cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategies to Develop Mortgage Markets in Transition Economies

The transformation of the planned economies of central and eastern Europe to market economies has focused on economic stabilization and liberalization, privatization, and financial sector development. The housing sector and the mortgage market have been factors in each of these processes but not always positive ones. The authors analyze the factors hindering the development of mortgage markets in these transition economies and propose a strategy to expedite that development. They show that banks in transition economies are reluctant to make mortgage loans because of the risks in mortgage lending (credit, interest rate, and liquidity risk). Together with the required primary market improvements, a secondary mortgage market is likely to help solve this problem. A secondary mortgage market separates the act of making mortgage loans (which can still be carried out by banks) from the act of holding mortgage loans (which can be carried out more effectively by capital market investors). The authors emphasize the potential role of the housing finance system in being an engine of innovation for the rest of the financial sector. But, if the housing finance system is stunted, other nonmarket devices would develop for financing and subsidizing the housing sector -creating negative externalities for the rest of the system. The authors point out that a market-based housing finance system is unlikely to emerge without initial government support. Moreover, the transition economies must first create an economic and legal infrastructure to support the long-term and complex market relationships and contracts that constitute a housing financial system.
Low but Stable Frequency of Xanthic Phenotypes in a Population of the Twoline Pupfish, Cyprinodon Bifasciatus

Abstract The discovery and temporal persistence of xanthic phenotypes are reported for an isolated population of the twoline pupfish Cyprinodon bifasciatus, a species endemic to the Cuatro Cienegas basin, Mexico. During four observations over a 19 mo period, the Escobedita population of C. bifasciatus was found to harbor a low but stable frequency of xanthic individuals (recorded range 3.3–3.7%). Persistence of xanthic phenotypes in this system could reflect relaxed predation pressure, genetic drift in a small population, benign to favorable sexual selection or some combination of these factors. This population provides an exceptional natural laboratory for investigation of evolutionary influences on the frequency of xanthic variants in wild populations.
A micromachined ultra-thin-film gas detector

This paper reports a second-generation gas detector developed for eventual use in a multi-element gas analyzer. The detector utilizes an ultra-thin metal sensing film supported on a selectively micromachined dielectric window, although the basic structure is also suitable for use with more conventional sensing films. A 5 /spl mu/m-thick boron-diffused silicon heater under the window permits the window temperature to be varied between ambient and over 1200/spl deg/C with heating efficiencies in air and in vacuum of 6/spl deg/C/mW and 20/spl deg/C/mW, respectively. The total window area is 1 mm/sup 2/, with an active sensing area of 0.12 mm/sup 2/. The circuit simulator SPICE is used to optimize the coupled thermal and electrical characteristics of the window simultaneously, resulting in a simulated temperature uniformity over the sensing area of better than /spl plusmn/0.5%. Two boron-diffused silicon resistors having TCR's of 1800 ppm//spl deg/C are interleaved with the heater to allow the average temperature over the active area to be determined to within about /spl plusmn/0.1/spl deg/C. The detectors are realized using a six-mask process in a die size of 2.8 mm/spl times/2.8 mm. A subset of the same process is also used to produce wafer-level shadow masks to permit the detectors to be used with any sensing films capable of being vacuum deposited. >
Unified formulation of robotic systems with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints

Many robotic systems are subject to nonholonomic as well as holonomic constraints. Rolling contact between two rigid bodies is a typical example of such a system. In the study, a unified state space formulation of robotic systems subject to both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints is presented. The position-level holonomic constraints are first replaced by a set of velocity-level constraint equations that asymptotically converge to the original holonomic constraints. Having represented both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints in a common form, a state space representation of the constrained systems is then developed. A numerical algorithm for implementing the state space representation is also described. The proposed formulation eliminates the need to solve holonomic constraints either analytically or numerically, and ensures that holonomic constraints are always satisfied, particularly in computer simulations. The formulation makes it possible to treat systems with holonomic constraints, with nonholonomic constraints, or with both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints in a unified framework. Two examples are presented to illustrate the application of the unified formulation.
Percent Recent Mortality (PRM) of Stony Corals as an Ecological Indicator of Coral Reef Condition

Abstract The reef communities of the Florida coral reef tract play a major role in supporting the regional economy but are threatened by increased exploitation and environmental factors. Coral reef ecosystem services are vital to the economy of SE Florida where revenue and jobs depend on the status of reef resources. Here, we used an extensive, reef monitoring database collected by the Florida Reef Resilience (FRRP, 2003–2011) and the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA, 1997–2011) programs to evaluate percent recent mortality (PRM) as a robust ecological indicator of coral colony and coral reef status. PRM, the proportion of a coral colony that has experienced recent tissue mortality so that corallite structures in the non-living parts of the coral are still intact and identifiable to species, can be attributed to disturbances taking place within days to a few months preceding the surveys. Based on data from >50,000 colonies from 11 coral species and nearly 1400 sites, we propose a benchmark level of 1.0% and prevalence levels >5% can be used as early warning indicators of degrading conditions. Average PRM values >2% are indicative of increasingly stressful conditions as those experienced during temperature anomalies and major hurricanes. Finally, PRM values considerably >2% are reflective of significantly stressful conditions and warning signals of potential major coral mortality as evidenced by mean PRM levels of >10% recorded in Florida as a consequence of the 2010 extreme cold-water event. PRM and prevalence values from Florida reefs compared favorably with those recorded in the Caribbean and the Mesoamerican region where a benchmark of 2% for background levels of PRM under low-level, chronic stress was proposed. The status of this indicator can be easily communicated to stakeholders and will benefit managers by providing: (1) a baseline to assess the status of coral populations; and (2) early-warning indicators of unfavorable conditions that may trigger management actions such as temporary closures or the establishment of more permanent protection such as MPAs.
Ultrastructure of the sexually dimorphic tarsal glands and tegumental glands in gonyleptoid harvestmen (Opiliones, Laniatores)

In at least four closely related families of the diverse harvestmen lineage Gonyleptoidea, males may possess sexually dimorphic tarsal glands in the swollen tarsomeres of the basitarsus and/or metatarsus of leg I. The first histological and ultrastructural examination of the sexually dimorphic tarsal glands in leg I focused only on Manaosbiidae. In this study, we examine the morphology and ultrastructure of the sexually dimorphic glands, and their associated glandular openings, found in the basitarsus and/or metatarsus of leg I of males representing Cosmetidae, Gonyleptidae, and Cranaidae (glandular openings only). In cosmetids and gonyleptids, the tarsal glands are made up of 20–60 glandular units that form distinct groups within the prolateral and retrolateral half of the tarsomere. Each glandular unit consists of a pair of terminal secretory cells, an intercalary cell wrapped around the receiving canal, and a canal cell tightly wrapped around the length of the conducting canal. Cosmetidae, Gonyleptidae, and Cranaidae exhibit remarkably similar tarsal glands and gland openings although the location of the glands in the leg differs slightly among them. Males of these three families exhibit markedly different glands and glandular openings compared to males of the family Manaosbiidae. The sexually dimorphic tarsal glands may provide an important morphological character for determining phylogenetic relationships among gonyleptoid families. Finally, we provide morphological and ultrastructural data for the common tegumental glands. These data indicate that the sexually dimorphic tarsal glands are strikingly similar to, and may possibly be derived from, the tegumental glands. J. Morphol. 274:1203–1215, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pharmacokinetics and toxicity of ciprofloxacin in adult horses

Yamarik, T. A., Wilson, W. D., Wiebe, V. J., Pusterla, N., Edman, J., Papich, M. G. Pharmacokinetics and toxicity of ciprofloxacin in adult horses. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 33, 587–594. Using a randomized, cross-over study design, ciprofloxacin was administered i.g. to eight adult mares at a dose of 20 mg/kg, and to seven of the eight horses at a dose of 5 mg/kg by bolus i.v. injection. The mean C0 was 20.5 μg/mL (±8.8) immediately after i.v. administration. The Cmax was 0.6 μg/mL (±0.36) at Tmax 1.46 (±0.66) h after the administration of oral ciprofloxacin. The mean elimination half-life after i.v. administration was 5.8 (±1.6) h, and after oral administration the terminal half-life was 3.6 (±1.7) h. The overall mean systemic availability of the oral dose was 10.5 (±2.8)%. Transient adverse effects of mild to moderate severity included agitation, excitement and muscle fasciculation, followed by lethargy, cutaneous edema and loss of appetite developed in all seven horses after i.v. administration. All seven horses developed mild transient diarrhea at 36–48 after i.v. dosing. All eight horses dosed intragastrically experienced adverse events attributable to ciprofloxacin administration. Adverse events included mild transient diarrhea to severe colitis, endotoxemia and laminitis necessitating euthanasia of three horses on humane grounds. The high incidences of adverse events preclude oral and rapid i.v. push administration of ciprofloxacin.
FROM BODO ETHICS TO DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

Concern with material equality as the central form of distributive justice is a very modern idea. Distributive justice for Aristotle and many other writers for millennia after him was a matter of distributing what each ought to get from merit or desert in some sense. Many, such as Hume, thought material equality a pernicious idea. In the medieval village life of Bodo, villagers knew enough about each other to govern relations through norms, including, when necessary, a norm of charity. In more complex modern societies, economic destitution cannot so well be handled by individual charity, but now it can be handled by states. Hence, we begin to conceive of the idea of distributive justice as driven essentially by concern for material equality. The difference in state capacities is largely epistemological: states today can know much more about their citizens.
Scaling of bodily proportions in adult terrestrial mammals

To model body shape, a data base was constructed for body, forelimb, and hindlimb length, surface area, and girth, each as a function of body weight, in a diversity of mammals. These data were submitted to linear least-squares regression analysis. In addition, data on the partitioning of weight and surface area among the body segments (head-trunk, forelimbs, and hindlimbs) were collected. These data imply a relatively constant partitioning of body weight and surface area among the body segments. The regression parameters and the body segment data were used to build and test a model of bodily proportions. The model consists of three classes of cylinders, each specified by a length and a diameter, representing the three classes of body segments. The parameters of the model were constrained to enforce geometric similarity (constant shape). The model was found to agree reasonably well with an independent subset of the data. It is concluded that adult land mammals do exhibit geometric similarity over a substantial weight range.
Twig: a configurable domain-specific language

Programmers design, write, and understand programs with a high-level structure in mind. Existing programming languages are not very good at capturing this structure because they must include low-level implementation details. To address this problem we introduce Twig, a programming language that allows for domain-specific logic to be encoded alongside low-level functionality. Twig's language is based on a simple, formal calculus that is amenable to both human and machine reasoning. Users may introduce rules that rewrite expressions, allowing for user-defined optimizations. Twig can also incorporate procedures written in a variety of low-level languages. Our implementation supports C and Python, but our abstract model can accommodate other languages as well. We present Twig's design and formal semantics and discuss our implementation. We demonstrate Twig's use in two different domains, multi-language programming and GPU programming, and compare Twig against a well-known typemapping system, SWIG.
Effect of various concentrations of protein in chick diet upon the metabolic enzymes of glycine and serine.

The effect of feeding low protein diets with and without 2% glycine or 2% L-serine to chicks upon the enzymes concerned in the matabolism of glycine and serine has been determined. D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.s), hosphoserine phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.3), and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (EC 2.1.2.1) activities were significantly increased in livers from chicks fed 75% protein diets as compared to liver enzyme activities from chicks fed either 24% chick starter, 2% or 25% protein diets. Phosphoserine phosphatase activity was significantly higher in kidney tissue of chicks fed 75% protein diets. Livers from chicks fed 25% protein diets had a higher activity for D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and phosphoserine phosphatase than did those fed chick starter or 2% protein diets. D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase and phosphoserine phosphatase activities were higher in livers from chicks fed 2% protein, 2% protein + 2% glycine, and 2% protein + 2% L-serine diets when compared to those from chicks fed low protein diets with supplemental methionine or cysteine. Serine dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.13), glycerate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.29) and hydroxypyruvate-P: L-glutamate transaminase activities remained constant in livers from chicks fed all experimental diets. The uric acid concentration was significantly increased in plasma from chicks fed the high protein diets which suggests that D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, phosphoserine phosphatase and serine hydroxymethyltransferase activities were increased because of the high requirement for glycine in uric acid formation. The 75% protein diet provided three times as much glycine as the 25% protein diet which may have met the increased need for glycine for uric acid formation.
Towards the determination of the nutritional needs of the body and its microbiome in sickness and in health.

DOI:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000045 For this years Nutrition Section of Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, I selected topics which have attracted most interest over the past year and are likely to have the greatest impact on clinical nutrition, namely the urgency and timing for nutritional support in hospitalized patients (Todd Rice), the value of nutritional supplementation in patients with liver disease (Ron Koretz), the development of gut peptide analogues to ‘superadapt’ the residual bowel in patients with massive intestinal loss (Palle Jeppeson), and finally the role of the human microbiota and its metabolites in human disease (Erwin Zoetendal and James Kinross). It has always been assumed that nutritional support will help the recovery of any hospitalized patient who is unable to eat. Prior to the 1970s, critically ill patients lost weight progressively until they either died, or recovered and were able to eat again. Then came the development of intravenous feeding, termed at the time ‘hyperalimentation’ or ‘total parenteral nutrition’ (TPN). For the first time, this meant that full nutritional support could be given to any patient, no matter how sick, and it was embraced as part of the routine care of any sick patient who was unable to eat. Over the following decade of experience, clinicians became increasingly concerned about the complications that accompanied TPN, namely catheter-related sepsis, hyperglycaemia, and central vein thrombosis. This finally prompted the conduct of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess benefit. The most significant of these was the VA Cooperative study of perioperative TPN which showed quite clearly that the conventional use of perioperative followed by postoperative intravenous feeding was not only expensive but also increased infectious complications [1]. Post-hoc analysis, however, suggested that there might have been some benefit if patients were initially malnourished. It was assumed that the complications of TPN were outweighing the benefits of nutritional support, and so great effort was then expended in the development of interventional enteral (tube)
Creation of a measure to assess knowledge of the individual placement and support model.

Objective This article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the IPS-Q, a quiz assessing practitioner knowledge of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model. Methods Using multiple resources, including the IPS Fidelity Scale and publications about the IPS model, a 30-item multiple-choice quiz covering fundamental IPS principles and key components was developed. Ratings by eight IPS experts supported its content validity. To examine the IPS-Q's psychometric properties, 107 practitioners from high-fidelity IPS programs and 59 practitioners from non-IPS vocational programs were administered the IPS-Q via a web-based survey tool. Results The measure displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .89) and a difficulty level consistent with that of typical job knowledge tests. The IPS-Q did not correlate with demographic variables that were considered extraneous to knowledge of IPS and did correlate with self-reported supported employment familiarity. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the quiz was not significantly correlated with exposure to supported employment. The IPS-Q significantly discriminated between practitioners working in high-fidelity IPS programs and non-IPS vocational programs. Furthermore, supervisors from high-fidelity IPS programs scored significantly higher on the measure than vocational workers from high-fidelity IPS programs. Conclusions The IPS-Q is a valid measure of IPS knowledge and might prove useful for assessment, research, and training purposes. Practitioners sometimes assume that they understand a program model when in fact they have misconceptions. The IPS-Q provides an objective way to gauge practitioner knowledge.
Effect of Diet on Growth and the Incidence of Tibial Dyschondroplasia in Broilers12

Two experiments were conducted to study dietary factors affecting growth rate and the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in broiler cockerels grown to 3 wk of age. Chicks were fed corn-soy-bean meal-based diets containing one of the following: 3,145 kcal ME/kg, 24% protein, and .50% available phosphorus (aP) (Diet 1); 2,900 kcal ME/kg, 20% protein, and .35% aP (Diet 2); or 2,900 kcal ME/kg, 24% protein, and .50 aP (Diet 3). In experiment 1 chicks were fed Diets 1, 2, and 3 ad libitum. During weeks 1 and 2, chicks fed Diet 1 were heavier and had better feed efficiency (g feed/g gain) than those fed Diets 2 and 3. Chicks fed Diets 2 and 3 had a lower incidence of TD (P < .05) than those fed Diet 1. In experiment 2 feed intake of Diet 1 was on an ad libitum and restricted basis (Diet 1-R) and Diet 2 was on an ad libitum basis. Beginning on day 2, chicks fed Diet 1-R were offered 90% of the amount of feed consumed the previous day by chicks fed Diet 1 free choice. Chicks fed Diet 1 were heavier than those fed Diet 1-R at 1 wk, and Diets 1-R and 2 at 2 and 3 wk. Chicks fed Diet 1 had higher incidence (P .05) in the incidence of TD lesions between chicks fed Diets 1-R and 2. The incidence of leg problems appeared to be related to rate of growth, rather than being a direct effect of dietary aP or calcium:aP ratio.
Seizures and Antiepileptic Drug Use in Transplant Patients

Seizures may occur as an isolated manifestation of an acute encephalopathy or, less frequently, recur as a manifestation of epilepsy in transplant patients. Determining which of these is the case will lead to appropriate treatment. The selection of the antiepileptic drug (AED) will depend on the patient's type of seizure, general medical condition, and transplant type and also depend on the consideration of potential adverse effects of individual AEDs.
Classroom Management Affects Literacy Development of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Many children with behavior problems perform poorly academically and can disrupt regular classroom instruction. Although good classroom management strategies can benefit children with behavior problems, it is not clear whether these students need consistently good classroom management across the early elementary school years to improve their academic performance. The current study examined the quality of classroom management from kindergarten through third grade experienced by children who were rated as exhibiting symptoms of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) in the classroom to understand the cumulative effects in relationship to third-grade reading performance. Results indicated that higher-quality classroom management in the first 4 years of school was significantly related to higher scores on standardized measures of reading achievement in third grade for boys exhibiting EBD, but girls exhibiting EBD appeared unaffected by the quality of teachers’ classroom management during this same time. Pra...
Review of Glyphidocera Walsingham of Costa Rica (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Glyphidoceridae)

The genus Glyphidocera (Glyphidoceridae) of Costa Rica is reviewed. Eighty-eight new species are described: Glyphidocera adrogantiae, G. advenae, G. aediculae, G. aedis, G. ambrosiae, G. amitae, G. ancillae, G. animae, G. arae, G. arakawae, G. arenae, G. asymmetricae, G. audaciae, G. brumae, G. burpurae, G. barbae, G. capsae, G. cauponae, G. caveae, G. cellae, G. cenae, G. cenulae, G. cerula, G. ciatae, G. clavae, G. comae, G. contionis, G. coquae, G. corniculae, G. coronae, G. cotis, G. coturnicis, G. crepidae, G. dictionis, G. diciae, G. eminetiae, G. fabulae, G. faecis, G. ferae, G. fidem, G. formae, G. gazae, G. gemmae, G. glaebae, G. gloriae, G. harenae, G. infulae, G. lanae, G. laricae, G. lawrenceae, G. lupae, G. luxuriae, G. minarum, G. notae, G. novercae, G. nubis, G. olivae, G. ollae, G. operae, G. orae, G. paenulae, G. pali, G. personae, G. pilae, G. placentae, G. plebis, G. plumae, G. positurae, G. raedae, G. ranae, G. reginae, G. rodriguezi, G. rubetae, G. sapphiri, G. sardae, G. scuticae, G. sollertiae, G. spathae, G. speculae, G. staerae, G. terrae, G. tibiae, G. umbrae, G. vappae, G. virgulae, G. vocis, G. zamia, and G. zothecuale. Glyphidocera illiterata Meyrick, 1928, from Panama; G. zophocrossa Meyrick, 1929, from Trinidad; G. vestita Walsingham, 1911, from Panama; and G. guaroa Adamski 2002, from Costa Rica are redescribed. Diagnoses, descriptions, and type information are provided for each species. Photographs of holotypes, illustrations of head, wing venation, and male and female genitalia, digitized distribution maps, and a key to all Glyphidocera found in Costa Rica are included. Resumen.— Los Glyphidocera (Glyphidoceridae) de Costa Rica son revisados. En este trabajo ochenta y ocho especies nuevas son descritas: Glyphidocera adrogantiae, G. advenae, G. aediculae, G. aedis, G. ambrosiae, G. amitae, G. ancillae, G. animae, G. arae, G. arakawae, G. arenae, G. asymmetricae, G. audaciae, G. brumae, G. burpurae, G. barbae, G. capsae, G. cauponae, G. caveae, G. cellae, G. cenae, G. cenulae, G. cerula, G. ciatae, G. clavae, G. comae, G. contionis, G. coquae, G. corniculae, G. coronae, G. cotis, G. coturnicis, G. crepidae, G. dictionis, G. diciae, G. eminetiae, G. fabulae, G. faecis, G. ferae, G. fidem, G. formae, G. gazae, G. gemmae, G. glaebae, G. gloriae, G. harenae, G. infulae, G. lanae, G. laricae, G. lawrenceae, G. lupae, G. luxuriae, G. minarum, G. notae, G. novercae, G. nubis, G. olivae, G. ollae, G. operae, G. orae, G. paenulae, G. pali, G. personae, G. pilae, G. placentae, G. plebis, G. plumae, G. positurae, G. raedae, G. ranae, G. reginae, G. rodriguezi, G. rubetae, G. sapphiri, G. sardae, G. scuticae, G. sollertiae, G. spathae, G. speculae, G. staerae, G. terrae, G. tibiae, G. umbrae, G. vappae, G. virgulae, G. vocis, G. zamia, and G. zothecuale. Glyphidocera illiterata Meyrick, 1928, de Panama; G. zophocrossa Meyrick, 1929, de Trinidad; G. vestita Walsingham, 1911, de Panama; y G. guaroa Adamski de Costa Rica Adamski son redescritas. Diagnosis, descripciones e informacion de los holotipos son provistas para cada especie.
A new algorithm for criticizing robust D stability of uncertain control systems

This paper presents a new algorithm of robust D stability analysis based on engineering application. The algorithm has apparent superiority in the field of computation comparing with other methods as far as the perturbed parameters increase. It is not only suitable for the robust D stability analysis of interval polynomial family but also for the polytopic polynomials, and it has also been extended into the robust D stability analysis of the polytopic polynomials with time delays. It is suitable for both continuous-time and discrete-time systems and makes the robust theory take a step towards the engineering application. >
Exploiting Endogenous Micro-RNAs to Avoid off-Target Transgene Expression

Abstract 3296 Genetic modification of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has the potential to benefit acquired and congenital hematological disorders. Despite the use of so-called “tissue-specific” promoters to drive expression of the desired transgene, off-target (and consequent deleterious) effects have been observed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression. They associate with Argonaute proteins and most typically target 39UTRs, where complementary base-pairing results in repressed gene expression via RNA decay and translation inhibition. Most miRNAs are ubiquitously expressed, and although some are claimed to be “tissue specific,” such claims have generally not been rigorously validated. The long-term goal of this work is identifying “cell preferential” miRNA expression that could be exploited in expression vectors to minimize off-target transgene expression in HSCs. Initially, total RNA was extracted with Trizol from the megakaryocyte and T-lymphocyte cell lines, Meg-01 and Jurkat, and miRNAs were profiled by Nanostring technology (Nanostring Technologies, Denver, CO). MiR-495 was determined to be highly expressed in Meg-01 and very low in Jurkat cells. A luciferase reporter construct was generated with four canonical binding sites for miR-495 in the 39UTR and transfected into both cell lines. Compared to control vector without miR-495 binding sites, luciferase expression showed a 50% reduction in Meg-01 cells, but no knock down in Jurkat cells. These experiments indicated that different levels of endogenous miRNA levels can regulate transgene expression through a novel design in the 39UTR. We next turned our attention to human hematopoietic cells. We reasoned that the long-term goal of minimal off-target transgene expression in HSCs would require knowledge of miRNAs that had little or no detectable expression (“selectively reduced [SR]”) in one cell type and were highly expressed in other cell types. In this manner, the transgene expression would be dampened only in the non-target cells. As a surrogate for bone marrow progenitors and as proof of principle, we used primary cells in normal human peripheral blood. T-cells, B-cells, platelets and granulocytes were purified by density centrifugation followed by immunoselection from five healthy human donors. Flow cytometry using membrane specific markers demonstrate >97% purity of each specific cell preparation. Total RNA was extracted and miRNAs were profiled as above. First, we identified 277 miRNAs that were differentially expressed between any pair of cell types (p-value Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
NewLeaf Plus® Russet Burbank potatoes: replicase-mediated resistance to potato leafroll virus

Potato leafroll poleovirus and the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)) are major pests of potato in the USA. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that over 50% of annual insecticide use on potato is applied to control the Colorado potato beetle and aphids that transmit potato leafroll virus (PLRV). To address this issue, Russet Burbank potatoes have been genetically modified for a high level of resistance to infection and the resulting disease symptoms caused by PLRV and to feeding damage caused by the Colorado potato beetle. This resistance was achieved by the expression of the unmodified full-length replicase gene of PLRV and the cry3A insect control protein gene from Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis. Plant expression constructs containing various modifications of the PLRV replicase gene were produced during the development of this product. The genes in these constructs were a full-length unmodified replicase (open reading frame 2a/2b), an antisense orientation of the full-length cDNA, an open reading frame 1 translation of the full-length gene, and a gene truncation containing the 3′ sense coding portion of the replicase gene. Growth chamber experiments demonstrated that transformation of plants with the full-length and 3′ sense coding constructs substantially protected these potato plants from infection and disease symptoms caused by PLRV. The Russet Burbank potato expressing the full-length PLV replicase gene and the cry3A gene is a new potato product from NatureMark called NewLeaf Plus®.
Synergistic blockade of alcohol escalation drinking in mice by a combination of novel kappa opioid receptor agonist Mesyl Salvinorin B and naltrexone

Mesyl Salvinorin B (MSB) is a potent selective kappa opioid receptor (KOP-r) agonist that has potential for development as an anti-psychostimulant agent with fewer side-effects (e.g., sedation, depression and dysphoria) than classic KOP-r agonists. However, no such study has been done on alcohol. We investigated whether MSB alone or in combination with naltrexone (mu-opioid receptor antagonist) altered voluntary alcohol drinking in both male and female mice. Mice, subjected to 3weeks of chronic escalation drinking (CED) in a two-bottle choice paradigm with 24-h access every other day, developed rapid escalation of alcohol intake and high preference. We found that single, acute administration of MSB dose-dependently reduced alcohol intake and preference in mice after 3-week CED. The effect was specific to alcohol, as shown by the lack of any effect of MSB on sucrose or saccharin intake. We also used the drinking-in-the-dark (DID) model with limited access (4h/day) to evaluate the pharmacological effect of MSB after 3weeks of DID. However, MSB had no effect on alcohol drinking after 3-week DID. Upon investigation of potential synergistic effects between naltrexone and MSB, we found that acute administration of a combination of MSB and naltrexone reduced alcohol intake profoundly after 3-week CED at doses lower than those individual effective doses. Repeated administrations of this combination showed less tolerance development than repeated MSB alone. Our study suggests that the novel KOP-r agonist MSB both alone and in combination with naltrexone shows potential in alcoholism treatment models.
Increased Telomere Length in Natural Killer Cells Generated from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Abstract Telomeres are repetitive DNA protein structures that cap the ends of chromosomes, protect chromosome ends from degradation and fusion, and are essential for maintenance of genomic integrity. Telomere length has been shown to gradually shorten over time as cells divide. When telomeres become critically short, the cells enter a state of senescence; as such, telomere shortening has been implicated in accelerated aging. Natural Killer (NK) cells function as key effector cells of the innate immune system. NK cells have significant cytotoxic activity and are responsible for localized expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines; therefore they play an important role in host defense against malignancy and viral infection. NK cells represent a useful tool for cellular therapy due to their ability to kill target cells in a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) non-restricted manner without prior sensitization. Our lab has pioneered methods for the production of NK cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These hESC and iPSC-derived NK cells effectively kill diverse human tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. One advantage of NK cells from IPSC/hESC sources is the ability to generate a supply of a homogenous NK cell therapy product compared to NK cells isolated from peripheral blood. However, current limitations in therapeutic use of NK cells includes the persistence and expansion of transplanted NK cells in vivo. In order to overcome these barriers, various means for the ex-vivo expansion of large numbers of NK cells prior to administration to patients have been devised. One such method involves propagation of NK cells generated from hESC/iPSC sources with artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs). However, aAPC-mediated expansion may lead to telomere shortening. Therefore, aAPCs have been engineered to express either membrane bound IL-15 (mbIL15) or membrane bound IL-21 (mbIL21), which promotes proliferation of NK cells, to ameliorate this effect. We have performed initial studies using real time PCR to measure the telomere length of NK cells generated from iPSC sources and expanded with aAPCs expressing mbIL21 and compared them to aAPC expanded NK cells isolated from peripheral blood. Telomere length in NK cells derived from IPSCs is much longer (200-300kb/diploid genome), compared to those expanded from peripheral blood ( Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
A deep learning based approach for long-term drought prediction

Drought is a natural disaster that comes with high hazardous impacts on the society. Its effects are mostly manifested as hydrological drought. Identifying past droughts and predicting future ones is very vital in limiting their effects. However, the random and nonlinear nature of drought variables makes accurate drought prediction remain a challenging scientific problem. Neural networks have shown great promise over the last two decades in modeling nonlinear time series. But the issue of nonconvex optimization ensues when two or more hidden layers are required for highly complex phenomena. This research looks into the drought prediction problem using deep learning algorithms. We propose a Deep Belief Network consisting of two Restricted Boltzmann Machines for long-term drought prediction using lagged values of Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI) as inputs. The proposed model is applied to predict different time scale drought indices across the Gunnison River Basin located in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The study compares the efficiency of the proposed model to that of traditional approaches such as Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) for predicting the different time scale drought conditions. The proposed model shows an edge in performance over the traditional methods using Root Mean Square Error and Mean Absolute Error as metrics.
Heterogeneity in tuberculosis

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), results in a range of clinical presentations in humans. Most infections manifest as a clinically asymptomatic, contained state that is termed latent TB infection (LTBI); a smaller subset of infected individuals present with symptomatic, active TB. Within these two seemingly binary states, there is a spectrum of host outcomes that have varying symptoms, microbiologies, immune responses and pathologies. Recently, it has become apparent that there is diversity of infection even within a single individual. A good understanding of the heterogeneity that is intrinsic to TB - at both the population level and the individual level - is crucial to inform the development of intervention strategies that account for and target the unique, complex and independent nature of the local host-pathogen interactions that occur in this infection. In this Review, we draw on model systems and human data to discuss multiple facets of TB biology and their relationship to the overall heterogeneity observed in the human disease.
Cradle to Crave: The Commodification of the Environment in Family Films

This chapter follows directly from Chap. 1 in acknowledging the impact of genre when it comes to animated “family friendly” films. After a discussion of the political economic considerations when it comes to commercial entertainment for the child audience, the chapter analyzes WALL-E, Ice Age: The Meltdown , and Ice Age: The Meltdown . In its analysis, this chapter pays close attention to identify the omissions, or silences, contained in these films when it comes to the presentation of environmental problems and their solutions. Here, silence can be ideological, and may relate to the positioning of young audiences as consumers instead of citizens. The portrayal of landscape also is significant, for it can either serve to raise alarm about environmental issues or to assuage concern by asking “What problem?”
Mechanistic Insights on Plasmon-Driven Photocatalytic Oxidative Coupling of Thiophenol Derivatives: Evidence for Steady-State Photoactivated Oxygen

The plasmonic electron oscillations in optically excited metallic nanoparticles result in surface confinement of photon energy over much longer time scales in comparison to the unconfined photons t...
New Materials for Optical Amplifiers

Publisher Summary Fiber plays an important role as an amplifying medium. The aluminum-doped silica is considered the only important commercial host and erbium the major amplifying dopant. It is observed that erbium is soluble in Al-silica and provides gain at the attenuation minimum for silica transmission fiber. An overview of materials used for optical amplification and a discussion on the application space and context for devices based on these materials are provided in the chapter. The chapter reviews the basic material properties required in glasses for the active devices and the materials and the methods by which these properties are drawn to fiber. Furthermore, the chapter illustrates the device applications. These applications relate principally to bandwidth extension and power scaling and include extended C-band, L-band, extended band Erbium–Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs), Thulium–Doped Fiber Amplifiers (TDFAs) operating in the S-band, and high-power 980 nm ytterbium fiber lasers for pumping the EDFAs. The common material systems explored include fluorides, alumina-doped silica, antimony-silicates, and tellurite.
Relative performance concerns among investment managers

This paper examines the strategic interaction of n portfolio managers with relative performance concerns. We characterize the unique constant Nash equilibrium and derive some compelling results. Surprisingly, in equilibrium, more risk tolerant players do not generally take riskier positions than less risk tolerant players. We derive sufficient conditions under which this relation does hold. We also examine the effects of adding new players to the game on the equilibrium, and look at the equilibrium in the limiting case as the number of players goes to infinity. We show that for a symmetric population, the equilibrium strategy of the players converges pointwise to some limiting equilibrium policy.
Weaving Three Strands Towards Justice-Oriented Sustainability Education

The field of Engineering is deeply implicated in processes and systems that are endangering life on earth. The use of fossil fuels is a case in point. The subject of sustainability is usually taught without reference to this implication. I shall present outcomes of a transdisciplinary approach to sustainability education that aims at narrowing this gap. I have combined techniques from Engineering Design, Anthropology, and Peace Studies in a Mechanical Engineering two credit hour technical elective course on Sustainable Energy Systems. The students engage in participant observation, and guided reflection of their chosen artifact throughout the semester. They learn about renewable energy technologies through lectures. They create a proof-of-concept design solution to a community-based project using cooperative learning techniques. Finally, they bring it all together in a class discussion on a case study in lieu of the final exam. The case is of a sustainable district Vauban, Frieburg, Germany. After dissecting its features, they place their artifact in Vauban and examine it from multiple design paradigms and systems of resource consumption. The goal of this student-centered course is to connect the technical concepts of sustainable energy systems to their personal and daily lives.
APC ameliorates pulmonary complications in cGVHD

In this issue of Blood, Sinha et al demonstrated that activated protein C (APC) reduced the severity of pulmonary complications in a murine model of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). The protective effect of APC against cGVHD was mediated by a biased signaling of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) on T lymphocytes.1
Workplace Engagement of Librarians and Library Staff

AbstractVery little has been written about engagement in the library workplace. Engagement and burnout are two poles on the workplace behavior spectrum. Burnout can be defined as exhaustion, cynici...
Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and D1 dopamine receptors regulate diacylglycerol lipase-α and synaptic 2-arachidonoyl glycerol signaling

Brain endocannabinoids serve as retrograde neurotransmitters, being synthesized in post-synaptic neurons "on demand" and released to bind pre-synaptic cannabinoid receptors and suppress glutamatergic or GABAergic transmission. The most abundant brain endocannabinoid, 2 arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), is primarily synthesized by diacylglycerol lipase-α (DGLα), which is activated by poorly understood mechanisms in response to calcium influx following post-synaptic depolarization and/or the activation of Gq -coupled group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors. However, the impact of other neurotransmitters and their downstream signaling pathways on synaptic 2-AG signaling has not been intensively studied. Here, we found that DGLα activity in membrane fractions from transfected HEK293T cells was significantly increased by in vitro phosphorylation using cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Moreover, PKA directly phosphorylated DGLα at Ser798 in vitro. Elevation of cAMP levels in HEK293 cells expressing DGLα increased Ser798 phosphorylation, as detected using a phospho-Ser798-specific antibody, and enhanced DGLα activity; this in situ enhancement of DGLα activity was prevented by mutation of Ser798 to Ala. We investigated the impact of PKA on synaptic 2-AG mobilization in mouse striatal slices by manipulating D1-dopamine receptor (D1R) signaling and assessing depolarization-induced suppression of excitation, a DGLα- and 2-AG-dependent form of short-term synaptic depression. The magnitude of depolarization-enhanced suppression of excitation in direct pathway medium spiny neurons was increased by pre-incubation with a D1R agonist, and this enhancement was blocked by post-synaptic inhibition of PKA. Taken together, these findings provide new molecular insights into the complex mechanisms regulating synaptic endocannabinoid signaling.
Case study of a disability support worker’s organizational commitment

This case study assessed the role of job burnout as it relates to employee organisational commitment. An interview was carried out with a disability support worker and the variables she perceived as contributing to her job burnout, affecting organisational commitment or turnover intentions. The Job Demands-Resources model was used for understanding job burnout; three areas of focus were identified: role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived supervisor support.
Memory B Cells in Local and Systemic Sites.

Memory B cells are a key cellular component of the protective humoral responses to infectious pathogens. Most of our knowledge of memory B-cell responses comes from studies using mono-epitopic model antigens that elicit systemic humoral responses dominated by canonical B-cell antigen receptors. This approach successfully dissected the systemic responses of memory B cells and greatly advanced our understanding of memory B-cell formation, maintenance, and reactivation to re-invading antigens in the secondary lymphoid organs. However, the canonical memory B-cell responses fail to fully recapitulate the heterogeneity of the protective memory responses. Indeed, accumulating studies using “natural” antigens and live pathogens have uncovered new aspects of memory B-cell responses, which are achieved by memory B cells with different phenotypes, tissue residence, and responsiveness to antigen stimulation. Such non-canonical memory B-cell responses are frequently observed in local sites where live pathogens initially infect and replicate. Importantly, the local memory B-cell responses often serve as the first line of defense against re-infecting pathogens, thereby playing an essential role in controlling the pathogens. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the systemic and local memory B-cell responses in the humoral protective immunity against pathogens.
Dynamic Neural Relational Inference

Understanding interactions between entities, e.g., joints of the human body, team sports players, etc., is crucial for tasks like forecasting. However, interactions between entities are commonly not observed and often hard to quantify. To address this challenge, recently, `Neural Relational Inference' was introduced. It predicts static relations between entities in a system and provides an interpretable representation of the underlying system dynamics that are used for better trajectory forecasting. However, generally, relations between entities change as time progresses. Hence, static relations improperly model the data. In response to this, we develop Dynamic Neural Relational Inference (dNRI), which incorporates insights from sequential latent variable models to predict separate relation graphs for every time-step. We demonstrate on several real-world datasets that modeling dynamic relations improves forecasting of complex trajectories.
Impact Of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act On Obesity Trends.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 strengthened nutrition standards for meals and beverages provided through the National School Lunch, Breakfast, and Smart Snacks Programs, affecting fifty ...