cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition, stability, and structure of a new member of the aenigmatite group, Na 2 Mg (sub 4+x) Fe (super 3+) (sub 2-2x) Si (sub 6+x) O 20 , synthesized at 13-14 GPa

A new phase isostructural with the minerals of the aenigmatite group Na 2 Mg (sub 4+x) Fe (super 3+) (sub 2-2x) Si (sub 6+x) O 20 with chi = 0.25-0.5 was synthesized at 13-14 GPa with a splitsphere anvil apparatus (USSA-2000). The structure (for chi = 0.4) was determined from twinned-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The unit cell is triclinic, P1, a = 10.328(1), b = 10.724(1), c = 8.805(1) Aa, alpha = 105.15(1), beta = 96.85(1), gamma = 125.47(1) degrees , V = 719.67(3) Aa 3 , Z = 2, calculated density = 3.335 g/cm 3 . The twin law, independently determined from electron diffraction and transmission electron microscopy and by inspection of the X-ray data collected with an area detector, relates the twin components by a 180 degrees rotation about [110] (super *) . Due to the coupled substitution, 2Fe (super 3+) = MgSi, which introduces octahedral Si, the stability of the phases with the aenigmatite structure apparently expands with increasing pressure. Hence, these phases could play a major role in the transition zone (410-660 km), where the more common minerals they are replacing, olivine and clinopyroxene, reach the limit of their stability. The new evidence for the stability of aenigmatite-like minerals in the deep mantle could have important implications for the origin of the parental magmas producing aenigmatite-bearing and other agpaitic rocks.
Viral Transduction of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Increasing numbers of regenerative approaches now involve use of adult stem cells, like the bone marrow MSC or the adipose-derived ASC. With their ease of in vitro manipulation and successful tissue integration in vivo, the ASC makes an attractive candidate for gene delivery in vivo using viral-based gene therapy strategies. As such, this chapter describes methods for the transduction of human ASCs with two popular types of recombinant viruses: adenovirus and lentivirus.
Order-Disorder Transitions in the Cardiac Troponin Complex.

Abstract The troponin complex is a molecular switch that ties shifting intracellular calcium concentration to association and dissociation of actin and myosin, effectively allowing excitation–contraction coupling in striated muscle. Although there is a long history of muscle biophysics and structural biology, many of the mechanistic details that enable troponin's function remain incompletely understood. This review summarizes the current structural understanding of the troponin complex on the muscle thin filament, focusing on conformational changes in flexible regions of the troponin I subunit. In particular, we focus on order–disorder transitions in the C-terminal domain of troponin I, which have important implications in cardiac disease and could also have potential as a model system for the study of coupled binding and folding.
Dimension Polynomials of Intermediate Fields of Inversive Difference Field Extensions

Let K be an inversive difference field, L a finitely generated inversive difference field extension of K, and F an intermediate inversive difference field of this extension. We prove the existence and establish properties and invariants of a numerical polynomial that describes the filtration of F induced by the natural filtration of the extension L/K associated with its generators. Then we introduce concepts of type and dimension of the extension L/K considering chains of its intermediate fields. Using properties of dimension polynomials of intermediate fields we obtain relationships between the type and dimension of L/K and difference birational invariants of this extension carried by its dimension polynomials. Finally, we present a generalization of the obtained results to the case of multivariate dimension polynomials associated with a given inversive difference field extension and a partition of the basic set of translations.
Development of Slag Management System

Degradation of refractory liners is one of the key factors limiting the service life of entrained flow slagging gasifiers, which is caused primarily by refractory/slag interactions. Slag originates from impurities in the carbon feedstock, typically coal and/or petcoke, which melt and coalesce during gasification, flowing over the refractory liner in the gasifier and interacting with it. Slagging gasifier operators attempt to minimize refractory degradation by controlling slag viscosity (and interactions) through the gasification process temperature. A computer model utilizing empirical and neural network calculations was developed to predict T100, T250, fluid temperature, and liquidus temperature of slag compositions based on chemistry and a newly developed “similarity index”. Development of the model and its application in designing slags to minimize refractory degradation will be discussed.
Describing Nurse Leaders' and Direct Care Nurses' Perceptions of a Healthy Work Environment in Acute Care Settings, Part 2.

Background The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Healthy Work Environment Assessment Tool was developed as a simple screening tool to assess the characteristics of a healthy work environment (HWE) in critical care environments. Purposes The purposes of these 2 qualitative research studies are to explore the nurse leaders' and direct care nurses' perceptions of the meaning of a HWE, to describe the nurse leaders' and direct care nurses' perceptions of a HWE, and to define the characteristics of a HWE in acute care settings. Methods Exploratory descriptive designs using focus groups and guided questions with tape-recorded interviews were used to define the characteristics of an HWE. Results The 6 original themes from AACN HWE standards and 2 new themes emerged as a result of the nurse leaders and direct care nurses defining the characteristics of a HWE, which included appropriate staffing, authentic leadership, effective decision making, meaningful recognition, skilled communication, true collaboration genuine teamwork, and physical and psychological safety. The qualitative statements from these 2 studies will be used in future studies to describe and develop HWE scales for nurse leaders and direct care nurses and to assess the psychometric properties of these new tools.
Plant Carbon Budgets

The balance between carbon inputs through gross primary production (GPP) and carbon losses through plant respiration and tissue turnover govern the carbon balance of plants. This chapter describes the factors that regulate this balance.
Mice increased target biting behaviors 24h after co-administration of alcohol and fluoxetine.

Increased alcohol consumption and heightened aggression have been linked to social isolation. Furthermore, animals treated with alcohol following social separation showed higher aggression together with lower serotonin transmission. Although reduced serotonin transmission in the brain may be related to alcohol-induced heightened aggression and fluoxetine has been used to reduce alcohol intake and aggression, it remains unclear whether there are specific brain regions where changes in serotonin transmission are critical for animal aggression following the alcohol treatment. In the present study, we isolated mice for 4-6weeks and injected them with alcohol, fluoxetine and alcohol with fluoxetine. We studied their aggression by using two types of behavioral paradigms: isolation-induced attack behavior towards a naive mouse in a neutral cage, or shock-induced target biting aggression. We observed that alcohol administered at 500mg/kg significantly increased animal attack behaviors towards naive mice 30min after injections. This dose of alcohol co-administered with a low dose of fluoxetine (2mg/kg) further increased the attack behaviors, but with higher doses of fluoxetine, the attack behaviors were decreased. Alcohol administered at a dose of 1,000mg/kg significantly decreased the shock-induced target biting rates 24h after injections. Interestingly, 24h after injections, we observed a significant increase in target biting rates when alcohol was co-administered with fluoxetine at a dose of 16mg/kg. We also observed the same heightened target biting rates when animals were injected with fluoxetine alone. This heightened biting attack engendered by the fluoxetine (alone or in combination with the alcohol) occurred at a time when brain serotonin activity was reduced by these drugs in the frontal cortex and hypothalamus. These observations, in concordance with previous findings reported by others, indicate that heightened biting attack behavior may be associated with reduced serotonergic activity in brain regions regulating aggression.
Local and Global Effects of Dissolved Sodium Chloride on the Structure of Water.

Determining how the structure of water is modified by the presence of salts is instrumental to understanding the solvation of biomolecules and, in general, the role played by salts in biochemical processes. However, the extent of hydrogen bonding disruption induced by salts remains controversial. We performed extensive first-principles simulations of solutions of a simple salt (NaCl) and found that, while the cation does not significantly change the structure of water beyond the first solvation shell, the anion has a further reaching effect, modifying the hydrogen-bond network even outside its second solvation shell. We found that a distinctive fingerprint of hydrogen bonding modification is the change in polarizability of water molecules. Molecular dipole moments are instead insensitive probes of long-range modifications induced by Na+ and Cl– ions. Though noticeable, the long-range effect of Cl– is expected to be too weak to affect solubility of large biomolecules.
Towards Dictionary-Enhanced Microscopy

We record a set of over 250,000 white blood cell images, and subsequently use this data for cell classification and denoising. Our results suggest that imaging performance can be significantly improved using large image dictionaries.
The rhetoric and poetics of speech and debate: resituating and re-disciplining literary argument

ABSTRACTThe relationship between rhetorical and literary arts has been tenuous since ancient Greece. In the modern academy, rhetoric and poetics remain siloed, with problematic implications for speech and debate activities. I argue that literature is inherently rhetorical, and that the relegation of literature as separate and lesser is a disservice to forensic education. Offering analysis of literary argument in competitive speech events, this essay provides an alternative in embracing the power of literature to articulate its own arguments without clarification through traditional argumentative structure. By emphasizing literary argument as part of a rhetorical exchange, I contend that meaning is co-produced among competitors and judges, and that the shared experience of literary performance is powerful and valuable on its own.
Multiobjective Control Design via Linear Matrix Equations

Abstract Various methods are given which satisfy multiple criteria for control design. These methods reduce to linear algebraic problems and require the satisfaction of certain existence conditions. All controllers that will achieve the desired objectives are derived. The set of multiple objectives that are allowed include pole region assignment, structured parameter robustness, H2/H∞ constraints, and Frobenius Hankel norm constraints
Laparoendoscopic stapled rives stoppa sublay technique for extraperitoneal ventral hernia repair

Laparoscopic and robotic extraperitoneal ventral hernia repair techniques have developed with the goal of combining the benefits of traditional open sublay repair with those of minimally invasive surgery. We describe the use of a laparoendoscopic extraperitoneal sublay repair employing a linear stapler for plication and division of the linea alba with subsequent mesh augmentation. Between January 2016 and February 2017, 21 patients with midline ventral and incisional hernias underwent repair using a laparoendoscopic extraperitoneal stapled sublay mesh repair. Six of the cases included simultaneous laparoscopic bilateral posterior component separation with division of the posterior lamella of the internal oblique muscle. Three of these had additional myofascial release of the transversus abdominis muscle to facilitate midline approximation. Intraoperative and perioperative complications, recurrence, pain, and narcotic usage were measured. Defect width ranged from 3 to 9 cm. No significant intraoperative complications or conversions to open surgery occurred. Patients were discharged at 0.9 days on average. Early postoperative complications included hernia site seroma in two patients. There were no early postoperative infections of recurrences. One patient underwent local exploration at 6 months to remove a palpable suprafascial retained hernia sac. Compared with traditional laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair, less acute pain was reported. Laparoendoscopic extraperitoneal stapled sublay is a safe and effective method for small to medium-sized ventral and incisional hernias and adds another option to achieve minimally invasive extraperitoneal ventral hernia repair.
Quantitative models of imperfect deception in network security using signaling games with evidence [IEEE CNS 17 Poster]

Deception plays a critical role in many interactions in communication and network security. Game-theoretic models called “cheap talk signaling games” capture the dynamic and information-asymmetric nature of deceptive interactions. But signaling games inherently model undetectable deception. In this paper, we investigate a model of signaling games in which the receiver can detect deception with some probability. This model nests traditional signaling games and complete information Stackelberg games as special cases. We present the pure strategy perfect Bayesian Nash equilibria of the game. Then we illustrate these analytical results with an application to active network defense. The presence of evidence forces majority-truthful behavior and eliminates some pure strategy equilibria. It always benefits the deceived player, but surprisingly sometimes also benefits the deceiving player.
Late Cretaceous Angiosperm Woods from the McRae Formation, South-Central New Mexico, USA: Part 2

Premise of research. Over the past 3 decades, angiosperm woods have been reported from the Campanian to the Maastrichtian of southern Laramidia, including Coahuila and Chihuahua, Mexico; Big Bend N...
Research and Architecture’s Knowledge Loop

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has developed a research roadmap that sends the AIA further down a road it began in 2001, when the College of Fellows launched the Latrobe Prize, and cont...
Abdominoperineal Resection for Rectal Cancer in the Twenty-First Century: Indications, Techniques, and Outcomes

Management of low rectal cancer continues to be a challenge, and decision making regarding the need for an abdominoperineal resection (APR) in patients with low-lying tumors is complicated. Furthermore, choices need to be made regarding need for modification of the surgical approach based on tumor anatomy and patient goals. In this article, we address patient selection, preoperative planning, and intraoperative technique required to perform the three types of abdominoperineal resections for rectal cancer: extrasphincteric, extralevator, and intersphincteric. Attention is paid not only to traditional oncologic outcomes such as recurrence and survival but also to patient-reported outcomes and quality of life.
Bioassay for iodine-125

The use of the volatile form of iodine-125 ({sup 125}I) in clinics and laboratories often imposes the responsibility of bioassay on nuclear medicine personnel. The authors reviewed several methods with respect to regulations and guidelines. Urinalysis is sufficiently sensitive when performed within two days of accidental ingestion; however, an action level cannot be set unambiguously. In vivo measurement is preferred. Discussion of this method was illustrated by the calibration of their detector system.
Realities and Prospects for Public Education in a Context of Persistent Inequalities

This chapter explores educational inequality in Latin America, a developing region with persistently vast inequalities in income and wealth. Although there exist considerable differences between countries, Latin America can be characterised as a region fractured by ethnic and racial contrasts and by substantial gaps between rural and urban areas. Access to primary education is close to universal according to official statistics, yet data on primary and particularly high school completion rates reveal that much needs to be done to increase the average level of schooling in the region. Growing evidence derived from international comparisons on cognitive performance places Latin American students, with the exception of Cuba, well below counterparts in industrialised countries and emergent economies such as Korea and Taiwan.
Object Case Marking and the Genitive of Negation

The Genitive of Negation is a phenomenon that has long intrigued linguists. In affirmative sentences, the direct object normally occurs in the Accusative case. However, the direct object in a negative sentence often — but not always — appears in the Genitive case. The Genitive case marking on the object in a negative sentence was historically obligatory (and still is required in Polish), but the obligation to use a Genitive in this context in modern Russian is decreasing.
Theory of critical balance in plasma turbulence

Critical balance, a statement of the approximate equality of a timescale of motion parallel to the magnetic field with a timescale of turbulent motion perpendicular to the field, is analyzed from a statistical description of the relative motion of two particles consistent with two-point correlation in a nonlinear gyrokinetic system with collisions. Critical balance is understood from a premise that the fastest time to any spatial scale that encounters decorrelated motions sets an overall correlation time for both perpendicular and parallel scales. For a regime of weak collisionality, this leads to the approximate equality of the parallel streaming time and the perpendicular turbulent correlation time, which is a standard statement of critical balance. These two timescales are only approximately equal because of effects in parallel streaming dynamics and collisions, the former producing deviations tied to variations of perpendicular and parallel wavenumbers. Analysis of a collisional regime shows that critical balance also applies in that limit with a modified relation between parallel and perpendicular spatial scales.
The Innate Immune Protein S100A9 Protects from T-Helper Cell Type 2-mediated Allergic Airway Inflammation.

Calprotectin is a heterodimer of the proteins S100A8 and S100A9, and it is an abundant innate immune protein associated with inflammation. In humans, calprotectin transcription and protein abundance are associated with asthma and disease severity. However, mechanistic studies in experimental asthma models have been inconclusive, identifying both protective and pathogenic effects of calprotectin. To clarify the role of calprotectin in asthma, calprotectin-deficient S100A9-/- and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice were compared in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. Mice were intranasally challenged with extracts of the clinically relevant allergen, Alternaria alternata (Alt Ext), or PBS every third day over 9 days. On Day 10, BAL fluid and lung tissue homogenates were harvested and allergic airway inflammation was assessed. Alt Ext challenge induced release of S100A8/S100A9 to the alveolar space and increased protein expression in the alveolar epithelium of WT mice. Compared with WT mice, S100A9-/- mice displayed significantly enhanced allergic airway inflammation, including production of IL-13, CCL11, CCL24, serum IgE, eosinophil recruitment, and airway resistance and elastance. In response to Alt Ext, S100A9-/- mice accumulated significantly more IL-13+IL-5+CD4+ T-helper type 2 cells. S100A9-/- mice also accumulated a significantly lower proportion of CD4+ T regulatory (Treg) cells in the lung that had significantly lower expression of CD25. Calprotectin enhanced WT Treg cell suppressive activity in vitro. Therefore, this study identifies a role for the innate immune protein, S100A9, in protection from CD4+ T-helper type 2 cell hyperinflammation in response to Alt Ext. This protection is mediated, at least in part, by CD4+ Treg cell function.
The Danish Cartoon Controversy and the Challenges of Multicultural Politics: A Discussion of The Cartoons That Shook the World

Jytte Klausen's The Cartoons That Shook the World offers an interesting political science account of the Danish cartoon controversy and of a broader set of tensions between multiculturalism, civility, and freedom of expression. The book is also a fascinating case study of how political science can itself become the object of dispute, due to Yale University Press' decision to publish the book without any reproductions of the controversial cartoons. We have thus asked a range of political scientists to comment on the Danish cartoon imbroglio, the book's analysis of it, and the controversy over the book itself.—Jeffrey C. Isaac, Editor
Extended follow-up on KEYNOTE-024 suggests significant survival benefit for pembrolizumab in patients with PD-L1 ≥50%, but unanswered questions remain.

Platinum-based doublets were the recommended systemic therapy for newly diagnosed patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for decades. Median overall survival (OS) for patients whose first treatment was these chemotherapy regimens was 8–12 months and 5-year OS was estimated at 2% (1-3).
List-Decoding Capacity of the Gaussian Arbitrarily-Varying Channel.

In this paper, we determine the capacity of the Gaussian arbitrarily-varying channel with a (possibly stochastic) encoder and a deterministic list-decoder under the average probability of error criterion. We assume that both the legitimate and the adversarial signals are restricted by their power constraints. We also assume that there is no path between the adversary and the legitimate user but the adversary knows the legitimate user’s code. We show that for any list size L, the capacity is equivalent to the capacity of a point-to-point Gaussian channel with noise variance increased by the adversary power, if the adversary has less power than L times the transmitter power; otherwise, the capacity is zero. In the converse proof, we show that if the adversary has enough power, then the decoder can be confounded by the adversarial superposition of several codewords while satisfying its power constraint with positive probability. The achievability proof benefits from a novel variant of the Csiszar-Narayan method for the arbitrarily-varying channel.
A Method for Predicting the Outcomes of Combined Pharmacologic and Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for the management of advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the coupled adjustment of pharmacologic therapy and stimulation parameter settings is a time-consuming process and treatment outcomes are not always optimal. In this study, we develop a linear function that relates the DBS parameters, the levodopa dosage, and patient-specific preoperative clinical data with the actual treatment motor outcomes. To this end, we incorporate image-based patient-specific computer models of the volume of tissue activated by DBS in a multi-linear regression analysis (6 PD patients; 60 follow up visits). The resulting predictor function was highly correlated with the actual motor outcomes (r = 0.76; p<0.05). These results demonstrate that the outcomes of a combined pharmacologic-DBS therapy can be predicted and may facilitate patient-specific treatment optimization for maximal benefits and minimal adverse effects.
Preparation and purification of tritiated phytohemagglutinin and studies of cellular localization in human leukocyte cultures

Abstract A tritiated bean extract was obtained from bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown hydroponically in nutrient media containing various concentrations of tritium water. Purification was accomplished by ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatography using DEAE, CM-52 cellulose columns, and finally by Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The purified product showed greatly increased mitogenic activity and electrophoretically showed a single labeled protein band on electrophoresis. Radioactivity of the purified PHA varied between 0.1-0.5 µCi/mg. which, though not as high as desirable, was sufficient for autoradiographic and subcellular fractionation studies in human leukocyte cultures. Within a few hours cytoplasmic localization of the label was noted in most of the cells in culture, including neutrophils and larger mononuclear cells. Breakdown of many of these cells during the first 24 hr. resulted in labeled amorphous basophilic staining masses of cell particles. Though agglutination of cells was commonly seen, the lack of label in red cells or surface label of leukocytes was notable. Blast forms which appeared by the second day showed prominent labeling which appeared to be largely cytoplasmic as evidenced by grain distribution. Several reasons were discussed which made it seem likely that the mitogenic molecule was represented in the cell label. Assay of subcellular fractions showed the major portion of radioactivity in the mitochondrial fraction. Specific activity, however, was too low to permit electron microscopic localization of label in individual organelles. Lack of label of RNA and DNA proteins was demonstrated by cellular distribution of the label and chemical extraction of RNA and DNA. Interesting speculation arises as to whether the PHA may stimulate mitochondrial activity and induce RNA synthesis and blastogenesis. Further experiments are in progress to obtain a purer PHA with higher specific radioactivity in order to more precisely define the site and mechanism of action of the mitogen.
RNA-binding protein HuR regulates translation of vitamin D receptor modulating rapid epithelial restitution after wounding

Homeostasis of the intestinal epithelium is tightly regulated by numerous extracellular and intracellular factors including vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor (VDR). VDR is highly expressed in the intestinal epithelium and is implicated in many aspects of gut mucosal pathophysiology, but the exact mechanism that controls VDR expression remains largely unknown. The RNA-binding protein human antigen R (HuR) regulates the stability and translation of target mRNAs and thus modulates various cellular processes and functions. Here we report a novel role of HuR in the posttranscriptional control of VDR expression in the intestinal epithelium. The levels of VDR in the intestinal mucosa decreased significantly in mice with ablated HuR, compared with control mice. HuR silencing in cultured intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) also reduced VDR levels, whereas HuR overexpression increased VDR abundance; neither intervention changed cellular Vdr mRNA content. Mechanistically, HuR bound to Vdr mRNA via its 3'-untranslated region (UTR) and enhanced VDR translation in IECs. Moreover, VDR silencing not only inhibited IEC migration over the wounded area in control cells but also prevented the increased migration in cells overexpressing HuR, although it did not alter IEC proliferation in vitro and growth of intestinal organoids ex vivo. The human intestinal mucosa from patients with inflammatory bowel diseases exhibited decreased levels of both HuR and VDR. These results indicate that HuR enhances VDR translation by directly interacting with its mRNA via 3'-UTR and that induced VDR by HuR is crucial for rapid intestinal epithelial restitution after wounding.
A FUNCTIONAL NETWORK TOPOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH PRE-SCAN CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE

Stimuli presented at short temporal delays before functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can have a robust impact on the organization of synchronous activity in resting state networks. This presents an opportunity to investigate how sensory, affective and cognitive stimuli alter functional connectivity in rodent models. Here, we assessed the effect of a familiar contextual stimulus presented 10 minutes prior to sedation for imaging on functional connectivity. A subset of animals were co-presented with an unfamiliar social stimulus in the same environment to further investigate the effect of familiarity on network topology. Female and male rats were imaged at 11.1 Tesla and graph theory analysis was applied to matrices generated from seed-based functional connectivity data sets with 144 nodes and 10,296 edge weights. Our results show an unconventional network topology in response to the familiar (context) but not the unfamiliar (social) stimulus. The familiar stimulus strongly reduced network strength, global efficiency, and altered the location of the highest eigenvector centrality nodes from cortex to the hypothalamus. Alterations were not widespread across topological properties, as we did not observe changes in modular organization, nodal cartographic assignments, assortative mixing, rich club organization, and network resilience. The results suggest that experiential factors, perhaps involving associative or episodic memory, can exert a dramatic effect on functional network strength and efficiency when presented at a short temporal delay before imaging.
Between-generation phenotypic and epigenetic stability in a clonal snail

Epigenetic variation might play an important role in generating adaptive phenotypes by underpinning within-generation developmental plasticity, persistent parental effects of the environment (e.g., transgenerational plasticity), or heritable epigenetically based polymorphism. These adaptive mechanisms should be most critical in organisms where genetic sources of variation are limited. Using a clonally reproducing freshwater snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), we examined the stability of an adaptive phenotype (shell shape) and of DNA methylation between generations. First, we raised three generations of snails adapted to river currents in the lab without current. We showed that habitat-specific adaptive shell shape was relatively stable across three generations but shifted slightly over generations two and three toward a no-current lake phenotype. We also showed that DNA methylation specific to high-current environments was stable across one generation. This study provides the first evidence of stability of DNA methylation patterns across one generation in an asexual animal. Together, our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that adaptive shell shape variation is at least in part determined by transgenerational plasticity, and that DNA methylation provides a potential mechanism for stability of shell shape across one generation.
Supplementation of green coffee bean extract in healthy overweight subjects increases lean mass/fat mass ratio: A randomized, double-blind clinical study.

Objective:In this study, we have demonstrated that supplementation of a complex of chlorogenic acid isomers (CGA-7TM) could significantly mitigate the risk of obesity in healthy overweight subjects...
Ileal lipoma causing ileo-ileocolic intussusception

Abstract Intussusception is one of the most common pediatric surgical emergencies. While most cases are idiopathic, some are caused by a pathologic lead point (PLP). Lipoma is a rare PLP in intussusception, particularly among pediatric patients. We present a case of an otherwise healthy three year old boy, who presented with three days of abdominal pain, vomiting, and worsening abdominal distension. An ileocolic intussusception was diagnosed on ultrasound and underwent an unsuccessful air enema reduction. At exploratory laparotomy, he had an irreducible intussusception with a lead point requiring a small bowel resection. The pathology report demonstrated a 1.4cm submucosal lipoma as the likely lead point. His post-operative care was uneventful, and he was discharged to home on post-operative day four, and is doing well.
Ultrasound-Assisted Diagnosis of Embolic Cerebrovascular Accident From Left Atrial Myxoma in the Emergency Department.

Abstract Background Acute-onset, unilateral weakness is an alarming presentation due to the possibility of a cerebrovascular accident. When considering cerebrovascular accidents in patients younger than 35 years, emergency physicians should evaluate embolic sources. Case Report A 28-year-old man with no reported past medical history presented to the Emergency Department with a complaint of acute-onset left-sided hemiparesis and facial droop that started a day prior to arrival. He was stable, had unilateral weakness, hyperreflexia, and slightly slurred speech. He reported no sensory deficits. A computed tomography scan of the head demonstrated areas of ischemia. Patient demographics suggested an embolic source, so point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) was performed by emergency practitioners, leading to the discovery of a large, mobile, left atrial mass. After admission and confirmatory imaging, the mass was surgically removed. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? In young, otherwise healthy individuals, heart masses should be considered as a cause of unexplained stroke-like symptoms. POCUS can identify these masses and expedite care.
Explicit cost bounds of stochastic Galerkin approximations for parameterized PDEs with random coefficients

This work analyzes the overall computational complexity of the stochastic Galerkin finite element method (SGFEM) for approximating the solution of parameterized elliptic partial differential equations with both affine and non-affine random coefficients. To compute the fully discrete solution, such approaches employ a Galerkin projection in both the deterministic and stochastic domains, produced here by a combination of finite elements and a global orthogonal basis, defined on an isotopic total degree index set, respectively. To account for the sparsity of the resulting system, we present a rigorous cost analysis that considers the total number of coupled finite element systems that must be simultaneously solved in the SGFEM. However, to maintain sparsity as the coefficient becomes increasingly nonlinear in the parameterization, it is necessary to also approximate the coefficient by an additional orthogonal expansion. In this case we prove a rigorous complexity estimate for the number of floating point operations (FLOPs) required per matrix-vector multiplication of the coupled system. Based on such complexity estimates we also develop explicit cost bounds in terms of FLOPs to solve the stochastic Galerkin (SG) systems to a prescribed tolerance, which are used to compare with the minimal complexity estimates of a stochastic collocation finite element method (SCFEM), shown in our previous work (Galindo etźal., 2015). Finally, computational evidence complements the theoretical estimates and supports our conclusion that, in the case that the coefficient is affine, the coupled SG system can be solved more efficiently than the decoupled SC systems. However, as the coefficient becomes more nonlinear, it becomes prohibitively expensive to obtain an approximation with the SGFEM.
Mutagenesis assays in mammalian cells

Mutagenesis assays in mammalian cells are frequently used to complement bacterial mutagenesis assays. This unit describes a mutagenesis assay using either Chinese hamster V79 cells or V79-derivative gpt transgenic cell line to assess the effects of chemical agents on mammalian cells.
Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage, by Axel Bruns

Axel Bruns opens his book with a simple proposition: “… that to describe the creative, collaborative, and ad hoc engagement with content for which user-led spaces such as the Wikipedia act as examp...
In vitro activities of purified visna virus integrase.

Abstract Although integration generally is considered a critical step in the retrovirus life cycle, it has been reported that visna virus, which causes degenerative neurologic disease in sheep, can productively infect sheep choroid plexus cells without detectable integration. To ascertain whether the integrase (IN) of visna virus is an inherently defective enzyme and to create tools for further study of integration of the phylogenetically related human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we purified visna virus IN by using a bacterial expression system and applied various in vitro oligonucleotide-based assays to studying this protein. We found that visna virus IN demonstrates the full repertoire of in vitro functions characteristic of retroviral integrases. In particular, visna virus IN exhibits site-specific endonuclease activity following the invariant CA found two nucleotides from the 3' ends of viral DNA (processing activity), joins processed oligonucleotides to various sites on other oligonucleotides (strand transfer or integration activity), and reverses the integration reaction by resolving a complex that mimics one end of viral DNA integrated into host DNA (disintegration activity). In addition, although it has been reported that purified HIV-1 IN cannot specifically nick visna virus DNA ends, purified visna virus IN does specifically process and integrate HIV-1 DNA ends.
Association between fetal growth restriction and polymorphisms at sites -1 and +3 of pituitary growth hormone: a case-control study.

Fetal growth restriction is associated with significantly increased risks of neonatal death and morbidity and with susceptibility to hypertension, cardiovascular disease and NIDDM later in life. Human birth weight has a substantial genetic component, with at least a quarter of the variation attributable to additive genetic effects. One hundred twenty-five subjects (83 control and 42 case) were selected using stringent inclusion/exclusion criteria. DNA sequencing was used to identify 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the pituitary growth hormone gene (GH1) at which all subjects were genotyped. Association with fetal growth restriction was tested by logistic regression for all sites with minor allele frequencies greater than 5%. Logistic regression identified significant association with fetal growth restriction of C alleles at sites -1 and +3 (relative to the start of transcription) that are in complete linkage disequilibrium. These alleles are present at higher frequency (6% vs. 0.4%) in fetal growth restricted subjects and are associated with an average reduction in birth weight of 152 g in normal birth weight and 97 g in low birth weight subjects. There is suggestive association between fetal growth restriction and the presence of C alleles at sites -1 and +3 of the pituitary growth hormone gene.
The specialized chalazal endosperm inArabidopsis thaliana andLepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae)

Endosperm of the nuclear type initially develops into a large multinucleate syncytium that lines the central cell. This seemingly simple wall-less cytoplasm can, however, be highly differentiated. In developing seeds of members of the family Brassicaceae the curved postfertilization embryo sac comprises three chambers or developmental domains. The syncytium fills the micropylar chamber around the embryo, spreads as a thin peripheral layer surrounding a large central vacuole in the central chamber, and is organized into individual nodules and a large multinucleate cyst in the chalazal tip. Later in development, after the endosperm has cellularized in the micropylar and central chambers, the chalazal endosperm cyst remains syncytial and shows considerable internal differentiation. The chalazal endosperm cyst consists of a domelike apical region that is separated from the cellularized endosperm by a remnant of the central vacuole and a basal haustorial portion which penetrates the chalazal proliferative tissue atop the vascular supply. In the shallow chalazal depression ofArabidopsis thaliana, the cyst is mushroom-shaped with short tentacle-like processes penetrating the maternal tissues. The long narrow chalazal channel ofLepidium irginicum is filled by an elongate stalklike portion of the cyst. In both, the dome contains a labyrinth of endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes with associated vesicles, nuclei, and plastids. The basal portions, which lack the larger organelles, exhibit extensive wall ingrowths and contain parallel arrays of microtubules. The highly specialized ultrastructure of the chalazal endosperm cyst and its intimate association with degrading chalazal proliferative cells suggest an important role in loading of maternal resources into the developing seed.
Logics for two fragments beyond the syllogistic boundary

This paper is a contribution to natural logic, the study of logical systems for linguistic reasoning. We construct a system with the following properties: its syntax is closer to that of a natural language than is first-order logic; it can faithfully represent simple sentences with standard quantifiers, subject relative clauses (a recursive construct), and negation on nouns and verbs. We also give a proof system which is complete and has the finite model property. We go further by adding comparative adjective phrases, assuming interpretations by transitive relations. This last system has all the previously-mentioned properties as well. The paper was written for theoretical computer scientists and logicians interested in areas such as decidability questions for fragments of first-order logic, modal logic, and natural deduction.
AOIPS data base management systems support for GARP data sets

A data base management system is identified, developed to provide flexible access to data sets produced by GARP during its data systems tests. The content and coverage of the data base are defined and a computer-aided, interactive information storage and retrieval system, implemented to facilitate access to user specified data subsets, is described. The computer programs developed to provide the capability were implemented on the highly interactive, minicomputer-based AOIPS and are referred to as the data retrieval system (DRS). Implemented as a user interactive but menu guided system, the DRS permits users to inventory the data tape library and create duplicate or subset data sets based on a user selected window defined by time and latitude/longitude boundaries. The DRS permits users to select, display, or produce formatted hard copy of individual data items contained within the data records.
Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis of Ni3AI

Abstract–Combustion synthesis of the Ni,AI intcrmetallic was studied using the self-propagating hightemperature synthesis (SHS) mode. Since the reaction wave propagates rather quickly through the sample in SHS, a successful application of this process requires an understanding of the influence of processing variables on its dynamics, and on the phase composition and microstructure of the product. Thus, the effects of green density, ignition power, preheating temperature, and the particle sizes of aluminum and nickel were investigated. In addition, nickel particles with different morphology were used. It was found that higher green density, lower ignition power and higher preheating temperature lead to fully reacted product with a well-developed microstructure. The reactant particle sizes and their morphology also significantly influence the product properties. The obtained results arc helpful in understanding the mechanism of for mation of Ni3Al.
Transforming a database systems and design course for non computer science majors

Methods of instruction for many undergraduate courses in database systems and design still focus primarily an lectures and a single, all-encompassing design project to reinforce database concepts. This paper describes how the database systems course taught at the US Military Academy has evolved to include immediate concept reinforcement in the classroom using networked PCs and a graphically-oriented relational database and application development software tool for each cadet. Heretofore, many relational database concepts were discussed in theory and not thoroughly demonstrated. Our course incorporates immediate concept demonstration using running courseware examples that graphically illustrate practical application of the underlying theory. These examples, for instance, allow direct mapping from theoretical discussions of relational algebra to SQL implementation and finally to query-by-example construction. The traditional course culminated in a final project of limited practical use. This delayed mastery of the theory until completion of the course project, still leaving students without a meaningful product to show for their efforts. With direct application of the theory in our course, understanding is immediate. This allows successful integration of an early project of equal magnitude to the usual final design project. Later, a capstone design project is permitted, emphasizing group interaction with a real-world client and team development of a viable, stand-alone database application. To conclude the course, groups orally present their product in class and write a technical report supporting their work.
Fuzzy Q-learning for generalization of reinforcement learning

Fuzzy Q-learning, introduced earlier by the author, is an extension of Q-learning into fuzzy environments. GARIC is a methodology for fuzzy reinforcement learning. In this paper, we introduce GARIC-Q, a new method for doing incremental dynamic programming using a society of intelligent agents which are controlled at the top level by fuzzy Q-learning and at the local level, each agent learns and operates based on GARIC. GARIC-Q improves the speed and applicability of fuzzy Q-learning through generalization of input space by using fuzzy rules and bridges the gap between Q-learning and rule based intelligent systems.
The Human T Cell Response to Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein: A Multiple Sclerosis Family-Based Study

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is an encephalitogenic myelin protein and a likely autoantigen in human multiple sclerosis (MS). In this work, we describe the fine specificity and cytokine profile of T cell clones (TCC) directed against MOG in three nuclear families, comprised of four individuals affected with MS and their HLA-identical siblings. TCC were generated from PBMC by limiting dilution against a mixture of eleven 20-mer overlapping peptides corresponding to the encephalitogenic extracellular domain of human MOG (aa 1-120). The frequency of MOG peptide-reactive T cells was surprisingly high (range, 1:400 to 1:3,000) and, unexpectedly, cloning efficiencies were highest at low seeding densities of 10(2) or 10(3) PBMC per well. A total of 235 MOG peptide-reactive TCC were produced, all of which were CD4(+)CD8(-)TCRalphabeta(+)TCRgammadelta(-). All 11 MOG peptides were recognized by the TCC, and different epitopes of MOG appeared to be immunodominant in the HLA-identical siblings. The patterns of cytokine secretion by TCC from single individuals were generally similar. The healthy individuals exhibited Th2-, Th0-, and T regulatory cell 1-like cytokine profiles, whereas TCC from one sibling with MS had a striking Th1-like phenotype, producing high levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, and low IL-4 levels. Thus, MOG-reactive T cells appear to constitute an important part of the natural T cell repertoire, a finding that could contribute to the development of autoimmunity to this protein.