cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Decreased Intracellular Potassium Levels Underlie Increased Progesterone Synthesis During Ovarian Follicular Atresia

More than 99% of ovarian follicles are lost by a degenerative process known as atresia, a phenomenon characterized by apoptosis of granulosa cells. Uniquely, dying granulosa cells also greatly increase their progesterone biosynthesis while reducing estrogen production. Recent studies have documented a dramatic decrease in intracellular K1 concentration during apoptosis that plays an important role in regulating apoptotic enzymes. However, it is unclear whether this ionic change affects related processes such as the change in steroidogenesis in dying granulosa cells. To explore this question, granulosa cells were cultured in hypotonic medium, which initially swells the cells. The cells respond by extruding K1 , which we have documented by fluorescence spectrophotometry. The K1 efflux osmotically draws water out the cell, returning it to a near normal volume (as measured by flow cytometry). The result is a cell of normal size with a decreased intracellular K1 concentration. FSH stimulation of these cells caused an increase in progesterone biosynthesis. This response was enhanced at higher doses of FSH, although basal progesterone production was not affected, suggesting that K1 levels may affect the gonadotropin-signaling pathway. No increase in steroidogenic acute regulatory or cholesterol side-chain cleavage cytochrome P450 mRNA was detected, although cAMP production was enhanced. These results suggest that the loss of intracellular K1 by apoptotic granulosa cells greatly facilitates FSH-stimulated progesterone production. apoptosis, estradiol, follicle, follicular development, granulosa cells, progesterone
Mapping and analysis of phosphorylation sites: a quick guide for cell biologists

A mechanistic understanding of signaling networks requires identification and analysis of phosphorylation sites. Mass spectrometry offers a rapid and highly sensitive approach to mapping phosphorylation sites. However, mass spectrometry has significant limitations that must be considered when planning to carry out phosphorylation-site mapping. Here we provide an overview of key information that should be taken into consideration before beginning phosphorylation-site analysis, as well as a step-by-step guide for carrying out successful experiments.
The use of larval morphology and drumming in Plecoptera systematics, and further studies of drumming behavior

The use of comparative larval morphology and drumming behavior in stonefly systematics is discussed. A tentative assignment of plesiobehavioric and apobehavioric states to drumming in Plecoptera is made, based upon the described behavior of 46 North American species, representing 8 families and 25 genera. Experiments are described which show that pairs of Perlinella drymo effectively transmit and receive signals at minimum distances of 8 m through a continuous wooden rod, 5-9 mm in diameter. Communication was achieved for shorter distances of 10-200 cm by male and female P. drymo drumming in manilla paper boxes resting on foam rubber pads. Pairs of P. drymo were unable to communicate at distances of 25 cm on a 4.2 kg rock, nor were Pteronarcella badia (Hagen) at a distance of 25 cm, when male and female were on separate, dried aspen limbs.
Improving cellularity and quality of liquid-based cytology slides processed from pancreatobiliary tract brushings.

Cytology has been reported to have suboptimal sensitivity for detecting pancreatobiliary tract cancer in biliary tract specimens partly as a result of low specimen cellularity and obscuring noncellular components. The goal of this study was to determine if the use of a glacial acetic acid wash prior to processing would increase the cellularity and improve the quality of ThinPrep® slides when compared to standard non-gyn ThinPrep processing. Fifty consecutive pancreatobiliary tract specimens containing 20 ml of sample/PreservCyt® were divided equally for standard non-gyn ThinPrep (STP) and glacial acetic acid ThinPrep processing (GATP). A manual drop preparation was also performed on residual STP specimen to determine the number of cells left in the vial during STP processing. Twenty-six (52%) specimens had more epithelial cell groupings with the GATP methodology while 19 (38%) had equivalent cellularity with both methods. The STP method produced more epithelial cell groupings in 5 (10%) of the specimens. Of the 26 specimens that had less cells with the STP method, 14 (54%) had ≥50 cell groupings on the manual drop slide processed from the residual STP specimen suggesting that many cells remain in the vial after STP processing. The GATP method was preferred in 25 (50%) of the specimens, the STP method in 5 (10%), while both methodologies provided similar findings in the remaining 20 (40%) of specimens. The data from this study suggests that the GATP method results in more cells being placed on the slide and was preferred over the STP method in a majority of specimens. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010;38:627–632. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Biliary obstruction results in PD-1-dependent liver T cell dysfunction and acute inflammation mediated by Th17 cells and neutrophils

Biliary obstruction is a common clinical problem that is associated with intrahepatic inflammation and impaired immunity. PD-1 is well known to mediate T cell dysfunction but has been reported to promote and attenuate acute inflammation in various injury models. With the use of a well-established murine model of BDL, we studied the effects of intrahepatic PD-1 expression on LTC function, inflammation, and cholestasis. Following BDL, PD-1 expression increased significantly among LTCs. Increased PD-1 expression following BDL was associated with decreased LTC proliferation and less IFN-γ production. Elimination of PD-1 expression resulted in significantly improved proliferative capacity among LTC following BDL, in addition to a more immunostimulatory cytokine profile. Not only was LTC function rescued in PD-1(-/-) mice, but also, the degrees of biliary cell injury, cholestasis, and inflammation were diminished significantly compared with WT animals following BDL. PD-1-mediated acute inflammation following BDL was associated with expansions of intrahepatic neutrophil and Th17 cell populations, with the latter dependent on IL-6. PD-1 blockade represents an attractive strategy for reversing intrahepatic immunosuppression while limiting inflammatory liver damage.
Semantic Segmentation of Documentary Video using Music Breaks

Many documentary videos use background music to help structure the content and communicate the semantic. In this paper, we investigate semantic segmentation of documentary video using music breaks. We first define video semantic units based on the speech text that a video/audio contains, and then propose a three-step procedure for semantic video segmentation using music breaks. Since the music breaks of a documentary video are of different semantic levels, we also study how different speech/music segment lengths correlate with the semantic level of a music break. Our experimental results show that music breaks can effectively segment a continuous documentary video stream into semantic units with an average F-score of 0.91 and the lengths of combined segments (speech segment plus the music segment that follows) strongly correlate with the semantic levels of music breaks.
Optimizing automatic abstraction refinement for generalized symbolic trajectory evaluation

In this paper, we present a suite of optimizations targeting automatic abstraction refinement for generalized symbolic trajectory evaluation (GSTE). We optimize both model refinement and spec refinement supported by AutoGSTE: a counterexample-guided refinement loop for GSTE. Experiments on a family of benchmark circuits have shown that our optimizations lead to major efficiency improvements in verification involving abstraction refinement.
Topical Review Article: Transient Neonatal Myasthenia Gravis

Transient neonatal myasthenia gravis is a postsynaptic neuromuscular transmission defect occurring in 21% of infants born to women with active (and, less commonly, in remission) acquired myasthenia gravis. Although passive-transfer acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies are found in the majority of these newborns, their pathogenic role is questionable because only some infants are symptomatic. Pathogenesis in infants without AChR antibodies is unknown. There is still no biologic marker for prenatal identification of this subpopulation of newborns, although HLA typing may be a promising tool. Sucking, swallowing, and respiratory difficulties are the most common presenting signs in the first day of life. Final diagnosis is done when administration of acetylcholinesterase agents transiently corrects the neuromuscular transmission defect. Serum AChR antibody titers follow the same pattern as their mothers. Supportive management and anticholinesterase agents prior to feedings are necessary in about 80% of patients. In the majority of infants the condition resolves spontaneously.
Generating measures of Engineering Identity Development among young learners

This paper describes the development of a reliable instrument designed to assess longitudinally K-5 students' identity development in engineering. Item construction, pilot testing, and factor analysis are described along with reliability and validity of the instrument. The aim of the Engineering Identity Development Scale [EIDS] was to measure children's academic, school, and occupational identity and engineering aspirations. The findings from this research provide insight into the factors that facilitate and impede pre-adolescent identity development in engineering.
Career Selection and Use of Accommodations by Students with Disabilities in Rehabilitation Education Programs.

The Rehabilitation Counselor Disability (RCD) Survey was administered to 186 rehabilitation students throughout the United States. Data were gathered related to disability (prevalence and type), program awareness of disability, influence of disability upon career choice, levels of functional limitation, and use of accommodations. Sixteen percent (n = 30) of rehabilitation students surveyed reported disabilities. Most indicated moderate functional limitations, and about half required accommodations. A large majority of students having a disability intend to work with persons with the same disability. Implications for rehabilitation educators are discussed in terms of personal and professional student needs.
Switching LMS linear turbo equalization

Turbo equalization using linear filters for data detection has been shown to perform nearly as well as those based on the original maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) detection approach. Such linear equalization methods have taken on many forms in the literature, from simple least-mean-square (LMS)-based adaptive filtering approaches, to minimum mean square error (MMSE)-based methods that are recursively computed for each output symbol for each iteration. In this paper, we consider a class of turbo equalization algorithms in which complexity requirements dictate that a fixed set of filter coefficients must be used for all symbols and for all iterations. By computing one such set of coefficients via the LMS algorithm assuming unreliable soft information, and another set assuming highly reliable soft information, we show that a switching strategy can be employed, nearly achieving the performance of recomputing the coefficients at each iteration.
Cross-talk between myeloid-derived suppressor cells and macrophages subverts tumor immunity toward a type 2 response.

Although the immune system has the potential to protect against malignancies, many individuals with cancer are immunosuppressed. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are elevated in many patients and animals with tumors, and contribute to immune suppression by blocking CD4 + and CD8 + T cell activation. Using the spontaneously metastatic 4T1 mouse mammary carcinoma, we now demonstrate that cross-talk between MDSC and macrophages further subverts tumor immunity by increasing MDSC production of IL-10, and by decreasing macrophage production of IL-12. Cross-talk between MDSC and macrophages requires cell-cell contact, and the IL-12 decrease is dependent on MDSC production of IL-10. Treatment with the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine, which reduces MDSC, promotes rejection of established metastatic disease in IL-4Rα −/− mice that produce M1 macrophages by allowing T cell activation, by maintaining macrophage production of IL-12, and by preventing increased production of IL-10. Therefore, MDSC impair tumor immunity by suppressing T cell activation and by interacting with macrophages to increase IL-10 and decrease IL-12 production, thereby promoting a tumor-promoting type 2 response, a process that can be partially reversed by gemcitabine.
Expression of serotonin, chromogranin-A, serotonin receptor-2B, tryptophan hydroxylase-1, and serotonin reuptake transporter in the intestine of dogs with chronic enteropathy:

Serotonin regulates many intestinal motor and sensory functions. Altered serotonergic metabolism has been described in human gastrointestinal diseases. The objective of our study was to compare expression of several components of the serotonergic system [serotonin (5-HT), serotonin reuptake transporter protein (SERT), tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH-1), 5-HT receptor2B (5-HT2B)] and the enterochromaffin cell marker chromogranin-A (CgA) in the intestinal mucosa between dogs with chronic enteropathy and healthy controls. Serotonin and CgA expression were determined by immunohistochemistry using banked and prospectively obtained, paraffin-embedded canine gastrointestinal biopsies (n = 11), and compared to a control group of canine small intestinal sections (n = 10). Expression of SERT, TPH-1, and 5-HT2B were determined via real-time reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR using prospectively collected endoscopic duodenal biopsies (n = 10) and compared to an additional control group of control duodenal biopsies (n = 8, control group 2) showing no evidence of intestinal inflammation. Dogs with chronic enteropathies showed strong staining for both 5-HT and CgA. Mean positive cells per high power field (HPF) were significantly increased for both compounds in dogs with chronic enteropathies (p < 0.001 for 5-HT; p < 0.05 for CgA). The number of 5-HT-positive and CgA-positive cells/HPF showed significant correlation in the entire group of dogs, including both diseased and healthy individuals (Pearson r(2) = 0.2433, p = 0.016). No significant differences were observed for SERT, TPH-1, or 5-HT2B expression; however, dogs with chronic enteropathy showed greater variability in expression of TPH-1 and 5-HT2B We conclude that components of the neuroendocrine system show altered expression in the intestinal mucosa of dogs with chronic enteropathy. These changes may contribute to nociception and clinical signs in these patients.
Design of an Overground Interactive Therapeutic Robot for Rodents Recovering After Spinal Cord Injury

Growing interest in robotic treatment of patients with neurological injury motivates the development of therapeutic robots for basic research into recovery. Though humans are the ultimate beneficiaries, basic research frequently involves rodent models of neurological injury, which motivates robotic devices that can interact with rats or mice. This paper proposes an overground therapeutic robot suitable for rodent studies of recovery after for spinal cord injury. Advantages and challenges of an overground machine are compared with treadmill-type machines. Design and implementation issues, including its kinematic configuration, control scheme, biomechanical coupling and partial body weight support system, are presented and discussed. Current development progress is reported along with possible future applications of the device.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Handguns, Long Guns, and Suicide:

I n 1980, a small proportion of the death certificates of those using guns for suicide (n = 15412) were coded for the type of gun used: 13.7% used handguns, 12 8% used shotguns, 6.6% used rifles, and 66.8% were unknown. Despite this small proportion, some interesting preliminary results were identified. The percentage of suicides using handguns in each state was correlated with a measure of the strictness of the handgun control laws of the states in 1980 (Lester, 1987). The Pearson correlation was 0.37 ( p < 0.01), indicating that in states where the handgun control laws were stricter, people used long guns relatively more often for suicide. Females were more likely to use handguns than males (67.6% versus 37.1%, X , 2 = 233.35, p < .001), nonwhites more than whites (50.4% versus 40.7%, X , 2 = 12.22, p < .01), those aged 25+ more than those aged 5 yr. to 24 yr. (44.2% versus 31.5%, = 60.03, p < .001), and singles less than other marital statuses (34.2% versus 50.2%, X , Z = 55.99, p < .001). These results are based on a very small proportion of coded suicides and so are unreliable. However, in future years, if the type of gun used for suicide is noted more often on the death certificate, more reliable analyses can be conducted.
X-linked intellectual disability gene CASK regulates postnatal brain growth in a non-cell autonomous manner

The phenotypic spectrum among girls with heterozygous mutations in the X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) gene CASK (calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase) includes postnatal microcephaly, ponto-cerebellar hypoplasia, seizures, optic nerve hypoplasia, growth retardation and hypotonia. Although CASK knockout mice were previously reported to exhibit perinatal lethality and a 3-fold increased apoptotic rate in the brain, CASK deletion was not found to affect neuronal physiology and their electrical properties. The pathogenesis of CASK associated disorders and the potential function of CASK therefore remains unknown. Here, using Cre-LoxP mediated gene excision experiments; we demonstrate that deleting CASK specifically from mouse cerebellar neurons does not alter the cerebellar architecture or function. We demonstrate that the neuron-specific deletion of CASK in mice does not cause perinatal lethality but induces severe recurrent epileptic seizures and growth retardation before the onset of adulthood. Furthermore, we demonstrate that although neuron-specific haploinsufficiency of CASK is inconsequential, the CASK mutation associated human phenotypes are replicated with high fidelity in CASK heterozygous knockout female mice (CASK (+/-)). These data suggest that CASK-related phenotypes are not purely neuronal in origin. Surprisingly, the observed microcephaly in CASK (+/-) animals is not associated with a specific loss of CASK null brain cells indicating that CASK regulates postnatal brain growth in a non-cell autonomous manner. Using biochemical assay, we also demonstrate that CASK can interact with metabolic proteins. CASK knockdown in human cell lines cause reduced cellular respiration and CASK (+/-) mice display abnormalities in muscle and brain oxidative metabolism, suggesting a novel function of CASK in metabolism. Our data implies that some phenotypic components of CASK heterozygous deletion mutation associated disorders represent systemic manifestation of metabolic stress and therefore amenable to therapeutic intervention.
A Causality Free Computational Method for HJB Equations with Application to Rigid Body Satellites

Solving Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations is essential in feedback optimal control. Using the solution of HJB equations, feedback optimal control laws can be implemented in real-time with minimum computational load. However, except for systems with two or three state variables, numerically solving HJB equations for general nonlinear systems is unfeasible due to the curse of dimensionality. In this paper, we develop a new computational method of solving HJB equations. The method is causality free, which enjoys the advantage of perfect parallelism on a sparse grid. Compared with dense grids, a sparse grid has a significantly reduced size which is feasible for systems with relatively high dimensions, such as 6-D HJB equations for the attitude control of rigid bodies. The method is applied to the optimal attitude control of a satellite system using momentum wheels. The accuracy of the numerical solution is verified at a set of randomly selected sample points.
Zebrafish embryo toxicity of anaerobic biotransformation products from the insensitive munitions compound 2,4‐dinitroanisole

2,4-Dinitroanisole (DNAN) is an emerging insensitive munitions compound that readily undergoes anaerobic nitro-group reduction to 2-methoxy-5-nitroaniline (MENA) and 2,4-diaminoanisole (DAAN), followed by formation of unique azo dimers. Currently there is little knowledge on the ecotoxicity of DNAN (bio)transformation products. In the present study, mortality, development, and behavioral effects of DNAN (bio)transformation products were assessed using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. The authors tested individual products, MENA and DAAN, as well as dimer and trimer surrogates. As pure compounds, 3-nitro-4-methoxyaniline and 2,2'-dimethoxy-4,4'-azodianiline caused statistically significant effects, with lowest-observable-adverse effect levels (LOAEL) at 6.4 μM on 1 or 2 developmental endpoints, respectively. The latter had 6 additional statistically significant developmental endpoints with LOAELs of 64 μM. Based on light-to-dark swimming behavioral tests, DAAN (640 μM) caused reduction in swimming, suggestive of neurotoxicity. No statistically significant mortality occurred (≤64 μM) for any of the individual compounds. However, metabolite mixtures formed during different stages of MENA (bio)transformation in soil were characterized using high-resolution mass spectrometry in parallel with zebrafish embryo toxicity assays, which demonstrated statistically significant mortality during the onset of azo-dimer formation. Overall the results indicate that several DNAN (bio)transformation products cause different types of toxicity to zebrafish embryos. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2774-2781. © 2016 SETAC.
Trust Management System for P2P File Sharing Networks

This paper presents a trust measurement system for P2P file sharing networks,which evaluates and disseminates trust information of peers in networks.With trust collaboration decisions can be made for peer selections.Then malicious peers are isolated,and reliable peers are boosted.Simulation evaluation shows the system provides effectiveness to enhance performances of the sharing networks.
Domestic Political Problems and the Uneven Contenders Paradox

Extant research has not produced consistent findings on the relationship between domestic political problems and the use of force abroad. We argue that this ambiguity results from incomplete theorizing and flawed empirical tests. We advance the understanding of diversionary uses of force by highlighting the political bias that domestic problems create for a leader and how this political bias interacts with the power relationship between diverters and potential targets. This conceptual discussion clarifies the political incentives each actor has to engage in military conflict and leads to a novel hypothesis. For example, domestic problems increase the probability that a weak state will attack a strong state, but domestic problems will have little effect on changing the probability of conflict between strong and weak. Empirical tests of the hypotheses for the period 1946–2000 are consistent with the argument.
Adequacy of spun-soy protein containing egg albumin for human nutrition.

Is the biologic value of textured vegetable protein equal to that of customary sources of protein for human nutrition?
Effect of combined treatment with interleukin-3 and interleukin-6 on 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide-mediated reduction of glutathione levels and cytotoxicity in normal and leukemic bone marrow progenitor cells

4-Hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) is widely used as an ex vivo bone marrow purging agent for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts. We have determined the effect of a combined treatment with interleukin 3 (IL-3) plus IL-6 on 4-HC cytotoxicity against normal (CFU-GEMM) versus AML (L-CFU) bone marrow progenitor cells. Following an 18 h exposure to IL-3 plus IL-6, treatment with 4-HC in conjunction with IL-3 and IL-6 for one hour resulted in a significantly greater inhibition of L-CFU versus CFU-GEMM colony growth. In addition, treatment with IL-3 plus IL-6 reduced the inhibitory effects of higher concentrations of 4-HC on CFU-GEMM but not L-CFU growth. IL-3 and IL-6 did not protect the self-renewing, clonogenic, AML blast progenitor cells from the cytotoxic effects of 4-HC. While the total intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels were not significantly different between untreated normal bone marrow mononuclear cells (NBMMC) and AML blasts, greater intracellular GSH-S transferase activity was observed in the NBMMC. 4-HC produced a marked reduction in GSH levels in NBMMC as well as AML blasts. But treatment with IL-3 plus IL-6 in conjunction with 4-HC resulted in significantly higher GSH levels in NBMMC. These differences in intracellular GSH levels and GST activity may offer an explanation for the differential protective effects of IL-3 plus IL-6 treatment against the cytotoxic effects of 4-HC on CFU-GEMM colony growth.
The Basel Capital Requirements: a First Step Towards Global Regulation

When they were first introduced in 1988, the Basel Capital Requirements were a major step forward in at least two respects. First, and substantively, they were basis for strengthening the international banking system by raising the amounts of capital banks were required to hold. In so doing they contributed to a more level playing field for internationally active banks. Second, and procedurally, they represented the first time that national regulators had agreed on the application of a set of international minimum standards for bank supervision — a first step towards global regulation.
Stage One: Group Preservation Australia Cyclone Rona – February 11–13, 1999

In February 1999, tropical cyclone Rona battered North Queensland, Australia, causing economic losses of 300 million dollars [1]. By day 3, the storm had “[produced] the region’s worst flooding in 30 years” [2], forcing more than 2,000 people to flee [3]. Infrastructural damage throughout the region (to roads, houses, bridges, and the sewer system) climbed into the millions of dollars, while crop damage reached over 100 million dollars [4, 5]. By the time the flooding subsided, at least four people were dead and two were injured, although the number of human casualties remains uncertain to this day [1, 3]. Thirty people were left homeless [1].
Influenza Prophylaxis in Children: Could a Single Dose of One Drug Be an Option?

During annual influenza epidemics, the highest illness rates occur among children, who are also known to play substantial roles in influenza transmission among households and communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend postexposure chemoprophylaxis with neuraminidase inhibitors for close contacts at elevated risk for influenza complications who have not been vaccinated or are unlikely to be protected through vaccination or other contact precautions at the time of exposure.1 The effectiveness of postexposure prophylaxis with neuraminidase inhibitors is estimated to be 68% to 90%. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends oral oseltamivir prophylaxis in infants starting at 3 months of age and in high-risk children, and inhaled zanamivir prophylaxis is recommended only in children ≥5 years old.1,2 Intravenous peramivir is not approved for children or for prophylaxis in the United States. The recommended duration of prophylaxis currently is 7 to 10 days from last exposure or … Address correspondence to Flor M. Munoz, MD, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM-280, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: florm{at}bcm.edu
On the (non)utility of Juilland’s D to measure lexical dispersion in large corpora

This paper explores the effectiveness of Juilland’s D as a measure of vocabulary dispersion in large corpora. Through a series of experiments using the BNC, we explored the influence of three variables: the number of corpus-parts used for the computation of D, the frequency of the target word, and the distributions of those words. The experiments demonstrate that the effective range for D is greatly reduced when computations are based on a large number of corpus-parts: even words with highly skewed distributions have D values indicating a relatively uniform distribution. We also briefly explore an alternative measure, Gries’ DP (Gries 2008), showing that it is a more reliable and effective measure of dispersion in a large corpus divided into many parts. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of these findings for quantitative methods applied to the creation of vocabulary lists as well as research questions in other areas of corpus linguistics.
Naval power, endogeneity, and long-distance disputes:

Does an increase in naval power increase the likelihood of interstate disputes? While volumes have been written on the importance of naval power, we are left with little more than intuition and ane...
Spontaneous and stimulated radiations of a classical moving charge from energy conservation

Abstract In classical electrodynamics the amplitude of the radiation by a charged particle in non-uniform motion is usually derived from the Lienard-Wiechert retarded potential. We show that it can be derived in a simpler way by supposing an initial radiation field which stimulates the emission and using energy conservation. We also compare the forces which brake (or accelerate) the particle in spontaneous and stimulated emissions (or absorption).
Will Your Students Choose to Be Physically Active

Our goal as teachers should not just be to give our students a bag of tools that they may or may not use. Our goal should be to enable them to actually want to use those tools. This article explores the importance of autonomy-supportive teaching.
Reform, Justice, and Sovereignty: A Food Systems Agenda for Environmental Communication

Food ecologies and economies are vital to the survival of communities, non-human species, and our planet. While environmental communication scholars have legitimated food as a topic of inquiry, the...
Numerical Study of Bond and Development of Column Longitudinal Reinforcement Extended into Oversized Pile Shafts

AbstractThis paper presents a numerical investigation to examine the bond-slip behavior of column longitudinal reinforcing bars embedded in oversized pile shafts and to determine the minimum embedm...
Orexins and stress

The neuropeptides orexins are important in regulating the neurobiological systems that respond to stressful stimuli. Furthermore, orexins are known to play a role many of the phenotypes associated with stress-related mental illness such as changes in cognition, sleep-wake states, and appetite. Interestingly, orexins are altered in stress-related psychiatric disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders. Thus, orexins may be a potential target for treatment of these disorders. In this review, we will focus on what is known about the role of orexins in acute and repeated stress, in stress-induced phenotypes relevant to psychiatric illness in preclinical models, and in stress-related psychiatric illness in humans. We will also briefly discuss how orexins may contribute to sex differences in the stress response and subsequent phenotypes relevant to mental health, as many stress-related psychiatric disorders are twice as prevalent in women.
Criminal Justice and Videoconferencing Technology: The Remote Defendant

This Article addresses the increasing use of videoconferencing to avoid bringing criminal defendants to court for certain proceedings. Unfortunately, courts use videoconferencing technology to bring criminal defendants to court without carefully evaluating the impact of that practice on the quality of justice. This Article evaluates the implications of using technology to have defendants appear through videoconferencing and argues against the practice. It brings to bear the literature from other fields, particularly communications and social psychology. That body of literature suggests that videoconferencing may have a negative impact on the way the defendant is perceived by those in court as well as the representation the defendant receives and the way in which the defendant experiences the criminal justice system. The author argues that courts should not extend their reliance on videoconferencing further and instead must undertake studies to explore the impact of the technology in criminal proceedings. In addition, the author advocates that the courts take steps to ameliorate the negative impact of videoconferencing through design of videoconferencing systems and training of those who participate in videoconference proceedings. Finally, the author suggests that courts with videoconferencing equipment make it available for communication between incarcerated defendants and their attorneys.
Biofuels from Cellulosic Feedstocks

Large-scale industrial production of ethanol as a fuel or fuel additive began in the late 1970s. The fuel ethanol industry has now been well established in the United States with the conversion of cornstarch feedstock, and in Brazil with the conversion of sucrose from sugarcane feedstock. Annual fuel ethanol production worldwide is currently around 7 × 10 10 l, about half of which is from corn. However, other feedstocks such as cellulose-rich plant biomass (byproducts from agriculture and forestry or from dedicated agricultural production) offer significant opportunities to expand fuel ethanol production. Particularly, cellulosic biomass is abundantly available around the world. Ethanol produced from cellulosic biomass will play a major role in lessening the need for petroleum as transportation fuel and in preventing the need to use food resources for fuel production. Although cellulosic biomass is readily available, the process for converting it into ethanol by fermentation is more complex than the conversion of cornstarch or cane sugar into ethanol for two reasons. First, cellulosic biomass is more difficult to break down. Second, and more importantly, the sugar recovered from cellulosic biomass is not glucose alone but a mixture of five different sugars with glucose and xylose (a pentose sugar) as the major components. In order to efficiently convert cellulosic biomass to ethanol, several technological hurdles have to be overcome. In the past 30 years, academic institutions worldwide have focused on the development of various technologies for pretreatment and hydrolysis to convert the sugar molecules present in the polymers of cellulosic biomass to simple fermentable monomeric sugars, such as glucose and xylose. Similarly, great efforts have also been focused on the development of microorganisms, particularly by recombinant DNA techniques, to effectively ferment the various cellulosic sugars to ethanol. These newly developed or improved technologies have provided a solid base for making cellulosic ethanol production a mainstream industry worldwide. In this article, the development of the various key technologies significant to industrial cellulosic ethanol production is reported.
The Ilizarov Method: Orthopedic and Soft Tissue Applications

The Ilizarov method has broad applications for the generation of bone and soft tissue via an external fixator composed of small pins, tensional wires, rings, hinges and distractors. The success of the technique depends on adherence to Ilizarov's principles of tension-stress phenomenon: preservation of the tissues' blood supply, frequent distraction in small increments, and full function of the extremity.
Laccase/TEMPO-modified lignin improved soy-protein-based adhesives: Adhesion performance and properties

Abstract The aim of this study was to enhance the water resistance of soy protein (SP) adhesives using laccase/TEMPO-modified lignin. Kraft lignin was depolymerized by laccase enzyme in the presence of TEMPO to expand the oxidation reaction of both phenolic and non-phenolic compounds. This simplified process has the distinct advantage of enhancing lignin-protein interaction. Compared with SP adhesives, lignin-protein adhesives showed a stronger elastic modulus, higher thermal stability, and increased wet adhesion performance. Wet shear strength increased by 106% from 0.693 to 1.429 MPa, and partial wood failure was observed after the test. Better performance was also observed in the three-cycle soaking test. At the same time, the stronger interactions between -COO- and -NH2 groups of protein and lignin led to a decrease in flowability and spreadability.
Degradation Processes in Photovoltaic Cells

Abstract We provide a review of the degradation modes and their underlying mechanisms that most commonly afflict commercial silicon solar cells. These modes are commonly referred to as potential-induced degradation (PID), light-induced degradation (LID), cracking of cells, and corrosion of cells. To begin, we qualitatively describe the semiconductor physics of solar cell devices and pn-junctions, and some typical and useful means of characterizing solar cell losses that are universal to degradation studies. Then, we provide a thorough review of the aforementioned degradation modes and summarize the efforts involved in studying them, attempting to find the root cause mechanisms and possible mitigation schemes that have been, or could be, developed to affect or eliminate the degradation.
Avoiding Resentment Via Monotonic Fairness

Classifiers that achieve demographic balance by explicitly using protected attributes such as race or gender are often politically or culturally controversial due to their lack of individual fairness, i.e. individuals with similar qualifications will receive different outcomes. Individually and group fair decision criteria can produce counter-intuitive results, e.g. that the optimal constrained boundary may reject intuitively better candidates due to demographic imbalance in similar candidates. Both approaches can be seen as introducing individual resentment, where some individuals would have received a better outcome if they either belonged to a different demographic class and had the same qualifications, or if they remained in the same class but had objectively worse qualifications (e.g. lower test scores). We show that both forms of resentment can be avoided by using monotonically constrained machine learning models to create individually fair, demographically balanced classifiers.
Effects of Hydrogel-Fiber on Cystic Cavity after Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects millions of people around the world, however, functional recovery is far from satisfying. The continuous emergence of biomaterials provides a new idea for the repair of SCI. Hydrogels can mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM), however, the unstable hydrogel shape limits its application. In this study, we evaluate the effect of hydrogel fiber (Polycaprolactone, PCL fiber was added to the hydrogel) on the recovery after SCI. 20 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: SCI+hydrogel group (H), SCI+hydrogel + PCL fiber group (HF), SCI group (SCI) and SHAM group (SHAM) and (N=5). SCI contusion injury was induced by a MASCIS Impactor (20g weight, 50cm high) at the T9 level in rats. Hydrogels or PCL fiber were administered into the SCI site one week after surgery. Periodical Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor score, spinal cord hematoxylin and eosin stain (HE) staining, and immunofluorescence staining were performed 28 days after the operation. HE staining showed that the average cystic cavity area in SCI (20.78 ±2.93 mm2) group was significantly higher than that in H group (6.54 ±0.85 mm2), HF group (5.06 ±0.76 mm2) and SHAM group (1.76 ±0.27 mm2) (P 0.05), except the sham group. Immunofluorescence showed higher NeuN positive cells in both the H group and the HF group. This preliminary result may indicate that PCL fiber optimized the strength of hydrogels, thus providing better support for the axon regeneration. Future investigation is needed to further characterize PCL fiber and elucidate related mechanisms.
Budgeted Prize-Collecting Traveling Salesman and Minimum Spanning Tree Problems

We consider constrained versions of the prize-collecting traveling salesman and the prize-collecting minimum spanning tree problems. The goal is to maximize the number of vertices in the returned t...
A genome-wide association study identifies two novel susceptible regions for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

To identify genetic variants for risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), we conducted a two-phase genome-wide association study consisting of 7,858,089 SNPs in 2,171 cases and 4,493 controls of non-Hispanic white, of which 434,839 typed and 7,423,250 imputed SNPs as the discovery. SNPs with P
Transglutaminase 2 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and facilitates the adhesion of cancer cells to fibronectin

3407 Background: Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is an enzyme involved in Ca++-dependent aggregation and polymerization of proteins through cross-linking of glutamine residues. Recent reports have noted increased TG2 expression in epithelial malignancies. Using microarray hybridization, we found that TG2 is over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells compared to normal surface ovarian cells (11-fold difference, p-value=0.0000). The role of TG2 in epithelial ovarian cancer is not known. Materials and Methods: Western Blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to determine TG2 expression in ovarian tumors and in ascites fluid from patients with ovarian cancer. Adhesion to fibronectin (FN) was measured using a solid-phase adhesion assay in ovarian cancer cells. Results: TG2 was detected in 8 of 10 ovarian tumors at protein level, but not in 3 samples of normal ovarian tissue. TG2 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 65% of 26 ovarian tumors. In contrast, none of the 6 normal ovarian samples stained for TG2. TG2 is a secreted protein and was detected in 25 of 30 specimens of peritoneal fluid collected from patients with ovarian cancer. In contrast small amounts or no TG2 was found in ascites fluid from patients with inflammatory conditions. To determine the function of TG2 in human ovarian epithelial cells, the protein was knocked down by stable transfection with an anti-sense TG2 construct (SkOv3 cells) and was stably overexpressed using WT TG2 cloned in pCDNA3.1 (OV90 cells). Adhesion to fibronectin was decreased by 50% in SKOV3 cells lacking TG2 compared to cells transfected with pCDNA3.1. Cells transfected with anti-TG failed to spread on FN, as assessed by immunoflourescent staining for phalloidin and microscopic examination. Similarly, pre-incubation with a neutralizing antibody against the integrin binding domain of TG2 significantly reduced the adhesion of cells to fibronectin (∼ 30%). In contrast, stable TG2 overexpression lead to increased adhesion to FN in OV90 cells. Phosphorylation of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK), engaged upon cell adhesion, was inhibited in cells where TG2 was knocked down. Transient over-expression of TG2 led to increased adhesion-induced FAK phosphorylation. Specific association of TG2 with β1 integrin was demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation. Knock-down of TG2 lead to decreased levels of β1 integrin, which was reversed in the presence of cycloheximide and MG132, suggesting that TG2 is necessary for stabilizing β1 integrin. Conclusion: These data suggest that transglutaminase 2 is expressed in epithelial ovarian tumors, in a cancer-restricted manner. TG2 is necessary for ovarian cancer cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix by binding to and stabilizing the β1 integrin complex.
Recent advances in the electrochemical oxidation water treatment: Spotlight on byproduct control

Electrochemical oxidation (EO) is a promising technique for decentralized wastewater treatment, owing to its modular design, high efficiency, and ease of automation and transportation. The catalytic destruction of recalcitrant, non-biodegradable pollutants (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, etc.) is an appropriate niche for EO. EO can be more effective than homogeneous advanced oxidation processes for the degradation of recalcitrant chemicals inert to radical-mediated oxidation, because the potential of the anode can be made much higher than that of hydroxyl radicals (EOH = 2.7 V vs. NHE), forcing the direct transfer of electrons from pollutants to electrodes. Unfortunately, at such high anodic potential, chloride ions, which are ubiquitous in natural water systems, will be readily oxidized to chlorine and perchlorate. Perchlorate is a to-be-regulated byproduct, and chlorine can react with matrix organics to produce organic halogen compounds. In the past ten years, novel electrode materials and processes have been developed. However, spotlights were rarely focused on the control of byproduct formation during EO processes in a real-world context. When we use EO techniques to eliminate target contaminants with concentrations at µg/L-levels, byproducts at mg/L-levels might be produced. Is it a good trade-off? Is it possible to inhibit byproduct formation without compromising the performance of EO? In this minireview, we will summarize the recent advances and provide perspectives to address the above questions.
Field and simulated rutting behavior of hot mix and warm mix asphalt overlays

Abstract Research implementing new pavement technologies often focuses on material characterization; however, expanding the research to study and validate how new technologies influence pavement design is needed for continual improvement. Numerical analysis approaches use laboratory mixture data to predict field performance. This study compares predicted rutting by MEPDG design, estimated rutting from Finite Element (FE) simulations, and actual rutting performance in the field. Ten years ago, warm mix asphalt research was underway to measure the effect of warm mix asphalt (WMA) additives and lower production temperatures on performance. WMA benefits include reduced mixing/compaction temperatures, reduced fuel consumption, and improved compatibility. In 2009, three asphalt overlay projects were constructed in Iowa using both hot mix asphalt (HMA), and WMA mixes to compare their performance. A series of dynamic modulus tests were conducted to determine dynamic modulus and phase angles of HMA and WMA mixtures. The dynamic modulus results were used to develop FE viscoelastic simulations to predict the rutting of HMA/WMA pavement sections. Iowa’s pavement management system provided field rutting of WMA/HMA sections. Also, pavement sections were evaluated using mixture input parameters in the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG). The results showed MEPDG based on linear elastic theories might overestimate the rutting of asphalt pavements, especially overlays placed on Jointed Plain Concrete Pavement (JPCP). In contrast, the FEM based on viscoelastic theories more accurately predicted the rutting of pavements. Calibration coefficients are proposed by this study, which may be useful for design engineers and industrial applications to correct and modify MEPDG overlay design thicknesses for HMA/WMA mixes placed on HMA and JPCP surfaces.