cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Brief History of College Accreditation

The English word accreditation is derived from the Latin word credito, which means trust. It is important for the public to trust that they are pursuing a worthy endeavor when a student embarks on a collegiate education, and the system to help ensure trust is what is called accreditation. In order to more completely understand college accreditation today, it is important to understand how it started, why it was begun, the historical development of academic accreditation that evolved over the years in response to society’s changing demands, and its essential character therein (Young et al. 1983). After looking at the backdrop of accreditation and its chronicle, the valuable administration and development of accreditation systems can be more fully thrashed out in the framework of its ongoing development as a distinctive public and semigovernmental activity. The study of the chronological development of the evolution of colleges and universities in the United States is also important to fully comprehend the necessity for accreditation management within higher education today. Prior to the late nineteenth century, the curricula at colleges in the United States and the colonies was largely a proscribed doctrine based on an ancient course of study at educational institutions that were primarily religious in nature (Rudolph 1977). The curriculum normally included seven topics known as the “Trivium and Quadrivium.” These were founded on the kinds of studies that were practiced in the classical world, and these seven liberal arts became codified in late antiquity by such writers as Varro and Martianus Capella (Fideler 1996).
Spatial Object Tracking System Based on Linear Optical Sensor Arrays

This paper presents a low-cost novel motion tracking system using linear optical sensor arrays supplemented by a 9DOF inertial measurement unit. Each pair of the linear sensor modules is capable of tracking the 2D location of an active infrared LED light source (marker). The presented tracking system combines two of these modules to realize spatial position tracking of the LED light source. The proposed system efficiently amalgamates inertial data with optical tracking estimates to extract attitude, minimize power requirement, and improve positional accuracy. The tracking system enables high-speed, high-accuracy, and low-cost position and attitude tracking for a wide range of applications. The detailed hardware design and performance evaluation experiments of this approach are also reported. The performance of the proposed tracking system was evaluated by measuring the tracking error with respect to known trajectories of the LED light source from different distances.
Omnidirectional light concentrators and absorbers revisited: Almost flat absorbers inside almost circular (spherical) lenses

We extend our previously developed theory of a circular omnidirectional absorber - ‘an optical black hole’. We introduce a new, elliptically flattened design that could have elliptic cylinder, oblate or prolate spheroidal shapes. As a result, the absorbing core could now be flattened to a strip (elliptic cylinder) or a disk (oblate spheroid) and therefore match well-established planar fabrication techniques. First, we present a general and complete theoretical description that includes 3D oblique incidence, and then test the theory with ray-tracing and full-wave simulations of elliptic absorbers that confirm flawless performance at complete acceptance angles.
Inequality Begins Outside the Home: Putting Parental Educational Investments into Context

The highly concerning phenomenon of a widening income–education gap in the USA is addressed by Kalil (Chap. 5). We offer a contextual developmental perspective on the effects of poverty on families, parents, and children. There is little doubt that parenting matters for children’s health and development. However, we argue that analysis of how parenting matters to children’s educational outcomes, and why parenting differs between economic and educational strata, is best conducted once parenting is put into context. In support of this argument, we briefly address three topics. First, we present strong evidence that parenting is a mediating factor in explaining children’s diverging academic destinies. Second, we compare a behavioral economics perspective on parental educational investments in more and less advantaged households to developmentally informed theory and research on the topic. Finally, we consider the utility of a behavioral economics solution to the problem of educational disparities in this country.
Implications and outcomes of cardiac grafts refused by pediatric centers but transplanted by adult centers.

Abstract Background According to Organ Procurement Transplant Network policy, hearts from donors age Methods All adolescent donors (age 12-17 years) for 2000 to 2015 were identified using the standard United Network of Organ Sharing dataset and matched against the Potential Transplant Recipient dataset. Results Of the 2457 adults who received an adolescent heart, 855 (35%) received it after at least 1 refusal by a pediatric candidate (n = 844). Of the 844 pediatric candidates, 643 (76%) subsequently underwent transplantation (designated PCTs) and 201 (24%) never underwent transplantation (designated PCNTs). Among the latter group, 87 patients (43%) died or became too ill for transplantation. These 87 PCNTs refused 256 hearts that were later accepted by adult recipients. Donor quality was the most common reason for refusal. Overall, adult recipients had similar post-transplantation survival compared with PCTs, all pediatric transplants, and all adult transplants ( P > .10). A breakdown of adolescent heart donors by year shows a trend toward increased use in pediatric candidates. Conclusions A significant number of adolescent donor hearts that are refused by pediatric centers result in excellent post-transplantation outcomes in adult recipients. One in 10 pediatric candidates died on the waitlist after refusal of these hearts used by adult recipients. This warrants careful evaluation of the refusal criteria used by pediatric centers. Encouragingly, there now appears to be a trend toward an increased use of adolescent donor hearts by pediatric centers.
Platelet Factor 4 (PF4) Antigenic Complexes on the Macrophage Surface: Implications for the Pathogenesis of Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT).

Abstract HIT is the most frequent antibody-mediated drug-induced thrombocytopenia and is unique in the associated prevalence of thrombosis. HIT is caused by antibodies to a normal host protein, PF4, complexed to heparin or cellular glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). We have shown that binding of HIT antibodies and a monoclonal HIT-like antibody KKO to platelet surface chondroitin sulfate (CS) follows a bell-shaped curve with respect to PF4 concentration. At external PF4 concentrations below the peak value of 50 μg/mL, heparin initially increases antigenicity. Surface GAGs on macrophages differ from those on platelets in several ways, including having a higher affinity for PF4. In addition, the binding of HIT-IgG elicits the elaboration of tissue factor. Therefore, we characterized the binding of HIT IgG antibody to macrophages exposed to different concentrations of PF4. Binding of PF4 to the surface of human/murine macrophages also followed a bell-shaped curve with peak antigenicity at the same PF4 concentration as seen on platelets. However, HIT antigenticity persisted at lower PF4 concentrations. For example at a PF4 concentration of 6 μg/mL, six times as much KKO bound to macrophages as to platelets. PF4-coated monocytes were also more resistant to the abrogation of KKO binding by heparin. At therapeutic concentrations of heparin, HIT antigenicity actually increased on macrophages exposed to optimal concentrations of PF4, while platelet surface antigenicity was nearly eliminated. Enzymatic removal of surface GAGs showed that unlike platelet surfaces, where CS is the major GAG involved in HIT antigenicity, a more complex pattern was seen on macrophages that included heparan sulfates, CS and likely dermatan sulfates. Thus, these studies show that expression of surface HIT antigenic complexes on macrophages develop at much lower concentrations of PF4 than platelets and that these complexes are more resistant to removal by heparin. The enhanced avidity of macrophages for PF4/GAG complexes may also contribute to the persistent risk of thrombosis for at least several days after heparin exposure has been stopped. Whether measurement of antigenic complexes on macrophages would identity patients at higher risk of thrombosis and whether reduction in the risk of thrombosis requires measures directed at the integrity of these complexes in addition to use of direct thrombin inhibitors are under investigation.
The Primacy of the Will and the Love It Produces

Following his visit with Imagynatyf, Will encounters a series of characters who respond to his questions in a profoundly distinct way, for example, Anima, Kynde, or Conscience. Their counsel urges Will to consider the affective facets of being and integrate love into his search. Supplanting certain knowledge with this sapiential kind of learning redefines his epistemological expectations. Although love may not possess the same evidentiary type of proof that scientia offers, it holds an epistemic value motivating the individual to take direct action. This value springs from the will and, when properly aligned, should lead one to the divine font of charity. Still, it preserves the individual’s freedom to pursue what he deems most desirable. As a result, Will’s interactions emphasize not only the importance of choice, but also how his eponymous faculty makes the right kind of choices. To explain the will’s ability to draw the necessary distinctions, Scotus posits a theory of dual affections—the affectio commodi (the affection for the advantageous) and the affectio iustitiae (the affection for justice). Because the affectio commodi does not consider possibilities other than its own wants, such as self-preservation and happiness, it cannot govern the other affection. The moderating force exerted by the affection for justice empowers the will with an ethical dimension since it seeks to perform another-centered act, whose goal is not possession or use, but benevolence and charity. These will-acts are not constrained by reason’s dictates and, when channeled properly, produce an inclination to love selflessly. This chapter, therefore, examines how the personified figures in the fifth and succeeding visions refine Will’s intellectual endeavors through charity. The interconnection between these two modes of knowing highlights both the denouement of his journey and the will’s primacy.
“Ambition at Rome”: Killing Remus in Poe’s “William Wilson”

First published in 1839, “William Wilson” is Edgar Allan Poe’s ambiguous account of a highborn English bully, drunkard, drug user, card sharper, and serial seducer who is shadowed and harassed by t...
Exposure to the antifouling chemical medetomidine slows development, reduces body mass, and delays metamorphosis in wood frog ( Lithobates sylvaticus ) tadpoles

Antifouling chemicals have a long history of causing toxicity to aquatic organisms. We measured growth and developmental timing in wood frog tadpoles exposed to the antifouling chemical medetomidine (10 nM–10 μM) starting at two different developmental stages in static renewal experiments. For tadpoles hatched from egg masses and exposed for 3 weeks to 100 nM and 1 μM, head width/total body length ratio was significantly shorter compared to control. For field-collected tadpoles at Gosner stage 24–25 and exposed for 2 weeks, 1 and 10 μM medetomidine significantly slowed development as measured by Gosner stage. Medetomidine (1 and 10 μM) significantly increased the time to metamorphosis by over 16 days on average, and at 100 nM and 1 μM, it significantly decreased mass at metamorphosis. We discuss the possible effects of antifouling chemicals containing medetomidine on globally threatened groups such as amphibians.
Coupled wire models of interacting Dirac nodal superconductors

Topological nodal superconductors possess gapless low energy excitations that are characterized by point or line nodal Fermi surfaces. In this work, using a coupled wire construction, we study topological nodal superconductors that have protected Dirac nodal points. In this construction, the low-energy electronic degrees of freedom are confined in a three dimensional array of wires, which emerge as pairing vortices of a microscopic superconducting system. The vortex array harbors an antiferromagnetic time-reversal and a mirror glide symmetry that protect the massless Dirac fermion in the single-body non-interacting limit. Within this model, we demonstrate exact-solvable many-body interactions that preserve the underlying symmetries and introduce a finite excitation energy gap. These gapping interactions support fractionalization and generically lead to non-trivial topological order. We also construct a special case of $N=16$ Dirac fermions where corresponding the gapping interaction leads to a trivial $E_8$ topological order that is closely related to the cancellation of the large gravitational anomaly.
Intermolecular Potentials from Scattering Experiments: Results, Applications, and Limitations

ABSTRACT Theoretical and experimental aspects of the scattering of high energy neutral particles are discussed with reference to the determination of the potential energy of molecular interactions at small internuclear separations, where such information cannot be obtained from measurements of transport or equilibrium properties of gases. Numerical results are given for a number of systems of varying degrees of molecular complexity. It is pointed out that the results can be used for calculating transport and equilibrium properties of normal, undissociated gases up to 15,000 K and that extensions to systems containing ionic, excited, metastable or dissociated species are feasible.
Neratinib augments the lethality of [regorafenib + sildenafil]

Regorafenib is approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the trial NCT02466802, we have discovered that regorafenib can be safely combined with the phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor sildenafil in advanced solid tumor patients. The present studies determined whether the approved ERBB1/2/4 and RAS downregulating drug neratinib, could enhance the lethality of [regorafenib + sildenafil]. Neratinib enhanced [regorafenib + sildenafil] lethality in a greater than additive fashion in colon cancer cells. The drug combination reduced the expression of mutant K-RAS and of multiple histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins that required autophagosome formation. It caused green fluorescent protein or red fluorescent protein-tagged forms of K-RAS V12 to localize into large intracellular vesicles. Compared with [regorafenib + sildenafil], the three-drug combination caused greater and more prolonged activation of the ATM-AMPK-ULK-1 pathway and caused a greater suppression and prolonged inactivation of mammalian target of rapamycin, AKT, and p70 S6K. Approximately 70% of enhanced lethality caused by neratinib required ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM)-AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) signaling whereas knockdown of Beclin1, ATG5, FADD, and CD95 completely prevented the elevated killing effect. Exposure of cells to [regorafenib + sildenafil] reduced the expression of the checkpoint immunotherapy biomarkers programmed death-ligand 1, ornithine decarboxylase, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 and increased the expression of major histocompatibility complex A (MHCA), which also required autophagosome formation. Knockdown of specific HDAC proteins recapitulated the effects observed using chemical agents. In vivo, using mouse cancer models, neratinib significantly enhanced the antitumor efficacy of [regorafenib + sildenafil]. Our data support performing a new three drug Phase I trial combining regorafenib, sildenafil, and neratinib.
Prostate tumor neuroendocrine differentiation via EMT: The road less traveled.

Abstract The long-standing challenge in the treatment of prostate cancer is to overcome therapeutic resistance during progression to lethal disease. Aberrant transforming-growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling accelerates prostate tumor progression in a transgenic mouse model via effects on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and neuroendocrine differentiation driving tumor progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is highly aggressive exhibiting reactivation of developmental programs associated with EMT induction and stem cell-like characteristics. The androgen receptor (AR) is a critical driver of tumor progression as well as therapeutic response in patients with metastatic CRPC. The signaling interactions between the TGF-β mechanistic network and AR axis impact the EMT phenotypic conversions, and perturbation of epithelial homeostasis via EMT renders a critical venue for epithelial derived tumors to become invasive, acquire the neuroendocrine phenotype, and rapidly metastasize. Combinations of microtubule targeting taxane chemotherapy and androgen/AR targeting therapies have survival benefits in CRPC patients, but therapeutic resistance invariability develops, leading to mortality. Compelling evidence from our group recently demonstrated that chemotherapy (cabazitaxel, second line taxane chemotherapy), or TGF-β receptor signaling targeted therapy, caused reversion of EMT to mesenchymal-epithelial transition and tumor re-differentiation, in in vitro and in vivo prostate cancer models. In this review, we discuss the functional contribution of EMT dynamic changes to the development of the neuroendocrine phenotype—the newly characterized pathological feature of prostate tumors in the context of the tumor microenvironment-navigated cell lineage changes and the role of this neuroendocrine phenotype in metastatic progression and therapeutic resistance.
Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in pediatric intestinal failure patients using liver stiffness measurement by Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of noninvasive Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) for assessing liver fibrosis in pediatric intestinal failure (PIF) patients. Methods Data from children with severe intestinal failure (≥ 90 days parenteral nutrition dependence) who underwent liver stiffness measurement (LSM), as measured by VCTE, at our institution between December 2015 and March 2018 were reviewed. LSM was compared to METAVIR fibrosis score (F0-F4) on liver biopsy performed within 1 year of VCTE. Results Seventy children underwent 75 LSM. Sixty-three patients (38% female) had at least one valid LSM, and 63% had a history of cholestasis (direct bilirubin ≥ 2 mg/dL). Median (IQR) age at first valid LSM was 4.5 years (2.6, 8.7). Sixteen patients had a liver biopsy. LSM differentiated between METAVIR F0-F1 (n = 6) and F2-F4 (n = 10) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.883 (95% CI: 0.686–0.999). The optimal cut-point derived to predict F2-F4 was an LSM ≥ 6 kPa (sensitivity 80%, specificity 100%). Conclusion LSM as determined by VCTE can distinguish mild (F0-F1) from moderate/severe (F2-F4) liver fibrosis in PIF. VCTE could allow for serial noninvasive monitoring of liver injury, potentially facilitating timely modifications to hepatoprotective management. Type of Study: Study of Diagnostic Test. Level of Evidence: II.
Phylogeny of a new gigantic paravian (Theropoda; Coelurosauria; Maniraptora) from the Upper Cretaceous of James Ross Island, Antarctica

Abstract A description with phylogenetic analyses is provided for Imperobator antarcticus, gen. et sp. nov., an early Maastrichtian, basal paravian (Theropoda; Maniraptora) from the Naze Peninsula, James Ross Island, Antarctica. In 2003, researchers uncovered the remains of a theropod later referred to Dromaeosauridae. Dromaeosaurids are a clade of maniraptorans including well-known members such as Velociraptor and Deinonychus. The specimen displays a case of gigantism in paravians, a condition best documented in the dromaeosaurids Achillobator, Austroraptor, Dakotaraptor, and Utahraptor. In addition to certain morphological traits that differ from the dromaeosaurid norm, the smooth surface of the distal metatarsal II prevents referral of the ‘Naze Theropod’ to dromaeosaurids (ginglymoidy of the distal surface of metatarsal II being considered an unambiguous synapomorphy of dromaeosaurids). The specimen also lacks a hypertrophied ungual of the second pedal digit, and is surprisingly small in comparison with those of equivalently sized dromaeosaurids such as Utahraptor. A heuristic search and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis were performed, providing the first phylogenetic analyses of this enigmatic theropod. Both analyses support a placement of this taxon within Paraves, a clade which includes Dromaeosauridae, Troodontidae, and Avialae (birds). Despite previous referral to ‘Deinonychosauria,’ placement near or within any of the three major paravian subclades could not be retained. We also offer the first biostratigraphic placement of the Campanian–Maastrichtian, non-avian Antarctic dinosaurs and can, with confidence, determine the contemporaneous nature of the latest Cretaceous, dinosaur fauna in Antarctica.
The critical groups of the Peisert graphs

The critical group of a finite graph is an abelian group defined by the Smith normal form of the Laplacian. We determine the critical groups of the Peisert graphs, a certain family of strongly regular graphs similar to, but different from, the Paley graphs. It is further shown that the adjacency matrices of the two graphs defined over a field of order $$p^2$$ with $$p\equiv 3\pmod 4$$ are similar over the $$\ell $$ -local integers for every prime $$\ell $$ . Consequently, each such pair of graphs provides an example where all the corresponding generalized adjacency matrices are both cospectral and equivalent in the sense of Smith normal form.
Laser-Aided Manufacturing: Atom to Application

Laser, an acronym of “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation,” is one of the most convenient forms of energies. Since its invention, its application has been continuously increasing. This article presents an insight on different applications of laser, viz., heat treatment, material removal, finishing, cutting, welding, and cleaning. The specialty of laser lies in its ability to be used at different levels of intensity as per requirement. The applicability of laser can be found in entire manufacturing field, starting from traditional manufacturing (machining, welding) to modern manufacturing (3D printing).
Using Fault Detection/Identification Software with Local Awareness Sensors to Improve Satellite Resiliency

With 20,000 trackable orbital objects and hundreds of thousands of orbital debris too small to be cataloged, satellites today operate in an increasingly congested environment as more and more launches are performed. It is also common for a satellite to not be in 24/7 contact with the ground, this break in the communication network implying that when there is an anomalous event, there is often a longer downtime than desired. Coupling a probabilistic Artificial Intelligence (AI) system with local awareness sensors running onboard the vehicle, will enable the satellite to execute maneuvers to reduce the chances of an on-orbit collision and have higher resilience to the effects and dangers of space. To reduce the chances of the satellite being struck by debris the autonomous system could use local cameras to plan and execute maneuvers around reducing the chance of an on-orbit collision. By monitoring the local structural state health of the satellite using sensors, the satellite could be alerted when it has been struck by debris and which area of the satellite has been effected. The information from the monitoring local structure state health system can be used by an onboard autonomous system to not only update the operator but also plan around the damaged area if possible, so the overall mission can still be accomplished. At the Space Vehicle Directorate in the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), software has been built to investigate aspects of this concept. This software has been designed to be modular with each executable performing a specific function. Each executable falls into one of three different categories: processing sensor data, analysis of the processed data, and decision making using the analyzed information (data fusion). Probabilistic model are used to infer and recommend a proper course of action. The initial capabilities of this concept have been tested with a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbed. This testbed allows us to work with realistic attitude information, simulated high-fidelity orbital dynamics, and hardware emulating on-board local awareness sensors local awareness sensor hardware. Future work will focus on taking a version of this software and implement it on repeated 12-27U CubeSat missions, expanding our software and hardware library and improving the resiliency of the satellite.
Post-Processing Dispersion Engineering of Frequency Combs in Microresonator Addressing Atomic Clock

We study Si 3 N 4 microresonator frequency comb to address atomic transition in the visible. We show that thanks to our air-clad system, post-process dispersion engineering through trimming allows precise control of the dispersive wave position.
The Flare Irradiance Spectral Model - Version 2 (FISM2)

The Flare Irradiance Spectral Model (FISM) is an important tool for estimating solar variability for a myriad of space weather research studies and applications, and FISM Version 2 (FISM2) has rece...
Actin filament- and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein-binding sites on fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase are functionally distinct from the active site.

The glycolytic enzyme fructose 1,6-(bis)phosphate aldolase (aldolase) is not only required for efficient utilization of glucose and fructose, but also for cytoskeletal functions like cytokinesis and cell motility. These differing roles are mediated by distinct and discrete binding interactions with aldolase's many binding partners, including actin filaments, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP), and Sorting Nexin 9 (SNX9). How these interactions are coordinated on the aldolase homotetramer of 160 kDa is unclear. In this study, the catalytic activity of wild-type aldolase is measured in the presence of actin filaments, and a WASP-derived peptide that binds to aldolase, or both. No appreciable changes in kcat or Km values are seen. Then, aldolase variants with substitutions targeting the tryptophan-binding pocket for WASP and SNX9 are created and perturbation of actin filament-, WASP peptide-, and SNX9 peptide-binding are assessed. Those that negatively impacted binding did not show an impact on aldolase catalysis. These results suggest that aldolase can engage in catalysis while simultaneously interacting with cytoskeletal machinery. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Four Promising Practices from a Workforce Development Partnership

This article reports on four synthesis findings from the Credentials to Careers (C2C) initiative – a consortium of seven community colleges working to create and implement innovative programs to tr...
Macrophage-Regulatory T Cell Interactions Promote Type 2 Immune Homeostasis Through Resistin-Like Molecule α.

RELMα is a small, secreted protein expressed by T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine activated “M2” macrophages in helminth infection and allergy. At steady state and in response to Th2 cytokines, RELMα is highly expressed by peritoneal macrophages, however, its function in the serosal cavity is unclear. In this study, we generated RELMα TdTomato reporter/knockout (RαTd) mice and investigated RELMα function in IL-4 complex (IL-4c)-induced peritoneal inflammation. We first validated the RELMαTd/Td transgenic mice and showed that IL-4c injection led to the significant expansion of large peritoneal macrophages that expressed Td but not RELMα protein, while RELMα+/+ mice expressed RELMα and not Td. Functionally, RELMαTd/Td mice had increased IL-4 induced peritoneal macrophage responses and splenomegaly compared to RELMα+/+ mice. Gene expression analysis indicated that RELMαTd/Td peritoneal macrophages were more proliferative and activated than RELMα+/+ macrophages, with increased genes associated with T cell response, growth factor and cytokine signaling, but decreased genes associated with differentiation and maintenance of myeloid cells. We tested the hypothesis that RαTd/Td macrophages drive aberrant T cell activation using peritoneal macrophage and T cell co-culture. There were no differences in CD4+ T cell effector responses when co-cultured with RELMα+/+ or RELMαTd/Td macrophages, however, RELMαTd/Td macrophages were impaired in their ability to sustain proliferation of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Treg). Supportive of the in vitro results, immunofluorescent staining of the spleens revealed significantly decreased FoxP3+ cells in the RELMαTd/Td spleens compared to RELMα+/+ spleens. Taken together, these studies identify a new RELMα regulatory pathway whereby RELMα-expressing macrophages directly sustain Treg proliferation to limit Th2 inflammatory responses.
TAF1 expression in X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (534)

Objective: To study TAF1 expression in X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism in patient derived neuro-precursor cells (NPCs) and secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs). Background: XDP is a rare neurological disease endemic to the Philippines with dystonia appearing at mean age of 39.7 years and progressing to parkinsonism with degenerative pathology in the striatum. A retrotransposon (SVA) inserted in intron 32 of the TAF1 gene leads to alternative splicing in the region and a reduction in the full length TAF1 transcript that has been shown in some patient derived cell lines but never in EVs or patient biofluids. Design/Methods: NPCs derived from patients and controls fibroblasts are grown for cellular RNA extraction and media EV isolation. Size-exclusion chromatography was used to isolate EVs from cell media prior to extracellular RNA extraction. Taqman based qPCR was used to assay the TAF1 splice variant fragment (TAF1-32i), and TAF1 fragments 5-prime (TAF1-5′) and 3-prime (TAF1-3′) relative to the SVA insertion site in intron 32. Results: TAF1-32i splice variant expression was on average 28-fold higher in patient NPCs (n=10) compared to control NPCs (n=5) and on average 100-fold higher in patient NPC EVs compared to controls NPC EVs from the same cell lines. Normalized TAF1-3′ levels, but not TAF1-5′ levels, are significantly decreased by 27% in patient derived NPCs compared to controls. In EVs, TAF1-5′ was used as an internal control for TAF1-3′ expression. The corrected TAF1-3′ expression in EVs is 51% lower in patient samples compared to control samples. Conclusions: Disease-specific TAF1 splice variant and TAF1 expression dysregulation can be detected and accurately quantified in patient derived NPCs and NPC EVs using different TAF1 primers. EVs could be isolated from patients’ blood or CSF to study TAF1 splice variant and TAF1 3′ expression. Disclosure: Dr. Al Ali has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shah has nothing to disclose. Dr. Vaine has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ito has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hendriks has nothing to disclose. Dr. Currall has nothing to disclose. Dr. Talkowski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ozelius has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bragg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Breakefield has nothing to disclose.
CitingSlavery.org: An Introduction

The Citing Slavery Project at www.citingslavery.org aims to make the legal history of slavery accessible and relevant to students, researchers, and the public. Once completed, our database at www.citingslavery.org will offer open access to thousands of slave cases and give users tools to analyze the influence of these cases on modern law.
The U.S. Antitrust Laws in a Global Context

For more than a hundred and ten years, the U.S. antitrust laws have stood at the center of what loosely (and to some, heretically) could be called the industrial policy of the United States. Competition, undertaken by private economic actors and constrained only by rules designed to protect the integrity of the market itself, has been the force that has led to unparalleled economic success. There is much in these laws, however, that is rooted in the particular history and economic circumstances of the United States, starting with the name that they bear: antitrust. It is a quaint name, evocative of long-dead robber barons and swashbuckling Presidents. Other countries with more recently enacted laws give them the more straightforward label of “competition” laws–laws designed to protect competition and consumers. This Article will explore the extent to which the U.S. antitrust laws differ from the systems that have developed elsewhere, particularly in the European Union, a place whose competition regime is soon to be reflected in the national laws of more than twenty-five countries. Differences do exist, and it is worth identifying what those differences are, why they exist, and how they matter. We will see that those differences are important even now, not only to practitioners of the slightly esoteric field of “international antitrust,” but also to the rest of the antitrust bar. And the importance of understanding the way others view this field will only become greater over time; the ideas that our counterparts elsewhere have of competition law will inevitably affect the way that American firms do business, and possibly even the content of domestic U.S. antitrust law itself.
Performance Degradation Due to Automation in Texting while Driving

Previous research concerning the use of cell phones indicates that physical manipulation of the phone in conjunction with the cognitive need to compose a message together contribute to driving performance degradation. The authors have suggested that automated assistive text entry schemes such as Nokia’s T9 may mitigate some of these identified costs. In this work drivers in a simulator drove and texted using either the assistive T9 system or an unassisted multitap system. Contrary to previous pilot findings participants showed greater degradation of driving performance when using the automated assistive T9 than the unassisted multitap. Findings support the idea that cognitive composition of a message combined with entry interface automation contributed to driving performance degradation. It further implies that the costs of that automation may exceed the benefits.
Complicated grief and impaired sleep in patients with bipolar disorder

Objectives: To examine the relationship of sleep disturbance with complicated grief (CG) in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: Adults with DSM-IV BD were asked if they ever experienced significant loss and, if so, completed the Inventory of Complicated Grief. Subjective sleep disturbance was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The association of CG with sleep disturbance was assessed in univariate t-tests, and in multivariate analyses controlling for the presence of anxiety disorder comorbidity and current bipolar recovery status. Results: Individuals with CG had significantly higher mean PSQI scores (10.9 versus 7.9, p = 0.003) than those without CG. Further, within the group of BD participants who had experienced a significant loss, those with CG had significantly poorer sleep (p = 0.01). CG remained significantly associated with greater sleep impairment after adjustment for comorbid anxiety disorder and bipolar mood state. This additive impairment in sleep with CG comorbidity was evident for four of the PSQI component scales: sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency and sleep disturbance. Conclusions: Our data indicate a significant association of CG with poor sleep in individuals with BD. Disturbed sleep may be a mechanism by which CG increases the burden of illness in BD.
Improving TCP performance over wireless networks at the link layer

We present the transport unaware link improvement protocol (TULIP), which dramatically improves the performance of TCP over lossy wireless links, without competing with or modifying the transport- or network-layer protocols. TULIP is tailored for the half-duplex radio links available with today's commercial radios and provides a MAC acceleration feature applicable to collision-avoidance MAC protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.11) to improve throughput. TULIP's timers rely on a maximum propagation delay over the link, rather than performing a round-trip time estimate of the channel delay. The protocol does not require a base station and keeps no TCP state. TULIP is exceptionally robust when bit error rates are high; it maintains high goodput, i.e., only those packets which are in fact dropped on the wireless link are retransmitted and then only when necessary. The performance of TULIP is compared against the performance of the Snoop protocol (a TCP-aware approach) and TCP without link-level retransmission support. The results of simulation experiments using the actual code of the Snoop protocol show that TULIP achieves higher throughput, lower packet delay, and smaller delay variance.
The Rationale for a Ban on Detergent Phosphate in the Great Lakes Basin

Immediate reduction of phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes is essential to slow accelerated eutrophication. The Great Lakes National Program Office of the US Environmental Protection Agency now advocates adoption of bans on detergent phosphates as the most practical and feasible means of immediately reducing the phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes. This change in policy from previous reliance on removal by sewage treatment has been adopted for the following reasons: (1) Bans on phosphates will reduce capital and operating costs of treatment and, were adopted, have met with consumer acceptance. (2) In practice, treatment plants have not met design expectations for phosphate removal. (3) Neither nitrilotriacetic acid nor other substitutes for phosphates have proved to be a public health problem. (4) Reduction of phosphorus loadings to treatment plants avoids increasing levels of chlorides and total dissolved solids in effluents. (5) Water quality has improved in small lakes with phosphorus reduction. In summary, detergent phosphate bans alone will not reduce phosphorus loadings to the Great Lakes sufficiently for the long term but the Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that such action is necessary in addition to continued efforts to control non-point sources.
Recent Studies of Heteroepitaxial Systems

Electron microscopy methods have been used extensively in recent collaborative studies involving the growth and characterization of semiconductor heterostructures and nanostructures. Examples that are described here include epilayers and nanowires, as well as quantum wells and quantum dots, while the heteroepitaxial systems represented include II-VI, III–V and IV–IV compounds as well as mixed valence materials. Ferromagnetic Cr-doped nitride semiconductors are also briefly discussed. Control over the growth and processing conditions in concert with the microstructural information available from electron microscopy is confirmed as being essential for achieving materials of the highest possible quality.
Soybean Aphid Efficacy Evaluation

Soybean, Glycine max (L.), grown in Iowa and most of the north central region of the United States has not required regular insecticide use. The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), causes yield losses from direct plant feeding, and has been shown to transmit several plant viruses. In Iowa, soybean aphid can colonize soybean fields in June and has developed into outbreaks in July and August capable of reducing yields by nearly 40 percent.
Utility of LHRH antagonists for advanced prostate cancer.

Introduction Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the lynchpin of treatment for advanced prostate cancer. Prescribing physicians and patients have a choice between orchiectomy, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists, combined androgen deprivation (CAD) or LHRH antagonists. Materials and methods Literature relating to the use of LHRH antagonists in the management of prostate cancer was reviewed. Results Abarelix was the first-in-class LHRH pure antagonist that was Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 2003. Due to a variety of concerns including hypersensitivity reactions it was withdrawn from the United States (U.S.) market in 2005. The only currently commercially available LHRH antagonist in the U.S. is degarelix available as a once-a-month depot injection. The potential clinical advantage of degarelix compared to the LHRH agonists is the very rapid and sustained testosterone suppression with no identifiable physiological or clinical testosterone surge or flare. The main disadvantage of degarelix compared to the LHRH agonists is the monthly dosing and the inconvenience for some patients and practices. Recent studies tout improved disease control for degarelix compared to monthly leuprolide acetate; however, these results remain controversial. Conclusions The rapid T-suppression achieved with degarelix may provide a clinical benefit for various groups of men with advanced or locally advanced disease.
Ulster Sectarianism and the Lessons of South Asian Historiography

In recent years, both Irish historians and literary scholars have paid much greater attention to the many parallels, linkages and disjunctures between Ireland and India. Unfortunately, this work has failed to examine the striking parallels between the construction and operation of sectarianism and sectarian violence in nineteenth-century Ulster and communalism and related violence in early twentieth-century India. Looking closely at how these issues have been treated in both historiographies, I argue that there are striking parallels, as both Irish and Indian/Pakistani historians have struggled with the dictates of postcolonial nationalism, moving from reductionist binary assumptions about the nature of societal division to what I term the ‘consensus of complex avoidance.’ Irish historians, however, have much to learn from their South Asian counterparts, who have moved beyond such sterile consensus in recent years, producing works of great sophistication and insight. Above all, these scholars have treated communalism as a complex historical subject; a contingent and ever shifting ideology that often overlaps and co-exists with seemingly contradictory notions of class and caste. This raises significant questions about the consensus of complex avoidance and the article closes by calling for Irish historians to revisit their assumptions about the study of Ulster sectarianism.
Nonparametric estimation of wave dispersion in high-rise buildings by seismic interferometry

Interferometric identification and health monitoring of high-rise buildings has been gaining increasing interest in recent years. The wave dispersion in the structure has been largely ignored in these efforts but needs to be considered to further develop these methods. In this paper, (i) the goodness of estimation of vertical wave velocity in buildings, as function of frequency, by two nonparametric interferometric techniques is examined, using realistic fixed-base Timoshenko beam benchmark models. Such models are convenient because the variation of phase and group velocities with frequency can be derived theoretically. The models are those of the NS and EW responses of Millikan Library. One of the techniques, deconvolution interferometry, estimates the phase velocity on a frequency band from phase difference between motions at two locations in the structure, while the other one estimates it approximately at the resonant frequencies based on standing wave patterns. The paper also (ii) examines the modeling error in wave velocity profiles identified by fitting layered shear beam in broader band impulse response functions of buildings with significant bending flexibility. This error may affect inferences on the spatial distribution of damage from detected changes in such velocity profiles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Christian Identity amid Islam in Medieval Spain

The Mozarabs, long-neglected in the historiography of medieval Spain, have been the subject of considerable scholarly attention of late. No episode in their obscure history is more compelling that ...
Polymethylmethacrylate: properties and contemporary uses in orthopaedics

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been used in orthopaedics since the 1940s. Despite the development and popularity of new biomaterials, PMMA remains popular. Although its basic components remain the same, small proprietary and environmental changes create variations in its properties. PMMA can serve as a spacer and as a delivery vehicle for antibiotics, and it can be placed to eliminate dead space. Endogenous and exogenous variables that affect its performance include component variables, air, temperature, and handling and mixing. PMMA is used in hip arthroplasty and vertebral augmentation, notably, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Cardiopulmonary complications have been reported.
Carbohydrate-chain analysis by lectin binding to mixtures of glycoproteins, separated by polyacrylamide slab-gel electrophoresis, with in situ chemical modifications

Abstract The interactions of five 125 I-lectins of differing binding-specificities with seven glycoproteins containing known carbohydrate chains were investigated on polyacrylamide gels after electrophoretic separation. The glycoproteins were also chemically modified in the gels in order to gather additional information. The glycoproteins used were: porcine thyroglobulin (PTG); bovine-serum fibronectin (BFN); human-serum transferrin (HTF), bovine fetuin (BFE); subfractionated, hen ovalbumins having galactosylated, hybrid-type, carbohydrate chains (OVG); agalactosyl, hybrid-type-carbohydrate chains (OVH); and high-mannose-type-carbohydrate chains (OVM). Wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA) stained BFE, OVG, and OVH, but removal of sialic acid from BFE resulted in loss of WGA binding. After desialosylation and Smith degradation in situ , BFE and HTF reacted strongly, and PTG slightly with WGA. Ricinus communis agglutinin I stained PTG, BFN, HTF, and BFE after removal of sialic acid. Arachis hypogaea (peanut) agglutinin reacted only with BFN after removal of sialic acid. Lens culinaris hemagglutinin bound only to PTG, and concanavalin A bound to PTG, BFE, HTF, OVH, and OVM. The results were consistent with previously proposed lectin-carbohydrate-binding specificities, indicating that lectins may be used to determine the carbohydrate-chain structures of particular glycoproteins, even in complex mixtures.
Acquisition of cholinergic and peptidergic properties by sympathetic innervation of rat sweat glands requires interaction with normal target

The sweat glands, a target of cholinergic sympathetic neurons, were replaced with parotid gland, a target of noradrenergic sympathetic neurons, in neonatal rats. This transplantation paradigm allowed sympathetic neurons that would normally innervate the sweat glands and develop a cholinergic phenotype to innervate the parotid gland instead. The innervation of the transplanted parotid gland did not develop a cholinergic phenotype, as assessed by choline acetyltransferase activity and acetylcholinesterase immunoreactivity, but continued to express intense catecholamine fluorescence. In addition, immunoreactivity for vasoactive intestinal peptide, normally expressed by the sympathetic innervation of the sweat glands but not the parotid, was observed in only a small percentage of the parotid-associated fibers. These results suggest that cellular interactions between neurons and their targets play an important role in the differentiation of mature neurotransmitter and neuropeptide phenotypes in vivo.
Threonine deaminase from Paul's Scarlet rose tissue cultures.

Abstract The presence of threonine deaminase in cell-free extracts of Paul's Scarlet Rose tissue cultures has been demonstrated. The enzyme has a high requirement for potassium in the assay mixture and is inhibited by l -isoleucine.