cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic rearrangement of the spectrin membrane skeleton during the generation of epithelial polarity in Drosophila

The origin of epithelial cell polarity during development is a fundamental problem in cell biology. Central to this process is the establishment of asymmetric membrane domains that will ultimately form the apical and basolateral surfaces. The spectrin-based membrane skeleton has long been thought to participate in the generation of this asymmetry. Drosophila melanogaster contains two known (beta)-spectrin isoforms: a conventional (beta)-spectrin chain, and the novel isoform (beta)(Heavy)-spectrin. These two proteins are restricted to the basolateral and apical membrane domains, respectively. To assay for the emergence of membrane asymmetry, we have characterized the distribution of these two (beta)-spectrins during the formation of the primary epithelium in the fly embryo. Our results show that the syncytial embryo contains a maternally established apical membrane skeleton containing (beta)(Heavy)-spectrin into which the basolateral (beta)-spectrin membrane skeleton is added. We have called this process basolateral interpolation. Although basolateral membrane skeleton addition begins during cellularization, it does not become fully established until the formation of a mature zonula adherens at mid to late gastrulation. The behavior of (beta)-spectrin is consistent with a primary role in establishing and/or maintaining the basolateral domain while the behavior of (beta)(Heavy)-spectrin suggests that its primary role is associated with a specialized DE-cadherin complex associated with the furrow canals and with the maturation of the zonula adherens. Thus, the apical spectrin membrane skeleton appears to play a distinct rather than analogous role to the basolateral spectrin membrane skeleton, during the emergence of cell polarity. We find that there are several parallels between our observations and previous studies on the establishment of primary epithelial polarity in vertebrates, suggesting that basolateral interpolation of the membrane skeleton may be a common mechanism in many organisms.
New water disinfectant: an insoluble quaternary ammonium resin-triiodide combination that releases bactericide on demand.

Strongly basic anion-exchange resins form stable, water-insoluble combinations with triiodide ions. The combinations have remarkable antibacterial properties: 3.0 × 105Escherichia coli cells per ml were killed when passed through a 3.8-g column of commercially available resin treated with triiodide (volume 4 ml after treatment). In an attempt to deplete the resin-triiodide complex, 1.14 × 109E. coli cells in 15 liters were passed through the column with no significant loss of effectiveness. The antibacterial capabilities of the resin-triiodide columns ranged from 106Salmonella typhimurium per ml to 1.1 × 104Streptococcus faecalis per ml. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were also tested and killed at concentrations of 1.8 × 104 and 1.3 × 105 per ml, respectively. The cells were not filtered from the water. They emerged from the column in nonviable form. This was demonstrated by using 14C-labeled bacteria. The irreversible nature of the antibacterial action was revealed when attempts to wash the damaged cells did not restore viability.
Human Endothelial Cells Produce IL-6

The interaction between human endothelial cells and leukocytes during immunological and inflammatory responses is in part mediated through the release of soluble mediators. We report that cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells secrete IL-6 when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. The monokines, IL-1 and TNF-alpha, were potent inducers of IL-6, whereas lymphotoxin was only effective at much higher concentrations. IFN gamma also was a strong stimulus of IL-6 production, but TGF-beta did not have an effect at doses modulating other endothelial cell functions. Endothelial cell IL-6 was active as hybridoma-plasmacytoma growth factor and as B-cell and hepatocyte stimulating factor. Endothelial IL-6 activity was neutralized by a specific antibody to IL-6 and it was shown by immunoprecipitation to be identical in size to human fibroblast-derived IL-6. IL-6 did not have a detectable effect on several endothelial cell functions, including proliferation, adherence of leukocytes, and synthesis of PGE2, TPA, and PAI-1. As IL-6 is probably an important regulator of host defense responses, production of this cytokine by endothelial cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of various inflammatory and immunologic diseases.
Flow in Porous Media of Variable Permeability and Novel Effects

The flow of polymeric liquids in a porous medium of variable permeability represented by a cylindrical tube randomly packed with glass spheres is studied. The cylinder represents two porous media of different permeabilities and same porosity arranged in series. We show that the energy loss is higher if the polymeric solution flows first through the porous medium with the smaller permeability rather than through the section of the cylinder with the larger permeability. The difference in energy requirements increases with increasing Reynolds number and may be as high as 25-35 percent for Reynolds numbers of O(1). This is a novel effect not observed for Newtonian and highly shear thinning inelastic fluids flowing through the same configuration. Energy requirements for the same volume flow rate are much higher than a Newtonian fluid of the same zero shear viscosity as the polymeric solution. Energy loss increases with increasing Reynolds number at a fixed concentration to level off at a Reynolds number of O(1). At a fixed Reynolds number, the loss is a strong function of the concentration and shows large increases with increasing concentration. For shear-thinning oil field spacer fluids De∼0.1 represents a good criterion for the onset of elasticity effects. For solutions of polyacrylamide De∼0.1 corresponds approximately to the flow rate at which pressure drop starts becoming dependent on the flow direction. Expressions for the friction factor and the resistance coefficient as a function of the Reynolds number have been developed using the inelastic KPK (Kutateladze-Popov-Kapakhpasheva) and viscoelastic eight constant Oldroyd models, respectively. The behavior of inelastic shear-thinning and viscoelastic fluids as represented by oil field spacer fluids and aqueous solutions of polyacrylamide is predicted qualitatively except the difference in energy requirements when the flow direction is reversed in the case of the latter.
Fertility of frozen bovine spermatozoa packaged in continental straws or ampules.

Abstract Fertility of semen frozen in .25-ml Continental 1 1Continental Plastics, Inc., P. O. Box 336, Darien, WI 53114. straws or 1.0-ml ampules was compared in two field trials. Semen from four bulls was used to inseminate 574 cows over 38 days in Trial 1. Rates of pregnancy for cows inseminated with semen in straws or ampules were 54 and 32% for first-service inseminations and 70 and 50% at the end of the breeding period. Semen from one bull was used to inseminate 204 cows over 44 days in Trial 2. Rates of pregnancy from single inseminations averaged 58 and 44%, while corresponding values at the end of the breeding period were 83 and 67% for semen in straws and ampules.
Noise analysis of subcarrier-multiplexed coherent optical video transmission systems using direct frequency modulation of semiconductor lasers

The authors present a noise analysis of an analog subcarrier-multiplexing coherent optical system for video transmission using direct frequency modulation of semiconductor lasers. Receiver sensitivity using the FM subcarrier modulation format is analyzed for realistic values of receiver thermal noise (3.31*10/sup -22/ A/sup 2//Hz), laser linewidth (up to 100 MHz), relative intensity noise (RIN) (-130 to -170 dB/Hz), and optical bandwidth (20 GHz). Linewidth-induced performance degradation is negligible for up to 50 channels, and RIN-induced performance degradation becomes dominant as RIN increases above -140 dB/Hz. A sensitivity floor of about -40 dBm (for RIN=-160 dB/Hz) exists for small numbers of channels (up to 50) due to the FM threshold effect at the IF demodulator. >
Escherichia coli expression, purification and characterization of functional full-length recombinant α2β2γ3 heterotrimeric complex of human AMP-activated protein kinase

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy-sensing serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a central role in whole-body energy homeostasis. AMPK is a heterotrimeric enzyme with a catalytic (alpha) subunit and two regulatory (beta and gamma) subunits. The muscle-specific AMPK heterotrimeric complex (alpha2beta2gamma3) is involved in glucose and fat metabolism in skeletal muscle and therefore has emerged as an attractive target for drug development for diabetes and metabolic syndrome. To date, expression of recombinant full-length human AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 has not been reported. Here we describe the expression, purification and biochemical characterization of functional full-length AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 heterotrimeric complex using an Escherichia coli expression system. All three subunits of AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 were transcribed as a single tricistronic transcript driven by the T7 RNA polymerase promoter, allowing spontaneous formation of the heterotrimeric complex in the bacterial cytosol. The self-assembled trimeric complex was purified from the cell lysate by nickel-ion chromatography using the hexahistidine tag fused exclusively at the N-terminus of the alpha 2 domain. The un-assembled beta 2 and gamma 3 domains were removed by extensive washing of the column. Further purification of the heterotrimer was performed using size exclusion chromatography. The final yield of the recombinant AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 complex was 1.1mg/L culture in shaker flasks. The E. coli expressed enzyme was catalytically inactive after purification, but was activated in vitro by upstream kinases such as CaMKKbeta and LKB1. The kinase activity of activated AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 complex was significantly enhanced by AMP (an allosteric activator) but not by thienopyridone A-769662, a known small molecule activator of AMPK. Mass spectrometric characterization of recombinant AMPK alpha2beta2gamma3 showed significant heterogeneity before and after activation that could potentially hamper crystallographic studies of this complex.
123I-MIBG Versus 18F-FDG: Which Is Better, or Which Can Be Eliminated?

330 Objectives We have previously shown that methylphenidate, the most commonly used drug for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), significantly occupies the norepinephrine transporter (NET) at clinically relevant doses with an ED50 even more potent than that for the dopamine transporter (i.e., an ED50 value of 0.14 and 0.25 mg/kg for NET and DAT, respectively), suggesting an important role for NET in ADHD. The purpose of this study is to determine whether adults with ADHD have altered NET availability compared to matched controls (HC) as measured by the ligand (S,S)-[11C]MRB ([11C]MRB) and PET. Methods Human volunteers (ADHD: n=3 and HC: n=11) underwent dynamic PET acquisition using HRRT for 120 min following a bolus injection of ~740 MBq of [11C]MRB. Binding potential (BPND) images were computed using the multilinear reference tissue model (2-parameter version: MRTM2 with t*=20) with occipital cortex as the reference region. The mean BPND values were estimated for 11 ROIs (including small brain regions; i.e., locus coeruleus (LC), brainstem nuclei, hypothalamus (hypoTH), and thalamic subnuclei) and compared between the two groups using two-tailed unpaired t-test. Results The BPND values from ADHD adults, who meet DSM-IV criteria and have not used stimulants for at least 4 years before the study, were compared with the mean BPND values obtained from HCs. Decreased regional BPND values in ADHD subjects were observed in most NET-rich regions; e.g., LC (~17% decrease), hypoTH (31-55% decrease), nucleus ruber (49%, p=0.04), thalamus (25%, p=0.01) and thalamic subnuclei: dorsomedial (22-38%, p=0.04) and pulvinar (26-44%). Conclusions These preliminary data show a trend for altered NET in ADHD subjects, with a downregulation in most NET-rich regions. More ADHD subjects are under investigation to confirm these encouraging results. Research Support NIH/NID
Curing Consortium Fatigue

The complex pathology of consortium fatigue provides diagnostic data on how to improve collaboration in biomedical innovation.
Pemphigus Vulgaris and Paraneoplastic Pemphigus

Pemphigus vulgaris and paraneoplastic pemphigus are rare, chronic, life-threatening autoimmune mucocutaneous bullous conditions precipitated by IgG autoantibodies binding to desmoglein 1, desmoglein 3, and the plakin family of adhesion proteins. Oral lesions may be the only lesions or first to appear in these conditions, making it paramount that oral and maxillofacial surgeons are well-versed in diagnosis and treatment. Initial management almost always involves pain management, hydration, and tissue biopsy followed by corticosteroid therapy. Adjuvant therapy has greatly improved the safety and quality of life for these unfortunate patients.
Does MSP Participation Increase the Supply of Math Teachers? Developing and Testing an Analytic Model.

An important feature of the Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program of the National Science Foundation is to increase K-12 student achievement in math and science by increasing the quality, quantity, and diversity of the nation's K-12 math and science teachers. Because the underlying supply of math and science teachers is never directly observed, the central premise of this article is that an examination of the extent to which the MSP Program might impact the quantity and quality of math and science teachers requires careful thought and modeling. With that starting point, this study first develops a model that supports a premise that shifts in underlying supply can be inferred from shifts in the percentage of certified math teachers employed when (a) salaries are constrained to be below market clearing salaries and (b) uncertified or “out-of-field” certified teachers can compete as substitutes for certified math teachers. The study then tests the plausibility of the model using data from Texas and in s...
An Adaptive Web Cache Access Predictor Using Neural Network

This paper presents a novel approach to successfully predict Web pages that are most likely to be re-accessed in a given period of time. We present the design of an intelligent predictor that can be implemented on a Web server to guide caching strategies. Our approach is adaptive and learns the changing access patterns of pages in a Web site. The core of our predictor is a neural network that uses a backpropagation learning rule. We present results of the application of this predictor on static data using log files; it can be extended to learn the distribution of live Web page access patterns. Our simulations show fast learning, uniformly good prediction, and up to 82% correct prediction for the following six months based on a one-day training data. This long-range prediction accuracy is attributed to the static structure of the test Web site.
Reducing Isolation among Inner-City Elders: An Outcome Evaluation

The research reported here evaluates outcomes of an intervention designed to reduce isolation and improve health and quality of life within a multiracial population of elders in Seattle. Carried ou...
Sexually dimorphic effects of early life stress in rat pups on urinary bladder detrusor muscle contractility in adulthood.

Painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC) is a chronic disorder that is commonly seen in women who report a history of adversity in early life. Here, we test the hypothesis that early life stress (ELS) induces sexually dimorphic abnormalities in urinary bladder smooth muscle function in adulthood. Male and female rat pups were conditioned on postnatal (PN) days 8–12 with either a “predictable or “unpredictable” odor-shock, or odor only control treatment. In adulthood, urinary bladder function was assessed in vivo via urine spot analysis and in vitro via contractile responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and membrane depolarization with potassium chloride (KCl). In adulthood, we found that female rats exposed to unpredictable ELS showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in urine voiding volume compared to predictable ELS or controls. We also found that detrusor muscle contractile responses to EFS were significantly (p < 0.001) decreased following unpredictable ELS in adult female rats compared to the predictable ELS or controls. In male rats exposed to ELS, there was no difference in voiding volume or EFS-induced contractility between groups. In adulthood, the myogenic smooth muscle response to KCl was not significantly different between groups. Histological analysis from adult female and male rats revealed no differences in the appearance of the urinary bladder in rats exposed to ELS. In summary, our findings provide evidence to support abnormalities in the nerve-mediated contractile responses of the detrusor smooth muscle in adult female rats following ELS. We speculate that these sexually dimorphic alterations in urinary bladder function may account, at least in part, for the female predominance of PBS/IC.
Radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (for the radiology administrator).

Abstract Cheaper, faster, safer, these are not the attributes of 1993 automobiles, but criteria for new diagnostic tests in medicine. To achieve these characteristics, medicine is increasingly looking to biotechnology for answers. And the mother of all biotechnology is monoclonal antibody research. In past issues, Administrative Radiology published articles discussing the role of biotechnology in the development of radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine. In this issue, Richard Wahl, M.D., reviews, in plain talk, the current status and prospects for diagnostic imaging with radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies. Are there any such procedures of value today? Are there any that are FDA approved? Will there ever be such agents that are either useful or approved? If so, will any insurance carrier pay for them? For the answers to these and other "hot" questions, the reader is encouraged to continue on and read this month's Technology Review section.
Physiological Tolerance and Behavioral Avoidance of Alcohol in Drosophila: Coadaptation or Pleiotropy?

The presumed function of natural selection is to enhance the “fit” between organisms and their environments. This process of adaptation is often complex and may occur simultaneously on multiple levels of biological organization. Although a good deal of research has been directed toward elucidating the genetic basis of specific adaptations, relatively little is known concerning the genetic origins of those suites of traits that have apparently coevolved to serve the same adaptive need.
Multilevel distributed approach for DC Optimal Power Flow

The interest in distributed control methods for power systems is motivated by the need for scalable solutions to handle the coordination of an increasing number of distributed resources. This paper presents a fully distributed multilevel method to solve the DC Optimal Power Flow problem (DC-OPF). Our proposed approach constitutes a distributed iterative mechanism to solve the first order optimality conditions of the DC-OPF problem using the fact that optimality conditions involve local variable couplings. The proposed distributed structure requires each bus to update a few local variables and exchange information with neighboring buses. Our multilevel distributed approach distributes the computation at several levels, i.e., nodes, subareas and areas. It allows for synchronous information exchanges, i.e., after each iteration, at the nodal level and asynchronous communication, i.e., after multiple iterations, between subareas and areas. To define meaningful subareas, we are using a graph theoretic partitioning method derived from an epidemics model. We compare the performance of the proposed partitioning method over a random partitioning method using the IEEE 118-bus system.
Orthopaedics and the Physician Payments Sunshine Act: An Examination of Payments to U.S. Orthopaedic Surgeons in the Open Payments Database.

Background: The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the Open Payments database (OPD) detailing payments from industry to physicians and teaching hospitals. We seek here to provide an overview of the data with a focus on the orthopaedic community. Methods: We analyzed payments in the OPD from August 1 to December 31, 2013. The OPD consists of three individual databases: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership. Physician identification number, physician specialty, payment type, and payment value were collected. Physicians assigned to multiple specialties were excluded. Comparisons were made between orthopaedic surgeons and the remainder of the top fifteen specialties by payment value. Results: In all, 2,697,015 payments with physicians were recorded; 491,223 of these payments (18.2%) were made to physicians with multiple listed specialties and were excluded. Excluding these potentially misattributed payments did not have a significant impact on the trends identified, and $394.5 million in payments remained. Orthopaedic surgeons represented 3.4% of payments but 25.6% of value, and 13,347 orthopaedic surgeons (68.9% of all active orthopaedic surgeons) were listed in the OPD. Payments over $10,000 represented only 1.6% of payments to orthopaedic surgeons but 75.5% of value. The majority of these payments (56.1%) were royalties. The median payment value for orthopaedic surgeons listed in the OPD was $38.11, with two payments per surgeon; the median aggregated value was $132.56 per surgeon. Orthopaedic surgeons listed in the OPD were more likely to receive payments for travel compared with all other specialties (p < 0.001) and more likely to receive payments for royalties compared with all other specialties (p < 0.001) except neurological surgery. Conclusions: Financial interactions between orthopaedic surgeons and industry are highly prevalent. A small subset of orthopaedic surgeons received large royalties, which accounted for a majority of the transactional value provided by industry. Orthopaedic surgeons were the recipients of more payments for travel and for royalties than all other specialties except neurological surgery; however, the median value of these and other payments was similar to that for other specialties.
Dissipation of atrazine, enrofloxacin, and sulfamethazine in wood chip bioreactors and impact on denitrification.

Wood chip bioreactors are receiving increasing attention as a means of reducing nitrate in subsurface tile drainage systems. Agrochemicals in tile drainage water entering wood chip bioreactors can be retained or degraded and may affect denitrification. The degradation of 5 mg L atrazine, enrofloxacin, and sulfamethazine under denitrifying conditions in wood chips from an in situ reactor was determined. The impact of these chemicals on denitrifying microorganisms was assessed using the denitrification potential assay, most probable number (MPN), and quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting the gene of the denitrifiers. Initial half-lives for these chemicals in the aqueous phase were 0.98 d for atrazine, 0.17 d for enrofloxacin, and 6.2 d for sulfamethazine. Similar rates of disappearance in autoclaved and nonautoclaved wood chip solutions during the first 48 h suggested sorption was the dominant mechanism. The presence of atrazine did not impair denitrification potential, the MPN, or the copy number. The denitrifier MPN and copy number in sulfamethazine- and enrofloxacin-treated microcosms were less than the control within the first 5 d after chemical addition, whereas the denitrification potentials were not affected. However, after 45 d the denitrification rate, MPN and gene copy numbers for sulfamethazine and enrofloxacin were similar to that of the no-chemical control, indicating that acclimation of the denitrifier population to the antibiotic or reduced bioavailability over time allowed recovery of the denitrifier population.
Description of the Larva of Keiferia Peniculo Heinrich, with a Key to the Larvae of Related Species Attacking Eggplant, Pepper, Potato and Tomato in the United States (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

In the course of the special survey which the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine conducted in 1944-45 in the vicinity of ports of entry, larvae of a new gelechiid were frequently found feeding on eggplant. Adults were reared by members of the survey staff, and the species has been recently described as Keiferia peniculo by Heinrich.[1][1] [1]: #fn-1
“GOING OFF THE BEATEN PATH: KNUT HAMSUN’S FORAYS INTO TRAVEL WRITING”

This paper examines Knut Hamsun’s travel writing, from his many newspaper articles about America published before The Cultural Life of Modern America ( Fra det moderne Amerikas aandsliv , 1889) – his idiosyncratic and very personal reckoning with America – to his only real (i.e., formal) travelogue or travel book, In Wonderland ( I AEventyrland , 1903), documenting his visit to the Russian Caucasus. The article focuses on some common themes as well as striking differences among these works, so as to highlight Hamsun’s creative use of the travel genre. As the term “foray” in my title suggests, there is something illicit and transgressive about Hamsun’s travel writing. He does not readily conform to the norms of the genre; rather, he transforms the genre to suit his own purposes by infusing a large dose of his idiosyncratic genius in everything he writes about the faraway lands he visits.
Repeated and Widespread Evolution of Bioluminescence in Marine Fishes.

Bioluminescence is primarily a marine phenomenon with 80% of metazoan bioluminescent genera occurring in the world’s oceans. Here we show that bioluminescence has evolved repeatedly and is phylogenetically widespread across ray-finned fishes. We recover 27 independent evolutionary events of bioluminescence, all among marine fish lineages. This finding indicates that bioluminescence has evolved many more times than previously hypothesized across fishes and the tree of life. Our exploration of the macroevolutionary patterns of bioluminescent lineages indicates that the present day diversity of some inshore and deep-sea bioluminescent fish lineages that use bioluminescence for communication, feeding, and reproduction exhibit exceptional species richness given clade age. We show that exceptional species richness occurs particularly in deep-sea fishes with intrinsic bioluminescent systems and both shallow water and deep-sea lineages with luminescent systems used for communication.
Production planning problems with joint service-level guarantee: a computational study

We consider a class of single-stage multi-period production planning problems under demand uncertainty. The main feature of our paper is to incorporate a joint service-level constraint to restrict the joint probability of having backorders in any period. This is motivated by manufacturing and retailing applications, in which firms need to decide the production quantities ex ante, and also have stringent service-level agreements. The inflexibility of dynamically altering the pre-determined production schedule may be due to contractual agreement with external suppliers or other economic factors such as enormously large fixed costs and long lead time. We focus on two stochastic variants of this problem, with or without pricing decisions, both subject to a joint service-level guarantee. The demand distribution could be nonstationary and correlated across different periods. Using the sample average approximation (SAA) approach for solving chance-constrained programs, we reformulate the two variants as mixed-in...
Nested-Scale Nutrient Flux in a Mixed-Land-Use Urbanizing Watershed

To improve quantitative understanding of mixed-land-use impacts on nutrient yields, a nested-scale experimental watershed study design (n = 5) was applied in a 303(d), clean water act impaired urbanizing watershed of the lower Missouri River Basin, USA. From 2010 to 2013, water samples (n = 858 sample days per site) were analysed for total inorganic nitrogen (TIN-N), nitrite (NO2–N) nitrate (NO3–N), ammonia (NH3–N), and total phosphorus (TP-P). Annual, seasonal, and monthly flow-weighted concentrations (FWCs) and nutrient yields were estimated. Mean nutrient concentrations were highest where agricultural land use comprised 58% of the drainage area (NH3 = 0.111 mg/l; NO2 = 0.045 mg/l; NO3 = 0.684 mg/l, TIN = 0.840 mg/l; TP = 0.127 mg/l). Average TP-P increased by 15% with 20% increased urban land use area. Highly variable annual precipitation was observed during the study with highest nutrient yields during 2010 (record setting wet year) and lowest nutrient yields during 2012 (extreme drought year). Annual TIN-N and TP-P yields exceeded 10.3 and 2.04 kg ha−1 yr−1 from the agricultural dominated headwaters. Mean annual NH3–N, NO2–N, NO3–N, TIN-N, and TP-P yields were 0.742, 0.400, 4.24, 5.38, and 0.979 kg ha−1 yr−1, respectively near the watershed outlet. Precipitation accounted for the majority of the explained variance in nutrient yields (R2 values from 0.68 to 0.85). Nutrient yields were also dependent on annual precipitation of the preceding year (R2 values from 0.87 to 0.91) thus enforcing the great complexity of variable mixed-land-use mediated source-sink nutrient yield relationships. Study results better inform land managers and best management practices designed to mitigate nutrient pollution issues in mixed-land-use freshwater ecosystems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human-wildlife Conflict, Conservation Attitudes, and a Potential Role for Citizen Science in Sierra Leone, Africa

Protection of tropical biodiversity is often difficult due to persistent gaps in ecological data and complex conflicts between wildlife conservation and human livelihoods. To better understand the nature and extent of these conflicts, we conducted intercept surveys (n = 522) with local villagers around the Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Sierra Leone (August - December, 2010). Results revealed high levels of crop depredation, retaliatory killing, and bushmeat harvesting in villages surrounding the protected area. We also found that pro-conservation attitudes were less prevalent among younger adults and immigrants to the region. Efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict could emphasise an enhanced awareness and appreciation of wildlife resources among these particular socio-demographic groups. In the second part of our study (May 2012), we interviewed a subset of local residents (n = 14) to explore the feasibility and utility of expanding our initial survey effort to create a more comprehensive and sustainable framework for monitoring human-wildlife interactions based on Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR) principles. Findings highlighted the challenges of implementing a PPSR-type model in this difficult management context and the potential benefits of using “citizen science” to improve data collection capacity, increase local empowerment, and influence wildlife conservation.
N2-MBW in comparison to spirometry in children after lung transplantation

Chronic lung allograft dysfunction is the main cause of death after the first year post lung transplantation (LuTX) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the leading cause of lung allograft dysfunction. Up to now BOS is a diagnosis defined as irreversible decrease of FEV 1 1 post LuTX). New lung function tests like the nitrogen-multiple breath washout test (N 2 -MBW) detect ventilation inhomogeneity (VI) early in patients with chronic lung disease and seem thus promising for diagnosis of BOS. The aim of this study was to compare N 2 -MBW and spirometry during short and long term follow-up of children after LuTX. 38 children, age 7-18 years, performed spirometry and N 2 -MBW in a clinical stable phase at least three month after LuTX. N 2 -MBW gives results on global VI (lung clearance index; LCI). Depending on the time point we categorized follow-ups into short term ( 18 months; n=22) after LuTX. Five patients were included in both follow-up groups. Z-scores were calculated from healthy aged-matched controls. Mean (SD) LCI was 5.8 (6.1) z-scores, while FEV 1 /FVC was -1.0 (1.4) z-scores at short-term follow-up. At long-term follow-up LCI was 3.8 (3.3) and FEV 1 /FVC -0.9 (1.4) z-scores. The number of patients with elevated LCI were 16 at short-term and 18 at long-term follow-up in comparison to 8 and 6, respectively for FEV 1 /FVC. On both time points poor agreement between both parameters (kappa In this cross-sectional study LCI seems more sensitive to detect impairment of lung function compared to FEV 1 /FVC. Longitudinal follow-up and a larger cohort will show if this is an inherent phenomenon after LuTX or indicative of early BOS.
Coaching: a new model for academic and career achievement

Background : Individualized education is emerging as an innovative model for physician training. This requires faculty coaching to guide learners’ achievements in academic performance, competency development, and career progression. In addition, coaching can foster self-reflection and self-monitoring using a data-guided approach to support lifelong learning. Context : Coaching differs from mentoring or advising, and its application in medical education is novel. Because of this, definitions of the concept and the constructs of coaching as applied to medical education are needed to accurately assess the coaching relationship and coaching processes. These can then be linked to learner outcomes to inform how coaching serves as a modifier of academic and competency achievement and career satisfaction. Innovation : We developed definitions and constructs for academic coaching in medical education based on review of existing education and non-education coaching literature. These constructs focus on 1) establishing relationship principles, 2) conducting learner assessments, 3) developing and implementing an action plan, and 4) assessing results and revising plans accordingly. Implication : Coaching is emerging as an important construct in the context of medical education. This article lays the vital groundwork needed for evaluation of coaching programs aimed at producing outstanding physicians. Keywords: formative feedback; coaching; education; medical; undergraduate; psychometrics; counseling; mentors; medical education; faculty development (Published: 1 December 2016) Citation: Med Educ Online 2016, 21: 33480 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v21.33480
Mechanics-based control of underactuated 3D robotic walking: Dynamic gait generation under torque constraints

This paper presents a novel method of stabilizing hybrid models of torque-constrained, underactuated walking robots - without using nonlinear gait optimization - by leveraging properties of the mechanics of the robot. At its core, the controller stabilizes the transfer of angular momentum from one leg to the next through continuous-time control coupled with hybrid system models that capture impacts that occur at foot strike. In particular, conservation of angular momentum at impact allows for computation of the exact transfer of momentum as a function of the robot's step length and vertical center of mass velocity just prior to foot impact. This motivates the construction of continuous-time reference trajectories for the robot's step length and vertical center of mass with endpoints corresponding to a desired transfer of angular momentum. Stabilization to these trajectories results in stable walking, as indicated by numeric Poincare analysis. The controller is implemented in simulation of a five-link, underactuated 3D robot via Model Predictive Control which provides a means of achieving walking under non-trivial actuation limits.
Weighted envelope estimation to handle variability in model selection

SummaryEnvelope methodology can provide substantial efficiency gains in multivariate statistical problems, but in some applications the estimation of the envelope dimension can induce selection volatility that may mitigate those gains. Current envelope methodology does not account for the added variance that can result from this selection. In this article, we circumvent dimension selection volatility through the development of a weighted envelope estimator. Theoretical justification is given for our estimator, and the validity of the residual bootstrap for estimating its asymptotic variance is established. A simulation study and real-data analysis illustrate the utility of our weighted envelope estimator.
A Principal-Agent Approach to Foreign Economic Policy: State-Business Relations during U.S. Debt Crisis Management:

U.S. officials often rely on American corporations to achieve public policy objectives within the international economy. For example, commercial banks played an integral role in U.S. debt crisis ma...
Foxp3 Reprograms T Cell Metabolism to Function in Low-Glucose, High-Lactate Environments

Immune cells function in diverse metabolic environments. Tissues with low glucose and high lactate concentrations, such as the intestinal tract or ischemic tissues, frequently require immune responses to be more pro-tolerant, avoiding unwanted reactions against self-antigens or commensal bacteria. T-regulatory cells (Tregs) maintain peripheral tolerance, but how Tregs function in low-glucose, lactate-rich environments is unknown. We report that the Treg transcription factor Foxp3 reprograms T cell metabolism by suppressing Myc and glycolysis, enhancing oxidative phosphorylation, and increasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidation. These adaptations allow Tregs a metabolic advantage in low-glucose, lactate-rich environments; they resist lactate-mediated suppression of T cell function and proliferation. This metabolic phenotype may explain how Tregs promote peripheral immune tolerance during tissue injury but also how cancer cells evade immune destruction in the tumor microenvironment. Understanding Treg metabolism may therefore lead to novel approaches for selective immune modulation in cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Abstract 126: High Efficiency Reprogramming of Fibroblasts Into Cardiomyocytes Requires Suppression of Pro-fibrotic Signaling

The mammalian heart is composed of ~30% cardiomyocytes which have limited capacity to regenerate and ~70% non-cardiomyocytes including endothelial cells and cardiac fibroblasts. Direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes by forced expression of cardiomyogenic transcription factors, GMT (GATA4, Mef2C, Tbx5) or GHMT (GATA4, Hand2, Mef2C, Tbx5), has recently been demonstrated, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for cardiac repair. Despite extensive efforts, the efficiency of direct reprogramming of embryonic or adult fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes has yet to exceed 20%, or 0.1% respectively, leading many in the field to question the clinical translatability of this method. Here, we demonstrate that pro-fibrotic signaling events governed by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and Rho kinase (ROCK) are concomitantly activated in GHMT-expressing fibroblasts, leading to potent suppression of cardiac reprogramming ( Figure 1 ). Remarkably, pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β, or ROCK leads to conversion of ≥ 60% of fibroblasts into highly functional cardiomyocytes, displaying global cardiac gene expression, spontaneous contractility, action potentials and calcium transients. Furthermore, inhibition of TGF-β, or ROCK dramatically enhances the kinetics of cardiac reprogramming, with spontaneously contracting cardiomyocytes emerging in less than two weeks, as opposed to 4 weeks with GHMT alone. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac conversion of fibroblasts, and should enhance efforts to generate cardiomyocytes for clinical applications.
Cuantificación de gases de efecto invernadero en la Sede de Occidente de la Universidad de Costa Rica

La Sede de Occidente de la Universidad de Costa Rica esta conformada por el recinto de San Ramon y el recinto de Grecia. Fue fundada en abril de 1968 y actualmente cuenta con una poblacion de aproximadamente 3100 estudiantes y 911 funcionarios, los cuales se distribuyen entre ambos recintos. Con el proposito de alinearse al compromiso de la Universidad de Costa Rica de ser Carbono Neutro en el ano 2020, la Sede decidio cuantificar los GEI generados por las actividades realizadas, para luego establecer una estrategia de mitigacion y poder disminuir el impacto ambiental causado. Para la cuantificacion primero se identificaron las diferentes fuentes emisoras de cada instalacion fisica, luego se realizo la recoleccion de datos y por ultimo se calculo la cantidad de toneladas de carbono equivalente emitidas de acuerdo a los factores de emision establecidos por el Instituto Meteorologico Nacional. Esto permitio determinar que la Sede genera 267,35 toneladas de CO 2 -e, de las cuales 93% corresponde al recinto de San Ramon y 7% al recinto de Grecia.
Lipid-lowering diet for regression of atherosclerosis

Source Citation Watts GF, Lewis B, Brunt JN, et al. Effects on coronary artery disease of lipid-lowering diet, or diet plus cholestyramine, in the St Thomas' Atherosclerosis Regression Study (STARS...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography of Thyroid Cancer

This chapter discusses the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in the evaluation of patients with thyroid cancer. Traditionally, patients with thyroid cancer have been diagnosed based on an evaluation initiated by clinical examination of a palpable thyroid nodule, accounting for about 60% of ultimate diagnoses of thyroid cancer. An additional 20% or more patients are found to have thyroid cancer based on a clinical presentation with findings of adjacent cervical and/or supraclavicular lymph nodes. However, the increased utilization of both MRI and CT of the head and neck has led to the ‘incidental” discovery of thyroid lesions that may comprise as many as 20% of patients who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer. For example, there is widespread use of CT in the evaluation of the cervical spine in trauma, evaluation of the neck for any type of neck mass or hoarseness, and significantly increased use in the evaluation of patients with lung disease and/or suspected pulmonary embolism. Similarly, MRI is increasingly utilized, particularly in the examination of pathology related to the cervical spine (e.g., disc herniation and stenosis).
A multi-leader stackelberg game for two-hop systems with wireless energy transfer

We study a two-hop network with wireless energy transfer (WET) from the source to multiple energy harvesting relays. Both the source and relays intend to transmit dedicated information to the destination. The source, without direct reliable channels to the destination, needs the relays to forward signals, while the relays are short of energy and have to harvest energy from the source to transmit their own data and relaying the source's data. Relays use time division to harvest then transmit. For the multiple access channel (MAC) from the relays to the destination, we consider both time division multiple access (TDMA) between the relays and simultaneous transmission (ST) by all relays. The source and the relays are all selfish and aim to maximize their own utility. We take a game theoretic viewpoint to model the hierarchical competition between the source and the relays. In particular, multi-leader Stackelberg games are formulated where the relays play as the leaders and the source plays as the follower. The existence and the uniqueness of Stackelberg equilibrium (SE) are analyzed, based on which algorithms are proposed to achieve the SE. The numerical results verify that the proposed algorithms improve the system performance comparing to the baseline scheme.
Molecular Biology of Plant Virus-Vector Interactions

The movement of a virus from one plant host to another presents several special problems. Most plants are sessile and, thus, unless hosts are growing close enough to each other to have direct contact, virus transmission requires some agent. Most of the plant surfaces are covered with a cuticle and the cells are enclosed in walls made primarily of cellulose. Therefore, the transmitting agent has to be able to penetrate these barries to enable infection. Plant viruses have developed a wide range of systems that overcome these problems and that involve many types of transmitting agents or vectors. One of the major features of these systems is the specificity between the virus and its vector, a theme that will be reiterated throughout this chapter. The specificity is not only at the level of vector type, family, genus, or species but can often be even at the level of biotype. As a general rule viruses that are transmitted by one type of vector (see below) are not transmitted by any of the others. This specificity indicates that there has been coevolution of the virus and its vector that involves the development of specific interactions that control the ability of the vector to transmit the virus. Transmission is also affected by the interactions between the vector and the host. I will not deal with this aspect in this chapter; for a discussion of the interactions between aphids and plants the reader is referred to Harris (39, 40).
Role of Iron in Mica Weathering

Micas are common components of soils and the rocks from which they are derived. In both locations the micas are exposed to a variety of physical and chemical processes which lead to a release of their constituents and an evolution of altered or synthesized minerals. These aspects of mica weathering are complicated by the fact that micas contain many elements and the mineralogical changes are extensive. It is well recognized, however, that the release of K, Mg, and other essential plant nutrients from micas can have a major impact on the fertility status of soils. Also, the secondary minerals stemming from the mica alterations are known to include the smectites, kaolinites, hydrous oxides, etc., that make up part of the most reactive fraction of soils and dominate much of the chemical behavior of soils. As a result, mica weathering plays an important role in the genesis, management, and ultimate use of soils.
Tumor in the Buttock Area

The most superficial and bulkiest muscle in the buttock area, the gluteus maximus, is more often involved by sarcoma than the other glutei. This muscle originates from a small area in the posterior part of the ilium, the aponeurotic layers covering the sacrum on its lateral side, and the intermuscular septum separating it from the gluteus medius. It inserts in the iliotibial band and in the gluteal tuberosity on the posterior surface of the femur, extending from the upper end of the linea aspera to the lower end of the greater trochanter.
Sensor Identification and Fault Detection in IoT Systems

The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has led to the deployment of various types of sensors in the homes, offices, buildings, lawns, cities, and even in agricultural farms. Due to the diverse nature of IoT deployments and the likelihood of sensor failures in-the-wild, a key challenge in the design of IoT systems is ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and fidelity of sensor data. We present a system based on the Fall-curve primitive -- a sensor's voltage response when the power is turned off -- to characterize the sensor. A sensor's Fall-curve constitutes a unique signature using which it is possible to identify the sensor and also detect whether it is operating correctly or not. In this demo, we show Fall-curve in action to accurately detect and identify the sensors connected to an IoT device. Furthermore, we also show that Fall-curves can reliably detect various transient and permanent sensor faults in an IoT device.
Black Bodies, Black Rights: The Politics of Quilombolismo in Contemporary Brazil

Elizabeth Farfan-Santos. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2016. xx and 196 pp., photos, notes, references, index. $26.95 paper (ISBN 978-1-4773-0942-1); $80.00 cloth (ISBN 978-1-4773-0922-3)....