cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Turkey on the way of universal health coverage through the health transportation program (2003-2013)

Beginning in 2003, Turkey initiated a series of reforms under the Health Transformation Program (HTP) that over the past decade have led to the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC). The progress of Turkeys health system has few, if any, parallels in scope and speed. Before the reforms, Turkeys aggregate health indicators lagged behind those of OECD member states and other middle-income countries. The health financing system was fragmented, with four separate insurance schemes and a Green Card program for the poor, each with distinct benefits packages and access rules. Both the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and Ministry of Health (MoH) were providers and financiers of the health system, and four different ministries were directly involved in public health care delivery. Turkeys reform efforts have impacted virtually all aspects of the countrys health system and have resulted in the rapid expansion of the proportion of the population covered and of the services to which they are entitled. At the same time, financial protection has improved. For example, (i) insurance coverage increased from 64 to 98 percent between 2002 and 2012; (ii) the share of pregnant women having four antenatal care visits increased from 54 to 82 percent between 2003 and 2010; and (iii) citizen satisfaction with health services increased from 39.5 to 75.9 percent between 2003 and 2011. Despite dramatic improvements there is still space for Turkey to continue to improve its citizens health outcomes, and challenges lie ahead for improving services beyond primary care. The main criticism to reform has so far come from health sector workers; the future sustainability of reform will rely not only on continued fiscal support to the health sector but also the maintenance of service provider satisfaction.
BRCA1 control of steroid receptor ubiquitination.

The ubiquitin ligase activity of the breast and ovarian cancer–associated tumor suppressor protein BRCA1, as part of a heterodimer with BARD1 (BRCA1-associated RING domain 1), is critical for its role as a tumor suppressor, but its targets, and the consequences of ubiquitin modification, by the BRCA1 protein complex are only now being discovered. BRCA1 is now known to control the ubiquitination of the estrogen and progesterone receptors, and although the consequences of the ubiquitination of these steroid receptors are unknown, the identification of these specific substrates suggests a link between the ubiquitin ligase activity of BRCA1 and its specificity as a tumor suppressor in breast and ovarian tissues.
Cancer Immunotherapy by Intratumoral Injection of α-gal Glycolipids

Aim/Background: To determine the feasibility and safety of intratumoral α-gal glycolipids injection for conversion of human tumors into autologous Tumor Associated Antigens (TAA) vaccine. α-Gal glycolipids bind anti-Gal - the most abundant antibody in humans. Pre-clinical studies indicated that injected α-gal glycolipids insert into tumor cell membranes, bind anti-Gal and target tumor cells to Antigen Presenting Cells, thereby converting tumors into autologous TAA vaccines. We hypothesized that α-gal glycolipids might have similar utility in humans. Patients and Methods: Eleven patients with advanced solid tumors received one intratumoral injection of 0.1 mg, 1 mg, or 10 mg α-gal glycolipids. The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) within 4 weeks. Secondary endpoints included long-term toxicity, autoimmunity, radiological tumor response and survival. Results: There were no DLT and no clinical or laboratory evidence of autoimmunity, or any other toxicity. Few patients had an unexpectedly long survival. Conclusion: Intratumoral injection of α-gal glycolipids is feasible and safe for inducing a protective anti-tumor immune response.
Applying telepresence to education

This paper explores the application of telepresence principles to the design and development of selected education applications. The applications are described, and the main implications for telepresence principles are explored. The work reported suggests that the overriding concentration on quality or fidelity as the most important determinant of presence may be misplaced. Indeed there may be situations where high fidelity systems may actually reduce learning effectiveness. To fully understand and model such complex situations requires conceptual frameworks to help bridge theory and practice, a varied range of technologies from which to choose, and a set of design principles or heuristics to help build the most effective systems.
Sensory Restriction and Recovery of Function

Changes in brain function having detrimental behavioral consequences may be produced by factors other than those associated with trauma or disease. In this chapter we consider recent evidence which indicates that isolation from normal sensory experience is one of these factors. Our goal is to outline some of the conditions of visual deprivation which may result in physiological and behavioral aberrations and to discuss several hypotheses concerning the mechanisms of these effects. Additionally, and in substantially greater detail, we review investigations of recovery of function following deprivation.
Role of Corticoids Independent of Food Intake in Premature Increase of Pancreatic Enzyme Activities following Early Weaning in Rats

The effects of early weaning and food deprivation on the development of pancreatic exocrine enzymes were compared in a rat model. Suckling rats, 15 days old, were weaned onto powdered laboratory diet. Within 24 hours, early weaned rats increased their pancreatic enzyme activities with amylase increased to twice that of the continuous suckling nonweaned littermates. During this period, early weaned rats lost weight and pancreatic growth ceased. Suckling rats of the same age (15 days old), when fasted or injected with hydrocortisone had similar increases in pancreatic enzyme ac tivities within 24 hours. Serum corticosterone levels were increased in early weaned and fasted rats to three to four times that found in continuously suckling littermates. An additional 48 hours of treatment (up to day 18) maintained the high pancreatic enzymes in fasted and early weaned rats. These results show that the increase in pancreatic enzyme activities following early weaning was independent of food intake. The close relationship between serum corticosterone levels and pancreatic enzyme activities to gether with the ability of hydrocortisone to induce pancreatic enzyme concentrations in pups of the same age suggests the involvement of corticosteroid as a mediator of pancreatic development in early weaning. These experiments demonstrated the im portance of endocrine factors in the pancreatic "adaptive" response to early weaning in the rat, and further emphasized the importance of evaluating endocrine changes following any nutritional alterations during the development period. J. Nutr. 113: 1381-1387, 1983.
Redundancy and Specificity of Escherichia coli Iron Acquisition Systems during Urinary Tract Infection

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), the predominant cause of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI), utilizes an array of outer membrane iron receptors to facilitate siderophore and heme import from within the iron-limited urinary tract. While these systems are required for UPEC in vivo fitness and are assumed to be functionally redundant, the relative contributions of specific receptors to pathogenesis are unknown. To delineate the relative roles of distinct UPEC iron acquisition systems in UTI, isogenic mutants in UPEC strain CFT073 or 536 lacking individual receptors were competed against one another in vivo in a series of mixed infections. When combinations of up to four mutants were coinoculated using a CBA/J mouse model of ascending UTI, catecholate receptor mutants (ΔfepA, Δiha, and ΔiroN mutants) were equally fit, suggesting redundant function. However, noncatecholate siderophore receptor mutants, including the ΔiutA aerobactin receptor mutant and the ΔfyuA yersiniabactin receptor mutant, were frequently outcompeted by coinoculated mutants, indicating that these systems contribute more significantly to UPEC iron acquisition in vivo. A tissue-specific preference for heme acquisition was also observed, as a heme uptake-deficient Δhma ΔchuA double mutant was outcompeted by siderophore receptor mutants specifically during kidney colonization. The relative contribution of each receptor to UTI only partially correlated with in vivo levels of receptor gene expression, indicating that other factors likely contributed to the observed fitness differences. Overall, our results suggest that UPEC iron receptors provide both functional redundancy and niche specificity for this pathogen as it colonizes distinct sites within the urinary tract.
Strategic health workforce planning

ABSTRACTAnalysts predict impending shortages in the health care workforce, yet wages for health care workers already account for over half of U.S. health expenditures. It is thus increasingly important to adequately plan to meet health workforce demand at reasonable cost. Using infinite linear programming methodology, we propose an infinite-horizon model for health workforce planning in a large health system for a single worker class; e.g., nurses. We give a series of common-sense conditions that any system of this kind should satisfy and use them to prove the optimality of a natural lookahead policy. We then use real-world data to examine how such policies perform in more complex systems; in particular, our experiments show that a natural extension of the lookahead policy performs well when incorporating stochastic demand growth.
Electrochemistry of Conductive Polymers: IV Electrochemical Studies on Polyaniline Degradation — Product Identification and Coulometric Studies

Electrochemical studies on the degradation reactions of oxidized polyaniline (PA) have been carried out to identify major soluble degradation products. As a result of spot tests as well as spectrophotometric experiments, p‐benzoquinone (BQ) was identified as a major degradation product. The overall number of electrons consumed per anilinium unit for the oxidation followed by degradation of PA was determined to be approximately two employing coulometric experiments. The yield for the BQ generation was close to 100% based on this number of electrons transferred. During the later stages of the degradation, the net hydrolysis rate follows first‐order kinetics and is a function of the film thickness. In addition, the hydrolysis reaction is shown to cease upon open circuit of the cell. Finally, a reaction mechanism which accounts for the observed behaviors is proposed.
FIBROMYALGIA AND THE FACTS: Sense or Nonsense

A recent flurry of important studies has provided critical new information that is relevant to the contemporary understanding of the fibromyalgia syndrome. The concept that these patients represent solely a form of masked depression or a distinctive syndrome of somatization is not supported by the current facts. Rather it would appear that a characteristic peripheral nociceptive component is modulated by an interplay of complex central factors. A disruption of the neuroendocrine axis controlling growth hormone production may be the link between disturbed sleep and muscle pain, as growth hormone is produced predominantly during stage four sleep. A paradigm to link some of these newer findings is presented.
Assessment of Color Response and Flight Activity of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Using Window Flight Traps

Color attraction and flight behavior of Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), were investigated using window flight traps placed in a potato field. CPB were attracted to yellow traps with peak wavelength reflectance between 550 and 580 nm. Similar peak reflectance was recorded for potato leaf material. There was evidence that red, with peak reflectance at 680 nm, and black, with low uniform reflectance, were avoided by CPB. The approximate 50:50 sex ratio of trapped CPB remained constant throughout the growing season. Trap color did not influence sex ratio. Greatest flight activity occurred after emergence of first-generation adults, when host plant material was scarce. There was a significant positive relationship between temperature and CPB catches. There were no significant differences in magnitude of catches between the 0800–1200 and 1200–1600 hour time periods.
Abstract 131: Hypomethylation of Alu repeat sequences permits activation of microRNAs in human colorectal cancer metastasis

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Background: Global hypomethylation of cytosines within CpG dinucleotides has been reported in various human cancers. Repetitive elements dispersed throughout the human genome, including Alu and LINE1 sequences, have been used as global surrogate markers for estimating global DNA methylation levels. Recent evidence indicates that certain human miRNAs are located downstream of Alu sequences, and these non-coding RNAs can be transcribed by the recruitment of RNA polymerase III to the promoter region of Alu repeats. Primary colorectal cancers (CRC) demonstrate frequent global Alu hypomethylation; however, it is not clear whether hypomethylation of these repeat elements may be associated with a metastatic phenotype. Aim: This study aimed to determine the role of Alu hypomethylation in the development of CRC metastasis. Materials and Methods: We analyzed a panel of CRC cells, as well as matched pairs of primary CRCs (PC) and corresponding liver metastasis (LM) tissues from 59 CRC patients. Alu methylation levels were measured by quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing. In addition, we determined the expression status of miR-520c and miR-373, which are located immediately downstream of Alu repeats. Results: All CRC cell lines demonstrated Alu hypomethylation, which was further exacerbated by treatment with the DNA demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine. In the clinical specimens, the levels of Alu methylation were significantly lower in LM compared to the matched PC (mean methylation value; PC = 83% vs. LM = 80%; P < 0.001). Moreover, methylation analysis of surrounding normal liver tissues revealed higher levels of Alu methylation (mean methylation value; 85%) compared to both PC and LM. The expression of both miR-520c and miR-373, showed significantly different expression between PC and LM, which was mediated by the hypomethylation of Alu-associated promoter region. Conclusion: Our results provide novel evidence for increased Alu hypomethylation in liver metastasis tissues from patients with CRC. We speculate that hypomethylation of Alu repeat elements permits activation of metastasis-related miRNAs, which in turn may facilitate a more aggressive malignant phenotype in these advanced stage cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 131. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-131
Discrimination of Huoxiang Zhengqi tincture using near infrared transmission spectroscopy

Near infrared(NIR) transmission spectroscopy was applied to the discrimination of three brands of Huoxiang Zhengqi Tincture with the aid of chemometrics.Near infrared spectra data was compressed by wavelet transform(WT) and the optimal wavelengths were selected by genetic algorithm(GA).Then the principal component analysis(PCA) was chosen to analyze the reduced data to obtain well-grouped results.The NIR data was further predicted with different supervised pattern recognize method,back propagation-artificial neural network(BP-ANN),and recognition rates of 100% were achieved.It indicated that the model set up by the combination of WT technology and BP neural network could be the rapidest in analysis and precise in discrimination of Huoxing Zhengqi Tincture.
Continuous Expression of I‐A Antigen by Peritoneal Macrophages From Mice Resistant to Mycobacterium bovis (Strain BCG)

Monoclonal antibodies were used to monitor the expression of I-A antigen on the surface of macrophages obtained from mice immunized to Mycobacterium bovis (strain BCG). Unlike the transient nature of I-A expression by macrophages from Listeria-injected mice, peritoneal macrophages from mice injected 28 days previously with 10(4) BCG expressed I-A continuously. The continued expression was not due to the presence of antigen or of contaminating lymphocytes. When we compared the kinetics of I-A expression from different strains of mice, the continuous expression of I-A correlated with the genetic resistance of the mice to BCG. Macrophages from mice that were resistant to BCG expressed I-A continuously, while macrophages from BCG susceptible mice expressed I-A transiently. Injection of resistant mice with Salmonella typhimurium did not result in the induction of a population of macrophages that expressed I-A continuously. This suggests that the Bcg gene may not be the same as that responsible for resistance to Salmonella (Ity) or Leishmania (Lsh).
Thoracic Organ Transplantation: Laboratory Methods

Although great progress has been achieved in thoracic organ transplantation through the development of effective immunosuppression, there is still significant risk of rejection during the early post-transplant period, creating a need for routine monitoring for both acute antibody and cellular mediated rejection. The currently available multiplexed, microbead assays utilizing solubilized HLA antigens afford the capability of sensitive detection and identification of HLA and non-HLA specific antibodies. These assays are being used to assess the relative strength of donor specific antibodies; to permit performance of virtual crossmatches which can reduce the waiting time to transplantation; to monitor antibody levels during desensitization; and for heart transplants to monitor antibodies post-transplant. For cell mediated immune responses, the recent development of gene expression profiling has allowed noninvasive monitoring of heart transplant recipients yielding predictive values for acute cellular rejection. T cell immune monitoring in heart and lung transplant recipients has allowed individual tailoring of immunosuppression, particularly to minimize risk of infection. While the current antibody and cellular laboratory techniques have enhanced the ability to manage thoracic organ transplant recipients, future developments from improved understanding of microchimerism and graft tolerance may allow more refined allograft monitoring techniques.
Update on Resistance among Nosocomial Gram-Negative Pathogens to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins and Fluoroquinolones: Results of the Antimicrobial Resistance Management (ARM) Program

Objective: To evaluate trends in antibiotic resistance among Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates submitted to the Antimicrobial Resistance Management (ARM) program between 1990 and 2002. Design: The ongoing Antimicrobial Resistance Management (ARM) program is a queriable Web-based surveillance system that tracks resistance patterns among U.S. inpatient and outpatient isolates. This report represents data from 285 institutions and over 17 million isolates. Using a Web-based analysis tool, antibiogram and sensitivity reports of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, and P. aeruginosa isolates were reviewed for resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Setting: 285 teaching and non-teaching U.S Hospitals nationwide. Results: For E. coli, resistance was 3.2% to ciprofloxacin (n = 444,947), 5.4% to levofloxacin (n = 201,532), and 0.8% to cefotaxime (n = 107,394), ceftriaxone (n = 464,931), and cefepime (n = 81,980), respectively. K. pneumoniae isolate resistance was 4.6% to ciprofloxacin (n = 144,698), 4.5% to levofloxacin (n = 57,462), 1.9% to cefotaxime (n = 33,189), 2.0% to ceftriaxone (n = 145,328) and 1.9% to cefepime (n = 25,503). For P. mirabilis, resistance was 12.5% to ciprofloxacin (n = 83,186), 12.2% to levofloxacin (n = 35,277), 1.0% to cefotaxime (n = 18,802), 0.7% to ceftriaxone (83,652), and 2.3% to cefepime (n = 13,968). P. aeruginosa resistance was also higher for fluoroquinolones (only 65.2% of isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin) compared to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, with ceftazidime exhibiting the greatest antipseudomonal activity. Clinically significant regional variations in the activity of fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins were apparent. Conclusion: Resistance to the fluoroquinolones is increasing dramatically, whereas the third generation cephalosporins remain inherently more active. P. aeruginosa exhibits the most formidable resistance pattern with neither the antipseudomonal cephalosporins nor fluoroquinolones representing acceptable monotherapy options. Given the association between fluoroquinolone resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase production, continued surveillance is vital to preserve the activity of existing therapies.
Social context of first birth timing in a rapidly changing rural setting

This article examines the influence of social context on the rate of first birth. Drawing on socialization models, I develop a theoretical framework to explain how different aspects of social context (i.e., neighbors), may affect the rate of first birth. Neighbors, who in the study setting comprise individuals' immediate social context, have an important influence on the rate of first birth. To test my hypotheses, I leverage a setting, measures and analytical techniques designed to study the impact of macro-level social contexts on micro-level individual behavior. The results show that neighbors' age at first birth, travel to the capital city and media exposure tend to reduce the first birth rate, while neighbors' non-family work experience increases first birth rate. These effects are independent of neighborhood characteristics and are robust against several key variations in model specifications.
Institutions and the Norms That Help Maintain Stability

Usually when there is an election, local and state newspapers also have an editorial encouraging citizens to vote. One does not always receive a tangible reward for voting, but reporter Tina Reed wrote in the Annapolis, Maryland newspaper, The Capital: “A ballot-full of businesses want to capitalize on election night by offering dirty martinis, Obama cookies and free bagels with your ‘I voted’ sticker.”1 Yes! Citizens could demonstrate patriotism by showing the ever-present “I voted” sticker and earning a dirty martini. Even the “Brat Man” wants to reward the voter with $1 off any menu item if the person voted in the primary.2 We don’t always get a reward like Wisconsin bratwurst when we do something of which others approve. But Americans do a lot to be accepted by others, especially those whose opinions they value—or maybe whoever will just give one a snack as a reward. Peer pressure appears to work for all kinds of social outcomes, good and bad.3
Functioning Photoelectrochemical Devices Studied with Time-Resolved Terahertz Spectroscopy

Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy has been used over the years to study carrier dynamics in a large variety of semiconductor materials utilized in devices such as photoelectrochemical cells. However, due to low transmission of far-infrared radiation through conductive films, thin layers of material deposited on nonconducting substrates have been investigated rather than inside actual devices. Here, we photolithographically etch fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) coatings to produce a pattern analogous to a wire-grid THz polarizer, and measure a nearly 260-fold increase in percent power transmitted at 1 THz through patterned electrodes (15 μm wire width and 20 μm wire period) relative to continuous FTO films. We have employed them as visible and THz-transparent electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells, thereby enabling us to probe the carrier dynamics of a functioning device under an applied bias and with background illumination using time-resolved THz spectroscopy. We find that the electron injection efficiency an...
Dimensional Analysis of Inelastic Structures with Negative Stiffness and Supplemental Damping Devices

AbstractA negative stiffness device (NSD) has been proposed as an innovative way for seismic protection of structures. It was shown both numerically and experimentally to improve the performance of inelastic structures when it is appropriately designed for the given application. In order to systematically evaluate the effects of a NSD, dimensional analysis is used in this study to quantify the structural responses as the function of input ground motion characteristics, model parameters of structure and NSD, as well as supplemental damping. To facilitate this, a simplified yet parameterized numerical model is first proposed to mimic the observed responses of the tested prototype NSD. The dimensional analysis is then conducted on a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system equipped with both a NSD and a nonlinear damper. By comparing the dimensionless structural responses for the cases of (1) inelastic structure only, (2) inelastic structure with nonlinear damper, and (3) inelastic structure with both nonlinea...
Systematic Characterization and Analysis of the Taxonomic Drivers of Functional Shifts in the Human Microbiome

Summary Comparative analyses of the human microbiome have identified both taxonomic and functional shifts that are associated with numerous diseases. To date, however, microbiome taxonomy and function have mostly been studied independently and the taxonomic drivers of functional imbalances have not been systematically identified. Here, we present FishTaco, an analytical and computational framework that integrates taxonomic and functional comparative analyses to accurately quantify taxon-level contributions to disease-associated functional shifts. Applying FishTaco to several large-scale metagenomic cohorts, we show that shifts in the microbiome's functional capacity can be traced back to specific taxa. Furthermore, the set of taxa driving functional shifts and their contribution levels vary markedly between functions. We additionally find that similar functional imbalances in different diseases are driven by both disease-specific and shared taxa. Such integrated analysis of microbiome ecological and functional dynamics can inform future microbiome-based therapy, pinpointing putative intervention targets for manipulating the microbiome's functional capacity.
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases: Ten years of progress in neglected tropical disease control and elimination … More or less

This year PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (PLOS NTDs) celebrates its tenth anniversary following the publication of the first issue in 2007 [1]. When PLOS NTDs was founded, the framework of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) as an alternative to "other diseases" (as they were then referred to in the Millennium Development Goals) was just getting started-especially for Africa [2, 3]. In the decade since, PLOS NTDs has overseen enormous successes in NTD control and elimination. Here, we want to briefly review the ten year progress made towards the control or elimination of the diseases now identified by the WHO as NTDs. Many of the details are highlighted in PLOS NTDs papers cited here, but the summary information is based on the recently released Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2015 (also launched with Gates Foundation support) that summarized past-decade changes in disease prevalence, mortality, or disability rates (from the years 2005 to 2015) [4-6], as well as the GBD Study 2013 that summarizes disease prevalence changes over a longer time horizon from 1990 to 2013 [7].
Multiple Case Study of STEM in School-Based Agricultural Education.

This multiple case study investigated the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in three Florida high school agriculture programs. Observations, interviews, documents, and artifacts provided qualitative data that indicated the types of STEM knowledge taught. Variables of interest included student and teacher perceptions, teacher education, demographics, STEM integration, STEM knowledge, and student achievement and engagement. Each program taught students about a variety of STEM disciplines and careers. This study has added to the body of literature indicating student achievement in STEM can be increased by agricultural education. Science and technology were reliably integrated at high levels, but engineering and mathematics concepts were less consistently integrated across cases. Five case study propositions regarding the integration of STEM and the other variables of interest were accepted. Areas for further research within AG-STEM teacher education, teaching methods, and curriculum resources were suggested.
Globally Optimal Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Abstract This paper presents a globally optimal nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) algorithm. Utilizing local techniques on nonlinear nonconvex problems leaves one susceptible to suboptimal solutions. In complex problems, local solver reliability is difficult to predict and often highly dependent upon the choice of initial guess. For the purpose of NMPC, local solvers can cause unexpected closed-loop results or failure of the algorithm. Stochastic attempts at global optimization of NMPC methods cannot provide rigorous bounds on the optimality of the resulting solution. Implementation of a global solution technique (Falk and Soland [1969], Horst and Tuy [1990]), which guarantees global optimality, restores the integrity of NMPC technology. Due to the combinatorial nature of nonconvex optimization, real-time considerations must be considered. The proposed algorithm's capabilities are demonstrated by the application of the controller on the benchmark control problem of the isothermal operation of a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with Van de Vusse reactions (Kremling and Allgower [1993]).
High-Throughput Fabrication Method for Producing a Silver-Nanoparticles-Doped Nanoclay Polymer Composite with Novel Synergistic Antibacterial Effects at the Material Interface.

In this study, we report a high-throughput fabrication method at industrial pilot scale to produce a silver-nanoparticles-doped nanoclay–polylactic acid composite with a novel synergistic antibacterial effect. The obtained nanocomposite has a significantly lower affinity for bacterial adhesion, allowing the loading amount of silver nanoparticles to be tremendously reduced while maintaining satisfactory antibacterial efficacy at the material interface. This is a great advantage for many antibacterial applications in which cost is a consideration. Furthermore, unlike previously reported methods that require additional chemical reduction processes to produce the silver-nanoparticles-doped nanoclay, an in situ preparation method was developed in which silver nanoparticles were created simultaneously during the composite fabrication process by thermal reduction. This is the first report to show that altered material surface submicron structures created with the loading of nanoclay enables the creation of a nan...
Abstract 5338: Transcriptional elongation mediates human papillomavirus type 16 late promoter activation

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small DNA viruses that infect keratinocytes of squamous epithelia and cause benign lesions that can progress to several malignancies, including cervical cancer. Upregulation of viral transcripts by the HPV16 late promoter is dependent on host cellular differentiation. We sought to investigate the main cellular transcription regulators that correlate with differentiation-dependent increase in the late viral transcripts. Here, we show evidence that the step in transcription cycle that is responsible for late promoter activation is transcriptional elongation. We began by establishing that the increase in viral transcripts originating from the late promoter is primarily regulated at the transcript synthesis level rather than post-transcription level. Based on this observation, we investigated whether there is a correlation between late promoter activation and activities that occur during the initiation, pausing or elongation steps of transcription cycle. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we did not observed a differentiation-dependent increase of RNA Polymerase II (RNAP II) in the late promoter region. However, there was a significant increase of RNAP II at downstream sites of late promoter suggesting elongation is regulated by differentiation. We then sought to investigate the cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) that are known to regulate transcription elongation. ChIP did not show a significant increase of the elongation factor CDK9 in the late promoter; however, the enrichment of CDK9 at downstream sites of the viral genome significantly increased upon differentiation, suggesting that differentiation induces recruitment of CDK9 to facilitate elongation. Additionally, CDK8, a component of the Mediator complex that recruits CDK9 to the RNAP II, was increased upon differentiation. Kinase inhibitors against CDK8 did not affect late viral transcripts; however, knocking down CDK8 resulted in significant reduction of viral transcripts, suggesting that CDK8 could be involved in protein-protein interactions that are required for the synthesis of late viral transcripts. These findings suggest that HPV has evolved to utilize cellular transcriptional elongation machinery as a way of regulating its late gene expression. This mechanism allows the virus to persistently infect host cells and cause HPV-associated malignancies. Citation Format: William Songock, Jason Bodily. Transcriptional elongation mediates human papillomavirus type 16 late promoter activation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5338. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5338
Myeloid Zinc Finger 1 and GA Binding Protein Co-operate with Sox2 in Regulating the Expression of Yes-Associated Protein 1 in Cancer Cells

The transcription factor (TF) yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) is a major effector of the tumor suppressive Hippo signaling pathway and is also necessary to maintain pluripotency in embryonic stem cells. Elevated levels of YAP1 expression antagonize the tumor suppressive effects of the Hippo pathway that normally represses YAP1 function. High YAP1 expression is observed in several types of human cancers and is particularly prominent in cancer stem cells (CSCs). The stem cell TF Sox2, which marks and maintains CSCs in osteosarcomas (OSs), promotes YAP1 expression by binding to an intronic enhancer element and YAP1 expression is also crucial for the maintainance of OS stem cells. To further understand the regulation of YAP1 expression in OSs, we subjected the YAP1 intronic enhancer to scanning mutagenesis to identify all DNA cis-elements critical for enhancer function. Through this approach, we identified two novel TFs, GA binding protein (GABP) and myeloid zinc finger 1 (MZF1), which are essential for basal YAP1 transcription. These factors are highly expressed in OSs and bind to distinct sites in the YAP1 enhancer. Depletion of either factor leads to drastically reduced YAP1 expression and thus a reversal of stem cell properties. We also found that YAP1 can regulate the expression of Sox2 by binding to two distinct DNA binding sites upstream and downstream of the Sox2 gene. Thus, Sox2 and YAP1 reinforce each others expression to maintain stemness and tumorigenicity in OSs, but the activity of MZF1 and GABP is essential for YAP1 transcription. Stem Cells 2017;35:2340-2350.
Application Of Continuum Sensitivity Analysis And Optimization To Automobile Structures

Continuum element sensitivity analysis (CONTESA) and system optimization (SYSOPT) for Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) have been developed and applied to automobile structures for sizing, topology, and configuration design using Mindlin plate and Timoshenko beam theories. The topology optimization has been developed using the density approach, sequential linear programming, and the adjoint variable method. CONTESA has been tested using various vehicle models. Optimized vehicles using CONTESA and SYSOPT are manufactured to validate the simulation-based design methodology.
Modal Analysis of CX-100 Rotor Blade and Micon 65/13 Wind Turbine

At the end of 2008 the United States became the largest producer of wind energy with 25,369 MW of electricity. This accounts for 1.25% of all U.S. electricity generated and enough to power 7 million homes. As wind energy becomes a key player in power generation and in the economy, so does the performance and reliability of wind turbines. To improve both performance and reliability, smart rotor blades are being developed that collocate reference measurements, aerodynamic actuation, and control on the rotor blade. Towards the development of a smart blade, SNL has fabricated a sensored rotor blade with embedded distributed accelerometer measurements to be used with operational loading methods to estimate the rotor blade deflection and dynamic excitation. These estimates would serve as observers for future smart rotor blade control systems. An accurate model of the rotor blade was needed for the development of the operational monitoring methods. An experimental modal analysis of the SNL sensored rotor blade (a modified CX-100 rotor blade) with embedded DC accelerometers was performed when hung with free boundary conditions and when mounted to a Micon 65/13 wind turbine. The modal analysis results and results from a static pull test were used to update an existing distributed parameter CX-100 rotor analytical blade model. This model was updated using percentage error estimates from cost functions of the weighted residuals. The model distributed stiffness parameters were simultaneously updated using the static and dynamic experimental results. The model updating methods decreased all of the chosen error metrics and will be used in future work to update the edge-wise model of the rotor blade and the full turbine model.
Gender-Role Congruence and Self-Referencing as Determinants of Advertising Effectiveness

In an initial experiment, men and women with varied gender-role orientations evaluated gender-stereotyped and nonstereotyped advertisements for “gendered” products that are actually used by both sexes. Consistent with a gender-role congruence model of advertising effectiveness, traditional participants (masculine men; feminine women) responded more favorably to traditional (i.e., gender-stereotyped) than to nontraditional advertisements, whereas nontraditional participants (androgynous individuals; feminine men; masculine women) reacted somewhat more favorably to the nontraditional advertisements. Experiment 2 revealed that when encouraged to self reference, traditional participants became much more responsive to nontraditional advertisements, even more so than were the nontraditional participants. Practical implications of these results are discussed.
NMR Studies of Sol-Gel Derived Hybrid Materials Based on Triethoxysilylated Diethylenetriamine and Tetramethoxysilane

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials were prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of triethoxysilylated diethylenetriamine (f-DETA) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS). The prehydrolysis stage of this f-DETA/TMOS system was monitored by 29Si NMR spectroscopy. The NMR experiments indicated that f-DETA hydrolyzes and condenses nearly as fast as TMOS at pH 0–1, but lags far behind the latter at pH~4.2. Gels derived from f-DETA and TMOS were studied using 13C or 29Si solid state NMR spectroscopy. The concentration of the alkoxy groups and the extent of condensation of the T & Q species in the cured gels were estimated. The contents of the Si–OMe group and Si–OEt group were barely detectable in most water-abundant systems (equivalent ratio of water to alkoxysilane ~4.0). However, a significant amount of Si–O i Pr groups was found if the reactant f-DETA was stored at room temperature in solvent 2-propanol for three weeks or longer. The relative composition of each Tz or Qz species was estimated for gels prepared in media of different acidity levels and water concentrations and then cured at 125–130°C for 4 h. As the acidity of the medium increased from pH 0–2 to pH 4–5, the extent of condensation of the T species decreased but that of the Q species increased. The hydrolysis of urea groups in f-DETA during the sol-gel process was also evaluated by 13C solid state NMR spectroscopy. The results indicated that only a very small fraction of urea groups was hydrolyzed during the sol-gel process.
Entre la oficialidad y el desvío: el arte digital cubano y su tratamiento crítico de la realidad tecnológica nacional

Aquest article se centra en l'us del mitja digital en les obres d'un grup d'artistes visuals cubans entre els anys 2000 i 2015 per a realitzar un art de resistencia artistica, sociocultural i politica davant les dificultats nacionals d'acces a les TIC i a la cibercultura. Primerament fa una descripcio panoramica del context tecnologic nacional i les practiques alternatives de connectivitat desenvolupades per la societat civil, de que els artistes son sovint investigadors participants. Proposa dues tematiques recurrents que reflecteixen l'abordatge critic dels artistes sobre el proces d'informatitzacio nacional i de participacio en la cibercultura: les dificultats d'acces i la participacio en els fluxos digitals d'informacio i en la cibercultura, i les practiques socials alternatives de connectivitat amb que la poblacio intenta revertir la realitat del seu context. Indica algunes oportunitats particulars dels artistes en l'entramat social per a l'acces als mitjans i la comprensio dels assumptes abordats. Observa diferents tendencies en aquests, d'acord amb les seves solucions artistiques, la seva ruptura amb els formats tradicionals i els seus nivells d'intervencio a l'espai i les practiques socials. Finalment, el treball descriu les poetiques propostes per cada autor i analitza el comportament d'alguns aspectes estructurals en l'us del digital, com ara la materialitat, la interactivitat i la relacio espai-temps.
Lowering Legal Barriers to RPKI Adoption

Across the Internet, mistaken and malicious routing announcements impose significant costs on users and network operators. To make routing announcements more reliable and secure, Internet coordination bodies have encouraged network operators to adopt the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (“RPKI”) framework. Despite this encouragement, RPKI’s adoption rates are low, especially in North America. This report presents the results of a year-long investigation into the hypothesis—widespread within the network operator community—that legal issues pose barriers to RPKI adoption and are one cause of the disparities between North America and other regions of the world. On the basis of interviews and analysis of the legal framework governing RPKI, the report evaluates the issues raised by community members and proposes a number of strategies to reduce or circumvent the barriers that are material. The report also describes substantial action taken this year by the American Registry for Internet Numbers (“ARIN”) and other private organizations in light of public dialogue about RPKI.
A new experimental multi-physics method for quantifying cation exchange capacity of shaly-sand formations

Abstract In this paper, a new method is proposed to quantify cation exchange capacity (CEC) in rocks with complex mineralogy and in the presence of multiple types of clay minerals by integrating nitrogen adsorption-desorption, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements (including quantitative XRD). In the new method, a successive controlled nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements as well as NMR measurements were performed on multiple samples from the same rock type. Then, an inversion algorithm was introduced to estimate surface area and volume of hydration water of each mineral, which were used as inputs to our recently-developed novel physics-based CEC estimation workflow. The CEC estimates obtained from the new method were compared against those from the ammonium acetate method and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) measurements in synthetic and actual powdered shaly sand rock samples. The results showed that the CEC estimates from the two methods were in good agreement, with less than 4 meq/100 g difference (i.e., average relative error of less than 23%). The experimental results demonstrated reliability of the proposed method for CEC quantification in clay-rich formations with complex lithology in the presence of multiple types of clay minerals.
Further Evidence of the Relationship Between Cochlear Implant Electrode Positioning and Hearing Outcomes.

Background:Postoperative imaging studies by numerous groups have revealed that final cochlear implant (CI) electrode position impacts audiological outcomes with scalar location consistently shown to be a significant factor. Modiolar proximity has been less extensively studied, and findings regarding
An empirical examination of stigma toward mental health problems and psychotherapy use in Veterans and active duty service members

Although many Veterans and active duty service members experience mental health problems, most do not seek out any sort of mental health help. Stigma (a significant predictor of treatment-seeking) ...
An Online Virtual Metrology Model With Sample Selection for the Tracking of Dynamic Manufacturing Processes With Slow Drift

Modeling of dynamic manufacturing processes with slow drift using data-driven approaches is challenging because most data-driven models are trained by off-line data. In this paper, we propose to track slow drift of manufacturing processes using an online Bayesian Auto-Regression eXogenous (ARX) model with time-variant parameters. The model parameters are trained off-line and are updated online using Bayes’ rule. To avoid the frequent online model update, a Sample Importance (SI) test is proposed to screen online samples and only the sample that passes SI test is incremented to the VM model. The SI test decides the importance of the sample by collectively considering sample freshness, model prediction error and prediction uncertainty. Furthermore, the SI test is applied to off-line Data Base (DB) and an iteration algorithm is devised for off-line sample selection. The off-line sample selection algorithm can effectively reduce the sample redundancy in off-line DB while maintaining the model performance. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) data challenge 2016 dataset is employed to predict material removal rate of chemical-mechanical planarization process. The validation results indicate that the proposed method outperforms existing state-of-art approaches in literature such as Just-in-Time (JIT) and deep learning models.
The Diurnal Cycle of Rainfall and the Convectively Coupled Equatorial Waves over the Maritime Continent

AbstractPrecipitation variability over the Maritime Continent is predominantly explained by its diurnal cycle and large-scale disturbances such as the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and convective...
Leveraging bias to your advantage.

Characterization of biased receptor signaling has ushered in opportunities for unprecedented control of G-protein-coupled receptors. Elucidation of distinct M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor signaling pathways and development of biased ligands may offer novel and safer Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics.