cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioral responses of batoid elasmobranchs to prey-simulating electric fields are correlated to peripheral sensory morphology and ecology

Abstract Electrosensory pore number, distribution, and sensitivity to prey-simulating electric fields have been described for many shark species. Electrosensory systems in batoids have received much less attention. Pore number and distribution have yet to be correlated to differences in sensitivity. However, pore number, pore distribution and sensitivity have been linked to behavior, diet, and morphology and follow species-specific trends. We report here that cownose rays have a greater number of pores than the yellow stingray, most of which are concentrated on the anterior ventral surface for both species. However, yellow stingrays have a broader arrangement of pores on both their dorsal and ventral surfaces than the cownose rays. Yellow stingrays demonstrated a median behavioral sensitivity to weak electric fields of 22 nV cm −1 and are among the most highly sensitive batoids studied to date. Cownose rays are less sensitive than all other elasmobranch species with a median sensitivity of 107 nV cm −1 . As reported in previous studies, a higher pore number did not result in greater sensitivity. Cownose rays are benthopelagic schooling rays and may benefit from reduced sensitivity to bioelectric fields when they are surrounded by the bioelectric fields of conspecifics. Yellow stingrays, on the other hand, are typically solitary and bury in the substrate. A greater number of pores on their dorsal surface might improve detection of predators above them. Also, increased sensitivity and a broader distribution of pores may be beneficial as small prey items move past a buried ray.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infects Neuronal Cells and Processes That Innervate the Lung by a Process Involving RSV G Protein

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a primary cause of morbidity and life-threatening lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children. Children with acute RSV bronchiolitis often develop respiratory sequelae, but the disease mechanisms are poorly understood. Mounting evidence suggests that RSV may mediate persistent infection. Using immunohistochemistry to identify RSV and RSV-infected cell types, we show that RSV infects primary neurons and neuronal processes that innervate the lungs through a process that involves RSV G protein and the G protein CX3C motif. These findings suggest a mechanism for disease chronicity and have important implications for RSV disease intervention strategies.
Quaternary faulting history along the Deep Springs fault, California

New geologic mapping, structural studies, geochronology, and diffusion erosion modeling along the Deep Springs fault, California, shed light on its Quaternary faulting history. The Deep Springs fault, a 26km-long, predominantly north-northeaststriking, west-northwestdipping normal fault bounding the eastern side of Deep Springs Valley, cuts Jurassic batholithic rocks nonconformably overlain by middle Miocene to Pleistocene stream gravels, coarse-grained sand, tuffaceous sand, unwelded to partially welded tuff, and Bishop ash, as well as Quaternary coarse- to finegrained alluvial fan deposits. The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology yields ages of 3.09 0.08 Ma for the unwelded tuff and 753 4k a for the Bishop ash. Holocene debris flows, a landslide, and recent alluvium bury the youngest fault scarp. The Deep Springs fault is characterized by multiple fault planes and fault scarps that become progressively younger toward the basin. The dip of the fault plane varies from 20 to 87 and fault-plane and striation measurements indicate an average orientation of N23E, 47NW, and N77E, 49SW, respectively. The offset of Bishop ash and underlying tuff across the Deep Springs fault indicates horizontal extension and vertical slip rates of 0.7 and 0.9 mm/yr, respectively, since the eruption of the Bishop Tuff, and 0.2 and 0.2 mm/yr, respectively, since the eruption of the unwelded tuff. If the vertical slip rate since the eruption of the Bishop Tuff has remained constant through time, then slip along the Deep Springs fault began ca. 1.7 Ma. Younger fault scarps to the west of the bedrock fault cut Quaternary deposits; scarp offset ranges from 0.8 to 17.5 m and scarp slope angle ranges from 8 to 37. Topographic profiling of the smallest, least eroded fault scarps, with an average surface offset of 2.7 m, indicates that these scarps developed as the result of a single earthquake and ruptured an 20km-long segment of the fault. Radiocarbon analyses on detrital charcoal, located in the footwall block of one of these scarps, yield an age of 1.960 0.055 ka. Diffusion erosion modeling of these fault scarps yields an elapsed time of 1.7 0.5 k.y. since these fault scarps formed. Making reasonable assumptions about the depth of this earthquake and shear modulus, we estimate a moment magnitude, MW 7.0, for this earthquake. The Deep Springs fault is one of several displacement-transfer normal faults that define a zone of distributed deformation between subparallel right-lateral strike-slip faults east of the Sierra Nevada that make up the northern part of the eastern California shear zone. The young age and recent earthquake activity along the Deep Springs fault are consistent with a model proposed for the kinematic evolution of this part of the eastern California shear zone.
A Device To Detect Student Cheating

In this article, a method is offered by which to recognize, identify, verify and/or confirm that student “cheating” has occurred on multiple-choice formatted examinations. The approach rests upon the probability of more than one student incorrectly answering identical questions. The technique or “device” can be used either to screen or to confirm and it is seen to be easily applied in situations involving several students and for any number of exam questions and tests.
Common Law Lawyers Should Mind Their Trial Practices: Understanding, Identifying, and Correcting a Semiotic Imbalance

This text is discusses the separate understandings of the “law” among the Civil Law and Common Law traditions through the views of three major semioticians, and, assuming that the differences between the Civil Law and Common Law have an effect on legal semiotics, to determine whether differences in the understanding and practice of legal semiotics between both traditions, until now relatively unnoticed, enriches and refines future legal semiotics. Research is therefore first in differences between the two systems pertaining to judicial authority, furthermore to the civil procedure and finally to the criminal procedure involved in each legal tradition. Of central interest is in this context a specific “semiotic imbalance”, so that the concept of “Law” in semiotic research in Common Law legal semiotics differs from Civil Law legal semiotics. No difference has a greater effect on the semiotics of the law than the practice of trial law.
Unconscious Approaches to World Suicide

Any presentation, the title of which begins with the word “unconscious” faces as its first requirement a definition of that term. This, however, poses a problem which, despite a plethora of discourses on the subject, is still almost impossible to solve either semantically or operationally. To begin with, the prefix “Un” denies what follows, much as unreality denotes what is “not real”. But have any two physicists or philosophers* ever agreed as to what is “real”? And can physiologist or psychologist “really” delimit what is “conscious”?** Indeed, in the history of thought, the term Unconscious has had about as many connotations as there were commentators.
Acute Increases in Intracellular Putrescine Lead to the Increase in Steady-State Levels of c-fos, c-jun, RING3, and Id-1 mRNAs

For a number of years, researchers have noted that cancer cells have higher levels of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity than do the corresponding noncancerous tissues (1-5). Because increases in ODC activity (and subsequently, the polyamines) occur regularly in the cell cycle and are necessary before successful cell division can occur, the exact role of these increased polyamine levels in tumorigenesis was not completely understood. It was unclear whether the increases in ODC and polyamine levels directly participated in the generation on the cancer phenotype, or whether these increases were only a result of the increased cell cycling that is a hallmark of many cancerous cells and tumors (1-4).
Ages of Bees in Swarms and Afterswarms of the Africanized Honeybee

SummaryObservations on marked bees in swarms and afterswarms from colonies of Africanized honeybees in French Guiana, South America, showed that 80–100° of bees in the colony that were 3–8 days old left with the prime swarm. This is a much higher percentage than has been reported for European bees in Europe. Afterswarms of Africanized bees showed a similar but more variable pattern. Survival data for workers from hived swarms suggest that the high percentage of young bees in swarms may be significant for the rapid colony growth and short swarm-to-swarm intervals that are characteristic of Africanized bees.
Conversion of Glucosinolate Synthetic Precursors in Brassica Cultures

Basic glucosinolates (GS) are synthesized from amino acids in two phases: 1. carbon chain extension and 2. main group formation, comprising N-oxidation, decarboxylation, sulfur incorporation, glucosylation and sulfation (Fig. 1). Conventional breeding of low-GS oilseed varieties has relied exclusively on an undefined ‘leaky’ metabolic block in the chain extension, originally found in Brassica napus cv ‘Bronowski’. We are exploring whether additional low-GS variability can be created by genetic modification of the enzyme system assembling the main group. One of the approaches being pursued is mutagenesis and isolation of biochemical mutant cell lines. Screening of tissue cultures based on endogenous GS content is not feasible because levels are extremely low or non-detectable. In contrast, the biosynthetic enzymes downstream from N-oxidation are expressed at similar levels in cultures as in whole plants [1]. Concomitantly, the lack of GS precursors could be overcome by supplementation of growth media with chemical equivalents. The enzymes for main group assembly have turned out to be non-specific for the side chain, thus allowing conversion of synthetic analogs [2]. Here we report the conversion of 2-nitrobenzaldoxime to its GS end-product and similar non-GS byproducts. The stability of these artificial product pools was studied under different nutritional and physical conditions.
Key technology application of on-site disposal on public health emergency

Objective To improve the efficiency of field epidemiological investigation,popularize the rapid detection technology method for toxic and harmful substances.Methods The technology that the author provided was proved scientific and practical through being applied to on-site disposal on public health emergency,verification of authoritative department and laboratory method,which applies electronic information acquisition device of epidemiological survey developed by our own and integrates a variety of simple,practical,and authoritative rapid detection technology of toxic and harmful substances at home and abroad.Results Electronic information acquisition device of epidemiological survey developed by our own was proved scientific and practical,which could replace traditional recording method of paper and pen,improving the efficiency of field epidemiological investigation,alleviate the labor intensity of epidemiological investigators;The rapid detection vehicle(mobile laboratory) was assembled so that basic laboratory conditions was satisfied,such as power,water and biological safety protection surroundings and so on,which could solve the basic problem of remote rapid detection.It could detect hundreds of toxic and hazardous substances and more than 20 sorts of strong toxic substances rapidly,which took advantages of advanced equipment,such as fast detector of toxic substances,portable GC,fast detector of water,fast detector of Raman spectral and so on.Conclusion Though researching and developing advanced devices,basic conditions and elements of scene poison rapid detection technology is provided,what's more,the synergistic effect of the unique role of animal toxicity tests and the physical and chemical testing,microbiological testing and animals' toxicity test can play an important role in finding out reasons and cause-and-effect relationships.After the technology has been applied to types of on-site disposal on public health emergency very well,the overall emergency response capacity is significantly improved,new experience of doing a better job in handling public health emergency on-site is accumulated,new content for on-site disposal on public health emergency is added.
Towards Transparent Introspection

There is a growing need for the dynamic analysis of sensitive systems thatdo not support traditional debugging or emulation environments. Analysiscan alter program behavior, necessitating transparency. For example, asthe cat and mouse game between malware authors and malware analystsprogresses, malicious software can increasingly detect and confounddebuggers. Analysts must understand variable values, stack traces, andfactors influencing dynamic behavior, but recent malware samples leverageany piece of information or artifact available that signals the presence ofa debugger or emulator. In this work, we advance the state-of-the-art for transparent programanalysis by introducing a low-artifact introspection technique. Ourapproach uses hardware-assisted live memory snapshots ofprocess execution on native targets (e.g., x86 processors), coupledwith static reasoning about programs. We produce high-fidelity data and control flow information with minimaldetectable artifacts that could influence benign subject behavior or beleveraged for anti-analysis. We evaluate our system using two hardwareimplementations (x86-supported System Management Mode and PCI-basedSlotScreamer devices) and two software configurations (benign and evasiveprograms). We also analyze the theoretical and practical limitations of our technique. We discuss an expert case study in which we apply our technique to amalware reverse engineering task. Finally, we present results of a human study in which 30 participantsperformed debugging tasks using information provided by our approach, ourtool was as useful as a gdb baseline, but applies transparently. Our dynamic analysis approach permitstransparent introspection to access previously-unavailable informationabout a process's internal state with minimal instrumentation artifacts.
The early development and application of FTIR difference spectroscopy to membrane proteins: A personal perspective

Membrane proteins facilitate some of the most important cellular processes including energy conversion, ion trans- port and signal transduction. While conventional infrared absorption provides information about membrane protein secondary structure, a major challenge is to develop a dynamic picture of the functioning of membrane proteins at the molecular level. The introduction of FTIR difference spectroscopy around 1980 to study structural changes in membrane proteins along with a number of associated techniques including protein isotope labeling, site-directed mutagenesis, polarization dichroism, atten- uated total reflection and time-resolved spectroscopy have led to significant progress towards this goal. It is now possible to routinely detect conformational changes of individual amino acid residues, backbone peptides, binding ligands, chromophores and even internal water molecules under physiological conditions with time-resolution down to nanoseconds. The advent of ultrafast pulsed-IR lasers has pushed this time-resolution down to femtoseconds. The early development of FTIR difference spectroscopy as applied to membrane proteins with special focus on bacteriorhodopsin is reviewed from a personal perspective.
Maintenance of Parent-Implemented Discrete-Trial Instruction during Videoconferencing

Access to behavior-analytic professionals who can implement interventions like discrete-trial instruction (DTI) may be limited for families living in rural communities. We trained four rural parents of children with autism to implement DTI accurately with a confederate using in vivo behavioral skills training. The DTI skills that parents demonstrated with a confederate generalized to working with their children. We then assessed whether periodic supervision during videoconferencing maintained parents’ DTI skills following training. Parents accurately implemented untrained DTI programs with their children and maintained accurate implementation over several months of remote supervision occurring twice a week, weekly, and biweekly. Videoconferencing may be an effective way for individuals responsible for direct implementation to maintain contact with behavior analysts who are not locally accessible.
Drinking Water and Sanitation

This article is an updated version of the previous edition article by Meghan Checkley, William Checkley, volume 2, pp. 234–244, © 2008, Elsevier Inc.
A Novel Missense Mutation In An MDS Patient and Effects on TET2 mRNA Expression and Clinical Outcomes

Abstract Abstract 1889 Introduction The ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) gene has recently been recognized to be mutated at a relatively high frequency in all myeloid malignancies, representing a compelling unifying feature of these related but phenotypically distinct conditions. The TET2 paralog TET1 catalyzes the conversion of 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine; TET2 shares a homologous domain thought to catalyze this conversion, and is hypothesized to act as a tumor suppressor gene (TSG) by regulating DNA methylation and epigenetic control of gene expression at critical loci important for myelopoiesis and leukemogenesis. The prognostic impact of TET2 mutations is largely unknown. The hypomethylating agents 5-azacytidine and decitabine, approved agents with activity in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), are incorporated into DNA and/or RNA, inhibiting DNA methyltransferase and preventing promoter methylation and TSG silencing. Given the role of TET2 in epigenetic regulation, the aim of this study was to determine whether TET2 mutations were associated with prognosis in MDS patients (pts) treated with hypomethylating therapies. Methods Bone marrow aspirates from 12 MDS pts who received hypomethylating agents were obtained, and PCR and bidrectional sequencing of TET2 coding exons was performed. RT-PCR was performed in triplicate and analyzed by the comparative Ct method. Results The median age of the 12 pts was 68 (49-80), the median international prognostic scoring system (IPSS) score was 1.75 (0-3) and 7/12 (58%) had normal cytogenetics. Two of 12 (17%) pts had exonic TET2 mutations. Pt 7 exhibited a previously reported heterozygous V1718L missense mutation, while pt 3 had 2 previously unreported heterozygous mutations: a nonsense mutation in exon 3, Q1068X, and a missense mutation in exon 6, R1214V. TET2 mRNA expression from all pt samples that expressed GAPDH was quantified. Pt 3 had decreased TET2 mRNA expression compared to pt 7, MDS patients with wild type TET2 and non-diseased control samples (p=.01). Pts with wild-type TET2 had an overall response rate (defined as complete responses plus partial responses) of 20%, while neither of the patients with TET2 mutations responded to hypomethylating agents. The post-treatment median survival was significantly different between patients harboring TET2 mutations and those with wild type TET2 (log rank test p Conclusions We report the existence of two novel mutations in TET2, one of which is a heterozygous nonsense mutation that is predicted to result in a truncated protein lacking the conserved domains. The reduced expression of TET2 observed in this pt may be due to nonsense-mediated decay, a post-transcriptional process that recognizes and degrades mRNA that contains a premature translation termination codon. The adverse association seen in this series between TET2 mutations and clinical outcomes in MDS pts who received hypomethylating drugs merits replication in a larger sample. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Access to Quaternary Care Surgery: Implications for Accountable Care Organizations

Background Accountable care organizations (ACOs) attempt to provide the most efficient and effective care to patients within a region. We hypothesized that patients who undergo surgery closer to home have improved survival due to proximity of preoperative and post-discharge care. Study Design All (17,582) institutional American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) patients with a documented ZIP code and predicted risk, who underwent surgery at our institution (2005 to 2014), were evaluated. Google Maps calculated travel times, and patients were stratified by 1 hour of travel (local vs regional). Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the NSQIP risk-adjusted effects of travel time on operative morbidity, mortality, and long-term survival. Results Median travel time was 65 minutes, with regional patients demonstrating significantly higher rates of ascites, hypertension, diabetes, disseminated cancer, >10% weight loss, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, higher predicted risk of morbidity and mortality, and lower functional status (all p 0.05). However, survival analysis demonstrated that travel time is an independent predictor of long-term mortality (OR 1.24; p Conclusions Patients traveling farther for care at a quaternary center had higher rates of comorbidities and predicted risk of complications. Additionally, travel time predicts risk-adjusted long-term mortality, suggesting a major focus of ACOs will need to be integration of care at the periphery of their region.
Defining the Bone Marrow Stem Cell Niche According to a Hoechst Dye Diffusion Gradient and Hypoxia.

The spatial organization of hematopoietic cell subsets of differing proliferative potential within the bone marrow microenvironment has come under increasing interest. In particular, it has been suggested that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) normally reside in a regulatory niche situated at the endosteal bone surface and in close proximity to osteoblasts. In the present study we have investigated how different hematopoietic cell subsets are distributed along a Hoechst dye perfusion gradient that may reflect the distance from marrow blood vessels and the level of oxygenation. C57BL/6J mice were intravenously injected with two doses of Hoechst 33342 at 10 and 5 min before marrow cell harvesting, a period that we determined was insufficient for active dye exclusion in vitro. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a wide distribution of Hoechst staining over 3 logs fluorescence intensity. The cells were then sorted from 6 different regions of the Hoechst gradient and evaluated for short- and long-term in vitro repopulating cells in the cobblestone area-forming cell (CAFC) assay. The primitive CAFC subset appearing at day 28 in culture was shown to be progressively enriched with decreasing Hoechst fluorescence while the short-term repopulating day 7 CAFC subset frequencies was the highest at an intermediate level of Hoechst staining. We further investigated whether primitive HSCs exist in a very low oxygen tension by administering the reductive 2-nitroimidazole compound pimonidazole in vivo and performed flow cytometric analysis on sorted primitive HSCs residing in high Hoechst dye effluxing side population (SP). In comparison to whole bone marrow or non-SP cells, the SP fraction showed increased intracellular staining with an anti-pimonidazole antibody that recognizes pimonidazole adducts formed only under hypoxic conditions (less than pO 2 of 10 mm Hg). Comparison with thymocytes that are already known to be hypoxic in vivo (Hale et al. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol282: H1467–H1477, 2002) showed both low Hoechst dye perfusion and positive anti-pimonidazole antibody staining. These results represent the first direct evidence that the hematopoietic cell hierarchy is spatially organized in relation to blood vessels and that the stem cell niche exists at the lowest end of an oxygen gradient. These findings have important implications in hematopoiesis and stem cell lodgement, and suggest that the location of hematopoietic stem cells in situ may render them more resistant to oxygen-dependent mutagenic and cytotoxic agents.
The Vedur of Iceland

Iceland is a bucket list country—a desired destination for many who wish to experience an old, yet sophisticated, Nordic culture, wonderful food, surprisingly mild though occasionally wild weather,...
Inland waters and their role in the carbon cycle of Alaska.

The magnitude of Alaska (AK) inland waters carbon (C) fluxes is likely to change in the future due to amplified climate warming impacts on the hydrology and biogeochemical processes in high latitude regions. Although current estimates of major aquatic C fluxes represent an essential baseline against which future change can be compared, a comprehensive assessment for AK has not yet been completed. To address this gap, we combined available data sets and applied consistent methodologies to estimate river lateral C export to the coast, river and lake carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and methane (CH4 ) emissions, and C burial in lakes for the six major hydrologic regions in the state. Estimated total aquatic C flux for AK was 41 Tg C/yr. Major components of this total flux, in Tg C/yr, were 18 for river lateral export, 17 for river CO2 emissions, and 8 for lake CO2 emissions. Lake C burial offset these fluxes by 2 Tg C/yr. River and lake CH4 emissions were 0.03 and 0.10 Tg C/yr, respectively. The Southeast and South central regions had the highest temperature, precipitation, terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP), and C yields (fluxes normalized to land area) were 77 and 42 g C·m-2 ·yr-1 , respectively. Lake CO2 emissions represented over half of the total aquatic flux from the Southwest (37 g C·m-2 ·yr-1 ). The North Slope, Northwest, and Yukon regions had lesser yields (11, 15, and 17 g C·m2 ·yr-1 ), but these estimates may be the most vulnerable to future climate change, because of the heightened sensitivity of arctic and boreal ecosystems to intensified warming. Total aquatic C yield for AK was 27 g C·m-2 ·yr-1 , which represented 16% of the estimated terrestrial NPP. Freshwater ecosystems represent a significant conduit for C loss, and a more comprehensive view of land-water-atmosphere interactions is necessary to predict future climate change impacts on the Alaskan ecosystem C balance.
Numerical Methods for Simulating the Reduction of Iron Ore in Blast Furnace Shaft

The blast furnace process is a counter-current moving bed chemical reactor to reduce iron oxides to iron, which involves complex transport phenomena and chemical reactions. The iron ore and coke are alternatively charged into the blast furnace, forming a layer by layer structural burden which is slowly descending in the counter-current direction of the ascending gas flow. A new methodology was proposed to efficiently simulate the gas and solid burden flow in the counter current moving bed in blast furnace shaft. The gas dynamics, burden movement, chemical reactions, heat and mass transfer between the gas phase and solid phase are included. The new methodology has been developed to explicitly consider the effects of the layer thickness thermally and chemically in the CFD model.© 2013 ASME
Pedestrian network repair with spatial optimization models and geocrowdsourced data

Pedestrian infrastructure is an essential part of the urban fabric. Typically, it is carefully planned and maintained by governments and local experts, who recognize the benefits to health, well-being, and even economics associated with a walkable environment. Pedestrian walkway characteristics, including running slope, cross slope, curb cuts, cross walks, sidewalk widths, and signalization are a part of the comprehensive design elements used by most municipalities. However, barriers or obstacles, including temporary obstructions, construction detours, and surface irregularities make this infrastructure difficult for individuals with a mobility impairment or vision impairment to use. Crowdsourcing can assist these individuals by providing information about transient and permanent navigation obstacles, through an accessibility mapping system. Accessibility mapping systems, several examples of which are discussed in this paper, provide routing functions to make navigation easier for individuals with a mobility impairment or vision impairment. A geocrowdsourced accessibility system can also identify deficiencies in a pedestrian network dynamically, and can provision routing and obstacle avoidance functions in real-time, with data about transient events provided by the public. This paper is based upon previous geocrowdsourced data quality studies, and presents a modeling methodology to identify high-value routing corridors in a dynamic geocrowdsourced accessibility system. The corridor measurement can help civic employees from city public works and transportation departments prioritize maintenance of a pedestrian infrastructure, including the rectification of obstacles identified through crowdsourcing. In this paper, we augment geocrowdsourcing data quality metrics with input from subject matter experts trained in orientation and mobility services, and discuss the accessibility elements that could directly influence the usability of the pedestrian infrastructure. We also present a cost optimization model to measure the value of a pedestrian network segment. Lastly, this paper analyzes how the value of a network segment in a geocrowdsourced accessibility system changes with network conditions and how this relates to prioritization of maintenance tasks through optimization criteria.
INDY-A New Link to Metabolic Regulation in Animals and Humans.

The Indy (I’m Not Dead Yet) gene encodes the fly homolog of the mammalian SLC13A5 citrate transporter. Reduced expression of the Indy gene in flies and worms extends their longevity. INDY is expressed in the plasma membrane of metabolically active tissues. Decreased expression of Indy in worms, flies, mice and rats alters metabolism in a manner similar to calorie restriction. Reducing INDY activity prevents weight gain in flies, worms and mice, and counteracts the negative effects of age or a high fat diet on metabolism and insulin sensitivity. The metabolic effects of reducing INDY activity are the result of reduced cytoplasmic citrate. Citrate is a key metabolite and has a central role in energy status of the cell by effecting lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and energy production. Thereby newly described drugs that reduce INDY transporting activity increase insulin sensitivity and reduce hepatic lipid levels via its effect on hepatic citrate uptake. A recent report presented the first direct link between increased hepatic levels of human INDY, insulin resistance, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese humans. Similarly increased hepatic mIndy levels were observed in non-human primates fed on a high fat diet for two years. This effect is mediated via the stimulatory effect of the Interleukin-6/Stat3 pathway on mINDY hepatic expression. These findings make INDY a potential and very promising target for the treatment of metabolic disorders in humans.
An aptamer-based targeted delivery of miR-26a protects mice against chemotherapy toxicity while suppressing tumor growth

The efficacy of traditional chemotherapy is limited by its toxicity, especially with regard to hematopoiesis. Here we show that miR-26a plays a critical role in protecting mice against chemotherapy-induced myeloid suppression by targeting a proapoptotic protein (Bak1) in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Because c-Kit is expressed at high levels in HSPCs, we designed a microRNA-aptamer chimera that contains miR-26a mimic and c-Kit-targeting aptamer and successfully delivered miR-26a into HSPCs to attenuate toxicity of 5' fluorouracil (5-FU) and carboplatin. Meanwhile, our in silico analysis revealed widespread and prognosis-associated downregulation of miR-26a in advanced breast cancer and also showed that KIT is overexpressed among basal-like breast cancer cells and that such expression is associated with poor prognosis. Importantly, the miR-26a aptamer effectively repressed tumor growth in vivo and synergized with 5-FU or carboplatin in cancer therapy in the mouse breast cancer models. Thus, targeted delivery of miR-26a suppresses tumor growth while protecting the host against myelosuppression by chemotherapy.
Working for Redemption: Formerly Incarcerated Black Women and Punishment in the Labor Market:

This article uses 18 months of ethnographic observations with formerly incarcerated black women to contend that they are subjected to what I term rehabilitation labor—a series of unwritten state practices that seek to govern the transformation of formerly incarcerated people from criminals to workers. I reveal that employment is subjectively policed by state agents and must meet three conditions to count as work: reliable, recognizable, and redemptive. I find that women who are unable to meet these employment conditions are framed by state agents as failing to demonstrate an appropriate commitment to their moral—and therefore criminal—rehabilitation, and consequently experience perceived threats of reincarceration. Building a theory of intersectional capitalism, I argue that rehabilitation labor is situated within a broader historical project of making black women legible to the state through the labor market.
Ozone Variability and Anomalies Observed During SENEX and SEAC4RS Campaigns in 2013

Tropospheric ozone variability occurs because of multiple forcing factors including surface emission of ozone precursors, stratosphere-to-troposphere transport (STT), and meteorological conditions. Analyses of ozonesonde observations made in Huntsville, AL, during the peak ozone season (May to September) in 2013 indicate that ozone in the planetary boundary layer was significantly lower than the climatological average, especially in July and August when the Southeastern United States (SEUS) experienced unusually cool and wet weather. Because of a large influence of the lower stratosphere, however, upper tropospheric ozone was mostly higher than climatology, especially from May to July. Tropospheric ozone anomalies were strongly anticorrelated (or correlated) with water vapor (or temperature) anomalies with a correlation coefficient mostly about 0.6 throughout the entire troposphere. The regression slopes between ozone and temperature anomalies for surface up to midtroposphere are within 3.0–4.1 ppbv K−1. The occurrence rates of tropospheric ozone laminae due to STT are ≥50% in May and June and about 30% in July, August, and September suggesting that the stratospheric influence on free-tropospheric ozone could be significant during early summer. These STT laminae have a mean maximum ozone enhancement over the climatology of 52 ± 33% (35 ± 24 ppbv) with a mean minimum relative humidity of 2.3 ± 1.7%.
Undermining incentives: CEO reactions to compensation rebalancing

Directors commonly “punish” CEOs for overly risky behavior by rebalancing their compensation to include more restricted stock and fewer stock options. This paper extends the behavioral-agency model to describe how CEOs will manage their holdings of stock and stock options in response to this form of compensation rebalancing. In doing so, it finds that CEOs respond by selling existing stock holdings and accumulating option holdings. This behavior achieves the opposite incentive structure that such rebalancing intends to create, raising questions about the effectiveness of compensation rebalancing in reducing risky decision making.
Setting Up a Horizon Scanning System: A U.S. Federal Agency Example:

Managers and policy makers are continually working toward a desired future within a context of rapid and turbulent change. To be effective in this context, they must look ahead to anticipate emergi...
"Cooperative collapse" of the denatured state revealed through Clausius-Clapeyron analysis of protein denaturation phase diagrams.

Protein phase diagrams have a unique potential to identify the presence of additional thermodynamic states even when non-2-state character is not readily apparent from the experimental observables used to follow protein unfolding transitions. Two-state analysis of the von Willebrand factor A3 domain has previously revealed a discrepancy in the calorimetric enthalpy obtained from thermal unfolding transitions as compared with Gibbs-Helmholtz analysis of free energies obtained from the Linear Extrapolation Method (Tischer and Auton, Prot Sci 2013; 22(9):1147-60). We resolve this thermodynamic conundrum using a Clausius-Clapeyron analysis of the urea-temperature phase diagram that defines how ΔH and the urea m-value interconvert through the slope of cm versus T, (∂cm/∂T)=ΔH/(mT) . This relationship permits the calculation of ΔH at low temperature from m-values obtained through iso-thermal urea denaturation and high temperature m-values from ΔH obtained through iso-urea thermal denaturation. Application of this equation uncovers sigmoid transitions in both cooperativity parameters as temperature is increased. Such residual thermal cooperativity of ΔH and the m-value confirms the presence of an additional state which is verified to result from a cooperative phase transition between urea-expanded and thermally-compact denatured states. Comparison of the equilibria between expanded and compact denatured ensembles of disulfide-intact and carboxyamidated A3 domains reveals that introducing a single disulfide crosslink does not affect the presence of the additional denatured state. It does, however, make a small thermodynamically favorable free energy (∼-13 ± 1 kJ/mol) contribution to the cooperative denatured state collapse transition as temperature is raised and urea concentration is lowered. The thermodynamics of this "cooperative collapse" of the denatured state retain significant compensations between the enthalpy and entropy contributions to the overall free energy.
Contours of “here”: Phenomenology of space for assisted living residents approaching end of life

Informed by theory from environmental gerontology, this study investigates how assisted living residents who are approaching end of life navigate and experience space. Since its development, environmental gerontology has moved beyond the concept of person-environment fit to encompass aspects of place attachment and place integration, processes by which inhabited impersonal space becomes a place of individual personal meaning and this person-place relationship evolves with changing needs. Our study is a secondary data analysis of in-depth interviews completed with the first 15 residents (mean age 88, range 65-103; 8 white and 7 black) recruited from four diverse assisted living communities in metropolitan Atlanta. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, we identify five overarching themes within and across assisted living communities and their subthemes. Findings show that participants experience a neutral theme of shrinking space, negative themes of confinement and vulnerability, and positive themes of safety and intimacy. Results dovetail with other phenomenologically based environmental gerontology research from community-dwelling populations that indicate behavioral changes to accommodate aging and health decline. Findings have implications for interventions to improve place integration in AL and enhance residents' quality of life at end of life, including developing strategies to promote small meaningful journeys within context of shrinking life space.
Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and immunosuppressive biomarker profiles of seven head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines.

Background: Biomarkers like programmed death ligand-1 (PDL1) have become a focal point for immunotherapeutic checkpoint inhibition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, it’s only part of the total immunosuppressive biomarker profile of HNSCC cells. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are enzymes that break down the basement membrane allowing cancer cells to metastasize and play an important role in the tumor microenvironment. MMPs can also activate certain cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines post-translationally. The objective of this study was to determine MMP and biomarker profiles of seven different HNSCC cell lines. Methods: Authenticated cell lines were grown in minimal media at 1×106 viable cells/mL and incubated at 37 ℃. After 24 hrs supernatants were collected, and adhering cells were lysed. Multiplex immunoassays were used to determine MMP1, MMP7, MMP9, IL-6, VEGFA, IL-1α, TNF-α, GM-CSF, IL-1RA, and IL-8 concentrations in supernatants. ELISAs were used to determine PDL1, CD47, FASL, and IDO concentrations in cell lysates. A one-way ANOVA was fit to examine log-transformed concentrations of biomarkers between seven HNSCC cell lines, and pairwise group comparisons were conducted using post-hoc Tukey’s honest significance test (α=0.05). Results: Significant differences (P Conclusions: These results suggest different patients’ HNSCC cells can express distinct profiles of select biomarkers and MMPs, which could be due to metastatic stage of the cancer, primary tumor site, type of tissue the tumor originated from, or genomic differences between patients. MMP and biomarker expression profiles should be considered when choosing cell lines for future studies. The results support the reason for personalized medicine and the need to further investigate how it can be used to treat HNSCC.
Lime‐induced chlorosis caused by excess irrigation water

Abstract When Fe‐inefficient PI54619–5–1 soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr. Bragg) were grown in calcareous Hacienda loam soil with different soil moisture levels, those in dry soil were small and green while those in very wet soil were larger and severely chlorotic. The mineral composition, in part, was typical of lime‐induced chlorosis. The chlorotic plants had increased levels of Mn, Si, Mg, and K in leaves. The chlorosis was probably related to ion interactions and balances since Fe levels in leaves were not greatly different.
Quality of life across domains among individuals with treatment-resistant depression.

Abstract Background Treatment-resistant depression affects millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of disability and suicide. Studies of treatment-resistant depression outcomes have traditionally focused on depressive symptoms and functional impairment. Quality of life (QoL) has not been well described. We aimed to measure QoL in individuals with treatment-resistant depression and to determine how QoL was related to traditional measures of symptoms and social functioning. Methods We used a reliable, cross-culturally validated questionnaire, the abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF), to prospectively measure QoL in 79 patients with treatment-resistant depression who were referred for electroconvulsive therapy at a United States tertiary-care medical center. QoL was characterized in four domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental. QoL domains were examined for association with demographic variables, patient-reported depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and childhood adversity, as well as clinician-rated scales. Results Relative to published international norms, mean QoL scores were low in physical (standardized score, z = –2.0), psychological (z = –2.6), and social (z = –1.0) domains, but not in the environmental domain (z = 0.2). After controlling for age and income, patient-rated depressive symptoms correlated with physical (Pearson correlation, r = –0.26) and psychological (r = –0.43) QoL, whereas adverse childhood experiences correlated with environmental QoL (r = –0.33). Patient-rated functional impairment correlated modestly with all domains (r = –0.25 to –0.39). Surprisingly, QoL correlated very weakly with clinician-rated measures. These modest associations of QoL with other clinical scales were confirmed in multiple regression analyses. Limitations We used a single QoL instrument, which did not allow us to directly compare the WHOQOL-BREF scale with other commonly used instruments. Our sample was recruited from a single academic medical center in the Midwest region of the United States and was largely Caucasian. These factors may limit generalizability to other settings and ethnicities. Conclusion Among individuals with treatment-resistant depression, QoL is lowest in the psychological and physical domains. QoL is only modestly correlated with patient-rated symptoms and functioning, and even more weakly correlated with clinician-rated scales, indicating that measures of symptoms and functioning cannot serve as QoL proxies. QoL should be assessed when caring for patients with treatment-resistant depression. When developing novel biological, psychological, and social interventions for treatment-resistant depression, QoL should be targeted as a distinct clinical outcome.
Resource Allocation in UAV-Assisted M2M Communications for Disaster Rescue

Internet of Things (IoT) promotes the awareness about our world and eases human life. In IoT, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications empowers machine-type-devices (MTDs) to cooperatively exchange information and perform actions. Current M2M communications primarily leverages cellular networks to provision reliable services. When a disruptive disaster destroys the local cellular infrastructure, unmanned aerial vehicle mounted base stations (UBS) can be deployed to assist rescue by facilitating M2M communications among the human portable/wearable MTDs (HMTDs). The UBS network access and resource allocation scheme is proposed to maximize the number of HMTDs to establish communications. We have validated the proposed scheme through extensive simulations.
Outdoor Programming: A Context for Decision Making, Character Development, and Positive Body Image

This is the third issue of the Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership published by Sagamore Publishing, LLC. We are pleased to publicly welcome the first Associate Editors to work with the JOREL: Dr. Barry Garst from Clemson University, Dr. Tom Holman from Southeast Missouri State University, and Dr. Derrick Taff from The Pennsylvania State University. This expansion of our editorial team is an exciting development and we remind you of our ongoing, open application and review process, for those interested in serving in an Associate Editor role. The JOREL includes three submission categories (Research Papers; Essays, Practices, and Commentaries; and Research Notes) and we would encourage your contributions to any of these categories. This issue presents six manuscripts in the Regular Papers category and one Research Note continuing to highlight work from within and outside of the United States.