cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A model for window based flow control in packet-switched networks

Networks have increased rapidly both in scale and speed. Problems related to the control and management are of increasing interest. The average throughput and end-to-end delay of a network flow are important design factors. However, there is no satisfactory tool to obtain such parameters. The traditional packet-by-packet event driven simulation is slow when the network speed is high. The time driven simulation faces the difficulty of choosing the right time interval when simulating packet-switched networks. As the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is the most widely used transport layer protocol, and it uses a window based flow control mechanism, classic queuing theories involving Markov chain assumptions are not applicable. This paper describes a model for window based flow control packet-switched networks. The model attempts to provide a way to obtain the steady state results for large and high speed networks using TCP. We discuss in detail the construction, implementation and application of the model. This paper also compares the results obtained from the model with those from the packet-by-packet event driven simulation. The comparison shows the model is correctly modeling the networks.
Thermally conductive circuit boards

As device densities increase, heat is an increasing problem in electronic systems. However, circuit board materials are electrically insulating and therefore generally thermally insulating, causing “hot spots” around power-hungry components. This paper explores the advantages of selectively adding silicon carbide using pulsed laser deposition onto existing, conventional FR-4 circuit boards. It is shown that selectively adding thermally conductive but electrically insulating material reduces the temperature of surface-mount heat-dissipating elements on PWBs.
Poly(Aryl ether-phenylquinoxaline)s: Self-polymerization of an A—B monomer via quinoxaline-activated ether synthesis†

A new A—B monomer, 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenyl-6-fluoroquinoxaline (1), which contains both a quinoxaline-activated fluoro group and a phenol group was prepared and it's self-polymerization studied. Compound 1 was prepared either by condensation of 3,4-diaminofluorobenzene with 4-hydroxybenzil, or condensation/demethylation with 4-methoxybenzil in a one pot procedure. The polymerization of 1 was carried out in NMP in the presence of potassium carbonate at 180–190°C, analogous to previous examples of quinoxaline-activated polyether synthesis. A new poly(aryl ether-phenylquinoxaline) (2) was synthesized by this procedure, which was processable from N-methylpyrrolidone, displayed a Tg of 255°C and a polymer decomposition temperature of 450°C. The mechanistic implications of quinoxaline activated fluoro-displacement using an A—B monomer are discussed.
Tamm-Horsfall protein knockout mice are more prone to urinary tract infection: rapid communication.

Tamm-Horsfall protein knockout mice are more prone to urinary tract infection. Background Human colon contains many bacteria that commonly colonize the perineum and frequently enter the urinary tract. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli are the most common cause of urinary tract infection. Type 1 fimbriated E. coli have been associated with cystitis, and P fimbriated E. coli with pyelonephritis. Factors involved in clearing bacteria from the urinary tract are poorly understood. Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP), the most abundant protein in mammalian urine, has been postulated to play a role in defense against urinary tract infection but definitive proof for this idea has been lacking. Methods In this study, we generated THP gene knockout mice by the technique of homologous recombination, and examined if the THP-deficient (THP -/- ) mice were more prone to urinary tract infection. Various strains of E. coli expressing type 1 or P fimbriae were introduced transurethrally into the bladders of the THP -/- and genetically similar wild-type (THP +/+ ) mice. Urine, bladder, and kidney tissues were obtained from the mice and cultured for bacterial growth. Results THP -/- mice inoculated with type 1 fimbriated E. coli had a longer duration of bacteriuria, and more intense colonization of the urinary bladder in comparison with THP +/+ mice. When inoculated with a P fimbriated strain of E. coli, the THP -/- mice showed no difference in kidney bacterial load when compared with the THP +/+ mice. Conclusion These findings support the idea that THP serves as a soluble receptor for type 1 fimbriated E. coli and helps eliminate bacteria from the urinary tract.
Deformation bands in ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia/alumina. I: Measurement of internal stresses

The residual stresses within a deformation band in a ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia/alumina (Ce-TZP/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) ceramic composite are measured by piezo-spectroscopy, in the zirconia phases from their Raman spectra and in the alumina phase from its Cr{sup 3+} fluorescence. The concentrations of monoclinic zirconia across the deformation band are obtained from Raman spectra recorded from locations across the band. These measurements show that the deformation bands are associated with a localization of the tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation and that although the overall residual stress in the bands is compressive, the tensile stress in the tetragonal zirconia phase is enhanced. The experimental data are compared with the predictions of a stochastic theory for three-phase materials and with models for the stress distribution within a deformation band. The region ahead of the deformation band is subject to an additional, superimposed tensile stress whose magnitude compares favorably with the predictions of a superdislocation model presented.
Plasmon enhanced water splitting mediated by hybrid bimetallic Au–Ag core–shell nanostructures

In this work, we employed wet chemically synthesized bimetallic Au–Ag core–shell nanostructures (Au–AgNSs) to enhance the photocurrent density of mesoporous TiO2 for water splitting and we compared the results with monometallic Au nanoparticles (AuNPs). While Au–AgNSs incorporated photoanodes give rise to 14× enhancement in incident photon to charge carrier efficiency, AuNPs embedded photoanodes result in 6× enhancement. By varying nanoparticle concentration in the photoanodes, we observed ∼245× less Au–AgNSs are required relative to AuNPs to generate similar photocurrent enhancement for solar fuel conversion. Power-dependent measurements of Au–AgNSs and AuNPs showed a first order dependence to incident light intensity, relative to half-order dependence for TiO2 only photoanodes. This indicated that plasmonic nanostructures enhance charge carriers formed on the surface of the TiO2 which effectively participate in photochemical reactions. Our experiments and simulations suggest the enhanced near-field, far-field, and multipolar resonances of Au–AgNSs facilitating broadband absorption of solar radiation collectively gives rise to their superior performance in water splitting.
Susceptibility of Biofilms to Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Attack

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms attached to a surface, and the growth of these surface attached communities is thought to provide microorganisms with protection against a range of biotic and abiotic agents. The capability of the gram-negative predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus to control and reduce an existing Escherichia coli biofilm was evaluated in a static assay. A reduction in biofilm biomass was observed as early as 3 h after exposure to the predator, and an 87% reduction in crystal violet staining corresponding to a 4-log reduction in biofilm cell viability was seen after a 24-h exposure period. We observed that an initial titer of Bdellovibrio as low as 102 PFU/well or an exposure to the predator as short as 30 min is sufficient to reduce a preformed biofilm. The ability of B. bacteriovorus to reduce an existing biofilm was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The reduction in biofilm biomass obtained after the first 24 h of exposure to the predator remained unchanged even after longer exposure periods and reinoculation of the samples with fresh Bdellovibrio; however, no genetically stable resistant population of the host bacteria could be detected. Our data suggest that growth in a biofilm does not prevent predation by Bdellovibrio but allows a level of survival from attack greater than that observed for planktonic cells. In flow cell experiments B. bacteriovorus was able to decrease the biomass of both E. coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms as determined by phase-contrast and epifluorescence microscopy.
Continuity and Change in American Politics: Parties and Issues in the 1968 Election

Without much question, the third-party movement of George C. Wallace constituted the most unusual feature of the 1968 presidential election. While this movement failed by a substantial margin in its audacious attempt to throw the presidential contest into the House of Representatives, in any other terms it was a striking success. It represented the first noteworthy intrusion on a two-party election in twenty years. The Wallace ticket drew a larger proportion of the popular vote than any third presidential slate since 1924, and a greater proportion of electoral votes than any such movement for more than a century, back to the curiously divided election of 1860. Indeed, the spectre of an electoral college stalemate loomed sufficiently large that serious efforts at reform have since taken root.At the same time, the Wallace candidacy was but one more dramatic addition to an unusually crowded rostrum of contenders, who throughout the spring season of primary elections were entering and leaving the lists under circumstances that ranged from the comic through the astonishing to the starkly tragic. Six months before the nominating conventions, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon had been the expected 1968 protagonists, with some greater degree of uncertainty, as usual, within the ranks of the party out of power. The nominating process for the Republicans followed the most-probable script rather closely, with the only excitement being provided by the spectacle of Governors Romney and Rockefeller proceeding as through revolving doors in an ineffectual set of moves aimed at providing a Republican alternative to the Nixon candidacy. Where things were supposed to be most routine on the Democratic side, however, surprises were legion, including the early enthusiasm for Eugene McCarthy, President Johnson's shocking announcement that he would not run, the assassination of Robert Kennedy in the flush of his first electoral successes, and the dark turmoil in and around the Chicago nominating convention, with new figures like Senators George McGovern and Edward Kennedy coming into focus as challengers to the heir apparent, Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
Numerical method for the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation

A practical method based on distributed approximating functionals ~DAFs! is proposed for numerically solving a general class of nonlinear time-dependent Fokker-Planck equations. The method relies on a numerical scheme that couples the usual path-integral concept to the DAF idea. The high accuracy and reliability of the method are illustrated by applying it to an exactly solvable nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation, and the method is compared with the accurate K-point Stirling interpolation formula finite-difference method. The approach is also used successfully to solve a nonlinear self-consistent dynamic mean-field problem for which both the cumulant expansion and scaling theory have been found by Drozdov and Morillo @Phys. Rev. E 54, 931 ~1996!# to be inadequate to describe the occurrence of a long-lived transient bimodality. The standard interpretation of the transient bimodality in terms of the ‘‘flat’’ region in the kinetic potential fails for the ‘
SPONTANEOUS AGGREGATION OF BACTERIORHODOPSIN IN BROWN MEMBRANE

—Halobacterium halobium cells grown in nicotine-containing medium synthesize bacterio-opsin (bO) but little bacteriorhod-opsin (bR) because nicotine inhibits retinal synthesis. In nicotine-grown cells, bacterio-opsin is found in a specific cell membrane fraction, the brown membrane (b.m.), which consists mainly of small round sheets. Freeze-fracture of isolated brown membrane reveals a dense particle population on its cytoplasmic fracture face, with few particles on the external face. There is no apparent order in the particle distribution and the fracture faces are practically indistinguishable from those of red membrane (r.m.). The absorbance spectrum of b.m. shows peaks at 550 and 410nm, the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum a positive band around 540nm and positive and negative bands around 410nm with a cross-over at 412nm. The photoreaction cycle of bR in b.m. has the same intermediates found in purple membrane (p.m.), but the apparent kinetics resemble those of bR monomers. Addition of 13-cis-, or all-trans-retinal to b.m. induces a rapid 5- to 10-fold increase in the visible absorbance band, and the absorbance maximum shifts to 560nm in the dark. Kinetic analysis of the absorbance increase shows three first order kinetic constants with t½= 0.5 min, 6 min and 100 min, with most of the increase contributed by the fastest component. The CD bilobal pattern typical for purple membrane appears together with the strong negative band at 320nm. Ellipticity change at 590nm is nearly as rapid as the absorbance increase; within 5 min, 85% of the negative band is formed. Electron microscopy after addition of retinal reveals structurally distinct domains in the b.m. sheets which have the characteristic appearance of p.m. However, X-ray reflections are more diffuse compared to p.m. Flash spectroscopy of reconstituted b.m. detects the same photocycle intermediates as in b.m. or p.m., but with apparent kinetics closer to those of purple membrane than before reconstitution. These results show that bO in the b.m. binds retinal to form bR which spontaneously aggregates into a lattice. However, the reconstituted bR lattice is not as well-ordered as in p.m. and some bR is still present in the form of monomers and/or small aggregates.
Aspergillosis in Children with Cancer: A 34-Year Experience

A retrospective review of medical records, microbiology and pathology laboratory records, and nosocomial infection surveillance data was undertaken to describe the experience with culture-documented aspergillus infection in pediatric cancer patients at our facility. Sixty-six patients were identified from a 34-year period. The most common underlying diagnosis was leukemia. Risk factors included neutropenia, immunosuppression, and prior antibiotic therapy. On the basis of clinical presentation, 23 patients were believed to have disseminated disease and 43 to have localized disease. The lung was the most frequently affected organ. Despite aggressive medical and surgical management, overall mortality was 85% within the first year after diagnosis. Patients who presented with disease in sites other than the lungs fared better than patients with initial pulmonary involvement (P=.0014). Aspergillosis continues to be associated with poor outcome. Development of improved medical and adjuvant therapies, including surgery, is warranted.
Photorefractive effects in organic glass

In most organic photorefractive systems discrete components are assigned for each function, i.e., a photochemical charge generating species, a transport media, a nonlinear chromophore and, in some cases, even trapping species. All these components are mixed with, attached to, or otherwise constitute some kind of polymer binder that may also contain plasticizers to control the glass transition temperature. These systems are obviously complex mixtures that may sometimes suffer from heterogeneity, phase separation, and resulting poor linear optical properties due to scattering and other fluctuations. A general goal then is to design compositions that contain a minimum number of discrete components and this can be accomplished by designing molecules which are multifunctional and perform more than one of the requisite tasks. It is even possible to eliminate the polymer altogether and form high optical quality monomeric molecular glasses from specially modified chromophores. It turns out that glass formation in organic monomers is really not that uncommon. However, the optimization of monomer glasses to enhance the temperature range and stability of the glass phase entails understanding and control of the appropriate structure features such as hydrogen bonding and conformational flexibility. For photorefractive applications highly birefringent chromophores in the pyridone and methylenedihydropyridine families were identified and by appropriate structure modifications were converted to highly stable glasses. The characterization of the electronic and structural properties of these of these materials and other related chromophores to provide useful photorefractive media is being actively pursued.
The Value of Scientific Peer-Reviewed Literature in a General Education Science Course

HE peer-reviewed scientific literature is central to the deliberative structure of science. It has been described as ‘‘the major factor in keeping the scientific enterprise relatively honest’’(Abelson 1980). A real understanding of the scientific literature is essential to grasping how science works and how it differs from other human endeavors. While undergraduate science majors often become familiar with the structure and function of the scientific literature, general education science courses aimed at nonscience majors rarely, if ever, require their students to become familiar with this central literature. Because of this, such students and citizens remain unaware of the most important deliberative structure of science. I describe below a general education human genetics course that I offered at Washington State University’s Vancouver branch campus. This course required students to write a term paper comparing an article in the peer-reviewed scientific literature with a popular article on the same subject. By doing this, each student became focused on one or a few papers in the scientific literature that were presumably chosen by the student because of substantial interest in the subject area. By comparing the structure, readability, documentation and other features of the chosen scientific article with one or more popular articles, the most important features of the scientific literature were highlighted.
Conformational stability of HPr: The histidine‐containing phosphocarrier protein from Bacillus subtilis

The conformational stability of the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein (HPr) from Bacillus subtilis has been determined using a combination of thermal unfolding and solvent denaturation experiments. The urea-induced denaturation of HPr was monitored spectroscopically at fixed temperatures and thermal unfolding was performed in the presence of fixed concentrations of urea. These data were analyzed in several different ways to afford a measure of the cardinal parameters (delta Hg, Tg, delta Sg, and delta Cp) that describe the thermodynamics of folding for HPr. The method of Pace and Laurents (Pace CN, Laurents DV, 1989, Biochemistry 28:2520-2525) was used to estimate delta Cp as was a global analysis of the thermal- and urea-induced unfolding data. Each method used to analyze the data gives a similar value for delta Cp (1,170 +/- 50 cal mol-1K-1). Despite the high melting temperature for HPr (Tg = 73.5 degrees C), the maximum stability of the protein, which occurs at 26 degrees C, is quite modest (delta Gs = 4.2 kcal mol-1). In the presence of moderate concentrations of urea, HPr exhibits cold denaturation, and thus a complete stability curve for HPr, including a measure of delta Cp, can be achieved using the method of Chen and Schellman (Chen B, Schellman JA, 1989, Biochemistry 28:685-691). A comparison of the different methods for the analysis of solvent denaturation curves is provided and the effects of urea on the thermal stability of this small globular protein are discussed. The methods presented will be of general utility in the characterization of the stability curve for many small proteins.
The hazard of software updates to clinical workstations: a natural experiment

Emergency department (ED) electronic tracking boards provide a snapshot view of patient status and a quick link to other clinical applications, such as a web-based image viewer client to view current and previous radiology images from the picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). We describe a case where an update to Microsoft Internet Explorer severed the link between the ED tracking board and web-based image viewer. The loss of this link resulted in decreased web-based image viewer access rates for ED patients during the 10 days of the incident (2.8 views/study) compared with image review rates for a similar 10-day period preceding this event (3.8 views/study, p<0.001). Single-click user interfaces that transfer user and patient contexts are efficient mechanisms to link disparate clinical systems. Maintaining hazard analyses and rigorously testing all software updates to clinical workstations, including seemingly minor web-browser updates, are important to minimize the risk of unintended consequences.
Barrier coverage with airdropped wireless sensors

Barrier coverage of a wireless sensor network aims at detecting intruders crossing the network. It provides a viable alternative for monitoring boundaries of battlefields, country borders, coastal lines, and perimeters of critical infrastructures. Early studies on barrier coverage typically assume that sensors are deployed uniformly at random in a large area. This assumption, while theoretically interesting, may be unrealistic in real applications. We take a more realistic approach in this paper. In particular, we consider that sensors are airdropped from an aircraft along its flying route. We note that wind, geographic terrain, and other factors may cause a sensor to land in a location deviating from its targeted landing point with a random offset. Thus, it is more realistic to assume that sensor nodes are distributed with a normal offset along the deployment line. Through extensive simulations, we study how variance of the normal distribution, the number of deployment lines, and the distance between adjacent lines would affect barrier coverage. We then investigate how a strong barrier can be formed efficiently from airdropped sensors and compare it with barrier coverage using uniformly distributed sensors. Our results show that the barrier coverage, with appropriately chosen deployment parameters, can be significantly improved using normally distributed sensors.
The antidepressant hypericin inhibits progression of experimental proliferative vitreoretinopathy

PURPOSE. Hypericin, a polycyclic dione used as an antidepressant, has been shown to inhibit the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway. Many of the pathologic responses found in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) are dependent upon PKC. Therefore, we studied the effect of hypericin on the treatment of experimental PVR. METHODS. PVR was induced in pigmented rabbits by intravitreal injection of 50,000 rabbit conjunctival fibroblasts after vitrectomy. Subsequently, the eyes received an intravitreal injection of either balanced salt solution (BSS, 0.1 mL) (group A, control) or hypericin (0.1 mL) in doses of 1 µM (group B), 10 µM (group C), and 100 µM (group D). The eyes were examined ophthalmoscopically on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after surgery and the stage of PVR was evaluated (0 to V). The effect of hypericin on retinal morphology and function was also determined for the eyes injected with 100 µM hypericin with no fibroblasts by light microscopy and electroretinogram (ERG). RESULTS. In the control eyes, the ret...
Comparison of Four Different Stomatal Resistance Schemes Using FIFE Observations

Stomatal resistance (Rs) calculation has a major impact on the surface energy partitioning that influences diverse boundary layer processes. Present operational limited area or mesoscale models have the Jarvis-type parameterization, whereas the microscale and the climate simulation models prefer physiological schemes for estimating Rs. The pivotal question regarding operational mesoscale models is whether an iterative physiological scheme needs to be adopted ahead of the analytical Jarvis-type formulation. This question is addressed by comparing the ability of three physiological schemes along with a typical Jarvistype scheme for predicting Rs using observations made during FIFE. The data used is typical of a C4-type vegetation, predominant in regions of high convective activity such as the semiarid Tropics and the southern United States grasslands. Data from three different intensive field campaigns are analyzed to account for vegetation and hydrological diversity. It is found that the Jarvis-type approach has low variance in the outcome due to a poor feedback for the ambient changes. The physiological models, on the other hand, are found to be quite responsive to the external environment. All three physiological schemes have a similar performance qualitatively, which suggests that the vapor pressure deficit approach or the relative humidity descriptor used in the physiological schemes may not yield different results for routine meteorological applications. For the data considered, the physiological schemes had a consistently better performance compared to the Jarvis-type scheme in predicting Rs outcome. All four schemes can, however, provide a reasonable estimate of the ensemble mean of the samples considered. A significant influence of the seasonal change in the minimum Rs in the Jarvis-type scheme was also noticed, which suggests the use of nitrogen-based information for improving the performance of the Jarvis-type scheme. A possible interactive influence of soil moisture on the capabilities of the four schemes is also discussed. Overall, the physiological schemes performed better under higher moisture availability.
Accelerated Corrosion of Printed Circuit Boards Due to High Levels of Reduced Sulfur Gasses in Industrial Environments

Accelerated corrosion leading to system failure has been observed on printed circuit boards present in industrial environments that contain abnormal levels of reduced sulfur gasses, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and elemental sulfur. The problem is compounded by the fact that elemental sulfur is regulated by OSHA as a nuisance dust, and is allowed in a human working environment at the parts per thousand levels. Anecdotal data shows clearly that elemental sulfur gas present at the parts per million level can cause computer systems to fail within 2 months of use. Newer technologies such as immersion silver plating are especially susceptible to this type of corrosion. With the rapid growth of organically coated copper (OCC) and immersion silver platings, the number of failures due to reduced sulfur gasses in the environment has risen substantially.
Weaponized Crowdsourcing: An Emerging Threat and Potential Countermeasures

The crowdsourcing movement has spawned a host of successful efforts that organize large numbers of globally-distributed participants to tackle a range of tasks, including crisis mapping (e.g., Ushahidi), translation (e.g., Duolingo), and protein folding (e.g., Foldit). Alongside these specialized systems, we have seen the rise of general-purpose crowdsourcing marketplaces like Amazon Mechanical Turk and Crowdflower that aim to connect task requesters with task workers, toward creating new crowdsourcing systems that can intelligently organize large numbers of people. However, these positive opportunities have a sinister counterpart: what we dub “Weaponized Crowdsourcing”. Already we have seen the first glimmers of this ominous new trend—including large-scale “crowdturfing”, wherein masses of cheaply paid shills can be organized to spread malicious URLs in social media (Grier, Thomas, Paxson, & Zhang, 2010; Lee & Kim, 2012), form artificial grassroots campaigns (“astroturf”) (Gao et al., 2010; Lee, Caverlee, Cheng, & Sui, 2013), spread rumor and misinformation (Castillo, Mendoza, & Poblete, 2011; Gupta, Lamba, Kumaraguru, & Joshi, 2013), and manipulate search engines. A recent study finds that 90 % of tasks on many crowdsourcing platforms are for crowdturfing (Wang et al., 2012), and our initial research (Lee, Tamilarasan, & Caverlee, 2013) shows that most malicious tasks in crowdsourcing systems target either online communities (56 %) or search engines (33 %). Unfortunately, little is known about Weaponized Crowdsourcing as it manifests in existing systems, nor what are the ramifications on the design and operation of emerging socio-technical systems. Hence, this chapter shall focus on key research questions related to Weaponized Crowdsourcing as well as outline the potential of building new preventative frameworks for maintaining the information quality and integrity of online communities in the face of this rising challenge.
The Re-Genesis of Dionysian Revelry: Where Art Is the Ecstatic Effulgence of the Body’s Mystical Quintessence

Norman O. Brown cites the following as a function of his separation from the invidious manacles of neurological ratiocination: “And to be not conformed to this world…but be transformed [metamorphose yourselves] by a renewing of your mind” (Brown, 1991). Shane 2015 writes that ecstatic liberation is engendered when the mind is extricated from the central nervous system’s tyranny (Shane, n.d.). Hamlet remarks “with thoughts beyond the reaches of the souls” (Shakespeare, 1982). Patricia Easterling states that Dionysian theater was a freedom from the immurement of self-consciousness or an artistry of the mystical mystique (Eastering, 1997). Dionysian theater, tantric ritualism, ecstatic shamanistic rites, and atavistic rapturous ceremonialism have been executed in most pre-modern societies (Shane, 2014). Norman O. Brown explicates this ubiquitous meta-phenomena in his work entitled Love’s Body (Brown, 1971). Social evolution or the pathogenesis of the modern phenotype depicts the desecration of the etheric body’s predilection towards ascendant apotheosis or Dionysian ritualism (Shane, 2012). Plato’s The Ion represents how the paramount powers of diminutive ratiocination denigrate the numinous body’s puissance towards Dionysian exhilaration (Adams, 1971). The mind delimiting manacles of peevish abstraction abnegates the numinous body’s proclivity for mystical revelry. Aristotle’s poetics represents this fragrant dismissal and annihilation of the body’s primordial exaltation (Adams, 1971, pp.48-67).
Identification of Kynoxazine, a Novel Fluorescent Product of the Reaction between 3-Hydroxykynurenine and Erythrulose in the Human Lens, and Its Role in Protein Modification

Kynurenine pathway metabolites and ascorbate degradation products are present in human lenses. In this study, we showed that erythrulose, a major ascorbate degradation product, reacts spontaneously with 3-hydroxykynurenine to form a fluorescent product. Structural characterization of the product revealed it to be 2-amino-4-(2-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2H-benzo[b][1,4]oxazin-5-yl)-4-oxobutanoic acid, which we named kynoxazine. Unlike 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine glucoside and kynurenine were unable to form a kynoxazine-like compound, which suggested that the aminophenol moiety in 3-hydroxykynurenine is essential for the formation of kynoxazine. This reasoning was confirmed using a model compound, 1-(2-amino-3-hydroxyphenyl)ethan-1-one, which is an aminophenol lacking the amino acid moiety of 3-hydroxykynurenine. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses showed that kynoxazine is present in the human lens at levels ranging from 0 to 64 pmol/mg lens. Kynoxazine as well as erythrulose degraded under physiological conditions to generate 3-deoxythreosone, which modified and cross-linked proteins through the formation of an arginine adduct, 3-deoxythreosone-derived hydroimidazolone, and a lysine-arginine cross-linking adduct, 3-deoxythreosone-derived hydroimidazolimine cross-link. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantification showed that 32–169 pmol/mg protein of 3-deoxythreosone-derived hydroimidazolone and 1.1–11.2 pmol/mg protein of 3-deoxythreosone-derived hydroimidazolimine cross-link occurred in aging lenses. Taken together, these results demonstrate a novel biochemical mechanism by which ascorbate oxidation and the kynurenine pathway intertwine, which could promote protein modification and cross-linking in aging human lenses.
Immune system control of intestinal ion transport.

SummaryThe immune system takes part in the regulation of intestinal water and electrolyte transport through the release of inflammatory mediators that act both directly and via the enteric nervous system to inhibit NaCl absorption and stimulate electrogenic Cl– secretion. It is likely that immune system activation is a normal physiologic event. The intestinal tract is filled with antigens and, although the barrier function of the epithelium usually serves to prevent their transmigration into the lamina propria, it probable that, on occasion, antigen presentation does occur. Under these instances, the phagocytes may instantly respond by initiating an intestinal secretory response that washes these antigens away. Similarly, previous sensitization to dietary antigens may allow mast cell degranulation to initiate a cleansing secretory response. Certainly under pathological conditions such as infection with parasites, bacteria, and viruses, the immune-mediated intestinal secretory response can either wash away...
Chromosome Number in the Leaf-Cutter Bee, Megachile rotundata

Determination of the chromosome number of the leafcutter bee, Megachile rotundata (F.), an important pollinator of alfalfa in the Pacific Northwest, is reported hero. A previous summary (Kerr and Laidlaw 1956) of apoid chromosome numbers lists Osmia cornuta Latreille, the only representative of the family Megachilidae reported, as having an n number of 16.
Cultivation of Creative Talents of High Quality through Strengthening the Social Responsibility and Improving Innovative Consciousness

Social responsibility is the basic structure of human society ethics and the cornerstone of the development of society.As social elites,college students should have a strong sense of social responsibility.Based on the investigation of current situation of college students,this paper analyzes the main reasons why nowadays college students′ lack of social responsibility consciousness.Combined with the practice of Northwestern Polytechnic University,an effective way to improve students′ awareness of social responsibility is proposed,which includes national defense education,innovative education,integrity and responsibility education,and so on.The effectiveness of these measures has been proved by years of practice,and has an extending application value.
Unifying error structures in commonly used biotracer mixing models

Mixing models are statistical tools that use biotracers to probabilistically estimate the contribution of multiple sources to a mixture. These biotracers may include contaminants, fatty acids, or stable isotopes, the latter of which are widely used in trophic ecology to estimate the mixed diet of consumers. Bayesian implementations of mixing models using stable isotopes (e.g., MixSIR, SIAR) are regularly used by ecologists for this purpose, but basic questions remain about when each is most appropriate. In this study, we describe the structural differences between common mixing model error formulations in terms of their assumptions about the predation process. We then introduce a new parameterization that unifies these mixing model error structures, as well as implicitly estimates the rate at which consumers sample from source populations (i.e., consumption rate). Using simulations and previously published mixing model datasets, we demonstrate that the new error parameterization outperforms existing models and provides an estimate of consumption. Our results suggest that the error structure introduced here will improve future mixing model estimates of animal diet.
Smith and Lilienfeld’s meta-analysis of the response modulation hypothesis: Important theoretical and quantitative clarifications.

In the first meta-analytic review of the response modulation hypothesis (RMH), an attention-based model for understanding the etiology of psychopathy, Smith and Lilienfeld (2015) report that the average effect size for response modulation deficits in psychopathic individuals fell in the small to medium range (r = .20; p < .001, d = .41). Moreover, support for the RMH extended to both psychopathy dimensions, applied across diverse assessments and settings, and spanned child, adult, female, and male samples. The analysis also revealed good empirical support for a central tenet of the RMH, namely that response modulation deficits are not limited to the processing of threat or other emotion stimuli. Unfortunately, the Smith and Lilienfeld meta-analysis contains several theoretical and quantitative problems, including failing to distinguish adequately between the tasks used to evaluate RMH predictions and the theory itself, confusion regarding the evolution of the RMH and its impact on effect sizes, misinterpretations of RMH predictions and evidence regarding dominant response sets, passive avoidance, and primary task performance, and biased statements promoting the low fear model over the RMH. In this response, we endeavor to reduce misunderstanding by addressing the most salient issues, with the hope that increasing clarity will sharpen the focus of future research and result in more valid assessments of the RMH. (PsycINFO Database Record
Distributed control of cyclic formations with local relative position measurements

We propose a distributed control scheme for cyclic formations of multi-agent systems using relative position measurements in local coordinate frames. It is assumed that agents cannot communicate with each other and do not have access to global position information. For the case of three and four agents with desired formation defined as a regular polygon, we prove that under the proposed control, starting from almost any initial condition, agents converge to the desired configuration. Moreover, it is shown that the control is robust to the failure of any single agent. From Monte Carlo analysis, a conjecture is proposed to extend the results to any number of agents.
Discussing molecular testing in oncology care: Comparing patient and physician information preferences

BACKGROUND Molecular testing to inform treatment and clinical trial choices is now the standard of care for several types of cancer. However, no established guidelines exist for the type of information physicians should cover during discussions with the patient about the test or its results. The objectives of this study were to identify physician and patient preferences regarding information and who should communicate this information and how to inform guidelines for these conversations. METHODS Physicians and patients who participated in discussions regarding molecular testing were asked to choose 8 topics of most relevance out of a list of 18. The McNemar test was used to determine their top preferences. Patients were asked to identify what information they wanted to receive and who should inform them, and physicians were asked to identify the best aid to communication. RESULTS Sixty-six patients identified 12 preferred topics: the benefits of testing (88%), how testing determines treatment (88%), implications for family (71%), whether a test indicates the seriousness of disease (68%), purpose of the test (64%), incidental findings (56%), explanation of cancer genetics (53%), how the test is done (46%), limitations (44%), explanation of biomarker (42%), risks (42%), and uninformative results (38%). Physicians added cost (59%). Patients preferred receiving information about molecular testing from their nurse or physician (85%), and physicians preferred using a pamphlet (67%) to augment communication. CONCLUSIONS The topics identified as important to discuss can inform future guidelines and can contribute to effective communication regarding molecular testing. Cancer 2017;123:1610–1616. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Early drivers of Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) leaf litter decomposition in the water column

Sequestration of carbon and nutrients, and sustained productivity of estuaries depend on organic turnover and nutrient remineralization. Decomposition of abundant plant material produced by mangroves and other macrophytes in estuaries occurs in both the sediments and the water column. Early and intense processing could be more common in the water. In a previous study, in situ decomposition rates of Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) leaf litter suspended in the water column differed among four estuaries in south Texas with moderate differences in salinity, water temperature, available nitrogen (N), and tidal flow. A series of microcosm experiments were conducted to determine the influence, within observed ranges in the estuaries, of these water variables on mass loss of mangrove leaf litter over 60 days. High salinity (66 psu) delayed decomposition, but low temperature (20°C) was a retardant at lower salinities (20–43 psu). Water turbulence greatly accelerated mass loss, whereas N additions and the presence of sediments had minimal effects. The faster decomposition observed in the estuaries compared to the microcosms may be explained by the synergistic effect of these and other environmental factors.
54-P: FRACTIONATED DONOR CHIMERISM (FDC) ANALYSIS IN THE DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF GVHD IN SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION – DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS

Aim Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) a rare but serious complication following liver and multivisceral tx carries a poor prognosis with mortality approaching 90-95%. Diagnosis is often delayed due to early symptom similarity to more common diagnoses. Rapid detection of GVHD and early initiation of therapy, may lead to improved survival for patients. Purpose: Evaluate the efficacy of FDC analysis for rapid diagnosis and treatment initiation for GVHD. Methods Donor Chimerism(DC) was evaluated using ABI STR reagents. Pre-txp donor and recipient genotypes were determined from pre-txp blood or FFPE tissues. Post txp peripheral blood fractionation for B, T and myeloid cells was performed (RoboSep, StemCell Tech.). Analysis was run on DNA from fractionated and unfractionated cells. Results Multiviceral and liver txp patients with GVHD were tested using routine chimerism analysis. Those with ⩾10% unfractionated DC had poor outcome despite treatment and eventually expired. Unfractionated analysis gave a skewed impression (DC = 22%) of patient’s chimerism while fractionation showed 100% donor T cells and recipient myeloid cells. Following extensive therapy, 100% donor T cells remained and the patient died. Another patient presented with Conclusions GVHD in solid organ transplantation can have dire consequences and once DC in T cells reaches certain levels, the outcome may be fatal. Early diagnosis in suspected GVHD should include fractionated chimerism analysis to differentiate from other common complications. Once documented, GVHD therapy may be followed with chimeric subpopulation values to ensure donor T cells are eliminated from the peripheral circulation.
Ileocecocystoplasty for the management of refractory neurogenic bladder: surgical technique and urodynamic findings.

AbstractA total of 21 incontinent adults with a neurogenic bladder who were refractory to conservative management underwent a modified technique of ileocecocystoplasty. Followup ranged from 1 to 6 years (mean 3.1 years). To ensure a wide anastomosis the augmentation was accomplished by suturing a detubularized ileocecal patch to a large posterior based bladder flap anchored to the psoas muscles. Postoperatively 20 of 21 patients were continent. The remaining woman was cured after surgical correction of sphincteric incontinence. Mean bladder capacity increased from 185 ± 17 to 595 ± 43ml. (standard error). Mean maximum detrusor pressure decreased from 53 ± 6.3 to 16 ± 2.3cm. water (p <0.0001). Followup revealed a persistently large capacity, low pressure reservoir in all patients. No patient required anticholinergic medication. None experienced acid-base imbalance, tumors in the augmented bladder or upper tract deterioration. We conclude that this technique of ileocecocystoplasty is suitable for the manage...
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease incidence and impact on metabolic burden and death: A 20 year-community study.

Recent population-based data on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) epidemiology in general and incidence in particular, are lacking. We examined trends in NAFLD incidence in a US community, and the impact of NAFLD on incident metabolic comorbidities (MC), cardiovascular (CV) events and mortality. A community cohort of all adults diagnosed with NAFLD in Olmsted County, MN between 1997-2014 was constructed using the Rochester Epidemiology Project database. The yearly incidence rate was calculated. The impact of NAFLD on incident MC, CV events and mortality was studied using a multi-state model, with a 4:1 age and sex-matched general population as reference. We identified 3,869 NAFLD subjects (median age 53, 52% women) and 15,209 controls; median follow-up was 7 (1 to 20) years. NAFLD incidence increased 5-fold, from 62 to 329/100,000 person-years. The increase was highest (7-fold) in young adults, age 18-39 years. The 10-year mortality was higher in NAFLD subjects (10.2%) than controls (7.6%) (p<0.0001). NAFLD was an independent risk factor for incident MC and death. Mortality risk decreased as the number of incident MC increased: RR= 2.16 (95% CI 1.41-3.31), 1.99 (95% CI 1.48-2.66), 1.75 (95% CI 1.42-2.14) and 1.08 (95% CI 0.89-1.30) when 0, 1, 2, or 3 MC were present, respectively. The NAFLD impact on CV events was significant only in subjects without MC (RR=1.96, 95% CI=1.35-2.86). NAFLD reduced life expectancy by 4 years, with more time spent in high metabolic burden. Conclusion: The incidence of NAFLD diagnosis in the community has increased 5-fold, particularly in young adults. NAFLD is a consequence but also a precursor of MC. Incident MC attenuates the impact of NAFLD on death and annuls its impact on CV disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A Case for Telestroke in Military Medicine: A Retrospective Analysis of Stroke Cost and Outcomes in U.S. Military Health-Care System.

Background The development of primary stroke centers has improved outcomes for stroke patients. Telestroke networks have expanded the reach of stroke experts to underserved, geographically remote areas. This study illustrates the outcome and cost differences between neurology and primary care ischemic stroke admissions to demonstrate a need for telestroke networks within the Military Health System (MHS). Materials and Methods All adult admissions with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke in the MHS Military Mart database from calendar years 2010 to 2015 were reviewed. Neurology, primary care, and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions were compared across primary outcomes of (1) disposition status and (2) intravenous tissue plasminogen activator administration and for secondary outcomes of (1) total cost of hospitalization and (2) length of stay (LOS). Results A total of 3623 admissions met the study's parameters. The composition was neurology 462 (12.8%), primary care 2324 (64.1%), ICU 677 (18.7%), and other/unknown 160 (4.4%). Almost all neurology admissions (97%) were at the 3 neurology training programs, whereas a strong majority of primary care admissions (80%) were at hospitals without a neurology admitting service. Hospitals without a neurology admitting service had more discharges to rehabilitation facilities and higher rates of in-hospital mortality. LOS was also longer in primary care admissions. Conclusions Ischemic stroke admissions to neurology had better outcomes and decreased LOS when compared to primary care within the MHS. This demonstrates a possible gap in care. Implementation of a hub and spoke telestroke model is a potential solution.