cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CRISPR-Cas immunity in prokaryotes

Prokaryotic organisms are threatened by a large array of viruses and have developed numerous defence strategies. Among these, only clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity against foreign elements. Upon viral injection, a small sequence of the viral genome, known as a spacer, is integrated into the CRISPR locus to immunize the host cell. Spacers are transcribed into small RNA guides that direct the cleavage of the viral DNA by Cas nucleases. Immunization through spacer acquisition enables a unique form of evolution whereby a population not only rapidly acquires resistance to its predators but also passes this resistance mechanism vertically to its progeny.
Choledochocele and recurrent pancreatitis: Diagnosis and surgical management

Summary A case history has been presented that reports a rare type III choledochal cyst (choledochocele) and describes the association of a choledochocele and recurrent acute pancreatitis. The most reliable diagnostic technique, as used in our patient and supported by our literature review, is endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. This case further supports surgical correction employing transduodenal sphincteroplasty. This procedure is highly recommended for management of the intramural choledochocele (type IIIc), especially when associated with recurrent pancreatitis. Finally, patients who present with recurrent pancreatitis without the usual historical or diagnostic findings of biliary tract or alcoholic disease should have a choledochocele included in the differential diagnosis.
Satellite-Determined Stresses in the Crust of Europe

General tectonic frame and seismotectonic dislocations indicate the kinematics and neotectonic movements in Western Europe. In order to understand the dynamics of the generating forces, a crustal stress field computed from satellite-derived gravity data is presented. The stresses in the crust of Europe are obtained in terms of a series involving spherical harmonics of the geopotential. The computed stress directions are in good agreement with fault-plane solutions from earthquakes and in situ stress measurements. With the articulation of the dynamical principles that govern crustal deformations of a much smaller scale, this study provides a geodynamical basis for intraplate deformations and seismotectonic block movements in Central Europe
A Secondary Assessment of the Impact of Voice Interface Turn Delays on Driver Attention and Arousal in Field Conditions

Voice interface use has become increasingly popular in vehicles. It is important that these systems divert drivers’ attention from the primary driving task as little as possible, and numerous efforts have been devoted to categorizing demands associated with these systems. Nonetheless, there is still much to be learned about how various implementation characteristics impact attention. This study presents a secondary analysis of the delay time between when users finish giving commands and when the system responds. It considers data collected on 4 different production vehicle voice interfaces and a mounted smartphone in field driving. Collapsing across systems, drivers showed an initial increase in heart rate, skin conductance level, and off-road glance time while waiting for a system to respond; a gradual decrease followed as delays continued. The observed attentional and arousal changes are likely due to an increase in anticipation following a speech command, followed by a general disengagement from the interface as delay times increase. Safety concerns associated with extended delay times and suggestion of an optimal range for system response times are highlighted.
Polyethersulfone improves isothermal nucleic acid amplification compared to current paper-based diagnostics

Devices based on rapid, paper-based, isothermal nucleic acid amplification techniques have recently emerged with the potential to fill a growing need for highly sensitive point-of-care diagnostics throughout the world. As this field develops, such devices will require optimized materials that promote amplification and sample preparation. Herein, we systematically investigated isothermal nucleic acid amplification in materials currently used in rapid diagnostics (cellulose paper, glass fiber, and nitrocellulose) and two additional porous membranes with upstream sample preparation capabilities (polyethersulfone and polycarbonate). We compared amplification efficiency from four separate DNA and RNA targets (Bordetella pertussis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Influenza A H1N1) within these materials using two different isothermal amplification schemes, helicase dependent amplification (tHDA) and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and traditional PCR. We found that the current paper-based diagnostic membranes inhibited nucleic acid amplification when compared to membrane-free controls; however, polyethersulfone allowed for efficient amplification in both LAMP and tHDA reactions. Further, observing the performance of traditional PCR amplification within these membranes was not predicative of their effects on in situ LAMP and tHDA. Polyethersulfone is a new material for paper-based nucleic acid amplification, yet provides an optimal support for rapid molecular diagnostics for point-of-care applications.
Abstract 323: Resveratrol Attenuates Pressure Overload-induced Heart Failure

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the potent antioxidant, resveratrol, attenuates the adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in pressure overload heart failure induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Male C57BL6 mice (26-28 g) were subjected to either sham or TAC surgery. One group of TAC mice was given daily resveratrol treatment (oral gavage, 100 mg/kg/body weight (bw) for 28 days starting on day 2 after surgery. Echocardiographic, biometric, and immunohistological analyses were performed on the three groups of mice. All echocardiographic parameters examined (internal diameters, fractional shortening , and ejection fraction) demonstrated significantly greater adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in the TAC compared to the sham mice. These pathological changes were significantly improved by resveratrol treatment. At day 28 fractional shortening was 46.5±2.4%, 26.2±2.0%, and 35±2.6% in the sham, TAC, and TAC + resveratrol mice, respectively. This was reflected by lung weight/bw ratios of 4.2±0.3 mg/g (sham), 8.6±0.9 mg/g (TAC) and 7.2±0.4 mg/g (TAC + resveratrol). Resveratrol treatment also significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy as determined by the heart weight/bw ratios (sham, 4.8±0.3 mg/g; TAC, 8.7±0.6 mg/g; and TAC + resveratrol, 7.2±0.3 mg/g). Likewise, the TAC protocol significantly increased fibrosis (10.0±1.1%), compared to the sham-operated mice (0.7±0.3%), which was attenuated by resveratrol treatment (3.0±0.5%). Similar results were obtained when cardiomyocyte apoptosis was assessed. Both superoxide dismutase 2 and hypoxia inducible factor 1α were markedly increased in the TAC compared to the sham-operated mice most likely as a compensatory response to increased oxidative stress and hypoxia. These TAC-induced factors were significantly decreased by resveratrol treatment indicating that the resveratrol was acting in place of these stress inducible factors. In summary, these results demonstrate that resveratrol treatment significantly attenuates the adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction produced by the TAC protocol in C57/BL6 mice and that this activity is mediated, at least in part, by the inhibition of oxidative stress and hypoxia.
Do Symmetric Problems Have Symmetric Solutions

(1983). Do Symmetric Problems Have Symmetric Solutions? The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 90, No. 6, pp. 378-387.
Deposition Of BaTiO3 Thin Films And MgO Buffer Layers On Patterned GaAs Substrates For Integrated Optics Applications

This work addresses the need for thick layers of ferroelectric thin films on semiconductors for integrated optics applications. The deposition of BaTiO 3 thin films with MgO buffers on patterned GaAs substrates is presented as an approach to achieve crack-free optical waveguiding structures. Cracking and peeling of the thin films are observed on patterns with lateral dimensions exceeding 60 microns and nearly crack-free thin films for patterns with lateral dimensions of a few microns. The cracking and peeling of the thin films is attributed to thermal expansion mismatch during the heating and cooling steps of the deposition process. A thin film stress and fracture model is used to analyze the phenomenon. Reduced cracking and peeling on the patterned features are attributed to strain relief on the patterned features. The inclusion of thick Al x O y buffer layers obtained through wet-oxidation of AlGaAs prior to BaTiO 3 /MgO deposition are presented as a means of obtaining electro-optic waveguide structures on GaAs.
Repeatable Population Dynamics among Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Lineages Evolved under High Co-infection.

Parasites and hosts can experience oscillatory cycles, where the densities of these interacting species dynamically fluctuate through time. Viruses with different replication strategies can also interact to produce cyclical dynamics. Frequent cellular co-infection can select for defective-interfering particles (DIPs): “cheater” viruses with shortened genomes that interfere with intracellular replication of full-length (ordinary) viruses. DIPs are positively selected when rare because they out-replicate ordinary viruses during co-infection, but DIPs are negatively selected when common because ordinary viruses become unavailable for intracellular exploitation via cheating. Here we tested whether oscillatory dynamics of ordinary viruses were similar across independently evolved populations of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Results showed identical cyclical dynamics across populations in the first 10 experimental passages, which transitioned to repeatable dampened oscillations by passage 20. Genomic analyses revealed parallel molecular substitutions across populations, particularly novel mutations that became dominant by passage 10. Our study showed that oscillatory dynamics and molecular evolution of interacting viruses were highly repeatable in VSV populations passaged under frequent co-infection. Furthermore, our data suggested that frequent co-infection with DIPs caused lowered performance of full-length viruses, by reducing their population densities by orders of magnitude compared to reproduction of ordinary viruses during strictly clonal infections.
Interim report on malaria control in Henan Province supported by the Global Fund to Fight Malaria

Objectives To summarize the previous status of malaria control supported by the Global Fund to Fight Malaria in Henan Province and to provide scientific evidence for Henan to implement an Action Plan to Eliminate Malaria and assess that plan.Methods Data on malaria prevention work from 2010-2011 in 90 counties were collected and analyzed;measures and effects of malaria control were evaluated.Results Once the program was implemented,blood smears from a total of 801,389 febrile patients were examined,and 4,611 patients were treated for malaria or suspected malaria.In total,11,036 active cases were detected,IRS was done in 1,546,and ME was performed in 4,102.Conclusion The program has expanded malaria control efforts,which should lead to favorable conditions for the goal of eliminating malaria to be achieved on schedule.
Evaluation on human resource allocation in Shanghai Huangpu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2001-2008

[Objective] To evaluate the human resource in Huangpu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) in 2001-2008. [Methods] To investigate the change of total number and structure of human resource in 8 years through questionnaires. [Results] The number of staff in Huangpu CDC increased 26.7% in 2008 compared with that in 2001,and the average age increased 2.3 years.In 2008,52.6% of the staff were technical college graduates or in higher level.And 41.4% of the staff had intermediate or senior technical titles,of whom 76.7% majored in medicine. [Conclusion] The change of structure and quality of human resource in Huangpu CDC had a good tendency from 2001 to 2008.But there was still a gap in human resource structure between Huangpu CDC and the relevant standards or the average levels in Shanghai in respects of age,gender,educational background,technical titles and specialized fields.The organization should formulate access standards in employment,strengthen career training for current staff to optimize the human resource allocation and improve its capacity in disease control and prevention.
Parasternal and external intercostal responses to various respiratory maneuvers

Recent studies suggest that the external intercostal (EI) muscles of the upper rib cage, like the parasternals (PA), play an important ventilatory role, even during eupneic breathing. The purpose of the present study was to further assess the ventilatory role of the EI muscles by determining their response to various static and dynamic respiratory maneuvers and comparing them with the better-studied PA muscles. Applied interventions included 1) passive inflation and deflation, 2) abdominal compression, 3) progressive hypercapnia, and 4) response to bilateral cervical phrenicotomy. Studies were performed in 11 mongrel dogs. Electromyographic (EMG) activities were monitored via bipolar stainless steel electrodes. Muscle length (percentage of resting length) was monitored with piezoelectric crystals. With passive rib cage inflation produced either with a volume syringe or abdominal compression, each muscle shortened; with passive deflation, each muscle lengthened. During eupneic breathing, each muscle was electrically active and shortened to a similar degree. In response to progressive hypercapnia, peak EMG of each intercostal muscle increased linearly and to a similar extent. Inspiratory shortening also increased progressively with increasing PCO2, but in a curvilinear fashion with no significant differences in response among intercostal muscles. In response to phrenicotomy, the EMG and degree of inspiratory shortening of each intercostal muscle increased significantly. Again, the response among intercostal muscles was not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Community Involvement at an Elementary School: Cultural Differences and Their Effect on Education

The objective of this service-learning research project was to link Purdue University, a local elementary school, and the Greater Lafayette community to enhance K–12 students’ academic involvement. The participants involved were 36 preservice teachers from Purdue University, 12 faculty members from a local elementary school, and the students and parents affi liated with the elementary school. To answer the research question of how to bridge the cultural gap between students and teachers and using critical theory as the theoretical paradigm, the following methods were employed: interviews, classroom observations, involvement in an after-school program, and refl ections of the experience. The preservice teachers interviewed and observed teachers within the school context and then made connections between what they were learning in their teacher education course at Purdue and what they heard and observed in the elementary classrooms, during the interviews, and at the afterschool activity. The preservice teachers also had conversations and wrote refl ections about the differences they were fi nding. They also observed the challenges that arise when teachers instruct students from diverse backgrounds. Using this information, the Purdue students contributed to an after-school family event in which the students ran educational games for the elementary students. Following the event, the preservice students presented their feelings about the project to their peers and the potential strategies they believe the teachers could pursue. The results suggest that cultural differences within this context construct language barriers and instructional obstacles. However, increased communication and involvement between parents and teachers can bridge this gap.
Criminal justice and crime in late Renaissance Florence, 1537–1609: The Otto as police: organization and function

Giovanni Antonelli, the Italian historian whose long article on the development of the Otto di Guardia appeared in 1954, drew attention to the magistracy's role in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries as political police empowered to seek out and punish those who plotted against the regime. The office served Lorenzo de' Medici well during his ferocious repression of the Pazzi conspiracy of 1478, when he was wounded and his beloved brother Giuliano killed under the famous dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. In 1498 the Otto condemned to death Fra Giovanni Savonarola, an action engineered by the conservative faction of the oligarchy that brought an end to a particularly tumultuous period in the city's history. The Eight continued to successfully fulfill the role of political police in the sixteenth century, identifying and punishing the enemies of the recently ennobled Medici family. The report of the Venetian ambassador to Florence in 1561, Vincenzo Fedeli, underlined the importance to Cosimo I of the Eight's routine surveillance over the activities of Florentine aristocrats: First thing in the morning, the secretary delivered his daily reports in person to Cosimo. The Medici grand duke was no doubt reacting with this sense of urgency to the Pucci conspiracy of the previous year. Condemnations and executions of the conspirators and their supporters by the Eight concluded this last attempt by aristocrats to topple the Medici regime.
Multistage carcinogenesis in cell culture.

Rodent fibroblasts explanted from embryos to culture undergo a period of declining growth rate in serial passages leading to crisis, followed by the appearance of variants which can multiply indefinitely. If the immortal cell line was established by low density passage, i e., 3T3 cells, it has a low saturation density and is non-tumorigenic. If it was established by high density passage, it has a high saturation density and is tumorigenic. The establishment of cells goes through successive stages, including increased capacity to multiply in low serum concentration, growth to high saturation density, growth in suspension, assisted tumour formation in susceptible hosts and unassisted tumour formation. Chromosome aberrations and aneuploidy occur long before the capacity to produce tumours appears. Contrary to conventional belief, human fibroblast populations also undergo a continuous loss of capacity to multiply from the time of explantation, with only the longest surviving clone reaching the Hayflick limit Neoplastic transformation of rodent cells is strongly favoured by maintaining them in a quiescent state at confluence for prolonged periods, which results in genetic damage to the cells. It also produces a large variety of chromosomal aberrations in human cells and extends their replicative lifespan. Individual clones are more susceptible to spontaneous transformation than their heterogeneous parental cultures The implications of these results for tumour development in vivo are that oncogenic genetic changes may be common under stressful conditions which restrict replication, and that such changes are maximized when a rogue clone reaches a critical size that reduces stabilizing interactions with neighbouring clones. An alternative explanation, described in the Addendum, which we retrospectively favor is that the easily transformed clones are a minority in the uncloned parental population. The reason they transform before the parental population is that when they are expanded, they have more transformable cells available under the selective condition of confluence than the uncloned parental population from which they are derived.
Harmonic spectral modulation of an optical frequency comb to control the ultracold molecules formation

Abstract A method for creation of ultracold molecules by stepwise adiabatic passage from the Feshbach state to the fundamentally ground state using an optical frequency comb is presented within a semiclassical multilevel model. The sine modulation of the spectral phase of the comb leads to the creation of a quasi-dark dressed state. An insignificant population of the excited state manifold in this dark state provides an efficient way of mitigating decoherence in the system. In contrast, the cosine modulation does not lead to the quasi-dark state formation. The results demonstrate the importance of the parity of the spectral chirp in quantum control.
Opportunities for interprofessional input into nurse and physician hand-off communication.

Abstract Purpose Hand-offs are vulnerable times for hospitalized patients. Nurses and physicians routinely engage in hand-off communication but their communications remains siloed. Our objectives were to identify key information from each profession that would be of use to the other's hand-off process, and to identify facilitators and barriers to obtaining that input. Materials and methods We conducted this qualitative study in a medical intensive care unit. Subjects included 8 physicians, 2 advanced practice providers, and 6 nurses. We conducted observations of hand-offs and afternoon rounds as well as semistructured interviews. We analyzed the transcribed interviews and field note observations\ to identify themes of interest using a grounded theory approach. Results Physicians were interested in patient data in context, family dynamics, and changing patient condition. Nurses were interested in details about the plan of care and anticipatory guidance. Facilitators of communication included proximity, face-to-face communication, and the electronic medical record. Barriers were busy schedules, inaccurate data, and negative attitudes. Conclusions There are key areas of content that both physicians and nurses would like from the other profession to enhance intensive care unit hand-off communication. Interventions designed to increase interdisciplinary communication should focus on these key areas of content.
Trunk trail maintenance in leafcutter ants: caste involvement and effects of obstacle type and size on path clearing in Atta cephalotes

Morphological castes occur throughout ant species, but their role in task partitioning and colony success remains controversial. Task partitioning based on size is thought to increase colony efficiency, but tests of this hypothesis are difficult. In this study, we delve into the role of different morphological castes of Atta cephalotes in the maintenance of trunk trails, a task considered very important to foraging efficiency in leafcutters. Using differently sized dead and live leaves as obstacles, we tested for evidence of size matching by performing sixty trials in which we recorded the involvement of different castes and the effect of removal of majors on obstacle removal in one A. cephalotes colony. Ants treated live and dead leaves in the path identically. Cutting and pulling of larger leaves involved more ants (of all size castes), and took longer. Removal of the majors (22% of all workers involved) did not negatively impact removal time of obstacles of any size. We hypothesized that there would be matching between ant size and the size of the obstacle removed, but we found no evidence for such matching. Mediae were more likely to pull than minors. When the majors were removed, the minors and mediae increased in cutting and pulling leaves to compensate, with the mediae particularly increasing in pulling. Overall, our results suggest that minors and mediae differ in task partitioning for obstacle removal, and that castes can respond flexibly to removal of other castes. However, we found no evidence that morphological castes improve capacities for trail clearing.
Vision-based precision manipulation with underactuated hands: Simple and effective solutions for dexterity

In this paper, a method is proposed for vision-based within-hand precision manipulation with underactuated grippers. The method combines the advantages of adaptive underactuation with the robustness of visual servoing algorithms by employing simple action sets in actuator space, called precision manipulation primitives (PMPs). It is shown that, with this approach, reliable precision manipulation is possible even without joint and force sensors by using only minimal gripper kinematics information. An adaptation method is also utilized in the vision loop to enhance the system's transient performance. The proposed methods are analyzed with experiments using various target objects and reference signals. The results indicate that underactuated hands, even with minimalistic sensing and control via visual servoing, can provide a simple and inexpensive solution to allow low-fidelity precision manipulation.
Modeling for Automatic Control and Process Design

Abstract The effect of mathematical and physical modeling of processes has had relatively little effect on the glass industry. However, significant modeling results are available as indicated by a wide range of publications. In this paper, the published modeling work is grouped by area with discussion where appropriate. In addition, the major physical phenomena along a glass line are discussed with an assessment of the degree of difficulty in modeling them to an accuracy sufficient for either process control or process design. In this assessment the major assumptions and simplifications currently used in model derivative and specification are noted. It is concluded that many of the phenomenon are of such a complexity that models have not had sufficient accuracy for design purposes. One of these areas is the furnace with the main problems being the convection currents in the melt, the radiative heat transfer, and the melting physics and chemistry. Finally, the results of a questionnaire sent to glass industry technical personnel polling modeling efforts and results are discussed. An extensive bibliography of modeling work is a part of the paper.
New developments in 3D liquid crystal elastomers scaffolds for tissue engineering: from physical template to responsive substrate

We report here on cell growth and proliferation within a 3D architecture created using smectic liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) leading to a responsive scaffold for tissue engineering. The investigated LCE scaffolds exhibit biocompatibility, controlled degradability, with mechanical properties and morphologies that can match development of the extracellular matrix. Moreover, the synthetic pathway and scaffold design offer a versatility of processing, allowing modifications of the surface such as adjusting the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance and the mobility of the LC moieties to enhance the biomaterial performance. First, we succeeded in generating LCEs whose mechanical properties mimic muscle tissue. In films, our LCEs showed cell adhesion, proliferation, and alignment. We also achieved creating 3D LCE structures using either metallic template or microsphere scaffolds. Finally, we recorded a four times higher cell proliferation capability in comparison to conventional porous films and, most importantly, anisotropic cell growth that highlights the tremendous effect of liquid crystal moieties within LCEs on the cell environment.
A widely-tunable substrate-integrated balun filter

A novel differential coupling structure for tunable evanescent-mode cavity resonators is presented in this paper. The coupling structure is very simple and compact, and presents no design or fabrication challenges relative to a comparable single-ended coupling structure. This new coupling structure is used to realize a high-performance 3-pole tunable balun bandpass filter, which integrates the functionalities of a tunable bandpass filter and a balanced-to-unbalanced transformer (balun). The filter tunes from 3.2 to 6.1 GHz, and has a nominally 2.4% 3-dB fractional bandwidth. It demonstrates state-of-the-art measured amplitude and phase balance among tunable balun filters, with less than 0.2 dB and 0.9o of in-band amplitude and phase imbalance across its entire tuning range.
Perspective Taking Failures in the Valuation of Physical and Mental States

Accurately inferring the values and preferences of others is crucial for successful social interactions. Nevertheless, without direct access to others’ minds, perspective taking errors are common. Across four studies we demonstrate a systematic perspective-taking failure: people value their minds more than their bodies, but fail to realize others share those values, often believing that others value their bodies more than their minds. The bias manifests across a variety of domains and measures, from severity of injuries to preferences for new abilities to assessments of how much of one’s identity resides in one’s body. This self-other preference reversal was diminished — but still present — when participants thought of a close other and deliberately attended to their own bodies and another’s mind. This attenuation suggests that the availability of others’ mental attributes helps to reduce this perspective-taking error. This bias has implications for the ways in which we create social policy, judge others’ actions, make choices on behalf of others, and allocate resources to the physically and mentally ill.
Physical health-related quality of life among older adults with personality disorders

Objectives: Personality Disorders (PDs) are associated with a multitude of negative consequences. The negative PD effects on health can be even more burdensome for older adults given the physical and social functioning changes that occur with age; however, the majority of research examining the influence of PDs focuses on younger adults. The present study seeks to investigate the relationship between PDs and physical health-related quality of life (PHRQoL) in adults over the age of 50. Methods: Data for 16,884 adults ages 50 and older from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) were analyzed. Multiple linear regression models were analyzed to investigate the relationships of seven PDs and participants' PHRQoL. Results: All PDs except histrionic and avoidant PD had statistically significant negative associations with PHRQoL scores, indicating that respondents diagnosed with PDs were expected to have lower PHRQoL than those without PDs, after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. When psychosocial covariates were added to the model, only dependent, obsessive-compulsive and paranoid PDs were significantly related to PHRQoL score. Conclusions: For adults ages 50 and older, a diagnosis of PD was weakly associated with lower PHRQoL scores for three PDs, however this is unlikely to be a causal association. The strength of the relationship between PDs and PHRQoL varies by type of PD. Given the higher rates of functional and social changes that occur with age, future research should focus on potential causes of worse physical health among older adults with PDs.
Laterality of Poststroke Cortical Motor Activity during Action Observation Is Related to Hemispheric Dominance

Background. Increased activity in the lesioned hemisphere has been related to improved poststroke motor recovery. However, the role of the dominant hemisphere—and its relationship to activity in the lesioned hemisphere—has not been widely explored. Objective. Here, we examined whether the dominant hemisphere drives the lateralization of brain activity after stroke and whether this changes based on if the lesioned hemisphere is the dominant hemisphere or not. Methods. We used fMRI to compare cortical motor activity in the action observation network (AON), motor-related regions that are active both during the observation and execution of an action, in 36 left hemisphere dominant individuals. Twelve individuals had nondominant, right hemisphere stroke, twelve had dominant, left-hemisphere stroke, and twelve were healthy age-matched controls. We previously found that individuals with left dominant stroke show greater ipsilesional activity during action observation. Here, we examined if individuals with nondominant, right hemisphere stroke also showed greater lateralized activity in the ipsilesional, right hemisphere or in the dominant, left hemisphere and compared these results with those of individuals with dominant, left hemisphere stroke. Results. We found that individuals with right hemisphere stroke showed greater activity in the dominant, left hemisphere, rather than the ipsilesional, right hemisphere. This left-lateralized pattern matched that of individuals with left, dominant hemisphere stroke, and both stroke groups differed from the age-matched control group. Conclusions. These findings suggest that action observation is lateralized to the dominant, rather than ipsilesional, hemisphere, which may reflect an interaction between the lesioned hemisphere and the dominant hemisphere in driving lateralization of brain activity after stroke. Hemispheric dominance and laterality should be carefully considered when characterizing poststroke neural activity.
High School Student Perceptions of the Efficacy of Debate Participation.

This essay reports the findings of a national survey of high school debaters conducted at the 2001 National Forensic League's National Tournament regarding their perceptions of the efficacy of deba...
Understanding Bariatric Research

The aim of this chapter is to help the bariatric clinician to better understand bariatric research. This chapter will describe the types of articles published and the anatomy of these publications. Different study designs are discussed, as well as the statistical concepts used frequently in such studies. Details of the data sources or data registries are described, as well as their strength and weaknesses.
Kinetically controlled dewetting of thin GaAs cap from an ErAs/GaAs nanoparticle composite layer

ErAs metal nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in GaAs have multiple applications in plasmonic, terahertz, and tunneling devices. Growing a high quality thin GaAs layer over the ErAs NP layer is vital to these applications. In this work, the authors study the surface stability of a thin GaAs cap (1–5 nm) annealed in a temperature range of 450–620 °C. The thin GaAs cap covered a single layer of ErAs NPs [0.5–1.33 monolayer (ML)] grown using molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs(001) substrates at 450–500 °C. For 1.33 ML ErAs coverage, although a 1 nm GaAs cap exhibited a root-mean-square surface roughness close to 0.3 nm, the authors expected that 1 nm GaAs was not thick enough to overgrow the NPs in a height of 3–4 nm; thus, a large number of pinholes should be left on the surface. By increasing the GaAs cap thickness to 3 nm, the authors were able to achieve atomically smooth surfaces with few remaining pinholes. At a lower coverage of ErAs, 0.5 ML, the authors were able to achieve atomically flat pinhole-free GaAs ca...
Discerning the Absurd: Metaphysical Detection, Parody and other Mysteries of Javier Tomeo’s Crime Fiction

This article explores the late Javier Tomeo’s relationship with Spanish crime fiction. Javier Tomeo (1932–2013) differs from more traditional Spanish crime writers like Manuel Vazquez Montalban, Eduardo Mendoza and Andreu Martin because he does not situate his stories in the social, political and economic realities of post-Franco Spain. Instead, he uses the genre to explore universal concerns about the human condition, namely the nature and utility of truth, reality and reason. A close reading of El discutido testamento de Gaston de Puyparlier (1990) and Preparativos de viaje (1986) reveals these novels’ unique affiliations with the classic detective formula and spy fiction and evinces the author’s precarious but irrefutable position among crime fiction writers inside and outside of Spain.
Position of residues in transmembrane peptides with respect to the lipid bilayer: a combined lipid Noes and water chemical exchange approach in phospholipid bicelles.

The model transmembrane peptide P16 (Ac-KKGLLLALLLLALLLALLLKKA-NH2) was incorporated into small unaligned phospholipid bicelles, which provide a `native-like' lipid bilayer compatible with high-resolution solution NMR techniques. Using amide-water chemical exchange and amide-lipid cross-relaxation measurements, the interactions between P16 and bicelles were investigated. Distinctive intermolecular NOE patterns observed in band-selective 2D-NOESY spectra of bicellar solutions with several lipid deuteration schemes indicated that P16 is preferentially interacting with the `bilayered' region of the bicelle rather than with the rim. Furthermore, when amide-lipid NOEs were combined with amide-water chemical exchange cross-peaks of selectively 15N-labeled P16 peptides, valuable information was obtained about the position of selected residues relative to the membrane-water interface. Specifically, three main classes were identified. Class I residues lie outside the bilayer and show amide-water exchange cross-peaks but no amide-lipid NOEs. Class II residues reside in the bilayer-water interface and show both amide-water exchange cross-peaks and amide-lipid NOEs. Class III residues are embedded within the hydrophobic core of the membrane and show no amide-water exchange cross-peaks but strong amide-lipid NOEs.
The role of Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis: from molecular pathophysiology to in vivo imaging

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and neuronal damage. Environmental and genetic factors are associated with the risk of developing MS, but the exact cause still remains unidentified. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), vitamin D, and smoking are among the most well-established environmental risk factors in MS. Infectious mononucleosis, which is caused by delayed primary EBV infection, increases the risk of developing MS. EBV may also contribute to MS pathogenesis indirectly by activating silent human endogenous retrovirus-W. The emerging B-cell depleting therapies, particularly anti-CD20 agents such as rituximab, ocrelizumab, as well as the fully human ofatumumab, have shown promising clinical and magnetic resonance imaging benefit. One potential effect of these therapies is the depletion of memory B-cells, the primary reservoir site where EBV latency occurs. In addition, EBV potentially interacts with both genetic and other environmental factors to increase susceptibility and disease severity of MS. This review examines the role of EBV in MS pathophysiology and summarizes the recent clinical and radiological findings, with a focus on B-cells and in vivo imaging. Addressing the potential link between EBV and MS allows the better understanding of MS pathogenesis and helps to identify additional disease biomarkers that may be responsive to B-cell depleting intervention.
Automatic cell identification and visualization using digital holographic microscopy with head mounted augmented reality devices: An Overview

We overview a compact and field-portable digital holographic microscopy system based on shearing geometry and integrated with a head mounted augmented reality device for cell identification and visualization. Customized smart glasses containing an external camera connect directly to the 3D-printed system to record holograms of biological specimens. Following hologram acquisition, regions of interest containing biological cells are segmented and digitally reconstructed to generate a three-dimensional (3D) pseudocolor optical path length profile. From the optical path length profiles, morphological features are extracted and inputted into several classification models for comparison including random forest classifier, support vector machines, and k-nearest neighbor, each yielding a high classification accuracy. After successful classification of the target cell, the classification result along with a pseudocolor 3D rendering of the cell’s optical path length profile, and its extracted feature values are displayed to the augmented reality device for the user. The system was tested on both living and non-living samples, including feature extraction from video data of live paramecium. The overviewed system may allow for quickly and conveniently visualizing cells through an augmented reality device and extracting relevant information with potential applications of rapid diagnosis by healthcare professionals working in remote areas. We acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation (Directorate for Engineering (ENG) (NSF ECCS 1545687, NSF/IIS-1422179)).
Updates in the management of polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia

Polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) are both classic, relatively indolent, chronic Philadelphia-chromosome-negative (Ph-) myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) characterized by elevated blood counts, thrombotic as well as hemorrhagic tendencies, a variety of symptoms, cumulative risks of progression to myelofibrosis and transformation to acute myeloid leukemia over time, and long survival. Molecularly, PV is more homogenous, being driven by JAK2 mutations in virtually all cases, while ET can be JAK2-, CALR-, or MPL-mutated, as well as 'triple negative'. Recent targeted next-generation sequencing efforts have identified other, nondriver gene mutations, some with prognostic relevance. Prevention of thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications continues to be the major focus of management, although symptoms are increasingly being recognized as a relatively unmet need, particularly in ET. Thrombotic risk stratification in PV is still based on age and history of thrombosis, while in ET, the additional contribution of JAK2 V617F to thrombotic risk is now well established. The associations of leukocytosis with clotting risk (in both conditions) and mortality (in PV) have drawn increased attention with the availability of ruxolitinib as a second-line treatment in PV. Similarly, there is a renewed interest in interferons with the emergence of ropeginterferon alfa-2b as a potential new frontline treatment option in PV. Drug development is more difficult in ET, the most indolent of the classic Ph- MPNs, but ruxolitinib is being studied. Triggering apoptosis via the p53 pathway through pharmacologic inhibition of human double minute 2 (and synergism with interferon) is a new, promising therapeutic strategy.
A Hybrid Insulin Epitope Maintains High 2D Affinity for Diabetogenic T Cells in the Periphery.

β-Cell antigen recognition by autoreactive T cells is essential in type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis. Recently, insulin hybrid peptides (HIPs) were identified as strong agonists for CD4 diabetogenic T cells. Here, using BDC2.5 transgenic and NOD mice, we investigated T-cell recognition of the HIP2.5 epitope, which is a fusion of insulin C-peptide and chromogranin A (ChgA) fragments, and compared it with the WE14 and ChgA29–42 epitopes. We measured in situ two-dimensional affinity on individual live T cells from thymus, spleen, pancreatic lymph nodes, and islets before and after diabetes. Although preselection BDC2.5 thymocytes possess higher affinity than splenic BDC2.5 T cells for all three epitopes, peripheral splenic T cells maintained high affinity only to the HIP2.5 epitope. In polyclonal NOD mice, a high frequency (∼40%) of HIP2.5-specific islet T cells were identified at both prediabetic and diabetic stages comprising two distinct high- and low-affinity populations that differed in affinity by 100-fold. This high frequency of high- and low-affinity HIP2.5 T cells in the islets potentially represents a major risk factor in diabetes pathogenesis.
Chapter 2 – Morphological characters

Publisher Summary The adult fly can be divided into three major regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. The drosophilid head is a complex structure that possesses a number of taxonomically important characters; the shape of the head itself is often important. The thorax comprises three fused segments: the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax. The prothorax and metathorax are much reduced relative to the mesothorax, which has been greatly enlarged to accommodate the musculature that powers the wings. The humeral callus, which bears a pair of taxonomically important setae, is located on the prothoracic segment. The mesonotum covers the majority of the dorsal surface of the mesothoracic segment. The entire dorsal and lateral surface of the abdomen or dorsolateral plate is a heavily chitinized region. The dorsolateral region of each abdominal segment is referred to as a tergite.
Histone deacetylase inhibitor depsipeptide (FR901228) represses nicotinamide n-methyltransferase (NNMT) and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1β gene expression in human papillary thyroid cancer cells

4120 NNMT is a methytransferase catalyzing N-methylation of nicotinamide and other structural analogs. Its expression is enhanced in many papillary thyroid cancers and cell lines and activated by HNF-1β. The function of NNMT and HNF-1β in the papillary cancer cells that express them is unclear. It was reported recently that inhibition of HNF-1β expression caused apoptosis in ovarian clear cell cancer. Depsipeptide is a histone deacetylase inhibitor. It causes cell cycle arrest, differentiation and/or apoptosis of cancer cells. In this project, we studied the effects of depsipeptide on NNMT gene expression. Treating BHP 18-21 papillary thyroid cancer cells with depsipeptide reduced NNMT mRNA and protein levels and NNMT catalytic activity. The reduction was dose-dependent. In contrast, expression of the sodium iodide symporter, a gene for differentiated function, was enhanced in the treated cells. To study the mechanism of the depsipeptide-mediated NNMT gene repression, NNMT promoter activity in the presence of depsipeptide was determined by luciferase reporter gene assay. NNMT promoter activity was significantly reduced in the HNF-1β positive BHP 18-21 cells, but was not reduced in the HNF-1β negative BHP 14-9 papillary cancer cells. A mutant reporter construct with mutations in a HNF-1 binding site in the NNMT basal promoter region did not respond to depsipeptide in both HNF-1β positive and negative cells. Further study showed that depsipeptide reduced HNF-1β mRNA and protein levels as well as reducing binding to its target in the NNMT promoter region. The results of this study indicate that depsipeptide represses NNMT and HNF-1β gene expression. The repression of NNMT is at least partially through down-regulation of HNF-1β. Based on the fact that expression of many cancer related genes is down-regulated by depsipeptide, we propose that NNMT and HNF-1β may be involved in a cancer related function in some papillary thyroid cancers.