cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photo-Thermal Mirror Method for Determination of Thermal Diffusivity of Nontransparent Samples

We determine the thermal diffusivity of nontransparent samples by measuring the reflectivity changes of a collimated probe light beam generated by the absorption of a focused pump beam. Good agreement with previous measurements is reported.
Role of Hemilabile Diamine Ligands in the Amine-Directed C-H Borylation of Arenes

A study of the role played by the bidentate ligand used in amine-directed C–H borylation is described. Both reaction conversion and selectivity were significantly impacted when steric congestion and electronic perturbations of the bidentate diamine ligand were made, but a more significant influence was imparted by reducing the bite angle of the ligand. N-Benzylaminopyridine was identified as a general ligand that improves both selectivity and yield for most problematic substrates previously reported with picolylamine as ligand.
The Effects of Employee Involvement Programs on Unionized Workers’ Attitudes, Perceptions, and Preferences in Decision Making

This research examined differences in perceptions and attitudes regarding work, the union, and preferences for decision-making structures among three groups: participants and nonparticipants in an ...
Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting Topoisomerase I as Novel Antituberculosis Agents

Bacterial topoisomerase functions are required for regulation of DNA supercoiling and overcoming the DNA topological barriers that are encountered during many vital cellular processes. DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV of the type IIA bacterial topoisomerase family are important clinical targets for antibacterial therapy. Topoisomerase I, belonging to the type IA topoisomerase family, has recently been validated as a potential antitubercular target. The topoisomerase I activity has been shown to be essential for bacterial viability and infection in a murine model of tuberculosis. Mixture-based combinatorial libraries were screened in this study to identify novel bacterial topoisomerase I inhibitors. Using positional-scanning deconvolution, selective small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I were identified starting from a polyamine scaffold. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that four of these small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial topoisomerase I are bactericidal against Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis The MICs for growth inhibition of M. smegmatis increased with overexpression of recombinant M. tuberculosis topoisomerase I, consistent with inhibition of intracellular topoisomerase I activity being involved in the antimycobacterial mode of action.
nanoSQUID operation using kinetic rather than magnetic induction

We report on a method of nanoSQUID modulation which uses kinetic inductance rather than magnetic inductance to manip-ulate the internal fluxoid state. We produced modulation using injected current rather than an applied magnetic field. Using this injected current, we were able to observe the triangle-wave shaped modulation of the device critical current which was periodic according to the London fluxoid quantization condition. The measurement results also confirmed that the fluxoid state inside a superconducting loop can be manipulated using primarily kinetic inductance. By using primarily kinetic inductance rather than magnetic inductance, the size of the coupling inductor was reduced by a factor of 10. As a result, this approach may provide a means to reduce the size of SQUID-based superconducting electronics. Additionally, this method provides a convenient way to perform kinetic inductance characterizations of superconducting thin films.
Thermal Evaluations of Diffused-Junction Semiconductors

This method consists of two parts: (1) determination of thermal resistance from the diffused junction to a thermal reference plane through the use of the diode equation relation; and (2) the thermal resistance from the diffused junction to the joining pad and the thermal resistance from the pad at the substrate surface to the substrate bottom using a thick film cobalt oxide thermistor.
Hearing taboo words can result in early talker effects in word recognition for female listeners.

ABSTRACTPrevious spoken word recognition research using the long-term repetition-priming paradigm found performance costs for stimuli mismatching in talker identity. That is, when words were repeated across the two blocks, and the identity of the talker changed reaction times (RTs) were slower than when the repeated words were spoken by the same talker. Such performance costs, or talker effects, followed a time course, occurring only when processing was relatively slow. More recent research suggests that increased explicit and implicit attention towards the talkers can result in talker effects even during relatively fast processing. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether word meaning would influence the pattern of talker effects in an easy lexical decision task and, if so, whether results would differ depending on whether the presentation of neutral and taboo words was mixed or blocked. Regardless of presentation, participants responded to taboo words faster than neutral words. Furthermor...
A priority-based MAC scheduling algorithm for enhancing QoS support in Bluetooth piconet

Bluetooth is a personal wireless communication technology and is being applied in many scenarios. Current existing MAC (medium access control) scheduling schemes only provide best-effort service for all master-slave connections. It is very challenging to provide QoS (quality of service) support for different connections due to the feature of master driven TDD (time division duplex). This paper addresses the issue of how to enhance QoS support in a Bluetooth piconet. We propose a MAC scheduling algorithm which can provide different QoS for different connections based on priorities. Considering the feature of master driven TDD, we define token counters to estimate the traffic of real-time slaves. To increase bandwidth utilization, a backoff mechanism is then presented for best-effort slaves to decrease the frequency of polling idle slaves. Simulation results demonstrate that our scheme achieves better performance than existing schemes.
Dual PI3K and mTOR Inhibition in Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Abstract Background. We have previously showed that PI3K/Akt is constitutively active in Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (WM) malignancies, mediating growth, survival, cell cycle regulation, and migration in primary tumor cells. Once activated, Akt phosphorylates downstream targets, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Both PI3K/Akt and mTOR represent valid targets for antitumor therapeutic strategies. We therefore evaluated the antitumor activity of NVP-BEZ235 (Novartis, MA) in WM. Methods: WM cell lines (BCWM.1) and IgM secreting cell lines (MEK1, Namalwa) were used. Bone marrow primary CD19+ malignant cells and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) were obtained from WM patients. Cytotoxicity, DNA synthesis, and cell cycle were measured using MTT assay, [3H]-thymidine uptake, PI staining/flow cytometry, respectively. Effects of NVP-BEZ235 on cell signaling cascades were determined using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. Adhesion on fibronectin has been evaluated in WM cells in the presence of NVP-BEZ235. Results: NVP-BEZ235 induced cytotoxicity and inhibited DNA synthesis with an IC50 of 20–25nM in BCWM.1 at 48 hours. Similar effects were demonstrated in all IgM secreting cell lines and in primary CD19+ WM cells, with an IC50 between 20nM and 50nM. No cytotoxicity was observed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells, indicating selective toxicity of the compound on the malignant lymphoplasmacytic clone. We observed that NVP-BEZ235 inhibited Akt (but not ERK phosphorylation) in a dose-dependent manner in BCWM.1 cells at 6 hours. Phosphorylation of GSK3α/β and ribosomal protein-S6, downstream target proteins of Akt, were also markedly inhibited. NVP-BEZ235-inhibited Akt phosphorylation was further confirmed by immunofluorescence. NVP-BEZ235 induced caspase-9, PARP cleavage and increased the release of Smac/DIABLO from the mitochondria to the cytosol, suggesting an induction of apoptosis in a caspase-dependent and –independent manner. We showed that NVP-BEZ235 inhibited adhesion of BCWM.1 cells to fibronectin in a dose-dependent fashion. Lastly, adherence to BMSCs did not confer protection to WM cells against NVP-BEZ235- induced cytotoxicity. Conclusions. These data indicate that NVP-BEZ235 has significant antitumor activity in WM, thus providing the framework for clinical trials in this disease.
Real-time cyber physical system testbed for power system security and control

Abstract The existing electric power grid is upgraded into a smart grid through an intelligent communication infrastructures, layers of information, extensive computing and sensing technologies. These cyber and physical components of grid together constitute a complex cyber-physical system (CPS), and this integration increases the risk from cyber attacks and introduces new vulnerabilities to the power system. Researchers need a power system testbed which can provide a platform for realistic experiments. This paper presents the development of a real-time cyber-physical system testbed for cyber security and stability control. We use SEL 351S protection system with OPAL-RT including control functions and communications to build a cyber-physical environment. In this testbed, we conducted power grid security experiment by knocking down two transmission lines in a row and analyzed the impact of failures. Meanwhile, we provided two mitigation strategies for this failure using optimal power flow. In addition, we conducted load fluctuations for multimachine power system, and provide timely adaptive control strategies.
Abstract P085: Inhibition of Akt Reverses the Isoproterenol-Enhanced Diastolic Calcium Leak in Rabbit Ventricular Myocytes

Cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR)-dependent diastolic SR Ca2+ leak is increased in heart failure and during beta-adrenergic (β-AR) stimulation. This increased SR Ca2+ leak could limit the SR [Ca2+] thereby decreasing contractility in HF and could also lead to arrhythmogenic Ca-dependent inward depolarizing current resulting in HF. It has recently been shown in our lab that this leak is dependent on calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and subsequent NOS activation, and that it is independent of either protein kinase A (PKA) activation or an increase in free Ca2+ concentration in the cytosol ([Ca2+]i). Here we investigate whether Akt is also involved in the pathway leading to increased diastolic leak during β-AR stimulation. Methods: [Ca2+]i was measured using fluo-4 in left ventricular myocytes isolated from rabbits. To vary the SR load, myocytes were field-stimulated to steady state at different frequencies. Tetracaine (1mM) was used to rapidly and reversibly block the RyR. The tetracaine-dependent shift of Ca2+ from the cytosol to the SR (decrease in [Ca2+]i and increase in SR Ca2+ content) is proportional to SR Ca2+ leak. To activate β-AR, isoproterenol (ISO; 250 nM) was added to perfuse the myocytes starting 5 min before leak assessment through the end. Results: ISO-induced increase in the SR Ca2+ leak is abolished by the treatment of myocytes with Akt inhibitor X (AIX; 5μM; 30min pre-incubation and perfusion throughout the experiment). When SR Ca2+ load was matched in each group (ISO alone: 155.22 ± 5.1 μM; ISO + AIX: 153.92 ± 3.8 μM), myocytes treated with ISO alone had significantly higher leak (12.43 ± 3.8 μM) vs. those treated with ISO and AIX (1 ± 2.2 μM) (P = 0.01, t-test). This evidence indicates that Akt activation may also be involved in the β-AR-induced SR Ca2+ leak possibly upstream from CaMKII and NOS activation.
Immune Factors and Infections in Infertility

For many years the role of immune factors in infertility had been a subject of controversy. However, in the last few years, with the availability of more precise and more specific tests for sperm antibodies, this relationship has been placed on a much firmer basis, and few can now question the fact that such a relationship does exist.
A phase II trial of gemcitabine(G), capecitabine (C), and bevacizumab (B) in patients (pts) with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

e16072 Background: RCC is resistant to most traditional DNA and DNA repair targeted chemotherapy; although modest response rates to nucleotide analog based therapy, including GC, have been reported. Bevacizumab has activity in RCC. We thus performed a single center phase II trial of GCB in pts with metastatic RCC. Methods: Eligibility included clear cell or unclassified histologies, performance status 0–1, measurable disease, normal organ function and no prior treatment with VEGF binding agents or pyramidine analogs. Following significant hematotoxicity in the first 7 of 8 pts, chemotherapy was modified to G 1,000 mg/m2 (days 1, 8), C 1,000 mg po bid (days 1–14) and B 15 mg/kg (day 1) on a 21 day cycle with disease re-evaluation every 3 cycles. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) using a Bayesian continuous reassessment method designed to detect an improvement in the ORR from a 15% historical rate to 27%. Maximum planned enrollment = 55. Results: 30 pts enrolled from March 2005-May 2008 of ...
Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Biomass Production and Yield Components of Miscanthus ×giganteus.

GraGrasses such as Miscanthus × giganteus and Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) can potentially be used to produce bioenergy on a large scale in the Midwestern USA. The biomass productivity of these warm-season perennial grasses, particularly M. × giganteus, can be substantial, even when grown with limited inputs. The literature, however, varies regarding the nitrogen requirements for M. × giganteus biomass production. In addition, there is a lack of information that identifies the yield-component(s) (including total tiller number, tiller weight, total tiller diameter, total tiller height, phytomer number, reproductive tiller number, vegetative tiller number, reproductive tiller height, vegetative tiller height, reproductive tiller diameter, vegetative tiller diameter, and reproductive tiller phytomer number) that contributes to M. × giganteus biomass yields. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of fertilization on biomass yield and individual M. × giganteus plant-yield components. Plots of M. × giganteus were planted in 2008 in Urbana, IL, USA, and received annual applications of 0, 60, or 120 kg N ha-1. Miscanthus × giganteus productivity increased when nitrogen was applied; between 2011 and 2014, nitrogen applications of 60 or 120 kg N ha-1 produced average annual yields of 22.0 dry Mg ha-1 compared to 11.8 dry Mg ha-1 for unfertilized M. × giganteus. Both the total number of tillers per m2 and the tiller weight also increased as N-application rates increased. Our results indicate that increased reproductive tiller density and tiller weight with increased N fertilization increased M. × giganteus biomass yield.
Saving innovative climate and energy research: Four recommendations for Mission Innovation

Abstract Mission Innovation (MI), a fledgling initiative to boost energy innovation around the world, is in danger of collapsing if the Trump administration fulfills promises to slash U.S. support. To save MI, member states meeting at the June 2017 Beijing Ministerial should reframe the initiative to pursue both quantitative and qualitative goals, pledge to support ongoing operations, and welcome contributions—albeit diminished—from the U.S. Whether or not MI can continue to elevate energy innovation to the highest political levels, it has revealed important opportunities to advance global innovation efforts and helpful lessons to guide other international initiatives that aim to combat climate change.
Depersonalization: Systematic Assessment

Depersonalization, or a sense of detachment from one's self, is a common experience that may occur in various populations including normal controls and varied psychiatric and medical disorders. Diagnostic advances using standardized tools such as The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D) (Steinberg 1994) allow for the systematic assessment of depersonalization. Early detection of depersonalization is essential for accurate differential diagnosis and the initiation of appropriate treatment.
Orienting incoming PhD students through hands-on training in immunology research methods (EDU1P.220)

Students entering graduate study in immunology face a sharp transition into the autonomous world of laboratory research and a steep learning curve for the techniques particular to immunology. Our goal was to expose new graduate students to essential research skills to facilitate the transition into rotation laboratories and eventually a thesis lab. At Stanford University, over the past three years, we incorporated a weeklong intensive orientation (“Startup”) involving a series of guided, hands-on projects and workshops designed to introduce incoming graduate students to experimental methods in immunology research. Our curriculum posed questions in both mouse and human immunology, answered through pre-validated experiments including flow cytometry, quantitative PCR and fluorescence microscopy. For example, cytokines were measured by qPCR and intracellular staining of T cells. Data visualization and analysis were introduced through exposure to R, Flowjo and Fiji. The students attended lunches with senior graduate students, dinners with faculty, and tours of core facilities. Surveys of participants before and after Startup revealed improvements in experimental/technical confidence. Also, students reported that Startup built class cohesion and facilitated the selection of rotation labs. In summary, we provide a refined recipe for introducing students to immunology research through hands-on experimental modules that mitigate the pedagogical barriers of first-year graduate school.
Understanding the Agent, Part I: Opioid Biology and Basic Pharmacology

Safe, ethical, and effective prescription of opioids is predicated upon a thorough understanding of the biologic systems wherein/upon which they act.
The G Protein-Coupled P2Y Receptors

A family of G protein-coupled receptors has been identified that respond to extracellular adenine and uridine nucleotides. These receptors are designated the P2Y receptors and are distinguished individually by a numerical subscript. This family includes five phospholipase C-activating mammalian receptors, the P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, P2Y6, and P2Y11 receptors, that have been cloned and unambiguously shown to be activated by nucleotides after heterologous expression. Several mammalian P2Y receptors remain to be cloned, including an ADP-activated receptor(s) that couples to G proteins of the Gi family and inhibits adenylyl cyclase. Three non-mammalian P2Y receptors also have been cloned. The P2Y receptors exhibit a broad tissue distribution. However, lack of availability of P2Y receptor subtype selective agonists and antagonists has made difficult the alignment of nucleotide-promoted physiological/ pharmacological responses of various tissues with a specific receptor. The most encouraging progress in drug development has been in the synthesis of selective agonists and antagonists for the P2Y1 receptor. Mutational and modeling analyses have provided some insight into identification of the binding pocket for P2 Y1 and P2Y2 receptors.
Challenges toward achieving universal health coverage in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania

Although many sub-Saharan African countries have made efforts to provide universal health coverage (UHC) for their citizens, several of these initiatives have achieved little success. This study aims to review the challenges facing UHC in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania, and to suggest program or policy changes that might bolster UHC. Routine data reported by the World Bank and World Health Organization, as well as annual reports of the national health insurance schemes of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania, were analyzed. The data were supplemented by a review of published and gray literature on health insurance coverage in these four countries. The analysis showed that some of the challenges facing UHC in these countries include (1) large proportion of the population living in extreme poverty and unable to pay premiums, (2) large informal sector whose members are mostly uninsured, (3) high dropout rate from insurance schemes, (4) poorly funded primary health care system, and (5) segmented health insurance fund pool. In order to achieve UHC by 2030, it will be important for these countries to (1) raise sufficient revenue to finance their health systems, (2) improve the efficiency of revenue utilization, (3) identify and provide coverage for the very poor, (4) reduce the proportion of the population that is underinsured, and (5) improve access to quality health care in rural areas.
An amphiphilic invertible polymer as a delivery vehicle for a M2e-HA2-HA1 peptide vaccine against an Influenza A virus in pigs.

Abstract Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are a group of genetically diverse and economically important zoonotic pathogens. Despite decades of research, effective and broadly protective vaccines are yet to be developed. Recent breakthroughs in epitope-based immunization for influenza viruses identify certain conserved regions of the HA2 and M2e proteins as capable of inducing broad protection against multiple influenza strains. The M2e and HA2 peptides have been evaluated in mice but not as a combination in pigs, which play an important role in the transmission and evolution of IAV. Peptides are inherently weak immunogens; and effective delivery of peptide antigens is challenging. To enhance the delivery and immunogenicity of peptide-based vaccines, the conserved M2e and HA2 and a strain-specific HA1 epitope of Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 were expressed as a chain in a bacterial expression system and entrapped in a novel amphiphilic invertible polymer made from polyethyelene glycol (PEG, molecular weight 600 g/mol) and polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF, molecular weight 650 g/mol), PEG 600 PTHF 650 . Piglets vaccinated with polymeric peptide vaccine mounted significantly stronger antibody responses against the peptide construct when compared to piglets immunized with the multi-epitope peptide alone. When vaccinated pigs were challenged with Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09, viral shedding in nasal secretions and lung lesion scores were significantly reduced when compared to the unvaccinated controls and pigs vaccinated with the peptide alone at six days post-challenge. Thus, the combination of the PEG 600 PTHF 650 polymer and trimeric peptide construct enhanced delivery of the peptide antigen, acted as an adjuvant in stimulating strong antibody responses, reduced the effects of viral infection in vaccinated pigs.
Participant experiences in a paraprofessional-led weight management program for children and families

Background:Pediatric obesity is a serious and widespread medical condition that is increasing in the United States. Unfortunately, family-based programming to address the disorder fails to successf...
Parenting Programs for Incarcerated Fathers and Mothers: Current Research and New Directions

This chapter considers the impact of parenting programming on incarcerated fathers and mothers from a gendered perspective. This body of work is considered relative to programming and interventions that occur outside of the correctional environment. We review both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of programs and, given the emerging state of this literature, consider some unevaluated programs as well. We focus on quantitative empirical evaluations, including pre-post designs, non-randomized comparison group designs, and randomized comparison group designs, and examine impacts on participants’ parenting knowledge and attitudes, well-being and parenting stress, and behaviors. In total, 38 studies were reviewed (57% for mothers). Collectively, the findings indicate that programming has positive impacts on incarcerated mothers’ and fathers’ knowledge and attitudes, well-being, and stress. The results are mixed when behavioral changes are examined. We explore limitations to this body of research and challenges researchers face in conducting evaluations of programs for incarcerated parents. We conclude with recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.
An Investigation of Chinese Older Adults' Self-Directed English Learning Experience Using Mobile Apps.

A majority of research on mobile-assisted language learning focuses on traditional English language learners: thus, little attention has been paid to older adult learners. The purpose of the study is to explore the learning experiences of Chinese older adults using the free and popular English learning mobile apps, Duolingo/Hello English, Baicizhan, and Liulishuo, in a self-directed learning (SDL) context. A 17-week sequential mixed-methods study was designed. 55 older adults from age 45 to 85 participated. The informed grounded theory was used and Saldana's coding techniques for qualitative analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-tests. Findings demonstrate that older adults persisted in learning using mobile apps for 17 weeks and increased their vocabulary significantly. Finally, a transformational learning model called MISAPP was created based on the empirical data and the SDL theory.
Development and validation of a novel measure of resilience in older adults: a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract Background The concept of resilience has gained increasing attention in ageing research; however, published literature lacks consensus on how to measure resilience. We developed a novel resilience measure based on the degree of mismatch between a person's frailty level and disease burden and examined its ability in predicting adverse outcomes. Methods We included white and black older adults (≥70 years) from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study. Eligibility criteria were (1) free of life-threatening illness, (2) self-reported ability to walk a quarter of a mile, to climb 10 steps without resting, and to perform basic activities of daily living without assistance, and (3) no intention to move out of the current geographic area for at least 3 years. We constructed the resilience measure as the residual taken from the linear model regressing frailty on age, sex, race or ethnicity, and 14 diseases. We classified participants into three groups—adapters, expected agers, and premature frailers—on the basis of residuals (less than, within, or above 1 SD of the mean). Validation outcomes included years of healthy and able life (YHAL), disability, hospitalisation, and survival. We also examined the association between this new resilience measure and survival after incident cardiovascular events (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke). Findings 2457 adults were included in the analysis. The average YHAL was 4·65 for premature frailers, 7·70 for expected agers, and 9·63 years for adapters. Compared with premature frailers and expected agers, adapters had significantly lower disability (p Interpretation We developed and validated a novel approach for quantifying and classifying physical resilience in a biracial cohort of older adults. People with high physical resilience had a longer healthy life span, lower adverse outcomes, and higher ability of recovering from acute cardiovascular events. Funding None.
MRSIGMA: Magnetic Resonance SIGnature MAtching for real-time volumetric imaging.

Purpose To propose a real-time 3D MRI technique called MR SIGnature MAtching (MRSIGMA) for high-resolution volumetric imaging and motion tracking with very low imaging latency. Methods MRSIGMA consists of two steps: (1) offline learning of a database of possible 3D motion states and corresponding motion signature ranges and (2) online matching of new motion signatures acquired in real time with prelearned motion states. Specifically, the offline learning step (non-real-time) reconstructs motion-resolved 4D images representing different motion states and assigns a unique motion range to each state. The online matching step (real-time) acquires motion signatures only and selects one of the prelearned 3D motion states for each newly acquired signature, which generates 3D images efficiently in real time. The MRSIGMA technique was evaluated on 15 golden-angle stack-of-stars liver data sets, and the performance of respiratory motion tracking with the online-generated real-time 3D MRI was compared with the corresponding 2D projections acquired in real time. Results The total latency of generating each 3D image during online matching was about 300 ms, including acquisition of the motion signature data (~138 ms) and corresponding matching process (~150 ms). Linear correlation assessment suggested excellent correlation (R2 = 0.948) between motion displacement measured from the online-generated real-time 3D images and the 2D real-time projections. Conclusion This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the feasibility of MRSIGMA for high-resolution real-time volumetric imaging, which shifts the acquisition and reconstruction burden to an offline learning step and leaves fast online matching for online imaging with very low imaging latency. The MRSIGMA technique can potentially be used for real-time motion tracking in MRI-guided radiation therapy.
Principles of fluoride toxicity and the cellular response: a review.

Fluoride is ubiquitously present throughout the world. It is released from minerals, magmatic gas, and industrial processing, and travels in the atmosphere and water. Exposure to low concentrations of fluoride increases overall oral health. Consequently, many countries add fluoride to their public water supply at 0.7–1.5 ppm. Exposure to high concentrations of fluoride, such as in a laboratory setting often exceeding 100 ppm, results in a wide array of toxicity phenotypes. This includes oxidative stress, organelle damage, and apoptosis in single cells, and skeletal and soft tissue damage in multicellular organisms. The mechanism of fluoride toxicity can be broadly attributed to four mechanisms: inhibition of proteins, organelle disruption, altered pH, and electrolyte imbalance. Recently, there has been renewed concern in the public sector as to whether fluoride is safe at the current exposure levels. In this review, we will focus on the impact of fluoride at the chemical, cellular, and multisystem level, as well as how organisms defend against fluoride. We also address public concerns about fluoride toxicity, including whether fluoride has a significant effect on neurodegeneration, diabetes, and the endocrine system.
Hume's Missing Shade of Blue: A New Solution

What to do with the missing shade of blue (MSB)? Some have argued that Hume's famous thought experiment undermines his central doctrine – the ‘copy principle’ – such that he should have revised his...
Special ArticlesGuidelines for hospital privileges in vascular surgery

This is a report by an ad hoc committee to the Joint Council of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery (North American Chapter) concerning guidelines that hospitals may use or modify when judging individual applicants for hospital and operating room privileges in vascular surgery. The committee recognizes that the completion of training and obtaining a board certificate is testimony to the qualification but not necessarily the competence of an individual to practice vascular surgery. This report identifies three categories of applicant for privileges in vascular surgery; the surgeon who just completed training, the surgeon who completed training after 1984, and the surgeon who completed training before 1984. In addition, the committee recognizes the importance of periodic vascular surgery privileges renewal for established surgeons. Several pathways are defined for use by hospital privilege committees to evaluate the competence of an individual to be granted privileges in general vascular surgery. The ad hoc committee also has outlined a program for evaluation of established surgeons for renewing privileges in vascular surgery using a mechanism of case outcome audit. Finally, a review mechanism, potential corrective actions, and an appeals mechanism are also suggested. This report represents optimal criteria that may require modification by individual hospitals to meet local community needs and standards. It is the hope of the ad hoc committee that this report will help hospitals and practicing physicians improve the quality of care and treatment outcome in patients with vascular disease. (J Vasc Surg 1989;10:678–82.)
Investigating family perceptions and design preferences for an in-home robot

Child-robot interactions in educational, developmental, and health domains are widely explored, but little is known about how families perceive the presence of a social robot in their home environment and its participation in day-to-day activities. To close this gap, we conducted a participatory design (PD) study with six families, with children aged 10--12, to examine how families perceive in-home social robots participating in shared activities. Our analysis identified three main themes: (1) the robot can have a range of roles in the home as a companion or as an assistant; (2) family members have different preferences for how they would like to interact with the robot in group or personal interactions; and (3) families have privacy, confidentiality, and ethical concerns regarding a social robot's presence in the home. Based on these themes and existing literature, we provide guidelines for the future interaction design of in-home social robots for children.
Connected Components on a PRAM in Log Diameter Time

We present an O(log d + log logm/n n)-time randomized PRAM algorithm for computing the connected components of an n-vertex, m-edge undirected graph with maximum component diameter d. The algorithm runs on an ARBITRARY CRCW (concurrent-read, concurrent-write with arbitrary write resolution) PRAM using O(m) processors. The time bound holds with good probability. Our algorithm is based on the breakthrough results of Andoni et al. [FOCS'18] and Behnezhad et al. [FOCS'19]. Their algorithms run on the more powerful MPC model and rely on sorting and computing prefix sums in O(1) time, tasks that take Ω(log n / log log n) time on a CRCW PRAM with poly(n) processors. Our simpler algorithm uses limited-collision hashing and does not sort or do prefix sums. It matches the time and space bounds of the algorithm of Behnezhad et al., who improved the time bound of Andoni et al. It is widely believed that the larger private memory per processor and unbounded local computation of the MPC model admit algorithms faster than that on a PRAM. Our result suggests that such additional power might not be necessary, at least for fundamental graph problems like connected components and spanning forest.
Optical Parametric Amplification at 10.6 μm in GaSe Pumped by a 2.75-μm Parametric Source

Small-signal parametric gain at 10.6 μm in GaSe crystal pumped at 2.75 μm is experimentally demonstrated. Simulation predicts that nanosecond optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification in GaSe supports sub-three-cycle pulses.
Preliminary evidence of insulin resistance in young adults with impaired sleep.

OBJECTIVE Impaired sleep is associated with insulin resistance (IR), a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but is poorly understood in young adults. This cross-sectional study examined sleep characteristics, risk factors for T2DM, and IR in college students. Participants: Thirty-two college students (18-25 years) with either short sleep or poor quality sleep were assessed. Methods: Participants completed self-report measures of sleep and T2DM risk factors. One week of objective sleep was measured with wrist actigraphy. IR was calculated from fasting serum glucose and insulin concentrations. Results: The sample slept on average 6.6 hours/night, and over half had IR. Of those with IR, 44.4% had normal body mass index (BMI), 72% had normal fasting glucose concentrations, and all but one had T2DM risk test score indicating they were not at risk. Conclusions: IR was found in over half of participants; however, many typical T2DM risk factors were not present in those with IR.
Перспективы вытеснения монотеизма, семьи, гражданского общества и частной собственности: обзор литературы (The Prospects of Ousting of Monotheism, Family, Civil Society and Private Property: Literature Review)

Russian Abstract: Иудео-христианская традиция в свое время обеспечила легитимацию личным правам, частной собственности, обосновала идею ограниченности власти правительства. Почти во всех странах Запада общины – носители этой традиции находятся в глубоком упадке. Этот упадок может быть связан как с внутренними проблемами, в том числе доктринальными (недостаточной или избыточной гибкостью к примеру). Может быть отчасти связан с экспансией социального государства враждебного конкурентам – семье и частной благотворительности ассоциированной с религиозными институтами. Этот упадок происходит параллельно с упадком «дополняющего» института – семьи. Оба процесса, по всей видимости, взаимно обуславливают друг друга и, вероятно, имеют также общие причины. Необратимость этих процессов, однако, неочевидна. Обвал социального государства создаст как основу для усиления спроса на крепкую семью и частную поставку смешанных общественных благ, так и создаст для этого политические предпосылки. Приведенные в настоящем обзоре примеры показывают, что наименее подвержены проблемам конфессии и общины с минимальными историческими связями с государством. Попытки «купить прощение» атеистов уступками – смягчением доктрины могут вредить устойчивости общины, подрывая уверенность ее членов в том, что им предложена наиболее совершенная форма служения Всевышнему и наиболее приближенное к истине мировоззрение. English Abstract: Judeo-Christian tradition had provided legitimacy for limited Government, Personal Rights, and secured Private Property. Most of the Christian denominations in Western countries have been experiencing decline since 1960s. The decline reasons could contain Doctrinal problems (like excessive rigidity or vice versa – laxity of principles and restrictions). Governmental intervention and attempts to crowd out private institutions competing with welfare state institutions could cause additional problems harming both family and denominational institutions. Irreversibility of this Decline is still in doubt. Welfare state possible failure could push up demand for family and religious community reliable support and loyalty. This possible failure could open a political window of opportunity for private institutions revival (as mixed public goods providers). Literature review and cases provided in the paper show, the concessions, and appeasement of atheist, extended cooperation with Government could cause short-run advantages but endanger the long run prospect of denominational institutions and family, because young people and neophytes demand the absolute Truth and real righteousness and this demand wouldn’t meet by lax “liberal” doctrine.
Comparing phylogeny by compression to phylogeny by NJp and Bayesian Inference

We compare the accuracy of the Normalized Compress Distance (NCD) techniques for building phylogenetic trees from molecular data with the more widely used techniques of Neighbor joining with p value and Bayesian inference. The NCD algorithm is a distance-based alignment-free method and as such takes unaligned sequence data as input and outputs a distance matrix. The matrix is given as input to FastME, which outputs a tree in Newick format. Every step of this process require minimal processing and as such provides fast execution times along with minimal restrictions on input data.Motivation: Our work was motivated by the 2004 paper Clustring by Compression [1] by Cilibrasi and Vitanyi. They analyze sets of data from linguistics, literature, and music to demonstrate how the NCD method aids classification. In that paper, they also used NCD to build a phylogeny on a set of 24 whole mammalian mitochondrial genomes. They used the bzip2 compressor, which yielded a distance matrix, and then generated a tree from that using a new quartet tree method they developed.
In vitro development of mechanically and enzymatically isolated cat ovarian follicles

Isolation of ovarian follicles is a key step in culture systems for large mammalian species to promote the continued growth of follicles beyond the preantral stage in fertility preservation efforts. Still, mechanical isolation methods are user-skill dependent and time-consuming, whereas enzymatic strategies carry increased risk of damaging theca cell layers and the basement membranes. Here, we sought to determine an optimal method to rescue domestic cat (Felis catus) early antral and antral stage follicles from ovarian tissue and to evaluate the influence of isolation strategy on follicle development, survival, and gene expression during 14 days of in vitro culture in alginate hydrogel. Mechanical isolation was compared with 90 min digestion in 0.7 and 1.4 Wunsch units/mL Liberase blendzyme (0.7L and 1.4L, respectively). Mechanical isolation resulted in improved follicle growth and survival, and better antral cavity and theca cell maintenance in vitro, compared with 1.4L (P < 0.05) but displayed higher levels of apoptosis after incubation compared with enzymatically isolated follicles. However, differences in follicle growth and survival were not apparent until 7+ days in vitro. Expressions of CYP19A1, GDF9, LHR, or VEGFA were similar among isolation-strategies. Cultured follicles from all isolation methods displayed reduced STAR expression compared with freshly isolated follicles obtained mechanically or via 0.7L, suggesting that prolonged culture resulted in loss of theca cell presence and/or function. In sum, early antral and antral stage follicle development in vitro is significantly influenced by isolation strategy but not necessarily observable in the absence of extended culture. These results indicate that additional care must be taken in follicle isolation optimizations for genome rescue and fertility preservation efforts.
Regulatory Functions of Heparan Sulfate in Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Differentiation

Heparan sulfate (HS) is an extraordinarily diverse type of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) that is ubiquitously expressed on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix where it interacts with a multitude of growth factors and morphogens. The association of HS chains with the various protein partners, though seemingly promiscuous, is surprisingly unique, and is largely dictated by the spatiotemporal expression of various modifying enzymes. Playing a central role in a myriad of cellular and physiological processes, its involvement in regulating developmental decisions is under intense investigation. Stem cells are distinguished by their characteristics of self-renewal and pluripotency. Self-renewal allows stem cells to proliferate indefinitely in their undifferentiated/early differentiated state, whereas pluripotency implies their capacity to differentiate into different cell lineages. Recent studies have provided important information regarding the role of HS in regulating the self-renewal and differentiation capacity of both embryonic and adult stem cells. Here we review the current advances that have been made in understanding the function and related structural changes of HS during stem cell differentiation and in deciphering the underlying molecular mechanisms with a focus on embryonic stem cells (ESCs), neuronal progenitor cells (NPC), and prostate stem cells (PrSCs).
Cerebellar Dentate Connectivity across Adulthood: A Large-Scale Resting State Functional Connectivity Investigation.

Cerebellar contributions to behavior in advanced age are of interest and importance, given its role in motor and cognitive performance. There are differences and declines in cerebellar structure in advanced age and cerebellar resting state connectivity is lower. However, the work on this area to date has focused on the cerebellar cortex. The deep cerebellar nuclei provide the primary cerebellar inputs and outputs to the cortex, as well as the spinal and vestibular systems. Dentate networks can be dissociated such that the dorsal region is associated with the motor cortex, whereas the ventral aspect is associated with the prefrontal cortex. However, whether dentato-thalamo-cortical networks differ across adulthood remains unknown. Here, using a large adult sample (n = 590) from the Cambridge Center for Ageing and Neuroscience, we investigated dentate connectivity across adulthood. We replicated past work showing dissociable resting state networks in the dorsal and ventral aspects of the dentate. In both seeds, we demonstrated that connectivity is lower with advanced age, indicating that connectivity differences extend beyond the cerebellar cortex. Finally, we demonstrated sex differences in dentate connectivity. This expands our understanding of cerebellar circuitry in advanced age and underscores the potential importance of this structure in age-related performance differences.
Classifying Endomorphism Rings of Rank One Mixed Groups

We are going to prove two theorems on endomorphism rings of rank one abelian groups with simply presented torsion. In Theorem 1, we describe when the endomorphism rings of two groups are isomorphic, and in Theorem 2, we tell when the endomorphism ring of a group possesses only inner automorphisms. In the proofs we utilize two results: the first reduces the global problem to endomorphism rings of local groups; the second, a local theorem, classifies isomorphisms of endomorphism rings of local groups. The bulk of the proofs are then devoted to relating such isomorphisms to p-indicators.
Engineering Synthetic Insulin-Secreting Cells Using Hyaluronic Acid Microgels Integrated with Glucose-Responsive Nanoparticles

Diabetes is a major public health problem currently affecting 382 million people across the world. A synthetic insulin delivery system that mimics the function of insulin-secreting cells and continuously releases insulin in response to blood glucose level changes holds great promise in improving the quality of life for diabetics. Here we report a new glucose-responsive formulation for self-regulated delivery of insulin using injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) microgels (µHA, average diameter: 5.9 ± 2.3 µm) integrated with acid-degradable ketal-modified dextran-based glucose responsive nanoparticles (GRN, average diameter: 226.9 ± 20.6 nm). Packed with insulin and a glucose-specific enzyme (glucose oxidase, GOx) by a double-emulsion method, the dextran nanoparticles can be dissolved and subsequently release insulin in a hyperglycemic state, triggered by the enzymatic conversion of glucose into gluconic acid. To further avoid the burst release, reduce loss of enzymes, and facilitate administration, we integrated nanoparticles into HA microgels, crosslinked through an emulsion procedure. In vitro studies demonstrated that the insulin release rate associated with HA microgels was effectively regulated by changes in the glucose concentration. In vivo studies, in which chemically-induced type 1 diabetic mice were subcutaneously injected with the microgels, validated that a single injection of the developed formulation stabilized the blood glucose levels in the normoglycemic state (<200 mg/dL) for over 1 week.
The energy case against halogen torchieres

ABSTRACT While a mountain of press has attacked halogen torchieres regarding safety concerns, little attention has been paid to their massive energy consumption. At LBNL, a series of commercial 300-Watt tungsten halogen torchieres have been studied in order to determine their energy use, power quality, and photometric performance. This work has served as the background for an ongoing program aimed at developing novel high-efficiency torchieres using compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Experimental data is presented indicating a wide range of lumen output, power input, and efficacy characteristics for halogen torchieres. Typical imported torchiere systems can have a relatively low system efficacy in the range of 5-10 LPW depending on the specific source, dimming methods, and optical characteristics.