cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional Geologic Interpretations of Aeromagnetic Profiles of Selected Areas in Alaska: ABSTRACT

Aeromagnetic traverses over some of the sedimentary basins in Alaska have been flown by the U. S. Geological Survey in order to obtain a better understanding of the regional geology and an estimate of the thickness of sedimentary rocks in these areas. The magnetic data are presented in the form of profiles. The basin areas under investigation are Yukon Flats and the adjacent Kandik Segment, the Middle Tanana and the Susitna Lowlands north of Cook Inlet. In the Susitna area, the magnetic data delineate the contact between the rocks of the Talkeetna geanticline and the Alaska Range geosyncline on the northwest, and indicate that the north end of the Cook Inlet Tertiary basin is shallow. North-south profiles near the eastern edge of the Yukon Flats basin south of the Arctic Circle indicate the probable presence of near-surface volcanic rocks. A long profile from Anchorage to Nome, across many of the major tectonic elements in Alaska, is also presented. Examination of this profile yields the following: (1) the west and east edges of the Talkeetna geanticline may be delineated; (2) the Alaska Range geosyncline, the Tanana geanticline, and most of the Kuskokwim geosyncline are magnetically featureless, indicating that the sedimentary section is thick or that the basement rocks are nonmagnetic; (3) there is no great thickness of sedimentary rocks under Norton Sound. End_of_Article - Last_Page 260------------
Current Bioavailability and Bioequivalence Requirements and Regulations

AbstractThe 1977 Bioavailability/Bioequivalence Regulations formalized the position and thinking of the Food and Drug Administration with regard to bioavailability of drug products marketed in the United States. The regulations defined the terminology involved, set forth criteria for waiver of in vivo bioavailability studies and listed the drugs that would require bioavailability/bioequivalence studies. The regulations also delineated the general approaches for determining bioavailability, laid down guidelines for conducting in vivo bioavailability studies for conventional dosage forms, combination drug products, and controlled release drug products; set forth criteria and evidence to establish a bioequivalence requirement and described the types of bioequivalence requirements. Over the last few years, a number of presentations have been made by the officials of the Agency to describe and explain the regulations at various forums. I am sure that most of you are quite familiar with the various aspects of t...
Temporal and Spatial Analysis of the New World Screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) in Darien and Embera, Panama (2001–2011)

Larvae (maggots) of Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World Screwworm fly, are voracious consumers of living flesh that have a negative economic impact by decreasing productivity, predisposing to other pathogens, and, in severe cases, causing death of domestic livestock. Screwworm caused extensive financial losses to the livestock industry in North America prior to its eradication. Sterile insect technique (SIT) was used to eradicate screwworm throughout North and Central America and continues to be the main tool to control it in eastern Panama. The goal of this study was to evaluate the temporal and spatial trends of screwworm myiasis cases reported in the Province of Darien and Comarca Embera (border with Colombia), Panama, from 2001 to 2011. We hypothesized that screwworm cases would vary seasonally and be spatially clustered near Colombia as a result of effective eradication strategies in Panama and the presence of an autochthonous population of flies in western Colombia. Temporal and spatial data were retrieved from COPEG-USDA records (Panama) and analysed by anova, Ripley's K function, discrete Poisson spatial statistic scan and Getis-Ord Gi*. No significant temporal trend was found, but cases were spatially distributed in four clusters. One cluster of cases occurred from 2001 to 2003 and was considered a focal temporal and spatial cluster. One cluster occurred in 2001 and 2007 indicating more rare outbreaks in an area with fewer cattle. The two remaining clusters contained cases from 2004 to 2011 and 2001 to 2011 suggesting regular breaks in the control barrier due to occasional failures of the SIT programme, difficulties implementing border quarantine strategies, livestock smuggling or the movement of infested wildlife.
The upregulation of Myb and Peg3 may mediate EGCG inhibition effect on mouse lung adenocarcinoma

The antioxidant activity of green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been found to be critical in inhibiting carcinogenesis. In our previous study, we identified a set of protein coding genes and microRNAs whose expressions were significantly modulated in response to the EGCG treatment in tobacco carcinogen-induced lung adenocarcinoma in A/J mice. In this study, we further conducted some statistical analysis on our microarray data and employed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) lung adenocarcinoma datasets as additional control. We postulated that if a gene mediates EGCG's cancer inhibition, its expression level change caused by EGCG should be opposite to what occurred in the carcinogenesis. With this assumption, we identified Myb and Peg3 as the primary genes involved in the cancer inhibitory activities of EGCG.
Accuracy Inquiries for All Felony and Misdemeanor Pleas But Innocent Defendants

This article discusses the development of and rationale for the accuracy inquiry for guilty pleas in criminal cases. The article proposes that an accuracy inquiry be extended to all felony and misdemeanor guilty pleas in state and federal courts. A standard for the accuracy inquiry is proposed.
Sodium-adenosine cotransport in brush-border membranes from rabbit ileum.

To determine the mechanism(s) of transcellular adenosine transport in epithelial tissues that possess an adenosine receptor response, we studied [3H]adenosine uptake using vesicles prepared from isolated brush-border and basolateral membranes of the rabbit ileum. In the presence of the adenosine deaminase inhibitor deoxycoformycin uptake of [3H]adenosine into brush-border membrane vesicles is stimulated fivefold by an inwardly directed Na gradient. Na-dependent [3H]adenosine uptake is enhanced and concentrative under conditions that increase inside negativity of vesicles, thus providing evidence for an electrogenic carrier. Na-dependent adenosine uptake is a saturable function of adenosine concentration with a Michaelis-Menten constant of 17.3 +/- 7.1 microM and maximum transport rate of 216.9 +/- 20.2 pmol.min-1.mg protein-1. Both uridine and inosine inhibit [3H]adenosine uptake, suggesting that the Na-dependent transporter has broad substrate specificity for both purine and pyrimidine ribonucleosides. Na-dependent adenosine uptake is inhibited by dipyridamole but is insensitive to 6-(4-nitrobenzyl)thio-9-beta-D-ribofuranosylpurine. We conclude that adenosine is transported across ileal brush-border membranes by a Na-ribonucleoside cotransport system. In contrast, adenosine uptake in basolateral membranes is not stimulated by a Na gradient. These studies show asymmetry in the distribution of transport systems for adenosine in polarized intestinal epithelia.
A Comprehensive Analysis in Terms of Molecule-Intrinsic, Quasi- Atomic Orbitals. II. Strongly Correlated MCSCF Wave Functions

A methodology is developed for the quantitative identification of the quasi-atomic orbitals that are embedded in a strongly correlated molecular wave function. The wave function is presumed to be generated from configurations in an internal orbital space whose dimension is equal to (or slightly larger) than that of the molecular minimal basis set. The quasi-atomic orbitals are found to have large overlaps with corresponding orbitals on the free atoms. They separate into bonding and nonbonding orbitals. From the bonding quasi-atomic orbitals, localized bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals are formed. The resolution of molecular density matrices in terms of these orbitals furnishes a basis for analyzing the interatomic bonding patterns in molecules and the changes in these bonding patterns along reaction paths. A new bond strength measure, the kinetic bond order, is introduced.
Geographic Information Processing: Standards-Based Open Source Visualization Technology for Environmental Understanding

Environmental security is a global issue that will increasingly affect our ability to survive as a species. Collectively we must better appreciate the complex relationships that make life on Earth possible. Providing geographic information in its native context can accelerate our ability to process that information. To maximize this ability to process information, three basic elements are required: data delivery (server technology), data access (client technology), and data processing (information intelligence). NASA World Wind provides open source client and server technologies based on open standards. The possibilities for data processing and data sharing are enhanced by this inclusive infrastructure for geographic information. It is interesting that this open source and open standards approach, unfettered by proprietary constraints, simultaneously provides for entirely proprietary use of this same technology.
Sequence Diversity in the Lasso Peptide Framework: Discovery of Functional Microcin J25 Variants with Multiple Amino Acid Substitutions

Microcin J25 (MccJ25) is a ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptide that has an unusual threaded lasso structure in which the C-terminal "tail" of the peptide is fed through a macrocyclic "ring" formed by the N-terminal residues. Production of MccJ25 in Escherichia coli is dependent upon a four-gene cluster encoding the structural gene mcjA, two maturation enzymes mcjB and mcjC, and an immunity factor, mcjD, in the form of an MccJ25 export pump. Here we have developed a system for orthogonal control of the expression of mcjA and mcjD, thus permitting independent control of MccJ25 production and export/immunity in E. coli. We used this system to screen saturation mutagenesis libraries targeted to either the ring or tail portions of MccJ25 and discovered nearly 100 new MccJ25 variants that retain antimicrobial function. While multiple amino acid substitutions in the tail portion of the peptide are well-tolerated, mutagenesis of the ring portion of the peptide is detrimental to the antimicrobial function of MccJ25. We demonstrated that the decreased function of the ring variants is due to the inability of these variants to be transported to the cytoplasm of susceptible strains. Additionally, we found several MccJ25 variants from the tail library with improved efficacy toward the MccJ25-sensitive strains E. coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Newport with the best variants exhibiting a nearly 5-fold increase in potency. The results described here provide further evidence that diverse amino acid sequences can be tolerated by the rigid lasso peptide fold.
Development of a Scaleable Synthesis of a Geminal Dimethyl Tertiary Amine as an Inhaled Muscarinic Antagonist for the Treatment of COPD

An efficient and scalable process for the synthesis of muscarinic antagonist, PF-3635659 1, is described, illustrating redesign of an analogue-targeted synthesis which contained a scale-limiting rhodium-activated C–H amination step. The final route includes a reproducible modified Bouveault reaction which has not previously been reported on a substrate of this complexity, or on such a scale with over 5 kg of the requisite gem-dimethylamine prepared via this methodology.
Determinants of polydipsia: VII. Removing the drinking solution midway through DRL sessions

Three rats were run on DRL 30 for food. When a bottle containing drinking solution ran dry midway through sessions, disrupting licking, bar-press spacing worsened in two Ss. Over similar sessions, both Ss recovered baseline timing performances during dry-bottle periods. In one of these, licking at the dry tube appeared. In a session with a dry bottle throughout, all Ss showed good timing. In a session with the bottle removed, the S that had learned to lick the dry tube showed disruption in timing. Data are consistent with with a mediating role for licking.
Time-Efficient Use of Yellow Sticky Traps in Monitoring Insect Populations

A time-efficient method of counting insects caught on yellow sticky traps was developed for use in greenhouses. The distributions of trapped insects were examined with three-way G tests using log-linear models on 344 yellow sticky traps (11.5 by 14 cm) used to monitor three commercial greenhouses in 1986. Four taxa, Diglyphus begini (Ashmead), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), and Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood, tended to cluster along the vertical trap plane but each tended to be uniformly distributed along the horizontal trap plane. These results suggested that the number of insects caught on a trap could be estimated accurately by counting a 2.3-cm-wide vertical strip of the trap. This hypothesis was tested in four commercial greenhouses monitored with 586 yellow sticky traps in 1987 and 1989. Trap-catch estimates from vertical strip counts were not significantly different from whole-trap counts (paired t tests) for six of the seven taxa caught on traps in these greenhouses. All regression coefficients obtained from least-squares linear regressions were significantly >0.2, and column counts (independent variable) explained >90% of the observed variation in wholetrap counts (dependent variable) in 12 of the 23 cases examined. We concluded that 2.3-cm-wide vertical strip counts accurately predict insect densities on an entire trap. Because only 20% of the trap area is counted, the technique presented reduces counting time by 80% compared with whole-trap counts.
Racial and Social Disparities in Bystander Support During Medical Emergencies on US Streets.

Objectives. To examine rates at which people suffering medical emergencies on public streets receive help from bystanders, that is, laypersons who first arrive on the scene, and how this varies across patient race and incident locations.Methods. We analyzed data on 22 487 patients from the 2011 National Emergency Medical Services Information System, which we linked to characteristics of counties where the incidents occurred.Results. Bystanders provided help to patients suffering a wide range of medical emergencies, but only about 1 in 39 patients (2.57%) received bystander support. Black patients were significantly less likely to receive bystander support (odds ratio = 0.42; 95% confidence interval = 0.35, 0.50). Bystander support and county socioeconomic status have a curvilinear relationship; patients in the most disadvantaged counties are least likely to receive bystander support.Conclusions. Help from bystanders is rare and less likely among Black patients and those in the poorest counties.
Aneurysm of the azygos pericallosal artery: diagnosis by MR imaging and MR angiography.

We present a case of an aneurysm of an azygos pericallosal artery diagnosed on conventional MR imaging and MR angiography, and confirmed with conventional angiography and at surgical exploration
Electronic Informed Consent (eConsent) in Clinical Investigations

Clinical research continues to evolve from pen and paper to stylus and computer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released draft guidance on “Use of Electronic Informed Consent in Clinical Investigations.” The guidance “provides recommendations for clinical investigators,
The Clinical Predictors That Facilitate a Clinician's Decision to Order Genetic Testing for Rett Syndrome

Abstract Background Rett syndrome is a common genetic cause of intellectual disability in girls caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene. Diagnosis is based on clinical criteria. The aim was to compare the frequencies of the clinical criteria in patients with and without MECP2 mutations. Methods We performed a retrospective review at a children's hospital of patients who underwent MECP2 testing from 2008 to 2013. Logistic regression was performed to determine which criteria were most predictive of MECP2 status. Results Of 169 patients who met inclusion criteria, 46 (27.2%) were MECP2 positive. Loss of language skills ( MECP2 + 100% versus MECP2− 87.8%; P = 0.012) was the most common finding among both groups. Other main criteria were more common in MECP2 patients: gait abnormalities (84.8% versus 27.6%; P P P Conclusions Loss of hand skills resulted in the highest odds of having a positive genetic test. Gait abnormalities and stereotypic hand movements were also strong predictors of MECP2+ testing. Many individuals with language delay had genetic testing; however, this is the least specific of the major criteria. These findings have implications for which patients should have genetic testing.
Radioguided Surgery of Small Pulmonary Nodules

The incidence of pulmonary nodules discovered by imaging is increasing. These pulmonary nodules may be discovered incidentally or through a computed tomography (CT) scan screening program. Small lesions suspicious for lung cancer may require tissue, and surgical resection may be necessary to rule out malignancy. Due to the small size of these lesions, intraoperative localization with minimally invasive surgical techniques may be challenging and require lesion localization prior to resection. Radioguided surgery using a radiotracer and a handheld gamma probe technology facilitates real-time pulmonary nodule localization and surgical resection. Most commonly, this involves two steps. First, a radiotracer (usually injectable technetium-99m) is preoperatively and percutaneously delivered into or immediately deep to the pulmonary nodule under CT guidance. Second, a handheld gamma probe is used to localize the pulmonary nodule for thoracoscopic resection. Alternatively, a radiotracer can be given intravenously, such as radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), bleomycin derivatives, or DOTATATE (i.e., a highly selective somatostatin analog). These other techniques remain experimental. Radioguidance with transthoracic technetium-99m injection and intraoperative gamma probe detection offers several advantages over CT-guided hookwires or markers, locally administered radiopaque contrast and blue dyes, and thoracoscopic ultrasound. These techniques may be employed alone or in combination with radioguidance. Precise localization of small pulmonary nodules will become more pressing as national lung cancer CT screening guidelines are implemented.
Reevaluating Gender and IR Scholarship: Moving beyond Reiter’s Dichotomies toward Effective Synergies

We seek a more accurate review of, and reflection on the gender and international relations (IR) literature than that offered by Reiter. Our evaluation corrects misunderstandings related to key dichotomies (mis)used in analyzing scholarship: sex/gender, positivism/nonpositivism, and epistemology/ontology. It also underscores the comparative strengths and weaknesses of different types of research in order to identify more fruitful possibilities for synthesis. We make the pluralist case that gender and IR research is at its best when it is multimethod, epistemologically pluralist, multisited, and carefully navigates the differences between feminist analyses and large-n statistical studies. The potential payoff of careful, synergistic engagement is worth any risks.
Chemical Nature, Psychology, and Physiology of Taste

Two of the five fundamental human senses, recognized since antiquity, are chemical senses and three are physical senses. Taste, smell, and the common chemical sense are caused by chemical substances. Sight, sound, and touch are caused by physical forces (light waves, pressure waves, and physical pressure, respectively).
Performance of Groundwater Quality Models Evaluated with Data Containing Errors

Groundwater quality models tend to be complex in their physical, chemical and biological structure containing a large number of parameters. A large amount of data is needed for calibration and verification of these models, and frequently these data contain errors. The Monte Carlo method is applied to evaluate the uncertainty associated with their performance caused by data errors. The uncertainty analysis provides estimates of statistically reliable model outputs of contaminant concentration and arrival time.
Abstract TMP83: Long-term Risk of Venous Thromboembolism After Stroke

Background: There are few data on the long-term risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among stroke survivors. We aimed to compare the incidence of VTE amongst patients with ischemic stroke versus those with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods: We identified all adults discharged from nonfederal acute care hospitals in CA, NY, and FL between 2005 and 2012 with previously validated ICD-9-CM codes for ischemic stroke and ICH. Our primary outcome of VTE was defined as pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. To capture incident cases of VTE, we excluded patients with a VTE prior to or during the index stroke. Kaplan-Meier survival statistics were used to calculate the cumulative rate of incident VTE. Cox regression was used to compare the risk of VTE after stroke while adjusting for demographics, vascular risk factors, and Elixhauser comorbidity index. As there was a violation of the proportional-hazards assumption, we calculated separate hazard ratios (HR) for each year of follow-up. Results: We identified 834,660 patients with stroke, of whom 712,440 (85.3%) had ischemic stroke and 112,220 (14.7%) had ICH. Over a mean follow-up of 2.8 (+/-2.4) years, 19,937 (2.4%) developed VTE. After 7 years, the cumulative rate of VTE was 4.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5-4.9%) in patients with ICH and 4.4% (95% CI, 4.3-4.5%) in patients with ischemic stroke. In multivariable analysis, VTE risk was higher in the first year after ICH compared to ischemic stroke (HR 1.51; 95% CI, 1.43-1.58). However, following the first year, the hazard of VTE was higher among patients with ischemic stroke versus those with ICH (Figure). Conclusions: The risk of VTE after stroke varies by stroke type and time. Patients with ICH have a higher risk of VTE in the first year after stroke as compared to those with ischemic stroke while patients with ischemic stroke have a higher risk beyond 1 year.
mGlu7 potentiation rescues cognitive, social, and respiratory phenotypes in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 ( MECP2 ) gene. The cognitive impairments seen in mouse models of RTT correlate with deficits in long-term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral (SC)–CA1 synapses in the hippocampus. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 7 (mGlu 7 ) is the predominant mGlu receptor expressed presynaptically at SC-CA1 synapses in adult mice, and its activation on GABAergic interneurons is necessary for induction of LTP. We demonstrate that pathogenic mutations in MECP2 reduce mGlu 7 protein expression in brain tissue from RTT patients and in MECP2-deficient mouse models. In rodents, this reduction impairs mGlu 7 -mediated control of synaptic transmission. We show that positive allosteric modulation of mGlu 7 activity restores LTP and improves contextual fear learning, novel object recognition, and social memory. Furthermore, mGlu 7 positive allosteric modulation decreases apneas in Mecp2 +/− mice, suggesting that mGlu 7 may be a potential therapeutic target for multiple aspects of the RTT phenotype.
Further Comments on Differences Between Displacement and Separation

In Chap. 6 I documented that displacement (D) and separation (S) routinely diverge by large amounts in some empirical analyses. Then in Chap. 7 I provided technical discussions to clarify how D and S can vary independently. I also stressed that the combination of high-D, low-S – which occurs when displacement from uneven distribution is dispersed rather than concentrated – has important sociological implications and I advised researchers to check for this pattern and guard against incorrectly assuming that high levels of displacement (D) are accompanied by high levels of group separation (S). In this chapter I try to encourage researchers to follow this advice by discussing three topics relevant to measuring separation and understanding how it may diverge from displacement.
Ignition of ultra-lean premixed H2/air using multiple hot turbulent jets generated by pre-chamber combustion

Abstract A detailed investigation on the ignition characteristics of ultra-lean premixed H2/air mixtures by multiple hot turbulent jets in a dual combustion chamber system was carried out. Simultaneous high-speed Schlieren and OH∗ chemiluminescence imaging were applied to visualize the jet penetration and ignition processes inside the main combustion chamber. The focus was on the effects of the spark location and fuel/air equivalence ratio within the pre-chamber on the ignition pattern of the main-chamber mixture. The results show that multiple jets resulted in similar lean flammability limit of H2/air as the single jets, given that the total nozzle areas are the same. However, the ignition probability improved significantly near the lean flammability limit using multi-jets compared to single jets. Additionally, depending on the spark location and pre-chamber equivalence ratio, either the side jet, the middle jet, or all the jets can initiate ignition in the main chamber. The ignition characteristics of straight and angled multi-jets were compared, and angled jets produced shorter main chamber burn time. Numerical modeling of the flame propagation process within the pre-chamber was carried out to explain the behavior of individual jets in a multi-jet system. It was found that depending on the pre-chamber spark position, the flame shape inside the pre-chamber changes drastically. The effective L / D ratio governs the flame dynamics in the pre-chamber and subsequently determines which jet (side, middle, or all) will first ignite the main chamber.
Observed aerosol suppression of cloud ice in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds

Abstract. The interactions that occur between aerosols and a mixed-phase cloud system, and the subsequent alteration of the microphysical state of such clouds, are a problem that has yet to be well constrained. Advancing our understanding of aerosol–ice processes is necessary to determine the impact of natural and anthropogenic emissions on Earth's climate and to improve our capability to predict future climate states. This paper deals specifically with how aerosols influence ice mass production in low-level Arctic mixed-phase clouds. In this study, a 9-year record of aerosol, cloud and atmospheric state properties is used to quantify aerosol influence on ice production in mixed-phase clouds. It is found that mixed-phase clouds present in a clean aerosol state have higher ice water content (IWC) by a factor of 1.22 to 1.63 at cloud base than do similar clouds in cases with higher aerosol loading. We additionally analyze radar-derived mean Doppler velocities to better understand the drivers behind this relationship, and we conclude that aerosol induced reduction of the ice crystal nucleation rate, together with decreased riming rates in polluted clouds, are likely influences on the observed reductions in IWC.
Ultra-obligatory running among ultramarathon runners.

ABSTRACTParticipants in the Ultrarunners Longitudinal TRAcking (ULTRA) Study were asked to answer “yes” or “no” to the question “If you were to learn, with absolute certainty, that ultramarathon running is bad for your health, would you stop your ultramarathon training and participation?” Among the 1349 runners, 74.1% answered “no”. Compared with those answering “yes”, they were younger (p < 0.0001), less likely to be married (p = 0.019), had less children (p = 0.0095), had a lower health orientation (p < 0.0001) though still high, and higher personal goal achievement (p = 0.0066), psychological coping (p < 0.0001) and life meaning (p = 0.0002) scores on the Motivations of Marathoners Scales. Despite a high health orientation, most ultramarathon runners would not stop running if they learned it was bad for their health as it appears to serve their psychological and personal achievement motivations and their task orientation such that they must perceive enhanced benefits that are worth retaining at the ris...
En/Gendering dystopia: the performance of torture at Guantanamo Bay prison

In the post 9–11 era, the war on terrorism hastened the questionable practice of detaining alleged terrorists in confinement sites such as Guantanamo Bay. These mainly Muslim male detainees underwe...
The Genus Sulfolobus

Our work on Sulfolobus originally arose out of a determination to find a natural habitat for Thermoplasma. As discussed in the previous chapter, Thermoplasma was originally discovered as an acidophilic thermophile living in self-heated coal refuse piles. As this seemed an unlikely permanent habitat of the organism, I naturally thought about the hot, acid environments of Yellowstone. My determination to find Thermoplasma in Yellowstone was strengthened by an observation that Gary Darland had made during his attempt to define the upper temperature for life in acidic environments (see Brock and Darland, 1970). He had immersed microscope slides in the effluents of a number of acid, thermal streams, and by a quantification of the organisms that developed on the slides he could define the upper temperature limits. At that time, we were aware only of rod-shaped and filamentous bacteria, but in several of the effluents, at temperatures at which rods and filaments did not appear, there were odd-shaped spherical structures. Since most of these acid streams are sulfur-rich, I interpreted these structures as some sort of amorphous sulfur deposit. In retrospect, I should have realized that they were living organisms, since they not only were phase dark, but appeared on the slides in a distribution that could have been interpreted as microcolonies.
An Anonymous Authentication Scheme for Trusted Computing Platform.

The Trusted Computing Platform is the industrial initiative to implement computer security. However, privacy protection is a critical problem that must be solved in Trusted Computing Platform. In this paper, we propose a simple and efficient method to implement anonymous authentication in such setting. The new scheme is proved to be secure under the strong RSA assumption and decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption.
Abstract 3231: Recombinant Periostin Peptide Improves Myocardial Function and Decreases Scar Size in a Preclinical Infarct Model

Replacing lost cardiomyocytes using regenerative strategies would offer a revolutionary strategy for the treatment of heart failure. We previously demonstrated that administration of recombinant periostin peptide induces cardiomyocyte replacement in a rat infarct model. Here, we report the results of a pre-clinical trial of periostin peptide administration in a porcine myocardial infarction model. We induced myocardial infarction in Yorkshire swine by deploying a coil in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Using a pericardiocentesis approach, we applied periostin fasciclin I-only polypeptide with a Gelfoam-based delivery system for sustained release into the pericardial space 2 days after myocardial infarction. We determined the effect on cardiac function before, 2 days after, 1 month after, and 3 months after initiation of therapy. Control (n=6) and treatment groups (n=7) were comparable in their hemodynamic parameters as well as the extent of myocardial infarction before beginning of therapy (Tab. 1). Ejection fraction, determined by 2D-echocardiography, improved in periostin-treated group at one month after periostin administration (48.0±2.3%) compared to control (38.5±5.0%). Left ventricular catherization showed a significantly increased dP/dt in periostin-treated animals after one month (1709±130 vs. 1355±98 mmHg/s). Similarly after one month cardiac index was increased (114±5.3 vs. 98±10 mL/kg/min). Gain of function in the periostin group was preserved over three months, consistent with a smaller scar volume measured by cMRI and TTC staining (90±11 vs. 127±14 mm3). In summary, minimally invasive application of cardiac regeneration factors is effective and safe. A single dose of periostin peptide induced sustained improvement of cardiac function after myocardial infarction. Overall, inducing myocardial regeneration with recombinant periostin is a promising strategy for the treatment of ischemic heart disease.
Neuropsychological Domains of Functioning

Chapter 8 discusses various approaches to neuropsychological testing including the Reitan batteries and Boston Process techniques. The goal of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the various domains generally associated with a neuropsychological evaluation. These domains include traditional components of a psychological evaluation such as cognitive ability, achievement, and social-emotional functioning. In addition, domains such as attention, executive functioning, fine motor skills, and visual-perceptual abilities are also presented as typically contained in a neuropsychological evaluation. This chapter is not an exhaustive review of the available measures; such a discussion is available in many sources, primary of which is Strauss, Sherman, and Spreen (2006).
The Association Between Externalizing Behavior Problems, Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, and Academic Performance in Young Urban Learners

The present study examined the relation between teacher ratings of student social functioning and academic performance and teacher-student relationship quality. Data were collected from 230 student...
Medical management of acute cerebral ischemia

Cerebrovascular disease ranks third as a cause of death and is a leading cause of long-term disability in much of the industrialized world. Management of patients with cerebrovascular disease has been difficult because, until recently, there have been few prospective, randomized clinical trials comparing treatments in these patients. Recognition of these factors has stimulated intense collaborative research in new approaches to the prevention and management of acute cerebral ischemia.
Glycan cross-feeding drives mutualism betweenFusobacteriumand the vaginal microbiota

Dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiome is associated with vaginal colonization by potential pathogens including Fusobacterium nucleatum , a bacterium linked with intrauterine infection and preterm birth. However, mechanisms by which such pathogens gain a foothold in the dysbiotic vagina remain obscure. Here we demonstrate that sialidase activity, a biochemical marker of vaginal dysbiosis, promoted F. nucleatum foraging on mammalian sialoglycans, an otherwise inaccessible resource. In mice with sialidase-positive vaginal microbiomes, mutant F. nucleatum unable to consume sialic acids displayed impaired colonization. Furthermore, community- and co-culture experiments showed that F. nucleatum did not simply take advantage of sialidase-positive bacteria, but also 9gave back9 to the community, supporting robust outgrowth of sialidase-producers, including Gardnerella vaginalis . These results illustrate that mutualistic relationships between vaginal bacteria support pathogen colonization and reinforce dysbiosis, adding complexity to the simplistic dogma that the mere absence of 9healthy9 lactobacilli is what creates a permissive environment for pathogens during dysbiosis.
Multi-objective Bayesian optimization of super hydrophobic coatings on asphalt concrete surfaces

Abstract Conventional snow removal strategies add direct and indirect expenses to the economy through profit lost due to passenger delays costs, pavement durability issues, contaminating the water runoff, and so on. The use of superhydrophobic (super-water-repellent) coating methods is an alternative to conventional snow and ice removal practices for alleviating snow removal operations issues. As an integrated experimental and analytical study, this work focused on optimizing superhydrophobicity and skid resistance of hydrophobic coatings on asphalt concrete surfaces. A layer-by-layer (LBL) method was utilized for spray depositing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on an asphalt concrete at different spray times and variable dosages of PTFE. Water contact angle and coefficient of friction at the microtexture level were measured to evaluate superhydrophobicity and skid resistance of the coated asphalt concrete. The optimum dosage and spay time that maximized hydrophobicity and skid resistance of flexible pavement while minimizing cost were estimated using a multi-objective Bayesian optimization (BO) method that replaced the more costly experimental procedure of pavement testing with a cheap-to-evaluate surrogate model constructed based on kriging. In this method, the surrogate model is iteratively updated with new experimental data measured at proper input settings. The result of proposed optimization method showed that the super water repellency and coefficient of friction were not uniformly increased for all the specimens by increasing spray time and dosage. In addition, use of the proposed multi-objective BO method resulted in hydrophobicity and skid resistance being maximally augmented by approximately 23% PTFE dosage at a spray time of 5.5 s.
Unifying stylistic syntheses in the late compositions (1939–1945) of Béla Bartók

Bartok’s later works from the years 1939–1945 present an impressive synthesis of his musical innovations. Beginning with the Divertimento and Sixth String Quartet (both composed in 1939), the Hungarian composer starts with a freely tonal, neo-Classical foundation. Above this initial compositional level he then superimposes Beethovenian formal structures gleaned from the latter’s opp. 53 and 135, in addition to a prominent Stravinsky quotation from The Rite of Spring, part two. In both works Bartok achieves an impressive large-scale cyclical unity, frequently through wholetone scalar integration. The Concerto for Orchestra (1943) blends pervasive quotation techniques with analogous cyclical intervallic patterns, such as major third cells on F–A–D4. One is again distinctly reminded of the F Major Divertimento. Like the latter work, the Concerto is especially notable for its expansive codas, which function in the manner of Beethovenian second developments. Similarly, the Sonata for Solo Violin (1944) fuses neo-Bachian counterpoint with the expansive forms of the Concerto for Orchestra. Finally, the interrelated last two Concertos for piano and viola (both penned in 1945) present a cumulative synthesis of Bartokʼs later style, emphasizing the tertial (and modal) degrees of VI and flattened VI. Here, too, we encounter elaborate quotational systems that distantly recall the 1910s and 1920s music of French composers as Debussy, Ravel and Satie.
Physics-based distributions for randomly scattered signals and their Bayesian conjugate priors

Sound waves propagating through the atmosphere and ocean are randomly scattered by turbulence, internal waves, surface roughness, and other processes. In some limiting cases, probability density functions (pdfs) for the scattered signal variations can be derived, e.g., the log-normal pdf for weak scattering (in the Rytov approximation) and the exponential pdf for strong scattering. A variety of more general, usually empirically based, distributions are available which reduce to these limiting cases, such as the Rice, gamma, and generalized gamma. For situations involving multiple receivers, multivariate log-normal, Wishart, and matrix gamma pdfs may be employed. Parametric uncertainties and spatial/temporal variability in the scattering process can be addressed with a compound pdf formulation, which involves an additional distribution for the uncertain or variable parameters. From a Bayesian perspective, the scattering pdf corresponds to the likelihood function, the pdf for the uncertain parameters to the prior/posterior, and the compound pdf to the marginal likelihood. Many common scattering pdfs possess Bayesian conjugate priors, which lend themselves to simple updating equations and analytical solutions for the posteriors and marginal likelihoods. This presentation summarizes important pdfs for randomly scattered signals and their conjugate priors when available.
Is China Helping Africa? Growth and Public Debt Effects of the Subcontinent's Biggest Investor

Because of the lack of reliable data, it is difficult to reliably answer the questions that many people are asking about China's activities in Africa: are the modes and magnitudes of Chinese finance creating unsustainable public finance and economic trajectories and — if they are — whose fault is it? Based on the available information and a rough analysis of the match between China's activities and Africa's development demands, we conclude that Chinese finance appears to have helped development on the subcontinent and has not — by itself — jeopardized its public finances: while public debt to GDP ratios have risen in the top ten recipients of Chinese loans, debt to China is generally a small portion of their external public debt. But China’s role in the debt dynamics of some of these countries — that is, the speed at which their external public debt is growing — provides more reason to worry.
Dravet Syndrome: Early Diagnosis and Emerging Therapies

Dravet's syndrome (DS) or severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy is a rare, genetic, and infantile-onset epileptic encephalopathy. DS presents with recurrent febrile seizures and/or febrile status epilepticus in developmentally normal infants, and subsequently evolves into a drug-resistant mixed-seizure disorder with developmental arrest or regression. As many defining clinical features of DS do not become evident until 3 to 4 years of age, diagnosis is often delayed. Early seizure control, particularly the prevention of status epilepticus in infancy, has been shown to correlate with better long-term outcomes. Thus, early diagnosis and seizure control is crucial. Several treatment algorithms have been published in recent years to guide antiepileptic drug selection and escalation. Last year, two agents, stiripentol and cannabidiol, were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for use in DS, and a third has been submitted (fenfluramine). Additional therapies, including serotonin modulators lorcaserin and trazodone, verapamil, and several first-in-class medications, are currently in various phases of investigation.
Association of β-Amyloid Burden With Sleep Dysfunction and Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Individuals With Cognitive Disorders

Importance Evidence shows that sleep dysfunction and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition work synergistically to impair brain function in individuals with normal cognition, increasing the risk of developing dementia later in life. However, whether Aβ continues to play an integral role in sleep dysfunction after the onset of cognitive decline in individuals with dementia is unclear. Objective To determine whether Aβ deposition in the brain is associated with subjective measures of sleep quality and cognition in elderly individuals with cognitive disorders. Design, Setting, and Participants A nested survey study was conducted at the Cognitive Disorders and Comprehensive Alzheimer Disease Center of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants included patients aged 65 years and older with cognitive disorders verified by neuropsychological testing. Eligible participants were identified from a referral center–based sample of patients who underwent fluorine 18–labeled florbetaben positron emission tomography imaging at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as part of the multicenter Imaging Dementia-Evidence for Amyloid Scanning study. Data collection and analysis occurred between November 2018 and March 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Sleep quality was measured via responses to sleep questionnaires, Aβ deposition was measured via fluorine 18–labeled florbetaben positron emission tomography, and cognition was measured via Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) performance. Results Of the 67 eligible participants, 52 (77.6%) gave informed consent to participate in the study. Of the 52 enrolled participants (mean [SD] age, 76.6 [7.4] years), 27 (51.9%) were women. Daytime sleepiness was associated with Aβ deposition in the brainstem (B = 0.0063; 95% CI, 0.001 to 0.012;P = .02), but not MMSE performance (B = −0.01; 95% CI, −0.39 to 0.37;P = .96). The number of nocturnal awakenings was associated with Aβ deposition in the precuneus (B = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.17;P Conclusions and Relevance Nighttime sleep disruption may mediate the association between Aβ and cognitive impairment, suggesting that there is an underlying sleep-dependent mechanism that links Aβ burden in the brain to cognitive decline. Further elucidation of this mechanism may improve understanding of disease processes associated with Aβ accumulation.
Nonmass Findings at Breast US: Definition, Classifications, and Differential Diagnosis

A nonmass finding at US has been described as a discrete identifiable area of altered echotexture compared with that of the surrounding breast tissue that does not conform to a mass shape. Recognizing nonmass findings is important because breast cancer can manifest as such lesions, and US correlate findings for mammographic and breast MRI abnormalities may manifest as nonmass findings. The term nonmass finding is not part of the current Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System US terminology, and no standardized approach to classify and evaluate nonmass findings at US currently exists, despite the various classification systems proposed in the literature. There is also considerable overlap between the sonographic features of benign and malignant causes of nonmass findings. These limitations cause diagnostic difficulty in evaluating clinical significance and recommending appropriate management. The authors review the definitions and classification systems of US nonmass findings proposed in the literature and illustrate the sonographic features of nonmass findings to help radiologists identify them at US. A range of benign and malignant causes of nonmass findings are reviewed, and sonographic-histopathologic correlations of nonmass findings are discussed. Cases of breast MRI and mammographic findings that may manifest as US nonmass findings are presented. Radiologists can improve detection and interpretative accuracy, as well as correlation of mammographic and MRI breast lesions, by increasing their recognition and understanding of nonmass findings at US.©RSNA, 2020.