cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuous Intraarterial Thrombolysis for Early Hepatic Artery Thrombosis Following Liver Transplantation: Case Report

Hepatic Artery thrombosis remains one of the major causes of graft failure and mortality in liver transplant recipients. Urgent re-transplantation has been considered as mainstay therapy; however, even with re-transplantation mortality of more than 50% has been reported by many series. Early detection on Doppler ultrasonography and subsequent revascularization in asymptomatic patients can avoid graft loss. Endovascular therapy including intra-arterial thrombolysis, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, and stent placement have shown encouraging results in recent years; nevertheless, their use remains controversial due to potential risk of bleeding. We present a case of early hepatic artery thrombosis following liver transplantation treated successfully with continuous transcatheter intra-arterial thrombolysis using tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA).
Adenosine and Catecholamine Agonists Speed the Flagellar Beat of Mammalian Sperm by a Non-Receptor-Mediated Mechanism

Abstract Activation of rapid motility apparently is one of the first steps of sperm capacitation and can be studied in vitro. Previously we found that 2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine or the catecholamine isoproterenol activates mouse sperm motility in vitro via a pathway mediated by cAMP that requires extracellular Ca2+, the atypical sperm adenylyl cyclase, and sperm-specific protein kinase A. We now show that several other adenosine analogs and catecholamines accelerate the flagellar beat of mouse and human sperm. Unexpectedly, the potent adenosine receptor agonist CGS21680 does not accelerate the beat, and the adenosine receptor antagonist DPCPX does not diminish the accelerating action of 2-chloro-2′-deoxyadenosine. The pharmacological profile for activation by catecholamines is also unusual. Both agonists and antagonists of beta-adrenergic receptors elevate the beat frequency. Moreover, both l-(−) and d-(+) isomers of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and isoproterenol produce similar acceleration of the beat. ...
Independent prognostic value of echocardiography and N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with heart failure

Background Echocardiographic indices of cardiac structure and function and natriuretic peptide levels are strong predictors of mortality in patients with heart failure. Whether cardiac ultrasound and natriuretic peptides provide independent prognostic information is uncertain. Methods Echocardiograms and measurements of N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were prospectively performed in 211 patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction who were followed for a median of 4 years. Echocardiographic variables and NT-proBNP were examined as predictors of all-cause mortality in univariable and multivariable proportional hazards models. Results Participants averaged 57 years old (SD 12 years) and had a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 32% (SD 11%). A total of 71 patients (34%) died during the follow-up period. N-terminal pro–brain natriuretic peptide was a strong predictor of mortality ( P P = .013) and end-diastolic volume ( P P = .005), right atrial volume index ( P = .003), and tricuspid regurgitation area ( P = .015). In models that also included left ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume of the left ventricle ( P = .019), left atrial volume ( P = .026), and right atrial volume ( P = .020) remained significant predictors of mortality. Conclusions Left ventricular size and function and left atrial and right atrial sizes are significant predictors of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure, independent of NT-proBNP levels and other clinical variables.
Frequent sequence exchanges between homologs of RPP8 in Arabidopsis are not necessarily associated with genomic proximity

Disease resistance (R) genes are often clustered in plant genomes and may exhibit heterogeneous rates of evolution. Some (type I R genes) have evolved rapidly through frequent sequence exchanges, while others (type II R genes) have evolved independently and tend to be conserved in different genotypes or related species. The RPP8 resistance gene in Arabidopsis thaliana is located at a complex locus that also harbors the sequence-related resistance genes HRT and RCY1 in different ecotypes. We sequenced 98 homologs of RPP8 from A. thaliana, Arabidopsis arenosa and Arabidopsis lyrata. Three lineages of type II and one lineage of type I RPP8 homologs were identified. Two of the three lineages of type II genes are each represented by a single-copy locus on either chromosomes I or V. Chromosome V contains two small clusters of RPP8 paralogs. One cluster contains both type I and type II genes and the other comprises only type I genes. These multi-copy loci have expanded and contracted through unequal crossovers, which have generated chimeric genes as well as variations in copy number. Sequence exchanges, most likely gene conversions, were detected between RPP8 homologs that are spatially separated by 2.2 Mb and 12 cM. The sequence exchanges between type I homologs within a locus have been more frequent than sequence exchanges between homologs from two different loci, indicating the influence of chromosomal position on the evolution of these R genes. However, physical distance was not the only factor determining the frequency of sequence exchange, because some closely linked paralogs exhibited little sequence exchange. At least two distinct lineages of type II RPP8 homologs were identified in different species, with obvious allelic/orthologous relationships within each lineage. Therefore, the differentiation of type I and type II RPP8 homologs seems to have occurred before speciation of A. thaliana, A. arenosa and A. lyrata.
Significance and Understanding

Summary This paper is on what we understand when we are said to understand semiotic sequences, such as sentences, arguments, proofs, road indications, jokes, and works of art, and on how we can understand them. The theory of understanding defended here is psycho-pragmatic, and it is anthropologically oriented. The contention is that we always understand significances: users of semiotic systems (producing and understanding signs) have an acceptance relation with a significance ≪[(phi;(p)]: the conveyed proposition is modified by the universal rationality operator ≪, and by the partial mood-operator(Section 1 and 2). We can understand significances by the fact that they are descriptively presented to the users of semiotic systems as common values of the community to which they belong and want to belong (Sections 3 and 4). Resume Que veut-on dire quand on dit comprendre des sequences semiotiques telles que des phrases, des arguments, des theoremes, des indications routieres, des œuvres ?art, et comment les comprend-on? La theorie de la comprehension exposee dans cet article est psycho-pragmatique, et elle se place dans une perspective anthropologique. Ľidee centrale, developpee dans les Sections 1 et 2, est que nous comprenons toujours des significations: les sujets produisent des sequences discursives et lorsqu'ils les comprennent, ont une relation ?acceptation avec une signification ≪[(phi;(p)]: la ≫proposition comprise≪ p est modifyee par ľoperateur universel de rationalite≪, et par ľoperateur partiel modal ≪. Ces deux operateurs sont, en fait, des constellations ?elements psychologiques. On peut comprendre des significations par le fait qu'elles sont presentees descriptivement par et dans les sujets comme des valeurs communes?une communautea laquelle ils appartiennent et veulent appartenir (Sections 3 et 4). Zusammenfassung Was meinen wir, wenn wir behaupten, dass wir Folgen von Zeichen wie Satze, Argumente, Theoreme, Wegweiser, Scherze, Kunstwerke etc. verstehen, und wie verstehen wir sie? Die hier vertretene Theorie des Verstehens ist psycho-pragmatischer Art und anthropologisch orientiert. Der Verfasser ist der Ansicht, dass das, was wir verstehen, immer Bedeutungen sind: Wer (Zeichen hervorbringend und verstehend) semiotische Systeme verwendet, steht in einer Beziehung des Akzeptierens mit einer Bedeutung ≪[(phi;(p)]: der mitgeteilte Gedanke (≪proposition≫) wird durch den universellen Rationalitatsoperatorund durch den modalen Teiloperatormodifiziert. Wir konnen Bedeutungen verstehen, indem wir sie dem Verwender von semiotischen Systemen als gemeinsame Werte der Gemeinschaft beschreiben, zu welcher er gehort und gehoren will.
CRF induces intestinal epithelial barrier injury via the release of mast cell proteases and TNF-α.

Background and Aims: Psychological stress is a predisposing factor in the onset and exacerbation of important gastrointestinal diseases including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The pathophysiology of stress-induced intestinal disturbances is known to be mediated by corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) but the precise signaling pathways remain poorly understood. Utilizing a porcine ex vivo intestinal model, the aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms by which CRF mediates intestinal epithelial barrier disturbances. Methodology: Ileum was harvested from 6–8 week-old pigs, mounted on Ussing Chambers, and exposed to CRF in the presence or absence of various pharmacologic inhibitors of CRF-mediated signaling pathways. Mucosal-to-serosal flux of 4 kDa-FITC dextran (FD4) and transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) were recorded as indices of intestinal epithelial barrier function. Results: Exposure of porcine ileum to 0.05–0.5 mM CRF increased (p,0.05) paracellular flux compared with vehicle controls. CRF treatment had no deleterious effects on ileal TER. The effects of CRF on FD4 flux were inhibited with pre-treatment of tissue with the non-selective CRF1/2 receptor antagonist Astressin B and the mast cell stabilizer sodium cromolyn (10 24 M). Furthermore, anti-TNF-a neutralizing antibody (p,0.01), protease inhibitors (p,0.01) and the neural blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) inhibited CRF-mediated intestinal barrier dysfunction. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that CRF triggers increases in intestinal paracellular permeability via mast cell dependent release of TNF-a and proteases. Furthermore, CRF-mast cell signaling pathways and increases in intestinal permeability require critical input from the enteric nervous system. Therefore, blocking the deleterious effects of CRF may address the enteric signaling of mast cell degranulation, TNFa release, and protease secretion, hallmarks of IBS and IBD.
VDL Mode E Receiver Performance Measurments

VDL Mode E is a digital communications system proposed as a worldwide standard for replacement of the existing analog AM voice system used for VHF aeronautical communications. It provides a needed increase in voice channel capacity as well as offering a digital data link for CPDLC with the high integrity and low latency needed for time-critical ATC messages. This report summarizes results of measurements of proposed minimum requirements for an aeronautical receiver for VDL Mode E. A software defined radio (SDR) currently used in Commercial Air Transport communications was used for the tests.
What visual illusions tell us about underlying neural mechanisms and observer strategies for tackling the inverse problem of achromatic perception.

Research in lightness perception centers on understanding the prior assumptions and processing strategies the visual system uses to parse the retinal intensity distribution (the proximal stimulus) into the surface reflectance and illumination components of the scene (the distal stimulus – ground truth). It is agreed that the visual system must compare different regions of the visual image to solve this inverse problem; however, the nature of the comparisons and the mechanisms underlying them are topics of intense debate. Perceptual illusions are of value because they reveal important information about these visual processing mechanisms. We propose a framework for lightness research that resolves confusions and paradoxes in the literature, and provides insight into the mechanisms the visual system employs to tackle the inverse problem. The main idea is that much of the debate and confusion in the literature stems from the fact that lightness, defined as apparent reflectance, is underspecified and refers to three different types of judgments that are not comparable. Under stimulus conditions containing a visible illumination component, such as a shadow boundary, observers can distinguish and match three independent dimensions of achromatic experience: apparent intensity (brightness), apparent local intensity ratio (brightness-contrast), and apparent reflectance (lightness). In the absence of a visible illumination boundary, however, achromatic vision reduces to two dimensions and, depending on stimulus conditions and observer instructions, judgments of lightness are identical to judgments of brightness or brightness-contrast. Furthermore, because lightness judgments are based on different information under different conditions, they can differ greatly in their degree of difficulty and in their accuracy. This may, in part, explain the large variability in lightness constancy across studies.
Integrins in cancer: biological implications and therapeutic opportunities

The integrin family of cell adhesion receptors regulates a diverse array of cellular functions crucial to the initiation, progression and metastasis of solid tumours. The importance of integrins in several cell types that affect tumour progression has made them an appealing target for cancer therapy. Integrin antagonists, including the alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5 inhibitor cilengitide, have shown encouraging activity in Phase II clinical trials and cilengitide is currently being tested in a Phase III trial in patients with glioblastoma. These exciting clinical developments emphasize the need to identify how integrin antagonists influence the tumour and its microenvironment.
Psychodynamic and Characterological Heterogeneity among Adolescents with Major Depressive Disorders

Abstract This examination of six adolescents who were hospitalized for an Endogenous Major Depressive Disorder suggests wide heterogeneity in several personality dimensions. These personality dimensions may be critical in the determination of prognosis of the major affective disorder allows no simple generalizations about the need for treatment of other personality disturbances. Further study of these factors should enhance both our clinical interventions with children and adolescents and our understanding of the processes involved in personality and affective development.
Liquid-based cytology for the postirradiation surveillance of women with gynecologic malignancies

Abstract Objective To determine the performance of liquid-based cytology using ThinPrep in the postirradiation surveillance of women with gynecologic malignancies. Methods Patients with endometrial and cervical cancer treated with primary or adjuvant radiotherapy between 2000 and 2002 were identified. Details regarding tumor characteristics, treatment, and cytologic and histologic results were abstracted. Binomial variables were compared with the chi-square test. The performance characteristics of liquid-based cytology were evaluated. Results A total of 302 liquid-based cytologic samples from 121 women were evaluated. Overall, 294 (97.4%) of the specimens were adequate for interpretation and 132 (44.9%) were within normal limits. Benign cellular changes, including benign radiation changes, were identified in 141 (47.6%). Atypical squamous cells (ASCUS) were found in 15 (5.1%), recurrent dysplasia in 4 (1.3%), and recurrent carcinoma in 2 (0.7%). Follow-up of the 15 ASCUS smears revealed 13 (86.7%) normal smears and 2 cases of squamous intraepithelial lesions. Benign findings were noted in three of the four smears with SIL. The sensitivity for the detection of SIL was 33%, the specificity 99%, and the positive predictive value (PPV) 25%. Of the 4 patients with local recurrences, 2 were detected by cytology. The sensitivity for the detection of recurrent carcinoma was 50%, with a specificity and PPV of 100%. Conclusion ThinPrep for the surveillance of women with gynecologic malignancies treated with radiotherapy is associated with a high rate of satisfactory samples and a low rate of equivocal and ASCUS cytology.
Interlayer coupling in spin valve structures

The effect of structural imperfections such as interface roughness and layer strain on the sign and amplitude of the interlayer coupling between the two ferromagnetic layers of exchanged-biased NiFe/Cu/NiFe/FeMn spin valves is discussed. Two distinct regimes are found: when the NiFe-Cu interface is smooth, with a mean roughness smaller that 4 /spl Aring/, the interlayer coupling shows a distinct oscillatory behavior, with a period of /spl Lambda/=13.5 /spl Aring/, and can be well described by a RKKY-like exchange based mechanism. As the amplitude of the interface roughness increases the magnetostatic-type Neel's orange peel coupling becomes more important, and the ferromagnetic component of the coupling is enhanced. The higher than expected period of oscillation, observed in these spin valves, is explained in terms of a strain induced effect.
Service Providers in the Social Networks of Clients With Severe Mental Illness

The social networks of 27 severely mentally ill (SMI) clients of two community mental health centers were compared with those of 19 clients who had less severe disorders. The networks of the SMI clients were smaller and less reciprocal and contained fewer family members. SMI clients' networks were also more likely to include social service providers, such as group home staff and caseworkers. These social service providers gave direct advice and medical, food, and financial assistance in addition to emotional support, but the relationships were nonreciprocal. Clients with the fewest indigenous supports had the most social service links. These findings suggest that mental health services for SMI persons may provide substitute social supports that serve a broader function than more traditional emotional therapy.
Security fuzzing toolset

Although there has been a significant increase in security awareness among software developers during the past few years, there are still many developers who do not have the necessary expertise in developing secure programs. This concern has motivated the creation of a new set of automated tools, called fuzzers, which can provide security testing. This paper presents an on-going research and development of a security fuzzing toolset.
Rheo‐optical studies of concentrated polystyrene solutions subjected to transient simple shear flow

Concentrated polystyrene solutions were investigated on the inception and cessation of simple shear flow by means of the technique of two-color flow birefringence. Both monodisperse solutions of various molecular weights and bimodal mixtures were studied. The molecular weight affected both the amount of overshoot in the birefringence and the response time on the inception of shear flow. Large overshoots in birefringence, up to 250%, and undershoot in the orientation angle were observed. The shear stress and the first normal stress difference were calculated by using the stress–optical rule. The amount of strain at the peaks in the stress growth curves are presented along with the steady-state viscosity and primary normal stress coefficient. The experimental results are compared qualitatively with theoretical predictions of various molecular models.
Magnetic Sensors for Bioassay: HTS SQUIDs or GMRs?

In this paper we compare the detection of magnetic microparticles by HTS SQUIDs and GMR sensors. Our prototype system uses a HTS SQUID array insulated/isolated from a nonmagnetic tube in which the sample flows at room temperature. This necessarily results in a liftoff between sensor and sample in the range of 2 mm. While HTS SQUIDs typically have an intrinsic noise sensitivity that is at least two orders of magnitude better than conventional GMR sensors (~ 1 pTradicHz for washer SQUIDs compared to ~ 100 pTradicHz for the best commercial GMRs), the dipole like response of a magnetic microparticle in flow is such that this difference in noise performance can be compensated for by the reduction in standoff (order of 0.2 mm) when using a magnetoresistive sensor. Here we detail the two different approaches, present comparative results and discuss the relative merits of each setup.
Limitations of One-Dimensional Mesoscale PBL Parameterizations in Reproducing Mountain-Wave Flows

AbstractMesoscale models are considered to be the state of the art in modeling mountain-wave flows. Herein, the authors investigate the role and accuracy of planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations in handling the interaction between large-scale mountain waves and the atmospheric boundary layer. To that end, recent large-eddy simulation (LES) results of mountain waves over a symmetric two-dimensional bell-shaped hill are used and compared to four commonly used PBL schemes. It is found that one-dimensional PBL parameterizations produce reasonable agreement with the LES results in terms of vertical wavelength, amplitude of velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy distribution in the downhill shooting-flow region. However, the assumption of horizontal homogeneity in PBL parameterizations does not hold in the context of these complex flow configurations. This inappropriate modeling assumption results in a vertical wavelength shift, producing errors of approximately 10 m s−1 at downstream locations becau...
Abstract 3599: Cyclosporine A Treatment Abrogates Ischemia-Induced Neuronal Cell Death By Preserving Mitochondrial Function By Upregulating The Parkinson's Disease Protein DJ-1

Background: Stroke is characterized by neural tissue death after deprivation of oxygen, glucose, and other nutrients due to a reduction in blood flow to the brain. Disease manifestations of stroke involve primarily an infarcted core, and subsequently the formation of an ischemic penumbra which over a sub-acute period remains as salvageable neural tissue, thereby amenable to therapeutic intervention. Secondary cell death processes, including oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, can endanger the penumbra thereby limiting neuroprotection. Exploring the direct effects of drugs, such as Cyclosporine A (CsA), acting on neuronal mitochondria may reveal novel mitochondria-based cell death signaling therapeutic targets for stroke. Objective: Under hypoxic ischemia condition, the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ m ), respiratory-related enzymes, and mitochondrial DNA deteriorate resulting in the aberrant accumulation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. CsA, traditionally considered a robust immunosuppressant drug, has been shown as a potent neuroprotectant against neuronal cell death. However, the molecular mechanism by which CsA interacts with mitochondrial membrane-associated proteins remains not fully understood. Using the in vitro stroke model of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD), we examined here this interaction between CsA and the Parkinson’s disease protein DJ-1, which has been recently implicated in the regulation of mitochondrial function. Methods: Primary rat astrocytes/neurons (6/4) were exposed to the OGD and processed for immunocytochemistry and ELISA to reveal the role of DJ-1 in CsA modulation of mitochondrial function. In addition, ATP content, hexokinase activity (accumulation of intracellular glucose 6-phosphate), and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) stability were measured by a bioluminescence assay kit. Results: Administration of CsA before stroke onset (24 hrs pre-OGD), but not after stroke (2 hrs post-OGD), afforded significant neuroprotective effects compared to OGD-treated cells without CsA, characterized by the following cellular and molecular events: (1) CsA prevented the mitochondria-dependent cell death signaling pathway involved in cytochrome c induced apoptosis; (2) CsA protected cellular ATP decline (two-fold higher) without altering the hexokinase activity and the Δψ m ; (3) blocked mtDNA degradation, and, interestingly; (4) enhanced secretion of DJ-1into neighboring cells. This neuroprotection was achieved with the effective dose range of 500 nM - 10 μ M of CsA. Conclusion: These novel observations indicate that CsA- and DJ-1-neuroprotection amplify the maintenance of mitochondrial function, and that mitochondria-based treatments targeting the early phase of disease progression may prove beneficial in stroke.
Pharmacology of triheteromeric N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors

The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors (NMDARs) are heteromeric cation channels involved in learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity, and their dysregulation leads to various neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence has shown that apart from the GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B diheteromeric ion channels, the NMDAR also exists as a GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromeric channel that occupies the majority of the synaptic space. These GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers exhibit pharmacological and electrophysiological properties that are distinct from the GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2B diheteromeric subtypes. However, these receptors have not been characterized with regards to their inhibition by conantokins, as well as their allosteric modulation by polyamines and extracellular protons. Here, we show that the GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromeric channels showed less sensitivity to GluN2B-specific conantokin (con)-G and con-RlB, and subunit non-specific con-T, compared to the GluN2A-specific inhibitor TCN-201. Also, spermine modulation of GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers switched its nature from potentiation to inhibition in a pH dependent manner, and was 2.5-fold slower compared to the GluN1/GluN2B diheteromeric channels. Unraveling the distinctive functional attributes of the GluN1/GluN2A/GluN2B triheteromers is physiologically relevant since they form an integral part of the synapse, which will aid in understanding spermine/pH-dependent potentiation of these receptors in pathological settings.
Economic Evaluations of Opioid Use Disorder Interventions

Background The economic costs associated with opioid misuse are immense. Effective interventions for opioid use disorders are available; however, given the scarce resources faced by substance use treatment providers and payers of all kinds, evidence of effectiveness is not always sufficient to encourage adoption of a given therapy—nor should it be. Economic evaluations can provide evidence that will help stakeholders efficiently allocate their resources.
Highly organized two- and three-dimensional single-walled carbon nanotube-polymer hybrid architectures

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network architectures combined with flexible mediums (especially polymers) are strong candidates for functional flexible devices and composite structures requiring the combination of unique electronic, optical, and/or mechanical properties of SWCNTs and polymer materials. However, to build functional flexible devices with SWCNTs, it is required to have abilities to assemble and incorporate SWCNTs in desired locations, orientations, and dimensions on/inside polymer substrates. Here, we present unique two- and three-dimensional SWCNT network-polymer hybrid architectures by combining unprecedented control over growth, assembly, and transfer processes of SWCNTs. Several SWCNT architectures have been built on polymer materials ranging from two-dimensional suspended SWCNT microlines on PDMS microchannels to three-dimensional "PDMS-vertically aligned SWCNTs-PDMS" sandwich structures. Also a combined lateral SWCNT microline and vertically aligned SWCNT flexible device was demonstrated with good electrical conductivity and low junction resistance. The results reported here open the pathway for the development of SWCNT-based functional systems in various flexible device applications.
Does Your Name Identify You

study may sharpen the instrument to determine whether students become "acquainted with" or merely "learn about" sociology when they are "introduced" to it. The physical sciences have for a long time taught "principles" through laboratory experience. The nature of social sicence data handicaps a similar approach; but whether the conceptual framework of any science can be learned with a minimum of direct or even vicarious experience is open to question. A revised instrument for studying objectives may now be constructed and submitted to a wider group. By such a process consensus may be advanced. Introductory Sociology may come to have some reliable meaning; and testing may come to measure a known kind of mastery.
Upper bound on conditional coloring number of graphs

The upper bound of conditional chromatic number of graphs and the graphs satisfying this bound are obtained.The main result is r(G)≤Δ2+1,here equality holds if and only if G are Moore graphs.
Cytoskeletal social networking in the growth cone: How +TIPs mediate microtubule‐actin cross‐linking to drive axon outgrowth and guidance

The growth cone is a unique structure capable of guiding axons to their proper destinations. Within the growth cone, extracellular guidance cues are interpreted and then transduced into physical changes in the actin filament (F-actin) and microtubule cytoskeletons, providing direction and movement. While both cytoskeletal networks individually possess important growth cone-specific functions, recent data over the past several years point towards a more cooperative role between the two systems. Facilitating this interaction between F-actin and microtubules, microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs) have been shown to link the two cytoskeletons together. Evidence suggests that many +TIPs can couple microtubules to F-actin dynamics, supporting both microtubule advance and retraction in the growth cone periphery. In addition, growing in vitro and in vivo data support a secondary role for +TIPs in which they may participate as F-actin nucleators, thus directly influencing F-actin dynamics and organization. This review focuses on how +TIPs may link F-actin and microtubules together in the growth cone, and how these interactions may influence axon guidance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Social (New) Media and African Literature: Ghanaian Case Studies

The Internet has added a new dimension to the production and consumption of African literature. In Ghana for example, social media platforms have become hotbeds for creative expression as literary artists appropriate computer technology to interrogate old genres in new media spaces. This paper accordingly explores the implications of the use of platforms such as Facebook and Instagram on existing genres like conceptual poetry and the short story, while examining the effects of these moves on general definitions of African literature. We typically think of African literature as constitutive of oral tradition and print literature. However, the increasingly widespread acceptance and use of computer technology introduces a rethink of the discipline to also include electronic literature as a distinct category. This idea thus situates the three branches in a complex conversation, allowing them to speak to each other on issues of creativity, access, audience, technology, temporality, and purpose, among many others. With these thoughts in mind, this paper employs specific examples of African electronic literature produced in Ghana to theorize on the relationship between social media, electronic literature, oral tradition, and print literature.
Information, Gender, and Differences in Individual Preferences for Trade

ABSTRACTMen and women consistently differ in their preferences for trade. Connecting standard (but nongendered) trade theory with American public opinion literature, this article develops three possible roles for knowledge and information processing. The gap may be driven by differing knowledge, how information affects perceptions of personal economic situations, and how information shapes perceptions of societal benefit. Observational survey data in combination with two survey experiments that manipulate information about trade find that equalizing knowledge exacerbates rather than diminishes the gender gap. Contrary to the existing literature, the experiments also suggest that women’s concerns about their individual risk rather than sociotropic concerns drive the difference in trade preferences.
MO-B-201-02: Motion Management for Proton Lung SBR

The motion management in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a key to success for a SBRT program, and still an on-going challenging task. A major factor is that moving structures behave differently than standing structures when examined by imaging modalities, and thus require special considerations and employments. Understanding the motion effects to these different imaging processes is a prerequisite for a decent motion management program. The commonly used motion control techniques to physically restrict tumor motion, if adopted correctly, effectively increase the conformity and accuracy of hypofractionated treatment. The effective application of such requires one to understand the mechanics of the application and the related physiology especially related to respiration. The image-guided radiation beam control, or tumor tracking, further realized the endeavor for precision-targeting. During tumor tracking, the respiratory motion is often constantly monitored by non-ionizing beam sources using the body surface as its surrogate. This then has to synchronize with the actual internal tumor motion. The latter is often accomplished by stereo X-ray imaging or similar techniques. With these advanced technologies, one may drastically reduce the treated volume and increase the clinicians’ confidence for a high fractional ablative radiation dose. However, the challenges in implementing the motion management may not be trivial and is dependent on each clinic case. This session of presentations is intended to provide an overview of the current techniques used in managing the tumor motion in SBRT, specifically for routine lung SBRT, proton based treatments, and newly-developed MR guided RT. Learning Objectives: Through this presentation, the audience will 1. understand basic roles of commonly used imaging modalities for lung cancer studies; 2. familiarize the major advantages and limitations of each discussed motion control methods; 3. familiarize the major advantages and limitations of each discussed radiation beam control methodology and tumor tacking method; 4. understand the key points in motion management for a high quality SBRT program.
Between Cant and Anguish: Hume in Coleridge’s Imagination

If we can even speak of such things, is the ‘ontology’ of a lyric poem something like its ethical occasion? Or is it an image that enforces a closed spatial form and repeats a parable for what we over weeningly think a poem must be? Does it matter what we take for that emblem? A shard or an urn? A toy or a tree? Allen Grossman’s affirmation – in which the ontological character of lyric poetry holds from the stunning fact that others exist in tension with the subject – runs up from the other direction against Virginia Jackson’s judgment that the genre itself is projected by a history of interpretation-as-ontology. For Jackson, this is the largely twentieth-century discipline of ‘lyric reading,’ in whose name we make violent appropriations just in categorizing certain things as ‘poems.’1
Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education

Young children with disabilities and their caregivers often face multiple challenges as they engage in everyday life, and occupational therapists provide vital services to help address these and other challenges by focusing on goals related to participation in daily life activities and routines, collaborating with others, and providing resources and other supports to family members and teachers. OTs working in early childhood settings make use of a holistic assessment process that considers the child, family, and other caregivers, the activities and routines that comprise the child’s day, and the environments in which the child and family participate. Goals are then established based on family priorities, child strengths and needs, and assessment results. The OT designs individualized intervention plans that incorporate relevant research evidence, the therapist’s clinical reasoning, understanding of the child and family situation, and input from the child’s parents, teachers, and other professionals. Core philosophies regarding family-centered care, evidence-based practice, theory-based practice, and the importance of occupation and social participation for health and quality of life, all form the foundation for the work of OT in early childhood/early intervention. This chapter provides an overview of the domain, process, and principles of OT practice with very young children and their caregivers, and includes challenges and future directions for growth for OTs in this practice setting.
A novel approach of prosthetic arm control using computer vision, biosignals, and motion capture

Modern day prosthetics are traditionally controlled using EMG readings, which allow the user to control a limited number of degrees of freedom at one time. This creates a serious disadvantage compared to a biological arm because it constrains the fluid motion and dynamic functionality of the device. We present a novel architecture for controlling a transhumeral prosthetic device through the combination of several techniques, namely computer vision algorithms operating on “eye gaze” data, traditional prosthetic control methods, and the operator's motion capture data. This sensor fusion allows the prosthetic device to locate itself in a 3D environment as well as the locations of objects of interest. Moreover, this architecture enables a more seamless motion and intuitive control of the prosthetic device. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of this architecture and its implementation with a prototype.
Spioneerde tandarts mori

Het is deze maand precies 75 jaar geleden dat de Japanse strijdkrachten de Amerikaanse vlootbasis in Hawai plotseling aanvielen en een groot deel van de VS-marine voorlopig uitschakelde. Welke rol speelde een Japans- Amerikaanse tandarts hierbij?
Discussion Colony Forming Units in the Bone Marrow of Partial Body Irradiated Mice

An extensive series of experiments is under way at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Medical Department, designed to investigate the relationship of cell survival, particularly of “stem cells,” to the survival of the irradiated animal. In the short time available, two experiments from the series that bear on some of the material presented by Dr. Lajtha will be discussed. The first experiment was designed to study the effects of partial body shielding on the colony forming unit (CFU) or “stem cell” content of the right hind leg of the mouse subjected to whole body and partial body exposure. Evaluations are made over the first several days after exposure. The second experiment was similar in that the CFU content of the right hind leg was measured after whole body and partial body radiation, but in this case over a period of weeks and months after irradiation.
Does counterterrorism militarize foreign aid? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

This article studies whether the pursuit of counterterrorism militarizes foreign aid flows. It focuses on the case of US foreign aid to sub-Saharan African states, which recently have experienced a...
Sequential exploration-exploitation with dynamic trade-off for efficient reliability analysis of complex engineered systems

A new sequential sampling method, named sequential exploration-exploitation with dynamic trade-off (SEEDT), is proposed for reliability analysis of complex engineered systems involving high dimensionality and a wide range of reliability levels. The proposed SEEDT method is built based on the ideas of two previously developed sequential Kriging reliability methods, namely efficient global reliability analysis (EGRA) and maximum confidence enhancement (MCE) methods. It employs Kriging-based sequential sampling to build a surrogate model (i.e., Kriging model) that approximates the performance function of an engineered system, and performs Monte Carlo simulation on the surrogate model for reliability analysis. A new acquisition function, referred to as expected utility (EU), is developed to sequentially locate a computationally efficient set of sample points for constructing the Kriging model. The SEEDT method possesses three technical contributions: (i) defining a new utility function with several desirable properties that facilitates the joint consideration of exploration and exploitation over the course of sequential sampling; (ii) introducing a new exploration-exploitation trade-off coefficient that dynamically weighs exploration and exploitation to achieve a fine balance between these two activities; and (iii) developing a new convergence criterion based on the uncertainty in the prediction of the limit-state function (LSF). The effectiveness of the proposed method in reliability analysis is evaluated with several mathematical and practical examples. Results from these examples suggest that, given a certain number of sample points, the SEEDT method is capable of achieving better accuracy in predicting the LSF than the existing sequential sampling methods.
Mobilization of the Hepatic Flexure

Mobilization of the hepatic flexure is a necessary component of the right hemicolectomy, as well as several other colorectal procedures. This step can be challenging in certain patient populations, such as the obese patients that had prior surgery in the right upper quadrant or patients with foreshortened mesentery or thick omentum. Given this, approaching the hepatic flexure in this stepwise fashion could help ensure a successful mobilization.
Narrowband transverse-modal-instability (TMI)-free Yb-doped fiber amplifiers for directed energy applications

We report on the performance of a standard Yb-doped DC-LMA fiber and compare it to a similar core-size chirally-coupled core (3C®) fiber in a co-pumped fiber amplifier configuration. We used Yb-doped 20/400/0.064 DC LMA fiber for the power amplifier and achieved ~2.4 kW of signal power at 2.79 kW of absorbed pump power. However, we observed an onset of TMI at ~2.2 kW. The spectral bandwidth of this amplifier was 20 GHz and there was no sign of SBS at 2.4 kW of output power. We then used an Yb-doped 21.9/400/0.059 DC 3C fiber with a coiling diameter of ~30 cm to test the efficacy of HOM suppression in this fiber with respect to improving TMI threshold. We achieved 2.6 kW of output power (pump combiner limited) without TMI. Further power-scaling experiments are underway and we will report on the latest findings. However, it is clear from these results that 3C fiber has a better HOM suppression capability compared to 10-cm diameter coiled DC-LMA fiber. Even a 30-cm coiled 3C fiber shows no sign of TMI at 2.6 kW; while, a slightly smaller diameter and tightly coiled 10-cm diameter LMA fiber amplifier shows signs of TMI ~ 2.2 kW. We also measured Brillouin shift, gain bandwidth and gain coefficient and they were found to be ~15.3 GHz, ~83 MHz and 0.47 to 0.7 ×10-11 m/W respectively compared to reported values of 16.1 GHz, ~64 MHz and 5 ×10-11 m/W. This significantly lower Brillouin gain and slightly larger gain bandwidth leads to eight times higher SBS threshold for amplifiers using nLIGHT fiber with near single-frequency seed compared to literature values. This is a distinct advantage which will enable optimization of both the LMA and 3C fiber geometry to achieve higher TMI threshold in the future.
Experimental Examination of Vorticity Stripping from a Wing-Tip Vortex in Free-Stream Turbulence

Circulation loss from a vortex immersed in turbulent surroundings occurs in a nondiffusive manner. Experiments are used to connect the circulation loss to instantaneous instances of vorticity stripping from the vortex core.
Twenty years of Optics Express: invited review articles.

Editor-in-Chief Andrew M. Weiner announces a series of invited review and perspective articles for Optics Express’s 20th Anniversary celebration, and introduces the first three to be published.
Biosynthesis of the class III lantipeptide catenulipeptin.

Lantipeptides are ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptides containing lanthionine and/or labionin structures. In this study, a novel class III lantipeptide termed catenulipeptin was discovered from Catenulispora acidiphila DSM 44928, and its biosynthesis was reconstituted in vitro. The multifunctional enzyme AciKC catalyzes both dehydration and cyclization of its peptide substrate AciA and installs two labionin structures in catenulipeptin. AciKC shows promiscuity with respect to cosubstrate and accepts all four NTPs. The C-terminal domain of AciKC is responsible for the labionin formation in catenulipeptin. The cyclase activity of AciKC requires the leader peptide of AciA substrate but does not require ATP or Zn2+. Mutagenesis studies suggest that the labionin cyclization may proceed in a C-to-N-terminal direction. Catenulipeptin partially restores aerial hyphae growth when applied to surfactin-treated Streptomyces coelicolor.
Antimicrobial Particle-Based Novel Sanitizer for Enhanced Decontamination of Fresh Produce.

Microbial food safety of raw or minimally processed fresh produce is a significant challenge. The current sanitation processes are effective for inactivation of bacteria in wash water but have limited efficacy ( 5-log reduction) in the presence of relatively high organic content (chemical oxygen demand of 500 mg/liter), demonstrating a potential to address a significant unmet need to improve fresh produce sanitation. The particle-based sanitizer had no significant effect on the quality of fresh lettuce.IMPORTANCE The limitation of current sanitation processes for inactivation of microbes on the surfaces of fresh produce is due to nonspecific consumption of sanitizers by reactions with the food matrix and complexity of surface chemistries and structural features of produce surfaces. This study demonstrates a novel approach to enhance sanitation effectiveness of fresh produce using a particle-based sanitizer. The particle-based sanitizer concept provides localized high concentration delivery of chlorine to the surfaces of fresh produce and enables more than 5 logs of inactivation of inoculated bacteria on fresh produce surfaces without significant changes in produce quality. The results of this study illustrate the potential of this approach to address the unmet need for improving sanitation of fresh produce. Further validation of this approach using a scaled-up produce washing system will enable commercialization of this novel concept.
ASSOCIATION OF TRANSIENT ST SEGMENT DEPRESSION IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION WITH RAPID VENTRICULAR RESPONSE AND ISCHEMIA IN MYOCARDIAL PERFUSION STRESS IMAGING

ST-segment depression (STSD) in atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (AFRVR) is often considered a positive stress test equivalent; however, there is a lack of data on the accuracy of noninvasive diagnostic tests in this population. There are currently no guidelines on which imaging