cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Key clinical observations after 5-azacytidine and decitabine treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes suggest practical solutions for better outcomes

Clinical experience with 5-azacytidine and decitabine treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), complemented by biological and pharmacological studies, has revealed compelling mechanism of action differences compared with traditional myeloid cancer treatment mainstays such as cytarabine. For example, 5-azacytidine and decitabine produce remissions and better overall survival in MDS with high-risk chromosome abnormalities at a surprisingly high rate, consistent with experimental observations that noncytotoxic DNA methyltransferase depletion by 5-azacytidine/decitabine can trigger cell cycle exit independently of p53, thus circumventing a basis for resistance to apoptosis-based DNA-damaging therapy. That responses cut across the chaotic genomic landscape of MDS highlights common threads in disease, such as high expression in myeloblasts of differentiation-driving transcription factors yet paradoxical epigenetic suppression of proliferation-terminating late-differentiation genes. Less toxic regimens (lower dosages but more frequent administration) of 5-azacytidine/decitabine have been more successful, underscoring the importance of preserving functionally normal stem cells, which are rendered more precious by attrition from age, previous cytotoxic treatments, and the disease process and are needed to relieve cytopenias, the cause of morbidity and mortality. Also emphasized is that there can be no therapeutic benefit, regardless of mutation or cytogenetic subtype, if DNA methyltransferase is not depleted by sufficient overlap between intracellular drug half-lives and S-phase entries of malignant cells. Improved understanding of mechanism-of-action differences demands new approaches, from historic (but not scientific) more-is-better and one-size-fits-all empiricism to pharmacodynamic-based designs and combinations directed not solely at suppressing malignant clones, but at improving therapeutic indices.
High-frequency linear tunable single-ended voltage to differential current converter

A single-ended to differential (S-D) tunable voltage-to-current converter can replace a S-D voltage-to-voltage converter or a transformer. The resulting system is simpler and has better high-frequency performance. Measurements show that for a 9 GHz bipolar process with a power supply of 0-5 V, THD<0.15% for an input voltage of 1.2 V/sub pp/, the signals are in antiphase up to 120 MHz, the tuning range of g/sub m/ is 150-750 /spl mu/S, and the signal-to-noise ratio reaches 65 dB for the bandwidth of 500 MHz.
Alcohol Abuse Treatment for Older Adults

Abstract As the population continues to age, social work practitioners and researchers will increasingly confront the needs of elders with alcohol use disorders. Alcohol abuse poses special risks for increased morbidity and mortality among older adults, contributing to the heightened use of medical resources and the related increase in medical costs. Although, the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the elderly is generally less than that found in younger groups, it is expected to increase with the aging of the “baby-boom” generation. The purpose of this article is to enhance social work practitioners and researchers' understanding of the nature of elder alcohol abuse, the needs of elders with alcohol abuse disorders, and the availability of effective treatment strategies by reviewing the epidemiological and outcomes research literatures related to alcohol abuse and the elderly. The few empirical studies that examine outcomes associated with the treatment of elderly substance abusers reveal positive ou...
The implicit price of urban public parks and greenways: a spatial-contextual approach

This paper examines the value residents place on public parks in a mid-sized urban area. The analysis makes a direct contribution to the literature by examining the extent to which spatial and neighbourhood context is related to the house price premium or discount associated with public recreational opportunities, natural resource areas and urban greenways. The analysis shows that the value of public parks and greenways varies across space, neighbourhood context and park type. Community area fixed-effects are included to bolster the findings. The findings indicate that park and greenway investment should be planned and managed contextually in urban areas. Park planners can use these findings to inform public policy debates over park investment and, perhaps, support efforts focused on comprehensive neighbourhood planning.
Samoan hot spot track on a “hot spot highway”: Implications for mantle plumes and a deep Samoan mantle source

We report new geochemical data for submarine lavas from the Samoan region that greatly enhance the geochemical data set for volcanoes from the hot spot. Additionally, two volcanoes dredged in the northern Lau Basin, Futuna Island and Manatu seamount, are young (<5 Ma), appear to be genetically related, and may have been generated by melting a component of Samoan mantle that has been advected into the region. We also find evidence for three seamounts and one atoll along the Samoan hot spot track that are not geochemically related to Samoa. We use a plate motion model to show that three non-Samoan hot spots, currently active in the Cook-Austral Islands, provided volcanism to the Pacific Plate now in the Samoan region approximately 10–40 Ma. The four interloping volcanoes in the Samoan region exhibit geochemical affinities with the three hot spots. All three hot spots would have left a depleted, viscous, refractory keel that is coupled to the base of the Pacific lithosphere that has been “rafted” to the Samoan region. Therefore, the new data also have implications for the origin of the Samoan hot spot as its origin has been suggested to be a result of either a deep-seated mantle plume or a consequence of lithospheric cracking. Without major modification of the current “propagating lithospheric cracks” model, it is not clear how such cracks could yield melts from the refractory keel present under the Samoan lithosphere. Instead, a region of buoyantly upwelling mantle, or plume, is suggested to generate the shield stage volcanism in the Samoan region.
Crocodylian and mammalian carnivore feeding traces on hominid fossils from FLK 22 and FLK NN 3, Plio-Pleistocene, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania☆

Taphonomic analysis of the Olduvai Hominid (OH) 8 left foot from FLK NN Level 3 and the OH 35 left leg from FLK Level 22 (Zinjanthropus level) in Middle Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, indicates that both were fed upon by crocodiles. Both bear extensive tooth marking, including bisected tooth marks diagnostic of crocodylian feeding. The location of the bisected tooth marks on the distal tibia and the talus indicates disarticulation of the foot by crocodiles. The broken proximal ends of the tibia and fibula are more typical of feeding by a leopard-like carnivore, as is damage to the OH 7 mandible and parietals that are associated with and may derive from the same individual as OH 8. Previous work showing a close articulation of the foot and the leg has been used to suggest that the two specimens belong to the same individual despite deriving from sites separated by 200 m and slightly different stratigraphic levels according to previous work. The location and agent of tooth marking and the nature of gross damage do not refute this hypothesis, but the punctures on the talus and distal tibia differ in size and sharpness. Recent work shows that the stratigraphic discrepancy between OH 8 and OH 35 is greater than previously thought, refuting the single-individual hypothesis. Although seemingly unlikely, this denotes that two hominids represented by rarely found leg and foot elements both lost their left foot to crocodiles at nearby sites within a 6,000 year interval. We cannot determine if the hominids were preyed upon by crocodiles or mammalian carnivores. However, the carnivore damage to them and associated faunal remains suggests that high predation risk constrained hominid activities involving discard of the stone artifacts found at these sites. This finding is inconsistent with the interpretation of the sites as home bases or living floors.
Predicting market segments in the cable industry: The basic and pay subscribers

Individuals who subscribe to a basic cable television service are different from subscribers who also purchase a pay‐cable service. This study assesses these two distinct segments and their impact on the broadcast industry.
Genome-Wide Analysis of NBS-LRR–Encoding Genes in Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis genome contains ∼200 genes that encode proteins with similarity to the nucleotide binding site and other domains characteristic of plant resistance proteins. Through a reiterative process of sequence analysis and reannotation, we identified 149 NBS-LRR–encoding genes in the Arabidopsis (ecotype Columbia) genomic sequence. Fifty-six of these genes were corrected from earlier annotations. At least 12 are predicted to be pseudogenes. As described previously, two distinct groups of sequences were identified: those that encoded an N-terminal domain with Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor homology (TIR-NBS-LRR, or TNL), and those that encoded an N-terminal coiled-coil motif (CC-NBS-LRR, or CNL). The encoded proteins are distinct from the 58 predicted adapter proteins in the previously described TIR-X, TIR-NBS, and CC-NBS groups. Classification based on protein domains, intron positions, sequence conservation, and genome distribution defined four subgroups of CNL proteins, eight subgroups of TNL proteins, and a pair of divergent NL proteins that lack a defined N-terminal motif. CNL proteins generally were encoded in single exons, although two subclasses were identified that contained introns in unique positions. TNL proteins were encoded in modular exons, with conserved intron positions separating distinct protein domains. Conserved motifs were identified in the LRRs of both CNL and TNL proteins. In contrast to CNL proteins, TNL proteins contained large and variable C-terminal domains. The extant distribution and diversity of the NBS-LRR sequences has been generated by extensive duplication and ectopic rearrangements that involved segmental duplications as well as microscale events. The observed diversity of these NBS-LRR proteins indicates the variety of recognition molecules available in an individual genotype to detect diverse biotic challenges.
Dispersal, home range establishment, survival, and reproduction of translocated eastern box turtles, Terrapene c. carolina

The feasibility of translocation to establish a population of the eastern box turtle ( Terrapene c.carolina) was studied at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, NewYork, USA. The 579 ha site,originally salt marsh, was e lled during the 1920' s to construct a now-abandoned airport. It consists primarily of grasslands, native shrub thickets and woodlands, and mixed stands dominated by giant reed (Phragmites australis ). These human-created uplands are managed by the U.S. National Park Service for recreation and ecological restoration. Prior to this work, the site did not support a population of this species, but it is historically native to adjacent uplands. T. c. carolina were collected from sites on Long Island, New York, that were undergoing development, and released after data on size, mass, age, and sex were recorded. From 1987 through 1990, 335 individuals were released into developing woodlands. To provide data on dispersal, home range establishment, and initial survival, e fty-three of these were radio-tracked for up to seven years. Though individually variable, the T. carolina dispersed homeward. Of the 53 radio-tagged individuals, 13 (24.6%) left the site, 25 (47.2%) established home ranges, and 15 (28.3%) died before determination of home range establishment could be made. Most individuals established home ranges within a kilometer of the release point. However, some dispersed greater distances. Of the 25 individuals that established home ranges, 17 (68%) did so in the release year, two (8%) in outyear 1, three (12%) in outyear 2, and three (12%) in outyear 3. Annual known survival over e ve years post-release was 71%. Though not statistically signie cant, annual survival was 64% over the e rst two years and 84% over the e nal three. Principal causes of " mortality" were dispersal from the site and pneumonia, both of which were greatest initially, plus winter kill, a random event. Patterns of growth, home range size, activity season, habitat use, annual reproductive output, and production of young were generally comparable to natural populations of T. carolina. These results suggest that translocation may have potential for establishing new populations of T. carolina, though long term viability is still uncertain. However, any contemplated translocation would need to address the initially high loss to dispersal and disease. Moreover, since there are few sites of adequate size and quality, at least 500 ha of predominantly woody habitat, lacking populations of this species, its appropriateness is very limited.
THE IN VIVO REUTILIZATION OF LYMPHOCYTIC AND SARCOMA DNA BY CELLS GROWING IN THE PERITONEAL CAVITY

An ascites tumor, Sarcoma I, was transplanted to isologous and homologous mice which had been labeled with tritiated thymidine from 1 to 24 hours previously. Radioautographic preparations revealed labeled host lymphocytes emerging to mingle with the transplanted tumor and the subsequent appearance of nuclear radioactivity in the sarcoma. Sarcoma cells cultured subcutaneously or in Millipore diffusion chambers in previously labeled mice did not demonstrate significant radioactivity. Transplantation of washed, H3-thymidine-labeled lymphocytes to non-radioactive, sarcoma-bearing mice was followed by the gradual appearance of nuclear radioactivity in the sarcoma. The label in the sarcoma was entirely removed by deoxyribonuclease but not by ribonuclease treatment prior to radioautography. Intraperitoneal injections of purified, H3-thymidine-labeled sarcoma or lymphoid DNA in normal or tumor-bearing mice were followed by radioactivity appearing in sarcoma or normal peritoneal mononuclear cells. It was concluded that reutilization of DNA and its metabolites may occur in vivo, and the conditions under which reutilization may be detected are discussed.
Osteopontin: a leading candidate adhesion molecule for implantation in pigs and sheep

Osteopontin (OPN; also known as Secreted Phosphoprotein 1, SPP1) is a secreted extra-cellular matrix (ECM) protein that binds to a variety of cell surface integrins to stimulate cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion and communication. It is generally accepted that OPN interacts with apically expressed integrin receptors on the uterine luminal epithelium (LE) and conceptus trophectoderm to attach the conceptus to the uterus for implantation. Research conducted with pigs and sheep has significantly advanced understanding of the role(s) of OPN during implantation through exploitation of the prolonged peri-implantation period of pregnancy when elongating conceptuses are free within the uterine lumen requiring extensive paracrine signaling between conceptus and endometrium. This is followed by a protracted and incremental attachment cascade of trophectoderm to uterine LE during implantation, and development of a true epitheliochorial or synepitheliochorial placenta exhibited by pigs and sheep, respectively. In pigs, implanting conceptuses secrete estrogens which induce the synthesis and secretion of OPN in adjacent uterine LE. OPN then binds to αvβ6 integrin receptors on trophectoderm, and the αvβ3 integrin receptors on uterine LE to bridge conceptus attachment to uterine LE for implantation. In sheep, implanting conceptuses secrete interferon tau that prolongs the lifespan of CL. Progesterone released by CL then induces OPN synthesis and secretion from the endometrial GE into the uterine lumen where OPN binds integrins expressed on trophectoderm (αvβ3) and uterine LE (identity of specific integrins unknown) to adhere the conceptus to the uterus for implantation. OPN binding to the αvβ3 integrin receptor on ovine trophectoderm cells induces in vitro focal adhesion assembly, a prerequisite for adhesion and migration of trophectoderm, through activation of: 1) P70S6K via crosstalk between FRAP1/MTOR and MAPK pathways; 2) MTOR, PI3K, MAPK3/MAPK1 (Erk1/2) and MAPK14 (p38) signaling to stimulate trohectoderm cell migration; and 3) focal adhesion assembly and myosin II motor activity to induce migration of trophectoderm cells. Further large in vivo focal adhesions assemble at the uterine-placental interface of both pigs and sheep and identify the involvement of sizable mechanical forces at this interface during discrete periods of trophoblast migration, attachment and placentation in both species.
DNA damage induces nuclear translocation of parkin

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common form of human degenerative disorder. Mutation of parkin is one of the most prevalent causes of autosomal recessive PD. Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that acts on a variety of substrates, resulting in polyubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome or monoubiquitination and regulation of biological activity. However, the cellular functions of parkin that relate to its pathological involvement in PD are not well understood. Here I show that parkin translocates into nucleus upon DNA damage. Nuclear translocation of parkin appears to be required to promote DNA repair. These findings suggest that DNA damage induces nuclear translocation of parkin leading to the PCNA interaction and possibly other nuclear proteins involved in DNA repair. These results suggest that parkin promotes DNA repair and protects against genotoxicity, and implicate DNA damage as a potential pathogenic mechanism in parkinsonism.
A demanufacturing projector-vision system for combined manual and automated processing of used electronics

In order to process the growing quantities of used electronics, efficient demanufacturing methods are needed. The industry utilizes manual methods for dismantling products. A demanufacturing projector-vision system is proposed to create a more efficient demanufacturing work cell that combines manual and automated processing methods. To facilitate the demanufacturing process, the projection-vision system identifies the used products, displays real time product dispositions to the operator, displays tailored work instructions for the operator, and identifies the product surface for robotic processing. A prototype of the work cell was implemented. The system facilitates proper processing of used goods to meet current product or material demand. The projector-vision-based system was integrated into an existing modeling framework for robotic processing. The application of projector-vision technology improves the accuracy of recovered material databases, improves the integrity of used material streams, and helps maintain accurate demanufacturing process plan information.
Lebenswelt origins of the sciences

Schutz Memorial Lecture at the meetings of the Society for Phenomenology and the Human Sciences (SPHS) in October in Memphis, Tennessee. The Lecture is co-sponsored by the American Philosophical Association the Center for Advanced Research in Phenomenology and SPHS. Hospitalized in an automobile accident, he was unable to attend the meetings and present his paper in person. Garfinkel arranged to have two of his colleagues and former students, Ken Liberman and D. Lawrence Wieder, select passages that interested them from his longer manuscript and give the presentation. One of their manuscripts is presented here as an Introduction to the larger work. The Lecture Award also stipulated that the manuscript would be published in Human Studies, the official journal of SPHS. This longer manuscript submitted by Garfinkel represents a work still in progress, still being added to and revised and which is intended to be a book. Human Studies is pleased and proud to present it to our readers. Sections of the manuscript which remain unfinished and which indicate the directions which Garfinkel plans to pursue are presented as he wrote them and noted as footnotes in relevant sections. He had organized the manuscript into several sections some of which are presented at the end and are later to be incorporated into the body of the work. They are included here in the order in which they appear in the manuscript. The unfinished later sections are included as an Appendix. In general, the Editor has tried to preserve all of Garfinkel’s writing in the exact form in which he submitted it. Parts that are incomplete and which represent notes to himself are incorporated into footnotes in the places where he originally had located them. In this way we hope to preserve as carefully as
Hemiparetic Optimal Practice and Evaluation (H.O.P.E.) for the Stroke Survivor with Very Low Hand Function

AbstractPurpose: The purpose of this study is to describe an approach that may benefit persons with severe hemiparesis following stroke. Method: The subjects were 3 stroke survivors who had experienced a stroke that left their dominant right extremity severely disabled (mean age 43 years, mean time since stroke 26.6 months, mean Fugl-Meyer UE motor score 14.3/66). A multiple baseline, preintervention-postintervention case series design was used. The intervention consisted of structured whole body, increased intensity, activity-dependent practice strategy, with 3 to 5 sessions lasting for more than 3 hours per day, for 1–5 weeks for an average of 170 hours of therapy over 2.5 years. Subjects completed therapies such as body weight—supported treadmill training, overground multidirectional gait training, balance retraining, upper extremity functional activity, and trunk and extremity mobility. Results: The subjects experienced decreased fall risk (mean Timed Up and Go [TUG] scores decreased from 14.9 s to 6....
Growing Up with Neopets: A Personal Case-Study

Neopets.com is a popular virtual pet site attracting roughly 44 million players worldwide. As more and more children spend time on sites like Neopets.com, there is debate over whether they are being victimized or empowered by their exposure to cultural products and discourses online. The existing literature mostly consists of observations and interpretations that are made by researchers from an adult outsider's perspective. In this study, I discuss how, in my nine years of membership on Neopets.com, I have developed an awareness of myself in relation to a larger society, and also gained important skills that proved useful to me later in life. I conclude that a virtual world can enable a young person to try on active roles in addition to passive ones in a modern commercial society.
Phosphorylation of a cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (HSPDE4B2B) by mitogen-activated protein kinase.

A cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase, HSPDE4B2B, was found to be phosphorylated when expressed in Sf9 cells or yeast. Deletion of amino acids 81-151 and 529-564 had no effect on the phosphorylation of HSPDE4B2B. Mass spectrometric analysis of purified HSPDE4B2B(1-564). HSPDE4B2B(81-564) and HSPDE4B2B(152-528) showed that phosphorylation occurred predominantly on Ser487 and Ser489. The stoicheiometry of phosphorylation was 1.2:1 (Ser487:Ser487, 489). There was no evidence by MS for a non-phosphorylated form of HSPDE4B2B(81-564) or HSPDE4B2B(152-528) when expressed in Sf9 cells. There was no detectable phosphorylation of purified HSPDE4B2B(152-528) expressed in Escherichia coli. Radiolabelling experiments with 32P revealed that phosphorylation of HSPDE4B2B(152-528) expressed in Sf9 cells was abolished when Ser487 and Ser489 were mutated to alanines. Analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed that Ser487 and Ser489 of HSPDE4B2B conform to the consensus motifs for phosphorylation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) and casein kinase II respectively. Kinetic experiments in vitro showed that MAP kinase-phosphorylated E.coli expressed and purified HSPDE4B2B(151-528) with a K(m) of 63 microM and a Vmax of 3.0 mumol/min per mg. In comparison, MAP kinase phosphorylated myelin basic protein with a Km of 26.0 microM and a Vmax of 5.5 mumol/min per mg under the same conditions. Using MS and mutational analysis we found that MAP kinase-phosphorylated E. coli expressed HSPDE4B2B(152-528) exclusively at Ser487. These results suggest that phosphodiesterases could contribute to the cross-talk between the cAMP and MAP kinase signalling pathways.
A Response to Professor Tan's Review of Legal Orientalism

This piece is a response to Professor Carol Tan’s “How a ‘Lawless’ China Made Modern America: An Epic Told in Orientalism,” 128 Harvard Law Review 1677 (2015). In her extensive review article, Tan provides a capacious analysis of my book “Legal Orientalism: China, the United States, and Modern Law” (Harvard University Press 2013). Beyond synthesizing my key arguments and providing an analytic map of the book’s main contentions, she enhances them by supplying a great deal of supplemental historical information. Rather than commenting on the specifics of Tan’s detailed review, this response expands upon and clarifies a few of the main arguments with which Tan is most engaged. Insofar as Tan’s review introduces historical background not referenced in my analysis, considering such additional material allows this response to focus on some matters that I could not address within the scope of the book.
Abstract 3192: Lin28 promotes growth of prostate cancer cells and activates the androgen receptor.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Purpose: Lin28 is essential for stem cell viability and pluripotency. Recently Lin28 expression has been linked to several malignancies and its mechanisms of action proposed to be both let-7-dependent and -independent. It is a master regulator of let-7 miRNA biogenesis as well as a regulator of translation of a multitude of eukaryotic proteins. This study tested the hypothesis that Lin28 is overexpressed in prostate cancer (CaP) and that it activates the androgen receptor (AR) and promotes growth of CaP cells. Experimental Design: Human clinical CaP samples were analyzed for the expression of Lin28 by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Lin28 was transfected into a panel of CaP cell lines and growth was monitored. LNCaP cells stably expressing Lin28 were generated and growth was examined. Clonogenic ability of CaP cells expressing Lin28 was determined by colony formation and soft agar assays. Increase in expression of the AR and subsequent increase in transcription of AR-target genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR, luciferase assays and ELISA. LNCaP cells stably expressing Lin28 were injected into nude mice and tumorigenesis was monitored. Results: Lin28 was found to be overexpressed in clinical CaP compared to the benign tissues. Overexpression of Lin28 enhanced while downregulation of Lin28 reduced growth of CaP cells. Lin28 enhanced the ability of CaP cells to form colonies in anchorage-dependent and -independent manners. LNCaP cells stably expressing Lin28 exhibited significantly higher tumorigenic ability in vivo. Furthermore, Lin28 induces expression of the AR and its target genes such as PSA and NKX3.1. Conclusions: Lin28 promotes growth of CaP cells in vitro and in vivo. Lin28 induces expression and activation of the AR. Our findings suggest an important role of Lin28 in CaP development and activation of the AR axis. Citation Format: Ramakumar Tummala, Nagalakshmi Nadiminty, Yezi Zhu, Wei Lou, Christopher P. Evans, Allen C. Gao. Lin28 promotes growth of prostate cancer cells and activates the androgen receptor. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3192. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3192
Research on an optimal QoS DBA implement mechanism of EPON multicast

By referring to economic mode,a QoS priority algorithm for EPON multicast was introduced based on its network attribute,user attribute and market attribute.Based on the multicast QoS priority,the network bandwidth was dynamically allocated among multicast services.It could overcome the disadvantages of lower benefit and higher loss rate of package in the network-priority-based QoS mechanism.It effectively reduced delay jitter of package by reshaping the variable-length and disorderly Ethernet downstream frame into the constant-length and orderly one.The simulation result verifies its merits well.
Towards Planning in Generalized Belief Space

We investigate the problem of planning under uncertainty, which is of interest in several robotic applications, ranging from autonomous navigation to manipulation. Recent effort from the research community has been devoted to design planning approaches working in a continuous domain, relaxing the assumption that the controls belong to a finite set. In this case robot policy is computed from the current robot belief (planning in belief space), while the environment in which the robot moves is usually assumed to be known or partially known. We contribute to this branch of the literature by relaxing the assumption of known environment; for this purpose we introduce the concept of generalized belief space (GBS), in which the robot maintains a joint belief over its state and the state of the environment. We use GBS within a Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme; our formulation is valid for general cost functions and incorporates a dual-layer optimization: the outer layer computes the best control action, while the inner layer computes the generalized belief given the action. The resulting approach does not require prior knowledge of the environment and does not assume maximum likelihood observations. We also present an application to a specific family of cost functions and we elucidate on the theoretical derivation with numerical examples.
Proliferation of Double-Strand Break-Resistant Polyploid Cells Requires Drosophila FANCD2

Conserved DNA-damage responses (DDRs) sense genome damage and prevent mitosis of broken chromosomes. How cells lacking DDRs cope with broken chromosomes during mitosis is poorly understood. DDRs are frequently inactivated in cells with extra genomes (polyploidy), suggesting that study of polyploidy can reveal how cells with impaired DDRs/genome damage continue dividing. Here, we show that continued division and normal organ development occurs in polyploid, DDR-impaired Drosophila papillar cells. As papillar cells become polyploid, they naturally accumulate broken acentric chromosomes but do not apoptose/arrest the cell cycle. To survive mitosis with acentric chromosomes, papillar cells require Fanconi anemia proteins FANCD2 and FANCI, as well as Blm helicase, but not canonical DDR signaling. FANCD2 acts independently of previous S phases to promote alignment and segregation of acentric DNA produced by double-strand breaks, thus avoiding micronuclei and organ malformation. Because polyploidy and impaired DDRs can promote cancer, our findings provide insight into disease-relevant DNA-damage tolerance mechanisms.
Anglophone And Civilian: Two Legal Cultures For The Global Age

This paper compares two methods of law, Civilian and Anglophone. It discusses how any legal culture must have two aspects, the adjudicative and the educative. It explores the origin of both legal traditions in the medieval world, and how thy both were transformed by the great technological developments of the fifteenth century. It examines how both traditions adapted themselves to the new circumstance of modernity. Finally, it shows how the rise of a new style university and school in the nineteenth century completed a modern type of legal culture. The paper concludes by reviewing the implications of these past events, in assessing the effect of either law, as a basis of global order in the future.
Testing Our Assumptions: The Role of First Course Grade and Course Level in Mathematics and English

Methods that provide an early indicator of factors that affect student persistence are important to colleges and universities. This quantitative research focused on the role of level of entry mathe...
Effect of Angiofibromas on Quality of Life and Access to Care in Tuberous Sclerosis Patients and Their Caregivers.

Background/Objectives Facial angiofibromas (AF) have the potential to cause disfigurement in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Facial disfigurement can impact the quality of life (QoL) of individuals and their families, leading to negative psychosocial outcomes. QoL has not been studied in TSC patients with AF. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey study to investigate QoL of TSC patients with AF and their caregivers and to explore the current state of access to treatment for AF. TSC patients and caregivers in TSC clinic at Boston Children's Hospital and through the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance were recruited to complete QoL surveys including the CADIS, CDLQI, and Skindex-teen questionnaires, and a survey on access to treatment of AF. Results Fifty-eight patients with TSC and 161 caregivers participated in the study. Caregivers of patients with AF had significantly poorer QoL scores compared to caregivers of those without AF, as measured by a modified CADIS questionnaire (mean 31.7 vs. 11.7, p = 0.004). Among patients with AF, those who received treatment had significantly better QoL scores compared with those without treatment, as measured by the CDLQI (mean 3.8 vs. 9.5, p = 0.001). Forty-one and two-tenths percent of subjects reported never receiving treatment for AF. Forty-seven and three-tenths percent of subjects were prescribed topical rapamycin, 47.7% of whom experienced difficulty with insurance coverage. Conclusions Presence and lack of treatment of AF significantly impacts QoL in TSC patients and their caregivers. Access to care for AF is limited by multiple factors and should be addressed by clinicians working with this patient population.
Walking as Labour in Henry Mayhew’s London

Current scholarship on walking in literature has focused on the reflective walks of middle-class subjects, which may resemble either the rural excursions of the Romantic poets or the urban perambulations of the flâneur. Henry Mayhew’s depiction of laboring walkers in his London Labour and the London Poor offers a different perspective, which Womack examines in this chapter. She explores the implications of Mayhew’s reminder that while the middle-class walk of leisure is associated with observation and reflection, the lower-class walk is correlated with suspicion, scrutiny and regulation. As Womack shows, the labourer’s walk, even for Mayhew, communicated a message of humility, industry and physical need: a set of qualities inconsistent with the rumination almost universally embodied by the writing, walking subject.
Economic inequality, winner-loser gap, and satisfaction with democracy

This study analyzes how economic inequality affects electoral winners and losers' satisfaction with democracy. We posit that both the poor and the rich have more at stake in elections when inequality is high. Electoral losers, whether they are the poor or the rich, are more likely to be dissatisfied with democratic systems when facing greater disparity in wealth. In contrast, electoral winners confronting higher inequality are more likely to express satisfaction with democracy. Employing a multilevel analysis of Comparative Study Electoral Systems (CSES) data, we find that the gap in satisfaction with democracy between electoral winners and losers widens as income inequality increases. Broadening the conventional wisdom that electoral systems mediate the effect of citizens' winner-loser status on their democratic attitudes, we demonstrate that the mediating effects of economic inequality are more critical than the institutional effects.
A novel and efficient Method of Moments formulation

The MoM formulation based on the dipole moment (DM) approach is well suited to meet the challenges of singularity extraction and low frequency breakdown, but the scattered field expressions obtained by utilizing the DM formulation are not time-domain compatible and, hence, this formulation is not well suited for solving problems over a wide frequency band. In this paper, we introduce a novel Method of Moments (MoM) formulation to address the above mentioned problem.
Estimation of social‐influence‐dependent peer pressure in a large network game

Research on peer effects in sociology has long been focused on social interactions and the associated social influence process. In this paper, we extend a large‐network‐based game model to a model that allows for the dependence of social interactions on social‐influence status. In particular, we use the Katz–Bonacich centrality to measure individuals' social influences, which are obtained directly from the observation of a social network. To solve the computational burden when the data come from the equilibrium of a large network, we extend a nested pseudo‐likelihood estimation approach to our large‐network‐based game model. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) dataset, we investigate the peer effects of dangerous behaviour among high‐school students. Our results show that the peer effects are statistically significant and positive. Moreover, students benefit more (statistically significant at the 5% level) from conformity or, equivalently, pay more for disobedience, in terms of peer pressure, if their friends have a higher status of social influence.
Interatrial Septal Tear: A Rare Complication During MitraClip Procedure and Successful Transcatheter Closure

Patients with severe mitral regurgitation and are at high risk for surgery may benefit from a percutaneous leaflet repair with the MitraClip device (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California). Interatrial tear during device manipulation is a rare complication and can be closed percutaneously with an Amplatzer septal occluder (AGA Medical, Plymouth, MN) at the conclusion for the procedure.
Two new species of Crocodile Skinks (Squamata: Scincidae: Tribolonotus) from the Solomon Archipelago.

We describe two new species of the scincid lizard genus Tribolonotus from the islands of Buka and Choiseul in the Solomon Archipelago, closely related to, and previously included within, T. pseudoponceleti . One species, T. parkeri sp. nov., is endemic to Buka Island and was revealed in our previous study via taxonomically focused analyses of both next-generation sequencing data and morphology. Here, we also further support the validity of this species by more taxonomically comprehensive Bayesian species delimitation of three Sanger sequenced nuclear loci. The second species, T. choiseulensis sp. nov., is endemic to Choiseul Island and was revealed by an expanded morphological data analysis. These results suggest that numerous other species found on multiple island groups in the Solomon Archipelago may similarly represent complexes of multiple, closely related species, and that the biodiversity of the region is vastly underestimated.
Genome-wide prediction of minor-groove electrostatic potential enables biophysical modeling of protein–DNA binding

Protein-DNA binding is a fundamental component of gene regulatory processes, but it is still not completely understood how proteins recognize their target sites in the genome. Besides hydrogen bonding in the major groove (base readout), proteins recognize minor-groove geometry using positively charged amino acids (shape readout). The underlying mechanism of DNA shape readout involves the correlation between minor-groove width and electrostatic potential (EP). To probe this biophysical effect directly, rather than using minor-groove width as an indirect measure for shape readout, we developed a methodology, DNAphi, for predicting EP in the minor groove and confirmed the direct role of EP in protein-DNA binding using massive sequencing data. The DNAphi method uses a sliding-window approach to mine results from non-linear Poisson-Boltzmann (NLPB) calculations on DNA structures derived from all-atom Monte Carlo simulations. We validated this approach, which only requires nucleotide sequence as input, based on direct comparison with NLPB calculations for available crystal structures. Using statistical machine-learning approaches, we showed that adding EP as a biophysical feature can improve the predictive power of quantitative binding specificity models across 27 transcription factor families. High-throughput prediction of EP offers a novel way to integrate biophysical and genomic studies of protein-DNA binding.
Deafness and vestibular dysfunction in a Doberman Pinscher puppy associated with a mutation in the PTPRQ gene.

Background A congenital syndrome of hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction affects Doberman Pinschers. Its inheritance pattern is suspected to be autosomal recessive and it potentially represents a spontaneous animal model of an autosomal recessive syndromic hearing loss. Hypothesis/objectives The objectives of this study were to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify deleterious genetic variants in candidate genes associated with the syndrome and to study the prevalence of candidate variants among a population of unaffected Doberman Pinschers. Animals One affected Doberman Pinscher and 202 unaffected Doberman Pinschers. Methods WGS of the affected dog with filtering of variants against a database of 154 unaffected dogs of diverse breeds was performed. Confirmation of candidate variants was achieved by Sanger sequencing followed by genotyping of the control population of unaffected Doberman Pinschers. Results WGS and variant filtering identified an alteration in a gene associated with both deafness and vestibular disease in humans: protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type Q (PTPRQ). There was a homozygous A insertion at CFA15: 22 989 894, causing a frameshift mutation in exon 39 of the gene. This insertion is predicted to cause a protein truncation with a premature stop codon occurring after position 2054 of the protein sequence that causes 279 C-terminal amino acids to be eliminated. Prevalence of the variant was 1.5% in a cohort of 202 unaffected Doberman Pinschers; all unaffected Doberman Pinschers were heterozygous or heterozygous for the reference allele. Conclusion and clinical importance We report the identification of a genetic alteration on the PTPRQ gene that is associated with congenital hearing and vestibular disorder in a young Doberman Pinscher dog.
Extracellular Potassium and Calcium Activities in the Mammalian Spinal Cord, and the Effect of Changing Ion Levels on Mammalian Neural Tissues

The spinal cord was one of the first mammalian tissues to be examined with potassium-selective microelectrodes (Vyklicky et al., 1972; Krnjevic and Morris, 1972). Since then data have steadily been accumulating concerning the behavior of extracellular potassium ([K+]o) in the spinal cord and in other regions of gray matter and, more recently, concerning extracellular calcium activity ([Ca2+]o). In this short review we will summarize the work done in our laboratory at Duke University, and related works of other authors, with some emphasis on the more recent findings, and will try to assess the significance of transient variations of [K+]o and [Ca2+]o for the functioning of neuronal tissue. To this end we will compare the changes of ion activity observed in mammalian central gray matter in situ, with the effects of deliberately imposed changes of ion levels in bathing media upon mammalian neural tissues maintained in vitro.
BCB Evaluation of High-Performance and Low-Leakage Three-Independent-Gate Field-Effect Transistors

Three-independent-gate field-effect transistors (TIGFETs) are a promising next-generation device technology. Their controllable-polarity capability allows for superior design of arithmetic and sequential logic gates. In this paper, the TIGFET technology has been benchmarked against several beyond-CMOS devices. The benchmarking techniques followed a similar approach used by the Nanoelectronic Research Initiative Group. The performance of the 32-bit adder and the 32-bit arithmetic logic unit (ALU) was investigated using the advanced 15-nm technology node. The TIGFET devices were shown to achieve the best energy-delay product (EDP) compared with all other beyond-CMOS devices for the 32-bit adder and competitive EDP for the 32-bit ALU. In particular, TIGFETs have 3.83 times and 1.54 times lower EDP than CMOS high-performance (HP) for the 32-bit adder and the 32-bit ALU, respectively. In addition, TIGFETs were shown to have a similar throughput for the 32-bit ALU compared with CMOS HP. Finally, due to TIGFETs’ ultralow leakage current and unique circuit designs, our results show that the standby energy of the 32-bit adder decreased by two orders of magnitude compared with CMOS HP and a decrease of at least one order of magnitude compared with CMOS low-voltage.
Charge transfer dynamical processes at graphene-transition metal oxides/electrolyte interface for energy storage: Insights from in-situ Raman spectroelectrochemistry

Hybrids consisting of supercapacitive functionalized graphene (graphene oxide; GO reduced graphene oxide; rGO multilayer graphene; MLG, electrochemically reduced GO; ErGO) and three-dimensional graphene scaffold (rGOHT; hydrothermally prepared) decorated with cobalt nanoparticles (CoNP), nanostructured cobalt (CoO and Co3O4) and manganese (MnO2) oxide polymorphs, assembled electrochemically facilitate chemically bridged interfaces with tunable properties. Since Raman spectroscopy can capture variations in structural and chemical bonding, Raman spectro-electrochemistry in operando i.e. under electrochemical environment with applied bias is employed to 1) probe graphene/metal bonding and dynamic processes, 2) monitor the spectral changes with successive redox interfacial reactions, and 3) quantify the associated parameters including type and fraction of charge transfer. The transverse optical (TO) and longitudinal optical (LO) phonons above 500 cm−1 belonging to Co3O4, CoO, MnO2 and carbon-carbon bonding occurring at 1340 cm-1, 1590 cm−1 and 2670 cm-1 belonging to D, G, and 2D bands, respectively, are analyzed with applied potential. Consistent variation in Raman band position and intensity ratio reveal structural modification, combined charge transfer due to localized orbital re-hybridization and mechanical strain, all resulting in finely tuned electronic properties. Moreover, the heterogeneous basal and edge plane sites of graphene nanosheets in conjunction with transition metal oxide ‘hybrids’ reinforce efficient surface/interfacial electron transfer and available electronic density of states near Fermi level for enhanced performance. We estimated the extent and nature (n− or p−) of charge transfer complemented with Density Functional Theory calculations affected by hydration and demonstrate the synergistic coupling between graphene nanosheets and nanoscale cobalt (and manganese) oxides for applied electrochemical applications.
SENSORY AND INSTRUMENTAL EVALUATION OF WINE AROMA

Aromas of a series of wines were evaluated by heads-pace (ES) analysis and sensorially by descriptive analysis. Trained judges scored the wines on specified aroma attributes. Volatiles from the same wines were collected in triplicate on a tenax GC trap from 500 ml wine HS by displacement. After ethanol and water were flushed from the trap, volatiles were eluted from the adsorbent and introduced through a closed system to the gas Chromatograph (GC). Using a displacement collection system, the GC effluent was split and the eluted components were evaluated by panelists in one case, and by mass spectrometer in a second case.
Development of Inner-City Retail Niche Markets

This chapter outlines major issues concerning development of inner-city retail niche markets. We document the substantial amount of new retail construction in Midwestern cities that has occurred despite the lackluster growth in new housing. Some of the problematic issues facing developers such as data analysis, site assembly, and project financing are identified. Because of high development costs and resulting market failure, the key factor to a successful retail project is the gap financing from public or quasi-public entities.