cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Requirements for Bone Marrow–Derived Antigen-Presenting Cells in Priming Cytotoxic T Cell Responses to Intracellular Pathogens

Bone marrow (BM)-derived antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are potent stimulators of T cell immune responses. We investigated the requirements for antigen presentation by these cells in priming cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to intracellular bacterial and viral pathogens. [Parent→F1] radiation BM chimeras were constructed using C57BL/6 donors and (C57BL/6 × BALB/c)F1 recipients. Infection of chimeric mice with either Listeria monocytogenes or vaccinia virus expressing the nucleoprotein (NP) antigen from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) primed H2-Db–restricted, but not H2-Kd–restricted CTL responses, demonstrating the requirement for BM-derived APCs for successful priming of CTL responses to these pathogens. Surprisingly, this did not hold true for chimeric mice infected with LCMV itself. LCMV-infected animals developed strong CTL responses specific for both H2-Db– and H2-Ld–restricted NP epitopes. These findings indicate that in vivo priming of CTL responses to LCMV is remarkably insensitive to deficiencies in antigen presentation by professional BM-derived APCs.
An inquiry into the seasonal nature of cerebrovascular disease.

An overview of the stroke literature indicates that cerebrovascular accidents (C VA) occur more often during the winter months relative to any other time of the year. Part I of this review presents a retrospection of previous research attempting to link CVA occurrence with the seasons. Part II discusses circadian and circannual rhythms in relation to health and general physiology, and in particular the relation of serotoninergic systems to these rhythms. Part III presents a discussion of how seasonal CVAs may be interpreted in terms of the current knowledge concerning circannual and circadian rhythms. These underlying rhythms may help to better understand research dealing with stroke and stroke pathologies, as well as aid in the design of more realistic protocols.
Increased Susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection Under Hindlimb Unloading Conditions

It has been reported that spaceflight conditions alter the immune system and resistance to infection [Belay T, Aviles H, Vance M, Fountain K, and Sonnenfeld G. J Allergy Clin Immunol 170: 262-268, 2002; Hankins WR and Ziegelschmid JF. In: Biomedical Results of Apollo. Washington, DC: NASA, 1975, p. 43-81. (NASA Spec. Rep. SP-368)]. Ground-based models, including the hindlimb-unloading model, have become important tools for increasing understanding of how spaceflight conditions can influence physiology. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of hindlimb unloading on the susceptibility of mice to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Hindlimb-unloaded and control mice were subcutaneously infected with 1 LD50 of P. aeruginosa. Survival, bacterial organ load, and antibody and corticosterone levels were compared among the groups. Hindlimb unloading had detrimental effects for infected mice. Animals in the hindlimb-unloaded group, compared with controls, 1). showed significantly increased mortality and reduced time to death, 2). had increased levels of corticosterone, and 3). were much less able to clear bacteria from the organs. These results suggest that hindlimb unloading may induce the production of corticosterone, which may play a critical role in the modulation of the immune system leading to increased susceptibility to P. aeruginosa infection.
Is Melanoma a stem cell tumor? Identification of neurogenic proteins in trans-differentiated cells.

Background: Although several genes and proteins have been implicated in the development of melanomas, the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of these tumors are not well understood. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between the cell growth, tumorigenesis and differentiation, we have studied a highly malignant cat melanoma cell line that trans-differentiates into neuronal cells after exposure to a feline endogenous retrovirus RD114. Methods: To define the repertoire of proteins responsible for the phenotypic differences between melanoma and its counterpart trans-differentiated neuronal cells we have applied proteomics technology and compared protein profiles of the two cell types and identified differentially expressed proteins by 2D-gel electrophoresis, image analyses and mass spectrometry. Results: The melanoma and trans-differentiated neuronal cells could be distinguished by the presence of distinct sets of proteins in each. Although approximately 60–70% of the expressed proteins were shared between the two cell types, twelve proteins were induced de novo after infection of melanoma cells with RD114 virus in vitro. Expression of these proteins in transdifferentiated cells was significantly associated with concomitant down regulation of growth promoting proteins and up-regulation of neurogenic proteins (p = 95% proteins expressed in trans-differentiated cells could be associated with the development, differentiation and regulation of nervous system cells. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the cat melanoma cells have the ability to differentiate into distinct neuronal cell types and they express proteins that are essential for self-renewal. Since melanocytes arise from the neural crest of the embryo, we conclude that this melanoma arose from embryonic precursor stem cells. This model system provides a unique opportunity to identify domains of interactions between the expressed proteins that halt the tumorigenic potential of melanoma cells and drive them toward neurogenerative pathways involved in early neurogenesis. A better understanding of these proteins in a well-coordinated signaling network would also help in developing novel approaches for suppression of highly malignant tumors that arise from stemlike embryonic cells.
Development and Spread of Bacterial Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents: An Overview

Resistance to antimicrobial agents is emerging in a wide variety of nosocomial and community-acquired pathogens. The emergence and spread of multiply resistant organisms represent the convergence of a variety of factors that include mutations in common resistance genes that extend their spectrum of activity, the exchange of genetic information among microorganisms, the evolution of selective pressures in hospitals and communities that facilitate the development and spread of resistant organisms, the proliferation and spread of multiply resistant clones of bacteria, and the inability of some laboratory testing methods to detect emerging resistance phenotypes. Twenty years ago, bacteria that were resistant to antimicrobial agents were easy to detect in the laboratory because the concentration of drug required to inhibit their growth was usually quite high and distinctly different from that of susceptible strains. Newer mechanisms of resistance, however, often result in much more subtle shifts in bacterial population distributions. Perhaps the most difficult phenotypes to detect, as shown in several proficiency testing surveys, are decreased susceptibility to (3-lactams in pneumococci and decreased susceptibility to vancomycin in staphylococci. In summary, emerging resistance has required adaptations and modifications of laboratory diagnostic techniques, empiric anti-infective therapy for such diseases as bacterial meningitis, and infection control measures in health care facilities of all kinds. Judicious use is imperative if we are to preserve our arsenal of antimicrobial agents into the next decade.
Threshold of fragmentation for ultrasonic contrast agents

Ultrasound contrast agents are small microbubbles that can be readily destroyed with sufficient acoustic pressure, typically, at a frequency in the low megaHertz range. Microvascular flow rate may be estimated by destroying the contrast agent in a vascular bed, and estimating the rate of flow of contrast agents back into the vascular bed. Characterization of contrast agent destruction provides important information for the design of this technique. In this paper, high-speed optical observation of an ultrasound contrast agent during acoustic insonation is performed. The resting diameter is shown to be a significant parameter in the prediction of microbubble destruction, with smaller diameters typically correlated with destruction. Pressure, center frequency, and transmission phase are each shown to have a significant effect on the fragmentation threshold. A linear prediction for the fragmentation threshold as a function of pressure, when normalized by the resting diameter, has a rate of change of 300 kPa/microm for the range of pressures from 310 to 1200 kPa, and a two-cycle excitation pulse with a center frequency of 2.25 MHz. A linear prediction for the fragmentation threshold as a function of frequency, when normalized by the resting diameter, has a rate of change of -1.2 MHz/microm for a transmission pressure of 800 kPa, and a two-cycle excitation pulse with a range of frequencies from 1 to 5 MHz.
Rapid sol–gel synthesis of nanodiamond aerogel

The rapid sol–gel synthesis of macroscopic quantities of nanodiamond aerogel (NDAG) is reported at standard temperature and pressure using acid-catalyzed covalent crosslinking of air-oxidized detonation nanodiamond (DND) nanocrystals. Acetonitrile acts as a polar, aprotic solvent both to form a colloidal dispersion of DND particles and to conduct acid-catalyzed polycondensation reactions between resorcinol and formaldehyde (RF) small molecule precursors. Several characterization techniques show that nanodiamond grains are connected via covalent bonding with RF molecules to form a porous, three-dimensional network. Solvent exchange into liquid carbon dioxide and subsequent supercritical drying of NDAGs are used to recover low-density (151 mg/cm3), three-dimensional monolithic aerogels that exhibit surface areas in excess of 589 m2/g. The large accessible pore volume from the rapidly synthesized, macroscopic NDAG materials suggests a range of potential applications in catalysis, sensing, energy storage, as well as inert excipients for small-molecule pharmaceuticals.
High-Q differential inductors for RFIC design

The demand for high-Q on-chip monolithic inductors is driven by the motivation to enhance high-frequency circuits for wireless applications. Differential inductors can be implemented in order to improve the quality factor (Q) of differential circuits, while demanding less on-chip area. In this paper, we introduce two differential inductors of 6-nH, fabricated in a low-cost post-process. The process uses a low-k dielectric layer (SU-8/spl trade/) prepared on a highly resistive silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The inductors have modest metal thicknesses of 1.5 /spl mu/m and 3.6 /spl mu/m and achieve differential Q values of 14.7 at 5.9 GHz and 22.7 at 4.0 GHz, respectively, for an inductance value of 6.0 nH.
Analysis of Multilevel Graph Partitioning

Recently, a number of researchers have investigated a class of algorithms that are based on multilevel graph partitioning that have moderate computational complexity, and provide excellent graph partitions. However, there exists little theoretical analysis that could explain the ability of multilevel algorithms to produce good partitions. In this paper we present such an analysis. Weshow under certain reasonable assumptions that even if no refinement is used in the uncoarsening phase, a good bisection of the coarser graph is worse than a good bisection of the finer graph by at most a small factor. We also show that for planar graphs, the size of a good vertex-separator of the coarse graph projected to the finer graph (without performing refinement in the uncoarsening phase) is higher than the size of a good vertex-separator of the finer graph by at most a small factor.
Performance of stationary and portable passive transponder detection systems for monitoring of fish movements

A stationary system for long-range detection of PIT tags in fish was efficient under high water conditions in streams. A portable system was particularly effective for detecting habitat use by fish without recapture.
The Effect of Propensity Scores on DIF Analysis: Inference on the Potential Cause of DIF.

Differential item functioning (DIF) analysis is important in terms of test fairness. While DIF analyses have mainly been conducted with manifest grouping variables, such as gender or race/ethnicity, it has been recently claimed that not only the grouping variables but also contextual variables pertaining to examinees should be considered in DIF analyses. This study adopted propensity scores to incorporate the contextual variables into the gender DIF analysis. In this study, propensity scores were used to control for the contextual variables that potentially affect the gender DIF. Subsequent DIF analyses with the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) procedure and the Logistic Regression (LR) model were run with the propensity score applied reference (males) and focal groups (females) through propensity score matching. The propensity score embedded MH model and LR model detected fewer number of gender DIF than the conventional MH and LR models. The propensity score embedded models, as a confirmatory approach in DIF analysi...
sMFCC: exploiting sparseness in speech for fast acoustic feature extraction on mobile devices -- a feasibility study

Due to limited processing capability, contemporary smartphones cannot extract frequency domain acoustic features in real-time on the device when the sampling rate is high. We propose a solution to this problem which exploits the sparseness in speech to extract frequency domain acoustic features inside a smartphone in real-time, without requiring any support from a remote server even when the sampling rate is as high as 44.1 KHz. We perform an empirical study to quantify the sparseness in speech recorded on a smartphone and use it to obtain a highly accurate and sparse approximation of a widely used feature of speech called the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) efficiently. We name the new feature the sparse MFCC or sMFCC, in short. We experimentally determine the trade-offs between the approximation error and the expected speedup of sMFCC. We implement a simple spoken word recognition application using both MFCC and sMFCC features, show that sMFCC is expected to be up to 5.84 times faster and its accuracy is within 1.1% -- 3.9% of that of MFCC, and determine the conditions under which sMFCC runs in real-time.
The Politics of District Instructional Policy Formation: Compromising Equity and Rigor.

This qualitative case study extends the literature on urban district instructional policymaking by analyzing the ways in which normative and political pressures shaped district leaders’ instruction...
Land Confiscations and Land Reform in Natural-Order States

Social scientists argue that post-World War II land reforms in East Asia were critical ingredients in the region’s strong economic growth, but pay little attention to how large-scale land confiscations might affect the security of property rights in each country. A review of the history of large-scale land confiscations in early modern Europe, the United States, and Hawai’i provides a foundation for understanding the nature of modern land reform policies. The key insight is to recognize that East Asian states after World War II were natural state social orders in which new governments confiscated and redistributed property to bolster their coalition’s position and weaken opponents. In East Asia, land confiscations after World War II followed the pattern observed elsewhere, with victors taking and redistributing land from the losers of the war and subsequent civil wars primarily to bolster their newly installed political coalition and to maintain social order.
FUSION OF VERTEBRAE FOLLOWING RESECTION OF THE INTERVERTEBRAL DISC

Commmplete osseous union took place in dogs between the bodies of the vertebrae, following removal of the intervertebral disc. In young animals the union was more rapid and more likely to be completely osseous. Complete bony union between the bodies produced sufficient fixation to prevent movement between the articular facets and between the spinous processes. When union was incomplete, there was considerable fixation of bodies, but movement took place between the articular facets.
Influence of Host Crop on Parasitoids (Hymenoptera) of Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Predominant parasitoids reared from the four major Liriomyza spp. Infesting 12 different host crops in North America and Hawaii are reviewed. No single parasitoid species was found to be the predominant biological control agent in most crops. Diglyphus begini (Ashmead), Halticoptera circulus (Walker), and Chrysonotomyia punctiventris (Crawford) were either the first or second most reared species in 60.9, 26.1, and 21.7% of o the studies, respectively. Because of uneven distribution of parasitoids among crops, it is suggested that effective biological control may depend on matching the “most effective” parasitoid species complex with a given Liriomyza host and crop. Introduction and augmentation strategies for leafminer parasitoids are suggested.
A Proposal for Astronomical Adaptive Optics by Incoherent Digital Holography

A new type of adaptive optics system is proposed for astronomical imaging. It replaces the wavefront sensing and modulation hardware of conventional adaptive optics with numerical processing capabilities of digital holography of incoherent sources.
Methodological comparison of dietary calcium intake estimations in residents of Hangzhou municipality

Objective To study dietary calcium intake in residents of Hangzhou municipality and to compare the results derived from China Food Composition( CFC) and food sample measurement of total diet consumption. Methods Both food weighting and food recording were conducted among 1 744 community residents( 7- 95 years old) selected with stratified cluster random sampling to collect information on total food consumption during 3 continuous days. Individual calcium intake was then calculated using both measurement results and data from CFC and compared with dietary reference intakes( DRIs) to analyze the correlation between the results derived from the two methods. Results The median of daily dietary calcium intake ranged from 385. 9- 610. 1 mg / d( CFC derived) and 303. 9- 544. 2 mg / d( measurements derived) among the residents of different groups. All results derived from the measurements were lower than those of derived from CFC except for the urban male residents aged 14- 17 years( P 0. 001),with the Spearman correlation coefficients of 0. 712- 0. 911( P 0. 05). The proportions of the residents with adequate calcium intake( recommended nutrient intake,RNI) were 6. 9% and 6. 1%( CFC derived) for urban residents and 1. 8% and 0. 3%( CFC derived) for sub-urban residents,respectively. Conclusion Dietary calcium intake is prevailingly insufficient among the residents of Hangzhou municipality. The calcium intake estimation derived from measurements is lower than that of CFC,although there is a close correlation between the estimations derived from the two methods.
Regulatory Nonclinical Statistics

The nonclinical statistics teams in the Center of Drug Review and Research of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conduct regulatory reviews, statistical consultation, and statistical methodology development in nonclinical regulations. In this chapter, we provide a brief description of the two teams and provide two examples in statistical research development. In the first example, we describe the historical background and evolution of statistical methodology development in the last 20 years for the acceptance sampling and lot evaluation procedures on dose content uniformity involved with FDA Chemistry Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) Statistics Team. In the second example, we illustrate the research activities of Pharmacological/Toxicological (Pharm-Tox) Statistics Team at FDA with the background and evaluation of multiple pairwise comparisons in animal carcinogenetic studies.
The prevention of saltwater algal pond contamination using the electron transport chain disruptor, rotenone

Abstract Rotenone is a classic inhibitor of Complex I of the electron transport chain which is common to all life. Algae are known to be rotenone-insensitive because in addition to Complex I they have alternative pathways for the oxidation of NADH 2 . It is this differential sensitivity to rotenone that can be exploited to reduce many types of predators while not affecting biodiesel-producing algae. A universal tool like rotenone is needed to reduce predation in open ponds as predation is well known to limit cultivation to a few weeks in the warmer months. In this study, we tested the effect of rotenone on the mortality and reproduction of two marine algae strains, Nannochloropsis oculata and Tetraselmis suecica , and two marine rotifer strains, Brachionus manjavacas and Brachionus rotundiformis . The LC 50 s for the two rotifers ranged from 0.18 to 0.35 μM while N . oculata was unaffected to at least 7.6 μM. Rotifer reproduction was reduced at rotenone concentrations lower than those that caused mortality. Rotenone applications to produce 1 million gallons of biodiesel in one year are estimated to cost $1684. This provides algae farmers an important and inexpensive tool to manage grazing predators in algae mass cultures and avoid pond crashes.
Local Synthesis of Axonal Protein

Given that the axon is an extended cellular process remote from the neuron’s metabolic center, the supply of newly synthesized proteins to the axon is a question of fundamental importance. It is well established that one mode by which this is accomplished is by synthesis of axonal proteins in the cell body, whereupon products reach the axon by intracellular transport. There are, nonetheless, two additional modes that need to be considered. One involves local synthesis in cells of ensheathment (e.g., glial cells) and the supply of products to the axon by intercellular transfer. This appears to be a means for locally supplementing some axonal proteins in unmyelinated invertebrate axons (see Section 4). Another mode is that of local synthesis in the axon. The prevailing view, however, is that the axon is capable of little or no endogenous protein synthesis other than that perhaps associated with mitochondria.
A Reply to Five Friends

For an academic, there is no greater reward than having one's scholarship taken seriously. The five distinguished scholars who have contributed to this symposium on The Force of Law (Schauer [Schauer, F., 2015]) have done just that, with varying degrees of agreement and disagreement, praise and criticism. But even critical commentary, and perhaps especially critical commentary, is evidence of serious engagement. More importantly, the commentaries contained here have advanced our understanding of law in valuable ways. I respond to each in this reply, but with full acknowledgment that my responses cannot do justice to the full breadth of their contributions and challenges. My hope is not that I will persuade readers that I am correct and my critics mistaken, but rather that the reader who absorbs both the challenges and my response will come away with a greater understanding of the issues that The Force of Law seeks to place on the agenda of contemporary jurisprudence.
Exit and the American Illness

This essay, prepared for a book on the effect of regulatory, liability, and litigation inefficiencies on the global competitive position of the U.S., focuses on the role of the US federal system. We show that, although multiple US states offer significant potential for jurisdictional choice to address misguided or inappropriate law, this system is only a partial solution to these problems and can itself be a source of bad law and excessive litigiousness. Federal law and enforcement of contractual choice-of-law, choice-of-court, and arbitration clauses provide some, but only partial, relief. As a result, choice of law and jurisdiction rules potentially expose firms that do business nationally or internationally to oppressive law in any of the US states. Without reform of the rules regarding jurisdictional choice the US is losing an opportunity to exploit the edge in international competition it might get from its federal system.
Food neglect and maltreatment re-report☆☆☆☆☆☆

Abstract This study examines the time to re-report following the close of a maltreatment investigation for cases involving food neglect. Data on families of children 0 to 17 involved in Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations from a merger of the 2010 cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II) and the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) were used ( n = 3580). More than half of the families had a history of CPS involvement, a third received CPS services, and one-in-ten families had their child place in out-of-home care following an investigation. After controlling for other types of maltreatment allegations and multiple covariates, families investigated for food neglect had a greater chance of being re-reported for a subsequent CPS investigations in a shorter length of time than families without an allegation of food neglect. While only a small percentage of families had a food neglect allegation, problems adequately feeding a child - whether due to severe poverty, inattentiveness, or abusive negligence - placed a family at a higher risk of a future CPS investigation.
Revealing and Overcoming the Dogmatism of Sterile Certainty in Mathematics Education.

This article employs an interdisciplinary approach to explore some psychological dimensions of mathematical creativity and the dogmatism that can emerge when mathematical applications are confined within a single worldview. More specifically, it explores some ways in which mathematics has been confined and distorted in service of dogmatic conceptions of important phenomena, and for various purposes, some unwittingly damaging and others wittingly nefarious. Some of the topics dealt with include the dogmatic use of distorted mathematical modeling in economics, the sterile certainty that arises from excessive entrapment within the mechanistic worldview in various disciplines, and the dogmatism of artificial precision in educational reform initiatives. Methods for breaking free of dogmatism and for injecting ethics into mathematical applications also are explored.
Pharmacy student perspectives regarding curricular renewal with experiential alignment

Abstract Background and purpose To evaluate pharmacy students’ ability to perform and perspectives regarding a purposeful mapping of curricular content into experiential settings for application. Educational activity and setting Students were given a list of activities developed by their curricular course directors that were to be completed during their introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs). Students were tasked with completing each assignment at their community or health system pharmacy site, and verify completion with their preceptor. Students were surveyed regarding their completion of these activities, who the tasks were performed on, and the value students perceived from the exercises. Findings Students ranked that the curricular mapping to experiential courses were successful. Average student responses reflected that the activities had value and positively impacted their learning. Many students struggled to find specific patient examples to complete the activities the way the course designed them. Changes to the structure of these activities was necessary for student success. Discussion and summary Students felt that the curricular mapping of assignments into IPPEs was meaningful and improved their learning. Not all students were able to complete assignments as described.
Immunotoxicity of asbestos

Abstract The study of asbestos immunotoxicity is generally applied toward understanding the mechanisms that lead to its infamous outcomes, mesothelioma and asbestosis, rather than as an outcome itself. However, emerging evidence suggests that asbestos exposure has critical inflammatory and autoimmune effects. Although crystalline silica is broadly accepted as an exposure trigger for systemic autoimmune diseases (SAID), the literature supporting asbestos as another SAID trigger is limited. Challenges for establishing causality between asbestos exposure and autoimmunity include small, often occupationally-exposed cohorts, a tendency to focus on carcinogenicity or lung pathology, and poor characterization of fiber type in a given exposure scenario. However, a growing set of studies strongly supports inclusion of amphibole asbestos (AA) as an environmental trigger for autoimmunity. Both human and animal studies have revealed that AA, but not the common commercial asbestos (chrysotile), drives autoantibody production, alters cytokine profiles, and is associated with autoimmune disease. The potential public health impact of these findings are highlighted in the growing awareness of “naturally occurring asbestos” in geographic locations where it was not previously predicted to occur, leading to environmental exposures in wide areas of the world as a component of dust. As climate change brings warmer and dryer conditions to the more arid parts of the world, wind-blown mineral dusts containing asbestos may become more common. It is essential that epidemiologists, clinicians and regulatory agencies become aware of this emerging risk to health by an environmental immunotoxicant.
Inflammatory Pseudotumor of Skull Base with Intracranial Extension Mimicking Temporal Arteritis (P1.165)

Objective: Report and create awareness regarding occurrence of inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) in clinical practice masquerading as a common neurologic disorder. Background: IPT is a non-neoplastic, unencapsulated aggregate of myofibroblastic spindle cells, plasma cells, and other inflammatory cells. Lung and orbit are common locations for IPT. Extraorbital head and neck IPT is rare and often poses diagnostic challenges. Clinical presentation varies depending on anatomic location and the lesion often radiographically mimics cancer or infection. Design/Methods: Case report of an elderly man presenting with clinical features suggestive of temporal arteritis (TA) and subsequently developing multiple lower cranial nerve deficits. Results: 83-year-old previously health man other than hand-foot-and-mouth disease several months earlier presented to neurology clinic for new-onset right jaw claudication, burning dysesthesia over right temporal area, intermittent occipital pain, weight loss, and mild visual blurring. ESR and CRP were elevated at 77 and 4.16 respectively. He was diagnosed with TA and initially responded to oral prednisone (60 mg/day). A few weeks later, however, his jaw pain recurred and did not respond to increased dose of steroids. He then developed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and impaired taste sensation. Lumbar puncture revealed WBC 18 with lymphocytic predominance at 92%, glucose 57, elevated protein at 95. MRI brain with contrast showed skull-based soft tissue mass with heterogeneous enhancement and pachymeningeal enhancement of prepontine cistern, jugular foramen, internal auditory canal, carotid canal. Biopsy confirmed diagnosis of IPT and patient began rituximab therapy. Conclusions: Skull-based IPT can be diagnostically challenging due to its occult location and clinicoradiologic differential pathology. Accurate diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Disclosure: Dr. Hathidara has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chaudhary has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gordon has nothing to disclose.
Remaking the set: innovation and obsolescence in television’s digital future:

In this article, I examine how television’s shifting presence in an unfamiliar venue – the repair shop – is illustrative of a broader tension between rhetorics of innovation and obsolescence. Inves...
Amino acid digestibility in six sources of meat and bone meal, blood meal, and soybean meal fed to growing pigs

Standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AAs) by growing pigs was determined in blood meal and six sources of meat and bone meal (MBM). Eighteen ileal-cannulated barrows (initial body...
Adaptive Profile Versus Adaptive Specialization: Fossils and Gummivory in Early Primate Evolution

Gummivory, a rare dietary habit among modern primates, has figured prominently in interpretations of the earliest primates (plesiadapiforms) largely on the basis of a morphological analogy with sugar gliders, and it has also been proposed as a key adaptation pertaining to early strepsirrhines (Adapis, Leptadapis) and the origins of the toothcomb, partly by analogy with marmosets. In reexamining these hypotheses, it is important to consider the following: distinguish gum-gouging from gum-gleaning; assess adaptive compromise and preadaptation; examine system-wide linkages between gum harvesting and collateral behaviors relating to diet; reevaluate the morphological correspondence between purported analogs; empirically evaluate tooth wear, perhaps the most direct morphological signal of gouging behavior. A distinction is drawn between facultative gummivory as part of a species’ Adaptive Profile and obligate gummivory as an Adaptive Specialization, and the testability of both notions. Using marmosets as the most stringent morphological and behavioral model of an obligate modern primate gummivore – exhibiting a distinctive functional suite of features and evidence of heavy upper and lower anterior tooth wear – none of the test cases present cogent examples of gum-gouging adaptation. The sugar glider Petaurus breviceps also differs from marmosets in tooth morphology and wear; they appear to be gum-gleaners. The derived “gracilization” of upper incisors in all strepsirrhines living and extinct, possibly indicative of an obligatorily folivorous ancestry, may have been ­preadaptive to a shift from harvesting to socio-sexual biological roles in anterior tooth use, presaging the toothcomb’s evolution as a grooming adaptation. The procumbent, often styliform, large lower incisors of many plesiadapiforms may have served as precision probes and pincers for these primitive face-feeding primates that likely lacked the advanced hand–eye coordination of euprimates. Working with the uppers in beak-like fashion, they would probably have been well suited to harvesting and ingesting small seeds, a prelude to the full-blown coevolutionary relationship established between euprimates and angiosperms as the latter evolved a diverse array of larger and more fleshy fruits. Then non-tarsiiform primates, with more discriminating eyes, touch-sensitive prehensile hands, mobile athletic bodies, and more versatile front teeth, could reinvent themselves as a unique mammalian guild of obligate arboreal frugivores and folivores.
Diabetic short-wavelength sensitivity: variations with induced changes in blood glucose level.

Purpose. To investigate variations in diabetic short-wavelength sensitivity with acute, induced changes in blood glucose level. Methods. Increment threshold measures were obtained for short-wavelength-sensitive and middle/long-wavelength-sensitive cone pathways after an induced, acute change in blood glucose level in diabetic observers. Results. Diabetic observers showed an increase in short-wavelength sensitivity, but no change in middle/long-wavelength sensitivity, with a rapid drop in blood glucose level. Conclusions. Experimentally induced changes in diabetic blood glucose levels can directly affect diabetic short-wavelength sensitivity
View-Region Optimized Image-Based Scene Simplification

We present a new algorithm for image-based simplification of complex scenes for virtual reality (VR). The algorithm transforms geometrically-detailed environments into a layered quad tile representation that is optimized for a specified viewing region and is renderable on low-power mobile-class VR devices. A novel constrained optimization formulation ensures that the scene can be rendered within a predetermined compute budget, with limits on both primitive count and fill rate. Furthermore, we introduce a new method for texturing from point samples of the original scene geometry that generates high-quality silhouettes without the drawbacks of traditional point splatting. The resulting representation achieves a visual fidelity that was previously impossible on mobile graphics hardware; our algorithm can typically generate a high-quality representation of visually-rich scenes with billions of triangles using just 72k triangles and a single high-resolution texture map (with generally only about 50% more texels than a stereo panorama). The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated with a set of challenging test cases.
“Awash in a Sea of Archives”: Key Research Sources in the United States for the Study of Mission and World Christianity

The essay describes some holdings from five key mission archives in the United States, with the suggestion that mission archives can prove a valuable source to understand the intersection between mission and world Christianity and can raise questions about the relationship of one to the other, especially since the fulcrum of Christianity has shifted from Europe and North America to areas once considered “mission countries.” The sources hold a myriad of further research possibilities, that include the visual and performing arts in relation to inculturation; literature, the history of print, other media, and technology; the history of museums; maps, geography and perceptions of the world; economics/business; oral history, church history, Christianity in particular countries, the reception of the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic Church in “Third World” churches; and, transoceanic networks with implications for local churches.
Response to Comment on "Dye-sensitized solar cells using Aloe Vera and Cladode of Cactus extracts as natural sensitizers"

Abstract The purpose of this response is to point out several inconsistencies and incomplete information provided in the comment on our Letter, concerning the minor calculation error in the efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells. The comment was written to cover Dr. Ehrmann groups failed attempt in fabricating solar cells with ultra-low efficiency and unnecessarily targeted only selected groups like us and other authors listed in her references. We have decided to respond since the comment was not peer-reviewed by experts in the area and published as-it-is as we felt we should provide proper justification along with the supporting evidence.
Plasma lactate as a marker of metabolic health: Implications of elevated lactate for impairment of aerobic metabolism in the metabolic syndrome.

Abstract Background Fasting lactate is elevated in metabolic diseases and could possibly be predictive of the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. Methods Plasma samples were analyzed for fasting lactate to compare lean subjects, nondiabetic subjects with severe obesity, and metabolically impaired subjects. Subjects with severe obesity were studied 1 week before and 1 week to 9 months after gastric bypass surgery. Subjects with components of the metabolic syndrome were studied before and after 6 months of an exercise intervention. Results Metabolically impaired subjects had higher fasting lactate concentrations (P Conclusion Fasting plasma lactate was elevated in obese subjects with the metabolic syndrome compared with healthy lean individuals. Lactate was reduced by exercise and bariatric surgery, interventions that improve metabolic health and risk for subsequent disease. The results of this study and those previously published by our research group suggest that elevated lactate may be caused by an impairment in aerobic metabolism and may offer a metric assessing the severity of the metabolic syndrome.
Some compact notations for concentration inequalities and user-friendly results

This paper presents compact notations for concentration inequalities and convenient results to streamline probabilistic analysis. The new expressions describe the typical sizes and tails of random variables, allowing for simple operations without heavy use of inessential constants. They bridge classical asymptotic notations and modern non-asymptotic tail bounds together. Examples of different kinds demonstrate their efficacy.
On variational cross-examination: a method for postphenomenological multistability

How should we understand postphenomenological methodology? Postphenomenology is a research perspective which builds on phenomenological and pragmatist philosophy to explore human–technology relations, but one with open methodological questions. Here, I offer some thoughts on the epistemological processes that should be (and often implicitly may be) at work in this research. In particular, I am concerned with postphenomenological research on technological “multistability,” i.e., a device’s ever-present capacity to be used for a variety of purposes, and to always be meaningful in multiple ways. I develop a methodology called “variational cross-examination,” which entails the critical contrast of a device’s various stabilities. As a set of instructive examples, I draw on my own line of research on the politics of public spaces, and especially the critique of anti-homeless design.
The IDEA’s Stay-Put Provision: A Staple of Pandemic IEP Litigation?

School closures in the wake of COVID-19 have caused major disruptions in the lives of students throughout the nation. Students served by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are significantly and disproportionately affected by these closures, as they often rely on school-based services crucial to their academic progress. In considering how the IDEA’s procedural safeguards can serve to mitigate these harms, this Comment identifies the IDEA’s “stay-put” provision as a means of securing much-needed stability in the context of school closures and lost services. First, this Comment identifies a split among circuit courts regarding application of the stay-put provision to contexts in which existing educational services become unavailable. Second, it contends that adopting the “affirmative obligation” approach conforms best with the IDEA’s purposes and the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the Act. Under the affirmative obligation approach, students can be ensured much-needed stability, and schools much-needed flexibility, in highly uncertain contexts like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Egocentric abstractions for modeling and safety verification of distributed cyber-physical systems

Modeling is a significant piece of the puzzle in achieving safety certificates for distributed IoT and cyberphysical systems. From smart home devices to connected and autonomous vehicles, several modeling challenges like dynamic membership of participants and complex interaction patterns, span across application domains. Modeling multiple interacting vehicles can become unwieldy and impractical as vehicles change relative positions and lanes. In this paper, we present an egocentric abstraction for succinctly modeling local interactions among an arbitrary number of agents around an ego agent. These models abstract away the detailed behavior of the other agents and ignore present but physically distant agents. We show that this approach can capture interesting scenarios considered in the responsibility sensitive safety (RSS) framework for autonomous vehicles. As an illustration of how the framework can be useful for analysis, we prove safety of several highway driving scenarios using egocentric models. The proof technique also brings to the forefront the power of a classical verification approach, namely, inductive invariant assertions. We discuss possible generalizations of the analysis to other scenarios and applications.
Interventions for Infants and Toddlers at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The increasing focus on toddler screening for ASD accentuates the need for intervention approaches tailored to this age group. Federal requirements for intervention for children under 3 have unique requirements, among them being a special emphasis on parent and family needs, a focus on ecologically valid learning in natural contexts, and interdisciplinary teams, requirements that may or may not be present in intervention models for older children with ASD. This chapter reviews those requirements and reviews the efficacy data for group-based, therapist-based, and parent-implemented interventions for children younger than 3. Keywords: ASD; early intervention; infants; parents and family; Part C; toddlers
The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health: Keeping Memory Alive

The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health (LRCBH) is a unique clinical and translational research enterprise that stems from the passion of Larry Ruvo to honor his father, Lou, a victim of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To attract national attention to AD, Mr. Ruvo convinced architect Frank Gehry to construct the remarkable building complex of the LRCBH in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cleveland Clinic assumed responsibility for running the clinical and research aspects of the LRCBH. The care provided in this novel architectural setting is innovative and emphasizes patients first care with integration of caregiver programs and clinical research opportunities. Standardization of care, outcomes measures, and process metrics provide a platform for assessing, studying, and exporting best practices in cognitive care. Clinical trials empower patients to help solve the diseases that afflict them. The combination of a passionate founder, dramatic architecture, clinical excellence, integrated care partner programs, and commitment to development of next generation treatments makes the LRCBH a unique model of integrated care and research.
The Role of Urine in Parent-Offspring Communication in a Cichlid Fish

The fry of the Midas cichlid, Cichlasoma citrinellum, preferred over blank water, a urine solution from either parent or from a nonparental adult of either sex. They failed to show a preference for the urine of a predator, C. managuense, or for the mucus from the mother. It is possible that steroid titers in urine could provide information on sex, and that peptide chains in urine could indicate species. The chemosensory acuity of fry is high, as they were able to detect a “concentration” of pheromone as low as one sibling per 2 1 of water. This high acuity implies that olfaction rather than gustation mediated the chemosensory responses described above.
Are We Prepared? Using Reliability Analysis to Evaluate Emergency Response Systems

The evaluation of government programmes designed to prepare for future contingencies is an ongoing challenge for analysts and public managers. Despite significant focus in emergency management, the existing approaches have difficulty linking preparedness inputs to their effect on performance at future response operations. Adapting techniques from the analysis of technical systems, an approach for assessing response reliability - the likelihood that a response system will be able to deliver response capabilities at or above a specific level at a future incident - is described. The approach bases evaluation on the systematic assessment of the likelihood and consequences of events that would disrupt operations and reduce response performance. By doing so, it provides a clearer method for assessing the cost effectiveness of different preparedness policies and evaluating the performance of past investments in preparedness programmes.