cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeting a Prokaryotic Protein in a Eukaryotic Pathogen: Identification of Lead Compounds against Cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important human pathogen and potential bioterrorism agent. No vaccines exist against C. parvum, the drugs currently approved to treat cryptosporidiosis are ineffective, and drug discovery is challenging because the parasite cannot be maintained continuously in cell culture. Mining the sequence of the C. parvum genome has revealed that the only route to guanine nucleotides is via inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). Moreover, phylogenetic analysis suggests that the IMPDH gene was obtained from bacteria by lateral gene transfer. Here we exploit the unexpected evolutionary divergence of parasite and host enzymes by designing a high-throughput screen to target the most diverged portion of the IMPDH active site. We have identified four parasite-selective IMPDH inhibitors that display antiparasitic activity with greater potency than paromomycin, the current gold standard for anticryptosporidial activity.
Integrating Management of Soil Nitrogen and Weeds

Knowledge of the soil nitrogen (N) supply and the N mineralization potential of the soil combined with an understanding of weed-crop competition in response to soil nutrient levels may be used to optimize N fertilizer rates to increase the competitive advantage of crop species. A greenhouse study (2006) and field studies (2007 to 2008) in Illinois and Nebraska were conducted to quantify the growth and interference of maize and velvetleaf in response to varying synthetic N fertilizer rates in soils with high and low N mineralization potential. Natural soils were classified as having ‘‘low mineralization potential’’ (LMP), while soils amended with composted manure were classified as having ‘‘high mineralization potential’’ (HMP). Maize and velvetleaf were grown in monoculture or in mixture in both LMP and HMP soils and fertilized with zero, medium, or full locally recommended N rate. In the greenhouse, velvetleaf interference in maize with respect to plant biomass increased as N rate increased in the HMP soil, whereas increasing N rate in the LMP soil reduced velvetleaf interference. In contrast, velvetleaf interference in maize decreased as N rate increased regardless of soil class in the field experiment. With respect to grain yield, velvetleaf interference in maize was unaffected by N rate or soil class. In both greenhouse and field experiments, velvetleaf biomass was greater in the HMP soil class, whereas maize interference in velvetleaf was generally greater in the LMP soil class. While soil N levels influenced weed-crop interference in the greenhouse, the results of the field study demonstrate the difficulty of controlling soil nutrient dynamics in the field and support a maize fertilization strategy independent of weed N use considerations. Nomenclature: Velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medic. ABUTH; maize, Zea mays L.
Signatures of color glass condensate: Forward azimuthal angle di-hadron correlations in PHENIX

Abstract Measurements using the PHENIX forward detectors in high energy deuteron–gold collisions make it possible to study cold nuclear matter effects in nucleon structure at low x. The high gluon densities in Lorentz-contracted gold nuclei make it possible to probe for gluon saturation or Color Glass Condensate effects. Past RHIC experiments have shown a suppression in nuclear modification factors ( R dA , R cp ) for s NN = 200 GeV d + Au collisions in the forward (deuteron) direction. Multiple theories can explain the observed suppression (including saturation), but a conclusive measurement discriminating between the models has yet to be carried out. Two new forward electromagnetic calorimeters (Muon Piston Calorimeters, − 3.7 η − 3.1 , 3.1 η 3.9 ) allow the PHENIX experiment to further study forward di-hadron correlations, which have been predicted to show dramatic effects due to gluon saturation. In particular, azimuthal correlations of di-hadron pairs at different pseudorapidities will be shown; the forward pseudorapidity correlations are especially interesting because it is expected that they provide a test of gluon saturation down to x ≈ 10 − 3 in the Au nucleus. The analysis presented is based on the high integrated luminosity data sample of d + Au collisions at s NN = 200 GeV taken at RHIC in 2008.
LIE Detection by Inducing Cognitive Load: Eye Movements and Other Cues to the False Answers of “Witnesses” to Crimes

Research on the accuracy of eyewitness testimony has expanded dramatically in recent years. Most of it concerns the issue of mistaken identification, not the problem of uncovering deceptive account...
Near-infrared light curve of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 during Deep Impact

Abstract On UT 2005 July 4 we observed Comet 9P/Tempel 1 during its encounter with the Deep Impact flyby spacecraft and impactor. Using the SpeX near-infrared spectrograph mounted on NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility, we obtained 0.8-to-2.5 μm flux-calibrated spectral light curves of the comet for 12 min before and 14 min after impact. Our cadence was just 1.1 s. The light curve shows constant flux before the impact and an overall brightening trend after the impact, but not at a constant rate. Within a 0.8-arcsec-radius circular aperture, the comet rapidly-brightened by 0.63 mag at 1.2 μm in the first minute. Thereafter, brightening was more modest, averaging about 0.091 mag/min at 1.2 μm, although apparently not quite constant. In addition we see a bluing in the spectrum over the post-impact period of about 0.07 mag in J–H and 0.35 mag in J–K. The majority of this bluing happened in the first minute, and the dust only marginally blued after that, in stark contrast to the continued brightening. The photometric behavior in the light curve is due to a combination of crater formation effects, expansion of the ejecta cloud, and evolution of liberated dust grains. The bluing is likely due to an icy component on those grains, and the icy grains would have had to have a devolatilization timescale longer than 14 min (unless they were shielded by the optical depth of the cloud). The bluing could also have been caused by the decrease in the “typical” size of the dust grains after impact. Ejecta dominated by submicron grains, as inferred from other observations, would have stronger scattering at shorter wavelengths than the much larger grains observed before impact.
Commentary Paper on "An Object- and Task-Oriented Architecture for Automated Video Surveillance in Distributed Sensor Networks"

For original paper see, ibid.,p.339-46, (2008). This paper proposed an object- and task-oriented architecture for automated video surveillance in distributed sensor networks. The proposed work is implemented and evaluated in an experimental testbed consisting 25 nodes.
THE TROPHIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BACTERIA IN A DETRITUS-BASED STREAM FOOD WEB

We compared relative use of streamwater dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by bacteria and the trophic significance of bacteria to invertebrates in two headwater streams at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in North Carolina: a stream with all leaf litter inputs excluded for 1 yr, and a reference stream. Leaf litter standing crop in the treatment stream was <1% that of the reference stream, and fine benthic organic matter (FBOM) was 50% lower than the reference. We used a whole-stream tracer addition of 13C-1 sodium acetate for 3 wk to label bacteria and hence their consumers during both July and December. Bacterial δ13C was measured by collecting respired bacterial carbon. We estimated the contribution of bacterial carbon to consumers using a mixing model for invertebrates and bacteria. The acetate label declined exponentially downstream with a 10-m uptake length in each stream and season. FBOM and biofilm were the only detrital samples to show a strong label; both were more labeled in the litter-excluded stream...
The Brachypodium distachyon Reference Genome

Grasses provide the bulk of human calories but improvement in grass yields is hindered by the characteristically large and complex genomes of these species; the genomes of wheat, maize, and sugar cane are 17,000, 2300, and 10,000 Mb, respectively. Brachypodium distachyon has one of the smallest genomes of all grasses at 272 Mb, and a number of key traits that make it a good model grass. Brachypodium was the fourth sequenced grass genome, after rice, Sorghum, and maize, and was the first sequenced in the Pooideae subfamily, a diverse group that includes wheat, barley, oat, and rye. The Brachypodium genome was sequenced using a whole genome shotgun approach with Sanger sequencing and is nearly complete with 99.6 % of the sequences anchored to five chromosomes. Sequencing of Brachypodium enabled comparative genomic analysis of grass genomes and shed light on processes involved in chromosome fusions and maintenance of a small genome. The high-quality Brachypodium genome sequence provides a framework for gene expression atlases, resequencing, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, GWAS, and ENCODE datasets. The wealth of Brachypodium genomic resources have cemented its utility as a model organism and will facilitate translational work for improving the grasses that feed the world.
1113PMUTATION ANALYSIS OF MELANOMA PATIENTS WITH LEPTOMENINGEAL DISEASE (LMD) RECEIVING INTRATHECAL INTERLEUKIN-2 (IT-IL-2) AT MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER (MDACC)

ABSTRACT Aim: LMD is a devastating end-stage complication of Malignant Melanoma (MM). It remains one of the most difficult forms of this disease, with a dismal median survival ranging from 8-10 weeks. The incidence of LMD is increasing, secondary to improved systemic treatments and increasing longevity for patients with MM. However, treatment for LMD remains mostly supportive with or without palliative craniospinal irradiation. At MDACC, we have been treating MM LMD patients with IT IL-2 for over 20 years. Little has been published regarding the mutation status of this special population. Here we present the molecular aberrations in BRAF, NRAS and CKIT in a cohort of MM LMD patients at MDACC. Methods: Between 1994 and 2014, we followed consecutive MM LMD patients receiving IT IL-2 at MDACC. A total of 43 patients were treated and their data collected. Mutation analysis became a routine part of our practice in 2010 where tumor tissue or cerebrospinal fluid cytology was available. Results: Of the 43 patients who received IT IL-2, 30 had evaluable molecular results. The most common mutation in MM LMD patients receiving IT IL-2 was BRAF, present in 63% (n = 19), followed by NRAS, which was present in 27% (n = 8), with no patients carrying the CKIT mutation. Three patients (10%) were wild-type for BRAF, NRAS and CKIT genes. We compared this high BRAF and NRAS mutation rate (90%) to that seen in the general melanoma population (65%). Using an exact two-sided binomial test, this higher frequency in MM LMD patients undergoing treatment with IT IL-2 was statistically significant with a p-value of 0.0038. Conclusions: In our small series of patients with MM LMD undergoing treatment with IT IL-2, a high frequency of BRAF and NRAS mutations was seen (90%). This is statistically significant when compared to the general MM population, where BRAF and NRAS rates approach 65% (p = 0.0038). This difference may be due to patient selection, or it may signify a predisposition for patients with certain genetic aberrations to develop fatal LMD. More patients are needed to corroborate this finding. Detailed demographics and updates will be presented at the meeting. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
Investigation on the Effectiveness of a Nonlinear Energy Sink on an Aeroelastic System

The effectiveness of a passive control system, namely, the Nonlinear Energy Sink (NES) in the control of the response of a nonlinear aeroelastic system is investigated. The system consists of a rigid airfoil elastically mounted on linear and nonlinear springs. The structure equations are derived using Lagrange’s equations. The quasi steady aerodynamics are used to model the aerodynamic loads. The NES having linear damping is attached to the aeroelastic system. The parameters of the passive controller are varied in order to investigate the efficiency in supressing undesirable aeroelastic behavior. The results suggest that the nonlinearity of the NES influences the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the aeroelastic system and may yield undesirable responses. Nomenclature h Plunge motion θ Pitch motion y2 Nes motion α0 Preset angle of attack αeff Effective angle of attack m1 Mass of the airfoil m2 Mass of the nes e Position of the center of gravity relatively to the elastic axis d Position of the nes relatively to the elastic axis Icg Mass moment of inertia of the airfoil relatively to the center of gravity kh0 Airfoil linear plunging stiffness kh1 Airfoil quadratic plunging stiffness kh2 Airfoil cubic plunging stiffness Ch Airfoil plunging motion viscous damping coefficient kθ0 Airfoil linear pitching stiffness kθ1 Airfoil quadratic pitching stiffness kθ2 Airfoil cubic pitching stiffness Cθ Airfoil pitching motion viscous damping coefficient kn0 Nes linear plunging stiffness kn1 Nes quadratic plunging stiffness kn2 Nes cubic plunging stiffness Cy2 Nes plunging motion viscous damping coefficient L Aerodynamic Lift Force M Aerodynamic Moment b Semi-chord Clα Lift coefficient ∗Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, MC 0219, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA. Email:mhajj@vt.edu, Phone number:+15402314190 Fax:+15402314574 1 of 13 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Cmα Moment coefficient cs Nonlinear aerodynamic coefficient U Freestream velocity ρ Air density
Home Rule and Local Political Innovation

As demonstrated by San Francisco's recent adoption of instant runoff voting and New York City's recent expansion of its program for funding candidates for municipal office, local governments around the country have been actively engaged in examining and revising electoral and governmental processes. These local initiatives include alternative voting systems, campaign finance reforms, conflicts of interest codes, term limits, and revisions to tax, budget and legislative procedures. These local innovations illustrate both the capacity of local governments to restructure basic features of their political organization and their interest in doing so. Local political innovations also test the scope of local legal authority under home rule. Local innovation may be challenged as either unauthorized by state law or, more commonly, as inconsistent with and thus preempted by state laws governing local structure and elections. This paper examines local political innovations, their reception in state courts and the implications for home rule and political reform more generally. It finds that to a considerable degree state courts have upheld local innovations either by recognizing the dominant local interest in questions of local government structure or by determining that state laws do not preclude local departures from state-prescribed models. These political innovation cases suggest techniques that may be used to expand local legal autonomy. More generally, local political innovations show localities - as well as, if not more than, states - can be laboratories of democracy. A significant benefit of local freedom to innovate under home rule can be the local introduction and testing of political reforms than can national benefits.
Distinctive properties of metastasis-initiating cells

Primary tumors are known to constantly shed a large number of cancer cells into systemic dissemination, yet only a tiny fraction of these cells is capable of forming overt metastases. The tremendous rate of attrition during the process of metastasis implicates the existence of a rare and unique population of metastasis-initiating cells (MICs). MICs possess advantageous traits that may originate in the primary tumor but continue to evolve during dissemination and colonization, including cellular plasticity, metabolic reprogramming, the ability to enter and exit dormancy, resistance to apoptosis, immune evasion, and co-option of other tumor and stromal cells. Better understanding of the molecular and cellular hallmarks of MICs will facilitate the development and deployment of novel therapeutic strategies.
Unsupervised surgical data alignment with application to automatic activity annotation

Robotic surgery and other minimally-invasive surgical techniques are an integral part of patient care, and readily yield large amounts of data. Surgical tool motion (kinematic data) contains information that is useful for assessment and education. Typically, assessment and education tools that rely upon the kinematic data require substantial manual processing such as activity annotations. The goal of this paper was to develop an automated method to align surgical recordings and assign activity annotations. We developed an approach based on unsupervised alignment to efficient annotate kinematic data for its constituent activity segments. Our method includes extracting non-linear features from the kinematic data using a stacked de-noising autoencoder, and using modified dynamic time warping to align the kinematic data from different trials of the study task. We combined alignment between a test and one or a small set of template trials (with prior manual annotations) with voting based on kernel density estimation to transfer labels from the template to the test trial. Our experiments on performance of this method using two datasets captured in the training laboratory demonstrate an accuracy of 72% to 94% for annotating activity segments within a surgical training task. Our findings are robust to data captured from several surgeons, and to deviations in activity from a canonical activity sequence.
Perspectives and Molecular Diagnosis of Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophies

Molecular genetic understanding of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies has unfolded rapidly in the past decade. The new molecular understanding has enhanced diagnosis, prognosis, carrier detection, and prenatal diagnosis. Most importantly, strategies are being devised currently for the treatment of the disorder. This article provides an update on the molecular findings and their applicability in clinical practice.
Plato on the Rhetoric of Philosophers and Sophists: Elements of Gorgianic Rhetoric and the Forensic Genre in Plato's Apology

The Apology is a dialogue that at first blush seems to separate Socrates from the sophists with ease. After all, he denies that he is a teacher, while the sophists claim to teach. Socrates says that he teaches neither natural science nor excellence ( arete ); although he has followers, he does not take any payment from them (19d–e). Certainly, these elements separate Socrates from the sophists. However, the Apology's account of the differences between philosophy and sophistry – particularly between philosophical and sophistical rhetoric – is far more nuanced, for Socrates uses common forensic topoi in his speech, seemingly giving credence to the prosecution's insinuation that he is a “clever speaker” ( deinou ontos legein ) (17b). Moreover, as I argue herein, Plato's own rhetoric as the author of the dialogue follows closely in the footsteps of his sophistic predecessors. In particular, several elements of Plato's Apology closely mimic Gorgias' Defense of Palamades . In this chapter, I examine how Plato as the author of the Apology uses elements reminiscent of the sophists in order to separate Socrates from them. While philosophical rhetoric bears many superficial similarities to sophistic rhetoric, it has a distinctive set of aims. My discussion of the differences between Socratic and forensic rhetoric falls into three main areas. First, Socrates' questions are aimed at making those whom he questions more virtuous.
What's Wrong with the First Amendment

What is Wrong with the First Amendment? argues that the US love affair with the First Amendment has mutated into free speech idolatry. Free speech has been placed on so high a pedestal that it is almost automatically privileged over privacy, fair trials, equality and public health, even protecting depictions of animal cruelty and violent video games sold to children. At the same time, dissent is unduly stifled and religious minorities are burdened. The First Amendment benefits the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable. By contrast, other Western democracies provide more reasonable accommodations between free speech and other values though their protections of dissent, and religious minorities are also inadequate. Professor Steven H. Shiffrin argues that US free speech extremism is not the product of broad cultural factors, but rather political ideologies developed after the 1950s. He shows that conservatives and liberals have arrived at similar conclusions for different political reasons.
Polydispersity and the Population Balance Model

In this chapter, an introduction to the concept of polydispersity in multiphase systems and the numerical solution of coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and population balance equation (PBE) using CFD computer codes are presented. PBE is a balance equation based on the number density function and accounts for the spatial and temporal evolutions of particulate phase internal variable distribution function in a single control volume. Solutions based on the different method of moments (MOM) are also presented. The Finite size domain Complete set of trial functions Method of Moments (FCMOM) and the implementation of FCMOM in a CFD code are discussed in more detail. Finally, the validation and verification of FCMOM for three processes of linear growth, homogeneous aggregation, and nonhomogeneous aggregation in emulsion flow are presented.
Blockchain Consensus Protocols in the Wild (Keynote Talk)

A blockchain is a distributed ledger for recording transactions, maintained by many nodes without central authority through a distributed cryptographic protocol. All nodes validate the information to be appended to the blockchain, and a consensus protocol ensures that the nodes agree on a unique order in which entries are appended. Consensus protocols for tolerating Byzantine faults have received renewed attention because they also address blockchain systems. This work discusses the process of assessing and gaining confidence in the resilience of a consensus protocols exposed to faults and adversarial nodes. We advocate to follow the established practice in cryptography and computer security, relying on public reviews, detailed models, and formal proofs; the designers of several practical systems appear to be unaware of this. Moreover, we review the consensus protocols in some prominent permissioned blockchain platforms with respect to their fault models and resilience against attacks.
New perspectives on telomerase RNA structure and function

Telomerase is an ancient ribonucleoprotein (RNP) that protects the ends of linear chromosomes from the loss of critical coding sequences through repetitive addition of short DNA sequences. These repeats comprise the telomere, which together with many accessory proteins, protect chromosomal ends from degradation and unwanted DNA repair. Telomerase is a unique reverse transcriptase (RT) that carries its own RNA to use as a template for repeat addition. Over decades of research, it has become clear that there are many diverse, crucial functions played by telomerase RNA beyond simply acting as a template. In this review, we highlight recent findings in three model systems: ciliates, yeast and vertebrates, that have shifted the way the field views the structural and mechanistic role(s) of RNA within the functional telomerase RNP complex. Viewed in this light, we hope to demonstrate that while telomerase RNA is just one example of the myriad functional RNA in the cell, insights into its structure and mechanism have wide-ranging impacts. WIREs RNA 2018, 9:e1456. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1456 This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry RNA Evolution and Genomics > RNA and Ribonucleoprotein Evolution.
Clinical biomarkers differentiate myelitis from vascular and other causes of myelopathy.

Objective To assess the predictive value of the initial clinical and paraclinical features in the differentiation of inflammatory myelopathies from other causes of myelopathy in patients with initial diagnosis of transverse myelitis (TM). Methods We analyzed the clinical presentation, spinal cord MRI, and CSF features in a cohort of 457 patients referred to a specialized myelopathy center with the presumptive diagnosis of TM. After evaluation, the myelopathies were classified as inflammatory, ischemic/stroke, arteriovenous malformations/fistulas, spondylotic, or other. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine characteristics associated with the final diagnosis and predictors that would improve classification accuracy. Results Out of 457 patients referred as TM, only 247 (54%) were confirmed as inflammatory; the remaining 46% were diagnosed as vascular (20%), spondylotic (8%), or other myelopathy (18%). Our predictive model identified the temporal profile of symptom presentation (hyperacute 21 days), initial motor examination, and MRI lesion distribution as characteristics that improve the correct classification rate of myelopathies from 67% to 87% (multinomial area under the curve increased from 0.32 to 0.67), compared to only considering CSF pleocytosis and MRI gadolinium enhancement. Of all predictors, the temporal profile of symptoms contributed the most to the increased discriminatory power. Conclusions The temporal profile of symptoms serves as a clinical biomarker in the differential diagnosis of TM. The establishment of a definite diagnosis in TM requires a critical analysis of the MRI and CSF characteristics to rule out non-inflammatory causes of myelopathy. Classification of evidence This study provides Class IV evidence that for patients presenting with myelopathy, temporal profile of symptoms, initial motor examination, and MRI lesion distribution distinguish those with inflammatory myelopathies from those with other causes of myelopathy.
The Bifurcation Approach to Hyperbolic Geometry

The Thomas precession of relativity physics gives rise to important isometries in hyperbolic geometry that expose analogies with Euclidean geometry. These, in turn, suggest our bifurcation approach to hyperbolic geometry, according to which Euclidean geometry bifurcates into two mutually dual branches of hyperbolic geometry in its transition to non-Euclidean geometry. One of the two resulting branches turns out to be the standard hyperbolic geometry of Bolyai and Lobachevsky. The corresponding bifurcation of Newtonian mechanics in the transition to Einsteinian mechanics indicates that there are two, mutually dual, kinds of uniform accelerations. Furthermore, while current hyperbolic geometry “does not use the notion of vector at all” (I. M. Yaglom, Geometric Transformations III, p. 135, trans. by Abe Shenitzer, Random House, New York, 1973), our bifurcation approach exposes the elusive hyperbolic vectors, that we call gyrovectors.
Review: Not Quite Architecture: Writing around Alison and Peter Smithson, by M. Christine Boyer

M. Christine Boyer Not Quite Architecture: Writing around Alison and Peter Smithson Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2017, 483 pp., 25 color and 80 b/w illus. $44.95 (cloth), ISBN 9780262035514 Robin Hood Gardens (1972), the London housing estate that realized the urban principles of Peter and Alison Smithson, is now in the process of being literally and figuratively deconstructed. As would suit a pair of architects whose professional careers began with musings over the “as found” rubble of postwar London, the Victoria and Albert Museum has stepped in to salvage a three-story section of the structure from the demolition site. The segment, despite the curatorial conservation of its fittings and cabinetry, is no arbitrarily, or even programmatically, determined fragment: it represents a full iteration of the repeated graphic sequence that once formed the building's facade. This pattern of prefabricated parts preserves the centrality of the representational method that was as fundamental to the Smithsons' practice as were off-the-shelf materials. The graphology of this reliquary also encapsulates the spirit of the disproportionate quantity of historical research into the Smithsons and their work that has been conducted over the past few decades. Much has been made of the Smithsons' commentary on the compilation of advertisements, as well as their affection for raw industrial materiality. Scholars, myself included, have deployed interactions of the couple with the politics of the discipline at home and abroad to preserve a portrait of an era that is both peculiarly British and central to the devolution of mainstream modernism. The universality of the particular was a strong theoretical suit of the Smithsons …
Index of Brain Structures

The structures are listed in alphabetical order, followed by their abbreviation and the plate number(s) of occurrence.
Growth-dependent activation of protein kinases links cell cycle progression to cell growth

Abstract In all cells, progression through the cell cycle occurs only when sufficient growth has occurred. This fundamental linkage shows that cells can measure growth, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we investigate how budding yeast cells measure growth. Cells that lack the related kinases Gin4 and Hsl1 show excessive bud growth during a prolonged cell cycle delay, which suggests that they fail to detect bud growth. Moreover, Gin4 and Hsl1 undergo hyperphosphorylation that is proportional to bud growth and dependent upon binding to anionic phospholipids that are delivered to the growing bud. Gin4 and Hsl1 have previously been shown to relay signals that control both cell growth and cell cycle progression. Together, the data suggest that addition of phospholipids to the plasma membrane generates a gradually increasing signal that triggers cell cycle progression when sufficient growth has occurred. The data further suggest that control of cell size and cell growth are mechanistically linked.
The interplay between diet, epigenetics and the circadian clock

Abstract The circadian clock is an internal timing mechanism that generates ∼24-h oscillations in behavior and physiology to coordinate with the day-night cycle. Importantly, the circadian clock is a key regulator of energy metabolism whose dysfunction due to environmental and genetic factors results in metabolic disease. Mechanistically, the circadian clock is a cell-autonomous transcription-translation oscillatory circuit that impinges on energy metabolism in large part through control of gene expression. As with other transcriptional mechanisms, circadian control of transcription - both in terms of the circadian clock itself as well as off-clock target genes - involves dynamic regulation of chromatin structure. As various histone modifying enzymes use intermediate energy metabolites as co-factors, epigenetic regulation thus constitutes a mechanism through which the circadian clock and energy metabolism are integrated.
Diving deeper into shared meaning-making: Exploring the zones of engagement within a single case study

Abstract The purpose of this research is to use a case study method to investigate how employees within a specific context experience and make-meaning of Lemon and Palenchar’s (2018) zones of engagement. This is in response to the authors research call to use case study methods, specifically here interviews and focus groups (n = 77), to see how the zones of engagement are operating in a bound context, which in this case is a government contractor. The findings demonstrate the value of using the zones of engagement conceptual model to develop employee-centric engagement tactics rooted in both formal and dialogic communication. In addition, the study cautions an overuse of encouraging discretionary effort, highlighting the potential dark side of engagement. In taking a non-functionalist approach to understand government contractor employee experiences, the findings illustrate the meaning that derives from shared experiences and offer insight into a particular context beneficial to internal communication practitioners.
Endoscopic Evaluation of Surgical Patients

Flexible endoscopy plays an essential role in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative evaluation of patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. Preoperative endoscopy focuses on accurately defining individual patient anatomy and disease characteristics, so that a customized operative plan can be developed. Intraoperatively, endoscopy allows for the identification of anatomic landmarks and assessment of procedures such as fundoplication and GI anastomoses. In the early postoperative period, endoscopy is important in both the diagnosis and treatment of complications, including anastomotic leak and intraluminal GI bleeding. Endoscopy is also central to the long-term evaluation of symptoms and in the routine surveillance of patients after oncologic resections. This chapter will explore the multitude of ways in which endoscopy serves as an invaluable tool to the surgeon before, during, and after GI operations.
Controlled Evolution of the Cope Rearrangement: Transition from Concerted to Interrupted and Aborted Pericyclic Reactions Regulated by a Switch Built from an Intramolecular Frustrated Lewis Pair.

We show how synergy between properly placed acceptor and donor groups allows rational design of interrupted and aborted pericyclic reactions, using the Cope rearrangement as a model process. When p...
A Comparison of Interteaching and the Learning Pathway in a Community Health Undergraduate Course

Health promotion undergraduate courses frequently use active learning strategies in an attempt to ensure that future health professionals are prepared to improve population health outcomes. One tea...
Vitamin A Corrects Tissue Deficits in Diet-Induced Obese Mice and Reduces Influenza Infection After Vaccination and Challenge.

Objective Individuals with obesity suffer from an increased susceptibility to severe respiratory viral infections and respond poorly to vaccinations, making it imperative to identify interventions. Recent evidence suggesting that obesity leads to tissue-specific vitamin A deficiency led to an investigation of whether high-dose oral vitamin A, a treatment used for remediating vitamin A deficiency in developing countries, could correct obesity-associated tissue deficits. Methods Adult C57BL/6 diet-induced obese mice were supplemented with vitamin A for 4 weeks. A subset of mice were then vaccinated with inactivated influenza virus and challenged. Following supplementation, tissue vitamin A levels, lung immune cell composition, blood inflammatory cytokines, antibody responses, and viral clearance were evaluated. Results Supplementation significantly improved vitamin A levels in lung and adipose tissues in diet-induced obese mice. Additionally, supplementation decreased inflammatory cytokines in the blood and altered the lung immune environment. Importantly, vaccinated, vitamin A-treated diet-induced obese mice exhibited improved antibody responses and significantly reduced viral loads post challenge compared with PBS-treated mice. Conclusions Results demonstrate a low-cost intervention that may correct vitamin A tissue deficits and help control respiratory viral infections in individuals with obesity.
Phase retrieval methods for adaptive optics correction with diffractive samples

Extension of adaptive optics (AO) techniques to future data storage applications requires consideration for light reflected off a diffractive surface. Simulations and experiments are presented to study the efficacy of various wavefront reconstruction methods for examining diffractive samples. Image processing techniques are applied as an alternative to a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. A modified Gerchberg reconstruction algorithm is used to gather wavefront data from multiple image acquisitions at different defocus positions. Furthermore, these multiple images are gathered simultaneously with a single acquisition using the concept of phase retrieval with complex diversity. A computergenerated hologram (CGH) is designed, fabricated, and implemented experimentally for single-shot AO correction.
Models for Hand Gesture Recognition using Deep Learning

According to the World Health organization, 5% of the world population, approximately 466 million people, is deaf and/or mute or has disabling hearing loss. There is often a wall of distinction between handicapped people and normal people. We communicate to share our thoughts but for a disabled person (mainly deaf and dumb), it becomes difficult to communicate. Inability to speak is considered to be a true form of disability. For such people, sign language or Braille is the only means of communication. Sign Language is a way of communication using hand gestures. However, it becomes difficult for them to communicate with others as most don’t understand sign language. Hence, we aim at bridging this communication gap, between a deaf/mute person and others, by developing a system which acts as a mediator between both. We propose a hand gesture recognition system which works in 4 steps: 1. Generate a live stream of hand gestures using web-cam. 2. Form images from the video using video frames. 3. Preprocess these images. 4. Recognize sign language hand-gestures and convert into text/audio output. The system is implemented using the concepts of image processing and neural networks. We have tested the proposed models using Kaggle dataset, our dataset and a dataset formed after combining both. We propose to eliminate the ambiguity introduced in the results by inculcating variation in the background. Most of the models give similar accuracy of the test results for both plain and cluttered background.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy which nonoperative strategies are best

IN BRIEF: Benign prostatic hypertrophy is one of the common complaints of older men who visit their primary care physicians. Nonoperative therapy, such as drug therapy or lifestyle modification, is aimed primarily at reducing bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms and preventing serious morbidity such as urinary retention and renal function impairment. As more men reach advanced age, it becomes crucial for the primary care physician to be aware of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, natural history, clinical presentation, and therapeutic modalities available for the treatment of clinically significant cases.
Queering the Common Core (and the NGSS): Challenging Normativity and Embracing Possibility.

As guidelines for teacher practice, standards and benchmarks serve a strong normative purpose that can work counter to goals of equity and justice. In this project we applied queer theory’s critiqu...
Increased PD-L1 and p16 expression are common in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Overexpression of p16 is closely related to human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and pertains a prognostic relevance. Programmed cell death 1-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is another important marker, as anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy is available. Retrospective analysis of 57 cases of the SCC involving oropharynx (27 cases), hypopharynx (5 cases), larynx (11 cases), and oral cavity (14 cases) was performed. Each case was scrutinized for the basaloid morphology, p16, and PD-L1 expression. Basaloid morphology was identified in 47% of total cases. The majority of basaloid SCC variants were located in the oropharynx (89%). High expression of p16 was mostly observed in the oropharynx. High PD-L1 expression was seen predominantly in oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal locations. Further studies in a larger cohort are necessary to correlate PD-L1 and p16 expression with survival.
Complementary FET for Advanced Technology Nodes: Where Does It Stand?

Nanosheet on nanosheet configured complementary FET (CFET) is investigated using the Materials to Systems Co-optimization (MSCOTM) modeling framework at both device and circuit levels developed at Applied Materials. Compared to N3 FinFET with the same footprint for a single device, both nMOS and pMOS for CFET shows lower drive current than FinFET by 26% and 45% respectively. At the circuit level, CFET shows lower iso-power frequency by 20%, mainly due to lower drivability and high super-via resistance.
Inside the Mind of a Refugee Child

This paper was my final research project for Dr. Khorana's course on the diaspora experiences of young adults, entitled Literatures of the Diaspora. She liked the paper and submitted it to the Children's Literature Association for the Carol Gay Award, given for research by an undergraduate student. When the paper was recognized as the runner up for the award, she suggested that I prepare it for publication by doing additional research on refugee children. Although researching, writing, and revising the article proved to be more challenging and tedious than I had expected, it was seeing her excitement for the project that helped me to stay focused and excited about my work. I would encourage any student who is given the opportunity to submit any kind of work for a contest or for publication to embrace the challenge. Even when you feel limited, someone will be there to help you to keep striving. (Tameika Rease)
Plasma Membrane Cytochemistry

Cytochemical staining reactions specific for the plasma membrane of plants have served important roles especially as a means to provide positive identification of plasma membranes to guide isolation procedures. The introduction, in 1972, of phosphotungstic acid at low pH to selectively stain the plasma membrane (Roland et al. 1972), has received widespread use for this purpose. It allowed identification of plasma membrane vesicles in the absence of the positional relationships of the intact cell. Thus, the plasma membrane- derived vesicles could be distinguished from tonoplast vesicles, from endoplasmic reticulum vesicles devoid of ribosomes as well as from vesicles of the outer mitochondrial membrane and other smooth membranes. The procedure facilitated identification of the first vesicle fractions of plasma membrane origin isolated from plant sources (Hardin et al. 1972; Hodges et al. 1972). It remains in use to augment plasma membrane markers such as vanadate-inhibited ATPase (EC 3.6.1.35) and glucan synthase II (EC 2.1.3.34), and the absence of specific markers tor other membranes (1) to identify isolated vesicles of plant plasma membrane, and (2) as a reliable means to determine the absolute plasma membrane content of fractions by simple morphometric procedures.
Solar energy and US public utilities: The impact on rate structure and utilization

Abstract Solar space heating and cooling systems normally require some form of back-up to take account of protracted periods of cloudy weather. With relatively low utilization, capital costs are likely to be the most crucial aspect in choosing such back-up systems and the tendency will be to choose systems running on electricity or natural gas. Widespread adoption of solar power could have a profound effect on utility demand patterns. The authors examine here the possible effects, pointing out that the cost-effectiveness of solar power can be crucially dependent on the rate structure chosen and on whether the system is considered from the point of view of the customer or the utility. In the appendix they also provide details of current R&D on solar space heating in the USA.
DNA helicases of Escherichia coli.

A great deal has been learned in the last 15 years with regard to how helicase enzymes participate in DNA metabolism and how they interact with their DNA substrates. However, many questions remain unanswered. Of critical importance is an understanding of how NTP hydrolysis and hydrogen-bond disruption are coupled. Several models exist and are being tested; none has been proven. In addition, an understanding of how a helicase disrupts the hydrogen bonds holding duplex DNA together is lacking. Recently, helicase enzymes that unwind duplex RNA and DNA.RNA hybrids have been described. In some cases, these are old enzymes with new activities. In other cases, these are new enzymes only recently discovered. The significance of these reactions in the cell remains to be clarified. However, with the availability of significant amounts of these enzymes in a highly purified state, and mutant alleles in most of the genes encoding them, the answers to these questions should be forthcoming. The variety of helicases found in E. coli, and the myriad processes these enzymes are involved in, were perhaps unexpected. It seems likely that an equally large number of helicases will be discovered in eukaryotic cells. In fact, several helicases have been identified and purified from eukaryotic sources ranging from viruses to mouse cells (4-13, 227-234). Many of these helicases have been suggested to have roles in DNA replication, although this remains to be shown conclusively. Helicases with roles in DNA repair, recombination, and other aspects of DNA metabolism are likely to be forthcoming as we learn more about these processes in eukaryotic cells.
Differential regulation of autophagy and cell viability by ceramide species

The present studies sought to determine whether the anti-folate pemetrexed (Alimta) and the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator FTY720 (Fingolimod, Gilenya) interacted to kill tumor cells. FTY720 and pemetrexed interacted in a greater than additive fashion to kill breast, brain and colorectal cancer cells. Loss of p53 function weakly enhanced the toxicity of FTY720 whereas deletion of activated RAS strongly or expression of catalytically inactive AKT facilitated killing. Combined drug exposure reduced the activity of AKT, p70 S6K and mTOR and activated JNK and p38 MAPK. Expression of activated forms of AKT, p70 S6K and mTOR or inhibition of JNK and p38 MAPK suppressed the interaction between FTY720 and pemetrexed. Treatment of cells with FTY720 and pemetrexed increased the numbers of early autophagosomes but not autolysosomes, which correlated with increased LC3II processing and increased p62 levels, suggestive of stalled autophagic flux. Knock down of ATG5 or Beclin1 suppressed autophagosome formation and cell killing. Knock down of ceramide synthase 6 suppressed autophagosome production and cell killing whereas knock down of ceramide synthase 2 enhanced vesicle formation and facilitated death. Collectively our findings argue that pemetrexed and FTY720 could be a novel adjunct modality for breast cancer treatment.
Hombres Carnales: Las Políticas Somáticas de la Salud Reproductiva Masculina

Este articulo presenta los resultados preliminares de un estudio etnografico sobre la salud reproductiva y sexualidad masculina llevado acabo en Oxaca de Juarez.
Preparation of (Pb,Ba)TiO3 Powders and Highly Oriented Thin Films by a Sol-Gel Process

Solid solution Pb1-xBaxTiO3, with particular emphasis on Pb0.5Ba0.5TiO3, was prepared using a sol-gel process incorporating lead acetate trihydrate, barium acetate, and titanium isopropoxide as precursors, acetylacetone (2,4 pentanedione) as a chelating agent, and ethylene glycol as a solvent. The synthesis procedure was optimized by systematically varying acetylacetone: Ti and H2O:Ti molar ratios and calcination temperature. The resulting effects on sol and powder properties were studied using thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Crystallization of the perovskite structure occurred at a temperature as low as 450 °C. Thin films were prepared by spin coating on (100) MgO. Pyrolysis temperature and heating rate were varied, and the resultant film properties investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and XRD. Under optimized conditions, highly oriented films were obtained at a crystallization temperature of 600 °C.