cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
UVB induces epidermal 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 activity in vivo

Author(s): Tiganescu, A; Hupe, M; Jiang, YJ; Celli, A; Uchida, Y; Mauro, TM; Bikle, DD; Elias, PM; Holleran, WM | Abstract: © 2015 John Wiley a Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley a Sons Ltd. Detrimental consequences of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in skin include photoageing, immunosuppression and photocarcinogenesis, processes also significantly regulated by local glucocorticoid (GC) availability. In man, the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) generates the active GC cortisol from cortisone (or corticosterone from 11-dehydrocorticosterone in rodents). 11β-HSD1 oxo-reductase activity requires the cofactor NADPH, generated by hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. We previously demonstrated increased 11β-HSD1 levels in skin obtained from photoexposed versus photoprotected anatomical regions. However, the direct effect of UVR on 11β-HSD1 expression remains to be elucidated. To investigate the cutaneous regulation of 11β-HSD1 following UVR in vivo, the dorsal skin of female SKH1 mice was irradiated with 50, 100, 200 and 400 mJ/cm2 UVB. Measurement of transepidermal water loss, 11β-HSD1 activity, mRNA/protein expression and histological studies was taken at 1, 3 and 7 days postexposure. 11β-HSD1 and hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA expression peaked 1 day postexposure to 400 mJ/cm2 UVB before subsequently declining (days 3 and 7). Corresponding increases in 11β-HSD1 protein and enzyme activity were observed 3 days postexposure coinciding with reduced GC receptor mRNA expression. Immunofluorescence studies revealed 11β-HSD1 localization to hyperproliferative epidermal keratinocytes in UVB-exposed skin. 11β-HSD1 expression and activity were also induced by 200 and 100 (but not 50) mJ/cm2 UVB and correlated with increased transepidermal water loss (indicative of barrier disruption). UVB-induced 11β-HSD1 activation represents a novel mechanism that may contribute to the regulation of cutaneous responses to UVR exposure.
Accounting Profession Is Ready For International Financial Reporting Standards: Financial Statements Comparable Enough

Comparative analysis of three matched pairs of corporations revealed that there are more similarities than differences where one used IFRS and the other used US GAAP. "mso-spacerun: yes;"Since US GAAP focuses on usefulness of information rather than uniform reporting, the use of IFRS is just another variation on a theme that has existed for decades. The Big 4 accounting firms provide guidance and training for practitioners, professors and students that ease the road to understanding.
The ENIAC Computations of 1950—Gateway to Numerical Weather Prediction

Abstract The first numerical weather prediction was made on the ENIAC computer in 1950. This lecture gives some of the historical background of that event and a partially narrative account of it.
Interplay between the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 gB Cytodomain and the gH Cytotail during Cell-Cell Fusion.

ABSTRACT Herpesvirus entry into cells is mediated by the viral fusogen gB, which is thought to refold from the prefusion to the postfusion form in a series of large conformational changes that energetically couple refolding to membrane fusion. In contrast to most viral fusogens, gB requires a conserved heterodimer, gH/gL, as well as other nonconserved proteins. In a further mechanistic twist, gB-mediated cell-cell fusion appears restricted by its intraviral or cytoplasmic domain (cytodomain) because mutations within it result in a hyperfusogenic phenotype. Here, we characterized a panel of hyperfusogenic HSV-1 gB cytodomain mutants and show that they are fully functional in cell-cell fusion at shorter coincubation times and at lower temperatures than those for wild-type (WT) gB, which suggests that these mutations reduce the kinetic energy barrier to fusion. Despite this, the mutants require both gH/gL and gD. We confirm previous observations that the gH cytotail is an essential component of the cell-cell fusion mechanism and show that the N-terminal portion of the gH cytotail is critical for this process. Moreover, the fusion levels achieved by all gB constructs, WT and mutant, were proportionate to the length of the gH cytotail. Putting these results together, we propose that the gH cytotail, in addition to the gH/gL ectodomain, plays an essential role in gB activation, potentially acting as a “wedge” to release the gB cytodomain “clamp” and enable gB activation. IMPORTANCE Herpesviruses infect their hosts for life and cause a substantial disease burden. Herpes simplex viruses cause oral and genital sores as well as rare yet severe encephalitis and a panoply of ocular ailments. Infection initiates when the viral envelope fuses with the host cell membrane in a process orchestrated by the viral fusogen gB, assisted by the viral glycoproteins gH, gL, and gD and a cellular gD receptor. This process is more complicated than that of most other viruses and is subject to multiple regulatory inputs. Antiviral and vaccine development would benefit from a detailed mechanistic knowledge of this process and how it is regulated.
Role of posterior elements in the disc bulging of a degenerated cervical spine

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in International Journal of Spine Surgery. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in International Journal of Spine Surgery Volume 9 Article 13. doi: 10.14444/2013
Careers and Noncommunication: The Case of Academic and Applied Marketing Research—A Comment

In a recent JMR article, Kover [ 1 ] offers substantial insight on the apparent communications gap between academic and applied marketing researchers. Though practitioners might challenge some of the author's statements, such as "theory and technique are of interest only as they lead to advantage in the negotiating process that establishes fact," or that "there often is little cumulative knowledge building in the practitioner's career," the conclusions reached are empirically inescapable. The principal message in Kover's paper is the recognition of risk-taking differences between academic market researchers and practitioners and the impact of these differences on respective behaviors. However, as is often true in marketing research, a different witness to the data might draw a different conclusion about the underlying explanation and such is the case with Kover's risk difference model. Let us accept the proposition that the practitioner does face "extreme personal risk" as a function of his or her job requirements. How is the psychologically predictable risk-reduction behavior of this practitioner likely to be manifested? Typically, by seeking to better master the relevant body of knowledge, thereby allowing for more security in the negotiation process. This continual information-gathering activity of the practitioner is even more critical as the diversity of the research-related tasks expands. This demand for breadth of knowledge, combined with his general role as an immediate problem solver, forces the practitioner into the realm of a generalist as opposed to an expert in a narrow field. If the practitioner is successful in reducing personal risk by being an information (regardless of its form) consumer, then what induces this practitioner to become simultaneously an in-
Cultivation in Tissue-Culture of Cytopathogenic Agent from Bovine Mucosal Disease.∗:

SummaryIsolation and cultivation in tissue culture of a cytopathogenic agent recovered from tissues of cattle with mucosal disease from 2 separated herds is reported. A homologous tissue culture system was used with bovine embryonic kidney cells and newborn, antibody-free calf serum. The virus was inactivated by temperatures above 50°C for 15 minutes, would pass an 03 Selas filter and had an 11th passage titer of 10-5. In sheep, the virus stimulated formation of neutralizing antibodies. A preliminary neutralization study indicated that antibodies are common in animals from herds having no previous history of mucosal disease.
The Problem of Outcome Evaluation: A Comment on the Proposed Global Monitoring System

Snyder et al. (1976: 258) conclude their recent article on the global monitoring system (GMS) by saying that, "The central question raised in this article is whether or not some form of global monitoring system is an idea whose time has come." As one input toward answering that question I will review some of the outstanding obstacles to the "outcome evaluation" required for achieving the first major function identified for the proposed system, "the appraisal of governmental performance" (Snyder et al., 1976: 244). The motivating questions for these remarks are, "do we as policy scientists really know enough to usefully tackle, head-on, such a massive problem as global appraisal of governmental actions?" and "what are the primary obstacles we will have to overcome if we do so?" The GMS article itself reflects a tension between the stated "spiral
Colony production in vitro by regenerating marrow.

SummaryA study has been made of agar colony forming capacity of marrow during regeneration after localized depletion. From the second week of regeneration agar colonies (in vitro CFU) of marrow are readily observed. In vitro CFU then increase linearly with hemic cellularity with a slope of about one. If the in vitro CFU represents a granulocyte precursor, the data suggest that recovery of these cells requires a sustained influx from ancestral cells.
Uniformity of size of bacteriophage particles.

SummaryNeither fractional ultrafiltration nor fractional centrifugation have revealed any heterogeneity of size among the particles of the bacteriophage T2K (formerly called PC). The methods used for the measurement of size, namely, diffusion through agar and sedimentation in an angle centrifuge, were essentially qualitative. but the experimental arrangements were such as to yield unequivocal results.It must be concluded therefore that this bacteriophage has a minimal particle diameter of 60 mμ or more, as has been found previously for unfractionated phages of the same group by a variety of methods.It is necessary also to withdraw the conclusion previously reached that this bacteriophage has a low infectivity for susceptihle bacteria.An explanation is suggested for some anomalous results previously obtained in attempts to measure the diffusion of bacteriophage through the porous glass boundary. The use of bacteriophage to measure the rate of flow of fluid as a means of control in the application of this m...
The Emergence of Gender Inequality in a Crowdfunding Market: An Experimental Test of Gender System Theory

Research on ascriptive inequality investigates how social groups differ, whether resources are allocated unequally by group differences, and what mechanisms create and sustain this unequal allocation. In the sociology of gender, gender system theory links these three questions into a single theory but has yet to be tested comprehensively. In this study, I perform such a test using data from DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding website for public school teachers in the United States. The data is large and diverse enough to measure the gender differences theorized by gender system theory and allows us to examine whether these gender differences correspond to inequalities in funding. Critically, the data also contain a natural experiment whereby teachers’ identity was hidden until 2008. This allows for a direct test of the causes of gender inequality hypothesized by gender system theory. The results show that inequality only emerges after educators’ identity was published. And, de-anonymization caused inequality to emerge across all types of gender difference. These results provide robust support for gender system theory and contribute to research on the structure and causes of gender inequality.
Nonuniqueness and Localized Averages

This chapter follows up on issues associated with the nonuniqueness of some inverse problem solutions. Nonuniqueness is shown to be equivalent to the existence of null solutions to the inverse problem, solutions that do not have any effect on the prediction error. Some localized average of model parameters are shown to be unique, even when the underlying model parameters are nonunique. The properties of a unique localized average are enumerated, their advantages are explored, and examples are given. Nonunique localized averages are shown to be useful, if a priori information bounds the overall range of the underlying model parameters. The linear programming algorithm is used to find the bounds on a localized average, given the bounds on the underlying model parameters.
Knowledge, Duty, and Salvation

The immediate occasion for Locke’s greatest work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689), was a discussion amongst a small circle of friends over questions of morality and religion, those parts of knowledge, he tells the reader, ‘that Men are most concern’d to be clear in’. Before the group could proceed to investigate theological and moral questions, however, it was thought necessary to step back and see what our abilities were and how far they extended. Locke undertook to provide the requisite preliminaries, doubtless unaware that the overall task would engage him for the next 18 years. These early meetings probably took place sometime in 1670 or 1671 at Anthony Ashley Cooper’s London home, for by the close of 1671 Locke had completed two drafts of what would eventually emerge as the Essay. There are additional comments sprinkled throughout the published work which seem to indicate that Locke wished to address concerns about normative conduct and theology broadly defined, and it is worth keeping in mind that his inquiries began after he had broken with the Church of England’s position on the evil of toleration — and after the failed effort by the latitudinarians to achieve a comprehension in 1668. However short our knowledge may prove to be, all humans ‘have Light enough to lead them to a Knowledge of their Maker, and the sight of their own Duties’ was how he phrased it at the opening of Book 1, while in the fourth Book he reminded his audience ‘that our proper Imployment lies in those Enquiries, and in that sort of Knowledge, which is most suited to our natural Capacities, and carries in it our greatest interest, i.e. the Condition of our eternal Estate’.
シールド型 MR ヘッドの信号における SAL-MS 依存性の数値解析

The magnetization distributions for the magnetoresistive (MR) layer and the soft adiacent layer (SAL) in a shielded MR head were numerically analyzed by using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. The signal amplitude asymmetry (As) dependences on the bias current (Ib) and the saturation magnetization in the SAL (MsSAL) were calculated to show that a symmetrical signal can be obtained for a certain Ib by optimizing the MsSAL value. The sensitivity for zero As depends on the MsSAL value, and a smaller MsSAL value fives a higher signal sensitivity. For a large MsSAL value, the SAL layer magntization is changed by the medium stray field, which reduces the effective field in the MR layer and the signal sensitivity. When the magnrtization in the SAL is in the vertical direction and that in the MR layer is in the 45-degree direction, the MR head shows the highest signal sensitivity and zero As.)
Nonlinear trajectory transcriptions for aircraft loss of control recovery

Aircraft loss of control may occur when the interpolated gain set is such that it destabilizes the linear aircraft. That is, when linear aircraft is not asymptotically stable, the nonlinear aircraf...
Targeting reciprocal feedback inhibition: Apalutamide and everolimus in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

204Background: Studies in xenograft CRPC and PTEN-deficient prostate cancer models have shown synergistic anti-tumor activity of next-generation anti-androgens such as apalutamide when combined with PI3K/mTOR inhibitors such as everolimus. (Carver B et al., Cancer Cell 2011) The primary hypothesis of this study was that the combination of apalutamide with everolimus would overcome resistance to prior hormonal therapy with abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AAP). Methods: The primary endpoint in mCRPC patients with prior AAP was to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of fixed dose apalutamide 240 mg po qd when combined with everolimus 5 mg po qd (cohort 1, n = 3) and everolimus 10 mg po qd (cohort 2, n = 6). The plan was to expand to treat 40 patients at the RP2D. Results: Nine patients were enrolled in phase 1. The PK for the combination was consistent with historical data of either drug given as monotherapy. The most common treatment related adverse events wer...
Perceptual regions in Poland: An investigation of Poznań speech perceptions

In this paper, ideas from perceptual dialectology, linguistics of speech, and cognitive science are drawn upon to explain the perceptions of others’ speech. The perceptual map task, based on Preston’s “Draw-a-map methodology,” was collected from 215 respondents in Poland and transformed into result maps. The second step in the analysis of the perceptual maps was to collect all of the labels that were assigned to the perceived speech varieties around the country. Those two facets of the data show how the idea of connecting speech with a specific locality can be observed quantitatively. The results propose an explanation of the distribution of speech perceptions in Poland. The shape of the perceptions is created through activating gestalt processes to arrive with an observational artifact. Those are based mostly on the concept of geography facilitated by shared cultural schemas. All of those steps lead to a creation of multidimensional perceptual regions.
Contextual Ranking of Behaviors for Large-scale Multiagent Simulations

As large-scale, complex multiagent simulations are becoming common, there is a need for new methods to analyze results of these simulations. One of the goals in such cases is to understand the effects of various behaviors on outcomes of interest. Here, we present a method for contextual ranking of behaviors where a partial context may already be provided in the query. Our approach uses causally-relevant states (states that have a measurable effect on the outcomes of interest), which provide the context for ranking behaviors. Apart from the partial context that may be provided in the query, our method also discovers any additional context that may affect behavioral ranking. We apply it to a large-scale disaster simulation and present results.
The time-varying nature of social media sentiments in modeling stock returns

The broad aim of this paper is to answer the following query: is the relationship between social media sentiments and stock returns time-varying? To provide a satisfactory response, a novel methodologya symbiosis of Bayesian Dynamic Linear Models and Seemingly Unrelated Regressions is introduced. Two sets of Dow Jones Industrial Average stock data and corresponding social media data from Yahoo! Finance stock message boards are used in a comprehensive empirical study. Some key findings are: (a) Affirmative response to the above question; (b) Models with only social media sentiments and market returns perform at least as well as models that include Fama-French and Momentum factors; (c) There are significant correlations between stocks, ranging from 0.8 to 0.6 in both data sets. Is the relationship between social media sentiments and stock returns time-varying? How does one capture the inherent cross-correlation between stocks to better model the time-varying relationship?Answers to the above queries are tackled via a novel methodology: Bayesian Dynamic Linear Models and Seemingly Unrelated Regressions.The impact of social media sentiments on future stock returns vary over time.The posterior distributions of correlations range from -0.8 to +0.6.The time-varying social media sentiments coefficients are more stable in 2011 when compared to 2009; the latter was a period of high turbulence due to recession.
Universality in Systems with Power-Law Memory and Fractional Dynamics

There are a few different ways to extend regular nonlinear dynamical systems by introducing power-law memory or considering fractional differential/difference equations instead of integer ones. This extension allows the introduction of families of nonlinear dynamical systems converging to regular systems in the case of an integer power-law memory or an integer order of derivatives/differences. The examples considered in this review include the logistic family of maps (converging in the case of the first order difference to the regular logistic map), the universal family of maps, and the standard family of maps (the latter two converging, in the case of the second difference, to the regular universal and standard maps). Correspondingly, the phenomenon of transition to chaos through a period doubling cascade of bifurcations in regular nonlinear systems, known as “universality”, can be extended to fractional maps, which are maps with power-/asymptotically power-law memory. The new features of universality, including cascades of bifurcations on single trajectories, which appear in fractional (with memory) nonlinear dynamical systems are the main subject of this review.
Nutrition labeling reduces valuations of food through multiple health and taste channels

One popularized technique to promote healthy dietary choice involves posting calorie or other nutritional information at the time individuals make a consumption decision. While the evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions is mixed, relatively little work has focused on the underlying mechanisms of how such labels alter behavior. In the research reported here, we asked 87 hungry laboratory subjects to make bids over foods with or without nutrition labels present. We found that the presence of a nutrition label reduced bids by an average of 25 cents. Furthermore, we found this reduction was driven by differences in perceptions and the importance individuals placed on health features of the foods, but also by differences in the importance individuals placed on more visceral taste features. These results help explain the various methods in which nutritional information postings or other policy tools can nudge individuals to consume healthier options.
Cloning and characterization of a monoterpene synthase gene from flowers of Camelina sativa

CsTPS1 encodes for a monoterpene synthase that contributes to the emission of a blend of volatile compounds emitted from flowers of Camelina sativa. The work describes the in vitro characterization of a monoterpene synthase and its regulatory region that we cloned from Camelina sativa (Camelina). Here, we named this gene as C. sativa terpene synthase 1 (CsTPS1). In vitro experiments performed with the CsTPS1 protein after expression and purification from Escherichia coli (E. coli) showed production of a blend of monoterpene volatile organic compounds, of which the emission was also detected in the floral bouquet of wild-type Camelina plants. Quantitative-PCR measurements revealed a high abundance of CsTPS1 transcripts in flowers and experiments performed with the GUS reporter showed high CsTPS1 expression in the pistil, in the cells of the wall of the ovary and in the stigma. Subcellular localization of the CsTPS1 protein was investigated with a GFP reporter construct that showed expression in plastids. The CsTPS1 gene identified in this study belongs to a mid-size family of 60 genes putatively codifying for TPS enzymes. This enlarged family of TPS genes suggests that Camelina has the structural framework for the production of terpenes and other secondary metabolites of relevance for the consumers.
Combining Prostate Health Index density, magnetic resonance imaging and prior negative biopsy status to improve the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES To determine the performance of Prostate Health Index (PHI) density (PHID) combined with MRI and prior negative biopsy (PNB) status for the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients without a prior diagnosis of PCa, with elevated prostate-specific antigen and a normal digital rectal examination who underwent PHI testing prospectively prior to prostate biopsy were included in this study. PHID was calculated retrospectively using prostate volume derived from transrectal ultrasonography at biopsy. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression modelling, along with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, was used to determine the ability of serum biomarkers to predict clinically significant PCa (defined as either grade group [GG] ≥2 disease or GG1 PCa detected in >2 cores or >50% of any one core) on biopsy. Age, PNB status and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score were incorporated into the regression models. RESULTS Of the 241 men who qualified for the study, 91 (37.8%) had clinically significant PCa on biopsy. The median (interquartile range) PHID was 0.74 (0.44-1.24); it was 1.18 (0.77-1.83) and 0.55 (0.38-0.89) in those with and without clinically significant PCa on biopsy, respectively (P < 0.001). On univariable logistic regression, age and PNB status were associated with clinically significant cancer. Of the tested biomarkers, PHID demonstrated the highest discriminative ability for clinically significant disease (area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.78 for the univariable model). That continued to be the case in multivariable logistic regression models incorporating age and PNB status (AUC 0.82). At a threshold of 0.44, representing the 25th percentile of PHID in the cohort, PHID was 92.3% sensitive and 35.3% specific for clinically significant PCa; the sensitivity and specificity were 93.0% and 32.4% and 97.4% and 29.1% for GG ≥2 and GG ≥3 disease, respectively. In the 104 men who underwent MRI, PI-RADS score was complementary to PHID, with a PI-RADS score ≥3 or, if PI-RADS score ≤2, a PHID ≥0.44, detecting 100% of clinically significant disease. For that subgroup, of the biomarkers tested, PHID (AUC 0.90) demonstrated the highest discriminative ability for clinically significant disease on multivariable logistic regression incorporating age, PNB status and PI-RADS score. CONCLUSIONS In this contemporary cohort of men undergoing prostate biopsy for the diagnosis of PCa, PHID outperformed PHI and other PSA derivatives in the diagnosis of clinically significant cancer. Incorporating age, PNB status and PI-RADS score led to even further gains in the diagnostic performance of PHID. Furthermore, PI-RADS score was found to be complementary to PHID. Using 0.44 as a threshold for PHID, 35.3% of unnecessary biopsies could have been avoided at the cost of missing 7.7% of clinically significant cancers. Despite these encouraging results, prospective validation is needed.
Exploring Perceptions of Faculty Governance From an Organizational Culture Lens

Empirical research on faculty governance effectiveness from an organizational culture perspective is limited and is needed due to the increasing internal and external pressures on higher education institutions today. Increased accuntability demands for student success and retention require effective and participatory governance processes. Two research questions were examined, the effectiveness of the governance process on a mid-sized North West university and the utility of exploring effective governance using an organizational culture theoretical framework. In-depth case study interviews were conducted among six faculty of various ranks in one college. The study findings indicated that trust and transparency, competing expectations, lack of influence and hierarchal decision making impacted perceptions of governance effectiveness which negatively impacted faculty climate perceptions. Analysis of governance using an oganizational culture framework provided important insight into governance effectiveness.
The Proximate Causes of Extinction

The vast majority of contemporary extinctions can be viewed as anthropogenous in the sense that human activity greatly reduced population sizes and extinction would not likely have occurred now without the human activity. However, one would still wish to know why small populations, even when protected from further human interference, appear to be unusually prone to extinction. Empirical data on the last gasp of such declining species are almost nonexistent but there is evidence that four forces conspire to put small populations at increased risk: demographic stochasticity, genetic deterioration, social dysfunction, and extrinsic forces. There are presently no models that accurately apportion the threat of extinction among these forces and even the available guidelines for indicating which species are especially at risk are very imprecise.
Toxicity of 3-methyleneoxindole, a proposed reactive intermediate in the metabolism of 3-methylindole.

3-Methylindole (3MI) is constitutively produced by anaerobic bacterial fermentation of tryptophan in mammalian intestines. In the case of ruminants excessive 3MI production causes selective pulmonary toxicity which can be fatal (Carlson and Yost, 1989; Yost, 1989). Previous work with ruminants has demonstrated that type I alveolar epithelial and nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cells are the most susceptible pulmonary cells. It has been suggested (Yost, 1989) that this pneumotoxicity results from cytochrome P-450 activation of 3MI to reactive intermediates (Figure 1) which react with macromolecules to produce the toxicity. One of the proposed intermediates is 3-methyleneoxindole (MEOI) which is known to react covalently with sulfhydryl groups (Still et al., 1965). This paper presents in vivo and in vitro findings about the toxicity of MEOI.
Using DNA microarrays to detect multiple pathogen threats in water

We present four studies that illustrate the use of DNA microarrays for the detection and subsequent genotyping of waterborne pathogens. A genotyping array targeting four virulence factor genes in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) was tested. The arrays were clearly able to differentiate between E. coli O157:H7 genotypes and E. coli O91:H2. Non-pathogenic E. coli and non-target organisms were not detected on this array. In the second study, an hsp70 gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for specific Cryptosporidium parvum detection was constructed to differentiate between principle genotypes. SNPs, and hence differences between genotypes, were easily detected on this type of array. In the third study an array for Helicobacter pylori was tested for simultaneous SNP discrimination and presence or absence of virulence factor genes. Results from this study showed that both SNP discrimination for some conserved genes, and the presence or absence of virulence factor genes was possible. In the fourth study, multiplexing was achieved by direct hybridization and detection of mRNA to the array. For highly expressed genes, visible signal was detected at 312.5 ng of total RNA, indicating that these new methods may have sufficient environmental sensitivity without the need to perform PCR.
Simulation and modeling of updrain TMOS devices

Updrain TMOS devices are well-known for the on-chip realization of switches in automotive power applications. Such devices are built up from many individual TMOS-cells, whose drain contact is connected to the drain pad via a buried-layer system, an updrain sinker and the metal layers of the chip. Because of the rather high resistance of the buried layer and the thin structure of the metal layers, interconnection voltage drops occur during on-state device operation, which can strongly reduce the externally applied source to drain voltage. Furthermore the high density of power-dissipation leads to heating effects, which can change the device behaviour remarkably. It is therefore one of the most important questions for designers working on smart power applications, how to achieve an effective layout with minimum on-resistance and less pronounced temperature effects. On August 2, 1996 Rainer Thoma from Motorola presented recent work on the decoupled electrical and thermal problems of TMOS devices. He discussed numerical results and then went on to derive analytical models based on a system of differential equations for the electrostatic potentials. He concluded with open problems regarding the optimization of the device layout.
Evolutionary Design of a Developmental Learning Community

In the United States, young women continue to turn away from education that would prepare them for careers in the information technology (IT) workforce. Researchers studying this phenomenon have identified a wide range of contributing factors, including the career attitudes and guidance of family members, friends and mentors; curricular approaches to teaching software development skills; and well-entrenched stereotypes of IT professionals as anti-social “geeks.” I describe a research project that explored a community-oriented approach to attracting and retaining women in our own College’s IT education program. Our design goal was to seed and support the evolution of a multi-leveled emergent community pursuing its own developmental trajectory, with a focus on the online community for wConnect – a system that hosts a variety of online activities and communication options. In this talk, I will chronicle the system’s development as an instance of action design research, showing how a sequence of four design phases were motivated by evolving design goals that led to systems with differing design rationales. I conclude with a synthesis and discussion of lessons learned, including design implications for online tools aimed at building and supporting developmental learning communities.
Teachers’ Talk About Race and Caregiver Support: “You Can NEVER Be Too Sure About Parents”:

This study focused on teachers’ perceptions of caregiver support for engaging in conversations about race in the classroom. We analyzed data from the Teachers’ Race Talk Survey, an exploratory surv...
Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Environment for Transgender and Gender Fluid Music Library Users

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to share suggestions on how music library staff can create a welcoming and inclusive environment for library users who are transgender or gender fluid. This u...
Development of GABAergic Inputs Is Not Altered in Early Maturation of Adult Born Dentate Granule Neurons in Fragile X Mice.

Abstract Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited mental retardation and the most common known cause of autism. Loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in mice (Fmr1 KO) leads to altered synaptic and circuit maturation in the hippocampus that is correlated with alterations in hippocampal-dependent behaviors. Previous studies have demonstrated that loss of FMRP increased the rate of proliferation of progenitor cells and altered their fate specification in adult Fmr1 KO mice. While these studies clearly demonstrate a role for FMRP in adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus, it is not known whether the functional synaptic maturation and integration of adult-born dentate granule cells (abDGCs) into hippocampal circuits is affected in Fmr1 KO mice. Here, we used retroviral labeling to birthdate abDGCs in Fmr1 KO mice which allowed us to perform targeted patch clamp recording to measure the development of synaptic inputs to these neurons at precise time points after differentiation. The frequency and amplitude of spontaneous GABAergic events increased over the first three weeks after differentiation; however, this normal development of GABAergic synapses was not altered in Fmr1 KO mice. Furthermore, the relatively depolarized GABA reversal potential (EGABA) in immature abDGCs was unaffected by loss of FMRP as was the development of dendritic arbor of the adult generated neurons. These studies systematically characterized the functional development of abDGCs during the first four weeks after differentiation and demonstrate that the maturation of GABAergic synaptic inputs to these neurons is not grossly affected by the loss of FMRP.
The Role of MicroRNA in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck/oral cancer (HNOC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world. Despite the improvements in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the prognosis for HNSCC patients has not significantly improved for the past three decades. Improvement in patient survival requires a better understanding of the disease ­progression so that HNOC can be detected early in the disease process and targeted with appropriate therapeutic interventions. While substantial advances have been made in defining genomic alterations associated with HNOC, most studies are focused on protein coding genes. Knowledge on genomic aberrations associated with non-coding genes and their contributions to the onset and propagation of HNOC is relatively ­limited. In this chapter, we will provide an introduction to the different types of non-coding genes and their biological functions in relationship to tumorigenesis. We will then focus our discussion to small non-coding genes (e.g., microRNA) by highlighting the recent advances in small RNA profiling technologies, and surveying the recent studies aimed at deciphering the microRNA signatures of HNOC. The functional ­relevance of the identified microRNA alterations associated HNOC will be discussed in detail.
Unjust conditions: Women’s work and the hidden costs of cash transfer programs

As Tara Cookson states in the conclusion of her book Unjust Conditions: Women’s Work and the Hidden Costs of Cash Transfer Programs, “Thanks to… the popularity of conditional aid…. You, too, can re...
Short-term biological variation of serum thyroid hormones concentrations in clinically healthy cats.

Abstract Thyroid disease is common in cats, but little is known about the biologic variability of serum thyroid hormone concentrations and its impact on diagnostic utility in either healthy cats or cats with thyroid disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the biological variation, index of individuality, and reference change values for thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in clinically healthy cats. Serum samples for analysis of total thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), free T4 by dialysis, and TSH were obtained weekly for 6 wk from 10 healthy cats, then frozen until single-batch analyzed. Data were evaluated for outliers, and we determined the CV within individual cats (CVI) and between individual cats (CVG) for each hormone and the variation between duplicates or analytical variation (CVA). The index of individuality and reference change values for each hormone were then calculated. Serum concentrations of total T4, free T4, T3, and TSH all showed greater variation between cats (CVG) than within cats (CVI). Total and free T4 had an intermediate index of individuality (1.1 and 1.2, respectively), suggesting that these hormones would be best evaluated by a combination of their population-based reference intervals and reference change values. Serum TSH concentrations had high index of individuality (1.8), suggesting this hormone would be best evaluated with reference change values rather than the population-based reference interval. Total T3 also had a high calculated index of individuality (1.8); however, T3 had high ratio of analytical variation (CVA) to within cat variation (CVI), so RCV could not be accurately calculated. This study demonstrates that clinically normal cats show considerable interindividual biological variation in serum thyroid hormone and TSH concentrations, whereas the intraindividual variability in hormone concentrations is much narrower. This suggests that for all serum thyroid hormones, but especially serum TSH and T3 concentrations, comparing individual cat's hormone results to a population-based reference interval may be misleading, especially in those with early or subclinical thyroid disease. Clinicians might improve the diagnosis of feline thyroid disease by establishing baseline concentrations of T4, free T4, T3, and TSH for individual cats (ideally when healthy) and applying reference change values to subsequent measurements.
Optional random variable

We begin by recalling the definition of a conditional expectation relative to a given field. Given the probability triple (Ω, ℱ, P), a random variable ζ with E(ζ) < ∞ and an augmented Borel subfield ℊ of ℱ, any ω-function χ (·) which is measurable ℊ and such that $$\int\limits_{M}{\chi (\omega )}P(d\omega )=\int\limits_{M}{\xi (\omega )}P(d\omega )$$ for every M ∈ ℊ, is called a version of the conditional expectation of ζ relative ℊ, and denoted collectively by E(ζ|ℊ). Thus \(\tilde{\chi }\) is another version of the conditional probability if and only if \(\tilde{\chi }\) is measurable ℊ and \(\chi =\tilde{\chi }\) with probability one.
Black college students at elevated risk for suicide: Barriers to mental health service utilization.

Objective: To examine differences between Black students who do and do not screen positive for suicide risk; to describe barriers to mental health service utilization (MHSU) among participants with...
Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Pediatric Osteomyelitis and Septic Arthritis in Last One and a Half Decade and Its Association with Adverse Clinical Outcome

BACKGROUND: The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pediatric osteomyelitis and septic arthritis have been associated with more complications than other organisms. However, there is no large sample study available to provide data of causative organisms. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review study from 2003-2017 (15 years) records with diagnosis codes …
Ontology-guided segmentation and object identification for developmental mouse lung immunofluorescent images

Immunofluorescent confocal microscopy uses labeled antibodies as probes against specific macromolecules to discriminate between multiple cell types. For images of the developmental mouse lung, these cells are themselves organized into densely packed higher-level anatomical structures. These types of images can be challenging to segment automatically for several reasons, including the relevance of biomedical context, dependence on the specific set of probes used, prohibitive cost of generating labeled training data, as well as the complexity and dense packing of anatomical structures in the image. The use of an application ontology helps surmount these challenges by combining image data with its metadata to provide a meaningful biological context, modeled after how a human expert would make use of contextual information to identify histological structures, that constrains and simplifies the process of segmentation and object identification. We propose an innovative approach for the semi-supervised analysis of complex and densely packed anatomical structures from immunofluorescent images that utilizes an application ontology to provide a simplified context for image segmentation and object identification. We describe how the logical organization of biological facts in the form of an ontology can provide useful constraints that facilitate automatic processing of complex images. We demonstrate the results of ontology-guided segmentation and object identification in mouse developmental lung images from the Bioinformatics REsource ATlas for the Healthy lung database of the Molecular Atlas of Lung Development (LungMAP1) program We describe a novel ontology-guided approach to segmentation and classification of complex immunofluorescence images of the developing mouse lung. The ontology is used to automatically generate constraints for each image based on its biomedical context, which facilitates image segmentation and classification.
Characterization of the subunit composition and structure of native adult glycine receptors

The strychnine-sensitive pentameric Glycine Receptor (GlyR) mediates fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the mammalian nervous system. Only heteromeric GlyRs mediate synaptic transmission, since they contain the {beta} subunit that permits clustering at the synapse through its interaction with scaffolding proteins. Here we show that 2 and {beta} subunits assemble with an unexpected 4:1 stoichiometry to produce GlyR with native electrophysiological properties. We determined structures in multiple functional states at 3.6 - 3.8 [A] resolutions and show 2{beta} GlyR assembly mechanism. Furthermore, we show that one single {beta} subunit in each GlyR gives rise to the characteristic electrophysiological properties of heteromeric GlyR, while more {beta} subunits renders GlyR non-conductive. A single {beta} subunit ensures a univalent GlyR-scaffold linkage, which means the scaffold alone regulates the cluster properties.
Contingency management for treatment attendance: A meta-analysis

Abstract Background Treatment providers have applied contingency management (CM) treatment, an intervention that often rewards individuals for drug abstinence (i.e., ABS CM), to treatment engagement as well. However, we know little about the magnitude of treatment effects when providers target attendance behaviors (i.e., ATT CM). Methods This study conducted a systematic search to identify studies that included ATT CM, either in isolation or in combination with ABS CM. The study used meta-analysis to estimate the effect size of ATT CM and ABS CM + ATT CM on treatment attendance and drug abstinence. We identified a total of 10 studies including 12 CM treatments (6 ATT CM and 6 ABS CM + ATT CM) with 1841 participants. Results Results indicated a moderate effect (d = 0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.25, 0.69]) of ATT CM on attendance relative to non–reward active comparison conditions. Frequency of rewards was significantly associated with larger effect sizes. Results also indicated a small effect (d = 0.22, 95% CI [0.12, 0.33]) of ATT CM on abstinence outcomes relative to nonreward comparisons, p 0.05). Conclusion Overall, the results supported ATT CM for increasing treatment engagement, with smaller effects on abstinence. Effects on abstinence were smaller than those observed in prior meta-analyses focused on ABS CM. No significant differences existed in attendance or abstinence outcomes between ATT CM and ABS + ATT CM. However, future studies are needed to experimentally compare ABS CM + ATT CM to ABS CM, and ATT CM to determine additive effects. Clinics implementing CM should consider the differential effects between ATT CM and ABS CM when selecting target behavior(s).
Connected Design Rationale: A Model for Measuring Design Learning Using Epistemic Network Analysis.

Virtual learning environments have the potential to support students’ development of design skills in engineering education. However, few approaches exist for modeling and measuring design learning as it emerges in authentic practices, which often includes collaboration. This study merges learning sciences research with engineering design education to develop an approach for modeling and measuring design thinking. I propose a connected design rationale model which identifies relationships among design moves and rationale. Results from a qualitative examination of how professional engineers make connections among moves and rationales were used as the foundation to examine students in virtual internships. Using digital collaborative chat data and Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), the discourse networks of students who had high and low scores in the virtual internship were compared to the discourse patterns of professional engineers to determine if measuring connected design rationale reveals meaningful differences between expert and novice design thinking. The results show a significant difference between high and low-performing students in terms of their patterns of connections and that high-performing students in the virtual internship made connections that were more like experts than low-performing students. Results suggest that a connected design rationale model distinguishes between experts and novices in meaningful ways and can be a robust approach for research in learning sciences and engineering education.