cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Direct spectrum sensing from compressed measurements

Because current Cognitive Radios are limited in their operational bandwidth by existing hardware devices, much of the extensive theoretical work on spectrum sensing is impossible to realize in practice over a wide frequency band. To solve this problem, many have used Compressive Sensing (CS) in sequence with CRs: first acquiring compressed samples, then reconstructing the Nyquist Rate signal, and lastly performing spectrum sensing on the reconstructed signal. While CS alleviates the bandwidth constraints imposed by front-end ADCs, the resulting increase in computation/complexity is non-trivial, especially in a power-constrained mobile CR. This motivates us to look at different ways to reduce computational complexity while achieving the same goals. In this paper, we will demonstrate how directly performing spectrum sensing from the compressed measurements can achieve the sampling reduction advantage of Compressive Sensing with significantly less computational complexity. Our key observation is that the CR does not have to reconstruct the entire signal because it is only interested in detecting the presence of Primary Users. Our algorithm takes advantage of this observation by estimating signal parameters directly from the compressed signal, thereby eliminating the reconstruction stage and reducing the computational complexity. In addition, our framework provides a measure of the quality of estimation allowing the system to optimize its data acquisition process to always acquire the minimum number of compressed measurements, even in a dynamic spectral environment.
The Troubled Future of Colleges and Universities

The American system of higher education appears poised for disruptive change of potentially historic proportions due to massive new political, economic, and educational forces that threaten to undermine its business model, governmental support, and operating mission. These forces include dramatic new types of economic competition, difficulties in growing revenue streams as we had in the past, relative declines in philanthropic and government support, actual and likely future political attacks on universities, and some outdated methods of teaching and learning that have been unchanged for hundreds of years.
Evolutionary basis of mitonuclear discordance between sister species of mole salamanders (Ambystoma sp.)

Distinct genetic markers should show similar patterns of differentiation between species reflecting their common evolutionary histories, yet there are increasing examples of differences in the biogeographic distribution of species-specific nuclear (nuDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants within and between species. Identifying the evolutionary processes that underlie these anomalous patterns of genetic differentiation is an important goal. Here, we analyse the putative mitonuclear discordance observed between sister species of mole salamanders (Ambystoma barbouri and A. texanum) in which A. barbouri-specific mtDNA is found in animals located within the range of A. texanum. We test three hypotheses for this discordance (undetected range expansion, mtDNA introgression, and hybridization) using nuDNA and mtDNA data analysed with methods that varied in the parameters estimated and the timescales measured. Results from a Bayesian clustering technique (STRUCTURE), bidirectional estimates of gene flow (MIGRATE-N and IMa2) and phylogeny-based methods (*BEAST, BUCKy) all support the conclusion that the discordance is due to geographically restricted mtDNA introgression from A. barbouri into A. texanum. Limited data on species-specific tooth morphology match this conclusion. Significant differences in environmental conditions exist between sites where A. texanum with and without A. barbouri-like mtDNA occur, suggesting a possible role for selection in the process of introgression. Overall, our study provides a general example of the value of using complimentary analyses to make inferences of the directionality, timescale, and source of mtDNA introgression in animals.
Concentration of the Soluble Organic Phosphate Pool (2,3-DPG) of Mouse Erythrocytes During the Course of the Estrous Cycle and Pregnancy

The mean concentration of the soluble organic phosphate pool (2,3-DPG) of erythrocytes of female mice was greater than that of males. This pool is predominantly 2,3-DPG and, to a lesser extent ATP. Their concentration in the erythrocyte was shown to increase through the estrous cycle with the lowest concentration observed during proestrus. The concentration did not appear to be inversely related to either the concentration of hemoglobin or the mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) of the erythrocyte. During pregnancy in the mouse the concentration of the soluble organic phosphate pool in erythrocytes increased between the 9th and 19th day of gestation. In the number of mice studied, this increase did not appear to be inversely related to the MCHC, to the hemoglobin concentration, or to the number of fetuses. A striking increase of the concentration of the erythrocyte soluble organic phosphate pool occurred following injection of 10 μg of estradiol valerate per day, for 3 days, into normal female mice....
IBM PowerNP network processor: Hardware, software, and applications

Deep packet processing is migrating to the edges of service provider networks to simplify and speed up core functions. On the other hand, the cores of such networks are migrating to the switching of high-speed traffic aggregates. As a result, more services will have to be performed at the edges, on behalf of both the core and the end users. Associated network equipment will therefore require high flexibility to support evolving high-level services as well as extraordinary performance to deal with the high packet rates. Whereas, in the past, network equipment was based either on general-purpose processors (GPPs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), favoring flexibility over speed or vice versa, the network processor approach achieves both flexibility and performance. The key advantage of network processors is that hardware-level performance is complemented by flexible software architecture. This paper provides an overview of the IBM PowerNPTM NP4GS3 network processor and how it addresses these issues. Its hardware and software design characteristics and its comprehensive base operating software make it well suited for a wide range of networking applications.
Visualizing the emergent structure of children's mathematical argument

Mathematics educators suggest that students of all ages need to participate in productive forms of mathematical argument (NCTM, 2000). Accordingly, we developed two complementary frameworks for analyzing the emergence of mathematical argumentation in one second-grade classroom. Children attempted to resolve contesting claims about the “space covered” by three different-looking rectangles of equal area measure. Our first analysis renders the topology of the semantic structure of the classroom conversation as a directed graph. The graph affords clear “at a glance” visualization of how various senses of mathematics—as imagined, as performed, and as historically rooted—were interrelated. The graph represents the emergence and intercoordination between conceptual and procedural knowledge in the ebb and flow of classroom conversation. The graph has not just descriptive, but also predictive power: Interconnectedness among the nodes of the graph representing the first 40 min of conversation predicted the structure of recall in the final ten minutes by children who had played little overt role in the conversation up to that point. The second, complementary framework draws upon Goffman’s expanded repertoire of roles in speech to demonstrate how the teacher orchestrated this classroom conversation to establish coherent argument. In this second analysis, we establish how the teacher mediated between the everyday talk of her students and the discourse of mathematics. Her revoicing of student talk created interstices for identity and participation in the formation of the argument. Together, the two forms of analysis illuminate the emergence of mathematical argument at two levels: as collective structure and concurrently, as individual activity.
An Optically Addressed Membrane Spatial Light Modulator

The architecture, operation, and performance of a new two-dimensional, optically addressed, membrane spatial light modulator are described. The modulator, the Optical-to-Optical Deformable Mirror Device (OTO-DMD), can be used to convert incoherent images to coherent images for optical information processing applications.
Social Risk Factors for Psychiatric Disorders: Being Young, Poor and Lonely

Study of the relationship between social factors, such as social class or social stress, and mental illness through epidemiologic surveys has a long tradition at Yale University. The tradition began in the 1950s with Hollingshead and Redlich’s classic study on social class and mental illness which showed that social class determined treatment for mental illness.1 The tradition was carried on by Myers and Bean,2 students of Hollingshead who began a longitudinal community survey in the 1960s and demonstrated the relationship between social stress and mental impairment independent of specific psychiatric diagnosis.3
The states of public opinion on the environment

ABSTRACTState-level public opinion on the environment within the US is examined, using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) from 2000 to 2010. A Multilevel Regression and Post-Stratification (MRP) approach is taken to estimate three different survey items on environmental issues at the US state level. This allows for a comparable understanding of state-level public opinion on environmental issues, which is then connected to economic, environmental, and political conditions, and representation in policy making. The findings indicate the MRP technique is a sophisticated way to make accurate estimations of state-level public opinion, and those estimates provide further insight into the shaping of public opinion and public policy.
Review: Irish Gothic Architecture: Construction, Decay and Reinvention by Roger Stalley, ed.

Roger Stalley, ed. Irish Gothic Architecture: Construction, Decay and Reinvention Dublin: Wordwell, 2012, 226 pp., 75 color and 75 b/w illus. €29.99 (paper), ISBN 9781905569700 The marginalization of the study of late medieval architecture in Ireland results from a series of coincidences, including the treatment of Ireland as peripheral to mainstream European developments; the perception of the Gothic style as a foreign imposition when compared to indigenous forms of earlier eras; the relative unfamiliarity of scholars outside Ireland with the complexities of Irish history; and the limited scale of Irish Gothic construction in a discipline that has traditionally prized technological achievement. In the past, architectural historians structured the field to elevate the great French cathedrals as the standard for Gothic form and meaning, but the spread and popularity of Gothic design elements throughout late medieval Europe in innumerably varied circumstances mean that most Gothic deviates from the “rule.” Recent scholarship—for example, Colum Hourihane’s survey of late medieval artistic production, Gothic Art in Ireland, 1169–1550 (2003)—has attempted to reassess the situation, but the subject of Gothic architecture in Ireland still provides much to explore.1 Irish Gothic Architecture: Construction, Decay and Reinvention contributes to that process of exploration. The volume was produced by a team affiliated with the Department of the History of Art at Trinity College Dublin, and its title implies a survey, but the book is a series of connected studies that follow the erection and subsequent fate of Gothic buildings on Irish soil. The authors have the stated intention of producing a multifaceted study of Gothic, incorporating ideas of reception and postmedieval change. The consideration of the longue duree as it relates to buildings has become a useful methodology for scholars of medieval architecture in recent years, but given the political and religious oppression in Ireland since the Middle Ages, Irish buildings can assume charged but shifting symbolic functions that make this approach particularly fruitful here. Roger Stalley’s introduction provides a historiographical grounding …
Draft Discussion Paper: Regulation of Campaign Finance

This paper presents an overview of campaign finance regulation in India and analyses gaps and loopholes in the existing laws. It starts by describing the need for regulation of campaign finance in the interests of furthering democracy. Through a review of and a country wise comparison of campaign finance laws in selected jurisdictions, namely, the US, UK, Canada, France, Russia and Turkey, it brings out the most common forms of regulation, loopholes and sanctions under election finance laws. It then goes on to survey the law in India, namely the Representation of People's Act, 1951, the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act etc. and describes the regulation pertaining to contributions to candidates and political parties, disclosure requirements and ceilings on campaign expenditure under these laws. The paper concludes with some suggestions for reform of the laws.
Human Cytomegalovirus Induces an Atypical Activation of Akt To Stimulate the Survival of Short-Lived Monocytes.

UNLABELLED Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a pervasive herpesvirus responsible for significant morbidity and mortality among immunodeficient/naive hosts. Following a primary HCMV infection, circulating blood monocytes mediate the systemic spread of the virus. Extending the short 48-h life span of monocytes is critical to the viral dissemination process, as these blood-borne cells are nonpermissive for virus replication until they are fully differentiated into macrophages. Here, we show that HCMV glycoprotein gB binding to cellular epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) during HCMV entry initiated a rapid (within 15 min) activation of the apoptosis suppressor Akt, which was maintained through 72 h. The virus-induced activation of Akt was more robust than that with the normal myeloid growth factor macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and was essential for infected monocytes to bypass the 48-h viability checkpoint. Activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) following EGFR engagement by HCMV mediated the phosphorylation of Akt. Moreover, HCMV entry drove a switch away from the PI3K p110δ isoform, which was required for the viability of uninfected monocytes, to the p110β isoform in order to facilitate the Akt-dependent prosurvival state within infected cells. Simultaneously, in contrast to M-CSF, HCMV promoted a rapid increase in SH2 domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase 1 (SHIP1) expression, leading to signaling through a noncanonical Akt activation pathway. To ensure maximum Akt activity, HCMV also induced an early phosphorylation-dependent inactivation of the negative regulator phosphatase and tensin homolog. Overall, our data indicate that HCMV hijacks the upstream Akt signaling network to induce a nontraditional activation of Akt and subsequently a prosurvival decision at the 48-h cell fate checkpoint, a vital step for HCMV's dissemination and persistence strategy. IMPORTANCE HCMV is found throughout the world with a prevalence of 55 to 100% within the human population. HCMV infection is generally asymptomatic in immunocompetent or naive individuals but is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among the immunocompromised. Widespread organ inflammation is associated with symptomatic infections, which is a direct consequence of the viral dissemination strategy. Inflammatory peripheral blood monocytes facilitate the spread of HCMV. However, HCMV must subvert the naturally short life span of monocytes. In this work, we demonstrate that HCMV induces the activation of Akt, an antiapoptotic protein, in a manner distinct from that of normal myeloid growth factors. Moreover, we decipher how HCMV dysregulates the upstream Akt signaling network during viral entry to promote an Akt-dependent prosurvival state following infection. Delineation of the virus-specific mechanisms that regulate cellular prosurvival pathways in order to drive the survival of HCMV-infected monocytes is important to identifying new anti-HCMV therapeutic targets.
Exploring the KD45 n property of a kripke model after the execution of an action sequence

The paper proposes a condition for preserving the KD45n property of a Kripke model when a sequence of update models is applied to it. The paper defines the notions of a primitive update model and a semi-reflexive KD45n (or sr-KD45n) Kripke model. It proves that updating a sr-KD45n Kripke model using a primitive update model results in a sr-KD45n Kripke model, i.e., a primitive update model preserves the properties of a sr-KD45n Kripke model. It shows that several update models for modeling well-known actions found in the literature are primitive. This result provides guarantees that can be useful in presence of multiple applications of actions in multi-agent system (e.g., multi-agent planning).
Heat Penetration Rates of Natural Convection Heating Liquids in Metal Containers

Heat penetration (HP) test data have been obtained for water in 13 sizes of metal cans and for 16 fluids with different physical properties in 211 × 400 metal cans. Data were collected until the slowest heating zone was less than 0.1 C° below the heating medium temperature. When conventional HP graphs were plotted, these natural convection heating liquids formed curves instead of straight lines. A straight line was fitted by least squares regression to the data between (T1 - T) values from 40.0 to 4.0, 10.0 to 1.0, 4.0 to 0.4, and 1.0 to 0.2 C° and the f-values determined. The results show that the f-value of fluids that heat by convection increase with heating time, indicating that the true shape of the heat penetration data on a semilogarithmic graph is a curve.
Abstract PL02-01: Nutrition, epigenetics, and cancer

Transient nutritional exposures during critical ontogenic periods can cause persistent changes in gene expression, metabolism, and risk of various diseases including cancer. We have been investigating whether such ‘developmental programming’ occurs via nutritional influences on developmental epigenetics. Our studies in agouti viable yellow and axin fused mice showed that developmental establishment of DNA methylation at ‘metastable epialleles’ is especially sensitive to maternal nutritional status around the time of conception. Lately, using a multiple-tissue screen for interindividual variation in DNA methylation, we have identified human genomic regions that appear to be metastable epialleles. Stochastic establishment of DNA methylation at these loci is affected by maternal nutrition around the time of conception, consistent across multiple tissues, and stable for many years. Most recently, our studies using genome-wide bisulfite sequencing have identified candidate metastable epialleles that are associated with genes implicated in human cancer, potentially providing opportunities for cancer risk assessment and prevention. Citation Format: Robert A. Waterland. Nutrition, epigenetics, and cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr PL02-01.
Intergenerational Relations in Changing Times

Families have changed remarkably over the last century—in age structure and generational composition, in their diversity of forms and functions, in family members’ expectations of one another and ways of relating. One consequence of the dramatic increase in longevity has been the growing prevalence of three-, four-, and five-generation families, lengthening the time spent in family roles, such as grandparenthood. At the same time, increases in divorce and remarriage, single-parenthood, and cohabitation have greatly increased the complexity of family configurations and relationships.
Family Mealtimes and Children with Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract Family mealtimes with a child with cystic fibrosis (CF) can be challenging because of disease-related dietary needs. Parental concerns about the nutritional health of a child with CF may contribute to parental stress and exacerbate these challenges. This chapter reviews studies that examine the challenges faced by families as well as interventions targeted at alleviating some of these challenges. We briefly review family functioning in families with a child with CF, and common mealtime challenges faced by families with a child with CF are highlighted. In addition, research on mealtime observations is presented. We end with a discussion of behavioral and nutritional interventions designed to increase weight gain and caloric intake and decrease feeding difficulties.
Cyrene Papers: The First Report. The Documents

Over the course of the last nine years, a large number of documents have come to light that chronicle more fully American interest in Cyrenaica in the 1880s and in the first two decades of this century. The documents mainly pertain to the 1910–1911 archaeological excavation of Cyrene by Richard Norton on behalf of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Archaeological Institute of America, during the course of which Herbert Fletcher DeCou, staff epigrapher, was fatally shot. But the material also refers to hitherto unnoticed American visits to Cyrenaica for archaeological purposes in 1883 and 1887, as well as the first official American expedition in the spring of 1909. While some of these papers are already well known and also have been the source of several studies regarding the murder of DeCou, most of the material has remained largely unexplored by scholars interested in Cyrenaica. For this reason they are presented here with the expectation that future articles on specific aspects of the Cyrene papers will be forthcoming shortly.
Dealing with the Criterion Problem by Measuring the Quality and Quantity of Creative Activity and Accomplishment

The criterion problem was one of the focal points of early studies of creativity, but several useful criteria have been developed in the last few decades. The investigation reported here represents additional progress. This report (a) describes a new quality of creative achievement index for each domain of the Creative Activity and Accomplishment Checklist (CAAC); (b) compares quality and quantity of creative activity and accomplishment using CAAC data from 202 students; and (c) introduces 2 new scales for the CAAC, one representing everyday creativity and the other technological creativity. The advantages of the modified CAAC include the assessment of both quality (i.e., socially recognized) and quantity of creative achievement, as well as additional breadth in the domains that can be reliably assessed. Analyses of CAAC data confirmed that (a) all domains, including everyday and technological creativity, were reliable in the sample of students and (b) the quality of creative activity did indeed differ fr...
Success factors in Title II equity crowdfunding in the United States

AbstractTitle II of the JOBS Act has expanded the opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures to raise funds from accredited investors via online equity crowdfunding platforms in the United States. ...
Cardiovascular and Peripheral Arterial Diseases

Upon completion of the chapter, the student will be able to: 1. Describe the age-related physiologic changes in the cardiovascular system. 2. Explain and identify clinical features of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases in the older adult. 3. Recognize and be familiar with a variety of testing modalities used in the workup of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. 4. Identify and describe the treatments for cardiovascular and peripheral arterial diseases.
Hepatic imaging : An overview

Recent advances in ultrasound, CT scan, MR imaging, and scintigraphy permit characterization of a variety of focal and diffuse liver diseases. Accurate clinical information, however, is of vital importance in selecting the optimal imaging modality and interpreting the study accurately. Using a combination of radiologic findings and clinical information, a correct diagnosis may be achieved noninvasively.
Cell Physiology: Liaison Between Structure and Function

Cell is the basic functional unit in the body. There are about 200 different (specialized) types of cells in human body, although each is genetically the same. Yet, they are different in size, shape and function due to the fact that not all the genes and not the same set of genes are functional or being used in each particular cell type (gene selectivity). Despite this diversity of cell composition and function, most cells in the body have the same structural organization. There are between 50 and 200 trillion of cells in the body of an average person (estimated) and they are constantly being dividing, metabolizing, working, dying and being replaced by integrated mechanisms. Therefore, structure, morphology, and function are tightly coupled in the cell giving to each specific cellular entity unique and distinguishable features.
A Statistical Approach for the Development of an Oral Controlled-Release Matrix Tablet

Tablet matrix compositions for optimized prolonged release were selected by surface response methodology. The extreme vertices experimental design was used to develop a surface response model which mathematically defined the release of active component from the tablet matrix as controlled by the percentage of the excipient components. The model, a statistical quadratic equation with a standard error of 3.3, was validated for accurate prediction of drug release profiles and used to identify optimum formulations. This study demonstrated a new application of the extreme vertices experimental design, an efficient method for evaluating a complex mixture system for controlled release, where specific constraints are placed on one or more of the components.
Hydatid of morgagni with torsion diagnosed during cesarean delivery. A case report.

Background Hydatids of Morgagni are benign, pedunculated, cystic structures arising from mullerian vestiges below the fallopian tube near the fimbria. They usually are of no clinical significance unless the pedicle becomes twisted and infarction occurs. Case A 39-year-old primigravida at 41 weeks and 5 days' gestation underwent primary cesarean delivery for macrosomia and failure to descend during labor. A 4 x 3-cm hydatid of Morgagni with torsion of the pedicle was found on the left fallopian tube. Ligation of the pedicle and excision of the infarcted cyst were performed. Histology of the specimen demonstrated cuboidal epithelium with extensive hemorrhage and necrosis, consistent with an infarcted hydatid of Morgagni. All pain and symptoms experienced by the patient during the previous day were associated with the onset of labor. No specific left lower quadrant pain was reported. Conclusion Hydatids of Morgagni are common findings at pelvic surgery and usually of no clinical significance. Torsion of a hydatid of Morgagni is rarely reported and most likely is a rare occurrence. In this patient, torsion of the hydatid of Morgagni was possibly pregnancy related, and symptoms associated with torsion were probably masked by labor pain.
Significance of the sinusoidal fetal heart rate pattern

The sinusoidal fetal heart rate pattern has been reported to be an indication of fetal compromise. In this review of 31 cases, drawn from a total of 559 monitored cases of normal and at-risk women, only one resulted in poor outcome, and this was attributable to a difficult breech delivery. An association with administration of analgesics is confirmed. The sinusoidal fetal heart rate pattern does not appear to be uniformly associated with fetal distress. Its presence should be an indication for meticulous assessment of other electrocardiographic, biochemical, or clinical evidence of fetal status.
Clinical behavior of stage IVC squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

e17511Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) with distant metastasis at diagnosis (stage IVC) is rare, and outcomes are often lumped together with those of patients who re...
A Novel Passive RFID Temperature Sensor

A novel passive RFID temperature sensor is proposed in this paper. The sensor utilizes an integrated T -match network (TMN) for matching the antenna to the RFID IC. Furthermore., the sensor detects changes in temperature by shifting its operating frequency. The frequency shifts are accomplished by a 3D printed liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) array that can reversibly actuate depending on the temperature to move the antenna and change its distance from the ground plane.
Food SafetyOpen image in new window

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience,” says James Beard. However, we must keep it safe! Food safety is an important issue today as there are many demands on the food production system and a variety of food handlers serving numerous individuals who are immunocompromised.
Delay Time inside Disordered 1D Media

Microwave measurements and simulations show that the ensemble average of the delay time of waves inside disordered 1D media increases linearly with depth with a slope equal to the inverse of the group velocity. © 2019 The Author(s)
Open and endovascular thoracic aortic repair in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Objectives The number of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients has increased, but there have been few reports of thoracic aortic surgery in patients with ESRD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early and late outcomes of open and endovascular thoracic aortic repairs in patients with ESRD. Methods A total of 36 patients with ESRD who needed chronic haemodialysis undergoing open surgery (n = 21) or thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) (n = 15) of the thoracic aorta from 2007 to 2017 in our hospital were identified. Primary end points were in-hospital mortality and late survival; secondary end points were perioperative complications and late aortic events. Results Fourteen patients (39%) had aortic dissection, and 16 (44%) had aortic aneurysms. Emergency surgery was performed in 12 patients (33%). There were 3 hospital deaths (8%) (open surgery, n = 1, 5%; TEVAR, n = 2, 13%). The TEVAR group had fewer transfusions than the open surgery group and shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 79%, 58% and 40%, respectively, for patients overall. Freedom from aortic events at 1 and 3 years was 97% and 92%, respectively. Conclusions The early outcome of thoracic aorta surgery in patients with ESRD was acceptable. However, the long-term mortality in patients with ESRD was still poor. Therefore, whether to perform surgery needs to be considered carefully.
Comorbid diabetes results in immune dysregulation and enhanced disease severity following MERS-CoV infection

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and has caused over 2400 cases and more than 800 deaths. Epidemiological studies identified diabetes as the primary comorbidity associated with severe or lethal MERS-CoV infection. Understanding how diabetes affects MERS is important because of the global burden of diabetes and pandemic potential of MERS-CoV. We used a model in which mice were made susceptible to MERS-CoV by expressing human DPP4, and type 2 diabetes was induced by administering a high-fat diet. Upon infection with MERS-CoV, diabetic mice had a prolonged phase of severe disease and delayed recovery that was independent of virus titers. Histological analysis revealed that diabetic mice had delayed inflammation, which was then prolonged through 21 days after infection. Diabetic mice had fewer inflammatory monocyte/macrophages and CD4+ T cells, which correlated with lower levels of Ccl2 and Cxcl10 expression. Diabetic mice also had lower levels of Tnfa, Il6, Il12b, and Arg1 expression and higher levels of Il17a expression. These data suggest that the increased disease severity observed in individuals with MERS and comorbid type 2 diabetes is likely due to a dysregulated immune response, which results in more severe and prolonged lung pathology.
Oral Administration of miR-30d from Feces of MS Patients Suppresses MS-like Symptoms in Mice by Expanding Akkermansia muciniphila.

Summary Fecal transfer from healthy donors is being explored as a microbiome modality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to affect the microbiome. Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been shown to have an altered gut microbiome. Here, we unexpectedly found that transfer of feces harvested at peak disease from the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS ameliorates disease in recipients in a miRNA-dependent manner. Specifically, we show that miR-30d is enriched in the feces of peak EAE and untreated MS patients. Synthetic miR-30d given orally ameliorates EAE through expansion of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Mechanistically, miR-30d regulates the expression of a lactase in Akkermansia muciniphila, which increases Akkermansia abundance in the gut. The expanded Akkermansia in turn increases Tregs to suppress EAE symptoms. Our findings report the mechanistic underpinnings of a miRNA-microbiome axis and suggest that the feces of diseased subjects might be enriched with miRNAs with therapeutic properties.
Scalable Arrays of Chemical Vapor Sensors Based on DNA-Decorated Graphene.

Arrays of chemical vapor sensors based on graphene field effect transistors functionalized with single-stranded DNA have been demonstrated. Standard photolithographic processing was adapted for use on large-area graphene by including a metal protection layer, which protected the graphene from contamination and enabled fabrication of high quality field-effect transistors (GFETs). Processed graphene devices had hole mobilities of 1,640 ± 250 cm2·V−1·s−1 and Dirac voltages of 15 ± 10 V under ambient conditions. Atomic force microscopy was used to verify that the graphene surface remained uncontaminated and therefore suitable for controlled chemical functionalization. Single-stranded DNA was chosen as the functionalization layer due to its affinity to a wide range of target molecules and π-π stacking interaction with graphene, which led to minimal degradation of device characteristics. The resulting sensor arrays showed analyte- and DNA sequence-dependent responses down to parts-per-billion concentrations. DNA/GFET sensors were able to differentiate among chemically similar analytes, including a series of carboxylic acids, and structural isomers of carboxylic acids and pinene. Evidence for the important role of electrostatic chemical gating was provided by the observation of understandable differences in the sensor response to two compounds that differed only by the replacement of a (deprotonating) hydroxyl group by a neutral methyl group. Finally, target analytes were detected without loss of sensitivity in a large background of a chemically similar, volatile compound. These results motivate further development of the DNA/graphene sensor family for use in an electronic olfaction system.
Right lateralized posterior parietal theta-gamma coupling during sustained attention in mice

Sustained attention is supported by circuits in the frontoparietal attention network. In human and primate studies, the right posterior parietal cortex (PPC) shows dominance for sustained attention, and phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) throughout the frontoparietal network correlates with performance on attention tasks. Here we evaluate oscillatory dynamics of bilateral PPC in mice during the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5-CSRTT). Right PPC theta-gamma PAC (TG-PAC) and gamma power were independently elevated to a greater degree than the left PPC during the period prior to a correct response and were significantly correlated with accuracy in both simple and difficult tasks. Greater task difficulty was also associated with greater hemispheric asymmetry in TG-PAC, favoring the right PPC. These findings highlight the engagement of PPC with sustained attention in mice, reflected by increases in TG-PAC and gamma power, with maximal expression in the right hemisphere.
Meeting the guidelines: Implementing a distress screening intervention for veterans with cancer.

Background Guidelines recommend systematic evaluation of distress screening and referral for cancer patients. Implementation remains a notable gap for cancer centers serving disadvantaged communities. We present the implementation of a distress screening program within a Veterans Affairs hospital oncology clinic, serving a majority African American (AA) male population of low socioeconomic status (SES). Methods The Coleman Foundation funded this program supporting a palliative care physician and psychologist to implement screening in a phased approach as follows: (1) Organizing key stakeholders, (2) educating clinical staff, (3) delivering distress screening, (4) generating documentation, and (5) implementing clinical action and referral pathways. We utilized validated measures in the "Patient Screening Questions for Supportive Care" screening tool. Results This program was unsuccessful in screening all veterans with cancer; however, we were able to implement 3 years of longitudinal screening. In distress screens from the initial program period (n = 253), patients were primarily males (95.6%) of older age (m = 70, standard deviation = 9.45), AA (76.4%), with various cancers of advanced disease (69%). Males reported moderate psychosocial distress and elevated financial needs. For males with elevated psychosocial distress (n = 63, PHQ-4 ≥3), 36% were previously connected with psychosocial services. Following screening, engagement increased as the majority (77%) established psychosocial care. Conclusions This screening program had mixed success. Centralized program staff and available supportive care referrals were critical for program implementation. Screening may have increased engagement in social work/mental health services for males of low SES. Screening programs should be tailored to the needs of underserved communities with accessible housing/food subsidies.
Wearable Activity Monitor Use Is Associated With the Aerobic Physical Activity Guidelines and Walking Among Older Adults

Purpose:To examine wearable activity monitor (WAM) use and its association with meeting the 2008 aerobic Physical Activity Guidelines (PAG) and walking among older adults.Design:Cross-sectional.Set...
The Competing Meanings of 'Biopolitics' in Political Science: Biological and Post-Modern Approaches to Politics

The term “biopolitics” carries multiple, sometimes competing, meanings in political science. When the term was first used in the United States in the late 1970s, it referred to an emerging sub-discipline that incorporated the theories and data of the life sciences into the study of political behavior and public policy. But by 1996 at the American Political Science Association’s Annual Meeting, the term biopolitics was adopted by post-modernist scholars who followed Foucault’s work in examining the power of the state on individuals. Foucault first used the term “biopolitics” in the 1970s to denote social, political power over life. Consequently, there are two groups of political scientists using this term in very different ways. This paper will examine the parallel developments of the term “biopolitics,” how two very different sub-disciplines have gained/lost control of the term, and what the future may hold for its meaning in political science.
Scotogenic cobimaximal Dirac neutrino mixing from $$\Delta (27)$$Δ(27) and $$U(1)_\chi $$U(1)χ

In the context of $$SU(3)_C \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y \times U(1)_\chi $$, where $$U(1)_\chi $$ comes from $$SO(10) \rightarrow SU(5) \times U(1)_\chi $$, supplemented by the non-Abelian discrete $$\Delta (27)$$ symmetry for three lepton families, Dirac neutrino masses and their mixing are radiatively generated through dark matter. The gauge $$U(1)_\chi $$ symmetry is broken spontaneously. The discrete $$\Delta (27)$$ symmetry is broken softly and spontaneously. Together, they result in two residual symmetries, a global $$U(1)_L$$ lepton number and a dark symmetry, which may be $$Z_2$$, $$Z_3$$, or $$U(1)_D$$ depending on what scalar breaks $$U(1)_\chi $$. Cobimaximal neutrino mixing, i.e. $$\theta _{13} \ne 0$$, $$\theta _{23} = \pi /4$$, and $$\delta _{CP} = \pm \pi /2$$, may also be obtained.
Durability Versus Concentration as an Explanation for Price Inflexibility

We document the extent of price rigidity across United States manufacturing industries in the 1980s and early 1990s and compare rigidity across different phases of the business cycle. We measure price rigidity in three ways – each under four different sets of assumptions. We take an approach that relies on disaggregated data; we look at price patterns for over 4000 individual manufactured commodities. Both durability and seller concentration are found to be important factors explaining differences in price rigidity across industrial product classes. Using our data, we replicate the regression results found in Carlton (1986) that were based on actual transaction prices from the 1960s.
Evidence for a Magnesium Pump in Bacillus cereus T

Unlike Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus T appears to accumulate Mg(2+) in its cell sap against a concentration gradient. Over a range of Mg(2+) in the growth medium from 5 x 10(-5) to 1.35 x 10(-2)m, the concentration of Mg(2+) in the cell sap of B. cereus T was maintained at about 6 x 10(-3)m, and ribosome-bound Mg(2+) and spermidine, as well as the spermidine concentration in the cell sap, appear to be unaffected by the concentration of Mg(2+) in the growth medium. Inhibition of growth of E. coli by streptomycin is progressively reversed by increasing the concentration of Mg(2+) in the growth medium above 5 mm. The finding that similar increases of Mg(2+) in the growth medium did not reverse the inhibition of B. cereus T is also consistent with the conclusion that B. cereus T, unlike E. coli, accumulates Mg(2+) to a constant concentration in its cell sap.
Technological allusivity: appreciating and teaching the role of aesthetics in engineering design

Is there an aesthetic dimension to engineering design? Is aesthetic sensitivity a characteristic that ought to be cultivated by prospective engineers? Does aesthetic sensitivity enhance or impede the engineering design effort? The answer to these questions will largely determine the answer to the broader question, "what is the role of the humanities in undergraduate engineering education?" Toward that end, the paper offers some answers to those more specific questions regarding aesthetics. After surveying a portion of the relevant literature, the issue of how we recognize and distinguish the aesthetic dimension is investigated. This is followed by a discussion of the nature of engineering design and how it differs from what is often called "applied science". With that distinction clarified, the question of terminology is addressed. A definitional context for questions such as "what is aesthetics?" and "what is good engineering design aesthetics?" is developed by rehearsing the meaning of well-defined terms and by suggesting meanings for those terms that often litter the linguistic landscape with their ambiguity. Equipped with these definitions, the role of aesthetics in engineering design is fleshed out, aesthetic allusion is distinguished from symbolic signifying, and examples of aesthetics in technical products as well as in the process of design are discussed. The paper concludes with some thoughts and recommendations about teaching aesthetics to undergraduate engineering students.
English education in the era of Meiji Japan

This paper analyzes the origins and internationalization objectives of methodologies used for English pedagogy in Meiji Japan. Curriculum during this period was designed to reinforce analytical, rote methodologies that resulted in the separation of language from culture. Texts tested intellectual acumen and promoted nationalistic sentiments, rather than communication skills, thereby limiting direct communication with the West and access to foreign ideas. A close examination of historical ties between English textbook methodology and the modernization agenda during Meiji helps us to better understand some of the practical challenges facing current foreign language policy and oral-linguistic proficiency in Japan.
Strain and domain evolution in YBa2Cu3Oz

Abstract A Monte Carlo study of the time evolution of atomic positions and occupancies within the basal plane of YBa2Cu3Oz is performed. The simulations are based upon an anisotropic Ising model, and, for the first time, include elastic interactions associated with continuous displacements of atoms within the basal plane. Samples quenched to temperatures below the disorder-order transition curve from the disordered tetragonal state rapidly form orthorhombic domains separated by twin boundaries. The resulting microstructure is observed to coarsen and eventually to anneal into a single domain that exhibits the experimentally observed 21/2 a 0 × 21/2 a 0 superlattice reflections. Strain maps are used to elucidate and interpret these observations.
Communication: On the difficulty of reproducibly measuring PbCl2 X-ray absorption spectra

Previous measurements of the X-ray absorption spectra of PbCl2 at the chlorine K-edge have shown significant variation between different studies. Herein, using first principles simulations of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we show that the observed spectral variations are due to the generation of Cl2 gas and depletion of chlorine from PbCl2, consistent with what is observed during ultraviolet absorption for the same compound. We note that Cl2 gas generation can also be initiated using higher resonant X-ray energies, including Pb X-ray absorption edges. While this casts doubt on previous interpretations of certain measurements, it does indicate a means of generating chlorine gas during in situ experiments by passing high energy x-rays through a hard x-ray transparent medium and onto PbCl2.
Nuclear System Test Simulator

The design of a microcomputer based line of test instruments used to check out nuclear systems under real time simulation is presented. To reduce both test time and the chance for technician error, special emphasis was given in the design to the programming of test functions and the inclusion of operating aids. The first application of this instrument, checkout of a BWR/6 Rod Control and Information System, is illustrated.
Non-equilibrium freezing behaviour of aqueous systems.

The tendencies to non-equilibrium freezing behaviour commonly noted in representative aqueous systems derive from bulk and surface properties according to the circumstances. Supercooling and supersaturation are limited by heterogeneous nucleation in the presence of solid impurities. Homogeneous nucleation has been observed in aqueous systems freed from interfering solids. Once initiated, crystal growth is often slowed and, very frequently, terminated with increasing viscosity. Nor does ice first formed always succeed in assuming its most stable crystalline form. Many of the more significant measurements on a given system can be combined and displayed in the form of a 'supplemented phase diagram', the latter permitting the simultaneous representation of thermodynamic and non-equilibrium properties. The diagram incorporates equilibrium melting points, heterogeneous nucleation temperatures, homogeneous nucleation temperatures, glass transition and devitrification temperatures, recrystallization temperatures, and, where appropriate, solute solubilities and eutectic temperatures. Taken together, the findings on model systems aid the identification of the kinetic and thermodynamic factors responsible for the freezing - thawing survival of living cells.