cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
/spl rho/-domain rate-distortion optimal rate control for DCT-based video coders

Most real-time MPEG-like encoders are designed to perform in a constant bit rate (CBR) mode, in which large deviations from a target rate are avoided at any time instant because of video buffer rules set at the decoder. A rate-control method at the encoder ensures that by intelligent selection of encoding parameters, the video buffer constraints are met, while at the same time a best possible video quality is achieved. Almost all reported rate-control methods model the rate and distortion in terms of the quantization step size. A recently suggested alternative is to use /spl rho/, the fraction of zeros among the quantized DCT coefficients (He, Z. and Mitra, S.K., IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, vol.12, no.11, 2002). We address the problems associated with the /spl rho/-domain rate-control approaches in the literature. In addition, we propose a robust MPEG-2 rate-control algorithm that aims to minimize picture quality variations. Our extensive analysis with several video sequences and using the MPEG-2 codec indicates that the proposed algorithm can achieve a more uniform visual quality, and provides a PSNR gain that ranges from 0.5 dB at 2 Mbps to 0.9 dB at 6 Mbps over TM5 on the average.
Is diabetes treated as an acute or chronic illness in community family practice

OBJECTIVE —Poor quality of diabetes care has been ascribed to the acute care focus of primary care practice. A better understanding of how time is spent during outpatient visits for diabetes compared with visits for acute conditions and other chronic diseases may facilitate the design of programs to enhance diabetes care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —Research nurses directly observed consecutive outpatient visits during two separate days in 138 community family physician offices. Time use was categorized into 20 different behaviors using the Davis Observation Code (DOC). Time use was compared for visits for diabetes, other chronic conditions, and acute illnesses during 1,867 visits by patients ≥40 years of age. RESULTS —Of 20 DOC behavioral categories, 10 exhibited differences among the three groups. Discriminant analysis identified two distinct factors that distinguished visits for chronic disease from visits for acute illness and visits for diabetes from those for other chronic diseases. Compared with visits for other chronic diseases, visits for diabetes devoted a greater proportion of time to nutrition counseling, health education, and feedback on results and less time to chatting. Compared with visits for acute illness, visits for diabetes were longer and involved a higher proportion of dietary advice, negotiation, and assessment of compliance. CONCLUSIONS —Visits for diabetes are distinct from visits for other chronic diseases and acute illnesses in ways that may facilitate patient self-management. Novel quality-improvement interventions could support and expand existing differences between family physicians’ current approaches to care of diabetes and other chronic and acute illnesses.
Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Syk Is Necessary for E-Selectin-Induced αLβ2 Integrin-Mediated Rolling on Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1

Engagement of neutrophils by E-selectin results in integrin activation. Here, we investigated primary mouse neutrophils in whole blood by using intravital microscopy and autoperfused flow chambers. Slow rolling on E-selectin coimmobilized with intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) required P-selectin glycoprotein ligand (PSGL)-1, was dependent on alpha(L)beta(2) integrin (LFA-1), and required continuous E-selectin engagement. Slow rolling was abolished by pharmacological blockade of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and was absent in Syk(-/-) bone-marrow chimeric mice. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha lowered rolling velocity further and induced CXC chemokine ligand-1 (CXCL1) and CXC chemokine receptor-2 (CXCR2)-dependent leukocyte arrest on E-selectin and ICAM-1. Arrest but not rolling was blocked by an allosteric inhibitor of LFA-1 activation. Neutrophil recruitment in a thioglycollate-induced peritonitis model was almost completely inhibited in Selplg(-/-) mice or Syk(-/-) bone-marrow chimeras treated with pertussis toxin. This identifies a second neutrophil-activation pathway that is as important as activation through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
The future of power electronics in advanced automotive electrical systems

It is only recently that manufacturers have begun to appreciate the electrical system's influence on vehicle performance and price. The result has been an increasing interest in replacing mechanical actuators by electrical, improving electrical system efficiency, finding alternatives to the present 12 VDC system, and improving safety and comfort by introducing new functions that are best controlled electrically. In this paper, the authors consider the demands presently placed upon an automobile's electrical system, and describe the characteristics of future system functions that will require a major increase in the power electronic content of a car.
Conservation and diversity of Foxp2 expression in muroid rodents: Functional implications

FOXP2, the first gene causally linked to a human language disorder, is implicated in song acquisition, production, and perception in oscine songbirds, the evolution of speech and language in hominids, and the evolution of echolocation in bats. Despite the evident relevance of Foxp2 to vertebrate acoustic communication, a comprehensive description of neural expression patterns is currently lacking in mammals. Here we use immunocytochemistry to systematically describe the neural distribution of Foxp2 protein in four species of muroid rodents: Scotinomys teguina and S. xerampelinus ("singing mice"), the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, and the lab mouse, Mus musculus. While expression patterns were generally highly conserved across brain regions, we identified subtle but consistent interspecific differences in Foxp2 distribution, most notably in the medial amygdala and nucleus accumbens, and in layer V cortex throughout the brain. Throughout the brain, Foxp2 was highly enriched in areas involved in modulation of fine motor output (striatum, mesolimbic dopamine circuit, olivocerebellar system) and in multimodal sensory processing and sensorimotor integration (thalamus, cortex). We propose a generalized model for Foxp2-modulated pathways in the adult brain including, but not limited to, fine motor production and auditory perception.
Forced to Be Free?: Why Foreign-Imposed Regime Change Rarely Leads to Democratization

Is military intervention effective in spreading democracy? Existing studies disagree. Optimists point to successful cases, such as the transformation of West Germany and Japan into consolidated democracies after World War II. Pessimists view these successes as outliers from a broader pattern of failure typified by cases such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Those in between agree that, in general, democratic military intervention has little liberalizing effect in target states, but contend that democracies can induce democratization when they explicitly pursue this objective and invest substantial effort and resources. Existing studies, however, often employ overly broad definitions of intervention, fail to grapple with possible selection effects in countries where democracies choose to intervene, and stress interveners' actions while neglecting conditions in targets. A statistical examination of seventy instances of foreign-imposed regime change (FIRC) in the twentieth century shows that implementing prodemocratic institutional reforms, such as sponsoring elections, is not enough to induce democratization; interveners will meet with little success unless conditions in the target state—in the form of high levels of economic development and societal homogeneity, and previous experience with representative governance—are favorable to democracy. Given that prospective regime change operations are likely to target regimes in poor, diverse countries, policymakers should scale back their expectations that democracy will oourish after FIRC.
Immersive Haptic Eye Tele-Surgery Training Simulation

As medical surgery is usually a complex and complicated procedure, medical trainees must acquire specific skills and plenty of experience before attempting to perform such a procedure in a real-world setting. The goal of surgical simulation is to provide high-fidelity training to increase the diffusion of innovative and less-invasive procedures while decreasing the surgeon's learning curve. The paper presents an immersive hapto-virtual training simulation for eye cataract surgery. The system architecture and technology and design techniques are addressed. Finally the paper concludes with future work to improve the application.
Learning at Low False Positive Rates.

Most spam filters are configured for use at a very low falsepositive rate. Typically, the filters are trained with techniques that optimize accuracy or entropy, rather than performance in this configuration. We describe two different techniques for optimizing for the low false-positive region. One method weights good data more than spam. The other method uses a two-stage technique of first finding data in the low false-positive region, and then learning using this subset. We show that with two different learning algorithms, logistic regression and Naive Bayes, we achieve substantial improvements, reducing missed spam by as much as 20% relative for logistic regression and 40% for Naive Bayes at the same low false-positive rate.
The effects of continuous naltrexone infusions on diet preferences are modulated by adaptation to the diets

Two groups of male rats were placed on a feeding regimen in which a fat/protein diet and a carbohydrate/protein diet were available ad lib. Naltrexone was infused via osmotic minipumps either at the time the diets were introduced or after one week of adaptation to the diets. In rats adapted to the diets, naltrexone caused a decrease in the intakes of fat/protein and carbohydrate/protein diets. Relative preferences for the two diets were generally unchanged. In contrast, when naltrexone was infused at the time of introduction of the diets, a polarization phenomenon was observed: rats tended to consume nearly all of their daily calories from either one diet or the other. Six rats (out of 10) showed a stronger preference for the carbohydrate/protein diet than did any of the saline-treated rats, while 3 showed a stronger preference for the fat/protein diet than did any of the saline-treated rats. Thus, the effect was not diet- or macronutrient-specific. These preferences became significantly less extreme after termination of naltrexone infusions. Conditioned aversions and naltrexone-induced reductions in exploratory behavior are discussed as potential explanations for this polarization effect. These results indicate that naltrexone has differential effects on the development versus the maintenance of diet preferences. Further, they emphasize the importance of examining individual differences as well as baseline preferences in studies on the control of intake and diet selection.
Soft Metrics and EXIT Chart Analysis of Noncoherent MFSK with Diversity Reception in Rician Fading Channel

A convolutionally encoded noncoherent M-ary Frequency Shift Keying (MFSK) modulation scheme with diversity reception is considered. Soft metrics for Soft Decision Decoding (SDD) of noncoherent MFSK are derived assuming Rician channel model. Furthermore, the convergence behavior of the MFSK receiver is investigated using EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts. It has been demonstrated that the derived expressions for soft information are useful allowing SDD of the MFSK scheme exploiting diversity and the EXIT chart analysis provides useful insights into its iterative decoding behavior.
Childhood Dermatomyositis Clinical Course and Long-term Follow-up

The presentation, clinical course, and long-term follow-up (3-22 years) of 39 children with dermatomyositis followed from 1962-1982 is presented. The medical course of these patients was complicated by respiratory diseases (20%), gastrointestinal diseases (24%), and calcinosis (30%). Patients presenting prior to 1972 received a wide variety of treatments. Since 1972, treatment has consisted of long-term prednisone, supplemented in some patients with azathioprine. Ten patients died (eight of whom were first seen before 1972) of complications after intestinal perforation (5) or aspiration pneumonia (5). Of 29 survivors, three have persistent calcinosis and/or contractures. Improved outcome since 1972 probably relates to better clinical assessment, management of complications, and regulation of drug therapy.
Prevention of Second Head and Neck Cancers.

Abstract Unfortunately, squamous cell cancer patients of the head and neck are at significant risk for development of SPT, and their prognosis is poor once a second tumor develops. The increased risk for these patients and their personal understanding of the effects of cancer makes this population well suited for developing prevention strategies. Because of their past experiences with cancer, these patients may be more tolerant of side effects and more compliant with the requirements of a study protocol. The marked increase in risk that these patients carry should make it possible to demonstrate the efficacy of a chemoprevention strategy in a study of reasonable size and duration. The needs of these patients represent not only an opportunity to develop a prevention strategy, but also a powerful model for understanding human carcinogenesis. The current 13- cis -retinoic acid SPT prevention protocol is closely integrated with a number of scientific projects designed to develop a basic understanding of retinoids in carcinogenesis and chemoprevention (Table 6). These related investigations, which will be performed in conjunction with the 13- cis -retinoic acid trial, will hopefully increase our knowledge of the biology of SPTs and further improve our prevention efforts.
Pregnancy: Data, Outcomes, and Treatment Paradigms in Rheumatology

“Doctor, I’m pregnant.” Coming from a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or another systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease, who is taking a handful of medications, these few words reliably quicken the pulse of all rheumatologists. Perhaps the only thing more worrisome is when the patient says “Doctor, I want to become pregnant.” In either instance, the apprehensive rheumatologist has to weigh the patient’s wishes against the uncertainties inherent in drug use or cessation, and the effects of either on both mother and fetus. The physician’s counsel may range from the pure “stop all your rheumatologic medications”; to the positive “wait and the pregnancy will improve your RA”; or the pragmatic “go see a high-risk obstetrician immediately.” Often our meager guidance is “let me know when things don’t go as planned” or “call me when you’re done.” The patient who wishes to become pregnant is in a difficult situation. It involves actual discussion between doctor and patient without a solid plan, in an area with a dearth of clinical data from which reasonable decisions could be made. Traditionally, such clinical discussions tended to be as dissatisfying to doctors as they were to patients. Pregnancy has often been treated as if it were an adverse event. It was considered something that interrupted an otherwise carefully planned treatment course for the patient’s rheumatologic conditions. Currently, the goal is remission, achieved by using the best possible treatment approaches. The goals of therapy may well be incongruous with the plan for a … Address correspondence to Dr. J.J. Cush, Baylor Research Institute, 9900 N. Central Expressway, Suite 550, Dallas, Texas 75231, USA. E-mail: jjcush{at}gmail.com
Clonal Origins of the Hematopoietic System: The Single Most Elegant Experiment

The paper by Becker et al. ([1][1]) is the single most beautiful paper I have read. It follows what, in my view, is the most important single paper to the communities of immunology, hematopoiesis, and stem cell biology by Ray Owen in 1945 ([2][2]). This paper established that hematopoietic
On-Demand Isolation and Manipulation of C. elegans by In Vitro Maskless Photopatterning

Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is a model organism for understanding aging and studying animal behavior. Microfluidic assay techniques have brought widespread advances in C. elegans research; however, traditional microfluidic assays such as those based on soft lithography require time-consuming design and fabrication cycles and offer limited flexibility in changing the geometric environment during experimentation. We present a technique for maskless photopatterning of a biocompatible hydrogel on an NGM (Agar) substrate, enabling dynamic manipulation of the C. elegans culture environment in vitro. Maskless photopatterning is performed using a projector-based microscope system largely built from off-the-shelf components. We demonstrate the capabilities of this technique by building micropillar arrays during C. elegans observation, by fabricating free-floating mechanisms that can be actuated by C. elegans motion, by using freehand drawing to isolate individual C. elegans in real time, and by patterning arrays of mazes for isolation and fitness testing of C. elegans populations. In vitro photopatterning enables rapid and flexible design of experiment geometry as well as real-time interaction between the researcher and the assay such as by sequential isolation of individual organisms. Future adoption of image analysis and machine learning techniques could be used to acquire large datasets and automatically adapt the assay geometry.
GABA and Endocannabinoids Mediate Depotentiation of Schaffer Collateral Synapses Induced by Stimulation of Temperoammonic Inputs

Long-term potentiation (LTP) of Schaffer collateral (SC) synapses in the hippocampus is thought to play a key role in episodic memory formation. Because the hippocampus is a shorter-term, limited capacity storage system, repeated bouts of learning and synaptic plasticity require that SC synapses reset to baseline at some point following LTP. We previously showed that repeated low frequency activation of temperoammonic (TA) inputs to the CA1 region depotentiates SC LTP without persistently altering basal transmission. This heterosynaptic depotentiation involves adenosine A1 receptors but not N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, metabotropic glutamate receptors or L-type calcium channels. In the present study, we used rat hippocampal slices to explore other messengers contributing to TA-induced SC depotentiation, and provide evidence for the involvement of cannabinoid-1 and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type-A receptors as more proximal signaling events leading to synaptic resetting, with A1 receptor activation serving as a downstream event. Surprisingly, we found that TA-induced SC depotentiation is independent of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)/kainate glutamate receptors. We also examined the involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and found a role for extracellular-signal related kinase 1/2 and p38 MAPK, but not c-Jun-N-terminal kinase. These results indicate that low frequency stimulation of TA inputs to CA1 activates a complex signaling network that instructs SC synaptic resetting. The involvement of GABA and endocannabinoids suggest mechanisms that could contribute to cognitive dysfunction associated with substance abuse and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Abstract SY23-01: Extrachromosomal microDNAs and chromosomal microdeletions in normal tissues

DNA in normal mammalian somatic cells is either in long chromosomes or in mitochondria. Furthermore, other than in specialized tissues like B and T cells, the genomic DNA in normal tissues is usually considered to be an exact copy of germ-line DNA. We hypothesized that errors in DNA replication may lead to the production of extra-chromosomal DNA and/or changes in copy number of segments of the DNA in normal somatic tissue. We have identified tens of thousands of short double-stranded and single-stranded extrachromosomal circular DNA (microDNA) that are derived from unique, non-repetitive sequences of chromosomes in normal mouse brain, heart and liver as well as mouse and human cell lines. MicroDNAs are 200-400 bases long and high in GC content. Short direct repeats are often present at the start and end of the corresponding chromosomal sequence suggesting that microDNAs are produced by replication slippage, homologous recombination or microhomology mediated repair. Several of the microDNAs overlap with nucleosome-occupied DNA, explaining how such short double-stranded DNA can be bent into a circle. The genomic sources of the microDNAs are enriched in the 5′ region of genes, exons and CpG islands. Ultrahighthroughput sequencing of adult brain DNA targeted to chromosomal loci that are enriched sources of microDNA, reveals a small fraction of genomic DNA molecules with micro-deletions that may be generated by the excision of microDNAs. We have thus identified a new DNA entity in somatic cells and provide evidence that deletions may occur in different genomic loci in somatic tissues, leading to genetic variability between normal somatic cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY23-01. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-SY23-01
A RESOURCE GUIDE TO LEARNING AND/OR TEACHING ABOUT HIV/AIDS*

The major thrust in AIDS education has been and continues to be focused on prevention. Compassion for those already infected has played a secondary role, certainly as far as the United States government under Republican administrations was concerned. A basic assumption in this article is that HIV/AIDS education should encompass prevention of HIV transmission and concern for both the infected and affected. For the sociologist a third issue is also important, i.e., understanding AIDS as a social phenomenon. The purpose of this article is to present a variety of resources, books, articles, videos, and brochures, for the sociologist who wishes to provide information for his/her students in order to prevent further HIV transmission, to encourage compassionate outreach to those already infected and/or affected, and/or to further his/her own as well as students' understanding of the social implications and ramifications of the major health crisis in this century.
Consumption and Utilization by the Mexican Bean Beetle of Soybean Plants Varying in Levels of Resistance

Standard gravimetric techniques were used to measure mean body weight, total weight gain, weight of food consumption, efficiency of conversion, consumption index, and growth rate of larvae of Epilachna varivestis Mulsant which fed from hatch to pupation on 15 soybean varieties. The varieties ranged from highly resistant to highly susceptible, Developmental time, mean pupal weight, and percent survival also were determined. A wide range of parameters was obtained with the results expressed using techniques of numerical taxonomy in a dendrogram. The clusters formed in the dendrogram represent rankings similar to field evaluation of these varieties and reflect trends of the nutritional and biological parameters of the Mexican bean beetle feeding on the soybean varieties. Physiological inhibitors or biophysical deterrents in P.I. 229358 and nutritional deficiencies or nutrient disproportionality in P.I. 200459, P.I. 200498, P.I. 224269, and P.I. 229321 were postulated as possible causes of resistance.
Another Characterization of Semiprime Ideals in C(X)

(1976). Another Characterization of Semiprime Ideals in C(X) The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 83, No. 5, pp. 349-350.
Preparation of Quality Control Specimens for Coagulation

A method for the preparation of lyophilized plasma specimens for use as quality controls in coagulation testing is described. This method, utilizing a recently developed hydrogen ion buffer, N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N’-2-ethanesulfonic acid, has provided excellent pH and enzyme stability for prothrombin time testing. Reconstituted plasma specimens were stable for 8 hr. Coagulation factors were well preserved. The utilization of these lyophilized plasma specinens in a quality control system is discussed.
Effect of thyroid hormone on astrocytes in brain development period

Thyroid hormone can affect proliferation,differentiation,maturation and migration of astrocytes in brain development period by two mechanisms:①genetic transcription action: triiodothyronine(T3) binding to thyroid hormone receptor(TR) can activate transcription of the target genes.Different TR isomers play different roles.TRα1 and TRβ play opposite effects on differentiation and maturation of astrocytes;②nongenomic action: tetraiodothyronine(T4) and reverse triiodothyronine(rT3) can influence brain development by inducing polymerization of actin in astrocytes and regulating quantity and activity of type Ⅱ deiodinase(D2).
Isolation,Identification and Drug Sensitivity of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae

Objective:To investigate the drug sensitivity of mycoplasma pneumoniae isolated from patients.Methods:Samples of throat swab were cultivated in selective culture medium,and then they were detected by PCR.Mycoplasma pneumoniae were mixed with different quantity of antibiotics.If one drug could kill the microorganism,the color of the media would not change.Results: One clinical mycoplasma pneumoniae type was isolated successfully.When the concentration of azithromycin,erythromycin and cefuroxime sodium were diluted to 31 μg/mL,125 μg/mL,500 μg/mL,respectively,mycoplasma pneumoniae were supressed.Ceftriaxone sodium,mezlocillin and ampicillin had no effect on the growth of mycoplasma pneumoniae.Conclusions: The growth of mycoplasma pneumoniae isolated from throat swab samples is inhibited easily by azithromycin.Erythromycin and cefuroxime sodium also had inhibitory effect on mycoplasma pneumoniae.
US policy toward Taiwan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how the USA seeks to promote its interests in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in the context of Taiwan’s unique political status and its democratic system. Design/methodology/approach – A narrative analysis examines the recent history of Taiwan’s democratic development and USA responses to it. Findings – The USA has responded in various ways to the dilemma of respecting the outcomes of elections in friendly democracies while protecting its own interests in peace and security. This was easy during the Ma Ying-jeou administration (2008-2016) but it is likely to become more difficult following Taiwan’s presidential election in January 2016. Originality/value – This study draws on personal experience and an in-depth understanding of Taiwan politics and US diplomacy.
Functional Disability in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Accumulating evidence suggests that the pre-dementia syndrome mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by decrements in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The current review was a quantitative synthesis of the available literature to objectively characterize IADL disability in MCI while clarifying inconsistencies in findings across studies. It was hypothesized that individuals with MCI would display significantly greater functional impairment relative to cognitively intact controls. Candidate moderators specified a priori included functional assessment approach, MCI subtype, depressive symptoms, and language conducted. Online databases (PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO) and reference lists were searched to identify peer-reviewed publications assessing IADL in MCI compared to normal aging. A total of 151 effect sizes derived from 106 studies met inclusionary criteria (N = 62,260). Random effects models yielded a large overall summary effect size (Hedges’ g = 0.76, 95 % confidence interval: 0.68 − 0.83, p < .001) confirmed in multi-level analyses adjusted for nesting of effect sizes within studies (g = 0.78, 95 % confidence interval: 0.69 − 0.87). Functional assessment strategy and MCI subtype were significant moderators of effect size, whereas depressive symptoms and language were not. Results convincingly demonstrate that MCI is associated with significant difficulties in the performance of complex everyday tasks. It appears that functional decline, like cognitive decline, exists on a continuum from healthy aging to dementia onset. Implications for clinical practice and research priorities are discussed.
Nineteenth-century ceramics and consumer behavior among the “mountain folk” of the Upper Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee

The Massengale site near Rugby, Tennessee was the nineteenth-century residence of one of the earliest white settler families to the Upper Cumberland Plateau of north central Tennessee, the Massenga...
Elevated propionate and butyrate in fecal ferments of hydrolysates generated by oxalic acid treatment of corn bran arabinoxylan

Previous work in our laboratory showed that alkali-solubilized corn arabinoxylan (CAX) has a slow initial, but later complete, in vitro human fecal fermentation. CAX and a moderately high molecular weight hydrolysate (CH) were propiogenic, and produced low levels of butyrate. Here, we show that oxalic acid-generated hydrolysates from CAX, which include a large xylooligosaccharide, and free arabinose fractions, increased short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, which included relatively high levels of both propionate and butyrate, an unusual SCFA combination. Hydrolytic degradation of CAX by acid hydrolysis (0.05 M oxalic acid at 100 °C for 2 h) and subsequent graded ethanol precipitations were used to obtain mixtures with different molecular weight ranges. Ethanol-precipitated fractions (F 0-65%, F 65-75%, F 75-85%) were mostly lower than 100 kDa and F > 85% was composed of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides of DP 2-8. Oxalic acid treatment caused the removal of all single arabinose unit branch chains and some di/trisaccharide branch chains, producing lightly substituted xylan backbone fragments, most of which were in the oligosaccharide (DP < 10) size range. In vitro human fecal fermentation analyses showed all oxalic acid-hydrolysate fractions were slower fermenting than fructooligosaccharides (FOS), but produced similar or higher amounts of total SCFAs. Butyrate production in two hydrolyzate fractions was double that of CH, while propionate levels remained relatively high.
Neoadjuvant external beam radiation is associated with No benefit in overall survival for early stage pancreatic cancer

Abstract Objective Neoadjuvant protocols for early stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) frequently involve external beam radiation used in combination with systemic chemotherapy. The benefit of radiation in these protocols has not been determined. Methods We examined patients with stage I and II PDAC within the National Cancer Data Base between 2006 and 2012. Propensity score matching was used to compare patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy including radiation (NCRT) to those receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy without radiation (NCT) prior to pancreaticoduodenectomy. Results Prior to matching, NCRT patients had higher rates of T3 tumors (P = 0.046) and vascular abutment (P Conclusion In early stage PDAC, the addition of radiation to NCT is often utilized with more advanced disease and is associated with higher perioperative mortality and no long-term overall survival benefit.
An agent-based platform for the study of watersheds as coupled natural and human systems

Abstract This study describes the architecture and capabilities of an open source agent-based Java platform that permits the systematic study of interactions among hydrology, climate, and strategic human decision-making in a watershed over time. To demonstrate the platform's use and capabilities, an application is presented in accordance with ODD protocol requirements that captures, in simplified form, the structural attributes of the Squaw Creek watershed in central Iowa. Illustrative findings are reported for the sensitivity of farmer and city social welfare outcomes to changes in three key treatment factors: farmer land-allocation decision method, farmer targeted savings, and levee quality effectiveness for the mitigation of city flood damage.
Marine algae from the 1969 cruise of "Makrele" to the northern part of the Gulf of California

This paper consists of an annotated list of more than 300 specimens of marine algae collected on 'Makrele' expedition. Seventy-seven species (8 Chlorophyta, 18 Phaeophyta, 51 Rhodophyta) are reported. Eight new records are noted. Lists of marine algae from each collecting station are given.
Computer science in general education: beyond quantitative reasoning

This paper argues that Computer Science courses can and should fulfill general education requirements not limited to quantitative reasoning.
Post Residency Subspecialty Training in Neurosurgery — The Impact of Subspecialty Training on Organized Neurosurgery and Resident Training — Benefits, Responsibilities and Liabilities

Currently in the United States there are 113 designated neurosurgical subspecialty fellowships which are directly affiliated with accredited residency training programs (Table 1). Although these fellowships are designated as “available”, a number of them are currently inactive. Also, there may exist some “fellowships” which are unaffiliated with residency programs, but there is no reliable information regarding their number or location and such programs are probably insignificant in their potential impact to organized neurosurgery and to resident training.
Sequencing of a 5.5-kb DNA Fragment and Identification of a Gene Coding for a Subunit of the Helicase/Primase Complex of Avian Laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV)

The nucleotide sequence of a 5,520-bp EcoRI restriction fragment of avian infectious laryngotracheitis (ILTV) DNA was reported and submitted to GeneBank with an accession number of AF001078. Computer prediction revealed one large potential open reading frame (ORF) with sequence similar to one subunit of the DNA helicase-primase complex of alpha-herpesviruses. The DNA helicase/primase complex of HSV-1 consists of three sub-units with molecular weights of 12,000, 97,000 and 70,000, encoded by genes UL52, UL5 and UL8, respectively. This enzyme complex is essential for herpesvirus DNA replication. The UL52 and UL5-equivalent genes of ILTV have been reported previously (Fuchs, W. and Mettenleiter, T.C.; J Gen Virol, 1996, 77: 2221-2229; Johnson, M.A. et. al., Arch Virol, 1995, 14: 623-634). Amino acid sequence comparison and homology search revealed that this ORF shares sequence similarity of the UL8-equivalent gene of alpha-herpesviruses, that is, the ORF 52 of vericura-zoster virus (VZV), the ORF 54 of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1), as well as the equivalent gene of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1) and canine herpesvirus (Vlcek, C. et al., Virology, 1995, 210: 100-108; Remond, M. et al., J Gen Virol, 1996, 77: 37-48).
High-risk myeloma and minimal residual disease postautologous-HSCT predict worse outcomes.

The aim of our study was to determine the impact of high-risk disease (HRD) and MRD on outcomes in myeloma patients receiving bortezomib-based induction followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (auto-HSCT). HRD included t(4:14), t(14;16), del 17p, del 1p and/or amplification 1q by cytogenetics/FISH; all others were standard-risk disease (SRD). A subset of 165 newly diagnosed myeloma patients in a 2:1 ratio of HRD:SRD was generated using propensity score based nearest neighbor matching. Multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) was used to detect MRD after auto-HSCT in select patients. MRD+ status at 3 months post auto-HSCT (hazard ratio (HR = 4.23, p = .028) and HRD (HR = 1.72, p = .026) were associated with a shorter PFS. Similarly, MRD+ 3 months post auto-HSCT (HR = 6.93, p = .08) and HRD (HR = 3.54, p < .001) and were associated with a shorter OS. Despite bortezomib-based induction, upfront auto-HSCT, and use of maintenance therapy, PFS and OS remained worse in MRD+ and HRD patients.
Powers of Attorney Under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act Including Reference to Virginia Law

The Uniform Power of Attorney Act (UPOAA), approved in 2006, slightly amended in 2008 and more significantly amended in 2016, has been adopted by 27 U.S. jurisdictions. The UPOAA promotes uniformity in language delineating an agent’s powers and mandates that third parties accept notarized powers of attorney. Under the UPOAA, an instrument simply granting an agent authority to do “all acts that a principal could do,” vests that agent with broad powers: the precise delineation of those powers is produced by about a dozen pages of UPOAA text automatically incorporated by reference into such “all acts” instruments. However, the UPOAA expressly excludes from such “all acts” agents nine powers, six of which relate to acts that could dissipate the principal’s property, two of which relate to delegation of authority, and the ninth of which relates to the “content of electronic communications.” Those nine, so-called “hot” powers, are granted to an agent only when the instrument “expressly grants” them. Five problematic areas exist within the UPOAA: (1) internal conflict within the UPOAA after its 2016 amendments regarding agent access to the content of the principal’s electronic communications; (2) a failure automatically to grant incidental powers to any hot powers expressly granted; (3) a missing modifier in the section concerning an agent’s authority to make gifts; (4) a missing good faith requirement in the agent certification rule; and (5) overlap among the ostensibly distinct hot powers. Virginia’s adoption of the UPOAA included about two-dozen changes to the uniform text, nine of which are particularly important: (1) the cold gifting power; (2) the gutting of the primary consumer protection of the UPOAA; (3) the reversal of the forged signature rule; (4) the negation of provisions conditioning effectiveness upon delivery of the instrument to the agent; (5) the expanded agent disclosure rule; (6) the agent’s creation and amendment of trusts; (7) the rule of presumed non-ademption; (8) the legally irrelevant failure to adopt the UPOAA Statutory Form Power of Attorney; and (9) the curious change to the definition of “incapacity.” Some of those changes are inexplicable; others are misguided. Regarding agency law doctrines not particularly addressed by the UPOAA, but obviously affected by it, the UPOAA reverses the century-old Virginia rule of strict construction for powers of attorney, and that will expose irreconcilable conflicts between (1) two Virginia Supreme Court cases stating opposite rules regarding the evidentiary presumption placed upon self-dealing agents, and (2) two Virginia Supreme Court cases reaching opposite conclusions on nearly identical facts for agents who made gifts to themselves of the principal’s property. Thus, courts soon will confront the consequences of the UPOAA and its effect upon various aspects of agency law.
Erratum for Abisado et al., "Bacterial Quorum Sensing and Microbial Community Interactions".

Volume 9, issue 3, e02331-17, 2018, [https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.02331-17][1]. In Table 1 (Table 1 caption, Models for studying QS in cooperative and competitive microbial interactions), the Bacillus subtilis QS function indicated should be “surfactin” and not “rhamnolipid” as indicated. We
Zein-based Bioplastic Containers Alter Root-zone Chemistry and Growth of Geranium

Abstract Bioplastic containers made from zein, a protein from corn (Zea mays L.), have been developed but not evaluated as alternatives to conventional, petroleum-based plastics. We tested the hypothesis that biodegradation of zein containers provides nitrogen (N) that promotes growth of plants and examined whether plants grown in zein containers could be transplanted successfully without removing the container, thus eliminating the need to dispose of containers. Zein containers provided root zones of geranium (Pelargonium ×hortorum L.H. Bailey) with up to 298 and 277 mg·kg−1 of NH4+-N and NO3−-N, respectively, and unlike geraniums in conventional plastic containers, leaves of plants in zein containers remained dark green when produced without fertilization. Electrical conductivity and pH of the substrate in zein containers increased above ranges recommended for many horticultural crops, and NO2−, which can be toxic to plants, was present in the substrate. These chemical changes may have been responsible ...
Symmetric ring spectra and topological Hochschild homology

Symmetric spectra were introduced by Jeff Smith as a symmetric monoidal category of spectra. In this paper, a detection functor is defined which detects stable equivalences of symmetric spectra. This detection functor is useful because the classic stable homotopy groups do not detect stable equivalences in symmetric spectra. One of the advantages of a symmetric monoidal category of spectra is that one can define topological Hochschild homology on ring spectra simply by mimicking the Hochschild complex from algebra. Using the detection functor mentioned above, this definition of topological Hochschild homology is shown to agree with Bokstedt's original definition. In particular, this shows that Bokstedt's definition is correct even for non-connective non-convergent symmetric ring spectra.
Normativity, Feminism, and Politics

In this chapter I explore normativity in politics. I focus especially on feminism because I think that second wave feminist movements illustrate the production of normativity by political action. Feminism, though, does not illuminate this aspect of itself because feminists tend to describe feminist political action with a moral rather than political vocabulary. Such a vocabulary succeeds in capturing just one aspect of feminism – the centering of the transformation of everyday practices by feminists in feminist groups and in personal relationships. What remains outside is feminist political action, which centers the generation and influence of public opinion and participation in the public political contestation of ideas, sub-state institutions, policies, and laws that frame collective life in a polity. The distinction I draw between the ethical and political separates the ethical from the political but does not draw hard boundaries between them. While accepting the partition of morality and politics that took place in modernity, it refuses the standard emptying of politics from normativity along realist lines and its refilling with normativity along moralist lines, which necessarily presuppose the realist lines while claiming priority for ethics. It also requires rejecting a unified idea of power and thinking of people’s political power along Arendtian lines, as involving collective action and self-authorization, and also being an emergent quality of people coming together to act politically.
Neuroscientific evidence in the courtroom: a review.

The use of neuroscience in the courtroom can be traced back to the early twentieth century. However, the use of neuroscientific evidence in criminal proceedings has increased significantly over the last two decades. This rapid increase has raised questions, among the media as well as the legal and scientific communities, regarding the effects that such evidence could have on legal decision makers. In this article, we first outline the history of neuroscientific evidence in courtrooms and then we provide a review of recent research investigating the effects of neuroscientific evidence on decision-making broadly, and on legal decisions specifically. In the latter case, we review studies that measure the effect of neuroscientific evidence (both imaging and nonimaging) on verdicts, sentencing recommendations, and beliefs of mock jurors and judges presented with a criminal case. Overall, the reviewed studies suggest mitigating effects of neuroscientific evidence on some legal decisions (e.g., the death penalty). Furthermore, factors such as mental disorder diagnoses and perceived dangerousness might moderate the mitigating effect of such evidence. Importantly, neuroscientific evidence that includes images of the brain does not appear to have an especially persuasive effect (compared with other neuroscientific evidence that does not include an image). Future directions for research are discussed, with a specific call for studies that vary defendant characteristics, the nature of the crime, and a juror’s perception of the defendant, in order to better understand the roles of moderating factors and cognitive mediators of persuasion.
Transforming Business Education through Social Innovation: from Exalting Heroes to Engaging our Humanity

Our world is faced with complex challenges that include poverty, hunger, lack of education, gender inequality, sustainability, and climate change. These issues cannot be addressed by government action alone and requires the business world play an important role. Despite the many effort of companies to address social responsibility in the last decade however, capitalism continues to suffer a crisis of trust. Many organizations lack the awareness, mindset, frameworks, and knowledge to efficiently and effectively make progress in providing solutions to these systemic challenges, while also ensuring business performance. The authors argue that business schools are uniquely positioned and have a responsibility to contribute to this cause as educators of the business leaders of tomorrow. A landscape survey of social entrepreneurship / social innovation (SE/SI) education with 66 institutions of higher education and in-depth interviews with 8 social intrapreneurs from diverse career tracks reveals significant challenges as well as opportunities for creating this paradigm shift in business schools. This research uses insights from these two studies to provide an overview of the current state of SE/SI in business education and provides recommendations for institutions of higher education to pave a pathway forward for future leaders who will use business to create positive social change.
Prediction of the Binding Affinities and Selectivity for CB1 and CB2 Ligands Using Homology Modeling, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulations, and MM-PBSA Binding Free Energy Calculations.

Cannabinoids are a group of chemical compounds that have been used for thousands of years due to their psychoactive function and systemic physiological effects. There are at least two types of cann...
Staying connected under fire: Effects of individual roles and organizational specialization on the robustness of emergency-phase communication networks

Abstract Communication network connectivity is central to organizational performance, but maintaining connectivity can be difficult during periods of disruption. During the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster of September 11th, 2001, both emergency response-specialized organizations and organizations without such specialization forcibly adapted to a radically altered environment. Their dynamic communication networks necessarily entailed trade-offs between competing demands for efficiency and robustness to disruption. Of particular importance is whether organizations concentrated activity within a small number of “hub” nodes, and whether those with existing coordinative roles were critical to maintaining connectivity. We examine these questions by analyzing seventeen organizational communication networks in the WTC disaster. We find that organizations maintain connectivity through relatively small numbers of coordinators, but the realization of institutionalized coordinative roles depends upon organizational context. Further, we find distinct patterns of robustness, with the removal of key players leading to mass isolation in specialist networks versus a gradual pattern of failure in non-specialist networks. These results suggest that organizations responding to disruptions within their usual domain of operations will be more likely to retain institutionalized roles when building emergent networks, although this increases the network's fragility in the event of the loss of one of those coordinators. Organizations responding to novel threats may reconfigure more radically, limiting vulnerability to the loss of institutionalized—but not emergent—coordinators.