cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunologic and biologic activity of chorionic gonadotropin synthesized by cloned choriocarcinoma cells in culture

ABSTRACT We have compared the ratio of biologic activity to immunologic activity (B/I) of chorionic gonadotropins produced by 3 clonal lines of choriocarcinoma in culture with the B/I of preparations of human chorionic gonadotropins extracted from the urine of pregnant women. Biologic activity in unextracted culture medium was measured by hypophysectomized immature rat ventral prostate weight and immature mouse uterine weight graded response assays and immunologic activity by radioimmunoassay. The B/I of a commercial preparation of chorionic gonadotropin did not differ from that of the reference preparation, Second International Standard Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, which had a B/I ratio designated 1.00 for the purposes of comparison. Two clonal lines produced chorionic gonadotropin with B/I of approximately 2, one clonal line pioduced chorionic gonadotropin with a B/I of 0.55. Biologic activity determined by 2 assay methods did not differ. The biologic activities of chorionic gonadotropin produced in cu...
Cellular neural networks based on resonant tunnelling diodes

Resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs) have intriguing properties which make them a primary nanoelectronic device for both analogue and digital applications. We propose two different types of RTD-based cells for the cellular neural network (CNN) which exhibit superior performance in terms of complexity, functionality, or processing speed compared to standard cells. In the first cell model, the resistor of the standard cell is replaced by an RTD, which results in a more compact and versatile cell which requires neither self-feedback nor a non-linear output function, and allows three stable equilibrium points. If a resonant tunnelling transistor (RTT) is used instead of the RTD, the dynamics can be controlled through its gate voltage as an additional network parameter. In a majority of CNN applications, bistable cells are sufficient. Utilizing RTD-based bistable logic elements to store the state of the cell, switching occurs almost instantaneously as virtually no charge transfer is necessary, and it is possible to implement non-linear connections in a straightforward manner. Hence, it turns out that RTD-based CNNs are tailor-made for the implementation of extremely fast bipolar operations and non-linear templates. The ideas presented in this paper may also be beneficially applied to other types of circuits and systems such as A/D converters or sigma-delta modulators. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Internationalization via "Europeanization": The Dimension in Spain

In a 2001 article in Higher Education in Europe, Martha Peach noted that Spain's entrance into the European Union (EU) in 1986 “breached the walls surrounding education and introduced educational internationalization.” Since that time, internationalization has emerged as a dynamic element in Spanish higher education, with the European dimension of this effort standing out as a factor affecting the pace and shape of the phenomenon. Indeed, Spanish adhesion to the EU two decades ago set into motion a unique set of opportunities and imperatives to advance the international dimension in the universities of Spain. While much has been accomplished, more remains to be done if Spain wishes to enhance the benefits created by the momentum of Europeanization.
Effects of simulated and natural herbivory on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. esculentum) leaf trichomes

Abstract. Plants respond to damage by herbivores with a variety of resistance characters including trichome production and the production of secondary compounds. These induced responses play important roles in species interactions, often protecting plants from herbivorous insects or pathogens, and there is growing interest in applying such information to solving pest problems in agriculture with the potential for using endogenous chemical elicitors instead of pesticides promising the development of more environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. The objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which trichomes are induced by the same stimuli shown to induce chemical responses in plants. Using the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. esculentum), the number of trichomes produced on leaves was compared after the application of the following treatments: simulated herbivory, natural herbivory, and jasmonic acid (JA) spray. Twenty-five plants were grown, and five randomly assigned to...
A Constitutive Description of Nonlinear Metamaterials Through Electric, Magnetic, and Magnetoelectric Nonlinearities

Nonlinear metamaterials provide a host of interesting phenomena which, like for their linear counterpart, can be described using homogenized, effective properties. Following the convention used in nonlinear optics, the response of nonlinear metamaterials can be expressed as a power series of the incident fields. However, contrarily to most materials used in nonlinear optics that only possess an electric nonlinear response, nonlinear metamaterials often show electric, magnetic, and magneto-electric nonlinear responses within a single unit cell. In this chapter, we present two complementary approaches to determine all the effective nonlinear susceptibilities of nonlinear metamaterials. First we present a coupled-mode theory that provides insight into the origin of the various nonlinear susceptibilities that arise in nonlinear metamaterials according to the symmetry of the unit cell. This approach also leads to a description of the effect of the finite size of the unit cells, often called spatial dispersion. Second, we present a retrieval approach based on transfer matrices that can be used to determine the effective nonlinear susceptibilities from either simulated or experimental results. We finally demonstrate how to use this approach by applying it to the case of dual-gap varactor-loaded split ring resonators.
Use of Social Networking for Dental Hygiene Program Recruitment

Purpose: Social networking has become a popular and effective means of communication used by students in the millennial generation. Academic admissions officers are beginning to utilize social networking methods for recruitment of students. However, the dental hygiene literature has reported little information about the use of social networking for recruitment strategies.. This paper describes one institutions9 process of creating and implementing a social network site for prospective and current students. This study supports the NDHRA priority area, Professional Education and Development: Identify the factors that affect recruitment and retention of students and faculty.
Specific ion effects on the permselectivity of sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) cation exchange membranes

Abstract Water uptake and permselectivity were measured for five sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) cation exchange membranes with varying degrees of functionalization from 20% to 60%. Experiments were conducted in aqueous salt solutions of LiCl, NaCl, KCl, Li2SO4, Na2SO4 and K2SO4 to isolate the effect of counter-ions and co-ions on membrane permselectivity. Water uptake ranged from 0.13 g water / g polymer to 0.76 g water / g polymer depending on the degree of functionalization and salt used, but was not found to describe the permselectivity differences between salts as the counter-ion and co-ion were varied. This lack of correlation between water uptake and permselectivity is counter to expectations for swollen polymers. Counter-ion binding affinity, charge density and dilute solution mobility were identified as factors influencing membrane permselectivity. Specifically, counter-ions with higher binding affinities to the fixed charge group of the polymer showed lower permselectivities due to counter-ion condensation. Co-ion polarizability was identified as the primary factor for co-ion effects on permselectivity, with more polarizable co-ions resulting in lower membrane permselectivities.
Comparison of cw HF laser performance for several nozzles

Thtee aspects of continuous wave (cw) HF chemical laser performance wete investigated. The first study determined the effect of mixing on overtone efficiency. A nozzle bank, denoted “HYSIM”, was designed with the same trip jet mixing chamaeristics as the TRW HYLTE nozzle and the same primary mass flow rate, primary nozzle exit conditions, blade height, and geometric gain length as the UIUC parallel slit nozzle (PSN). HYSJM fundamental performance was a factor of 1.6 greater than the PSN perfotmance. The HYSIM and PSN nozzles gave the same overtone efficiencies for the same degrees of medium saturation. Thus, the overtone efficiency is independent of the type of mixing that occurs. The second study d&ermined the effect on performance of injecting a film of He on the upstream converging nozzle walls. The HYSIM nozzle design was mod&d to inject a film of He as close to the upstream tip of the nozzle blade as possible. The fimdamenral pefhmna of the modified nozzle was 10 Watts less than that of the HYSA4 noxzle bank, independent of reflectivity. The film He molar flow rate/total primary molar flow rate for maximum performance was 0.50. Increasing the film Helium flow rate beyond this value mduced the power of the laser. At film Helium molar flow rate/total primary molar flow rate of 1.758. ihe performance decmazd by 12%. At high film Helium flow rates. reoptimization of the SF,. Hz. and secondary He flow rates recovered 49% of the lost power. The third study. determined the eftizct on the performance of the HYSIM nozzle when the exit of the l-4 injectors wcrC notched. The fundamental petfomtance of the modified nozzle. denoted ‘?&ched Hz Injector noPIe’*, was within the flO% repeatability band of the HYSIM nozzle bank. When the notches were added at the exits of the Helium injectors, the perfomance of the nozzle was unchanged. These data indicate that the notches did not change the performance of the laser.
Religious Preference and Migration

This study attempts to test the relationship between migration and religious group preference. Previous studies on migration have usually focused on charac? teristics such as age, sex, race and type of residence. Demographic studies on re? ligion have focused on characteristics such as educational attainment, income, fertility and suicide. Some attention has been given to specific migrations of re? ligious groups, such as the Mormons'journey to Utah, but an empirical analysis has not been attempted to show that religious groups tend to move into and out of specific areas of the United States at different rates. Specifically, this research will examine Protestants and Catholics with respect to their tendency to move into and out of Rhode Island. From its beginning in 1638 until 1840 Rhode Island was nearly homo? geneously Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Between 1840 and 1905 an influx of Catholics into Rhode Island placed them in the majority at the turn of the century. The expansion of job opportunities for low-skilled persons in the Rhode Island textile industry at the time when Catholics made up a large part of the im? migrants to the United States apparently accounts for the settling of Catholics in Rhode Island during this time.1 Catholics make up about 63 percent of the present Rhode Island Christian population. Given that only 23 percent of the United States population is Catholic, a small Catholic state like Rhode Island, with a high turnover of population due to migration, could become predominantly Protestant unless; (1) selection of Catholics into the state occurs, (2) there is no migration into Rhode Island, (3) Protestants selectively migrate out of the state, or (4) Protestant-Catholic fertility and/or mortality differentials exist such that the natural increase of Catholics outweighs that of Protestants to an extent sufficient to counterbalance migration loss.
Theoretical Studies of Large (H2O)32-35 Clusters

Water clusters, (H2O)32-35, were studied by applying the intermediate neglect of differential overlap self-consistent field restricted Hartree−Fock method (INDO SCF RHF) after parametrization for H...
Robust Autonomous Software-Defined Coherent Optical Receiver

A new robust Stokes space based modulation format recognition scheme using advanced statistical methods is demonstrated for autonomous software-defined coherent optical receiver applications. Experimental 1056km transmission signals are successfully identified among OOK/BPSK/QPSK/16-QAM and decoded with minimum BER at 16 or 32 Gbaud.
On the Construction of Public Sports Service System in the Background of Population Ageing

By applying the methods of document,it analyzes the that public service system construction to carry on to the population advanced age is analytical,turn from the advanced age of the structure characteristic of athletics public service,exist a problem and re-examine,the structure system is finally actively excellent to turn to constuct 4 to carry on treatise,can guide population of the advanced age turns of athletics public service construction.
Abstract 2525: Sema3C promotes glioma stem cell survival and radioresistance

Introduction: Different cancer cell compartments often communicate through soluble factors to facilitate tumor growth. Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are a subset of tumor cells that resist standard therapy to contribute to disease progression. How GSCs employ a distinct secretory program to communicate with and nurture each other over the non-stem tumor cell (NSTC) population is not well defined. Methods/Materials: GSCs were enriched from patient specimens and functionally validated. We used a candidate approach to screen for secreted factors that were preferentially used by GSCs but not NSTCs. Expression was assessed by Western blot, and confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence in vitro and in human and mouse GBM tissues. Ligand-receptor interactions were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Rac activity was assessed by Rac-GTP pulldown. Co-culture epistasis experiments were performed using knockdown and recombinant protein approaches. Glioma stem cell marker analysis (CD133, Sox2, Olig2), cell viability (ATP-dependent assays), apoptosis (TUNEL, PI/AnnexinV, cleaved caspase 3/7), self-renewal (tumorsphere formation and limiting dilution assay) and invasion (transwell migration assay) were performed. GSCs were separated in PlexinD1 hi and lo populations by FACS. Radiation (3 Gy) was delivered by Cs-137 irradiator. GSCs were used to establish orthotopic xenograft models of glioblastoma and tumor growth and animal survival were assessed. Results: We have found that GSCs preferentially secrete Sema3C and coordinately express PlexinA2/D1 receptors to activate Rac1/NF-κB signaling in an autocrine and paracrine loop to promote their own survival. Importantly, Sema3C is not expressed in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) or NSTCs. Disruption of Sema3C induced apoptosis of GSCs, but not NPCs or NSTCs, and suppressed tumor growth in orthotopic models of glioblastoma. Introduction of activated Rac1 rescued the Sema3C knockdown phenotype in vivo. Furthermore, GSCs that expressed high levels of Plexin receptors were more resistant to radiation, and Sema3C and Plexin receptors were upregulated after irradiation. Together, these data support that Sema3C signaling contributes to radiation resistance. Conclusions: Our study supports targeting Sema3C to break this GSC-specific autocrine/paracrine loop to improve glioblastoma treatment, potentially with a high therapeutic index. Citation Format: Jianghong Man, Jocelyn Shoemake, Qiulian Wu, Jennifer Yu. Sema3C promotes glioma stem cell survival and radioresistance. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2525.
Boundary Value Problems

An elementary course in ordinary differential equations often leaves the impression that only initial value problems are of interest. There are a variety of other possible conditions that are important in applications. For initial value problems, all the conditions are placed at one value of the independent variable—the initial time. When conditions occur for different values of the independent variable, the resulting problem is called a boundary value problem. This chapter discusses boundary value problems. It presents second-order linear boundary value problems and describes the development of a general structure of such problems. It also presents a linear second-order differential equation with variable coefficients and with conditions placed on the solution at two different values of the independent variable. Although the theory of linear boundary value problems can be developed in this generality, computations are really possible at this level only when the coefficients are constant. The chapter also presents the idea of a Green's function and discusses the treatment of inhomogeneous problems. The key question for the existence of such functions turns out to be the distance between zeros of certain solutions.
Parents’ perceptions of play: a comparative study of spousal perspectives

ABSTRACTPlay is essential for growth and learning during early childhood. However, the current focus on academics in preschool education has resulted in less emphasis placed on play as a learning tool. In the current study, parents’ value of play was investigated. Parent gender, child gender, and child age were examined as potential influences on parents’ value of play. Participants included 38 mothers and 38 fathers of preschool-aged children. Parents completed surveys about the value of play (play support) and the value of academic activities (academic focus). Results indicated that mothers rated play support higher than fathers. In addition, child age was negatively associated with parents’ ratings of play support, and the relation between child age and academic focus differed by child gender. The findings suggest that parents in this study perceive play as valuable, but these perceptions change as children approach formal schooling.
The quest for a successful cell-based therapeutic approach for heart failure.

This editorial refers to ‘Cardiopoietic cell therapy for advanced ischaemic heart failure: results at 39 weeks of the prospective, ramdomized, double-blind, sham-controlled CHART-1 clinical trial’, by J. Bartunek et al. , doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehw543. Two-thirds of all heart failure is due to ischaemic heart disease.1 These patients receive lifelong medication, experience significant morbidity and mortality, and often progress to heart transplantation or insertion of a left ventricular assist device,1,2 In terms of population impact, a successful regenerative medicine strategy will have enormous impact upon patients with heart failure, who number in the millions worldwide. The staggering impact upon patients and healthcare systems provides extraordinary impetus for the development of a regenerative approach to treat these patients.2,3 Indeed, the notion of affecting an improvement in left ventricular structure as a substrate for enhancing patients’ quality of life and functional capacity (ultimately leading to reducing morbidity and mortality) is extraordinarily attractive.2 This quest has spawned several clinical investigative efforts to devise an effective and efficient way to deliver cell-based therapy to this large patient population with major unmet needs.4,5 This resulted in the testing of a vast array of cells ( Table 1 ).2 Currently, there are few decisive successes in the field. However, all of the current efforts are small, with no published studies exceeding 200 patients, and very importantly lack standardization. For reference, an early important study in the development of biventricular pacing enrolled 453 patients.6 View this table: Table 1 Cell types under investigation in cell-based therapy trials for heart failure In 2010, Behfar and colleagues demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could be guided to become cardiac progenitor cells in mice.7 Furthermore, this study demonstrated that there are individuals that harbour stem cells with unique reparative capabilities, which are characterized …
Characterizing Salmonella Contamination in Two Rendering Processing Plants

ABSTRACT A microbiological investigation on Salmonella contamination was conducted in two U.S. rendering plants to investigate the potential cross-contamination of Salmonella in the rendering processing environment. Sampling locations were predetermined at the areas where Salmonella contamination may potentially occur, including raw materials receiving, crax (rendered materials before grinding process) grinding, and finished meal loading-out areas. Salmonella was either enumerated directly on xylose lysine Tergitol 4 agar plates or enriched in Rappaport-Vassiliadis and tetrathionate broths. The presumptive Salmonella isolates were confirmed using CHROMagar plating and latex agglutination testing and then characterized using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, serotyping, and biofilm-forming determination. Among 108 samples analyzed, 79 (73%) samples were Salmonella positive after enrichment. Selected Salmonella isolates (n = 65) were assigned to 31 unique pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns, with 16 S...
Modeling of extrusion process of a condenser tube for investigating the effects of mandrel geometry

In extrusion industry, optimization of die design plays a critical role in contributing to the quality of the extruded profile as well as tooling life. This study addresses the fact that most dies today are typically designed following a trial and error approach based on empirical knowledge of the designer, which inevitably results in increasing scrap rate and cost. The purpose is to understand the effects of geometry on the performance of a porthole die in order to improve the life of tooling and quality of the final extruded shape using finite element based simulations. In this work, a finite element (FE) model is developed to simulate the extrusion of a commercial grade aluminum alloy to produce a condenser tube used for cooling systems. Using the Update Lagrange FE analysis first, the tooling components of the modular die are assumed to be rigid in order to achieve the right friction coefficients to validate the experimental data collected during trail runs of the modular die. Next, DOE is used to identify the relative influence of the three main parameters that control the geometry of the mandrel. For each parametric set, a steady-state FE analysis is run to predict the maximum weld pressure between the mandrel port webs. The insight gained from these simulations is used to optimize the mandrel geometry.
Dynamic Capability and Firm Performance: The Role of Marketing Capability and Operations Capability

Scholars have argued that dynamic capability can influence firm performance through a variety of means and mechanisms. However, the empirical test of the relationship between dynamic capability, marketing capability, and operations capability on firm performance has remained scant. We contribute to resolving this issue by proposing a research model that links dynamic capability with marketing and operations capabilities on new product development performance specifically and firm performance generally. First, the model suggests that marketing capability and operations capability act as mediating mechanisms that transmit the positive influences of dynamic capability to new product development performance specifically and firm performance generally. Second, the model proposes the relationship between marketing capability, operations capability, and firm performance (new product development performance) be stronger if firms have adequate dynamic capability. Drawing on a dataset of multiyear longitudinal survey data of Chinese high-tech firms, we find support for the proposed model. The findings help us better explain the different ways in which dynamic capability affect performance.
An ultrasensitive enzyme-free electrochemical immunosensor based on redox cycling amplification using methylene blue

We report a new enzyme-free electrochemical sensor for ultrasensitive measurements of protein biomarkers in plasma and whole blood samples based on a unique electrochemical-chemical-chemical (ECC) redox cycling signal amplification scheme. This scheme uses methylene blue (MB) as a redox indicator which undergoes an endergonic reaction with Ru(NH3)63+ and a highly exergonic reaction with tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP). This approach offers improved detection sensitivity and sensor stability compared with enzyme-based ECC redox cycling techniques, while involving a simpler sensor modification process and detection protocol. This redox cycling scheme was combined with a robust immunosandwich assay for quantitative measurements of protein biomarkers. For proof of principle, Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) was measured in human plasma and whole blood samples, which could be detected down to 10 fg mL-1 and 18 fg mL-1, respectively. Furthermore, this immunosensor exhibits high selectivity, excellent reproducibility and good stability for up to 2 weeks, making it a promising platform for point-of-care testing, especially for detecting extremely low biomarker concentrations in raw biofluids.
Firearms Licensee Characteristics Associated with Sales of Crime-Involved Firearms and Denied Sales: Findings from the Firearms Licensee Survey

Efforts to prevent firearm violence focus in part on federal licensees—gun dealers and pawnbrokers. Some licensees account for disproportionate sales of firearms later used in crime or denied because of failed background checks. These characteristics tend to co-occur and have been used to identify licensees who may be important point sources of firearms used in crime. Using data from a forty-three-state survey, this study finds licensee and community attributes associated with these characteristics, including sales of inexpensive handguns, exposure to illegal activity, and location in a major metropolitan area. Respondents with disproportionate sales and denied sales express increased concern about firearm violence and support for policies to prevent it, suggesting that some important sources of crime-involved firearms could be significant partners in prevention efforts.
Modernism, Brahmin Angst, and Postcolonial Indian Writing in Regional Languages: The Case of U. R. Ananthamurthy's Samskara

European modernism deeply impacted postcolonial Indian literatures in regional languages. This essay looks at the South Indian writer, U. R. Ananthamurthy's, novel Samskara to explore such modernis...
Muscle Biology of Contractures in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Muscular contractures are routinely observed in children with cerebral palsy. The natural progression of gait leads to a reduction in passive range of motion. Here we discuss the physiological properties of skeletal muscle tissue and the recent advances in the biological basis of contractures. Skeletal muscles are highly organized structures composed of muscle cells, i.e., myofibers, arranged in parallel and series. Myofibers in turn are made up of the basic contractile proteins, actin, and myosin that form sarcomeres. Sarcomere length and force production are intricately associated such that at very long and short sarcomere lengths, there is a reduction in force-generating capacity. During normal postnatal development, stretch-induced longitudinal skeletal muscle growth by addition of sarcomeres is mediated by bone growth. In children with cerebral palsy, sarcomere lengths are overstretched, and sarcomere number is lower, associated with a limitation in joint range of motion, suggesting reduced ability for muscle growth. Increase in muscle extracellular matrix content and increase in passive mechanical stiffness of fibers and fiber bundles are also observed. Satellite cells are resident stem cells indispensible for postnatal development, repair, and regeneration of skeletal muscles. The satellite cell population is dramatically reduced in contractured muscles. Overall these findings suggest that impaired muscle growth and contractures in children with cerebral palsy are related to a reduced muscle stem cell number.
A Note on Plural Pronouns

Gareth Evans' proposal, as amended by Steven Neale –that a definite pronoun with a quantifiedantecedent that does not bind it has the sense ofa definite description – has been challenged inthe singular case by appeal to counter-examplesinvolving failure of the uniqueness condition forthe legitimacy of a singular description. Thischallenge is here extended to the plural.Counter-examples are provided by cases in which aplural description `the Fs' does not denote,despite the propriety of the use of `they' or`them' it is to replace, because of failure ofcumulativeness. A noncumulative predicate isnot distributive, and conditions for thelegitimacy of `the Fs' designed to accommodatenondistributive `Fs' are given in the context ofa two sorted theory with generalized quantifiers.Failure of cumulativeness is not to be confusedwith failure of maximality as Neale and othersdefine it. If not all Fs are Gs, `The Fs are Gs'is false; but it does not follow that `the Fs' isillegitimate; and if `Fs' is distributive. it isso only if there are no Fs. These differencesgranted, I give a partial defense of theEvans–Neale proposal from deficiencies in analternative based on the views of P. T.Geach.
Caregivers of Patients with Cancer: Ethical Issues

Since the 1960s, healthcare treatments, diagnostic procedures, and other interventions have become more effective and hope-filled with each new medical discovery, technological advancement, and research breakthrough. At the same time, the healthcare delivery has become a more complex, perplexing, and dilemmatic undertaking due to rising healthcare costs, shifting cultural beliefs (e.g., emphasis on individualism, freedom of choice, self-determination), disparities in access to treatments, expanded legal and regulatory oversight as well as litigation, higher expectations for what medicine can accomplish, and increased life expectancy that can be accompanied by protracted debility and dependence. Due to these and other factors, there is a growing need for both professional and family caregivers to consider the ethics of cancer care.
Determining Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Dry Bean Cultivars Using Ureide Method and Isotope Dilution Techniques

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is an environmentally safe source of nitrogen (N) to the crop plants. In total, 12 dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars from pinto, navy, black, and kidney m...
The ESCRT-III proteins IST1 and CHMP1B assemble around nucleic acids

ABSTRACT ESCRT-III proteins can promote inside-out or outside-in membrane tubulation and fission. In addition, several observations suggest that ESCRT factors may also associate with nucleic acids during development, different stages of the cell cycle, and during retro-transposition of parasitic nucleic acids like LINE1 elements. Two ESCRT-III subunits, IST1 (aka CHMP8) and CHMP1B, can coassemble as an external protein coat around liposomes in vitro and around recycling endosomal tubules in living cells. Here we show that recombinant IST1 and CHMP1B can also copolymerize into double stranded filaments that surround nucleic acids. Electron cryo-microscopy reconstructions of nucleic acid-bound IST1-CHMP1B copolymers revealed that the polynucleotides track along a binding groove formed between filaments of the inner CHMP1B strand. The well-ordered structures also reveal that the C-terminal tails of CHMP1B subunits extrude through the outer IST1 layer to the tube exterior. As a result, the MIT domain binding motifs of both CHMP1B and IST1 are arrayed on the outer surface of the copolymer, where they could bind and recruit MIT domain-containing co-factors, such as the SPASTIN ATPase or the USP8 ubiquitin protease. Our structure raises the possibility that ESCRT-III proteins may form nucleic acid complexes in mammalian cells.
Optimal Control Parameterization for ActivelPassive EXoskeleton with Variable Impedance Actuator

An ActivelPassive EXoskeleton (APEX) has been investigated to provide continuous assistance as a passive device, while having tunable dynamic properties through a variable impedance actuator. This paper introduces a novel computational method for APEX to search suitable dynamic properties to assist a given task. An optimal parameter selection problem is formulated based on a hybrid system model, and a gradient method is proposed to solve the nonlinear optimization problem. A simulation study is conducted, and the results indicate that the method can search the global optimum of the problem to provide users with suitable passive assistance.
The relationship between indoor tanning and body mass index, physical activity, or dietary practices: a systematic review

A systemic review was conducted to better understand the relationship between indoor tanning and body mass index (BMI), physical activity, or dietary practices. Articles included in this review were obtained via a systematic search of PubMed following PRISMA guidelines. Available articles were published between September, 2003 and May, 2017 and contained data regarding indoor tanning and BMI, physical activity, or dietary practices. Sixteen publications met final inclusion criteria. Results of this review indicate significant positive associations between indoor tanning and high physical activity levels, playing sports, and both unhealthy and healthy diet and weight control practices. Frequent or dependent indoor tanning was associated with unhealthy dietary practices in most studies or risk for exercise addiction in one study. Results were mixed for BMI. This review demonstrates associations between indoor tanning and physical activity or dietary practices. Despite the use of some unhealthy strategies (e.g., indoor tanning, fasting, vomiting, laxative, or steroid use), common motives for these behaviors include a desire to appear attractive and/or healthy. Findings from this study can help inform future research and possible interventions for individuals engaging in relevant risky health behaviors.
PARP Inhibitors as a Therapeutic Agent for Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Breast Cancers

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) play an important role in various cellular processes, such as replication, recombination, chromatin remodeling, and DNA repair. Emphasizing PARP’s role in facilitating DNA repair, the PARP pathway has been a target for cancer researchers in developing compounds which selectively target cancer cells and increase sensitivity of cancer cells to other anticancer agents, but which also leave normal cells unaffected. Since certain tumors (BRCA1/2 mutants) have deficient homologous recombination repair pathways, they depend on PARP-mediated base excision repair for survival. Thus, inhibition of PARP is a promising strategy to selectively kill cancer cells by inactivating complementary DNA repair pathways. Although PARP inhibitor therapy has predominantly targeted BRCA-mutated cancers, this review also highlights the growing conversation around PARP inhibitor treatment for non-BRCA-mutant tumors, those which exhibit BRCAness and homologous recombination deficiency. We provide an update on the field’s progress by considering PARP inhibitor mechanisms, predictive biomarkers, and clinical trials of PARP inhibitors in development. Bringing light to these findings would provide a basis for expanding the use of PARP inhibitors beyond BRCA-mutant breast tumors.
Fundamental Insights into Plant Biology that Might Be Offered by Flax

Flax is one of the oldest domesticated species. It is unusual in that it was domesticated for two very different phenotypes, namely, for an unbranched stem for long fibers for linen (flax) production and a small shorter bushy phenotype for high seed yield (linseed). These two contrasting commercial phenotypes have more recently been augmented by the increasing use of flax as an important source of fiber, of omega-3 fatty acids, of plant estrogens, and of lignans in the diets of both humans and animals. Canada was the first country to support a health claim for flax that provides the highest plant-based source of unsaturated fatty acids. New value-added markets for flax in the human health and animal nutrition realm, as well as the fiber and oil being used for an array of industrial products including linoleum flooring, car panels, industrial oils, and solvents, and a myriad of other composite materials are important in the revival of this important oilseed and fiber crop. In addition, it has commercial potential that is changing with new opportunities. The use of fibers in composite materials may be enhanced by the development of dual-purpose varieties, that is, those that have sufficient seed yield allied to high-quality fibers. Such a crop would have an environmental advantage as well as the straw, which would be useful without the need for disposal resulting in additional carbon sequestration.
Loss-On-Ignition Estimates for Soil Organic Carbon in Great Lakes Freshwater Coastal Wetlands

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important component of freshwater wetlands that may be used to quantify ecosystem services and prioritize conservation efforts. Measuring SOC directly via elemental analysis is often time and cost-prohibitive. Loss-on-ignition (LOI) is a rapid and low-cost method for determining soil organic matter; however, LOI data must be converted to SOC data using a soil type-specific regression model and no models currently exist for freshwater coastal wetlands. To address this gap, we performed regression analyses that convert percent organic matter measured from LOI to SOC for freshwater coastal wetlands in the southern basin of Lake Michigan. Analyses across 6 Lake Michigan wetlands provide a regression model capable of estimating SOC within ±3.5% uncertainty (r2 = 0.757), a threshold useful for wetland management and large-scale soil surveys. Future research should explore the LOI-SOC relationship at other freshwater coastal wetlands – to investigate whether the correlation values found here are typical of these systems and to refine our regression model using data from disparate freshwater locales.
Thermal Design of the TREAT Facility

The Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility is a graphite reactor capable of delivering tailored power histories to unique experiment designs. Frequently, these experiments are designed to simulate...
Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava Suggested by an Unusual Central Venous Pressure Waveform.

Background A persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is the most common congenital anomaly of the thoracic venous return. Case Description During atrial septal defect repair, a pulmonary artery (PA) catheter was placed via the left internal jugular vein. Although placement of the PA catheter in the main PA was confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography, the central venous pressure (CVP) waveform was abnormal. Intraoperatively, the PA catheter was seen exiting the coronary sinus with the CVP port within the coronary sinus. Conclusions The diagnosis of PLSVC is discussed and the differential diagnosis of the abnormal “ventricular” pattern of the CVP waveform is reviewed.
Effect of cleaning methods on the dissolution of diatom frustules

Abstract Experimental studies characterizing the reactivity of siliceous materials, such as biogenic silica from the field or laboratory cultures, typically require organic matter removal prior to experimental analysis. Consequently, it is highly desired to develop and optimize a cleaning protocol that imposes minimal alterations to the reactivity of the siliceous substrate and can be robustly employed among laboratories and investigators. This study offers a quantitative comparison of several methods for removing organic matter associated with biogenic silica to assess their efficacy for use in reactivity studies. Five protocols for organic matter removal were assessed, including combinations of chemical treatments and/or baking, along with low temperature ashing with an oxygen plasma. These methods were tested and evaluated using Thalassiosira pseudonana frustules for mass recovery, organic carbon removal, elemental composition, morphology, structural order, relative abundance of silanol (≡Si-OH) groups, and dissolution rate. An additional experiment was conducted over a longer time scale using Thalassiosira weissflogii and a more realistic seawater matrix. Low temperature plasma ashing was found to be the most suitable for organic matter removal in studies seeking to constrain the short-term dissolution of biogenic silica; this method efficiently removed organic carbon while being the least impactful on frustule dissolution compared to the other cleaning methods evaluated. However, if the line of inquiry for an experiment does not require understanding of short-term dissolution rates, commonly used chemical (e.g. mineral acid, peroxide) and high temperature treatments did not appear to affect the long-term trajectory in biogenic silica dissolution.
Believers vs. deniers: Climate change and environmental policy polarization

Abstract This paper theoretically studies the consequences of partisanship with an application to environmental policy. We model an election between a right-wing and a left-wing candidate who strategically propose environmental policies to gain the support of an electorate divided based on their climate change beliefs and productive assets. While environmental regulations imply a trade-off between a more sustainable environment and higher incomes for all voters, climate change believers have a higher belief in human activity-induced climate change, which translates into greater expected environmental benefits from policy, and high-asset voters care relatively more about mitigating economic costs. Voters view the left-wing candidate as more effective in addressing environmental challenges, whereas her right-wing opponent is the better candidate to deliver relief from the economic burden of regulations. In equilibrium, there exists policy divergence and the right-wing candidate always proposes the more pro-industry policy. We find that higher asset inequality moves equilibrium policies in a pro-industry direction as long as high-asset voters are ideologically more homogeneous than low-asset ones. Equilibrium policies become further polarized with greater partisanship as those voters with the same climate change belief hold similar ideologies.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage in C57BL/6J mice increases motor stereotypies and compulsive-like behaviors.

Objective Long-term behavioral, mood, and cognitive deficits affect over 30% of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The aim of the present study was to examine the neurobehavioral outcomes following endovascular perforation induced SAH in mice. Methods C57BL/6 J (B6) mice were exposed to endovascular perforation induced SAH or control surgery. Three weeks later, mice received a series of behavioral tests, e.g. motor function, stereotypy, learning, memory, behavioral flexibility, depression and anxiety. The immunohistologic experiment examined neuronalloss in the cortex following SAH. Results SAH mice exhibited increased marble burying and nestlet shredding compared to that of control mice. Although SAH did not affect memory, learning or reversal learning,mice displayed greater overall object exploration in the novel object recognition test, as well as elevated perseveration during probabilistic reversal learning.In the forced swim and open field tests, SAH mice performed comparably to that of control mice. However, SAH mice exhibited an increased frequency in 'jumping' behavior in the open field test. Histological analyses revealed reduced neuron density in the parietal-entorhinal cortices of SAH mice on the injured side compared to that of control mice. Discussion The findings suggest that parietal-entorhinal damage from SAH increases stereotyped motor behaviors and 'compulsive-like' behaviors without affecting cognition (learning and memory) or mood (anxiety and depression). This model can be used to better understand the neuropathophysiology following SAH that contributes to behavioral impairments in survivors with no gross sensory-motor deficits.
Experiences With the OSF Distributed Computing Environment

This paper describes the Open Software Foundation’s Distributed Computing Environment (OSF DCE) in the context of the ISO Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing (RMODP). It presents a critical assessment of the DCE technology, and suggests future work for both DCE and ODP. We suggest how DCE can support Open Distributed Processing, summarize the experiences we had building a DCE-based prototype, and discuss the lessons we learned from this activity. As a result of the prototype effort we built a set of DCE services to improve the usability and utility of DCE, including an object-oriented programming system, an event notification service, and a name space browser/editor for the DCE directory service. Current research efforts are underway to study fault tolerance and to provide generic data replication.
A polynomial based dynamic expansion and data consistency assessment and modification for cylindrical shell structures

Abstract A designated set of shape functions are created for cylindrical shell structures. The 1D Chebyshev polynomial is applied along the axial direction and the 1D harmonic basis along the circumferential direction. A 2D orthogonal space is formed on the cylindrical domain by combining the above two 1D bases and is used to develop the expansion function. A finite element model is not required for the expansion technique, nor are the boundary conditions or external forcing functions. Using these generated shape functions, the dynamic time response at some points on cylindrical shells structure can be expanded to obtain the information at a larger number of points. Only the measurement data, geometry, and coordinates of measured points are needed. The developed polynomial expansion technique is also extended to a Data Consistency Assessment Function (DCAF), which can assess the consistency of the data set and identify the inconsistent points. The inconsistent points can also be modified by using the polynomial expansion method. A cylindrical shell structure in either air or water medium is used to experimentally demonstrate the use of the developed shape functions for polynomial expansion and data consistency assessment and modification.