cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity among sea otter isolates of Toxoplasma gondii

Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) have been reported to become infected with Toxoplasma gondii and at times succumb to clinical disease. Here, we determined genotypes of 39 T. gondii isolates from 37 sea otters in two geographically distant locations (25 from California and 12 from Washington). Six genotypes were identified using 10 PCR-RFLP genetic markers including SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico, and by DNA sequencing of loci SAG1 and GRA6 in 13 isolates. Of these 39 isolates, 13 (33%) were clonal Type II which can be further divided into two groups at the locus Apico. Two of the 39 isolates had Type II alleles at all loci except a Type I allele at locus L358. One isolate had Type II alleles at all loci except the Type I alleles at loci L358 and Apico. One isolate had Type III alleles at all loci except Type II alleles at SAG2 and Apico. Two sea otter isolates had a mixed infection. Twenty-one (54%) isolates had an unique allele at SAG1 locus. Further genotyping or DNA sequence analysis for 18 of these 21 isolates at loci SAG1 and GRA6 revealed that there were two different genotypes, including the previously identified Type X (four isolates) and a new genotype named Type A (14 isolates). The results from this study suggest that the sea otter isolates are genetically diverse.
Clinical impact of identifying Trichomonas vaginalis on cervicovaginal (Papanicolaou) smears.

The purpose of this study was to understand how clinicians manage asymptomatic women after Trichomonas has been reported on Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. Clinical information was obtained from questionnaires sent to healthcare providers whenever Trichomonas was identified during the study period. Trichomonas was identified in 173 (1.4%) of 12,547 Pap smears examined. Completed questionnaires were returned on 95 (55%) patients, and 92 patients were included in this study. Sixty-three (68%) patients were asymptomatic, 16 (18%) had symptoms characteristic of infection, and 13 (14%) had nonspecific symptoms. Twenty-six (28%) patients received treatment during the original clinic visits. After the Pap smear reported Trichomonas, 49 (81%) of the 66 patients were contacted and treated, 7 (12%) were contacted and scheduled for further evaluation, and no action was taken on the remaining 10 (17%) patients. There was a significant association between presenting with symptoms and receiving treatment at the time of the original visit (P < 0.001), but not with receiving subsequent treatment. Clinical suspicion of infection was also associated with receiving treatment at the time of the original visit only (P < 0.001). Clinical suspicion of infection correlated with symptoms and results of wet mount smears (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the Pap smear report of Trichomonas identification directly impacted the management of 61% of patients and served as confirmation for clinical management in another 28% who had received treatment at the time of original visit. Despite the fact that most patients were asymptomatic, the majority received treatment and/or evaluation after the Pap smear report was received.
Operator approach to purely cubic string field theory

A formulation of Witten's field theory of interacting open bosonic strings has been given based on a purely cubic action principle; however, the construction involves formal arguments which could in principle be invalidated by anomalies. We establish that the potential quantum anomalies cancel identically, making use of the recently developed operator formalism of Witten's theory. We first give an operator construction of the BRST current j(σ), determining its proper normal-ordering prescription through the requirement that j(σ) itself be BRST invariant. (As a by-product, we also obtain its anomalous current-current anticommutator.) The anomaly calculation then involves numerous nontrivial identities for the Neumann coefficients occurring in the oscillator form of the vertex, and gives a stringent consistency check upon the form of j(σ). Finally, we comment upon further issues to be resolved in pursuing this approach to string field theory.
N-methyl-d-aspartate-induced excitation and sensitization of normal and inflamed nociceptors

Abstract The present study investigates the contribution of peripheral N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors to acute nociception and persistent inflammatory pain in the rat. Immunohistochemical localization of the NMDA receptor one (NMDAR1) subunit demonstrates that 47% of unmyelinated axons in the normal digital nerve are positively labeled. In concert with the overall progression of inflammation following injection of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in the hind paw, a significant increase in the proportion of NMDAR1-labeled unmyelinated digital axons occurs at 2 and 7, but not 14 days following hind-paw inflammation. In behavioral studies, we confirm an increased mechanical sensitivity in CFA-injected hind paws. Furthermore, activation of NMDA receptors following intraplantar NMDA (1.0 mM) in normal animals results in a mechanical sensitivity similar to that observed in inflamed animals. Conversely, a low concentration of NMDA (0.5 mM) that has little affect on mechanical thresholds in normal animals produces a significant increase in mechanical sensitivity in the inflamed state. CFA-induced mechanical sensitivity involves NMDA-receptor activation demonstrated by the observation that injection of MK-801 alone into the inflamed hind paw returns mechanical sensitivity to normal (pre-inflammation) levels. In single-unit studies, there is a dose-dependent increase in NMDA-induced nociceptor activity in both normal and inflamed skin, but the amount of NMDA required to induce activation is reduced in inflamed skin. In addition, NMDA-induced discharge rates and percentage of NMDA-activated nociceptors are significantly increased in inflamed compared with normal skin, and this activation can be blocked by co-administration of MK-801. Exposure of nociceptors in normal skin to 1 mM NMDA sensitizes the units to reapplication of NMDA and to heat. Nociceptors that demonstrate sensitization to heat in persistent inflammation show an enhanced sensitization when exposed to exogenous NMDA. Thus, peripheral NMDA receptors not only play an important role in modulating the responses of nociceptors in normal skin, but their upregulation and activation on peripheral nociceptors contributes significantly to the mechanical sensitivity and heat sensitization that accompanies persistent inflammation.
Distinguishing False from True in Human Memory

Studies with mesial temporal amnesic patients have shown that although they are impaired on explicit tests of memory such as recall and recognition requiring conscious recollection of a prior study episode, they are often unimpaired on implicit memory measures in which retention is assessed without conscious awareness. Since this class of findings suggests that medial temporal structures are critical for explicit, but not implicit memory (e.g.Squire 1992xSquire, L.R. Psychol. Rev. 1992; 99: 195–231CrossRef | PubMedSee all ReferencesSquire 1992), one might expect to observe activation there during explicit, but not implicit memory tasks. The PET findings have not consistently supported this prediction, however. First, there are several examples of PET studies of explicit memory for verbal materials which have failed to show left medial temporal effects (e.g.12xShallice, T, Fletcher, P, Frith, C.D, Grasby, P, Frackowiak, R.S.J, and Dolan, R.J. Nature. 1994; 368: 633–635CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (627)See all References, 16xTulving, E, Kapur, S, Markowitsch, H.J, Craik, F.I.M, Habib, R, and Houle, S. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 1994; 91: 2012–2015CrossRef | PubMedSee all References). In addition, studies comparing implicit and explicit memory directly have produced various outcomes ranging from failure to observe reliable medial temporal activation for either type of test (e.g.,Buckner et al. 1995xBuckner, R.L, Petersen, S.E, Ojemann, J.G, Miezin, F.M, Squire, L.R, and Raichle, M.E. J. Neurosci. 1995; 15: 12–29PubMedSee all ReferencesBuckner et al. 1995, word stem completion), finding left medial temporal activation for explicit but not implicit memory (Schacter et al. 1996axSchacter, D.L, Alpert, N.M, Savage, C.R, Rauch, S.L, and Alpert, M.S. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 1996; 93: 321–325CrossRef | PubMed | Scopus (483)See all ReferencesSchacter et al. 1996a, word stem completion), and even left hippocampal formation activation for both explicit and implicit tasks (Blaxton et al. 1996xBlaxton, T.A, Bookheimer, S.Y, Zeffiro, T.A, Figlozzi, C.M, Gaillard, W.D, and Theodore, W.H. Can. J. Exp. Psychol. 1996; 50: 42–56CrossRef | PubMedSee all ReferencesBlaxton et al. 1996, word fragment completion).In summary, the regions of activation reported for true and false target memory in the Schacter et al. study are ones that have been identified previously across a variety of PET paradigms in which memory for true targets was studied. These new findings make important contributions to our knowledge of the brain structures subserving memory function and constitute an important addition to this literature. As may be seen from Table 1, Table 2 , however, there are still many interesting riddles to be worked out concerning the role of left temporal structures in human memory, particularly as evidenced by functional neuroimaging techniques.*Present address: 1831 Abbotsford Drive, Vienna, Virginia 22182.
Effective ionic radii and the enthalpies of solvation in liquid ammonia

Abstract The ammoniation enthalpies of gaseous Li + , K + , Rb + , Cs + , Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ , Ag 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pb 2+ relative to Na + , and of Cl − , Br − , and the electron relative to I − are determined by analyzing the data on the heats of solution of salts and metals in liquid ammonia. It is then demonstrated that the relative ammoniation enthalpies of alkali and alkaline earth ions can be obtained from the Born equation if an effective radius which is 0·61 A greater than the crystalline radius is assumed for each ion. Finally the absolute ammoniation enthalpies of the above mentioned ions and the gaseous electron are evaluated.
A new feature of the stress response: increase in endocytosis mediated by Hsp70

The expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) is a conserved cellular response to a variety of stresses. These proteins have been found to refold denatured polypeptides and stabilize critical cellular processes. In this study, we introduce a new component of the stress response: the increase of receptor-mediated uptake of macromolecules from the external environment. We observed that endocytosis of transferrin, which is involved in the delivery of iron to the cell, was increased after stress induced by heat shock or after incubation with inhibitors of Hsp90 function. In both cases, the increase in endocytosis was reverted by inhibition of transcription, suggesting that gene expression is required. Transfection of cells with Hsp70 gene or inhibition of its expression by siRNA confirmed the role of this HSP in the increase of endocytosis. The mechanism for the enhancement of transferrin uptake was related to an accelerated internalization of the ligand–receptor complex as well as an increase in receptor recycling. These observations constitute a new paradigm for the cellular protection induced by HSP.
A Neurocognitive Perspective on Current Learning Theory and Science Instructional Strategies.

Current thought in neuropsychology, philosophy of cognition, and science education is synthesized to provide a perspective on modern learning theory and instruction, especially in relation to some emergent ideas in science education reform. A critical analysis of current philosophical perspectives suggests that older dualistic views and those based solely on biological structural-functional analyses may be insufficient to explain an active role of the learner in information processing as included in modern learning theories. An approach emphasizing correlations and patterns in neurocognitive processing of information is suggested. Ten principles of modern neurocognitive science are presented as a context for an analysis of some current models of learning and instruction in science education, categorized generally as “learner-centered.” Issues addressed include information processing, constructional processes in memory, self-regulation, problem-solving, and the role of multimodal instructional strategies in enhancing learning. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 81:67–89, 1997.
Threshold variability in subliminal perception experiments: fixed threshold estimates reduce power to detect subliminal effects.

In studies of subliminal perception, a threshold for awareness is usually estimated for each S (e.g., the stimulus duration that yields chance discrimination performance). This article shows that if the S's true threshold varies randomly from trial to trial, estimation of a fixed threshold has important consequences. Specifically, the estimated threshold approaches the minimum of the distribution of true thresholds, and the power of an experiment to detect subliminal perception is reduced. Because there is much evidence that true thresholds vary across trials, threshold variability may have seriously weakened previous experiments that tested for subliminal perception. Fortunately, it is possible to estimate the maximum power loss resulting from threshold variability and therefore to design an experiment with acceptable power even in the presence of variability. Language: en
Rapidly converging lattice sums for nonelectrostatic interactions.

The relative energies of one-, two-, and three-dimensional Bravais lattice Lennard–Jones particles can be calculated by lattice sums. The expression of lattice sums over a Lennard–Jones potential can be manipulated into a form that converges rapidly. A formalism capable of calculating the lattice potential at arbitrary points for a completely general lattice has been developed. This method provides an alternative way to calculate the relative energies from the surface and the interior bulk sites of many chemical systems. The method is illustrated with application to hcp and fcc Lennard–Jonesium, both for the relative binding energy and for calculating the potential along the geometric diffusion pathway between tetrahedral and octahedral interstitial sites. Diffusion from the tetrahedral site to the octahedral site experiences a barrier of 752.600 in units of 4e. The reverse pathway experiences a barrier of 1035.614 in units of 4e. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 23: 477–483, 2002; DOI 10.1002/jcc.10031
[3H]WB4101--caution about its role as an alpha-adrenergic subtype selective radioligand.

Abstract Quantification of alpha-adrenergic subtypes, using radioligand binding studies, depends on the availability of subtype selective drugs. [ 3 H]WB4101 has been proposed as an alpha 1 selective radioligand [D. C. U'Prichard and S.H. Snyder, Life Sci . 24 ,79 (1979)]. While confirming that WB4101 is alpha 1 selective in calf cerebral cortex, we have found, however, that both unlabeled and tritiated WB4101 bind with indistinguishable affinity to the alpha 1 and alpha 2 receptors in rabbit uterus. This conclusion is based on three sets of observations: (1) [ 3 H]WB4101 and [ 3 H]dihydroergocryptine bind with high uniform affinity to the same number of sites in rabbit uterus in which only ∼30 per cent of the alpha receptors are alpha 1 ; (2) computer modeling of WB4101 competition curves with [ 3 H]dihydroergocryptine indicates that WB4101 had indistinguishable affinity for the alpha 1 and alpha 2 receptors in rabbit uterus; and (3) competition curves of the alpha 1 selective antagonist prazosin with [ 3 H]WB4101 are biphasic, indicating that [ 3 H]WB4101 was bound to both alpha 1 and alpha 2 receptors. Cautious testing of the alpha-adrenergic subtype selectivity of 3 H-labeled ligands, such as [ 3 H]WB4101, needs to be undertaken before any can be utilized to selectively label alpha-adrenergic subtypes.
Overbite--the dentist's challenge.

Various factors contribute to the problem of overbite and treatment necessarily involves more than the tooth system alone. The postural relationship of the mandible with associated structures must be considered because this postural position is the starting point for mastication, deglutition, respiration, and speech.
Termination chemistry-driven dislocation structure at SrTiO3/MgO heterointerfaces.

Interfaces between oxides are known to play a controlling role on the properties of various multicomponent oxide systems. Here, the authors observe via simulations that the dislocation structure around the interface is strongly dependent on the termination chemistry at the interface.
Age-sensitivity of the P3 in cognitively high-performing adults: Unsettled issues

We read with interest the thoughtful commentary by Fjelland Walhovd [9] on the study we reported in Neurobiologyof Aging on “Age-Related Differences in Novelty and Tar-get Processing among Cognitively High Performing Adults”[6]. In contrast to much of the literature, we did not ﬁndan age-related decline in P3 amplitude to novel stimuli.Rather,ouroldadultshadalarger,moreanteriorlydistributedP3 amplitude. We suggested that they may rely on moreresourcesandeffortfulfrontalactivitytosuccessfullymanagethedemandsofthetask.Moreover,ourinvestigationfoundnoage-associated differences in P3 latency. Our effort to under-stand why our results differed from much of the P3 literatureon aging led us to hypothesize that it may be due to our selec-tionofcognitivelyhighfunctioningadultswhowerematchedforperformance(relativetoage-matchedpeers)onneuropsy-chological tests, estimated IQ, education and gender.The authors’ criticism that we “ignor[ed] a vast litera-ture on P3 and aging” is not valid. We acknowledged thatour results differ from the dozens of papers in the literaturethat have reported on age-related changes in P3 (of whichover 20 were cited in our paper). Although these studies havetended to be very careful in regard to their electrophysiolog-ical methods and analyses, many have provided extremelylimited data on the subjects who participated. Subjects oftenhavebeendescribedsimplyintermsofbeingvolunteers(e.g.,[17]), of not having a history of psychiatric or neurologic dis-orders (e.g., [11,12,20] or of not falling below a cut off levelon a brief cognitive screen like the Mini Mental State Exam-ination (e.g., [13]). Regardless of the outcome of the currentdiscussion, we would strongly advocate that researchers pro-vide detailed accounts of the subjects in different age groups
Finite-time blow-up of solutions of an aggregation equation in R n

We consider the aggregation equation $$u_t + \nabla \cdot(u \nabla K\,*\,u) = 0$$ in R n , n ≥ 2, where K is a rotationally symmetric, nonnegative decaying kernel with a Lipschitz point at the origin, e.g. K(x) = e −|x|. We prove finite-time blow-up of solutions from specific smooth initial data, for which the problem is known to have short time existence of smooth solutions.
The correlation between mid-latitude trough and the plasmapause

[1] We use simultaneous global observations of the mid-latitude trough and the plasmapause to experimentally prove a long-standing conjecture of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling- namely the mid-latitude trough and plasmapause are on the same field line. Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM), generated using ground based GPS receivers, are used to detect the globally extended mid-latitude trough; while global IMAGE EUV pictures are used to estimate the plasmapause position. Observations during the equinox and solstices and during quiet and disturbed periods are analyzed. In addition, positions of the mid-latitude trough are calculated using a simple empirical model. The two independent observations (mid-latitude trough and plasmapause positions) and an empirical model have been compared on a global scale and found to be in excellent agreement.
The Engineering Design Research Center: some lessons from its history

Large problems require the coordinated efforts of many researchers. Funding agencies are ill equipped to provide this coordination. Instead, they outsource it to centers in universities. These centers vary considerably in longevity and size. One of them is at Carnegie Mellon University. In 1984, NSF issued a request for proposals for engineering research centers to address cross-disciplinary problems of national importance. The Design Research Centre (DRC) submitted a proposal to expand its activities. The proposal was rejected. But a modified version, resubmitted the next year, was approved, and the expanded version of the DRC was called the Engineering Design Research Center (EDRC). The author traces and comments on its history.
Knowing a lot for one's age: Vocabulary skill and not age is associated with anticipatory incremental sentence interpretation in children and adults

Adults can incrementally combine information from speech with astonishing speed to anticipate future words. Concurrently, a growing body of work suggests that vocabulary ability is crucially related to lexical processing skills in children. However, little is known about this relationship with predictive sentence processing in children or adults. We explore this question by comparing the degree to which an upcoming sentential theme is anticipated by combining information from a prior agent and action. 48 children, aged of 3 to 10, and 48 college-aged adults’ eye-movements were recorded as they heard a sentence (e.g., The pirate hides the treasure) in which the object referred to one of four images that included an agentrelated, action-related and unrelated distractor image. Pictures were rotated so that, across all versions of the study, each picture appeared in all conditions, yielding a completely balanced withinsubjects design. Adults and children quickly made use of combinatory information available at the action to generate anticipatory looks to the target object. Speed of anticipatory fixations did not vary with age. When controlling for age, individuals with higher vocabularies were faster to look to the target than those with lower vocabulary scores. Together, these results support and extend current views of incremental processing in which adults and children make use of linguistic information to continuously update their
Copper-free click chemistry for the in situ crosslinking of photodegradable star polymers

Bifunctional, fluorinated cyclooctynes were used for the in situ “click” crosslinking of azide-terminated photodegradable star polymers, yielding photodegradable polymeric model networks with well-defined structures and tunable gelation times.
The Problem of Prediction and Control in Theoretical Diversity and the Promise of the Complexity Sciences

Discovering the temporal limits to predictability is a prime area for research into a perspective of social organization as a complex adaptive system with emergent properties. However, to the extent that these insights on predictability and control apply to social systems, both the objectivist and subjectivist positions can be considered the true state of affairs. The purpose of this manuscript is to (a) examine the present state of theoretical diversity in organization theory, particularly, the notion of paradigm incommensurability, and (b) how the problem of prediction and control may be dealt with by the emerging complexity sciences.
Defining SoS requirements: an early glimpse at a methodology

This paper examines the nature of the issues in defining SoS requirements and examines an emerging methodology for deriving SoS requirements. The methodology focuses on SoS characteristics common to most SoS regardless of their composition of constituent systems, and proposes a combined top-down, bottoms-up approach to deriving unifying SoS requirements. The top-down analysis considers the SoS’ high-level capability objectives, which can be derived from top-level characterisations of the SoS (e.g., operational mission threads, operational concepts, mission-area tasks). This derived set of capability objectives is then decomposed into functional themes, which are then tempered by a bottom-up validation by aggregating common system functions across the constituent system elements within the SoS. The resulting SoS requirements are more granular than capability objectives yet more abstract than the detailed system requirements. This paper concludes with the current implications and future challenges the methodology poses for SoS-based initiatives and the requirements engineering field.
Cyrus: unintrusive application-level record-replay for replay parallelism

Architectures for deterministic record-replay (R&R) of multithreaded code are attractive for program debugging, intrusion analysis, and fault-tolerance uses. However, very few of the proposed designs have focused on maximizing replay speed -- a key enabling property of these systems. The few efforts that focus on replay speed require intrusive hardware or software modifications, or target whole-system R&R rather than the more useful application-level R&R.This paper presents the first hardware-based scheme for unintrusive, application-level R&R that explicitly targets high replay speed. Our scheme, called Cyrus, requires no modification to commodity snoopy cache coherence. It introduces the concept of an on-the-fly software Backend Pass during recording which, as the log is being generated, transforms it for high replay parallelism. This pass also fixes-up the log, and can flexibly trade-off replay parallelism for log size. We analyze the performance of Cyrus using full system (OS plus hardware) simulation. Our results show that Cyrus has negligible recording overhead. In addition, for 8-processor runs of SPLASH-2, Cyrus attains an average replay parallelism of 5, and a replay speed that is, on average, only about 50% lower than the recording speed.
Simulation and visualization of traffic operations in augmented reality for improved planning and design of road construction projects

This paper describes research that investigated the application of 3D Augmented Reality (AR) for animating traffic simulation models in real time to support the planning and design of road construction projects. Traditional 3D visualization applications use Virtual Reality (VR) environments to visualize traffic simulations. The significant amount of time and human resources required to collect and incorporate statistical data about existing traffic volume and pattern can be a major drawback to the application of VR in studying the possible effect of traffic on planned construction. At the same time, the final visual output is often unconvincing as phenomenon such as unpredictable motion of pedestrians and incoming vehicles cannot be effectively represented in a VR animation. In this research, a new AR-based approach to create real time interactive traffic animations is introduced. This approach takes advantage of wireless communication techniques to facilitate continuous positional and orientation data transfer between moving vehicles and an AR animation.
Effects of three antagonists on selected pharmacodynamic effects of sublingually administered detomidine in the horse.

Abstract Objective To describe the effects of alpha 2 -adrenergic receptor antagonists on the pharmacodynamics of sublingual (SL) detomidine in the horse. Study design Randomized crossover design. Animals Nine healthy adult horses with an average age of 7.6 ± 6.5 years. Methods Four treatment groups were studied: 1) 0.04 mg kg −1 detomidine SL; 2) 0.04 mg kg −1 detomidine SL followed 1 hour later by 0.075 mg kg −1 yohimbine intravenously (IV); 3) 0.04 mg kg −1 detomidine SL followed 1 hour later by 4 mg kg −1 tolazoline IV; and 4) 0.04 mg kg −1 detomidine SL followed 1 hour later by 0.12 mg kg −1 atipamezole IV. Each horse received all treatments with a minimum of 1 week between treatments. Blood samples were obtained and plasma analyzed for yohimbine, atipamezole and tolazoline concentrations by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Behavioral effects, heart rate and rhythm, glucose, packed cell volume (PCV) and plasma proteins were monitored. Results Chin-to-ground distance increased following administration of the antagonists, however, this effect was transient, with a return to pre-reversal values as early as 1 hour. Detomidine induced bradycardia and increased incidence of atrioventricular blocks were either transiently or incompletely antagonized by all antagonists. PCV and glucose concentrations increased with tolazoline administration, and atipamezole subjectively increased urination frequency but not volume. Conclusions and clinical relevance At the doses administered in this study, the alpha 2 -adrenergic antagonistic effects of tolazoline, yohimbine and atipamezole on cardiac and behavioral effects elicited by SL administration of detomidine are transient and incomplete.
Writing Medical Records

A study was undertaken both to evaluate how medical students are taught to write patient records and to examine the writing done by doctors. Typical medical records, written by medical doctors, wer...
Overview: nonmammalian organisms for studies of kidney development and disease.

All animals must excrete the waste products of metabolism and maintain a constant body composition despite changes in the external environment. In higher animals, these functions are performed by specialized excretory organs. The excretory organs range from a single excretory cell in the nematode
Towards a User-Centric Identity-Usage Monitoring System

The misuse of identity-related information in cyberspace is one of the biggest concerns among all Internet users. So far several technologies have been proposed and implemented to prevent and detect identity theft and misuse, but none of them are completely successful in terms of privacy, user-centricity and generality. In this paper, we identify the requirements for a user-centric identity-usage monitoring system to solve such problems and propose a monitoring system that runs on a trusted third party. This system can transparently use context information of a request to detect anomalous use of online identity. Finally, we provide a prototypical implementation in an OpenID setting and evaluate it in terms of scalability, performance, user-centricity, and security.
Metabolic Stress Modulates Alzheimer’s β-Secretase Gene Transcription via SIRT1-PPARγ-PGC-1 in Neurons

Summary Classic cardio-metabolic risk factors such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia all increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. We found increased transcription of β-secretase/BACE1, the rate-limiting enzyme for Aβ generation, in eNOS-deficient mouse brains and after feeding mice a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet. Up- or downregulation of PGC-1α reciprocally regulated BACE1 in vitro and in vivo. Modest fasting in mice reduced BACE1 transcription in the brains, which was accompanied by elevated PGC-1 expression and activity. Moreover, the suppressive effect of PGC-1 was dependent on activated PPARγ, likely via SIRT1-mediated deacetylation in a ligand-independent manner. The BACE1 promoter contains multiple PPAR-RXR sites, and direct interactions among SIRT1-PPARγ-PGC-1 at these sites were enhanced with fasting. The interference on the BACE1 gene identified here represents a unique noncanonical mechanism of PPARγ-PGC-1 in transcriptional repression in neurons in response to metabolic signals that may involve recruitment of corepressor NCoR.
Integration of different transaction models in federative distributed database systems

Distributed applications in a federated distributed database system (FDDBS) are considered, and an architecture model for an open FDDBS is outlined. Global transactions and serializability requirements are discussed. A decentralized global transaction management method that allows an integrated use of two different transaction models in a single environment is presented. DBPL-Net, a prototype FDDBS system, is described. It allows distributed applications written in the Databases Programming Language, DBPL, and is supported by both types of distributed transactions to be executed. >
Performance during a 3-hour simulated sentry duty task under varied work rates and secondary task demands.

The performance of 14 soldiers was evaluated during 3 hr of simulated sentry duty when (a) the primary work rate was varied and (b) participants were required to intermittently perform a simple secondary task. Performance measurements included latency to detect a target, number of correct target detections, correct friend versus foe identification, targets hit, and latency to respond to the presentation of a continuous tone (secondary task). Activity monitors measured motor activity during study participation. During higher work rate sessions, participants responded to the appearance of a target more quickly, discriminated friend from foe more accurately, and hit more foe targets. The addition of a simple auditory task to the primary task did not affect performance on any of the sentry duty measures. These findings demonstrated that moderate increases in task engagement, or work rate, improved most performance metrics on a long duration (3-hr), militarily relevant vigilance task.
Lifestyle Interventions to Reduce Obesity and Diabetes

The majority of US adults are overweight or obese, which is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Recent advances in behavioral treatment of obesity have produced si...
Minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery (25-gauge)

The 25-gauge Transconjunctival Standard Vitrectomy (25-G TSV) system furthers the trend in ophthalmology towards minimally invasive surgical intervention. Such was the case for phacoemulsification [1–5] as compared to extracapsular cataract extraction in which smaller incision size resulted in faster recovery. The same can be said for 25-G TSV in which smaller self-sealing incisions result in faster patient recovery due to minimal astigmatic effect on the cornea, less ocular discomfort, minimization of the opening and closing portions of the surgery, and less postoperative inflammation due to less ocular trauma.
Analysis of the FM radio spectrum for Internet of Things opportunistic access via Cognitive Radio

The emerging employment of low-power short-range Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with the rapid growth of wireless devices in general, is creating a problem by placing an overwhelming demand on the radio spectrum. This overwhelming demand is causing a shortage of radio spectrum. To combat this shortage, IoT devices need to be able to identify vacant radio spectrum that can be used in an opportunistic manner through Cognitive Radio (CR). This paper presents a methodology to determine utilization of FM radio spectrum, which would support efficient IoT device communication via CR. The methodology is showcased by analyzing the FM radio spectrum in an urban area and determining its capacity to support IoT device communication. The results show that the spectrum in the urban area is 76% underutilized. Therefore, the FM radio spectrum appears to be an excellent candidate to support low-power short-range IoT devices through CR.
Photoinduced conductivity of a porphyrin-gold composite nanowire

Negatively charged phosphine groups on the backbone of DNA are known to attract gold nanoclusters from a colloid, assembling the clusters at fixed intervals. Bridging these intervals with porphyrin-dye linkers forms an infinite conducting chain, a quantum wire whose carrier mobility can be enhanced by photoexcitation. The resulting nanoassembly can be used as a gate: a wire with a controllable conductivity. The electronic structure of the porphyrin-gold wire is studied here by density functional theory, and the conductivity of the system is determined as a function of the photoexcitation energy. Photoexcitations of the dye are found to enhance the wire conductivity by orders of magnitude.
Toward radiation-resistant ionic liquids. Radiation stability of sulfonyl imide anions.

Room-temperature hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) are considered for processing of spent nuclear fuel, including as possible replacements for molecular diluents in liquid–liquid extraction. This application requires radiation stability of the constituent ions. Previous research indicated that most of the anions that are currently used in the synthesis of ILs are prone to fragmentation under prolonged radiation exposure, which causes deterioration of the corresponding ILs. An exception to this general rule is phthalimide; unfortunately, this anion is too basic to be useful for extraction solvents, as these separations involve acidic conditions. The acidity of the imide can be increased by replacing the carbonyl groups by sulfonyl groups, which incidentally transform these imides into familiar artificial sweeteners such as saccharin. In the present study, we use electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry to assess the radiation stability of IL...
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome and ventriculocoronary connections.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a critical congenital heart defect. There are variants of HLHS, consisting of permutations of stenosis or atresia of the mitral and aortic valves. A notable phenomenon described in all HLHS subtypes is ventriculocoronary connections (VCCs). The significance of VCCs remains undetermined. Some studies have demonstrated higher mortality associated with VCCs, while others have shown no difference in mortality compared to other HLHS variants. All variants of HLHS are associated with myocardial disarray and endomyocardial fibroelastosis, although recent evidence demonstrates a higher association of those findings with the mitral stenosis–aortic atresia (MS-AA) variant. And VCCs may have a higher incidence in MS-AA as they constitute the only egress of blood from the LV. These associations may play a role in the survival of patients with MS-AA. We present a case of HLHS with MS-AA and significant VCCs. Figure 1 depicts the diminutive LV, no outflow, and opacification of the entire coronary system. Coronary opacification can only be achieved via VCCs, given the aortic valve atresia. Figure 2 demonstrates the severely hypoplastic ascending aorta. The aorta is similar in size to the 3F catheter and the coronaries do not opacify.
Development of Functionally Graded Sintered Hard Material

A functionally graded material is a compound of two different materials with gradient composition. In addition to combining the characteristics of the two materials, this new material is intended to have distinct characteristics of its own that will allow new applications. This concept was applied to the field of hard materials. The developed material consists of a titanium based ceramic surface layer, a tough cemented carbide core containing carbonitride with 131 type and WC phases, and an intermediate layer with graded composition. The surface region is characterized by a high compressive residual stress of 0.8 GPa. In this material development, we investigated the cutting condition under which tools are easily damaged, and used a newly developed temperature distribution measurement method to identify the temperatures generated within the tool under those condition. We used the resulting temperature distribution data to perform CAE analysis in order to calculate the thermal stress generated by temperature distribution change. We confirmed the compressive residual stress of the developed material exceeds the calculated thermal stress. Compared to conventional cermet tools, the developed material tools improved thermal crack resistance, wear resistance and breakage resistance. Furthermore, its wear resistance and peeling resistance are superior to those of coated cemented carbides.
Visual Evoked Potentials in a Rabbit Model of Hepatic Encephalopathy: II. Comparison of Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy, Postictal Coma, and Coma Induced by Synergistic Neurotoxins

To assess neuronal mechanisms of potential importance in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy, visual evoked potentials were recorded in rabbits with acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy, postictal coma, and toxin-induced coma resulting from the administration of a combination of subcoma doses of three neurotoxins: ammonia, dimethyldisulfide, and octanoic acid. The patterns of visual evoked potentials in these three syndromes were compared with those of rabbits with hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatic failure. In the absence of seizures, the patterns of visual evoked potentials associated with hyperammonemic encephalopathy and toxin-induced coma were fundamentally different from those associated with any stage of hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatic failure. In contrast, the pattern of visual evoked potentials in early postictal coma induced by four different precipitating factors (including toxin-induced seizures) resembled that of late-stage hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatic failure. These findings suggest that the recording of visual evoked potentials may be of value in experimentally testing hypotheses of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy due to fulminant hepatic failure. They indicate that acute hyperammonemia is not a satisfactory model of hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatic failure, that the occurrence of seizures may lead to incorrect interpretation of experimental data from models of hepatic encephalopathy, and that the syndromes of hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatic failure and postictal coma may share similar neural mechanisms. Finally, the results of this study do not support the hypothesis that hepatic encephalopathy due to galactosamine-induced fulminant hepatic failure is mediated by the synergistic interaction of ammonia, mercaptans, and fatty acids on the brain.
Your Money or Your Life: Indian Parents and Child Support Modifications

In 2013, Jolene Sharp was miserably unhappy. Her marriage was over, she hated her job and she was abusing alcohol. Recognizing this lifestyle was unsustainable, Jolene decided to make a change. She quit her job, moved back home to her native village of Stebbins, in rural Alaska, and began practicing a traditional, subsistence lifestyle. This move was good for Jolene, and good for her tribe; the question however, was whether it was good for her daughter. According to The Alaska Supreme Court, it was not. The problem for the court was child support. When Jolene’s marriage ended, her husband was given primary custody of their ten-year-old daughter and Jolene was ordered to pay child support. Jolene’s support award was based on her salary as an oil executive with Alyeska, but when Jolene left her job and adopted a subsistence lifestyle, she could no longer meet her previous child support obligation. Jolene requested a modification, but it was denied. According to the court, the benefits of Jolene’s child support payments outweighed the benefits of returning to her tribe. The Sharpe court’s decision is not surprising. Courts routinely deny modification requests based on a parent’s voluntary reduction in income. Nevertheless, Sharpe is far from a traditional modification case. Sharpe concerns an Indian family therefore, it should not have been analyzed under traditional family law principles. A common mantra among Indian law scholars is “Indian law is different.” The unique status of tribes, as well as the special federal tribal relationship, means that cases concerning the best interest of Indian tribes, Indian children, and the preservation of Indian culture cannot be assumed to mimic normal family law outcomes. When viewed through an Indian law lens, Sharpe v. Sharpe is not simply about an individual parent’s request for child support modification. Rather, it is about the right of native communities to preserve their traditions and the obligation of the state and federal government to help them. The fact that the Sharpe court failed to recognize this is deeply troubling.
Parental Educational Involvement and Latino Children’s Academic Attainment

A preponderance of research documents the benefits of parental educational involvement on children’s academic performance. However, the majority of this work has primarily focused on European American children in middle to upper income homes as well as examining mostly school-based forms of parental involvement. By contrast, this chapter relies on developmental theories and a resilience framework to address parental educational involvement as a protective factor, bolstering the academic performance of low-income, Latino children specifically. We examine parental educational involvement across Latino children’s elementary through high school years. Further, we conceptualize parental involvement as a multidimensional construct, incorporating parental behaviors and strategies beyond the traditionally measured aspects of parental participation in school-based activities (e.g., PTO meetings, parent-teacher conferences). Finally, we discuss implications, provide suggestions for future research directions, and highlight the importance of incorporating Latino cultural values in future work.
Inhibition of Treg suppression by GITR stimulation causes tumor regression selectively in the context of a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TUM9P.1005)

GITR stimulation as immunotherapy has become increasingly important given the recent success of immune modulation in cancer therapy. As anti-GITR therapy is translated into clinic, defining the basis of its activity and failure is key to identify prognostic markers and more effective combination therapies. We thus studied how GITR stimulation affects T cells in B16 melanoma-bearing mice treated in curative (early) or refractory (advanced) condition with the agonist antibody DTA-1, and verified their functional changes in vitro . In vivo, Treg frequency was increased, Teff activation reduced and tumor antigen presentation impaired in more advanced tumors. DTA-1 reduced Treg frequency and expression of suppression markers in curative and refractory conditions. In contrast, Teff activation and tumor-associated MHCs were induced only in curative conditions. In vitro, DTA-1-pretreated Treg lost their suppressive activity without downregulating either Foxp3 or Helios, and increased Th1/Th17 cytokine release. Interestingly, co-culture with T cells was sufficient to up-regulate MHC-II on B16, but MHC-I was induced if both T cells and DTA-1 were present. GITR stimulation on human Tregs via GITRL consistently abrogated their functions, thus validating GITR as a target to revert immune tolerance also in this setting. Our data suggest that Treg inhibition by anti-GITR therapy should be exploited in combination with treatments promoting Teff functions and/or tumor killing in future trials.
Reduction in major transcription factor binding domain families during the evolution of the avian lineage

Transcription factors (TF) are characterized by certain DNA binding-domains (DBD) which regulate their binding specificity, and thus their ability to effect a change on gene expression of their downstream targets. TFs are central to organismal development, and morphology; therefore, they potentially are instrumental in producing phenotypic diversity. We measured TF abundance of 49 major TF DBD families in 48 bird genomes, which we then compared with 5 reptile genomes, in an effort to assess the degree to which TF DBD are potentially connected to increased phenotypic diversity in the avian lineage. We hypothesized that there would be increased TF DBD abundance in multiple TF families correlated with the increased phenotypic diversity found in birds; instead ultimately, we see a general loss of major TF DBD families, reflecting general genome reductions seen between reptiles and birds, with largest losses in TF DBD families associated with multiple developmental (feather, sex-determination, body-plan, immune, blood) and metabolic processes.