cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mutant Strains of Escherichia coli K-12 Exhibiting Enhanced Sensitivity to 5-Methyltryptophan

Eighteen mutants (designated MT(s)), isolated in Escherichia coli K-12, showed increased sensitivity to inhibition of growth by 5-methyltryptophan. All mutants were also much more sensitive to 4-methyltryptophan and 7-azatryptophan but exhibited near normal sensitivity to 5-fluorotryptophan and 6-fluorotryptophan. All of the mutations were linked to the trp operon. Their locations within the trp operon were established by deletion mapping. There was good agreement between the map position of an MT(s) mutation and a lowered activity of one of the tryptophan pathway enzymes. Three mutants, one of which contained a mutation that mapped within the trpE gene, were deficient in their ability to use glutamine as an amino donor in the formation of anthranilic acid. Another trpE mutation led to the production of an anthranilate synthetase with an increased sensitivity to feedback inhibition by tryptophan.
Time domain and statistical modeling of the Barkhausen effect used as a magnetic sensor

This research presents a time domain model of the Barkhausen effect as a magnetic field sensor. This type of magnetic field sensor will supplement magnetic field sensors already in use and should have wide applicability in the EMC community. When a silicon steel sheet is placed at the center of a coil, an external magnetic field from a moving magnet will cause the magnetic domain walls to snap and click as they suddenly orient themselves. This sudden orientation of the magnetic domains causes sudden changes in magnetization which produce impulses of EMF which can be heard as distinct clicks on a loudspeaker connected to an amplifier and with the amplifier connected to the coil. This sudden orientation of the magnetic domain walls in the presence of an external magnetic field is called the Barkhausen effect. In this paper a time domain model of the Barkhausen effect as a magnetic sensor is presented. Equations are also developed which model the Barkhausen effect as a motion sensor by sensing magnetic fields in a moving reference frame modeled. The sudden orientation of the magnetic domain described by the Barkhausen effect is mathematically modeled by calculating the energy needed to change the direction of the Bloch wall or the transition layer that separates adjacent domains magnetized in different directions. The spectrum of the Barkhausen effect was theoretically derived.
Intra-articular sodium hyaluronate in osteoarthritis of the knee

Abstract Objectives: Hyaluronan (HA) has recently been approved in the United States for management of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and is the first biological available for use in OA. To better understand the therapeutic role of HA, this review focuses on comparative clinical trial data. Methods: Literature reports of clinical trials comparing HA with placebo, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and intra-articular corticosteroids were reviewed. The pivotal US trial evaluating HA efficacy and safety was summarized. Results: Over the past decade, 5 of 8 controlled clinical trials demonstrated HA was superior to placebo in relieving the pain of OA. A sixth trial showed improvement in a subset of older patients with more severe disease. Comparison of HA with corticosteroids showed equal pain relief in the first few weeks after therapy, with HA demonstrating more sustained benefit up to 60 days. In the recent US trial, HA was statistically superior to placebo and at least as effective as naproxen in providing analgesia. In all trials reporting adverse effects, the primary adverse effect with HA was pain at the injection site. Conclusions: HA appears effective in relieving the pain of OA of the knee and provides a relatively safe alternative for patients for whom conventional therapy has failed. Semin Arthritis Rheum 30:11-18. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Prevalence and Predictors of Neoadjuvant Therapy for Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the National Cancer Database: Importance of Socioeconomic Status and Treating Institution

Purpose The optimal locoregional therapy for stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial, with definitive chemoradiation therapy (CRT) and neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery (NT-S) serving as competing strategies. In this study, we used the National Cancer Database to determine the prevalence and predictors of NT in a large, modern cohort of patients. Methods and Materials Patients with stage IIIA NSCLC treated with CRT or NT-S between 2003 and 2010 at programs accredited by the Commission on Cancer were included. Predictors were categorized as clinical, time/geographic, socioeconomic, and institutional. In accord with the National Cancer Database, institutions were classified as academic/research program and as comprehensive and noncomprehensive community cancer centers. Logistic regression and random effects multilevel logistic regression were performed for univariable and multivariable analyses, respectively. Results The cohort consisted of 18,581 patients, 3,087 (16.6%) of whom underwent NT-S (10.6% induction CRT, 6% induction chemotherapy). The prevalence of NT-S was constant over time, but there were significant relative 31% and 30% decreases in pneumonectomy and right-sided pneumonectomy, respectively, over time ( P trend Conclusions Neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery was an uncommon treatment approach in Commission on Cancer programs, and the prevalence of postinduction pneumonectomy decreased over time. Higher socioeconomic status and treatment at academic institutions were significant predictors of NT-S. Further research should be performed to enable a better understanding of these disparities.
Neurobehavioral deficits and parkinsonism in occupations with manganese exposure: a review of methodological issues in the epidemiological literature.

Exposure to manganese (Mn) is associated with neurobehavioral effects. There is disagreement on whether commonly occurring exposures in welding, ferroalloy, and other industrial processes produce neurologically significant neurobehavioral changes representing parkinsonism. A review of methodological issues in the human epidemiological literature on Mn identified: (1) studies focused on idiopathic Parkinson disease without considering manganism, a parkinsonian syndrome; (2) studies with healthy worker effect bias; (3) studies with problematic statistical modeling; and (4) studies arising from case series derived from litigation. Investigations with adequate study design and exposure assessment revealed consistent neurobehavioral effects and attributable subclinical and clinical signs and symptoms of impairment. Twenty-eight studies show an exposure-response relationship between Mn and neurobehavioral effects, including 11 with continuous exposure metrics and six with three or four levels of contrasted exposure. The effects of sustained low-concentration exposures to Mn are consistent with the manifestations of early manganism, i.e., consistent with parkinsonism. This is compelling evidence that Mn is a neurotoxic chemical and there is good evidence that Mn exposures far below the current US standard of 5.0 mg/m3 are causing impairment.
Peyote and Related Alkaloids XVI: Synthesis of 3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenylalanine, an Amino Acid Analog of Mescaline

Contrary to an earlier literature report, acid hydrolysis of diethyl α-acetamido-α-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylmalonate during the synthesis of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylalanine has been shown to lead to a mixture of products. The major hydrolysis products were isolated and identified by nmR and mass spectrometry as 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylalanine (34%), 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenylalanine (13%), 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethoxyphenylalanine (8%), and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxyphenylalanine (5%). Under basic conditions, the acetamidomalonate ester as well as its formamido analog, obtained by the condensation of trimethoxybenzyl chloride and diethyl formamidomalonate, gave low yields (5–7%) of the required trimethoxyphenylalanine. However, no phenolic side-products were formed under basic conditions. An efficient alternative synthesis of 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylalanine has been accomplished; it involves the condensation of hydantoin with trimethoxybenzaldehyde followed by hydrogenation and basic hydrolysis of the resulting 5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidine)hydantoin. GC–mass spectrometric examination of the peyote amino acid fraction gave no evidence for the presence of trimethoxyphenylalanine and other trioxygenated phenylalanine analogs obtained during these synthetic studies.
Psycholinguistic, cognitive, and neural implications of bimodal bilingualism

Bimodal bilinguals, fluent in a signed and a spoken language, exhibit a unique form of bilingualism because their two languages access distinct sensory-motor systems for comprehension and production. Differences between unimodal and bimodal bilinguals have implications for how the brain is organized to control, process, and represent two languages. Evidence from code-blending (simultaneous production of a word and a sign) indicates that the production system can access two lexical representations without cost, and the comprehension system must be able to simultaneously integrate lexical information from two languages. Further, evidence of cross-language activation in bimodal bilinguals indicates the necessity of links between languages at the lexical or semantic level. Finally, the bimodal bilingual brain differs from the unimodal bilingual brain with respect to the degree and extent of neural overlap for the two languages, with less overlap for bimodal bilinguals.
Intelligent supply chain management using adaptive critic learning

A set of neural networks is employed to develop control policies that are better than fixed, theoretically optimal policies, when applied to a combined physical inventory and distribution system in a nonstationary demand environment. Specifically, we show that model-based adaptive critic approximate dynamic programming techniques can be used with systems characterized by discrete valued states and controls. The control policies embodied by the trained neural networks outperformed the best, fixed policies (found by either linear programming or genetic algorithms) in a high-penalty cost environment with time-varying demand.
NUCLEAR STOPPING POWER IN NUCLEON-NUCLEUS AND NUCLEUS-NUCLEUS COLLISIONS

The nuclear stopping power, as revealed by nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions, indicates that the incident nuclear matter loses a substantial fraction of its energy in the collision process. As this energy lost by the nuclear matter is converted into the energy of the hadron matter produced in the center-of-mass region, the nuclear stopping process in high-energy heavy-ion collisions appears to be an excellent tool to produce regions of very high energy density, with a possibility of leading to the formation of a quark-gluon plasma.
Discursive Agency and Collective Action among Lubavitch Hasidic Women

Analysis of discursive agency in the writings of Lubavitch Hasidic women reflects complex collectivities that are simultaneously group and “serial” (the latter a concept created by Jean-Paul Sartre and further developed by Iris Marion Young). Agency and identity negotiation, as inherently communal, complicate collective action and thus complicate the nature of collective discursive action. I present a theoretical intervention that enables discourse theorists to place collective action in more than two categories and that offers alternate ways to read collective action—particularly action related to religious rituals and religious discourse.
Lebesgue Constants Determined by Extremal Sets

Let \( - 1 \leq {\text{x}}_{\text{0}}^{\text{n}} < {\text{x}}_1^{\text{n}} < \ldots < {\text{x}}_{\text{n}}^{\text{n}} < {\text{x}}_{\text{n+ 1}} ^{\text{n}} \leq 1 \) be n + 2 points in the interval I = [−1, 1]. Then $$ {{\rm{X}}_{\rm{n}}} = \left\{ {{\rm{x}}_{\rm{i}}^{\rm{n}}} \right\}_{{\rm{i = 0}}}^{{\rm{n}} + 1} $$ (1.1)
Intraoperative Distal Femoral Fine Wire Traction to Facilitate Intramedullary Nailing of the Femur

Many techniques have been employed to facilitate intramedullary nailing of femur fractures. Maintaining limb length during the operation can be difficult. The authors describe the use of distal femoral fine wire skeletal traction as a technique to maintain reduction while allowing intramedullary nailing of femur fractures. This technique is safe, is effective, and negates the need for a fracture table or an assistant.
Space: Negative Selection, Physical Constraint, and Symmetry

A descriptive role is suggested for uracil as a temporal divide in the immediate aspects of metabolism verses long term maintained genetic transmission. In particular, details of the mechanism of excision repair of uracil from DNA based on differential parameters of spatial distortion of the planar uracil molecule within the DNA helix verses RNA, when viewed in analogy to a proposed model for space involving the substitution of the act of mirroring for the element of time in processes and a descending complexity of structure with time of evolution, suggest the possibility that negative selection against decreased lifetime is the singular motive force of natural selection. The geometry of the Mobius strip, as it has a plane of mirroring symmetry, a twist able to account for torque in nature, an inversion of inside and out seen in biological structures, and an endless surface that can be accommodated to an atemporal account of physical processes is employed in a holistic model to elaborate a negative selection opposing death as zero volume or the logical existence of physical constraint to volumes that is represented as the ubiquitous inability of witnessing objects of any type to witness simultaneously both a self reflection and the reflection of self reflection. A role for uracil and its’ physical structure, in a model in which both are evolved from the mirroring of events of the witnessing of energies, is elaborated in which temporal aspects such as those entailed in existing models of natural evolution are considered inappropriate in perspectives that are oriented positively towards a successful comprehension of processes; focus is placed instead upon the geometry and arrangement of physical spaces.
Paternalistic Pension Policy: Psychological Evidence and Economic Theory

Left to their own devices, many people will not save enough for their old age. This hard truth about human behavior has led American government to make a long and expensive commitment to retirement security programs. Indeed, Congress has made retirement security the most expensive commitment on the American public policy agenda. Of the two main components of this policy, one, Social Security, is by far the most costly domestic program. The other, the system of tax subsidies to employer pensions, is the federal government's largest tax expenditure.2 With the great expenditures on these programs, Congress has set out to guarantee that even the most profligate young worker will have something to retire on. These massive programs, however, have not entirely achieved their goal. As a host of critics have pointed out, pension coverage remains distressingly spotty and inequitable.3 The highest subsi-
Sympathy for the Devil: How Broadcast News Reduces Negativity Toward Political Leaders

This study examines whether broadcast news reduces negativity toward political leaders by exposing partisans to opposing viewpoints. For analysis, both exposure to broadcast news and variation in media content are used to predict changes in feelings toward the candidates during the 2008 presidential election. The results suggest that increased exposure to broadcast news increased partisans’ favorability toward the out-party candidate. In addition, increased coverage of the candidates was followed by increased favorability among members of the opposing party. These results demonstrate the benefits of exposure to two-sided communications flows for the reduction of animosity between the political parties. Moreover, these results suggest that public negativity toward political leaders might be even worse if not for the large amount of overlap between the audiences for partisan and mainstream news outlets.
Understanding Human Intelligence Since Spearman

One hundred years have passed since Charles Spearman (1904a, 1904b) published papers in which-it has been said-nearly all the basic formulas that are particularly useful in test theory are found (Gulliksen, 1950), and g, “a general mental ability that enters into every kind of activity requiring mental effort, was discovered” (Jensen, 1998, p. 18). Such thoughts led to a question that led to organizing a conference, which led to writings and the idea of putting the writings together in a book. The question was, “What have we learned about test theory and human intelligence since Spearman wrote those articles that seemed to say it all?” In this chapter, we talk about the part of the question that pertains to human intelligence.
Energizer: PGC-1α keeps the heart going

In the current issue of Cell Metabolism, Arany et al. (2005) demonstrate essential roles for PGC-1α in cardiac metabolism, proving several long-postulated functions while disproving others. These experiments conclusively reinforce the logic of rescuing PGC-1α as a novel therapeutic target in heart failure.
Use of tetramethylbenzidine in plasma hemoglobin assay

Plasma hemoglobin can be assayed by substituting 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine for benzidine (a carcinogen) as the chromogenic reducing substance. Sensitivity, precision, and accuracy compare well with methods in which benzidine is used. Plasma inhibition can be accommodated by preincubation with hydrogen peroxide.
THE METZLER TARIFF PARADOX: Extensions to Nontraded and Intermediate Commodities

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the Metzler tariff paradox. Both non-traded goods and intermediate goods are introduced in a simple model to examine the Metzler tariff paradox. The role of non-traded goods in this altered model is unambiguously to make the Metzler paradox less likely. If the Metzler paradox is possible when price changes for non-traded goods are ignored, it is still possible, but less likely, when these price changes are allowed, to react back upon the demand for imports in each country. It was Metzler's contribution to point out that the paradox involved a value smaller than unity for the sum of the home country's increased spending on imports as of constant domestic prices for traded goods—per unit increase in income—and the foreign elasticity of demand for imports.
Biomineralized CdS Quantum Dot Nanocrystals: Optimizing Synthesis Conditions and Improving Functional Properties by Surface Modification

An engineered strain of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SMCD1) is capable of the direct extracellular biomineralization of CdS quantum dot nanocrystals from buffered aqueous solution of cadmium acetate and l-cysteine without the addition of a chemically reactive precursor. Nanocrystal synthesis is strongly influenced by both the l-cysteine/cadmium acetate ratio and pH of the solution. The observed trends are consistent with l-cysteine acting as both a sulfur source and nanocrystal capping agent. Enzymatic turnover of l-cysteine by a putative cystathionine γ-lyase forms reactive sulfur in solution, removing the requirement for addition of reactive sodium sulfide typical of most other biomineralization approaches. The utility of the biomineralized quantum dots is demonstrated by phase transfer from the aqueous to the organic phase and subsequent incorporation into a quantum dot sensitized solar cell and chemical growth of a ZnS shell onto the biomineralized CdS core.
Promoting Global Citizenship through Project-Based Learning: Evidence from a Large-Enrollment Political Science Course

A large and growing body of research has recently turned its attention to the promotion of global citizenship as an essential component of undergraduate education. Although there is considerable consensus on the value of this goal, there is less agreement as to how it is best achieved or assessed. Are some pedagogical interventions or approaches more effective than others? Recent studies have made advances in more concretely defining and operationalizing the concept of global citizenship, but few have rigorously assessed substantive learning gains in this area, and fewer still have assessed changes in global values or political efficacy as the consequence of specific pedagogical interventions. This study contributes to efforts to address this gap by examining the impact of project-based learning in a large (136 student) upper-division political science course. Building on a global citizenship survey developed by Levintova, Johnson, Scheberle and Vonck (2011), adapting sections of the Carnegie Foundation Political Engagement Survey, and generating additional questions based on global citizenship research, we develop a 33-question survey to assess three dimensions of global citizenship: (1) global knowledge, (2) global values, and (3) global efficacy. We find statistically significant change in the predicted direction on 17 of 33 survey questions (52%), and on two of three indices created. Where statistically significant change is not found, in almost all cases (14 of 16 questions) pre-project mean scores were exceptionally high (4.0 or greater), which decreased the likelihood of significant change post-project. Qualitative analysis of student responses to four open-ended end-of-term survey questions is also conducted to assess students’ perception of the value of project-based learning to their development of global citizenship skills. Ultimately the study finds compelling quantitative and qualitative evidence that project-based learning, if carefully designed and implemented, may, indeed, provide a unique learning experience that enables students to develop the knowledge and skills required for effective global citizenship.
Latino Partisanship: All About Immigration?

This chapter tests the proposition that Latinos are driven politically by the issue of immigration. The first section of this chapter solidifies the view that Latinos care about a multitude of issues, not just immigration. The analyses run into the problem of whether issues drive partisanship or partisanship drives issues. Statistical methods are employed to attempt to disentangle this problem, but findings suggest that immigration preferences are, at best, endogenous to partisanship. At worst, immigration preferences are unrelated to partisanship. When considering all issues, statistical analyses show that immigration considerations are not central to Latino partisanship. If issues drive Latino partisanship, immigration is not at the forefront.
Fast Link Scheduling Policies for Persistent Data Ferrying

The persistent data-ferrying problem has a naturally cascaded structure between vehicle and communication dynamics, allowing the wireless link scheduling optimization to be encapsulated within a path-planning optimization problem. This work derives and analyzes policies to solve the inner link scheduling problem quickly. Given a path and properties about the communication environment, the link scheduling problem is formulated as a binary integer linear program with unique ferrying constraints. The performances of several heuristic link scheduling policies are analyzed in terms of computation effort and achievable throughput of the solution. The performance characteristics are then validated through simulation, showing that the greedy knapsack solution achieves within 99% of the optimal allocation in less than 2% of the computation time compared to traditional solvers. The quickness of this policy reduces the computational complexity needed to solve the full data-ferry problem.
Redskins: Insult and Brand

Redskins: Insult and Brand by C. Richard King provides a comprehensive overview of the controversy surrounding the National Football League’s Washington DC team name. His monograph is simultaneousl...
Play and theory of mind

Play allows children to explore, imitate, and rehearse. It is a form of cognitive assimilation and accommodation. It promotes an ability to flexibly adapt to environmental demands. A child’s preferred play activities frequently predict future careers in the creative arts, including the performing arts. Performing artists naturally gravitate to pretend role-playing, constructing elaborate worldplays, which are then realized as performed play-productions. The integration of objects (imagined or real), adoption of role-playing, and interacting in a situation provides rich opportunities to exercise cognitive, affective, social, and cultural skill development. Young children also naturally cultivate a “theory of mind”; they can deduce the thoughts and feelings of another. This is an essential survival skill that rapidly develops in early childhood, and gains elaboration and complexity through development. Play experiences, especially role-play and pretend play, help children increase theory of mind abilities.
A biostatistical model of prostate cancer outcomes for African-Americans and Caucasians regarding their elevated PSA scores in several three month follow-ups

A24 We have analyzed eight consecutive PSA scores for the African American and Caucasian prostate cancer patients who had a surgical procedure at the University of North Carolina Medical School. This procedure was done by James H. Moeller and two other clinicians at the UNC-CH Medical School. The PSA scores of the patients were measured for several three month follow-ups. We first performed exploratory biostatistical analysis on the patients’ data set. These procedures Included Proc Frequency and Proc Content conducted in SAS9.1, Inc Carey NC. We carefully analyzed this clinical data set with respect to TNM (Tumor, Node, and Metastasis) and in cases where patient data was missing due to the loss to follow-up. We performed survival analysis considering time to relapse as the time to event variable. We have plotted Kaplan-Meier Survival functions computing median survival and patients who died before this study was completed. In addition, I have applied the biostatistical technique of time dependent covariates to investigate the effect of lead-time bias and its possible impact on African American versus Caucasian patients’ clinical outcomes. I have conducted this biostatistical analysis in R2.5.1 Insightful, Inc. Seattle WA. [The views expressed in this paper do not reflect those of either the NIH-National Cancer Institute or UNC-Chapel Hill Medical School and its Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.]
Big Data and Total Hip Arthroplasty: How Do Large Databases Compare?

BACKGROUND Use of large databases for orthopedic research has become extremely popular in recent years. Each database varies in the methods used to capture data and the population it represents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how these databases differed in reported demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative complications for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. METHODS Primary THA patients were identified within National Surgical Quality Improvement Programs (NSQIP), Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), Medicare Standard Analytic Files (MED), and Humana administrative claims database (HAC). NSQIP definitions for comorbidities and complications were matched to corresponding International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision/Current Procedural Terminology codes to query the other databases. Demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative complications were compared. RESULTS The number of patients from each database was 22,644 in HAC, 371,715 in MED, 188,779 in NIS, and 27,818 in NSQIP. Age and gender distribution were clinically similar. Overall, there was variation in prevalence of comorbidities and rates of postoperative complications between databases. As an example, NSQIP had more than twice the obesity than NIS. HAC and MED had more than 2 times the diabetics than NSQIP. Rates of deep infection and stroke 30 days after THA had more than 2-fold difference between all databases. CONCLUSION Among databases commonly used in orthopedic research, there is considerable variation in complication rates following THA depending upon the database used for analysis. It is important to consider these differences when critically evaluating database research. Additionally, with the advent of bundled payments, these differences must be considered in risk adjustment models.
Laser Fluorescence Bronchoscopy for Early Lung Cancer Localization

Lung cancer is responsible for over 89,000 deaths annually in the United States. In order to decrease this rate, early diagnosis, localization, and therapy must be undertaken. Early detection is available by sputum cytology. An early lesion may only be a few millimeters in extent and 100 micrometers thick. Such a small preinvasive lesion is not localizable by conventional radiography, computed tomography, or nuclear medicine. The lesion may be visually indistinguishable from normal bronchial mucosa variations under white light fiberoptic bronchoscopy.
Tracking afterimage shrinkage during fading

Using a method in which the S adjusted the distance of a comparison stimulus of fixed size, the size changes of projected afterimages (AIs) were tracked during fading. Foveal Als and extrafoveal Als were found to contract slightly over time, with the foveal Als fading more rapidly and contracting to a greater extent.
Critical Investigations of Resilience: A Brief Introduction to Indigenous Environmental Studies & Sciences

Indigenous peoples are among the most active environmentalists in the world, working through advocacy, educational programs, and research. The emerging field of Indigenous Environmental Studies and...
Long Non-Coding RNA Malat1 Regulates Angiogenesis in Hindlimb Ischemia

Angiogenesis is a complex process that depends on the delicate regulation of gene expression. Dysregulation of transcription during angiogenesis often leads to various human diseases. Emerging evidence has recently begun to show that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may mediate angiogenesis in both physiological and pathological conditions; concurrently, underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unexplored. Previously, our lab identified metastasis associates lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (Malat1) as an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-responsive endothelial lncRNA. Here we reported that genetic deficiency of Malat1 leads to reduced blood vessel formation and local blood flow perfusion in mouse hind limbs at one to four weeks after hindlimb ischemia. Malat1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) levels were found to be increased in both cultured mouse primary skeletal muscle microvascular endothelial cells (SMMECs) after 16 h OGD followed by 24 h reperfusion and in mouse gastrocnemius muscle that underwent hindlimb ischemia followed by 28 days of reperfusion. Moreover, Malat1 silencing by locked nucleic acid (LNA)-GapmeRs significantly reduced tube formation, cell migration, and cell proliferation in SMMEC cultures. Mechanistically, RNA subcellular isolation and RNA-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that Malat1 directly targets VEGFR2 to facilitate angiogenesis. The results suggest that Malat1 regulates cell-autonomous angiogenesis through direct regulation of VEGFR2.
A Holistic, In-Compression Approach to Mining Independent Motion Segments for Massive Surveillance Video Collections

This chapter describes a large scale surveillance video data mining approach for those segments that contain independently moving targets. Given the typical scenario where the video data collections are massive in size, We propose a holistic, in-compression approach, called Linear System Consistency Analysis (LSCA), to efficient video data mining for those independent motion segments. By efficient, we mean that the mining speed is close to or even faster than real-time in “normal” platforms (we do not assume using special hardware or any parallel machines) while still maintaining a good mining quality. Theoretical and experimental analyses demonstrate and validate this holistic, in-compression approach to solving for video mining problem for temporal independent motion segmentation.
Microbial control of wood-boring insects attacking forest and shade trees

Wood-boring insect pests that feed on the bark, phloem, or xylem (wood) of living trees pose unique management challenges because their immature stages live in cryptic, often inaccessible, habitats within host trees. The eggs of wood borers are laid in or on tree trunks, branches, terminal shoots, or roots. After the eggs hatch, neonates tunnel in and feed on internal target tissues, making infestation both difficult and expensive to detect and control.
Multi-Task Allocation and Path Planning for Cooperating UAVs

This paper presents results on the guidance and control of fleets of cooperating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). A key challenge for these systems is to develop an overall control system architecture that can perform optimal coordination of the fleet, evaluate the overall fleet performance in real-time, and quickly reconfigure to account for changes in the environment or the fleet. The optimal fleet coordination problem includes team composition and goal assignment, resource allocation, and trajectory optimization. These are complicated optimization problems for scenarios with many vehicles, obstacles, and targets. Furthermore, these problems are strongly coupled, and optimal coordination plans cannot be achieved if this coupling is ignored. This paper presents an approach to the combined resource allocation and trajectory optimization aspects of the fleet coordination problem which calculates and communicates the key information that couples the two. Also, this approach permits some steps to be distributed between parallel processing platforms for faster solution. This algorithm estimates the cost of various trajectory options using the distributed platforms and then solves a centralized assignment problem to minimize the mission completion time. The detailed trajectory planning for this assignment can then be distributed back to the platforms. During execution, the coordination and control system reacts to changes in the fleet or the environment. The overall approach is demonstrated on several example scenarios to show multi-task allocation and cooperative path planning.
Working with Reinhard Selten Some Recollections on Our Joint Work 1965–88

Reinhard Selten and I first met in Princeton in 1961 at a game-theory conference sponsored by Oskar Morgenstern. The earliest thing I remember about him is that he presented an excellent paper at the conference about the difficulty of defining a value concept for games in extensive form.
Autoimmune Kidney Diseases Associated with Chronic Viral Infections

Autoimmune kidney diseases triggered by viruses are an important cause of kidney disease in patients affected by chronic viral infection. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with membranous nephropathy and polyarteritis nodosa. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may develop HIV-associated nephropathy, a form of collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or various forms of immune-complex-mediated kidney diseases. This article summarizes what is known about the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of immune-mediated kidney diseases in adults with chronic HBV, HCV, and HIV infections.
Distribution of FMRFamide-related peptides and co-localization with glutamate in Cupiennius salei, an invertebrate model system

FMRFamide-related proteins have been described in both vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems and have been suggested to play important roles in a variety of physiological processes. One proposed function is the modulation of signal transduction in mechanosensory neurons and their associated behavioral pathways in the Central American wandering spider Cupiennius salei; however, little is known about the distribution and abundance of FMRFamide-related proteins (FaRPs) within this invertebrate system. We employ immunohistochemistry, Hoechst nuclear stain and confocal microscopy of serial sections to detect, characterize and quantify FMRFamide-like immunoreactive neurons throughout all ganglia of the spider brain and along leg muscle. Within the different ganglia, between 3.4 and 12.6% of neurons showed immunolabeling. Among the immunoreactive cells, weakly and strongly labeled neurons could be distinguished. Between 71.4 and 81.7% of labeled neurons showed weak labeling, with 18.3 to 28.6% displaying strong labeling intensity. Among the weakly labeled neurons were characteristic motor neurons that have previously been shown to express ɣ-aminobutyric acid or glutamate. Ultrastructural investigations of neuromuscular junctions revealed mixed presynaptic vesicle populations including large electron-dense vesicles characteristic of neuropeptides. Double labeling for glutamate and FaRPs indicated that a subpopulation of neurons may co-express both neuroactive compounds. Our findings suggest that FaRPs are expressed throughout all ganglia and that different neurons have different expression levels. We conclude that FaRPs are likely utilized as neuromodulators in roughly 8% of neurons in the spider nervous system and that the main transmitter in a subpopulation of these neurons is likely glutamate.
Solution NMR Analysis of Ligand Environment in Quaternary Ammonium-Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold Nanoparticles: The Effect of Surface Curvature and Ligand Structure.

We report a solution NMR-based analysis of (16-mercaptohexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide (MTAB) self-assembled monolayers on colloidal gold nanospheres (AuNSs) with diameters from 1.2 to 25 nm and gold nanorods (AuNRs) with aspect ratios from 1.4 to 3.9. The chemical shift analysis of the proton signals from the solvent-exposed headgroups of bound ligands suggests that the headgroups are saturated on the ligand shell as the sizes of the nanoparticles increase beyond ∼10 nm. Quantitative NMR shows that the ligand density of MTAB-AuNSs is size-dependent. Ligand density ranges from ∼3 molecules per nm2 for 25 nm particles to up to 5−6 molecules per nm2 in ∼10 nm and smaller particles for in situ measurements of bound ligands; after I2/I– treatment to etch away the gold cores, ligand density ranges from ∼2 molecules per nm2 for 25 nm particles to up to 4−5 molecules per nm2 in ∼10 nm and smaller particles. T2 relaxation analysis shows greater hydrocarbon chain ordering and less headgroup motion as the diame...
Using the Tools at Hand: Manual Laterality and Elementary Technology in Cebus spp. and Pan spp.

Cebus and Pan appear to be a remarkable example of evolutionary convergence in behavioral ecology. We examine their apparently analogous solutions to problems posed by laterality of hand function and elementary technology. We scrutinize appropriate published data in a meta-analysis, focusing on Cebus apella and C. capucinus and on Pan paniscus and P. troglodytes. We compare behavioral data in terms of captive versus wild, and tool use versus non-tool use, but notable gaps exist in the data, especially for bonobos. Cebus and Pan spp. are equivalent tool users in captivity, but chimpanzees are notably more extensively so in nature. For hand preference, captive bonobos and wild and captive chimpanzees show ambipreference for non-tool-use patterns. For both Cebus spp. and Pan spp., there is a tendency for individuals to be committed exclusively to one hand or the other for tool use. The data for laterality of hand function fit consistently into the five-level model proposed by McGrew and Marchant (1996).
22 Baricitinib inhibits B cell activation and ameliorates murine lupus

Background B cells carry out central roles in the pathogenesis of SLE by triggering tissue inflammation through autoreactive antibody-dependent responses. Baricitinib is a JAK1/2 inhibitor that blocks the downstream of multiple cytokine receptor signaling implicated in lupus pathogenesis. Methods We investigated the effect of Baricitinib to the differentiation of B cells in vitro. And female MRL/lpr mice were administered baricitinib (10 mg/kg) or vehicle (0.5% methyl cellulose) by gavage twice daily for 8 weeks, when determined serum levels of anti-ds DNA antibodies and pro-inflammatory cytokines (BAFF, IL-6 and IL-17), proteinuria, renal inflammation and IgG-C3 deposit. In vitro, Baricitinib suppressed the mRNA expression of AID, Bcl6, XBP-1, IRF4 and the production of IgG in B cells. Results In MRL/lpr model, Baricitinib-treated mice showed reduced levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies, proteinuria, and cytokines as compared with those of control mice. In addition, Baricitinib prevented renal pathology, as judged by changes in the histopathological scores of glomeruli with PAS stain and IgG-C3 deposition by confocal microscope. Finally, Baricitinib treatment significantly inhibited downstream of Jak/STAT signals in CD19 +B cells from spleen. In conclusion, this study revealed the regulatory effects of baricitinib on B cells and ameliorates murine lupus. Conclusions These results indicate that Jak inhibitors have the potential therapeutic approach for SLE. Funding Source(s): None
Sound Transmission-Based Elastography Imaging

Elastography is of great interest in biomechanics and medical imaging due to its nondestructive capability of mapping elasticity of tissues. The elastography framework relies on external excitations which actuate deformation inside an object. The internal response is then acquired and analyzed to map the distribution of elastic moduli. In this paper, with no need of measuring any internal responses, an integrated elastography method is developed which only requires the transmitted responses of applied sound waves. During the process, the tomography image (e.g., CT or MRI) and the applied waves are integrated into a computational model. Following a procedure of inverse analysis, the elasticity of all phases in the object is reconstructed when the computational transmission of waves matches with the measured transmission. The numerical simulation on brain tissues and a demonstration on silicon rubber phantom are conducted to validate the proposed method. Both cases demonstrate that the integrated method successfully predicts the real elasticity of samples. The verification measurements on the phantom further show that the predicted elastic moduli agree well with the experimental results of uniaxial compression testing.
TANNER, Caroline: California/USA

Caroline M. Tanner, MD, PhD, FAAN, is the Director of the Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System and Professor in the Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco. Her clinical practice specializes in movement disorders. Her research interests include investigations of the descriptive epidemiology, environmental and genetic determinants, biomarkers and early detection of movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Tanner and her colleagues have identified associations between exposures including certain pesticides, solvents and persistent environmental pollutants and increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, and a greater risk in individuals with certain genetic variants (gene-environment interaction). She is the principal investigator of the online Fox Insight study, and co-principal investigator of a large interventional study using telemedicine. Dr. Tanner is past co-chair of the Parkinson Study Group (PSG); she serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association, on the Linked Clinical Trials Committee of the Cure Parkinson’s Trust, and on committees for NIH and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Her honors include the AAN Movement Disorders Research Award in 2012 and the White House Champions of Change for Parkinson’s in 2015. Open image in new window
Conditional Rényi Divergence Saddlepoint and the Maximization of α-Mutual Information

Renyi-type generalizations of entropy, relative entropy and mutual information have found numerous applications throughout information theory and beyond. While there is consensus that the ways A. Renyi generalized entropy and relative entropy in 1961 are the “right” ones, several candidates have been put forth as possible mutual informations of order α . In this paper we lend further evidence to the notion that a Bayesian measure of statistical distinctness introduced by R. Sibson in 1969 (closely related to Gallager’s E 0 function) is the most natural generalization, lending itself to explicit computation and maximization, as well as closed-form formulas. This paper considers general (not necessarily discrete) alphabets and extends the major analytical results on the saddle-point and saddle-level of the conditional relative entropy to the conditional Renyi divergence. Several examples illustrate the main application of these results, namely, the maximization of α -mutual information with and without constraints.
Shareholder Voting on Golden Parachutes

With the passage of Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, Congress attempted to constrain executive compensation triggered by change-in-control (golden parachute) payments by giving shareholders the right to approve or disapprove the payments on an advisory basis. This Article is the first to empirically examine the experience with the Say-on-Golden-Parachute (“SOGP”) vote. We find that the SOGP voting regime is likely ineffective in controlling GP compensation. First, proxy advisors appear more likely to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to recommendations on SOGP votes. Second, shareholders appear seem more likely to adhere to advisor recommendations. Finally, golden parachutes appear to be increasing in years following SOGP and that golden parachutes that are amended immediately prior to an SOGP vote tend to grow rather than shrink. These findings contrast with the research that have examined Say-on-Pay, and we suggest that the differences between the two regimes lie in the absence of second-stage discipline for SOGP votes. We offer potential avenues for improving SOGP’s ability to shape change-in-control compensation practices, such as making SOGP votes binding, and making the GP payment and SOGP voting information more readily available to shareholders of corporations where the target directors also serve as directors and also of acquiring corporations.
Galactic cosmic ray transport in the heliosphere: Study with muon data

Abstract We use the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) solar diurnal anisotropy (SDA) data of Nagoya vertical muon telescope (NagV-MT) to compute the ratio α of GCR free paths normal and parallel to mean interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) B. The values are compared to those computed earlier for the neutron monitors (NMs) of the global network for three sunspot cycles (21–23) and parts of the other two (19, 24). Current GCR modulation theories do not provide any guidance for α, its rigidity and solar cycle dependence. We use a flat heliosphere current sheet and the Master equations derived by Ahluwalia and Dorman [1997] for computing α and study its rigidity dependence and correlation with solar activity for positive (p) and negative (n) polarity intervals of B at 1 AU; B points outward/ inward from the sun during p/n interval in north hemisphere; IMF polarity changes sign near SSN maximum. For NagV-MT (Rm = 60 GV), Rm being the median value of response to GCR differential rigidity spectrum, we find that α is high for p- and low for n-intervals, compared to being nearly flat for NMs; α for NM2 (Rm = 25 GV) is larger than that for NM1 (Rm = 15 GV), implying an increase in α with GCR rigidity. The α values for NagV-MT are low near SSN maximum as is the case for NMs and high near SSN minimum, when effective limiting GCR rigidity (Rc) for SDA is known to be lower than 100 GV. The results challenge the validity of current conceptual understanding of GCR modulation processes in the heliosphere, pointing to a great need to develop an acceptable theory to explain the empirical results reported in this paper.