cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial Fission-Fusion and Parkinson’s Disease: A Dynamic Question of Compensatory Networks

Mitochondrial pathobiology has long been linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, in part because neurons are highly dependent upon mitochondrial metabolism. In particular, mitochondrial dysfunction represents a prominent feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related familial forms of ­parkinsonism. Mitochondria are able to divide by fission, move around the cell and fuse with other mitochondria, and these dynamic changes are essential for regulating not only mitochondrial functions, but also its lifecycle within a cell. A rapidly growing body of recent literature adds a new twist to the saga, putting the focus on mitochondrial dynamics in the pathogenesis of PD. Here we review the literature on toxin (rotenone, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium: MPP+, 6-hydroxydopamine) and genetic (parkin, PTEN-induced kinase 1: PINK1, DJ-1, α-synuclein) models of PD pathogenesis with respect to fission, fusion and mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy). Strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to studying mitochondrial fission and fusion are highlighted, and unresolved controversies in the field are discussed in the context of a dynamic network of compensatory responses to mitochondrial stress, dysfunction and injury.
Collaborative Reasoning with Strategy Instruction for Opinion Writing in Primary Grades: Two Cycles of Design Research.

AbstractArgumentation is challenging for young learners. We used design research to develop an intervention that was based on principles of dialogic argumentation and strategy instruction and used ...
Can't Poop, Can't Pee…What's Going On With Me?

Abstract A 12-month-old female presented to the pediatric emergency department with constipation associated with urinary retention. This visit was one of several for constipation over the course of several weeks. She had been treated for functional constipation with dietary changes and an osmotic agent without relief and required one hospitalization for a bowel clean out. It was during her second admission, where she required frequent bladder catheterizations for urinary retention, that a diagnostic study was done which revealed the correct diagnosis.
To Infinity and Beyond: Developing a Nursing Cellular Therapy Program of Care

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale For nurses to be proficient in caring for patients with cellular treatment protocols, the need for a formal, standardized educational program and practice standards for nursing care is critical. The use of cellular therapy is growing beyond standard of care for malignancy and hematologic disease. Cellular therapy administration in multiple clinical care settings makes it difficult to ensure all nurses have the same level of knowledge and practice which could result in gaps of care for patients. Researchers are actively investigating adoptive cell transfer including Tumor Infiltrating Cells, Dendritic Cells, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cells, as well as other cellular therapies. The need for a formalized Cellular Therapy Program of Care was identified to standardize education and practice for nurses within the oncology, transplant, medical surgical, ambulatory, pediatric, and intensive care specialties. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis Trends in approved therapies as well as new research protocols show an increase in use of cellular therapies. Additionally, application of cellular therapy has expanded to diseases other than cancer and encompasses multiple routes of administration, e.g. intradermal, intraperitoneal, and intrathecal. Nursing programs of care that have not traditionally administered cellular products may begin to implement these treatments. Findings & Interpretation A multi-disciplinary team developed a standardized approach for education and practice that includes; education in cellular science and chemotherapy, standards of practice and procedures on cellular administration, training in complications of cellular medicine, competency assessment, and standardized documentation practices Discussion & Implications The Nursing Cellular Therapy Program of Care is in its early stages and outcome evaluation will be measured through patient quality indicators, documentation compliance, and ongoing competency evaluation. Formalization of a cellular program standardizes nursing practice and ensures patient safety.
A scan procedure for multiple testing: Beyond threshold-type procedures

Abstract In a multiple testing setting, we consider testing n null hypotheses, denoted by H 1 , … , H n , with the corresponding p-values P i for each H i . We propose a new method which ‘scans’ all intervals in the unit interval [ 0 , 1 ] , selects the longest interval with estimated false discovery rate not exceeding the target level, and then rejects a hypothesis if its p -value is contained in this interval. In contrast, the Benjamini–Hochberg method, which is a threshold-type procedure, does the same but over intervals with an endpoint at the origin. Following Storey et al. (2004), we show that our procedure controls the false discovery rate in an asymptotic sense. We also investigate its asymptotic false non-discovery rate, deriving conditions under which it outperforms the Benjamini–Hochberg procedure. This happens, for example, in power-law location models.
No evidence for insecticide resistance in a homogenous population of Aedes albopictus in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Aedes albopictus is a cosmopolitan mosquito species capable of transmitting arboviral diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. To control this and similar species, public and private entities often rely on pyrethroid insecticides. Insecticide resistance status and physiological traits, such as body size, may contribute to local patterns of abundance, which is important for planning vector control. In this study, we genetically screened Ae. albopictus collected from June to August, 2017, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, for mutations conferring pyrethroid resistance, and examined spatiotemporal patterns of specimen size, as measured by wing length. We hypothesized that size variation would be associated with factors found to influence abundance in similar populations of Ae. albopictus , and could therefore serve as a proxy measure. The genetic screening results indicated that known pyrethroid resistance alleles in two kdr regions are not present in this population. We detected no significant associations between wing length and socioeconomic and landscape factors, but mosquitoes collected in June had significantly longer wing length than in July or August. The lack of resistance indicators suggest that this population has not developed insecticide resistance via voltage-gated sodium channel mutations. The greater wing lengths in June are likely driven by meteorological patterns, suggesting that short-term weather cues may modulate morphological characteristics that, in turn, affect local fecundity and virus transmission potential.
The relaxation processes of Pressure Stimulated Currents under the concept of Non-extensive statistical physics

Abstract This study presents the results of Pressure Stimulated Currents (PSC) analysis using non-extensive statistical physics (NESP) approach when marble and amphibolite specimens were subjected to mechanical stress up to fracture. The specimens were subjected to a constant uniaxial stress, interrupted by an abrupt step-wise stress increase (Step-Stress Technique - SST) while concurrently the PSC emission was recorded. The loading protocol involved eight sequential steps of mechanical stress at a gradually higher level until the failure of the specimens. After each step, the stress was maintained constant until the PSC signal was restored to a final low value. After the PSC restoration the next stress step was applied. The recorded PSC temporal relaxation when the stress remained constant, was analyzed under the concept of NESP based on Tsallis’ entropy and the behavior of the entropic index q was studied for various stress levels. Throughout each next loading step at higher level, the entropic index q shows a progressive increase from 1.15 to 1.40 until the stress attains about 85% of the specimens’ total strength where it reaches a maximum value close to 1.4. When the applied stress becomes higher than the 85% of the specimens’ total strength, the entropic index q gradually decreases. It should be noted that this peak along with the subsequent decline of q coexists with the excessive damage development in the specimens’ bulk due to the applied mechanical stress. Taking into consideration the fact that the entropic index q quantifies the self-organization of the system, this behavior of q, for stress levels higher than 85% of the specimens’ ultimate stress strength, clearly corresponds to dynamic processes that dominate the system and guide the upcoming fracture. The above findings advocate the use of the entropic index q as a pre-failure indicator of the upcoming specimen fracture.
La Cantata Riberana: Música y política en Historia Doble de la Costa de Orlando Fals Borda

espanolRealiza un paralelo entre Historia Doble de la Costa, y la vocacion como compositor de musica de Orlando Fals Borda. Se reconstruye la estructura musical de la cantata como instrumento hermeneutico de la realidad costena para explorarla en los cuatro movimientos, cada uno de los cuales esta dedicado a los tomos respectivos de la Historia Doble de la Costa. El tomo de Mompox y Loba como una obertura instrumental, el segundo movimiento, el del duo Mier Nieto, donde el cumulo de voces trata el tema de la violencia politica con una melodia alerta, ruidosa, el tercer movimiento, como un coro de rebusque y aguante, resistiendo en el San Jorge, y el cuarto movimiento, la despedida de la cantata, que se representa realmente como un retorno al origen, o como lo senala bien el titulo de este cuarto tomo, el retorno a la tierra EnglishThe article makes a parallel between Double History of the Coast, and the vocation as a music composer of Orlando Fals Borda. The musical structure of the cantata is reconstructed as a hermeneutical instrument of the coastal reality to be explored in the four movements, each of which is dedicated to the respective volumes of the Double History of the Coast. The volume of Mompox and Loba as an instrumental overture. The second movement, of the duo Mier-Nieto, where the cumulus of voices deals with the theme of political violence with an alert, noisy melody. The third movement, like a chorus of rebusque and endurance, resisting in the San Jorge, and the fourth movement, the farewell of the cantata, which is really represented as a return to the origin, or as the title of this fourth volume, the return to the land
Dyson's crank and the mex of integer partitions

Abstract Andrews and Newman have recently introduced the notion of the mex of a partition, the smallest positive integer that is not a part. The concept has been used since at least 2006, though, with connections to Frobenius symbols. Recently, the parity of the mex has been associated to the crank statistic named by Dyson in 1944. In this note, we extend and strengthen the connection between the crank and mex (along with a new generalization of the mex) by proving a number of properties that naturally relate these partition statistics.
My Virtual French Summer: Encounters with Millennial French Poets

After my Study Abroad program in Paris was cancelled due to COVID-19, I decided to travel to France in a different way: through a virtual literary lens. For several weeks throughout the summer of 2...
An exploration of community development higher education in the United States: A programmatic study

The field of community development has grown substantially over the past few decades. This is characterized by an increased demand for professionals who can engage in community development efforts ...
Effects of a Longer Duration of Lockdown on COVID-19 Related Infected Individuals and Deaths, and on Economic Growth of Countries

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still circulating in 2021 with new mutations and the state of emergency remains in manifold countries. Countries have applied in 2020 nonpharmaceutical interventions to control the diffusion of the novel coronavirus within cities, such as lockdowns that were pursued to safeguard societies and economies, until effective vaccines and therapies are available and wide spread distributed. This study here analyze effects of lockdowns of different duration is some European countries. The policy response of lockdown has in theory the main goal, as containment measure, to reduce the impact of infectious diseases in society, but empirical results here suggest that in the presence of vast pandemics a longer duration of full lockdown has contradictory and not significant effects on reduction of fatality rates but sure it has negative effects on economic systems compared to a shorter length of lockdown. In fact, lockdowns of longer duration have generated negative effects on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth: contraction of GDP (index 2010=100) from second quarter 2019 to second quarter of 2020 in countries applying a longer period of lockdown (i.e., about two months) is about -21%, whereas it is -13% in countries applying a shorter period of lockdown of about 15 days. In addition, findings here suggest that higher investments in healthcare sector play a vital role to cope with unforeseen pandemics and environmental threats, alleviating negative effects on health of population and mortality in society.
Biometrics based access framework for secure cloud computing

This paper is focused on the topic of the use of biometrics framework and strategy for secure access identity management of cloud computing services. This paper present’s a description of cloud computing security issues and explored a review of previous works that represented various ideas for a cloud access framework. This paper discusses threats like a malicious insider, data breaches, and describes ways to protect them. It describes an innovative way portrayed a framework that fingerprint access-based authentication to protect Cloud services from unauthorized access and DOS, DDoS attacks. This biometrics-based framework as an extra layer of protection, added then it can be robust to prevent unauthorized access to cloud services.
A paediatric cardiology handbook for the digital age.

INTRODUCTION Paediatric cardiology fellows, tasked with studying a large and dynamic field, may benefit from a quick-access digital resource that reflects contemporary practice. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a paediatric cardiology handbook smartphone app in enhancing the accessibility of information such as guidelines and recommendations for paediatric cardiology fellows. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Peds Cardiology Handbook app (iOS) was designed using XCode and Swift programming. A pre-app survey and download instructions were sent to the US paediatric cardiology fellows, followed by a post-app survey. Fellows were asked to rate the ease of rapid access to various types of information. Responses were compared pre- and post-app using McNemar's test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS Two-hundred and thirty paediatric cardiology fellows were contacted; 23% (n = 53) completed both the pre- and post-app surveys and were included for analysis. After using the app, fellows found it easier to quickly access information in eight out of nine domains evaluated (p < 0.05). All fellows found the app easy to use (100%), most felt that the app was well-organised (98%), contained reliable information (92%), and was useful for finding quick answers to clinical questions (87%). DISCUSSION The Peds Cardiology Handbook iPhone app is a useful, reliable tool that provides quick access to high-yield information, including guidelines and references. Overall, paediatric cardiology fellows found it easier to rapidly access clinically relevant information after using the app. Future studies may be necessary to evaluate long-term use and impact on evidence-based practice.
An AFLP Marker Core Subset for the Cultivated Potato Species Solanum phureja ( Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. andigenum)

AFLP markers were used to build a core subset in 144 accessions of the United States Potato Genebank (USPG) ex situ collection of the species formerly known as Solanum phureja (now reclassified as Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. andigenum). A core subset aims to sample the minimum number possible of non-redundant germplasm units capturing the maximum diversity of the entire collection. Characterization and trait evaluation of a core subset is expected to be easier and more effective when compared to the entire germplasm collection. In this study 1534 polymorphic AFLP markers were generated and demonstrated to be useful to determine genetic relationships in the materials used. All the accessions were clearly discriminated from each other with genetic similarity levels ranging from 62 to 89%, and no duplicate germplasm samples were detected. To create the core subset, the presence of the AFLP marker was considered as the genetic trait to retain and the selection of accessions was determined by their rankings on the number of most markers added to the core. The results of this selection process revealed that the 9 top-ranked accessions of phureja, when combined, achieved the benchmark of capturing 85% of the markers detected in the complete collection. Further selection to increase the percentage of marker capture added 17 accessions with unique marker contributions which resulted in a final core subset of 26 accessions capturing 96% of the marker diversity. A Principal Component analysis determined that spatial distribution of diversity in the core was a proportional sampling of the entire diversity of the collection validating the selecting approach used. A review of the public database for valuable traits for the USPG phureja germplasm revealed that the core subset also included accessions with desirable pest/disease resistances and stress tolerances (in 25 out of the 30 traits reported in the database). The USPG expects this core subset would create opportunities for facilitating evaluation and research by using a reduced set of germplasm units with nearly all the diversity of the entire set.
Considering Standing, Sincerity, and Antidiscrimination

Though it was not always so, the phrase "anti-discrimination" today refers equally to cases challenging affirmative action as to cases challenging "traditional" discrimination. We refer to cases challenging affirmative action as "reverse discrimination" cases, but they are anti-discrimination cases just the same. As such, the body of law that we call "anti-discrimination law" is developing and growing rapidly. One of these developments is that recently some federal courts have implicitly recognized that in a certain class of anti-discrimination cases, the "sincerity" with which the plaintiff brings the claim can affect the court's determination of standing to sue. In this Article, I dub this developing principle "the norm of sincerity" and assert that the norm helps courts evaluate whether a plaintiff's claimed constitutional injury is sufficiently concrete and personal to invoke federal jurisdiction. Further, in this Article, I assert that because the norm of sincerity helps courts evaluate injury in fact, courts should recognize the norm of sincerity and give it a rightful place in the developing anti-discrimination jurisprudence.
Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Survival and Apoptosis

Publisher Summary In the developing and adult nervous systems, neuronal life and death decisions are regulated by both extracellular stimuli in the form of trophic factors, neurotransmitters and depolarizing agents, and by an intrinsic, genetically determined cell death program. This chapter focuses on the current understanding of the involvement of particular signal transduction molecules or pathways in mediating neuronal survival and death. Two fundamental developmental and adaptive cell phenotypes are survival and death. Perhaps nowhere is the delicate compromise between these polar opposites more critical than in the nervous system. The survival or death of particular neurons in higher vertebrates is in part genetically determined, as revealed by studies of nervous system development and of numerous neuropathologies. The withdrawal of trophic agents from defined in vitro culture systems triggers stereotyped neuronal death. This type of neuronal death largely occurs via a process termed as apoptosis. Convincing evidence has been obtained suggesting that calcium and neurotrophin second messenger systems themselves interact, resulting in complex interrelationships among various classes of signal transduction molecules. Several of the stimuli capable of promoting survival and death have also been explained in this chapter.
Liquids for High Repetition Rate Glass Laser Systems

We present physical properties data for a number of liquids currently being used for cooling and/or index matching of components in high peak power, low repetition rate Nd: glass laser systems. Liquids examined include saturated water solutions of ZnCl 2 and ZnBr 2 , TCP, benzene, DMSO, glycerol, ethylene glycol, FC-104, Dow-Corning 710, and Cargille 5040 and 5610. Thermal properties (conductivity, diffusivity), mechanical properties (viscosity, density), chemical properties (pH, materials compatibility), and optical properties (refractive index, Abbe value, nonlinear index, dn/dT, optical transparency) are tabulated and compared to projected liquid properties requirements for high repetition rate systems.
Applying Latin hypercube sampling to agent-based models: Understanding foreclosure contagion effects

Purpose – Agent-based modelling and simulation (ABMS) has seen wide-spread success through its applications in the sciences and social sciences over the last 15 years. As ABMS is used to model more and more complex systems, there is going to be an increase in the number of input variables used within the simulation. Any uncertainty associated with these input variables can be investigated using sensitivity analysis, but when there is uncertainty surrounding several of these input variables, a single parameter sensitivity analysis is not adequate. Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) offers a way to sample variations in multiple parameters without having to consider all of the possible permutations. This paper introduces the application of LHS to ABMS via a case study that investigates the mortgage foreclosure contagion effect. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Traditionally, uncertainty surrounding a single input variable is investigated using sensitivity analysis. That is, ...
DSM Workgroup Structure and Process

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) provides the authoritative list of what are considered to be mental disorders. The DSM is an exceedingly powerful document, impacting many important social, forensic, clinical, and other professional decisions. The development of this manual is then an enormous responsibility. Presented herein is a brief history of the development of all prior and current editions of the DSM (with a particular emphasis on DSM-IV and DSM-5), followed by a discussion of the major issues and concerns that arguably should be considered in its development, including personnel selection, critical review, criteria for revision, field trials, and risk–benefit analysis. Keywords: DSM-5; DSM-IV; abnormal; acculturation; addiction; classification; diagnosis; empirical
Vascular dementia. Current concepts and nomenclature harmonization

Several types of cerebrovascular lesions are associated with cognitive decline, but the role of each type in dementia manifestation has yet to be determined. One of the greatest barriers of conducting clinicopathological studies in vascular dementia concerns the overlapping of nomenclature for these lesions. The aim of the present review was to discuss current nomenclature for cerebrovascular lesions and suggest modifications to allow better diagnostic reproducibility in this field.
High-speed, amplified, frequency swept laser at 20 kHz sweep rates for OCT imaging

We demonstrate a high-speed, frequency swept, 1300 nm laser for Fourier domain OCT. The laser generates ~45 mW instantaneous power with 20 kHz sweep rates and achieves 108 dB sensitivity and 12.7 mum resolution
On codes containing Hermitian codes

It is shown that certain syndromes of a Hermitian code are not needed for decoding. These syndromes can be replaced by data symbols thereby increasing the dimension of the code without changing the designed minimum distance. Hermitian codes and hyperbolic codes are defined on the affine plane GF(q)/sup 2/. A hyperbolic code is defined for any q and is a two-dimensional cyclic code. A Hermitian code is defined for q which is an even power of two; it can be viewed as a shortened two-dimensional cyclic code.
Iterative multistage decoding of BCM codes

We investigate a suboptimum version of the iterative multistage maximum likelihood algorithm presented by Imai and Hirakawa (1977). Application to block coded modulation is considered. Conditions are introduced which reduce the computational complexity and decoding delay. Simulation results support the claims.
Effect of panel composition on physician ratings of appropriateness of abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery: elucidating differences between multispecialty panel results and specialty society recommendations.

Abstract Objective: to investigate how the composition of multispecialty physician panels is associated with both the summary ratings assigned by such panels and the agreement of such panels with the recommendations of specialty societies. Data sources/study setting: we examined the final ratings assigned by a nine-member multispecialty RAND Corporation physician panel regarding indications for abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery and the recommendations of a specialty society representing vascular surgeons who perform the same surgery. Study design: the panel was retrospectively divided into two sub-panels, one composed of the three vascular surgeons on the panel and the other composed of the six remaining physicians. We analyzed the two sub-panels' rating patterns with respect to each other and with respect to concurrent guidelines generated by the Joint Council of the Society of Vascular Surgery and the North American Chapter of the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery. Principal findings: of the 782 indications considered by the panel for appropriateness, the vascular surgeons had an average of mean ratings for appropriateness of 5.1, significantly higher than the 4.5 average of the other physicians. Across the 221 indications considered by the panel for necessity, the vascular surgeons had an average of mean necessity ratings of 6.8, significantly higher than the 5.8 average of the other physicians. The vascular surgeons' rankings of agreement with the guidelines of the Joint Council were significantly higher than those of the physician panelists from other specialties. Conclusions: statements of clinical appropriateness and necessity produced by summarizing ratings assigned to indications by expert panel members may disguise marked underlying disagreements among well-defined groups of practitioners within these panels. In the case of abdominal aortic aneurysm management, these disagreements within the RAND panel explain the marked discrepancy between the RAND multidisciplinary panel ratings and the recommendations issued by vascular surgeon professional societies.
3.5 μm strain balanced GaInAs/AlInAs quantum cascade lasers operating at room temperature

We demonstrate room temperature lasing of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) operating at 3.45 and 3.55 μm under pulsed and continuous wave (CW) operations, respectively. To the best of our knowledge those are the shortest wavelengths ever achieved at room temperature from QCLs with strain balanced GaInAs/AlInAs material on InP substrate. With the back facet high reflection coated, a maximum output power of 60 mW was obtained at 10 °C under CW operation. A tuning range of 124 cm-1 was obtained in a pulsed mode in external cavity configuration.
Metacontrast: Internal contours and different dependent variables

Extent of metacontrast was assessed using square-wave black and white gratings as targets. The number of internal contours in the target and delay of the mask were systematically manipulated. Three experiments each used a different dependent variable; Experiment 1 used accuracy, Experiment 2 used duration threshold, and Experiment 3 used category estimations. Results showed, (1) targets with many internal contours are difficult to see, (2) there were no backward enhancement effects, (3) targets with few contours and targets with many contours, when detected, are relatively easy to mask, (4) targets with intermediate numbers of contours (2.54 to 8 cycles/deg) are relatively easy to see and produce monotonic metacontrast functions, but, (5) category estimation measures showed some evidence of U-shaped metacontrast functions. The results are discussed in terms of task differences.
Cerebellar benzodiazepine receptor distribution: An autoradiographic study of the normal C57BL/6J and Purkinje cell degeneration mutant mouse

The distribution of [3H]flunitrazepam binding sites in the cerebella of normal mice and Purkinje cell degeneration mutant mice was studied by light microscopic autoradiography. In the cerebellar cortex of normal mice, a high density of [3H]flunitrazepam binding was observed over the molecular layer, an intermediate density over the Purkinje cell layer and a low density over the granule cell layer; the white matter was devoid of labeling. The deep cerebellar nuclei were labeled to an intermediate density. In the 54-day-old Purkinje cell degeneration mutant cerebellum, which is depleted of Purkinje cells, a 36% reduction in labeling density of the cerebellar cortex was observed. The density was reduced by approximately equal amounts in both the molecular and granule cell layers; labeling in the deep cerebellar nuclei was, however, substantially increased.
CYTOLOGICAL AND CYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF HELA CELLS INFECTED WITH ADENOVIRUSES

The sequential morphological and cytochemical alterations in HeLa cells infected with adenovirus types 1 to 4 are described. Each of the four viruses studied led to consistent and reproducible cytological changes not observed in uninfected control cultures. All four agents produced striking and characteristic changes in the nuclei of infected cells. Alterations in the cytoplasm, though present, were less marked, particularly in the early stages of infection. In cells infected with type 1 or 2 adenovirus, rounded intranuclear inclusions which progressed from eosinophilic and Feulgen-negative to basophilic and Feulgen-positive, together with a homogeneous glassy, Feulgen-positive nuclear background, were prominent features. Cells infected with type 3 or 4 adenovirus exhibited marked rearrangement of basophilic nuclear material and sharply defined crystal-like inclusions, predominantly intranuclear in location, which also varied from Feulgen-negative to positive. In terms of detailed cytological effects, therefore, the four agents could be divided into two subgroups, viz., types 1 and 2 on the one hand and types 3 and 4 on the other. Measurement of DNA in individual nuclei by means of Feulgen microspectrophotometry revealed the values in infected cells to be increased above the levels of the uninfected controls.
Latent infection can be established with drastically restricted transcription and replication of the HSV-1 genome

Abstract Viral functions essential for the establishment of latent infection in murine sensory neurons in vivo were investigated by employing a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) variant (KD6/B11) deleted for expression of the ICP4 gene and therefore unable to replicate. Since the viral DNA persisted in these cells, the latency-associated transcripts were expressed for prolonged periods of time, and the variant was biologically retrievable by superinfection with an ICP4-competent agent, we concluded that a latent infection had been established. In situ hybridization experiments designed to investigate gene expression during the acute phase of infection with the variant revealed a highly restricted pattern compared to that of the wild-type parent virus HSV-1 KOS(M). While latency-associated transcripts were detected in a large number of infected neurons, expression of other virus genes was limited to a subset of immediate-early and early genes (ICP0, ICP8, ICP27, and HSV-1 DNA polymerase genes). Expression was further limited to a small proportion of the infected neurons (approximately 1% of neurons expressing latency-associated transcripts). No hybridization was detected with probes specific for the viral TK gene and late genes VP5 and gC. Quantitative assays of vital DNA during the acute phase of infection indicated that the input viral DNA did not replicate. From these results we conclude that HSV-1 latent infection can be established in murine sensory neurons under conditions in which vital genetic expression and DNA replication are severely restricted.
SU‐FF‐T‐115: Dosimetric Comparison of Helical Tomotherapy with Conventional Techniques for Simultaneous Irradiation of Prone Breast and Regional Lymph Nodes

Purpose: to determine whether helical tomotherapy can simultaneously irradiate the prone breast and regional lymph nodes with target coverage and organ‐at‐risk (OAR) sparing comparable to what is achievable using conventional 3DCRT or fixed‐beam IMRT techniques. Method and Materials: plans were generated upon the CTimages of a right‐breast patient previously simulated and treated prone. Target structures included the ipsilateral breast, axillary nodes, supraclavicular nodes, and internal mammary chain nodes. At least 95% of each target was to receive 45 Gy in 25 fractions. OAR contours included the contralateral breast, each lung,heart, spinal cord, esophagus, and thyroid. The tomotherapy plan was generated using the TomoTherapy Hi‐Art System (TomoTherapy, Inc., Madison, WI). The XiO treatment planning system (CMS, Inc., St. Louis, MO) was used to produce a conventional 3DCRT plan (field‐in‐field technique) and a 5‐field IMRT plan. Results: target dose homogeneity for the tomotherapy plan was for most dose‐volume parameters comparable to or better than that achieved by 3DCRT or IMRT. In particular, the V45, V40.5, and V42.8 values from tomotherapy were comparable to 3DCRT and IMRT for all targets except the supraclavicular nodes, for which the tomotherapy and IMRT plans were superior. For the ipsilateral lung, tomotherapy did better than 3DCRT or IMRT in sparing the lung from doses above 10 Gy, and V5 from tomotherapy was substantially better than from IMRT. For the contralateral breast, V5 was substantially better from tomotherapy than from 3DCRT or IMRT.Conclusion: helical tomotherapy can simultaneously cover the entire ipsilateral breast and regional lymph nodes with dose uniformity comparable to or better than what is achievable using conventional techniques. The improved target‐dose uniformity achievable using tomotherapy may justify the slightly high doses to the lungs. Since minimizing contralateral breast dose is essential, tomotherapy may be preferable to 3DCRT or IMRT.
Discriminating between a stochastic gravitational wave background and instrument noise

The detection of a stochastic background of gravitational waves could significantly impact our understanding of the physical processes that shaped the early Universe. The challenge lies in separating the cosmological signal from other stochastic processes such as instrument noise and astrophysical foregrounds. One approach is to build two or more detectors and cross correlate their output, thereby enhancing the common gravitational wave signal relative to the uncorrelated instrument noise. When only one detector is available, as will likely be the case with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), alternative analysis techniques must be developed. Here we show that models of the noise and signal transfer functions can be used to tease apart the gravitational and instrument noise contributions. We discuss the role of gravitational wave insensitive ``null channels'' formed from particular combinations of the time delay interferometry, and derive a new combination that maintains this insensitivity for unequal arm-length detectors. We show that, in the absence of astrophysical foregrounds, LISA could detect signals with energy densities as low as ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{\mathrm{gw}}=6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ with just one month of data. We describe an end-to-end Bayesian analysis pipeline that is able to search for, characterize and assign confidence levels for the detection of a stochastic gravitational wave background, and demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach using simulated data from the third round of Mock LISA Data Challenges.
Behavior at the boundary of solutions of quasilinear elliptic equations

Here, A and B are respectively vector and scalar Borel functions defined on t2 x R 1 x R ~, where f2 is a bounded, open connected subset of Euclidean space RL The symbol Vu denotes the gradient of u=u(x) , where x = (xl . . . . . x~). Under certain structural assumptions on the coefficients of (1) it has been shown by several authors that a weak solution is H61der continuous in I2; cf. [LU], [S], IT]. The proof in [LU] relies on techniques introduced by DEGIORGI in his investigation of weak solutions of linear elliptic equations in divergence form [DG], whereas the proofs given in [S] and [T] are based on MOSER'S iteration method, [MO]. The main purpose of this paper is to show that if the upper capacitary density of R " f 2 at a point XoeSf2 is positive, then a bounded solution of (1) which takes on continuous boundary values in a weak sense assumes its value at x o continuously. The capacity used here is one whose null sets are the exceptional sets for Sobolev functions. In particular, if the capacity of a set is zero, then its Hausdorff dimension is at most n p , where p is a number determined by the structural assumptions. (In case p--2 , this capacity is equivalent to the classical Newtonian one.) It is also shown that the solution of (1) has an approximate limit at all points of the boundary of f2. Our proof employs the method of DEGIORGI, as presented in [LU].
Increase of rate of egg production with growth in some intestinal nematodes of sheep and horses

Abstract Ractliffe L. H. & LeJambre L. F. 1971. Increase of rate of egg production with growth in some intestinal nematodes of sheep and horses. International Journal for Parasitology, 1: 153–156. There is a positive relationship between the number of uterine eggs and size of worm in Chabertia ovina, Haemonchus contortus, Oesophagostomum columbianum, and Para-scaris equorum, and a linear relationship between the weight of the egg sac and the weight of the remainder of the worm in Oxyuris equi. These relationships imply that the rate of egg production increases with growth. Consequently it would be expected that (a) the total egg output of a population of parasites would be more closely related to the total weight of the worms than to their number and (b) there would be a logarithmic increase with time in the egg output of a newly infected host even if the increase in the number of worms harbored by the host were only linear with time.
Deformation Twinning in Ordered Intermetallic Compounds

Mechanistic understanding of deformation twinning in ordered superlattice structures is reviewed, and the inter-relationships between twinning and generalized plastic flow or fracture toughness are discussed. While general discussions refer to all the fcc-based and bcc-based cubic and noncubic ordered intermetallic alloys, specific calculations of the energetic and kinetic aspects of deformation twinning are made for TiAl. The importance of the twin-slip conjugate relationship on high temperature mechanical properties is emphasized. Discussion is given of possible effects of macro- and micro-alloying on twinning propensity.
Ageism, Death Anxiety and the Caseworker

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of an exploratory research study designed to identify some of the attitudes and socio-cultural characteristics of social workers practicing in the field of aging. Data were collected from two groups of caseworkers-one group with a geriatric caseload, the other with a non-geriatric caseload. There were striking and significant differences between the two groups in their preferences for working with particular client populations. The geriatric caseworkers indicated a preference for working with the frail elderly and cancer patients and negative preference for working with younger clients (either disturbed children or adolescent offenders). The non-geriatric caseworkers generally expressed a negative preference for the frail elderly or cancer patients and a preference for young married couples. No single factor seemed to differentiate the two groups as clearly as their levels of death anxiety. Those practicing in the field of aging revealed a significantly greater lev...
Charging Behavior Impacts on Electric Vehicle Miles Traveled: Who is Not Plugging In?

The growing market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) features new models of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with varying battery sizes and electric driving ranges. How are the various models being used in the real world? A common assumption in PEV impact analysis is that PEV owners will maximize their vehicle's utility by appropriately sizing the battery to their driving needs and by charging their vehicle as much as possible to recover the cost of the vehicle purchase. On the basis of these assumptions, a high correlation between PHEV owner use of the vehicle and the number of plug-in events is expected, and drivers of PHEVs with a small battery are expected to plug in more than do owners of vehicles with a larger battery and similar driving patterns. The assumptions presented are examined through a survey of more than 3,500 PEV owners conducted in California in May and June 2013. The online survey included extensive data on driving and charging behavior u...
Work in progress — A survey of popular game creation platforms used for computing education

Because of the large appeal of video games, many educators are introducing computing concepts through video game development. By teaching students through video game development, teachers have the opportunity to continuously engage students, and students have fun while learning. In this paper, we present a review of game development platforms that have been used as teaching tools. We survey the attributes of different game development environments as well as their pros and cons. We investigate each platform to determine the following metrics: the type of interface the platform uses (graphical, textual or both), the language used to program the game (if applicable), the level of the intended user, whether the platform provides a debugging mechanism, and whether it provides a sharing mechanism. This literature review can be used to assist future development of teaching materials that engage students in computing via game development.
Inflammatory and thrombotic processes are associated with vascular dysfunction in children with familial hypercholesterolemia

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have endothelial dysfunction. Inflammatory and haemostatic abnormalities are associated with advanced atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular events. However, it is unknown whether these abnormalities present in FH children and contribute to their vascular dysfunction. Methods and results We studied 38 children with FH (19 males, 19 females aged 14.8 ± 0.9 years mean ± S.E.) and 41 healthy children (controls; 22 males, 19 females aged 15.4 ± 0.7 years). Endothelium-dependent reactive hyperemia (RH%) and endothelium-independent nitrate hyperemia dilatation (NH%) were measured by strain gauge plethysmography. Inflammatory and haemostatic parameters were assessed by ELISA. RH% and NH% were significantly reduced in FH compared to controls (91.3 ± 9.3% vs. 120.4 ± 10.6% and 53.6 ± 3.8% vs. 74.5 ± 7.4%, p p p p β = 0.597(0.199), p β = −6.78(2.65), p β = −102.8 (30.2), p β = −5.06 (2.35), p β = −25.2(10.6), p R 2 for the model: 0.63, p = 0.001). Conclusions Inflammatory and haemostatic abnormalities are present in FH children and contribute to the endothelial dysfunction observed in these children.
Serious pilgrims and frivolous tourists the chimera of tourism in the pilgrimages of Sri Lanka

Abstract Two important and recently developed currents of pilgrimage in Sri Lanka—the appearance at certain sites of fun-loving and raucous Sinhalese youths, and at others of wealthy Tamil Hindus interested in temple architecture—would appear to be well explained by the concept of tourism. On closer inspection, however, this appearance can be shown to be illusory and to disguise the real meaning of these behaviors within indigenous Sri Lankan modalities of pilgrimage. The paper explores the meaning and utility of the terms “tourism” and “pilgrimage,” and concludes by offering a more useful definition of them than the ones our language persuades us to employ.
Improved Assemblies Using a Source-Agnostic Pipeline for MetaGenomic Assembly by Merging (MeGAMerge) of Contigs

Assembly of metagenomic samples is a very complex process, with algorithms designed to address sequencing platform-specific issues, (read length, data volume, and/or community complexity), while also faced with genomes that differ greatly in nucleotide compositional biases and in abundance. To address these issues, we have developed a post-assembly process: MetaGenomic Assembly by Merging (MeGAMerge). We compare this process to the performance of several assemblers, using both real, and in-silico generated samples of different community composition and complexity. MeGAMerge consistently outperforms individual assembly methods, producing larger contigs with an increased number of predicted genes, without replication of data. MeGAMerge contigs are supported by read mapping and contig alignment data, when using synthetically-derived and real metagenomic data, as well as by gene prediction analyses and similarity searches. MeGAMerge is a flexible method that generates improved metagenome assemblies, with the ability to accommodate upcoming sequencing platforms, as well as present and future assembly algorithms.
Content-based image indexing and searching using Daubechies' wavelets

This paper describes WBIIS (Wavelet-Based Image Indexing and Searching), a new image indexing and retrieval algorithm with partial sketch image searching capability for large image databases. The algorithm characterizes the color variations over the spatial extent of the image in a manner that provides semantically meaningful image comparisons. The indexing algorithm applies a Daubechies' wavelet transform for each of the three opponent color components. The wavelet coefficients in the lowest few frequency bands, and their variances, are stored as feature vectors. To speed up retrieval, a two-step procedure is used that first does a crude selection based on the variances, and then refines the search by performing a feature vector match between the selected images and the query. For better accuracy in searching, two-level multiresolution matching may also be used. Masks are used for partial-sketch queries. This technique performs much better in capturing coherence of image, object granularity, local color/texture, and bias avoidance than traditional color layout algorithms. WBIIS is much faster and more accurate than traditional algorithms. When tested on a database of more than 10 000 general-purpose images, the best 100 matches were found in 3.3 seconds.