cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing gene annotation enrichment tools for functional modeling of agricultural microarray data

The widespread availability of microarray technology has driven functional genomics to the forefront as scientists seek to draw meaningful biological conclusions from their microarray results. Gene annotation enrichment analysis is a functional analysis technique that has gained widespread attention and for which many tools have been developed. Unfortunately, most of these tools have limited support for agricultural species. Here, we evaluate and compare four publicly available computational tools (Onto-Express, EasyGO, GOstat, and DAVID) that support analysis of gene expression datasets in agricultural species. We use AgBase as the functional annotation reference for agricultural species. The selected tools were evaluated based on i) available features, usage and accessibility, ii) implemented statistical computational methods, and iii) annotation and enrichment performance analysis. Annotation was assessed using a randomly selected test gene annotation set and an experimental differentially expressed gene-set – both from chicken. The experimental set was also used to evaluate identification of enriched functional groups. Comparison of the tools shows that they produce different sets of annotations for the two datasets and different functional groups for the experimental dataset. While DAVID, GOstat and Onto-Express annotate comparable numbers of genes, DAVID provides by far the most annotations per gene. However, many of DAVID's annotations appear to be redundant or are at very high levels in the GO hierarchy. The GOSlim distribution of annotations shows that GOstat, Onto-Express and EasyGO provide similar GO distributions to those found in AgBase while annotations from DAVID show a different GOSlim distribution, again probably due to duplication and many non-specific terms. No consistent trends were found in results of GO term over/under representation analysis applied to the experimental data using different tools. While GOstat, David and Onto-Express could retrieve some significantly enriched terms, EasyGO did not show any significantly enriched terms. There was little agreement about the enriched terms identified by the tools. Different tools for functionally annotating gene sets and identifying significantly enriched GO categories differ widely in their results when applied to a test annotation gene set and an experimental dataset from chicken. These results emphasize the need for care when interpreting the results of such analysis and the lack of standardization of approaches.
Dominant negative alleles of SEC10 reveal distinct domains involved in secretion and morphogenesis in yeast.

The accurate targeting of secretory vesicles to distinct sites on the plasma membrane is necessary to achieve polarized growth and to establish specialized domains at the surface of eukaryotic cells. Members of a protein complex required for exocytosis, the exocyst, have been localized to regions of active secretion in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae where they may function to specify sites on the plasma membrane for vesicle docking and fusion. In this study we have addressed the function of one member of the exocyst complex, Sec10p. We have identified two functional domains of Sec10p that act in a dominant-negative manner to inhibit cell growth upon overexpression. Phenotypic and biochemical analysis of the dominant-negative mutants points to a bifunctional role for Sec10p. One domain, consisting of the amino-terminal two-thirds of Sec10p directly interacts with Sec15p, another exocyst component. Overexpression of this domain displaces the full-length Sec10 from the exocyst complex, resulting in a block in exocytosis and an accumulation of secretory vesicles. The carboxy-terminal domain of Sec10p does not interact with other members of the exocyst complex and expression of this domain does not cause a secretory defect. Rather, this mutant results in the formation of elongated cells, suggesting that the second domain of Sec10p is required for morphogenesis, perhaps regulating the reorientation of the secretory pathway from the tip of the emerging daughter cell toward the mother‐ daughter connection during cell cycle progression.
An Historical Perspective of Key Issues in the Magnetism and Structure of Systems of Reduced Dimensions

In this introductory chapter we review some of the key issues in the field of magnetic systems of reduced dimensions in order to obtain an historical perspective for the latest work which is reported in this Volume. The field is relatively young, all of the work having been done during the professional life time of some scientists who are still working in the field. The pace of work has significantly quickened, however, in the last decade. This is due to three converging trends. First, was the development of ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) techniques which permitted the growth of films at the monolayer (ML) level, free of contamination. Second, was the concomitant development of UHV surface analysis techniques to monitor, control and analyze these films. This has more recently been followed by their spin-appended derivations to permit surface magnetism properties to be studied. This dramatic growth of the importance of surface science techniques has drawn into the magnetism community new members from the surface science community, as well as raised the surface science sophistication of the members of the more traditional magnetism world. Finally, the advent of supercomputers and the development of massive new codes has introduced sophisticated first-principals modeling of the electronic structure of magnetic films and surfaces. This not only allows one to understand much of the new experimental work on a very fundamental level, but also generates specific predictions which stimulate new experimental work.
Enhanced Differentiation of Embryonic and Neural Stem Cells to Neuronal Fates on Laminin Peptides Doped Polypyrrole

PPy is a conducting polymer material that has been widely investigated for biomedical applications. hESCs and adult rNSCs were grown on four PPy surfaces doped with PSS or peptide from laminin (p20, p31, and a mixture of p20 and p31) respectively. After 7 d, both PPy/ p20 and PPy/p31 promoted neuroectoderm formation from hESCs. After 14 d of culture, surfaces containing p20 showed the highest percentage of neuronal differentiation from hESC, while the PPy/p31 surface showed better cell attachment and spreading. In rNSCs cultures, a higher percentage of neurons were found on the PPy/p20 surface than other surfaces at 7 and 14 d. For differentiated neurons, p20 promoted both the primary and total neurite outgrowth. Longer primary neurites were found on p20-containing surfaces and a longer total neurite length was found on PPy/p20 surface. These results demonstrated that, by doping PPy with different bioactive peptides, differentiation of stem cells seeded at different stages of development is affected.
The management of peripheral vascular complications associated with the use of percutaneous suture-mediated closure devices.

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the peripheral vascular complications associated with the use of percutaneous suture–mediated closure (PSMC) devices and compare them with postcatheterization femoral artery complications not associated with PSMC devices. Methods: This is a retrospective review of all patients admitted to the vascular surgery service at the Chattanooga Unit of the University of Tennessee Department of Surgery with a peripheral vascular complication after percutaneous femoral arteriotomy between July 1, 1998, and December 1, 1999. The complications followed the use of PSMC devices (group I, n=11) and traditional compression therapy (group II, n=14) to achieve arterial hemostasis. Group II was subdivided into patients who required operative intervention (group IIA, n=8), and those who were treated without operation (group IIB, n=6). Results: No significant difference was found between groups I and II with regard to age ( P =.227), time to vascular surgery consultation ( P =.987), or diagnostic versus therapeutic catheterization ( P =.897). A significant difference was found with regard to mean pseudoaneurysm size (group I=5.9 cm, group II 2.9 cm; P =.003). Ultrasound compression was successfully performed in 66.6% of group II patients, but no (0.0%) patient in group I responded to this therapy ( P =.016). Groups I and IIA had a significant difference for mean estimated blood loss (group I=377.2 mL, group II=121.8 mL; P =.017) and requirement for transfusion ( P =.013). More patients in group I required extensive surgical treatment ( P =.007), with six of these patients requiring vein patch angioplasty during their treatment. More patients in group I also had infectious complications (n = 3) compared with group IIA (n = 1). Conclusion: In comparison with complications that follow percutaneous arteriotomy when PSMC devices are not used for hemostasis: (1) pseudoaneurysms after the use of PSMC devices are larger and do not respond to ultrasound compression, (2) complications associated with PSMC devices result in more blood loss and increased need for transfusion and are more likely to require extensive operative procedures, and (3) arterial infections after the use of PSMC devices are more common and require aggressive surgical management. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:688-93.)
3D TROSY-HNCA(coded)CB and TROSY-HNCA(coded)CO experiments: triple resonance NMR experiments with two sequential connectivity pathways and high sensitivity.

The concept of chemical shift-coding monitors chemical shifts in multi–dimensional NMR experiments without additional polarization transfer elements and evolution periods. The chemical shifts are coded in the line-shape of the cross-peak through an apparent scalar coupling dependent upon the chemical shift. This concept is applied to the three-dimensional triple-resonance experiment HNCA adding the information of 13Cβ or 13C′ chemical shifts. On average, the proposed TROSY-HNCAcodedCB experiment is a factor of 2 less sensitive than the HNCA experiment. However, it contains correlations via the chemical shifts of both 13Cα and 13Cβ, and provides up to three times higher resolution along the 13Cα chemical shift axis. Thus, it dramatically reduces ambiguities in linking the spin systems of adjacent residues in the protein sequence during the sequential assignment. The TROSY-HNCAcodedCO experiment which is conceptually similar contains correlations via the chemical shifts of 13Cα and 13C' without major signal losses. The proposed triple resonance experiments are applied to a ∼70% 2H, ∼85% 13C,15N labeled protein with a molecular weight of 25 kDa.
Modelling interactions of food quality and quantity in homeostatic consumers

1. Boundaries between growth limitation by carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) in homeostatic heterotrophic consumers such as zooplankton will vary as demands on these two elements vary, as they should at different food quantities. At very low food quantity when production is close to zero, metabolic requirements (for carbon) become more important than growth requirements (for carbon and phosphorus in fixed proportion). Thus, the boundary separating C-and P-limited growth should be at a higher C : P ratio at low food quantity than at high food quantity. 2. A model including both metabolism and growth indicates that consumer growth should differ between foods of high vs. low phosphorus concentration only when food quantity is above a certain level. Thus, two foods might give identical consumer growth rates at low food quantity but give different consumer growth at higher quantity. 3. Solution of the model using parameters based on 2 mm Daphnia compared with a survey of C and P in seston of marine and freshwater sites supports earlier conclusions of the potential importance of food quality constraints on Daphnia growth.
HIF‐2: The Missing Link Between Obesity and Cardiomyopathy

The evolutionarily conserved hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway is present ubiquitously in mammalian cells and plays a critical role in the regulation of energy metabolism, especially glucose utilization.[1][1]–[2][2] HIF is a transcription factor consisting of an O2-sensitive HIF-α (HIF-1α
Automated image analyses for separating plant roots from soil debris elutrated from soil cores

Historically, destructive root sampling has been labour intensive and requires manual separation of extraneous organic debris recovered along with roots in the hydropneumatic elutriation method of separating plant roots from soils. Quantification of root system demographics by public domain National Institute of Health (NIH-Image) and Root Image Processing Laboratory (RIPL) image processing algorithms has eliminated much of the labour-intensive manual separation. This was accomplished by detennining the best length to diameter ratio for each object during image analysis. Objects with a length to diameter ratio less than a given threshold are considered non-root materials and are rejected automatically by computer algorithms. Iterative analyses of length to diameter ratios showed that a 15:1 ratio was best for separating images of maize (Zea mays L.) roots from associated organic debris. Using this threshold ratio for a set of 24 soil cores, a highly significant correlation (r2=0.89) was obtained between computer image processed total root length per core and actual root length. A linear relationship (r2 =0.80) was observed between root lengths determined by NIH-Image analysis and lengths determined independently by the RIPL imaging system, using the same maize root + debris samples. This correlation demonstrates that computer image processing provides opportunities for comparing root length parameters between different laboratories for samples containing debris.1
The MITRE security perimeter

To protect MITRE's unclassified computing resources from unauthorized use, MITRE maintains a network firewall between the MITRE corporate network and the Internet, and limits dial-in to three modem pools. The firewall limits Internet connectivity to a small set of computer systems called boundary hosts. The boundary hosts and the modem pools use a smartcard-based user authentication scheme to ensure that only authorized MITRE employees can gain access to the corporate network. The combination of firewall, boundary hosts, and modem pools is known as the MITRE security perimeter. The paper describes the design of the security perimeter and the integration of the smartcard system into the boundary hosts and modem pools. >
Phylogenetic Analyses of Trilliaceae based on Morphological and Molecular Data

Abstract These comprehensive analyses of systematic relationships within Trilliaceae focused on the relationships within Paris sensu lato (i.e., Paris, Daiswa, and Kinugasa); between species of Trillium; and between Paris sensu lato and Trillium. Seventy species were selected for cladistic analyses and scored for 110 morphological characters; matK and ITS molecular characters were obtained from GenBank for a subset of 26 taxa. Based on the preliminary results, Trillium rivale was used as a functional outgroup. For the subset of 26 species, analysis of the combined ITS and matK sequence data produced six shortest trees; the morphological data, 13 shortest trees; and the combined morphological and molecular data sets, three trees. Analyses of the full morphological data set of 70 species produced 76 shortest trees. Trillium rivale was distinct from both Paris and Trillium and should be placed in its own genus, for which the name Pseudotrillium is proposed. Trillium govanianum was more closely related to Par...
A Multitransducer Microsystem for Insect Monitoring and Control

This paper reports the development and in-vivo testing of a compact multitransducer microsystem intended for neuroethology experiments, including studies of gait dynamics in free-running insects. The system incorporates a combination of custom and off-the-shelf components. Its suite of measurement devices comprises leg-mounted strain gauges, electromyogram (EMG) and extracellular electrodes for the central nervous system, and a two-axis accelerometer. For signal conditioning and selection, the microsystem implements off-the-shelf electronics in a custom chip-on-board configuration. The microsystem measures 16 mmtimes19 mm, supports 40 components and 56 I/O leads, and is assembled on a four-layer printed-circuit board. The entire system occupies only 0.65 cm3 and weighs less than 5 g. It has been successfully used to monitor leg-strain and EMG signals on walking cockroaches and for stimulation in the insect central nervous and muscular systems
Walking on Water: Biolocomotion at the Interface

We consider the hydrodynamics of creatures capable of sustaining themselves on the water surface by means other than flotation. Particular attention is given to classifying water walkers according to their principal means of weight support and lateral propulsion. The various propulsion mechanisms are rationalized through consideration of energetics, hydrodynamic forces applied, or momentum transferred by the driving stroke. We review previous research in this area and suggest directions for future work. Special attention is given to introductory discussions of problems not previously treated in the fluid mechanics literature, with hopes of attracting physicists, applied mathematicians, and engineers to this relatively unexplored area of fluid mechanics.
The Endowment Effect: Rose-Tinted and Dark-Tinted Glasses

The endowment effect, predicted by prospect theory, is a robust finding in behavioral decision theory. Extending recent examinations of the underlying processes, we present evidence for differential perceptions of the traded item, with sellers focusing more on positive features and less on negative features, relative to buyers. In experiment 1, sellers and buyers access information of differing valence in a free recall task. Experiment 2 utilizes error rates and response latencies to demonstrate systematic, and differing, patterns of errors and biases in reactions to valenced stimuli. Experiment 3 utilizes contrast effects to manipulate these foci, thereby moderating the endowment effect.
High concentration suspended sediment measurements using a continuous fiber optic in-stream transmissometer

Suspended sediment loads mobilized during high flow periods in rivers and streams are largely uncharacterized. In smaller and intermittent streams, a large storm may transport a majority of the annual sediment budget. Therefore monitoring techniques that can measure high suspended sediment concentrations at semi-continuous time intervals are needed. A Fiber optic In-stream Transmissometer (FIT) is presented for continuous measurement of high concentration suspended sediment in storm runoff. FIT performance and precision were demonstrated to be reasonably good for suspended sediment concentrations up to 10g/L. The FIT was compared to two commercially available turbidity devices and provided better precision and accuracy at both high and low concentrations. Both turbidity devices were unable to collect measurements at concentrations greater than 4 g/L. The FIT and turbidity measurements were sensitive to sediment particle size. Particle size dependence of transmittance and turbidity measurement poses the greatest problem for calibration to suspended sediment concentration. While the FIT was demonstrated to provide acceptable measurements of high suspended sediment concentrations, approaches to real-time suspended sediment detection need to address the particle size dependence in concentration measurements.
Prospects for milli-hertz linewidth lasers using collective emission

Ultra-stable lasers are core components of many precision measurements and clock experiments. The stability of the most stable lasers is limited by thermal noise of the reference cavities to which the frequency of the laser is locked. Overcoming this limitation is a serious challenge. We discuss an alternative route to ultra-stable light that circumvents the need for an improved reference cavity. The idea is to generate light actively from ultra-cold atoms in a lattice clock. We discuss the physical mechanism underlying this light source, experimental requirements, and key characteristics of the generated light such as its intensity, linewidth, and noise properties.
Reticulitermes nelsonae, a New Species of Subterranean Termite (Rhinotermitidae) from the Southeastern United States

Reticulitermes nelsonae, a new species of Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera) is described based on specimens from Sapelo Island, GA, Thomasville, GA, Havelock, NC, and Branford, FL. Adult (alate) and soldier forms are described. Diagnostic characters are provided and incorporated into a supplemental couplet of a dichotomous key to the known species of Reticulitermes found in Georgia, USA.
The Uninsured, Tax Credits, and Crowd-Out

It is estimated that there will be 54 million citizens without health insurance in 2007. The nursing profession should consider policies that reduce the number of uninsured. This article describes ...
Teaching Values Through The Athletic Experience

Values education should be an essential part of the athletic expe rience, say these writers, who have developed a model for ac complishing that end. Key to that model is teaching in the affective domain.
Inclusive Approach to the Multiplicity Distribution

Starting with the Mueller-Regge assumption, a multiperipheral-like integral equation for the multiplicity generating function is constructed and solved. The integral equation, therefore, involves inclusive parameters only. A one-to-one correspondence between our result and that of an exclusive multiperipheral model is established through a proper orthogonal matrix. Explicit expressions for the multiplicity distribution and correlations are obtained. Possible applications and generalizations are discussed within the framework of a two-component picture of hadronic productions.
Reducing Adiposity in a Critical Developmental Window Has Lasting Benefits in Mice

Although most adults can lose weight by dieting, a well-characterized compensatory decrease in energy expenditure promotes weight regain more than 90% of the time. Using mice with impaired hypothalamic leptin signaling as a model of early-onset hyperphagia and obesity, we explored whether this unfavorable response to weight loss could be circumvented by early intervention. Early-onset obesity was associated with impairments in the structure and function of brown adipose tissue mitochondria, which were ameliorated by weight loss at any age. Although decreased sympathetic tone in weight-reduced adults resulted in net reductions in brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and energy expenditure that promoted rapid weight regain, this was not the case when dietary interventions were initiated at weaning. Enhanced energy expenditure persisted even after mice were allowed to resume overeating, leading to lasting reductions in adiposity. These findings reveal a time window when dietary interventions can produce metabolic improvements that are stably maintained.
Diagnostic Electron Microscopy

In 1986 Ernst Ruska was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work in the development of the electron microscope. The electron microscope, with its power of resolution, opened up the smaller new world of biology. Its diagnostic utility in anatomic pathology was contested by advanced immunohistochemical and molecular genetic techniques in recent’years. The electron microscope still remains a useful tool in selected instances of tumor diagnosis and renal biopsy interpretation. The main contribution of the electron microscopy has been and will continue to be to the understanding of the structure-function relationships at the subcellular level
Anomalous Systemic Venous Return

Hal Walters and Ralph Delius couldn’t have put it better than in their introduction to this subject in the 4th edition of our textbook, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013):
Erratum to "Disrupted insula-based neural circuit organization and conflict interference in trauma-exposed youth" [NeuroImage Clin. 8 (2015) 516-25].

In the paper entitled “Disrupted insula-based neural circuit organization and conflict interference in trauma-exposed youth” by Hilary A. Marusak, Amit Etkin, and Moriah E. Thomason, published in Neuroimage:Clinical, Volume 8, 2015, pp. 516–25, we have become aware that the key for “trauma” and “comparison” that appears in Fig. 2, Fig. 3 is incorrect. In the scatterplots, “comparison” participants were incorrectly labeled as the darker magenta color, and “trauma” participants were labeled as the lighter color. The corrected images, provided here, show “comparison” participants in the lighter color and “trauma” participants in the darker. The mislabeling does not affect the results or discussion of results, nor does it affect the conclusions made in the article. Fig. 2 Fig. 3 The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused to the reviewers of this article and readers of the journal.
Vasodilator stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in post-orthotopic heart transplant recipients: evaluation of safety, hemodynamics, and myocardial perfusion

Background Long-term survival after orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) is limited by coronary allograft vasculopathy and its associated myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Little is known how post-OHT patients respond to vasodilator stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (vsCMR). This study aimed (1) to evaluate the safety and hemodynamic response of post-OHT patients undergoing vsCMR with regadenoson and (2) to determine whether these patients have abnormalities in myocardial perfusion detectable by vsCMR.
The Idol Beneath the Altar

Drawing on the imagery of a Mayan idol hidden beneath the altar of a Catholic mission church imposed on a Mayan city by Spanish conquerors, the author discusses the role of deeply rooted core beliefs that are not always evident on the surface-and the observation that, in clinical practice, things are not always as they seem. Psychotherapists may unconsciously be seen as invading cultural enemies.
A Test of Hypotheses on Male Mating Systems and Female Molting in Decapod Shrimp, Using Sicyonia dorsalis (Decapoda: Penaeoidea)

ABSTRACT It has been hypothesized that male defense of females should evolve in crustacean species in which females molt prior to mating. Mate guarding of premolt females has been demonstrated in decapods in which males have traits such as equal or larger size than females, well-developed chelipeds, and notably aggressive behavior. However, there are numerous species in the shrimp taxa Penaeoidea and Caridea in which males are smaller than females and "weakly armed" with relatively small chelipeds. Precopulatory mate guarding has not been described in these species. The hypothesis of male recognition and guarding of premolt females was tested in Sicyonia dorsalis using video observations on mixed groups of males, intermolt females, and premolt females. Males did not associate with nor defend premolt females, but instead occasionally contacted all females using a courtship behavior ("following"). Courtship and copulations increased dramatically after a female molted. There was no aggressive behavior nor direct physical competition among males for such receptive females. In another set of observations, individual females were kept in isolation for up to 3 weeks after molting before presentation to males. Males were attracted to and mated with these females with empty seminal receptacles, indicating that female receptivity, not tactile and chemical stimuli associated with female molting, are most important in sex attraction in this species. A male tactic of searching for and briefly testing females for copulatory condition, rather than prolonged defense of a single premolt female, may be common in shrimp species with small, weakly armed males.
Abstract 5062: Rac1 signaling is up-regulated in normal tissue adjacent to recurrent respiratory papillomas

Recurrent respiratory papillomas, caused by human papillomavirus infection, are benign tumors that block the airway and have significant potential for malignant conversion. Previously we have shown that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in papillomas. This overexpression leads to the activation of a novel signaling pathway involving increased expression of the Rho-family member GTPase Rac1, activation of the p38 mitogen activated kinase and increased expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). This pathway is not activated in normal laryngeal epithelial tissue samples from individuals without the disease, but is constitutively active in papilloma tissue. Here we have investigated the extent to which the EGFR → Rac1 → p38 → COX-2 pathway is activated in clinically normal airway tissue from patients with respiratory papillomas. Surprisingly, we found that the Rac1 and COX-2 levels are comparable in “normal” and papilloma tissues, suggesting widespread activation of this pathway in the laryngeal mucosa, without marked elevation of the EGFR in the “normal” adjacent tissue. Moreover, preliminary data suggests that overexpression of Rac1 in these patients may be systemic, as it is also found at higher levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We hypothesize that Rac1 overexpression may be a rare genetic trait that predisposes these patients to develop recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Furthermore, investigation into Rac1 levels revealed the presence of a splice variant known as Rac1b. This constitutively active form of Rac1 is found at higher levels in papilloma tissue when compared to “normal” adjacent tissue from the same patient, possibly contributing to the growth of the tumors. Our current research is focused on determining the mechanism of Rac1 overexpression and elucidating the role of the Rac1 isoforms in papilloma cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5062.
Estradiol alters cholecystokinin stimulus-response coupling in rat pancreatic acini

We have previously demonstrated that altered exocrine pancreatic stimulus-secretion coupling is associated with ovariectomy and chronic estradiol administration. To elucidate possible mechanisms un...
Using the WEIS-SR to evaluate employee perceptions of their college work environment.

BACKGROUND: Colleges have been experiencing reduced resource allocations, shifting student expectations, and organizational change. These changes increase employee stress at all levels. Ensuring that employee needs are being met and promoting a healthy and productive workforce has never been more important. OBJECTIVE: To investigate employees’ current perceptions of their work environments using the Work Environment Impact Scale-Self Rating (WEIS-SR). METHODS: Full and part time employees on a small college campus in the United States were surveyed using the WEIS-SR through an online survey program to protect their anonymity. RESULTS: Perception of staffing levels, workplace support for a healthy lifestyle, number of supervisors, and personal health ratings contributed to employee perceptions of their work environment. There were also differences between staff, administration, and tenured and non-tenured faculty. CONCLUSIONS: From an occupational performance perspective, valuable information on employees’ levels of volition, performance capacity and habituation, and perceptions of their physical and social environment in relation to their work environments was obtained. Further support for the use of the WEIS-SR and psychometric properties of the instrument (reliability and validity) was obtained.
Planning under uncertainty using reduced models: revisiting determinization

We introduce a family of MDP reduced models characterized by two parameters: the maximum number of primary outcomes per action that are fully accounted for and the maximum number of occurrences of the remaining exceptional outcomes that are planned for in advance. Reduced models can be solved much faster using heuristic search algorithms such as LAO*, benefiting from the dramatic reduction in the number of reachable states. A commonly used determinization approach is a special case of this family of reductions, with one primary outcome per action and zero exceptional outcomes per plan. We present a framework to compute the benefits of planning with reduced models, relying on online planning when the number of exceptional outcomes exceeds the bound. Using this framework, we compare the performance of various reduced models and consider the challenge of generating good ones automatically. We show that each one of the dimensions—allowing more than one primary outcome or planning for some limited number of exceptions— could improve performance relative to standard determinization. The results place recent work on determinization in a broader context and lay the foundation for efficient and systematic exploration of the space of MDP model reductions.
Urine Glutathione-S-Transferase Associated with Nephrotoxic Drugs

Administration of a large number of therapeutic and diagnostic agents is associated with injury to the renal tubules. We have studied the appearance of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in the urine as a marker of renal tubular injury. GST is a cytosolic enzyme found in kidney, liver, and small intestine (1). It binds many substances and catalyses the conjugation of some of its ligands to reduced glutathione (2,3). GST is abundant in cytosol (4) and is localized to the proximal nephron (5). Normally undetectable in urine or serum by enzymatic assay (6), GST appears in the urine in experimental tubular toxicity from substances such as mercury, chromium, and gentamicin (7,8). In this study we looked at urinary GST in rats and man following the administration of cisplatin, cyclosporin, and iodinated radiocontrast agents.
Skin Grafts in the Lizard, Anolis Carolinensis, Cuv

1. Autotransplants of pigmented (melanophore-bearing) skin on a white region, and of white skin on a pigmented region both exhibit a strict specificity. 2. There is no migration of the melanophores in any case of transplantation. 3. Transplants of pigmented skin lose their colour-changing power immediately on being completely disconnected from neighbouring tissues, and regain it slowly as nerves regenerate. 4. The melanophores are supplied largely by nerves which reach them directly through the underlying tissues. If these nerves are cut from a given area of skin, without separating the area from the surrounding skin, it at first loses the power of colour change, but the neighbouring integument appears able, after a delay of a few days, to control the denervated area. 5. Areas of melanophore-bearing skin, isolated by incision from surrounding skin, but with their subcutaneous connections intact, can act normally with the rest of the animal in the colour-changes. 6. Adrenalin, in producing the green state in pigmented grafts which have regained the colour-changing function, acts as it does upon normal integument. The action is indirectly through the sympathetic nervous system, and not directly upon the melanophores. 7. Homoiotransplants, either pigmented or white, are absorbed. The absorption occurs after the grafts have well healed in place. The scutes disappear, leaving the area covered by thin scaleless integument. 8. New scutes regenerate wherever there are areas barren of them. Scute regeneration progresses centripetally, suggesting some formative influence exerted by the surrounding normal integument.
Lower Eyelid Retraction Surgery Without Internal Spacer Graft

Background Internal eyelid spacer graft is routinely placed during lower eyelid retraction surgery, which may be unnecessary. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of lower eyelid retraction surgery without internal graft in select cases. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing reconstructive lower eyelid retraction surgery without internal graft, by one surgeon from 2013 to 2015. Surgical technique included transconjunctival lower eyelid retractor lysis, canthoplasty, and temporary tarsorrhaphy, with or without subperiosteal midface-sub oribularis oculi fat (SOOF) lifting and scar lysis. Eyelids with true lower eyelid middle-lamella shortage were excluded. Analysis included 17 surgeries (11 patients). Eight of 11 patients had undergone at least one previous lower eyelid surgery with resultant lower eyelid retraction and sclera show. Preoperative and postoperative photographs at longest follow-up visit were analyzed with standardized measurements. Patient satisfaction was recorded using questionnaire. Results Etiologies of lower eyelid retraction included prior lower blepharoplasty, thyroid eye disease, and chronic facial palsy. All 11 patients (17 procedures) demonstrated improvement of lower eyelid position. The mean improvement of marginal reflex distance was 2.2 mm (range, 1.6-2.8 mm). There was one case of mild overcorrection. The average follow-up was 7 months (range, 6 months-2 years). Midface lift was performed for 14 of 17 eyelids. Conclusions This study demonstrates improvement of lower lid position after lower eyelid retraction surgery without internal eyelid spacer graft in select patients. Most patients in our study had undergone previous lower eyelid blepharoplasty and required midface-SOOF lifting. The author proposes that “routine” placement of lower eyelid internal spacer/graft may not be necessary during lower eyelid retraction surgery.
Control of Prostrate Spurge (Euphorbia humistrata) and Large Crabgrass (Digitaria sanquinalas) in Container Grown Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’ With Herbicide Combinations

Abstract Granular herbicide combinations were evaluated for longevity of prostrate spurge (Euphorbia humistrata Engelm.ex.Gray) and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.) control. Rout (oxytluorfen + oryzalin), Ornamental Herbicide 2 (oxytluorfen + pendimethalin), Ronstar plus Modown (oxadiazon + bifenox) and Ronstar (oxadiazon) were applied at labeled rates and twice labeled rate in container grown Compact Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’). Weeds were reseeded each month but herbicides were not reapplied. The normal use rate controlled both weeds during the first 30 days after treatment (DAT) while twice this rate controlled the weed species at 60 DAT. No herbicide treatment effectively (>80%) controlled prostrate spurge 90 DAT. The high rate of Rout controlled (>80%) crabgrass at 90 DAT. Weed numbers and above ground biomass retlected visual control ratings. Compact Japanese Holly was not injured by any treatment.
Mechanistic Insights into Concerted C–C Reductive Elimination from Homoleptic Uranium Alkyls

A mechanistic study was carried out to probe concerted C–C reductive elimination from homoleptic uranium(IV) alkyls. The para-chloro uranium(IV) tetrabenzyl derivative, U(CH2–p-ClC6H4)4 (2-p-Cl), was synthesized by treating UCl4 with 4 equivalents of KCH2–p-Cl-Ph (1-p-Cl) at −108 °C, adding a new member to the previously reported family of uranium alkyl complexes U(CH2C6H5)4 (2-Bn), U(CH2–p-iPrC6H4)4 (2-p-iPr), U(CH2–ptBu-C6H4)4 (2-p-tBu), U(CH2–o-OMeC6H4)4 (2-o-OMe), and U(CH2–m-OMeC6H4)4 (2-m-OMe). Each member of this family readily reacts with the redox-active α-diimine ligand, MesDABMe (MesDABMe = [MesN═C(Me)C(Me)═NMes]; Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl), to afford the products from C–C reductive elimination, namely, (MesDABMe)U(CH2Ph′)2 and Ph′CH2CH2Ph′ (Ph′ = p-iPrC6H4, p-tBuC6H4, m-OMeC6H4, p-ClC6H4). Room-temperature magnetic-susceptibility values, obtained via SQUID magnetometry, show a correlation with an increase in the magnetic moment as the electron-withdrawing character of the substituent increas...
Purposing: How Purpose Develops Self-Organizing Capacities

Self-organization and organic-like organization are gaining more traction during the last few years with different forms and organizing structures, offering a potential alternative to mainstream tr...
Synthetic Lethal Vulnerabilities in KRAS-Mutant Cancers

KRAS is the most commonly mutated oncogene in human cancer. Most KRAS-mutant cancers depend on sustained expression and signaling of KRAS, thus making it a high-priority therapeutic target. Unfortunately, development of direct small molecule inhibitors of KRAS function has been challenging. An alternative therapeutic strategy for KRAS-mutant malignancies involves targeting codependent vulnerabilities or synthetic lethal partners that are preferentially essential in the setting of oncogenic KRAS. KRAS activates numerous effector pathways that mediate proliferation and survival signals. Moreover, cancer cells must cope with substantial oncogenic stress conferred by mutant KRAS. These oncogenic signaling pathways and compensatory coping mechanisms of KRAS-mutant cancer cells form the basis for synthetic lethal interactions. Here, we review the compendium of previously identified codependencies in KRAS-mutant cancers, including the results of numerous functional genetic screens aimed at identifying KRAS synthetic lethal targets. Importantly, many of these vulnerabilities may represent tractable therapeutic opportunities.
The Diophantine Equation x2+y2+z2=m2

(1962). The Diophantine Equation x2+y2+z2=m2. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 69, No. 5, pp. 360-365.
Robotica: Speech Rights and Artificial Intelligence

In every era of communications technology - whether print, radio, television, or Internet - some form of government censorship follows to regulate the medium and its messages. Today we are seeing the phenomenon of 'machine speech' enhanced by the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence. Ronald K. L. Collins and David M. Skover argue that the First Amendment must provide defenses and justifications for covering and protecting robotic expression. It is irrelevant that a robot is not human and cannot have intentions; what matters is that a human experiences robotic speech as meaningful. This is the constitutional recognition of 'intentionless free speech' at the interface of the robot and receiver. Robotica is the first book to develop the legal arguments for these purposes. Aimed at law and communication scholars, lawyers, and free speech activists, this work explores important new problems and solutions at the interface of law and technology.
Angiogenic Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Retinopathies

In the past decade, advances in vector design and delivery have helped guide gene therapy technologies from the laboratory to clinical trials. These technologies are poised to tackle a key problem in opthalmology: pathologic angiogenesis. Gene transfer techonologies offer the potential for highly regulated and sustained delivery of a therapeutic agent, and may have the potential to arrest a pathological process prior to the evolution of a soluble angiogenic factor. Multiple biologic effectors of agiogenesis have been investigated as potential therapeutic targets, including Vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and the VEGF receptor, angiopoietin 1 and 2, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-3 (Timp-3), angiostatin, Pigment Epithelial-Derived Factor (PEDF), and endostatin. Data from experimental models in these systems has been encouraging, and the experience gained from ongoing ocular gene therapy trials in non-angiogenic disease will be instructive. In the first human angiogenic gene therapy trial for a neovascular retinopathy, PEDF expressed in an adenoviral vector demonstrated a reasonable safety profile and proof of concept. Cell-based and siRNA technologies are also under clinical investigation, and, together with gene therapy, may provide breakthrough treatments for diseases that cause much of the world’s blindness.
Applying the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in the Workplace: Struggling to Keep Pace with Paradigm Shifts in Technology

What are the legal boundaries of an employee’s privacy in this interconnected, electronic-communication age, one in which thoughts and ideas that would have been spoken personally and privately in ages past are now instantly sent to friends and family via computer? This paper analyzes employee privacy rights in light of modern work-related monitoring and surveillance technologies and practices and the possible application of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) to those monitoring practices. The analysis in this paper demonstrates that employees have minimal work-related privacy rights. While the ECPA may provide some privacy protections for employees, due to rapid changes in technology, the extent of privacy protections are unclear and in flux. Until the ECPA can be modernized to take into account twenty-first century technologies, there will be no clear boundaries for employee privacy.
Changing Classroom Practice: Elementary Teacher Experiences of a Professional Development Program.

K-12 teachers participate in formal professional development programs to improve the art of teaching and learning. This qualitative study explored the experiences of elementary educators as they implemented their newly acquired blended learning skills in the classroom. Analysis of the results revealed how teachers understand and make meaning of a professional development training program experience. After formal professional development programs, district level administrators failed to support K-6 professionals who desired change at the classroom level, therefore undermining their efforts to grow. Findings point to recommendations for improving district-wide professional development programs.
Effectiveness of Nine Different Fungicides for Management of Crown and Root Rot of Chile Pepper Plants Caused by Phytophthora capsici

ABSTRACT Bell and chile pepper plants are affected by the economically important disease Phytophthora blight, which is caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici. Greenhouse and field tri...
Diurnal cortisol profiles, inflammation, and functional limitations in aging: Findings from the MIDUS study.

Objective The current study examined the association between diurnal cortisol profiles, inflammation, and functional limitations, among adults ranging in age from 34-84 years. Method Participants (N = 799) completed Waves 2 (between 2004 and 2006) and 3 (between 2014 and 2016) of the Midlife Development in the United States Survey. At Wave 2, participants provided saliva samples across 4 consecutive days, from which cortisol was assayed. Previously validated diurnal cortisol profiles (i.e., normative, flattened, or elevated) were examined in relation to concurrent inflammation risk burden and to predict long-term changes in functional limitations. Results Compared with participants with normative profiles across all interview days, participants with dysregulated profiles across all interview days (i.e., all days elevated, flattened, or a combination of elevated and flattened) showed greater concurrent inflammation risk burden and more functional limitations at follow-up. Regions of significance testing indicated that the association was significant beginning at age 60 for inflammation risk burden and beginning at age 66 for functional limitations. Variable profiles (i.e., a mix of normative and flattened and/or elevated across the four days of assessment) were not significantly associated with these health indices. Conclusions Findings, consistent with the theoretical model of Strength and Vulnerability Integration, illustrate the importance of considering age when examining cortisol and its association with other health indices. (PsycINFO Database Record