cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of enzyme activity and frozen storage on jalapeño pepper volatiles by selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry.

: Samples of unblanched (fresh), stannous chloride-treated, or blanched jalapeno peppers were measured for real-time generation of lipoxygenase-derived volatiles during 10 min after tissue disruption. Volatiles were also measured before and after 1.5, 2.5, 3, 6, and 9 mo of frozen storage at −15 °C. The concentration of all lipoxygenase-derived compounds was significantly higher in unblanched jalapeno peppers compared to enzyme inhibited peppers. The maximum concentration of (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-hexenal, and hexanal was detected at about 1.2, 1.5, and 1.5 min after tissue disruption, respectively. A decrease in (Z)-3-hexenal and an increase in dimethyl sulfide and methylbutanal occurred in blanched compared to stannous chloride-treated peppers due to heat. Frozen storage resulted in no major changes in the lipoxygenase-derived volatiles of whole and pureed blanched peppers after 9 mo. However, in whole unblanched peppers a gradual decrease of (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-hexenal, hexanal, hexenol, and hexanol was observed over time; whereas in pureed unblanched peppers these compounds increased, reached maximum concentration, and then decreased. Similarly, the minor volatiles 2-pentenal, 1-penten-3-one, (E)-2-heptenal, (E)-2-octenal, and (E)-2-nonenal showed an initial increase followed by a decline in both whole and pureed unblanched peppers. Tissue disruption increased generation and degradation rates during frozen storage. The compounds (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, n-propyl aldehyde, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and a mixture of terpenes decreased in unblanched and blanched frozen samples, while nonanal and methylbutanal increased only in unblanched samples. Practical Application: Data obtained in this study contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of lipoxygenase-derived volatile formation upon tissue disruption of jalapeno pepper. In addition, it contributes to generate knowledge on the effect of processing techniques, namely blanching and frozen storage, on the volatile profile of these peppers. This knowledge has applications in the manufacturing, product development, and quality control areas of the food industry as useful information to help in the designing and monitoring of processes aimed to obtain products with specific aroma characteristics. For instance, maximum levels of “fresh” and “green” aroma compounds are achieved rapidly during the first few minutes after pepper tissue is disrupted. The inhibition of enzyme activity shortly after this may help to maximize concentration of these aroma notes in the product. Frozen storage produces enzymatic and chemical changes in the volatile profile of unblanched peppers. The aroma profile of blanched peppers is more stable under frozen conditions, with a lower total volatile concentration.
Dual pairs and representations of scattering amplitudes

A procedure for constructing scattering amplitudes for production processes that is exactly unitary, preserves the bosonic character of the many-particle states, and is invariant with respect to an underlying symmetry group is given. Two simple models, dealing with isospin internal symmetry and the two-dimensional Euclidean space group are presented which illustrate how scattering amplitudes can be represented as matrix elements of groups whose action commutes with the action of the invariance group on the relevant Fock space.
Two-terminal longitudinal hotwire sensor for monitoring the position and speed of advancing liquid fronts in microfluidic channels

We report a simple and practical sensor for monitoring both the absolute position and advancing speed of liquid front in a microfluidic channel. The sensor consists of a longitudinal hot wire element—a two-terminal electrical device, with its length spanning the entire channel. The design, materials, fabrication method, and use of this sensor are extremely simple. Characterization results are presented.
A Hitchhiker’s guide to the techniques of adaptive nonlinear models

Abstract Adaptive nonlinear models (ANMs) are currently being proposed for use in actuarial and financial modeling. The techniques of these models included such things as neural networks and genetic algorithms. While there is a general awareness of the nature of these ANM techniques, there is often only vague familiarity with the details of how these techniques are implemented. This article is intended to help alleviate this situation. Its purpose is to present an overview of ANM techniques, which includes an explanation of what they are, how they work, and a description of their key features.
Psoriatic involvement of the temporomandibular joint

An unusual case of bilateral psoriatic involvement of the temporomandibular joints with severe ankylosis is reported. A second case describing the typical destructive changes more commonly reported is presented for comparison.
A Logger system based on web services

The Logger System described in this article is a general purpose set of component interfaces for logging data in a distributed, heterogeneous computing environment. Fundamentally, it serves as an intermediary between log artifact producers and log artifact consumers. It is designed to virtualize existing logging systems including the z/OS® System Logger, Microsoft Windows® event logging, and the UNIX® syslog facility. The Logger System is outlined using the conventions defined in the recently released Web Services Resource Framework (WSRF) and provides an example of how this framework might be used to define a meta-OS (operating system) for grid computing.
pHocal adhesion kinase regulation is on a FERM foundation

Increases in intracellular pH (pHi) occur upon integrin receptor binding to matrix proteins and in tumor cells. In this issue, Choi et al. (2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201308034) show that pHi increase activates FAK by causing deprotonation of histidine 58 in its FERM (band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, moesin) homology domain, which exposes a region important for FAK autophosphorylation. This model of FAK activation could contribute to motility of tumor cells by promoting focal adhesion turnover.
The impact of computer graphics on mechanical engineering education at the Ohio State University

Abstract Three years ago, The Ohio State University began to incorporate computer graphics into the regular undergraduate and graduate curriculum in Mechanical Engineering. This required the establishment of a graphics facility dedicated to Mechanical Engineering and changes in course structure to use the facility. This paper describes the formulation of the graphics laboratory, changes made to integrate computer graphics and computer aided design into several courses, and the favorable impact this has had on the curriculum.
Short-Form Ron Promotes Spontaneous Breast Cancer Metastasis through Interaction with Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase:

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) have been the subject of intense investigation due to their widespread deregulation in cancer and the prospect of developing targeted therapeutics against these proteins. The Ron RTK has been implicated in tumor aggressiveness and is a developing target for therapy, but its function in tumor progression and metastasis is not fully understood. We examined Ron activity in human breast cancers and found striking predominance of an activated Ron isoform known as short-form Ron (sfRon), whose function in breast tumors has not been explored. We found that sfRon plays a significant role in aggressiveness of breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. sfRon expression was sufficient to convert slow-growing, nonmetastatic tumors into rapidly growing tumors that spontaneously metastasized to liver and bones. Mechanistic studies revealed that sfRon promotes epithelialmesenchymal transition, invasion, tumor growth, and metastasis through interaction with p85, the regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). Inhibition of PI3K activity, or introduction of a single mutation in the p85 docking site on sfRon, completely eliminated the ability of sfRon to promote tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. These findings reveal sfRon as an important new player in breast cancer and validate Ron and PI3K as therapeutic targets in this disease.
Molecular imaging of water binding state and diffusion in breast cancer using diffuse optical spectroscopy and diffusion weighted MRI.

Tissue water content and molecular microenvironment can provide important intrinsic contrast for cancer imaging. In this work, we examine the relationship between water optical spectroscopic features related to binding state and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-measured water diffusion dynamics. Broadband diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI) and MR images were obtained from eight patients with locally-advanced infiltrating ductal carcinomas (tumor size ¼ 5.5 � 3.2 cm). A DOSI-derived bound water index (BWI) was compared to the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of diffusion weighted (DW) MRI. BWI and ADC were positively correlated (R ¼ 0.90, p-value ¼ 0.003) and BWI and ADC both decreased as the bulk water content increased (R ¼ −0.81 and −0.89, respectively). BWI correlated inversely with tumor size (R ¼ −0.85, p-value ¼ 0.008). Our results suggest underlying sensitivity differences between BWI and ADC to water in different tissue compart- ments (e.g., extracellular vs cellular). These data highlight the potential complementary role of DOSI and DW-MRI in providing detailed information on the molecular disposition of water in breast tumors. Because DOSI is a portable technology that can be used at the bedside, BWI may provide a low-cost measure of tissue water properties related to breast cancer biology. © 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). (DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.7.071304)
Systemic levels of G-CSF and interleukin-6 determine the angiogenic potential of bone marrow resident monocytes

There is considerable interest in the potential of cell-based approaches to mediate therapeutic angiogenesis for acute and chronic vascular syndromes. Using a mouse model of HLI, we showed previously that adoptive transfer of a small number of donor monocytes enhanced revascularization significantly. Herein, we provide data suggesting that the BM resident monocytes sense systemic signals that influence their future functional capacity. Specifically, following induction of distant ischemia, the angiogenic capacity of BM resident monocytes is reduced markedly. We provide evidence that G-CSF and IL-6 represent such "conditioning" signals. Systemic levels of G-CSF and IL-6 are increased significantly following induction of HLI. Accordingly, BM resident monocytes from ischemic mice exhibited increased pSTAT3 and STAT3 target gene expression. Finally, G-CSFR(-/-) and IL-6(-/-) mice were resistant to the deleterious effects of ischemic conditioning on monocyte angiogenic potential. RNA expression profiling suggested that ischemia-conditioned monocytes in the BM up-regulate the well-described M2 polarization markers Chi3l4 and Lrg1. Consistent with this observation, M2-skewed monocytes from SHIP(-/-) mice also had impaired angiogenic capacity. Collectively, these data show that G-CSF and IL-6 provide signals that determine the angiogenic potential of BM resident monocytes.
The association of the effect of lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder with lithium plasma levels: a post hoc analysis of a double-blind study comparing switching to lithium or placebo in patients who responded to quetiapine (Trial 144).

Nolen WA, Weisler RH. The association of the effect of lithium in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder with lithium plasma levels: a post hoc analysis of a double-blind study comparing switching to lithium or placebo in patients who responded to quetiapine (Trial 144). Bipolar Disord 2012: 15: 100-109. (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Objectives: There is no robust proof that the efficacy of lithium in the prevention of manic and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder depends on its plasma level. This analysis aimed to compare the effect of lithium within the presumed therapeutic range of 0.61.2 mEq/L and below 0.6 mEq/L with that of placebo. Methods: We carried out a post hoc analysis of a double-blind trial in which patients aged >= 18 years with bipolar I disorder (DSM-IV) who had achieved stabilization from a manic, depressive, or mixed episode during open-label treatment with quetiapine were randomized to continue quetiapine or to switch to lithium or placebo for up to 104 weeks. Of patients randomized to lithium, 201 obtained median lithium levels between 0.6 and 1.2 mEq/L, and 137 obtained median lithium levels
Procedural improvements for in vitro production of viable uterine stage caprine embryos

Efforts to improve proportions of caprine immature oocytes developing into viable uterine-stage embryos in vitro involved study of 1924 oocytes in experiments designed to examine influences of fertilization media, sperm incubation temperatures, sperm treatment procedures, different protein supplementations, and different insemination intervals. Oocytecumulus complexes (OCCs) were matured during 27 h in TCM-199 supplemented with 20% FBS, 100 pug LH ml- ‘, 0.5 pg FSH ml-‘, and 1 pg Estradiol-17-P ml-’ at 38.5”C in a humidified 5% CO,, 5% O,, and 90% N, atmosphere. Freshly collected sperm were washed and incubated at either 22°C or 38.5”C for 5 h and then treated with either 0.1 PM calcium ionophore A23187 for 1 min, or with 7.35 mM calcium lactate in the presence of oocytes during the insemination interval, or with 100 pg heparin +2 mM caffeineml -’ for 15 min. ‘The interval for insemination was experimentally varied, i.e. 14 or 24 h. Results showed that: (a) when used as a fertilization medium mDM supported more blastocyst development than TALP (10.5% vs. O%, P when oocytes were inseminated with sperm incubated in mDM with 20% FBS and capacitated with calcium lactate more embryos reached the blastocyst stage (P 0.05). Three morulae resulting from the best conditions in this work (FBS, calcium lactate, 14 h insemination) were transferred into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum of a recipient and two normal female kids were born after normal gestation. This is the first report in which it has been possible to consistently take caprine development to the blastocyst stage in vitro, and to obtain offspring following uterine transfer. Methodology reported here should facilitate implementation of new reproductive and genetic strategies in goat breeding.
Birthdates of neurons in induced microgyria

Freezing injury to the cortical plate of the newborn rat results in the formation of a focal region of cerebrocortical microdysgenesis resembling, in many ways, human 4-layered microgyria. Previous research has shown that neurons born during embryonic day (E) 20 migrate through the initial damage and take their place in the cell-dense layer of the microgyric lesion. The current study was conducted to determine: (1) whether neurons generated earlier in development would be found in microgyric cortex; and (2) whether the freezing injury would stimulate production of neurons postnatally. Rat pups from mothers who were injected with S-phase markers on E15, E17, E19, and E21 were subjected to freezing injury of the cortex to induce microgyria on postnatal day (P) 1. Other pups received a freezing lesion and then pulse or cumulative injections of S-phase markers for the next 72 h. Neurons born on E17 and E19 were found scattered throughout the cell-dense layer of the microgyric cortex. Early (E15) generated neurons were nearly absent in the microgyric cortex, and there was no evidence of postnatal induction of cortical neurogenesis. These results are considered in light of recent work demonstrating postnatal neocortical neurogenesis in response to early neocortical injury.
Cross-presentation of Disialoganglioside GD3 to Natural Killer T Cells

GD3, a ganglioside expressed on human melanoma, can be recognized by the humoral immune system. In this paper, we demonstrate that immunizing mice with the human melanoma cell line SK-MEL-28 (GD3+ GM2- CD1-) or with syngeneic APCs loaded with GD3 can induce a GD3-reactive natural killer T (NKT) cell response. GD3-reactive NKT cells were detected among splenocytes of immunized mice at frequencies of approximately 1:2000 both by ELISPOT and GD3-loaded mouse CD1d tetramer analysis. GD3-reactive NKT cells did not react with GM2, a closely related ganglioside, and were not detectable in unimmunized mice. GD3-reactive NKT cells initially produced IL-4 and IFN-gamma followed by IL-10. They were CD1d restricted in that reactivity was abrogated when APCs were blocked with anti-CD1d monoclonal antibody before being loaded with GD3 or when APCs from CD1d knockout mice were used. Because SK-MEL-28 does not express any isoform of human CD1, GD3 must be cross-presented by murine APCs in vivo. This is the first analysis of a natural ligand for mouse NKT cells and the first definitive paper of cross-presentation to NKT cells. This could be a mechanism for NKT cell recognition of tumor gangliosides in CD1- tumors.
Enzyme Inhibition by Allosteric Capture of an Inactive Conformation

All members of the human herpesvirus protease (HHV Pr) family are active as weakly associating dimers but inactive as monomers. A small-molecule allosteric inhibitor of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus protease (KSHV Pr) traps the enzyme in an inactive monomeric state where the C-terminal helices are unfolded and the hydrophobic dimer interface is exposed. NMR titration studies demonstrate that the inhibitor binds to KSHV Pr monomers with low micromolar affinity. A 2.0-A-resolution X-ray crystal structure of a C-terminal truncated KSHV Pr-inhibitor complex locates the binding pocket at the dimer interface and displays significant conformational perturbations at the active site, 15 A from the allosteric site. NMR and CD data suggest that the small molecule inhibits human cytomegalovirus protease via a similar mechanism. As all HHV Prs are functionally and structurally homologous, the inhibitor represents a class of compounds that may be developed into broad-spectrum therapeutics that allosterically regulate enzymatic activity by disrupting protein-protein interactions.
Linking Genetics to Structural Biology: Complex Heterozygosity Screening with Actin Alanine Scan Alleles Identifies Functionally Related Surfaces on Yeast Actin

Previous genome-level genetic interaction screens with the single essential actin gene of yeast identified 238 nonessential genes that upon deletion result in deleterious, digenic complex haploinsufficiences with an actin null allele. Deletion alleles of these 238 genes were tested for complex heterozygous interactions with 32 actin alanine scan alleles, which target clusters of residues on the surface of actin. A total of 891 deleterious digenic combinations were identified with 203 of the 238 genes. Two-dimensional hierarchical cluster analysis of the interactions identified nine distinct groups, and the alleles within clusters tended to affect localized regions on the surface of actin. The mutants in one cluster all affect electrostatic interactions between stacked subunits in the long pitch helix of the actin filament. A second cluster that contains the most highly interactive alleles may disrupt the tropomyosin/myosin system, as one of the mutants in that cluster cannot support Type V myosin-dependent movement of secretory vesicles in haploids and causes processivity defects in heterozygous diploids. These examples suggest the clusters represent mutations with shared protein−protein interaction defects. These results show that complex heterozygous interaction screens have benefit for detecting actin-related genes and suggest that having actin filaments of mixed composition, containing both mutant and wild-type subunits, presents unique challenges to the cell.
Ileocolonic transfer of solid chyme in small intestinal neuropathies and myopathies

The aims of this study were to assess gastric emptying, small bowel transit and colonic filling in patients with motility disorders, with particular attention to the patterns of colonic filling. Gastrointestinal transit was assessed using a previously validated radiolabeled mixed meal. Fourteen patients with clinical and manometric features of chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction & classified as intestinal neuropathy and 6 as intestinal myopathy, were studied. The results were compared with those from 10 healthy controls studied similarly. Gastric emptying and small bowel transit of solids were significantly slower in both groups of patients than in healthy controls (P less than 0.05). In health, the ileocolonic transit of solid chyme was characterized by intermittent bolus transfers. The mean size of boluses transferred to the colon (expressed as a percentage of ingested radiolabel) was significantly less (P less than 0.05) in patients with intestinal myopathy (10% +/- 4% (SEM)] than in healthy controls (25% +/- 4%) or in patients with intestinal neuropathy (25% +/- 4%). The intervals between bolus transfer of solids (plateaus in the colonic filling curve) were longer (P less than 0.05) in myopathies (212 +/- 89 minutes) than in health (45 +/- 7 minutes) or neuropathies (53 +/- 11 minutes). Thus, gastric emptying and small bowel transit were delayed in small bowel neuropathies and myopathies. Bolus filling of the colon was less frequent and less effective in patients with myopathic intestinal pseudoobstruction, whereas bolus transfer was preserved in patients with neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction.
Folate Receptor–Targeted Polymeric Micellar Nanocarriers for Delivery of Orlistat as a Repurposed Drug against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a recalcitrant malignancy with no available targeted therapy. Off-target effects and poor bioavailability of the FDA-approved antiobesity drug orlistat hinder its clinical translation as a repurposed new drug against TNBC. Here, we demonstrate a newly engineered drug formulation for packaging orlistat tailored to TNBC treatment. We synthesized TNBC-specific folate receptor-targeted micellar nanoparticles (NP) carrying orlistat, which improved the solubility (70-80 μg/mL) of this water-insoluble drug. The targeted NPs also improved the delivery and bioavailability of orlistat to MDA-MB-231 cells in culture and to tumor xenografts in a nude mouse model. We prepared HEA-EHA copolymer micellar NPs by copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA) and 2-ethylhexylacrylate (EHA), and functionalized them with folic acid and an imaging dye. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of TNBC cells indicated a dose-dependent increase in apoptotic populations in cells treated with free orlistat, orlistat NPs, and folate-receptor-targeted Fol-HEA-EHA-orlistat NPs in which Fol-HEA-EHA-orlistat NPs showed significantly higher cytotoxicity than free orlistat. In vitro analysis data demonstrated significant apoptosis at nanomolar concentrations in cells activated through caspase-3 and PARP inhibition. In vivo analysis demonstrated significant antitumor effects in living mice after targeted treatment of tumors, and confirmed by fluorescence imaging. Moreover, folate receptor-targeted Fol-DyLight747-orlistat NP-treated mice exhibited significantly higher reduction in tumor volume compared to control group. Taken together, these results indicate that orlistat packaged in HEA-b-EHA micellar NPs is a highly promising new drug formulation for TNBC therapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(2); 221-31. ©2015 AACR.
An epidemiologic study of squash injuries

A retrospective investigation of squash-related injuries incurred at a private and a public club in New York was undertaken to gain insight into the incidence and nature of such injuries. Telephone interviews were conducted with 200 randomly selected individuals to obtain their entire injury history.Sixty-nine of the 155 squash players contacted sustained injuries during their participation. Some had multiple injuries. This resulted in an overall injury rate of 44.5%. Strains and sprains accounted for over one- third of the injuries. Nearly one-half of the injuries involved the lower extremity, with the ankle and lower leg being injured most often. Forty-seven percent of the injuries seen were considered disabling because the patients were out of action for more than two weeks after injury.Players over the age of 40 are at increased risk for injury, as are newcomers to the game. Increased injury rates were also associated with an increased frequency of play among females. Only rarely will an injured squas...
Simultaneous Retiming and Placement for Pipelined Netlists

Although pipelining or C-slowing an FPGA-based application can potentially dramatically improve the performance, this poses a question for conventional reconfigurable architectures and CAD tools: what is the best way to support these new extra registers? While there have been multiple research efforts to address this problem, they generally impose strict architectural requirements, offer limited retiming capabilities, or require multiple iterations with no guarantees regarding feasible implementations. In this paper we introduce a new simulated annealing-based placement and retiming approach that provides the capability to aggressive apply retiming on a wide range of netlists, for arbitrary architectures, while maintaining predictable results. Our results show that for heavily pipelined applications, this methodology can produce netlists and placements with 1.65x better post-routing critical path delay as compared to the classical approach of retiming before timing-driven VPR placement, and 1.08x better than retiming before our improved timing-driven placer.
Description of the Egg of Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) Using Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscopy

ABSTRACT The egg of Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus (Theobald) is described with the aid of variable pressure scanning electron micrographs. The egg is black, cigar shaped, and tapers ventrally. The length is ≈591 µm and the width is ≈172 µm. The outer chorionic cells are irregular in shape, either hexagonal or pentagonal, and decrease in size toward the anterior and posterior poles. Ventral tubercles typically range from three to six and contact the chorionic reticulum. Dorsal tubercles contain two large tubercles with small oval-shaped tubercles grouped around them. A large thread-shaped tubercle extends from this grouping either as a single tubercle or as a series of connected tubercles. The micropylar collar is low and discontinuous and is seldom complete. This description will aid researchers in the identification of this invasive vector species.
NinaC: NinaC gene product (D. melanogaster)

The NinaC kinase domain is followed by a domain homologous to the head region of the myosin heavy chain. The myosin head domains of p132 and p174 are linked to tails of 82 and 448 amino acids that are identical for the first 28 amino acids and differ by the C-terminal 54 and 420 amino acids. It has been proposed that the role of the kinase domain is to regulate other rhabdomeric proteins important in phototransduction, and that the myosin domain has three distinct roles: the first is to transport the linked kinase domain into the rhabdomeres, so that it can access its rhabdomeric substrates; a second is to maintain the structure of the rhabdomere during periods of illumination; and a third role is to carry another unlinked protein important in phototransduction into the rhabdomeres.
Nanoscopic imaging of energy transfer from single plasmonic particles to semiconductor substrates via STEM/EELS

Localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs), the collective oscillations of conduction electrons in metallic nanoparticles, can produce intense near-fields at the resonance wavelengths. Plasmonic nanoparticles have been incorporated in the design of photovoltaic (PV) and photocatalytic devices, where they have been shown to enhance solar energy harvesting efficiency. Research has shown that the addition of plasmonic nanoparticles improves the efficiency of solar light harvesting via one or more of the following mechanisms1: (1) LSPR excitation leads to an increase in path length for incoming light via scattering, thereby increasing light absorption by the semiconductors; (2) energy transfer from the decay of an LSPR directly creates an electron-hole pair in the semiconductor, a process known as plasmon-induced resonant energy transfer (PIRET). Its efficiency relies on the overlap between the LSPR emission and the band gap absorption of the semiconductor2; (3) direct electron transfer (DET) from the nanoparticle to a semiconductor, in which an LSPR decays, through Landau damping, into a “hot” electron that may then scatter into the semiconductor if it has sufficient energy to overcome the Schottky barrier formed at the interface3. Mechanism (1) is only effective for photon energies above the band gap, while mechanism (2) and (3) involve photons with energies below or above the band gap, therefore, are of particular interest and importance. However, despite its importance, little is known about how PIRET and DET operate at the nanoscale, particularly at the level of a single nanoparticle.
Complexity Dichotomy for Counting Problems

I would like to report on some significant progress in the study of the exact complexity of counting problems. Specifically I will describe the classification program of counting complexity of locally specified problems. This classification program is advanced in three interrelated frameworks: Graph Homomorphisms, Counting CSP, and Holant Problems. In each formulation, complexity dichotomy theorems have been achieved which classify every problem in a given class to be either solvable in polynomial time or #P-hard.
Performance of Determine Combo and other point-of-care HIV tests among Seattle MSM

Abstract Background and objective The rapid test study was a real-time comparison of point-of-care (POC) HIV tests to determine their abilities to detect early HIV infection. Study design Men and transgender persons reporting sex with men in the prior year were recruited at the Public Health—Seattle & King County STD Clinic, Gay City Health Project, and University of Washington Primary Infection Clinic. Study tests included the OraQuick ADVANCE Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test performed on oral fluids and tests performed on fingerstick whole blood specimens including OraQuick, Uni-Gold Recombigen HIV test, Determine HIV-1/2 Ag/Ab Combo, and INSTI HIV-1 Rapid Antibody Test. Specimens from subjects with negative results were sent for EIA and nucleic acid amplification testing. McNemar's exact tests compared the numbers of HIV-infected subjects detected. Results Between February 2010 and August 2014, there were 3438 study visits. Twenty-four subjects had discordant POC results with at least one reactive and one non-reactive test, including one subject with a reactive Determine p24 antigen. OraQuick performed on oral fluids identified fewer persons compared to all fingerstick tests. OraQuick performed on fingerstick whole blood detected fewer persons compared to the Determine Combo antibody component ( p =.008) and Combo overall ( p =.004), and there was a trend when compared to INSTI ( p =.06). The Determine Combo specificity was 98.99%. Conclusions As reported by others, Determine Combo underperforms compared to laboratory-based testing, but it did detect one acute infection. If these results are validated, the specificity of Determine Combo may limit its usefulness in populations with lower HIV incidence.
An Adaptive Split-Merge Scheme for Uncertainty Propagation using Gaussian Mixture Models

A novel adaptive scheme is presented in order to refine and to coarse the number of Gaussian components in a Gaussian mixture and it is integrated with a previous adaptive Gaussian sum for uncertainty propagation through dynamical systems. The previously presented adaptive Gaussian sum for uncertainty propagation adapts the weights of different components under the assumption that the number of Gaussian components remains constant during propagation. In this work, this assumption is relaxed using a component refining and coarsening scheme. The scheme is based on an iterative split-merge procedure which selects the mixand with the largest contribution to the uncertainty propagation error and splits it along the direction with most nonlinear dynamics. Merging is driven by the approximation error of two Gaussian components with a single Gaussian density function. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the concept of adapting the number of Gaussian components during propagation.
Chemical constituents of Acanthopanax gracilistylus

Object To study the chemical constituents of Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith as the purpose of study continually on plants of Acanthopanax (Decne. et Planch.) Miq. Methods The leaves, roots, and stem barks of A. gracilistylus were extracted with hot MeOH and steam distillation respectively, and then, separated and purified by column chromatographies on Diaion HP-20P, Chromatorex ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and silica gel. All compounds were identified on the basis of chemical and spectral analysis including GC-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, MS and IR, or comparison with the reported data. Results Six compounds were obtained from the roots of A. gracilistylus. They are (-)-pimara-9 (11), 15-dien-19-oic acid (Ⅰ), (-)-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (Ⅱ), d-sesamin (Ⅲ), stigmasterol (Ⅳ), β-sitosterol (Ⅴ), and eleutheroside B (Ⅵ). Conclusion Compounds Ⅰ, Ⅳ, and Ⅴ are obtained from this plant for the first time.
Modeling and Simulation of Hybrid Excitation Doubly Salient Motor Based on the Ideal Linearized Inductance

The hybrid excitation doubly salient motor(HEDSM)is a new type of speed regulating one. The study on HEDSM use the ideal linearized inductance model instead of nonlinear inductance,and the simulation example will be shown with its mathematics model of voltage and torque and mechanical movement and position signal. The simulation results are reasonable for the future laid the foundation for in-depth study.
Refractive errors in children

Optical correction of refractive errors in infants and young children is indicated when the refractive errors are sufficiently large to cause unilateral or bilateral amblyopia, if they are impairing the child's ability to function normally, or if the child has accommodative strabismus. Screening for refractive errors is important and should be performed as part of the annual physical examination in all verbal children. Screening for significant refractive errors in preverbal children is more difficult; however, the red reflex test of Bruckner is useful for the detection of anisometropic refractive errors. The photorefraction test, which is an adaptation of Bruckner's red reflex test, may prove to be a useful screening device for detecting bilateral as well as unilateral refractive errors. Objective testing as well as subjective testing enables ophthalmologists to prescribe proper optical correction for refractive errors for infants and children of any age.
Essential Components of the Success of Parker’s Reforms

Because our core model is one of corruption reform as an equilibrium selection problem, it is important to analyze in detail the conditions that we believe helped William Parker, acting as what we call an “institutional entrepreneur,” to move from a high-corruption to a low-corruption equilibrium. In this chapter, we identify, and then explore in detail, four such conditions: internal contestability, external contestability, values, and media. These conditions are not discussed in abstract terms. Instead, for example, with regards to the first condition, we examine in detail the particulars of governance in California in the 1930s,’ 40s, and’ 50s that promoted internal governmental contestability. We attempt to provide the same level of specificity with regards to all of our four conditions.
Skills and knowledge-based entrepreneurship: evidence from US cities

ABSTRACTSkills and knowledge-based entrepreneurship: evidence from US cities. Regional Studies. This paper explores the association between human capital and knowledge-based entrepreneurship. While the existing literature mostly focuses on education-based human capital, this paper adopts a skills-based human capital approach and examines the associations between various types of labour market skills and high-technology entrepreneurship in US metropolitan regions. Spatial regression results show that cognitive, technical, problem-solving, social and managerial skills are positively associated with high-technology start-up activity. Additionally, these skills also play moderating roles in turning university research into entrepreneurial activity in knowledge-based regional economies. This research contributes to the search for regional entrepreneurship policy from a skills-enhancing perspective.
Elevated APE1 Mediates Dysregulation of Homologous Recombination in Myeloma: Mechanisms and Translational Significance

We have previously shown that elevated homologous recombination (HR) activity mediates genomic instability and progression in myeloma. Moreover, elevated HR also plays critical role in tumor growth by contributing to telomere maintenance and other survival mechanisms. We have now investigated molecular mechanisms driving dysregulated HR in MM. We observe that elevated apurinic apyrimidic endonuclease 1 (APE1) significantly contributes to dysregulation of HR, directly through transcriptional control of RAD51 as well as indirectly through its ability to induce DNA breaks. The transgenic suppression using APE1-specifc shRNA inhibits RAD51 expression, HR activity, and genomic instability as measured by SNP array profile in MM cells; whereas its induction leads to increased RAD51 expression, HR activity, genomic instability and oncogenic transformation in normal human cells. We have further investigated how APE1, a base excision repair protein, regulates RAD51, the key component of HR in myeloma and evaluated a novel small molecule inhibitor of APE1 for its impact on HR and associated genomic instability. Using an antibody array we observed that APE1 physically interacts with p73, a known transcriptional regulator of RAD51. To demonstrate that APE1 and P73 interact with RAD51 promoter in MM cells, we conducted chromatin immunoprecipitation (chip) assays and observed both P73 and APE1 binding to adjacent loci on RAD51 promoter. Taken together, these data suggest that elevated APE1 induces RAD51 expression through its interaction with P73. We next evaluated effect of a small molecule inhibitor specifically targeting nuclease function of APE1 in MM cells, and observed that it inhibits RAD51 expression, RAD51 foci, HR activity and reduces DNA breaks as assessed by g-H2AX levels on western blotting. The suppression of APE1 by this small molecule was associated with significant loss of RAD51 promoter activity, as assessed by a RAD51-promoter driven luciferase construct, as well as reduced RAD51 transcript levels. As APE1 is required for DNA repair which plays a critical part in development of drug resistance, we evaluated if APE1 inhibitor can help sensitize MM cells to DNA damaging agents. To investigate this we pretreated RPMI8226 and LR5 MM cells with the small molecule inhibitor of APE1 and then exposed them to various concentrations of melphalan for 48 hrs and cell viability and growth assessed. Pretreatment with APE1 inhibitor not only sensitized RPMI8226 cells to melphalan but also resistant LR5 cell line. These observations suggest that elevated APE1 is a critical target to induce DNA damage or overcome certain type of resistance possibly driven by repair mechanisms. In summary, we conclude that elevated APE1 is a critical intermediate for dysregulated HR and associated genomic instability, and small molecule inhibitor of APE1 has potential to reduce genomic instability, prevent/delay progression and improve clinical outcome in MM. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Integrating full-duplex capabilities in heterogeneous spectrum sharing systems

Driven by rapid growth in wireless demand, spectrum sharing has recently been the focus of extensive research. A common concern is how to address coexistence-related interference, especially when the involved systems operate under different protocols. In this paper, we outline a framework for exploiting full-duplex (FD) capabilities to support coexistence in a heterogeneous spectrum sharing environment. Besides the traditional simultaneous transmission/reception (STAR) mode, we advocate a simultaneous transmission and sensing (STAS) mode that allows for rapid interference detection and migration to other channels. Specific examples of LTE-U/Wi-Fi coexistence and opportunistic (primary/secondary) access are used to demonstrate the idea.
Prevention of Enteric Diseases

Estimates of diarrheal disease mortality suggest that at least 2 million persons succumb annually to diarrhea, and in countless others, the infections aggravate malnutrition and its attendant ills. Though enteric diseases are nearly always spread by the fecal-oral route, prevention of enteric illness by improvement of water and food quality is impractical in most developing countries. Yet, the diversity of enteric pathogens presents a formidable obstacle to prevention by more specific means, such as vaccination. We would argue, however, that for certain specific infections, immunization is both feasible and the most efficient means of prevention. Calculations of disease burden can assist in identifying problems for which specific interventions should be pursued. We review four enteric infections for which vaccine development strategies have received wide attention. However, in none of these cases is a cheap and effective vaccine yet available.
The Biological Basis to Personality Disorders

Objective To provide understanding into the biological basis of thinking and behavior in people with personality disorders, explain anatomic findings, and appraise therapeutic options. Data sources PubMed was searched with no date restrictions using the terms personality disorders DSM-5, cluster B personality disorders, biological psychiatry of personality disorders, neurobiology of personality disorders, and neurobiology of cluster B personality disorders. Study selection/data extraction We identified 2,790 English-language articles and utilized 18 in this report. Results There are anatomic features typical to the brains of individuals with cluster B personality disorders, for example, abnormalities in the superior frontal cortex and amygdala and enlarged striatal volumes. Emotional dysregulation and impulsiveness are 2 prominent symptoms. Hereditary factors may contribute to the development of such conditions. Conclusion Understanding the neurobiology of cluster B personality disorders expands knowledge that hopefully results in better clinical management and development of improved treatments. Psychotherapy is currently the most effective intervention for borderline personality disorders. Symptomatic pharmacotherapies may be prescribed adjunctively on an individualized basis if clinically indicated (eg, with a coexistant depression).
Violence in capitalism: devaluing life in an age of responsibility

James Tyner’s Violence in Capitalism takes on conventional understandings of the nature of violence to argue that the biopolitics of a capitalist mode of production strongly shape what counts as vi...
Disassembly of the Staphylococcus aureus hibernating 100S ribosome by an evolutionarily conserved GTPase

The bacterial hibernating 100S ribosome is a poorly understood form of the dimeric 70S particle that has been linked to pathogenesis, translational repression, starvation responses, and ribosome turnover. In the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and most other bacteria, hibernation-promoting factor (HPF) homodimerizes the 70S ribosomes to form a translationally silent 100S complex. Conversely, the 100S ribosomes dissociate into subunits and are presumably recycled for new rounds of translation. The regulation and disassembly of the 100S ribosome are largely unknown because the temporal abundance of the 100S ribosome varies considerably among different bacterial phyla. Here, we identify a universally conserved GTPase (HflX) as a bona fide dissociation factor of the S. aureus 100S ribosome. The expression levels hpf and hflX are coregulated by general stress and stringent responses in a temperature-dependent manner. While all tested guanosine analogs stimulate the splitting activity of HflX on the 70S ribosome, only GTP can completely dissociate the 100S ribosome. Our results reveal the antagonistic relationship of HPF and HflX and uncover the key regulators of 70S and 100S ribosome homeostasis that are intimately associated with bacterial survival.
The transmutation of silver into gold

Throughout the ages, man has been intrigued by the idea of transmuting base metals into the ‘king of metals’. Stephen H. Emmens, a late 19th-century scientist and entrepreneur, living and working in America, claimed to have transmuted silver into gold by his socalled Argentaurum process. His work in this area and his exchange of correspondence with the eminent scientist Sir William Crookes make fascinating additions to the recent history of transmutation.
Brain protein phosphorylation in vitro: Selective substrate action of insulin

Abstract Insulin action on [32P]-phosphate incorporation into brain membranes was determined. Hippocampal homogenate tissue was phosphorylated with [32P]-ATP, and insulin was introduced at various times before or after ATP addition. With 50μM Mg++ in the medium, insulin selectively stimulated the phosphorylation of a 47kD phosphoprotein, Protein Fl. This effect required the prior presence of ATP. No effect of insulin on other phosphoproteins, or on [32P]-phosphate incorporation into TCA-precipitated material, was observed under these conditions. At 1mM Mg++, insulin selectively decreased the phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Insulin had no effect on other phosphoproteins, or on [32P]-phosphate incorporation into TCA-precipitated material under these conditions. The present study suggests a role for insulin in the modulation of brain protein phosphorylation. Since Protein Fl is phosphorylated by exogenous C kinase, and is likely the CNS-specific B-50 protein, these data also indicate a brain-specific function for insulin, possibly by action on a Ca++/phospholipid protein kinase.
Evaluating CTT- and IRT-Based Single-Administration Estimates of Classification Consistency and Accuracy

The percentage of examinees who are classified consistently and accurately into the proficiency levels is an important measurement property of the tests that are used to classify the candidates. Given the suspected discrepancies between the classical test theory (CTT)- and item response theory (IRT)-based single-administration decision consistency and accuracy (DC/DA) estimates, these two approaches were evaluated for accuracy and robustness in various simulated conditions by varying the test length, ability distribution, and the degree of local item dependence (LID). The CTT-based Livingston–Lewis method was found underestimating the DC indices across all conditions and more sensitive to the short tests and skewed ability distributions. The IRT-based Lee method had small biases in most conditions except a high degree of LID. The violation of LID had a much greater negative effect on the DA estimate than on the DC estimate with both methods.