cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Introduction of macromolecules into cultured mammalian cells by osmotic lysis of pinocytic vesicles.

We have developed a new procedure for introducing macromolecules into cultured mammalian cells based on osmotic lysis of pinocytic vesicles. Cells are first incubated in culture medium containing 0.5 M sucrose, 10% polyethylene glycol 1000 and the macromolecule to be transferred. Cells are then placed in medium diluted with 0.66 parts water. Most pinocytic vesicles formed in the presence of sucrose burst in hypotonic medium, thereby releasing the enclosed macromolecule. L929 cells remain fully viable after a single hypertonic sucrose treatment, and a majority survives four successive rounds of osmotic lysis. This procedure, termed osmotic lysis of pinosomes, has been used to transfer substantial amounts of horseradish peroxidase, antiricin antibodies and dextran 70,000 into the cytosol of L929 cells. Direct comparison of the degree of ricin resistance conferred by transfer of antiricin antibodies revealed pinosome lysis to be equal, if not superior, to injection mediated by red blood cells.
Porous methyl methacrylate as an implant material.

Recent experience with a variety of materials in biomedical applications has demonstrated the importance of material form and shape in determining tissue response to implants. An investigation was made of the effect of pore size on the response of loose connective tissue to porous methacrylate implants. With appropriate pore size, vascular penetration and collagen deposition within the implants were observed to proceed rapidly.
Controls education on the WWW: tutorials for MATLAB and SIMULINK

Engineering in general and controls in particular have been dramatically changed by the development of fast computers and computation, simulation, and visualization software packages which run on them. An impediment to even wider use of these powerful tools is that they are frequently difficult to learn to use. The authors have developed an effective paradigm for using the World Wide Web as an education aid for tutoring students on the use of software tools. The approach provides the information that students need when and where they need it-at the computer. This paper describes the application of this method to teaching the use of MATLAB for controls and recent extensions for teaching the use of SIMULINK.
MEG-1 and MEG-2 Are Embryo-Specific P-Granule Components Required for Germline Development in Caenorhabditis elegans

In Caenorhabditis elegans, germ granules called P granules are directly inherited from mother to daughter and segregate with the germ lineage as it separates from the soma during initial embryonic cell divisions. Here we define meg-1 and meg-2 (maternal-effect germ-cell defective), which are expressed in the maternal germline and encode proteins that localize exclusively to P granules during embryonic germline segregation. Localization of MEG-1 to P granules depends upon the membrane-bound protein MES-1. meg-1 mutants exhibit multiple germline defects: P-granule mis-segregation in embryos, underproliferation and aberrant P-granule morphology in larval germ cells, and ultimately, sterility as adults. The penetrance of meg-1 phenotypes increases when meg-2 is also absent. Loss of the P-granule component pgl-1 in meg-1 mutants increases germ-cell proliferation, while loss of glh-1 decreases proliferation. Because meg-1 is provided maternally but its action is required in the embryonic germ lineage during segregation from somatic lineages, it provides a critical link for ensuring the continuity of germline development from one generation to the next.
Influence of landscape factors and management decisions on spatial and temporal patterns of the transmission of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been reported in white-tailed deer at the border of the US states of Illinois and Wisconsin since 2002. Transmission of infectious prions between animals and from the environment has resulted in spatial and temporal structure observable in the spatio-temporal patterns of reported cases. Case locations of 382 positive cases from 28,954 deer tested between 2002 and 2009 provided insight into the potential risk factors and landscape features associated with transmission using a combination of clustering, generalised linear modelling and descriptive evaluations of a risk map of predicted cases of CWD. A species distribution map of white-tailed deer developed using MaxEnt provided an estimate of deer locations. We found that deer probability increased in areas with larger forests and less urban and agricultural lands. Spatial clustering analysis revealed a core area of persistent CWD transmission in the northern part of the region. The regression model indicated that larger and more compact forests were associated with higher risk for CWD. High risk areas also had soils with less clay and more sand than other parts of the region. The transmission potential was higher where landscape features indicated the potential for higher deer concentrations. The inclusion of spatial lag variables improved the model. Of the 102 cases reported in the study area in the two years following the study period, 89 (87%) of those were in the 32% of the study area with the highest 50% of predicted risk of cases.
Noise suppression through a reactive surface for 60GHz radios

In today's 60GHz radios large signal to noise ratios are needed due to the high atmospheric losses inherent to 60GHz communications. This paper tackles the isolation of leakage noise from the transmitter to the receiver by means of a reactive surface. We achieved the aforementioned by using a variation of the Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) on a one layer Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) substrate. It is proven that in order to achieve noise suppression the artificial material does not require a high-impedance surface.
Coupled-oscillator arrays for millimeter-wave power-combining and mode-locking

A theory describing arrays of coupled millimeter-wave oscillators is presented, and two important applications of such arrays-CW power combining, and a novel mode-locking technique for pulse generation-are discussed. Conditions for establishing mutual synchronization and the correct phase relationships have been investigated with the theory and verified experimentally using several prototype X-band arrays. >
Combined NMR and EPR spectroscopy to determine structures of viral fusion domains in membranes

Methods are described to determine the structures of viral membrane fusion domains in detergent micelles by NMR and in lipid bilayers by site-directed spin labeling and EPR spectroscopy. Since in favorable cases, the lower-resolution spin label data obtained in lipid bilayers fully support the higher-resolution structures obtained by solution NMR, it is possible to graft the NMR structural coordinates into membranes using the EPR-derived distance restraints to the lipid bilayer. Electron paramagnetic dynamics and distance measurements in bilayers support conclusions drawn from NMR in detergent micelles. When these methods are applied to a structure determination of the influenza virus fusion domain and four point mutations with different functional phenotypes, it is evident that a fixed-angle boomerang structure with a glycine edge on the outside of the N-terminal arm is both necessary and sufficient to support membrane fusion. The human immunodeficiency virus fusion domain forms a straight helix with a flexible C-terminus. While EPR data for this fusion domain are not yet available, it is tentatively speculated that, because of its higher hydrophobicity, a critically tilted insertion may occur even in the absence of a kinked boomerang structure in this case.
Mitochondrial uncoupling protein gene cluster variation (UCP2–UCP3) and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: The Women's Genome Health Study

Abstract Objective Uncoupling protein 2, mitochondrial, ( UCP2 ) gene variation has recently been implicated in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To date, no prospective epidemiological data are available. Methods The association between 14 UCP ( UCP2–UCP3 ) gene cluster tagging-SNPs and incident T2DM was investigated in 22,715 Caucasian participants of the prospective Women's Genome Health Stud y. All were free of known cardiovascular disease and diabetes at baseline. During a 13-year follow-up period, 1445 participants developed an incident T2DM. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between genotypes and T2DM risk assuming an additive model. Stratified analysis by smoking status, and haplotype analysis were also performed. Results No evidence for an association of any of the tagging-SNPs tested with T2DM risk. Further investigation using stratified analysis, and haplotype-based approach showed similar null findings. Conclusion The present investigation suggests that the UCP gene cluster variation may not be useful predictor for T2DM risk assessment.
Functions of site-specific histone acetylation and deacetylation.

AbstractHistone acetylation regulates many cellular processes, and specific acetylation marks, either singly or in combination, produce distinct outcomes. For example, the acetylation pattern on newly synthesized histones is important for their assembly into nucleosomes by histone chaperones. Additionally, the degree of chromatin compaction and folding may be regulated by acetylation of histone H4 at lysine 16. Histone acetylation also regulates the formation of heterochromatin; deacetylation of H4 lysine 16 is important for spreading of heterochromatin components, whereas acetylation of this site serves as a barrier to this spreading. Finally, histone acetylation is critical for gene transcription, but recent results suggest that deacetylation of certain sites also plays an important role. There are many histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and deacetylases, with differing preferences for the various histone proteins and for specific sites on individual histones. Determining how these enzymes create distinc...
Studies of Electron-Irradiation-Induced Changes to Monomolecular Structure

The study of irradiation-induced changes to molecular structure has been pursued by radiation physicists and chemists for many decades. In recent years with the advent of techniques to probe the structure of molecules adsorbed on surfaces, there is a great need to quantitatively understand the changes induced in such structures due to the action of the probe. For example, in atomic resolution electron microscopy,(1) the deleterious action of energetic electrons needs to be understood and eventually minimized; in electron spectroscopy(2) of adsorbed molecular films, the degrading action of energetic electrons on the energy-loss spectrum needs to be quantified, in order to completely characterize the spectra; in electron diffraction(3) studies of molecular crystals, the deterioration of intensity due to structure changes needs to be convolved with the true diffraction pattern; in Auger electron spectroscopy,(4) the sensitivity of the spectrum to small changes in submonolayer quantities of the adsorbed molecules needs to be understood. In brief, the action of the probe on a monolayer molecular specimen needs to be understood and quantified. It is hoped that such fundamental understanding will lead to “tailoring” of molecules that are more resistant (or more sensitive) to radiation action, thereby opening new avenues for applications of radiation-induced adsorbed molecular chemistry.
Application of particle accelerators for the experimental measurement of relativistic length contraction

The subject of length contraction appears very early in textbooks (Moller, 1957) as well as in various forms in papers dedicated to teaching relativity (Weinstein, 1960; Rindler, 1961; Sherwin, 1961; Sears, 1964; Redzic, 2008). Unfortunately, no experiment has been possible to date due to the fact that the predicted effects are very small. In the current paper, we extend the treatment to the case of the arbitrary orientation between two inertial frames. The Michelson–Morley experiment has been viewed as an indirect proof of length contraction, and in the current paper, we describe the experimental setup for a direct measurement of length contraction, a relativistic property that has eluded so far experimental verification. We show how modern technology, in combination with the theory advanced by our paper, makes this experiment feasible.
Chemical Modifications Mark Alternatively Spliced and Uncapped Messenger RNAs in Arabidopsis

Posttranscriptional chemical modification of RNA bases is a widespread and physiologically relevant regulator of RNA maturation, stability, and function. While modifications are best characterized in short, noncoding RNAs such as tRNAs, growing evidence indicates that mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are likewise modified. Here, we apply our high-throughput annotation of modified ribonucleotides (HAMR) pipeline to identify and classify modifications that affect Watson-Crick base pairing at three different levels of the Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptome (polyadenylated, small, and degrading RNAs). We find this type of modifications primarily within uncapped, degrading mRNAs and lncRNAs, suggesting they are the cause or consequence of RNA turnover. Additionally, modifications within stable mRNAs tend to occur in alternatively spliced introns, suggesting they regulate splicing. Furthermore, these modifications target mRNAs with coherent functions, including stress responses. Thus, our comprehensive analysis across multiple RNA classes yields insights into the functions of covalent RNA modifications in plant transcriptomes.
Serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) drives proliferation and anoikis resistance in a subset of ovarian cancers

// Christine Mehner 1 , Ann L. Oberg 2 , Kimberly R. Kalli 3 , Aziza Nassar 4 , Alexandra Hockla 1 , Devon Pendlebury 1 , Magdalena A. Cichon 1 , Krista M. Goergen 2 , Matthew J. Maurer 2 , Ellen L. Goode 5 , Gary L. Keeney 6 , Aminah Jatoi 3 , Miklos Sahin-Toth 7 , John A. Copland 1 , Derek C. Radisky 1 and Evette S. Radisky 1 1 Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA 2 Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN , USA 3 Department of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA 4 Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA 5 Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA 6 Division of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA 7 Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Correspondence to: Evette S. Radisky, email: // Keywords : SPINK1, ovarian cancer, serine protease inhibitor, EGFR, anoikis Received : July 07, 2015 Accepted : September 14, 2015 Published : September 30, 2015 Abstract Ovarian cancer represents the most lethal tumor type among malignancies of the female reproductive system. Overall survival rates remain low. In this study, we identify the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) as a potential therapeutic target for a subset of ovarian cancers. We show that SPINK1 drives ovarian cancer cell proliferation through activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, and that SPINK1 promotes resistance to anoikis through a distinct mechanism involving protease inhibition. In analyses of ovarian tumor specimens from a Mayo Clinic cohort of 490 patients, we further find that SPINK1 immunostaining represents an independent prognostic factor for poor survival, with the strongest association in patients with nonserous histological tumor subtypes (endometrioid, clear cell, and mucinous). This study provides novel insight into the fundamental processes underlying ovarian cancer progression, and also suggests new avenues for development of molecularly targeted therapies.
Dual Sources of Health Insurance

Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) tabulations of the March 1995 supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) show that 5.4 percent of civilian, noninstitutionalized nonelderly Americans (12.4 million) were covered by more than one type of health insurance plan in 1994. Individuals covered by both an employment-based health plan and Medicaid represented over one-third of those with dual sources of health insurance. Many individuals qualify for Medicaid during periods of employment transition and are only in the program for a short period of time. In addition, Medicaid was recently expanded to include pregnant women and children living below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Changes in the Medicaid program could have adverse effects on this population, increasing the number of uninsured individuals.
The Differential Roles of Respect and Trust on Negotiation

This study examines the effect trust and respect has on the strategies used to negotiate, as well as the outcomes of that negotiation for dyads engaged in a complex bargaining task. Trust is the degree to which people believe in the honesty and benevolence of their opponents, while respect is the degree to which people hold their opponents in high regard for their values. We expected that trust and respect would differentially affect the strategies used to negotiate, the rate of impasse, the creativity of agreements, and the way in which the climate was perceived. We found primarily that trust affected the strategies used (which subsequently affected the agreement's creativity), while the respect-trust interaction affected the agreement's creativity directly. We also found independent effects for respect and trust on the perceived climate of the negotiation. Nothing (including control variables) affected the rate of impasse. We use the results to argue for a more theoretically sophisticated view of relationships and negotiations, and discuss the particular implications of the findings for the theory and practice of negotiations.
Improved method for measuring lupus globulin-nucleoprotein interaction.

SummaryAn improved procedure has been described for measurement of interaction of globulin from lupus erythematosis serum with nucleoprotein, or artificial complexes of desoxyribonucleic acid and histone. Relatively large glass surface areas coated with these materials bound maximum amounts of the serum factor, and allowed most efficient removal of unbound serum protein by washing. Antibody for human gamma globulin labelled with iodine131 provided a sensitive means of measuring amount of bound globulin when used under proper conditions. Measurement of relative concentrations of serum factor was achieved in test system employing a single tube of serum at 20% concentration.
Ecological mismatches are moderated by local conditions for two populations of a long-distance migratory bird

Ecological mismatches between reproductive events and seasonal resource peaks are frequently proposed to be a key driver of population dynamics resulting from global climate change. Many local populations are experiencing reduced reproductive success as a consequence of mismatches, but few mismatches have led to species-level population declines. To better understand this apparent paradox, we investigated the breeding phenology and chick survival of two disjunct populations of Hudsonian godwits Limosa haemastica breeding at Churchill, Manitoba and Beluga River, Alaska. Only one population experienced a mismatch: godwits bred nearly one week after the onset of the invertebrate peak at Churchill because of asynchronous climatic change occurring throughout their annual cycle. However, chicks were not uniformly affected by the mismatch — growth rates and survival of young chicks were not correlated with invertebrate abundance, but older chicks tended to suffer lower survival rates on days of low invertebrate abundance. Ecological mismatches thus resulted in a complex array of consequences, but nonetheless contributed to reductions in chick survival. In contrast, godwits at Beluga River hatched their chicks just before the invertebrate peak, such that the period of highest energetic need coincided with the period of highest invertebrate abundance. As a result, growth rates and survival of godwit chicks were unaffected by invertebrate abundance. Godwits at Beluga River were able to properly time their reproduction because of predictable rates of climatic change and strong selection imposed by high predation on late-hatched chicks. Taken together, our results suggest that population-specific, local-scale selection pressures play a critical role in determining the degree and severity of ecological mismatches. The potential for global climate change to induce species-level population declines may therefore be mediated by the spatial variation in the selection pressures acting across a species’ range.
The Fermi paradox, Bayes’ rule, and existential risk management

Abstract How should the Fermi paradox affect an estimate of humankind’s likelihood and best means of long-term survival? A significant probability that many other civilizations have been in our situation but failed to become spacefaring increases the probability that our optimal existential risk strategies are costly, likely to fail, likely to leave traces if they do fail, and might require talents that mankind has but that other scientifically advanced species lack. The Fermi paradox implies that we should seek scientific data based on astronomical observations not accessible to civilizations that lived in the distant past, and that we should create machines to flood our galaxy with radio signals conditional on our civilization’s collapse. Our ability to use Bayesian updating on the Fermi paradox reduces the chance that aliens exist but are hiding from us because of their desire to not interfere in our development: giving us a false understanding of the fate of intelligent life in the universe would cloud our understanding of existential risks. The paradox also provides clues as to types of trap that might destroy us. The possibility that our universe is fine-tuned not only for life but also for the Fermi paradox magnifies these results.
Understanding the scale of Marine protection in Hawai'i: from community-based management to the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Abstract Ancient Hawaiians developed a sophisticated natural resource management system that included various forms of spatial management. Today there exists in Hawai‘i a variety of spatial marine management strategies along a range of scales, with varying degrees of effectiveness. State-managed no-take areas make up less than 0.4% of nearshore waters, resulting in limited ecological and social benefits. There is increasing interest among communities and coastal stakeholders in integrating aspects of customary Hawaiian knowledge into contemporary co-management. A network of no-take reserves for aquarium fish on Hawai‘i Island is a stakeholder-driven, adaptive management strategy that has been successful in achieving ecological objectives and economic benefits. A network of large-scale no-take areas for deepwater (100–400 m) bottomfishes suffered from a lack of adequate data during their initiation; however, better technology, more ecological data, and stakeholder input have resulted in improvements and the ecological benefits are becoming clear. Finally, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) is currently the single largest conservation area in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. It is considered an unqualified success and is managed under a new model of collaborative governance. These case studies allow an examination of the effects of scale on spatial marine management in Hawai‘i and beyond that illustrate the advantages and shortcomings of different management strategies. Ultimately a marine spatial planning framework should be applied that incorporates existing marine managed areas to create a holistic, regional, multi-use zoning plan engaging stakeholders at all levels in order to maximize resilience of ecosystems and communities.
Review: Public Buildings in Early Modern Europe by Konrad Ottenheym, Krista De Jonge, and Monique Chatenet, editors

Konrad Ottenheym, Krista De Jonge, and Monique Chatenet, editors Public Buildings in Early Modern Europe Architectura Moderna 9. Turnhout: Brepols, 2010, xiv + 408 pp., 300 b/w illus. €110 (paper), ISBN 9782503533544 Most buildings in this book will be unfamiliar even to scholars of early modern architecture: these public buildings, such as city halls or market arcades, often count among the happy discoveries of sightseeing in European cities after visiting better-known churches and palaces. A good guidebook might give the names of the architects and dates of the construction campaigns, but if curious to learn more, information about such buildings is often found only in national or regional inventories of historic monuments based on painstaking research by local scholars. Public Buildings in Early Modern Europe furnishes a broad international panorama of such noteworthy early modern urban structures, presenting thirty essays uniting otherwise scattered material on these hard-working building types of late pre-industrial society. The Architectura Moderna series, initiated in 2002, aims to explore architectural exchanges and influences within northern and central Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The essays collected in the series’ ninth volume were originally presented at two related conferences held in Utrecht in 2006 and 2008 under the general title “Public Buildings in Early Modern Europe.”1 Their chronology spans 1400 to 1800, with the major geographical emphasis on the Low Countries, France, and the German lands; Italy, England, Scotland, Denmark, Poland, Dalmatia, Spain, Portugal, and Dutch overseas colonies are also represented. Most articles are in English, but eight are in French, and one each in German and Spanish. The term public buildings is problematic, as book and series coeditor Krista De Jonge admits in her foreword (vii). While many buildings treated here are public in the sense that they were commissioned by and for various civic or governmental bodies, others were commissioned by private or institutional patrons, served a limited group of users, or had restricted access, and thus were arguably “private.” Coeditor Konrad Ottenheym’s introduction opens …
“Just Like Riding a Bike”: A Model Matching Approach to Predicting the Enjoyment of a Cycling Exergame Experience

Innovations in technology have led to the introduction of exercise devices that feature interactive virtual worlds, often referred to as exergames. Using the theory of model matching, this study se...
Pediatric head and neck bone sarcomas: An analysis of 204 cases

Abstract Objectives To analyze the demographics, survival, and treatment efficacy of pediatric sarcomas of the facial skeleton and skull. Methods Retrospective study of cases from the US National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Pediatric patients between the ages of 0 and 18 diagnosed with a malignant sarcoma of either the mandible or the bones of skull, face, and associated joints from 1973 to 2013 were studied. Results In total, 204 patients were included in the analysis. The average age at diagnosis was 11.39 (±5.15) years with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4:1. Whites were the most commonly affected race (76.0%). Malignant mandible sarcomas accounted for 29.9% of the cohort (n = 61). The most common pathology was osteosarcoma, which accounted for 43.6% of the cohort (n = 89). Among patients with known histologic grade (n = 95), 26.0% were AJCC stage III or IV. Overall, 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 80.6%. When stratified by treatment modality, 5-year DSS was 86.0% for surgery alone, 67.9% for radiation alone, and 75.3% for surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy (p = 0.041). Conclusions Osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma are the most common subtypes of pediatric head and neck bone sarcoma. Such sarcomas more commonly affect whites and males during pubertal ages. Disease-specific survival is not affected by primary site. Surgery alone is the mainstay of treatment, and demonstrates higher 5-year disease-specific survival compared to radiotherapy alone. Adjuvant radiotherapy does not seem to increase survival, but further investigation is warranted.
Reaction Features of Polyphenol Oxidases

Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) are dinuclear copper-containing metalloproteins that are present and characterized in several higher plants (Flurkey 1989; van Gelder et al. 1997; Demeke and Morris 2002). PPOs are also known as catechol oxidase, catecholase, diphenol oxidase, o-diphenolase, phenolase, and tyrosinase (Martinez and Whitaker 1995). PPO is a broad term describing an enzyme capable of catalyzing several different phenols to produce o-quinones (Mathew and Parpia 1971; Whitaker 1994). Catechol oxidases (E.C.1.10.3.1) catalyze two reactions: the hydroxylation of monophenols to o-diphenols and the oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones (Fig. 4.1). Oxygen is the primary oxidant in PPO-catalyzed reactions (Mason 1957; Mayer and Harel 1979; Vamos-Vigyazo 1981; Zawistowski et al. 1991). These two oxygen-consuming reactions are referred to as cresolase/monophenolase (reaction 1) and catecholase/diphenolase activity (reaction 2). Monophenolase or cresolase activity is not always present, and when both cresolase and catecholase activities are present, their ratio varies from 1 to 10 or may be even up to 40 (Brooks and Dawson 1966; Vamos-Vigyazo 1981).
The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, 1838–1956: James Heartfield, New York: Oxford University Press 486 pp., $65.00, ISBN 9780190491673 Publication Date: December 2016

James Heartfield's well-researched study of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society covers its history as an organization, but it also captures the mixed and changing attitudes of humanitarian...
Is the Care We Provide Homeless People, Just? The Ethic of Justice Informing the Ethic of Care

Scant homeless research has articulated the homeless individual's experience from the perspective of his privileged access. Ethnographic research was conducted in a large southwest metropolitan city. Facilitated through several weeks of informal observation, it was through 15 weeks of formal interviews that privileged data were gathered by riding with the Service of Emergency Aid and Research Center for the Homeless (S.E.A.R.C.H.) Outreach team. Narratives of four homeless persons were analyzed using the moral theoretical reflections of Jurgen Habermas and feminist theory. Feminist theory articulates dichotomous perspectives of the ethic of care and the ethic of justice. This paper argues the perspective of justice is complimentary to and must inform the ethic of care with this alienated population of homeless. Present social institutions are not adhering to the universal prescriptive of long-term caring for the homeless as our moral duty. Those living homeless fall through the social service cracks. They must be offered just care understood as that which promotes the “the right” informing “the good.” Just care will help them to permanently leave the streets. It is not a temporary Band-Aid to assuage society's guilt of not living up to our moral obligations.
Cardinality transformations in diatonic space

This paper introduces a system in which parsimonious and continuous transformations occur seamlessly between triads and tetrachords. Such fluidity is abundant in common practice music, but unprecedented in theoretical literature, largely because there has been no consistent way to approach transformations independent of cardinality. Neo-Riemannian theory elegantly unites harmonic change and voiceleading efficiency, but deals exclusively with set class [037] in a 12-gamut pcset space. Attempts to extend the neo-Riemannian approach to tetrachords in 12-gamut space often fall short; the elegant characteristics of the triadic theory do not carry over. However, when a scalar context arbitrates the parsimoniousness of transformations, triads and tetrachords can be treated in a consistent manner. Within this consistently modeled space, cardinality itself can be transformed. In this paper, we see that filtered point-symmetry is an essential tool for working through the iterated maximally even sets that establish scalar contexts. To understand cardinality transformations, we also extend filtered point-symmetry to model partially symmetric distributions and relatively even sets.
Environmental Impacts Of Mining Natural Aggregate

Nearly every community in nearly every industrialized or industrializing country is dependent on aggregate resources (sand, gravel, and stone) to build and maintain their infrastructure. Indeed, even agrarian communities depend on well-maintained transportation systems to move produce to markets. Unfortunately, aggregate resources necessary to meet societal needs cannot be developed without causing environmental impacts.
Specificity and variability of trunk kinematics on a mechanical horse

Abstract As perturbation training is gaining popularity, it is important to better understand postural control during complex three-dimensional stimuli. One clinically relevant and commonly used three-dimensional stimulus is found in hippotherapy and simulated hippotherapy on a mechanical horse. We tested nine healthy participants on a horse simulator, measured head and trunk kinematics, and characterized data in time (root-mean-square and variability) and frequency (amplitude spectra, gains, and phases) domains. We addressed three fundamental questions: 1) What is the specificity of postural responses to the simulator? 2) Which plane of motion is associated with the most and least variability (repeatable movements across repeated stimuli and across participants)? 3) To what extent are postural responses influenced by different degrees of stability (addition of pelvis straps and trunk support)? We found head and trunk responses were highly specific to the three-dimensional simulator perturbation direction and frequency. Frontal plane responses had the least variability across repetitions and participants whereas transverse motion was most variable. Head motion was more variable than the trunk at low frequencies and exhibited a marked decrease in tilt in the sagittal plane. Finally, the inclusion of pelvis straps had minimal effect on kinematics at low frequencies but altered higher frequencies; whereas added trunk support reduced head and trunk responses to perturbations and altered timing characteristics in all three planes. In conclusion, the present study suggests that frontal plane motion was under a high level of control, and results support the idea that specific head and trunk postural responses can be elicited from a complex three-dimensional stimuli, such as those found in hippotherapy. Researchers and clinicians can use results from this study to help interpret variability, implement mechanical adjustments to stability, and assess responses in pathological populations.
Patient expectations of hypertension and diabetes medication: Excessive focus on short-term benefits.

Objectives:The objectives of this study are to assess patient perspectives on their perceived benefits of hypertension and diabetes medications and determine associations between perceived benefits...
Abstract WP167: Is There a Distinct Phenotype for Non-Asian Moyamoya Patients?

Background and Purpose: Idiopathic moyamoya syndrome (IMMS) is a progressive narrowing of the anterior circulation arteries resulting in the development of a tenuous collateral blood supply which i...
A Hybrid Control Architecture for Aggressive Maneuvering of Autonomous Aerial Vehicles

In this paper we propose a hierarchical control architecture for aggressive maneuvering applicable to autonomous aerial vehicles. In order to reduce the computational requirements of the optimal control problem to solve, a hybrid system framework is used, which allows for a substantial reduction in the complexity of the system, as well as for guarantees on the stability of the overall behavior. The hybrid controller is based on an automaton whose states represent feasible trajectory primitives. The selection of maneuvers, and hence the generation of the complete trajectory, can be cast as an optimal control problem that can be solved efficiently in real time. Examples and extensions for robustness conclude the paper.
Principal results of the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) and updated meta-analyses of relevant vitamin D trials

Abstract Whether supplemental vitamin D reduces risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD) is relatively unexplored in randomized trial settings. The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) was a nationwide, randomized, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial of daily vitamin D3 (2000 IU) and marine omega-3 fatty acids (1 g) in the primary prevention of cancer and CVD among 25,871 U.S. men aged ≥50 and women aged ≥55, including 5106 African Americans. Median treatment duration was 5.3 years. Vitamin D did not significantly reduce the primary endpoint of total invasive cancer incidence (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.96 [95% confidence interval 0.88–1.06]) but showed a promising signal for reduction in total cancer mortality (HR = 0.83 [0.67–1.02]), especially in analyses that accounted for latency by excluding the first year (HR = 0.79 [0.63–0.99]) or first 2 years (HR = 0.75 [0.59–0.96]) of follow-up. Vitamin D did not significantly reduce the co-primary endpoint of major CVD events (HR = 0.97 [0.85–1.12]), other cardiovascular endpoints, or all-cause mortality (HR = 0.99 [0.87–1.12]). Updated meta-analyses that include VITAL and other recent vitamin D trials indicate a significant reduction in cancer mortality but not in cancer incidence or CVD endpoints. Additional research is needed to determine which individuals may be most likely to derive a net benefit from vitamin D supplementation. (VITAL clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01169259)
Regional cerebral oximetry is consistent across self-reported racial groups and predicts 30-day mortality in cardiac surgery: a retrospective analysis.

Darker skin pigmentation appears to cause underestimation of regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) for certain cerebral oximetry devices. This presents a risk of triggering unindicated interventions and may limit its utility for predicting adverse outcomes. Our goal was to quantify the impact of self-reported race on oximetry measurements during cardiac surgery and elucidate whether race has a mediating role in the association of rSO2 with mortality. Data was extracted from our department’s data warehouse for adult patients who underwent on-pump cardiac surgery between June 2014 and June 2018. Intraoperative rSO2 was recorded every 15 s throughout all cases. After grouping patients by self-reported race, multiple linear regression modeling was utilized to assess the association between race and mean pre-bypass rSO2 while controlling for various perioperative variables. The role of mean pre-bypass rSO2 for predicting 30-day mortality was evaluated via multiple logistic regression, and the threshold for rSO2 was selected by maximizing F1 score. There were 4267 patients included. Compared to Caucasian patients, the unadjusted difference in mean pre-bypass rSO2 was − 0.6% (95% CI − 1.3 to 0.04) for African American patients, − 1.8% (− 2.7 to − 0.9) for Asian patients, 0.1% (− 0.8 to 1.0) for Hispanic patients, − 1.6% (− 3.0 to − 0.4) for Indian/South Asian patients, and − 1.4% (− 3.7 to 0.9) for Pacific Islander patients. After adjusting for perioperative variables, differences in rSO2 readings less than 2% were observed between racial groups. Mean pre-bypass rSO2 under 63% was an independent predictor of higher 30-day mortality risk (OR: 2.86, CI 1.39 to 5.53, p = 0.003), and the interaction variable between rSO2 and race was not statistically significant (p = 0.299). Cerebral oximetry measurements are more consistent across racial groups than previously reported, supporting its utility for intraoperative monitoring and risk stratification. Pre-intervention rSO2 is associated with increased 30-day mortality at a higher threshold than previously reported and was not significantly impacted by self-reported race.
The Molecular Era of Lipid Droplets

Lipid droplets (LDs) are the primary lipid-storage compartments of eukaryotes and feature a unique architecture distinct from membrane-bound organelles. Observed for over a century but initially ig...
A comparative study of avian middle ear mechanics.

Abstract Sound and hearing play an important role in the lives of many birds, and studies have been published on the acoustic habitat of various species, as well as on various aspects of their hearing system. However the function of the middle ear remains largely unexplored, with existing studies focusing on either single species, or a very narrow range of species. In this article we report measurements of the middle ear transfer function in 39 taxonomically diverse avian species. We used laser vibrometry to measure the vibrations of the columellar footplate in response to tones played in each animal’s ear canal, and calculated the middle ear transfer functions. Transfer functions varied substantially across species, but appeared to follow common trends. Comparisons between the peak frequency in the transfer function and length/mass of the columella reveal a correlation between the three, however statistical analysis suggests that columellar length is a primary indicator of the peak frequency. These results provide a broad survey of avian middle ear function, and the observed trends provide a method with which to begin to predict the response of single ossicle middle ear systems.
Meta-analysis of crop water use efficiency by irrigation system in the Texas High Plains

A meta-analysis was performed on 351 studies from 17 articles published between 1990 and 2016 to determine how a water use efficiency (WUE) treatment is affected by irrigation systems and management practices on clay and clay loam soils in a semi-arid environment relative to a rainfed control. Several explanatory variables (moderators) were examined to determine their impact on WUE such as crop type, irrigation capacity, rainfall, soil type, planting time, and nitrogen application. Results were sub-grouped by irrigation system. Overall, the impact of irrigation system on WUE directly correlated with the efficiency of the irrigation system. Subsurface drip and center pivot irrigation systems had the largest impacts on WUE with increases of 147 and 99%, respectively, compared to a 14% increase under furrow irrigation. Corn (Zea mays L.) had a higher response to WUE in subsurface drip irrigation (260%) compared to center pivot irrigation (46%), whereas WUE in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) had a 71% change in center pivot systems compared to 63% under subsurface drip. The biggest increases in WUE relative to a rainfed control were for sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), which had a 13% change under furrow irrigation, 160% change under center pivot and 341% under subsurface drip.
Investigation on Reading Discrepancy of Type T and Type J Thermocouples

Thermocouples are widely used in industry for temperature measurement due to their high accuracy and sensitivity. However, thermocouples can act as a heatsink or a heat spreader when attached onto the top surface of small components like Voltage Regulator Modules (VRM), Capacitors, Platform Controller Hubs (PCH), and etcetera. This could alter cooling conditions of components, consequently leading to temperature measurement discrepancy on these modules. This discrepancy could be more obvious for smaller components without a heatsink or heat spreader attached. Also, the potential discrepancy relies on not only package material of components but the type of thermocouples considering the different thermocouple wire composition. This paper focuses on investigating temperature measurement discrepancies for 36-gauge type T and 36-gauge type J thermocouples on components without heatsinks or heat spreaders attached. Analysis is performed with both numerical simulation modeling using the CFD tool FloTHERM and actual testing measurements based on Intel commercial server products.
Post-Surgical Complications After Bladder Outlet Reducing Surgery: An Analysis of The FDA Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) Database

Abstract Objective To examine voluntary reports in the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, categorize complications and assign device-related causality with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), prostatic urethral lift (PUL), and transurethral water vapor therapy (TWVT). Methods A review was performed using the terms “Urolift,” “Rezum,” and “transurethral resection of the prostate” between 01/01/2015 and 12/31/2019. Duplicate and incomplete reports were excluded. The Gupta system was used to report complications and device related causality. 1 Pearson's Chi-square analysis was performed to compare minor (Level 1) versus major (Levels 2-4) complications. Results A total of 548 events were examined. After removal of duplicates (n = 60), irrelevant reports (n=65), and incomplete information (n = 14), we included 409 events (74.6%). Of the 409 events, 214 were for TURP, 112 for TWVT, and 83 for PUL. In aggregate, 39.4% of events were minor/Level 1 (n=161/409). The proportion of subjects with Level 2-4 complications versus Level 1 complications was significantly higher for PUL than TURP or TWVT [X2 (2, N = 408) = 41.4023, P Conclusion Device malfunction was noted in all groups and 39.4% of these were minor (Level 1). However, the majority of PUL reports noted a Level 3 or 4 complication (50.6%, 42/83), primarily bleeding related. Previous studies have not revealed significant risk of bleeding and suggests a discrepancy between study data and real-world experience that may alter patient counseling practices.
Interplay of the ubiquitin proteasome system and the innate immune response is essential for the replication of infectious bronchitis virus

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) is the only coronavirus known to infect poultry. The replication and pathogenesis of IBV are poorly understood, mainly because of the unavailability of a robust cell culture system. Here, we report that an active ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is necessary for efficient replication of IBV in Vero cells. Synthesis of IBV-specific RNA as well as viral protein is hampered in the presence of chemical inhibitors specific for the UPS. Like other coronaviruses, IBV encodes a papain-like protease (PLpro) that exhibits in vitro deubiquitinase activity in addition to proteolytically processing the replicase polyprotein. Our results show that the IBV PLpro enzyme inhibits the synthesis of interferon beta (IFNβ) in infected chicken embryonic fibroblast (DF-1) cells and that this activity is enhanced in the presence of melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) and TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1). IBV PLpro, when overexpressed in DF-1 cells, deubiquitinates MDA5 and TBK1. Both of these proteins, along with other adapter molecules such as MAVS, IKKe, and IRF3, form a signaling cascade for the synthesis of IFNβ. Ubiquitination of MDA5 and TBK1 is essential for their activation, and their deubiquitination by IBV PLpro renders them unable to participate in antiviral signaling. This study shows for the first time that there is cross-talk between the UPS and the innate immune response during IBV infection and that the deubiquitinase activity of IBV PLpro is involved in its activity as an IFN antagonist. This insight will be useful for designing better antivirals targeting the catalytic activity of the IBV PLpro enzyme.
Hidden conformal symmetry of a massive scalar field in 2-dimensional Anti-De Sitter space

We show that a massive scalar field on a 2-dimensional Anti-De Sitter space can be mapped by means of a time-dependent canonical transformation into a massless free field theory when the mass square of the field is equal to minus the curvature of the background metric. We also provide the (hidden) conformal symmetry of the massive scalar field.