cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dioxins as Contaminants of Herbicides: The U.S. Perspective

For almost two decades, the United States has been involved in controversy over the tactical use of herbicides in the Vietnam Conflict. Few environmental or occupational health issues have received the sustained national attention that has been focused on “Agent Orange”. The Veterans Administration in cooperation with other Federal agencies in the United States Government has initiated extensive health studies of veterans exposed to Agent Orange and its dioxin contaminant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during the Vietnam Conflict. The basis for resolving the Agent Orange controversy must in large measure stem from the results of scientific inquiry.
All For One? Latino Group Consciousness and Partisanship

Social scientists have illustrated how group consciousness affects cultural values, participation, and issue voting (Duncan, 1999; Garcia, 1982; Miller et al., 1981; Sanchez, 2006a, 2006b; Verba and Nie, 1972; Jaramillo, 2010). In particular, Sanchez finds that group consciousness influences attitudes on Latino-related issues (2006). Since Latinos feel the Democratic Party handles these issues better than the GOP (Pew Hispanic, 2008), I suggest group consciousness to influence partisan identification among Latinos. Using the 2006 Latino National Survey, I find that group consciousness has a significant effect on Latino partisanship. And significantly increases the probability of Democratic identification among Latinos.
Restenosis: The Achilles Heel of Coronary Angioplasty

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty has become the treatment of choice for many patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease. Increased experience with the procedure and improvements in equipment have resulted in high initial success rates; however, a significant number of patients develop restenosis. Insights into the pathophysiologic mechanisms of restenosis have led to the use of various pharmacologic agents and devices to prevent its occurrence. Although many have been successful in decreasing the incidence of restenosis in animal studies, none has yet proven successful in decreasing the incidence of restenosis in humans. Newer approaches and novel therapies are needed to prevent restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
Ce(III) doped Zr-based MOFs as excellent NO2 adsorbents at ambient conditions.

New hybrid cerium modified zirconium based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized. The as-received materials were evaluated as adsorbents of NO2 in either moist or dry conditions. The surface of the initial and exhausted samples was characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, nitrogen adsorption, thermal analysis, and FTIR. It was found that the addition of Ce+3 slightly affects the growth of the framework and introduces new features to Zr-MOF. The shapes of the octahedral crystals are changed, and they are interwoven with rod-flake-like sheets. The extent of the interconnection, and thus the extent of the hybrid MOF formation, depends on the Zr to Ce ratio. The alterations in the surface chemistry and texture are reflected in the amount of NO2 adsorbed. The narrow pore channels present in these new materials enhance adsorption in either moist or dry conditions. The amount of NO2 adsorbed on the Ce-doped MOF increases over 25% in dry conditions in comparison with the unmodified MOF. Exposure of Ce-UiO-66 ...
Importance of self care.

Cycle experiences have taught me much, and there are lessons to be learnt from Davies’s account.1 Perhaps the most striking comparison is that of the patient …
Homegrown Development Initiatives in Africa: Illusion or Reality?

This is an attempt to articulate a development strategy that is compatible to developing countries with special focus on Africa. I argue that evidence from underdeveloped countries shows that externally driven development framework does not work. And for a country to make headway in socioeconomic progress, an endogenously generated strategy that integrates basic development principles with local characteristics and imperative is needed. This strategy known as homegrown development is an alternative to externally driven development models. This approach corresponds with the endogenous growth theory and the call for indigenous strategy for development. It presupposes the necessity of development planning (Arthur Lewis) and also agrees with the importance of decentralization as propounded by Freiderich Hayek in the Road to Selfdom. This paper takes a conceptual analysis (to articulate homegrown development), normative (to explore the relationship between challenges of development in Africa to its dominant development approaches) and empirical approaches (using global development trajectories to argue that successful countries took homegrown strategy to development). It explores development frameworks of Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa to ascertain the extent African countries are taking homegrown approach to development. This paper also finds that political and collective will is a critical factor to development whether homegrown or not.
Thinking Beyond Age for Postacute Care After Major Abdominal Surgery: A New Surgical Era

By the year 2030, more than 20% of the population will be aged 65 years or older.1 Currently, this older population represents more than 35% of all inpatient procedures, accounting for a disproportionate use of health care resources and expenditures.2,3 This use of resources often spans beyond the surgical encounter, particularly when patients are discharged to postacute care facilities, with an additional estimated annual cost of more than $62 billion.4 A better understanding of discharge patterns among older individuals undergoing surgery is important not only for resource utilization and planning but also to better counsel patients and families as part of the preoperative decision-making process.
Competition and Cheating: Malfeasance in Tournaments

In economic contests or tournaments where monitoring of the actions taken by contestants is imperfect competition is likely to drive not just work effort but other choices at the workers' discretion that increase the probability of winning. For example, when workers compete for promotion, bonuses, or other rewards tied to their relative performance ranking vis-a-vis colleagues they may have opportunities to engage in fraud or otherwise misrepresent their output, behaviors that the employer wishes to deter and are thus forms of cheating or malfeasance. We show how the likelihood of cheating depends on the payoffs at stake in the tournament, the variance of output, probability of cheating being detected, number of contestants, and the penalty associated with being found to have cheated.
Ab initio molecular dynamics of H2 desorption from Si(100)-2 × 1

Abstract We present the first ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) trajectories of two competing mechanisms proposed for H 2 desorption from Si(100)-2 × 1. We show that silicon dihydride species are the most likely desorption precursors and that surface corrugation is responsible for focusing desorbing trajectories, based on comparisons with experimental dynamical data. The equal roles played by the transition state (TS) structure and post-detachment dynamics is emphasized.
Rationale and design of the randomized evaluation of an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist-Led Intervention to Optimize Urate Lowering Pathways (RAmP-UP) Study

Background Despite the availability of effective therapies, most gout patients achieve suboptimal treatment outcomes. Current best practices suggest gradual dose-escalation of urate lowering therapy and serial serum urate (sUA) measurement to achieve sUA < 6.0 mg/dl. However, this strategy is not routinely used. Here we present the study design rationale and development for a pharmacist-led intervention to promote sUA goal attainment.
Disguises: Fiction in the Form of Nonfiction Texts

If narrative fiction differs formally from nonfiction narrative in the ways that Dorrit Cohn outlines in The Distinction of Fiction, then what is the critic to do with texts that so perfectly mimic nonfictional texts formally that these qualities cannot be observed?1 Fiction disguised as another form of discourse has an important place in the history of the development of fictional narrative genres, especially the novel in English.2 The purpose of this chapter is not to revisit the question of the shared narra-tivity of fictional and nonfictional discourse, and the controversies about whether all narration is thus in some way fictive, but to investigate whether traits of fictiveness might persist in spite of presentation in the form of nonfictional discourse. If not, then what other habits of readers and critics might matter to formal analysis?
Changes in Bone Density during Development

Bone densitometry is widely used in the assessment of children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfect (OI) and is usually performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Interpretation of the results is often complicated by the fact that this technique provides a bone size-dependent measure (areal bone mineral density, BMD), which is influenced by short stature. Nevertheless, most children and adolescents with OI have low BMD at the lumbar spine and at trabecular bone sites even when bone size and stature are taken into account. Lumbar spine areal BMD is lower in patients who have mutations affecting glycine residues in the collagen type I triple helical domains than in patients with collagen type I haploinsufficiency mutations. Nevertheless, the difference in areal BMD between these genotypic groups is surprisingly small, considering the differences in the severity of the bone fragility. Areal BMD increases markedly when bisphosphonate treatment is administered. After treatment discontinuation, BMD decreases more rapidly in growing children than in patients who have achieved final height.
Campaigning in the Media

Political campaigners follow the voters, and if voters have moved online then it is a certainty that the campaigns will follow them. The chapter will frame again in terms of a shift: campaigns have moved from direct postal mail to e-mail, from door-to-door campaigning to targeted organizing using databases and smartphone apps. Web 2.0 user-created content will also be discussed as campaigns lose the ability to control their message and the public takes control of image and message.
High-fructose corn syrup-55 consumption alters hepatic lipid metabolism and promotes triglyceride accumulation

High-fructose corn syrup-55 (HFCS-55) has been suggested to be more lipogenic than sucrose, which increases the risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dyslipidemia. The study objectives were to determine the effects of drinking different sugar-sweetened solutions on hepatic gene expression in relation to liver fatty acid composition and risk of NAFLD. Female rats were randomly assigned (n=7 rats/group) to drink water or water sweetened with 13% (w/v) HFCS-55, sucrose or fructose for 8 weeks. Rats drinking HFCS-55 solution had the highest (P=.03) hepatic total lipid and triglyceride content and histological evidence of fat infiltration. Rats drinking HFCS-55 solution had the highest hepatic de novo lipogenesis indicated by the up-regulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 and the highest (P<.001) oleic acid (18:1n-9) content. This was accompanied by reduced β-oxidation indicated by down-regulation of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α. Disposal of excess lipids by export of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein from the liver was increased as shown by up-regulation of gene expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein in rats drinking sucrose, but not HFCS-55 solution. The observed lipogenic effects were attributed to the slightly higher fructose content of HFCS-55 solution in the absence of differences in macronutrient and total caloric intake between rats drinking HFCS-55 and sucrose solution. Results from gene expression and fatty acid composition analysis showed that, in a hypercaloric state, some types of sugars are more detrimental to the liver. Based on these preclinical study results, excess consumption of caloric sweetened beverage, particularly HFCS-sweetened beverages, should be limited.
Solving coordinated voltage optimization in distribution network based on a robust sequential quadratic programming algorithm

This paper investigates the optimal operation problem for distribution networks with the integration of distributed generation (DG). By considering the objectives of minimal line loss, minimal voltage deviation and maximum DG active power output, the proposed operational optimization formulation is a multi-object optimization problem. Through normalization of each objective function, the multi-objective optimization is transformed to single objective optimization. To solve such a non-convex problem, the trust region robust sequential quadratic programming (TRR-SQP) method is proposed which iteratively approximates by a quadratic programming with the trust region guidance. Numerical tests on IEEE 33-bus, and multiple actual systems show the applicability, and comparisons with the primal-dual interior point method and sequential linear programming method are provided.
AUTOREGULATION OF GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE AND RENAL BLOOD FLOW IN CONSCIOUS RATS

Publisher Summary Previous studies on the autoregulation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) in rats, performed on anesthetized animals, show that rats, unlike dogs, cannot autoregulate GFR and RBF below a renal perfusion pressure of approximately 105 mm Hg. This chapter examines autoregulatory efficiency in trained, conscious rats. It has been found that the autoregulatory curve in conscious rats differs from that obtained in the same rats when they are anesthetized. In conscious animals, there is good autoregulation of both GFR and RBF at a renal perfusion pressure of 80 mm Hg. When the rats are anesthetized, autoregulation is not observed below a renal perfusion pressure of approximately 110 mm Hg, a finding that agrees with those of others on anesthetized rats. The imposition of surgical stress, even mild stress, as in the preparation of rats for most experimental studies under anesthesia leads to a further downward shift of the autoregulatory curve.
Training Fixed-Point Classifiers for On-Chip Low-Power Implementation

In this article, we develop several novel algorithms to train classifiers that can be implemented on chip with low-power fixed-point arithmetic with extremely small word length. These algorithms are based on Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Logistic Regression (LR), and are referred to as LDA-FP, SVM-FP, and LR-FP, respectively. They incorporate the nonidealities (i.e., rounding and overflow) associated with fixed-point arithmetic into the offline training process so that the resulting classifiers are robust to these nonidealities. Mathematically, LDA-FP, SVM-FP, and LR-FP are formulated as mixed integer programming problems that can be robustly solved by the branch-and-bound methods described in this article. Our numerical experiments demonstrate that LDA-FP, SVM-FP, and LR-FP substantially outperform the conventional approaches for the emerging biomedical applications of brain decoding.
Scar formation following excisional and burn injuries in a red Duroc pig model.

Scar research is challenging because rodents do not naturally form excessive scars, and burn depth, size, and location cannot be controlled in human longitudinal studies. The female, red Duroc pig model has been shown to form robust scars with biological and anatomical similarities to human hypertrophic scars. To more closely mimic the mode of injury, recreate the complex chemical milieu of the burn wound environment and enhance scar development, an animal model of excessive burn-induced scarring was developed and compared with the more commonly used model, which involves excisional wounds created via dermatome. Standardized, full-thickness thermal wounds were created on the dorsum of female, red Duroc pigs. Wounds for the dermatome model were recreated using two different total dermatome settings: ∼1.5 mm and ≥ 1.9 mm. Results from analysis over 150 days showed that burn wounds healed at much slower rate and contracted more significantly than dermatome wounds of both settings. The burn scars were hairless, had mixed pigmentation, and displayed four-fold and two-fold greater excess erythema values, respectively, compared with ∼1.5 mm and ≥ 1.9 mm deep dermatome injuries. Burn scars were less elastic, less pliably and weaker than scars resulting from excisional injuries. Decorin and versican gene expression levels were elevated in the burn group at day 150 compared with both dermatome groups. In addition, transforming growth factor-beta 1 was significantly up-regulated in the burn group versus the ∼1.5 mm deep dermatome group at all time points, and expression remained significantly elevated versus both dermatome groups at day 150. Compared with scars from dermatome wounds, the burn scar model described here demonstrates greater similarity to human hypertrophic scar. Thus, this burn scar model may provide an improved platform for studying the pathophysiology of burn-related hypertrophic scarring, investigating current anti-scar therapies, and development of new strategies with greater clinical benefit. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The Third Wave

The third wave refers to the current phase of capitalist development in which urbanization is increasingly being driven by an emerging cognitive-cultural economy. This turn of events has had major impacts on the division of labor in cities and on the character of urban neighborhoods. It is also manifest in a number of dramatic shifts in the visual appearance of the urban landscape.
Critical International Political Economy and Mechanisms/Pathways of Influence

In recent decades, various perspectives on how education policymaking is transnationally influenced have gained currency, as discussed in Chap. 1. However, for my analysis of the policy formation and global trajectory of the Education with Community Participation (EDUCO) program, I draw on critical international political economy. In this chapter, in addition to explaining this theoretical perspective, I also elaborate on the particular forms of influence to which I will be attentive in my analysis of the processes through which EDUCO was created and then went global. These forms of influence are derived from the work of Dale (J Educ Pol 14(1):1–17, 1999) and Samoff (Foreign aid to education: Managing global transfers and exchanges. In L. Chishom & G. Steiner-Khamsi (Eds.), South-south cooperation in education and development (pp. 123–156). New York: Teachers College Press, 2009) and relate to mechanisms and pathways that impact national education policymaking.
Role of Hydrolases and Glutathione S-Transferases in Insecticide Resistance

During the last few decades, many species of insects have acquired resistance to insecticides. Resistance is inherited and has proved to be one of the major obstacles in the successful contol of insects. Factors recognized to contribute to insecticide resistance include changes in the rate of metabolism, decreased cuticular penetration of the insecticide, and modifications in the target site (Oppenoorth, 1971: Oppenoorth and Welling, 1976).
Complexity modeling and analysis of chaos and other fluctuating phenomena

Abstract The refined composite multiscale-entropy algorithm was applied to the time-dependent behavior of the Weierstrass functions, colored noise, and Logistic map to provide the fresh insight into the dynamics of these fluctuating phenomena. For the Weierstrass function, the complexity of fluctuations was found to increase with respect to the fractional dimension, D, of the graph. Additionally, the sample-entropy curves increased in an exponential fashion with increasing D. This increase in the complexity was found to correspond to a rising amount of irregularities in the oscillations. In terms of the colored noise, the complexity of the fluctuations was found to be the highest for the 1/f noise (f is the frequency of the generated noise), which is in agreement with findings in the literature. Moreover, the sample-entropy curves exhibited a decreasing trend for noise when the spectral exponent, β, was less than 1 and obeyed an increasing trend when β > 1. Importantly, a direct relationship was observed between the power-law exponents for the curves and the spectral exponents of the noise. For the logistic map, a correspondence was observed between the complexity maps and its bifurcation diagrams. Specifically, the map of the sample-entropy curves was negligible, when the bifurcation parameter, R, varied between 3 and 3.5. Beyond these values, the curves attained non-zero values that increased with increasing R, in general.
Testicular Cancer: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management

There were an estimated 8720 new cases of testicular cancer (TC) in the United States in 2016. The cause of the disease is complex, with several environmental and genetic risk factors. Although rare, the incidence has been steadily increasing. Fortunately, substantial advances in treatment have occurred over the last few decades, making TC one of the most curable malignancies. However, because TC typically occurs in younger men, considerations of the treatment impact on fertility, quality of life, and long-term toxicity are paramount; an individualized approach must be taken with patients based on their clinical and pathologic findings.
Dying to communicate: apoptotic functions of Eph/Ephrin proteins

The Erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph) receptors constitute the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases and interact with a group of ligands called Ephrins. An essential feature of the Eph receptors and Ephrin ligands is that both are membrane-bound and, upon cell-cell interaction, initiate a bidirectional signaling involving both the receptor (forward signaling) and the ligand (reverse signaling). They regulate a large set of pleiotropic functions in virtually every tissue and physiological system. In vitro as well as in vivo data support a role for Eph and Ephrin molecules in cellular processes such as proliferation, cell-cell attraction and repulsion, motility and sorting. An increasing amount of evidence supports a role for these molecules in apoptosis and, although this function in cell death has been barely examined, the available information warrants a global consideration, to identify unmet needs and potential research avenues. Here we propose a comprehensive analysis of the data available regarding the importance of Ephs and Ephrins in cell death mechanisms throughout a large array of physiological systems.
Teaching Project Management through an Information Technology-Based Method:

New information technology-based teaching methods are essential to bring the issues faced by a project manager to the classrooms electronically. This paper describes implementation of a method to a...
Methylation of the ABL1 Promoter in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: Lack of Prognostic Significance

The BCR-ABL chromosomal translocation is a central event in the pathogenesis of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). One of the ABL1 promoters (Pa) and the coding region of the gene are usually translocated intact to the BCR locus, but the translocated promoter appears to be silent in most cases. Recently, hypermethylation of Pa was demonstrated in CML and was proposed to mark advanced stages of the disease. To study this issue, we measured Pa methylation in CML using Southern blot analysis. Of 110 evaluable samples, 23 (21%) had no methylation, 17 (15%) had minimal ( 25%) at the ABL1 locus. High methylation was more frequent in advanced cases of CML. Among the 76 evaluable patients in early chronic phase (ECP), a major cytogenetic response with interferon-based therapy was observed in 14 of 34 patients with high methylation compared with 19 of 42 among the others (41% v 45%; P value not significant). At a median follow-up of 7 years, there was no significant difference in survival by ABL1 methylation category. Among patients who achieved a major cytogenetic response, low levels of methylation were associated with a trend towards improved survival, but this trend did not reach statistical significance. Thus, Pa methylation in CML is associated with disease progression but does not appear to predict for survival or response to interferon-based therapy.
The Structure of Rings

In the first part of this chapter a general structure theory for rings is presented. Although the concepts and techniques introduced have widespread application, complete structure theorems are available only for certain classes of rings. The basic method for determining such a class of rings might be described intuitively as follows. One singles out an “undesirable” property P that satisfies certain conditions, in particular, that every ring has an ideal which is maximal with respect to having property P. This ideal is called the P-radical of the ring. One then attempts to find structure theorems for the class of rings with zero P-radical. Frequently one must include additional hypotheses (such as appropriate chain conditions) in order to obtain really strong structure theorems. These ideas are discussed in full detail in the introductions to Sections 1 and 2 below. The reader would do well to read both these discussions before beginning serious study of the chapter.
Role of Bile in Infectious Disease: the Gall of 7α-Dehydroxylating Gut Bacteria.

Local antibiotics and quorum sensors produced by gut bacteria regulate microbiota community structure and guard against pathogens. In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Kang et al. (2019) guide us through a reciprocal host-antimicrobial interplay that redefines our understanding of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile pathogenesis.
The Relationship between Contingent Self-Esteem and Trait Self-Esteem

Psychology researchers have suggested that in addition to its level, self-esteem is also manifested by other psychological components. One such component is contingency, which is the degree to which one’s feeling of self-worth is influenced by evaluative standards. I investigated how contingent self-esteem is related to trait self-esteem using Paradise and Kernis’ Contingent Self-Esteem Scale and Rosenberg’s (trait) Self-Esteem Scale. Data collected from classroom ( N = 898) and Internet ( N = 655) groups rendered a significant and consistent negative relationship between contingent and trait self-esteem. In addition, higher contingent self-esteem individuals tend to have a greater variability with their trait self-esteem levels; as individuals age, their contingent self-esteem tends to decrease; psychological sensitivity to evaluations is the contingent component most strongly associated with the level of self-esteem; and some evaluative resources, such as appearance, performance, and relationship, can be used by some individuals to boost their self-esteem. Future researchers should consider that the contingency of self-esteem is the psychological component not only related to the stability of self-esteem but also to the level of self-esteem.
Response to Microwave DJs: A Revisit of Farrugia and Swiss’ “Tracking the DJs” (JPMS, 17.1)

The mid 1990s was a turning point in my life. Within a year I discovered the Internet and rave culture. I started spending as much time as possible in Internet Relay Chat rooms, reading listserv emails, listening to techno and house music, and attending raves on as many Saturday nights as possible.
Nutritional Eating; What Do You Know and When Did You Know It? (P04-098-19)

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) projects by 2020 chronic disease will account for 73% of deaths worldwide (W.H.O., 2010). In the United States (U.S.) minorities are high risk for chronic diseases. U.S. census projects by 2050 American minorities as the majority (Census, 2000). Purposes of pilot study 1) identify individual knowledge of chronic diseases; 2) when known (time frame); and 3) knowledge implemented to improve health. Important because if projections are correct health of the majority of people worldwide and U.S. society in particular, (Americas’ minority/majority) forecast as: poor health with short healthy life expectancy. Leading chronic diseases causing mortality in America: heart disease, cancer and lower respiratory diseases (Center for Disease Control, 2016). Hispanics are 16% of U.S. population. Leading cause of mortality: cancer. African Americans are 13.6% of U.S. population. Leading cause of mortality: heart disease. Societal challenge: mitigating health issues of a minority/majority. A convenience sample adults (N = 15) utilized; most minorities. They completed 32 item questionnaire. Some items were Likert scale 5 strongly agree and 1 strongly disagree. Ninety-nine % have family member(s) with health challenges. More than 50% indicate being, “Healthy”. Half indicate being overweight. The majority response to frequency questions: 2–3 weekly. Example, most consume 9 servings of fruits/vegetables (F/V) 2–3 weekly. USDA recommend 9 servings of F/V daily. Time frame questions: ‘when known’. Example, half indicate meat and dairy as a diet necessity. When known, majority indicate over a year ago. Meat/dairy linked with chronic diseases. Majority misidentifies nutrient dense foods. Example, majority indicate white potatoes and iceberg lettuce as nutrient dense. Nutrient dense foods mitigate chronic diseases. Response to Likert type scale items, example, “I work hard to improve my dietary lifestyle”, most indicate ‘agree’. Current nutritional information limited. Outdated nutritional information implemented. Nutrient dense diet lacking. The trajectory forecast of a minority/majority with poor health and short healthy life expectancy is on target. N/A.
Back to the future: Considerations in use and reporting of the retrospective pretest:

Retrospective pretests ask respondents to report after an intervention on their aptitudes, knowledge, or beliefs before the intervention. A primary reason to administer a retrospective pretest is t...
Exploiting nonionic surfactants to enhance fatty alcohol production in Rhodosporidium toruloides

Fatty alcohols (FOHs) are important feedstocks in the chemical industry to produce detergents, cosmetics, and lubricants. Microbial production of FOHs has become an attractive alternative to production in plants and animals due to growing energy demands and environmental concerns. However, inhibition of cell growth caused by intracellular FOH accumulation is one major issue that limits FOH titers in microbial hosts. In addition, identification of FOH-specific exporters remains a challenge and previous studies towards this end are limited. To alleviate the toxicity issue, we exploited nonionic surfactants to promote the export of FOHs in Rhodosporidium toruloides, an oleaginous yeast that is considered an attractive next-generation host for the production of fatty acid-derived chemicals. Our results showed FOH export efficiency was dramatically improved and the growth inhibition was alleviated in the presence of small amounts of tergitol and other surfactants. As a result, FOH titers increase by 4.3-fold at bench scale to 352.6 mg/L. With further process optimization in a 2-L bioreactor, the titer was further increased to 1.6 g/L. The method we show here can potentially be applied to other microbial hosts and may facilitate the commercialization of microbial FOH production.
Identification of rapid access to polycyclic systems via a base-catalyzed cascade cyclization reaction and their biological evaluation

A base-mediated cascade reaction between malonate esters and acrolein was developed to access complex polycyclic systems. This novel tandem reaction enables the simultaneous generation of up to seven new bonds and at least three new stereogenic centers. Mechanistic studies indicate a series of nucleophilic 1,4 and 1,6 Michael addition reactions occur, followed by an aldol condensation reaction, culminating in the formation of three fused rings. The compounds were characterized by NMR studies and the stereochemistry was confirmed by X-ray analysis. The ability to generate multigram quantities of such complex molecular scaffolds renders the method promising for medicinal chemistry campaigns. Herein, we also demonstrate that the lead compounds display promising anti-proliferative activities against human cancer cell models.
Effects of elapsed time on downstream platelet adhesion following transient exposure to elevated upstream shear forces

Transient exposure to elevated shear forces is known to prime platelets for enhanced downstream adhesion, but how far downstream these priming effects persist is not known. In the present study, the platelet capture regions, prepared by immobilizing fibrinogen, collagen, or von Willebrand factor, were placed at three different distances from the upstream stenotic region to vary the elapsed time of circulating platelets downstream. Platelet adhesion increased with the increase of upstream wall shear rates from 1620 s-1 to 11,560 s-1 for all three downstream proteins, but only the adhesion to fibrinogen increased significantly with the distance between the upstream stenotic region and the downstream capture region. In contrast, platelet adhesion to downstream collagen remained essentially independent on the distance and the adhesion to von Willebrand factor marginally increased with the distance after transient platelet exposure to upstream wall shear rates of 2145 s-1 and 11,560 s-1. The results implied that the activation of fibrinogen receptor GPIIb/IIIa by transient exposure to high upstream wall shear rates progresses in a time-dependent manner during the downstream flow of platelets. The highly elevated upstream wall shear rate of 11,560 s-1 altered the morphology of many platelets adhered to downstream fibrinogen from their native ellipsoidal to spread circular form. The platelet shape analysis showed that longer periods of post-stenotic flow increased the surface coverage fraction of ellipsoidal platelet population and decreased the surface coverage fraction of fully spread platelets on fibrinogen for both transiently elevated upstream wall shear rates.
Facile synthesis of anhydrous microparticles using plug-and-play microfluidic reactors

Anhydrous microparticles, including a wide variety of organic and inorganic microspheres (e.g., silicone elastomers, metal oxides, metal organic frameworks), are attracting substantial attention for applications ranging from drug delivery to photocatalysis. Microfluidic materials synthesis techniques are an ideal approach for controlled synthesis of anhydrous microparticles. In this article, we highlight the recent developments using plug-and-play microfluidic reactors for anhydrous microparticle synthesis. We discuss assembly of capillary-based microfluidic reactors, their advantages compared to microfabricated chips, and basics of their operation. Furthermore, various types of anhydrous organic and inorganic microparticles synthesized in flow utilizing such microfluidic reactors are discussed in detail. Finally, we present new directions for microparticle synthesis using plug-and-play microfluidic reactors.
Anticipatory news infrastructures: Seeing journalism’s expectations of future publics in its sociotechnical systems:

To understand news rhythms, scholars have primarily studied how the rituals and routines of news organizations align with the practices and expectations of audiences. The rhythms of today’s network...
Individual precautions to prevent theft: Private versus socially optimal behavior

A model is examined in which individuals take precautions that reduce the amount stolen if thieves enter their homes; and the amount of theft is influenced by the level of individuals' precautions. It is emphasized that the motive of individuals acting alone to take precautions may include the diversion of theft to others but does not take into account general deterrence. For this and other reasons, the level of precautions exercised by individuals acting alone may differ from their collectively optimal level and also from the socially optimal level (which reflects effort devoted to theft).
Bioethics in the 21st Century: Principlism, Situation Ethics, and Love

This Monograph derives from a paper written for delivery at the 14th UNESCO World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics, and Health Law. Bioethics raises the central question of how to live, how to die, and how society should both direct and relate to the new, startling biotechnological and reproductive advances of the 21st century. This Monograph analyzes, critically, Principlism and Situation Ethics in an effort to determine which is more efficacious as a framework for advancing sound moral argumentation, developing policy and for supporting ethical decision making in these three principal areas of interest and concern. In order to assure an active, positive role and – indeed – relevance for bioethics in this century, the conclusion drawn is that the “traditional” template for ethical argumentation through Principlism should be re-calibrated in order to allow love to be the single or situational virtue of a common sense morality or – in other words – as the controlling vector of force in complex ethical cases which call for a resolution. Accordingly, decisions should be guided by a spirit of rational thinking and basic common sense which seeks, always, to direct a caring response – especially at the end-stage of life – or, in other words, one which is compassionate, loving, humane, and merciful and one which acknowledges a human right to dignity.
Network controllability enrichment analysis reveals that SARS-CoV-2 infection tends to target indispensable nodes of a directed human protein-protein interaction network

The COVID-19 disease has been a global threat caused by the new coronavirus species, SARS-CoV-2, since early 2020 with an urgent need for therapeutic interventions. In order to provide insight into human proteins targeted by SARS-CoV-2, here we study a directed human protein-protein interaction network (dhPPIN) based on our previous work on network controllability of virus targets. We previously showed that human proteins targeted by viruses tend to be those whose removal in a dhPPIN requires more control of the network dynamics, which were classified as indispensable nodes. In this study we introduce a more comprehensive rank-based enrichment analysis of our previous dhPPIN for SARS-CoV-2 infection and show that SARS-CoV-2 also tends to target indispensable nodes in the dhPPIN using multiple proteomics datasets, supporting validity and generality of controllability analysis of viral infection in humans. Also, we find differential controllability among SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV from a comparative proteomics study. Moreover, we show functional significance of indispensable nodes by analyzing heterogeneous datasets from a genome-wide CRISPR screening study, a time-course phosphoproteomics study, and a genome-wide association study. Specifically, we identify SARS-CoV-2 ORF3A as most frequently interacting with indispensable proteins in the dhPPIN, which are enriched in TGF-beta signaling and tend to be sources nodes and interact with each other. Finally, we built an integrated network model of ORF3A-interacting indispensable proteins with multiple functional supports to provide hypotheses for experimental validation as well as therapeutic opportunities. Therefore, a sub-network of indispensable proteins targeted by SARS-CoV-2 could serve as a prioritized network of drug targets and a basis for further functional and mechanistic studies from a network controllability perspective.
Regulation of glutamine synthetase. 3. Cumulative feedback inhibition of glutamine synthetase from Escherichia coli.

Abstract The glutamine Synthetase of Escherichia coli has been examined for its susceptibility to inhibition by a large number of nitrogen-containing compounds of biological importance. Eight of the compounds tested caused inhibition of the enzyme; namely, alanine, glycine, histidine, tryptophan, CTP, AMP, carbamyl phosphate, and glucosamine-6-phosphate. At high concentrations each compound causes only partial inhibition. When mixtures of the inhibitors are present at nearly saturating concentrations their effects are cumulative. That is, the total residual enzyme activity in the presence of several inhibitors is equal to the product of the fractional activities observed when each of the inhibitors is tested alone. Thus, whereas each inhibitor is able to cause only partial inhibition, collectively they can cause almost complete inhibition of the enzyme. The results suggest that the enzyme possesses separate binding sites for each of the eight inhibitors and that there is no significant interaction between these binding sites; i.e., each inhibitor is independent in its action. This suggestion is further supported by kinetic studies showing that three of the inhibitors are noncompetitive with respect to any substrate, three are partially competitive with respect to glutamate, and two are partially competitive with respect to ammonia. Moreover, the inhibitory responses to different inhibitors are differentially effected by Mg ++ and Mn ++ , one or the other of which is required for glutamine synthetase activity. Finally, the occurrence of separate binding sites for each inhibitor is indicated by the selective sensitization or desensitization of the enzyme to inhibition by particular inhibitors as a result of structural modification induced by aging, or treatment with urea, or acetone.
Chemical Computations on an Attached Processor: Quantum Chemistry Applications

The Floating Point Systems, Inc. Model 164 (FPS-164) attached processor is a high speed, pipelined, parallel processor designed for large-scale scientific computations. Benchmark studies indicate that the FPS-164 is more than an order of magnitude faster than a DEC VAX 11/780 and comparable in speed to an IBM 3033 or CDC Cyber 175 mainframe computer. Vectorization and optimization techniques applied to electronic structure codes for the FPS-164 can lead to further improvements, e.g, GVB164, a generalized valence bond program, runs 30 to 40 times faster on the FPS-164 than on the VAX 11/780.
A Compendium of Solar Dish/Stirling Technology

Abstract : This technology compendium, which is international in scope, presents the results of a survey on the technology status, system specifications, performance, and operation of parabolic dish solar collectors that use Stirling engines to generate electrical power. Technical information on the engines used or to be used in dish/Stirling Systems is also presented. This study uses consistent terminology to document the design characteristics of dish concentrators, receivers, and Stirling engines for electric generating applications, thereby enabling comparison of dish/Stirling technologies at both a system and component level. Development status and operation experience for each system and an overview of dish/Stirling technology are also presented.
Logic and Artificial Intelligence: Divorced, Still Married, Separated...?

Though it‘s difficult to agree on the exact date of their union, logic and artificial intelligence (AI) were married by the late 1950s, and, at least during their honeymoon, were happily united. What connubial permutation do logic and AI find themselves in now? Are they still (happily) married? Are they divorced? Or are they only separated, both still keeping alive the promise of a future in which the old magic is rekindled? This paper is an attempt to answer these questions via a review of six books. Encapsulated, our answer is that (i) logic and AI, despite tabloidish reports to the contrary, still enjoy matrimonial bliss, and (ii) only their future robotic offspring (as opposed to the children of connectionist AI) will mark real progress in the attempt to understand cognition.
Pathogen testing in fresh produce and irrigation water.

The reality today is that fresh produce is a food item that is viewed as highly vulnerable to pathogen contamination. Fresh produce, by virtue of its cultivation, handling, and consumption practices, is prone to pathogen contamination and therefore becomes a vehicle for widespread foodborne outbreaks. This chapter highlights the challenges associated with monitoring for pathogens in fresh produce. For both food- and waterborne pathogens, food hygiene guidelines go hand in hand with agricultural water guidelines. Probably, the single most important source of contamination for fresh produce is water, either irrigation water or water used during postharvest processing. The chapter discusses some of the contemporary approaches of how certain regions in the United States are attempting to reduce the potential for outbreaks from fresh produce. It includes a description of the key pathogens that have been associated with produce-related outbreaks and provides an overview of some of the indicator organisms that can be used to screen for the presence of fecal contamination.
Cronobacter Species Contamination of Powdered Infant Formula and the Implications for Neonatal Health

Cronobacter is a class of Enterobacteriaceae that cause infections in neonates, especially those born prematurely. Over 90% of these infections have been linked epidemiologically to powdered infant formula (PIF). Contamination of PIF can occur at manufacture, reconstitution, or storage of reconstituted product. Intrinsic properties that enable Cronobacter to cause disease include resistance to heat, ultraviolet radiation, oxygen radicals, stomach acids, and pasteurization; an ability to utilize sialic acid (a nutrition additive to PIF that facilitates the organism’s growth and survival); and an exceptional affinity for biofilms in enteral feeding tubes. As part of ongoing endeavors to reduce the incidence of neonatal PIF-associated Cronobacter infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have established guidelines for PIF production, preparation for infant feeding, and storage of reconstituted product.
(I)literate Identities in Adult Basic Education: A Case Study of a Latino Woman in an ESOL and Computer Literacy Class

Adult Basic Education (ABE), namely English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in the United States has been understood and assessed as the mastering of skills increasingly aimed at meeting the demands of the workplace. This ethnographic case study examines how the literacy practices a Latino woman engages in through her participation in an ABE-ESOL class relate to her developing identities of mother, student and citizen. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the findings demonstrate the contextual nature of adult literacy, showing how learners appropriate available tools and texts and enact purposeful and meaningful literacy practices, which traditional ABE assessment dismiss or do not account for. Implications for adult literacy pedagogy and research are discussed.