cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complement Receptor 1 (CR1/CD35)-expressing retinal pigment epithelial cells as a potential therapy for age-related macular degeneration

The purpose of this study was to identify a membrane-bound complement inhibitor that could be overexpressed on retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) providing a potential therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This type of therapy may allow replacement of damaged RPE with cells that are able to limit complement activation in the retina. Complement Receptor 1 (CR1) is a membrane-bound complement inhibitor commonly found on erythrocytes and immune cells. In this study, QPCR and flow cytometry data demonstrated that CR1 is not well-expressed by RPE, indicating that its overexpression may provide extra protection from complement activation. To screen CR1 for this ability, a stable CR1-expressing ARPE19 line was created using a combination of antibiotic selection and FACS. Cell-based assays were used to demonstrate that addition of CR1 inhibited deposition of complement proteins C3b and C6 on the transfected line. In the end, this study identifies CR1 as a complement inhibitor that may be overexpressed on stem cell-derived RPE to create a potential "enhanced" cell therapy for AMD. A combination cell/complement therapy may create transplantable RPE better suited to avoid complement-mediated lysis and limit chronic inflammation in the retina.
Interferon-Induced IDO1 Mediates Radiation Resistance and Is a Therapeutic Target in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Chemotherapy and radiation remain standard treatment for locally advanced disease, with current immune-targeting therapies applying to only a small subset of patients. Expression of the immuno-oncology target indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is associated with poor colorectal cancer clinical outcomes but is understudied as a potential treatment target. In this study, we examined the interaction between the IDO1 pathway and radiotherapy in colorectal cancer. We used human and mouse colorectal cancer cell lines, organoids, mouse syngeneic colorectal cancer tumor graft models, and colorectal cancer tissues from patients who received radiotherapy. IDO1 activity was blocked using the clinical IDO1 inhibitor epacadostat and by genetic disruption. We found that radiation induced IDO1 overexpression in colorectal cancer through type I and II IFN signaling. IDO1 enzymatic activity directly influenced colorectal cancer radiation sensitivity. IDO1 inhibition sensitized colorectal cancer to radiation-induced cell death, whereas the IDO1 metabolite kynurenine promoted radioprotection. IDO1 inhibition also potentiated Th1 cytokines and myeloid cell-modulating factors in the tumor microenvironment and promoted an abscopal effect on tumors outside the radiation field. Conversely, IDO1 blockade protected the normal small intestinal epithelium from radiation toxicity and accelerated recovery from radiation-induced weight loss, indicating a role in limiting side effects. These data demonstrated that IDO1 inhibition potentiates radiotherapy effectiveness in colorectal cancer. The findings also provide rationale and mechanistic insight for the study of IDO1 inhibitors as adjuvant therapy to radiation in patients with locally advanced sporadic and colitis-associated colorectal cancer.
A study in the emergence of applied behavior analysis through the referencing patterns in its founding articles

We examined the emergence of applied behavior analysis (ABA) through referencing patterns, analyzing 309 references cited in 36 ABA articles discerned as founding articles in prior research. We als...
Optimal Coordinated Operation of Interdependent Power and Water Distribution Systems

With the rising electricity demand for freshwater production, power and water sectors are becoming increasingly interdependent. This vital link could create new opportunities for power and water distribution system operators to coordinate the operation of their systems and achieve operational cost and energy efficiency benefits. This paper proposes the flexible power-water flow (FlexPWF) model for co-optimizing the operation of flexible energy-intensive components in water systems with the operation of both power and water distribution systems. The FlexPWF model leverages the energy flexibility provided by water treatment and desalination plants in conjunction with variable speed pumps and water storage tanks to minimize the operating costs of interdependent power and water distribution systems. The proposed model takes into account the operational constraints of both power and water distribution systems, thus coordinating their operation without endangering the reliable supply of power and water to customers. The paper highlights the merits of integrating water treatment and desalination plants, where a detailed model is proposed to capture their dynamic operation for producing variable amounts of freshwater and providing energy flexibility. Simulations, conducted on the 33-bus test distribution system and a 15-node test water distribution system, show that the FlexPWF model effectively coordinates the operation, reduces the operating costs and improves the operational metrics of both power and water systems.
Strengthening ICT4D evaluation: lessons from the fields of program evaluation, IS/IT evaluation, and aid/development evaluation

This study suggests ways to strengthen and clarify conceptual underpinnings of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) evaluation by exploring its associations with other r...
The Nature of Neonatal Experience during Pandemic COVID-19

Life abruptly becomes chaotic This is much like crossing a threshold into a room where we don't belong The chaotic situation entrains energy and resources, forming a trajectory to cascading failure The HRO accepts this trajectory and members of the HRO engage in events even as they do not know how to bring it to an end This is the liminal period, across the threshold and away from our routines While it appears daunting, if not dangerous, this approach builds on experiences we have had throughout life HRO methods uniquely shape the engagement that moves through and out of a liminal period HRO is a trajectory of engagement that fuses now with the experience of then into simultaneous inquiry and redescription In these states of engagement, the HRO supports using all our mind [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Neonatology Today is the property of Loma Linda Publishing Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
A Generalized Model For Unified Ac-Dc Load Flow Analysis

The tendency to gain the benefits of both ac and dc grids pushed the power industries to introduce the ac-dc hybrid system as the future of distribution systems. Although these grids bring substantial advantages for the power system, such as stability, reliability, resiliency, they add more complexities to power network studies, such as load flow, short circuit, dynamic, stability analyses. These complexities arise due to the presence of ac-dc converters. In a hybrid grid, ac and dc system equations should be solved either simultaneously or sequentially. Despite the sequential method that was in a center of attention, the simultaneous approaches have not been deeply researched due to some technical barriers. This paper aims to explore the ac equivalent circuits of dc grids so that the ac-dc hybrid grid can be considered and analyzed as one ac grid. Accordingly, dealing with separate sets of equations for ac and dc networks is avoided. Therefore, all of the classical power system studies, such as the Newton Raphson (NR) based load flow algorithm, stability and dynamic analyses, and short circuit study, can be applied to the ac-dc network with a small modification that substantially saves time and effort.
Warm-season net CO2 uptake outweighs cold-season emissions over Alaskan North Slope tundra under current and RCP8.5 climate

Author(s): Tao, J; Zhu, Q; Riley, WJ; Neumann, RB | Abstract: Arctic warming has increased vegetation growth and soil respiration during recent decades. The rate of Arctic warming will likely amplify over the 21st century. Previous studies have revealed that the most severe Arctic warming occurred during the cold season (September to May). The cold-season warming has posited significant CO2 emissions to the atmosphere via respiration, possibly offsetting warm-season (June to August) net CO2 uptake. However, prevailing Earth system land models poorly represent cold-season CO2 emissions, making estimates of Arctic tundra annual CO2 budgets highly uncertain. Here, we demonstrate that an improved version of the energy exascale Earth system model (E3SM) land model (ELMv1-ECA) captures the large amount of cold-season CO2 emissions over Alaskan Arctic tundra as reported by two independent, observationally-constrained datasets. We found that the recent seven-decades warming trend of cold-season soil temperature is three times that of the warm-season. The climate sensitivity of warm-season net CO2 uptake, however, is threefold higher than for the cold-season net CO2 loss, mainly due to stronger plant resilience than microbial resilience to hydroclimatic extremes. Consequently, the modeled warm-season net CO2 uptake has a larger positive trend (0.74 ± 0.14 gC m-2 yr-1) than that of cold-season CO2 emissions (0.64 ± 0.11 gC m-2 yr-1) from 1950 to 2017, supported by enhanced plant nutrient uptake and increased light- and water-use efficiency. With continued warming and elevated CO2 concentrations under the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario, the increasing rate of warm-season net CO2 uptake is more than twice the rate of cold-season emissions (1.33 ± 0.32 gC m-2 yr-1 vs 0.50 ± 0.12 gC m-2 yr-1), making the modeled Alaskan Arctic tundra ecosystem a net CO2 sink by 2100. However, other geomorphological and ecological disturbances (e.g. abrupt permafrost thaw, thermokarst development, landscape-scale hydrological changes, wildfire, and insects) that are not considered here might alter our conclusion.
The Political Consequences of an Optimistic Personality

Optimists hope for the best possible outcome, while pessimists plan for the worst. We investigate how people’s predispositions to be optimistic versus pessimistic shape how they approach politics. We argue that an optimistic personality is a psychological resource that contributes to the practice of good citizenship behaviors. Using responses from the 2008 Cooperative Campaign Analysis Project and the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we demonstrate that people with optimistic personalities are more politically engaged and participatory than those with pessimistic dispositions. Optimists express more positive views of the American people, the government, and national symbols as well. Because optimists have a more positive outlook toward the nation’s future, they help contribute to levels of diffuse support for government and its symbols. While we might worry that optimists hold an unrealistic view of the political world, we find little evidence that dispositional optimism is associated with less accurate perceptions of political realities.
Meditation on Human Response-Ability.

This forum essay offers reflections on the theme of the 2021 annual meeting of the Religious Education Association—“Gender, Sexuality, and Wholeness: Religious Education for Confrontation and Heali...
Corn production with Instinct nitrification inhibitor applied with urea-ammonium nitrate solution and liquid swine manure

48 INTRODUCTION 49 MATERIALS AND METHODS 53 Site Description and Experimental Design 53 Nitrogen Application 55 Soil and Plant Sampling 56 Statistical Analysis 58 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 59 Weather 59 Nitrogen Band Inorganic-N 62
Effect of Feeding an Iodine-Restricted Diet in Cats with Spontaneous Hyperthyroidism

Background Exclusive feeding of an iodine-restricted diet has been proposed as a method for controlling clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism in hyperthyroid cats. Objectives To determine the effect of feeding an iodine-restricted diet on TT4 concentrations and clinical signs in cats with spontaneous hyperthyroidism. Animals Forty-nine client-owned cats with spontaneous hyperthyroidism. Methods Retrospective case series. Hyperthyroid cats were exclusively fed a commercially available iodine-restricted diet. Clinical response was assessed by change in weight and heart rate and serum TT4, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine concentrations at various times during dietary management (21–60 days, 60–180 days). Results Serum TT4 normalized in 20/48 cats (42%) and 39/47 cats (83%) at 21–60 days and 61–180 days, respectively. Cats in which the TT4 concentrations were still above reference range at 21–60 days had a significantly higher starting TT4 than those that normalized their TT4 levels during the same time period (P = .038). Body weight did not significantly increase (P = .34) nor heart rate decrease (P = .64) during the study. There was a significant decrease in serum creatinine (P = .028). Cats in the low reference range for serum TT4 concentrations did not have a significant increase in body weight (P = .41) nor creatinine (P = .54) when compared to those with high reference range. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Restricted-iodine diets were effective at maintaining serum TT4 concentrations within reference ranges for a majority of cats with spontaneous hyperthyroidism over 1 year, although not all clinical signs of hyperthyroidism improved.
Helium II Film Transfer Rates Into and Out of Solid Argon Beakers

The purpose of this experiment is to study He II film flow over a surface whose interaction with the He is well understood. To accomplish this, we are conducting beaker-filling and-emptying experiments in which the beakers are made of solid Ar. There is a van der Waals attractive potential between the Ar and He atoms, the magnitude of which may be calculated from experimentally derived He-He and Ar-Ar potentials. This potential in turn determines the thickness of the He film on the beaker walls.
Health and Well‐Being in Older Married Female Cancer Survivors

OBJECTIVES: To investigate differences between older married female cancer survivors and a matched comparison sample on physical health and on effects of health on depressive symptomatology. DESIGN AND SETTING: National survey data from the 1992 Health and Retirement Study. PARTICIPANTS: Married women who reported having been diagnosed with cancer (N = 245) and married women who did not report a cancer diagnosis but who matched the survivors on age, race, and ethnicity (N = 245). MEASUREMENTS: Outcome measure was depressive symptomatology (modified CES-D). Predictors were multiple indicators of health and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Cancer survivors reported significantly worse health on all indicators but not higher depressive symptomatology after health and demographics were controlled. Predictors of higher depression were fatigue, pain, and lower education. These effects did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Health impairment in cancer survivors highlights the need for ongoing follow-up care. Survivorship was associated indirectly with higher depressive symptomatology through its relationship with health impairment.
Microscopic Lagrangian description of warm plasmas. I - Linear wave propagation. II - Nonlinear wave interactions

It is pointed out that the conventional iterative analysis of nonlinear plasma wave phenomena, which involves a direct use of Maxwell's equations and the equations describing the particle dynamics, leads to formidable theoretical and algebraic complexities, especially for warm plasmas. As an effective alternative, the Lagrangian method may be applied. It is shown how this method may be used in the microscopic description of small-signal wave propagation and in the study of nonlinear wave interactions. The linear theory is developed for an infinite, homogeneous, collisionless, warm magnetoplasma. A summary is presented of a perturbation expansion scheme described by Galloway and Kim (1971), and Lagrangians to third order in perturbation are considered. Attention is given to the averaged-Lagrangian density, the action-transfer and coupled-mode equations, and the general solution of the coupled-mode equations.
Abstract MP45: Liver Fat Content Does Not Account for the Strong Association of Fetuin-A with Diabetes Risk in Women: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Introduction: Fetuin-A, a hepatic secretory protein, has been associated with risk of diabetes. However, liver fat content may be an important confounder or effect modifier not fully accounted for in previous studies. Further, it remains unclear whether associations differ between women and men. Aim: In an ethnically diverse cohort of women and men, we assessed the association of fetuin-A with risk of diabetes and investigated the role of liver fat in this association. Methods: We conducted a case-cohort study nested in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis among 1,957 subcohort members and 455 cases (265 of whom belonged to the subcohort) with follow-up from 2000-2012. Fetuin-A was measured from baseline plasma samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and liver fat was assessed via computed tomography. Associations were estimated using multivariable-adjusted Cox models, with weighting to account for the case-cohort design. Results: The association of fetuin-A with risk of diabetes differed between women and men (p-interaction = 0.001). Each standard deviation (SD) higher fetuin-A concentration (0.10 g/L) was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.51 (95% CI: 1.32-1.74, p 0.25 for both women and men). Conclusions: Fetuin-A was associated with diabetes risk, particularly in women, even after adjustment for liver fat.
Research directions in image database management

This analysis is a panel discussion. There are many problems in the field of image database management. The object-oriented paradigm has been and continues to be a great impetus to this work. The semantics of images is essentially what they contain, and unless there is an effective method to identify their contents and index them on that basis, the database will degenerate to a collection of patterns with no semantics. This is the most challenging issue facing multimedia information systems in general, and image databases in particular. Work on query by image content has barely begun to scratch the surface. A few key query primitives will become well-understood and widely supported. To allow users to browse and search through information domains using sophisticated querying techniques that include imprecise queries, user-directed query processing, and queries that use similarity measures in order to retrieve data, new data modeling approaches are required. Key problems that arise in providing query by image content are considered. >
Emotional labor threatens decent work: A proposal to eradicate emotional display rules

Summary Emotional labor—the management of emotional displays as part of one's work role—has emerged as a growth area of study within organizational behavior and customer service research. In this article, we call attention to the human costs of “service with a smile” requirements with little benefits. We first review the evidence showing that requiring positive emotions from employees induces dissonance and depleted resources, which hinders task performance and threatens well-being. We articulate how formalized emotion display requirements limit self-determination by threatening the autonomy, competence, and belongingness needs of employees. Further, via an organizational justice lens, we argue that emotional labor is an unfair labor practice because employees in such circumstances are (1) undervalued by the organization (constituting distributive injustice); (2) disrespected by customers (constituting interactional injustice); and (3) self-undermined by organizational policies (constituting procedural injustice). We then argue for bringing light to the dark side of emotional labor with a “modest proposal”: Organizations and customers should abandon formalized emotion display expectations and replace such efforts with more humanistic practices that support and value employees, engendering positive climates and an authentically positive workforce. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
History of Geriatric Medicine

From the years following the founding of the United States up to the period before World War II, the majority of ongoing care of the elderly in the United States and Great Britain was provided in three sites: homes of those older adults or the homes of family members grouped with the poor (poor homes or work farms) grouped with the mentally ill (asylums). Placement within these sites was determined primarily by economics rather than by medical illness or functional status. Physicians made little distinction between the care of older patients and treatment of any other adult, other than to spend less time in diagnosis and therapy of older patients, especially if those patients were suffering from chronic diseases. The achievement of longevity was unusual; surviving to retirement slowly became more common throughout the twentieth century.
Projected US timber and primary forest product market impacts of climate change mitigation through timber set-asides

Whereas climate change mitigation involving payments to forest landowners for accumulating carbon on their land may increase carbon stored in forests, it will also affect timber supply and prices. This study estimated the effect on US timber and primary forest product markets of hypothetical timber set-aside scenarios where US forest landowners would be paid to forego timber harvests for 100 years to increase carbon storage on US timberland. The scenarios featured payments to landowners of $0 (business-as-usual (BAU)), $10, and $15 per each additional metric ton (t) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) sequestered on the set-aside timberlands, with maximum annual expenditures of $3 billion. For the set-aside scenarios, reduction in timberland available for harvest resulted in increased timber prices and changes in US domestic production, consumption, net export, and timber market welfare. Economic analyses indicated that the scenario with more area set aside and the largest carbon mitigation benefit (lower...
Benchmark of multiple approaches for feature extraction and image similarity characterization

The performance of image classification largely depends on both the discrimination power of the visual features for image content representation and the effectiveness of the kernels for diverse image similarity characterization. Different types of kernels have been developed for SVM image classifier training, and different research teams may use different types of visual features in their experiments. Thus there is an urgent need to provide benchmark work to assess the real performance of different types of visual features and kernels for various image classification tasks. In this paper, we have benchmarked multiple approaches for feature extraction and image similarity characterization, so that some useful guidelines can be provided for: (a) how to select more effective approach for feature extraction and enhance the discrimination power of various types of visual features; and (b) how to combine multiple types of visual features and their kernels to enhance the discrimination power of SVM image classifiers. Our experiments on large-scale image collections have also obtained very positive results.
Identification of surface tension in mean curvature flow

We study a numerical method for identifying the surface tension in a level set-based mean curvature flow equation. A novel variational problem is formulated to determine the surface tension for which the model best matches a given set of data. An adjoint-based method allows us to compute the gradient of the cost functional of the variational problem with respect to the surface tension. We solve the variational problem using numerical optimization techniques based on this gradient. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the method using a biological example in which the surface tensions of bilayer membranes are determined based on images of vesicle-vesicle adhesion.
RESPONDING TO PLAGIARISM IN SCHOOLS OF SOCIAL WORK: CONSIDERATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Recognizing the challenges of addressing plagiarism within schools of social work and diverse faculty opinion on the issue, our school of social work engaged in several efforts to clarify issues and establish consensus among the faculty. Issues that required clarification included: definitions of plagiarism, steps to take when confronted with suspected plagiarism, the role of the administrative disciplinary committee, and the range of consequences. At a minimum, consensus was needed regarding faculty steps in confronting suspected plagiarism to ensure equitable treatment of students and to fulfill the school's role as a gatekeeper to the profession. This article describes the concerns, steps, and outcomes of the work that was conducted. We offer recommendations and invite further professional discussion about this educational issue.
Stereoselective radical C–H alkylation with acceptor/acceptor-substituted diazo reagents via Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis

Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis has, for the first time, been successfully applied for asymmetric intramolecular C–H alkylation of acceptor/acceptor-substituted diazo reagents. Through the design and synthesis of a new D2-symmetric chiral amidoporphyrin as the supporting ligand, the Co(II)-based metalloradical system, which operates at room temperature, is capable of 1,5-C–H alkylation of α-methoxycarbonyl-α-diazosulfones with a broad range of electronic properties, providing the 5-membered sulfolane derivatives in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. In addition to complete chemoselectivity toward allylic and allenic C–H bonds, the Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis for asymmetric C–H alkylation features a remarkable degree of functional group tolerance.
Variability of Radio Sources and Spectral Type

VARIABLE radio sources are found among quasi-stellar sources, Seyfert galaxies, optical variable sources, sources with one or more compact components and sources with spectra which had an excess of radiation at centimetre wavelengths. The spectrum of a radio source is perhaps more readily determined than the other properties and is a characteristic of primary importance. In particular, observers have always assumed that variability is likely to occur in sources with centimetre excess spectra. We can now establish this relationship without doubt and in a quantitative form: between 90% and 100% of sources with centimetre excess spectra are variable. Furthermore, no source with a normal spectrum shows any evidence of variations. These conclusions are based on observations made during 5.5 yr at the Algonquin Radio Observatory of eighty-four suspected variable sources, each of which has one or more of the characteristics usually associated with variability. Only the association with spectral type has been found to be a dependable indicator of variability. The other characteristics do not show an exclusive relationship with either variability or non-variability.
Three-dimensional structures at 5.5 Å resolution and regulatory processes in aspartate transcarbamylase from E. coli

The three-dimensional structure of the multisubunit allosteric enzyme, aspartate transcarbamylase, has been determined to 5.5 A resolution. An unusual feature of the molecule is a large central aqueous cavity 50 A × 50 A × 25 A, into which the active sites face. Access to the central cavity and the active site region is provided by six equivalent channels of 15 A diameter. A complex C6R4, composed of catalytic trimers C3 and of regulatory dimers R2, has been isolated upon treatment of aspartate transcarbamylase (ATCase, C6R6) by mercurials. The specific catalytic activity of C6R4 is essentially the same as that of ATCase, about 70% of that of the catalytic trimers at 30 mM aspartate and saturating carbamyl phosphate. Allosteric interactions are reduced in C6R4 as compared with those in ATCase. In the homotropic interactions the Hill coefficient is reduced from approximately 3.3 to 2.1 at pH 8.3, while the heterotropic interactions of both cytidine triphosphate (CTP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are reduced substantially but not abolished at pH 8.3. Thus, the allosteric transitions involved in the regulatory mechanisms do not require the intact structure C6R6. Also, this regulation is not simply the control of access of substrates or products to or from the large central aqueous cavity in the ATCase molecule. Comparison of electron density maps at 5.5 A resolution for ATCase and for the complex of ATCase with CTP shows substantial similarities throughout the three-dimensional electron density maps. Significant differences are seen, however, in the region of the regulatory dimers R2 where CTP adds, and near the active sites in the catalytic trimers C3.
Asbestos-induced alterations of human lymphoid cell mitogenic responses

Using mitogenic assays, we have investigated the short term effects of two asbestos (amosite and chrysotile) fibers on lymphocyte functions in vitro. These oppositely charged fibers produced different alterations in mitogenesis. The blastogenic responses of concanavalin-A (Con-A) and pokeweed mitogen stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMN) were significantly increased by the inclusion of 6 micrograms of chrysotile to the culture media. Amosite fibers proved to be inhibitory in all tests. When PBMN were depleted of monocytes, asbestos-related alterations of Con-A responsiveness were unchanged among the remaining cells. However, the addition of chrysotile to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) cultures resulted in a significant increase of the mitogenic response. When PBMN were enriched for T lymphocytes, and again cultured with the mitogens and fibers, the Con-A response still displayed impressive enhancement with chrysotile. In contrast to an intact PBMN population, PHA-induced blastogenesis among these T-enriched lymphocytes was significantly elevated. These experiments demonstrate that asbestos can induce significant changes in the functional integrity of PBMN following a relatively short exposure time in culture.
The human checkpoint Rad protein Rad17 is chromatin-associated throughout the cell cycle, localizes to DNA replication sites, and interacts with DNA polymerase ε

The checkpoint Rad proteins Rad17, Rad9, Rad1, Hus1, ATR, and ATRIP become associated with chromatin in response to DNA damage caused by genotoxic agents and replication inhibitors, as well as during unperturbed DNA replication in S phase. Here we show that murine Rad17 is phosphorylated at two sites that were previously shown to be modified in response to DNA damage, independent of DNA damage and ATM, in proliferating tissue. In contrast to studies with Xenopus laevis extracts but similar to observations in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the level of chromatin-bound hRad17 remains relatively constant during the cell cycle and does not change significantly in response to DNA damage or replication block. However, phosphorylated hRad17 preferentially associates with the sites of ongoing DNA replication and interacts with the DNA replication protein, DNA polymerase epsilon. These results provide a link between the DNA damage checkpoint machinery and the replication apparatus and suggest that hRad17 may play a role in monitoring the progress of DNA replication via its interaction with DNA polymerase epsilon.
The spectral dynamics of laminar convection

The non-linear equations of the Benard convection problem are transformed to the spectral domain. The spectral basis consists of the supercritical normal modes of the characteristic-value problem in which the exponential growth rates are characteristic values. The norm of the spectrum is the variance of an arbitrary finite-amplitude state of convection. The equations that govern the spectrum are solvable by linear methods when the spectrum is truncated by exclusion of all convective modes except those of lowest-order symmetric vertical structure. Numerical computations of heat flux for a spectrum that contains only one convective mode are in good agreement with experimental data for water in the laminar regime.
Participant Spending at Sporting Events: An Examination of Survey Methodologies

Through this study the authors examine the differences between direct spending reported through in person surveys administered during a sporting event and post event online surveys. The event was a participant oriented individual running event. The overall purpose of the study was to identify and examine potential differences between the “during event” data collection methods and “post event” data collection methods. Subjects for the study were participants in a mid-sized 14-kilometer running event held in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Results showed that direct spending figures were significantly higher for the “during event” in person survey respondents when compared to direct spending figures for the “post event” online survey respondents.
The minimally clinically important difference in generic utility-based measures.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of utility-based generic quality of life measures for establishing the minimally clinically important difference (MCID). Background: Utility-based quality of life measures place levels of wellness on a continuum anchored by death (0.00) and optimum function (1.00). Preference measurement studies are used to define the meaning of points along the continuum. Health states that differ by less than 0.03 units cannot be discriminated by panels of judges as different from one another. Thus, 0.03 is a reasonable MCID for these measures. Method: Three published studies of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) reported data on the Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB) before and after pulmonary rehabilitation. One of the studies also randomly assigned patients to lung volume reduction surgery or to maximal medical therapy. These patients were followed for an average of 29 months. Results: All three evaluations of pulmonary rehabilitation showed changes on the QWB in ex...
“Don't say Nothin' bad about my baby”: A re‐evaluation of women's roles in the Brill building era of early rock ‘n’ roll

This feminist cultural analysis explores a period in American rock ‘n’ roll known as the Brill Building era. While previous researchers have characterized this era as inconsequential to women's history in rock music and as a time wherein regressive songs reinforced traditional views toward femininity, I argue that such a claim is untenable when other features of this music, besides its lyrics, are explored. The Brill Building era marked the massive entry of women into rock ‘n’ roll, providing anglo Americans with their first taste of a female youth culture focused on sexuality and their first exposure in popular rock ‘n’ roll to the voices and vernacular of young, African American women.
Loss of syd-1 from R7 Neurons Disrupts Two Distinct Phases of Presynaptic Development

Genetic analyses in both worm and fly have identified the RhoGAP-like protein Syd-1 as a key positive regulator of presynaptic assembly. In worm, loss of syd-1 can be fully rescued by overexpressing wild-type Liprin-α, suggesting that the primary function of Syd-1 in this process is to recruit Liprin-α. We show that loss of syd-1 from Drosophila R7 photoreceptors causes two morphological defects that occur at distinct developmental time points. First, syd-1 mutant R7 axons often fail to form terminal boutons in their normal M6 target layer. Later, those mutant axons that do contact M6 often project thin extensions beyond it. We find that the earlier defect coincides with a failure to localize synaptic vesicles, suggesting that it reflects a failure in presynaptic assembly. We then analyze the relationship between syd-1 and Liprin-α in R7s. We find that loss of Liprin-α causes a stronger early R7 defect and provide a possible explanation for this disparity: we show that Liprin-α promotes Kinesin-3/Unc-104/Imac-mediated axon transport independently of Syd-1 and that Kinesin-3/Unc-104/Imac is required for normal R7 bouton formation. Unlike loss of syd-1, loss of Liprin-α does not cause late R7 extensions. We show that overexpressing Liprin-α partly rescues the early but not the late syd-1 mutant R7 defect. We therefore conclude that the two defects are caused by distinct molecular mechanisms. We find that Trio overexpression rescues both syd-1 defects and that trio and syd-1 have similar loss- and gain-of-function phenotypes, suggesting that the primary function of Syd-1 in R7s may be to promote Trio activity.
Antimicrobial activity of commercial marinades against multiple strains of Salmonella spp.

Abstract Marination of poultry meat is widely done for value addition, enhancing shelf life, and increasing consumer acceptance. This study was conducted to determine in vitro the efficacy of commercially available teriyaki and lemon pepper marinades on the survivability of multiple strains of nalidixic acid (NAL) resistant Salmonella spp. S. Typhimurium and S. Heidelberg resistant to 60 µg of NAL and S. Seftenberg resistant to 35 µg of NAL were individually inoculated into the marinades (ca. 10 8 CFU/ml) and maintained at 4 and 25 °C for up to 32 h. Teriyaki marinade significantly ( p Salmonella over the 32 h period as compared to lemon pepper, irrespective of the storage temperature. Following the 32 h storage, irrespective of the storage temperature, surviving populations of S. Heidelberg, Typhimurium, and Senftenberg were reduced ( p 10 CFU/ml respectively at 0 h and subsequently were reduced ( p p > 0.05) were observed in the lemon pepper marinade. These findings suggest that, in addition to the potential for improving the sensory attributes of poultry products, marination can enhance their safety irrespective of the storage temperature. The findings from this study suggest a promising approach in developing antimicrobial systems for poultry products.
Cyclophilin inhibitors: a novel class of promising host-targeting anti-HCV agents

With the approval in 2011 of the protease inhibitors Victrelis and Incivek, direct-acting antivirals have begun to revolutionize HCV treatment. Although the addition of Incivek or Victrelis to PEGylated IFNα and ribavarin (pIFNα/RBV) may improve cure rates and shorten the treatment duration of the “old” standard of care (SOC), this triple therapy will not be suitable for patients intolerant to pIFNα or RBV. The efficacy of this triple therapy will also certainly be attenuated in pIFNα/RBV non-responders. As Incivek is inactive against genotype 3 (GT3) combined with the fact that all protease inhibitors and most of the non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors in development are active primarily against GT1, pIFNα/RBV will remain the SOC for non-GT1 until new classes of inhibitors enter into clinical practice. GT1 patients who do not respond to this new triple therapy will have developed resistance to protease inhibitors that will limit future treatment options. There is thus an important need for the identification of new potent HCV agents. A novel class of HCV inhibitors that have great potential for the treatment for HCV has recently emerged: the host-targeting antivirals cyclophilin inhibitors.
Geminiviruses: Models for Plant DNA Replication, Transcription, and Cell Cycle Regulation

Geminiviruses have small, single-stranded DNA genomes that replicate through double-stranded intermediates in the nuclei of infected plant cells. Viral double-stranded DNA also assembles into minichromosomes and is transcribed in infected cells. Geminiviruses encode only a few proteins for their replication and transcription and rely on host enzymes for these processes. However, most plant cells, which have exited the cell cycle and undergone differentiation, do not contain the replicative enzymes necessary for viral DNA synthesis. To overcome this barrier, geminiviruses induce the accumulation of DNA replication machinery in mature plant cells, most likely by modifying cell cycle and transcriptional controls. In animals, several DNA viruses depend on host replication and transcription machinery and can alter their hosts to create an environment that facilitates efficient viral replication. Analysis of these viruses and their proteins has contributed significantly to our understanding of DNA replication, transcription, and cell cycle regulation in mammalian cells. Geminiviruses have the same potential for plant systems. Plants offer many advantages for these types of studies, including ease of transformation, well-defined cell populations and developmental programs, and greater tolerance of cell cycle perturbation and polyploidy. Our knowledge of the molecular and cellular events that mediate geminivirus infection has increased significantly during recent years. The goal of this review is to summarize recent research addressing geminivirus DNA replication and its integration with transcriptional and cell cycle regulatory processes.
Mobilization of iron from specifically labeled reticulocyte ghosts.

Abstract Specifically labeled 59 Fe ghosts have been prepared by incubation of whole reticulocytes with 59 Fe 3+ -transferrin-CO 3 2− followed by washing and ghost isolation. The binding of 59 Fe by the membrane fraction is quite stable over a wide range of conditions, but iron mobilization occurs on incubation with chelating agents or cell lysate. The time course of 59 Fe mobilization by unlabeled reticulocyte lysate exhibits five apparently zero-order phases. The rate of iron mobilization is linearly dependent on the concentration of 59 Fe ghosts present in the incubation mixture. In contrast, the relative concentration of lysate appears to exhibit a saturation dependence with regard to membrane iron mobilization. Bathophenanthroline sulfonate follows a multiphasic time course of iron mobilization similar to that found with the lysate. Lysate from mature erythrocytes was found to mobilize iron with kinetics that are identical to reticulocyte lysate. The number and duration of the phases is independent of the mobilizing agent. The role of the membrane fraction in regulating the rate of iron release to cytosol was also investigated by the repetitive incubation of 59 Fe ghosts with fresh lysate. The rate of 59 Fe mobilization depended on the condition of the ghost with regard to prior 59 Fe depletion. This publication emphasizes the active role of the membrane fraction in determining the rate at which iron will become available to the cytosol and the possibility that cytosol factors modulate the action of membrane bound components.
On the onset of low-energy dislocation substructures in fatigue: Grain size effects

Abstract It has long been known that grain boundaries are effective sources and traps for dislocations. It is also known that geometrically necessary dislocations that have formed during cycling can rearrange into low-energy structures. Such structures have been evaluated in polycrystalline high-strength low-alloy steels of two grain sizes. A selected area channeling pattern technique was used in conjuction with transmission electron microscopy to follow dislocation structure evolution. With accumulated plastic strain, the coarsegrained (approximately 85 μm) microstructure developed more misorientations within single grains, while the fine-grained (approximately 6 μm) structure showed more homogeneous slip. This could be explained by considering two factors. The first is that coarse grains do not develop as much constraint during deformation as fine grains do. Therefore, multiple slip processes accommodate strain in coarse grains more easily, whereas whole grain rotations occur in fine-grained materials. The second factor is that the dislocation density was initially higher in the fine-grained structure. This would reduce the dislocation mean free path from the start of deformation, thereby reducing the ability to form lower-energy structures. Implications of these findings on fatigue crack initiation will also be discussed.
Dopamine receptor agonist potencies for inhibition of cell firing correlate with dopamine D3 receptor binding affinities.

Abstract The potencies for in vivo inhibition of substantia nigra pars compacta dopamine single cell firing were determined for apomorphine, BHT 920, N-0923, (±)-7-hydroxy-dipropylaminotetralin (7-OH-DPAT), (+)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-propylpiperidine (3-PPP), pramipexole, quinelorane, quinpirole, RU 24926, U-86170, and U-91356. Significant correlation was obtained between the potencies of these 11 highly efficacious dopamine receptor agonists and the in vitro binding affinities at dopamine D3 receptors, but not at dopamine D2L receptors. These results support a functional role for the dopamine D3 receptor subtype in the autoreceptor-mediated regulation of dopamine cell activity, while a role for dopamine D2 receptors awaits further analysis. In addition, the results demonstrate the limitations of using currently available dopamine receptor agonists to delineate relative in vivo roles for the dopamine D2 and D3 receptor subtypes.
Strategies and limitations for fluorescence detection of XAFS at high flux beamlines

The issue of detecting the XAFS signal from dilute samples is discussed in detail with the aim of making best use of high flux beamlines that provide up to 1013 photons s−1. Various detection methods are compared, including filters with slits, solid state detectors, crystal analyzers and combinations of these. These comparisons rely on simulations that use experimentally determined parameters. It is found that inelastic scattering places a fundamental limit on detection, and that it is important to take proper account of the polarization dependence of the signals. The combination of a filter–slit system with a solid state detector is a promising approach. With an optimized system good performance can be obtained even if the total count rate is limited to 107 Hz. Detection schemes with better energy resolution can help at the largest dilutions if their collection efficiency and count rate limits can be improved.