cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chilling-induced potassium leakage of cultured citrus cells.

Callus of ‘Marsh’ grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) albedo tissue was used to investigate the effect of preconditioning temperature on the rate of chilling - stimulated K+ leakage. Callus grew most rapidly at 30°C and attained a weight of about 1 g after 30 days. The rate of K.+ leakage from nonchilled callus tissue decreased as temperature decreased from 20 to 7.5°C, but no measurable change in rate was observed between 7.5 and 0°C. When calli were held for 40 days at 01 2.5 or 5°C, K+ leakage increased 200%, 60% or 0%) respectively. Holding callus for 5 days at 10 or 15°C prior to chilling for 40 days at 0°C prevented the increase in K+ leakage observed in callus receiving no preconditioning treatment. Preconditioning at 7.5 and 20°C was less effective in reducing chilling - induced leakage. Preconditioning at 10°C for 5, 2 or 1 day reduced chilling – induced leakage after 40 days at 0°C by 50%, 33% and 15%. respectively.
Distinguishing between the effects of stereotype priming and stereotype threat on math performance

Stereotype threat and stereotype priming have both been shown to impair test performance. Although research suggests threat-based concerns distinguish the experience of threat from priming (Marx & ...
Interviews and Focus Groups With Children: Methods That Match Children's Developing Competencies

Although researchers have not always recognized the value of engaging children in qualitative studies, it is now widely accepted that interviews and focus groups with children can provide a rich understanding of family life. As qualitative research with children continues to mount, the literature explicating good practice for conducting interviews and focus groups with children has not kept pace. Differences between children and adults need to be considered throughout the interview process. Researchers need guidance in flexibly adapting their methods to match children’s developing cognitive, linguistic, social, and psychological competencies. This article draws on extant literatureandlessonslearnedbyanovicequalitative researcher to provide concrete recommendationsforconductinginterviewsandfocusgroups with school-age children. Qualitative research can play an important role in helping family studies researchers to understand and promote positive development for children and their families. The rich descriptions generated by qualitative research provide a window into family life and the meaning that family members attribute to their experiences.
Overexpression of focal adhesion kinase in primary colorectal carcinomas and colorectal liver metastases: immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR analyses.

Purpose : Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a protein tyrosine kinase that functions in signaling events between cells and their extracellular matrix, is overexpressed in a variety of human solid tumors. To determine whether FAK expression is up-regulated in colorectal cancer, we analyzed FAK mRNA and protein levels in primary colorectal tumors and colorectal liver metastases. Experimental Design: p125 FAK expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was studied using immunohistochemical assays on 24 matched primary colorectal carcinomas and colorectal liver metastases as well as 18 different colorectal liver metastases using monoclonal anti-FAK 4.47. FAK mRNA expression was quantitated by real-time PCR on 39 matched normal colorectal mucosa and primary colorectal carcinomas as well as on 17 separate liver metastases. Results: Elevated levels of p125 FAK expression were demonstrated in both primary colorectal tumors and colorectal liver metastases compared with normal colorectal mucosa. Immunohistochemistry experiments demonstrated equivalent FAK expression in matched samples of colorectal primary tumors and liver metastases. Using real-time PCR in 39 matched samples, FAK mRNA copy number was significantly higher in primary colorectal tumors compared with normal colorectal mucosa. FAK expression was analyzed by both real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry in a separate set of colorectal liver metastases. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated high levels of FAK expression in 89% of samples. Furthermore, FAK mRNA copies in these unmatched liver metastases were significantly higher than the primary tumor FAK mRNA copies. Conclusion: These experiments have shown that both primary colorectal cancers and colorectal liver metastases express high levels of FAK mRNA and p125 FAK protein. Furthermore, the majority of colorectal liver metastases demonstrated robust FAK expression equivalent to or greater than that in the primary colorectal tumor.
Diminished S-Phase Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Function Elicits Vital Rad53-Dependent Checkpoint Responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) is required for the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in eukaryotes. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Clb5 and Clb6 cyclins activate Cdk1 and drive replication origin firing. Deletion of CLB5 reduces initiation of DNA synthesis from late-firing origins. We have examined whether checkpoints are activated by loss of Clb5 function and whether checkpoints are responsible for the DNA replication defects associated with loss of Clb5 function. We present evidence for activation of Rad53 and Ddc2 functions with characteristics suggesting the presence of DNA damage. Deficient late origin firing in clb5Delta cells is not due to checkpoint regulation, but instead, directly reflects the decreased abundance of S-phase CDK, as Clb6 activates late origins when its dosage is increased. Moreover, the viability of clb5Delta cells depends on Rad53. Activation of Rad53 by either Mrc1 or Rad9 contributes to the survival of clb5Delta cells, suggesting that both DNA replication and damage pathways are responsive to the decreased origin usage. These results suggest that reduced origin usage leads to stress or DNA damage at replication forks, necessitating the function of Rad53 in fork stabilization. Consistent with the notion that decreased S-CDK function creates stress at replication forks, deletion of RRM3 helicase, which facilitates replisome progression, greatly diminished the growth of clb5Delta cells. Together, our findings indicate that deregulation of S-CDK function has the potential to exacerbate genomic instability by reducing replication origin usage.
Signal Transduction Pathways Involved in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Oral Cancer Compared with Other Cancers

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a central mechanism governing destined cell movement in embryonic development. Emerging evidence reveals that EMT characterizing the progression of many carcinomas is linked to the acquisition of an invasive and metastatic phenotype. While it is established that EMT is controlled by well-conserved mechanisms, additional research is required for various tissue- or tumor-specific transitions. We review the literature related to the major components of EMT including adhesion molecules, cytoskeleton reorganization and signaling pathways in oral cancer.
Effect of heparin on mesangial cell growth and gene expression of matrix proteins.

diVerent glomerulopathies. Several earlier studies have Background. Mesangial cell (MC ) proliferation and revealed that standard heparin, endogenous heparinmatrix expansion are characteristics of many glomerul- like substances and heparan sulfate can inhibit MC opathies. Heparin has been shown to inhibit MC proliferation in vitro [1‐4]. Likewise, heparin adminisproliferation in vitro and mitigate cell proliferation, tration has been reported to lessen MC proliferation matrix expansion, proteinuria, renal insuYciency, and and matrix protein accumulation in rats with anti-thy hypertension in experimental glomerulonephritis and 1.1-induced mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis subtotal renal ablation. We examined the eVect of independently from its anticoagulant action [5]. standard heparin on MC proliferation and matrix Recently, heparin has been shown to inhibit IL-1bprotein expression in vitro which necessarily excludes mediated upregulation of gene expression of the broadthe confounding influences of haemodynamic, in- substrate spectrum metalloproteinase, transin in culflammatory, haemostatic, and various other processes tured MC [6 ]. Moreover, heparin has been shown to that are present in vivo. suppress collagen IV gene expression in MC cultured Methods. Gene expression and release of fibronectin in media containing high glucose concentrations [7]. (FN ), collagen IV and laminin by cultured rat MC In addition, heparin administration has been found to were tested in the presence and absence of heparin. In attenuate proteinuria and hypertension and to retard addition the eVect of transforming growth factor-b1 progression of renal insuYciency and glomerulo( TGF-b1) on the gene expression of those matrix sclerosis in the remnant kidney of rats with subtotal proteins was assessed. renal ablation and streptozotocin-induced diabetes Results. Within a 3‐1000 mg/ml concentration range, mellitus [8‐10]. In the present study, we examined the heparin inhibited gene expression and release of FN gene expression and release of matrix proteins in by 10% fetal calf serum ( FCS )-stimulated MC in a cultured rat MC in order to isolate the direct eVect of concentration-dependent manner. At concentrations of heparin from those mediated by a myriad of haemo300 and 1000 mg/ml, heparin inhibited fibronectin dynamic, inflammatory, and haemostatic events mRNA levels in TGF-b 1( 6 ng/ml ) stimulated cells. contributing to glomerulosclerosis and hypertension However, heparin had no eVect on gene expression or in vivo. release of collagen IV or laminin under these conditions. Heparin markedly inhibited 10% FCS-stimulated MC proliferation in a concentration-dependent Subjects and methods manner. Conclusions. Heparin inhibited MC growth and Materials fibronectin production. These eVects may, in part, account for the reported beneficial eVects of heparin Heparin, RPMI 1640 medium, trypsin, and fetal calf serum on the course of renal disease in experimental animals. (FCS) were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. (St Louis,
Observation: Three reasons to avoid having half of the trials be congruent in a four-alternative forced-choice experiment on sequential modulation

Sequential modulation is the finding that the sizes of several selective-attention phenomena--namely, the Simon, flanker, and Stroop effects--are larger following congruent trials than following incongruent trials. In order to rule out relatively uninteresting explanations of sequential modulation that are based on a variety of stimulus- and response-repetition confounds, a four-alternative forced choice task must be used, such that all trials with any kind of repetition can be omitted from the analysis. When a four-alternative task is used, the question arises as to whether to have the proportions of congruent and incongruent trials be set by chance (and, therefore, be 25% congruent and 75% incongruent) or to raise the proportion of congruent trials to 50%, so that it matches the proportion of incongruent trials. In this observation, it is argued that raising the proportion of congruent trials to 50% should not be done. For theoretical, practical, and empirical reasons, having half of the trials be congruent in a four-alternative task aimed at providing unambiguous evidence of sequential modulation should be avoided.
Tropical Whites: The Rise of the Tourist South in the Americas Catherine Cocks. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.

Tropical Whites: The Rise of the Tourist South in the Americas Catherine Cocks. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.White North Americans in the early twentieth century did an about-face regarding tropicality; rather than posing a grave danger, the heat, palm trees, and tanned natives came to signify a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city and the ice and snow of America's colder climes. Catherine Cocks, a cultural historian and currently an acquisitions editor at the University of Iowa Press, argues in her latest book, Tropical Whites, that changes in science, horticulture, transportation, and the tourist industry contributed to a reimagining of what she labels the "Southland," which includes southern California, Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Perhaps even more important, according to Cocks, is that these changes constituted a "redrafting of the meaning of humanity" that involved "a concession that the white supremacist civilization. . .of Europe and North America was not adequate to human happiness" (185). By examining a variety of sources, including personal diaries, family scrapbooks, government documents, advertisements, postcards, clothing trends, and travel literature, Cocks succeeds in illustrating when, why, and how governments, physicians, writers, and travelers made and influenced such a transition.For most of the nineteenth century, white Americans feared the tropics because of its health hazards and primitive environment. In her opening chapter, Cocks argues that the discoveries of the germ theory of disease and Vitamin D calmed those fears. The tourism industry used physicians to testify to the health advantages of warm climates while banana firms like Standard Fruit and United Fruit "operated Caribbean cruises.. .as a complement to their freight operations and included plantation tours" to entice both visitors and investors (37). Likewise, California and Florida orange growers romanticized the experience of picking fruit, something many visitors bragged about in letters and postcards sent back home. Combined, medical discoveries and advances in horticulture reassured white Americans that taming this environment was possible and profitable.The remainder of Tropical Whites explores a host of topics, including the fashion trends, commodification of climate, and transportation improvements that made the Southland a vacation destination. "Southland boosters and medical climatologists (often the same people) harped on the salubriousness of the local climate" (75). Without such efforts, often funded by organizations like the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce or private developers, Cocks argues that whites would have likely remained fearful that a tropical visit would fundamentally change them rather than merely exposing them to a different culture. …
Evaluating Instruction in Distance Learning Classes.

Techuology-mediated distance education (e.g., two-way interactive television, Web based instruction) is revolutionizing the delivery of university-level courses. The great promise provided by incre...
Ex vivo depletion of alloreactive cells based on CFSE dye dilution, activation antigen selection, and dendritic cell stimulation

Eliminating alloreactive cells from T-cell populations would enable the transfer of immune function to patients who receive stem cell transplants. However, high-efficiency depletion has proved difficult to achieve. We sought to develop ex vivo approaches for the maximal depletion of alloreactive CD4(+) T cells. Using a flow cytometric cell sorting approach after mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) culture, we have found that sorted CFSE(bright) (5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinmidyl ester) (nondivided) and activation antigen-negative cells are markedly depleted of alloreactivity. With HLA-mismatched peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) stimulators we have consistently attained (90%-95%) depletion of alloreactivity. Importantly, when purified matured monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) are used as stimulators, a 100-fold (99%) reduction in alloreactivity was attained, resulting in abrogation of the secondary MLR. Significantly, the CFSE(bright) CD25(-) cells recovered from these cultures retained general immunoreactivity, including responses to Candida and cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens. In addition, a CFSE-based approach was tested and found to be sufficient for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prevention in vivo, in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II disparate murine model. This efficient approach to selectively deplete mature alloantigen-specific T cells may permit enhanced immune reconstitution without GVHD.
What Are Effect Sizes and Why Do We Need Them

Effect sizes are quantitative indexes of the relations between variables found in research studies. They can provide a broadly understandable summary of research findings that can be used to compare different studies or summarize results across studies. Unlike statistical significance (p values), effect sizes represent strength of relationships without regard to sample size. Three families of effect sizes are widely used: the standardized mean difference family, the standardized regression coefficient family, and the odds ratio family.
Effect of Purified Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Factor on Plasma and Pituitary LH Levels in Castrated, Testosterone Pretreated Male and Female Rats

Administration of testosterone propionate to castrated male or ovariectomized female rats lowered plasma LH levels. Intravenous injection of a purified porcine LH-releasing factor (LRF) preparation significantly raised plasma LH levels in these rats. LRF preparations also depleted the pituitary LH of castrated male rats pretreated with testosterone. The data indicate that LRF releases LH in male as well as in female rats. (Endocrinology 81: 1173, 1967)
LEBANON AFTER THE CEDAR REVOLUTION/ARE KNUDSEN AND MICHAEL KERR (eds); LEBANON: A HISTORY, 600--2011/by WILLIAM HARRIS

LEBANON AFTER THE CEDAR REVOLUTION, ARE KNUDSEN AND MICHAEL KERR (eds); London: C. Hurst & Company, 2012. 323 pp. $29.95. LEBANON: A HISTORY, 600--2011, WILLIAM HARRIS; Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. 360 pp. $34.95.
Monitoring of Power System Dynamic Behavior Using Characteristic Ellipsoid Method

The potential uses of the sub-second GPS- synchronized phasor data collected from various locations within an electric power system promise endless benefits for the applications targeting reliable operation of electric power systems. Despite the undisputable progress achieved in developing visualization tools, alarming tools, modal analysis tools, and statistical analysis tools based on synchrophasor data, there is an emerging need to develop more real-time phasor-based applications. This paper discusses an initial idea of the characteristic ellipsoid approach to monitor the dynamic behavior of an interconnected power system using phasor measurements. This method can be a useful tool for providing wide-area situational awareness for grid operators, identification of system disturbances and detection of system stresses and their locations.
Preliminary investigation of the relationship between religion and psychological distress in black women.

Analysis of the relationship for 114 black women (a 15% sample) between religion, measured by the Integration Scale of the Personal Religiosity Inventory, and psychological distress, measured by the Langner Symptom Survey, an epidemiological measure with a valid cut-off score to identify individuals in distress, yielded statistically significant and clinically meaningful information for high and low religious groups (ns = 42 and 13). A low level of religion was associated with significant mental distress while a high level of religion was associated with adjustment scores that did not reflect psychological distress
Formalism and illusion in Shakespearian drama 1595–1598

(1945). Formalism and illusion in Shakespearian drama 1595–1598. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 446-453.
American Sign Language Recognition system by using surface EMG signal

Sign Language Recognition (SLR) system is a novel method that allows hard of hearing people to communicate with society. In this study, an American Sign Language (ASL) recognition system was proposed by using the surface Electromyography (sEMG). The objective of this study is to recognize the American Sign Language alphabet letters and allow users to spell words and sentences. For this purpose, sEMG signals are acquired from subject's right forearm for 27 American Sign Language gestures, 26 English alphabet letters, and one for home position. Time domain, frequency domain (band power), power spectral density (band power), and average power features were used as the feature extraction methods. After feature extraction, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to obtain uncorrelated features. As a classification method, Support Vector Machine and Ensemble Learning algorithm were used and their performances were compared with tabulated results. In conclusion, the results of this study show that sEMG signal can be used for SLR systems.
Structural topology optimization considering correlated uncertainties in elastic modulus

An existing perturbation-based method is extended to consider correlated uncertainties in structural topology optimization problems. The proposed method uses perturbation technique to model uncertainties in the geometry of structures and material properties, and transforms the problem of topology optimization under uncertainty to an augmented deterministic topology optimization problem. This leads to significant computational savings when compared with Monte Carlo-based optimization, which involve multiple formations and inversions of the global stiffness matrix. We study two numerical examples to show the importance of correlation in uncertainty modeling and to verify the proposed method. Numerical examples show that results obtained from the proposed method are in excellent agreement with those obtained when using Monte Carlo-based optimization.
Adiabatic Limits of Co-associative Kovalev–Lefschetz Fibrations

We study co-associative fibrations of G 2-manifolds. We propose that the adiabatic limit of this structure should be given locally by a maximal submanifold in a space of indefinite signature and set up global versions of the constructions.
The Disorder of Books: Priscillian's Canonical Defense of Apocrypha

Heresy and Apocrypha Historians of ancient Christianity derive a certain satisfaction from the fact that Athanasius of Alexandria, the fervent architect of Nicene Christianity, should also be the first known ecclesiastical authority to "list precisely the twenty-seven books that eventually formed the generally accepted canon of the New Testament.''l This intersection of canon and creed abets the notion that Christianity matured and solidified in the latter half of the fourth century;2 henceforth heresy and
The Exploration of Shipborne Gun Firing Against the Shore Targets based on Airburst

In some conditions,the effect of shipborne gun firing against the shore targets based on airburst is good.This paper provides methods of firing using airburst grenade and the projectil of leap based on the analysis of the error of the stable firing parameters calculated by the gun's fire controlling system in the use of the air burst shell and the development of the projectile of leap,and this improves the sufficiency of firing.
PyCompArch: python-based modules for exploring computer architecture concepts

As computer architecture integrates multiple concepts such as microarchitecture, design, the hardware-software interface, compilers, and operating systems, there is an always increasing need to develop new methods for learning and exploring the field. Parallelism in computer systems is a key focus in computer architecture and some core parallel concepts include Amdahl's law, efficiency, and overhead. While there are a number of ways to examine these topics in traditional lectures and assignments, a unique way is to leverage Python-based programming environments that allow students to independently explore concepts and their governing parameters.This paper presents the highlights of PyCompArch Python module developed using the IPython Notebook environment to help the study of concepts in computer architecture. Python is a widely used general-purpose, high-level programming language, but traditionally the language does not play a leading role in the education of computer architecture. IPython Notebooks allow developers to interactively run Python code cells and to construct Python codes that execute on remote servers that eliminate any system requirements of the individual. In this way, the environment supports web-based remote "in the cloud" code development that can be modified during lectures or in homework assignments. The PyCompArch module supports a number of ways to help individuals learn concepts of parallelism related to computer architecture as well as explore experiments in computer performance and control. For example, PyCompArch supports the evaluation of performance of real-world benchmarks such as Open Computer Vision (OpenCV) and dynamic frequency scaling (DFS) in Raspberry Pi systems. Overall, the PyCompArch supports student learning and development of experiments in computer architecture.
Spiritual and religious beliefs and practices of family physicians: a national survey.

Background The current movement in American medicine toward patient-centered or relationship-centered care highlights the importance of assessing physician core beliefs and personal philosophies. Religious and spiritual beliefs are often entwined within this domain. The purpose of this study was to identify the personal religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of family physicians and to test a valid and reliable measure of religiosity that would be useful in physician populations. Methods An anonymous survey was mailed to a random sample of active members of the American Academy of Family Physicians who had the self-designated professional activity of direct patient care. Physicians reported their religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, including frequency of religious service attendance and private prayer or spiritual practice, and self-reported intrinsic or subjective religiosity. Results Seventy-four percent of the surveyed physicians reported at least weekly or monthly service attendance, and 79% reported a strong religious or spiritual orientation. A small percentage (4.5%) of physicians stated they do not believe in God. A 3-dimensional religiosity scale that assessed organized religious activity, nonorganized religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity was determined to be a valid and reliable measure (alpha = .87) of physician religious and spiritual beliefs and practices. Conclusions Family physicians report religious and spiritual beliefs and practices at rates that are comparable with the general population.
Late Pleistocene Mountain Glaciation in the Lake Bonneville Basin

Abstract The record of the last Pleistocene glaciation in the Lake Bonneville basin has been known for decades and has improved significantly due to expanded mapping and geologic dating efforts. Although ice occupied only a small portion of the basin and constituted a small component of the lake water budget, the pattern of glaciation in space and time can be combined with the stratigraphic record from Lake Bonneville to improve the understanding of regional climate change during and after the last glaciation. Mountain glaciers were most abundant in the eastern/Rocky Mountain sector of the basin, with the vast majority of ice volume concentrated in the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains. Here, the geomorphic record of the last glaciation is well preserved, stratigraphic observations of sediments of Lake Bonneville and valley glaciers are documented, and cosmogenic 10 Be exposure ages of several moraines based on new production models of in situ 10 Be are reported. Terminal moraines here, and in the western sector of the basin, were occupied near the time of the Bonneville highstand at 18 ka and subsequently abandoned while the lake continued to overflow. This constitutes a significant revision to initial reports of 10 Be exposure ages based on earlier production rate models, which suggest that ice retreat corresponded to the fall of Lake Bonneville from the Provo shoreline. Still, temporal correspondence of the Lake Bonneville highstand and glacier maxima support the previously proposed model that climate during the lake highstand was favorable for maxima of both glaciers and lakes. The onset of ice retreat while the lake overflowed, however, suggests warming in the basin at c.18 ka but with sufficient precipitation to sustain a positive water budget of Lake Bonneville.
Adsorption and surface chemistry of CH3 on Pt(111)

In the present work gas phase methyl radicals were produced by thermal decomposition of azomethane, CH 3 NNCH 3 and adsorbed directly on a clean or hydrogen covered Pt(111) surface.
Case Study 8. Taming the Killer Ape: The Science of Taphonomy

Hypotheses are generated within our existing understanding of the world and often incorporate societal and individual prejudices and beliefs. However, not all wrong ideas are useless: disproving hypotheses can generate new questions and hypotheses. In this example, a faulty interpretation of fossils stimulated a new field of study. From the 1930s to the 1960s, the “Killer Ape” emerged as a popular understanding of human nature as inherently violent. In this context, Raymond Dart interpreted animal bones found in caves with earliest hominins as the remains of their prey. Studies inspired by his hypotheses later proved him wrong, but challenging his ideas led to much better understanding of how fossils and assemblages are created.
The Chloroplast psbK-psbI Intergenic Region, a Potential Genetic Marker for Broad Sectional Relationships in Anthurium

Nuclear and chloroplast genetic markers have been extensively used for plant identification and molecular taxonomy studies. The efficacy of genetic markers to be used as DNA barcodes is under constant evaluation and improvement with identification of new barcodes that provide greater resolution and efficiency of amplification for specific species groups as well as distantly related plants. In this study, chloroplast DNA genetic markers for Anthurium, the largest genus in the Araceae family, were adapted from chloroplast markers previously designed for Lemna minor, a member of the same plant family. Primers for chloroplastregiontrnH-psbA,previouslyusedformolecularsystematicstudiesinAnthurium, as well as primers for the rpoB, rpoC1, psbK-psbI, matK, rbcL ,a ndatpF-atpH regions, all located within the large single copy sequence in the chloroplast genome, were evaluated and found to efficiently amplify target sequences when using DNA of varied quality and concentrationextractedfromsilica-driedleavesofselectedaccessionedspeciesofAnthurium. The trnH-psbA, psbK-psbI ,a ndatpF-atpH intergenic region primers were further evaluated using Anthurium species spanning different subgeneric groups. Of the intergenic region primers tested, psbK-psbI primers were the most robust, yielding well-defined amplicons across Anthurium species that were consistent, with exceptions, within sectional groupings. Application of the psbK-psbI region amplicon as a visual marker for surveying sectional relationships inAnthurium is novel and serves as a model for the development of a diagnostic method for genotyping plants and testing for sample integrity from among species or germplasm collections. This work further demonstrates the use of dried plant tissue banks as agenetic reference and information resource to support basic research as well as ornamental plant characterization and improvement.
Lipid Production from Dilute Alkali Corn Stover Lignin by Rhodococcus Strains

Biotransformation of lignin to lipids is challenging due to lignin’s recalcitrant nature as a phenolic heteropolymer with a nonuniform structure that imparts rigidity and recalcitrance of plant cell walls. In this study, wild and engineered Rhodococcus strains (R. opacus PD630 and R. jostii RHA1 VanA–) with lignin degradation and/or lipid biosynthesis capacities were selected to establish fundamental understanding of the pathways and functional modules necessary to enable a platform for biological conversion of biomass-derived lignin to lipids. Degradation of lignin (39.6%, dry weight) was achieved by performing cofermentation with wild type R. opacus PD630 and engineered R. jostii RHA1 VanA–. Co-fermentation of these two strains produced higher lipids yield than single strain fermentation. Profiles of metabolites produced by the Rhodococcus strains while growing on alkali technical lignin suggested that lignin was depolymerized to reactive intermediates, such as vanillin, 2,3-dihydro-benzofuran, 2-methox...
Dropout typologies: Relating profiles of risk and support to later educational re-engagement

A large body of work has examined factors that push and pull youth to drop out. However, a relatively minimal amount of work has examined whether and how these factors cluster in individuals’ lives...
Long-Term Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Consequences of Repetitive Concussion and Head-Impact Exposure

Initially, interest in sport-related concussion arose from the premise that the study of athletes engaged in sports associated with high rates of concussion could provide insight into the mechanism...
Integrating Accounting Themes with Enterprise System Experiences: An Accounting Department's Journey

Abstract This article provides our department's experiences with utilizing enterprise systems as part of teaching accounting concepts in a thoughtful, integrated fashion across the accounting curriculum. We describe how a specific enterprise system (SAP) has been used to design integrated accounting and technology experiences across an accounting curriculum. The description of our curriculum integration design, our integration process, and preliminary outcomes presented in this paper can be useful background to accounting systems educators involved in similar efforts at their institutions.
Vision Screening in Children Aged 6 Months to 5 Years: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

Importance One of the most important causes of vision abnormalities in children is amblyopia (also known as “lazy eye”). Amblyopia is an alteration in the visual neural pathway in a child’s developing brain that can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye. Among children younger than 6 years, 1% to 6% have amblyopia or its risk factors (strabismus, anisometropia, or both). Early identification of vision abnormalities could prevent the development of amblyopia. Subpopulation Considerations Studies show that screening rates among children vary by race/ethnicity and family income. Data based on parent reports from 2009-2010 indicated identical screening rates among black non-Hispanic children and white non-Hispanic children (80.7%); however, Hispanic children were less likely than non-Hispanic children to report vision screening (69.8%). Children whose families earned 200% or more above the federal poverty level were more likely to report vision screening than families with lower incomes. Objective To update the 2011 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for amblyopia and its risk factors in children. Evidence Review The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the accuracy of vision screening tests and the benefits and harms of vision screening and treatment. Surgical interventions were considered to be out of scope for this review. Findings Treatment of amblyopia is associated with moderate improvements in visual acuity in children aged 3 to 5 years, which are likely to result in permanent improvements in vision throughout life. The USPSTF concluded that the benefits are moderate because untreated amblyopia results in permanent, uncorrectable vision loss, and the benefits of screening and treatment potentially can be experienced over a child’s lifetime. The USPSTF found adequate evidence to bound the potential harms of treatment (ie, higher false-positive rates in low-prevalence populations) as small. Therefore, the USPSTF concluded with moderate certainty that the overall net benefit is moderate for children aged 3 to 5 years. Conclusions and Recommendations The USPSTF recommends vision screening at least once in all children aged 3 to 5 years to detect amblyopia or its risk factors. (B recommendation) The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of vision screening in children younger than 3 years. (I statement)
Arthroscopic Management of Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendonitis

Calcific tendonitis of the rotator cuff is a common cause of shoulder pain and loss of function. When conservative care fails to control pain and restore movement and strength, arthroscopic management is a reliable treatment. The goal of the procedure is removal of the calcific deposit without injury to the intact rotator cuff tendon. Arthroscopic needling, blunt expressing of soft deposits, and limited shaving of firm calcific deposits are the preferred techniques. Complete radiographic removal of the entire calcific deposits is not necessary. High-grade (>50%) partial and complete tears of the rotator cuff created during deposit removal should be repaired by techniques that preserve the intact tendon. Low-grade (<50% of the tendon thickness) partial tears can simply be debrided. Arthroscopic subacromial decompression is performed if impingement signs are present. Significant clinical relief of symptoms can take up to 6–12 months and while it may never be complete radiographic absorption of the deposit can take up to a year.
Dutch Pensions Paving the Way for Infrastructure Development

A confluence of related macroeconomic, political, and regulatory trends has led to a widening infrastructure-financing gap and increased pressure on governments globally to identify new sources of capital for infrastructure development. Since the global financial crisis, public-sector balance sheets, which are the traditional source of funding for infrastructure development, have been extremely constrained. Even for privately financed infrastructure projects, the traditional providers of capital have withdrawn in response to new banking regulations. This gap creates an opportunity for institutional investors, such as pension funds, to step in and fill the void. And yet, although institutional investor allocations for infrastructure continue to increase, much of this capital is not directed toward the types of projects most in need of new investment. In this article, the authors examine the conditions that can enable pension funds to make direct investments in greenfield and growth-stage infrastructure. To clarify this issue, they examine the recent N33 project in the Netherlands, which has seen Dutch pensions PGGM and APG provide, respectively, the equity and a majority of the takeout debt financing for the growth-stage project. The lessons learned from this case are relevant to project sponsors and policymakers wondering about the conditions under which local pension funds can invest in local infrastructure.
Introduction to String Models and Vertex Operators

My aim in this talk is to give a very brief and qualitative outline of string models (or dual-resonance models) and to indicate how vertex operators appear in such models. The basic idea is that the fundamental objects of the theory instead of being point-like, as they are in most other theories, are string-like.1
Real time monitoring and recognition of eating and physical activity with a wearable device connected to the eyeglass

Motion artifacts and speech have been found to degrade the accuracy of wearable device used for detection and recognition of food intake. Thus, there is a need to investigate and develop systems which are impervious to these artifacts. For these systems to be practical in daily living, it is necessary to evaluate their ability to monitor food intake in real-time. This study presents results of real-time testing of a wearable device for real-time classification of multiclass activities. The device consists of a sensor for chewing detection (piezoelectric film sensor) and an accelerometer for physical activity monitoring. The device is in the form of eyeglasses. The strain sensor is attached to the temporalis muscle for chewing detection. Ten participants tested the system while performing activities including eating at rest, talking, walking and eating while walking. For 5-second epochs, ten features were extracted from both sensor signals. A communication protocol was implemented where sensor data were uploaded to a remote server for real-time data processing. Data processing was performed in two steps. In the first step, a multiclass decision tree model was trained offline with data from seven participants to differentiate among eating/chewing and non-eating and two levels of physical activity (sedentary and physically active). In the second step, the trained model was used on remaining three participants to predict the activity label in real-time. Offline classification and real-time online classification achieved average F1-scores of 93.15% and 94.65% respectively. These results indicate that the device can accurately differentiate between epochs of eating and non-eating as well as epochs of two different physical activity levels; in real-time.
Antagonizing CD105 enhances radiation sensitivity in prostate cancer.

Radiation therapy is the primary intervention for nearly half of the patients with localized advanced prostate cancer and standard of care for recurrent disease following surgery. The development of radiation-resistant disease is an obstacle for nearly 30–50% of patients undergoing radiotherapy. A better understanding of mechanisms that lead to radiation resistance could aid in the development of sensitizing agents to improve outcome. Here we identified a radiation-resistance pathway mediated by CD105, downstream of BMP and TGF-β signaling. Antagonizing CD105-dependent BMP signaling with a partially humanized monoclonal antibody, TRC105, resulted in a significant reduction in clonogenicity when combined with irradiation. In trying to better understand the mechanism for the radio-sensitization, we found that radiation-induced CD105/BMP signaling was sufficient and necessary for the upregulation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in contributing to p53 stabilization and PGC-1α activation. Combining TRC105 with irradiation delayed DNA damage repair compared to irradiation alone. However, in the absence of p53 function, combining TRC105 and radiation resulted in no reduction in clonogenicity compared to radiation alone, despite similar reduction of DNA damage repair observed in p53-intact cells. This suggested DNA damage repair was not the sole determinant of CD105 radio-resistance. As cancer cells undergo an energy deficit following irradiation, due to the demands of DNA and organelle repair, we examined SIRT1’s role on p53 and PGC-1α with respect to glycolysis and mitochondrial biogenesis, respectively. Consequently, blocking the CD105-SIRT1 axis was found to deplete the ATP stores of irradiated cells and cause G2 cell cycle arrest. Xenograft models supported these findings that combining TRC105 with irradiation significantly reduces tumor size over irradiation alone (p value = 10−9). We identified a novel synthetic lethality strategy of combining radiation and CD105 targeting to address the DNA repair and metabolic addiction induced by irradiation in p53-functional prostate cancers.
Peer influence processes as mediators of effects of a middle school substance use prevention program.

Abstract Background Peer influence processes have been linked to escalation in substance use during the middle school years, particularly among at-risk youth. In this study, we report on an approach to prevention that attempts to counteract peer influence by interrupting the process of deviant peer clustering, in which socially marginalized youth self-aggregate and reinforce delinquent behavior, including substance use. We aimed to interrupt this process by implementing collaborative, group-based learning activities in school (i.e., cooperative learning). Methods In a cluster randomized trial in the Pacific Northwest (N = 1460 7th-grade students in 15 schools), we tested whether cooperative learning can reduce alcohol and tobacco use, and whether these effects are mediated by reductions in the amount of alcohol and tobacco use among one's friends. Intervention schools were provided with training in cooperative learning, and data were collected in September/October 2016 (baseline) and March 2017 (follow-up). Results Results indicated that cooperative learning significantly lowered rates of growth in alcohol (β = −0.60 [−0.36|−0.84]; p Conclusions Cooperative learning was able to significantly reduce the prevalence of both alcohol and tobacco use in friendship networks during the school year. The lower prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use among friends, in turn, reduced individual use at follow-up. This study was registered as trial NCT03119415 in ClinicalTrials.gov .
School Desegregation and the ‘National Community’

What can an ethnographer, usually in solo practice, tell us about such an open-ended, volatile, and prolonged process as school desegregation in America? Obviously some have already risen to the occasion, demonstrating the versatility of this approach. In what follows, I hope to build on that accomplishment. The aim, however, is not simply to summarize the findings and methods of these studies or to recommend specific procedures. Because ethnography is almost always a highly localized effort, the pressing need is for a broader macro-sociological framework that does three things for the ethnographer: (a) links findings to those of other studies, only some of which are ethnographic; (b) provides a mapping of relevant variables that places these studies in a comparative and cumulative research tradition; and (c) directs ethnographic studies to those strategic areas that have been neglected and are especially appropriate to its intensive, in situ approach.
Chinese Tales of Origin: A Hermeneutics of Narrative Discourse

The task of interpreting Chinese myth and modern literature in phenomenological terms requires close attention to basic sources. This task becomes especially complicated when one is confronted with the disparity between the classical tradition and the modern novel, which belong to different, perhaps even antagonistic, cultural realms. It may seem that the world of myth has nothing to do with the modern sensibility. And yet, Vico’s Nuovo Scienza provides us with one model for interpreting history as both mythic and cyclical. The following discussion will draw upon Vico’s famous distinction between the three phases of human history in examining how Chinese myth provides a discursive frame that allows for the interpretation of cultural experience. The first part of the paper will discuss how the “divine” and “heroic” phases of history are presented in the Chinese context by creation myths, which suggest the classical period and its social institutions. The second part of the paper will employ Ricoeur’s hermeneutics in discussing Liu Heng’s novel, Fu Xi, Fu Xi, as a recent attempt to depict the human (or post-heroic) phase of Chinese culture. The conclusion of the paper will show how phenomenology provides a flexible basis for interpreting Chinese myth and literature in contemporary terms.
A next-generation statistical tool for phase I dose finding trials.

e14037Background: There are no consensus results for assessing different statistical designs for phase I dose finding trials. Despite previous findings in the literature that recommend against the ...