cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CpG DNA Induces IgG Class Switch DNA Recombination by Activating Human B Cells through an Innate Pathway That Requires TLR9 and Cooperates with IL-10

TLRs are pattern recognition receptors that initiate innate immune responses. TLR9 detects microbial DNA with hypomethylated CpG motifs and in humans is preferentially expressed by IFN-alpha-producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells and B cells. In addition to favoring IFN-alpha release, TLR9 signals B cell activation, proliferation, and IgM production. Recent findings suggest that CpG DNA-TLR9 interaction plays a key role in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, two autoimmune disorders characterized by dysregulated production of DNA-reactive IgG. We show that CpG DNA initiates germline C(gamma)1, C(gamma)2, and C(gamma)3 gene transcription by activating B cells through a TLR9-mediated NF-kappaB-Rel-dependent innate pathway that cooperates with IL-10 through STAT proteins and IFN-responsive factors. This pathway is inhibited by chloroquine, a drug that attenuates the clinical manifestations of IgG-mediated autoimmune disorders. Germline C(gamma) gene transcription is associated with up-regulation of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, a key element of the B cell class switch-inducing machinery, and is followed by class switch DNA recombination from C(micro) to C(gamma)1, C(gamma)2, and C(gamma)3. Subsequent IgG production requires additional signals from BCR and a B cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF), produced by dendritic cells upon exposure to IFN-alpha. Our findings suggest that CpG DNA-TLR9 interaction may be important to initiate or amplify early T cell-independent IgG responses against pathogens. This implies that CpG DNA released during infections may exacerbate autoimmunity by stimulating autoreactive B cells to switch from an IgM to a more pathogenic IgG isotype.
Spectral, temporal, and coherence properties of supercontinuum generation in microstructure fiber

Spectral, temporal, and coherence properties of supercontinuum (SC) generation in a microstructure fiber were experimentally studied with low-peak-power femtosecond pump pulses. By a spectral interferometry approach, the degree of mutual (axial) spectral coherence was observed to be low for solitons with a pump wavelength region close to the zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW) and was observed to be high for the solitons with a pump wavelength region far from the ZDW. The generation of multiple frequency channels was experimentally demonstrated by dual time-delayed low-peak-power pump pulses near and far from the ZDW for possible application in a wavelength-division-multiplexing network.
Simultaneous visible and near-infrared time resolved observations of the outer Solar System object (29981) 1999 TD10

Abstract The outer Solar System object (29981) 1999 TD10 was observed simultaneously in the R, and J and H bands in September 2001, and in B, V, R, and I in October 2002. We derive B − V = 0.80 ± 0.05 mag , V − R = 0.48 ± 0.05 mag , R − I = 0.44 ± 0.05 mag , R − J = 1.24 ± 0.05 mag , and J − H = 0.61 ± 0.07 mag . Combining our data with the data from Rousselot et al. (2003, Astron. Astrophys. 407, 1139) we derive a synodic period of 15.382 ± 0.001 hr in agreement with the period from Rousselot et al. Our observations at the same time, with better S/N and seeing, show no evidence of a coma, contrary to the claim by Choi et al. (2003, Icarus 165, 101).
Impact of beat noise on an incoherent OCDMA system with temporal spreading

An incoherent optical CDMA (OCDMA) system with temporal spreading that uses a light source with nonzero coherence time is studied in this paper. A model is established to simulate the incoherent combining of multiple light pulses at the receiver. System performances for different ratios of chip duration to coherence time are evaluated. Results show that the performance with a nonideal source is noticeably degraded from that of the ideal case due to beat noise.
Vitamin D levels and left ventricular diastolic function.

Objective To determine the association between serum vitamin D level and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Background Vitamin D deficiency has been shown in observational and prospective studies to be associated with cardiovascular diseases including coronary artery disease, LV hypertrophy and systolic heart failure. Even though diastolic LV dysfunction is an early manifestation of cardiac disease, there is no study that examines whether a deficiency of vitamin D is associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. Method A retrospective observational review of 1011 patients (679 women) was conducted to examine if low 25-OH-vitamin D levels were associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. Results All the LV diastolic dysfunction parameters: left atrial volume index, E/e9, e9 velocity, LV mass index and deceleration time were not significantly different between patients with 25-OH vitamin D level ≤20 ng/mL vs 25-OH vitamin D level >20 ng/mL. Conclusions Despite growing medical literature suggesting vitamin D deficiency is associated with cardiovascular disease, in this present study there is no significant association of vitamin D levels and LV diastolic performance, including left atrial volume index.
Regulation management and logic programming

Regulations are pervasive in information systems. They manifest themselves as design rules, integrity constraints, deadlines, conventions, information disclosure requirements, policies, procedures, contracts, taxes, quotas and other statutes. Managing regulations is difficult. Regulations are complex, change frequently and rest on models of the real world that involve unusual vocabulary if not unusual concepts. Consequently, checking compliance with regulations is tedious and error-prone. Logic programming appears to provide a good framework for developing regulation management systems. Besides permitting arbitrary regulations to be modelled, it offers rapidity and ease of development, readability, incremental modifiability, extensibility and portability. These features are not provided by existing DP programming tools, database managers or conventional expert-system shells. This paper investigates the application of logic programming in a significant regulation management application: Workers' Compensation Insurance premium auditing. The insurance premium computation rules for the State of California were encoded as a large Prolog program. This application illustrates specific strengths and weaknesses of logic programming and Prolog in dealing with large-scale real-world regulations.
Extracellular Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen is a novel marker for cancer stem cells and facilitates evasion of Natural Killer cell effector function (P2133)

Natural Killer (NK) cell function is strictly regulated by inhibitory and activating receptors binding corresponding ligands on the surface of target cells, providing vital first line defenses against infections and cancer. NKp44, originally discovered as an activating NK cell receptor, was recently found to elicit inhibitory effects on NK cell effector function through recognition of cell surface Proliferation Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA). Other reports have pointed to potential associations between NKp44 and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) I molecules. In this report, we have identified novel interactions between HLA I and PCNA on the surface of human tumor cells by confocal microscopy and immunoprecipitation. In addition to previous reports, we show PCNA on the cell surface where novel association with HLA I does not require the presence of NKp44 expressing NK cells and occurs with endogenous PCNA. The association of HLA I and PCNA forms the inhibitory ligand for NKp44, resulting in inhibition of NK effector function. Furthermore, extracellular PCNA was only found on tumor cells exhibiting a cancer stem cell phenotype. Thus extracellular PCNA is a novel marker for cancer stem cells, derived from conventional growth of tumor epithelial cell lines in tissue culture, and a mechanism by which cancer stem cells evade NK cell effector functions.
PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY IN THE SAILFIN MOLLY, POECILIA LATIPINNA (PISCES: POECILIIDAE). II. LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

Field studies indicate that the influence of environmental factors on growth rate and size and age at maturity in sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) is inconsistent over time and suggest that the marked interdemic variation in male body size in this species is the result of genetic variation. However, the role of specific environmental factors in generating phenotypic variation must be studied under controlled conditions unattainable in nature. We raised newborn sailfin mollies from four populations in laboratory aquaria under all possible combinations of two tem- peratures, three salinities, and two food levels to examine explicitly the influence of these envi- ronmental factors. Males were much less susceptible than females to temperature variation and were generally less plastic than females in terms of all three traits. Members of both sexes matured at larger sizes and at later ages in less saline and in cooler environments. Food levels were not sufficiently different to affect the traits we studied. The effects of temperature and salinity were not synergistic. Males from different populations exhibited different average ages and sizes at maturity, but females did not. The magnituldes of the effects we found were not substantial enough to account for the consistent interdemic differences in male and female body size that have been observed previously. Our results also indicate that no single environmental factor is solely responsible for the environmental effects observed in field experiments on growth and development. These studies, together with other work, indicate that the strongest sources of interdemic variation are genetic differences in males and differences in postmaturation growth and survivorship in females.
Characterization of Single-Crystal 3C-SIC Epitaxial Layers on SI Substrates

In this paper we discuss the growth and characterization of 3C-SiC epitaxial layers grown on both a Si substrate as well as on a novel substrate. The growth uses a typical three step process. First an etch of the Si surface is performed, second the surface of the Si is carbonized and third 3C-SiC is grown on the carbonized surface. Several characterization techniques were used to verify the quality of the 3C-SiC film. Microscopy was used to investigate the surface morphology, X-ray and electron diffraction were used to determine crystal structure, cross section TEM was used to verify crystal structure and highlight twinning, and x-ray topography was used to measure the strain fields induced in Si substrate at the 3C-SiC/Si interface.
Fluid loss through epidermis of the rat and factors affecting it.

SummaryFluid loss through the skin of the rat is the least during its resting stage or when there is a thin inactive epidermis and a dry brittle corneum. Fluid loss is increased as the skin becomes more active and the time of hair growth is approached. Linoleic acid penetrates more during the inactive condition and accentuates water loss.
Comparative transcriptomics indicates a role for SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) genes in Mimulus guttatus vernalization response

The timing of reproduction in response to variable environmental conditions is critical to plant fitness, and is a major driver of taxon differentiation. In the yellow monkey flower, Mimulus guttatus, geographically distinct North American populations vary in their photoperiod and chilling (vernalization) requirements for flowering, suggesting strong local adaptation to their surroundings. Previous analyses revealed quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying short-day mediated vernalization responsiveness using two annual M. guttatus populations that differed in their vernalization response. To narrow down candidate genes responsible for this variation, and to reveal potential downstream genes, we conducted comparative transcriptomics and quantitative PCR (qPCR) in shoot apices of parental vernalization responsive IM62, and unresponsive LMC24 inbred lines grown under different photoperiods and temperatures. Our study identified several metabolic, hormone signaling, photosynthetic, stress response, and flowering time genes that are differentially expressed between treatments, suggesting a role for their protein products in short-day-mediated vernalization responsiveness. Only a small subset of these genes intersected with candidate genes from the previous QTL study, and, of the main candidates tested with qPCR under nonpermissive conditions, only SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) gene expression met predictions for a population-specific short-day-repressor of flowering that is repressed by cold.
Single-force representation of shallow landslide sources

Abstract A horizontal thrust fault situated at the Earth9s surface does not excite any seismic radiation. Because of this and because it provides a satisfactory fit to the data, Kanamori and his co-workers have used a point force rather than a conventional moment tensor to represent the long-period Love- and Rayleigh-wave radiation from a number of shallow landslide sources. The force is supposed by Newton9s third law to be ω 2 MD , where ω is the angular frequency, M is the slide mass, and D is the displacement. Day and McLaughlin (1991) have recently shown that the spall accompanying an underground explosion can be represented either by a shallow horizontal tension crack or by a vertical surface point force ω 2 MD , where M is the spall mass and D is the crack separation. Using their method, we show that a landslide can be represented in the JWKB approximation either by a shallow double couple or by a horizontal surface point force; for a Love wave the force is F L = ω 2 MD (1 − β 2 0 / c 2 0 ), whereas for a Rayleigh wave it is F R = ω 2 MD (1 − 8β 2 0 /3 c 2 0 ), where β 0 is the shear-wave velocity within the slide mass and c 0 is the phase velocity of the surface wave in the vicinity of the source. The sliding block appears to be mechanically decoupled from the rest of the Earth, so that F L ≈ F R ≈ ω 2 MD , because of the reduced shear velocity β 0 within the brecciated rockmass.
The crisis of internal medicine

The rapid technological progress in medicine has lead to a better physiopathologic and etiological knowledge of adult diseases, producing a fragmentation of internal medicine and a great development of its subspecialties. Furthermore, specialization grants a professional, scientific and academic status. Contrarywise technological enrichment has impoverished the human relationship of clinical practice. The training at the Medical School has a great responsibility towards General Internal Medicine, and the technical capacity of teachers should be revised. The practical tutorial teaching at the hospital should be accomplished by Internists with a general clinical orientation. Outpatient clinics should be incorporated as places where a more clinical and less technological medicine could be taught. Internship should be a period in which General Internal Medicine should be valorized, continuing in post-graduate training and continuous teaching. General Internal Medicine is going through a crisis; Medical Schools and the Medical society have the responsibility to overcome it.
Making Room at the Table for Obstetrics, Midwifery, and a Culture of Normalcy Within Maternity Care

The principle of avoiding the worst possible outcomes guided the enormous successes of modern obstetrics in reducing the morbidity and mortality of childbirth. The challenges of improving the quality of childbirth today has prompted health care providers, policymakers, and patients to ask whether this principle is in fact preventing us from supporting the normal processes of childbirth, resulting in undue intervention and potentially causing harm. In this commentary, we suggest that recognizing the strengths of the medical model of childbirth does not preclude looking outside of it to meet the maternity care needs of the majority of healthy, low-risk women. Obstetricians have the good fortune to have a partner in their work among midwives, who hail from a long tradition of incorporating a perspective of "normalcy" in the care of childbearing women. Given the many evidence-based practices demonstrating the strengths of midwifery to actualize patient-centered, low-intervention birth, we advocate for the explicit establishment of professional standards for team-based physician-midwife care. More than merely introducing midwives into a physician-dominated setting, this means elevating the contributions of midwives and meaningfully incorporating a culture of normalcy to standardize practices such as intermittent auscultation, continuous birth support, nonpharmacologic pain management, and positional flexibility in labor. The literature suggests that a woman's health care provider is the most powerful determinant of her birth outcomes; striking the balance between averting poor outcomes and normalcy compels us to make room at the table for both obstetricians and midwives.
Arm and Shoulder Injuries

War-related injuries to the brachium and shoulder frequently involve penetrating injuries from gunshot wounds and blast fragments, as well as crush injuries from vehicular rollover and building collapse. Concomitant fractures, neurovascular injuries, defects in bone and soft tissues, and additional associated non-musculoskeletal injuries further complicate these challenging problems. A clear understanding of anatomy and a systematic approach to evaluation and management of the severely injured brachium and shoulder are essential to achieving the best result. A multidisciplinary approach will greatly assist the orthopedic surgeon, choosing interventions based on sound orthopedic principles while optimizing the physical and psychological health of the individual.
The Contest Problem Book IX: American Mathematics Competitions (AMC 12), 2001-2007 Contests

This is the ninth book of problems and solutions from the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) contests. It chronicles 325 problems from the 13 AMC 12 contests given in the years 2001 through 2007. The authors were the joint directors of the AMC 12 and AMC 10 competitions during that period. The problems have all been edited to ensure that they conform to the current style of the AMC 12 competitions, the graphs and figures have been redrawn to make them more consistent in form and style, and the solutions to the problems have been both edited and supplemented. A Problem Index at the back of the book classifies the problems into the subject areas of Algebra, Arithmetic, Complex Numbers, Counting Functions, Geometry, Graphs, Logarithms, Logic, Number Theory, Polynomials, Probability, Sequences, Statistics, and Trigonometry. A problem that uses a combination of these areas is listed multiple times.
Real-time trace gas sensor using a high-power, multimode diode laser and cavity ring-down spectroscopy

A simple ultra-sensitive real time trace gas detector using a multi-mode Fabry-Perot diode laser and cavity ring-down spectroscopy has been developed to detect NO 2 with a single shot sensitivity of 530 ppt in 60 μs.
Water Infrastructure Planning Process

Planning for water infrastructure systems requires special attention because these systems are expensive, long-lasting, and may have significant impacts. Their high ratios of investment to annual revenues create conflicts over financial obligations, impacts, and disputes about the need for them. Infrastructure plans should be checked against strategic and development policies and be based on comprehensive plans to ensure integration among sectors. Planning for water infrastructure follows a process with steps that lead progressively to more specific plans from early investigations through preliminary designs to final permits. Public involvement is essential at each step of the process.
Identifying radar secondary data for signal detection

In signal detection, one is interested in the problem of detection of a given radar signal s which is a complex vector in the presence of noise in transmission. The signal may be a set of voltages that an EM wave from the selected search directions induces on a number of receiving elements. The actual observed data Y may be a pure noise vector n or the signal s plus a noise vector n. It is assumed that the noise follows a complex multivariate normal distribution with mean O and covariance matrix /spl Sigma/. Statistically, the model can be described as Y=s+n where s is a specific signal and n is a noise random vector. The goal is to test the null hypothesis that Y=n versus the alternative hypothesis that Y=s+n. Reed et al. (1974) discussed an adaptive procedure for the above detection problem in which two sets of input data are used, which are called the primary and secondary data. A radar receives primary data Y/sub 0/ which may or may not contain a signal, and secondary data Y/sub 1/,Y/sub 2/,...,Y/sub n/ which are assumed to contain only noise, independent of and statistically identical to the noise components of the primary data. The goal is to test H/sub 0/:/spl mu/=O versus H/sub 1/:/spl mu/=s where /spl mu/ is the population mean of Y/sub 0/. Kelly (1986) used the likelihood ratio principle to derive a test statistic for the above hypothesis testing problem. Chen and Wicks (1999) proposed a selection procedure which compares the covariance matrices of the secondary data with that of the primary data. It is used to identify and eliminate those observations that have a different covariance structure from the secondary data. It retains homogeneous radar data for further investigation. As described in Chen and Wicks (1999), this procedure can be applied prior to the step of estimating the covariance matrix of the secondary data in Kelly (1986). The selection procedure is discussed together with a simulation study.
Sequential design for coils in series-series inductive power transfer using normalized parameters

In order to achieve a generalized and non-iterative design methodology of coils in inductive power transfer, parameters are normalized as coupling coefficient, coil quality factor, load quality factor, and normalized switching frequency. They are designed sequentially to meet the required voltage gain, zero-voltage switching, and coils' efficiency. Physical design of coils' dimensions, number of turns, and wire size are optimized using finite-element simulation. An exemplary set of coils (250mm × 250mm by size and 100 mm by gap) and a full-bridge resonant DC-DC converter rated at 3.3 kW are built to validate the design results. The measured output voltage (200–400 V for 400 V input) and coils' efficiency (98.9% at full load) meet converter's specifications, and all switches turned on into zero voltage.
Tree-structured bias

This paper reports on recent progress in the study of autonomous concept learning systems. In such systems, the initial space of hypotheses is considered as a first-order sentence, the declarative bias, and can thus be derived from background knowledge concerning the goal concept. It is easy to show that a simple derivation process generates a concept language corresponding to an unbiased version space defined on a restricted instance description language. However, the structure of a typical derivation corresponds to a stronger restriction still. It is shown that this semantically-motivated, tree-structured bias can in fact reduce the size of the concept language from doubly-exponential to singly-exponential in the number of features. This allows effective learning from a small number of examples.
Senegalese artisanal gold mining leads to elevated total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in soils, sediments, and rivers

The largest source of global mercury (Hg) anthropogenic inputs to the environment is derived from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) activities in developing countries. While our understanding of global Hg emissions from ASGM is growing, there is limited empirical documentation about the levels of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) contamination near ASGM sites. We measured THg and MeHg concentrations in soil (n = 119), sediment (n = 22), and water (n = 25) from four active ASGM villages and one non-ASGM reference village in Senegal, West Africa. Nearly all samples had THg and MeHg concentrations that exceeded the reference village concentrations and USEPA regulatory standards. The highest median THg concentrations were found in huts where mercury-gold amalgams were burned (7.5 μg/g), while the highest median MeHg concentrations and percent Hg as MeHg were found in river sediments (4.2 ng/g, 0.41%). Median river water concentrations of THg and MeHg were also elevated compared to values at the reference site (22 ng THg/L, 0.037 ng MeHg/L in ASGM sites). This study provides direct evidence that Hg from ASGM is entering both the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems where it is converted in soils, sediment, and water to the neurotoxic and bioavailable form of MeHg.
Overview of Computer Algebra in Relativity

Over the last few years, the use of computer algebra has become increasingly widespread in many areas of science, mathematics, and engineering. These two lectures are intended to give an idea of the range of computer algebra tools available to the relativist and the kind of problems to which they can be applied. The first lecture deals with the main general-purpose systems in use today, while the second covers systems and packages more specific to general relativity. In each case, the features and design philosophies are highlighted and the areas of application indicated.
A data science approach to predicting patient aggressive events in a psychiatric hospital

Abstract Recent advances in data science were used capitalize on the extensive quantity of data available in electronic health records to predict patient aggressive events. This retrospective study utilized electronic health records (N = 29,841) collected between January 2010 and December 2015 at Harris County Psychiatric Center, a 274-bed safety net community psychiatric facility. The primary outcome of interest was the presence (1.4%) versus absence (98.6%) of an aggressive event toward staff or patients. The best-performing algorithm, penalized generalized linear modeling, achieved an area under the curve = 0.7801. The strongest predictors of patient aggressive events included homelessness (b = 0.52), having been convicted of assault (b = 0.31), and having witnessed abuse (b = −0.28). The algorithm was also used to generate a cost-optimized probability threshold (6%) for an aggressive event, theoretically affording individualized hospital-staff coverage on the 2.8% of inpatients at highest risk for aggression, based on available hospital operating costs. The present research demonstrated the utility of a data science approach to better understand a high-priority event in psychiatric inpatient settings.
p53 Expression in Lung Fibroblasts Is Linked to Mitigation of Fibrotic Lung Remodeling.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating, incurable, and life-threatening disease. A cardinal feature of the pathogenesis of IPF is excessive extracellular matrix deposition attributable to proliferation of activated fibrotic lung fibroblasts (fLfs). To assess the underlying mechanism, we analyzed the status of the tumor suppressor protein p53 in fLfs from the lungs of IPF patients or mice with bleomycin-induced established PF. We report that basal expression of p53 is markedly reduced in fLfs. Forced expression of caveolin-1 in fLfs increased basal p53 and reduced profibrogenic proteins, including collagen-1. Transduction of fLfs with adenovirus expressing p53 reduced expression of these proteins. Conversely, inhibition of baseline p53 in control lung fibroblasts from lung tissues increased profibrogenic protein expression. Lung transduction of adenovirus expressing p53 reduced bleomycin-induced PF in wild-type or caveolin-1–deficient mice. Furthermore, treatment of fLfs or fibrotic lung tissues with caveolin-1 scaffolding domain peptide (CSP) or its fragment, CSP7, restored p53 and reduced profibrogenic proteins. Treatment of wild-type mice with i.p. CSP or CSP7 resolved bleomycin-induced PF. These peptides failed to resolve PF in inducible conditional knockout mice lacking p53 in fLfs, indicating the induction of baseline fLf p53 as the basis of the antifibrotic effects.
Enhanced selectivity of polymer adsorption in selective flocculation

In the selective flocculation process, polymers with specific functional groups can yield highly selective adsorption and, therefore, high separation efficiency. Selectivity in polymer adsorption may also be attained by specific additives that inhibit the adsorption of the flocculant on some solid surfaces but not on others. Generally, these additives have a different chemical nature than the flocculant. In this study, the lower molecular weight fraction of the flocculant was successfully evaluated as a site blocking agent, leading to higher separation efficiency than obtained otherwise.
Aggregated Machine Learning on Indicators of Compromise in Android Devices

Malware mitigation for mobile technology is a long-standing problem for which there is not yet a good solution. In this paper, we focus on identifying malicious applications, and verifying the absence of malicious or vulnerable code in applications that agencies seek to utilize. Our analysis toolbox includes static analysis and permissions risk scoring as pre-installation vetting techniques designed to prevent malware from being installed on devices on an enterprise network. However, dynamic code-loading techniques and changing security requirements mean that applications which previously passed the static analysis verification process, and have been installed on devices, may no longer meet security standards, and may be malicious. To identify these apps, and prevent their future malfeasance, we propose a crowd-sourced behavioral analysis (CSBA) technique, using machine learning to identify anomalous activity by examining patterns in power consumption, network behavior, and sequences of system calls. These techniques apply effectively to a single user's device over time, as well as to individual devices within an enterprise network.
Littoral Magnetic and Water Column Survey Underwater Glider

Water column survey is currently expensive due to the cost of platforms and operation. A new, low-cost sampling tool is required that can effectively measure the water column over a large area. This paper presents an underwater glider for littoral magnetic and water column survey. The focus is to bring Research Oriented Underwater Glider for Handson Investigative Engineering (ROUGHIE) from the proof-of-concept short range stage to long endurance operational readiness. The ROUGHIE has been designed and prototyped by the Nonlinear and Autonomous Systems Lab over the past 6 years and is already the most maneuverable internally actuated underwater glider due to its unique roll design. The ROUGHIE is capable of performing 3 meter radius turns in shallow water. With updates to robustness and ease of use, the platform will be a capable exploratory tool to aid marine research. The proposed design update includes upgrading the buoyancy system to a piezoelectric pump and updating the controller to a frontseat-backseat controller with a web based interface. The significant payload capability of the ROUGHIE will be used to haul a CTD, flourometer & turbidity sensor, and high quality magnetometer. With these sensors, the ROUGHIE will be able to accurately map dense oceanographic features.
Chemoselective Synthesis and Resolution of Chiral [1,9]Methanofullerene[70] Derivatives

The authors report the chemical preparation of [1,9]methanofullerene[70] derivatives. The [1,9]methanofullerene[70]carboxylic acid was prepared and shown to be a useful reagent for further functionalization. Chiral amide stereoisomers were isolated using chiral HPLC. 15 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Trust and Reputation in Multi-Agent Resilient Systems*

Consistent and accurate understanding of trust and reputation in multi-agent systems is a prerequisite for evaluating system state and determining any needed corrective actions that preserve continued safe operation. In this paper we build on our prior reputation analysis work, which was based on evaluating satisfaction of transactions between agents and agent health. The evaluation was used to discount untrustworthy inputs to a Markov decision model that determines the actions taken by agents in a resilient system network. We extend our earlier work by including new health factors in the trust estimation along with a mechanism for updating each agent's belief state computation through modification of its emission probabilities.
Die biliäre Xanthomatose bei Erwachsenen und Kindern

Die Bezeichnung „biliare Xanthomatose“ kennzeichnet ein klinisches Syndrom, uber das zuerst vor 100 Jahren berichtet worden ist. Die klinischen Manifestationen bei Erwachsenen und Kindern wurden kurz beschrieben. Die primare Veranderung liegt in der Leber. Beim Erwachsenen findet man im allgemeinen eine chronische entzundliche Reaktion im Bereich der terminalen Gallenwege. Diese wurde „pericholangiolitische biliare Cirrhose“ genannt. Bei sehr jungen Kindern kann eine kongenitale Hypoplasie oder Atresie der interlobularen Gallenwege das gleiche klinische Syndrom produzieren und dieses kann sich im Laufe der Zeit zu einer „kongenitalen acholangitischen biliaren Cirrhose“ entwickeln.
Will Gastroenterologists Be Successful as Metabolic Physicians

As the result of incomplete treatments, obesity continues to be a worldwide origin for multiple medical problems, including metabolic disorders. With the worldwise rise in obesity, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has increased in both men and women. Effective treatments for obesity can improve the treatment of metabolic disorders. The adjustable gastric band and the vertical sleeve gastrectomy are less complex gastric surgeries utilized by bariatric surgeons for the treatment of metabolic disorders. Studies have supported the utility of both of these gastric surgeries for the treatment of subgroups of individuals with diabetes mellitus. The field of gastroenterology has mainly been examining four major endoscopic procedures for the treatment of obesity: intragastric balloons, intragastric aspiration systems, intraluminal gastric suturing, and intraluminal barriers deployed within the upper small intestine. Ongoing studies are examining the ability of these endoscopic procedures to treat metabolic disorders, which includes reduction in the blood levels of hemoglobin A1C in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Ongoing issues are discussed that should be addressed prior to the wide spread utilization of endoscopic procedures for the treatment of this metabolic disorder.
ortho-Phenylene-Based Macrocyclic Hydrocarbons Assembled Using Olefin Metathesis

While many foldamer systems reliably fold into well-defined secondary structures, higher order structure remains a challenge. A simple strategy for the organization of folded subunits in space is to link them together within a macrocycle. Previous work has shown that o-phenylenes can be co-assembled with rod-shaped linkers into twisted macrocycles, showing an interesting synergy between folding and thermodynamically controlled macrocyclization. In these systems the foldamer units were largely decoupled from each other both conformationally and electronically. Here, we show that hydrocarbon macrocycles, with very short ethenylene linkers, can be assembled from o-phenylenes using olefin metathesis. Characterization by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and ab initio calculations shows that the products are approximately triangular [3+3] macrocycles with helical o-phenylene corners in a heterochiral configuration. Their photophysics are dominated by the 4,4′-diphenylstilbene moieties, the longest conjugated segments, with further conjugation broken by the twisting of the o-phenylenes.
Ecological consequences of Great Lakes salmon subsidies for stream-resident brook and brown trout

Introduced Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) deliver novel, pulsed resource subsidies to Great Lakes streams. We explored interactions between native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and non-na...
Predicting Epigenomic Functions of Genetic Variants in the Context of Neurodevelopment via Deep Transfer Learning

Abstract Decoding the regulatory effects of non-coding variants is a key challenge in understanding the mechanisms of gene regulation as well as the genetics of common diseases. Recently, deep learning models have been introduced to predict genome-wide epigenomic profiles and effects of DNA variants, in various cellular contexts, but they were often trained in cell lines or bulk tissues that may not be related to phenotypes of interest. This is particularly a challenge for neuropsychiatric disorders, since the most relevant cell and tissue types are often missing in the training data of such models. To address this issue, we introduce a deep transfer learning framework termed MetaChrom that takes advantage of both a reference dataset - an extensive compendium of publicly available epigenomic data, and epigenomic profiles of cell types related to specific phenotypes of interest. We trained and evaluated our model on a comprehensive set of epigenomic profiles from fetal and adult brain, and cellular models representing early neurodevelopment. MetaChrom predicts these epigenomic features with much higher accuracy than previous methods, and than models without the use of reference epigenomic data for transfer learning. Using experimentally determined regulatory variants from iPS cell-derived neurons, we show that MetaChrom predicts functional variants more accurately than existing non-coding variant scoring tools. By combining genome-wide association study (GWAS) data with MetaChrom predictions, we prioritized 31 SNPs for Schizophrenia (SCZ). These candidate SNPs suggest potential risk genes of SCZ and the biological contexts where they act. In summary, MetaChrom is a general transfer learning framework that can be applied to the study of regulatory functions of DNA sequences and variants in any disease-related cell or tissue types. The software tool is available at https://github.com/bl-2633/MetaChrom and a prediction web server is accessible at https://metachrom.ttic.edu/.
Characterization of sleep habits of children with Sotos syndrome.

Sotos syndrome (SS) is a genetic disorder characterized by accelerated growth in childhood, developmental deficits, and characteristic craniofacial features. While clinicians and parents have reported unusual sleep habits, only one study by Rutter and Cole in 1991 mentioned sleep complaints (Rutter and Cole, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 1991, 33, 898-902). This study aimed to characterize the sleep habits of individuals with SS. We performed a cross-sectional study of individuals with a definite, probable, or possible diagnosis of Sotos syndrome. Participants were asked to complete the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CHSQ). We compared our data to historical data available from the literature. Subjects with SS showed more sleep disturbance than typically developing individuals (TD), although their sleep onset was less likely to be delayed and their sleep duration was longer. Participants with SS also showed different sleep patterns compared to children with other forms of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Individuals with SS exhibited early bed and rise times, frequently used transitional objects, displayed repetitive motion at sleep onset, and did not show a decrease in sleep duration with age. The majority of participants fell asleep at the same time each night, in their own bed, and within 20 min, and rarely showed signs of sleepwalking or night terrors. These results improve our understanding of sleep habits of individuals with SS and may be used to guide treatment and provide normalization for children with SS.
A Plant-Centered Diet and Markers of Early Chronic Kidney Disease during Young to Middle Adulthood: Findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Cohort.

BACKGROUND Few studies have evaluated whether plant-centered diets prevent progression of early stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). OBJECTIVES We examined the association between plant-centered diet quality and early CKD markers. METHODS We prospectively examined 2869 black and white men and women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study free of diagnosed kidney failure in 2005-2006 [examination year 20 (Y20); mean age: 45.3 ± 3.6 y]. CKD marker changes from Y20 to 2015-2016 (Y30) were considered, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; serum creatinine), urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and both. Diet was assessed through interviewer-administered diet histories at Y0, Y7, and Y20, and plant-centered diet quality was quantified with the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS). Linear regression models were used to examine the association of APDQS and subsequent 10-y changes in CKD markers. RESULTS After adjustment for sociodemographic, behavioral, and diet factors, we found that higher APDQS was related to less adverse changes in CKD markers in the subsequent 10-y period. Compared with the lowest APDQS quintile, the highest quintile was associated with an attenuated increase in lnACR (-0.25 mg/g; 95% CI: -0.37, -0.13 mg/g; P-trend < 0.001), whereas the highest quintile was associated with an attenuated decrease in eGFR (4.45 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2; 95% CI: 2.46, 6.43 mL·min-1·1.73 m-2). There was a 0.50 lower increase in combined CKD markers [ln(ACR) z score - eGFR z score] when comparing the extreme quintiles. Associations remained similar after further adjustment for hypertension, diabetes, and obesity as potential mediating factors. The attenuated worsening CKD marker changes associated with higher APDQS strengthened across increasing initial CKD category; those with the best diet and microalbuminuria in Y10-Y20 returned to high normal albuminuria (all P-interaction < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Individuals who consumed plant-centered, high-quality diets were less likely to experience deterioration of kidney function through midlife, especially among participants with initial stage characterized as mild CKD.
Adult Intestinal Intussusception Caused by the Gastrojejunostomy Tube: An Endoscopically Treatable Phenomenon

Adult duodenoduodenal intussusception is extremely rare due to the retroperitoneal fixation of the second, third, and fourth parts of the duodenum. A majority of clinically significant intussusception with identifiable etiologies is typically neoplastic with more rare causes including retained food and indwelling enteral tubes, specifically with gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tubes. Herein, we discuss the case of a 23-year-old male who developed duodenoduodenal intussusception upon a PEGJ placement with associated gastroduodenal dilation and telescope phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of intussusception found to be caused by GJ tubes in the adult population. The reported patient was found to have a 4-cm enteroenteric intussusception without obstruction or ischemia with bowel thickening proximal to the pathology. Although adult intussusception cases are typically managed surgically, we were able to reduce the intussusception via endoscopy due to rapid diagnosis upon presentation and intervention before the bowel wall could be compromised.
Magnetism and Crystal Fields in Ternary Superconductors

Ternary compounds exhibiting superconductivity have been under intensive investigation in the last few years, and some of the related properties were reviewed in the last proceedings of this conference series by several authors.1–3 Among the more stimulating phenomena is the observation that many of these materials exhibit superconductivity even when one of the constituents is strongly magnetic, such as a rare earth (RE) ion. This is in sharp contrast to the behavior usually found in binary compounds, where very small concentrations of magnetic ions are adequate to totally suppress the superconducting transition. In the ternary materials, the presence of large concentrations of magnetic ions has also provoked renewed interest in questions concerning the ways in which superconductivity and magnetism affect one another, and whether the two types of order can simultaneously occur. Much of the work carried out in the past on the coexistence question utilized pseudobinary systems, and it is now generally believed that those experiments showed the coexistence of superconductivity with spin-glass type ordering, rather than with true, long-range magnetism.4 The ternary compounds, being structurally homogeneous, will not show that behavior, and so are much more ideally suited to stimulate and test theoretical predictions on the interaction between magnetism and superconductivity.
Student mobility and European identity: Erasmus study as a civic experience?

From its inception, the Erasmus student exchange programme has been promoted by the European Commission as a “civic experience” that instils or enhances a European consciousness among participants. Recent scholarship on European identity has made similar claims about the civic significance of foreign study, yet the empirical basis for these claims remains a subject of debate. This article unpacks the logic of the civic view of Erasmus and submits the individual assumptions to empirical investigation. Based on a survey of more than 2000 respondents from 25 EU countries, this study has the advantage of being both larger and more multinational in composition than the major previous studies. The data largely support the logic of the civic view of Erasmus, demonstrating the intercultural nature of the sojourn abroad, providing compelling evidence that the Erasmus experience contributes to attitudinal changes about Europe among participants, and highlighting significant differences between the Erasmus students and those who do not study abroad when it comes to levels of support for the EU and extent of identifying as European.
Focus Groups and Depth Interviews

Historically, marketers gathered marketplace data through extensive surveying or polling that generated statistical measures of consumers' demographic characteristics, product and media consumption behavior, purchase intentions, and so on. However, the explanatory power of the survey data is limited by its largely descriptive, factual, and somewhat mechanical qualities. The subtler factors that explain why, for example, women like Brand X significantly more than men often lie below the surface and are likely to elude blunt survey instruments with their direct questions, fixed-format responses, and few degrees of freedom. At around the same time that intellectual grumbling about survey research was gaining momentum in the 1930s, psychological theories, insights, and methods began to migrate into marketing thought and quickly expanded and enriched marketing's domain. No longer wedded so strongly to quantitative survey methodology, various types of what came to be known as qualitative research came quickly onto the marketing scene. Within the qualitative research arena, individual marketing researchers designed their studies around talking with and interviewing consumers either on an individual basis or in group discussions. Over time, the former research approach became known as individual depth interviews (or IDIs) and the latter are most commonly called focus groups. This article traces the origins of these two pervasive qualitative methods, identifies their similarities and differences, and discusses current issues that surround their uses in marketing-research today. Keywords: focus groups; depth interviews; qualitative research; consumer intimacy; motivation research