cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HARDWOOD TREE BIOTECHNOLOGY

Due to the commercial importance of some conifer species, advances in conifer biotechnology often appear to overshadow equally significant advances in the biotechnology of angiosperm forest trees. However, progress with some hardwood forest trees has been just as promising as that made with conifers, and in some areas, has surpassed conifer biotechnology, particularly in the past few years. Until relatively recently, progress with in vitro propagation and gene transfer in hardwood forest trees was confined primarily to the genus Populus. Similarly, compared to other hardwood species, the greatest progress has been made both in the areas of genomics and modification of wood quality traits in this genus. However, the advances in in vitro propagation, in general, and somatic embryogenesis, in particular, have brought mass clonal propagation of other top commercial hardwood trees, in particular Eucalyptus, closer to reality and gene transfer systems have been reported for a number of them. While by far the most extensive application of genomic tools, including genomic sequencing, expressed sequence tags, transcript profiling and molecular markers, has also been made with Populus, these tools are now being applied to wider range of hardwood species. Just as with conifers, potential biotechnology applications for hardwood forest species include development of trees with faster growth, altered wood quality, and insect and disease resistance. In addition, some hardwood species are being manipulated for such non-traditional uses as phytoremediation. Given these advances and the worldwide importance of the products derived from them, it is likely that in vitro propagated and transgenic hardwood forest trees will have just as great an impact on commercial forestry and our environment as the top coniferous species.
ERP System Implementation At A Small Engineering Company: Size Does Matter

This case regards a company pseudonymously referred to as Johnson Precision Instruments, Inc, that, faced with Y2K compliance, decided to deal with it by adopting Oracle’s ERP solution, Oracle Applications. As recently as the mid to late nineteen eighties, traditional business applications comprising an organization's information infrastructure used data that either resided in proprietary file structures or was easily represented by the relational database model, in either event resulting in an ever proliferating set of non-integrated, heterogeneous systems. In today’s business climate, access to information is key to competitive advantage, but both data and IT architectures have become increasingly complex, so a single system model is currently deemed desirable to reduce or eliminate the deleterious effects associated with the proliferation phenomenon. This single system model (that would serendipitously solve as Johnson Precision Instruments, Inc.'s (JPII) Y2K problem as well) is typically embodied in the implementation of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) process, but this solution carries it's own costs and risks as this case makes clear.
Synthesis of high-density jet fuel from plastics via catalytically integral processes

The present study was aimed at synthesizing JP-5 navy fuel from plastics through a novel pathway. The consecutive processes for manufacturing JP-5 navy fuel principally included the catalytic microwave-induced degradation of low-density polyethylene (a model compound of waste plastics) and the hydrotreatment of obtained liquid organics. The catalytic microwave degradation was conducted at the catalytic temperature of 375 °C and catalyst to feed ratio of 0.1. The carbon yield of the liquid organics from the catalytic microwave degradation was 66.18%, mainly consisting of a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic olefins. Several variables, such as initial pressure and catalyst to reactant ratio, were employed to determine the optimal condition for the production of alternative jet fuels in the hydrotreating process. We observed that the aromatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic olefins as the precursors of jet fuels could be converted into jet fuel range aliphatic alkanes and cycloalkanes. The hydrotreated organics from the experiment conducted at the reaction temperature of 250 °C for 2 h included 31.23% selectivity towards aliphatic alkanes, 53.06% selectivity towards cycloalkanes, and 15% selectivity towards remaining aromatic hydrocarbons, which were consistent with the specifications of JP-5 navy fuel. In this regard, the catalytic microwave degradation of plastics and the hydrotreatment of obtained liquid organics can be regarded as a clear breakthrough to producing alternative jet fuels. From a commercial point of view, the catalytically integrated processes could be the most feasible for synthesizing advanced jet fuels (e.g. JP-5 navy fuel).
Diagnostic Magnetic Resonance Technology

For the sensitive and quantitative measurement of protein biomarkers, pathogens, and cells in clinical samples, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) offer unique advantages over traditional detection methods. Specifically, due to the inherently negligible magnetic background of biological material, MNPs can be used to obtain highly sensitive measurements in minimally processed samples. Our detection platform, termed diagnostic magnetic resonance (DMR), exploits MNPs to modulate the nuclear magnetic spin-spin relaxation time of water. Here, we review work done by our group to develop more effective MNP biosensors, advanced conjugational strategies to target the MNPs to molecular targets, and highly sensitive miniaturized NMR systems. We demonstrate this platform as a robust and easy-to-use system for the detection of a wide range of targets in clinical settings including whole cells, proteins, DNA/mRNA, metabolites, drugs, viruses, and bacteria.
Performance of Korean medical and nursing students on the East-West Questionnaire.

Korean medical and nursing students were more Eastern in their belief systems than American college students in introductory psychology on the East-West Questionnaire. The Americans and Koreans differed most with regard to beliefs about spiritual matters, the former being Western in orientation and the latter, Eastern. Korean Buddhists also scored more Eastern than Korean Christians or those with no formal religion.
Effect of American Cyanamid CL-47031 on Fecundity and Longevity of the Boll Weevil

Usually when an insecticide is evaluated for its control of a particular insect, the only criterion of effectiveness is whether it killed the test species. However, other effects also may be important. For instance, Ouye and Knutson (1957) reported that house flies, Musca domestica L., which survived larval treatment with malathion lived fewer days and produced fewer eggs than untreated insects. Also, Adkisson and Wellso (1962) reported that adult pink bollworms, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), which survived low dosages of DDT lived fewer days and produced fewer eggs than the untreated controls. Other similar studies were reviewed by Ascher (1964).
Why the Smith theory over-predicts instant rupture velocities during fiber transverse impact:

The effect of multi-axial loading on single Kevlar® KM2 fibers is explored with an emphasis on correlating the results to fiber/yarn transverse impact. A 0.30 caliber fragment simulation projectile...
DrugGenEx-Net: a novel computational platform for systems pharmacology and gene expression-based drug repurposing

The targeting of disease-related proteins is important for drug discovery, and yet target-based discovery has not been fruitful. Contextualizing overall biological processes is critical to formulating successful drug-disease hypotheses. Network pharmacology helps to overcome target-based bottlenecks through systems biology analytics, such as protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and pathway regulation. We present a systems polypharmacology platform entitled DrugGenEx-Net (DGE-NET). DGE-NET predicts empirical drug-target (DT) interactions, integrates interaction pairs into a multi-tiered network analysis, and ultimately predicts disease-specific drug polypharmacology through systems-based gene expression analysis. Incorporation of established biological network annotations for protein target-disease, −signaling pathway, −molecular function, and protein-protein interactions enhances predicted DT effects on disease pathophysiology. Over 50 drug-disease and 100 drug-pathway predictions are validated. For example, the predicted systems pharmacology of the cholesterol-lowering agent ezetimibe corroborates its potential carcinogenicity. When disease-specific gene expression analysis is integrated, DGE-NET prioritizes known therapeutics/experimental drugs as well as their contra-indications. Proof-of-concept is established for immune-related rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as neuro-degenerative Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. DGE-NET is a novel computational method that predicting drug therapeutic and counter-therapeutic indications by uniquely integrating systems pharmacology with gene expression analysis. DGE-NET correctly predicts various drug-disease indications by linking the biological activity of drugs and diseases at multiple tiers of biological action, and is therefore a useful approach to identifying drug candidates for re-purposing.
Hydrology, Theology, and Laudato Si’:

The encyclical Laudato Si’ is a sustained theological and ethical reflection on ecology. Within Laudato Si’ the topic of fresh water is useful to consider as a contemporary issue foregrounded in th...
The Effect of Controlling Owners on Companies Value among Chinese Listed Companies: Based on Evaluation of Real Control-degree of Block-holders

This article focuses on the effect of real control-degree from controlling owners on companies' value among our listed companies, based on Chinese capital market. And the regres- sion analysis reveals that the relationship between companies value and real control-degree from Block-holders become nonlinear. Furthermore, if the controlling owners tend to over-control their listed firms, they have much more motivation to seek rent, which leads to reduction in companies' value.
Skiing Injuries in Children

Skiing injuries in children continue to represent a significant health problem. The incidence of injuries in young teenagers remains significantly above the rate for all ages, and tibial fractures are particularly common. Continued efforts are needed to design adequate binding systems for the child that will account for the demands of a broad range of varying sizes and skill levels. As organized competition becomes more popular, there must be an increasing awareness and supervision of the unique musculoskeletal requirements of young competitors in both Alpine and Nordic events.
Steers grazing intermediate wheatgrass at various stages of maturity: effects on nutrient quality, forage intake, digesta kinetics, ruminal fermentation, and serum hormones and metabolites.

Six ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (average BW of 495 +/- 5 kg) grazed a 32-ha, nonirrigated, intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium Host) pasture from April 10 through December 7. Sample collections were conducted in May, June, September, and November 1989. Total masticate N decreased (P .10) serum growth hormone concentrations; however, nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were greater (P < .05) during September and November than during May and June. Serum insulin-like growth factor I decreased (P < .05) with advancing forage maturity. Seasonal changes in forage intake and ruminal fermentation suggest that animal performance might be increased if supplemental energy is provided early in the growing season of intermediate wheatgrass; however, supplemental protein would likely be needed as wheatgrass matures.
State Tax Credits

In this article, Davenport notes that the federal tax law of charitable contributions contains several anomalies. A contribution is not a realization event; the full value of the contribution may be deducted in most circumstances; appreciation both escapes tax and is deducted. This contrasts sharply with the sale of appreciated property. He believes that recent administrative guidance by the IRS both adopts and questions the premises on which these anomalous results have been based. After first discussing the economics of conservation tax credits and noting that the use of flow-through entities to transfer them to taxpayers does not work well, he discusses what he calls the standard analysis of state tax incentives and the concerns this standard analysis apparently raises for the IRS. He then offers tentative conclusions reached, in his words, without any research. He invites more informed analysis because he believes that the use of state tax credits is likely to grow.
Phenotype of Mitochondrial DNA 3243A > G Mutation

The prevalence and common clinical manifestations of the mitochondrial DNA 3243A > G mutation in children in a defined population in Finland were studied at the Universities of Oulu and Turku and other centers.
Spin distributions and dynamics in domain walls guided by soft magnetic nanowire structures

Abstract Numerical simulations are used to investigate static and dynamic properties of spin distributions within domain walls confined by rectangular cross section Permalloy nanowire conduits having widths up to 1000 nm and thickness up to 50 nm. Phase boundaries and critical regions associated with domain-wall spin distributions of various topologies [transverse (or asymmetric transverse), vortex, double-vortex, triple-vortex and cross-tie] are accurately determined using high-performance computing resources. Mobility curves are calculated that characterize domain-wall propagation for an interesting region of the spin texture phase diagram: 20 nm thick nanowires with widths of 60–700 nm at axial drive fields extending to 150 Oe. The simulations (and corresponding experiments, which are discussed), reveal new propagating fixed configuration domain-wall topologies with enhanced velocity. Effects of temperature on the spin distributions and dynamics are explored, by conducting simulations that include separately varying temperature-dependent parameters (saturation magnetization and exchange constant) and simulating effects of temperature-dependent fluctuations using the Langevin dynamics feature of the simulation code. Related temperature-dependent experiments are discussed. The simulation studies demonstrate a close connection between static and (field-driven) dynamic spin configurations in nanowire-confined domain walls and demonstrate the importance of exploring model-system parameter space at high numerical precision.
When can we infer mechanism from parasite aggregation? A constraint‐based approach to disease ecology

Few hosts have many parasites while many hosts have few parasites. This axiom of macroparasite aggregation is so pervasive it is considered a general law in disease ecology, with important implications for the dynamics of host-parasite systems. Because of these dynamical implications, a significant amount of work has explored both the various mechanisms leading to parasite aggregation patterns and how to infer mechanism from these patterns. However, as many disease mechanisms can produce similar aggregation patterns, it is not clear whether aggregation itself provides any additional information about mechanism. Here we apply a "constraint-based" approach developed in macroecology that allows us to explore whether parasite aggregation contains any additional information beyond what is provided by mean parasite load. We tested two constraint-based null models, both of which were constrained on the total number of parasites P and hosts H found in a sample, using data from 842 observed amphibian host-trematode parasite distributions. We found that constraint-based models captured ~85% of the observed variation in host-parasite distributions, suggesting that the constraints P and H contain much of the information about the shape of the host-parasite distribution. However, we also found that extending the constraint-based null models can identify the potential role of known aggregating mechanisms (such as host heterogeneity) and disaggregating mechanisms (such as parasite-induced host mortality) in constraining host-parasite distributions. Thus, by providing robust null models, constraint-based approaches can help guide investigations aimed at detecting biological processes that directly affect parasite aggregation above and beyond those that indirectly affect aggregation through P and H.
Identification of Marbon in the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal

Marbon is isomeric with Dechlorane Plus (DP). Both are produced by the Diels–Alder condensation of hexachlorocyclopentadiene with cyclic dienes, and both have elemental compositions of C18H12Cl12. Dechlorane Plus is commonly found in the environment throughout the world, but Marbon has, so far, only been detected at low levels in one sediment core collected near the mouth of the Niagara River in Lake Ontario. Here we report on the concentrations of Marbon and anti-DP in 59 water samples from five Lake Michigan tributaries [the Grand, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Lower Fox Rivers, and the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal (IHSC)], 10 surface sediment samples from the IHSC, and 2 surface sediment samples from the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Three Marbon diastereomers were detected in the water and sediment samples from the IHSC, which is far from the location of its previous detection in Lake Ontario. The sum of the concentrations of the three Marbons was greater in the water from the IHSC (N = 11, median =1...
Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Use of People With Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Differential Impact of Family and Friends

ABSTRACTObjective: Substance use among people with mood and anxiety disorders is highly prevalent. The literature suggests that substance use among people with mood and anxiety disorders is linked to social relational factors, yet it has rarely been the case that studies explicitly examine the differential impact of family and friends. This study investigated the association among family relationships, friendships, and substance use among people with mood and anxiety disorders. Methods: Using the National Survey of American Life, structural equation modeling tested the unique effects of family relationships and friendships on tobacco, alcohol, and drug use (n = 1,076). The quality of family relationships was assessed using 12 items on the frequency of contact with family, received help from family, closeness in feeling toward family, and emotional support from family. The quality of friendships was assessed using four items on the frequency of contact with friends, received and given help, and closeness i...
Critical Comparison of FRET-Sensor Functionality in the Cytosol and Endoplasmic Reticulum and Implications for Quantification of Ions.

Genetically encoded sensors based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) are powerful tools for quantifying and visualizing analytes in living cells, and when targeted to organelles have the potential to define distribution of analytes in different parts of the cell. However, quantitative estimates of analyte distribution require rigorous and systematic analysis of sensor functionality in different locations. In this work, we establish methods to critically evaluate sensor performance in different organelles and carry out a side-by-side comparison of three different genetically encoded sensor platforms for quantifying cellular zinc ions (Zn2+). Calibration conditions are optimized for high dynamic range and stable FRET signals. Using a combination of single-cell microscopy and a novel microfluidic platform capable of screening thousands of cells in a few hours, we observe differential performance of these sensors in the cytosol compared to the ER of HeLa cells, and identify the formation of oxid...
Stimulation of rat erythrocyte P2X7 receptor induces the release of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids

Background and purpose: Red blood cells (RBCs) are reservoirs of vasodilatory, antiaggregatory, and antiinflammatory lipid mediators—epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs). This study addresses the formation and release of erythrocyte-derived EETs in response to ATP receptor stimulation that may represent an important mechanism regarding circulatory regulation. Experimental approach: Erythrocyte EET formation and release were investigated by incubating rat RBCs in physiological salt solution with agents that effected ATP release via P2 receptor stimulation of phospholipase A2 and epoxygenase-like activities with activation of the ATP secretory mechanism. EETs were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Key results: EETs were released from rat RBCs: 14,15-, 11,12-, 8,9- and 5,6-EETs in a ratio of 1.2:1.0:0.9:0.8. EETs were produced by epoxidation of arachidonic acid catalyzed by hemoglobin. Spontaneous release of EETs, 0.6670.14 ng per 10 9 RBCs, was dose-dependently increased by an ATP analog, BzATP, and inhibited by P2X7 receptor antagonists. 5 mM ATP increased release of EETs over 20% to 0.8370.15 ng per 10 9 RBCs; 10 mM BzATP tripled the amount of EET release to 1.8770.20 ng per 10 9 RBCs. EET release by ATP or BzATP was not associated with hemolysis. Carbenoxolone, a gap junction inhibitor that inhibits ATP release, and glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), which is required for ATP release, inhibited the spontaneous and stimulated EET release from RBCs. Conclusions and implications: EETs are produced and released from RBCs via a mechanism that is mediated by ATP stimulation of P2X7 receptors coupled to ATP transporters, pannexin-1 and CFTR. British Journal of Pharmacology (2007) 151, 1033–1040; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707311; published online 11 June 2007
The Repetition of Silence: Partition, Rape, and Female Labor in Bapsi Sidhwa's Cracking India

(2007). The Repetition of Silence: Partition, Rape, and Female Labor in Bapsi Sidhwa's Cracking India. South Asian Review: Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 5-26.
A game theoretic approach to cyber security risk management

This paper describes the Cyber Security Game (CSG). Cyber Security Game is a method that has been implemented in software that quantitatively identifies cyber security risks and uses this metric to determine the optimal employment of security methods for any given investment level. Cyber Security Game maximizes a system’s ability to operate in today’s contested cyber environment by minimizing its mission risk. The risk score is calculated by using a mission impact model to compute the consequences of cyber incidents and combining that with the likelihood that attacks will succeed. The likelihood of attacks succeeding is computed by applying a threat model to a system topology model and defender model. Cyber Security Game takes into account the widespread interconnectedness of cyber systems, where defenders must defend all multi-step attack paths and an attacker only needs one to succeed. It employs a game theoretic solution using a game formulation that identifies defense strategies to minimize the maximu...
Introduction: In the Aftermath of the So-Called Memory Wars

The term "memory wars" has been used by some to characterize the intense debate that emerged in the 1990s regarding the veracity of recovered memories of child sexual abuse. Both sides in this debate have been motivated by scientific and ethical concerns. Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning of relevant behavioral and neuroimaging evidence that when taken together, points the way toward reconciliation. All of the contributors to this volume acknowledge that true recoveries characterize a substantive proportion of recovery experiences and that suggestive therapeutic techniques may promote false memories. Disagreements continue to exist on the cognitive and motivational processes that can lead to true recoveries and the extent to which false recovered memories occur.
Depression after Cardiac Transplant Treated with Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Paroxetine

This case study discusses the treatment of a 67-year-old man with no prior history of psychiatric illness diagnosed with major depression following cardiac transplantation. Shortly after surgery, the patient demonstrated depressive symptoms, including weight loss, emotional instability, and social isolation. Psychiatric consultation revealed that the patient first experienced these symptoms after learning that the donor heart he had received belonged to a woman. The patient had preconceived, stereotypical ideas that a woman's heart would inhibit his physical recovery and transform him into a more emotional man. The patient was prescribed the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine and began interpersonal psychotherapy. Results from this case study indicate that treatment with paroxetine, combined with interpersonal psychotherapy, may be successful in treating patients who had transplants and suffer from postsurgical depression.
Chapter 5 Foolish Action in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: The Forgotten Problem of Risk‐Unawareness

Abstract This chapter explores the importance of the construct of “foolish action.” Foolish action is behavior that has a high likelihood of backfiring, because of a failure to attend to risks that are obvious to most people. A comparison of actual foolish episodes in three groups (adults with intellectual disabilities [ID], adults, and youths without ID) illuminates the role of foolish action, especially induced socially foolish action, as a threat to the successful community adaptation of adults with ID. Research and policy implications of the once appreciated, but recently forgotten, construct of foolish action for the field of ID are discussed. One consequence of this discussion is to move the construct of “gullibility” (induced social foolishness) from being just one among many maladaptive behaviors associated with ID to something much more central to the ID construct. “Who is not a fool?” [“Qui non stultus?”] Horace (65–8 BCE), Satires , 2.3.158
Bioaugmentation Using Repeated Inoculations of Xenobiotic-Degrading Bacteria

Bioaugmentation is a promising technology for the cleanup of contaminated soils (Vogel, 1996), and has been tested for a variety of soil contaminants. Recent studies, some of which have been conducted in the field, include experiments with alachlor (McFarlandet al., 1996), atrazine (Grigg et al., 1997; de Souzaet al., 1997), 2,4-D (Digiovanniet al., 1996), carbon tetrachloride (Mayotteet al., 1996), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Otte.et al., 1994), pentachlorophenol (Otteet al., 1994; Lamaret al., 1994), and trichloroethylene (Munakata-Marret al., 1996; Dubaet al., 1996). Viewed optimistically, results from laboratory experiments generally suggest that any compound that can be used as a growth substrate or cometabolized by microorganisms can be remediated through bioaugmentation. Unfortunately, in most field studies soil inoculants have proven to be unreliable, especially when soils are inoculated with only a single application of degrader bacteria. Inconsistencies between the laboratory and the field have been attributed to nutrient limitations, suppression of the introduced bacteria by protozoa, metal or chemical toxicities, limited transport of bacteria through the soil, and low bioavailability of the contaminant, all of which lead to poor survival and activity of the inoculum (Alexander, 1994).
History of Psoriasis

An understanding of disease overall and, skin disease in particular, has been a unique part of modern times. Previously those with psoriasis were often mislabeled, poorly regarded, and suffered as a consequence. Symptoms were often considered the disease itself; this lack of understanding made for difficulty in establishing psoriasis as a disease entity. The subsequent struggle to understand the pathogenesis of psoriasis limited the progress in its treatment. We review the path taken to enhance our understanding of this complex skin disease as well as the discovery of the varied treatments which initially were serendipitously indentified followed over the decades by ones based on scientific knowledge. The further understanding of this disease has allowed for continued progress and specificity of these modalities as well as the identification of the associated co-morbid conditions. The history of psoriasis, therefore requires an appreciation of how the understanding of this disease has progressed over time in parallel with its evolving treatment options.
Learning to walk through imitation

Programming a humanoid robot to walk is a challenging problem in robotics. Traditional approaches rely heavily on prior knowledge of the robot's physical parameters to devise sophisticated control algorithms for generating a stable gait. In this paper, we provide, to our knowledge, the first demonstration that a humanoid robot can learn to walk directly by imitating a human gait obtained from motion capture (mocap) data. Training using human motion capture is an intuitive and flexible approach to programming a robot but direct usage of mocap data usually results in dynamically unstable motion. Furthermore, optimization using mocap data in the humanoid full-body joint-space is typically intractable. We propose a new modelfree approach to tractable imitation-based learning in humanoids. We represent kinematic information from human motion capture in a low dimensional subspace and map motor commands in this lowdimensional space to sensory feedback to learn a predictive dynamic model. This model is used within an optimization framework to estimate optimal motor commands that satisfy the initial kinematic constraints as best as possible while at the same time generating dynamically stable motion. We demonstrate the viability of our approach by providing examples of dynamically stable walking learned from mocap data using both a simulator and a real humanoid robot.
Evaluation of renal concentrating and diluting ability

Evaluating the diluting and concentrating capacity of the kidney can be accomplished with three basic laboratory tests, urine and plasma osmolalities, and circulating levels of antidiuretic hormone. When used with simple techniques to stimulate dilution and concentration, these tests will provide critical clinical information in patients with defects in either dilution or concentration of the urine.
Predicting early emotion knowledge development among children of colour living in historically disinvested neighbourhoods: consideration of child pre-academic abilities, self-regulation, peer relations and parental education

Emotion knowledge, the ability to accurately perceive and label emotions, predicts higher quality peer relations, higher social competence, higher academic achievement, and fewer behaviour problems...
Stimulus‐dependent modifications in astrocyte‐derived extracellular vesicle cargo regulate neuronal excitability

Extracellular vesicles have now emerged as key players in cell-to-cell communication. This is particularly important in the central nervous system, where glia-neuron cross-talk helps maintain normal neuronal function. Astrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ADEVs) secreted constitutively promote neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival. However, extracellular stimuli can alter the cargo and downstream functions of ADEVs. For example, ADEVs secreted in response to inflammation contain cargo microRNAs and proteins that reduce neurite outgrowth, neuronal firing, and promote neuronal apoptosis. We performed a comprehensive quantitative proteomic analysis to enumerate the proteomic cargo of ADEVs secreted in response to multiple stimuli. Rat primary astrocytes were stimulated with a trophic stimulus (adenosine triphosphate, ATP), an inflammatory stimulus (IL-1β) or an anti-inflammatory stimulus (IL10) and extracellular vesicles secreted within a 2 hr time frame were collected using sequential ultracentrifugation method. ADEVs secreted constitutively without exposure to any stimulus were used a control. A tandem mass tag-based proteomic platform was used to identify and quantify proteins in the ADEVs. Ingenuity pathway analysis was performed to predict the downstream signaling events regulated by ADEVs. We found that in response to ATP or IL10, ADEVs contain a set of proteins that are involved in increasing neurite outgrowth, dendritic branching, regulation of synaptic transmission, and promoting neuronal survival. In contrast, ADEVs secreted in response to IL-1β contain proteins that regulate peripheral immune response and immune cell trafficking to the central nervous system.
Examining the Fear of Victimization among Taiwanese Inmates

Inmates have reported to have experienced the fear of victimization when they were incarcerated. Prior studies support the association among fear, victimization, and violence in correctional institutes. Research on prisoner’s fear of victimization has tended to focus mainly on either individual or structural factors, but rarely have both sources been examined simultaneously. Moreover, most of what is known about prison victimization and, in particular, inmates’ fear of victimization has emerged from studies among American and European prisoners. This study adds to this line of research by examining the fear of victimization in a large sample of Taiwanese inmates, using multi-level models that explore both individual and architectural factors of custodial institutions. Findings showed that both individual- and aggregate-level variables are important for explaining inmates’ fear of other inmates, whereas the aggregate-level variables are more important for understanding inmates’ fear of correctional officers. Findings also revealed that inmates with different characteristics perceive a distinct fear of victimization in different custody locations. More importantly, findings indicated several unique results within the Eastern context compared to the Western literature. Future research directions and policy implications have been made.
Enhanced Transepithelial Riboflavin Delivery Using Femtosecond Laser-Machined Epithelial Microchannels.

Author(s): Bradford, Samantha; Mikula, Eric; Xie, Yilu; Juhasz, Tibor; Brown, Donald J; Jester, James V | Abstract: PurposeThis study describes a femtosecond laser (FS) approach to machine corneal epithelial microchannels for enhancing riboflavin (Rf) penetration into the cornea prior to corneal crosslinking (CXL).MethodsUsing a 1030-nm FS laser with 5- to 10-µJ pulse energy, the corneal epithelium of slaughterhouse rabbit eyes was machined to create 2-µm-diameter by 25-µm-long microchannels at a density of 100 or 400 channels/mm2. Rf penetration through the microchannels was then determined by applying 1% Rf in phosphate-buffered saline for 30 minutes followed by removal of the cornea and extraction from the central stromal button. Stromal Rf concentrations were then compared to those obtained using standard epithelial debridement or 0.01% benzalkonium chloride (BAK) to disrupt the epithelial barrier.ResultsMicrochannels formed using a 5-µJ/pulse at a density of 400 channels/mm2 achieved a stromal Rf concentration that was 50% of that achieved by removal of the corneal epithelium and imbibing with 1% Rf. Stromal Rf levels were also equal to that of debrided corneas soaked with 0.5% Rf, threefold higher than those soaked with 0.1% Rf, and twofold higher than corneas soaked in BAK without epithelial debridement. Organ culture of treated corneas showed a normal corneal epithelium following FS machining while BAK-treated corneas showed extensive epithelial and stromal damage at 24 hours posttreatment.ConclusionsFS corneal epithelial machining can be used to enhance penetration of Rf into the stroma for corneal CXL.Translational relevanceThe creation of epithelial microchannels allows for stromal Rf concentrations high enough to perform true transepithelial crosslinking.
Comparable Disease Severity by Influenza Virus Subtype in the Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium Natural History Study.

Introduction Since the influenza A/H1N1 pandemic of 2009 to 2010, numerous studies have described the clinical course and outcome of the different subtypes of influenza (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B). A recent systematic literature review concluded that there were no appreciable differences in either clinical presentation or disease severity among these subtypes, but study parameters limit the applicability of these results to military populations. We sought to evaluate differences in disease severity among influenza subtypes in a cohort of healthy, primarily outpatient adult U.S. Department of Defense beneficiaries. Materials and methods From 2009 to 2014, we enrolled otherwise healthy adults age 18 to 65 years with influenza-like illness in an observational cohort study based in 5 U.S. military medical centers. Serial nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for determination of etiology and viral shedding by polymerase chain reaction. The presence and severity of symptoms was assessed by interview and patient diary. Results Over a 5-year period, a total of 157 adults with laboratory-confirmed influenza and influenza subtype were enrolled. Of these, 69 (44%) were positive for influenza A(H1N1), 69 (44%) for influenza A(H3N2), and 19 (12%) for influenza B. About 61% were male, 64% were active duty military personnel, and 72% had received influenza vaccine in the past 8 months. Almost 10% were hospitalized with influenza. Seasonal influenza virus distribution among enrollees mirrored that of nationwide trends each year of study. Individuals with A/H1N1 had upper respiratory composite scores that were lower than those with A/H3N2. Multivariate models indicated that individuals with A(H1N1) and B had increased lower respiratory symptom scores when compared to influenza A(H3N2) (A[H1N1]: 1.51 [95% CI 0.47, 2.55]; B: 1.46 [95% CI 0.09, 2.83]), whereas no other differences in symptom severity scores among influenza A(H1N1), influenza A(H3N2), and influenza B infection were observed. Overall, influenza season (maximum in 2012-2013 season) and female sex of the participant were found to be associated with increased influenza symptom severity. Conclusions Our study of influenza in a cohort of otherwise healthy, outpatient adult Department of Defense beneficiaries over 5 influenza seasons revealed few differences between influenza A(H1N1), influenza A(H3N2), and influenza B infection with respect to self-reported disease severity or clinical outcomes. This study highlights the importance of routine, active, and laboratory-based surveillance to monitor ongoing trends and severity of influenza in various populations to inform prevention measures.
Ideational Bases of Land Reform in Brazil: 1910 to the Present

This chapter explores the history of the “agrarian question,” or what to do about a deeply inequitable landowning system, in Brazil. It focuses on ideas and how they have interacted with actors, institutions and policy outcomes. It distinguishes between four periods. During the 1910s, pro-land reform ideas emerged but a conservative political context limited their influence. From the 1920s to the mid-1950s, such ideas diffused more widely, but there was little grassroots mobilisation for, or implementation of, reform. Between the late 1950s and the mid-1980s, conflict over land escalated and innovations arose in the ideational and institutional realms. Again, however, little land reform resulted. Finally, since the late 1980s, there have been major increases in mobilisation and reform. Nevertheless, the agrarian structure remains highly unequal.
Movie Smoking and Youth Initiation: Parsing Smoking Imagery and Other Adult Content

Objectives: To isolate the independent influence of exposure to smoking and other adult content in the movies on youth smoking uptake. Methods: We used discrete time survival analysis to quantify the influence of exposure to smoking and other adult content in the movies on transitioning from (1) closed to open to smoking; (2) never to ever trying smoking; and (3) never to ever hitting, slapping, or shoving someone on two or more occasions in the past 30 days. The latter is a comparative outcome, hypothesized to have no correlation with exposure to smoking in the movies. Results: Exposure to smoking in the movies significantly increased the likelihood of youth having tried smoking (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.00-1.12) and being open to smoking (OR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04-1.15). Smoking initiation would have been 21% lower had this cohort never been exposed to smoking in the movies. However, exposure to adult content is also associated with trying smoking (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.00-1.13) and becoming open to smoking (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.04-1.17). The correlation coefficient between the two exposure measures is 0.995 (pConclusion: Although exposure to smoking in the movies is correlated with smoking initiation and susceptibility, the high correlation between exposure to smoking in the movies and other adult content suggests that more research is needed to disentangle their independent influence on smoking.
Fast simulation of two-phase flow in three-dimensional digital images of heterogeneous porous media using multiresolution curvelet transformation

Abstract Advances in instrumentation have made it possible to obtain high-resolution images of heterogeneous porous media. Such advances and the rapid increase in computational power mean that direct numerical simulation of multiphase flow in two- and three-dimensional (3D) images of porous media is feasible and, therefore, models of pore space that represent simplification and approximation of the actual morphology are dispensable. The bottleneck for image-based simulation is its long computation time. We propose an approach for speeding-up simulation of multiphase flow in 3D images of porous media that utilizes curvelet transformations (CTs). The CTs are designed for denoising of images that contain complex curved surfaces, such as those of heterogeneous porous media. This is possible because the morphology of most porous media contain extended correlations, implying that their images carry redundant information that can be eliminated by a suitable CT. As a result, simulation of multiphase flow in the coarser images are far less computationally intensive. The new approach is used to simulate two-phase flow of CO 2 and brine in a 3D image of Berea sandstone. We demonstrate that the results with the CT-processed image are as accurate as those with the original one, while computations are significantly faster by a speedup factor between one and more than two orders of magnitude.
PbSe Quantum Dots for X-ray and γ-Ray Sensors

Nanocrystalline (NC) semiconductors exhibit exploitable properties, such as a tunable energy band gap and multiexciton generation, which arise due to strong quantum confinement. Lead selenide (PbSe), with a relatively large Bohr radius of 46 nm, possesses an extensive literature of organic synthesis routes with which one can explore the strong confinement regime in quantum dots, nanorods, and nanowires. The intrinsically high charge mobility combined with a high atomic number and density of the lead chalcogenides makes them attractive for sensing applications with highly penetrating quanta, such as X-rays and γ-rays. In sensing architectures, the exploitation of these properties for each individual nanocrystallite is hampered by the need to transport the charge carriers throughout the active volume, a motion that can be retarded by energetic surface barriers typically in the form of insulating oxides. Here, we prevent surface oxidation through the fabrication of PbSe NCs via tris(diethylamino)phosphine and a purified selenium precursor, a process that results in PbSe NCs that are chemically and optically stable for at least 1.6 years. If one endeavors to measure high-energy quanta, then the micrometer-scale stopping layers typical of optical photon sensors are insufficient and one must therefore find methods to interconnect the NCs through millimeter- to centimeter-scale thicknesses. Here, we report on the growth of millimeter-scale PbSe colloidal solids that are directly grown within the NC solution. Finally, in contrast to optical photon sensors that typically measure photocurrent, high-energy particle and photon sensors that measure the energy from each interacting quantum are typically hampered by the solid’s thermal noise and the counting statistics associated with discretizing a single quantum into a finite number of information carriers. We show that one can exploit the weaker phonon–electron coupling in nanocrystalline materials to produce room-temperature sensors of X-rays and γ-rays that have comparable resolution to state-of-the-art high-purity germanium detectors. The results thus suggest that multiexciton generation in nanocrystals can be profitably employed in sensing applications that target quanta that create hot-carrier populations that are well above the band gap.
Orbit and geometry constraints on the design and operation of a long-life SIRTF mission

For a long-life SIRTF mission, the ability of the telescope to observe targets everywhere in the sky is an important requirement. For low-inclination orbits, a telescope aperture shade must be designed for Sun and Earth Limb avoidance angles of 50 deg to 60 deg to prevent unwanted radiation from entering the telescope. The minimum orbit inclination depends on the Earth Limb avoidance angle. About 30 percent of the sky will be prohibited for observations during any day in orbit, with about 100 days in orbit required to observe the entire sky.
Urogenital tract abnormalities in sons of women treated with diethylstilbestrol.

The office records of 18 physicians were reviewed for the period 1942-1971. The records of 1024 pregnancies with diethylstilbestrol (DES) therapy were found. Unexposed control pregnancies were chosen from the same files. Of those exposed to DES 86.7% had received the drug in the first trimester and 42.8% had received a mean daily dose of more than 25 mg. Completed questionnaires were obtained from 225 (45%) mothers of exposed male offspring and from 111 (29%) of controls. There were 55 exposed and 17 unexposed male offspring with problems of the urogenital tract mostly in passing urine due to meatal stenosis. Abnormalities of the penile urethra were reported in 10 cases of the exposed group and none in the unexposed group. A case of hypospadius and 1 of horseshoe kidney were found in exposed patients. In utero DES exposure is thought to be related to stenosis of the male urethra. Other urinary tract anomalies may also be involved. Therefore clinical examination of such boys is warranted.
Abstract Model Checking of Infinite Specifications

A new method for analyzing specifications in languages like Z and VDM is proposed. Theorems are checked automatically by exhaustive search of the state space. An abstraction over the actual states can be defined that reduces an infinite state space to a finite number of equivalence classes, allowing it to be searched exhaustively by treating each class as a single abstract state. A prototype has been built that has verified some small theorems from the literature.
A guided evolutionary computation technique as function optimizer

In this paper, we present a regionally guided approach to function optimization. The proposed technique is called "Guided Evolutionary Simulated Annealing". It combines the simulated annealing and simulated evolution in a novel way. The technique has a mechanism that the search will focus on more "promising" areas. The solution is evolved under regional guidance. The characteristics of the proposed technique are given. We illustrate the technique with two examples. The results of both examples indicate that the GESA technique yields optimal or near-optimal solutions, superior to a version of simulated evolution and a version of parallel simulated annealing. >