cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The sphingosine rheostat is involved in the cnidarian heat stress response but not necessarily in bleaching

Sphingolipids play important roles in mitigating cellular heat and oxidative stress by altering membrane fluidity, receptor clustering and gene expression. Accumulation of signaling sphingolipids that comprise the sphingosine rheostat, pro-apoptotic sphingosine (Sph) and pro-survival sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is key to determining cell fate. Reef-building corals and other symbiotic cnidarians living in shallow tropical waters can experience elevated seawater temperature and high UV irradiance, two stressors that are increasing in frequency and severity with climate change. In symbiotic cnidarians, these stressors disrupt the photosynthetic machinery of the endosymbiont and ultimately result in the collapse of the partnership (dysbiosis), known as cnidarian bleaching. In a previous study, exogenously applied sphingolipids altered heat-induced bleaching in the symbiotic anemone Aiptasia pallida, but endogenous regulation of these lipids is unknown. Here, we characterized the role of the rheostat in the cnidarian heat stress response (HSR) and in dysbiosis. Gene expression of rheostat enzymes sphingosine kinase (AP-SPHK) and S1P phosphatase (AP-SGPP), and concentrations of sphingolipids were quantified from anemones incubated at elevated temperatures. We observed a biphasic HSR in A. pallida. At early exposure, rheostat gene expression and lipid levels were suppressed while gene expression of a heat stress biomarker increased and 40% of symbionts were lost. After longer incubations at the highest temperature, AP-SGPP and then Sph levels both increased. These results indicate that the sphingosine rheostat in A. pallida does not participate in initiation of dysbiosis, but instead functions in the chronic response to prolonged heat stress that promotes host survival.
Chapter 1 – Introduction to Probability Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the probability theory. To master both the model building and the subsequent analysis of the probability models, one must have certain knowledge of basic probability theory. The chapter presents an experiment where the sample space is S. For each event E of the sample space S, a number P(E) is assumed that satisfies the following three conditions: (1) 0 ≤ P(E) ≤ 1; (2) P(S) = 1; and (3) for any sequence of events E1, E2, … that are mutually exclusive, that is, events for which En Em = φ when n ≠ m, then P (n) = (En).
A Fixed-Actuator Configuration for 3-Leg 6-DOF Robots

For many fully parallel robots, the number of legs is generally equal to the number of degrees of freedom, with one actuated joint per leg. However, another subset of robots exists in which there are fewer legs and more actuated joints per leg. This paper presents a method of mounting rotary actuators on the fixed platform such that no actuator mass is added to the moving links. Examples of 6-DOF parallel robot variants are given based on this technique, with inverse kinematics, and the scope of extensibility to other topologies is briefly described.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Optic Neuritis as the Presenting Symptom for MS

Optic neuritis is a common cause of vision loss in pediatrics. It is essential for care providers to understand how to diagnose optic neuritis and differentiate it from other causes of vision loss so as to properly manage these patients. It is also essential to understand how to follow these patients over time given risk of progression to multiple sclerosis. A case will be presented of an adolescent girl presenting to her primary care provider with acute onset of vision loss, found to have optic neuritis. Treatment with high-dose corticosteroids is the mainstay of therapy despite limited clinical evidence of its impact on long-term outcome.
Restrictive eating and nonsuicidal self-injury in a nonclinical sample: Co-occurrence and associations with emotion dysregulation and interpersonal problems

Disordered eating frequently co-occurs with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and evidence suggests that the co-occurrence of these behaviors is associated with heightened emotion dysregulation. However, little is known about the relationship between restrictive eating and NSSI, and the significance of their co-occurrence. This study examined cross-sectional associations between self-reported restrictive eating, NSSI, and putative mechanisms of emotion regulation and interpersonal problems in a non-clinical sample of undergraduate students (N = 98, 80.6% female), using the Dietary Restriction Screener (Haynos & Fruzzetti, 2015), Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (Gratz, 2001), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2006), and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Personality Disorders-25 (Kim & Pilkonis, 1999). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated that restrictive eating was associated with NSSI above and beyond the influence of binge eating, purging, and relevant covariates (B = 2.04, p < 0.001). In addition, multivariate analyses of variance revealed that the co-occurrence of restrictive eating and NSSI was associated with greater difficulties accessing and implementing effective, rather than impulsive, emotion regulation strategies when distressed than either behavior alone (p < 0.001). Findings highlight the seriousness of restrictive eating even within a nonclinical sample, as it is associated with heightened probability of NSSI and clinical severity among those who engage in co-morbid NSSI. Healthcare providers are encouraged to screen for NSSI among individuals with restrictive eating. In addition, a focus on improving emotion regulation and interpersonal skills may enhance prevention and intervention efforts for individuals with co-occurring restrictive eating and NSSI behaviors.
Grading at scale in earsketch

This paper explores some of the challenges posed by automated grading of programming assignments in a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) based curriculum, as well as how these challenges are addressed in the automatic grading processes used in EarSketch, a music-based educational programming environment developed at Georgia Tech. This work-in-progress paper reviews common strategies for grading programming assignments at scale and discusses how they are combined in EarSketch to evaluate open ended STEAM-focused assignments.
Hypertension in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplantation is a well accepted, therapeutic procedure for patients with end-stage renal disease. Allograft rejection and frequent adverse effects of non-specific immunosuppressive regimens have been the two most important impediments to successful kidney transplantation. Since we now have a greater understanding of transplant immunology, improved clinical management of patients and newer immunosuppressive regimens, renal allograft survival rates have substantially improved in recent years.
Hypocretin (orexin) levels in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with narcolepsy: relationship to cataplexy and HLA DQB1*0602 status.

Study Objectives: Hypocretin (orexin) deficiency (< 40 pg/ml) is highly associated with narcolepsy with cataplexy (89.5%) and more specifically with patients with cataplexy who are HLA DQB1*0602 positive (95.7%). The relationship between hypocretin-1 levels and narcolepsy without cataplexy or the DQB1*0602 allele is less clear. MethodslDesign: This study compared cerebrospinal (CSF) hypocretin-1 in 13 patients with HLA DQB1*0602 allele and cataplexy to 4 HLA negative patients with cataplexy, 3 HLA positive patients without cataplexy, and 6 HLA negative patients without cataplexy, plus 15 neurologic controls. Setting: Data were collected at a sleep disorders center. PatientslParticipants: Twenty-six patients with narcolepsy, with and without HLA DQB1*0602 and with and without cataplexy, as well as 15 neurologic controls. Interventions: N/A Measurement & Results: Using analysis of variance techniques, statistically significant differences were found between the CSF hypocretin-1 levels in HLA positive patients and all other groups (P<0.01). Although the sample size was small, subjects with the DQB1*0602 allele without cataplexy had lower hypocretin-1 levels than did other groups (other than the HLA and cataplexy positive group). Hypocretin-1 levels were not associated with age at diagnosis, age at lumbar puncture, body mass index at time of diagnosis, or body mass index at time of lumbar puncture. Conclusion: This data confirms the previous finding that undetectable hypocretin-1 levels are highly specific for HLA positive narcolepsy with cataplexy. The data suggests that the pathophysiology and, by extension, etiology of this disorder are distinctly different from the other conditions studied. The relationship of the DQB1*0602 allele and reduced hypocretin-1 levels needs further study.
Behavioral and Cognitive Effects of Altered Tryptophan and Tyrosine Supply

Biochemical, behavioral, and pharmacological data have enabled us to document many complex behavior-physiology interactions in vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus). Our research has been guided by the view that there is a bidirectional relationship between behavior and physiology: behavior, particularly social behavior, is both a cause and a consequence of physiological changes (1). Thus, adult animals living in social groups have distinct and replicable behavioral profiles which strongly influence the metabolism and behavioral effects of amino acids. Alterations in group composition can predictably change individuals behavioral profiles which result in corresponding physiological changes. Conversely, administration of tryptophan, tyrosine, and other amino acids can profoundly affect social behavior and cognitive performance. While the bulk of our research has focused on vervet monkeys, preliminary observations indicate that many of these findings generalize to other nonhuman primate species and to humans (2, 3).
Organochlorine contaminants and maternal offloading in the lecithotrophic Pacific angel shark (Squatina californica) collected from southern California.

Pacific angel sharks (Squatina californica) are a benthic elasmobranch that occupy intermediate trophic level positions in coastal food webs. Angel sharks’ life history characteristics make them susceptible to accumulating high amounts of contaminants. Four angel sharks were opportunistically captured in southern California and their liver and uterine contents were analyzed for PCBs, DDTs and other pesticides. High DDT:PCB ratios were found in the sharks indicating direct or indirect foraging near a local EPA Superfund Site. Organic contaminants were measured in ovulated eggs, indicating that females are able to maternally offload contaminants. Despite the potential mismatch between ovarian and uterine fecundity, we estimated females to offload approximately 13 ± 5% of their total body load, which represents the upper limit of this capability. Although low in sample size, the initial findings from this study suggest that habitat use might play an important role in contaminant accumulation in this species.
Optimization of Control Parameter for Filter Algorithms for Attitude and Heading Reference Systems

An Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) provides orientation information of an object such as an Unmanned Air Vehicle by fusing sensor data from a magnetic and inertial measurement unit (MIMU). A MIMU consists of three components, which are a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a magnetometer. There are different fusion or filter algorithms available of which we have chosen the Mahony, the Madgwick, and the weighted filter. One of the shortcomings of all algorithms is that there is a control parameter involved in each which needs to be determined before applying the algorithms. Only an algorithm with an optimized control parameter achieves the best orientation information. Thus, a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is used to identify the control parameter of each filter algorithm. Experimental results show the influence the control parameter has on each algorithm.
Drivers and impact of restaurant tipping behavior

Tipping has been a significant part of global economic activities and has been viewed as a commonly practiced social norm (Azar, 2010). The custom of tipping varies widely throughout the world and ...
Saliva DNA Methylation Detects Nascent Smoking in Adolescents

Abstract Objectives: Early identification of smoking, essential for the successful implementation of interventions, arrests the escalation of smoking and smoking-associated risk behaviors in adoles...
Physiological Effects of Limb Loss on the Asian Shore Crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus

Invasive species pose a considerable threat to biodiversity and the functioning of the ecosystem. Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Asian Shore Crab) has outnumbered native crabs on the northeast coast of North America since shortly after its introduction in the late 1980s. Asian Shore Crabs occur in high densities along much of the Atlantic coast from Maine to North Carolina. Our research focused on the relationship between limb loss and energy use and storage in both male and female Asian Shore Crabs as a means of understanding their ability to reach high population densities. We sampled 154 crabs of both sexes from Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH. We then dissected the individual specimens and measured limb loss and the mass of the hepatopancreas (an energy storage organ) and gonads. Our findings reveal that limb loss has similarly limited impacts on male and female crabs in terms of both energy storage and reproductive effort. We conclude that despite a high frequency of injury, the energetics of Asian Shore Crabs were largely unaffected, and that this may be one reason why this species has been able to achieve sustained high densities throughout much of its invaded range.
Biophysical changes caused by altered MUC13 expression in pancreatic cancer cells.

Abstract Background Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in the United States. This is partly due to the difficulty in early detection of this disease as well as poor therapeutic responses to currently available regimens. Our previous reports suggest that mucin 13 (MUC13, a transmembrane mucin common to gastrointestinal cells) is aberrantly expressed in this disease state, and has been implicated with a worsened prognosis and an enhanced metastatic potential in PanCa. However, virtually no information currently exists to describe the biophysical ramifications of this protein. Methods To demonstrate the biophysical effect of MUC13 in PanCa, we generated overexpressing and knockdown model cell lines for PanCa and subsequently subjected them to various biophysical experiments using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cellular aggregation studies. Results AFM-based nanoindentation data showed significant biophysical effects with MUC13 modulation in PanCa cells. The overexpression of MUC13 in Panc-1 cells led to an expected decrease in modulus, and a corresponding decrease in adhesion. With MUC13 knockdown, HPAF-II cells exhibited an increased modulus and adhesion. These results were confirmed with altered cell-cell adhesion as seen with aggregation assays. Conclusions MUC13 led to significant biophysical changes in PanCa cells and which exhibited characteristic phenotypic changes in cells demonstrated in previous work from our lab. This work gives insight into the use of biophysical measurements that could be used to help diagnose or monitor cancers as well as determine the effects of genetic alterations at a mechanical level.
Understanding the sustainability niche of continuous flow tubular microbial fuel cells on beef packing wastewater treatment

Abstract Beef packing industry consumes a large amount of water and energy to support its production. To transform this industry to be more sustainable, the produced wastewater from a Midwestern beef packing plant was treated by a bench-scale tubular microbial fuel cell (MFC) in continuous fed mode in present study. When the MFC was fed with 1 g L−1 beef extract solution, a maximum current density of 8.8 ± 0.2 A m−3 and organics removal of 28.2 ± 5.9% were observed. Switching feeding solution to real beef packing wastewater did not change system performance considerably. The current density achieved was 8.4 ± 0.2 A m−3 and the organics removal was 35.9 ± 9.7%. Life cycle assessment (LCA) results on operational phase showed that the environmental impact of produced electricity from MFC is minimal compared to the overall electricity consumption. Comparing to the existing on-site treatment infrastructures, adding MFC could reduce global warming by 36%. Also, integrating MFC into the existing on-site wastewater treatment will be less beneficial for fossil fuel depletion due to the less biogas produced, leading to higher requirement of natural gas utilization for heating purpose. The attractiveness of adding alternative energy producing treatment systems to food processors may be based on biogas production and use patterns.
Delta (1232) production via charge-changing weak currents: e

We investigate ..delta..(1232) production via charge-changing weak currents e/sup -/+p..--> delta../sup 0/+..nu../sub e/ and e/sup +/+p..--> delta../sup ++/+nu-bar/sub e/ at electron/positron beam energies in the range of a few GeV. A general formalism is introduced for the N..--> delta.. transition form factors, including the weak magnetism, weak quadrupole, and weak scalar form factors for the polar-vector current and the axial, pseudoscalar, recoil, and weak electric form factors for the axial current. The form factors related to the polar-vector current are related to ..delta..(1232) electroproduction on a nucleon target. For nucleons and deltas, we adopt in this calculation the flavor SU(6) wave functions, with quarks described as confined Dirac particles. The quark wave function adopted is of the form given by the MIT bag model, with or without the sharp boundary smoothened out. In the few GeV range, it is found that cross sections can be as large as 10/sup -38/ cm/sup 2/ and are sensitive to induced form factors such as the weak magnetism form factor. It is also found that, for a beam energy of around 4.0 GeV, the predicted cross sections depend sensitively on whether or not the sharp boundary in the quark wave function is smoothened out.
DOSE EQUIVALENCE OF THE ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the dose equivalence of the antipsychotic drugs. The pharmacologic effects of drugs provide a major tool for investigation of biochemical theories of mental illness such as the dopamine theory of schizophrenia. The dose necessary to produce a given pharmacologic effect is determined from biochemical pharmacologic investigation that is based on empirically determined data. The dose of the drug, which is marketed, often is taken as the dose that produces the human antipsychotic effect. A great many factors other than empirical evidence enter into the determination of a dose at which a drug is marketed. This involves commercial decisions by the drug company, medical legal decisions by their legal department, pressures from the food and drug administration, and historical accident in the early drug trials of a given drug. In double blind studies using flexible doses, physicians adjust the dose given to patients by their clinical response not knowing as to which medication was actually administered by adjusting the number of tablets. The physician generally knows that they are administering numbers of tablets that could be one of several medications or one of several medications and/or placebo. They adjust the number of tablets to obtain the maximum clinical response.
Wisdom of the experts: Using survey responses to address positive and normative uncertainties in climate-economic models

The social cost of carbon (SCC) and the climate-economic models underlying this prominent US climate policy instrument are heavily affected by modeler opinion and therefore may not reflect the views of most climate economists. To test whether differences exist, we recalibrate key uncertain model parameters using formal expert elicitation: a multi-question online survey of individuals who have published scholarship on the economics of climate change, with 165 to 216 respondents, depending on the question. Survey questions on the magnitude of climate impacts and appropriate discount rates revealed that prevailing views differ from prominent IAMs, including DICE. We calibrate the DICE damage functions and discount rates to reflect the mean and median survey responses, respectively, recognizing these two parameters’ differing sources of uncertainty (positive versus normative). We find a 16-fold higher SCC than the base DICE-2013R assumptions, with a range of 11- to 24-fold under alternative modeling assumptions (using the DICE-2016R2 model version and calibrating damages to median rather than mean responses). Our findings support a 7- to 13-fold SCC increase for different respondent subgroups even when we exclude the potential for catastrophic climate impact shocks. Our results reveal a significant disparity between IAMs and the broader community of scholars publishing in this field.
Optimal Materials for Maximum Large-Area Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer

We consider the space of all causal bulk materials, 2D materials, and metamaterials for maximum near-field radiative heat transfer (RHT) between planar structures. Causality constrains the bandwidt...
A small-angle neutron scattering study of the physical mechanism that drives the action of a viral fusion peptide

Abstract Viruses have evolved a variety of ways for delivering their genetic cargo to a target cell. One mechanism relies on a short sequence from a protein of the virus that is referred to as a fusion peptide. In some cases, the isolated fusion peptide is also capable of causing membranes to fuse. Infection by HIV-1 involves the 23 amino acid N-terminal sequence of its gp41 envelope protein, which is capable of causing membranes to fuse by itself, but the mechanism by which it does so is not fully understood. Here, a variant of the gp41 fusion peptide that does not strongly promote fusion was studied in the presence of vesicles composed of a mixture of unsaturated lipids and cholesterol by small-angle neutron scattering and circular dichroism spectroscopy to improve the understanding of the mechanism that drives vesicle fusion. The peptide concentration and cholesterol content govern both the peptide conformation and its impact on the bilayer structure. The results indicate that the mechanism that drives vesicle fusion by the peptide is a strong distortion of the bilayer structure by the peptide when it adopts the β-sheet conformation.
An exploration of key barriers to healthcare providers’ use of food prescription (FRx) interventions in the rural South

Objective: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the attitude towards food prescriptions (FRx) interventions among clinicians and identify potential barriers to their use in clinical practice. Design: The current study employed an exploratory research design using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Research participants were selected from primary care facilities, family practice offices and obesity clinics located in Mississippi and Louisiana. Setting: Providers selected for participation in the current study serve predominantly rural, low-income communities in the US South. Participants: From an original population of fifty healthcare providers that included physicians, registered dieticians and nurse practitioners, from Oxford, Tupelo, Batesville, Jackson, and Charleston, MS and New Orleans, LA. Fifteen healthcare providers agreed to participate, including three physicians, four registered dieticians, three nurses and three nurse practitioners. Results: The current study found that while healthcare providers expressed a desire to use FRx interventions, there was a universal lack of understanding by healthcare providers of what FRx interventions were, how they were implemented and what outcomes they were likely to influence. Conclusions: The current study identified key bottlenecks in the use of FRx interventions at the clinic level and data provided evidence for two key recommendations: (1) development and validation of a screening tool to be used by clinicians for enrolling patients in such interventions and (2) implementation of nutrition education in primary professional training, as well as in continuing education.
Examining discrimination and familism values as longitudinal predictors of prosocial behaviors among recent immigrant adolescents

The current study was designed to address gaps in the existing literature by examining the role of discrimination and familism values as predictors of multiple forms of prosocial behaviors across t...
Third Places, Social Capital, and Sense of Community as Mechanisms of Adaptive Responding for Young People Who Experience Social Marginalization

Many young people who experience social marginalization (such as young people of color, who identify as LGBTQ, and who have experienced housing instability, among others) have often faced significant trauma exposure and social oppression and may endure subsequent adverse impacts on their well-being. Conversely, many such young people exhibit adaptive responding-the ability to maintain well-being through and despite such contextual constraints. This theoretical paper illustrates a conceptual model for how third places-public settings which offer sociability and community connection-may foster adaptive responding through the mutually constitutive (i.e., mutually reinforcing and interrelated) mechanisms of psychological sense of community and social capital. As prior work on third places has not considered the social marginalization which many young people face, especially in public settings, this theoretical model also considers how social policing in third places potentially moderates the mutually constitutive relationships between participation in third places, social capital, and psychological sense of community. This paper ends with a proposed research agenda, which may empirically test this theoretical model and its assumptions through future model development. Lastly, key considerations for policy and practice are offered, with particular attention to how young people may be affirmed and welcomed in third places rather than socially policed.
Assessing occupational risk of heat stress at construction: A worker-centric wearable sensor-based approach

Abstract Construction workers are at a high risk of exposure to excessive heat generated by several factors such as intensive physical activities, personal protective clothing, and frequent heat events at construction sites. Previous studies attempted to evaluate the occupational risk of heat stress by concentrating on environmental variables or the self-assessment measures of perceived heat. Despite their potentials, most of these approaches were intrusive, inaccurate, and intermittent. More importantly, they mainly overlooked the disparities in workers' physical and physiological characteristics. To address these limitations, this study proposes a heat-stress risk-assessment process to evaluate workers' bodily responses to heat – heat strain – based on the continuous measurement of their physiological signals. To this end, workers' physiological signals were captured using a wristband-type biosensor. Subsequently, their physiological signals were decontaminated from noises, resampled into an array of informative features, and finally interpreted into distinct states of individuals' heat strain by employing several supervised learning algorithms. To examine the performance of the proposed process, physiological signals were collected from 18 subjects while performing specific construction tasks under three predetermined environmental conditions with a different probability of exposure to heat stress. The analysis results revealed the proposed process could predict the risk of heat strain with more than 92% accuracy, illuminating the potentials of wearable biosensors to continuously assess workers' heat strain. The long-term implications of this study can be capitalized as guidelines to improve systematic evaluation of heat strain and promote workers' occupational safety and well-being through early detection of heat strain at construction sites.
Effects of a Brief Mindful Hypnosis Intervention on Stress Reactivity: A Randomized Active Control Study.

A novel, audio-based brief mindful hypnosis (BMH) intervention for reducing stress-reactivity during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was investigated. Fifty-five college-aged participants with ...
Acute Pain Control in the Elderly

As the number of elderly patients undergoing surgery rises, acute pain control in the postsurgical setting is an increasingly important concern. The consequences of poorly controlled pain in the elderly patient can be significant and lead to negative outcomes.
Design of the compact Auburn torsatron

This paper describes the design and optimization procedure for the Compact Auburn Torsatron. Included in this is a description of the Cary-Hanson Optimization technique. In this paper the properties of the magnetic fields are presented and a description of the machine and the construction procedure. The experimental setup for the surface mapping is described and conclusions are presented. 10 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.
On Uncertainty Handling in Plausible Reasoning with Conceptual Graphs

Plausible reasoning with conceptual graphs (CG) presents special problems. This paper treats plausible reasoning as a problem of matching a query CG with a target CG and computing the likelihood of relevance of the target CG from the degree of match. While the emphasis is on information retrieval modeled as plausible reasoning, the approach is applicable to schema selection, casebased reasoning and inferencing with production rules which have a CG as their premise. Two levels of uncertainty handling are suggested. Micro-level analysis combines evidence from individual concept and relation node matches between the query CG and a target CG. Macro-level analysis combines evidence from multiple, possibly overlapping, fragments of the query CG that occur in different parts of the target CG. The use of the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence and Bayesian inference for combining and propagating evidence is examined.
The Deserted Village

13 p. Transcribed by R.S. Bear, May 2001, from the 1900 Peter Cunningham (Harper) edition of the Works. Cunningham's source text is that of the first 1770 quarto edition, with several emendations from subsequent editions. There were six editions in that year alone. Any errors that have crept into the transcription are the fault of the present publisher. The text is in the public domain.
Problem reprezentacji w teoriach poznania ucieleśnionego

This paper looks at a central issue with embodiment theories in cognition: the role, if any, they provide for mental representation. Thelen and Smith (1994) hold that the concept of representations is either vacuous or misapplied in such systems. Others maintain a place for representations (e.g. Clark 1996), but are imprecise about their nature and role. It is difficult to understand what those could be if representations are understood in the same sense as that used by computationalists: fixed or long-lasting neural structures that represent the sensory stimuli that caused them (e.g. neural response patterns in the visual cortex), or whose “meaning” is fixed innately or in early development for particular functions (e.g. the body schemas for Meltzoff and Gopnik 1993). The paper proposes a distinctions between, on the one hand, neural patterns, traces of sensory activation that while not in themselves representations are available for representational activity, and on the other the act of representing, which is what gives representational content to neural patterns.
Line‐up Misidentifications: When Being ‘Prototypically Black’ is Perceived as Criminal

Summary Eyewitness misidentifications are the leading factor contributing to wrongful convictions. Black men, more than any other racial group, are disproportionately affected by this, thus elevating the importance of identifying factors that contribute to the false recollection of unseen faces. In the current studies, we tested whether misplaced familiarity and subsequent misidentification of Black faces was underpinned by the degree to which target faces were considered ‘prototypical’ (i.e., representative) of the Black race category. First, results revealed that Black faces with stereotypical facial features were accurately categorized as ‘Black’ quicker than faces with nonstereotypical features (Experiment 1). Moreover, identification errors were higher for both face recognition (Experiment 2) and line-up identification (Experiment3) for stereotypical-featured than nonstereotypical-featured faces. Overall, results suggest that stereotypical Black faces are representative of the category ‘Black’ and facilitated feelings of familiarity and the endorsement of memory errors that may underpin eyewitness misidentifications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MRI features of peripheral traumatic neuromas

To describe the MRI appearance of traumatic neuromas on non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI sequences. This IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant study retrospectively reviewed 13 subjects with 20 neuromas. Two observers reviewed pre-operative MRIs for imaging features of neuroma (size, margin, capsule, signal intensity, heterogeneity, enhancement, neurogenic features and denervation) and the nerve segment distal to the traumatic neuroma. Descriptive statistics were reported. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the relationship between size of neuroma and parent nerve. Of 20 neuromas, 13 were neuromas-in-continuity and seven were end-bulb neuromas. Neuromas had a mean size of 1.5 cm (range 0.6–4.8 cm), 100 % (20/20) had indistinct margins and 0 % (0/20) had a capsule. Eighty-eight percent (7/8) showed enhancement. All 100 % (20/20) had tail sign; 35 % (7/20) demonstrated discontinuity from the parent nerve. None showed a target sign. There was moderate positive correlation (r = 0.68, p = 0.001) with larger neuromas arising from larger parent nerves. MRI evaluation of the nerve segment distal to the neuroma showed increased size (mean size 0.5 cm ± 0.4 cm) compared to the parent nerve (mean size 0.3 cm ± 0.2 cm). Since MRI features of neuromas include enhancement, intravenous contrast medium cannot be used to distinguish neuromas from peripheral nerve sheath tumours. The clinical history of trauma with the lack of a target sign are likely the most useful clues. • MRI features of neuromas include enhancement and lack of a target sign. • Contrast material cannot be used to distinguish traumatic neuromas from PNSTs. • Traumatic neuromas can simulate peripheral nerve neoplasms on imaging.
Expression of the IL-11 Gene in Metastatic Cells Is Supported by Runx2-Smad and Runx2-cJun Complexes Induced by TGFβ1

In tumor cells, two factors are abnormally increased that contribute to metastatic bone disease: Runx2, a transcription factor that promotes expression of metastasis related and osteolytic genes; and IL-11, a secreted osteolytic cytokine. Here, we addressed a compelling question: Does Runx2 regulate IL-11 gene expression? We find a positive correlation between Runx2, IL-11 and TGFβ1, a driver of the vicious cycle of metastatic bone disease, in prostate cancer (PC) cell lines representing early (LNCaP) and late (PC3) stage disease. Further, like Runx2 knockdown, IL-11 knockdown significantly reduced expression of several osteolytic factors. Modulation of Runx2 expression results in corresponding changes in IL-11 expression. The IL-11 gene has Runx2, AP-1 sites and Smad binding elements located on the IL-11 promoter. Here, we demonstrated that Runx2-c-Jun as well as Runx2-Smad complexes upregulate IL-11 expression. Functional studies identified a significant loss of IL-11 expression in PC3 cells in the presence of the Runx2-HTY mutant protein, a mutation that disrupts Runx2-Smad signaling. In response to TGFβ1 and in the presence of Runx2, we observed a 30-fold induction of IL-11 expression, accompanied by increased c-Jun binding to the IL-11 promoter. Immunoprecipitation and in situ co-localization studies demonstrated that Runx2 and c-Jun form nuclear complexes in PC3 cells. Thus, TGFβ1 signaling induces two independent transcriptional pathways - AP-1 and Runx2. These transcriptional activators converge on IL-11 as a result of Runx2-Smad and Runx2-c-Jun interactions to amplify IL-11 gene expression that, together with Runx2, supports the osteolytic pathology of cancer induced bone disease.
The role of calcium and cyclic nucleotides in α-amylase release from slices of rat parotid: Studies with the divalent cation ionophore A-23187

The divalent cation ionophore A-23187 caused a Ca-2+-dependent increase in alpha-amylase release from slices of rat parotid gland. The effect of A-23187 on alpha-amylase release was not caused by release of endogenous agonists since l-propranolol, phentolamine, and atropine had no effect. The magnitude of alpha-amylase release caused by A-23187 was small compared to the effect of isoproterenol. In this respect it more closely resembles the action of cholinergic and alpha-adrenergic agonists on alpha-amylase release. A-23187 inhibited the increase in the level of parotid adenosine 3,5'-monophosphate caused by isoprotrenol. The inhibitory effect required incubation of the slices with the ionophore before the addition of isoproterenol. The ionophore also caused a Ca-2+-dependent increase in the level of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP). Theophylline enhanced the effect of A-23187 on the level of cyclic GMP. These results emphasize the role of Ca-2+ in the regulation of parotid cyclic nucleotide levels. Since the effects of the ionophore depended on the presence of Ca-2+, it is possible that some of the effects of agonists on parotid gland physiology are secondary to an action on intracellular Ca-2+ distribution.
And I will dwell in their midst : Orthodox Jews in suburbia

Suburbia may not seem like much of a place to pioneer, but for young, religiously committed Jewish families, it's open territory." This sentiment--expressed in the early 1970s by an Orthodox Jew in suburban Toronto--captures the essence of the suburban Orthodox Jewish experience of the late twentieth century. Although rarely associated with postwar suburbia, Orthodox Jews in metropolitan areas across the United States and Canada have successfully combined suburban lifestyles and the culture of consumerism with a strong sense of religious traditionalism and community cohesion. By their very existence in suburbia, argues Etan Diamond, Orthodox Jewish communities challenge dominant assumptions about society and religious culture in the twentieth century.Using the history of Orthodox Jewish suburbanization in Toronto, Diamond explores the different components of the North American suburban Orthodox Jewish community: sacred spaces, synagogues, schools, kosher homes, and social networks. In a larger sense, though, his book tells a story of how traditionalist religious communities have thrived in the most secular of environments. In so doing, it pushes our current understanding of cities and suburbs and their religious communities in new directions.
In vivo anergized T cells form altered immunological synapses in vitro.

T cells contact allogeneic antigen presenting cells (APCs) and assemble, at their contact interface, a molecular platform called the immunological synapse. Synapse-based molecules provide directional signals for the T cell—either positive signals, resulting in T-cell activation, or negative signals causing T-cell inactivation or anergy. To better understand the molecular basis of in vivo T-cell anergy we analyzed the contacts made between in vivo anergized T cells and APCs, and determined which signaling molecules were included or excluded from their immunological synapses. Anergy was induced in TCR transgenic mice by the intravenous injection of semiallogeneic donor spleen cells. T cells from anergized mice were mixed with APCs, the T-cell/APC synapses imaged using deconvolution microscopy, and their molecular compositions were determined. T cells from anergic mice formed unstable immunological synapses in vitro with allogeneic APCs and failed to recruit the signaling proteins necessary to initiate T-cell activation. These findings suggest that T-cell anergy induced by exposure to semiallogeneic donor cells is associated with defects in the earliest events of T-cell activation, immunological synapse formation and recruitment of TCR-mediated signaling proteins.
Widely tunable high-duty-cycle semiconductor terahertz lasers

Germanium terahertz (THz) lasers based on a heavy hole-light hole population inversion within the valence bands show strong promise for widespread applications due to their unparalleled frequency tuning range and high output power up to several Watts. Germanium lasers have attractive laser properties: tunability from 1 to 4 THz, high finesse of 106 with line widths below 1 MHz and linear polarization. Laser operation is possible with small mm- sized permanent magnets and closed-cycle refrigeration. Since 1995 we have increased the duty cycle (laser on-time) of such lasers from 10-5 up to 2.5 X 10-2 (2.5%). We report on our current research efforts aimed at achieving continuous wave emission. These efforts include a reduction of the active laser crystal volume from typical values of 30 - 60 mm3 to and perhaps below 1 mm3 and materials and electric field homogeneity improvements to enhance the conversion efficiency. A planar contact geometry is suggested to allow improved heat sinking. Our planned applications include but are not limited to airborne and satellite based research for the study of molecules in the upper atmosphere or in star-forming regions of the universe.
Effects of stocking density and vitamin C status on vitamin E-adequate and vitamin E-deficient fingerling channel catfish

Abstract Previous studies have reported some very different responses of channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) fed vitamin E-deficient diets, especially with respect to gross deficiency signs. In an attempt to elucidate the cause of these differing responses, two experiments were conducted in aquaria to determine if stocking density or vitamin C status would affect the sensitivity of catfish to vitamin E deficiency. In the first experiment, catfish were stocked at four different densities and fed vitamin E-deficient or vitamin E-supplemented diets for 19 weeks. No gross deficiency signs were observed in catfish fed the vitamin E-deficient diet at each stocking density; however, vitamin E deficiency was manifested as elevated lipid peroxidation of hepatic microsomes. Increasing stocking density significantly reduced catfish growth and feed efficiency; however, circulating cortisol levels were not affected. In the second experiment, a purified basal diet and diets supplemented with either vitamin C or vitamin E or both of these nutrients were fed to fingerling channel catfish for 20 weeks. Catfish fed diets without supplemental vitamin C had significantly reduced growth and feed efficiency regardless of vitamin E supplementation. No gross deficiency signs were observed in catfish fed the vitamin E-deficient diet with supplemental vitamin C, and combined deficiencies of vitamin E and vitamin C did not induce overt signs of vitamin E deficiency. However, vitamin E deficiency was once again confirmed by elevated microsomal lipid peroxidation. Results from this study indicate that stocking density and vitamin C status did not affect the severity of vitamin E deficiency in channel catfish, and lend further support to the hypothesis that variable responses of catfish to vitamin E deficiency are due to varying degrees of susceptibility in different strains of catfish.
Properties of storage hierarchy systems with multiple page sizes and redundant data

The need for high performance, highly reliable storage for very large on-line databases, coupled with rapid advances in storage device technology, has made the study of generalized storage hierarchies an important area of research. This paper analyzes properties of a data storage hierarchy system specifically designed for handling very large on-line databases. To attain high performance and high reliability, the data storage hierarchy makes use of multiple page sizes in different storage levels and maintains multiple copies of the same information across the storage levels. Such a storage hierarchy system is currently being designed as part of the INFOPLEX database computer project. Previous studies of storage hierarchies have primarily focused on virtual memories for program storage and hierarchies with a single page size across all storage levels and/or a single copy of information in the hierarchy. In the INFOPLEX design, extensions to the least recently used (LRU) algorithm are used to manage the storage levels. The read-through technique is used to initially load a referenced page of the appropriate size into all storage levels above the one in which the page is found. Since each storage level is viewed as an extension of the immediate higher level, an overflow page from level i is always placed in level i + 1. Important properties of these algorithms are derived. It is shown that depending on the types of algorithms used and the relative sizes of the storage levels, it is not always possible to guarantee that the contents of a given storage level i is always a superset of the contents of its immediate higher storage level i - 1. The necessary and sufficient conditions for this property to hold are identified and proved. Furthermore, it is possible that increasing the size of intermediate storage levels may actually increase the number of references to lower storage levels, resulting in reduced performance. Conditions necessary to avoid such an anomaly are also identified and proved.
Synthesis of symmetrically and unsymmetrically 3,5-dimethylbenzyl-substituted 1,1′-ferrocene diamines

Abstract 1,1′-Ferrocene diamides have shown remarkable efficacy as supporting ligands for electrophilic metal centers. While different substituents have been used, most ferrocene diamines are employed as dianionic precursors, thus limiting the possible scope and reactivity of these metal complexes. The use of a 3,5-dimethylbenzyl (xylyl) substituent allowed the successful synthesis of tri- and tetra-substituted ferrocene 1,1′-diamines, providing monoanionic and neutral pro-ligands. In addition, an unsymmetrically disubstituted 1,1′-ferrocene diamine was obtained containing both the 3,5-dimethylbenzyl and t-butyldimethylsilyl substituents.