cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anti-inflammatory apoA-I-mimetic peptides bind oxidized lipids with much higher affinity than human apoA-I

4F is an anti-inflammatory, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)-mimetic peptide that is active in vivo at nanomolar concentrations in the presence of a large molar excess of apoA-I. Physiologic concentrations (∼35 μM) of human apoA-I did not inhibit the production of LDL-induced monocyte chemotactic activity by human aortic endothelial cell cultures, but adding nanomolar concentrations of 4F in the presence of ∼35 μM apoA-I significantly reduced this inflammatory response. We analyzed lipid binding by surface plasmon resonance. The anti-inflammatory 4F peptide bound oxidized lipids with much higher affinity than did apoA-I. Initially, we examined the binding of PAPC (1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine) and observed that its oxidized products bound 4F with an affinity that was ∼4–6 orders of magnitude higher than that of apoA-I. This high binding affinity was confirmed in studies with defined lipids and phospholipids. 3F-2 and 3F14 are also amphipathic α-helical octadecapeptides, but 3F-2 inhibits atherosclerosis in mice and 3F14 does not. Like 4F, 3F-2 also bound oxidized phospholipids with very high affinity, whereas 3F14 resembled apoA-I. The extraordinary ability of 4F to bind pro-inflammatory oxidized lipids probably accounts for its remarkable anti-inflammatory properties.
Safety and Hemodynamic Effects of Intravenous Triiodothyronine in Advanced Congestive Heart Failure

Most patients with advanced congestive heart failure have altered thyroid hormone metabolism. A low triiodothyronine level is associated with impaired hemodynamics and is an independent predictor of poor survival. This study sought to evaluate safety and hemodynamic effects of short-term intravenous administration of triiodothyronine in patients with advanced heart failure. An intravenous bolus dose of triiodothyronine, with or without a 6- to 12-hour infusion (cumulative dose 0. 1 5 to 2.7 microg/kg), was administered to 23 patients with advanced heart failure (mean left ventricular ejection fraction 0.22 +/- 0.01). Cardiac rhythm and hemodynamic status were monitored for 12 hours, and basal metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry, echocardiographic parameters of systolic function and valvular regurgitation, thyroid hormone, and catecholamine levels were measured at baseline and at 4 to 6 hours. Triiodothyronine was well tolerated without episodes of ischemia or clinical arrhythmia. There was no significant change in heart rate or metabolic rate and there was minimal increase in core temperature. Cardiac output increased with a reduction in systemic vascular resistance in patients receiving the largest dose, consistent with a peripheral vasodilatory effect. Acute intravenous administration of triiodothyronine is well tolerated in patients with advanced heart failure, establishing the basis for further investigation into the safety and potential hemodynamic benefits of longer infusions, combined infusion with inotropic agents, oral triiodothyronine replacement therapy, and new triiodothyronine analogs.
Homogeneous and isotropic turbulence modulation by small heavy (St̃ 50) particles

The interaction of a dilute dispersion of small heavy particles with homogeneous and isotropic air turbulence has been investigated. Stationary turbulence (at Taylor micro-scale Reynolds number of 230) with small mean flow was created in a nearly spherical sealed chamber by means of eight synthetic jet actuators. Two-dimensional particle image velocimetry was used to measure global turbulence statistics in the presence of spherical glass particles that had a diameter of 165 m, which was similar to the Kolmogorov length scale of the flow. Experiments were conducted at two different turbulence levels and particle mass loadings up to 0.3. The particles attenuated the fluid turbulence kinetic energy and viscous dissipation rate with increasing mass loadings. Attenuation levels reached 35–40% for the kinetic energy (which was significantly greater than previous numerical studies) and 40–50% for the dissipation rate at the highest mass loadings. The main source of fluid turbulence kinetic energy production in the chamber was the speakers, but the loss of potential energy of the settling particles also resulted in a significant amount of production of extra energy. The sink of fluid energy in the chamber was due to the ordinary viscous dissipation and extra dissipation caused by particles. The extra dissipation was greatly underestimated by conventional models.
Adrenergic and cholinergic modulation of cerebrovascular nitrergic vasodilation

Abstract Large cerebral arteries at the base of the brain from several species are innervated by dense sympathetic adrenergic nerves, and parasympathetic cholinergic and nitrergic nerves. Norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (ACh) released from the respective nerves are not the primary postsynaptic transmitters for vasoconstriction and dilation. Evidence has been presented to indicate that nitric oxide (NO) is the predominant transmitter for cerebral vasodilation. NE and ACh act as presynaptic transmitters in modulating NO release and therefore cerebral vascular tone. This transmitter mechanism in the large cerebral arteries appears to be different from that in the smaller vessels.
Conservation Genetics and North American Bison (Bison bison)

The many millions of North American bison in the mid-19th century were reduced to near extinction by the middle 1880s. Plains bison, the subspecies found in the United States, were saved from extinction primarily by 5 private ranchers and the survival of a small herd in what is now Yellowstone National Park. This bottleneck resulted in the present-day plains bison population being descended from less than 100 founders. In addition, many conservation herds have cattle ancestry because of hybridization promoted by these ranchers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, although there are around 500,000 plains bison in North America, only 4% (20,000) are in conservation herds. Only 1 conservation herd with no known ancestry from cattle has an effective population size of more than 1000. Here I review and evaluate this situation and provide recommendations for the reduction of cattle ancestry, avoidance of inbreeding depression, and maintenance of genetic variation in the conservation herds of bison.
Unsteady flow in a branch

This study was motivated by the focal tendency of atherosclerotic plaque to appear near arterial junctions. A two-dimensional bifurcation was selected to provide preliminary information on branch flow dynamics. Superseding previous steady flow estimates in similar branches, digital solutions for two flux waves have been obtained to reveal temporal and spatial distributions of shear and separation in pulsatile flow. Marked differences from steady flow are illustrated as well as variation due to flux-wave shape.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bifid Medical Needles for Protection from Needle-Stick Injuries

Most blood-borne pathogen transmissions in the healthcare industry are caused by needle-stick injuries, and protection from sharp invasive instruments is of great concern. Recently, a modified design of medical needles (bifid needles) has been proposed to prevent needle-stick injuries. The bifid needle is designed to provide protection for users by entangling itself with an article of personal protective clothing. The purpose of this research is to study the effectiveness of bifid medical needles for protection against needle-stick injuries. A comparison of bifid and standard needles is conducted by evalu ating the forces experienced by the needle during penetration through Spectra 1000® woven fabric using a force measurement device. A predictive model is derived, expressing resistance to needle penetration in terms of needle and fabric parameters. Our study shows that bifid and standard needles behave differently when penetrating through a fabric. The predictive model indicates that the independent parameters of fabric orientation, needle penetration depth, and needle gap and their interactions significantly affect fabric resis tance to needle penetration.
MOSAIC: unified declarative platform for dynamic overlay composition

Overlay networks create new networking services across nodes that communicate using pre-existing networks. MOSAIC is a unified declarative platform for constructing new overlay networks from multiple existing overlays, each possessing a subset of the desired new network's characteristics. MOSAIC overlays are specified using Mozlog, a new declarative language for expressing overlay properties independently from their particular implementation or underlying network.This paper focuses on the runtime aspects of MOSAIC: composition and deployment of control and/or data plane functions of different overlay networks, dynamic compositions of overlay networks to meet changing application needs and network conditions, and seamless support for legacy applications. MOSAIC is validated experimentally using compositions specified in Mozlog: we combine an indirection overlay that supports mobility (i3), a resilient overlay (RON), and scalable lookups (Chord), to provide new overlay networks with new functions. MOSAIC uses runtime composition to simultaneously deliver application-aware mobility, NAT traversal and reliability. We further demonstrate MOSAIC'S dynamic composition capabilities by Chord switching its underlay from IP to RON at runtime. These benefits are obtained at a low performance cost, as demonstrated by measurements on both a local cluster and PlanetLab.
Progress in American seismology

Ten years ago, it is easily within the memory of all of us, there was very little activity in seismology in this country. I think it fair to say that of coordinated interest or of systematic research there was substantially none within the United States. Some very well-equipped individual stations were maintained in different parts of the country by the Jesuit group for purposes of record and those were, I think, the only competent ones in regular operation in this country at that time. Each one of these stations was separately maintained and quite independent of the others both administratively and scientifically and even the reports of that time did not employ a common terminology. The Jesuit Seismological Association, which provided an effective organisation of these stations into a well-coordinated group with a strong common purpose and a research-program, is of later date.
Speech recognition using reconstructed phase space features

The paper presents a novel method for speech recognition by utilizing nonlinear/chaotic signal processing techniques to extract time-domain based phase space features. By exploiting the theoretical results derived in nonlinear dynamics, a processing space called a reconstructed phase space can be generated where a salient model (the natural distribution of the attractor) can be extracted for speech recognition. To discover the discriminatory power of these features, isolated phoneme classification experiments were performed using the TIMIT corpus and compared to a baseline classifier that uses MFCC (Mel frequency cepstral coefficient) features. The results demonstrate that phase space features contain substantial discriminatory power, even though MFCC features outperformed the phase space features on direct comparisons. The authors conjecture that phase space and MFCC features used in combination within a classifier may yield increased accuracy for various speech recognition tasks.
Fibrinogen-Coated Droplets of Olive Oil for Delivery of Docetaxel to a Fibrin(ogen)-Rich Ascites Form of a Murine Mammary Tumor

Micronized droplets of olive oil loaded with docetaxel and coated with functional fibrinogen were administered intraperitoneally to mice bearing the fibrin(ogen)-rich ascites form of the TA3/St mammary tumor. When compared with docetaxel administered intraperitoneally as its commercial formulation (i.e., Taxotere), docetaxel-loaded oil droplets coated with murine fibrinogen prolonged the median survival time of tumor-bearing mice from 14.5 to 29.5 days. Drug-free oil droplets provided no therapeutic benefit. Significantly more docetaxel was associated with tumor cells 24 and 48 hours after administration of the drug in fibrinogen-coated oil droplets than after its administration as Taxotere. Consistent with a role for thrombin in the retention of fibrinogen-coated oil droplets within the tumor microenvironment, hirudin significantly reduced the association of tumor cells with docetaxel delivered in fibrinogen-coated oil droplets and, at the same time, reduced the therapeutic efficacy of the droplets to that of Taxotere. Importantly, fibrinogen-coated oil droplets formed rosettes with tumor cells in vivo, a process prevented by hirudin. Although mice treated with oil droplets developed antifibrinogen antibodies, those antibodies seemed to be inconsequential. Taken together, our results and observations indicate fibrinogen-coated oil droplets markedly improve the therapeutic efficacy of docetaxel for the treatment of a mammary tumor grown in ascites form, a consequence of thrombin-mediated retention of the drug-loaded droplets within the tumor microenvironment.
The Politics of Dispossession Theorizing India’s “Land Wars”

While struggles over land dispossession have recently proliferated across the developing world and become particularly significant in India, this paper argues that existing theories of political ag...
Approximation and similarity in concept lattices

Various approaches have been proposed to perform concept approximation using a concept lattice developed from a formal context. This paper reviews several of these approaches and examines the relationships among them. Since concept approximation is also strongly related to determining the similarity between concepts within a concept lattice, a variety of methods for measuring concept similarity are presented. Several of these methods introduce the idea of concept irreducibility and approximation within the measurement of concept similarity.
Retina: helping students and instructors based on observed programming activities

It is difficult for instructors of CS1 and CS2 courses to get accurate answers to such critical questions as "how long are students spending on programming assignments?", or "what sorts of errors are they making?" At the same time, students often have no idea of where they stand with respect to the rest of the class in terms of time spent on an assignment or the number or types of errors that they encounter. In this paper, we present a tool called Retina, which collects information about students' programming activities, and then provides useful and informative reports to both students and instructors based on the aggregation of that data. Retina can also make real-time recommendations to students, in order to help them quickly address some of the errors they make. In addition to describing Retina and its features, we also present some of our initial findings during two trials of the tool in a real classroom setting.
Comminution and Classification of Ceramic Powders

This chapter discusses the fundamentals of classification and comminution of ceramic powders. Comminution and classification are the most important methods of transformation of minerals to ceramic powders. They are also used for synthetic ceramic powders, because powders produced by chemical reaction often have undesirable particle size distributions. Comminution is described by birth and death functions in a population balance. These birth and death functions depend on two parameters characteristic of the material being ground (that is, the specific breakage rate and the primary progeny function). Classification of ceramic powders according to size can be performed by many different types of equipment depending on whether the powder is being ground wet or dry. Each type of equipment has its own characteristics for operation. These operating characteristics can be reduced to a selectivity curve. Combining this selectivity curve and the population balance for the grinding mill a model of a comminution circuit can be developed, which is useful for their design and control.
Evaluation of College Teachers and Teaching

SHALL we evaluate teachers and teaching? This is really a pseudo issue, since this evaluation is always happening. Whether we like it or not, teacher evaluation is an existing subjective phenomenon in every college and university. Department heads are evaluating teachers, students are daily evaluating their instructors, and the teacher is continually evaluating himself, although it may be on either a conscious or a subconscious level. Really, the big issue is this: How shall we evaluate? Shall the evaluation be on a basis where one tries to avoid recognizing that he and others are evaluating, or shall it be on a conscious, rational, and systematic basis, with well-thought-through criteria and procedures? In our discussion, we are assuming that the overriding purpose of teacher evaluation is to improve the judgments and decisions of those concerned with teaching.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most severe form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) (Benninger and Walner, Clin Cornerstone 9:s6–12, 2007), which encompasses all forms of abnormal breathing during sleep (Marcus, Curr Opin Pediatr 12:208–12, 2000). Adults with OSA have a significant association with cardiovascular disease, specifically hypertension (HTN) (Somers et al. Circulation 118:1080–111, 2008). The relationship between systemic HTN and OSA is well documented (Lavie et al. BMJ 320:479–82, 2000, Nieto et al. JAMA 283:1829–36, 2000, Peppard et al. N Engl J Med 342:1378–84, 2000), and one particular prospective population study, the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, documented OSA preceded and predicted the development of HTN (Peppard et al. N Engl J Med 342:1378–84, 2000). OSA has also been associated with drug-resistant HTN in adults (Grote et al. J Hypertens 18:679–85, 2000, Logan et al. J Hypertens 19:2271–7, 2001) which may be partially mediated by aldosterone (Calhoun et al. Chest 125:112–7, 2004, Pratt-Ubunama et al. Chest 131:453–9, 2007). The relationship between OSA and HTN is so well defined in adults that OSA is now recognized as an identifiable cause of HTN and should be considered during the evaluation for elevated blood pressure (BP) (Chobanian et al. Hypertension 42:1206–52, 2003). The National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group made a similar recommendation to screen for OSA as a comorbid condition in children with HTN (National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents, Pediatrics 114:555–76, 2004). However, the relationship between SDB and HTN is not as clear in children. Regardless, there is evidence to suggest an association between these two conditions. There is also evidence suggesting an independent effect of SDB on left ventricular geometry changes which improve after treatment of SDB. Obesity is a suspected confounder in the associations between SDB, HTN, and left ventricular geometry changes, but the interaction and causal relationship is still unknown.
Abdominal Manifestations of IgG4-Related Disease

IgG4-related disease is a recently recognized systemic disorder involving multiple organs throughout the body. The multi-organ involvement of this disease was previously thought to occur as isolated, unrelated autoimmune disorders. Although virtually any part of the body may be involved in IgG4-related disease, abdominal manifestations tend to predominate in most affected individuals. While autoimmune pancreatitis is the most commonly encountered abdominal disorder in the setting of IgG4-related disease, the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, retroperitoneum, and mesentery may likewise be involved. Various diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related disease have been proposed based on physical exam, serology, and histopathologic confirmation. However, imaging plays an essential role in the diagnosis of this disorder, not only to establish the presence of IgG4-related disease, but to assess the severity and extent of systemic disease involvement.
Abstract 2883: Genetic reduction of circulating IGF-1 inhibits growth of COX-2- and Kras-induced pancreatic tumors in orthotopic transplant models

Chronic pancreatitis dramatically increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, the 4 th deadliest malignancy in the US. KRAS mutations, the predominant genetic lesion found in pancreatic cancer, are detectable in 30% of patients with chronic pancreatitis. We previously found that calorie restriction (CR) protected against the tumorigenic effects of chronic pancreatitis in the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-driven (BK5.COX-2) transgenic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. The protection conferred by CR was associated with dramatically reduced circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, an established mitogen in a variety of cancer cell lines. We hypothesized that circulating IGF-1 levels have a crucial role in tumor progression in both pancreatitis- and KRAS-induced pancreatic cancer. To test this, mouse pancreatic cancer cells derived from either a BK5.COX-2 transgenic mouse (JC101) or a Kras G12D /INK4a +/− mouse (NB508) were orthotopically transplanted in liver-specific IGF-1-deficient (LID, n=16 per cell line) and wild-type (WT, n=11 per cell line) mice. LID mice were randomized to receive Alzet miniature osmotic pumps (implanted subcutaneously) continuously infusing either vehicle (n=8) or 1 µg/hr of recombinant human IGF-1 (rhIGF-1, Increlex®, Tercica, Inc., Brisbane, CA; n=8). WT mice were infused with vehicle. Mice were euthanized 28 days after tumor and pump implantation, and blood was collected and tumors were weighed and fixed in 10% normal buffered formalin. Immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67 was performed on paraffin-embedded tumors to assess proliferation. In LID mice serum IGF-1 levels were reduced approximately 70% relative to WT (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2883.
Single-step endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections with a single self-expandable metal stent and standard linear echoendoscope

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) is a well described alternative to surgery or percutaneous drainage. However, it is limited by the requirement for a large working channel that allows multiple plastic stent placement, which is only commercially available on therapeutic linear echoendoscopes. Herein, we describe the drainage of PFCs with a single self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) using a single-step technique and standard linear echoendoscope. Seven cases were identified during a retrospective chart review, and included all patients who had undergone EUS-guided drainage of PFCs during a 6-month period. The mean age was 46 years (range 25 – 70 years) and all patients were symptomatic. The mean diameter of PFCs was 8 cm (range 4.1 – 12.5 cm). Previous percutaneous drainage had failed in three patients. A total of 10 PFCs were drained. Three patients had two cysts drained by the same stent and one patient had two separate procedures to drain two distinct cysts. The SEMS was in place for a mean of 13 weeks (range 4 – 34 weeks). Successful placement of SEMS was achieved in all seven cases. Patients were followed for a mean of 18 weeks (range 7 – 35 weeks), and symptom improvement was achieved in all cases. Complete resolution of PFC was achieved in 9 /10 cysts. No complications were encountered. Single-step EUS-guided drainage of PFCs using a single 10-mm SEMS and a standard linear echoendoscope appears to be a feasible endoscopic technique with excellent technical and clinical success rates.
Eigenmodes of random dielectric media

Using the transfer matrix method as well as numerical solutions to the one dimensional wave equation derived from the Maxwell equations, we study the transition from a photonic crystal with a finite size to a random dielectric medium. We examine the validity of the Kronig-Penney model for a finite size crystal and analyze the spatial structure of the eigenmodes as the crystal is made more irregular.
Relationship Between Human Apillomavirus 16 Chlamydia Trachomatis,Mycoplasma Genitalium Infection and Cervical Cancer

Objective To study the association between human papillomavirus 16HPV16 Chlamydia trachomatisCt Mycoplasma genitalium Mg infection and cervical cancer. Methods Forty-five cases with cervical cancer 83 cases with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia CIN and 332 health controls were sequentially enrolled in this study and polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the infection of HPV 16 Ct and Mg. Results Expression of HPV 16 in cervical cancer was significantly higher than that in CIN group and health control group. Expression of HPV 16 in CIN was significantly higher than that in health control group. Expression of Ct and Mg among cervical cancer group CIN group and health group showed no obvious differences. Conclusion This study indicates that cervical cancer may have relationship with HPV 16 infection and it has no relationship with Ct and Mg infection.
Abortion and miscarriage

Opponents of abortion sometimes hold that it is impermissible because fetuses are persons from the moment of conception. But miscarriage, which ends up to 89 % of pregnancies, is much deadlier than abortion. That means that if opponents of abortion are right, then miscarriage is the biggest public-health crisis of our time. Yet they pay hardly any attention to miscarriage, especially very early miscarriage. Attempts to resolve this inconsistency by adverting to the distinction between killing and letting die or to the difficulty of preventing miscarriage fail, leaving a dilemma. Opponents of abortion should either advocate a substantial shift in our political and medical priorities or else give up the view that fetuses are persons from the moment of conception.
When are medical apps medical? Off-label use and the Food and Drug Administration

People have a love/hate relationship with rapidly changing healthcare technology. While consumer demand for medical apps continues to grow as rapidly as does supply (there are over 100,000 health, wellness and medical applications, or 'apps' on the market), healthcare professionals and safety experts worry about the impact of these apps on the health consumer. In response to the rapidly growing mobile healthcare sector, the Food and Drug Administration has put forth guidelines to regulate 'mobile medical apps' (MMAs), those health-related apps that are (self) designated as medical devices. In this article, I argue that this decision, to only regulate apps that bill themselves as medical devices, will create a market for 'off-label' app use. Further, I will talk about the oft used analogy between off-label apps and off-label pharmaceuticals, showing that off-labeling apps will provide patients none of the benefits that come with a physician prescribing a drug off-label, while exposing the mobile healthcare consumer to significant risks that go significantly beyond those that we know of (and must accept) from prescription drugs. Recognizing that the Food and Drug Administration is not going to be able to significantly change its policies on oversight, I will suggest specific actions to at least mitigate some of the risks associated with off-label app use.
Ultraviolet-A1 irradiation therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus, SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies, which bind to antigens and are deposited within tissues to fix complement, resulting in widespread systemic inflammation. The studies presented herein are consistent with hyperpolarized, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-deficient mitochondria being central to the disease process. These hyperpolarized mitochondria resist the depolarization required for activation-induced apoptosis. The mitochondrial ATP deficits add to this resistance to apoptosis and also reduce the macrophage energy that is needed to clear apoptotic bodies. In both cases, necrosis, the alternative pathway of cell death, results. Intracellular constituents spill into the blood and tissues, eliciting inflammatory responses directed at their removal. What results is "autoimmunity." Ultraviolet (UV)-A1 photons have the capacity to remediate this aberrancy. Exogenous exposure to low-dose, full-body, UV-A1 radiation generates singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen has two major palliative actions in patients with lupus and the UV-A1 photons themselves have several more. Singlet oxygen depolarizes the hyperpolarized mitochondrion, triggering non-ATP-dependent apoptosis that deters necrosis. Next, singlet oxygen activates the gene encoding heme oxygenase (HO-1), a major governor of systemic homeostasis. HO-1 catalyzes the degradation of the oxidant heme into biliverdin (converted to bilirubin), Fe, and carbon monoxide (CO), the first three of these exerting powerful antioxidant effects, and in conjunction with a fourth, CO, protecting against injury to the coronary arteries, the central nervous system, and the lungs. The UV-A1 photons themselves directly attenuate disease in lupus by reducing B cell activity, preventing the suppression of cell-mediated immunity, slowing an epigenetic progression toward SLE, and ameliorating discoid and subacute cutaneous lupus. Finally, a combination of these mechanisms reduces levels of anticardiolipin antibodies and protects during lupus pregnancy. Capping all of this is that UV-A1 irradiation is an essentially innocuous, highly manageable, and comfortable therapeutic agency.
Transfer Learning and Deep Feature Extraction for Planktonic Image Data Sets

Studying marine plankton is critical to assessing the health of the world's oceans. To sample these important populations, oceanographers are increasingly using specially engineered in situ digital imaging systems that produce very large data sets. Most automated annotation efforts have considered data from individual systems in isolation. This is predicated on the assumption that the images from each system are so different that there would be little benefit to considering out-of-domain data. Meanwhile, in the computer vision community, much effort has been dedicated to understanding how using out-of-domain images can improve the performance of machine classifiers. In this paper, we leverage these advances to evaluate how well weights transfer between Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) trained on data from two radically different plankton imaging systems. We also examine the utility of CNNs as feature extractors on a third unique plankton data set. Our results indicate that these data sets are perhaps more similar in the eyes of a machine classifier than previously assumed. Further, these tests underscore the value of using the rich feature representations learned by CNNs to classify data in vastly different domains.
A cryo-EM–based model of phosphorylation- and FKBP12.6-mediated allosterism of the cardiac ryanodine receptor

Type 2 ryanodine receptors (RyR2s) are calcium channels that play a vital role in triggering cardiac muscle contraction by releasing calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum into the cytoplasm. Several cardiomyopathies are associated with the abnormal functioning of RyR2. We determined the three-dimensional structure of rabbit RyR2 in complex with the regulatory protein FKBP12.6 in the closed state at 11.8 A resolution using cryo-electron microscopy and built an atomic model of RyR2. The heterogeneity in the data set revealed two RyR2 conformations that we proposed to be related to the extent of phosphorylation of the P2 domain. Because the more flexible conformation may correspond to RyR2 with a phosphorylated P2 domain, we suggest that phosphorylation may set RyR2 in a conformation that needs less energy to transition to the open state. Comparison of RyR2 from cardiac muscle and RyR1 from skeletal muscle showed substantial structural differences between the two, especially in the helical domain 2 (HD2) structure forming the Clamp domain, which participates in quaternary interactions with the dihydropyridine receptor and neighboring RyRs in RyR1 but not in RyR2. Rigidity of the HD2 domain of RyR2 was enhanced by binding of FKBP12.6, a ligand that stabilizes RyR2 in the closed state. These results help to decipher the molecular basis of the different mechanisms of activation and oligomerization of the RyR isoforms and could be extended to RyR complexes in other tissues.
Maternal illness and drug use during preconception, pregnancy, and breastfeeding and risk of childhood leukemia among offspring

500 Evidence exists that childhood leukemia might be initiated prenatally and promoted by exposure to one or more agents postnatally. In utero or early life exposures such as maternal illness and drug use before, during, or after pregnancy have been postulated to play a role in this etiology. These exposures were evaluated in the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study where incident cases of leukemia (age 0-14) were ascertained from 1995-2002. Controls were selected from the statewide birth registry and were matched to cases on age, sex, Hispanic status, and maternal race. Data on maternal illness and drug use prior to, during, or following pregnancy were obtained by in-person interview with the biological mother of the index child. Conditional logistic regression was performed on 382 case-control sets, adjusting for household income, maternal education, and maternal age at birth. Ever versus never having flu/pneumonia was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of childhood leukemia: odds ratio (OR) = 1.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-2.57; 83 cases/70 controls exposed. The ORs for flu/pneumonia showed elevated risk consistently over the periods of preconception (OR = 2.63; 95% CI = 1.08-6.40), pregnancy (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 0.92-2.21), and breastfeeding (OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 0.74-3.57). No associations were found for having urinary tract infections and anemia. Ever versus never having a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) was associated with a significant increased risk of leukemia: OR = 6.33; 95% CI = 1.65-24.27; 16 cases/3 controls exposed. The ORs for STD had a pattern of elevated, significant risk during preconception but loss of significance during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Use of iron supplements was associated with a significant decreased risk of childhood leukemia (OR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.51-0.97) while use of recreational drugs suggested an increased risk of leukemia but was not significant (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 0.94-2.38). Analyzing use of iron supplements and recreational drugs by time period revealed similar yet non-significant risk estimates. No associations were found for use of birth control pills and antibiotics. Restricting the analysis to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases and controls produced similar risk estimates for illness and drug use. These results suggest that offspring of mothers who have flu/pneumonia or STD are at an increased risk of childhood leukemia and thus imply that maternal infection might contribute to an infectious etiology of leukemia. Also, mothers who take iron supplements may decrease the risk of leukemia in their children since this mineral is necessary to prevent anemia, which has been found in previous studies to be associated with leukemia risk. Results regarding STD or recreational drugs should be interpreted with caution due to their sensitive behavioral nature and ensuing possibility of recall bias.
PPAR nuclear receptors and altered RPE lipid metabolism in age-related macular degeneration

The pathophysiology of ‘early’ dry age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), characterized by the accumulation of lipid and protein-rich sub-retinal deposits remains largely unknown. Accumulation and dysregulated turnover of lipids as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules in sub-retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) deposits and Bruch’s membrane, itself an ECM, play a role in ARMD. Epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk for the disease associated with higher dietary intake of long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) and specifically more so for n-6 versus n-3 fatty acids. PUFAs are membrane targets of lipid peroxidation and natural ligands for the nuclear receptors, peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR). Here we investigated the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and expression of the three isoforms of PPARs in an immortalized cell line of human RPE cells (ARPE19) in the presence or absence of fatty acids.
Transition by head-on collision: mechanically mediated manoeuvres in cockroaches and small robots.

Exceptional performance is often considered to be elegant and free of ‘errors’ or missteps. During the most extreme escape behaviours, neural control can approach or exceed its operating limits in ...
Characterizing communication between transition-aged foster youth and their social workers:

This study examined communication between 51 transition-aged foster youth and their social workers as related to perceived relationship quality and satisfaction with care receipt/provision. Youth–w...
Nimbus-6 Temperature Soundings Obtained Using Interactive Video-Graphics Computer Techniques

In an attempt to improve the quality of Nimbus-6 soundings, the Man-computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) at the University of Wisconsin is used to manually edit individual (scan spot) H...
Lévy Processes in Compact Lie Groups

In this chapter, we apply Fourier analysis to study the distributions of Levy processes in compact Lie groups. A similar study will be done for Levy processes in symmetric spaces in the next chapter. After a brief review of the Fourier analysis on compact Lie groups, we discuss in §4.2 the Fourier expansion of the distribution density pt of a Levy process gt in terms of matrix elements of irreducible unitary representations of G. It is shown that if gt has an L2 density pt, then the Fourier series converges absolutely and uniformly on G, and the convergence to the uniform distribution (the normalized Haar measure) is obtained. In Section 4.3, for Levy processes invariant under the inverse map, the L2 density is shown to exist under a nondegenerate diffusion part or under an asymptotic condition on the Levy measure, and the exponential convergence to the uniform distribution is obtained. The same results are proved in §4.4 for bi-invariant Levy processes. In this case, the Fourier expansion is given in terms of irreducible characters, a more manageable form of Fourier series. Some examples are computed explicitly in the last section.
Signaling chain homooligomerization (SCHOOL) model.

Multichain immune recognition receptors (MIRRs) represent a family of surface receptors expressed on different cells of the hematopoietic system and function to transduce signals leading to a variety of biologic responses. The most intriguing and distinct structural feature of MIRR family members is that extracellular recognition domains and intracellular signaling domains are located on separate subunits. The biochemical cascades triggered by MIRRs are understood in significant detail, however, the mechanism by which extracellular ligand binding initiates intracellular signal transduction processes is not clear and no model fully explains how MIRR signaling commences.
Reconsidering the origin of the scythed chariot

This article challenges the current scholarly consensus that the scythed chariot was developed by the Persians for use against Greek hoplites. Closer examination of the historical record reveals that the scythed chariot was a specialized device deployed only under specific battlefield conditions and used against all types of infantry and cavalry. Reviewing the information provided by Xenophon's Cyropaedia and Ctesias'Persica in the context of the evolution of chariotry in the ancient Near East, I argue that the most plausible origin for the scythed chariot is in the Neo-Assyrian period.
Cancer patients’ perception of usefulness with wearable exercise tracker.

51Background: Wearable trackers (WT) are known for its popular use in healthy, active persons but limited studies have been conducted in cancer survivors. Methods: Participants were asked to wear t...
Lerch (Ed.): The Community Resilience Reader: Essential Resources for an Era of Upheaval

Inspirational, aspirational, and grounded enough to be practical, The Community Resilience Reader: Essential Resources for an Era of Upheaval, edited by Daniel Lerch, is a useful text for planners ...
The Case of James Dire: The Problem with Panic

Panic disorder typically develops in young adulthood and can be associated with impairment in functioning. This can be particularly debilitating for medical trainees who are striving to work to their full potential in a notably stressful and demanding medical environment. Furthermore, stigma associated with psychiatric diagnosis and treatment may preclude a much needed comprehensive symptoms evaluation and management. Successful engagement, with the use of psychoeducation and alliance building, can allow for important work – management of the presenting anxiety symptoms – and, in some cases, further psychological work to improve emotional health and well-being. Panic disorder can have many underlying psychological themes, which the psychiatrist can be attuned to as potential areas of exploration with the student-patient, who is at an important and complex developmental stage of life.
Materials Processing Handbook, Joanna R. Groza, James F. Shackelford, Enrique J. Lavernia, and Michael T. Powers, Editors

Convinced that the field of materials science and engineering has gradually evolved into a science on its own, embracing the well established disciples of physical metallurgy and ceramic/glass engi...
Interplay Between Workload and Functional Perceptual-Cognitive-Affective Responses: An Inclusive Model.

The extent to and manner in which psychological states change as a function of physical effort and related physiological responses have been addressed separately in various theoretical frameworks. ...
A Rare Case of Takotsubo Syndrome and Acute Coronary Syndrome of the Right Coronary Artery

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an increasingly recognized heart disease that was initially regarded as a benign condition, but since has proven to cause irreversible myocardial damage, resembling that of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The etiology of TTS is still uncertain but may be associated with catecholamine elevations during times of emotional or physical stress. Catecholamines are also understood to have prothrombotic properties, which could lead to ACS. With these similarities, differentiating these two pathologies can be difficult, especially when TTS and ACS occur simultaneously.
Analysis of Fuzzy Models of Implication in the Task of Controlling a Mobile Robot

This article analyses the use of different models of fuzzy implication to control a mobile robot. The analysis of the following models of the implication: Mamdani (minimum-maximum), product (Prod), drastic product, algebraic sum. Simulations have shown that the best result is obtained when using the fuzzy implication of Mamdani (max). The article presents a scheme of connection of components of a mobile robot and a two-level hierarchical fuzzy logic system for their intellectualization.
Continually Improving Outcomes for Very Low Birth Weight Infants

* Abbreviation: CPQCC — : California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative In this edition of Pediatrics , Lee et al1 present trends in survival without major morbidity as well as trends in individual morbidities in very low birth weight infants with birth weights of 401 to 1500 g or gestational ages between 22 and 29 weeks born between 2008 and 2017. In this cohort of almost 50 000 infants across 143 hospitals belonging to the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative (CPQCC), survival without major morbidity consistently increased from 62.0% to 67.2%. The largest improvements in morbidity were seen in infants with necrotizing enterocolitis and nosocomial infection. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia rates did not change significantly. There has been a steady stream of reports of decreased neonatal morbidity and mortality since the 1990s. Most, but not all, networks have reported these widespread improvements.2–5 The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network’s report of outcomes in a nearly identical population studied between 1993 and 2012 demonstrated increased use of evidence-based practices such as antenatal corticosteroids and adoption of less invasive ventilation as well as improvements … Address correspondence to Roger F. Soll, MD, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, University of Vermont Medical Center, Smith 551, 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05401. E-mail: roger.soll{at}uvmhealth.org
Migration through a major Andean ecogeographic disruption as a driver of genotypic and phenotypic diversity in a wild tomato species

The large number of species on our planet arises from the phenotypic variation and reproductive isolation occurring at the population level. In this study, we sought to understand the origins of such population-level variation in defensive acylsugar chemistry and mating systems in Solanum habrochaites - a wild tomato species found in diverse Andean habitats in Ecuador and Peru. Using Restriction-Associated-Digestion Sequencing (RAD-seq) of 50 S. habrochaites accessions, we identified eight population clusters generated via isolation and hybridization dynamics of 4-6 ancestral populations. Estimation of heterozygosity, fixation index, isolation by distance, and migration probabilities, allowed identification of multiple barriers to gene flow leading to the establishment of extant populations. One major barrier is the Amotape-Huancabamba Zone (AHZ) - a geographical feature in the Andes with high endemism, where the mountainous range breaks up into isolated microhabitats. The AHZ was associated with emergence of alleles for novel reproductive and acylsugar phenotypes. These alleles led to the evolution of self-compatibility in the northern populations, where alleles for novel defense-related enzyme variants were also found to be fixed. We identified geographical distance as a major force causing population differentiation in the central/southern part of the range, where S. habrochaites was also inferred to have originated. Findings presented here highlight the role of the diverse ecogeography of Peru and Ecuador in generating new, reproductively isolated populations, and enhance our understanding of the microevolutionary processes that lay a path to speciation.
Mapping heterogeneous forest-pasture mosaics in the Brazilian Amazon using a spectral vegetation variability index, band transformations and random forest classification

Amazonian tropical rainforest is being converted to other land cover types including crops and pasture. In deforested areas, secondary forest grows after pastures are abandoned, and ‘dirty pasture’...