cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Human Telomerase Holoenzyme Protein Required for Cajal Body Localization and Telomere Synthesis

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex that synthesizes telomere repeats in tissue progenitor cells and cancer cells. Active human telomerase consists of at least three principal subunits, including the telomerase reverse transcriptase, the telomerase RNA (TERC), and dyskerin. Here, we identify a holoenzyme subunit, TCAB1 (telomerase Cajal body protein 1), that is notably enriched in Cajal bodies, nuclear sites of RNP processing that are important for telomerase function. TCAB1 associates with active telomerase enzyme, established telomerase components, and small Cajal body RNAs that are involved in modifying splicing RNAs. Depletion of TCAB1 by using RNA interference prevents TERC from associating with Cajal bodies, disrupts telomerase-telomere association, and abrogates telomere synthesis by telomerase. Thus, TCAB1 controls telomerase trafficking and is required for telomere synthesis in human cancer cells.
Corneal epithelial nuclear ferritin: developmental regulation of ferritin and its nuclear transporter ferritoid.

The corneal epithelium is exposed to reactive oxygen species that are potentially deleterious to nuclear DNA. However, our previous studies show that corneal epithelial cells have a novel, developmentally-regulated mechanism for protection from such damage that involves having the iron-sequestering molecule, ferritin, in the nucleus. Nuclear localization of ferritin is achieved through the action of a tissue-specific nuclear transporter, ferritoid, which is itself a ferritin family member. Here we show that during development ferritoid appears prior to ferritin. At this time ferritoid is cytoplasmic suggesting that its nuclear transport function requires an interaction with ferritin. To examine the developmental regulation of these two interacting components, cultured corneas were treated with the iron chelator deferoxamine. The results show that while iron-mediated translational regulation is involved in the synthesis of both molecules, ferritoid is also transcriptionally regulated, demonstrating that these family members – whose functions depend upon one another – are regulated differently.
Utilization of fixed capital and Soviet industrial growth

Growth rates of output and factor productivity in Soviet industry fluctuate around a long-term downward trend. These fluctuations can be partially explained by fluctuations in the growth of services of capital. The capacity utilization rate is taken as a proxy for the extent of utilization of capital stock. Variations in the capacity utilization rate explain a significant part of the changes in the rate of growth of total factor productivity between 1970–1983. Declines in the capacity utilization rate are caused by errors in the allocation of investment, which create an imbalance of capacities between raw-materials and manufacturing sectors.
Activation and Cross-talk between Akt, NF-κB, and Unfolded Protein Response Signaling in 1-LN Prostate Cancer Cells Consequent to Ligation of Cell Surface-associated GRP78

Binding of activated forms of the proteinase inhibitor alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M*) to cell surface-associated GRP78 on 1-LN human prostate cancer cells causes their proliferation. We have now examined the interplay between Akt activation, regulation of apoptosis, the unfolded protein response, and activation of NF-kappaB in alpha2M*-induced proliferation of 1-LN cells. Exposure of cells to alpha2M* (50 pM) induced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent activation of Akt by phosphorylation at Thr-308 and Ser-473 with a concomitant 60-80% increase in Akt-associated kinase activity. ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK were also activated, but there was only a marginal effect on JNK activation. Treatment of 1-LN cells with alpha2M* down-regulated apoptosis and promoted NF-kappaB activation as shown by increases of Bcl-2, p-Bad(Ser-136), p-FOXO1(Ser-253), p-GSK3beta(Ser-9), XIAP, NF-kappaB, cyclin D1, GADD45beta, p-ASK1(Ser-83), and TRAF2 in a time of incubation-dependent manner. alpha2M* treatment of 1-LN cells, however, showed no increase in the activation of caspase -3, -9, or -12. Under these conditions, we observed increased unfolded protein response signaling as evidenced by elevated levels of GRP78, IRE1alpha, XBP-1, ATF4, ATF6, p-PERK, p-eIF2alpha, and GADD34 and reduced levels of GADD153. Silencing of GRP78 gene expression by RNAi suppressed activation of Akt(Thr-308), Akt(Ser-473), and IkappaB kinase alpha kinase. The effects of alpha2M* on the NF-kappaB activation, antiapoptotic signaling, unfolded protein response signaling, and proapoptotic signaling were also reversed by this treatment. In conclusion, alpha2M* promotes cellular proliferation of 1-LN prostate cancer cells by activating MAPK and Akt-dependent signaling, down-regulating apoptotic signaling, and activating unfolded protein response signaling.
Role of deoxynucleotide strand age or polarity in determining asymmetric chromosome replication after thymine starvation of Escherichia coli 15T

The chromosome origin of Escherichia coli 15T− was labeled with radioactive density labels. Premature replication of such labeled DNA was measured after thymine starvation. The selection of template DNA for premature replication was found to be independent of age or polarity of the template. It is concluded that replication was symmetric or that if it involved the asymmetric utilization of the two template strands, this asymmetry was not an inherent attribute of the DNA molecule.
Ecological Cognition and Cognitive Ecology

The Ecological Cognition perspective emphasizes the fact that human cognition is adaptive to the constraints of the context of task performance. People are good at developing strategies for task performance that take advantage of the informational affordances of the task environment. Therefore, if we wish to understand human cognition, we must look beyond the skin and skull of the individual to the material and social structures with which the mind interacts. Of course, material artifacts and social arrangements are elements of adaptive processes as well. Material artifacts are often crystallizations of regularities in the task environment and they develop over time, changing adaptively to fit the constraints of the task, the properties of the task performers, and the other artifacts employed in the task performance. Such changes in the material artifacts change the informational affordances of the task environment, which creates new opportunities for the development of strategies. Thus, human cognition a...
History Strikes Back

In this synthesis, Fukuyama draws on history, archaeology, economics, and evolutionary biology to explain the course from the emergence of tribal societies to the development of political accountability in 18th-century Europe.
Preparation of high purity plutonium oxide standards for radiochemical Analysis

Abstract Due to the lack of suitable high level plutonium solution standards from a national accredited laboratory or commercial vendors, a well-characterized plutonium oxide was used to prepared radiochemistry instrument calibration standards and working standards at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). All the dilution and aliquoting steps were performed gravimetrically. The counting efficiency of a liquid scintillation counter obtained from the alpha activity of this plutonium oxide was compared to a commercial 241 Am standardized solution. The results agreed to within 0.05%. The aliquots of the plutonium standard solutions and dilutions were then sealed in glass ampules for long term storage.
P-to-S and S-to-P imaging of a sharp lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath eastern North America

[1] S-to-P (Sp) scattered energy independently confirms the existence of a seismic velocity discontinuity at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary that was previously imaged using P-to-S (Ps) scattered energy in eastern North America. Exploration of the different sensitivities of Ps and Sp scattered energy suggests that the phases contain independent yet complementary high-resolution information regarding velocity contrasts. Combined inversions of Ps and Sp energy have the potential to tightly constrain associated velocity gradients. In eastern North America, inversions of Sp and Ps data require a strong, 5–10% velocity contrast that is also sharp, occurring over less than 11 km at 87–105 km depth. Thermal gradients alone are insufficient to create such a sharp boundary, and therefore another mechanism is required. A boundary in composition, hydration, or a change in anisotropic signature could easily produce a sufficiently localized velocity gradient. Taken separately, the magnitudes of the effects of these mechanisms are too small to match our observed velocity gradients. However, our observations may be explained by a boundary in hydration coupled with a boundary in depletion and/or anisotropy. Alternatively, a small amount of melt in the asthenosphere could explain the velocity gradient. The tight constraints on velocity gradients achieved by combined modeling of Ps and Sp energy offer promise for defining the character of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary globally.
Fabrication and Characterization of Three-Dimensional Macroscopic All-Carbon Scaffolds.

Abstract We report a simple method to fabricate macroscopic, 3-D, free standing, all-carbon scaffolds (porous structures) using multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as the initial materials. The scaffolds prepared by radical initiated thermal crosslinking, and annealing of MWCNTs possess macroscale interconnected pores, robust structural integrity, stability, and electrical conductivity. The porosity of the three-dimensional structure can be controlled by varying the amount of radical initiator, thereby allowing the design of porous scaffolds tailored towards specific potential applications. This method also allows the fabrication of 3-D scaffolds using other carbon nanomaterials such as single-walled carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, and graphene indicating that it could be used as a versatile method for 3-D assembly of carbon nanostructures with pi bond networks.
Variants of the generalized KdV equation with compact and noncompact structures

Abstract In this paper, nonlinear dispersive variants of the generalized KdV equation are investigated. The compact and the noncompact physical structures are studied. Two general formulas for the focusing branch and the defocusing branch, that are of substantial interest, are formally derived.
Neutropenia and impaired neutrophil migration in type IB glycogen storage disease

The association of neutropenia with type IB glycogen storage disease was observed in siblings. Biochemical studies of liver demonstrated a defect in glucose-6-phosphate transport. Neutrophil mobilization in vivo was impaired but the bone marrow was normal histologically. In vitro studies of neutrophils indicated a defect in random and directed cell migration. The studies suggest that a role for glucose-6-phosphate transport in neutrophils should be considered.
Female faculty in male‐dominated fields: Law, medicine, and engineering

Female professors continue to face challenges in the male-dominated academic disciplines of law, medicine, and engineering.
How fathers manage when wives are hospitalized for schizophrenia: An exploratory study

Thirty-four families were studied regarding child care arrangements during the wife-mothers' hospitalization and concerning the family response to the illness. Seventy-two percent of the children were cared for in their own homes, most frequently by the father and older siblings. Equal numbers of maternal and paternal relatives assisted 16 families with child care. In only five families were children reported to have demonstrated behavior indicative of being upset because of their mother's absence. The majority of husbands felt hospitalization was a necessity; however, they doubted the efficacy of treatment and foresaw only separation or divorce as a solution to a disrupted family life.
Cratering rates on the Galilean satellites.

Abstract We exploit recent theoretical advances toward the origin and orbital evolution of comets and asteroids to obtain revised estimates for cratering rates in the jovian system. We find that most, probably more than 90%, of the craters on the Galilean satellites are caused by the impact of Jupiter-family comets (JFCs). These are comets with short periods, in generally low-inclination orbits, whose dynamics are dominated by Jupiter. Nearly isotropic comets (long period and Halley-type) contribute at the 1–10% level. Trojan asteroids might also be important at the 1–10% level; if they are important, they would be especially important for smaller craters. Main belt asteroids are currently unimportant, as each 20-km crater made on Ganymede implies the disruption of a 200-km diameter parental asteroid, a destruction rate far beyond the resources of today's asteroid belt. Twenty-kilometer diameter craters are made by kilometer-size impactors; such events occur on a Galilean satellite about once in a million years. The paucity of 20-km craters on Europa indicates that its surface is of order 10 Ma. Lightly cratered surfaces on Ganymede are nominally of order 0.5–1.0 Ga. The uncertainty in these estimates is about a factor of five. Callisto is old, probably more than 4 Ga. It is too heavily cratered to be accounted for by the current flux of JFCs. The lack of pronounced apex–antapex asymmetries on Ganymede may be compatible with crater equilibrium, but it is more easily understood as evidence for nonsynchronous rotation of an icy carapace.
A disconnection analysis of hippocampal function

A disconnection analysis determined the extent to which the fornix, hippocampus and entorhinal cortex are components of the same functional system in tasks that require working memory. Preoperatively, rats were trained to perform accurately on a radial arm maze. Then various combinations of unilateral and bilateral lesions were placed in the fornix and entorhinal cortex, either with or without a transection of the hippocampal commissures. When the lesions left intact at least one pathway through the hippocampus interconnecting the fornix and entorhinal cortex, rats performed normally. Either an uncrossed pathway (following a unilateral lesion of the fornix, transection of the hippocampal commissures, and an ipsilateral lesion of the entorhinal cortex) or a crossed pathway (following a unilateral lesion of the fornix and a contralateral lesion of the entorhinal cortex, leaving the hippocampal commissures intact) was sufficient. When the lesions produced a complete bilateral disconnection of the fornix and entorhinal cortex, rats performed poorly. The results indicate that the hippocampal system provides a functional connection between the subcortical structures associated with the fornix and the neocortical structures associated with the entorhinal cortex, and that without this connection normal processing of working memory can not occur.
Harmonic Power Flow using multi-segment frequency-dependent transmission line models

This paper introduces a Harmonic Power Flow (HPF) tool that uses frequency-dependent line models characterized by a frequency-dependent line model structure. The line model structure used is depicted by multiple lumped parameter segments, in which the line model segmentation (the number of segments) depends on the harmonic frequency being computed. The proposed HPF method employs a non-iterative power flow technique. The tool has been coded in Matlab and a test study was performed for a three-bus power system with a non-linear load injecting harmonic currents. Results of the test studies using the proposed HPF tool are compared to results obtained using a single lumped parameter segment line model (i.e. the traditional PI model) as well as using the frequency-dependent line model used in the PSCAD software. In general, the results obtained using the proposed HPF tool with frequency-dependent line model structures are closer to the results obtained using the frequency-dependent line models in PSCAD than the ones using a single-segment line model.
Axon hillocks and initial segments in spinal trigeminal nucleus with emphasis on synapses including axo-axo-axonic contacts.

As a part of a continuing study of the feline spinal trigeminal nucleus, the fine structure and synaptic arrangements on the axon hillock and axon initial segment of neurons in this region are described here. Transmission electron microscopy has been used to characterize qualitatively the axon hillock and initial segment and associated synapses in pars interpolaris. Axon hillocks and initial segments are easily identified in continuity with somata or as isolated profiles in the neuropil, and they receive synaptic contacts: these we regard as axo-axonic. The presynaptic terminals contain either mainly round or mainly flattened synaptic vesicles and have Type I (asymmetric) or Type II (symmetric) thickenings respectively at their contacts with the axon hillock or initial segment. I report here also the unusual arrangement of three separate axons in a serial synaptic complex. Some of the round vesicle Type I contacts onto the axon hillock-initial segment region also receive Type II contacts from one or more flattened vesicle terminals, thus formingan axo-axo-axonic complex. These flattened vesicle terminals lack the usual features of a presynaptic dendrite. It has been shown that in this nucleus some round vesicle terminals, especially those postsynaptic to flattened vesicle terminals, are primary afferents from the periphery. Therefore the round vesicle terminal presynaptic to the axon hillock-initial segment region, some of which are included in the axo-axo-axonic complex may also be a primary afferent directly contacting the spike generator area of the relay neuron and under presynaptic control of a flattened vesicle synapse. The latter may possibly be an intrinsic contact. This strategic situation of round vesicle terminals and the axo-axo-axonic complex at the axon hillock or initial segment has major implications relevant to the overall output of these neurons.
Curricular decision-making among public sex educators

The content of sex education in government-funded schools in the USA varies dramatically and reflects its contested nature and goals. Drawing from 50 interviews with sex educators working in the public, government-funded school system in a Midwestern US state, this study explores the processes through which sex educators decide what and how to teach. Working from the theoretical framework of argument sphere theory, and, specifically, socio-scientific controversy, we find that sex educators often resolve the competing arguments they face through processes that we call deliberative conflation and deliberative co-optation. Deliberative conflation involves the use of criteria from one or more argumentative spheres to judge evidence appropriate to a different sphere. Deliberative co-optation involves the use of discourse practices from one sphere to make arguments actually grounded in another. Both of these processes enable the reconciliation of otherwise incommensurate arguments, but they do so in ways that f...
Drinking Patterns, Gender and Health II: Predictors of Preventive Service Use.

Background: Chronic diseases and injuries are elevated among people with substance use problems/dependence, yet heavier drinkers use fewer routine and preventive health services than non-drinkers and moderate drinkers, while former drinkers and abstainers use more than moderate drinkers. Researchers hypothesize that drinking clusters with attitudes and practices that produce better health among moderate drinkers and that heavy drinkers avoid doctors until they become ill, subsequently quitting and using more services. Gender differences in alcohol consumption, health-related attitudes, practices, and prevention-services use may affect these relationships.Methods: A stratified random sample of health-plan members (7884; 2995 males, 4889 females) completed a mail survey that was linked to 24 months of health-plan records. Data were used to examine relationships between alcohol use, gender, health-related attitudes/practices, health, and prevention-service use.Results: Controlling for attitudes, practices, a...
Comparison of designs for multivariate generalized linear models

The purpose of this paper is to discuss response surface designs for multivariate generalized linear models (GLMs). Such models are considered whenever several response variables can be measured for each setting of a group of control variables, and the response variables are adequately represented by GLMs. The mean-squared error of prediction (MSEP) matrix is used to assess the quality of prediction associated with a given design. The MSEP incorporates both the prediction variance and the prediction bias, which results from using maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of the fitted linear predictor. For a given design, quantiles of a scalar-valued function of the MSEP are obtained within a certain region of interest. The quantiles depend on the unknown parameters of the linear predictor. The dispersion of these quantiles over the space of the unknown parameters is determined and then depicted by the so-called quantile dispersion graphs. An application of the proposed methodology is presented using the special case of the bivariate binary distribution.
Variability in sequential measures of left ventricular performance assessed with radionuclide angiocardiography.

Abstract The variability of left ventricular ejection fraction, normalized mean ejection rate and regional wall motion was evaluated from first pass quantitative radionuclide angiocardiograms obtained with a computerized multicrystal scintillation camera. Three radionuclide studies separated by an average of 4.3 days were obtained in each of 20 patients. Ejection fraction and ejection rate obtained on the first, second and third studies did not differ significantly. The mean (± standard deviation) variability of sequential ejection fraction measurement was 4.4 ± 3.6 percent, and of sequential ejection rate was 0.56 ± 0.47 sec −1 . Variations in measurements were not related to fluctuations in heart rate or blood pressure. Variability in ejection rate was significantly greater in patients with normal function than in those with abnormal function. Regional wall motion analysis was constant in 19 of 20 patients. Thus, sequential quantitative radionuclide angiocardiography allows reproducible serial assessment of left ventricular performance that can be performed with a low level of intrinsic variability.
The random utility model with an infinite choice space

Summary. This essay presents a measure-theoretic version of the random utility model with no substantive restrictions upon the choice space. The analysis is based upon DeFinetti's Coherency Axiom, which characterizes a set function as a finitely additive probability measure. The central result is the equivalence of the random utility maximization hypothesis and the coherency of the choice probabilities over all allowable constraint sets.
Orbital-free kinetic-energy density functionals with a density-dependent kernel

We report linear-response kinetic-energy density functionals, which show significant improvement over the Wang-Teter, Perrot, Smargiassi-Madden, Wang-Govind-Carter functionals, yet still maintain $\mathcal{O}(N\mathrm{ln}N)$ scaling. Numerical tests show that these functionals, which contain a double-density-dependent kernel, can reproduce the Kohn-Sham results almost exactly for several aluminum bulk phases. We further show that with a sensible choice of the uniform background density, energies of formation for the low-index aluminum surfaces, where the density variations are very large, can be reproduced to within reasonable accuracy.
Calcium-Regulated Differentiation of Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes in Chemically Defined Clonal Culture and Serum-Free Serial Culture

An improved serum-free culture system has been developed for normal human epidermal keratinocytes (HK). Short-term clonal growth and differentiation studies are routinely performed in a defined medium consisting of optimized nutrient medium MCDB 153 supplemented with epidermal growth factor, insulin, hydrocortisone, ethanolamine, and phosphoethanolamine. A small amount of whole bovine pituitary extract (wBPE) is added for initiation of primary cultures, for frozen storage, and for serial culture. The need for feeder layers, conditioned medium, serum, and specialized culture surfaces has been eliminated entirely. With an optimal level of calcium ion (0.3 mM), colony-forming efficiency is about 30 percent and cellular multiplication rate is 0.96 doublings per day in the defined medium. A high-calcium concentration (1.0 mM) induces stratification and terminal differentiation, which can be quantified by counting cornified envelopes that are resistant to boiling in sodium dodecyl sulfate plus dithiothreitol. Under optimal conditions with wBPE present, cellular senescence occurs after about 40 population doublings. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has verified the occurrence of stratification during differentiation in the defined medium with high calcium. High-voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) after detergent extraction of human epidermal keratinocyte (HK) colonies grown in the defined medium with low and high calcium has revealed specific changes in the intermediate filament network and keratohyalin granules corresponding to changes in cellular differentiation. Indirect immunofluorescence studies have verified that the intermediate filament network observed with HVEM is composed of keratin proteins.
Injury in aged animals robustly activates quiescent olfactory neural stem cells.

While the capacity of the olfactory epithelium (OE) to generate sensory neurons continues into middle age in mice, it is presumed that this regenerative potential is present throughout all developmental stages. However, little experimental evidence exists to support the idea that this regenerative capacity remains in late adulthood, and questions about the functionality of neurons born at these late stages remain unanswered. Here, we extend our previous work in the VNO to investigate basal rates of proliferation in the OE, as well as after olfactory bulbectomy, a commonly used surgical lesion. In addition, we show that the neural stem cell retains its capacity to generate mature olfactory sensory neurons in aged animals. Finally, we demonstrate that regardless of age, a stem cell in the OE, the horizontal basal cell (HBC), exhibits a morphological switch from a flattened, quiescent phenotype to a pyramidal, proliferative phenotype following chemical lesion in aged animals. These findings provide new insights into determining whether an HBC is active or quiescent based on a structural feature as opposed to a biochemical one. More importantly, it suggests that neural stem cells in aged mice are responsive to the same signals triggering proliferation as those observed in young mice.
Prenatal diagnosis and carrier detection by DNA analysis.

During the past 10 years, enormous strides have been made both in our ability to detect abnormal genes and in the number of genes that can be analyzed. The introduction of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a method that can enrich a region of DNA by a million-fold, enables gene diagnosis to be performed within hours instead of weeks and is moving DNA testing increasingly from the research bench to the hospital laboratory. The human genome is estimated to have about 100 000 genes, and almost 5000 of these genes have been categorized. The list of identified genes now includes those responsible for a number of relatively common genetic disorders, including cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia A, sickle cell disease, and neurofibromatosis. At the present time, more than 200 genetic diseases can be diagnosed using DNA techniques. A sample of these is shown in the Table. Inheritance of Abnormal Genes Because individuals inherit one set of chromosomes from each parent, there are two genes at each locus, with the exception of genes on the X chromosome because there is only one X chromosome in males. Disorders produced by an abnormality in only one gene are termed dominant (eg, neurofibromatosis), whereas disorders that occur only when both genes are affected are termed recessive (eg, cystic fibrosis).
Femtosecond two-beam coupling: can we measure the time for bound electrons to respond to an optical field?

Summary form only given. Two-beam coupling (TBC) with chirped pulses can be used to determine response times shorter than the chirped pulse duration. Here we explore the possibility of a direct determination of the electronic response time through measurements of two-beam coupling with pulses as short as 10 fs. We use fused silica as a model system. In numerical simulations we assume that the pulses were chirped.
Characterizing Daily Urinary Hormone Profiles for Women at Midlife Using Functional Data Analysis

The availability of daily hormone values for entire menstrual cycles offers an opportunity to apply new analytic techniques that confirm current knowledge and provide new insights into patterns of changing hormone profiles in women as they transition to the menopause. The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) collected urine samples during 1997-1999 from one menstrual cycle or up to 50 days from 848 women who live in seven cities across the United States. These samples were assayed for the urinary forms of estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. The authors used functional data analysis to study variability in the hormone patterns of 572 of the 848 pre- and early-perimenopausal women with evidence of a luteal transition. Functional data analysis enabled the authors to identify asymmetries in women's hormone patterns related to cycle length that are not captured with single hormone value comparisons. Longer cycles were characterized by increasing dyssynchrony between follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in the luteal phase.
Naess's Deep Ecology: Implications for the Human Prospect and Challenges for the Future

Abstract What sets Naess's deep ecology apart from most inquiries into environmental philosophy is that it does not seek a radical shift in fundamental values. Naess offered a utopian, life-affirming grand narrative, a new Weltanschauung that shifted the focus of inquiry to coupling values, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to behavior. The core of Naess's approach is that sustainability hinges on developing more thoroughly reasoned and consistent views, policies, and actions, which are tied back to wide-identifying ultimate norms and a rich, well-informed understanding of the state of the planet. But humans can have multiple ultimate norms and these norms sometimes conflict; our neurobiology may not be well-structured for accommodating consequences that are spatially and temporally separated and uncertain; we are governed by bounded rationality; much of human learning results from the passive modeling of unsustainable activities; and our cultures can be maladaptive, creating hurdles and perverse incen...
Evolutionary history, structural features and biochemical diversity of the NlpC/P60 superfamily of enzymes

Peptidoglycan is hydrolyzed by a diverse set of enzymes during bacterial growth, development and cell division. The N1pC/P60 proteins define a family of cell-wall peptidases that are widely represented in various bacterial lineages. Currently characterized members are known to hydrolyze D-γ-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelate or N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine linkages. Detailed analysis of the N1pC/P60 peptidases showed that these proteins define a large superfamily encompassing several diverse groups of proteins. In addition to the well characterized P60-like proteins, this superfamily includes the AcmB/LytN and YaeF/YiiX families of bacterial proteins, the amidase domain of bacterial and kinetoplastid glutathionylspermidine synthases (GSPSs), and several proteins from eukaryotes, phages, poxviruses, positive-strand RNA viruses, and certain archaea. The eukaryotic members include lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), nematode developmental regulator Egl-26, and candidate tumor suppressor H-rev107. These eukaryotic proteins, along with the bacterial YaeF/poxviral G6R family, show a circular permutation of the catalytic domain. We identified three conserved residues, namely a cysteine, a histidine and a polar residue, that are involved in the catalytic activities of this superfamily. Evolutionary analysis of this superfamily shows that it comprises four major families, with diverse domain architectures in each of them. Several related, but distinct, catalytic activities, such as murein degradation, acyl transfer and amide hydrolysis, have emerged in the N1pC/P60 superfamily. The three conserved catalytic residues of this superfamily are shown to be equivalent to the catalytic triad of the papain-like thiol peptidases. The predicted structural features indicate that the N1pC/P60 enzymes contain a fold similar to the papain-like peptidases, transglutaminases and arylamine acetyltransferases.
Production of Monoclonal Antibodies to Listeria monocytogenes and Their Application To Determine the Virulence of Isolates from Channel Catfish

We produced monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the extracellular proteins of Listeria monocytogenes EGD grown in Chelex-treated improved minimal medium. Ten of the positive hybridomas generated were chosen for further characterization. Seven of the MAbs reacted with a protein having a molecular mass of 60 kDa. These MAbs inhibited listeriolysin (LLO)-mediated hemolysis, and two of them were specific for LLO and none of the other thiol-activated toxins tested. In an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis, five of the anti-LLO MAbs reacted with ivanolysin from Listeria ivanovii. Three of the 10 MAbs reacted with a 29-kDa protein on Western blots and neutralized the phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) activity of L. monocytogenes. These three anti-PC-PLC MAbs did not react with phospholipases from five different gram-positive bacteria. However, the anti-PC-PLC MAbs recognized a 27-kDa extracellular protein from L. ivanovii and neutralized sphingomyelinase activity in a hemolysis test that demonstrates the antigenic relatedness of listerial phospholipases. These data indicate that listerial thiol-activated toxins possess species-specific epitopes and share group-specific epitopes. This is the first description of MAbs that neutralize listerial PC-PLC, and the data suggest that there is antigenic similarity between L. monocytogenes PC-PLC and L. ivanovii sphingomyelinase. The reactions of the MAbs with catfish isolates of L. monocytogenes suggested that some of the isolates examined lack the LLO and/or PC-PLC required for pathogenicity. The MAbs described here differentiated some catfish isolates from previously described type strain-pathogenic isolates and could be useful for detecting and determining the virulence of L. monocytogenes in food and clinical samples and for detecting L. ivanovii in veterinary clinical samples.
A higher order topology for interpolative modulators for oversampling A/D converters

Oversampling interpolative coding has been demonstrated to be an effective technique for high-resolution analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion that is tolerant of process imperfections. A novel topology for constructing stable interpolative modulators of arbitrary order is described. Analysis of this topology shows that with proper design of the modulator coefficients, stability is not a limitation to higher order modulators. Furthermore, complete control over placement of the poles and zeros of the quantization noise response allows treatment of the modulation process as a high-pass filter for quantization noise. Higher order modulators are shown not only to greatly reduce oversampling requirements for high-resolution conversion applications, but also to randomize the quantization noise, avoiding the need for dithering. An experimental fourth-order modulator breadboard demonstrates stability and feasibility, achieving a 90-dB dynamic range over the 20-kHz audio bandwidth with a sampling rate of 2.1 MHz. A generalized simulation software package has been developed to mimic time-domain behavior for oversampling modulators. Circuit design specifications for integrated circuit implementation can be deduced from analysis of simulated data. >
Signal processing for perpendicular recording channels with intertrack interference

Signal processing techniques for perpendicular magnetic recording channels with intertrack interference (ITI) are studied in this paper. Both single-track and joint-track equalization and detection algorithms are considered. Modified minimum mean-square error equalization methods are used to select optimum generalized partial response targets for ITI channels with either dominant additive white Gaussian noise or media noise. Simulation results show that good targets for single-track detection of ITI-free channels may not be acceptable for channels with ITI. Short targets are just slightly worse than longer targets for joint-track detection, making it possible its use in practical systems with ITI.
Quality of Information Aware Incentive Mechanisms for Mobile Crowd Sensing Systems

Recent years have witnessed the emergence of mobile crowd sensing (MCS) systems, which leverage the public crowd equipped with various mobile devices for large scale sensing tasks. In this paper, we study a critical problem in MCS systems, namely, incentivizing user participation. Different from existing work, we incorporate a crucial metric, called users' quality of information (QoI), into our incentive mechanisms for MCS systems. Due to various factors (e.g., sensor quality, noise, etc.) the quality of the sensory data contributed by individual users varies significantly. Obtaining high quality data with little expense is always the ideal of MCS platforms. Technically, we design incentive mechanisms based on reverse combinatorial auctions. We investigate both the single-minded and multi-minded combinatorial auction models. For the former, we design a truthful, individual rational and computationally efficient mechanism that approximately maximizes the social welfare with a guaranteed approximation ratio. For the latter, we design an iterative descending mechanism that achieves close-to-optimal social welfare while satisfying individual rationality and computational efficiency. Through extensive simulations, we validate our theoretical analysis about the close-to-optimal social welfare and fast running time of our mechanisms.
Oral nitrite therapy improves vascular function in diabetic mice

Aim: We tested the hypothesis that short-term oral sodium nitrite supplementation would improve vascular dysfunction in obese, diabetic mice. Methods and results: Vascular function was determined in control mice and in db/db mice receiving drinking water with or without sodium nitrite (50 mg/L) for 5 weeks. Nitrite supplementation increased plasma nitrite concentrations in db/db mice (0.19±0.02 µM vs 0.80±0.26 µM; p < 0.05). Db/db mice had lower endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) in response to increasing doses of acetylcholine versus heterozygous control mice (71.2% ± 14.3% vs 93% ± 7.0%; p < 0.05), and sodium nitrite supplementation restored endothelium-dependent dilation to control levels (92.9% ± 2.3% vs 93% ± 7.0%; p < 0.05). The improvement in endothelial function was accompanied by a reduction in intrinsic stiffness, but not by alterations in plasma or vascular markers of inflammation. Conclusion: These data suggest that sodium nitrite may be a novel therapy for treating diabetes-related vascular dysfunction; however, the mechanisms of improvement are unknown.
Flipping the Learning: An Investigation into the use of the Flipped Classroom Model in an Introductory Teaching Course

With a classroom full of millennial learners, it is essential that teacher educators adjust their pedagogy to meet their students' needs. This study explores the use of a flipped classroom model to engage preservice teachers in an Introduction to the Teaching Profession course. In addition, it explores the need for teacher education coursework to model innovative teaching strategies, such as flipped classrooms, in an effort to prepare preservice teachers for future students. Results indicated that students displayed a higher level of reflection and inquiry in their coursework and a greater number of instructional strategies were modelled within the course.
Heart failure: Lessons learned over the past 25 years

Over the past 25 years, a great deal has been learned about the pathophysiology and management of heart failure--a major health problem whose prevalence and incidence have not declined, unlike other cardiovascular disorders. Several of these lessons are reviewed herein. However, despite these advances, important issues remain to challenge both the practicing physician and the research scientist.
Validation of measures from a thoracoscopic esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula repair simulator.

Abstract Purpose A validated high fidelity simulation model would provide a safe environment to teach thoracoscopic EA/TEF repair to novices. The study purpose was to evaluate validity evidence for performance measures on an EA/TEF simulator. Methods IRB-exempt data were collected from 12 self-reported "novice" and 8 "experienced" pediatric surgeons. Participants evaluated the EA/TEF repair simulator using survey ratings that were analyzed for test content validity evidence. Additionally, deidentified operative performances were videotaped and independently rated by two surgeons using the Objective Structured Assessment for Technical Skills (OSATS) instrument. Novice and experienced OSATS were compared with p Results Participants had high overall simulator ratings. Internal structure was supported by high interitem consistency (α=.95 and .96) and interrater agreement (ICC) [.52, .84] for OSATS ratings. Experienced surgeons performed at a significantly higher level than novices for all five primary and two supplemental OSATS items (p Conclusion Favorable participant ratings indicate the simulator is relevant to clinical practice and valuable as a learning tool. Further, performance ratings can discriminate experienced and novice performances of EA/TEF repair. These findings support the use of the simulator for performance assessment, representing the first validated measures from a simulator intended for pediatric surgical training.
A History of Interpersonal Trauma and the Gynecological Exam

Cervical cancer is preventable, in part, by routine Papanicolaou (Pap) testing, but some women avoid routine screening. African American women have the greatest mortality among all groups of women in the United States. Personal reasons have been found to contribute to screening avoidance behavior, such as a history of sexual abuse and intimate partner violence. Fifteen African American women with a trauma history participated in personal interviews. The Interaction Model of Client Behavior was employed for exploring the women's social influence, previous health care experience, cognitive appraisal, affective response, and motivation associated with routine Pap testing. Study findings suggest that providers need to assess and provide accurate information about Pap testing and cervical cancer to increase patients' knowledge. Personally reflecting on one's approach to conducting a woman's gynecologic exam (and how it is performed) might prevent triggering unwanted memories, making that visit a positive experience and facilitating repeat screening behavior.
The Embedded Self: A Social Networks Approach to Identity Theory

Despite the fact that key sociological theories of self and identity view the self as fundamentally rooted in networks of interpersonal relationships, empirical research investigating how personal network structure influences the self is conspicuously lacking. To address this gap, we examine links between network structure and role identity salience. We identify two features of personal networks that potentially affect how social ties shape identity salience: (1) proportion and strength of ties to role-based others (RBOs) and (2) embeddedness of RBOs, or the breadth of access that a role-based group has to the rest of an individual’s network. Across three role identities (student, religious, and work), we find that our measure of embeddedness predicts role identity salience but that the proportion and strength of ties do not. Thus, our study does not support the proposition that identity salience is a product of an individual’s social and emotional attachment to role-based groups. Rather, our findings sug...
Design Preference Elicitation Using Efficient Global Optimization

We seek to elicit individual design preferences through user-computer interaction. During an iteration of the interactive session, the computer presents a set of designs to the user who then picks any preferred designs from the set. The computer learns from this feedback and creates the next set of designs using its accumulated knowledge to minimize a merit function. Under the hypothesis that user responses are deterministic, we show that an effective query scheme is akin to the Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) algorithm. Using simulated interactions, we discuss how the merit function form and user preference sensitivity can affect search efficiency and hence the time to complete an interactive session. We demonstrate the proposed algorithm in the design of vehicle exteriors.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Abnormal acidification of melanoma cells induces tyrosinase retention in the early secretory pathway.

In tyrosinase-positive amelanotic melanoma cells, inactive tyrosinase accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum. Based on studies described here, we propose that aberrant vacuolar proton ATPase (V-ATPase)-mediated proton transport in melanoma cells disrupts tyrosinase trafficking through the secretory pathway. Amelanotic but not melanotic melanoma cells or normal melanocytes display elevated proton export as observed by the acidification of the extracellular medium and their ability to maintain neutral intracellular pH. Tyrosinase activity and transit through the Golgi were restored by either maintaining the melanoma cells in alkaline medium (pH 7.4–7.7) or by restricting glucose uptake. The translocation of tyrosinase out of the endoplasmic reticulum and the induction of cell pigmentation in the presence of the ionophore monensin or the specific V-ATPase inhibitors concanamycin A and bafilomycin A1 supported a role for V-ATPases in this process. Because it was previously shown that V-ATPase activity is increased in solid tumors in response to an acidified environment, the appearance of hypopigmented cells in tyrosinase-positive melanoma tumors may indicate the onset of enhanced glycolysis and extracellular acidification, conditions known to favor metastatic spread and resistance to weak base chemotherapeutic drugs.
WCDMA physical layer modeling for the MUOS project

The mobile user objective system (MUOS) uses WCDMA as a basis for its waveform definition. This paper deals with the quasi-analytic method of WCDMA physical layer simulation that has been used extensively for performance simulation, model development for system simulation and development of signal processing algorithms on the MUOS project. Quasi-analytic method offers speedup factors, relative to conventional waveform simulation, of 100x or more. It is shown here that quasi-analytic can also be very accurate.