cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of CDMP-1 in Skeletal Morphogenesis: Promotion of Mesenchymal Cell Recruitment and Chondrocyte Differentiation

Cartilage provides the template for endochondral ossification and is crucial for determining the length and width of the skeleton. Transgenic mice with targeted expression of recombinant cartilage-derived morphogenetic protein-1 (CDMP-1), a member of the bone morphogenetic protein family, were created to investigate the role of CDMP-1 in skeletal formation. The mice exhibited chondrodysplasia with expanded cartilage, which consists of the enlarged hypertrophic zone and the reduced proliferating chondrocyte zone. Histologically, CDMP-1 increased the number of chondroprogenitor cells and accelerated chondrocyte differentiation to hypertrophy. Expression of CDMP-1 in the notochord inhibited vertebral body formation by blocking migration of sclerotome cells to the notochord. These results indicate that CDMP-1 antagonizes the ventralization signals from the notochord. Our study suggests a molecular mechanism by which CDMP-1 regulates the formation, growth, and differentiation of the skeletal elements.
Dilemmas of Disaster Zones: Tax Incentives and Business Reinvestment in the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Over the last decade, the U.S. federal government has increasingly turned to spatially targeted tax incentives to promote postdisaster revitalization. The logic behind this policy orientation is th...
Identification and isolation of Ag-specific T cells by flow sorting.

Stem-cell grafts in combination with ablative chemo/ radiotherapy offer a potential cure for hematological malignancies refractory to more conventional therapy. However, HLA-identical donors are available to only 25% of the population, and alternative donor sources must be considered to improve the accessibility of transplantation. For example, partially mismatched related donors are available for 95% of patients requiring a transplant. However, HLA disparities between donor and recipient require that partially mismatched grafts undergo T-cell depletion in order to remove T cells that would otherwise cause potentially fatal GvHD. Since T-cell depletion strategies currently rely upon non-selective methodologies, transplant recipients therefore remain grossly immunocompromised for extended periods of time posttransplant. Thus, although T-cell depletion makes transplants more accessible, it is associated with a greatly increased risk of opportunistic and potentially lethal viral and fungal infections, and with a higher incidence of leukemic relapse. CMV reactivation after partially mismatched related donor BMT, when the host is seriously immunocompromised, is a cause of severe morbidity and even mortality. Current drug therapies are not satisfactory and may give rise to significant myelosuppression, drug resistance and other side effects. Immunotherapy may be preferable to drug therapy and may contribute to preventing CMVrelated illnesses in BMT recipients. The ex vivo generation of T cells that can confer highly specific immunity against defined pathogenic targets and their incorporation into BM grafts or their infusion post-transplant has become the focus of many research groups.
Automatically detecting action items in audio meeting recordings

Identification of action items in meeting recordings can provide immediate access to salient information in a medium notoriously difficult to search and summarize. To this end, we use a maximum entropy model to automatically detect action item-related utterances from multi-party audio meeting recordings. We compare the effect of lexical, temporal, syntactic, semantic, and prosodic features on system performance. We show that on a corpus of action item annotations on the ICSI meeting recordings, characterized by high imbalance and low inter-annotator agreement, the system performs at an F measure of 31.92%. While this is low compared to better-studied tasks on more mature corpora, the relative usefulness of the features towards this task is indicative of their usefulness on more consistent annotations, as well as to related tasks.
Perspectives of an Engineering CAD and Visualization Sequence for Freshmen and Sophomores in ME

The Mechanical Engineering Department at Washington State University has recently completed 6 years of a CAD sequence for freshmen and sophomores beginning with fundamental CAD skills leading rapidly into more advanced topics and culminating in CAD applications for engineering design and analysis. The students learn how to follow an abbreviated set of written instructions; master advanced modeling techniques, model for analysis, use an assortment of computational CAD tools to analyze models, incorporate CAD analysis into the design process, and use CAD analysis to drive design optimization. This sequence has been instrumental in preparing students for the subsequent set of design classes at the junior and senior level. This paper will discuss some of the unique aspects of this instructional sequence and some of the best practices that were integrated into the curriculum.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Lipolysis induction in adipocytes by a protein from tumor cells

Extracts of thymic lymphoma that are obtained from AKR mice and are kept in the cold for at least several days can induce lipolytic activity in rat adipocyte suspensions. Freshly prepared extracts have low activity but contain a low molecular weight material of less than 10,000 daltons that aggregates on standing in the cold and becomes active. Treatment of aged extracts with trypsin causes a loss in activity indicating that the active material is a protein. It has been obtained in partially purified form, is relatively heat stable, and is not a lipase. Activity was also demonstrated in AKRXDBA/2 lymphoma (induced by AKR SL3-3 virus) and in transplanted lymphomas from a Friend-virus-induced erythroleukemia cell line in DBA/2 mice, but was not detected in normal thymus, spleen, liver, or other tissues. The partially purified material produced a massive fat mobilization when injected into normal mice.
An interaction between network coding and end-host coding

Network coding techniques have been proved effective in increasing the capacity of wireless ad hoc and mesh networks. Despite this, little is known about its potentials and limitations of improving application perceivable performance. One of the mysteries lies in the complicated interaction between the low-layer network coding function and the upper-layer protocols/applications. In this paper, targeting multimedia applications, we attempt to inspect the interaction between network coding and end-host coding techniques, in particular forward error correction (FEC), and study how network coding can benefit multimedia applications by interacting with FEC. We show network coding has two positive impacts on the efficacy of FEC. First, when network capacity is critically low for competing multimedia flows, even a marginal capacity increase leads to much higher packet recovery ratio for applications. Second, we show that network coding technique can lead to less bursty packet loss patterns. Even at a fair loss rate, such less bursty loss patterns lead to dramatically higher packet recovery ratio at the receivers. Our results and analysis validate that network coding can be beneficial to end-host coding techniques.
Loneliness in the School Setting.

Loneliness is a phenomenon that has been recorded in literature throughout the ages. It is now being recognized as problem not only in adults but in children and adolescents as well. Loneliness is an emotional state that can be a barrier to a student's social development and affect their physical and mental health. Various contributing factors and recognizable situations that contribute to loneliness have been identified. Loneliness is also risk factor for other related health problems. It is important for school nurses to be alert to symptoms of loneliness and know how to assist students to cope with loneliness in the school setting.
A retrospective analysis of 96 "asp" (Megalopyge opercularis) envenomations in Central Texas during 1996.

Background: The most frequently reported caterpillar envenomation in Central Texas is by the puss caterpillar or “asp,” Megalopyge opercularis. This caterpillar is described by patients and physicians as inflicting intense radiating pain. The intensity of symptoms may be underestimated leading to undertreatment. Adequate treatment protocols have been lacking and those in use are not very successful. We present a retrospective study of patients who were stung and contacted the Central Texas Poison Center. Methods: All human exposures to asp stings reported to the Central Texas Poison Center during 1996 were included. Inclusion criteria consisted of all cases documented as an asp envenomation by the specialists in poison information. Characterization of symptoms and treatment used were evaluated. Results: There were 96 exposures to asps reported. Ninety–five of the patients experienced local pain with 26 of these reporting intense radiating pain. Forty developed erythema, 27 described edema, and 9 complaine...
The Future of Cancer Therapy: Selecting Patients Likely to Respond to PD1/L1 Blockade

It is conceivable that, in the near future, an assay that defines the likelihood of a patient with advanced cancer to respond to immunotherapy based on PD-1/L1 blockade will be the initial decision point to select the treatment of patients with any cancer type.
Phylogeographic study of the California vole, Microtus californicus

Many vertebrate taxa show genetic differentiation between populations in northern and southern California. This genetic pattern may reflect a common environmental history for these species. For example, a previous study of the California vole (Microtus californicus) showed morphological divergence between populations in northern and southern California and decreased fertility in crosses between the populations. To investigate phylogeographic differences in this species, we assessed variation in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA throughout much of its distribution from Oregon to Baja California. We generated molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear acid phosphatase V intron [AP5]) for 178 individuals. Examination of these data suggests 2 phylogeographic groups that are largely discordant with the boundaries of 17 currently recognized subspecies. Estimates of pairwise genetic divergence between these groups for cytochrome b are as high as 4.46% uncorrected p. Sequence data for AP5 also indicate a division between populations of M. californicus in northern and southern California. Examination of data from the mitochondrial and nuclear markers together suggests limited gene flow between clades. These data are concordant with other studies that suggest that mountain ranges in California were important in within- and possibly between-species divergence and subsequent contact. The general distribution of each clade, combined with a geographic information system analysis of known capture sites, suggests that clade divergence may be correlated with ecological differences. Our study creates a new framework for reevaluating morphological and ecological diversity in this species, and with more diverse markers, possibly the recognition of 2 species of California voles.
Cetacean Acoustic Communication

The mammalian order Cetacea, which contains the whales, dolphins and porpoises, is a highly diverse group with respect to life history patterns, social structure, social behavior and communication. This chapter reviews what is known about communication in each of the 13 cetacean families, and includes discussions of some of the better known communicative signals, such as the songs of several baleen whale species, and the group- and individual-specific signals of killer whales and bottlenose dolphins. The apparent anti-predator adaptations seen in the vocalizations of several families are also discussed. Overall, there is a great need for basic research on how calls are used in the natural communication systems of most cetacean species. Such research promises to shed light on both applied (e.g., effects of anthropogenic noise) and basic (e.g., evolution of vocal learning) research questions.
Statistical methods of DNA sequence analysis: detection of intragenic recombination or gene conversion.

Simple but exact statistical tests for detecting a cluster of associated nucleotide changes in DNA are presented. The tests are based on the linear distribution of a set of s sites among a total of n sites, where the s sites may be the variable sites, sites of insertion/deletion, or categorized in some other way. These tests are especially useful for detecting gene conversion and intragenic recombination in a sample of DNA sequences. In this case, the sites of interest are those that correspond to particular ways of splitting the sequences into two groups (e.g., sequences A and D vs. sequences B, C, and E-J). Each such split is termed a phylogenetic partition. Application of these methods to a well-documented case of gene conversion in human gamma-globin genes shows that sites corresponding to two of the three observed partitions are significantly clustered, whereas application to hominoid mitochondrial DNA sequences--among which no recombination is expected to occur--shows no evidence of such clustering. This indicates that clustering of partition-specific sites is largely due to intragenic recombination or gene conversion. Alternative hypotheses explaining the observed clustering of sites, such as biased selection or mutation, are discussed.
Cue configuration effects in acquisition and extinction of a cocaine-induced place preference.

A pervasive finding in animal models of substance abuse is that associations form quickly between contexts and drugs of abuse, such as cocaine. Studies of conditioned place preference (CPP) demonstrate that animals approach cues previously paired with cocaine. This is a commonly used preparation, but the configuration of the CPP apparatus differs across laboratories. Two common apparatus configurations for CPP are one compartment (in which the animal has access to the entire apparatus and spatial cues are irrelevant) or two compartments (in which access is restricted to one half of the apparatus and spatial cues are relevant). We compared the effects of acquisition and extinction of cocaine-induced CPP as a function of configuration. During CPP acquisition, C57BL/6J mice received cocaine paired with one tactile floor (conditioned stimulus, CS+) and saline paired with the other (CS−). CS+ and CS− trials occurred on alternate days in one of three configurations: one-compartment (exposure to the entire apparatus during CS+ or CS−), two-compartment consistent position (exposure to CS+ or CS− in adjacent, spatially distinct compartments), or two-compartment alternating position (exposure to CS+ or CS− in adjacent compartments that alternated spatial locations across days). A stronger preference for the CS+ floor occurred in two- versus one-compartment groups, with the strongest preference observed when cocaine was paired with alternating chamber positions. In contrast, greater loss of preference occurred after extinction in a one-compartment procedure, regardless of one- or two-compartment acquisition history. These findings suggest that a two-compartment configuration facilitated acquisition but attenuated extinction of a cocaine-induced CPP. The use of different CPP configurations may distinguish the underlying substrates and relevant cues for acquisition and extinction processes in cocaine abuse.
Morphological Control of PbS Grown on Functionalized Self-Assembled Monolayers by Chemical Bath Deposition

We have investigated the chemical bath deposition (CBD) of PbS on functionalized alkanethiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy. The deposition mechanism involves both cluster-by-cluster and ion-by-ion growth. The dominant reaction pathway and the chemical composition and morphology of the deposited layer are dependent on both the SAM terminal group and the experimental conditions. On −COOH-terminated SAMs, three types of crystallites are observed: nanocrystals formed by heterogeneous ion-by-ion growth, larger needle-like particles, and ∼2 μm particles deposited by homogeneous cluster-by-cluster deposition. The nanocrystals nucleate at Pb2+-carboxylate surface complexes, and so strongly adhere to the substrate. On −OH- and −CH3-terminated SAMs, only the micrometer-sized particles are formed by a cluster-by-cluster deposition mechanism. These particles do not adhere strongl...
Structured Overlapping Grid Simulations of Contra-rotating Open Rotor Noise

Computational simulations using structured overlapping grids with the Launch Ascent and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) solver framework are presented for predicting tonal noise generated by a contra-rotating open rotor (CROR) propulsion system. A coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational AeroAcoustics (CAA) numerical approach is applied. Three-dimensional time-accurate hybrid Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes/Large Eddy Simulation (RANS/LES) CFD simulations are performed in the inertial frame, including dynamic moving grids, using a higher-order accurate finite difference discretization on structured overlapping grids. A higher-order accurate free-stream preserving metric discretization with discrete enforcement of the Geometric Conservation Law (GCL) on moving curvilinear grids is used to create an accurate, efficient, and stable numerical scheme. The aeroacoustic analysis is based on a permeable surface Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) approach, evaluated in the frequency domain. A time-step sensitivity study was performed using only the forward row of blades to determine an adequate time-step. The numerical approach is validated against existing wind tunnel measurements.
Estimation of Thermal Thresholds and Age-Specific Life Table Parameters for the Walnut Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Under Field Conditions

Methods arc presented for estimating upper and lower thermal thresholds for walnut aphid development from field data. Age-specific life table techniques are also applied to field data to examine the effects of favorable and unfavorable temperatures on life table parameters. High-temperature extremes were found to delay development, shorten adult longevity, and reduce fecundity. As a consequence, the net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of increase were reduced and the population doubling time lengthened as compared with life table parameters measured under more favorable temperature conditions.
Controlling the Fluorescence Response of PET Sensors via the Metal-Ion π-Contacting Ability of the Fluorophore: Coumarin, a Weaker π Contacter.

The π-contact hypothesis, that quenching of the fluorescence of complexes of photoinduced electron transfer sensors with heavy diamagnetic metal ions may be caused by π contacts between the metal ion and the fluorophore of the sensor, is examined with a study of the fluorescent properties of the sensor 4-[[bis(2-pyridinylmethyl)amino]methyl]-6,7-dimethoxy-1-benzopyran-2-one (cdpa) and the structures of its complexes with some metal ions. The coumarin-type fluorophore of cdpa is a weaker π-contact former than the anthracenyl fluorophore of the analogue adpa (Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53, 9014): only AgI, the strongest π contact former, quenches the fluorescence of cdpa, apart from paramagnetic CuII and NiII, which quench fluorescence by a redox mechanism not requiring π contacts. The structures of [Ag(cdpa)NO3] (1), [Pb(cdpa)(NO3)2] (2), [Zn(cdpa)(NO3)2] (3), [Cd(cdpa)Cl2]2 (4), [Cd(cdpa)2H2O](NO3)2 (5), and [Hg(cdpa)2H2O](NO3)2 (6) are reported. Structure 1 shows that AgI is the only metal ion studied that forms...
The New Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations

Since their first publication, the four volumes of the Cambridge History of American Foreign Relations have served as the definitive source for the topic, from the colonial period to the Cold War. This entirely new first volume narrates the British North American colonists' pre-existing desire for expansion, security and prosperity and argues that these desires are both the essence of American foreign relations and the root cause for the creation of the United States. They required the colonists to unite politically, as individual colonies could not dominate North America by themselves. Although ingrained localist sentiments persisted, a strong, durable Union was required for mutual success, thus American nationalism was founded on the idea of allegiance to the Union. Continued tension between the desire for expansion and the fragility of the Union eventually resulted in the Union's collapse and the Civil War.
New strategies for the treatment and prevention of primary headache disorders

The primary headache disorders, which include migraine, cluster headache and tension-type headache, are among the most common diseases and leading causes of disability worldwide. The available treatment options for primary headache disorders have unsatisfactory rates of efficacy, tolerability and patient adherence. In this Review, we discuss promising new approaches for the prevention of primary headache disorders, such as monoclonal antibodies targeting calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or its receptor, and small-molecule CGRP receptor antagonists. Neuromodulation approaches employing noninvasive or implantable devices also show promise for treating primary headache disorders. Noninvasive treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation, are delivered by devices that patients can self-administer. Implantable devices targeting the occipital nerves, sphenopalatine ganglion or high cervical spinal cord are placed using percutaneous and/or surgical procedures, and are powered either wirelessly or by surgically implanted batteries. These new and emerging treatments have the potential to address unmet patient needs and reduce headache-associated disability.
Austrian Perspectives in Law and Economics

The purpose of this essay is to describe and analyze the Austrian approach to law and economics within the context of the law and economics discipline. The important and distinctive feature of the Austrian approach is the emphasis on economic and legal processes. We focus on four themes within the Austrian approach to law and economics: the spontaneous origin of legal institutions; the analysis of implications of ignorance, decentralization of knowledge, and static and dynamic uncertainty; the interaction between the changes in legal institutions and the market process and coordination; and entrepreneurship in market and non-market settings.
Finance for the Small Commercial Farmer

Loans to small commercial farmers increase their investment and significantly accelerate the agricultural growth rate. Increased lending to those farmers requires a specialized lending agency such as that in all high-income countries and the bulk of Asian countries. Competition in lending is desirable so a plethora of other lending institutions is desirable but the core is the specialized agency. This chapter starts with background information and then provides brief points on the wide range of rural lending institutions. That is followed by detailed analysis of the requirements for a specialized agricultural lending institution. The chapter closes with a discussion of literature that presents saving, insurance, and borrowing as being interchangeable.
Frequency and timing of short-term complications following abdominoperineal resection

Abstract Background Abdominoperineal resection (APR) is primarily used for rectal cancer and is associated with a high rate of complications. Though the majority of APRs are performed as open procedures, laparoscopic APRs have become more popular. The differences in short-term complications between open and laparoscopic APR are poorly characterized. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to determine the frequency and timing of onset of 30-d postoperative complications after APR and identify differences between open and laparoscopic APR. Results A total of 7681 patients undergoing laparoscopic or open APR between 2011 and 2015 were identified. The total complication rate for APR was high (45.4%). APRs were commonly complicated by blood transfusion (20.1%), surgical site infection (19.3%), and readmission (12.3%). Laparoscopic APR was associated with a 14% lower total complication rate compared to open APR (36.0% versus 50.1%, P Conclusions Short-term complications following APR are common and occur more frequently in patients who undergo open APR. This, along with factors such as risk of positive pathologic margins, surgeon skill set, and patient characteristics, should contribute to the decision-making process when planning rectal cancer surgery.
2013 Special Issue: Configurable hardware integrate and fire neurons for sparse approximation

Sparse approximation is an important optimization problem in signal and image processing applications. A Hopfield-Network-like system of integrate and fire (IF) neurons is proposed as a solution, using the Locally Competitive Algorithm (LCA) to solve an overcomplete L1 sparse approximation problem. A scalable system architecture is described, including IF neurons with a nonlinear firing function, and current-based synapses to provide linear computation. A network of 18 neurons with 12 inputs is implemented on the RASP 2.9v chip, a Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) with directly programmable floating gate elements. Said system uses over 1400 floating gates, the largest system programmed on a FPAA to date. The circuit successfully reproduced the outputs of a digital optimization program, converging to within 4.8% RMS, and an objective cost only 1.7% higher on average. The active circuit consumed 559 @mA of current at 2.4 V and converges on solutions in 25 @ms, with measurement of the converged spike rate taking an additional 1 ms. Extrapolating the scaling trends to a N=1000 node system, the spiking LCA compares favorably with state-of-the-art digital solutions, and analog solutions using a non-spiking approach.
The Optimal Control Problem

In this chapter we shall discuss an optimization problem that we will call “the optimal control problem.” In the 1950’s, motivated especially by aerospace problems, engineers became interested in the problem of controlling a system governed by a set of differential equations. In many of the problems it was natural to want to control the system so that a given performance index would be minimized. In some aerospace problems large savings in cost could be obtained with a small improvement in performance so that optimal operation became very important. As techniques were developed which were practical for computation and implementation of optimal controls the use of this theory became common in a large number of fields. References which illustrate work typical in applying optimal control to economic problems are Burmeister-Dobell [1], Pindyck [1], Shell [1].
Cross-Linguistic Research on Language and Cognition: Methodological Challenges

This essay discusses several methodological challenges and possible solutions in cross-linguistic research on the relation between language and cognition. Some are rather common concerns in cross-linguistic research; others are specific to research on language processing in Chinese. This essay will focus on four basic ingredients of research: hypotheses, stimulus materials, evaluation of previous findings, and subject populations.
The Dead March: A History of the Mexican‐American War. By Peter Guardino. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017. Pp. 512. $39.95.)

Hostilities between the United States and Mexico began in April 1846, when Mexican troops ambushed a squadron of the 1st Dragoons under Captain Seth Thornton at Rancho de Carricitos, Texas, in the ...
L’éducation thérapeutique du patient en psychiatrie : l’expérience de la région franc-comtoise

Resume Les difficultes rencontrees dans la prise en charge des patients atteints de pathologies psychiatriques sont nombreuses. L’education therapeutique permet une meilleure alliance therapeutique, rend le patient plus autonome et favorise l’empowerment. Elle s’integre au processus de soin dans les pratiques quotidiennes et est inscrite dans le projet institutionnel de l’Association Hospitaliere de Bourgogne Franche-Comte. L’Unite Transversale pour l’Education du Patient accompagne les professionnels dans leurs projets aupres des patients et leur famille.
Protein-Losing Enteropathy

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) refers to a pathologic loss of protein from the gastrointestinal tract. PLE may result from a variety of both intra- and extraintestinal diseases. Patients present with symptomatic hypoalbuminemia leading to peripheral edema, pleural and pericardial effusions, and malnutrition sometimes in the context of symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea. PLE should be suspected in patients with low serum albumin after ruling out acute illness, dilutional hypoalbuminemia, renal losses, and synthetic dysfunction. Calculation of fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin clearance is the test of choice for diagnosis. While many treatments have been reported, the cornerstone of therapy centers on treating the underlying cause of the PLE.
Differential gene expression and gene-set enrichment analysis in Caco-2 monolayers during a 35-day timeline with Dexamethasone exposure

Abstract The Caco-2 cell line has served a historically important role as in vitro model for molecular and cellular biology of polarized intestinal epithelia, including for the effects of glucocorticoid hormone Dexamethasone. Glucocorticoid hormones modulate the endogenous stress response and are important pharmaceuticals for inflammatory diseases including IBD, yet while they significantly affect immune cells, less is known about their specific effects upon epithelial cells and specific effect on epithelial permeability. Previous research showed that DEX exposure does not immediately produce a quantitative effect, but only after a prolonged treatment >10 days. Culture age itself causes marked effects in these non-renewing cell layers which acts as a confounding variable for observed DEX results. To improve resolution of GC-responsive gene expression in this context, we tested polarized Caco-2 monolayer cultures during at 30-day timecourse, with ∼15-days of continuous Dexamethasone exposure. We tested differential gene expression using a 250-plex gene expression panel with the Nanostring nCounter® system, with multiple replicates collected periodically over the timecourse. Gene panel was selectively enriched a-priori for KEGG pathway annotations from tight-junction, actin cytoskeleton regulation, colorectal cancer pathways and others, allowing highly focused, gene-set pathway enrichment analyses. Nanostring nSolver™ data modelling algorithm uses an optimization algorithm and mixture negative binomial model to factor for Time and DEX covariate effects during determination of DE. Analysis identifies strong, culture age-associated “EMT-like” signature with upregulation of actomyosin contraction and integrins, while DEX treatment is associated with a subtler, yet significant counter-signal with suppression of actomyosin genes, and selective DE for different RTKs.
Changepoint analysis for single-molecule polarized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy experiments.

The experimental study of individual macromolecules has opened a door to determining the details of their mechanochemical operation. Motor enzymes such as the myosin family have been particularly attractive targets for such study, in part because some of them are highly processive and their “product” is spatial motion. But single-molecule resolution comes with its own costs and limitations. Often, the observations rest on single fluorescent dye molecules, which emit a limited number of photons before photobleaching and are subject to complex internal dynamics. Thus, it is important to develop methods that extract the maximum useful information from a finite set of detected photons. We have extended an experimental technique, multiple polarization illumination in total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (polTIRF), to record the arrival time and polarization state of each individual detected photon. We also extended an analysis technique, previously applied to FRET experiments, that optimally determines times of changes in photon emission rates. Combining these improvements allows us to identify the structural dynamics of a molecular motor (myosin V) with unprecedented detail and temporal resolution.
Antimicrobial activity of cinnamon oil nanoemulsion against Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. on melons

Abstract Listeria and Salmonella related recalls and outbreaks are of major concern to the melon industry. Cinnamon oil has shown its usefulness in antimicrobial food treatment. However, its applications are limited due to poor solubility of cinnamon oil in water. Utilization of Cinnamon oil nanoemulsion may offer effective antimicrobial treatment to the melon industry. Different formulations of cinnamon oil nanoemulsion were made by ultrasonication using Tween 80 as an emulsifier. The particle size of emulsion was determined by dynamic light scattering. Microbroth dilution assay was performed on Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. to find out the antimicrobial efficacy of cinnamon oil nanoemulsion. Honeydew and cantaloupe were artificially inoculated with the bacterial strains mentioned above followed by treatment in nanoemulsion (control, 0.1%, 0.25%, and 0.5%) for 1 min. The average diameter of our nanoemulsion was 9.63 ± 0.3 nm. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cinnamon oil nanoemulsion for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. strains was 0.078% v/v and 0.039% v/v, respectively. Compared to the water control, 0.5% nanoemulsion showed up to 7.7 and 5.5 log reductions in Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp., respectively. The data suggests that cinnamon oil nanoemulsion can be used as an effective natural microbial control agent for melons.
Safe and Interactive Autonomy: A Journey Starting from Formal Methods (Keynote)

Todays society is rapidly advancing towards autonomous systems that interact and collaborate with humans, e.g., semiautonomous vehicles interacting with drivers and pedestrians, medical robots used in collaboration with doctors, or service robots interacting with their users in smart homes. With the emergence of autonomous systems in our every day lives, we need to design algorithms and tools that enable safe and seamless interactions with people.In this talk, I will start with my journey in providing safety for human-robot systems by discussing a spectrum of views on safe autonomous systems including a formal methods perspective for synthesizing provably correct controllers, a robust control approach, and more recent advances in safe learning and verification. I will then discuss one of the main challenges of safety of human-robot systems, i.e., studying how robots influence humans actions in one-on-one or group settings. This is usually overlooked by assuming humans act as external disturbances just like moving obstacles, or assuming that automation can always help societies without actually considering how humans can be impacted. I will talk about our recent work in building computational models of human behavior from expert demonstrations and preferences in interaction with autonomous systems and challenges it introduces for safety and robustness verification.
Assessment of antibiotic-resistant organism transmission among rooms of hospitalized patients, healthcare personnel, and the hospital environment utilizing surrogate markers and selective bacterial cultures.

OBJECTIVE To assess potential transmission of antibiotic-resistant organisms (AROs) using surrogate markers and bacterial cultures. DESIGN Pilot study. SETTING A 1,260-bed tertiary-care academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS The study included 25 patients (17 of whom were on contact precautions for AROs) and 77 healthcare personnel (HCP). METHODS Fluorescent powder (FP) and MS2 bacteriophage were applied in patient rooms. HCP visits to each room were observed for 2-4 hours; hand hygiene (HH) compliance was recorded. Surfaces inside and outside the room and HCP skin and clothing were assessed for fluorescence, and swabs were collected for MS2 detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and selective bacterial cultures. RESULTS Transfer of FP was observed for 20 rooms (80%) and 26 HCP (34%). Transfer of MS2 was detected for 10 rooms (40%) and 15 HCP (19%). Bacterial cultures were positive for 1 room and 8 HCP (10%). Interactions with patients on contact precautions resulted in fewer FP detections than interactions with patients not on precautions (P < .001); MS2 detections did not differ by patient isolation status. Fluorescent powder detections did not differ by HCP type, but MS2 was recovered more frequently from physicians than from nurses (P = .03). Overall, HH compliance was better among HCP caring for patients on contact precautions than among HCP caring for patients not on precautions (P = .003), among nurses than among other nonphysician HCP at room entry (P = .002), and among nurses than among physicians at room exit (P = .03). Moreover, HCP who performed HH prior to assessment had fewer fluorescence detections (P = .008). CONCLUSIONS Contact precautions were associated with greater HCP HH compliance and reduced detection of FP and MS2.
Expert assessments of strategies to enhance global nuclear security

Historically, the U.S. has sought to use commercial trade in nuclear technologies to influence international nuclear security standards and promote nonproliferation. Concern has grown that, with a stagnating domestic nuclear industry and declining export industry, the U.S. will lose a significant tool of foreign policy and leverage in maintaining strong international standards. While the issue has been discussed extensively in the policy community and used as a powerful rhetorical tool to motivate tangentially related policies such as subsidizing existing U.S. nuclear plants, no one has systematically assessed the issue, structured the problem and proposed and evaluated potential solutions. Here we briefly analyze the current international state of play, and then outline a set of specific strategies the U.S. might adopt on its own, or promote internationally, to retain its influence. Building on the literature, nuclear security and nuclear power experts assisted us in framing the issues and then, in a participatory workshop, helped us to assess and refine possible strategies. While not all experts agreed that U.S. influence has already declined, most indicated that it likely would decline in the future if present domestic and international trends continue. Although none of the proposed strategies that we advanced or that the experts suggested are likely to be effective in the short term, several warrant ongoing refinements and, if they can be implemented, might have beneficial impacts in coming decades.
Who Is Left Out? The Process of Validating Voter Registration Applications: Part of Special Symposium on Election Sciences

Whose voter registration requires further verification and why? And why are some prospective registrants left out from voter records? These questions can uncover challenges in the voter registratio...
Controlling the "Opioid Epidemic": A Novel Chemical Entity (NCE) to Reduce or Supplant Opiate Use for Chronic Pain.

We report on the ongoing project “A Novel Therapeutic to Ameliorate Chronic Pain and Reduce Opiate Use.” Over 100 million adults in the U.S. suffer from intermittent or constant chronic pain, and chronic pain affects at least 10% of the world’s population. The primary pharmaceuticals for treatment of chronic pain have been natural or synthetic opioids and the use of opioids for pain treatment has resulted in what has been called an “epidemic” of opioid abuse, addiction and lethal overdoses. We have, through a process of rational drug design, generated a novel chemical entity (NCE) and have given it the name Kindolor. Kindolor is a non-opiate, non-addicting molecule that was developed specifically to simultaneously control the aberrant activity of three targets on the peripheral sensory system that are integral in the development and propagation of chronic pain. In our initial preclinical studies, we demonstrated the efficacy of Kindolor to reduce or eliminate chronic pain in five animal models. The overall goal of the project is to complete the investigational new drug (IND)-enabling preclinical studies of Kindolor, and once IND approval is gained, we will proceed to the clinical Phase Ia and 1b safety studies and a Phase 2a efficacy study. The work is in its second year, and the present report describes progress toward our overall goal of bringing our compound to a full Phase 2 ready stage.
“Taking Care of Your Own”: Parochialism, Pride of Place, and the Drive to Diversify Teaching:

As the student population in U.S. public schools becomes increasingly ethnoracially diverse, many school districts and hiring personnel have taken proactive approaches to recruiting teachers of col...
Bipartisan Constitutional Reform Amendments

In April 2020, I posted on SSRN a proposed draft Voting Rights and Reform Act of 2021, and in August 2020, I posted a set of proposed constitutional amendments to reform the U.S. Supreme Court, the office of the U.S. Attorney General, issues relating to the inability and succession of the President, and other matters. My original versions of those proposals were colored by my expectation that Democrats would prevail in the campaign for the White House (which has occurred with President Biden’s victory) and that Democrats would also win solid majorities in both Houses of Congress (which has not occurred). I have now recalibrated the proposals in light of the closely divided Congress that has taken office in 2021. To see my “Proposed Voting Rights and Reform Act,” see the paper posted here on SSRN as cited in the downloadable PDF file. That proposal draws upon Congress’s underused constitutional power under Article I, section 4, clause 1, to regulate the “Times, Places and Manner” of elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. My sincere hope is that these proposed draft constitutional amendments may be able to garner broad, consensus, bipartisan support, and may help provide a partial path forward in the nation’s deeply polarized and even paranoid current political culture. They may at least help stabilize and restore trust in the Supreme Court and the Attorney General as guarantors of the rule of law, and in our process for electing the President. The main addition to this revised set of constitutional proposals is a draft amendment to preserve, but also reform and modify, the Electoral College. Much of that proposal could also be effectively adopted as an interstate compact approved by Congress, if enough states could be persuaded to join. Either such a compact or such a constitutional amendment would obviously depend on persuading both Republican and Democratic partisans that they have a sufficiently strong common interest in agreeing on certain basic reforms.
Trends in energy drink and combined alcohol and energy drinks consumption among Italian high school students, 2008-2019.

Abstract Background Energy Drinks (ED) are caffeinated beverages marketed as attention and endurance enhancers. The main purpose of this study is to provide national estimates of the prevalence of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) and ED use among school-aged adolescents. A secondary objective is to examine the differences in the prevalence of AmED and ED consumption by gender. Methods For this study, we used data from twelve consecutive years, from ESPAD-Italia®2008 to ESPAD-Italia®2019. Results From 2008–2019, the prevalence of lifetime consumption of energy drinks increased significantly for male (64.5–75.7%, p Conclusions The findings suggest that the prevalence of ED consumption among Italian high school students is very high and has grown substantially over the past 12 years. Differently the prevalence of AmED use, although widespread, did not increase overall since 2013.
Sociodemographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics, and Basic Skills of the Nonformal Distance Education Participants Among Adults in the US:

Despite increasing demand in distance education, relatively little is known about the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as basic skill levels of adult distance education partici...
Invariant Contrast Adaptation in the Primate Outer Plexiform Layer

Luminance contrast adaptation in the primate retina is localized to synaptic interactions of the outer plexiform layer (OPL). Experiments, with a computer model of the OPL derived from known anatomy and physiology, suggest that simple network interactions can implement invariant contrast adaptation while maintaining high luminance contrast sensitivity over 7 log units of retinal illuminance. Furthermore, simulation results predict behavior consistent with known psychophysics of primate foveal photopic vision.
Perinatal Programming and Blood Pressure

Adverse intrauterine and perinatal events may have profound effects on the fetus and neonate. This chapter discusses both epidemiologic data and experimental models that elucidate those factors involved in perinatal programming and developmental origins of adult disease. Persons who have been born after exposure to an adverse intrauterine environment may be at higher risk of future diseases than those born after uneventful gestation. This phenomenon has been called “perinatal programming,” a term suggesting the importance of the milieu during organogenesis to future events. The mechanisms by which perinatal programming occurs are multiple, involving subtle changes in development, changes in expression of various proteins, and, likely, epigenetic changes. Infants who are small for gestational age or are premature appear to be at high risk to be subject to the effects of programming. Whether such people should be considered as having an “extra” risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, as well as for metabolic syndrome and other conditions, is discussed in this chapter.
Policy Making in an Integrated World: From Surveillance to … ?

The adequacy of multilateral surveillance and of the institutions charged with carry­ing it out has been cast into doubt by the series of escalating crises that has punctuated the 1990s. No one questions that domestic policies have important cross-border repercussions in a world of interdependent economies. No one questions the prima facie case for surveillance to foster a consensus on the nature of those repercus­sions, to encourage countries to adjust their policies to better take cross-border spillovers into account, and to monitor governments’ compliance with the terms of their agreements. But the adequacy of existing mechanisms for discharging these functions has come under a cloud following the European currency crisis of 1992–3, the Tequila crisis of 1994–5, the Asian crisis of 1997 and the global emerging-markets crisis of 1998 and as a result of the inability of the official community to do much about either the causes or consequences of financial crises.