cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential of using automatically extracted straight lines in rectifying high-resolution satellite images

Rapid advances in remote-sensing technologies have provided the ability to acquire high-quality metric information. This is achieved by forming a relationship between image coordinates and ground coordinates as two-dimensional (2D) and 2D-to-3D transformation models. Most of these models are based on point features. Although point-based transformation models are well developed, it is time-consuming and costly to measure point coordinates manually. However, automatic point extraction algorithms, especially in satellite images, are far inferior in quality. This makes other feature-based transformation models more attractive. Linear features have greater potential than other features not only in automation but also in representation and modelling. In this study we investigated rectifying satellite images with different resolutions and orientations using line-based transformation models (LBTMs). In addition, the relative relationships between linear features were imposed by incorporating geometric constraints...
MicroRNA: a new entrance to the broad paradigm of systems molecular medicine

Systems molecular medicine is the science of combining systems biology with molecular analysis and intervention to address clinically relevant questions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) appear particularly suitable to serve as hubs of regulatory networks underlying complex diseases. Clear experimental evidence for coordinated regulation of a large number of genes by miRNAs, however, is still rare. It leaves open several fundamental questions that are important for determining the value of miRNA in complex regulatory networks and in systems molecular medicine. Physiological genomics is a powerful approach for addressing these open questions.
BRCA1, PARP, and 53BP1: conditional synthetic lethality and synthetic viability

BRCA1 plays a critical role in the regulation of homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA double-strand break repair. BRCA1-deficient cancers have evolved to tolerate loss of BRCA1 function. This renders them vulnerable to agents, such as PARP inhibitors, that are conditionally ‘synthetic lethal' with their underlying repair defect. Recent studies demonstrate that BRCA1-deficient cells may acquire resistance to these agents by partially correcting their defect in HR-mediated repair, either through reversion mutations in BRCA1 or through ‘synthetic viable' loss of 53BP1. These findings and their clinical implications will be reviewed in this article.
EMPIRICAL TESTS OF HUNTER–COVEY INTERFACE MODELS

Quail hunting consists of a complex set of behaviors that involve humans, pointing dogs, and wild birds. The recent development of models known as Hunter–Covey Interface (HCI) theory provides an opportunity to analyze how we perceive, understand, and manage quail hunting. There are 2 groups of HCI models: static and dynamic. The static HCI model predicts daily hunting mortality based on the velocity of the hunt and area covered during a hunt. The dynamic HCI models estimate the probability of flushing a covey given a set of circumstances that revolve around the potential rate of which quail learn to avoid hunters. We quantified the variables required to test whether the static and dynamic models of HCI theory provide meaningful results. We used spatial data on hunting velocity and area covered during >100 quail hunts, along with estimates of quail population density, mortality, and movements from 2 areas in south Texas, to evaluate output from HCI models. The static model predicted average daily harvest rates that ranged from 5 to 50 birds. This average is within the range of average daily bag of south Texas quail hunters in groups of 2–4. Output from the dynamic models suggested that quail populations on our study areas were subjected to relatively low hunting intensities with a corresponding low avoidance behavior and learning rate, which is a scenario that matched 1 of 4 predictions by Guthery (2002). We found it difficult to meet basic assumptions of HCI theory. For example, hunting pressure was potentially redundant, coveys were not always randomly distributed in space, and the extent to which quail are naive at the beginning of a hunting season was unknown. However, both the static and dynamic HCI models appeared robust to violation of these assumptions. Application of HCI theory may provide meaningful results that can be used to manage quail hunting pressure, optimize harvest, and sustain populations.
Why we forgive what can't be controlled.

Abstract Volitional control matters greatly for moral judgment: Coerced agents receive less condemnation for outcomes they cause. Less well understood is the psychological basis of this effect. Control may influence perceptions of intent for the outcome that occurs or perceptions of causal role in that outcome. Here, we show that an agent who chooses to do the right thing but accidentally causes a bad outcome receives relatively more punishment than an agent who is forced to do the “right” thing but causes a bad outcome. Thus, having good intentions ironically leads to greater condemnation. This surprising effect does not depend upon perceptions of increased intent for harm to occur, but rather upon perceptions of causal role in the obtained outcome. Further, this effect is specific to punishment: An agent who chooses to do the right thing is rated as having better moral character than a forced agent, even though they cause the same bad outcome. These results clarify how, when and why control influences moral judgment.
Eternal or Ephemera? The Myth of Permanence in Online Writing

Abstract For many, the permanence of online texts is an unquestionable fact. Though the assumption of permanence does hold a degree of truth, this article asserts that it is not necessarily the default mode we believe it to be within the digital era. Through an analysis of various digital media, this article will illuminate a number of cracks and fissures within the veneer of permanence. These gaps manifest in three primary forms: incompatibility and obsolescence; insecurity and deletion; and obscurity. As many composition instructors move to increasingly digital pedagogies, these digital gaps and losses become ever more alarming. Instead of urging writers away from digital texts, this analysis prompts one central question: Is longevity in the digital realm desirable? Rather than answering this question ourselves, this article pushes for an increased focus on temporality within the composition classroom so that we can engage in these conversations not for our students, but with them . Urging students to consider these questions of temporality is a first step towards more responsible and informed digital composition practices.
The Black Admiral (O Mestre-Sala Dos Mares): Racial Issues in Popular Music During Brazilian Dictatorship

The present paper analyzes the motivations of the Censorship Department in censoring a song composed in 1974, initially entitled “O Almirante Negro” (Black Admiral), later altered to “O Mestre-Sala dos Mares” (Mestre‐Sala is a main figure of Carnaval parades in some states of Brazil). The lyrics contain a strong poetic narrative of an episode characterized by racism, authoritarianism and violence, occurred in Brazilian Navy in 1910, known as “Revolta da Chibata” (also know in English as Revolt of The Whip or Revolt of the Lash). Both the title and the lyrics pay tribute to the leader of the revolt: the black mariner Joao Candido Felisberto; who led the crew of two battleships and six vessels in fighting against racism, physical punishment and humiliation against blacks serving in Brazilian Navy in the beginning of the twentieth century.
Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension

Elevation in pulmonary arterial pressure is a common occurrence in patients with chronic lung disease. Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, parenchymal lung disease, and inflammation contribute to increased pulmonary vascular tone and remodeling. Diagnosis of pulmonary vascular disease in patients with lung disease may be especially challenging due to the lack of specificity of common complaints of dyspnea and inaccuracy of echocardiographic estimates such as pulmonary arterial pressure in this group of patients. The presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in chronic lung disease is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, but the efficacy of pharmacologic treatment of PH in this population has not been established. This chapter will review the epidemiology and pathogenesis of PH associated with chronic lung disease and provide an approach to evaluation and management including the identification and selection of some patients who may benefit from currently available pulmonary vasodilator therapies.
Nanoparticle-enabled wireless monitoring and characterization of physical degradation kinetics in pharmaceutical gelatin films

Abstract Degradation kinetics of pharmaceutical excipient films effect their overall performance and drug release profile. Characterizing them is traditionally labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring spectroscopy or periodic mass measurements. Here we present an alternative rapid technique for electrically (and wirelessly) measuring the polymeric matrix swelling and material degradation in aqueous media for characterizing functional films. The film is loaded with ferromagnetic nanoparticles and used as the core of a planar coil whose resonant frequency is monitored remotely. When placed in an aqueous solution, swelling and dissolution of the film induce contrasting changes in the capacitance and inductance of the coil, respectively, allowing identification of the swelling and dissolution phases. The dissolution profile of iron oxide-loaded gelatin is compared with spectrophotometry data, further demonstrating the technique can distinguish among films with various levels of crosslinking (showing a resonant frequency difference of 116 kHz between completely non-crosslinked and fully crosslinked gelatin). The key characteristics of the film degradation kinetics can be captured within 20–30 min of data collection.
Disability Rises Gradually for a Cohort of Older Americans

Objectives We study changes in average disability over nearly two decades for a large epidemiological cohort of older Americans. As some people exit by mortality, do average disability levels for the living cohort rise rapidly, rise gradually, stay steady, or decline? Method Data are from the Study of Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) cohort for 1993-2010. Cohort members are aged 70+ in 1993 (mean = 77.5 years), and the survivors are aged 87+ in 2010 (mean = 90.2 years). Personal care disability (activities of daily living), household management disability (instrumental activities of daily living), and physical limitations are studied. We study average disability for the living cohort over time and the disability histories for decedent and survivor groups. Results Average disability rises gradually over time for the living cohort. Earlier decedent groups have higher average disability than later ones. Near death, disability rises sharply for all decedent groups. Longer surviving groups have less average disability, and slower disability increases, than shorter surviving groups. All results are repeated for younger cohort members (baseline age = 70-79 years), older ones (baseline age = 80+ years), women, and men. Discussion As a cohort ages, average disability among living members increases gradually, signaling behavioral, psychological, and biological fitness in very old persons.
Muscle function during jumping in frogs. I. Sarcomere length change, EMG pattern, and jumping performance

We determined the influence of temperature on muscle function during jumping to better understand how the frog muscular system is designed to generate a high level of mechanical power. Maximal jumping performance and the in vivo operating conditions of the semimembranosus muscle (SM), a hip extensor, were measured and related to the mechanical properties of the isolated SM in the accompanying paper [Muscle function during jumping in frogs. II. Mechanical properties of muscle: implication for system design. Am. J. Physiol. 271 (Cell Physiol. 40): C571-C578, 1996]. Reducing temperature from 25 to 15 degrees C caused a 1.75-fold decline in peak mechanical power generation and a proportional decline in aerial jump distance. The hip and knee joint excursions were nearly the same at both temperatures. Accordingly, sarcomeres shortened over the same range (2.4 to 1.9 microns) at both temperatures, corresponding to myofilament overlap at least 90% of maximal. At the low temperature, however, movements were made more slowly. Angular velocities were 1.2- to 1.4-fold lower, and ground contact time was increased by 1.33-fold at 15 degrees C. Average shortening velocity of the SM was only 1.2-fold lower at 15 degrees C than at 25 degrees C. The low Q10 of velocity is in agreement with that predicted for muscles shortening against an inertial load.
Rewriting Title IX: The Department of Education's Response to Feminists' Comments in the Rulemaking Process

Feminist organizations, like many other interest groups and advocacy organizations, have increasingly turned to the rulemaking process to create meaningful policy change. Although rulemaking is an attractive policy-making venue for feminists because it provides them with an opportunity to bypass congressional gridlock and interact with more women policy makers than they might in Congress, the existing literature does not address how and when feminist organizations' participation in rulemaking is influential. To examine this question for the first time, I analyze a sample of the 5,860 comments that the U.S. Department of Education received in response to its 2004 proposed rule allowing for public single-sex education programs and the department's justifications for its proposed and final rules. Specifically, I ask whether findings from the rulemaking literature showing that organizations can encourage bureaucrats to change their proposed rules when they submit large numbers of high-quality, homogenous, opposing comments hold for feminist organizations in a redistributive policy area. The findings indicate that when bureaucrats receive multiple sets of high-quality homogenous comments, they are more likely to side with commenters who support their initial proposals and/or partisan and ideological positions.
Intersex in a species of the genus Musca(Diptera:Muscidae) from western Sichuan,China

Notes a species on intersex of the Musca domestica Linnaeus from western Sichuan,China.Its characters are given in the Chinese text.The intersex specimen is kept in the Institute of Plant Physiology Ecology,Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Shanghai,China.
Effect of Water Cadmium Pollution on Cell Membrane Permeability and Some Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Rice Germanating Embryo

This article dealt with the effect of simulative water Cd~(2+) pollution on membrane integrality and the activity of some antioxidant enzymes in rice embryo.The seeds and seedlings of rice were treated by 0,0.1,1.0,10.0,100.0 mg/L Cd~(2+) solution.The cell membrane structure was destroyed in various degrees under Cd~(2+) stress.The content of MDA and RELR increased with Cd~(2+) concentration increasing and stress lasting.The Cd~(2+) stimulated antioxidant enzymes: activity of SOD,POD and CAT increased by 0.10～2.18 times,0.35～2.24 times and 0.43～2.35 times,respectively.
Epidemiological Analysis on hepatitis A in Guangzhou, 2005-2012

Objective To study the epidemiological features of hepatitis A, and provide data support for the prevention and control of hepatitis A. Methods We analyzed and described the data of hepatitis A in Guangzhou during 2005-2012. Results 2214 sporadic cases were reported in Guangzhou. The total incidence rate was 2.45/100, 000, and it decreased from 2.95/100, 000 in 2005 to1.97/100, 000 in 2012. Cases were found all the year and there was no obvious season peak for the incidence of hepatitis A.Infections mainly occurred in young adults, with the trend shifting to older people. There were more male cases than female cases(1.61:1). The infected people were mainly peasants, unemployed persons, retiree and workers. Conclusion The hepatitis A in Guangzhou was still serious. Health education and vaccination should be strengthened.
Near-infrared monitoring of cerebral oxygen sufficiency. I. Spectra of cytochrome c oxidase.

Near-infrared (NIR) difference spectra were obtained for oxidized cytochrome c oxidase of isolated mitochondria in vitro and of cerebral tissue in situ observed through scalp and skull. The broad peaks of maximal absorption observed in both were not inconsistent with the customary assignment of an 830 nm peak. However, the ratios of the intensity of the NIR band to that of the visible peak (605 nm), which we found to be identical for in-vitro and in-situ spectra, were consistently and significantly higher than those of the various purified enzyme preparations reported in the literature. In addition the half-band widths of our in-vitro and in-situ preparations were narrower. Haemoglobin spectra in the NIR obtained in clear and in highly light-scattering media showed almost total absence of band distortion in this spectral region, suggesting that the differences observed are not due to scattering effects. Anoxia and the specific oxidase inhibitors, cyanide and carbon monoxide, caused the expected disappeara...
Towards An Advanced Graphene-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent: Sub-acute Toxicity and Efficacy Studies in Small Animals.

Current clinical Gd3+-based T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs) are suboptimal or unsuitable, especially at higher magnetic fields (>1.5 Tesla) for advanced MRI applications such as blood pool, cellular and molecular imaging. Herein, towards the goal of developing a safe and more efficacious high field T1 MRI CA for these applications, we report the sub-acute toxicity and contrast enhancing capabilities of a novel nanoparticle MRI CA comprising of manganese (Mn2+) intercalated graphene nanoparticles functionalized with dextran (hereafter, Mangradex) in rodents. Sub-acute toxicology performed on rats intravenously injected with Mangradex at 1, 50 or 100 mg/kg dosages 3 times per week for three weeks indicated that dosages ≤50 mg/kg could serve as potential diagnostic doses. Whole body 7 Tesla MRI performed on mice injected with Mangradex at a potential diagnostic dose (25 mg/kg or 455 nanomoles Mn2+/kg; ~2 orders of magnitude lower than the paramagnetic ion concentration in a typical clinical dose) showed persistent (up to at least 2 hours) contrast enhancement in the vascular branches (Mn2+ concentration in blood at steady state = 300 ppb, per voxel = 45 femtomoles). The results lay the foundations for further development of Mangradex as a vascular and cellular/ molecular MRI probe.
Nephrectomy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

SUMMARY Progress in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma in recent decades might be characterized as promising by the optimist, nonexistent by the pessimist, and somewhere between by the realist. Regardless of one’s point of view, the dilemma of what to do with the primary tumor persists. With notable exceptions, the duration and quality of survival are not influenced favorably by nephrectomy.
Nutritional care of the pediatric athlete.

Nutritional advice to the pediatric athlete must take into account physiologic processes in the exercising child, differences in the body composition of children as compared with adults, and the unique requirements of growing children. These differences are reviewed and logical nutritional assessment and dietary plans are proposed.
Cluster Headaches Relieved by Indomethacin

The clinical features and treatment of cluster headaches are reported in two patients, a boy aged 8 and a girl 10 years, evaluated at the Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A novel phase I trial design featuring a two-dimensional dose-finding algorithm optimizing the dose of gemcitabine and doxorubicin with bortezomib in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC).

263 Background: Preclinical studies suggested that bortezomib (B) enhanced the activity of gemcitabine and doxorubicin (GA) in UC; thus we sought to define possible combinations of bortezomib with this doublet. We employed a novel phase I trial design systematically exploring doses in 2 dimensions. The method estimates an isotoxic curve allowing not only a combination with approximately equal (with respect to single component MTD) contributions of the two components to be found, but also combinations emphasizing one component or the other. Methods: Since 11/06, 74 patients with previously treated metastatic cancer were enrolled (70 UC, 3 prostate, 1 renal). GA was treated as a single component and given in a fixed ratio to a maximum of 900 and 50 mg/m2, and B to a maximal dose of 1.6 mg/m2 IV, with dosing every 14 days. After determining the MTD along the diagonal, we then decreased the dose of B, increasing GA, and vice versa, exploring doses along an isotoxic curve aiming for ≤ 30% dose limiting toxicit...
A Handicapped, Not Sleeping, Giant: The Devastating Impact of the Initiative Process on Latina/o and Immigrant Communities

Copyright ? 2008 California Law Review, Inc. California Law Review, Inc. (CLR) is a California nonprofit corporation. CLR and the authors are solely responsible for the content of their publications. t Dean, University of California, Davis, School of Law, and Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies; A.B., University of California, Berkeley; J.D., Harvard University. Thanks to Angela Onwuachi-Willig for helping to organize this symposium and commenting on a draft of this article. Keith Aoki offered helpful direction on research avenues for this article. The excellent research assistance of Sarah Martinez, UC Davis class of 2009, helped immensely. Last but not least, thanks to the editors of the California Law Review for their hard work on this symposium. 1. See, e.g., Symposium, The Voice of the CrowdThe Colorado Initiative, 78 U. Colo. L. Rev. 1337 (2007) (collecting articles analyzing Colorado's initiative process); Symposium on the Impact of Direct Democracy, 78 S. Cal. L. Rev. 835 (2005) (analyzing many significant issues implicated by initiative lawmaking); Ethan J. Leib, Can Direct Democracy Be Made Deliberative?, 54 Buff. L. Rev. 903, 906-11 (2006) (summarizing the "pathologies of direct democracy"); Ben Hovland, Comment, Championed by Progressives and William U'Ren: Can Oregon Give the Ballot Initiative to the People Again?, 85 Or. L. Rev. 275 (2006) (analyzing many possible reforms to the initiative process). For a recent?and most forceful?claim that initiatives are unconstitutional, see Erwin Chemerinsky, Challenging Direct Democracy, 2007 Mich. St. L. Rev. 293 (2007). 2. See generally Philip L. Dubois & Floyd Feeney, Lawmaking by Initiative (1998) (comprehensively analyzing initiative lawmaking). 3. See, e.g., Elizabeth Garrett & Mathew D. McCubbins, The Dual Path Initiative Framework, 80 S. Cal. L. Rev. 299 (2007); Michael S. Kang, Democratizing Direct Democracy: Restoring Voter Competence Through Heuristic Cues and "Disclosure Plus, " 50 UCLA L. Rev. 1141 (2003); Glenn C. Smith, Solving the "Initiatory Construction" Puzzle (and Improving Direct Democracy) by Appropriate Refocusing on Sponsor Intent, 78 U. Colo. L. Rev. 257 (2007).
PFA and complemented subspaces of ℓ ∞ /c 0

The Banach space $\ell_\infty/c_0$ is isomorphic to the linear space of continuous functions on $\mathbb N^*$ with the supremum norm, $C(\mathbb N^*)$. Similarly, the canonical representation of the $\ell_\infty$ sum of $\ell_\infty/c_0$ is the Banach space of continuous functions on the closure of any non-compact cozero subset of $\mathbb N^*$. It is important to determine if there is a continuous linear lifting of this Banach space to a complemented subset of $C(\mathbb N^*)$. We show that PFA implies there is no such lifting.
Biological activity of 1 α-hydroxyvitamin D2 in the rat

Abstract The biological activity of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D 2 has been determined in vitamin D-deficient rats. In the calcification of the rachitic epiphyseal plate, 1α-hydroxyvitamin D 2 is more active than 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 , while it is equally active in stimulating intestinal calcium absorption. On the other hand, it is much less active (one-third to one-fifth) than 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 in the mobilization of calcium from bone. In both the intestinal and bone responses, 1α-hydroxyvitamin D 2 (312 pmol) is active in nephrectomized rats while 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 is not.
Poverty and Problem Behaviors across the Early Life Course: The Role of Sensitive Period Exposure

Research routinely finds that children exposed to poverty exhibit more problem behaviors than their nonexposed counterparts. This research, however, lacks developmental specificity with regard to timing and the pathways by which poverty exposures manifest across the early life course. I utilized 15 years of prospective data from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development to assess how poverty exposures and financial strains at different ages (0–1, 2–5, and 15) were related to problem behaviors during early childhood (ages 2–5), late childhood (ages 5–12), and adolescence (age 15). Results show that poverty exposures during infancy and to a lesser extent early childhood were robust predictors of problem behaviors in early childhood, late childhood, and adolescence because they were linked to more problem behaviors at younger ages, which persisted over time. These associations partially operated through financial strain. Poverty during adolescence was mostly unrelated to problem behaviors during adolescence after taking into account exposures at younger ages. Overall, this study provided initial evidence that poverty exposure during infancy may have lasting implications for problem behaviors across the early life course.
Philosophy of Imagination: Imagination, the Junkyard of the Mind

Books under Review Asma, Stephen T. 2017. The Evolution of Imagination. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 320 pages. Hardcover $30.00. 20 halftones. Fuentes, Agustin. 2017. The Creative Spark: How Imagination Made Humans Exceptional. New York: Dutton. Viii, 340 pages. Hardcover $28.00. Illustrations, maps. Kind, Amy, ed. 2016. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Imagination. New York: Routledge. xix, 481 pages. Hardcover $192.00. Kind, Amy, and Peter Kung, eds. 2016. Knowledge through Imagination. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 250 pages. Hardcover $74.00. Illustration.
Cerebrovascular complications and neurodevelopmental sequelae of neonatal ECMO.

The neurologic complications and neurodevelopmental sequelae of neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are discussed. The laboratory and clinical studies that may be of prognostic significance in term of near-term neonates treated with venoarterial ECMO are reviewed. Pathophysiologic mechanisms associated with cardiorespiratory failure and its treatment before and during ECMO that may contribute to an adverse outcome are reviewed. The potential advantages of venovenous compared with venoarterial ECMO are considered, and the need for further research is emphasized.
Seemo: A Computational Approach to See Emotions

Successful human interactions are based on becoming aware of other's emotion and making adaptations accordingly. However, understanding emotion is a complex task that has generated countless debates among researchers over the past decades. The abstract nature of human emotion highlights the need for a new data-driven approach that can better describe and compare across fine-grained emotional states. In this study, we propose Seemo, a novel neural embedding framework, which allows us to map human emotions into vector space representations. Seemo is trained using Twitter data and is evaluated on two fundamental use cases in traditional emotion research: determining the underlying dimensions of emotions and identifying the set of basic emotions. The evaluation reveals that on both tasks Seemo can generate results consistent with the mainstream theories. Results also show that the vector space representation of Seemo can effectively decode the important relationships between emotions that were usually not explicitly presented.
Chapter 11 – User Differentiation

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the user differentiation. Users don't exist in isolation, but they live and work in contexts. They have roles, responsibilities, and tasks. All these elements, including the users themselves, their contexts, their responsibilities, and their goals, shape both the design possibilities and constraints of not only applications but also the rendering of any new interface paradigm. The chapter also details NUIs that enable touch, gesture, and the object recognition that are well suited to contexts where users will walk up and use the system and where an interaction with the system is intended to be enjoyable in and of itself. There are many walk-up-and-use interfaces where the interaction is intended to be simply functional. The class into which users and their actions fall is determined by the type of identification used and in many cases the method of the identification.
Hedgehog and Wnt Signaling Pathways Regulate Tail Regeneration

Urodele amphibians have a tremendous capacity for the regeneration of appendages, including limb and tail, following injury. While studies have focused on the cellular and morphological changes during appendicular regeneration, the signaling mechanisms that govern these cytoarchitectural changes during the regenerative response are unclear. In this study, we describe the essential role of hedgehog (Hh) and Wnt signaling pathways following tail amputation in the newt. Quantitative PCR studies revealed that members of both the Hh and Wnt signaling pathways, including the following: shh, ihh, ptc-1, wnt-3a, β-catenin, axin2, frizzled (frzd)-1, and frzd-2 transcripts, were induced following injury. Continuous pharmacological-mediated inhibition of Hh signaling resulted in spike-like regenerates with no evidence of tissue patterning, whereas activation of Hh signaling enhanced the regenerative process. Pharmacological-mediated temporal inhibition experiments demonstrated that the Hh-mediated patterning of the regenerating tail occurs early during regeneration and Hh signals are continuously required for proliferation of the blastemal progenitors. BrdU incorporation and PCNA immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that Hh signaling regulates the cellular proliferation of the blastemal cells following amputation. Similarly, Wnt inhibition resulted in perturbed regeneration, whereas its activation promoted tail regeneration. Using an inhibitor-activator strategy, we demonstrated that the Wnt pathway is likely to be upstream of the Hh pathway and together these signaling pathways function in a coordinated manner to facilitate tail regeneration. Mechanistically, the Wnt signaling pathway activated the Hh signaling pathway that included ihh and ptc-1 during the tail regenerative process. Collectively, our results demonstrate the absolute requirement of signaling pathways that are essential in the regulation of tail regeneration.
Impact of Medicare's Nonpayment Program on Venous Thromboembolism Following Hip and Knee Replacements.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether Medicare's Nonpayment Program was associated with decline in venous thromboembolism (VTE) following hip and knee replacements; and whether the decline was greater among hospitals at risk of larger financial losses from the Program. DATA SOURCES State Inpatient Database for New York (NY) from 2005 to 2013. STUDY DESIGN The primary outcome was an occurrence of VTE. Medicare Utilization Ratio (MUR), which is the proportion of inpatient days in a hospital that is financed by Medicare, represented a hospital's financial sensitivity. We used hierarchical logistic regressions with difference-in-differences estimation to study the Program effects. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A total of 98,729 hip replacement and 111,361 knee replacement stays were identified. For hip replacement, the Program was associated with significant reduction (Range: 44% to 53%) in VTE incidence among hospitals in MUR quartiles 2 to 4. For knee replacement, the Program was associated with significant reduction (47%) in VTE incidence only among quartile 2 hospitals. CONCLUSION Implementation of the Program was associated with a reduction in VTE, especially for hip replacements, in higher MUR hospitals. Payment reforms such as Medicare's Nonpayment Program that withhold payments for complications are effective and should be continued.
Virtual Prototyping of Directed Energy Weapons

This paper gives an overview of how RF sources may be virtually prototyped with the Improved Concurrent Electromagnetic Particle-in-Cell (ICEPIC) code. ICEPIC simulates from first principles (Maxwell's equations and Lorenz's force law) the electrodynamics and charged particle dynamics of the radio frequency (RF)-producing part of the system. Our simulations focus on two classes of sources: giga-watt L-band sources and megawatt W-band sources; the relativistic magnetron and gyrotron are shown as an example. Such simulations require enormous computational resources. These simulations successfully expose undesirable features of these sources and help us to suggest improvements.
A Generic Health Index Approach for Multisensor Degradation Modeling and Sensor Selection

With recent development in sensor technology, multiple sensors have been widely adopted to monitor the degradation of a single unit simultaneously. The challenge of multisensor degradation modeling lies in that the sensor signals are often correlated and may contain only partial or even no information on the degradation status of a unit. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel data fusion method that constructs a 1-D health index (HI) via automatically selecting and combining multiple sensor signals to better characterize the degradation process. In particular, this paper develops a new latent linear model that constructs the HI and selects informative sensors in a unified manner. Compared to the existing literature, the proposed method enjoys several unique advantages: 1) being able to derive the best linear unbiased estimator of the fusion coefficients; 2) offering high computational efficiency; 3) not requiring to know the exact value of the failure threshold; and 4) exhibiting general applicability in practice by not imposing restrictive assumptions on the degradation process. Simulation studies are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and evaluate the sensitivity of the proposed method. A case study on the degradation of aircraft gas turbine engines is also performed which shows a better prognostic performance of the proposed method compared with existing approaches. Note to Practitioners —This paper is motivated by the practical issue of degradation modeling and prognostics when multiple sensors simultaneously monitor the degradation status of a unit. Specifically, there are two fundamental questions involved, including: 1) how to screen out noninformative sensors and 2) how to properly combine the information from the selected sensor signals to accurately estimate the underlying degradation status of the unit. The novelty of this paper lies in developing an innovative latent model that tackles these two challenging questions in an integrated manner. There are four main steps involved when implementing the proposed method: 1) collecting multiple sensor signals and failure time of historical units; 2) selecting the informative sensors and deriving the optimal weight for each selected sensor; 3) constructing the health indices (HIs) of in-service units; and 4) predicting the remaining useful life of the in-service units using the constructed HIs. The proposed method is very useful when the degradation is under a single failure mode in a single environmental condition. In the future research, we will study the extension of the proposed model when sensor signals have a nonlinear relationship, as well as when the degradation process is under more complex scenarios such as multiple failure modes and multiple operation conditions.
Prenatal cortisol modifies the association between maternal trauma history and child cognitive development in a sex-specific manner in an urban pregnancy cohort.

Women’s experience of trauma may cause lifelong alterations in physiological stress regulation, which can be transmitted to offspring in utero. We investigated, in a prospective pregnancy cohort, a...
The Transcribed-Ultra Conserved Regions: Novel Non-Coding RNA Players in Neuroblastoma Progression

The Transcribed-Ultra Conserved Regions (T-UCRs) are a class of novel non-coding RNAs that arise from the dark matter of the genome. T-UCRs are highly conserved between mouse, rat, and human genomes, which might indicate a definitive role for these elements in health and disease. The growing body of evidence suggests that T-UCRs contribute to oncogenic pathways. Neuroblastoma is a type of childhood cancer that is challenging to treat. The role of non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma, in particular for cancer development, progression, and therapy resistance, has been documented. Exosmic non-coding RNAs are also involved in shaping the biology of the tumor microenvironment in neuroblastoma. In recent years, the involvement of T-UCRs in a wide variety of pathways in neuroblastoma has been discovered. Here, we present an overview of the involvement of T-UCRs in various cellular pathways, such as DNA damage response, proliferation, chemotherapy response, MYCN (v-myc myelocytomatosis viral related oncogene, neuroblastoma derived (avian)) amplification, gene copy number, and immune response, as well as correlate it to patient survival in neuroblastoma.
Over-expression of miR-34a induces rapid cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease-like pathology.

Abstract Autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (AD) is caused by rare mutations in one of three specific genes. This is in contrast to idiopathic, late-onset AD (LOAD), which has a more polygenetic risk profile and represents more than 95% of cases. Previously, we have demonstrated that increased expression of microRNA (miRNA)-34a (miR-34a) in AD brain targets genes linked to synaptic plasticity, energy metabolism, and resting state network activity. Here we report the generation of a heterozygous, conditional miR-34a overexpression mouse (miR-34a+/−(TetR-TetO-miR-34a) Transgenic Mice). Doxycycline-treated mice of either sex exhibited profound behavioral impairment compared to untreated groups with only 1–2 months of over-expression of miR-34a. Cognitive impairment of individual mice in T- and Y-maze tasks correlated with elevated miR-34a expression in many parts of the brain including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, regions which are known to be involved in this task and implicated in LOAD dysfunction. Immunocytochemistry of brain sections from mice show high amyloid β and phosphorylated tau-specific staining in the hippocampus and cortex. Analysis of protein samples from these mice revealed that miR-34a targets specific genes involved in memory formation, amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism and phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of tau. Thus, our results suggest that the polygenetic dysfunction caused by miR-34a may occur in LOAD and disclose miR-34a as a potential therapeutic target. Significance Statement Late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) is associated with multiple gene alleles, a polygenetic profile of risk factors that is difficult to model in animals. Our approach to modeling LOAD was to produce a conditional over-expressing, miR-34a mouse using doxycycline-induction to activate expression. We observed that miR-34a over-expression results in a rapid cognitive impairment, associated with accumulation of intracellular Aβ and tau hyperphosphorylation in multiple brain regions. Targets for miR-34a, including ADAM10, NMDAR 2B, and SIRT1 RNAs, were profoundly reduced by miR-34a over-expression. Collectively, these results indicate that a rapid, profound cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology can be induced with miR-34a over-expression, suggesting that this animal model may represent a polygenetic risk factor model for LOAD.
Utilization of Intraparotid Segments of Superficial Temporal Vessels for Head and Scalp Free Flap Microanastomosis: A Clinical, Histological, and Cadaveric Study.

Background The superficial temporal vessels (STV) are an underutilized target for head and neck microvascular reconstruction. Most surgeons regard the dissection as difficult, unreliable, and the anastomosis prone to vasospasm. The intraparotid course of the STV may provide more reliable flow without accompanying morbidity. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent head and scalp free flap reconstruction utilizing STV intraparotid segment was performed. Demographic factors such as intraoperative and postoperative complications are reported. Five bilateral cadaver heads were dissected to describe the relationship to the facial nerve. STV histology was performed on four of the cadavers, noting intraluminal diameter and vessel wall thickness. Results Thirty-nine patients underwent free flap reconstruction with anastomosis to intraparotid STVs. Defect etiology included tumor resection (71.8%), traumatic brain injury (10.3%), intracranial bleed (12.8%), and acute trauma (5.1%). Flaps transferred included anterolateral thigh (51.3%), latissimus (33.3%), thoracodorsal artery perforator (7.7%), radial forearm (2.8%), and vastus lateralis (5.1%). Two flaps (5.1%) required takeback for arterial thrombosis, with one incidence of total flap loss (2.8%). There were no instances of transient or permanent facial nerve damage nor sialocele. On cadaver dissection, three distinct vessel segments were identified. Segments 1 and 2 represented the STVs superior to the upper tragal border. Segment 3 (intraparotid segment) began at the upper tragal border and STVs enlarged with a targeted anastomosis point at an average of 16.3 mm medial and 4.5 mm inferior to the upper border of the tragus. The frontal branch coursed 11.7 mm inferior and 11.5 mm anterior to this point. On histology, the intraluminal diameter of segment 3 was significantly larger than segment 2 (1.2 vs. 0.9 mm, p = 0.007). Conclusion Head and neck free flap reconstruction with microanastomosis to the intraparotid segment of STVs can be safely and reliably performed.
Control of a teleost social signal. II. Anatomical and physiological specializations of chromatophores.

A prominent dark facial stripe, the ‘eyebar’, is an important component of the reproductive coloration and dominance displays of ‘barred’ territorial maleHaplochromis burtoni (Teleostei; Cichlidae). “Barless” territorial males are identical to barred, behaviorally and morphologically, except they completely lack an eyebar during agonistic encounters with conspecifics. Both anatomical and physiological differences characterize eyebar pigment cells of barred and barless males. Melanophores and iridophores, which form a single structural and functional unit in the eyebar, contain less pigment in barless males. Physiologically, eyebar melanophores are tonically expanded in barred males, contracted in barless males. This physiological difference is correlated with a difference in the alpha adrenoceptor-mediated aggregation response of the cells in vitro: eyebar melanophores of barless males are significantly more responsive to physiological concentrations of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine than those of barred males, and this intermorph difference appears to be unique to the eyebar color pattern. Physiological and morphological characteristics of eyebar pigment cells are functionally related. When barless males first begin to use the eyebar as a social display, the physiological state of melanophores changes from aggregation to dispersion. In subsequent weeks, additional pigment develops, which enhances conspicuousness of the display.
Pooled cohort equations heart failure risk score predicts cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in a nationally representative sample of US adults

Heart failure (HF) represents an accumulated burden of systemic vascular damage and is the fastest growing form of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Due to increasing HF-attributable mortality rates, we sought to assess the association of the new 2019 Pooled Cohort equations to Prevent Heart Failure (PCP-HF) risk score with CVD and all-cause mortality. We linked data for 6333 black and white men and women aged 40–79 years, whom underwent electrocardiographic examination from the Third National Health and Nutrition Exam Survey, to National Death Index record matches. Sex- and race-specific PCP-HF risk scores were calculated using data on age, smoking, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, QRS complex duration, and antihypertensive and/or glucose-lowering medications. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios for the association of the PCP-HF risk score with CVD and all-cause mortality. Individuals were on average 54.9 years old (51.7% women, 25.4% black) and the median 10-year HF risk was 1.6% (Q1 = 0.5, Q3 = 4.8). There were 3178 deaths, 1116 from CVD, over a median follow-up time of 22.3 years. Black women had a higher 10-year HF risk compared to white women (2.1% vs. 1.1%; p < 0.01), while no significant difference was observed in predicted HF risk between black men and white men (2.3% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.16). A two-fold higher PCP-HF risk score was associated with a significant 58% (HR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.48–1.70; p < 0.0001) and 38% (HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.32–1.46; p < 0.0001) greater risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, respectively. The PCP-HF risk score predicts CVD and all-cause mortality, in addition to the 10-year risk of incident HF among white and black men and women. These results underline the expanded utility of the PCP-HF risk score and suggest that its implementation in the clinical and population health settings may improve primary CVD prevention in the United States.
Point of viewQuick-freezing evidence in favour of the vesicular hypothesis

Transmitters are to be found in high concentration at the presynaptic terminal, where they have been localized both inside and outside the membranous vesicles which can be seen under the electron microscope. The pictures provided by John Heuser's very elegant quick-freezing technique provides evidence, he feels, that the transmitters are released principally from these vesicles, rather than from the surrounding cytoplasm.
Can Students' Spatial Skills Predict Their Programming Abilities?

Spatial abilities have been shown to have high predictability in students' success in STEM related fields. Studies have also shown that there is a correlation between students' spatial skills and programming abilities, but it is unknown how well students' prior spatial abilities can predict students' introductory programming abilities at the end of the semester. During this study we used a multinomal logistic regression to create a predictive model to predict students' introductory programming abilities at the end of the semester. The highest model accuracy (64.6%) was obtained when accounting for students' prior programming abilities, prior spatial skills, socioeconomic status, and three factors regarding students' attitudes towards computing. It was also found that when looking at the predictability of each individual variable, students' prior spatial ability had the highest predictability (56.6% accuracy) when compared to all other variables.