cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relaxation Phenomena and the Origin of Earthquakes

In this thesis an attempt is made to demonstrate in accordance with known physical principles that significant changes in the macroscopic equilibrium of the earth can be attributed to rate processes which do not call upon the existence of macroscopic gradients and disturbances in the earth. Such processes and their relation to known mechanisms of plastic deformation and to the experimentally established behavior of materials under high pressures are critically evaluated. This evaluation is carried out in the light of some well-established concepts of statistical mechanics and modern physics. In so doing specific methods for producing seismic disturbances which are based upon known mechanisms of plastic deformation and rupture become indicated. It is also shown that under very high pressures, pressure and temperature can complement each other in producing disturbances associated with polymorphic transitions of materials leading to a reduction in symmetry of their lattice structure. A specific mechanism for producing and repeating earth­quakes at shallow and intermediate depths is proposed. This mechanism is based upon the existence of a visco-elastic surface layer supported by a plastic material embodied with stress relaxing properties. The effect of such a configuration upon the propagation of Love Waves is investigated quantitatively. This investigation shows that the plastic sub-layer would explain the observed selection of the period of Love Waves.
Sedic: privacy-aware data intensive computing on hybrid clouds

The emergence of cost-effective cloud services offers organizations great opportunity to reduce their cost and increase productivity. This development, however, is hampered by privacy concerns: a significant amount of organizational computing workload at least partially involves sensitive data and therefore cannot be directly outsourced to the public cloud. The scale of these computing tasks also renders existing secure outsourcing techniques less applicable. A natural solution is to split a task, keeping the computation on the private data within an organization's private cloud while moving the rest to the public commercial cloud. However, this hybrid cloud computing is not supported by today's data-intensive computing frameworks, MapReduce in particular, which forces the users to manually split their computing tasks. In this paper, we present a suite of new techniques that make such privacy-aware data-intensive computing possible. Our system, called Sedic, leverages the special features of MapReduce to automatically partition a computing job according to the security levels of the data it works on, and arrange the computation across a hybrid cloud. Specifically, we modified MapReduce's distributed file system to strategically replicate data, moving sanitized data blocks to the public cloud. Over this data placement, map tasks are carefully scheduled to outsource as much workload to the public cloud as possible, given sensitive data always stay on the private cloud. To minimize inter-cloud communication, our approach also automatically analyzes and transforms the reduction structure of a submitted job to aggregate the map outcomes within the public cloud before sending the result back to the private cloud for the final reduction. This also allows the users to interact with our system in the same way they work with MapReduce, and directly run their legacy code in our framework. We implemented Sedic on Hadoop and evaluated it using both real and synthesized computing jobs on a large-scale cloud test-bed. The study shows that our techniques effectively protect sensitive user data, offload a large amount of computation to the public cloud and also fully preserve the scalability of MapReduce.
Influence of aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, on the pulmonary hypertensive response to microparticle injections in broilers

Abstract The pulmonary hypertensive response to pulmonary vascular obstruction caused by intravenously injected microparticles is amplified by pretreatment with Nωnitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). The L-NAME prevents the synthesis of the potent vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) by inhibiting both the constitutive [endothelial NO synthase (eNOS or NOS-3)] and inducible [inducible NO synthase (iNOS or NOS-2)] forms of NO synthase. In the present study we used the selective iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (AG) to evaluate the role of iNOS in modulating the pulmonary hypertension (PH) triggered by microparticle injections. Experiment 1 was conducted to confirm the ability of AG to inhibit NO synthesis by iNOS in broiler peripheral blood mononuclear cells exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin). Mononuclear leukocytes treated with LPS produced 10-fold more NO than untreated (control) cells. The LPS-stimulated production of NO was partially inhibited by L-NAME and was fully inhibited by AG, thereby confirming that AG inhibits LPS-mediated iNOS activation in broilers. In Experiment 2 we evaluated the responses of male progeny from a base population (MP Base) and from a derivative line selected for one generation from the survivors of an LD50 microparticle injection (MP Select). The pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) was lower in MP Select than in MP Base broilers. Both lines exhibited similar percentage increases in PAP after microparticles were injected, and AG modestly amplified the PH triggered by microparticles in both lines. In Experiment 3 we evaluated the responses of male progeny from a second base population (PAC Base) and from a derivative line selected for 3 generations using the unilateral pulmonary artery clamp technique (PAC Select). The PAP was lower in PAC Select than in PAC Base broilers, and both lines exhibited similar percentage increases in PAP in response to the microparticles. The PH triggered by microparticles was not amplified by AG but was doubled by L-NAME. These experiments demonstrate that during the 30 min following pulmonary vascular entrapment of microparticles, iNOS modulated the PH elicited in broilers derived from the MP pedigree line, but not in broilers from the PAC pedigree line. Different NOS-mediated responses among broiler populations may affect pulmonary hemodynamic characteristics of broiler lines selected using i.v. microparticle injections.
Effects of Fetal or Maternal Hypophysectomy on Endocrine Organs and Body Weight in Infant Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta): With Particular Emphasis on Oogenesis

The effects of maternal and fetal hypophysectomy on the development of the fetal endocrine glands and oogenesis were studied in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). Maternal hypophysectomy was carried out between 58-71 days of pregnancy and fetal hypophysectomy was performed between 114-117 days of pregnancy. A generalized retardation of fetal growth was produced by maternal but not fetal hypophysectomy. Maternal hypophysectomy significantly (p less than .05) reduced the mean adrenal though not thyroid weights of term infants. On the other hand fetal hypophysectomy significantly (p less than .05) reduced mean ovarian adrenal and thyroid weights in term infants. The morphology of term infant ovaries was not adversely affected by maternal hypophysectomy. The ovaries of infants showed disrupted oogenesis and atretic oocytes following ablation of the fetal hypophysis. Fetal hypophysectomy resulted in a reduction in total numbers of germ cells and a marked increase in the percentage of germ cells undergoing atresia. The percentage of atretic germ cells in ovaries of term infants under the influence of maternal hypophysectomy was similar to that of intact controls even though the total number of germ cells was about 1/2 that of intact controls. It is concluded that the survival of gametes within the fetal ovaries of this species depends primarily on the secretions of the fetal pituitary.
Gas Molecules Adsorption on Carbon Nanotubes

We study electronic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) upon gas molecules adsorption with first principles methods. The adsorption energy, charge transfer, and electronic structures are studied for various gas molecules (NO 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 2 , CO 2 , CO, H 2 O, H 2 , He). Most molecules adsorb weakly on SWNTs and can be either charge donor or accepter to the nanotubes. The electronic properties of nanotubes are sensitive to the adsorption of certain molecules such as NO 2 and O 2 . Charge transfer and gas-induced charge fluctuations are found to significantly affect the transport properties of SWNTs. Our results are consistent with recent experiments.
Effect of elevated calcium concentration in infected cells of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) nodules on nitrogenase activity and N input to the plant

that the polysaccharide deposited in the peribacteroid space does not enhance N transport by binding Ca Recent evidence from other workers indicates that when Ca concentration is high. NH+ transport through the symbiosome membrane of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) nodules may occur Key words: Bradyrhizobium japonicum, polysaccharide, in via an ion channel; the transport channel was reported situ ion analysis, acetylene reduction. to be inhibited by very low concentrations of Ca. Two approaches were used to assess the Ca-sensitivity of
The Zeigarnik effect and intrinsic motivation: are they the same?

The present study focused on delineating the parameters under which intrinsic motivation leads an individual to reengage an activity from those that result in the Zeigarnik effect. In a posttask free-choice period, participants not completing the experimental task displayed more reengagement behavior than participants completing the task (the Zeigarnik effect). When participants were also provided self-efficacious performance feedback via a prearranged competitive outcome manipulation, there was no evidence of the Zeigarnik effect, while there was support for intrinsic motivation from competent self-efficacious performance feedback. Results were discussed in terms of distinguishing between intrinsic motivation and the Zeigarnik effect as sources of reengagement motivation. It was concluded that, in the presence of self-efficacious performance feedback, the competent-incompetent impression was more salient than task-completion feedback.
View invariant object recognition

This paper introduces a method for the recognition planar objects under projective geometry. Our method is based on a similarity measure invariant to projective transform. The proposed similarity measure utilizes the distribution of the projective relations between the conic section pairs, which are estimated from the object?s shape. We conjecture that given two objects of the same type, which are viewed from different viewpoints generate similar histograms, such that their difference is smaller than the histograms generated from other object types. The proposed measure has shown promising performance on the Brown shape database.
Pilot Study Investigating Fecal Shedding of Salmonella spp. by Horses Used in Competition

This pilot study was performed to determine the need for future investigation of the effect of transportation, environmental changes, and athletic competition on fecal shedding of Salmonella spp. in sport horses. Fecal samples were collected once daily from 20 healthy horses that were competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association equestrian event that occurred over a 3-day period. The horses were divided into four groups with five horses per group. The groups were divided based on travel distance. Fresh fecal samples were collected daily and cultured for Salmonella spp., through bacterial culture, for a minimum of 3 days for three groups that traveled to compete and for 15 days for a group that was housed at the competition location. All fecal samples were negative for Salmonella spp. Although this was a pilot study with a small sample size and limited collection days, the results of this study question the effects of the stress of transportation, new environment, and athletic activity on fecal shedding of Salmonella spp. in horses. A larger study, however, is needed to further investigate these findings.
Changing Lenses: Conflict Analysis and Mexico's “Drug War”

U.S. policy toward Mexico has been influenced by a “drug war” frame that has left little rhetorical and operational room for creative multisectoral strategies to stem the violence and address its causes. This article proposes conflict analysis, a lens for viewing conflict that brings into focus a multilevel, integrative diagnosis of the violence in Mexico and supports recent evolutions in Plan Merida toward a more holistic peacebuilding approach.
Identification and Characterization of VpsR and VpsT Binding Sites in Vibrio cholerae

The ability to form biofilms is critical for environmental survival and transmission of Vibrio cholerae, a facultative human pathogen responsible for the disease cholera. Biofilm formation is controlled by several transcriptional regulators and alternative sigma factors. In this study, we report that the two main positive regulators of biofilm formation, VpsR and VpsT, bind to nonoverlapping target sequences in the regulatory region of vpsL in vitro. VpsR binds to a proximal site (the R1 box) as well as a distal site (the R2 box) with respect to the transcriptional start site identified upstream of vpsL. The VpsT binding site (the T box) is located between the R1 and R2 boxes. While mutations in the T and R boxes resulted in a decrease in vpsL expression, deletion of the T and R2 boxes resulted in an increase in vpsL expression. Analysis of the role of H-NS in vpsL expression revealed that deletion of hns resulted in enhanced vpsL expression. The level of vpsL expression was higher in an hns vpsT double mutant than in the parental strain but lower than that in an hns mutant. In silico analysis of the regulatory regions of the VpsR and VpsT targets resulted in the identification of conserved recognition motifs for VpsR and VpsT and revealed that operons involved in biofilm formation and vpsT are coregulated by VpsR and VpsT. Furthermore, a comparative genomics analysis revealed substantial variability in the promoter region of the vpsT and vpsL genes among extant V. cholerae isolates, suggesting that regulation of biofilm formation is under active selection. IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae causes cholera and is a natural inhabitant of aquatic environments. One critical factor that is important for environmental survival and transmission of V. cholerae is the microbe's ability to form biofilms, which are surface-associated communities encased in a matrix composed of the exopolysaccharide VPS (Vibrio polysaccharide), proteins, and nucleic acids. Two proteins, VpsR and VpsT, positively regulate VPS production and biofilm formation. We characterized the structural features of the promoter of the vpsL gene, determined the target sequences recognized by VpsT and VpsR, and analyzed their distribution and conservation patterns in multiple V. cholerae isolates. This work fills a fundamental gap in our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms employed by the master regulators VpsR and VpsT in controlling biofilm matrix production.
Phospholipid-induced Monomerization and Signal-peptide-induced Oligomerization of SecA

The SecA ATPase drives the processive translocation of the N terminus of secreted proteins through the cytoplasmic membrane in eubacteria via cycles of binding and release from the SecYEG translocon coupled to ATP turnover. SecA forms a physiological dimer with a dissociation constant that has previously been shown to vary with temperature and ionic strength. We now present data showing that the oligomeric state of SecA in solution is altered by ligands that it interacts with during protein translocation. Analytical ultracentrifugation, chemical cross-linking, and fluorescence anisotropy measurements show that the physiological dimer of SecA is monomerized by long-chain phospholipid analogues. Addition of wild-type but not mutant signal sequence peptide to these SecA monomers redimerizes the protein. Physiological dimers of SecA do not change their oligomeric state when they bind signal sequence peptide in the compact, low temperature conformational state but polymerize when they bind the peptide in the domain-dissociated, high-temperature conformational state that interacts with SecYEG. This last result shows that, at least under some conditions, signal peptide interactions drive formation of new intermolecular contacts distinct from those stabilizing the physiological dimer. The observations that signal peptides promote conformationally specific oligomerization of SecA while phospholipids promote subunit dissociation suggest that the oligomeric state of SecA could change dynamically during the protein translocation reaction. Cycles of SecA subunit recruitment and dissociation could potentially be employed to achieve processivity in polypeptide transport.
2006 Association of American Physicians Presidential Address:The US's changing competitiveness in the biomedical sciences

Fellow AAP members, friends, and guests, it’s been a true pleasure serving the Association for the past 11 years, first as a Council member, then as an Officer, and this year as President. The entire 11 years has been a real honor and privilege, and also a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I’m glad to report that the organization is strong, financially stable, and moving forward, and I think this year’s meeting has been an excellent one, at least to this point. And this of course, brings me to the annual ritual of the Presidential Address.
Neighborhood social capital and achieved mobility of older adults

Objective: Evaluate associations of neighborhood social capital and mobility of older adults. Method: A community-based survey (Philadelphia, 2010) assessed mobility (Life-Space Assessment [LSA]; range = 0-104) of older adults (n = 675, census tracts = 256). Social capital was assessed for all adults interviewed from 2002-2010 (n = 13,822, census tracts = 374). Generalized estimating equations adjusted for individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics estimated mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in mobility by social capital tertiles. Interactions by self-rated health, living arrangement, and race were tested. Results: Social capital was not associated with mobility after adjustment for other neighborhood characteristics (mean difference for highest versus lowest tertile social capital = 0.79, 95% CI = [−3.3, 4.8]). We observed no significant interactions. In models stratified by race, Black participants had higher mobility in high social capital neighborhoods (mean difference = 7.4,...
A Review of “Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan”

After two decades of scholarly writing on Japanese popular culture as it spread across the globe, Marc Steinberg's Anime's Media Mix provides a much needed history of television anime in the contex...
A CASE OF PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA AND PARAGANGLIOMA WITH FAMILY HISTORY

We experienced a rare case of familial pheochromocytoma associated with paraganglioma. A 19-year-old male was admitted to the hospital because of right lateral abdominal pain lasting for about 6 months. A 5cm tumor was palpated at the right lateral abdominal region. His father and gland aunt had undergone bilateral adrenectomy due to bilateral pheochromocytoma. He presented hypertension, tachycardia and elevation of noradrenaline (NA) in the plasma, and NA and Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) in the urine. Calcium, CEA and calcitonin were in normal range. MRI-T2 image showed a high signal 5×4cm tumor in the left adrenal gland and a 6×5cm tumor in the right frontal region of the IVC bifurcation. These tumors were diagnosed as left pheochromocytoma and right paraganglioma. After prazosin hydrochloride was administered for 7 weeks, left adrenectomy and right tumor resection were performed. Each specimen was honeycomb configuration and positive for Grimelius stain in microscopic appearance, but electron microscopic findings showed different granule each other.
Neutrons from the Proton Bombardment of B 10

The ${\mathrm{B}}^{10}(p, n){\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ reaction has been investigated at 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 degrees in the laboratory system by the method of proton recoils in thick photographic emulsions. The mean energy of the incident protons was 17.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15 Mev. The results indicate a ground-state $Q$ value of -4.35\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 Mev, yielding a mass defect of 18.6 Mev for ${\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ in good agreement with beta decay results. The data also indicate a level in ${\mathrm{C}}^{10}$ at 3.34\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 Mev and partly resolved levels at excitation energies \ensuremath{\gtrsim}5 Mev. The angular distributions of the neutrons to the ground state and to the 3.34-Mev state are shown.
Book review: Islam, Md. Saidul. 2013: Development, Power and the Environment: Neoliberal Paradox in the Age of Vulnerability

Islam, Md. Saidul. 2013: Development, Power and the Environment: Neoliberal Paradox in the Age of Vulnerability. New York and London: Routledge. 262 pp. £80.00 hardback. ISBN: 978-0-415-54002-5 hardback. ISBN: 978-0-203-76881-5 e-book.
Investigation of Magnetic Order in Iron Oxide-Nickel Oxide Superlattices with Modulation Wavelength Less Than 80 Å

We have investigated the magnetic order, using SQUID magnetometry, for short modulation wavelength Fe3O4/NiO superlattices, grown on single crystal MgO. Ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 has a saturation moment of ∼500 emu/cm3 at 0 K and a Curie temperature of 858 K, while bulk NiO is antiferromagnetic with a Neel temperature of 525 K. Very high crystalline quality with little interdiffusion is indicated by X-ray diffraction, SEM, optical microscopy, and in-situ RHEED, and the samples show highly anisotropic electrical conductivity which also indicates the strong modulation present. Long wavelength samples (Λmod > 200 A) have a behavior only slightly different from that expected from bulk Fe3O4, but for Λmod<80 A, spontaneous magnetization is replaced by paramagnetism, with weak temperature dependence (not I/T) from 5 K to 400 K.
Suppressive Effects of Insulin on Tumor Necrosis Factor-Dependent Early Osteoarthritic Changes Associated With Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective. Obesity is a state of chronic inflammation that is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), as well as an increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA). This study was undertaken to define the links between obesity-associated inflammation, insulin resistance, and OA, by testing the hypotheses that 1) tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is critical in mediating these pathologic changes in OA, and 2) insulin has direct effects on the synovial joint that are compromised by insulin resistance. Methods. The effects of TNF and insulin on catabolic gene expression were determined in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) isolated from human OA synovium. Synovial TNF expression and OA progression were examined in 2 mouse models, high-fat (HF) diet–fed obese mice with type 2 DM and TNF-knockout mice. Insulin resistance was investigated in synovium from patients with type 2 DM. Results. Insulin receptors (IRs) were abundant in both mouse and human synovial membranes. Human OA FLS were insulin responsive, as indicated by the dose-dependent phosphorylation of IRs and Akt. In cultures of human OA FLS with exogenous TNF, the expression and release of MMP1, MMP13, and ADAMTS4 by FLS were markedly increased, whereas after treatment with insulin, these effects were selectively inhibited by >50%. The expression of TNF and its abundance in the synovium were elevated in samples from obese mice with type 2 DM. In TNF-knockout mice, increases in osteophyte formation and synovial hyperplasia associated with the HF diet were blunted. The synovium from OA patients with type 2 DM contained markedly more macrophages and showed elevated TNF levels as compared to the synovium from OA patients without diabetes. Moreover, insulin-dependent phosphorylation of IRs and Akt was blunted in cultures of OA FLS from patients with type 2 DM. Conclusion. TNF appears to be involved in mediating the advanced progression of OA seen in type 2 DM. While insulin plays a protective, antiinflammatory role in the synovium, insulin resistance in patients with type 2 DM may impair this protective effect and promote the progression of OA.
Behavior as an early indicator of pesticide toxicity.

Adverse behavioral effects are now a recognized outcome of exposure to many industrial and environmental chemicals. Pesticides occupy a special role, however, because so many of them, particularly ...
Fluoriscence Array Biosensor Part 1: Optics and Fluidics

An automated biosensor capable of detecting multiple analytes simultaneously has shown ng/ml levels of sensitivity for toxins, bacteria, and viruses. The biosensor can run multiple samples simultaneously over an array of capture antibodies. Exposure of the array to sample is followed by exposure to a cocktail of fluorescent antibodies. Fluorescence spots detected by a CCD indicate the presence and identity of an analyte in the sample. Engineering of the flow channels, fluidics, and optics is described.
The Difficult Airway: Definitions and Algorithms

Maintaining a stable, patent airway is a fundamental element of acute care medical practice. While airway management is conceptually straightforward, the wide variety of clinical circumstances, patients, and tools can make the task of ensuring a stable, open airway under all clinical conditions extremely challenging. Care providers involved in airway management must therefore not only be technically skilled but also sufficiently flexible to adjust to changing conditions, risk/benefit balances, and goals. One aspect of airway management that requires particular attention is the airway that is difficult to secure or keep patent. For clinical or anatomic reasons, both bag mask ventilation and tracheal intubation in such a patient population may be difficult without specialized expertise or tools. Because adequate oxygen delivery through a patent airway is critical to life support and resuscitative efforts, the risks of inadequate airway management are high, adding to the challenge.
Enabling Scalable High-Performance Systems with the Intel Omni-Path Architecture

The Intel Omni-Path Architecture (Intel OPA) is designed to enable a broad class of computations requiring scalable, tightly coupled CPU, memory, and storage resources. Integration between the Intel OPA family and Intel CPUs enable improvements in system-level packaging and network efficiency. When coupled with the new open standard APIs developed by the OpenFabrics Alliance (OFA) Open Fabrics Initiative (OFI), the Intel OPA family is optimized to provide low latency, high bandwidth, and a high message rate. Intel OPA enables a multigeneration, scalable fabric through innovations including link layer reliability, extended fabric addressing, and optimizations for high-core-count CPUs. Intel OPA also provides optimizations to address datacenter needs, including link-level traffic flow optimization, to minimize jitter for high-priority packets, partitioning support, quality-of-service support, and a centralized fabric management system. Basic performance metrics from first-generation host fabric interface and switch implementations demonstrate the new fabric architecture's potential.
Differential brain network activity across mood states in bipolar disorder.

Abstract Background This study aimed to identify how the activity of large-scale brain networks differs between mood states in bipolar disorder. The authors measured spontaneous brain activity in subjects with bipolar disorder in mania and euthymia and compared these states to a healthy comparison population. Methods 23 subjects with bipolar disorder type I in a manic episode, 24 euthymic bipolar I subjects, and 23 matched healthy comparison (HC) subjects underwent resting state fMRI scans. Using an existing parcellation of the whole brain, we measured functional connectivity between brain regions and identified significant differences between groups. Results In unbiased whole-brain analyses, functional connectivity between parietal, occipital, and frontal nodes within the dorsal attention network (DAN) were significantly greater in mania than euthymia or HC subjects. In the default mode network (DMN), connectivity between dorsal frontal nodes and the rest of the DMN differentiated both mood state and diagnosis. Limitations The bipolar groups were separate cohorts rather than subjects imaged longitudinally across mood states. Conclusions Bipolar mood states are associated with highly significant alterations in connectivity in two large-scale brain networks. These same networks also differentiate bipolar mania and euthymia from a HC population. State related changes in DAN and DMN connectivity suggest a circuit based pathology underlying cognitive dysfunction as well as activity/reactivity in bipolar mania. Altered activities in neural networks may be biomarkers of bipolar disorder diagnosis and mood state that are accessible to neuromodulation and are promising novel targets for scientific investigation and possible clinical intervention.
The Software-Defined Radio as a Platform for Cognitive Radio

Publisher Summary This chapter explores both the hardware and software domains of software defined radio (SDR). It focuses on some aspects of hardware and software that are especially relevant to SDR design. Beyond their obvious differences, hardware and software analyses have some subtle differences. In general, hardware is analyzed in terms of its capabilities. Cognitive radio (CR) assumes that there is an underlying system hardware and software infrastructure that is capable of supporting the flexibility demanded by the cognitive algorithms. It is possible to provide significant flexibility with a series of tunable hardware components that are under the direct control of the cognitive software. SDR is more than just an abstraction of the underlying hardware from the application. SDR is a methodology for the development of applications, or waveforms in SDR parlance, in a consistent and modular fashion such that both software and hardware components can be readily reused from implementation to implementation. SDR also provides the management structure for the description, creation, and tear-down of waveforms.
Co-fermentation of lignocellulose-based glucose and inhibitory compounds for lipid synthesis by Rhodococcus jostii RHA1

Abstract The recalcitrant nature of lignocellulosic biomass entails pretreatment during which multiple byproducts (e.g., weak acids, furan derivatives, lignin-derived compounds) are generated. Such byproducts are generally inhibitory to fuel-producing microorganisms. In this study, lignin-derived monomers and acetate were co-fermented with glucose by Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 for lipid synthesis. The ability of R. jostii RHA1 to utilize acetate and representative lignin-derived monomers, namely p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, 4-hydroxylic acid, and vanillic acid, were tested. The experimental results showed that R. jostii RHA1 utilized individual lignin monomers in varying degrees. The mixtures of inhibitory compounds at different levels showed higher toxicity than individual compounds, indicating synergistic effects of these monomers. When the mixture contained lower levels of glucose (5 g/L or below), adaptive-evolved (AE) R. jostii RHA1 utilized such inhibitory mixtures better for lipid synthesis. When the glucose levels were increased to 20 g/L or above, adaption evolution appeared to shorten the lag phase of co-fermentation but not necessarily enhance lipid production. This study demonstrated that R. jostii RHA1 was capable of utilizing commonly unfavorable carbon sources for lipid synthesis, which would also serve as a means to in situ detoxify inhibitory compounds.
Centromeric DNA Facilitates Nonconventional Yeast Genetic Engineering.

Many nonconventional yeast species have highly desirable features that are not possessed by model yeasts, despite that significant technology hurdles to effectively manipulate them lay in front. Scheffersomyces stipitis is one of the most important exemplary nonconventional yeasts in biorenewables industry, which has a high native xylose utilization capacity. Recent study suggested its much better potential than Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a well-suited microbial biomanufacturing platform for producing high-value compounds derived from shikimate pathway, many of which are associated with potent nutraceutical or pharmaceutical properties. However, the broad application of S. stipitis is hampered by the lack of stable episomal expression platforms and precise genome-editing tools. Here we report the success in pinpointing the centromeric DNA as the partitioning element to guarantee stable extra-chromosomal DNA segregation. The identified centromeric sequence not only stabilized episomal plasmid, enabled hom...
A 60-Year-Old Active Female with Concomitant Type 1 SLAP and Rotator Cuff Tear

Rotator cuff tears with concomitant type I SLAP tears present with diffuse shoulder pain and weakness. These combined injuries typically occur in older patients with a degenerative, rather than traumatic etiology. The clinical history is significant for progressively worsening pain and weakness, limited active range of motion, difficulty with overhead activity, and aching night pain. Examination is useful in identifying patterns of weakness as well as provocative maneuvers for pain. Imaging begins with radiographs, but pathology is best confirmed with MRI. Ultrasound may also play a role in identifying rotator cuff pathology. Treatment begins with conservative therapy consisting of NSAIDs, corticosteroid injections, activity modification, and physical therapy. Patients that fail nonoperative candidates may have significant improvement with surgical intervention in the form of a rotator cuff repair with labral debridement and/or biceps tenodesis.
Treatment of Refractory Hashimoto's Encephalitis by Thyroidectomy (P01.053)

OBJECTIVE: To describe two cases of Hashimoto9s Encephalitis refractory to immunosuppressive treatment and their response to total thyroidectomy. BACKGROUND: Hashimoto9s encephalitis (HE) is an autoimmune, neurological disorder with multifaceted clinical presentations associated with high titers of anti-tpo antibodies (TPOa). While the diagnostic aspects of HE remain controversial, several variants of HE have been described. Clinical manifestations of HE include encephalopathy, seizures, behavioral symptoms, involuntary movements, and coma. Although immune-modulating therapies such as steroids, plasma exchange (PE), IVIG and immunosuppressive drugs are routinely used, many patients are refractory to treatment. We report two patients with HE refractory to immune-modulating therapies and their successful treatment with total thyroidectomy. DESIGN/METHODS: A 60-year old woman (P1) was admitted with status epilepticus. Laboratory evaluations revealed a normal TSH, high TPOa (51 IU/ml) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (111 IU/ml). The seizures remained uncontrolled with 5 anti-epileptic medications. Repeated treatments with steroids, plasmapheresis, IVIG and Rituximab failed to reduce the seizure frequency or the TPOa level. Another 71-year old woman (P2) presented with subacute onset of dementia and agitation; TSH, B12 levels, CSF (including 14-3-3) were normal. TPOa levels were high (77 IU/ml). Treatment with steroids, PE and IVIG failed to improve her symptoms or reduce the TPOa level. RESULTS: Following total thyroidectomy both patients had remarkable sustained improvements in their symptoms and TPOa levels. P1 became seizure-free and P2 improved in agitation and cognition. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the clinical profile and successful treatment of HE by thyroidectomy in two patients resistant to immune-modulating treatments. We propose that total thyroidectomy should be considered as a treatment option in HE, when refractory to medical treatment. The long-term benefits of this treatment need to be evaluated further. Disclosure: Dr. Allam has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kassar has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chand has received personal compensation from Teva Neuroscience and Allergan for speaking. Dr. Chand has received research support for a clinical trial on Rasagiline as adjunct therapy to dopamine agonists in Parkinson9s disease (ANDANTE Study). Dr. Iyadurai has nothing to disclose.
Decline in the perceived risk of cigarette smoking between 2006 and 2015: Findings from a U.S. nationally representative sample.

Abstract Introduction Perceived risk of smoking is associated with smoking status, interest in quitting, quit attempts, and sustained quitting. Tracking and reporting of risk perceptions is integral to inform regulation and education. However, no research describes temporal changes in perceived great risk of smoking in the U.S. using nationally representative data. Methods Data came from the 2006–2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Time trends were assessed for the population overall, stratified by smoking status and by sociodemographic characteristics. Linear time trends of perceived great risk (versus other risk) were assessed using logistic regression, with survey year as the predictor. Results Perceived great risk of smoking declined significantly among the entire population between 2006 and 2015 (73.89% versus 72.89%). Perceived great risk also decreased among all smoking statuses: daily (51.16% versus 48.19%), non-daily (64.12% versus 58.44%, former (79.57% versus 77.12%), and non-smokers (79.32% versus 77.10%). The prevalence of perceived great risk declined between 2006 and 2015 among both males and females; the rate of decline was more rapid among females (aOR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.97, 0.98 versus aOR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.98, 0.99). Older age, African American and Hispanic race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and non-daily, former, and never smoking statuses were positively associated with perceived great risk of smoking. Discussion Perceived risk of smoking has declined over a 10-year period in the U.S. Declines in perceived risk indicate the need for innovative interventions to reinforce the harms associated with smoking. Differential rates of decline among males and females indicate the need for sex-specific interventions.
Toward an isomorphic diagram of the Backus-Naur form

Computer scientists studying formal languages have made use of a variety of representations to both reason, and communicate their ideas to others. Symbolic representations have proved useful for rigorously defining the theoretical objects of the preceding topics; however, research shows that diagrammatic representations are as fundamental to these subjects. Previous research in this domain has typically been interested in studying the semantics that a particular representation is intended to capture. By contrast, this treatise considers the importance of the format of the representations themselves, and how format influences the ability of a person to uncover characteristics, relevant to the problem domain. More specifically, this thesis investigates the established formalisms that have been devised to describe formal languages, and introduces a novel concept, an augmented syntax graph. This graph, an isomorphism of the Backus-Naur form, is shown to have application in visualizing properties that are pertinent to some parsing algorithms.
Mouse serum amyloid A protein. Complete amino acid sequence and mRNA analysis of a new isoform.

Four serum amyloid A protein (SAA) genes and two gene products, apo-SAA1 and apo-SAA2 were identified in BALB/c mice (type A). SJL/J mice (type B) are thought to be defective in apo-SAA2 expression. A unique variant of mouse apo-SAA was identified in SJL/J mice by isoelectric-focusing analysis of high-density lipoprotein from endotoxin-treated mice. Complete amino-acid-sequence analysis of this quantitatively major form of SJL/J apo-SAA (pI 5.9) showed it to be identical with the apo-SAA2 isoform from BALB/c mice, except for the substitution of aspartic acid for alanine at position 101. Isoform-specific analysis of mRNA from liver of BALB/c and SJL/J mice and their F1 hybrid progeny (CSJLF1/J) mice revealed further differences in the 3′ untranslated regions of the genes, not only encoding apo-SAA2 and apo-SAA pI 5.9, but also apo-SAA1. The SAA genes of SJL/J mice thus differ from BALB/c in exon 4. Additional minor isoforms corresponding to apo-SAA2 (pI 6.3) in SJL/J mice and apo-SAA (pI 5.9) in BALB/c mice were identified. We propose that, when analysing a multigene family such as SAA, thorough analysis at the protein level should complement molecular-biological approaches where the use of a too-limited repertoire of probes can obscure complexities.
Gaze behavior during navigation with reduced acuity

Abstract Navigating unfamiliar indoor spaces while visually searching for objects of interest is a challenge faced by people with visual impairment. We asked how restricting visual acuity of normally sighted subjects would affect visual search and navigation in a real world environment, and how their performance would compare to subjects with naturally occurring low vision. Two experiments were conducted. In the first, 8 normally sighted subjects walked along an indoor path, looking for objects placed at unpredictable intervals to the left and right of the path, and identified single letters posted on the objects. A head-mounted eye tracker was used to assess their gaze direction in the environment. For half the trials, blur foils were used to restrict visual acuity to approximately logMAR 1.65. Gaze behavior, travel time, and letter recognition accuracy were compared between blurred and unrestricted conditions. In the second experiment, the same procedure was conducted, but performance was compared between acuity-restricted normally-sighted subjects and subjects with naturally occurring low vision (mean acuity 1.09 logMAR, range 0.48–1.85 logMAR). In Experiment 1, neither Blur nor the Letter Recognition Task individually had a statistically significant effect on travel time. However, when combined, there was an interaction between the two that increased travel time by approximately 63%, relative to baseline trials. Blur modified gaze behavior such that subjects spent more time looking down toward the floor while walking, at the expense of time spent looking in other directions. During Letter Recognition Task trials with Blur, subjects spent extra time examining objects, though more objects were missed altogether. In Experiment 2, low-vision subjects spent more time looking toward the boundary between the floor and the wall, but gaze patterns were otherwise similar to acuity-restricted subjects with normal vision. Low-vision subjects were also more likely to miss objects compared to acuity-restricted subjects. We conclude that under conditions of artificially restricted acuity, normally sighted subjects look downward toward the floor more frequently while navigating and take extra time to examine objects of interest, but are less likely to detect them. Low-vision subjects tend to direct their gaze toward the boundary between the wall and the floor, which may serve as a high contrast cue for navigation.
Pharyngeal Area Changes in Parkinson's Disease and Its Effect on Swallowing Safety, Efficiency, and Kinematics.

Pharyngeal area can increase as a function of normal healthy aging and muscle atrophy. These increases in pharyngeal area can negatively affect swallowing function in healthy older adults (HOA). However, the presence of pharyngeal area changes and their effects on swallowing function in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain unknown. Therefore, we compared the pharyngeal area of people with PD to HOA to determine if pharyngeal area changes were present in PD above and beyond what is seen in HOA. Within PD, we also evaluated if and how an increase in pharyngeal area affects swallowing kinematics, swallowing safety, and swallowing efficiency. A secondary analysis of videofluoroscopic swallow studies was completed comparing 41 HOA and 40 people with PD. Measures of pharyngeal area, swallowing kinematics, swallowing safety (penetration/aspiration), and swallowing efficiency (residue) were analyzed. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine if pharyngeal area was significantly different between the HOA and PD groups while controlling for age, sex, and height. Regression analyses were used to examine if and how pharyngeal area influenced swallowing kinematics, swallowing safety, and swallowing efficiency in PD. Pharyngeal areas were significantly larger for people with PD when compared to HOA (p = .008). An increase in pharyngeal area was associated with less pharyngeal constriction (p = .022), shorter duration of airway closure (p = .017), worse swallowing safety (p < .0005), and worse swallowing efficiency (p = .037). This study revealed that pharyngeal areas are larger in people with PD when compared to HOA, and that this increase in pharyngeal area is associated with maladaptive changes to swallowing kinematics, residue, and penetration/aspiration. These findings support the notion that pharyngeal muscle atrophy may be exacerbated in PD above and beyond what is seen in normal, healthy aging group. Results from this study highlight the need to consider pharyngeal muscle atrophy as a source for swallowing dysfunction in PD, and as a potential treatment target for swallowing rehabilitation.
Discipline-Based Art Education: Approaching Art as a Subject of Study

The focus of discipline-based art instruction is on art within general education and within the context of aesthetic education. Four parent disciplines—aesthetics, studio art, art history, and art criticism—are taught by means of a formal, continous, sequential, written curriculum across grade levels in the same way as other academic subjects. Activities and skills presented in sequence produce an evolution from a naive (untutored) to a sophisticated (knowledgeable) understanding of art, taking into account children's level of maturation and tasks ordered from simple to complex. When art is taught with this kind of structure, it answers critics who maintain that art education has little to do with art. The artworks of children become examples of concepts learned, in addition to being expressive efforts.
Impact of high refractive coating material on the nodular-induced electric field enhancement for near infrared multilayer mirrors

Electric field enhancement due to nodular defects within quarter-wave optical thickness multilayer mirrors is impacted by the inclusion diameter, inclusion depth, inclusion composition, nodular shape, multilayer angular bandwidth, multilayer coating materials, number of layers, angle of incidence, and polarization. In this modeling study, the electric field enhancement for surface inclusions with diameters up to 2 µm irradiated at 1064 nm at either normal or 45 deg incidence is calculated for high refractive index materials over a refractive index range of 1.7-2.3 for oxide materials commonly used in the near infrared. The thicknesses of the multilayer mirror thin films are determined for each high refractive index material by a requirement to meet a 99.5% reflection. The refractive index was found to have a significant impact on the electric field enhancement, which may offer some insight into the optimal material choice to produce high laser damage threshold mirrors.