cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A balanced translocation t(4;9) (q35;q12) with a breakpoint within the heterochromatic region of chromosome 9 in a woman with recurrent abortion.

A case of recurrent abortion was found to be associated with the presence in the mother of a balanced translocation between chromosomes 4 and 9. The karyotype of the proposita was: 46, XX, t(4;9)(q35;q12). The effects of this translocation are discussed in the light of other cases reported in the literature.
Structural Origin of Selectivity in Class II-Selective Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

The development of class- and isoform-selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors is highly desirable for the study of the complex interactions of these proteins central to transcription regulation as well as for the development of selective HDAC inhibitors as drugs in epigenetics. To provide a structural basis for the rational design of such inhibitors, a combined computational and experimental study of inhibition of three different histone deacetylase isoforms, HDAC1, -6, and -8, with three different hydroxamate inhibitors is reported. While SAHA was found to be unselective for the inhibition of class I and class II HDACs, the other inhibitors were found to be selective toward class II HDACs. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that this selectivity is caused by both the overall shape of the protein surface leading to the active site and specific interactions of an aspartate residue in a polar loop and two phenylalanines and a methionine in a nonpolar loop. Monitoring the specific interactions a...
Electrons in nanostructured TiO2 solar cells: Transport, recombination and photovoltaic properties

Abstract This review highlights several significant advancements in understanding of electron transport and recombination in dye-sensitized nanostructured TiO 2 solar cells and the limitations that these processes impose on cell performance. The influences of the electrolyte composition, network morphology, defect structure, and light intensity on the electron transport dynamics are evaluated. Also assessed are evidences for and implications of the large, spatially distributed nanoparticle–electrolyte interfaces, trap-state distribution, band-edge movement, and the redox electrolyte on the recombination kinetics. The theoretical PV characteristics of a dye-sensitized solar cell are compared with those of the highest confirmed efficiency cells and the fundamental factors that limit their performance are discussed.
Micropatterns of positive guidance cues anchored to polypyrrole doped with polyglutamic acid: A new platform for characterizing neurite extension in complex environments

This paper describes a method for preparing substrates with micropatterns of positive guidance cues for the purpose of stimulating the growth of neurons. This method uses an oxidizing potential, applied to a micropattern of indium tin oxide in the presence of pyrrole and polyglutamic acid, to electrodeposit a matrix consisting of polypyrrole doped with polyglutamic acid. The resulting matrix subsequently can be modified with positive guidance cues via standard amide coupling reactions. Cells adhered to the micropatterned substrates can be stimulated electrically by the underlying electrodeposited matrix while they are in contact with positive guidance cues. This method can be extended to include both positive and negative guidance cues in a variety of combinations. To demonstrate the suitability of this method in the context of nerve guidance, dorsal root ganglia were grown in the presence of a micropatterned substrate whose surface was modified with molecules such as polylysine, laminin, or both. Cell adhesion and neurite extension were found to occur almost exclusively in areas where positive guidance cues were attached. This method is easy to execute and is of general utility for fundamental studies on the behavior of neurons in the presence of complex combinations of guidance cues as well as advanced bioelectronic devices such as neuronal networks.
The Arf GAPs AGAP1 and AGAP2 distinguish between the adaptor protein complexes AP-1 and AP-3

ADP ribosylation factors (Arf) regulate membrane trafficking at multiple intracellular sites by recruiting coat proteins to membranes. The site-specific regulation of Arf is thought to be mediated by regulatory proteins including the guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Here, we test this hypothesis by comparing the site of action of the Arf GAP AGAP2 to the closely related AGAP1. AGAP1 has previously been found to associate with the adaptor protein complex AP-3 and regulate the function of AP-3 endosomes. We found that AGAP2 directly interacted with AP-1. AGAP2 colocalized with AP-1, transferrin receptor and Rab4 on endosomes. Overexpression of AGAP2 changed the intracellular distribution of AP-1 and promoted Rab4-dependent fast recycling of transferrin. Based on these results, we concluded that the closely related Arf GAPs, AGAP1 and AGAP2, distinguish between these related heterotetrameric adaptor protein complexes to specifically regulate AP-3 endosomes and AP-1 recycling endosomes.
Improved ratcheting analysis of piping components

Abstract It is well known that ratcheting (defined as the accumulation of deformation with cycles) can reduce fatigue life or cause failure of piping components or systems subjected to seismic or other cyclic loads. This phenomenon is sometime referred to as fatigue-ratcheting, which is yet to be understood clearly. Commercial finite element codes cannot accurately simulate the ratcheting responses recorded in tests on piping components or systems. One of the reasons for this deficiency has been traced to inadequate constitutive models in the existing analysis codes. To overcome this deficiency, an improved cyclic plasticity model, composed of the Armstrong–Frederick kinematic hardening rule and the Drucker–Palgen plastic modulus equation, is incorporated into an ANSYS material model subroutine. The modified ANSYS program is verified against three sets of experimental results. The simulations from this modified ANSYS show a significant improvement over the unmodified ANSYS and the ABAQUS codes.
A detailed analysis of communication load balance on BlueGene supercomputer

We have developed several models that abstract applications as demand matrices and computer networks as supply matrices for minimizing the time to complete an application on a given computer by mapping. The mappings generated by our models improve the BlueGene/L performance of several engineering applications by up to 22% compared to the standard approach. Such improvements result mainly from balancing the communication loads among the network links.
Lagrangian observations of homogeneous random environments

This article deals with the distribution of the view of a random environment as seen by an observer whose location at each moment is determined by the environment. The main application is in statis- tical fluid mechanics, where the environment consists of a random velocity field and the observer is a particle moving in the velocity field, possibly subject to molecular diffusion. Several results on such Lagrangian ob- servations of the environment have appeared in the literature, beginning with the 1957 dissertation of J. L. Lumley. This article unites these results into a simple unified framework and rounds out the theory with new results in several directions. When the environment is homogeneous, one may re-cast the problem in terms of certain random map- pings on the physical space that are based on the random location of the observer. If these mappings preserve the invariant measure on the physical space, then the view from the random location has the same distribution as the view from the origin. If these mappings satisfy the flow property and the environment is stationary, then the succession of Lagrangian observations over time forms a strictly stationary process. In particular, for motion in a homogeneous, stationary, and non-divergent velocity field, the Lagrangian velocity (the velocity of the particle) is strictly stationary, which was first observed by Lumley. In the compressible case, the distri- bution of a Lagrangian observation has a density with respect to the distribution of the view from the origin, and in some cases one can show convergence in distribution of the Lagrangian observations as time tends to infinity.
Self-consistent simulation of harmonic gyrotron and peniotron oscillators operating in a magnetron-type cavity

A self-consistent, large-signal computer simulation code is developed to study the interaction between the RF wave and a large helical-orbit. axis-encircling electron beam in a magnetron-type open cavity. The theory and the results of simulations of different modes of oscillations operating in an eight-vane cavity are given and discussed. A novel type of peniotron interaction that gives high efficiency for realistic thick beams is revealed. >
Ruminal Bacterial Degradation of Benzo(b)-thien-4-yl Methylcarbamate (Mobam) and Effect of Mobam on Ruminal Bacteria

Mixtures of ruminal bacteria degraded benzo(b)thien-4-yl methylcarbamate (Mobam) to 4-hydroxybenzothiophene, CO2, and polar product(s). The metabolite, 4-hydroxybenzothiophene, was identified (after acetylation) by comparative infrared and mass spectrometry with an authentic sample. Carbon dioxide and polar product(s) were produced by degradation of the methylcarbamate moiety. Ten previously characterized strains of ruminal bacteria with diverse physiological capabilities did not degrade Mobam. However, three tributyrin-hydrolyzing strains were isolated that did degrade Mobam. Mobam inhibited growth of two of ten strains isolated on Mobam-free glycerol-tributyrin enrichment medium. One of these strains was also sensitive to 2-carbomethoxy-propene-2yl dimethyl phosphate (Phosdrin). Mobam prevented some ruminal bacteria from producing zones of hydrolysis in tributyrin emulsion media and inhibited some ruminal bacteria from degrading 1-naphthyl acetate and fluorescein-3′,6′-diacetate.
Culture and Economic Development in South Asia

The influence of culture on economic development in South Asia has drawn scholarly interest since Max Weber argued that the rise of Protestantism abetted the origination of capitalism. Weber claimed that the spirituality and otherworldliness of Hinduism, along with its associated caste system, were not compatible with this new economic constellation. This sharp dichotomy posited by Weber and others has not been borne out by India's complex post-independence experience. Castes act as interest associations in India's democracy. India's labor force has become increasingly skilled and differentiated. From the Green Revolution onward, India's farmers have consistently raised yields to meet food needs. Large firms governed within joint families have succeeded in the domestic and global realms. South Asian culture and social patternings are best perceived as a multifarious resource out of which the subcontinent's future will be constructed rather than as universally stultifying features.
Use of Electrochemistry To Predict Ethylene Absorption Capacities of Reactive Absorption Systems

The ethylene absorption capacities of six nonaqueous reactive absorption solutions have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and equilibrium cell experiments. Validation of the electrochemical method as a novel screening technique for ethylene-absorbing solutions was accomplished by qualitative comparison to equilibrium cell results. Metal salt-ligand pairs included combinations of cuprous chloride and cuprous bromide salts with pyridine, benzylamine, and aniline. The cyclic voltammetry experiments at 0.01 M copper concentration included multiple ligand concentrations over a range of scan rates to identify trends in ethylene complexation. Equilibrium cell experiments near 1 M copper were useful in examining chemical and physical effects as well as quantifying the ethylene capacity of the solutions at higher metal loadings. Results from both techniques suggested that the solution with the best ethylene capacity consisted of cuprous chloride with aniline ligand.
On calculation of optimal paths with constrained curvature: the case of long paths

Given two points in the plane, each with the prescribed direction of motion, the question being asked is to find the shortest smooth path of bounded curvature that joins them. The classical result by Dubins (1957) that is commonly used gives a sufficient set of paths which is guaranteed to contain the shortest path; the latter is then found by explicitly calculating every path in the set. In this paper we show that in the case when the distance between the two points is above some minimum, the solution sought can be found via a simple classification scheme. Besides computational savings (essential, for example, in real-time motion planning), this result sheds light on the nature of factors affecting the length of paths in the Dubins's problem.
Superfish post-processor for IBM-PC compatible computers

The SUPERFISH program calculates the fields of resonant-modes in accelerating cavities and other structures. A new version for 386 and 486 personal computers achieves the functionality of the standard Cray version and has significantly expanded post-analysis capabilities.
The Internationalization of Washington, D.C.

The globalization of U.S. cities is attracting increasing theoretical and empirical attention. The author analyzes internationally oriented activities in metropolitan Washington, D.C., and demonstrates that the city's international roles are built directly on its historic function as a national city. Focusing on change over time, the author also shows that globalization is a stepwise process: Several key periods of the expansion of international functions were followed by periods of gradual absorption. In comparative context, Washington supports arguments about the separability of international functions and shows the importance of historical development in determining the different ways in which cities interact with the world.
Ocean Technology: Beneficiary Of And Benefactor To Energy And Data Storage, Communications, And Material Developments In Sister Fields

Ocean technology is a subset of technology in general with a few pecu- liar constraints and a few areas of techno- logical elaboration. Certain commercial de- velopments have been extremely beneficial to ocean technology, such as electronics develop- ments driven by portable calculators and lap- top computers. In a few cases such as under- water acoustic telemetry and robotics, ocean applications drive technology that benefit the general field.
Can the velocity autocorrelation function decay exponentially

For Hermitian many-body systems, admissible functions for the velocity autocorrelation function form a certain invariant of time. This property originates from a basic recurrence relation. The exponentially decaying function cannot form an invariant and therefore cannot be admissible.
Frontotemporal Dementia Genetics

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is the most common syndrome in which the focus of neurodegeneration is the frontal lobes. FTD is frequently familial. It is also often due to a susceptibility locus on chromosome 17q21-22. Some 17q21-22-linked families have mutations in the tau gene and most have microscopically visible aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau. Demonstrating that mutations in tau can produce neurodegeneration will necessitate a reassessment of the role of tau in the pathogenesis of the many diseases in which tau biology is disrupted.
Measurement and modeling of the flow characteristics of micro disc valves

The head losses in microfluidic systems such as micropumps are dominated by losses in microvalves, where microfabrication constraints limit significantly possible microvalve designs. This makes them quite different from conventional valves. In particular, flow characteristics in the laminar and low-Reynolds turbulent regimes are not understood clearly, and detailed information about the flow losses is lacking. This paper addresses this issue by using a scaled-up (10:1) valve experiment to measure pressure losses in typical microfabricated valve geometries. The macroscale model is fully instrumented and discharge coefficients and sensitivities to stroke, seat width and Reynolds number are presented. Figure 2. Cross-sectional view of a multiple wafer micropump with active valves INTRODUCTION The rapid increase in the development of complex microfluidic devices has revealed a need for more accurate modeling of fluid behavior in small-scale microfabricated geometries. This paper discusses the fluid mechanics modeling strategy undertaken as part of the development effort for the MIT Micro Hydraulic Transducer project. The concept of the Micro Hydraulic Transducer (MHT) integrates the large singlestroke force of a hydraulic system with the high-frequency small stroke available from a piezoelectric element. The combination is used to create high-performance transducers (Hagood et al. [1]). The device can operate as an actuator (transforming electrical to mechanical energy) or as an energy harvester (converting mechanical to electrical energy) as shown schematically in Figure 1. The MHT architecture resembles that of a reciprocating internal combustion engine cylinder as seen in Figure 2. The fluid at high pressure comes into the cylinder chamber through an inlet valve, compresses the piston (which in turn compresses the piezoelectric crystal). The piezo then expands, driving the piston up and forcing the fluid out through the outlet valve. In the current design, the piston is approximately 8 mm in diameter, and the valves are poppet type disc valves (∅ 500 μm) with strokes of less than 40 μm operating at approximately 20 kHz. In order to obtain this stroke at such high frequencies the valve is actuated by a piezoelectric aided by an amplification chamber as detailed by Roberts et al. [2]. A critical need in the design of the MHT is an accurate fluid mechanics model. The major fluid mechanics challenge is to Figure 1. Schematic representation of a bidirectional MicroHydraulic Transducer system in (a) pump and (b) energy harvester modes.
Mathematical biophysics of the cell with reference to the contractility of tissues and amoeboid movements

Using a recently developed approximation method, the problem of the deformation of a cell under the action of diffusion forces is studied for the general case when the rate of deformation is so rapid that the diffusion state is not quasistationary. The possibilities of configurations with several equilibria, as well as of periodical contractions and expansions of the cell around one of such configurations are shown. The bearing of these results on the theory of tissue contractility and amoeboid movements is discussed.
Isotopic dependence of excited-state proton-tunneling dynamics in tropolone probed by polarization-resolved degenerate four-wave mixing spectroscopy.

The origin band of the A1B2–X1A1 (π* ← π) absorption system in monodeuterated tropolone (TrOD) has been probed with near-rotational resolution by applying the frequency-domain techniques of polarization-resolved degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) spectroscopy under ambient, bulk-gas conditions. Judicious selection of polarization geometries for the incident and detected electromagnetic waves alleviated intrinsic spectral congestion and facilitated dissection of overlapping transitions, thereby enabling refined rotational-tunneling parameters to be extracted for the A1B2(π*π) manifold. A tunneling-induced bifurcation of Δ0A = 2.241(14) cm–1 was measured for the zero-point level of electronically excited TrOD, reflecting the presence of a substantial barrier along the O–D···O ↔ O···D–O reaction coordinate and representing nearly a 10-fold decrease in magnitude over the analogous quantity in the parent (TrOH) isotopologue. Observed trends in hydron-migration rates are discussed in light of the changes in th...
AN INTERESTING MEANS CALLED YEYU (TEASE) IN COMPOSING COUPLETS

This thesis is about an interesting means of composing couplets called Yeyu (tease).It differs from Daofan (enantiosis)?Piliyangqiu (criticizing mentally) and satire though they seem to be similar .The characteristics of Yeyu (tease) can be reduced to a type of means which can express some kinds of specific thought and feeling in an implicit and facetious style . When composing couplets, author can apply Yeyu (tease) in four ways ,which include using banter ,contrast ,litotes and marvelous words.
Eating bread with tears: Martynas Jankus and the deportation of East Prussian civilians to Russia during World War I

ABSTRACTDuring World War I, Martynas Jankus became the most well-known deportee in the Lithuanian-speaking world. This article uses a variety of sources, including his wartime letters, diary, and postwar memoirs, to explore which factors were the most important in enabling him to survive deportation, how representative he is of the larger population of deportees from East Prussia and their experiences, and how his life as a deportee was affected by laws and agreements at the international and domestic levels.
Adaptive model order reduction for the Jacobian calculation in inverse multi-frequency problem for Maxwell's equations

This work develops a model order reduction method for a numerical solution of an inverse multi-frequency eddy current problem using a rational interpolation of the transfer function in the complex plane. We use the Pade interpolation in the complex frequency plane; this allows us to speed up the calculation of the frequency-dependent Jacobian in the inversion procedure without loosing accuracy. Interpolating frequencies are chosen adaptively to reduce the maximal approximation error. We use the error indicator that is equivalent to a seminorm of the residual. The efficiency of the developed approach is demonstrated by applying it to the inverse magnetotelluric problem, which is a geophysical electromagnetic remote sensing method used in mineral, geothermal, and groundwater exploration. In this application, the transfer function values are needed for shifts in a purely imaginary interval. Thus we consider the interpolating shifts in the same interval as well as in a purely real interval, containing the spectrum of the operator. Numerical tests show an excellent performance of the proposed methods characterized by a significant reduction of computational time without loss of accuracy of the calculated Jacobian.
Harpacticoid copepod respiration: Enhydrosoma propinquum and Longipedia helgolandica

Oxygen consumption rates of 2 harpacticoid copepods, one benthic, Enhydrosoma propinquum (Brady) and one benthopelagic, Longipedia helgolandica (Klie), were determined and compared with those of the pelagic harpacticoid Euterpina acutifrons. The respiratory rates of the 3 species differed significantly and could be correlated with activity patterns and habitat preferences. E. propinquum consumed the least oxygen, E. acutifrons an intermediate amount, and L. helgolandica the most per unit dry weight. Gravid L. helgolandica had a lower metabolic rate than the non-gravid females. The lower values for the gravid females most likely reflected the metabolic activity of the developing egg mass. Harpacticoids may be important contributors to total meiobenthic metabolism, since they respire more per unit weight than do nematodes.
Understanding access to things: a knowledge commons perspective

This chapter explores the related ideas of access to knowledge resources and shared governance of those resources, often known as commons. Knowledge resources consist of many types and forms. Some are tangible, and some are intangible. Some are singular; some are reproduced in copies. Some are singular or unique; some are collected or pooled. Some are viewed, used, or consumed only by a single person; for some resources, collective or social consumption is the norm. Any given resource often has multiple attributes along these dimensions, depending on whether one examines the resource’s physical properties, its creative or inventive properties, or its natural, factual, or ideational properties. Access questions are, accordingly, diverse. That diversity is compounded by the proposition that access is itself a property of a resource, in the sense that resource characteristics are, to a substantial extent, socially and culturally constructed. Social construction means not only that boundaries among properties of a resource may be blurred but also that those properties and boundaries may change over time. By virtue of that diversity, investigating access to knowledge resources creates the risk of producing a conceptually fragmented and unhelpful landscape of theory and application on a resource-by-resource basis. This chapter suggests that the investigation of access to knowledge resources may be unified under the umbrella concept of knowledge commons, the study of governance of shared knowledge resources. It presents a framework for understanding knowledge commons and illustrates its application to several questions of access to the material and immaterial dimensions of specific knowledge resources.
Mapping land cover with hyperspectral and multispectral satellites using machine learning and Spectral Mixture Analysis

The goal of this study was compare hyperspectral and multispectral imagery for mapping broad land-cover classes at the spatial scale of a satellite image. The study area was the San Francisco Bay Area and was roughly the size of a Landsat scene (30,000 km2). The Random Forests machine learning and Multiple-Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) classifiers were compared to predictor variables composed of simulated HyspIRI hyperspectral images, simulated Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 multispectral images, and real Landsat 8 images. The Random Forests machine learning classifier consistently outperformed MESMA and there were significant improvements in overall accuracy with multi-temporal (spring, summer, fall) over summer-only images for all sensors tested. Hyperspectral reflectance data had no difference to less accuracy relative to comparable multispectral datasets. However, HyspIRI hyperspectral metrics that targeted key spectral features, related to chemical and structural properties, yielded significantly improved accuracy over both real and simulated multispectral datasets.
Minimizing energy costs of commercial buildings in developing countries

Energy cost from Heating-Ventilation-Air-Conditioners (HVAC) is a significant fraction of the overall operational cost of commercial buildings. Moreover, in developing countries such as India with inadequate grid connectivity and frequent outages, diesel generators (DG) are a common source of backup power. While this may address the problem of outages, power from DGs is highly expensive. While solar power and battery storage present opportunities to offset this high DG cost, they also add significant complexity to the overall infrastructure. This work proposes an optimization framework targeted to reduce the energy costs associated with HVACs in the presence of outages and a mix of energy resources such as grid, diesel generators, solar, and battery. Our framework is novel since it schedules supply resources and optimizes temperature set points by leveraging the inherent thermal storage potential of a building and opportunistic occupancy proxies such as CO 2 concentration. Additionally, we develop an algorithm based on closed-form approximation of the optimal solution, which can easily be integrated with existing building management systems. The framework when investigated for real world scenarios such as cell towers and office buildings, results in savings of more than 10% relative to normal operational practices.
Field deployable platform for prognostic hepatic cancer screening.

267Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence rates are increasing in many parts of the world particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although treatable if identified in the early stages in many LMICs patients are identified later in disease. A low cost point of care system that could identify patients at a higher risk of having HCC could be used as a screening tool to identify patients at an earlier stage. We are currently developing a low cost point of care hand held platform that can simultaneously evaluate the blood levels of common HCC markers. We present our preliminary findings on the limit of detection (LOD) of our system. Methods: Our device combines the rapid but qualitative results of a vertical flow assay with the quantitative capabilities of surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy. Our final product will be able to simultaneously measure the blood levels of the five most proven markers of HCC: alphafetoprotein (AFP), lens-culinaris agglutinin binding alphafe...
IMPOSSIBILITY OF THAT

AbstractWorking with Jorge Luis Borges’s The Book of Imaginary Beings, this essay shows how creaturely beings, or transfigurations, dramatize the afterlife of racial slavery, coloniality, the (con)temporality of HIV/AIDS, and how their im/possibility disturbs and breaks with the “order of things.” While transitive and transversal in their potentiality for insurgency, Imaginary Beings and Fantastic Zoology also always carry a colonial logic, a conquest paradigm, while also un-resting (if not necessarily liberating) the enjoyment of, what Borges calls, “terrible grounds.” Taking up fantastical and imaginary figures, this essay aims to add to Borges’s compendium of beings; this is a tracing of fugitive forces, of pessimistic and potent provocations that break from “the Human,” “the Man,” and their enumerable agents – from the Fanonian invocation of the bestiary, to the +* value form and its racialized and erotico-, bio-, and necropolitical calculus of HIV/AIDS risk, the authors explore transfigurations at th...
Abstract 35: Transfusion Relieves Cerebral Metabolic Stress in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction: Transfusions (Tx) are the mainstay of stroke prevention in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), but the pathophysiology conferring this neuroprotection is not well understood. Hypothesis: Tx relieves cerebral metabolic stress by improving arterial oxygen content, thereby lowering chronically-elevated cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) in children with SCD at risk for stroke. Methods: Children with SCD on chronic Tx therapy underwent two brain MRIs with measurement of CBF via pseudocontinuuous arterial spin labeling and OEF via asymmetric spin echo sequence within 24 hours of exchange Tx. To determine how Tx may reduce regions of elevated OEF, we set absolute OEF thresholds (45, 47.5, 50%) and compared tissue volumes above each threshold pre- and post-Tx using nonparametric paired statistics. Results: Twelve children with SCD (6-21 yrs) underwent MRIs. Tx raised Hb and lowered CBF and OEF (Figure), suggesting that elevated CBF and OEF may be markers of metabolic stress relieved by Tx. While CBF correlates with age in healthy children, pre-Tx CBF correlation with age was lost (τ= -0.42, p=0.07), but regained post-Tx (τ= -0.76, p=0.001). Also, absolute change in OEF diminished with increasing age (τ=. -0.75, p=0.003). Regions with very high OEF were found in the periventricular white matter, a common area of infarcts in SCD (Figure, average OEF maps pre- and post-Tx). Tx reduced the volume of these brain regions defined by all three OEF thresholds (Table), suggesting that Tx reduces brain regions at high risk for stroke. Conclusion: Tx in SCD children improves arterial oxygen content by increasing Hb, allowing CBF and OEF to fall, thus relieving metabolic stress globally and regionally. The absolute change in OEF correlates with age, suggesting that the efficacy of Tx may be age-dependent.
Images of Disability in News Media: Implications for Future Research.

Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL on November 19-23, 1997.
Culture and PTSD: Trauma in Global and Historical Perspective ed. by Devon E. Hinton and Byron J. Good (review)

Hinton, Devon E. and Byron J. Good, eds. Culture and PTSD: Trauma in Global and Historical Perspective . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015. Review by Christian Ruth.
Known Unknowns: Diagnosis and Prognosis in Disorders of Consciousness

Fischer and Truog advocate deemphasizing the diagnostic distinctions in disorders of consciousness (DoC) in light of uncertainties that make these diagnoses “more misleading than helpful” (Fischer ...
When Does Intraoperative Blood Loss Occur During Pediatric Scoliosis Correction

Abstract Background The purpose of our study was to assess the relationship between amount of blood loss and surgical stage in pediatric patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for deformity correction to determine: (1) when the highest rate of blood loss occurred; (2) what percentage of total blood loss occurred during deformity correction and closure; and (3) how to predict remaining blood loss during a procedure. Blood loss following exposure and placement of the final pedicle screw is often underestimated, which may result in lack of sufficient blood product availability. Knowledge of the rate of blood loss plays an important role in intraoperative decision making, facilitating communication with the anesthesia team, and improving patient safety. Methods Clinical records were reviewed for all patients 9 to 18 years of age who underwent index spinal fusion surgery with pedicle screw constructs for deformity correction of greater than 4 levels by a single surgeon from April 2013 to July 2015. All patients received tranexamic acid prophylactically. Exclusion criteria included vertebral column resections, cell saver use, cases complicated by signal loss on monitoring, and incomplete records. Sixty-two of 99 patients met criteria and were included in data analysis. The surgery was divided into four stages: exposure, screw/anchor placement, corrective procedures (reduction, osteotomies), and closure. Normalized blood loss (NBL) was calculated by adjusting actual blood loss for patient weight and number of levels fused. Demographic factors of age, sex, weight/BMI, diagnosis, preoperative Cobb angle, and number of levels fused were accounted for and autoregressive moving average was used to assess whether NBL varied significantly at different stages of the procedure. Results NBL during reduction and closure (1.69) was significantly greater than NBL during exposure and screw placement (1.49) (p Conclusions Rate of blood loss varies during pediatric posterior spinal deformity correction surgery, with the highest rates occurring during the reduction portion of the operation. Just over half of the total EBL occurs during the reduction and closure stages of surgery requiring the surgical team to plan accordingly. Additional studies investigating modifiable factors affecting blood loss during the later stages of scoliosis surgery are warranted.
OCEANFILMS sea-spray organic aerosol emissions – Part 1: implementation and impacts on clouds

Abstract. The OCEANFILMS parameterization for sea-spray organic aerosol emissions has been implemented into a global Earth system model, the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM). OCEANFILMS is a physically-based model that links sea spray chemistry with ocean biogeochemistry using a Langmuir partitioning approach. Here we describe the implementation within E3SM and investigate the impacts of the parameterization on the model's aerosols, clouds and climate. Four sensitivity cases are tested, in which organic emissions either strictly add to or strictly replace sea salt emissions (in mass and number), and are either fully internally or fully externally mixed with sea salt. The simulation with internally-mixed, added organics agrees best with observed seasonal cycles of organic matter in marine aerosol. In this configuration, marine organic aerosols contribute an additional source of cloud condensation nuclei, adding up to 30 cm−3 to Southern Ocean boundary-layer CCN concentrations (supersaturation = 0.1 %). The addition of this new aerosol source strengthens shortwave radiative cooling by clouds by −0.36 W/m2 in the global annual mean, and contributes more than −3.5 W/m2 to summertime zonal mean cloud forcing in the Southern Ocean, with maximum zonal mean impacts of about −4 W/m2 around 50° S–60° S. This is consistent with a previous top-down, satellite-based empirical estimate of the radiative forcing by marine organic aerosol over the Southern Ocean.
Base Sequence, Helix Structure and Intrinsic Information Readout in DNA

The binding of repressors and similar recognition proteins to specific DNA sequences involves intrinsic physical and chemical properties of both DNA and protein, most probably a specific pattern of hydrogen bonds. Single crystal analyses of double-helical DNA oligomers have revealed predictable sequence-dependent local variations in helix geometry, of a type that could contribute to the specificity of the intrinsic information readout process.
Aspiration of gauze pressure-pack following a dental extraction: a case report.

Postoperative instructions after surgical or restorative procedures are a routine practice in all areas of dentistry. Postextraction instructions include information about length of the local anesthetic, diet, pain control, oral care, and bleeding control. Pressure gauze packs have proven to be effective in most cases for hemostasis control. In pediatric dental practices, where young children and children with special needs are seen, these standard postoperative instructions require careful evaluation in direct relation to the patient’s age, neurologic development and, parental involvement in the child’s total care. Failure to identify these special circumstances can lead to emergency situations that could easily be prevented. There are several reports in current literature about bronchial aspiration of metal restorations, 1 ingestion of foreign bodies during dental treatment, 2 obstruction of endotracheal tubes with teeth, 3 and related issues such as prevention and symptom recognition for proper patient management should they occur. 4–6 However, no reports were found either detailing aspiration incidents after the patient has been discharged from the dental office setting, or outlining the treatment and prevention of this medical emergency. Case report The patient was a 10-year-old male well known to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX, since the age of 14 months, and to the Dental Service since age seven. The patient’s past medical history was extensive and included microcephaly, resolved ventriculoseptal defect, sagittal synostosis, cortical blindness, static encephalopathy, complex partial seizures, hypertonic quadriparesis, failure to thrive, asthma, and global developmental delay. This child had received his nutrition primarily by gastric tube and mobilization has been via wheel chair. His current medications include Tegretol and Artane. No known allergies were reported. The past dental history was remarkable for one admission to the operating room for full-mouth dental rehabilitation, lingual frenectomy, and a free gingival graft to the facial aspect of all the mandibular permanent incisors at the age of eight years, eight months. Due to the patient’s history of gastric tube feeding and resulting severe calculus accumulation, his frequent recall visits included full-mouth scaling, prophylaxis, and fluoride application. During the most recent recall visit, upon the completion of full-mouth scaling and rubber-cup polishing, it was deemed
Growing Number Of Unsubsidized Part D Beneficiaries With Catastrophic Spending Suggests Need For An Out-Of-Pocket Cap.

Medicare Part D has no cap on beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket spending for outpatient prescription drugs, and, unlike Medicare Parts A and B, beneficiaries are prohibited from purchasing supplemental ...
Transgender and gender non-conforming students in schools: one school district’s approach for creating safety and respect

ABSTRACTFor more than two decades, there has been a concerted effort in Albuquerque Public School District (APS) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA to educate adults about LGBTQ students and the need for advocacy so that these students have the same access to education as other students in a safe and respectful environment. Populations within the district that have received less attention include students who identify as transgender and gender non-conforming. This manuscript describe APS’s work with transgender and gender nonconforming students and the use of the American Institutes for Research’s Improving Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes for LGBT Youth Action Planning Tool, as a means to evaluate the district’s plan and activities, which led to an administrative directive regarding non-discrimination based upon gender identity and expression. The information here is offered as a resource to other school districts to learn from our successes and challenges, and perhaps to undertake similar work in their ow...
An Orphan MbtH-Like Protein Interacts with Multiple Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases in Myxococcus xanthus DK1622.

ABSTRACT One mechanism by which bacteria and fungi produce bioactive natural products is the use of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). Many NRPSs in bacteria require members of the MbtH-like protein (MLP) superfamily for their solubility or function. Although MLPs are known to interact with the adenylation domains of NRPSs, the role MLPs play in NRPS enzymology has yet to be elucidated. MLPs are nearly always encoded within the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that also code for the NRPSs that interact with the MLP. Here, we identify 50 orphan MLPs from diverse bacteria. An orphan MLP is one that is encoded by a gene that is not directly adjacent to genes predicted to be involved in nonribosomal peptide biosynthesis. We targeted the orphan MLP MXAN_3118 from Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 for characterization. The M. xanthus DK1622 genome contains 15 NRPS-encoding BGCs but only one MLP-encoding gene (MXAN_3118). We tested the hypothesis that MXAN_3118 interacts with one or more NRPS using a combination of in vivo and in vitro assays. We determined that MXAN_3118 interacts with at least seven NRPSs from distinct BGCs. We show that one of these BGCs codes for NRPS enzymology that likely produces a valine-rich natural product that inhibits the clumping of M. xanthus DK1622 in liquid culture. MXAN_3118 is the first MLP to be identified that naturally interacts with multiple NRPS systems in a single organism. The finding of an MLP that naturally interacts with multiple NRPS systems suggests it may be harnessed as a “universal” MLP for generating functional hybrid NRPSs. IMPORTANCE MbtH-like proteins (MLPs) are essential accessory proteins for the function of many nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). We identified 50 MLPs from diverse bacteria that are coded by genes that are not located near any NRPS-encoding biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). We define these as orphan MLPs because their NRPS partner(s) is unknown. Investigations into the orphan MLP from Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 determined that it interacts with NRPSs from at least seven distinct BGCs. Support for these MLP-NRPS interactions came from the use of a bacterial two-hybrid assay and copurification of the MLP with various NRPSs. The flexibility of this MLP to naturally interact with multiple NRPSs led us to hypothesize that this MLP may be used as a “universal” MLP during the construction of functional hybrid NRPSs.
Common Cervicovaginal Microbial Supernatants Alter Cervical Epithelial Function: Mechanisms by Which Lactobacillus crispatus Contributes to Cervical Health

Cervicovaginal (CV) microbiota is associated with vaginal health and disease in non-pregnant women. Recent studies in pregnant women suggest that specific CV microbes are associated with preterm birth (PTB). While the associations between CV microbiota and adverse outcomes have been demonstrated, the mechanisms regulating the associations remain unclear. As the CV space contains an epithelial barrier, we postulate that CV microbiota can alter the epithelial barrier function. We investigated the biological, molecular, and epigenetic effects of Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, and Gardnerella vaginalis on the cervical epithelial barrier function and determined whether L. crispatus mitigates the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and G. vaginalis on the cervical epithelial barrier as a possible mechanism by which CV microbiota mitigates disease risk. Ectocervical and endocervical cells treated with L. crispatus, L. iners, and G. vaginalis bacteria-free supernatants alone or combined were used to measure cell permeability, adherens junction proteins, inflammatory mediators, and miRNAs. Ectocervical and endocervical permeability increased after L. iners and G. vaginalis exposure. Soluble epithelial cadherin increased after exposure to L. iners but not G. vaginalis or L. crispatus. A Luminex cytokine/chemokine panel revealed increased proinflammatory mediators in all three bacteria-free supernatants with L. iners and G. vaginalis having more diverse inflammatory effects. L. iners and G. vaginalis altered the expression of cervical-, microbial-, and inflammatory-associated miRNAs. L. crispatus mitigated the LPS or G. vaginalis-induced disruption of the cervical epithelial barrier and reversed the G. vaginalis-mediated increase in miRNA expression. G. vaginalis colonization of the CV space of a pregnant C57/B6 mouse resulted in 100% PTB. These findings demonstrate that L. iners and G. vaginalis alter the cervical epithelial barrier by regulating adherens junction proteins, cervical immune responses, and miRNA expressions. These results provide evidence that L. crispatus confers protection to the cervical epithelial barrier by mitigating LPS- or G. vaginalis-induced miRNAs associated with cervical remodeling, inflammation, and PTB. This study provides further evidence that the CV microbiota plays a role in cervical function by altering the cervical epithelial barrier and initiating PTB. Thus, targeting the CV microbiota and/or its effects on the cervical epithelium may be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent PTB.
Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment Teaching Fundamental Concepts of Magnetic Materials in the Context of Nanoparticle Hyperthermia for Cancer Treatment

This paper describes an undergraduate laboratory experiment where students study the heating behavior of magnetic nanoparticles in the presence of alternating magnetic fields. Average score on the post-test was 45±12% for students who completed the lab online, versus 43±11% for those doing the activity hands-on. Post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-tests in both sections (p < 0.05). Results also indicate that the activity contributed to outcomes set forth by ABET, Inc. for undergraduate chemical engineering students.
Beyond the Witness: Bringing a Process Perspective to Modern Evidence Law

The focal point of the modern trial is the witness. Witnesses are the source of observations, lay and expert opinions, authentication, as well as the conduit through which documentary, physical, and scientific evidence is introduced. Evidence law therefore unsurprisingly concentrates on – or perhaps obsesses over – witnesses. In this Article, we argue that this witness-centered perspective is antiquated and counterproductive. As a historical matter, focusing on witnesses may have made sense when most evidence was the product of individual observation and action. But the modern world frequently features evidence produced through standardized, objective, and even mechanical processes that largely eliminate individual judgment. The traditional regime handles such process-based evidence poorly, relying on legal fictions and awkward procedures for handling things like forensic lab results, photographs, scientific articles, and business records. This Article therefore discards these fictions and proposes a broad new conceptual approach to process-based evidence. Our suggested reforms recognize process-based evidence on its own terms and provide a practical framework for testing and challenging it.