cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexually Dimorphic Risk Mitigation Strategies in Rats.

Abstract The scientific understanding of fear and anxiety—in both normal and pathological forms—is presently limited by a predominance of studies that use male animals and Pavlovian fear conditioning-centered paradigms that restrict and assess specific behaviors (e.g., freezing) over brief sampling periods and overlook the broader contributions of the spatiotemporal context to an animal’s behavioral responses to threats. Here, we use a risky “closed economy” system, in which the need to acquire food and water and the need to avoid threats are simultaneously integrated into the lives of rats, to examine sex differences in mitigating threat risk while foraging. Rats lived for an extended period (∼2 months) in enlarged chambers that consisted of a safe, bedded nest and a risky foraging area where footshocks could be delivered unpredictably. We observed that male and female rats used different strategies for responding to the threat of footshock. Whereas male rats increased the size of meals consumed to reduce the overall time spent foraging, female rats sacrificed their metabolic needs in order to avoid shocks. Ovarian hormone fluctuations were shown to exert slight but reliable rhythmic effects on risky decision-making in gonadally intact female rats. However, this did not produce significant differences in approach–avoidance trade-offs between ovariectomized and intact female groups, suggesting that male–female sex differences are not due to the activational effects of gonadal hormones but, rather, are likely to be organized during early development.
Direkte elektrostimulation der sakralen Spinalnerven im Rahmen der anorektalen Funktionsdiagnostik

Dargestellt wird eine Technik der direkten Elektrostimulation der sakralen Spinalnerven. Sie dient dazu, die anatomische Integritdt dieser Nerven und ihre funktionelle Relevanz hinsichtlich der anorektalen Kontinenzfunktion zu prufen. Die sakralen Spinalnerven S2, S3 and S4 sind uber einen dorsalen Zugang durch die sakralen Foramina direkt and selektiv stimulierbar. Die direkte Elektrostimulation von S3 and S4 resultiert in Kontraktion der quergestreift muskuldren Sphinkteranteile and in einem individuell unterschiedlichen Anstieg des Analkanalverschlusdrucks. Die Methode ermoglicht im Rahmen der anorektalen Funktionsdiagnostik die spezifische Beurteilung der funktionellen Relevanz einzelner sakraler Spinalnerven.
The reliability of assessing sternocleidomastoid muscle length and strength in adults with and without mild neck pain

ABSTRACTBackground: The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) is an important cervical spine muscle. Weakness of the SCM muscle has been implicated with cervical problems. No studies have examined the reliability of assessing the SCM muscle length or strength. Also no studies exist that have looked to see if imbalances in SCM muscle length or strength exists between the left and right sides in those with and without neck pain. Objective: To determine the reliability of assessing the SCM muscle for length and strength and to see if SCM length could predict SCM strength in those with and without neck pain. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifty-one subjects with and without mild neck pain. Analysis: Intratester reliability was assessed for SCM muscle length and SCM muscle strength. Differences in SCM length and strength were examined in those with and without neck pain. Results: Intratester reliability was shown to be excellent (ICC (2,2) > 0.90) for the left and right SCM when assessing muscle length and muscle...
Design Challenges of an Episode-Based Payment Model in Oncology: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Oncology Care Model

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services developed the Oncology Care Model as an episode-based payment model to encourage participating practitioners to provide higher-quality, better-coordinated care at a lower cost to the nearly three-quarter million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries with cancer who receive chemotherapy each year. Episode payment models can be complex. They combine into a single benchmark price all payments for services during an episode of illness, many of which may be delivered at different times by different providers in different locations. Policy and technical decisions include the definition of the episode, including its initiation, duration, and included services; the identification of beneficiaries included in the model; and beneficiary attribution to practitioners with overall responsibility for managing their care. In addition, the calculation and risk adjustment of benchmark episode prices for the bundle of services must reflect geographic cost variations and diverse...
Effects of atmospheric non-thermal argon/oxygen plasma on biofilm viability and hydrophobicity of oral bacteria.

PURPOSE To evaluate the bactericidal effects of atmospheric non-thermal argon/oxygen plasma on in vitro oral biofilms constructed from S. mutans and/or S. sanguinis, and the influence of the plasma on the virulence properties of A. oris. METHODS In vitro oral biofilms were constructed in the wells of 48-well plates from S. mutans and/or S. sanguinis. The wells containing constructed biofilms and various amounts of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) were treated with non-thermal argon/oxygen plasma brush for 2 minutes. The methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Live/Dead assay were used to evaluate the viability of biofilms in those wells after the plasma treatments. Meanwhile, A. oris suspensions were treated with the plasma and then evaluated for their virulence properties by measuring the hydrophobicity and co-aggregation capability of treated A. oris. RESULTS The MTT assay showed that exposure to non-thermal plasma for 2 minutes significantly reduced the viability of bacteria in both single-species and two-species biofilms of S. mutans and S. sanguinis with the reductions of up to 99%. Meanwhile, plasma treatment also altered the hydrophobicity of A. oris, and reduced their capability to co-aggregate with S. sanguinis. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The results from this study demonstrated that atmospheric non-thermal argon/oxygen plasma could effectively deactivate oral bacteria biofilm by decreasing bacterial viability as well as reducing their hydrophobicity and co-aggregation capability.
Office Interiors and the Fantasy of Information Work

This essay provides a historical context to the office interiors, describing its capacity to enchant the sphere of work and to transform the subjectivities of workers. Focusing on Florence Knoll and Robert Propst, American designers who contributed to the modern aesthetic in the postwar, I highlight how the sale of offices conveyed a fantasy of information work. Knoll and Propst had marketed their ideas using showrooms, textiles, seminars, and informational materials. These communicative practices emphasized the sensate quality of information work, which coached workers to recognize and interpret the visual, aural, and tactile quality of work environments. By doing so, it tied sensations of pleasure to the prospect of self-transformation, which provides basis for the modern attachment to beautified workspaces.
A privacy-preserving middleware mechanism for smart grids

In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving middleware mechanism for managing the massive data flows in smart grids and securing the communications. In our proposed middleware mechanism, we exploit the deep learning techniques and develop a privacy-preserving deep convolutional neural network (DCNN)-based method that leverages the public network infrastructure for intrusion detection. The simulation results evaluate the effectiveness of our privacy-preserving middleware mechanism in securing the communications of smart grids.
Fathers enhance social bonds among paternal half-siblings in immature olive baboons ( Papio hamadryas anubis )

A universal aspect of mammalian sociality is substantive, core relationships among relatives. Although comparative studies of nonhuman primates have clarified the adaptive importance of kinship, previous research has focused primarily on maternal relatives. To rectify this gap in the literature, recent work has begun to examine the social and adaptive consequences of paternal kinship. However, among multimale-multifemale species, particularly Old World primates, there have been conflicting reports describing the social bonds among paternal relatives. Some researchers have suggested that this inconsistency results from the availability of preferred relatives (maternal kin) as social partners. To explore this hypothesis, we examine the relationship between the availability of kin and sociality among immature olive baboons (Papio hamadryas anubis) by considering the effects that parents have on the social bonds among young maternal and paternal half-siblings. We found that while the presence of a mother in the group did not affect social bonds among immatures, the presence of a father did have a significant impact. Compared to immatures whose fathers were absent from the group, individuals with a father present maintained stronger bonds with paternal half-siblings. These data may help explain some of the variation in previous results among different studies examining the social bonds of half-siblings. Furthermore, our study suggests that the development of relationships among paternal half-siblings is facilitated by fathers and that relationships with paternal kin may be just as critical as those with maternal kin. This study indicates that even in a social system in which matrilineal kinship powerfully influences group structure and dynamics, paternal kinship may nevertheless form the basis of significant selective forces in social evolution.
Antigen-Specific Regulation of Autoimmunity

Antigen-specific therapy is a promising avenue for treating autoimmune diseases. The protection after vaccination with autoantigens in a tolerogenic manner is mediated by the induction of regulatory T cell populations. The exact nature of these Tregs is variable, depending on the type of therapy, but in general they mediate their protective effect by bystander suppression. This process involves the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β, as well as cell-cell contact with the same APC that encounters the autoaggressive T cells. The effectiveness of antigen-specific therapy is influenced by many factors such as antigen selection, and the route and timing of immunization. In addition, the exact dynamics of the T cell repertoire in the host, as well as the particular disease in question, needs to be considered when applying such a therapy. So far, in animal models, success has been achieved in the prevention of autoimmune diseases like T1D and EAE after vaccination with autoantigens via a mucosal or nasal route, and also after immunization with naked plasmid DNA expressing autoantigens. In contrast, it has, as of yet, been more difficult to see an immediate benefit in human clinical trials. However, by applying strategies such as systemic therapies aimed at reducing the autoaggressive T cells with antigen-specific therapy, the results may be improved. This type of strategy, along with the development of techniques to track autoaggressive and regulatory T cells in the blood, will likely make antigen-specific therapy an effective means of treating autoimmune diseases.
Research Techniques Made Simple: Choosing Appropriate Statistical Methods for Clinical Research

The statistical significance of results is an important component to drawing appropriate conclusions in a study. Choosing the correct statistical test to analyze results is essential in interpreting the validity of the study and centers on defining the study variables and purpose of the analysis. The complexity of statistical modeling makes this a daunting task, so we propose a basic algorithmic approach as an initial step in determining what statistical method will be appropriate for a particular clinical study.
Lower plasma choline levels are associated with sleepiness symptoms

Abstract Sleepiness and cardiovascular disease share common molecular pathways; thus, metabolic risk factors for sleepiness may also predict cardiovascular disease risk. Daytime sleepiness predicts mortality and cardiovascular disease, although the mechanism is unidentified. This study explored the associations between subjective sleepiness and metabolite concentrations in human blood plasma within the oxidative and inflammatory pathways, in order to identify mechanisms that may contribute to sleepiness and cardiovascular disease risk. Methods An exploratory case–control sample of 36 subjects, categorized based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaire as sleepy (ESS ≥ 10) or non-sleepy (ESS Results The level of choline is significantly lower (P = 0.003) in sleepy subjects (N = 18; mean plasma choline concentration of 8.19 ± 2.62 μmol/L) compared with non-sleepy subjects (N = 18; mean plasma choline concentration of 9.14 ± 2.25 μmol/L). Other markers with suggestive differences (P Conclusion This pilot study is the first to show that lower levels of plasma choline metabolites are associated with sleepiness. Further exploration of choline and other noted metabolites and their associations with sleepiness will guide targeted symptom management.
On the Use of "Deep" Features for Online Image Sharing

Online image sharing in social networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr, and Instagram can lead to unwanted disclosure and privacy violations, when privacy settings are used inappropriately. Despite that social networking sites allow users to set their privacy preferences, this can be cumbersome for the vast majority of users. In this paper, we explore privacy prediction models for social media that can automatically identify private (or sensitive) content from images, before they are shared online, in order to help protect users' privacy in social media. More precisely, we study "deep" visual features that are extracted from various layers of a pre-trained deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) as well as "deep" image tags generated from the CNN. Experimental results on a Flickr dataset of thousands of images show that the deep visual features and deep image tags can successfully identify images' private content and substantially outperform previous models for this task.
Advocating for Career Development and Exploration as a High-Impact Practice for First-Year Students

AbstractFirst-year students enter college with significant concerns about career and major decision-making, including questions about purpose, vocation, and meaning. Some students have opportunities to actively explore and engage in the reflection process—yet many do not. Higher education professionals will need to identify and expand resources to provide these career development initiatives for new students. The authors advocate that career development, exploration, and vocational reflection during the first year should be viewed as a potential high-impact practice. To meet this goal, the authors outline three strategies to extend opportunities to more students, including historically marginalized student populations. The strategies include (a) expanding options for career planning opportunities, including for-credit and non-credit courses, (b) continuing to re-imagine the role of career services for a wider range of student populations, and (c) embedding career exploration initiatives into the first-yea...
Macrophages and the Stress Response

Macrophages (MΦs) are key players in the immune and inflammatory responses. They become rapidly activated by the presence of pathogens, apoptotic cells and debris, which is followed by the digestion of the respective particle. In addition, MΦs are involved in the initiation of the immune response and healing process. Mediators synthesized and secreted by activated MΦs also control the function of different cell types either in close proximity or remote locations. Recently, heat shock proteins (Hsp) have been found to modulate MΦ function. In addition, Hsp that appear in circulation after stress as the result of cell lysis or secretion activate the response of MΦs. A better understanding of the role of Hsp in MΦ function may provide new directions in the development of therapeutic approaches for the treatment of inflammation, injury and other immune diseases. In this review, we attempt to provide an overview of the role of Hsp on MΦ. function and possible applications
Regulation by reversible S-glutathionylation: molecular targets implicated in inflammatory diseases.

S-glutathionylation is a reversible post-translational modification that continues to gain eminence as a redox regulatory mechanism of protein activity and associated cellular functions. Many diverse cellular proteins such as transcription factors, adhesion molecules, enzymes, and cytokines are reported to undergo glutathionylation, although the functional impact has been less well characterized. De-glutathionylation is catalyzed specifically and efficiently by glutaredoxin (GRx, aka thioltransferase), and facile reversibility is critical in determining the physiological relevance of glutathionylation as a means of protein regulation. Thus, studies with cohesive themes addressing both the glutathionylation of proteins and the corresponding impact of GRx are especially useful in advancing understanding. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox regulation are well accepted as playing a role in inflammatory processes, such as leukostasis and the destruction of foreign particles by macrophages. We discuss in this review the current implications of GRx and/or glutathionylation in the inflammatory response and in diseases associated with chronic inflammation, namely diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammatory lung disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease, and in viral infections.
Dietary Interventions and Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: a Fresh Look at the Evidence.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents has sharply increased, highly influenced by prevalence of obesity in youth. Here, we provide an overview of the pathogenesis of diabetes, and summarize recent dietary interventions investigating effects of diet on metabolic risk factors in overweight and obese youth. Seven dietary interventions were identified randomly assigning participants to weekly or bi-weekly dietary counseling sessions over 12–24-week period, with mixed results. Four interventions showed significant reductions in fasting insulin and insulin resistance levels relative to baseline concentrations ranging from 26 to 50%. Recent evidence is mixed, with four studies showing improvements to insulin concentrations and insulin resistance in obese children and adolescents associated with energy restriction and/or change to carbohydrate consumption. Further work is needed to investigate long-term effects of dietary factors including carbohydrate quality and energy restriction on metabolic health and diabetes prevention early in life.
Low-Income Patient

The case study presented in this chapter encourages discussion about socioeconomic health disparities.
Evaluating an Alleged Mimic of the Monarch Butterfly: Neophasia (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Butterflies are Palatable to Avian Predators.

Some taxa have adopted the strategy of mimicry to protect themselves from predation. Butterflies are some of the best representatives used to study mimicry, with the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) a well-known model. We are the first to empirically investigate a proposed mimic of the monarch butterfly: Neophasia terlooii, the Mexican pine white butterfly (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). We used captive birds to assess the palatability of N. terlooii and its sister species, N. menapia, to determine the mimicry category that would best fit this system. The birds readily consumed both species of Neophasia and a palatable control species but refused to eat unpalatable butterflies such as D. plexippus and Heliconius charithonia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Given some evidence for mild unpalatability of Neophasia, we discuss the results considering modifications to classic mimicry theory, i.e., a palatability-based continuum between Batesian and Mullerian mimicry, with a quasi-Batesian intermediate. Understanding the ecology of Neophasia in light of contemporary and historical sympatry with D. plexippus could shed light on the biogeography of, evolution of, and predation pressure on the monarch butterfly, whose migration event has become a conservation priority.
Accelerating Cross-Matching Operation of Geospatial Datasets using a CPU-GPU Hybrid Platform

Spatial cross-matching operation over geospatial polygonal datasets is important to a variety of GIS applications. However, it involves extensive computation cost associated with intersection and union of a geospatial polygon pair from large scale datasets. This mandates for exploration of parallel computing capabilities such as GPU to increase the efficiency of such operations. In this paper, we present a CPU-GPU hybrid platform to accelerate the cross-matching operation of geospatial datasets. The computing tasks are dynamically scheduled to be executed either on CPU or GPU. To accommodate geospatial datasets processing on GPU using pixelization approach, we convert the floating point-valued vertices into integer-valued vertices with an adaptive scaling factor as a function of area of minimum bounding box. We test our framework over Natural Earth Dataset and achieve 10x speedup on NVIDIA GeForce GTX750 GPU and 14x speedup on Tesla K80 GPU over 280,000 polygon pairs in one tile and 400 tiles in total. We also investigate the effects of input data size to the IO / computation ratio and note that the sufficiently large input data size is required to better utilize the computing power of GPU. Finally, with comparison between two GPUs, our results demonstrate that the efficient cross-matching comparison can be achieved with a cost-effective GPU.
Abstract P304: Underuse of Cardiovascular Medications in Individuals With Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Introduction: The underuse of cardiovascular therapies among individuals with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) has been reported. However, little is known about this in the Hispanic/...
Endurance exercise leads to beneficial molecular and physiological effects in a mouse model of myotonic dystrophy type 1

Introduction Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disease caused by expansion of a CTG repeat in the 3' UTR of the Dystrophia Myotonica-Protein Kinase (DMPK) gene. While multiple organs are affected, more than half of mortality is due to muscle wasting. Methods It is unclear whether endurance exercise provides beneficial effects in DM1. Here, we show that a 10-week treadmill endurance exercise program leads to beneficial effects in the HSALR mouse model of DM1. Results Animals that performed treadmill training displayed reduced CUGexp RNA levels, improved splicing abnormalities, an increase in skeletal muscle weight and improved endurance capacity. Discussion These results indicate that endurance exercise does not have adverse effects in HSALR animals and contributes to beneficial molecular and physiological outcomes.
Differences in Size Between Unruptured and Ruptured Saccular Intracranial Aneurysms by Location

Objective It is generally accepted that larger saccular intracranial aneurysms are at greater risk to rupture. We investigated whether aneurysm location influences the effect of aneurysm size on the propensity of rupture. Methods We reviewed patient and aneurysm characteristics in a consecutive series of patients with unruptured and ruptured aneurysms presenting to our institution between 2006 and 2018. Differences between unruptured and ruptured aneurysms at different locations were subsequently investigated. Results A total of 766 aneurysms in 568 patients were included, with 355 and 411 unruptured and ruptured aneurysms, respectively. There were significant differences in the distribution of aneurysm location between unruptured and ruptured aneurysms (P Conclusions We observed no difference in size between unruptured and ruptured ACOM aneurysms, possibly suggesting a greater susceptibility for ACOM aneurysms to rupture at smaller sizes.
Fact or Friction: Law Enforcement Perspectives on Their Working Relationship with Retail Store Detectives

This article examines the professional relationship between police officers and retail store detectives. Fifty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with police officers from six states. T...
Clinicopathological characteristics and surgical management of colorectal stromal tumors

Objective To analyze clinical manifestations, histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), surgical treatment and prognosis of colorectal stromal tumours. Methods The clinical and pathological data of 30 cases of colorectal stromal tumors were analyzed retrospectively. According to Fletcher proposed approach for defining risk group in GIST, these cases were grouped into VLR, LR, IR and HR.Cox multiple regression multiple factor analysis method was used to evaluate impact factors for prognosis.Results Radical resection was achieved in all 30 cases. Tumors located in the colon in 4 ( 13% ) cases, in the rectum in 20 (67%) cases, and within the anal canal in 6 (20%) cases. C-kit expression was positive in 86. 7% cases as determined by IHC. Postoperatively, 29 cases were followed-up from 4 to 130 mos. The Fletcher proposed approach for defining risk group in GIST was closely related to the survival rates ( B =4. 226,P =0. 02). The 3- and 5-year survival rate was 73% and 53% respectively. Conclusions Surgical resection and molecular target treatment is the treatment of choice for colorectal stromal tumors. The Fletcher's classification of malignancy risk group for colorectal stromal tumors is statistically related to the modus operandi and patients' survival rate. Key words: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors; Pathology, clinical; Digestives system surgical procedures; Prognosis
Continuous Calcination of Biocoke/Petcoke Blends in a Rotary Tube Furnace

The aluminum industry relies on calcined petroleum coke as an anode material for the smelting of aluminum oxide into aluminum metal. While distillate residues from biomass pyrolysis oils can conver...
Simulation Optimization: Applications in Risk Management

Simulation optimization is providing solutions to important practical problems previously beyond reach. This paper explores how new approaches are significantly expanding the power of simulation optimization for managing risk. Recent advances in simulation optimization technology are leading to new opportunities to solve problems more effectively. Specifically, in applications involving risk and uncertainty, simulation optimization surpasses the capabilities of other optimization methods not only in the quality of solutions but also in their interpretability and practicality. In this paper, we demonstrate the advantages of using a simulation optimization approach to tackle risky decisions, by showcasing the methodology on two popular applications from the areas of finance and business process design.
The Value of Commitment in Contests and Tournaments when Observation is Costly

We study the value of commitment in contests and tournaments when there are costs for the follower to observe the leader's behavior. In a contest, the follower can pay to observe the leader's effort but cannot observe the effectiveness of that effort. In a tournament, the follower can pay to observe the effectiveness of the leader's effort but not the effort itself. We show that this distinction matters significantly: When observation is costly, the value of commitment vanishes entirely in sequential and endogenous move contests, regardless of the size of the observation cost. By contrast, in tournaments, the value of commitment is preserved completely, provided that the observation costs are sufficiently small.
The Association between Assisted Reproductive Technology and Preterm delivery in Twin pregnancies.

Abstract Objective To determine whether ART is associated with a higher risk of preterm deliveries in twin gestations compared with non-exposure to ART. Study Design This is a secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of weekly progesterone to prevent preterm delivery in twin gestations. For our analysis, all subjects with twin gestations and known gestational age at delivery were included. Women were excluded if they had intrauterine insemination or congenital fetal anomalies. Our primary exposure was ART, defined as IVF and ICSI. Subjects non-exposed to ART either had spontaneous conceptions or were conceived with ovarian stimulation. Our primary outcome was preterm delivery, defined as delivery prior to 35 weeks gestation. Secondary outcomes included spontaneous or indicated preterm delivery less than 35 weeks. Results Of the 1261 subjects, 309 (24.5%) had ART, and 952 (75.5%) were not exposed to ART. Women exposed to ART were more likely to be white, older, and have dichorionic twins, and they were less likely to be smokers. The groups had similar rates of prior preterm births. The rates of overall PTB (40.8% v. 39.3%, p=0.642) and spontaneous PTB (20.8% v. 24.1%, p=0.221) were similar. After adjusting for confounders, ART exposure was not related to any preterm birth category, and the strongest predictors for spontaneous preterm birth was a prior preterm birth (aOR: 3.38, 95% CI: 2.04-5.59, p= Conclusion In our cohort of twin pregnancies, ART was not an independent risk factor for preterm birth.
Induction and Logical Types

The theory of cognitive systems deals with an old subject, inductive inference, from a new point of view, that of constructibility. The latter has the merit of bringing to light almost immediately a basic paradox: a machine that can be defined cannot be intelligent. Suppose this machine has a basic strategy Q 0; then either this is fixed, in which case it cannot be intelligent, being incapable of self-improvement, or Q 0 must be the subject of another strategy Q 1 to which the same argument applies, and so on.
A Role for Calnexin in the Assembly of the MHC Class I Loading Complex in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Heterodimers of MHC class I glycoprotein and beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m) bind short peptides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Before peptide binding these molecules form part of a multisubunit loading complex that also contains the two subunits of the TAP, the transmembrane glycoprotein tapasin, the soluble chaperone calreticulin, and the thiol oxidoreductase ERp57. We have investigated the assembly of the loading complex and provide evidence that after TAP and tapasin associate with each other, the transmembrane chaperone calnexin and ERp57 bind to the TAP-tapasin complex to generate an intermediate. These interactions are independent of the N:-linked glycan of tapasin, but require its transmembrane and/or cytoplasmic domain. This intermediate complex binds MHC class I-beta(2)m dimers, an event accompanied by the loss of calnexin and the acquisition of calreticulin, generating the MHC class I loading complex. Peptide binding then induces the dissociation of MHC class I-beta(2)m dimers, which can be transported to the cell surface.
A High-Performance Router Design for VDSM NoCs

The rising interconnect delay and delay variations pose significant communication challenges in deep submicron system-on-chips. Interconnect-centric design methodologies such as network-on-chip have been proposed as potential solutions to overcome these challenges. In this paper, the authors present the design of a NoC router that achieves high performance by increasing the network resource utilization, while still supporting both guaranteed bandwidth and best effort services. Simulation results indicate low jitter and minimal variation in packet latencies under different traffic compositions, thus ensuring consistent high performance of the interconnect network and the NoC
Vibrio vulnificus meningitis in a boy with thalassemia after eating raw oysters.

Vibrio vulnificus is a salt requiring marine vibrio. It is a human pathogen with a predilection for extraintestinal sites of infection.1 This is a report of V vulnificus meningitis in a boy with thalassemia that developed three days after he ate raw oysters. This case points out several important aspects of pathogenesis and a recommendation for preventing V vulnificus infections in susceptible hosts. CASE REPORT The patient was an 11-year-old boy with thalassemia major who had a splenectomy at 6 years of age. His regular treatment included monthly transfusions and daily deferoxamine. He sought medical attention in a local community hospital after experiencing nausea, vomiting, anorexia, green watery diarrhea, and abdominal pain for four days.
Pax ecclesia : globalization and catholic literary modernism

ions of patriotism and the emptiness of consumerism. To do so, it must begin, as does Motes‘s church, with seeing the world properly. Vision, of course, is a crucial motif in Wise Blood. The culmination of Motes‘s search for meaning in the aftermath of global war is the preacher blinding himself with quicklime. How to make sense of the preacher who has just lost his pulpit (Motes‘s car is destroyed by an angry police officer) intentionally destroying his vision while wrapping himself in barbed wire and walking with rocks in his shoes is, to put it mildly, a difficult task. What in his experiences merits inflicting such violence on himself? More importantly, in what schema is such violence appropriate? Giannone argues that Motes‘s self-mortification enables a turn to the interior world in the manner of ascetics who make vows of silence or penitents who self-flagellate. Motes can only fight the demons that reside within once he shuts the external world out. As penance for his sins of will, ―Motes repents by going back over his actions to replace self-deceptions with clear-sightedness. This correction involves a turn away from the visible to the invisible world. To make this turn permanent, Motes sacrifices his eyes to his new obedience‖ (Giannone 60). It is tempting to see Motes‘s actions as a turn within; however, given O‘Connor‘s treatment of Onnie Jay Holy and Solace Layfield, the prophets of the world within, it seems unlikely she would offer such a path as redemptive in itself. In a similar vain, Ralph Wood argues that Motes‘s acts of acesis are not sacrifices meant to save him but ―radical penance offered in gratitude for the salvation that has already been won for him at the Place of the Skull‖ (169). Wood implies that Motes becomes an imitatio Christi, though in what way this constitutes gratitude is not clear.
Retrosplenial cortex: possible role in habituation of the orienting response

A patient with a unilateral lesion that included the retrosplenial area had a propensity to attend to contralateral stimuli. To determine whether the retrosplenial-area lesion was inducing this defect, unilateral retrosplenial lesions were produced in rats by surgical aspiration. Animals were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively for orientation and habituation to bilateral simultaneous stimulation in 3 sensory modalities: visual, tactile, and auditory. At each session, the orientation test was terminated upon completion of 5 trials per modality, and the habituation test ended after 4 consecutive response failures or upon completion of 15 trials per modality. Postoperatively, contralateral orientation was not significantly different from ipsilateral orientation, suggesting that there was no neglect. However, there was a significant delay in habituation to contralateral stimulation in postoperative weeks 2 and 3-5. Our results suggest that rats with retrosplenial area lesions have normal orientation but fail to habituate to contralateral stimuli.
Effect of collector design on the d.c. characteristics of heterojunction bipolar transistors

Abstract InGaP GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors with various collector structures are compared. The dependence of d.c. device characteristics on the thickness of the n− GaAs spacer in the collector of composite collector devices is presented. Results indicate that the spacer thickness significantly affects the performance of the transistor. An n+ doping spike on the InGaP side of the collector heterojunction is included in the collector design of the composite collector devices. Standard single-heterojunction d.c. results are compared to abrupt double- and composite collector heterojunction devices. Optimization of the spacer thickness, in conjunction with the n+ doping spike, eliminates most of the detrimental effects associated with a double-heterojunction device while retaining the beneficial properties of a wide-gap collector. As expected, the composite collector structure produces devices with higher breakdown voltages and lower offset voltages than single heterojunction devices. In addition, optimizing the spacer thickness can reduce the collector current saturation voltage of the composite collector device below that of a single-heterojunction device. These characteristics make composite collector heterojunction bipolar transistors ideal candidates for high power microwave device applications.
A Dynamic Separator Algorithm

Our work is based on the pioneering work in sphere separators of Miller, Teng, Vavasis et al, [8, 12], who gave efficient static algorithms for finding sphere separators of size s(n)=O(nd−1/d) for a set of points in Rd.
Déjà Vu in the International Intellectual Property Regime

On June 26, 2012, close to 50 members of the World Intellectual Property Organization signed the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. A little more than a year later, WIPO also adopted the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. Does the rejuvenation of WIPO norm-setting activities suggest the impending end of a much-feared 'non-multilateral era', precipitated by the active negotiation of bilateral, plurilateral and regional trade agreements? Do the recent norm-setting activities reinforce the Development Agenda painstakingly created by developing countries? Or do these activities indicate just the growing complexity of the international intellectual property regime, within which both multilateralism and non-multilateralism proceed at the same time? This chapter puts the recent multilateral and non-multilateral intellectual property developments in their proper historical contexts. Specifically, it examines three sets of recurring developments: (1) the establishment of development agendas; (2) the negotiation of non-multilateral agreements; and (3) the rejuvenation of multilateral norm-setting activities. From these developments, this chapter draws a simple but valuable historical lesson: international intellectual property developments are influenced by the repeated swings of an invisible pendulum. As this pendulum swings back and forth, history will repeat itself, causing us to feel like it is deja vu all over again. This chapter concludes by suggesting that this simple lesson provides three key insights into the current and future development of the international intellectual property regime.
Tear strength theory of semicrystalline polymers

A theroretical model describing how the tear strenght of semicrystalline polymers depends upon the interaction of the crystalline and amorphous phases is presented. It is based upon the “freevolume“ theory and a “Hooke's law -lattice energy” treatment. The strength TM is hypothesized to be partitioned between the crystalline Qc and amorphous Qa phases. Therefore TM∝ Qc. Qa, TM = To.Qc.Qa, where Qc = NKTE/bY2 and e−v/vf =G/Goτ. Proof of this theory is obtained by measuring the oxygen transmission rates of 11 polyethylene film samples varying in tear strenght. Good agreement exists between TM (experimental) and TM (theroetical) for 9 of the polyethylene samples. The other 2 Samples differ from the theory by factor of 2. One explantion of this departure is the τ varies from unity.
[Demo abstract] Scripthica: a web environment for collective algorithmic composition

This paper presents the initial design and development work done on a new open source computer-aided music composition web environment for collective algorithmic music composition. Scripthica is envisioned as a web environment where users can compose and share algorithmic music compositions created with the JavaScript and Scheme programming languages.
Effects of health literacy on health status and health service utilization amongst the elderly

Amid increased concerns about the adverse consequences of low health literacy, it remains unclear how health literacy affects health status and health service utilization. With a sample of 489 elderly Medicare patients in a Midwestern city in the USA, we explored the intermediate factors that may link health literacy to health status and utilization of health services such as hospitalization and emergency care. We expected to find that individuals with higher health literacy would have better health status and less frequent use of emergency room and hospital services due to (1) greater disease knowledge, (2) healthier behaviors, (3) greater use of preventive care, and (4) a higher degree of compliance with medication. Using path analysis, we found, however, that health literacy had direct effects on health outcomes and that none of these variables of interest was a significant intermediate factor through which health literacy affected use of hospital services. Our findings suggest that improving health literacy may be an effective strategy to improve health status and to reduce the use of expensive hospital and emergency room services among elderly patients.
Radiative and electrical properties of a planar magnetron glow discharge device

A glow discharge with a planar cathode in a curved magnetic field is described. The device relies on gradient drift, curvature drift, and electrostatic reflection of electrons to obtain high cathodic sputtering rates at unusually low voltages and pressures. Gradient drift and curvature drift of electrons occur when the magnetic field is inhomogeneous or nonlinear, respectively. The device is characterized in the pressure range from 1.0 to 0.01 Torr. Line intensities from cathodically sputtered material are highest, and continuum background intensity lowest, at pressures less than 0.06 Torr. Design features and performance data are considered.
Surgery for high cervical esophageal carcinoma: Experience with 11 patients

The treatment of carcinoma of the cervical esophagus remains controversial. Eleven patients with carcinoma of the high cervical esophagus were encountered over the past 7 years at our institution. There were 6 men and 5 women whose ages ranged from 51 to 72 years. Six patients had tracheal or laryngeal invasion. In all instances one-stage pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with pharyngogastric (6 patients) or pharyngocolic (5 patients) reconstruction was performed. There was one hospital death. Six patients died 6 to 35 months postoperatively: 1 from recurrence, 2 from generalized metastases, and 3 with both local recurrent and metastatic disease. One other patient died free of disease 6 weeks postoperatively of pneumonia. The remaining 3 patients are alive 12 to 84 months after operation with excellent rehabilitation and good quality of life. We conclude that one-stage surgical resection and reconstruction for high cervical carcinoma of the esophagus offers good palliation and possible long-term survival with acceptable operative risk.
GEOMETRIC EFFECTS IN THE DYNAMICS OF A NONWETTING LIQUID IN MICROCONFINEMENT : AN OPTICAL KERR EFFECT STUDY OF METHYL IODIDE IN NANPOROUS GLASSES

Optical Kerr effect spectroscopy has been used to study the orientational dynamics of liquid methyl iodide in bulk and confined in nanoporous glasses of several different pore sizes. Consistent with the behavior of other nonwetting or weakly wetting liquids, the decays of confined methyl iodide are described well by the sum of two exponentials, the faster of which has the same decay rate as the bulk liquid. The slower exponential is interpreted as arising from the hindered reorientational dynamics of liquid molecules on or near the surfaces of the pores. The rate of surface reorientation depends significantly on the pore diameter, which along with other evidence suggests that the retardation of surface dynamics arises through geometric effects.
A Serial-Link Transceiver with Transition Equalization

Two transition-equalization techniques are proposed. A pulse-overlapping half-symbol tap FIR transmitter is able to equalize a 120-inch 40dB attenuation FR4 with BER of <10-13at 3.7Gb/s. A DFE with transition ISI cancellation performs better than traditional DFE and achieves a BER of <10-12at 3.6Gb/s with 80-inch FR4
Simultaneous detection of one-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence or laser light scattering images in plasmas

An instrumental system to simultaneously detect one-dimensional atomic or ionic fluorescence images is described. The instrument can also be used to acquire laser light scattering images or laterally resolved emission images. The fluorescence, scattering, or emission image passes through a monochromator and is re-imaged on an intensified diode array detector. Measurement of spatially resolved ground-state populations in inductively coupled plasmas is discussed. Interpretation of the fluorescence data obtained under different plasma operating conditions is considered. Results with the use of laser-induced fluorescence imaging to study the effect of sample transport rate, concomitant species-induced matrix effects, and modulated power plasmas are discussed. Comparison of fluorescence and emission images shows the complementary nature of the information provided by each. Laser light scattering off intact droplets or particles in a 1.0-kW inductively coupled plasma is discussed. Means to minimize the scattering signal are evaluated. Detection of laser light scattering images is discussed.
Building Predictive Models via Feature Synthesis

We introduce Evolutionary Feature Synthesis (EFS), a regression method that generates readable, nonlinear models of small to medium size datasets in seconds. EFS is, to the best of our knowledge, the fastest regression tool based on evolutionary computation reported to date. The feature search involved in the proposed method is composed of two main steps: feature composition and feature subset selection. EFS adopts a bottom-up feature composition strategy that eliminates the need for a symbolic representation of the features and exploits the variable selection process involved in pathwise regularized linear regression to perform the feature subset selection step. The result is a regression method that is competitive against neural networks, and outperforms both linear methods and Multiple Regression Genetic Programming, up to now the best regression tool based on evolutionary computation.
Optimized Local Infarct Restraint Improves Left Ventricular Function and Limits Remodeling

Background Preventing expansion and dyskinetic movement of a myocardial infarction (MI) can limit left ventricular (LV) remodeling. Using a device designed to produce variable alteration of infarct stiffness and geometry, we sought to understand how these parameters affect LV function and remodeling early after MI. Methods Ten pigs had posterolateral infarctions. An unexpanded device was placed in 5 animals at the time of infarction and 5 animals served as untreated controls. One week after MI animals underwent magnetic resonance imaging to assess LV size and regional function. In the treatment group, after initial imaging, the device was expanded with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mL of saline. The optimal degree of inflation was defined as that which maximized stroke volume (SV). The device was left optimally inflated in the treatment animals for 3 additional weeks. Results One week after MI, device inflation to 6 mL or greater significantly ( p p p = 0.08) and EF (0.360 ± 0.026 vs 0.276 ± 0.014, p = 0.04) were also better in the treatment animals. Conclusions Optimized isolated infarct restraint can limit adverse LV remodeling after MI. The tested device affords the potential for a patient-specific therapy to preserve cardiac function after MI.