cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Control Structure for Feed-Effluent Heat Exchanger/Reactor Systems

Feed-effluent heat exchangers (FEHEs) are widely used in high-temperature exothermic adiabatic tubular reactor systems to conserve energy. The hot reactor effluent is recycled back to a feed preheater to provide all or a portion of the energy required to preheat the reactor feed to the optimum reactor inlet temperature. Several alternative flowsheets have been presented in the literature for this type of configuration. Some use bypassing of cold material around the FEHE, some use a furnace after the FEHE and before the reactor, and some use a cooler (steam generator) after the reactor. A number of control structures have been proposed to control the reactor inlet temperature, which is critical for the steady-state performance (achieving the desired conversion and staying below some maximum temperature). It is also critical for dynamic performance since these systems can be openloop unstable as a result of the positive feedback of energy from the reactor back to the preheat system. The control structure mu...
Malakoplakia of the appendix: a case report.

A case of malakoplakia in which the lesions were confined to the appendix is presented. The patient was a 33-year-old woman who also had massive bilateral pulmonary infection with Nocardia asteroides . This is apparently the first reported example of malakoplakia of the appendix.
Student misidentification of online genres

Abstract In the online information environment, new hybrid genres are emerging that resist easy classification into the traditional categories of print formats. However, students are often not equipped with adequate knowledge of online genres, particularly when it comes to finding scholarly sources. Understanding genre provides students a significant advantage in conducting effective research online, because it reduces the cognitive load of information seeking, improves the ability to judge relevance, and helps identify documents whose purpose matches the users' intent. This research explores how well students identify the information genres that they encounter in their real-life online research. 204 undergraduate students were asked to identify the genres of 15 online sources. 60% of the responses were misidentifications, and 64% of scholarly sources were incorrectly identified. Students were also inaccurate in judging which genres were most difficult to correctly identify. However, students who had received prior IL instruction showed significantly higher accuracy in identifying online genres. Suggestions are made for information literacy instruction to better help students identify, understand, and use online genres.
Discovering Gene Regulatory Elements Using Coverage-Based Heuristics

Data mining algorithms and sequencing methods (such as RNA-seq and ChIP-seq) are being combined to discover genomic regulatory motifs that relate to a variety of phenotypes. However, motif discovery algorithms often produce very long lists of putative transcription factor binding sites, hindering the discovery of phenotype-related regulatory elements by making it difficult to select a manageable set of candidate motifs for experimental validation. To address this issue, the authors introduce the motif selection problem and provide coverage-based search heuristics for its solution. Analysis of 203 ChIP-seq experiments from the ENCyclopedia of DNA Elements project shows that our algorithms produce motifs that have high sensitivity and specificity and reveals new insights about the regulatory code of the human genome. The greedy algorithm performs the best, selecting a median of two motifs per ChIP-seq transcription factor group while achieving a median sensitivity of 77 percent.
RDF-TX: A Fast, User-Friendly System for Querying the History of RDF Knowledge Bases

Knowledge bases that summarize web information in RDF triples deliver many benefits, including providing access to encyclopedic knowledge via SPARQL queries and end-user interfaces. As the real world evolves, the knowledge base is updated and the evolution history of entities and their properties becomes of great interest to users. Thus, users need query tools of comparable power and usability to explore such evolution histories or flash-back to the past. An integrated system that supports user-friendly queries and efficient query evaluation on the history of knowledge bases is required. In this paper, we introduce (i) SPARQL T , a temporal extension of SPARQL that expresses powerful structured queries on temporal RDF graphs, (ii) an efficient in-memory query engine that takes advantage of compressed multiversion B+ trees to achieve fast evaluation of SPARQL T queries, and (iii) a query optimizer that improves selectivity estimation of temporal queries and generates efficient join orders using the statistics of temporal RDF graphs. The performance and scalability of our system are validated by extensive experiments on real world datasets, which shows significant performance improvement comparing with other approaches.
Quantitative identification of superoxide anion as a negative inotropic species.

Reduced oxygen intermediates have been shown to directly depress cardiac muscle function at the subcellular, tissue, and whole animal levels. The exact species of reduced oxygen intermediate [superoxide anion radical (O2-.), H2O2, hydroxyl free radical (HO.)] and the concentrations necessary to depress cardiac muscle function have not been quantified. To better understand the role of O2-. and H2O2, we have studied rabbit right ventricular papillary muscle function in the presence of these reduced oxygen intermediates generated by a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system at 37 degrees C. In the presence of xanthine (0.1 mM) and xanthine oxidase (0.02 U/ml), 57.5 +/- 0.85 nmol.l-1.s-1 O2-. and 69.25 +/- 5.3 nmol.l-1.s-1 H2O2 were produced. In the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD), O2-. was eliminated and H2O2 concentration increased. Catalase effectively eliminated the accumulation of H2O2 without significantly changing the rate of O2-. generation. When applied to isometrically contracting right ventricular papillary muscles, this system, with or without SOD and catalase, had no effect on peak developed tension or +/- dT/dt derived either from length-tension or force-frequency studies. However, when the xanthine oxidase concentration was increased to 0.112 U/ml, the rate of O2-. generation increased to 196.67 +/- 3.26 nmol.l-1.s-1 and H2O2 production increased to 142.19 +/- 9.3 nmol.l-1.s-1 with significant depression of papillary muscle tension development. SOD virtually eliminated O2-. production, whereas H2O2 production increased to 199.48 +/- 9.8 nmol.l-1.s-1 with no effect on papillary muscle tension development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CFD simulations and experimental measurements of flow past free-surface piercing, finite length cylinders with varying aspect ratios

Abstract In this work, the flow past surface-piercing cylinders with free lower ends is studied numerically with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) at varying aspect ratios (AR = H/D) from around 1 to 19, and compared against experimental measurement across the same range. Numerical and experimental work is carried out at Re = 2900 and Fr = 0.65. The aspect ratio of the cylinder is varied by raising and lowering the cylinder into the water. The resulting flow field and loads on the cylinder as a result of changing the cylinder’s depth of submergence are investigated in terms of drag, lift and frequency content. First, the effects of changing the aspect ratio are examined. CFD simulations demonstrate a reduced drag coefficient, consistent with the experimental measurements, as compared to a fully-submerged, infinite cylinder at the same Reynolds number. A significant reduction in the drag coefficient is observed at an aspect ratio of 2. For aspect ratios 3 and below, Karman vortex shedding is completely suppressed due to the dominance of free surface effects. With increasing aspect ratio the Strouhal number is found to approach 0.2. Second, the flow regime is investigated as a function of cylinder length for a cylinder with aspect ratio of 12. Different regions of vortex shedding are observed along the length of the cylinder, as demonstrated by lift forces, Strouhal numbers and CFD flow visualizations. Strouhal numbers below 0.2 were observed for regions near the free surface. Additionally, the drag coefficient was found to decrease near the free surface. This study over a wide range of aspect ratios exhibits the effects of a free surface, free end and also the length of the cylinder on both the flow regime and loading.
Dramatic Declines in Higher Education Appropriations: State Conditions for Budget Punctuations

Public colleges and universities depend heavily on state appropriations and legislatures must decide how much to fund higher education. This study applies punctuated equilibrium theory to characterize the distribution of annual changes in higher education appropriations and defines the threshold for a dramatic budget cut. Using data for the 50 states from years 1980 to 2009, this study investigates the relationship between such unique policy events and state characteristics using a Cox proportional hazards model. Results show that economic and political conditions are most predicative of dramatic budget cuts. High unemployment rates increase the probability of cuts while rapid increases in tax revenue and wider income inequality are protective against cuts. Unified Republican and unified Democratic governments are both more likely to cut spending compared to a divided government. Sensitivity analyses of state characteristics associated with small budget cuts demonstrates that large cuts are indeed unique events catalyzed by different conditions.
Digital Humanitarians: Citizen journalists on the virtual front line of natural and human-caused disasters

Eyewitness user-generated content has dominated the study of citizen journalism in crisis and conflict zones. However, the convergence of online networked technologies, like social media, collaborative mapping and real-time information management, gives ordinary people the capacity to commit acts of journalism from afar. Networks of virtual volunteers act as digital humanitarians who rapidly assemble situational awareness at the onset of natural and human-caused disasters through crowdsourcing, data analysis and crisis mapping to aid on-the-ground emergency response. While they have been studied through the multi-disciplinary lens of information science, computation, geography and emergency management, digital humanitarians have received little attention in the journalism literature. This exploratory study contends that the knowledge-based content produced by these groups is citizen journalism akin to data-driven investigative news. Two case studies and a cross-case analysis consider this argument through...
Plasma cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 are associated with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at risk of the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). TBI and ARDS pathophysiologic mechanisms are known to independently involve significant inflammatory responses. The literature on the association between plasma inflammatory cytokines and ARDS in patients with TBI is sparse. The study was a secondary analysis of the safety of a randomized trial of erythropoietin and transfusion threshold in patients with severe TBI. Inflammatory markers within the first 24 hours after injury were compared in patients who developed ARDS and patients without ARDS, using Cox proportional hazards models. There were 200 patients enrolled in the study. The majority of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokine levels were obtained within 6 hours. Plasma proinflammatory markers IL-6 and IL-8 and anti-inflammatory marker IL-10 were associated with the development of ARDS (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.55, confidence interval (CI) = 1.14, 2.11, P = 0.005 for IL-6; adjusted HR = 1.32, CI = 1.10, 1.59, P = 0.003 for IL-8). Plasma markers of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 are associated with ARDS in patients with severe TBI. NCT00313716 registered 4/2006
Travel in an era of transnational health threats and global health governance.

National and international approaches are implemented to control the spread of disease by migration and travel. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
ACG Clinical Guideline: Evaluation of Abnormal Liver Chemistries

Clinicians are required to assess abnormal liver chemistries on a daily basis. The most common liver chemistries ordered are serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. These tests should be termed liver chemistries or liver tests. Hepatocellular injury is defined as disproportionate elevation of AST and ALT levels compared with alkaline phosphatase levels. Cholestatic injury is defined as disproportionate elevation of alkaline phosphatase level as compared with AST and ALT levels. The majority of bilirubin circulates as unconjugated bilirubin and an elevated conjugated bilirubin implies hepatocellular disease or cholestasis. Multiple studies have demonstrated that the presence of an elevated ALT has been associated with increased liver-related mortality. A true healthy normal ALT level ranges from 29 to 33 IU/l for males, 19 to 25 IU/l for females and levels above this should be assessed. The degree of elevation of ALT and or AST in the clinical setting helps guide the evaluation. The evaluation of hepatocellular injury includes testing for viral hepatitis A, B, and C, assessment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, screening for hereditary hemochromatosis, autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson's disease, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. In addition, a history of prescribed and over-the-counter medicines should be sought. For the evaluation of an alkaline phosphatase elevation determined to be of hepatic origin, testing for primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis should be undertaken. Total bilirubin elevation can occur in either cholestatic or hepatocellular diseases. Elevated total serum bilirubin levels should be fractionated to direct and indirect bilirubin fractions and an elevated serum conjugated bilirubin implies hepatocellular disease or biliary obstruction in most settings. A liver biopsy may be considered when serologic testing and imaging fails to elucidate a diagnosis, to stage a condition, or when multiple diagnoses are possible.
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERSYMMETRIC QED3

Current theories of high temperature superconductivity are based on the behavior of the ideal (2+1)-dimensional anyon gas at finite density. The anyon gas can be described using fundamental fermionic or bosonic matter in interaction with a topologically massive statistical gauge field. If the renormalized Chern-Simons coefficient at zero density takes the values γR(0)=N/2π, the anyon gas is a superfluid, and if the fundamental matter is electrically charged, it behaves like a superconductor. In this article we analyze an ideal anyon gas composed of two anyonic species, each associated with fundamental matter that has different (fermionic and bosonic) statistics. For supersymmetric values of the masses and couplings, no exotic statistics can occur when the system is in a superconducting state at finite density. However, semionic superconductivity can be achieved when the supersymmetry is very softly broken by a fundamental boson-fermion mass splitting.
Combinations of HER2, estrogen receptor (ER) and IGF-I receptor (IGF1R) inhibitors induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells: Dramatic effects of HER2 inhibitors on non-overexpressing cells

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 1226 The ER, HER2 and IGF1R display important signaling interactions in breast cancer. We examined the effect of combinations of antagonists of these receptors in 2 human breast cancer cell lines: BT474 (ER+, HER2+, IGF1R low) and MCF7 (ER+, HER2 low, IGF1R high). In BT474 cells, growth is inhibited by HER2 and ER antagonists, but not by IGF1R antagonists; however, IGF1R antagonists enhance the effect of the former agents. IGF1R antagonists only minimally augment the effects of HER2 antagonists on cell cycle pertubation. While HER2 and ER antagonists do not cause apoptosis, they dramatically enhanced apoptosis induced by IGF1R antagonists. In MCF7 cells, growth is inhibited by IGF1R and ER antagonists (and more so by their combination), but not by HER2 antagonists; however, HER2 antagonism enhances the effect of the former agents. While HER2 and IGF1R antagonists individually do not perturb cell cycle, their combination gives a small degree of cell cycle perturbation. ER antagonists alter cell cycle, an effect enhanced by IGF1R or HER2 antagonists. While these agents produce a small amount of apoptosis individually, their combination causes a dramatic degree of apoptosis, most striking for the IGF1R/HER2 antagonist combination. A dual HER2/EGFR inhibitor has more dramatic effects than HER2 antagonists. Hence such drug combinations may be useful treatments for breast cancer patients, and combinations may be beneficial even in tumors in which single drugs are inactive.
Effect of Particle Shape, Density, and Inhomogeneity on the Microwave Optical Properties of Graupel and Hailstones

Atmospheric ice particles can be rimed and contaminated (e.g., by soot attachments). Previous optical property calculations usually assume rimed particles such as graupel and hailstones to be homogeneous spheres with fixed densities. The relevant dielectric constants are estimated with the effective medium approximation (EMA), although such particles are predominately nonspherical, porous, and contain small interior grains. This paper assesses the effects of nonsphericity, density, and inhomogeneity of graupel and hailstones on their optical properties. The bicontinuous medium approximation (BMA) is employed to simulate the particle internal structure. Conical shapes are compared with spherical and spheroidal shapes to assess the effect of nonsphericity. At frequencies lower than 89 GHz, the optical properties are more sensitive to particle’s mass density than to overall particle shape, and the internal structure plays an insignificant role when the particle effective diameter (a quantity involving the particle size distribution) is smaller than approximately 10 mm, and the internal grain size is smaller than 0.2 mm. With a small grain size, the BMA phase function converges to the EMA phase function with an effective refractive index calculated with the Bruggeman formulation. Simulated top of atmosphere radiances at three microwave frequencies, 18.7, 36.5, and 89 GHz, are quite sensitive to ice particle effective diameter between 1 and 5 mm, ice fraction between 0.1 and 0.9, and ice water path between 1 and 5 kg/ $\text{m}^{2}$ . Thus, these frequencies are suitable for retrieving the microphysical properties.
Physiologic, pathophysiologic, and pharmacologic regulation of gastric acid secretion.

Purpose of review The present review summarizes the past year's literature, both clinical and basic science, regarding physiologic and pharmacologic regulation of gastric acid secretion in health and disease. Recent findings Gastric acid kills microorganisms, assists digestion, and facilitates absorption of iron, calcium, and vitamin B12. The main stimulants of acid secretion are the hormone gastrin, released from antral G cells; paracrine agent histamine, released from oxyntic enterochromaffin-like cells; and neuropeptide acetylcholine, released from antral and oxyntic intramural neurons. Gastrin is also a trophic hormone that participates in carcinogenesis. Helicobacter pylori may increase or decrease acid secretion depending upon the acuity and predominant anatomic focus of infection; most patients manifest hypochlorhydria. Despite the fact that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are amongst the most widely prescribed drugs, they are underutilized in patients at high risk for UGI bleeding. Although generally considered well tolerated, concerns have been raised regarding associations between PPI use and dementia, kidney disease, myocardial infarction, pneumonia, osteoporosis, dysbiosis, small bowel injury, micronutrient deficiency, and fundic gland polyps. Summary Our understanding of the physiologic, pathophysiologic, and pharmacologic regulation of gastric secretion continues to advance. Such knowledge is crucial for improved and safe management of acid-peptic disorders.
Probiotics and Oral Health

Results: Two animal and 19 human studies were retrieved. Most studies were short-term and restricted to microbiological endpoints, and only 3 human studies reported a caries endpoint. A high degree of heterogeneity among the included investigations hampered the analysis. Significant reductions of mutans streptococci in saliva or plaque following daily intake of probiotic lactobacilli or bifidobacteria were reported in 12 out of 19 papers, whereas 3 reported an increase of lactobacilli. Three caries trials in preschool children and the elderly demonstrated prevented fractions between 21 and 75% following regular intakes of milk supplemented with L. rhamnosus. No adverse effects or potential risks were reported.
Patterns of radiation delivery in the last 6 months of life.

66Background: The purpose of this analysis is to report patterns of radiation delivery at the end of life among older cancer patients. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of deceased Med...
Decorrupting Government: The United States Board of Overseers

This essay considers whether the organizational arrangements established by the Constitution of the United States remain effective in promoting “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” which are the purposes of government according to Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. I conclude that they are no longer effective, and explore organizational reforms to address this failure. Specifically, the Constitution lacks a provision for substantive review of laws and regulations for consistency with the purposes of government—a function known in the private sector as quality assurance. The judicial power deals with legislative threats to life and liberty, but we need a better way to interdict threats to well-being. I propose the creation of a new branch, provisionally called the United States Board of Overseers, with responsibilities and powers analogous to those of the Supreme Court, but focused chiefly on the people’s opportunities for well-being rather than protecting life and liberty through the rule of law. For reasons of political legitimacy the eleven Overseers are chosen by lot from a College consisting of millions of citizens qualified by age, education and (middle) income. In political terms, the proposal is intended to counter the current power of the oligarchy over the legislature and the administrative state with a strongly democratic institution representing the principal victims of oligarchic power, the middle class. Given the difficulty faced by the oligarchy in containing the destabilizing and inefficient excess greed of its members, the proposal is also in the collective interest of the one percent. Protection for the poorest is included in the proposal.
ECONOMICS AND APPLICATIONS OF THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS

ABSTRACT Thermoelectric generators have been in commercial production since 1962 and are now available in sizes producing from 9 to 200 watts. The larger generators are based on the 50 watt unit which has an annual capital cost at a 10 year depreciation in Britain of £76 and a fuel cost of £76. Cost studies in the U.S.A. indicate that power from the generators may be competitive with power from lines that have to be constructed for distances as short as 1/4 of a mile. Thermoelectric power is being used for cathodic corrosion protection, communications, instrumentation and navigational aids.
Supersonic Flow Past a Wedge with a Flame at its Apex

The wholly supersonic flow past a two-dimensional wedge is analysed on the assumption that release of chemical energy into the stream can be accomplished across a thin discontinuous plane flame front attached to the apex. Forces experienced by the wedge are calculated and representative flow patterns exhibited. Some typical interactions between the flame and shocks or centred simple waves are discussed, with emphasis on the use of pressure-flow-deflection diagrams to obtain results.
The Making of America's Culture Regions

Richard L. Nostrand. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. xix and 315 pp., maps, photos, tables, notes, bibliography, index. $70.00 cloth (ISBN 978-1-5381-0396-8).The regional approach has a lon...
Mental health of older widows and widowers: Which coping strategies are most protective?

AbstractI examine: whether specific emotion-focused coping and help-seeking strategies adopted by older widow(er)s 6 months postloss affect depressive, anger, and yearning symptoms 1 year later; wh...
Effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of mixtures of TiO2, ZnO and Ag ENPs on a river bacterial community.

Abstract Effluent from wastewater treatment plants contains a wide variety of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) released from different sources. Although single type ENPs have been studied extensively with respect to their environmental impact, ENPs in mixed forms have not been investigated much at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study was designed to test the effect of mixed ENPs at three combinations and concentrations on an aquatic bacterial community. After mixing artificial treated wastewater with river water and exposing the microbial community to ENPs for three days, the ENPs were characterized by SP-ICP-MS. Results from this study showed that: 1) the size distribution of Ti and Zn at the beginning and end of the experiment did not vary much among all tested conditions. For Ag, the most frequent size increased more than 2-fold when the highest Ag ENPs were added; 2) particle concentrations of ENPs generally correlated positively with added concentrations; 3) dissolved Zn and Ag increased significantly as a result of spike; and 4) the bacterial community structure was shifted significantly as a consequence of ENPs’ addition. With the dominant population being suppressed, the community exposed to ENPs became more diverse and even. Surprisingly, further increase of the doses of the three ENPs did not bring significant change to the microbial community. These results revealed that ENPs could bring significant impacts to prokaryotes even at low concentrations. But these impacts do not necessarily correlate positively with doses.
The Global West: Other Wests and Indian Wars, 1890–1919

This chapter looks at how the earlier North American precedent—especially its brutal treatment of Indian peoples—served as inspiration, legitimation, and model for a number of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century imperial-colonial projects. In support of this claim, it sketches the historical experiences of the American Philippines, 1898–1946; the Japanese Colonial Empire, 1869–1919; and the German Colonial Empire, 1884–1919—noting how contemporaries viewed each of these geographically dispersed imperial-colonial projects through the lens of the Anglo-American settler-colonial supplanting project. In each of the cases surveyed, it also discusses the usage and significance of the Anglo-American colonial trope of Indian wars.
HoxA9 Knockdown Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Cell Death in Human MLL-Rearranged Leukemias.

Abstract Homeobox containing (Hox) genes are implicated in the regulation of normal and leukemic hematopoesis. Using gene expression profiling we and others have previously shown that HoxA9 is highly expressed in lymphoid and myeloid leukemias harboring MLL translocations and that high level HoxA9 expression is associated with poor clinical prognosis. Furthermore, HoxA9 plays variable roles in MLL-fusion induced murine leukemias. In this study we aimed to elucidate the role of aberrant HoxA9 expression in human MLL-rearranged and non-rearranged leukemia's utilizing an shRNA mediated knockdown approach. To establish an efficient knockdown assay three different shRNA constructs targeting human HoxA9 were synthesized and stably introduced into t(9;11) MOLM14 cells utilizing a lentiviral vector system. The shRNA construct which showed highest efficiency as measured by Taqman quantitative PCR (75–80% knockdown MLL-AF9 RNA) and Western Blot analysis was used for further experiments. In MOLM-14 cells, HoxA9 directed shRNA inhibited cell proliferation starting as early as 48h after transduction as determined by MTT assay, and at 72h demonstrated a markedly increased number of apoptotic cells as measured by Annexin V staining. This effect was rescued by introducing a non-targetable exogenous HoxA9 in MOLM-14 cells. To investigate if the HoxA9 knockdown related effects are specific for MLL rearranged cells we next analyzed cell growth and viability in 17 AML/ALL cell lines (7 MLL-rearranged, 10 non rearranged) after shRNA mediated HoxA9 knockdown. Interestingly, impaired cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis was significantly higher in the MLL rearranged cell lines (mean viability: 51.88%) than in the non-rearranged cells (mean viability: 90.98%; p=0.007). Moreover, the effect was also significantly correlated with the baseline HoxA9 mRNA expression before knockdown, with the greatest effect in cell lines expressing the highest HoxA9 levels (R= 0.8, p=0.00017). These findings prompted us to further analyze the effect of HoxA9 knockdown in MLL rearranged and non-rearranged primary human AML cells (6 MLL rearranged, 6 MLL germline). Similar to our findings in cell lines, we found a significantly higher effect on cell proliferation/viability in association with the presence of an MLL translocation (p=0.005) and a significant correlation with the baseline HoxA9 mRNA expression (R= 0.8, p=0.001). Next, we assessed the in vivo effect of HoxA9 knock down by transplanting luciferase-expressing SEMK2 (t4;11) cells and subsequent bioluminescent imaging. SEMK2 cells were transduced with either HoxA9 directed or control shRNA and intravenously injected into SCID-beige mice. Reconstitution was confirmed by in vivo bioluminescent imaging. 34 days after transplantation all mice in the HoxA9 shRNA group (n=4) are still alive with no signs of leukemia whereas all mice in the control group (n=3) have succumbed. Taken together our data implicates an important role for aberrant HoxA9 expression in human MLL rearranged leukemia cells.
Stochastic self-tuning hybrid algorithm for reaction-diffusion systems

Many biochemical phenomena involve reactants with vastly different concentrations, some of which are amenable to continuum-level descriptions, while the others are not. We present a hybrid self-tuning algorithm to model such systems. The method combines microscopic (Brownian) dynamics for diffusion with mesoscopic (Gillespie-type) methods for reactions and remains efficient in a wide range of regimes and scenarios with large variations of concentrations. Its accuracy, robustness, and versatility are balanced by redefining propensities and optimizing the mesh size and time step. We use a bimolecular reaction to demonstrate the potential of our method in a broad spectrum of scenarios: from almost completely reaction-dominated systems to cases where reactions rarely occur or take place very slowly. The simulation results show that the number of particles present in the system does not degrade the performance of our method. This makes it an accurate and computationally efficient tool to model complex multireaction systems.
Mitofusins as mitochondrial anchors and tethers

Mitochondria have their own genomes and their own agendas. Like their primitive bacterial ancestors, mitochondria interact with their environment and organelle colleagues at their physical interfaces, the outer mitochondrial membrane. Among outer membrane proteins, mitofusins (MFN) are increasingly recognized for their roles as arbiters of mitochondria-mitochondria and mitochondria-reticular interactions. This review examines the roles of MFN1 and MFN2 in the heart and other organs as proteins that tether mitochondria to each other or to other organelles, and as mitochondrial anchoring proteins for various macromolecular complexes. The consequences of MFN-mediated tethering and anchoring on mitochondrial fusion, motility, mitophagy, and mitochondria-ER calcium cross-talk are reviewed. Pathophysiological implications are explored from the perspective of mitofusin common functioning as tethering and anchoring proteins, rather than as mediators of individual processes. Finally, some informed speculation is provided for why mouse MFN knockout studies show severe multi-system phenotypes whereas rare human diseases linked to MFN mutations are limited in scope.
A two-axis water-immersible micro scanning mirror using hybrid polymer and elastomer hinges

Abstract This paper reports a new two-axis water-immersible micro scanning mirror using hybrid polymer and elastomer hinges. The fast- and slow-axis hinges were made of stiff BoPET (biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate) and soft elastomer nanocomposite (EN) loaded with alumina nanoparticles. Different concentrations of alumina nanoparticles in the base elastomer resin were tested to tune the elastic modulus of the elastomer nanocomposite. The testing results have shown a resonance frequency of 226 Hz for the fast axis and no mechanical resonance for the slow axis when the scanning mirror was immersed in water. 2D B-scan and 3D volumetric ultrasound microscopy were demonstrated by using the hybrid-hinge scanning mirror. The ability of scanning the slow axis at DC or very low frequencies allows a dense raster scanning pattern to be formed for improving both the imaging resolution and field of view.
Can the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna resolve the distance to the large magellanic cloud

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is expected to detect N ~ 22 × 10±1 close white dwarf binaries in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) through their gravitational radiation with signal-to-noise ratios greater than ~10 in observational durations of 3 yr or more. In addition to chirp mass, location on the sky, and other binary parameters, the distance to each binary is an independent parameter that can be extracted from an analysis of gravitational waves from these binaries. Using a sample of binaries, one can establish the mean distance to the LMC as well as the variance of this distance. Assuming no confusion noise at frequencies above 2 mHz, for data collected over 10 yr, LISA might determine the LMC distance to ~4.5(N/22)1/2(1 yr/Tobs)1/2% and the line-of-sight extent of the LMC to ~15(N/22)1/4%, relative to its distance, at the 1 σ confidence. For a 3 yr observational window, these estimates are degraded by a factor of ~2.5. In general, the estimates based on LISA are competitive with some of the proposed direct geometric techniques of measuring the LMC distance in the future with missions such as the Space Interferometry Mission and the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics.
Predictor variables influencing merging speed change lane crash risk by interchange type in urban areas

Abstract The objective of this research is to model and examine the influence of predictor variables on merging speed change lane crash risk by interchange type in urban areas. Data for selected merging speed change lanes in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, for five-years, were collected and used in this research. Multinomial logistic regression models were developed to examine the risk of getting involved in a fatal or injury crash and property damage only (PDO) crash by interchange type. The findings indicate that merging speed change lanes at multi-lane ramps are safer than single-lane ramps (odds ratio > 50). The ramp average daily traffic (ADT) and the speed difference between the freeway and the ramp influence merging speed change lane crash risk at a cloverleaf interchange while the freeway annual average daily traffic (AADT) and the speed change lane length influence merging speed change lane crash risk at a diamond interchange (odds ratio > 1.4). The risk of getting involved in a fatal-injury crash in the merging speed change lane increases (odds ratio > 1.6) if an upstream or downstream ramp is too close to the subject cloverleaf interchange ramp or if a downstream ramp is too close to the subject diamond interchange ramp. Contrarily, the upstream ramp distance does not influence the merging speed change lane PDO crash risk at a cloverleaf or diamond interchange. It can be concluded that predictor variables influencing the merging speed change lane crash severity risk are different for cloverleaf, diamond, and other interchange types.
Soil protists can actively redistribute beneficial bacteria along Medicago truncatula roots

Abstract The rhizosphere is the region of soil directly influenced by plant roots. The microbial community in the rhizosphere includes fungi, protists, and bacteria, all of which play a significant role in plant health. The beneficial bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti infects growing root hairs on nitrogen starved leguminous plants. Infection leads to the formation of a root nodule, where S. meliloti converts atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, the usable form of nitrogen for plants. However, S. meliloti, often found in biofilms, travels slowly; whereas infectible root hairs are found at the growing root tip, potentially causing many root hairs to remain uninfected by S. meliloti when it is delivered as a seed inoculant. Soil protists are an important component of the rhizosphere system who prey on soil bacteria and have been known to egest undigested phagosomes. We show that the soil protist, Colpoda sp., plays an important role in transporting S. meliloti down Medicago truncatula roots. By using pseudo-3D soil microcosms we directly observed the presence of fluorescently labelled S. meliloti along M. truncatula roots and track the displacement of bacteria over time. In the presence of Colpoda sp., S. meliloti was detected 44 mm, on average, farther down the roots, compared with the Bacteria Only Treatment. Facilitating bacterial transport may be an important mechanism whereby soil protists promote plant health. Protist facilitated transport as a sustainable agriculture biotechnology has the potential to boost efficacy of bacterial inoculants, avoid overuse of nitrogen fertilizers, and enhance performance of no-till farming practices. Importance Soil protists are an important part of the microbial community in the rhizosphere. Plants grown with protists fare better than plants grown without protists. Mechanisms through which protists support plant health include nutrient cycling, alteration of the bacterial community through selective feeding and consumption of plant pathogens. Here we provide data in support of an additional mechanism: protists act as a transport vectors for bacteria. We show that protist-facilitated transport can deliver plant-beneficial bacteria to the growing tips of roots that may otherwise be sparsely inhabited with bacteria from a seed-associated inoculum. By co-inoculating Medicago truncatula roots with both Sinorhizobium meliloti, a nitrogen fixing legume symbiont, and the ciliated protist, Colpoda sp., we show bacteria are distributed an average of 44 mm farther down plant roots than when the plants are inoculated by bacteria alone. Co-inoculation with shelf-stable encysted soil protists may be employed as a sustainable agriculture biotechnology to better distribute beneficial bacteria and enhance the performance of inoculants.
Multi-Target Delay and Doppler Estimation in Bistatic Passive Radar Systems

We propose a computationally efficient algorithm for localizing multiple targets on a delay-Doppler plane in a bistatic passive radar system. Our algorithm aims to jointly compute the maximum likelihood (ML) estimate of the multiple targets’ (MT) delays and Doppler shifts by developing the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. The proposed method, referred to as EM-MT, decomposes the multi-dimensional estimation for delays and Doppler shifts into several independent, per-target optimization problems. At the output of EM-MT, we obtain the ML estimate of the delays and Doppler shifts of the multiple targets, and also the estimate of each target’s component signal in the surveillance channel (SC). The latter signal can be used to subtract stronger targets from the SC in order to accurately estimate the weaker targets. Simulation results show that EM-MT outperforms the cross-correlation estimator, the modified CC (MCC) estimator and a previously proposed EM-based algorithm. Furthermore, unlike these algorithms, our proposed EM-MT algorithm achieves the Cramer-Rao lower bound.
Influence of ischemia-reperfusion injury on endothelial function in men and women with similar serum estradiol concentrations

Prior data suggest that, relative to the early follicular phase, women in the late follicular phase are protected against endothelial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury when estradiol concentrations...
Modernismo global: um olhar a partir de Nova York

En cuanto critico de arte, historiador y curador cuya carrera empezo en Nueva York en 1980, yo cumpli una larga jornada desde mi educacion eurocentrica hasta mi actual orientacion global como autor y profesor. Ese cambio fue motivado por mi envolvimiento con el arte contemporaneo: su caracter “postmoderno” la vuelve inherentemente mas abierta a la visada postcolonial. La creacion de una historia global del modernismo de 1870 hasta 1970 sigue un desafio, no obstante. La narrativa convencional del arte moderno como una serie de innovaciones formales esta ineludiblemente firmada en Europa y America del Norte. La historia del modernismo global necesita, en lugar de eso, abordar el arte moderno como una serie de respuestas a lo cambio economico, social y politico.
Alpha-crystallin-derived peptides as therapeutic chaperones

Abstract Background The demonstration of chaperone-like activity in peptides (mini-chaperones) derived from α-crystallin's chaperone region has generated significant interest in exploring the therapeutic potential of peptide chaperones in diseases of protein aggregation. Recent studies in experimental animals show that mini-chaperones could reach intended targets and alter the disease phenotype. Although mini-chaperones show potential benefits against protein aggregation diseases, they do tend to form aggregates on storage. There is thus a need to fine-tune peptide chaperones to increase their solubility, pharmacokinetics, and biological efficacy. Scope of review This review summarizes the properties and the potential therapeutic roles of mini-chaperones in protein aggregation diseases and highlights some of the refinements needed to increase the stability and biological efficacy of mini-chaperones while maintaining or enhancing their chaperone-like activity against precipitation of unfolding proteins. Major conclusions Mini-chaperones suppress the aggregation of proteins, block amyloid fibril formation, stabilize mutant proteins, sequester metal ions, and exhibit antiapoptotic properties. Much work must be done to fine-tune mini-chaperones and increase their stability and biological efficacy. Peptide chaperones could have a great therapeutic value in diseases associated with protein aggregation and apoptosis. General significance Accumulation of misfolded proteins is a primary cause for many age-related diseases, including cataract, macular degeneration, and various neurological diseases. Stabilization of native proteins is a logical therapeutic approach for such diseases. Mini-chaperones, with their inherent antiaggregation and antiapoptotic properties, may represent an effective therapeutic molecule to prevent the cascade of protein conformational disorders. Future studies will further uncover the therapeutic potential of mini-chaperones. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Crystallin Biochemistry in Health and Disease.
Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized: The Propulsion Theory of Creative Contributions

There are tens of thousands of artists, musicians, writers, scientists, and inventors today. What makes some of them stand out from the rest? Why will some of them become distinguished contributors in the annals of their field and others be forgotten? Although many variables may contribute to who stands out from the crowd, certainly creativity is one of them. The standouts are often those who are doing particularly creative work in their line of professional pursuit. Are these highly creative individuals simply doing more highly creative work than their less visible counterparts, or does the creativity of their work also differ in quality? One possibility is that creative contributors make different decisions regarding how to express their creativity. This section describes a propulsion theory of creative contributions (Sternberg, 1999c; Sternberg, Kaufman, & Pretz, 2002) that addresses this issue of how people decide to invest their creative resources. The basic idea is that creativity can be of different kinds, depending on how it propels existing ideas forward. When developing creativity in children, we can develop different kinds of creativity, ranging from minor replications to major redirections in their thinking. Creative contributions differ not only in their amounts but also in the types of creativity they represent. For example, both Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud were highly creative psychologists, but the nature of their contributions seems in some way or ways to have been different.
Job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB): Does team commitment make a difference in self‐directed teams?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a model in which team commitment in self‐directed teams moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).Design/methodology/approach – Survey questionnaires measuring team commitment, OCB, and job satisfaction were administered to 242 full‐time employees who were involved in self‐directed teams at three geographically diverse manufacturing facilities. After carefully testing the psychometric properties of the scales, hierarchical multiple regression was used to test hypotheses.Findings – The relationship between job satisfaction and OCB was shown to be significant, as was the relationship between team commitment and OCB. Most importantly, the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior was moderated by team commitment, such that the relationship was stronger when team commitment was high.Research limitations/implications – Due to heightened salience of self‐directed team fun...
Women, Property, and Confucian Reaction in Sung and Yüan China (960–1368)

This book, originally published in 2002, argues that the Mongol invasion of the thirteenth century precipitated a transformation of marriage and property law in China that deprived women of their property rights and reduced their legal and economic autonomy. It describes how after a period during which women's property rights were steadily improving, and laws and practices affecting marriage and property were moving away from Confucian ideals, the Mongol occupation created a new constellation of property and gender relations that persisted to the end of the imperial era. It shows how the Mongol-Yuan rule in China ironically created the conditions for radical changes in the law, which for the first time brought it into line with the goals of Learning the Way Confucians and which curtailed women's financial and personal autonomy. The book evaluates the Mongol invasion and its influence on Chinese law and society.