cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TLR Signaling and DNA Repair: Are They Associated?

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is a well-characterized, innate immune cellular defense mechanism used to detect and respond to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLR signaling is highly conserved and has evolved to have both extracellular and endosomal receptors that recognize PAMPs from a wide range of microbial pathogens. Recent literature has emerged to show that activation of TLRs not only leads to the upregulation of cellular defense mechanisms, but also results in upregulation of DNA repair genes and increased functional DNA repair. Endosomal TLR agonists result in increased survival and repair after both ionizing and UV radiation, suggesting that the repair pathways for single- and double-strand breaks are affected. This review brings together these and other experimental findings to examine how DNA repair pathways may be linked to TLR signaling. Also discussed are the varied outcomes and related physiological implications that increased DNA repair after injury might have.
Nuclear data sheets for A = 203

Abstract Nuclear structure data for A = 203 are complied, and adopted level schemes and decay properties are presented. Inconsistencies in the data, and areas where the need for further study is apparent, are noted. In general, where several measurements of a given quantity have been reported, only the more accurate values are listed. References for those values not listed are given under ‘Other measurements’. The adopted level properties and gamma-ray properties, which follow the compiled data for each nucleus, are based on data available through December 1970. Data from later references are added in proof but are not used in constructing the adopted level schemes.
Articulation and Stress/Juncture Production Under Oral Anesthetization and Masking

Eight subjects, half of them naive and the other half aware of the purpose of the experiment, spoke 30 pairs of sentences involving the production of intricate stress/juncture patterns along with a...
SWIFT FOX SURVIVAL AND PRODUCTION IN SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING

Abstract We estimated annual survival rates of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) and documented number of young per pair in a transition zone between shortgrass prairie and sagebrush steppe plant communities in southeastern Wyoming during 1996–2000. Annual adult survival ranged from 40% to 69%, with predation by coyotes (Canis latrans) the primary cause of deaths. Two foxes died of canine distemper virus. Annual survival rates did not differ among years (P > 0.12). Nineteen of 24 (79%) swift fox pairs were observed with young over 3 years. Mean minimum litter size was 4.6 based on these 19 litters and 6 others not associated with our radiocollared foxes. Adult survival was similar and litter size slightly larger than observed elsewhere in the species range, suggesting that viable swift fox populations can be supported by sagebrush steppe and shortgrass prairie transition habitat.
STOICHIOMETRIC CONSTRAINTS VS. ALGAL DEFENSES: TESTING MECHANISMS OF ZOOPLANKTON FOOD LIMITATION

The nature of resource limitation for zooplankton grazers is strongly debated. We provide a test of stoichiometric constraints and three alternative mechanisms of resource limitation in six lakes that represent a natural gradient in resource quality. Growth assays measured the responses of juvenile Daphnia to concentrated natural resources and to sup- plements of phosphate (P), essential fatty acids (EFA), and P-deficient and P-rich algae. Assimilation experiments quantified the digestibility of 32 P-labeled resources. Daphnia growth was much lower on resources from deep compared with shallow lakes (0.13 6 0.01 d 21 and 0.30 6 0.03 d 21 , respectively) but was independent of resource concentration. Growth was negatively correlated with the resource C:P ratio, but the relationship was not causal as responses to the P supplement were very weak. Adding EFA also produced weak responses. In contrast, supplements of readily digested algae stimulated moderate (P-de- ficient) and strong (P-rich) increases in growth that accounted for growth variation among the lakes. Changes in Daphnia P balance were also contrary to P limitation. In all, our growth assays implicate energy limitation unrelated to food concentration and, therefore, support the digestion resistance hypothesis. Digestion resistance is further supported by a positive correlation between assimilation efficiency and growth. Our results show that stoichiometric theory needs to be integrated with theory on plant and algal defenses against herbivores.
High-Accuracy Viscous Analysis of Unsteady Flexible Airfoil Response to Impinging Gust

The current work extends the previously developed high-accuracy inviscid analysis of unsteady, nonlinear, aeroelastic gust-airfoil interaction, to include viscous effects. In the implemented iterative procedure, a set of governing Navier-Stokes equations is solved simultaneously with equations of motion of the structure, so that the fluid and structure are treated as a coupled dynamic system. The numerical procedure employs a highorder low-pass filter operator which selectively damps the poorly resolved high-frequency content to retain numerical accuracy and stability over a wide range of flow regimes. An efficient analytical model is developed to introduce an unsteady incompressible 2D vortical flow perturbation inside the computational domain through a source term in the momentum equations. Strongly coupled unsteady aerodynamic, aeroelastic and aeroacoustic responses of rigid and flexible Joukowski airfoil subject to a viscous upstream flow with imposed harmonic, high-amplitude, vortical gust are examined in test studies.
Carbon Nanotube Transistor Arrays for Multistage Complementary Logic and Ring Oscillators

This work demonstrates multistage complementary NOR, OR, NAND, and AND logic gates and ring oscillators (frequency ∼220 Hz) with arrays of p- and n-type nanotube field effect transistors (FETs). The demonstration is made possible by progress in three aspects of nanotube synthesis and integration. First, patterned growth leads to large numbers of nanotube FETs in an array, as up to 70% of individual nanotubes are semiconductors. Second, metal electrodes are successfully embedded underneath nanotubes and used as local gates. Third, complementary logic gates are made possible by converting p-type FETs in an array into n-type FETs by a local electrical manipulation and doping approach.
Adaptive 2D cylindrical section phased array system for ultrasonic hyperthermia

A prototype 2D cylindrical section phased array, as part of an adaptive hyperthermia system, is used to examine the role of implantable acoustic sensors for phase aberration correction and motion compensation in ultrasound hyperthermia. After phase aberration correction and motion compensation, enhanced focal patterns are achieved even in the presence of significant aberration and motion. The limited number of acoustic sensors implanted inside a tumor in the clinic requires phase aberrations measured at one point to be extrapolated to other neighboring focal points. Significantly improved focal patterns can be obtained if phase aberrations and beam shifts are mainly caused by aberrators close to the array surface, and extrapolated focal points are close to measured points. >
Etiology of Tetracycline-Associated Pseudomembranous Colitis in Hamsters

Tetracyclines were implicated in the 1950s in induction of protracted diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Because the pathogenetic mechanism of these illnesses has been questioned recently, we studied tetracycline in hamster models of antibiotic-associated colitis. Orogastric administration of tetracycline caused diarrhea and death, with evidence of hemorrhagic typhlitis. Filtrates of cecal contents were toxic when inoculated into normal hamsters and cell culture monolayers, and toxicity was neutralized with Clostridium sordellii antitoxin. Tetracycline-resistant C. difficile was cultured from stools of these hamsters, but Staphylococcus aureus was not isolated. The value of tetracycline for treatment or prevention of clindamycin-induced colitis in hamsters was also studied, and it was found that daily orogastric administration of tetracycline was poorly protective against clindamycin-induced colitis.
Coherent-beam amplification and polarization switching in a birefringent medium-photorefractive crystal

A recent theory of polarization switching and beam amplification effect in Kerr-like media is extended to birefringent photorefractive crystals. In this class of material, the birefringence allows a new mechanism for coherent nonlinear mixing effects among the extraordinary and ordinary waves, leading to amplification and polarization switching effects. Analytic solutions of the parametric equations governing these interacting waves are solved for both the phase-matched and phase-mismatched geometries. The authors also present an experimental confirmation of the predicted polarization switching effect. >
Cytomegalovirus UL97 Kinase Mutations That Confer Maribavir Resistance

The cytomegalovirus (CMV) UL97 kinase inhibitor maribavir (MBV) is undergoing clinical antiviral trials. Two clinical CMV isolates serially passaged in cell culture under MBV showed >20-fold increases in MBV resistance after the development of the UL97 mutation V353A in one of the isolates and of T409M in the other. Marker transfer studies confirmed that the V353A and T409M mutations conferred ~15-fold and ~80-fold increases, respectively, in MBV resistance without significantly affecting ganciclovir susceptibility. The 3 UL97 mutations now known to confer MBV resistance are located upstream of UL97 mutations linked to ganciclovir resistance, closer to kinase domains that are associated with adenosine triphosphate binding and phosphotransfer.
(+)-Abscisic acid metabolism, 3-ketoacyl-coenzyme A synthase gene expression, and very-long-chain monounsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in brassica napus embryos

Microspore-derived embryos of Brassica napus cv Reston were used to examine the effects of exogenous (+)-abscisic acid (ABA) and related compounds on the accumulation of very-long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (VLCMFAs), VLCMFA elongase complex activity, and induction of the 3-ketoacyl-coenzyme A synthase (KCS) gene encoding the condensing enzyme of the VLCMFA elongation system. Of the concentrations tested, (+)-ABA at 10 mM showed the strongest effect. Maximum activity of the elongase complex, observed 6 h after 10 mM (+)-ABA treatment, was 60% higher than that of the untreated embryos at 24 h. The transcript of the KCS gene was induced by 10 mM (+)-ABA within 1 h and further increased up to 6 h. The VLCMFAs eicosenoic acid (20:1) and erucoic acid (22:1) increased by 1.5- to 2-fold in embryos treated with (+)-ABA for 72 h. Also, (+)-8'-methylene ABA, which is metabolized more slowly than ABA, had a stronger ABA-like effect on the KCS gene transcription, elongase complex activity (28% higher), and level of VLCMFAs (25-30% higher) than ABA. After 24 h approximately 60% of the added (+)-[3H]ABA (10 mM) was metabolized, yielding labeled phaseic and dihydrophaseic acid. This study demonstrates that (+)-ABA promotes VLCMFA biosynthesis via increased expression of the KCS gene and that reducing ABA catabolism would increase VLCMFAs in microspore-derived embryos.
The emerging use of aromatase inhibitors for endometriosis treatment

Endometriosis is defined as the growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity. The disease occurs primarily in women of reproductive age but recurrent endometriosis is also detected in post-menopausal women. Regardless of age, endometriosis is associated with pain and reduces the quality of life for millions of women world-wide. Conventional therapies focus on reducing systemic levels of estrogen which results in cessation of endometriotic implant growth and pain symptoms associated with the disease. However, these treatments are not effective in all women and are not without side effects. Based upon the discovery that endometriotic tissue over-expresses aromatase, an enzyme critical for estrogen production, emphasis has been placed upon the use of aromatase inhibitors for the treatment of endometriosis and its associated symptoms. This article will review the rationale behind the use of aromatase inhibitors in treating endometriosis and summarize those studies which have evaluated the use of aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of endometriosis and its associated symptoms.
The Effect of Metal/Fluoride Complexes on Fluoride Uptake and Caries-like Lesion Formation in Enamel

Pretreatment of enamel with TiCl3 and ZrOCL2·8H2O solutions prior to APF application was shown to increase fluoride uptake and reduce caries-like lesion formation to a greater extent than APF alone. The increase in fluoride uptake by enamel was not solely due to the low pH of the pretreatment solutions.
Brief of Amici Curiae Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, et. al. in Support of Petitioner in State of Vermont v. Michael Brillon, the Supreme Court of the United States, 08-88

This is the Brief of Amici Curiae Vermont Network of Domestic and Sexual Assault et. al., in support of petitioner filed in the United States Supreme Court case of State of Vermont v. Michael Brillon 08-88. At issue in the case is whether delays caused by the defendant and/or his counsel can serve as the factual predicate for a claim that the state violated a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial. This brief calls to the Court's attention the impact that its ruling could have on victims of domestic and sexual violence. In these cases, defendants and their counsel often delay cases and manipulate the court system to their strategic advantage. The concern is that if the Vermont Supreme Court decision is allowed to stand, abusers will have increased incentive to engage in these behaviors with the hope that the case will be dismissed either because the victim decides no longer to participate or because the case is dismissed for lack of a speedy trial. This will frustrate the ability to prosecute these cases, put victims and the public at risk, and undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system. The case is set for argument January 13, 2009.
Miracle Foods: Quinoa, Curative Metaphors, and the Depoliticization of Global Hunger Politics

Since the post–World War II “discovery” of global malnutrition and the concomitant rise of the development apparatus, various “miracle foods” have been proposed by international development organizations as solutions to chronic undernourishment in developing countries. This article draws on media analysis, development literature, and interviews to explore the “miracle food narrative” (MFN) in three cases: high-lysine corn, Golden Rice, and quinoa, which as the incumbent miracle food is the focus of the paper. The essay contends that miracle food narratives depoliticize hunger through a “curative metaphor.” This trope bolsters a paternal logic that blames malnutrition on the undernourished, and blurs problems of access and dispossession, locating “the solution” in Western philanthropy or economic development. The essay argues that quinoa’s interpellation as a global miracle food is directly related to the rise of “multicultural” and “sustainable” development paradigms, and corresponding changes in the roles of “culture/tradition” and “environment” in development discourse. While quinoa’s insertion in the MFN departs in some ways from the fable of the Western scientist designing the hunger antidote by representationally displacing authority in science with authority in “traditional ways,” this recasting of the actors leaves the broader narrative and underlying curative metaphor in place. As malnutrition alleviation programs integrate cultural difference, critical food scholars must pay close attention to the ways in which tradition and culture are invoked. To conclude, I draw attention to the fraught interaction of the politics of indigeneity and the politics of global malnutrition that arises with the shifting roles of science and tradition in quinoa’s adaptation of the miracle food narrative, as well as scale disjunctures between simple miracle food stories and complicated realities, a dynamic that underscores the need for agrifood and food policy scholars to pay close attention to complex interactions of scale.
Liver extract refractory megaloblastic anemia.

1 . The patient described in this report had macrocytic anemia, megaloblastic maturation arrest in the bone marrow, glossitis, hyper-reflexia and diminished vibration perception in the feet. None of these abnormalities was improved by liver extract or vitamin B12 but all responded rapidly to folic acid except the neurologic signs. 2. This patient appears to have had a megaloblastic anemia which has been described in European clinics under the names "achrestic anemia" and "refractory megaloblastic anemia." It appears to be similar to "Wills" factor deficiency anemia" and some cases of pernicious anemia of pregnancy. 3. This patient did not appear to have a primary deficiency of folic acid since the excretion of this substance in the urine was within normal limits. A deficiency of an unknown factor probably equivalent to "the Wills’ factor" is suggested. 4. It seems likely that folic acid induced a remission in this case by a "mass action" effect. The possible relationship of folic acid, vitamin B12, the unknown factor and liver extract to nucleo-protein synthesis is discussed. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We wish to thank Doctor Charles Foertmeyer for referring this patient to us for the clinical study used in this report.
Syphilis Among U.S.-Bound Refugees, 2009–2013

U.S. immigration regulations require clinical and serologic screening for syphilis for all U.S.-bound refugees 15 years of age and older. We reviewed syphilis screening results for all U.S.-bound refugees from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2013. We calculated age-adjusted prevalence by region and nationality and assessed factors associated with syphilis seropositivity using multivariable log binomial regression models. Among 233,446 refugees, we identified 874 syphilis cases (373 cases per 100,000 refugees). The highest overall age-adjusted prevalence rates of syphilis seropositivity were observed among refugees from Africa (1340 cases per 100,000), followed by East Asia and the Pacific (397 cases per 100,000). In most regions, male sex, increasing age, and living in non-refugee camp settings were associated with syphilis seropositivity. Future analysis of test results, stage of infection, and treatment delivery overseas is warranted in order to determine the extent of transmission risk and benefits of the screening program.
Biological and Clinical Effects of Interferon-βser at Two Doses

ABSTRACT To assess biological response, therapeutic activity, and side effects, a randomized, double-blind trial of two doses of interferon-βser (IFN-βser), differing by 20-fold (4.5 and 90 × 106 u...
On the Origins of Readers' Outcome Preferences

Narratives often provide readers with opportunities to encode their preferences for particular outcomes. Our project examines some origins of such outcome preferences. For example, past literature suggests that readers tend to prefer positive outcomes for “good” characters and negative outcomes for “bad” characters. To extend this result we had participants read narratives featuring morally questionable protagonists and outcomes: in Experiment 1 the prologue of a novel (Ghostman, Hobbs, 2013) and in Experiment 2 a short story (“Lamb to the Slaughter,” Dahl, 1991/1953). We demonstrated that readers' individual assessments of characters as relatively likeable or moral affected the extent to which they rooted for outcomes favorable to those characters. Based on prior research, we also expected that readers' individual assessments would be related to their trait empathic concern. However, that prediction was not supported by the data. We also suggested that readers often have normative preferences for particu...
An approach measurement of the stoichiometric relationship between hepatic microsomal drug metabolism and the oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.

Various methods for estimating the stoichiometric relationship between drug oxidation and NADPH oxidation in hepatic microsomes are discussed. Of these, two methods give values approaching 1:1 for a number of type I substrates. One method relates the metabolism to the substrate-dependent NADPH oxidation corrected for CO-sensitive, endogenous NADPH oxidation. The correction was obtained by measuring the rate of NADPH oxidation in an atmosphere of 9:1 CO-O2. The other method relates the CO-sensitive drug oxidation to CO-sensitive NADPH-oxidation.
To Grow is not Enough: The Impact of Cell Response Time on Fitness

Recent results showing the magnitude of fluctuations in individual cell division times to be highly concerted across widely varying cell types and environmental conditions have been difficult to explain with current molecular cell cycle models. Here we present a phenomenological model for the regulation of cellular division time distributions determining both bulk growth rate and ensemble fluctuations. A cellular “fitness” function is proposed which incorporates not only growth rate, which is maximized when fluctuations are minimized, but also ensemble response time to environmental stimulus which decreases for increasing fluctuations. Single cell division data is collected on a population of isogenic cells subjected to varying environmental stimuli and compared to the model. Our findings suggest that even cells exhibiting exponential growth do not optimize their “fitness” through growth rate alone, but also response time.
From Foraging to Food Production in South-east Ireland: Some Lithic Evidence

Current models for the transition from foraging to food production in Ireland describe a range of possibilities concerning the roles played by indigenous populations, the length of overlap between the adaptive systems and the potential influence of one group on the other. For example, Woodman views Mesolithic populations as passive and temporally discrete for the most part (1976; 1978c; 1987). Alternatively, Aalen (1978) sees the potential for Mesolithic groups exerting a significant influence on the Neolithic populations. In Case's model, Neolithic lifeways are introduced fully formed into Ireland, with little or no input from indigenous groups (1969; 1976). All three agree that colonists initiated the transition on the island. Expanding these models and outlining expectations based on them provides the baseline against which the data from Waterford will be measured.
Dynamic modeling of a piezoelectric fuel injector during rate shaping operation

Piezoelectric fuel injectors provide a means to lower emissions, noise, and fuel consumption in advanced internal combustion engines by enabling complex injection rate profiles—referred to as “rate shaping.” Consideration of flow rate nonlinearities, piezostack hysteresis, and hydromechanical dynamics is required to achieve precise control of rate shaping. The goal of the effort described here was to develop, and experimentally validate, a dynamic, physically based model of a piezoelectric fuel injector during rate-shaping operating conditions. The model prediction captures the rate shape and demonstrates injected fuel errors of less than 5.2%.
Evaluation of the relationship between solitary pulmonary nodules and vessels using multislice spiral CT

Objective:To investigate the relationship between solitary pulmonary nodules(SPN) and vessels and its diagnostic value.Methods:MSCT routine scans of 10 mm collimation and continuous volume targeted scans of 2.5 mm collimation with standard algorithm were performed and reconstructed imaging of MPR,CPR,and VR in workstation in 75 patients of SPN with ≤3 cm in diameter.The emphasis was paid on the manifestation of the shapes and patterns of SPN with related vessels compared with the results of pathology.Results:① The SPN-vessels relationship was shown very clearly by the designed protocol.CT demonstrated the relationship between SPN and vessels in 41 malignant and 15 benign nodules;② The SPN-vessel relationship was identified as five types with MSCT.Type Ⅰ: Vessels were obstructed abruptly by the SPN,the end of one or more vessels were drumstick thickening,and typeⅡ: Vessels were displaced,and the end was not drumstick thickening.Type Ⅲ: Vascular Notch sign was demonstrated.Type Ⅳ: Vessels penetrated into SPN.Type Ⅴ:Vessels ran at the periphery of SPN with intact lumen or compressed by SPN;③ The SPN-Vessel relationship existed as single type in the most patient,and displayed with multiple pattern.In the datum,the SPN-vessel relationship reflected as follow;typeⅠ,19;typeⅡ,12;type Ⅲ,15;type Ⅳ,5;Type Ⅴ,7.With respect to the nature in SPN,malignant nodule most commonly showed typeⅠ,secondly type Ⅲ;Benign nodule most often showed type Ⅴ, secondly type Ⅱ.Conclusion:Continuous volume targeted scan with MSCT and followed by MPR,CPR,and VR reconstruction can accurately demonstrate the patterns of SPN-vessel relationship.The relationship is valuable in the diagnosis of the nature in SPN.
Design of Embedded Laser Power Control System Based on MODBUS Protocol

Objective To design a laser power control system with stable output current and accurate laser radiation time to avoid the fluctuation of laser radiation dose. Methods HSPY-600-01 programmable power was selected as the power supply of laser module, and Modbus was the optimal choice of communication protocol. Based on WinCE 6.0 operating system, this system was able to control accurately the power, operating time, and the turn-on as well as shutoff of the laser module. Meanwhile, the monitoring function was implemented independently. Results This advanced laser power system based on embedded ARM system could minimize effectively the fluctuation of laser dosage by laser source. Conclusion Laser source in medicine must be able to output a stable and accurate laser dosage, and the control system provides steady control and precise monitoring of laser source.
Designing Smartphone Keyboard for Elderly Users

This study aims to explore the cognitive perception by elderly users when using smartphone keyboard, and to discover the suitable design that achieves higher satisfaction and perceived usability performance.
Two-parameter process limits for an infinite-server queue with arrival dependent service times

Abstract We study an infinite-server queue with a general arrival process and a large class of general time-varying service time distributions. Specifically, customers’ service times are conditionally independent given their arrival times, and each customer’s service time, conditional on her arrival time, has a general distribution function. We prove functional limit theorems for the two-parameter processes X e ( t , y ) and X r ( t , y ) that represent the numbers of customers in the system at time t that have received an amount of service less than or equal to y , and that have a residual amount of service strictly greater than y , respectively. When the arrival process and the initial content process both have continuous Gaussian limits, we show that the two-parameter limit processes are continuous Gaussian random fields. In the proofs, we introduce a new class of sequential empirical processes with conditionally independent variables of non-stationary distributions, and employ the moment bounds resulting from the method of chaining for the two-parameter stochastic processes.
The intersection of radiotherapy and immunotherapy: Mechanisms and clinical implications

By inducing DNA damage, radiotherapy both reduces tumor burden and enhances anti-tumor immunity. Here, we will review the mechanisms by which radiation induces anti-tumor immune responses that can be augmented using immunotherapies to facilitate tumor regression. Radiotherapy increases inflammation in tumors by activating the NF-κB and the Type I interferon response pathways to induce expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This inflammation coupled with antigen release from irradiated cells facilitates dendritic cell maturation and cross-presentation of tumor antigens to prime tumor-specific T cell responses. Radiation also sensitizes tumors to these T cell responses by enhancing T cell infiltration into tumors and the recognition of both malignant cancer cells and non-malignant stroma that present cognate antigen. Yet, these anti-tumor immune responses may be blunted by several mechanisms including regulatory T cells and checkpoint molecules that promote T cell tolerance and exhaustion. Consequently, the combination of immunotherapy using vaccines and/or checkpoint inhibitors with radiation is demonstrating early clinical potential. Overall, this review will provide a global view for how radiation and the immune system converge to target cancers and the early attempts to exploit this synergy in clinical practice.
Cardiovascular disease in Down syndrome.

This article focuses on the clinical evaluation of children with cardioascular diseases associated with Down syndrome. Recent advances in diagnosis and management are discussed and the medical or surgical approach to the patient with severe cardiovascular malformations is presented.
Till Eulenspiegel, Mechthild von Magdeburg, Rudolf von Ems und Herzog Ernst

In the assumption that literary texts can be employed already in the first German language classes, we are confronted with the question how to select the right texts and whether there might be historical criteria. This article argues that medieval German literature can also be included, if it is dealt with in a pedagogically and didactically skillful manner. The messages of the medieval texts often prove to be astoundingly meaningful, and this even for us today, not only because they develop alternative perspectives, but also because they address basically the same problems as today, even though from their own perspectives. Based on a selection of literary texts from the twelfth through the late thirteenth century this article illustrates what texts could be used well in German as a Foreign Language and in a literature class to meet specific learning outcomes.
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Masquerading as Jugular Foramen Paraganglioma: A Role for Novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objectives To describe a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) masquerading as a jugular foramen paraganglioma (JP). To compare imaging findings between skull base metastatic RCC and histologically proven paraganglioma. Methods A case of unexpected metastatic skull base RCC is reviewed. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were compared between 3 confirmed cases of JP and our case of metastatic RCC. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) sequences and computed apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were compared between these entities. Results A 55-year-old man presents with what appears clinically and radiographically to be JP. The tumor was resected, then discovered on postoperative pathology to be metastatic RCC. Imaging was retrospectively compared between 3 histologically confirmed cases of JP and our case of skull base RCC. The RCC metastasis was indistinguishable from JP on CT and traditional MRI but distinct by ADC values calculated from DW-MRI. Conclusions Metastatic RCC at the skull base may mimic the clinical presentation and radiographic appearance of JP. The MRI finding of flow voids is seen in both paraganglioma and metastatic RCC. Diffusion-weighted MRI is able to distinguish these entities, highlighting its potential utility in distinguishing skull base lesions.
Fine needle aspiration evaluation of pancreatic lymphoma: A retrospective study of 25 cases in a single institution.

Background Accurate diagnosis of pancreatic lymphoma is crucial for clinical management. We evaluate the role of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in the diagnosis of pancreatic lymphoma with the aid of flow cytometry and/or immunohistochemistry on the cell block. Methods Cases of pancreatic lymphoma were collected by searching our pathology laboratory information system over a period of 16 years. The clinical findings, cytologic features, and immunophenotypic results were reviewed. The diagnoses of FNA were correlated with surgical specimens in a subset of FNA cases. Results A total of 25 FNA cases of pancreatic lymphoma were included. The most common type of pancreatic lymphoma was large B cell lymphoma followed by follicular lymphoma. With the aid of flow cytometry and immunohistochemical work-up on cell block, 72% (18/25) of the cases were diagnosed as lymphoma and 16% of the cases (4/25) were diagnosed as suspicious for lymphoma by FNA. Only two cases (8%) including one false negative and one nondiagnostic aspirate missed the lymphoma diagnosis and 1 case (4%) was indeterminate by FNA evaluation. Conclusion FNA demonstrated high accuracy in rendering diagnosis of pancreatic lymphoma. The overall sensitivity is 88% and the false negative and nondiagnostic rates are 4%, respectively. Further subtyping of certain lymphomas can be difficult due to the lack of architectural features of FNA specimens.
A stochastic basis for neural inertia in emergence from general anaesthesia.

Abstract Background Transitions into and out of the anaesthetised state exhibit resistance to state transitions known as neural inertia. As a consequence, emergence from anaesthesia occurs at a consistently lower anaesthetic concentration than induction. Motivated by stochastic switching between discrete activity patterns observed at constant anaesthetic concentration, we investigated the consequences of such switching for neural inertia. Methods We simulated stochastic switching in MATLAB as Brownian motion on an energy landscape or equivalently as a discrete Markov process. Effects of anaesthetics were modelled as changing stability of the awake and the anaesthetised states. Simulation results were compared with re-analysed neural inertia data from mice and Drosophila . Results Diffusion on a two-well energy landscape gives rise to hysteresis. With additive noise, hysteresis collapses. This collapse occurs over a mixing time that is independent from pharmacokinetics. The two-well potential gives rise to the leftward shift for the emergence dose-response curve. Yet, from in vivo data, Δ E C 50 and Δ Hill slope are strongly negatively correlated ( R 2 =0.45, P −15 ). This correlation is not explained by a two-well potential. The extension of the diffusion model to a Markov process with 10 states (three awake, seven unconscious) reproduces both the left shift and the shallower Hill slope for emergence. Conclusions Stochastic state switching accounts for all known features of neural inertia. More than two states are required to explain the consistent increase observed in variability of recovery from general anaesthesia. This model predicts that hysteresis should collapse with a time scale independent of anaesthetic drug pharmacokinetics.
Cosmopolitanism and Educating the Citizen of the World

The emerging discipline of global bioethics is inspired by the ideals of cosmopolitanism: the unity of humanity, solidarity, equality, openness to differences, and focus on what human beings have in common. These ideals consider each human being as a citizen of his or her own community or state (polis) as well as at the same time as citizen of the world (cosmos). In the first, they are born; they share a common origin, language and customs with co-citizens. In the second, they participate because they belong to humanity; all human beings share the same dignity and equality. Being citizen of the world liberates the individual from captivity in categories such as culture, tradition, and community, but also gender and race. Humanism replaces communitarianism. Cosmopolitanism expresses the aspiration to live beyond specific, bounded horizons. It allows a broader solidarity without boundaries. The moral ideal is that human beings belong to a universal community (‘humanity’); human well-being is not defined by a particular location, community, culture or religion. Global citizens therefore have responsibilities towards other human beings, near or distant. Cosmopolitanism often uses the metaphor of expanding circles of moral concern taking into account more beings and entities as subjects of moral consideration. This chapter will explore the implications of these ideals for bioethics education. Is it possible to develop global ethics education, contributing to the formation of global citizens concerned with global health and justice, assuming global responsibility to criticize structures of violence and inequity? This question is especially important since it is increasingly recognized that globalization is associated with rising injustices and inequalities.
Notes Toward a Human Nature for the Third Millennium

Every society needs to come to an understanding of what makes humans tick. For millennia, religion was the primary frame societies had for finding the answers. Theology assigned an outside influence on all behaviors; evil was the work of the devil or the consequences of sin, good was the result of purity and piety. During The Enlightenment, this quest left the hands of religious institutions and gradually turned to scientific enquiry, leaving to the field of anthropology this particular quest. Early seekers turned first to biology, ideas of inheritance, and soon to the new genetics. These led to such ideas as “criminal types,” Kretschmer’s body types and, above all, race. These ideas faded within the field because they did not stand close scrutiny, and anthropologists turned to culture, the customs, and mores handed down by oral tradition. But how to explain culture? The cultural anthropologists tried to account for humanity’s quirks through Freud, Durkheim, and evolutionary ecology with interesting findings but had little success at seeing the whole. Anthropologists were sure that biology was not the answer and some thought it not even relevant. The generation that came out of the dissidence of the Viet Nam war simply walked away from the issue as if it was of no importance, declaring that no scientific paradigm would work. They settled for saying that it was the nature of man to have culture—an empty phrase.
Chloroplast Stromal Processing Peptidase

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the structural chemistry and the biological aspects of chloroplast Stromal Processing Peptidase (SPP). SPP is most likely involved in the maturation of proteins not only required for photosynthesis, but for the synthesis of fatty acids, aromatic and branched amino acids, starch production, terpenoids, phytohormones, tetrapyrroles , and for the reduction of nitrogen and sulfur. SPP is a key component of the import machinery and may be essential for overall chloroplast biogenesis and function. Proteins that enter the thylakoid lumen, such as plastocyanin, are synthesized with a bipartite transit peptide that is first processed to an intermediate form by SPP and then cleaved by a distinct signal peptidase-like endoprotease located in the thylakoid membrane. Transit peptides form a highly divergent group of targeting signals. They lack consensus sequences and vary substantially in length, ranging from 31 to 142 amino acids. Their secondary structure is predicted to be a random coil, which was experimentally demonstrated for the transit peptide of the ferredoxin precursor in aqueous solution. The availability of recombinant SPP facilitated the analysis of the mechanism of the processing reaction, which includes a regulated sequence of events as SPP functions during precursor import.
Treatment of a Woman With Glycyrrhiza glabra for Acute Sinusitis: A Case Report.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this case report is to describe the treatment of a patient with acute sinusitis using Glycyrrhiza glabra. Clinical Features A 26-year-old woman presented with acute sinusitis of 10-day duration. Her symptoms included facial pressure and soreness around the frontal and maxillary sinuses, a headache, pharyngitis, a fever, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion with postnasal drip, a productive cough, myalgias, and fatigue. Intervention and Outcome After administration of 12 to 15 drops of a 2 000-mg tincture of G glabra twice a day, improvements were noted. Resolution of her symptoms occurred after 3 days of treatment. Conclusion For the treatment of acute sinusitis, G glabra may be a natural therapeutic remedy.
The First Year Colloquium: Creating a Safe Space for Students to Flourish

College is one of the most formative times in an individual’s life. Its intense living-learning environment can promote students’ extreme self-confidence and positive development, or alternatively, can result in low levels of well-being. The first year in college is an opportunity for faculty and staff to engage with students to help them build learning skills, a sense of responsibility, and ownership of their college experiences. The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of a first year colloquium on student well-being. In the fall of 2015, 91 entering first year students at a private university in the U.S. participated in a mixed method study using written reflection responses and in a pre/post survey using Keyes (2009) Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF). Gains were seen in psychological well-being with an increase in flourishing as compared to early semester moderate flourishing. Students reported that having one course that provided a safe space for them in their first semester, and that addressed well-being in college, was critical for them to succeed and thrive in their first year.
The Attitudes Associated with Menstruation in College Women and Men [University of West Florida]

Almost every woman will experience menstruation during her life. These women will not only experience the biological symptoms of menstruation, but they will also experience the social stigma surrounding menstruation. Many studies have been conducted to understand the stigma found in today’s society. These studies discuss the awareness levels of women and men regarding this stigma. Additionally, studies show that women and adolescent girls internalize this stigma and feel required to modify their behaviors to adapt to societal rules surrounding menstruation. The purpose of our research is to replicate these studies and to further explore the prevalence of and reasons for the stigma and individual perceptions surrounding the discussion of women’s menstrual cycles in college women and men. Additionally, unlike previous studies, our study will ask both women and men about how comfortable they are with discussing menstruation with a variety of groups, including their family members, members of the same or opposite sex, friends, and coworkers; their attitudes towards menstruation; and how the quality of their relationships affect their attitudes. For this study we will be using a self-reported survey with semi-structured and open-ended questions, in which both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected. We will then use this data to discern the most common reasons for stigma and discomfort, experienced by both sexes, regarding the topic of menstruation. We expect to find women are relatively comfortable discussing the topic of menstruation with other females, but become uncomfortable when males are present. We predict the majority of men are uncomfortable discussing the topic of menstruation in all scenarios, though some may be less stigmatized due to previous exposure to the topic through relationships with other women in their lives, and the quality of those relationships. Data will be collected and analyzed from January through March 2019.
High seizure load during sensitive periods of development leads to broad shifts in ultrasonic vocalization behavior in neonatal male and female C57BL/6J mice.

Abstract There is increasing evidence that seizures during early development can impact ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) emitted from neonatal mice. However, most of the effects of early-life seizures have been reported using chemoconvulsants that produce continuous seizures (status epilepticus). In the present study, we evaluated the impact of different seizure frequency loads during early-life vocalization development in C57BL/6J male and female mice. For the high seizure load (HSL) paradigm, we administered 3 flurothyl seizures to mice on postnatal day (PD) 7 through PD11, and recorded USVs on PD12. We found that the induction of seizures across PD7–11 resulted in increased average duration ( P P
Learning from Power Sector Reform : The Case of Pakistan

Pakistan's power sector underwent a substantial, if protracted, reform process. Beginning with an independent power producer program in 1994, the full unbundling of the national vertically integrated power and water utility, the Water and Power Development Authority, and the establishment of a regulatory entity, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, followed in 1997, paving the way for the eventual privatization of one major distribution utility, Karachi Electric, in 2005. Plans to privatize the remaining distribution utilities were shelved following the controversy surrounding the Karachi Electric transaction. A single buyer model has been in operation since the sector restructuring, with the Central Power Purchasing Agency fully separated from transmission and dispatch (the National Transmission and Dispatch Company) in June 2015. Despite these major steps, Pakistan has continued to suffer from inadequate capacity and other constraints, leading to large and frequent blackouts. At the heart of the impasse is the so-called "circular debt" crisis, whereby distribution utilities struggling to collect revenues and meet regulatory targets for transmission and distribution losses default on their payments to generators, and the sector is periodically bailed out by the government once losses accumulate to intolerable levels, at high cost to the exchequer. This dynamic has undermined incentives for utilities to improve their efficiency, while discouraging generators from investing in new capacity to address supply shortages. In the meantime, little has been done to accelerate access to electricity to the significant share of unserved population in rural areas.
Susceptibility of monocytes to lymphokine-activated killer cell lysis: effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-3.

Cultured human monocytes have been shown to be susceptible to lysis by autologous lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. To determine factors that might modulate the sensitivity of monocytes to lysis, we cultured adherent peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin-3 (IL-3) since these cytokines have been reported to affect both functional and physical characteristics of monocytes. Both recombinant human GM-CSF and IL-3 were found to significantly enhance the susceptibility of monocytes to lysis by LAK cells in a dose- dependent manner, with GM-CSF being slightly more effective. In a kinetics study, the lysability of monocytes increased after two days of incubation with either cytokine, with maximal susceptibility occurring after four to six days of culture. The effects of GM-CSF and IL-3 appeared to be specific for monocytes since culture of either nonadherent cells or granulocytes, which are normally resistant to LAK- mediated lysis, did not induce sensitivity. While the effects of GM-CSF and IL-3 have been shown to be synergistic in some cases, they did not act synergistically to induce monocyte susceptibility to LAK lysis. In cold target experiments cytokine-treated monocytes reciprocally blocked lysis, suggesting that similar target structures were modulated with either factor. FACS analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) demonstrated comparable modulation of surface antigens with either GM-CSF or IL-3. Thus, these cytokines can serve to augment susceptibility of monocytes to LAK cells, emphasizing the complex interactions that occur in the immune system.