cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1

Clinical characteristics Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, and eventual deterioration of bulbar functions. Early in the disease, affected individuals may have gait disturbance, slurred speech, difficulty with balance, brisk deep tendon reflexes, hypermetric saccades, nystagmus, and mild dysphagia. Later signs include slowing of saccadic velocity, development of up-gaze palsy, dysmetria, dysdiadochokinesia, and hypotonia. In advanced stages, muscle atrophy, decreased deep tendon reflexes, loss of proprioception, cognitive impairment (e.g., frontal executive dysfunction, impaired verbal memory), chorea, dystonia, and bulbar dysfunction are seen. Onset is typically in the third or fourth decade, although childhood onset and late-adult onset have been reported. Those with onset after age 60 years may manifest a pure cerebellar phenotype. Interval from onset to death varies from ten to 30 years; individuals with juvenile onset show more rapid progression and more severe disease. Anticipation is observed. An axonal sensory neuropathy detected by electrophysiologic testing is common; brain imaging typically shows cerebellar and brain stem atrophy. Diagnosis/testing The diagnosis of SCA1 rests on the result of molecular genetic testing to detect an abnormal CAG trinucleotide expansion in ATXN1. Affected individuals have alleles with 39 or more CAG trinucleotide repeats. Such testing detects 100% of cases. Management Treatment of manifestations: Canes and walkers to help prevent falls; modification of the home with grab bars, raised toilet seats, and ramps for motorized chairs; speech therapy and communication devices for dysarthria; weighted eating utensils and dressing hooks to help maintain independence. Intensive rehabilitation (coordinative physiotherapy) may be beneficial. Weight control is important because obesity can exacerbate difficulties with ambulation and mobility. Video esophagram can help to identify the consistency of food least likely to trigger aspiration and feeding devices may be indicated when dysphagia becomes troublesome. Prevention of secondary complications: Medications may help symptomatic secondary problems such as spasticity, bladder urgency, depression, and pain; vitamin supplements are recommended if caloric intake is reduced. Surveillance: Neurologic evaluation every three to six months. Agents/circumstances to avoid: Alcohol, medications known to cause nerve damage (e.g., isoniazid). Circumstances that could lead to physical harm, such as operating machinery or climbing to great heights, should be avoided. Genetic counseling SCA1 is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Offspring of an affected individual have a 50% chance of inheriting the expanded allele. Prenatal testing for at-risk pregnancies is possible if the diagnosis has been confirmed by molecular genetic testing in an affected relative; however, requests for prenatal testing of typically adult-onset diseases are not common.
TAL Recognition inO(M(n2)) Time

We propose anO(M(n2)) time algorithm for the recognition of tree adjoining languages (TALs), wherenis the size of the input string andM(k) is the time needed to multiply twok×kboolean matrices. Tree adjoining grammars are formalisms suitable for natural language processing and have received enormous attention in the past among not only natural language processing researchers but also algorithms designers. The first polynomial time algorithm for TAL parsing was proposed in 1986 and had a run time ofO(n6). Quite recently, anO(n3M(n)) algorithm has been proposed. The algorithm presented in this paper improves the run time of the recent result using an entirely different approach.
Association of Radiologic Indicators of Frailty With 1-Year Mortality in Older Trauma Patients: Opportunistic Screening for Sarcopenia and Osteopenia.

Importance Assessment of physical frailty in older trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit is often not feasible using traditional frailty assessment instruments. The use of opportunistic computed tomography (CT) scans to assess sarcopenia and osteopenia as indicators of underlying frailty may provide complementary prognostic information on long-term outcomes. Objective To determine whether sarcopenia and/or osteopenia are associated with 1-year mortality in an older trauma patient population. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort constructed from a state trauma registry was linked to the statewide death registry and Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System for readmission data analyses. Admission abdominopelvic CT scans from patients 65 years and older admitted to the intensive care unit of a single level I trauma center between January 2011 and May 2014 were analyzed to identify patients with sarcopenia and/or osteopenia. Patients with a head Injury Severity Score of 3 or greater, an out-of-state address, or inadequate CT imaging or who died within 24 hours of admission were excluded. Exposures Sarcopenia and/or osteopenia, assessed via total cross-sectional muscle area and bone density at the L3 vertebral level, compared with a group with no sarcopenia or osteopenia. Main Outcomes and Measures One-year all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included 30-day all-cause mortality, 30-day readmission, hospital length of stay, hospital cost, and discharge disposition. Results Of the 450 patients included in the study, 269 (59.8%) were male and 394 (87.6%) were white. The cohort was split into 4 groups: 74 were retrospectively diagnosed with both sarcopenia and osteopenia, 167 with sarcopenia only, 48 with osteopenia only, and 161 with no radiologic indicators. Among the 408 who survived to discharge, sarcopenia and osteopenia were associated with higher risks of 1-year mortality alone and in combination. After adjustment, the hazard ratio was 9.4 (95% CI, 1.2-75.4; P = .03) for sarcopenia and osteopenia, 10.3 (95% CI, 1.3-78.8; P = .03) for sarcopenia, and 11.9 (95% CI, 1.3-107.4; P = .03) for osteopenia. Conclusions and Relevance More than half of older trauma patients in this study had sarcopenia, osteopenia, or both. Each factor was independently associated with increased 1-year mortality. Given the prevalent use of abdominopelvic CT in trauma centers, opportunistic screening for radiologic indicators of frailty provides an additional tool for early identification of older trauma patients at high risk for poor outcomes, with the potential for targeted interventions.
A 3-D stacked wire bondless silicon carbide power module

A 3-D stacked wire bondless silicon carbide (SiC) power module is proposed to achieve high voltage and current specification. The proposed 3-D stack consists of stand-alone wire bondless power modules stacked on top of each other with a novel interconnection scheme. Each stand-alone wire bondless power module has two SiC power devices connected in parallel to increase its current handling capability. The stand-alone wire bondless power modules are stacked with help of an interposer consisting of an array of low profile spring loaded pins embedded into a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) along with clamped interconnections to achieve the series connection between the power modules to increase its voltage handling capability. The proposed 3-D stack exhibits lower parasitic inductance compared to traditional wire bonded power modules. In this paper, a comparative investigation between the switching characteristic of the proposed 3-D stacked module to a conventional wire bonded module is performed.
3.302 – Atomic Force Microscopy

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a member of the broad family of scanning near-field tools generally referred to as scanning probe microscopes (SPMs). The AFM operates by positioning a probe near to the surface in order to physically measure and map the morphology of a wide variety of biomaterials. Because the technique does not require a vacuum environment, the AFM has become increasingly important in the biomaterials community over the last 2 decades. The AFM is not only viewed as a standard surface characterization tool, but the AFM has also become an important instrument for making high resolution biophysical measurements of cells, proteins, and DNA, as well as for the measurement of biological interactions. This chapter explores the utility of AFM within the field of biomaterials science and introduces a number of high-resolution imaging techniques that can be addressed to a variety of biological systems.
Surface Immobilization of Molecular Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion.

Electrocatalysts are critically important for a secure energy future, as they facilitate the conversion between electrical and chemical energy. Molecular catalysts offer precise control of structure that enables understanding of structure–reactivity relationships, which can be difficult to achieve with heterogeneous catalysts. Molecular electrocatalysts can be immobilized on surfaces by covalent bonds or through non-covalent interactions. Advantages of surface immobilization include the need for less catalyst, avoidance of bimolecular decomposition pathways, and easier determination of catalyst lifetime. This Minireview highlights surface immobilization of molecular electrocatalysts for reduction of O2, oxidation of H2O, production of H2, and reduction of CO2.
Abstract MP009: Contemporary Risk Stratification After Myocardial Infarction in the Community: Performance of Scores and Incremental Value of ST2

Background: Current AHA/ACC guidelines recommend the GRACE and TIMI scores for assessing myocardial infarction (MI) prognosis. With recent major changes in the epidemiology of MI and new biomarkers available for risk stratification, an updated assessment of the performance of these scores is needed in a real-world practice setting. Objectives: We assessed (a) the performance of GRACE and TIMI in predicting 1-year mortality among a community cohort of MI patients stratified by ST- and non-ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI/NSTEMI) and (b) the incremental discriminatory power of soluble ST2, a myocardial fibrosis biomarker. Methods: Olmsted County, Minnesota residents with incident MI (N=1,401) were recruited prospectively from 2002-2012 (mean age, 67 years; 61% men; 79% NSTEMI). Baseline data were used for calculating risk scores; stored plasma samples obtained shortly after MI were used for ST2 measurement. C -statistics adapted to survival data were used to assess the discriminatory power of GRACE and TIMI and the improvement gained by incorporating additional variables. Results: During the first year of follow-up, 190 (14%) patients died. The overall discriminatory performance in predicting death was reasonable for GRACE and poor for TIMI, and was generally worse in NSTEMI vs STEMI. In NSTEMI, sequential addition of comorbidities and ST2 substantially improved the c -statistic over GRACE (from 0.78 to 0.80 to 0.84) and TIMI (from 0.61 to 0.73 to 0.81), respectively (all P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Guidelines-recommended scores for risk assessment post-MI underperform in contemporary community patients with NSTEMI, which now represent the majority of infarcts. Incorporating comorbidities and ST2 substantially improves risk prediction thereby delineating opportunity to improve clinical care.
Fast lesion mapping during HIFU treatment using harmonic motion imaging guided focused ultrasound (HMIgFUS) in vitro and in vivo

The successful clinical application of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation depends on reliable monitoring of the lesion formation. Harmonic motion imaging guided focused ultrasound (HMIgFUS) is an ultrasound-based elasticity imaging technique, which monitors HIFU ablation based on the stiffness change of the tissue instead of the echo intensity change in conventional B-mode monitoring, rendering it potentially more sensitive to lesion development. Our group has shown that predicting the lesion location based on the radiation force-excited region is feasible during HMIgFUS. In this study, the feasibility of a fast lesion mapping method is explored to directly monitor the lesion map during HIFU. The harmonic motion imaging (HMI) lesion map was generated by subtracting the reference HMI image from the present HMI peak-to-peak displacement map, as streamed on the computer display. The dimensions of the HMIgFUS lesions were compared against gross pathology. Excellent agreement was found between the lesion depth (r 2 = 0.81, slope = 0.90), width (r 2 = 0.85, slope = 1.12) and area (r 2 = 0.58, slope = 0.75). In vivo feasibility was assessed in a mouse with a pancreatic tumor. These findings demonstrate that HMIgFUS can successfully map thermal lesions and monitor lesion development in real time in vitro and in vivo. The HMIgFUS technique may therefore constitute a novel clinical tool for HIFU treatment monitoring.
Hemodynamic Monitoring and Fluid Management in ARDS

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the ICU affecting as many as 10% of critically ill patients and almost a quarter of mechanically ventilated patients [1, 2]. ARDS is characterized by increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary membrane due to dysregulated, tissue-destructive inflammation. Pulmonary edema, the result of fluid maldistribution, has an adverse impact on respiratory function at several levels including decreased lung compliance, impaired gas exchange, reduction of surfactant levels, and pulmonary hypertension [3]. In the early phase of ARDS, a systemic inflammatory state is usually responsible for hypovolemia. In this phase, early and adequate fluid resuscitation is essential to prevent the development of multiorgan dysfunction, which can impact mortality in patients with ARDS [4]. As the inflammatory state resolves, the excessive fluid can have a detrimental impact on patient outcome. Transition from one phase to another is complex and can often be difficult to distinguish. However, identifying the transition between these two phases is likely to be important for optimization of fluid balance and improving patient outcomes.
Invisible Cities: Natural and Social Space in Colonial Brazil

This chapter argues that the Portuguese colonization of Brazil involved a rupture of the native Tupinamba’s system of spatial organization, whether considered as natural, social, or cosmological space. Three sets of texts produced at the very end of the sixteenth century are adduced here to reconstruct native “invisible cities” and the way they were recorded over by Portuguese imperial culture: geographical description, aldeia plays, and epic poetry by Gabriel Soares de Sousa (1540–1591), Jose de Anchieta (1534–1597), and Bento Teixeira (1561–1618), respectively. Another contemporary illustration of rupture in traditional relationships to space was the very different experience of Portuguese displacement after the loss of the crown to Spain, as obliquely or overtly represented in the same Atlantic texts. In offering this transatlantic analysis of invisible cities, the chapter interrogates our assumptions about the commensurability of urban sites in historical analysis.
Interleukins 4 and 13 Induce Exon Skipping of Mutant Dystrophin Pre-mRNA to Restore Dystrophin Production

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is (DMD) a lethal muscle degenerative disease caused by nonsense or out of frame deletion mutations in the DMD gene, which encodes Dystrophin. While multiple therapeutic strategies to ameliorate the disease symptoms are under development, there is currently no cure. Here we report an unexpected finding that intramuscular injections of the anti-inflammatory interleukin 4 or 13 (IL4/13) not only reduce inflammation but also restore Dystrophin protein production in the mdx mouse model. IL4/13 restores Dystrophin production by inducing changes in the Dmd pre-mRNA splicing pattern that exclude the mutated exon and restore the reading frame. We further show that systemic delivery of IL4-Fc can restore Dystrophin in multiple muscle groups and increase muscle endurance and strength in mdx mice. Importantly, IL4/13 treatment of mdx myoblasts is sufficient to induce exon skipping and restore Dmd reading frame in vitro. Moreover, IL4-treated DMD patient myoblasts produce Dystrophin-positive myofibers after transplantation. In light of the established clinical safety of IL4 treatment, we recommend IL4 as an agent of immediate consideration for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Dynamin's helical geometry does not destabilize membranes during fission

It is now widely accepted that dynamin-mediated fission is a fundamentally mechanical process: dynamin undergoes a GTP-dependent conformational change, constricting the neck between two compartments, somehow inducing their fission. However, the exact connection between dynamin's conformational change and the scission of the neck is still unclear. In this paper, we re-evaluate the suggestion that a change in the pitch or radius of dynamin's helical geometry drives the lipid bilayer through a mechanical instability, similar to a well-known phenomenon occurring in soap films. We find that, contrary to previous claims, there is no such instability. This lends credence to an alternative model, in which dynamin drives the membrane up an energy barrier, allowing thermal fluctuations to take it into the hemifission state.
Tracking, Animating, and 3D Printing Elements of the Fine Arts Freehand Drawing Process

Dynamic elements of traditional drawing processes such as the order of compilation, and speed, length, and pressure of strokes can be as important as the final art piece because they can reveal the technique, process, and emotions of the artist. In this paper, we present an interactive system that unobtrusively tracks the freehand drawing process (movement and pressure of artist»s pencil) on a regular easel. The system outputs captured information using 2D video renderings and 3D-printed sculptures. We also present a summery of findings from a user study with 6 experienced artists who created multiple pencil drawings using our system. The resulting digital and physical outputs from our system revealed vast differences in drawing speeds, styles, and techniques. At TEI art track, the attendees will likely engage in lively discussion around the analog, digital, and tangible aspects of our exhibit. We believe that such a discussion will be critical not only in shaping the future of our work, but also in understanding novel research directions at the intersection of art and computation.
Camelina sativa: For Biofuels and Bioproducts

Oilseed crops have the potential to increase the stability and sustainability of American agriculture by replacing a portion of the fossil fuels consumed by this sector. There are several candidate oilseed species that have been identified as compatible with a dryland winter wheat-fallow rotation. Of these species, Camelina sativa has been previously identified as being a promising species for drought-prone areas of the American High Plains. This is due to its short growing season, drought tolerance, cold tolerance, and resistance to many of the insect and pest species that cause yield reductions in other Brassica oilseed species. Camelina seed oil has high concentrations (30–40 %) of linolenic fatty acid (C18:3), which is a valuable product and also improves the cold-flow properties of the feedstock oil. Camelina is a native of Europe, and breeding efforts have so far focused on optimizing the varieties to produce high yields in agricultural regions of the United States and Europe. Breeding and research efforts have created linkage maps and identified QTL for yield, agronomic characteristics, and oil characteristics. Researchers have also found success in creating transgenic varieties of camelina, which could greatly facilitate the optimization of the oil profile for use as a feedstock for industrial oils and as a biofuel.
Degranulation of Basophils and Mast Cells

Anaphylactic degranulation (AND) of basophils and mast cells is an example of regulated secretion in these specialized secretory cells (A. M. Dvorak, 1978, 1986b, 1988a,b, 1989a; A. M. Dvorak et al., 1983d; Galli et al., 1984). Basophils and mast cells, like secretory cells in general, store their specific secretory products in membrane-bound containers and release them by exocytosis, given an appropriate stimulus. AND is the term used to identify this process when the specific stimulus is the binding of multivalent antigen to cell-bound IgE antibody. This specific stimulus elicits the explosive release of granules and their preformed mediators. The functional end result of this secretory process is similar, regardless of cell, species, or trigger used to elicit AND. The ultrastructural morphology of this event also has many similarities, regardless of cell, species, or trigger. For these reasons, we refer to all secretory events of basophils and mast cells sharing the morphology of this exocytotic process as AND, in recognition of their basic morphologic similarities to the IgE-mediated mechanism. The common feature of AND in the basophils and mast cells we have studied is the noncytotoxic and rapid release of visible granule contents in parallel with preformed granule mediators. Specific morphologies accompanying this regulated secretory process in the several systems we have studied are described here (Table III).
A UDP glucose: Thiohydroximate glucosyltransferase from Tropaeolummajus L☆☆☆

Abstract Phenylacetothiohydroximate was found to be a naturally occurring compound in Tropaeolum majus , derived from phenylacetaldoxime-1-14C. An enzyme prepared from leaves of T. majus has been shown to catalyze the glucosylation of sodium phenylacetothiohydroximate by uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) to yield desulfobenzylglucosinolate.
Corrosion Studies Of Raw And Treated Biomass-Derived Pyrolysis Oils

Rapid pyrolysis of biomass generates a liquid with properties that are particularly attractive for production of hydrocarbons that could be substituted for liquid fuels derived from petroleum. However, the high oxygen content of the biomass derived liquids presents a number of problems because of the high water content and the considerable concentration of carboxylic acids. Measurements of total acid number (TAN) of pyrolysis oil (bio-oil) samples show that values in the 90-100 range are fairly common. This level of acidity has been shown to cause corrosion problems that have to be addressed in the selection of structural materials that are used in the production, subsequent processing, storage and transport of the pyrolysis oils. Chemical analyses have been performed and laboratory corrosion studies have been conducted in order to assess the aggressiveness of the raw pyrolysis oil from several sources as well as the corrosion caused by a bio-oil that has been treated to reduce the acid and oxygen content. Components of biomass pyrolyzers have also been fabricated from various candidate alloys, and these components have been exposed for extended periods during operation of the pyrolyzers. This paper will report on results of these analyses and corrosion studies.
Distributed Processing Applications for UAV/drones: A Survey

Distributed Processing Systems are the ones that include multiple devices (which could be of many types, such as PC computers, mobile devices etc.) that have computational and communication capabilities. Their computational power is jointly used for collaborative processing of variety of tasks – and this processing is realized in distributed manner. UAV - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (also called drones) gain significant attention over recent years. They have been employed to realize multiple tasks such as surveillance or environmental monitoring. First implementations were based on single UAV, later the potential of multiple UAVs collaborating in a team was noticed. Many applications were implemented in distributed manner, using multiple collaborative UAVs and the distributed processing systems principles. In this paper we survey the applications implemented over cooperative teams of UAVs that operate as distributed processing systems.
Tethered capsule endomicroscopy for microscopic imaging of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum without sedation in humans (with video).

Background and Aims Patients with many different digestive diseases undergo repeated EGDs throughout their lives. Tethered capsule endomicroscopy (TCE) is a less-invasive method for obtaining high-resolution images of the GI mucosa for diagnosis and treatment planning of GI tract diseases. In this article, we present our results from a single-center study aimed at testing the safety and feasibility of TCE for imaging the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Methods After being swallowed by a participant without sedation, the tethered capsule obtains cross-sectional, 10 μm–resolution, optical coherence tomography images as the device traverses the alimentary tract. After imaging, the device is withdrawn through the mouth, disinfected, and reused. Safety and feasibility of TCE were tested, focusing on imaging the esophagus of healthy volunteers and patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and the duodenum of healthy volunteers. Images were compared with endoscopy and histopathology findings when available. Results Thirty-eight patients were enrolled. No adverse effects were reported. The TCE device swallowing rate was 34 of 38 (89%). The appearance of a physiologic upper GI wall, including its microscopic pathology, was visualized with a tissue coverage of 85.4% ± 14.9% and 90.3% ± 6.8% in the esophagus of BE patients with and without endoscopic evidence of a hiatal hernia, respectively, as well as 84.8% ± 7.4% in the duodenum. A blinded comparison of TCE and endoscopic BE measurements showed a strong to very strong correlation (r = 0.7-0.83; P Conclusions TCE is a safe and feasible procedure for obtaining high-resolution microscopic images of the upper GI tract without endoscopic assistance or sedation.
Developing Students’ Well-Being Through Integrative, Experiential Learning Courses

This study examined the effects of experiential learning courses on the well-being of undergraduate students (n = 76, 77.6% female, 67.1% White). A repeated-measures design was used to compare changes in resilience, mindfulness, emotional reappraisal, and social connectedness across three different course formats. All students saw increases in mindfulness; social connectedness was particularly sensitive to the course format. Through integrating academic and experiential learning, students can experience steady increases in multiple components of well-being.
Crystal Growth and Characterization of Cd 0.9 Zn 0.1 Te for Gamma-Ray Detectors: Thermally Stimulated Current (TSC), Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC), and Pulse Height Spectroscopy (PHS)

$Cd_{0.9} Zn_{0.1}$Te (CZT) detector grade crystals were grown from in-house zone refined Cd, Zn, and Te (7N) precursor materials, using a low temperature tellurium solvent growth method. These crystals were grown using a high temperature vertical furnace designed and installed in our crystal growth laboratory at the University of South Carolina (USC). The furnace is capable of growing up to} 8″ diameter crystals. Custom pulling and ampoule rotation using custom electronics were developed for this crystal growth setup. CZT crystals were grown using excess Te as a solvent with growth temperatures lower than the melting temperatures of CZT $(1092^{\circ}\mathrm{C})$. Tellurium inclusions were characterized through IR transmission maps for the grown CZT ingots. The crystals from the grown ingots were processed and characterized through I-V measurements for electrical resistivity. Defect levels are evaluated through thermally stimulated current (TSC) and electron beam induced current (EBIC) measurements. Pulse height spectra measurements were carried out using$^{241}$Am (60 keV) and $^{137}$Cs (662 keV) radiation sources. Our investigations demonstrated high quality nuclear detector grade CZT crystals growth using this low temperature Te-solvent method.
Publisher Correction: Effects of porosity on dynamic indentation resistance of silica nanofoam.

Author(s): Zhao, Cang; Zhong, Ying; Qiao, Yu | Abstract: A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Understanding the thermal degradation patterns of hopane biomarker compounds present in crude oil

Abstract In-situ burning (ISB) is a common oil spill response technique used for managing marine oil spills. The burnt residues generated from ISB can have several toxic compounds and therefore their impacts on aquatic ecosystem are of major environmental concern. When quantifying the fate of the toxic compounds in ISB residues, C30-αβ hopane is routinely used as a conservative biomarker since it has shown to be resistant to most natural weathering processes. However, a recent laboratory study has shown that C30-αβ and other hopane compounds have the potential to degrade when crude oil was physically burnt under controlled conditions. When crude oil is burnt, the temperature of the oil can raise up to 350–500 °C; however, so far, no one has studied the fate of hopanes when crude oil is simply heated to very high temperatures. In this study, we hypothesize that heating crude oil to very high temperatures would result in the degradation of hopane compounds. Results of our study show that C30-αβ hopane in crude oil will start to degrade at around 160 °C and the degradation pattern follows first order kinetics. Other types of hopanes and their diagnostic ratios can also change when the oil is exposed to severe heating conditions. We conclude that removal of hopane biomarkers via thermal degradation is a possible depletion pathway during ISB. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using hopanes as conservative biomarker compounds for characterizing ISB residues.
Power, Terror and Rights: An Overview Chronology

Marx’s historical materialism prescribed the direction of history towards classless communism through the cathartic victory of the proletariat, while others such as H.A.L. Fisher detected nothing of the kind: ‘Men wiser and more learned than I have discerned in history a plot, a rhythm, a predetermined pattern. These harmonies are concealed from me. I can see only one emergency following upon another as wave follows upon wave.’ Yet, from the vantage point of the twenty-first century, some patterns are evident. Military historians examine victory and defeat, and all ‘local’ history takes place—and is written—in the ‘global’ context of societal victory and defeat. The defeated can regroup and ‘live to fight another day.’ This chapter provides a ‘time as context’ overview chronology of three major societal conflicts: between absolutism and oligarchy (feudalism), between oligarchy and the ‘people’ (neo-feudalism), and between financial, industrial and service sector ‘barons’ and democracy (new-feudalism). Behind The Divine Right of the ‘Free’ Market lies a conflict between two concepts of civilisation: ascribed status versus the achieved status (the latter associated with universal voting rights for adults and universal compulsory and subsidised education for their children).
Exercise‐based swallowing intervention (McNeill Dysphagia Therapy) with adjunctive NMES to treat dysphagia post stroke: A double blind placebo‐controlled trial

Background Dysphagia following stroke is prevalent; however, dysphagia treatment is often applied haphazardly and outcomes unclear. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has received increased attention as a treatment for post-stroke dysphagia; but application data remain conflicted. Objective This study investigated effectiveness and safety of an exercise-based swallowing therapy (McNeill Dysphagia Therapy: MDTP) +NMES for dysphagia rehabilitation following stroke. Methods Stroke patients (n = 53, x age: 66 [13.2], 47.2% male) with dysphagia admitted to sub-acute rehabilitation hospital were randomised to MDTP + NMES [NMES], MDTP + sham NMES [MDTP] or usual care [UC] swallowing therapy groups. Patients were treated for 1 hour per day for 3 weeks and monitored to 3 months by a blinded evaluator. Outcomes included clinical swallowing ability, oral intake, weight, patient perception of swallow and occurrence of dysphagia-related complications. Results Post-treatment dysphagia severity and treatment response were significantly different between groups (P ≤ .0001). MDTP demonstrated greater positive change than either NMES or UC arms, including increase in oral intake (χ2 = 5, P ≤ .022) and improved functional outcome by 3 months post-stroke (RR = 1.72, 1.04-2.84). Exploratory Cox regression revealed the MDTP group conferred the greatest benefit in time to "return to pre-stroke diet" of 4.317 [95% CI: 1.08- 17.2, P Conclusion Greater benefit (eg reduction in dysphagia severity, improved oral intake and earlier return to pre-stroke diet) resulted from a programme of MDTP alone vs NMES or UC.
Multimodal imaging patterns of posterior syphilitic uveitis: a review of the literature, laboratory evaluation and treatment.

To review the multimodal imaging patterns of posterior syphilitic uveitis. A systematic review. The percentage of syphilis has started to increase again: The World Health Organization has reported 12 million new cases of syphilis each year. In addition, syphilis was responsible for 0.3% of deaths globally in 2002. Eye manifestations happen prevalently in secondary and tertiary stages of syphilis, even though ocular involvement can occur in all stages. Syphilis has the nickname: “the great imitator” since it has no unique clinical presentation, even though posterior uveitis is considered the most common form. Syphilis is known as “the great imitator,” making its diagnosis in the presence of posterior uveitis particularly challenging as it presents similarly to other ocular conditions such as acute retinal necrosis. However, with the advent of multimodal imaging some particular patterns of pre-retinal, retinal, retinochoroidal and optic nerve involvement from syphilis can be identified to guide the diagnosis and the laboratory workup. This review highlights the various patterns of pre-retinal precipitates, multifocal retinitis, retinochoroiditis (confluent and placoid) and optic neuritis caused by syphilis, the appropriate laboratory work to be obtained and the treatment to be initiated.
Feminism in play

The importance of intersectional feminist intervention within the game industry cannot be overstated in a post-Gamergate culture, a position that is of particular focus in the introduction to Femin...
Governing Technoscience in Society: Tracing the Dialectics of Enthusiasm, Ambivalence, and Adjustment

By embracing the performative logic of technoscience, state policy makers are reimagining the relations among science, technology and society, in the process creating both practical and symbolic shifts in governance. These shifts—including possibilities for more deliberative and interactive roles for scientists, social scientists, and public citizens—are themselves situated within a technoscientific frame: they potentially open up more distributed and diverse opportunities for participation in the social processes that shape technological emergence, even as they organize such participatory roles within more broadly coordinated attempts at governmental control and frame them in terms of a state-sponsored imaginary of collectivized innovation and sociability. Using the case of the National Nanotechnology Initiative in the United States, this chapter reflects on the interplay of enthusiasm and ambivalence that led to an increasing acknowledgement of the role social sciences can play in the performance of technoscientific processes. While this development can be seen as an opportunity for distributive and democratic governance of technoscience, it also intensifies technosciencesociety entanglements.
In vivo discovery of RNA proximal proteins in human cells via proximity-dependent biotinylation

Abstract RNA molecules function as messengers or noncoding adaptor molecules, structural components, and regulators of genome organization and gene expression. Their roles and regulation are mediated by other molecules they interact with, especially RNA binding proteins (RBPs). Here we report RNA proximity labeling (RPL), an RNA-centric method based on fusion of an endonuclease-deficient Type VI CRISPR-Cas protein (dCas13b) and engineered ascorbate peroxidase (APEX2) to discover in vivo target RNA proximal proteins (RPPs) through proximity-based biotinylation. U1 RPPs enriched by proximity-based biotinylation included both U1 snRNA canonical and noncanonical functions-related proteins. In addition, profiling of poly(A) tail proximal proteins uncovered expected categories of RBPs for poly(A) tails and also provided novel evidence for poly(A)+ RNA 5’-3’ proximity and expanded subcellular localizations. Our results suggest that RPL is a rapid approach for identifying both interacting and neighboring proteins associated with target RNA molecules in their native cellular contexts.
Breast cancer liver metastasis: current and future treatment approaches

Nearly all fatalities arising from breast tumors are attributable to distant metastases. Breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) is associated with poor prognoses, with the median survival time being 2 to 3 years. Tumor intrinsic subtype directs preferential metastasis to specific organs, with HER2-enriched tumors demonstrating the highest rates of metastasis to the liver, though all subtypes can grow in the liver. There is no singular established standard-of-care for BCLM; therapeutic selection is driven by histologic and molecular hallmarks of the primary tumor or biopsied metastasis samples. Given the poor prognosis of patients with hepatic spread, pre-clinical studies are necessary to identify and evaluate promising new treatment strategies. It is critical that these laboratory studies accurately recapitulate the BCLM disease process, standard progression, and histological attributes. In this review, we summarize the histologic and molecular characteristics of BCLM, evaluate the efficacy of existing surgical and medical treatment strategies, and discuss future approaches to preclinical study of BCLM.
Conformal mapping and ellipses

We answer a question raised by M. Chuaqui, P. Duren, and B. Osgood by showing that a conformal mapping of a simply connected domain cannot take two circles onto two proper ellipses.
Gamified digital forensics course modules for undergraduates

Cyber security and forensics are among the most critical areas of national importance with a rising demand for knowledgeable professionals. In response to the increasing need for advanced studies in forensics, we propose game-based modules using the game-based learning approach that enable first-year students to learn basic digital forensics concepts without pre-requisite knowledge. This paper focuses on the design and development of an interactive game framework and the educational digital forensics modules that will be plugged into the game framework in a real computing environment. In contrast to the traditional teaching approaches, this modular approach will use game-based learning and visualization techniques to engage students to learn abstract concepts and to explore forensics investigation technologies and procedures through interactive games. The general design of the game framework can be replicated and adapted by other science education programs.
Iris Murdoch's Notion of Attention: Seeing the Moral Life in Teaching

In The Sovereignty of Good, Iris Murdoch challenges the reader to link the moral life with an ideal of moral vision. In her view, how we act in the world mirrors what we see. Murdoch writes, “I can only choose within the world I can see, in the moral sense of ‘see’ which implies that clear vision is a result of moral imagination and moral effort.” Seeing, however, is not an end in itself for Murdoch. Rather, “it is one way in which she makes clear that the moral life cannot be divorced from the substance of the world.”
Codimension one spheres which are null homotopic

This paper classifies embedded, codimension-one spheres which are null homotopic. This information is used to show that all null homotopic, immersed codimension-one spheres which are taut in the sense of Terng and Thorbergsson are actually distance spheres.
Information Systems Outsourcing

Outsourcing refers to the transferring of internal work to an external provider. In this article, we explore the transferring of IT services externally. In doing so, we consider the motivation for outsourcing, as well as its history, definitions, key concepts, and possible future trends. Keywords: outsourcing; offshoring; microsourcing; rural sourcing; history of outsourcing
Dirofilaria immitis: Studies on Anti-Microfilarial Immunity in Lewis Rats

The effect of vaccination on rates of microfilarial clearance using Dirofilaria immitis in male Lewis rats was examined. Animals were immunized with whole, dead microfilariae or a PBS extract of microfilariae in Freund's adjuvant. The immunized animals, as well as untreated and adjuvant controls, were challenged intravenously with 4 x 10(5) viable microfilariae (mf). The duration of microfilaremia was 15.5 days in rats vaccinated with whole mf, 17.7 days in those vaccinated with a PBS extract, 36.3 days for those vaccinated with adjuvant alone, and greater than 70 days for the untreated group. Analysis of the anti-microfilarial IgG response by ELISA and Western blots demonstrated that immunization induced significant amounts of antibody against high molecular weight peptides, particularly a peptide located at 105 kDa. Antibody levels in both groups of immunized animals continued to rise following challenge, reaching peak levels of 78-80 micrograms/ml on the day of microfilarial clearance. Decreasing microfilaremia following challenge was associated with an enhanced recognition of low molecular weight peptides.
Attached farm labor, limited horizons and servility

Abstract Two facets of attached farm labor arrangements — the ‘servility’ often required of attached laborers, and employers' interest in maintaining such workers' ‘limited horizons’ — are described and incorporated into an otherwise standard model of attached and temporary agricultural employment, substantially modifying the model's predictions. The dependence of workers' preferences on reference group behavior (which underlies employers' interest in limiting horizons) may enable employers to drive even freely mobile workers' wellbeing below competitive levels, may imply that abolishing servility arrangements would benefit all workers, gives rise to multiple equilibria in community layout and culture, and sheds light on some characteristics of agrarian revolts.
Set-back model of division-synchronization: Optimal spacing of thermal shocks that accelerate cell cycling

Abstract Monte Carlo simulations have been used to predict the dependence of synchrony on the timing of periodic thermal shocks that synchronize division by cell cycle set-backs. In many of the simulations each set-back augmented the subsequent rate of progression of individual cells through the division cycle. In this study a subtle error in previous synchronization simulations was corrected. The simulations show that whether or not set-backs affect subsequent cell-cycling rates the degree of synchrony attained is acutely dependent on the spacing of thermal shocks administered once per division. Set-back-dependent increases in division-cycling rates usually decrease the difference between maximum and minimum synchrony. According to the simulations the more cell cycle rates between shocks are augmented by set-back the shorter the optimum time span between shocks. Whether or not set-backs affect subsequent division-cycling rates the intershock time span providing maximum synchrony allows cell number to precisely double.
Gap-Dependent Optical Coupling of Single “Bowtie” Nanoantennas Resonant in the Visible

Metallic “bowtie” nanoantennas consisting of two opposing tip-to-tip Au triangles have been fabricated with triangle lengths of 75 nm and gaps ranging from 16 to 488 nm. For light polarized along the line between the two triangles, the plasmon scattering resonance first blue-shifts with increasing gap, and then red-shifts as the particles become more and more uncoupled, while perpendicularly polarized excitation shows little dependence upon gap size. This behavior may be approximately understood in a coupled-dipole approximation as changes in the phase between static dipole−dipole interactions and dipole radiative interaction effects.
A corrected quaternary arrangement of the peptidase HslV and atpase HslU in a cocrystal structure.

The bacterial heat shock locus HslU ATPase and HslV peptidase together form an ATP-dependent HslVU protease. Crystal structures show that HslU forms a hexamer with a pore at one end and HslV forms a dodecamer with translocation pores at both ends of two back-to-back stacked hexameric rings. Consistent with three electron microscopic studies and one small-angle X-ray scattering study, three crystal structures show that the nucleotide-binding domains of HslU bind to HslV and that the pores of the peptidase and ATPase are next to each other and aligned. A fourth crystal structure shows a radically different quaternary arrangement. Here I present a crystallographic analysis of the fourth structure to show that it contained a crystallographic origin shift and a mistake in space group assignment. Once these errors are corrected, a quaternary arrangement that is similar to those observed in the other structures emerges.
The effects of sevoflurane and ketamine on intraocular pressure in children during examination under anesthesia

Purpose We studied the effects on intraocular pressure (IOP) of anesthesia administered during examination under anesthesia (EUA) in children. Design Randomized clinical trial. Methods This randomized trial compared IOP after inhaled sevoflurane gas to that after intramuscular ketamine hydrochloride in children undergoing EUA. IOP was measured in 30 eyes with TonoPen XL (Mentor, Inc, Norwell, Massachusetts, USA) as soon as possible after anesthesia induction (T1) and two, four, six, and eight minutes thereafter. At the same times, we recorded systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) and heart rate (HR). Results Compared with the mean IOP at T1, IOP in the sevoflurane group was significantly lower for all measurements from two to eight minutes thereafter (mean decrease in IOP: two minutes=12%, four minutes=19%; six minutes=19%; eight minutes=17%, all P ≤ .01). In the ketamine group, mean IOP was not significantly changed from T1 through six minutes, whereas at eight minutes, it was 7% lower ( P = .03). SBP and DBP were significantly lower for sevoflurane than for ketamine at all measurements from two minutes onward, and HR was lower for sevoflurane than for ketamine at two, four, and six minutes. Conclusions IOP measured after ketamine sedation is more likely to represent the awake IOP than that after sevoflurane anesthesia. Changes in SBP, DBP, and HR caused by sevoflurane suggest that hemodynamic alterations may underlie its effects on IOP.
The high specific activity tritium labeling of the ganglion-blocking nicotinic antagonist chlorisondamine

Summary Chlorisondamine is a bisquaternary ganglion-blocking nicotinic antagonist that accumulates in dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic cell bodies; the mechanism of uptake and time-course of retrograde transport are not known. Chlorisondamine could possibly be taken into monoaminergic neurons when blocked nicotinic receptors on those cells are internalized. In order to more easily study the mechanism of the capture and recycling of chlorisondamine, a ligand is needed that has high specific activity. For that purpose, we now report the preparation of 3 H-labeled chlorisondamine (4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-2-[ 3 H]methyl-2-(2-trimethylammoniumethyl)-isoindolinium diiodide) of high specific activity (94 Ci/mmol). The compound was synthesized by quarternization of 4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-2-(2-trimethylammoniumethylisoindolinium iodide with pertritiated methyl iodide in dimethylformamide at high temperature in a sealed vessel. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.