cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amelogenin Exon4 Forms a Novel miRNA That Directs Ameloblast and Osteoblast Differentiation

Amelogenins constitute the major portion of secretory enamel matrix proteins and are known to be highly alternative spliced. Of all the alternatively spliced forms of amelogenins, exon4 is most commonly spliced out. Our analyses of the exon4 sequence led us to hypothesize that when spliced out, exon4 may generate a novel mature miRNA. To explore this possibility, we used in vivo mouse models (wild-type and Amel knockout mice) and in vitro cell culture to investigate the presence and function of a mature miRNA derived from exon4 (miR-exon4). When ameloblast-like cells (LS8) were transfected with an amelogenin minigene to increase amelogenin synthesis, the transfected cells synthesized miR-exon4. Introduction of a mutation in the conserved CNNC sequence required for primary miRNA recognition, downstream of the mature miR-exon4 sequence, resulted in a significantly reduced production of miR-exon4 in the transfected cells. In vivo, miR-exon4 was most highly amplified from wild-type mouse enamel organs at the secretory stage. In Amel knockout mice, an in vivo model for reduced amelogenin synthesis, we found reduced miR-exon4, with no changes in expression of enamel matrix-related genes. However, expression of Runx2 and its downstream genes Odam and Amtn were significantly downregulated. Transfection of miR-exon4 mimic to the LS8 cells also significantly upregulated Runx2. The mature miR-exon4 as well as Runx2 was also present in mouse osteoblasts with no apparent change in expression level between wild-type and Amel knockout mice. However, transfecting miR-exon4 inhibitor to the MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells resulted in a significant downregulation of Runx2 expression. These data indicate that when exon4 is spliced out, as occurs most of the time during alternative splicing of amelogenin pre-mRNA, a novel mature miRNA is generated from exon4. This miR-exon4 may contribute to the differentiation of ameloblasts and osteoblasts through regulation of Runx2 expression.
Use of acridine orange in lymphocyte transformation test.

Discussion and SummaryThe fluorochrome, acridine orange, has been utilized in this laboratory as a rapid, sensitive, and reliable method for the visualization and tabulation of cells in the lymphocyte transformation test. With careful control of pH of the staining solution, and proper differentiation in ethanol—saline, the staining is highly reproducible and specific for DNA and RNA. Blastogenesis is readily recognizable by both nuclear and cytoplasmic changes. Acridine orange has been used to evaluate the nonspecific effect of phytohemagglutinin (PHA-P), and the specific antigenic stimulation of tetanus toxoid, coccidioidin, and typhoid vaccines, penicillin and penicilloyl-polylysine on human lymphocytes from sensitized individuals. The results obtained were comparable to those obtained from Wright-stained preparations and consistent with those from autoradiography of tritiated thymidine incorporation into nuclear DNA. Investigators using blastogenesis as an index for the lymphocyte transformation test m...
Solubility Parameters for Nine Ionic Liquids

Solubility parameters are useful for estimating solubilities of solutes in ionic liquids when no solubility data are available. Solubility parameters are reported for nine ionic liquids; they were obtained from solubility data for a variety of solutes. The ionic liquids are 1-butyl,3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, 1-ethyl,3-methylimidazolium acetate, 1-methyl,3-trimethylsylilimidazolium chloride, 4-methyl,n-butylpyridinium tetrafluoroborate, ethylammonium nitrate, 1-ethyl,3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-methyl,3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, 1-butyl,3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, and 1-ethyl,3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate.
Some Notes on Digestion and the Cell Structure of the Digestive Epithelium in Insects. (Plate XLI)

The ultimate structure of the cell, as it is understood in animal and plant life, is still largely a matter of theory among biologists. A cell appears as a tangible unit, apparently definitely set off from its fellows, and easily discernible with low powers. Yet its exact constitution and its exact relationship to the surrounding cells are not known. So far, scientists have had to imagine how such a structure, with the known functions that it possesses, ought to be composed; it has not yet been possible by actual observation to prove this composition. Many things enter into this difficulty. Cells are very small structures and cannot be viewed with the naked eye. The interposition of a lens or lenses increases the possibility of error. Especially when using lenses of high power is there very little certainty about what is seen. The difficulty of seeing cells in their natural state is great, and resort is had to material that is killed and fixed. Here, even though one is sure of what he sees, he cannot be certain that it is the same as in life. Again, the diversity of cells in different organs and organisms is illimitable, and it is known that even in the same cell the cytoplasm can change its appearance: so that the problem of getting at the typical and final structure and the behavior of this cytoplasm is by no means an easy one.
Bacteria as Micro Mechanical Augers

Optical tweezers can drive the rotation of micro sized, asymmetrically shaped structures. Since evolution provides a great diversity of engineered forms, we show that Rhodospirillum rubrum can be used as light driven micro mixers.
Stability of Frequency Regulating System for Hydropower Units in Grid-Connected Operation

On the basis of rigid coupling model of power grid, the stability of frequency regulating system for hydropower units in grid-connected operation is analyzed. With the growth of primary frequency regulating units and their capacity, the frequency stability of power grid deteriorates. If there are many low capacity units and the stability of their regulating systems is poor, it will make the stability of frequency regulating system of whole grid descending or even to the extent that the frequency regulating system of whole grid is instable. Therefore, the attention should be paid to the disregard of system stability while small units are in grid-connected operation and enough stability of single unit regulating system can ensure the stability of multi-unit regulating system. When the dominant time constants of all units’ regulating systems are the same, the action of all actuators trends upward synchronous, thus the frequency regulating system of power grid can just achieve high dynamic quality.
Data Analysis and Statistical Issues

Let us start with an example that is very simple, yet illustrates well both the kind of econometric problems faced in energy markets as well as the essential features the econometric analysis must address. Invariably, we are not interested in estimation as such, but only within the context of valuing some structured product/deal. Suppose we are to bid on a deal that entails taking exposure to some (non-traded) entity y, which we believe (for whatever reason) to stand in a relation to some (forward traded) entity x. We thus anticipate putting on some kind of hedge with this entity x. A critical aspect of this deal is that the exposure is realized at a specific time in the future, denoted by T. Examples of proxy hedging include: Hedging short-term exposure at a physical node in PJM with PJM-W Hedging very long-term PJM-W exposure with Henry Hub natural gas Hedging illiquid Iroquois gas basis with more liquid Algonquin basis.
Multimedia Information Extraction Roadmap.

Detecting events of interest in video where there is no accompanying sound or text; examples include surveillance video. Further advances in computer vision, perhaps combining multiple 2D views are necessary. It is interesting to note that in the UK, it is almost impossible to walk outside for 5 minutes without being captured by some surveillance video system Content extraction from noisy media, such as telephone conversations, home videos (as seen on youtube) Correlating multimedia data to other data sources, especially text sources. Frequently, multimedia data (such as video, maps, charts) are referred to in email and chat conversations. The ability to automatically and dynamically correlate these sources enhances understanding Semantic access to multimedia data, enabling granular search; perhaps this requires a comprehensive ontology of entities, relationships and events which is more geared to multimedia search. Efficient indexing and retrieval: much of multimedia content is being captured and/or delivered via mobile devices. Such devices have limited processing capabilities.
Looking-Time in the Presence of Congruent and Incongruent Odors

Environmental stimuli are often used to influence an individual’s emotional responses of pleasure and arousal. In turn, these responses are said to mediate a variety of approach-avoidance behaviors [1]. Approach behavior includes movement toward a stimulus, liking, and exploration; avoidance is the opposite. Theoretically, the more pleasant the environment, the greater the approach behavior.
Putting the "Systems" in Security Engineering: An Examination of NIST Special Publication 800-160

Security professionals should be familiar with ongoing developments in the systems security engineering field, specifically the second public release of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-160 Systems Security Engineering: Considerations for a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Engineering of Trustworthy Secure Systems. NIST SP 800-160 provides a systems-oriented approach to engineering secure systems in what is perhaps the most significant work in the specialty domain's history.
Interface with Parametric Theory

The nonparametric approach to efficiency measurement has several levels of interaction with the parametric theory e.g., specification, aggregation and econometric estimation. Although the linear programming (LP) specification was used by both Farrell, Johansen and the founders of the DEA model, one could certainly use nonlinear and parametric specifications for the frontier functions.
Farmer perceptions of climate change risk and associated on-farm management strategies in Vermont, northeastern United States

Little research has been conducted on how agricultural producers in the northeastern United States conceptualize climate-related risk and how these farmers address risk through on-farm management strategies. Two years following Tropical Storm Irene, our team interviewed 15 farmers in order to investigate their perceptions of climate-related risk and how their decision-making was influenced by these perceptions. Our results show that Vermont farmers are concerned with both ecological and economic risk. Subthemes that emerged included geographic, topographic, and hydrological characteristics of farm sites; stability of land tenure; hydrological erosion; pest and disease pressure; market access; household financial stability; and floods. Farmers in our study believed that these risks are not new but that they are significantly intensified by climate change. Farmer responses were heavily focused on adaptation activities, with discussion of climate change mitigation activities notably absent. Psychological distance construal theory and hyperbolic discounting emerged as well-suited frames to explain why farmers reported adaptation activities but not mitigation strategies. Farmers will probably experience an increasing severity of climate-related impacts in the northeast region; therefore, information about climate-related risks coming from farmers’ personal experience should be integrated with forecasting data to help farmers plan effective adaptation strategies.
Predictors of survival after trimodality therapy for esophageal adenocarcinoma: Analysis from the National Cancer Database.

116Background: Trimodality therapy with neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery has been shown to improve survival compared to surgery alone for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer, but there is considerable variation in survival in this population. We sought to analyze factors associated with survival after trimodality therapy in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods: We identified 4,679 patients from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) who received chemotherapy and radiation prior to surgery for esophageal adenocarcinoma from 2006-2013. Patients with stage IV disease and unknown pathological nodal status were excluded. We performed a multivariate analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model to identify independent predictors of overall survival. Results: On multivariate analysis, pathologic characteristics associated with decreased overall survival included stage, lymphovascular invasion, and positive surgical margins. Insurance status, age, and comorbidity index were also associa...
How and Why Credit Rating Agencies Are Not Like Other Gatekeepers

This article revisits some issues I raised in a 1999 article on credit rating agencies, which increasingly are the focus of scholars and regulators. I discuss how and why credit rating agencies differ from other financial market gatekeepers, such as underwriters and accountants, and assess several recent policy proposals by considering the extent to which they take into account these differences. The credit rating industry has changed radically since 1999. Credit rating agencies are now more profitable than other gatekeepers, face different and potentially more serious conflicts of interest, and are uniquely active in structured finance, particularly collateralized debt obligations, now a multi-trillion dollar market. I argue that these changes are related: Moody's Corp. has a $20 billion market capitalization in part because it earns high operating margins from conflicted transactions and credit derivatives. I describe a new approach to understanding the rationale for creating "synthetic" CDOs, whose assets consist of credit default swaps instead of bonds or loans. These transactions pose interesting theoretical challenges to some concepts of market efficiency and arbitrage based on mathematical modeling. I also assess the agencies' argument that ratings are merely opinions protected by the First Amendment. In several recent cases, including the Enron litigation, judges have dismissed rating agency defendants on free speech grounds, and the agencies increasingly cite journalist privileges in opposing government subpoenas and proposed legislation that would subject them to securities law-type registration requirements. I critique the agencies' free speech claims, but find they are consistent with the agencies' past success in obtaining exemptions from securities law requirements such as Section 11 and Regulation FD.
Homework Policy and Student Choice: Findings from a Montessori Charter School

The use of homework has been a controversial topic in education for many years: what types of homework to give, how much, and how often. In previous years, Ocean Montessori School (a pseudonym), the site of this study, offered homework like that of traditional public schools, such as worksheets and rote skill practice. Feeling conflicted about the misalignment between traditional homework and Montessori practices, the school administration changed the homework policy for the 2016–2017 academic year. The new policy encouraged students to choose what they wanted to do each night for homework. This study examines the views and practices of the teachers, students, and parents involved in the new homework policy. Data were collected from parent surveys, teacher focus groups, student interviews, observations, and student work samples. The findings indicate that, although students enjoyed the proposed homework change, it lacked sufficient structure for parents, and students needed support from teachers and parents to engage in meaningful homework tasks.
Dental microwear of small mammals as a high resolution paleohabitat proxy: opportunities and challenges

Abstract The inter-relationships between hominins and their habitat are some of the key questions in human evolution, and the determination of paleohabitats accurately is the foundation for robust reconstructions. Dental microwear is the study of microscopic submicron wear on dentition and provides a unique opportunity to infer paleodiets and paleohabitats of fossil species. However, the ability to infer paleohabitats from paleodiet is scale sensitive. Thus, dental microwear of small mammals affords us the opportunity to study paleoecology at a finer spatial and temporal scale than microwear analysis of larger mammals. This paper reviews the history of small mammal microwear studies and discusses the relationship between small mammal diet, habitat and dental microwear features and texture. The paper argues that dental microwear on small mammals can provide unique information on paleohabitats not available using dental microwear on larger taxa. Taphonomic biases, the role of dust and grit in the formation of microwear, and variation across tooth and facet in the analysis of dental microwear are discussed. In order to move the field forward and to further clarify the relationship between dental microwear features and diet in small mammals, further studies need to be conducted.
A Study of Wilkins Equation

The Wilkins equation for l/v capture, with a constant leakage term, is studied. The solution that is regular at the origin and its asymptotic behavior are discussed. Series expansions for the joining factors are given and the corresponding eigenvalue problem is studied. Tabulations of the eigenfunctions are presented for values of the parameters that are of practical interest. (auth)
Differentiating Anxious and depressive self-statements : Combined factor structure of the anxious self-statements questionnaire and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised

Cognitive models of negative emotion suggest that depression and anxiety are associated with different cognitive features. However, distinguishing anxious from depressive self-talk is difficult because of the overlap between anxiety and depression. The Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised was developed to assess self-statements related to depression and the Anxious Self-Statement Questionnaire to assess self-statements related to anxiety. However, confirmatory factor analyses of the pooled items from both measures suggested that this implicit two-factor model did not fit the data. Instead, an exploratory common factor analysis yielded four orthogonal factors: self-statements reflecting depression/hopelessness, self-statements reflecting one's inability to cope, self-statements reflecting anxiety/uncertainty about the future, and positive affect self-statements. In an exploratory hierarchical factor analysis, the first three factors loaded onto a single higher order factor, while positive affect self-statements did not. Attempts to predict depression and trait anxiety on the basis of these factor scores produced complex results, at least potentially due to the relative impurity of the criterion measures. These results provide evidence for the differentiation of anxious and depressive self-talk as well as for the common ground shared by these aspects of internal dialogue. They also support the future study of the factors from the ATQ-R and ASSQ in relation to more construct-pure measures of anxiety and depression.
Economic Analysis of Forest Products Markets

Forest products here include standing timber and logs, solidwood products (lumber and panels), and fiber products (paper and paperboard). This article describes methods used to model stumpage supply and the markets for logs and processed forest products, the results of empirical studies of demand and supply elasticities, and the nature of forest sector models that link these market components. Stumpage supply models originate primarily from intertemporal utility maximization structures, demand and supply for processed products from cost or profit function analyses. Estimates of short-run own-price elasticities for demand and supply of stumpage are predominantly inelastic. Long-run supply estimates are more elastic due to silvicultural investment options. Short-run product elasticities vary widely with substitution options but are also largely inelastic. Forest products sector models can be classed as ‘static’ or ‘dynamic,’ based on their equilibrium solution processes and the ways in which current and expected future market adjustments impact current period market behavior. In applications, the model groups differ markedly in treatment of timber harvest and allocation of harvest to the forest inventory, investment in silviculture and product processing, linkage of forestry and other related sectors such as agriculture, and in their flexibility for policy analysis.
Importance of migrating salmon smolt in Ring-Billed ( Larus delawarensis ) and California Gull ( L. californicus ) diets near Priest Rapids Dam, Washington

Ring-billed ( Larus delawarensis ) and California Gulls ( L. californicus ) have been implicated in depredations on migrating salmon smolt in the Columbia River. As part of a gull management program conducted in 1995 and 1996, we collected L. delawarensis (n = 120) and L. californicus (n = 45) near Priest Rapids Dam, Washington, and analyzed stomach contents to determine food habits and thus the importance of fish in gull diets. Percent volume measurements and index of relative importance rankings suggested a greater reliance on fish by L. californicus than by L. delawarensis . Peak percent consumption of fish by both species occurred in May, coinciding with peak salmon outmigration through Priest Rapids Dam; and for both species number of fish consumed by gulls was higher below Priest Rapids Dam. Gulls collected prior to, and after, peak smolt migration indicated low importance rankings for fish in both L. delawarensis and L. californicus diets. However, the importance ranking of fish in gull diets changed over time and was higher for both species as the smolt migration peaked in May.
Architectural Convergence and Platform Evolution: Empirical Test of Complementor Moves in Videogames

While it is widely known that the success of platforms requires consistent support from complementors, scant attention has been paid to understand the moves of complementors in dynamic settings. In this paper, we focus on platform evolution from the sixth to the seventh generation of videogames and studied the strategic moves of third-party developers that supported personal computer and videogame consoles during a period of architectural convergence. We theorize how platform attachment capability of third-party developers (complementors to platforms) influence developers’ strategic choice. We analyze their choices through two strategic moves— porting (launching an existing game on another platform) versus augmentation (launching a new game on a platform) using data on 316 developers over a nine-year period. We find that complementors that are more embedded in single platform technologies are unable to leverage their existing knowledge in new platform settings and hence, are less likely to engage in porting moves but support existing platforms through augmentation. Complementors are also more likely to port titles to platforms that were architecturally similar to their previously supported platforms. Architectural convergence across sixth and seventh generations of videogames affords even previously embedded developers an opportunity to migrate and support disparate platforms. The results underscore the importance of framing how platform providers and complementors coevolve their actions to respond to platform evolution and architectural convergence from a dyadic and dynamic perspective.
2015 in review: FDA approval of new drugs

The myriad new molecular entities (NMEs) approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 reflected both the opportunities and risks associated with the development of new medicines. On the one hand, the approval of 45 NMEs was among the highest ever recorded. Likewise, the diversity underlying the mechanistic basis of new medicines suggests continued broadening relative to the predominate trends of the past few decades. On the other hand, closer inspection indicates that business model decisions surrounding orphan indications and consolidation could be placing the industry in an ever-more precarious position, with severe implications for the sustainability of the entire enterprise.
Taking stock: The role of environmental appraisal in the strategic use of attentional control.

There are many strategies we can use to control attention when approaching a visual search task, but some are more effective than others. How do we choose the most optimal strategy? We have proposed that individuals must appraise the stimulus environment, taking in relevant statistical information about task-relevant features. In the present experiments, we examined whether interfering with the appraisal process via a secondary task decreases participants’ use of the optimal strategy. We used a modified version of the Adaptive Choice Visual Search paradigm whereby individuals can freely search for either of two targets on every trial. Each search display was preceded by a colored environmental preview, offering participants time to appraise the display and determine which target would be more optimal to search for. On some blocks, participants also completed a secondary task – a central line-length judgment – either before or during this colored preview. We found that participants were significantly less likely to search optimally when the line task occurred during the colored preview than when it occurred beforehand or was absent. Insofar as the secondary task disrupts an individual’s ability to engage in appraisal, these results support the need for such an appraisal mechanism in the optimal choice of attentional control settings.
Molecular Subtyping and In Vivo Phenotyping Studies Identify Human Cell Lines Suitable for Bladder Cancer Research

Recent high profile studies have reported the subdivision of urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder into molecular subtypes based upon gene expression and genetic alterations. The precise classif...
Program Cozmo to Enhance CS0/CS1 Learning of Secure Coding

This poster will present a novel experimental case-study that focuses on the merits of teaching software-security to CS0 and CS1 learners by demonstration of how vulnerable programming of the Cozmo robot can lead to unexpected robot-behavior. It will introduce our unique Cozmo secure-coding lesson-plan, as a new experiential-learning model, which combines learning of software-security concepts with educational-robotics (ER) in the form of hands-on, interactive coding. It will compare a conventional approach of teaching software-security via secure-coding lessons with our unconventional technique of teaching secure-coding using Cozmo. It will present student-survey based learning-assessment data collected from our experiment of offering secure-coding lessons to a diverse group of CS0 and CS1 learners through traditional secure-coding training-modules, which involve no ER. It will, then, compare these data with the student-survey based learning-assessment data gathered from our Cozmo secure-coding sessions. It will analyze these comparative-results in an effort to show preliminary evidence of the effectiveness and potential of our approach for more enhanced and engaging learning of software-security via defensive programming of Cozmo. Prior research in ER indicates that a social-robot can be an effective platform for teaching coding and cyber concepts. However, there is very limited work on the efficacy of teaching secure-coding using social-robots. Hence, our fresh, non-traditional approach of making CS0 and CS1 learners explore hands-on secure-coding through Cozmo is a first-of-its-kind research case-study in an attempt to fill this gap.
Variation in Aerosol Production Across Oxygen Delivery Devices in Spontaneously Breathing Human Subjects

We sought to assess whether HHFNC results in greater production of aerosolized particles than 6 liters per minute nasal cannula, using state-of-the-art techniques of aerosol measurement, in spontaneously breathing human volunteers in a simulated hospital room. For each volunteer, we first measured background aerosol levels in the room immediately prior to testing. We then measured aerosol levels while the healthy volunteer laid in bed - - with the head of bed at 30 degrees - - wearing the following oxygen delivery devices: (a) 6L/min nasal canula (NC) with humidification; (b) non-re-breather mask (NRB) with 15L/min gas flow, non-humidified; (c) HHFNC with 30L/min gas flow; (d) HHFNC with 60L/min gas flow. Two scanning mobility particle sizing (SMPS) systems (TSI 3080/3030, TSI 3080/3750) were used to measure aerosols 10 to 500 nanometer (nm) in size for each of the oxygen delivery devices. There was no variation in aerosol level within patients between room air, 6 L/min NC, 15 L/min NRB, 30 L/min HHFNC, and 60 L/min HHFNC, regardless of coughing.
Transcriptomic Response to Selective Breeding for Fast Growth in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Genetic improvement for faster growth is a conventional approach to increase growth rates in aquaculture species; however, the genetic and physiological factors regulating growth performance in fish are not fully characterized. The objective of this study was to identify physiological mechanisms associated with faster growth rates by comparing the liver and muscle transcriptome of a rainbow trout line selectively bred for fast growth (growth line, GL) and a contemporary randomly mated control line (synthetic control, SC) from the same selective breeding program. A third genetic line from a commercial egg supplier (commercial A, CA) was also included to characterize differences in gene expression profiles between populations. Body weight of the GL at harvest was approximately 20% and 8% heavier (p < 0.05) than SC and CA, respectively. There were 145 and 36 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in liver and white muscle, respectively, between the GL and SC that were enriched for the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis (GH/IGF) and PI3K-Akt, JAK-STAT, MAPK, and cAMP signal transduction pathways. A greater concentration of plasma IGF-I was detected in the GL compared with SC (p < 0.05). A unique gene profile was detected in CA, with 11 and 210 DEG in liver and white muscle; these genes associated with innate immunity, complement systems, and metabolic pathways. Collectively, these findings provide a more extensive characterization of the fast-growth phenotype in fish that furthers knowledge of the physiological basis for genetic variation in growth performance in selectively bred rainbow trout.
Interspecific analysis of diurnal gene regulation in panicoid grasses identifies known and novel regulatory motifs

The circadian clock drives endogenous 24-h rhythms that allow organisms to adapt and prepare for predictable and repeated changes in their environment throughout the day-night (diurnal) cycle. Many components of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana have been functionally characterized, but comparatively little is known about circadian clocks in grass species including major crops like maize and sorghum. Comparative research based on protein homology and diurnal gene expression patterns suggests the function of some predicted clock components in grasses is conserved with their Arabidopsis counterparts, while others have diverged in function. Our analysis of diurnal gene expression in three panicoid grasses sorghum, maize, and foxtail millet revealed conserved and divergent evolution of expression for core circadian clock genes and for the overall transcriptome. We find that several classes of core circadian clock genes in these grasses differ in copy number compared to Arabidopsis, but mostly exhibit conservation of both protein sequence and diurnal expression pattern with the notable exception of maize paralogous genes. We predict conserved cis-regulatory motifs shared between maize, sorghum, and foxtail millet through identification of diurnal co-expression clusters for a subset of 27,196 orthologous syntenic genes. In this analysis, a Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel based method to control for background variation identified significant enrichment for both expected and novel 6–8 nucleotide motifs in the promoter regions of genes with shared diurnal regulation predicted to function in common physiological activities. This study illustrates the divergence and conservation of circadian clocks and diurnal regulatory networks across syntenic orthologous genes in panacoid grass species. Further, conserved local regulatory sequences contribute to the architecture of these diurnal regulatory networks that produce conserved patterns of diurnal gene expression.
Randomized controlled trial in support of vitamin D and calcium supplementation for BPPV.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common cause of vertigo and frequently seen in clinical practice.1 In BPPV, otoconia become dislodged from the utricular macule entering the semicircular canals, where certain head movements will cause movement of the canaliths (malpositioned otoconia). Movement of these canaliths causes displacement of the semicircular canal cupula and the sensation of rotary vertigo. First-line therapy for BPPV includes canalith repositioning exercises such as the Epley maneuver. Taking the patient through a series of head movements allows the canaliths to move around the canal away from the cupula and back into the vestibule.2 Whereas the Epley maneuver and other canalith repositioning maneuvers have a high success rate, BPPV commonly recurs.3 Several groups have suggested vitamin D and calcium metabolism play a role in the pathogenesis of BPPV based on observation data showing an association between the rate of BPPV recurrence and osteopenia, osteoporosis, and decreased serum vitamin D.4,5 A previous nonrandomized study of 93 adults with BPPV and low vitamin D (<10 ng/mL) found lower likelihood of recurrence among those who increased their vitamin D levels to above 10 ng/mL after supplementation.6
Automated Generation of Interorganizational Disaster Response Networks through Information Extraction.

When a disaster occurs, maintaining and restoring community lifelines subsequently require collective efforts from various stakeholders. Aiming at reducing the efforts associated with generating Stakeholder Collaboration Networks (SCNs), this paper proposes a systematic approach to reliable information extraction for stakeholder collaboration and automated network generation. Specifically, stakeholders and their interactions are extracted from texts through Named Entity Recognition (NER), one of the techniques in natural language processing. Once extracted, the collaboration information is transformed into structured datasets to generate the SCNs automatically. A case study of stakeholder collaboration during Hurricane Harvey was investigated and it had demonstrated the feasibility and applicability of the proposed method. Hence, the proposed approach was proved to significantly reduce practitioners' interpretation and data collection workloads. In the end, discussions and future work are provided.
Moving beyond recycling: Examining steps for local government to integrate sustainable materials management.

Recently, local governments experienced unprecedented challenges to their recycling programs and are looking to alternative forms to meet their sustainability goals. Traditionally, waste management policies focus on using a mass-based recycling rate to promote and measure sustainability, however that metric inadvertently promotes recycling over source reduction. Here, we present a metric which measures a community's greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy use footprints for their consumed and end-of-life material streams. Using materials and waste statistics for Florida as an example, we estimated the consumed and discarded masses of 24 materials in 2018. We developed methods and used existing (i.e., WARM, literature) lifecycle assessment data to measure upstream and end-of-life environmental footprints of these materials. The total upstream footprints were approximately 12 and 10 times larger than the end-of-life GHG emissions and energy use footprints, respectively, indicating the need for sustainable materials management application. Mixed paper, cardboard, mixed construction and demolition (CD the building deconstruction and the food donation mandate resulted in the greatest and least progress, respectively, toward meeting the target. These approaches provide local government a baseline for continued progress toward SMM application.Implications: Consumer consumption of manufactured products - the packaging for our food and beverages, the products in our homes and offices, the vehicles we drive, and the buildings we live and work in - ultimately must be discarded at the end of their useful life. It is through the management of residential and commercial solid waste that local governments face the consequences of society's materials consumption. Thus, not surprisingly, materials conservation efforts at the government level focus primarily on efforts to recycle waste and divert these materials from landfill disposal. Here we examine a concept whereby local governments - normally charged with collecting and managing residential and commercial waste, and thus setting waste recycling targets - expand their thinking to include all life cycle phases for the materials consumed and discarded in their jurisdiction. In doing so, local governments can now shift from a waste management to a lifecycle-oriented perspective and expand beyond just managing waste to managing materials.
Distribution of eigenvalues of Toeplitz matrices with smooth entries

Abstract We investigate distribution of eigenvalues of growing size Toeplitz matrices [ a n + k − j ] 1 ≤ j , k ≤ n as n → ∞ , when the entries { a j } are “smooth” in the sense, for example, that for some α > 0 , a j − 1 a j + 1 a j 2 = 1 − 1 α j ( 1 + o ( 1 ) ) , j → ∞ . Typically they are Maclaurin series coefficients of an entire function. We establish that when suitably scaled, the eigenvalue counting measures have limiting support on [ 0 , 1 ] , and under mild additional smoothness conditions, the universal scaled and weighted limit distribution is | π log ⁡ t | − 1 / 2 d t on [ 0 , 1 ] .
Treaties as Domestic Law in the United States

This chapter explores the extent to which treaties constitute domestic law in the United States. All treaties into which the United States enters stem from the Constitution's treaty clause, which gives the President the power to make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate. In practice, though, the Court's treatment of treaties has not always lived up to that billing. What is clear is that treaties judged to be non-self-executing are now widespread, much to the chagrin of many scholars. An earlier source of confusion clarified by the Supreme Court long ago was the extent of Congress's power to implement legislation necessary to execute treaties. The doctrine of non-self-executing treaties, coupled with the constitutional limits on the subject matter of federal statutes, once threatened to doom many treaties' prospects as domestic law. Treaties do have limits, though. Keywords: constitutional limits; domestic law; federal statutes; non-self-executing treaties
Cytochrome c oxidase deficit is associated with the seizure onset zone in young patients with focal cortical dysplasia Type II

It has been postulated that mitochondrial dysfunction may be an important factor in epileptogenesis of intractable epilepsy. The current study tests the hypothesis that mitochondrial Complex IV (CIV) or cytochrome c oxidase dysfunction is associated with the seizure onset zone (SOZ) in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). Subjects were selected based on: age <19y; epilepsy surgery between May, 2010 and October, 2011; pathological diagnosis of isolated focal cortical dysplasia Type I (FCDI) or Type II (FCDII); and sufficient residual cortical tissue to conduct analysis of electron transport chain complex (ETC) activity in SOZ and adjacent cortical regions. In this retrospective study, patients were identified who had sufficient unfixed, frozen brain tissue for biochemical analysis in tissue homogenates. Specimens were subtyped using ILAE classification for FCD, and excluded if diagnosed with FCD Type III or dual pathology. Analysis of ETC activity in resected tissues was conducted independently and without knowledge of the identity, diagnosis, or clinical status of individual subjects. Seventeen patients met the inclusion criteria, including 6 FCDI and 11 FCDII. Comparison of adjacent cortical resections showed decreased CIV activity in the SOZ of the FCDII group (P = 0.003), but no significant CIV difference in adjacent tissues of the FCDI group. Because of the importance of CIV as the terminal and rate-limiting complex in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, these authors conclude that 1) a deficit of CIV is associated with the SOZ of patients with FCDII; 2) CIV deficiency may contribute to the spectrum of FCD neuropathology; and 3) further investigation of CIV in FCD may lead to the discovery of new targets for neuroprotective therapies for patients with intractable epilepsy.
“Belittling” or “Undervaluing” in 2 Clem. 1:1-2?

Second Clement suffers from a lack of clarity about its historical and literary contexts. The anonymous text’s date and provenance have defied precise determination and, although it is referred to a few times in the history of tradition, it seems not to be cited at all. Moreover, its first two verses maintain a history of translation into modern languages employing expressions long out of date. The word, μικρά occurs four times in the first two verses, twice as part of the expression, μικρὰ φρονeῖν. This article identifies the outmoded nature of current translations of these words and proposes an updated translation that better reflects important new interpretations of the text’s purpose, values, and assumptions.
Korea’s Internationalization of Higher Education: Process, Challenge and Strategy

Fellow citizens: Globalization is the shortcut which will lead us to building a first-class country in the 21st century. This is why I revealed my plan for globalization and the government has concentrated all of its energy in forging ahead with it. It is aimed at realizing globalization in all sectors—politics, foreign affairs, economy, society, education, culture and sports. To this end, it is necessary to enhance our viewpoints, way of thinking, system and practices to the world class level. … We have no choice other than this.(President Kim Young Sam, 6 January 1995, cited in Kim, 2000, p.1) The world is now advancing from industrial societies where tangible natural resources were the primary factors of economic development into knowledge and information societies where intangible knowledge and information will be the driving power for economic development. The information revolution is transforming the age of many national economies into an age of one world economy, turning the world into a global village. … Diplomacy in the 21st century will center around the economy and culture. We must keep expanding trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges in order to make our way in the age of boundless competition which will take place against a backdrop of cooperation.(President Kim Dae Jung’s inaugural speech, 25 February 1998, cited in Kim, 2000, p.1)
Surface characterization of BaO on W: I. Deposited films

Abstract The characteristics of Auger transitions for BaO on W[100] have been investigated for various calibrated surface changes such as during the adsorption and desorption of different layers. Standard AES transitions involving W(170 V), O(510 V) and Ba(590 V) lines have provided information on the total Ba and O content on the surface. The interatomic and valence characteristics (i.e. Ba 4d-Ba 5p-O 2p at “68 V” and Ba 4d-Ba 5p-Ba 6s at “73 V”) being very sensitive to chemical interactions of the surface Ba and O, provided additional information so that one may choose a possible picture of the compositional manner in which the total O and Ba is distributed. In addition to this type of analysis, a method is presented whereby the surface is divided into regions of different composition whose AES characteristics are known from measurements of calibrated surfaces. A linear combination of these regions gives a total calculated value which is then compared to the experimental value. A close agreement can thus provide some assurance that proper choices have been made for the surface compositions. The results will show that generally the simplest, straight-forward choices usually give very good agreement with experiment. Other effects are discussed such as the effect of bond-breaking between Ba and O, the desorption of Ba and the persistence of excess O.
The role of osmotic pressure and membrane potential in K(+)-stimulated taurine release from cultured astrocytes and LRM55 cells

The effects of [K+]o on taurine release from glial cells were studied with primary cultures of cerebellar astrocytes and with LRM55 cells, a continuous glial cell line. The characteristics of K(+)-stimulated taurine release were virtually identical in the 2 cell types. Both cerebellar astrocytes and LRM55 cells released taurine when stimulated with high-K+ medium prepared by isosmotically substituting KCl for NaCl, but neither cell type released taurine when stimulated with hyperosmotic high-K+ medium prepared by adding solid KCl to control medium. The membrane potential of LRM55 cells was measured by intracellular recording and was insensitive to changes in [K+]o below 20 mM. LRM55 cells released taurine when stimulated with nondepolarizing concentrations of K+ (13–22 mM) if the isosmotically prepared high-K+ medium was used, but the cells did not release taurine when treated with a depolarizing concentration of K+ (50 mM) if hyperosmotic high-K+ medium was used. The time course of K(+)- stimulated taurine release was quite slow, having a time to peak of 10– 15 min. Small changes (2.5–10%) in the osmolarity of the medium strongly affected taurine release by cerebellar astrocytes and LRM55 cells. K(+)-stimulated taurine release from both cell types was inhibited when the osmolarity was increased with sucrose or NaCl and was enhanced when the osmolarity was reduced. Similarly, baseline taurine release was suppressed by small elevations in osmolarity and increased by reduced osmolarity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Feminist Theory: Radical Lesbian

Reworked via socialist feminist and ecologically motivated objectives, radical lesbian feminism offers a powerful theoretical, practical, and morally sound framework for the contemporary ecofeminist movement. First, by appealing to the strengths of earlier analyses, radical lesbian feminism offers a critique of compulsory heterosexuality. Second, what distinguishes radical lesbian feminism from liberal feminism is the former's commitment to reclaim women's experiences, desires, bodies, and lives as meaningful in themselves. An ecologically oriented radical lesbian feminism offers an avenue for comprehending that experience informed, for example, by the ever-growing threat posed by climate change. Lastly, the emancipation of lesbian identities is essentially revolutionary in that it aims to undermine institutions responsible for oppression. Such a revolution has a specifically ecological signature in that the most globally threatening configuration of oppression to date – oppression premised on access to drinkable water and breathable air – is itself the product of heteropatriarchally dominated multinational energy corporations.