cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atherosclerotic Biomarkers and Aortic Atherosclerosis by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Framingham Heart Study

Background The relations between subclinical atherosclerosis and inflammatory biomarkers have generated intense interest but their significance remains unclear. We sought to determine the association between a panel of biomarkers and subclinical aortic atherosclerosis in a community-based cohort. Methods and Results We evaluated 1547 participants of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort who attended the 7th examination cycle and underwent both cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and assays for 10 biomarkers associated with atherosclerosis: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-18, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 activity and mass, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, P-selectin, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-2. In logistic regression analysis, we found no significant association between the biomarker panel and the presence of aortic plaque (global P =0.53). Using Tobit regression with aortic plaque as a continuous variable, we noted a modest association between biomarker panel and aortic plaque volume in age- and sex-adjusted analyses ( P =0.003). However, this association was attenuated after further adjustment for clinical covariates ( P =0.09). Conclusions In our community-based cohort, we found no significant association between our multibiomarker panel and aortic plaque. Our results underscore the strengths and limitations of the use of biomarkers for the identification of subclinical atherosclerosis and the importance of traditional risk factors.
Ca2+ regulation of gelsolin by its C-terminal tail.

Abstract Gelsolin is activated by Ca2+to sever actin filaments. Ca2+ regulation is conferred on the N-terminal half by the C-terminal half. This paper seeks to understand how Ca2+ regulates gelsolin by testing the “tail helix latch hypothesis,” which is based on the structural data showing that gelsolin has a C-terminal tail helix that contacts the N-terminal half in the absence of Ca2+. Ca2+ activation of gelsolin at 37 °C occurs in three steps, with apparent K d for Ca2+ of 0.1, 0.3, and 6.4 × 10−6 m. Tail helix truncation decreases the apparent Ca2+ requirement for severing to 10−7 m and eliminates the conformational change observed at 10−6 mCa2+. The large decrease in Ca2+ requirement for severing is not due to a change in Ca2+ binding nor to Ca2+-independent activation of the C-terminal halfper se. Thus, the tail helix latch is primarily responsible for transmitting micromolar Ca2+ information from the gelsolin C-terminal half to the N-terminal half. Occupation of submicromolar Ca2+-binding sites primes gelsolin for severing, but gelsolin cannot sever because the tail latch is still engaged. Unlatching the tail helix by 10−6 mCa2+ releases the final constraint to initiate the severing cascade.
A Comparison of the High Relief Finger Maze and the Stylus Maze

Resume Le professeur Miles de l'Universite Stanford a invente le labyrinthe a doigt, de haut relief, a employer dans l'apprentissage des experiences sur l'apprentissage du labyrinthe par les etres humains. On a fait une comparaison entre les resultats obtenus de ce type de labyrinthe et du plus ancien type appele le labyrinthe a stylet, avec les trois objectifs suivants: (1) de comparer les differences dans la difficulte d'apprendre les deux types de labyrinthe mesuree par le nombre d'epreuves, le nombre d'erreurs, et le temps necessaire pour atteindre le criterium donne de l'apprentissage; (2) de determiner les constances relatives des resultats donnes par les deux types; (3) de trouver comment les deux types de labyrinthe mesuraient l'apprentissage de la meme maniere. On a employe quatre labyrinthes dans l'experience, deux labyrinthes a stylet de forme differente et deux labyrinthes a doigt, de haut relief, lesquels ont ete de la meme grandeur et de la meme forme que les labyrinthes a stylet. Les result...
Interband Auger recombination in InGaAsP

The interband Auger recombination lifetimes of two Auger processes have been calculated to correlate measured threshold current densities and carrier lifetimes for InGaAsP and InGaAsSb lasers. Good aggreement with experimental data was obtained for lasers with low nominal threshold current densities. These results demonstrate the importance of Auger recombination in the threshold characteristics of InGaAsP/InP lasers.
Automatically detecting and describing high level actions within methods

One approach to easing program comprehension is to reduce the amount of code that a developer has to read. Describing the high level abstract algorithmic actions associated with code fragments using succinct natural language phrases potentially enables a newcomer to focus on fewer and more abstract concepts when trying to understand a given method. Unfortunately, such descriptions are typically missing because it is tedious to create them manually. We present an automatic technique for identifying code fragments that implement high level abstractions of actions and expressing them as a natural language description. Our studies of 1000 Java programs indicate that our heuristics for identifying code fragments implementing high level actions are widely applicable. Judgements of our generated descriptions by 15 experienced Java programmers strongly suggest that indeed they view the fragments that we identify as representing high level actions and our synthesized descriptions accurately express the abstraction.
INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN SPACE USE BY FEMALE SPOTTED HYENAS

Large carnivores range more widely than many other terrestrial mammals, and this behavior tends to bring them into frequent conflict with humans. Within any carnivore population, individual variation in patterns of space use should be expected to make some animals more vulnerable than others to risks of mortality from humans and other sources. In this study, our goal was to document variation among individuals in space use by female spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). We examined predictions of hypotheses suggesting that space use by female hyenas is affected by reproductive state, social rank, and local prey abundance. Home-range size, distance at which females were found from the current communal den, and distance at which they were found from the nearest territorial boundary all varied significantly with the 3 independent variables. Females with den-dwelling cubs had smaller home ranges, were found closer to the communal den, and were found farther from the territorial boundary than were females with no den-dwelling cubs. Neither social rank nor prey availability significantly influenced the space-use patterns of females with den-dwelling cubs. Among females with no den-dwelling cubs, high-ranking females had smaller home ranges, were closer to the communal den, and were farther from the territorial boundary than were low-ranking females. The females ranging most widely were low-ranking individuals with no den-dwelling cubs when they were observed during periods of prey scarcity.
The Influence of the Shape of Phagocytes on their Adhesiveness

Glucose is known to depress the adhesiveness to glass as well as the phagocytic activity of neutrophils and macrophages. Contact angle measurements indicate that this is not due to any decrease in cell surface free energy. The decreased adhesiveness to glass and depressed phagocytic activity under the influence of glucose are instead found to be due to the fact that glucose causes the phagocytes to retract their pseudopods and to become spherical in shape. It can be shown that a spherical shape tends to enhance the electrostatic repulsion between cells and between cells and other surfaces, while pseudopods help to overcome that electrostatic repulsion.It is also shown that heparin does not interfere with the normal bizarre shape of neutrophils, while other anticoagulants such as ADP, CPD, and EDTA(for explanation of the symbols, see below) cause the neutrophils to become spherical. This explains why only when heparin is used as an anticoagulant, neutrophils will adhere to glass or nylon surfaces, and thus...
Unaltered cerebral blood flow during hypoglycemic activation of the sympathochromaffin system in humans

To determine if increases in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine caused by hypoglycemia are associated with increments in cerebral blood flow (CBF), we measured CBF with positron emission tomography in normal humans at ambient fasting arterial plasma glucose levels and at clamped plasma glucose levels of 5.3, 3.5, and 2.8 mmol/l using the hyperinsulinemic, stepped hypoglycemic clamp technique. Despite significant increases in plasma epinephrine to 7,340 +/- 350 (SE) pmol/l and in plasma norepinephrine to 3.32 +/- 0.35 nmol/l, mean hemispheric CBF (41 +/- 1, 49 +/- 1, 48 +/- 2, and 51 +/- 3 ml x 100 g-1 x min-1) remained constant at the ambient (5.2), 5.3, 3.5, and 2.8 mmol/l glycemic levels, respectively. Furthermore, there was no correlation between CBF and either plasma epinephrine levels ranging from 160 to 10,580 pmol/l or plasma norepinephrine levels ranging from 0.56 to 5.10 nmol/l. Failure to demonstrate any dose-response relationship between plasma catecholamine levels and CBF argues against their primary role in cerebrovascular control during hypoglycemia.
Lessons with PHASER

This chapter contains a sequence of lessons designed to teach you, step by step, how to use some of the basic capabilities of PHASER. The easiest way to learn how to use a computer program is to experience it first-hand. Therefore, you should work through this chapter with a finger on the keyboard.
Toroidally symmetric plasma vortex at tokamak divertor null point

Reduced MHD equations are used for studying toroidally symmetric plasma dynamics near the divertor null point. Numerical solution of these equations exhibits a plasma vortex localized at the null point with the time-evolution defined by interplay of the curvature drive, magnetic restoring force, and dissipation. Convective motion is easier to achieve for a second-order null (snowflake) divertor than for a regular x-point configuration, and the size of the convection zone in a snowflake configuration grows with plasma pressure at the null point. The trends in simulations are consistent with tokamak experiments which indicate the presence of enhanced transport at the null point.
The Alpha-Spectra of Pu 239 and Pu 240

Utilizing a magnetic alpha-particle spectrograph the complex alpha-spectrum of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$ was found to consist of three groups: ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ (69 percent), ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{13}$ (20 percent), and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{51}$ (11 percent). The spectrum of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{240}$ consisted of two groups, ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ (76 percent) and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{44}$ (24 percent). The nomenclature ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{x}$ refers to that alpha-group which leaves the product nucleus with an energy of $x$ kev above the ground state. The alpha-particle energy of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{0}$ of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$ was measured as 5.150\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002 Mev and that of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{240}$ as 5.162\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.004 Mev. These values are correlated with the gamma-rays and conversion electrons observed by other workers to form a partial decay scheme.
Managing Quality of Service in Wireless Body Area Networks using CoAP

This paper examines techniques to embark upon the Quality of Service (QoS) issues in Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) using the Constraint Application Protocol (CoAP) framework. The design of QoS in WBAN is a challenging task due to several reasons such as lossy channel, resource-constraint nodes and priority-based services. The QoS provisioning mechanisms mostly focus on the MAC layer and do not extend easily across all platforms. We propose to integrate the QoS design into the application layer using the standard CoAP framework. CoAP architecture is a platform independent standard intended to be used in simple electronics devices such as Internet of Things (IoT). We introduce three CoAP features such as Caching, Confirmability and Multicast addressing. We examine these options to deploy the QoS mechanism in the WBAN composed of sensors with heterogeneous priorities. The proposed solutions are universal and can be deployed on any sensor platform which supports the standard CoAP software protocol.
Cu1.3Mn1.7O4 spinel coatings deposited by electrophoretic deposition on Crofer 22 APU substrates for solid oxide fuel cell applications

Abstract To prevent Cr-poisoning in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and to decrease area specific resistance by limiting the rate of chromia growth on Crofer 22 APU interconnects, a protective coating layer on the interconnects is necessary. In this study, the glycine nitrate process (GNP) was used to synthesize Cu1.3Mn1.7O4 submicron powders, which then were deposited on Crofer 22 APU by electrophoretic deposition (EPD), followed by post-deposition thermo-mechanical treatments. The phase purity, uniformity, thickness and porosity of the coating layers were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effectiveness of the coating layer to prevent oxygen and chromium diffusion was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. The area specific resistance (ASR) of the coated samples was measured as a function of temperature.
Tunneling modulation of a quantum-well transistor laser

Different than the Bardeen and Brattain transistor (1947) with the current gain depending on the ratio of the base carrier spontaneous recombination lifetime to the emitter-collector transit time, the Feng and Holonyak transistor laser current gain depends upon the base electron-hole (e-h) stimulated recombination, the base dielectric relaxation transport, and the collector stimulated tunneling. For the n-p-n transistor laser tunneling operation, the electron–hole pairs are generated at the collector junction under the influence of intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling, with electrons drifting to the collector and holes drifting to the base. The excess charge in the base lowers the emitter junction energy barrier, allowing emitter electron injection into the base and satisfying charge neutrality via base dielectric relaxation transport (∼femtoseconds). The excess electrons near the collector junction undergo stimulated recombination at the base quantum-well or transport to the collector, thus supporting tunneling current amplification and optical modulation of the transistor laser.
Communicating accurate and complete information

• Consumers should be provided with the best information about the risks of different tobacco products to make informed choices.
Connectionism and Phenomenology

After a brief introduction to Connectionism and some general remarks on the relationship between Phenomenology and the empirical sciences, this paper presents examples of the way that both Phenomenology and Connectionism can benefit from insights derived from the other approach.
NEUROTENSIN-NEUROLEPTIC SIMILARITIES: AN EXAMPLE OF PEPTIDE-CATECHOLAMINE INTERACTIONS

ABSTRACT The interactions of centrally administered neurotensin (NT), an endogenous tridecapeptide, with dopamine (DA) mediated systems have been investigated. NT produces hypothermia, potentiates barbiturate anesthesia and antagonizes behaviors elicited by amphetamine. Its resemblance to neuroleptics in these tests is striking.
Mononormativity, Polypride, and the “Mono–Poly Wars”

Both in everyday life and scholarly discourse, monogamists and polyamorists tend to unfavorably portray one another as somehow flawed, misguided, or, in a word, “inferior.” This article documents and critically examines two pairs of interlocked psychosocial attitudes—monopride/polyphobia and polypride/monophobia—mediating this predicament of mutual competition in the context of Western mononormative culture. The ideological nature of these “mono–poly wars” is demonstrated through a brief review of empirical literature on the psychological health and relationship quality of monogamous and polyamorous individuals and couples. The article concludes by outlining a critical pluralist approach that eschews universalizing hierarchies between monogamy and polyamory, and provides tools for making qualitative distinctions within and among relational styles.
Understanding the Shopping Experience and Its Implications for Malls as Marketing Media: Attracting and Retaining Customers through Fashion, Service, and Improved Food Options

ABSTRACT A satisfying shopping experience is critical to a mall9s ability to draw crowds and to its effectiveness as a marketing medium. The authors devised a scale to measure mall-shopping experience. They conducted interviews to collect consumers9 accounts of experiences in malls, then developed an initial list of scale items. The final scale, based on the data collected from a random consumer sample, includes 22 items with eight dimensions: escapism, browsing, socialization, activity, shopping for fashion products, uniqueness, service, and aesthetics. The authors established reliability and validity of the scale and found support for the effects of shopping experience on mall patronage.
Complement mediator systems in Alzheimer’s disease

The brain is “immunologically privileged” in the sense that it cannot generate primary antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. This is because of the integrity of the blood brain barrier, which impedes (but does not entirely prevent) entry of naive T lymphocytes. Furthermore, brain microglia and astrocytes possess only a limited ability to process and present antigens. It is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that the brain is protected from injury due to infection, trauma, or locally damaging processes by the innate or intrinsic immune system, which includes the actions of phagocytic cells, the complement system, cytokines, chemokines, and other cell-derived soluble mediators.
THE OFF-ENERGY-SHELL NUCLEON-NUCLEON T-MATRIX AND PROPERTIES OF 3H AND 3He

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the Faddeev formalism to investigate the variation of the trinucleon binding energy and electromagnetic form factors with the phase-equivalent transformations of the Reid soft-core potential. The sensitivity to off-shell variations of the NN T-matrix is expected to be smaller for the properties of trinucleon systems than it is for those of nuclear matter. The chapter discusses the parameters of the phase equivalent interactions for which tri-nucleon calculations are done. With the nucleon–nucleon interaction effective in the 1S0 and 3S1–3D1 states, there are five independent components of the Faddeev amplitude. Those components of the homogeneous solution of the Faddeev equations determine the trinucleon bound state wave function. The properties of 3H, 3He are generally much less sensitive to the variations of the off-shell nucleon–nucleon T-matrix than are those of nuclear matter. The variation of the low Q2 behavior of the form factors is represented by the variations of a few percent in the charge and magnetic radii.
A Proposal for Breaking the Israel-Palestine Deadlock

Jurist Guest Columnist Anthony D'Amato of Northwestern University School of Law says that the Obama administration can break the sixty-year deadlock in negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians by supporting the establishment of a special moot court -- a quasi-official, transparent, privately funded tribunal that would render a non-binding advisory opinion on the two sides' competing claims.
Using Standardized Tests in Education (4th ed.) by William A. Mehrens and lrvin J. Lehmann

(1988). Using Standardized Tests in Education (4th ed.) by William A. Mehrens and lrvin J. Lehmann. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 34-34.
The New Drug Lag: EU Lags in Review Times of Monoclonal Antibodies.

FDA had been criticized for its slow review of new drugs. Critics complained of a “drug lag” from which US patients suffered when compared to Europeans. Since the advent of PDUFA, however, the FDA has demonstrated a possible slight advantage in review time when compared to the EMA. Submission and approval dates for monoclonal antibodies were collected from the FDA and EMA websites. When using monoclonal antibodies as examples of complex, yet important new therapeutic agents, it was determined that the FDA reviews these agents on average 5 months faster than the EMA. The review processes within each agency may have reached their highest efficiencies without making further changes in a review system.
ELECTRICAL CARDIOVERSION FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION: A RARE CAUSE OF TAKOTSUBO CARDIOMYOPATHY

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is an acute transient cardiomyopathy after an emotional or physical stress. An 83-year-old woman with a history of atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease presented with shortness of breath and difficult to rate control atrial tachycardia. ECG showed a QTc of 450 ms
Increased mTOR and suppressed autophagic flux in the heart of a hypomorphic Pkd1 mouse model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Abstract Cardiac hypertrophy is common in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients. We found increased heart weight in Pkd1RC/RC and Pkd2WS25/+ mouse models of ADPKD. As there is a link between increased heart weight and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), the aim of the study was to determine mTOR complex 1 and 2 signaling proteins in the heart in the Pkd1RC/RC mouse model of PKD. In 70 day old Pkd1RC/RC hearts, on immunoblot analysis, there was a large increase in p-AMPKThr172, a known autophagy inducer, and an increase in p-AktSer473 and p-AktThr308, but no increase in other mTORC1/2 proteins (p-S6Ser240/244, p-mTORSer2448). In 150 day old Pkd1RC/RC hearts, there was an increase in mTORC1 (p-S6Ser240/244) and mTOR-related proteins (p-AktThr308, p-GSK3βSer9, p-AMPKThr172). As the mTOR pathway is the master regulator of autophagy, autophagy proteins were measured. There was an increase in p-Beclin-1 (BECN1), an autophagy regulator and activating molecule in Beclin-1-regulated autophagy (AMBRA1), a regulator of Beclin that play a role in autophagosome formation, an early stage of autophagy. There was a defect in the later stage of autophagy, the fusion of the autophagosome with the lysosome, known as autophagic flux, as evidenced by the lack of an increase in LC3-II, a marker of autophagosomes, with the lysosomal inhibitor bafilomycin, in both 70 day old and 150 day old hearts. To determine the role of autophagy in causing increased heart weight, Pkd1RC/RC were treated with 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) or Tat-Beclin1 peptide, agents known to induce autophagy. 2-DG treatment from 150 to 350 days of age, a time period when increased heart weight developed, did not reduce the increased heart weight. Unexpectedly, Tat-Beclin 1 peptide treatment from 70 to 120 days of age resulted in increased heart weight. In summary, there is suppressed autophagic flux in the heart at an early age in Pkd1RC/RC mice. Increased mTOR signaling in older mice is associated suppressed autophagic flux. There was a large increase in p-AMPKThr172, a known autophagy inducer, in both young and old mice. 2-DG treatment did not impact increased heart weight and Tat-Beclin1 peptide increased heart weight.
A compiler for biological networks on silicon chips

The explosive growth in semiconductor integrated circuits was made possible in large part by design automation software. The design and/or analysis of synthetic and natural circuits in living cells could be made more scalable using the same approach. We present a compiler which converts standard representations of chemical reaction networks and circuits into hardware configurations that can be used to simulate the network on specialized cytomorphic hardware. The compiler also creates circuit-level models of the target configuration, which enhances the versatility of the compiler and enables the validation of its functionality without physical experimentation with the hardware. We show that this compiler can translate networks comprised of mass-action kinetics, classic enzyme kinetics (Michaelis-Menten, Briggs-Haldane, and Botts-Morales formalisms), and genetic repressor kinetics, thereby allowing a large class of models to be transformed into a hardware representation. Rule-based models are particularly well-suited to this approach, as we demonstrate by compiling a MAP kinase model. Development of specialized hardware and software for simulating biological networks has the potential to enable the simulation of larger kinetic models than are currently feasible or allow the parallel simulation of many smaller networks with better performance than current simulation software.
Debris and Poetry: A Critique of Violence and Race in the Peruvian Eighties

By turning the figure of the colonial chronicler Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala into an indigenous migrant during the tumultuous nineteen eighties in the poem “His Body Was an Island of Debris” (1987), Domingo de Ramos critiqued the transhistorical nature of colonialism, as it manifests through the displacement and killing of thousands of indigenous peoples. I interpret de Ramos’ work as an opportunity to center ideas about race, an analytic overlooked in the literary criticism of the time. His portrayal of migration mobilizes a poetic critique of the main discourses of Peruvian literary studies that conveniently left racial hierarchies unchallenged, even while being invested in the new political potential of migrants. This specular relationship that de Ramos creates between himself and Guaman Poma allows him to ponder about his own positionality in the literary field of the eighties, which was uncritically participating in the migrant trend almost exclusively through De Ramos’ personae.
Active Radiative Liquid Lithium Divertor for Handling Transient High Heat Flux Events

The extreme heat flux anticipated in fusion reactor divertor plasma facing components (PFCs) is perhaps the most challenging technology issue for fusion energy development. Most divertor PFCs are designed based on the maximum steady-state operational limits. Application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-free core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising Li results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the passive and active radiative liquid lithium divertor concepts (RLLD and ARLLD) (Ono et al. in Nucl Fusion 53:113030, 2013; Fusion Eng Des 89:2838, 2014). This radiative process has the desired effect of spreading the localized divertor heat load to the rest of the divertor chamber wall surfaces, facilitating divertor heat removal with relatively small amount of lithium ~ few moles/s to handle the expected steady-state high divertor heat load. However, in addition to the high steady-state heat flux, the fusion reactor divertor PFCs could also experience significant transient heat flux such as ELMs and/or other magnetic reconnection events which can deposit large transient heat flux onto the divertor PFCs. If unprotected, it could damage the divertor PFC surfaces which could lead to a highly undesirable unplanned shutdown for PFC repair and/or replacement. In this paper, we explore feasibility of LLD and ARLLD concepts in handling such transient heat flux to protect the divertor PFCs from the extreme transient heat flux while maintaining the normal plasma operations. We also suggest a possible implementation technique using inductive pellet injector for the reactor PFC protection from transient heat flux which can be tested on NSTX-U.
A Moonshot? [Microwave Surfing]

Reports on initiatives by Nokia to develop a 4G network on the moon with a $14.1 millions contract from NASA.
Palbociclib demonstrates intracranial activity in progressive brain metastases harboring cyclin-dependent kinase pathway alterations

Recent studies suggest that the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) pathway may be a therapeutic target for brain metastases (BM). Here, we present interim analysis of a basket trial evaluating the intracranial efficacy of the CDK inhibitor palbociclib in patients with progressive BM and CDK alterations. Our study met its primary endpoint and provides evidence for performing molecular testing of archival BM tissue, if available, to inform the choice of CNS-penetrant targeted therapy. Brastianos and colleagues report interim trial results on the intracranial clinical benefit of palbociclib for patients with progressive metastatic brain cancer carrying cyclin-dependent kinase pathway alterations.
A Case of Elsberg Syndrome in the Setting of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

ABSTRACT: Elsberg syndrome is a rare cause of lumbosacral radiculitis with concomitant thoracic and lumbosacral myelitis that can be seen after an acute or reactivated viral infection. After the initial coronavirus surge in New York City, a 68-year-old man developed progressive lower extremity weakness and a defined sensory level at the lower abdomen. He had highly elevated SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies despite an absence of preceding COVID-19 symptoms. Serial electrodiagnostic testing revealed absent lower extremity late responses, with otherwise normal distal sensorimotor conductions. Electromyography revealed active neurogenic changes and reduced motor unit recruitment in the L3-L4 myotomes. Treatment with methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin was followed by minimal clinical improvement but re-emergence of the lower extremity late responses on electrodiagnostic testing. We report here, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of suspected COVID-19-associated Elsberg syndrome, which expands the spectrum of neuromuscular manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and sheds light on ways to approach diagnostic and treatment options for these patients.
Thermal Analysis of Housing-Cooled Integrated Motor Drives

Integrated motor drives (IMDs) combine power electronics and motor in a single enclosure to improve power density. Conventionally, the cooling of power electronics is one of the most significant challenges of IMDs. The use of wide-bandgap (WBG) devices makes it possible to reduce the cooling system, creating opportunities to take advantage of the motor housing to cool down the power electronics. This paper develops a closed-form analytical expression that provides a fast estimate of the housing temperature profile in IMDs where the power electronics is mounted axially, in either of the machine end-bells. Radiation and convection heat transfer mechanisms are taken into account. The developed expression is compared with the results of finite element analysis (FEA) simulations. The results demonstrate that the analytical expression is quite accurate, justifying its use as guidance during early stages of the design to quickly evaluate the IMD's cooling system requirements. These results of a closed-form solution can also provide insights into the influence of various machine parameters, helping the designer to make better choices when iteratively setting up the FEA thermal simulations.
Using Optogenetics to Reverse Neuroplasticity and Inhibit Cocaine Seeking in Rats

This protocol demonstrates the steps needed to use optogenetic tools to reverse cocaine-induced plasticity at thalamo-amygdala circuits to reduce subsequent cocaine seeking behaviors in the rat. In our research, we had found that when rats self-administer intravenous cocaine paired with an audiovisual cue, synapses formed at inputs from the medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (MGN) onto principal neurons of the lateral amygdala (LA) become stronger as the cue-cocaine association is learned. We hypothesized that reversal of the cocaine-induced plasticity at these synapses would reduce cue-motivated cocaine seeking behavior. In order to accomplish this type of neuromodulation in vivo, we wanted to induce synaptic long-term depression (LTD), which decreases the strength of MGN-LA synapses. To this end, we used optogenetics, which allows neuromodulation of brain circuits using light. The excitatory opsin oChiEF was expressed on presynaptic MGN terminals in the LA by infusing an AAV containing oChiEF into the MGN. Optical fibers were then implanted in the LA and 473 nm laser light was pulsed at a frequency of 1 Hz for 15 minutes to induce LTD and reverse cocaine induced plasticity. This manipulation produces a long-lasting reduction in the ability of cues associated with cocaine to induce drug seeking actions.
Equity and Admiralty: A Turbulent Path to Manifest Destiny

The aspirational goal of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure amended in 1966 was to effect a unification of both civil and admiralty practice. The realization of this goal has been fraught with complexities, turbulence, and dissatisfaction. One of the most significant obstacles to achieving this unification continues to be the uncertain jurisdictional issue of whether courts in admiralty may issue equitable degrees.This article explores the effect of the Schoenamsgruber Doctrine enunciated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1935 - regarded as the authority for the proposition that injunctive relief historically is not available in admiralty - and the 1st Circuit’s “Acknowledgment” in 1979 in Pino v. Protection Maritime Insurance Co. that, in admiralty, a maritime tort may be enjoined. The conclusion reached is that complete equity should be available to all manner and nature of claims submitted in admiralty.
Characterization, Subcellular Localization, and Partial Purification of a Heparin-released Triglyceride Lipase from Rat Liver

Abstract Post-heparin plasma in the rat contains triglyceride lipase activity of both hepatic and extrahepatic origin. The lipase released into rat hepatic perfusate by heparin has been characterized in an assay containing Triton X-100, albumin, and [14C]triolein. Fatty acid release was linear for 120 min over a wide range of enzyme concentrations at 27° and 37°. The pH optimum was 9.5. Enzymatic activity was g80% inhibited by prior incubation with 0.5 m NaCl or 750 µg of protamine per ml. The apparent Km was 1.28 mm. The enzyme was localized in rat liver cell fractions. Cell fractions were checked for purity by marker enzymes and electron microscopy. Activity inhibited by NaCl or protamine was found in plasma membranes, microsomes, and cytosol, having pH optima of 9.5, 9.0, and 8.0, respectively. A different triglyceride lipase not affected by NaCl or protamine and having a pH optimum at 4.4 was found in lysosomes. The plasma membrane-bound lipase had a specific activity 10 times that in liver homogenate. Addition of heparin to the plasma membrane fractions in a concentration as low as 1 unit per ml effected the release of the enzyme into the medium. The plasma membrane-released lipase had the same apparent Km. A 360-fold enhancement of plasma membrane lipase activity over that in whole liver homogenate was achieved by heparin affinity chromatography.
Cholesterolemic Responses of Rats to Human-Type Diet Ingredients

The average serum cholesterol level of rats fed a human-type diet that contained 28% (wt/wt) beef fat and 0.5% added cholesterol and that was low in non-digestible constituents was lower than that of rats fed an equivalent diet prepared from purified ingredients, 94 mg/dl and 163 mg/dl, respectively. In order to identify the hypocholesterolemic ingredients in the human-type diet, the sources of protein and carbohydrate in the purified diet, casein and cornstarch, were substituted for the corresponding sources in the human-type diet, beef tenderloin, bread, and rice. These prepared diets were fed to female Sprague-Dawley rats for 10 weeks. Diets containing casein were hypercholesterolemic compared to stock rat diet, but rats fed the bread with the casein had the lowest serum cholesterol level, 112 mg/dl, of any casein diet group. The cholesterolemic response of rats fed the beef and bread diet was the same as that of stock-fed rats, 94 mg/dl and 86 mg/dl, respectively. The level of cholesterol in the liver of rats fed the beef and bread diet was lower than that of rats fed the purified diet, 7.7 mg/g and 28.5 mg/g, respectively, but it was higher than that of rats fed the stock diet, 3.8 mg/g. The hypocholesterolemic effect of beef and bread may be related to reduced cholesterol absorption. These data demonstrate the sensitive control on cholesterol metabolism of nonlipid diet ingredients.
Predicting Indexer Performance in a Distributed Digital Library

Resource discovery in a distributed digital library poses many challenges, one of which is how to choose search engines for query distribution, given a query and a set of search engines. This paper focuses on search engine performance as a criterion for search engine selection and defines two measurements of search engine performance: availability - will the search engine respond within a time limit, and response time - how quickly will the search engine respond, given that it responds at all. We predicted both of these performance characteristics with a variety of algorithms, all of which required little computation time and combined past performance data for each search engine into a succinct record. We used operational data from the NCSTRL distributed digital library to make and evaluate predictions, and we found that simple prediction methods performed as well as more complex methods and that prediction accuracy was closely related to data consistency.
Krige, smooth, both or neither? (with Discussion)

Both kriging and non-parametric regression smoothing can model a non-stationary regression function with spatially correlated errors. However comparisons have mainly been based on ordinary kriging and smoothing with uncorrelated errors. Ordinary kriging attributes smoothness of the response to spatial autocorrelation whereas non-parametric regression attributes trends to a smooth regression function. For spatial processes it is reasonable to suppose that the response is due to both trend and autocorrelation. This paper reviews methodology for non-parametric regression with autocorrelated errors which is a natural compromise between the two methods. Re-analysis of the one-dimensional stationary spatial data of Laslett (1994) and a clearly non-stationary time series demonstrates the rather surprising result that for these data, ordinary kriging outperforms more computationally intensive models including both universal kriging and correlated splines for spatial prediction. For estimating the regression function, non-parametric regression provides adaptive estimation, but the autocorrelation must be accounted for in selecting the smoothing parameter.
Code timing acquisition using an antenna array for asynchronous DS-CDMA systems in a near-far environment

An adaptive near-far resistant detector using multiple antennas for acquiring synchronization of an asynchronous DS-CDMA system is presented. The only requirement is the prior knowledge of the user-spreading sequence of interest. Also, there is no need of a training sequence and a training period. Synchronization acquisition of asynchronous DS-CDMA signals is treated as a binary-hypothesis test. Under the binary hypotheses, an adaptive generalized maximum likelihood ratio test (GLRT) is developed to acquire the multipath code timings of a single desired user in both a fading and a near-far interference environment. The synchronization is obtained by sliding a search window in a sample-by-sample manner to perform the adaptive GLRT with the non-constrained maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of direction-of-arrival (DOA) during the symbol interval. The acquisition performance of the proposed detector is illustrated by computer simulations of an asynchronous BPSK DS-CDMA system and is shown to have potential against multipath fading and the problems of near-far interference.
Rethinking technology transfer

What is the fundamental problem of technology transfer? How is this problem managed by practitioners and investigated by academics? This paper critically addresses these two questions, and suggests that our assumptions about technology transfer processes preclude alternative ways of thinking about technology transfer which may lead to very different applied strategies and theoretical problem–solving. The assumptions of difference–reduction, difference–maintenance, and difference–ambiguity, along with strategies based on each assumption, are introduced and contrasted.
THE POPULATION BIOLOGY OF BACTERIAL PLASMIDS: A PRIORI CONDITIONS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF MOBILIZABLE NONCONJUGATIVE FACTORS

A mathematical model for the population dynamics of nonconjugative plasmids that can be mobilized by conjugative factors is presented. In the analysis of the properties of this model, primary consideration is given to the conditions under which these nonself-transmissible extrachromosomal elements could become established and would be maintained in bacterial populations. The results of this analysis demonstrate the existence of conditions where, as a consequence of infectious transmission via mobilization, nonconjugative plasmids could become established and be maintained even when the bacteria carrying them have lower reproductive fitnesses than plasmid-free members of the population. However, these existence conditions are stringent and suggest, therefore, that it is highly unlikely that plasmids of this type would become established and maintained without some direct selection favoring their carriage. The general implications of these results and limitations of the model are discussed. Brief consideration is also given to the implications of these theoretical findings to the problems of the spread of multiple antibiotic resistance plasmids (R-factors) and the risk of contaminating natural populations of bacteria with chimeric plasmids produced by work with recombinant DNA.
Acidaminococcus gen. n., Acidaminococcus fermentans sp. n., Anaerobic Gram-negative Diplococci Using Amino Acids as the Sole Energy Source for Growth

Acidaminococcus gen. n. and the type species Acidaminococcus fermentans sp. n. were described. Amino acids, of which glutamic acid is the most important, could serve as the sole energy source for growth. Acetic and butyric acids and CO(2) were produced; propionic acid and hydrogen were not produced. Amino acid media supporting growth and the amino acid and vitamin requirements were described. Glucose was frequently not fermented or was weakly catabolized. Derivative products from glucose autoclaved in media, but not glucose itself, stimulated or were required for growth in amino acid media. A wide range of polyols and carbohydrates were not attacked. Lactate, fumarate, malate, succinate, citrate, and pyruvate were not used as energy sources for growth. Pyruvate completely suppressed growth. Cytochrome oxidase and benzidine reactions were negative; catalase, indole, acetyl methyl carbinol, and H(2)S were not produced; nitrate and sulfonthalein indicators were not reduced; ammonia was produced; gelatin liquefaction was negative or slow and partial; vancomycin (7.5 mug/ml) was resisted. Acidaminococcus was different from Veillonella in morphology, serology, nutrition, utilization of substrates, and accumulation of products in media supporting growth; Acidaminococcus resembled Peptococcus in utilization of glutamic acid and accumulation of similar products, but the two genera differed in morphology, gram reaction, serology, guanine plus cytosine content of deoxyribonucleic acid, and nutrition.
Some social and hormonal determinants of nest-building behaviour in the ring dove (Streptopelia risoria).

Two experiments were performed to evaluate some of the controlling factors in ring dove nest-building behaviour. In the first study six pairs of animals were observed each day until the first egg appeared. Behaviour was recorded during four intervals on each day in order to obtain estimates of diurnal changes in behaviour. Moreover, each pair was presented with a variety of nest-building materials in order to determine those kinds that would be most acceptable to the animals in subsequent studies. The birds showed striking diurnal changes in behaviour. Bow-cooing, aggressive pecking by the male, nest soliciting, time-in-the-nest, and allopreening exhibited a steady decline throughout the day. Nest-building activity reached a peak between one and seven hours after the lights came on in the morning and then declined throughout the remainder of the day. By contrast, copulatory behaviour, though infrequent in the morning hours, rose sharply in the late afternoon and reached a peak during the evening watch. Feeding and self-preening also increased slightly during the afternoon and evening. The ring doves also showed marked preferences in their choice of nest materials. Light-colored reed was preferred almost exclusively to dark-colored reed. Moreover, as nest construction progressed, there was a change in the type of material collected. During early building approximately equal numbers of pine needles as well as light and heavy reed were collected. As the nest neared completion, reed collection diminished and pine needles alone were collected. The resulting structure consisted of a base of several materials lined with pine needles alone. Observations in this first experiment suggested that gathering activity by the male was elicited by the presence of the female in the nest site. A second experiment was designed to examine this relationship. Twelve female ring doves were injected with progesterone and diethylstilboestrol while another twelve females served as oil-injected controls. Hormone-treated females were found to become more firmly established at the nest site during the first two days after introduction to a male. The males mated with these hormone-treated females engaged in more nest material gathering than did males mated with oil-treated females. It was concluded that gathering behaviour by the male is determined, at least in part, by relevant social cues from the female.
Factors influencing the policy responses of host governments to mass refugee influxes.

"The policy responses of asylum governments to mass influxes of refugees have varied considerably. Focusing on less developed countries, this article explores why some host governments respond in relatively generous ways, while other governments act more restrictively. The policy alternatives available to receiving governments are classified, and a set of factors influencing refugee policy formation is explored. These factors include: the costs and benefits of accepting international assistance, relations with the sending country, political calculations about the local community's absorption capacity, and national security considerations."
NMR assignments for the insertion domain of bacteriophage Sf6 coat protein

The P22 bacteriophage group is a subgroup of the λ phage supercluster, comprised of the three major sequence types Sf6, P22, and CUS-3, based on their capsid proteins. Our goal is to investigate the extent to which structure–function relationships are conserved for the viral coat proteins and I-domains in this subgroup. Sf6 is a phage that infects the human pathogen Shigella flexneri. The coat protein of Sf6 assembles into a procapsid, which further undergoes maturation during DNA packaging into an infectious virion. The Sf6 coat protein contains a genetically inserted domain, termed the I-domain, similar to the ones present in the P22 and CUS-3 coat proteins. Based on the P22 example, I-domains play important functional roles in capsid assembly, stability, viability, and size-determination. Here we report the 1H, 15N, and 13C chemical shift assignments for the I-domain of the Sf6 phage coat protein. Chemical shift-based secondary structure prediction and hydrogen-bond patterns from a long-range HNCO experiment indicate that the Sf6 I-domain adopts a 6-stranded β-barrel fold like those of P22 and CUS-3 but with important differences, including the absence of the D-loop that is critical for capsid assembly and the addition of a novel disordered loop region.