cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Administration of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Through Enteral Feeding Tubes

Objective: To review literature regarding direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and determine their viability of administration in solution or via enteral tubes. Data Sources: MEDLINE literature searches identified articles published 2007-present using MeSH terms: factor Xa inhibitors, antithrombins, biological availability, and enteral nutrition. Package inserts were included. Manufacturers were asked to provide literature. Study Selection and Data Extraction: We included studies emphasizing bioavailability or enteral administration. Data Synthesis: Dabigatran and edoxaban package inserts recommend against altering the dosage form, and against enteral administration. One rivaroxaban study was identified. Given with food, enteral administration was comparable to the oral tablet. The mean AUC (0.889, 90% CI 86.12-91.84%) was within the equivalency margins; however Cmax (0.820, 90% CI 78.84-85.86%) was slightly below the 80% threshold. One apixaban study was identified. They showed bioequivalence between oral and enteral administration in different vehicles, but decreased bioavailability when crushed tablets were given along with nutritional support. AUC and Cmax were 32% and 19% lower, respectively, when apixaban solution was given via nasogastric (NG) tube with nutritional supplement versus oral administration of solution. Conclusions: Dabigatran capsules should not be altered, due to large variations in drug exposure. Rivaroxaban can be given as oral solution or via NG tube. Larger doses must be given with nutritional supplementation and enteral tubes must not be distal to the stomach. Apixaban can be given as oral solution or via nasogastric or gastric tube on an empty stomach. Food impairs bioavailability of the crushed tablets. There are insufficient data to recommend enteral administration of edoxaban and the package insert recommends against altering tablets.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration monitoring of pesticide residues in infant foods and adult foods eaten by infants/children.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration uses 3 approaches to monitor pesticide residues in foods: regulatory monitoring, incidence/level monitoring, and the Total Diet Study. The results of monitoring infant foods and adult foods that may be eaten by infants/children under these 3 approaches are presented. Under regulatory monitoring, which is performed to enforce tolerances set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), during fiscal years 1985-1991, over 10,000 such domestic and imported food samples were collected and analyzed, and under the Total Diet Study, in which pesticide residue intakes are estimated in foods prepared for consumption, the food items in 27 market baskets were analyzed. Under incidence/level monitoring, which is complementary to regulatory monitoring, over 4000 analyses were performed on infant foods and adult foods eaten by children. Fewer than 50 of the 10,000 regulatory samples had violative residues; nearly all of those were residues for which there was no tolerance for the particular commodity/pesticide combination. Under incidence/level monitoring and the Total Diet Study, the levels of pesticide residues found in infant foods and adult foods eaten by children were well below tolerances set by EPA.
Supporting End-User Authoring of Alternate Reality Games with Cross-Location Compatibility.

Alternate reality games (ARG) overlay a fictional story on top of the real world. Geo-location ties ARG storylines to specific locations in the real world. Unfortunately these games suffer from cross-location scalability limitation: games can only be played in very specific places. We describe location translation, a process whereby ARG locations are transformed to new locations through a combination of statistical information retrieval and greedy hill-climbing search.
Patterns of extraskeletal uptake on Tc-99m MDP bone scan

1928 Learning Objectives Educational Objectives: Learn to routinely examine bone scans for non-osseous abnormalities Interpret patterns of incidental extraskeletal uptake in patients with a variety of medical conditions Bone scans are used mainly to diagnose skeletal abnormalities, including benign bone disease (e.g., trauma, infection, benign tumors), and to help stage malignancies. However, important, often unsuspected and occasionally pathognomonic osseous and non-osseous findings may be found. To determine their cause and significance, the technologist and interpreting physicians must recognize the patterns of various incidental findings and understand their mechanisms. The unusual uptake could be caused by technical artifacts, radiopharmaceutical quality control problems, or true pathology in the patient. Awareness, and therefore recognition of specific patterns helps to differentiate true pathology from a potential error. We will present multiple cases with correlative images from other modalities, including typical patterns of metastatic calcification, rhabdomyolysis, cardiac uptake, liver uptake, urinary tract abnormalities and radiopharmaceutical problems, to name a few examples. Final diagnoses along with key interpretation teaching points will be provided. The recognition and communication of such findings should become an integral part of a high quality nuclear medicine report.
Bile secretion in selective biliary obstruction. Adaptation of taurocholate transport maximum to increased secretory load in the rat.

Bile secretory function was studied in rats with selective biliary obstruction (SBO), in which ligation of the bile ducts draining the median and left hepatic lobes obstructs about two-thirds of liver mass. Forty-eight hours after SBO serum total bile acid was increased 13-fold, and total bile acid concentration in the obstructed lobes of the liver was 3 times higher than controls, but biliary secretion of water, bile acids, cholesterol, and phospholipids by the nonobstructed lobes was similar to controls when expressed per 100-g rat. To investigate the possibility that this high rate of bile acid secretion by the remaining nonobstructed liver reflected enhanced bile secretory capacity, taurocholate transport maximum (Tm) was measured in selectively obstructed and control rats at 4 and 48 hr after surgery. In the selectively obstructed rats, but not in controls, Tm increased 50% between 4 and 48 hr and, when expressed per gram of nonobstructed liver, was 81% higher than controls at 48 hr (0.69 ± 0.06 versus 0.38 ± 0.02 pmole per min per g of nonobstructed liver). The rise in Tm between 4 and 48 hr suggested that the augmentation of Tm in SBO rats at 48 hr represented an adaptive response rather than recruitment of immediately available secretory reserve. The mechanism for these alterations in Tm was investigated in rats with intact bile ducts subjected to intraduodenal taurocholate infusion for 48 hr. In these rats doubling of bile acid pool size and secretion rate was associated with a 50% increase in taurocholate Tm. These findings suggest that the maximum secretory capacity for bile acids is not fixed, but rather can adapt to a sustained increase in secretory load. This observation may provide the basis for further functional and structural clarification of the process of bile secretion.
Physiological processes revealed through an analysis of inborn errors

To develop the significance of human inborn errors of membrane function in terms of their potential for the elucidation of physiological processes, an overview of the genetics of inherited metabolic disorders is first presented, concisely covering classical Mendelian inheritance and progressing to molecular applications currently being used in the isolation of a number of disease-causing genes. Second, approaches to the isolation of several genes implicated in inherited disorders of membrane function are discussed. Examples are drawn from studies of the Shaker/IA K+ channel mutants of Drosophila and human inborn errors in the low-density lipoprotein receptor and Kidd antigen/urea transporter. These examples illustrate the techniques of "reverse" genetics, restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis, chromosomal walking, and cDNA library screening with oligonucleotides and antibodies. Finally, the need to develop a physiological functional analysis of the protein structures derived from isolated human disease-causing genes is presented as a necessary direction for future research.
MCP-1 and eotaxin-1 selectively and negatively associate with memory in MCI and Alzheimer's disease dementia phenotypes

Introduction MCP-1 and eotaxin-1 are encoded on chromosome 17 and have been shown to reduce hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. We investigated whether these chemokines selectively associate with memory in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia.
The Power of the Weak: How Informal Power-Sharing Shapes the Work of the UN Security Council

To what extent is the work of international organizations shaped by their most powerful members? Can minor powers influence the decisions taken at these organizations? This paper presents the argument that great powers engage in power-sharing in order to attain unanimity inside international organizations, which enhances compliance and reduces the cost of implementing their decisions. An analysis of the UN Security Council tests this argument. Challenging the conventional wisdom that minor powers’ influence on the Council is negligible, this paper identifies a series of informal power-sharing practices, which promote consensus and augment minor powers’ influence far beyond what one would expect on the basis of the material capabilities and formal voting power of these states. The study relies on a novel design-based approach, which exploits exogenous variation in Africa’s participation on the Security Council to estimate the influence of African states inside this body. Non-parametric permutation tests and a qualitative case study show that African states have a substantial impact on the Council’s response to civil wars in Africa between 1988 and 2014. During years when a given African region is represented on the Security Council, the UN deploys an average of 920 more peacekeepers and allocates larger peacekeeping budgets to civil-war countries in that region than during years without a member of the Council from that region. This effect of a seat on the Council is particularly pronounced during major crises, when great powers are most eager to attain unanimity through power-sharing, and while minor powers benefit from the informal authority of the Council’s rotating presidency. Informal power-sharing inside international organizations such as the Security Council, motivated by the self-interests of powerful states, enhances the influence of minor powers.
HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA IN THE CASCADE-FH PATIENT REGISTRY

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients require aggressive lipid lowering therapies to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. In the US, treatment patterns remain poorly described, and it remains unclear whether sex or ethnic/racial disparities exist. In 2013, the FH Foundation launched
The State of Nonprofit Finance Research across Disciplines.

The single largest determinant of nonprofit organization success is financial sustainability. Yet the study of nonprofit finance spans multiple disciplines, creating barriers for new researchers to the field. To address this challenge, this study addresses three primary questions across disciplines: How much nonprofit finance research has been conducted, what is the content of this research, and what is the impact of this research? This systematic literature search revealed 619 nonprofit finance research articles in twenty-seven journals published in the disciplines of nonprofit management, public administration, accounting, and economics and finance between 1970 and 2014. The vast majority (415 of the 619 identified articles) were published in nonprofit management journals (either Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly or Nonprofit Management & Leadership). Across disciplines, there is an emphasis on determinants of giving, but we note some variation; for example, there is more emphasis on government funding in journals outside of nonprofit management. The impact of this research is significant, with more than 32,630 citations, or an average of 52.71 times per article. The resulting bibliography may be helpful to researchers seeking to discern the status of extant nonprofit finance research across multiple disciplines.
Examining the clinical utility of neuroimaging on an inpatient psychiatric unit

Introduction Recent developments in neuroimaging have revolutionized medicine and aided in our understanding of how biological abnormalities may contribute to clinical presentation. While such advances have begun to enhance our knowledge about the timing of abnormalities, it remains unclear at this time how neuroimaging impacts the clinical course of the patient. In addition, much debate exists regarding the clinical necessity of neuroimaging for psychiatric conditions, and there are contradictory reports and guidelines for the application of conventional brain imaging (MRI and CT) in the evaluation of patients with mental illness. Objective We aim to review the clinical utility of neuroimaging in an acute psychiatric setting, and hypothesize that there will be no significant differences between the outcome of neuroimaging and clinical course for patients. Method We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients who were diagnosed and treated for psychiatric conditions on an inpatient psychiatric service over a period of 36 months July 1, 2013–June 30, 2016. Conclusions While imaging advances have added to our understanding of biological abnormalities and can aid in ruling out organic causes of psychiatric illness, at this time it is not guiding clinical management for patients.
Reinforcement size effects on the abrasive wear of boron carbide reinforced aluminum composites

Abstract The use of ceramic nanoparticle reinforcements has shown significant promise for enhancing the mechanical properties of metal matrix composites due to the high specific surface area and superior intrinsic mechanical properties of nanoparticles. In this study, the effect of B4C reinforcement particle size on the abrasive wear behavior of Al-B4C composites was investigated. Composites with a homogenous dispersion of micrometric-B4C, submicron-B4C, and nano-B4C in a nanostructured Al alloy 5083 (AA5083) matrix were fabricated using cryogenic mechanical alloying and dual mode dynamic forging. Hardness was seen to increase with decreasing B4C reinforcement size, with the Al-nanoB4C composite exhibiting a 56% enhancement over unreinforced AA5083. The abrasive wear resistance of the Al-nanoB4C composite was 7% higher than the unreinforced AA5083. The other Al-B4C composites exhibited equivalent or reduced abrasive wear resistance as compared to AA5083. Analysis of the abrasive wear scars demonstrated that larger B4C reinforcements are prone to particle pull-out, thereby negating the benefit of higher hardness. The Al-nanoB4C composite has superior wear resistance due its high hardness and greater interfacial area, which hindered pull-out of nano-B4C particles.
A taxonomic review of the genus Acanella (Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Isididae) in the North Atlantic Ocean, with descriptions of two new species

The deep-sea bamboo coral genus Acanella has a cosmopolitan distribution, is found on hard and soft substrata between 300 and 2875 meters depth, and may be abundant where present. The genus has been the source of taxonomic debate almost since its initial description, and species in the North Atlantic have proven difficult to identify. We examined 145 Acanella colonies collected from across a broad geographic distribution to address morphological variation in the context of genetic differences, focusing on the North Atlantic species, but with a comparison to four Pacific species. We generated DNA sequences for mitochondrial mtMutS and nuclear 18S from ninety-seven Acanella specimens. After combining data from both gene regions, eight concatenated sequences were identified (A–H), six of which are associated with nominal species, while the other two come from taxa that do not match any known species description. The most common sequence (A) is associated with specimens identified as Acanella arbuscula , A. eburnea , and Isidella elongata . We find that morphological characteristics used to differentiate these species are distributed along an intraspecific continuum and that alternate morphologies of A. arbuscula have been identified in collections as different species, with the identity influenced by sampling location. We synonymize A. eburnea with A. arbuscula and discuss confusion with I. elongata . The geographic range of A. arbuscula is expanded. We propose the resurrection of the Mediterranean species A. furcata and describe two new species, A. aurelia sp. nov. and A. scarletae sp. nov. New geographic records and the first SEM images of the Pacific species A. chiliensis, A. rigida , and A. robusta , all described prior to 1907, are also presented.
Speech enhancement using extreme learning machines

The enhancement of speech degraded with the non-stationary noise types that typify real-world conditions has remained a challenging problem for several decades. However, recent use of data driven methods for this task has brought great performance improvements. In this paper, we develop a speech enhancement framework based on the extreme learning machine. Experimental results show that the proposed framework is effective in suppressing additive noise. Furthermore, it is always superior to a leading minimum mean square error (MMSE) algorithm in matched noise, and exceeds the said algorithm's performance in mismatched noise at all but the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) tested.
Intimate Bonds: Family and Slavery in the French Antilles. By Jennifer L. Palmer. (Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016. Pp. 267. $45.00.)

The author of this book uses family and household relations across racial lines as analytical tools to examine the role that intimacy played during slavery in the French Antilles, with specific ref...
ARNT: A Key bHLH/PAS Regulatory Protein Across Multiple Pathways

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT, HIF-1β) is a bHLH/PAS family member that acts as a dimerization partner in several distinct signal transduction pathways. ARNT dimerizes with a variety of bHLH/PAS proteins such as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 family (HIF-1α, HIF-2α, HIF-3α), the single-minded proteins (SIM1, SIM2), or ARNT itself; however, each dimeric complex associates with distinct cis-acting DNA elements to regulate genes. Thus, ARNT is considered a master regulator required for response to hypoxia, angiogenesis, xenobiotics, and in various developmental pathways. Importantly, several other isoforms of ARNT have been identified in mammalian and aquatic species including ARNT2, ARNT3 (BMAL1, MOP3, JAP3, ARNTL1, TIC), and ARNT4 (BMAL2, MOP9, ARNTL2, CLIF). Although many of the interactions of ARNT have been established both in vitro and in vivo, the interactions of other ARNT isoforms are less clear. The goal of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of each ARNT isoform. Emphasis is placed on ARNT protein structure, tissue expression, function in various signal transduction pathways, and cross talk of various pathways through ARNT.
Shouldn't Chaplains Be Handling Cases With Miracle Language?

Through patient narratives rooted in pastoral conversation, chaplains frequently navigate the spiritual beliefs and values of their patients and families. Moreover, many chaplains are aware of the ...
Generation of three-dimensional optical cusp beams with ultrathin metasurfaces

Cusp beams are one type of complex structured beams with unique multiple self-accelerating channels and needle-like field structures owning great potentials to advance applications such as particle micromanipulation and super-resolution imaging. The traditional method to generate optical catastrophe is based on cumbrous reflective diffraction optical elements, which makes optical system complicated and hinders the nanophotonics integration. Here we design geometric phase based ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces made of nanoslit antennas to produce three-dimensional (3D) optical cusp beams with variable numbers of self-accelerating channels in a broadband wavelength range. The entire beam propagation profiles of the cusp beams generated from the metasurfaces are mapped theoretically and experimentally. The special self-accelerating behavior and caustics concentration property of the cups beams are also demonstrated. Our results provide great potentials for promoting metasurface-enabled compact photonic devices used in wide applications of light-matter interactions.
Investigation of the Conditions for Concentration to Be Bounded in the Endogenous Sunk Costs Model

Sutton has developed a new theory of endogenous sunk costs, which predicts that industries with significant endogenous sunk costs will have a lower bound on concentration even as they grow in output. Endogenous sunk costs are fixed costs that firms can choose to invest in, which affect the price-cost margin of a firm. This paper examines the conditions under which concentration is bounded below. It first analyzes the Cournot three-stage endogenous sunk costs model, and determines the necessary conditions for a lower bound, and derives that lower bound. A proof is provided of the proposition that concentration is bounded below for this model. The paper then proposes a more general framework for analyzing the necessary conditions for concentration to be bounded below under alternative frameworks, that allows us to generalize beyond the Cournot model.
DARES: a distributed automated reasoning system

In many domains of interest to distributed artificial intelligence, the problem solving environment may be viewed as a collection of loosely coupled intelligent agents, each of which reasons based on its own incomplete knowledge of the state of the world. No agent has sufficient knowledge to solve the problem at hand so that coordinated cooperative problem solving is required to satisfy system goals. In this paper, we present DARES, a distributed reasoning system in which agents have the ability to focus their attention on selective information interchange to facilitate cooperative problem solving. The experimental results we present demonstrate that agents in a loosely coupled network of problem solvers can work semi-independently, yet focus their attention with the aid of relatively simple heuristics when cooperation is appropriate. These results suggest that we have developed an effective cooperation strategy which is largely independent of initial knowledge distribution.
Questioning the white body: on applying a phenomenological mode of inquiry to whiteness studies in education

The racialized body is of obvious, or at least implicit, concern for the qualitative study of Whiteness in education. Whiteness, as an organizing principle that conditions normative ways of being i...
Contracting and the Bureaucratic Representation of Minorities and Women: Examining Evidence From Federal Agencies:

This study examines the question of whether the extent of contracting out by U.S. federal agencies has an impact on the representation of minorities and women in those agencies. Contracting often r...
A New Butterfly Radiating Element for Circular Polarized Series Fed Phased Array with Wide Axial Ratio Beamwidth at Millimeter Wave Band

A new wide beamwidth circular polarized radiating element known as the Butterfly antenna is proposed for series fed phased array antenna applications. The unit Butterfly radiating element investigated at millimeter wave band (86 GHz) demonstrates superior performance with axial ratio (AR) beamwidth of 140° and symmetric pattern performance compared to a conventional Herringbone antenna element. A series-fed 8 × 24 planar array has symmetric beam steering capability of ±34° along φ = 0° plane of the array. While a full phased array antenna with its beamforming network is being developed and fabricated, a passive fixed beam aperture prototype of size 32 × 24 is fabricated and experimentally verified for high purity right-hand circular polarized (RHCP) radiation pattern in the broadside direction.
Prediction of Damage in Randomly Oriented Short-Fibre Composites by Means of a Mechanistic Approach

A micro-macro mechanistic approach to damage in short-fibre composites is developed in this paper. At the micro-scale, the damage mechanisms such as matrix cracking and fibre/matrix debonding are analysed to define the associated damage variables. The stiffness reduction law dependent on these variables is then established using micromechanical models and average orientation distributions of fibres and microcracks. The macroscopic response is obtained by means of thermodynamics of continuous media, continuum damage mechanics and a finite element formulation.
Novel Diphenylamine Analogs Induce Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular program that converts non-motile epithelial cells into invasive mesenchymal cells. EMT is implicated in cancer metastasis, chemo-resistance, cancer progression, and generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Inducing mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET), the reverse phenomenon of EMT, is proposed as a novel strategy to target triple negative and tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the loss of hormone receptors, a highly invasive mesenchymal phenotype, and a lack of targeted therapy. Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer can be targeted by tamoxifen, an ER antagonist. However, these cells undergo EMT over the course of treatment and develop resistance. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop therapeutic interventions to target these aggressive cancers. In this study, we examined the role of novel diphenylamine analogs in converting the mesenchymal phenotype of MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells to a lesser aggressive epithelial phenotype. Using analog-based drug design, a series of diphenylamine analogs were synthesized and initially evaluated for their effect on E-cadherin protein expression and changes incell morphology, which was quantified by measuring the spindle index (SI) value. Selected compound 1 from this series increases the expression of E-cadherin, a primary marker for epithelial cells, and decreases the mesenchymal markers SOX2, ZEB1, Snail, and vimentin. The increase in epithelial markers and the decrease in mesenchymal markers are consistent with a phenotypic switch from spindle-like morphology to cobblestone-like morphology. Furthermore, Compound 1 decreases spheroid viability, cell migration, and cell proliferation in triple negative BT-549 and tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
Attitudes of early adolescents toward single-parent and stepparent families: imiplications for home economics curriculum

thought, and adolescents utilize the components of logic and reasoning in making decisions (Cowan, 1978; Elkind, 1975; Thornburg, 1980a, 1981). Extending Piaget's framework to the domain of ethical reasoning, Kholberg (1969) observed that the development from the concrete to abstract context for meaning-making permits one's thinking about right and wrong. At this formal operational stage comes the capacity for meeting the perspectives of several other people simultaneously. Early adolescents are also concerned with making explicit their own personal positions in relation to the values and beliefs of society. Concurrent with this is the development of moral reasoning. They dis­ cover existing inconsistencies in values and beliefs and seek clarifica­ tion (Gibson, 1978). In summary, early adolescents experience biological, emotional, social, and intellectual changes which are interrelated. Changes in one area affect changes In the other areas. As a result of the developmental changes experienced by early adolescents, their percep­ tions of individuals, their family, and society change. Perceptions of single-parent and stepparent families by early adolescents Several researchers (Curran, 1981; Hertzog, 1984; Schlesinger, 1978; Wallerstein & Kelly, 1980a) have studied the developmental effects of pa­ rental separation and divorce on children. Also, in recent years, con­ siderable research has focused on children in stepparent families (Furstenberg et al., 1983; Lombana, 1983; Lutz, 1980; Santrock, Warshak, Lindenberg, & Meadows, 1981; Visher & Visher, 1978b). However, only a
The oral manifestations of syphilitic disease: a case report

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection of the spirochete, Treponema pallidum. While primary syphilis often involves genitalia, oral manifestations are observed in a subset of patients. These lesions are often associated with submandibular and cervical lymphadenopathy. This is a case report of a primary syphilitic lesion located on the hard palate of the oral cavity, with only a very few cases described previously. We describe a rare case of syphilis in a 59-year-old African American man presenting with subjective fevers, chills, marked submental lymphadenopathy, a diffuse skin rash, and an ulcer of the hard palate. This case report demonstrates the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for syphilitic infection when a patient presents with nonspecific symptoms, a diffuse rash, and an oral lesion.
From Industrial Policy to National Industrial Strategy: An Emerging Global Phenomenon:

In February 2019, the German federal government announced its new “National Industry Strategy 2030.” Many economies—including the United Kingdom (2017), European Union (2017), and Saudi Arabia (201...
FPT-spike: a flexible precise-time-dependent single-spike neuromorphic computing architecture

Modern Artificial Neural networks (ANNs) like Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), have found broad applications in real-world cognitive tasks. One challenging faced by these models is their tremendous memory and computing resource requirement. This also greatly hinders their adoptions from resource-constraint platforms, such as drone, mobile phone and IoT devices. Recently the brain-inspired spiking neural network (SNN) has been demonstrated as a promising solution for delivering more impressive computing and power efficiency. For SNNs, a large body of prior work were conducted on the spiking system design with a focus on using the spike firing rate (or rate-coded) for fulfilling the practical cognitive tasks. Such rate-based designs can underestimate the energy efficiency, throughput and system flexibility of SNNs. On the other hand, the potentials of time-based SNN are not fully unleashed in real applications due to lack of efficient coding and practical learning schemes in temporal domain. In this work, we make an early attempt to fill this gap: that said, a flexible precise-time-dependent single-spike neuromorphic computing architecture, namely “FPT-Spike”, is developed. “FPT-spike” relies on three hardware-favorable components: precise ultra-sparse spike temporal encoding, efficient supervised temporal learning and fast asymmetric decoding, to realize flexible spatial–temporal information trade-off for neural network size reduction without scarifying data processing capability. Extensive experimental results show that “FPT-Spike” outperforms rate-based SNN and ANN significantly in three aspects: network size, processing speed and power consumption, demonstrating great potentials for its deployment in edge devices.
The Efficacy of Collaborative Referencing Intervention in Chronic Aphasia: A Mixed-Methods Study

Purpose The feasibility of a collaborative referencing intervention (CRI) for adults with chronic aphasia has been documented in two descriptive case studies (Devanga, 2014; Hengst et al., 2010, 20...
Women in the Majority: Critical Mass and the New Hampshire Senate

In 2009, the New Hampshire Senate became the first chamber in the United States where a majority of the legislators were women. In this article, we test whether a female majority changed the agenda...
A potential approach for assessing the quality of human and nonhuman adenoviral vector preparations

Various types of human and nonhuman adenoviral (AdV) vectors are being used as gene delivery vectors in preclinical and clinical investigations. The objective of this study was to determine the ratio between the 2 best assays that would effectively address the variability in the titration of various AdV vectors in different cell lines and help obtain consistent results in preclinical and clinical studies using different AdV vectors. Here, we compared plaque-forming units, tissue culture infectious dose 50, focus-forming units (FFU), virus particle (VP) count, and genome copy number (GCN) of purified preparations of human AdV type C5, bovine AdV type 3, and porcine AdV type 3 to determine a correlation between infectious and noninfectious virus particles. Our results suggest that a VP:FFU or a VP:GCN ratio could accurately reflect the quality of an AdV preparation and could serve as an indicator to control batch-to-batch variability.
Item response theory analysis of the Clinical Dementia Rating.

Introduction The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) is widely used in Alzheimer's disease research studies and has well established reliability and validity. To facilitate the development of an online, electronic CDR (eCDR) for more efficient clinical applications, this study aims to produce a shortened version of the CDR, and to develop the statistical model for automatic scoring. Methods Item response theory (IRT) was used for item evaluation and model development. An automatic scoring algorithm was validated using existing CDR global and domain box scores as the reference standard. Results Most CDR items discriminate well at mild and very mild levels of cognitive impairment. The bi-factor IRT model fits best and the shortened CDR still demonstrates very high classification accuracy (81%∼92%). Discussion The shortened version of the CDR and the automatic scoring algorithm has established a good foundation for developing an eCDR and will ultimately improve the efficiency of cognitive assessment.
Digital Policy Is the Nonprofit Sector’s Policy Agenda

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has cast civil society’s dependence on digital data, systems, regulations, and policy domains into stark relief, but the shift has been underway for decades. Policy domains as diverse as consumer data protection, intermediate liability laws and encryption now bound and shape nonprofits, collective action, and association. In this paper, we argue that nonprofits and foundations in the United States must now recognize and attend to these digital policy domains as a matter of course. To help the sector gain a better understanding of the different ways digital policies matter to nonprofit organizations and their funders, we put forward a three-tier model. The model comprises domain specific digital policies (those related to the domain of action of any given nonprofits); operations-specific policies (those related to the organizational function of all nonprofits); and definitional policy issues (those related to the regulation of digital systems which implicate values and rights upon which the entire sector is built). To develop and exemplify the usefulness of this framework, we use a multi-method approach consisting of focus groups and interviews with nonprofit leaders, advocacy and infrastructure organization, funders and scholars; and content analysis of a custom-built media database focused on digital surveillance and the role of civil society during the pandemic. These two approaches allow us to identify the digital policy issues that organizations within the sector identify (internal) as well as show how mainstream media (external) represents the role of nonprofits on a digital policy issue with broad implications across the three tiers in our model. We conclude by highlighting the many digital policy issues that matter across the full spectrum of civil society and by underlining why opportunities for future advocacy and coalition work are numerous, diverse, and existential.
Investigation of the surface-application of lactose oxidase to fresh mozzarella cheese as a potential means of inhibiting blue discoloration

Abstract Blue discoloration in fresh mozzarella cheese (FMC) is a defect caused by certain biotypes of Pseudomonas spp. This defect has been increasing in frequency worldwide over the last decade; instances have occurred recently in the U.S., Italy, Germany, England, and Spain. In the current study, lactose oxidase (LO) was utilized as a surface treatment to investigate its potential to inhibit blue discoloration in two types of FMC: that produced through direct acidification (DA) by addition of citric acid, and that produced by starter fermentation (SF). Cheese samples were surface-treated with one of four concentrations of LO: 0, 0.012, 0.12, and 1.2 g/L; they were then inoculated with ~4.25 log CFU of the P. fluorescens biovar IV isolate with designation “FSL W5-0203”. A negative sample (NS) was also prepared, which was treated with neither LO nor P. fluorescens. Cheese samples were stored at 6 °C for 16 days. Pictures of the cheese samples were taken during this time, and the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) colorimetric system was used to quantify changes in color undergone by the samples. In DA the surface application of LO at a concentration of 1.2 g/L resulted in retention of conventional color characteristics; a concentration of 0.12 g/L also performed promisingly, but with less consistency than the higher concentration. A LO concentration of 0.012 g/L did not show an inhibitory effect. Quantification of LO's effects on blue discoloration in SF revealed less consistency than that seen with DA FMC; however, based on the researchers' visual assessments, the 1.2 g/L concentration performed the best out of those investigated, with obvious blue coloration occurring in only 1 out of 6 samples. A decrease in pH was observed when LO was applied at a concentration of 1.2 g/L in both the DA and SF cheeses; this indicates that LO is oxidizing the cheese's residual lactose to produce lactobionic acid. This study demonstrates a promising clean-label approach to prevent blue color defects in DA FMC, and provides hope for further progress in combating blue color in SF FMC.
BDBT in the Drosophila Eye is Regulated by Visual and Circadian Pathways and Regulates Distinct Nuclear Localization Pathways for DBT and PER

BDBT interacts with the circadian kinase DBT and accumulates in eye foci during the dark of a light:dark cycle. BDBT is shown here to be constitutively high in the dark and constitutively low in the light. Analysis of circadian photoreceptor cry and visual photoreceptor ninaE mutants showed that disappearance of eye BDBT foci depends upon both the CRY and the RHODOPSIN-1 pathways. The Arr1 and Arr2 mutants which affect rhodopsin quenching eliminated the accumulation of BDBT foci under dark conditions.Arr1 and Arr2 mutants also lead to increased nuclear accumulation of PER protein. Knock-down of BDBT specifically in the eye produced a loss of coupled circadian localization oscillations for both PER and DBT. PER was constitutively nuclear and DBT was constitutively cytosolic. The results show that BDBT is necessary for co-transport of DBT and PER into the nucleus and suggest that this process is regulated by a light dependent mechanism.
Effect of IV contrast on lumbar trabecular attenuation at routine abdominal CT: correlation with DXA and implications for opportunistic osteoporosis screening

Osteoporosis remains under-diagnosed. Routine abdominal CT can provide opportunistic screening, but the effect of IV contrast is largely unknown. The overall performance for predicting osteoporosis was similar between enhanced and unenhanced scans. Therefore, both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans can be employed for opportunistic osteoporosis screening. Osteoporosis is an important yet under-diagnosed public health concern. Lumbar attenuation measurement at routine abdominal CT can provide a simple opportunistic initial screen, but the effect of IV contrast has not been fully evaluated. Mean trabecular CT attenuation values (in Hounsfield units, HU) at the L1 vertebral level were measured by oval region-of-interest (ROI) on both the unenhanced and IV-contrast-enhanced CT series in 157 adults (mean age, 62.0). All patients underwent correlative central DXA within 6 months of CT. Based on DXA BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total proximal femur: osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal BMD was present in 33, 77, and 47, respectively. Statistical analysis included Bland-Altman plots and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Mean difference (±SD) in L1 trabecular attenuation between enhanced and unenhanced CT series was +11.2 HU (±19.2) (95 % CI, 8.16–14.22 HU), an 8 % difference. Intra-patient variation was substantial, but no overall trend in the HU difference was seen according to underlying BMD. ROC area under the curve (AUC) for unenhanced and enhanced CT for diagnosing osteoporosis were similar at 0.818 and 0.830, respectively (p = 0.632). Thresholds for maintaining 90 % specificity for osteoporosis were 90 HU for unenhanced and 102 HU for enhanced CT. Thresholds for maintaining 90 % sensitivity for osteoporosis were 139 HU for unenhanced and 144 HU for enhanced CT. Similar diagnostic performance was seen for diagnosing low BMD (osteoporosis or osteopenia) using higher HU cut-offs. Contrast-enhanced CT shows an average increase of 11 HU over the unenhanced series for L1 trabecular attenuation. The overall performance for predicting osteoporosis is similar between the enhanced and unenhanced scans, thus either can be employed for initial opportunistic screening.
Optical delay encoding for fast timing and detector signal multiplexing in PET.

Purpose: The large number of detector channels in modern positron emission tomography (PET) scanners poses a challenge in terms of readout electronics complexity. Multiplexing schemes are typically implemented to reduce the number of physical readout channels, but often result in performance degradation. Novel methods of multiplexing in PET must be developed to avoid this data degradation. The preservation of fast timing information is especially important for time-of-flight PET. Methods: A new multiplexing scheme based on encoding detector interaction events with a series of extremely fast overlapping optical pulses with precise delays is demonstrated in this work. Encoding events in this way potentially allows many detector channels to be simultaneously encoded onto a single optical fiber that is then read out by a single digitizer. A two channel silicon photomultiplier-based prototype utilizing this optical delay encoding technique along with dual threshold time-over-threshold is demonstrated. Results: The optical encoding and multiplexing prototype achieves a coincidence time resolution of 160 ps full width at half maximum (FWHM) and an energy resolution of 13.1% FWHM at 511 keV with 3 × 3 × 5 mm3 LYSO crystals. All interaction information for both detectors, including timing, energy, and channel identification, is encoded onto a single optical fiber with little degradation. Conclusions: Optical delay encoding and multiplexing technology could lead to time-of-flight PET scanners with fewer readout channels and simplified data acquisition systems.
Expression, purification, and MALDI analysis of RPE65.

PURPOSE. RPE65 is preferentially expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and is essential for retinal function. The purpose of the study was to develop methods for the expression of the protein, determine the accurate molecular weight of this expressed protein, and quantitate the amount of RPE65 in the bovine RPE. METHODS. Human RPE65 was expressed in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus system. The subcellular localization was determined by Western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry. An ELISA was developed for RPE65 and used to measure levels in bovine RPE. Recombinant and native RPE65 were purified by affinity chromatography. Molecular mass was determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. RESULTS. Recombinant human (rH)RPE65 was expressed as a major protein associated with cell membrane in Sf9 cells. The recombinant protein was purified to apparent homogeneity from both the membrane and nonmembrane fractions. The identity of the purified protein was confirmed by Western blot analysis and by partial peptide sequencing. rHRPE65 from the nonmembrane fraction has a mass of 64,867 6 80 which is close to the calculated molecular weight from the amino acid sequence including the His-tag (64,663), whereas the membrane-associated rHRPE65 has a molecular mass of 65,380 6 150, which is significantly higher than that of the non‐membrane-associated form and the calculated molecular weight, suggesting posttranslational modifications. Similarly, native RPE65 was detected in the cytosolic and microsomal fractions of the bovine RPE, with an average level of 3.8 6 1.3 and 7.2 6 0.4 mg RPE65 per eye, respectively. The cytosolic form had a molecular mass of 61,161 6 60, which is close to the calculated value (60,944), whereas that of the microsomal form was 61,961 6 170. CONCLUSIONS. RPE65 is expressed in two forms, one of which is membrane associated and contains significant posttranslational modifications, similar to the native membrane-associated form. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001;42:1429 ‐1435)
Evaluating the Role of Nucleic Acid Antigens in Murine Models of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Impaired apoptotic cell clearance is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune disease, in particular systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Endogenous RNA- and DNA-containing autoantigens released from dying cells can engage Toll-like receptors (TLR) 7/8 and TLR9, respectively in a number of immune cell types, thereby promoting innate and adaptive immune responses. Mouse models of lupus reliably phenocopy many of the characteristic features of SLE in humans and these models have proved invaluable in defining disease mechanisms. TLR7 signaling is essential for the development of autoantibodies to RNA and RNA-associated proteins like Sm and RNP, while TLR9 signaling is important for the development of antibodies to DNA and chromatin. TLR7 deficiency ameliorates end-organ disease, but, surprisingly, TLR9 deficiency exacerbates disease, possibly as a result of TLR7 overactivity in TLR9-deficient mice. Deficiency of interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) inhibits autoantibody production and ameliorates disease likely due to its role in both TLR7 and TLR9 signaling. In this report we describe methods to analyze two commonly used mouse models of SLE in which TLRs and/or IRF5 have been shown to play a role in disease pathogenesis.
Eros's extended family

Eros and Ganymed are the two largest asteroids that come close to Earth, 20 and 32 km across,respectively. A study of orbital dynamics hints that they may once have been parts of the sameparent body, a much larger object in the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which wasbroken up in a collision and gave rise to the so-called Maria family of asteroids. So when theNEAR space probe explores Eros in 1999, it may be sampling material from a precisely fixedpart of the asteroid belt.
Linear Predictive Coding

Most real-world signals carry redundant information from one sample (or snapshot) to the next. The focus of this article is on the use of LP in redundancy removal or data compression for coding applications (also known as linear predictive coding (LPC)). The remainder of the article is organized as follows: LP is formulated and the optimal prediction parameters are derived; the computational aspects and algorithms for the implementation of LP are explored; examples and applications of LPC are presented, and finally, variations on LPC used for coding speech signals are discussed. Keywords: linear predictive coding (LPC); formulation; minimum error; computation; prediction parameters; applications; LS minimization