cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pluripotency of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adult marrow

We report here that cells co-purifying with mesenchymal stem cells--termed here multipotent adult progenitor cells or MAPCs--differentiate, at the single cell level, not only into mesenchymal cells, but also cells with visceral mesoderm, neuroectoderm and endoderm characteristics in vitro. When injected into an early blastocyst, single MAPCs contribute to most, if not all, somatic cell types. On transplantation into a non-irradiated host, MAPCs engraft and differentiate to the haematopoietic lineage, in addition to the epithelium of liver, lung and gut. Engraftment in the haematopoietic system as well as the gastrointestinal tract is increased when MAPCs are transplanted in a minimally irradiated host. As MAPCs proliferate extensively without obvious senescence or loss of differentiation potential, they may be an ideal cell source for therapy of inherited or degenerative diseases.
Object Identification Using Markov Random Field Segmentation Models at Multiple Resolutions of a Rectangular Lattice

One of the most powerful uses for Markov random fields is in the area of image analysis, where the (noisy) image is observed on a rectangular lattice. In Bayesian approaches, Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) algorithms are usually suggested as a means to obtain a maximum a pos.. teriori (MAP) prediction. The particular problem we consider here is that of contextual image segmentation. In practice, approximations to theoretically optimal McMC algorithms are necessary but these algorithms tend to restrict movement through the space of potential segmentations. In this paper, efficient multi-resolution techniques are used to obtain a good initial labeling and to allow more movement through the label configuration space. Examples of both natural images and synthetic images are presented.
Aeolian Processes on Mars: Erosive Velocities, Settling Velocities, and Yellow Clouds

Extremely high atmospheric wind velocities are needed to erode particulate matter on Mars. Settling velocities are roughly equivalent to terrestrial settling velocities for clay to fine sand-size particles; suspension transport may be dominant for fine particles on Mars. Yellow clouds suggest that required threshold erosion velocities are reached and that a great deal of fine-grained material is carried in suspension. Yellow cloud origins are concentrated over the southern latitudes and areas of major topographic relief. The cloud distribution pattern suggests that high threshold velocities are attained by transient atmospheric disturbances such as slope winds and dust devils.-
Comparative Gut Microbiota of 59 Neotropical Bird Species

The gut microbiota of vertebrates are essential to host health. Most non-model systems, however, lack even a basic description of natural gut microbiota biodiversity. Here, we sampled 116 intestines from 59 Neotropical bird species and used the V6 region of the 16S rRNA molecule as a microbial fingerprint (average coverage per bird ~80,000 reads). A core microbiota of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria was identified, as well as several gut-associated genera. We tested 18 categorical variables associated with each bird for significant correlation to the gut microbiota; host taxonomic categories were most frequently significant and explained the most variation. Ecological variables (e.g., diet, foraging stratum) were also frequently significant but explained less variation. Little evidence is found for a significant influence of geographic space. Finally, we suggest that microbial sampling during field collection of organisms would propel biological understanding of evolutionary history and ecological significance of host-associated microbiota.
Belief: An Essay in Understanding

The author offers an essay asking the questions, what is belief and what role does it play in decision making? After analyzing several possible definitions of belief, the author addresses how understanding the concept of belief can illuminate controversies involving religion and the law, copyright and speech rights, and the legal imagination.
Carbon nanocomposite catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions: From nitrogen doping to transition-metal addition

Abstract Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and evolution reaction (OER) are one pair of the most important electrochemical reactions associated with energy conversion and storage technologies, such as fuel cells, metal–air batteries, and water electrolyzers. However, the sluggish ORR and OER requires a significantly large quantity of precious metals (e.g., Pt or Ir) to enhance reaction activity and durability. Highly active and robust nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) are desperately required to address the cost and durability issues. Among NPMC formulations studied, carbon-based catalysts hold the greatest promise to replace these precious metals in the future due to their low-cost, extremely high surface area, excellent mechanical and electrical properties, sufficient stability under harsh environments, and high functionality. In particular, nitrogen-doped carbon nanocomposites, which were prepared from “metal-free” N–C formulations and transition metals-derived M–N–C (M=Fe or Co), have demonstrated remarkably improved catalytic activity and stability in alkaline and acidic electrolytes. In this review, based on the recent progress in the field, we aim to provide an overview for both types of carbon catalysts in terms of catalyst synthesis, structure/morphology, and catalytic activity and durability enhancement. We primarily focus on elucidation of synthesis–structure–activity correlations obtained from synthesis and extensive characterization, thereby providing guidance for rational design of advanced catalysts for the ORR. Additionally, a hybrid concept of using highly ORR active carbon nanocomposites to support Pt nanoparticles was highlighted with an aim to enhance catalytic performance and reduce required precious metal loading. Beyond the ORR, opportunities and challenges of ORR/OER bifunctional carbon composite catalysts were outlined. Perspectives on these carbon-based catalysts, future approaches, and possible pathways to address current remaining challenges are also discussed.
Multisection in the Stochastic Block Model using Semidefinite Programming

We consider the problem of identifying underlying community-like structures in graphs. Toward this end, we study the stochastic block model (SBM) on k-clusters: a random model on n = km vertices, partitioned in k equal sized clusters, with edges sampled independently across clusters with probability q and within clusters with probability p, p > q. The goal is to recover the initial “hidden” partition of [n]. We study semidefinite programming (SDP)-based algorithms in this context. In the regime \(p = \frac {\alpha \log (m)}{m}\) and \(q = \frac {\beta \log (m)}{m}\), we show that a certain natural SDP-based algorithm solves the problem of exact recovery in the k-community SBM, with high probability, whenever \(\sqrt {\alpha } - \sqrt {\beta } > \sqrt {1}\), as long as \(k=o(\log n)\). This threshold is known to be the information theoretically optimal. We also study the case when \(k=\theta (\log (n))\). In this case however, we achieve recovery guarantees that no longer match the optimal condition \(\sqrt {\alpha } - \sqrt {\beta } > \sqrt {1}\), thus leaving achieving optimality for this range an open question.
Rebuttal of Short Sales, Long Sales, and the Lee-Ready Trade Classification Algorithm Revisited

Chakrabarty, Moulton and Shkilko (2012) claim that they redo Asquith, Oman, and Safaya (2010) and obtain different results. This note shows Chakrabarty, et al. (2012) only redid a portion of Asquith, et al. (2010) and their results for that portion are the same as Asquith, et al. (2010). Furthermore, the findings in Chakrabarty, et al. (2012) do not show the Lee-Ready algorithm properly classifies short sales as they claim.
Evaluation of methanol oxidation catalysts by rotating disc voltammetry

Abstract Rotating disc voltammetry of 0.1 M methanol at thick catalyst layers shows significant increases in current with increasing rotation rate. Although a mass transport limited current was not reached, due to inhibition of methanol oxidation by Pt oxide at high potentials, linear Koutecky-Levich plots were obtain in the mixed kinetic-mass transport region. For a carbon supported Pt catalyst, the slopes of the Koutecky-Levich plots corresponded to a methanol oxidation efficiency of ca. 50% (average n-value of 3.1 electrons per molecule), while the efficiency was ca. 100% for a PtRu black catalyst. The methanol diffusion coefficient obtained with the PtRu black catalyst was in good agreement with literature values. Koutecky-Levich plots provide mass transport corrected kinetic currents, in the mixed kinetic-mass transport region, that complement values obtained at lower potentials by cyclic voltammetry or at constant potential.
Cymbeline: Shakespeare’s Last Roman Play

B Y THE TIME HE WROTE Cymbeline, Shakespeare had already made several forays into things Roman: the early tragedies Titus Andronicus and Julius Caesar and the two tragedies shortly before Cymbeline-Antony and Cleopatra and Coriolanus. Shakespeare apparently saw in the ancient Romans virtues that could be celebrated, historical events of profound significance, and characters ripe for dramatic presentation. In a recent retrospective essay discussing criticism and scholarship on Shakespeare's classical plays, John W. Velz wrestles with the question, "What ... was Rome to Shakespeare?"' He argues that Shakespeare thought concretely, perhaps authentically, about Rome. The "Roman" qualities Velz sees in Shakespeare's plays include language and style (especially an oratorical mode), national character (mirrored sometimes in the Stoicism of characters and sometimes in their decadence), institutions (with particular emphasis on the family, notably in Titus), and sense of place (Rome as a walled city of civilization). One might also mention that common to the Roman plays is a focus on military exploits, with the accompanying tumult, confusion, and occasional exercise of magnanimity. Whatever else Shakespeare may have thought about Romans, he surely thought of them as soldiers. Unlike any of Shakespeare's other romances, Cymbeline has a military focus and a concentration of political struggles reminiscent of the Roman plays. Though its Roman background has not been particularly emphasized by interpreters,2 that attribute of the play accounts for much that happens. Cymbeline
The pay‐offs of maternal care increase as offspring develop, favouring extended provisioning in an egg‐feeding frog

Offspring quantity and quality are components of parental fitness that cannot be maximized simultaneously. When the benefits of investing in offspring quality decline, parents are expected to shift investment towards offspring quantity (other reproductive opportunities). Even when mothers retain complete control of resource allocation, offspring control whether to allocate investment to growth or development towards independence, and this shared control may generate parent-offspring conflict over the duration of care. We examined these predictions by, in a captive colony, experimentally removing tadpoles of the strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio) from the mothers that provision them with trophic eggs throughout development. Tadpoles removed from their mothers were no less likely to survive to nutritional independence (i.e. through metamorphosis) than were those that remained with their mothers, but these offspring were smaller at metamorphosis and were less likely to survive to reach adult size, even though they were fed ad libitum. Tadpoles that remained with their mothers developed more slowly than those not receiving care, a pattern that might suggest that offspring extracted more care than was in mothers' best interests. However, the fitness returns of providing care increased with offspring development, suggesting that mothers would be best off continuing care until tadpoles initiated metamorphosis. Although the benefits of parental investment in offspring quality are often thought to asymptote at high levels, driving parent-offspring conflict over weaning, this assumption may not hold over natural ranges of investment, with selection on both parents and offspring favouring extended durations of parental care.
Potholes and (in) Geography: Studying State Shapes in the Neighborhood

Recently I was walking out of a donut shop headed through a pothole-infested parking lot when I instructed my daughter to snap a picture of a broken, cracked, and water-filled indentation, and seco...
Chapter 11 – Laser Instrumentation and Measurement

This chapter discusses the applications of lasers for various types of measurements. It reviews the methods used for measuring velocity, for measuring angular rotation rate, for measuring the diameter of wires and fibers, for determining surface profile and position, for measuring dimensions of finished products, and for particle sizing. The velocity measurement is carried out for both the fluid flow and the solid surfaces. Measurement of the fluid flow velocity can be done by scattering a laser beam from a liquid or gas. The laser beam interacts with small particles carried along by the flowing fluid. These particles scatter some of the light in all directions. The frequency of the scattered light gets slightly shifted by the Doppler effect. Laser Doppler velocimetry is employed in many scientific and engineering applications to measure the flow velocity. One of the greatest advantages of laser Doppler velocimetry is that there is no physical contact with the fluid.
Biochemical Characterization of hTRF1 and hTEP1, Two Proteins Involved in Telomere Maintenance

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF FIGURES vii LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENT xi DEDICATION xiii I. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE 1 History: 1 Telomere Structure: 3 Telomeric Proteins and RNA: 6 Cellular Implications of Telomeres, Coordinated Synthesis, and Significance: 13 II. MATERIALS AND METHODS 24 Cloning 24 Cell Culture 28 Baculovirus: 29 Protein Expression and Purification 32 SDS polyacrylamide gels and Immunoblotting 34 In Vitro Transcription 36 Electromobility Shift Assay (EMSA) 36 Fluorometry 37 III. RESULTS 41 hTEP1 41 hTRF1 49 IV. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 94 hTEP1 94 hTRF1 96 V. BIBLIOGRAPHY 100
Pulmonary Artery Invasion Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis refers to Mycobacterium tuberculosis involving organs other than the lungs (eg, pleura, lymph nodes, genitourinary tract, abdomen, skin, joints and bones, or meninges). In non-HIV-endemic areas, where reactivation is the predominant mechanism of tuberculosis, pleural involvement occurs in 4% of cases. We present an extremely rare case of a 62-year-old immunocompetent patient with pleural tuberculosis confirmed by surgical pleural biopsies, who presented with a large mediastinal mass and evidence of pulmonary artery invasion on CT scanning and endobronchial ultrasonography imaging, highlighting a unique and malignant-like character of the disease.
Methodology to assess end-of-life anaerobic biodegradation kinetics and methane production potential for composite materials

Abstract Composites made with bio-based resins are promising candidates for replacement of conventional plastic composites made with petroleum-based resins in many applications (e.g., decking, paneling, furniture, molded automotive parts). For any such applications, end-of-life management needs consideration. Here, we describe a methodology to assess end-of-life anaerobic degradation to methane (CH 4 ) within landfills or anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities in batch anaerobic microcosms. The core methodology combines stoichiometric considerations, chemical oxygen demand (COD) analysis, a CH 4 production assay, and modeling. Additional analyses, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), can complement this core set of analyses. We apply the methodology to injection molded poly(hydroxybutyrate- co -hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) composites with wood fiber (WF) (0%, 20%, 40%) and two fiber-matrix compatibilization treatments that enhance in-service performance: (1) hydrophobic silane treatment of the WF and (2) grafting of hydrophilic maleic anhydride groups to the PHBV matrix. The methodology successfully quantifies process kinetics, ultimate CH 4 production capacity, and biodegradability, and allows comparison to reference materials (positive controls).
Tissue-specific network-based genome wide study of amygdala imaging phenotypes to identify functional interaction modules

Motivation Network-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aim to identify functional modules from biological networks that are enriched by top GWAS findings. Although gene functions are relevant to tissue context, most existing methods analyze tissue-free networks without reflecting phenotypic specificity. Results We propose a novel module identification framework for imaging genetic studies using the tissue-specific functional interaction network. Our method includes three steps: (i) re-prioritize imaging GWAS findings by applying machine learning methods to incorporate network topological information and enhance the connectivity among top genes; (ii) detect densely connected modules based on interactions among top re-prioritized genes; and (iii) identify phenotype-relevant modules enriched by top GWAS findings. We demonstrate our method on the GWAS of [18F]FDG-PET measures in the amygdala region using the imaging genetic data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and map the GWAS results onto the amygdala-specific functional interaction network. The proposed network-based GWAS method can effectively detect densely connected modules enriched by top GWAS findings. Tissue-specific functional network can provide precise context to help explore the collective effects of genes with biologically meaningful interactions specific to the studied phenotype. Availability and implementation The R code and sample data are freely available at http://www.iu.edu/shenlab/tools/gwasmodule/. Contact shenli@iu.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Computational imaging in multiple scattering with recursive models

I will present a computational imaging framework by formulating the forward model using a recursive procedure [1]. This allows us to solve the inverse scattering problem using a neural network approach and recover information in multiple scattering.
Curvature Averaging Theorem

In the problem of classification of manifolds with respect to curvature properties, the manifolds admitting a metric with sectional curvature of a given sign, form a natural subclass.
Association between hospital volume and receipt of treatment and survival in patients with glioblastoma

The relation between hospital volume and outcomes for patients with glioblastoma is unknown. We undertook this study to determine the effect of hospital volume on treatment received and its effect on survival in patients with glioblastoma. We included patients from the National Cancer Database diagnosed with a glioblastoma from 2006 to 2013. Hospital volume was calculated by examining the treating facilities average number of cases per year and grouping them into tertiles: (low < 9.25, medium 9.26-23.88, and high ≥ 23.39). Treatment was defined as receiving any type of therapeutic surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Using regression models we examined the relation between hospital volume to treatment received and survival with adjustment for clinical, socioeconomic and institutional factors. The study included 68,726 patients of which 91.8% received treatment. Among patients diagnosed at low volume facilities, 90.1% received treatment versus 94.2% in high volume facilities (p < 0.0001). Compared to low volume centers, the odds ratio of receiving any treatment was 1.01 (CI 95% CI: 0.95-1.09) and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.31-1.55) for medium volume and high volume facilities, respectively. On multivariate analysis for survival among those who received treatment, the hazard of mortality was decreased at high volume (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.94) facilities compared to low volume facilities. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma at a high volume facility (≥23.39 cases per year) have an increased likelihood of receiving treatment. Furthermore, glioblastoma patients may significantly improve their survival by choosing to receive care at a high-volume hospital.
Sphingosine kinase 1-associated autophagy differs between neurons and astrocytes

Autophagy is a degradative pathway for removing aggregated proteins, damaged organelles, and parasites. Evidence indicates that autophagic pathways differ between cell types. In neurons, autophagy plays a homeostatic role, compared to a survival mechanism employed by starving non-neuronal cells. We investigated if sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1)-associated autophagy differs between two symbiotic brain cell types—neurons and astrocytes. SK1 synthesizes sphingosine-1-phosphate, which regulates autophagy in non-neuronal cells and in neurons. We found that benzoxazine autophagy inducers upregulate SK1 and neuroprotective autophagy in neurons, but not in astrocytes. Starvation enhances SK1-associated autophagy in astrocytes, but not in neurons. In astrocytes, SK1 is cytoprotective and promotes the degradation of an autophagy substrate, mutant huntingtin, the protein that causes Huntington’s disease. Overexpressed SK1 is unexpectedly toxic to neurons, and its toxicity localizes to the neuronal soma, demonstrating an intricate relationship between the localization of SK1’s activity and neurotoxicity. Our results underscore the importance of cell type-specific autophagic differences in any efforts to target autophagy therapeutically.
Safety of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal air disinfection for room occupants: results from the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study.

Objectives.We evaluated the safety of room occupants in the Tuberculosis Ultraviolet Shelter Study (TUSS), a double-blind, placebo-controlled field trial of upper-room ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) at 14 homeless shelters in six U.S. cities from 1997 to 2004.Methods.Data collection involved administering questionnaires regarding eye and skin irritation to a total of 3,611 staff and homeless study subjects.Results.Among these subjects, there were 223 reports of eye or skin symptoms. During the active UV period, 95 questionnaires (6%) noted such symptoms, and during the placebo period, 92 questionnaires (6%) did so. In the 36 remaining cases, either the UV period when symptoms took place was unknown or the symptoms spanned both periods. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of reports of symptoms between the active and placebo periods. One definite instance of UV-related keratoconjunctivitis occurred, resulting from a placement of a bunk bed in a dormitory where a singl...
Fuzzy logic and approximate reasoning

The term fuzzy logic is used in this paper to describe an imprecise logical system, FL, in which the truth-values are fuzzy subsets of the unit interval with linguistic labels such as true, false, not true, very true, quite true, not very true and not very false, etc. The truth-value set, ℐ, of FL is assumed to be generated by a context-free grammar, with a semantic rule providing a means of computing the meaning of each linguistic truth-value in ℐ as a fuzzy subset of [0, 1]. Since ℐ is not closed under the operations of negation, conjunction, disjunction and implication, the result of an operation on truth-values in ℐ requires, in general, a linguistic approximation by a truth-value in ℐ. As a consequence, the truth tables and the rules of inference in fuzzy logic are (i) inexact and (ii) dependent on the meaning associated with the primary truth-value true as well as the modifiers very, quite, more or less, etc. Approximate reasoning is viewed as a process of approximate solution of a system of relational assignment equations. This process is formulated as a compositional rule of inference which subsumes modus ponens as a special case. A characteristic feature of approximate reasoning is the fuzziness and nonuniqueness of consequents of fuzzy premisses. Simple examples of approximate reasoning are: (a) Most men are vain; Socrates is a man; therefore, it is very likely that Socrates is vain. (b) x is small; x and y are approximately equal; therefore y is more or less small, where italicized words are labels of fuzzy sets.
Molecular Biology of the Clostridium difficile Toxins

Publisher Summary It causes a less severe, but more common, form of the disease termed antibiotic associated diarrhea (ADD). Clostridium difficile is now recognized as the primary cause of ADD in the United States. Toxins are the major virulence factors in C. difficile disease. Protection against toxins A and B are consistently found in fecal specimens from patients and experimental animals with the disease. Effective vaccination of experimental animals against the disease requires protection against both toxins. Most of the research on C. difficile disease has focused on purification and characterization of the molecular and biological properties of toxins A and B. Protein fractions attributed to purified toxin erroneously showed lower molecule weight proteins when analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Cloning, sequencing and expression of the toxin genes in Escherichia coli established that toxins A and B are the largest known bacterial toxins and are each composed of a single polypeptide. The toxins covalently modify low molecular weight guanine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins that regulate the actin microfilaments. A number of other clostridial enzymes modify the Rho family of proteins by adenosine diphosphate(ADP)-ribosylation.
Negative Cognitions Following Distressing Unwanted Sex: The Role of Coercion Severity and Perceived Consent.

Findings from past research suggest that unwanted sex (i.e., sex that is not fully desired) can result in a variety of outcomes, ranging from positive to negative. Some research has demonstrated th...
Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Team Model of Care: A Clinical Overview

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Reports of To Err is Human and Crossing the Quality Chasm have called for more interprofessional and coordinated hospital care. For over 20 years, Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Units and models of care that disseminate ACE principles have demonstrated outcomes in-line with the IOM goals. The objective of this overview is to provide a concise summary of studies that describe outcomes of ACE models of care published in 1995 or later. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion. Of these, 19 studies were from ACE Units and three were evaluations of ACE Services, or teams that cared for patients on more than one hospital unit. Outcomes from these studies included increased adherence to evidence-based geriatric care processes, improved patient functional status at time of hospital discharge, and reductions in length of stay and costs in patients admitted to ACE models compared to usual care. These outcomes represent value-based care. As interprofessional team models are adopted, training in successful team functioning will also be needed.
Interpersonal similarity in dyads

Abstract A basic human task is the assessment of another's similarity to oneself, and is termed self-referenced interpersonal perception. Different approaches to estimating self-other similarity are discussed for single and multiple interaction research designs. Self-references interpersonal similarity is not a single phenomenon, but rather, a family of phenomena at the individual, dyadic and group levels. Estimates of these phenomena from a study using the key person design are presented. A method for assessing the profile similarity of dyad members is also developed.
Decontamination of bovine hide surfaces for enhancing food safety: Use of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide and chlorhexidine digluconate

Abstract This study evaluated the efficacy of alkyltrimethylammonium-bromide (ATMB) and chlorhexidine-digluconate (CDG) to reduce pathogens of meat safety concerns in solution and on hides. In solution, ATMB at 50 and 250 ppm reduced individual cocktails of Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes at averages of 1.77 and 3.76, 1.11 and 5.78, 0.52 and 2.55 log CFU/mL respectively after 5 min, where CDG at 250 and 500 ppm reduced S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 at averages of 1.14 and 2.52, 1.00 and 1.63 log CFU/mL respectively. Treatment with 6,000 ppm ATMB for 5 min reduced S. enterica, E. coli and L. monocytogenes on inoculated hide surfaces at averages of 0.40, 1.77 and 2.05 log CFU/cm2 respectively, relative to a water-only control. Similarly, 1,000 ppm CDG resulted maximum reductions in S. enterica, E. coli of 2.82, 2.41 log CFU/cm2 in 5 min and L. monocytogenes of 2.18 log CFU/cm2 in 3 min respectively from the inoculated haired surface of hide.
Structure and Dynamics of Disk Membrane Vesicles

This paper has a simple objective. It is to show that the laser light scattering techniques constitute the crucial parts of a battery of physical methods employed to probe an interesting and important problem, i.e., the molecular mechanism of vertebrate photoreceptor function. In order to do so, I will first describe briefly what is known about the photoreceptor function of rod cells of the vertebrate retina. That will be followed by the description and justification for focusing on a particular organelle of a rod cell, i.e., disk membrane, and how we isolate them into vesicles in vitro and characterize their size and shape. Subsequently four specific studies with these vesicles that are relevant to the molecular mechanism of photoreception will be chosen to illustrate the point.
Sexual Violence and Cultural Crime in the Country Noir Fiction of Bonnie Jo Campbell

ABSTRACTBonnie Jo Campbell’s work, much of it taking place in rural Michigan, has been labeled “country (or rural) noir,” a subcategory of noir fiction. Two stories from Mothers, Tell Your Daughter...
Consequential effects of increased use of recycled fiber in the United States pulp and paper industry

Abstract Recycling is generally recognized as a key component of strategies to achieve improved resource efficiency and reduce the environmental burden associated with resource use. However, to maximize the net benefits offered by recycling, one must understand the system-wide effects of substituting primary materials with recycled materials and how those effects vary under alternative strategies. Consequential life cycle assessment (cLCA) approaches to evaluate the impact of increasing use of recycled materials require identification of grades and sources of scrap materials used at the margin. Various grades of recycled materials differ in their substitution possibilities and supply limits. However, most studies of cLCA for material recycling overlook these aspects and typically assume a fixed set of marginal activities. This study develops a model to describe the resource consumption behaviors of material producers and the resulting cascade of material flows for the case of the United States (US) pulp and paper industry. We observe that grades and sources of scrap materials used at the margin dynamically change so as the resulting environmental impact when demand for recycled containerboard products increases. The results show that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings effect of using recycled materials can be considerably larger when marginal recovered fiber comes from additional recovery from landfill rather than being diverted from the export market. Also, the results show that the behavior of international trade partners for recovered paper may offset GHG emission savings from the domestic replacement of virgin pulpwood with recovered paper. Most importantly, such behaviors are dependent on grades used at the margin. The developed model and results can help inform the US pulp and paper industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders about the system-wide effects of increasing use of recovered paper.
Microvascular Changes in the Diabetic Foot

The microcirculation—arterioles, venules, and capillaries—is critical for gas exchange, delivery of nutrients, and removal of waste products at the tissue level. Perfusion of the microcirculation is tightly controlled and highly regulated. Diabetes has a profound effect on the entire cardiovascular system and the microcirculation is particularly impacted. Diabetes induces basement membrane thickening impairing diffusion. Capillary perfusion is ultimately reduced producing local tissue ischemia despite normal pedal pulses. Diabetes disrupts the nerve–axon reflex, increases oxidative stress, and results in endothelial dysfunction. These effects of diabetes on the microcirculation have important clinical significance for practitioners caring for patients with diabetes. Understanding the effects of diabetes on the microcirculation impacts preventative care, diagnosis of the complications of diabetes, managing wounds, and ultimately has implications for the surgical treatment of complications of diabetes.
Development of Bilateral Heterotopic Ossification After Survival of Life Threatening Purpura Fulminans.

Heterotopic ossification has been reported in patients who have undergone traumatic amputations, burn injuries, and total hip arthroplasty; however, the incidence of heterotopic ossification following purpura fulminans has only been reported in one case with unilateral involvement. Here we present a bilateral lower extremity case of heterotopic ossification as sequelae of purpura fulminans. A 34-year-old male smoker with a past medical history of stab wounds to the chest and abdomen requiring emergent exploratory laparotomy, diaphragmatic repair, and splenectomy 15 years ago presented to the emergency department with a rapid onset of high fevers, chills and myalgia. He did not receive post-splenectomy prophylactic vaccinations for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae. The patient presented clinically in septic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation. The patient was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit and subsequent workup suggested Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia. Over the next 48 hours, the patient developed extensive necrosis of the bilateral upper and lower extremities concerning for purpura fulminans. The decision was made to perform a right transradial forearm amputation as well as bilateral transtibial amputations. He tolerated these procedures and was discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Approximately four months following his bilateral below knee amputations, the patient had difficulty wearing the prosthetics secondary to pain and eventually discontinued use altogether. At home, he continued to ambulate by bearing weight on his knees while wearing kneepads. He continued to report significant tenderness and pain along the bilaterally, below knee amputation stumps. His physical examination was concerning for significant distal bone formation in his bilateral amputation stump sites without evidence of skin breakdown. Intraoperatively, extensive bony formation was found bilaterally within his soleus muscle flaps, concerning for heterotopic ossification. Postoperatively, the patient was refitted for lower extremity prosthetics. Similar to burns and trauma, the development of heterotopic ossification in patients with purpura fulminans may be directly related to the inflammatory process and amount of tissue damage. In some cases, heterotopic ossification could be caused from daily living activities, so the timing of diagnostic imaging techniques and clinical intervention is crucial.
Modeling and Analysis of Weak Grid Considering Phase Locked Loop and Synchronous Condenser Effect on Grid Stability

This paper presents a modeling framework for wind integrated weak power grid and a detailed analysis of grid stability. The analysis uses a weak power grid model with Type-4 Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) integrated to a lumped group of Australian thermal power stations using steam governor and IEEE T2 AVR control model through a variable impedance network representing the grid. The represented model can seamlessly evaluate the grid fluctuations with respect to the point of common coupling (PCC) of the wind farm as the grid strength varies. Steady-state and dynamic cases with varying network impedances are analyzed first. Then the effect of phase-locked loop (PLL) on grid stability is analyzed for varied test cases formulated based on the short circuit ratio of the grid. Further, the enhancement of grid stability is analyzed by integrating a synchronous condenser(SC) at PCC. Enhanced reactive power support offered by the SC improves the steady-state and transient voltage stability as the grid strength decreases.
The Role of Interdependence in the Micro-Foundations of Organization Design: Task, Goal, and Knowledge Interdependence

Interdependence is a core concept in organization design, yet one that has remained consistently understudied. Current notions of interdependence remain rooted in seminal works, produced at a time ...
Analysis on results of serological detection of brucellosis patients in Ji'nan City from 2008 to 2014

Objective By analyzing the epidemiological characteristics and trends of brucellosis in Ji'nan City, to provide a scientific basis for further prevention and control of the disease. Methods Serum samples of suspected brucellosis patients were collected from every county (city, district) of Ji'nan City from 2008 to 2014, and these samples were screened by Rose-bengal plate agglutination test (RBPT). Then positive samples were confirmed by Standard tube agglutination test (SAT), and experimental data and results were analyzed by statistics. Results Totally 2 713 serum samples of suspected brucellosis patients were tested, and 200 were positive by SAT. Temporal distribution: the serum antibody positive specimens were detected each month throughout the year, and the results showed clear seasonal prevalence by concentrating from March to September (82.07% , 151/184). Population distribution: the serum antibody positive rate of males was higher than that of females, the ratio was 2.08 : 1.00, and the cases were found among 15 to 75 years old, while concentrated from 30 to 65 (67.00%, 134/200). Spatial distribution: except Huaiyin District, positive samples were detected in all other 10 counties (cities, districts) of Ji'nan City, most of them (92.5%, 185/200) in Shanghe, Zhangqiu, Changqing, Shizhong and Licheng counties (cities, districts). Conclusions Brucellosis epidemic in Ji'nan is serious, and cases have occurred mostly in spring, summer and autumn. It is recommended that health propaganda and education should be strengthened in order to enhance self-protection awareness of the exposed population, and then improve the physical examination for early discovery, early reporting and early treatment. At the same time, it is important to cooperate with the Department of Livestock to prevent and control brucellosis. Key words: Brucellosis; Serum surveillance; Epidemiology
Lipoprotein(a) and Family History Predict Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Abstract Background Elevated lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]) and family history (FHx) of coronary heart disease (CHD) are individually associated with cardiovascular risk, and Lp(a) is commonly measured in those with FHx. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine independent and joint associations of Lp(a) and FHx with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and CHD among asymptomatic subjects. Methods Plasma Lp(a) was measured and FHx was ascertained in 2 cohorts. Elevated Lp(a) was defined as the highest race-specific quintile. Independent and joint associations of Lp(a) and FHx with cardiovascular risk were determined using Cox regression models adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors. Results Among 12,149 ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) participants (54 years, 56% women, 23% black, 44% with FHx), 3,114 ASCVD events were observed during 21 years of follow-up. FHx and elevated Lp(a) were independently associated with ASCVD (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09 to 1.26, and HR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.12 to 1.40, respectively), and no Lp(a)-by-FHx interaction was noted (p = 0.75). Compared with subjects without FHx and nonelevated Lp(a), those with either elevated Lp(a) or FHx were at a higher ASCVD risk, while those with both had the highest risk (HR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.27 to 1.62). Similar findings were observed for CHD risk in ARIC, in analyses stratified by premature FHx, and in an independent cohort, the DHS (Dallas Heart Study). Presence of both elevated Lp(a) and FHx resulted in greater improvement in ASCVD and CHD risk reclassification and discrimination indexes than either marker alone. Conclusions Elevated plasma Lp(a) and FHx have independent and additive joint associations with cardiovascular risk and may be useful concurrently for guiding primary prevention therapy decisions.
Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid: Pathologic outcomes and ultrasonographic analysis.

Background Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules suspicious for Hurthle cell neoplasms (HCN) have uncertain rate of malignancy. We aim to characterize rate and predictors of malignancy at our institution and compare these findings with established literature to help guide management. Methods Single tertiary-referral center, retrospective study of 166 adults who underwent hemithyroidectomy or total thyroidectomy following FNA suspicious for HCN from 1998-2018. Demographic information and surgical histopathologic results were collected. Preoperative ultrasonography was independently scored on the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) by a board-certified head and neck radiologist. Results There were 39 males and 127 females. Overall, 25 (15.1%) patients had carcinoma, with 15 (9%) being Hurthle cell carcinoma (HCC). Men had higher incidence of carcinoma (25.6% v. 11.8%, P = .035), and especially older males. Contralateral carcinoma was seen in 3 of 13 (23.1%) patients that underwent completion thyroidectomy. Patients with carcinoma had larger nodules (average diameter 3.3 cm versus 2.5 cm, respectively, P = .01), but no association with TI-RADS. Conclusion Adults with nodules suspicious for HCN have significant risk of malignancy consistent with prior studies. Older males and larger nodule diameter are associated with malignancy in this cohort, but TI-RADS grade is not. These findings provide a framework for management and counseling for lesions suspicious for HCN.
POR UMA ESCOLA INTERCULTURAL: A SALA DE AULA COMO LUGAR DE MUITAS HISTÓRIAS

Este artigo aborda a tematica da colonialidade na Educacao Basica e tem como objetivo discutir a maneira como a escola brasileira tem participado na reproducao de uma unica perspectiva historica, a eurocentrica. Para isso, estabelece um dialogo hermeneutico a partir de conceitos e reflexoes de autores decoloniais, os quais defendem a producao de um pensamento desde o sul. Sugere-se a pedagogia decolonial como um dos caminhos para se chegar a outros conhecimentos, narrativas e cosmovisoes. Tal dinâmica implica um dialogo critico sobre os conhecimentos, modos de pensar do mundo ocidental e uma abertura aos povos originarios e afrodiasporicos em terras americanas. Por fim, defende-se a proposta de uma educacao intercultural, que tenha como base a pluralidade e aancestralidade de seus povos.
Computational challenges and opportunities in spatially resolved transcriptomic data analysis

Spatially resolved transcriptomic data demand new computational analysis methods to derive biological insights. Here, we comment on these associated computational challenges as well as highlight the opportunities for standardized benchmarking metrics and data-sharing infrastructure in spurring innovation moving forward.
Scatterbrain: Unifying Sparse and Low-rank Attention Approximation

Recent advances in efficient Transformers have exploited either the sparsity or low-rank properties of attention matrices to reduce the computational and memory bottlenecks of modeling long sequences. However, it is still challenging to balance the trade-off between model quality and efficiency to perform a one-size-fits-all approximation for different tasks. To better understand this trade-off, we observe that sparse and low-rank approximations excel in different regimes, determined by the softmax temperature in attention, and sparse + low-rank can outperform each individually. Inspired by the classical robust-PCA algorithm for sparse and low-rank decomposition, we propose Scatterbrain, a novel way to unify sparse (via locality sensitive hashing) and low-rank (via kernel feature map) attention for accurate and efficient approximation. The estimation is unbiased with provably low error. We empirically show that Scatterbrain can achieve 2.1x lower error than baselines when serving as a drop-in replacement in BigGAN image generation and pre-trained T2T-ViT. On a pre-trained T2T Vision transformer, even without fine-tuning, Scatterbrain can reduce 98% of attention memory at the cost of only 1% drop in accuracy. We demonstrate Scatterbrain for end-to-end training with up to 4 points better perplexity and 5 points better average accuracy than sparse or low-rank efficient transformers on language modeling and long-range-arena tasks.
The Role of Symmetries in Systems of Strongly Correlated Electrons

We discuss the role of the SO(4) symmetry for the dynamics of the Hubbard model. The elementary excitations in the half-filled band (in the one-dimensional case) form the fundamental representation of SU(2) × SU(2). The exact scattering matrix has the same symmetry. By making use of this strong influence of symmetries on the dynamics, it is possible to extend the Hubbard model such that it becomes superconducting. One should add additional nearest neighbour interactions to the hamiltonian, which enlarge the symmetry of the model from SO(4) to the superalgebra SU(2|2).
Repeal Tax Exemption for Municipal Bonds

This proposal would repeal section 103, which now exempts interest paid on state and local bonds. The exemption wastes most of its federal cost. The fraction of the cost delivered to borrowers induces them to undertake projects that would not be rational given the real cost of capital. The exemption would bereplaced with a budgeted payment to current borrowers to reduce their debt. Current bonds would be taxable prospectively but with a credit for discount or implicit tax that was of help to the borrower.The proposal is made as a part of the Shelf Project, a collaboration among tax professionals to develop and perfect proposals to help Congress when it needs to raise revenue. Shelf Project proposals are intended to raise revenue, defend the tax base, follow the money, and improve the rationality and efficiency of the tax system. Shelf Project proposals follow the format of a congressional tax committee report in explaining current law, what is wrong with it, and how to fix it.
A role for two DNA helicases in the replication of T4 bacteriophage DNA.

The T4 bacteriophage gene 41 protein is the highly processive DNA helicase of the T4 primosome, a central part of the protein machinery that moves the T4 DNA replication fork. The T4 gene 59 protein accelerates the loading of 41 protein onto DNA covered with 32 protein (the T4 single strand binding protein), and it makes the 41 protein DNA helicase activity rapidly available to catalyze replication fork movement through a DNA double helix (Barry, J., and Alberts, B.M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 33049-33062). With the aid of the 59 protein, we show that the T4 primosome (the T4 gene 41 and 61 proteins) can move rapidly through a promoter-bound RNA polymerase molecule that would otherwise stop replication fork movement. A second, very different DNA helicase, the T4 dda protein, provides an alternative pathway for replication past this DNA-bound RNA polymerase (Bedinger, P., Hochstrasser, M., Jongeneel, C. V., and Alberts, B.M. (1983) Cell 34, 115-123). Combined with other data, these in vitro experiments allow us to propose a model that explains why either the 59 protein or the dda protein, but not both, are required to begin efficient DNA replication inside the T4 bacteriophage-infected cell.