cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Feedforward inhibition of the rat entorhinal cortex and subicular complex

We used in vivo intracellular recording techniques in order to provide evidence about the source of postsynaptic inhibition in the rat entorhinal cortex and subicular complex. Several different structures in the basal forebrain and hippocampus were electrically stimulated in order to activate inhibition by different pathways. This allowed a test of 2 different neuronal circuit models: feedback inhibition, in which recurrent collaterals from principal cell axons excite a local population of inhibitory neurons, and feedforward inhibition, in which excitatory afferents activate the inhibitory neurons. In both models, inhibitory cell axons branch and contribute to the inhibition of a population of principal cells. In the feedback model, a good correlation between antidromic and inhibitory response latencies is predicted. The feedforward model predicts independent antidromic and inhibitory response latencies. In one particular model of feedforward inhibition, afferents excite both local inhibitory cells and principal cells. This model predicts a high correlation between principal cell EPSP and IPSP latencies. The results showed no consistent relationship between the presence of antidromic action potentials and the presence of inhibition in response to stimulation of different sites. In addition, there was no correlation between antidromic and inhibitory response latencies. These results provide no clear support for the feedback model of inhibition. By contrast, there was a highly significant correlation between the latency of principal cell EPSPs and IPSPs, in support of a feedforward model of inhibition. Response latencies of candidate inhibitory neurons were also consistent with the feedforward model. The results provide evidence that an excitatory relay function of the entorhinal cortex and subicular complex is modified temporally by local, extrinsically activated inhibitory circuits.
Typical Paths of a Graph

We introduce (finite and infinite) typical paths of a graph and prove that the typical paths carry all information with probability 1, asymptotically. An automata-theoretic characterization of the typical paths is shown: finite typical paths can be accepted by reversal-bounded multicounter automata and infinite typical paths can be accepted by counting Buchi automata (a generalization of reversal-bounded multicounter automata running on ω-words). We take a statechart example to show how to generate typical paths from a graph using SPIN model checker. The results are useful in automata theory since one can identify an information-concentrated-core of a regular language such that only words in the information-concentrated-core carry nontrivial information. When the graph is used to specify the system under test, the results are also useful in software testing by providing an information-theoretic approach to select test cases that carry nontrivial information of the system specification.
Living Heritage and the Sports Museum: Athletes, Legacy and the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum, Canada Olympic Park

Museums are sites of cultural production, although what kind of culture they produce, and to what end, has changed considerably in recent years. Many displays and exhibitions are now constructed in order to meet the specific economic and cultural agendas of their host organizations. Sports museums, in particular, utilize a variety of exhibition displays for numerous practical and pragmatic reasons, often to construct or espouse notions of legacy. This study examines the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This museum uses a number of different display mechanisms in constructing legacy, including providing visitors with the opportunity to watch the training sessions of elite Olympic athletes as part of their museum visit, as well as the chance to ‘become’ athletes themselves through sport-simulation displays. Through these different types of displays, this museum positions its host site, Canada Olympic Park, as a current and relevant tourist attraction and in...
Two-Hop Secure Communication Using an Untrusted Relay: A Case for Cooperative Jamming

We consider a source-destination pair that can communicate only through an unauthenticated intermediate relay node. In this two-hop communication scenario, where the cooperation from the relay node is essential, we investigate whether achieving non-zero secrecy rate is possible. Specifically, we treat the relay node as an eavesdropper from whom the source information needs to be kept secret, despite the fact that its cooperation in relaying this information is needed. We find that a positive secrecy rate is indeed achievable, with the aid of the destination node or an external node that jams the relay, i.e., by cooperative jamming. We derive an upper bound on the secrecy rate by means of an eavesdropper-relay separation argument. We remark that this upper bound is the first of its kind in Gaussian channels with cooperative jamming. The upper bound is strictly smaller than the channel capacity without secrecy constraints. The achievable secrecy rates are found using stochastic encoding and compress-and-forward at the relay. Numerical results show that the gap between the bound and the achievable rate is small when the relay's power is larger than the power of the jammer and the source. In essence, this paper shows that a cooperative jammer enables secure communication to take place using an untrusted relay which would be otherwise impossible.
Administration of Recombinant P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand Fc Fusion Protein Suppresses Inflammation and Neointimal Formation in Zucker Diabetic Rat Model

Objective— P-selectin–mediated leukocyte-endothelium and leukocyte-platelet interaction has been reported after vascular injury and has been correlated with neointimal hyperplasia, but its role in neointimal formation after arterial injury in diabetes has not been described. Methods and Results— Using a Zucker diabetic rat balloon injury model, we examined the role of P-selectin in the vascular inflammatory process and neointimal formation after balloon injury. Immunohistochemistry revealed that P-selectin was intensely expressed and that CD45-positive leukocyte infiltration was significantly increased after arterial injury. A single preprocedural intravenous administration of a recombinant P-selectin–soluble glycoprotein ligand-Ig inhibited CD45-positive leukocyte accumulation and suppressed neointimal formation in the Zucker diabetic rat model. Conclusions— These results suggest that reduction of P-selectin–mediated leukocyte activation with the use of recombinant P-selectin–soluble glycoprotein ligand-Ig decreases the inflammatory response and limits neointimal formation after balloon injury in diabetes.
Quality of random number generators significantly affects results of Monte Carlo simulations for organic and biological systems

We have simulated pure liquid butane, methanol, and hydrated alanine polypeptide with the Monte Carlo technique using three kinds of random number generators (RNG's)-the standard Linear Congruential Generator (LCG), a modification of the LCG with additional randomization used in the BOSS software, and the "Mersenne Twister" generator by Matsumoto and Nishimura. While using the latter two RNG's leads to reasonably similar physical features, the LCG produces significant different results. For the pure fluids, a noticeable expansion occurs. Using the original LCG on butane yields, a molecular volume of 171.4 A(3) per molecule compared to about 163.6-163.9 A(3) for the other two generators, a deviation of about 5%. For methanol, the LCG produces an average volume of 86.3 A(3) per molecule, which is about 24% higher than the 68.8-70.2 A(3) obtained with the RNG's in BOSS and the generator by Matsumoto and Nishimura. In case of the hydrated tridecaalanine peptide, the volume and energy tend to be noticeably greater with the LCG than with the BOSS (modified LCG) RNG's. For the simulated hydrated extended conformation of tridecaalanine, the difference in volume reached about 87%. The uniformity and periodicity of the generators do not seem to play the crucial role in these phenomena. We conclude that, it is important to test a RNG's by modeling a system such as the pure liquid methanol with a well-established force field before routinely employing it in Monte Carlo simulations.
β-Cell Replication Is the Primary Mechanism Subserving the Postnatal Expansion of β-Cell Mass in Humans

OBJECTIVE— Little is known about the capacity, mechanisms, or timing of growth in β-cell mass in humans. We sought to establish if the predominant expansion of β-cell mass in humans occurs in early childhood and if, as in rodents, this coincides with relatively abundant β-cell replication. We also sought to establish if there is a secondary growth in β-cell mass coincident with the accelerated somatic growth in adolescence. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— To address these questions, pancreas volume was determined from abdominal computer tomographies in 135 children aged 4 weeks to 20 years, and morphometric analyses were performed in human pancreatic tissue obtained at autopsy from 46 children aged 2 weeks to 21 years. RESULTS— We report that 1 ) β-cell mass expands by severalfold from birth to adulthood, 2 ) islets grow in size rather than in number during this transition, 3 ) the relative rate of β-cell growth is highest in infancy and gradually declines thereafter to adulthood with no secondary accelerated growth phase during adolescence, 4 ) β-cell mass (and presumably growth) is highly variable between individuals, and 5 ) a high rate of β-cell replication is coincident with the major postnatal expansion of β-cell mass. CONCLUSIONS— These data imply that regulation of β-cell replication during infancy plays a major role in β-cell mass in adult humans.
Trying to Thread the Needle: The Effects of Redistricting in a Georgia Congressional District

In 2005 the Republican-controlled General Assembly redrew Georgia's congres- sional districts in order to gain additional seats in the 2006 midterm election. In this article we present a case study of the effects of redistricting on turnout and vote choice in Georgia's District 8 in the 2006 U.S. House election. It is apparent both from our findings and an elite interview, that unlike the more aggressive strategy employed by Texas Republicans in 2003, Georgia Republicans tried to thread the needle in their goal of winning District 8. Conventional wisdom suggests that if a political party controls redistricting it will maxi- mize its electoral opportunities. But this was not the case in Georgia.
Evolutionary Adaptation of Marine Zooplankton to Global Change

Predicting the response of the biota to global change remains a formidable endeavor. Zooplankton face challenges related to global warming, ocean acidification, the proliferation of toxic algal blooms, and increasing pollution, eutrophication, and hypoxia. They can respond to these changes by phenotypic plasticity or genetic adaptation. Using the concept of the evolution of reaction norms, I address how adaptive responses can be unequivocally discerned from phenotypic plasticity. To date, relatively few zooplankton studies have been designed for such a purpose. As case studies, I review the evidence for zooplankton adaptation to toxic algal blooms, hypoxia, and climate change. Predicting the response of zooplankton to global change requires new information to determine (a) the trade-offs and costs of adaptation, (b) the rates of evolution versus environmental change, (c) the consequences of adaptation to stochastic or cyclic (toxic algal blooms, coastal hypoxia) versus directional (temperature, acidificat...
Menu Auctions with Non-Transferable Utilities and Budget Constraints

This paper extends Bernheim and Whinston’s (1986) menu auction model under transferable utilities to a framework with non-transferable utilities and budget constraints. Under appropriate de…nitions of equilibria, it is shown that every truthful Nash equilibrium (TNE) is a coalition-proof Nash equilib
High-level expression of recombinant IgG1 by CHO K1 platform

The Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO K1) cell was used to express a targeted anti-cancer monoclonal antibody by optimizing the platform of the construction of production cell line in this study. The adherent CHO K1 was first adapted to suspension culture in chemical defined medium. Then the glutamine synthetase (GS) vector was applied to construct a single plasmid to overexpress a monoclonal antibody IgG1. Post transfection, the production of cell pool was optimized by glutamine-free selection and amplification using various concentrations of methionine sulfoximine. The best cell pool of CHO K1/IgG1 was used to screen the top single clone using the limiting dilution cloning. Finally, a high IgG1 production of 780 mg/L was obtained from a batch culture. This study demonstrated that the construction of high producing cell line, from gene to clone, could be completed within six month and the gene amplification improved protein production greatly.
Ionic Mechanisms of Soot Formation

In a recent review1 of soot nucleation mechanisms it was demonstrated that mechanisms based upon neutral free radical species are inadequate to explain soot formation in flames. Either rates are too slow to account for the rapid rate of soot formation or there are difficulties in accounting for the large numbers of polycyclic rings observed in soot particles. These problems can be overcome by assuming an ionic mechanism. Ion molecule reactions are extremely fast compared to free radical reactions and ions have a propensity to quickly rearrange to the most stable structure so that there is no difficulty in accounting for the observed polycylcic structures. Much evidence has accumulated in the literature indicating the importance of ions in sooting flames and a number of workers have previously suggested ionic mechanisms. For this, the reader is referred to a recent review.1
Common pulmonary vein atresia: report of three cases and review of the literature

Common pulmonary vein atresia is a rare and usually fatal congenital anomaly, in which the pulmonary veins come together to form a confluence that does not connect to the left atrium. We report our experience with three cases of common pulmonary vein atresia and review the literature on this anomaly. The diagnosis of common pulmonary vein atresia must be entertained in any newborn that presents with cyanosis, refractory acidosis, and decreased systemic perfusion within the first 48 hours of life. Echocardiography is a useful screening tool, but cardiac catheterisation is the preferred diagnostic tool. Common pulmonary vein atresia can be fatal without surgical intervention, but survival after surgery continues to be poor.
Study and Refactoring of Android Asynchronous Programming (T)

To avoid unresponsiveness, a core part of mobile development is asynchronous programming. Android provides several async constructs that developers can use. However, developers can still use the inappropriate async constructs, which result in memory leaks, lost results, and wasted energy. Fortunately, refactoring tools can eliminate these problems by transforming async code to use the appropriate constructs. In this paper we conducted a formative study on a corpus of 611 widely-used Android apps to map the asynchronous landscape of Android apps, understand how developers retrofit asynchrony, and learn about barriers encountered by developers. Based on this study, we designed, implemented, and evaluated AsyncDroid, a refactoring tool which enables Android developers to transform existing improperly-used async constructs into correct constructs. Our empirical evaluation shows that AsyncDroid is applicable, accurate, and saves developers effort. We submitted 45 refactoring patches, and developers consider that the refactorings are useful.
The Petrologic Nature of the Lower Oceanic Crust and Upper Mantle

The compositions of the lower oceanic crust and upper mantle are investigated using data from high pressure experiments of compressional and shear wave velocities in rocks. Four compositional models for the lower oceanic crust are considered: 1) partially serpentinized peridotite, 2) gabbro, 3) metabasalt and metagabbro and 4) an ophiolite model consisting of metamorphosed sheeted dikes overlying late differentiates and cumulate gabbros. Comparisons of compressional wave velocities (Vp) from dredged oceanic rocks with layer 3 refraction velocities show that perido-tites 30 to 40% serpentinized, unaltered gabbro, metagabbro and metabasalt all have velocities similar to observed lower crustal velocities. Thus compressional wave velocity measurements alone will not distinguish between the various crustal models. Although only a limited amount of refraction data on shear wave velocities (Vs) are available, it appears that lower crustal Poisson’s ratios, calculated from Vp and Vg, are significantly lower than measured values in partially serpentinized peridotite and unaltered gabbro. In support of models 3 and 4 it is shown that Poisson’s ratios of metabasalt and metagabbro, on the other hand, agree well with seismic data from the upper portion layer 3. The low Poisson’s ratios reported for the lower crust of Iceland (∼ 0.27) suggest that metabasalt and metagabbro are abundant constituents of layer 3. The 74 km/sec layer, often found between layer 3 and oceanic upper mantle in the Pacific Ocean, is interpreted as most likely being composed of peridotite, 10 to 20% serpentinized, or feldspathic peridotite. Compressional and shear wave velocities in eclogite and peridotite at appropriate pressures are similar to oceanic upper mantle velocities. An upper mantle of peridotite or dunite composition is favored, however, in regions where strong upper mantle anisotropy is observed.
Troglitazone: a new antihyperglycemic agent.

Troglitazone is the first of a new family of antihyperglycemic drugs. We review its use in clinical practice.
Effect of 2 ovulation synchronization protocols on reproductive performance of May-calving cows

A 2-yr experiment was conducted using Red Angus × Simmental cows (yr 1, n = 145; yr 2, n = 162). Cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: (1) cows received gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 100 μg, i.m.) on d 0, prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α; 25 mg, i.m.) on d 7, and GnRH (100 μg, i.m.) with fixed-time AI (TAI) 48 h after PGF2α (CO-Synch); or (2) cows received GnRH (100 μg, i.m.) and controlled internal drug release device (CIDR) insertion on d 0, PGF2α (25 mg, i.m.) and CIDR removal on d 7, and GnRH (100 μg, i.m.) with TAI 60 h after PGF2α (CO-Synch + CIDR). Five days after TAI, bulls were placed with cows for 45 d. Cows synchronized with the CO-Synch + CIDR protocol had increased (P < 0.01) AI and overall pregnancy rates compared with cows synchronized utilizing the CO-Synch protocol. Due to increased AI pregnancy rates, CO-Synch + CIDR cows calved 5 d (± 1 d) earlier (P < 0.01), resulting in a greater (P < 0.01) proportion of cows calving within the first 21 d of the calving season compared with CO-Synch cows. Calf crop weaned per cow exposed was increased (P = 0.02) for CO-Synch + CIDR. Weaning BW per cow exposed was also greater (P = 0.04) for CO-Synch + CIDR. In conclusion, pregnancy rates were greater for CO-Synch + CIDR compared with the CO-Synch synchronization protocol, resulting in more calves born earlier in the calving season and a $55.22/cow increased net return utilizing the CO-Synch + CIDR protocol.
Information Prescriptions, 1930-2013: An International History and Comprehensive Review*

OBJECTIVES Recently, government agencies in several countries have promoted information prescription programs to increase patients' understanding of their conditions. The practice has a long history and many publications, but no comprehensive literature reviews such as this. METHODS Using a variety of high-precision and high-recall strategies, the researcher searched two dozen online bibliographic databases, citation databases, and repositories, as well as many print sources, to identify and retrieve documents for review. Of these documents, ninety relevant English-language case reports, research reports, and reviews published from 1930-2013 met the study criteria. RESULTS Early to mid-twentieth century reports covered long-standing practices and used no rigorous research methods. The literature since the mid-1990s reports on short-term trial projects, especially of government-sponsored programs in the United States and United Kingdom. Although the concept of information prescription has been in the literature and practiced for decades, no long-term research studies were found. CONCLUSIONS Most of the literature is anecdotal concerning small pilot projects. The reports investigate physician, patient, and librarian satisfaction but not changes in patient knowledge or behavior. Many twenty-first century projects emphasize materials and projects from specific government agencies and commercial enterprises. IMPLICATIONS While the practice is commonly believed to be a good idea and there are many publications on the subject, few studies provide any evidence of the efficacy of information prescriptions for increased patient knowledge. Well-designed and executed large or long-term studies might produce needed evidence for professional practice.
Hydrophobic zeolites for biofuel upgrading reactions at the liquid-liquid interface in water/oil emulsions.

HY zeolites hydrophobized by functionalization with organosilanes are much more stable in hot liquid water than the corresponding untreated zeolites. Silylation of the zeolite increases hydrophobicity without significantly reducing the density of acid sites. This hydrophobization with organosilanes makes the zeolites able to stabilize water/oil emulsions and catalyze reactions of importance in biofuel upgrading, i.e., alcohol dehydration and alkylation of m-cresol and 2-propanol in the liquid phase, at high temperatures. While at 200 °C the crystalline structure of an untreated HY zeolite collapses in a few hours in contact with a liquid medium, the functionalized hydrophobic zeolites keep their structure practically unaltered. Detailed XRD, SEM, HRTEM, and BET analyses indicate that even after reaction under severe conditions, the hydrophobic zeolites retain their crystallinity, surface area, microporosity, and acid density. It is proposed that by preferentially anchoring hydrophobic functionalities on t...
Barbara Pym and the War of the Sexes

‘What a good thing there is no marriage or giving in marriage in the after-life’, remarks Jane Cleveland in Jane and Prudence (1953); ‘it will certainly help to smooth things out’ (p. 214). The war of the sexes goes on continually in Barbara Pym’s novels, with men apparently winning it at some moments, women at others. ‘As an anthropologist’, Rupert Stonebird in An Unsuitable Attachment (1982) knows ‘that men and women may observe each other as warily as wild animals hidden in long grass’ (p. 13, opening paragraph).
HORMONAL THERAPY FOR METASTATIC PROSTATE CANCER : ISSUES OF TIMING AND TOTAL ANDROGEN ABLATION

This review summarize results of hormonal management in patients with metastatic prostate cancer in terms of both timing and amount of androgen blockade. The standard of delayed hormonal therapy resulted from data of the Veterans Administration Cooperative Urologic Research Group showing high toxicity in patients treated with estrogen therapy. Reanalysis of those data using cancer-specific deaths showed improved cancer-specific survival with early hormonal therapy. A large and growing body of clinical data also suggests a superior benefit to early hormonal therapy. The concept of total androgen (adrenal and testicular) ablation was supported by reports that show a survival advantage using a combined blockade over luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist alone. A National Cancer Institute study showed particularly impressive disease-free and overall survival in a subset of patients with low volume disease and good performance status. However, caution should be exercise in view of differing Canadian and European data. This review provides guidelines for treatment, but ultimately the timing and amount of androgen deprivation must be tailored to the individual patient. Ongoing and future prospective studies hold the promise of answers to these difficult and unresolved questions.
A monoclonal antibody to a novel surface antigen, MKW, blocks the antiproliferative and differentiation effects of granulocyte-macrophagecolony-stimulating factor and vitamin D3.

A monoclonal antibody (MoAb) recognizes a novel 52-Kd cell protein (MKW) that is expressed on cells of the normal myelocytic and monocytic lineage, a subset of B cells, and the U937 cell line. Using the U937 cell line as a model, the MoAb (anti-MKW) was examined for its ability to inhibit the effects of differentiation-inducing factors. In the U937 cell line, recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) inhibits cell proliferation, 12-O- tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) inhibits proliferation and induces the early differentiation antigen CD11b, and vitamin D3 inhibits proliferation and induces both CD11b and the late differentiation antigen CD14. The antiproliferative and differentiation effects of rhGM-CSF and vitamin D3 on U937 cells were inhibited by the anti-MKW MoAb. Similar effects were seen when anti-MKW antibody was added 30 minutes before or 2 hours after rhGM-CSF or vitamin D3, suggesting that its effects are not mediated by blocking or binding to the receptors for these growth factors. The anti-MKW MoAb had no effect on TPA-induced differentiation in U937 cells, indicating that TPA exerts its effects through a pathway different from rhGM-CSF and vitamin D3. These results suggest that the MKW antigen is important in controlling the proliferation and differentiation of monocytic cells.
Rings containing Boron

This chapter focuses mainly on the seven-membered ring borepins and their analogues, providing a brief update of earlier work with special emphasis on recent theoretical studies as well as information on UV, IR, NMR and microwave spectra and X-ray analysis. Also examined are reactions of borepins including protonolysis and oxidation–reduction studies, the preparation and reaction of borepin molybdenum tricarbonyl complexes, and the preparation of borepanes and borocanes via polyhomogologation and ring enlargement reactions of boracyclanes. Also treated are syntheses of dihydrodibenzoborepins, benzoborepins and other fused ring borepins from the corresponding stannepins.
0162 Mortality among autoworkers manufacturing electronics in alabama, u.s.a

Former employees at a large automotive electronics manufacturing facility in Alabama, U.S.A. raised concerns over a suspected excess of cancer mortality among their fellow workers. The United Autoworkers (UAW) union sought the help of epidemiologists to investigate these concerns. A cohort of 4396 workers employed at the facility between 1972 and 1993 was enumerated. Demographic and employment history information was obtained from union records. Follow-up to ascertain information about vital status and causes of death was conducted through 2016 drawing upon records of the U.S. Social Security Administration, pension records, voter registration records, and the U.S. National Death Index. Interviews with former employees have identified lead-based solder and chlorinated organic solvents as exposures of concern during the assembly of printed computer boards. Concerns were also raised about the presence of asbestos in the workplace. The mortality experience of the cohort is compared to expectations based upon national and regional reference rates using classical standardised mortality ratios as well as more novel comparisons of cumulative incidence (i.e., complement of survival) curves. Analyses also allow for internal comparisons according to job status and race. We will report on preliminary results describing the characteristics and overall mortality experience of this cohort as part of our ongoing investigation, which is an example of a joint effort between the UAW and academic epidemiologists to directly address the health concerns of autoworkers using a cost- and time-efficient study design.
Differences in Heat-Related Mortality by Citizenship Status: United States, 2005–2014

Objectives. To determine whether non-US citizens have a higher mortality risk of heat-related deaths than do US citizens.Methods. We used place of residence reported in mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System from 2005 to 2014 as a proxy for citizenship to examine differences in heat-related deaths between non-US and US citizens. Estimates from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey of self-reported citizenship status and place of birth provided the numbers for the study population. We calculated the standardized mortality ratio and relative risk for heat-related deaths between non-US and US citizens nationally.Results. Heat-related deaths accounted for 2.23% (n = 999) of deaths among non-US citizens and 0.02% (n = 4196) of deaths among US citizens. The age-adjusted standardized mortality ratio for non-US citizens compared with US citizens was 3.4 (95% confidence ratio [CI] = 3.2, 3.6). This risk was higher for Hispanic non-US citizens (risk ratio [RR] = 3.6; 95% CI = 3.2, 3.9) an...
Impaired Proteasomal Function in Human Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes Can Contribute to Decreased Levels of SOX9 and Aggrecan.

Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes exhibit impairment of autophagy, one arm of the proteostasis network that coordinates proteome and organelle quality control and degradation. Deficient proteostasis impacts differentiation and viability, and inflammatory processes in aging and disease. The present study was undertaken to assess ubiquitin proteasome system proteasomal function in OA chondrocytes. Methods We evaluated human knee cartilage by immunohistochemistry, and assessed proteasomal function, levels of proteasomal core subunits and chaperones, and autophagy in cultured chondrocytes. Assays included Western blotting, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, proteasomal protease activity assessment, and cell immunofluorescence analysis. Results Human knee OA cartilage exhibited polyubiquitin accumulation, with increased ubiquitin K48-linked polyubiquitinated proteins in situ, suggesting proteasomal impairment. Cultured OA chondrocytes demonstrated accumulation of K48 polyubiquitinated proteins, significantly reduced 20S proteasome core protease activity, and decreased levels of phosphorylated FOXO4 and proteasome 26S subunit, non-ATPase 11 (PSMD11), a FOXO4-inducible promoter of proteasomal activation. Levels of proteasome subunit β type 3 (PSMB3), PSMB5, PSMB6, and proteasome assembly chaperone 1 were not decreased in OA chondrocytes. In normal chondrocytes, PSMD11 small interfering RNA knockdown stimulated certain autophagy machinery elements, increased extracellular nitric oxide (NO) levels, and reduced chondrocytic master transcription factor SOX9 protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) and aggrecan (AGC1) mRNA. PSMD11 gain-of- function by transfection increased proteasomal function, increased levels of SOX9-induced AGC1 mRNA, stimulated elements of the autophagic machinery, and inhibited extracellular levels of interleukin-1-induced NO and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in OA chondrocytes. Conclusion Deficient PSMD11, associated with reduced phosphorylated FOXO4, promotes impaired proteasomal function in OA chondrocytes, dysregulation of chondrocytic homeostasis, and decreased levels of SOX9 mRNA, SOX9 protein, and AGC1 mRNA. Chondrocyte proteasomal impairment may be a therapeutic target for OA.
Conditional classifiers and boosted conditional Gaussian mixture model for novelty detection

Abstract Novelty detection is an important task in a variety of applications such as object recognition, defect localization, medical diagnostics, and event detection. The objective of novelty detection is to distinguish one class, for which data are available, from all other possible classes when there is insufficient information to build an explicit model for the latter. The data from the observed class are usually represented in terms of certain features which can be modeled as random variables (RV). An important challenge for novelty detection in multivariate problems is characterizing the statistical dependencies among these RVs. Failure to consider these dependencies may lead to inaccurate predictions, usually in the form of high false positive rates. In this study, we propose conditional classifiers as a new approach for novelty detection that is capable of accounting for statistical dependencies of the relevant RVs without simplifying assumptions. To implement the proposed idea, we use Gaussian mixture models (GMM) along with forward stage-wise additive modeling and boosting methods to learn the conditional densities of RVs that represent our observed data. The resulting model, which is called a boosted conditional GMM, is then used as a basis for classification. To test the performance of the proposed method, we apply it to a realistic application problem for analyzing sensor networks and compare the results with those of alternative schemes.
Fast finish to plutonium peril

Why not melt-and-mix weapon plutonium with the Energy Department's abundant supply of reactor waste?
Impact of market conditions on the effectiveness of payments for forest-based carbon sequestration

Abstract This research analyzes the effects of market conditions on the performance of incentive payment approaches for forest-based carbon sequestration. We develop supply curves for sequestered carbon using the relationship between deforestation for urbanization and the relative returns from forest products and urban uses under two different market conditions. The empirical results for an 18-county case study show that a hypothetical payment system was effective and the marginal cost of carbon sequestration increased with the target level of carbon sequestration during the 2001–2006 real estate upturn, while the same system was ineffective during the 2006–2011 period that included a real estate downturn. Our study is the first to examine the role of temporal changes in market conditions on the performance of incentive payment approaches. Although a first step, our snapshot, static approach shows the value in thinking of the dynamic role of changing market conditions in evaluating incentive payment systems.
The current role of magnetic resonance imaging in temporomandibular joint treatment planning

In this chapter, multiple-plane magnetic resonance imaging, disc cartilage magnetic resonance signal characteristics, and imaging characteristics of joint effusion and bone marrow signal parameters are discussed and illustrated.
Modelling Population Change From Time Series Data

Information on change in population size over time is among the most basic inputs for population management. Unfortunately, population changes are generally difficult to identify, and once identified difficult to explain. Sources of variation (patterns) in population data include: changes in environment that affect carrying capacity and produce trend, autocorrelative processes, irregular environmentally induced perturbations, and stochasticity arising from population processes. In addition, populations are almost never censused and many surveys (e.g., the North American Breeding Bird Survey) produce multiple, incomplete time series of population indices, providing further sampling complications. We suggest that each source of pattern should be used to address specific hypotheses regarding population change, but that failure to correctly model each source can lead to false conclusions about the dynamics of populations. We consider hypothesis tests based on each source of pattern, and the effects of autocorrelated observations and sampling error. We identify important constraints on analyses of time series that limit their use in identifying underlying relationships.
Transcriptional Regulation of Angiogenesis

Until recently, the transcription factors necessary for regulating vascular development were largely unknown. This is in sharp contrast with other developmental processes, such as hematopoiesis and myogenesis, in which several cell- or tissue-specific transcription factors have been identified. Vascular development requires the differentiation of endothelial cells from pluripotent stem cells. Progress in identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular development has lagged considerably, in large part the model systems for studying vascular blood vessel development are more limited. The identification of several vascular-specific genes involved in vasculogenesis and the genomic regulatory regions required for directing their expression over the past decade has facilitated the identification of the transcriptional mechanisms required for vascular-specific gene expression. Targeted disruption of additional transcription factors that have been associated with vascular defects led to the elucidation of a role for these factors in vascular development. Angiogenesis, the development of additional blood vessels from a primary vascular network, may recapitulate many of the molecular events occurring during vascular development.
Adoptive Cellular Therapy

Cell-based therapies with various lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells are promising approaches for cancer immunotherapy. The transfusion of T lymphocytes, also called adoptive cell therapy (ACT), is an effective treatment for viral infections, has induced regression of cancer in early stage clinical trials, and may be a particularly important and efficacious modality in the period following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Immune reconstitution post-SCT is often slow and incomplete, which in turn leads to an increased risk of infection and may impact relapse risk in patients with malignant disease. Immunization post-HSCT is frequently unsuccessful, due to the prolonged lymphopenia, especially of CD4 T cells, seen following transplant. ACT has the potential to enhance antitumor and overall immunity, and augment vaccine efficacy in the post-transplant setting. The ability to genetically engineer lymphocyte subsets has the further potential to improve the natural immune response, correct impaired immunity, and redirect T cells to an antitumor effector response. This chapter focuses on various applications of ACT for cancer immunotherapy, and we discuss some of the latest progress and hurdles in translating these technologies to the clinic.
Nutrition and Aging

Among the most significant of the factors modifying the life-span of organisms is the nutritional component of the environment. The adequacy of the level and balance of intake of essential nutrients provided by the maternal diet affects the growth and development of the fetus (1). Furthermore, throughout post-natal life the health and well-being of the offspring depends upon the nature of the diet consumed earlier in life as well as the current dietary intake. Thus, nutrition is an important key to a healthy, long life and it seems obvious that adequate nutrition throughout the life-span would be an effective way of minimizing the development of degenerative changes in body and organ function that characterize progressive aging. However, a precise or quantitative definition of adequate nutrition cannot be given, at least in terms of longevity, with our present state of knowledge. Nevertheless, there is now abundant information to indicate that diet can exert a dramatic influence on the life-span of the mammalian organism and on the type and severity of age-associated diseases. Thus, we will consider here some of the dietary variables that appear to be important in this context.
From Selma to Moscow: how human rights activists transformed U.S. foreign policy

Sarah B. Snyder’s From Selma to Moscow is a fine piece of scholarship with a somewhat misleading title and Introduction. At first glance, it appears to be about the confluence of human rights activ...
A Reconfigurable Passive RF-to-DC Converter for Wireless IoT Applications

In this brief, we present a reconfigurable rectifier, which makes it feasible to harvest energy with net-zero energy consumption, i.e., without draining power from battery, in a wide input power range. The proposed topology can operate with low input power signals and can be fine-tuned for a specific operating frequency in a wide frequency range from several MHz to GHz in remotely powered systems. A prototype is fabricated in 0.35- $ {\mu }\text{m}$ standard CMOS process and occupies 0.019 mm2. Although the proposed rectifier supports four different rectifier topologies, on silicon it only occupies the footprint of a single rectifier. At 13.56 MHz with 2.2 mW input power, the four-switch rectifier topology yields 82% power conversion efficiency (PCE), while the hybrid topology (diodes + switches) provides 81% PCE at 11.2 mW input power. The rectifier operates with input power as low as 1.1 mW, at which level the PCE is still reasonable at 65.2%. This allows a wireless device at low power level to operate at extended read range. This reconfigurable rectifier is especially suitable for Internet of Things mobile application, where the power of the incoming signal changes by the distance between the power source and the device.
The NIH Genetic Testing Registry and content tailored for oncologists.

e12543 Background: Oncology professionals have no centralized resource to locate the specific set of genetic tests relevant to their practice. Instead they rely on education, marketing, and word of...
Vanillin modifies affective responses to but not burning sensations from ethanol in mixtures.

Abstract Vanillin may modulate perception of noxious oral stimuli via TRP receptor interactions; separately, vanillin has also been shown to have top-down influences on flavor perception. Here, we ask whether added vanillin decreases the perceived burn of ethanol either via peripheral or cognitive mechanisms. Participants rated the burn of ethanol with 0, 16, and 160 ppm vanillin. In studies 1 (n = 102) and 2 (n = 82), participants wore nose clips and rated the burn of 8% and 16% ethanol (study 1) or 32% and 48% ethanol (study 2). In study 3 (n = 65), participants were able to breathe freely and rated liking and perceptual qualities of 8% and 32% ethanol at each vanillin level. Vanillin showed no significant effect on ratings of burn or smoothness, but did increase perceived sweetness (p
Frameworks for Efficient Brain-Computer Interfacing

One challenge present in brain-computer interface (BCI) circuits is finding a balance between real-time on-chip processing in-vivo and wireless transmission of neural signals for off-chip in-silico processing. This article presents three potential frameworks for investigating an area- and energy-efficient realization of BCI circuits. The first framework performs spike detection on the filtered neural signal on a brain-implantable chip and only transmits detected spikes wirelessly for offline classification and decoding. The second framework performs in-vivo compression of the on-chip detected spikes prior to wireless transmission for substantially reducing wireless transmission overhead. The third framework performs spike sorting in-vivo on the brain-implantable chip to classify detected spikes on-chip and hence, even further reducing wireless data transmission rate at the expense of more signal processing. To alleviate the on-chip computation of spike sorting and also utilizing a more area- and energy-effective design, this work employs, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, an artificial neural network (ANN) instead of using relatively computationally-intensive conventional spike sorting algorithms. The ASIC implementation results of the designed frameworks are presented and their feasibility for efficient in-vivo processing of neural signals is discussed. Compared to the previously-published BCI systems, the presented frameworks reduce the area and power consumption of implantable circuits.
Connectome Signatures of Hyperexcitation in Cognitively Intact Middle-Aged Female APOE-ε4 Carriers.

Synaptic dysfunction is hypothesized to be one of the earliest brain changes in Alzheimer's disease, leading to "hyperexcitability" in neuronal circuits. In this study, we evaluated a novel hyperexcitation indicator (HI) for each brain region using a hybrid resting-state structural connectome to probe connectome-level excitation-inhibition balance in cognitively intact middle-aged apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 carriers with noncarriers (16 male/22 female in each group). Regression with three-way interactions (sex, age, and APOE-e4 carrier status) to assess the effect of APOE-e4 on excitation-inhibition balance within each sex and across an age range of 40-60 years yielded a significant shift toward higher HI in female carriers compared with noncarriers (beginning at 50 years). Hyperexcitation was insignificant in the male group. Further, in female carriers the degree of hyperexcitation exhibited significant positive correlation with working memory performance (evaluated via a virtual Morris Water task) in three regions: the left pars triangularis, left hippocampus, and left isthmus of cingulate gyrus. Increased excitation of memory-related circuits may be evidence of compensatory recruitment of neuronal resources for memory-focused activities. In sum, our results are consistent with known Alzheimer's disease sex differences; in that female APOE-e4 carriers have globally disrupted excitation-inhibition balance that may confer greater vulnerability to disease neuropathology.
Lattice resolution of vibrational modes in the electron microscope.

Abstract The combination of aberration correction and ultra high energy resolution with monochromators has made it possible to record images showing lattice resolution in phonon modes, both with a displaced collection aperture and more recently with an on –axis collection aperture. In practice the objective aperture has to include Bragg reflections that correspond to the observed lattice image spacings, and the specimen has to be sufficiently thick for adequate phonon scattered intensity. There has been controversy as to whether the images with the on axis detector are really a consequence of lattice resolution in a phonon mode or just a transfer of information from an image that was formed by elastically scattered electrons. We present results of calculations based on a theory that includes the possibility of dynamical electron diffraction for both incident and scattered electrons and the full phonon dispersion relation. We show that Umklapp scattering from the second Brillouin Zone back to the first Brillouin Zone is necessary for lattice resolution with the on axis detector and that it is therefore reasonable to attribute the lattice resolution to the phonon scattering.
Transitioning to Solutions Journalism: One Newsroom's Shift to Solutions-focused Reporting

In 2018, Alabama’s largest daily newspaper, the Gannett-owned Montgomery Advertiser, set out to transform its newsroom to focus on enterprise and solutions journalism—rigorous news reporting on how...