cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Muscle on a chip: in vitro contractility assays for smooth and striated muscle.

article i nfo Introduction: To evaluate the viability of a muscle tissue, it is essential to measure the tissue's contractile performance as well as to control its structure. Accurate contractility data can aid in development of more ef- fective and safer drugs. This can be accomplished with a robust in vitro contractility assay applicable to var- ious types of muscle tissue. Methods: The devices developed in this work were based on the muscular thin film (MTF) technology, in which an elastic film is manufactured with a 2D engineered muscle tissue on one side. The tissue template is made by patterning extracellular matrix with microcontact printing. When muscle cells are seeded on the film, they self-organize with respect to the geometric cues in the matrix to form a tissue. Results: Several assays based on the "MTF on a chip" technology are demonstrated. One such assay incorporates the contractility assay with striated muscle into a fluidic channel. Another assay platform in- corporates the MTFs in a multi-well plate, which is compatible with automated data collection and analysis. Fi- nally, we demonstrate the possibility of analyzing contractility of both striated and smooth muscle simultaneously on the same chip. Discussion: In this work, we assembled an ensemble of contractility assays for striated and smooth muscle based on muscular thin films. Our results suggest an improvement over current methods and an alternative to isolated tissue preparations. Our technology is amenable to both primary har- vests cells and cell lines, as well as both human and animal tissues.
Potential of anticytokine therapies in central nervous system ischaemia.

Central nervous system (CNS) ischaemia is associated with an acute inflammatory response which appears to potentiate CNS injury, especially following reperfusion. This response includes the release of inflammatory mediators called cytokines including IL-1 and TNF-α, which triggers the production of additional cytokines including IL-6 and activates leukocytes which infiltrate into the CNS. Increased expression of cytokines has been demonstrated to occur in the first few hours after CNS ischaemia. Preliminary clinical studies suggest that plasma levels of IL-6 are correlated with functional recovery while brain levels of cytokines have been demonstrated to increase following experimental ischaemia. Although there are no current clinical ‘anti-cytokine’ treatment studies for stroke, experimental studies modulating IL-1 and TNF-α have shown neuroprotection.
Measurement of Drug Displacement by Continuous Ultrafiltration

Adaptation of the continuous ultrafiltration technique to allow precise measurement of the displacement of one ligand by another from binding sites on human serum albumin is described. The displacement of sodium urate and methyl orange by sodium salicylate is demonstrated with analysis of the number of binding sites and association constants for these reactions.
Optimal enhancement of immune response

MOTIVATION: Therapeutic enhancement of innate immune response to microbial attack is addressed as the optimal control of a dynamic system. Interactions between an invading pathogen and the innate immune system are characterized by four non-linear, ordinary differential equations that describe rates of change of pathogen, plasma cell, and antibody concentrations, and of an indicator of organic health. Without therapy, the dynamic model evidences sub-clinical or clinical decay, chronic stabilization, or unrestrained lethal growth of the pathogen; the response pattern depends on the initial concentration of pathogens in the simulated attack. In the model, immune response can be augmented by therapeutic agents that kill the pathogen directly, that stimulate the production of plasma cells or antibodies, or that enhance organ health. A previous paper demonstrated open-loop optimal control solutions that defeat the pathogen and preserve organ health, given initial conditions that otherwise would be lethal (Stengel et al. (2002)). Therapies based on separate and combined application of the agents were derived by minimizing a quadratic cost function that weighted both system response and control usage, providing implicit control over harmful side effects. RESULTS: We demonstrate the ability of neighboring-optimal feedback control to account for a range of unknown initial conditions and persistent input of pathogens by adjusting the therapy to account for perturbations from the nominal-optimal response history. We examine therapies that combine open-loop control of one agent with closed-loop control of another. We show that optimal control theory points the way toward new protocols for treatment and cure of human diseases. CONTACT: stengel@princeton.edu; rghiglia@princeton.edu; nkulkarn@princeton.edu
Unusual Holocene and late Pleistocene carbonate sedimentation in Bear Lake, Utah and Idaho, USA

Bear Lake (Utah–Idaho, USA) has been producing large quantities of carbonate minerals of varying mineralogy for the past 17,000 years. The history of sedimentation in Bear Lake is documented through the study of isotopic ratios of oxygen, carbon, and strontium, percent organic carbon, percent CaCO3, X-ray diffraction mineralogy, HCl-leach inorganic geochemistry, and magnetic properties on samples from three piston cores. Historically, the Bear River, the main source of water for Great Salt Lake, did not enter Bear Lake until it was artificially diverted into the lake at the beginning of the 20th century. However, during the last glacial interval, the Bear River did enter Bear Lake depositing red, calcareous, silty clay. About 18,000 years ago, the Bear River became disconnected from Bear Lake. A combination of warmer water, increased evaporation, and increased organic productivity triggered the precipitation of calcium carbonate, first as calcite. As the salinity of the lake increased due to evaporation, aragonite began to precipitate about 11,000 years ago. Aragonite is the dominant mineral that accumulated in bottom sediments of the lake during the Holocene, comprising an average of about 70 wt.% of the sediments. Aragonite formation in a large, cold, oligotrophic, high latitude lake is highly unusual. Lacustrine aragonite usually is found in small, saline lakes in which the salinity varies considerably over time. However, Bear Lake contains endemic ostracodes and fish, which indicate that the chemistry of the lake has remained fairly constant for a long time. Stable isotope data from Holocene aragonite show that the salinity of Bear Lake increased throughout the Holocene, but never reached highly evolved values of y 18 O in spite of an evaporation-dominated water balance. Bear Lake hydrology combined with evaporation created an unusual situation that produced large amounts of aragonite, but no evaporite minerals. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Jevons's Applications of Utilitarian Theory to Economic Policy*

The precise nature of W. S. Jevons's utilitarianism as a guiding rule for economic policy has yet to be investigated, and that will be the first issue treated in this paper. While J. A. Schumpeter, for instance, asserted that ‘some of the most prominent exponents of marginal utility’ (including Jevons), were ‘convinced utilitarians’, he did not investigate the further implications for Jevons's policy analysis.
Generalized averaging method for power conversion circuits

A more general averaging procedure that encompasses state-space averaging and that is potentially applicable to a much broader class of circuits and systems is presented. Examples of its application in resonant and PWM power convertors are presented. The technique is shown to be effective on a number of examples. including resonant type converters. The approach offers refinements to the theory of state-space averaging, permitting a framework for analysis and design when small ripple conditions do not hold. The method may find applications in simulation and design since it is considerably easier to simulate an averaged model than a switched model. >
DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF VERSICON BLENDED IN POLY(VINYL CHLORIDE)

The direct current (dc) electrical conductivity of the conducting polymer VersiconTM blended in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was measured from 25 K to 310 K. The data were fitted to various electrical transport models, and the best fit was found with the fluctuation-induced tunneling model, suggesting that tunneling dominates in the mode of electron transport at low temperatures. The parameters, T1 and T0 from the fluctuation-induced tunneling model, were found to be 625 K and 129 K, respectively. The interparticle distance was estimated to be about 13 A. At higher temperatures, the plot of the log of resistivity versus the reciprocal of the temperature was linear, indicating that thermally activated hopping dominated the mode of electrical transport at these temperatures. The results support earlier findings that VersiconTM forms continuous aggregates in blends. The results also support growing evidence in the literature that these types of aggregate formation tend to strongly influence the mode of electrical transport in composites.
The synthesis of cartilage collagen by rabbit and human chondrocytes in primary cell culture

This report describes a method for preparing primary cell cultures of differentiated rabbit sternal and human vertebral cartilage cells. These cell cultures were shown to synthesize primarily α1 chains, which is taken to mean that at least 82% of the collagen produced is cartilage specific collagen (type II).
From Themes to Hypotheses Following Up With Quantitative Methods

One important category of mixed-methods research designs consists of quantitative studies that follow up on qualitative research. In this case, the themes that serve as the results from the qualitative methods generate hypotheses for testing through the quantitative methods. That process requires operationalization to translate the concepts from the qualitative themes into quantitative variables. This article illustrates these procedures with examples that range from simple operationalization to the evaluation of complex models. It concludes with an argument for not only following up qualitative work with quantitative studies but also the reverse, and doing so by going beyond integrating methods within single projects to include broader mutual attention from qualitative and quantitative researchers who work in the same field.
Measurement of vascular volume fraction and blood‐tissue permeability constants with a pharmacokinetic model: Studies in rat muscle tumors with dynamic Gd‐DTPA enhanced MRI

We propose a compartmental model to explain the signal enhancement curves following the bolus injection of Gd-DTPA. The model incorporates vascular volume fraction contribution, and the possibility of having different transport constants between the plasma and extravascular components. A Walker 256 carcinoma grown in rat muscle was used to demonstrate the capability of this model. Several different types of tissues were included in the measurements: normal, quickly enhanced, slowly enhanced, and necrotic tissues. Blood volume and blood-tissue permeability information can be derived from the dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI study employing the proposed model. In the tissue contrast enhancement curve, the initial rising slope after injection is related to the blood volume (or, vascular volume fraction), the maximum enhancement ratio is related to the uptake of tissue, and the decay rate is related to the clearance of tracer from tissue. The measured permeability constant is not the conventional permeability; instead they are contrast agents uptake and clearance rates, which are limited by the blood perfusion. These parameters can be used to characterize different enhancement patterns.
Leveraging Advanced Process Control (APC) technology in developing Predictive Maintenance (PdM) systems

Predictive Maintenance (PdM) systems use process and equipment state information to predict when a tool or a particular component in a tool might need maintenance. PdM systems can be realized cost-effectively by leveraging Advanced Process Control (APC) technologies and infrastructure. APC data collection infrastructure can provide the state information necessary for prediction. APC fault detection systems contain necessary algorithms to identify features important to prediction, including tool health. In leveraging APC systems in a reusable and reconfigurable way, cost-effective PdM systems can be realized as part of existing fab infrastructure, leading to lower unscheduled downtimes, reduced mean-time-to-repair, reduced scrap, and increased life of components and consumables.
Heavy minerals in sediment-transportation studies

In addition to quartz and feldspar, most river-sands contain minor amounts of magnetite, ilmenite, pyroxene, garnet or other minerals of greater density than quartz and feldspar. The presence of these “heavy” minerals—particularly magnetite and ilmenite—may be indicated by dark-colored concentrates on top of bed-ripples, or by dark-colored layers within deposits of sand. Such minerals have been entirely neglected in studies of sediment-transportation in natural rivers and as parts of mixtures in flume-investigations. Because heavy minerals are subject to the same hydraulic conditions as the lighter minerals with which they are associated, they provide a means by which the influence of specific gravity (and shape) on the transportation of medium and fine sand may be investigated. A range in specific gravity from 5.2 to 3.1 will be commonly available.
P5L mutation in Ank results in an increase in extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate during proliferation and nonmineralizing hypertrophy in stably transduced ATDC5 cells

Ank is a multipass transmembrane protein that regulates the cellular transport of inorganic pyrophosphate. In the progressive ankylosis (ank) mouse, a premature termination mutation at glutamic acid 440 results in a phenotype characterized by inappropriate deposition of basic calcium phosphate crystals in skeletal tissues. Mutations in the amino terminus of ANKH, the human homolog of Ank, result in familial calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease. It has been hypothesized that these mutations result in a gain-of-function with respect to the elaboration of extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate. To explore this issue in a mineralization-competent system, we stably transduced ATDC5 cells with wild-type Ank as well as with familial chondrocalcinosis-causing Ank mutations. We evaluated the elaboration of inorganic pyrophosphate, the activity of pyrophosphate-modulating enzymes, and the mineralization in the transduced cells. Expression of transduced protein was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR and by ELISA. Levels of inorganic pyrophosphate were measured, as were the activities of nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase. We also evaluated the expression of markers of chondrocyte maturation and the nature of the mineralization phase elaborated by transduced cells. The cell line expressing the proline to leucine mutation at position 5 (P5L) consistently displayed higher levels of extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate and higher phosphodiesterase activity than the other transduced lines. During hypertrophy, however, extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate levels were modulated by alkaline phosphatase activity in this cell system, resulting in the deposition of basic calcium phosphate crystals only in all transduced cell lines. Cells overexpressing wild-type Ank displayed a higher level of expression of type X collagen than cells transduced with mutant Ank. Other markers of hypertrophy and terminal differentiation, such as alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin, and runx2, were not significantly different in cells expressing wild-type or mutant Ank in comparison with cells transduced with an empty vector or with untransduced cells. These results suggest that the P5L Ank mutant is capable of demonstrating a gain-of-function with respect to extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate elaboration, but this effect is modified by high levels of expression of alkaline phosphatase in ATDC5 cells during hypertrophy and terminal differentiation, resulting in the deposition of basic calcium phosphate crystals.
The Effect on Yolk Color of Various Ingredients in Poultry Feeds

Abstract VARIATIONS in egg yolk color are of economic importance to the commercial poultryman. Because of rigid egg grading and candling practices, there is a demand for eggs with uniform-colored yolks for discriminating markets. This, together with the occasional necessity for the poultryman to vary his laying ration, makes it desirable that he know the effect of the various in gradients of his laying ration on the yolk color of the eggs produced. It was the purpose of this investigation to study these relationship. REVIEW OF LITERATURE From time to time, during the past three decades some investigational work pertaining to the problem of egg yolk color has been reported Dryden (1905) reported the production of highly colored egg yolks by feeding green alfalfa. Before this, it had been frequently observed that yellow corn produced a rich, golden yellow, egg yolk. Palmer and Kempster (1919) fed various rations to individual hens . . .
Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Kinetics Demonstrate Long Range Allosteric Effects of Thumb Site 2 Inhibitors of Hepatitis C Viral RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase

New nonnucleoside analogs are being developed as part of a multi-drug regimen to treat hepatitis C viral infections. Particularly promising are inhibitors that bind to the surface of the thumb domain of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B). Numerous crystal structures have been solved showing small molecule non-nucleoside inhibitors bound to the hepatitis C viral polymerase, but these structures alone do not define the mechanism of inhibition. Our prior kinetic analysis showed that nonnucleoside inhibitors binding to thumb site-2 (NNI2) do not block initiation or elongation of RNA synthesis; rather, they block the transition from the initiation to elongation, which is thought to proceed with significant structural rearrangement of the enzyme-RNA complex. Here we have mapped the effect of three NNI2 inhibitors on the conformational dynamics of the enzyme using hydrogen/deuterium exchange kinetics. All three inhibitors rigidify an extensive allosteric network extending >40 A from the binding site, thus providing a structural rationale for the observed disruption of the transition from distributive initiation to processive elongation. The two more potent inhibitors also suppress slow cooperative unfolding in the fingers extension-thumb interface and primer grip, which may contribute their stronger inhibition. These results establish that NNI2 inhibitors act through long range allosteric effects, reveal important conformational changes underlying normal polymerase function, and point the way to the design of more effective allosteric inhibitors that exploit this new information.
Development and Assessment of Next-Generation Nanoelectromechanical Switch Contact Materials*

 Abstract—The deficiency of existing electrical contact materials is currently a significant impediment to the commercialization of nanoelectromechanical (NEM) contact switches - a low power "beyond CMOS technology". NEM switches utilizing traditional metallic electrical contact materials, even those composed of inert, noble metals such as Au and Pt, demonstrate premature failure due either to their adhesiveness, or to catalytic activity leading to buildup of insulating interfacial contaminants. Commercially viable NEM switches demand novel contact materials along with efficient methods to evaluate the performance of these materials. This study highlights the development of one promising switch contact material: platinum silicide (PtxSi) thin films formed from a-Si and Pt precursors. Using CMOS-compatible fabrication methods, the stoichiometry of these silicide films was varied between PtSi and a Pt2Si/Pt3Si mixture by controlling the thickness of the precursor a-Si and Pt films. The stoichiometry had a significant impact on the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the films. Pt-rich silicides demonstrated metallic surface conductivity while electrical contact conductance was reduced with higher Si film content. We then present a novel, high-throughput electrical contact screening method using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to cycle nanoscale electrical contacts for up to two billion contact cycles under NEM switch-like conditions. The ability of this technique to resolve degradation of nanoscale Pt-Pt interfaces is demonstrated and, along with its ease of adoption, motivates future interrogation of PtxSi and other promising switch contact materials using this method.
Massive Hemorrhage during Percutaneous Transhepatic Portal Vein Thrombolysis.

Interventional radiologists are fortunate that continuous development and improvement of new devices and technologies allow expansion of minimally invasive procedures. With new device implementation, there is a responsibility of the operator to fully understand the device design and utilization for procedure effectiveness and efficiency, and most importantly for patient safety. Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is associated with portal hypertension, and definitively portends differences in patient prognosis and management. In the setting of PVT, portal vein thrombolysis is an effective technique for treating thrombosis, improving prognosis, and expanding options for management, but comes with associated risks, the most concerning of which is periprocedural bleeding.
Cyclical Changes in Numbers of Moths and Larvae of the Peach Twig Borer in California

Moth flight patterns or the peach twig borer (Anarsia lineatella Zeller), as well as the movements of larval broods into and out of foliage. fruits, and bark were studied during 1960 in two almond orchards in California. Three flights of moths were detected by means of a new sampling technique. The first flight, composed of moths resulting from the over wintered larvae, lasted from mid-April until early June. The second, composed of moths derived from first generation or May brood larvae, lasted from mid-June until late July. The third, which was much more pronounced than either of the two earlier flights, lasted from mid-August. until October. The ability to sample moth populations presents possibilities for estimating levels of infestation and predieting impending crop loss. It is known that during the spring and summer some larvae enter the hark and construct summer hibernacula. This study indicates that larvae which entered the bark during May, June, and July remained only temporarily. By the end of July most of these returned to the actively feeding stage. Larvae which entered hark during August and September remained through the winter. The data suggest that larvae which form temporary hibernacula early in the growing season are a possible source of infestation in stone-fruit orchards during the mid-summer harvest season.
Myotis occultus and Myotis yumanensis Breeding in New Mexico

There appears to be no record in the literature of the breeding of Myotis occultus . Cockrum (Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 58 : 495, 1955) listed none, nor have I found any other reference. A pregnant …
GENETIC VARIABILITY IN REPRODUCTION RATES IN MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON POPULATIONS.

The amount of genetic variability within interbreeding populations has been an important concern for population geneticists and evolutionary biologists ever since Chetverikov (1926), Fisher (1930), Wright (1931), and Haldane (1932) discussed the potential relationship between genetic variability and evolutionary change. All individual organisms are different from each other to some degree, of course. But it is often unclear and difficult to determine how much of the variability observed is caused by environmental and developmental differences and how much is the result of genetic differences. In this study, the problem of separating environmental and genetic influences upon phenotypic variability is avoided by measuring the reproduction rates of all the different genotypes in exactly the same environment. A number of other requirements must also be met, however, to confirm that the differences in fitness that are observed in the same environment are indeed genetic in origin. 1. The first requirement is that the organisms must be fully acclimated to the experimental environment. It has been found that phytoplankton take approximately five to 20 asexual generations to acclimate (Brand et al., 198 la). Thus, the same genotype must be maintained for a number of generations to achieve complete acclimation. 2. The same genotype must be maintained in a constant environment and its fitness measured for a number of generations to confirm that the genotype reproduces at a constant rate in a constant en-
Study on Cultivation of Students' Social Development in Physical Education

Proceeding from the concept of social development,this paper analyzes the research findings on the social development of students in pegadogy,psychology and physical education,and compares the content of students' social development,social adaption in Syllabus for Physical Education,Curriculum Criterion for Physical Education and Health in China and National Physical Criterion:Guidance of Content and Evaluation in America.It is suggested that establishing a harmonious social relationship with a good companion in school sports,setting the scene of specific activities to cultivate the quality of bravery,and stimulating the students' positive guide with the teachers' modeling,strengthening and teaching function,so as to effectively promote the students' social development.
On the university service for the sustainable development

The university should embody its value service for the sustainable development in the process of fulfilling the primary task.At present,the task of the university is to improve the broadcast in order to make the students(bachelors,masters and doctors) and alumna(elites and leaders of all walkks of life) emphasize the recognition of the sustainable development.Therefore,we can achieve the unity of scientific development view.
Antimicrobial activity of human ascitic fluid.

To define the role of humorally mediated antimicrobial activity of human ascitic fluid, bactericidal assays as well as quantitation of complement components (C'3 and C'4), total hemolytic complement, immunoglobulins (IgG, A, and M), and lysozyme were performed on cell-free ascitic fluid from 7 patients with Laennec's cirrhosis. Assays using Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae showed bactericidal activity for both organisms in four fluids and bacteriostatic activity for E. coli in one. All seven fluids were bacteriostatic for Bacteroides fragilis, however, no inhibitory activity was seen for either Streptococcus pneumoniae or Streptococcus faecalis. The effect of heat, zymosan, and ethylene glycol bis(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) was also tested on three bactericidal specimens. Heat and zymosan abolished bactericidal activity; in contrast, EGTA had no effect. Bactericidal fluids had significantly higher C'3 concentrations (mean ± sem, 29.7 ± 2.4 mg per dl versus 15.3 ± 2.2 mg per dl, P
Time-Dependence in Materials

The last ten or fifteen years have seen some highly significant changes in what needs to, and what can be, achieved in the area of the characterization of materials with time-dependent mechanical properties. On the one hand we have seen a tremendous increase in the use and variety of materials with time-dependent properties such as composites and semi-crystalline engineering materials, as well as the development and application of multiphase materials (e. g., block and graft copolymers, and polyblends), requiring new or improved methods of characterization. On the other hand, there have been notable advances in the availability and sophistication of state-of-the-art sensors, and of methods of data acquisition and manipulation. It appears that the need for better characterization has not been universally recognized, and that, consequently, the possibilities for implementing it have not been fully exploited. The lecture examines these issues and suggests some new-old approaches.
Gastroenterology: Intestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in infants and children is a fairly common problem, and it could be related to several clinical pathology according to patient age; however, it is usually limited in volume allowing time for diagnosis and treatment. One of the most frequent causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in pediatrics is Meckel’s diverticulum.
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation for Identifying Transcription Factor Targets in Keratinocytes

Protein-DNA interactions, such as those that are necessary for transcription, are critical in regulating cellular function and behavior. The identification of DNA sequences that interact with transcriptional regulatory proteins is an important step necessary to better understand the molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is one such procedure that provides a snapshot of which transcription factors are occupying specific DNA sequences. This method allows one not only to determine whether a particular genomic region is occupied by transcription factors but also to identify specific regulatory sequences that potentially control expression of their target genes. Recently, ChIP has been combined with both microarray analysis and a new generation of sequencing allowing a true genome-wide examination of transcription factor binding. Identifying the exact DNA sequence that a transcriptional regulatory protein binds, the precise timing of this association, and what other factors are involved in these interactions are important steps that will shed light on the transcriptional control mechanisms that dictate the biology of all cells, including keratinocytes.
Revision of Odontophotopsis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Part 1, with a description of a new Genus Laminatilla

This study presents part 1 of a revision of Odontophotopsis Viereck (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) and includes the cockerelli, dentifera, exogyra, hexadonta, quadridentata, setifera, tenuiptera, and unicornis species-groups sensu Schuster (1958), representing 14 species. This revision also includes the sonora species-group, which contains Odontophotopsis sonora (Schuster), new comb., and the villosa species-group, which is newly defined and contains O. villosa Mickel. Odontophotopsis polis, sp. nov., is described from Baja California and is placed in the O. dentifera species-group. Odontophotopsis mexicana, sp. nov., and O. costaricensis, sp. nov., are described from Mexico and Costa Rica, respectively, and are placed in the O. tenuiptera species-group. A neotype is designated for O. unicornis Schuster. Keys are provided to the Odontophotopsis species-groups and to the species in these species-groups, where appropriate. Odontophotopsis (Periphotopsis) mamata Schuster is placed in the O. parva species-group and Periphotopsis is a junior synonym of Odontophotopsis. Odontophotopsis rubriventris (Schuster), new comb., was previously placed in Sphaeropthalma Blake. Photomorphus piceogaster (Schuster), new comb., was previously placed in Odontophotopsis. A new genus Laminatilla, gen. nov. (type species Odontophotopsis lamellifera Schuster 1958), is described. This new genus includes the three species L. bicornigera (Schuster), comb. nov., L. lamellifera (Schuster), comb. nov., and O. mixtoensis Schuster (Schuster), comb. nov., which were previously placed in the O. lamellifera species-groups sensu Schuster (1958). A key to the species of Laminatilla and a new key for the males of the Nearctic genera of nocturnal mutillids are provided.
GABRA2 Association With Addiction-Related Endophenotypes Is Environmentally Influenced

Background The GABRA2 gene contains more than 250 SNPs that in Caucasians form two major common “Yin-Yang” haplotypes - having either all or none of the non-ancestral (NA) alleles. Since 2004, association of the non-ancestral, slightly less common haplotype with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and with increased beta waves in EEG has been reported and replicated many times. Methods In a longitudinal sample of >400 low SES families at high risk for AUD, we investigated the influence of these GABRA2 haplotypes on addiction related endophenotypes, and started to investigate potential functional implications. We found that the NA haplotype is associated with impulsivity and with increased activation of the insula in response to reward expectation, both of which partially mediate the association of the NA alleles with alcoholism. Impulsivity was also associated with reward expectation, independent of genetics. Results Moreover, the effect of parental monitoring on externalizing behavior trajectories across childhood and adolescence, i.e., consistently low, developmentally limited, and rising trajectories, was moderated by the NA alleles of GABRA2. Subjects with the NA alleles were more strongly influenced – both positively and negatively--by the extent of parental monitoring, while subjects with the ancestral alleles were not significantly influenced by the monitoring. In addition to parents, peers are also known to influence addiction-related behaviors such as rule breaking during adolescence. Association with delinquent peers increased rule breaking, particularly in those with NA alleles of GABRA2, while association with peers who displayed positive behaviors (such as religious activity and scholastic competence) decreased externalizing behaviors. Subjects with the ancestral alleles of GABRA2 were less affected by peers. Discussion Our results illustrate a more complex influence of genotypes on risk for common traits such as those associated with addiction. Our data suggest that the previously identified “risk” alleles impacts the strength of both adaptive and maladaptive environmental influences on risky behaviors such as rule breaking, and hence might be thought of as plasticity factors. None of the alleles of the GABRA2 haplotypes change an amino acid, and they have no major influence on level of expression (eQTL) in several large brain expression samples. Allelic imbalance is more sensitive to slight expression differences. Preliminary allelic imbalance RNASeq analyses of brain mRNA suggest that the NA alleles may increase expression. Our result is in contrast to a recent report of decreased expression of the risk alleles in iPSCs. Epigenetic modifications may be one pathway of how environmental influences on behavior are being molecularly mediated, and just as our results demonstrate plasticity at the behavioral level, plasticity may exist on the molecular level, in that expression of GABRA2 haplotypes may be influenced molecularly by different environments.
Cancer screening information at community health fairs: What the participants do with information they receive.

Background . To assess participants’ reasons for seeking cancer screening information at community health fairs and what they do with the information they receive. Design and methods. Mixed quantitative and qualitative approach was used. Community health fairs are organized in underserved New York City neighbourhoods. From June 14, 2016 to August 26, 2016, cancer prevention tables providing information about various cancer screenings were established at 12 local community health fairs in New York City. In-person and follow up telephone surveys assessing interest in the cancer prevention table, personal cancer screening adherence rates, information-sharing behaviours and demographic variables have been taken into account. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 22.0: frequencies, descriptive, cross tabulations. All qualitative data was coded by theme so that it could be analysed through SPSS. For example, Were you interested in a specific cancer? may be coded as 2 for yes, breast cancer. Results . One hundred and sixteen patrons participated in the initial survey. Of those, 88 (78%) agreed to give their contact information for the follow-up survey and 60 follow-up surveys were completed (68%). Of those who reported reading the material, 45% shared the information; 15% subsequently spoke to a provider about cancer screenings and 40% intended to speak to a provider. Conclusions . Participants disseminated information without prompting; suggesting the reach of these fairs extends beyond the people who visit our table. Future studies should look at whether patrons would share information at higher rates when they are explicitly encouraged to share the information.
Deorbitalization strategies for meta-generalized-gradient-approximation exchange-correlation functionals

We explore the simplification of widely used meta-generalized-gradient approximation (mGGA) exchange-correlation functionals to the Laplacian level of refinement by use of approximate kinetic-energy density functionals (KEDFs). Such deorbitalization is motivated by the prospect of reducing computational cost while recovering a strictly Kohn-Sham local potential framework (rather than the usual generalized Kohn-Sham treatment of mGGAs). A KEDF that has been rather successful in solid simulations proves to be inadequate for deorbitalization, but we produce other forms which, with parametrization to Kohn-Sham results (not experimental data) on a small training set, yield rather good results on standard molecular test sets when used to deorbitalize the meta-GGA made very simple, Tao-Perdew-Staroverov-Scuseria, and strongly constrained and appropriately normed functionals. We also study the difference between high-fidelity and best-performing deorbitalizations and discuss possible implications for use in ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of complicated condensed phase systems.
Contemporary management and full mouth rehabilitation of a patient with Sjögren syndrome

Sjogren syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder with xerostomia, increased tooth wear, high rates of caries, and repeated failure of dental restorations as the main oral symptoms. These render the prosthetic treatment challenging. This clinical report describes a contemporary approach to the treatment of a patient with Sjogren syndrome using translucent multilayered monolithic zirconia restorations and focuses on the treatment protocols before, during, and after the prosthetic treatment.
Antioxidant properties of oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) extracts using different methods

Medicinal plants have been part of the health-care system since ancient human civilization. Traditional medicine is widely used, and plants are a large source of antioxidant compounds such as phenols, carotenoids, and flavonoids with a potent antioxidant properties that have received much attention recently. The oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea) is a fleshy or succulent perennial garden herb ornamental plant and. medicinally, it is used for colds, sore throat, whooping cough, nasal bleeding, and also as an anti-inflammatory. The plant was collected in the organic garden at St. Thomas University and the extracts were prepared by maceration of the stems, roots, leaves, and flowers in ethanol/hexane solvent mixtures. In this study, the antioxidant activity was measured by three different assays, using the UV-Visible spectrophotometer. Ferric reducing anti-oxidant power assay (FRAC) is based on the principle of increase in the absorbance of various concentrations of the plant extracts and the formation of colored complex with the antioxidant compounds at 700 nm. DPPH Free Radical Scavenging (FRS) assay in vitro antioxidant activity was determined at 517 and 520 nm of multiples samples in a plate reader. % of scavenging activity of the DPPH free radical is expressed as ascorbic acid (AA) equivalent antioxidant capacity (mg AA/100g). The Total Phenolic Content (TPC) in extracts was determined with the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent. Gallic acid was used as a standard, and the total phenolics were expressed as mg/g gallic acid equivalents (GAE). The plant extracts were evaluated for anticancer properties to quantify cytotoxicity. Preliminary data indicated the extracts were not cytotoxic at the concentrations tested.
Weak Phase Retrieval

Phase retrieval and phaseless reconstruction for Hilbert space frames is a very active area of research. Recently, it was shown that these concepts are equivalent. In this paper, we make a detailed study of a weakening of these concepts to weak phase retrieval and weak phaseless reconstruction. We will give several necessary and/or sufficient conditions for frames to have these weak properties. We will prove three surprising results: (1) Weak phaseless reconstruction is equivalent to phaseless reconstruction. That is, it never was weak; (2) weak phase retrieval is not equivalent to weak phaseless reconstruction; (3) weak phase retrieval requires at least 2m − 2 vectors in an m-dimensional Hilbert space. We also give several examples illustrating the relationship between these concepts.
Grete Hermann as Neo-Kantian Philosopher of Space and Time Representation

Grete Hermann’s essay “Die naturphilosophischen Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik” (1935) has received much deserved scholarly attention in recent years. In this paper, I follow the lead of Elise Crull (2017) who sees in Hermann’s work the general outlines of a neo-Kantian interpretation of quantum theory. In full support of this view, I focus on Hermann’s central claim that limited spatio-temporal, and even analogically causal, representations of events exist within an overall relational structure of entangled quantum mechanical states that defy any unified spatio-temporal description. In my view, Hermann also advances an important transcendental argument that perspectival spatio-temporal representations of nature have their foundations in general relational networks that are not spatio-temporal. The key point is that the adoption of a perspectival system within the general network induces the representation but only for that context. These ideas are consistent with a perspectival subject–object principle in Kant and also with Weyl’s work on Lie groups and their representations.
Human Genome Project, Genomics, and Clinical Research

Genetic factors are well recognized to contribute both to rare and common disorders. For many years, genetic approaches were most successful at identification of genes involved in rare “single gene” disorders that follow Mendelian patterns of inheritance. Advances in molecular genetics, and especially the sequencing of the human genome, have provided powerful tools that greatly accelerate identification of genes involved in Mendelian traits, but also enable genome-wide searches for genes that contribute to common disorders. This chapter provides an introduction to the genetic approach for the clinical investigator. This approach begins with exploration of the role that genetic factors play in the etiology of a phenotype. Gene localization through linkage remains a powerful approach to narrow the search for a gene, though direct sequencing of the exome or entire genome is emerging as an alternative approach. Analysis of multifactorial traits now is empowered by new approaches to association studies on the entire genome. Ultimately, studies of the genetics of rare and common disorders will converge on new approaches to medical decision making, including genetic testing to prevent, diagnose, and better treat disease. These advances will require new collaborative efforts involving clinical investigators, geneticists, statisticians, and experts in monitoring outcomes of new approaches in the clinic.
Cultural Studies: Cultural Concerns

This article maps the contemporary field of cultural studies. There are many contemporary versions of cultural studies, including collections and essays in Australian–Asian cultural studies, Asian–Pacific cultural studies, Latin American, Mexican, and Chicana/o cultural studies, as well as Black-British, Irish, British, Spanish, Italian, Nordic, and African cultural studies. These versions of cultural studies have been shaped by encounters between diverse feminisms, ethnic and critical race studies, gay, lesbian, and queer studies, postcolonial and diasporic research, and with indigenous people's scholarship. These interactions produce a sensitivity to culture in its multiple forms, including the aesthetic, political, anthropological, performative, historical, and the spatial. At the same time students of cultural studies wrestle with the multiple meanings of such key terms as identity, place, globalization, the local, nationhood, and difference. These terms are debated constantly in the media, played out in arenas defined and shaped by the new information and communication technologies. Cultural studies scholars examine how meanings move between and within various media formations. This yields studies of Madonna, the memory-work of museums, studies of tourism, shopping malls, and so on. In such work it becomes clear that culture is a contested, conflictual set of practices bound up with the meanings of identity and community.
Asymptotics of eigenvalues of non-self adjoint Schrödinger operators on a half-line

We study the eigenvalues of the non-self-adjoint problem $$ - y^{\prime \prime}+V(x)y=Ey$$ on the half-line 0 ≤ x < +∞ under the Robin boundary condition at x = 0, where V is a monic polynomial of degree at least 3. We obtain a Bohr-Sommerfeld-like asymptotic formula for En that depends on the boundary conditions. Consequently, we solve certain inverse spectral problems, recovering the potential V and boundary condition from the first (m + 2) terms of the asymptotic formula.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Pathway, Yes-Associated Protein (YAP) and the Regulation of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway is a well-studied oncogenic pathway in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A subset of advanced NSCLC patients (15-55%) have EGFR-driven mutations and benefit from treatment with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1/PDL-1 axis are a new anti-cancer therapy for metastatic NSCLC. The anti-PD-1/PDL-1 ICIs showed promising efficacy (~30% response rate) and improved the survival of patients with metastatic NSCLC, but the role of anti-PD-1/PDL-1 ICIs for EGFR mutant NSCLC is not clear. YAP (yes-associated protein) is the main mediator of the Hippo pathway and has been identified as promoting cancer progression, drug resistance, and metastasis in NSCLC. Here, we review recent studies that examined the correlation between the EGFR, YAP pathways, and PD-L1 and demonstrate the mechanism by which EGFR and YAP regulate PD-L1 expression in human NSCLC. About 50% of EGFR mutant NSCLC patients acquire resistance to EGFR-TKIs without known targetable secondary mutations. Targeting YAP therapy is suggested as a potential treatment for NSCLC with acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs. Future work should focus on the efficacy of YAP inhibitors in combination with immune checkpoint PD-L1/PD-1 blockade in EGFR mutant NSCLC without targetable resistant mutations.