cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Atypical PKCs in memory maintenance: the roles of feedback and redundancy

Memories that last a lifetime are thought to be stored, at least in part, as persistent enhancement of the strength of particular synapses. The synaptic mechanism of these persistent changes, late long-term potentiation (L-LTP), depends on the state and number of specific synaptic proteins. Synaptic proteins, however, have limited dwell times due to molecular turnover and diffusion, leading to a fundamental question: how can this transient molecular machinery store memories lasting a lifetime? Because the persistent changes in efficacy are synapse-specific, the underlying molecular mechanisms must to a degree reside locally in synapses. Extensive experimental evidence points to atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) isoforms as key components involved in memory maintenance. Furthermore, it is evident that establishing long-term memory requires new protein synthesis. However, a comprehensive model has not been developed describing how these components work to preserve synaptic efficacies over time. We propose a molecular model that can account for key empirical properties of L-LTP, including its protein synthesis dependence, dependence on aPKCs, and synapse-specificity. Simulations and empirical data suggest that either of the two aPKC subtypes in hippocampal neurons, PKMζ and PKCι/λ, can maintain L-LTP, making the system more robust. Given genetic compensation at the level of synthesis of these PKC subtypes as in knockout mice, this system is able to maintain L-LTP and memory when one of the pathways is eliminated.
Book Review of Integrating Pedagogy and Technology: Improving Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Technology applied in university courses must also include pedagogical rationale to be most effective. Likewise, faculty that are only using pedagogy and not including current technology are not fully preparing their students for careers beyond their undergraduate studies. Bernauer and Tomei aim to help college professors become master educators by fully utilizing both technology and pedagogy in unison. To that end, they have created a framework for faculty and an impressive list of tools with pre-identified objectives. The matrix introduced in this book has the potential to serve as an instructor evaluation in higher education.
Competition, Decentralization, and Candidate Selection in Mexico

This article examines how political context affects the strategic choice of nomination rules, using data from federal and state-level legislative elections. Our analysis indicates that competition affects the selection rules parties adopt. Overall, parties are most likely to use open selection rules when they think they will win, largely due to the effects of activist competition over coveted nominations. However, state-level party leaders have not been consistently empowered by decentralization. Although state-level party leaders do have nonnegligible influence when it comes to the selection of local legislative nominees, they have more influence in those states that are the most dependent on the federal government for resources. Competitive context continues to be a stronger predictor of selection rule choice than decentralization.
Slow-light effect via Rayleigh anomaly in high contrast gratings

We investigate slow light effect of subwavelength gratings via Rayleigh Anomaly on both infinite and finite size high index contrast gratings. Our results show that the local group velocity of the transmitted light can be significantly reduced due to the optical vortex, which can inspire a new mechanism to enhance light-matter interactions for optical sensing and photo detection. However, the slow light effect will diminish as the transmitted light propagates further away from the grating surface, and the slow-down factor decreases as the grating size shrinks.
Polyvinylpyrrolidone-I131 as an Indicator of Net Intestinal Water Flux: Its Binding by Intestinal Mucus.∗

SummaryPolyvinylpyrrolidone labelled with I131 was compared with polyethylene glycol as an indicator of net water absorption in intestinal perfusion studies. Small losses of PVPI131 in normal subjects and large losses in patients with sprue could be explained by binding of the polymer to intestinal mucus. The role of this factor in fecal PVPI131 excretion is discussed. PVPI131 is not a useful indicator of net water flux in patients with sprue.We thank Abbott Laboratories for PVPI131 used in these studies and the Radiation Research Laboratories, State University of Iowa, for providing facilities for measurement of radioactivity.
Hemopressin Forms Self-Assembled Fibrillar Nanostructures under Physiologically Relevant Conditions

The nonapeptide hemopressin, which is derived from the α chain of hemoglobin, has been reported to exhibit inverse agonist activity against the CB1 receptor. Administration of this peptide in animal models led to decreased food intake and elicited hypotensive and antinociceptive effects. On the basis of hemopressin's potential in therapeutic applications and the lack of a structure-activity relationship study in literature, we aimed to determine the conformational features of hemopressin under physiological conditions. We conducted transmission electron microscopy experiments of hemopressin, revealing that it self-assembles into fibrils under aqueous conditions at pH 7.4. Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments indicate that the peptide adopts a mostly extended β-like structure, which may contribute to its self-assembly and fibril formation.
Inspection and maintenance for reducing automobile emissions. Effectiveness and cost.

EPA has recently evaluated several inspection and maintenance approaches for in-use vehicles that are potentially applicable to pre-1975 automobiles. The results of this evaluation are described and used to estimate the effecliveness and cost of inspection/maintenance for reducing total automobile emissions through 1985. It is estimated that inspection/maintenance programs for pre-1975 automobiles may be capable of achieving eight and ten percent reductions in total automobile emissions of HC and CO respectively until 1980 and two to three percent reductions in 1985. The need for inspection of automobiles of model year 1975 and later, and the potential applicability of present short-duration inspection procedures to these vehicles, are also discussed.
Postpartum Contraception and Interpregnancy Intervals Among Adolescent Mothers Accessing Public Services in California

Objective To determine the association of age at index birth with postpartum contraceptive use and optimal interpregnancy interval (IPI, defined as delivery to next pregnancy >18 months), controlling for provider type and client demographics among adolescent mothers who have repeat pregnancies. Methods California's 2008 birth records were linked to California's Medi-Cal and Family PACT claims data to identify 26,393 women with repeat births between 2002 and 2008, whose index birth occurred as an adolescent, and who received publicly-funded services within 18 months after the index birth. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between timing of contraception provision and interpregnancy intervals, adjusting for socio-demographic factors. Results Seventy-eight percent of adolescent women did not receive contraception at their first postpartum visit, and twenty-eight percent of adolescent women never received contraception from a Family PACT or Medi-Cal provider. Adolescents who were older at their index birth had lower rates of optimal IPIs. Native American, Asian-Pacific Islander and Latina women had lower rates of optimal IPIs compared to white women. Compared to those using only barrier methods, adolescent women receiving highly effective contraceptive methods had a 4.25 times higher odds of having an optimal IPI than those receiving hormonal methods (OR 2.10), or using no method (OR 0.70). Conclusion Effective postpartum contraceptive use and being a Family PACT provider were associated with optimal birth spacing among adolescent mothers, yet racial and ethnic disparities persisted. A missed opportunity was the provision of contraception at the first postpartum visit. Providers should aim to remove barriers to initiation of contraception at this visit.
Muslim American integration and interest group formation: a historical narrative

ABSTRACTGiven the wide degree of ethnic, national, and denominational diversity among Muslims in the United States, the emergence of interest groups aiming/claiming to represent the collective interests of this group merits explanation. Much of the existing literature on U.S. Muslims tends to focus on the post-9/11 backlash and ensuing grassroots mobilization, rather than on the process of Muslim American institutional formation. This article seeks to fill this gap – and to add to our understanding of this understudied, but much scrutinized community – by providing a historical institutionalist analysis of Muslim American interest groups. I argue that internal group dynamics, as well as the broader U.S. policy context are key to explaining Muslim American claims making. Further, I demonstrate that the issues, aims, and tactics driving Muslim American interest groups are the result of a long process of immigrant integration into the U.S. This analysis is based largely on primary documents, including policy...
Spin Frustration in the Triradical Trianion of a Naphthalenediimide Molecular Triangle.

Crystalline supramolecular frameworks consisting of charged molecules, held together by hydrogen bonds and Coulomb interactions, have attracted great interest because of their unusual structural, chemical, electronic, and magnetic properties. Herein, we report the preparation, structure, and magnetic properties of the triradical trianion of a shape-persistent chiral equilateral molecular triangle having three naphthalene-1,4:5,8-bis(dicarboximide)s ((+)-NDI-Δ3(−•)). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of its tris(cobaltocenium) salt ([(+)-NDI-Δ3(−•)(CoCp2+)3]) reveals accessible one-dimensional tubular cavities, and variable-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy shows that a dilute solution of [(+)-NDI-Δ3(−•)(CoCp2+)3] in an organic glass has a spin-frustrated doublet ground state and a thermally accessible quartet state. Furthermore, SQUID magnetometry from 5 to 300 K of solid [(+)-NDI-Δ3(−•)(CoCp2+)3] shows ferromagnetic ordering with a Curie temperature TC = 20 K. The successful prepara...
Risk Factors for Postoperative Complications Following Diverting Loop Ileostomy Takedown

Diverting loop ileostomies are frequently created to divert the fecal stream in an effort to protect downstream anastomoses. These are later reversed to restore intestinal continuity. The goal of this study is to evaluate risk factors for postoperative complications following diverting loop ileostomy takedown. Patients who underwent diverting loop ileostomy takedown between January 1, 2010 and April 28, 2015 were identified in the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative registry. Candidate covariates were identified and a hierarchical logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors for postoperative complications. 1,737 patients met the inclusion criteria. Rates of postoperative complications were generally low. Mean length of stay (LOS) was 5.6 (± 4.5) days. Outcomes of interest were the following: overall morbidity, serious morbidity, extended LOS, SSI, UTI, pneumonia, readmission, reoperation, and mortality. Risk factors for these outcomes included the following: ASA class, bleeding disorder, prolonged operative time, race, tobacco use, gender, steroid use, peripheral vascular disease, weight loss, and functional status. Diverting loop ileostomy takedown has a complication rate of approximately 20%. Higher ASA class, longer operative times, history of bleeding disorder, and functional status were identified as risk factors for most complications.
Global supply chains, firm scope and vertical integration: evidence from China

This article investigates how firms organize supply chains within and across countries. Utilizing highly disaggregate customs trade statistics for Chinese processing exports, I develop a novel strategy for measuring the position of cities on the value chain. By linking variation in value chain position over time and across cities, to changes in the share of exports that are foreign owned, I assess the role of sequential production in determining optimal vertical integration and firm scope along the global supply chain. I provide evidence that the supply chain position of intermediates and the degree of substitutability across sequential stages of production provide incentives for firms to own intermediate good suppliers, consistent with the theoretical predictions of Antras and Chor (2013, Econometrica, 81: 2127–2204). Additionally, I find evidence that the value added to gross output ratio depends critically on supply chain position—value added increases as firms move down the supply chain, toward final production—which is consistent with Fally and Hillberry (2015, Working Paper 21520, NBER).
Urban Indigeneity: Constructing and Mediating an Indigenous Identity in Guatemala City

This paper examines how development provides a site for particular performances of indigeneity in Guatemala. It explores the product of NGO (non-governmental organization) governmentality amongst a group of indigenous students participating in private scholarship programs in Guatemala City. The article draws on existing literature and ethnographic material to analyze three different outcomes when indigenous students engage with development NGOs that are trying to "empower" them and enable them to superarse, or overcome their conditions. First, an example of Hale's "indio permitido" (permitted Indian); second, one of the erasure of indigenous identity, where success means assimilation into mainstream white/non-indigenous society; finally, a "third space" where indigenous actors become agents of their own development.
Nuclear Quantum Effects and Thermodynamic Properties for Small (H2O)1-21X- Clusters (X- = F-, Cl-, Br-, I-).

We carried out accurate diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) studies for small (H2O)NX– clusters (N = 1–5; X– = F–, Cl–, Br–, I–) and their D2O isotopologues. We found remarkably good agreement (i.e., ∼0.1 kcal/mol or better) with no exceptions between the DMC solvation energies and the corresponding harmonic approximation (HA) estimates, due, apparently, to massive error cancellations. This is surprising, in particular, because HA does not account for a substantial (i.e., ∼ 3%) increase of the mean O–O distances, caused by the anharmonicity in conjunction with the nuclear quantum effects, although the other distances in the system are affected to a much lesser extent. This agreement for the solvation energies motivated us to extend the current study to larger (N = 6–21) clusters to explore their thermodynamic properties using the harmonic superposition method (HSM). The HSM results for the solvation free energies in turn reveal that at finite temperatures the nuclear quantum effects (including the isotope effects...
Design Considerations of Selector Device in Cross-Point RRAM Array for Neuromorphic Computing

We investigate the impact of selector device in cross-point resistive switching memory (RRAM) array on weighted sum operation in the neural network. The requirement of selector devices in a neuromorphic system may be different than that in a conventional memory system. In this work, we developed Verilog-A device models to accurately describe current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of one-selector and one-RRAM (1S-1R) devices obtained experimentally, and then performed the array-level SPICE simulations for weighted sum operation. The weighted sum accuracy is benchmarked as a function of selector non-linearity, array size, and wire resistance. Our results reveal that linearity of the I-V curve in the 1S-1R device with respect to input vector plays an important role in precisely reading-out the weighted sum. Finally, we discuss the desired characteristics of the selector device to be used for the inference stage of the neuromorphic systems.
HeartMate II implantation technique that spares the sternum and ascending aorta

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become the standard therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure, and the use of LVADs for long-term support has grown exponentially over the past decade. As the number of LVAD implantations has increased, surgeons have faced more challenging cases, such as those in which the patient has previously undergone a sternotomy. The HeartMate II is one of the most widely implanted LVADs. The standard procedure for HeartMate II implantation is median sternotomy and sewing the outflow graft to the ascending aorta. However, in patients with sternal comorbidities, it can be advantageous to use a less invasive approach that avoids this procedure. We describe the case of a 64-year-old man with a history of end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy who had previously undergone a median sternotomy and a coronary artery bypass grafting operation and had patent grafts. He required a HeartMate II LVAD (destination therapy), which was implanted via a left subcostal incision; the pump was placed subdiaphragmatically, and the outflow graft was sewed to the descending aorta to avoid a complicated redo cardiac operation via median sternotomy and to minimize the risk of injuring the patent bypass grafts. The patient survived for more than 500 days postoperatively. This approach is feasible and could be a safer method for implanting a HeartMate II device in patients with serious comorbidities that preclude the use of the traditional implantation techniques.
The (Un)Enjoyable User Experience of Online Dating Systems

Online dating systems are used by millions of people around the world to pursue love, sex, friendship, and other goals. Several product features of online dating systems contribute to a seemingly enjoyable and rewarding user experience. For example, the “swiping” mechanism commonly found in many of today’s mobile dating apps has been likened to a game (Purvis in Why using Tinder is so satisfying. The Washington Post, 2017). Users swipe right to “like” profiles that they find attractive, and swipe left to reject the others. Receiving a match in these apps (i.e. discovering that an attractive user reciprocated a “like”) can be an exciting and addictive experience, not unlike winning a trivial amount of cash on a casino’s slot machine. Let’s pull the lever just one more time, let’s view just one more profile.
Hybrid Signal Selection

A popular metric for evaluation of the quality of trace signal selection and degree of improvement in observability is the State Restoration Ratio (SRR). How SRR is approximated during trace signal selection directly impacts the complexity to explore the design space. Majority of the existing algorithms explore the design space by either relying on an accurate but time-consuming simulation process to evaluate SRR, or develop metrics to approximate the SRR quickly but with less accuracy. This chapter discusses a medium ground which utilizes both approaches within a hybrid framework, which is able to explore the design space for signal selection significantly faster than the simulation-based algorithms and also achieve significantly higher accuracy than the metric-based ones.
Three Faces/Phases of Male Desire: Veiled Woman, Passive Virgin, and African Devil in María de Zayas’s “Tarde llega el desengaño”

AbstractIn Zayas’s tale, three female protagonists symbolize the various forms of male desire: Lucrecia and the African slave are representations of forbidden drives, while the wife, Elena, fills a...
Teaching Process Skills to Pre-Engineers using Situated Learning – A Case Study

In this case study, undergraduate students presented physics concepts to patrons at a planetarium. This created an early opportunity for these pre-professionals to practice the process skill of oral communication to a lay audience. The case study resulted from working with students participating in a grant called the da Vinci project. It reports on a situated experience pre-engineering and calculus-based physics students had working with their professor to create a brochure and present a physics concept to patrons visiting a public planetarium. Working closely with their professor, students were able to use this required professional skill in a real world (situated) context. This opportunity helped bridge the gap between these pre-professionals’ experiences in training and in their careers in STEM fields. Thirty students attending a two-year college in the Southwestern US self-selected to participate in the project. Each student participant built a kit-based model of a machine, designed an informational flyer aligned to state K-12 physical science standards, and presented informally to the public visiting a planetarium. Data were collected from the students via written reflections before and after the presentation and from email correspondence with their professor. Qualitative analyses of these reflections assessed the students’ progress toward a finished presentation. Results suggest that obstacles to public speaking fluency come from the fear of making mistakes or giving out misinformation. Opportunities to engage in informal public speaking helped overcome these obstacles. Students demonstrated increased confidence in their ability to share their knowledge with the public after undergoing guided informal speaking practice. The opportunity for students to practice public speaking during their undergraduate training can increase confidence and better prepare them for a career.
Balancing Privacy and Utility with Pattern Based Activity Detection: Extended Abstract

The diffusion of surveillance cameras often leads to conflicts between utility, that is, the benefits of preserving the information the camera records, and privacy, that is, the ability for the people being observed to conceal information they want to protect. For example, a camera monitoring an office kitchen may be useful in identifying a food thief, but might unintentionally reveal the PIN someone enters on a mobile phone. We design a video processing system that detects private activities in surveillance video and filters them out of the recording with minimal disruption of video quality. At the core of our system is the light-weight computation of a fixed-size feature that describes the spatio-temporal aspects of human activities that extend over variable amounts of time and space. Converting events of variable length and extent to a fixed-size descriptor makes it possible to use off-the-shelf classifiers to recognize and localize activities to be protected from recording. Comparisons of our descriptor with several alternatives show improved performance with less computation. We contribute two new video datasets recorded with a kitchen security camera, and we carry out a pilot user study to show that PIN theft is a valid concern.
Uncertainty Quantification and Propagation of Multiphysics Simulation of the Pressurized Water Reactor Core

In recent years, the demand to provide best-estimate predictions with confident bounds is increasing for the nuclear reactor performance and safety analysis. The Organisation for Economic Co-operat...
Screening for undiagnosed bleeding disorders in post-tonsillectomy bleed patients: Retrospective review and systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Objectives There is currently no standard for screening children with post-tonsillectomy bleeds (PTB) for coagulopathy disorders. This study aims to identify children with occult coagulopathy diagnosed at PTB and to identify factors associated with diagnosis. A systematic review of the literature further identified trends in this topic. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients returning to the operating room for PTB at a tertiary children's hospital was undertaken from 2012 to 2016. A systematic review using Medline OVID was subsequently performed. Results Of 12,503 tonsillectomies, 311 children (52% male, mean age 8 years) required surgery for PTB (2.5% rate). Twenty-one patients (7%) had multiple episodes. Only two patients (0.6%) (both with known coagulopathy) underwent pre-tonsillectomy labs and 260 (84%) had labs at PTB. Six patients (2%) were diagnosed with a new coagulopathy, most commonly von Willebrand's Disease (vWD) in five (2%). Three patients (1%) were diagnosed at first PTB and three (1%) at second PTB. Of the three diagnosed at second PTB, two had normal partial thromboplastin time (PTT). In systematic review, 1243 manuscripts were reviewed and 8 papers discussing this topic are presented. Conclusion Occult coagulopathy was rarely diagnosed at PTB, but this may be limited by inconsistent screening. PT and PTT are not sensitive tests for vWD, and normal coagulation labs may lead to delayed diagnosis. The literature reveals occult coagulopathy is rare but often diagnosed after severe or recurrent hemorrhage. In order to provide efficient care and medical management, a standardized algorithm and sensitive labs for screening PTB patients are needed.
Decrease in Secondary Neck Vessels in Multiple Sclerosis: A 5-year Longitudinal Magnetic Resonance Angiography Study.

BACKGROUND Studies have previously shown greater arterial and venous extracranial vascular changes in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) when compared to healthy controls (HCs). OBJECTIVES To determine the change in the number and size of secondary neck vessels in PwMS and HCs over a 5-year follow-up period. METHODS Both at baseline and follow-up, 83 PwMS and 25 HCs underwent magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) imaging and analysis. The number and cross-sectional area (CSA) of all secondary neck vessels (excluding the common/internal carotid, vertebral artery, and internal jugular vein) measured at levels from C2-T1 were determined by semi-automated edge detection/ contouring software. The longitudinal change in the number and CSA of the secondary neck vessels from the PwMS and HCs were analyzed by non-parametric Wilcoxon repeated measure. Benjamini-Hochberg procedure adjusted for false discovery rate (FDR). RESULTS For over 5 years, PwMS demonstrated a consistent longitudinal decrease in both the number of secondary neck vessels (Z-change between -3.3 and -5.4, q=0.001) and their CSA (Zchange between -2.9 and -5.2, q=0.004). On the contrary, the HCs did not demonstrate a significant longitudinal change in secondary neck vessels over the follow-up period. Due to the longitudinal decrease, the PwMS showed a lower number of secondary neck vessels when compared to HCs measured at follow-up (p<0.029, except for C4 with trending p=0.071). The PwMS changes were also corroborated within each MS phenotype. CONCLUSION PwMS demonstrate a significant mid-term decrease in the number and the size of the secondary neck vessels. The clinical relevance of these findings and the effect on intracranial blood flow are currently unknown.
Mucosal Vaccines for Streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract Infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) are a major public health problem worldwide and cause significant morbidity and mortality. Despite their pathogenic potential, pneumococci are usually commensal inhabitants of the upper respiratory tract and colonize mucosal surfaces without symptoms. Infection of divergent sites follows colonization and is a function of both host and bacterial factors. The historical focus of vaccine development against pneumococcal infection has been serum antibody responses to polysaccharide capsule in an effort primarily to prevent invasive disease. Currently available vaccines are based on capsular polysaccharides and include only a small subset of the more than 90 serotypes identified. Because of the usual anatomical location of pneumococci in a host and the large diversity of capsular serotypes, pneumococcal vaccine efforts have been shifting to serotype-independent antigens delivered to mucosal surfaces to prevent the first essential step in pneumococcal infections. In this chapter, we review immune responses at the respiratory mucosa in response to both natural infection and experimental vaccines. Both antibody and Th17-biased CD4+ T cell responses appear to be involved in clearing pneumococci from mucosal surfaces. However, it is still not known what the optimal immune response induced by a mucosal vaccine would look like.
Nanoscale Isotopic Imaging by Extreme Ultraviolet Laser Ablation Mass Spectrometry

We report on the development of an extreme ultraviolet laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometer for high resolution elemental and isotopic analysis, and show how it compares to more developed analytical techniques such as secondary ion mass spectrometry.
Domain-Wall Tunneling Electroresistance Effect.

Ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) utilizing an in-plane head-to-head ferroelectric domain wall (DW) have recently been realized, showing interesting physics and new functionalities. However, the DW state in these junctions was found to be metastable and not reversible after applying an electric field. In this work, we demonstrate that a stable and reversible head-to-head DW state can be achieved in FTJs by proper engineering of polar interfaces. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and phenomenological modeling, we explore the DW stability by varying stoichiometry of the ${\mathrm{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}\mathrm{O}/{\mathrm{TiO}}_{2}$ interfaces in FTJs with ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ electrodes and a ferroelectric ${\mathrm{BaTiO}}_{3}$ tunnel barrier. For, $x\ensuremath{\le}0.4$ we find that the DW state becomes a global minimum and the calculated hysteresis loops exhibit three reversible polarization states. For such FTJs, our quantum transport calculations predict the emergence of a DW tunneling electroresistance effect---reversible switching of the tunneling conductance between the highly conductive DW state and two much less conductive uniform polarization states.
Dendritic Cell Vaccines

In the pantheon of approaches to harness the immune system to fight disease, dendritic cell vaccines have had various degrees of success in the past, but with the recent successes in immunotherapy, there is a significant renewed interest in their potential. Steinman (who earned the Nobel prize for his seminal investigations) et al., first described dendritic cells (DCs) in 1973 after isolating them from glass adherent cells in mouse peripheral lymphoid organs [1, 2]. Subsequently, dendritic cells were found to play a central role as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the initiation of a T-cell immune response. DCs’ aptitude as APCs has led them to be utilized clinically both ex vivo for the stimulation and expansion of antigen-specific T cells and in vivo most commonly as dendritic cell tumor vaccines.
Multi-physics modeling and finite element formulation of corneal UV cross-linking

The UV cross-linking technique applied to the cornea is a popular and effective therapy for eye diseases such as keratoconus and ectatic disorders. The treatment strengthens the cornea by forming new cross-links via photochemical reactions and, in turn, prevents the disease from further developing. To better understand and capture the underlying mechanisms, we develop a multi-physics model that considers the migration of the riboflavin (i.e., the photo-initializer), UV light absorption, the photochemical reaction that forms the cross-links, and biomechanical changes caused by changes to the microstructure. Our model is calibrated to a set of nanoindentation tests on UV cross-linked corneas from the literature. Additionally, we implement our multi-physics model numerically into a commercial finite element software. We also compare our simulation against a set of inflation tests from the literature. The simulation capability allows us to make quantitative predictions of a therapy’s outcomes in full 3-D, based on the actual corneal geometry; it also helps medical practitioners with surgical planning.
Prevalence and Factors Associated With Mental Health Symptoms in Adults Undergoing Covid-19 Testing.

Background and objective:Understanding the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons receiving COVID-19 testing will help guide mental health interventions. We aimed to determine the...
Modern quantum field theory : a concise introduction

Quantum field theory is a key subject in physics, with applications in particle and condensed matter physics. Treating a variety of topics that are only briefly touched on in other texts, this book provides a thorough introduction to the techniques of field theory. The book covers Feynman diagrams and path integrals, and emphasizes the path integral approach, theWilsonian approach to renormalization, and the physics of nonabelian gauge theory. It provides a thorough treatment of quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking, topics not usually covered in other texts at this level. The Standard Model of particle physics is discussed in detail. Connections with condensed matter physics are explored, and there is a brief, but detailed, treatment of non-perturbative semi-classical methods (instantons and solitons). Ideal for graduate students in high energy physics and condensed matter physics, the book contains many problems, providing students with hands-on experience with the methods of quantum field theory.
Economic Strain, Family Structure and Problems With Children Among Displaced Workers

Quelle est l'influence exercee par la perte d'un emploi dans une famille sur le bien-etre des enfants ? L'etude repose sur un petit echantillon de familles de l'Indiana (Etats-Unis) qui ont vecu le chomage lors de la fermeture d'une usine locale. La tension d'origine economique percue a ete mise en relation avec un grand nombre des problemes interpersonnels et scolaires de l'aine des enfants, d'un âge moyen de treize ans. La relation entre la tension des parents et les difficultes des enfants diminue avec l'introduction dans l'analyse d'un certain nombre de ressources psychologiques des parents et de strategies elaborees pour faire face aux evenements. La structure familiale a egalement ete mise en relation avec les problemes des enfants et ce en depit des ressources des parents et des strategies d'adaptation
Convergence in Distribution in Metric Spaces

We write a statistic as a functional on the sample paths of a stochastic process in order to break an analysis of the statistic into two parts: the study of continuity properties of the functional; the study of the stochastic process as a random element of a space of functions. The method has its greatest appeal when many different statistics can be written as functionals on the same process, or when the process has a form that suggests a simple approximation, as in the goodness-of-fit example from Chapter I. There we expressed various statistics as functionals on the empirical process U n , which defines a random element of D[0, 1]. Doob’s heuristic argument suggested that U n should behave like a brownian bridge, in some distributional sense.
Langerhans cell histiocytosis of the cervical spine.

A 31-year-old male with history of diffuse Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) involving the left mastoid base status post resection and radiation presented with progressive severe rightsided neck pain. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an osteolytic lesion at C5 (Fig. 1) and because of concern for mechanical instability, the patient underwent a two-stage anterior C5 corpectomy and posterior cervical fusion with instrumentation (Fig. 2). Final pathology of the surgical tissue confirmed LCH (Fig. 3). Postoperatively, the patient’s pain improved, and he continues to undergo chemotherapy for his systemic disease. LCH is a rare disease commonly affecting the bones, and spinal involvement occurs in 6.5–25% of all skeletal cases, with 11% affecting the cervical spine [1]. Patients commonly present with localized neck pain, restricted range of motion, or neurologic deficits [2–4]. Imaging frequently reveals an osteolytic lesion, although osteoblastic lesions can occur [2]. LCH of the spine may be treated conservatively with observation, immobilization, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and casting, or with radiation, steroids, or chemotherapy—especially in systemic disease or multifocal spine disease [1,2,4,5]. Surgical interventions— that is, curettage with or without bone grafting, internal fixation and fusion, or percutaneous vertebroplasty—may be indicated in cases of severe mechanical instability, deformity, or neurologic deficits caused by compression [1,2].
Why Primary Patents Covering Biologics Should be Unenforceable Against Generic Applicants under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act

This article is an abridged and shortened version of the article “Patents vs. Statutory Exclusivities in Biological Pharmaceuticals — Do We Really Need Both?” (18 Michigan Telecommunication & Technology Law Review 419). This version of the article briefly reviews the framework for the approval of generic biologics established under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) and focuses on the interplay of the exclusivity regime established by BPCIA for FDA approved bio-pharmaceutical products with the protection afforded them under patent law. The BPCIA exclusivities are intended to run in parallel and in addition to any patents that may apply to such approved bio-pharmaceutical products. This seeming “double dipping” is not only unnecessary but might also be hazardous from a public policy perspective. Thus, this article calls for limiting the potentially negative consequences of this “double dipping” by making certain patents covering FDA approved biologics unenforceable against generic manufacturers filing applications under BPCIA. Finally, this article explains why and when it would still be necessary to make patent protection available for owners and developers of biological pharmaceuticals.
Institutions, History, and Economic Development

To gain insight into how the developing world can attain the Rule of Law and thereby further economic development, a good place to start is to ask how countries in today's developed world did so. Western Europe, for example, did not enjoy the Rule of Law in the Middle Ages but successfully achieved it over a number of centuries, at least in the economic sphere of enforcing contracts and protecting property rights. The events in England culminating in the Glorious Revolution illustrate the importance of legal institutions and, especially, of public law. The private law of contract and property were not sufficient. The problem of the predatory ruler had to be overcome, and England did so by vesting control in Parliament over the King's revenues from public sources and his expenditures and by assuring the independence of the judiciary. The French revolution, in contrast, resulted in high quality unified private substantive law under the Napoleonic codes, but the public law system suffered from the subordination of the role of the judiciary.
Leptin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), and CD14 in ovine adipose tissue and changes in circulating TNF in lean and fat sheep.

Four studies were designed to determine whether 1) tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and the Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding ligand, CD14, are produced by sheep adipose tissue; 2) nutritional reserves and/or short-term fasting affect circulating concentrations of TNF; 3) there is a relationship between TNF and metabolic factors in sheep; and 4) inflammation alters circulating concentrations of leptin. In Exp. 1 and 2, ewes were assigned, based on ultrasonic assessments of last-rib subcutaneous fat measurements to fat (fat thickness > 1 cm; mean = 1.52 +/- 0.03 cm) or thin (fat thickness 0.39). In Exp. 4, wethers were injected with LPS. Blood samples were collected every 15 min for 8 h following injection. Plasma concentration of leptin was not altered by LPS (P > 0.20). These results provide evidence: 1) of TNF-like immunoreactivity within fat tissue; 2) that elements within fatty tissues have CD14 that may allow adipocyte function to be directly affected by LPS; 3) that plasma concentrations of leptin are not altered by LPS treatment; and 4) that circulating concentrations of TNF are elevated with obesity in sheep.
Natural and management influences on freshwater inflows and salinity in the San Francisco Estuary at monthly to interannual scales

[1] Understanding the processes controlling the physics, chemistry, and biology of the San Francisco Estuary and their relation to climate variability is complicated by the combined influence on freshwater inflows of natural variability and upstream management. To distinguish these influences, alterations of estuarine inflow due to major reservoirs and freshwater pumping in the watershed were inferred from available data. Effects on salinity were estimated by using reconstructed estuarine inflows corresponding to differing levels of impairment to drive a numerical salinity model. Both natural and management inflow and salinity signals show strong interannual variability. Management effects raise salinities during the wet season, with maximum influence in spring. While year-to-year variations in all signals are very large, natural interannual variability can greatly exceed the range of management effects on salinity in the estuary.
Multi-Functional Gold Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

Multi-functional gold nanoparticles have been demonstrated to be highly stable and versatile scaffolds for drug delivery due to their unique size, coupled with their chemical and physical properties. The ability to tune the surface of the particle provides access to cell-specific targeting and controlled drug release. This chapter describes current developments in the area of drug delivery using gold nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for multiple therapeutic purposes.
Inverse Kinematics of Binary Manipulators Using a Continuum Model

Binary actuators have only two discrete states, both of which are stable without feedback. As a result, manipulators with binary actuators have a finite number of states. The major benefits of binary actuation are that extensive feedback control is not required, reliability and task repeatability are very high, and two-state actuators are generally very inexpensive, resulting in low cost robotic mechanisms. These manipulators have great potential for use in both the manufacturing and service sectors, where the cost of high performance robotic manipulators is often difficult to justify. The most difficult challenge with a binary manipulator is to achieve relatively continuous end-effector trajectories given the discrete nature of binary actuation. Since the number of configurations attainable by binary manipulators grows exponentially in the number of actuated degrees of freedom, calculation of inverse kinematics by direct enumeration of joint states and calculation of forward kinematics is not feasible in the highly actuated case. This paper presents an efficient method for performing binary manipulator inverse kinematics and trajectory planning based on having the binary manipulator shape adhere closely to a time-varying curve. In this way the configuration of the arm does not exhibit drastic changes as the end effector follows a discrete trajectory.
Defective Age-Dependent Metaplasticity in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Much of the molecular understanding of synaptic pathology in Alzheimer9s disease (AD) comes from studies of various mouse models that express familial AD (FAD)-linked mutations, often in combinations. Most studies compare the absolute magnitudes of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) to assess deficits in bidirectional synaptic plasticity accompanying FAD-linked mutations. However, LTP and LTD are not static, but their induction threshold is adjusted by overall neural activity via metaplasticity. Hence LTP/LTD changes in AD mouse models may reflect defects in metaplasticity processes. To determine this, we examined the LTP/LTD induction threshold in APPswe;PS1ΔE9 transgenic (Tg) mice across two different ages. We found that in young Tg mice (1 month), LTP is enhanced at the expense of LTD, but in adults (6 months), the phenotype is reversed to promote LTD and reduce LTP, compared to age-matched wild-type (WT) littermates. The apparent opposite phenotype across age was due to an initial offset in the induction threshold to favor LTP and the inability to undergo developmental metaplasticity in Tg mice. In WTs, the synaptic modification threshold decreased over development to favor LTP and diminish LTD in adults. However, in Tg mice, the magnitudes of LTP and LTD stayed constant across development. The initial offset in LTP/LTD threshold in young Tg mice did not accompany changes in the LTP/LTD induction mechanisms, but altered AMPA receptor phosphorylation and appearance of Ca 2+ -permeable AMPA receptors. We propose that the main synaptic defect in AD mouse models is due to their inability to undergo developmental metaplasticity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This work offers a new insight that metaplasticity defects are central to synaptic dysfunctions seen in AD mouse models. In particular, we demonstrate that the apparent differences in LTP/LTD magnitude seen across ages in AD transgenic mouse models reflect the inability to undergo a normal developmental shift in metaplasticity.
Henry James Rides Again

This essay explores Henry James's friendship with Alice Bartlett, a favorite companion in equestrian adventures during James's 1873 residence in Rome. Reading James's travel essay "Roman Rides" in the context of the mutual friendship of James, Bartlett, and the Emersons suggests that Bartlett profoundly influenced James, albeit in oblique, unacknowledged, and sometimes belated ways. "Roman Rides," to which Bartlett provided impetus, presents a textual response to the Roman Campagna that reflects James's early engagement with Emersonian Transcendentalism. This response reverberates, in transmuted form, in the fiction of the late, modern James, as revealed in the tale "The Great Good Place."
Working through the Problems of Study Abroad Using the Methodologies of Religious Studies

After illustrating the joys of teaching religious studies abroad with an anecdote from my trip to China, I warn of some of its inherent pedagogical and ethical challenges. I argue that teaching some of the “new directions” in religious studies scholarship might address these challenges. These include a turning away from the abstract (texts, beliefs, theologies) and towards the concrete (bodies, places, rituals); moving away from teaching religions as unchanging, ancient verities and instead emphasizing the impact that colonialism, modernization, and secularism have had; moving from searching for authenticity to questioning it; and emphasizing methodological self-consciousness. Keeping these new directions in mind will help ensure the study abroad experience is educationally successful. This essay serves as an introduction to a series of six additional essays comprising a special section of the journal (see Teaching Theology and Religion 18:1, January 2015).