cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of ErbB2 Signaling in the Onset of Terminal Differentiation of Oligodendrocytes In Vivo

The knock-out analyses of neuregulin and its receptors have indicated that they play essential roles in Schwann cell development. However, the role they play in oligodendrocyte development in vivo has remained unclear, because such knock-out animals die before CNS myelination begins. We examined the role of neuregulin signaling in the CNS by generating transgenic mice that express a dominant-negative mutant of the ErbB2 receptor among oligodendrocytes, using an MBP promoter. The transgenic mice exhibited widespread hypomyelination, resulting from a reduction in oligodendrocyte differentiation. The number of progenitors was conversely increased in the transgenic mice. We report that a reduction in oligodendrocyte differentiation is attributed in part to apoptosis of oligodendrocyte progenitors as they exit the cell cycle. A significant reduction in the number of p27+ oligodendrocyte precursors in the transgenic mice supports this conclusion. Taken together, these data suggest that for oligodendrocyte progenitors, ErbB2 signaling plays a role in governing a properly timed exit from the cell cycle during development into myelinating oligodendrocytes.
Patterns of early lexical and phonological development.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of early lexical and phonological development in three children. The study covers the period from late babbling through the acquisition of 50 conventional words and focuses on: (1) the relationship between prelinguistic and linguistic vocalizations; (2) phonological development after the onset of speech; (3) patterns of lexical selection; (4) rate of lexical acquisition; and (5) use of invented words. The findings reveal that while the prelinguistic utterances of the children were similar, there was extensive inter-subject variation after the onset of meaningful speech, particularly in the segmental and syllabic forms of word productions, patterns of lexical selection, rate of lexical acquisition, and use of invented words.
Structural basis for heteromeric assembly and perinuclear organization of keratin filaments

Keratins form heterodimers that assemble into intermediate filaments. The structure of a central coiled-coil region formed between keratins 5 and 14 provides a new understanding of intermediate-filament architecture and assembly. Cellular data suggest a role for disulfide bridges in filament organization.
Surface response of a fractional order viscoelastic halfspace to surface and subsurface sources.

Previous studies by the second author published in this journal focused on low audible frequency (40–400 Hz) shear and surface wave motion in and on a viscoelastic material representative of biological tissue. Specific cases considered were that of surface wave motion on a halfspace caused by a finite rigid circular disk located on the surface and oscillating normal to it [Royston et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 106, 3678–3686 (1999)] and compression, shear, and surface wave motion in a halfspace generated by a subsurface finite dipole [Royston et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, 1109–1121 (2003)]. In both studies, a Voigt model of viscoelasticity was assumed in the theoretical treatment, which resulted in agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental measurements over a limited frequency range. In the present article, the linear viscoelastic assumption in these two prior works is revisited to consider a (still linear) fractional order Voigt model, where the rate-dependent damping component that is dependent on the first derivative of time is replaced with a component that is dependent on a fractional derivative of time. It is shown that in both excitation source configurations, the fractional order Voigt model assumption improves the match of theory to experiment over a wider frequency range (in some cases up to the measured range of 700 Hz).
On the scalability of hierarchical cooperation for dense sensor networks

In this paper we study the problem of information dissemination in dense multi-hop sensor networks characterized by highly correlated sample measurements. In particular, we investigate the benefits, and trade-offs, of exploiting correlations via cooperatively compressing the data as it hops around the network. First, we study two extreme cooperation strategies, namely no cooperation and network-wide cooperation. We show that network-wide cooperation achieves logarithmic growth rate for the transport traffic with the network size whereas the schedule length growth rate remains linear. Next, we analyze a two-phase cooperation strategy which localizes cooperation within regions of the network in an attempt to assess the performance of strategies bounded by the two aforementioned extremes. Finally, we extend two-phase cooperation to a multi-phase hierarchical cooperation strategy where the number of phases depends on the number of nodes and the size of the cooperation set. The rationale behind this strategy is to achieve logarithmic scaling laws at the expense of more complexity in coordinating nodes' cooperation. In addition, hierarchical cooperation opens room for optimizing the transport traffic and schedule length for a given network size.
Fast algorithms for thermal constrained performance optimization in DAG scheduling on multi-core processors

Thermal management is highly crucial for efficient exploitation of the potentially enormous computational power offered by advanced multi-core processors. Higher temperatures can adversely affect these processors. Without any thermal constraint, a task graph may be scheduled to run on the cores at their maximum voltage. Very often, multiple factors lead to imposing constraints on temperature, ensuring that cores remain below a certain temperature range and yet deliver good performance. The challenge is how to schedule the same task graph under the imposed thermal constraints such that the performance degradation is the minimum. In this paper we present two algorithms for minimizing the performance degradation and the corresponding overhead while satisfying the thermal constraints. The proposed algorithms, named PAVD, and TAVD, adjust a given schedule of a task graph by decreasing the voltage level of judiciously selected tasks in each step. The algorithms differ in the way they select a task at each step and the amount of time spent in searching that task. TAVD selects the tasks by prioritizing among the cores and tasks which attained maximum temperature while PAVD selects the tasks with the minimum performance penalty. For comparison, we develop a simpler greedy-based approach to show that the problem is non-trivial. Extensive experiments using both random and application-oriented task graphs demonstrate that all three algorithms satisfy the imposed thermal constraints by trading-off performance, while each showing its own strength.
Transcriptional Effects of Estrogen on Neuronal Neurotensin Gene Expression Involve cAMP/Protein Kinase A-Dependent Signaling Mechanisms

Steroid hormones exert dramatic effects on neuronal expression of genes that encode neuropeptides. Expression of the neurotensin/neuromedin (NT/N) gene in preoptic area neurons is dramatically enhanced by estrogen in vivo, even though its promoter lacks palindromic estrogen response elements. We report here that estrogen promotes transcription of this gene by interactions with the cAMP cascade in a neuronal cell line, SK-N-SH, and in a mouse model. In neuroblastoma cells, estrogen increases cAMP and the phosphorylation of the cAMP response element-binding protein in a time frame that precedes induction of NT/N gene transcription. Interference with the cAMP/protein kinase A signal transduction cascade blocks the ability of estrogen to elicit increases in transcription of this gene. Furthermore, in studies performed in vivo using mice deficient in protein kinase A, estrogen fails to induce increases in NT/N mRNA but retains its ability to promote estrogen response element-dependent progesterone receptor gene transcription. These data represent the first report of a nonclassical effect of estrogen on the expression of an endogenous estrogen-regulated neuropeptide gene through cAMP-mediated mechanisms both in a neuroblastoma cell line and in hypothalamic neurons. More importantly, this "cross-talk" may represent a more generalized mechanism by which steroid hormones act through other signal transduction cascades to regulate the expression of other genes in the brain.
Reliability of rapid, semi‐automated assessment of plankton abundance, biomass, and growth rate estimates: Coulter Counter versus light microscope measurements

Here we determined (1) how accurately the semi-automated Coulter Counter (CC) measured the abundance, volume, and growth rates of mono-specific plankton cultures compared to light microscopy and (2) whether CC-derived particle size-abundance spectra of whole water samples provided a near-real time assessment of plankton community composition. A significant, positive relationship was found between CC particle and microscope cell abundance and volume estimates for 16 phylogenetically diverse plankton species. However, abundance estimates of the 2 methods differed significantly from a 1:1 relationship, with CC counts on average 15% greater than microscopy counts. Growth rate estimates showed excellent agreement for both methods for all species and were consistent over time. No significant differences in abundance, growth rate, or size estimates were observed due to light levels (Scrippsiella trochoidea) or strain variation (Heterosigma akashiwo). CC-based, ship-board characterization of whole plankton communities, from Georges Bank, captured changes in size-abundance spectra and thus provided a coarse picture of in-situ community composition. In the laboratory, the CC appears particularly well-suited to measuring relative changes in cell abundance, such as for growth and grazing rate measurements of mono-specific laboratory cultures, or when predator and prey species are well separated by size differences. Although microscopy remains essential for plankton analyses, these results suggest that the CC can increase sample size, improving accuracy, and precision of studies requiring frequent sampling or high degrees of replication. Deployment of these automated techniques in the field may aid in quantifying spatial and temporal variability in plankton community structure by forthcoming ocean-observing systems.
Genomic profiling of isolated circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients

Molecular characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood is technically challenging because cells are rare and difficult to isolate. We developed a novel approach to isolate CTCs from blood via immunomagnetic enrichment followed by fluorescence activated cell sorting (IE/FACS). Isolated CTCs were subjected to genome-wide copy number analysis via array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). In clinical studies, CTCs were isolated from 181 patients with metastatic breast cancer, 102 of which were successfully profiled, including matched archival primary tumor from five patients. CTCs revealed a wide range of copy number alterations including those previously reported in breast cancer. Comparison with two published aCGH datasets of primary breast tumors revealed similar frequencies of recurrent genomic copy number aberrations. In addition, serial testing of CTCs confirmed reproducibility and indicated genomic change over time. Comparison of CTCs with matched archival primary tumors confirmed shared lineage with notable divergence. We demonstrate that it is feasible to isolate CTCs away from hematopoietic cells with high purity via IE/FACS and profile them via aCGH analysis. Our approach may be utilized to explore genomic events involved in cancer progression and to monitor therapeutic efficacy of targeted therapies in clinical trials in a relatively non-invasive manner.
A service industry perspective on software defined radio access networks

Despite the rapid growth of service science, relatively little attention has been paid to the service architecture requirements in software defined radio access networks (SDRAN). In this concept paper, we propose to repurpose cloud computing network services to address issues specific to SDRAN. In particular, a multi-level backhaul slicing approach derived from cloud computing networks is discussed as a way to mitigate interference limited networks with a frequency reuse factor of one. Experimental demonstration of the control plane implementation in a virtual cloud network is presented, and implications on service provider development and training are also discussed.
Discriminative state tracking for spoken dialog systems

In spoken dialog systems, statistical state tracking aims to improve robustness to speech recognition errors by tracking a posterior distribution over hidden dialog states. Current approaches based on generative or discriminative models have different but important shortcomings that limit their accuracy. In this paper we discuss these limitations and introduce a new approach for discriminative state tracking that overcomes them by leveraging the problem structure. An offline evaluation with dialog data collected from real users shows improvements in both state tracking accuracy and the quality of the posterior probabilities. Features that encode speech recognition error patterns are particularly helpful, and training requires relatively few dialogs.
Equine placenta – A clinician's perspective. Part 2: Abnormalities

Summary Any insufficiency of the equine placenta has dramatic effects on the developing equine fetus. Placental abnormalities, such as the separation of the chorioallantois from the maternal endometrium or torsion of the umbilical cord, lead to fetal demise, premature labour or abortion. These conditions are each associated with characteristic lesions on the equine placenta, which can be found during a detailed examination. These findings can be very helpful for diagnosing problems and implementing appropriate treatments for mares and affected newborn foals. Furthermore, the retention of the entire placenta or any small fragment thereof can cause metritis, laminitis and sepsis. The prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment of this condition is necessary to save the mare from becoming seriously ill. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the equine placenta is a crucial element of the post partum evaluation of every brood mare.
Physical Processes in Cygnus X-2

In developing models for the point X-ray sources the general aim has been to find a common explanation for all such objects. However, important observational differences have already become apparent among the systems having optical identifications. A close examination of the evidence shows that those with the most certain optical identifications, Scorpio X-1 and Cygnus X-2, have very few features in common and, in fact, the model proposed here for Cyg X-2 can probably be excluded for Sco X-1.
High- and low-dose-rate intraoperative radiotherapy for thoracic malignancies resected with close or positive margins.

Abstract Purpose Local recurrence is a significant problem after surgical resection of thoracic tumors. As intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) can deliver radiation directly to the threatened margin, we have used this therapy in an attempt to reduce local recurrence, using high-dose-rate (HDR) as well as low-dose-rate (LDR) techniques. Methods and Materials We performed a retrospective review of patients undergoing LDR ( 125 I) mesh placement or HDR ( 192 Ir) afterloading therapy during lung tumor resection between 2001 and 2013 at our institution. Competing risks methods were used to estimate the cumulative incidence of local failure. We also assessed possible predictive factors of local failure. Results Fifty-nine procedures (41 LDR and 18 HDR) were performed on 58 patients. Median follow-up was 55.1 months. Cumulative incidence of local failure at 1, 2, and 3 years was 28.5%, 34.2%, and 34.2%, respectively. Median overall survival was 39.9 months. There was no significant difference in local failure according to margin status, HDR vs. LDR, use of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy, or metastatic vs. primary tumor. Two patients (3.4%) experienced Grade 3+ toxicities likely related to brachytherapy. Additionally, 7 patients experienced Grade 3+ postsurgical complications unlikely related to brachytherapy. Conclusions IORT is associated with good local control after resection of thoracic tumors otherwise at very high risk for local recurrence. There is a low incidence of severe toxicity attributable to brachytherapy. HDR-IORT appears to have equivalent outcomes to LDR-IORT. HDR or LDR-IORT can, therefore, be considered in situations where the oncologic completeness of thoracic tumor resection is in doubt.
Steeples and Stacks: Religion and Urban Economic Crisis

The phone call from Bishop Burt in Cleveland to Bishop Malone in Youngstown furnishes a convenient starting point for the Coalition story. And yet, dramatically satisfying as that event might be for beginning a narrative, it hardly explained the series of events that led to the Ecumenical Coalition. On the one hand, the Coalition certainly was a new and different type of social organization. Nothing like it developed in the other steeltowns caught by the massive job terminations of 1977. As well, both the scale of the religious groups' involvement in such a project for local economic development and the nature of their leadership as a political agent for the local community were probably unprecedented. On the other hand, it is possible to emphasize an opposite theme – to represent the Coalition as consistent with a tradition of concern in the churches for urban socioeconomic problems. Some members of the Coalition (Bishop Malone, for example) preferred to see the Coalition's thinking and action as rooted in and consistent with church tradition. Actually, both themes are correct. The Coalition was new and different. At the same time, the Coalition effort did have strong roots within the intellectual and cultural context of the Catholic and mainline Protestant churches. An explanation of how and why the Coalition came into existence must take both factors into account. The Coalition was a product both of history and of structural factors at a particular time and place.
Comparison of a Wind-assisted Dispersal Technique and Aerial Application for Range Caterpillar (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) Management

A ground application technique using wind-assisted dispersal effectively applied permethrin as a control tactic in the range caterpillar, Hemileuca oliviae Cockerell, integrated pest management program. Approximately 207 ha/h can be treated at a cost of ca. $0.31/ha for chemical and application. This technique is at least as efficient as aerial application and resulted in 3.74-fold more initial residue on grass when compared with aerial application at 5.6 and 2.8 g (AI)/ha of permethrin.
A study of the use of penicillin in premature rupture of the membranes.

Abstract A study of the use of penicillin in premature rupture of the membranes is presented. The effects of penicillin on the bacteriology of the cervix, the latent period between the rupture of the membranes and the onset of labor, maternal morbidity, and fetal mortality are shown.
Fundamental relationships between energy and delay in streaming

This paper considers the problem of continuously streaming bits over a AWGN channel, a simple model of video or audio streaming. The bits are required to be decoded with a maximum delay, a deadline, of d. The question the paper seeks to answer is: what is the fundamental cost of the deadline in terms of energy per bit Eb? The paper answers this question for a number of cases, depending on the bandwidth available for transmission. A common conclusion is that for an excess energy of ΔEb, i.e., the energy above that required in the limit d → ∞, the required delay is d ∼ ΔEb−2 which is much worse than the linear relationship between bandwidth and Eb−1.
SkinTrack: Using the Body as an Electrical Waveguide for Continuous Finger Tracking on the Skin

SkinTrack is a wearable system that enables continuous touch tracking on the skin. It consists of a ring, which emits a continuous high frequency AC signal, and a sensing wristband with multiple electrodes. Due to the phase delay inherent in a high-frequency AC signal propagating through the body, a phase difference can be observed between pairs of electrodes. SkinTrack measures these phase differences to compute a 2D finger touch coordinate. Our approach can segment touch events at 99% accuracy, and resolve the 2D location of touches with a mean error of 7.6mm. As our approach is compact, non-invasive, low-cost and low-powered, we envision the technology being integrated into future smartwatches, supporting rich touch interactions beyond the confines of the small touchscreen.
A task analysis toward characterizing cyber-cognitive situation awareness (CCSA) in cyber defense analysts

Cyberspace is an increasingly crucial part of everyday living. We have long recognized that defending this space is complex, requiring information integration, and decisions of man and machine to coalesce in a dynamic environment full of shifting priorities. These properties suggest that, as in other domains with similar characteristics, situation awareness (SA) of a human cyber defender is paramount to the quality of decision outcomes in cyber defense.
Lack of Clarity in the DSM-5 Criteria of Voyeuristic Disorder

The latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) revised and innovated previous DSM editions’ diagnosti...
Nitrous oxide fluxes and dissolved N gases (N2 and N2O) within riparian zones along the agriculturally impacted San Joaquin River

Riparian buffer zones play an important role in reducing nitrogen inputs to surface waters, but may contribute to the greenhouse effect by emitting N2O. This study investigated N2O fluxes within three abundantly vegetated riparian zones within the agriculturally impacted San Joaquin River, California. Fluxes were measured in the dry season of 2010 and 2011 at four positions perpendicular to the river: outside riparian zone, inside riparian zone, river bank and benthic sediments. Subsurface dissolved N2/Ar and N2O concentrations were measured from groundwater wells in the riparian zone simultaneously with N2O fluxes. Mean N2O fluxes from the outside riparian zone (6.5 mg ± 2.3 N2O m−2 d−1), were higher than the inside riparian zone (2.7 ± 0.7 mg N2O m−2 d−1) and four times higher than bank sediments (1.6 ± 0.2 mg N2O m−2 d−1). Fluxes from benthic sediments were similar to the outside riparian zone averaging 4.4 ± 1.0 mg N2O m−2 d−1. Dissolved excess N2 (relative to Ar) and N2O concentrations in groundwater ranged from 1.53 to 10.2 mg L−1 and 0.0–6.0 µg L−1, respectively. A spatial trend was evident along the river flowpath with higher N2O concentrations at upstream sites. The mean N2O–N/NO3−–N ratio was 0.024 with a peak of 0.34. Variations in riparian soils were complex and N2O fluxes were primarily controlled by soil pH, %WFPS, NH4+ and NO3−, while benthic N2O fluxes were regulated by variations in dissolved oxygen and river flow. Higher fluxes in the riparian soils in 2011 were attributed to several months of flooding that significantly impacted groundwater tables and nutrient availability. Dissolved N2O from groundwater within the riparian zones was not found to be a significant factor contributing to atmospheric fluxes. These results suggest that riparian zones within the agriculturally impacted San Joaquin River were a significant source of N2O when elevated NO3− was present. Different controlling factors for fluxes within benthic sediments suggested that riparian vegetation did not play a role in NO3− concentrations or fluxes within the surface water.
Effect of pressure variation on acoustically perturbed swirling flames

Abstract The current study aims to experimentally examine the effect of pressure variation on lean premixed low swirl flames, which were perturbed acoustically with three frequencies (61 Hz, 86 Hz, and 115 Hz). In the experiment, the hydroxyl (OH) chemiluminescence captured with a photomultiplier (PMT) indicated the global heat release. Furthermore, the phase-averaged flame surface density (FSD), which was calculated from the images of planar laser-induced fluorescence of the OH radical (OH-PLIF), was used to examine the local flame behavior. Global, local, and flame dynamics analyses were then used to investigate the flame oscillation. Results showed that when the perturbation level was sufficiently high, the fundamental oscillation tended to be amplified by the elevated pressure in the cases with perturbation frequencies of 61 Hz and 115 Hz. In contrast, in the cases with a frequency of 86 Hz, the fundamental oscillation was inhibited when the chamber pressure was elevated to 0.3 MPa. Analysis of flame dynamics and local flame response then showed that the effect of the pressure was affected by the phase delay between the pressure and the heat release oscillations. This was in turn dictated by the flame rollup process. Based on these analyses, it can be found that the general flame responses at different pressures showed similar trends when the perturbation frequency was the same. When the perturbation level and the pressure were sufficiently high, the fundamental mode oscillation was intensified by the elevated pressure when the heat release oscillation was in phase with the pressure fluctuation; otherwise, the fundamental oscillation tended to be inhibited. Moreover, both the strength and the distribution of the local heat release oscillations were affected by the elevated pressure.
North American Classicism

The pervasive Latinity of America’s revolutionary imagery reflected the conscious decisions of political actors who thought that appeals to antiquity would advance their programme. This implies an audience who knew and cared about Roman history. Such an audience existed in the class of educated Americans who had attended grammar schools, or sought to mimic the accomplishments of those who had. This group would include nearly everyone at the Constitutional Convention, and the state ratifying conventions that ratified the Constitution. The people who led the revolution and designed its institutions exploited a republican ideology they knew well, and strongly approved. Their ability to do so depended on the American system of education.
Relative Risks for Lethal Prostate Cancer Based on Complete Family History of Prostate Cancer Death.

BACKGROUND There are few published familial relative risks (RR) for lethal prostate cancer. This study estimates RRs for lethal prostate cancer based on comprehensive family history data, with the goal of improving identification of those men at highest risk of dying from prostate cancer. METHODS We used a population-based genealogical resource linked to a statewide electronic SEER cancer registry and death certificates to estimate relative risks (RR) for death from prostate cancer based upon family history. Over 600,000 male probands were analyzed, representing a variety of family history constellations of lethal prostate cancer. RR estimates were based on the ratio of the observed to the expected number of lethal prostate cancer cases using internal rates. RESULTS RRs for lethal prostate cancer based on the number of affected first-degree relatives (FDR) ranged from 2.49 (95% CI: 2.27, 2.73) for exactly 1 FDR to 5.30 (2.13, 10.93) for ≥3 affected FDRs. In an absence of affected FDRs, increased risk was also significant for increasing numbers of affected second-degree or third degree relatives. Equivalent risks were observed for similar maternal and paternal family history. CONCLUSIONS This study provides population-based estimates of lethal prostate cancer risk based on lethal prostate cancer family history. Many family history constellations associated with two to greater than five times increased risk for lethal prostate cancer were identified. These lethal prostate cancer risk estimates hold potential for use in identification, screening, early diagnosis, and treatment of men at high risk for death from prostate cancer. Prostate © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risk Factors for Hearing Impairment among Adults with Diabetes: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

Abstract Aim The aim was to examine risk factors for hearing impairment among Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. Methods Findings are based on 3384 participants aged 18–76 years with diagnosed or previously undetected diabetes who completed audiometric testing as part of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. We defined hearing impairment as the pure-tone average (PTA) >25 decibels hearing level [dB HL] of pure-tone thresholds at high frequencies (3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) in the worse ear and defined a second hearing impairment outcome with the additional requirement of PTA >25 dB HL of low/mid-frequency (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) thresholds in the worse ear. We identified independent associations using logistic regression. Results Controlling for age and Hispanic/Latino background, prevalence ratios for hearing impairment in the high plus low/mid frequencies were 1.35 (95% CI 1.07, 1.71) for current smoking, 1.64 (1.14, 2.38) for alcohol consumption (≥14 drinks/week for men or ≥ 7 drinks/week for women), and 1.29 (1.06, 1.56) for triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL. For high-frequency only hearing impairment, the prevalence ratio for estimated glomerular filtration rate 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m 2 was 1.23 (1.03, 1.47) adjusted for age and sex. People with family income less than $20,000 had almost twice the prevalence of hearing impairment (PR = 1.93 (1.34, 2.78)) as people with income over $40,000. Conclusions Current smoking, alcohol consumption, high triglycerides, and chronic kidney disease are potentially preventable correlates of hearing impairment for persons with diabetes. Low income is a marker of increased likelihood of hearing impairment.
Driving Forces for Nonnative Protein Aggregation and Approaches to Predict Aggregation-Prone Regions

Nonnative protein aggregation is the process by which otherwise folded, monomeric proteins are converted to stable aggregates composed of protein chains that have undergone some degree of unfolding. Often, a conformational change is needed to allow certain sequences of amino acids—so-called aggregation-prone regions (APRs)—to form stable interprotein contacts such as β-sheet structures. In addition to APRs that are needed to stabilize aggregates, other factors or driving forces are also important in inducing aggregation in practice. This review focuses first on the overall process and mechanistic drivers for nonnative aggregation, followed by a more detailed summary of the factors currently thought to be important for determining which amino acid sequences most greatly stabilize nonnative protein aggregates, as well as a survey of many of the existing algorithms that are publicly available to attempt to predict APRs. Challenges with experimental validation of predicted APRs for proteins are briefly discussed.
Decision Aids to Increase Living Donor Kidney Transplantation

For the more than 636,000 adults with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the USA, kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment compared to dialysis. Living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) comprised 31% of kidney transplantations in 2015, an 8% decrease since 2004. We aimed to summarize the current literature on decision aids that could be used to improve LDKT rates. Decision aids are evidence-based tools designed to help patients and their families make difficult treatment decisions. LDKT decision aids can help ESRD patients, patients’ family and friends, and healthcare providers engage in treatment decisions and thereby overcome multifactorial LDKT barriers. We identified 12 LDKT decision aids designed to provide information about LDKT, and/or to help ESRD patients identify potential living donors, and/or to help healthcare providers make decisions about treatment for ESRD or living donation. Of these, four were shown to be effective in increasing LDKT, donor inquiries, LDKT knowledge, and willingness to discuss LDKT. Although each LDKT decision aid has limitations, adherence to decision aid development guidelines may improve decision aid utilization and access to LDKT.
The Commercial and Non-commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in North America: Canada, Mexico and the United States

The sexual exploitation of children is not new, but in the last quarter of the twentieth century to the present day, this set of horrific practices has continued to grow. The phenomenon is worldwide and exists as a continuum of sex crimes committed against children: child sexual abuse, child sexual assault, and the exploitation of children for commercial sexual purposes. This phenomenon annually brings suffering to the lives of tens of thousands of children between the ages of 7 and 19 in the North American region, i.e., Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This chapter explores the nature, extent, and severity of sexual exploitation (in all of its forms) for the youth in these three countries. The chapter also presents a series of recommendations designed to reduce the suffering associated with both commercial and non-commercial child sexual exploitation.
School Resource Officers and the School to Prison Pipeline: Discovering Trends of Expulsions in Public Schools

Public school systems in America have come under scrutiny due to the harsh treatment of students by School Resource Officers (SROs). Incidents of armed, uniformed police in schools affecting physical arrests in American classrooms seem to be ever more frequent in news cycles, likely due to the ease of capturing these events on video via cell phones of bystanders. Of particular note, visceral reports of “heavy-handed” SROs reinforce a consistent narrative from some media outlets suggesting that the simple presence of these officers inside schools leads to student arrests for behaviors that can arguably be dealt with by the school administration in a reintegrative manner. The apparent lack of school discretion and the presence of strict zero tolerance policies are at the root of an issue that has been termed the “School to Prison Pipeline” by mass media. SROs are often the exclusive focus of this issue, typically as a symbol of a school’s dedication to strict enforcement of rigid rules.
The emergence of standardized spatial plans in southern Mesoamerica: Chronology and interregional interactions viewed from Ceibal, Guatemala

Our investigations at the lowland Maya center of Ceibal have demonstrated that a formal spatial pattern consisting of an E-Group assemblage and large platforms started around 1000 b.c. and gradually expanded over the next several centuries. A re-evaluation of ceramic and radiocarbon data from other lowland Maya sites suggests that the beginning of sedentary life and ceramic use in various parts of the Maya lowlands started roughly simultaneously around 1000 b.c., which may have been triggered by a change in maize productivity. The standardized spatial pattern including the E-Group assemblage probably developed in the Isthmian Interaction Sphere, encompassing the southern Gulf Coast, central Chiapas, the Chiapas-Guatemalan Pacific Coast, and Ceibal, during the transitional period between the decline of San Lorenzo and the rise of La Venta as a major center (1200–800 b.c.). Most of the lowland Maya communities adopted the E-Group assemblage after 800 b.c., but not other elements of the standardized spatial pattern.
Addressing engagement in technology-based behavioural HIV interventions through paradata metrics.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The goal of this review was to examine how often researchers report participants' online engagement using paradata (i.e. intervention usage metrics) when describing the outcomes of online behavioural HIV prevention and care interventions. We also highlight the utility of paradata collection and analysis in future technology-based trials. RECENT FINDINGS We focused on studies indexed on PubMed and published between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2017 that reported the development and testing of online behavioural interventions for HIV prevention and/or care. Of the 705 extracted citations, six met study criteria. SUMMARY Only one study reported paradata reflecting participants' engagement with a technology-based intervention. Researchers should systematically collect and analyse paradata to strengthen the evidence base for technology-based interventions (do they work?), advance the use of behaviour change theory across modalities and platforms (how/why do they work?) and inform reach and scale-up efforts (for whom do they work?). Researchers may also rely on paradata to examine dose-response relationships due to user engagement, to identify replicable core components linked to behaviour change outcomes, to allocate resources judiciously and drive down development costs, and to pool these metrics for use in future meta-analyses.
Neutrophils: Double agents for TB

Nitric oxide restricts growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by repressing neutrophilic inflammation.
A time series analysis of TravisTorrent builds: to everything there is a season

We apply a seasonal decomposition time series analysis to TravisTorrent data in order to examine growth trends and periodic behavior related to number of builds in a continuous integration environment. We apply our techniques at the macro level using the full TravisTorrent repository consisting of 1,283 projects, and at the micro level considering the Apache Drill project. Our results demonstrate strong seasonal behavior at both the large and small scale using an additive time series model. In addition to being able to accurately capture trend and periodicity in build data, our techniques are also able to accurately forecast the expected number of builds for a future time interval.
Quality modification of food by extrusion processing.

Extrusion is a production method widely used industrially to cook and texturize food products. The extruder applies a temperature, pressure and shear regime influenced by many factors including moisture content, barrel and die temperatures, screw and die geometry, screw speed and feed rate. These in turn determine the physical and chemical changes which occur in the extruder. Carbohydrate and/or protein macromolecules constitute the major structural components in most extruded foods and can undergo gelatinization, denaturation, depolymerization and formation reactions. Also, the moisture content in the final product largely determines their physical state (glass, rubber, crystalline). Other important changes can occur affecting lipids, colors, flavors, vitamins, minerals, antinutritional factors and enzymes, which can influence nutritional, organoleptic, functional and storage qualities. This chapter provides an updated review of our understanding of these changes focusing particularly on those that affect organoleptic quality.
Adjuvant Stromal Amphotericin B Injection for Late-Onset DMEK Infection.

Purpose To report the successful medical management of a late-onset Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK)-related interface infection. Methods A case of DMEK endothelial keratoplasty-related infection treated with intrastromal antifungal injection was identified. The following information was collected: demographic data, surgical indications, donor rim cultures, donor mate outcomes, clinical course, diagnostic tests, and clinical outcome. Results A DMEK patient developed a single infiltrate approximately 1 month after uncomplicated DMEK. Donor rim culture was positive for Candida glabrata but no prophylactic treatment was initiated. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography confirmed the location of the infiltrate, and the patient was treated with oral fluconazole and an intrastromal injection of amphotericin B with an inadvertent, but negligible, intracameral volume of the same drug. The lesion significantly regressed on examination 2 days later with complete involution and excellent visual acuity to date. Conclusions Medical therapy, including systemic and intrastromal application, is a viable initial treatment option for late-onset, presumed yeast interface keratitis in patients who have undergone DMEK.
Hubbard Model Physics in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Moiré Bands.

Flexible long period moir\'e superlattices form in two-dimensional van der Waals crystals containing layers that differ slightly in lattice constant or orientation. In this Letter we show theoretically that isolated flat moir\'e bands described by generalized triangular lattice Hubbard models are present in twisted transition metal dichalcogenide heterobilayers. The hopping and interaction strength parameters of the Hubbard model can be tuned by varying the twist angle and the three-dimensional dielectric environment. When the flat moir\'e bands are partially filled, candidate many-body ground states at some special filling factors include spin-liquid states, quantum anomalous Hall insulators, and chiral $d$-wave superconductors.
CSF neurofilament-light chain and phosphorylated-tau predict disease progression in PSP (P4.176)

Objective: To determine the ability of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers to predict disease progression in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Background: PSP is a 4-repeat tauopathy with strong links to tau gene ( MAPT) polymorphisms. In PSP, CSF tau and phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau) concentrations are often lower than age-matched controls, but the clinical significance of these changes is uncertain. Plasma neurofilament-light chain (NfL) has shown potential utility to predict PSP progression, but stronger relationships with clinical features are expected with CSF analyte concentrations. Design/Methods: We compared the ability of baseline CSF amyloid β 1–42 , tau, p-tau and NfL concentrations, measured by INNO-BIA AlzBio3 or ELISA, to predict annual changes in clinical [(PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS) and Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living (SEADL)], neuropsychological and regional brain volumes on MRI using linear mixed effects models controlled for age, sex and baseline disease severity, and Fisher’s-F density curves to compare effect sizes in 50 PSP patients. Results: Higher CSF NfL concentration predicted more rapid decline (biomarker × time interaction) over 52 weeks in PSPRS ( p = .004, false discovery rate-corrected) and SEADL ( p = .008), whereas lower baseline CSF p-tau predicted faster decline on PSPRS ( p = .004). Higher CSF tau concentrations predicted faster decline by SEADL ( p = .004). The CSF NfL/p-tau ratio was superior for predicting change in PSPRS, compared to p-tau ( p = .003) or NfL ( p = .001) alone. Higher NfL concentrations were associated with greater superior cerebellar peduncle atrophy (fixed effect, p ≤ .029), whereas none of the other biomarkers were associated with brain volumes. Conclusions: Both CSF p-tau and NfL correlate with disease severity and rate of disease progression in PSP. The inverse correlation of p-tau with disease severity suggests a potentially different mechanism of tau pathology in PSP as compared to Alzheimer’s disease. Study Supported by: R01AG038791, U54NS092089, T32 AG23481, and the Tau Consortium Disclosure: Dr. Rojas -Martinez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lobach has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tsai has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rabinovici has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Genentech, Merck. Dr. Miller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Boxer has nothing to disclose.
An in vitro evaluation of laser settings and location in the efficiency of the popcorn effect.

To examine different locations and laser settings’ effects on the efficiency of the “popcorn” method of laser lithotripsy, which consists of placing the laser in a group of small stones and firing continuously to break them into smaller particles. Pre-fragmented BegoStones were created between 2 and 4 mm to mimic typical popcorning conditions. A 0.5 g collection of fragments was placed into 3D-printed models (a spherical calyx and ellipsoid pelvis model) and a 200-µm laser fiber was positioned above the stones. The laser was fired for 2 min with irrigation, with 5 trials at each setting: 0.2 J/50 Hz, 0.5 J/20 Hz, 0.5 J/40 Hz, 1 J/20 Hz, 0.2 J/80 Hz, 0.5 J/80 Hz. After drying, fragmentation efficiency was determined by calculating the mass of stones reduced to sub-2 mm particles. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA and Student’s t test. The trials within the calyx model were significantly more efficient compared to the pelvis (0.19 vs 0.15 g, p = 0.01). When comparing laser settings, there was a difference between groups by one-way ANOVA [F(5,54) = 8.503, p = 5.47 × 10−6]. Post hoc tests showed a power setting of 0.5 J/80 Hz was significantly more efficient than low-power settings 0.2 J/50 Hz and 0.5 J/20 Hz (p < 0.05). Additionally, 0.2 J/50 Hz was significantly less efficient than 0.5 J/40 Hz, 1 J/20 Hz, and 0.2 J/80 Hz. Popcorning is most efficient in smaller spaces; we recommend displacement of stones into a calyx before popcorning. No difference was seen between high-power settings, although 0.5 J/40 Hz and 0.5 J/80 Hz performed best, suggesting that moderate energy popcorning methods with at least 0.5 J per pulse are most efficient.
4.5-gram monofilament sensation beneath both first metatarsal heads indicates protective foot sensation in diabetic patients.

Background: Loss of protective plantar foot sensation is the major cause of diabetic foot ulcerations and ultimate limb loss. Identification of patients without protective sensation can reduce the risk of unrecognized foot injury. The current recommended screening protocol requires 10-g monofilament testing of ten foot sites with use of a forced-choice paradigm. The objective of the present study was to determine whether testing of fewer than ten sites could provide accuracy comparable with that obtained by testing all ten sites. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study of plantar sensory levels in diabetic subjects with and without plantar ulceration was conducted in a tertiary-care teaching hospital setting. We examined forty-seven diabetic subjects with a history of foot ulceration and forty-five diabetic subjects with no history of foot ulceration. Plantar sensory threshold values at five sites on the sole of each foot were measured with a quasi-continuous range of applied forces, and receiver operating characteristic analysis techniques were applied. Results: Screening on the basis of only the maximum force threshold for the left and right first metatarsal head sites provided comparable or better performance at high levels of sensitivity than did either the mean or the maximum force threshold across all ten sites. A sensory threshold of 4.5 g for both the left and right first metatarsal head sites predicted the risk of ulceration with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 67%. Conclusions: Testing of diabetic patients for protective sensation may be simplified to testing under both first metatarsal heads with a 4.5-g monofilament. If a patient cannot sense the application of a 4.5-g monofilament under either first metatarsal head, he or she probably has lost protective sensation and should be considered to be at risk for undetected injury. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic study, Level II-1 (development of diagnostic criteria on the basis of consecutive patients [with universally applied reference “gold” standard]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.