cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interfering with calcium release suppresses I gamma, the "hump" component of intramembranous charge movement in skeletal muscle.

Four manifestations of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling were derived from measurements in cut skeletal muscle fibers of the frog, voltage clamped in a Vaseline-gap chamber: intramembranous charge movement currents, myoplasmic [Ca2+] transients, flux of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and the intrinsic optical transparency change that accompanies calcium release. In attempts to suppress Ca release by direct effects on the SR, three interventions were applied: (a) a conditioning pulse that causes calcium release and inhibits release in subsequent pulses by Ca-dependent inactivation; (b) a series of brief, large pulses, separated by long intervals (greater than 700 ms), which deplete Ca2+ in the SR; and (c) intracellular application of the release channel blocker ruthenium red. All these reduced calcium release flux. None was expected to affect directly the voltage sensor of the T-tubule; however, all of them reduced or eliminated a component of charge movement current with the following characteristics: (a) delayed onset, peaking 10-20 ms into the pulse; (b) current reversal during the pulse, with an inward phase after the outward peak; and (c) OFF transient of smaller magnitude than the ON, of variable polarity, and sometimes biphasic. When the total charge movement current had a visible hump, the positive phase of the current eliminated by the interventions agreed with the hump in timing and size. The component of charge movement current blocked by the interventions was greater and had a greater inward phase in slack fibers with high [EGTA] inside than in stretched fibers with no EGTA. Its amplitude at -40 mV was on average 0.26 A/F (SEM 0.03) in slack fibers. The waveform of release flux determined from the Ca transients measured simultaneously with the membrane currents had, as described previously (Melzer, W., E. Rios, and M. F. Schneider. 1984. Biophysical Journal. 45:637-641), an early peak followed by a descent to a steady level during the pulse. The time at which this peak occurred was highly correlated with the time to peak of the current suppressed, occurring on average 6.9 ms later (SEM 0.73 ms). The current suppressed by the above interventions in all cases had a time course similar to the time derivative of the release flux; specifically, the peak of the time derivative of release flux preceded the peak of the current suppressed by 0.7 ms (SEM 0.6 ms). The magnitude of the current blocked was highly correlated with the inhibitory effect of the interventions on Ca2+ release flux.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Growth analysis of UV‐B‐irradiated cucumber seedlings as influenced by photosynthetic photon flux source and cultivar

A growth analysis was made of ultraviolet-B (UV-B)-sensitive (Poinsett) and insensitive (Ashley) cultivars of Cucuumis satives L. grown in growth chambers at 600 μmol m−2 s−1 of photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) provided by red- and far-red-deficient metal halide (MH) or blue- and UV-A-deficient high pressure sodium/deluxe f HPS/DX) lamps. Plants were irradiated 6 h daiiy with 0.2 f-UV-B) or 18.2 C+UV-B) kJ m−2 day−1 of biologically effective UV-B for 8 or 15 days from time of seeding. In general, plants given supplemental UV-B for 15 days showed lower leaf area ratio (LARs, and higher specific leaf mass (SLM) mean relative growth rate (MRGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) than that of control plants, but they showed no difference in leaf mass ratio (LMR), Plants grown under HPS/DX lamps vs MH lamps showed higher SLM and NAR. lower LAR and LMR. hut no difference in MRGR. LMR was the only growth parameter affected by cultivar: at 15 days, it was slightly greater in Poinsett than in Ashley. There were no interactive effects of UV-B. PPF source or cultivar on any of the growth parameters determined, indicating that the choice of either HPS/DX or MH lamps should not affect growth response to UV-B radiation. This was true even though leaves of UV-B-irradiated plants grown under HPS/DX lamps have been shown to have greater chlorosis than those grown under MH lamps.
Sexual difference beyond life and death

This essay understands and reflects on Elizabeth Grosz’s latest work in terms of the passage from “the linguistic turn” to “the biopolitical turn” in twentieth-century thought. In particular, this essay asks what it means to want to hybridize feminism of sexual difference and evolutionary biology today, as Grosz does in her paper “Sexual Difference as Sexual Selection: Irigarayan Reflections on Darwin.” In the end, this essay questions such a hybridization by confronting it with the difference between “instinct” and “drive” in Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, as well as Luce Irigaray.
IPA for spillover volume in a fluid queue with retransmissions

This paper considers the application of IPA to the average buffer overflow (spillover) in a fluid queue as a function of the buffer size. The queue acts as a leaky bucket where access inflow fluid is discharged when the buffer is full. Associated with each fluid "molecule" there is a timer, so that discharged fluid becomes part of the inflow process at a later time. The paper derives the IPA derivative in a form that is nonparametric (model free) and easily computable from the sample path. Prior works concerning finite-buffer queues have treated spillover fluid as lost, and this paper is the first (in the context of IPA for fluid queues) to consider an explicit retransmission model. It explores a basic principle that will motivate future investigations of realistic networks.
Global Environmental Solutions Require Global Funding

As members of the next generation of environmental scientists, we are committed to conducting solutions-oriented research on global environmental problems. In addition to the highly visible problem of climate change, we face global environmental threats such as biodiversity loss, worsening air quality, and limited food security and water availability. These threats do not stop at national borders. Research in these areas requires global coordination and collaboration, and it would be best served by an equally global funding infrastructure. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties will convene in 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, to negotiate post—Kyoto Protocol climate policy. One criterion for the success of these negotiations is their basis in the best available scientific understanding of the climate system at local, regional, and global scales. While the organizational infrastructure for global research coordination exists, funding is managed by national and regional agencies individually, with increasing emphasis on local concerns.
Light-activated shape memory of glassy, azobenzene liquid crystalline polymer networks

Rapidly reconfigurable, adaptive materials are essential for the realization of “smart”, highly engineered technologies sought by aerospace, medicine, and other application areas. Shape memory observed in metal alloys and polymers (SMPs) is a primary example of shape change (adaptation). To date, nearly all shape adaptations in SMPs have been thermally triggered. A desire for isothermal, remotely cued shape adaptations of SMP has motivated examinations of other stimuli, such as light. Only a few reports document so-called light-activated SMP, in both cases exploiting photoinduced adjustments to the crosslink density of a polymer matrix with UV light of 365 nm (crosslinking) and <260 nm (decrosslinking). This work presents a distinctive approach to generating light-activated SMP by employing a glassy liquid crystal polymer network (LCN) material that is capable of rapid photo-fixing with short exposures (<5 min) of eye-safe 442 nm light. Here, linearly polarized 442 nm light is used to photo-fix temporary states in both cantilever and free-standing geometries which are then thermally or optically restored to the permanent shape. The combination of thermal and photo-fixable shape memory presented here yields substantial functionality in a single adaptive material that could reduce part count in applications. As a demonstration of the opportunities afforded by this functional material, the glassy, photoresponsive LCN is thermally fixed as a catapult and subsequently used to transduce light energy into mechanical work, demonstrated here in the “photo-fueled” launching of an object at a rate of 0.3 m s−1.
Effect of the Matrix and Matrix Bonding on the Creep Behavior of a Unidirectional Carbon–Carbon Composite

Creep tests were performed on single-bundle carbon–carbon specimens at high temperatures (>2310°C) and at high stress levels (>770 MPa). It was found that the creep was very strongly dependent on the filament–matrix interfacial bond. When the bond was good, the typical creep was 3.6% after 5.9 h with the primary creep a high percentage of the total deformation. When the bond was absent (dry bundle), rupture with strain was approximately 140%, and it occurred after only 0.39 h. The marked improvement in creep resistance is attributed to the ability of the matrix to distribute loads evenly and to produce a plastic flow inhibiting triaxial stress state among the filaments.
Low-voltage bandgap reference design utilizing Schottky diodes

As semiconductor device geometries continue to shrink, the corresponding voltage applied across the processed devices must also be reduced. Therefore reference voltages used in integrated circuits will need to be reduced as well. A typical bandgap reference (BGR) voltage generator uses PN junction diodes or PNP BJT's to bias the reference. The forward bias voltage of these devices is typically 0.7 volts, and has a limiting effect on how low a reference voltage can be generated, as well as how low a system voltage can be applied. Schottky, or metal-semiconductor (MS), diodes have a lower forward bias voltage, typically of about 0.3 volts. The implementation of Schottky metal-semiconductor diodes in place of PN diodes in the design of the BGR, should allow for lower reference voltage generation. This project consists of the design and simulation of a BGR utilizing MS diodes, followed by fabrication and validation of the design
The upper band of the subscapularis tendon in the rat has altered mechanical and histologic properties

Background The subscapularis is an important mover and stabilizer of the glenohumeral joint. Since the advent of shoulder arthroscopy, partial tears are found in 43% of rotator cuff patients. While partial tears to the upper band occur more commonly, little is known about the structure and mechanical behavior of the individual bands. Therefore, the objective of this study was to measure tensile mechanical properties, corresponding collagen fiber alignment, and histology in the upper and lower bands of the rat subscapularis tendon. Materials and methods Thirty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were euthanized and subscapularis tendons dissected out for mechanical organization (n = 24) and histologic assessment (n = 6). Collagen organization was measured with a custom device during mechanical testing. Results Linear-region modulus at the insertion site was significantly lower in the upper band compared to the lower band, while no differences were found at the midsubstance location. The upper band was found to be significantly less aligned and demonstrated a more rounded cell shape than the lower band at the insertion site. Discussion This study demonstrated that the 2 bands of the subscapularis tendon have differential mechanical, organizational, and histological properties, which suggests a functional deficit exists to the upper band of the subscapularis and may be contributing to the prevalence of partial subscapularis tears. Conclusions Clinicians should be aware that the upper band of the subscapularis tendon may be at higher risk of developing tears, based on decreased mechanical properties and a more disorganized collagen fiber distribution.
Acellular Biomaterials: An Evolving Alternative to Cell-Based Therapies

Acellular biomaterials can stimulate the local environment to repair tissues without the regulatory and scientific challenges of cell-based therapies. A greater understanding of the mechanisms of such endogenous tissue repair is furthering the design and application of these biomaterials. We discuss recent progress in acellular materials for tissue repair, using cartilage and cardiac tissues as examples of applications with substantial intrinsic hurdles, but where human translation is now occurring.
The genesis of late Quaternary caliche nodules in Mission Bay, Texas: stable isotopic compositions and palaeoenvironmental interpretation

Caliche is a fairly widespread pedogenic carbonate that commonly has been used to reconstruct palaeoclimatological conditions. Stable isotopic analyses of threetypesofcalichenodulesfromMissionBay,Texas,provideinsightsintothe values and limitations in palaeoenvironmental interpretations. Soft incipient nodules (type I) and partially lithified chalky nodules (type II), composed of low Mg-calcite, are in situ pedogenic products in the late Quaternary soils; they represent young to intermediate caliche nodules with no obvious diagenesis and, with constraints, can be used to investigate palaeoenvironmental conditions. The well-lithified hard nodules (type III) dispersed on the beach and shallow bay exhibit complex shapes, fabrics, mineralogy and geochemical compositions. They are mature nodules that have undergone substantial diagenesis and, therefore, are believed to have lost their initial environmental signatures. The incipient nodules in the presently active grey soil and the older subjacentbrownsoildisplaysignificantlydifferentd 13 Cvalues,)8AE4and)4AE4&, respectively, which indicates a change in palaeovegetation from C3/C4 mixed to C3-dominatedflora. Thed 13 Cvalues probably reflect amarked climate shift from warm and dry to cool and wet conditions in the middle Holocene. However, in thesamegreysoil,thereisasub-setofincipientcalichenoduleswithd 13 Cvalues around 0AE1&, which is probably due to the input of localized carbon sources in the soil (e.g. shell fragments). The occurrence of essentially identical nodules appearing from the same modern soil horizon with significantly different d 13 C values questions the universal reliability of this type of data for palaeoenvironmental interpretation. This study demonstrates that, whereas the stable isotopic compositions of caliche nodules can be used for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, diagenesis and the influence of localized carbonate sources in the soils could lead to erroneous interpretations.
A Modulator Producing Pulses of 10 -7 Second Duration at a 1-Mc Recurrence Frequency

The development of a pulse generator and a modulator which will produce pulses of 10-7second duration and 3,000-volt amplitude at a 1-Mc recurrence frequency is described. The modulator is developed for the special case of a nonlinear load impedance consisting of 125 μμf capacitance for the leading half of the pulse and a spark discharge for the trailing half. The high recurrence frequency gives rise to problems not generally encountered in the design of pulse circuits. Other applications, such as the second modulation of a high-recurrence-frequency pulsed carrier with voice frequencies, suggest themselves. A new pulse-generating circuit, capable of producing positive pulses whose duration is one-tenth the period of the 1-Mc input sine wave, is developed. This pulse generator can be operated at moderate power levels sufficient to drive the modulator.
Distinct but overlapping neural networks subserve depression and insecure attachment

Insecure attachment has been linked to depression and to outcome in psychotherapy. The neural mechanisms subserving the relationship between attachment security and depression are not well understood. We have developed a method to examine attachment-related brain activity in depression. Twenty-eight women, half depressed, viewed images of their mother, a female friend, and female strangers during fMRI scanning. The effects of depression and insecure attachment were determined with whole-brain multiple linear regression of blood-oxygen-level-dependent response against subjects’ Beck Depression Inventory and Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) coherence of mind scores. Interaction effects were analyzed with ANOVA. Activity associated with depression and with insecure attachment was found in the cortico-striato-thalamic circuits of affect regulation. For early attachment (mother–friend contrast), depression scores correlated with activation of cortical and sub-cortical components of these circuits, while attachment insecurity correlated with sub-cortical activity in the same circuitry. Depression and attachment insecurity correlated with both cortical and sub-cortical activities for mother–stranger, and areas of overlap and of enhancing interactions between depression and insecure attachment were found. For late attachment (friend–stranger contrast), only cortical effects were found. Depression and attachment insecurity may be subserved by similar but distinct components of affect regulating circuits. Their interactions may explain the greater difficulty of treating depression in insecurely attached patients and suggest a contributing role for insecure attachment in depression. Further, differential sub-cortical vs cortical encoding of early vs late attachment suggests a top-down model of late attachment, potentially relevant to psychotherapeutic outcome.
Identifying present challenges to reliable future transdermal drug delivery products

Transdermal systems have become an accepted means of drug delivery, offering clinical benefits over other dosage forms. Although transdermal delivery has been very successful as a controlled release technology platform, there are a number of challenges that prevent this delivery route from achieving its fullest commercial potential. Additionally, beginning in 1997, transdermal drug delivery companies aligned with life science industries to deliver large molecules, peptides and proteins through the skin, which is difficult due to the skin barrier properties. A number of methods and technologies have been conceived to overcome the skin barrier. Among these are mechanical, chemical and thermal permeation enhancement techniques. These methods are briefly discussed as well as future directions for transdermal therapies.
Evaluation of interlayer bonding condition on structural response characteristics of asphalt pavement using finite element analysis and full-scale field tests

Abstract This study was primarily focused on evaluating the effect of different interlayer bonding conditions on change in critical responses for real pavements related to performance and service life using the results from the finite element analysis (FEA) and full-scale field tests. The current lack of thorough understanding and mechanistic characterization of the interlayer bonding behavior that enables to accurately simulate the change in structural responses of pavement system is probably the greatest deficiency in our ability to properly evaluate the effect of interlayer bonding condition for asphalt pavements. Also, most of the pavement models previously introduced assumed either full-bond or no-bond condition which is not a realistic interlayer condition for pavements in the field. Therefore, there is a need to develop improved model to accurately predict the change in pavement critical responses for real pavement system due to the different interlayer bonding conditions. Results indicated that the pavement model developed was capable of accurately predicting the change in pavement critical responses due to the different interlayer bonding conditions and the predicted values were matched well with those measured from the full-scale field test. Also, it was found that a good interlayer bonding condition can positively affect the strain responses of asphalt pavement that results in potential structural benefits for enhanced pavement performance. Based on the comparative observations between analytical and experimental results, it was confirmed that the interlayer bonding condition plays a significant role on structural response characteristics of layered flexible pavement system and therefore the pavement service life.
Unexpected hazards of a specialized patent court: lessons from joint infringement doctrine

There are a number of reasons why a legislature might create a specialized court to address the technical issues raised by patent law, including fostering uniformity in outcomes, coherent evolution of patent law doctrine and policy, and development of judicial expertise and competency. The US Congress created the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in 1982 with the goal of achieving just these objectives. However, the creation of this specialized court has had its downside as well. Because the Federal Circuit has limited jurisdiction and hears a narrow range of cases, it is much less likely to look at traditional common law doctrines, such as tort and agency law, across numerous dimensions, as would the regular federal courts of appeal with broader jurisdiction. In particular, because the Federal Circuit is not applying traditional legal principles in a variety of settings, its decisions can contort those principles to fit the unique and complex patent law issues before the court. The result is that the fundamental doctrines underlying those principles can become distorted and ultimately lost and patent law can become distanced from traditional legal doctrine in a manner never contemplated by the legislature. Joint patent infringement doctrine illustrates this phenomenon. The US Patent Act does not address the liability of multiple parties whose collective action is necessary to support direct infringement of a multi‐step process or method patent claim. The federal courts have recognized, however, that allowing parties to evade infringement liability merely by divvying up their actions among multiple actors can be grossly unfair to patent rights holders. Thus, the federal courts have stepped into the statutory void, devising a common law derivative of direct infringement liability for such instances: joint infringement. The courts’ formulation of this common law doctrine has morphed over time, from an agency law standard to a tort‐like standard of cooperation or connection, and back again to the current standard of control or direction, which draws heavily upon the original agency law standard. The theoretical underpinnings of the Federal Circuit’s theories are not pure, however, and rest upon perverse or inaccurate applications of traditional tort and agency doctrines. Joint infringement thus displays a serious disconnect between the manner in which it is applied by the court and its theoretical bases. Returning explicitly and openly to the foundations of the tort and agency law doctrines that purportedly underlie joint infringement doctrine would enable the Federal Circuit to articulate liability rules that are more principled, more grounded in the traditional legal doctrine, and more consistent with the overall patent scheme. The lessons that can be drawn from the joint infringement scenario give important insight into how a specialized patent court should structure its decision‐making process to ensure that its patent law decisions are consistent with the underlying legal doctrine of the jurisdiction in which it operates.
Motor-Unit Synchronization Increases EMG Amplitude and Decreases Force Steadiness of Simulated Contractions

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of motor-unit synchronization on the surface electromyogram (EMG) and isometric force using a computer model of muscle contraction. The EMG and ...
Metastatic Rectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a common malignancy and up to 20 % of patients have metastases at diagnosis and up to 50 % of those with localized disease will suffer a recurrence. The problem of metastatic colorectal cancer is therefore substantial. Most patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are treated with palliative intent where the treatment is aimed at prolonging survival and maintaining the quality of life of patients for as long as possible. There have been major advances in the management of metastatic colorectal cancer in the last decade with the advent of multiple new agents for systemic therapy, both cytotoxic drugs and biological agents such as VEGF and EGFR inhibitors. As a result, the overall survival of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer has improved markedly. Furthermore, biomarkers are assuming a larger role in the management of and allow for more tailored management of individual patients.
Diagnosing Suburban Ruin A Prehistory of Mumford’s Postwar Jeremiad

In his critical writings on suburban development in the years after World War II, Lewis Mumford routinely denigrates brand-new built environments as a species of “ruins.” The present article traces the evolution of this trope through a series of Mumford’s encounters with inchoate suburban fringes on either American coast—first with New Jersey and the outer boroughs of New York City, then across an extended relationship with Northern California—to make concrete and reperiodize what has seemed to many historians a detached, offhand, and uniquely postwar polemic. It also reconsiders the philosophical genesis of Mumford’s critique, situating his anxieties about the putative “formlessness” of most suburban environments within an eclectic vitalist tradition that coexists uneasily with the orderly organicism to which he is usually assigned. Through the case of Mumford’s ruins, we can reexamine the contours, and then some of the afterlives, of the wider declensionist “suburban myth.”
Lower Limb Replantation: A report of nine cases

An analysis of nine replantations of completely amputated lower limbs is presented in this paper. Four cases were successful, including two at the level of the distal third of the tibia, one through the midfoot, and one at the proximal third of the tibia. The latter case involved the replantation of the shortened limb followed by a Syme's amputation of the foot to preserve a functional below-knee amputation level. In each successful case protective sensibility, bony union, and a stable stance and functional gait has been achieved, thereby eliminating a prosthetic requirement.
Temporal Trends in Colorectal Cancer Screening among Asian Americans

Asian Americans (AA) are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer compared with non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), with a widening disparity for some AA subgroups in the early 2000s. Whether these patterns have continued in more recent years is unknown. We examined temporal trends in colorectal cancer screening among AA overall compared with NHWs and by AA subgroup (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian, Vietnamese) using data from the 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 California Health Interview Surveys. Unadjusted (PR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios for colorectal cancer screening, accounting for sociodemographic, health care, and acculturation factors, were calculated for respondents ages 50 to 75 years (NHW n = 60,125; AA n = 6,630). Between 2003 and 2009, colorectal cancer screening prevalence increased from 43.3% to 64.6% in AA (P ≤ 0.001) and from 58.1% to 71.4% in NHW (P ≤ 0.001). Unadjusted colorectal cancer screening was significantly lower among AA compared with NHW in 2003 [PR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68-0.82], 2005 (PR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72-0.84), 2007 (PR = 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.96), and 2009 (PR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.84-0.97), though disparities narrowed over time. After adjustment, there were no significant differences in colorectal cancer screening between the two groups, except in 2003. In subgroup analyses, between 2003 and 2009, colorectal cancer screening significantly increased by 22% in Japanese, 56% in Chinese, 47% in Filipino, and 94% in Koreans. In our study of California residents, colorectal cancer screening disparities between AA and NHW narrowed, but were not eliminated and screening prevalence among AA remains below nationwide goals, including the Healthy People 2020 goal of increasing colorectal cancer screening prevalence to 70.5%. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(6); 995-1000. ©2016 AACR.
Clinical stduy of thin layer outside the temporalis titanium mesh repair of skull

Objective To study the clinical value of bone repair by the thin layer of titanium mesh plate outside temporal muscle. Method The patients with skull defect were studied,they were randomly divided into observation group and control group. Observation group( 45 cases) retained the dura mater side a thin layer of temporalis method,the control group( 46 cases) took a completely stripping dura lateral temporal muscle. Comparison of two different treatment methods of therapeutic effect and complications( including subcutaneous stabbing pain,infection,epilepsy,etc.). Results Good recovery rate of observation group was 84. 4%,while the control group was 21. 7%,the difference was statistically( χ2= 35. 884 8,P 0. 000 1). Observation group of subcutaneous sting,the incidence rate of infection and epilepsy were lower than control group( P 0. 05); Observation group complications rate was 17. 7%,while the control group was 50%,comparing the two groups have statistical significance( χ2= 10. 515 0,P = 0. 001 2). Conclusion Thin layer of titanium mesh plate outside temporal muscle skull repair surgery can make the treatment of patients with better clinical effect,worthy of clinical application.
Loneliness among middle school students in Henan and its relation with mental health

Objective To explore relations between loneliness and mental health among middle school students. Methods A total of 21 870 middle school students were selected from 7 cities in Henan province by stratified cluster sampling. All the participants were investigated with questions regarding loneliness and Mental Health Inventory of Middle School Students( MMHI-60). Results The detection rates of different degree of loneliness among middle school students were 33. 4%,14. 8%,8. 0% and 5. 7% respectively( from mild to serious). Prevalence of loneliness differed among different types of school,study stages and gender( P 0. 05). Boarding,family structure and academic achievements could all influence feelings of loneliness. There were positive correlations between degree of loneliness and score of MMHI-60( rs= 0. 596,P 0. 05). Conclusion Loneliness is universal among middle school students,and it might play an important role in mental health.
Algorithms for Polyphonic Music Retrieval: The Hausdorff Metric and Geometric Hashing.

We consider two formulations of the computational problem of transposition-invariant, time-offset tolerant, meterinvariant, and time-scale invariant polyphonic music retrieval. We provide algorithms for both that are scalable in the sense that space requirements are asymptotically linear and queries are efficient for large databases of music. The focus is on cases where a query pattern M consisting of m events is to be matched against a database N consisting of n events, and m ≪ n. The database is assumed to be polyphonic, and the algorithms support polyphonic queries. We are interested in finding exact and proximate occurrences of the query pattern. The first problem considered is that of finding the minimum directed Hausdorff distance from M to N . We give a (2 + ǫ)-approximation algorithm that solves this problem in O (nm) query time and O (n) space. The second problem is that of finding all maximal subset matches of M in N , and we give an algorithm that solves this problem in O (
Transnational Commercial Surrogacy: Contracts, Conflicts, and the Prospects of International Legal Regulation

This Article explores the current legal regulation of transnational commercial surrogacy. It analyzes some of the key cases that have arisen in transnational surrogacy arguing that an absence of legal rules promulgated by surrogacy providers and an over reliance on private contract gives rise to conflicts between parties particularly when rights and laws that cannot be contracted out of are at the heart of the case. For instance, contract law is unable to deal with problems arising from citizenship and parentage status which are decided by the state and cannot be derogated from. When two states disagree about the parentage or citizenship of a child born from surrogacy, in the absence of an international agreement, each case has to be resolved instantially through diplomatic channels often creating the problem of limping status. The article explores the most recent developments at the transnational and international level, particularly by the Hague Conference on Private International Law's Experts' Group dealing with parentage, citizenship and international surrogacy agreements.
Relation between functional connectivity and rhythm discrimination in children who do and do not stutter

Our ability to perceive and produce rhythmic patterns in the environment supports fundamental human capacities ranging from music and language processing to the coordination of action. This article considers whether spontaneous correlated brain activity within a basal ganglia-thalamocortical (rhythm) network is associated with individual differences in auditory rhythm discrimination. Moreover, do children who stutter with demonstrated deficits in rhythm perception have weaker links between rhythm network functional connectivity and rhythm discrimination? All children in the study underwent a resting-state fMRI session, from which functional connectivity measures within the rhythm network were extracted from spontaneous brain activity. In a separate session, the same children completed an auditory rhythm-discrimination task, where behavioral performance was assessed using signal detection analysis. We hypothesized that in typically developing children, rhythm network functional connectivity would be associated with behavioral performance on the rhythm discrimination task, but that this relationship would be attenuated in children who stutter. Results supported our hypotheses, lending strong support for the view that (1) children who stutter have weaker rhythm network connectivity and (2) the lack of a relation between rhythm network connectivity and rhythm discrimination in children who stutter may be an important contributing factor to the etiology of stuttering.
Treating Scars of the Cheek Region

Scars of the cheek resulting from all causes can extol significant psychological toll. The cheek is the largest facial subunit and visually and aesthetically prominent making scars in this region difficult to ignore. An approach to scar management that targets specific characteristics of a scar using a combination of surgical and nonsurgical modalities can significantly improve the appearance of most scars. The ideal time to revise a scar should be based on the extent of scar maturation and presence or absence of any functional distortion.
Thrombosis, Hypercoagulable States, and Anticoagulants

Patients with derangements of secondary hemostasis resulting from inherited or acquired thrombophilias are at increased risk of venous thromboemboli (VTE). Evaluation of a patient with suspected VTE proceeds via evidence-based algorithms that involve computing a pretest probability based on the history and physical examination; this guides subsequent work-up, which can include D dimer and/or imaging. Testing for hypercoagulable disorders should be pursued only in patients with VTE with an increased risk for an underlying thrombophilia. Direct oral anticoagulants are first-line VTE therapies, but they should be avoided in patients who are pregnant, have active cancer, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, severe renal insufficiency, or prosthetic heart valves.
A Note on the Biochemistry of Embryonic Determination in Echinoderms

Echinoderm embryos, cultivated in dl -glyceraldehyde and iodoacetate, at concentrations within the range of maximal inhibition of carbohydrate breakdown as established on other systems, show no sign of exo-gastrulation or marked vegetalization. How far this affects the hypothesis of the Scandinavian school that the animal pole region in the echinoderm embryo is a centre of carbohydrate breakdown, is discussed in the text.
Glucagon in gastrointestinal radiology emergencies

Glucagon is a potent smooth muscle spasmolytic agent. In radiology, pharmacologic doses of glucagon are used because of this spasmolytic action on smooth muscle. The dose needed varies as the various target organs have different sensitivities to glucagon (Table 1).
Identifying pre–high school students’ science class motivation profiles to increase their science identification and persistence.

One purpose of this study was to determine whether patterns existed in pre–high school students’ motivation-related perceptions of their science classes. Another purpose was to examine the extent to which these patterns were related to their science identification, gender, grade level, class effort, and intentions to persist in science. We collected data from pre–high school students (Grades 5 through 7, 52.5% female, and 90.7% who self-identified as White) from 2 rural public schools in Southwest Virginia. Our analysis included data from 937 questionnaires that measured students’ perceptions of empowerment/autonomy, usefulness/utility value, expectancy for success, situational interest, and caring in science class. Using cluster analysis, we identified 5 clusters (i.e., “motivation profiles”) of students: (a) low motivation, (b) low usefulness and interest but high success and caring, (c) somewhat high motivation, (d) somewhat high motivation and high success and caring, and (e) high motivation. We tested the cluster stability by cluster analyzing subsamples by year of data collection and by grade level. Significant relationships existed between these motivation profiles and students’ science identification, gender, grade level, science class effort, and intentions to persist in science. These findings may support science educators in targeting students with similar motivation profiles rather than adhering to the difficult and often unrealistic task of catering to each student’s complex needs, individually. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Precentral Gyrus Abnormal Connectivity In Male And Female Schizophrenia Patients

The present study demonstrates the Precentral gyrus (PreCG) alteration and its abnormal connectivities in Schizophrenia (SCH) patients. The resting-sate functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data of healthy control subjects and SCH patients (Centre for Biomedical Research Excellence data set) are used to examine the aberrant functional brain connectome in SCH which contains raw anatomical and functional MR data from 72 patients with Schizophrenia and 75 healthy controls, ranging in age from 18 to 65 years old. Our results show that PreCG has abnormal communication with Thalamus, Hippocampus, Parahippocampal Gyrus (pPaHC), posterior division of Supramarginal Gyrus (pSMG) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) (p-FDR=0.05).
Ineffectiveness in eating disorders

Background: The sense of personal ineffectiveness is one of the core clinical characteristics in eating disorders (ED). Objective: To describe the evidence on the sense of personal ineffectiveness in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa. Method: Medline/Pubmed databases were used to look for evidence on ineffectiveness in ED. Results: The �paralyzing sense of personal ineffectiveness� described by Bruch (1973) in anorexic patients, related to a deficit in the sense of self, due to early distortions in mother-child attachment, is still a valid concept in everyday clinical practice. Although ineffectiveness is also a characteristic of a depressive disorder, in ED it is related mainly to drive for thinness, perfectionism, shyness, lack of assertiveness and interoceptive awareness (alexythimia), laxative and substance abuse, diet, physical exercise, obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, stress and severity of ED. Conclusions: There is strong evidence supporting the sense of ineffectiveness, both in non clinical populations at risk to develop ED and also in anorexic and/or bulimic patients. It may be considered as a predisposing, perpetuating and prognosis factor of an ED. Nevertheless, ineffectiveness as a feature of depressive disorder questions its exclusiveness to ED.
City Salary Freeze

Mayor Anthony Lee has asked his assistant to begin the analysis of a recent survey of city residents to help him decide between freezing the salaries of city employees and cutting back on city services. There is a supplemental spreadsheet available for students (UVA-QA-0794X). Excerpt UVA-QA-0794 Jul. 9, 2012 City Salary Freeze Like the mayors of other major U.S. cities, Mayor Anthony Lee faced a set of difficult budget choices. The recent recession had lowered total tax revenues, and the fiscally conservative Republican was committed to making commensurate cuts in the city budget. Ever mindful of his campaign promise to serve the collective will of the people, Lee turned to the city's annual resident survey for guidance. At the risk of oversimplifying the situation, Lee saw it as a choice between services and salaries. The city either needed to cut back on the services it provided (e.g., police, fire, parks, sanitation, etc.) or freeze the salaries of its employees. A recent attempt to freeze city salaries had been unsuccessful, in part, due to the massive and effective public relations campaign launched by Services Employees International Union Local 712, the city's largest public employees union. If a salary freeze was to be implemented for the upcoming year, Lee hoped the recent survey would provide him the ammunition needed to support it. Political reality (Lee desperately wanted to be reelected for a second term) meant that the “collective will of the people” actually connoted “people who vote” and, more cynically, people who could help reelect Lee. Consequently, he would pay the most attention to those residents who claimed no party preference (NPP) and the least attention to residents claiming to be Democrats. . . .
Customer Value Is Not Just Created, It Is Formally Managed:

AbstractThe definition of customer value and its conceptualization can be complex. There is a confusion in the term itself but also in the sequence of creating, quantifying, and capturing value. Th...
Exosomes Shuttle TREX1-Sensitive IFN-Stimulatory dsDNA from Irradiated Cancer Cells to DCs.

Radiotherapy (RT) used at immunogenic doses leads to accumulation of cytosolic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in cancer cells, which activates type I IFN (IFN-I) via the cGAS/STING pathway. Cancer cell-derived IFN-I is required to recruit BATF3-dependent dendritic cells (DCs) to poorly immunogenic tumors and trigger antitumor T-cell responses in combination with immune checkpoint blockade. We have previously demonstrated that the exonuclease TREX1 regulates radiation immunogenicity by degrading cytosolic dsDNA. Tumor-derived DNA can also activate cGAS/STING-mediated production of IFN-I by DCs infiltrating immunogenic tumors. However, how DNA from cancer cells is transferred to the cytoplasm of DCs remains unclear. Here, we showed that tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) produced by irradiated mouse breast cancer cells (RT-TEX) transfer dsDNA to DCs and stimulate DC upregulation of costimulatory molecules and STING-dependent activation of IFN-I. In vivo, RT-TEX elicited tumor-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and protected mice from tumor development significantly better than TEX from untreated cancer cells in a prophylactic vaccination experiment. We demonstrated that the IFN-stimulatory dsDNA cargo of RT-TEX is regulated by TREX1 expression in the parent cells. Overall, these results identify RT-TEX as a mechanism whereby IFN-stimulatory dsDNA is transferred from irradiated cancer cells to DCs. We have previously shown that the expression of TREX1 is dependent on the RT dose size. Thus, these data have important implications for the use of RT with immunotherapy.
Ontology development with Caspor

Ontologies are used to create knowledge base systems and vocabularies that are effective in representing a particular field or domain. This research explores ways of managing combinatorial explosion in ontologies. The test domain for the research will be the Caspor system. Computer Algebra Story Problem ORiginator is a set of prolog programs used for random generation of algebra word problems. Caspor was developed at Xavier University of Louisiana to help beginning problem solvers enhance their algebra problem solving skills. Caspor uses an ontology to represent information about contexts of word problems; for example, vehicles, rates, and distances. Presently, the Caspor ontology is represented by means of prolog unit clauses together with predicates that supply the information to the rest of the system. We are exploring the suitability of a third-party ontology description language (ODL) to use for this purpose as an alternative. Two such ODLs are Back and Classic. Back (Berlin Advanced Computational Knowledge representation system) is a KL-One based knowledge representation system that was developed at Technical University. Classic is a knowledge representation system based on description logic. Classic has a framework that allows users to represent descriptions, concepts, roles, individuals, and rules. It also provides most features that are available in a semantic network.
DECAF: A digital classroom application framework.

This paper outlines the design and evaluation of the Digital Classroom Application Framework (DeCAF). DeCAF is designed to provide an environment upon which multimedia applications for the classroom can be developed and evaluated. With the inclusion of multimedia in the modern digital classroom comes new paradigms for teaching. Also, the combination of the Internet and multimedia allow digital classrooms to accommodate many forms of distance learning. However, state of the art applications for digital classrooms are usually monolithic in nature and lack any integration with other similar applications. DeCAF provides an environment in which to develop and integrate such applications by treating a digital classroom as an event stream. The event stream abstraction is the key to better integration of applications and better means to evaluating new classroom paradigms.
Cancer-linked DNA hypomethylation and its relationship to hypermethylation.

It is not surprising that cancer, a kind of derangement of development, hijacks DNA methylation, which is necessary for normal mammalian embryogenesis. Both decreases and increases in DNA methylation are a frequent characteristic of a wide variety of cancers. There is often more hypomethylation than hypermethylation of DNAduring carcinogenesis, leading to a net decrease in the genomic 5-methylcytosine content. Although the exactmethylation changes between different cancers of the same type are not the same, there are cancer type-specific differences in the frequency of hypermethylation or hypomethylation of certain genomic sequences. These opposite types of DNA methylation changes appear to be mostly independent of one another, although they may arise because of a similar abnormality leading to long-lasting epigenetic instability in cancers. Both tandem and interspersed DNA repeats often exhibit cancer-associated hypomethylation. However, one of these repeated sequences (NBL2) displayed predominant increases in methylation in some ovarian carcinomas and Wilms tumors and decreases in others. Furthermore, decreases and increases in CpG methylation can be interspersed within a small subregion of the 1.4-kb repeat unit of these tandem arrays. While the transcription-silencing role of DNA hypermethylation at promoters of many tumor-suppressor genes is clear, the biological effects of cancer-linked hypomethylation of genomic DNA are less well understood. Evidence suggests that DNA hypomethylation functions in direct or indirect control of transcription and in destabilizing chromosomal integrity. Recent studies of cancer-linked DNA hypomethylation indicate that changes to DNA methylation during tumorigenesis and tumor progression have a previously underestimated plasticity and dynamic nature.