cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms involved in living systems organisation, especially the programming necessary to enable the construction of individuals in three dimensions.

Abstract The complexity of the organization of living systems escalates by orders of magnitude in the development, from single precursor cells, not only of the three-dimensional structures characterizing each species but also in the variations necessary to accommodate the 1 million or more separate and identifiable species on this planet. Although the genetic information controlling such information is currently considered to reside in cellular DNA, it is also held that such information is restricted to a linear form encoding specifically for protein. However, this not only fails to explain the co-ordination of the vast number of processes occurring in simple, single cell, organisms, but also the integration of cellular activities to serve the interests of the total system. In particular how can a homeobox containing only genes encoding specifically for proteins organize and implement the mechanisms necessary for three-dimensional development? This, and the organization and implementation of the massive amount of information necessary to execute the construction of such a wide range of species, each in its own unique and exquisite detail, calls for internal programming of a highly complex and sophisticated nature. It is proposed here that such a central computer-analog program does exist, housed in the molecular electronic structure of cellular nucleic acid, primarily in DNA: its possible nature is discussed. Since precursor cells contain only of the order of 10 −10 g of DNA, this proposal involves an increase in information storage efficiency comparable with that already achieved by silicon microprocessors over mechanical calculators.
An RNA Mapping DataBase for curating RNA structure mapping experiments

Summary: We have established an RNA mapping database (RMDB) to enable structural, thermodynamic and kinetic comparisons across single-nucleotide-resolution RNA structure mapping experiments. The volume of structure mapping data has greatly increased since the development of high-throughput sequencing techniques, accelerated software pipelines and large-scale mutagenesis. For scientists wishing to infer relationships between RNA sequence/structure and these mapping data, there is a need for a database that is curated, tagged with error estimates and interfaced with tools for sharing, visualization, search and meta-analysis. Through its on-line front-end, the RMDB allows users to explore single-nucleotide-resolution mapping data in heat-map, bar-graph and colored secondary structure graphics; to leverage these data to generate secondary structure hypotheses; and to download the data in standardized and computer-friendly files, including the RDAT and community-consensus SNRNASM formats. At the time of writing, the database houses 53 entries, describing more than 2848 experiments of 1098 RNA constructs in several solution conditions and is growing rapidly. Availability: Freely available on the web at http://rmdb.stanford.edu Contact: rhiju@stanford.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Online.
Morquio A syndrome : cloning, sequence, and structure of the human N-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulfatase (GALNS) gene

Deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme, N-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulfatase (GALNS;EC 3.1.6.4), results in the storage of the glycosaminoglycans, keratan sulfate and chondroitin 6-sulfate, which leads to the lysosomal storage disorder Morquio A syndrome. Four overlapping genomic clones derived from a chromosome 16-specific gridded cosmid library containing the entire GALNS gene were isolated. The structure of the gene and the sequence of the exon/intron boundaries and the 5' promoter region were determined. The GALNS gene is split into 14 exons spanning approximately 40 kb. The potential promoter for GALNS lacks a TATA box but contains GC box consensus sequences, consistent with its role as a housekeeping gene. The GALNS gene contains an Alu repeat in intron 5 and a VNTR-like sequence in intron 6.
Adaptive-scale filtering and feature detection using range data

In edge and corner detection applications, it is typical to examine a single scale without knowing which scale is appropriate for each location in the image. However, many images contain a wide variation in the distance to the scene pixels and, thus, features of the same size can appear at greatly differing scales in the image. We present a method where the scale of the filtering and feature detection is varied locally according to the distance to the scene pixel, which we estimate through stereoscopy. The features that are detected are, thus, at the same scale in the world, rather than at the same scale in the image. This method has been implemented efficiently by filtering the image at a discrete set of scales and performing interpolation to estimate the response at the correct scale for each pixel. The application of this technique to an ordnance recognition problem has resulted in a considerable improvement in performance.
A new vespertilionid bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the Early Miocene (Hemingfordian) of Florida, USA

A new bat, Karstala silva, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the early Miocene (early Hemingfordian) Thomas Farm local fauna, Gilchrist County, Florida. The new taxon is represented by an upper canine, posterior part of the dentary, isolated upper and lower molars, much of the humerus, and part of the radius. The myotodont configuration and steeply inclined lingual cingulid of m1-m2 separate Karstala from the Molossidae and most Vespertilionidae except Antrozous. Karstala differs from Antrozous in other molar details and from all molossids and North American vespertilionids in having a humerus with the combination of a rounded head, deep supraglenoid pit, long and high pectoral ridge, tiny olecranon fossa, and no notch between the medial side of the trochlea and spinous process. The new species is comparable in size to the larger known species of the Vespertilionidae and is the largest known bat in the Tertiary of North America.
Trunk Postural Muscle Timing Is Not Compromised In Low Back Pain Patients Clinically Diagnosed With Movement Coordination Impairments

Trunk muscle timing impairment has been associated with nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP), but this finding has not been consistent. This study investigated trunk muscle timing in a subgroup of patients with NSLBP attributed to movement coordination impairment (MCI) and matched asymptomatic controls in response to a rapid arm-raising task. Twenty-one NSLBP subjects and 21 matched controls had arm motion and surface EMG data collected from seven bilateral trunk muscles. Muscle onset and offset relative to deltoid muscle activation and arm motion, duration of muscle burst and abdominal-extensor co-contraction time were derived. Trunk muscle onset and offset latencies, and burst and co-contraction durations were not different (p > .05) between groups. Patterns of trunk muscle activation and deactivation relative to arm motion were not different. Task performance was similar between groups. Trunk muscle timing does not appear to be an underlying impairment in the subgroup of NSLBP with MCI.
Micropuncture analysis of single-nephron function in NHE3-deficient mice

The Na/H exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) is expressed in the proximal tubule and thick ascending limb and contributes to the reabsorption of fluid and electrolytes in these segments. The contribution of...
Jet-cooled laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy of isopropoxy radical: vibronic analysis of B̃-X̃ and B̃-Ã band systems.

Recently we published [ Liu et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2013 , 139 , 154312 ] an analysis of the rotational structure of the B-X origin band spectrum of isopropoxy, which confirmed that the double methyl substitution of methoxy to yield the isopropoxy radical only slightly lifted the degeneracy of the former's X(2)E state. Additionally the spectral results provided considerable insight into the relativistic and nonrelativistic contributions to the experimental splitting between the components of the (2)E state. However, left unexplained was how the Jahn-Teller (JT) vibronic coupling terms within methoxy's (2)E state manifest themselves as pseudo-Jahn-Teller (pJT) vibronic coupling between the A(2)A″ and X(2)A' levels of isopropoxy. To cast additional light on this subject we have obtained new isopropoxy spectra and assigned a number of weak, "forbidden" vibronic transitions in the B-X spectrum using new electronic structure calculations and rotational contour analyses. The mechanisms that provide the nonzero probability for these transitions shed considerable information on pJT, spin-orbit, and Coriolis coupling between the A and X states. We also report a novel mechanism caused by pJT coupling that yields excitation probability to the B state dependent upon the permanent dipole moments in the B and A or X states. By combining a new B-A and the earlier B-X rotational analyses we determine a much improved value for the experimental A-X separation.
Management of the pecan serpentine leafminer (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae)

The pecan serpentine leafminer, Stigmella juglandifoliella (Clemens), found on pecan in Georgia has a single life stage dominant in a commercial orchard at any given time. Sampling larvae and determining the time when pupation occurred was an effective forecasting tool for peak adult emergence. Single applications of carbaryl, dimethoate, diflubenzuron, or fenvalerate, timed to coincide with peak adult emergence, effectively controlled the following leafminer generation. However, carbonyl did not maintain a high degree of control. Larvicides applied to pecan foliage for control of S. juglandifoliella and Cameraria caryaefoliella (Clemens) did not effectively reduce these larval populations.
Stem cell component therapy: supplementation of unmanipulated marrow with CD34 enriched peripheral blood stem cells.

Stem cell component therapy: supplementation of unmanipulated marrow with CD34 enriched peripheral blood stem cells
Risk-based approach to manage aging urban water main infrastructure

The growing number of challenges in how to manage aging infrastructures, while maintaining a suitable level of service, have become major problems for many municipal water utility companies. As a result, municipalities are increasingly considering the concept of risk assessment and prioritization as the first and an important step that has to be used towards effective asset-management practices. Most experts agree that the main effort has to focus on implementing risk-based asset-management practices meeting a degree of sustainability decision-making process. However, there are so many challenges to establish common practices and understand the ground for operational implementations of the concept of the risk. This paper aims to form a basic decision support model to address urgent needs of risk-based water main asset-management tools. Furthermore, efforts have been made to demonstrate how this model can be used to support decision-makers to reach sound decisions for prioritization of mitigation with more informed and sound collective judgments of peer experts. This includes addressing the existing or potential risks based on scenarios, likelihood, consequences of the outcomes, and results of the action. In conclusion, this model would benefit decision-makers in evaluating further different planning horizons and set priorities for replacement or rehabilitation maintenance programs.
Design of the Fault Diagnostic System for UAV Based on Virtual Instrument

Generally, the many of test instrument are used in order to fulfill test and diagnose fault for UAV. This is very inconvenient in engineering. A fault diagnostic System for UAV based on virtual instrument is introduced. The hardware and software configure and the simple working process are described, and the fault diagnostic principles and software designing approach are discussed. This system can expediently test and diagnose fault for UAV outdoors and has satisfactory capability and value.
RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS AND CONTROLLING FACTORS OF THE UPPER PALEOZOIC SANDSTONE,EASTERN ORDOS BASIN

The Upper Paleozoic in Ordos includes four gas formations such as Tai2, Shan2, He8 and He7. Studies on them show the reservoirs are defined as the pore-type and fracture-pore type sandstone with low porosity and low permeability, as well as markable heterogeneity. The type of reservoir's pore space is mainly pore, which can be subdivided into four sorts, i.e., intergranular pore, residual intergranular, intragranular dissolved pore as well as Kaolin intercrystal pore. The widespreading micro-fracture has minor effect on changing the reservoir's pore space, but it can increase the reservoir's permeability. The main factors that control reservoirs include deposition, diagenesis and tectogenesis. The reservoir with coarser grain size and higher maturity has better porosity and permeability. It's compaction, silicon cement and Kaolin cement that account for the tight reservoir. Dissolution and tectonic micro-fracture are favorable to improve the reservoir.
Is routine ultrasound screening for all patients

The issue of routine ultrasound screening is addressed through an analysis of previous randomized trials in Europe and the United States. Potential benefits of offering ultrasound examination to low risk patients are explored, including detection of anomalies, diagnosis of multiple gestation, and reduction in induced labors for erroneous diagnoses of postdatism. The most recent US routine antenatal diagnostic imaging ultrasound (RADIUS) study is summarized and analyzed. Principles of obstetric ethics as applied to the use of routine ultrasound examination are developed and discussed. The responsibilities of those involved in providing such services are described. It is our opinion that routine ultrasonography has a favorable risk to benefit ratio and suggest that it should be offered.
Adaptation of B and A cell function during prolonged glucose infusion in human subjects

States of insulin resistance are characterized by hyperinsulinemia that often appears to be out of proportion to the minimal degree of hyperglycemia. One possible explanation for these findings is that mild hyperglycemia per se can cause an adaptive increase in islet sensitivity to glucose, leading to increased insulin output at a given glucose level. To test this hypothesis, we compared acute insulin responses (AIR) and acute glucagon responses (AGR) to 5-g arginine injections before and after 20-h glucose infusions (200 mg X m-2 X min-1) in 11 healthy men of varying age and degree of adiposity. The 20-h glucose infusion caused an increase in fasting plasma glucose (PG) in all subjects (95 +/- 2 vs. 130 +/- 3 mg/dl). PG was clamped at three levels (approximately 95, 165, and 235 mg/dl) before and after the 20-h glucose infusion. Despite matching of PG levels, consistent increases of AIR were observed after the 20-h glucose infusion: 86 +/- 10 vs. 57 +/- 8 at PG = 95 (P = 0.002); 241 +/- 20 vs. 192 +/- 22 at PG = 165 (P = 0.02); and 508 +/- 59 vs. 380 +/- 50 microU/ml at PG = 235 mg/dl (P = 0.009). In addition, the slope of the relationship between AIR and PG level (potentiation slope), a measure of B cell sensitivity to glucose, increased consistently from 2.28 +/- 0.35 (control) to 3.07 +/- 0.45 (P = 0.004) after the 20-h infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Can angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors influence the risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with heart failure

Progression of heart failure ("expected mortality") and sudden cardiac death ("unexpected mortality"), presumably secondary to ventricular arrhythmia, are the major causes for the poor prognosis in chronic heart failure (CHF). Limitations of this classification ultimately stem from inaccuracies in establishing the mechanism of death at the time of death. Elucidation of the determinants of patients prone to sudden death and the effects of treatment modalities on the rate of sudden death remain hidden. Unexpected mortality is probably secondary to arrhythmic death but denotes only that death occurred within some brief interval (arbitrarily less than one hour in most studies) and does not exclude other causes. The demonstrated benefit of ACE inhibitors for improving total mortality as illustrated by the findings of the VHeFT, Captopril Multicenter and CONSENSUS, and the improved event-free survival shown by Munich Mild Heart Failure Trial for low-dose captopril argues strongly for their use in patients with CHF. These agents are confirmed to reduce the risk of death from pump failure; the effects on sudden death are less clear. Although many favorable effects contribute to improved hemodynamics, neuroendocrine and electrolyte status as discussed, at present, it is not possible to predict the precise mechanism by which these agents extend life and whether they reduce the frequency of "sudden" deaths.
Preventive and therapeutic approaches to the newborn infant with perinatal viral and toxoplasma infections.

Recent successes in antiviral therapy of herpesvirus infections have provided impetus for reexamining the usefulness of therapy for all perinatally acquired viral infections. The status of prevention and therapy of infections caused by rubella virus, cytomegaloviruses, herpes simplex viruses, and Toxoplasma gondii are reviewed.
Extra-analytic contacts: fantasy and reality.

E-A.C. are avoided in our practice and literature. However, they often blur the distinction between transferential illusion and reality, more so in training analyses. E-A.C. excite the patient's curiosity, exhibitionism and 'primal scene' fantasies with their concomitant anxieties. Such fears lead patients to phobically avoid analysing these encounters, whose effects analysts may also dread. However, calling attention to the avoidance may promote significant analytic developments. Illusion on the psychoanalytic stage is a regressive force which brings out significant affects and internalized relationships. Affects focus the patient's attention. E-A.C. occur in a 'transitional space' where fantasy and reality become both confused and differentiated, allowing for playfulness, creativity and emotional growth. The reality elements within psychoanalysis are reviewed: the patients' actual experience, the contract, the setting and the analyst's personality. The setting becomes the container of a mute symbiotic transference that may turn persecutory when the analytic routine is altered by an E-A.C. Hence, patients and analysts alike become anxious after an E-A.C. E-A.C. reminds us that analysis--like life!--is a constant dynamic interplay between fantasy and reality.
A new transmission x-ray microscope for in-situ nano-tomography at the APS (Conference Presentation)

A new Transmission X-ray Microscope (TXM), optimized for in-situ nano-tomography experiments, has been designed and built at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The instrument has been in operation for the last two years and is supporting users over large fields of Science, from energy storage and material science to natural sciences. The flexibility of our X-ray microscope design permits evolutionary geometries and can accommodate relatively heavy, up to 5 kg, and bulky in-situ cells while ensuring high spatial resolution, which is expected to improve steadily thanks to the support of the RD program led by the APS-Upgrade project on Fresnel zone plates (FZP). The robust sample stack, designed with minimum degrees of freedom shows a stability better than 4 nm rms at the sample location. The TXM operates with optics fabricated in-house. A spatial resolution of 30 nm per voxel has been demonstrated when the microscope operates with a 60 nm outermost zone width FZP with a measured efficiency of 18% at 8 keV. 20 nm FZP are also currently available and should be in routine use within the next few months once a new matching condenser is produced. In parallel, efficiency is being improved with opto-mechanical engineering (FZP stacking system) and software developments (more efficient reconstruction algorithms combined with different data acquisition schemes), enabling 3D dynamic studies when sample evolution occurs within a couple of tens of seconds.
Loving later life: An ethics of aging, by Frits de Lange: Grand Rapids, MI, William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2015, 169 pp., $47.95 (softcover), ISBN 978-0-8028-7216-6

Being a gerontologist, it may be startling to hear that initially, my emotional reaction to aging was one of disgust and apprehension. I remember years ago when I was in high school, my church woul...
Towards a mechanically checked theory of computation: the ACL2 project

Formal mathematical logic is ideally suited to describing computational processes. We discuss the use of one particular mechanized mathematical logic, namely ACL2 (A Computational Logic for Applicative Common Lisp) to model computational problems and to prove theorems about such models. After a few elementary examples, we explain how computational artifacts are formalized in ACL2 and we summarize the main industrial applications of ACL2 as of 1999.
Automatic Copying of Pointer-Based Data Structures

In systems with multiple memories, software may need to explicitly copy data from one memory location to another. This copying is required to enable access or to unlock performance, and it is especially important in heterogeneous systems. When the data includes pointers to other data, the copying process has to recursively follow the pointers to perform a deep copy of the entire data structure. It is tedious and error-prone to require users to manually program the deep copy code for each pointer-based data structure used. Instead, a compiler and runtime system can automatically handle deep copies if it can identify pointers in the data, and can determine the size and type of data pointed to by each pointer. This is possible if the language provides reflection capabilities, or uses smart pointers that encapsulate this information, e.g. Fortran pointers that intrinsically include dope vectors to describe the data pointed to. In this paper, we describe our implementation of automatic deep copy in a Fortran compiler targeting a heterogeneous system with GPUs. We measure the runtime overheads of the deep copies, propose techniques to reduce this overhead, and evaluate the efficacy of these techniques.
Inertial Cavitation Ultrasound with Microbubbles Improves Reperfusion Efficacy When Combined with Tissue Plasminogen Activator in an In Vitro Model of Microvascular Obstruction

Abstract We have previously reported that long-tone-burst, high-mechanical-index ultrasound (US) and microbubble (MB) therapy can restore perfusion in both in vitro and in vivo models of microvascular obstruction (MVO). Addition of MBs to US has been found to potentiate the efficacy of thrombolytics on large venous thrombi; however, the optimal US parameters for achieving microvascular reperfusion of MVO caused by microthrombi, when combined with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), are unknown. We sought to elucidate the specific effects of US, with and without tPA, for effective reperfusion of MVO in an in vitro model using both venous and arterial microthrombi. Venous- and arterial-type microthrombi were infused onto a mesh with 40-μm pores to simulate MVO. Pulsed US (1 MHz) was delivered with inertial cavitation (IC) (1.0 MPa, 1000 cycles, 0.33 Hz) and stable cavitation (SC) US (0.23 MPa, 20% duty cycle, 0.33 Hz) regimes while MB suspension (2 × 10 6 MBs/mL) was infused. The efficacy of sonoreperfusion with these parameters was tested with and without tPA. Sonoreperfusion efficacy was significantly greater for IC + tPA compared with tPA alone, IC, SC and SC + tPA, suggesting lytic synergism between tPA and US for both venous- and arterial-type microthrombi. In contrast to our previous in vitro studies using 1.5 MPa at 5000 US cycles without tPA, the IC regime employed herein used 90% less US energy. These findings suggest an IC regime can be used with tPA synergistically to achieve a high degree of fibrinolysis for both thrombus types.
“The Creation of a Frustrated People”: Race, Education, the Teaching of History and South African Historiography in the Apartheid Era

South African history is inextricably bound with the issue of race. As a consequence, South African historiography is inextricably bound with the country’s racial past (and present). Almost inarguably, no country’s humanities culture is as deeply tied to the concept and the manifestation of race as is South Africa’s. And while in the period after World War II race may have lost much of its legitimacy as a cultural, political and scientific category, the caveat is that such a trend played out just about everywhere save southern Africa, where Apartheid and white supremacy reigned not only in South Africa until 1994 but also in South-West Africa/Namibia until 1990 and Southern Rhodesia/Zimbabwe until 1980. And even after the end of Apartheid rule and South Africa’s multiparty, multiracial elections in 1994, race has continued to dominate the work of South Africa’s historians and historians of South Africa the world over. This chapter looks at the development of South African historiography during the Apartheid era and assesses the state of both the historiography and the historical profession in the nearly two decades since Nelson Mandela’s release.
A new basal iguanodont (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Wealden (Lower Cretaceous) of England

A nearly complete right dentary originally noted by Mantell in 1848 is redescribed. The specimen, NHMUK 28660, was discovered in a quarry near Cuckfield, West Sussex, from the same formation as the original teeth of Iguanodon anglicus. Fresh examination reveals that NHMUK 28660 exhibits a single autapomorphy (a row of foramina extending from the ventral surface of the symphysis onto the lateral surface of the dentary) and a unique combination of characters that distinguish it from all other iguanodontian dentaries. In light of this and because I. anglicus is regarded as a nomen dubium to which additional material cannot be unambiguously referred, NHMUK 28660 is made the holotype of the new genus and species Kukufeldia tilgatensis.
Fabrication Speed Optimization for High-resolution 3D-printing of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds

Abstract The recent development of Continuous Liquid Interface Production, also known as CLIP, has successfully alleviated the main obstacles surrounding 3D printing technologies: production speed and part quality. Based on this technology, we developed the μCLIP process to allow for 3D printing of biomedical devices with micron-scale precision. In this study, we report the process development in manufacturing high-resolution bioresorbable scaffolds using our own μCLIP system and a bioresorbable photopolymerizable biomaterial (B-Ink). Through optimization of our μCLIP process and concentration of B-Ink components, we have reduced the fabrication time of a customizable BVSs from several hours to 11.25 minutes. Optimized ink was shown to possess mechanical stiffness comparable to a nitinol control stent.
3-D Printing and Development of Fluoropolymer Based Reactive Inks

Engineering reactive materials is an ever present goal in the energetics community. The desire is to have energetics configured in such a manner that performance is tailored and energy delivery can be targeted. Additive manufacturing (3-D printing) is one area that could significantly improve our capabilities in this area, if adequate formulations are developed. In this paper, fluoropolymer based reactive inks are developed with micron (mAl) and nanoscale aluminum (nAl) serving, as the fuel at high solids loading (up to 67 wt%) and their viscosity required for 3-D printing is detailed. For the pen-type technique and valves used in this work, it is required to have viscosities on the order of 104–105 cP. For printed traces with apparent diameters under <500 μm, the combustion velocities for both micron and nano scale aluminum formulations, are approximately identical: 30 ± 3 versus 32 ± 2 mm s−1, respectively. Further increasing the apparent diameter is shown to increase the combustion velocity in the case of the nanoscale aluminum formulation by four-fold over that of the micron scale aluminum formulation, but it plateaus as it approaches an apparent diameter of 2 mm. The results suggest with proper architecture that tailorable combustion rates and energy delivery are feasible.
New Generation Agent Defeat Weapons: Energetic N,N′-Ethylene-Bridged Polyiodoazoles

Sodium salts of iodine-rich pyrazole and imidazole with 1-(2-bromoethyl)-5-aminotetrazole are useful precursors for energetic N,N'-ethylene-bridged polyiodoazoles. Compounds 1-3 were characterized with IR, and 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy as well as elemental analyses. The molecular structures of 1 and 2 were confirmed by using single crystal X-ray diffraction. Heats of formation were calculated using Gaussian 03 and detonation properties and biocidal efficiency were calculated with CHEETAH 7. The decomposition products of 1-3 destroy microbes more effectively than some previously reported biocides since the thermal decomposition occurs at below 400 °C without addition of oxidizer or combustion adjuvant.
Brain Interstitial Structure Revealed Through Diffusive Spread of Molecules

Freshly removed from the skull, the human brain looks like a cauliflower with the consistency of a creme caramel flan. This mundane object conceals the most complex structure ever discovered. When the interior of the brain is examined with a resolution of a few micrometers, using appropriate staining techniques and light microscopy, it is seen to be composed of a vast number of cells. The full complexity of the ensemble of cells is only finally revealed at the submicron level using electron microscopy. This chapter will show how the application of methods and models based on diffusion can lead to an understanding of how brain cells pack together and some of the remarkable properties of the narrow spaces that separate them.
Central retinal artery occlusion secondary to Barlow's disease

Abstract Purpose To report a rare case of isolated, unilateral CRAO in a young patient with mitral valve prolapse secondary to Barlow's disease. Observations A 29-year-old woman with history of premature ventricular contractions and cardiac ablation presented to the emergency room after sudden onset painless visual loss in her left eye (OS). Her vision was 20/20 in her right eye and hand motion in the left. Fundus exam demonstrated a central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) OS. Computerized tomography of head and neck were unremarkable. She underwent cerebral angiogram and local intra-arterial thrombolysis. Her vision remained stable post-procedure, with marked APD and stable fundus examination. Her cardiac work-up revealed a left atrial mass with calcified mitral valve, and small atrial septal defect. Rheumatologic, hematologic, and auto-immune work-up were unremarkable. She underwent resection of the mass with repair of mitral valve and ASD closure. Surgical pathology was compatible with diagnosis of Barlow's disease, a cause of mitral valve prolapse. The patient underwent intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF therapy at one month follow-up, with vision stable at hand motion and without neovascularization on subsequent evaluation. Conclusions In young patients presenting with CRAO, aggressive work-up for systemic disease or embolic source must be undertaken to avoid future sequelae.
Curating viscoelastic properties of icosahedral viruses, virus-based nanomaterials, and protein cages

The beauty, symmetry, and functionality of icosahedral virus capsids has attracted the attention of biologists, physicists, and mathematicians ever since they were first observed. Viruses and protein cages assemble into functional architectures in a range of sizes, shapes, and symmetries. To fulfill their biological roles, these structures must self-assemble, resist stress, and are often dynamic. The increasing use of icosahedral capsids and cages in materials science has driven the need to quantify them in terms of structural properties such as rigidity, stiffness, and viscoelasticity. In this study, we employed Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation technology (QCM-D) to characterize and compare the mechanical rigidity of different protein cages and viruses. We attempted to unveil the relationships between rigidity, radius, shell thickness, and triangulation number. We show that the rigidity and triangulation numbers are inversely related to each other and the comparison of rigidity and radius also follows the same trend. Our results suggest that subunit orientation, protein-protein interactions, and protein-nucleic acid interactions are important for the resistance to deformation of these complexes, however, the relationships are complex and need to be explored further. The QCM-D based viscoelastic measurements presented here help us elucidate these relationships and show the future prospect of this technique in the field of physical virology and nano-biotechnology.
Quantitative Estimation of MDR1 mRNA Levels by Polymerase Chain Reaction

In vitro studies, described in Chapters 3 and 4 have demonstrated a central role for MDR1 expression in multidrug resistance (MDR). It is of obvious clinical interest to develop reliable diagnostic tests for MDR1 expression in human tumor tissues and to evaluate these tests for correlation with the tumor response to chemotherapeutic drugs. Such tests can be based on detection of either MDR1 mRNA or of the protein product of the MDR1 gene, P-glycoprotein. [Increased expression of the human MDR1 gene does not generally require gene amplification (see Chapter 5); therefore, assays designed to detect amplification of the MDR1 gene would not constitute a valid diagnostic procedure.] The immunological and RNA hybridization assays available, however, may not be specific or sensitive enough to detect low levels of MDR1 gene expression that may be sufficient for clinically relevant MDR. The advent of the revolutionary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology (Saiki et al., 1985) for in vitro DNA amplification has enabled us to develop a novel approach to this problem.
Development of Neuronal Polarity In Vivo

Abstract Neurons are among the most highly polarized cells in our body, and the formation of molecularly and functionally distinct axon and dendrites underlies the proper flow of information transfer in the nervous system. This chapter reviews some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal polarization in vivo focusing, in particular, on the complex interaction between extracellular cues and intracellular signaling mediating axon and dendrite formation.
Rationale and design of a placebo controlled randomized trial to assess short term, high-dose oral cholecalciferol on select laboratory and genomic responses in African Americans with hypovitaminosis D.

Abstract Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and related disorders remain a leading cause of health disparities and premature death for African Americans. Hypovitaminosis D is disproportionately prevalent in African Americans and has been linked to CVD and CVD risk factors including hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Thus, hypovitaminosis D may represent a common pathway influencing CV risk factors in a select subgroup of persons. The purpose of this paper is to report the study design of a prospective eight week prospective double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial (n = 330 allocated 2:1 to intervention vs. control) to assess the effect of placebo vs. high-dose oral cholecalciferol (100,000 IU vitamin D3 at baseline and week 2) on 6-week change of select biologic cardiometabolic risk factors (including parathyroid hormone to assess biologic activity, pro-inflammatory/pro-thrombotic/fibrotic markers, insulin sensitivity and vitamin D metabolites) and their relationship to vitamin D administration and modification by vitamin D receptor polymorphisms in overweight, hypertensive African Americans with hypovitaminosis D. Findings from this trial will present insights into potential causal links between vitamin D repletion and mechanistic pathways of CV disease, including established and novel genomic markers.
Live Electronic Music Performance: Embodied and Enactive Approaches

Mini Savior Opt. (2017) is a twenty-five minute live electronic performance which demonstrates an enactive and embodied approach to interactive and improvisational music systems. The piece was formed out of a playful exploration of my most recent hybrid analogue/digital performance system. An excessive number of components mutually affect each other through an ecological network of sound analysis and digital signal processing (DSP). Engaging with different parts of the instrument through tangible and haptic controllers, I bring a sense of immediacy into my hands: the slightest movement may trigger a drastic change in sound, which in turn may activate other processes within the network. Through the physical struggle, the performer, vulnerable to the fragile instabilities that have been potentialised, attempts to navigate the performance space.
Current Basal and Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Management.

Learning objectives After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Characterize basal and squamous cell carcinomas as low or high risk based on size, location, histology, and clinical features. 2. Understand appropriate surgical margins in low- and high-risk lesions, and other management options, including Mohs micrographic surgery, electrodissection and curettage, topical agents, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and radiation therapy. 3. Discuss adjuvant therapies for locally advanced and metastatic disease, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies such as hedgehog pathway inhibitors. 4. Educate patients on preventive measures such as skin examinations, sun protection, oral retinoids, and oral nicotinamide (vitamin B3). 5. Devise a reconstructive plan once clear oncologic margins are obtained. Summary With the growing incidence of basal and squamous cell carcinoma, there is an increasing demand for appropriate oncologic management and aesthetic reconstruction. The goal of this CME article is to provide a foundation of knowledge to accurately diagnose, stage, and treat nonmelanoma skin cancers. In addition, it provides the practicing plastic surgeon alternate tools for managing these skin lesions, including topical agents, destructive therapies, and radiation therapy. Lastly, reconstructive plans for selected soft-tissue defects are discussed.
CCR5 Expression is Lower in Women, and Mediates Sex-Based Differences in Post-LVAD Right Ventricular Failure

Purpose Women have increased risk of right ventricular failure (RVF) after LVAD implant, however the underlying pathophysiology is unknown. Chemokines are inflammatory signaling molecules, and fundamental to cardiac homeostasis and stress adaptation. Prior studies have demonstrated a cardio-protective role for chemokine receptor-5 (CCR5) in viral myocarditis and severe Chagas cardiomyopathy, and that sex hormones modulate CCR5 gene expression. We have previously shown that CCR 3-8 down-regulation is predictive of RVF and 1-year survival after implant. We hypothesized that CCR5 expression mediates sex-based differences in post-LVAD RVF. Methods CCR expression was examined in patient's peripheral blood 24 hours pre-LVAD. RNA was isolated using PAXgene protocol. Gene expression was assessed using a targeted microarray (RT2 Profiler PCR array, Qiagen). Results were expressed as PCR cycles to threshold (CT). ΔCT was calculated as (CCR gene CT) - (HPRT1 control gene CT), and log2 transformed for analysis. Log-fold differences in expression were reported using 2−ΔΔCT method. RVF was defined as both planned and unplanned RVAD requirement. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association of sex with RVF, adjusting for significantly different covariates (p Results We analyzed 111 LVAD patients (mean age: 53.57 ± 13 years, 18% female, 17.1% black). The criteria for RVF was met in 35 (31.5%) patients. Women had increased incidence of RVF (50% vs. 27.5%, p=0.047), and under-expressed CCR5 (1.41 fold decrease, p=0.012) compared to men. After controlling for age, heart failure etiology, albumin, BUN, creatinine and cardiac output, women had a higher risk of RVF (HR: 3.18, 95% CI: 1.04-9.8, p=0.043). Addition of CCR5 as a covariate to the model attenuated the association of female sex with RVF (HR: 2.86, 95% CI: 0.91-8.97, p=0.071). Conclusion Pre-implant CCR5 expression is lower in women than in men and may mediate sex disparities in post-LVAD RVF.
Remote ischemic preconditioning for elective endovascular intracranial aneurysm repair: a feasibility study.

ObjectivesRemote ischemic preconditioning has been proposed as a possible potential treatment for ischemic stroke. However, neuroprotective benefits of the pre-procedural administration of remote i...
EASE: Enabling Hardware Assertion Synthesis from English

In this paper, we present EASE (Enabling hardware Assertion Synthesis from English) which translates hardware design specifications written in English to a formal assertion language. Existing natural language processing (NLP) tools for hardware verification utilize the vocabulary and grammar of a few specification documents only. Hence, they lack the ability to provide linguistic variations in parsing and writing natural language assertions. The grammar used in EASE does not follow a strict English syntax for writing design specifications. Our grammar incorporates dependency rules for syntactic categories which are coupled with semantic category dependencies that allow users to specify the same design specification using different word sequences in a sentence. Our NLP engine consists of interleaving operations of semantic and syntactic analyses to understand the input sentences and map differently worded sentences with the same meaning to the same logical form. Moreover, our approach also provides semantically driven suggestions for sentences that are not understood by the system. EASE has been tested on natural language requirements extracted from memory controller, UART and AMBA AXI protocol specification documents. The system has been tested for imperative, declarative and conditional types of specifications. The results show that the proposed approach can handle a more diverse set of linguistic variations than existing methods.
Modularist explanations of experience and other illusions.

Abstract Debates about modularity invariably involve a crucial premise about how visual illusions are experienced. This paper argues that these debates are wrongheaded, and that experience of illusions is orthogonal to the core issue of the modularity hypothesis: informational encapsulation.
Coalition Formation for Multi-Robot Task Allocation via Correlation Clustering

AbstractThe complexity of a vast number of real world tasks provides a great challenge for the currently available robots due to their limited capabilities. Thus, multiple robots would need to form...
Aerodynamics of recirculating flow control devices for normal shock/boundary layer interactions

Passive control-based methods of controlling shock/boundary layer interactions consist of a porous surface covering a cavity or a plenum located in the region of the SBLI. The present study focuses on the o weld downstream of a Mach 1.42 SBLI over various passive control devices such as a conventional porous plate, a microporous plate, streamwise slots, conventional mesoap array, and a hybrid ap array. Qualitative analysis of the various control devices investigated was achieved with spark shadowgraph visualizations and surface oil-o w visualizations. Quantitative analysis was accomplished by measuring surface static pressure distributions, boundary layer velocity pro les, and pitot pressure distributions in the subsonic di user downstream of the SBLI. The o w eld downstream of a slot-controlled and a hybrid ap array-controlled SBLI were found to be highly threedimensional, while the downstream o w elds were predominantly two-dimensional for the remainder of the control devices. It was found that only the conventional mesoap array had an improved total pressure recovery, both in the near-eld and further downstream in the subsonic diu ser, as compared to the uncontrolled, solid-wall SBLI.
Defining and classifying personal and household climate change adaptation behaviors

Abstract With climate change increasingly affecting individuals’ day-to-day lives, interest is growing in the personal and household adaptation behaviors that people can engage in. Many of these behaviors focus on actions to protect oneself or one's household in response to immediate hazards rather than ones that may achieve longer-term adaptation goals. We conducted a content analysis of 75 publications identified through a systematic literature review to learn how researchers from a range of disciplines conceptualize adaptive behavior in the context of climate change and what kinds of specific actions they describe. Based on this review, we propose a comprehensive definition of personal and household adaptation behavior that considers its purpose (i.e., preventing harm or gaining benefits), timing (i.e., proactive or reactive), time scale (i.e., short-term or long-term), as well as who acts (i.e., the individual alone or with others) and who is affected by those actions (i.e., the individual, other people, or the environment). We classify specific individual adaptation behaviors into civic engagement, consumption, coping, household protection, learning, lifestyle changes, migration, and self-protection. Research is needed to better understand the personal and societal benefits of adaptation behaviors and how to more equitably support these actions in different contexts.
Regulation of Tumor Immunity by Lysophosphatidic Acid

The tumor microenvironment (TME) may be best conceptualized as an ecosystem comprised of cancer cells interacting with a multitude of stromal components such as the extracellular matrix (ECM), blood and lymphatic networks, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and cells of the immune system. At the center of this crosstalk between cancer cells and their TME is the bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). High levels of LPA and the enzyme generating it, termed autotaxin (ATX), are present in many cancers. It is also well documented that LPA drives tumor progression by promoting angiogenesis, proliferation, survival, invasion and metastasis. One of the hallmarks of cancer is the ability to modulate and escape immune detection and eradication. Despite the profound role of LPA in regulating immune functions and inflammation, its role in the context of tumor immunity has not received much attention until recently where emerging studies highlight that this signaling axis may be a means that cancer cells adopt to evade immune detection and eradication. The present review aims to look at the immunomodulatory actions of LPA in baseline immunity to provide a broad understanding of the subject with a special emphasis on LPA and cancer immunity, highlighting the latest progress in this area of research.
Comparing Attitudes Toward Stigmatized Deaths: Suicide and Opioid Overdose Deaths

Death by suicide and opioid overdose has been associated with negative stigmatization. It is important to investigate whether a suicide death and a fatal opioid overdose share similar stigmatized reactions and how attitudes shape the public willingness to intervene in prevention and treatment efforts. Respondents were recruited for an online survey through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to either respond to questions about suicide or opioid overdose death. Measurements included respondents’ attitudes toward suicide and opioid overdose decedents and their willingness to intervene. Results revealed that respondents were significantly more willing to intervene in a hypothetical case of a person at risk for suicide. There was greater stigmatization of individuals who died by opioid overdose compared to suicide. Considering that there remains little information about the complexities of stigma toward suicide and overdose, learning more about attitudes toward overdose deaths can also help us better understand how to change attitudes about individuals with substance use disorder.