cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene dosage and pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease

Four recent papers related specifically to the familial form of Parkinson's disease reinforce the idea that endogenous levels of α-synuclein can strongly influence disease phenotype. Two recent publications of α-synuclein-duplication mutations show that the severity of familial Parkinsonian phenotype is dependent upon SNCA gene dosage and corresponding protein levels. Familial point mutations in SNCA were found to impair the efficient lysosomal degradation of α-synuclein, potentially resulting in elevated levels of α-synuclein. Conversely, the complete knockout of SNCA has little effect on transgenic mice. It is now clear that the regulation of α-synuclein levels has potential significance in the pathogenesis and treatment of sporadic PD.
Extraterrestrial excess 36Ar and 38Ar concentrations as possible accumulation-rate indicators for sea sediments

Abstract Measurements of excess 36 Ar and 38 Ar, released at high temperatures from mineral concentrates of fine-grained sediment, may be useful for determining average sedimentation rates in marine sediments. Assumptions are required about long-term average constancy of influx of interplanetary dust to Earth, of rare-gas concentration in this dust, and about mineral stability in the marine environment. These assumptions can be examined experimentally by study of samples whose sedimentation rate is reliably determined by other methods. If the necessary conditions are fulfilled, the greatest attractions of this method are its universal applicability, its independence of local geochemical environment or geologic history, and its nonlimitation by half-life.
The Psychological Difference Between Ambiguity and Risk

I. Ambiguity and risk in an urn problem, 166. — II. Tolerance for ambiguity and choice in the urn problem, 167. — III. Conclusion, 169.
Formation of DNA−Protein Cross-Links Between γ-Hydroxypropanodeoxyguanosine and EcoRI

The toxicity of acrolein, an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde produced during lipid peroxidation, is attributable to its high reactivity toward DNA and cellular proteins. The major acrolein−DNA adduct, γ-hydroxypropano-2′-deoxyguanosine (γ-HOPdG), ring opens to form a reactive N2-oxopropyl moiety that cross-links to DNA and proteins. We demonstrate the ability of γ-HOPdG in a duplex oligonucleotide to cross-link to a protein (EcoRI) that specifically interacts with DNA at a unique sequence. The formation of a cross-link to EcoRI was dependent on the intimate binding of the enzyme to its γ-HOPdG-modified recognition site. Interestingly, the cross-link did not restrict the ability of EcoRI to cleave DNA substrates. However, stabilization of the cross-link by reduction of the Schiff base linkage resulted in loss of enzyme activity. This work indicates that the γ-HOPdG−EcoRI cross-link is in equilibrium with free oligonucleotide and enzyme. Reversal of cross-link formation allows EcoRI to effect enzymatic cleavage of...
The timing of psychiatric consultation in the general hospital and length of hospital stay

Four hundred nineteen consecutive consult cases were studied to determine the relationship of the timing of the consult to hospital length of stay. Results indicated that earlier consultations predicted shorter lengths of stay. Applications of the present methodology to more complex evaluations of psychiatric consultation are discussed.
Land Surface Roughness Effects on Lake Effect Precipitation

The land use of the Great Lakes region has changed significantly during historical times, and continues to change. As a preliminary step in investigating the overall effect that this might have on climate, attention is focused here on one forcing factor and one effect—land surface roughness length and lake effect precipitation, respectively—that are anticipated to be particularly sensitive pieces of the land use-climate interaction. On both a monthly basis and in an individual case of lake effect precipitation, a reduction of land surface roughness reduces the total amount of lake effect precipitation. It also reduces the degree to which the precipitation is focused on the area closest to the lakeshore. The largest reductions occur immediately adjacent to the lakeshore in an area smaller than the overall lake effect zone. In the individual lake effect event that is investigated here, precipitation increases in some places farther inland when surface roughness is reduced. Because this increase in precipitation farther inland appears to be associated with significant topography, this result is most valid for lake effect zones where there is a high topographic relief, such as near southeastern Lake Erie (the main focus of this study), and to the south and east of Lake Ontario. This displacement in location of precipitation is particularly crucial where the boundary of the drainage basin is near the shoreline, and can indicate a flux of moisture out of the Great Lakes drainage basin and into another basin.
The Influence of Monsoonal Gulf Surges on Precipitation and Diurnal Precipitation Patterns in Central Arizona

Abstract North American gulf-surge events, northward low-level influxes of cool and moist air from the Gulf of California, were statistically related to monsoonal precipitation and the associated diurnal cycle for the state of Arizona. Using Dixon’s Assessing Low-Level Atmospheric Moisture using Soundings (ALARMS) method as an indicator for gulf surges, a sequence of surge events was identified for the months of July and August for the period from 1957 to 2008. A network of Arizona precipitation gauges was stratified by the surge events occurring over this period. The findings indicate that gulf surges accounted for a significant majority of rainfall events in Arizona. This signal was most apparent in the drier central and southwestern deserts (including the Phoenix metropolitan area) and least apparent in the wetter eastern and southeastern portions of the state. Diurnal patterns in rainfall were identified for the Phoenix metropolitan area and its surroundings. A strong diurnal cycle was apparent in pre...
Impacts and interactions of voltage regulators on distribution networks with high PV penetration

This paper discusses the impacts and interactions of voltage regulation devices on systems with high PV penetration under different solar conditions and voltage control algorithms. The study is done using a tool that was developed under a Department of Energy (DOE) funded project, Sunshine State Grid Initiative (SUNGRIN). The tool is composed of Matlab scripts and functions that use a Component Object Model (COM) interface to communicate with the Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS) developed by EPRI. The tool is applied in this paper to analyze and study the dynamic interaction between voltage regulation devices in a distribution network, and the impacts that photovoltaic (PV) systems have on the operation of these devices in the network. A real feeder from a Florida-based utility has been used to perform this study with different incident solar radiation (insolation) scenarios. Case studies show the difference in the activity of the voltage regulating devices with the variation of PV power injection to the grid. The case studies also investigate the impacts of allowing PV systems to participate in voltage regulation using different algorithms.
Plasmonics in future information and energy generation technologies

Plasmonics has provided researchers new means to control optical dispersion and light localization at nanoscale dimensions. Plasmonic design approaches are yielding building blocks for chip-based optical components as well as optical metamaterials and light trapping structures for improved efficiency in thin solar cells.
Reexamining the Market Share–Customer Satisfaction Relationship:

Market share and customer satisfaction are often used to assess marketing performance. Despite the widespread assumption of a positive relationship between these two variables, the limited extant empirical literature on the subject indicates either a negative or a nonsignificant relationship. The authors reexamine this relationship over a longer time period than has previously been possible in a representative sample of U.S. consumer markets and find a consistently significant negative market share–customer satisfaction relationship. This is because customer satisfaction is generally not predictive of firms' future market share, but market share is a strong negative predictor of firms' future customer satisfaction. In follow-up analyses, the authors find that a firm's customer satisfaction can predict its future market share when it is benchmarked against that of its nearest rival and customer switching costs are low. In examining why the market share–future customer satisfaction relationship is generally...
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) Latent Membrane Protein 2A Regulates B-Cell Receptor-Induced Apoptosis and EBV Reactivation through Tyrosine Phosphorylation

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpesvirus that establishes a lifelong latent infection of B cells. Within the immune system, apoptosis is a central mechanism in normal lymphocyte homeostasis both during early lymphocyte development and in response to antigenic stimuli. In this study, we found that latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) inhibited B-cell receptor (BCR)-induced apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines. Genistein, a specific inhibitor of tyrosine-specific protein kinases, blocked BCR-induced apoptosis and EBV reactivation in the cells. These findings indicate that LMP2A blocks BCR-induced cell apoptosis and EBV reactivation through the inhibition of activation of tyrosine kinases by BCR cross-linking.
The 2007 Leona Tyler Address: Mental Health Policy in Higher Education

The 2007 Leona Tyler Address concerns mental health policy in higher education. In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, mental health professionals have proffered several proposals. This address reviewed and critiqued these proposals. After critical review, I make several recommendations based on the following principles: developing data-driven policy proposals, specifying of the role and function of campus mental health centers, and instituting an educational process of policy implementation.
Membrane Synthesis, Specific Lipid Requirements, and Localized Lipid Composition Changes Associated with a Positive-Strand RNA Virus RNA Replication Protein

Multifunctional RNA replication protein 1a of brome mosaic virus (BMV), a positive-strand RNA virus, localizes to the cytoplasmic face of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and induces ER lumenal spherules in which viral RNA synthesis occurs. We previously showed that BMV RNA replication in yeast is severely inhibited prior to negative-strand RNA synthesis by a single-amino-acid substitution in the ole1w allele of yeast Delta9 fatty acid (FA) desaturase, which converts saturated FAs (SFAs) to unsaturated FAs (UFAs). Here we further define the relationships between 1a, membrane lipid composition, and RNA synthesis. We show that 1a expression increases total membrane lipids in wild-type (wt) yeast by 25 to 33%, consistent with recent results indicating that the numerous 1a-induced spherules are enveloped by invaginations of the outer ER membrane. 1a did not alter total membrane lipid composition in wt or ole1w yeast, but the ole1w mutation selectively depleted 18-carbon, monounsaturated (18:1) FA chains and increased 16:0 SFA chains, reducing the UFA-to-SFA ratio from approximately 2.5 to approximately 1.5. Thus, ole1w inhibition of RNA replication was correlated with decreased levels of UFA, membrane fluidity, and plasticity. The ole1w mutation did not alter 1a-induced membrane synthesis, 1a localization to the perinuclear ER, or colocalization of BMV 2a polymerase, nor did it block spherule formation. Moreover, BMV RNA replication templates were still recovered from cell lysates in a 1a-induced, 1a- and membrane-associated, and nuclease-resistant but detergent-susceptible state consistent with spherules. However, unlike nearby ER membranes, the membranes surrounding spherules in ole1w cells were not distinctively stained with osmium tetroxide, which interacts specifically with UFA double bonds. Thus, in ole1w cells, spherule-associated membranes were locally depleted in UFAs. This localized UFA depletion helps to explain why BMV RNA replication is more sensitive than cell growth to reduced UFA levels. The results imply that 1a preferentially interacts with one or more types of membrane lipids.
Numerical simulation of coherent backscattering in small two-dimensional systems

We investigate coherent backscattering in finite two-dimensional systems containing a small number (typically fewer than 25) of scattering centers. We demonstrate that for a system of pointlike scatterers the angular distribution of backscattered light may be calculated by directly ensemble averaging solutions of a set of linear equations for the electric-field intensities at each scatterer. A similar calculation yields the coherent backscattering amplitude in the presence of a perfectly reflecting mirror. We also find that we may employ the split-step fast- Fourier-transform algorithm to analyze the enhanced phase variance associated with the double passage of light through a medium characterized by weak extended scatterers.
STABILITY LIMITS OF THE MEISSNER STATE AND THE MECHANISM OF SPONTANEOUS VORTEX NUCLEATION IN SUPERCONDUCTORS.

The limits of metastable existence of the superconducting Meissner state in a magnetic field are found by examining the second variation ${\ensuremath{\delta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ of the Ginzburg-Landau free energy. No assumptions about boundary conditions are made, and all possible fluctuations are examined. First, confining the fluctuations to one dimension, we show that ${\ensuremath{\delta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\Omega}$ is positive definite exactly up to that field ${H}_{s2}$ (first calculated by Ginzburg) at which the Meissner state ceases to exist as a Ginzburg-Landau solution. At ${H}_{s2}$, the normal state penetrates spontaneously. Then we take into account arbitrary fluctuations and show that for superconductors with $\ensuremath{\kappa}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.5$ another instability occurs at a lower field ${H}_{s1}$, leading to a new metastable modification of the Meissner state. This new state possesses small vortices with fluxoid quantum zero along the boundary, and is metastable up to a field ${H}_{s3}$, which is probably of the order of ${H}_{s2}({H}_{s3}={H}_{s2}={H}_{c} \mathrm{for} \ensuremath{\kappa}\ensuremath{\gg}1)$. At ${H}_{s3}$, the normal state penetrates. Then, in a type-II superconductor with ${H}_{s3}$ smaller than the upper critical field ${H}_{c2}$, spontaneous nucleation of Abrikosov vortices will take place in the normal region without violating fluxoid quantization. This should be the correct mechanism for vortex nucleation in ideal superheating experiments.
Predicting the Rotor-Stator Interaction Acoustics of a Ducted Fan Engine

A Navier-Stokes computation is performed for a ducted-fan configuration with the goal of predicting rotor-stator noise generation without having to resort to heuristic modeling. The resulting pressure field in the inlet region is decomposed into classical infinite-duct modes, which are then used in either a hybrid finite-element/Kirchhoff surface method or boundary integral equation method to deduce the far field noise. Comparisons with experimental data are presented, including rotor wake surveys and far field sound pressure level for 2 blade passage frequency (BPF) tones.
Spatial models for estimating fuel loads in the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Fire suppression has increased fuel loadings and fuel continuity in many forested ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper describes the statistical properties of models developed to describe the spatial variability in forest fuels on the Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota. Forest fuel loadings (tonnes/ha) are modeled to a 30 m resolution using a combination of trend surface models to describe the coarse-scale variability in forest fuel, and binary regression trees to describe the fine-scale variability associated with site-specific variability in forest fuels. Independent variables used in the models included various Landsat TM bands, forest class, elevation, slope, and aspect. The models accounted for 55% to 72% of the variability in forest fuels. In spite of having highly skewed distributions, cross-validation showed the models to have nominal prediction bias. This paper also evaluates the feasibility of using the estimation error variance to explain estimation uncertainty. The models are allowing us to study the influence of small-scale disturbances on forest fuel loadings and diversity of resident and migratory birds on the Black Hills National Forest.
Carrier multiplication in InAs nanocrystal quantum dots with an onset defined by the energy conservation limit

Carrier multiplication (CM) is a process in which absorption of a single photon produces not just one but multiple electron-hole pairs (excitons). This effect is a potential enabler of next-generation, high-efficiency photovoltaic and photocatalytic systems. On the basis of energy conservation, the minimal photon energy required to activate CM is two energy gaps (2Eg). Here, we analyze CM onsets for nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) based upon combined requirements imposed by optical selection rules and energy conservation and conclude that materials with a significant difference between electron and hole effective masses such as III-V semiconductors should exhibit a CM threshold near the apparent 2Eg limit. Further, we discuss the possibility of achieving sub-2Eg CM thresholds through strong exciton-exciton attraction, which is feasible in NQDs. We report experimental studies of exciton dynamics (Auger recombination, intraband relaxation, radiative recombination, multiexciton generation, and biexciton shift) in InAs NQDs and show that they exhibit a CM threshold near 2Eg.
A new way to rapidly create functional, fluorescent fusion proteins: random insertion of GFP with an in vitro transposition reaction

Background The jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) can be inserted into the middle of another protein to produce a functional, fluorescent fusion protein. Finding permissive sites for insertion, however, can be difficult. Here we describe a transposon-based approach for rapidly creating libraries of GFP fusion proteins.
Cardiac MRI in the treatment of arrhythmias

Catheter-based ablation techniques are extensively used for the treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Preprocedural cardiac MRI is valuable for the management of these patients due to its ability to provide high-resolution anatomic mapping and tissue characterization in the absence of ionizing radiation. Delayed enhancement imaging can be used to localize the arrhythmia substrate within the chamber of interest prior to the procedure. There is growing evidence that delayed enhancement cardiac MRI may be useful in patients with atrial fibrillation in terms of treatment decisions and assessment of ablation efficacy.
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) long-term follow-up.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disease.1, 2 Cutaneous involvement presents with blisters primarily on trauma-prone areas healing with milia.1, 2 Mucosal involvement can lead to irreversible scarring. The treatment of EBA is based on anecdotal reports in the literature with systemic therapies.3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immune-suppressing agent that has been reported to be effective in the treatment of autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering diseases.3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11 This report describes the successful treatment of 4 patients with EBA using MMF as a steroid-sparing agent at our center along with a long term follow-up.
Stylistic analysis of the film: Notes on a methodology

(1965). Stylistic analysis of the film: Notes on a methodology. Speech Monographs: Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 74-78.
Choroid Plexus: Structure and Function

The choroid plexus (CP) plays a central role in regulating inflammatory cells in the central nervous system (CNS), as well as in monitoring the synthesis, composition, and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. The CP is a selective organ, containing blood vessels embedded within the stroma, enclosed in a wall of epithelial cells, secured by tight junction proteins. The endothelial cells in the CP stroma are unique, unlike the blood–brain barrier, in that these cells form relatively large, fenestrated capillaries allowing inflammatory cells to enter the CP stroma. However, the CP enables selective inflammatory populations to enter the CNS from the blood, based on specific adhesion molecules expressed on blood vessels, CP epithelial cells, and cytokines. The CP participates in immune surveillance, the development of CNS disease, and CNS trauma.
Human intestinal glucose transporter expression and localization of GLUT5

We have studied the developmental and regional expression of mRNAs encoding sodium-dependent and facilitative glucose transporter proteins in human fetal and adult small intestine. The abundance of...
Foreword: Framing Family Court through the Lens of Accountability

Abolish Family Court. Merge it. Restructure it. Give it more power; give it less. Whatever recommendations were made during the two-day conference, not a single participant said that the current Court functioned well. That’s hardly surprising. Barely twenty-five years after the first juvenile court was created, some of its chief protagonists expressed alarm about the Court’s functioning. 1 Those concerns are eerily similar to some of the current critiques that surfaced at the conference: insufficient resources, inadequate preventive services to keep children out of court, an overwhelmed probation service, judges without ample understanding of the complexities of families’ lives, intervening in family life because society has failed those families, and the overuse of detention. 2 Our ability to re-imagine how to address these persistent concerns is defined and limited by our positions within a complex system of relationships. Professor Charles Tilly, the conference luncheon speaker, pointed out that we give reasons and determine accountability using well-worn paths of interacting that thwart approaching problems from an entirely new point of view. He cautioned us that “the very structures of organizations estab
Contemporary issues of race/ethnicity, offending behavior, and justice responses

The racial and ethnic composition of the United States has drastically changed over the last few decades. This transformation has important implications for theory, research, policy, and public opi...
Elastic Properties of Thin Films

A technique has been developed for characterizing the disorder present in thin films through the measurement of their low temperature internal friction. The technique utilizes a substrate, in the form of a double paddle oscillator etched from a high purity silicon wafer, onto which the thin film of interest can be deposited. The oscillator possesses an internal friction of 3 × 10−8 at 4 K which is reproducible to within 1% upon thermally cycling to room temperature. This extremely small substrate internal friction coupled with the excellent reproducibility permits measurements of the internal friction of very thin amorphous films, with a 2 tun silica film producing a change in the internal friction of 4 × 10−9. By performing low temperature internal friction measurements on thin silica films with thicknesses ranging from 2 nm to 1000 nm, we have investigated the role of interacting defects in determining the universal nature of the anomalous low temperature thermal and elastic properties of amorphous solids. We have found no evidence for strong interactions between these tunneling defects. Other applications of the oscillator include monitoring of the crystallization of amorphous films through changes in the low temperature internal friction, internal friction measurements and vapor pressure measurements of quenched condensed rare gas solids and amorphous water ice, and internal friction studies of amorphous solids which can only be produced in thin film form.
Compressing Femtosecond Pulses in a Single Iteration in Real Time

Utilizing a programmable liquid crystal spatial light modulator and SPIDER a technique is demonstrated for correcting arbitrary spectral phase aberrations in a single iteration with no reference pulse. The setup shows promise for correcting dynamic spectral phase changes, compressing complicated pulses from nearly picosecond length back to near transform-limited pulses.
Biologic Characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Different Sources

To understand the serotype and the virulent genotype of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from different sources in Zhejiang Province, the serotype was tested by serum agglutination; PCR technology was applied to measure the TDH (thermostable directs hemolysin) virulence gene. It was found that the serotypes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from clinical patients were distributed in 7 O-antigen groups. Among them, O3 was the dominating type with 71.81% prevalence in the isolations from clinical patients, and the proportion of O4 type rose to some extent accounting for 16.60% compared with last year. The serotype in strains isolated from seafoods distributed in 8 O-antigen groups, in which the O5 type prevailed (47.30%). It was demonstrated that the virulence gene TDH could be detected to be 95.65% in clinical isolations employing the PCR technology. In contrast, there was only 6.06% TDH positive rate in strains isolated from seafoods. Moreover, the TDH positive rate varied with the source of the bacteria despite of sharing the same serotype. There was difference in serotype and genotype of TDH between Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from seafoods and from patients suffering from foodborn disease.
Expression of the receptor for hyaluronic acid mediated motility (RHAMM) is associated with poor prognosis and metastasis in non-small cell lung carcinoma

// Dunrui Wang 1, * , Navneet Narula 2, * , Stephanie Azzopardi 2 , Roger S. Smith 3 , Abu Nasar 4 , Nasser K. Altorki 4 , Vivek Mittal 4 , Romel Somwar 3 , Brendon M. Stiles 4 , Yi-Chieh Nancy Du 2 1 Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA 2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA 3 Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA 4 Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Yi-Chieh Nancy Du, email: nad2012@med.cornell.edu Keywords: lung cancer, receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility, metastasis, prognosis Received: November 17, 2015 Accepted: May 09, 2016 Published: May 23, 2016 ABSTRACT The receptor for hyaluronic acid-mediated motility (RHAMM) is upregulated in various cancers, but its role in primary and metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remains to be determined. Here, we investigate the clinical relevance of RHAMM expression in NSCLC. RHAMM protein expression correlates with histological differentiation stages and extent of the primary tumor (T stages) in 156 patients with primary NSCLC. Importantly, while focal RHAMM staining pattern is present in 57% of primary NSCLC, intense RHAMM protein expression is present in 96% of metastatic NSCLC cases. In a publicly available database, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), RHAMM mRNA expression is 12- and 10-fold higher in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous lung carcinoma than in matched normal lung tissues, respectively. RHAMM mRNA expression correlates with stages of differentiation and inferior survival in more than 400 cases of lung adenocarcinoma in the Director’s Challenge cohort. Of 4 RHAMM splice variants, RHAMMv3 (also known as RHAMM B ) is the dominant variant in NSCLC. Moreover, shRNA-mediated knockdown of RHAMM reduced the migratory ability of two lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, H1975 and H3255. Taken together, RHAMM, most likely RHAMMv3 (RHAMM B ), can serve as a prognostic factor for lung adenocarcinomas and a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC to inhibit tumor migration.
Dermatologic Health Services Research

Health services research is a field that uses techniques from many other disciplines to study health care, especially its quality and costs. This article presents examples that illustrate how health services research addresses the delivery of dermatologic care--for example, the development and use of sound quantitative measures of the outcomes of our care, the implementation of strategies to improve these outcomes, the assessment of patients' access to care and their satisfaction with care, and determinations of the cost-effectiveness of our care. Following these examples is a brief review of principles of experimental inquiry and common methodologic pitfalls in health services research, as a guide for readers in the interpretation of published studies.
The Neuropsychology of Emotional Expression

Emotions are conveyed largely by nonverbal means: they are notoriously difficult to talk about. Ask even the most articulate people to describe their emotional state and you are likely to see them become increasingly less articulate. It is not simply that the lexicon for emotions is inadequate, but that words alone don’t seem to have immediacy and impact. An effective communication about emotion should be contagious, easily and quickly transmissable, and not totally under the control of the transmitter.
My Smartphone Knows What You Print: Exploring Smartphone-based Side-channel Attacks Against 3D Printers

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has been increasingly applied to fabricate highly intellectual property (IP) sensitive products. However, the related IP protection issues in 3D printers are still largely underexplored. On the other hand, smartphones are equipped with rich onboard sensors and have been applied to pervasive mobile surveillance in many applications. These facts raise one critical question: is it possible that smartphones access the side-channel signals of 3D printer and then hack the IP information? To answer this, we perform an end-to-end study on exploring smartphone-based side-channel attacks against 3D printers. Specifically, we formulate the problem of the IP side-channel attack in 3D printing. Then, we investigate the possible acoustic and magnetic side-channel attacks using the smartphone built-in sensors. Moreover, we explore a magnetic-enhanced side-channel attack model to accurately deduce the vital directional operations of 3D printer. Experimental results show that by exploiting the side-channel signals collected by smartphones, we can successfully reconstruct the physical prints and their G-code with Mean Tendency Error of 5.87% on regular designs and 9.67% on complex designs, respectively. Our study demonstrates this new and practical smartphone-based side channel attack on compromising IP information during 3D printing.
A model of type 2 diabetes in the guinea pig using sequential diet-induced glucose intolerance and streptozotocin treatment.

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among noncommunicable diseases, and additional animal models that more closely replicate the pathogenesis of human type 2 diabetes are needed. The goal of this study was to develop a model of type 2 diabetes in guinea pigs, in which diet-induced glucose intolerance precedes β-cell cytotoxicity, two processes that are crucial to the development of human type 2 diabetes. Guinea pigs developed impaired glucose tolerance after 8 weeks of feeding on a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, as determined by oral glucose challenge. Diet-induced glucose intolerance was accompanied by β-cell hyperplasia, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, and dyslipidemia with hepatocellular steatosis. Streptozotocin (STZ) treatment alone was ineffective at inducing diabetic hyperglycemia in guinea pigs, which failed to develop sustained glucose intolerance or fasting hyperglycemia and returned to euglycemia within 21 days after treatment. However, when high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet-fed guinea pigs were treated with STZ, glucose intolerance and fasting hyperglycemia persisted beyond 21 days post-STZ treatment. Guinea pigs with diet-induced glucose intolerance subsequently treated with STZ demonstrated an insulin-secretory capacity consistent with insulin-independent diabetes. This insulin-independent state was confirmed by response to oral antihyperglycemic drugs, metformin and glipizide, which resolved glucose intolerance and extended survival compared with guinea pigs with uncontrolled diabetes. In this study, we have developed a model of sequential glucose intolerance and β-cell loss, through high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet and extensive optimization of STZ treatment in the guinea pig, which closely resembles human type 2 diabetes. This model will prove useful in the study of insulin-independent diabetes pathogenesis with or without comorbidities, where the guinea pig serves as a relevant model species.
Exogenous fatty acid metabolism in bacteria.

Bacterial type II fatty acid synthesis (FASII) is a target for novel antibiotic development. All bacteria encode for mechanisms to incorporate exogenous fatty acids, and some bacteria can use exogenous fatty acids to bypass FASII inhibition. Bacteria encode three different mechanisms for activating exogenous fatty acids for incorporation into phospholipid synthesis. Exogenous fatty acids are converted into acyl-CoA in Gammaproteobacteria such as E. coli. Acyl-CoA molecules constitute a separate pool from endogenously synthesized acyl-ACP. Acyl-CoA can be used for phospholipid synthesis or broken down by β-oxidation, but cannot be used for lipopolysaccharide synthesis. Exogenous fatty acids are converted into acyl-ACP in some Gram-negative bacteria. The resulting acyl-ACP undergoes the same fates as endogenously synthesized acyl-ACP. Exogenous fatty acids are converted into acyl-phosphates in Gram-positive bacteria, and can be used for phospholipid synthesis or become acyl-ACP. Only the order Lactobacillales can use exogenous fatty acids to bypass FASII inhibition. FASII shuts down completely in presence of exogenous fatty acids in Lactobacillales, allowing Lactobacillales to synthesize phospholipids entirely from exogenous fatty acids. Inhibition of FASII cannot be bypassed in other bacteria because FASII is only partially down-regulated in presence of exogenous fatty acid or FASII is required to synthesize essential metabolites such as β-hydroxyacyl-ACP. Certain selective pressures such as FASII inhibition or growth in biofilms can select for naturally occurring one step mutations that attenuate endogenous fatty acid synthesis. Although attempts have been made to estimate the natural prevalence of these mutants, culture-independent metagenomic methods would provide a better estimate.
New friend, old foe: Anti-interleukin-6 agents increase risk of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

Introduction Anti-interleukin-6 agents such as Tocilizumab (Actemra) are increasingly being used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who did not have good clinical response to TNF (Tumor necrosis factor) inhibitors. Interleukin-6 is a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune disorders. Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes pneumonia in immunocompromised patients such as HIV positive individuals with low CD4 count. There is limited data about the risk of pneumocystis pneumonia associated with newer biological agents. We report a rare case of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient without HIV, associated with anti-interleukin-6 agent. Case description A 65-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis, presented with progressive shortness of breath over a period of 3 weeks. She was receiving methotrexate and a biological interleukin-6 receptor blocker (Tocilizumab). She had a non productive cough and gradually progressing shortness of breath. She did not have fever or rigors. CT Chest angiogram was negative for pulmonary embolism, but did note extensive diffuse ground-glass opacity throughout both lungs, predominantly in the upper lobe. Hemoglobin was 14.9g/dL, White count 13.4X10(9)/L, platelet count 147X10(9)/L, Creatinine 0.83mg/dL, CRP 8.8mg/L. Results and conclusions Her clinical picture was suggestive of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Bronchoalveolar lavage cultures, bacterial, fungal, viral and mycobacterial were negative. Pneumocystis jirovecii PCR was negative. Serum Beta-D-Glucan, a component of cell wall of Pnemocystis jirovecii was high (>500pg/ml) and elevated levels have been reported to have high sensitivity and specificity in its diagnosis. Clinical picture, radiological findings and elevated serum Beta-D-Glucan (Fungitell) supported the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii. Patient recovered with oral Atovaquone for 21 days and tapering course of oral Prednisone. Repeat imaging showed complete resolution and Serum Beta-D-Glucan level trended down. Take-home message Interleukin-6 receptor blocker, used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis increase the risk of pneumocystis pneumonia, an opportunistic infection. Serum Beta-D Glucan test can be used as non-invasive testing modality to diagnose pneumocystis pneumonia in non-HIV patients with good sensitivity and specificity. Serial Beta-D Glucan levels may be used to monitor with clinical progress. Molecular methods such as Pneumocystis jirovecii PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) may be falsely negative in non-HIV patient.
Developing Novel Drugs

We analyze the economic tradeoffs associated with firms' decisions to invest in incremental and radical innovation, in the context of pharmaceutical research and development. We develop a new, ex ante, measure of a drug candidate's innovativeness by comparing its chemical structure to that of previously developed drug candidates: this allows us to better distinguish between novel and so-called “me-too” drugs. We show that, on average, novel drug candidates 1) generate higher private and social returns conditional on approval (as measured by revenues, stock market returns, clinical value added, and patent citations) but 2) are riskier in that they are less likely to be approved by the FDA. Using variation in the expansion of Medicare prescription drug coverage, we show that firms respond to a plausibly exogenous positive shock to their net worth by developing more chemically novel drug candidates, as opposed to more “me-too” drugs. This pattern suggests that, on the margin, firms perceive novel drugs to be more valuable ex-ante investments, but that financial frictions may hinder their willingness to invest in these riskier candidates.
Respiratory Microbiome Profiling for Etiologic Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Mechanically Ventilated Patients.

Etiologic diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia relies on identification of causative pathogens by cultures, which require extended incubation periods and have limited sensitivity. Next-generation sequencing of microbial DNA directly from patient samples may improve diagnostic accuracy for guiding antibiotic prescriptions. In this study, we hypothesized that enhanced pathogen detection using sequencing can improve upon culture-based diagnosis and that certain sequencing profiles correlate with host response. We prospectively collected endotracheal aspirates and plasma within 72 h of intubation from patients with acute respiratory failure. We performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine pathogen abundance in lung samples and measured plasma biomarkers to assess host responses to detected pathogens. Among 56 patients, 12 patients (21%) had positive respiratory cultures. Sequencing revealed lung communities with low diversity (p 50% relative abundance) corresponding to clinically isolated pathogens (concordance p = 0.009). Importantly, sequencing detected dominant pathogens in 20% of the culture-negative patients exposed to broad-spectrum empiric antibiotics. Regardless of culture results, pathogen dominance correlated with increased plasma markers of host injury (receptor of advanced glycation end-products-RAGE) and inflammation (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1-TNFR1) (p < 0.05), compared to subjects without dominant pathogens in their lung communities. Machine-learning algorithms identified pathogen abundance by sequencing as the most informative predictor of culture positivity. Thus, enhanced detection of pathogenic bacteria by sequencing improves etiologic diagnosis of pneumonia, correlates with host responses, and offers substantial opportunity for individualized therapeutic targeting and antimicrobial stewardship. Clinical translation will require validation with rapid whole meta-genome sequencing approaches to guide real-time antibiotic prescriptions.
Abstract 1226: Rare germline variants segregating in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) families

CLL is a highly heritable cancer with first degree relatives of CLL cases having a 7.5-fold increased CLL risk. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and linkage studies have been performed to study inherited predisposition; however a larger proportion of heritability to CLL remains unexplained. Rare coding variants might account for the missing heritability information. Inherited loss of function variants in shelterin complex genes (POT1, ACD, TERF1, TINF2, TERF2, TERF2IP- involved in telomere regulation), CDK1 (critical for cell division) and ATM (tumor suppressor gene) have been found to co-segregate in CLL families and be enriched in CLL cases using exome-wide sequencing data. Our study evaluates rare germline variants from these suspect genes segregating in CLL families who are followed at the Mayo Clinic. Using whole exome sequencing (WES), we sequenced 93 CLL families with at least 2 reported CLL cases consisting of 443 individuals: 160 with CLL, 73 with monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL), and 210 relatives. DNA was extracted from buccal cells, coding exons were selectively captured using Agilent 50Mb and SureSelect Human All Exon V4 capture kits; sequencing was performed using Illumina HiSeq 2000. Mayo Clinic9s DNASeq pipeline uses Novoalign (initial read alignment), Picard (marking duplicate reads), and the Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) for local realignment, recalibration, and variant calling. The variant discovery step leverages GATK9s HaplotypeCaller in per sample mode and all of the samples across the cohort are jointly genotyped together. All called variants are evaluated with GATK9s Variant Quality Score Recalibration tool and annotated for biological relevance (BIOR). Quality control included removing variants that had We identified three novel rare missense variants, defined as functionally deleterious, which each co-segregated within a CLL family. Specifically, these variants from shelterin complex genes; POT1 (rs116916706), TERF2IP (rs138458227), and TERF2 (rs749171225), met the criteria. This study further highlights telomere dysregulation as a key process in CLL development. Investigating rare variants within CLL pedigrees with WES can help identify germline variants impacting predisposition to familial CLL. Citation Format: Alyssa I. Clay-Gilmour, Daniel R. O9Brien, Sara J. Achenbach, Celine M. Vachon, Kari G. Chaffee, Timothy G. Call, Jose F. Leis, Aaron D. Norman, Brian F. Kabat, Sameer A. Parikh, Neil E. Kay, Esteban Braggio, James R. Cerhan, Susan L. Slager. Rare germline variants segregating in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) families [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1226.
Defective Inflammatory Pathways in Never-Treated Depressed Patients Are Associated with Poor Treatment Response

Summary Inflammation has been involved in the pathophysiology and treatment response of major depressive disorder (MDD). Plasma cytokine profiles of 171 treatment-naive MDD patients (none of the MDD patients received an adequate trial of antidepressants or evidence-based psychotherapy) and 64 healthy controls (HCs) were obtained. MDD patients exhibited elevated concentrations of 18 anti- and proinflammatory markers and decreased concentrations of 6 cytokines. Increased inflammasome protein expression was observed in MDD patients, indicative of an activated inflammatory response. The plasma of MDD patients was immunosuppressive on healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells, inducing reduced activation of monocytes/dendritic cells and B cells and reduced T cell memory. Comparison between 33 non-responders and 71 responders at baseline and 12 weeks revealed that after treatment, anti-inflammatory cytokine levels increase in both groups, whereas 5 proinflammatory cytokine levels were stabilized in responders, but continued to increase in non-responders. MDD patients exhibit remodeling of their inflammatory landscape.
Flexible Elements and Stability

Practical control applications sometimes require that an object be moved. In the example of Fig. 11.1a, a mirror needs to be moved in order to maintain constant the optical path between it and another mirror. Changes in the optical path can be measured with an interferometric gauge. A FCS can be arranged by using the interferometer output as the error signal, which is processed by a compensator and then used to drive a piezo-electric (PZT) actuator supporting one of the mirrors. What can make this kind of arrangement tricky is the fact that the structure which connects the two mirrors is not infinitely rigid. When the PZT moves the mirror, a reaction force acts on the structure. If control is effected at frequencies at or close to structural resonances, the amplitude and phase of the open-loop frequency response is changed and instability may result. The negative effect of structure flexibility on FCS stability and some ways to mitigate it are discussed below.
Multimedia for Autonomous Driving

Multimedia has played an indispensable role in the success of various real-world applications, from smart healthcare to intelligent surveillance systems. In this new era of technology, one of these essential and useful applications is autonomous driving or self-driving cars. The idea of driverless vehicles was introduced many years ago when autopilot systems were designed for airplanes. However, over the past few years, there have been incredible advances in autonomous driving, thanks to new technologies in multimedia and artificial intelligence. In particular, multimedia research using a broad range of techniques such as machine learning, computer vision, audio processing, simulation systems, robotics, and big data has significantly enhanced and expedited the autonomous driving technology over time. In addition to the main applications of self-driving cars such as autonomous delivery vehicles, taxis, and freight trucks, the autonomous driving technology can provide many opportunities in military, constructions, healthcare, and emergency management. Despite the effectiveness and efficiency that self-driving cars bring to the future of transportation, many challenges remain that need to be solved before fully-autonomous driving becomes a reality.