cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Thrombospondin Motif of Aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4) Is Critical for Aggrecan Substrate Recognition and Cleavage

Aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4) is a member of the a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) protein family that was recently identified. Aggrecanase-1 is one of two ADAMTS cartilage-degrading enzymes purified from interleukin-1-stimulated bovine nasal cartilage (Tortorella, M. D., Burn, T. C., Pratta, M. A. , Abbaszade, I., Hollis, J. M., Liu, R., Rosenfeld, S. A., Copeland, R. A., Decicco, C. P., Wynn, R., Rockwell, A., Yang, F., Duke, J. L., Solomon, K., George, H., Bruckner, R., Nagase, H., Itoh, Y., Ellis, D. M., Ross, H., Wiswall, B. H., Murphy, K., Hillman, M. C., Jr., Hollis, G. F., and Arner, E.C. (1999) Science 284, 1664-1666; 2 Abbaszade, I., Liu, R. Q., Yang, F., Rosenfeld, S. A., Ross, O. H., Link, J. R., Ellis, D. M., Tortorella, M. D., Pratta, M. A., Hollis, J. M., Wynn, R., Duke, J. L., George, H. J., Hillman, M. C., Jr., Murphy, K., Wiswall, B. H., Copeland, R. A., Decicco, C. P., Bruckner, R., Nagase, H., Itoh, Y., Newton, R. C., Magolda, R. L., Trzaskos, J. M., and Burn, T. C. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 23443-23450). The aggrecan products generated by this enzyme are found in cartilage cultures stimulated with cytokines and in synovial fluid from patients with arthritis, suggesting that aggrecanase-1 may be important in diseases involving cartilage destruction. Here we demonstrate that the thrombospondin type-1 (TSP-1) motif located within the C terminus of aggrecanase-1 binds to the glycosaminoglycans of aggrecan. Data from several studies indicate that this binding of aggrecanase-1 to aggrecan through the TSP-1 motif is necessary for enzymatic cleavage of aggrecan. 1) A truncated form of aggrecanase-1 lacking the TSP-1 motif was not effective in cleaving aggrecan. 2) Several peptides representing different regions of the TSP-1 motif effectively blocked aggrecanase-1 cleavage of aggrecan by preventing the enzyme from binding to the substrate. 3) Aggrecanase-1 was not effective in cleaving glycosaminoglycan-free aggrecan. Taken together, these data suggest that the TSP-1 motif of aggrecanase-1 is critical for substrate recognition and cleavage.
Changes in Mg+2-ATPase and Taurine Levels in Mg+2-Deficient Rats

Tissue levels of Mg+2-ATPase and taurine were measured in rats fed Mg+2-deficient diets. Serum and urinary Mg+2 levels of rats fed the deficient diet were 50% below the control levels by day 10 on diet. The Mg+2-deficient rats showed a significant decrease in intestinal Mg+2-ATPase relative to the controls, despite having no significant decrease in intestinal Mg+2 levels. The effect of the Mg+2 deficiency on the distribution of subcutaneously injected l,2-{14C)taurine in the skeletal muscle cytosol and organelles was measured. The cytosolic fraction contained 90% of the (14C)taurine, while the nuclear fraction contained 98% of the noncytosolic (14C)taurine. The skeletal muscle of Mg+2-deficient rats contained 14, 14, 81 and 53% more (14C)taurine than the control muscle at 1, 16, 24 and 48 hours after injection, respectively. There was 21, 60, 97 and 350% more (MC)taurine associated with the nuclear fraction of the muscle from Mg+2-deficient rats at the same sampling periods. J. Nutr. 112: 1586-1589, 1982.
Evaluation of the Hazard Quotient Method for Risk Assessment of Selenium

Environmental contamination with selenium from industrial and agricultural sources has poisoned fish and wildlife at several locations in the United States. Monitoring and risk assessment activities are currently being conducted by many state and Federal agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends a hazard quotient (HQ) method (waterborne concentration divided by the national water quality criterion) to assess the toxic threat of individual waterborne elements, including selenium. An evaluation of the EPA HQ method was conducted by comparing it to a recently published protocol (Protocol) for selenium assessment. Hazard estimates obtained using HQ were found to be invalid because the EPA water quality criterion is outdated, and the procedure uses mean rather than maximum waterborne concentrations. The HQ method seriously underestimates hazard and could lead to risk management decisions that would not protect fish and wildlife from selenium toxicity. The Protocol method provides an accurate assessment because it evaluates hazard by examining multiple exposure pathways on a site-specific basis. Until a revised (lowered) national water quality criterion is available, the EPA HQ method should not be used for selenium. Even then, with the availability of the Protocol, HQ analysis should be restricted to data sets where water is the primary or sole source of information on environmental concentrations of selenium.
Design of Integrated Dual-Loop $\Delta$ – $\Sigma$ Modulated Switching Power Converter for Adaptive Wireless Powering in Biomedical Implants

This paper presents an integrated CMOS switching power converter that accommodates adaptive wireless powering scheme in biomedical implants. It employs the techniques of dual-loop error correction, observation-based oversampling, and Δ- Σ modulation to enhance transient response, line/load regulation, and noise suppression performance. By adopting a digital filter for proportional-derivative compensation, fully on-chip frequency compensation is achieved. In addition, a double sampling technique is introduced to improve the signal processing speed. The converter was designed and fabricated with a 130-nm CMOS process. The measurement results demonstrate 23.2/20.4-μs up-/down-tracking times to full-range reference voltage step changes. A 28.5-mV/V line regulation is achieved, when the supply voltage varies from 1.15 to 1.50 V. In addition, with a 1.20-V supply, the converter responds to a 10%-to-100% load current step change within 22.1 μs. A maximum efficiency of 95.5% is measured at 0.90-V output voltage and 45-mW output power. Noise power spectrum demonstrates a 100-dB signal-to-noise ratio in the converter.
How to Reduce an Unwritten Language to Writing: IV. Complementary Distribution

Complementary distribution analysis is the final test of phonemehood. The author examines the environments in which particular, phonetically similar phones occur and proposes a charting technique to test if these putative allophones belong to one phoneme. That phoneme then becomes part of the set of symbols for unambiguously writing a previously unwritten language. Care has to be taken because complementary distribution alone is insufficient evidence for phonemehood.
Ocular findings in Turner syndrome. A prospective study

We performed complete ophthalmological examinations of 30 consecutive patients with Turner syndrome. Twenty-three had 45XO and 7 had 45XO/46XX karyotypes (mosaicism). Non-familial strabismus was the most prominent ocular abnormality and was present in 33% of the patients. Other eye findings included ptosis (16%), hypertelorism (10%), epicanthus (10%), and antimongoloid slants (10%). Red-green color deficiency was found in 10% of the patients. One patient had congenital periodic alternating nystagmus.
Multimodality treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: modern treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

n this issue of WORLD NEUROSURGERY, Nataraj et al. provide us with a comprehensive analysis of the large series of I cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) treated by the two senior authors, Professors Mendelow (neurosurgeon) and Gholkar (interventional neuroradiologist). The study included 290 patients, of whom 265 were treated with one or more modalities (microsurgery, embolization, and radiosurgery) to the point of complete obliteration or where further treatment was, in the opinion of the treating physicians, not feasible. Twenty-five patients were treated conservatively either because they were in poor neurologic status or because it was thought that the risk of treatment would be excessive.
Docking and Assembly of the Type II Secretion Complex of Vibrio cholerae

Secretion of cholera toxin and other virulence factors from Vibrio cholerae is mediated by the type II secretion (T2S) apparatus, a multiprotein complex composed of both inner and outer membrane proteins. To better understand the mechanism by which the T2S complex coordinates translocation of its substrates, we are examining the protein-protein interactions of its components, encoded by the extracellular protein secretion (eps) genes. In this study, we took a cell biological approach, observing the dynamics of fluorescently tagged EpsC and EpsM proteins in vivo. We report that the level and context of fluorescent protein fusion expression can have a bold effect on subcellular location and that chromosomal, intraoperon expression conditions are optimal for determining the intracellular locations of fusion proteins. Fluorescently tagged, chromosomally expressed EpsC and EpsM form discrete foci along the lengths of the cells, different from the polar localization for green fluorescent protein (GFP)-EpsM previously described, as the fusions are balanced with all their interacting partner proteins within the T2S complex. Additionally, we observed that fluorescent foci in both chromosomal GFP-EpsC- and GFP-EpsM-expressing strains disperse upon deletion of epsD, suggesting that EpsD is critical to the localization of EpsC and EpsM and perhaps their assembly into the T2S complex.
Contextual search using ontology-based user profiles

Search engines, generally, return results without any regard for the concepts in which the user is interested. In this paper, we present our approach to personalizing search engines using ontology based contextual profiles. In contrast to long-term user profiles, we construct contextual user profiles that capture what the user is working on at the time they conduct a search. These profiles are used to personalize the search results to suit the information needs of the user at a particular instant of time. We present the results of experiments evaluating the effect of the original versus conceptual ranking and the use of multiple sources of information to build the contextual profile. We were able to achieve a 15% improvement over Google in the average rank of the result clicked by a user when contextual information extracted from open Word documents and Web pages was used to re-rank the results.
Cognitive Enhancers in Alzheimer’s Disease

Cognitive enhancers are compounds that have been purported to improve memory. Several drugs from various classes have been investigated clinically in the elderly population with different types of dementia. It is important to clarify that the dose-response relationships with these agents in the elderly population are almost nonexistent. This difficulty associated with the clinical trials in dementia patients is primarily due to problems related to quantification of the drug effect, as neuropsychological assessments have a large degree of associated measurement error. Pharmacokinetic and dynamic studies with these drugs have been few. Therefore, rather than choosing to discuss kinetics, as expected from the contributions in this part, we have decided to address methodological issues that pertain to all agents being evaluated in the elderly with some form of dementia.
Hyperunstable matrix proteins in the byssus of Mytilus galloprovincialis

The marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is tethered to rocks in the intertidal zone by a holdfast known as the byssus. Functioning as a shock absorber, the byssus is composed of threads, the primary molecular components of which are collagen-containing proteins (preCOLs) that largely dictate the higher order self-assembly and mechanical properties of byssal threads. The threads contain additional matrix components that separate and perhaps lubricate the collagenous microfibrils during deformation in tension. In this study, the thread matrix proteins (TMPs), a glycine-, tyrosine- and asparagine-rich protein family, were shown to possess unique repeated sequence motifs, significant transcriptional heterogeneity and were distributed throughout the byssal thread. Deamidation was shown to occur at a significant rate in a recombinant TMP and in the byssal thread as a function of time. Furthermore, charge heterogeneity presumably due to deamidation was observed in TMPs extracted from threads. The TMPs were localized to the preCOL-containing secretory granules in the collagen gland of the foot and are assumed to provide a viscoelastic matrix around the collagenous fibers in byssal threads.
Leading through belief: managing the power of hope

Purpose – Leaders have long understood the importance a belief system has on the productivity of their team. The authors explain how can such an intangible motivational force be addressed and how leaders have the capability to influence a firm's success by inspiring positive beliefs.Design/methodology/approach – Belief management involves recognizing those beliefs that both hinder and promote the advancement of a leader's vision. This includes the leader's beliefs as well as those of the team.Findings – To begin managing beliefs, executives should take three initial steps: identify core belief, ask others what they believe, brand your beliefs.Research limitations/implications – Dr Gregory Berns, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta mapped the neurological effects of a belief exercise on his test subjects. Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging, Berns could see specific changes in cellular activity.Practical implications – There's new evidence that a leader's beliefs are ...
Increasing the speed of convergence of the constant modulus algorithm for blind channel equalization

The constant modulus algorithm (CMA) is an excellent technique for blind channel equalization. A signed error version of CMA (SE-CMA) and dithered signed error version (DSE-CMA) have been proposed which afford overall computational efficiency. We propose three different error functions for faster convergence. This would be essential for communication systems, which cannot afford a high startup delay or for systems, where the channel's impulse response is rapidly fluctuating. One of these algorithms relies on the idea of a variable step size, which increases the rate of convergence.
Work in progress — Eliciting integrated understandings of high school STEM curricula through programming

We describe our early investigation of the integration of educational modules originally developed for a college-level entering students program (ESP) titled “Media Propelled Computational Thinking” (MPCT) into high school science, math, and engineering/technology courses. Primary objectives of MPCT include introducing students to imperative programming and reinforcement of foundational mathematical concepts. This report describes this evolving integration including early informal experiments and potential extensions using programming functions of ubiquitous graphing calculators.
Relevance of electrograms and transient entrainment for antitachycardia devices

Clearly, understanding what occurs during rapid pacing of tachyarrhythmias due to reentry with an excitable gap does not provide the panacea to the rapid pacing treatment of these arrhythmias. However, it does advance the field considerably, and provides insights which should be useful for the development of improved antitachycardia pacing techniques.
Do Endowment Funds Select the Optimal Mix of Active and Passive Risk

The investment decision confronting managers of multi-asset class portfolios can be characterized in terms of the passive (i.e., benchmark or policy) and active (i.e., market timing and security selection) strategies they adopt. In this paper, we investigate whether managers select the appropriate combination of active and passive allocations in their portfolios. Noting that this issue is ultimately a risk management question, we adapt a simple framework for establishing what constitutes the optimal level of active and passive risk exposures.We then examine the question empirically using a database consisting of the allocation decisions and investment performance of a large set of university endowment funds over the period from 1989 to 2005. Our findings show that (i) the average endowment had too little active risk exposure in its portfolio, (ii) endowment funds could have significantly increased their risk-adjusted performance by enhancing the scale of the alpha-generating strategies they were already employing, and (iii) this tendency to under-utilize active management skills was more pronounced for larger endowments than for smaller ones. We conclude that the typical endowment fund could have improved its performance by increasing the commitment to its active management skills.
Identification and Characterization of a Phosphoinositide Phosphate Kinase Homolog

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) plays a central role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton as a substrate for phosphoinositide 3-kinase and phospholipase C as well as by binding directly to proteins that control the processes of actin monomer sequestration, filament severing, capping, nucleation, cross-linking, and bundling (Ma, L., Cantley, L. C., Janmey, P. A., and Kirschner, M. W. (1998) J. Cell Biol. 140, 1125–1136; Hinchliffe, K. (2000) Curr. Biol. 10, R104–R1051). Three related phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinases (PI(4)P 5-kinases) have been identified in mammalian cells (types Iα, Iβ, and Iγ) and appear to play distinct roles in actin remodeling. Here we have identified a fourth member of this family by searching the human genome and EST data bases. This new protein, which we have designated phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase homolog (PIPKH), is expressed at relatively high levels in brain and testis. Immunoprecipitates of PIPKH expressed in mammalian cells contain PI(4)P 5-kinase activity, but this activity is not affected by mutations in residues that inactivate other type I PI(4)P 5-kinases. We show that the PI(4)P 5-kinase activity in PIPKH immunoprecipitates can be explained by the ability of PIPKH to heterodimerize with other type I PI(4)P 5-kinases. Transfection of 293t cells with PIPKH resulted in >8-fold increase in total phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3) without a significant net increase in total PI(4,5)P2. When coexpressed with PIPKH, green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion construct of the pleckstrin homology domain from Bruton's tyrosine kinase (GFP-BTK-PH) localized in intracellular vesicular structures, suggesting an unusual intracellular site of PI(3,4,5)P3 production. Finally, expression of PIPKH induced the reorganization of actin from predominantly stress fibers to predominantly foci and comets similar to those observed previously in cells infected with the intracellular pathogen Listeria or transfected with recombinant PIPKIα. These results suggest that PIPKH acts as a scaffold to localize and regulate type I PI(4)P 5-kinases and the synthesis of PI(3,4,5)P3.
Virion Disassembly Is Required for Apoptosis Induced by Reovirus

Reovirus infection leads to apoptosis in cultured cells and in vivo. Binding of viral attachment protein final sigma 1 to both sialic acid and junction adhesion molecule is required for induction of apoptosis. However, it is not known whether viral engagement of receptors is sufficient to elicit this cellular response. To determine whether steps in reovirus replication subsequent to viral attachment are required for reovirus-induced apoptosis, we used inhibitors of viral disassembly and RNA synthesis, viral disassembly intermediates, temperature-sensitive (ts) reovirus mutants, and reovirus particles deficient in genomic double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). We found that reovirus-induced apoptosis is abolished in the presence of the viral disassembly inhibitors ammonium chloride and E64. Infectious subvirion particles (ISVPs), which are intermediates in reovirus disassembly that can be generated in vitro by protease treatment, are capable of inducing apoptosis in the presence or absence of these inhibitors. Treatment of cells with the viral RNA synthesis inhibitor ribavirin does not diminish the capacity of reovirus to induce apoptosis, and reovirus ts mutants arrested at defined steps in viral replication produce apoptosis with efficiency similar to that of wild-type virus. Furthermore, reovirus particles lacking dsRNA are capable of inducing apoptosis. Finally, we found that viral attachment and disassembly must occur within the same cellular compartment for reovirus to elicit an apoptotic response. These results demonstrate that disassembly of reovirus virions to form ISVPs, but not viral transcription or subsequent steps in viral replication, is required for reovirus to induce apoptosis.
The GSFC Communications, Standards, and Technology Laboratory (CSTL)

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has created the Communications, Standards, and Technology Lab (CSTL) for the investigation, development, and demonstration of new communications standards and technologies. The testbed combines elements from the Microwave & Communications Systems Branch lab with the Flight Software Branch lab to form an end-to-end communications scenario. The testbed is currently configured to demonstrate communications, using the Internet Protocol, for the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM).
Fabricating magnetic Co‐Ni‐C thin‐film alloys by organometallic chemical vapor deposition

We have deposited CoxNiy‐C films with a variety of compositions to verify dependence of the saturation magnetization on the composition. These experiments suggest that we can produce CoxNiy‐C films with a variety of magnetic properties. The CoxNiy‐C films were fabricated by ultraviolet decomposition of cobaltocene and nickelocene. We demonstrated that the photolytic decomposition of these metallocenes produces cyclopentadienyl (C5H5) species, consistent with recent studies of the energetics of the ligand metal bonds.
Coplanar waveguides and microwave inductors on silicon substrates

Silicon has many advantages as a microwave substrate material including low cost and a mature technology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential of using high-resistivity silicon as a low-cost low-loss microwave substrate through an experimental comparative study. Coplanar waveguides fabricated on Si, GaAs, and quartz substrates are tested and their characteristics are compared. Microwave spiral inductors and meander lines are also fabricated on various substrates, and their performance is also analyzed. The results demonstrate that the losses of a coplanar transmission line (CPW) realized on high-resistivity (3 k to 7 k /spl Omega/-cm) silicon substrates are comparable to the losses of a CPW realized on a GaAs substrate covered with insulators. Furthermore, measured unloaded Q's of microwave inductive structures on high-resistivity silicon substrates are comparable to the measured unloaded Q's of the same structures on GaAs and on quartz. This paper demonstrates that high-resistivity Si can be used as a microwave substrate. >
SENSITIVITY EQUATION METHODS FOR PARAMETER DEPENDENT ELLIPTIC

Sensitivity analysis is an important tool in mathematics as well as engineering with applications ranging from model analysis to optimal design to computational fluid dynamics. Several methodologies have been developed for the analysis and computation of sensitivities. This paper focuses on some theoretical aspects of using the Continuous Sensitivity Equation Method (CSEM) for design sensitivity analysis and computation. We concentrate on state equations which take the form of elliptic partial differential equations defined on parameter dependent domains. The PDEs are then formulated in an abstract form using elliptic operator equations. A framework is constructed which, under certain conditions, allows one to derive an operator sensitivity equation which can then be interpreted in the PDE sense. *This research supported in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under AASERT Grant F49620–97–1–0356 and Grant F49620–96–1–0329.
V-PADA: Vehicle-Platoon-Aware Data Access in VANETs

The high mobility of vehicles and the unreliable wireless communication significantly degrade the performance of data access in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). To address this problem, we propose a novel vehicle-platoon-aware data access solution called V-PADA. In V-PADA, vehicles contribute part of their buffers to replicate data for others in the same platoon and share data with them. When a vehicle leaves the platoon, it prefetches interested data and transfers its buffered data to other vehicles in advance so that they can still access the data after it leaves. To achieve this goal, V-PADA consists of two components: First, a vehicle-platooning protocol is designed to identify platoon formation and predict platoon splits. We use stochastic time series analysis to detect platoon and mobility anomalies and further introduce a two-step split prediction method to reduce the false alarm rate due to road curves. Second, a data management component is designed to guide platoon members to replicate and prefetch the most suitable data so that both high data availability and low data access overhead can be achieved. Extensive simulation results show that V-PADA can effectively improve the data access performance in VANETs.
Ontology Design Patterns for Ocean Science Data Discovery

The seminar on “Spatial reference in the Semantic Web and in Robotics” was held from March 30 until April 4, 2014. Seminar participants presented their work related to spatial reference from the viewpoint of Robotics, Spatial Cognition, Geospatial information and the Semantic Web. Groups worked on concrete questions and challenges which were developed during the seminar, some of which resulted in follow up work. This report summarizes the outcomes of the seminar discussions and presents the abstracts of participant talks. Seminar March 30 to April 4, 2014 – http://www.dagstuhl.de/14142 1998 ACM Subject Classification I.2.1 Applications and Expert Systems, I.2.4 Knowledge Representation Formalisms and Methods, I.2.9 Robotics
The Teaching of Creativity to Preschool Children

The presentation of the behavior analysis approach for the teaching of creativity to preschool children requires many subtopics. As a starting point, it will be a fruitful exercise to delineate the obvious differences between the behavior analysis and traditional approaches to training creativity so the reader may be aware of the path to be taken. Before trod-ding down this path, mention will be made of some other professionals who share with behavior analysts a belief in the early training of creativity, though they have chosen to take different paths.
Abstract WP294: CT Angiography Spot Sign Predicts Perioperative Bleeding in Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Purpose: While hematoma evacuation for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) showed no clinical benefit in one large randomized trial, meta-analyses have suggested an effect for certain subgroups. Knowledge of which patients will be found to show active bleeding may help guide surgical treatment. The spot sign, i.e. contrast extravasation following CT angiography (CTA), is thought to represent active bleeding. We therefore investigated whether spot sign presence predicts active bleeding during surgery for ICH. Methods: Consecutive primary ICH patients who underwent a CTA followed by surgical hematoma evacuation were included over a 10-year period. CTAs were reviewed for spot sign presence by an experienced reader, blinded to clinical and surgical data. Active bleeding and re-bleeding following surgery were assessed using 5-point rating scales. The association between the spot sign and active perioperative bleeding, postoperative re-bleeding, and postoperative change in hematoma volume was evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: During the study period, 1082 ICH patients presented to our institution, of whom 75 met inclusion criteria. 34 (45%) were lobar, 13 (17%) deep, 26 (35%) cerebellar, 1 (1%) brainstem, and 1 (1%) primary intraventricular hemorrhage. At least one spot sign was identified in 29 patients (39%). In multivariate analysis, spot sign was the sole predictor of active bleeding during surgery (OR 2.86 [95%CI 1.05-8.17], p = 0.044). Presence of spot sign (OR 4.46 [95%CI 1.24-18.17], p = 0.027) and female sex (OR 6.71 [95%CI 1.79-33.28], p = 0.009) were predictive of re-bleeding and larger postoperative ICH volumes. A trend toward significance was found for the association of re-bleeding with both discharge mortality ( p = 0.055) and 90-day mortality ( p = 0.073). Conclusion: This is the first study to show that CTA spot sign marks ongoing bleeding in patients undergoing hematoma evacuation following acute ICH. Patients with this finding suffer more perioperative bleeding, more postoperative re-bleeding, and larger residual ICH volumes. Our results may contribute to the selection of which ICH patients may benefit from surgery.
Molecular mechanisms orchestrating the stem cell response to translational scaffolds

A 2013 Perspective in Science titled “Deconstructing Dimensionality” noted the importance of fiber morphology on cell phenotype, concluding with the statement “Identifying the mechanisms by which cells assess the nature of their environment will advance basic cell biology and facilitate the development of synthetic matrices for specific tissue engineering applications.” Nanofibers have revolutionized scaffold-based approaches for musculoskeletal tissues; demonstrating surprising efficacy over promoting mesenchymal stem cell, MSC, differentiation down multiple musculoskeletal lineages. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms involved will allow the future design of nanofiber-based scaffolds to target a lineage with specificity. This article focuses on how three geometry sensors: focal adhesions, membrane associated vesicle stabilizing and trafficking proteins, and adherens junctions; potentially regulate MSC lineage commitment in response to bio-instructive nanofibers.
Detection of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in Tobacco Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Overwintering in Harvested Peanut Fields

Volunteer and transplanted peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., and cutleaf evening primrose, Oenothera laciniata Hill, were sampled for thrips, Frankliniella spp., from November 1990 to April 1991 in seven fields in southwestern Georgia that had been planted with peanut during 1990. Thrips and roots from these plants were assayed for presence of tomato spotted wilt virus with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Totals of 1,414 brachypterous and 2,360 macropterous tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), 218 western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), and 8,590 Frankliniella spp. larvae were assayed during the study. The virus was repeatedly detected in adult tobacco thrips and thrips larvae collected from three fields. Virus incidence ranged from 0 to 6.2% in brachypterous adults, 0 to 10.0% in macropterous adults, and 0 to 0.9% in thrips larvae, depending on field and sample date. Tomato spotted wilt virus also was detected in two adult western flower thrips. The virus was detected in only 2 of 816 volunteer peanut roots and in none of 374 cutleaf evening primrose roots assayed during March and April. Implications for overwintering by tomato spotted wilt virus are discussed.
Misunderstanding Cultures: Islam and the West

This article aims to explain why the idea of the West is, for historical and philosophical reasons, an obstacle to dealing with the dangers posed by radical Islamists. Every proposed theory of the West has to account for the great internal cultural diversity both of European cultures and of those influenced by them around the world; and every serious historical account both of Europe and of Islam has to recognize the long-standing, substantial and ongoing interdependence of their intellectual and religious traditions. As a result, what is needed to face extremists, whether inside or outside Europe (and whether Christian, Muslim or neither), is not an opposition between Islam and the West, but an alliance of those of all faiths and none who can live with and tolerate cultural difference against those, wherever they live and whatever their religion, who cannot.
Arithmetic tests forA-stability,A[α]-stability, and stiff-stability

Arithmetic tests forA-stability,A[α]-stability, and stiff-stability are presented as special cases of a general stability test for numerical integration methods. The test evolves from extracted properties of the characteristic polynomial (in two variables) of the numerical method applied to the prototype scalar ordinary differential equation $$\dot x = qx$$ , Re {q}<0. The several steps of the test impose root clustering conditions — such as being Hurwitz — on a polynomial of one variable.
EFFECTS OF CEREBRAL DOMINANCE ON COLLEGE-LEVEL ACHIEVEMENT

Ability to perform successfully on multiple-choice tests was assessed for students displaying various cognitive styles. Male and female undergraduate students were classified according to right, left, or integrated cerebral functioning as determined by Your Style of Learning and Thinking test. The students participated in introductory classes in educational psychology and completed multiple-choice questions designed to assess content. The effects of cerebral dominance on student's ability to complete multiple-choice questions successfully were determined. Students designated by SOLAT as left dominant correctly completed significantly more multiple-choice questions than did right-dominant students. Implications for education were discussed.
Photoinduced Bimolecular Electron Transfer from Cyano Anions in Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids with electron-donating anions are used to investigate rates and mechanisms of photoinduced bimolecular electron transfer to the photoexcited acceptor 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (9,10-DCNA). The set of five cyano anion ILs studied comprises the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation paired with each of these five anions: selenocyanate, thiocyanate, dicyanamide, tricyanomethanide, and tetracyanoborate. Measurements with these anions dilute in acetonitrile and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide show that the selenocyanate and tricyanomethanide anions are strong quenchers of the 9,10-DCNA fluorescence, thiocyanate is a moderately strong quencher, dicyanamide is a weak quencher, and no quenching is observed for tetracyanoborate. Quenching rates are obtained from both time-resolved fluorescence transients and time-integrated spectra. Application of a Smoluchowski diffusion-and-reaction model showed that the complex kinetics observed can be fit using only two adjustable parameter...
Acute Phosphate Restriction Impairs Bone Formation and Increases Marrow Adipose Tissue in Growing Mice

Phosphate plays a critical role in chondrocyte maturation and skeletal mineralization. Studies examining the consequences of dietary phosphate restriction in growing mice demonstrated not only the development of rickets, but also a dramatic decrease in bone accompanied by increased marrow adipose tissue (MAT). Thus studies were undertaken to determine the effects of dietary phosphate restriction on bone formation and bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) differentiation. Acute phosphate restriction of 28-day-old mice profoundly inhibited bone formation within 48 hours. It also resulted in increased mRNA expression of the early osteolineage markers Sox9 and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), accompanied by decreased expression of the late osteolineage markers Osterix and Osteocalcin in BMSCs and osteoblasts, suggesting that phosphate restriction arrests osteoblast differentiation between Runx2 and Osterix. Increased expression of PPARγ and CEBPα, key regulators of adipogenic differentiation, was observed within 1 week of dietary phosphate restriction and was followed by a 13-fold increase in MAT at 3 weeks of phosphate restriction. In vitro phosphate restriction did not alter BMSC osteogenic or adipogenic colony formation, implicating aberrant paracrine or endocrine signaling in the in vivo phenotype. Because BMP signaling regulates the transition between Runx2 and Osterix, this pathway was interrogated. A dramatic decrease in pSmad1/5/9 immunoreactivity was observed in the osteoblasts of phosphate-restricted mice on day 31 (d31) and d35. This was accompanied by attenuated expression of the BMP target genes Id1, KLF10, and Foxc2, the latter of which promotes osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation while impairing adipogenesis. A decrease in expression of the Notch target gene Hey1, a BMP-regulated gene that governs angiogenesis, was also observed in phosphate-restricted mice, in association with decreased metaphyseal marrow vasculature. Whereas circulating phosphate levels are known to control growth plate maturation and skeletal mineralization, these studies reveal novel consequences of phosphate restriction in the regulation of bone formation and osteoblast differentiation. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Innovative Micro Gas Pumping Via Liquid Dielectrophoresis With Zero-Dead Volume and Leak-tight Features

This paper demonstrates an unconventional gas pumping method using a circulation of liquid without leaking issues. Low surface tension liquid is employed as an actuating piston to achieve effective gas pumping with leak-tight sealing inside the microfluidic channel. Because of the excellent wettability of the liquid piston, inner surfaces of the microfluidic pumping channel get completely wetted and any possible tiny leaky spots can be sealed. Gas pockets from the intake port move smoothly along the pumping channel without creating any dead volume. Locally formed nanostructures in the microfluidic channel enable steady immobilization of liquid pistons in selected areas and smooth transitions of liquid pistons. [2015-0337]
Cytosolic DNA Sensing: The Field Narrows.

The innate response to many pathogens involves type I interferon production that is initiated upon cytosolic detection of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), but how dsDNA is detected is controversial. In this issue of Immunity, Gray et al. (2016) use genetics to bring some much-needed clarity to the field.
Modular Segregation of Structural Brain Networks Supports the Development of Executive Function in Youth

Summary The human brain is organized into large-scale functional modules that have been shown to evolve in childhood and adolescence. However, it remains unknown whether the underlying white matter architecture is similarly refined during development, potentially allowing for improvements in executive function. In a sample of 882 participants (ages 8–22) who underwent diffusion imaging as part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, we demonstrate that structural network modules become more segregated with age, with weaker connections between modules and stronger connections within modules. Evolving modular topology facilitates global network efficiency and is driven by age-related strengthening of hub edges present both within and between modules. Critically, both modular segregation and network efficiency are associated with enhanced executive performance and mediate the improvement of executive functioning with age. Together, results delineate a process of structural network maturation that supports executive function in youth.
Poster - 52: Smoothing constraints in Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT) fluence map optimization

Purpose: Modulated Photon Radiotherapy (XMRT), which simultaneously optimizes photon beamlet energy (6 and 18 MV) and fluence, has recently shown dosimetric improvement in comparison to conventional IMRT. That said, the degree of smoothness of resulting fluence maps (FMs) has yet to be investigated and could impact the deliverability of XMRT. This study looks at investigating FM smoothness and imposing smoothing constraint in the fluence map optimization. Methods: Smoothing constraints were modeled in the XMRT algorithm with the sum of positive gradient (SPG) technique. XMRT solutions, with and without SPG constraints, were generated for a clinical prostate scan using standard dosimetric prescriptions, constraints, and a seven coplanar beam arrangement. The smoothness, with and without SPG constraints, was assessed by looking at the absolute and relative maximum SPG scores for each fluence map. Dose volume histograms were utilized when evaluating impact on the dose distribution. Results: Imposing SPG constraints reduced the absolute and relative maximum SPG values by factors of up to 5 and 2, respectively, when compared with their non-SPG constrained counterparts. This leads to a more seamless conversion of FMS to their respective MLC sequences. This improved smoothness resulted in an increase to organ at risk (OAR) dose, however the increase is not clinically significant. Conclusions: For a clinical prostate case, there was a noticeable improvement in the smoothness of the XMRT FMs when SPG constraints were applied with a minor increase in dose to OARs. This increase in OAR dose is not clinically meaningful.
Neurophysiological evidence of the cognitive cycle and the emergence of awareness

As part of the developing body of research about neural correlates of higher cognitive functions and awareness we have recently reported that the creation of knowledge and meaning could be manifested via Cortical Singularities. In this work we present new neurophysiological evidence of the hypothesized cognitive cycle in the emergence of awareness when a presumable meaningful stimuli is presented to an animal. This stimulus is manifested in the neocortex, as the creation of the knowledge necessary for intentional behavior and decision making. The results are interpreted through the concept of Pragmatic Information, which is complementary to the Shannon Entropy Index. We identify large-scale synchronization across broad frequency band as potential manifestation of the `aha' effect, indicating the construction of knowledge and meaning from input sensory data and leading to awareness experience.
A Bayesian method for learning belief networks that contain hidden variables

This paper presents a Bayesian method for computing the probability of a Bayesian belief-network structure from a database. In particular, the paper focuses on computing the probability of a belief-network structure that contains a hidden (latent) variable. A hidden variable represents a postulated entity that has not been directly measured. After reviewing related techniques, which previously were reported, this paper presents a new, more efficient method for handling hidden variables in belief networks.
Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction to Acetate on Iron–Copper Oxide Catalysts

We demonstrate the ability to convert CO2 to acetate with 80% Faradaic efficiency, using a mixed Fe–Cu oxide catalyst at −0.4 V bias vs Ag/AgCl during visible light illumination. Analysis shows that the selective catalyst is a mixed-phase material consisting of CuFeO2 and CuO. By varying the Fe:Cu atomic fraction from 1.3 to 0.1, it is possible to tune the selectivity for CO2 reduction from primarily acetate to primarily formate. These results identify a new low-cost, Earth-abundant material capable of synthesizing an energy-dense liquid directly from CO2 and show that selectivity for CO2 reduction can be tuned by controlling catalyst composition in mixed Fe–Cu oxide catalysts.
TARGETED ADVERTISING IN THE BREAKFAST CEREAL INDUSTRY

We examine the relationship of product characteristics of ready-to-eat breakfast cereal and targeted television advertising to specific consumer segments. We compile a unique data set that includes brand-packaging characteristics, including on-box games, nutrition information, and cobranding. We find that the relationship of television advertising and a cereal's brand-packaging characteristics varies by target audience. Our results provide insight into understanding how manufacturers strategically utilize branding, packaging, and television advertising. This can help industry and policy makers develop food product advertising policy. This analysis extends to other product markets where extensive product differentiation and promotion are present as well.
Universal History and the Emergence of Species Being

This paper seeks to recover the function of universal history, which was to place particulars into relation with universals. By the 20th century universal history was largely discredited because of an idealism that served to lend epistemic coherence to the overwhelming complexity arising from universal history's comprehensive scope. Idealism also attempted to account for history's being "open" - for the human ability to transcend circumstance. The paper attempts to recover these virtues without the idealism by defining universal history not by its scope but rather as a scientific method that provides an understanding of any kind of historical process, be it physical, biological or human. While this method is not new, it is in need of a development that offers a more robust historiography and warrant as a liberating historical consciousness. The first section constructs an ontology of process by defining matter as ontic probabilities rather than as closed entities. This is lent warrant in the next section through an appeal to contemporary physical science. The resulting conceptual frame and method is applied to the physical domain of existents, to the biological do - main of social being and finally to the human domain of species being. It is then used to account for the emergence of human history's initial stage - the Archaic Socio-Economic Formation and for history' stadial trajectory - its alternation of evolution and revolution.
A fast convergent and energy efficient offset calibration technique for dynamic comparators

A novel offset calibration technique with fast convergence rate for high-speed dynamic comparators is presented. The circuit utilizes a multi-rate charge pump circuitry to speed up the calibration process while maintaining the precision which leads to better energy efficiency. The circuit is designed in a 0.13μm CMOS process. Based on Monte-Carlo simulation results the comparator achieves 183.1μV residual offset within an average convergence time of 82 ns. Based on measurement results the comparator dissipates 5.1 μW from a 1 V power supply at 250 MHz clock frequency, achieving a FOM of 10.2 fJ/conv.
Arabidopsis thaliana MLO genes are expressed in discrete domains during reproductive development

MLOs in Plant Reproduction. The MILDEW RESISTANCE LOCUS-O (MLO) protein family, comprised of 15 members, plays roles in diverse cell-cell communication processes such as powdery mildew susceptibility, root thigmomorphogenesis, and pollen tube reception. The NORTIA (NTA, AtMLO7) gene is expressed in the synergid cells of the female gametophyte where it functions in intercellular communication with the pollen tube. Discrepancies between previously published promoter::GUS and promoter::gene-GUS constructs expression patterns led us to explore the regulation of NTA expression. Here we found via NTApro::gNTA-GUS truncations that sequences within the NTA gene negatively regulate its expression in the stomata and carpel walls. This led to the hypothesis that other MLO family members may also have additional regulatory sequences within the gene. MLOpro::gMLO-GUS constructs were examined for each family member focusing specifically on flowers in order to determine whether other MLOs could play a role in reproductive cell-cell communication. Notably, several MLOs were expressed in the pollen, in the stigma, in the pollinated style, and in the synergids and central cell. These findings indicate that other MLOs in addition to NTA could play a role in reproduction. Previous studies on the MLO family showed that phylogenetically related MLOs had redundant functions in powdery mildew infection and root thigmomorphogenesis; however, MLO expression in reproductive tissues did not strictly follow phylogenetic relationships, indicating that MLOs from different evolutionary origins may have been recruited for function in sexual reproduction.