cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Color vision sensitivity in normally dichromatic species and humans

Spectral-sensitivity functions for large, long-duration increments presented on a photopic white background indicate that wavelength-opponent mechanisms mediate detection in both normal and dichromatic humans. Normal humans exhibit high color-vision sensitivity as they discriminate the color of spectral flashes at detection-threshold intensities. However, dichromatic humans require stimuli up to about 0.4 log units above detection intensity to see certain colors. This low color-vision sensitivity in human dichromats may be an abnormal condition involving a defect in postreceptoral color processing. To test this hypothesis, we determined color-discrimination thresholds in normally dichromatic species: chipmunk, 13-lined ground squirrel, and tree shrew. For comparison, we also tested humans with normal and abnormal (deutan) color vision with the same apparatus and methods. Animals were trained to perform spatial two-choice discrimination tasks for food reward. Detection thresholds were determined for increments of white, 460 nm, 540 nm, 560 nm, 580 nm, 500 nm/long-pass, and 500 nm/short-pass on white backgrounds of 1.25 cd/m2, 46 cd/m2, and 130 cd/m2. Animals were also trained to respond to the colored increments when paired with the white increment when both were at equally detectable intensities. Color-discrimination thresholds were determined by dimming stimulus pairs (colored vs. white) until the subjects could no longer make the discriminations. Results indicated that the normally dichromatic species could discriminate colored stimuli from white at a mean intensity of 0.1 (+/-0.1) log units above detection threshold. The ability of normally dichromatic species to discriminate color near detection-threshold intensity is consistent with increment spectral-sensitivity functions that indicate detection by wavelength-opponent mechanisms. In keeping with previous studies, normal human trichromats discriminated color near detection-threshold intensities but humans with deutan color vision required suprathreshold intensities to discriminate the color of middle and long wavelengths. This high color-vision sensitivity of normally dichromatic species suggest that the low color-vision sensitivity in dichromatic humans is an abnormal condition and indicates a possible defect in their postreceptoral color-vision processing.
Practical attractivity and practical asymptotic stabilizability of a class of switched systems

In this paper, we study the practical asymptotic stabilizability of a class of switched systems with autonomous subsystems. We first introduce the notions of practical attractivity and practical asymptotic stabilizability. Then we propose sufficient conditions for practical attractivity and practical asymptotic stabilizability of such systems.
Interviews with NSDL grantees on core values and service perspectives

We analyze information from interviews with NSDL awardees. One purpose is to inform potential NSDL membership models, and a second is to better understand infrastructure needs, including capacity for integrating services. Our results shed light on social and architectural aspects of the NSDL as a distributed library-building endeavor.
Cardiothoracic Surgeon Management of Postoperative Cardiac Critical Care

Objective To determine whether postoperative cardiac care by cardiothoracic surgeons in a semiclosed intensive care unit model could be distinguished from that given by intensivists who are not board certified in cardiothoracic surgery. Design From January 2007 to February 2009, we retrospectively examined data on patients after cardiac operations from 2 consecutive periods during which full-time management of intensive care was changed from noncardiothoracic intensivists (period 1, 168 patients) to cardiothoracic surgeons (period 2, 272 patients). Main Outcome Measures Variables measured included Society of Thoracic Surgeons observed and expected mortality, central venous line infections, ventilator-acquired pneumonia, red blood cell exposure, adherence to blood glucose level target at 6 AM on the first and second postoperative days, length of stay, and intensive care unit pharmacy costs. Results were compared using a 2-sample t test or 2-tailed Fisher exact test. Results In similar populations, as witnessed by equivalent Society of Thoracic Surgeons operative risk, cardiothoracic surgeons providing postoperative critical care led to a mean (SD) decrease in hospital length of stay from 13.4 (0.9) to 11.2 (0.4) days (P = .01) and decreased drug costs from $4300 (1000) to $1800 (200) (P Conclusions By virtue of their cardiac-specific operative and nonoperative training, cardiothoracic surgeons may be uniquely qualified to provide postoperative cardiac critical care. In a semiclosed unit where care of the patient is codirected, the improvements noted may have been facilitated by the commonalities between surgeons and intensivists associated with similar training and experiences.
The developing economics of dentistry—some concerns for the future in the USA

Abstract This paper reviews the long-term impact of the changing economics of dentistry, the economic factors associated with the marked decline in the number of applicants for the decreasing number of entering places in schools of dentistry and the potential long-term consequences of these developments.
Modeling resin transfer molding of polyimide (PMR-15)/fiber composites

Polyimide (PMR-15)/fiber composites are important structural components in many high temperature applications requiring high performance lightweight materials. Most composites are fabricated from “prepregs,” but resin transfer molding (RTM) is an alternative route to the formation of a resin-saturated perform, further processing of which yields the final part. A simple model is proposed for the RTM of “thin” composite parts. Numerical solution of the model is accomplished through integration of the equation s formulated using he finite element method. This approach accounts for the changing shape of the flow front during RTM. The resulting computational schemes are numerically stable and efficient.
Recent Developments in Marxist Class Analysis: A Critical Appraisal*

L'A. examine deux approches possibles pour redonner une certaine vitalite a la theorie marxiste des classes sociales. Il preconise une reexamen critique a la fois de l'analyse en terme de structure de classes, du materialisme historique et du materialisme dialectique et cela en s'efforcant d'etablir les conditions d'application de la theorie marxiste des classes sociales a l'etude des societes capitalistes contemporaines. Selon l'A. dans ce cadre le materialisme dialectique et le materialisme historique offrent une approche dynamique de l'analyse des transformations sociales qui prend en compte les changements de nature des relations et des luttes de classes
Boron channel-stop design for poly-buffered LOCOS using selective boron segregation

A boron channel-stop compensation technique using a selective polysilicon etch prior to field oxidation is proposed for CMOS isolation technologies which use polysilicon buffered LOCOS. The stress relief polysilicon layer is selectively removed over the n-well field regions which results in additional boron segregation into the growing field oxide while the polysilicon layer is being oxidized over the p-well field regions. The resulting field threshold voltages are increased by as much as 11.6 and 6.4 V for the p-well and n-well MOS capacitors, respectively. >
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Prevention of Breast Cancer: an Update and the State of the Science

The quantity and makeup of dietary fat intake are known to affect human health. A variety of purported health benefits, including cancer prevention, have focused increased attention on use of omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplements. Preclinical evidence has been encouraging, and recent studies have increased our understanding of mechanisms by means of which ω-3 PUFAs may protect against breast cancer. However, epidemiological studies have yielded mixed results. Recent population studies have attempted to determine factors, for example total fat intake and the ratio of ω-3 to ω-6 PUFA intake, that may affect the action of ω-3 PUFAs. Several clinical trials, some currently ongoing, are investigating strategies to favorably alter endogenous fatty acid profiles in an attempt to develop clinically feasible prevention methods. Identification of well-defined subpopulations who are most likely to benefit from a targeted prevention approach will probably be crucial to this effort.
Queuing and queue-jumping: long-term patterns of reproductive skew in male savannah baboons, Papio cynocephalus

In many animals, variance in male mating success is strongly correlated with male dominance rank or some other measure of fighting ability. Studies in primates, however, have varied greatly in whether they detect a relationship between male dominance rank and mating success. This variability has led to debate about the nature of the relation between rank and mating success in male primates. We contribute to the resolution of this debate by presenting an analysis of the relationship between dominance rank and male mating success over 32 group-years in a population of wild savannah baboons. When data were pooled over the entire period, higher-ranking males had greater access to fertile females. However, when we examined successive 6-month blocks, we found variance in the extent to which rank predicted mating success. In some periods, the dominance hierarchy functioned as a queue in which males waited for mating opportunities, so that rank predicted mating success. In other periods, the queuing system broke down, and rank failed to predict mating success when many adult males were in the group, when males in the group differed greatly in age, and when the highest-ranking male maintained his rank for only short periods. The variance within this single population is similar to the variance observed between populations of baboons and between species of primates. Our long-term results provide strong support for the proposition that this variance is not an artefact of methodological differences between short-term studies, but is due to true variance in the extent to which high-ranking males are able to monopolize access to females.  2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Acidity of Alkenes and Polyenes

1 Introduction 2 Vinyl Hydrogens 3 Allyl Hydrogens 4 Acknowledgments Keywords: alkene and polyene acidity; CH bonds of saturated alkanes; tetrahydrofuran (THF) solutions; vinyl hydrogens; alkene and polyene acidity; allyl hydrogens; allylic anions in solution; solvent separated ion pairs (SSIP)
Jets and plumes with negative or reversing buoyancy

The motion of turbulent jets of heavy salt solution injected upwards into a tank of fresh water has been compared with that of plumes which are initially buoyant but become heavy as they mix with the environment. The reversal of buoyancy in the latter case is produced by using fluids having a non-linear density change on mixing, a laboratory analogue of the density changes occurring at the top of a cumulus cloud due to evaporation. The behaviour in the two cases is quite different; salt jets reach a steady height about which only small fluctuations occur, while the plumes with reversing buoyancy exhibit violent regular oscillations. This phenomenon, which is clearly a property of the ‘evaporation’ and not just of the geometry, is suggested as a likely explanation of the observed oscillation of the tops of cumulus towers. Dimensional arguments have been used to relate the experimental results to the volume, momentum and buoyancy fluxes at the source. An application of one of the deduced relations to the atmosphere gives realistic periods for the cloud-top oscillations.
A fault tolerant topology control in wireless sensor networks

Summary form only given. Topology control of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a key design challenge in terms of extending the lifetime of the network. The paper presents a fault tolerant topology control by adding necessary redundant nodes to the network's simple communication backbone, which results a higher vertex connectivity degree. It provides not only fault tolerance for unreliable node failure, but also support for upper level protocols. The paper also identifies several factors and synchronization methods which may affect the redundant node selection. A simulation study shows the improvement of network lifetime with a desired vertex connectivity degree.
Learning cross-modal appearance models with application to tracking

Objects of interest are rarely silent or invisible. Analysis of multi-modal signal generation from a single object represents a rich and challenging area for smart sensor arrays. We consider the problem of simultaneously learning and audio and visual appearance model of a moving subject. We present a method which successfully learns such a model without benefit of hand initialization using only the associated audio signal to "decide" which object to model and track. We are interested in particular in modeling joint audio and video variation, such as produced by a speaking face. We present an algorithm and experimental results of a human speaker moving in a scene.
Does membrane fluidity contribute to thermal compensation of beta-adrenergic signal transduction in isolated trout hepatocytes?

The potential role of compensatory adjustments to membrane components in determining the function of the (β)-adrenergic receptor/adenylyl cyclase ((β)-AR/AC) signal-transduction system was studied in isolated hepatocytes of 5 degrees C- and 20 degrees C-acclimated rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Rates of epinephrine-stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) production, although slowed (by a factor of 1.6- to 2.4-fold) by an acute drop in assay temperature from 20 to 5 degrees C, were significantly temperature-compensated, being approximately twofold higher in hepatocytes of 5 degrees C- than of 20 degrees C-acclimated trout. Membrane order in the bilayer interior of hepatocyte plasma membranes (as assessed by fluorescence polarization of 1, 6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene) was consistently lower in cold- than in warm-acclimated trout, reflecting an efficacy of homeoviscous adaptation of approximately 50 %. Temperature-induced changes in plasma membrane fatty acid composition (i.e. an increase in the proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids with acclimation to 5 degrees C) were consistent with both the observed changes in the order of the bilayer interior and the extent of homeoviscous adaptation. However, isothermal fluidization of the bilayer interior by the addition of benzyl alcohol (30 mmol l(−)(1)) decreased rather than increased the rate of cAMP production. Significantly more (1. 81-fold) beta-adrenergic receptors were present in plasma membranes of hepatocytes from 5 degrees C-acclimated (6. 23×10(4)+/−4206 receptors per cell; mean +/− s.e.m., N=3) than 20 degrees C-acclimated fish (3.44×10(4)+/−4360 receptors per cell; N=3) when assayed at the acclimation temperature, whereas the equilibrium dissociation constants (K(d)) (13.73+/−4.33 nmol l(−)(1) at 5 degrees C; 9.75+/−3.29 nmol l(−)(1) at 20 degrees C; N=3) were similar. On the basis of a strong correlation between beta-adrenoceptor number and the rate of cAMP production (r(2)=0. 956), regardless of assay or acclimation temperature, we conclude that modulation of receptor number is the primary acclimatory response of this signal-transduction pathway to temperature change in trout liver.
Correction: Strain effects on oxygen migration in perovskites.

Correction for ‘Strain effects on oxygen migration in perovskites’ by Tam Mayeshiba et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 2715–2721.
Obliteration of Vasoconstrictor Gradient in the Extremities Under Nitrous Oxide-Oxygen, Ether, and Tribromethyl Alcohol Anesthesias.

Recent studies of peripheral vascular diseases have brought out the importance of differentiating the element of spasm from that of organic occlusion. Vasoconstriction can be demonstrated in the extremities of most individuals with normal blood vessels by measuring the surface temperatures. This action is present in varying amounts depending on the interplay of environmental conditions and the nervous mechanism. It possesses a definite gradient1 so that it usually begins about the knee and progressively increases distally. Consequently the toes are normally the coldest parts of the lower extremity. These surface temperature differences can under certain conditions be made to disappear. In a series of 22 individuals with normal vessels it was found that this took place when the lumbar sympathetic fibres were paralyzed by spinal anesthesia. All surface temperatures of the extremities came to approximately the same level, with a variation of ±1.7°C. from the mean. This evidently represents a condition of phy...
On Pandiagonal Magic Squares of Order 6t ± 1

(1972). On Pandiagonal Magic Squares of Order 6t ± 1. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 94-96.
Living and Dying at the Crossroads: Racism, Embodiment, and Why Theory Is Essential for a Public Health of Consequence.

The author discusses the reasons why she believes that theory is essential for establishing a public health of consequence, and it mentions how theory enables researchers, practitioners, and activists deal with public health-related issues such as racism, life expectancy, and social injustice in places such as the U.S. The social conditions of Black and White people in America are examined, along with a clean water crisis in Flint, Michigan and the relationship between science and society.
Polarographic and Biologic Activities of N-Substituted Maleimides.

SummaryThe half-suppression values and half-wave potentials for 5 N-substituted maleimides were measured with the polarograph and compared with their inhibitory effects on growth of plant tissue in...
Race Relations in the United States, Politics of

Political scientists have long assumed that the race problem will resolve itself through integration and assimilation of racial minorities as well as through the disappearance of White racism. As a consequence, the politics of race has been a neglected subfield of American politics, and it has been the research on the politics of African Americans, which constitutes a separate inquiry, that has largely established the continuing significance of race in American politics. Apart from Black politics, a great deal of empirical work, mired in controversy, has focused on the impact of Whites' racial attitudes on their public policy beliefs and political behavior. New work also has emerged on race relations and U.S. politics that examines how institutional structures both reify and transform race relations. This new work is also moving beyond the Black-White dichotomy to include other American minorities, including Latinos, Asian Americans, gays and lesbians
Effects of oxygen addition on the void-swelling behavior of vanadium

Vanadium-ion irradiation of vanadium alloys containing 1 to 4 at. pct O in solid solution was used to investigate void swelling at temperatures from 550 to 905°C. Voids were observed at all temperatures for V-l O, with peak swelling of ∼0.88 pct for 20 dpa occurring at ∼680°C. Void size at 20 dpa increased from ∼30A at 550°C to -700A at 905°C. This was accompanied by a decrease in void number density from 4 x 1016/cm3 to 3 x 1012/cm3 at 550 and 905°C, respectively. The dependence of void swelling in V on dose and oxygen composition was investigated at 700°C. Swelling increased monotonically with dose from 0.02 pct at 3 dpa to ∼1 pct at 35 dpa in V-l O and from 0.001 pct at 3 dpa to ∼0.2 pct at 35 dpa in V-2 O. Voids were not observed at 3 dpa in V-3 O and V-4 O, and also at 20 dpa in V-4 O. At a fixed dose and 700°C, the swelling decreased approximately exponentially with oxygen content, dropping from ∼2.5 pct in unalloyed V to ∼0.02 pct at 20 dpa in V-3 O. The temperature dependence of void swelling in V-l O was calculated using current void-growth models modified for vacancy trapping by interstitial solutes. The calculated curve is a reasonable fit to the experimentally determined points. It is shown that mechanisms in addition to vacancy-trapping effects on void growth are necessary to explain the magnitude of suppression in swelling observed in the more concentrated alloys.
Effect of pH on the Binding of Sodium, Lysine, and Arginine Counterions to l-Undecyl Leucinate Micelles

Micelle formation by the amino acid-based surfactant undecylenyl l-leucine was investigated as a function of solution pH with NMR, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy. NMR and dynamic light scattering showed that 50 mM undecylenyl l-leucine and 50 mM NaHCO3 solutions contained micelles approximately 20 A in diameter and that micelle radius and the mole fraction of surfactant molecules associated with micelles changed very little with solution pH. The binding of the amino acids arginine and lysine to the anionic micelles was also investigated from pH 7.0 to 11.5. Below pH 9.0, the mole fraction of arginine cations bound to the micelles was approximately 0.4. Above pH 9.0, the arginine counterions became zwitterionic, and the mole fraction of bound arginine molecules decreased steadily to less than 0.1 at pH 11. When arginine dissociated from the micelles, their radii decreased from 14 to 10 A. Similar behavior was observed with lysine; however, when lysine dissociated from the micelle surface, little change in micelle radius was observed. Two-dimensional NMR experiments suggested that below pH 9.0, l-arginine bound perpendicular to the micelle surface primarily though its side chain amine while l-lysine bound parallel to the surface through both of its amine functional groups. Finally, the rate at which the amide protons on the surfactant headgoup exchanged with solvent was investigated with NMR spectroscopy. The exchange reaction was faster in solutions containing only surfactant monomers and slower when the surfactants were in micellar form and the headgoup amide protons were less exposed to solvent.
Evaluation of Monte Carlo-based compensation for scatter and crosstalk in simultaneous In-111/Tc-99m SPECT-CT imaging of infection

Osteomyelitis (OM), a bone-marrow infection, is best diagnosed by simultaneous In-111 white blood cell and Tc-99m sulfur colloid imaging. The diagnosis has conventionally been based on a visual assessment of images, where a region of increased In-111 activity, spatially concordant with a region of decreased Tc-99m activity, indicates possible OM. To obtain more accurate and precise tomographic images of both radionuclides, we modified a previously developed Monte Carlo (MC)-based scatter and crosstalk estimation procedure based on a joint ordered-subsets expectation-maximization (MC-JOSEM) reconstruction algorithm, and compared its performance to that of a triple-energy-window-based (TEW-OSEM) reconstruction approach. A numerical phantom with eight simulated bone-marrow infection regions was used to evaluate the performance of both methods in simultaneous In-111/Tc-99m imaging. After using our SPECT MC program to simulate essentially noise-free data for both tracers, eight independent projections of Poisson-noise deviates were generated. Volumes of interest (VOI) were drawn in five normal-marrow and eight infected-marrow locations to assess the performance of both methods, with respect to that achievable using primary photons only from both nuclides. Overall, MC-JOSEM (χ2=1.7) outperformed TEW-OSEM (χ2=7.4). After one iteration, which provided the lowest mean-squared error of activity estimates, the average relative bias ± precision of reconstructed Tc-99m activity concentration in regions of infection decreased from 81.6±17.7% for images not compensated for scatter (NC) to 11.1±12.3% (MC) vs. 16.9±11.0% (TEW) and, in normal-bone regions, decreased from 34.4±22.5% (NC) to −3.9±10.8% (MC) vs. 4.1±11.5% (TEW). For In-111, the relative accuracy ± precision in regions of infection improved from 11.6±14.1% (NC) to 0.6±9.9 % (MC) vs. 15.5±8.5% (TEW) and, in normal-bone regions, decreased from 75.8±31.2% (NC) to 34.8±26.4% (MC) vs. 60.6±21.2% (TEW).
Engineering differential charge selectivity from a single structural template.

For any ion channel, both the identity and fundamental physiological roles are largely defined by ion selectivity. It is the regulated passage of some ions, but not others, across a cell membrane that determines specific membrane potential (Vm) changes that occur with channel activation. For example, opening of potassium (K+)-selective channels typically drives Vm to negative values, generally reducing excitability, whereas activation of voltage-dependent sodium (Na+)- or calcium (Ca2+)-selective channels contributes to strong depolarization. For the superfamily of tetrameric, strongly cation-selective channels, the determinants of selectivity arise in part from favored occupancy by permeant ions at one or more specific sites within the permeation pathway, sites readily identified in available structures (1, 2). Specific coordination of permeant cations by carbonyl oxygens or carboxylic acid side chains favors occupancy by the permeating species over other cations of slightly different radii (3, 4). However, other ion channels are not so explicitly selective and have evolved alternative filtering strategies. A remarkable case is that of members of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel (pLGIC) superfamily, in which each member shares similar structural features, but some are cation-selective whereas others are anion-selective. How such functional distinctions arise among channels with highly conserved features has been a long-standing question. Previous work has focused on some specific charged loci in one or a few pLGIC members to identify potential influences on charge selectivity (5⇓⇓–8). However, as noted in a paper by Cymes and Grosman in PNAS (9), a detailed analysis of the literature reveals that a large number of discrepancies exist and that no consensus mechanism has yet been attained. For example, the elementary question as to whether charge selectivity is governed by interactions of the permeating ions with backbone atoms or side-chain atoms had not …
Voriconazole-Induced Periostitis & Enthesopathy in Solid Organ Transplant Patients: Case Reports.

Background: Voriconazole is frequently used to treat fungal infections in solid organ transplant patients. Recently, there have been reports suggesting that prolonged voriconazole therapy may lead to periostitis. Aim: Here we present two cases of voriconazole-induced periostitis in solid organ transplant patients. Case Presentation: Voriconazole was given to two transplant patients-one with a liver transplant and the second with a heart transplant, to treat their fungal infections. Both developed voriconazole-induced toxicity. While undergoing voriconazole therapy, they had incapacitating bone pain. The liver transplant patient had to be taken off voriconazole, and the heart transplant patient succumbed to non-voriconazole related causes. Conclusions: Voriconazole therapy in two solid organ transplant patients resulted in periostitis. We provide potential etiologies underlying voriconazole-induced periostitis, including fluoride toxicity, abnormalities in the pulmonary vascular bed leading to the production of downstream inflammatory mediators, and abnormal pharmacokinetics of hepatic drug metabolism. In addition to monitoring blood voriconazole trough levels, we suggest careful assessment for musculoskeletal pain in patients undergoing voriconazole treatment for two months or more, particularly if their daily dosages of voriconazole exceed 500 mg per day. Appropriate workup should include measurement of alkaline phosphatase and fluoride levels, voriconazole trough and bone scan. Overall, early recognition of voriconazole-induced musculoskeletal toxicity is important for better morbidity outcomes.
Vanishing theorems for coherent automorphic cohomology

We consider the coherent cohomology of toroidal compactifications of locally symmetric varieties (such as Shimura varieties) with coefficients in the canonical and subcanonical extensions of automorphic vector bundles, and give explicit conditions for them to vanish in certain degrees. We also provide algorithms for determining all such degrees in practice.
Sonofragmentation of Ionic Crystals.

Mechanochemistry deals with the interface between the chemical and the mechanical worlds and explores the physical and chemical changes in materials caused by an input of mechanical energy. As such, the chemical and physical effects of ultrasound, i.e., sonochemistry, are forms of mechanochemistry. In this paper, the fragmentation of ionic crystals during ultrasonic irradiation of slurries has been quantitatively investigated: the rate of fragmentation depends strongly on the strength of the materials (as measured by Vickers hardness or by Young's modulus). This is a mechanochemical extension of the Bell–Evans–Polanyi Principle or Hammond's Postulate: activation energies for solid fracture correlate with binding energies of solids. Sonofragmentation is unaffected by slurry loading or liquid vapor pressure, but is suppressed by increasing liquid viscosity. The mechanism of the particle breakage is consistent with a direct interaction between the shockwaves created by the ultrasound (through acoustic cavitation) and the solid particles in the slurry. Fragmentation is proposed to occur from defects in the solids induced by compression–expansion, bending, or torsional distortions of the crystals.
Self-Assembling 2D Nano-Crystalline of Recombinant Surface Layer Proteins (S-Layer) on Solid Substrates and Electrical Responses

S-layer proteins of various lattice-forming types are the most abundant protein by mass on earth. They form the outermost cell crystalline component in a broad range of bacteria and archaea. They are porous monomolecular layer with unit cell size in tens of nanometers. These monomer proteins are capable of forming self-assembled mono- or double layers. Isolated from cell surfaces or through recombinant protein production, they are able to form ordered 2D crystal lattice on a variety of non-cellular surfaces. We study S-layer SbpA protein, which is found in mesophilic organism Lysinibacillus sphaericus with square lattice crystallinity. The recombinant SbpA (rSbpA) can be genetically modified and expressed in E. coli in different truncated forms. Using both the wtSpbA and truncated rSbpA, we reproduced the unique two-dimensional self-assembly pattern on several solid or flexible surfaces of interests towards electronic devices. By surface modification we can promote the self-assembly of SbpA on low affinity substrates. This enables a potential mean of creating complex functional bio-nanostructure. Delicate control of the self-assembly processes of S-layer on surfaces also serves the prerequisite of building the supramolecular structure as bio-electronic platform through protein fusing. Understanding of the electrical response from s-layer proteins provides a bridge between biological systems and electronic devices. Scale-up production and understanding the detailed interaction of the S-layer interface will likely be useful for nanobiotechnology and synthetic biology.
The Sustainable Equitable Trade Doctrine: Building Progressive International Cooperation to Counter Right-Wing Economic Authoritarianism

U.S. foreign policy and the need to cultivate international alliances increasingly conflict with U.S. domestic politics, particularly with regard to trade. The 2016 election featured an outgoing Democratic administration insisting the Trans-Pacific Partnership was the U.S.’s last hope to show its commitment to the Asia-Pacific, a Republican candidate blaming it and other trade deals for all that ails the U.S. working class, and a Democratic candidate caught in the middle. Given the rise of right-wing economic authoritarianism that co-opts certain aspects of the trade policy critique of progressives, the latter are struggling with whether to pivot right, left, or center on trade questions. This report outlines a Sustainable Equitable Trade (SET) doctrine that can make international cooperation more domestically palatable. It uses “doctrine” not in the sense of “dogma,” but rather as a broad set of policy goals through which specific policies (old and new) can be evaluated. The doctrine has three pillars: 1) Flip the class bias; 2) Promote systemic participation; 3) Win power. Section I explores 100 years of U.S. institution building on trade and investment policy, looking particular at its judicialization orientation. Section II explores the political geography of domestic U.S. criticism of trade opening. Section III ties the governance and economic considerations together into a pro-worker integration agenda that tackles monopoly power, wealth concentration, financial instability, corporate governance, and deindustrialization.
An Interactive Simulator for Imposing Virtual Musculoskeletal Dynamics

Objective: disease processes are often marked by both neural and muscular changes that alter movement control and execution, but these adaptations are difficult to tease apart because they occur simultaneously. This is addressed by swapping an individual's limb dynamics with a neurally controlled facsimile using an interactive musculoskeletal simulator (IMS) that allows controlled modifications of musculoskeletal dynamics. This paper details the design and operation of the IMS, quantifies and describes human adaptation to the IMS, and determines whether the IMS allows users to move naturally, a prerequisite for manipulation experiments. Methods: healthy volunteers ( n = 4) practiced a swift goal-directed task (back-and-forth elbow flexion/extension) for 90 trials with the IMS off (normal dynamics) and 240 trials with the IMS on, i.e., the actions of a user's personalized electromyography-driven musculoskeletal model are robotically imposed back onto the user. Results: after practicing with the IMS on, subjects could complete the task with end-point errors of 1.56°, close to the speed-matched IMS-off error of 0.57°. Muscle activity, joint torque, and arm kinematics for IMS-on and -off conditions were well matched for three subjects (root-mean-squared error [RMSE] = 0.16 N·m), but the error was higher for one subject with a small stature (RMSE = 0.25 N·m). Conclusion: a well-matched musculoskeletal model allowed IMS users to perform a goal-directed task nearly as well as when the IMS was not active. Significance: this advancement permits real-time manipulations of musculoskeletal dynamics, which could increase our understanding of muscular and neural co-adaptations to injury, disease, disuse, and aging.
How much runoff originates as snow in the western United States, and how will that change in the future?

In the western United States, the seasonal phase of snow storage bridges between winter-dominant precipitation and summer-dominant water demand. The critical role of snow in water supply has been frequently quantified using the ratio of snowmelt-derived runoff to total runoff. However, current estimates of the fraction of annual runoff generated by snowmelt are not based on systematic analyses. Here based on hydrological model simulations and a new snowmelt tracking algorithm, we show that 53% of the total runoff in the western United States originates as snowmelt, despite only 37% of the precipitation falling as snow. In mountainous areas, snowmelt is responsible for 70% of the total runoff. By 2100, the contribution of snowmelt to runoff will decrease by one third for the western U.S. in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario. Snowmelt-derived runoff currently makes up two thirds of the inflow to the region's major reservoirs. We argue that substantial impacts on water supply are likely in a warmer climate.
Considering Alternate Sources of Role Identity: Childless Parents and Their Animal “Kids”†

Identity theory posits that role identity is negotiated between human social actors and is based in broader cultural expectations about how particular statuses should be performed. I argue that the formation of role identity in actors can also occur in relationship to nonhuman actors, if they are perceived as minded. Depending on context and human perception, identity can be formed as a result of interaction and developing “theory of mind” with nonhuman animals, directly implicating the animal. Using in-depth interviews of childless and childfree companion animal owners, I demonstrate the existence of a parent identity in childless participants that would not otherwise be present were it not for interaction with the animal “child.” This identity is confirmed in participant narratives describing substantial behavioral output aligned with the U.S. cultural ideal of “parent.” Likewise, I find that significant others provide external support for the enactment of this role identity, allowing participants to verify self-in-situation. Overall, my analysis emphasizes the importance of considering nonhuman sources as occupying counterstatus positions in the formation of role identity while highlighting how these relationships affect interaction in the childfree and childless home, thus expanding scholarly understanding about both identity formation and emerging family types.
Phase II trial with tamoxifen in combination with vorinostat and pembrolizumab in estrogen receptor (+) hormone therapy resistant metastatic breast cancer patients (NCT02395627).

TPS620Background: Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors in estrogen receptor (ER) + breast cancer has been less effective than in other diseases. This in part is due to the scarcity of tumor inf...
The complex relationship between cost and quality in US health care.

Given that high-intensity care has been shown to improve some patient outcomes, adopting the less-is-more mantra indiscriminately could harm patient care.
My classroom robot: Exploring telepresence for K-12 education in a virtual environment

Telepresence robots have the potential to improve access to K-12 education. However, designing robots for classroom use presents unique challenges from both logistical and technological perspectives. To address these challenges, we created My Classroom Robot, an interactive game in which players can operate a virtual telepresence robot in a classroom environment. The virtual classroom environment allows us to collect data and prototype different designs prior to involving the high overhead required in going into the real classroom. In this work, we present the design of My Classroom Robot, an initial evaluation, and the lessons learned from its development.
Example Problems Involving One-Dimensional Fluid Flow in Soils

This chapter considers the one-dimensional steady-state flow of an incompressible pore fluid through a soil.
Chest Radiograph Measurement Technique Facilitates Accurate Bedside Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Placement in Children.

To report the chest radiograph measurement technique for placing bedside peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). Two hundred and thirty-two consecutive pediatric patients, mean age of 56.3 months (range: 0–203 months), underwent PICC placement from January 2015 to May 2017 (28 months) with a total of 232 PICCs placed. Measurements were taken from the cavoatrial junction to clavicle, clavicle to medial margin of mid-humeral head, and medial margin of mid-humeral head to mid-humerus. The difference between total radiographic measured length and actual PICC length was then calculated, and the percent difference (from actual cut length) was recorded. An equivalence test was performed using the two, one-sided test method. Mean ± standard deviation cavoatrial junction to clavicle length was 5.29 ± 2.20 cm (range: 2.1–12.6 cm). Mean clavicle to shoulder length was 8.20 ± 3.59 cm (range: 3.23–19.06 cm). Mean shoulder to mid-humerus length was 7.88 ± 3.87 cm (range: 2.01–16.8 cm). Mean total radiographic measured length was 21.37 ± 9.19 cm (range: 7.42–43.6 cm). Mean actual cut PICC length was 20.64 ± 8.72 cm (range: 8.5–44 cm). The mean difference between predicted, or total radiographic measured length, and actual cut PICC length was 0.73 ± 2.51 (range: − 5.42–8.60 cm). The mean percent difference was 4.07 ± 12.65% (range: − 23.84–47.80%). An equivalence test rejected the null hypothesis of the true percent difference greater/less than ± 6.67% with a p value of 0.002. The chest radiograph measurement technique is an accurate method to determine catheter length for PICC placement at bedside in the pediatric population.
Prognostic impact of DNA repair germline variants in hormone sensitive prostate cancer stage.

262Background: Inherited and somatic aberrations in DNA repair genes in castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are associated with poor prognosis, but respond well to poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. We evaluated the prevalence and prognostic impact of harboring germline DNA repair variants in hormone sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC). Methods: Germline DNA from buffy coat was sequenced on HiSeq4000 with a median coverage of 200X for DNA repair variants in 20 genes in HSPC and CRPC patients (pts) enrolled in a hospital registry. Pts were divided into two groups; Group A: pts enrolled at the time of CRPC stage; Group B: treatment naive HSPC stage pts. The primary endpoints were to determine any impact of harboring DNA repair variants on time to progression from HSPC to CRPC and, from CRPC to death. Group A pts were retrospectively analyzed for time to progression from HSPC to CRPC while Group B patients were followed prospectively for outcomes. Statistical analysis included Cox proportional ...
Association of chronic fatigue syndrome with premature telomere attrition

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a severely debilitating condition of unknown etiology. The symptoms and risk factors of ME/CFS share features of accelerated aging implicated in several diseases. Using telomere length as a marker, this study was performed to test the hypothesis that ME/CFS is associated with accelerated aging. Participant (n = 639) data came from the follow-up time point of the Georgia CFS surveillance study. Using the 1994 CFS Research Case Definition with questionnaire-based subscale thresholds for fatigue, function, and symptoms, participants were classified into four illness groups: CFS if all criteria were met (n = 64), CFS-X if CFS with exclusionary conditions (n = 77), ISF (insufficient symptoms/fatigue) if only some criteria were met regardless of exclusionary conditions (n = 302), and NF (non-fatigued) if no criteria and no exclusionary conditions (n = 196). Relative telomere length (T/S ratio) was measured using DNA from whole blood and real-time PCR. General linear models were used to estimate the association of illness groups or T/S ratio with demographics, biological measures and covariates with significance set at p < 0.05. The mean T/S ratio differed significantly by illness group (p = 0.0017); the T/S ratios in CFS (0.90 ± 0.03) and ISF (0.94 ± 0.02) were each significantly lower than in NF (1.06 ± 0.04). Differences in T/S ratio by illness groups remained significant after adjustment for covariates of age, sex, body mass index, waist–hip ratio, post-exertional malaise and education attainment. Telomere length was shorter by 635, 254 and 424 base pairs in CFS, CFS-X and ISF, respectively, compared to NF. This shorter telomere length translates to roughly 10.1–20.5, 4.0–8.2 and 6.6–13.7 years of additional aging in CFS, CFS-X and ISF compared to NF respectively. Further, stratified analyses based on age and sex demonstrated that the association of ME/CFS with short telomeres is largely moderated by female subjects < 45 years old. This study found a significant association of ME/CFS with premature telomere attrition that is largely moderated by female subjects < 45 years old. Our results indicate that ME/CFS could be included in the list of conditions associated with accelerated aging. Further work is needed to evaluate the functional significance of accelerated aging in ME/CFS.
Nuclear Data Needs for the Space Exploration Initiative

On July 20, 1989, the President of the United States announced a new direction for the U.S. Space Program. The new Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) is intended to emplace a permanent base on the Lunar surface and a manned outpost on the Mars surface by 2019. In order to achieve this ambitious challenge, new, innovative and robust technologies will have to be developed to support crew operations. Nuclear power and propulsion have been recognized as technologies that are at least mission enhancing and, in some scenarios, mission enabling. Because of the extreme operating conditions present in a nuclear rocket core, accurate modeling of the rocket will require cross section data sets which do not currently exist.
Rationale and Efficacy of Sound Therapies for Tinnitus and Hyperacusis

Sound therapies are a common component of treatments for tinnitus and hyperacusis. The original idea was to partially or completely mask tinnitus with broadband noise delivered by sound generators or hearing aids, for a few hours each day. Over several months, many patients reported that their tinnitus became quieter or easier to bear, and that loud sounds became less aversive. However, it wasn't always clear that these benefits could be attributed to sound therapy rather than to other aspects of treatment, such as counseling or hearing aid use, and not all patients reported benefits. During the past few decades, many other sound stimuli have been tried, including narrower bands of noise and tone bursts, music, and nature sounds. These sounds have been filtered in relation to the tinnitus pitch, adjusted for hearing loss, amplitude-modulated, and recently paired with electrical nerve stimulation. Many of our ideas about the neural underpinnings of tinnitus and hyperacusis come from animal models. However, studies of sound treatments in animals with putative tinnitus or hyperacusis have been rare. Clinical sound therapy trials are emerging, but outcomes typically remain modest, and few patients achieve complete remission of tinnitus or hyperacusis, unless the underlying hearing loss is treated with hearing aids or implants, in which case success rates are higher. More studies are needed, on both animal models and human subjects, to further explore the rationales for the various sound therapy options reviewed here, and to optimally tailor sounds and treatment approaches to individual patients, so that maximum benefits can be obtained.
Genomics, Ethical Issues in

Improvements in our ability to analyze and understand DNA will have ethical implications for society. The most important issue stem from DNA's ability to predict an individual's future, during his or her life, at birth, as a fetus, as an in vitro embryo, or even before conception. There will also be ramifications for health care, in establishing identity, in revealing the past, through genetic manipulation, on ownership and control of genetic material and information, and in cultural understandings of humanness, race, and the roles of nature and nurture.