cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluorescent histochemical localization of neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (enkephalinase) in the rat brainstem.

Characterization of the distribution of the peptide-degrading enzyme neutral endopeptidase-24.11 (E.G. 3.4.24.11; NEP; enkephalinase) in the rat brainstem was examined by means of a unique fluorescent histochemical method. Enzyme staining was completely blocked by three potent NEP inhibitors (thiorphan, phosphoramidon, and JHF-26) at a concentration of 50 nM, supporting the specificity of this method to visualize sites of NEP activity selectively. At all levels of the brainstem, NEP was localized to cell bodies, cell processes, or terminal-like fields and was localized to more than 90 distinct nuclei or subnuclei. In the mesencephalon these included the central gray, cuneiform n., dorsal and lateral tegmental n., inferior colliculus, interpeduncular n., lateral and medial geniculate n., central linear raphe n., mesencephalic n. of the trigeminal nerve, mammillary nuclei, Occulomotor n., red n., superior colliculus, ventral n. of the lateral lemniscus, substantia nigra-ventral tegmental area, and the zona incerta. In the pons, NEP staining was restricted to fewer regions or nuclei, including the dorsal and ventral cochlear n., facial n., motor trigeminal n., principal sensory trigeminal n., parabrachial nuclei, pontine n., the oral and caudal pontine reticular n., pontine olivary nuclei, several pontine tegmental nuclei, pontine raphe nuclei, and the trapezoid n. In the cerebellum, staining was localized largely to the granule cell layer of the cerebellar cortex. Scattered staining was observed in the molecular cell layer. The medulla contained extensive NEP staining localized to nuclei that included the ambiguus n., dorsal motor n. of the vagus, hypoglossal n., inferior olivary n., prepositus hypoglossus n., solitary tract n., nuclei of the spinal tract of the trigeminal n., and the lateral, medial, and superior vestibular nuclei. Nuclei of the medullary reticular formation that were also richly stained for NEP included the raphe magnus n., raphe obscurus n., raphe pallidus n., dorsal, lateral, and ventral reticular nuclei of the medulla, and the gigantocellular, lateral paragigantocellular, linear, paramedian and parvicellular reticular nuclei. The widespread distribution of NEP in the brainstem suggests the existence of a number of functional systems, including the pathways involved in the mechanisms of pain and analgesia, which are potential targets of NEP inhibitors. In most regions, the distribution of NEP closely overlapped with that reported for the enkephalins, and showed a more restricted overlap with the reported distribution of substance P.
Modeling Nonmotor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease in Genetic Mouse Models

In addition to the cardinal motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), there are also several nonmotor symptoms that can occur, many of which can significantly affect the quality of life of patients. These nonmotor symptoms are currently of interest because they may provide new insight into the pathophysiology of PD as well as provide important targets for potential treatments. Mice overexpressing human wild-type alpha-synuclein display many nonmotor impairments including deficits in olfaction, autonomic function, cognitive function, and anomalies in measures of anxiety, making these mice a good model to study the mechanisms underlying nonmotor impairments associated with PD.
Surface Property Variations in Venusian Fluidized Ejecta Blanket Craters

A comprehensive study of Magellan Cycles 1 and 2 radar data from Venus reveals surface roughness and dielectric variations associated with fluidized ejecta blanket (FEB) craters that help illuminate styles of flow ejecta emplacement. This study develops new procedures of digital unit mapping and polygon-filling algorithms using Magellan synthetic aperture radar (SAR), altimetry, and radiometry data. These techniques allow the extraction of radiophysical information for FEB crater materials, nearby plains, and lava flows. Backscatter curve slopes of the FEBs studied here are consistent with surface textures that are transitional between a'a and pahoehoe-like. Average surface property values of ejecta units are relatively similar for a given crater, but are discernibly different from other craters. Individual crater ejecta reflectivity and emissivity values are relatively similar to those for the surrounding plains, which may suggest a link between plains material and ejecta dielectric properties. Increasing FEB roughness downflow are interpreted to be associated with more lava-like flows, while decreasing roughness are more similar to trends typical of gravity (pyroclastic-like or debris-like) flows. Most commonly, FEB crater flow materials exhibit transitions from proximal, lava/melt-like flow styles to distal, gravity flow-like styles. Some FEBs show more complicated behavior, however, or appear to be more dominated by dielectric differences downflow, as inferred from correlations between the data sets. Such transitions may result from changes in local topography or from overlapping of flow lobes during FEB emplacement.
A provably correct design of a fault-tolerant clock synchronization circuit

A prototype fault-tolerant clock synchronization system is designed to a proven correct formal specification. The specification is derived from F.B. Schneider's (1987) general paradigm for Byzantine resilient clock synchronization. One addition to the formal theory is a mechanism for proven recovery from a bounded, number of transient faults. A description of a four-clock implementation which satisfies the requirements of the formal theory is presented. In addition, the design provides options for initialization which permit recovery from some correlated transient failures. Extra logic is included to provide experimental control of these options. Simulation results are presented Scenarios studied include achieving initial synchronization between clocks, resynchronization of a lost clock, and general behavior during upset or in the presence of a faulty clock. The simulation estimates of the times required from power-on to achievement of initial synchronization and to resynchronize a lost clock corroborate the initial analysis of the algorithms and meet the performance criteria and constraints of the theory. >
The Nature of Machining Damage in Brittle Materials

The micromechanics of failure emanating from machining-induced cracks in brittle materials is investigated. In situ monitoring of crack response during breaking tests (with use of acoustic wave scattering), strength measurements and post-failure fractography all indicate that the crack response is dominated by residual stresses. Two components of residual stress have been identified: a crack-wedging force due to the plastic zone beneath the strength-controlling machining groove, and a compressive surface layer due to adjacent grooves. The wedging force dominates and causes stable equilibrium crack extension during a breaking test. The implications of the results for non-destructive evaluation of surface damage by acoustic wave scattering is discussed.
Elevated Self-Standards and Emotional Distress During Adolescence: Emotional Specificity and Gender Differences

This study examined the relation between self-standards and particular forms of emotional distress during adolescence. One hundred fifteen high school subjects completed the Selves Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Actual-ideal discrepancies and self-oriented perfectionism were found to be associated specifically with depressive symptoms after controlling for anxious symptoms, whereas actual-ought discrepancies were associated specifically with anxious symptoms after controlling for depressive symptoms. In contrast, socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with general emotional distress. Compared with boys, girls reported more depressive, but not anxious, symptoms. Importantly, actual-ideal discrepancies partially mediated gender differences in depressive symptoms.
Isolation of a high-affinity functional protein complex between OmcA and MtrC: Two outer membrane decaheme c-type cytochromes of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a facultatively anaerobic bacterium capable of using soluble and insoluble forms of manganese [Mn(III/IV)] and iron [Fe(III)] as terminal electron acceptors during anaerobic respiration. To assess the structural association of two outer membrane-associated c-type decaheme cytochromes (i.e., OmcA [SO1779] and MtrC [SO1778]) and their ability to reduce soluble Fe(III)-nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), we expressed these proteins with a C-terminal tag in wild-type S. oneidensis and a mutant deficient in these genes (i.e., omcA mtrC). Endogenous MtrC copurified with tagged OmcA in wild-type Shewanella, suggesting a direct association. To further evaluate their possible interaction, both proteins were purified to near homogeneity following the independent expression of OmcA and MtrC in the omcA mtrC mutant. Each purified cytochrome was confirmed to contain 10 hemes and exhibited Fe(III)-NTA reductase activity. To measure binding, MtrC was labeled with the multiuse affinity probe 4,5-bis(1,3,2-dithioarsolan-2-yl)fluorescein (1,2-ethanedithiol)2, which specifically associates with a tetracysteine motif engineered at the C terminus of MtrC. Upon titration with OmcA, there was a marked increase in fluorescence polarization indicating the formation of a high-affinity protein complex (Kd < 500 nM) between MtrC and OmcA whose binding was sensitive to changes in ionic strength. Following association, the OmcA-MtrC complex was observed to have enhanced Fe(III)-NTA reductase specific activity relative to either protein alone, demonstrating that OmcA and MtrC can interact directly with each other to form a stable complex that is consistent with their role in the electron transport pathway of S. oneidensis MR-1.
Role of cystometry in evaluating patients with overactive bladder.

Abstract Overactive bladder (OAB) can be caused by a variety of conditions. We believe that cystometrography (CMG) is an essential part of the diagnostic evaluation, both in defining underlying pathophysiology and directing treatment. Essential to the diagnosis of OAB syndrome is some combination of urinary frequency, urgency, urge incontinence, and pain. CMG can be thought of simply as a provocative test to determine whether bladder filling, involuntary detrusor contractions, or low bladder compliance in fact reproduces any of these symptoms, and whether the symptoms abate when the bladder is empty or when the pressure decreases. At another level, the CMG has been likened to “the reflex hammer” of the lower urinary tract and, as such, provides important neurologic information. Finally, the voiding phase of the CMG is an essential component of the detrusor pressure/uroflow study, which is the only accurate method of diagnosing urethral obstruction and impaired detrusor contractility. Both of these conditions can coexist with detrusor overactivity. The treatment of OAB depends on the underlying cause. We believe that only by understanding the particular cystometric characteristics of patients with OAB can we determine the appropriate treatment. Urodynamic testing should serve as an essential part of therapy and guide future research in diagnosis and management.
SLCO2B1 and SLCO1B3 May Determine Time to Progression for Patients Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Purpose Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), an important treatment for advanced prostate cancer, is highly variable in its effectiveness. We hypothesized that genetic variants of androgen transporter genes, SLCO2B1 and SLCO1B3, may determine time to progression on ADT. Patients and Methods A cohort of 538 patients with prostate cancer treated with ADT was genotyped for SLCO2B1 and SLCO1B3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). The biologic function of a SLCO2B1 coding SNP in transporting androgen was examined through biochemical assays. Results Three SNPs in SLCO2B1 were associated with time to progression (TTP) on ADT (P .05). The differences in median TTP for each of these polymorphisms were about 10 months. The SLCO2B1 genotype, which allows more efficient import of androgen, enhances cell growth and is associated with a shorter TTP on ADT. Patients carrying both SLCO2B1 and SLCO1B3 genotypes, which import androgens more efficiently, exhibited a median 2-year shorter TTP on ADT, demonstrating a gene-gene interaction (Pinteraction .041). Conclusion Genetic variants of SLCO2B1 and SLCO1B3 may function as pharmacogenomic determinants of resistance to ADT in prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 29:2565-2573. © 2011 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Protein Transport In and Out of Plant Peroxisomes

Plant peroxisomes house conserved functions such as β-oxidation and hydrogen peroxide decomposition along with specialized tasks including hormone metabolism and photorespiration. Phenotypes stemming from defects in these pathways have been exploited to isolate and characterize peroxisome-defective mutants in the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Because peroxisome function is essential for plant viability, partial loss-of-function alleles have been frequently recovered from forward genetic screens. Analysis of these mutants has revealed the broad outlines of matrix protein import in plants and that these processes may be more similar between plants and mammals than between plants and yeast. Here we review matrix protein import into plant peroxisomes and the emerging understanding of how these matrix proteins may be degraded when they are damaged or no longer needed.
Always ask why

n this issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and 1 I Gynecology, Manuck et al report a study on factors that are associated with response to 17-alpha hydroxylprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC). We were fortunate to be invited to write this editorial on this topic: “Can we predict a woman’s likely response to progestogen prophylaxis?” The short answer: Not yet. For now, 17-OHPC is still recommended for all women with singleton gestations with previous spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). That is the message. But, there is MUCH more to this. The central issue of your existence, professionally and personally, should be “Why?” There is no magic bullet for the prevention of SPTB. In fact, several different pathways lead to SPTB. These include, but are not limited to, uteroplacental vascular insufficiency, exaggerated inflammatory response, infection, hormonal factors, cervical insufficiency, decidual hemorrhage, excessive uterine distension, and genetic predisposition. Of course, these are the pathways, although the real causes may be others (eg, substance abuse, smoking, stress, previous cervical surgery). Often, >1 of these factors are present in women who have a SPTB. Because preterm birth is a complex disease with many different components, multiple management approaches are needed. Recently, the incidence of PTB has decreased significantly in the United States to 9.6% in 2014, which is a 25% decrease from its peak of 12.8% in 2006. Several reasons may explain this decline. Among them is the use of progesterone. In particular, both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine have recommended vaginal progesterone for women with a transvaginal ultrasound cervical length (CL) 20 mm at <24 weeks gestation in singleton gestations and 17-OHPC for women who have a previous SPTB with a singleton gestation in the current pregnancy. Cervical cerclage
Trends in Medication Use in Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants in a Level 3 NICU over 2 Decades.

Objective This study aims to study the association between trends in medication utilization and survival in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants over a 22-year period. Study Design Medications received by VLBW infants were extracted retrospectively for the four periods 1990 to 1994, 1995 to 2000, 2001 to 2005, and 2006 to 2011 from our perinatal database and stratified by two birth weight groups: ≤ 1,000 g and 1,001 to 1,500 g. Result A total of 5,529 VLBW infants were reviewed. The majority of them were African American (78%), with an increasing proportion over time. The median number of medications per patient in all VLBW infants remained similar over time, 9 (5, 15). A cardiovascular group of medications was most commonly used, with a significant increase in the use of dobutamine and indomethacin. A significant trend toward an increasing number of infants without any antibiotic exposure was also noted. Survival steadily and significantly increased from 83 to 87%. Conclusion The trends of overall medication use remained the same in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) over the past 22 years. There was no association between medication utilization and survival. VLBW infants continue to receive a high number of medications in the NICU, including a variety of antibiotics.
Autophagy and Apoptotic Crosstalk: Mechanism of Therapeutic Resistance in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer:

While breast cancer patients benefit from the use of HER2 inhibitors, many fail therapy and become resistant to treatment, indicating a critical need to prevent treatment failure. A number of studies have emerged that highlight the catabolic process of autophagy in breast cancer as a mechanism of resistance to chemotherapy and targeted inhibitors. Furthermore, recent research has begun to dissect how autophagy signaling crosstalks with apoptotic signaling. Thus, a possible strategy in fighting resistance is to couple targeting of apoptotic and autophagy signaling pathways. In this review, we discuss how cellular response by autophagy circumvents cell death to promote resistance of breast cancers to HER2 inhibitors, as well as the potential avenues of therapeutic intervention.
Characterization of Biomaterials with NMR

Silicone based biomaterials are characterized with NMR. Bulk spin-lattice (T1) and spin-spin (T2) relaxation times are measured in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) model networks and various types of implants. The T2 results seem to indicate that crosslink densities of these biomaterials are lower than those of the PDMS model networks studied. 1H chemical shift NMR imaging techniques are developed to investigate the aging (e.g., migration of free polymer, rupture due to mechanical stress, etc.) of biomaterials in vivo.
α1-Adrenergic activation of L-type Ca current in rat ventricular myocytes: perforated patch-clamp recordings

α1-Adrenergic stimulation has little effect on L-type Ca2+channel current (I Ca,L) in adult cardiac myocytes measured using conventional whole cell voltage-clamp techniques. In this study using per...
A finite deformation analysis of the near field surrounding the tip of crack-like elliptical perforations

A finite deformation analysis of the region surrounding the tip of crack-like elliptical perforations in an infinite plate under all around tension is presented as a model of the near field behavior of stress freezing photoelastic materials above critical temperature. The study is carried out in the deformed geometry and includes the effects of finite strains and rotations. A stress function is first introduced into the complete compatibility equations through linear constitutive relations; the resulting governing equation is solved through finite differences. The range of root radii investigated varies from one to nine times that of a deformed crack. Normal stresses and stress intensity factors are presented. The results of the analysis are compared to the linear analysis of Inglis. The effects of finite strains and rotations are shown to be large but are concentrated within a few root radii of the tip. Results suggest that the stress distribution near the notch root depends on the size of the root radius: small root radii produce maximum stresses away from the tip, whereas larger root radii produce maximum stresses at the tip itself. These effects are judged too local to influence photoelastic stress intensity determination.
¿Una poética del exilio? La revista y el exilio republicano español en Latinoamérica

El analisis comparativo, en clave literaria, historica y estetica de dos publicaciones latinoamericanas da cuenta de dos casos diferentes del exilio republicano espanol y, por lo tanto, dos desenlaces distintos del mismo fenomeno: Futuro (Mexico, 1936-1946), fundada por Vicente Lombardo Toledano y Timon: Sintesis de Orientacion politico social (Argentina, 1939-1940), publicacion dirigida por Diego Abad de Santillan. En este marco, surge el interrogante acerca de la conformacion de una poetica del exilio caracterizada por el discurso de la accion. En este punto, la revista constituye un oasis discursivo y creativo para enunciar, denunciar y ‘hacer’ algo frente al silencio impuesto.
Variability in the formation and detection of growth increments in bivalve shells

-Growth increments in bivalve shells have been used in geophysics and paleoecology. However, little study has been given to the variability of increment patterns within and between shells. The variability of increment patterns is examined visually and quantitatively, with the help of a serial correlation computer program. Analyses of increment patterns of the bivalves Chione fluctifraga and Protothaca staminea (Veneridae) indicate that: 1) quantitative results complement the visual observations; 2) increments are not consistently detected during successive measurements; 3) a striking similarity exists between right and left valves of the same specimen; and 4) different specimens collected from the same natural environment do not show any one-to-one increment relationship-however, increment width trends may be present. The variation of increment patterns seen between specimens suggests caution in the use of bivalve increments in paleoecology. Walter W. Hughes. Biology Department, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan 49104 Conrad D. Clausen. Biology Department, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92350 Accepted: July 15, 1980
Media Portrayals of the Trayvon Martin Tragedy

This article explores media coverage of the Trayvon Martin case. It examines how Fox News and MSNBC commentators framed the story, as well as Ebony magazine’s editorial stance. The essay ties the M...
Reunification in West German Party Politics from Westbindung to Ostpolitik

In Reunification in West German Party Politics from Westbindung to Ostpolitik, Joost Kleuters provides a timely new analysis of key foreign policy debates in the early Federal Republic. He lays out...
MIMO radars demystified — and their conventional equivalents

This paper is given in tutorial form using a simple explanation starting from basics of phased arrays and how they work. Physical insight into MIMO is then given. No heavy math used. It has been shown in the literature that MIMO thin/full array radars can provide orders of magnitude better resolution and accuracy than conventional radars. The thin/full array consisted of two co-linear arrays of N elements each. The full and thin arrays have spacings respectively of I /2 and N 1 /2 with the thin one used for transmit and the full for receive. We show how to use the same thin/full arrays in conventional radars to do as well and also without grating lobes. The monostatic MIMO full array radar and two conventional equivalents are detailed: the Skolnik ubiquitous equivalent and the machine gunning equivalent. A simple physical explanation is given of why the Cramer-Rao bound provides a V2 better angle accuracy for the MIMO monostatic full array than the conventional ubiquitous array equivalent and why this result does not apply for the machine gunning equivalent. It has been also shown in the literature that a MIMO thin/full array airborne GMTI radar can provide a better minimum detectable velocity (MDV) than a conventional one. Here again we show how same MIMO thin/full array can be used in a conventional GMTI radar system to provide the same advantages as the MIMO system re coherence dwell time and aperture size and thus should provide the same MDV. The operation, waveforms, detection sensitivities, use of maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) for angle estimation and detection, and resolutions of these systems are detailed. We show that conventional equivalents to MIMO radar systems can do just as well as the MIMO systems in rejecting barrage-noise jammers, repeater jammers, hot-clutter jammers (jammer signals reflected from the ground) and mainlobe jammers. We show that the signal processing load for the MIMO radar system can typically be much larger than for its conventional equivalents. There is also often a more difficult waveform design problem with MIMO. Finally we present potential practical applications of the MIMO radar.
Sleep and the Autonomic Nervous System

Abstract Sleep is a complex homeostatic function, regulated in part by control nuclei of the autonomic nervous system. When sleep is disrupted, symptoms of autonomic impairment may emerge. In addition, many primary disorders of autonomic dysfunction can disrupt sleep. This chapter will briefly review the anatomy of the autonomic and sleep systems, the physiology of autonomic function during normal sleep, and some of the techniques used to measure autonomic function during sleep. Autonomic disorders with prominent sleep impairment are reviewed, including postural tachycardia syndrome and the disorders of α-synuclien deposition.
Wearing ID Badges in the Operating Room Environment: Is Reconsideration Warranted?

Abstract Background Surgical site infection and nosocomial infections in general have appropriately undergone increased scrutiny over the last decade. Numerous studies have documented pathogenic bacterial contamination of personal items such as cell phones, pagers, ties, and pens in the hospital setting. It is our understanding that Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations requires all personnel to wear an identification badge at all times, which includes the operating room environment. Methods Badges, lanyards, and pagers from operating room personnel were swabbed and cultured using the same protocol used for surgical specimens in the operating rooms. Personnel included orthopedic attendings (14), orthopedic residents (20), nurses (19), and anesthesia personnel (11). Results A total of 64 badges were sampled, with no methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) or methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) cultured on any of the badges. Two of 64 had enterococcus (3%), and 1 of those was vancomycin resistant. Pagers had similar results, with only 1/42 growing MSSA or enterococcus (2.4%), and no MRSA. Lanyards showed higher rates of contamination. There were 11% with MSSA or MRSA out of 27 sampled. Highest contamination rates were with orthopedic staff and resident lanyards, with 3/22 (13.6%) growing MSSA or MRSA. No lanyards grew enterococcus. When comparing rates of MSSA and/or MRSA between groups, lanyards had a statistically significant higher rate ( P Conclusion At a minimum, operating room personnel should probably not use lanyards to display their ID badges.
Colonic ulcerations may predict steroid-refractory course in patients with ipilimumab-mediated enterocolitis

Colonic ulcerations may predict steroid-refractory course in patients with ipilimumab-mediated enterocolitis
Using Information Technology to Improve the Quality of Pediatric Healthcare

Purpose of the review The goal of this article is to provide the reader an up-to-date overview of the role that health information technology (HIT) plays in modern-day healthcare quality improvement (QI) work and processes. The reader should be able to understand the unique benefits and challenges that HIT can impart on QI efforts, as well as calibrate their expectations appropriately. Examples will be grounded in recent informatics evidence and standard practices. Recent findings Technology has been shown to an effective enabler and potentiator for quality improvement in initiatives and programs such as population health management, research, and QI networks, and minimizing use of unproven therapies (e.g., unindicated antibiotics), for example. HIT challenges remain that can limit this positive effect, including data management and quality issues, technical interoperability barriers, and the general nature of quality reporting as it exists today. Summary Information technology in the form of electronic health records and other systems are ubiquitous and powerful enablers of quality improvement efforts in healthcare. When these digital tools are applied according to best practices and in an evidence-based manner, they can have profound impacts on both quality improvement processes and outcomes. Technology and the general healthcare environment are rapidly changing, though, and further study of the intersection of HIT and QI will continue to inform us of the real promise and pitfalls of this intersection.
Low-Cost Standard Public Key Cryptography Services for Wireless IoT Systems

Internet of Things (IoT) is an integral part of application domains such as smart-home and digital healthcare. Various standard public key cryptography techniques (e.g., key exchange, public key encryption, signature) are available to provide fundamental security services for IoTs. However, despite their pervasiveness and well-proven security, they also have been shown to be highly energy costly for embedded devices. Hence, it is a critical task to improve the energy efficiency of standard cryptographic services, while preserving their desirable properties simultaneously.In this paper, we exploit synergies among various cryptographic primitives with algorithmic optimizations to substantially reduce the energy consumption of standard cryptographic techniques on embedded devices. Our contributions are: (i) We harness special precomputation techniques, which have not been considered for some important cryptographic standards to boost the performance of key exchange, integrated encryption, and hybrid constructions. (ii) We provide self-certification for these techniques to push their performance to the edge. (iii) We implemented our techniques and their counterparts on 8-bit AVR ATmega 2560 and evaluated their performance. We used microECC library and made the implementations on NIST-recommended secp192 curve, due to its standardization. Our experiments confirmed significant improvements on the battery life (up to 7x) while preserving the desirable properties of standard techniques. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, we provide the first open-source framework including such set of optimizations on low-end devices.
A multivariate test of disease risk reveals conditions leading to disease amplification

Theory predicts that increasing biodiversity will dilute the risk of infectious diseases under certain conditions and will amplify disease risk under others. Yet, few empirical studies demonstrate amplification. This contrast may occur because few studies have considered the multivariate nature of disease risk, which includes richness and abundance of parasites with different transmission modes. By combining a multivariate statistical model developed for biodiversity–ecosystem–multifunctionality with an extensive field manipulation of host (plant) richness, composition and resource supply to hosts, we reveal that (i) host richness alone could not explain most changes in disease risk, and (ii) shifting host composition allowed disease amplification, depending on parasite transmission mode. Specifically, as predicted from theory, the effect of host diversity on parasite abundance differed for microbes (more density-dependent transmission) and insects (more frequency-dependent transmission). Host diversity did not influence microbial parasite abundance, but nearly doubled insect parasite abundance, and this amplification effect was attributable to variation in host composition. Parasite richness was reduced by resource addition, but only in species-rich host communities. Overall, this study demonstrates that multiple drivers, related to both host community and parasite characteristics, can influence disease risk. Furthermore, it provides a framework for evaluating multivariate disease risk in other systems.
Study of Coexistence of Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in Single-Crystal Er Rh 4 B 4

Neutron diffraction and resistivity measurements on single crystals of ErRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ have revealed that both superconductivity and ferromagnetic order coexist in this material between 0.71 K and 1.2 K. In this intermediate phase, a linear polarized modulated structure with a wavelength of approximately 100 A is observed. The modulated moment increases faster than the ferromagnetic moment down to 0.71 K and then disappears suddenly, with loss of superconductivity and a transition to a normal ferromagnetic state. This transition is accompanied by temperature hysteresis of about 60 mK. The same hysteresis, in the inverse sense, is exhibited by the ferromagnetic component. The intermediate phase is interpreted as being one of coexisting normal ferromagnetic domains and superconducting sinusoidally ordered domains.
Fitness Effects on the Cognitive Function of Older Adults: A Meta-Analytic Study—Revisited:

We discuss the factors that encouraged us to examine the question of whether exercise training has a positive influence on cognitive health of older adults in 2003. At that time there was a substan...
The Phenomenon of Community Reintegration for Veterans with Burn Injury: Supportive Communities and Future-Oriented Thinking.

INTRODUCTION Combat missions in the Middle East have resulted in approximately 52,000 US veterans who have been wounded in action, with 10% of whom suffered burn injuries. Over 90% of the wounded survived, but many were unable to return to military service. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that impacted reintegration of veterans with combat burn injuries. METHODS Using a mixed-methods approach and analysis, we asked veterans with combat burns "What was your experience reintegrating into the civilian community?" Additionally, we administered the Community Reintegration of Injured Service Members (CRIS) tool to measure the current level of reintegration. RESULTS Six veterans with combat burn injury identified 2 major themes: supportive communities and future-oriented thinking. Supportive communities are defined as communities that are veteran-specific, provide long-term burn/injury care, are financially beneficial, and support hobbies, education, and work opportunities. Future-oriented thinking is defined as thinking in which a veteran experiences a turning point in recovery, has a desire to serve others, develops new meaning in life, and experiences posttraumatic growth. In both themes, peer support was a key component. CONCLUSIONS Community reintegration was enhanced by future-oriented thinking and a supportive community, both of which can be buoyed by peer support. These findings are similar to other studies noting the importance of peer support for veterans. Studies of civilians burn survivors describe similar reintegration issues. These two factors may also be applicable to those survivors. Further qualitative inquiry into peer-support in the burn community at large may reveal more actionable evidence which could enable burn survivors to meet the long-term goal of community reintegration.
Between Scylla and Charybdis: Reflections on and problems associated with the evaluation of teachers in an era of metrification

The Scylla and Charybdis in this discussion of teacher evaluation are standardized achievement test data on the one hand, and classroom observational systems on the other. These are the two most common methods used to judge teachers’ competency. Both have serious flaws: the former primarily with validity, the latter primarily with reliability. At most these evaluation strategies provide teachers’ and their supervisors information about which to converse. But these two methods have such serious flaws that they should never be used as the primary grounds for rewarding, punishing, or firing teachers. When both methods of evaluation are used to judge teacher competency, the correlation between achievement tests and observational data is quite low. When two methods claiming to assess the same construct do not correlate well, either one or both methods are failing to assess the intended construct. There are two alternatives for navigating between Scylla and Charybdis: “Duties Based Teacher Evaluation” and “Performance Measures.” These methods have much to recommend them, though like all methods of personnel evaluation, reliability and validity issues remain problematic.
The Influence of Foundation Modeling Assumptions on Long-Term Load Prediction for Offshore Wind Turbines

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of alternative monopile foundation models for shallow-water offshore wind turbines on extreme loads associated with 20-year return periods. Foundation models with tower base fixed at the mudline, with apparent fixity points below the mudline, with coupled transverse and lateral springs at the mudline, and with distributed springs over the entire penetration depth of the monopile are compared. We employ a utility-scale 5 MW offshore wind turbine model with a 90-meter hub height in stochastic simulations; the turbine is sited in 20 meters of water. Selected 20-year wind speed and wave height combinations are employed as we study comparative response statistics, power spectra, and probability distributions of extreme loads for the fixed-base and the three different flexible foundation models. A discussion on the varying dynamics, on short-term response statistics, and on extrapolated long-term loads from limited simulation is presented. Sea states involving wind speeds close to the turbine’s rated wind speed are found to control 20-year loads, and the flexible foundation models are found to experience higher extreme loads than the fixed-based case. Overall, the three flexible foundation models appear to yield similar long-term loads based on an Inverse FORM (First-Order Reliability Method) approach for the selected turbine and soil profile used in this study.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Test for chirality of heavy-lepton current in inclusive pion production by electron-positron annihilation

Parity mixing in the weak current of charged heavy leptons causes a conspicuous forward-backward asymmetry in the costheta distribution of inclusive hadron spectra near the high-energy end, when one of the initial electron-positron beams is longitudinally polarized. The asymmetry is estimated for vector and axial-vector currents at PEP and PETRA energies. It is quite easy to distinguish experimentally between V - A and V + A provided that the decay branching ratio L/sup plus-or-minus/ into L ..-->.. ..nu../sub L/ + ..pi.. is not too far from the value predicted by universality (approx. 10%). (AIP)
N,N-Dimethyl-3β-hydroxycholenamide Reduces Retinal Cholesterol via Partial Inhibition of Retinal Cholesterol Biosynthesis Rather Than its Liver X Receptor Transcriptional Activity.

N,N-dimethyl-3β-hydroxycholenamide (DMHCA) is an experimental pharmaceutical and a steroidal liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, which does not induce undesired hepatic lipogenesis. Herein, DMHCA was evaluated for its retinal effects on normal C57BL/6J and Cyp27a1-/-Cyp46a1-/- mice; the latter having higher retinal total and esterified cholesterol in addition to retinal vascular abnormalities. Different doses and two formulations were used for DMHCA delivery either via drinking water (C57BL/6J mice) or by oral gavage (Cyp27a1-/-Cyp46a1-/- mice). The duration of treatment was 1 week for C57BL/6J mice and 2 or 4 weeks for Cyp27a1-/-Cyp46a1-/- mice. In both genotypes, the higher DMHCA doses (37-80 mg/kg of body weight/day) neither increased serum triglycerides nor serum cholesterol but altered the levels of retinal sterols. Total retinal cholesterol was decreased in the DMHCA-treated mice, mainly due to a decrease in retinal unesterified cholesterol. In addition, retinal levels of cholesterol precursors lanosterol, zymosterol, desmosterol, and lathosterol were changed in Cyp27a1-/-Cyp46a1-/- mice. In both genotypes, DMHCA effect on retinal expression of the LXR target genes was only moderate and gender-specific. Collectively, the data obtained provide evidence for a decrease in retinal cholesterol as a result of DMHCA acting in the retina as an enzyme inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis rather than a LXR transcriptional activator. Specifically, DMHCA appears to partially inhibit the cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme Δ24-dehydrocholesterol reductase rather than upregulate the expression of LXR target genes involved in reverse cholesterol transport. The identified DMHCA dosages, formulations, and routes of delivery as well as the observed effects on the retina should be considered in future studies using DMHCA as a potential therapeutic for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Component Separation: Options and Techniques

The management of large abdominal wall defects remains clinically challenging. The adoption of the component separation technique has facilitated complex abdominal wall reconstruction with autologous abdominal wall tissue. Herein, we detail the current separation of component techniques as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each surgical technique.
Automatic Datalogging Techniques for Automotive Applications

New instrumentation designs require extensive proveout in the vehicle environment. The sheer magnitude of information required to evaluate today's microprocessor-based systems precludes manual data collection and analysis. A method of automating the data collection process through direct communication with the instrumentation module is discussed. A design for an automatic data collector, or datalogger, is presented.
Variance-reduced $Q$-learning is minimax optimal

We introduce and analyze a form of variance-reduced $Q$-learning. For $\gamma$-discounted MDPs with finite state space $\mathcal{X}$ and action space $\mathcal{U}$, we prove that it yields an $\epsilon$-accurate estimate of the optimal $Q$-function in the $\ell_\infty$-norm using $\mathcal{O} \left(\left(\frac{D}{ \epsilon^2 (1-\gamma)^3} \right) \; \log \left( \frac{D}{(1-\gamma)} \right) \right)$ samples, where $D = |\mathcal{X}| \times |\mathcal{U}|$. This guarantee matches known minimax lower bounds up to a logarithmic factor in the discount complexity. In contrast, our past work shows that ordinary $Q$-learning has worst-case quartic scaling in the discount complexity.
Delineating the site of interaction on the intracellular domain of 5-HT3A receptors with the chaperone protein RIC-3

ABSTRACT The serotonin type 3A (5-HT3A) receptor is a homopentameric cation-selective member of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel (pLGIC) superfamily. Members of this superfamily assemble from five subunits, each of which consists of three domains, extracellular (ECD), transmembrane (TMD), and intracellular domain (ICD). Previously, we have also demonstrated that 5-HT3A-ICD is required and sufficient for the interaction between 5-HT3A and RIC-3. Additionally, we have shown that 5-HT3A-ICD fused to maltose binding protein (MBP) directly interacts with the chaperone protein resistance to inhibitors of choline esterase (RIC-3), without the involvement of other protein(s). To elucidate the molecular determinants of this interaction we developed different MBP-fused 5-HT3A-ICD constructs by deletion of large portions of its amino acid sequence. We have expressed seven mutants in Escherichia coli and purified them to homogeneity. Using a RIC-3 affinity pull-down assay, the interaction of MBP-5HT3A-ICD constructs and RIC-3 is investigated. Furthermore, we co-expressed 5-HT3A and 5-HT3AB, a heteromeric form of 5-HT3Rs, with RIC-3 in Xenopus oocytes to compare their interaction with RIC-3 in-vivo by two electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) recordings. Full-length 5-HT3A-and 5-HT3AB mediated currents are significantly reduced when RIC-3 is co-expressed in either condition. In summary, we identify a 24-amino acid long segment of the 5-HT3A-ICD as a molecular determinant for the interaction between the 5-HT3A-ICD and RIC-3. Statement of Significance The chaperone protein RIC-3 is known to modulate the functional surface expression of cation-conducting pentameric ligand-gated ion channels. Previously we have demonstrated that the intracellular domain of serotonin channels mediates this effect. Here we provide experimental evidence for a 24-amino acid long segment within the 115-amino acid long intracellular domain as a determinant for RIC-3 interaction. Recently it was found experimentally that the identified segment contains an alpha helix that has been observed or predicted to be present in other cation-conducting channels. The present work provides novel insights into protein-protein interactions that are likely also relevant for other cation-conducting members of this large ion channel family that includes nACh and 5-HT3 receptors.
Public Understanding and Opinions regarding Genetic Research on Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND Participants willing to provide genetic samples are needed to propel research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment and prevention forward. A limited public understanding of what AD genetic research entails and concerns about participation may constitute recruitment challenges. OBJECTIVES This study seeks to understand how well older adults understand AD genetic research and whether their understanding is related to concerns about participation or willingness to engage. METHODS Our surveys included a mock consent form with corresponding knowledge and opinion questions regarding AD. The surveys were mailed to participants from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center and to a list of randomly selected individuals within the same age range from a local voter registration list. Descriptive and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS The returned surveys (n = 502) demonstrated limits to what the respondents understood immediately after reading the relevant material, with a mean summary knowledge score of 74.5 out of 100. While comprehension gaps were not related to level of concern or willingness to engage, concerns were related to willingness to engage. Concerns were greater among individuals not actively involved in research, individuals from minority groups, and those with higher levels of education. CONCLUSIONS Focusing on concerns specifically, rather than on knowledge more generally, may help increase participation.