using a r...
LOCAL DENSITY APPROXIMATION (LDA) STUDY OF HIGH Tc SUPERCONDUCTORS: FIRST PRINCIPLES CALCULATIONS OF LATTICE STATICS, LATTICE DYNAMICS, AND NORMAL STATE TRANSPORT PROPERTIES OF La2CuO4

ABSTRACT The general potential linearized augmented plane wave (LAPW) method is used to determine the structural and vibrational properties of La2CuO4 within the framework of the LDA. The theoretically determined volume and c/a ratio are in excellent agreement with experiment. We find that the oxygen in plane breathing mode is stable, in agreement with experiment and contrary to previously published results. The observed tilt mode is predicted to be unstable, with a minimum at about the experimental distortion. Thus the tilt is not due to many-body interactions not present in LDA, as had been suggested earlier. Several X-point displacements have been studied, which allows us to identify the frequencies and eigenvectors of all modes coupled to the pure breathing mode. Several zone center modes are also calculated and found to be in very good agreement with experiment. The calculated normal state transport properties are found to be extremely anisotropic and generally in good agreement with single crystal data. This supports the view that normal Fermi-liquid behavior describes the ground state above Tc, a picture that has been discounted by some. These results demonstrate that the LDA is an excellent starting point for describing the ground state of the high temperature superconductors.
Ultrafast dynamics and spectral dependence of optical nonlinearities in doped semiconductors at epsilon-near-zero (Conference Presentation)

Materials where the real part of the permittivity is near zero are known to have interesting nonlinear optical properties such as enhanced harmonic generation and large nonlinear refraction (NLR). In particular, the NLR of highly doped semiconductors such as Indium Tin Oxide and Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide is enhanced in the near-infrared spectral regions, where the real part of the permittivity crosses zero, the precise wavelength of which can be tuned by controlling the doping level.. This is also known as the epsilon near zero (ENZ) regime, although the imaginary part of the permittivity is not necessarily small at this wavelength. In order to characterize these nonlinearities, we use the Beam-Deflection (BD) method to directly characterize the temporal dynamics and polarization dependence of the nondegenerate NLR and nonlinear absorption of doped semiconductors at ENZ. BD has sensitivity to induced optical path length as small as 1/20,000 of a wavelength, which enables us to resolve NLR in the presence of large nonlinear absorption backgrounds. The BD technique also allows separation of instantaneous bound electronic nonlinearities from non-instantaneous mechanisms such as the carrier redistribution effects that dominate in ENZ materials,. We can also study the dependence on relative polarization and incidence angle of excitation and probe waves. Our method also reveals the effect of tuning the wavelength of excitation or probe waves through ENZ separately and we find that that the strong wavelength dependence of nonlinearities around the ENZ point is quite different for pump and probe waves.
Risk of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Safety of Acetaminophen in Patients with Advanced Liver Disease.

Analgesic management oftentimes begins with the use of over‐the‐counter therapies, including NSAIDs and acetaminophen. There is a general apprehension that exists regarding acetaminophen use in patients with advanced liver disease given the association between acetaminophen overdose and acute liver failure. Yet it has been proven that short courses of acetaminophen with a maximum dosage of 2 g/day are safe and preferred for patients with advanced liver disease and without chronic alcohol abuse. NSAIDs are not recommended given an increased susceptibility to development of adverse effects related to COX‐1 inhibition. Patients with NASH cirrhosis are at increased CV risk and may require low‐dose ASA for secondary prevention of CV disease. Careful monitoring of potential renal‐related and GI side effects is required in this population.
Validity and prognostic significance of sperm protein 17 as a tumor biomarker for epithelial ovarian cancer: a retrospective study

Prior small studies have shown increased expression of sperm protein 17 (Sp17) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissue and suggest Sp17 as a potential biomarker for EOC. However, how Sp17 expression varies with histology, grade, and stage of EOC and its expression in other ovarian neoplasms has not been defined. It is unknown whether patients with EOC have elevated serum Sp17 levels or if Sp17 expression is associated with survival outcomes. The study included 982 patients with benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian neoplasms and normal ovary. There were 878 patients with tissue only, 39 with serum only, and 65 with matching serum and tissue. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining with anti-Sp17 antibody was performed on tissue specimens and the intensity scored as weak, moderate, or strong. A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure Sp17 sera concentrations. Sp17 expression was most commonly seen in serous cystadenomas (83%) and serous borderline tumors (100%). Of the 773 EOC specimens, 223 (30%) expressed Sp17. Grade and histology were significantly associated with Sp17 expression among EOC specimens (p < 0.001) on both univariate and multivariable analysis, with grade 1 serous adenocarcinomas showing the highest expression (51%). Sp17 expression was limited in other benign and non-epithelial malignant neoplasms. Neither Sp17 tissue expression nor serum concentration correlated with survival outcomes. Serum concentrations were higher in patients with Sp17 tissue expression, and the highest concentrations were noted among patients with serous and clear cell adenocarcinomas. Sp17 is highly expressed in benign, borderline, and low grade malignant serous ovarian neoplasms and can be quantified in serum. Sp17 expression may have diagnostic significance in this subset of patients.
Use of Box-Beam Bridges as Day Roosts by Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) in Texas

Bridges provide roost structures for bats in temperate regions of the US, including Texas, where Tadarida brasiliensis (Mexican Free-tailed Bats) are common occupants. In March 2018, we documented 1 Mexican Free-tailed Bat with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), in an artificial structure in Texas, thus making the ability to quantify their movements and occupancy critical for understanding WNS ecology. To determine which attributes influenced day-roosting activity by Mexican-Free-tailed Bats, we surveyed for roosting bats 70 box-beam bridges in 21 Texas counties and collected structural, weather, and landscape-characteristic data. We analyzed the data with a stepwise multiple logistic regression model to isolate variables significantly correlated with presence of day-roosting Mexican Freetailed Bats. Of 70 bridges sampled, 14 (20%) contained day-roosting Mexican Free-tailed Bats and 17 (24%) bridges had signs indicating bat use. In the best-fitting logistic regression model, bridge width, number of spans, and elevation had a positive influence on bat occupancy, whereas average temperature for the month of July 2016 negatively influenced bat occupancy. Bridge age also had a positive influence on bat occupancy, but the effect lessens in older bridges. These data show that structural and environmental characteristics are significant predictors of bridge use by Mexican Free-tailed Bats.
Seed and seedling traits have strong impacts on establishment of a perennial bunchgrass in invaded semi‐arid systems

Many restoration projects use seeds to found new populations, and understanding phenotypic traits associated with seedling establishment in disturbed and invaded communities is important for restoration efforts world‐wide. Focusing on the perennial grass Elymus elymoides, a native species common to sagebrush steppe communities in the Western United States, we asked if seed and seedling traits could predict field establishment. We collected seeds from 34 populations from the western Great Basin. In greenhouse studies, we measured variation in seed and seedling characteristics of wild populations and one cultivar. We also quantified abiotic conditions at the collection location and asked if these characteristics predicted survival and other fitness metrics at five planting sites. Planting sites were all near‐monocultures of the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum, and all sites experienced similar, below‐average precipitation during the experiment. Phenotypic traits were strongly correlated with performance across all sites, with remarkably high predictive power. Seeds from populations with longer roots, larger seeds and earlier emergence were significantly more likely to survive the first growing season (R² = 0.66, p < 0.0001). In contrast, while some abiotic variables at the collection location (e.g. 30‐year average summer precipitation and fall minimum temperatures) were associated with field performance at some sites, abiotic variables explained less variation in performance than traits (average R² = 0.22). Despite the low predictive power of abiotic variables, populations that performed best at each field site were from locations with climate variables similar to planting sites. Synthesis and applications. The best seed sources for restoration of Elymus elymoides in invaded sites were populations with longer roots, larger seeds and earlier emergence. These easily measured traits were strong predictors of survival in disturbed field sites. While the most successful populations were found in areas with similar abiotic conditions as planting sites, there was phenotypic variation even among populations originating from locations with similar conditions. Thus, our results indicate that abiotic conditions are important considerations when selecting seeds, but these conditions may not sufficiently predict which populations will establish. Understanding population differences in seedling functional traits can improve predictions of restoration success.
CGRP and headache: a brief review

The advent of anti-CGRP medications is an example of translational research made real. Pioneering research by Drs. Lars Edvinsson and Peter Goadsby has yielded the monoclonal antibody therapeutics and will likely also result in the gepants. The availability of MABs represents a watershed moment in the treatment of migraine. These medications have specificity, as they were designed for primary migraine prevention. They work across a group of wide therapeutic targets, episodic migraine, chronic migraine, medication-overuse headache, and episodic cluster headache. They separate from placebo within 1 week, and often show clinical effects within a month or less. They have tolerability similar to placebo. There has been no significant or worrisome safety signal thus far in their use. They manifest unprecedented responder rates at ≥ 75% and even 100%. They lower all acute medication use and can convert patients from chronic migraine to episodic migraine and from acute medication overuse to non-overuse. They work in patients who have already had lack of success with at least 2–4 previous preventive medications. Pent-up demand for designer, well-tolerated, and effective migraine preventive medication in the USA has resulted in more than 100,000 individual patients prescribed erenumab from May to December of 2018, and the numbers continue to increase. The preventive treatment of migraine in the USA has shifted dramatically, and is likely to do so in the rest of the world as well.
Prevalence, Levels, and Viability of Salmonella in and on Raw Chicken Livers.

We surveyed chicken livers from various sources for the presence and levels of Salmonella. The pathogen was recovered from 148 (59.4%) of 249 chicken livers purchased at retail stores in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania over about a 9-month period. Positive samples harbored Salmonella at levels of 6.4 most probable number (MPN)/g to 2.4 log CFU/g. The percentage of Salmonella-positive livers purchased at retail outlets in New Jersey (72%, 59 of 82 livers) was significantly higher (P 0.05) from that for livers purchased in Pennsylvania (57.6%, 53 of 92 livers). The pathogen was also recovered more often (P = 0.019) from livers that were packaged by retailers (81 of 121 livers, 66.9%) than from livers packaged directly by processors (67 of 128 livers, 52.3%). In related studies, 12 (5.8%) of 207 chicken livers harvested from birds on a research farm tested positive for Salmonella at levels of 0.4 to 2.2 MPN/g. The recovery rate of Salmonella was 4.4% (6 of 135 livers) from livers with the gall bladder attached and 8.3% (6 of 72 livers) from livers when the gall bladder was removed at harvest on the research farm. We also quantified the levels of a nine-strain cocktail (ca. 6.5 log CFU/g) of Salmonella strains inoculated externally onto or internally into livers both before and after extended cold storage. Storage for at least 2 days at 4°C or 15 days at -20°C resulted in a decrease of about 1.0 log CFU/g in pathogen levels. Given the relatively high recovery rate (ca. 6.0 to 60.0%) and high (possibly illness causing) levels (0.4 MPN/g to 2.4 CFU/g) of Salmonella associated with chicken livers in the present study, further interventions for processors are needed to lower the prevalence and levels of this pathogen on poultry liver.
One-day symposium – Isaac Julien: Playtime

Isaac Julien: Playtime is a major presentation of filmmaker and artist, Isaac Julien's work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In conjunction with of his 2014 installation film, Playt...
Dual plate fixation results in improved union rates in comminuted distal femur fractures compared to single plate fixation

Abstract Purpose The treatment of distal femur fractures with extensive metaphyseal comminution is frequently complicated by high rates of nonunion and varus collapse. Dual plating with lateral and medial locking plates for these types of fractures has shown promising results in the recent literature. We hypothesize that dual plating of comminuted distal femur fractures leads to higher union rates and lower revision rates compared to an isolated lateral locking plate. Methods A retrospective medical chart review between January 2015 and December 2017 was conducted. Inclusion criteria included patients 18 years of age and older who sustained a complex distal femur fracture (AO/OTA 33-C2/33-C3 or periprosthetic fracture with significant metaphyseal comminution) and at least 6 months of follow up. Patients with simple fracture patterns, alternative fixation methods, and inadequate follow up were excluded. All patients in the single plating group were treated with a lateral distal femoral locking plate using a lateral approach. In the patients treated with dual plating, an extensile parapatellar approach was utilized for fracture reduction and placement of an adjunctive medial plate. Demographic information, fracture types, injury severity score (ISS), medical comorbidities, type of surgical fixation, union rates, complications, knee range of motion, time to follow up, and need for revision surgery were extrapolated from the medical charts for analysis. Results Twenty-one patients were included in the study. Thirteen patients underwent single plate fixation and 8 underwent dual plate fixation. There were no significant differences in demographics, number of co-morbidities, fracture classification, or ISS between single and dual plate groups (p > 0.05 for all). There was a statistically significant difference in union rates between the single plate group (6 nonunions, 4 unions, and 3 delayed unions) and the dual plate group, with no nonunions or delayed unions (p = 0.0049). Although not statistically significant, 4 patients treated with single plating underwent revision ORIF, compared to none in the dual plating group (p = 0.13). There were no significant differences in time to follow up, time to full weight bearing, or infection rates (p > 0.1 for all). Conclusion Based on these results, the medial and lateral locked plating technique demonstrates a higher union rate, with possible lower rates of revision surgery, compared to a single lateral plate in highly comminuted distal femur fractures. Level of evidence Level 3. Retrospective Cohort Study.
Electron Microscopic Identification of Distant Metastatic Cell in Human Prostate Cancer in Tissue section

Abstract Mutation in chromatin/DNA/genes of stem cells is a prerequisite for the development of cancer in the benign prostate. Mutation imparts chronic proliferation advantage to invasive and metastatic cancer cells, but not in benign prostate. We hypothesize that identification of metastatic prostatic cancer (PC) cells in tissue sections can lead to an early diagnosis and treatment of patients, hopefully, reducing death due to this disease. We have tested our hypothesis using biopsy and/or radical prostatectomy specimens of untreated and DES (diethylstilbestrol)-treated prostate cancer and transmission electron microscopy. Materials and methods: Tissue samples embedded in Epon were thin sectioned and examined on RCA EMU 3 or 4 transmission electron microscope. Results: We have identified two types of PC stem cells. Invasive stem cell invades the adjacent stroma whereas metastatic cell, a lineage of stem cell, is dedifferentiated columnar/cuboidal cells. Metastatic cell is identified by nuclear plasticity (pleomorphic nucleus), loss of nuclear membranes, loss of boundary between nucleus and cytoplasm and presence of electron dense molecules. Nuclear chromatin/DNA appears as electron dense molecules which readily pass plasma and basement membranes and enter the capillary before adhering to the red cell surface. Electron dense molecules are found in capillary, undoubtedly, reach metastatic site (s). Discussion and conclusion: Chromatin/DNA are small molecules that can readily cross many barriers, unlike an individual cancer cell. We show that invasive a cell is stem cell and metastasis develops from dedifferentiated columnar/cuboidal nuclear electron dense molecules. This is the first study to cells characterize metastatic cell in tissue sections.
Peritoneal Metastases in Colorectal Cancer: Biology and Barriers

Advances in the molecular biology of tumor metastasis have paralleled the evolution in the management of metastatic disease from colorectal cancer. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the mechanism of colorectal cancer metastases, in particular that of peritoneal metastases, as well as clinical data on the treatment of this disease. A review of relevant English literature using MEDLINE/PubMed on the biology of colorectal cancer metastases, determinants of oligometastasis, and use of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer is presented. Recognition of oligometastasis in the evolution of colorectal peritoneal metastases provides the theoretical framework for which cytoreductive surgery with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is considered. Clearly, a subset of patients benefit from peritoneal metastasectomy. Advances in cancer biology and clinical imaging promise to expand the role of cytoreductive surgery with or without intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the management of peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer.
Protecting the Body, Possessing the Self: Construction and Consumption of Women's Clothing in Colonial Zanzibar

In colonial Zanzibar Town, women increasing involvement in the construction and consumption of their own clothing resulted in new ideas about their economic self-reliance and sexual autonomy. Traditionally, women clothing for the elite and middle classes was made by male tailors and bought by husbands for wives as part of spousal maintenance  in Islamic marriages. An elite Muslim woman clothing reflected her class status and, as a means to protect her body from public view, Islamic respectability. Most non-elite women wore kangas and other cloths that were mass-produced mainly by mainly Indian textile companies. I argue that once girls and women learned to sew in colonial schools and domestic science training programs, and women gained access to an independent income through this or other marketable or professional skills, they not only took over a male-dominated industry but also took on the husband role of purchasing their clothing. This shift coincided with greater adoption of Western fashions. As elsewhere, Zanzibari women clothing was a mark of religion, class, respectability, claims to or rejections of modernity, and urban or rural culture. Zanzibari women increasing involvement in the production and purchase of clothing shifts the debate from one about fashion to one about ownership of the self, understood both economically and sexually.
Abstract P114: Association of Psychosocial Wtress with Incident Coronary Heart Disease and All-cause Mortality among Low and High Income Individuals in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

Introduction: Stress may increase risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and death, especially for individuals living in poverty. Few prospective studies have examined the relationships between stre...
Progress or Setback: Revisiting the Current State of Assessment Practices of Black Children

The Larry P. v. Riles case highlighted the disproportional representation of Black students in special education and called for the need of fair and nondiscriminatory psychological and educational evaluations. Despite the longstanding ban of the use of cognitive assessments with Black children in the state of California, Black children continue to be overrepresented in special education across the USA and are more likely to receive subpar educational services and supports O'Connor and Fernandez (Educational Researcher 35(6):6–11, 2006); Graves and Ye (Journal of Black Psychology 43(2):192–213, 2017). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine current evaluation practices with Black children and to assess how current school psychologists account for cultural biases during the assessment process. School psychologists who practice in urban, suburban, and rural districts were surveyed regarding their demographic profiles, preparedness for assessing Black students, and current assessment practices. Results indicated several notable issues regarding the use of cognitive assessments with Black students including culturally bias test content and disproportionality.
Machine learning lattice constants from ionic radii and electronegativities for cubic perovskite $$A_{2}XY_{6}$$ A 2 X Y 6 compounds

Metal halide perovskites have attracted great attention in the past decade due to unique and tunable optical and electrical properties, which are promising candidates for various applications such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and laser cooling devices. For cubic perovskites, the lattice constant, a, representing the size of the unit cell, has a significant impact on the structural stability, bandgap structure, and thus materials performance. In this study, we develop the Gaussian process regression (GPR) model to shed light on the relationship among ionic radii, electronegativities, and lattice constants for cubic perovskite $$A_{2}XY_{6}$$ compounds. A total of 79 samples with lattice constants ranging from 8.109 to 11.790 $$\mathring{\rm A}$$ are examined. The model has a high degree of accuracy and stability, contributing to fast, robust, and low-cost estimations of lattice constants.
The Top 5 Predictable Effects of New Entries in Robinhood’s ‘100 Most Popular’ List

The trading app Robinhood maintains a list of the 100 stocks most widely held by its users. Using a novel dataset of stock popularity with Robinhood user, I focus on new securities that enter the list. I document the strong effect that salience of new Top 100 listing events has on the attention of Robinhood users, who are between 5 to 7 times likelier to buy these newly listed securities. The resulting demand causes a dramatic, though short-term price increase. A strategy that buys stocks a day after listing and sells them two days later, obtains a return of 458% over the period studied, compared with 24% generated by the market. This effect is mostly observed in smaller stocks, and is not accompanied by market-wide trading. Since retail investors tend to consume information available exclusively within their app or web site of choice, these apps wield increasingly more influence on how investors make trading decisions, even through means as simple as a list. As FinTech reduces trading costs and attracts users, this power can reach beyond the app's ecosystem to the market itself, to directly affecting asset prices.
Turgor-dependent and coronin-mediated F-actin dynamics drive septin disc-to-ring remodeling in the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

The fungus Magnaporthe oryzae uses a specialized pressure-generating infection cell called an appressorium to break into rice leaves and initiate disease. Appressorium functionality is dependent on the formation of a cortical septin ring during its morphogenesis, but precisely how this structure assembles is unclear. Here, we show that F-actin rings are recruited to the circumference of incipient septin disc-like structures in a pressure-dependent manner, and that this is necessary for their contraction and remodeling into rings. We demonstrate that the structural integrity of these incipient septin discs requires both an intact F-actin and microtubule cytoskeleton and provide fundamental new insight into their functional organization within the appressorium. Lastly, using proximity-dependent labeling, we identify the actin modulator coronin as a septin-proximal protein and show that F-actin-mediated septin disc-to-ring remodeling is perturbed in the genetic absence of coronin. Taken together, our findings provide new insight into the dynamic remodeling of infection-specific higher-order septin structures in a globally significant fungal plant pathogen.
Cooperative Clean Energy

The last decade has seen significant attention and debate among academics, policymakers, and the broader public about how to accelerate the “clean energy transition” in the United States. Legal academics have made valuable contributions to the literature in this field, developing a rich body of scholarship on a broad range of legal, policy, economic, and technological aspects of the clean energy transition. But this scholarship has for the most part ignored the role of rural electric cooperatives, which serve 15% of U.S. electricity consumers. This scholarship gap has important implications. Rural electric cooperatives, first created by local communities in the United States in the early part of the twentieth century to electrify rural America, now exclusively serve over half of the U.S. landmass. As such, these cooperatives are positioned to be key players in building land-intensive renewable energy resources and expanding the electric grid. And while cooperatives today own and operate fewer coal-fired power plants than they have in decades past, as not-for-profit entities, the drivers for cooperatives to retire existing carbon-intensive power plants and build new clean energy are fundamentally different than the drivers for other actors in the electricity sector shaped by profit motives. Understanding these differences is critical to avoid leaving rural America with billions of dollars of stranded assets that struggle to compete against low-cost clean energy. In this Article, we draw on the structure and foundational principles underlying the cooperative form itself to offer a framework for rural electric cooperatives to thrive in the clean energy transition. Notably, the proposals we develop in this Article do not primarily rely on imposing new federal or state clean energy mandates on cooperatives, as has been the focus of the limited legal scholarship that exists to date. The long history of Congress and state legislatures allowing cooperatives to “self-regulate” makes exclusive reliance on such mandates a limited solution at best. Instead, we draw on the seven “Cooperative Principles” that govern all cooperatives—open and voluntary membership; democratic member control; members’ economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training, and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community. Emphasis on these principles allows cooperatives to engage in the clean energy transition in a way that builds on their history and foundational principles as self-help organizations controlled by their members. Such an approach also recognizes the foundational role of member control within cooperatives, which has the potential to inform broader calls for increasing democratic accountability and racial and gender equity within the clean energy transition.
A Preliminary Investigation of Social Justice Perceptions Among U.S. Speech-Language Pathologists: Clinical Implications.

Purpose The purpose of this survey research is to provide preliminary data regarding speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceptions of the role that social justice (SJ) plays in their work. As o...
Sex and the State: Four Normative Traditions

Struggles over state policy on divorce, abortion, and family equality revolve around competing ideas of how state institutions should regulate citizen's intimate lives and relationships. Should the law uphold the husband's authority in marriage, or recognize equality between the sexes? Ought the family be protected through prohibitions on divorce, or does this violate the separation of Church and state? Must the law protect life at the moment of conception by forbidding abortion, or grant women the freedom to choose? These conflicting positions are not of recent vintage, but rooted in decades- and even centuries-old normative traditions offering distinct models of men and women's roles, reproduction and the family, and the appropriate use of state power. The normative traditions of gender and the state found in Roman Catholicism, liberalism, feminism, and socialism contextualize the political struggles depicted in this book. The agreements and disagreements among Catholicism, liberalism, feminism, and socialism helped frame gender policy debates and opposition to proposals for change. This chapter sketches the evolution of ideas about gender policy issues in four normative traditions of gender and the state and describes the historical development of Latin American civil and criminal codes. In many ways, these normative traditions resemble the “policy paradigms” described by Peter Hall in his analysis of competing approaches to economic management (1992, 1993). A policy paradigm consists of an overarching set of ideas about how problems are to be perceived, policy goals, and techniques to achieve these goals.
Password managers: attacks and defenses

We study the security of popular password managers and their policies on automatically filling in Web passwords. We examine browser built-in password managers, mobile password managers, and 3rd party managers. We observe significant differences in autofill policies among password managers. Several autofill policies can lead to disastrous consequences where a remote network attacker can extract multiple passwords from the user's password manager without any interaction with the user. We experiment with these attacks and with techniques to enhance the security of password managers. We show that our enhancements can be adopted by existing managers.
A method for generating random circuits and its application to routability measurement

FPLD architectures are often designed based on the results of experiments with "typical" benchmark circuits. For very large FPLDs, it may be difficult to obtain enough benchmark circuits to accurately evaluate an architecture. In this paper, we present a method for generating large random circuits with a fixed number of inputs, outputs, blocks, pins per cell, and approximate rent exponent. The circuits generated are used to evaluate several routability measures. We find that routability is best predicted by estimating the total wirelength in the circuit, not the mean wirelength times pins per cell.
Caregiver-Environment Scale: Assessing the Quality of Center-Based Infant Care

INTRODUCTION agree on presence of specified features of the infant’s milieu (e.g., environmental indicators), and (c) do indiDaily experiences have a profound effect on infant viduals affiliated with center-based infant care programs development. As the number of dual-parent employment perceive items on CES to be appropriate measures of rises, concurrent with an increase in single-parent famicaregiver–infant interactions and of an infant’s surlies, infant experiences increasingly occur in nonfamilial roundings? settings (Neugebauer, 1992). Accompanying this increase has been protracted debate over effects of nonfamilial infant care on children’s development (Belsky, METHOD 1986; Clarke-Stewart, 1988; Lamb & Sternberg, 1990), Subjects not as a homogeneous treatment but rather a complex experience influenced by many variables (Lamb & The CES examines both the characteristics of infant care personnel and the facility in which this center-based Sternberg, 1990). It appears that the quality of certain environmental and process variables affects later child care occurs. Participants in the study were 15 caregivers in nine private facilities providing care to infants. To be development. Yet, because environmental features are easier to assess, these are all too often the sole focus of included in the study, caregivers had to meet two criteria: (a) be a caregiver in a facility licensed by the Pennregulations and evaluations while more important process variables are neglected. Therefore, an instrument sylvania Department of Welfare, and (b) provide care to infants between the ages of 6 weeks and 12 months. that can identify many important factors and assesses their quality in infant care centers seems critical. An The physical context in which care occurred (i.e., center characteristics) was also assessed. overview of the development and field-testing of such an instrument, the Caregiver-Environment Scale (CES; Capone, Oren, & Neisworth, 1995) follows. Instrument and Observer’s Manual Development
Bacteriophage T7 DNA ejection into cells is initiated by an enzyme-like mechanism

Summary In a normal infection about 850 bp of the bacteriophage T7 genome is ejected into the cell, the remainder of the genome is internalized through transcription by Escherichia coli and then T7 RNA polymerase. Rates of T7 DNA internalization by the E. coli enzyme in vivo are constant across the whole genome. As expected for an enzyme-catalysed reaction, rates vary with temperature and can be fitted to Arrhenius kinetics. Phage virions containing a mutant gp16, a protein known to be ejected from the phage capsid into the cell at the initiation of infection, allow complete entry of the T7 genome in the absence of transcription. The kinetics of DNA ejection from such a mutant virion into the bacterial cytoplasm have also been measured at different temperatures in vivo. Between 15 and 43°C the entire 40 kb T7 genome is translocated into the cell at a constant rate that is characteristic for each temperature, and the temperature-dependence of DNA translocation rates can be fitted to Arrhenius kinetics. The data are consistent with the idea that transcription-independent DNA translocation from the T7 virion is also enzyme-catalysed. The proton motive force is necessary for this mode of DNA translocation, because collapsing the membrane potential while the T7 genome is entering the cell abruptly halts further DNA transfer.
Main concepts for three different discourse tasks in a large non-clinical sample

Background: Semi-spontaneous speech production tasks are commonly elicited to assess discourse ability. When knowledge of a topic, story, or event is shared, it is possible to gauge the informativeness of discourse by evaluating how accurately and completely an individual produces the concepts considered to be essential to the shared topic. This analysis, main concept analysis (MCA), quantifies the degree to which speakers are able to communicate the overall gist of an event. Though MCA is an easy-to-perform, informative, and reliable measure of discourse adequacy, its widespread adoption depends on the development of standardisation and normative reference. Given the large collection of control discourse transcripts available on the AphasiaBank database, it is possible to generate main concept lists based upon a large sample of control speakers and to characterise their performance to establish preliminary normative reference.Aims: The first aim of this study was to develop main concept checklists drawn ...
Molecular and genetic features of myelodysplastic syndromes.

Summary Multifactorial pathogenetic features underlying myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) relate to inherent abnormalities within the hematopoietic precursor cell population. The predominant final common pathogenetic pathway causing ineffective hematopoiesis in MDS has been the varying degrees of apoptosis of the hematopoietic precursors and their progeny. A variety of molecular abnormalities have been demonstrated in MDS. These lesions are attributable to nonrandom cytogenetic and oncogenic mutations, indicative of chromosomal and genetic instability, transcriptional RNA splicing abnormalities, and epigenetic changes. Evolutionary cytogenetic changes may occur during the course of the disorder, which are associated with disease progression. These genetic derangements reflect a multistep process believed to underlie the transformation of MDS to acute myeloid leukemia. Recent findings provide molecular insights into specific gene mutations playing major roles for the development and clinical outcome of MDS and their propensity to progress to a more aggressive stage. Use of more comprehensive and sensitive methods for molecular profiling using ‘next-generation’ sequencing techniques for MDS marrow cells will likely further define critical biologic lesions underlying this spectrum of diseases.
Comparing Academic Backgrounds and Career Aspirations of Education and Non Education Majors

Questions concerning the abilities and background experiences of prospective teachers dominate the recent professional litera ture. Book, Freeman and Brousseau shed additional light on this topical area. A comparison of the academic and social back grounds and the bases for career decisions of teaching and non- teaching majors at a major university indicates that students choosing teaching as a career (a) are as academically competent as their non-teaching counterparts (b) are more concerned about helping others and (c) are less concerned about salaries.
Review : Metabolic Imaging: A Window on Brain Development and Plasticity

Various biochemical and physiological processes that undergo maturational changes during human brain development can be now studied in vivo using PET. The distribution of local cerebral glucose utilization shows regional alterations in the first year of life in agreement with behavioral, neurophysiological, and anatomical changes known to occur during development of the infant. Measurement of the absolute rates of glucose utilization with PET reveals that during the major portion of the first decade, the human brain has a higher energy (glucose) demand compared with both the newborn and adult brains. With adolescence, glucose utilization rates decline to reach adult values by age 16-18 years. This nonlinear course of cerebral glucose 'metabolic' maturation is also seen in a number of animal models and coincides with the develop mental course of transient synaptic exuberance associated with enhanced brain plasticity and efficient learn ing. Evidence of brain reorganization detected with PET is discussed in...
Crossed immunoelectrophoresis from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels into antibody-containing agarose: An improved method for evaluation of the number of immunochemical determinants in polypeptides, with reference to spectrin

Abstract A simple method is described for performing crossed immunoelectrophoresis into antibody-containing agarose when the first-dimension gel contains peptides separated by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. Artifacts produced by sodium dodecyl sulfate are avoided by incorporation of Triton X-100 in the agarose layer. Peptides are located by prestaining (before SDS-acrylamide electrophoresis) with the cycloheptylamylose complex of fluorescamine. Injection of ink into prestained peptide bands produces a line extending from the peptide band location to its precipitin arc, thereby allowing unambiguous assignment of arcs to peptides in situations where peptide bands are not widely separated. The utility of this procedure is illustrated for the erythrocyte membrane protein spectrin.
Integration of flexibility and control in process design

Abstract Most design or retrofit focuses on cost savings as the objective. We treat instead two simultaneous noncompatible objectives: cost and flexibility, in the design of a process that must be controllable under future uncertainties. By use of an index of operational flexibility and Pareto decision theory, a biobjective problem is solved that yields and economical and flexible design. Evaluation of a sequence of possible critical input variables can be carried out based on a sensitivity analysis of the Lebesque measure of the feasible region of operation with respect to the input, control, and design variables.
A randomized controlled trial of continuous activity, short bouts, and a 10,000 step guideline in inactive adults

Abstract Objective Although several studies have examined the effect of accumulated bouts on health outcomes, the impact of recommending short bouts on activity-related behavior in health promotion efforts has received minimal investigation. Method During this 5-week study in 2007–2008, 43 university employees (8 male, 35 female) in the Southeastern United States were randomly assigned to a group recommended to achieve (a) 10,000 steps (10 K), (b) 30-minutes (30 min) of continuous physical activity, or (c) 30-minutes of activity in bouts of at least 10 minutes (bouts). Results and conclusions Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the 10 K group showed the largest increase in step counts whereas the bouts group showed the smallest change over the intervention period, p = 0.01. Condition differences were most pronounced on days in which participants met their activity recommendation. Accelerometer results revealed that the 10 K ( d = 1.1) and 30 min groups ( d = 0.89) showed large increases in minutes of moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), whereas the bouts group showed minimal change ( d = 0.11). Although activity recommendations did not differentially affect self-efficacy, participants from all conditions showed decreased self-efficacy across the intervention ( p = 0.02), highlighting the need to develop strategies to increase self-efficacy in activity promotion efforts.