cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caspase 1 activity influences juvenile Batten disease (CLN3) pathogenesis.

Juvenile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in CLN3. Symptoms appear between 5 and 10 years of age, beginning with blindness and seizures, followed by progressive cognitive and motor decline, and premature death. Glial activation and impaired neuronal activity are early signs of pathology in the Cln3Δex7/8 mouse model of JNCL, whereas neuron death occurs much later in the disease process. We previously reported that Cln3Δex7/8 microglia are primed toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype typified by exaggerated caspase 1 inflammasome activation and here we extend those findings to demonstrate heightened caspase activity in the Cln3Δex7/8 mouse brain. Based on the ability of caspase 1 to cleave a large number of substrates that have been implicated in JNCL pathology, we examined the functional implications of caspase 1 inflammasome activity by crossing Cln3Δex7/8 and caspase 1-deficient mice to create Cln3Δex7/8 /Casp-1-/- animals. Caspase 1 deletion influenced motor behavior deficits and astrocyte activation in the context of CLN3 mutation, since both were significantly reversed in Cln3Δex7/8 /Casp-1-/- mice, with phenotypes approaching that of wild-type animals. We also report a progressive age-dependent reduction in whisker length in Cln3Δex7/8 mice that was partially caspase 1-dependent. However, not all CLN3 phenotypes were reversed following caspase 1 deletion, since no significant differences in lysosomal accumulation or microglial activation were observed between Cln3Δex7/8 and Cln3Δex7/8 /Casp-1-/- mice. Although the molecular targets of aberrant caspase 1 activity in the context of CLN3 mutation remain to be identified, our studies suggest that caspase 1 may represent a potential therapeutic target to mitigate some attributes of CLN3 disease. This article is part of the Special Issue "Lysosomal Storage Disorders".
Speech and Language Alterations in Dementia Syndromes

Dementia is an etiologically nonspecific syndrome characterized by acquired persistent disturbance of several areas of neuropsychological function. Once regarded as a syndrome of global intellectual loss, dementia is increasingly approached as a group of disorders with distinct neuropsychological patterns of preserved and impaired abilities reflecting disease-related regional brain involvement. The topography of histologic, biochemical, and metabolic alterations associated with individual central nervous system (CNS) disorders can be correlated with disease-related behavioral profiles. Conversely, behavioral observations are utilized to infer the geography of brain dysfunction and the etiology of the neurologic condition. Such brain—behavior correlations have reached an acceptable degree of reliability with regard to monosymptomatic deficit syndromes such as the aphasias (Benson & Geschwind, 1985) and amnesias (Benson, 1978; Damasio, Graff-Redford, Eslinger, Damasio, & Kas-sell, 1985) but are in a relatively primitive state of development in polysymptomatic disorders such as the dementias. A crude distinction has been drawn between dementias associated primarily with cortical dysfunction and those occurring with subcortical disturbances (Cummings & Benson, 1983, 1984), but more refined distinctions are necessary both to improve clinical diagnosis and management and to enhance understanding of brain—behavior relationships in the dementia syndromes.
Epilogue: A Comparison of Psoriasis and Eczema: Both Caused by Bacteria, but Neither an Infection

This work has been devoted to the concept that atopic dermatitis is initiated by biofilm-producing staphylococcal bacteria. In a brief precis of psoriasis, we marshal the evidence that psoriasis is initiated by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. While we fully believe these diseases are provoked by these two specific bacteria, we do not believe that either of these diseases is an infection. In eczema, it is the production and location of the biofilms (made by staphylococcal bacteria) in eccrine ducts that we believe is crucial. In psoriasis, we believe it is an immune reaction to the streptococcal bacteria that is likewise crucial.
Pathogenesis of Secondary Brain Hemorrhage After Ischemia: Lessons from Animal Models … and a few from man: too!

Both open label and controlled clinical trials of thrombolytic therapy for acute stroke are careful to define and distinguish between hemorrhagic infarctions and intracerebral hematomas in addressing possible complications of treatment. Since the major and potentially unacceptable risk of this type of treatment is brain hemorrhage [16, 17] and because certain types of stroke are apt to produce some hemorrhagic complications as part of the untreated natural history [22, 23], it has become very important to stratify and quantitate secondary brain hemorrhages at least into two strata, acceptable and unacceptable.
Privatizing Flood Insurance in the United States: Options, Challenges, and Pitfalls

In this paper, we examine the options, challenges, and potential pitfalls in expanding the role of the private sector in providing flood insurance in the United States. This topic that has garnered considerable interest given the problems facing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). There are many advocates of "privatization" in some form as they see it as a way to ameliorate the problems afflicting the NFIP as well as providing benefits to consumers. The form of privatization that we give the most attention to involves legislative and regulatory measures that would make it easier for private companies to offer flood insurance on their own paper noting that there are other schemes that could be employed that would fall within the scope of privatization defined more broadly. While privatization has many advocates, it also has some detractors. We discuss both the potential benefits of the expansion of private flood insurance as it has been proposed as well as the principal concerns about certain provisions of the proposals that have been put on the table. Based on our analysis, it is our opinion that expanding the sale of private flood coverage, if done properly, would be welfare enhancing and in the public interest. The devil is in the details. This is where the rubber would meet the road in crafting a scheme that would yield the best possible outcomes for consumers while still making it attractive and feasible for carriers to substantially increase the provision of private flood insurance. Our objective is to provide insights into the relevant considerations and posit a scheme that would be workable and politically realistic.
Adaptive evolution of sperm proteins depends on sperm competition in a pair of Lepidoptera

Sperm are among the most variable cells in nature. Both within and between species, sperm display more diversity in form than one would expect of an ostensibly single-function cell. Morphologically, some of this variation within species has been demonstrated to be non-adaptive, but for many species that consistently produce multiple sperm morphs, the significance of variable sperm remains unknown. Here, we investigate the molecular evolution of dimorphic sperm in Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths; males of this order produce both fertilizing eupyrene sperm and a secondary apyrene type that lacks DNA. Based on population genetic analyses in two species, the monandrous Carolina sphinx moth and the highly polyandrous monarch butterfly, we see evidence for increased selection in fertilizing sperm, but only in the polyandrous species. This signal comes primarily from a decrease in non-synonymous polymorphism in sperm proteins compared to the rest of the genome, indicative of strong purifying selection. Additionally, rates of non-synonymous divergence are comparable between sperm genes and the rest of the genome, suggesting that many alleles reach fixation owing to positive selection as well. Investigation of the distribution of fitness effects of new non-synonymous mutations in monarch sperm confirms stronger selection on sperm proteins in monarchs, with very few neutral variants and a preponderance of deleterious and beneficial variants. These results mirror findings on sperm evolution in other taxa; increased sperm competition decreases within-population morphological variation. Our results suggest that sperm competition can be a powerful selective force at the sequence level as well.
How Do Place-Based Investment Tax Incentives Target Low-Income Communities? A Multi-State Survey of Enterprise Zone Tax Incentives

Place-based investment tax incentives known as enterprise zone laws have historically been used as a method for subsidizing investment in low-income communities. Scholarly and policy treatments of enterprise zone laws commonly discuss them as if there is a unified approach to designing these programs. This report finds, however, that although most (33/50) states have enterprise zone laws, these programs vary significantly in important respects — including zone eligibility requirements; eligible investment types; incentives to invest in human capital or affordable housing; and taxpayer eligibility. Understanding these variations is particularly important to understanding how past experience with enterprise zones can inform new place-based incentives, such as those that have been introduced in the federal Opportunity Zones program.
People of Polish Heritage

Poland was conceived near the middle of the tenth century and reached its golden age in the sixteenth century. In a series of agreements between 1772 and 1795, Russia, Prussia, and Austria partitioned Poland among themselves. Poland regained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite state following the war, but its government was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the first independent free trade union in Eastern Europe, Solidarnosc (Solidarity) that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency.
Therapeutic Vitreoretinal Surgery for Noninfectious Intermediate, Posterior, and Panuveitis

Vitreoretinal surgical intervention is an indispensable tool in the management of uveitis and its structural complications. Pars plana vitrectomy may attenuate the inflammatory response in eyes by both reducing antigen load and reducing the levels of inflammatory mediators. Structural complications such as epiretinal membranes, tractional retinal detachment, and cyclitic membranes leading to ciliary body failure and hypotony may also be addressed by PPV and adjunctive interventions such as membrane dissection and silicone oil tamponade. The surgical implantation of sustained-release drug delivery devices may be a viable alternative or adjunct to conventional regional or systemic immunomodulatory therapy.
THE PERFECT STORM: HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM UNMASKING BRUGADA SYNDROME AND CAUSING VT ARREST

Brugada syndrome affects the cardiac sodium channels and predisposes patients to ventricular arrhythmia. Current efforts are focused on identifying those patients with brugada pattern on EKG and refer high risk groups for ICD placement. However, risk stratification of these patients remain
Flexoskeleton Printing Enables Versatile Fabrication of Hybrid Soft and Rigid Robots

One of the many secrets to the success and prevalence of insects is their versatile, robust, and complex exoskeleton morphology. A fundamental challenge in insect-inspired robotics has been the fab...
Expression of Laminin γ2 Proteolytic Fragments in Murine Skin Following Exposure to Sulfur Mustard

Laminin-332 is a basement membrane protein composed of three genetically distinct polypeptide chains that actively promote both skin epidermal cell adhesion and migration. Proteolytic fragments of the laminin γ2 chain stimulate migration and scattering of keratinocytes and cancer cells. Sulfur mustard (SM) is a bifunctional alkylating agent that induces separation of basal keratinocytes from the dermal-epidermal junction and invokes a strong inflammatory response leading to delayed wound repair. In the present studies, the role of laminin γ2 in SM-induced skin injury and wound repair was investigated using the mouse ear vesicant model. We found that laminin γ2 chain mRNA was preferentially upregulated in mouse ear skin exposed to SM. In situ hybridization confirmed overexpression of laminin γ2 transcript. Western blot analysis showed increased protein expression of the full-length proform of laminin γ2 and smaller processed fragments of laminin γ2 in skin exposed to SM. Dual immunofluorescence labeling indicated that laminin γ2 fragments are prevalent in suprabasal keratinocytes behind the leading edge in areas of hyperplasia in injured skin. In addition, co-expression of laminin γ2 and the senescent marker, p16-INK4a was found to overlap with the hyperplastic migratory epithelial sheet. This observation is similar to hypermotile keratinocytes reported in invasive carcinoma cells. Overall, our studies indicate that laminin γ2 is preferentially expressed in skin post SM exposure and that protein expression appears to become progressively more fragmented. The laminin γ2 fragments may play a role in regulating SM-induced skin wound repair. Anat Rec, 2020. © 2020 American Association for Anatomy.
Decreasing Unnecessary Monitor Use on an Inpatient Pediatrics Ward

Background/Aim: Unwarranted use of continuous monitoring on pediatric patients has been associated with increased hospital admissions, interventions, and length of stay, as well as alarm fatigue among care providers. At our institution we observe consistently high numbers of patients on monitors, many without a clinical indication, and an environment of near-constant ringing of alarm bells and delayed provider response times.The aim of this project was to decrease the daily percentage of patients admitted to the pediatric hospitalist service who were on continuous cardiorespiratory or pulse oximetry monitoring by 20% within …
EFFECT OF ANTIGEN ON LOCALIZATION OF IMMUNOLOGICALLY SPECIFIC B CELLS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the effect of antigen on localization of immunologically specific bone-marrow-derived (B) cells. The subpopulations of lymphocytes demonstrate distinct areas of localization for thymus-derived (T) and B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs. In a study described in the chapter, LAF1 mice were passively immunized with homologous antihemocyanin (KLH) antibody 24 h prior to injection of 25μg trinitrophenylated-KLH (TNP-KLH) into the left (L) front footpad and 25μg paraazobenzoate-KLH into the right (R) front footpad. In the absence of transfer of spleen cells on the day of irradiation, no PFC developed in LN on either side, although carrier-primed cells were transferred i.v. and TNP-KLH was injected in each foot-pad. The phenomenon of persistence of local immunity has been known for a long time, both experimentally and clinically, and a direct role of locally persisting antigen in lymphoid tissue has been suspected.
Impact of preoperative weakness and duration of symptoms on health-related quality-of-life outcomes following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT The majority of patients with preoperative upper extremity weakness show improvements in motor function after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). While numerous studies have examined both the extent and time course to which motor function can be expected to improve, few have shown that these improvements in motor function translate to improved health related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of preoperative weakness and duration of symptoms on HRQOL outcomes in patients who underwent ACDF. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study PATIENT SAMPLE Adult patients who underwent an ACDF procedure at an academic hospital from January 2015 to December 2016 by a fellowship-trained spine surgeon. OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcomes of interest were HRQOL outcomes: Short Form-12 Physical/Mental Component Scores (SF-12 PCS/MCS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Visual Analog Scale Arm/Neck scores (VAS Arm/Neck). METHODS Patient demographics, surgical case characteristics, and motor strength exams were collected in patients who underwent ACDF over a 2-year period. Preoperative weakness was defined by a strength grade ≤ 3 (on a scale from 0 to 5) in at least one upper extremity muscle group. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of the preoperative weakness on HRQOL outcomes. RESULTS Of the 276 patients identified, 45 (16.3%) showed evidence of preoperative weakness, 44 (97.8%) of which showed subsequent postoperative motor improvements after ACDF. All patients reported significant improvements in all HRQOL outcome measures. Patients with preoperative weakness reported significantly worse preoperative VAS Arm (6.9 vs. 5.2; p=0.01) and VAS Neck (6.1 vs. 4.8; p=0.02) pain scores. Compared to patients without preoperative weakness, those with preoperative weakness reported significantly more improvement in NDI (β: -10.9; p=0.001). Patients with symptoms greater than or equal to 12 months and preoperative weakness showed significantly less improvement in NDI (β: 14.8; p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS Patients with preoperative weakness generally exhibited worse pain and HRQOL measures preoperatively, and showed greater potential for improvement after ACDF. Patients with a shorter duration of preoperative weakness had greater potential for improvement in HRQOL measures after ACDF compared to those with longer duration of symptoms. ACDF is an effective procedure to improve strength and HRQOL measures across all patient groups under appropriate indications.
NTCP model for hypothyroidism after supraclavicular-directed radiation therapy for breast cancer.

Abstract Background and purpose Hypothyroidism (HT) is a well-known complication of radiation (RT) that includes supraclavicular (SCV) fields. We analyzed breast cancer patients who received SCV-directed RT to evaluate predictors of HT and developed the first normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) model for HT specific to breast cancer patients. Materials and methods 192 breast cancer patients received SCV-directed RT between 2007 and 2019 and met inclusion criteria. Individual dose-volume histograms were analyzed to determine thyroid volume within and outside specific isodose lines as well as minimum, mean, and maximum doses. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess potential clinical and treatment factors for the development of hypothyroidism. An NTCP model was created, and model validation was performed. Results Thirty-seven patients (19.3%) developed HT following SCV-directed RT at a median 25 months (range: 2–83 months). Multivariable analysis revealed longer length of follow-up (p = 0.015) and larger thyroid volume receiving less than 20 Gy (CV20Gy[cc]; p = 0.045) were significant prognostic factors (p = 0.039). IMRT was not associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism (p = 0.28) despite lower CV20Gy[cc] (p = 0.0002). On NTCP modeling, CV20Gy[cc] ≥ 8.5 cc was associated with a risk of HT Conclusion NTCP modeling within our patient cohort suggested that greater than 8.5 cc thyroid volume receiving less than 20 Gy may be a recommended dosimetric guideline to minimize HT risk in breast cancer patients receiving SCV-directed RT.
New Rural Access Index: Main Determinants and Correlation to Poverty

Transport connectivity is essential to sustain inclusive growth in developing countries, where many rural populations and businesses are still considered to be unconnected to the domestic, regional, or global market. The Rural Access Index is among the most important global indicators for measuring people's transport accessibility in rural areas where the majority of the poor live. A new method to calculate the Rural Access Index was recently developed using spatial data and techniques. The characteristics of subnational Rural Access Index estimates were investigated in eight countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. It was found that for the countries in Africa, road density and road condition are important determinants of the Rural Access Index. For the South Asian countries, improvement of road condition is particularly relevant. The evidence suggests that significant resources are likely to be required to achieve universal access through rehabilitating the existing road network and expanding the road network.
Long-term investment planning for the electricity sector in Small Island Developing States: Case study for Jamaica

Abstract Long term infrastructure investment planning for the electricity sector in Small Island Developing States typically optimizes generation and transmission investments sequentially. Compared to a simultaneous planning method, the current practice may result in a misallocation of scarce resources. To address this, this paper makes two contributions. First, it presents a framework for assessing two features of long-term planning models while accounting for economic and geographic idiosyncrasies of small island states. These are: i) the simultaneous vs sequential treatment of generation and transmission investments and ii) the impact of loop flow (a phenomenon intrinsic to electricity transmission networks) on long-term investment planning. Second, it quantifies the magnitude of omitting these model features using Jamaica as a test case. Depending on the initial conditions of the network, a simultaneous planning approach yields cost-efficiency gains in the order of 3.3%–3.6%. This is substantial when converted to financial costs and excess infrastructure investments. Importantly, energy modelers may want to think carefully about whether or not their results are liable to suffer from omitting these features and by making data and program codes publicly available, this paper broadens the scope for energy economic research in small island states.
Relating whole-brain functional connectivity to self-reported negative emotion in a large sample of young adults using group regularized canonical correlation analysis

Abstract The goal of our study was to use functional connectivity to map brain function to self-reports of negative emotion. In a large dataset of healthy individuals derived from the Human Connectome Project (N = 652), first we quantified functional connectivity during a negative face-matching task to isolate patterns induced by emotional stimuli. Then, we did the same in a complementary task-free resting state condition. To identify the relationship between functional connectivity in these two conditions and self-reports of negative emotion, we introduce group regularized canonical correlation analysis (GRCCA), a novel algorithm extending canonical correlations analysis to model the shared common properties of functional connectivity within established brain networks. To minimize overfitting, we optimized the regularization parameters of GRCCA using cross-validation and tested the significance of our results in a held-out portion of the data set using permutations. GRCCA consistently outperformed plain regularized canonical correlation analysis. The only canonical correlation that generalized to the held-out test set was based on resting state data (r = 0.175, permutation test p = 0.021). This canonical correlation loaded primarily on Anger-aggression. It showed high loadings in the cingulate, orbitofrontal, superior parietal, auditory and visual cortices, as well as in the insula. Subcortically, we observed high loadings in the globus pallidus. Regarding brain networks, it loaded primarily on the primary visual, orbito-affective and ventral multimodal networks. Here, we present the first neuroimaging application of GRCCA, a novel algorithm for regularized canonical correlation analyses that takes into account grouping of the variables during the regularization scheme. Using GRCCA, we demonstrate that functional connections involving the visual, orbito-affective and multimodal networks are promising targets for investigating functional correlates of subjective anger and aggression. Crucially, our approach and findings also highlight the need of cross-validation, regularization and testing on held out data for correlational neuroimaging studies to avoid inflated effects.
Adjuvant Photodynamic Therapy, Mediated via Topical Versus Systemic Administration of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid for Control of Murine Mammary Tumor after Surgical Resection†.

Treatment de-escalation is sought in the management of precursor lesions of early stage breast cancer, driving the appeal of adjuvant modalities to lumpectomy that reduce toxicity and minimally detract from patient quality of life. We investigate photodynamic therapy (PDT), with the photosensitizing prodrug, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), as adjuvant therapy to complete resection of murine mammary tumor (propagated from TUBO cells). ALA was delivered either systemically (oral, 250 mg kg-1 ) at 5 h before 632 nm illumination or topically (20% solution) to the resection site at 10 min before light delivery to 135 J cm-2 . Treatment with either oral-ALA-PDT (oALA-PDT) or topical-ALA-PDT (tALA-PDT) to the mammary fat pad after TUBO complete resection (CR) produced long-term tumor control with 90-day complete response rates of 21% and 32%, respectively, compared to control rates of 0-5% in mice receiving only CR. Thus, CR/tALA-PDT was equipotent to CR/oALA-PDT despite ~10-fold lower levels of ALA-induced protoporphyrin XI as photosensitizer after topical versus oral-ALA administration. CR/oALA-PDT produced more vascular damage, greater proportion of tissue-resident neutrophils and stronger inflammation when compared to CR/tALA-PDT. Collectively, these data provide rationale for ongoing investigation of ALA-PDT as adjuvant therapy after lumpectomy for increased probability of local control in the treatment of breast cancer.
Design of Partial-discharge-free Busbar for More-electric Aircraft Application with Low Pressure Condition

This paper proposes an insulation design and optimization methodology for laminated busbars in more-electric aircraft (MEA) motor drive system. The design assumes that the converter works at around 11-km altitude with decompressed air pressure, which expedites partial discharge (PD) compared to it at sea-level. The trade-off between the insulation margin and power-loop stray inductance is revealed and optimized. By using the method, a busbar for a 450-kVA 3-level T-type neutral-point-clamped (3L-TNPC) converter is designed. Its partial discharge inception voltage (PDIV) is 43% higher than the rated voltage at the air pressure of 0.2 atm and 170% higher at normal air pressure. Busbar stray inductance of 12.0 nH is achieved, lower than published literature of 3-level converters.
Written Testimony Submitted by Professor Jorge L. Contreras to U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property – Protecting Real Innovations by Improving Patent Quality

The recent assertion of patents originally held by Theranos, the defunct blood analysis company whose founders are under federal indictment for fraud, highlights the existence of patents that claim non-existent and inoperative inventions. While such patents may ultimately be subject to validity challenges in court, their issuance nevertheless has harmful effects on markets and innovation. I propose several modest administrative and legislative measures directed toward the elimination of patents on inoperative inventions including (1) increasing PTO efforts to detect potentially inoperable inventions, (2) heightening examination requirements, including a certification of enablement, for certain inventions, (3) enabling greater public input into the examination process, and (4) increasing penalties for fraudulent conduct before the PTO. In addition to addressing inoperative inventions, some of these reforms could help to alleviate broader enablement concerns that have been identified by scholars over the past decade. Given the serious consequences that these issues have on markets and innovation, such measures merit serious consideration by the PTO and Congress.
Four isomers of In2H2: a careful comparison between theory and experiment

Four constitutional isomers of diindium dihydride have been studied utilising rigorous quantum mechanical methods. Geometries were optimised with the CCSD(T) method using the aug-cc-pwCVTZ basis se...
Artificial Grammar Learning in Children With Developmental Language Disorder.

PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to evaluate implicit learning in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) by employing a visual artificial grammar learning task. METHOD Thirteen children with DLD and 24 children with typical language development between the ages of 8 and 12 years completed a visual artificial grammar learning task. During the training phase of the task, participants were presented with strings of shapes that followed the underlying structure of a finite grammar. During the testing phase, participants were asked to judge whether new strings were grammatical or nongrammatical. Grammatical judgment of new strings served to measure generalization of the underlying grammatical structure. Endorsement based on chunk strength, or similarity to training exemplars, served to evaluate the extent to which children relied on surface features to guide their task performance. RESULTS As a group, children with typical development performed better on the artificial grammar learning task, compared with children with DLD, and accepted more grammatical strings regardless of their similarity to training exemplars. Task performance in both groups was not affected by surface features. Performance of children with DLD whose test accuracy exceeded the learning threshold of 0.5 was consistent with a generalization of the underlying grammatical structure that was unaffected by surface features. CONCLUSIONS The study found group differences in learning outcomes between children with and without DLD. Consistent with previous reports, children with typical development correctly endorsed more grammatical strings than children with DLD, suggesting a better acquisition of the grammatical structure. However, there was no evidence to suggest that children in the DLD group (learners and nonlearners) relied on surface features (i.e., familiarity to training exemplars) in their grammatical judgment. These results refute our hypothesis that children in the DLD group would show judgment based on familiarity.
Toxicity of clothianidin to common Eastern North American fireflies.

Background Previous research suggests that fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are susceptible to commonly used insecticides. In the United States, there has been a rapid and widespread adoption of neonicotinoid insecticides, predominantly used as seed coatings on large-acreage crops like corn, soy, and cotton. Neonicotinoid insecticides are persistent in soil yet mobile in water, so they have potential to contaminate firefly habitats both in and adjacent to application sites. As a result, fireflies may be at high risk of exposure to neonicotinoids, possibly jeopardizing this already at-risk group of charismatic insects. Methods To assess the sensitivity of fireflies to neonicotinoids, we exposed larvae of Photuris versicolor complex and Photinus pyralis to multiple levels of clothianidin-treated soil and monitored feeding behavior, protective soil chamber formation, intoxication, and mortality. Results Pt. versicolor and Pn. pyralis larvae exhibited long-term intoxication and mortality at concentrations above 1,000 ng g-1 soil (1 ppm). Under sub-lethal clothianidin exposure, firefly larvae fed less and spent less time in protective soil chambers, two behavioral changes that could decrease larval survival in the wild. Discussion Both firefly species demonstrated sub-lethal responses in the lab to clothianidin exposure at field-realistic concentrations, although Pt. versicolor and Pn. pyralis appeared to tolerate higher clothianidin exposure relative to other soil invertebrates and beetle species. While these two firefly species, which are relatively widespread in North America, appear somewhat tolerant of neonicotinoid exposure in a laboratory setting, further work is needed to extend this conclusion to wild populations, especially in rare or declining taxa.
Preface to Part X

I write this preface fresh off of a week-long meeting and conference hosted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Education and the Dana Foundation on the topics of creativity, the arts, learning, and the brain. Last year’s report on this intersection from the Dana Foundation (2008) encompassed empirical studies performed by some of the most eminent cognitive neuroscience laboratories in the country. Consequentially, there is a swell of ground support emerging from the public’s increasing enthusiasm of the promise of cognitive neuroscience to inform, intervene, and enhance the experience of education. The metrics between science and education are far from one another as neuroscience methods treat the learner primarily in isolation, and a minimum requirement or expectation of the process of education is that it takes place in the social environment of the classroom. The empirical demonstration of functional plasticity related to participation in music and the arts is crystallizing a platform that may well hold the first-tier of efforts designed to problem solve in the space between isolated neuroimaging techniques and the learning and performance dynamics from education and the social environment that we are so eager to see there.
The Dirty Little Secret of Legal Negotiation:Confidentiality Under Federal Rule 408 and Related State Laws

There is a widely held belief that legal negotiations are confidential in that communications made during those discussions may not be introduced in subsequent legal proceedings. However, this first major analysis of the primary vehicle responsible for providing this protection – Federal Rule 408 and related state laws – demonstrates how this is no longer true. Rather, relatively few legal negotiations today are covered by the rules, and the federal and state courts have carved out significant exceptions that render the rule a virtual nullity. This is especially problematic modern legal negotiation emphasizes significant disclosure of sensitive information. This article explains how we got to this point, and offers a theoretical framework for regulating alternative dispute resolution processes like legal negotiation that ultimately resolves the problem by shifting the Rule 408 categorical analysis to a simple two-part test: whether the settlement discussion evidence is necessary to prevent undue hardship, and whether it is otherwise unavailable. While current Rule 408 analysis generally leads to the admission of legal negotiation evidence, the proposed analysis provides a principled and pragmatic approach for balancing the fundamental tension between the confidentiality needs of legal negotiation the information needs of public adjudication.
Metabolic Aspects of Urea Utilization by Ruminant Animals

Growing 267-kg steers were fed a low-nitrogen (N), semipurified diet with varying combinations of urea and corn gluten meal to supply either zero, 46 or 92% of the animals' N intake as urea. N balances were 20, 14 and 1 g/day for the respective diets. Fecal and urinary N excretions increased with increasing amounts of urea N in the diet. Other indices of N utilization followed similar trends. Although microbial activity (estimated by redox potential) was higher with urea-containing diets, measurement of ruminai ammonia and partition of the urinary N fraction in dicated a loss of N by the animal as a result of ruminai ammonia concentration. Ruminai ammonia peak and biological value were inversely related. Evidently micro bial protein synthesis was not comparable in rate to urea hydrolysis. The small change in ruminai ammonia concentration produced from corn gluten meal suggested that this protein is relatively insoluble or has a slow rate of release in the rumen. The inferiority of urea diets can therefore be explained as a combination of urea hydrolysis occurring at a faster rate than synthesis of microbial protein and a portion of less soluble N sources escaping rapid proteolysis in the rumen.
Energy Saving and CO2 Emission Reducing Analysis of Chinese Iron and Steel Industry

In this paper, the energy saving processes and main affecting factors of energy consumption and CO2 emission were analyzed, based on the energy consumption and CO2 emission status of Chinese iron and steel industry (CISI), The process which is mainly based on BF-BOF route and adopt coal as the main energy sources is the main factor to result in high energy consumption and CO2 emission in CISI. During the 30 years development of energy saving since 1980, the direct and indirect energy savings was analyzed and compared with the energy saving potential analysis. To comparing the energy use in different works and improve energy efficiency, the energy consumption and CO2 emission index from different analysis system is discussed. The analysis results will contribute to the development of energy saving and help to achieve the sustainable development of the CISI.
Gods in the Desert: Religions of the Ancient Near East – By Glenn S. Holland

This book's purpose seems to be twofold: 1) to describe the complexities of religious practice in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Syria‐Palestine and 2) to contextualize ancient Israelite religion ...
Abstract 18342: Inducible Cardiomyocyte-Specific Deletion of Stromal Interaction Molecules Results in Cardiomyopathy in Mice

Background: Stromal interaction molecules (STIM1 and STIM2) are sarco/endoplasmic calcium sensors ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells. Upon Ca2+ store discharge STIM proteins oligomerize in proximity of the plasma membrane to activate the Ca2+ selective channels (Orai) and trigger Ca2+ entry. While this mechanism is widely accepted to be the main source of calcium in non-excitable cells, in cardiomyocytes the calcium-induced calcium-release is the major controller of myocardial function, and the presence of STIM in these cells appears somewhat puzzling. Here we investigated the role of STIM in cardiomyocytes and its role in regulating cardiac contractility and intracellular Ca2+ dynamics. Methods: We have generated an inducible cardiac-specific STIM1 knockout (STIM KO) mouse model to elucidate the role of STIM in the myocardium. Echocardiography was used to evaluate structure and function of the left ventricle. Heart rate was monitored continuously in conscious mice by telemetry. Cell dimensions, sh...
User-centered design and agency in interactive data visualizations

Interactive data visualizations facilitate user exploration of information and can offer insight into patterns and relationships within the data. Nevertheless, the user's experience is constrained by the rhetorical choices of the visualization designers. Most scholarship on the relationship between user, interface, and designer focuses on how agency is shared between designer and user within the visualization interface. This paper focuses on an additional site in which user agency may occur: during visualization development. A user-centered development process involving audience engagement and co-creation can provide an additional space in which to negotiate agency. This paper envisions how this process might work, focusing on one example of user collaboration in the development of an interactive visualization for communicating about risks associated with sea-level rise. It outlines decisions made by developers regarding interface design, data selection, and risk scenario parameters, illustrates pathways by which users have participated in the design process, and describes how user feedback has helped shape the ultimate interaction space. Implications for the development of other interactive visualizations are discussed.
Efficient Sketches for Earth-Mover Distance, with Applications

We provide the first sub-linear sketching algorithm for estimating the planar Earth-Mover Distance with a constant approximation. For sets living in the two-dimensional grid $[\Delta]^2$, we achieve space$\Delta^{\eps}$ for approximation $O(1/\eps)$, for any desired $0
Free Products of Exact Groups

It has recently been proved that the class of unital exact C*-algebras is closed under taking reduced amalgamated free products. Here the proof is presented of a special case: that the class of exact discrete groups is closed under taking free products (with amalgamation over the identity element). The proof of this special case is considerably simpler than in full generality.
O132. Comparison of groups with and without diabetes mellitus and preeclampsia in pregnancy: A retrospective case-control comparison

Objective Preeclampsia (PreE) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in pregnancy share many risk factors and consequences. Thus, the interactions between these two disease-processes need to be further examined. This study compared normal pregnancies to those complicated with preE, gestational diabetes, and/or pre-existing DM to assess the effect of elevated glucose on placental development and outcomes when this condition is complicated by the addition of preE. Methods Medical chart reviews were performed in an IRB approved retrospective case-control design with pregnancies resulting in live born singletons. Total 178 subjects with preE with and without diabetes in pregnancy and live born singletons were selected from deliveries in 2008 through 2011 at Scott & White Memorial hospital. These were compared to 443 without preE and with and without diabetes delivering at similar dates. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Duncan’s post-hoc test. Results Patients who developed preE during gestation had higher blood pressures for both systolic and diastolic compared to the groups who did not developed preE during pregnancies ( p p p = 0.21) with the average gravidity of 2.7 (1.8SD) for 621 subjects having a range of 1 to 14 pregnancies. Patients with preE delivered earlier in pregnancy than those without preE regardless of diabetes status. However, those with preE and pre-existing DM delivered significantly earlier at 35.0 ± 0.4 weeks than the other two preE groups ( p p Conclusions The development of preE in those with pre-existing DM led to growth restriction and more severe disease as evidenced by lower birth weights corrected for gestational age and earlier gestational ages at delivery. These differences were not seen in pregnancies where DM developed during the pregnancy. This observation supports the concept that elevated glucose levels during placental development in the first trimester may alter the placenta and lead to restriction later in pregnancy when a second stimulus triggers preE.
Diffraction from Crystals

This chapter develops diffraction from crystals in the Laue formulation, using both the Born approximation from Chap. 4, and a general formulation for the scattering of any wave from a potential. The concept of the reciprocal lattice is presented, and discussed in detail for cubic crystals. Structure factor rules are derived for cubic crystals, and extinctions of diffractions are related to crystal symmetry. The structure factor discussion is extended to superlattice diffractions and their dependence on chemical order. The shape factor is developed in Cartesian coordinates, and the broadening of diffractions is described for small crystals of various shapes. The Ewald sphere is defined with the Laue condition, and related to the Bragg condition for diffraction. Effects on diffraction intensities from tilting the Ewald sphere or tilting the crystal are explained geometrically. Laue zones and diffraction fine structure are explained with the help of the Ewald sphere.
Recycling infrastructure for engineering thermoplastics: a supply chain analysis

Several years ago, the electronics supply chain was making substantive progress in establishing programs and partnerships to demonstrate the recovery, identification and sorting of plastic from electronic equipment; and making inroads in the design community to gain acceptance of recycled-content resins in new products. Many of these entrepreneurial efforts hit major roadblocks due to the lack of consistent, quality supply and insufficient demand. Technology is no longer the major challenge. Recyclers and equipment manufacturers have demonstrated recovery processes that achieve high quality recyclate that can even meet the demanding specifications for cosmetic parts in electronic applications. Industry now faces the economic, institutional and political realities of making plastics recycling work.
The effects of war on Iraq's food system: a historical analysis and proposal for future direction.

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes to Iraq's food system and the subsequent effects on citizens' health as a result of the Iraq War in comparison to the food rationing system under Saddam Hussein. An analysis of available data shows that crop production and food imports have increased since the occupation but the food is not readily available to the citizens of Iraq. Child malnutrition has increased since the occupation, and child and infant mortality rates remain high. Iraq has demonstrated its ability to produce a wide variety of foods and by following the example of Cuba perhaps can become a food-secure nation by depending on local, small-scale farmers to provide the majority of the nation's food. By analyzing the situation in Iraq, we can gain insight to prevent the present situation from occurring in other countries.
Charge/radical site initiation versus coulombic repulsion for cleavage of multiply charged ions. Charge solvation in poly(alkene glycol) ions

Electrospray ionization of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) followed by separation with Fourier-transform mass spectrometry traps (PEG100 + nH)n+ ions. Both collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) and electron capture dissociation (ECD) of these ions (n = 5, 6, 7) produce PEGx fragment ions in which the x values correspond closely to those for an equal distribution of charges in the linear polymer ion, e.g., for n = 7, near x = 1, 17, 34, 50, 67, 83, and 100. However, positions intermediate between these charges should represent the maximum coulombic repulsion, so this is not a specific driving force for fragmentation, which is instead consistent with charge site (CAD) or radical site (ECD) initiation. These conclusions were confirmed by studies of a variety of other poly(alkene glycol) polymers. For these, the ECD spectra of the protonated species are consistent with the predicted charge solvation by the ion’s oxygen atoms.
Applying Total Quality Management to Education and Training: a US Case Study

An organisation implementing quality improvement processes should incorporate these concepts and principles in the design and delivery of its training products and services. Here the authors describe an approach to achieving this incorporation. Four pillars of quality were rendered operational through ten instructional components implemented in two university courses. Outcomes of the application of these components include: a highly experiential and interactive course, a focus on performance outcomes, and a course customised to the needs of learners.
Levels of Self-Containment Within the Treatment Situation

Patients who use self-containment as a means of managing their concerns require a careful evaluation in order to assess the specific function being served by the self-containment, as well as the degree of ego development and self-cohesion that is present in the patient. Is is essential, however, that the self-containment not be viewed exclusively as a resistance to be undermined as quickly as possible. Rather, the self-containment must be understood and worked with as material which is an integral part of the treatment, not merely an obstruction to it.