cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aging effects on leg joint variability during walking with balance perturbations.

Abstract Background Older adults are more susceptible to balance perturbations during walking than young adults. However, we lack an individual joint-level understanding of how aging affects the neuromechanical strategies used to accommodate balance perturbations. Research question We investigated gait phase-dependence in and aging effects on leg joint kinematic variability during walking with balance perturbations. We hypothesized that leg joint variability would: 1) vary across the gait cycle and 2) increase with balance perturbations. We also hypothesized that perturbation effects on leg joint kinematic variability would be larger and more pervasive in older versus young adults. Methods We collected leg joint kinematics in young and older adults walking with and without mediolateral optical flow perturbations of different amplitudes. Results We first found that leg joint variability during walking is gait phase-dependent, with step-to-step adjustments occurring predominantly during push-off and early swing. Second, young adults accommodated perturbations almost exclusively by increasing coronal plane hip joint variability, likely to adjust step width. Third, perturbations elicited larger and more pervasive increases in all joint kinematic outcome measures in older adults. Finally, we also provide insight into which joints contribute more to foot placement variability in walking, adding that variability in sagittal plane knee and coronal plane hip joint angles contributed most to that in step length and step width, respectively. Significance Taken together, our findings may be highly relevant to identifying specific joint-level therapeutic targets to mitigate balance impairment in our aging population.
Environmental Molecular Biology Approaches: Promises and Pitfalls

One of the most difficult problems in studying the microbiology of atmospheric trace gas cycling is the inherent uncertainty concerning the makeup of natural populations of these microorganisms. Since many of the relevant microorganisms are difficult to culture, traditional techniques of enumeration and identification that involve culturing are generally unreliable. In addition, since it is clear that a large proportion of the bacteria in nature have never been cultured (Giovannoni et al., 1990; Ward et al., 1990; Liesack and Stackebrandt, 1992), it is not possible to be certain that the bacteria that do grow under laboratory conditions represent the dominant functional population in nature. Determining the functional and phylogenetic diversity of trace gas utilizing or producing populations is an essential step for understanding their role in the dynamics of trace gas flux. This information is also essential for ascertaining how these populations and their relevant trace gas functions (utilization or production) respond to environmental changes. Ultimately, one of the goals of this work is to be able to predict with some certainty how trace gas cycling will be affected by climate change.
Molecular genetic studies in achondroplasia.

The clinical phenotype of achondroplasia has been extensively covered by other speakers in this symposium. In summary, the condition is a dominantly inherited form of rhizomelic dwarfism with an incidence estimated between 1/20,000 and 1/50,000 live births (1). The mutation presents as a primary disorder of bone growth; manifestations in other systems, such as the neuroaxis (2), appear to result from bony impingement. Because the achondroplasia gene acts principally at the growth plate, those gene products which are known to be structurally crucial to cartilage have naturally come under investigation in the search for the cause of achondroplasia.
Changes in Zinc Metabolism During the Use of EDTA

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA, a chelating agent with a high stability constant for lead, is commonly used for the diagnosis and treatment of pad poisoningl,2; but EDTA has also a very high stability constant for zinc and is therefore expected to bind and remove this essential trace element. In the present study the zinc loss during the use of conventional doses of EDTA for lead poisoning was determined.
Synaptic targeting domains of synapsin I revealed by transgenic expression in photoreceptor cells.

Synapsins are abundant nerve terminal proteins present at all synapses except for ribbon synapses, e.g. photoreceptor cell synapses. Multiple functions have been proposed for synapsins, including clustering of synaptic vesicles and regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. To investigate the physiological functions of synapsin and to ascertain which domains of synapsin are involved in synaptic targeting in vivo, we expressed synapsin Ib and its N- and C-terminal domains in the photoreceptor cells of transgenic mice. In these cells synapsin Ib is targeted efficiently to synaptic vesicles but has no significant effect on the development, structure or physiology of the synapses. This suggests that synapsin I does not have dominant physiological or morphoregulatory functions at these synapses. Full-length synapsin Ib and the N-terminal domains of synapsin Ib but not its C-terminal domains are transported to synapses, revealing that the molecular apparatus for synaptic targeting of synapsins is also present in cells which form ribbon synapses that normally lack synapsins. This apparatus appears to utilize the conserved N-terminal domains that are shared between all synapsins.
Ubiquitin Receptor RPN13 Mediates the Inhibitory Interaction of Diphenyldihaloketones CLEFMA and EF24 With the 26S Proteasome

The proteasome is a validated target in drug discovery for diseases associated with unusual proteasomal activity. Here we report that two diphenyldihaloketones, CLEFMA and EF24, inhibit the peptidase activity of the 26S proteasome. The objective of this study was to investigate interaction of these compounds with the proteasome and identify a putative target within the protein components of the 26S proteasome. We employed standard fluorogenic peptide-based proteasome activity assay for trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, and caspase-like activities of human purified 26S proteasome in cell-free conditions. GFPu-1 and HUVEC cells were used as proteasome reporter cells. Direct binding studies used purified 19S, 20S, 26S, and recombinant RPN13-Pru for interaction with biotinylated analogs of CLEFMA and EF24. The reaction mixtures were subjected to horizontal gel electrophoresis, streptavidin-blotting, pull-down assays, and immunoblotting. The identity of the interacting protein was determined by 2D gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS. Drug affinity responsive target stability technique was utilized to examine if CLEFMA binding confers protection to RPN13 against thermolysin-catalyzed proteolysis. We found that trypsin-and chymotrypsin-like activities of the 26S proteasome were reduced significantly by both compounds. The compounds also reduced the proteolytic activity in GFPu-1 and HUVEC cells, resulting in accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins without affecting the autophagy process. From direct binding assays a 43 kDa protein in the 26S proteasome was found to be the interacting partner. This protein was identified by tandem mass spectroscopy as regulatory particle subunit 13 (RPN13), a ubiquitin receptor in the 19S regulatory particle. Furthermore, binding of CLEFMA to RPN13 did not protect latter from thermolysin-mediated proteolysis. Together, this study showed diphenyldihaloketones as potential proteasome inhibitors for treatment of diseases with perturbed proteasome function. The results also unraveled RPN13 as a unique target of CLEFMA and EF24. As a result, these compounds inhibit both trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like proteasome activities.
Compliance and command II, imperatives and deontics

I extend the previously given truth-maker semantics and logic for imperatives to deontic statements.
Power System Frequency Estimation U Sing the Kernel Least Mean Square Algorithm and the Clarke Transform

In this work, we propose a methodology for frequency estimation of three-phase power systems using adaptive filtering based on the Kernel Least Mean Square algorithm (KLMS) in the complex form. Generally, abnormal data obtained from measurements may cause noises and affect the accuracy of frequency estimation in a power system. Thus, the proposed method is employed to suppress the abnormal data of measurements allowing greater efficiency in frequency estimation. Results of frequency estimation for distorted signals using the proposed method are compared with LMS algorithms presented in the current literature.
Thou Art Fired: A Conduct View of Title VII's Religious Employer Exemption

With federal circuit courts beginning to recognize that Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation—most recently in Hively v. Ivy Tech and Zarda v. Altitude Express—a new question arises in the unfolding conflict between religious liberty and LGBT rights: to what extent will Title VII’s longstanding exemption for religious employers permit such organizations to discriminate against LGBT employees for religious reasons? Courts have flagged this question but not had occasion to answer it—yet. And because the text of the exemption is somewhat ambiguous, the answer they might give is far from obvious. This article addresses the issue, first, by drawing out the possible approaches to the religious exemption and framing them into three distinct positions: what this article calls the Coreligionist View, the Broad View, and the Religious Conduct View. After describing the contours of each approach, the article proceeds to defend the Religious Conduct View, which has the advantage of occupying a middle position between the more polarized alternatives. Although ignored by other commentators, the Religious Conduct View turns out to be better supported by the text of Title VII, more consistent with the current caselaw, and further bolstered by practical considerations. Finally, this article examines the potential real-world effects of each treatment of the religious exemption—especially the Religious Conduct View—by running two hypothetical scenarios of religiously-motivated LGBT employment discrimination through the framework.
Gay Visibility and Disorganized and Strained Communities: A Community-Level Analysis of Anti-Gay Hate Crime in New York City.

Recent years have seen increased attention to the problem of hate crime, including such crime motivated by anti-gay bias. Although there is a growing body of research regarding the context of hate ...
A Motor Learning Paradigm Combining Technology and Associative Learning to Assess Prone Motor Learning in Infants.

Background Associative learning is the ability to discover a relationship between two or more events. We combined principles of learning and technology to develop a paradigm to assess associative learning in prone. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether 3- to 6-month-old infants can demonstrate: (1) short-term learning of an association between their upper body movements in prone and activation of a toy, and (2) retention of the association learned on day 1, 24 hours later. Methods Twenty-eight infants who were 3 to 6 months of age and who were typically developing were tested for 2 consecutive days in an instrumented play gym. Both days of testing had a baseline and 4 acquisition phases (2 minutes each). During the acquisition phase, the toy activated for a maximum of 10 seconds when the infant's head was above a threshold. A criterion was set a priori to distinguish infants as short-term learners and retainers of the association learned on day 1. Results Of 28 infants, 22 and 14 infants completed all phases of the testing on day 1 and day 2, respectively. Fourteen (50%) of the infants met the criteria for short-term learners. On day 2, there was an analyzable sample of 9 short-term learners. Three of the 12 short-term learners (25%) demonstrated retention on day 2. Conclusion Consistent with prior infant motor learning research, half of the infants demonstrated associative learning in this novel assessment in prone; however, based on study criteria, the infants had limited retention of the association on day 2.
Physics-based simulation ontology: an ontology to support modelling and reuse of data for physics-based simulation

AbstractThe current work presents an ontology developed for physics-based simulation in engineering design, called Physics-based Simulation Ontology (PSO). The purpose of the ontology is to assist ...
3D hydrodynamic focusing in microscale channels formed with two photoresist layers

3D hydrodynamic focusing was implemented with channel cross-section dimensions smaller than 10 μm. Microchannels were formed using sacrificial etching of two photoresist layers on a silicon wafer. The photoresist forms a plus-shaped prismatic focusing fluid junction which was coated with plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited oxide. Buffer fluid carried to the focusing junction envelopes an intersecting sample fluid, resulting in 3D focusing of the sample stream. The design requires four fluid ports and operates across a wide range of fluid velocities through pressure-driven flow. The focusing design was integrated with optical waveguides to interrogate fluorescing particles and confirm 3D focusing. Particle diffusion away from a focused stream was characterized.
Age, growth, and maturation of the Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus isodon, in the Western North Atlantic Ocean

Many elasmobranchs display K-selected life history characteristics, making species-specific life history parameters critical to development of the most accurate stock assessment models. Age, growth, and maturity were examined for Finetooth Sharks, Carcharhinus isodon, in coastal waters of the Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNA) from Winyah Bay, South Carolina to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Ages were estimated from the vertebrae of 200 males and 232 females. The maximum observed age for males and females was 21.9 years and 22.3 years, respectively. Sizes ranged from 376 mm to 1174 mm fork length (FL) for males and 380 mm to 1282 mm FL for females. Significant differences were detected between the sexes necessitating sex-specific von Bertalanffy growth models yielding the following parameters: male, L∞ = 1140 mm FL, k = 0.29, L0 = 460 mm FL; female, L∞ = 1253 mm FL, k = 0.20, L0 = 464 mm FL. Median length (L50) at maturity was 1010 mm FL for males and 1043 mm FL for females corresponding to an age at median maturity (A50) of 6.6 years and 6.8 years, respectively. Significant differences in growth and maturity were detected between the current study and previously published parameters for the WNA and Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Observed differences in the WNA were driven by ageing methods, with current methods yielding significant differences in age estimates between studies. Results from the current study, in conjunction with previously published reproductive, tag-recapture and genetic studies, provide support for separate stocks between the WNA and GOM.
Prevalence of Intracranial Injury in Adult Patients With Blunt Head Trauma With and Without Anticoagulant or Antiplatelet Use.

Study objective We determine the prevalence of significant intracranial injury among adults with blunt head trauma who are receiving preinjury anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications. Methods This was a multicenter, prospective, observational study conducted from December 2007 to December 2015. Patients were enrolled in 3 emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. Adults with blunt head trauma who underwent neuroimaging in the ED were included. Use of preinjury aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin was recorded. Data on direct oral anticoagulants were not specifically recorded. The primary outcome was prevalence of significant intracranial injury on neuroimaging. The secondary outcome was receipt of neurosurgical intervention. Results Among 9,070 patients enrolled in this study, the median age was 53.8 years (interquartile range 34.7 to 74.3 years) and 60.7% were men. A total of 1,323 patients (14.6%) were receiving antiplatelet medications or warfarin, including 635 receiving aspirin alone, 109 clopidogrel alone, and 406 warfarin alone. Compared with that of patients without any coagulopathy, the relative risk of significant intracranial injury was 1.29 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88 to 1.87) for patients receiving aspirin alone, 0.75 (95% CI 0.24 to 2.30) for those receiving clopidogrel alone, and 1.88 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.75) for those receiving warfarin alone. The relative risk of significant intracranial injury was 2.88 (95% CI 1.53 to 5.42) for patients receiving aspirin and clopidogrel in combination. Conclusion Patients receiving preinjury warfarin or a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel were at increased risk for significant intracranial injury, but not those receiving aspirin alone. Clinicians should have a low threshold for neuroimaging when evaluating patients receiving warfarin or a combination of aspirin and clopidogrel.
Developing nurse leaders: Toward a theory of authentic leadership empowerment.

Aim The aim of this article is to present a theoretical synthesis of the theory of authentic leadership and the theory of structural empowerment. The new middle-range theory, Theory of Authentic Leadership Empowerment (TALE), is meant to be used as a guide for the professional development of nurses into leadership roles. Background The Institute of Medicine's Future of Nursing Report calls for nurses across all levels and settings, to develop leadership skills to address the ever-growing complexities in health care. However, the best approach to developing nurse leaders is not known. Design Walker and Avant's method for theory synthesis was used. The two theories were critically appraised from a philosophical and theoretical perspective. Then the theories were synthesized by nesting structural empowerment concepts into authentic leadership to arrive at the proposed TALE. Results TALE highlights how a nurse's individual history, personal values, ethics, and the organization's structure interact and influence the development of leaders who are authentic. Conclusions TALE offers nurse leaders, nursing professional development practitioners, and other stakeholders concerned with developing authentic leaders a holistic theoretical framework to understand leadership development at the individual level while also accounting for the importance of contextual influences.
Population Genetic Structure and Natural Establishment of Hybrids Between Sarracenia flava and Sarracenia minor in Francis Marion National Forest

We assessed population genetic structure and rate of hybridization in Sarracenia flava and S. minor in Francis Marion National Forest. The forest has an abundance of potential habitat for our study species and has suffered less human mediated disturbance than much of the county's longleaf pine savanna and wet pine savanna ecosystems. We examined 63 S. flava and 62 S. minor individuals, as well as one hybrid across a 486.02 km2 study site. We used eight nuclear microsatellite loci and one non-coding chloroplast marker to assess population genetic structure and describe the parentage of the hybrid. We found relatively little population genetic structure across many distinct field sites, even when those sites were separated by unsuitable habitat. In very small populations surviving in shrub-dominated longleaf pine savanna, genetic divergence was greater than in larger populations with more suitable habitat. The single hybrid discovered was an F1 hybrid for which S. flava served as the maternal parent. We found no signs of introgression. We hope that these data can help inform conservation decisions regarding Sarracenia species, as the low genetic structure seems to suggest a high degree of connectivity between geographically distinct populations of plants.
Development and characterization of a cyclophosphamide-resistant subline of acute myeloid leukemia in the Lewis x Brown Norway hybrid rat

Preclinical studies of resistance to alkylating agents in the Lewis x Brown Norway hybrid (LBN) rat model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have hitherto been limited by the sensitivity of LBN AML cells to cyclophosphamide (CY). We developed a CY-resistant subline of LBN AML by serial intravenous (IV) passage of AML cells followed by in vivo exposure to CY (100 mg/kg) 14 days later. After 18 and subsequent passages, CY-treated AML cells remained viable despite ex vivo incubation with 70 to 100 mumol/L 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4HC) or in vivo exposure to 100 to 300 mg/kg of CY. Once established, resistance to incubation with 4HC was stable in LBN AML cells after at least six serial in vivo passages without exposure to CY. Nevertheless, both control and CY-treated AML cells demonstrated similar dose-dependent sensitivity to 100 to 500 mumol/L phosphoramide mustard (PhM), the active alkylating end-product of CY activation in vivo. Levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which inactivates CY by prevention of formation of PhM, were significantly elevated in these CY-resistant AML cells: cytosolic and particulate ALDH fractions from these cells were 11 to 13 times control with NAD cofactor and propanal substrate and three to four times control with NADP cofactor and benzaldehyde substrate. Further studies with this animal model of AML, in which resistance to CY is mediated by elevated ALDH activity, may elucidate mechanisms for effective elimination of drug-resistant leukemic cells ex vivo and in vivo.
Cell- and Polymerase-Selective Metabolic Labeling of Cellular RNA with 2′-Azidocytidine

Metabolic labeling of cellular RNA is a powerful approach to investigate RNA biology. In addition to revealing whole transcriptome dynamics, targeted labeling strategies can be used to study individual RNA subpopulations within complex systems. Here, we describe a strategy for cell- and polymerase-selective RNA labeling with 2'-azidocytidine (2'-AzCyd), a modified nucleoside amenable to bioorthogonal labeling with SPAAC chemistry. In contrast to 2'-OH-containing pyrimidine ribonucleosides, which rely upon uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) for activation, 2'-AzCyd is phosphorylated by deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), and we find that expression of dCK mediates cell-selective 2'-AzCyd labeling. Further, 2'-AzCyd is primarily incorporated into rRNA and displays low cytotoxicity and high labeling efficiency. We apply our system to analyze the turnover of rRNA during ribophagy induced by oxidative stress or mTOR inhibition to show that 28S and 18S rRNAs undergo accelerated degradation. Taken together, our work provides a general approach for studying dynamic RNA behavior with cell and polymerase specificity and reveals fundamental insights into nucleotide and nucleic acid metabolism.
Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging captures photochemical efficiency of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in a field setting

Photosynthesis is one of the most important biological reactions and forms the basis of crop productivity and yield on which a growing global population relies. However, to develop improved plant cultivars that are capable of increased productivity, methods that can accurately and quickly quantify photosynthetic efficiency in large numbers of genotypes under field conditions are needed. Chlorophyll fluorescence imaging is a rapid, non-destructive measurement that can provide insight into the efficiency of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. To test and validate a field-deployed fluorescence imaging system on the TERRA-REF field scanalyzer, leaves of potted sorghum plants were treated with a photosystem II inhibitor, DCMU, to reduce photochemical efficiency (FV/FM). The ability of the fluorescence imaging system to detect changes in fluorescence was determined by comparing the image-derived values with a handheld fluorometer. This study demonstrated that the imaging system was able to accurately measure photochemical efficiency (FV/FM) and was highly correlated (r = 0.92) with the handheld fluorometer values. Additionally, the fluorescence imaging system was able to track the decrease in photochemical efficiency due to treatment of DCMU over a 7 day period. The system’s ability to capture the temporal dynamics of the plants’ response to this induced stress, which has comparable dynamics to abiotic and biotic stressors found in field environments, indicates the system is operating correctly. With the validation of the fluorescence imaging system, physiological and genetic studies can be undertaken that leverage the fluorescence imaging capabilities and throughput of the field scanalyzer.
A history of psychiatry in the United States of America

Objectives: In this general review, we provide a timeline of how psychiatry in the United States of America has evolved and developed since the nation's inception in the 18th century. Methods: Besides our life time experiences in receiving training, teaching, and practicing psychiatry, we collected information from the literature pertinent to the history of development of American psychiatry in this review. Results: In this review, we have highlighted some of the more cardinal events in American history – the shift from asylums to deinstitutionalization of patients in chronic state hospitals; the birth and evolution of the Diagnostic and Statistical of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association inspired by a dire need to unite a field; the revolutionary discovery of psychotropic medications and the galvanization of pharmaceutical research, development, and use of psychotropic medications in America; and the growing passion for psychiatry over the last several years among senior medical students. Conclusion: In tandem with their colleagues in other countries, American psychiatrists have overcome many trials and tribulations in their endeavor to ease the suffering of the mentally ill in the United States. We are optimistic for the future of American psychiatry as exemplified by a growing passion for psychiatry among American senior medical students, the expansion of US psychiatry residencies, the continued commitment by the National Institute of Mental Health to fund psychiatric research, and the exciting and thoughtful research of our colleagues domestically and abroad.
Double-Threshold Models for Network Influence Propagation

We consider new models of activation/influence propagation in networks based on the concept of double thresholds: a node will “activate” if at least a certain minimum fraction of its neighbors are active and no more than a certain maximum fraction of neighbors are active. These models are more flexible than standard threshold models as they allow to incorporate more complex dynamics of diffusion processes when nodes can activate and deactivate, which have possible interpretations, for instance, in the context of communication and social networks. In a social network, consistently with the hypothesis originally mentioned by Granovetter (1978), a person may “activate” (e.g., adopt and/or repost an opinion) if sufficiently many but not too many of their friends (i.e., neighbors in a network) have adopted this opinion. We study several versions of this problem setup under different assumptions on activation/deactivation mechanisms and initial choices of seed nodes, and compare the results to the well-known “single threshold” (e.g., linear threshold) models.
Another way: living and leading change on purpose: by Stephen Lewis, Matthew Wesley Williams & Dori Grinenko Baker, Danvers, MA: Chalice Press, 2020, 208 pp., £15.49 (PBK), ISBN: 9780827200838

I added Another Way to my book wish list after listening to a conversation between Dr. Nancy Lynne Westfield, Director of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, and t...
Racial Differences in Clinical Outcomes for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated With Immune-Checkpoint Blockade

Background Immune-checkpoint-inhibitors (ICIs) have become the cornerstone of metastatic renal-cell-carcinoma (mRCC) therapy. However, data are limited regarding clinical outcomes by race. In this study, we compared the real-world outcomes between African American (AA) and Caucasian mRCC patients treated with ICIs. Methods We performed a retrospective study of 198 patients with mRCC who received ICI at the Emory Winship Cancer Institute from 2015-2020. Clinical outcomes were measured by overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall response rate (ORR) defined as a complete or partial response maintained for at least 6 months per response evaluation criteria in solid tumors version 1.1. Univariate and multivariable analyses were carried out for OS and PFS by Cox proportional-hazard model and ORR by logistical-regression model. Descriptive statistics compared rates of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and non-clear-cell-RCC (nccRCC) histology were assessed using Chi-square test. Results Our cohort was comprised of 38 AA and 160 Caucasian patients. Most were diagnosed with clear-cell-RCC (ccRCC) (78%) and more than half received (57%) PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy. Most patients were intermediate or poor-risk groups (83%). Comparing to Caucasians, our AA cohort contained more females and nccRCC cases. Kaplan-Meier method showed AAs had no statistically different median OS (17 vs 25 months, p=0.368) and PFS (3.1 vs 4.4 months, p=0.068) relative to Caucasian patients. On multivariable analysis, AA patients had significantly shorter PFS (HR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.01-2.3, p=0.045), similar ORR (OR=1.04, 95% CI: 0.42-2.57, p=0.936) and comparable OS (HR=1.09, 95% CI: 0.61-1.95, p=0.778) relative to Caucasians. Conclusions Our real-world analysis of ICI-treated mRCC patients showed that AAs experienced shorter PFS but similar OS relative to Caucasians. This similarity in survival outcomes is reassuring for the use of ICI amongst real-world patient populations, however, the difference in treatment response is poorly represented in early outcomes data from clinical trials. Thus, the literature requires larger prospective studies to validate these findings.
PVNAS: 3D Neural Architecture Search with Point-Voxel Convolution.

3D neural networks are widely used in real-world applications (e.g., AR/VR headsets, self-driving cars). They are required to be fast and accurate; however, limited hardware resources on edge devices make these requirements rather challenging. Previous work processes 3D data using either voxel-based or point-based neural networks, but both types of 3D models are not hardware-efficient due to the large memory footprint and random memory access. In this paper, we study 3D deep learning from the efficiency perspective. We first systematically analyze the bottlenecks of previous 3D methods. We then combine the best from point-based and voxel-based models together and propose a novel hardware-efficient 3D primitive, Point-Voxel Convolution (PVConv). We further enhance this primitive with the sparse convolution to make it more effective in processing large (outdoor) scenes. Based on our designed 3D primitive, we introduce 3D Neural Architecture Search (3D-NAS) to explore the best 3D network architecture given a resource constraint. We evaluate our proposed method on six representative benchmark datasets, achieving state-of-the-art performance with 1.8-23.7x measured speedup. Furthermore, our method has been deployed to the autonomous racing vehicle of MIT Driverless, achieving larger detection range, higher accuracy and lower latency.
Personal Health Knowledge Graph for Clinically Relevant Diet Recommendations

We propose a knowledge model for capturing dietary preferences and personal context to provide personalized dietary recommendations. We develop a knowledge model called the Personal Health Ontology, which is grounded in semantic technologies, and represents a patient's combined medical information, social determinants of health, and observations of daily living elicited from interviews with diabetic patients. We then generate a personal health knowledge graph that captures temporal patterns from synthetic food logs, annotated with concepts from the Personal Health Ontology. We further discuss how lifestyle guidelines grounded in semantic technologies can be reasoned with the generated personal health knowledge graph to provide appropriate dietary recommendations that satisfy the user's medical and other lifestyle needs.
Is gait training with the elliptically based robotic gait trainer (EBRGT) feasible in ambulatory patients after stroke

Is gait training with the elliptically based robotic gait trainer (EBRGT) feasible in ambulatory patients after stroke? By J. Cortney Bradford, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011. Major Directory: Peter E. Pidcoe, PT, DPT, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy In response to the potential benefits of task specific training in rehabilitation of gait after stroke and the need for affordable, simple ways to implement it, our group designed the elliptically based robotic gait trainer (EBRGT). A design review of the EBRGT, covering the design goals, an overview of the mechanical and electrical design, and a discussion of the novelty of the device and why it may be beneficial for individuals with hemiparesis secondary to stroke is discussed (Chapter 2).
Immunity-based flight envelope prediction at post-failure conditions

Abstract This paper presents the development of a biologically-inspired methodology for flight envelope prediction at post failure conditions. The flight envelope is understood in its most general meaning as the hyper-space of all achievable or desirable relevant variables. The new ranges of these variables at post-failure conditions are the outcomes of the prediction process. Specific algorithms are proposed depending on the affected sub-system and the nature and characteristics of the failure. Actuator, sensor, propulsion system, and structural failures are considered. The proposed methodology is integrated with immunity-based failure detection and identification and benefits from the capabilities of the artificial immune system to address directly the complexity and multi-dimensionality of aircraft dynamic response in the context of abnormal conditions. A hierarchical multi-self strategy is used, in which low-dimensional projections replace the hyperspace of the self thus avoiding numerical and conceptual issues related to the high-dimensionality of the problem. The methodology is illustrated through numerical examples of envelope prediction under elevator locked failure, yaw rate sensor bias, locked throttle, and partially missing horizontal tail.
Are Male and Female Avatars Perceived Equally in 3D Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are three-dimensional, computer-generated worlds in which users take the form of avatars and use those avatars to interact with objects and other avatars in the virtual world. Virtual worlds are growing in importance in both educational institutions and businesses. Educational institutions have adopted virtual worlds as a medium for instructional delivery whereas businesses are using virtual worlds for recruitment, training, collaboration, and marketing. Given these emerging phenomena, a better understanding of behavioral and perceptual issues in virtual worlds is warranted. We propose a research model to study the interaction effects of gender stereotypicality of male and female avatars and gender typicality of tasks on trust perceptions. Gender stereotypes have been widely studied in the real world along with their effects on trust perceptions. An experiment is proposed to examine the effects of gender stereotypes on trust perceptions in virtual worlds. Implications and expected contributions are also discussed.
A Further Investigation of the Optimum Angle of Projection for the Racing Start in Swimming.

Abstract The study was an attempt to identify the optimum angle of projection for the racing start in swimming. The attainment of horizontal velocity was identified as an important end result for this motor skill. Sixteen male college varsity swimmers were filmed against a grid while performing five trials of the racing start. Time and distance measurements were derived from the speed of the camera and from the grid. The mean of five trials was used to represent the performance of each individual for each variable of interest. Group mean data were used in a formula derived for the purpose of calculating the horizontal velocity attained through a family of angles of projection. In calculating the horizontal velocity of each subject at each angle within the family of angles, individual mean data were employed in the same formula. The optimum angle of projection was identified as 13° downward from the horizontal. A common optimum angle was found to exist for all the subjects in the study. Minor deviations fr...
Summary and Major Findings

An analysis of the observed climate change in the Mediterranean region has been performed, using homogenized daily temperature, quality controlled precipitation observational data and gridded products. The estimated changes indicate statistically a significant increase Mediterranean temperature during the summer and a reduction in winter precipitation in specific areas. Several numerical simulation projections suggest that remarkable changes in the climate of the Mediterranean region might occur on the scale of a few decades. A substantial warming (about 1.5°C in winter and almost 2°C in summer) and a significant decrease of precipitation (about 5%) might affect the region in the 2021-2050 period compared to the reference period (1961-1990), in an A1B emission scenario. Physicochemical mechanisms that formulate the air quality over the Mediterranean region and the resulted impacts on the regional climate have been described. The impacts of aerosols, distinguished in direct ( impacts on radiation budget), health (amounts of inhaled particles and impacts on health) and indirect effects (impacts on clouds and precipitation), are discussed on qualitative and quantitative way. Furthermore, a first assessment of the detection of a signal of temperature change over the Mediterranean domain has been performed using HadCRUT3v observation dataset and model outputs from the CMPI3 climate change modeling exercise. For this study we have used new formal detection methodologies developed within the context of the CIRCE project, in order to try to improve the ability to detect a climate change signal at the regional scale. The application of these methods lead to the conclusion that anthropogenic forcing is a plausible explanation for the observed changes in the area mean change of near surface temperature over the Mediterranean region. A first assessment of the detection of a signal of precipitation change over the Mediterranean domain due to internal climate variability has been also given in this section.
Habitable 3D Learning Environments for Situated Learning

The growing emphasis on learner-centered education focuses on intrinsically motivated learning via engaging problem-solving activities. Habitable 3D learning environments, in which learners guide avatars through virtual worlds for role-based problem solving, hold great promise for situated learning. We have been investigating habitable learning environments by iteratively designing, implementing, and evaluating them. In the Situated Avatar-Based Immersive Learning (SAIL) framework for habitable 3D learning environments, learners navigate avatars through virtual worlds as they solve problems by manipulating artifacts. The SAIL framework has been used to implement CPU CITY, a 3D learning environment testbed for the domain of computer architecture. A visually compelling virtual cityscape of computer components, CPU CITY presents learners with goal advertisements that focus their attention on salient problem-solving sub-tasks. The CPU CITY testbed has produced prototypes that have been evaluated. Pilot studies suggest that habitable learning environments offer a promising new paradigm for educational applications.
General Educators' Specialized Adaptation for Students with Learning Disabilities

We examined general educators' specialized adaptation for students with learning disabilities (LD). Participants were 40 general educators whose classrooms included at least one student with LD for mathematics instruction. Teachers were assigned randomly to two treatments: routine adaptation (use of curriculum-based measurement and peer-mediated instruction) and routine plus specialized adaptation (prompting and special support to implement adjustments in response to individual student difficulty). Results indicated that teachers in the latter group engaged differentially in specialized adaptation and that their thinking about how they planned for their students with LD changed. Although some teachers implemented substantively important, individually tailored adjustments, others relied on adaptations that were uninventive and limited. Specialized adaptation was not associated with enhanced student learning.
Purification and characterization of heat-stable enterotoxin from bovine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) from Escherichia coli pathogenic for cattle was mass produced in a chemically defined medium. The toxin was concentrated and purified by sequentially applying batch adsorption chromatography on Amberlite XAD-2 resin, acetone fractionation, and preparative isoelectric focusing in a flatbed granulated gel. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to purify the toxin further and to eliminate contaminating ampholytes. The toxin was purified more than 2,000-fold and had a minimal effective dose of less than 0.5 ng. It was biologically active after heating to 100 degrees C for 30 min and was not hydrolyzed by trypsin, pronase, and subtilisin, but it was inactivated by treatment with 0.1 M 2-mercaptoethanol or 4 X 10(-5) M dithiothreitol, suggesting that disulfide bonds are essential for retaining its biological activity. The amino acid analysis revealed 18 amino acid residues per molecule, which is in agreement with the composition of ST from a human strain of enterotoxigenic E. coli. The amino acid composition of our ST matched the published coding sequence of the last 18 codons of Tn1618, a transposon isolated from the bovine enterotoxigenic E. coli strain B41 and shown to be present also in some strains of porcine enterotoxigenic E. coli. These findings further support the existence of a form of ST common to bovine, porcine, and human strains of enterotoxigenic E. coli.
Phagocytosis of chloroplasts in Placida dendritica (Gastropoda: Sacoglossa)

Phagocytosis of algal chloroplasts by digestive gland cells in the sacoglossan opisthobranch Placida dendritica is described. It is suggested that engulfment of chloroplasts is accomplished by veils of cytoplasm which are derived from elongating microvilli.
Separation of m- and p-cresol and other methylated phenols in shale oil by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Abstract A novel reversed-phase approach is described for the separation of phenol, the cresols, the xylenols, and other methylated phenols in real samples such as shale oil. The approach, based on the fundamental optimization of mobile phase pH to provide enhanced selectivity, enables m-cresol and p-cresol and many xylenol isomers to be baseline resolved for the first time in a reversed-phase analysis of shale oil. Selectivities obtained with our reversed-phase method for the difficult-to-separate isomers are compared with those observed using other reversed-phase methods. The moderate oxidation potentials of the phenols allows them to be detected selectively at the unusually high (but optimum) pH of 10.82 in the presence of redox-active and redox-inactive interferents. Although unnecessary with our chromatographic method, m-cresol and p-cresol can also be resolved electrochemically via judicious control of the working electrode potential.
Quantum interferometry, entanglement, and holography

quantum states has become feasible via the process of spontaneous parametric down conversion in nonlinearcrystals1. A number of topologies for creating the indistinguishable paths necessary for quantum interferometryhave been demonstrated, and some applications have been considered, including metrology, imaging, securecommunication and cryptography.
Developmental aspects of spinal cord and limb regeneration

The ability of birds and mammals to regenerate tissues is limited. By contrast, urodele amphibians can regenerate a variety of injured tissues such as intestine, cardiac muscle, lens and neural retina, as well as entire structures such as limbs, tail and lower jaw. This regenerative capacity is associated with the ability to form masses of mesenchyme cells (blastemas) that differentiate into the missing tissues or parts. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie blastema formation in urodeles will provide valuable tools with which to achieve the goal of stimulating regeneration in mammalian tissues that do not naturally regenerate. Here we discuss an example of tissue regeneration (spinal cord) and an example of epimorphic appendage regeneration (limb) in the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum, emphasizing analysis of the processes that produce the regeneration blastema and of the tissue interactions and blastemal products that contribute to the regeneration-promoting environment.
Hydrogen Atom Mediated Stone-Wales Rearrangement of Pyracyclene: A Model for Annealing in Fullerene Formation

We have investigated the Stone-Wales (SW) rearrangement of pyracyclene (C(14)H(12)) using quantum mechanical molecular modeling. Of particular interest in this study is the effect of an added hydrogen atom on the barriers to SW rearrangement. Hydrogen atoms are found in high abundance during combustion, and their effect upon isomerization of aromatic compounds to more stable species may play an important role in the combustion synthesis of fullerenes. We have calculated the barriers for the SW rearrangement in pyracyclene using density functional theory B3LYP/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/6-311G(d,p). Two mechanisms have been investigated: (i) a mechanism with two identical transition states of C(1) symmetry and a cyclobutyl intermediate and (ii) a mechanism with one transition state containing an sp(3) carbon (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 5572-5580; Nature 1993, 366, 665-667). We find that the barriers for these mechanisms are 120.0 kcal mol(-1) for the cyclobutyl mechanism and 130.1 kcal mol(-1) for the sp(3) mechanism. Adding a hydrogen atom to the internal bridge carbon atoms of pyracyclene reduces the barrier of the cyclobutyl mechanisms to 67.0 kcal mol(-1) and the sp(3) mechanism to 73.1 kcal mol(-1). The bonding of carbon atoms in pyracyclene is similar to those found in isomers of C(60), and the barriers are low enough so that these reactions can become significant during fullerene synthesis in flames. Adding hydrogen atoms to the external bridge atoms on pyracyclene produces a smaller reduction in the SW barrier and adding hydrogen atoms to nonbridge external carbon atoms results in no reduction of the barrier.
NMP ST8 dependable multiprocessor: TRL6 validation — preliminary results

Space exploration, science, and autonomy missions are requiring ever-increasing bandwidth and processing capacity to the extent that the ability to apply high-performance COTS processors for onboard computing in space is becoming a critical need. To date, Dependable Multiprocessor (DM) technology has been developed as part of NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP) ST8 (Space Technology 8) project. DM was one of four technologies selected for the ST8 flight experiment. The objective of the NMP ST8 effort is to combine high-performance, SEU-tolerant, COTS-based cluster processing and SEU-tolerant middleware in an architecture and software framework capable of supporting a wide variety of mission applications. The goal of the Dependable Multiprocessor project is to provide spacecraft/payload processing capability at speeds 10x — 100x of what is available today, enabling heretofore unrealizable levels of science and autonomy.