cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathways to seeing music: Enhanced structural connectivity in colored-music synesthesia

article i nfo Synesthesia, a condition in which a stimulus in one sensory modality consistently and automatically triggers concur- rent percepts in another modality, provides a window into the neural correlates of cross-modal associations. While research on grapheme-color synesthesia has provided evidence for both hyperconnectivity-hyperbinding and disinhibited feedback as potential underlying mechanisms, less research has explored the neuroanatomical basis of other forms of synesthesia. In the current study we investigated the white matter correlates of colored-music syn- esthesia. As these synesthetes report seeing colors upon hearing musical sounds, we hypothesized that they might show unique patterns of connectivity between visual and auditory association areas. We used diffusion tensor im- aging to trace the white matter tracts in temporal and occipital lobe regions in 10 synesthetes and 10 matched non-synesthete controls. Results showed that synesthetes possessed hemispheric patterns of fractional anisotropy, an index of white matter integrity, in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), a major white matter pathway that connects visual and auditory association areas to frontal regions. Specifically, white matter integrity within the right IFOF was significantly greater in synesthetes than controls. Furthermore, white matter integrity in synesthetes was correlated with scores on audiovisual tests of the Synesthesia Battery, especially in white matter un- derlying the right fusiform gyrus. Our findings provide the first evidence of a white matter substrate of colored-music synesthesia, and suggest that enhanced white matter connectivity is involved in enhanced cross-modal associations.
Reconstruction of the humerus with an intramedullary fibular graft : a clinical and biomechanical study

Nine patients with nonunited humeral shaft fractures were treated by open reduction and internal fixation with an intramedullary fibular bone graft and a compression plate. Fixation of the screws was enhanced by passing them through the fibula as well as the two humeral cortices (quadricortical fixation). Eight of the nine fractures united at an average of 3.5 months. Tests on cadaver bones showed that quadricortical fixation was as strong as methylmethacrylate augmentation and significantly better than bicortical fixation.
A feasibility study on using neural networks in performance analysis of coal-fired power plants

Coal-fired power plants are highly complex nonlinear systems. Several performance-monitoring techniques based on linearization and empirical estimations have been developed. However, there is a need for nonlinear modeling for the power plant performance analysis in order to meet the growing demands of economic and operational requirements. In the present research neural networks are used to model the thermodynamic process of a coal-fired power plant, based on actual plant data and simulated data obtained from mathematical models that provide information that is currently not directly available. A sensitivity analysis study is performed to determine the effect of various plant variables on an essential performance parameter, namely, coal flow rate. The safe operation of a coal-fired power plant also requires correct operation of plant instrumentation. Failed instruments provide inaccurate information on the state of a process, which can lead to undesirable or inefficient operation of the power plant. Artificial neural networks are used to develop the analytical redundancy to infer the state of important plant parameters. A sensitivity analysis study is performed to determine the critical parameters influencing the estimated plant parameters.
Researches in terrestrial magnetism and electricity at Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington,For Year April 1940 to March 1941

The activities of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in earlier years had to be directed chiefly toward obtaining field- and observatory-data, but during the period in question continued reduction and intensive study of results previously accumulated and development of attack by experiments in the laboratory, have constituted the major portion of the Department's work. Much time of personnel and an added personnel of some 70 men have been devoted to National-Defense activities. The technique of spherical harmonic analysis developed by Gauss about 100 years ago and later improved by Neumann, Schmidt, and Schuster has proved a most useful tool in the study of geomagnetism. Little attention has been given to the development of other methods of field-analysis although a number of new developments in potential-theory have appeared during the past Century in researches on hydrodynamics, heat, and sound where boundary-problems analogous to those of geomagnetism sometimes appear. Since the Gaussian method of spherical harmonics proves inadequate in certain field-problems, an investigation has been undertaken of possible alternative methods offering greater scope in general application. The fundamental limitation of the method is one of representation, a difficulty which can be overcome by the use of surface- integrals in field-analysis.
STUDY AND TREATMENT OF AN ACUTE EMOTIONAL DISORDER.

Psychiatric nosology, unlike somatic nosology, is essentially a classification of chronic disorders. Recent evidence suggests the existence of acute emotional disorders in which individual outcome depends on both the situational factors and personality structure. Reactions to premature birth are described as an example of an acute emotional disorder.
Laplacian and bond critical point properties of the electron density distributions of sulfide bonds; a comparison with oxide bonds

Topological and bond critical point properties of electron density distributions, r(r), were calculated for a series of sulfide molecules, containing first- and second-row main group M-cations. Laplacian maps of the distributions, „ 2 r(r), show that the valence shell charge concentration (VSCC) of the sulfide anion is highly polarized and extended into the internuclear region of the M-S bonds, coalescing with the VSCCs of the more electronegative first-row cations. On the other hand, maps for a corresponding set of oxide molecules show that the oxide anion tends to be less polarized and more locally concentrated in the vicinity of its valence shell, particularly when bonded to second-row M-cations. A search for extrema in the „ 2 r(r) distributions reveals maxima in the VSCCs that can be ascribed to bonded and nonbonded electron pairs. The different and distinctive properties of sulfides and oxides are examined in terms of the number and the positions of the electron pairs and the topographic features of the Laplacian maps. The evidence provided by the electron density distributions and its topological properties indicates that the bonded interactions in sulfides are more directional, for a given M-cation, than in oxides. The value of the electron density distribution at the bond critical point and the length of a given M-S bond are reliable measures of a bonded interaction, the greater the accumulation of the electron density and the shorter the bond, the greater its shared (covalent) interaction.
13.2: Support Design for Reducing the Sag of Horizontally Supported Sheets

At some stages in the manufacture of liquid crystal display panels, thin glass sheets are stacked horizontally in cassettes. The sheets sag to gravity; with the ever-increasing sheet size and decreasing sheet thickness, the amount of sag has been increasing. Excessive sag is undesirable, since it limits the number of sheets that can be tracked in a cassette of given height. In this note, I describe some support designs that lead to reduced sag.
Control of ball-racket interactions in rhythmic propulsion of elastic and non-elastic balls

Ball-racket interactions were investigated in a task where participants propelled a ball rhythmically into the air. The study contrasted two ball-racket conditions: (1) an elastic impact where the ball was able to rebound due to the elasticity of the colliding objects and participants bounced the ball, and (2) a non-elastic impact where the coefficient of restitution was zero and the ball did not rebound such that the participants had to throw the ball. The goal of the study was to contrast the situations where haptic information about the ball-racket interactions is either secondary (elastic bouncing) or becomes a primary factor for control (non-elastic propulsion). In the elastic condition, the performers controlled the parameters for ball-racket contact prior to contact: In agreement with the criteria for dynamical stability defined by a model, racket accelerations immediately before the contacts were negative, racket positions and velocities at the instant of the initial contact correlated negatively, contact durations were short (30±9 ms), and during the collision interval racket velocity and acceleration decreased monotonically. In the non-elastic condition, the parameters of ball release were primarily controlled during the collision phase: Racket accelerations before contact were positive, racket positions and velocities at initial contact showed weak correlations, and the contact intervals were significantly longer (116±15 ms) with a clear segmentation into two segments. Negative correlations were observed between the integrals of the velocity and acceleration computed over the two consecutive segments, giving evidence that in the non-elastic condition the CNS is able to introduce corrections during the very short collision interval. The results are discussed with respect to physiological mechanisms of movement corrections available during such short time intervals.
Development of a Web-Based Foreign Waterborne Cargo Data System in the United States

As nations forge strategic trade alliances, international marine trade is expected to increase, and the United States is expected to play a prominent role. This situation will require the private sector to play a critical role in identifying and entering new markets; correspondingly, public authorities must continue to provide adequate port services. Achieving this objective means having access to reliable foreign waterborne cargo data in a timely manner. In an effort to improve data access and use for analysis purposes, a web-based foreign waterborne cargo data system for the United States was developed to query the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' foreign waterborne cargo databases and report on U.S. port cargo movements (exports, imports, and in-transit) to foreign ports, countries, or regions. Query tools have been developed for cargo flows, cargo flow changes, ton-miles, container traffic, and additional reports. Potential system users include government agencies, international organizations, businesses...
Proterometra macrostoma (Trematoda: Azygiidae): Location of the Redia and Emergence Path from the Snail, Elimia semicarinata (Gastropoda: Pleuroceridae)

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to describe (1) the osmotic environment and precise location of the Proterometra macrostoma redia in its snail intermediate host, (2) where retraction of the distome body into the cercarial tail occurs, and (3) the subsequent emergence path of the cercaria out of the snail. Snails, Elimia semicarinata, were collected from North Elkhorn Creek in Scott County, Kentucky and screened daily for patent infections. Live rediae were extracted from infected snails in either artificial pond water (APW) or artificial snail water (ASW) and monitored for changes in morphology and movement every hour over 5 hr at 22 C. Infected and control snails were simultaneously fixed and decalcified in Cal-Ex II, prepared for routine paraffin sectioning, and serial sections subsequently analyzed for rediae and cercariae location. Significantly (χ2 = 42.45; 1 df; P = 0.0001) more rediae showed movement in ASW than in APW after 5 hr, suggesting a host compartment separate from the mantle ...
Dynamic model of time-dependent complex networks

The characterization of the "most connected" nodes in static or slowly evolving complex networks has helped in understanding and predicting the behavior of social, biological, and technological networked systems, including their robustness against failures, vulnerability to deliberate attacks, and diffusion properties. However, recent empirical research of large dynamic networks (characterized by irregular connections that evolve rapidly) has demonstrated that there is little continuity in degree centrality of nodes over time, even when their degree distributions follow a power law. This unexpected dynamic centrality suggests that the connections in these systems are not driven by preferential attachment or other known mechanisms. We present an approach to explain real-world dynamic networks and qualitatively reproduce these dynamic centrality phenomena. This approach is based on a dynamic preferential attachment mechanism, which exhibits a sharp transition from a base pure random walk scheme.
Bayanihan: Web-Based Volunteer Computing Using Java

This paper presents and discusses the idea of Web-based volunteer computing, which allows people to cooperate in solving a large parallel problem by using standard Web browsers to volunteer their computers' processing power. Because volunteering requires no prior human contact and very little technical knowledge, it becomes very easy to build very large volunteer computing networks. At its full potential, volunteer computing can make it possible to build world-wide massively parallel computing networks more powerful than any supercomputer. Even on a smaller, more practical scale, volunteer computing can be used within companies or institutions to provide supercomputer-like facilities by harnessing the computing power of existing workstations. Many interesting variations are possible, including networks of information appliances (NOIAs), paid volunteer systems, and barter trade of compute cycles. In this paper, we discuss these possibilities, and identify several issues that will need to be addressed in order to successfully implement them. We also present an overview of the current work being done in the Bayanihan volunteer computing project.
Impact of Bt Cottons Expressing One or Two Insecticidal Proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner on Growth and Survival of Noctuid (Lepidoptera) Larvae

A series of laboratory assays were performed to compare the relative impact of commercial and experimental cultivars of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), expressing zero, one, or two insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, on several lepidopteran pests. Assays in which larvae were fed fresh plant tissue indicated that dual-toxin B. thuringiensis (Bt) cultivars, expressing both Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab endotoxins of B. thuringiensis, were more toxic to bollworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), fall armyworms, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and beet armyworms, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), than single-toxin cultivars expressing Cry1Ac. Assays in which lyophilized plant tissue was incorporated into artificial diet also indicated improved activity of the dual-toxin Bt cultivar compared with single-toxin plants. Both bollworm and tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), growth was reduced by Bt cotton, particularly the dual-toxin cultivar. Although assays with lyophilized tissues were done using largely sublethal doses, bollworm survival was reduced by the dual-toxin cultivar. It appears that this newly developed Bt cotton expressing two toxins will be more effective and have a wider range of activity on these lepidopteran pests.
Analysis of Mycobacterial Protein Secretion.

(Abstract) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis. Analysis of proteins secreted by Mtb has been of interest to the field of tuberculosis research since certain secreted proteins interact with the host to promote virulence, while others may be important antigens or serve as biomarkers of infection. Here, we describe a protocol to prepare whole cell extracts (WCE) and short term culture filtrate (CF) from Mtb or the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis- bacillus Calmatte- Guerin (BCG) (Mehra et al., 2013). These are both slow growing mycobacteria, but the same basic procedure can easily be adapted to analyze secreted proteins from rapidly growing mycobacteria, such as Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msmeg), a non- pathogenic species commonly used in the laboratory. The fractions obtained can be analyzed by western blotting to examine proteins of interest or by mass spectrometry if antibodies are not available or to examine the entire secretome. Genetic knockout mutants for the gene of interest serve as a negative control. Additionally, levels of a cytosolic protein such as the chaperone GroEL or the pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 component sucB (Rv2215/dlaT) should be assessed in the CF fraction to rule out the possibility that a positive signal in CF is due to bacterial lysis (see Figure 1). By varying the growth conditions of the strain, this in vitro secretion assay can be used to examine conditions that alter the secretome. We are thankful to Magnus Stiegedal for helpful tips on TCA (trichloroacetic acid) precipitation.
Use of an Online Patient Portal and Glucose Control in Primary Care Patients with Diabetes.

The objective was to assess the effect of online use of a patient portal on improvement of glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients with type 2 diabetes presenting to primary care clinics. This retrospective cohort design used data from a primary care patient data registry that captured all ambulatory visits to the academic medical center's primary care clinics. A total of 1510 patients with diabetes were included because they had at least 1 visit with a documented HbA1c value between January 1, 2010, and June 30, 2013. Degree of patient portal use was defined as no use, read only, and read and write. Linear regression models were computed to measure the association between degree of patient portal use and HbA1c control before and after adjusting for demographics, comorbidity, and volume of health care use. Patients who were nonusers of the patient portal's e-mail function had consistently higher average HbA1c values than patients who read and wrote e-mails. After adjusting for demographics, health services utilization, and comorbid conditions, patients who read and wrote e-mails still had significantly (P<0.001) lower average HbA1c values compared to nonusers (s=-0.455; 95% confidence interval [CI]:-.632-.277). In adjusted analysis, patients who only read e-mail also had significantly (P<0.05) lower mean HbA1c values compared to nonusers (s=-0.311, 95%CI:-.61--0.012). Patients with more active e-mail communication via a patient portal appeared to have the greatest likelihood of HbA1c control. Patients should be encouraged to use this resource as a means of communication with providers and not merely a passive source of information. (Population Health Management 2016;19:125-131).
The Poisoned Child: Evolving Concepts in Care

More than 1 million children in the United States ingest poisons each year. The vast majority of these exposures result in no harm to the child. The task of the emergency physician is to discern which children are at risk and treat those children with appropriately aggressive therapy while minimizing intervention for the rest. In pediatric exposure cases, the toxin is usually identified. A careful toxic differential diagnosis will lead to a list of likely poisons in symptomatic patients without an identified exposure. The cornerstone of treatment remains the evaluation of the ingestion episode, careful assessment of the patient, and the application of basic supportive medical care. In the ED, when it has been determined that gastrointestinal decontamination is indicated on the basis of the substance and quantity ingested, activated charcoal is the decontamination agent of choice if the substance ingested is absorbed by activated charcoal. Gastric emptying should be restricted to those circumstances when the substance ingested is not bound to activated charcoal or the rare event when a child presents to the ED within 1 hour of ingestion with significant CNS depression. Whole bowel irrigation is a recently described technique to enhance the passage of drugs already beyond the pylorus. The indications for its use are poorly defined. Laboratory tests are generally overordered after pediatric ingestions. Appropriate use of the laboratory includes an assessment of basic serum chemistry studies in symptomatic patients, confirmation of suspected toxins, and the determination of the need for specific antidotal therapy. General "drug screens" are expensive and rarely contribute to patient care. Use of specific therapies, including antidotes and enhanced elimination techniques, should be limited to those cases when expectation that a defined benefit outweighs the risk of the procedure is reasonable. The indications for the use of these interventions in children may be different from those for adults.
Effects of Virtual Human Appearance Fidelity on Emotion Contagion in Affective Inter-Personal Simulations

Realistic versus stylized depictions of virtual humans in simulated inter-personal situations and their ability to elicit emotional responses in users has been an open question for artists and researchers alike. We empirically evaluated the effects of near visually realistic vs. non-realistic stylized appearance of virtual humans on the emotional response of participants in a medical virtual reality system that was designed to educate users in recognizing the signs and symptoms of patient deterioration. In a between-subjects experiment protocol, participants interacted with one of three different appearances of a virtual patient, namely visually realistic, cartoon-shaded and charcoal-sketch like conditions in a mixed reality simulation. Emotional impact were measured via a combination of quantitative objective measures were gathered using skin Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensors, and quantitative subjective measures such as the Differential Emotion Survey (DES IV), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Social Presence questionnaire. The emotional states of the participants were analyzed across four distinct time steps during which the medical condition of the virtual patient deteriorated (an emotionally stressful interaction), and were contrasted to a baseline affective state. Objective EDA results showed that in all three conditions, male participants exhibited greater levels of arousal as compared to female participants. We found that negative affect levels were significantly lower in the visually realistic condition, as compared to the stylized appearance conditions. Furthermore, in emotional dimensions of interest-excitement, surprise, anger, fear and guilt participants in all conditions responded similarly. However, in social emotional constructs of shyness, presence, perceived personality, and enjoyment-joy, we found that participants responded differently in the visually realistic condition as compared to the cartoon and sketch conditions. Our study suggests that virtual human appearance can affect not only critical emotional reactions in affective inter-oersonal trainina scenarios. but also users' oerceotions of oersonalitv and social characteristic of the virtual interlocutors.
In vivo administration of stem cell factor to mice increases the absolute number of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells

We have examined the effects of administration of stem cell-factor (SCF) on the number and distribution of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells (PHSC) in normal mice. Using the competitive repopulation assay we found that in vivo administration of SCF increases the absolute number of PHSC per mouse threefold. The increased numbers of PHSC are found in the peripheral blood and spleen of the SCF-treated animals. The spleen and peripheral blood stem cells completely repopulated the erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid lineages of irradiated or W/Wv hosts, similar to bone marrow PHSC. PHSC from the peripheral blood of SCF-treated mice have a lineage marker-negative, c-kit-positive phenotype that is indistinguishable from that of bone marrow PHSC. The increase in the absolute number of spleen PHSC is associated with efficient gene transfer to these cells without prior treatment with 5-fluorouracil. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.
Effects of forced exercise during gestation on farrowing and weaning performance of swine.

Forty-three gilts and 24 sows were tethered throughout gestation, and one-half were forced to walk on a treadmill 15 min daily 5 days a week. Exercised and nonexercised dams farrowed 10.0 and 10.2 pigs (P greater than .05) and weaned 8.1 and 7.9 (P greater than .05), respectively. Birth weight of pigs born alive from exercised and nonexercised dams averaged 1.6 and 1.5 kg (P greater than .05); weaning weights were 8.5 and 8.2 kg (P greater than .05), respectively. Sows farrowed 12% more pigs (P less than .05) than gilts and weaned 17% more pigs (P less than .05) that were 12% heavier at birth (P less than .01) than those of gilts. Forced exercise did not improve (P greater than .05) reproductive performance as measured by numbers of pigs farrowed and weaned or by birth and weaning weights. Mean length of gestation was not significantly affected by age of dam or exercise treatment. The interval between birth of first and birth of last pig per litter averaged 154 and 151 min (P greater than .05) for exercised gilts and sows, respectively, and 170 and 161 min (P greater than .05) for those not exercised.
Ultrasonic, bipolar, and integrated energy devices: comparing heat spread in collateral tissues

Abstract Background Integrated devices incorporating ultrasonic and bipolar technology have been used in laparoscopic surgery, however, are not yet incorporated into open operations. Here, we compare thermal spread and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) functional data of the integrated THUNDERBEAT Open Fine Jaw device, the bipolar Ligasure Small Jaw, and the ultrasonic Harmonic Focus for open thyroidectomy. Materials and methods The three energy devices were compared in a live porcine model using three tissue types including liver, muscle, and thyroid. The devices were fired three times on each energy setting, and the thermal spread was measured by thermocouples that were inserted in surrounding tissues at 1-mm intervals. To determine RLN injury, devices were fired at successive 1-mm increments from the RLN until the monitor signal was lost. Results When comparing heat generated across these devices at 1 mm, the peak temperature (Celsius) reached in liver tissue was observed with the ultrasonic device (115.4 ± 86.7), in muscle tissue with the integrated device (104.2 ± 82.1), and in thyroid with the bipolar device (81.4 ± 41.3). Temperatures generated at individual settings on each device were similar (P = 0.11-0.81). RLN injury occurred after firing on manually approximated tissue 1-mm away from the RLN for all devices; however, there was no signal loss at ≥2 mm. Conclusions Heat transfer was similar among all devices with the exception of the ultrasonic device when used in the liver, which showed higher temperatures. Liver tissue showed the most consistent results. RLN injury did not occur if the devices were fired on manually approximated tissue ≥2 mm from the nerve.
Using R for Statistics: A Beginner’s Manual

One word of advice in working with R is that it may not be intuitive, which includes the installing of the program. RStudio is freeware that would make programming easy. Download the base program from http://www.r-project.org/. This is a prerequisite for running RStudio, which can be downloaded from here: http://www.rstudio.com/products/RStudio/. From here, you can install the program using the computer’s installer.
Fusiform Left Carotid-Ophthalmic Artery Aneurysm Presenting with Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a devastating ocular emergency characterized by acute painless visual loss in the ipsilateral eye. We describe the case of acute non-arteritic CRAO associated fusiform internal carotid-ophthalmic artery aneurysm with intraluminal thrombus. Despite the rarity of this condition, we suggest that carotid-ophthalmic artery aneurysm should be included in the differential diagnosis of CRAO.
MOLECULAR CLONING OF MOLONEY MOUSE SARCOMA VIRUS SPECIFIC SEQUENCES FROM UNINFECTED MOUSE CELLS

ABSTRACT When uninfected mouse cell DNA is cleaved with restriction endonuclease EcoR1, a DNA fragment of the size of 14.0 kb can be identified by hybridization to cloned DNA containing sarcoma specific sequences of Moloney mouse sarcoma virus (M-MSV src ). The cellular DNA fragment contains the entire M-MSV src specific sequences. The 14.0 kb EcoRl DNA fragment was cloned in bacteriophage λ. The sequence organization of a recombinant clone, λ·M TX -1, was analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping, S1 mapping and electronmicroscopy. The results indicate that λ·M TX -1 contains an uninterrupted stretch of 1.0 kb similar to that found in the M-MSV genome.
Spectral yield estimation of NTS explosions

Abstract The yields of 299 NTS explosions have been estimated from Pn, Pg and Lg spectra (between 0.1 and 10 Hz) at four regional seismic stations. A spectral template matching technique is used where the spectra from an explosion of unknown yield are compared with the spectra of explosions of known yield. A matching function is defined that is a scaled inverse of the difference between the spectra from the known and unknown explosions. The yields from the seven closest matching explosions are then averaged to estimate the yield of the unknown event. The spectral matching technique appears to perform as well as standard regression techniques utilizing m b ( Pn ) and m b ( Lg ) measurements except that no geologic information (such as gas-filled porosity) is required. However, the spectral matching technique is only applicable to very well-calibrated test sites. The key to spectral matching is that the spectral shape is sensitive to the near-source geology. In addition to affecting the absolute spectral levels (i.e., coupling), the dynamic response of the near source material to the radiated shock wave is a major factor controlling the shape of the radiated spectra. The spectral shape can therefore be used as an indicator for predicting the coupling of an explosion, which can be subsequently used to predict its yield.
The relevance of Husserl’s phenomenological exploration of interiority to contemporary epistemology

Phenomenology represents a detailed and systematic attempt to understand the structures of first person lived experience. This article examines the relevance of Husserl’s writings and their introduction of the “phenomenological reduction” as the distinguishing characteristic of his transcendental form of phenomenology. A close examination of Husserl’s writings is given to highlight the centrality of the reduction for the justification of basic beliefs. It is subsequently shown how Husserl’s analyses of intentional acts have ongoing implications for the knowledge internalism versus knowledge externalism debate. This debate revolves around how knowledge is justified and how belief claims are warranted. Although the debate, in its modern form, can be traced back to the mid-twentieth century, Husserl’s methods were not introduced in dealing with internalist and externalist accounts of knowledge attainment until recently. Modern externalists, who for the most part are not phenomenologists, have subsequently largely condemned Husserl’s methods as promoting a strict Cartesian internalist justification of belief claims. These criticisms were met by attempts to characterize transcendental phenomenology as actually promoting something closer to externalism in epistemology. The following article attempts to show how Husserl’s phenomenology actively engages with problems related to the interiority of knowledge claims but in a radically different way from non-phenomenological approaches promoting internalism. Nonetheless, it is argued that transcendental phenomenology cannot be regarded as anything approaching a mainstream or even reworked “externalist” account of securing knowledge. Highlighting what Husserl calls “the paradox of subjectivity,” it is shown how his transcendental phenomenology develops a sui generis form of internalism. Since few modern internalists make use of Husserl’s texts, and post-Husserlian phenomenology has taken something like an externalist turn (as witnessed, for example, in recent interpretations of the writings of Heidegger and Sartre), it is argued that Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology should be taken more seriously by contemporary philosophers interested in knowledge internalism. These conclusions, subsequently, are relevant to promoting a better understanding of the justification of knowledge claims, both within and outside of the phenomenological program. Husserl’s writings are important to contemporary issues such as the theoretical understanding of the relationship between epistemology and philosophy of science (broadly conceived), as well as the relation of phenomenology to contemporary philosophy of mind.
Abstract P149: Bilateral Renal Denervation Attenuates Hypertension in Male Rats Deficient of Functional Endothelin B Receptors but Does Not Affect Salt-Sensitivity

Independent studies of renal sympathetic nerves and the endothelin (ET) system have demonstrated important contributions of each in the progression of hypertension. Very few studies, however, have investigated the interaction between the ET system and renal nerves in relation to blood pressure control and electrolyte homeostasis. Although endothelin B (ETB) receptors in the renal medulla promote natriuresis, ETB receptors on sympathetic neurons are thought to increase neuronal activity. We hypothesized that renal denervation reduces blood pressure in a salt-sensitive, hypertensive model of ET dysfunction, the ETB-deficient (ETB-def) rat, which lacks functional ETB receptors in all tissues except neurons. After bilateral renal sympathetic denervation (Dnx) or sham operation of ETB-def and transgenic control (TG) rats, baseline blood pressure was recorded via telemetry for 5 days on a normal salt (0.49% NaCl) diet followed by a high salt (4.0%) diet. At baseline, ETB-def Dnx rats had a lower 24-hr systolic blood pressure (SBP) (152.6 ± 3.6 mmHg) relative to ETB-def sham (167.8 ± 2.6 mmHg; p
ENTERIC METHANE CONVERSION FACTOR FOR DAIRY AND BEEF CATTLE: EFFECTS OF FEED DIGESTIBILITY AND INTAKE LEVEL

Abstract. The objectives of this study were to identify the sources of variations in reported methane (CH4) conversion factor (Ym) for dairy and beef cattle through a meta-analytical approach, and to specifically investigate the effects of feed digestibility and intake level on Ym, as well as the alternative expression of methane conversion factor on a digestible energy basis (Dm). Results from 89 peer-reviewed journal articles published from 1992 to 2015 were compiled, and data across studies were analyzed statistically using the MIXED procedures of SAS. For housed cattle, Ym increased significantly with forage-to-concentrate ratio of feed and was also affected by breed. For grazing cattle, Ym varied by geographic region. The observed effect of forage-to-concentrate ratio of feed for housed cattle and the effect of geographic region for grazing cattle on enteric CH4 emissions could both be related to the effect of feed digestibility. Dm was affected significantly by both energy intake level and energy digestibility of feed as well as their interaction. Higher energy digestibility of feed and higher energy intake level of cattle resulted in a lower percentage of digestible energy intake being converted to CH4. Results of this study improved estimation of CH4 conversion factor according to animal husbandry practices. Compared with the Ym approach, the use of CH4 conversion factor on a digestible energy basis can better represent the large variation among diets and the effects of different dietary emission mitigation strategies.
A profile of arguing behaviors on Facebook

Abstract This study explored how people argue on social-networking sites. Specifically, participants (N = 170) responded to open and closed-ended questions about the most recent argument they had engaged in on Facebook. Results of a content analysis of participants' answers revealed individuals tended to argue mostly about public issues, in somewhat complex arguments that involved a median of six people and with about 30 comments exchanged. Individuals often pursued multiple goals, with persuasion and defending themselves or others also reported by some. Arguments tended to end without resolution, and most had no effects on arguers' relationships; however, for 20% of the sample, arguments permanently damaged their relationships. Although the number of friends participants had did not have a substantial effect on their frequency of arguing, the frequency with which one's friends argued on Facebook was positively related to one's own arguing frequency. These results are interpreted in connection to argumentation and computer-mediated-communication literature. Limitations of the study as well as directions for future research are also discussed.
Gonadotropin-Dependent Neuregulin-1 Signaling Regulates Female Rat Ovarian Granulosa Cell Survival

Mammalian ovarian follicular development and maturation of an oocyte competent to be fertilized and develop into an embryo depends on tightly regulated, spatiotemporally orchestrated crosstalk among cell death, survival, and differentiation signals through extra- and intraovarian signals, as well as on a permissive ovarian follicular microenvironment. Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) is a member of the epidermal growth factor-like factor family that mediates its effects by binding to a member of the erythroblastoma (ErbB) family. Our experimental results suggest gonadotropins promote differential expression of NRG1 and erbB receptors in granulosa cells (GCs), and NRG1 in theca cells during follicular development, and promote NRG1 secretions in the follicular fluid (FF) of rat ovaries. During the estrous cycle of rat, NRG1 and erbB receptors are differentially expressed in GCs and correlate positively with serum gonadotropins and steroid hormones. Moreover, in vitro experimental studies suggest that the protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine (STS) causes the physical destruction of GCs by the activation of caspase-3. Exogenous NRG1 treatment of GCs delayed onset of STS-induced apoptosis and inhibited cleaved caspase-3 expressions. Moreover, exogenous NRG1 treatment of GCs alters STS-induced death by maintaining the expression of ErbB2, ErbB3, pAkt, Bcl2, and BclxL proteins. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that NRG1 is gonadotropin dependent, differentially regulated in GCs and theca cells, and secreted in ovarian FF as an intracellular survival factor that may govern follicular maturation.
Yellow Fever Vaccine Shortages in the United States and Abroad: A Critical Issue

Although a safe and effective vaccine is available for yellow fever, it is in very short supply. The author discusses the global implications of this shortage and outlines scientific and programmat...
IL‐7 receptor heterogeneity as a mechanism for repertoire change during postdepletional homeostatic proliferation and its relation to costimulation blockade–resistant rejection

Kidney transplant patients treated with belatacept without depletional induction experience higher rates of acute rejection compared to patients treated with conventional immunosuppression. Costimulation blockade-resistant rejection (CoBRR) is associated with terminally differentiated T cells. Alemtuzumab induction and belatacept/sirolimus immunotherapy effectively prevent CoBRR. We hypothesized that cells in late phases of differentiation would be selectively less capable than more naive phenotypes of repopulating postdepletion, providing a potential mechanism by which lymphocyte depletion and repopulation could reduce the risk of CoBRR. Lymphocytes from 20 recipients undergoing alemtuzumab-induced depletion and belatacept/sirolimus immunosuppression were studied longitudinally for markers of maturation (CCR7, CD45RA, CD57, PD1), recent thymic emigration (CD31), and the IL-7 receptor-α (IL-7Rα). Serum was analyzed for IL-7. Alemtuzumab induction produced profound lymphopenia followed by repopulation, during which naive IL-7Rα+ CD57- PD1- cells progressively became the predominant subset. This did not occur in a comparator group of 10 patients treated with conventional immunosuppression. Serum from depleted patients showed markedly elevated IL-7 levels posttransplantation. Sorted CD57- PD1- cells demonstrated robust proliferation in response to IL-7, whereas more differentiated cells proliferated poorly. These data suggest that differences in IL-7-dependent proliferation is one exploitable mechanism that distinguishes CoB-sensitive and CoB-resistant T cell populations to reduce the risk of CoBRR. (ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT00565773.).
AAL-toxin induced physiological changes in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill: roles for ethylene and pyrimidine intermediates in necrosis

Treatment of F 9 near-isogenic asc/asc tomato leaflets with Alternaria alternata f.sp. lycopersici (AAL)-toxin (0·015 μ m ) increased steady state levels of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) after 6 h, followed by ethylene evolution after 12 h, followed by the detection of necrosis after 36 h. No changes in these parameters were detected in comparably treated leaflets of the Asc/Asc isoline or water controls. Co-treatment of asc/asc leaflets with AAL-toxin and ethylene inhibitors, aminoethoxyvinylglycine or silver thiosulphate, markedly reduced necrosis and ethylene evolution. Application of exogenous ACC (1 m m ) in the presence of AAL-toxin resulted in a two-fold increase in ethylene evolution and interveinal necrosis. However, no necrosis resulted when 1 m m ACC enhanced ethylene levels to 108 nl g −1 h −1 in control tissues without AAL-toxin, even though the ethylene level was similar to that induced by AAL-toxin. Dihydroorotic acid, an intermediate in pyrimidine biosynthesis, at 0·3 μ m abolished both the AAL-toxin increase in ACC and necrosis. Addition of N-(phosphonacetyl)- l -aspartate, a specific inhibitor of pyrimidine biosynthesis, elicited interveinal necrosis resembling AAL-toxin treatment. These results indicate an integral but not causal role for ethylene in AAL-toxin-induced necrosis and suggest a metabolic interaction involving a negative regulation of the orotic acid on the ethylene biosynthetic pathways.
The Rockefeller Foundation and Central Europe: a Reconsideration

This paper argues that the health-related work of the RockefellerFoundation in Central Europe following the First World War flowed not somuch from geopolitical concerns as from the Foundation's ambition tocreate a global network in scientific medicine. It examines theassumptions and values that underpinned this project, and indicates someof the questions that these pose for today's world.
Deployment Among Active-Duty Military Women and Pregnancy-Related Hypertensive Disorders

INTRODUCTION Today women comprise 15% of the U.S. active-duty military, but are often overlooked in research of the Armed Forces. While some of the challenges faced by women are similar to men, they encounter unique stressors, including pregnancy-related issues. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) affect 5-10% of pregnancies annually and have been linked to maternal stress, but no studies have assessed the impact of maternal military deployment on HDP incidence. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to quantify the risk of HDP among active-duty U.S. military mothers who deployed in the post-9/11/2001 era. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a U.S. Department of Defense database comprised of all active-duty women who gave birth to their first, live-born singleton infant using Tricare from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008. The database included records for maternal/infant birth hospitalizations and deployment. HDP was defined with ICD-9-CM codes in the maternal birth hospitalization record. We evaluated the risk of HDP associated with several deployment measures for the cohort overall and among racial/ethnic groups: (1) deployment in general (yes vs. no); (2) timing of deployment ending prior to birth (<12 months or ≥12 months prior vs. non-deployed); and, (3) cumulative time spent deployed since 9/11/2001. We used multivariable logistic regression and reported odds-ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We also explored meaningful categorization of certain continuous deployment measures associated with HDP incidence. The study was approved by the University of South Florida Institutional Review Board. RESULTS There were a total of 36,667 births and 13.4% of mothers experienced at least one HDP. No increased risk of HDP was observed for deployed mothers compared with non-deployed mothers in the complete cohort (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.95-1.09), but cumulative deployment length ≥1 year was identified as a potential risk factor for HDP vs. <1 year deployment (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.00-1.36). CONCLUSION Our study was the first to quantify the incidence of HDP among active-duty military women giving birth to their first child. It was slightly higher than in the general population, but deployment overall is seemingly not responsible for the elevated incidence.
Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes clavicular infection

Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes13, 16 is a slow growing, gram-positive bacteria that is naturally found in higher concentrations as skin flora on the chest and back, as well as in other areas with greater numbers of hair follicles.25, 37 Most of the reported cases of C. acnes shoulder girdle infection follow arthroplasty surgery,18, 20, 26, 27, 32, 35 which then often requires debridement, administration of intravenous antibiotics, and surgical revision of the implanted device.12, 15, 21, 28-30 In a recent study, 56% of 193 shoulder revisions had a positive culture, 70% of which grew C. acnes.30 Despite the relatively common presumed association of C. acnes humeral osteomyelitis with prosthetic infection, infection of the scapula or clavicle secondary to C. acnes is rare.4, 23, 36 Osteomyelitis of the clavicle involving any organism is also an uncommon event that can arise spontaneously via presumed hematogenous spread, or secondary to open fractures or internal fixation.6, 33 The most commonly found organism in clavicular osteomyelitis is Staphylococcus aureus.9 We here report two cases of clavicular infection secondary to C. acnes that were not associated with implants.
Abstract 420: RIP3 Interacts With Mitofilin in the Inner Membrane of Mitochondria to Induce Cardiomyocytes Necrosis After Ischemia/reperfusion

Introduction: Receptor-Interacting Protein Kinase 3 (RIP3/RIPK3), a kinase promoting necroptotic cell death, has been shown to mediate adverse remodeling after myocardial infarction. We recently sh...