cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooperative proxy caching for wireless base stations

This paper proposes a mobile cache model to facilitate the cooperative proxy caching in wireless base stations. This mobile cache model uses a network cache line to record the caching state information about a web document for effective data search and cache space management. Based on the proposed mobile cache model, a P2P cooperative proxy caching scheme is proposed to use a self-configured and self-managed virtual proxy graph (VPG), independent of the underlying wireless network structure and adaptive to the network and geographic environment changes, to achieve efficient data search, data cache and date replication. Based on demand, the aggregate effect of data caching, searching and replicating actions by individual proxy servers automatically migrates the cached web documents closer to the interested clients. In addition, a cache line migration (CLM) strategy is proposed to flow and replicate the heads of network cache lines of web documents associated with a moving mobile host to the new base station during the mobile host handoff. These replicated cache line heads provide direct links to the cached web documents accessed by the moving mobile hosts in the previous base station, thus improving the mobile web caching performance. Performance studies have shown that the proposed P2P cooperative proxy caching schemes significantly outperform existing caching schemes.
Rapid Deployment Morphology

This paper presents a model of morphological analysis which, unlike practically all other approaches to computational morphology, does not rely on a large dictionary of stems. Consequently, the effort to acquire the static knowledge sources for systems based on this model is significantly smaller. The model is motivated by engineering concerns: the considerations of economy and efficiency led to the use of non-traditional definitions of morphemes. The model has been implemented in the RDM system in the framework of the Corelli project at CRL. It was initially done on Russian material and then successfully applied to Serbo-Croatian. Examples in this paper are mainly from RDM-Russian.
A large-scale computer conferencing system

This paper discusses the relationships between computer-mediated communications and other forms of communication and describes a particular computer conferencing system in use within IBM. The system described is quite large, with over three thousand contributors and over twenty thousand readers. We discuss the structure of the system, the actions that users can take, and the ways in which the system is being used. Neither the definitions presented nor the system described are intended to be the last, or only, word on the subject; as computer-mediated communications and distribution become more and more important in the business and professional communities, we will need more ways of thinking about communication systems and about information distribution in general.
Assessing Curriculum Designed to Foster Students’ Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Small Business Skills from a Global Perspective†

The purpose of this paper is to report on outcomes of a 3-year collaborative project that addresses the need for future professionals with entrepreneurial knowledge and small business skills. The multiphase project involved partnerships developed between textile and apparel faculty at four U.S. universities and faculty in similar programs at universities in Thailand, India, Russia, and South Africa. Based on primary and secondary research conducted with small apparel businesses and entrepreneurs in the five countries during Phase I of the project, eight modules were created for integration into existing textile and apparel courses during Phase II. Phase III focused on the assessment of students’ knowledge and skills following delivery of the modules. This paper reports on the results of module assessment via a repeated measures experiment using pre- and postsurveys that included closed- and open-ended questions. Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data indicated that modules helped to increase students’ entrepreneurial knowledge and small business skills from a global perspective.
EFFECTS OF INSECT AND VIRUS HOST PLANTS ON TRANSMISSION OF VIRUSES BY INSECTS.

Published November 1963. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog
Achieving Predictable Performance with On-Chip Shared L2 Caches for Manycore-Based Real-Time Systems

Doubling the number of processing cores on a single processor chip with each technology generation has become conventional wisdom. While future manycore processors promise to offer much increased computational throughput under a given power envelope, sharing critical on-chip resources, such as caches and core- to-core interconnects, poses challenges to guaranteeing predictable performance to an application program. This paper focuses on the problem of sharing on-chip caching capacity among multiple programs scheduled together, especially at the L2 cache level. Specifically, two design aspects of a large shared L2 cache are considered: (1) non-uniform cache access latency and (2) cache contention. We observe that both the aspects have to do with where, among many cache slices, a cache block is mapped to, and present an OS-based approach to managing the on-chip L2 cache memory by carefully mapping data to a cache at the page granularity. We show that a reasonable extension to the OS memory management subsystem and simple architectural support enable enforcing high-level policies to achieve application performance isolation and improve program performance predictability thereof.
Single-Molecule Detection in the Near-IR Using Continuous-Wave Diode Laser Excitation with an Avalanche Photon Detector

While single-molecule detection in flowing sample streams has been reported by a number of groups, the instrumentation can be somewhat prohibitive for many applications due to the complexity and extensive expertise required to operate such a device. In this paper we report on the construction of a single-molecule detection device that is rugged, compact, inexpensive, and easily operated by individuals not well trained in optics and laser operations. The singlemolecule detection apparatus consists of a semiconductor diode laser operating in a continuous-wave (CW) mode and a single photon avalanche diode transducer for converting the detected photons into transistor-transistor logic (TTL) pulses for displaying the data. In addition, the sampling volume is produced by a single-component lens, to create a volume on the order of 1 pL, allowing the sampling of microliter volumes of material on reasonable time scales. The device is targeted for operation in the near-IR region (700-1000 nm), where matrix interferences are minimal. Our data will demonstrate the detection of single molecules for the near-IR dyes IR132 and IR-125, in methanol solvents in flowing sample streams at sampling rates of 100-250 samples/s. Detection efficiencies for the investigated near-IR dyes were found to be 98% for IR-132 and 50% for IR-125. Previous attempts in our laboratory to detect single molecules of IR-125 using time-gated detection were unsuccessful because of the short upper-state lifetime of this fluorophore ( tau f = 472 ps).
Detecting PKC phosphorylation as part of the Wnt/calcium pathway in cutaneous melanoma.

Signaling networks play crucial roles in the changes leading to malignancy. In melanoma, increased Wnt5A expression increases melanoma cell motility via activation of Protein Kinase C (PKC). PKC isoforms comprise a family of serine/threonine kinases that are involved in the transduction of signals for cell proliferation, differentiation and metastasis. The important role of PKC in processes leading to carcinogenesis and tumor cell invasion would render PKC a suitable target for cancer therapy, if not for its ubiquitous nature. Thus, targeting more tumor-specific pathways leading to PKC activation, such as the non-canonical Wnt pathway, may prove to be the key to targeting PKC in cancer. Here we summarize the current understanding of the Wnt/Calcium pathway and discuss methods of detecting activated/phosphorylated PKC as a result of Wnt signaling in malignant melanoma. We have shown that overexpression of Wnt5A results in the activation of PKC, while inhibition of Wnt5A via siRNA treatment results in its inactivation. In addition, the use of PKC activators and inhibitors has allowed us to study Wnt5A effects on downstream genes that may prove to be key targets for molecular therapy.
Analysis of new Zambian High School Physics Syllabus and Practical Examinations for Levels of Inquiry and Inquiry Skills

The purpose of this study was to analyze the new Zambian high school physics syllabus and practical examinations for levels of inquiry and inquiry skills. Several inquiry skills are explicitly emphasized in the introduction, aims, content objectives and assessment sections in the national high school physics syllabus. However, the syllabus is less explicit on levels of inquiry. The syllabus has no suggested inquiry activities and guidelines for inquiry-based teaching. As such, teachers are expected to create inquiry activities for their physics lessons to address the content and inquiry skills outlined in the syllabus. The experiments in the practical examinations were restricted to structured and confirmation/verification inquiry levels. The inquiry skills emphasized in the practical examinations were the same as those outlined in the physics syllabus. Implications for science teaching, learning, and curriculum design have been stated.
Differences between clinical trial efficacy and real-world effectiveness

Aggressive lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with statin therapy can reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) in primary and secondary prevention settings. Indeed, suboptimal statin treatment has been associated with an increased risk of CHD events. Surveys such as the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project (L-TAP) and National Cholesterol Education Program Evaluation Project Utilizing Novel E-Technology (NEPTUNE) II have demonstrated that patients in real-world clinical settings often fail to reach the target goals set forth by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III). This failure to reach target LDL-C levels in real-world clinical practice presents a therapeutic treatment gap. There may be multiple reasons for this discrepancy: lack of patient follow-up, absence of well-defined protocols (ie, use of low-potency statins in high-risk patients), adherence controls (eg, pill counts, refill records), cost, and lack of patient motivation are a few possibilities. Several large clinical trials since ATP III have shown that these goals are achievable through aggressive statin therapy. This review sets forth compelling data that starting patients on or switching to high-efficacy LDL-C-lowering therapy enhances achievement of NCEP ATP III guidelines outside of the controlled trial setting.
A Microfluidic Device with Integrated Sonication and Immunoprecipitation for Sensitive Epigenetic Assays.

Epigenetic studies increasingly require analysis of a small number of cells that are of one specific type and derived from patients or animals. In this report, we demonstrate a simple microfluidic device that integrates sonication and immunoprecipitation (IP) for epigenetic assays, such as chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP). By incorporating an ultrasonic transducer with a microfluidic chamber, we implemented microscale sonication for both shearing chromatin/DNA and mixing/washing of IP beads. Such integration allowed highly sensitive tests starting with 100 cross-linked cells for ChIP or 500 pg of genomic DNA for MeDIP (compared to 106–107 cells for ChIP and 1–10 μg of DNA for MeDIP in conventional assays). The entire on-chip process of sonication and IP took only 1 h. Our tool will be useful for highly sensitive epigenetic studies based on a small quantity of sample.
Posterior Sampling for Opportunistic Spectrum Access with Slow Flat Fading Channels

This paper considers the problem of opportunistic spectrum access in a slow flat fading stationary wireless environment, in which a cognitive agent with a single transceiver uses existing licensed spectrum to find the best possible channel to use. Each wireless channel is modeled as a k-state first order Markov chain, with one vacant (good) state and k-1 faded (bad) states. In addition, each channel is assumed as irreducible, aperiodic, and non-reactive to cognitive agent actions. An algorithm is proposed based on posterior sampling that learns best channel to use without any prior knowledge about wireless environment. The idea is to assign a Dirichlet distribution to each state in every channel, and then greedily select a channel with the highest limiting probability of being in a vacant state. An error correction scheme was also proposed to mitigate misclassification of deeply faded states, which occurs when transmitter unintentionally interferes with licensed users. Simulations of the proposed algorithm were presented at the end this paper, which show superior performance compared to other algorithms in case of perfect detection. Also, simulations of the proposed error correction scheme show an improved performance as cooperation with other agents increases. To the best our knowledge, this is the first paper to use learning algorithms for fading channel that is modeled as K-state Markov chain.
Semi Supervised Adaptive Framework for Classifying Evolving Data Stream

Most of the approaches for classifying evolving data stream divide the stream into fixed size chunks to address infinite length and concept drift problems. These approaches suffer from trade-off between performance and sensitivity. To address this problem, existing adaptive sliding window techniques determine chunk boundaries dynamically by detecting changes in classifier error rate which requires true labels for all of the data instances. However, true labels are scarce and often delayed in reality. In this paper, we propose an approach which determines dynamic chunk boundaries by detecting significant changes in classifier confidence scores using only limited number of labeled data instances. Moreover, we integrate suitable classification technique with it to propose a complete semi supervised framework which uses dynamic chunk boundaries to address concept drift and concept evolution efficiently. Results from the experiments using benchmark data sets show the effectiveness of our proposed framework in terms of handling both concept drift and concept evolution.
Evolution of the astronaut crew weather briefing for Space Shuttle operations

Weather briefings to flight crews have changed little since the early days of aviation. Pilots still need to be alerted to hazardous weather, whether for take-off, while in route, or for landing. Since the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program, weather has played a critical role in shuttle operations. Providing weather information to shuttle crews and flight controllers has evolved steadily as new technologies have been utilized. The National Weather Service's Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas has the forecasting responsibility for all Shuttle landings. This paper describes how products and processes of SMG have evolved during the Shuttle Program and suggests ways in which new technologies applied to these products and processes can be directed in the future. 1. CURRENT BRIEFING STRUCTURE; Flight Directors in the Mission Control Center (MCC) located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas make shuttle landing decisions and pass these decisions to the astronaut crew for execution. Currently, shuttle crews receive information and direction from flight controllers via the Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) position in the MCC. Brody describes in detail the operations of the SMG and its role in this process. Prior to each shuttle launch, the MCC begins a launch countdown where milestones and checkouts of various shuttle subsystems occur. SMG begins their launch countdown at Launch minus forty eight (L48) Hours to support Mission Management Team (MMT) briefings. An example of one of these briefing charts is given in Figure 1. At Launch minus one (L1) Day an Astronaut Crew and Flight Director's (FD) Weather Briefing is given. This briefing occurs roughly 24 hours before launch, and is designed to cover forecast weather for the Launch / Return-ToLaunch-Site (RTLS), the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) sites, the Abort Once Around (AOA) sites, and the First Day or daily Primary Landing Site (PLS), as well as other down-range Emergency Landing Sites (ELS). This briefing is
THE GEOGRAPHY OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA VARIATION IN TWO SYMPATRIC SPARROWS

Geographic variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction sites was studied in samples of two sympatric passerine birds, fox (Passerella iliaca) and song (Melospiza melodia) sparrows, collected at the same sites in the western United States. Different levels of variation and differentiation were observed in each species. In 46 fox sparrows taken at nine sites, five clones were observed, partitioned into two distinct east-west groups that meet at the Great Basin-Sierra Nevada interface; percent nucleotide divergence was 0.86 between groups and 0.08 within groups. An additional 43 individuals were examined using at least one of seven diagnostic endonucleases, and all supported the east-west groupings. Considering common mtDNA haplotypes as alleles, an FST of 0.50 was computed, which is an order of magnitude greater than that computed from allozyme comparisons (0.019); mtDNA analyses suggest little intergroup gene exchange. Compared to allozymic variation, analysis of mtDNA revealed a greater degree of population structuring and greater consistency with broad patterns of morphological variation. Fifteen clones were observed in 27 song sparrows taken at seven of the same sites at which fox sparrows were sampled; the percent nucleotide divergence averaged 0.27. There was no detectable geographic pattern to the variation, and no evidence of an east-west division as in the fox sparrow. However, the mosaic nature of mtDNA variation in song sparrows suggests limited gene exchange. Considering the 15 clones as alleles yielded an Fst of 0.24, which is reduced to 0.039 when corrected for sampling error. In spite of occupying the same geographic area, mtDNA analyses showed that the two species (or at least their mtDNA gene genealogies) have had different evolutionary histories.
The controversy surrounding the use of whole-brain radiotherapy in brain metastases patients

Brain metastases account for the majorityof intracranial malignancies and carry an extremely high mortality and, anecdotes aside, are associated with very short survival times. With improvements in treatment including surgery, systemic therapy, and radiotherapy, a tiny minority of patients are living longer. Unfortunately, for an unselected population of patients with brain metastases representing the vast majority of these patients, median survival is still measured in months rather than years. It is well recognized that the therapies and the disease itself can have a significant impact on a patient’s cognition and quality of life, even in this short survival duration. One of the more debilitating side effects associated with brain metastases is cognitive decline, most notably affecting memory. The underlying pathology of cognitive decline in patients with brain metastases is multifactorial. A common cause is the cancer itself and, of course, the occurrence of brain metastases. Medications associated with symptomatic management of the consequences from brain metastases, systemic chemotherapeutic agents, and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) are contributing factors. Additionally, comorbid factors such as anxiety, fatigue, depression, and direct involvement of memory centers in the brain can contribute to memory decline. Various techniques have been and are being developed to prevent or treat neurocognitive decline in brain cancer patients. 1 WBRT has been integral in the treatment of brain metastases for well over half a century. For example, Chao et al demonstrated symptomatic improvement in 63% of patients treated with this approach. 2 Improvements insurgical and radiosurgicaltechniques have increasingly led to applying WBRT as an adjuvant treatment following resection or radiosurgery (SRS) to improve local, leptomeningeal, and regional control. 3‐7 Over the last decade, an increasing trend has emerged toward utilizing SRS alone for patients with multiple brain metastases and reserving WBRTas a treatment of last resort for salvage of widespread intracranial metastatic disease. In this review, we will scrutinize the evidence suggesting that WBRT can be abandoned in a significant majority of patients, and we posit that this is in fact a dangerous trend that is not adequately supported by the evidence at hand. Further, wewill highlight the significant advances in modulating WBRT-associated cognitive deficits, which would be expected to further improve the therapeutic window associated with this modality.
Constricted cell migration causes nuclear lamina damage, DNA breaks, and squeeze-out of repair factors

Genomic variation across cancers scales with tissue stiffness: meta-analyses show tumors in stiff tissues such as lung and bone exhibit up to 100-fold more variation than tumors in soft tissues such as marrow and brain. Here, nuclear lamina damage and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) result from invasive migration of cancer cells through stiff constrictions. DSBs increase with lamin-A knockdown and require micro-pores sufficiently small for lamins to impede migration. Blebs in the vast majority of post-migration nuclei are enriched in lamin-A but deficient in lamin-B and an age-associated form of lamin-A. Validation of DSBs by an electrophoretic comet assay calibrates against a cancer line having nuclease sites engineered in chromosome-1, and DSB-bound repair factors in nuclei pulled into constrictions show folded chromatin orients, extends, and concentrates without fragmentation. Mobile repair proteins simultaneously segregate away from pore-condensed chromatin. Global squeeze-out of repair factors and loss with lamin-A-dependent rupture explains why overexpression of repair factors cannot rescue DSBs in migration through stiff constrictions, ultimately favoring genomic variation.
Computed Tomography of the Pelvis

Abstract The computed tomography scan has revealed the location and size of abnormal pelvic masses as an adjunct to other diagnostic studies. We have extended its usefulness by air distension of the bladder, which accommodates to adjacent structures and, thereby, highlights abnormalities in its own wall and in other organs. The patients are prepared according to a simple routine. As we attempt further economy and efficiency the cost of each study becomes justified by the information gained.
Schedule dependency of 5-fluorouracil.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is cell-cycle specific for its cytotoxicity and has a pharmacokinetic profile characterized by a short, single-dose half-life of 10 to 20 minutes in plasma. Efforts to maximize its clinical efficacy have been
Single Particle Tracking in Double Cushioned, Blebbed Supported Lipid Bilayers Enables Studies of Transmembrane Protein Diffusion

Supported Lipid Bilayers (SLB's) are effective models for studying some biomembrane phenomena. A thin layer of water between the substrate and the bilayer engenders 2D fluidity and enables studies of lipid diffusion and peripheral membrane protein diffusion. However, the water layer is not thick enough to prevent friction between most transmembrane proteins and the substrate. Because of this, it is difficult to study the diffusive properties of proteins that protrude significantly from the membrane. Here, we describe a double cushioning SLB platform that is easy to construct and supports the mobility of most transmembrane proteins. The platform makes use of streptavidin to passivate the substrate and PEGylated lipids (with biotin attached) to act as a cushion. The bilayer can be formed by vesicle fusion, allowing us to incorporate membrane proteins from cell blebs without using detergents or other artifactual methods. Atomic force microscopy images of each layer in this SLB reveal heterogeneities in the lateral distribution and height of the cushioning components. Single particle tracking of fluorescently tagged DHHC20, a ∼40 kDa acyltransferase with 4 transmembrane domains, demonstrates fluidity of large multi-pass membrane proteins. Detailed analysis of trajectories shows the effects of the cushion heterogeneities on the diffusive properties of DHHC20. We will discuss the biological implications of these results and the applications of this platform to studying cytoskeleton-mediated confinement of plasma membrane components. We will briefly discuss a model for the mechanism of cytoskeletal confinement based on hydrodynamic interactions with immobilized membrane proteins.
Dietary choline and betaine; associations with subclinical markers of cardiovascular disease risk and incidence of CVD, coronary heart disease and stroke: the Jackson Heart Study.

Purpose Several mechanisms have been described through which dietary intake of choline and its derivative betaine may be associated in both directions with subclinical atherosclerosis. We assessed the association of dietary intake of choline and betaine with cardiovascular risk and markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease.
Ten-Year Experience for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Part 2: FDA's Role in Ensuring Patient Safety.

Background:The purpose of this study was to describe the role of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in ensuring the safety of patients receiving investigational drugs under expanded access.M...
UAS imaging for automated crop lodging detection: a case study over an experimental maize field

Lodging has been recognized as one of the major destructive factors for crop quality and yield, particularly in corn. A variety of contributing causes, e.g. disease and/or pest, weather conditions, excessive nitrogen, and high plant density, may lead to lodging before harvesting season. Traditional lodging detection strategies mainly rely on ground data collection, which is insufficient in efficiency and accuracy. To address this problem, this research focuses on the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for automated detection of crop lodging. The study was conducted over an experimental corn field at the Texas A and M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, Texas, during the growing season of 2016. Nadir-view images of the corn field were taken by small UAS platforms equipped with consumer grade RGB and NIR cameras on a per week basis, enabling a timely observation of the plant growth. 3D structural information of the plants was reconstructed using structure-from-motion photogrammetry. The structural information was then applied to calculate crop height, and rates of growth. A lodging index for detecting corn lodging was proposed afterwards. Ground truth data of lodging was collected on a per row basis and used for fair assessment and tuning of the detection algorithm. Results show the UAS-measured height correlates well with the ground-measured height. More importantly, the lodging index can effectively reflect severity of corn lodging and yield after harvesting.
The engineer of 2020 is here: Using innovative kinesthetic activities as tools to fulfill the NAE vision

With the arrival of the 2016 freshmen class on college campuses, the Engineer of 2020 is here. In the 13 years since the NAE's initial publication, many innovative engineering programs and initiatives have taken root across the United States. Many of these programs are rooted in experiential learning for technical mastery, and have demonstrated success in developing strong technical experts. The vision for the Engineer of 2020 goes beyond technical knowledge and deep into the human elements of engineering. We describe the use of innovative, kinesthetic activities to support the broader realization of the NAE vision. We draw from two unique courses, a communication course with a multidisciplinary engineering student enrollment, and a course for both engineering and non-engineering students that explores the implications of engineers as people. While different in context, the elective courses share a similar ideology and approach in emphasizing communication, human relationships, focus on the engineering process, opportunities for reflection, and growth mindset. Many of the activities described require students to play a role in a non-technical or abstract scenario which forms the basis for discussing engineering principles. The underlying philosophies of these non-technical courses also permeate our approaches to teaching technical material in core classes. Student feedback has been positive, with students recognizing the absence of this kind of learning in their broader education.
John Keats, Medicine, and Young Men on the Make

Keats worked hard to be able to pursue a career in medicine. It is thus striking that he decided to set aside this career path to pursue poetry. Keats’s choice is most often read within his life story, but his decision fits within a pattern of life choices made by his friends and acquaintances. As Nicholas Roe’s new biography suggests, Keats came of age amidst a group of young men on the make. The question all of them had to answer was whether they wanted to make poetry or make a career. To make poetry was to gamble on immortality. To make a career was not only to earn money but to be able, perhaps, to marry and to make a family. Placing Keats’s decisions within the choices made by figures from Thomas Love Peacock to John Hamilton Reynolds, from Horace Smith to Cornelius Webb enables us to understand not only his personal decision but how his generation of rising young men of promise faced the economic realities of being a writer. We can also see how the poetry of Keats and his circle sought to thematize what Leigh Hunt called the “spirit of money-getting” and what Shelley more simply called “Mammon.”
Ni-catalyzed hydroboration and hydrosilylation of olefins with diboron and silylborane

Abstract Herein we report a Ni-catalyzed formal hydroboration of olefins, which afforded anti-Markovnikov-type alkylboranes with B2pin2 and a stoichiometric amount of water. Formal hydrosilylation using air- and moisture-sensitive silylboranes also proceeded under optimized conditions. The reaction with trans-stilbene and D2O resulted in 1,2-H migration, which suggested that the reaction proceeded via β-hydride elimination and reinsertion mechanisms.
Regulation of Neuronal Enzymes in Cell Culture

In 1907, Ross G. Harrison published a report, “Observations on the Living Developing Nerve Fiber,” the first published account of the maintenance and growth of neural tissue in vitro. He explanted a small portion of neural tube from a frog embryo and demonstrated the development of an axis cylinder from perikaryon over clotted lymph. The great importance of this experiment was that (1) it indicated that neuronal morphological differentiation could be continued and studied for prolonged periods in vitro and (2) it provided unambiguous data to support the Cajal neuron doctrine, as the evolving naked fibers in his cultures were processes of neuronal units and not syncytial in origin. Since Harrison’s paper, a voluminous body of literature has accumulated documenting the development of explants in vitro from central and peripheral nervous systems. This has been comprehensively reviewed by Murray (1965) and includes the following topics: cellular morphology and movements, neurite outgrowth, neurophysiological properties, neurosecretion, effect of drugs and nerve growth factor, the electron microscopic appearance of long-term cultured neurons, maintenance of and new synapse formation in vitro, myelination in vitro, axoplasmic flow, and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and neuritis studied in vitro. The quantitative biochemical characterization of neuronal differentiation in vitro has been developed more recently and is the subject of this chapter.
Origin of the anomalous size-dependent increase of capacitance in boron nitride–graphene nanocapacitors

The anomalous size-dependent increase in capacitance in boron nitride–graphene nanocapacitors is a puzzle that has been initially attributed to the negative quantum capacitance exhibited by this particular materials system. However, we show in this work that the anomalous nanocapacitance of this system is not due to quantum effects but has pure electrostatic origin and can be explained by a parallel-plate (square) nanocapacitor model filled with a dielectric film characterized by a size/thickness-dependent relative permittivity. The model presented here is in excellent agreement with the experimentally measured capacitance values of recently fabricated graphene and hexagonal boron nitride nanocapacitors. The results obtained seem to suggest that the size-dependent increase of capacitance in the above-mentioned family of nanocapacitors can be explained by classical finite-size geometric electrostatic effects.
Association Between HIV Symptom Burden and Inflammatory Cytokines: An Analysis by Sex and Menopause Stage.

Introduction: There is a growing body of knowledge characterizing the menopause experience in those with HIV. The primary goal of this study was to assess inflammatory cytokine associations with symptoms and sex-specific differences, and the secondary focus was to assess differences among women by menopause status. Materials and Methods: One hundred persons living with HIV (PLWH) (25 men and 75 women recruited by menopause stage) completed a blood draw for hormones and cytokines and study questions on demographics, height and weight, reproductive health status, HIV symptoms, PROMIS-29 measures, and most recent viral load; study visits were synchronized to the early follicular phase in women with regular cycles. Results: In both sexes, the most burdensome HIV symptoms were muscle aches/joint pain, difficulty falling asleep, fatigue, and neuropathy. Three of the five symptoms where burden scores differed by menopause stage were related to pain with highest scores in the premenopause group; the postmenopause group also demonstrated a similar burden for muscle aches/joint pain while scores for men and perimenopause women were lowest. Pain intensity scores on the PROMIS-29 also varied significantly by groups. After controlling for sex, menopause stage and body mass index, significant differences were noted in C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8 for PLWH who reported muscle aches/joint pain. Conclusions: Our findings suggest enhanced burden for HIV-related symptoms in women in the early follicular phase, possibly owing to menstruation. This supports the need for more targeted investigations in younger cycling women with HIV at multiple phases across the menstrual cycle. Muscle aches/pain are strongly associated with decreased CRP and IL-8 levels and increased IL-6 levels suggesting the need for further investigation of the biological pathways contributing to pain in PLWH. Finally, there is evidence to support that in PLWH, systemic inflammation is heightened above recommended clinical guidelines even when viral load is undetectable supporting the need for further study of the effects of persistent elevated inflammation on health outcomes.
Bridge to neuroscience workshop: An effective educational tool to introduce principles of neuroscience to Hispanics students.

Neuroscience as a discipline is rarely covered in educational institutions in Puerto Rico. In an effort to overcome this deficit we developed the Bridge to Neuroscience Workshop (BNW), a full-day hands-on workshop in neuroscience education. BNW was conceived as an auxiliary component of a parent recruitment program called Bridge to the PhD in Neuroscience Program (BPNP). The objectives of BNW are to identify promising students for BPNP, and to increase awareness of neuroscience as a discipline and a career option. BNW introduces basic concepts in neuroscience using a variety of educational techniques, including mini-lectures, interactive discussions, case studies, experimentation, and a sheep brain dissection. Since its inception in 2011 BNW has undergone a series of transformations that continue to improve upon an already successful and influential educational program for underrepresented minorities. As of Fall 2018, we have presented 21 workshops, impacting 200 high school and 424 undergraduate students. BNW has been offered at University of Puerto Rico (UPR)-Arecibo, UPR-Cayey, UPR-Humacao, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Ponce, and Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico-Arecibo. A pre-and post evaluation was given to evaluate material comprehension and thus measure effectiveness of our one-day interactive workshop. Our results suggest that both high school and undergraduate students have little prior knowledge of neuroscience, and that participation in BNW improves not only understanding, but also enthusiasm for the discipline. Currently, our assessment has only been able to evaluate short-term effects (e.g. comprehension and learning). Therefore, our current focus is developing methods capable of determining how participation in BNW impacts future academic and career decisions.
Retrorectal cyst: proteus in the backyard—case series and literature review

Retrorectal cysts are cystic lesions located in the retrorectal space and are a distinct subset of retrorectal tumours, which are often misdiagnosed due to their rarity and mimicry of symptoms caused by common diseases. We have described the presentation and management of four patients who were diagnosed with retrorectal cysts from a 10-year retrospective chart review at our institute, a tertiary care centre. In middle-aged women, the following should raise suspicion of retrorectal cyst: gastrointestinal or urinary obstructive features, mass or fullness palpable on the posterior wall on digital rectal examination, presacral dimple, perianal fistula and/or recurrent disease. Such features should prompt an MRI evaluation of the pelvis for definitive diagnosis.
Salmonella versus the microbiome

A balanced gut microbiota contributes to health, but the mechanisms maintaining homeostasis remain elusive. Microbiota assembly during infancy is governed by competition between species and by environmental factors, termed habitat filters, that determine the range of successful traits within the microbial community. These habitat filters include the diet, host-derived resources, and microbiota-derived metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids. Once the microbiota has matured, competition and habitat filtering prevent engraftment of new microbes, thereby providing protection against opportunistic infections. Competition with endogenous Enterobacterales, habitat filtering by short-chain fatty acids, and a host-derived habitat filter, epithelial hypoxia, also contribute to colonization resistance against Salmonella serovars. However, at a high challenge dose, these frank pathogens can overcome colonization resistance by using their virulence factors to trigger intestinal inflammation. In turn, inflammation increases the luminal availability of host-derived resources, such as oxygen, nitrate, tetrathionate, and lactate, thereby creating a state of abnormal habitat filtering that enables the pathogen to overcome growth inhibition by short-chain fatty acids. Thus, studying the process of ecosystem invasion by Salmonella serovars clarifies that colonization resistance can become weakened by disrupting host-mediated habitat filtering. This insight is relevant for understanding how inflammation triggers dysbiosis linked to noncommunicable diseases, conditions in which endogenous Enterobacterales expand in the fecal microbiota using some of the same growth-limiting resources required by Salmonella serovars for ecosystem invasion. In essence, ecosystem invasion by Salmonella serovars suggests that homeostasis and dysbiosis simply represent states where competition and habitat filtering are normal or abnormal, respectively.
Cumulative GRAS Score as a Predictor of Survival After Resection for Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Analysis From the U.S. Adrenocortical Carcinoma Database

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy, and many prognostic factors that influence survival remain undefined. Individually, the GRAS (Grade, Resection status, Age, and Symptoms of hormone hypersecretion) parameters have demonstrated their prognostic value in ACC. This study aimed to assess the value of a cumulative GRAS score as a prognostic indicator after ACC resection. A retrospective cohort study of adult patients who underwent surgical resection for ACC between 1993 and 2014 was performed using the United States Adrenocortical Carcinoma Group (US-ACCG) database. A sum GRAS score was calculated for each patient by adding one point each when the criteria were met for tumor grade (Weiss criteria ≥ 3 or Ki67 ≥ 20%), resection status (micro- or macroscopically positive margin), age (≥ 50 years), and preoperative symptoms of hormone hypersecretion (present). Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) by cumulative GRAS score were analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. Of the 265 patients in the US-ACCG database, 243 (92%) had sufficient data available to calculate a cumulative GRAS score and were included in this analysis. The 265 patients comprised 23 patients (10%) with a GRAS of 0, 52 patients (21%) with a GRAS of 1, 92 patients (38%) with a GRAS of 2, 63 patients (26%) with a GRAS of 3, and 13 patients (5%) with a GRAS of 4. An increasing GRAS score was associated with shortened OS (p < 0.01) and DFS (p < 0.01) after index resection. In this retrospective analysis, the cumulative GRAS score effectively stratified OS and DFS after index resection for ACC. Further prospective analysis is required to validate the cumulative GRAS score as a prognostic indicator for clinical use.
Disha-Indoor Navigation App

Indoor navigation system or indoor positioning system is a branch of Location Based services. Indoor navigation system helps people to reach their destination by using the technology on its own or by collaborating with other technologies INS deals with the peculiarities of indoor environments ( no GPS, navigation XYZ etc.) Such as closed room where GPS signals are hard to reach. Indoor navigation has become important owing to the advancements in architecture and logistics that have contributed to the development of massive buildings. Indoor navigation works on different technologies such as RFID, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons etc. Modern new Augmented Reality technologies may also be used for indoor navigation. The proposed model offers a real-time view of the environment with the help of the augmented reality. The proposed system for indoor navigation positioning device utilizes augmented reality to help assess the surroundings as well as to make positioning more accurate, one could use Bluetooth beacons or Wi-Fi locations. The suggested method would utilize Augmented Reality to assess the direction using SLAM algorithms for spatial precision. The user would continue to use the phone camera to get the environments’ real-time objects. For the user to reach the target destination the AR-software would carry the user to the correct spot. The user has to scan a particular QR code to gain the map for a particular building thus not having the map for every buildings.
Robotic Peritoneal Flap Revision of Gender Affirming Vaginoplasty: a Novel Technique for Treating Neovaginal Stenosis.

Abstract Objectives To present the technique and early outcomes of salvage neovaginal reconstruction using robotic dissection and peritoneal flap mobilization. Methods Twenty-four patients underwent robotic peritoneal flap revision vaginoplasty from 2017 to 2020. A canal is dissected between the bladder and rectum towards the stenosed vaginal cavity, which is incised and widened. Peritoneal flaps from the posterior bladder and pararectal fossa are advanced and sutured to edges of the stenosed cavity. Proximal peritoneal flap edges are approximated to form the neovaginal apex. Patient demographics, comorbidities, surgical indications, and operative details are described. Outcome measures include postoperative neovaginal dimensions and complications. Results Mean age at revision was 39 years (range 27-58). All patients had previously undergone PIV, with revision surgery occurring at a median 35.3 months (range 6-252) after primary vaginoplasty. Surgical indications included short or stenotic vagina or absent canal. Average procedure length was 5 hours. At mean follow up of 410 days (range 179-683), vaginal depth and width were 13.6 cm (range 10.9-14.5) and 3.6 cm (range 2.9-3.8), respectively. There were no immediate or intraoperative complications related to peritoneal flap harvest. No patient had rectal injury. One patient had post-operative canal bleeding requiring return to the operating room for hemostasis. Conclusions Robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty is a safe, novel approach to canal revision after primary PIV with minimal donor site morbidity.
Anesthesia Considerations of a Pregnant Woman With COVID-19 Undergoing Cesarean Delivery: A Case Report

Physiologic changes during pregnancy may increase the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Limited data show serious complications of COVID-19 infection and pregnancy. Severe adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes such as preterm delivery, intensive care unit admission, and neonatal and intrauterine death have been reported. Our knowledge of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, disease progression, and clinical course of COVID-19 is continually changing as more information and evidence emerge. The present case adds further insights on COVID-19 and anesthesia considerations for patients undergoing cesarean delivery. In this case report, we describe a successful spinal anesthetic in a pregnant woman with confirmed COVID-19. To prepare for the likelihood of caring for women during labor and cesarean delivery, anesthesia professionals must know how to provide safe, patient-centered care and how to protect every member of the obstetric team from exposure to the virus. In addition, it is paramount that our profession shares our experiences and practices to help guide our multidisciplinary approach in delivering the best care possible to these women.
A pressure-tuned Fabry Pérot interferometer for laser frequency stabilization and tuning.

We present a simple, inexpensive pressure-tuned Fabry Perot interferometer which can be used to frequency stabilize and tune a laser when no suitable atomic reference is available. Our design, made largely from off-the-shelf parts, yields a tuning range of about 4 GHz and offers an absolute tuning accuracy of better than 1 MHz. The interferometer, which uses air as its working medium, is characterized by a low thermal drift rate of order 1 MHz per hour.