Reducing facet nucleation during algorithmic self-assembly

Algorithmic self-assembly, a generalization of crystal growth, has been proposed as a mechanism for bottom-up fabrication of complex nanostructures and autonomous DNA computation. In principle, growth can be programmed by designing a set of molecular tiles with binding interactions that enforce assembly rules. In practice, however, errors during assembly cause undesired products, drastically reducing yields. Here we provide experimental evidence that assembly can be made more robust to errors by adding redundant tiles that "proofread" assembly. We construct DNA tile sets for two methods, uniform and snaked proofreading. While both tile sets are predicted to reduce errors during growth, the snaked proofreading tile set is also designed to reduce nucleation errors on crystal facets. Using atomic force microscopy to image growth of proofreading tiles on ribbon-like crystals presenting long facets, we show that under the physical conditions we studied the rate of facet nucleation is 4-fold smaller for snaked proofreading tile sets than for uniform proofreading tile sets

Brazilian piano through the ages: A look at the development in style through the context of social issues and historical influences

This project seeks to explore the development of piano music in Brazil, through the historical and social context of five different composers: Chiquinha Gonzaga, Ernesto Nazareth, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Francisco Mignone, and Edmundo Villani-Côrtes. By studying representative pieces of these composers, main influences are revealed, such as avoidance of or defying social stigmas, the impact of choro music, the influence of folklore and folk tunes, and the European and Romantic piano tradition. Furthermore, through the work of a composer still living today, we can trace these historical aspects into the modern day

EXPLORING THE SUPPLY OF SAFER FOODS: A CASE STUDY OF OYSTER DEPURATION IN DIXIE AND LEVY COUNTIES, FLORIDA

Shellfish depuration, economic feasibility, restaurant, consumer acceptance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Accounting Enforcement’s Determinants—A Global Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the national characteristics of culture, religion and political factionalization are associated with the strength of accounting enforcement. The study uses data on percentages of religious adherents in a sample nation, the Hofstede cultural dimensions and political factionalization as key independent variables. This study also controls for national legal code (e.g., Common Law or Civic Code) and market liquidity. It uses factor analysis to generate factor scores from the data. These factor scores are then used as the independent variables. The dependent variable, accounting enforcement, is drawn from Brown, Preiato and Tarca (2014). The findings demonstrate that these national characteristics are strongly associated with national accounting regulatory enforcement. The implications of this research are that national characteristics should be taken into account in considering the impact of accounting standards on accounting comparability across nations. The limitation of this study is that, like much international research, the sample size is limited, here to 42 nations. This study provides an important contribution to the literature by helping establish that national characteristics do affect accounting enforcement efforts cross-nationally. This helps researchers and regulators better understand whether international standards can provide the link in comparability across nations that proponents are seeking. It does so by focusing on the variation in enforcement across nations rather than on the standards themselves

The future of public health: the importance of workforce

Health workforce has become a major concern and a significant health policy issue around the world in recent years. With recent international and national initiatives and models being developed and implemented in Australia and other countries, it is timely to understand the need and the rationale for a better trained and educated public health workforce for the future. Much more attention should also be given to evaluation and research in this field

Investigations of urethral sphincter activity in mice with bladder hyperalgesia before and after drug administration of gabapentin.

PurposeThis study investigated the effect of gabapentin on lower urinary tract dysfunction focusing on urethral activities and cystitis-induced hyperalgesia in a mouse model of painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis (PBS/IC). The electromyography (EMG) of external urethral sphincter (EUS) was difficult to obtain, but contained useful information to examine the drug effect in mice.MethodsFemale C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally (ip) administration with either saline or 200 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide (CYP) 48 h before experimental evaluation. Cystitis mice were treated with administration of gabapentin (25 or 50 mg/kg, ip). Cystometry and EUS EMG were obtained and analyzed during continuous bladder infusion. The visceral pain-related visceromotor reflex (VMR) was recorded in response to isotonic bladder distension.ResultsCystitis mice showed shorter inter-contraction intervals and increased occurrence of non-voiding contractions during bladder infusion, with increased VMR during isotonic bladder distension, indicating cystitis-induced bladder hyperalgesia. Gabapentin (50 mg/kg) suppressed effects of CYP on cystometry, but not on EUS EMG activity, during bladder infusion. The effect on urodynamic recordings lasted 4 h. VMR was significantly reduced by gabapentin.ConclusionsThe present study showed that CYP-induced cystitis in mice is a model of visceral hyperalgesia affecting detrusor contractions, not urethral activations. The technique of using EUS EMG to evaluate the drug effects on urethral activities is novel and useful for future investigations. Gabapentin can be as a potential treatment for detrusor overactivity and PBS/IC