cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leptin receptor modulation of adiposity and fertility

The leptin receptor was discovered as a leptin binding protein, which is highly expressed in the choroid plexus. Mapping of the gene's chromosomal locations in rodents revealed that mutations in Lepr were the basis of obesity/diabetes mutations in rodents and humans. Genetic manipulations that target Lepr expression in specific neurons or hypothalamic areas have generated insights into the modes by which body composition and reproductive function are modulated by the leptin receptor. These animal models have also been instrumental in identifying diabetes susceptibility genes. In this review we discuss the evidence that supports the concept of networked functions of leptin receptor as it pertains to feeding, substrate utilization and reproduction.
Psychotherapy use in bipolar disorder: Association with functioning and illness severity.

Objective:This study examines characteristics of individuals with bipolar disorder who sought psychotherapy versus those who did not.Methods:Bipolar CHOICE was an 11-site comparative effectiveness study of lithium versus quetiapine in symptomatic outpatients (N = 482) with bipolar disorder. At baseline, participants’ psychotherapy use within the past 3 months, mood, functioning, and overall health were assessed. Logistic regressions were used to test whether psychotherapy users and non-users differed on various demographic and clinical variables at baseline. Mixed-effects regression was used to determine whether psychotherapy groups differed on response to treatment over the 6-month study. Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank tests were employed to test whether there were any differences in time to recovery (CGI-BP ≤ 2 for at least 8 weeks) between the groups.Results:Thirty one percent of participants reported using psychotherapy services. Psychotherapy users reported greater medication side effect burden than...
Photosensitization with Derivatives of Haematoporphyrin

This review describes recent progress in delineation of the structure of the active component(s) in the tumour-localizing photosensitizer HPD (haematoporphyrin derivative), along with suggestions concerning the likely determinants of accumulation of this product by different tissues.
Discovery of the youngest sex chromosomes reveals first case of convergent co-option of ancestral autosomes in turtles

Most turtle species possess temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), but genotypic sex determination (GSD) has evolved multiple times independently from the TSD ancestral condition. GSD in animals typically involves sex chromosomes, yet the sex chromosome system of only 9 out of 18 known GSD turtles has been characterized. Here, we combine comparative genome hybridization (CGH) and BAC clone fluorescent in situ hybridization (BAC FISH) to identify a macro-chromosome XX/XY system in the GSD wood turtle Glyptemys insculpta (GIN), the youngest known sex chromosomes in chelonians (8–20 My old). Comparative analyses show that GIN-X/Y is homologous to chromosome 4 of Chrysemys picta (CPI) painted turtles, chromosome 5 of Gallus gallus chicken, and thus to the X/Y sex chromosomes of Siebenrockiella crassicollis black marsh turtles. We tentatively assign the gene content of the mapped BACs from CPI chromosome 4 (CPI-4) to GIN-X/Y. Chromosomal rearrangements were detected in G. insculpta sex chromosome pair that co-localize with the male-specific region of GIN-Y and encompass a gene involved in sexual development (Wt1—a putative master gene in TSD turtles). Such inversions may have mediated the divergence of G. insculpta sex chromosome pair and facilitated GSD evolution in this turtle. Our results illuminate the structure, origin, and evolution of sex chromosomes in G. insculpta and reveal the first case of convergent co-option of an autosomal pair as sex chromosomes within chelonians.
Phosphorylation of Membrane-Located Proteins of Soybean: In Vitro Response of Purified Plasma Membranes to Auxin and Calcium

Isolated membranes of soybean incorpated 32P from γ-[32P]ATP in vitro. The incorporation was rapid and labeling was achieved in 10 s or less. When displayed on 10% sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gels, several labeled protein bands were revealed (Morre et al., 1984). Incorporation into protein bands with apparent molecular weights of 45,000 and 50,000 as well as into total material insoluble in trichloroacetic acid was observed in the presence of auxin (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid = 2,4-D). Also, incorporation into a low molecular weight constituent was stimulated 2- to 3-fold by auxin in some experiments. The activity may be the result of protein kinases of the C-type since stimulation also was given by diglyceride plus calcium (Morre et al., 1984), constituents known to augment C-type kinases in other systems (Nishizuka, 1984).
Early Trajectories of Alcohol and Other Substance Use Among Youth From Rural Communities Within the Cherokee Nation

Objective:This research examines gender and racial/ethnic differences in substance use trajectories during early adolescence among American Indian and non-Native adolescents.Method:Substance use trajectories were evaluated among 684 adolescents (50% female, 51% American Indian) across five assessments over 9th and 10th grades. Youth were drawn from six rural towns within the Cherokee Nation, a nonreservation tribal jurisdiction that includes a high proportion of American Indians embedded within a predominantly White population. Past-month substance use was based on self-report and was dichotomized into “used” versus “did not use,” with the exception of alcohol, which was trichotomized into “none,” “1 or 2 days,” or “3–30 days.”Results:Using growth mixture modeling with full-information maximum-likelihood estimation, we determined that between two and three different trajectory classes best described the data for each substance. Males had a higher probability compared with females of following a trajectory...
Fluorometric Determination of Cyanide in Biological Fluids with Pyridoxal

Investigations of the physiological disposition of cyanide during thiosulfate therapy has necessitated the development of a convenient and sensitive method for cyanide analysis. A fluorometric method involving the catalytic conversion of pyridoxal to 4-pyridoxylactone was adapted for use with biological fluids by employing microdiffusion analysis. The presence of the cyanide antagonist, sodium thiosulfate, interferes with the formation of the fluorophore. In order to circumvent this interference, the pH of the diffusion media was altered to selectively diffuse cyanide. After testing various acidifying agents, an acetate buffer (pH = 5.2) was determined to be satisfactory. The fluorometric method was then correlated with the classical colorimetric procedure by an in vivo study. Blood from mice treated with sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate, prior to receiving potassium cyanide, was analyzed by both procedures and no significant difference was demonstrated between the results of the two methods of analysis.
The Historical Experiment as a Research Strategy in the Study of World Politics

As one looks back on the important developments in political science over the past two decades, there is much to be applauded. While it may be premature to say that we have come “of age” as a scientific discipline, the field is clearly in better shape today than it was in the early 1950s. One indicator is the ratio between mere speculation and observed empirical regularities reported in our journal articles. Another is the decline in the percentage (if not in absolute numbers) of our colleagues who insist that political phenomena are just not amenable to scientific examination. A third might be the dramatic increase in the number of political scientists who have been exposed to training in the techniques and rationale of data making and data analysis. The list could be extended, but we need not do so here. On the other hand, a stance of comfortable complacency would be very premature. Not only have we fared badly in coming to grips with the knowledge-action relationship in the abstract, but we have by and large done a poor job of shaping the policies of our respective national, provincial, and local governments. Since others as well as myself have dealt—if not definitively—with these issues before, let me eschew further discussion of the knowledge application question for the moment, and go on to matters of basic research. Of the more serious flaws to date, two stand out particularly. One is the lack of balance between a concern for cumulativeness on the one hand and the need for innovation on the other. My impression is that students of national politics (at least those who work in the vineyard of empirical regularities) have been more than conscientious in staying with one set of problems, such as the relationship between political attitudes and voting behavior. But students of inter-national politics have, conversely, tended to move all too quickly from one problem to another, long before cumulative evidence has been generated and before our findings are integrated into coherent wholes.
Uniform Large Diameter Carbon Nanotubes in Vertical Arrays from Premade Near-Monodisperse Nanoparticles

Despite the many processes developed for carbon nanotube synthesis, few if any of these control the carbon nanotube diameter and length simultaneously. Here, we report a process whereby we synthesize vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays (VA-CNT) using water-assisted chemical vapor deposition from solution processed premade and near-monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles. Utilizing a dendrimer-assisted iron oxide nanoparticle monolayer deposition technique, the synthesis of high quality VA-CNTs is observed with a surprising degree of walls uniformity and diameters that correlate closely with the catalyst particle size. Specifically, we utilize 8.3 and 15.4 nm nanoparticle sizes to grow uniform, large diameter VA-CNTs. We observe control of the VA-CNT diameter and number of walls based on the nanoparticle size, with the 8.3 nm nanoparticles growing over 90% four-walled CNTs. Additionally, there is a sparse population of VA-CNTs with large diameters and few walls that tend to flatten into nanostructures ...
Simultaneous PML-IRIS and myelitis in a patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a destructive and often fatal infection of oligodendrocytes caused by the human polyomavirus JC virus (JCV).1 Risk factors include prior JCV infection detected serologically and immunosuppression, including HIV infection, hematologic malignancy, systemic autoimmune disease, and immunosuppressant use.1 Immune-reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) may occur after restoration of immunocompetence.1 PML is associated with natalizumab treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS),1 but not with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) or NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSDs). We describe a patient with NMOSD who simultaneously developed PML-IRIS and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM).
Present situation of hospitals' capacity for coping with the influenza pandemic in a district of Beijing

[Objective]To understand and analyze the present situation of preparation for coping with influenza pandemic of hospitals in a district of Beijing,provide the basic information for making the coping strategies and measures of influenza pandemic. [Methods]During 12-23 April 2010,the questionnaire survey was conducted in 18 medical institutions in the district with uniform questionnaires by CDC staff who received the training. [Results]10 fever clinics could operate normally in the district.The average ratio of doctor to nurse in department associated with respiratory disease of 16 hospitals at second-class and above was 1∶1.64,and that of 13 hospitals was under 1∶2.In 16 hospitals,the sickbed number in department associated with respiratory disease accounted for 11.51% of all sickbeds in the hospitals.14 hospitals had intensive care units(ICU),and the proportion of sickbeds in the ICU of 8 hospitals was less than 2% of all sickbeds.Among 10 third-class hospitals,the ratio of breathing machines to sickbeds in 4 hospitals was not less than 100%.All of 18 hospitals had no negative air pressure isolation ward,13 hospitals had normal isolation ward,and 5 hospitals could prescribe the neuraminidase inhibitors. [Conclusion]The number of fever clinics and sickbeds in department associated with respiratory disease is not enough in the district.The proportion of sickbeds in ICU to all sickbeds in hospitals is low,and the reserve of antiviral drugs is insufficient.At present,the hospital's capacity for coping with the influenza pandemic in the district is limited.
Increasing the participation of females in computing careers

Despite the excellent opportunities and salaries in computing careers, participation by females has declined over the past twenty years (see [1]). Two of the major factors contributing to this decline are the reduced numbers of females starting and graduating as computer science majors, and the large fraction of women who leave computing careers (see [1, 2]). While this presentation focuses on the situation in North America, a similar decline has been reported in many countries (see [3]). After presenting data from the last decade on the participation by women in CS undergraduate and Ph.D. programs, we outline the reasons for the low recruitment and retention of females in computing. We close with a variety of strategies that have been highly successful in recruiting and retaining females.
Sequences and Series

Sequences and series have fascinated people for thousands of years. They are arrows pointing at the unreachable infinite. Aristotle described the paradoxes due to Zeno, of Achilles racing the tortoise and of “dichotomy,” both of which are answerable today as questions about infinite series. And Archimedes understood that the geometric series \(1 + {1 \over 4} + {1 \over {{4^2}}} + {1 \over {{4^3}}} + ...\) was the number 4/3. But there was very little more than that known, in theory or practice, to guide Isaac Newton when he went to work on the calculus. He used series in wholely new ways, applying his techniques of integration and differentiation to them term by term.
The Cultural, Economic and Political implications of New Media: A Case Study on Mobile Telephony among University Students in Kenya

A book chapter by Prof. Fredrick Kangethe Iraki, a Lecturer at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU - Africa.
On Two Experiments in the Pricing of Theater Tickets

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an interim report on two experiments carried out in New York City, both of which intended to expand the audience attendance for live theater and to bring new types of attendees to it. One deals with the oldest and most established form of production in the United States—the New York commercial theater, while the other applies to off-off-Broadway and ethnic theater, encompassing the city's most variegated, financially unstable, and burgeoning theatrical enterprises. For the one involving the established Broadway theatre, the objective was to find customers for those seats without simultaneously producing an offsetting reduction in the commercial theater's current sources of revenue. For the off-off-Broadway theater, the problem was even simpler—it is a matter of channeling funds into this incredibly impecunious sector of the theater but doing so in a way that is administratively feasible for the funding agencies and that minimizes unintended artistic interference by these agencies while providing some suitable incentives to the theaters.
Decision support for selection of food waste technologies at military installations

Abstract The selection of an appropriate technology for waste management in a way that enhances sustainability is a complex problem requiring information from multiple disciplines. This decision is made more complex for large, diverse organizations for which individual sites or components have different requirements and capacities for waste management. For U.S. Army installations, sustainable waste management is a major obstacle for resource constrained and overburdened installation personnel. The Army has prioritized landfill diversion at installations; there is a significant push for each installation to develop and implement waste management plans that follow high-level goals set by U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM). The main objective of this study is to demonstrate an excel-based dashboard tool incorporating Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for site-specific waste management technology selection. The dashboard uses the preferences of an installation and a series of weighted metrics to evaluate technologies. With this information the dashboard can rank the technologies to identify those that simultaneously meet IMCOM's objectives and are appropriate for specific sites' capabilities and resources. Fourteen different technology makes and models were compared in this version of the decision model including dehydrators, pulpers, garbage disposals, containerized in-vessel composting, windrow composting, forced-air static composting, and containerized anaerobic digestion. MCDA provides for transparent comparison of technologies for all sites, and the dashboard visualizes the level of appropriateness of each technology for each site. The approach developed here adds value in that it utilizes the priorities of the organization and identifies the best performing waste management technology given the specific capacity and capabilities of an individual site.
What happens when the Aharonov-Bohm effect meets Berry's phase?

The Aharonov-Bohm effect and the Berry phase are topological phase shifts that affect quantum interference patterns. Both phase shifts were first predicted theoretically, and then observed experimentally. Now Yakir Aharonov, who proposed the former with the late David Bohm in 1959, and co-workers have shown that these two phases add together in a non-trivial way. Moreover, this interplay can reveal properties of the system that are difficult to observe directly (Y Aharonov et al. 1994 Phys. Rev. Lett. 73 918).
Streptococcus mutans SpaP binds to RadD of Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. polymorphum.

Adhesin-mediated bacterial interspecies interactions are important elements in oral biofilm formation. They often occur on a species-specific level, which could determine health or disease association of a biofilm community. Among the key players involved in these processes are the ubiquitous fusobacteria that have been recognized for their ability to interact with numerous different binding partners. Fusobacterial interactions with Streptococcus mutans, an important oral cariogenic pathogen, have previously been described but most studies focused on binding to non-mutans streptococci and specific cognate adhesin pairs remain to be identified. Here, we demonstrated differential binding of oral fusobacteria to S. mutans. Screening of existing mutant derivatives indicated SpaP as the major S. mutans adhesin specific for binding to Fusobacterium nucleatum ssp. polymorphum but none of the other oral fusobacteria tested. We inactivated RadD, a known adhesin of F. nucleatum ssp. nucleatum for interaction with a number of gram-positive species, in F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum and used a Lactococcus lactis heterologous SpaP expression system to demonstrate SpaP interaction with RadD of F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum. This is a novel function for SpaP, which has mainly been characterized as an adhesin for binding to host proteins including salivary glycoproteins. In conclusion, we describe an additional role for SpaP as adhesin in interspecies adherence with RadD-SpaP as the interacting adhesin pair for binding between S. mutans and F. nucleatum ssp. polymorphum. Furthermore, S. mutans attachment to oral fusobacteria appears to involve species- and subspecies-dependent adhesin interactions.
Sickle Cell Patients Have Exagerated Autonomic Response to Transient Hypoxia

Abstract Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a devastating disorder that results from a single amino acid substitution in the beta chain of hemoglobin causing polymerization of hemoglobin S when oxygen is removed. This causes normally flexible sickle red cells (SRBC) to become rigid, obstruct vasculature resulting in ischemic organ damage and decreased longevity. Anything which decreases microvasculature flow will promote the sickling process. Inflammation and adhesion of cellular elements to the vessel wall are known to increase the probability of vasoocclusive crisis (VOC). However, the precise event that triggers the cascade called “crisis” is not known. Microvascular flow changes rapidly in response to autonomic signals which can be assessed by measurement of heart rate variability (HRV). These autonomic signals may be the trigger that causes regional decrease in flow and initiates the events resulting in crisis. We have established a model of induced hypoxia in human subjects that was designed to mimic the transient hypoxia occuring naturally during sleep. Calibrated tidal volume, O2 saturation, and electrocardiogram, were recorded up to 200 times per second using a LifeShirt physiological monitoring garment and tissue oxygenation and microvascular blood flow was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry or magnetic resonance imaging. The report focuses on safety and on HRV results. Subjects breathed 5 breaths of 100% N2 twice separated by a 5 to 10 minte recovery period on up to 4 separate days per subject. 15 SCA had two hypoxic exposures on 38 days. Subjects were contacted 1, 12, and 24 hrs and 7 to 14 days later and symptom questionnaires completed. On only 4 occasions, subjects reported mild transient sicklelike pain that required no or non-narcotic treatment within 24 hours of hypoxia and was deemed possibly related to the hypoxic exposure. About sixty percent of the exposures were associated with lightheadedness lasting 10 to 15 seconds at the nadir of the SpO2. The drop in SpO2 was greater in the SCA patients (p Using a novel algorithm we developed which allows second to second comparison of autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance to change in SaO2, we found that the high frequency component of HRV representing parasympathetic (HFP) and low frequency component representing mixed sympathetic activity (LFP) were significantly different between SCA and control (p These data demonstrate that transient hypoxia can be safely induced in SCA subjects and used to study the relation between hypoxia and physiological responses and SCA patients have a marked abnormality in autonomic nervous system regulation in response to transient hypoxia that likely plays a role in the pathophysiology of this disorder.
Toward a Linked Data Model for Describing Cartographic Resources

This article highlights an ongoing investigation into Linked Open Data (LOD) description models for cartographic resources. The Linked Data for Production (LD4P) project is a multi-institutional effort that is exploring the use of the Library of Congress’ Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME) as a means to semantically annotate library metadata using LOD principles. The LD4P Cartographic Materials subproject is focusing both on evaluating the existing BIBFRAME ontology and extending it in order to enable the description of cartographic resources in LOD environments.
Joint estimation of activity and attenuation: Application to non-FDG TOF PET/MR clinical data

Attenuation correction is critical to accurate PET quantitation. Accurate and robust attenuation correction remains challenging in hybrid PET/MR because it is difficult to segment bones, internal air and lungs accurately in MR images and MR often suffers from artifacts due to metal implants and signal shading. Joint estimation (JE) of activity and attenuation from time-of-flight (TOF) PET data has recently gained substantial interest because the JE approach shows a promise to address the challenges in MR based attenuation correction. We have previously implemented a JE algorithm with MR-based priors and demonstrated its feasibility using FDG PET/MR clinical data. However, JE algorithms have rarely been evaluated on non-FDG tracers which often have spatially more specific uptake patterns with little activity in background tissue, and hence may pose challenges to JE. In this study, we evaluate the JE algorithm using non-FDG PET/MR clinical data. We demonstrate that the JE algorithm improves the accuracy and robustness of MR-based attenuation correction not only for FDG as previously shown but also for non-FDG tracers such as 68Ga-DOTATOC and Fluoride. In addition, we demonstrate the critical role of TOF information in JE algorithms.
“We learned a ton!”: Web 3.0 for second language critical discourse studies

ABSTRACTWhile access to technology presents language learners with a view of the second language (L2) and culture that is very broad and current, foreign language curricula tend to be outdated and much narrower in scope, and they usually do not incorporate critical perspectives. Following the lead of researchers who seek to use education as a bottom-up method of achieving social justice, this case study of two students used Web 3.0 resources (especially Facebook [FB]) to integrate critical pedagogy (CP) and critical discourse studies (CDS) into an intermediate foreign language course. The purpose was to raise students’ critical awareness of sociopolitical issues while enhancing their agency and involvement. The students were trained in using CDS to study L2 discourses and in engaging collaboratively in dialogues in class and on FB. Close analysis of four major themes in the two students’ nuanced responses on eight data collection tasks over the semester shows that although they did well on the departmenta...
Biomarker Discovery and Validation in HCC Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Therapy

Biomarkers are critical for the diagnosis, prognostication, and management of liver cancer and have been developed significantly in the past decade, in part due to the advancement in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. The recent updates, discovery, and validation of liver cancer biomarkers will be reviewed here, as well as the methodological considerations on cancer biomarker research. Specifically, the epidemiological considerations on cancer biomarkers are discussed including the comparisons of companion and complementary diagnostics. Practical perspectives are also provided on the established and emerging biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of liver cancer, as well as future research directions on the liver cancer biomarker discovery.
Long-Term Skills Retention Following a Randomized Prospective Trial on Adaptive Procedural Training.

Objective Cumulative sum (CuSum) is a real-time proficiency-monitoring tool adapted for simulation-based training. This study’s objective was to investigate long-term outcomes of a double blinded, randomized control trial conducted with medical students assessing CuSum-guided curriculum against volume-based standards. The trial found a nearly 20% reduction in practice time to reach proficiency using the CuSum curriculum but long-term effects of decreased practice volume on proficiency is unknown. Design Prior participants completed a survey assessing confidence, exposure, and feedback at 12 to 18 months following trial completion. They underwent retention testing of suturing, intubation, and central venous catheter placement (CVC), which was video-recorded and assessed by an expert evaluator. Baseline characteristics among repeat subjects were compared using chi-squared tests. Retention and initial trial outcome were compared using paired parametric statistical methods. Setting The study was conducted at a major tertiary care center and training hospital. Participants Medical students, which completed the initial randomized control trial were eligible for enrollment. A total of 30/46(65%) responded to the survey, whereas 33/46(72%) completed retention testing. Results Average scores and decay in procedural tasks over time for suturing, intubation and CVC were 91.6% (−4.7%), 86.1% (−4.1%), and 76.2% (−14.8%), respectively. Compared to the control group, the CuSum group mean difference in retention evaluation scores was −5.6% (p = 0.12). Confidence was not associated with initial or retention testing performance in any procedural task. Higher confidence was associated with additional exposure to the procedural task in suturing and intubation (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). For intubation, higher confidence was reported by participants who received positive feedback (p = 0.01), and those assigned to the volume-based training arm (p = 0.03). Conclusion CuSum-guided training was equivalent to conventional training for suturing, intubation, and CVC. These findings importantly suggest medical students can retain competency in invasive surgical tasks with modest decay in proficiency over time regardless of initial training method.
Food Scraps and Barn Chores: Bodies and Networks at Camp Treetops

Although bushels of research have been collected about organic farms, artisanal food production, and community in relation to food, there exists little knowledge on educational-productive farms, which are farms intended for children that balance farm/food education and productivity. Children are involved in all aspects of food production from planting seeds to composting, caring for animals to harvesting them, cooking to eating. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted at Camp Treetops in Lake Placid, New York, this paper examines children’s bodily experiences on the farm. How does Camp Treetops’ living philosophy—and the way it manifests itself in the practices on the educational productive farm—affect children’s relationships with food? I argue that in being displaced from their homes and transported to camp for the summer, where they experience a collection of sensory interactions within a network of human and nonhuman actants, the children undergo a transformation. Their bodily experience leaves them forever tied in a network to a piece of land. Further, the emergence of the model of the educational-productive farm at Camp Treetops implicitly critiques the distance marking the relationship between people and food today.
Amyloid seeding of transthyretin by ex vivo cardiac fibrils and its inhibition

Each of the 30 human amyloid diseases is associated with the aggregation of a particular precursor protein into amyloid fibrils. In transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), mutant or wild-type forms of the serum carrier protein transthyretin (TTR), synthesized and secreted by the liver, convert to amyloid fibrils deposited in the heart and other organs. The current standard of care for hereditary ATTR is liver transplantation, which replaces the mutant TTR gene with the wild-type gene. However, the procedure is often followed by cardiac deposition of wild-type TTR secreted by the new liver. Here we find that amyloid fibrils extracted from autopsied and explanted hearts of ATTR patients robustly seed wild-type TTR into amyloid fibrils in vitro. Cardiac-derived ATTR seeds can accelerate fibril formation of wild-type and monomeric TTR at acidic pH and under physiological conditions, respectively. We show that this seeding is inhibited by peptides designed to complement structures of TTR fibrils. These inhibitors cap fibril growth, suggesting an approach for halting progression of ATTR.
Das motorische Neuron des Rückenmarks

Die motorischen Neuren des Ruckenmarks sind wie alle Nervenzellen sehr grose Zellen. Nur ein kleiner Teil ihrer Gesamtgrose wird vom Kern und dem Perikaryon (dem Zytoplasma des Zellkorpers) reprasentiert, den grosten Anteil machen Axone und Dentriten aus. Trotz dieser ungewohnlichen Tatsache ist das Perikaryon von entscheidender Bedeutung fur die bestandige Funktion der gesamten Zelle. Es ist der Bildungsort fur das Axoplasma und ebenso fur das Plasma der Dentriten; die Regeneration der Nerven hangt vom unversehrten Funktionieren dieser zentralen Struktur ab.
Racial Discourse in Political Advertisements: An Historical View

We explore the extent to which and the ways in which race-based messages have been used in election campaigns that feature racial minorities. We examine televised political advertisements from federal election contests where at least one of the candidates was a member of a racial minority group. In this paper, we present a descriptive account of the types of messages that have been used, differentiating between racist and racial appeals and implicit and explicit messages. We also take into consideration candidates’ parties, the region of the country in which the contests took place, the year of the election, and the specific type of appeal that was made to identify trends in racialized campaign discourse over the past three decades. Results reveal that both White candidates and minorities appeal to race, but in vastly different ways. Analysis includes discussion about the implications for research on the effects of such messages on potential voters.
Image guided respiratory motion analysis: time series and image registration

The efficacy of Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) systems relies on accurately extracting, modeling and predicting tumor movement with imaging techniques. This thesis investigates two key problems associated with such systems: motion modeling and image processing. For thoracic and upper abdominal tumors, respiratory motion is the dominant factor for tumor movement. We have studied several special structured time series analysis techniques to incorporate the semi-periodicity characteristics of respiratory motion. The proposed methods are robust towards large variations among fractions and populations; the algorithms perform stably in the presence of sparse radiographic observations with noise. We have proposed a subspace projection method to quantitatively evaluate the semi-periodicity of a given observation trace; a nonparametric local regression approach for real-time prediction of respiratory motion; a state augmentation scheme to model hysteresis; and an ellipse tracking algorithm to estimate the trend of respiratory motion in real time. For image processing, we have focused on designing regularizations to account for prior information in image registration problems. We investigated a penalty function design that accommodates tissue-type-dependent elasticity information. We studied a class of discontinuity preserving regularizers that yield smooth deformation estimates in most regions, yet allow discontinuities supported by data. We have further proposed a discriminate regularizer that preserves shear discontinuity, but discourages folding or vacuum generating flows. In addition, we have initiated a preliminary principled study on the fundamental performance limit of image registration problems. We proposed a statistical generative model to account for noise effect in both source and target images, and investigated the approximate performance of the maximum-likelihood estimator corresponding to the generative model and the commonly adopted M-estimator. A simple example suggests that the approximation is reasonably accurate. Our studies in both time series analysis and image registration constitute essential building-blocks for clinical applications such as adaptive treatment. Besides their theoretical interests, it is our sincere hope that with further justifications, the proposed techniques would realize its clinical value, and improve the quality of life for patients.
Is Early Product Release Preannouncement a Signal for High Product Quality

New product release preannouncement is a pre-release communication process for sending a message to target groups such as consumers, competitors, and/or stockholders. Despite its importance, little has been empirically investigated about the strategic role of its timing. In this paper, we focus on consumers as the target group and study the impact of preannouncement timing on consumer demand for new products. In particular, we investigate a signaling role of preannouncement timing as a potential mechanism for the effect of preannouncement timing on sales. We construct a unique data set from the Japanese video game market, which includes details about product release strategy, game characteristics, pre-release survey on consumer excitement, media coverage, advertising, and post-release sales for 936 games between 1999 and 2008. Our findings suggest that (1) early preannouncement increases sales for high-quality games, but decreases sales for low-quality games; and consistently (2) high-quality games tend to preannounce earlier than low-quality games. We then investigate the signaling role as an underlying mechanism, where pre-release consumer excitement plays a key role: early preannouncement increases consumer excitement, but too much excitement hurts sales for low-quality games and this serves as a signaling cost. The additional findings are consistent with the signaling role.
Consultant Corner: Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal bleeding is a common concern encountered in the acute care setting. The two determinants for an urgent gastroenterology consultation for a patient with gastrointestinal bleeding are a high suspicion for variceal bleeding and active upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It is important to remember when assessing for an upper versus lower GI bleed that not all hematochezia is from lower GI bleeding and approximately 15% of patients presenting with hematochezia have an upper GI bleeding source. Nasogastric aspiration offers diagnostic information while also clearing blood and clots from the stomach to reduce the likelihood of aspiration and to improve endoscopic visualization. In a hemodynamically stable patient who presents with GI bleeding, transfusion with packed red blood cells should be initiated when the hemoglobin level falls below 7 g/deciliter.
Diverse Chemical Scaffolds Enhance Oligodendrocyte Formation by Inhibiting CYP51, TM7SF2, or EBP

Small molecules that promote oligodendrocyte formation have been identified in "drug repurposing" screens to nominate candidate therapeutics for diseases in which myelin is lost, including multiple sclerosis. We recently reported that many such molecules enhance oligodendrocyte formation not by their canonical targets but by inhibiting a narrow range of enzymes in cholesterol biosynthesis. Here we identify enhancers of oligodendrocyte formation obtained by screening a structurally diverse library of 10,000 small molecules. Identification of the cellular targets of these validated hits revealed a majority inhibited the cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes CYP51, TM7SF2, or EBP. In addition, evaluation of analogs led to identification of CW3388, a potent EBP-inhibiting enhancer of oligodendrocyte formation poised for further optimization.
Differences in forest management practices in Primorsky Krai: Case study of certified and non-certified by Forest Stewardship Council forest concessions

ABSTRACTThe Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) aims to promote environmentally responsible forest management globally. However, quantifiable evidence of effects of FSC on forest management practices ...
A Ha Moment: Insights on the Antecedents and Effects of Humor and Laughter

Humor and laughter pervade organizational interactions. Although recent research has documented that humor and laughter significantly influence how colleagues perceive and interact with one another...
Modelling and Analysis of a Novel Vehicular Mobility Management Scheme to Enhance Connectivity in Vehicular Environments

Robust end-to-end connectivity in vehicular environments has been a daunting problem standing in the way of the development and provisioning of novel in-transit data communication services envisioned to incur remarkable enhancements on all of the: a) road safety, b) environment and c) welfare of travelling passengers. The establishment of continuous multi-hop data communication paths among arbitrary pairs of vehicular nodes is severely affected by the natural vehicular traffic flow's inherent limitations and obstacles that have been widely investigated in the literature. This present work proposes a novel Vehicular Mobility Management (VMM) scheme that has the objective of regulating the vehicles' navigational parameters in such a way to steadily line these vehicles up in proximity of each other with space headways that do not exceed the coverage range of their respective OnBoard Units. This will allow for establishing robust and long-lived communication links connecting the vehicles together; hence, increasing the probability of existence of multi-hop paths between arbitrary pairs of vehicular nodes. A Mathematical model is formulated herein in order to evaluate the performance of VMM in terms of multiple Qualityof-Service (QoS) metrics (e.g. average end-to-end data delivery delay, average throughput, probability of existence of an end-to-end path, etc). A simulation framework is then established for the purpose of verifying the correctness and validity of the proposed model and gauge the merit and advantages of the proposed VMM scheme. The reported results constitute a tangible proof of the validity of the proposed model as well as of the benefits emanating from vehicular flow control in the context of a highly promising step towards the realization of the embraced Internet of Vehicles (IoV).
What’s New in the Management of Incarcerated Hernia

Management of incarcerated hernias is a common issue facing general surgeons across the USA. When hernias are not able to be reduced, surgeons must make decisions in a short time frame with limited options for patient optimization. In this article, we review assessment and management options for incarcerated ventral and inguinal hernias.
Pericardial Disease, Myocarditis, and Cardiac Tamponade

Acute pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardium that is most commonly caused by either viral infections or myocardial infarction. It usually presents with fever, pleuritic chest pain, and a pericardial friction rub heard on auscultation. Pericardial effusion is the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space (between the parietal and the visceral pericardium) and is often associated with a variety of underlying disorders. Pericardial effusion is initially asymptomatic, but it can evolve to cardiac tamponade with hypotension, tachycardia, jugular venous congestion, and pulsus paradoxus. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium that most often affects young patients commonly caused by viral infections but may also manifest in patients with connective tissue disease.
The Revenge of the Man of God

Most scholars recognize literary problems in the two stories about the man of God found in 1 Kings 13. The older school of literary criticism has asked what redactional layers might be present, whether a prophetic source or redaction stands behind this story or a prophetic legend has been transformed by the Deuteronomist. Newer literary approaches show that the episodes involving the man of God play vital roles in the development of the larger plot of the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel with Jeroboam and the rise of the southern kingdom with Josiah. The unnamed man of God becomes symbolic of the obedience and disobedience of the monarchy. The story of the man of God in 1 Kings 13 has been carefully crafted into a two-sided plot. One scene is positive, the other negative. Conflict in this plot between the word of Yahweh spoken through the man of God and the altar at Bethel is not resolved until 2 Kings 23. The surface conflicts between the human characters become symbolic of the deeper conflict between Yahweh and other gods. The theme of obedience or disobedience to the divine word emerges from this deeper plot.
Doing Research in the Social Domain

Any professional activity worth its name will have developed criteria and concepts that help to guarantee the quality of its products (see Stevens, Schade, Chalk, and Slevin, 1993, p. 6, concerning health care professionals). Interestingly this stage does not seem to have been realised yet for systems professionals in the social domain. Not only early workers have been worried (Ackoff, 1981; Beer, 1985; Checkland, 1981), but also more recent ones (Checkland, 1992; De Zeeuw, 1995; Van der Zouwen, 1996).
Angle Independent Fano Resonances in Bioinspired Nanostructured Fabry-Pérot Sensors

The utility of Fabry-Perot based optical sensors is limited by their poor readout angle. We numerically demonstrate that adding bioinspired short-range-order nanostructuring to these devices leads to angle-independent Fano resonances, enabling wide angle optical sensing.
Transportation Communications Infrastructures

Transportation and Internet Technologies have evolved dramatically during the last decade, laying solid foundation for the future generation of the Ubiquitous Internet access, omnipresent web technologies and ultimate automated information cyberspace. As a result, the current efforts in the research and development in the areas of Future Transportation and Next Generation of Internet Technologies promotes formation of inter-disciplinary international teams of experts, scientists, researchers and engineers to create a new generation of applications and technologies that will facilitate the future transportation system. The author discusses the current state of the art in the world of Telecommunications and Internet Technologies, new technological trends directions in the application in the Future Transportation.
Pretesting and data modeling for forecasting student success in computer science courses

An experimental study in the design and use of questionnaires aims to capture salient information for predicting student success for computer science courses. Developing uniform and easy-to-use methods for collecting and processing information on student ability and preparation is the main objective. Such methods must be robust with respect to missing data. It should be influenced minimally by differences of cultural backgrounds and language proficiency.
Catatonia: A Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

List of patient vignettes Preface Acknowledgments Chronology of catatonia concepts 1. Catatonia: a history 2. Signs of catatonia are identifiable 3. The many faces of catatonia 4. The differential diagnosis of catatonia 5. Catatonia is measurable and common 6. Past treatments for catatonia 7. Management of catatonia today 8. The neurology of catatonia 9. Back to the future Appendices References Index.
What Single Polls and Their Marginals Tell Us (Or Not

Here’s the situation: You’re a consultant to a public policy polling organization, which wants to measure public attitudes toward a recent expansion of bicycle lanes in New York City. The press, politicians, pundits and the public will all use the results of this single poll, the marginals, to characterize public opinion. Thus, the pollster wants to obtain the most realistic picture of the public that is possible. As the consultant, do you: 1. Recommend that a neutral wording question is better than a tendentious one, or would you say it doesn’t matter either way? 2. Recommend measuring non-opinion, or doesn’t it matter whether nonopinion is acknowledged? 3. Recommend measuring intensity (or strength) of opinion, or doesn’t it matter whether intensity is accounted for?
The Evidence of Small Things

Quantum dots are small semiconductors, so small in fact that quantum effects are dominant. The result is that the energy levels look like those of an atom. In his Research Commentary, Gammon discusses results reported in the same issue by [ Landin et al ][1]. in which the growth density of quantum dots was reduced to the point at which individual dots could be studied with a microscope. Improvements in understanding these dots could lead to applications as memory devices, optical elements, or logic elements in computing. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/280/5361/262