cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution and characterization of a new reversibly photoswitching chromogenic protein, Dathail.

We report the engineering of a new reversibly switching chromogenic protein, Dathail. Dathail was evolved from the extremely thermostable fluorescent proteins thermal green protein (TGP) and eCGP123 using directed evolution and ratiometric sorting. Dathail has two spectrally distinct chromogenic states with low quantum yields, corresponding to absorbance in a ground state with a maximum at 389nm, and a photo-induced metastable state with a maximum at 497nm. In contrast to all previously described photoswitchable proteins, both spectral states of Dathail are non-fluorescent. The photo-induced chromogenic state of Dathail has a lifetime of ~50min at 293K and pH7.5 as measured by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, returning to the ground state through thermal relaxation. X-ray crystallography provided structural insights supporting a change in conformation and coordination in the chromophore pocket as being responsible for Dathail's photoswitching. Neutron crystallography, carried out for the first time on a protein from the green fluorescent protein family, showed a distribution of hydrogen atoms revealing protonation of the chromophore 4-hydroxybenzyl group in the ground state. The neutron structure also supports the hypothesis that the photo-induced proton transfer from the chromophore occurs through water-mediated proton relay into the bulk solvent. Beyond its spectroscopic curiosity, Dathail has several characteristics that are improvements for applications, including low background fluorescence, large spectral separation, rapid switching time, and the ability to switch many times. Therefore, Dathail is likely to be extremely useful in the quickly developing fields of imaging and biosensors, including photochromic Forster resonance energy transfer, high-resolution microscopy, and live tracking within the cell.
Amino Acids of Nervous Tissue

SummaryThe pattern of free amino acids in mouse brain, as shown by 2-dimensional paper chromatography, does not reflect the amino acid composition of the brain as a whole. The brains of mice of several strains and various parts of the nervous system of the rabbit were studied. Free glutamic and aspartic acids, γ-aminoibutyric acid, taurine, glutamine, cystine, serine, glycine, alanine, valine, and the leucines were detected consistently. The variations in these constituents with age, sex, and strain in mice are discussed. The sciatic nerve in the rabbit had considerably smaller quantities of detectable constituents than the various parts of the central nervous system. A transplantable neuroblastoma in mice had a pattern of free amino acids which was similar to that found in other malignant tissues and in brains of 15-day embryos and significantly different from that found in all of the other samples of mouse brain examined. The suitability of the chromatographic method for the study of changes in the free...
The Effect of Metal Catalyst on the Electrocatalytic Activity of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

Nitrogen-doped and undoped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized from ferrocene, nickelocene, and cobaltocene metal catalysts. Electrochemical testing for an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) showed that nitrogen-doped CNTs synthesized from ferrocene had improved catalytic activity while nanotubes synthesized from nickelocene and cobaltocene, doped with a comparable amount of nitrogen and having similar stacked-cups structure as nitrogen doped CNTs from ferrocene, had a performance only slightly better than that of undoped CNTs. Ferrocene-based nitrogen-doped CNTs also demonstrated similar long-term stability and higher CO tolerance compared to Pt/C catalyst. Detailed ORR mechanisms were also studied and carbon nanomaterials showed different ORR processes as a result of the metal catalyst utilized in the chemical synthesis. Nitrogen-doped and undoped CNTs synthesized from nickelocene show a preferential 4-electron process as compared to materials synthesized from ferrocene and cobaltocene. We believe tha...
Augmented reality smart glasses: an investigation of technology acceptance drivers

Microsoft Hololens and Google Glass (Project Aura) are two examples of a new stream of wearable technology devices called Augmented Reality Smart Glasses that might substantially influence media usage in the near future. In this study, the authors draw upon prior technology acceptance research and propose an exploratory model of antecedents to smart glasses adoption. An empirical study reveals the importance of various drivers such as functional benefits, ease of use, individual difference variables, brand attitudes, and social norms. Although smart glasses are worn in a similar manner to fashion accessories and capture various personal information, self-presentation benefits and potential privacy concerns seem less likely to influence smart glasses adoption. The findings provide pre-market knowledge about smart glasses that can help scholars and managers understand this new technology.
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia as a predictor of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among adolescents ☆

Research suggests that self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) may function as maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. One psychophysiological index of emotion regulatory capacity is respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The temporal course of RSA responsivity to a stressor may be characterized by basal RSA, RSA reactivity to stressor, and RSA recovery post-stressor. RSA has been linked to both internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescents, but little is known about the relation between RSA and SITBs. Initial research has shown a cross-sectional relation between lower basal RSA and greater RSA reactivity to a sad mood induction and self-injury. To date no prospective research on the relation between RSA and SITBs exists. The current study aims to investigate the prospective relation between RSA and SITBs in a community sample of 108 adolescents (Mage=12.82, SDage=0.82, 53.70% female). At the initial laboratory visit (T1), participants completed an unsolvable anagram stressor task, during which RSA (basal, reactivity, and recovery) was measured. SITBs were assessed at T1 and at the 6-month follow-up (T2). Results indicated basal RSA and RSA reactivity did not significantly predict engagement in SITBs between T1 and T2. Poorer RSA recovery from the stressor task at T1 did significantly predict engagement in SITBs between T1 and T2, over and above depressive symptoms and lifetime history of SITBs. This suggests that adolescents with poor ability to regulate physiologically following a stressor may turn to maladaptive emotion regulation strategies like SITBs.
Statistical Variance and Transpositional Analysis: A Commentary on Plazak (2016)

Joseph Plazak argues for a more nuanced representation of the environment in which listeners encounter music ― in particular, questioning the assumption that listeners who engage with music repeatedly do so at the same absolute pitch level. While I agree with Plazak's problematization of this assumption, as well as his advocacy of further investigation into it, Plazak's corpus study has two key methodological flaws. However, a follow-up study in line with Plazak's research could both address these flaws and the more general question that Plazak raises, to the benefit of our understanding of a number of foundational cognitive issues.
Flavones: From Biosynthesis to Health Benefits

Flavones correspond to a flavonoid subgroup that is widely distributed in the plants, and which can be synthesized by different pathways, depending on whether they contain C- or O-glycosylation and hydroxylated B-ring. Flavones are emerging as very important specialized metabolites involved in plant signaling and defense, as well as key ingredients of the human diet, with significant health benefits. Here, we appraise flavone formation in plants, emphasizing the emerging theme that biosynthesis pathway determines flavone chemistry. Additionally, we briefly review the biological activities of flavones, both from the perspective of the functions that they play in biotic and abiotic plant interactions, as well as their roles as nutraceutical components of the human and animal diet.
The Domain of Monotonicity and Concavity of the Transcendental Logarithmic Unit Cost Function

Global properties of various flexible functional forms are still not well understood. This paper analyzes the transcendental logarithmic unit cost function in terms of monotonicity and concavity properties. Following the derivation of necessary and sufficient conditions in the general case, the two-input and three-input case are studied. The range of different parameter values is determined for which monotonicity and concavity over a nonempty domain of prices can be obtained. In particular, we show that the own second-order parameters of the translog unit cost functions cannot be greater than 1/4. A characterization of the domain of monotonicity and concavity is attempted as well. For the three-input case some open problems are identified.
Tracking photo‐degradation of triarylmethane dyes with surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The triarylmethane dyes, basic fuchsine, methyl violet, and crystal violet, were some of the first synthetic colorants to be produced after the revolutionary invention of mauve in 1856. While their attractive pink-to-violet hues made them immediately interesting to the textile industry and the arts, they are prone to fade when exposed to light. This work aims to investigate basic fuchsine, methyl violet, and crystal violet and their degradation products through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), exploiting the high sensitivity and minimal sample requirement of the technique. SERS is not able to discriminate between the two less methylated basic fuchsine homologues, rosaniline and pararosaniline, and between crystal and methyl violet, but it does distinguish rosaniline/pararosaniline from new fuchsine, the highest methylated basic fuchsine homologue, and those from crystal/methyl violet. Furthermore, we demonstrate that SERS is a valuable tool to study the photo-induced N-demethylation by tracking spectral changes in a series of artificially aged samples. The new findings have been applied to the analysis of a group of late 19th century woodblock Japanese prints. This approach shows a great potential in both forensic and conservation science fields, especially when the minimum sample availability and the low concentration of the colorants in the sample prevent the application of other better established techniques, such as high performance liquid chromatography with diode array, fluorescence, or mass spectrometric detections. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of Concept Maps to Illustrate Barriers to Construction Industry Inter-Organizational Communication: a Comparative View from Students and Professionals

Because of the fragmented nature of construction industry inter-organizational communication, construction industry stakeholders must rely on information exchanges in order to produce new informati...
The use of dual CZT molecular breast imaging and its potential diagnostic value as an adjunct to traditional imaging modalities.

2619 Objectives To evaluate the impact of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) dual detector molecular breast imaging (MBI) examination on patients scheduled for biopsy based on suspicious mammogram and/or ultrasound findings. Methods We evaluated 60 patients who were recommended to undergo stereotactic and/or ultrasound guided biopsies (BIRADS 4 or 5) using the GE Discovery NM 750b CZT dual head detector molecular breast imaging system. Each patient was injected with ~8 mCi Tc-99m Sestamibi intravenously. Images were obtained for 10 minutes a view in standard CC and MLO projections; occasionally additional images were obtained to include the entire breast. Patient biopsies were performed after the MBI examination. Results The 60 women had 73 indeterminate lesions including 48 masses and 25 calcifications identified. There were 20 pathologically confirmed cancers, 11 high risk lesions and 42 benign lesions. Of the 20 pathologically confirmed cancers, 14 were invasive cancer and 6 were DCIS associated with calcifications. 11 of the 14 invasive cancers demonstrated marked uptake, 2 with moderate uptake and 1 with mild uptake. The 5 cases of DCIS showed mild activity and one negative activity. The 11 high risk lesions demonstrated a range of negative to marked uptake. The remaining cases of benign disease demonstrated negative uptake in 27, mild uptake in 10 and moderate uptake in 5. In addition, management of three cases was directly influenced by the MBI results. Conclusions MBI with CZT dual detectors with improved image resolution and smaller pixel size offers an easy to perform, reproducible, office based exam for the workup of indeterminate findings on mammogram and/or ultrasound.
Effects of DTP Vaccination on Ravet Syndrome

An association between DTP vaccination and onset of seizures in 40 patients diagnosed with Dravet syndrome was investigated by retrospective analysis of medical and vaccination records at Heidelberg Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Nucleation and preferential growth mechanism of recrystallization texture in high purity binary magnesium-rare earth alloys

Abstract We investigated the effect of rare-earth element on recrystallization textures using Mg-Ce and Mg-Gd binary alloys at various concentrations of Ce and Gd, and employing electron backscattered diffraction – EBSD technique. Our results indicate that the rare earth element concentration required to noticeably alter recrystallization texture depends primarily on the processing conditions, and cannot be regarded only from the concentration standpoint. Rare earth element additions and stored energy from deformation work in combination to alter texture in rare earth element containing magnesium alloys. The nucleation stage of dynamic recrystallization was explored in samples with partially recrystallized microstructures, revealing necklace structures of small grains forming continuously along the boundaries of pancake-shaped grains in the extrusion direction. Stochastic relaxation of basal " open=" a , pyramidal " open=" c + a , and prismatic " open=" a dislocations into low-angle grain boundaries produced chains of new dynamically recrystallized embryos with nearly random orientations. A remarkable grain-size driven textural transition occurs from a predominant band in the inverse pole figures where the " open=" c -axis is oriented 35–65°away from the extrusion direction to a hot spot between " open=" 11 2 ¯ 1 − " open=" 11 2 ¯ 3 | | E D texture components. EBSD observations showed that Mg-Gd alloys have a slower textural transition rate due to the stronger grain refining potential of Gd compared to Ce. These results suggest that the formation of band-like texture patterns in the inverse pole figures is associated with the recovery of basal/ " open=" c + a dislocations, while transition to a hot spot in texture is a result of preferential grain growth, which was made possible by an effect related to the presence of rare earth elements in the grain boundaries. We investigated the growth behavior during dynamic and static recrystallization. Schmid factor analysis showed a lower net activation of dislocations in " open=" 11 2 ¯ 1 − " open=" 11 2 ¯ 3 | | E D grains compared to " open=" 10 1 ¯ 1 − " open=" 10 1 ¯ 2 | | E D grains. Lower dislocation densities within RE " open=" 11 2 ¯ 1 − " open=" 11 2 ¯ 3 | | E D grains favor their growth by setting the boundary migration direction toward grains with higher dislocation density, thereby decreasing the system energy.
Reflections on Donald J. Trump’s First 100 Days

The arrival of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States is frightening to U.S. intellectuals on many grounds, not the least of which is his narrow conception of who and what is an “America...
Secured Debt Financing and Leverage: Theory and Evidence

This paper provides a model of how secured debt financing impacts both the asset substitution and underinvestment problems and empirical evidence in support of the model. The model considers a firm with a mix of secured and unsecured risky debt claims against an asset in place and the opportunity to acquire another asset. It is shown that (1) the underinvestment problem does not depend on the proportion of the original debt that is secured and (2) the asset substitution problem decreases in the proportion of the original debt that is secured. Debt capacity increases with the proportion of debt that is secured as the asset substitution problem is lower for a given level of debt. An analysis of a large sample of firms with data available on COMPUSTAT supports the model predictions. First, leverage is positively and significantly related to the fraction of the debt that is secured controlling for other variables known to affect leverage. Second, attaching collateral to the debt, unlike shortening maturity (Johnson (2003)) or including protective covenants (Billett, King and Mauer (2006)) does not increase debt capacity by mitigating the underinvestment problem.
Role of the Permeability Transition in Glutamate-Mediated Neuronal Injury

Glutamate can injure neurons in a way that is likely relevant to a number of acute neurodegenerative states, including stroke and head trauma. It is also likely that glutamate contributes to neurons degeneration in chronic diseases as well. Many studies have established a relationship between the bioenergetic state of neurons and their vulnerability to injury, and more-recent investigations have placed mitochondria at the center of the event cascade linking glutamate receptor activation to neuronal death. The key question posed at the start of this review concerned the role of the PTP in this process, however, and this is much less clear. There are significant concerns in interpretating studies which suggest that transition occurs in intact neurons, because of the difficulty in attributing alterations in membrane potential to pore activation, so these studies remain suggestive but not conclusive. Morphological approaches also imply pore involvement but contain similar methodological concerns. It is evident that CsA is neuroprotective under certain circumstances, but there are multiple mechanisms by which this might be so, and FK506 sometimes has neuroprotective actions as well. No other drugs that alter membrane potential have shown neuroprotective effects. Thus, the body of evidence linking the PTP to excitotoxicity, though suggestive and intriguing, remains to be firmly established.
Trends in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Among American Indian and Alaska Native Women, Indian Health Service, 2001–2015

Objectives. To describe trends in rates of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) encounters among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women aged 15 to 44 years in the United States receiving care wit...
Group-to-individual (G2i) inferences: challenges in modeling how the U.S. court system uses brain data

Regardless of formalization used, one on-going challenge for AI systems that model legal proceedings is accounting for contextual issues, particularly where judicial decisions are made in criminal cases. The law assumes a rational approach to rule application in deciding a defendant’s guilt; however, judges and juries can behave irrationally. What should a model prize: efficiency, accuracy, or fairness? Exactly whether and how to incorporate the psychology of courtroom interactions into formal models or expert systems has only just begun to be examined in a serious fashion. Here, I outline data from the United States which suggest that trying to incorporate psychological biases into formal models of legal decision-making will be challenging. I focus on the use of neuroscience data in criminal trials, homing in on so-called group-to-individual (G2i) inferences. I argue that data which should be the most effective at swaying judicial decisions are in fact those most likely not to make a difference in the disposition of the case. I conclude that judges often assign culpability by ignoring what our best science regarding how human decision-making occurs.
Combining efficacy and toxicity effect sizes from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) into an interpretable quality-adjusted effect size estimate in patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

e18028 Background: There are a multitude of treatment options for patients with MM, many of which appear to be equivalent in terms of response and others which have superior response but no clear b...
Ectopic Ocular Surface Calcification in Patients With Hypophosphatasia Treated With Asfotase Alfa

Purpose To assess for ectopic ocular calcification in a series of patients with hypophosphatasia (HPP) treated with asfotase alfa, a recombinant tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of subjects enrolled at Duke University Medical Center in ENB-009-10 (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01163149), a randomized controlled trial of asfotase alfa in adolescents and adults with HPP. Seven patients between the ages of 45 and 66 years diagnosed with HPP based on clinical features and low serum alkaline phosphatase levels were enrolled at our site. Subjects were randomized to receive either daily subcutaneous injections of asfotase alfa or no treatment. After 24 weeks, during the open-label extension phase, all subjects received treatment for at least 4 years. All subjects underwent comprehensive eye examinations at baseline and at 24-week intervals throughout the study to assess for development of ocular calcifications. Results By week 120, all 7 subjects developed asymptomatic white refractile deposits in the interpalpebral perilimbal conjunctiva. Biopsy of the conjunctival lesions in 2 subjects revealed elastosis with subepithelial calcification. The lesions were nonprogressive and in 5 subjects exhibited some degree of regression. Conclusions Asfotase alfa was invariably associated with development of mild focal conjunctival calcification, likely through disinhibition of hydroxyapatite crystal propagation. The calcifications were not symptomatic or vision-threatening and should not preclude enzyme replacement therapy for patients with this rare and often debilitating disease.
Predictors of public attitudes toward controversial science 1979–1990

Recent research has suggested that individuals with greater science literacy and education hold more polarized views on religiously and politically polarized scientific topics, such as human evolut...
An Evaluation of Neurosurgical Resident Education and Sentiment During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A North American Survey.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the healthcare system. Owing to restrictions in elective surgery and social distancing guidelines, the training curriculum for neurosurgical trainees has been rapidly evolving. This evolution could have significant long-term effects on the training of neurosurgery residents. The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of COVID-19 on neurosurgical training programs and residents. Methods A survey consisting of 31 questions assessing changes to resident clinical and educational workload and their sentiment regarding how these changes might affect their careers was distributed electronically to neurosurgery residents in the United States and Canada. Results The survey respondents were from 29 states and Canada and were relatively evenly spread across all levels of residency. Nearly 82% reported that the inpatient and outpatient volumes had been either greatly (44.0%) or moderately (37.8%) reduced. Greater than 91% reported that their work responsibilities or access to the hospital had been reduced, with a significant reduction in work hours and a significant increase in resident didactics (P Conclusion Universally, residents have experienced reduced work hours and a reduction in their operative case volumes. Programs have adapted by increasing didactic time and using electronic platforms. It is quite possible that this remarkable period will prompt a critical reappraisal of the pre–COVID-19 adequacy of educational content in our training programs and that the enhanced educational efforts driven by this pandemic could be lasting.
Evolutionary Conservation and Essential Function of Human and Maize RNA Binding Motif Protein 48 (RBM48) in U12-Type Intron Splicing

U12-type (minor) introns are found in most multicellular eukaryotes and constitute [~]0.5% of all introns in species with a minor spliceosome required for their splicing. However, the biological relevance of U12-type introns is not well understood. It is known that mutations resulting in aberrant U12-type intron splicing cause developmental defects in both plants and animals. We recently reported that maize RNA Binding Motif Protein 48 (RBM48) is an essential splicing factor for U12-type introns. Maize rbm48 mutants display aberrant genome-wide U12-type intron splicing. This leads to severe defects in endosperm development, resulting in non-viable seeds. In this report, we use CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ablation of RBM48 in human K-562 cells to establish the evolutionary conservation of RBM48 dependent U12-type intron splicing between maize and humans. Comparative RNA-seq analysis performed on RBM48 deficient human cell lines and maize endosperm defined a subset of orthologous minor U12-type containing genes (MIGs) displaying aberrant splicing of U12-type introns in both species. Mutations in the majority of these MIGs have been reported to cause developmental defects in both plants and animals. Thus, a comparison of RNA-seq data between distantly related species containing mutations in RBM48 identifies candidate genes likely to mediate mutant phenotypes of U12-type splicing defects. Our results elucidate deeply conserved post-transcriptional processing mechanisms that are required for normal growth and development of eukaryotes with a minor spliceosome.
Management of Seat Belt–type Blunt Abdominal Aortic Trauma and Associated Injuries in Pediatric Patients

Background “Seat belt–type” pediatric abdominal aortic trauma is uncommon but potentially lethal. During high speed motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), seat or lap belt restraints may concentrate forces in a band-like pattern across the abdomen, resulting in the triad of hollow viscus perforation, spine fracture, and aortoiliac injury. We report 4 cases of pediatric seat belt–type aortic trauma and review management strategies for the aortic disruption and the associated constellation of injuries. Methods –approved, retrospective review of all pediatric patients requiring surgical intervention for seat belt–type constellation of abdominal aortic/iliac and associated injuries over a 5-year period. Blunt thoracic aortic injuries were excluded. Results We identified 4 patients, ranging from 2 to 17 years of age, who required surgical correction of seat belt–type aortoiliac trauma and associated injuries: 3 abdominal aortas and 1 left common iliac artery. The majority (3/4 patients) were hemodynamically unstable at emergency room presentation, and all underwent computed tomography angiography of the chest/abdomen/pelvis during initial resuscitation. Injuries of the suprarenal and proximal infrarenal aorta were accompanied by unilateral renal artery avulsion requiring nephrectomy. Presumed or proven spinal instability mandated supine positioning and midline laparotomy, with medial visceral rotation utilized for proximal injuries. Aortoiliac injuries requiring repair were accompanied by significant distal intraluminal prolapse of dissected intima, with varying degrees of obstruction. Conduit selection was dictated by the presence of enteric contamination and the rapid availability of an autologous conduit. The sole neurologic deficit was irreparable at presentation. Conclusions Seat belt aortoiliac injuries in pediatric patients require prompt multidisciplinary evaluation. Evidence of contained aortoiliac transection, major branch vessel avulsion, and bowel perforation mandates immediate exploration, which generally precedes spinal interventions. Lesser degrees of aortoiliac injuries have been managed with surveillance, but long-term follow-up is needed to fully validate this approach.
Cofilin loss in Drosophila contributes to myopathy through defective sarcomerogenesis and aggregate formation during muscle growth

SUMMARY Sarcomeres, the fundamental contractile units of muscles, are conserved structures composed of actin thin filaments and myosin thick filaments. How sarcomeres are formed and maintained is not well understood. Here, we show that knockdown of Drosophila Cofilin (DmCFL), an actin depolymerizing factor, leads to the progressive disruption of sarcomere structure and muscle function in vivo. Loss of DmCFL also results in the formation of sarcomeric protein aggregates and impairs sarcomere addition during growth. Strikingly, activation of the proteasome delayed muscle deterioration in our model. Further, we investigate how a point mutation in CFL2 that causes nemaline myopathy (NM) in humans, affects CFL function and leads to the muscle phenotypes observed in vivo. Our data provide significant insights to the role of CFLs during sarcomere formation as well as mechanistic implications for disease progression in NM patients.
DNA Sequence Modulates the Efficiency of NEIL1-Catalyzed Excision of the Aflatoxin B1-Induced Formamidopyrimidine Guanine Adduct

Dietary exposure to aflatoxins is a significant risk factor in the development of hepatocellular carcinomas. Following bioactivation by microsomal P450s, the reaction of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) with guanine (Gua) in DNA leads to the formation of stable, imidazole ring-opened 8,9-dihydro-8-(2,6-diamino-4-oxo-3,4-dihydropyrimid-5-yl-formamido)-9-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-FapyGua) adducts. In contrast to most base modifications that result in destabilization of the DNA duplex, the AFB1-FapyGua adduct increases the thermal stability of DNA via 5'-interface intercalation and base-stacking interactions. Although it was anticipated that this stabilization might make these lesions difficult to repair relative to helix distorting modifications, prior studies have shown that both the nucleotide and base excision repair pathways participate in the removal of the AFB1-FapyGua adduct. Specifically for base excision repair, we previously showed that the DNA glycosylase NEIL1 excises AFB1-FapyGua and catalyzes strand scission in both synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides and liver DNA of exposed mice. Since it is anticipated that error-prone replication bypass of unrepaired AFB1-FapyGua adducts contributes to cellular transformation and carcinogenesis, the structural and thermodynamic parameters that modulate the efficiencies of these repair pathways are of considerable interest. We hypothesized that the DNA sequence context in which the AFB1-FapyGua adduct is formed might modulate duplex stability and consequently alter the efficiencies of NEIL1-initiated repair. To address this hypothesis, site-specific AFB1-FapyGua adducts were synthesized in three sequence contexts, with the 5' neighbor nucleotide being varied. DNA structural stability analyses were conducted using UV absorbance- and NMR-based melting experiments. These data revealed differentials in thermal stabilities associated with the 5'-neighbor base pair. Single turnover kinetic analyses using the NEIL1 glycosylase demonstrated corresponding sequence-dependent differences in the repair of this adduct, such that there was an inverse correlation between the stabilization of the duplex and the efficiency of NEIL1-mediated catalysis.
Embedded 3D printing of multi-layer, self-oscillating vocal fold models

Abstract The biomechanics of human voice production are commonly studied using benchtop silicone vocal fold models that mimic the vibration of their in vivo counterparts. These models often have multiple layers of differing stiffness that represent human vocal fold tissue layers and are fabricated using a multi-step casting process. The purpose of the present study is to introduce and demonstrate a process for fabricating functional multi-layer vocal fold models using an alternative approach, termed embedded 3D printing, that is a hybrid of casting and 3D printing. In this paper the fabrication process is described. Analysis of the resulting geometric and stiffness characteristics of the layers, including layer elastic modulus values ranging from less than 1 kPa to approximately 40 kPa, is presented. The results of tests demonstrating that the models are capable of sustained phonomimetic vibration are given. Capabilities and limitations of the embedded 3D printing process are discussed. It is concluded that the process has the potential to contribute to voice biomechanics research by facilitating prospective improvements in the fabrication, design, and functionality of multi-layer vocal fold models.
Doing Away With Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly conduct laws are weapons the powerful wield against the unpopular. All fifty states and many municipalities have disorderly conduct laws that criminalize speech and conduct ranging from unreasonable noise to opprobrious language. Although these laws are facially neutral, their astounding breadth and vagueness serve as a rubber stamp for law enforcement to surveil and criminally charge marginalized people. Their targets include communities of color, people with unpopular religious or political beliefs, and people whose mental health struggles render them incapable of complying with societal expectations of order. While courts and scholars have criticized these laws for decades, none have explicitly called for their abolition. This article does so. The article examines both the constitutional flaws of disorderly conduct laws and the many societal harms they enable, before ultimately concluding that any minimal good they accomplish cannot justify the damage they inflict. Amidst a growing national reckoning over the crisis of abusive and discriminatory policing, this article provides a timely critique of the criminal laws that empower such policing. It uses disorderly conduct laws as a lens through which to examine the extraordinary costs of overcriminalization and the vulnerable people who most often bear the brunt of such costs. While disorderly conduct laws are not the only criminal laws legislatures should consider eliminating, they are both constitutionally and socially problematic to a degree few other criminal laws achieve.
The relationship between interviewer-respondent race match and reporting of energy intake using food frequency questionnaires in the rural South United States.

Objective The purpose of the observational study was to determine whether interviewer race influences food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) reporting accuracy in a Deep South, largely African American cohort.
The Rise of the Others: Can the U.S. Stay on Top?

Can the United States still remain the leading power? Or are the rising powers in fact reshaping the international system? And if the latter, how might the United States behave under bi-/multi-polarity? While most scholars now agree that American primacy is declining, clearly, a distinction needs to be made: in the economic field this does appear to be the case, far less so in the military realm. The loss of economic predominance and, gradually, the ability to maintain a robust global deployment make it not only reasonable but imperative to rethink American grand strategy. The United States stands a better chance of remaining the leader with significant margins of power compared to its challengers if it adopts a defensive realist approach, embracing strategies like selective engagement or offshore balancing. The United States enjoys a twofold advantage compared to the rising powers: a favorable geographical setting and naval primacy. This implies it can project power from the sea to protect its vital interests and to defend regional allies. The United States should therefore: (1) narrow the geographical scope of its vital interests; (2) concentrate only on regions in which it has no one to trust; (3) while backing regional allies in command of their respective regions.
Organization and temporal expression of a flagellar basal body gene in Caulobacter crescentus.

Abstract Caulobacter crescentus assembles a single polar flagellum at a defined time in the cell cycle. The protein components of the flagellar hook and filament are synthesized just prior to their assembly. We demonstrated that the expression of a gene, flaD, that is involved in the formation of the flagellar basal body is under temporal control and is transcribed relatively early in the cell cycle, before the hook and flagellin genes are transcribed. Thus, the order of flagellar gene transcription reflects the order of assembly of the protein components. A mutation in the flaD gene results in the assembly of a partial basal body which is missing the outermost P and L rings as well as the external hook and filament (K.M. Hahnenberger and L. Shapiro, J. Mol. Biol. 194:91-103, 1987). The flaD gene was cloned and characterized by nucleotide sequencing and S1 nuclease protection assays. In contrast to the protein components of the hook and filament, the protein encoded by the flaD gene contains a hydrophobic leader peptide. The predicted amino acid sequence of the leader peptide of flaD is very similar to the leader peptide of the flagellar basal body P ring of Salmonella typhimurium (M. Homma, Y. Komeda, T. Iino, and R.M. Macnab, J. Bacteriol. 169:1493-1498, 1987).
Audience Measurement, the Diversity Principle, and the First Amendment Right to Construct the Audience

During the months leading up to the historic election of Barack Obama as the 44 President of the United States, a tremendous amount of attention was being paid to the issue of race, to the role of the media in the depiction of race, and to various other points of intersection between race, the media, and politics.1 During these same months, another issue with tremendous implications for the interaction between race and the media was developing; in light of the historic presidential campaign that was reaching its climax, it is perhaps not surprising that this issue received relatively little attention. This issue involved the introduction, by radio audience measurement firm Arbitron, of a new system for measuring radio audiences in fourteen of the largest radio markets in the United States.2 Dubbed the Portable People Meter (PPM), this new system of audience measurement replaced the paper diaries that radio listeners traditionally have used to record their radio listening with a small, pager-sized device that automatically captures the audio signals to which the carrier of the device is exposed, and translates that information into the ratings data that are
Full-time vs. part-time salespeople

Abstract A comparison of part-time vs. full-time salespeople from four U.S. direct selling companies that part-timers had greater job satisfaction and less propensity to quit. Part-timers were also better performers as measured by earnings per hour worked. When these same respondents were analyzed in terms of other jobs held simultaneously with their direct selling job, some evidence indicated that job satisfaction was lower while earnings per hour and propensity to quit were greater as the extent of other outside employment increased. Those findings are consistent with social comparison and frame of reference theories, and suggest that part-time employment for outside salespeople merits serious consideration by sales managers.
Necrotizing sialometaplasia: Report of five additional cases

Abstract Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a benign disease which, clinically and microscopically, is often confused with malignancy. Five cases are reported to publicize the existence of this uncommon oral lesion. The clinical appearance, history, and microscopic features are discussed and illustrated.
A 200 MHz 256 kB second level cache with 1.6 GB/s data bandwidth

Improvements in processor performance have given rise to tightly-coupled, high-bandwidth second-level caches that are key to processor performance. This paper describes a 256 kB, 4-way set-associative companion cache SRAM to a microprocessor. High speed is achieved by keeping the processor and cache in the same 2-chip module and by communicating over a private 72 b data bus. Supply voltage is 3.3 V and maximum power is 3.8 W at 150 MHz, assuming back-to-back reads. The BiCMOS process features 4-level metal and 0.4 /spl mu/m Leff.
Transcription of genes involved in bacterio-opsin gene expression in mutants of a halophilic archaebacterium.

Abstract Recent studies on the regulation of the bacterio-opsin (bop) gene of the archaebacterium Halobacterium halobium suggest that the brp and putative bat genes are involved in bop gene expression or purple membrane assembly. These two genes are located 526 and 1,602 base pairs, respectively, upstream of the bop gene and are both transcribed in the opposite orientation to the bop gene. Transcription of the bop, brp, and putative bat genes was characterized in the wild type, 11 Bop mutants, and a Bop revertant by using a series of RNA probes. Quantitation of the relative mRNA levels for these three genes in the wild type revealed that the brp and bat transcripts are present at approximately 2 and 4%, respectively, of bop mRNA levels under the growth conditions used. Northern (RNA) blot analysis of Bop mutants indicated that insertions in the brp gene affect expression of the putative bat gene. In addition, deletion of most of the bat gene resulted in virtually undetectable levels of bop and brp mRNAs. These and other results lead us to propose that (i) brp gene expression can affect bat gene expression and (ii) the putative bat gene is involved in activating bop and brp gene expression.
Does the contingency of agents' nonverbal feedback affect users' social anxiety?

We explored the association between users' social anxiety and the interactional fidelity of an agent (also referred to as a virtual human), specifically addressing whether the contingency of agents' nonverbal feedback affects the relationship between users' social anxiety and their feelings of rapport, performance, or judgment on interaction partners. This subject was examined across four experimental conditions where participants interacted with three different types of agents and a real human. The three types of agents included the Non-Contingent Agent, the Responsive Agent (opposite to the Non-Contingent Agent), and the Mediated Agent (controlled by a real human). The results indicated that people having greater social anxiety would feel less rapport and show worse performance while feeling more embarrassment if they experience the untimely feedback of the Non-Contingent Agent. The results also showed people having more anxiety would trust real humans less as their interaction partners. We discuss the implication of this relationship between social anxiety in a human subject and the interactional fidelity of an agent on the design of virtual characters for social skills training and therapy.
In Vitro Hydrodynamic Analysis of Pin and Cone Bearing Designs of the Jarvik 2000 Adult Ventricular Assist Device

The Jarvik 2000 adult ventricular assist device (VAD) is a second-generation blood pump with mechanical contact bearings. The original configuration of the pump employed a pin bearing and a more recent configuration uses a cone bearing. We compare the hydrodynamic performance of the two designs under steady-state and pulsatile flow conditions in vitro. Furthermore, we employ the Intermittent Low Speed (ILS) Flowmaker Controller to demonstrate the effect on pulsatility index (PI) performance of both device configurations. We use an open-loop flow system in both steady-state and pulsatile arrangements, complete with pressure transducers and flow probes. Working fluid was a 3.6 cP blood-analog, glycerin-water solution. Steady-state flow tests were carried out to determine pressure-flow (H-Q) performance curves. Pulsatile tests under normotensive, hypertensive, and hypotensive conditions were executed with controller speed 3 (10710 ± 250 rpm) at 100 beats per minute. Steady-state tests show greater capacity for pressure and flow with the cone bearing, compared with pin bearing, with best efficiency point (BEP) 68% greater for cone bearing. Pulsatile tests show the cone bearing design to yield a 20% increase in Qavg , a 17% decrease in pulsatility index (PIQ ), and a qualitative increase in pressure responsivity. The ILS mode (for both bearing designs) decreases Qavg by 68% and likewise increases PIQ by 360% and pulsatility ratio (Rpul ) by 200%. The ILS controller regularly reduces the flow, increasing pulsatility index during device operation. The Jarvik 2000 continuous-flow VAD can sustain pulsatile flow under pulsating pressure conditions. The new cone bearing design yields increased flow rates over the earlier pin bearing design.
Neighborhood induced stochastic resonance

Spatial interactions over a local neighborhood between neurons is common in many models of neural networks. The spatial interaction is often shaped to allow for improved response in the application for which the network is constructed. In this paper, we study an additional effect that can occur when such spatial interactions are imposed. Specifically, we find that the net input received by a neuron from neighboring neurons can induce stochastic resonance thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the neuron output. We also find that stochastic resonance is enhanced with increasing variance between the neighborhood signals received by the neuron. Thus the net signal received by a neuron due to neighborhood neurons plays a role similar to that played by noise in a classical stochastic resonance situations. We believe that these results, when combined with the more traditional use of spatial interaction, motivate the design of new and enhanced neural detectors.
Community engagement strategies in the original and renewal applications for CTSA grant funding.

Purpose The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program has highlighted community engagement in research by requiring institutions to develop bidirectional relationships with communities to obtain funding. Little is known about how institutions have operationalized that requirement. This study aimed to describe the strategies proposed by the first institutions to receive CTSA funding and to undergo the CTSA renewal process. Methods The authors conducted a qualitative document analysis of the community engagement section of 12 original and 10 renewal grant applications of the 12 institutions awarded CTSA funding in 2006 and renewed in 2010. Results Institutions employed - and research engagement strategies. Capacity-building strategies included education, pilot grants, connecting potential partners, and community research centers. Research engagement strategies ranged from those that allowed for very little input from communities, such as announcements, to those that allowed for a high amount of input from communities, such as community-researcher teams. Conclusion CTSA funding has supported capacity-building for institutions and communities to partner. Engagement strategies employed by the institutions are largely known from prior community-engaged research. Based on the grants from these institutions, the CTSA funding has largely enabled institutions to develop capacity to engage.