cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discovery of Regulatory Networks in Plants by Linking Promoter and Transcription Factor Databases

Transcription factors (TFs) control the levels as well as the sites and times of expression of a discrete set of target genes by binding to specific cis-regulatory elements in the corresponding promoter regions. They can function as master control switches for the regulation of metabolic pathways, cell differentiation and the cell cycle. Thus, the state of a living cell is the result of regulated transcription of thousands of genes in which TFs are major players. A first step in the discovering the regulatory networks is to establish the organization of cis-elements in promoters and the direct targets of TFs. Towards this goal, our lab has developed two publicly available TF and promoter databases. AGRIS (arabidopsis.med.ohio-state.edu) is dedicated to reveal regulatory networks in Arabidopsis and is currently composed of databases of putative cis-elements (AtcisDB) and TFs (AtTFDB). The regulatory network in Arabidopsis is constructed based on available data by linking cis-regulatory elements and transcription factors, interactions that are visualized by AtRegNet.GRASSIUS (grassius.org) provides regulatory information gathered from computational and experimental sources for the grasses, initially including maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane. Promoter sequences across these grasses and cis-elements important for gene expression are gathered in GrassPROMDB. GrassTFDB contains information on TFs, their DNA-binding properties and the genes that they have been experimentally demonstrated to bind/regulate. GrassREGNET is the ultimate component of GRASSIUS, currently under development, and will provide a dynamic relationship between the contents of GrassTFDB and GrassPROMDB in the light of experimentally verified interactions, helping visualize spatio-temporal gene regulation and regulatory networks.
Sustainable use of biotechnology for bioenergy feedstocks

Done correctly, cellulosic bioenergy should be both environmentally and economically beneficial. Carbon sequestration and decreased fossil fuel use are both worthy goals in developing next-generation biofuels. We believe that biotechnology will be needed to significantly improve yield and digestibility of dedicated perennial herbaceous biomass feedstocks, such as switchgrass and Miscanthus, which are native to the US and China, respectively. This Forum discusses the sustainability of herbaceous feedstocks relative to the regulation of biotechnology with regards to likely genetically engineered traits. The Forum focuses on two prominent countries wishing to develop their bioeconomies: the US and China. These two countries also share a political desire and regulatory frameworks to enable the commercialization and wide release of transgenic feedstocks with appropriate and safe new genetics. In recent years, regulators in both countries perform regular inspections of transgenic field releases and seriously consider compliance issues, even though the US framework is considered to be more mature and stringent. Transgene flow continues to be a pertinent environmental and regulatory issue with regards to transgenic plants. This concern is largely driven by consumer issues and ecological uncertainties. Regulators are concerned about large-scale releases of transgenic crops that have sexually compatible crops or wild relatives that can stably harbor transgenes via hybridization and introgression. Therefore, prior to the commercialization or extensive field testing of transgenic bioenergy feedstocks, we recommend that mechanisms that ensure biocontainment of transgenes be instituted, especially for perennial grasses. A cautionary case study will be presented in which a plant’s biology and ecology conspired against regulatory constraints in a non-biomass crop perennial grass (creeping bentgrass, Agrostis stolonifera), in which biocontainment was not attained. Appropriate technologies that could be applied to perennial grass feedstocks for biocontainment are discussed.
Effect of Graded Increases in Parasympathetic Tone on Heart Rate Variability

Parasympathetic Effects on Heart Rate Variability. Introduction: Time- and frequency-domain measurements of heart rate variability have been used as indices of parasympathetic tone. However, studies of the effect of parasympathetic stimulation on these indices in humans have yielded conflicting results. Methods and Results: This study evaluated the effects of parasympathetic stimulation on heart rate variability. Twelve normal subjects (7 males, 5 females; age 24.8 ± 3.4 years) were evaluated in the Clinical Research Center. Five-minute ECG recordings were obtained at baseline and during graded phenylephrine infusions (0.3 and 0.6 μg/kg per min). Recordings were made during spontaneous respiration and when breathing was timed with a metronome at 15 cycles/min. Heart rate variability analysis was performed using standard time- and frequency-domain parameters. Graded phenylephrine infusion resulted in a progressive increase in blood pressure and RR interval but no consistent changes in heart rate variability for the group. The results during normal versus metronome breathing were similar. Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that the phenylephrine-induced changes in heart rate variability were inversely correlated with the baseline heart rate variability and not related to the baseline KR interval or the phenylephrine-induced change in RR interval. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the respiratory variation in “parasympathetic effect” typically observed at the sinus node can be either increased or decreased by parasympathetic stimulation, depending on the initial level of parasympathetic tone and the intensity of stimulation. This resolves the previously conflicting data. Thus, evaluation of parasympathetic tone using heart rate variability techniques should be cautiously undertaken.
The Academic Advantage of Devotion: Measuring Variation in the Value of Weekly Worship in Late Adolescence on Educational Attainment Using Propensity Score Matching

This study measures the effect of regular worship attendance at age 17 on total years of schooling by age 25, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Expanding on previous work, this study estimates differences in the impact of worship attendance by race and family income status using propensity score matching. Individuals who frequently attend religious services complete .69 more years of schooling than similar individuals who do not frequently attend services. There are significantly greater returns to attendance for low-income youth and no significant difference in returns by religious affiliation. These findings suggest that religious observance provides greater benefits for low-income individuals or perhaps provides resources high-income individuals have access to elsewhere. Moreover, this study extends previous work by examining a more recent and nationally representative sample of youth and by using methods that allow for greater causal inference.
Sequencing Crops to Minimize Selection Pressure for Weeds in the Central Great Plains1

Dryland rotations are changing in the semiarid Great Plains because of no-till systems. Producers now rotate summer annual crops such as corn with winter wheat and fallow, which can disrupt weed population growth because of diverse life cycles among crops. This study estimated changes in weed populations as affected by rotation design, with the goal of suggesting crop sequences that lower weed community density. We used an empirical life-cycle simulation based on demographics of jointed goatgrass and green foxtail to compare various rotations consisting of winter wheat, corn, proso millet, and fallow across a 12-yr period. The simulation indicated that designing rotations to include a 2-yr interval when seed production of either jointed goatgrass or green foxtail is prevented will drastically reduce weed populations. Arranging four different crops in sequences of two cool-season crops, followed by two warm-season crops was the most beneficial for weed management. Fallow, if used, serves in either life-cyc...
Pregnancy-associated reduction in vascular protein kinase C activity rebounds during inhibition of NO synthesis.

Vascular reactivity has been shown to be reduced during pregnancy and to be enhanced during chronic inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in pregnant rats; however, the cellular mechanisms invo...
Demographics and Internet behaviors as predictors of active publics

Abstract This study explicates online political activism (OPA); provides a short, reliable, and valid index for measuring OPA; and examines correlates that predict such active publics. A national probability sample of adult American Internet users was surveyed using random digit dialing. The study found OPA is more frequent among older, wealthier, and more liberal respondents. OPA increases with Internet self-efficacy and search engine usage.
Childhood ADHD & Comorbid Odd: Diagnosis & Contemporary Treatments

Marshall is a 6-year-old child who displayed significant symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, defiance, and temper tantrums since 2 years of age. Marshall lives with his mother, a single parent, and two siblings, ages 4 and 1. His problematic behavior, defiance, and argumentativeness were significant problems at home for his mother, which often made her late to work in the morning. These behaviors were also problematic in the evenings at dinnertime and at bedtime not only for his mother but also for the whole family. Marshall was also having social problems at school including being increasingly shunned by other children because of his aggressiveness and impulsivity as well as being defiant and argumentative with his teachers.His mother initially sought out her pediatrician, who indicated that Marshall was too young for medication and that better discipline techniques were necessary. Medical workup at that point was unrevealing of any significant condition responsible for Marshall's behavior. Marshall's mother continued to pursue a psychiatric evaluation for Marshall, and a formal psychiatric evaluation revealed diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combined type, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Paper and pencil instruments were used including the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham (SNAP) form for assessing ADHD and ODD symptoms. On the form, both Marshall's mother and teacher indicated that he was significantly elevated in both ADHD and ODD symptom domains, and target symptoms were identified: hyperactivity, impulsivity, short attention span, difficulty with follow through, defiance, argumentativeness, tantrums, and the beginnings of aggressiveness.
Sex Pheromone Releasing Behavior of Anthrenus flavipes (Furniture Carpet Beetles) Females (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Daily calling of Anthrenus flavipes females, in a 16:8 LD photoperiod, was found to take place in the 1st 4 h after light-on with peak activity occurring from 1-1½ h after onset of light. The peak of female calling activity coincided with the peak in daily pheromone productivity. Photoperiod entrainment of female calling rhythm was demonstrated by a phase-shift experiment. When insects were transferred to continuous darkness, the calling rhythm was shown to be endogenous and circadian. Daily calling activity correlated with diel periodicity of mating activity and males' responsiveness towards female sex pheromone. The synchronization of sexual activities by photoperiod probably contributes to successful propagation of this insect.
Physicochemical properties of low-density lipoproteins of normal human plasma. Evidence for the occurrence of lipoprotein B in associated and free forms

1. Low-density (d 1.006-1.063g/ml) lipoproteins from normal human plasma were separated by differential preparative ultracentrifugation into six subfractions. Each low-density (LD) lipoprotein subfraction contained lipoprotein B as the major and lipoproteins A and C as the minor lipoprotein families. 2. Three lipoprotein B subfractions (LP-B), LP-B-III (d 1.019-1.030g/ml), LP-B-IV (d 1.030-1.040g/ml) and LP-B-V (d 1.040-1.053g/ml) were prepared from the corresponding LD lipoprotein subfractions by immunoprecipitating small amounts of lipoproteins A and C. 3. Determination of hydrodynamic properties indicated that LD lipoproteins consisted of three molecular segments characterized by a stepwise change in the molecular weight: LDL-I and LDL-II subfractions (d 1.006-1.019g/ml) with an average mol.wt. of 4.75x10(6), LDL-III (d 1.019-1.030g/ml) with a mol.wt. of 3.99x10(6), and LDL-IV, LDL-V and LDL-VI (d 1.030-1.063g/ml) with a mol.wt. of 2.85x10(6). 4. All three lipoprotein B subfractions had an average mol.wt. of 3.16x10(6). 5. The LDL-I and LDL-II subfractions consisted of lipoprotein B and lipoprotein C families which were present in the form of an association complex. This was isolated from serum by immunoprecipitation with antibodies to lipoprotein B. The complex had a mol.wt. of 4.35x10(6). 6. The results indicate a fundamental difference between the LD lipoprotein subfractions with d 1.006-1.019g/ml and those subfractions with d 1.030-1.063g/ml. In the former, lipoprotein B occurs as a part of an association complex, whereas in the latter it occurs as a separate entity.
Robert Traub (1916-1996).

Robert Traub, ONE of the most accomplished and respected medical entomologists of this or any generation, died on 21 December 1996 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, after an extended illness. Although he is best known for his encyclopedic knowledge of fleas, his name stands for much more. He leaves a legacy of pioneering research accomplishments in several disciplines, especially flea systematics, chigger taxonomy, and the epidemiology of both scrub typhus and murine typhus. Because Dr. Traub was instrumental in founding the Journal of Medical Entomology in 1964 in which several of his substantial manuscripts were published, it is appropriate to present his obituary here and to dedicate this issue of the journal to him.
Actinomycosis: Clinical Diagnosis and Management

Two cases of thoracic actinomycosis are described. In one, pericarditis was an unusual feature. These cases point up the need for suspicion of actinomycosis in patients with pulmonary, cervicofacia...
Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Reduning Adjunctive Azithromycin Sequential Therapy in Treatment of Children Mycoplasma Pneumonia

Objective: To study the efficacy and safety of Reduning adjunctive Azithromycin Sequential therapy in the treatment of children mycoplasma pneumonia.Method: From 2008 January to 2013 January treated 80 cases of children with mycoplasma pneumonia from the hospital were as the object of study,all patients were diagnosed clinically,according to the different treatment methods all patients were divided into the control group treated with azithromycin and tobservation group treated with combined use of Reduning and azithromycin 40 cases each group.The differences in two groups were compared.Result: In observation group after treatment antifebrile,the time(1.73 ± 1.03) d,cough time(3.44 ± 1.44) d,length of hospital stay(6.12 ± 2.12) d were significantly lower than tthose in he control group;the total efficiency was significantly higher than that.in the control group(P 0.05);in observation group after treatment the complications was less than that in the control group(P 0.05).Conclusion: Reduning adjunctive Azithromycin sequential therapy can effectively improve the children patients with mycoplasma pneumonia curative effect and safety
Analysis on Food Poisoning Events in Nanchong City,Sichuan Province,2004-2013

Objective To explore the regularity and key causes of food poisoning in Nanchong during 2004-2013,and to provide scientific references for formulating prevention measures. Methods All the test items were conducted according to the national physical and chemical standardization( GB). Epidemiological method was employed to analyze the data. Results From 2004 to 2013,there were 35 food poisoning events in Nanchong,with a total number 780,and a death number 13. Fourteen cases were bacterial food poisoning: 9 chemical food poisoning and 5 toxic plant poisoning.The food poisoning mainly occurred in the second and the third season of the year. The poisoning site was mainly households( 48. 6%) and concentrated in rural area( 60%). The food poisoning caused by nitrite was of the highest fatality.Conclusion The primary food poisoning is caused by microorganism during 2004-2013 in Nanchong,followed by chemistry substances. Publicity needs to be strengthened to improve the safety awareness on the food poisoning and reduce the occurrence.
First-order extension of the FLP stable model semantics via modified circumscription

We provide reformulations and generalizations of both the semantics of logic programs by Faber, Leone and Pfeifer and its extension to arbitrary propositional formulas by Truszczynski. Unlike the previous definitions, our generalizations refer neither to grounding nor to fixpoints, and apply to first-order formulas containing aggregate expressions. In the same spirit as the first-order stable model semantics proposed by Ferraris, Lee and Lifschitz, the semantics proposed here are based on syntactic transformations that are similar to circumscription. The reformulations provide useful insights into the FLP semantics and its relationship to circumscription and the first-order stable model semantics.
Components of the kallikrein-kinin system in urine.

The excretion of kallikrein in urine varies, but the pathophysiologic implications are not clear. To help clarify the role of the urinary kallikrein-kinin system, we have begun to define components of the system as they occur in urine. To minimize artifacts which may arise through extensive purification procedures, we studied urinary protein concentrates prepared by ultrafiltration. The concentrates were separated by chromatography on Sephacryl. Urine contains abundant kininase activity, but in strongly inhibited forms. Kininase II is separable into at least two forms. Another major kininase can hydrolyze benzoyl-Pro-Phe-Arg and is inhibited by arginine but not by BPP9a or SQ 14,225. Its molecular weight is ~63,000. A third kininase, not inhibited by BPP9a, is excluded from Sephacryl. Human urine appears to contain only one kallikrein-like enzyme (MM 45,000). In addition, urine conta:ins a protein (MW ~80,000) which reacts with trypsin to release bradykinin and which inhibits the hydrolysis of Pro-Phe-Arg-[3H]anilide by urinary kallikrein. Thus, in addition to kallikrein and kinins, urine contains kininogen and at least three kininase enzymes. Urinary ultrafiltrate contains an inhibitory substance (~MW 400).
U.S. Public Relations History: Knowledge and Limitations

This analysis of the literature on public relations history indicates that the field has been dominated by a business history approach. Most scholars have studied public relations in its corporate context, and most have utilized business history’s dominant paradigm, which calls for a general theory of PR history based on the review of a large number of case histories. But the business history frame is both flawed and inadequate for a complete understanding of public relations history. Political and social histories show that public relations was emerging and apparently would have emerged even if big business had not. In reality, these histories are intertwined. No single strand of PR history can be understood except in relation to the others, and none should be given a privileged position in public relations historiography.
Practical reason and ethics above the line

In John McDowell's recent Woodbridge Lectures at Columbia University, he characterizes Wilfrid Sellars's ‘master thought’, in Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind, as drawing a line between two types of characterizations of states that occur in people's mental lives: “Above the line are placings in the logical space of reasons, and below it are characterizations that do not do that” (McDowell, 1998, p. 433). In this essay, I ask what would be required for ethics to be “above the line.” More precisely, what would be necessary to characterize episodes as actions, and persons as agents, so as for them to be answerable to moral criticism in light of rationally relevant considerations. The requirements are twofold: that practical reason motivate in virtue of the content of its deliverances; and that there be a will which is sensitive to those deliverances, and which chooses freely. A widespread procedural account of practical reason is examined and found insufficient to place ethics above the line; and a suspicion is raised that McDowell himself, and Jonathan Dancy, do not have a robust enough conception of will to avoid the below the line ethics they accuse their opponents of defending.
High-power lasers for directed-energy applications: comment

Sprangle et al. [Appl. Opt.54, F201 (2015)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.54.00F201] recently concluded that our experiments on coherent combining of laser beams over an atmospheric path [Opt. Lett.36, 4455 (2011)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.36.004455] were “effective only because at these low-power levels the linewidth of the lasers was very narrow… and the level of atmospheric turbulence was low….” These conclusions are inaccurate, not relevant to practical high-power coherently combined laser systems, and contradict our most recent experiments with coherent combining of 21 laser beams with a linewidth of about 1 GHz over 7 km distance. In this comment we also challenge the major conclusion of Sprangle et al. [Appl. Opt.54, F201 (2015)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.54.00F201] and the more recently published paper by Nelson et al. [Appl. Opt.55, 1757 (2016)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.55.001757] regarding inefficiency of coherent beam combining under typical atmospheric conditions.
AMGSEFLamide, a member of a broadly conserved peptide family, modulates multiple neural networks in Homarus americanus

Recent genomic/transcriptomic studies have identified a novel peptide family whose members share the carboxyl terminal sequence -GSEFLamide. However, the presence/identity of the predicted isoforms of this peptide group have yet to be confirmed biochemically, and no physiological function has yet been ascribed to any member of this peptide family. To determine the extent to which GSEFLamides are conserved within the Arthropoda, we searched publicly accessible databases for genomic/transcriptomic evidence of their presence. GSEFLamides appear to be highly conserved within the Arthropoda, with the possible exception of the Insecta, in which sequence evidence was limited to the more basal orders. One crustacean in which GSEFLamides have been predicted using transcriptomics is the lobster, Homarus americanus Expression of the previously published transcriptome-derived sequences was confirmed by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR of brain and eyestalk ganglia cDNAs; mass spectral analyses confirmed the presence of all six of the predicted GSEFLamide isoforms - IGSEFLamide, MGSEFLamide, AMGSEFLamide, VMGSEFLamide, ALGSEFLamide and AVGSEFLamide - in H. americanus brain extracts. AMGSEFLamide, of which there are multiple copies in the cloned transcripts, was the most abundant isoform detected in the brain. Because the GSEFLamides are present in the lobster nervous system, we hypothesized that they might function as neuromodulators, as is common for neuropeptides. We thus asked whether AMGSEFLamide modulates the rhythmic outputs of the cardiac ganglion and the stomatogastric ganglion. Physiological recordings showed that AMGSEFLamide potently modulates the motor patterns produced by both ganglia, suggesting that the GSEFLamides may serve as important and conserved modulators of rhythmic motor activity in arthropods.
Completion Deadlines, Adaptive Learning Assignments, and Student Performance.

The authors examine effects on student performance, from applying different deadline strategies to online assignments in face-to-face principles of macroeconomics courses. Students in one section w...
Global-Local Mixtures: A Unifying Framework

Global-local mixtures, including Gaussian scale mixtures, have gained prominence in recent times, both as a sparsity inducing prior in p ≫ n problems as well as default priors for non-linear many-to-one functionals of high-dimensional parameters. Here we propose a unifying framework for global-local scale mixtures using the Cauchy-Schlomilch and Liouville integral transformation identities, and use the framework to build a new Bayesian sparse signal recovery method. This new method is a Bayesian counterpart of the $\sqrt {\text {Lasso}}$ (Belloni et al., Biometrika 98, 4, 791–806, 2011) that adapts to unknown error variance. Our framework also characterizes well-known scale mixture distributions including the Laplace density used in Bayesian Lasso, logit and quantile via a single integral identity. Finally, we derive a few convolutions that commonly arise in Bayesian inference and posit a conjecture concerning bridge and uniform correlation mixtures.
Approximate Adder Circuits Using Clocked CMOS Adiabatic Logic (CCAL) for IoT Applications

Approximate arithmetic circuitry refers to a class of arithmetic circuits that achieve power and area efficiency through the intentional introduction of inaccuracies into the output behavior of the circuits. Further, low-power adiabatic computing techniques have been proposed as a method for reducing power dissipation. To demonstrate the potential benefit of hybridizing adiabatic and approximate computing, we selected a group of approximate adders and redesigned them using Clocked CMOS Adiabatic Logic (CCAL). We simulated our novel class of adiabatic approximate adders using a 45nm process and Cadence Spectre. The results of our simulations show that the hybridization of approximate and adiabatic techniques reduces power dissipation by 40-56% at 50 MHz compared to approximate CMOS implementations. We conclude that the hybridization of adiabatic and approximate computing would be an excellent design choice for applications with rigid power and area constraints that also boast a tolerance for noise.
Multiple Sclerosis: Lipids, Lymphocytes, and Vitamin D

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. We review the two core MS features, myelin instability, fragmentation, and remyelination failure, and dominance of pathogenic CD4+ Th17 cells over protective CD4+ Treg cells. To better understand myelin pathology, we describe myelin biosynthesis, structure, and function, then highlight stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) in nervonic acid biosynthesis and nervonic acid's contribution to myelin stability. Noting that vitamin D deficiency decreases SCD in the periphery, we propose it also decreases SCD in oligodendrocytes, disrupting the nervonic acid supply and causing myelin instability and fragmentation. To better understand the distorted Th17/Treg cell balance, we summarize Th17 cell contributions to MS pathogenesis, then highlight how 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 signaling from microglia to CD4+ T cells restores Treg cell dominance. This signaling rapidly increases flux through the methionine cycle, removing homocysteine, replenishing S-adenosyl-methionine, and improving epigenetic marking. Noting that DNA hypomethylation and inappropriate DRB1*1501 expression were observed in MS patient CD4+ T cells, we propose that vitamin D deficiency thwarts epigenetic downregulation of DRB1*1501 and Th17 cell signature genes, and upregulation of Treg cell signature genes, causing dysregulation within the CD4+ T cell compartment. We explain how obesity reduces vitamin D status, and how estrogen and vitamin D collaborate to promote Treg cell dominance in females. Finally, we discuss the implications of this new knowledge concerning myelin and the Th17/Treg cell balance, and advocate for efforts to address the global epidemics of obesity and vitamin D deficiency in the expectation of reducing the impact of MS.
Diffusion of innovations theory in promoting the knowledge and technology for birth defects prevention

Determining the approach to spread the knowledge and technology for preventing birth defects using the diffusion of innovations theory.Identifying the target group,orientation messages and promotion guidelines based on related literature,laws and clinical epidemiology studies.Pathways integrating both inter-personal communication and IT have pushed the adoption percentage of innovative knowledge for preventing birth defects up from 0％ to 97 ％ in almost no time,helping the region ranking the first in China.The innovation diffusion model has caught attention of both the government and all the community.Prevention measures against birth defects are accepted community wide,while medical workers are regulated by law in their behaviors of mothers and children healthcare services to set a model for prevention of other diseases. Key words: Innovation diffusion theory; Birth defects; Prevention; Intervention techniques; Application
Within- and between-species variation in the responses of three primate species to a touchscreen gambling task

Abstract Although humans tend to be risk averse, gambling, an inherently risky behavior, remains exceedingly popular and is an increasingly legal activity. The advent of electronic and online gambling games has further exacerbated the risk of gambling addiction. Given the frequently disadvantageous results of gambling, it is important to explore its evolutionary roots to understand why some individuals engage in gambling and other risky activities that may be detrimental. Inspired by the Primate Gambling Task, a modification of the Iowa Gambling Task developed by Proctor et al. (2014), we presented zoo-housed chimpanzees, gorillas, and Japanese macaques with a choice between two stimuli on a touchscreen, one representing a low-value, low variance (LV) option and the other a high-value, high variance (HV) option. Subjects completed three conditions in which the LV always resulted in a low or middle-value food reward. In each condition, stimuli colors varied and selecting the HV resulted in differing probabilities of both receiving any reward and the subject’s high-value reward. In a second experiment, subjects chose between a picture of a middle-value food and one of the six HV or LV stimuli to test their relative preferences for these stimuli in a novel context. Using several analyses, we found substantial within-species variation in both experiments, but relatively minimal between-species differences. Analyses did not always result in the same conclusions, however, no subject, regardless of species, learned to prefer the HV option in experiment 1, if any learning occurred at all. In experiment 2, nearly all subjects showed a preference for images of middle-value foods compared to the six HV and LV stimuli. As with much human risk-preference research, individual differences suggest that much of the variation in risk-taking behavior lies at the individual rather than species level, at least among the three primate species tested here.
Spatial metabolomics identifies localized chemical changes in heart tissue during chronic cardiac Chagas disease

Abstract Chagas disease (CD) is one of thirteen neglected tropical diseases caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. CD is a vector-borne disease transmitted by triatomines but CD can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants and congenital transmission. While endemic to Latin America, T. cruzi infects 7-8 million people worldwide and can induce severe cardiac symptoms including apical aneurysms, thromboembolisms and arrhythmias during the chronic stage of CD. However, these cardiac clinical manifestations and CD disease pathogenesis are not fully understood. Using spatial metabolomics (chemical cartography), we sought to understand the localized impact of infection on the cardiac metabolome of mice chronically infected with two divergent T. cruzi strains. Our data showed chemical differences in localized cardiac regions upon chronic T. cruzi infection, indicating that parasite infection changes the host metabolome at select sites in chronic CD. These sites were distinct from the sites of highest parasite burden. In addition, we identified acylcarnitines and phosphocholines as discriminatory chemical families within each heart region, comparing infected and uninfected samples. Overall, our study indicated overall and positional metabolic differences common to infection with different T. cruzi strains, and identified select infection-modulated pathways. These results provide further insight into CD pathogenesis and demonstrate the advantage of a spatial perspective to understand infectious disease tropism. Author Summary Chagas disease (CD) is a tropical disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. CD originated in South America; however, there are now 7-8 million people infected worldwide due to population movements. CD is transmitted through a triatomine vector, organ transplants, blood transfusions and congenital transmission. It occurs in two stages, an acute stage (usually asymptomatic) and the chronic stage. Chronic stage CD presents with severe cardiac symptoms such as heart failure, localized aneurysms and cardiomyopathy. Unfortunately, what causes severe cardiac symptoms in some individuals in chronic CD is not fully understood. Therefore, we used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the heart tissue of chronically T. cruzi-infected and uninfected mice, to understand the impact of infection on the tissue metabolome. We identified discriminatory small molecules related to T. cruzi infection. We also determined that regions with the highest parasite burden are distinct from the regions with the largest changes in overall metabolite profile; these locations of high metabolic perturbation provide a molecular mechanism to why localized cardiac symptoms occur in CD. Overall, our work gives insight to chronic cardiac CD symptom development and shapes a framework for novel treatment and biomarker development.
Agreement Between Physical Therapists in Diagnosing Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Individuals with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are frequently referred to physical therapy for management, but little is known on how reliable therapists are at diagnosing BPPV. The purpose of the study was to examine the agreement between physical therapists in identifying nystagmus and diagnosing BPPV. METHODS Thirty-eight individuals with complaints of positional vertigo, 19 from each of 2 clinics (clinics 1 and 2) that specialize in vestibular rehabilitation, had eye movements recorded using video goggles during positioning tests including supine-to-sit, supine roll, and Dix-Hallpike tests. Three therapists from each of the clinics independently observed videos, documented nystagmus characteristics of each testing position, and made a diagnosis for each case. Kappa (κ) statistics were calculated between therapists within each clinic for nystagmus identification and diagnosis. RESULTS Clinic 1 therapists demonstrated substantial to almost perfect agreement in identifying nystagmus during positional tests (κ = 0.68-1, P < 0.005). Clinic 2 therapists showed moderate to almost perfect agreement for presence of nystagmus (κ = 0.57-1, P < 0.005). Therapists at both sites had almost perfect agreement of diagnosis side, canal, and mechanism (κ = 0.81-1, P < 0.005). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Therapists utilized observations from multiple positional tests to determine diagnoses. This was evident by occasional disagreement in nystagmus presence and characteristics, but agreement in diagnosis, including ruling out BPPV. The results may not be generalizable to all physical therapists or therapists' ability to diagnose central and atypical nystagmus presentations. Experienced physical therapists demonstrated strong agreement in diagnosing common forms of BPPV.Video Abstract available for more insight from the authors (see the Video Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A340).
Phosphorus recovery by Donnan dialysis: Membrane selectivity, diffusion coefficients, and speciation effects

Abstract Donnan dialysis occurs when an electrochemical potential gradient exists for ions on either side of an ion-exchange membrane. We posit that this phenomenon can be leveraged to develop a sustainable process for nutrient recovery from wastewater. In this work, we conducted a fundamental study of the key parameters that control orthophosphate (P(V)) removal and recovery by Donnan dialysis. First, a new variable, namely the minimum draw ion concentration ratio between the draw and waste solutions (Rd/w), was established as the principal design parameter for Donnan dialysis. Then, the following variables were evaluated for their effects on P(V) removal and recovery: waste solution composition; draw anion type and concentration; and, membrane selectivity, thickness, and hydration. The waste solution pH controlled P(V) sorption to the anion-exchange membrane, with HPO42− exhibiting a higher affinity than H2PO4−. For an Rd/w of 10, 90.7% of H2PO4− and 98.4% of HPO42− were removed from a 10 mM P(V) waste solution using 100 mN and 218 mN NaCl draw solutions, respectively. The P(V) removal efficiency was dependent on draw solution concentration, and 77.1%, 95.3%, and 98.4% HPO42− removal was achieved with 48 (Rd/w = 2), 115 (Rd/w = 5), and 218 mM (Rd/w = 10) NaCl draw solutions, respectively. The rate of P(V) recovery was faster with HCOO− draw anions than with Cl− due to (i) the higher separation factor for P(V) over HCOO− (7.28) compared to Cl− (1.27) and (ii) the greater extent of membrane hydration with HCOO− draw solutions. Overall, this work established a new design parameter (Rd/w) and applied that parameter to optimize the draw solution chemistry for phosphorus recovery by Donnan dialysis.
Construction Continues: Recently Revised Construction Law Resources

Construction law is a complex, multifaceted area of legal practice. Staying current is critical. This brief piece reviews recent publications relevant to Virginia practitioners.
Responding to Rapid Change in Libraries: A User Experience Approach

Author Callan Bignoli is an academic library director who has worked extensively in public and academic libraries. Coauthor Lauren Stara is a registered architect and librarian and has worked in se...
Spectral asymptotics for contracted tensor ensembles

Let $\mathbf{T}_{d, N}: \Omega \to \mathbb{R}^{N^d}$ be a random real symmetric Wigner-type tensor. For unit vectors $\{u_N^{(i, j)}\}_{i \in I, j \in [d-2]} \subset \mathbb{S}^{N-1}$, we study the contracted tensor ensemble \[\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{N}}\mathbf{T}_{d, N}\left[u_N^{(i, 1)} \otimes \cdots \otimes u_N^{(i, d-2)}\right]\right)_{i \in I}.\] For large $N$, we show that the joint spectral distribution of this ensemble is well-approximated by a semicircular family $(s_i)_{i \in I}$ of covariance \[\mathbf{K}_{i, i'}^{(N)} = \sum_{\pi \in \mathcal{UBP}(d-2)} \sum_{\phi: \pi \hookrightarrow [N]} \prod_{B \in \pi} \prod_{l \in B_L} u_N^{(i, l)}(\phi(B)) \prod_{r \in B_R} u_N^{(i', r)}(\phi(B)),\] which is the true covariance of the ensemble up to a $O_d(N^{-1})$ correction. Here, $\mathcal{UBP}(d-2)$ is the set of uniform block permutations of $[d-2]$ and $(B_L, B_R)$ are the left side and the right side respectively of a block $B = B_L \sqcup B_R \in \pi$. In particular, if the limits $\mathbf{K}_{i, i'} = \lim_{N\to \infty} \mathbf{K}^{(N)}_{i, i'}$ exist, then the contracted tensor ensemble converges in distribution almost surely to a semicircular family $(s_i)_{i\in I}$ of covariance $(\mathbf{K}_{i, i'})_{i, i'\in I}$. In the single-matrix model $\#(I) = 1$, this implies that the empirical spectral distribution of the contracted tensor ensemble converges weakly almost surely to the semicircle distribution \[\frac{1}{2\pi \mathbf{K}_{i, i}} (4\mathbf{K}_{i, i} - x^2)_+^{1/2}\, dx.\] Our analysis relies on an extension of the usual graphical calculus for moment method calculations in random matrix theory.
Sensitivity, Reflective Knowledge, and Skepticism

Michael Huemer, Ernest Sosa, and Jonathan Vogel have offered a critique of the sensitivity condition on knowledge. According to them, the condition implies that you cannot know of any particular proposition that you do not falsely believe it. Their arguments rest on the claim that you cannot sensitively believe of any particular proposition that you do not falsely believe it. However, as we shall see, these philosophers are mistaken. You can do so. That said, these philosophers were close to the mark. There are some related propositions that you cannot believe sensitively. These propositions are interesting in another respect: they can be used to construct a new skeptical argument that is superior in some respects to a more traditional skeptical argument. This new skeptical argument also reveals insights about the relationship between internalism, externalism, and skepticism.
FlowMouse: a computer vision-based pointing and gesture input device

We introduce FlowMouse, a computer vision-based pointing device and gesture input system. FlowMouse uses optical flow techniques to model the motion of the hand and a capacitive touch sensor to enable and disable interaction. By using optical flow rather than a more traditional tracking based method, FlowMouse is exceptionally robust, simple in design, and offers opportunities for fluid gesture-based interaction that go well beyond merely emulating pointing devices such as the mouse. We present a Fitts law study examining pointing performance, and discuss applications of the optical flow field for gesture input.
A retrospective study of sodium nitroprusside use and assessment of the potential risk of cyanide poisoning.

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is an effective vasodilator but is potentially dangerous due to its cyanide content. Infusion rates above 2 μg/kg/minute may cause cyanide to accumulate to toxic concentrations in critically ill patients. Coadministration of thiosulfate with SNP effectively and safely prevents cyanide toxicity. This study determined if patients at our institution were treated with SNP infusion rates that could cause cyanide toxicity and whether those patients were administered thiosulfate. We reviewed the charts of 36 critically ill patients treated with SNP during the previous 12 months. In 72% of patients the SNP infusion rates were above 2 μg/kg/minute. In 47% the rates were greater than 2 μg/kg/minute for 6 hours or more, and in 20% they were greater than 5 μg/kg/minute for up to 11 hours. None of the patients was administered thiosulfate. In a significant number of patients the infusion rates of SNP potentially exposed them to significant risk of cyanide toxicity including death.
Global Internet Privacy Rights - A Pragmatic Approach

The preceding decade was a time of considerable progress in standardization of Internet protocols and systems. The standardization that took place played a pivotal role in allowing companies to quickly and seamlessly share data across global networks, whilst avoiding the costly overhead and inefficiency of heterogeneous data-translation. Although technical standardization helped tackle some inefficiencies plaguing global online commerce, an even more pressing impediment stands in the way of companies and individuals seeking to efficiently provide web-based information services -- the lack of global privacy standards. The existing global privacy rights framework is an amorphous hodgepodge of differing requirements, differing foundational definitions (e.g. what is “privacy”) and divergent policy motivations, in essence it lacks coherence. The lack of a worldwide privacy standard complicates the ability of information service companies to collect, store and share data about their online customers. This complexity increases the cost of delivering services and exposes companies to risks of privacy-infringement lawsuits. Companies that seek to provide global information data services are not only required to tailor each of their websites to meet the privacy laws of individual nations, but must constantly monitor changes to the legal systems of nations to ensure that their legal policies are in compliance. This paper reveals how today’s global privacy framework is affecting business efficiency and describes the international policy battle that is raging between nations, public-interest groups and corporate titans who are all vying to steer global privacy laws in a direction favorable to their own agenda.
Comparative analysis of energy control techniques for DC microgrid and pulsed power load applications

DC Microgrid power systems are becoming increasingly common in many applications. In this work, the comparative analysis of different energy control techniques for a dc microgrid with pulsed power loads is considered. A laboratory scale hybrid dc microgrid is developed to evaluate the performance of the energy control methods. In the proposed dc microgrid, a supercapacitor bank, acting as power buffer, and a pulse load are directly connected to a common coupling dc bus while the injected power to the grid is regulated through power converters. This microgrid is connected to an AC grid test-bed to further analyze the consequence of the pulse loads. The test results show that the energy control methods are different in terms of their maximum power requirement, their performance on the dc microgrid, and their effects on the ac grid.
An examination of the effects of tubal ligation: Their implications for prediction

Abstract In a study of 88 women who had a tubal ligation performed, those who were happy with the results were compared with those who expressed regret. It was found that those who were unhappy were more likely to be Catholic, younger, indigent, and have had the procedure done for nonmedical reasons. A follow-up study showed a relationship between regret and poor health, disturbance in menses, unhappy marriages, a poor sex life, and divorce or separation. A consideration of these factors could decrease the incidence of unhappy results in tubal ligation.
Integrating voiceXML with SIP services

We describe our session initiation protocol (SIP)-based VoiceXML browser, sipvxml, that allows programming interactive voice response applications that are accessible from telephones as well as IP phones. We also describe how we have used sipvxml in our multi-party multimedia conferencing server. We propose other applications and extensions that can benefit from this technology in our IP telephony test bed.
Rare decays of the K L and π 0 : New results from E799-II and E832

Recent rare decay results from Fermilab experiments E799-II and E832 (the KTeV experiments) are shown. Results of searches for the direct CP-violating decay KL→π0νν are given, as well as measurements of the decays KL→π0γγ and KL→π0e+e−γ, which provide information on CP-conserving contributions to KL→π0e+e−. A new measurement of the rare decay π0→e+e− is also presented; this result is the first significant measurement of the excess rate above the unitarity limit for this mode.