cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions between Human Norovirus Surrogates and Acanthamoeba spp.

ABSTRACT Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the most common cause of food-borne disease outbreaks, as well as virus-related waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. Here, we hypothesize that common free-living amoebae (FLA)—ubiquitous in the environment, known to interact with pathogens, and frequently isolated from water and fresh produce—could potentially act as reservoirs of HuNoV and facilitate the environmental transmission of HuNoVs. To investigate FLA as reservoirs for HuNoV, the interactions between two Acanthamoeba species, A. castellanii and A. polyphaga, as well as two HuNoV surrogates, murine norovirus type 1 (MNV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV), were evaluated. The results showed that after 1 h of amoeba-virus incubation at 25°C, 490 and 337 PFU of MNV-1/ml were recovered from A. castellanii and A. polyphaga, respectively, while only few or no FCVs were detected. In addition, prolonged interaction of MNV-1 with amoebae was investigated for a period of 8 days, and MNV-1 was demonstrated to remain stable at around 200 PFU/ml from day 2 to day 8 after virus inoculation in A. castellanii. Moreover, after a complete amoeba life cycle (i.e., encystment and excystment), infectious viruses could still be detected. To determine the location of virus associated with amoebae, immunofluorescence experiments were performed and showed MNV-1 transitioning from the amoeba surface to inside the amoeba over a 24-h period. These results are significant to the understanding of how HuNoVs may interact with other microorganisms in the environment in order to aid in its persistence and survival, as well as potential transmission in water and to vulnerable food products such as fresh produce.
Hardy exotics species in temperate zone: can “warm water” crayfish invaders establish regardless of low temperatures?

The spreading of new crayfish species poses a serious risk for freshwater ecosystems; because they are omnivores they influence more than one level in the trophic chain and they represent a significant part of the benthic biomass. Both the environmental change through global warming and the expansion of the pet trade increase the possibilities of their spreading. We investigated the potential of four "warm water" highly invasive crayfish species to overwinter in the temperate zone, so as to predict whether these species pose a risk for European freshwaters. We used 15 specimens of each of the following species: the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), the marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax f. virginalis), the yabby (Cherax destructor), and the redclaw (Cherax quadricarinatus). Specimens were acclimatized and kept for 6.5 months at temperatures simulating the winter temperature regime of European temperate zone lentic ecosystems. We conclude that the red swamp crayfish, marbled crayfish and yabby have the ability to withstand low winter temperatures relevant for lentic habitats in the European temperate zone, making them a serious invasive threat to freshwater ecosystems.
Potentially Traumatic Experiences, Academic Performance, and Psychological Distress: The Role of Shame

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of shame associated with previous potentially traumatic experiences, satisfaction with academic performance, and psychological distress among college students (N = 245) in Mainland China. Results indicated that previous experiences of potentially traumatic events were directly related to depressive symptoms and indirectly related through characterological shame and hopelessness. In addition, characterological shame and bodily shame were 2 distinct forms of shame that had unique associations with psychological distress.
Polymeric Nanovehicle Regulated Spatiotemporal Real-Time Imaging of the Differentiation Dynamics of Transplanted Neural Stem Cells after Traumatic Brain Injury

Recent advances in neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation have led to an inspiring progress in alleviating central nervous system (CNS) damages and restoring brain functions from diseases or injuries. One challenge of NSC transplantation is directed differentiation of transplanted NSCs into desired neuronal subtypes, such as neurons, to compensate the adverse impact of brain injury; another challenge lies in the lack of tools to noninvasively monitor the dynamics of NSC differentiation after transplantation in vivo. In this study, we developed a polymer nanovehicle for morphogen sustained release to overcome the drawbacks of conventional methods to realize the long-term directed NSC differentiation in vivo. Moreover, we constructed a bicistronic vector with a unique neuron specific gene tubb3 promoter to drive reporter gene expression for real-time imaging of NSC differentiation and migration. The developed uniform nanovehicle showed efficient NSC uptake and achieved a controlled release of morphogen in c...
Alternative approaches to conditional specification of bivariate distributions

In this paper, we discuss approaches to the determination of a bivariate distribution by specifying the two conditional density functions, the two conditional survival functions, the two hazard components and the two conditional hazard functions of one variable given the value of the other. In addition, the case in which one considers determination of the joint distribution by specifying the conditional distribution of each variable given that the other variable is bounded below is discussed. Examples are provided in each case.
RAPID DETECTION OF AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS H5 BY USING REAL-TIME RT-PCR

Objective To establish a method for rapid detecting avain influenza virus subtype H5(AIV H5) by using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) assay,so as to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza.Methods A pair of specific primers and a fluorogen-labeled probe were designed and synthesized according to highly conserved regions of the hemagglutinin gene of AIV H5.Clone technology was used to gain a quantitative standard which been used for analysis.The reaction parameters such as the concentration of primers,probes and the reaction buffer were optimized to develop one set of real-time RT-PCR assay for rapid detection of AIV H5.Results The optimal experiment had good amplification efficiency,and could be completed within 80 min.A linear standard curve was obtained in the experiment,and the limit of the detection was 100 copies per reaction.The coefficient of variation(CV) of the three external standard were 2.6%,2.47%,2.44% respectively.The culture medium of AIV H5,and the specimen taken from human case of AIV H5 infection showed positive reactions;while other influenza viruses,and negative control no cross reaction.Conclusion The real-time RT-PCR detection method has high specificity,sensitivity,and reproducibility.It is suitable for rapid detection of avian influenza virus H5.
Effect of simvastatin on cardiac hypertrophy of nitric oxide-depleted rat and its mechanism

Objective:To investigate the effect of simvastatin on cardiac hypertrophy of nitric oxide-depleted rat and its mechanism. Method:Forty male Waster rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=10 in each group). Rats in model group received N-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA) 7.5 mg peritoneal injection twice daily. Left ventricular function, left ventricular mass index(LVMI) and the content of brain natriuretic peptide, hydroxyproline as well as heme oxygenase activity of heart were measured after six weeks.Result:Rats in model group developed significantly cardiac hypertrophy with reduced left ventricular diastolic function. However, compared with model group, cardiac hypertrophy of rats in simvastatin treatment groups relieved significantly associated with improved left ventricular diastolic function. The marks of cardiac hypertrophy, such as LVMI, the content of BNP and hydroxyproline of heart decreased significantly(P0.01).Compared with model group , the heme oxygenase(HO) activity of rat heart in simvastatin treatment groups elevated significantly (P0.01).There is a negtive correlation between HO activity and LVMI, the content of BNP and hydroxyproline of heart respectively.Conclusion:Simvastatin inhibit the cardiac hypertrophy of rat induced by L-NNA and elevate the HO activity of rat heart. HO-1/CO pathway may be one of the important mechanisms of non-lipid lowering effect of statins.
Immunochemical measurements of endogenous gastrin release

In anesthetized dogs polyethylene catheters were inserted in the portal vein, hepatic vein, left femoral vein, and thoracic duct after which the pyloric region of the stomach was irrigated for 10 min with 1% (w/v) acetylcholine solution. Gastrin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in venous sera and thoracic duct lymph prior to, during, and following acetylcholine irrigation. Gastrin concentrations were found to increase promptly in the portal vein sera, i.e., within 21/2 min of initiation of acetylcholine irrigation. Prompt increases in serum gastrin concentrations were also measured in hepatic and peripheral venous blood. Highest concentrations of gastrin were achieved in portal venous sera; the mean gastrin concentrations in hepatic vein sera were 60% of those in portal sera obtained simultaneously. Increases in peripheral venous gastrin concentrations were observed within 10 min of initiation of acetylcholine irrigation. Thoracic duct lymph gastrin levels were consistently less than peripheral venous serum gastrin levels in response to acetylcholine stimulation. These studies do not support the view that the thoracic duct lymph is a major route for conduction of immunoreactive gastrin to the peripheral circulation following acetylcholine stimulation of the stomach.
Effect of hypophysectomy on adrenal dopamine -hydroxylase activity in the rat.

Dopamine β-hydroxylase activity in the adrenal medulla is decreased 1 week after hypophysectomy. This activity can be restored by treatment with either adrenocorticotropin or dexamethasone. Adrenal denervation also decreases adrenal dopamine β-hydroxylase activity and prevents elevation of this enzyme in response to immobilization. Intact pituitary-adrenal and neuronal systems are required to maintain normal adrenal dopamine β-hydroxylase levels nonimmobilized rats and to raise the levels in immobilized rats.
Technology and Modern Society

On the authority of the Complete Oxford Dictionary, the term “technology” is a combination of two Greek words, “art” and “word”. This accounts for the specific and general meanings of the term contained in the definition: “a discourse or treatise on an art or arts, the scientific study of the practical or industrial arts”. Then there is the transferred sense of technology to mean “practical arts collectively”. The sense is frequently further transferred, in modern usage, to mean the application of the most advanced of the techniques available in the current “state of the art”, or to mean the development of techniques known in general outline but not yet developed into practical and productive application. In particular, technology means the use of techniques involving the application of new developments in “pure” science; that is, scientific knowledge of the human environment and its properties, requiring the investment of large amounts of capital.
Parent perceptions of the potential communicative acts of young children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACTBackground The aim of this project was to examine parent perceptions of potential communicative acts (PCAs) of children with, or at risk for, autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Methods Participants were 6 males ranging from 17 to 30 months of age. Behaviours of interest were compared using parent report taken from the Inventory of Potential Communication Acts (IPCA) and videotaped observation collected during the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2 Toddler Module). PCA verification categories included facial expression, eye gaze, vocalisation, challenging behaviour, body movement, stereotypic movement, imitation, or symbolic forms.Results On average, 83% of PCA categories coded from the ADOS-2 videotapes were also reported by parents using the IPCA questionnaire. For half of the participants, parent report added PCA information beyond what was collected during standard observation.Conclusions Results suggest that parent report questionnaires are viewed as a complement to in...
Investigational Agent MLN9708 Target Tumor Suppressor MicroRNA-33b in Multiple Myeloma Cells

Abstract Abstract 136 Investigational Agent MLN9708 Target Tumor Suppressor MicroRNA-33b in Multiple Myeloma Cells Ze Tian, Jianjun Zhao, Jianhong Lin, Dharminder Chauhan, Kenneth C. Anderson Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115 MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 19–25 nucleotide-long noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression both at the level of messenger RNA degradation and translation. Emerging evidence shows that miRNAs play a critical role in tumor pathogenesis by functioning as either oncogene or tumor suppressor genes. The role of miRNA and their regulation in response to proteasome inhibitors treatment in Multiple Myeloma (MM) is unclear. Here, we utilized MLN9708, a selective orally bio-available proteasome inhibitor to examine its effects on miRNA alterations in MM.1S MM cells. Upon exposure to aqueous solutions or plasma, MLN9708 rapidly hydrolyzes to its biologically active form MLN2238. Our previous study using both in vitro and in vivo models showed that MLN2238 inhibits tumor growth and triggers apoptosis via activation of caspases. Moreover, MLN2238 triggered apoptosis in bortezomib-resistant MM cells, and induced synergistic anti-MM activity when combined with HDAC inhibitor SAHA, dexamethasone, and lenalidomide. In the current study, we treated MM.1S cells with MLN2238 (12 nM) for 3 hours and harvested; total RNA was subjected to miRNA profiling using TaqMan® Array Human miRNA A-Card Set v3.0 and the data was analyzed using dChip analysis. Results showed that MLN2238 modulates miRNA expression with a total of 36 miRNA changing their expression profiling (δδCT>1.5 or δδCT 7) upregulated in response to MLN2238 treatment. We therefore hypothesized that miR-33b may play a role in MM pathogenesis as well as during MLN2238-induced proteasome inhibition in MM cells. We first utilized quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) to validate the changes in miRNA expression profiling. Results confirmed that MLN2238 treatment triggers significant increase in the miR-33b expression in MM.1S cells (2.1 and 2.2 folds at 3h and 6h, respectively; P To further corroborate these data, we co-tranfected miR-33b and Pim-1-wt or Pim-1-mt in 293T and MM.1S cell lines. In concert with our earlier findings, miR-33b decreases pim-1-wt, but not pim-1-mt reporter activity in both cell lines. Reflecting the overexpression study results, MLN2238 treatment also decreases pim-1-wt, but not pim1-mt reporter activity. Moreover, a biochemical inhibitor of pim1/2 triggered apoptosis in MM cells. Finally, overexpression of miR-33b inhibits tumor growth (P Disclosures: Anderson: Millennium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acetylon: Equity Ownership.
Heart transplantation in children with intellectual disability: An analysis of the UNOS database

Heart transplantation in children with intellectual disability (ID) is an issue of debate due to the shortage of available donor organs. We sought to perform the first large-scale retrospective cohort study describing the prevalence and outcomes of heart transplantation in this population. The United Network of Organ Sharing database was queried from 2008 to 2015 for pediatric patients (age <19 years) receiving first, isolated heart transplant. Recipients were divided into three subgroups: definite ID, probable ID, and no ID. The chi-square test was used to compare patients' baseline characteristics. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to estimate the association between ID and death-censored graft failure and patient survival. Over the study period, 565 pediatric patients with definite (131) or probable (434) ID received first heart transplant, accounting for 22.4% of all first pediatric heart transplants (n=2524). Recipients with definite ID did not significantly differ from those without ID in terms of gender, ethnicity, ischemia time, severity of pretransplant condition (waitlist status, mechanical ventilation, inotrope dependence, ECMO, VAD, PVRI, infection prior to transplant), or incidents of acute rejection within the first year. ID was associated with prolonged waitlist time (P<.001). Graft and patient survival at 3 years was equivalent between children with and without ID (P=.811 and .578, respectively). We conclude that intellectual disability is prevalent in children receiving heart transplants, with 22.4% of recipients over the study period having definite or probable ID. ID does not appear to negatively affect transplantation outcomes. Future studies are needed to assess long-term outcomes of transplantation in this population.
Role of cortical alpha-2 adrenoceptors in alcohol withdrawal-induced depression and tricyclic antidepressants.

Abstract Introduction Although a role for alpha-2 adrenoceptors (alpha-2 ARs) in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression is suggested, very little information on a direct interaction between alcohol and these receptors is available. Methods In this study adult female Wistar and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, a putative animal model of depression, were exposed to alcohol vapor 3 h daily for 10 days (blood alcohol concentration ∼150 mg%) followed by daily injection of 10 mg/kg of imipramine (IMP, a selective norepinephrine NE/serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or nomifensine (NOMI, a selective NE/dopamine reuptake inhibitor). On day 11 animals were tested for open field locomotor activity (OFLA) and forced swim test (FST) and were sacrificed 2 h later for measurement of alpha-2 ARs densities in the frontal cortex and hippocampus using [3H]RX 821002 as the specific ligand. Results Chronic alcohol treatment increased the immobility in the FST, without affecting OFLA in both Wistar and WKY rats, suggesting induction of depressive-like behavior in Wistar rats and an exacerbation of this behavior in WKY rats. Alcohol treatment also resulted in an increase in cortical but not hippocampal alpha-2 ARs densities in both Wistar and WKY rats. The behavioral effects of alcohol were completely blocked by IMP and NOMI and the neurochemical effects (increases in alpha-2 ARs) were significantly attenuated by both drugs in both strains. Conclusions The results suggest a role for cortical alpha-2 ARs in alcohol withdrawal-induced depression and that selective subtype antagonists of these receptors may be of adjunct therapeutic potential in AUD-depression co-morbidity.
Business Performance Evaluation: Approaches for Thoughtful Forecasting

This note introduces financial ratios and financial forecasting. It examines principles in the art and science of thoughtful financial forecasting. In particular, it reviews the importance of (1) understanding financial ratios, (2) grounding business forecasts, (3) modeling a base-case forecast that incorporates the expectations for business strategy, and (4) recognizing the potential for cognitive bias in the forecasting process. Forecasting is not the same as fortune-telling; unanticipated events have a way of making certain that specific forecasts are never completely correct. This note suggests, however, that thoughtful forecasts aid understanding of the key bets in any forecast and the odds associated with success. It closes with an example of financial forecasting based on the Maytag Corporation, a U.S. appliance manufacturer.
A MEMS Tensile Testing Technique for Measuring True Activation Volume and Effective Stress in Nanocrystalline Ultrathin Microbeams

Signature parameters, such as true activation volume and effective stress, are often characterized to identify the governing plastic deformation mechanisms, including that of nanocrystalline metals. The accurate measurement of these parameters using transient tests was recently questioned for nanocrystalline metals, in which grain-boundary-based mechanisms can concurrently occur with dislocation glide. Here, we demonstrate the use of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device to measure true activation volume and effective stress based on repeated stress relaxation and stress dip experiments, respectively. The technique was demonstrated on 100-nm-thick nanocrystalline Au microbeams. These miniaturized tests open up the possibility of observing the mechanisms directly under a transmission electron microscope, and providing a direct link between these measured parameters and the governing mechanisms. [2016-0306]
Evaluation of SiC/SiC minicomposites with yttrium disilicate fiber coating

Hi-Nicalon-S/α-Y2Si2O7/SiC minicomposites were formed by polymer infiltration pyrolysis (PIP) and characterized by TEM, SEM fractography, tensile testing, and fiber push-in testing. All minicomposites with α-Y2Si2O7 fiber coatings had strengths significantly higher than the control samples without fiber coatings. Extensive fiber pullout with debonding at the coating-fiber interface or within the coating itself was observed in minicomposites with Y2Si2O7 fiber coatings, but no debonding was observed in minicomposites without fiber coatings. Debond energies of 4.5±3, 4.6 ±3 J/m2 and average sliding stresses of 91±40, 94±40 MPa were measured by fiber push-in tests. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PGL2(&#x1d53d;ℓ) number fields with rational companion forms

We give a list of PGL2(&#x1d53d;l) number fields for l ≥ 11 which have rational companion forms. Our list has 53 fields and seems likely to be complete. Some of the fields on our list are very lightly ramified for their Galois group.
Charge Transport in Electronic-Ionic Composites.

Composite electrodes consisting of cathode particles and an ion-conducting phase can address the limited ion accessibility of the cathode in high-energy all-solid-state lithium batteries. In this Letter, we discuss the microstructure–conductivity relationship in an electronic–ionic composite with a focus on lithium ion conductivity. This study is the first step toward further understanding of electrochemical reactions in all solid multiphase systems.
Structure of the transition phase omega in Ti-Cr alloys

Ti-Cr alloys age harden after β-quenching by formation of an ω-phase. The structure and orientation of this transition phase have been determined. The hardness appears to be caused by strain in the β-matrix produced by concurrent enrichment of alloy content in the ω-phase.
Role development in midwifery education: A place for simulation

Abstract Objective simulation-based learning is increasingly seen as an effective strategy to develop student nurse-midwives into effective healthcare team members. A gap exists concerning the use of simulation to promote role transition/development of the student midwife. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evolving simulation curriculum aimed at role development of the student midwife as well as technical skills training. Setting the University of New Mexico, College of Nursing and the Interprofessional Healthcare Simulation Center. Participants this program involves students enrolled in the Masters in Nursing Program, Midwifery Concentration and students enrolled in the pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Findings simulation allows for an opportunity to focus on communication skills with other team members, practicing the importance of clear delegation of responsibilities in high-stress situations. Conclusions the value of practicing the necessary communication skills, as well as the opportunity to engage in simulated delegation of tasks, is an important aspect of midwifery role development.
Variations in physical-chemical properties of tomato suspensions from industrial processing

Abstract Industrial tomato processing begins with a “break” step, in which the tomatoes are subjected to a thermal treatment to disrupt the fruit consistency: a low temperature break (cold break, CB; 60–77 °C) yields fresher products, whereas a high temperature break (hot break, HB; >90 °C) is used for higher viscosity products. The HB process is believed to destroy most pectolytic enzyme activity, thereby preserving the pectic matrix. This study assessed the physical/chemical basis for viscosity differences in HB and CB products. Based on serum replacement and subsequent viscosity assays, it was determined that the solubilized pectin in the serum was not a significant factor. Instead, it appears that the different temperature regimes result in the formation of particulate material, or pulp, with different rheological properties. The particle size and viscoelastic properties of the pulp differed between the two break products, indicating that differences in the particle phase may determine the viscosity differences between HB and CB products. The HB particulate material exhibited a high degree of elasticity, as indicated by its large measured storage modulus whereas the CB pulp was composed of particles having a more viscous behavior (lower storage modulus and comparable with measured loss modulus).
Machine learning as an effective method for identifying true SNPs in polyploid plants

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) have many advantages as molecular markers since they are ubiquitous and co-dominant. However, the discovery of true SNPs especially in polyploid species is difficult. Peanut is an allopolyploid, which has a very low rate of true SNP calling. A large set of true and false SNPs identified from the Arachis 58k Affymetrix array was leveraged to train machine learning models to select true SNPs straight from sequence data. These models achieved accuracy rates of above 80% using real peanut RNA-seq and whole genome shotgun (WGS) re-sequencing data, which is higher than previously reported for polyploids. A 48K SNP array, Axiom Arachis2, was designed using the approach which revealed 75% accuracy of calling SNPs from different tetraploid peanut genotypes. Using the method to simulate SNP variation in peanut, cotton, wheat, and strawberry, we show that models built with our parameter sets achieve above 98% accuracy in selecting true SNPs. Additionally, models built with simulated genotypes were able to select true SNPs at above 80% accuracy using real peanut data, demonstrating that our model can be used even if real data are not available to train the models. This work demonstrates an effective approach for calling highly reliable SNPs from polyploids using machine learning. A novel tool was developed for predicting true SNPs from sequence data, designated as SNP-ML (SNP-Machine Learning, pronounced "snip mill"), using the described models. SNP-ML additionally provides functionality to train new models not included in this study for customized use, designated SNP-MLer (SNP-Machine Learner, pronounced "snip miller"). SNP-ML is freely available for public use.
Trophy Hunting – A Relic of the Past

It seems so obvious: you don't save rare animals by shooting them. Yet, trophy hunters stubbornly argue that this is just the case. They claim that their hunts help raise awareness about species extinction and that the money they pay for the hunts helps conservation efforts and contributes to local economies. Conservationists point out that these arguments are not based on solid proof and that trophy hunting – the killing of big game for taxidermied body parts or photos with the killed animal, typically in Africa – fails to account for the fact that rare animals have a much higher value alive than dead, not to mention the interest by virtually everyone in safeguarding the species for the long run. While this debate continues to rage, the world’s grandest and most threatened animals are disappearing rapidly. In 1900, for example, there were about half a million rhinos in the world. Today, less than 30,000 exist. In the early part of the 20th century, there were as many as 3-5 million African elephants. Now, there are only around 415,000 left with tens of thousands being slaughtered every year. 100,000 elephants were killed by poachers between 2010 and 2012 alone. On average, one elephant is currently killed every 25 minutes. In just one decade, the Central African elephant population has declined by 64%. Other species fare no better. Once the “King of the Animal Kingdom,” the African lion population has declined from about 100,000 in the 1960s to no more than 35,000 today. Since 1970, a whopping 80% of all wild animals have been lost to poaching, habitat loss, human-wildlife interaction, and hunting. These numbers are sobering: we are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate. As many as 30-50% percent of all species may be extinct by 2050. Even so, trophy hunting continues. Many of the targeted animal species are highly endangered or threatened with extinction. For example, despite the low and declining population of African lions, American hunters killed more than 5,600 of these majestic animals and imported parts of them as trophies between 1999 and 2008. Between 2005 and 2014, more than 1.2 million “trophies” of over 1,200 different kinds of animals were imported into the United States. When it is typically illegal to import actual parts of the animals, trophy hunters often resort to taking a picture of themselves with the animals they have just killed (“kill shots”) as a means of commemorating the occasion. This practice contributes to the extinction of already very rare animals and has become objectionable to the majority of people, including even hunters. It must come to an end.
A Gene Expression Signature Predicts Bladder Cancer Cell Line Sensitivity to EGFR Inhibition.

Background Bladder cancer remains a cancer type in need of novel and alternative therapies. While multiple inhibitors of EGFR have been evaluated for efficacy in bladder cancer, the results have largely been disappointing with few patients responding to these therapies. Yet, there is a subset of patients that positively responds to EGFR inhibition with tumor shrinkage, indicating it is an effective treatment for a targeted set of bladder tumors. Objective To derive a gene expression signature capable of predicting the response to EGFR inhibition in bladder cancer cell lines. Methods he response to cetuximab for 68 colorectal cancer patients was used as training data to generate a gene expression signature. We applied this signature to bladder cancer cell lines and predictions were compared to the responses to seven EGFR inhibitors. Results A novel 67-gene signature derived from colorectal cancer was able to significantly identify bladder cancer cell lines by their response to several EGFR inhibitors. Conclusions The 67-gene signature can determine bladder cancer cell line sensitivity to EGFR inhibition. This work demonstrates a preclinical strategy to identify bladder cancer cell lines for EGFR-targeted therapy.
Women’s empowerment in East Africa: Development of a cross-country comparable measure

Abstract Women’s empowerment is an indicator of social change and a priority of the Sustainable Development Goals. Debate continues on what domains constitute women’s empowerment and how to measure empowerment across countries. Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) are the most widely available source of data on women’s empowerment. However, measurement invariance often is assumed, but not tested. We used DHS data from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda to test factor structure and measurement invariance of women’s empowerment among married women ages 15–49. Factor analysis confirmed a three-latent-domain model of women’s empowerment in each country capturing women’s human/social assets, gender attitudes related to wife abuse, and women’s participation in household decisions. Multi-country confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) identified an invariant three-factor model of women’s empowerment and a subset of country-specific items. Our results offer a standardized, invariant measure of women’s empowerment that can be applied to monitor women’s empowerment cross-nationally in East Africa, and possibly beyond.
Forming Limit Criteria — Bulk Deformation Processes

Workability is viewed as a two-element system involving a complex interaction between (1) the material structural characteristics, and (2) the local stress and strain states in the material during the deformation process. Various forming limit criteria for bulk deformation processes are reviewed and evaluated by comparing them with experimental data from a number of deformation processes. Forming limit diagrams, in combination with strain analysis of the process of interest, provide a technique for refined solution of workability problems in complex deformation processes. Principles of the technique are given along with suggested areas for future studies.
Named Entity Recognition for South Asian Languages

Much work has already been done on building named entity recognition systems. However most of this work has been concentrated on English and other European languages. Hence, building a named entity recognition (NER) system for South Asian Languages (SAL) is still an open problem because they exhibit characteristics different from English. This paper builds a named entity recognizer which also identifies nested name entities for the Hindi language using machine learning algorithm, trained on an annotated corpus. However, the algorithm is designed in such a manner that it can easily be ported to other South Asian Languages provided the necessary NLP tools like POS tagger and chunker are available for that language. I compare results of Hindi data with English data of CONLL shared task of 2003.
Analysis of potential interaction of spindle matrix proteins and the motor protein Ncd in Drosophila

iii CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Thesis organization 1 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 3 Mitotic spindle 3 Motor proteins 12 Spindle matrix 18 CHAPTER 3. ANALYSIS OF POTENTIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN SPINDLE MATRIX PROTEINS AND THE MOTOR PROTEIN NCD 24 Abstract 24 Introduction 25 Methods 26 Results 33 Discussion 36 Table and Figures 39 CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSIONS AND PROSPECTIVE 49 CHAPTER 5. REFERENCES 52 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 67
A Developmental Twin Study of Emotion Recognition and Its Negative Affective Clinical Correlates

Objective Youth with psychiatric disorders distinguished by irritability, including depression and associated trait neuroticism, show deficits in the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion, particularly happiness. However, the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to this ability remains unknown. The present study examined this trait in twins to assess the genetic and environmental influences on face-emotion recognition abilities and their association with irritability, neuroticism, and depression. Method Child and adolescent twins (N = 957 from 496 families) 9 to 17 years old rated their irritability (on the Affective Reactivity Index), neuroticism (on the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire), and depression (on the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) and completed a face-emotion labeling task. Faces depicting anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise were morphed with a neutral face, yielding 10 levels of increasing emotional expressivity. Biometrical twin analyses evaluated contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the etiology of face-emotion recognition and its association with irritability, neuroticism, and depression. Results Recognition of each emotion was heritable; common and specific sets of genetic factors influenced all emotions and individual emotions, respectively. Irritability, neuroticism, and depression were modestly and negatively correlated with emotion recognition, particularly the recognition of happiness. For irritability and neuroticism, this correlation appeared largely due to genetic factors. Conclusion This study maps genetic and environmental contributions to face-emotion recognition and its association with irritability, neuroticism, and depression. Findings implicate common genetic factors in deficits regarding the recognition of happiness associated with irritability and neuroticism in childhood and adolescence.
Detecting and Using Buzz from Newspapers to Understand Patterns of Movement

Meaningful leading indicators of mass movement are difficult to discover given the dearth of available data about involuntary movement. As a first step, we propose analyzing whether we can use the changing dynamics of newspaper content as one possible indirect indicator of such displacement. Specifically, we explore whether news media buzz correlates with patterns of migration in Iraq. We consider different methods for detecting buzz and empirically evaluate them on a corpus of 1.4 million articles.
SPECTRUM OF COMMON AND RARE MUTATIONS CONTRIBUTING TO AUTISM RISK IN FAMILIES

Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, highly heritable neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by impaired social interaction, communication and repetitive behavior. ASD-associated variants range from changes to a Single Base Pair (SNPs), to the loss or gain of multiple base pairs (Copy Number Variants, CNVs). In addition, ASD-associated variants can be either inherited or de-novo, and either common, with a small increase to risk, or rare, with a strong causal effect. Identifying a set of individuals with greater phenotypic homogeneity may help us reduce genetic heterogeneity, and pinpoint mutations that give us greater insight into the genetic roots of the entire autism spectrum. Under this hypothesis, the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania established ASPE, the Asperger Syndrome/Autism Spectrum (AS/ASD) Program of Excellence, in 2017, to significantly improve the understanding of the genetic causes of AS/ASD. A major focus of ASPE will be on the NRXN1 gene, which codes for the protein neurexin 1 and has been associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Methods The team will compare the genomes of individuals with and without mutations in the NRXN1 gene and individuals with AS and their family members who may or may not have been diagnosed with AS. We hypothesized that risk for ASD is the result of a cumulative effect of common, small effect variants with additional strong contributions to risk arising from rare, severe effect mutations in genes such as NRXN1. As an initial exploration of this hypothesis, we utilized publically available genotype and exome sequence data (Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, Simons Simplex Collection) and summary statistics from a recent autism GWAS (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium: ASD) to generate polygenic risk scores for all individuals within a family, and establish the contribution of common variants to ASD risk. In addition, we identified rare damaging mutations (both SNPs and CNVs) in genes previously associated with ASD, including NRXN1. Results Common polygenic risk for ASD varies between families with an ASD proband, with some families carrying high risk for ASD, and others carrying low risk. Risk scores in the ASD probands are significantly higher than unaffected family members. We identified several families with low risk for ASD that carry a mutation in NRXN1, suggesting that some individuals will develop ASD as a result of common variation, whereas others with low common polygenic risk may develop ASD as a result of a severe effect variant. Discussion Overall, our findings show that it is necessary to explore the mutational spectrum of variants in families by including both common and rare SNPs and CNVs, to fully capture the genetic basis of risk for ASD.
Does the use of periarticular anesthetic cocktail provide adequate pain control following shoulder arthroplasty

BackgroundInterscalene nerve block and liposomal bupivacaine have been found to provide adequate pain control following shoulder arthroplasty. We hypothesized that local infiltration of a periartic...
Population-based study of environmental/occupational lead exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lead is a known risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the results of studies exploring the relationship between lead exposure and the occurrence of ALS are inconsistent. To clarify this issue, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant published articles on the relationship between lead exposure and the occurrence of ALS. We searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Science Direct databases for relevant publications. The quality of the articles was judged according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and the meta-analysis was conducted using a random effect model. A total of 583 items were retrieved of which 11 case-control studies were selected. The ratio of maximal/minimal lead exposure yielded a pooled odds ratio (OR) of 1.46 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.16–1.83) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 51.8%; p = 0.019). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed stable results. There was evidence of publication bias, but the recalculated OR after employing the “fill and trim” method was 1.28 (95% CI 1.02–1.63). These results indicated that environmental/occupational lead exposure was positively proportional to the risk of ALS.
Transition metal complexes of syn-phenyl-2-pyridylketoxime

Abstract The transition metal complexes of the bidentate ligand syn-phenyl-2-pyridylketoxime (HPPK; anion, PPK) of composition [Ni(HPPK)3](NO3)2, [Co(HPPK)3](NO3)2, [Mn(HPPK)2Cl2], [Pd(HPPK)(PPK)]Cl and [Pd(PPK)2] have been isolated. Elemental analyses, i.r. and electronic spectral data, conductance, and magnetic moment measurements suggest that Ni(II), Co(II) and Mn(II) complexes are octahedral, and Pd(II) complexes are square planar. The ligand as well as the complexes, except [Pd(PPK)2], are strongly internally hydrogen bonded via the oxime proton and the benzene π electronic cloud. This also provides evidence for the conclusion that the coordination takes place via the pyridine and the oxime nitrogen atoms.
Is a High Photoluminescence Quantum Yield Good Enough for OLEDs? Can Luminescence Rigidochromism Be Manifest in the Solid State? an Optoelectronic Device Screening Case Study for Diphosphine/Pyrazolate Copper(I) Complexes

This paper provides a 4th manifestation of a new tradition by which the editors of Comments on Inorganic Chemistry wish to lead by example, whereby we start publishing original research content tha...
The Importation of Violent “Codes” of South Korean Inmates:

Despite the popularity of the importation model, the majority of previous institutional misconduct research has used individual characteristics, such as race, prior record, education, and sex as pr...
Focusing Attention on Reciprocity Between Nature and Humans Can Be the Key to Reinvigorating Planetary Health

In industrialized and urbanized societies, medical science focuses primarily on trauma and diseases, and most environmental work attempts to remediate natural and anthropogenic degradation. This es...
Making Your Case: A Practical Approach for Managers on Getting Funding and Support

Middle and senior management positions come with many challenges, but one of the biggest is in garnering support and funding for new initiatives. A manager is given a staff and a budget and is expected to utilize effectively both sets of resources to achieve certain priorities. However, when it comes to new programs and innovations that require additional resources, managers are typically on their own in terms of how to make that happen. They are expected to shift resources, and this is especially true in times of shrinking budgets. This pressure has been the root of failure for many good managers, and it can lead some to stop seeking challenges and opportunities to innovate. It may seem as if the ability to get funding is a mysterious gift – some people have it, others don’t. However, with practice, anyone can learn to be more effective at obtaining resources. This paper will discuss a practical approach that can be applied to any situation.
How feasible is the stratification of osteoarthritis phenotypes by means of artificial intelligence

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and serious disease that involves all of the tissues of an affected joint (e.g., cartilage, bone, meniscus, tendon/ligament, synovium) and can affect one or multiple...
Role of inflammation in atrial fibrillation: A comprehensive review of current knowledge

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common cardiac disorders affecting adults and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Efforts to manage AF through anti-arrhythmics and rate control have been largely unsatisfactory. It has become clear that AF causes structural alterations in the atrial myocardium that propagate further AF, and that some of these alterations are the result of inflammation. Methods An in-depth review of the available literature was undertaken using Google Scholar and keyword searches including [Atrial fibrillation] in combination with [inflammatory markers], [myocardial fibrosis], and [immunomodulators], limiting the search to English language articles. All articles were reviewed for relevance and collated by the author. Results Multiple markers of inflammation have been shown to be elevated in AF and to predict responses to treatments of AF including anti-arrhythmics and cardioversion. The nidus of inflammation is not clear but seems to be related to the pulmonary veins. Conclusions The inflammatory cascade induces fibrotic changes in the myocardium, an arrhythmogenic process that stimulates further inflammation. Advances in treatment are focusing on biological agents and immunomodulators that inhibit the inflammatory cascade.
RF phase jitter in a klystron amplifier

RF phase jitter is a very important parameter for a relativistic klystron amplifier.This parameter is closely linked with the physics processes in the klystron.RF phase jitter is theoretically studied together with Particle in Cell (PIC) simulations in the paper.The main factor is deduced and verified in the PIC simulation.RF phase jitter is significantly affected by the fluctuation of the beam voltage.The relation between the phase jitter and the voltage fluctuation is linear in certain ranges.
"It's Viral!" - A study of the behaviors, practices, and motivations of TikTok Social Activists.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are used for social activism purposes, and TikTok is no different. We conducted 9 qualitative semi-structured interviews with social activists who recently posted their videos on TikTok to understand. This study presents an initial look into why TikTok is used by social activists, and what processes they use to carry out this work. The interviews revealed the following main patterns: (1) content creation practices are typical and expected, (2) motivation and inspiration for posting social activist content comes from a wide range of personal sources, (3) social activism has communities on TikTok that provides encouragement and discussion, (4) engagement and interaction with other activists and viewers is a crucial part of content creation as well as social activism, and (5) the main driving force behind picking TikTok over other platforms is the ability to spread messages much farther with less effort. These findings provide insight into the unique factors that TikTok brings for social activists and corroborates previous findings in understanding how social activists use social media for their purposes.