cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A system in mouse liver for the repair of O6-methylguanine lesions in methylated DNA

Abstract An activity from mouse liver with catalyzes the disappearance of O6-methylguanine from DNA methylated with methylnitrosourea has been partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and DNA-cellulose chromatography. The activity does not require divalent metal ions and is not affected by EDTA. It is specific for the repair of O6-methylguanine lesions and does not affect the removal of 7-methylguanine, 7-methyladenine or 3-methyladenine. The disappearance of O6-methylguanine is linear with respect to the concentration of protein and is dependent on incubation temperature. The kinetics and substrate dependence experiments suggest that the protein factor is product-inactivated. Amino acid analysis of hydrolysates of protein obtained after incubation of methylated DNA with the protein factor indicates the presence of radiolabeled S-methyl-L-cysteine, suggesting that during the repair of O6-methylguanine from methylated DNA, the methyl group is transferred to a sulfhydryl of a cysteine residue of a protein. This represents the first such demonstration in a mammalian system.
Numerical Forecasts of the 15–16 June 2002 Southern Plains Mesoscale Convective System: Impact of Mesoscale Data and Cloud Analysis

High-resolution explicit forecasts using the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) of the 15–16 June 2002 mesoscale convective system (MCS) that occurred over the U.S. central and southern plains during the International H2O Project (IHOP_2002) field experiment period are performed. The forecasts are designed to investigate the impact of mesoscale and convective-scale data on the initialization and prediction of an organized convective system. Specifically, the forecasts test the impact of special mesoscale surface and upper-air data collected by, but not necessarily specific to, IHOP_2002 and of level-II data from multiple Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler radars. The effectiveness of using 30-min assimilation cycles with the use of a complex cloud-analysis procedure and high-temporal-resolution surface data is also examined. The analyses and forecasts employ doubly nested grids, with resolutions of 9 and 3 km. Emphasis is placed on the solutions of the 3-km grid. In all forecasts, a strong, well-defined bow-shaped MCS is produced with structure and behavior similar to those of the observed system. Verification of these forecasts through both regular and phase-shifted equitable threat scores of the instantaneous composite reflectivity fields indicate that the use of the complex cloud analysis has the greatest positive impact on the prediction of the MCS, primarily by removing the otherwise needed “spinup” time of convection in the model. The impact of additional data networks is smaller and is reflected mainly in reducing the spinup time of the MCS too. The use of intermittent assimilation cycles appears to be quite beneficial when the assimilation window covers a time period when the MCS is present. Difficulties with verifying weather systems with high spatial and temporal intermittency are also discussed, and the use of both regular and spatially shifted equitable threat scores is found to be very beneficial in assessing the quality of the forecasts.
Effects of thermal processing and oxygen composition on flux pinning in high-Jc epitaxial Y1Ba2Cu3O7−χ thin films

Abstract High- J c , c-axis epitaxial Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−χ thin films were produced by post-annealing of Y, BaF 2 , and Cu precursor films in wet oxygen. The films were reacted either at 835 °C in 1 atm, or at 800 °C in a low oxygen partial pressure p O2 ; the chain-site oxygen deficiency χ was subsequently varied by low temperature anneals below 550°C in various p O2 ≤1 atm. All films showed a monotonic decrease in J c with increasing χ, but exhibited a T c (χ) that was dependent on the initial formation conditions. The effects are of electronic origin, and are consistent with a simple model of carrier density influence on near-optimal flux pinning.
Abstract LB-206: Role of Olig2 phosphorylation in pediatric glioma formation

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Malignant gliomas are a leading cause of tumor-related mortality in children. Current therapies often have significant adverse effects on brain development and are largely ineffective against aggressive gliomas. The development of rational therapies has been limited by poor information regarding the cell of origin for pediatric glioma and the relevant underlying genetic alterations. Recent findings now reveal that mutations existing in pediatric glioma are different than those seen in adult gliomas. For example, BRAFV600E activating mutations are associated with deletion of the tumor suppressor gene, p16 (Ink4a-Arf), in about 15% of pediatric gliomas. We have generated a faithful genetic mouse model in which there is concomitant activation of BRAFV600E and deletion of Ink4a-Arf in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) leading to the generation of pediatric high-grade glioma. OPCs have been shown to be a potential cell of origin for glioma and expression of Olig2 is found in 100 percent of human pediatric and adult high-grade gliomas. Given that Olig2 is also required for normal myelin development, targeting all Olig2-expressing cells with small molecule inhibitors would likely have detrimental effects. We have recently found that Olig2 protein is present in a phosphorylated form that promotes proliferation of adult glioma cells. In this study, we demonstrate that phospho-Olig2 is expressed in tumorigenic oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and is required for pediatric glioma generation. In addition, we found that phospho-Olig2 and Olig2 interact with different proteins, some of which are feasible drug targets. This study gives insights into new therapies by understanding key protein interactions in normal oligodendrocyte development as well as in tumorigenic oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Citation Format: Amelie GRIVEAU, An-Chi TIEN, David H. Rowitch. Role of Olig2 phosphorylation in pediatric glioma formation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-206. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-206
Calculating Geochemical Reaction Pathways - Exploration of the Inner-Sphere Water Exchange Mechanism in Al(H2O)63+(aq) + nH2O with ab Initio Calculations and Molecular Dynamics

We have simulated exchange of inner-sphere and bulk water molecules for different sizes of Al3+(aq) clusters, Al(H2O)63+ + nH2O for n = 0, 1, 6, or 12, with ab initio and molecular dynamics simulations, in order to understand how robust the ab initio method is for identifying hydrolytic reaction pathways of particular importance to geochemistry. In contrast to many interfacial reactions, this particular elementary reaction is particularly simple and well-constrained by experiment. Nevertheless, we find that a rich array of parallel reaction pathways depend sensitively on the details of the solvation sphere and structure and that larger clusters are not necessarily better. Inner-sphere water exchange in Al3+(aq) may occur through two Langford−Gray dissociative pathways, one in which the incoming and outgoing waters are cis, the other in which they are trans to one another. A large majority of exchanges in the molecular dynamics simulations occurred via the trans mechanism, in contrast to the predictions of...
Francis Hauksbee's theory of electricity

Historians of science have usually assumed that the science of electricity developed in the period prior to Franklin, or at least prior to Nollet, in what amounted to a theoretical vacuum. It has been my aim in this paper to demonstrate the falsity of that assumption. I have shown, I hope, that Hauksbee's important researches were guided throughout by strong theoretical considerations, and I have indicated that Dufay's even more important studies were guided by exactly the same considerations. Nor was their theory in any sense a stagnant one. As it was developed by Hauksbee, it could give a fairly adequate explanation of almost all the known electrical phenomena; it even enabled him to predict the outcome of experiments such as the one involving the rubbing of a globe while it was positioned near a second, exhausted, globe. With the discovery of so many new phenomena in the 1730's, the theory turned out to be no longer adequate, but it is not at all surprising that it was a few years before the full extent of its inadequacies was appreciated, nor is it surprising that a strong continuity is evident between it and the theory which eventually replaced it. In the meantime, the theory continued to serve a useful function by suggesting new lines of research to its adherents. The theory functioned, then, in the same way as any other scientific theory, and it deserves a more serious treatment than it has usually received. This paper, I hope, can serve as a beginning.
A severe case of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome associated with pneumococcal infection and T activation treated successfully with plasma exchange.

BACKGROUND: A severe nondiarrheal form of hemolytic uremic syndrome in children is associated with pneumococcal infection (pHUS). Neuraminidase released by the pneumococci may cleave N-acetylneuraminic acid residues on red blood cells (RBCs), leading to the exposure of the T cryptantigen and polyagglutinability of RBCs, a process known as T activation. Data suggest a pathogenic role of exposed T antigens on glomeruli interacting with naturally occurring anti-T in the development of renal dysfunction in pHUS. By reducing the levels of anti-T and neuraminidase, plasma exchange (PE) may have a role in the treatment of severe cases of pHUS. CASE REPORT: A previously healthy 2-year-old boy presented with acute renal failure, thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, pneumococcal infection, and T activation of RBCs. A diagnosis of pHUS was made. Due to rapid clinical decline, daily single-volume PE with 5 percent albumin replacement was initiated. Infusion of additional plasma was avoided by using only saline-washed RBCs for transfusion. He made a full recovery after 13 PEs and remained well at follow-up 7 months later. RESULTS: Polyagglutinability of RBCs was shown by mixing patient RBCs with five normal donor sera. The agglutination assays with a panel of lectins confirmed the specificity of exposed T antigen as the cause of polyagglutinability. CONCLUSION: The dramatic response seen in this patient suggests that PE utilizing albumin replacement may benefit patients with severe pHUS.
The interaction of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) with the electron flow of isolated chloroplasts

Abstract Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), a component of photochemical smog, inhibits the electron flow in both photosystems of isolated chloroplasts with no uncoupling (no increase in basal electron flow rate). Furthermore, PAN is relatively stable in solution (with a half-life of ca . 3 min under the assay condition), and thus the Hill reaction rate continues to decline slowly after gassing. Dithiothreitol decomposes the PAN and eliminates this decline after-gassing effect, but it cannot reverse the inhibition of the Hill reaction. Light stimulates the inhibition produced by PAN, but only in aged chloroplasts.
Prevalence and management of prostate cancer among East Asian men: Current trends and future perspectives.

Abstract Objectives Previously East Asian men had been considered less likely to develop or die of prostate cancer. Emerging research and the onset of prostate-specific antigen screening in East Asian countries suggests that this may not be the case. We sought to analyze epidemiology and molecular genetic data and recent trends in the management of prostate cancer among East Asian men. Methods and materials We performed literature searches using PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar to examine current literature on prostate cancer in East Asian men. Additionally, articles were searched for further references related to the topic. Results Recent studies have reported increasing incidence of prostate cancer identified in East Asian men. Prostate cancer mortality has increased and is currently the fourth leading cause of death among men in Shanghai, China. Although prostate cancer was considered less aggressive among East Asian men, studies suggest that it is similarly aggressive to prostate cancer in Western populations. Molecular markers such as the TEMPRESS:ERG fusion gene and PTEN loss may provide novel methods of screening East Asian men for prostate cancer. National-level guidelines for prostate cancer screening and management are only available in Japan. Conclusions The prevalence of prostate cancer in East Asian men is likely similar to that in Western male populations. East Asian men present at higher stages of prostate cancer, likely because of a lack of standardized screening protocols. Urologists in Western countries should screen East Asian men for prostate cancer using the same standards as used for Western men.
Membrane transport of naphthalene and dodecane in jet fuel mixtures

Jet fuels are formulated with numerous aliphatic and aromatic components that are thought to cause dermal irritation in air force personnel. However, diffusion of these components in such a complex mixture is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical properties of these mixtures in the context of how they influence partitioning, diffusion, and absorption of aromatic (14C-naphthalene) and aliphatic (14C-dodecane) markers in porcine skin and silastic membranes in vitro. In these 5-h flowthrough diffusion studies, Jet-A, JP-8, and JP-8(100) fuels, and weathered JP-8 (JP-8 (Puddle)) were tested. In both membrane systems and across all jet fuels tested, naphthalene absorption (1.29-1.84% dose) was significantly greater than dodecane absorption (0.14-0.28% dose). However, significantly more dodecane than naphthalene was observed in the stratum corneum (SC; 4.23-7.23% dose vs. 1.88-4.08% dose) and silastic membranes (59.2-81.7% dose vs. 30.5-36.7% dose). Naphthalene was le...
‘To return to the bosom of their fatherland’: Brazilian immigrants in nineteenth‐century Lagos

(1994). ‘To return to the bosom of their fatherland’: Brazilian immigrants in nineteenth‐century Lagos. Slavery & Abolition: Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 22-50.
Experimental investigations of plasma lens focusing and plasma channel transport of heavy ion beams

Final focusing of ion beams and propagation in a reactor chamber are crucial questions for heavy ion beam driven fusion. An alternative solution to ballistic quadrupole focusing, as it is proposed in most reactor studies today, is the utilization of the magnetic field produced by a high current plasma discharge. This plasma lens focusing concept relaxes the requirements for low emittance and energy spread of the driver beam significantly and allows to separate the issues of focusing, which can be accomplished outside the reactor chamber, and of beam transport inside the reactor. For focusing a tapered wall-stabilized discharge is proposed, a concept successfully demonstrated at GSI, Germany. For beam transport a laser pre-ionized channel can be used.
Can an orc catch a cab in stormwind?: cybertype preference in the world of warcraft character creation interface

Virtual worlds are reaching a point of critical mass as a medium for the exchange of business, entertainment and other cultural products and values. As cultural interfaces, virtual worlds mediate the access to remediated cultural data. This remediation of cultural data may transfer existing, repressive racial ideologies to new media. Limited research about racial stereotypes in virtual worlds exists and this paper contributes to the growing research body by demonstrating a novel study of a dominant racial stereotype in the character creation interface of World of Warcraft.
Effect of cooperative merging on the synchronous flow phase of traffic

Abstract Cooperation in merging is introduced by adding interactions between pairs of vehicles in opposite lanes. Simulations with an improved version of the modified optimal velocity model are done for two lanes merging into a single lane. For ∼ 30 s prior to reaching the merge region, vehicles in both lanes adjust their headways to create safe distances in front of and behind the merging vehicle. Cooperation prevents the transition from free flow to synchronous flow that occurs for normal merging, provided the merge region is sufficiently large and the total incoming flow does not exceed the maximum possible single-lane flow. No long-range vehicle-to-vehicle communication is required for the type of cooperation considered.
Mood as an affective component for robotic behavior with continuous adaptation via Learning Momentum

The design and implementation of mood as an affective component for robotic behavior is described in the context of the TAME framework - a comprehensive, time-varying affective model for robotic behavior that encompasses personality traits, attitudes, moods, and emotions. Furthermore, a method for continuously adapting TAME's Mood component (and thereby the overall affective system) to individual preference is explored by applying Learning Momentum, which is a parametric adjustment learning algorithm that has been successfully applied in the past to improve navigation performance in real-time, reactive robotic systems.
Effects of 8-methoxypsoralen-induced phototoxic effects on mammalian epidermal macromolecule synthesis in vivo.

— The influence of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and ultraviolet (UVA; 315–400 nm) radiation-induced phototoxic responses on DNA, RNA and protein synthesis and the DNA repair phenomenon were investigated utilizing the hairless mouse epidermis in vivo. The radioactive tracers TdR-3H, cytidine-3H and histidine-3H were used to examine changes in these macromolecules. Using these techniques, we found that the 8-MOP-UVA phototoxic injury inhibited premitotic semiconservative DNA synthesis in the germanitive layer of the epidermis within the first few hours post-irradiation. Recovery occurred by 24 h, followed by a progressive acceleration of this function over the next 7 days. No depression in RNA or protein formation was noted through 36 h. By 48 h the cells in the upper 1/2 to 1/3 of the epidermis lost their normal appearance and discontinued synthesizing these macromolecules. At 72 h RNA and protein synthesis was again active throughout the epidermis and the apparently dead cells had desquamated. At this time the epidermis was notably acanthotic and the epidermal cells were markedly enlarged. Examination for the dark repair response revealed no evidence of unscheduled DNA synthesis following irradiation indicating that the excision repair process was not demonstrable within the first 15min after the phototoxic injury. These responses differ in a number of parameters from the phototoxic reactions induced by UV rays shorter than 320 nm.
Subsequence similarity language models

In this work we present the Subsequence Similarity Language Model (S2-LM) which is a new approach to language modeling based on string similarity. As a language model, S2-LM generates scores based on the closest matching string given a very large corpus. In this paper we describe the properties and advantages of our approach and describe efficient methods to carry out its computation. We describe an n-best rescoring experiment intended to show that S2-LM can be adjusted to behave as an n-gram SLM model.
Shifting frames of reference but the same old point of view

Models of central control variables (CVs) that are expressed in positional reference frames and rely on proprioception as the dominant specifier of muscle activation patterns have not yet been shown to be adequate for the description of fast, voluntary movement, even of single joints. An alternative model with illustrative data is proposed.
Food system policy, public health, and human rights in the United States.

The US food system functions within a complex nexus of social, political, economic, cultural, and ecological factors. Among them are many dynamic pressures such as population growth, urbanization, socioeconomic inequities, climate disruption, and the increasing demand for resourceintensive foods that place immense strains on public health and the environment. This review focuses on the role that policy plays in defining the food system, particularly with regard to agriculture. It further examines the challenges of making the food supply safe, nutritious, and sustainable, while respecting the rights of all people to have access to adequate food and to attain the highest standard of health. We conclude that the present US food system is largely unhealthy, inequitable, environmentally damaging, and insufficiently resilient to endure the impacts of climate change, resource depletion, and population increases, and is therefore unsustainable. Thus, it is imperative that the US embraces policy reforms to transform the food system into one that supports public health and reflects the principles of human rights and agroecology for the benefit of current and future generations.
Variable efficacy of N6-(1-iminoethyl)-L-lysine in acute cardiac transplant rejection

We examined the efficacy and mechanism of action of N6-(1-iminoethyl)-l-lysine (l-NIL), a highly selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS), on acute cardiac transplant reje...
Monument 3 from La Blanca, Guatemala: a Middle Preclassic earthen sculpture and its ritual associations

Beside one of the earliest Preclassic pyramids in Guatemala the authors discovered a large basin fashioned in clay and shaped like a quatrefoil. The use of the quatrefoil theme on other carvings reveals its association with water and its symbolic role as the mouth of an underworld. Excavations in an adjacent mound exposed an affluent community, rich in figurines. This juxtaposition of monuments and residence at La Blanca shows a society of 900-600 BC in which ritual and the secular power were well integrated.
Quantitative Imaging of FRET-Based Biosensors for Cell- and Organelle-Specific Analyses in Plants.

Genetically encoded Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensors have been used to report relative concentrations of ions and small molecules, as well as changes in protein conformation, posttranslational modifications, and protein-protein interactions. Changes in FRET are typically quantified through ratiometric analysis of fluorescence intensities. Here we describe methods to evaluate ratiometric imaging data acquired through confocal microscopy of a FRET-based inorganic phosphate biosensor in different cells and subcellular compartments of Arabidopsis thaliana. Linear regression was applied to donor, acceptor, and FRET-derived acceptor fluorescence intensities obtained from images of multiple plants to estimate FRET ratios and associated location-specific spectral correction factors with high precision. FRET/donor ratios provided a combination of high dynamic range and precision for this biosensor when applied to the cytosol of both root and leaf cells, but lower precision when this ratiometric method was applied to chloroplasts. We attribute this effect to quenching of donor fluorescence because high precision was achieved with FRET/acceptor ratios and thus is the preferred ratiometric method for this organelle. A ligand-insensitive biosensor was also used to distinguish nonspecific changes in FRET ratios. These studies provide a useful guide for conducting quantitative ratiometric studies in live plants that is applicable to any FRET-based biosensor.
Mechanism of riboflavine uptake by Caco-2 human intestinal epithelial cells.

The cellular and molecular regulation of intestinal absorption of the water-soluble vitamin riboflavine (RF) is poorly understood. The availability of a suitable in vitro cultured system that posse...
Health information technology and implementation science: Partners in progress in the VHA

Background The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) has demonstrated how implementation science can enhance the quality of health care. During this time an increasing number of implementation research projects have developed or utilized health information technology (HIT) innovations to leverage the VA's electronic health record and information systems. Objective To describe the HIT approaches used and to characterize the facilitators and barriers to progress within implementation research projects in the VA QUERI program. Participants Nine case studies were selected from among 88 projects and represented 8 of 14 HIT categories identified. Each case study included key informants whose roles on the project were principal investigator, implementation science and informatics development. Approach We conducted documentation analysis and semistructured in-person interviews with key informants for each of the 9 case studies. We used qualitative analysis software to identify and thematically code information and interview responses. Results : Thematic analyses revealed 3 domains or pathways critical to progression through the QUERI steps. These pathways addressed: (1) compliance and collaboration with information technology policies and procedures; (2) operating within organizational policies and building collaborations with end users, clinicians, and administrators; and (3) obtaining and maintaining research resources and approvals. Conclusion Sustained efforts in HIT innovation and in implementation science in the Veterans Health Administration demonstrates the interdependencies of these initiatives and the critical pathways that can contribute to progress. Other health care quality improvement efforts that rely on HIT can learn from the Veterans Health Administration experience.
Heterocumulene Metathesis of Pb[N(SiMe3)2]2. High-Yield Syntheses of the Heteroleptic Dimer {Pb[N(SiMe3)2(μ-SOiMe3)}2 and the Novel Lead(II) Oxo Cluster Pb7(μ3-O)(μ4-O)(μ-SiMe3)10.

Metathesis of Pb[N(SiMe3)2]2 (1) with 1 and 2 equiv of ButNCO has been used to prepare, in high yields, the novel lead(II) trimethylsilanolato compounds {Pb[N(SiMe3)2(μ-OSiMe3)}2 (2) and Pb7(μ3-O)(μ4-O)(μ-OSiMe3)10 (4), respectively. Although [Pb(OSiMe3)2]n (3) could not be obtained through this process, these results serve to further elucidate the extents and limitations of heterocumulene metathesis as a synthetic tool.
Agroforestry, reforestry, and the carbon problem: The role of land and tree tenure

AbstractLarge scale reforestation in the tropics has the potential to sequester large amounts of carbon and to help to mitigate the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, unless the causes of deforestation are addressed, reforestation efforts will be in vain. The link between deforestation and reforestation operates within the domain of human intervention on the landscape, and includes the patterns of land resource use and access. This review considers the role that land and tree tenure (resource use and access) of agroforestry can have in reducing both the rate of conversion of forest to agriculture – the largest biotic emission of carbon – and forest degradation; thereby allowing both natural forests and reforestation to participate in carbon uptake. The operational land use and tenure aspects of agroforestry, and the impacts of these on deforestation, and in overcoming the obstacles to large scale reforestation, are presented. Utilisation of marginal lands, and the adoption, growth, and spread...
What Pope Francis brings to Latin America

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has embodied an approach centered on personal simplicity, with a stance that is open and welcoming to all, above all to the marginalized and vulnerable: the poor, ethnic minorities, migrants fleeing violence or persecution, or victims of violence or ecological degradation. This paper examines the resonance and possible impact of the Pope’s public stance on five issues: peacemaking and violence; ecology; migration and migrants (internal and international); inequality; and gender and sexuality. Each of these issues has a long history in Latin America (as elsewhere) of public debates, campaigns for changes in law (and resistance to those changes), and mobilization and lobbying by individuals and social movements. Francis’ role is, therefore, best understood less as initiation than as encouragement and promotion. This paper takes the Pope’s visits to the region as grounds for assessing his involvement with the issues and gauging his potential impact. His actual physical presence in the region — where he goes, who he sees, what he does, and how he does it — puts a sharper and more focused spotlight on the issues than is possible with documents alone.
Identification of Food-borne Staphylococcus aureus by Microarray Technique

Objective: The goal of this study was to establish a method for identifying rapidly food-borne Staphylococcus aureus by microarray technology. Methods: The target gene of 16SrRNA form S.aureus was amplified by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and the sequence was compared for BLAST(basic local alignment search tool) in genbank. The oligonucleotide hybridization probe was designed to identify samples. Results: The specimens were detected by microarray hybridization. The result of microarray hybridisation for food-borne Staphylococcus aureus showed that it is positive. Conclusion: The food-borne Staphylococcus aureus is identified rapidly and accurately with microarray hybridization technique so it is worth propagation.
Na + Influx Induced by New Antimalarials Causes Rapid Alterations in the Cholesterol Content and Morphology of Plasmodium falciparum

Among the several new antimalarials discovered over the past decade are at least three clinical candidate drugs, each with a distinct chemical structure, that disrupt Na+ homeostasis resulting in a rapid increase in intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) within the erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum. At present, events triggered by Na+ influx that result in parasite demise are not well-understood. Here we report effects of two such drugs, a pyrazoleamide and a spiroindolone, on intraerythrocytic P. falciparum. Within minutes following the exposure to these drugs, the trophozoite stage parasite, which normally contains little cholesterol, was made permeant by cholesterol-dependent detergents, suggesting it acquired a substantial amount of the lipid. Consistently, the merozoite surface protein 1 and 2 (MSP1 and MSP2), glycosylphosphotidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins normally uniformly distributed in the parasite plasma membrane, coalesced into clusters. These alterations were not observed following drug treatment of P. falciparum parasites adapted to grow in a low [Na+] growth medium. Both cholesterol acquisition and MSP1 coalescence were reversible upon the removal of the drugs, implicating an active process of cholesterol exclusion from trophozoites that we hypothesize is inhibited by high [Na+]i. Electron microscopy of drug-treated trophozoites revealed substantial morphological changes normally seen at the later schizont stage including the appearance of partial inner membrane complexes, dense organelles that resemble "rhoptries" and apparent nuclear division. Together these results suggest that [Na+]i disruptor drugs by altering levels of cholesterol in the parasite, dysregulate trophozoite to schizont development and cause parasite demise.
Visual and neurobehavioral impairment associated with polychlorinated biphenyls

To determine whether residents exposed to PCBs and thermolysis products had impaired neurobehavioral functions, the performance of 98 exposed adults was compared with 58 unexposed regional referents (all volunteers). Visual field performance, color confusion index, balance as sway speed, blink reflex latency R-1, hearing, grip strength, simple and choice visual reaction times problem solving for Culture Fair and digit symbol, recall memory, peg placement, trail making A and B for attention and dexterity and long-term memory were tested. A profile of mood states (POMS) and questionnaires for chemical exposures, medical histories and the frequency of 35 symptoms were completed. Only statistically significant differences are described. Exposed subjects had slower simple and choice reaction times and faster sway speeds with eyes closed and open. Color discrimination and visual performance scores were lower and visual fields were often constricted. Scores on Culture Fair, digit symbol, vocabulary and verbal recall were lower. Placement of pegs in a slotted pegboard was slower and trail making A and B took longer. Even embedded memory test scores including vocabulary were lower. POMS scores were elevated. There were no competing chemical exposures, confounding factors or other explanations for the findings. Long residential exposure to PCBs was associated with visual defects and impaired neurophysiologic and neuropsychologic functions.
Selective local lysis and sampling of live cells for nucleic acid analysis using a microfluidic probe.

Heterogeneity is inherent to biology, thus it is imperative to realize methods capable of obtaining spatially-resolved genomic and transcriptomic profiles of heterogeneous biological samples. Here, we present a new method for local lysis of live adherent cells for nucleic acid analyses. This method addresses bottlenecks in current approaches, such as dilution of analytes, one-sample-one-test and incompatibility to adherent cells. We make use of a scanning probe technology - a microfluidic probe - and implement hierarchical hydrodynamic flow confinement (hHFC) to localize multiple biochemicals on a biological substrate in a non-contact, non-destructive manner. hHFC enables rapid recovery of nucleic acids by coupling cell lysis and lysate collection. We locally lysed ~300 cells with chemical systems adapted for DNA or RNA and obtained lysates of ~70 cells/μL for DNA analysis and ~15 cells/μL for mRNA analysis. The lysates were introduced into PCR-based workflows for genomic and transcriptomic analysis. This strategy further enabled selective local lysis of subpopulations in a co-culture of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, validated by characteristic E-cadherin gene expression in individually extracted cell types. The developed strategy can be applied to study cell-cell, cell-matrix interactions locally, with implications in understanding growth, progression and drug response of a tumor.
The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa: Money, War and the Business of Power, by Alex de Waal

Alex de Waal started his career by writing a factual and remarkably well-documented book on the great famine that ravaged Darfur in the 1980s,1 1 Alex de Waal, Famine that Kills: Darfur, Sudan, 198...
Allogeneic Versus Autologous Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Donor-to-Donor Variability

Abstract Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have properties that suppress the immune system and promote healing, giving them therapeutic potential in a wide variety of immune-mediated illnesses, including autoimmune diseases and transplantation medicine. They have long been considered immune privileged, as they do not express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, thus the use of universal donor third-party unrelated MSCs in clinical trials. However, multiple groups have demonstrated that following in vitro exposure to inflammatory cytokines MSCs can upregulate surface expression of MHC I and induce de novo expression of MHC II and become subject to immune-mediated rejection. In addition, donor variability may affect the functional capabilities of MSCs. The indication for MSC use, as well as the recipient’s immune status, should be considered and should impact the choice of MSC donor as these cells are evaluated for therapeutic indications.
Image Gently: Minimizing Radiation Exposure in Children

In this chapter we review why radiation exposure is more deleterious for children and the various options available to improve the risk/benefit ratio for diagnostic CNS imaging.
Experimental approach for seeing through walls using Wi-Fi enabled software defined radio technology

Abstract Modern handheld target detection methods are typically restricted to line of sight (LOS) techniques. The design of a new method to detect moving targets through non-transparent surfaces could greatly aid the safety of hazardous military and government operations. In this paper, we develop through-wall virtual imaging using Wi-Fi enabled software defined radio to see moving objects and their relative locations. We use LabVIEW and NI Universal Software Radio Peripheral (NI USRP2921 radios with Ettus Research LP0965 directive antennas) devices to detect moving objects behind walls by sending and receiving a signal with respect to the USRP's location. Based on the signal-to-interference ratio of our signal (rather than the traditional signal-to-noise method), we could determine the target object behind the wall. The two major applications for this project are: detecting an active shooter that is standing on the other side of the wall and detecting abnormalities in the human body such as breast cancer with more sensitive antennas. Likewise, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and military men would find more practical purposes for the use of this system in their fields. We evaluate the proposed model using experimental results.
Congenital renal abnormalities in infants with in utero cocaine exposure.

AbstractTo determine the incidence of renal abnormalities among infants exposed to cocaine in utero, we performed ultrasound studies of the genitourinary tract in 100 consecutive infants admitted to the full-term nursery whose mothers had a history of cocaine use during pregnancy and/or a maternal toxicology screen was positive for cocaine. Mean gestational age of the newborns was 38.4 ±2.1 weeks. Mean birth weight was 2,846 ± 561 gm.; 26% of the patients were less than 2,500gm. and 18% were small for gestational age. Symptoms of drug withdrawal were present in 47 patients. Two newborns had murmurs consistent with a ventricular septal defect. On ultrasonography, 1 newborn had a unilateral multicystic/dysplastic kidney and 1 had kidneys that were 2 standard deviations below normal in size. Based on our results routine renal ultrasound studies do not appear to be indicated in full-term newborns exposed in utero to cocaine.
The early clinical development of Ebola virus treatments.

Filoviruses are highly pathogenic negative-stranded RNA hemorrhagic fever viruses. First discovered in 1967, filovirus infections in humans have increased, culminating with the recent Ebola virus e...
Significant Prognostic Features and Patterns of Somatic TP53 Mutations in Human Cancers

TP53 is the most frequently altered gene in human cancers. Numerous retrospective studies have related its mutation and abnormal p53 protein expression to poor patient survival. Nonetheless, the clinical significance of TP53 (p53) status has been a controversial issue. In this work, we aimed to characterize TP53 somatic mutations in tumor cells across multiple cancer types, primarily focusing on several less investigated features of the mutation spectra, and determine their prognostic implications. We performed an integrative study on the clinically annotated genomic data released by The Cancer Genome Atlas. Standard statistical methods, such as the Cox proportional hazards model and logistic regression, were used. This study resulted in several novel findings. They include the following: (1) similar to previously reported cases in breast cancer, the mutations in exons 1 to 4 of TP53 were more lethal than those in exons 5 to 9 for the patients with lung adenocarcinomas; (2) TP53 mutants tended to be negat...
Guru Nanak is not at the White House: An essay on the idea of Sikh-American redemption

ABSTRACTThis article examines the rights-based discourse deployed by Sikh advocacy organizations, the Sikh Coalition and Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund, in order to carve an inclusive space within the United States. We interrogate the deep violence of forgetting embedded within this politics that not only sanctions American values and their regulatory might globally, but also integrates the foundational anti-blackness of Western subjectivity into the conceptual structure of Sikhism. Reconsidering these attachments to the American political project and the white-settler state, we argue Sikh organizations fasten Sikhs to ways of life that are inimical to their own flourishing.
Familiarity vs. Experience in Entrepreneurial Internationalization Decisions

The existing international business literature has emphasized the role of objective distance (cultural, institutional, economic, etc.) between countries in a firm’s internationalization country sel...
Improving the Effectiveness of Collaborative Governance Regimes: Lessons from Watershed Partnerships

AbstractWhile it has become more commonplace as an environmental management strategy, few empirical studies have evaluated the environmental performance of collaborative governance regimes. Using w...
On the Integration of Space, Time, and Memory

The hippocampus is famous for mapping locations in spatially organized environments, and several recent studies have shown that hippocampal networks also map moments in temporally organized experiences. Here I consider how space and time are integrated in the representation of memories. The brain pathways for spatial and temporal cognition involve overlapping and interacting systems that converge on the hippocampal region. There is evidence that spatial and temporal aspects of memory are processed somewhat differently in the circuitry of hippocampal subregions but become fully integrated within CA1 neuronal networks as independent, multiplexed representations of space and time. Hippocampal networks also map memories across a broad range of abstract relations among events, suggesting that the findings on spatial and temporal organization reflect a generalized mechanism for organizing memories.
Negative extensibility metamaterials: phase diagram calculation

Negative extensibility metamaterials are able to contract against the line of increasing external tension. A bistable unit cell exhibits several nonlinear mechanical behaviors including the negative extensibility response. Here, an exact form of the total mechanical potential is used based on engineering strain measure. The mechanical response is a function of the system parameters that specify unit cell dimensions and member stiffnesses. A phase diagram is calculated, which maps the response to regions in the diagram using the system parameters as the coordinate axes. Boundary lines pinpoint the onset of a particular mechanical response. Contour lines allow various material properties to be fine-tuned. Analogous to thermodynamic phase diagrams, there exist singular “triple points” which simultaneously satisfy conditions for three response types. The discussion ends with a brief statement about how thermodynamic phase diagrams differ from the phase diagram in this paper.
50 years of Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research

The year 2018 marks the 50-year anniversary of Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (AAAR). During this time period AAAR (formerly Arctic and Alpine Research, AAR) has provided an important outle...
An Experiential Approach to Teaching Ethics in International Business

Ethics training in academia and corporations have grown as expansion in international business activities has lead to frequent inter-cultural exchanges. An effective instructional tool in theform of an experiential exercise is presented. The exercise using role-playing enables participants to recognize, confront, and understand business quandaries. A scoring system allows participants to compare the ethical standards of employers, employees, customers, and the society-at-large on a set of predetermined ethical events.
Proceedings of the fifth ACM international workshop on Wireless network testbeds, experimental evaluation and characterization

Welcome to the fifth ACM International Workshop on Wireless Network Testbeds, Experimental Evaluation and Characterization (WiNTECH 2010). We continue the tradition of being co-located with MobiCom, the premier conference in wireless networking and computing. WiNTECH focuses on systems and experimental aspects of wireless networking. It has been one of the favorite venues for many researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to interactively share and discuss new exciting research results. This year's program features invited talks, ten paper presentations, and a number of demos and posters. We have received submissions from Asia (China, Japan, and Singapore), Europe (France, Germany, Italia, Sweden, and United Kingdom), Oceania (Australia) and the United States. Each paper was assigned to three independent technical program committee members for review. Based on the reviews, ten papers were accepted that cover the various topics that include virtual testbeds, emulation, optimization, security, sensor networks and mesh WLAN testbeds. The demo session has always been the highlight of WiNTECH and we expect the same this year. There are a number of demos showcasing the novel research work and competing for the WinCool demo award.
Absolute Coordination: An Ecological Perspective§

The ecological perspective on the coordination of movement is discussed with regard to the most basic, pervasive form of coordination, namely, absolute coordination. The working hypothesis of the ecological perspective is that coordinations are largely due to general laws and principles. Dynamical explanations of phenomena such as von Hoist's magnet effect and maintenance tendency, as well as locomotory time allometries of both large and small organisms, are reviewed. The role of information in the functioning of dynamically based action systems is discussed, where information is understood in the Gibsonian (1979) specificational sense.
Heat Capacities of Lanthanide Compounds, Their Morphology Schottky, and Lattice Contribution

With gradual accumulation of precise cryogenic calorimetric data on the sesquioxides, chalcogenides (notably the sesquisulfides), hexaborides, hydrides, pnictides, halides, and especially the tri-hydroxides, an appreciation of the important contribution made by Schottky heat capacity contributions has arisen. In an attempt to understand and analyze — and ultimately to correlate and to predict the morphology and thermophysics of heat capacity of transition element binary compounds — increasing attention is focussed on the lattice heat capacity contribution. Accurate knowledge of the lattice contribution is essential in the resolution of electronic, magnetic, Schottky and other contributions to the heat capacity. The importance of correlating the lattice contribution with molal volumes of the compounds as well as with cation masses (of lanthanide cations) will be discussed — in the light of recent developments — particularly in lanthanide halides and trihydroxides. The relevance of these developments to other compounds is emphasized.
Chemical Processing for Ceramics (and Polymers)

Using the specific chemistry of the elements involved, very simple techniques for active powder synthesis can usually be devised. “Active” powders may need special precautions in the handling and forming but, quite often, the required dense, fine grained, ceramic especially in complex systems, cannot readily be achieved except by their use.