cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Loss of Serum Resistance by Defined Lipopolysaccharide Mutants and an Acapsular Mutant of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli O75:K5

In order to determine the importance of the O75 O antigen versus the K5 capsular antigen and the bimodal distribution of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in protection from complement-mediated lysis, mutants were made by insertion of a cat or an aphA gene in or in place of genes necessary for the synthesis of LPS and/or the K antigen of an O75+ K5+ uropathogenic Escherichia coli strain, GR-12. Mutations were made in the following genes: the rfbD gene (required for the synthesis of TDP-rhamnose), the rfbKM genes (necessary for the synthesis of GDP-mannose), the rol gene (regulating O-antigen length), the kfiC gene (encoding a putative glycosyltransferase), and the kfiC-rfbD genes. The resulting phenotypes were rough (O75−), core plus one partial O-antigen subunit, random distribution of O-antigen chain lengths, acapsular (K5−), and O75− K5−, respectively. All five mutants and GR-12 were analyzed for survival in 80% serum. The GR-12 parent was resistant, exhibiting a 500% increase in numbers. The rol, rfbKM, rfbD, and kfiC-rfbD mutants were sensitive, experiencing 99%, 99.9%, 99.9%, and at least 99.999% killing, respectively, in the first hour. The kfiC mutant, however, increased in numbers in the first hour but experienced delayed sensitivity, decreasing in viability by 80% in the third hour. Single mutants were complemented with the wild-type gene in trans, showing restoration of the wild-type phenotype and serum resistance. Therefore, the O75 antigen is more important for survival in serum than the K5 antigen, and regulation of the O75 O-antigen chain length is crucial for protection of the bacteria from complement-mediated lysis.
An Improved Soft-Error Rate Measurement Technique

Soft errors caused by ionizing radiation have emerged as a major concern for current generation of CMOS technologies, and the trend is expected to get worse. The measurement unit for failures due to soft errors is failure in time (FIT) that represents the number of failures encountered per billion hours of device operation. FIT rate measurement is time consuming and calls for accelerated testing. To improve effectiveness of soft-error rate (SER) testing, the patterns must be targeted toward detecting node failures that are most likely. In this paper, we present a technique for identifying soft-error-susceptible sites based on efficient electrical analysis that treats soft errors as Boolean errors but uses analog strengths to decide whether such errors can propagate to the next stage. Next, we present pattern generation techniques for manifestable soft errors such that each pattern targets a maximal set of soft errors. These patterns maximize the likelihood of detecting a soft error when it occurs. The pattern generators target scan architecture. It is well known that scan test time is dominated by scan shifts, when no useful testing is being done. To improve efficiency of scan-based testing, we extend the functionality of the existing built-in logic block observation (BILBO) architecture to support test-per-clock operation. Such targeted pattern generation and test application improve SER characterization time by an order of magnitude.
Therapeutic actions of a new synthetic vasoactive and natriuretic peptide, dendroaspis natriuretic peptide, in experimental severe congestive heart failure

Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP), a recently discovered peptide, shares structural similarity to the other known natriuretic peptides, ANP, BNP, and CNP. Studies have reported that DNP is present in human and canine plasma and atrial myocardium and increased in plasma of humans with congestive heart failure (CHF). In addition, synthetic DNP is markedly natriuretic and diuretic and is a potent activator of cGMP in normal animals. To date, the ability of synthetic DNP to improve cardiorenal function in experimental CHF is unknown. Synthetic DNP was administered intravenously at 10 and 50 ng. kg(-1). min(-1) in dogs (n=7) with severe CHF induced by rapid ventricular pacing for 10 days at 245 bpm. In addition, we determined endogenous DNP in normal (n=4) and failing (n=4) canine atrial and ventricular myocardium. We report that administration of synthetic DNP in experimental severe CHF has beneficial cardiovascular, renal, and humoral properties. First, DNP in CHF decreased cardiac filling pressures, specifically right atrial pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Second, DNP increased glomerular filtration rate in association with natriuresis and diuresis despite a reduction in mean arterial pressure. Third, DNP increased plasma and urinary cGMP and suppressed plasma renin activity. Fourth and finally, we report that DNP immunoreactivity is present in canine atrial and ventricular myocardium and increased in CHF. These studies report the acute intravenous actions of synthetic DNP in experimental severe CHF and suggest that on the basis of its beneficial properties, DNP may have potential as a new intravenous agent for the treatment of decompensated CHF.
Leveraging medical thesauri and physician feedback for improving medical literature retrieval for case queries

Objective This paper presents a study of methods for medical literature retrieval for case queries, in which the goal is to retrieve literature articles similar to a given patient case. In particular, it focuses on analyzing the performance of state-of-the-art general retrieval methods and improving them by the use of medical thesauri and physician feedback. Materials and Methods The Kullback–Leibler divergence retrieval model with Dirichlet smoothing is used as the state-of-the-art general retrieval method. Pseudorelevance feedback and term weighing methods are proposed by leveraging MeSH and UMLS thesauri. Evaluation is performed on a test collection recently created for the ImageCLEF medical case retrieval challenge. Results Experimental results show that a well-tuned state-of-the-art general retrieval model achieves a mean average precision of 0.2754, but the performance can be improved by over 40% to 0.3980, through the proposed methods. Discussion The results over the ImageCLEF test collection, which is currently the best collection available for the task, are encouraging. There are, however, limitations due to small evaluation set size. The analysis shows that further refinement of the methods is necessary before they can be really useful in a clinical setting. Conclusion Medical case-based literature retrieval is a critical search application that presents a number of unique challenges. This analysis shows that the state-of-the-art general retrieval models are reasonably good for the task, but the performance can be significantly improved by developing new task-specific retrieval models that incorporate medical thesauri and physician feedback.
A robust multisignature scheme with applications to acknowledgement aggregation

A multicast communication source often needs to securely verify which multicast group members have received a message, but verification of individually signed acknowledgments from each member would impose a significant computation and communication cost. As pointed out by Nicolosi and Mazieres [NM04], such cost is minimized if the intermediate nodes along the multicast distribution tree aggregate the individual signatures generated by the multicast receivers into a single multisignature. While the solution of [NM04], based on a multisignature scheme of Boldyreva [Bol03], relied on so-called “Gap Diffie-Hellman” groups, we propose a solution using a multisignature scheme which is secure under just the discrete logarithm assumption. However, unlike the previously known discrete-log based multisignature scheme of Micali et al. [MOR01a], our multisignature scheme is robust, which allows for an efficient multisignature generation even in the presence of (possibly malicious) node and communication failures.
Integrating positive psychology into health-related quality of life research.

Positive psychology is an increasingly influential force in theory and research within psychology and many related fields, including behavioral medicine, sociology, and public health. This article aims to review the ways in which positive psychology and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) research currently interface and to suggest fruitful future directions. This article reviews the basic elements of positive psychology and provides an overview of conceptual and empirical links between positive psychology and HRQOL. The role of one central aspect of positive psychology (meaning) within HRQOL is highlighted, and unresolved issues (e.g., lack of definitional clarity) are discussed. Some research on HRQOL has taken a positive psychology perspective, demonstrating the usefulness of taking a positive psychology approach. However, many areas await integration. Once conceptual and methodological issues are resolved, positive psychology may profitably inform many aspects of HRQOL research and, perhaps, clinical interventions to promote HRQOL as well.
On the Computation of Minimal Cut Sets in Genome Scale Metabolic Networks

A cut set for an objective reaction in a metabolic network is a set of reactions whose knockout disables flux through that reaction at steady state. Cut sets represent a particular type of failure mode of a metabolic network and may correspond to novel drug targets. In this paper, we demonstrate how cut sets can be obtained from the computation of sub-elementary modes (sub-EM). The sub-EM's of a metabolic network are the elementary modes (EM) of a submatrix of the stoichiometry matrix formed by taking a subset of its rows. Sub-EM's emerge naturally in the intermediate steps of the standard tableau algorithm for computation of EM, and are thus obtainable for a network of any size. By employing properties of the feasible flux cone, we show how cut sets for a reaction can be constructed by enumerating minimal hitting sets for the sub-EM's containing that reaction. Though the resulting cut sets are not guaranteed to be minimal, they can be reduced to minimality via a second linear programming pruning step. We demonstrate the applicability of this approach to a recent genome scale metabolic model of E.coli.
Laryngotracheal separation in an infant with severe dysgenesis of the larynx

Objectives/Hypothesis We describe management of an infant with chronic aspiration as a result of severe and rarely described laryngeal dysgenesis. Results A neonate with severe maldevelopment of the laryngeal structures required tracheostomy for respiratory distress on day-of-life 1, but the patient continued to have aspiration pneumonias. After failing to improve with conservative measures, the infant underwent laryngotracheal separation (LTS), which was successful in preventing aspiration. The patient has had no further pneumonias. Conclusions The presented case illustrates that LTS may be considered a safe and effective initial treatment option for chronic aspiration in select infants with severe dysgenesis of the larynx. Laryngoscope, 124:2186–2189, 2014
Fiber coupling to silicon waveguides using cantilever couplers

We demonstrate fiber-to-chip cantilever couplers that enable access to photonic devices on a chip surface without dicing or cleaving. Coupling efficiencies of 1.6 dB (TE) and 2 dB (TM) are achieved.
Learning at a Distance: Technology Impacts on Planning Education

How are planning educators responding to the challenges and opportunities of distance education? The authors explore this question through a planning school survey, a case study, and brainstorming about change factors. They find that planning education programs are slow to adopt new technology, except for incorporation of e-mail and Web technology into traditional on-campus courses. Most respondents believe that distance learning will be important, but few distance learning courses are taught. Reported obstacles are extra demands on faculty, lack of compensation for course development, low faculty interest, incompatibility with course content, and inadequate technical support. The case study describes the design and teaching of a successful distance learning course in which student work improved. Four catalysts that could speed adoption of distance learning are (1) generational change, (2) program survival, (3) institutional conformity, and (4) practice demand. The authors conclude that as future-oriented...
Some Elements for Analysis of Plate Bending

Rectangular and general quadrilateral plate elements having 12 degrees-of-freedom are treated in this paper. New elements are derived, two based upon assumed displacement fields and others upon the assumed-stress hybrid principle. Some of these elements account for the effects of transverse shear deformation. The hybrid elements admit the possibility of continuously variable element stiffness. The new elements, as well as closely related elements previously derived, are subjected to numerical tests in order to evaluate their relative merits. These tests include computation of displacements and moments in homogeneous and sandwich plates.
Gold Nanoparticle Translocation Dynamics and Electrical Detection of Single Particle Diffusion Using Solid-State Nanopores

This paper describes the use of gold nanoparticles to study particle translocation dynamics through silicon nitride solid-state nanopores. Gold nanoparticles were dispersed in 20 mM KCl solution containing nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 and their translocation was studied at different applied voltages. The use of low electrolyte concentration resulted in current enhancement upon particle translocation. The counterion cloud around the nanoparticles is proposed to be the reason for current enhancement phenomena because associated counterion cloud is believed to increase the ion density inside the pore during particle translocation. Further, single particle diffusion events were also recorded at 0 mV voltage bias and 0 pA background ionic current with high signal-to-noise ratio as the particles moved down their concentration gradient. The ability of nanopore sensors to detect single particle diffusion can be extended to field-free analysis of biomolecules in their native state and at or near physiological ...
Nonlinear Optical Properties of Polyenes: Electron Correlation and Chain Conformation

Using a recently developed many-electron theory of second and third order nonlinear optical susceptibilities, microscopic descriptions of γxxxx(-3ω;ω,ω,ω) are presented for two conformations of polyenes. The importance of electron correlations and the effects of variation in conformation and chain length are discussed.
Slot Machine Capitalism

What is seductive about casino gambling? Sociologist Jacob Avery reviews the books Addiction by Design and Gambling for Profit in a desperate attempt to win some answers.
Effect of prenatal androgenization on lamb performance, carcass composition and reproductive function.

Two experiments were conducted in which pregnant crossbred ewes were randomly assigned to a control group or implanted with testosterone propionate/silastic implants between d 40 and d 60 of gestation. Implants contained approximately 2 g testosterone propionate and provided a constant delivery of 8.7 mg/d. Androgenized ewes (TE), born to implanted dams, had lower adjusted birth weights (P less than .05) than control ewes (CE) in both experiments. Treated rams (TR) also displayed lower birth weights than control rams (CR) in both experiments, but the difference was significant only in Exp. 2. Average daily gain was 16.4% more (P less than .05) for TE than for CE in Exp. 1. In Exp. 2, TE gained 9.6% faster (P less than .05) and had 14.6% (P less than .05) more weight per unit of feed consumed than CE. In both experiments, average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio were similar for TR and CR. In Exp. 2, prenatal androgenization of ewes reduced (P less than .05) 12th rib fat thickness and decreased (P less than .05) percent kidney and pelvic fat. Yield grades of TE were lower than CE in both Exp. 1 (P less than .10) and Exp. 2 (P less than .05). From additional measurements taken in Exp. 2, liver weight per unit of carcass weight was greater (P less than .05), anogenital distance was greater (P less than .01) and test tube penetration into the vestibule was less (P less than .01) for TE than CE. The TE did not exhibit regular estrous cycles, while CE displayed recurring estrous cycles.
The Role of Women in Loti’s Life

Loti’s life and his writings are intimately connected. His fiction and non-fiction are based on actual experience, and his extensive use of the first person heightens the autobiographical quality of his work. From the time he was very young he kept a diary, and the notes he made or the actual entries he recorded served as the basis for most of his published work. On the whole, his style is impressionistic: he recorded feelings about experiences as they occurred, and he either embroidered upon them or transferred them in toto to the new text. Sometimes entire passages were transcribed directly from the journal into his novels, with very little revision.1 As a result, Loti’s fiction has a striking feel of immediacy. He skilfully evoked the atmosphere of the places he describes. Bathing exotic spots in a spirit of nostalgia, he prompted romantic associations that proved most appealing to his readers.
Abstract LB-119: Single-cell live imaging of paclitaxel-resistant cancer cell generation

Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) are abundant in cancers after chemotherapy. PGCCs have generally been considered nonviable because of their inability to execute mitosis. However, our recently reported studies challenged this paradigm by showing that PGCCs were capable of tumor initiation. To understand the role of PGCCs in chemoresistance, we monitored paclitaxel-induced PGCCs by conventional and live-cell fluorescence time-lapse recording. We found that paclitaxel induced massive cell death but also initiated endoreplication to form PGCCs. These PGCCs continued to grow via endoreplication, endomitosis, or cytofission before generating new mononuclear or multinucleated daughter cells via nuclear fragmentation or budding. These daughter cells resumed mitosis with a new stable karyotype and exhibited drug resistance. Budding from PGCCs was also observed in chemotherapy-treated ovarian cancer specimens from patients. On the basis of our findings, we propose the existence of an amitotic giant cell cycle composed of four phases: initiation, maintenance, termination, and speciation. We believe this is the first report of fluorescent live-cell imaging of the birth of resistant cancer cells at the single-cell level in response to paclitaxel treatment. Our findings provide strong evidence that a stress-induced amitotic giant cell cycle may be a programmed event underlying chemotherapy resistance and cancer relapse. Citation Format: Na Niu, Jie Zhang, Ning Zhang, Imelda Mercado-Uribe, Fangfang Tao, Zhenbo Han, Sen Pathak, Asha Multani, Jian Kuang, Jun Yao, Robert Bast, Anil Sood, Mien-Chie Hung, Jinsong Liu. Single-cell live imaging of paclitaxel-resistant cancer cell generation. [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 LB-119.
Anxiety Sensitivity and Distress Intolerance as Predictors of Cannabis Dependence Symptoms, Problems, and Craving: The Mediating Role of Coping Motives.

Objective:The tendency to react with fear to anxiety-related sensations (anxiety sensitivity) and the inability to tolerate distressing psychological or physiological states (distress intolerance) are implicated in the comorbidity between affective psychopathology and cannabis use disorders. Emotionally vulnerable cannabis users may be particularly apt to use cannabis to cope with distress, which may both lead to and maintain its problematic use (e.g., dependence, craving). The current study tested a comprehensive model of anxiety sensitivity and distress intolerance as predictors of the number of cannabis dependence symptoms and problems, and severity of cannabis craving following deprivation from cannabis, and the mediating role of cannabis coping motives.Method:Participants (n = 103; mean age = 21.2 years, SD = 4.3; 35.9% female) were non–treatment-seeking frequent cannabis users. Data were cross-sectional in nature. Anxiety sensitivity was assessed via self-report, and distress intolerance was assesse...
Microflora and Flavor of Wild Rice Fermented Under Different Conditions.

Changes in number and types of microorganisms in fermenting wild rice were studied. The effect of various microorganisms on keeping quality of wild rice during fermentation and on flavor of wild rice was also determined. Addition of microbial cultures and/or nutrient solutions did not increase the storage life of fermenting wild rice held at 21 or 5°C. Refrigeration of rice greatly increased the effective keeping time of the unprocessed grain. Periodic addition of a 0.1% (w/v) (NH4)2SO4 solution apparently decreased the acceptable storage life of refrigerated (5°C) rice. Although unprocessed rice could not be kept beyond 10-14 d at 21 °C without obvious changes in organoleptic quality, rice stored at 5°C remained acceptable for 7 weeks. Steaming wild rice for 15 min before fermentation generally caused a marked reduction in microbial load during the first few days of storage. Rice inoculated with Streptomyces sp. in a circulating nutrient medium to produce an "earthy" flavor was rapidly spoiled by microorganisms indigenous to rice. Cultures of Pseudomonas perolens and Pseudomonas taetrolens inoculated into rice stored at 5°C gave only mild methoxylated-pyrazine (green-earthy) flavors to resulting processed rice. In most treatments, bacteria and molds generally increased during the first week of fermentation, maintained a rather constant number for most of the remainder of the fermentation, and often decreased near the end of storage. Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria were the microorganisms most commonly isolated from fermenting wild rice. Many psychrotrophic bacteria were isolated from refrigerated (5°C) rice. Low-temperature storage greatly increased the keeping quality of rice, but unacceptable organoleptic changes eventually occurred at this temperature. Many bacteria isolated from wild rice were facultatively anaerobic Enterobacteriaceae . Although rice contained large populations of various types of microorganisms, the potentially hazardous Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were not found.
Home Urodynamic Pressures and Volume Measurement for the Neurogenic Bladder: Initial Validation Study

Purpose: We evaluated the ability of a bladder pressure/volume diary to identify patients at risk for increased intravesical pressures.Materials and Methods: Patients dependent on clean intermittent catheterization used ruler based manometry to measure intravesical pressures before leakage or scheduled drainage at home. We prospectively collected clinical, urodynamic and bladder pressure/volume diary data in patients with spina bifida who were optimized on anticholinergic therapy and clean intermittent catheterization. Measurements were taken with patients in the supine position with relaxed abdominal muscles. We defined increased pressure as detrusor pressure greater than 30 cm water as measured by urodynamics. ROCs were plotted to correlate bladder pressure/volume diary variables with abnormal intravesical pressures, and the most sensitive variable in determining abnormal intravesical pressures was sought as the end point.Results: A total of 30 patients with a mean age of 10 years (range 1 to 20) were i...
Preliminary creep testing of the alumina-forming austenitic stainless steel Fe-20Cr-30Ni-2Nb-5Al

Abstract The alumina-forming austenitic stainless steel Fe-20Cr-30Ni-2 Nb-5Al was given a solutionizing anneal at 1250 °C followed by anneals at 800 °C for 0, 2.4, 24, 240 h to produce B2 (ordered b.c.c.) and Laves phase precipitates of different sizes with different extents of grain boundary coverage. Both tensile tests and constant-stress (43 MPa) creep tests were performed on the heat-treated materials and on the as-cast alloy at 760 °C. The precipitates grew during the creep testing. In addition, L1 2 (ordered f.c.c.) precipitates nucleated and grew during the creep testing to similar particle sizes after 500 h independent of the prior heat treatment at 800 °C. The specimens given the shortest heat treatment of 2.4 h, which had the smallest initial particle sizes, showed both the highest yield strength and the smallest creep strain after 500 h. The extent of grain boundary coverage by precipitates did not appear to affect the creep rates. No grain boundary cracking or precipitate cracking was found in the heat-treated specimens after creep testing, but the as-cast material failed around 600 h.
Recent advances in depression research: from stress to molecular biology and brain imaging.

This article will heuristically overview some of the more recent conceptualizations of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of major depression as well as the functional changes in the central nervous system accompanying its successful pharmacotherapy. The neuropharmacology of affective disorders is a rapidly advancing field of scientific interest with significant complexity and numerous apparently contradictory findings. Within the space limitations of this article, some of the relevant newer conceptualizations of the pathophysiology and treatment of affective disorders will be summarized. Major concepts to be presented include the following: (1) the pathogenesis of affective illness may be conceptualized as an interaction between early and current life stressors and genetic vulnerability; (2) affective illness has been increasingly conceptualized as a potentially chronic progressive illness rather than an intermittent illness with full recovery between episodes; (3) affective illness, including its various stages, may be readily documented and monitored through changes in functional brain imaging ; and (4) due to advances in molecular biology technology, there has been increasing evidence documenting changes in genetic activity involved in the pathogenesis of affective disorders from environmental stressors and/or from inherited genetic alterations and of the reversal of these changes accompanying successful pharmacotherapy.
Non-death Loss: Grieving for the Loss of Familiar Place and for Precious Time and Associated Opportunities

Grieving for the non-death losses of one’s place and all that is familiar and the loss of precious time and the associated opportunities go largely unnoticed in society as well as in the profession’s literature and practice. Too often, people are left on their own to grieve and suffer from these types of non-death losses. In this article, the authors attempt to broaden the conception of grief by discussing and illustrating two types of more ambiguous non-death losses (Boss, J Fam Theory Rev, 8:269–286, 2016). Each of these types of non-death losses is examined from a theoretical, empirical and clinical perspective.
Pediatric integrated behavioral health service delivery models: Using a federal framework to assess levels of integration.

Objective: To assess the level of integration of pediatric integrated behavioral health service delivery models (IBHSDM) since it has not been well established.Data Sources: A systematic review of ...
Revealing the relationship between rational fatalism and the online privacy paradox

Previous research has revealed the privacy paradox, which suggests that despite concern about their online privacy, people still reveal a large amount of personal information and don’t take measure...
Geometric Optimization Problems for Steiner Minimal Trees in E3

Geometric optimization formulations are presented for the Steiner Minimal Tree problem with N = 3, 4, 5, 6 vertices in E 3. The geometric optimization problems are based on a dual formulations of the primal Steiner Minimal Tree problem in E 3. The algorithm for small point sets in E 3 is useful in any optimal seeking or heuristic approach to the geometric Steiner problem. The dual construction is an important concept because it yields a lower bound on the Steiner problem important for certain applications in molecular modelling.
2018 Cholesterol Clinical Practice Guidelines: Synopsis of the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Multisociety Cholesterol Guideline.

This guideline synopsis summarizes recent American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommendations regarding cholesterol management.
Cryo-EM structure of oxysterol-bound human Smoothened coupled to a heterotrimeric Gi

The oncoprotein Smoothened (SMO), a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) of the Frizzled-class (class-F), transduces the Hedgehog signal from the tumour suppressor Patched-1 (PTCH1) to the glioma-associated-oncogene (GLI) transcription factors, which activates the Hedgehog signalling pathway1,2. It has remained unknown how PTCH1 modulates SMO, how SMO is stimulated to form a complex with heterotrimeric G proteins and whether G-protein coupling contributes to the activation of GLI proteins3. Here we show that 24,25-epoxycholesterol, which we identify as an endogenous ligand of PTCH1, can stimulate Hedgehog signalling in cells and can trigger G-protein signalling via human SMO in vitro. We present a cryo-electron microscopy structure of human SMO bound to 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol and coupled to a heterotrimeric Gi protein. The structure reveals a ligand-binding site for 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol in the 7-transmembrane region, as well as a Gi-coupled activation mechanism of human SMO. Notably, the Gi protein presents a different arrangement from that of class-A GPCR-Gi complexes. Our work provides molecular insights into Hedgehog signal transduction and the activation of a class-F GPCR.
Development and validation of improved PM2.5 models for public health applications using remotely sensed aerosol and meteorological data.

In this study, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from different retrieval algorithms have been correlated with ground measurements of fine particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Several MODIS AOD products from different satellites (Aqua vs. Terra), retrieval algorithms (Dark Target vs. Deep Blue), collections (5.1 vs. 6), and spatial resolutions (10 km vs. 3 km) for cities in the Western, Midwestern, and Southeastern USA have been evaluated. We developed and validated PM2.5 prediction models using remotely sensed AOD data. These models were further improved by incorporating meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind gust, and wind direction) from the North American Land Data Assimilation System Phase 2 (NLDAS-2). Adding these meteorological data significantly improved the simulation quality of all the PM2.5 models, especially in the Western USA. Temperature, relative humidity, and wind gust were significant meteorological variables throughout the year in the Western USA. Wind speed was the most significant meteorological variable for the cold season while for the warm season, temperature was the most prominent one in the Midwestern and Southeastern USA. Using this satellite-derived PM2.5 data can improve the spatial coverage, especially in areas where PM2.5 ground monitors are lacking, and studying the connections between PM2.5 and public health concerns including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the USA can be further advanced.
Cardiac myocytes respond differentially and synergistically to matrix stiffness and topography

Abstract During cardiac disease progression, myocytes undergo molecular, functional and structural changes, including increases in cell size and shape, decreased myocyte alignment and contractility. The heart often increases extracellular matrix production and stiffness, which affect myocytes. The order and hierarchy of these events remain unclear as available in vitro cell culture systems do not adequately model both physiologic and pathologic environments. Traditional cell culture substrates are 5-6 orders of magnitude stiffer than even diseased native cardiac tissue. Studies that do account for substrate stiffness often do not consider intercellular alignment and vice versa. We developed a cardiac myocyte culture platform that better recapitulates native tissue stiffness while simultaneously introducing topographical cues that promote cellular alignment. We show that stiffness and topography impact myocyte molecular and functional properties. We used a spatiotemporally-tunable, photolabile hydrogel platform to generate a range of stiffness and micron-scale topographical patterns to guide neonatal rat ventricular myocyte morphology. Importantly, these substrate patterns were of subcellular dimensions to test whether cells would spontaneously respond to topographical cues rather than an imposed geometry. Cellular contractility was highest and the gene expression profile was most physiologic on gels with healthy cardiac tissue stiffness. Surprisingly, while elongated patterns in stiff gels yielded the greatest cellular alignment, the cells actually had more pathologic functional and molecular profiles. These results highlight that morphological measurements alone are not a surrogate for overall cellular health as many studies assume. In general, substrate stiffness and micropatterning synergistically affect cardiac myocyte phenotype to recreate physiologic and pathologic microenvironments. Significance Statement Heart disease is accompanied by organ- and cellular-level remodeling, and deconvoluting their interplay is complex. Cellular-level change is best studied in vitro due to greater control and uniformity of cell types compared to animals. One common metric is degree of cellular alignment as misalignment of myocytes is a hallmark of disease. However, most studies utilize featureless culture surfaces that are orders of magnitude stiffer than, and do not mimic the scaffolding of, the heart. We developed a hydrogel platform with tunable stiffness and patterns providing topographical alignment cues. We cultured heart cells on and characterized multifactorial responses to these dynamic surfaces. Interestingly, conditions that yielded greatest alignment did not yield the healthiest functional and molecular state. Thus, morphology alone is not an indicator of overall cellular health.
Dispositional mindfulness, nonattachment, and experiential avoidance in the interpersonal circumplex

Abstract Dispositional mindfulness is conceptualized as an intrapersonal characteristic, specifically the tendency to attend to the present moment and accept experiences without judgment. However, dispositional mindfulness and related traits may also be associated with interpersonal processes, associations that could contribute to beneficial effects on emotional adjustment, health, and well-being. The interpersonal circumplex (IPC) provides a conceptual and measurement framework to identify associations of individual difference characteristics with interpersonal processes, specifically with the two broad interpersonal dimensions of affiliation (i.e., warmth vs. hostility or quarrelsomeness) and control (i.e., dominance vs. deference or submissiveness). In this study of undergraduates, we examined the interpersonal style and goals associated with multi-faceted measures of dispositional mindfulness, a measure of an orientation toward aversive experience that is the opposite of the acceptance component of mindfulness (i.e., experiential avoidance), and the related trait of nonattachment (i.e., freedom from unhealthy cognitive fixations on objects and others). In two samples (total N = 614), measures of dispositional mindfulness and related traits were consistently associated with warm and dominant interpersonal style and goals. Thus, individuals high in dispositional mindfulness appear to be generally outgoing and warm, a pattern that could contribute to emotional adjustment, health and well-being.
Religious F aith in the Unjust Meantime: The Spiritual Violence of Clergy Sexual Abuse

Clergy sexual abuse is both sexual and psychological violence, but it is also a paradigmatic case of spiritual violence that rises to the level of religious trauma. In this paper I argue that the spiritual violence of clergy sexual abuse diminishes, and in some cases may even destroy, a survivor’s capacities for religious faith or other forms of spiritual engagement. I use and illustrate the value of feminist methodology, as developed and advanced by Alison Jaggar, for generating and pursuing philosophical questions about religious experience. Feminist methodology’s sensitivity to theorizing situated subjects who stand to each other in relations of racialized male dominance helps us see the ways in which clergy sexual abuse is gender-based violence in both its causes and effects. It also helps us both ask and answer questions about religious faith in the unjust meantime from the perspective of those who endure spiritually violent faith communities.
A Wet-Bulb Temperature-Based Rain-Snow Partitioning Scheme Improves Snowpack Prediction Over the Drier Western United States

NOAA OARNational Oceanic Atmospheric Admin (NOAA) - USA [NA18OAR4590397]; NASA MAP ProgramNational Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) [80NSSC17K0352]; NASA Energy and Water Cycle Study awards [NNH13ZDA001N-NEWS]
Adaptive liminality: Bridging and bonding social capital between urban and rural Black meccas

African Americans’ memories of the Great Migration and urban displacement surface in popular film and culture as a desire to return to rural homeplaces while retaining access to opportunity in urba...
Methodological Framework and Feasibility Study to Assess Social Equity Impacts of the Built Environment

AbstractCivil engineers recognize the need to better address the potential consequences of infrastructure systems on social equity. However, the challenge has been translating social equity concern...
The distributional effect of climate change on agriculture: Evidence from a Ricardian quantile analysis of Brazilian census data

Abstract The economic impact of global warming likely varies across farms because of differences in climate, technology, and adaptive capacity. Therefore, aggregate estimates of the average effect of warming may be insufficient to model climate change vulnerability. In this study, I propose a quantile model for the distributional effect of climate change. I estimate interquantile regressions of land value on climate using agricultural census data for 464,277 commercial farms in Brazil. I find that the effects of climate change in Brazilian agriculture vary significantly by climate, land quality, and irrigation choice. A 1 °C of warming is more detrimental to farms in warm climates, those with high-quality land, and those using irrigation. A 100-mm decrease in annual precipitation is more damaging to farms in dry climates, those with low-quality land, and those using irrigation. The heterogeneity in climate change effects is particularly large within the subset of farms in the warmest or the driest climates, as the most vulnerable farms appear to be those that have reached their limits for climate adaptation.
Free factorization algebras and homology of configuration spaces in algebraic geometry

We provide a construction of free factorization algebras in algebraic geometry and link factorization homology of a scheme with coefficients in a free factorization algebra to the homology of its (unordered) configuration spaces. As an application, this construction allows for a purely algebro-geometric proof of homological stability of configuration spaces.
Congenital pancreaticobiliary anomalies in an urban medical center in the United States

Background and aim Pancreaticobiliary anomalies are rare and often present with cryptic signs and symptoms, thus delaying appropriate treatment. Methods Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was used to define pancreaticobiliary anomalies. A retrospective review was performed of 5522 ERCPs conducted at a tertiary care center from 1972 to 2015. Results There were 249 (4.5%) patients with pancreaticobiliary anomalies, including 179 patients with pancreas divisum (PD), 44 patients with choledochal cyst (CC) (Todani's classification Type I: extrahepatic cyst 31, Type III; choledochocele 9, Type V: Caroli's disease 4), 20 patients with anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union (APDU), and 6 patients with other abnormalities. Of 179 patients with pancreas divisum, 8 (4.5%) required minor sphincterotomies for multiple unexplained acute pancreatitis. Of the 31, 15 (48%) Type I CC patients underwent an operation. In patients with Type III CC (choledochocele), seven of the nine were treated by endoscopic sphincterotomy, and two patients were treated by surgery. Four patients with Type V CC (Caroli's disease) were managed nonoperatively. Of the 20 patients with APDU, 8 (40%) required operative intervention. Six patients were found to have other anomalies: two with pancreas bifidum, one with a duplication of the gallbladder, one with a cystic duct diverticulum, one with an annular pancreas, and one with an abnormal cystic duct origin. These patients were treated based on their etiology. Conclusion Pancreaticobiliary anomalies are rare and can be defined using ERCP. The appreciation of these abnormalities is important for the proper diagnosis and treatment of these rare biliary and pancreatic disorders.
Deletion of Vhl in Dmp1-expressing cells causes microenvironmental impairment of B cell lymphopoiesis

ABSTRACT The contributions of skeletal cells to the processes of B cell development in the bone marrow (BM) have not been completely described. The von-Hippel Lindau protein (VHL) plays a key role in cellular responses to hypoxia. Previous work showed that Dmp1-Cre;Vhl conditional knockout mice (VhlcKO), which delete Vhl in late osteoblasts and osteocytes, display dysregulated bone growth and reduction in B cells. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the B cell defects using flow cytometry and high-resolution imaging. In the VhlcKO BM, B cell progenitors were increased in frequency and number, whereas Hardy Fractions B-F were decreased. VhlcKO Fractions B-C cells showed increased apoptosis and quiescence. Reciprocal BM chimeras confirmed a B cell-extrinsic source of the VhlcKO B cell defects. In support of this, VhlcKO BM serum contained reduced CXCL12 and elevated EPO levels. Staining of VhlcKO B cells with an intracellular hypoxic marker indicated the natural existence of distinct B cell microenvironments that differ in local oxygen tensions. Additionally, intravital and ex vivo imaging revealed VhlcKO BM blood vessels with increased diameter, frequency, volume, and a diminished blood-BM barrier. Our studies identify novel mechanisms linking altered bone homeostasis with drastic BM microenvironmental changes that dysregulate B cell development.
Use of the Spreading Resistance Probe for the Characterization of Microsegregation in Silicon Crystals

A technique for using the spreading resistance probe to quantitatively characterize microsegregation in single crystal silicon is presented. For the first time, the use of Fourier Transformations of the resistivity is developed to provide accurate quantitative information as to the periodicity and amplitude of the various components giving rise to the resistivity variations. It is demonstrated that the probe is reproducible and is capable of measuring fluctuations in resistivity to ′ 1 percent, which is well below the normally observed microsegregation. Examples of the use of the technique are given by characterizing microsegregation in two Czochralski grown crystals and one modified float zone crystal. The periodicity of the principle resistivity fluctuation of the Czochralski grown crystals is evaluated by Fourier transform analysis and agrees well with the anticipated fluctuations in impurity incorporation based on growth parameters.
The 5' enhancer of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat contains a functional AP-2 element.

The mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) retrovirus causes mammary adenocarcinomas in mice by proviral insertion near members of the wnt family of proto-oncogenes, leading to their deregulation and cellular transformation. The 5‘ end of the MMTV long terminal repeat (LTR) has been implicated in tissue-specific activation of these genes. In this study, we characterize an enhancer element (Ban2; -1075 to -978) at the 5‘ end of the MMTV LTR. We show that this enhancer is 5-fold more active in a murine mammary carcinoma cell line (34i) than in a fibroblast cell line (NIH3T3), and is inactive in the liver carcinoma cell line HepG2. Mutagenesis of the enhancer reveals four cis-acting elements that are required for maximal activity. DNA-binding proteins that interact with each of the four elements have been identified. One of these factors, designated mp5, is either identical to, or closely related to, the transcription factor AP-2. The mp5/AP-2 DNA binding activity co-migrates with recombinant AP-2 and is supershifted by anti-AP-2 antibodies. We also show that the lack of enhancer activity in HepG2 cells results from the absence of AP-2 protein in these cells. Co-transfection of an AP-2 expression vector restores the activity of this enhancer in HepG2 cells, and requires an intact mp5-binding site.
GENETIC PARAMETERS AMONG WEIGHT, PROLIFICACY AND WOOL TRAITS OF COLUMBIA, POLYPAY, RAMBOUILLET AND TARGHEE SHEEP

Genetic parameters for Columbia, Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee sheep were estimated using REML with animal models for prolificacy, weight, and wool traits. All bivariate analyses included a covariance between additive genetic effects for the two traits plus appropriate additional covariances. Number of observations by breed ranged from 5,140 to 7,095 for prolificacy traits, from 7,750 to 9,530 for weight traits, and from 4,603 to 34,746 for wool traits. Heritability estimates ranged from .03 to .11 for prolificacy traits (litter size at birth and litter size at weaning), from .09 to .26 for weight traits (birth weight and average daily gain), and from .25 to .53 for wool traits (fleece weight, fleece grade and staple length). Estimates of direct genetic correlations among prolificacy and among weight traits were positive and ranged from .58 to 1.00 and .18 to 1.00, respectively. Estimates of direct genetic correlation between fleece weight and staple length were positive (.50 to .70) but were negative between fleece weight and fleece grade (-.60 to -.34) and between staple length and fleece grade (-.72 and -.40). Prolificacy and wool traits were essentially uncorrelated. Weight and prolificacy traits were slightly positively correlated. Weight traits had a moderate positive direct genetic correlation with fleece weight and staple length, but were uncorrelated with fleece grade. These estimates of genetic parameters between prolificacy, weight, and wool traits can be used to construct multiple-trait selection indexes for dual-purpose sheep.
Performance analysis and enhancement of the next generation cellular networks

As more and more wireless subscribers access the Internet through cellular networks, Internet data traffic, which is known to be long range dependent (LRD), will soon dominate the conventional voice traffic. In this paper, we study the impact of such LRD data traffic on the statistical characteristics of multi-access interference (MAI) and signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) in a code division multiple access (CDMA) network. Through analysis and simulation, we show that the time-scaled MAI and SINR have slow decaying tail distributions due to the LRD data traffic. As a result, the outage probability is larger for data users than that for voice users. To improve the performance of the CDMA network in the presence of LRD data traffic, we propose a variable period prediction scheme to predict MAI or the equivalent number of active users. We show that the proposed variable period prediction is not only more accurate for data users but also less memory-consuming than existing fixed period prediction. In addition, rate control based on variable period prediction can achieve lower outage probability and higher throughput for data users than that based on fixed period prediction.