cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CEREBELLAR PURKINJE NEURONS WITH ALTERED TERMINAL DENDRITIC SEGMENTS ARE PRESENT IN ALL LOBULES OF THE CEREBELLAR VERMIS OF AGEING, ETHANOL-TREATED F344 RATS

Previous studies from this Laboratory have shown that cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PN) in ageing, ethanol-fed Fischer 344 rats may have terminal dendritic segments that are longer than in control rats. They also showed that the longer terminal segments represented a toxic effect of ethanol on PN, because their increase in length resulted from an ethanol-induced deletion of other terminal dendritic segments and not from dendritic growth. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether this effect of ethanol was localized to specific lobules or was widely distributed within all lobules of the cerebellar vermis. Twelve-month-old male Fischer 344 rats were treated with a liquid ethanol diet for 48 weeks. Age- and weight-matched controls were pair-fed with an isocaloric control diet. Terminal dendritic segments in Golgi-Cox-stained PN in four groups of lobules in the cerebellar vermis of control and ethanol-fed rats were measured for treatment-related changes in length. Results from these measurements showed that ethanol-exposed PN with significantly longer terminal segments were present in all groups of lobules, i.e. they were widely distributed and not confined to specific lobules. Results from these measurements also confirmed in a large sample of neurons (40 neurons per rat) that the topologically distinct unpaired terminal segments were characteristically longer than the paired terminal segments in PN of control and ethanol-fed rats and that both types of terminal segments were longer in the ethanol-fed rats than in the controls.
Soil-to-indoor air exposure models for volatile organic compounds : The effect of soil moisture

Two finite-source models that calculate volatilization of contaminants from soil to indoor air were used to study the effect of soil moisture on indoor air concentrations and inhaled doses, using a representative model volatile organic chemical. A hypothetical scenario was used that assumed that subsurface contaminant diffuses through a layer of clean soil and is then swept into the building interior via advection. Both models simulated depletion of source contaminant via volatilization and degradation. One was an analytical model adapted from the behavior assessment model of Jury et al., which could be used to calculate time-dependent volatilization rates (and indoor air concentrations) as a function of constant soil moisture contents and steady-state moisture advection. The second model, the Integrated Moisture Plus Contaminant Transport (IMPACT) model, had the additional capability of simulating daily and seasonal variations in soil moisture behavior from actual daily temperature and rainfall data. Predicted indoor air concentrations and inhaled doses for the model contaminant varied by up to seven orders of magnitude, depending on the soil moisture conditions and whether or not contaminant degradation was considered. Over extended time periods, inhaled doses predicted under conditions of daily and seasonal variations in soil moisture were in general agreement with those predicted using average soil moistures or average moisture fluxes, suggesting that simplified treatment of soil moisture behavior may be adequate if accurate soil moisture data are available.
Blacks in Segregated and Desegregated Neighborhoods An Exploratory Study

A stepwise discriminant function analysis is used to determine those variables that best distinguish those blacks who live in low percentage black neighborhoods from those who live in high percentage black neighbohoods. Using data from the 1970 U.S. Census One-in-a-Hundred Public Use Sample with Neighborhood Characteristics, this study expanded the results of previous studies in which more limited samples from a different sociolegal context were used. These results suggest that social and psychological factors may be important mediators in the decisions of blacks to seek desegregated housing. In particular, it is suggested that future research in this area incorporate family type as a variable, as well as measures of status concern or status discrepancy. Further, future research should utilize designs that allow the indirect effects of factors such as income, education, and life cycle on housing decisions to be estimated.
Fundamental limitations on repeater jamming of frequency-hopping communications

Fundamental limitations on the effectiveness of repeater jamming are derived. These limitations arise because of the geometry and the need for frequency estimation and signal sorting. Limitations on the hopping rate, which might be increased to counter a repeater-jamming threat, are derived from consideration of practical requirements. >
Robust matched-field beamforming with benchmark shallow-water acoustic array data

In this paper, four robust matched-field beamforming methods are evaluated using benchmark shallow-water Mediterranean data. While the Bartlett beamformer, reduced minimum variance beamformer (RMV), and minimum variance beamformer with neighborhood location constraints (MV-NLC) assume a known ocean, the minimum variance beamformer with environmental perturbation constraints (MV-EPC) exploits a model for uncertainties in the ocean parameters. For modest environmental uncertainty, the MV-EPC beamformer is shown to achieve higher probability of correct localization with simulated data and better tracking and sidelobe performance with experimental data than the Bartlett, RMV, and MV-NLC methods.
Family Factors Contribute to General Anxiety Disorder and Suicidal Ideation Among Latina Americans

Purpose: Despite a rapidly growing Latina/o American population, little is known about modifiable factors that could protect Latinas against major psychiatric disorders. The present study explored psychosocial risk (Negative Interaction) and protective factors (Family Cohesion, Social Support, Religious Involvement, Racial and Ethnic Identity) for major depressive disorder (MDD), general anxiety disorder (GAD), and suicidal ideation (SI) among Latinas participating in the first national mental health epidemiological survey of Latina Americans. Method: We conducted three sets of logistic regressions, predicting outcomes for 1,427 Latinas identified in the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), the first nationally representative, epidemiological study of Latino and Asian Americans living in the United States. These analyses followed preplanned steps: Model 1 used known predictors as controls and Model 2 added psychosocial risk and predictive factors beyond the known predictors. Results: For each outcome examined, psychosocial risk and protective factors produced a significantly better model fi ti n Model 2 than sociodemographic and acculturation variables known to predict mental health outcomes in Model 1. Negative Interactions were associated with increased likelihood of GAD and SI, whereas Family Cohesion seemed to be protective against GAD. No psychosocial factors predicted MDD. Conclusions: Differential protective and risk factors for major psychiatric disorders suggest that assessment and intervention may need certain sex-specific components in order to improve health care and prevention for Latinas. Copyright 2014 by the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Influence of cytoplasms on the fatty acid composition of two maize inbred lines

Gas liquid chromatography was used to investigate the influence of several T, S and unclassified cytoplasms on the fatty acid composition of oil from A632 and CrS4HLA maize seeds. The fatty acid compositions of the A632 and CrS4HLA seeds differed markedly from each other with respect to oleic and linoleic acids but were stable within each seed line with respect to all sixteen of the cytoplasms tested.
Origin and ontogeny of mammalian ovarian neurons

Mammalian ovaries contain sympathetic neurons expressing the low affinity neurotropin receptor (p75NTR). To date neither the role these neurons might play in ovarian physiology nor their embryological origin is known. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect postnatal changes in distribution and number of both p75NTR-positive and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in rhesus monkey ovaries. Pig fetuses were used to map the pathway of ovarian neuronal migration during embryonic development. Antiserum to p75NTR revealed the presence of isolated neurons and neurons clustered into ganglia in 2-month-old monkey ovaries. After 8 months, the neurons exhibited well-developed processes, and other than being more extensively interlaced, the localization and morphology did not change after 2 yr of age. Total number of p75NTR-positive neurons present decreased gradually between 2 months and 12 yr of age and declined markedly with reproductive aging. Conversely, the subpopulation of neurons immunoreactive to anti-tyr...
A distributed algorithm for sharing Web cache disk capacity

A decentralized game theoretic framework applied to Web caching is discussed. The interaction of multiple clients with a caching server is modeled as a non-cooperative game, in which clients are viewed as players, and the caching server disk space as a resource for which players are competing. However, some clients may continuously request new objects, thus, occupying a considerable portion of the cache disk, enjoying high hit rates. Such an aggressive behavior may have significant impact to the overall cache performance, as few clients may monopolize the total disk space, and the remaining clients may suffer the eviction of their "important" resources from the cache, thus, experiencing numerous cache misses. Moreover, it is observed that the majority of hits in cache systems are due to shared objects, i.e., clients tend to refer to a "pool" of common resources. The objective of the proposed framework is to discourage monopolizing the cache disk space by a minority of clients, while rewarding clients that contribute to the overall hit rate. The efficiency of the proposed scheme is evaluated through simulations.
Palatogram Reading as a Phonetic Skill: a Short Tutorial

Dynamic electropalatography (EPG) (also known as dynamic palatography or palatometry) is a system for recording information about the tongue's contact with the hard palate over time. It is relatively inexpensive and technologically accessible. EPG is safe, provides spatial information on the shape of constriction contact, and allows the collection of reasonable acoustic data. Multiple sessions with a subject are possible and replicable. For these reasons, this method may be of interest to phoneticians. The purpose of this note is to serve as an introduction to interpreting palatograms. Much in the same way that phonetics students learn to read spectrograms, reading palatograms is a skill which can be honed by practice and experience. And just as looking at spectrograms of an unknown utterance can develop increased sensitivity to acoustic facts, reading palatograms can enhance awareness of details of articulation.
Syndrome-source-coding and its universal generalization

A method of using error-correcting codes to obtain data compression, called syndrome-source-coding, is described in which the source sequence is treated as an error pattern whose syndrome forms the compressed data. It is shown that syndrome-source-coding can achieve arbitrarily small distortion with the number of compressed digits per source digit arbitrarily close to the entropy of a binary memoryless source. A "universal" generalization of syndrome-source-coding is formulated which provides robustly effective distortionless coding of source ensembles. Two examples are given comparing the performance of noiseless universal syndrome-source-coding to 1) run-length coding and 2) Lynch-Davisson-Schalkwijk-Cover universal coding for an ensemble of binary memoryless sources.
Conformation of a cyclic decapeptide analog of a repeat pentapeptide sequence of elastin: cyclo‐bis(valyl‐prolyl‐alanyl‐valyl‐glycyl)

The conformation of a cyclic decapeptide analog of a repeat sequence of elastin has been determined in the crystalline state using X-ray crystallographic techniques. Tetragonal crystals were grown from a solution of the decapeptide in water; space group P4(2)2(1)2, a = 19.439(2) & c = 13.602(1) A, with four formula units (C40H66N10O10.4H2O) per unit cell. The cyclic decapeptide in the crystal exhibits exact twofold symmetry. The asymmetric unit contains one pentapeptide and two water molecules for a total of 32 nonhydrogen atoms. The structure has been determined by the application of direct methods and refined by full-matrix least squares to an R index of 0.053 for 2272 reflections with intensities greater than 2 sigma(I). The backbone conformation of the asymmetric pentapeptide can be described as consisting of a double beta bend of Type III-I. The Type III turn has Pro (phi = -59.3 degrees, psi = -26.8 degrees) and Ala (phi = -65.9 degrees, psi = -23.1 degrees) at the corners while Type I turn has Ala (phi = -65.9 degrees, psi = -23.1 degrees) and Val (phi = -98.9 degrees, psi = 8.3 degrees) as the corner residues. The cyclic decapeptide has two such double bends linked together by Gly-Val bridges.
Identification of otx2 target genes and restrictions in ectodermal competence during Xenopus cement gland formation

The homeobox gene otx2 is a key regulator of positional identity in vertebrates, however its downstream target genes and mechanism of action are not known. We have analyzed otx2 function during formation of the Xenopus cement gland, an organ that expresses otx2. The cement gland forms at early neurula from extreme anterior ectoderm and corresponds to the chin primordium of mammals. Previous studies (Blitz, I. and Cho, K. (1995) Development 121, 993-1004; Pannese, M., Polo, C., Andreazzoli, M., Vignali, R., Kablar, B., Barsacchi, G. and Boncinelli, E. (1995) Development 121, 707-720) showed that misexpressed otx2 could activate cement gland formation. However, it was not clear whether this was a direct effect of otx2 or a secondary consequence of other tissues induced by otx2. In this study we ask whether otx2 activity is spatially and temporally restricted in the ectoderm and whether cement gland-specific genes are direct targets of otx2. In order to control the timing of otx2 activity, we constructed a dexamethasone-inducible otx2 protein (otx2-GR) by fusion with the ligand-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor. We conclude first, that regionally restricted factors regulate otx2 activity since otx2-GR is able to activate the cement gland markers XCG and XAG only in ventrolateral ectoderm, and never in the neural plate. Second, we show that temporal responsiveness of the ectoderm to otx2-GR is limited, beginning only at mid-gastrula but continuing as late as tailbud stages. Third, we show that otx2-GR activates expression of the cement gland differentiation marker XCG in the absence of protein synthesis, identifying a direct target of otx2. otx2-GR can also activate expression of the endogenous otx2 gene, defining an autoregulatory loop. Fourth, we show that otx2-GR is sufficient to overcome the inhibitory effects of retinoic acid on cement gland formation, indicating that this effect is caused by failure to express otx2. Corroboratively, we show that otx2 autoactivation is prevented by retinoic acid. Together, these findings suggest that otx2 directly controls cement gland differentiation, and that spatial and temporal modulation of otx2 activity limits cement gland formation to the front of the embryo.
Effect of vasoactive agents on fatty acid metabolism: inhibition of lipolysis by tipropidil in rat epididymal adipose tissue.

AbstractThe effect of Tipropidil (MJ 12880-1), a potent vasoactive drug, on fatty acid mobilization in rat adipose tissue was investigated. Oral administration of a single dose of MJ 12880-1 (50 mg/kg body wt) did not cause any change in glucose tolerance. Increase in the dose of ingestion to 300 mg/kg body wt was found to result in slight elevation in plasma free fatty acid levels without causing any alteration in blood glucose. Prolonged oral administration of the drug at a dose of 25 mg/kg body wt/day for 2 weeks brought about significant increase in the plasma free fatty acid concentration. Free fatty acid content in the epididymal fat pads of MJ 12880-1-treated rats was slightly higher than the controls. In comparison to the controls epididymal adipose pads from MJ 12880-1-treated rats showed significantly lower lipolytic rate and responded to a lesser degree to norepinephrine and theophylline. The increase in plasma free fatty acid levels and decrease in lipolytic response were found to be dependent...
DEVELOPMENT OF OPACITY IN SUPEROPAQUE ENAMELS

Using X-ray and microscopic technique, a detailed examination was made of the effect of smelting time and temperature on the crystalline material causing opacity in typical superopaque antimony enamels. It was found that, although the crystalline antimony compound causing opacity in such enamels dissolved very slowly at smelting temperatures, there was a decided increase in the particle size of the opacifier particles as the time of smelting was increased. The presence of calcium was found to be beneficial in producing opacity.
Empiric Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Coverage in the Early Ventilator Associated Pneumonia Window: If and When

Abstract Background: Choice of empiric antibiotic(s) for early ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) involves weighing the risks of potential infection with multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogens against those of over-exposure to broad-spectrum agents. Although early VAP is believed to be rarely caused by MDR pathogens, the overall incidence of all methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is increasing. We questioned if MRSA VAP is becoming more common and if these infections were occurring earlier in the patient's hospital course. We hypothesized that 1) early (2–4 d from intubation) VAP caused by MRSA is relatively uncommon and 2) those patients with early VAP because of MRSA had risk factors associated with a MDR organism infection. Methods: Bronchoscopies with lavage (BALs) from patients admitted to our SICU from 2010–2013 were reviewed. MRSA VAP was defined as growth of ≥105 cfu/mL from BAL. Multi-drug resistant risk factors included a previous MRSA infection or positive nasal swab...
Measuring Economic Value Added: A Survey of the Practices of EVA(R) Proponents

Over the past decade, consultants, the popular business press, a number of companies, and a few investment analysts have heralded Economic Value Added (EVA(R)). In theory, EVA is net operating profit after tax (NOPAT) less a capital charge for the invested capital (IC) employed in the business. This survey bridges the gap between "theory" and "practice" by detailing how EVA proponents measure EVA. This survey is important because its fieldwork identifies significant inconsistencies in the measurement of EVA and its major components.
Harmonized Regulations and Systemic Risk: Evidence from Global-Systemically Important Banks

In 2011 the Financial Stability Board designated 29 of the world’s largest banks as global-systemically important banks (G-SIB), and imposed additional restrictions on their activities. After implementation of the G-SIB regulatory regime, we find that relative to other large banks, G-SIBs’ individual default risks increased, the co-movements among G-SIBs’ stock returns, CDS spreads and implied option volatilities increased, and several accounting performance measures converged. Consequently, an adverse shock to one G-SIB is more likely to be associated with an adverse shock to other G-SIBs, which weakens the ability of the banking system to withstand the shock.
Tissue landscape alters adjacent cell fates during Drosophila egg development

How diffusible signals determine cell fate is a vital and still unresolved developmental biology issue. Using the Drosophila egg chamber as a model system, here the authors apply novel imaging and mathematical approaches to show that cell differentiation depends on irregular tissue domains that lead to asymmetric distributions of morphogens.
Thermal Conversion of Preceramic Polysilazanes to Si3N4: Characterization of Pyrolysis Prooucts

Characterization of the pyrolysis products of preceramic polysilazanes synthesized by reactions of the oligomer-[H2SiNMe]x in the presence of Ru3 (CO)12 catalyst has demonstrated that these polymers have great potential as precursors of Si3N4 for several applications. The polysilazanes studied are viscous liquids that can be converted to ceramic material with a yield of >65 wt %. The vitreous product contains regions of fully dense material and large cavities that indicate of considerable gas evolution. A preliminary pyrolysis sequence has been constructed based on a combination of TGA of the polymer, SEM investigation of the product, and mass spectroscopic analysis of the gases and heavy fragments released during conversion of the polysilazanes to ceramic material. This understanding of pyrolysis mechanisms will aid in developing even more effective polymeric precursors to Si3N4 and in optimizing pyrolysis procedures for a variety of useful applications.
Estimation of Junction Temperature in Operating Light Emitting Diodes

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are normally operated at high current levels resulting in substantial junction heating. However, the junction temperature cannot be measured directly. In the study reported here, it was attempted to estimate junction temperature in LEDs with peak emission 400 nm. Temperature was estimated from current-voltage (I-V) measurements as a function temperature and peak-shift of optical emission spectra with increasing temperature. For a diode operated at a current-level of 100 mA, a temperature of 100 °C was estimate from current voltage measurement and 160 °C from the peak-shift in the optical emission spectra. The difference in temperature estimated using the two different technique is not understood at this point.
Career Disruption: The Impact of Transitioning From a Full-Time Career Professional to the Primary Caregiver of a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder

For parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who have given their time and commitment to complete an education and have gained employment in a professional field, a career disrup...
Design of Video Frequency Transportation System Based on NetMeeting and COM

In the application of multimedia, video frequency transmission is more complex. To implement and simplify conventional video frequency transmission method, a video frequency transmission system based on NetMeeting COM (NM COM) is implemented by using COM C Component Object Model) and NetMeeting SDK (Software Development Kit). The system conception and structure of video frequency transmission system are introduced.
Gender Interacts with Opioid Receptor Polymorphism A118G and Serotonin Receptor Polymorphism −1438 A/G on Speed-Dating Success

We examined an understudied but potentially important source of romantic attraction-genetics-using a speed-dating paradigm. The mu opioid receptor (OPRM1) polymorphism A118G (rs1799971) and the serotonin receptor (HTR2A) polymorphism -1438 A/G (rs6311) were studied because they have been implicated in social affiliation. Guided by the social role theory of mate selection and prior genetic evidence, we examined these polymorphisms' gender-specific associations with speed-dating success (i.e., date offers, mate desirability). A total of 262 single Asian Americans went on speed-dates with members of the opposite gender and completed interaction questionnaires about their partners. Consistent with our prediction, significant gender-by-genotype interactions were found for speed-dating success. Specifically, the minor variant of A118G (G-allele), which has been linked to submissiveness/social sensitivity, predicted greater speed-dating success for women, whereas the minor variant of -1438 A/G (G-allele), which has been linked to leadership/social dominance, predicted greater speed-dating success for men. For both polymorphisms, reverse "dampening" effects of minor variants were found for opposite-gender counterparts. These results support previous research on the importance of the opioid and serotonergic systems in social affiliation, indicating that their influence extends to dating success, with opposite, yet gender-norm consistent, effects for men and women.
Effect of norepinephrine and acetylcholine on outer medullary descending vasa recta

To examine their responsiveness to norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh), outer medullary descending vasa recta (OMDVR) have been dissected from vascular bundles of the rat and perfused in vitro. Abluminal application of NE produced graded vasoconstriction in a concentration range of 10(-9)-10(-6) M. When applied with NE, ACh at concentrations of 10(-8)-10(-5) M dilated NE-preconstricted OMDVR. In contrast, ACh applied in the absence of NE caused vasoconstriction. ACh-induced vasodilation was blocked by addition of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 2 x 10(-4) M). L-NNA in the absence of ACh enhanced NE-induced vasoconstriction. Supraphysiological (10(-3) M) L-arginine (L-Arg) reversed the effects of L-NNA, and abluminal application of L-NNA alone resulted in OMDVR vasoconstriction. At concentrations of 10(-6)-10(-3) M, abluminal application of L-Arg produced graded vasodilation of NE-constricted OMDVR. These results suggest that adrenergic and cholinergic innervation could influence OMDVR vasomotor tone to modulate total and regional blood flow to the renal medulla. The data also favor a role for the activity of constitutively expressed nitric oxide synthase to modulate OMDVR vasoactivity.
Initial Evaluation of the Child for Heart Disease

History, physical examination, electrocardiogram, or chest x-ray film are all that are essential for the diagnosis and management of the great majority of children with heart disease. Effective noninvasive clinical evaluation is still the best way to determine the presence or absence of heart disease and the need for further workup.
Biomarkers in Kidney Transplantation

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights a number of excellent studies that have attempted to advance the use of biomarkers in kidney transplantation. In general, most of the studies employed biomarkers that satisfied the characteristics discussed in the introduction. Since the field is relatively new, there are a number of limitations in these analyses. In general, the studies reported tended to be small, and included selected patient populations with significant heterogeneity. Another problem is subjectivity in the clinical diagnoses studied. Despite the limitations and the need for refinement, it is clear that studies of biomarkers hold promise. Whether biomarkers ever evolve to the point that they can replace traditional diagnostic methods remains to be seen. The ultimate role of biomarkers may primarily be as an adjunct in guiding which diagnostic procedure is best. Also, the field of transplantation has an excellent track record of conducting large, well-powered clinical trials with fairly homogenous patient populations. It may be advantageous for future clinical studies to include specimen collection for the express purpose of further defining the role of biomarkers in transplantation.
Quantum well mach-zehnder intensity modulator with enhanced linearity

In this work, we report a highly linear quantum well Mach-Zehnder (MZ) intensity modulator. The MZ modulator's linearity was enhanced by canceling the nonlinearities from the MZ interferometer and the nonlinear phase modulation. The MZ modulator demonstrated over 24 dB improvement in nonlinearity distortion level compared with that of a LiNbO3 MZ modulator. It achieved a third-order intercept point in phase perturbation of 2 π RMS. This is sufficient to allow an RF/photonic link to achieve over 120 dB·Hz2/3 spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) with low photocurrent (<5 mA).
Fifty Shades: ambivalence about birth control in an erotic bestseller and its cultural implications.

AbstractThe Fifty Shades trilogy by E.L. James has taken the world by storm and become a cultural phenomenon. The lack of contraceptive use in the erotic fiction, first pointed out by bloggers, is analysed in this article and compared to medical information. James may be praised for sexualising condom use. However, her protagonist makes poor choices in terms of hormonal contraception and is negligent about its use, resulting in an unintended pregnancy and resolved in marital bliss and motherhood. What is of more interest here than a possible message about contraceptive use, is the outcome that the fiction’s negligence in birth control and responsibility affirms an ideology in which female sexuality and sexual experimentation can only be tolerated within the context of procreation and affirmation of motherhood. Subsequently, the cultural significance of the trilogy’s popularity and its tension between sexual exploration, birth control and fertility is explored. In a globally popular fantasy published more ...
Hfq and three Hfq-dependent small regulatory RNAs—MgrR, RyhB and McaS—coregulate the locus of enterocyte effacement in enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a significant cause of infantile diarrhea and death in developing countries. The pathogenicity island locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) is essential for EPEC to cause diarrhea. Besides EPEC, the LEE is also present in other gastrointestinal pathogens, most notably enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Whereas transcriptional control of the LEE has been meticulously examined, posttranscriptional regulation, including the role of Hfq-dependent small RNAs, remains undercharacterized. However, the past few years have witnessed a surge in the identification of riboregulators of the LEE in EHEC. Contrastingly, the posttranscriptional regulatory landscape of EPEC remains cryptic. Here we demonstrate that the RNA-chaperone Hfq represses the LEE of EPEC by targeting the 5′ untranslated leader region of grlR in the grlRA mRNA. Three conserved small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs)—MgrR, RyhB and McaS—are involved in the Hfq-dependent regulation of grlRA . MgrR and RyhB exert their effects by directly base-pairing to the 5′ region of grlR . Whereas MgrR selectively represses grlR but activates grlA , RyhB represses gene expression from the entire grlRA transcript. Meanwhile, McaS appears to target the grlRA mRNA indirectly. Thus, our results provide the first definitive evidence that implicates multiple sRNAs in regulating the LEE and the resulting virulence of EPEC.
Mysteries of Money

Ranulfo followed the legislative maneuvering and anti-immigrant news, but he didn’t let it get him down. When I went on a rant about these racist nut-jobs, he told me, “People born here like you get upset with these critics, but for an immigrant like me, it’s just something you ignore. It’s just another barrier, something that makes you stronger, like a turtle ’s shell.”
The town assembled: the social interference of quasi-objects in Camí de sirga

ABSTRACTThis essay proposes that Jesus Moncada’s Cami de sirga (The Towpath) depicts the social as a complex assemblage composed of a vortex of interfacing subcomponents. The novel fictionalizes the final half-century of Mequinensa, an Aragonese town flooded due to the construction of the Riba-roja reservoir. I argue that Cami de sirga grants two natural objects – the Ebre River and lignite coal – a vibrant agency that by turns territorializes and deterritorializes Mequinensa’s modes of collective being. In this way, the Ebre and coal are both natural and cultural at once and mimic the function of what Michel Serres termed “quasi-objects”. Through its emphasis on the mediating function of quasi-objects, Cami de sirga shows that any ontology of place must consider the agentive possibilities of nonhuman elements to explain what motivates and inflects social association. In addition, the essay will draw upon Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of assemblage to show how a close examination of a small town on the f...
Knee extensor power asymmetry is unrelated to functional mobility of older adults.

Purpose To determine whether knee extensor power asymmetry limits functional mobility of older adults who possess muscle weakness.
Radar imaging of building interiors

Through-the-wall radar imaging (TWRI) provides the capability to see inside buildings using electromagnetic waves for both defence and civilian applications. Unlike traditional free-space radar operation, the presence of walls introduces unique challenges that need to be addressed to render TWRI a viable technology. In this chapter, we present a review of various approaches for building layout determination and imaging of stationary indoor scenes. These approaches effectively address the associated challenges to provide effective and reliable radar operation. Specifically, we consider both ground-based and airborne radar operation and discuss both non-adaptive time-domain and frequency-domain beamforming approaches for through-the-wall image formation of stationary scenes and feature extraction-based building layout determination methods.
Teacher Cognition of Engaging Children in Scientific Practices

We focus on teacher cognition of how to engage students in scientific practices in the classroom by drawing on the empirical literature related to teacher knowledge of inquiry-based instruction, scientific inquiry, and our own work centered on engaging teachers in authentic scientific investigations. Teacher cognition of scientific practices is important in light of the renewed emphasis in the US and abroad on the practices of science, that emphasizes carrying out scientific ways of thinking in the classroom to foster higher-level thinking in children. Although engaging students in inquiry-oriented pedagogy has been advocated for over a hundred years, this kind of teaching is rare. Even some of the most informed teachers struggle to (1) articulate what inquiry is, often recognizing only the most salient features of inquiry, and (2) engage their students in critical aspects of doing science and understanding the nature of science. In this chapter we explore what teachers need to know in order to enact sophisticated science pedagogy related to scientific practices in the classroom. We also argue that teachers need to have integrated knowledge of science concepts, scientific practices, nature of science, and pedagogy, and to take a metacognitive stance towards their teaching to support students in engaging in scientific practices in the classroom.
Improving food sensory and nutritional quality through nanostructure engineering

Abstract: Nanostructures are naturally present in many foods and the human digestion system. This chapter discusses development and potential of engineering nanostructures to improve sensory and nutritional quality for foods and beverages. Sensory quality is discussed for rheology, turbidity and color, solubility, dispersibility, stability of dispersions and flavor profiles. When used to deliver bioactive food components such as micronutrients and nutraceuticals, engineered nanostructures enable their homogeneous distribution in complex food matrices, improve their physical and chemical stability during processing and storage, deliver them to the adsorption sites, and enhance their bioavailability. Regulations of these novel ingredients also are briefly discussed.
Pathogenesis of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neoplasm derived from the calcitonin producing or C cells of the thyroid gland. The C cell is a neuroendocrine cell that is distributed throughout the thyroid gland in mammalian species with the greatest concentration of cells located centrally at the junction of the upper one-third and lower two-thirds of each lobe. In birds and bony fish the C cells are located in a single discrete gland called the ultimobranchial body. These cells migrate during embryologic life from the neural crest (1,2). The recent discovery of a molecular basis for approximately one-half of all medullary thyroid carcinomas has not only provided insight into the process of transformation, but has also elucidated a potential mechanism for directing migration of neural crest cells to several different anatomic locations.
Modes of c-myc Oncogene Activation in Murine Plasmacytomas

The murine c-myc proto-oncogene is activated and inappropriately expressed in murine plasmacytomas (PCs’) by virtue of a reciprocal 12;15 chromosomal translocation (Harris et al.,1982a; Shen-Ong et al.,1982; Crews et al.,1982; Marcu et al.,1983; Adams et al.,1983). In most PCs’, the c-myc gene is broken by the rcpt(12;15) thereby generating a complex family of aberrant myc transcripts which initiate from normally silent promoters within the first myc intron (Marcu et al.,1983; Adams et al.,1983; Stanton et al.,1983). The disruption of the c-myc locus in the PCs’ generally results in elevated levels of such truncated transcripts (Marcu et al.,1983; Mushinski et al.,1983). However, it would seem that the more general consequence of the myc associated rcpt(12;15) is the inappropriate, constitutive expression of c-myc since the normal myc allele is transcriptionally silent in these tumors (Adams et al., 1983; Stanton et al.,1983; Bernard et al.,1983).
2.02 Allylsilanes, Allylstannanes, and Related Compounds

Allylation is one of the most important carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions known. This chapter extensively covers allylsilanes, allylstannanes, allylgermanes, and allylplumbums. The synthesis of these reagents using a variety of different methods is discussed thoroughly. Thereafter, the application of these allylating agents in a variety of reactions, including allylation, is discussed.
Virtual Inductance for Stable Operation of Grid-Interactive Voltage Source Inverters

In this paper, a feedforward virtual inductance control strategy is developed for the stability of voltage source inverters (VSIs) in weak grids. A weak grid is characterized by a low short-circuit ratio and a low inertia constant, in which VSIs become susceptible to voltage distortions and instability. The proposed feedforward virtual inductance term is integrated into the current control loops of grid-tied VSIs. In this paper, the effectiveness of the virtual inductance control strategy in weak grids is first proved through closed-loop transfer function analysis and then the system's root locus analysis to determine the stability region of the system versus the grid impedance. The developed virtual inductance controller is also verified through laboratory experiments for different weak grid scenarios.
Robotic Flank Hernia Repair

Flank hernias represent a challenging entity for general surgeons, even for those with a busy hernia practice. While open and minimally invasive techniques exist for repair of flank hernias, the use of robotic-assisted repair makes dissection and suturing more precise and feasible compared to its laparoscopic counterpart. Patient expectations should be discussed preoperatively, as persistent bulging may still be present postoperatively despite adequate defect closure and mesh reinforcement due to underlying denervation from previous surgery or trauma to the area. The surgeon must decide whether a pre-peritoneal or intraperitoneal approach will be undertaken, as the dissection and mesh choice differ significantly between the two options. Following intracorporeal defect closure, the mesh is placed and fixated to ensure adequate overlap. Fixation may be completed with sutures as well as other forms of fixation including bone anchors for defects close to the bony pelvis. A high-quality robotic-assisted flank hernia repair can be very satisfying for the both the patient and surgeon alike. However, appropriate long-term follow-up should be pursued due to the inherent challenges that flank hernias and their repairs entail.
A Chromatin-Mimetic Nanomedicine for Therapeutic Tolerance Induction

The undesirable immune response poses a life-threatening challenge to human health. It not only deteriorates the therapeutic performance of biologic drugs but also contributes to various diseases such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Inspired by the role of chromatin in the maintenance of natural immune tolerance, here we report a DNA-protein polymeric nanocomplex that can mimic the tolerogenic function of chromatin and induce an immune tolerance to its protein cargos. We first proved that the chromatin-mimetic nanomedicine loaded with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), a highly immunogenic model protein, could elicit a durable antigen-specific immune tolerance to KLH lasting for at least five weeks in mice. Following the proof-of-concept study, we demonstrated that this nanomedicine could be applied to improve the safety and efficacy of a biologic drug, PEGylated uricase, by attenuating the relevant antibody (Ab) responses. Moreover, we also demonstrated that prophylactic treatments with this nanomedi...
Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques are used by a significant part of the population worldwide. Many of these techniques have been used successfully for thousands of years. Current research has tried to evaluate the basis and success of these techniques with mixed results. This chapter provides an overview of this vast topic and provides examples of where these techniques might be employed into contemporary dental practice.
Singleton Indefinites and the Privacy Principle: Certain Puzzles

The gap between a definite and an indefinite is reduced in the case of specific indefinites, in the sense that they both have determined reference. This fact is reflected in most accounts, particularly so in the analysis of Schwarzschild (2002) where specific indefinites are argued to quantify over singleton sets. If definites and specific indefinites share the singleton domain property, how are we to separate the two? The Privacy Principle, which is cued to the information state of discourse participants, is argued to apply to definites as well as indefinites (among other quantifiers), making it even harder to draw the line between definites and specific indefinites. We look at issues surrounding the distinction between definiteness and specificity through the lens of two empirical phenomena, bare nominals and specificity markers. Bare nominals in languages with determiners, for example, English, and bare nominals in languages without determiners, for example, Hindi, highlight different aspects of the problem. English bare plurals are known to have indefinite readings but not specific indefinite readings. Hindi bare nominals are thought to have definite and indefinite readings but can be shown not to have specific indefinite readings. The second empirical phenomenon we consider are specificity markers like certain. In many languages, they require a determiner in the singular but not in the plural, raising questions about their syntactic status as determiners or modifiers. They also do not occur in certain constructions, for example, imperatives. Probing such restrictions provides a window into their semantic profile. This paper thus presents some puzzles that center around the creation of singleton sets and its relation to the Privacy Principle.
Abstract LB-303: Transposable element insertions impact the mutational landscape of breast cancer genomes and disease onset

More than 50% of the human genome consists of transposable elements (TE), which mostly remain inactive and relatively stable in healthy individuals. These elements, commonly known as “jumping genes,” are sequences of DNA that are mobile and can change positions in the genome. However, only certain classes of retrotransposons (ALU, SVA, ERV and L1) are believed to be active in the human genome. Most TEs transpose by a “copy-and-paste” mechanism via transcription from DNA to an RNA intermediate followed by reverse transcription back to DNA and subsequent insertion of the copied DNA into the genome. In healthy individuals, this mechanism is silenced by various epigenetic pathways such as the piRNA pathway which helps silence the transcribed TE RNA intermediates. However during cancer, some retrotransposons are believed to become active due to loss of this epigenetic silencing and DNA damage repair mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed somatic and germline TE insertions in 77 TCGA breast cancer whole genomes and performed association analysis with corresponding somatic and germline variants. In our analysis, we identified a subset of patients who harbored a high number of germline TE insertions. Statistical burden testing of germline TE insertions with germline genetic variants (SNPs and Indels), revealed an enrichment of deleterious variants in the NRDE2 and TNKS1BP1 genes. NRDE2 gene involved in the piRNA pathway is known to regulate TEs using RNA silencing whereas, TNKS1BP1 gene is known to be involved in DNA damage repair mechanisms and also helps maintain genomic integrity. Further, patients with high germline TE insertions had a lower median age of diagnosis (top quartile vs bottom 75%, p-value=0.019), suggesting a potential novel role of germline TE insertions in cancer predisposition. Lastly, comparison of somatic TE insertion burdenpattern against somatic tumor mutation burden revealed an inverse correlation, indicating that analysis of TE insertions is critical to breast cancer diagnosis in the clinic. Our results definitively argue that characterization of TEs is essential for elucidating the complete mutational profile of a breast cancer genome. Citation Format: Robin Paul, Milan Radovich, Jeffrey P. Solzak. Transposable element insertions impact the mutational landscape of breast cancer genomes and disease onset [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-303.
Cultural Issues Affecting Business Activity in Chile and Peru

Cultural considerations in business decisions and transactions are significant. Not only do these considerations affect the individual employees, but they also affect the functional areas of the business. One critical area that culture influences is whether to enter a new market or not. Companies that continue to enter the global market place have to seriously think about training their employees to deal with culture. Cross-cultural teams have to have diverse knowledge and insightful approaches to the challenges of business. Some of the primary areas of concern relate to communication, etiquette, and organizational structure.
Research related to biological evaluation of complex wastes

The main thrust of a research program being undertaken is the development, testing, and field verification of a battery of tests for measuring the environmental impact of effluents of variable and unknown composition, especially those meeting the effluent guidelines. These include short lethal tests, short nonlethal tests, tests that will estimate safe concentrations, behavioral tests, tainting tests, and measurements of chemical groups relatable to residue formation and toxicity. These tests will be available for use by dischargers to monitor their effluents and for use as discharge permit requirements. Some of the major problems involved in biologically evaluating complex effluents are duscussed as well as areas for additional research.
Crystallographic descriptions of regular 2-periodic weavings of threads, loops and nets

Piecewise linear descriptions are presented of weavings of threads, loops and 2-periodic nets. Crystallographic data are provided for regular structures, defined as those with one kind (symmetry-related) of vertex (corner) and edge (stick). These include infinite families of biaxial thread weaves, interwoven square lattices (sql), honeycomb (hcb) nets, and tetragonal and hexagonal polycatenanes.