cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DCYTB is a predictor of outcome in breast cancer that functions via iron-independent mechanisms

Duodenal cytochrome b (DCYTB) is a ferrireductase that functions together with divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) to mediate dietary iron reduction and uptake in the duodenum. DCYTB is also a member of a 16-gene iron regulatory gene signature (IRGS) that predicts metastasis-free survival in breast cancer patients. To better understand the relationship between DCYTB and breast cancer, we explored in detail the prognostic significance and molecular function of DCYTB in breast cancer. The prognostic significance of DCYTB expression was evaluated using publicly available microarray data. Signaling Pathway Impact Analysis (SPIA) of microarray data was used to identify potential novel functions of DCYTB. The role of DCYTB was assessed using immunohistochemistry and measurements of iron uptake, iron metabolism, and FAK signaling. High DCYTB expression was associated with prolonged survival in two large independent cohorts, together totaling 1610 patients (cohort #1, p = 1.6e-11, n = 741; cohort #2, p = 1.2e-05, n = 869; log-rank test) as well as in the Gene expression-based Outcome for Breast cancer Online (GOBO) cohort (p < 1.0e-05, n = 1379). High DCYTB expression was also associated with increased survival in homogeneously treated groups of patients who received either tamoxifen or chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry revealed that DCYTB is localized on the plasma membrane of breast epithelial cells, and that expression is dramatically reduced in high-grade tumors. Surprisingly, neither overexpression nor knockdown of DCYTB affected levels of ferritin H, transferrin receptor, labile iron or total cellular iron in breast cancer cells. Because SPIA pathway analysis of patient microarray data revealed an association between DCYTB and the focal adhesion pathway, we examined the influence of DCYTB on FAK activation in breast cancer cells. These experiments reveal that DCYTB reduces adhesion and activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and its adapter protein paxillin. DCYTB is an important predictor of outcome and is associated with response to therapy in breast cancer patients. DCYTB does not affect intracellular iron in breast cancer cells. Instead, DCYTB may retard cancer progression by reducing activation of FAK, a kinase that plays a central role in tumor cell adhesion and metastasis.
On the impact of self-clearing on electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators

Electroactive polymer (EAP)-based actuators have large potential for a wide array of applications; however, their practical implementation is still a challenge because of the requirement of high driving voltage, which most often leads to premature defect-driven electrical breakdown. Polymer-based capacitors have the ability to clear defects with partial electrical breakdown and subsequent removal of a localized electrode section near the defect. In this study, this process, which is known as self-clearing, is adopted for EAP technologies. We report a methodical approach to self-clear an EAP, more specifically P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer, to delay premature defect-driven electrical breakdown of the terpolymer actuators at high operating electric fields. Breakdown results show that electrical breakdown strength is improved up to 18% in comparison to a control sample after self-clearing. Furthermore, the electromechanical performance in terms of blocked force and free displacement of P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer-based bending actuators are examined after self-clearing and precleared samples show improved blocked force, free displacement and maximum sustainable electric field compared to control samples. The study demonstrates that controlled self-clearing of EAPs improves the breakdown limit and reliability of the EAP actuators for practical applications without impeding their electromechanical performance.
Folate-PEG Conjugates of a Far-Red Light-Activatable Paclitaxel Prodrug to Improve Selectivity toward Folate Receptor-Positive Cancer Cells

We recently demonstrated the far-red light-activatable prodrug of paclitaxel (PTX), Pc-(L-PTX)2. Upon illumination with a 690 nm laser, Pc-(L-PTX)2 showed combinational cell killing from rapid photodynamic therapy damage by singlet oxygen, followed by sustained chemotherapy effects from locally released PTX. However, its high lipophilicity (log D7.4 > 3.1) caused aggregation in aqueous solutions and has nonselectivity toward cancer cells. To solve these important problems, we prepared folic acid (FA)-conjugated and photoactivatable prodrugs of PTX with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer of various chain lengths: FA-PEGn-Pc-L-PTX [n = 0 (0k, 5), ∼23 (1k, 7a), ∼45 (2k, 7b), ∼80 (3.5k, 7c), or ∼114 (5k, 7d)]. The PEGylated prodrugs 7a–d had a much improved hydrophilicity compared with the non-PEGylated prodrug, Pc-(L-PTX)2. As the PEG length increased, the hydrophilicity of the prodrug increased (log D7.4 values: 1.28, 0.09, −0.24, and −0.59 for 1k, 2k, 3.5k, and 5k PEG prodrugs, respectively). Fluorescence ...
Stuck or Rooted? The Costs of Mobility and the Value of Place

David Schleicher has written an important Article on the relationship between law and mobility, arguing for policymakers to be more concerned with policies that stand in the way of individuals moving to bigger, more productive cities. This Response takes up the costs of mobility for productivity, welfare, and sex equality omitted by Schleicher, and addresses Schleicher’s treatment of place as a market. Schleicher’s argument fails to take account of how mobility interacts with critical relationships. While Schleicher’s view of productivity is premised in agglomeration economics, he ignores how mobility ruptures the very relationships on which the benefits of agglomeration (and broader welfare metrics) depend. He also misses how moves often are not made by individuals, but rather by families, and neglects the fact that such moves often entail losses for women. Finally, Schleicher treats place as a market where individuals should essentially move to the highest bidder, ignoring how our attachments to places run far deeper than the labor market opportunities they afford.
Comparison of a Lyophilized Drug Product to Other Solid and Liquid Media for the Extraction of Elastomeric Oligomers from a Butyl Rubber Stopper

Lyophilization is commonly used to extend the shelf life of pharmaceutical products which are otherwise unstable when stored as a liquid formulation. However, the ability of a lyophilized drug, or other solid medium, to leach or extract substances from a pharmaceutical packaging material is not well characterized. To provide insight into this area of uncertainty, the extraction properties of a lyophilized drug product, the lyophilized drug product reconstituted in water, and several other solid and liquid media of varying polarity were determined using a glass vial with a butyl rubber stopper as a representative pharmaceutical packaging system. The results obtained in this study show that the extracting power of a medium, whether solid or liquid, was primarily a function of polarity. Thus, the amount of each extractable observed for the lyophilized and reconstituted drug product were in-trend with the other solid and liquid media, respectively. Nevertheless, it was notable that the lyophilized drug product was able to leach substances from the stopper in quantifiable amounts, whereas the reconstituted drug product contained no detectable leachables. Using a mathematical relationship, it was determined that the extraction power of the lyophilized drug product was equivalent to a 50/50 isopropanol/water solution.
The Temporal Impact of Economic Insecurity on Child Maltreatment: A Systematic Review:

Economically insecure children experience 3-9 times more maltreatment than economically secure children. Although economic insecurity is associated with child physical abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment, there have been no systematic reviews dedicated to the relation between familial economic insecurity and child maltreatment. This is problematic because multiple forms of familial economic insecurity-including debt, material hardship, income, unemployment, and income transfers-are related to child maltreatment. These findings, however, are not causal or reliably replicated across studies. Until we identify the state of the evidence concerning the temporal association between economic insecurity and child maltreatment, our ability to reduce child maltreatment may be limited. In this systematic review (PROSPERO registration # CRD42017081445), we searched PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations, and the gray literature for English-language, peer-reviewed articles and dissertations published between 1970 and 2016. We synthesized evidence from 26 longitudinal studies on the temporal relation between economic insecurity and child maltreatment. Income losses, cumulative material hardship, and housing hardship were the most reliable predictors of child maltreatment. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.
Discharge Li-O2 batteries with intermittent current

Abstract This study periodically rests Li-O2 batteries (for 5–10 min) between each 2–10 min discharge to improve the oxygen transfer within the porous electrode. Periodically resting the battery increases the specific discharge capacity by at least 50% at various current densities (0.1–1.5 mA/cm2). Multistep discharge at decreasing current rates (2.0, 1.5, and 1.0 mA/cm2) is also proposed to increase the overall discharge capacity with a given cutoff voltage. The performance improvement is mainly due to the enhanced O2 diffusion during rest between intermittent discharge. The lyophilic electrode has the highest increase rate of discharge capacity after applying intermittent current while the electrode with mixed wettability achieves the highest specific discharge capacity. The resting and discharging time of electrodes with mixed wettability are then optimized at 1.0 mA/cm2. Cycling tests with 1000 mA h/g and 1500 mAh/g cut-off capacities at 1.0 mA/cm2 are also performed. The batteries completed similar numbers of cycles with a higher cut-off capacity (1500 mAh/g) applying intermittent discharge, compared with applying continuous current (1000 mAh/g cut-off capacity). This study emphasizes the importance of O2 diffusion and provides practical strategies to improve the deep discharge capacity of Li-O2 batteries, especially at high current rates (>1.0 mA/cm2).
JCAHO educational strategies that work! Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Preparing a large hospital for a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) survey is always a challenging endeavor. Because staff members have diverse learning needs, it is important that staff be educated in the JCAHO standards. In this article, the author describes the educational strategies used to prepare a healthcare organization for an impending JCAHO survey. Learning styles, the domains of learning, and the accessibility to education by the satellite facilities were determining factors in the selection of the various educational strategies.
Rabbit Esophageal Cells Show Regulatory Volume Decrease: Ionic Basis and Effect of pH

Abstract Background: Regulatory volume decrease (RVD) after osmotic cellular swelling has been shown in several gastrointestinal epithelia but not in esophageal cells. In acid reflux disease, esophageal injury may be related in part to loss of RVD. Methods: Isolated basal esophageal cells were exposed to an external hyposmolar solution, and changes in relative cell size were assessed using a Coulter counter (Hialeah, FL) in the presence of K + and Cl − transport inhibitors and at varying extracellular pH (pH 0 ). Results: At pH 0 7.4, a 30% hyposmotic dilution of the external solution caused an initial peak cell swelling (1.15 ± 0.05-fold) followed by a return to starting cell size by 5 minutes (RVD). RVD was inhibited by Ba 2+ (4 mmol/L), quinine (1 mmol/L), or increasing the [K + ] 0 ≥ 10 mmol/L. RVD was also inhibited by depleting [Cl − ] 1 or in the presence of 0.5 mmol/L 4,4′-diisothiocyanastostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid disodium salt (DIDS) or 50 μmol/L diphenylamine-2-carboxylate, a Cl − conductance inhibitor. To test the effect of pH on RVD, cells in solutions at pH 0 7.4, 7.0, or 6.8 were subjected to hyposmotic stress; RVD was significantly inhibited at pH 0 6.8. This pH-dependent inhibition of RVD was reversed in the presence of valinomycin, a K + ionophore. Conclusions: These studies show that isolated esophageal cells possess RVD mechanisms that are mediated by Cl − - and pH-dependent K + effluxes. RVD appears to be inhibited by a decrease in pH 0 , suggesting the possibility that acid-induced esophageal injury results from inhibition of normal volume regulatory mechanisms.
Exploring apparel design and fit for older women: a technology intervention

ABSTRACTWith the rapid growth of the older population, older women represent high purchasing power in the fashion market. However, the lack of attention from the fashion industry makes older women hard to find appropriate apparel in terms of fit and style. The purpose of this study was to explore ways to improve apparel fit and design attributes for older women by investigating practical design applications through the use of various emerging technology in the apparel industry. Findings indicated that integrating 2D and 3D computer-aided design technologies into the apparel design process can provide flexibility and effective visual analysis as well as save time and materials compared to the traditional design method of cut and sew. Therefore, our study presented a case for a particular target population in terms of technology integration methods to better respond to the current needs.
Chapter 11 Tocochromanols: Biological Function and Recent Advances to Engineer Plastidial Biochemistry for Enhanced Oil Seed Vitamin E Levels

Tocochromanols (tocopherols and tocotrienols) are important lipophilic antioxidants for animals and humans. Their biological activity is expressed as vitamin E activity. This review describes some recent findings about tocochromanol function and their biosynthesis in plants, summarizes the current state of the art of tocochromanol pathway engineering, and compares different strategies to engineer the vitamin E content in cyanobacteria and plants with a focus on oilseed as target tissues. Limitations in our understanding of the tocochromanol biosynthetic pathway are discussed.
Three Cycles of Recurrent Maternal Half-Sib Selection Continue to Reduce Foliar Late Blight in a Diploid Hybrid Solanum phureja-S. stenotomum Population

Increasing levels of foliar resistance to late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans, have previously been reported through two cycles of recurrent maternal half-sib selection in a diploid hybrid population of Solanum phureja-S. stenotomum. The objective of this study was to determine if continued improvements for resistance to late blight could be realized by another cycle of selection. Four clones from each of 72 maternal half-sib families constituting the cycle four population were evaluated for late blight resistance in replicated field trials in Pennsylvania in 2015 and 2016. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with two replications each year. P. infestans US23 genotype was used in inoculations each year. Area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated based on visual assessment of foliar disease five times late in the season each year and subjected to statistical and genetic analyses. Mean AUDPC in the cycle one, two, three, and four populations was 652, 556, 276, and 173, respectively. Narrow-sense heritability for resistance decreased in the cycle four population (h2 = 0.54) as compared to prior populations (0.77 ≤ h2 ≤ 0.80), however, broad-sense heritability remained high (H = 0.83). Additional improvements for late blight resistance are likely to occur if this approach is continued.
Competency Assessment and Development

How do organizations actually use the individual competencies that were discussed in Chaps. 11 and 12? The most common way they are used is through the processes of competency assessment and competency development. In many organizations, competency assessment and development have become part of the broader topic of talent management, a topic that many human resource development professionals have become more involved in. Talent management is considered the entire process of selecting, recruiting, developing, and retaining the best individuals in organizations. Discussions about talent management often include revising the organization’s mission statement and considering whether an alternate perspective might be appropriate for understanding the organization. Competency assessment refers to the process of identifying to what extent individual employees, and possibly their supervisors, rate on the extent that the employee possesses the individual competencies of a job role. The primary purpose of a competency assessment is typically for developing employees, not for reviewing or evaluating employees. In this sense, competency assessment is a diagnostic activity. Competency development is the process of imparting the desired individual competencies to certain employees. A competency planning matrix is introduced in the chapter.
Optimality in the Choice of an Unbiased Monetary Indicator

Having provided a substantial body of conceptual and empirical evidence that suggests that endogenous policy gauges are biased in their characterizations of Federal Reserve actions, the optimality issue is now limited to the selection of the “most unbiased” ofthe constructed indicators. In accordance with the conceptions established throughout this investigation, the appropriate choice will be the variable from which the contaminating influence of current economic conditions has been most thoroughly and effectively eliminated. This analysis is, of course, greatly complicated by the fact that a measure is being sought for an ideal: for the true (but unknown and unobservable) stance of monetary policy relative to the business cycle. For this reason, the direct and preferred approach of comparing each of the individual indicators to the correct assessment is not available. This statement is somewhat tautological, however, in that the existence of an unambiguously proper characterization would render the entire process of choosing a surrogate irrelevant for all purposes beyond mere academic exercise. Because the noncyclical indicators M1* and M2* are derived in a completely analogous manner and, as theoretically anticipated, provided virtually identical descriptions of policy performance, these two variables are considered simultaneously throughout this chapter.
Predicting how color and shape combine in the human visual system to direct attention

Objects in a scene can be distinct from one another along a multitude of visual attributes, such as color and shape, and the more distinct an object is from its surroundings, the easier it is to find it. However, exactly how this distinctiveness advantage arises in vision is not well understood. Here we studied whether and how visual distinctiveness along different visual attributes (color and shape, assessed in four experiments) combine to determine an object's overall distinctiveness in a scene. Unidimensional distinctiveness scores were used to predict performance in six separate experiments where a target object differed from distractor objects along both color and shape. Results showed that there is mathematical law determining overall distinctiveness as the simple sum of the distinctiveness scores along each visual attribute. Thus, the brain must compute distinctiveness scores independently for each visual attribute before summing them into the overall score that directs human attention.
A Re-evaluation of the Eucnemidae larval characters (Coleoptera)

The larval characters of Eucnemidae are re-evaluated. Tribe Schizophilini Muona, 1993 is considered to merit subfamily rank as Schizophilinae Muona new status. Larval characters congruent with previously used adult morphological characters support the earlier published sister-group hypotheses for lignicolous eucnemids with one exception, Pseudomeninae, which is here split resulting in the following evolutionary hypothesis: (Pseudomeninae (Schizophilinae (Paleoxeninae (Melasinae, Eucneminae, Macraulcinae)))). The position of three remaining clades, Anischiinae, Perothopinae and Phyllocerinae remain ambiguous.
The association between smoking and both types of microscopic colitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background and study aims It has been suggested that smoking may be associated with microscopic colitis (MC) in some studies; however, there are conflicting results in the current literature with many of these studies having significant limitations. Our study aims to offer a meta-analysis evaluating the association between MC, including both its subtypes, and smoking. Patients and methods A systemic review was conducted in PUBMED, Embase, PubMed Central, and ScienceDirect databases from inception through December 2019. Effect estimates from the individual studies were extracted and combined using the random effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird and a pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated. Forest plots were generated, and publication bias was assessed for using conventional techniques. Results Eight observation studies with a total of 1461 patients with MC were included in this study, 383 of whom were active smokers (26.2%). Current smoking was significantly associated with MC (OR 3.58, 95% CI, 2.51–5.11), lymphocytic colitis (LC) (OR 3.64, 95% CI, 2.46–5.38), and collagenous colitis (CC) (OR 4.43, 95% CI, 2.68–7.32). Gender-specific subgroup analysis showed a significant association with smoking was found for CC in men (OR 4.53, 95% CI, 1.59–12.85), CC in women (OR 3.27, 95% CI, 2.35–4.54), LC in women (OR 2.27, 95% CI, 1.27–4.06) and MC in women (OR 2.93, 95% CI, 2.09–4.10). We found no publication bias as assessed by the funnel plots and Egger’s regression asymmetry test. Conclusion Our meta-analysis found a statistically significant association between smoking and both subtypes of MC.
Primary Vaginal Malignant Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Primary vaginal malignant melanoma is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor with very few reported cases worldwide. It often occurs in post-menopausal women, with a mean age of 57 years. The most common presenting symptom is vaginal bleeding. Other less common presenting symptoms are vaginal discharge, vaginal mass, and pain. Vaginal melanomas are often diagnosed at an advanced stage, and despite the aggressive treatment approach, the prognosis is poor. We present to you a case of a 56-year-old post-menopausal woman who presented with intermittent vaginal bleeding and passage of dark clots. She was found to have symptomatic anemia requiring blood transfusions. Further workup revealed a mass in the upper vagina on imaging studies, and the patient eventually underwent a biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis of malignant melanoma of the vagina on pathological examination.
General Techniques of Local Analysis

In this long chapter, we shall describe and illustrate the principal methods and results that underlie local group-theoretic analysis. (We shall not attempt a systematic discussion of ordinary and modular character theory, but shall limit our comments on those techniques to the few specific places in the text in which they are needed.)
Existence and stability of limit cycles in the model of a planar passive biped walking down a slope.

We consider the simplest model of a passive biped walking down a slope given by the equations of switched coupled pendula (McGeer T. 1990 Passive dynamic walking. Int. J. Robot. Res. 9, 6282. (doi:...
Understanding Driver Behavior after Concussion: A Machine-Learning Approach:

Concussions are common cognitive impairments, but their effects on task performance in general, and on driving in particular, are not well understood. To better understand the effects of concussion...
Distribution-free learning theory for approximating submanifolds from reptile motion capture data

This paper describes the formulation and experimental testing of an estimation of submanifold models of animal motion. It is assumed that the animal motion is supported on a configuration manifold, Q, and that the manifold is homeomorphic to a known smooth, Riemannian manifold, S. Estimation of the configuration submanifold is achieved by finding an unknown mapping, $$\gamma $$ , from S to Q. The overall problem is cast as a distribution-free learning problem over the manifold of measurements. This paper defines sufficient conditions that show that the rates of convergence in $$L^2_\mu (S)$$ of approximations of $$\gamma $$ correspond to those known for classical distribution-free learning theory over Euclidean space. This paper concludes with a study and discussion of the performance of the proposed method using samples from recent reptile motion studies.
Comment on “Isotopic evidence for dominant secondary production of HONO in near-ground wildfire plumes.”

Abstract. Chai et al. recently published measurements of wild fire (WF) derived oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and nitrous acid (HONO) and their isotopic composition. The method used to sample NOx, collection in alkaline solution, has a known 1:1 interference from another reactive nitrogen compound, acetyl peroxynitrate (PAN). Although PAN is thermally unstable, subsequent reactions with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in effect extend the lifetime of PAN many times longer than the initial decomposition reaction would indicate. This, coupled with the rapid and efficient formation of PAN in WF plumes, means the NOx measurements reported by Chai et al. were severely impacted by PAN. In addition, the model reactions in the original paper did not include the reactions of NO2 with hydroxyl radical (OH) to form nitric acid, nor the efficient reaction of larger organic radicals with nitric oxide to form organic nitrates (RONO2).
Applying a Human Rights-Based Framework

Within this chapter, we outline the specific framework we utilize and its key concepts: human dignity, nondiscrimination, participation, transparency, and accountability. Focusing on each concept at a time, we will explain how to apply it during the development and implementation of short-term study abroad trips. Throughout this chapter, case examples are provided as well as assignments and exercises to aid in the application of this framework.
Engineering humoral immunity as prophylaxis or therapy.

Purpose of the review In this review, we will discuss the field of engineered humoral immunity with an emphasis on recent work using viral vectors to produce antibodies in vivo . As an alternative to passive transfer of monoclonal antibody protein, a transgene encoding an antibody is delivered to cells via vector transduction, resulting in expression and secretion by the host cell. This review will summarize the evidence in support of this strategy as an alternative to traditional vaccines against infection and as novel therapeutics for a variety of diseases. Recent findings Historically, humoral immunity has been engineered through vaccination and passive transfer of monoclonal antibodies. However, recent work suggests that vectors can be used to deliver transgenes encoding broadly neutralizing antibodies to non-hematopoietic tissues and can mediate long-term expression that is capable of preventing or treating infectious diseases. The production of engineered monoclonal antibodies allows for precise targeting and elimination of aberrant self-proteins that are characteristic of certain neurodegenerative disease. This approach has also been successfully used to combat cancer and addiction in several animal models. Despite the wide array of expression platforms that have been described, adeno-associated virus vectors have emerged as the frontrunner for rapid clinical translation. Summary Recent advances in vector-mediated antibody expression have demonstrated the potential for such interventions to prevent infection and treat disease. As such, it offers an alternative to immunogen-based vaccine design and a novel therapeutic intervention by enabling precise manipulation of humoral immunity. Success translating these approaches to patients may enable the development of effective prevention against previously intractable pathogens that evade immunity such as HIV, influenza, malaria or HCV and may also enable new treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
Pathophysiologic alterations induced by tumor necrosis factor.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the pathophysiologic alterations that can be induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The most sensitive parameter for detecting an effect of TNF is the alteration in peripheral blood constituents. In a study described in the chapter, rHuTNF is injected into mice, which results in the rapid induction of lymphopenia and neutrophilia. The kinetics of these peripheral blood alterations are extremely rapid, with statistically significant alterations occurring within 1 hr. The lymphopenia and neutrophilia are both absolute and relative, that is, there is both a decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes and a decrease in the total number of circulating lymphocytes. In a microscopic examination described in the chapter, the toxicity of TNF appeared to be dose-related. At 1 μg/mouse, there were occasional foci of necrosis of the mucosa in the small intestine. This necrosis was observed primarily at the tips of the villi. At the higher dose of 10 μg, there were more severe changes. TNF-treated animals had blunting of the villi with frank necrosis of the mucosa at the tips of the villi. In a study performed through electron microscopy, the small intestine was examined by electron microscopy to confirm the light microscopy changes and to provide further insight into the mechanism of damage.
"Arsenic Solutions" Web platform of >50 options for developing countries: collaborative, design and innovation for the common good.

Publisher Summary Knowledge of the extent of arsenic (As) occurrence and its effect on public health has not kept pace with remediation efforts. A first step to action is to know the alternatives. The approach is to combine a knowledge base and a collaborative design platform. Today, new technologies are needed to meet the basic human need for safe, clean drinking water for those in the global community who lack this fundamental security and sufficiency. While these new technologies are primarily intended to provide water for health as a basic human right, and only secondarily for industrial, military, or commercial objectives, they certainly contribute to our well-being and security.
Suppressors of an Arabidopsis thaliana phyB Mutation Identify Genes That Control Light Signaling and Hypocotyl Elongation

Ambient light controls the development and physiology of plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana photoreceptor phytochrome B (PHYB) regulates developmental light responses at both seedling and adult stages. To identify genes that mediate control of development by light, we screened for suppressors of the long hypocotyl phenotype caused by a phyB mutation. Genetic analyses show that the shy (short hypocotyl) mutations we have isolated fall in several loci. Phenotypes of the mutants suggest that some of the genes identified have functions in control of light responses. Other loci specifically affect cell elongation or expansion.
Operating Room to Intensive Care Unit Handoffs and the Risks of Patient Harm

Background The goal of this study was to assess systems and processes involved in the operating room (OR) to intensive care unit (ICU) handoff in an attempt to understand the criticality of specific steps of the handoff. Methods We performed a failure modes, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) of the OR to ICU handoff of deceased donor liver transplant recipients using in-person observations and descriptions of the handoff process from a multidisciplinary group of clinicians. For each step in the process, failures were identified along with frequency of occurrence, causes, potential effects and safeguards. A Risk Priority Number (RPN) was calculated for each failure (frequency × potential effect × safeguard; range 1-least risk to 1,000-most risk). Results Using FMECA, we identified 37 individual steps in the OR to ICU handoff process. In total, 81 process failures were identified, 22 of which were determined to be critical and 36 of which relied on weak safeguards such as informal human verification. Process failures with the greatest risk of harm were lack of preliminary OR to ICU communication (RPN 504), team member absence during handoff communication (RPN 480), and transport equipment malfunction (Risk Priority Number 448). Conclusion Based on the analysis, recommendations were made to reduce potential for patient harm during OR to ICU handoffs. These included automated transfer of OR data to ICU clinicians, enhanced ICU team member notification processes and revision of the postoperative order sets. The FMECA revealed steps in the OR to ICU handoff that are high risk for patient harm and are currently being targeted for process improvement.
Detection of Prostate Specific Antigen by ELISA

A method for the detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA or P30) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed. The method was evaluated for sensitivity and specificity and compared to other methods of semen identification on numerous casework samples. A sensitivity of less than 1 ng/mL PSA is routinely achieved. Numerous domestic contaminants and body fluids were tested and none were found to give a false-positive result. However, false-negative results did occur in samples contaminated with detergents. Additionally, some poorly preserved items of evidence did not give positive results where expected. In spite of these minor limitations, this method was found to be highly sensitive and specific and an efficient method for identifying semen in forensic casework.
Dichotic listening training in children with autism spectrum disorder: A single subject design.

AbstractObjective: Previous research has shown that dichotic listening training has improved auditory and language processing for individuals with large interaural asymmetries on dichotic listening tasks. This training can be a useful treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Design: A single subject, multiple baseline across subjects study was utilized. Study sample: Three children with ASD, between the ages of 8–12, participated in the study. Results: This training demonstrated improvement in language and auditory processing tasks following completion of up to twelve weeks of auditory training. Conclusion: This study supports the idea that deficit specific, dichotic auditory training can remediate auditory and language deficits for children with ASD. More research is needed, with a group design and controls, in order to generalize these results to the larger ASD population.
Laser-induced acoustic desorption

Abstract The basic principles and experimental results of laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) are reported in this work. LIAD was successfully used to desorb biomolecules in a mass spectrometer. LIAD holds some promise to eliminate many key factors which contribute to poor mass resolution in MALDI. Thus, it has potential for improvement in resolution of biomolecular mass analysis.
An Analytical Solution of Tetrachloroethylene Transport and Biodegradation

In this manuscript, we consider a transport system with a dechlorination reaction network, in which tetrachloroethylene (PCE) reacts to produce trichloroethylene (TCE), TCE reacts to form three daughter products, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE), trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (trans-1,2-DCE), and 1,1-dichloroethylene (1,1-DCE), three DCEs further react to produce vinyl chloride (VC), finally VC reacts to produce ethylene (ETH). Because the partial differential equation describing the reactive transport of VC, is coupled by three reactant concentrations, currently the problem must be solved numerically. Following Lu et al. (2003), we extend the analytical solution from five species to the entire PCE reaction network. Using the singular value decomposition (SVD) the system of transport equations with convergent reactions is decoupled into seven orthogonal subsystems. Previously published analytical solutions of single species transport become the basic solutions in the transformed domain for each independent subsystem. The solutions in real concentration domain are obtained using the inverse transform. The solution derived in this study can then be used instead of Sun et al. (1999) in BIOCHLOR for simulating more realistic systems of biodegradation and reactive transport.
Signal-to-interference calculations for balanced channel assignment patterns in cellular communications systems

The effects of adjacent channel interference, together with cochannel interference, for fixed channel assignment patterns in cellular communications systems are considered. Thorough consideration is given to interference produced by emissions in neighboring channels, including immediately adjacent as well as nonimmediately adjacent channels. An approximate mathematical analysis is presented that permits a more complete calculation of the median mobile-to-base and base-to-mobile signal-to-interference ratios than has been available. Patterns of cell frequency assignment that have regularity properties with respect to the performance measures are determined. Formulas for comparison of signal-to-interference-ratio performance for alternative cell/frequency assignment are derived. >
Site-directed mutagenesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-tubulin: interaction between residue 167 and benzimidazole compounds

Benzimidazoles are widely used as anthelmintic agents and systemic fungicides. In susceptible organisms, benzimidazoles bind to β-tubulin and block microtubule polymerization. To further characterize this interaction, site-directed mutagenesis followed by gene replacement was used to change Saccharomyces cerevisiae β-tubulin residue Phe-167 to Tyr. Consistent with previous studies, this mutation resulted in at least 3–4-fold decreased sensitivity to the benzimidazole derivatives carbendazim and nocodazole. The Tyr-167 mutant was cold sensitive, implying a direct effect on benzimidazole binding rather than a nonspecific increase in microtubule stability. Surprisingly, the mutant had 8-fold increased sensitivity to the derivative benomyl, which is structurally identical to carbendazim except at position 1. This suggests that residue 167 interacts with benzimidazoles in the vicinity of the 1-position.
Borate Minerals and Origin of the RNA World

The RNA World is generally thought to have been an important link between purely prebiotic (>3.7 Ga) chemistry and modern DNA/protein biochemistry. One concern about the RNA World hypothesis is the geochemical stability of ribose, the sugar moiety of RNA. Prebiotic stabilization of ribose by solutions associated with borate minerals, notably colemanite, ulexite, and kernite, has been proposed as one resolution to this difficulty. However, a critical unresolved issue is whether borate minerals existed in sufficient quantities on the primitive Earth, especially in the period when prebiotic synthesis processes leading to RNA took place. Although the oldest reported colemanite and ulexite are 330 Ma, and the oldest reported kernite, 19 Ma, boron isotope data and geologic context are consistent with an evaporitic borate precursor to 2400-2100 Ma borate deposits in the Liaoning and Jilin Provinces, China, as well as to tourmaline-group minerals at 3300–3450 Ma in the Barberton belt, South Africa. The oldest boron minerals for which the age of crystallization could be determined are the metamorphic tourmaline species schorl and dravite in the Isua complex (metamorphism between ca. 3650 and ca. 3600 Ma). Whether borates such as colemanite, ulexite and kernite were present in the Hadean (>4000 Ma) at the critical juncture when prebiotic molecules such as ribose required stabilization depends on whether a granitic continental crust had yet differentiated, because in its absence we see no means for boron to be sufficiently concentrated for borates to be precipitated.
Decreasing electrode size and increasing efficiency of cardiac stimulation.

Abstract The threshold of cardiac response to endocardial stimulation has been shown to be a function of electrode surface area both for platinum-iridium and Elgiloy electrodes. A linear direct relationship between cathode surface area and threshold current and energy has been found during acute human stimulation. Electrodes smaller than those now in use can be fabricated to decrease the voltage and current required to achieve cardiac stimulation and will allow the use of lower voltage pulse generators.
Beyond Breaches and Battles: Clarifying Important Misconceptions about Emotion:

While we share many of the views on emotion research put forth in Kagan’s article “Once More into the Breach,” our commentary focuses on two points of disagreement. First, we argue for the importance of a priori principles. In particular, emotions cannot be understood without reference to final and formal cause, and the related principles of equifinality and equipotentiality. Secondly, although we agree the term “basic emotions” is misleading, we maintain that the emotions traditionally called “basic” should still be seen as a distinct set of emotions by virtue of their being constitutive for other, derived emotions. In conclusion we argue for moving beyond the strict empiricist approach proposed by Kagan and many thinkers before him.
Comparison of two label-free global quantitation methods, APEX and 2D gel electrophoresis, applied to the Shigella dysenteriae proteome

The in vitro stationary phase proteome of the human pathogen Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 (SD1) was quantitatively analyzed in Coomassie Blue G250 (CBB)-stained 2D gels. More than four hundred and fifty proteins, of which 271 were associated with distinct gel spots, were identified. In parallel, we employed 2D-LC-MS/MS followed by the label-free computationally modified spectral counting method APEX for absolute protein expression measurements. Of the 4502 genome-predicted SD1 proteins, 1148 proteins were identified with a false positive discovery rate of 5% and quantitated using 2D-LC-MS/MS and APEX. The dynamic range of the APEX method was approximately one order of magnitude higher than that of CBB-stained spot intensity quantitation. A squared Pearson correlation analysis revealed a reasonably good correlation (R2 = 0.67) for protein quantities surveyed by both methods. The correlation was decreased for protein subsets with specific physicochemical properties, such as low Mr values and high hydropathy scores. Stoichiometric ratios of subunits of protein complexes characterized in E. coli were compared with APEX quantitative ratios of orthologous SD1 protein complexes. A high correlation was observed for subunits of soluble cellular protein complexes in several cases, demonstrating versatile applications of the APEX method in quantitative proteomics.
THE LOCATION OF BOUND COBALT ON 2:1 LAYER SILICATES

ABSTRACT Three techniques have been used to determine what clay mineral surfaces are involved in the selective bonding of Co: (a) polyphosphate ions were used to block edge surfaces of montmorillonite and vermiculite from Co, (b) collapse of the interlamellar spaces with potassium saturation was used to block internal basal surfaces of vermiculite from Co, and (c) autoradiographs were prepared of vermiculite and mica particles that had reacted with Co58. In each case Co in low concentration was allowed to combine with the mineral in the presence of high concentrations of CaCl2. The preliminary sorption of polyphosphate ions had no appreciable effect on the sorption of Co by the minerals studied, indicating that the edge surfaces were not likely to be involved in the Co reaction. The blocking of internal basal areas had only a very slight effect suggesting that these surfaces were involved in the sorption of Co, but only to a limited extent. Autoradiographs of naturally occurring vermiculite particles revealed a somewhat uneven distribution of Co over the planar surface of the particles. Removal of the outer layers of the crystals, either before or after the material had combined with Co but before autoradiography, resulted in a concentration of the metal along edges and cracks. Apparently the external basal surfaces are principally involved in the specific sorption of Co by layer silicates. It is suggested that chemical weathering and physical abrasion of the surfaces introduce defect structures which favor the chemical bonding of heavy metals.
Negotiated Identities in North Africa

Negotiation and Construction of National Identities. By Karim Mezran. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2007. 222 pp., $139.00 (ISBN: 978-90-04-15808-5). In Negotiation and Construction of National Identities, Karim Mezran proposes a distinctive approach to the study of national identity by examining the impact of inter-elite negotiation on nation-building and the resulting national identity. Mezran's two central arguments are that the national identity that emerges at the national movement stage is not necessarily “the product of conscious elite actions,” but it is “the outcome of elite negotiations (or lack thereof)” (pp. 1–2), and that successfully negotiated identities at the nation-building phase lead to a more stable polity later on. In Negotiation and Construction of National Identities, Mezran's goal is essentially twofold: (1) to contribute to theoretical debates on the construction of national identity by using negotiation analysis and (2) to explore how well his theoretical framework works in four empirical case studies. Employing I. William Zartman's three-step negotiation model (Zartman and Berman 1982), he seeks to explain the timing and process of inter-elite negotiation on the construction of national identities. In Mezran's framework, the national elite, as the interpreter of national history and “the custodian of society's collective memory” (p. 12), identifies the need to form a national identity or nation-building and decides to negotiate with other parties involved in the process. These elites then engage in negotiations to find a shared definition of the national identity. Finally, they negotiate the details of this agreement to implement it at certain moments. Mezran argues that, throughout this process, elite negotiations are mainly conducted through informal channels such as “emissaries, notes, dispatches, speeches, …
Potential of Cloud-Based Infrastructure for Small Business Development

With all the hype surrounding Cloud computing and cloud-based services, this study puts it to the test. This paper describes an in-depth case study of a micro-enterprise that utilized a cloud infrastructure to adopt technology. The contribution from this study is two-fold: one from the perspective of cloud-based services and how easily and effectively they may be incorporated into the business, and the second contribution is from a small business assistance program perspective in how such an infrastructure may be used to efficiently help businesses with technology. Prior research has shown that when small firms are able to adopt and use Information technology, they can grow faster than firms that don't adopt technology. A major obstacle to the cause is their inability to utilize technology to its full capability. Findings from the case study shed insight for researchers and practitioners involved in using IT to assist microenterprises in underserved regions.