cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of group-transfer polymerization

Abstract Group-transfer polymerization is a very useful synthetic method for the preparation of acrylic ester polymers. This living polymerization process works well at room temperature and can be used to prepare a wide variety of complex polymer structures. Mechanistic work suggests that GTP is a form of anionic polymerization where propagation occurs via a small concentration of enolate anions which are in equilibrium with dormant silyl ketene acetal chain ends. GTP will find the most use in specialty applications including dispersants, toners, photoresists, and rheology control agents.
Defects in the Fanconi anemia pathway in head and neck cancer cells stimulate tumor cell invasion through DNA-PK and Rac1 signaling

Purpose: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a devastating disease, and Fanconi anemia (FA) gene mutations and transcriptional repression are common. Invasive tumor behavior is associated with poor outcome, but relevant pathways triggering invasion are poorly understood. There is a significant need to improve our understanding of genetic pathways and molecular mechanisms driving advanced tumor phenotypes, to develop tailored therapies. Here we sought to investigate the phenotypic and molecular consequences of FA pathway loss in HNSCC cells. Experimental Design: Using sporadic HNSCC cell lines with and without FA gene knockdown, we sought to characterize the phenotypic and molecular consequences of FA deficiency. FA pathway inactivation was confirmed by the detection of classic hallmarks of FA following exposure to DNA cross-linkers. Cells were subjected to RNA sequencing with qRT-PCR validation, followed by cellular adhesion and invasion assays in the presence and absence of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) and Rac1 inhibitors. Results: We demonstrate that FA loss in HNSCC cells leads to cytoskeletal reorganization and invasive tumor cell behavior in the absence of proliferative gains. We further demonstrate that cellular invasion following FA loss is mediated, at least in part, through NHEJ-associated DNA-PK and downstream Rac1 GTPase activity. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that FA loss stimulates HNSCC cell motility and invasion, and implicate a targetable DNA-PK/Rac1 signaling axis in advanced tumor phenotypes. Clin Cancer Res; 22(8); 2062–73. ©2015 AACR.
Cost effectiveness analysis of Year 2 of an elementary school-located influenza vaccination program-Results from a randomized controlled trial

Background School-located vaccination against influenza (SLV-I) has the potential to improve current suboptimal influenza immunization coverage for U.S. school-aged children. However, little is known about SLV-I’s cost-effectiveness. The objective of this study is to establish the cost-effectiveness of SLV-I based on a two-year community-based randomized controlled trial (Year 1: 2009–2010 vaccination season, an unusual H1N1 pandemic influenza season, and Year 2: 2010–2011, a more typical influenza season).
Measuring the Incentive in 50 Percent Bonus Depreciation

The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 provides a 50 percent bonus first-year depreciation deduction. According to the authors, the robustness of the bonus depreciation deduction has not been quantified through net present value analysis. This article provides a set of tables that allows the taxpayer/decision-maker to quantify the benefit of the bonus depreciation deduction. The tables allow a taxpayer to determine the discount as a percentage of the purchase price or as a discount of the after-tax cost, the authors add. In addition, the tables can be used to perform a sensitivity analysis. The question becomes whether the net present value of the bonus depreciation will be enough to induce investment and generate the desired ripple throughout the economy.
Involvement of PI 3-kinase in IGF-I stimulation of jejunal Na+-K+-ATPase activity and nutrient absorption.

Mechanisms responsible for increased jejunal transport rates observed in tissues treated with orally administered insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were studied in 5-day-old colostrum-deprived p...
Social Norms and Illicit Cultural Heritage

Real change has emerged in the struggle to prevent the theft of art and heritage. In the late 1960s, awareness was raised over the problems posed by looting and the trade, and international and domestic laws were strengthened to respond to these threats. Reform in the law can certainly enact powerful change. However, before we propose even more legal solutions, we should consider the efficacy of reforms that previous transformations in the law have made.
Immunomodulatory roles of CTRP3 in endotoxemia and metabolic stress

C1q/TNF-related protein 3 (CTRP3) is a secreted hormone that modulates hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism. Its circulating levels are reduced in human and rodent models of obesity, a metabolic state accompanied by chronic low-grade inflammation. Recent studies have demonstrated an anti-inflammatory role for recombinant CTRP3 in attenuating LPS-induced systemic inflammation, and its deficiency markedly exacerbates inflammation in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. We used genetic mouse models to explore the immunomodulatory function of CTRP3 in response to acute (LPS challenge) and chronic (high-fat diet) inflammatory stimuli. In a sublethal dose of LPS challenge, neither CTRP3 deficiency nor its overexpression in transgenic mice had an impact on IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, or MIP-2 induction at the serum protein or mRNA levels, contrary to previous findings based on recombinant CTRP3 administration. In a metabolic context, we measured 71 serum cytokine levels in wild-type and CTRP3 transgenic mice fed a high-fat diet or a matched control low-fat diet. On a low-fat diet, CTRP3 transgenic mice had elevated circulating levels of multiple chemokines (CCL11, CXCL9, CXCL10, CCL17, CX3CL1, CCL22 and sCD30). However, when obesity was induced with a high-fat diet, CTRP3 transgenic mice had lower circulating levels of IL-5, TNF-α, sVEGF2, and sVEGFR3, and a higher level of soluble gp130. Contingent upon the metabolic state, CTRP3 overexpression altered chemokine levels in lean mice, and attenuated systemic inflammation in the setting of obesity and insulin resistance. These results highlight a context-dependent immunomodulatory role for CTRP3.
The Political Economy and Complex Interdependency of the War System in Syria

AbstractDuration of civil wars has been an elusive area of study particularly because of the tedious task of disentangling the interplay of actors’ agencies, incentives' structures and constraints. This article tackles Syria’s civil war that has completed its fifth year with little hope for an end any time soon. I examine a plausible cause leading to its protraction. Namely the formation of a war system, which made the costs of war less than the expected risks of peace giving the local, regional and international actors that are shouldering the costs. The war system approach combines class analysis with system-structural analysis capturing nuances and dynamics of conflict. This article is based in part based on primary sources collected by author in the Summers of 2014 and 2015 in Lebanon.
Investing Wisely: Individual Investors as Information Seekers

Increased stock ownership and an interest in managing their own investments has led Americans to prefer a self-educated investment approach. In order to identify the investment information sources preferred by individual investors, a study of attendees was conducted at the National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) Investors Fair held in New York City in October 1999. The primary focus of the study was to determine the effect electronic resources, and the Internet in particular, have upon the way individual investors acquire information. The study revealed that investors make significant use of print resources, especially narrative print materials, such as newspapers and magazines, and annual reports. The Internet is used in investment research primarily as a supplement to other resources. While library use is still significant, the frequency of usage has declined among Internet users. Information professionals need to understand the ways investors use information resources for making i...
THE EVOLUTION OF SELECTIVE AGGRESSION CONDITIONED ON ALLORECOGNITION SPECIFICITY.

Many sessile cnidarians deploy specialized structures while competing aggressively for living space. The initiation of aggression is often contingent on the relatedness of the interacting contestants; clonemates and close kin generally behave passively toward one another, whereas more distant relatives generally behave aggressively. Behavioral specificity of this sort requires that there be 1) an allorecognition system that can discriminate among subtle differences in cell-surface determinants and 2) a highly polymorphic genetic system that provides specific labels of relatedness (haplotypes or allotypes). The evoutionary models analyzed in this paper show that a population of individuals that behave aggressively only against haplotypically distinct individuals (discriminating phenotypes) will not be evolutionarily stable in the face of either unconditionally aggressive or unconditionally nonaggressive phenotypes. Furthermore, even if the discriminating trait were somehow fixed, the rare recognition alleles necessary to confer allotypic specificity could not become established through natural selection. Thus, allotypic specificity is unlikely to be maintained by individual selection acting directly through aggressive behavior. Other selective mechanisms might account for the evolution of allorecognition specificity. Allotypic polymorphism could be maintained by pleiotropic mechanisms in which rare alleles are favored by natural selection acting either on gametic incompatibility, pathogen resistance, or somatic fusion, rather than aggressive behavior per se. However, these mechanisms do not explain the maintenance of selective aggression based on allotypic differences. Alternatively, if aggressive members of a clone indirectly enhance the reproductive output or survival of the entire clone (or close relatives), then kin selection acting directly through aggressive behavior could favor allorecognition specificity. Choosing among these alternatives will require the development of more sophisticated theory and empirical analyses of the costs and benefits of aggression.
Simultaneous Wall Shear Stress and Velocity Measurements in a Flat Plate Turbulent Boundary Layer

A floating element differential capacitive shear stress sensor (CSSS) was used to study the large scale motions in a zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer experiment, in conjunction with single component velocity measurements from a hot-wire anemometer. Boundary layer profiles characterize the fully turbulent boundary layer created by the flat plate model. The limited sensor bandwidth due to its resonant frequency allows only large scale motions and part of the inertial scales to be resolved, and shear stress fluctuation statistics are underpredicted. High levels of correlation between the filtered shear stress and the velocity signal are reported. The correlation peaks are used to track and identify the large scale structures inclined to the wall. Conditional sampling on the shear stress provides a conditional mean velocity profile, and the effects of conditional normalization are discussed to explain the link between large scale structures far from the wall and the skin friction.
Second language pragmatic ability: Individual differences according to environment

The aims of this paper are to review research literature on the role that the second language (L2) and foreign language (FL) environments actually play in the development of learners’ target language (TL) pragmatic ability, and also to speculate as to the extent to which individual factors can offset the advantages that learners may have by being in the L2 context while they are learning. The paper starts by defining pragmatics and by problematizing this definition. Then, attention is given to research literature dealing with the learning of pragmatics in an L2 context compared to an FL context. Next, studies on the role of pragmatic transfer are considered, with subsequent attention given to the literature on the incidence of pragmatic transfer in FL as opposed to L2 contexts. Finally, selected studies on the role of motivation in the development of pragmatic ability are examined. In the discussion section, a number of pedagogical suggestions are offered: the inclusion of pragmatics in teacher development, the use of authentic pragmatics materials, motivating learners to be more savvy about pragmatics, and supporting learners in accepting or challenging native-speaker norms. Suggestions as to further research in the field are also offered.
Introduction to parametric amplification of quantum signals with Josephson circuits

Abstract This short and opinionated review starts with the concept of quantum signals at microwave frequencies and focuses on the principle of linear parametric amplification. This process emerges from the dispersive nonlinearity of Josephson junctions driven with appropriate tones. We discuss two defining characteristics of the corresponding amplifying devices: i) the number of modes excited by the signal, idler and pump waves and ii) the number of independent ports through which these waves enter into the circuit.
Magic Squares and Sudoku

We introduce a family of magic squares, called linear magic squares, and show that any parallel linear sudoku solution of sufficiently large order can be relabeled so that all of its subsquares are linear magic. As a consequence, we show that if n has prime factoriza- tion p k 1 1 p kt t and qD minf p k j j j 1 j tg, then there is a family of q.q 1/ mutually orthogonal magic sudoku solutions of order n 2 whenever q > 3; such an orthogonal family is complete if n is a prime power.
CONTRACTILE PROPERTIES OF HUMAN NASAL DILATOR MOTOR UNITS

Mateika, J. H., E. G. Essif, C. DelloRusso, and R. F. Fregosi. Contractile properties of human nasal dilator motor units. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 371–378, 1998. The technique of intramuscular microsti...
Internal monitoring: Patient and study management at the clinic

Adquate methods to assure the quality of data collected at the clinic need to be developed. A full understanding of the limitations of physicians as information processors and reasonable performance expectations for physicians during peak information periods will result in concentrated planning for patient visits and will limit the data that must be collected at the clinic. It is mandatory for each clinical research project that protocol treatment take into account the question of variable provider follow-up versus constant provider follow-up. It is also imperative that all clinical research providers receive special training, testing, and follow-up evaluation. The prime responsibility for the overall conduct of clinical research rests with the principal investigator. A monitoring tool that should be more fully used is the informed patient.
Use of Telemedicine for Management of Diabetes in Correctional Facilities.

Abstract Background: Prisoners can have difficulty obtaining subspecialty consultations. Telemedicine is used to provide diabetes consultations for residents of correctional facilities from our diabetes center. Telemedicine helps improve access to endocrinologists at reduced cost, but little outcome data are available. Methods: A retrospective chart review of prisoners from 15 correctional facilities who received televisits for diabetes from 2011 to 2014 was performed. Demographic information, complications, medications, blood pressure, and laboratory results were collected. Results: At baseline (n = 106), mean age was 44 years, duration of diabetes was 15 years, 44% had type 1 diabetes, and all were male. Only 64 of the participants had ≥2 video consultations; 58/64 had follow-up HbA1c results; and 53/58 were insulin requiring. Mean initial HbA1c was 9.3% with an average decrease of 0.5% from initial to final visit (a mean of 3.6 televisits). Patients with an initial HbA1c >9% (n = 28) had an average dro...
Adenosine modulates hypoxia-induced atrial natriuretic peptide release in fetal sheep

The effects of adenosine on atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion were determined in chronically catheterized fetal sheep (> 0.8 term). Adenosine was infused into the the right jugular vein for 1 h at 8 +/- 0.4 (5 fetuses), 160 +/- 8 (6 fetuses), and 344 +/- 18 micrograms.min-1.kg estimated fetal wt-1. Fetal arterial blood gases and pH were generally unaffected by adenosine, although mean arterial CO2 tension increased transiently by 2-5 Torr and pH fell progressively during the highest rate of infusion. During the intermediate and high infusion rates, fetal hemoglobin concentrations increased by 11-13% and mean fetal heart rate rose by 18% from a control value of approximately 167 beats/min. Mean arterial pressure was not affected during adenosine infusion. Adenosine significantly increased fetal plasma ANP levels, with maximum concentrations 1.80, 2.36, and 2.51 times greater than control means (142-166 pg/ml) for the respective infusion rates of 8, 160, and 344 micrograms.min-1.kg estimated fetal wt-1. In seven fetuses, reducing fetal arterial O2 tension by approximately 9-10 Torr from a control of 23 +/- 1.3 Torr increased plasma ANP concentrations approximately 2.4 times the control mean of 176 pg/min. Adenosine-receptor blockade with 8-(p-sulfophenyl)-theophylline reduced by 50% the maximum hypoxia-induced rise in plasma ANP concentrations. It is concluded that adenosine causes a dose-dependent rise in fetal plasma ANP concentrations and modulates fetal ANP release during hypoxia.
Nuclear FOXO3a Expression is A Frequent Occurrence in T-cell lymphomas

Forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) is a transcriptional regulator characterized by a conserved “forkhead box” DNA-binding domain. It is thought to be a tumor suppressor, with oncogenic PI3K/AKT signaling suppressing FOXO3a activity through phosphorylation, nuclear exclusion and eventual proteasomal degradation. In contrast to its tumor suppressor role, high FOXO3a expression has recently been associated with a worse prognosis in acute myeloid …
Simulations of plasma sheaths using continuum kinetic models

When plasma interacts with a surface, a plasma sheath forms at the interface, which is typically a region of net positive space charge. Ions, accelerated by the electric field in the sheath region, and hot electrons are known to cause emission from the surface. This can have consequences for devices such as Hall thrusters as electron emissions can increase the rate of erosion of the electrodes affecting performance and longevity of the thrusters — an important concern for space-bound missions. The length-scale of sheaths is small in comparison to the undisturbed plasma (on order of the Debye length, λD) yet the sheath has a global effect on plasma and needs to be included self-consistently in computer simulations. This usually means resolving the Debye length and the plasma oscillation frequency, which makes global and complex simulations extremely demanding in terms of the computational cost.
Cost-effective characterization of dissipative loss of printed circuit board traces

Determining how to accurately estimate and control the loss of a channel is critical to the success of the design of a high-speed I/O link. As Printed circuit boards (PCB) continue to be a key ingredient of a computer system design, the cost-effective characterization of the PCB materials and the measurement of the loss PCB traces in a given stackup have become a necessary step in the computer design cycle. In this paper, the measurement methods for the PCB trace loss are discussed and compared. A cost-effective method, namely Delta-L, is introduced and analyzed in detail. The method has been widely applied in the loss characterization of PCB traces in the server computer system designs. The simulation and measurement results are presented to show the effectiveness and accuracy of the method.
Coupling visitor and wildlife monitoring in protected areas using camera traps

Abstract The global rise in nature-based recreation and tourism brings an increasing need for research on visitor activity in protected areas. Understanding the nature, distribution, and intensity of visitor activity can lead to better management of protected areas, potentially improving visitor experience while reducing impacts on the environment. Although passive infrared cameras (i.e., “camera traps”) are now a standard monitoring tool for wildlife researchers, they are less commonly applied by recreation social scientists for visitor monitoring in natural areas. Because study objectives differ between these two applications, protocols for camera placement also vary. In this study we optimized camera traps to quantify human trail-based activity while meeting established wildlife-oriented protocols. The method streamlines the data collection process, thus making visitor monitoring data more accessible. We first determined the wildlife-appropriate camera position optimal for capturing human trail use through a field test, in which we varied the speed of biker movement, camera angle, and distance to the trail. The optimized camera protocol was 1–2 m from the trail edge, oriented 20° to the direction of movement, where the target is moving slower than 8 kph. We then experimentally tested this optimized camera protocol in a field setting along an unpaved, multi-use trail typical of many outdoor recreation locations. Two pairs of cameras were set following the optimized protocol while two pairs were set with a randomized protocol as the control. Compared with field observations, optimized camera traps recorded 82% of pedestrians (p 0.05). There was also a difference in performance between camera models, with the best model recording 86% and 97% of pedestrians and bikers, respectively. We conclude that camera traps can accurately quantify human trail-based activity while being set to wildlife science standards, reducing the cost of collecting visitor use data and producing high-resolution human-wildlife interaction data. Management Implications Motion-triggered camera traps can be used to efficiently collect data on humans and wildlife through a single data collection process. Camera traps should be calibrated with field-based observation and positioned according to the following guidelines: located where traffic moves slower than 8 kph, oriented at a shallow angle to the direction of movement, and placed at knee-height on trees within 1-2m of the trail edge. It should be noted that camera traps might under-sample quickly moving visitors such as bicyclists. This cost-effective method can provide long-term data useful for monitoring both human trail-based activity and wildlife presence.
Accurately modeling GPGPU frequency scaling with the CRISP performance model

CRItical Stalled Path (CRISP) is the first runtime analytical model of general-purpose computation on graphics processing unit (GPGPU) performance that models the effect of changing frequency. Prior models not targeted at a GPGPU fail to account for important characteristics of GPGPU execution, including the high degree of overlap between memory access and computation and the frequency of store-related stalls. CRISP provides significantly improved accuracy, being within 4% on average when scaling frequency by up to 7×. Using CRISP to drive a runtime energy efficiency controller yields a 10.7% improvement in energy-delay product versus 6.2% attainable via the best prior method.
The evolution of warfare in Africa

It is widely noted that armed conflict in Africa has evolved away from the prominence of insurgencies that are able to mobilize supporters around political programs in favor of more fragmented organizations in the service of their leaders’ quests for power and wealth. The causes of this shift are found in changes in the domestic politics of African states that have taken place in recent decades. Regime strategies to disorganize and co-opt opponents and to suppress mass political mobilization have restricted the social spaces in which ideologues formerly organized and recruited cadres. Emigration among educated groups that previously supplied the bulk of insurgent leaders and cadres further reduces the influence of these groups. Alongside these changes, the development of parallel political structures that are rooted in the control of commerce channels resources to new leaders who lead insurgencies to establish their own dominance in this system of politics. This competition crowds out remaining ideologues who would pursue a vision of more radical change. Key words: conflict, insurgency, ideology, mass mobilization
Biogeochemical reconstructions of life histories as a method to assess regional interactions: Stable oxygen and radiogenic strontium isotopes and Late Intermediate Period mobility on the Central Peruvian Coast

Abstract Biogeochemical reconstructions of life histories of mobility offer a means to obtain nuanced information about regional interactions in the past. We test this method using the Late Intermediate Period Ychsma society on the central Peruvian coast as a case study. Archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence indicates that the Rimac and Lurin Valleys inhabited by the Ychsma served as a key regional hub for the religious and administrative activities of the Inca Empire and the Spanish Viceroyalty. The nature of regional interactions prior to Inca imperial influence, however, remains unclear. Well-known historical narratives describe populations from the adjacent Huarochiri highlands defeating coastal Ychsma populations for agricultural land, but archaeological evidence concerning the timing and extent of coastal-highland interactions is debated. Here, we assess the potential for radiogenic strontium and stable oxygen isotopic reconstruction of mobility over the life course to shed light on the regional interactions of coastal Ychsma groups during the Late Intermediate Period. We present 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O results for 61 regional environmental baseline samples and archaeological human tooth enamel and bone samples from 64 individuals buried at Armatambo and Rinconada Alta, in the Rimac Valley. Results reveal a broad isotopic range for baseline and archaeological samples likely due to diversity in water and bedrock sources. Nevertheless, one individual presents a non-local strontium value indicating mobility to an outside region. We discuss the advantages of a life history approach, the complications of using isotopes to assess mobility in the Central Andes, and suggested directions for future research.
Substrate influence on the interlayer electron-phonon couplings in fullerene films probed with doubly-resonant SFG spectroscopy.

We present doubly-resonant sum frequency generation (DR-SFG) spectra of fullerene thin films on metallic and dielectric substrates as a way to investigate the interplay between nuclear and electronic coupling at buried interfaces. Modal and substrate selectivity in the electronic enhancement of the C60 vibrational signatures is demonstrated for excitation wavelengths spanning the visible range. While the SFG response of the totally symmetric Ag(2) mode of fullerene is distinctly coupled to the optically allowed electronic transition corresponding to the HOMO–LUMO+1 of C60 (ca. 2.6 eV), the T1u(4) vibrational mode appears to be coupled to a symmetry-forbidden HOMO–LUMO transition at lower energies (ca. 2.0 eV). For dielectric substrates, the DR-SFG intensity of the T1u(4) mode shows lack of enhancement for upconversion wavelengths off-resonance with the optically-dark LUMO. However, the T1u(4) mode shows a unique coupling to an intermediate state (∼2.4 eV) only for the fullerene films on the gold substrate. We attribute this coupling to unique interactions at the buried C60/gold interface. These results demonstrate the occurrence of clear electron–phonon couplings at the C60/substrate interfaces and shed light on the impact of these couplings on the optical response of electronically excited fullerene. This coupling may influence charge and energy transport in organic electronic devices mediated by vibrational motions. We also demonstrate a potential use of this added selectivity in chemical imaging.
Near field underwater explosion response of polyurea coated composite cylinders

Abstract The response of composite cylinders to near field underwater explosive (UNDEX) loading, including the effects of polyurea coatings, have been studied through experiments with corresponding computational simulations. Experiments were conducted on woven E-glass/epoxy roll wrapped cylinders in three unique configurations: (1) base composite, (2) base composite with a thin (100% composite thickness) coating, and (3) base composite with a thick (200% composite thickness) coating. Each cylinder configuration was subjected to near field underwater explosive loading in a large diameter test tank at charge standoff distances of 2.54 cm and 5.08 cm. The response of the cylinders on the non-loaded side was evaluated through high speed photography coupled with three-dimensional Digital Image Correlation (DIC). Transient deformation and Post-mortem damage comparisons were made to evaluate the effects of the applied coatings. The LS-Dyna finite element code has been utilized to conduct corresponding computational simulations of the experiments to allow for additional evaluations of the cylinder response. The simulations are shown to provide high correlation to the experiments in terms of pressure loading and final damage mechanisms. Results for the internal / kinetic energy levels and the material strains as determined through the simulations are presented. The experimental and numerical results show that the application of a polyurea coating is effective for significantly reducing damage in the cylinders. It is also shown that there is in increase in both material internal energies as well as overall strains with increasing coating thickness.
Arrays of Unequal and Unequally Spaced Dipoles

The quantitative determination of the circuit and field properties of arrays of parallel, non staggered dipoles is treated theoretically and experimentally when the lengths of the elements and the distances between them may differ greatly. The simultaneous integral equations are replaced by approximately equivalent algebraic equations which are used to determine the coefficients of a simple three-term approximation of the currents. Theoretical distributions of current. self and mutual admittances, field patterns, and other properties of simple two-element and five-element arrays are shown to agree well with measured values. Coupled elements ranging in length from longer than a wavelength to a small fraction of a wavelength are included in the study.
Use of fMRI Language Lateralization for Quantitative Prediction of Naming and Verbal Memory Outcome in Left Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Surgery

Partial removal of the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is the most commonly performed surgical procedure for intractable epilepsy. AT L resection is highly effective for seizure control, resulting in long-term cure rates of 60–80% (McIntosh et al. 2001; Jeong et al. 2005;. Tellez-Zenteno et al. 2005). The undeniable benefit of AT L surgery is partially offset by the occurrence of neuropsychological morbidity in some patients receiving this treatment. Evidence suggests a 30–60% incidence of anomic aphasia (Hermann et al. 1994 Hermann et al. 1999a; Hermann et al. 1999b; Langfitt and Rausch 1996; Bell et al. 2000b; Sabsevitz et al. 2003) and a similar risk for decline in verbal memory ability (Chelune et al. 1993; Helmstaedter and Elger 1996; Martin et al. 1998; Sabsevitz et al. 2001; Stroup et al. 2003; Gleissner et al. 2004; Baxendale et al. 2006; Lineweaver et al. 2006; Binder et al. 2008b) after left ATL surgery. Patients are generally aware of these deficits, which adversely affect quality of life and employability (Perrine et al. 1995; Helmstaedter et al. 2003; Stroup et al. 2003; Lineweaver et al. 2004; Langfitt et al. 2007). Cognitive deficits from right ATL resection have been much less consistently observed (Loring et al. 1990a; Loring et al. 1995b; Pigot and Milner 1993); Pillon et al. 1999; Lee et al. 2002; Binder et al. 2008). Though the first priority in treating intractable epilepsy is seizure control, the importance of cognitive side effects for some patients undergoing left AT L surgery should not be underestimated or denied. Indeed, considerable resources have been devoted to developing methods for predicting and preventing cognitive morbidity, and many such methods are used routinely in the evaluation of surgical candidates despite ongoing controversy regarding their effectiveness.
Destruction and the Fall of Egyptian Hegemony Over the Southern Levant

What brought about the end of Egyptian hegemony and the physical presence of Egyptians in the Late Bronze Age southern Levant? Several theories have been proposed in response to this question with two prominent theories taking center stage. One emphasizes the role of the Sea Peoples, whose path of destruction forced out the Egyptians. Another offers an answer closer to home with civil unrest in Canaan itself bringing about local uprisings against occupied Egyptian sites. What both have in common is that they rely on evidence from destruction events at sites with Egyptian-style architecture and Egyptian-style pottery. The aim of this article is to examine these destruction events, to identify their possible causes, and to ascertain which Egyptian sites did not suffer a destruction event before Egyptian occupation ceased at the site. As a result, it will be proposed that the destruction of Egyptian sites in the southern Levant was not the cause for the cessation of Egyptian hegemony over the southern Levant; rather, it was the pervasive political turmoil in Egypt during the Twentieth Dynasty that caused the Levantine region to be gradually abandoned by Egypt.
Mutant TDP-43 Causes Early-Stage Dose-Dependent Motor Neuron Degeneration in a TARDBP Knockin Mouse Model of ALS

Summary Rare mutations in TARDBP, the gene encoding TDP-43, cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and TDP-43 pathology is seen in a large majority of ALS patients, suggesting a central pathogenic role of this regulatory protein. The consequences of TARDBP mutations on TDP-43 function and the mechanism by which mutant TDP-43 causes neurodegeneration remain uncertain. Here, we characterize a series of knockin mice carrying disease-associated TARDBP mutations. We demonstrate that TDP-43M337V and TDP-43G298S are functional, each rescuing the lethality of TDP-43 loss of function. In a subset of aged heterozygous knockin mice, we observe the earliest signs of selective motor neuron degeneration, demonstrating that physiological levels of mutant TDP-43 are sufficient to initiate disease. Furthermore, aged homozygous mutants develop selective, asymmetric motor neuron pathology, providing in vivo evidence of TDP-43 dose-dependent neurotoxicity. These knockin mice represent a faithful in vivo model of early-stage ALS and enable future exploration of TDP-43-associated neurodegeneration.
Integrating Evidence-Based Perfusion Into Practices: The International Consortium for Evidence-Based Perfusion

There is surmounting pressure for clinicians domestically and abroad not only to practice evidence-based perfusion, but also to supplement practice with documentation thereof. In this editorial, I shall describe an international initiative aimed at embracing this dictum from patients, regulatory bodies, and payers. "Research is the only hope that the future will be different than the past"—Daniel Mintz, MD "Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences are usually the slaves of some defunct economist .... It isideas not vested interests which are dangerous for good or evil."—John Maynard Keynes JECT. 2006;38:297-301
Influence of textural statistics on drag reduction by scalable, randomly rough superhydrophobic surfaces in turbulent flow

We investigate the influence of statistical measures of surface roughness on the turbulent drag reduction (DR) performance of four scalable, randomly rough superhydrophobic (SH) textures. Each surface was fabricated using readily scalable surface texturing processes to generate a random, self-affine height profile on the base substrate. The frictional drag on all four SH surfaces was measured when fully submerged in shear-driven turbulent flow inside a bespoke Taylor-Couette apparatus at Reynolds numbers in the range 1 × 104 ≲ Re ≲ 1 × 105. An “effective” slip length quantifying the overall drag-reducing ability for each surface was extracted from the resulting Prandtl-von Karman friction plots. Reductions in the frictional drag of up to 26% were observed, with one of the hierarchically textured surfaces exceeding a wall shear stress of 26 Pa (corresponding to a Reynolds number Re ≈ 7 × 104) before the onset of flow-induced plastron collapse. The surface morphology of each texture was characterized using noncontact optical profilometry, and the influence of various statistical measures of roughness on the effective slip length was explored. The lateral autocorrelation length was identified as the key textural parameter determining the drag-reducing ability for randomly rough SH textures, playing the role analogous to the spatial periodicity of regularly patterned SH surfaces. A large autocorrelation length, a small surface roughness, and the presence of hierarchical roughness features were observed to be the three important design requirements for scalable SH textures for optimal DR in turbulent flows.
Isolation and Beyond: Challenges for System Security

System security has historically relied on hardware-provided isolation primitives. However, Meltdown [36] and Spectre [30] demonstrate that basic user/kernel isolation could be bypassed in every widely deployed ISA for decades; they are a caution to system designers who accept hardware isolation guarantees as an article of faith. Hardware isolation is fallible and should be considered fallible by software systems. We argue that future systems should broaden their view to adopt techniques that compensate for weaknesses in hardware isolation and should secure and optimize the communication among isolated components. Changing algorithms to be data oblivious, so that their externally observable behavior is independent of their (secret) input data is one such technique. Securing communication requires that the timing and size of messages be independent of secret data, but how best to achieve that independence so as to limit performance and energy overheads will vary from application to application.
Ground Bottom Ash Application for Conventional Mortar and Geopolymer Paste

AbstractThe present study investigates the possibility of using ground bottom ash (GBA) as an alternative to cement to produce geopolymer concrete. The process of geopolymerization includes the rea...
Związek między Baconem, teleologią i analogią a doktryną naturalizmu metodologicznego

Francis Bacon divided natural science into physics and metaphysics. He claimed that of Aristotle’s four causes, only material and efficient causes belong to the realm of physics, and that final causes, or teleological claims, belong to the realm of metaphysics. Bacon objected to including teleology in physics because in his experience teleological claims tended to discourage the search for efficient causes for natural phenomena. Because Bacon relegated teleology to metaphysics science largely followed his lead, evolving over the next four hundred years a growing distaste for including any teleological implications in scientific explanations. Bacon claimed that human nature, “will yet invent parallels and conjugates and relatives, where no such thing is”. Yet, as the material and efficient causal discoveries by science have progressed since Bacon’s time, they have in turn revealed more legitimate parallels and conjugates and relatives than perhaps he could have ever imagined. Stated succinctly, the process of exploring material and efficient causes in nature has also given breathtaking justification for also inferring final causes as well. As such, inferences to teleology in science should be allowed where they are warranted by the empirical evidence. The tool for determining whether a teleological inference is warranted is analogy. Bacon could have helped science avoid its gradual but inexorable drift into methodological naturalism if he had emphasized how analogy, used as an analytical tool in the process of induction, legitimately leads to reasonable inferences of teleology in nature.
Examining the Role of Sibling Interaction in Multiethnic-racial Identity Development in the United States

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is tied to wellbeing, especially for ethnic-racial minority individuals, and the process of ERI development is inherently social. However, much of the research on ERI d...
Treatment of the Neck

Neck dissection has evolved from a radical resection to a more conservative operation targeting the highest risk cervical lymphatics while sparing surrounding neurovascular structures.
Prevalence of Cronobacter spp. and Salmonella in Milk Powder Manufacturing Facilities in the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a sampling assignment in 2014 to ascertain the prevalence of Cronobacter spp. and Salmonella in the processing environment of facilities manufacturing milk powder.Cronobacter was detected in the environment of 38 (69%) of 55 facilities. The average prevalence of Cronobacter in 5,671 subsamples (i.e., swabs/sponges from different facility locations) was 4.4%. In the 38 facilities where Cronobacter was detected, the average prevalence of positive environmental subsamples was 6.25%. In 20 facilities where zone information of the sampling location was complete, Cronobacter was most frequently detected in Zone 4, followed by Zone 3, then Zone 2, with Zone 1 yielding the lowest percentage of positive samples. The prevalence of Cronobacter across the zones was statistically different (p < 0.05). There was no significant association between product type (i.e., lactose, whey products, buttermilk powder, and non-fat dried milk) and prevalence of Cronobacter in the facility. Salmonella was detected in the environment of three (5.5%) of the 55 facilities, with all three facilities producing dried whey product. The overall prevalence of Salmonella in 5,714 subsamples was 0.16%. In facilities in which Salmonella was detected the average prevalence was 2.5%. Salmonella was most frequently detected in Zone 4, followed by Zone 3. Salmonella was not detected in Zone 1 or Zone 2. The disparity between Salmonella and Cronobacter prevalence indicates that additional measures may be required to reduce or eliminate Cronobacter from the processing environment. It is also imperative that manufacturers consider the potential of contamination from Zone 4 areas into processing areas.
Chemotherapy response score as a prognostic tool in advanced-stage endometrial cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

e18095Background: Chemotherapy response score (CRS) applied to omental metastases obtained at the time of interval debulking surgery (IDS) has been used to quantify response to neoadjuvant chemothe...
Tacrolimus dose modification in patients receiving concomitant isavuconazole after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

IntroductionIsavuconazole is increasingly being used for antifungal prophylaxis during stem cell transplantation. Isavuconazole is a moderate inhibitor of Cytochrome P4503A4, and tacrolimus levels ...
An arousal-gated visual circuit controls pursuit during Drosophila courtship

Long-lasting internal states, like hunger, aggression, and sexual arousal, pattern ongoing behavior by defining how the sensory world is translated to specific actions that subserve the needs of an animal. Yet how enduring internal states shape sensory processing or behavior has remained unclear. In Drosophila, male flies will perform a lengthy and elaborate courtship ritual, triggered by activation of sexually-dimorphic P1 neurons, in which they faithfully follow and sing to a female. Here, by recording from males as they actively court a fictive 9female9 in a virtual environment, we gain insight into how the salience of female visual cues is transformed by a male9s internal arousal state to give rise to persistent courtship pursuit. We reveal that the gain of LC10a visual projection neurons is strongly increased during courtship, enhancing their sensitivity to moving targets. A simple network model based on the LC10a circuit accurately predicts a male9s tracking of a female over hundreds of seconds, underscoring that LC10a visual signals, once released by P1-mediated arousal, become coupled to motor pathways to deterministically control his visual pursuit. Furthermore, we find that P1 neuron activity correlates with fluctuations in the intensity of a male9s pursuit, and that their acute activation is sufficient to boost the gain of the LC10 pathways. Together, these results reveal how alterations in a male9s internal arousal state can dynamically modulate the propagation of visual signals through a high-fidelity visuomotor circuit to guide his moment-to-moment performance of courtship.
Irisin treatment lowers levels of phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus of pre-symptomatic female but not male htau mice.

Aims Irisin is a hormone cleaved from fibronectin type-III domain-containing protein 5 in response to exercise and may be therapeutic in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Irisin is shown to repair damage caused by midlife cardiometabolic risk factors for AD (i.e., diabetes mellitus; hypertension), prevent neural amyloid beta aggregation, and reduce neuroinflammation. However, there are no investigations of irisin's effect on AD-associated tauopathy in the brain. This study begins to address this gap in knowledge. Methods Transgenic htau mice that selectively develop age-related tauopathy were treated with recombinant irisin (100 ug/kg weekly i.p.) beginning at a pre-symptomatic age (4 months) to determine if irisin could prevent emergence of early neuropathology. One month later, mice were sacrificed to collect brain tissue and serum. Protein levels of ptau (serine 202), inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and FNDC5 were quantified using capillary-based western blotting (Wes). Results Our data show that irisin treatment significantly reduced ptau and TNFα in hippocampus and serum of female htau mice compared to vehicle-treated controls. Irisin treatment did not alter ptau levels in male htau hippocampus and appeared to enhance both neural and systemic TNFα levels. Conclusions This study provides the first evidence that enhancing the endogenous hormone irisin may be therapeutic against emerging neuropathology in a tauopathy-selective AD model. This is important because there are currently no disease-modifying therapeutics available for AD, and few agents in development address the multiple disease targets irisin appears to-making irisin an intriguing therapeutic candidate for further investigation.