cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intermodal blocking in honeybees.

Previous findings of intramodal but not of intermodal blocking in foraging honeybees prompted a new series of experiments with colours, odours, a proximal visual landmark, and a localized geomagnetic anomaly as stimuli. In Experiments 1‐2, the landmark was blocked by both colour and odour. In Experiments 3‐6, the anomaly was blocked by both colour and odour, but the anomaly failed to block either colour or odour. In Experiments 7‐8, the anomaly failed again to block either colour or odour even though it could be shown to develop substantial associative strength in the course of the training. The several instances of intermodal blocking bring the results for honeybees into closer agreement than before with the results for vertebrates. The failures of blocking seem understandable in terms of the relative salience of the stimuli employed without reference to modal relationships. An attentional interpretation is suggested. In experiments on compound conditioning in free-flying honeybees trained to discriminate targets labelled with colours and odours, Funayama, Couvillon, and Bitterman (1995) failed repeatedly to find blocking of odour by colour. In subsequent experiments, Couvillon, Arakaki, and Bitterman (1997) found blocking in compounds of two colours and of two odours and blocking of colour by position, as defined in terms of proximity to a distinctive visual landmark, but not blocking of odour by the landmark. The possibility that the negative results for colour and odour and for landmark and odour might be traced in some way to heteromodality was considered by Couvillon et al. (1997), who noted that intermodal and intramodal compounds had seemed to function differently also in overshadowing experiments with honeybees (Couvillon, Mateo, & Bitterman, 1996) and in summation experiments with rabbits and pigeons (Kehoe, Horne, Horne, & Macrae, 1994; Rescorla & Coldwell, 1995). The experiments now to be reported show that heteromodality is not, in fact, a bar to blocking in honeybees and suggest instead that the discrepant results can be understood in terms of the properties of the component stimuli apart from modal relationships. As in our previous experiments, a concurrent blocking strategy was employed in the sense that independent experience with the prospective blocker accompanied experience with the compound of blocker and stimulus to be blocked. The procedure in Experiments 1‐2 was to Requests for reprints should be sent to M.E. Bitterman, Bekesy Laboratory of Neurobiology, 1993 East-West
PTB/hnRNP I Is Required for RNP Remodeling during RNA Localization in Xenopus Oocytes

Transport of specific mRNAs to defined regions within the cell cytoplasm is a fundamental mechanism for regulating cell and developmental polarity. In the Xenopus oocyte, Vg1 RNA is transported to the vegetal cytoplasm, where localized expression of the encoded protein is critical for embryonic polarity. The Vg1 localization pathway is directed by interactions between key motifs within Vg1 RNA and protein factors recognizing those RNA sequences. We have investigated how RNA-protein interactions could be modulated to trigger distinct steps in the localization pathway and found that the Vg1 RNP is remodeled during cytoplasmic RNA transport. Our results implicate two RNA-binding proteins with key roles in Vg1 RNA localization, PTB/hnRNP I and Vg1RBP/vera, in this process. We show that PTB/hnRNP I is required for remodeling of the interaction between Vg1 RNA and Vg1RBP/vera. Critically, mutations that block this remodeling event also eliminate vegetal localization of the RNA, suggesting that RNP remodeling is required for localization.
Racial Identity and Well-Being among African Americans:

How racial identity influences self-esteem and psychological well-being among African Americans remains unresolved due to unexplained inconsistencies in theoretical predictions and empirical findings. Using data from the National Survey of American Life (N = 3,570), we tested hypotheses derived from social identity theory and the internalized racism perspective. Findings support social identity theory in showing that African Americans strongly identify with their group and view it very positively. In addition, those who identify more with their group and evaluate it more positively have greater self-esteem, greater mastery, and fewer depressive symptoms. However, findings also support the internalized racism perspective by showing that when group evaluation is relatively negative, racial identification is related to lower mastery and higher depressive symptoms. We conclude that both social identity theory and the internalized racism perspective are necessary for understanding how racial identity is related to self-attitudes and mental health among African Americans.
A Response to Isabel Allende's Tanner Humanities Center Human Values Speech

“Let no one be discouraged by the belief there is nothing one person can do against the enormous array of the world's ills, misery, ignorance, and violence. Few will have the greatness to bend hist...
Correction of Humidity Biases in Vaisala RS80-H Sondes during NAME

Examination of the upper-air sonde data taken in conjunction with the North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME) revealed that data at several sites in the core monsoon region exhibited a significant dry bias. In this study, a simple, yet effective, statistical correction technique is applied to correct this dry bias. In addition, a second correction is applied to all Vaisala RS80-H sondes to remove a daytime dry bias resulting from solar heating of the humidity sensor. Moisture analyses computed from the corrected sondes compare favorably to those from independent satellite and aircraft estimates. The corrections led to significant improvement in the description of the humidity field and in several convective parameters, such as precipitable water (PW), CAPE, convective inhibition (CIN), and in the diurnal cycle of apparent drying Q2.
Enveloping semigroups of unipotent affine transformations of the torus

We provide a description of the enveloping semigroup of the affine unipotent transformation T : X → X of the form T ( x )= Ax + α , where A is a lower triangular unipotent matrix, α is a constant vector, and X is a finite-dimensional torus. In particular, we show that in this case the enveloping semigroup is a nilpotent group whose nilpotency class is at most the dimension of the underlying torus.
Non-Pharmacological Techniques for Pain Management in Neonates

Significant progress in understanding the physiology, clinical correlates, and consequences of neonatal pain have resulted in greater attention to pain management during neonatal intensive care. A number of nonpharmacological therapies have been investigated, including nonnutritive sucking, with and without sucrose use, swaddling or facilitated tucking, kangaroo care, music therapy, and multi-sensorial stimulation. Although the efficacy of these approaches is clearly evident, they cannot provide analgesia for moderate or severe pain in the neonate. Further, some of these therapies cannot be effectively applied to all populations of critically ill neonates. Acupuncture, an ancient practice in Chinese medicine, has gained increasing popularity for symptom control among adults and older children. Acupuncture may provide an effective nonpharmacological approach for the treatment of pain in neonates, even moderate or severe pain, and should be considered for inclusion in a graduated multidisciplinary algorithm for neonatal pain management.
Selective attention of high-order neural networks for invariant object recognition

Summary form only given. Selective attention can be used to reduce the number of inputs for a high-order neural network. By selecting an appropriate scanning mechanism, invariance to translation can be developed. Using a high-order neural network, rotation invariance can be achieved by encoding proper constraints on the connections of receptive fields. The authors have implemented a second-order recurrent neural network to recognize pixel based objects at any translation and 90 degrees rotation and have tested the network with the TC problem. >
Toll-Like Receptor 2 Regulates Interleukin-1β-Dependent Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy Triggered by Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma cruzi, the intracellular protozoan parasite that causes Chagasic cardiomyopathy, elicits a robust hypertrophic response in isolated cardiomyocytes. Previous studies established that T. cruzi-elicited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is mediated by interleukin-1β produced by infected cardiomyocyte cultures. Here, we define key upstream signaling events leading to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in response to T. cruzi infection, to be dependent on Toll-like receptor 2 and NF-κB. Furthermore, we demonstrate that cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, which is initiated by live infective T. cruzi trypomastigotes or stimulation of isolated myocytes with secreted/released trypomastigote molecules, is a common outcome of the cardiomyocyte recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns by intrinsic Toll-like receptors. This study is the first to link pathogen recognition by intrinsic Toll-like receptors to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
A Reliability Centered Optimal Visual Inspection Model for Distribution Feeders

For an electric power distribution system, highly reliable operation is important for maintaining customer satisfaction. To maintain high levels of system reliability, inspection is used to identify potential problems, allowing necessary maintenance actions to be taken before failure occurs. The question is then how much inspection is required to maintain high reliability levels. This paper describes a Markov model of the inspection process. The model finds the optimal inspection frequency by considering the tradeoff between the cost of inspection and the cost of poor reliability. An objective function is formulated that minimizes the total cost of inspection, repair, and reliability. This model has been specifically created for determining the optimal visual inspection frequency for distribution feeder rights-of-way. The results from applying this model to a practical distribution system are presented, and extensions of this model to other systems are discussed.
Preventing Medication Overdoses in Young Children: An Opportunity for Harm Elimination

Medication overdoses in young children are an increasingly common public health problem, but it is a preventable problem that can be addressed by combining strategies. The introduction of child-resistant packaging (CRP), product reformulations, heightened parental awareness, and poison control professionals and systems have made deaths from pediatric poisonings uncommon. However, the morbidity rate from medication overdoses, measured by emergency department (ED) visits and from calls to poison control centers, has been rising.1,2 Medications have surpassed household products (eg, cleaning agents) as the predominant cause of pediatric poisonings.3 More than 70 000 children are brought to EDs for unintentional medication overdoses annually; the peak incidence is in 2-year-olds (Fig 1). Between 2005 and 2009, ED visits for medication overdoses among children younger than 5 years rose 20%. In 2009, 1 of every 151 2-year-olds was assessed in an ED for a medication overdose. Among children younger than 5 years, 95% of these ED visits for medication overdoses were a result of unsupervised (accidental) ingestions. Fewer than 5% of ED visits were a result of errors made by a caregiver; such visits primarily involve incorrect dosing. Recognizing the significance of this problem, a new Healthy People 2020 objective calls for reversal of these morbidity trends and a reduction in ED visits by 10% by 2020.4 FIGURE 1 Rate of ED visits for unintentional medication overdoses in young children: United States, 2006–2009. Population rate estimates were based on the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–Cooperative … Address correspondence to DanielS. Budnitz, MD, MPH, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd, NE, Mail Stop A-24, Atlanta, GA 30333. E-mail: dbudnitz{at}cdc.gov
Induced plasma expander-like properties as a function of PEG-chains on extension arm facilitated PEGylation of albumin: "mushroom to brush-like" conformational transition of the PEG-albumin conjugate.

Abstract:Plasma expander-like properties of albumin induced on hexa as well as dodecacPEGylation using Extension Arm Facilitated PEGylation platform make it an excellent resuscitation fluid. PEGylation induced changes in the structure, drug binding, and plasma expander-like properties of bovine serum albumin has been now investigated as a function of PEGylation. The molecular volume of albumin increases on PEGylation nearly linearly; in the beginning up to about six PEG chains are conjugated, then plateau off, while the viscosity and colloidal osmotic pressure change very little initially and then increase exponentially as a function of PEG chains conjugated. PEGylation has essentially no influence on the secondary structure or drug properties of albumin. Tryphtophyl fluorescence of albumin is quenched on PEGylation as a direct correlate of the changes in molecular radius of PEG-albumin. It is concluded that hexaPEGylated and dodecaPEGylated albumin belong to two different configurational states of PEG-al...
Strain and Damage Sensing of CNT-Epoxy Composite via Electrical Conductivity

Self-sensing via piezoresistivity of multiwall carbon nanotube-epoxy resin composite was studied in order to assess its feasibility in strain and damage detection. Self-sensing is an economical and durable component of Structural Health Monitoring of manufactured composite, in which the material is employed as sensor. Objective of the study centered on strain and damage sensing and particularly focused on how applied tension and /or inflicted damage affected electrical conductivity. The MWCNT-epoxy composite was manufactured with non-treated multiwall carbon-nanotubes. They were dispersed in the epoxy employing ultrasonic dispersion and mechanical mixing, prior to addition of curing agent. The samples were rectangular specimen of dimensions 150 mm × 25 mm × 5 mm. Surface electrodes were created with sliver paint, to which copper wire leads were wrapped and affixed with more silver paint or carbon based electrically conductive glue. Kelvin in-line resistivity measurement technique was adopted to assess and monitor composite resistivity. The technique minimizes contact resistance between electrodes and the composite, which could be order of magnitude larger than the material resistance. For strain sensing, the specimen was subjected to increasing tensile strain until failure. In damage sensing, the specimens received different depth surface cuts across their width. During the tensile strain testing the specimens failed at a typical strain of about 4%. The corresponding change in resistance was in range of 2–3%. In damage sensing mode, changes of up to 40% in resistance were recorded for 75% thickness deep damage. For lower depth damages, the change in resistivity were about 4%–10%. The data obtained so far indicate that with proper technique, self-sensing of CNT-epoxy resin composites could be a viable method for monitoring applied strain and structural integrity.© 2014 ASME
Adherence to US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for breast and cervical cancer screening for women who have a spinal cord injury

Context: Women with spinal cord injury (SCI) may face barriers that result in disparities in receipt of recommended mammography and Papanicolaou testing.Setting: South Carolina.Participants: South Carolina women with SCI were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes in 2000–2010 Medicaid and Medicare billing data.Outcome measures: Receipt of mammography and Pap testing was determined using procedure billing codes. Partial proportional odds models were estimated to examine the association between SCI and adherence with screening recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. Each individual's screening experience was classified as full adherence, partial adherence, or no screening.Results: The cohort for mammography consisted of 3,173 women with SCI and 6,433 comparison women without SCI. The cohort for Pap testing consisted 5,025 women with SCI and 9,538 comparison women. Women with SCI were less likely to have full adherence with mammography recommendations ...
Regulation of integrin function by T cell activation: points of convergence and divergence.

Lymphocyte adhesiveness is dynamically regulated in response to conditions in the extracellular environment. One mechanism of regulation of integrin adhesion receptors involves a rapid, but transient, increase in integrin function upon T lymphocyte activation. These integrin activating signals can be initiated either via ligation of Ig superfamily members that are coupled to tyrosine kinase cascades, such as the CD3/T cell receptor, CD2, and CD28, or by G proteincoupled receptors for chemokines. Analysis of integrin activation induced by CD3/TCR, CD2 and CD28 suggests a critical role for phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI 3-K). This review summarizes recent insights into PI 3-K-dependent regulation of integrin function in leukocytes, including the mechanisms by which these receptors are coupled to PI 3-K, and potential downstream effectors of PI 3-K that regulate integrin-mediated adhesion in leukocytes.
Controlled trial of whole body protein synthesis and plasma amino acid concentrations in yearling horses fed graded amounts of lysine.

Lysine has been reported as the first limiting amino acid in typical equine diets. Indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) has become the standard method for determining amino acid requirements in other species, but prior to this study, it has not been used to determine equine requirements. The aim of this study was to evaluate whole body protein synthesis and plasma and muscle amino acid concentrations in response to graded levels of lysine intake in yearling horses. Six Thoroughbred colts (358 ± 5 kg) were fed each of six treatment lysine intakes ranging from 76 to 136 mg/kg body weight/day. Blood samples were taken before and 90 min after the morning concentrate meal. Gluteal muscle biopsies were taken ~100 min after the morning concentrate meal. The next day, whole body phenylalanine kinetics were determined using a 2 h primed, constant infusion of [(13)C] sodium bicarbonate followed by a 6 h primed, constant infusion of [1-(13)C] phenylalanine. Plasma lysine concentrations increased linearly (P 0.10). A broken line analysis of lysine intake and phenylalanine oxidation failed to yield a breakpoint from which to determine a lysine requirement. These diets may have been limiting in an amino acid other than lysine, underscoring the lack of data concerning amino acid requirements and bioavailability data in the horse.
On the use of fractional autocorrelation to correct mismatches for chirp scale focusing for real SAR image formation

The fractional Fourier transform (FrFT) was shown to be an effective signal processing technique in many synthetic aperture radar (SAR) applications, and most recently, it was used to enhance the focusing capabilities of the chirp scaling algorithm (CSA). We propose the use of the fractional autocorrelation function in a local optimization procedure to detect mismatches in the fast-time linear frequency-modulated rate and correct these mismatches with the FrFT before CSA processing. Additionally, we enhance slow-time processing with the FrFT in order to maximize the contrast of targets in each range-bin. As we will demonstrate using SAR images, this processing increase SAR image quality.
Application of process monitoring to anomaly detection in nuclear material processing systems via system-centric event interpretation of data from multiple sensors of varying reliability

Abstract In this paper, we apply an advanced safeguards approach and associated methods for process monitoring to a hypothetical nuclear material processing system. The assessment regarding the state of the processing facility is conducted at a system-centric level formulated in a hybrid framework. This utilizes architecture for integrating both time- and event-driven data and analysis for decision making. While the time-driven layers of the proposed architecture encompass more traditional process monitoring methods based on time series data and analysis, the event-driven layers encompass operation monitoring methods based on discrete event data and analysis. By integrating process- and operation-related information and methodologies within a unified framework, the task of anomaly detection is greatly improved. This is because decision-making can benefit from not only known time-series relationships among measured signals but also from known event sequence relationships among generated events. This available knowledge at both time series and discrete event layers can then be effectively used to synthesize observation solutions that optimally balance sensor and data processing requirements. The application of the proposed approach is then implemented on an illustrative monitored system based on pyroprocessing and results are discussed.
Leukotriene B4 antagonism ameliorates experimental lymphedema

Acquired lymphedema is a cancer sequela and a global health problem currently lacking pharmacologic therapy. We have previously demonstrated that ketoprofen, an anti-inflammatory agent with dual 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase inhibitory properties, effectively reverses histopathology in experimental lymphedema. We show that the therapeutic benefit of ketoprofen is specifically attributable to its inhibition of the 5-lipoxygenase metabolite leukotriene B 4 (LTB 4 ). LTB 4 antagonism reversed edema, improved lymphatic function, and restored lymphatic architecture in the murine tail model of lymphedema. In vitro, LTB 4 was functionally bimodal: Lower LTB 4 concentrations promoted human lymphatic endothelial cell sprouting and growth, but higher concentrations inhibited lymphangiogenesis and induced apoptosis. During lymphedema progression, lymphatic fluid LTB 4 concentrations rose from initial prolymphangiogenic concentrations into an antilymphangiogenic range. LTB 4 biosynthesis was similarly elevated in lymphedema patients. Low concentrations of LTB 4 stimulated, whereas high concentrations of LTB 4 inhibited, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 and Notch pathways in cultured human lymphatic endothelial cells. Lymphatic-specific Notch1 −/− mice were refractory to the beneficial effects of LTB 4 antagonism, suggesting that LTB 4 suppression of Notch signaling is an important mechanism in disease maintenance. In summary, we found that LTB 4 was harmful to lymphatic repair at the concentrations observed in established disease. Our findings suggest that LTB 4 is a promising drug target for the treatment of acquired lymphedema.
Semi-supervised network inference using simulated gene expression dynamics.

Motivation Inferring the structure of gene regulatory networks from high-throughput datasets remains an important and unsolved problem. Current methods are hampered by problems such as noise, low sample size, and incomplete characterizations of regulatory dynamics, leading to networks with missing and anomalous links. Integration of prior network information (e.g. from pathway databases) has the potential to improve reconstructions. Results We developed a semi-supervised network reconstruction algorithm that enables the synthesis of information from partially known networks with time course gene expression data. We adapted partial least square-variable importance in projection (VIP) for time course data and used reference networks to simulate expression data from which null distributions of VIP scores are generated and used to estimate edge probabilities for input expression data. By using simulated dynamics to generate reference distributions, this approach incorporates previously known regulatory relationships and links the network to the dynamics to form a semi-supervised approach that discovers novel and anomalous connections. We applied this approach to data from a sleep deprivation study with KEGG pathways treated as prior networks, as well as to synthetic data from several DREAM challenges, and find that it is able to recover many of the true edges and identify errors in these networks, suggesting its ability to derive posterior networks that accurately reflect gene expression dynamics. Availability and implementation R code is available at https://github.com/pn51/postPLSR. Contact rbraun@northwestern.edu. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Abstract TMP107: Intra-arterial Vasodilators Treat Vasospasm in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage With Fair Angiographic & Neurological Response, but the Impact on Outcome is Unknown: a Meta-analysis of Observational Studies

Objective: Previous meta-analyses have not reported pooled estimates of response to the treatment of vasospasm with intra-arterial vasodilators (IADs) in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The objective of this meta-analysis was to pool estimates of angiographic & clinical response, good outcome, & mortality rates following treatment of vasospasm with IADs. Methods: We searched PubMed using MeSH terms for “Subarachnoid Hemorrhage" AND ("Endovascular Procedures" OR "Infusions, Intra-Arterial") AND "Vasodilator Agents". Bibliographies of retrieved articles were also searched. Studies reporting clinical and angiographic response, mortality, and outcome, following IAD treatment of vasospasm in adult humans with aSAH were included. All IADs were allowed. Two authors independently selected studies & abstracted data. Mean weighted probabilities (MWP) were calculated using random effects model. Results: Inclusion criteria were met by 48 studies (n=1264). Heterogeneity was significant in all syntheses (I2 ≥50%; P Conclusion: IAD treatment leads to a fair angiographic and neurologic response but the impact on outcome is unknown. Studies were of poor quality and bias was significant. Current evidence does not support the use of IADs for the treatment of cerebral vasospasm in aSAH. Randomized/pragmatic trials are needed to elucidate the role of IADs in vasospasm in aSAH.
Transient Quaternary erosion and tectonic inversion of the Northern Range, Trinidad

Abstract Cosmogenic 10Be measured in sediments from Northern Range catchments on the island of Trinidad reveals low millennial-scale rates of erosion (average ~ 40 mm/ka) that increase roughly eightfold, from 11 to 92 mm/ka, eastward across the mountain range. These results, in conjunction with an analysis of mountain morphometrics, are consistent with Quaternary east-side-up tilting of the Northern Range, which has occurred recently (~ 100 ka). The highest millennial-scale erosion rates coincide spatially with Quaternary east-side surface uplift (albeit not in magnitude), high modern rainfall rates, low topographic relief, and convex longitudinal stream profiles, indicating transient Quaternary erosion. We interpret that hillslope adjustment and erosion of the Northern Range is buffered from climatic and tectonic forcings by dense tropical vegetation cover, thick saprolite, and porous regolith. Compared with longer-term, thermochronology exhumation rates, we document that an order of magnitude deceleration of and reversal in the locus of erosion and exhumation has occurred during the Pliocene to the Holocene. We suggest that these combined data sets highlight distinct syn- and post-collisional phases of Northern Range development that are related to a major change in relative Caribbean-South American plate motion from oblique convergence to transform motion. Oblique collision during the mid-Miocene likely caused relatively higher rates of and asymmetric exhumation of the Northern Range. Post-collisional mountain-scale tilting is likely caused by a combination of crustal extension in the Gulf of Paria and by deep subsurface lithospheric detachment processes that drives dynamic topography.
Associations Between Environmental Resources and the “Wanting” and “Liking” of Male Song in Female Songbirds

Reproductive success requires animals to adjust social and sexual behaviors in response to changes in environmental resources. In many species, males produce courtship signals to attract females; however, not all females are attracted by these signals. One possible explanation for this is that environmental resources alter neural mechanisms underlying motivation and reward in females so that male courtship is attractive when conditions are most favorable for an individual to breed. Here, we first introduce resource-dependent breeding behaviors of female songbirds. We then review studies that show associations between neural systems underlying motivation and reward, female responses to male courtship stimuli, and environmental resources necessary for breeding success (e.g., in female starlings, a nest cavity). Overall, we review evidence supporting the working hypotheses that (1) dopamine underlies sexually-motivated female responses to male courtship stimuli (i.e., song), (2) opioids underlie reward induced in females by hearing male courtship song, and (3) these systems are possibly modified by resources such that male courtship song is only attractive and rewarding to females with access to limited environmental resources essential for breeding success.
High-Density Lipoprotein Function in Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Mellitus.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death worldwide.1 Major CVD risk factors are hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity, abnormal glucose levels/diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Among these, dyslipidemia characterized by a low level of HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) is strongly and inversely correlated with CVD risk,2–4 and low HDL-C levels is part of the atherogenic dyslipidemia complex associated with diabetes mellitus.5 These observations triggered intense interest in increasing HDL-C levels for therapeutic intervention of CVD.6,7 However, several recent lines of evidence now suggest that the association between HDL-C levels and CVD status may be indirect or more complicated than previously recognized.7 Thus, human genetic studies demonstrate that genetically altered HDL-C levels do not necessarily translate to an altered risk of CVD.8–12 Phase III clinical trials of drugs that elevate HDL-C, such as niacin and CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) inhibitors, also have largely failed to reduce CVD events in statin-treated subjects with established CVD.13–15 For several CETP inhibitors, improvement in CVD prevention was unsuccessful because of off-target effects (torcetrapib) or lack of efficacy (dalcetrapib and evacetrapib).14,16–18 The exception is the recent REVEAL trial (Randomized Evaluation of the Effects of Anacetrapib Through Lipid-Modification), which included more subjects and was performed for longer than previous CETP inhibitor trials. The REVEAL demonstrated that the CETP inhibitor anacetrapib exhibited beneficial effects on cardiovascular outcomes on top of those of statin therapy, although the risk reduction was moderate19,20 and might have been due, at least in part, to a reduction in non-HDL-C rather than elevated HDL-C.21 Considering these cumulative observations, it remains uncertain whether increased HDL-C directly impacts atherosclerosis and the …
Circuit Vulnerabilities to Hardware Trojan at the Layout Level

A gate-level netlist is a description of the connectivity of a circuit. To meet design constraints such as time to market and product cost, gate-level netlists as firm IPs are commonly used for complex circuits implementation. Meanwhile, not all entities providing gate-level netlists are trusted and they may modify expected circuit functionality or use unused portions of a circuit to realize a hardware Trojan. Therefore, there is a serious demand to gate-level vulnerability analyses and security metrics to determine hard-to-detect areas in a circuit that would most probably be used for hardware Trojan implementation to ensure the hardware Trojan goes undetected during production test and extensive functional test analyses.
The Researcher in the United Nations: Evolution of a Research Strategy

My main purpose in the ensuing pages is to indicate how a research strategy evolved as I became progressively more involved in trying to understand the dynamics of international organizations. The account is presented in some detail because, in retrospect, it illustrates the large extent to which our research strategies are shaped by our subject matter even as they also shape our findings.
Procedural Justice and the Structure of the Age and Disability Laws

We are all members of many groups at the same time. We are man or woman, black or white, citizen or non-citizen, young or old, Nebraska football fan or not, and on and on. In large part, our lives are shaped and influenced, and made rich and rewarding through these many and diverse group memberships. For better or worse, the discrimination laws increase our awareness of some of these groupings, and the salience of them.
Do animals see colors? An anthropocentrist's guide to animals, the color blind, and far away places

Soulevant la question de savoir si les animaux voient les couleurs, l'A. defend la these anthropocentriste selon laquelle les couleurs sont des proprietes objectives qui n'ont d'interet que pour des systemes visuels comme les notres, d'une part, et selon laquelle les animaux ne possedent pas les memes capacites de discrimination que nous, d'autre part. Au-dela de l'evidence empirique, l'A. compare la capacite discriminatoire et l'experience visuelle des etres humains et des animaux en reference aux travaux d'E. Averill, et determine les conditions normales de la perception des couleurs chez les observateurs normaux et anormaux (daltoniens)
Moral Relativism, Cognitivism and Defeasible Rules

Naturalism rejects a sui generis and fundamental realm of the evaluative or normative. Thought and talk about the good and the right must hence be understood without appeal to any such evaluative or normative concepts or properties. In Sections I and II, we see noncognitivism step forward with its account of evaluative and normative language as fundamentally optative (that is, expressive of wishes or desires) or prescriptive. Prescriptivism falls afoul of several problems. Prominent among them below is the “problem of prima facie reasons”: the problem, namely that prescriptions do not properly capture the character of defeasibility of the prima facie, featured by nearly all our moral convictions. We find in Section II that, ironically, emotivism, with its emphasis on optative rather than prescriptive language, though historically more primitive, is yet better attuned to that crucial prima facie aspect of the normative and the evaluative. But even emotivism still faces serious difficulties that beset noncognitivism generally, such as the problem of embedding in subordinate clauses, and the problem of normative fallibility. That takes us up to Section III.
Epigenetic Regulation via Altered Histone Acetylation Results in Suppression of Mast Cell Function and Mast Cell-Mediated Food Allergic Responses.

Mast cells are highly versatile cells that perform a variety of functions depending on the immune trigger, context of activation, and cytokine stimulus. Antigen-mediated mast cell responses are regulated by transcriptional processes that result in the induction of numerous genes contributing to mast cell function. Recently, we also showed that exposure to dietary agents with known epigenetic actions such as curcumin can suppress mast cell-mediated food allergy, suggesting that mast cell responses in vivo may be epigenetically regulated. To further assess the effects of epigenetic modifications on mast cell function, we examined the behavior of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) in response to trichostatin A (TSA) treatment, a well-studied histone deacetylase inhibitor. IgE-mediated BMMC activation resulted in enhanced expression and secretion of IL-4, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-13. In contrast, pretreatment with TSA resulted in altered cytokine secretion. This was accompanied by decreased expression of FceRI and mast cell degranulation. Interestingly, exposure to non-IgE stimuli such as IL-33, was also affected by TSA treatment. Furthermore, continuous TSA exposure contributed to mast cell apoptosis and a decrease in survival. Further examination revealed an increase in I-κBα and a decrease in phospho-relA levels in TSA-treated BMMCs, suggesting that TSA alters transcriptional processes, resulting in enhancement of I-κBα transcription and decreased NF-κB activation. Lastly, treatment of wild-type mice with TSA in a model of ovalbumin-induced food allergy resulted in a significant attenuation in the development of food allergy symptoms including decreases in allergic diarrhea and mast cell activation. These data therefore suggest that the epigenetic regulation of mast cell activation during immune responses may occur via altered histone acetylation, and that exposure to dietary substances may induce epigenetic modifications that modulate mast cell function.
Exploring orbital dynamics and trapping with a generalized pilot-wave framework

We explore the effects of an imposed potential with both oscillatory and quadratic components on the dynamics of walking droplets. We first conduct an experimental investigation of droplets walking on a bath with a central circular well. The well acts as a source of Faraday waves, which may trap walking droplets on circular orbits. The observed orbits are stable and quantized, with preferred radii aligning with the extrema of the well-induced Faraday wave pattern. We use the stroboscopic model of Oza et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 737, 552–570 (2013)] with an added potential to examine the interaction of the droplet with the underlying well-induced wavefield. We show that all quantized orbits are stable for low vibrational accelerations. Smaller orbits may become unstable at higher forcing accelerations and transition to chaos through a path reminiscent of the Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse scenario. We proceed by considering a generalized pilot-wave system in which the relative magnitudes of the pilot-wave force and drop inertia may be tuned. When the drop inertia is dominated by the pilot-wave force, all circular orbits may become unstable, with the drop chaotically switching between them. In this chaotic regime, the statistically stationary probability distribution of the drop’s position reflects the relative instability of the unstable circular orbits. We compute the mean wavefield from a chaotic trajectory and confirm its predicted relationship with the particle’s probability density function.
The activin/inhibin family

The key points that need to be addressed in future research into activin, and its biology are to provide a clinically relevant setting that enhances what is known of the basic biology, and second, to delineate the undoubtedly complex interplay between activin signaling, and other intersecting systems. For the former, a number of heritable mutations have been determined that relate to ligands, receptors or signaling molecules belonging to the TGFβ superfamily. While mutations relating to the activin subfamily are not represented in the current-list, the fundamental role of activin in many cell systems suggests that candidate disorders will eventually be elucidated. A conundrum in the biology of the TGFβ superfamily is how specificity of action is maintained. The use of different sets of receptors, and Smads between the activin/TGFβ group, and the BMP group allows one to envisage how these two subfamilies can be defined as separate on a functional basis. However, it becomes more perplexing to determine how activin, and TGFβ, share the same Smads, which could exist as distinct entities instead of just pseudonyms. The chapter highlights how far the activin field has come in recent years, specifically, that have now moved away from the concept that activin is a one-dimensional reproductive hormone with strictly defined activities. How this is achieved is beginning to become apparent, and clearly relates to the many interchangeable components of the signaling cascade that activin, TGFβ, and BMP utilize.
CONTINUUM FORMULATIONS FOR STOCHASTIC MULTICOMPONENT SYSTEMS

The macroscale response of a substance that is randomly heterogeneous on a microscale depends on the detailed statistics of the microstructure. This dependence results in differences both in the structure of an appropriate formulation for predicting the macroscale response, and in the values of effective material parameters required by these formulations. Calculations are presented that emphasize the dependence of the structure of continuum formulations on the microstructure statistics. Progress on the incorporation of higher-order statistical information of microstructure heterogeneity into effective material property bounds is reviewed.
Reconstruction options and outcomes for breast sarcoma patients

Breast sarcomas constitute a rare and heterogeneous group of tumors. Given their aggressive nature and the potential for extensive resections, rates of reconstruction have been low. We retrospectively reviewed subjects derived from our institutional registry presented between 2003 and 2015. Thirty-four patients with primary breast sarcoma were identified. The average age was 51.9 years and the average follow-up was 58 months. The most common histological type was malignant phyllodes (61.8%). Two patients suffered cancer recurrence. Twelve patients (35.3%) underwent reconstruction. Four underwent implant-based reconstruction, seven had autologous-based reconstruction, and one had combined reconstruction. Major complications were one flap loss and one implant removal. Our relatively high rates of breast reconstruction suggest a newly increased willingness to offer reconstruction to this rarer patient population.
Pyrolytic Carbon Coating Effects on Oxide and Carbide Kernels Intended for Nuclear Fuel Applications

AbstractThe coating of nuclear fuel kernels with pyrolytic carbon (PyC) is a well-understood practice dating back over half a century. In spite of decades of studies related to these coatings, no s...
Economic Inequality and Risk-Taking Behaviors

This chapter investigates the relationship between economic inequality and individuals’ risk-taking behaviors. We focus on risk-taking behaviors because risk is involved in numerous domains, such as gambling, investment in social interactions, health/safety, ethics, and recreation (Johnson, Wilke & Weber, 2004; Weber, Blais & Betz, 2002). Using foundational theories in social psychology, such as social comparison theory and risk sensitivity theory, we contend that economic inequality may increase risk-taking through a social comparison process. We examine support for this claim through the following framework: First, we briefly define economic inequality. Second, we discuss the relationship between inequality and risk-taking behavior. Third, we discuss why economic inequality is related to risk-taking behaviors. These findings are important because they provide a further understanding of why economic inequality may be associated with high risk and undesirable societal outcomes such as increased gambling, burglary, and robbery. Furthermore, these findings provide potential avenues for interventions.
Variability of Sleep and Relations to Body Weight Among First-Year College Students

Existing research suggests that greater sleep variability may increase risk for weight gain. College often marks a transition to a less consistent daily schedule, which may adversely impact sleep routines and further increase risk for weight gain. The current study is among the first to explore relations between nighttime sleep variability and daytime sleep (napping) and body weight among first-year college students. Using daily diary methods, first-year college students (N = 307; 84.7% female) self-reported their sleep for seven days. Several indices were created to capture sleep variability for reported bedtime, wake time, and sleep duration, including weekday versus weekend differences (WvW), day to day differences (D2D), and overall standard deviation (SD). Napping was also assessed. Based on body mass index (BMI), individuals were categorized as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese. Across indices, students’ sleep varied over an hour on average across the week. Hierarchical regressions revealed that greater differences in wake time D2D, wake time SD, and sleep duration WvW were all associated with higher BMI, after accounting for gender, depressive symptoms, and sleep duration. Longer napping was also associated with higher BMI, using the same covariates. Finally, greater sleep variability was reported by overweight and obese than healthy weight individuals. These findings suggest that sleep variability, particularly wake times and napping may be important modifiable sleep behaviors to investigate in future studies. More longitudinal research is needed to explore relations between multiple facets of sleep variability and weight gain, including possible mechanisms.
Impacts of feeding monensin sodium on production and the efficiency of milk production in dairy cows fed total mixed rations: evaluation of a confounded literature

The amount of milk Canadian dairy farmers produce is limited to a production quota expressed in milk fat. Because milk economic value is primarily based on fat and protein, it can be advantageous t...
Metastatic Syringocystadenocarcinoma Papilliferum: A Case Report, Tumor Genomic Profiling, and Literature Review

Syringocystadenocarcinoma papilliferum (SCACP) is an extremely rare cutaneous neoplasm of the apocrine or eccrine sweat glands. Solid and cystic glandular structures with cribriform and tubular architecture along with CK5/6, pankeratin and p63 immuno-profile set apart SCACP from other cutaneous malignancies. Wide local excision (WLE) has been the mainstay treatment for localized SCACP; however, no standard treatment has yet been established for unresectable or metastatic disease. Herein, we report a 74-year-old male with SCACP, who initially presented with a painful nodule on the upper back and later developed metastatic disease. He was treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel with concurrent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which resulted in disease stabilization for 12 months. Next generation sequencing (NGS) revealed a total of 18 genomic alterations associated with potential benefit from targeted therapeutics. PD-L1 expression was identified in 70% of tumor cells. These findings suggest that the opportunity of targeted therapeutics and immunotherapy exist as for metastatic SCACP. Reporting molecular profile of the rare tumors with no established standard treatment options should be encouraged.
Potential for Ladderane (Bio)synthesis from Oligo-Cyclopropane Precursors.

Quantum chemical calculations were used to determine the energetic viability of several mechanisms for formation of ladderanes from oligocyclopropanes. Pathways involving radical cations, diradical...