cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Cannabis Use.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide. In recent decades, highly concentrated products have flooded the market, and prevalence rates have increased. Gender differences exist in cannabis use, as men have higher prevalence of both cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD), while women progress more rapidly from first use to CUD. This paper reviews findings from preclinical and human studies examining the sex-specific neurobiological underpinnings of cannabis use and CUD and associations with psychiatric symptoms. Sex differences exist in the endocannabinoid system, in cannabis exposure effects on brain structure and function, and in the co-occurrence of cannabis use with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. In female cannabis users, anxiety symptoms correlate with larger amygdala volume, and social anxiety disorder symptoms correlate with CUD symptoms. Female cannabis users are reported to be especially vulnerable to earlier onset of schizophrenia, and mixed trends emerge in the correlation of depressive symptoms with cannabis exposure in females and males. As the prevalence of cannabis use may continue to increase given the shifting policy landscape regarding marijuana laws, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of cannabis exposure in females and males is key. Examining these mechanisms may help inform future research on sex-specific pharmacological and behavioral interventions for women and men with high-risk cannabis use, comorbid psychiatric disease, and CUD.
Metabolic profiling of follistatin overexpression: a novel therapeutic strategy for metabolic diseases.

Author(s): Singh, Rajan; Pervin, Shehla; Lee, Se-Jin; Kuo, Alan; Grijalva, Victor; David, John; Vergnes, Laurent; Reddy, Srinivasa T | Abstract: Background:Follistatin (Fst) promotes brown adipocyte characteristics in adipose tissues. Methods:Abdominal fat volume (CT scan), glucose clearance (GTT test), and metabolomics analysis (mass spectrometry) of adipose tissues from Fst transgenic (Fst-Tg) and wild type (WT) control mice were analyzed. Oxygen consumption (Seahorse Analyzer) and lipidomics (gas chromatography) was analyzed in 3T3-L1 cells. Results:Fst-Tg mice show significant decrease in abdominal fat content, increased glucose clearance, improved plasma lipid profiles and significant changes in several conventional metabolites compared to the WT mice. Furthermore, overexpression of Fst in 3T3-L1 cells resulted in up regulation of key brown/beige markers and changes in lipidomics profiles. Conclusion:Fst modulates key factors involved in promoting metabolic syndrome and could be used for therapeutic intervention.
Social status and parasitism in male and female vertebrates: a meta-analysis

Social status is an important predictor of parasite risk in vertebrates. To date, general frameworks to explain status-related variation in parasitism have remained elusive. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated five hypotheses proposed to explain status-related variation in parasitism in male and female vertebrates by leveraging variation in hierarchy type, mating system, parasite transmission mode, and allostatic load to test associated predictions. Our meta-analyses span 66 analyses (26 studies) of male vertebrates (two orders and five classes), and 62 analyses (13 studies) of female vertebrates (four vertebrate orders). Contrary to the prevailing paradigm that low status is linked to poor health, we found that dominant animals typically faced higher parasite risk than subordinates. This pattern was especially well-supported in analyses of males versus females, in linear versus egalitarian hierarchies, in mating systems where dominance rank predicts mating effort, and for contact- and environmentally-transmitted parasites rather than vector-borne parasites. These findings supported the priority-of-access and tradeoffs hypotheses suggesting that variation in parasitism is driven by rank-associated differences in exposure to parasites and mating effort. Together, these results suggest that high parasite risk might sometimes be an unappreciated cost of high rank, and conversely, reduced parasite risk might be a benefit of social subordination.
Low-cost precise vehicular positioning in urban environments

A system developed at The University of Texas for low-cost precise urban vehicular positioning is demonstrated to achieve a probability of correct integer fixing greater than 96.5% for a probability of incorrect integer fixing surely less than 2.3% and likely less than 1%. This is demonstrated using data captured during 3.4 hours of driving on a repeating urban test route over three separate days. The results are achieved without any aiding by inertial or electro-optical sensors. Development and evaluation of the unaided GNSS-based precise positioning system is a key milestone toward the overall goal of combining precise GNSS, vision, radar, and inertial sensing for all-weather high-integrity precise positioning for automated and connected vehicles. The system described and evaluated herein is composed of a densely-spaced reference network, a software-defined GNSS receiver whose processing can be executed on general-purpose commodity hardware, and a real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning engine. All components have been tailored in their design to yield competent sub-decimeter positioning in the mobile urban environment. A performance sensitivity analysis reveals that navigation data bit prediction on the GPS L1 C/A signals is key to high-performance urban RTK positioning.
On the Computation of Steady-State Compressible Flows Using a DG Method

Most efforts in the development of the discontinuous Galerkin methods (DGM) in computational fluid dynamics are primarily focused on the time accurate compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. Its accuracy, efficiency, capability, robustness for steady state flow problems are relatively unexplored. In order for DGM to become a viable, attractive, probably even better alternative to the more traditional, more elaborate, well established finite volume methods (FVM), and finite element methods (FEM) for steady state computations, the following three issues have to be addressed: 1) Lack of efficient flow solver for steady state computations: Most efforts in the development of the discontinuous Galerkin methods are primarily focused on the spatial discretization.
Reduction of parathion residue on celery.

We have seen in the past 20 years the rapid growth and expansion in the use of chemicals in the control of insect pests of man and animals and in weed control. Their use is an absolute necessity if we are to continue to attempt to meet the food needs of our time and the daily increasing needs with increasing population. Pesticides, as necessary as we believe they are, provide us with the now well-known concomitant complex problem of residues. The goal toward which we aspire, of course, is that of a pesticide which will perform its work and then disappear entirely in its toxic form from the environment so that no residue problem will exist. One of the more difficult areas of pesticide research is that of removing from a particular commodity any toxic residue, altering the commodity in as small a way as possible. This is not an unexpected difficulty since most pesticide formulations emphasize broad contact and adherence to the sprayed or dusted object for best possible pest control. The particular interest in the research reported here is the attempted removal of parathion from mature celery. Some work was also done with escarole and lettuce which will also be reported.
Multi-Chip Carriers in a System-on-a Chip-World

One of the key applications for foldable flex is to enable the use of 3-D (3Dimensional) MCMs (Multi-Chip Modules). This embodiment of a 3-D electronic package (E-package) represents the ultimate in packing density and it should be used whenever it benefits the application. The use of any MCM, however, brings up the issue of SoC (System-on-a-Chip) versus SiP (System-ina-Package). By its very nature, an MCM implies that the entire system is not on a single chip. Is eliminating all instances of an MCM what the SoC advocates mean when they so cavalierly bandy about the SoC acronym or can many SoCs exist on an MCM? Is the latter what the E-packaging community calls an SiP or is an SiP a more numerous collection of sub-SoCs (i.e., chips that are not SoCs) and/or SoCs on many single chip modules (SCMs) or one or more MCMs? These questions are very confusing and these questions are what will be explored in this chapter.
New middle Eocene omomyines (Primates, Haplorhini) from San Diego County, California.

Abstract The Friars Formation of San Diego County, California, has yielded a middle Eocene mammalian fauna from the early part of the Uintan North American Land Mammal Age. Prior research on the primate fauna from the Friars Formation provides evidence of one notharctine and multiple omomyine species, but many specimens collected since the early 1980s remain unstudied. Here we describe three new omomyine genera from the Friars Formation. These new taxa range in estimated body mass from about 119 g to 757 g, and substantially expand the diversity of middle Eocene omomyoids known from Southern California. Resolution of the phylogenetic relationships of the new Friars Formation omomyines is complicated by the fact that different character-taxon matrices and tree building methods produce different results. Nevertheless, all preliminary phylogenetic analyses are congruent in recovering a close relationship between the three new genera and the omomyines Macrotarsius , Omomys , Ourayia , and Utahia . Prior research has documented a shift in omomyoid diversity in North America from the anantomophine-rich Bridgerian to the omomyine-rich Uintan. Our description of three new Uintan omomyine taxa from the Friars Formation further emphasizes these opposite trends in anaptomorphine and omomyine species richness during the middle Eocene. All three of the new taxa are currently known from only the Friars Formation in San Diego County, California. Four of the previously known omomyoid genera from Southern California ( Dyseolemur, Chumashius, Yaquius, and Stockia ) are also endemic to the region, further highlighting the provincial character of primate faunas in Utah, Southern California, and West Texas during the Uintan.
In situ polymer flocculation and growth in Taylor–Couette flows

Flocculation of small particulates suspended in solution is a key process in many industries, including drinking water treatment. The particles are aggregated during mixing to form larger aggregates, known as flocs, through use of a polyelectrolyte flocculant. The flocculation of these particulates in water treatment, however, are subject to a wide spatial variation of hydrodynamic flow states, which has consequences for floc size, growth rate, and microstructure. Floc assembly dynamics are explored here using a commercially available cationic polyacrylamide, commonly used in water treatment, and anisotropic Na-bentonite clay particles under a variety of hydrodynamic mixing conditions. A Taylor–Couette cell with the unique ability to radially inject fluid into the rotating annulus was used to study how specific hydrodynamic flow fields affect assembly and structure of these materials during the flocculation process. Faster floc growth rates and decreased floc fractal dimensions were observed for higher order flow states, indicating improved mass transfer of the polymer flocculant and breakage at the edges of the flocs (shear rounding), respectively. This work sheds more light on the complexities of polymer-induced flocculation, towards improving dosing and efficiency of large-scale operations.
A Qualitative Investigation of Instructors' Perceived Communicative Roles in Students' Mental Health Management.

Drawing on scholarship focused on the concept of emotional labor, this study investigates the communicative role of college instructors in managing their students’ mental health. Interviews with in...
Interactions of fire, grazing and pasture management: Short-term and long-term responses of water quality to management regimes in subtropical isolated wetlands

Abstract Small, isolated, depressional wetlands increasingly exist in developed landscapes and are highly vulnerable to hydrologic alterations and eutrophication. Globally, grazing lands contain a significant number of these wetlands, and the practices of grazing, prescribed fire and fertilizing have all been shown separately to influence wetland nutrient dynamics. However, wetlands are often exposed to a combination of these practices and the interactive effects have yet to be fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pasture management, grazing, and fire on water quality in isolated wetlands on a subtropical ranch in South-Central Florida. We used a factorial experiment on 40 whole wetland ecosystems manipulating grazing (fenced or not) and fire (burned or not) in two pasture types (intensely managed and semi-native). Grab samples of water were collected over 8 years, including one pre-treatment year, at peak growing season, in all wetlands and analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorous. In addition, we conducted a laboratory experiment to simulate the effect of a prescribed burn on water quality using live plant tissue, detritus, and soil taken from grazed and fenced wetlands to investigate the interactions of these practices on short-term responses of water quality. In the field experiment, after one year of experimental treatments, wetlands exposed to both grazing and prescribed burns had relatively low phosphorous in water in intensely managed pastures. After multiple years of treatment only ammonia was reduced with burning and fencing in both pasture-types. In the lab experiment, simulated burning caused a pulse release of phosphorous and a reduction of nitrogen due to volatilization of both live plant tissue and detritus, but the magnitude was influenced by grazing and pasture-type. This study of rangeland management on wetland water quality demonstrates the effect of these practices, especially prescribed burns, on improving nutrient release in agricultural wetlands and shows that management effects on nutrient release varies with historical land use and over time.
Expression of a human variant of CHMP2B linked to neurodegeneration in Drosophila external sensory organs leads to cell fate transformations associated with increased Notch activity

Proper function of cell signaling pathways is dependent upon regulated membrane trafficking events that lead to the endocytosis, recycling, and degradation of cell surface receptors. The endosomal complexes required for transport (ESCRT) genes play a critical role in the sorting of ubiquitinated cell surface proteins. CHMP2BIntron5 , a truncated form of a human ESCRT-III protein, was discovered in a Danish family afflicted by a hereditary form of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Although the mechanism by which the CHMP2B mutation in this family causes FTD is unknown, the resulting protein has been shown to disrupt normal endosomal-lysosomal pathway function and leads to aberrant regulation of signaling pathways. Here we have misexpressed CHMP2BIntron5 in the developing Drosophila external sensory (ES) organ lineage and demonstrate that it is capable of altering cell fates. Each of the cell fate transformations seen is compatible with an increase in Notch signaling. Furthermore, this interpretation is supported by evidence that expression of CHMP2BIntron5 in the notum environment is capable of raising the levels of Notch signaling. As such, these results add to a growing body of evidence that CHMP2BIntron5 can act rapidly to disrupt normal cellular function via the misregulation of critical cell surface receptor function.
A method to estimate the livestock-related benefits of targeted predator management relative to sport hunting

A method is developed to estimate the additional livestock-related benefits provided by targeted lethal removal of predators relative to those provided by sport hunting. The method is based on the possibility that individuals targeted by professional managers may be relatively more likely to kill livestock than the broader population. Specifically, it is shown that the expected additional benefit provided by the targeted removal of an animal is equal to the variance of the number of kills made by members of the predator population of interest divided by the average number of kills made by members of that population. This simple result makes the method easy to apply. The necessary data is straightforward to estimate by tracking a sample of individuals from the population, and no prior knowledge of the relationship between predator removal and livestock predation is needed. Application is demonstrated using data on lynx (Lynx lynx) predation on sheep in the French Jura Mountains, and it is found that the benefits of targeted removal are about 175% of those that would be provided by sport hunting.
Signage Form and Character: A window to neighborhood visual identity

Signs contribute significantly to the visual identity of neighborhoods, often representing the interplay of the collective social, political, cultural and economic values of the people who live and work there. On-premise signs displayed on building facades and storefronts in the neighborhood business district of three distinct neighborhoods in Cincinnati, OH are examined to document the typographic styles and form (material, size and scale, color, etc.) of the signs. An empirical photographic survey is employed for elevation mapping, to record the full range of on-premise signs in each neighborhood business district. Over 150 on-premise signs are documented and analyzed. Our findings suggest that as neighborhoods get gentrified, particularly with non-local capital and investment, the signage form and character, represented by the typeface, shape, material, illumination and other properties, become more homogeneous, replacing the variety of typefaces as well as signage form. The study found that the signage used by the chain stores and other new businesses that are not place based to be mostly all-capitalized, three-dimensional, back-lit, and having other properties that are undifferentiated, generic, and visually monotonous.
Infratentorial choroid plexus tumors in children.

Choroid plexus tumors (CPTs) are rare pediatric intracranial neoplasms, and mostly occur in the lateral ventricle. CPTs located in the infratentorial location are considered to be rare in the pediatric population. We present a series of eight patients treated in the last decade at our institution focusing on clinical presentations and their outcome after excision. We performed an institutional retrospective review of patients who underwent surgical resection of infratentorial CPTs during the period from 2008 to 2017. Patients’ charts were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentation, surgical treatment, and follow-up. There were eight patients (6 females and 2 males), with mean age for the cohort at presentation was 9.0 years. They represent 75% of 12 CPTs of all locations treated at the same period in our institution. These 8 infratentorial CPTs were in the fourth ventricle in seven, and in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) in one. Seven patients had choroid plexus papillomas (WHO grade I) and 1 had an atypical choroid plexus papilloma (WHO grade II). Gross total resection was attempted in all patients. However, two of 3 patients with fourth ventricle floor invasion had subtotal resection with a thin layer of tumor left on the floor. The remaining 6 had a gross total resection. Six patients with preoperative hydrocephalus had a perioperative external ventricular drainage but none required permanent shunting after tumor resection. None showed recurrence/tumor progression without adjuvant therapy during the follow-up period of 20 months to 11 years. Infratentorial dominance among pediatric CPTs in this series contradicts previous reports. Infratentorial CPTs are amenable to surgical resection. Unresected small residuals due to invasion to the fourth ventricle floor showed no regrowth during 2 to 3 years follow-up without adjuvant therapy. However, these patients with incomplete resection need watchful observations.
Self-Triggering? An Exploration of Individuals Who Seek Reminders of Trauma:

Trauma survivors who self-trigger, or seek reminders of their traumatic events, have been noted in the clinical literature but have not yet been the subject of a systematic empirical inquiry. This ...
Dual-Readout Sandwich Immunoassay for Device-Free and Highly Sensitive Anthrax Biomarker Detection

We report a dual-readout, AuNP-based sandwich immunoassay for the device-free colorimetric and sensitive scanometric detection of disease biomarkers. An AuNP-antibody conjugate serves as a signal transduction and amplification agent by promoting the reduction and deposition of either platinum or gold onto its surface, generating corresponding colorimetric or light scattering (scanometric) signals, respectively. We apply the Pt-based colorimetric readout of this assay to the discovery of a novel monoclonal antibody (mAb) sandwich pair for the detection of an anthrax protective antigen (PA83). The identified antibody pair detects PA83 down to 1 nM in phosphate-buffered saline and 5 nM in human serum, which are physiologically relevant concentrations. Reducing gold rather than platinum onto the mAb-AuNP sandwich enables scanometric detection of subpicomolar PA83 concentrations, over 3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than the colorimetric readout.
Organized Adult Play and Stress Reduction: Testing the Absorption Hypothesis in a Comedy Improv Theater

Cognitive scientists suggest that stress reduction may be one of the important elements for the success of religion as a social structure. Studies among Christian Charismatics support this model, pointing to the importance of belief, training, and proclivity for psychological absorption in maximizing the influence of cultural rituals for reducing stress and positively influencing mood. Furthermore, this “absorption hypothesis” likely extends to other cultural settings. We test the role of absorption in influencing stress and emotional affect among members (N = 12) of a comedy improvisation (improv) theater in upstate New York. We tested for main and interaction effects of improv experience and absorption on self-reported mood and biomarkers of stress on improv and non-improv days. We found a significant positive association between absorption and cortisol on improv days but no effects for improv experience and no significant interaction effects. These findings suggest absorption may be important for focus in skilled adult play, but involvement in comedy improv may not be analogous to active church membership.
Problems with Early Medieval Romanness

This chapter introduces three interrelated problems of group identity drawn from sociology and anthropology: did the Romans form a coherent ‘people’ throughout this period? How was that group described in historical sources? What defined the limits of that group? This chapter also presents the principal historical sources and accounts of this critical period of history. The social transformation which accompanied the two hundred years after the emergence of Islam loom large historiographical traditions not just of later eastern Christians but of Muslims and western Europeans as well. Later historians working in each of these traditions assembled narratives bridging the change and continuity of this era which were intelligible and meaningful to their own audiences.
The Problem of Evil

[2] In content the book is, as its subtitle indicates, the edited text of his Gifford Lectures from 2003. Those lectures were themselves based on the Wilde Lectures from 2000, whichwere in turn an expanded version of the F.D.Maurice Lectures at the University of London from 1999. Other lectures that are related to the book’s material that van Inwagen gave are the Stewart Lectures at Princeton from 2002. So it may well be that many readers of this review (like the reviewer) first came across the content in spoken form. The chapters of the book wear their origin on their sleeve, frequently using phrases such as ‘in the previous lecture’. [3] In the first chapter, van Inwagen rejects as not useful the distinction between the logical problem of evil and the evidential problem of evil, focussing instead on the distinction between the global argument and the local argument. [4] In the second chapter, van Inwagen lays out a fairly standard conception of God by describing the individual attributes that he is assuming that God possesses, though it seems to me that some of the details of his treatment are worth discussion. [5] For example, van Inwagen defines ‘omniscience’ thus: ‘an omnipotent being is also omniscient if it knows everything it is able to know’ (p. 82). It is not explained why the definition is framed only for an omnipotent being, but the definition will not suffice in full generality (‘a being is omniscient if it knows everything it is able to know’), as it would then be subject to a version of Plantinga’s famous McEar objection: it is metaphysically possible that there be a being, McStupid, that is able to know only that it is McStupid, which fact it does know.
Info.Econ: Increasing Diversity among Economics Majors

We analyze an intervention that provided information from diverse voices about breadth, opportunities, and grade distributions in economics. In 2020, the year of a global pandemic, randomized control trials delivered videos/infographics and letters to students in Michigan State University's introductory classes. We find suggestive evidence, due to large standard errors, that the video treatment differentially increases the intentions of female and underrepresented minority (URM) students to take additional courses and major in economics. The video treatment increased the probability of URM students' self-reported chances of taking another economics course by 6 percentage points, 11 percent above the baseline, relative to the control group.
Q-adaptive: A Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Based Routing on Dragonfly Network

High-radix interconnects such as Dragonfly and its variants rely on adaptive routing to balance network traffic for optimum performance. Ideally, adaptive routing attempts to forward packets between minimal and non-minimal paths with the least congestion. In practice, current adaptive routing algorithms estimate routing path congestion based on local information such as output queue occupancy. Using local information to estimate global path congestion is inevitably inaccurate because a router has no precise knowledge of link states a few hops away. This inaccuracy could lead to interconnect congestion. In this study, we present Q-adaptive routing, a multi-agent reinforcement learning routing scheme for Dragonfly systems. Q-adaptive routing enables routers to learn to route autonomously by leveraging advanced reinforcement learning technology. The proposed Q-adaptive routing is highly scalable thanks to its fully distributed nature without using any shared information between routers. Furthermore, a new two-level Q-table is designed for Q-adaptive to make it computational lightly and saves 50% of router memory usage compared with the previous Q-routing. We implement the proposed Q-adaptive routing in SST/Merlin simulator. Our evaluation results show that Q-adaptive routing achieves up to 10.5% system throughput improvement and 5.2x average packet latency reduction compared with adaptive routing algorithms. Remarkably, Q-adaptive can even outperform the optimal VALn non-minimal routing under the ADV+1 adversarial traffic pattern with up to 3% system throughput improvement and 75% average packet latency reduction.
Emergency department visits and readmissions in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) at a safety net hospital.

Abstract Introduction Readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits after an index admission have been become a quality measure due to associations with poor outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Readmissions and ED encounters have been studied in a variety of conditions including epilepsy but have not been examined exclusively in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). In this study we examined the rate of readmissions and ED visits after a discharge from an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) in a safety net hospital. We also determined patient phenotypes that are associated with readmissions. Material and methods This was a retrospective chart review study with index admission being a discharge from an EMU between January 1 and December 31 2016 with follow-up until August 31 2020. We obtained data regarding demographics, medical and psychiatric history, and social history and treatment interventions. Our outcome variables were both all-cause and seizure-related hospital readmissions and ED visits 30 days following the index discharge and readmissions and ED visits 30 days thereafter. Results Eleven of 122 patients (9%) had a non-seizure-related ED visit and/or hospitalization within 30 days of index discharge while 45 (37%) had re-contact with the health system thereafter for non-seizure-related issues. Seven of 122 patients (6%) had a seizure-related ED visit or hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. Twenty-eight (23%) had a seizure-related readmission or ED visit after 30 days. Of these 28, 4 patients had been to an ER within 7 days of EMU discharge. The majority of subsequent encounters with the healthcare system were through the ED (n = 38) as compared to hospital (n = 10) and EMU readmissions (n = 9). On bivariate statistical analysis, charity or self-pay insurance status (p Conclusions In this study of readmissions and ED visits after discharge with a diagnosis of PNES at a safety net hospital, we found a seizure-related readmission rate of approximately 6% in 30 days and 23% thereafter with the majority of re-contact with the hospital being in the ED. On multi-variate analysis insurance status was a significant factor associated with readmission and ED visits. Our future research directions include examining referrals and treatment completion at the hospital’s PNES clinic as well as creating a risk score to better identify patients with PNES at risk of readmission.
Direct synaptic excitation between hilar mossy cells revealed with a targeted voltage sensor

The dentate gyrus not only gates the flow of information into the hippocampus, it also integrates and processes this information. Mossy cells (MCs) are a major type of excitatory neuron strategically located in the hilus of the dentate gyrus where they can contribute to this processing through networks of synapses with inhibitory neurons and dentate granule cells. Some prior work has suggested that MCs can form excitatory synapses with other MCs, but the role of these synapses in the network activity of the dentate gyrus has received little attention. Here, we investigated synaptic inputs to MCs in mouse hippocampal slices using a genetically encoded hybrid voltage sensor (hVOS) targeted to MCs by Cre-lox technology. This enabled optical recording of voltage changes from multiple MCs simultaneously. Stimulating granule cells and CA3 pyramidal cells activated well-established inputs to MCs and elicited synaptic responses as expected. However, the weak blockade of MC responses to granule cell layer stimulation by DCG-IV raised the possibility of another source of excitation. To evaluate synapses between MCs as this source, single MCs were stimulated focally. Stimulation of one MC above its action potential threshold evoked depolarizing responses in neighboring MCs that depended on glutamate receptors. Short latency responses of MCs to other MCs did not depend on release from granule cell axons. However, granule cells did contribute to the longer latency responses of MCs to stimulation of other MCs. Thus, MCs transmit their activity to other MCs both through direct synaptic coupling and through polysynaptic coupling with dentate granule cells. MC-MC synapses can redistribute information entering the dentate gyrus and thus shape and modulate the electrical activity underlying hippocampal functions such as navigation and memory, as well as excessive excitation during seizures.
Supplementing mobile-assisted language learning with reflective journal writing: a case study of Duolingo users’ metacognitive awareness

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) has witnessed an explosion of interest from consumers and researchers. However, consumers often complain about the limited functionality of MALL application...
670nm photobiomodulation modulates bioenergetics and oxidative stress, in rat Müller cells challenged with high glucose.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common complication of diabetes mellitus, is associated with oxidative stress, nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) activation, and excess production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Muller glial cells, spanning the entirety of the retina, are involved in DR inflammation. Mitigation of DR pathology currently occurs via invasive, frequently ineffective therapies which can cause adverse effects. The application of far-red to near-infrared (NIR) light (630-1000nm) reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we hypothesize that 670nm light treatment will diminish oxidative stress preventing downstream inflammatory mechanisms associated with DR initiated by Muller cells. In this study, we used an in vitro model system of rat Muller glial cells grown under normal (5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose conditions and treated with a 670 nm light emitting diode array (LED) (4.5 J/cm2) or no light (sham) daily. We report that a single 670 nm light treatment diminished reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and preserved mitochondrial integrity in this in vitro model of early DR. Furthermore, treatment for 3 days in culture reduced NFκB activity to levels observed in normal glucose and prevented the subsequent increase in ICAM-1. The ability of 670nm light treatment to prevent early molecular changes in this in vitro high glucose model system suggests light treatment could mitigate early deleterious effects modulating inflammatory signaling and diminishing oxidative stress.
Cancer Stem Cells: Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease that usually presents at a late stage that is not amenable to curative treatments. It is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and radiation, and it is clear that new treatment strategies are needed to positively impact the dismal outcomes associated with this disease. While the initial dogma of tumor biology viewed all tumor cells as equal, recent findings in the field have lead to the discovery of heterogeneous populations of tumor cells, first in blood-borne derived cancers and now within multiple solid tumor organ systems that display a differential ability to repopulate the original tumor. Conceptualized from this finding was the stem-cell hypothesis for cancer, which suggests that only a specific subset of cancer cells within each tumor is responsible for tumor initiation and propagation, termed tumor initiating cells or cancer stem cells (CSCs). By using specific cell surface marker analysis, we have identified distinct populations of tumor cells from primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas that express the surface markers CD44, CD24, and ESA, which are responsible for the initiation of new tumor growth and exhibit characteristics that support the CSC hypothesis. The identification of these cells has opened up an exciting new paradigm on how we might view and devise new patient treatments for this devastating disease. Current investigations of these pancreatic CSCs have identified such signaling pathways as the Hedgehog and BMI-1 signaling pathways which are aberrantly regulated in this select population of cells. Further study of these CSCs and the important signaling pathways that control their function will provide us with powerful information on targeting new therapies to improve patient outcomes.
Prediction of Front TTI in NHTSA Side Impact Using a Regression-Based Approach

Vehicle side impact performance is potentially affected by a large number of parameters which may be related to body stiffness and energy absorption characteristics, and packaging dimensions. An understanding of the principal variables controlling TTI (Thoracic Trauma Index) is fundamental to the achievement of high LINCAP (Lateral Impact New Car Assessment Program) rating especially for sedans. In the present study, the effects on TTI of the following are considered: response-related parameters such as velocity and intrusion (which are in turn related to body structure), countermeasures such as side airbag, and dummy to structure clearance dimensions. With the help of test data gathered from side impact tests carried out on cars and trucks at Ford, a new "best subset" regression model is developed and is shown to be able to predict TTI for a number of LINCAP tests which were not part of the suite used in the derivation of the model. The TTI-prediction model contains variables influencing side impact performance and provides a tool for setting directional ranges for these variables.
Metabolism of Pyrimidines and Pyrimidine Nucleosides by Salmonella typhimurium

The pathways by which uracil, cytosine, uridine, cytidine, deoxyuridine, and deoxycytidine are metabolized by Salmonella typhimurium are established. The various 5-fluoropyrimidine analogues are shown to exert their toxic effects only after having been converted to the nucleotide level, and these conversions are shown to be catalyzed by the same enzymes which similarly convert the natural substrates. Methods for isolating mutant strains blocked in various steps of metabolism of pyrimidine bases and nucleosides are described.
Fractures of the Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar Spine

Alexander R. Vaccaro, editor. New York: Marcel Dekker; 2003. 751 pages. $195.00. In his introduction to this book, Dr. Vaccaro states that his goal was to provide a quick and easy reference to fracture subtypes, spinal injury management protocols, and aftercare. He notes that he asked his contributing authors to focus on "particular issues of spinal pathophysiology and fracture subtypes rather than on regional spinal pathology." In this well-organized and generally well-written book, the editor and his authors have adhered to this plan and, for the most part, have achieved their goals. The book begins with a number of introductory chapters that will appeal to a widespread audience and that are generally quite good. The chapter on etiology and demographics and the chapter on emergency management are both outstanding, as is the chapter dealing with theoretical issues regarding the timing …
Improvement of ischemic border zone with a newly developed mechanical cardiac assist device

The effects of a mechanical cardiac assist device on the pressure-length loop of the left ventricle at the ischemic border zone were studied in six dogs following acute coronary occlusion. This device improved hemodynamic performance of the impaired heart by increasing myocardial contractility and decreasing ventricular preload. The experimental methods and results are presented. >
Fantasy Formation: A Child Analyst's Perspective

Unconscious fantasy is the principal unit of psychoanalytic investigation. Though individual fantasies, either conscious or unconscious, may emphasize drive, defense, or superego interests, all fantasy life develops from a limited number of themes; these themes concern drive-related issues, experiences of helplessness, or combinations of both. Fantasy formation and fantasy content undergo developmental change. Sensorimotor, behavioral memories occur prior to fantasy and are influential in determining repetitive behavioral enactments. The complexities of infant behavior do not require the postulation of fantasy or representational memory. A complex, innate, instinctual organization of the newborn, similar in many respects to that of other newborn mammals, and distinct from the psychological organization of the older infant, is suggested as an explanation of these phenomena.
Tailored design of Au nanoparticle-siRNA carriers utilizing reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymers.

The facile synthesis of polymer-stabilized Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) capable of forming neutral, sterically stable complexes with small interfering RNA (siRNA) is reported. The amine-containing cationic block of poly(N-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylamide70-block-N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylamide24) [P(HPMA70-b-DMAPMA24)] was utilized to promote the in situ reduction of Au3+ to AuNPs and subsequently bind small interfering RNA, while the nonimmunogenic, hydrophilic block provided steric stabilization. The ratio of [DMAPMA]0/[Au3+]0 utilized in the reduction reaction was found to be critical to the production of polymer-stabilized AuNPs capable of complexing siRNA. Significant protection (∼100 times) against nucleases was demonstrated by enzymatic tests, while gene down-regulation experiments indicated successful delivery of siRNA to cancerous cells.
Atmospheric Pressure Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Abstract Atmospheric pressure ionization (API) mass spectrometry is a novel form of mass spectrometry in which the ionization process is carried out in a reaction chamber external to the mass analyzer region. The mass analyzer serves as a device to detect positive or negative ions present in the reaction chamber, which is maintained at atmospheric pressure.
Autoimmune disease antigens1

. The first step towards understanding the cellular interaction which results in autoimmune disease is to determine what triggers the recognition between a specific autoimmune antigen determinant and the cellular receptor. In this review, we have focused on the antigen inducing experimental allergic encephalitis (EAE) because the antigen has been characterized and a relatively large body of information on its biological activities has been accumulated. Clearly, a specific allergic encephalitis-producing determinant is present and is represented on a relatively small portion of the molecule. The determinant induces a wide variety of biological reactivities, some of which are classed as cellular mediated. An attempt is made to dissect activities such as blast transformation (BT), migration inhibitory factor (MIF), in vivo delayed type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) and EAE and to relate them to the structural requirements which the determinants possess. The complexities which arise indicate that subpopulations of cells with different receptor activities may respond selectively and that recognition of the receptor is produced by an EAE determinant consisting of three amino acids in a specific linear sequence. Furthermore, under experimental circumstances the EAE activity can be dissociated from the other activities (BT, MIF, DTH), indicating that while these tests are used generally to follow various human autoimmune disease activities, they may represent the reaction of a broad spectrum of cells.
Quark decay functions as measured in electron-positron annihilation

Abstract We discuss the measurement in electron-positron annihilation of the quark decay function, defined according to the MS prescription. We find that the MS -quark decay function differs by 20% from the decay function defined to be directly proportional to the cross section dσ / dz .
Attenuation of nonlinearly state-dependent uncertainties: robust control design and its application to robotic manipulators

Attenuation of nonlinear uncertainties using robust control is considered. A system under investigation has a linear nominal part and a nonlinear lumped uncertainty. Robust control is designed using the Lyapunov direct method. It is shown that the proposed control is continuous, guarantees global stability without knowledge of nonlinear dynamics except their size bounding function, and ensures a finite upper bound on the attenuation performance index over an infinite horizon. That is, the proposed control is both robust and optimal. As an application, it is shown that the proposed control can be directly applied to robotic manipulators and many other nonlinear systems.
INVITED ESSAY: Death-Specific Religious Beliefs and Bereavement: Belief in an Afterlife and Continued Attachment

This article integrates findings from a wide variety of research to describe the roles of death-specific religious beliefs in the course of stress and coping in bereavement. First, a meaning-making approach to the stress-coping process is presented and used to illustrate how death-specific beliefs provide meaning to the appraisal of a death and influence the process of coping with that death. Then, the constructs of belief in an afterlife and continued attachment are introduced as death-specific beliefs influential in the process of coping with bereavement. Finally, the meaning-making stress-coping framework is used to review and integrate available literature on these beliefs, their correlates, and their possible functions in the course of bereavement. We suggest that death-specific religious beliefs are vital determinants of adjustment to bereavement, and that these beliefs should be regarded as a legitimate focus of investigation. We conclude with suggestions for future research.
Determining prognosis of clinically localized prostate cancer by immunohistochemical detection of mutant p53.

Abstract Objectives Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene can result in unregulated cellular growth and have been implicated in numerous malignancies. The objective of this study was to determine whether the detection of mutant p53 by immunohistochemical staining is predictive of progression in clinically localized adeno- carcinoma of the prostate. Methods Immunohistochemical staining for mutant p53 was performed on 40 formalin-fixed radical prostatectomy cimens. Benign glands in the sections served as controls. Immunoreactivity (IR) was categorized semi-quantitatively from 0 to 4+ (0 = no IR, 1 + = 1 % to 10%, 2 + = 11 % to 40%, 3 + = 41 % to 70%, 4 += 71 % to 100%). Results were then compared to Cleason score, Stage (T2 versus T3), surgical margins, lymph node and seminal vesicle involvement, age, race, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and biochemical progression. Biochemical progression was defined as a persistently elevated postoperative PSA of 0.2 ng/mL or greater. Results Thirty-two of the 40 tumors (80%) stained for mutant p53. None of the tumors that did not stain progressed, whereas 20 of 32 (62.5%) of the tumors that did stain progressed, with an overall mean followup of 50.8 months. Immunoreactivity did not correlate with any of the known prognostic variables but did have statistically significant correlation with progression by all three statistical methods used (Fisher's exact test, logistic regression, and log-rank test). Conclusions Strict quality control and newer antigen retrieval techniques reveal p53 abnormalities in many prostate cancers. Immunohistochemical detection of mutant p53 appears to be an independent predictor of progression. These data suggest potential utility of p53 as a preoperative prognostic indicator in localized prostate cancer.