cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MipZ, a Spatial Regulator Coordinating Chromosome Segregation with Cell Division in Caulobacter

Correct positioning of the division plane is a prerequisite for the generation of daughter cells with a normal chromosome complement. Here, we present a mechanism that coordinates assembly and placement of the FtsZ cytokinetic ring with bipolar localization of the newly duplicated chromosomal origins in Caulobacter. After replication of the polarly located origin region, one copy moves rapidly to the opposite end of the cell in an MreB-dependent manner. A previously uncharacterized essential protein, MipZ, forms a complex with the partitioning protein ParB near the origin of replication and localizes with the duplicated origin regions to the cell poles. MipZ directly interferes with FtsZ polymerization, thereby restricting FtsZ ring formation to midcell, the region of lowest MipZ concentration. The cellular localization of MipZ thus serves the dual function of positioning the FtsZ ring and delaying formation of the cell division apparatus until chromosome segregation has initiated.
The Association of Vitamin D Status and Pre-operative Physical Activity in Patients with Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Vitamin D is important for musculoskeletal health and may have significant implications for maintaining physical activity in elderly patients. Our goal was to investigate whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels are associated with pre-operative physical activity in patients who are offered elective knee or hip joint replacement surgery. Methods: We performed a single-center, retrospective analysis of patients who had elective knee or hip replacement surgery from 2002 to 2012. To investigate the association of serum 25OHD levels with pre-operative physical activity, as assessed by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity scale, we performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis while controlling for age, sex, race, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score, and season. Results: We identified 182 patients who met inclusion criteria. Mean (± standard deviation) 25OHD level and UCLA activity scale score were 29±13 ng/mL and 4±2, respectively. Patients with 25OHD levels <20 ng/mL were almost three times more likely to have UCLA activity scale scores ≤3 [adjusted odds ratio 2.78; 95% confidence interval 1.72–9.17]. Further adjusting for “type of 25OHD assay” or “type of joint surgery” did not materially change this result. Conclusion: In our cohort of knee or hip joint replacement surgery patients, 25OHD levels were associated with pre-operative physical activity scores. Prospective, randomized, clinical trials are needed to verify whether optimizing pre-operative vitamin D status may improve physical activity and influence clinical decision-making in knee or hip joint replacement surgery candidates.
Interactions of airline operations control centers with the Air Traffic Management System

A series of three focus groups was held to study the interactions of airline dispatchers with the air traffic management system. This paper reports on the results of the third focus group, which included as participants dispatchers, airline ATC coordinators, an ATCSCC (Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center) specialist and TMOs (Traffic Management Officers) from several ARTCCs. The findings are organized around three topics, including discussions of concerns over traffic management procedures and training.
Bacteriostatic effect of ammonium onNitrobacter agilis in mixed culture withNitrosomonas europaea

In stationary flasks, ammonium concentrations in excess of 200 ppm N reinforced population imbalances conductive to accumulation of nitrite over time in mixed cultures ofNitrosomonas europaea andNitrobacter agilis. Nitrate production proceeded at a low, linear rate characteristic for a nonproliferating population, indicating a bacteriostatic effect of ammonium or free ammonia on growth of Nitrobacter rather than an inhibitory effect on nitrite oxidation. In perfusion systems inoculated with the same mixed culture and enriched by maintenance on a medium supplying both ammonium and nitrite, ammonium concentrations ranging up to 750 ppm were oxidized to nitrate with no differences in rate of the overall transformation and no appearance of nitrite as an intermediate.
Preparation and Characterization of Acetylated Rice Straw

Inexpensive and biodegradable thermoplastics were developed through acetylation of rice straw.The characterization of acetylated rice straw was performed by Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermo-gravimetric analyzer(TGA).The results showed that the acetylated rice straw got a good thermoplastic when reaction temperature was 50℃,and the reaction time was 2 h,the dosage of H2SO4,glacial acetic acid and acetic anhydride were 9%,10 and 2 times to one part of rice straw,respectively.
Predicting Calcium Requirements in Children

Calcium requirements can be set on the basis of intake for maximal retention as was done for most age groups by the Institutes of Medicine in 1997 or by the factorial method as was done in 2011. This chapter explores the possibility of a personalized calcium recommendation for calcium recommendations by age, sex, and ancestral group using adolescents aged 9–18 as an example. Data are available for most subpopulations for the maximal retention approach to nutrient requirements. As a step toward personalizing recommendations using the factorial approach, we developed a parametric model for determining average and peak bone calcium accrual by sex and age based on longitudinal data in white boys and girls.
Cancer stem cells: Role in tumor growth, recurrence, metastasis, and treatment resistance.

AbstractCancer stem cells (CSCs) are a class of pluripotent cells that have been observed in most types of solid and hematologic cancers. CSCs have been shown in numerous cancer models to be involved in tumor development, cell proliferation, and metastatic dissemination, while possessing a capacity
Amide-directed photoredox-catalysed C–C bond formation at unactivated sp 3 C–H bonds

Carbon-carbon (C-C) bond formation is paramount in the synthesis of biologically relevant molecules, modern synthetic materials and commodity chemicals such as fuels and lubricants. Traditionally, the presence of a functional group is required at the site of C-C bond formation. Strategies that allow C-C bond formation at inert carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds enable access to molecules that would otherwise be inaccessible and the development of more efficient syntheses of complex molecules. Here we report a method for the formation of C-C bonds by directed cleavage of traditionally non-reactive C-H bonds and their subsequent coupling with readily available alkenes. Our methodology allows for amide-directed selective C-C bond formation at unactivated sp3 C-H bonds in molecules that contain many such bonds that are seemingly indistinguishable. Selectivity arises through a relayed photoredox-catalysed oxidation of a nitrogen-hydrogen bond. We anticipate that our findings will serve as a starting point for functionalization at inert C-H bonds through a strategy involving hydrogen-atom transfer.
Gain and phase monitoring for a large-scale damping controller

Transmission capacity is often limited by poorly-damped electromechanical oscillations. One approach for increasing modal damping is to employ a large-scale feedback controller. One such controller being prototyped in the western North American power system is feedback modulation of the Pacific DC Intertie (PDCI). Safe operation of the controller requires automated real-time monitoring the controller's performance and robustness. In this paper, an automated approach for monitoring the gain and phase of the control loop is presented. The approach uses non-parametric spectral analysis to in-situ estimate the gain and phase of the control loop at critical frequencies. Two calculation methods are compared: one based on the discrete Fourier transform; and one based periodogram averaging. The approaches are compared via a simulation of the PDCI damping control system.
Smart data pricing for the Internet: Agenda & research directions

This article outlines a research agenda and ongoing works in smart data pricing (SDP). SDP aims to create a “win-win” by reducing network congestion cost for operators and empowering consumers with better choices and control over their data usage.
Nonprofits and Political Activity: A Joint Consideration of the Political Activities, Programs, and Organizational Characteristics of Social Service Nonprofits

ABSTRACTNonprofit social service agencies are essential to the safety net assisting Americans with low incomes. These agencies also fulfill important civic functions through political activities such as policy advocacy and public education. To learn more about nonprofit political behavior, we analyze unique survey data drawn from 1,205 faith-based and secular nonprofit social service agencies across the United States. We distinguish between six different types of political activity while also considering program service areas. Our findings indicate that there is substantial variation in the type of political activity undertaken by social service nonprofits, and organizational characteristics can help explain this variation.
The Duty of Due Diligence and Cyber Incitements to Violence

This short essay, based on comments delivered at a Touro Law School Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust workshop, explores benefits and costs of an international law duty of due diligence in cyberspace, especially as a response to cyber incitements to violence. A duty on the part of States to prevent harm emanating from cyber infrastructure located on their territory is in some respects attractive. Such a duty might better incentivize responsible management of cyber infrastructure and augment security between States. Moreover, a more refined duty of diligence in cyberspace positions State victims of harm, such as incitements to violence, to resort to countermeasures as a form of self-help in scenarios where full attribution is not feasible. However, the essay cautions that increased availability of self-help, especially in the form of countermeasures, may present its own destabilizing and escalatory consequences.
Paracentral acute middle maculopathy: precursor to macular thinning in sickle cell retinopathy

We present a case of paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM) in a patient with sickle cell disease (SCD). Though gradual capillary loss may contribute to pathophysiology of sickle cell retinopathy as well, our case suggests that PAMM may be the precursor lesion to macular thinning commonly observed in patients with SCD. In addition, fluorescein angiography may be unable to detect these acute vascular events occurring at the deep capillary plexus.
Assessment of Radio Occultation Observations from the COSMIC-2 Mission with a Simplified Observing System Simulation Experiment Configuration

AbstractThe mainstay of the global radio occultation (RO) system, the COSMIC constellation of six satellites launched in April 2006, is already past the end of its nominal lifetime and the number of soundings is rapidly declining because the constellation is degrading. For about the last decade, COSMIC profiles have been collected and their retrievals assimilated in numerical weather prediction systems to improve operational weather forecasts. The success of RO in increasing forecast skill and COSMIC’s aging constellation have motivated planning for the COSMIC-2 mission, a 12-satellite constellation to be deployed in two launches. The first six satellites (COSMIC-2A) are expected to be deployed in December 2017 in a low-inclination orbit for dense equatorial coverage, while the second six (COSMIC-2B) are expected to be launched later in a high-inclination orbit for global coverage. To evaluate the potential benefits from COSMIC-2, an earlier version of the NCEP’s operational forecast model and data assimi...
“New” bronchopulmonary dysplasia and chronic lung disease

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the major cause of chronic lung disease and morbidity in preterm infants. Since it was first described fifty years ago, the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment for BPD has changed dramatically. This review summarizes these changes and the clinical outcomes for infants diagnosed with BPD.
Healthy Aging Among Older Black and White Men: What Is the Role of Mastery?

Objectives This research explores black-white differences in healthy aging and investigates whether mastery acts as a buffer against poor health for older black and white men. Methods Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (2008-2012), a series of binary logit models were created to assess healthy aging over a 2-year period. Healthy aging was defined as good subjective health and free of disability at both waves. Mastery was lagged, and analyses (n = 4,892) controlled for social and health factors. Results Black-white disparities in healthy aging were observed, where older black men had lower odds of healthy aging. Mastery was associated with higher odds of healthy aging, and race moderated the relationship between mastery and healthy aging. The predicted probability of healthy aging was relatively flat across all levels of mastery among black men, yet white men saw consistent gains in the probability of healthy aging with higher levels of mastery. In race-stratified models, mastery was not a significant predictor of healthy aging among black men. Discussion High levels of mastery are linked to positive health-often acting as a buffer against stressful life events. However, among older black men, higher levels of mastery did not necessarily equate to healthy aging.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudoalteromonas piscicida Strain DE2-B, a Bacterium with Broad Inhibitory Activity toward Human and Fish Pathogens.

ABSTRACT Pseudoalteromonas piscicida strain DE2-B is a halophilic bacterium which has broad inhibitory activity toward vibrios and other human and fish pathogens. We report the first closed genome sequence for this species, which consists of two chromosomes (4,128,210 and 1,188,838 bp). Annotation revealed multiple genes encoding proteases with potential antibacterial properties.
Pediatric Laryngeal Anomalies

Summarize current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, presentation, workup, and management of common and major congenital laryngeal anomalies. Familiarize readers, particularly those providing primary care pediatric services, with these lesions. Knowledge of these anomalies continues to evolve rapidly, with ongoing wide variation in workup and treatment strategies. Nevertheless, some core principles can be extracted from the current medical literature. The pediatric larynx is anatomically small but functionally critical. Many anomalies can mimic each other despite requiring very different workup and treatment strategies. In some cases, these anomalies may be life-threatening or may significantly impair function. Familiarity with the nuances of these conditions will likely be useful to primary and specialty providers caring for pediatric patients.
Corporate Compliance with the Sullivan Principles

The working of the Sullivan Principles in South Africa can be analyzed along two dimensions. The first relates to the Principles themselves: their content; their evolution and modification; their underlying rationale and social and moral import; and the goals they were designed to achieve. These questions were central in motivating us to write this book. In the current chapter, however, we focus on the second dimension of the working of the Principles. To wit, we consider the manner in which the Sullivan Principles were operationalized and implemented in South Africa. In particular, we examine the criteria by which projects were selected and managed, and the standards and processes that were created for monitoring and evaluating performance. We also attempt to evaluate operational efficiency, the achievement of goals (as measured by the auditing and monitoring instruments used in the process), and the impact the companies’ efforts when seen from the perspectives of the recipient groups.
Hematologic Challenges in ICU Patients on ECMO

Patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) face a unique set of hematologic challenges beyond those experienced by other critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. In addition to any hematologic dysregulation related to the patient’s underlying disease processes, the ECMO circuit exerts shear stress on blood components and alters the balance between pro- and anticoagulant pathways thereby increasing the risk of bleeding, thrombosis, and hemolysis, all of which may be severe. These factors, as well as evolving anticoagulation practices in ECMO-supported patients, have introduced additional challenges that complicate an already complex hematologic landscape. Despite the rapid growth of ECMO in recent years, limited high-quality evidence exists in how to best diagnose, mitigate, and manage the hematologic complications associated with it. Because of this, a thorough understanding of physiology and the interaction of blood elements with the ECMO circuit are paramount to the successful delivery of patient care in this setting.
Secretion Mobilization Capabilities of Two Airway Clearance Devices

Background: Secretion clearance is one of the most important tasks for respiratory therapists and patients. We tested two high frequency airway clearance devices to determine which device is more efficient at mobilizing secretions in a bench model. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference in secretion mobilization between the IPV (Model IPV-1C, Percussionaire, Sandpoint, ID) and MetaNeb System (Hill-Rom, St. Paul, MN). Methods: An Ingmar Medical ASL 5000 lung simulator was set to mimic a chronic bronchitis patient with a compliance of 60 mL/cm H2O and resistance of 18 cm H2O/L/s. The simulator was then programmed to produce a tidal volume of 500 mL, respiratory rate 15, and I: E ratio of 1: 3. A section of Tygon tubing with a length of 33. 2 cm and internal diameter of 13 mm was used to simulate an airway. Using appropriate adaptors, the airway was then connected directly to the ASL 5000. The two devices were then connected to the distal end of the airway which was lubricated with a silicone lubricant. A mucous simulant was created by crosslinking 100 mL of a locust bean gum solution (0.38 mg/100mL) with 3 mL of sodium tetra borate (19 mg/L). Using a syringe, 2 mL of mucous simulant was injected into the end of the tubing closest to the ASL 5000. To determine mucus velocity, a ruler was placed next to the tubing and the leading edge of the mucous was noted. After each device was allowed to run for a period of two min, the leading edge of mucus was again noted and the velocity was calculated. The tubing was cleaned, dried, and lubricated after each run. This procedure was repeated three times at both the high and low frequencies on the MetaNeb as well as the highest and lowest frequency settings on the IPV. Results: The IPV set on the highest frequency produced a mean positive velocity of 3.98 cm/min. The IPV set on the lowest frequency produced a mean negative velocity of 1.02 cm/min. The Metaneb produced a velocity of zero on both the high and low frequency settings. Conclusions: The MetaNeb produced no net movement of secretions. The high frequency setting of the IPV produced secretion mobilization away from the ASL or cephalad. On the low frequency setting, the IPV moved secretions toward the ASL or caudad. When using the IPV for secretion clearance, the best results will be obtained when it is set on the on the highest frequency.
Graph Model for the Identification of Multi-target Drug Information for Culinary Herbs

Drug discovery strategies based on natural products are re-emerging as a promising approach. Due to its multi-target therapeutic properties, natural compounds in herbs produce greater levels of efficacy with fewer adverse effects and toxicity than monotherapies using synthetic compounds. However, the study of these medicinal herbs featuring multi-components and multi-targets requires an understanding of complex relationships, which is one of the fundamental goals in the discovery of drugs using natural products. Relational database systems such as the MySQL and Oracle store data in multiple tables, which are less efficient when data such as the one from natural compounds contain many relationships requiring several joins of large tables. Recently, there has been a noticeable shift in paradigm to NoSQL databases, especially graph databases, which was developed to natively represent complex high throughput dynamic relations. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of using a graph-based database to capture the dynamic biological relationships of natural plant products by comparing the performance of MySQL and one of the most widely used NoSQL graph databases called Neo4j. Using this approach we have developed a graph database HerbMicrobeDB (HbMDB), and integrated herbal drug information, herb-targets, metabolic pathways, gut-microbial interactions and bacterial-genome information, from several existing resources. This NoSQL database contains 1,975,863 nodes, 3,548,314 properties and 2,511,747 edges. While probing the database and testing complex query execution performance of MySQL versus Neo4j, the latter outperformed MySQL and exhibited a very fast response for complex queries, whereas MySQL displayed latent or unfinished responses for complex queries with multiple-join statements. We discuss information convergence of pharmacochemistry, bioactivities, drug targets, and interaction networks for 24 culinary herbs and human gut microbiome. It is seen that all the herbs studied contain compounds capable of targeting a minimum of 55 enzymes and a maximum of 250 enzymes involved in biochemical pathways important in disease pathology.
Class Action Scarcity: An Empirical Analysis of the Securities Class Action in Korea

Class actions, originally developed in the United States, have recently spread internationally. Not every country that has emulated the US’s style of class actions has seen the class action tool being frequently used. Korea, one of the civil law countries that adopted a US-style class action in securities law more than 10 years ago, has a securities class action that serves as an excellent example of a legal transplant that is underutilized. Over the last 13 years since the Securities-Related Class Action Act (‘the SCAA’) was enacted in Korea in 2004, only 10 class action suits have been filed. Instead, securities damage suits in the form of non-class actions (‘securities damage suits’) are more frequently used in Korea. In this article, I aim to fill the gap in the literature by empirically researching why the securities-related class action is seldom used in Korea, focusing on the perspective of the plaintiffs’ lawyers and considering securities damage suits as a substitute. To accomplish this, the study relies on a mixed-methods research approach: (1) interviews with plaintiffs’ lawyers and plaintiffs themselves and (2) a content analysis of court decisions on securities class action suits and securities damage suits. This research finds that risk-averse plaintiffs’ lawyers, facing large costs in bringing securities class action suits, consider bringing securities class actions only for cases that have a higher possibility of winning and enforcement. This research provides insights into the conditions for successful legal transplants to other countries considering a US-style class action as an option.
Who’s ditching the bus?

Abstract This paper uses stop-level passenger count data in four cities to understand the bus ridership decline between 2012 and 2018. The local characteristics associated with ridership change are evaluated in Portland, Miami, Minneapolis/St-Paul, and Atlanta. Poisson models explain ridership as a cross-section and the change thereof as a panel. While controlling for the change in frequency, jobs, and population, the correlation with local socio-demographic characteristics are investigated using data from the American Community Survey. The effect of changing neighborhood demographics on bus ridership are modeled using Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics data. At a point in time, neighborhoods with high proportions of non-white, carless, and most significantly, high-school-educated residents are the most likely to have high ridership. Over time, the share of white residents is correlated with ridership decline. In Miami and Atlanta, places with high concentrations of residents with college education and without access to a car also lose ridership at a faster rate. In Minneapolis/St-Paul, the proportion of college-educated residents is linked to ridership gain. The sign and significance of these results remain consistent even when controlling for intra-urban migration. Although bus ridership is declining across neighborhood characteristics, these results suggest that the underlying cause of bus ridership decline must be primarily affecting the travel behavior of white bus riders.
Nishida and the Phenomenology of Self-Awareness

Nishida Kitarō shared with phenomenologists a concern to account for experience as it is lived, prior to how it is described objectively. His philosophy implies the phenomenological sense of experience, consciousness and self-awareness as dimensions of illuminating or revealing things. His engagement with Husserl in particular guided much of his questioning and criticisms of the centrality of intentionality and of reflective self-awareness. This chapter shows why his critique of Husserl is mistaken, but also indicates how Nishida contributes to the phenomenology of self-awareness. His notion of awareness as inherently reflexive or self-mirroring helps clarify the connection between pre-reflective awareness and reflection and the connection between awareness and the role of a self. Other themes in Nishida’s philosophy, such as the practice of awareness in engaged bodily action, hold promise for further phenomenological investigation.
Where do you live and what do you drive: Built-environmental and spatial effects on vehicle type choice and vehicle use

The carbon footprint of daily travel for an individual household is based on the types of vehicles that the household owns, their fuel efficiency, and the number of miles traveled (Federal Highway ...
Mechanisms Underlying Enhancement of Spontaneous Glutamate Release by Group I mGluRs at a Central Auditory Synapse

One emerging concept in neuroscience states that synaptic vesicles and the molecular machinery underlying spontaneous transmitter release are different from those underlying action potential-driven synchronized transmitter release. Differential neuromodulation of these two distinct release modes by metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) constitutes critical supporting evidence. However, the mechanisms underlying such a differential modulation are not understood. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of the modulation by group I mGluRs (mGluR Is) on spontaneous glutamate release in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), an auditory brainstem nucleus critically involved in sound localization. Whole-cell patch recordings from brainstem slices of mice of both sexes were performed. Activation of mGluR I by 3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (3,5-DHPG; 200 μm) produced an inward current at −60 mV and increased spontaneous glutamate release in MNTB neurons. Pharmacological evidence indicated involvement of both mGluR1 and mGluR5, which was further supported for mGluR5 by immunolabeling results. The modulation was eliminated by blocking NaV channels (tetrodotoxin, 1 μm), persistent Na+ current (INaP; riluzole, 10 μm), or CaV channels (CdCl2, 100 μm). Presynaptic calyx recordings revealed that 3,5-DHPG shifted the activation of INaP to more hyperpolarized voltages and increased INaP at resting membrane potential. Our data indicate that mGluR I enhances spontaneous glutamate release via regulation of INaP and subsequent Ca2+-dependent processes under resting condition. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT For brain cells to communicate with each other, neurons release chemical messengers, termed neurotransmitters, in response to action potential invasion (evoked release). Neurons also release neurotransmitters spontaneously. Recent work has revealed different release machineries underlying these two release modes, and their different roles in synaptic development and plasticity. Our recent work discovered differential neuromodulation of these two release modes, but the mechanisms are not well understood. The present study showed that activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors enhanced spontaneous glutamate release in an auditory brainstem nucleus, while suppressing evoked release. The modulation is dependent on a persistent Na+ current and involves subsequent Ca2+ signaling, providing insight into the mechanisms underlying the different release modes in auditory processing.
Optofluidic Amplification-Free Multiplex Detection of Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

Infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola and other Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHF) require low-complexity, specific, and differentiated diagnostics as illustrated by the recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here, we describe amplification-free spectrally multiplex detection of four different VHF total RNA samples using multi-spot excitation on a multimode interference waveguide platform along with combinatorial fluorescence labeling of target nucleic acids. In these experiments, we observed an average of 8-fold greater fluorescence signal amplitudes for the Ebola total RNA sample compared to three other total RNA samples: Lake Victoria Marburg Virus, Ravn Marburg Virus, and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever. We have attributed this amplitude amplification to an increased amount of RNA during synthesis of soluble glycoprotein in infection. This hypothesis is confirmed by single molecule detection of the total RNA sample after heat-activated release from the carrier microbeads. From these experiments, we observed at least a 5.3x higher RNA mass loading on the Ebola carrier microbeads compared to the Lake Victoria Marburg carrier microbeads, which is consistent with the known production of soluble glycoprotein during infection.
Phenolic compounds to amplify the effect of sulfur on Bitumen's thermomechanical properties

Abstract This paper evaluates effects of phenolic compounds on the role of sulfur in a bituminous matrix. This is especially important because the concentration of sulfur in bitumen has been increasing mainly after a strict restriction was placed on sulfur content of marine fuel, which led refineries to divert sulfur from fuel to bitumen. There are documented challenges associated with the use of high-sulfur bitumen, such as sulfur’s oxidation to hazardous hydrogen sulfide during bitumen application as well as increased moisture susceptibility in bitumen. This paper specifically examines how specific bitumen constituents can promote sulfur reactions that in turn amplify the effect of sulfur on bitumen’s thermo-mechanical properties. To do so, we use density functional theory (DFT) and rheometry to examine and compare the effects of sulfur on bitumens that contain different concentrations of polar aromatics and phenolic compounds. Our DFT results highlight the role of polar groups and heteroatoms in the addition reactions of sulfur radicals to C C bonds, which mostly improve the formation of organo-sulfur compounds. Our results show that presence of phenolic compounds can work as an activator for sulfur interactions within bitumen. This in turn indicates that the effect of sulfur can be more noticeable in a bituminous matrix having a high content of phenolic compounds. Our DFT results are further supported by experiments showing that among studied asphalts, those modified with wood-based bio-oil containing 76% polar compounds including nearly 41.8% phenolic structures (among molecules recognized by chromatography) had the highest change in their thermomechanical properties when sulfur was introduced. In contrast, asphalts modified with waste vegetable oil containing 12% polar compounds and nearly no phenolic structures showed the least change due to the addition of sulfur. This in turn shows effects of sulfur on bitumen’s property can be tuned by introducing specific compounds. The outcomes of the study provide insights about variational role of sulfur in bitumen containing various bio-modifiers to allow more informed use of sulfur to promote sustainability of construction.
Abstract 202: Video Laryngoscopy for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Intubation is an essential component of cardiac arrest resuscitation. While prior studies have evaluated video laryngoscopy (VL) to assist intubation for in hospital cardiac arrest, t...
“Ought” and intensionality

The syntactic structure of the deontic “ought” has been much debated in philosophy and linguistics. Schroeder argues that the deontic “ought” is syntactically ambiguous in the sense that it can be associated with either a control or raising construction. He distinguishes between deliberative and evaluative “ought”s and argues that the deliberative “ought” is control while the evaluative “ought” is raising. However, if there is a control sense of “ought,” it implies that there is a sense of “ought” in which the word carries an external argument. Chrisman (Australas J Philos 90(3):433–451, 2012) proposes two linguistic tests (i.e. “er”-nominalization and passivization) to verify this prediction. I add a new test, which I call the intensionality test, to the list.
The lncRNAs LINC00261 and LINC00665 are upregulated in long-term prostate cancer adaptation after radiotherapy.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to impact important biological functions such as proliferation, survival, and genomic stability. To analyze radiation-induced lncRNA expression in human tumors, we irradiated prostate cancer cells with a single dose of 10 Gy or a multifractionated radiotherapeutic regimen of 10 fractions with a dose of 1 Gy (10 × 1 Gy) during 5 days. We found a stable upregulation of the lncRNA LINC00261 and LINC00665 at 2 months after radiotherapy that was more pronounced after single-dose irradiation. Analysis of the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The Atlas of Non-coding RNAs in Cancer (TANRIC) databases showed that high expression of these two lncRNAs may be a potential negative prognostic marker for overall survival of prostate cancer patients. Knockdown of LINC00261 and LINC00665 in long-term survivors decreased survival after re-irradiation and affected DNA double-strand break repair. Mechanistically, both lncRNAs showed an interdependent expression and regulated expression of the DNA repair proteins CtIP (RBBP8) and XPC as well as the microRNA miR-329. Identifying long-term tumor adaptation mechanisms can lead to the discovery of new molecular targets, in effect opening up new research directions and improving multimodal radiation oncologic treatment.
Direct measurement of neuronal ensemble activity using photoacoustic imaging in the stimulated Fos-LacZ transgenic rat brain: A proof-of-principle study

Measuring neuroactivity underlying complex behaviors facilitates understanding the microcircuitry that supports these behaviors. We have developed a functional and molecular photoacoustic tomography (F/M-PAT) system which allows direct imaging of Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles in Fos-LacZ transgenic rats with a large field-of-view and high spatial resolution. F/M-PAT measures the beta-galactosidase catalyzed enzymatic product of exogenous chromophore X-gal within ensemble neurons. We used an ex vivo imaging method in the Wistar Fos-LacZ transgenic rat, to detect neuronal ensembles in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following cocaine administration or a shock-tone paired stimulus. Robust and selective F/M-PAT signal was detected in mPFC neurons after both conditions (compare to naive controls) demonstrating successful and direct detection of Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles using this approach. The results of this study indicate that F/M-PAT can be used in conjunction with Fos-LacZ rats to monitor neuronal ensembles that underlie a range of behavioral processes, such as fear learning or addiction.
Analytical Methods in Transportation: Systems Analysis for Arterial Street Operation

An application is presented of a linear-programming model, the multicopy mixing model developed by Charnes and Cooper, to the problem of arterial street system analysis, and an example demonstrates how the use of the model provides a simulation of traffic flow over a street network containing branches or links with capacity constraints. The example presents a specific use of the technique, that of holding the freeway volume at or below a fixed amount and developing the resulting optimum flow pattern in the system. It is shown how the results of the simulation can be used as a guide for determining what control measures, such as one way street routings, or freeway ramp closures, should be used to get optimum use of the street system. The paper also illustrates how the nonlinear travel time-volume curve (delay curve) can be piece-wise, linearly approximated and included in the traffic assignment procedure in order to closely simulate actual traffic behavior in a street network.
Investigation of electro-mechanical behavior of carbon nanotube yarns during tensile loading

Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns were evaluated for sensor applications by measuring electrical properties during uniaxial tension loading. Mechanical properties (tenacity and failure strain) and electrical properties (resistivity and gauge factor) were investigated and statistical distributions for these properties were obtained. Cyclic loading test results showed that permanent strain after unloading exists and that the resistance at zero load increases linearly with permanent strain. Furthermore, the relative resistance change during loading was found to be linear with strain. Although mechanical properties of CNT yarns exhibited a significant statistical variation, the resistance was found to have much less statistical variation making them good candidates as sensors for structural health monitoring in composites.
DNA-binding protein and the cell cycle in Cryptothecodinium cohnii. 2. Short-lived protein with affinity for double-stranded bulk DNA.

Soluble35S-labelled protein, obtained at various intervals in the cell cycle of Cryptothecodinium cohnii, was characterized (with respect to its elution molarity) from a matrix containing homologous double-stranded bulk DNA, complexed to cellulose. Two pronounced synthetic periods for DNA-binding protein occur during a single generation of growth in C. cohnii, the first at 0.1 and the second at 0.4 in its cycle. During these periods, 35 sharply resolved chromatographic species are discernible in elution profiles obtained with a linear gradient of 0.3–3.0 M NaCI. In profiles representative of remaining intervals in the division cycle, 17 other phase-specific fractions were discernible.
Systems medicine: evolution of systems biology from bench to bedside

High-throughput experimental techniques for generating genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes, and interactomes have provided unprecedented opportunities to interrogate biological systems and human diseases on a global level. Systems biology integrates the mass of heterogeneous high-throughput data and predictive computational modeling to understand biological functions as system-level properties. Most human diseases are biological states caused by multiple components of perturbed pathways and regulatory networks rather than individual failing components. Systems biology not only facilitates basic biological research but also provides new avenues through which to understand human diseases, identify diagnostic biomarkers, and develop disease treatments. At the same time, systems biology seeks to assist in drug discovery, drug optimization, drug combinations, and drug repositioning by investigating the molecular mechanisms of action of drugs at a system's level. Indeed, systems biology is evolving to systems medicine as a new discipline that aims to offer new approaches for addressing the diagnosis and treatment of major human diseases uniquely, effectively, and with personalized precision.
Branched‐Chain α‐Keto Acid Dehydrogenase Complex, Human

This article has no abstract. Keywords: branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase complex, human
Chapter 9 Phospholipases

Publisher Summary Phospholipases are a group of enzymes widely distributed throughout nature, which hydrolyze phospholipids. This chapter provides an overview of the structure and functions of various phospholipases and describes the assays of phospholipases as well as interaction of phospholipasdes with the interfaces. Phospholipases in general have a weak capacity to hydrolyze soluble monomeric phospholipids below their critical micellar concentration (cmc) and become fully active only when aggregated structures of lipids are formed above their cmc. Many of the regulatory phospholipases are membrane associated and this membrane association may reflect one of the mechanisms by which phospholipases are regulated. However, a major question that remains in the study of phospholipases is which enzymes are involved in signal transduction and what are the molecular mechanisms of regulation. These questions are aimed primarily at the role of mammalian phospholipases yet these are ubiquitous enzymes. The broad approaches for comparing purified phospholipases from a range of sources have yielded valuable information on their molecular mechanisms and evolutionary relationships. This broad approach gives new insights into some of the less well-understood systems.
Identification of the Goodpasture antigen as the alpha 3(IV) chain of collagen IV.

The organizational relationship between the recently identified alpha 3 chain of basement membrane collagen (Butkowski, R.J., Langeveld, J.P.M., Wieslander, J., Hamilton, J., and Hudson, B.G. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 7874-7877) and collagen IV was determined. This was accomplished by the identification of subunits in hexamers of the NC1 domain of collagen IV that were immunoprecipitated with antibodies prepared against subunits M1, corresponding to alpha 1(IV)NC1 and alpha 2(IV)NC1, and M2, corresponding to alpha 3NC1, and by amino acid sequence analysis. The presence of at least two distinct types of hexamers was revealed, one enriched in M1 and the other enriched in M2, but in both types, M1 and M2 coexist. Evidence was also obtained for the existence of heterodimers comprised of M1 and M2. These results indicate that M2 is an integral component of the NC1 hexamer of collagen IV. The amino acid sequence of the NH2-terminal region of M2 was found to be highly related to the collagenous-NC1 junctional region of the alpha 1 chain of collagen IV. Therefore, M2 is designated alpha 3(IV)NC1 and its parent chain alpha 3(IV). These findings lead to a new concept about the structure of collagen IV: namely, 1) collagen IV is comprised of a third chain (alpha 3) together with the two classical ones (alpha 1 and alpha 2); the alpha 3(IV) chain exists within the same triple-helical molecule together with the alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) chains and/or within a separate triple-helical molecule, exclusive of alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) chains, but connected through the NC1 domains to the classical triple-helical molecule comprised of alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) chains. Additionally, a portion of those triple-helical molecules exclusive of alpha 1(IV) and alpha 2(IV) chains may be connected to each other through their NC1 domains; and 3) the epitope to which the major reactivity of autoantibodies are targeted in glomerular basement membrane in patients with Goodpasture syndrome is localized to the NC1 domain of the alpha 3(IV) chain.
"The Cornerstone of a Copious Work": Love and Power in Eighteenth-Century Courtship

Examination of eighteenth-century courtship correspondence from colonial Pennsylvania reveals that men generally sent love letters to the friends and family of the women they wooed, rather than to the women themselves. Women, meanwhile, though expressive and affectionate in letters to each other, seldom if ever wrote love letters to their suitors. Analyzing who expressed what emotions when and to whom unveils much about the status calculations and power negotiations that underlay eighteenth-century marriage decisions. As young adults in their mid to late teens, both men and women stressed the importance of privacy and secrecy in courtship. Yet as time went on, women continued to emphasize privacy, while men made public declarations of love. This divergence can be explained by the different stakes courtship held for each; while men who married gained new and enhanced status as household heads, their wives contracted life-long masters. So while elite young women had incentives to delay marriage as long as they could without endangering their overall chances of marrying, young men were eager to win wives. Men's and women's unequal desire to marry conferred an unaccustomed measure of power on women during the courtship years. Young men and women alike made oblique references to this temporary reversal of gendered power in joking metaphors for marriage; young women also discussed their new power--and its fleeting nature--directly amongst themselves. Romantic rhetoric arose as a means of cloaking these tensions. Public declarations of love allowed young men to appear to negotiate with young women merely for love, not for the right to become household masters. Meanwhile, women who eventually silently accepted this love effectively renounced power for passion. Romantic rhetoric helped conceal the impact of eighteenth-century courtships on economic and community status; thus were love and power intimately intertwined.
Influence of vacuum level, pulsation ratio and rate on milking performance and udder health in dairy goats

Fifty Alpine goats in early lactation were used in a 98-day experiment to determine optimal vacuum level, pulsation ratio and pulsation rate for machine milking. Treatments consisted of alternating vacuum levels (38, 45 and 52 kPa) with pulsation ratios (50:50, 60:40 and 70:30), and pulsation rates (60, 90 and 120 pulse/min). Higher vacuum levels increased average and maximum milking rates (linear, P<0.001), decreased milking time (linear, P<0.001), and elevated somatic cell counts (SCC) (linear, P<0.05). California Mastitis Test (CMT) scores were lowest in goats milked with 52 kPa. Increasing the pulsation ratio from 50:50 to 70:30 speeded-up average milking rate and decreased milking time (linear, P<0.05). Maximum milking rate was highest while CMT scores and SCC were lowest in goats milked with a 60:40 pulsation ratio. Increasing the pulsation rate from 60 to 90 increased average and maximum rate and decreased milking time. No further improvement in milking rate was observed when pulsation rate was increased to 120. Lowest CMT scores were found in goats milked with a pulsation rate of 90. Average and maximum milking rates were lower in goats than in cows on a per teat basis. Milking time per animal was shorter in goats (1.4 to 2.3 min) than in cows (4.9 to 5.8 min) and was related to level of production. Correlation coefficient was +0.42 between CMT scores and SCC. Vacuum level of 45 to 52 kPa, pulsation ratio of 60:40 and pulsation rate of 90 pulse/min appeared to be optimal for machine milking of goats.