cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethacrynic acid: A novel radiation enhancer in human carcinoma cells

Purpose : Because agents that interfere with thiol metabolism and glutathione S-transferase (GST) functions have been shown to enhance antitumor effects of alkylating agents in vitro and in vivo, the present study was conceived on the basis that an inhibitor of GST would enhance the radiation response of some selected human carcinoma cells. Ethacrynic acid (EA) was chosen for the study because it is an effective inhibitor of GST and is a well known diuretic in humans. Methods and Materials : Experiments were carried out with well-established human tumor cells in culture growing in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). Cell lines used were MCF-7, MCF-7 adriamycin resistant (AR) cells (breast carcinoma), HT-29 cells (colon carcinoma), DU-145 cells (prostate carcinoma), and U-373 cells (malignant glioma). Cell survival following the exposure of cells to drug alone, radiation alone, and a combined treatment was assayed by determining the colony-forming ability of single plated cells in culture to obtain dose-survival curves. The drug enhancement ratio was correlated with levels of GST. Results : The cytotoxicity of EA was most pronounced in MCF-7, U-373, and DU-145 cells compared to MCF-7 AR and HT-29 cells. The levels of GST activity were found to be lower in those EA-sensitive cells. A significant radiation enhancement was obtained with EA-sensitive cells exposed to nontoxic concentrations of the drug immediately before or after irradiation. The sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER) of MCF-7 cells was 1.55 with EA (20 μg/ml), while the SER of MCF-7 AR was less than 1.1. Based on five different human tumor cells, a clear inverse relationship was demonstrated between the magnitude of SER and GST levels of tumor cells prior to the combined treatment. Conclusion : The present results suggest that EA, which acts as both a reversible and irreversible inhibitor of GST activity, could significantly enhance the radiation response of human cancer cells and the level of GST in tumor cells may predict the magnitude of radiation enhancement with EA. Ethacrynic acid would be an excellent drug as a radiosensitizer for further in vivo tumor study.
Re-Evaluating Natural Resistance to Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

It is often stated that individuals of a species can differ significantly in their innate resistance to infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Three decades ago Lopez reported that C57BL/6 mice could survive a 5,000-fold-higher inoculum of HSV-1 given intraperitoneally than mice of the A or BALB/c strain (Nature 258:152-153, 1975). Susceptible strains of mice died of encephalitis-like symptoms, suggesting that viral spread to the central nervous system was the cause of death. Although Lopez's study documented that C57BL/6 mice were resistant to the development of HSV-1 encephalitis and mortality, the resistance of C57BL/6 mice to other steps of the HSV-1 infection process was not assessed. The results of the present study extend these observations to clarify the difference between resistance to (i) HSV-1 pathogenesis, (ii) HSV-1 replication, (iii) HSV-1 spread, and (iv) the establishment of latent HSV-1 infection. Although C57BL/6 mice are more resistant to HSV-1 pathogenesis than BALB/c mice, the results of the present study establish that HSV-1 enters, replicates, spreads, and establishes latent infections with virtually identical efficiencies in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. These observations raise questions about the validity of the inference that differences in natural resistance are relevant in explaining what differentiates humans with recurrent herpetic disease from the vast majority of asymptomatic carriers of HSV-1 and HSV-2.
The Tea Party Movement and the 2012 House Election

This article examines Tea Party candidates for the US House of Representative in 2012. Tea Party and Tea Party–endorsed candidates are similar to other Republican candidates. Although they have served in the House for a shorter period, they have approximately the same financial resources, prior political experience, and reelection rate as other Republicans. Multivariate analysis finds that Tea Party membership and endorsement have no impact on electoral outcome when other political factors are controlled for (e.g., incumbency, running for an open seat, quality of opposing candidate, prior political experience, financial resources, and Obama’s vote). Consequently, the success of Tea Party candidates depends on acquiring the traditional political resources, having weak opponents, and running in favorably disposed constituencies rather than identification with this highly visible political movement.
Extracellular ATP inhibits root gravitropism at concentrations that inhibit polar auxin transport

Raising the level of extracellular ATP to mM concentrations similar to those found inside cells can block gravitropism of Arabidopsis roots. When plants are grown in Murashige and Skoog medium supplied with 1 mM ATP, their roots grow horizontally instead of growing straight down. Medium with 2 mM ATP induces root curling, and 3 mM ATP stimulates lateral root growth. When plants are transferred to medium containing exogenous ATP, the gravity response is reduced or in some cases completely blocked by ATP. Equivalent concentrations of ADP or inorganic phosphate have slight but usually statistically insignificant effects, suggesting the specificity of ATP in these responses. The ATP effects may be attributable to the disturbance of auxin distribution in roots by exogenously applied ATP, because extracellular ATP can alter the pattern of auxin-induced gene expression in DR5-beta-glucuronidase transgenic plants and increase the response sensitivity of plant roots to exogenously added auxin. The presence of extracellular ATP also decreases basipetal auxin transport in a dose-dependent fashion in both maize (Zea mays) and Arabidopsis roots and increases the retention of [(3)H]indole-3-acetic acid in root tips of maize. Taken together, these results suggest that the inhibitory effects of extracellular ATP on auxin distribution may happen at the level of auxin export. The potential role of the trans-plasma membrane ATP gradient in auxin export and plant root gravitropism is discussed.
Genetic Engineering of Algae for Enhanced Biofuel Production

There are currently intensive global research efforts aimed at increasing and modifying the accumulation of lipids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, polysaccharides, and other energy storage compounds in photosynthetic organisms, yeast, and bacteria through genetic engineering. Many improvements have been realized, including increased lipid and carbohydrate production, improved H2 yields, and the diversion of central metabolic intermediates into fungible biofuels. Photosynthetic microorganisms are attracting considerable interest within these efforts due to their relatively high photosynthetic conversion efficiencies, diverse metabolic capabilities, superior growth rates, and ability to store or secrete energy-rich hydrocarbons. Relative to cyanobacteria, eukaryotic microalgae possess several unique metabolic attributes of relevance to biofuel production, including the accumulation of significant quantities of triacylglycerol; the synthesis of storage starch (amylopectin and amylose), which is similar to that found in higher plants; and the ability to efficiently couple photosynthetic electron transport to H2 production. Although the application of genetic engineering to improve energy production phenotypes in eukaryotic microalgae is in its infancy, significant advances in the development of genetic manipulation tools have recently been achieved with microalgal model systems and are being used to manipulate central carbon metabolism in these organisms. It is likely that many of these advances can be extended to industrially relevant organisms. This review is focused on potential avenues of genetic engineering that may be undertaken in order to improve microalgae as a biofuel platform for the production of biohydrogen, starch-derived alcohols, diesel fuel surrogates, and/or alkanes.
The System Completion Problem: Theory and Computation

In several control design techniques such as multivariable proportional and integral control, linear quadratic Gaussian with loop transfer recovery, response shaping, etc., it becomes necessary to find pseudo inputs and/or outputs, such that the system with these modified input or output matrices has its transmission zeros at certain desired locations. In this paper, conditions for existence of such pseudo inputs and/or outputs are established. and computational algorithms for their computation are proposed.
Delta/Notch signaling promotes formation of zebrafish neural crest by repressing neurogenin 1 function

In zebrafish, cells at the lateral edge of the neural plate become Rohon-Beard primary sensory neurons or neural crest. Delta/Notch signaling is required for neural crest formation. ngn1 is expressed in primary neurons; inhibiting Ngn1 activity prevents Rohon-Beard cell formation but not formation of other primary neurons. Reducing Ngn1 activity in embryos lacking Delta/Notch signaling restores neural crest formation, indicating Delta/Notch signaling inhibits neurogenesis without actively promoting neural crest. Ngn1 activity is also required for later development of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons; however, Rohon-Beard neurons and dorsal root ganglion neurons are not necessarily derived from the same precursor cell. We propose that temporally distinct episodes of Ngn1 activity in the same precursor population specify these two different types of sensory neurons.
Snapshots of DsbA in Action: Detection of Proteins in the Process of Oxidative Folding

DsbA, a thioredoxin superfamily member, introduces disulfide bonds into newly translocated proteins. This process is thought to occur via formation of mixed disulfide complexes between DsbA and its substrates. However, these complexes are difficult to detect, probably because of their short-lived nature. Here we show that it is possible to detect such covalent intermediates in vivo by a mutation in DsbA that alters cis proline-151. Further, this mutant allowed us to identify substrates of DsbA. Alteration of the cis proline, highly conserved among thioredoxin superfamily members, may be useful for the detection of substrates and intermediate complexes in other systems.
Rigid suspensions in viscous fluid

Abstract In a previous paper [1]I presented a continuum theory of rigid suspensions. In this work the effect of the torque (due to surrounding viscous fluid) on the rotations of fibers was ignored. Here I consider this effect.
Relationship of Lower-Troposphere Cloud Cover and Cosmic Rays: An Updated Perspective

An updated assessment has been made of the proposed hypothesis that galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are positively correlated with lower-troposphere global cloudiness. A brief review of the many conflicting studies that attempt to prove or disprove this hypothesis is also presented. It has been determined in this assessment that the recent extended quiet period between solar cycles 23 and 24 has led to a record-high level of GCRs, which in turn has been accompanied by a record-low level of lower-troposphere global cloudiness.Thisrepresentsapossibleobservationaldisconnect,and theupdatepresentedherecontinuesto support the need for further research on the GCR‐cloud hypothesis and its possible role in the science of climate change.
Process-Tolerant Low-Power Adaptive Pipeline under Scaled-Vdd

Designing low power pipelines in modern high performance microprocessors is becoming a challenging task due to increasing process parameter fluctuation associated with the scaled devices. Conventional low power design techniques typically make the critical paths of pipeline stages sensitive to parametric variations, degrading the yield. We implement a low-power and robust pipeline design methodology which is suitable for aggressive voltage scaling while maintaining high frequency operations. This is achieved by isolating the critical paths; making them predictable (by design) and ensuring they are activated rarely. At scaled supply (with frequency unchanged), any possible delay errors (under 1-cycle operations) are predicted ahead in time and avoided by adoptively stretching the clock period to 2-cycles. The test-chip implementing the design methodology for a two-stage pipeline in 130 nm process shows 40% power savings with only 13% performance loss (due to adaptive clock stretching operations) and ~9.4% area overhead.
Hydrophobic probe binding of β-lactoglobulin in the native and molten globule state induced by high pressure as affected by pH, KIO3 and N-ethylmaleimide

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 500 MPa and 50 °C induces ‚-LG into the molten globule state. Retinol, cis-parinaric acid (CPA), and 1-anilino-naphthalene-8-sulfonate (ANS) fluorescence from pH 2.5 to 10.5 in the presence of the native and molten globule states of ‚-LG indicate that retinol binds to ‚-LG in the calyx, CPA at the surface hydrophobic site, and ANS in multiple hydrophobic sites. HHP treatment results in a decrease of ‚-LG affinity for retinol and CPA, suggesting conformational changes in the calyx and surface hydrophobic site of ‚-LG during HHP treatment. ‚-LG treated by HHP in the presence of N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) retains retinol affinity, suggesting that NEM protects the calyx conformation of ‚-LG during HHP treatment. HHP treatment of ‚-LG in the presence of KIO3 exhibits a great decrease of CPA affinity compared to HHP-treated ‚-LG in the absence of KIO3, suggesting the formation of non-native disulfide bonding at the CPA binding site.
Amelioration of a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: microcomputed tomography studies.

Objective To test the hypothesis that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) generate bone cells using bone marrow (BM) cell transplantation in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). OI is a genetic disorder resulting from abnormal amount and/or structure of type I collagen and is characterized by osteopenia, fragile bones, and skeletal deformities. Homozygous OI murine mice ( oim ; B6C3Fe a/a-Col1a2 oim / J) offer excellent recipients for transplantation of normal HSCs, because fast turnover of osteoprogenitors has been shown. Materials and Methods We transplanted BM mononuclear cells or 50 BM cells highly enriched for HSCs from transgenic enhanced green fluorescent protein mice into irradiated oim mice and analyzed changes in bone parameters using longitudinal microcomputed tomography. Results Dramatic improvements were observed in three-dimensional microcomputed tomography images of these bones 3 to 6 months post-transplantation when the mice showed high levels of hematopoietic engraftment. Histomorphometric assessment of the bone parameters, such as trabecular structure and cortical width, supported observations from three-dimensional images. There was an increase in bone volume, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness with a concomitant decrease in trabecular spacing. Analysis of a nonengrafted mouse or a mouse that was transplanted with BM cells from oim mice showed continued deterioration in the bone parameters. The engrafted mice gained weight and became less prone to spontaneous fractures while the control mice worsened clinically and eventually developed kyphosis. Conclusions These findings strongly support the concept that HSCs generate bone cells. Furthermore, they are consistent with observations from clinical transplantation studies and suggest therapeutic potentials of HSCs in OI.
A Simultaneous Approach to the Whether, What and How Much to Buy Questions

Consumer's purchase decisions of whether to buy, what to buy and how much to buy are examined simultaneously. Based on a consumer utility maximization problem, an unobservable threshold price, about which a consumer pivots from nonpurchase to purchase, can be deduced. With any model specification, the interrelationships between purchase decisions can be explicitly derived. The model is applied to coffee purchasing data. In addition, by suppressing the nonpurchase options the model is compared with an alternative approach appearing in the marketing literature.
GOBNET (Gigabit Object Network)

The authors present an introduction to the high-level design of GOBNET, an ongoing research effort at the University of Pennsylvania to extend the Memmet distributed shared memory research to a wide-area environment. GOBNET also supports distributed object-oriented systems. The authors describe some of the issues in the design of GOBNET, including memory as the abstraction of wide-area-network, object-orientation, and object location. >
Accurate mass and nuclear magnetic resonance identification of bisphenolic can coating migrants and their interference with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric analysis of bisphenol A.

Two unknown compounds were previously determined to be potential interferences in liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis of bisphenol A (BPA) in canned infant formula. Both yielded two identical MS/MS transitions to BPA. The identities of the unknowns were investigated using accurate mass LC/MS, LC/MS/MS, and elemental formula and structures proposed. Exact identities were confirmed through purification or synthesis followed by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, as well as comparisons of one unknown with commercial standards. Comparisons of negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) MS/MS and accurate mass spectra suggested both unknowns to be structurally identical (to BPA and each other). Positive ion ESI spectra confirmed both were larger molecules, suggesting that in the negative mode they likely fragmented to the BPA molecular ion in the source. Elemental composition of positive ion accurate mass spectra and NMR analysis concluded the unknowns were oxidized forms of the known epoxy can coating monomer, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE). One of the unknowns, 2,2-[bis-4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)phenyl]propane, commonly known as BADGE*2H2O, is widely reported as an epoxy-phenolic can coating migrant, but has not been suggested to interfere with the MS/MS analysis of BPA. The other unknown, 2-[4-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)phenyl]-2-[4'-hydroxyphenyl]propane, or the oxidized form of bisphenol A monoglycidyl ether (BAMGE*H2O), has not been previously reported in food or packaging. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of parathyroid hormone, colchicine, and calcitonin on the ultrastructure and the activity of osteoclasts in organ culture.

The ultrastructure of osteoclasts was examined in fetal rat bones after stimulation or inhibition of resorption in culture. A central ruffled border area completely encircled by a clear zone was considered to represent the resorbing system of the cell. The proportion of ruffled border and clear zone in osteoclast cross sections was compared with changes in bone resorption as measured by the release of previously incorporated radioactive calcium (45Ca). In control cultures 55% of the osteoclast cross sections showed an area closely apposed to bone and this consisted mainly of clear zone; only 11% showed ruffled borders. Treatment with parathyroid hormone (PTH) increased 45Ca release, increased the frequency of finding areas closely apposed to bone (79%), and markedly increased the frequency of the ruffled border area (64%). Colchicine given concurrently with PTH decreased the number of osteoclasts. Colchicine or calcitonin treatment after PTH stimulation decreased the proportion of ruffled border area significantly by 1 h; this was followed by a decrease in 45Ca release. These inhibited osteoclasts resembled osteoclasts from control, unstimulated cultures, suggesting that the cells had returned to their inactive state. Colchicine-treated osteoclasts also showed a loss of microtubules and a massive accumulation of 100 A filaments, suggesting that synthesis of microtubular subunits had increased.
Can Performance Studies Create Actionable Knowledge if We Can’t Measure the Performance of the Firm?

The modern conception of the performance of the firm—future cash flows—makes performance difficult to measure and most performance measures inherently flawed. Moreover, the reliability of inference...
Therapies for Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma: Transplant and Non-Transplant Approaches Including Immunotherapy

Autologous stem cell transplant remains the standard of care for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Approximately 50% of patients with chemo-sensitive relapse will be cured with this approach. The optimal pretransplant salvage regimen is controversial, but less toxic combinations seem to be equivalent to more aggressive approaches. For patients with chemorefractory disease at relapse and those failing autologous transplant, the long-term prognosis remains poor. New approaches such as reduced-intensity allogeneic transplant, monoclonal antibodies targeting the CD30 antigen, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and bortezomib are under investigation, but preliminary results are disappointing. New therapies are needed for patients with relapsed HL. During the last decade, the questions regarding the treatment of relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have changed. There is no longer a need to address treatment of relapse after primary radiotherapy, as this approach to HL has virtually disappeared. In addition, controversy surrounding the optimal timing (first vs second relapse) of autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) after failure of primary chemotherapy (CT) has largely subsided. Results of a large randomized trial from the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) and European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) published in 2002 and updated at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2005 meeting showed freedom from treatment failure was significantly better for patients undergoing transplant compared to non-transplant salvage, regardless of whether they relapsed early (< 12 months) or late following primary chemotherapy. 1,2
Finite Element Analysis of Non-Self-Similar Crack Growth Process

A finite element analysis of the process of non-self-similar crack growth has been made for a cracked specimen subjected to monotonically increasing biaxial loading until the point of fast fracture is reached. The orientation and the amount of crack growth are determined by the equivalent maximum opening stress criterion and the linear relation between plastic energy and crack size, respectively. The analysis is based on an incremental theory of plasticity with kinematic hardening. Numerical results of several cases are presented.
Validation of clinical scores for right ventricular failure prediction after implantation of continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices.

Background Several clinical prediction schemes for right ventricular failure (RVF) risk after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation have been developed in both the pulsatile- and continuous-flow LVAD eras. The performance of these models has not been evaluated systematically in a continuous-flow LVAD cohort. Methods We evaluated 6 clinical RVF prediction models (Michigan, Penn, Utah, Kormos et al, CRITT, Pittsburgh Decision Tree) in 116 patients (age 51 ± 13 years; 41.4% white and 56.0% black; 66.4% men; 56.0% bridge to transplant, 37.1% destination therapy, 17.4% bridge to decision) who received a continuous-flow LVAD (HeartMate II: 79 patients, HeartWare: 37 patients) between 2008 and 2013. Results Overall, 37 patients (31.9%) developed RVF, defined: as pulmonary vasodilator use for ≥48 hours or inotrope use for ≥14 days post-operatively; re-institution of inotropes; multi-organ failure due to RVF; or need for mechanical RV support. Median (Quartile 1 to Quartile 3) time to initial discontinuation of inotropes was 6 (range 4 to 8) days. Among scores, the Michigan score reached significance for RVF prediction but discrimination was modest (C = 0.62 [95% CI 0.52 to 0.72], p = 0.021; positive predictive value [PPV] 60.0%; negative predictive value [NPV] 75.8%), followed by CRITT (C = 0.60 [95% CI 0.50 to 0.71], p = 0.059; PPV 40.5%; NPV 72.2%). Other models did not significantly discriminate RVF. The newer, INTERMACS 3.0 definition for RVF, which includes inotropic support beyond 7 days, was reached by 57 patients (49.1%). The Kormos model performed best with this definition (C = 0.62 [95% CI 0.54 to 0.71], p = 0.005; PPV 64.3%; NPV 59.5%), followed by Penn (C = 0.61), Michigan (C = 0.60) and CRITT (C = 0.60), but overall score performance was modest. Conclusion Current schemes for post-LVAD RVF risk prediction perform only modestly when applied to external populations.
Two-step ion-exchange chromatographic purification combined with reversed-phase chromatography to isolate C-peptide for mass spectrometric analysis

A liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry on-line platform that includes the orthogonal techniques of ion exchange and reversed phase chromatography is applied for C-peptide analysis. Additional improvement is achieved by the subsequent application of cation- and anion-exchange purification steps that allow for isolating components that have their isoelectric points in a narrow pH range before final reversed-phase mass spectrometry analysis. The utility of this approach for isolating fractions in the desired "pI window" for profiling complex mixtures is discussed.
Homelessness: United States

Homelessness has now been a fixture on the political scene in the United States and other countries for two decades. Yet the scope of the problem and the appropriate remedies for it still prompt fierce debates. This article examines the difficulties of defining homelessness and establishing useful estimates of population size and dynamics, including European examples where available. It then provides basic descriptive information about homelessness in the United States and looks at its patterns and antecedents. The article ends by describing the growth of homeless-specific service programs and considering the probable future directions for homeless research and policy.
Nickel-catalysed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of amides

The Suzuki-Miyaura coupling has become one of the most important and prevalent methods for the construction of C-C bonds. Although palladium catalysis has historically dominated the field, the use of nickel catalysis has become increasingly widespread because of its unique ability to cleave carbon-heteroatom bonds that are unreactive towards other transition metals. We report the first nickel-catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of amides, which proceeds by an uncommon cleavage of the amide C-N bond after N-tert-butoxycarbonyl activation. The methodology is mild, functional-group tolerant and can be strategically employed in sequential transition-metal-catalysed cross-coupling sequences to unite heterocyclic fragments. These studies demonstrate that amides, despite classically considered inert substrates, can be harnessed as synthons for use in reactions that form C-C bonds through cleavage of the C-N bond using non-precious metal catalysis.
On 'Nationalization' United States Style

The "nationalization," or public take-over, of private assets can assume many forms. However, all share one common element, coercion. In all nationalizations, owners of private assets must transfer their assets to the government.
Contracting and Sector Choice across Municipal Services

contract out for goods and ser vices or produce them inter nally (i.e., the "make or buy" decision) has intrigued scholars of public agencies and pri vate firms for decades (see Coase 1937). Most explanations of vertical integration in private firms emphasize transaction costs incurred in negotiating, monitoring, and enforcing a contract or agreement. Expanding upon this framework, New Institutionalist scholars claim that the organization of transactions within rather than between firms is contin gent upon the relative costs of internal and external transactions (Williamson 1975). If the cost of negotiating and enforcing con tracts between firms is high, firms will have an incentive to organize production on their own rather than seek out external suppliers. Governments, like firms, desire efficient production, but production efficiencies in governments can be lost when transaction costs are high, just as they can in private firms. Service contracts and the sector to which they are assigned are dependent upon the type of policy and the stability of the administrative environment within which the contracting process is managed. Certain classes of polices entail considerable monitoring and measure ment costs that make contracting with private agents problematic. In addition, uncertainty resulting from an unstable administrative en vironment reduces the ability of a local gov ernment to negotiate contracts, make cred ible commitments to suppliers, and enforce contracts.
Design and Implementation of Soil Sampling Information System Based on 3S

The quality of soil sampling had a significant effect on the accuracy of site specific fertilizer application in precision agriculture.The numbers of soil sampling site and the distribution within a field have great importance for achieving a high quality sample.The high quality soil samples were the basic decision material for site specific fertilizer application.Therefore fast and low-cost sampling methods could promote this technique to be applied widely.A general framework of an information processing system for soil sampling had been constructed.Five modules had been set up to response to some main function about soil sampling.A simple system,which is developed using component technology based on RS,GIS and GPS technology,had been designed and implemented.Using this system,design soil sampling sites and optimize sampling path easily.A navigation function had been designed,with which a vehicle can navigate to each soil sample location fast and accurately.With the system,the geographic coordinates and the soil laboratory analysis results of samples can be integrated to manage.Furthermore,connecting with a sensor,the system can analyze samples in the field,immediately after they were taken.
Optimization of purification technology for corn steep water crude protein by alkali-solution and acid-isolation

The corn steep water crude protein was purified by alkali-solution and acid-isolation. The preliminary conditions were determined through single factor test. By using of response surface analysis experiment,the effects of alkali soluble pH,extracting time,solid-liquid ratio on the protein purity were studied on the base of the single-factor test. The results showed that the optimum conditions were as following:temperature 25℃,alkali soluble pH 12,extraction time 20min,solid-liquid ratio(W∶V) 1∶35 and acid subside pH 5.5. Under the best conditions,the protein purity was 91.84% and the yield of protein was 70.06%.
Do children get better when we interpret their defenses against painful feelings

This paper represents a step toward trying to integrate clinical and research perspectives. To achieve this integration, analysts need to be clear about the clinical constructs and specific interventions they utilize as they try to unpack the concept of "therapeutic action. "In trying to understand "how" interventions work, technical interventions need to be clinically formulated in a narrow fashion within the more global therapeutic approach in which the particular analyst practices. In this paper, I address one specific technical approach. I discuss the therapeutic importance of an intervention, especially during the beginning phases of an analytic or dynamic therapeutic process: interpretation of defenses against unwelcome affects, a technique in whose development Berta Bornstein was instrumental. This paper puts forward the hypothesis (which remains to be systematically empirically verified or refuted) that this approach is not only a core element of defense analyses but may very well be common to all good psychodynamic treatments, regardless of the manifest theoretical orientation of the therapist or analyst, and regardless of the analyst's or therapist's explicit consideration that he or she is utilizing this approach. Clinical material from the literature is discussed in order to illustrate the technique and to show how, when analysts are attempting to demonstrate the value of other or new interventions, analysts may ignore how they are, in fact, utilizing the technique of interpreting defenses against affects.
Significance of high- and low-distal energy forearm fractures.

OBJECTIVE To determine in men and women aged 50 years or older the proportion of distal forearm fractures related to high- or low-energy events and subsequent fracturing. METHODS We reviewed records of patients presenting to emergency departments and urgent care facilities with distal forearm fractures occurring during a 7-year entry period and studied for an additional 3.5 years. RESULTS High-energy events proportionally were 3.25 times more likely in men, whereas low-energy distal forearm fractures proportionally were 7.98 times more likely in women. Although 25% received bone densitometry evaluations, only 3.59% were performed within the first year after a distal forearm fracture. Osteoporosis and osteopenia did not differ between high- and low-energy distal forearm fractures. In logistic regression, subsequent fractures were associated with prior fracture and age 80 years or older. The occurrence of individuals subsequently fracturing was similar in men and women. Compared with controls, the odds ratio of individuals subsequently fracturing was 1.74 (95% confidence interval 1.32-2.30) in women and 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.07-3.43) in men. Approximately 60% of total subsequent fractures occurred within 3 years. Osteoporosis was significantly more in patients with distal forearm fractures than controls (P < 0.001), but control patients had significantly more osteopenia (P < 0.001). No differences were noted in therapeutic intervention between those with prior distal forearm fractures and controls. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of trauma occurrence, both men and women age 50 years and older with recent distal forearm fractures should be evaluated early for treatment by bone densitometry and clinical risk factors because the majority of recurrent fractures occur within 3 years.
Do you Blend? Huntley High School Does

Huntley High School in Huntley, Illinois has recently implemented a blended learning initiative to meet needs of their learners in the 21st century, infusing technology into the school's curriculum and teachers' instructional practices, and preparing students for college and career. Huntley's unique mix of traditional and blended learning provides a variety of ways for students to learn in both elective and core classes. We share Huntley's unique model of blended learning, focusing on four lessons learned.
Post-transcriptional Gene Silencing Induced by Short Interfering RNAs in Cultured Transgenic Plant Cells

Short interfering RNA (siRNA) is widely used for studying post-transcriptional gene silencing and holds great promise as a tool for both identifying function of novel genes and validating drug targets. Two siRNA fragments (siRNA-a and -b), which were designed against different specific areas of coding region of the same target green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, were used to silence GFP expression in cultured gfp transgenic cells of rice (Oryza sativa L.; OS), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.; GH), Fraser fir [Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir; AF], and Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana Mill.; PV). Differential gene silencing was observed in the bombarded transgenic cells between two siRNAs, and these results were consistent with the inactivation of GFP confirmed by laser scanning microscopy, Northern blot, and siRNA analysis in tested transgenic cell cultures. These data suggest that siRNA-mediated gene inactivation can be the siRNA specific in different plant species. These results indicate that siRNA is a highly specific tool for targeted gene knockdown and for establishing siRNA-mediated gene silencing, which could be a reliable approach for large-scale screening of gene function and drug target validation.
Our Environmental ‘Credit Card’ Account Becomes Due

Thus did two economists begin an article on the relationship between the environment and the economy. Their words imply that human beings today are somehow exempt from any serious dependence on their natural surroundings; it is a premise that is surprisingly widely held. Most people living in industrialised societies presume that their lives are somehow uncoupled from Nature. Food no longer comes from the soil, it no longer depends on the weather, and it no longer has to be carefully stored over winter; it comes, instead, all year round, from the local supermarket, frozen, canned or bottled, or shipped in fresh from some more benevolent climate. So, too, do all of the accoutrements of life — clothes, housing, automobiles, entertainment — seem to emerge effortlessly from nowhere; to the 90 per cent who live in cities, they seem disconnected from any sort of natural processes. Nature is one thing; the economy is quite another. As long as one contributes to the ‘system’, one can demand and get back from it all one needs. No one asks what ultimately supports the ‘system’.
Hiding in Plain Sight: The Bimetallic Magnesium Covalent Bond in Enzyme Active Sites.

The transfer of phosphate groups is an essential function of many intracellular biological enzymes. The transfer is in many cases facilitated by a protein scaffold involving two closely spaced magnesium “ions”. It has long been a mystery how these “ions” can retain their closely spaced positions throughout enzymatic phosphate transfer: Coulomb’s law would dictate large repulsive forces between these ions at the observed distances. Here we show, however, that the electron density can be borrowed from nearby electron-rich oxygens to populate a bonding molecular orbital that is largely localized between the magnesium “ions”. The result is that the Mg–Mg core of these phosphate transfer enzymes is surprisingly similar to a metastable [Mg2]2+ ion in the gas phase, an ion that has been identified experimentally and studied with high-level quantum-mechanical calculations. This similarity is confirmed by comparative computations of the electron densities of [Mg2]2+ in the gas phase and the Mg–Mg core in the struc...
Docosahexaenoic acid and disulfiram act in concert to kill cancer cells: A mutual enhancement of their anticancer actions

// Yang Jiao 1, 2 , Bethany N. Hannafon 1 , Roy R. Zhang 1 , Kar-Ming Fung 1, 3 , Wei-Qun Ding 1, 3 1 Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA 2 School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P.R. China 3 Peggy and Charles Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA Correspondence to: Wei-Qun Ding, email: weiqun-ding@ouhsc.edu Keywords: docosahexaenoic acid, disulfiram, oxidative stress, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2, cancer stem cell Received: June 17, 2016 Accepted: December 16, 2016 Published: January 17, 2017 ABSTRACT We previously reported a synergistic anticancer action of clioquinol and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in human cancer cells. However, clioquinol has been banned from the clinic due to its neurotoxicity. This study identified disulfiram (DSF) as a substitute compound to clioquinol, acting in concert with DHA to more effectively kill cancer cells and suppress tumor growth. Treatment with DSF and DHA induced greater apoptotic cell death and suppression of tumor growth in vitro and in vivo , as compared to DSF and DHA used alone. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that DSF enhances DHA-induced cellular oxidative stress as evidenced by up-regulation of Nrf2-mediated heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) gene transcription. On the other hand, DHA was found to enhance DSF-induced suppression of mammosphere formation and stem cell frequency in a selected cancer model system, indicating that alterations to cancer cell stemness are involved in the combinatory anticancer action of DSF and DHA. Thus, DHA and DSF, both clinically approved drugs, act in concert to more effectively kill cancer cells. This combinatory action involves an enhancement of cellular oxidative stress and suppression of cancer cell stemness.
Using plasmon-induced resistance changes in a tunable metal grating for all-electronic readout

In this work, we take advantage of the resistive losses induced by plasmons excited at optical frequencies to design, fabricate and characterize a metal grating based CMOS-compatible light detector. A change of resistance is caused by increased electron scattering introduced by localized and delocalized surface plasmons in an applied current. We realize a spectral and polarization dependent detector that can be read out electronically. The optical response of the sensor can be tuned from the visible to IR regime by changing the geometry of the metal grating, which enables a variety of applications for an on-chip ultra-wideband plasmonic detector.
Colorimetric sensor arrays: development and application to art conservation

Acceptable air pollutant concentration limits for sensitive artwork are generally at or below a few ppb: this is only ∼1% of the permissible exposure limits for humans. Monitoring pollutants at suc...
Arthropod Vector Biocontainment

The recent emergence and reemergence of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) such as chikungunya and Zika viruses, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, highlights the need to increase the capacity to conduct research on these pathogens and the vectors that are involved in the transmission cycles. Over the past two decades, the United States has had several arboviruses introduced, highlighting the need for more facilities and researchers to study these viruses. The introduction of West Nile virus (WNV) into the United States in 1999 (1–4) revealed a lack of suitably trained entomologists/virologists who could conduct critical surveillance operations and fieldwork essential for effective targeting of vector control programs. It also highlighted the erosion of training and educational material for entomology related to public health (5). Following the introduction of WNV, the capacity for surveillance and research increased in some areas; however, there is a need to continue support for these programs to quickly control new introductions of diseases transmitted by arthropods.
Lip detection and adaptive tracking

Performance of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems utilizing only acoustic information degrades significantly in noisy environments such as a car cabins. Incorporating audio and visual information together can improve performance in these situations. This work proposes a lip detection and tracking algorithm to serve as a visual front end to an audio-visual automatic speech recognition (AVASR) system. Several color spaces are examined that are effective for segmenting lips from skin pixels. These color components and several features are used to characterize lips and to train cascaded lip detectors. Pre- and post-processing techniques are employed to maximize detector accuracy. The trained lip detector is then incorporated into an adaptive mean-shift tracking algorithm for tracking lips in a car cabin environment. The experimental results based on AVICAR database demonstrated that the resulting detector achieves 96.8% accuracy, and the tracker is shown to recover and adapt in scenarios where mean-shift alone fails.
Security limitations of using secret sharing for data outsourcing

Three recently proposed schemes use secret sharing to support privacy-preserving data outsourcing. Each secret in the database is split into n shares, which are distributed to independent data servers. A trusted client can use any k shares to reconstruct the secret. These schemes claim to offer security even when k or more servers collude, as long as certain information such as the finite field prime is known only to the client. We present a concrete attack that refutes this claim by demonstrating that security is lost in all three schemes when k or more servers collude. Our attack runs on commodity hardware and recovers a 8192-bit prime and all secret values in less than an hour for k=8.
Physical Properties and Fiber Morphology of Poly(lactic acid) Obtained from Continuous Two-Step Melt Spinning

Fibers of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) produced by two-step melt-spinning are studied. The PLA resin used contains a 98:02 ratio of L:D stereochemical centers. A range of processing conditions is explored. The cold-draw ratio is varied from 1 to 8 under conditions of constant heating. In addition, three draw ratios are studied at three different heating rates. The thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of the resultant fibers are determined. Properties can be widely manipulated through a combination of draw ratio and draw temperature. A maximum tensile strength and modulus of 0.38 GPa and 3.2 GPa, respectively, are obtainable. Using atomic force microscopy, the fiber morphology is found to be highly fibrillar; microfibril diameters are roughly 40 nm in diameter. Very high draw ratios cause the fiber to turn from shiny and translucent to dull and white; this transition is attributed to surface crazing. Significant molecular weight loss is observed upon processing (weight-average molecular weights drops between 27% and 43%).
Dimension reduction for a multivariate time series process of a regenerative glass furnace

Conventional dimension-reduction methods for multivariate time series have been based on the inherent assumption that the noise is white and therefore uninformative. While this assumption may have been realistic for a number of applications, it is violated in the case of a large industrial furnace that we discuss in this article. The article introduces a novel method that is used for dimension reduction of a multivariate time series process for which the underlying common factors as well as the contaminating noise are autocorrelated. Using simulation studies, it is shown that the proposed method uncovers the common factors more accurately than some of the other conventional methods. Applying the method to the furnace data also correctly reveals features of the process that other methods fail to capture. An important feature of the proposed method is that it is practical and requires neither extensive statistical modeling nor deep subject-matter knowledge of the data-generating process.
Voltage/Voltage Filters

Most of the treatment in the text so far covered the special case of the transfer function which happened to be the impedance one. In that case, input is current and output is voltage. While that is one of the most relevant cases in circuit theory, it by no means is the only one! Another relevant case is voltage filters where input is voltage and output is voltage too! While the physical aspects change, the mathematics remain the same. Nonetheless it is worth examining such application cases and in this chapter we cover a few variants of voltage filters including low-pass filter, fourth order filter, high-pass filter, and a low-pass LC filter with resonance. For each case we derive the transfer function and use it to figure time response. As usual we compare to SPICE and observe excellent match.
Second order algorithm for time optimal control of a linear system

In previous papers, zero-order solutions for time optimal control of singularly perturbed third-order systems have been obtained by the method of matched asymptotic expansions (MAE). The resulting open-loop control laws were founded to give good results, provided the singular perturbation parameter is small. In this paper, we use the MAE method to derive a second-order open-loop controller for a representative third-order system. Numerical simulations show that the second-order controller gives significantly better performance than the zero-order controller.