cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D alters genes involved in follicular development and steroidogenesis in human cumulus granulosa cells.

Context: Vitamin D deficiency is common among reproductive-aged women and has a role in female reproduction. Objective: This study evaluated the role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (vit D3) in ovarian follicular development and steroidogenesis by using a human granulosa cell (GC) model. Design, Setting, and Participants: Fifty-four women who underwent in vitro fertilization were enrolled. Intervention: Follicular fluid (FF) and mural and cumulus GCs were collected from small and large follicles. In separate experiments, primary cumulus GCs were cultured with or without vit D3 followed by RT-PCR for mRNA expression levels. The effect of recombinant anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) on nuclear localization of phospho-Smad 1/5/8 was evaluated in the presence or absence of vit D3 by using immunofluorescence. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels in FF as well as cell culture media AMH, progesterone, and estradiol (E2) concentrations were determined by ELISA and RIA. Main Outcome Measures: The following were measured: 1) mRNA ex...
Direct Activation of Bax Protein for Cancer Therapy

Bax, a central cell death regulator, is an indispensable gateway to mitochondrial dysfunction and a major proapoptotic member of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins that control apoptosis in normal and cancer cells. Dysfunction of apoptosis renders the cancer cell resistant to treatment as well as promotes tumorigenesis. Bax activation induces mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, thereby leading to the release of apoptotic factor cytochrome c and consequently cancer cell death. A number of drugs in clinical use are known to indirectly activate Bax. Intriguingly, recent efforts demonstrate that Bax can serve as a promising direct target for small-molecule drug discovery. Several direct Bax activators have been identified to hold promise for cancer therapy with the advantages of specificity and the potential of overcoming chemo- and radioresistance. Further investigation of this new class of drug candidates will be needed to advance them into the clinic as a novel means to treat cancer.
Training in EUS-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration: Safety and Diagnostic Yield of Attending Supervised, Trainee-Directed FNA from the Onset of Training

Background. The optimal time to initiate hands-on training in endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is unclear. We studied the feasibility of initiating EUS-FNA training concurrent with EUS training. Methods. Three supervised trainees were instructed on EUS-FNA technique and allowed hands-on exposure from the onset of training. The trainee and attending each performed passes in no particular order. During trainee FNA, the attending provided verbal instruction as needed but no hands-on assistance. A blinded cytopathologist assessed the adequacy (cellularity) and diagnostic yield of individual passes. Primary outcomes compared cellularity and diagnostic yield of attending versus fellow FNA passes. Results. We analyzed 305 FNA sites, including pancreas (51.2%), mediastinal/upper abdominal lymph node (LN) (28.5%) and others (20.3%). The average proportion of fellow passes with AC was similar to attending FNA—pancreas: 70.3 versus 68.8%; LN: 79.0 versus 81.7%; others 65.5 versus 68.7%; P > 0.05); these did not change significantly during the training period. Among cases with confirmed malignancy (n = 179), the sensitivity of EUS-FNA was 78.8% (68.4% fellow-only versus 69.6% attending only). There were no EUS-FNA complications. Conclusions. When initiated at the onset of EUS training, attending-supervised, trainee-directed FNA is safe and has comparable performance characteristics to attending FNA.
Die wichtigsten Elemente des Schalters und ihre Funktion

Die Gene des Phagen λ befinden sich auf einem einzigen DNA-Molekul, dem Phagenchromosom, verpackt in eine Proteinhulle (Abb.1.1). Die Hulle besitzt eine komplizierte Struktur: Sie setzt sich aus einem Kopf und einem Schwanz zusammen und wird von ungefahr 15 verschiedenen Proteinen aufgebaut, die alle vom λ-Chromosom kodiert werden. Das Phagenpartikel ist infektios. Es heftet sich mit dem Schwanz an die Zelloberflache von E. coli, bohrt ein Loch in die Zellwand und injiziert sein Chromosom ins Bakterium, wobei die Phagenhulle zuruckbleibt. λ ist ein obligater Parasit, d.h., der Phage mus seine DNA ins Bakterium einschleusen, um sich vermehren zu konnen.
PathFinder: A Negotiation-Based Performance-Driven Router for FPGAs

Routing FPGAs is a challenging problem because of the relative scarcity of routing resources, both wires and connection points. This can lead either to slow implementations caused by long wiring paths that avoid congestion or a failure to route all signals. This paper presents PathFinder, a router that balances the goals of performance and routability. PathFinder uses an iterative algorithm that converges to a solution in which all signals are routed while achieving close to the optimal performance allowed by the placement. Routability is achieved by forcing signals to negotiate for a resource and thereby determine which signal needs the resource most. Delay is minimized by allowing the more critical signals a greater say in this negotiation. Because PathFinder requires only a directed graph to describe the architecture of routing resources, it adapts readily to a wide variety of FPGA architectures such as Triptych, Xilinx 3000 and mesh-connected arrays of FPGAs. The results of routing ISCAS benchmarks on the Triptych FPGA architecture show an average increase of only 4.5% in critical path delay over the optimum delay for a placement. Routes of ISCAS benchmarks on the Xilinx 3000 architecture show a greater completion rate than commercial tools, as well as 11% faster implementations.
Lithium as an adjunct to radioactive iodine for the treatment of hyperthyroidism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Radioactive iodine (RAI) is commonly used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism but is not uniformly successful. Lithium increases thyroidal iodine retention without reducing iodide uptake, increasing the radiation dose to the thyroid when administered with RAI. Although these actions suggest that adjuvant lithium may increase the efficacy of RAI, its role as an adjunct to RAI remains contentious. Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of adding lithium to RAI to treat hyperthyroidism. Methods Relevant studies were identified by a search of Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. To be included, a study had to be a controlled trial comparing the effect of RAI alone to RAI with lithium in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Relevant data were extracted and meta-analyses were performed. Results Of the 75 identified studies, 6 met the inclusion criteria; 4 of these studies were interventional and 2 were observational trials. Meta-analysis of the observational trials (N = 851), both of which were retrospective cohort studies, showed significant improvement in the primary outcome (i.e., cure rate) with adjunctive lithium (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24 to 2.96). The combined interventional trials (N = 485) also showed an improvement in cure rate, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.91). Adjunctive lithium reduced time to cure and blunted thyroid hormone excursions after RAI. Lithium-related side effects were infrequent and usually mild. Conclusion The observational trials demonstrated significant improvement in the cure rate of hyperthyroidism when lithium is added to RAI. The improvements shown in the interventional trials did not reach statistical significance due to the effect of a single, large negative trial.
Colony Structure in Tapinoma sessile Ants of Northcentral Colorado: A Research Note

tapinoma sessile (Say, 1836), often referred to as the “odorous house ant” or the “coconut ant,” has been considered the most widespread and adaptable of native North American ant species (Fisher and Cover, 2007). This species thrives in a diverse range of ecosystems and environmental conditions, surviving in such climatically distinct regions as southern Canada, northern Mexico (Bucz kowski, 2010, 2012), Florida, Hawaii (recently introduced), and most regions in between (Creighton, 1950; Fisher and Cover, 2007; Buczkowski et. al., 2011). In at least a few states, these ants have also adapted well to urban landscapes, often rising to ecological dominance in the wake of anthropogenic disturbance (Buczkowski, 2010). In some regions, they constitute abundant, though largely benign, urban pests (Smith, 1928). Despite this, the biology of t. sessile remains poorly understood (Menke et al., 2010).
Analyze on the detection and source tracing of salmonella from food poisoning

Objective To perform the pathogenic bacteria detection and the source tracing molecular type analysis from a food poisoning caused by salmonella by pulsed-field gelelectrophoresis( PFGE). Methods Samples and residual food from diarrhea patients in food poisoning were collected,according to GB4789. 4-2010 etc,thirteen isolated salmonella strains were further identified and cultured. Molecular marker H9812,the DNA of isolate was digested with restriction enzyme Xba I,PFGE was used for molecular typing. Results Two strains of Salmonella. Regent( O3,10: Hf,g) was isolated from the suspicious food of5 peanuts; eleven strains of Salmonella. regent was also isolated from 15 feces and vomit sample,PFGE typing from selecting3 strains showed that strains of the same serotype were highly similar,the fingerprint maps of food-poisoning isolates were the same. Conclusion This food poisoning was caused by Salmonella. Regent. PFGE is an effective method of molecular typing.The PFGE technology applied in tracing the suspected source of food poisoning and the molecular epidemiologieal study on strains.
Conditioner Thickness Distribution and Binding Interactions on Hair Surface

How common hair care products, such as conditioner, deposit onto and change hair properties are of interest in beauty care science, since these properties are closely tied to product performance. Conditioner is one of the hair care products which most people use on a daily basis. Conditioner thinly coats hair and can cause drastic changes in the surface properties of hair. Among all the components of conditioner, silicones are the main source of lubrication in the conditioner formulation. Silicone molecules remain as droplets surrounded by water, and their high molecular weight causes them to remain liquid and drain off hair surface gradually, which creates a long-lasting soft and smooth feel for conditioner-treated hair.
Albert Einstein: Beyond Polynomial Equations

This chapter discusses some problems about solving equations, ones of a type that are not as well known as polynomial equations. These emerge in the theory of harmonic functions, and are better for analysing Einstein’s phenomenon of gravitational lensing than polynomial equations.
Surgical Approaches to the Orbit

Surgery of the orbit entails a firm understanding of complex bony and soft tissue anatomy, as the orbit consists of important neurovascular structures that are compressed into a small, confined space with often challenging visualization. Approaches are numerous and are governed by the lesion, size, location (anterior, mid-orbit, apex), and relationship to adjacent soft tissue and bone.
Introduction: primates in evolutionary time

A major goal of this book is to show that fossil primates (including fossil humans) fit within evolutionary patterns seen among other mammals. What is a mammal? Mammals are a class of animals. That is, they are technically arranged in the zoological Class Mammalia, which is formally characterized by a number of distinctive traits. With the exception of birds, most of the animals with which we are most familiar are mammals. There are about 5,000 living mammal species, although they comprise only about 5 percent of all known animal species. The term “crown species” is often used to refer to living species, in contrast to fossil species, because the living animals appear at the top or crown of an evolutionary tree. Mammals have a very ancient and complicated evolutionary history. Figure 1.1 presents a simplified version of this evolutionary past. A complete and continuous fossil record documents the transition from first reptiles to first mammals. Although a number of “mammal-like reptile” or proto-mammal groups independently evolved mammalian traits, the first creatures identified as true mammals emerge about 200 mya (million years ago). Living mammals occur in three main groups: the ancient monotreme mammals of Australasia, and the closely related placental and marsupial mammals, whose origins are much more recent.
Mechanical determinants of left ventricular relaxation in isovolumically beating hearts

Both pressure and volume have been proposed to determine the speed of left ventricular (LV) relaxation, but their relative importance is not known. Accordingly, we used isolated, buffer-perfused, isovolumically beating ferret hearts to study the effects of maximal developed pressure (Pdmax) and LV volume (V) on the speed of LV relaxation. Experiments were performed at 30 degrees C, and the hearts were paced at a baseline interbeat interval (BI) of 800 ms. Pdmax was varied independently of V by use of seven BI (75 to 133% of baseline BI), which resulted in test beats that developed a range of Pdmax due to varying degrees of restitution. Pdmax was also varied by setting V at five levels (80 to 120% of baseline V) during the test beats. Speed of relaxation was quantified as the time period of pressure decay from 75 to 25% Pdmax (T75–25). Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Increases in both Pdmax and V independently prolonged T75-25, and T75–25 was 1.45 times more sensitive to Pdmax than to V. However, when Pdmax and V were combined to estimate maximal wall stress (sigma max), the effects of Pdmax and V, as well as relative circumferential muscle length (estimated by V1/3), were not important determinants, and T75–25 depended on sigma max alone. Thus we conclude that 1) Pdmax and V are both determinants of the speed of LV relaxation and that Pdmax is approximately 1.5 times more important than V, and 2) the effects of Pdmax and V on relaxation act via the common mechanism of sigma max.
Children’s and Teachers’ Conceptions of Creativity: Contradictions and Implications in Classroom Instruction

Personal beliefs about a construct are formed based on individuals’ experiences in sociocultural contexts. Personal beliefs are powerful as individuals tend to plan, take actions, and evaluate their own and others’ actions based on their belief system. In this chapter, we review pervasive creativity myths, followed by an examination of teachers’ implicit theories of creative children and creativity and children’s views of creative people and creativity. Contradictions found between teachers’ conceptions of creativity and classroom practices and discrepancies between teachers’ and children’ creativity conceptions are discussed along with instructional implications. Themes of contradictions include: (a) Yes, developing creativity in students is important, but no, not my priority; (b) I may do it if things are ready for me; (c) I am almost there, but they are not; (d) Creativity is art; (e) Amicable trait, but not in my class; (f) Not in our culture; (g) Anyone can be creative; sounds good, but really?; and (h) Assessment of creativity? I have no clue. We underscore the need for professional development and offer a few items that might help in teacher preparation for classroom instruction.
Design and Performance of Hybrid Arrays of Mo/Au Bilayer Transition-Edge Sensors

For future X-ray astrophysics missions, X-ray microcalorimeters can be optimized with different properties in different regions of the focal plane. This approach has the potential to improve microcalorimeter instrument capabilities with efficient use of instrument resources. For example a point-source array optimized for high angular resolution, high count-rate observations could be accompanied by a main array to expand the field of view for diffuse observations. In this approach, it is desirable to be able to simultaneously optimize different transition-edge sensor (TES) geometries on a single wafer design. The key properties of TESs such as transition temperature and shape are a strong function of size and geometry due to the complex interplay between the proximity effect from the superconducting bias electrodes and the normal metal features used for noise suppression and absorber contact. As a result, devices fabricated with the same deposited layer but with different sizes will have different transition temperatures and different response to X-ray events. In this paper, we present measurements of the transition temperature and properties of devices with different sizes and normal metal features, and discuss how by tuning the geometry we can achieve the desired pixel parameters for a given application. We also describe measurements of transition properties from large-format hybrid arrays containing three different pixel types.
Magnetic bead based assays for complement component C5

Abstract Two novel magnetic agarose bead based assays have been developed to measure complement component C5 interaction with C3b and the Factor I Modules (FIMs) of C7. One innovation was to couple C3b onto the magnetic agarose bead using the alternative pathway C3 convertase, which resulted in a linkage of the ligand by a covalent ester bond. A second innovation was to employ nickel ion charged N,N,N′-tris(carboxymethyl)ethylene-diamine-magnetic agarose to capture recombinantly prepared C7 FIMs that were expressed with an oligo-histidine linker followed by an acidic domain that provided a spacer enabling the C7 modules exposure to C5. Detection was brought about by peroxidase coupled to C5. Both assays exhibited adequate statistics suitable for screening. As examples of the utility of these new methods, we chose to examine influence of natural products on C5 interaction. Fucoidan and β-glucans were observed to inhibit C3b-C5 interaction, and dextran sulfate was similarly active; however, rosmarinic acid had no measurable effect. In contrast only β-glucans from two species of macrofungi were able to interfere with interaction of C5 with the FIMs of C7.
School Readiness as a Longitudinal Predictor of Social-Emotional and Reading Performance Across the Elementary Grades:

This study is a brief psychometric report examining the Kindergarten Student Entrance Profile (KSEP). Multiple regression models were tested examining associations between kindergarten teachers’ ra...
Out with the “Old” and in with the “New”—The Evolution and Refinement of Sociobiological Theory

Despite all that has been written about the subject of sociobiology during the nearly 10 years that have passed since the appearance of E. O. Wilson’s justly canonized Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975), the subject is still beset by controversy and confusion. It is not at all clear exactly what the content is of sociobiological theory. Nor is it evident whether sociobiology constitutes a radical break with traditional inquiries into behavior in such fields as ethology and comparative psychology, or, is merely an extension of the models and approaches used in these fields. Nor is there yet much agreement over the implications of sociobiological theorizing for understanding human behavior in general, and, in particular, those moral and sociopolitical activities which are often cited (Sahlins, 1976) as paradigmatic examples of humankind’s freedom from biological limits and constraints. Thus, this essay will have three major if somewhat immodest aims. First, the basic tenets of what I will refer to as the “old” and “new” sociobiology will be presented and discussed. Second, a critical assessment will be made of the “new” sociobiology. And, finally, some effort will be made to explain why sociobiological theorizing has been and continues to be a source of controversy by examining the implications of current sociobiological theorizing for morality.
Calculations of Differential Cross Sections Using Mixed Quantum/Classical Theory of Inelastic Scattering.

It is shown that the mixed quantum/classical theory (MQCT) for the description of molecular scattering is considerably improved by using integer values of orbital angular momentum l, just like in quantum theory, instead of treating it as a continuous classical variable related to the impact parameter. This conclusion is justified by the excellent accuracy of the modified theory for prediction of the differential cross sections, at various values of collision energy and in both forward and backward scattering regimes. This approach requires fewer trajectories, compared to the random Monte Carlo sampling, and the only convergence parameter is lmax (maximum orbital angular momentum) similar to Jmax in the full quantum theory (maximum total angular momentum). Calculations of differential and integral cross sections for elastic and inelastic channels are presented, and the role of the scattering phase is discussed. The low-energy range is analyzed in detail to obtain insight into how the mixed quantum/classica...
Immunopathology of Mycotic Infections

Fungi are ubiquitous in man’s environment. Most of them, however, are saprophytic and do not cause diseases in man and animals. Some are invasive, and can cause disseminated disease in individuals who are apparently “normal.” In this category are such organisms as Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Coccidioides immitis. Even after infection with these organisms, most individuals recover spontaneously without the need for chemotherapy, while only a small percentage tend to develop a disseminated mycotic infection, which may or may not respond to chemotherapy.
Soluble phosphorylated fms-like tyrosine kinase III. FLT3 protein in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

FLT3 ligand (FL) has a significant role in the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Mutations in the FLT3 receptor gene have been reported in 30% of patients with AML. We investigated whether abnormal phosphorylation of FLT3 may be more common in AML. We evaluated FLT3 protein and its phosphorylation in the plasma from 85 patients with AML, 16 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and 5 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). There were no significant differences in the level of plasma FLT3 protein level in the different diseases (p = 0.57). AML patients had a significantly higher level of phospho-FLT3:FLT3 ratio (p = 0.02). FLT3-ITD and FLT3 point mutations were present in 27 (32%) of the AML patients. Phosphorylated FLT3 was significantly higher in the plasma from patients with FLT3 mutation (p = 0.002). Overall, there was no correlation between survival and the plasma level of FLT3 protein or its phosphorylated form. However, amongst the patients without FLT3 mutations, those with a higher level of phosphorylated FLT3 had a significantly shorter duration of remission (p = 0.04). Other mechanisms may be responsible for abnormal phosphorylation of FLT3 and inhibitors of FLT3 should also be investigated in patients without mutations.
Merlin and Angiomotin in Hippo-Yap Signaling

Merlin, encoded by the NF2 tumor-suppressive gene, has been ­established through genetic studies in both Drosophila and mice as an important upstream regulator of the Hippo-Yap pathway. Recently, biochemical studies have identified Angiomotin and Angiomotin-like proteins as major interacting partners for both Merlin and Yap. The exact mechanisms of how Merlin and Angiomotin regulate Hippo signaling remain undetermined. In this chapter, we will summarize past findings and discuss controversies and remaining questions regarding the roles of Merlin and Angiomotin in Hippo signaling and tumorigenesis.
Interactions of Molecular Titanium Oxides TiOx (x = 1–3) with Carbon Dioxide in Cluster Anions

We study small titanium oxide-CO2 cluster anions in vacuo to understand the fundamental interactions between TiO x and CO2 in the presence of an excess electron. Infrared spectra of [TiO x(CO2) y]- ( x = 1-3, y > 1) were obtained using photodissociation spectroscopy and assigned through quantum chemistry calculations, identifying the formation of carbonato, oxalato, oxo, η2-(O,O), and carbonyl ligands in the core ions of these clusters, with carbonato ligands being the dominant ligand species.
Preaching and History: The Audience of Ranulf Higden’s Ars componendi sermones and Polychronicon

ABSTRACTIn his Ars praedicandi sermones, in traditional yet rich metaphoric language, Ranulf Higden compares Christ to a fountain, a shepherd, a rock, a lily, a rose, a violet, an elephant, a unico...
Dual Control Drives for Increased Capability

Deadbeat-direct torque and flux control (DB-DTFC) is a powerful control law for drives which allows for choosing the flux linkage at every switching period without affecting the torque. This independent manipulation of torque and losses, i.e. flux linkage, allows for new capabilities such as dynamic loss minimization at every switching instant, signal injection without any additional torque ripple for parameter estimation or self-sensing, as well as closed-loop torque control with minimal parameter sensitivity. Moreover, since DB-DTFC uses an inverse model solution based on flux linkages, it inherently utilizes the full inverter Volt-sec. hexagon without changing the control law at the inverter limits. While these features cannot be achieved with conventional current vector control (CVC), this paper explains how to increase the capability of drives by flexibly moving between CVC, and DB-DTFC to take advantage of their best properties. The focus of this paper is to enable seamless and dynamic transitions between the controls even under parameter uncertainties. While switching between controllers can add additional features, the switching transients are undesirable. In order to make switching between controllers more attractive, this paper focuses on making the switching transient as smooth as possible and shows how to shape the transient so it becomes acceptable for the application. The key issue here is that different controllers have different parameter sensitivities, so when the parameters are not precisely estimated, the controller will need to switch from one trajectory to the other. Finally, this paper discusses potential use cases for this technology. In particular, a comparison of the operation at the voltage and current limits for DB-DTFC and CVC is shown, where some controller trade-offs become very obvious and control switching becomes an attractive solution. The discussion in this paper is supported by simulation and experimental results on an IPMSM, which are in good agreement with each other and the underlying concepts.
Multifunctional religious systems and perturbed dynamics of psychological wellbeing

Kevin Flannelly presents an ambitious book that connects evolutionary approaches to the study of human psychopathology with the study of various facets of religious beliefs, revealing comprehensive...
CEH-60/PBX and UNC-62/MEIS Coordinate a Metabolic Switch that Supports Reproduction in C. elegans.

Summary The molecular basis of how animals integrate metabolic, developmental, and environmental information before committing resources to reproduction is an unresolved issue in developmental biology. In C. elegans, adult animals reallocate fat stores from intestinal cells to the germline via low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-like particles to promote embryogenesis. Here, I demonstrate that two conserved homeodomain transcription factors, CEH-60/PBX and UNC-62/MEIS, coordinate a transcriptional network that supports reproduction while suppressing longevity and stress-response pathways. The CEH-60:UNC-62 heterodimer serves an unanticipated dual function in intestinal nuclei by directly activating the expression of lipoprotein genes while directly repressing stress-responsive genes. Consequently, ceh-60 mutants display fat storage defects, a dramatic lifespan extension, and hyper-activation of innate immunity genes. Finally, CEH-60 associates with PQM-1 at the DAF-16-associated element within the promoters of stress-responsive genes to control gene expression. Thus, CEH-60 governs an elaborate transcriptional network that balances stress responses and longevity against reproduction during developmental transitions.
Filamentation of long-wave infrared pulses in the atmosphere [Invited]

Filamentation of a high-power laser beam in air opens the possibility of the diffraction-compensated propagation of a laser beam over long distances and as such is being considered for remote stand-off detection, lightning control, free-space communications, and long-range projection of high-energy pulses. Switching to long-wave infrared (LWIR) range for filamentation, as shown in recent experiments, allows for generation of a single centimeter-diameter channel in air that, in comparison with a short-wavelength laser filament, has 4 orders of magnitude larger cross section and guides many joules of pulse energy over multiple Rayleigh distances at a clamped intensity of ∼1012W/cm2. Self-guiding of LWIR pulses in air arises from the balance between self-focusing, diffraction, and defocusing caused by free carriers generated via many-body Coulomb-induced ionization which effectively decrease the molecular polarizability during the long-wavelength laser pulse. Understanding where this new ionization regime plays a role, below the threshold of the well-adopted single-atom tunnel ionization in gases, could become a new frontier in strong-field interactions. This paper offers an overview of the atmospheric filamentation research at long-wave infrared wavelengths.
Review of Becoming a library leader

Review of Freedman, James M. and Freedman, Shin (Ed.) (2020). Becoming a library leader: Seven stages of leadership development for academic librarians. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.
Clustering Based Low Dose Cerebral Computed Tomography Perfusion Spatio-temporal Restoration

CT perfusion (CTP) is a common scanning type for the diagnosis of acute stroke. Dynamic 4D data are obtained by scanning the same region of interest for time series volumetric acquisition. Usually, the scanning dose is low, which leads to serious image noise and the quality of follow-up hemodynamic parameter processing decreases. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a clustering based cerebral CTP data spatio-temporal restoration algorithm, CSFT, and carries out experiments on the generated digital phantom and clinical data, then the result was compared with the widely used mean filtering method, STV method and VBM4D method. For digital phantom, PSNR and SSIM, mean value and standard deviation of restored noise were compared with the ground truth of digital phantom, time density curve and hemodynamic parameter map are also compared respectively. The same comparison was made for clinical data, except that the PSNR and SSIM reference images were raw noise images instead of the ground truth. For digital phantom, The PSNR of CSFT algorithm reached 38.22, while the original noisy data was only 27.40, SSIM reached 0.8311, the noise mean was -0.033, very close to 0, the noise standard deviation was 2.047, only 19.47% of the standard deviation of artificially added noise. For clinical data, The PSNR of CSFT algorithm reached 45.58, SSIM reached 0.8835, the mean noise value was 0.0242, which was very close to 0, and the standard deviation of noise was 8.936. Experiments show that CSFT can effectively restore low-dose cerebral CTP data when CT perfusion data with serious low-dose noise.
Chiari Malformation Type 1 and Syringomyelia in a Patient With Prior Surgically-Treated Sagittal Synostosis Effectively Treated With Posterior Cranial Vault Distraction Osteogenesis.

ABSTRACT The presenting report describes the use of a posterior cranial vault distraction procedure in resolving a Chiari malformation with associated syringomyelia following a surgically-treated nonsyndromic craniosynostosis. Chiari malformations are typically treated with posterior fossa decompression with or without expansion duraplasty. The objective of this report is to describe the effectiveness in resolving both Chiari malformation and secondary syringomyelia with posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis. A 5-year-old male, with a history of surgery for sagittal synostosis during infancy, presented with daily severe headaches and dysesthesias in the hands and feet. Imaging demonstrated a copper-beaten calvarium and a Chiari 1 malformation with a 7 mm diameter C4-T1 syrinx. He underwent posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis over 3 months to increase his intracranial volume. The patients' headaches improved significantly, and his dysesthesias resolved postoperatively. A magnetic resonance imaging performed 7 months after completion of distraction demonstrated resolution of the Chiari malformation and decompression of his syrinx. A computed tomography scan at 9 months postdistraction showed resolution of the copper-beaten calvarium. Patients with a history of craniosynostosis can develop inadequate cranial volume over time due to abnormal skull growth, leading to secondary Chiari malformation with or without syringomyelia. Posterior vault distraction is an effective strategy to address these conditions and can be employed later in childhood to treat the underlying pathology. The mechanism potentially expands both calvarium and dura, which in turn addresses both the Chiari malformation and secondary syringomyelia.
Diagnosis and Management of Sciatic Endometriosis at the Greater sciatic Foramen: a Case Report

Sciatic endometriosis is a rare condition in which endometrial tissue invades or compresses the lumbosacral plexus and/or sciatic nerve and causes sciatic pain, which is often cyclical. Its diagnosis depends on the recognition of signs and symptoms atypical to common degenerative lumbar disorders and its treatment requires timely and coordinated care. A 26-year-old woman presented to a chiropractor at a hospital-based outpatient clinic with a 6-month exacerbation of radiating pain and paresthesia from the right gluteal region into the leg and foot. She was previously treated for over 3 months for suspected lumbosacral radiculopathy with physical therapy. Multisegmental neurologic deficits inconsistent with her prior lumbar imaging prompted further investigation. Pelvis and hip MRI identified a 7×5 cm mass extending through the greater sciatic foramen which compressed and infiltrated the lumbosacral plexus, sciatic nerve, and superior gluteal nerve, and was confirmed via biopsy to be endometriosis. Referral and co-management with a neurologist and obstetrician resulted in a conservative strategy of hormone therapy with the option of having surgical excision if needed. Sciatic endometriosis is a rare disorder that may be misdiagnosed due to its tendency to mimic common lumbar disorders. This case highlights the role of a chiropractor coordinating care for a complex disorder that benefits from early diagnosis for optimal management. It also illustrates how integration of chiropractors into a hospital system can facilitate their ability to manage neuro-musculoskeletal disorders as they can easily refer to and communicate with other medical specialties within the network.
High-throughput discovery of peptide activators of a bacterial sensor kinase

Abstract Bacteria use two-component system (TCS) signaling pathways to sense and respond to peptides involved in host defense, quorum sensing, and inter-bacterial warfare. However, little is known about the peptide-sensing capabilities of these TCSs. Here, we develop a high-throughput E. coli display method to characterize the effects of human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) on the pathogenesis-regulating TCS PhoPQ of Salmonella Typhimurium. We find that PhoPQ senses AMPs comprising diverse sequences, structures, and biological functions. Using thousands of AMP variants, we identify sub-domains and biophysical features responsible for PhoPQ activation. We show that most of the newfound activators induce PhoPQ in S. Typhimurium, suggesting a role in virulence regulation. Finally, we find that PhoPQ homologs from Klebsiella pneumoniae and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli, which occupy different in vivo niches, exhibit distinct AMP response profiles. Our high-throughput method enables new insights into the specificities, mechanisms, and evolutionary dynamics of TCS-mediated peptide sensing in bacteria.
The Value of Statistical Learning to Cognitive Network Science

To study the human mind is to consider the nature of associations-how are they learned, what are their constituent parts, and how can they be severed or adjusted? The manipulation of associations stands as a pillar of statistical learning (SL) research, which strongly suggests that processes as diverse as word segmentation, learning of grammatical patterns, and event perception can be explained by the learner's sensitivity to simple temporal dependencies (among other regularities). Used to determine the edges of a network, associations are similarly crucial to consider when quantifying the graph-theoretical properties of various cognitive systems. With this point of convergence in mind, the present work reaffirms the unique value of network science in illuminating the broad-level architectures of complex cognitive systems. However, I also describe how insights from the SL literature, coupled with insights from psycholinguistics more broadly, offer a strong theoretical backbone upon which we can develop and study networks that reflect, as closely as possible, the psychological realities of learning.
Resilience of Backbone Provider Networks

Network topology models have drawn tremendous interest from the research community. Traditionally, Internet modelling has been done at the AS or router level, in part because this information is most available from tomography and public databases such as Rocketfuel. We argue that physical topology analysis is important for a more complete understanding of Internet structure, particularly for insight into the resilience and survivability of infrastructure against attacks and natural disasters. However, complexity and lack of complete data sets has hindered accurate topology modelling. In this short paper, we show through a sample case that physical topologies have significantly different characteristics from traffic engineering and router-level overlays, and are important for analysis of geographically-correlated failures. Keywords-Internet topology, physical topologies, resilience, survivability
Educational Opportunities in the Prevention of Malaria

(1945). Educational Opportunities in the Prevention of Malaria. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 172-228.
The Life of the Longhouse: Aban Jau's Successors

There were aspects of Aban Jau's life and times that were unique, but the arc of his career was not at all exceptional. Time and again, we find the names of important leaders associated with the fluctuating fortunes of longhouse communities, so that we might think of the longhouses themselves as having a life cycle to match the man's. For all his bravado, Aban Jau failed to impose his ideas of what his role should be, and his end shows that failure – steadily abandoned and finally alone in his empty house. His case is instructive because it represents an extreme example of a general tendency. Moreover, his times cannot be contrasted with a previous epoch of peace and stability. As far back as oral histories reach, there is evidence of struggle between communities and rival leaders within communities. Consequently, Aban Jau's career represents not novelty, but an intensification of processes that had happened before and would happen again. To prove the point, it is only necessary to follow the fate of the people who abandoned him to his fate in his empty longhouse. Aban Jau's Rivals Even at the height of his career, Aban Jau had rivals. In the Seping (Figure 02-01), the Lepo Anan leader, Tama Lian Avit, assembled a large community of even more diverse elements than those at Long Batan.
WE-AB-BRA-12: Virtual Endoscope Tracking for Endoscopy-CT Image Registration

Purpose: The use of endoscopy in radiotherapy will remain limited until we can register endoscopic video to CT using standard clinical equipment. In this phantom study we tested a registration method using virtual endoscopy to measure CT-space positions from endoscopic video. Methods: Our phantom is a contorted clay cylinder with 2-mm-diameter markers in the luminal surface. These markers are visible on both CT and endoscopic video. Virtual endoscope images were rendered from a polygonal mesh created by segmenting the phantom’s luminal surface on CT. We tested registration accuracy by tracking the endoscope’s 6-degree-of-freedom coordinates frame-to-frame in a video recorded as it moved through the phantom, and using these coordinates to measure CT-space positions of markers visible in the final frame. To track the endoscope we used the Nelder-Mead method to search for coordinates that render the virtual frame most similar to the next recorded frame. We measured the endoscope’s initial-frame coordinates using a set of visible markers, and for image similarity we used a combination of mutual information and gradient alignment. CT-space marker positions were measured by projecting their final-frame pixel addresses through the virtual endoscope to intersect with the mesh. Registration error was quantified as the distance between this intersection and the marker’s manually-selected CT-space position. Results: Tracking succeeded for 6 of 8 videos, for which the mean registration error was 4.8±3.5mm (24 measurements total). The mean error in the axial direction (3.1±3.3mm) was larger than in the sagittal or coronal directions (2.0±2.3mm, 1.7±1.6mm). In the other 2 videos, the virtual endoscope got stuck in a false minimum. Conclusion: Our method can successfully track the position and orientation of an endoscope, and it provides accurate spatial mapping from endoscopic video to CT. This method will serve as a foundation for an endoscopy-CT registration framework that is clinically valuable and requires no specialized equipment.
Documents, concepts and neural networks

In this paper we investigate the relevance of neural networks to the problem of document classification. We show that textual documents can be represented numerically in a semantically meaningful way, so that the back-propagation learning algorithm can be used to build a document classifying neural network. We show that the network can be taught to classify natural language text according to predefined specifications. The convergence properties of the prototype NeuroZ described in this paper make it clear that neural networks provide a new platform for the automatic classification of semantically similar documents and that a system can be built which distinguishes between relatively complex linguistic patterns.
Clomiphene citrate for improvement of ovarian function

Abstract Clomiphene citrate was used in a group of patients with various forms of ovarian dysfunction: 6 so-called “normal infertile females,” 9 women with luteal phase defects, 56 with oligomenorrhea and anovulation, 4 with lactation amenorrhea, 10 with primary amenorrhea, and 7 with “unresponsive ovaries.” Ovarian function was estimated by basal body temperature, endometrial biopsy, and urinary excretion of estrogens and pregnanediol. Pregnancies were followed with urinary pregnanediol and serum chorionic gonadotropin titers. Previously normal ovarian function became abnormal after 450 mg. of clomiphene citrate. Anovulation not associated with severe pituitary insufficiency was corrected in all patients by 250 to 500 mg. of clomiphene citrate, and smaller dosages seemed more effective than larger. Luteal phase defects following induced ovulation were significantly higher than in a series of patients with spontaneous ovulatory function.
Anti-Feminist Backlash and Violence against Women Worldwide

Although globalization, through the communications revolution and international law, brings the promise of progressive social change, the concern of this paper is with the backlash against women’s increasing emancipation, a backlash that is evidenced in the United States through making a mockery of women’s bid for equality by turning the principles against some women whose lives are troubled while rewarding others. Meanwhile across the world the victimization of women, personal and cultural, is taking place in both democratic and totalitarian regimes. Two related forms of backlash are institutional and personal. That forces from the global market and the corporate media help fuel this backlash is a major contention of this paper.
Changes in intercellular junctions: II. Modulation in embryonic chick liver in vitro by cytosine arabinoside and dexamethasone

Abstract We have used an in vitro model to investigate the relationship between cell proliferation, cell maturation, and intercellular junctional changes that are seen during normal liver development. Chick liver fragments of embryonic stages 21, 28, and 39 were grown in organ culture in Medium 199 with 10% bovine serum albumin for 24 hr. Concurrent cultures were treated with cytosine arabinoside (ara-c, 20 μg/ml) to inhibit cell proliferation or with dexamethasone (2 μm/ml) to promote cell maturation. Control and treated liver cultures were analyzed using autoradiography to determine labeling index and quantitative computer graphic analysis of freeze-fracture micrographs to evaluate junctional changes. Explants treated with ara-c had a near zero labeling index. Those from embryonic stage 21 showed a 4-fold increase in tight junctional area, while those from embryonic stage 28 showed a 2.5-fold increase in tight junctional area and a 5-fold increase in gap junctional area. In liver of embryonic stage 39, junctional area increased, and conformation of junctions took on the typical form seen in the liver of the hatched chick. Thus high mitotic activity appears to disrupt cell junctions, reducing the amount of junctions present and causing pleomorphic configurations. Junctional area could also be modified with no change in mitotic activity by treatment with dexamethasone. Stage 28 embryo livers in culture with dexamethasone showed a 4-fold increase in the amount of tight junctions with no change in the amount of gap junctions. Some major findings based on these age-dependent responses are (1) if mitosis is blocked in young embryonic stages when proliferation is high, intercellular junctions tend to increase in amount, and to be more mature in configuration; (2) if maturation is stimulated with no change in proliferation, those junctions which normally increase with differentiation will increase in amount; and (3) it is possible to produce a change in the amount of one junctional type without affecting the other. Therefore the amount of cell surface occupied by junctions at any given time seems to depend on both the pattern of synthetic activity in the cell and the degree to which cell to cell contacts are stable and undisrupted by mitotic activity.
Cheilitis granulomatosa. Report of case treated with injection of triamcinolone acetonide aqueous suspension.

Abstract Persistent swelling of the upper lip in a 25-year-old man was shown by biopsy to represent an infrequently reported entity, cheilitis granulomatosa. The relationship of this condition to the Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome is discussed. Successful treatment with local injections of steroid is described.
Knowing in Space: Three Lessons from Black Women's Social Theory

In attempting to create a US Black feminist philosophy, I have uncovered three lessons in US Black women’s social theory. They are the following: 1) oppression is a multistable, social phenomenon; 2) many US Black women identify occupying a negative, socio-epistemic space as part of their experience of oppression; and 3) addressing oppression for many Black women will require grappling with politics of social spatiality. These insights are by no means new. However, the fact that these tropes can be identified in almost 200 years of Black women's social theory in the US is far more distinctive than many allow.