cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Marine worms (genus Osedax) colonize cow bones

Bone-eating worms of the genus Osedax colonized and grew on cow bones deployed at depths ranging from 385 to 2893 m in Monterey Bay, California. Colonization occurred as rapidly as two months following deployment of the cow bones, similar to the time it takes to colonize exposed whalebones. Some Osedax females found on the cow bones were producing eggs and some hosted dwarf males in their tubes. Morphological and molecular examinations of these worms confirmed the presence of six Osedax species, out of the eight species presently known from Monterey Bay. The ability of Osedax species to colonize, grow and reproduce on cow bones challenges previous notions that these worms are ‘whale-fall specialists.’
Hannington Muyenje and Uganda’s Power FM radio station: changing the behaviour of young adults so they can avoid HIV/AIDS

Hannington Muyenje lives in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda in sub-Saharan Africa. Trained as an engineer, he became an expert in setting up the electronic equipment needed to run radio stations. He was asked to run a Christian radio station in Kampala, and he used this medium to help change the behaviour of youthful listeners to reduce their risk of HIV infection. This is the story of unplanned public health leadership and taking advantage of the opportunity to improve health. The best way to understand his impact at the individual and human level is to hear the story of Stella, one of his young listener volunteers. Asked what drives her passion for behaviour change campaigns directed at Ugandan youths, Stella, a 24-year-old mother and university student who volunteers with “Power FM” radio station’s campus programmes responded: “I am the only hope left for the future of my family. I have lost four elder sisters to HIV and I have two HIV-positive siblings. I could have been dead if I had not changed my behaviour when Power FM came to our school. My peasant single mother will not be able to raise my three siblings to adulthood if I give in to pressure to get a sugar daddy [an older partner to meet her financial needs in exchange for sexual favors] and ultimately risk catching HIV.” Stella would say that she is one among many young people whose lives have been transformed by Power FM’s innovative youth-driven approaches to inhibit HIV in Uganda. Stella almost lost her shot at a good future when she got impregnated by a man who her friends persuaded her to sleep with because he provided them with luxuries. Although she did not contract HIV during that one-night stand in her final year of high school, …
The changing epidemic of pediatric hiv infection in romania

Abstract PURPOSE: By the late 1980s, over 100,000 infants and children were living in public institutions in Romania. It was not uncommon for children in these facilities to receive one or more `micro-transfusions' of blood, unscreened for HIV, as therapy for anemia or malnutrition. To assess the impact of pediatric HIV infection in Romania, the European country with the most pediatric cases, cross-sectional and cohort studies were implemented in Constanta (the epi-center of pediatric HIV in Romania) in April 1999. METHODS: Demographic, clinical and social data are collected once for all cross-sectional subjects. Similar data are collected every 11–13 months for subjects in the cohort. The cross-sectional study population was defined as all living HIV-infected infants and children, 0-18 years, known to the investigators from April to September 1999. The cohort consists of subjects diagnosed with HIV between 1995 and 1999. RESULTS: Enrolled are 791 subjects, of which 357 are in the cohort study. The majority (83%) are Romanian, vs Gypsy or Turkish/Hun and their mean age is 11 years (SD = 1.3). Biologic parents are the primary caretakers of 77% and 86% attend school. Mode of transmission was perinatal for 8%; blood transfusion/parental therapy modes account for 89% of the transmission and the presumed timing was between 1–12 months of age. Mean age at HIV confirmation was 5 years (SD = 3.2). AIDS has been diagnosed in 40% and 52% are receiving antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The Romanian pediatric HIV epidemic differs vastly from that in the US. Fewer children are with their biologic parent(s) and attending school. Early diagnosis of infection is rare, as therapy did not become available until the late 1990's. Perinatal transmission is increasing, however, which supports the need for HIV education and intervention in Eastern Europe.
Local and Homogenized Equations

Homogenization theory is concerned with finding the appropriate homogenized (or averaged, or macroscopic) governing partial differential equations describing physical processes occurring in heterogeneous materials when the length scale of the heterogeneities tends to zero. In such instances it is desired that the effects of the microstructure reside wholly in the macroscopic or effective properties via certain weighted averages of the microstructure. In its simplest form, the method is based on the consideration of two length scales: the macroscopic scale L,characterizing the extent of the system, and the microscopic scale l, associated with the heterogeneities. Moreover, it is supposed that some external field is applied that varies on a characteristic length scale Λ. If l is comparable in magnitude to Λ or L,then one must employ a microscopic description, i.e., one cannot homogenize the equations.
Consistency Verification using Data Coloring

Today, the number of functional errors escaping design verification and released into final silicon is growing, due to the increasing complexity of microprocessor systems and the shrinking production schedules of their development. The recent, widespread adoption of multi-core processor architectures is exacerbating the problem, due to the variable communication delays of their memory subsystem, making them even more prone to subtle and devastating bugs. This deteriorating situation calls for high-efficiency, high-coverage results in functional validation, results that could be achieved by leveraging the performance of post-silicon validation, that is, all that verification activity that surrounds and applies to prototype silicon hardware. The orders-of-magnitude faster testing in post-silicon enables designers to achieve much higher coverage before market release, but only if the limitations of this technology concerning bug diagnosis and internal node observability can be overcome. In this chapter we demonstrate the full performance of post-silicon vali- dation through Dacota, a new high-coverage solution for the validation of memory consistency models in multi-cores. When activated, Dacota reconfigures a portion of the cache storage to log the activity of memory operations using a compact data-coloring scheme. Logs are periodically aggregated and checked by a distributed software algorithm running in-situ on the processor cores to verify the correct ordering of the memory operations observed. When a design is ready for customer shipment, Dacota can be deactivated, releasing all the cache storage to mainstream data and instruction caching. The only remaining mark of Dacota is a small sili- con area footprint, less than 0.01% of the area for an open source multi-core design used in our evaluation (three orders of magnitude smaller than previous solutions). We found in our experimental analysis that Dacota is effective in exposing a variety of memory subsystem bugs, and that it delivers high design coverage capabilities at a 26% performance slowdown for real-world applications, incurred only when Dacota is active during post-silicon validation.
Challenges in perioperative medicine: neuroanaesthesia

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is a widely accepted minimally invasive surgical technique. Lespinasse, who coined the term neuroendoscopy, first attempted the procedure in 1910, and Mixter [1] performed the first successful third ventriculoscopy. ETV has become established as a therapeutic alternative in the management of patients with hydrocephalus. The procedure is most commonly used to create an alternative orifice for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to exit the ventricle in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus. ETV is now being used in the management of some forms of communicating hydrocephalus and is also being offered as a treatment of shunt malfunction [2]. The advent of stereotactic neurosurgery, combined with endoscopic techniques, has expanded the utility of this procedure, and more complicated surgery, such as endoscopic biopsy of ventricular tumours and drainage of ventricular haematomas, is now possible.
The Application of an Adaptive Wavelet Method to the 3-D Natural-Convection Flow in a Differentially Heated Cavity

In this work, we describe a dynamically adaptive wavelet method for solving the natural-convection flow a differentially heated cavity in three spatial dimensions. The adaptive method takes advantage of an interpolating wavelet for the adaptive approximation in the design of a simple refinement strategy that reflects the local demand of the physical solution. The derivative approximation is computed via consistent finite-difference approximation on an adaptive grid. To demonstrate the versatility of the algorithm, we simulate the 3-D differentially heated cavity with various values of Rayleigh number. The results are compared with those obtained by other computational approaches.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
The house of difference: gender, culture, and the subject-in-process on the American stage.

A lesbian woman of color is often defined by her multiple differences as "other" and/or "object." Yet these very differences can also allow her to challenge culturally held notions of gender, subjectivity, and representation. This article examines one such example, Cherrie Moraga's teatro "Giving Up the Ghost" where, for the first time, the issue of Chicana lesbian sexuality is addressed on the stage.
Childhood obesity and a diabetes epidemic.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions; worldwide, approximately 22 million children under five years of age are overweight.1 During the past three decades, the number of overweight children in the Unites States has more than doubled. In 1983, 18.6 percent of preschool children in the United States were defined as overweight, and 8.5 percent were defined as obese; by 2000, 22.0 percent of preschool children were overweight and 10.0 percent were obese.1 Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth indicate that the prevalence of overweight has increased by 21.5 percent among non-Hispanic black children, 21.8 percent among Hispanic children, . . .
57 Methodology validation of using motion-activated cameras to estimate off-highway vehicle park census data and evaluate rider safety behaviours

Statement of purpose Safety behaviours of off-highway vehicle (OHV) park users may be better than those riding elsewhere, and census data is required to determine if differences among OHV parks in injuries can be explained by higher use or if other factors are involved. This study’s purpose was to ascertain the photographic capture rate of riders entering OHV parks with motion-activated cameras, and to determine study variable concordance between on-site evaluations and photo appraisement. Methods/approach Panoramic motion-activated cameras were placed at the entrances of all eight public OHV parks in Iowa. On-site assessment and photo image analysis was performed for demographic, vehicle, and safety behaviour variables, and then compared. Results On-site data collection was performed for 114 h for 17 cameras during which 493 off-road vehicles entered the OHV parks. A total of 251 vehicles entering the parks were identified on photos for an overall capture rate of 50.9%. For cameras with at least 5 vehicles noted during on-site evaluation, the capture rate ranged from 38–81%. The number of vehicles entering the parks was segmented by 15 min intervals, and there was no significant variance or decrease in photo capture rate until there were more than 15 vehicles entering a park during a quarter hour period. Variable concordance between on-site and photo derived data ranged from 91–100% which included sex of rider, estimated age group of rider, vehicle type, number of wheels, number of vehicle riders, helmet use, and restraint use for side-by-side vehicles. Conclusions About one-half of riders entering Iowa OHV parks were captured by motion-activated cameras. Concordance of study variables was high between that collected on-site and from photo assessment. Significance and contributions The study validated the use of photo-derived data to determine OHV park users and safety behaviours. Results will also assist in park census estimation.
Regulation and California's Boom and Bust

Using data from a survey of top local land-use officials in California, this paper provides a measure of both local regulatory stringency and the degree to which geographic constraints inhibit local development. After exploring differences in regulatory patterns across the state, the index is applied to a model of housing prices. While regulation did not play a meaningful role in the recent housing market boom and bust in California, this paper finds that where housing demand increased through the expansion of subprime lending, geographic constraints exacerbated the run-up and subsequent crash of local housing prices.
Upper extremity interaction with a helicopter side airbag: injury criteria for dynamic hyperextension of the female elbow joint.

This paper presents an analysis in three parts that characterizes the interaction between a helicopter side airbag system and the female upper extremity in order to develop injury criteria for dynamic hyperextension for the female elbow joint. Part I discusses 10 experiments with an original Army black Hawk helicopter side airbag. Results of two of the 10 tests indicated elbow bending moments of 128 Nm and 144 Nm. Part II describes dynamic hyperextension testing on elbow joints of 24 female cadavers. Results on 16 of the 24 elbow joints tested indicate injuries of varying severity. Based on the results of parts I and II, the airbag was redesigned. Part III tested the redesigned airbag to make sure that risks of upper extremity injury, and specifically elbow injury, were mitigated by the redesign.
In Vivo and in Vitro Synthesis of Phosphatidylglycerol by an Escherichia coli Cardiolipin Synthase

Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) makes up 5–20% of the phospholipids of Escherichia coli and is essential for growth in wild-type cells. PG is synthesized from the dephosphorylation of its immediate precursor, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate (PGP) whose synthase in E. coli is PgsA. Using genetic, biochemical, and highly sensitive mass spectrometric approaches, we identified an alternative mechanism for PG synthesis in E. coli that is PgsA independent. The reaction of synthesis involves the conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine and glycerol into PG and is catalyzed by ClsB, a phospholipase D-type cardiolipin synthase. This enzymatic reaction is demonstrated herein both in vivo and in vitro as well as by using the purified ClsB protein. When the growth medium was supplemented with glycerol, the expression of E. coli ClsB significantly increased PG and cardiolipin levels, with the growth deficiency of pgsA null strain also being complemented under such conditions. Identification of this alternative mechanism for PG synthesis not only expands our knowledge of bacterial anionic phospholipid biosynthesis, but also sheds light on the biochemical functions of the cls gene redundancy in E. coli and other bacteria. Finally, the PGP-independent PG synthesis in E. coli may also have important implications for the understanding of PG biosynthesis in eukaryotes that remains incomplete.
Decision-Making in Anxiety and Its Disorders

Anxiety disorders are characterized in part by heightened sensitivity to unpredictable future threat, which is manifest across diverse cognitive, affective, physiological, and behavioral symptoms of these disorders. Although less frequently discussed than processes such as altered fear learning and memory, emerging evidence suggests that chief among these behavioral symptoms are disruptions to value-based decision-making. In focusing a broad array of data through a decision-making lens, this chapter highlights alterations to five discrete processes in anxiety and its disorders: decision representation, valuation, action selection, outcome evaluation, and learning. Distinct anxious phenotypes may be characterized by differential alterations to these five processes and their associated neurobiological mechanisms. This framework suggests as-of-yet untested hypotheses related to each of these processes, which may lead to an increased understanding of the neurobiology of pathological anxiety while also refining the nosology of anxiety to include information regarding disrupted decision-making processes.
Mathematical Pluralism and Platonism

Purpose This paper aims to establish that a certain sort of mathematical pluralism is true.
Defects in the Expression of Chloroplast Proteins Leads to H2O2 Accumulation and Activation of Cyclic Electron Flow around Photosystem I

We describe a new member of the class of mutants in Arabidopsis exhibiting high rates of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I (CEF), a light-driven process that produces ATP but not NADPH. High cyclic electron flow 2 (hcef2) shows strongly increased CEF activity through the NADPH dehydrogenase complex (NDH), accompanied by increases in thylakoid proton motive force (pmf), activation of the photoprotective qE response, and the accumulation of H2O2. Surprisingly, hcef2 was mapped to a nonsense mutation in the TADA1 (tRNA adenosine deaminase arginine) locus, coding for a plastid targeted tRNA editing enzyme required for efficient codon recognition. Comparison of protein content from representative thylakoid complexes, the cytochrome bf complex and the ATP synthase, suggests that inefficient translation of hcef2 leads to compromised complex assembly or stability leading to alterations in stoichiometries of major thylakoid complexes as well as their constituent subunits. Altered subunit stoichiometries for photosystem I, ratios and properties of cytochrome bf hemes, and the decay kinetics of the flash-induced thylakoid electric field suggest that these defect lead to accumulation of H2O2 in hcef2, which we have previously shown leads to activation of NDH-related CEF. We observed similar increases in CEF, as well as increases in H2O2 accumulation, in other translation defective mutants. This suggests that loss of coordination in plastid protein levels lead to imbalances in photosynthetic energy balance that leads to an increase in CEF. These results taken together with a large body of previous observations, support a general model in which processes that lead to imbalances in chloroplast energetics result in the production of H2O2, which in turn activates CEF. This activation could be from either H2O2 acting as a redox signal, or by a secondary effect from H2O2 inducing a deficit in ATP.
Improved solvers for bounded-suboptimal multi-agent path finding

Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF) with the objective to minimize the sum of the travel times of the agents along their paths is a hard combinatorial problem. Recent work has shown that bounded-suboptimal MAPF solvers, such as Enhanced Conflict-Based Search or ECBS(w1) for short, run often faster than optimal MAPF solvers at the cost of incurring a suboptimality factor w1, that is due to using focal search. Other recent work has used experience graphs to guide the search of ECBS(w1) and speed it up, at the cost of incurring a separate suboptimality factor w2, that is due to inflating the heuristic values. Thus, the combination has suboptimality factor w1w2. In this first feasibility study, we develop a bounded-suboptimal MAPF solver, Improved-ECBS or iECBS(w1) for short, that has suboptimality factor w1 rather than w1w2 (because it uses experience graphs to guide its search without inflating the heuristic values) and can run faster than ECBS(w1). We also develop two first approaches for automatically generating experience graphs for a given MAPF instance. Finally, we observe heavy-tailed behavior in the runtimes of these MAPF solvers and develop a simple rapid randomized restart strategy that can increase the success rate of iECBS(w1) within a given runtime limit.
Acetate is an Active Metabolite of Ethanol: Increases Firing and Evokes Inward Currents through Activation of NMDA Receptors in RVLM Projecting CeA Neurons

We have recently reported that activation of central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) is involved in the in vivo sympathoexcitatory and pressor responses to acute challenge of acetate, the ethanol metabol...
A tail of two voltages: Proteomic comparison of the three electric organs of the electric eel.

The electric eel ( Electrophorus electricus ) is unusual among electric fishes because it has three pairs of electric organs that serve multiple biological functions: For navigation and communication, it emits continuous pulses of weak electric discharge (
Chip-Scale Near-Field Resonant Power Transfer via Elastic Waves

This paper reports on the proof-of-concept demonstration of an approach for the synthesis of a through package charging and authenticating communication link enabled by GHz-range aluminum nitride (AlN) piezoelectric transducers. The acoustic link is formed by two thickness-mode acoustic transducers placed on the two sides of a packaging substrate. The link leverages the enhancement of energy transfer that occurs at resonance; 1- $\mu \text{m}$ -thick (2.7 GHz) and 6- $\mu \text{m}$ -thick (500 MHz) AlN acoustic links are demonstrated showing substantial enhancement of power transfer efficiencies (PTE) when using thicker AlN substrates. PTEs of −8 dB at 2.7 GHz and −2 dB at 500 MHz are measured for transducers’ size of $1\times 100\times 100~\mu \text{m}^{3}$ and $6\times 100\times 100~\mu \text{m}^{3}$ through 700- and 500- $\mu \text{m}$ -thick silicon substrates, respectively. The experimental values are in very close agreement with the analytical model of the acoustic link. The potential misalignment between the two transducers is the main limitation of this approach. To overcome this challenge, acoustic phased arrays are devised to enable steering of the transmitted beam. Preliminary results on the steering capability demonstrate about 8 dB of improvement in PTE via a two-element array when dealing with a 100- $\mu \text{m}$ misalignment. This paper is the first step toward the development of next-generation high-efficiency and micro-scale power transfer units that could energize chips through packages. [2017-0010]
The MantisBot: Design and impedance control of supernumerary robotic limbs for near-ground work

A novel wearable robotic device is developed to support the wearer when performing bi-manual tasks near the ground. The device is worn around the upper torso and has two Supernumerary Robotic Limbs (SRLs) that reach the ground when the wearer assumes a crawling-like position, such that neither of the wearer's natural arms are needed to support the body. Rather, both human hands can be engaged in executing a required task. Coordinating actuators at both robotic limbs, the wearer's body is supported stably with a desired impedance. As the wearer moves away from an equilibrium position, restoring forces designated by the impedance act on the wearer. First, the design concept of the SRLs for near-ground work is described, followed by a derivation of the control laws used to produce virtual impedance. A proof-of-concept prototype is then presented along with experimental verification of the derived control laws.
Geriatric assessment with management intervention in older adults with cancer: a randomized pilot study

Older adults receiving cancer therapy have heightened risk for treatment-related toxicity. Geriatric assessment (GA) can identify impairments, which may contribute to vulnerability and adverse outcomes. GA management interventions can address these impairments and have the potential to improve outcomes when implemented. We conducted a randomized pilot study comparing GA with management interventions versus usual care in patients with stage III/IV solid tumor malignancies (N = 71). In all patients, a trained coordinator conducted and scored a baseline GA with pre-determined cutoffs for impairment. For patients randomized to the intervention arm, an algorithm was used to identify GA management recommendations based upon identified impairments. Recommendations were relayed to the primary oncologist for implementation. GA was repeated at 3 months. The primary outcome was grade 3–5 chemotherapy toxicity. Secondary outcomes included feasibility, hospitalizations, dose reductions, dose delays, and early treatment discontinuation. The mean participant age was 76 (70–89). The total number of GA management recommendations relayed was 409, of which 35.4% were implemented by the primary oncologist. Incidence of grade 3–5 chemotherapy toxicity did not differ between the two groups. Prevalence of hospitalization, dose reductions, dose delays, and early treatment discontinuation also did not differ between the two groups. An algorithm can be used to guide GA management recommendations in older adults with cancer. However, reliance upon the primary oncologist for execution resulted in a low prevalence of implementation. Future work should aim to understand barriers to implementation and explore alternate models of implementing geriatric-focused care for older adults with cancer.
Abstract TP108: Association Between Intracranial Atherosclerotic Calcium Burden and Angiographic Luminal Stenosis Measurements

Background: Recent data have shown that atherosclerotic calcification of the intracranial vasculature is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. The relationship between the most commonly u...
Results of 40-m3 LNG Spills onto Water

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is conducting safety research under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine the possible consequences of liquefied natural gas (LNG) spills. The LLNL program includes both the collection of data from various size experiments and development of an ensemble of computer models to make predictions for conditions under which tests cannot be performed. In spills of 40 cubic metres (m3) of LNG onto water done at the Naval Weapons Center (NWC), China Lake, California in 1980 and 1981, data was collected on gas cloud dispersion and combustion and rapid phase transition (RPT) explosions. Analysis of the data from these tests, including comparisons between the predictions of various models and the data, are presented. The results suggest that largescale spills may be more hazardous than would have been predicted based on earlier small-scale tests. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract number W-7405-ENG-48.
Size structure suppression and obsolete length regulations in recreational fisheries dominated by catch-and-release

Abstract Catch-and-release (CR) rates now approach 100% for some fisheries, which may hamper the ability of harvest-oriented fisheries management tools to positively influence population characteristics. In fisheries where CR practices predominate, mortality associated with CR may comprise the majority of all fishing-related mortality and thus impact population characteristics of management concern such as size and age structure. We evaluated the efficacy of length limits and the effects of CR mortality on population size structure in two impoundments. To do so we estimated total Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides catch over two years via angler creel survey and bass tournament monitoring in two Connecticut impoundments. Each year, catch exceeded the population size by 2–3 times. Harvest was rare, representing 0–1.8% of catch events. Using an equilibrium population model, we identified the harvest rate thresholds below which minimum length limits failed to alter size and age structure. Additionally, we evaluated CR mortality rate thresholds above which size structure was suppressed in simulated populations. Our model revealed that harvest rates in our study fisheries were likely too low for the simulated length limits to alter size structure. However, CR mortality was substantial enough that modulation of population size and age structure was possible. Our model assumed relatively low probabilities of death following CR events, yet even these low CR mortality rates ultimately suppressed size structure by compounding over multiple catch events and seasons. Some traditional management tools, such as length limits, may be ineffective in the catch-and-release era, suggesting the need for creative new approaches to manage CR mortality.
Enhancing toxin-based vaccines against botulism

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are the most toxic proteins for humans. BoNTs are single chain proteins with an N-terminal light chain (LC) and a C-terminal heavy chain (HC). HC comprises a translocation domain (HCN) and a receptor binding domain (HCC). Currently, there are no approved vaccines against botulism. This study tests a recombinant, full-length BoNT/A1 versus LCHCN/A1 and HCC/A1 as vaccine candidates against botulism. Recombinant, full-length BoNT/A1 was detoxified by engineering 3-amino acid mutations (E224A/R363A/Y366F) (M-BoNT/A1) into the LC to eliminate catalytic activity, which reduced toxicity in a mouse model of botulism by >106-fold relative to native BoNT/A1. As a second step to improve vaccine safety, an additional mutation (W1266A) was engineered in the ganglioside binding pocket, resulting in reduced receptor binding, to produce M-BoNT/A1W. M-BoNT/A1W vaccination protected against challenge by 106 LD50 Units of native BoNT/A1, while M-BoNT/A1 or M-BoNT/A1W vaccination equally protected against challenge by native BoNT/A2, a BoNT subtype. Mice vaccinated with M-BoNT/A1W surviving BoNT challenge had dominant antibody responses to the LCHCN domain, but varied antibody responses to HCC. Sera from mice vaccinated with M-BoNT/A1W also neutralized BoNT/A1 action on cultured neuronal cells. The cell- and mouse-based assays measured different BoNT-neutralizing antibodies, where M-BoNT/A1W elicited a strong neutralizing response in both assays. Overall, M-BoNT/A1W, with defects in multiple toxin functions, elicits a potent immune response to BoNT/A challenge as a vaccine strategy against botulism and other toxin-mediated diseases.
The Entanglement of Thinking and Learning Skills in Neoliberal Discourse

Critical psychologists suggest that there is a crisis of selfhood in which people’s lives are organized around material consumption, radical individualism, and self-betterment at the expense of civic responsibility and the recognition of the social mediation of self (Cushman, 1990; Gergen, 2009; Martin, 2004; Martin & McLellan, 2013).
The Social Network: Receptor Kinases and Cell Fate Determination in Plants

Cell signaling plays a key role in the determination of cell fate in plants. In many developmental processes, receptor kinases have been identified as necessary for the formation of specific cell types. Many receptor kinase mutants with similar phenotypes have been characterized, and there is abundant experimental evidence for genetic redundancy. In addition, multiple examples of potentially sequential or parallel pathways have been uncovered. In a few instances, mutations in different receptor kinases cause opposite phenotypes. Taken together, these results imply that networks of receptor kinases, rather than single receptors, are necessary for cells to understand their postions with respect to other cells and ultimately to make decisions about their roles. In most cases, it is not yet clear whether receptor kinase networks are characterized by physical interactions between the kinases, by parallel pathways, by receptor kinases controling the localization of other receptor kinases, or by other as yet uncharacterized regulatory mechanisms. Some of the same receptor kinases function in multiple developmental processes and cell types, implying that these networks may be reiterative during development. In this chapter, we will focus on receptor kinase mediated mechanisms that establish and maintain cell fates in two broad contexts: (1) the determination of radial identity, particularly epidermal cell fate and the radial layers of the anther and (2) activation of cell separation within organ abscission zones, an enactment of cell fate that also spans radial layers.
Causes of Insomnia

In this chapter, we will discuss some of the more common factors associated with the development and maintenance of insomnia such as age, physiology, circadian rhythms, and environment.
Nonspecific tumor markers in the era of value based medicine: Role of CA 19-9 in the pelvic mass workup.

e18194Background: When encountering a pelvic mass, CA 125 and CEA are usually obtained to evaluate for ovarian or colon cancer. The clinical importance of ordering a CA 19-9 level is unknown. Does ...
Dissipation Characteristics of Tornadic Vortex Signatures Associated with Long-Duration Tornadoes

AbstractWeather Surveillance Radar–1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) data from 36 tornadic supercell cases from 2012 to 2016 are investigated to identify common tornadic vortex signature (TVS) behaviors prior...
Immunobinding‐induced alteration in the electrophoretic mobility of proteins: An approach to studying the preconcentration of an acidic protein under cationic isotachophoresis

The objective of this study is to explore an approach for analyzing negatively charged proteins using paper-based cationic ITP. The rationale of electrophoretic focusing the target protein with negative charges under unfavorable cationic ITP condition is to modify the electrophoretic mobility of the target protein through antigen-antibody immunobinding. Cationic ITP was performed on a paper-based analytical device that was fabricated using fiberglass paper. The paper matrix was modified with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane to minimize sample attraction to the surface for cationic ITP. Negatively charged BSA was used as the model target protein for the cationic ITP experiments. No electrophoretic mobility was observed for BSA-only samples during cationic ITP experimental condition. However, the presence of a primary antibody to BSA significantly improved the electrokinetic behavior of the target protein. Adding a secondary antibody conjugated with amine-rich quantum dots to the sample further facilitated the concentrating effect of ITP, reduced experiment time, and elevated the stacking ratio. Under our optimized experimental conditions, the cationic ITP-based paper device electrophoretically stacked 94% of loaded BSA in less than 7 min. Our results demonstrate that the technique has a broad potential for rapid and cost-effective isotachphoretic analysis of multiplex protein biomarkers in serum samples at the point of care.
Variabilities of Evaporation Ducts in a Near-Shore Coastal Environment

This study characterizes the evaporation ducts observed offshore of Duck, North Carolina using measurements from the east coast field campaign, the Coupled Air Sea Processes and Electromagnetic ducting Research (CASPER-East), conducted from 10 October 2015 to 6 November 2015. Pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction were collected by sensors on the bow mast of the CASPER research vessels R/V Hugh R. Sharp and R/V Atlantic Explorer. An Infrared SST Autonomous Radiometer was used to measure the sea surface skin temperature. The surface layer mean profiles of temperature and specific humidity were derived using the flux-profile relationships employed in the COARE bulk flux algorithm version 3.0 with inputs from bow mast measurements using 20-minute averaging. Significant cooling was observed between 17 October 2015 and 20 October 2015 caused by the strong northerly flow that brought cold and dry air to the experiment domain. Duct height and strength were generally higher during the cold and dry air advection events observed on 17, 24 and 25 October. In addition, a sharp increase in the duct height was identified associated with stable surface layer conditions on 14, 22, 26, and 30 Oct. Duct height varied from 0 m to 49.8 m and mean duct height was 10.4 m during the experiment.
Neuroscience: Glia - more than just brain glue.

Glia make up most of the cells in the brain, yet until recently they were believed to have only a passive, supporting role. It is now becoming increasingly clear that these cells have other functions: they make crucial contributions to the formation, operation and adaptation of neural circuitry.
Building and enhancing stereographic digitial collections: working across departments to augment reality

On July 18, 2018, the University of Wyoming Libraries were awarded a grant through the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB). Funded through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the project scope includes the digitization of a multi-institutional stereoview collection, and its eventual augmentation to near 3D representation. Collection contributions will come from the William Robertson Coe Library and the Laramie Plains Museum.
Psoas Muscle Density in Combination with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Score Can Improve Survival Predictability in Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts

Abstract Purpose To examine the role of psoas muscle density (PD) measurement before transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation in predicting survival when combined with Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. Materials and Methods The medical records of 241 patients with cirrhosis who underwent TIPS creation between June 2005 and June 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with variceal bleeding (VB; n = 113) and those with volume overload (VO; n = 128). The study included 149 men (62%), and mean patient age was 56 years ± 9.6 (range 24–83). Mean MELD score before TIPS creation was 11.8 ± 5.7. A threshold sensitivity of pre-TIPS PD for the assessment of mortality was calculated and then correlated with survival after TIPS creation. Receiver operating characteristic curves comparing 12-month mortality were used to assess the improvement in survival predictability after TIPS creation when the PD threshold was combined with MELD score vs MELD score alone. Results Mean post-TIPS follow-up was 29.9 month ± 34.1 (range 1–3700 days). There was no significant difference in 3- or 12-month mortality rates between the VB and VO groups (32.7% vs 25.8% [P = .23] and 46% vs 46.1% [P = .99], respectively). The MELD score threshold for prediction of survival was 15 (P Conclusions Measurement of PD improved overall survival predictability in patients with cirrhosis undergoing TIPS creation when used in conjunction with MELD score. The best survival outcome was observed in patients with MELD score 29.4 HU.
Democracy and the Limits of Reason: Why a sustained defense of liberal commitments is necessary to counter democracy’s disinformation and xenophobia

Democracy is often used as shorthand for liberal democracy. Despite such casual conflation, the two concepts remain importantly distinct. I argue that democracy unfettered by the constraints of liberal institutions and commitments gives rise to the proliferation of disinformation and to xenophobic populism. I draw upon Plato and the democracy of ancient Athens to illustrate the history of association between disinformation and democracy. Moving on to our more contemporary treatments of liberalism, specifically to the ideal theory of John Rawls, I show that in order to address disinformation and the reactionary politics in which it thrives, we must attend to a robust defense of liberalism against non-liberal and illiberal democracy.
Chandra Observation of the Central Region of the Cooling Flow Cluster Abell 262: A Radio Source that is a Shadow of its Former Self?

We present a Chandra observation of the cooling flow cluster Abell 262. Spectral fits show that the intracluster medium (ICM) in A262 cools by a factor of three from 2.7 keV to 0.9 keV at the cluster center. A mass deposition rate of Mdot = 19 +6/-5 Msun/yr is measured. Complex structure is found in the very inner regions of the cluster, including knots of emission and a clear deficit of emission to the east of the cluster center. The bright X-ray structures are located in the same regions as optical line emission, indicating that cooling to low temperatures has occurred in these regions. The X-ray deficit is spatially coincident with the eastern radio lobe associated with the active galactic nucleus hosted by the central cD galaxy. The region surrounding the X-ray hole is cool, and shows no evidence that it has been strongly shocked. This joins the ranks of other cooling flow clusters with Chandra-detected bubbles blown by central radio sources. This source is different than the other well-known cases, in that the radio source is orders of magnitude less luminous and has produced a much smaller bubble. Comparing the energy output of the radio source with the luminosity of the cooling gas shows that energy transferred to the ICM from the radio source is insufficient to offset the cooling flow unless the radio source is currently experiencing a less powerful than average outburst, and was more powerful in the past.
Thinking Probabilistically: Stochastic Processes, Disordered Systems, and Their Applications

Probability theory has diverse applications in a plethora of fields, including physics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, biology and economics. This book will familiarize students with various applications of probability theory, stochastic modeling and random processes, using examples from all these disciplines and more. The reader learns via case studies and begins to recognize the sort of problems that are best tackled probabilistically. The emphasis is on conceptual understanding, the development of intuition and gaining insight, keeping technicalities to a minimum. Nevertheless, a glimpse into the depth of the topics is provided, preparing students for more specialized texts while assuming only an undergraduate-level background in mathematics. The wide range of areas covered - never before discussed together in a unified fashion – includes Markov processes and random walks, Langevin and Fokker–Planck equations, noise, generalized central limit theorem and extreme values statistics, random matrix theory and percolation theory.
Genome-wide gene expression tuning reveals diverse vulnerabilities of M. tuberculosis.

Summary Antibacterial agents target the products of essential genes but rarely achieve complete target inhibition. Thus, the all-or-none definition of essentiality afforded by traditional genetic approaches fails to discern the most attractive bacterial targets: those whose incomplete inhibition results in major fitness costs. In contrast, gene "vulnerability" is a continuous, quantifiable trait that relates the magnitude of gene inhibition to the effect on bacterial fitness. We developed a CRISPR interference-based functional genomics method to systematically titrate gene expression in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and monitor fitness outcomes. We identified highly vulnerable genes in various processes, including novel targets unexplored for drug discovery. Equally important, we identified invulnerable essential genes, potentially explaining failed drug discovery efforts. Comparison of vulnerability between the reference and a hypervirulent Mtb isolate revealed incomplete conservation of vulnerability and that differential vulnerability can predict differential antibacterial susceptibility. Our results quantitatively redefine essential bacterial processes and identify high-value targets for drug development.
Rapamycin impairs bone accrual in young adult mice independent of Nrf2.

Abstract Advanced age is the strongest risk factor for osteoporosis. The immunomodulator drug rapamycin extends lifespan in numerous experimental model organisms and is being investigated as a potential therapeutic to slow human aging, but little is known about the effects of rapamycin on bone. We evaluated the impact of rapamycin treatment on bone mass, architecture, and indices of bone turnover in healthy adult (16–20 weeks old at treatment initiation) female wild-type (ICR) and Nrf2−/− mice, a mouse model of oxidative damage and aging-related disease vulnerability. Rapamycin (4 mg/kg bodyweight) was administered by intraperitoneal injection every other day for 12 weeks. Mice treated with rapamycin exhibited lower femur bone mineral content, bone mineral density, and bone volume compared to vehicle-treated mice. In midshaft femur diaphysis (cortical bone), rapamycin-treated mice had lower cortical volume and thickness, and in the distal femur metaphysis (cancellous bone), rapamycin-treated mice had higher trabecular spacing and lower connectivity density. Mice treated with rapamycin exhibited lower bone volume, bone volume fraction, and trabecular thickness in the 5th lumbar vertebra. Rapamycin-treated mice had lower levels of bone formation in the distal femur metaphysis compared to vehicle-treated mice which occurred co-incidentally with increased serum CTX-1, a marker of global bone resorption. Rapamycin had no impact on tibia inflammatory cytokine gene expression, and we found no independent effects of Nrf2 knockout on bone, nor did we find any interactions between genotype and treatment. These data show that rapamycin may have a negative impact on the skeleton of adult mice that should not be overlooked in the clinical context of its usage as a therapy to retard aging and reduce the incidence of age-related pathologies.
Integrated density concentration and surface treatment for selective separation of plastics from a mixture

Froth flotation and elutriation were found to be effective in separating individual plastics from a plastic mixture by exploiting differential hydrophobicity and settling characteristics, respectively. The present work investigates selective separation of six different plastics, using a combination of advanced density concentration and froth flotation. Elutriation principle in a teeter bed separator was successfully employed to achieve density-based concentration of plastics. Contact angle measurements of the plastics exhibited high contact angles of more than 80°, signifying a strong hydrophobicity. Surface active reagents, such as tannic acid and KMnO4, were used to change floatability of plastics to enhance selectivity in separation. The crossflow separation technique of gravity concentration using elutriation principle was integrated with froth flotation to develop a simple process flowsheet. The novel flowsheet developed was shown to recover plastics with high efficiency and selectivity. Most purity levels were above 87% in the single run at each stage of the process. High-density polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride were recovered at 100% and 86.7% recovery, respectively, in two stages of gravity concentration. The rest were recovered by flotation with recovery levels of 91.3% for polymethyl methacrylate, 87.3% for polycarbonate, 70.2% for polystyrene and 94.2% for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.